will@cvradio.com General Agha Robinson, Commander of the 22nd Motorised Infantry Brigade reiterates that soldiers are still in the barracks while government has no intention of militarising the North West Region. ADS When my convoy, on a mission to reestablish peace in Ndu, was shot, my soldiers wanted to respond but I said no. There was a crowd and in front were youths. I told my soldiers not to open fire, Colonel Ndema Siang Robert told Cameroon Tribune, recounting five hours of fire from assailants without any riposte from them. The Commander of the 25th Motorised Infantry Battalion in Nkambe said they did not yield to the provocation because they wanted to remain professional and did not consider the assailants as enemies. They shot at us but I told my soldiers we shall not behave like them because we are the Republic and are out simply to restore order, he disclosed. In Jakiri, where a gendarme was shot dead on November 6, 2017, an operation to recover the lost arm of the security officer wasnt repressive, officials in Bui Division said. The security officers worked in collaboration with traditional authorities in Jakiri to recover the arm. Cameroon Tribune gathered that similar deadly attacks on the armed forces, of late, in the region has left the security forces unperturbed as they continue with their mission of restoring and maintaining law and order as well as protecting people, their properties and public buildings. Despite the deadly attacks on police and gendarmerie officers, which some armed factions of secessionist groups have claimed responsibility, the security officials say they have continued to act with tact. Contrary to belief that the North West Region had been heavily militarized following the upheavals, General Agha Robinson, Commander of the 22nd Motorised Infantry Brigade holds the reverse is true. There are no soldiers on the streets. They are in their barracks. The gendarmes and police who are charged with taking care of the population are deployed to do just what they are supposed to do. The number of gendarmes and policemen in the region has not increased significantly. We just have what is enough for us, the Commander disclosed. We learned some communities have even asked that more police and gendarmerie posts be created but officials hold the State is incapable of doing so now due to other logistic constraints. Policemen and gendarmes only go where it is necessary, General Agha Robinson said, highlighting the fact that government has no intention of militarising the North West Region. Instead, the number of checkpoints along roads have been reduced, giving room for effective surveillance of the movement of goods and persons. The few checkpoints left constitute of mixed teams of policemen and gendarmes, while there are plans to further reduce the number of checkpoints in the region. The entire North West Region of some 36 subdivisions has only about 850 police officers and some 47 gendarmerie posts. In the city of Bamenda, some 230 gendarmes are in service. According to Commander of the 22nd Motorised Infantry Brigade, the number of armed forces in the entire North West Region vis-a-vis the population is small, and as such the region cannot be said to be militarized, even by local and international standards. Air force officials in the region, whose base is located at the Airport premises in Bafut, say they are preoccupied with monitoring road networks in the region to prevent highway robbery and ensuring that periodic markets function. AMINDEH Blaise ATABONG ADS | BY Ricki Green | Alt/Shift has announced the appointment of Julia Spencer to the newly created role of creative director, taking the agencys staff count to 24 after opening its doors in August last year. With seven years experience as a copywriter, Spencer has worked within large creative departments most recently at DDB Sydney delivering campaigns for clients including McDonalds, Johnson & Johnson, Diageo and Nestle. Prior to her work as a copywriter, Spencer cut her teeth in PR, allowing her a sound understanding of the earned media space. Spencers appointment comes in the wake of several new business wins for the agency, with a client base including brands across the Lion Dairy & Drinks portfolio, Origin Energy, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), RMIT, Lizard Island and El Questro, GoActive Outdoors, Visit Ballarat and more. Says Spencer: Im chuffed to be getting on board with an agency with so many fantastic clients; a real grip on the changing climate of our industry; and an understanding of the importance of creativity. Adding an extra creative lens to Alt/Shifts offering gives our agency a unique vantage that were excited to share with our clients. Spencer will work closely with Alt/Shifts planning director, Chris Steele. Together, the pair will deliver strategic creative solutions for clients across all agency projects through both earned and owned media. Says Elly Hewitt, managing director, Alt/Shift: Jules heritage in the PR and earned media space, coupled with extensive experience in some of the nations leading creative agencies is unique. Shes a bit of a unicorn even though she might not like us calling her that and were absolutely thrilled to have her in the team. | BY Ricki Green | The bumper perfect bound Summer issue of Campaign Brief which features the annual TVC Production + Content Report is out NOW. The front and back cover of the magazine has a fun Augmented Reality (AR) animation embedded into it, thanks to the creative geniuses over at Alt.vfx. The image utilizes the Gingerbread Man from the latest David Jones campaign that Alt completed with TBWA/Sydney and The Sweet Shop. To view the front and back covers in all of their colourful glory, download the dedicated Alt.vfx AR app at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Once you have loaded the app onto your device, simply open the app and point your phone at the front and back covers to see the designs come alive! Says Tyrone Estephan, executive producer at Alt: Our Alt.R&D team created this app in-house as a fun way of celebrating the end of a busy year for the advertising industry. What better way to do that than make the covers of our industry bible, Campaign Brief, come alive like never before! Subscribe Now @ only $44 per year. To get so much more than whats on the blog, make sure you are a subscriber to the print edition of Campaign Brief. CB is the only advertising creative magazine in the region, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Subscribe online (where you can also view and read current and past issues going back to 2007). To download the app on your Apple device, click here. To download the app on your Android device, click here. | BY Ricki Green | CX agency Lavender has today announced that Anna Karena will assume the position of chief creative officer. She will succeed Marco Eychenne, ECD, who left in October this year. As chief creative officer, Karena will take responsibility for directing CX Lavenders overall customer experience design. Karena will work with ECD, Ryan Stubna and head of experience design, Mitch Seeto. A highly awarded and globally experienced creative leader, Karena returns to CX agency Lavender following three years at Wunderman as ECD. Says Karena: Im honoured and excited to lead the CX Lavender creative and design teams. The commitment of everyone in this company to the customer and its clients, is extraordinary and it is what makes this organisation very special. The most creative businesses in the world are no longer agencies and creativity is no longer something that can exist in just one department. This role will be to draw everyone with all their diverse talents clients included into the CX Lavender creative-solving formula. Ideas are not things that live in the ether, theyre inside people. And the way they ignite, is when different kinds of people who are cognitively diverse collaborate. Says Will Lavender, chairman, CX agency Lavender: Anna is wise and calm and she truly understands who we are as a company. She was a founding team member back when we started the company and were so happy to have her back in our midst. | BY Lynchy | With social consciousness on the rise in Australia, INGs Dreamstarter initiative is helping support and grow small businesses that are tackling big social issues. And in a collective effort between ING, UM and VCCP, Gifts that Give quite literally puts these social enterprises and the products they make in the shop window. In an integrated campaign that utilises NFC technology and bespoke dioramas created to cleverly dramatise the social benefits of the many ingenious and sustainable products on offer, Sydney shoppers can now buy little gifts that make a big difference directly from shop windows using their phones. Supported by interactive OOH and pre-rolls, Gifts That Give brings an online market place to the streets at a time of year when more and more people are looking for gifts that have a social impact, on the environment and in our communities. Gifts That Give features everything from pamper packs that help women in refuge, shampoo bars that help eliminate plastic in your bathroom, reusable coffee pods that help prevent millions of pods going to landfill every day, ethical fashion lovingly handmade by new migrants and refugees, delicious products keeping indigenous recipes alive, and many more. Says VCCP Creative Director, Paul Sharp: Its been great to get the Dreamstarter message out there in such a positive way, but from a production perspective, never work with animals or children, or people shorter than 50mm. Its not every day you see a pitch idea come to life, said Rhonda So, Group Account Director at UM. With Dreamstarter being such a unique and socially conscious initiative, the intention was to elevate peoples interaction with the program by turning our media into digital shopfronts via a truly novel interface. Adds INGs sustainability manager, Shannon Carruth: Gifts that Give are just some of the little ways local social enterprises are making a big difference in Australians communities. Were proud to be a part of each business success and future with our Dreamstarter initiative. The Gifts That Give pop up shoppable storefronts can be found at the following addresses: The ING Lounge at 60 Margaret St, Sydney NSW 2000 75 Crown Street Darlinghurst, 2010 147 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW 2042 69 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC All product can also be purchased HERE Client ING Head of Marketing Fiona Nicol Brand Lead George Exikanas Senior Brand Manager Nicole Metcalf Brand Manager Helen Colville Sustainability Manager Shannon Carruth Agency VCCP Executive Creative Director Gary Dawson Creative Director Paul Sharp Copywriter / Art Director Georgie Waters & Felix Ettelson Group Account Director Kim Ellis Media Agency UM Group Director Rhonda So Partnerships Manager Nick Rutherford Shopfront Production Habitat Artist Jason Cristopher Film Production Company Eight | BY Ricki Green | Mediahub Australia has appointed search marketing expert Esteban Martinez as performance director, providing SEM and digital performance leadership across the agencys growing client portfolio. Over the past six months, Mediahub has added Magellan Financial Group and Laser Clinics Australia to its existing portfolio of clients, which includes TK Maxx, Harley-Davidson, Fujitsu Australia, Edith Cowen University, Braintree, Netflix and Western Union. Says Andrew Livingston, managing director, Mediahub Australia: Esteban is a great hire for Mediahub who will further lift our already well-established SEM capabilities. His depth of experience will not only allow us to deliver best-in-class SEM to our clients, but also refine and hone our overall performance offering. In the performance space, we offer our clients a unique proposition, with core skills in-house leveraging the best external partners in programmatic, mobile and data, externally. This consultative approach ensures our clients have a tech stack built around their needs, not ours, and Esteban will be key in building out this proposition further. Martinez joins Mediahub from Salmat, where he was SEM director, and previously worked in the United Kingdom running a successful digital marketing consultancy called Active Pay Per Click. Says Martinez, who combines specialist knowledge of paid and organic search, email marketing and social campaigns: Understanding your target audience is paramount in order to successfully engage and convert your customers, so Im excited to bring my understanding of SEM and customer data to Mediahub clients, enhancing their online presence and performance. His appointment follows a string of senior hires designed to build expertise and deliver a best-in-class media product for challenger brands. In September, Tom Rankin joined as general manager, Media in Sydney. Rene Migliore joined the agency as general manager, Media in Perth last month. | BY Lynchy | M&C Saatchi Tokyo has developed a new global brand message for Japan Airlines, focusing on two quintessential Japanese traits: attention to detail and punctuality. The global message revolves around: The Airline, On the Dot, at the same time, paying a tribute to Japans national flag while reinforcing JALs status as a national carrier. JALs on-time performance has been ranked the highest and awarded by FlightStats five times since 2009. The campaign focuses on the airlines pride in truly understanding and valuing their customers time. Accordingly, the supers in the TV spot posit: Time is precious for those why fly, and for those who wait. M&C Saatchi Tokyo CEO Tamio Koshino said, The Airline, On the Dot message trickles down from the rational to the emotional. Whether its someone making it on time to a business meeting or a parent arriving in time for their childs birthday or meeting their loved ones for that special day, its about getting passengers to where they need to be safely and on time. Koshino added, Being punctual and precise are universally valued concepts no matter where you are from. They are also inherent Japanese traits which have become symbols of dependence and reliability. The new brand message will be reflected in its TVCs and YouTube videos and aired in JALs key international markets of the North America, Europe and Asia. The agency will also work on other elements of brand identity which will be revealed over the next three years. M&C Saatchi Tokyo was appointed as a agency by Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. to develop its new global branding earlier this year. The appointment came after a pitch process hotly contested by four participating agencies. About FlightStats: FlightStats, part of FlightGlobal, is a cutting-edge data services company focused on providing real-time global flight data to companies and travellers across the travel eco-system. It has published the On-time Performace Service (OPS) Awards since 2009, awards to recognise the Best of the Best Airlines that demonstrate consistently high performance and delivery on their promise to get passengers to their destinations in a timely manner. Credits Executive Creative Director: Tamio Koshino Planning Directors: R: Akio Kimura, Nobuhiko Yamamoto Agency Producer: Susumu Nagano Art Directors: Aya Inaba, Yuhei Asaoka Copwriters: Sarah Milan, Tamio Koshino Accounts: Akio Kimura, Asami Arai, Edward Lapsa Composer: Katsuhisa Hattori Production Company: M&C Saatchi Tokyo Director: Tamio Koshino Producer: Yusuke Kasai CG Director: Manabu Sakamoto CG Designer: Takeo Saito Photographer: Nicci Keller Post Production: Sound City Editor: Susumu Nagano Sound Engineer: Ryosuke Suetsugu "I am absolutely delighted to be joining the fantastic team at ABC Canberra," Anna said. "Canberra is my much-loved home. After almost six years covering federal politics, I'm excited to have the opportunity to shift my professional focus onto all the other great stuff that makes this city and region of ours the most wonderful place to live." Labor's manager of opposition business in the Senate asked to be referred on Wednesday, saying she believed she had taken all reasonable steps to renounce British citizenship by descent from her father but delays in processing her case by the UK Home Office meant she was a dual citizen at the time of nomination for the 2016 election. Most of the friendly-fire criticism of Turnbull is unfair. It also shows a remarkable lack of self-awareness and discipline on the part of the critics, who themselves have contributed to the difficulties of their state and federal parties. Broad does not reflect the views of his electorate, which voted in favour of same-sex marriage. The NSW Coalition government has stumbled enough without any contribution from Turnbull, and Barilaro should reflect on its own weaknesses. The unorthodox Christensen has never been a good advertisement for a disciplined and unified government. 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. A Californian Democrat plans on introducing a bill in the state that will ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040. According to Bloomberg, California Assembly member Phil Tang, chairman of the chambers budget committee, is the man behind the bill. From 2040, he wants the states motor vehicles department to only register vehicles that dont emit carbon dioxide, namely fully-electric and hydrogen-fuel cell cars. California intends on slashing emissions by 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050 and Ting believes the introduction of such a bill could be an invaluable way to achieve this target. In fact, the transportation sector was recently named the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Until you set a deadline, nothing gets done. Its responsible for us to set a deadline 23 years in advance, Ting said. In September, the California Air Resources Board said it had discussed such a vehicle ban following an expression of interest from Governor Jerry Brown. PHOTO GALLERY Fords executive chairman is confident that China will lead the electric vehicle revolution. Speaking to The New York Times, Ford executive chairman William C. Ford Jr. said the carmakers plan to introduce 15 electric of plug-in hybrid models in China by 2025 is a sign of its confidence in the market. When I think of where EVs are going, its clearly the case that China will lead the world in EV development, Ford Jr. said. In recent times, the Chinese government has announced a host of measures which it hopes will cement the countrys position as the most prosperous market for electrified vehicles. One of the measures adopted is to offer global automakers enticing financial incentives to sell EVs in the country, all while heavily taxing ICE vehicles with high emissions. Whats more, China now requires car manufacturers to build a certain number of green vehicles or risk losing their right to sell diesel and petrol vehicles in the country. The likes of Volkswagen, Daimler, and General Motors are joining Ford with unprecedented investments in China. In fact, VW and its Chinese partners intend on launching 25 electrified models in the Chinese market between 2020 and 2025. Interestingly, Ford has discovered that many Chinese buyers are less concerned than most with the range of electric vehicles as the majority of their driving is done within cities. PHOTO GALLERY Having taken the 2017 season off, Jenson Button has announced that in 2018 he will race in the Japanese Super GT series. The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion is no stranger to the series, as he made his Super GT debut in August and has since reached a deal with Honda to race for the entire 2018 season, which kicks off on April 7-8 at Okayama. Ill be racing for Honda and have a contract to race with Honda in Super GT in 2018. Its been a dream for the last couple of years, I love the category. I did one race in Suzuka this year, and it got me very excited. Im very excited about the new season. Theres a lot of testing to be done to feel comfortable and hopefully improve the package and go out next year and be competitive, he said. Button retired from Formula One at the end of the 2016 season, but negotiated a contract with McLaren that would allow him to return to the sport in 2017 if he wanted to. This resulted in Button getting the call up to replace Fernando Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix, as the Spaniard was racing at the Indy 500 the same weekend. PHOTO GALLERY If you still think Renaults wacky Twizy is an interesting little EV, then youll likely grow fund of PSAs latest concept. Unveiled by the EU-LIVE (Efficient Urban Light Vehicle) consortium and funded by the European Commission, its part of the automakers Push-to-Pass plan to deliver new mobility solutions, slotting between the two-wheel and four-wheel segments. Its 2.4m (7.87feet) long and 0.85m (2.79feet) wide, features scissor-like doors to maximize its efficiency in tight parking spaces, and has a heated cabin with an airbag and seatbelts, thus making rider gear unnecessary. Despite its scooter apperance, it can be used on motorways as well, but it does require a driving license. PSA claims that the concept is as easy to drive as a three-wheel scooter, thanks to its tilting mechanism that offers improved handling, and roll-control technology, which makes use of hydraulic components and a hydropneumatic suspension. Power comes from a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that combines a 42hp single-cylinder petrol engine and two electric in-wheel motors, developed by Elaphe and Brembo, plus a 48-volt electric battery designed by Samsung SDI. The study has a total driving range of 300km (186miles), including 70km (44miles) in zero-emission mode. As for its top speed, it can hit 130km/h (81mph). PHOTO GALLERY Polish artists have supported international stop motion productions for many years, creating puppets, sets, and props for films such as Peter and the Wolf by Suzie Templeton, which won the Academy Award, Danny Boy directed by Marek Skrobecki, and Mask by Quay Brothers. As Polish stop motion animation celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, such collaborations between Polish artists and international producers continue to grow, and one of the key companies playing a role in that growth is Momakin. In this piece, we take a look at a couple of Momakins high-profile collaborations and learn why Poland is so highly in demand by animation producers all over the world. Polish artists on the bigscreen Inzomnia is a fantasy-adventure stop motion animated feature being produced in Mexico by Inzomnia Animacion, and the film features several dozen animation puppets created by Polish artists. The film is directed by Luis Tellez, with Karla Castaneda and Francesca Berlingieri Maxwell as production designers. It is Mexicos first stop-motion feature film ever made produced by Paula Astorga and Milko Luis, who have often tackled challenging projects in the past. The main character, a girl named Camila, goes on a mission to save her parents and the rest of the city from the clutches of a wicked businessman who has created an insomnia pill that forces people to remain awake and work their whole life. Camila is the only person who can sleep, and in her dreams, she meets Cesar, a nine-year-old boy, with whom she embarks on a journey involving magical characters and mythic creatures. The cooperation between the films Mexican crew and Polish artists started in 2016. Using the character concept designs by director Luis Tellez, as well as references and precise information about the movement of particular puppets, artists in Poland created a final design for each puppet and its armature design (as well as mechanical heads, for most puppets), before producing the final puppets. The first test puppet created for the project was Cesar, the boy who lives in a world of dreams. On the basis of that, we made a numerous decisions, including final scale of the puppets, said Katarzyna Gromadzka from Momakin, which represents the Polish artists who worked on the project. After the character was figured out, the main character Camila was created. For the needs of the production, over 40 puppets, representing a dozen or so leading and supporting characters, will be created plus extras and background characters. And the diversity of them will be huge, added Gromadzka. The Cesars puppet is 8.6 inches, Camilas puppet is 9.4 inches, and the mythic Chimeras puppet is a giant 20 inches high and 27.5 inches long! So far, the greatest challenge during the pre-production phase has been creating a communication system that allows for an efficient exchange of information across a distance of 6,000 miles. For example, it was necessary to create a system for how to discuss colors that are often distorted between the photos, on the screen, and when printed, explained Gromadzka. The second challenge was the fact that the decorations which must adorn the puppets (both technically and aesthetically) are created entirely in Mexico. Consequently, Polish artists do not have access to them for comparison or testing. There are other practical matters as well. Of course the aspect of shipping puppets matters as well, said Gromadzka. Each time they must be precisely protected and hoped that they will not be damaged in transport. Consideration must also be made between the time zones differences of Mexico and Poland. However, everything can be solved if both sides count on communication and have a task-based approach to occurring difficulties, reassured Gromadzka. Guadalajara in Mexico, a place where Inzomnia is being created, is an important place for Mexican film and animation. It is both the hometown of famed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, as well as a hub of stop motion production. So why was the production of puppets handed over to artists from Poland, a country halfway around the world? Paula Astorga Riestra, a producer of Inzomnia, offered a perspective: Luis [Tellez], I, and all of the team are huge fans of the Polish animation tradition and their own aesthetics, so it was always our first option as an artistic partner. It is also true that even when their animation techniques and craft are of the highest possible quality, it is still within an approachable budget, which is always an amazing opportunity for enriching our production standards and developing a better animation industry path worldwide. Puppets made by Polish artists are highly valued for their solidity, expert precision and attention to detail. Theyve been used in the past for Mexican productions by Jonathan Ostos Yaber (for example: Mr. Wires Nostalgia), as well as European productions, such as the Slovenian children series Koyaa by Kolja Saksida. It should be mentioned that the producers of Inzomnia are interested in extending the cooperation with other Polish members of a creative team, said Katarzyna Gromadzka. Not only puppets At the same time another Polish crew at Momakin is working on sequences using miniature models and figurines for a docudrama children series for German broadcaster SWR under the working title of Small Hands in World War II, directed by Matthias Zirzow and produced by German LOOKSfilm in cooperation with Polish partners TOTO Studio, EC1 odz City of Culture, and CeTA. The series combines live-action sequences and archival footage with scenes using miniature models, creating an atmospheric visualization of historical and personal stories in the form of a three-dimensional model world. The format of the series has already been successfully used in a series about World War I. In the new series, a huge model of a three-dimensional map of Europe will help to show the geopolitical situation at any given moment of the story. With tin soldiers, miniature tanks, and warships, it will also allow to visualize movement of armies and changes of borders and fronts. Other models will recreate places which no longer exist, such us prewar cities and towns. The models will show the vast scale of the ghetto area or a concentration camp, helping young viewers to grasp the amount of people imprisoned and killed during World War II. The models will also help to introduce military actions into the drama, such as bombings or tank attacks. The series demanded a diverse vareity of miniature models representing different parts of Europe, Katarzyna Gromadzka explained. The Polish crew at Momakin had to create Norwegian fjords, the ghetto in Czestochowa, the Kazakh Steppe, and other landscapes, in addition to a dozen or so figurines in 1:16 scale, almost 40 figurines in 1:35 scale, and several dozens of tin soldiers in 1:72 scale. The figurines, said Gromadzka, will serve as miniatures of the characters from live-action shots: protagonists of each episode, as well as soldiers, prisoners, and refugees. This month, they were used by a Polish crew for the realization of the effect shots at Wroclaws Audiovisual Technology Center. LOOKSfilm is happy to coproduce the second season of Small Hands with Toto Studio and Momakin, said LOOKSFilm producer Ramona Bergmann. We worked together on the first season and want to continue the excellent cooperation. We have the great possibility to use the knowledge, experience, and unique style of Polish artists like Agata Gorzadek who is the production designer for the series. Polands contribution in the animation world deserves to be talked about While the artisanal quality and craft-based traditions of Polish animation are widely known, most artists who have worked on globally recognized projects remain largely anonymous. The Polish Quality project, led by Momakin, aims to change this. Polish Quality, which is co-financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Association of Polish Animation Producers (SPPA), has been created to promote the contributions of Polish artists and animation industry service-providing companies to international film producers, especially stop-motion animation. Besides having a strong focus on promoting animators, the program showcases the artistic talents of puppet makers, set builders and prop makers, not just in the sphere of animation, but also for live-action sets and special effects, as well as crew members specializing in animation and miniature capture. Gleaning the talents of an experienced crew is a reason for many producers to sit up and take an interest in co-productions with Polish companies or to consider contracting third-party services in Poland across the range of feature film, documentary and television production. That is why Momakin, through Polish Quality, supports foreign producers looking for partners in Poland, whether in the form of co-producers, executive producers, or finding access to Polish finance. The Momakin team responsible for coordinating Polish Quality represents crew members who underpinned artistic successes like: Peter and the Wolf (dir. Suzie Templeton), Danny Boy (dir. Marek Skrobecki), Mask (dir. Quay Brothers), The Flying Machine (dir. Martin Clapp), plus much-loved animated childrens series such as Flapper and Friends (dir. Krzysztof Brzozowski), The Treflik Family (dir. Marek Skrobecki), Koyaa (dir. Kolja Saksida); creators of sets and props for Solan og Ludvig Jul i Flaklypa and Solan og Ludvig: Herfra til Flaklypa (dir. Rasmus A. Sivertsen), and not forgetting the crews in the upcoming documentary tv series Small Hands in World War II and the Mexican feature Inzomnia. To learn more about collaborating with film and animation artists from Poland, visit PolishQuality.Momakin.pl. We have heard the wrath by at least two of the three other parties in Canada as to what the PM is not doing and what he should be doing in allowing Canadians who return from fighting with ISIS against the free world. Believe me i have my own ideas but what i would like to hear from all parties is exactly what Canadian laws allow the PM to do? Can he forbid them from coming home? Can he place them in jail? Can he remove their passports or are his hands tied because of previously enacted laws by Parliament allowing the following, a Canadian is a Canadian. It has already cost us at least 20 million dollars for two screw ups which were inherited by Trudeau and a third on the books so now what. If Jagmeet and Andrew would come out from behind the hallowed walls of parliament and be honest with Canadians instead of trying to make political points and tell the truth then we might get somewhere. If it were up to me, none of them would be allowed back into Canada but i don't think our laws permit that action. We cant place them in jail so like some who have wandered into the wilderness, we have no choice but to re educate them. If that sounds like i am going easy on them, not in a long shot. I am a veteran and have my own thoughts but I also served to uphold the laws of Canada. Jagmeet and Andrew and for that matter Ms May, speak. Dale Dirks Photo: West Kelowna Fire Rescue West Kelowna fire investigators have deemed an early morning fire in a downtown Westbank strip mall as suspicious. Fire crews were called to a structure fire on Brown Road about 8 a.m. Tuesday morning. Crews say smoke was coming from a window in one of the businesses. The fire had burned itself out by the time crews arrived. The business suffered minor fire damage and significant smoke damage. Two other adjoining businesses suffered minor smoke damage as well. The building and businesses are believed to be insured. The investigation has been turned over to the West Kelowna RCMP. Anyone with information pertaining to the fire are asked to contact West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880. Photo: Wayne Emde Photography Heidi Thompson of the Vernon Toastmaster Club takes notes, Queen Silver Star candidates listen, including (L to R) Jennifer Blake, Bridgette Peterson, Angitha Mriduraj, Mariya Blades and Saira Abid. Queen Silver Star candidates gave speeches Monday as judges, including from the Vernon Toastmaster Club, listened intently. The speeches were part of the competition leading up to the start of Winter Carnival when the winner will be proclaimed. The event was held at the Schubert Centre. Photo: CTV Accusations of racism are emerging after an online posting showing teens fighting in Duncan. The fight took place Monday at the James Street Campus of Cowichan Secondary School, according to a joint statement from Cowichan Tribes Chief William Seymour and Cowichan Valley School District Superintendent Rod Allen. A video circulating on social media of teens brawling at a Duncan high school has sparked accusations online that racism may have led to the fight. A video of the fight posted to Facebook Monday had already been viewed more than 26,000 times by early Tuesday afternoon. Mounties attended the high school on Tuesday to follow up with staff and students. The school said it's also reviewing video of the fight and other evidence to determine what led up to the incident. There are accusations online that racism led to the lunch-time brawls but officials are not confirming that. -With files from CTV Photo: File photo A Kelowna man was sentenced for molesting his young daughter over a four-year period. UPDATE: 12:45 p.m The mother of a young girl who was molested by her father has taken issue with the judge's characterization that she doesn't think her daughter has suffered ill effects from her father's abuse. The woman, whose identity is protected to protect her daughter's identity, says the judge never spoke with her directly, and only inferred this from her comments in the father's psychological report that her daughter hadn't experienced nightmares or anxiety attacks. "Of course there's ill effects, she and I talk about it at length all the time," the young girl's mother said. "It's not fine, but I work really hard with her and with all of my children to get them through this. I certainly don't think that any of them are coming out of it easily. "She is an extraordinary woman, she is very well-rounded, and very driven. She's this super-duper straight-A student ... She's determined not to be defeated, she knows what she's up against." ORIGINAL: 5 a.m. A man who spent four years molesting his daughter was sentenced in a Kelowna court room to five years in jail last week. The man, whose name is protected under a publication ban to protect the identity of the victim, began sexually assaulting his daughter in 2012, when she was just six years old. The years of abuse involved sexual touching and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. It continued in Kelowna and West Kelowna until 2016. The 32-year-old man has three sons with his wife, in addition to his daughter. In 2015, he separated from his wife and moved into his own basement suite, where his daughter would stay with him with her brothers. She would sleep in her father's bed when she stayed over. Eventually, the young girl told her mom she didn't want to continue to go to her father's house, and explained why. The mother confronted the man and he responded angrily, threatening to kill himself. Police were called, and they found him later that day, in his vehicle with a suicide note in which he said goodbye to his children. He was arrested and later released on bail, on a condition to not have any device that could access the Internet. On Aug. 15, 2017, he was found in his vehicle with a cell phone and was arrested. He has remained in custody until his sentencing last week. While the judge said the victim's mother said her daughter has not shown any ill effects because of the abuse, the daughter's victim impact statement told otherwise. Clearly she is struggling with the shame and stigma of what occurred, and the conflicting emotions of her love for her father and anger for what he did, Justice Greg Koturbash wrote in his decision. Despite her tender years, (she) expresses concerns that she may find it difficult forming loving and caring relationships with other adults as she grows older, and wonders whether anyone will ever be capable of loving her. A psychological assessment found the man had limited insight into his crime, describing it as an inappropriate expression of love. He minimized the harm by reiterating that he always had his daughters permission, and that she liked it, wrote Justice Koturbash. He pointed out that although he informed his daughter that what they were doing was wrong, that he would go to jail and the family would be ripped apart if someone found out, she continued to approve of the wrongful behaviour. He told the reporting psychologist that he does not belong in jail. The psychologist says his risk of recidivism is high. The man was convicted of touching for a sexual purpose, and handed a sentence of five years, minus enhanced credit of 158 days of presentence custody. DC Comics created the bizarre world, a place where yes means no, good means bad, and everything is backward. The U.S. has the Trump administration, the new home of Adolf Hitler's "big lie". Amazingly, Canada has its own bizarre world - it's called the (In)Justice System. To the victims and their families, the words "betrayal", "astonishment", and "stunned" are gross understatements used to describe the pain and disillusionment they must feel. The absurdity of it all has reached epic proportions and occurs with increasing regularity. On December 1st alone, alleged mass murderer Jamie Bacon had his charges stayed (a.k.a. dropped) by a judge. Unrepentant Kelly Ellard was granted day parole from a 2005 murder conviction even though, while incarcerated, she did drugs, dated a gang associate, and gave birth to a baby. A Mission, B.C. shop owner foiled two thieves by locking them in his store and calling 911, only to be told by the R.C.M.P. that no constable will be responding and to let them go or he himself might be charged. Add to that a Prime Minister that apologized and paid $10.5M to terrorist Omar Khadr and more recently announced 200 radicalized Islamic State terrorists returning to Canada will receive therapy and be reintegrated into our communities. These asinine decisions are but a fraction of a list that goes on ad nauseam. Incredibly, this isn't the worst of it, that fault belongs to each one of us. We hear of these decisions, shrug our shoulders, and lament "oh well, what are you going to do?". We won't lift a finger, make a phone call, or send an email to our MP or MLA to voice our concern and frustration until we too become a victim. We deserve what we get. Robert Brown Alanna Kelly It started as a Kelowna Facebook group back in 2014 for mothers to be able to share items with other mothers. Since then, it has grown exponentially, spreading across Canada. We have gone from a very small, grass roots non-profit organization to a power house charity that is truly tackling poverty in innovative and ground breaking ways, said founder Shannon Christensen. The idea started as a sharing economy to help mothers access items and services they were no longer in need of and could give to other mothers. Kindness is currency here, we are not selling any items, we are not having any money exchange hands, she said. We are just going to be giving things away, the only regulation around that is you have to be nice to each other. And it took off. Mamas for Mamas has mothers sharing items from on the east coast in Newfoundland and Labrador all the way to the west coast on Vancouver Island. It is really exciting to see it grow across Canada, it is not about just having this one beautiful space but we want there to be a Mamas for Mamas community in every community, said Christensen. Christensen never thought they would have achieved their goals this soon and said it is all thanks to Jillian Harris, known for her role on The Bachelor and Love it or List it Vancouver, and the team at Sticks + Stones Design Group Inc. The Mamas for Mamas team was kicked out of their office for three weeks as Harris was busy redesigning their entire space. We had a $210,000 renovation that was donated by Jillian Harris and the team at Sticks and Stones, she said. It took us from a place of survival into thriving, just like we do with our mamas." The once green floors and purple walls have been replaced with marble counter tops and hardwood floors. She made it like home; it feels like home, she said. More than beautiful new decor, the location on Dolphin Avenue now has added even more service for mamas. Right now we have implemented the mental health program from one day to three days, we have a new volunteer social worker helping families who need more support, she said. Seven people are working as full-time employees at Mamas for Mamas and there are 15 volunteers who help to manage the operations since it became a charity in January 2017. No more falling through the cracks and because of the people who have stepped forward to donate financially, we really really can continue that. Christensen is looking to bring Mamas for Mamas into the United Stated and is working on plans around housing in the Okanagan. We arent going to talk about it quite yet until we have something locked down, she said. There is some pretty exciting stuff around that. Photo: RCMP Richmond RCMP Anti-Gang unit shut down a "booze can." An illegal booze can in Richmond was raided and shut down by police on Sunday. The 2,000 square foot, two-level unit located in the 11700 block of Voyageur Way was being operated as a karaoke lounge. It had 20 patrons between the ages of 19 to 25 when police raided it. Inside, officers found liquor, projectors, karaoke machines, a gambling area and professional-grade lighting similar to that of a nightclub or lounge. Safety risks included attracting the criminal element, gambling, potential fire hazards, overcrowding, unlicensed liquor service, and the potential road safety concerns with possible impaired drivers leaving the unit, said Cpl. Dennis Hwang. This was the second time police attended the property and said this time it was far more elaborate than the first time. A video camera focused on the front entrance area was discovered by police. Richmond RCMP Anti-Gang officers conducted a number of premises checks this weekend. Over 19 businesses were checked including bars, restaurants, and karaoke establishments, Hwang said. RCMP are working closely with the City of Richmond and their Bylaws Unit on the issue. Photo: Google Maps Blasting will be conducted near Mount Boucherie over the next year. Those living on the south side of Mount Boucherie can expect to hear blasting in their neighbourhood over the next year. Blasting will begin on Dec. 7 at a residential subdivision development above Pinot Noir Drive. The blasting will occur between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday. As part of WorkSafeBC requirements, safety horns will sound before the blast and once the area is cleared, said Kirsten Jones, with the City of West Kelowna. The city has directed questions or concerns about the blasting to T&A Rock Works Inc. at 250-765-4811 or [email protected] Photo: RCMP Dean Richard Zastowny There are a lot of questions, but few answers after an accused bank robber was accidentally released from jail. Prison officials in Metro Vancouver are remaining tight lipped after Dean Richard Zastowny was recently let out of a pre-trial facility in Surrey by mistake. The 47 year old, who has a lengthy criminal history that includes violent offences against police, has been free since Saturday. How or why he was allowed to leave remains a mystery. Surrey city Counc. Bruce Hayne said the incident is particularly troubling because the pre-trial facility is located in a densely populated residential area in Newton. BC Corrections, the agency in charge of Zastowny's incarceration, so far has little to say about what went wrong despite repeated requests for information from CTV News. Police said Zastowny is considered armed and dangerous. Zastowny's criminal record includes convictions for assaulting a peace officer, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, robbery and theft over $5,000. He was arrested in November in connection with a number of bank robberies in Burnaby and Abbotsford. Few details of the robberies have been shared with the public, but surveillance video from one of them shows a man hopping over a bank counter then holding a knife to a teller's throat. Zastowny is described as white, 6-1 tall, 215 lbs. with blue eyes, brown hair and tattoos, including a full sleeve on his right forearm featuring a skull and a snake. Anyone spotting Zastowny is asked to call 911 immediately. - with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: Contributed Protesters block construction crews from entering the site of a planned homeless housing project in Vancouver's Marpole neighbourhood. The Supreme Court of British Columbia has ordered protesters in a south Vancouver neighbourhood to stop interfering with efforts to build temporary modular housing for homeless people. BC Housing and the City of Vancouver have been granted an injunction to proceed with the project, which will create 78 living units tailored for people aged 45 and over. Residents of the Marpole neighbourhood where the housing will be located have expressed concerns about the development. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson says in a statement that he respects people's right to protest but that blocking much-needed housing for the homeless is not something the city can accept. Robertson says the city is working to resolve any concerns and he is confident the project will be as successful as the dozens of other social and supportive housing initiatives across Vancouver. The injunction prohibits anyone from loitering on nearby streets or sidewalks or preventing access to the construction site. Photo: Contributed A Mission man was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the death of a Port Alberni senior. Channon Paul Coulter pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a 75-year-old Mervin Hankins. RCMP Cpl. K. Amelia Hayden said Hankins, of Port Alberni, was found dead in his home in the 3500 block of 4th Ave. on Jan. 13, 2012. Coulter was arrested in relation to Hankins death in February 2016. Coulter pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Supreme Court in Nanaimo and was sentenced to 15 years less credit for time served and he was given a lifetime firearms prohibition. Photo: Contributed Residents on Greyback Mountain Road reported an alleged poaching incident on Jan. 29, 2017 The B.C. Conservation Officer Service has had charges approved against three people in connection to an alleged poaching incident in Pentictons Greyback Mountain Road area early this year. Fred, Felix, and Cole Kruger have been charged with three counts for a January 29 incident where two elk were allegedly harvested on private land. Residents complained to the COS immediately following the incident. Landowner Victoria Kryzanowski told Castanet at the time shes never given permission to anyone to hunt on the land. The three men are charged with discharging a firearm in a no shooting area, trespassing and illegally possessing dead wildlife. One of the accused, Fred Kruger, was recently elected to Penticton Indian Band council. PIB communications coordinator Dawn Russell said Fred was unable to comment until later in the week. The men make their first court appearance Jan. 3, 2018. with files from Colton Davies Photo: Contributed There's still time to contribute to the West Kelowna Firefighters 20th Annual Food Drive. With many charities across B.C. saying donations this year are down from previous years, it's even more crucial to help if you can. The holidays are a time of great need for West Kelownas local food bank and the thousands of non-perishable items collected by West Kelowna Fire Rescue during the Christmas season can keep the shelves full right through the winter. West Kelowna Firefighters are volunteering their time to go door to door throughout the community collecting donations for the Okanagan Community Food Bank. Firefighters will be collecting donations today December 6, between 6 and 9 p.m. If you prefer you can donate at Fire Station 31, 3651 Old Okanagan Highway or Fire Station #32, 2708 Olalla Road. Photo: Google Street View Two teens had to act fast to get out of the path of tractor trailer unit that jumped a curb in Kamloops. RCMP are seeking witnesses to the incident of dangerous driving that occurred Tuesday, Nov. 28. At approximately 10 a.m., two young teen girls were walking on Westsyde Road near Serle Road when a semi-truck swerved into Serle Road and hopped onto the curb before continuing on Westsyde Road southbound, said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie. To avoid being hit by the semi, one of the girls pushed her friend out of the way, causing her to fall, hit her head and break her finger. Police are asking anyone who witnessed this incident or who may have seen the semi to call 250-828-3000. Photo: City of Penticton The City of Penticton has officially cancelled its deal with the developer of a three-tower project downtown currently blocked by federal aviation regulations. The 2009 agreement was terminated with the consent of the developer, P2 Developments Inc. Dubbed Penticton Place, the 23-storey development would have featured a mix of residential, commercial and office space on the empty lot at 450 Martin St. However, shortly after the agreement was ratified by council, the city and developer learned the towers violated the Penticton Airport's regulations limiting buildings on the flight path out of the airport to 10 storeys. Council voted in 2011 to extend the agreement to allow Transport Canada the chance to review its policy, but have recently heard any changes would likely see the rules tightened, not loosened. This would have been a great catalyst project for our downtown, Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said, lamenting it took this long to get information out of Transport Canada. Hopefully cancelling this, potentially starting fresh gives an opportunity for that vacant land to get some attention. The lot will revert to C5 zoning, which allows buildings 10-12 storeys in height. As a part of the terminated agreement, the city will refund the developer $150,000 that was earmarked for a downtown plan. Director of development services Anthony Haddad said none of the money has been spent. Colton Davies Two Okanagan-based organizations are helping feed people in Caribbean countries ravished by hurricanes. Shelters International Disaster Response is bringing more than 42,000 pounds of soup mix to Central America enough for more than 1.3 million servings of food. Most of the soup mix will go to Puerto Rico and Haiti, and some to the U.S. Virgin Islands. "When a storm hits and you're left with nothing, how do you get back up unless you've got food?" Laura Allan with the SIDR said. "It's really important after disasters to get people fed, and then give them seeds so that there's hope. Puerto Rico was battered by Hurricane Irma and then Hurricane Maria in September, at one point, power was out on the entire Island. Haiti was hit hard as well by the hurricane season, and many farmers are reportedly struggling. All of the food heading to those countries was donated by the Okanagan Gleaners. "We're mandated by scripture to help feed the poor and the hungry," Gleaners general manager Greg Masson said. "When (these hurricanes) came through the Caribbean, (they) just devastated so many... We got a phone call, so that's why we responded." The 1,128 boxes of soup mix will be driven to Miami, Allan said, before being shipped to the respective countries. She expects the servings to get their destinations in about two weeks. "I've got a boat lined up for the 15th of December, so I'll at least be able to make sure they have a meal for Christmas. In the meantime, Allan said she will travel down to Haiti herself to help deliver the food to people in need. The Kelowna Rotary covered trucking costs, and she added that help is needed to fund the logistics for transporting all the food. "Because I'm grassroots and I don't take a salary and I'm volunteer, I would say about $3,000 would actually set me on my way." Allan said her and her partner are landscapers in the summer, and she uses her profits to spend the winters doing work in developing countries. More information on the SIDR can be found here. ROME Juventus forward and Argentina international Paulo Dybala said he dreams of winning the Ballon DOr since he was a child, and that winning it would be an important message for many children. When in the summer we would gather by the fire, when we were children, I told my friends about this wish. Winning it would an important message for many children, said Dybala in an interview with Italian magazine Vanity Fair. Advertisement (I would be an example) for those born somewhere far from the center of the cities, and who can dream of telling a story similar to mine, said the player born in Laguna Larga, outside of the Argentinian city of Cordoba, 24 years ago. La Joya underlined that his talent is not enough to become a top level player, and explained that he works daily to develop. Advertisement God gives us a gift, but then that gift has to be worked. I saw many prospects in youth teams, kids of whom people would say if only he had the mental strength, he could have been like (Diego) Maradona or (Lionel) Messi, he said. I worked hard especially to avoid that. 404 Try searching for the content you're looking for, or take a look at our recently published stories Canada has canceled an order for Boeing F/A-18 fighter jets amid a trade dispute between Boeing rival Bombardier and the United States, which has tagged Bombardier planes with a 300 percent tariff. (Lee Jin-man / AP) Canada reportedly has ditched plans to buy new Boeing (BA) F/A-18 Super Hornets after a trade spat over Bombardier's (BDRBF) C Series passenger jet. Canada was expected to buy 18 new Super Hornets from Boeing, but sources told Reuters Tuesday that Ottawa will announce plans to buy used Australian F/A-18s next week instead, as the older planes are the same model that Canada currently has in its fleet. Advertisement The decision comes after the U.S. Commerce Department levied a 300 percent tariff on each Bombardier C Series jet delivered to the U.S., following accusations from Boeing that the Canadian industrial giant was receiving unfair government subsidies. Last year, Canada announced that it would buy the F/A-18 Super Hornets as a stopgap to replace its aging CF-18 fighters until it can hold a new competition for a replacement. Advertisement Canada originally planned to buy 65 Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-35s before opening up a new competition to upgrade its fighters. This story was originally published by Investor's Business Daily. When drug company chief executive Heather Bresch was hauled in front of Congress last year to defend the high price of lifesaving EpiPens, she drew skeptical lawmakers' attention to a large poster board that blamed theskyrocketing price tag on a coterie of drug supply chain middlemen. Of EpiPen's $608 list price, her company, Mylan, received only $274, Bresch said. "What the patient is paying - is not . . . coming back to Mylan," Bresch said. "And when we were speaking earlier of the people, the middlemen in the system, that's either the pharmacy benefit managers, retailers, wholesalers, insurers." That supply chain - rarely seen by most consumers - is now the center of attention in the corporate world after CVS Health announced a $69 billion deal to buy Aetna, the nation's third largest insurer. Familiar as a corner drugstore, CVS Health actually makes most of its money from one of the most lucrative points along that supply chain as a pharmacy benefits manager, negotiating drug prices for health insurers and employers. The merger, which would be one of the biggest health care deals of all time, signals the primacy of those negotiations in the health care system. "This is kind of uncharted territory - a pharmacy benefit manager buying a major national health plan. I think it's a sign of the times," said Michael Rea, chief executive at Rx Savings Solutions, a company that provides transparency prescription drug tools. "PBMs represented a little-known entity no one knew about not that long ago, and now they're the controlling piece of the deal to take over a national insurer." The deal comes at a time when health care is in flux, moving toward preventive care and managing chronic conditions - while shifting more of the cost of medicine onto customers through high-deductible health plans. That evolution has cast a spotlight on the typically behind-the-scenes business of negotiating drug discounts - which have become a growing source of frustration to consumers and industry players because of spiraling costs. "When drug prices were all covered through co-pays, and so consumers were insulated, there was less concern," said Brian Marcotte, president of the National Business Group on Health, a membership organization of large employers. "When everyone started focusing more on the sensitivity around the price of drugs, that has brought more attention to the pharmaceutical supply chain model, and I think that's why you're seeing more activity around: how do you possibly do this differently." CVS says it is buying Aetna to expand into managing the entire continuum of a patient's health, not just their drug costs. And more cross-industry deals like the CVS-Aetna merger are anticipated, partially because siloed industries, such as a stand-alone company that wrings rebates on drug prices, don't make as much sense in a health care system where companies are increasingly trying to put as many functions as possible under one roof - whether it's doctors' visits, surgery, or prescriptions. That's what the nation's largest insurer, UnitedHealth Group, has done - running its own pharmacy benefit manager as well as acquiring a growing network of clinics and surgical care centers. "It does highlight that pharmacy benefit management is taking on a more significant role in a world that, even 10 years ago, was completely dominated by major medical health insurance," said Mark Merritt, president of the Pharmacuetical Care Management Association, the lobbying organization for PBMs. But many people see industry changes as realigning players in the opaque drug pricing system. One sector at risk in this kind of reshuffling are companies whose core business is negotiating drug prices, where it may be unclear exactly how much they contribute to the intended outcome: healthier patients. "You go to the players kind of sitting in between - the PBMs and the pharmaceutical distributors. It really is a middleman - it's not diagnostics and therapeutics, it's not really wellness. They're going to get the most squeezed," said Gupreet Singh, leader of health services at PwC, an accounting and consulting firm. Earlier this year, health insurer Anthem broke up with its pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts Holding Co. and brought drug price negotiation in-house, amid questions about whether the company was charging too much for drugs. UnitedHealth Group runs its own pharmacy benefit manager through its Optum business segment. "After a great multidecade run, [drug] industry growth is slowing down, because the industry is so big that it's drawing intense scrutiny, from consumers, payers and the government," said George Hill, an equity research analyst at RBC Capital Markets. "When an industry's growth slows down . . . dynamics become more competitive and more hostile." The powerful alliance is unsettling to some doctors, who worry their roles could be usurped by a company eager to manage care in a cheaper setting. Michael Munger, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said his organization isn't opposed to the merger, but has concerns - for example that the merger could push Aetna patients into MinuteClinics instead of appointments with primary care doctors. "I think there's a very powerful omission of the word 'physician.' I think everything that is described is what we do," said James Cunnar, a family physician from Naperville, Illinois who said he read about the deal with growing horror. In the background to all this change - and partially spurring it - is the threat that online retailer Amazon could enter some part of the middleman business, furtherdisrupting the drug supply chain with a new business model. Amazon's possible entry into the drug business has become a sort of health care Rohrschah test, with analysts, consumers and others projecting onto it a slew of different ways the company could make a byzantine drug pricing system simple and cheaper. As consumers are increasingly on the hook for their medical costs, however, and the workings of the drug supply chain are increasingly drawing public scrutiny, the idea of new competition from a company that has built an empire out of disrupting how people shop around is appealing. "We see this as a tipping point; we see Amazon as a catalyst or an enabler," said Richard Evans, an analyst at SSR Health. "All these discordant notes that are echoing around, and people are starting to envision what the symphony is going to sound like once the warm-up period is over. Let's put it this way: something very different." Children from low-income families in many states could lose health insurance coverage if Congress doesnt act soon but Illinois families need not panic just yet. Illinois has enough funding left for the Childrens Health Insurance Program to last through September, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Advertisement In Illinois, about 255,000 kids receive coverage through the state- and federally funded program, which is meant to help children whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid but still cant afford private insurance. About half of those 255,000 children would still likely be covered by Medicaid even if the state ran out of funding for the childrens insurance program, according to the state health care department. The other half could be in jeopardy of losing coverage in late 2018 if Congress still hasnt reauthorized it by then. Advertisement About 88 percent of the funding for the program in Illinois comes from the federal government about $218 million in fiscal year 2017, according to the department. Despite broad bipartisan support, Congress failed to renew funding for the program before it expired in late September. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who helped create the program, pledged Thursday from the Senate floor that its funding will be renewed, but he said, The reason CHIP is having trouble is because we dont have money anymore. On Saturday, the Senate approved a bill expected to cut taxes for many Americans and add to the federal deficit. Advocates of the program say its reauthorization has been sidetracked amid heated debate over the Republican tax bill and the Affordable Care Act. I think theyre using it as a bargaining chip, and really, childrens health should not be on the table as any kind of political issue, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, chief medical officer for Advocate Children's Hospital, which has campuses in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge. More than half of the hospitals patients receive coverage through the program or through Medicaid. Coverage through the program is critical to making sure all Illinois children get basic medical services, such as primary care and vaccinations, said Mike Farrell, president of Advocate Childrens Hospital. Without it, many children in Illinois might have to go back to relying on emergency rooms for care, said Dr. Matthew Davis, division head of general pediatrics and primary care at Lurie Childrens Hospital. This year, about 2,900 of Luries patients had coverage through the program. Advertisement As of November, about three-fourths of states said they anticipated running out of funding by March, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The federal government has given additional funding to some states to help them keep the program going for now, but those funds are limited. Though advocates of the program say theyre relieved that Illinois wont run out of cash until September, they say state residents should still be concerned. For children in Illinois, its only reassuring in the short term that our CHIP support can continue into 2018, Davis said. It would be much better to extend the CHIP program for five more years and assure families in Illinois and across the country that their childrens coverage can continue. lschencker@chicagotribune.com Twitter @lschencker All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week By Mark Preen The electric vehicle (EV) industry is just one priority area of the countrys Made in China 2025 industrial strategy, which aims to transform China from a low-end manufacturer to a high-end one. Yet, the governments goals for the industry are staggering: its target is to have five million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020, up from one million today. The battery industrys success is closely tied to the EV industrys success a battery currently accounts for up to half an EVs cost of production. Given the close relationship of the EV industry and battery industry, the government has picked domestic champions that it is promoting to lead the way in Chinas domination of the global battery industry. Fierce global competition in this industry is already under way as producers vie for their share of the what is predicted to be a US$25 billion global industry by 2020. RELATED: Why Ford Chose China Over Mexico The competitive landscape In previous decades, Japanese and South Korean producers, such as Japans Panasonic and South Koreas LG Chem, dominated the battery industry. Panasonic is still the worlds largest supplier of EV batteries globally; it is currently building the so-called Gigafactory in Nevada, US, with US-based EV producer Tesla. However, Chinese champions Build Your Dreams (BYD) and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) have nearly caught up and are now two of the worlds top-five lithium battery makers. BYD, which is based in Shenzhen, is also a big player in the EV industry and is able to take advantage of the benefits of this vertical integration. CATL, based in Ningde, is Chinas fastest growing battery producer and had the capacity to produce 7.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) of batteries in 2016. Due to Chinas big push, it is predicted that CATL will surpass Teslas Gigafactory by 2020. Tesla has a target to produce at a capacity of 35 GWh by 2020, compared to 50 GWh for CATL and 12 GWh for BYD. Other Chinese producers are also competitive. Lishen, based in Tianjin, has a target to produce 20 GWh by 2020. As well as expanding production domestically, CATL is also expanding its production abroad so that it is strategically located to do more business with foreign EV producers. With large capital investments by battery producers, global battery production capacity has more than doubled to 125 GWh over the last three years. Analysts predict this figure to double again to over 250 GWh by 2020. As Chinese battery producers, including CATL, BYD, and Lishen, continue their rise, and battery production shifts from Japan and South Korea to China, analysts expect China to go from currently producing 55 percent of global lithium batteries to 65 percent by 2021. It is quite clear that China recognizes the opportunities in the rapidly growing battery industry and does not plan to miss out on these opportunities. Challenges for the domestic industry While the battery industry has strong growth potential, it faces a number of challenges. Solutions and technologies to overcome these challenges will need to be developed if the industry is to be sustainable both in China and globally this is a space where foreign manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants can collaborate. Despite growing demand from the EV industry, there are production capacity concerns in Chinas battery industry. As producers race to increase capacity and seize upon the opportunities presented by the EV market, there are overproduction concerns with 25 KWh batteries; the low-end segment of the market. However, at the same time, there are underproduction concerns with the 75 KWh and 100 KWh batteries the high-end segment of the market. Premium electric vehicles, such as Tesla vehicles, require the high-end batteries. High-end battery producers in the domestic market are in a strong position because they are faced with a high demand for their batteries. To allow electric cars to go farther on a single charge, a critical factor for batteries is their energy density. For now, China lags behind South Korean producers in terms of the capabilities and technology to provide greater energy density, according to Bernstein analysts. The frontrunners in the market are LG Chem, Samsung SDI, SK Innovation, and Panasonic, with Chinese suppliers playing catch-up, the report says. Many observers feel Chinese producers need to develop their technology and capabilities if they are to get the full attention of EV producers, especially foreign EV producers. Separately, as the cost of the battery makes up a significant part of the cost of an EV, it is important to reduce the cost of the battery to make the EV industry competitive compared to conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Due to advances in battery efficiency gained from developments in technology, significant progress has already been made by the industry, with global battery prices falling by roughly 80 percent (from US$1,000/KWh to US$227/KWh) between 2010 and 2016. Even at US$227/KWh, a 60 KWh battery is a US$13,620 component of a car. A 60 KWh battery is the typical sized battery used in an EV. Pre-Investment, Market Entry Strategy Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates However, further reductions in battery prices will be required and the Chinese government is aware of this. A target to halve battery costs is among national 2020 targets. Based on current projections, battery prices could fall below US$100 KWh by 2030, which will mean some EV and ICE models will have price parity. That could be the start of a tipping point for EV sales. Even if EV models do have price parity with ICE models, there will be other obstacles that could prevent consumers from switching from ICE vehicles to EVs. These obstacles include the lack of EV charging infrastructure, the time taken to charge a battery, and the relatively low power density of batteries. Moreover, the existing power density of batteries is about half of what is needed to sustain driving ranges of 400 kilometers, which many consumers want. One of the Chinese governments targets is to improve energy by two-thirds by 2020. Chinas ambitious plans for both the EV industry and the EV battery industry mean that there are opportunities in Chinas EV battery industry. However, if these opportunities are to come to fruition, and the industry is to be sustainable, the industry must overcome the challenges that it faces. For China, the development of new technologies and the ability to produce high-end batteries will be of critical importance if it is to realize its ambitions to dominate the global EV battery market. It is in these areas where China can benefit the most from foreign investment. This is Part 1 of a two-part article on EV batteries in China. In Part 2, we discuss incentives and restrictions for foreign investment in the industry. About Us China Briefing is published by Asia Briefing, a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. We produce material for foreign investors throughout Asia, including ASEAN, India, Indonesia, Russia, the Silk Road, and Vietnam. For editorial matters please contact us here, and for a complimentary subscription to our products, please click here. Dezan Shira & Associates is a full service practice in China, providing business intelligence, due diligence, legal, tax, IT, HR, payroll, and advisory services throughout the China and Asian region. For assistance with China business issues or investments into China, please contact us at china@dezshira.com or visit us at www.dezshira.com Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017 This Dezan Shira & Associates 2017 China guide provides a comprehensive background and details of all aspects of setting up and operating an American business in China, including due diligence and compliance issues, IP protection, corporate establishment options, calculating tax liabilities, as well as discussing on-going operational issues such as managing bookkeeping, accounts, banking, HR, Payroll, annual license renewals, audit, FCPA compliance and consolidation with US standards and Head Office reporting. 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. Dezan Shira & Associates Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting [Photo/Xinhua] On Dec. 1 President Xi Jinping delivered a speech to the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. With over 200 political parties from 120 countries represented, this was certainly the largest such international meeting for political parties in decades. Also striking was the very wide range of political viewpoints representedfrom the Treasurer of the Republican National Committee of the US to the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist Leninist), while also taking in numerous social democratic, conservative, religious, nationalist, labour and other types of parties. As the name suggests, representation at the conference was on a very high level and included numerous former or serving prime ministers, speakers of national parliaments and other figures in similar positions. As I was at the speech it was of course extremely interesting to hear China's President speak in person, but even more striking was the speech's content. The speech presented a clear framework for foreign policy and was intellectually profound while it also explained why such a wide range of opinion was represented at the conference. The fundamental concepts in the speech, self-explanatory entitled Work Together to Build a Better World, took up ideas already outlined in Xi Jinping's book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" while further developing them. Although President Xi Jinping was presenting a positive framework, and therefore did not polemicize with other views, alternative frameworks to that of the speech are also mentioned at the end of this article. The central point of the speech, as of China's foreign policy, was the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity resulting from the fact the world is increasingly interconnected. The speech emphasised that China has always striven for the view that "the world is a big family," that people in the world are living under the same sky, share one home, and should be one family despite the fact they have differences. Therefore, a community with a shared future for humanity, as its name implies, is that the future and destiny of every nation and every country is closely interlinked, Xi stressed. More precisely, regarding human civilization President Xi Jinping stressed the prosperity of civilization and the progress of humankind cannot be separated from seeking common ground despite inevitable differences. It is a search for openness and inclusivity. This cannot be separated from cultural exchanges and from learning from each other. History calls for human civilization to shine in all its splendour, and different civilizations should live in harmony while complementing each other. We should uphold the view that the world is rich and colourful, and that civilizations are diverse, so that all civilizations created by humankind enhance each other's beauties and weave beautiful and gorgeous pictures. These points were a further development of another of President Xi Jinping's speeches, also with a self-explanatory title, "Exchanges and Mutual Learning Make Civilizations Richer and More Colourful," given at the UNESCO headquarters in March 2014 and in which he stated: "Civilizations are equal, and such equality has made exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations possible. All human civilizations have their respective strengths and weaknesses. No civilization is perfect on the planet. Nor is any devoid of merit. No single civilization can be judged superior to another." The roots of the understanding in China that civilizations are equal but different, was noted earlier at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2015 by President Xi Jinping who quoted the classical Chinese philosopher Mencius: "Things are born to be different." Although naturally the President of China cites classical Chinese sources, these ideas were equally formulated by and could also be expressed in the language of Western philosophers. The fact that everything which exists differs was first formulated in Western thought by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus 2,000 years ago in his famous statement 'no man ever steps in the same river twice, 'which was then proven by Western philosophers Spinoza and Leibniz, while the concept of the combination of difference and equality was also formulated by Hegeland was also known to the CPC via Marx. The fact that different civilizations, which had no substantial intellectual connection when such ideas were formulated, may still arrive at the same conclusion, is a fundamental expression of the other fact that although there are many starting points there is only one truth on such issueswhich is therefore arrived at no matter how much these starting points differ. From the interconnectedness of nations, the practical foreign policy conclusion Xi Jinping states in his speeches is popularly expressed as "win-win" and more formally as the "community with a shared future for humanity." This means that while there are natural differences and conflicts between countries, these are less important in the long run than their common interests. This is the key guideline for China's foreign policy. As expressed in Xi Jinping's speech, countries are different but equal, and need to cooperate for common interests. Alternatively, others have argued that countries are unequal, with one being the "leader" and the others therefore necessarily "followers," all engaged in a primarily competitive struggle for advantage. As not merely China but other countries will never accept that they are inferior to other countries, Xi Jinping's concept of equality and difference, which expresses the most advanced ideas of both classical Chinese and Western thought, is therefore of far greater interest to countries throughout the world than the idea that they should be "followers" of a single other country. It was because of China's fundamental concepts on the relations between countries that there was such a large attendance at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting, and that President Xi Jinping's speech was so well received. John Ross, Senior Fellow, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/johnross.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China and Canada should explore new ideas and take measures to achieve substantial progress in bilateral ties. Xi made the remarks while meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is paying an official visit to China from Dec. 3 to 7. Welcoming Trudeau on his second China visit since taking office in November 2015, Xi said that frequent visits between Chinese and Canadian leaders play a leading role in the development of bilateral ties. Xi said that China and Canada complement each other with their respective advantages and enjoy great cooperation potential. "Enhancing political mutual trust is the prerequisite to the stable development of state-to-state relations," Xi said. He said that a country's development path could only be decided by its people, and that China and Canada, though having different political systems, could respect each other and seek common ground while reserving differences. Xi encouraged the two countries to strengthen cooperation and expand exchanges to bring more benefits to the people of both countries. "China and Canada need to fully tap potential and create more bright spots in cooperation in areas such as energy resources, science and innovation, aviation, finance, modern agriculture and clean technology," Xi said. "China will continue to support capable Chinese enterprises in investing in Canada and welcome Canadian enterprises to take an active part in Belt and Road Initiative." He also called on both sides to intensify exchanges and deepen relations on education, culture, tourism and sports, and strengthen cooperation on key areas such as climate change and coordination within multilateral frameworks. He said the two countries need to work together to hold a successful China-Canada Year of Tourism in 2018, adding that China is willing to learn from Canada on hosting Winter Olympic Games. Trudeau said he agrees with Xi's comments on Canada-China relations. Recent years have witnessed robust momentum in bilateral cooperation, which has brought benefits to both peoples and sent positive signals to the international community, he said. Canada is committed to deepening relations with China on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust, boosting cooperation on economy, trade and people-to-people exchanges and intensifying coordination on major global and regional issues, he said. Also on Tuesday, Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang met with Trudeau at the Great Hall of the People, calling on both sides to give full play to the regular parliamentary exchange mechanism between China and Canada and conduct exchanges on legislation and governance experience so as to promote the healthy development of bilateral ties. Flash The White House said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump will decide Wednesday on whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move, if materialized, would mean a recognition of the city as Israel's capital and is likely to fuel conflicts between Israel and Palestine and arouse global concerns. The White House also said Trump had talked separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. In phone talks with the leaders, Trump discussed potential decisions regarding Jerusalem, reaffirmed his commitment to and support for advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and underscored cooperation with each partner to advance the peace efforts throughout the region, said the White House. Angry backlash from Arab world, impartiality urged Trump's intention to move U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which many analysts said would explicitly mean the U.S. formal recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, has provoked a backlash from the Arab world. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh said in an official statement that Abbas warned of the dangerous consequences of Trump's decision on the peace process, security and stability in the Middle East region and the world. He added that Abbas will continue his contact with world leaders to prevent such an unacceptable action. The Jordanian king stressed in the call with Trump the dangers of taking any measures that are not part of a comprehensive solution, saying Trump's decision will have serious consequences on the stability and security of the Middle East, undermine efforts by the U.S. administration to resume the peace process and provoke the feelings of Muslims and Christians alike. On Sunday, Saeed Abu-Ali, Arab League assistant secretary general for the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, said that such U.S. recognition would give Israel the green light to continue its breaches of international resolutions, urging Washington to act as an "impartial broker" of the peace process. Europe's worries European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday warned that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mogherini reiterated that EU supports "the resumption of a meaningful peace process towards a two-state," warning that "any action that would undermine these efforts must absolutely be avoided." "A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states so that the aspiration of both parties can be fulfilled," said Mogherini. Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned Abbas, saying Moscow backs a resumption of talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities, including on the status of Jerusalem. Partiality makes Palestine-Israel problem harder to solve Daniel Serwer, director of conflict management at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, told Xinhua that Trump's main motive seems to "be satisfying a domestic political constituency that wants the administration to be as pro-Israel as possible." "It is likely the president also thinks that disruptive moves of this sort will reshuffle the deck and somehow make the Israel/Palestine problem easier to solve. That isn't likely to be the case however," he noted. "Any announcement changing existing U.S. policy without being even-handed will reduce the likelihood of an agreed peace," he said. "The U.S. has always been pro-Israel, but until now it has not necessarily been perceived as anti-Palestine. This will make it hard for many, including me, to believe that the administration supports a two-state solution, which many of us regard as the only outcome that will lead to stability," he added. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Although the U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 which required the relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation out of consideration for national security interests. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries base their embassies in the city. Flash Spanish Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena on Tuesday confirmed a decision to withdraw the European arrest warrant which was issued for former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four former members of his government in November. The warrant was originally issued after Puigdemont and Antonio Comin, Lluis Puig, Meritxell Serret and Clara Ponsati travelled to Belgium in the wake of the Catalan unilateral declaration of independence on Oct. 27. Puigdemont and his associates were due to appear in a Belgian court on Dec. 14, coincidentally, when Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is in Brussels for a meeting of European Union (EU) leaders. The five still face Spanish arrest warrants and would be arrested on their return to Spain where they would face charges of rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds and, in Puigdemont's case, disobedience. The explanation Llarena gave for his decision was that the crime of "rebellion," which carries a possible prison sentence of 30 years, does not exist in Belgium, meaning that if Puigdemont was returned to Spain by the Belgian authorities, it would be to face the lesser charge of misuse of public funds and the Spanish court would not be able to try him for the more serious offense. The decision comes on the first day of the campaign for the Catalan regional elections to be held on Dec. 21. Puigdement is running as the candidate for the Junts Per Catalunya party, despite his exile. There is no doubt that if Puigdemont had been deported to Spain during the election campaign and presumably sent to prison, as the other former members of his government have been, it would have been a key factor in the election. On Monday, the Spanish Supreme Court denied bail to Puigdemont's former deputy Oriol Junqueras, former interior spokesman Joaquim Form and Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart of the pro-independence cultural groups, ANC and Omnium Cultural, although a bail of 100,000 euros (US$118,000) was granted to six former members of Puigdemont's government, who have been in prison since Nov. 2. Flash Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri withdrew his resignation during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which was chaired by President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace. The meeting is the first that was held in more than a month due to the political crisis caused by Hariri's resignation announcement in early November. During the meeting, the cabinet unanimously endorsed a new dissociation policy. "All groups in the Lebanese government are committed to dissociate themselves from regional conflicts," Hariri told reporters after the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, President Aoun said Lebanon's unity during Hariri's absence was vital and enabled the country to get through the crisis. "Countries are not measured by their size. They are all equal in dignity and hence our approach to the crisis was based on not accepting any encroachment on our dignity by any authority in the world," Aoun said on his official Twitter account. "We took the decision to confront (the situation) and not to take an approach of appeasement. Our unity as Lebanese was the basis in protecting the country's stability," he added. Hariri also highlighted officials' responsibilities to protect Lebanon from dangers facing the country. "We hope that this session constitutes a new opportunity for cooperation and for protecting Lebanon, especially since we all refused to be drawn in by attempts to create an atmosphere of chaos to the country," the prime minister said. The decision to call the session was made late Monday night, ahead of Hariri's scheduled visit to Paris on Friday to participate in a high-level International Support Group for Lebanon meeting. You are here: World Flash Forty-seven people were injured, including three seriously, in a train collision in a city close to Dusseldorf on Tuesday, local fire department said. A regional passenger train collided with a freight train Tuesday evening in the western German city of Meerbusch, located about 10 kilometers northwest of Dusseldorf. The fire department in Meerbusch said rescuers found 155 people on the train, and 47 injured people, including 41 lightly, three moderately, and three seriously, were being treated. The collision took place near the Meerbusch-Osterath railway station, where the passenger train rammed from behind into the freight train, which parked on the same track. The regional passenger train RE7 operated on the track from Rheine to Krefeld. However, it remains unclear why the freight train parked on the same track. Federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said via social media website that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was following the situation after the train crash in Meerbusch. Flash Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi warned on Tuesday that the U.S.-intended relocation of embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would "complicate the situation in the Middle East region," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. Sisi's remarks were made during a phone call he received from U.S. President Donald Trump where they addressed the U.S. decision intended to be made over recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital city and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to the disputed holy city, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in the statement. "President Sisi reiterated Egypt's fixed position regarding preserving the legal situation of Jerusalem within relevant international references and UN resolutions," he added. Sisi also stressed the necessity to avoid complicating the situation in the region via procedures that "would undermine chances for peace in the Middle East," according to the statement. The talks came one day before Trump is supposed to make a decision regarding his country's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, as reported earlier by the U.S. media. Also on Tuesday, Cairo-based Al-Azhar, the most prestigious Islamic learning institution in the Sunni Muslim world, warned that the U.S. possible embassy relocation would "stir up Muslims' sentiments of anger, threaten world peace and promote tension, division and hatred across the world." Over the past couple of days, the Arab League similarly warned that such a U.S. decision, if made, would have serious repercussions on security and stability in the Middle East region. Egypt and Israel reached a U.S.-sponsored peace treaty in 1979, after which Egypt started working on reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and brokering intra-Palestinian reconciliation. Cairo hosted in October the signing of a reconciliation agreement between rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas to end their long-time rift and enable a unity government to take over and have full control of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The reconciliation deal has not yet been fully implemented, with both Hamas and Fatah exchanging blame for deliberate delay. The decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict emerged since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. Israel is blamed by the international community for the deadlock of the peace process due to its settlement expansion policy, which is rejected even by its strongest ally, the United States. The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the light of the UN-proposed two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. Flash African environmental ministers on Tuesday vowed to adopt China's good environmental practices to help reduce the level of forest degradation and air pollution in the continent. The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) president Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya said there are plans to borrow Beijing's bold innovations in forest management and air pollution practices as a way of saving the continent from uncalled for problems. "We plan to establish a partnership that will be instrumental to fast tracking climate change adaptation, promotion of good health and eradicate poverty," Moubelet-Boubeya, Minister of Forest, Sea and Environment of Gabon, said during an interview in Nairobi. He hailed China's initiatives and engagements with African nations, adding that as members of the South-South Cooperation, the continent expect to adopt initiatives from the country to ensure social and economic development as enshrined in the international development agenda. "We have just seen the new make Mobike being showcased as an alternative to reducing air pollution and congestion in the cities. This is an initiative that has to be in place in our cities in the near future," Moubelet-Boubeya. The AMCEN president said that Africa takes the South-South cooperation seriously especially in achieving the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Trade and investments that are planned under the South-South cooperation have the potential in harnessing knowledge and improving health, education, social welfare of the continents citizens," he added. Moubelet-Boubeya noted that Africa's population has been rising rapidly hence the need to borrow good practices from China that includes strengthening and use of indigenous knowledge. He revealed that AMCEN is ready to adopt the resolutions that will be agreed at the end of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA). The minister noted that under his leadership, Africa will share best experiences and also increase the adoption of science and technology in solving problems. "We are ready and willing to negotiate with our development partners in this area as we strive to better the living conditions of the populations," he added. He challenged AMCEN member nations to stop delivering many speeches and instead act in addressing their development plans through homegrown solutions. "We need to speak with one voice during international meetings such as UNEA to be heard and be able to make significant contribution and impact in the continent," he added. Flash British Prime Minister Theresa May met on Tuesday with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, with both sides pledging to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance the social foundation of bilateral relations. Liu is to chair, jointly with British Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt, the fifth annual UK-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue, which is the highest-level bilateral dialogue held in Britain this year. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Britain, Liu said, noting that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and May in July during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany has helped cement the direction of the development of bilateral relations. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in October has injected strong impetus into China-Britain ties with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative offering significant opportunities for cooperation between the two sides, said Liu, who is on a four-day visit here. The Chinese vice premier suggested that both sides enhance mutual political trust, deal with differences properly and push forward practical cooperation in various fields. People-to-people exchanges between China and Britain have yielded substantial results since the mechanism was launched five years ago and high-level dialogues have played an important role in strengthening understanding and friendship between the two peoples, Liu noted. China stands ready to work with Britain to continue to enrich the mechanism and boost people-to-people exchanges to enhance the social and civil foundation for the steady growth of China-Britain ties, said the Chinese vice premier. During the meeting, May congratulated China on the success of the 19th CPC national congress, noting that Britain attaches great importance to the development goals and targets put forward by the Chinese president. Britain is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and dialogues with China, continue to enhance cooperation in such fields as education, science and technology, innovation, culture and women's rights, for a stable growth of bilateral ties, said May. Britain remains open to Chinese investment and welcomes more Chinese tourists and visitors, said May. This year's China-Britain high-level dialogue is themed "Spirit of Youth." The dialogue will cover 10 policy strands including health, education, culture and creative industries, science and innovation, tourism, sports, youth issues, regional cooperation, women's rights and social equity. The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, has stepped in to coordinate the major natural gas suppliers to stabilize prices and ensure an adequate supply to cope with rising demand in northern China. That the supply of gas has been insufficient to meet the demand has resulted in many residents in North China's Hebei province not having the heating they need, which indicates local policymakers were too hasty in implementing their gas-for-coal energy policy. With the provincial development and reform commission issuing an orange alert for the short supply of natural gas, emergency measures were adopted to strictly restrict its supply to enterprises in order to guarantee that there has been enough for household heating. And with the demand exceeding supply, the price for natural gas, especially liquefied natural gas rocketed, which further exacerbated the already severe crisis. Had the local policymakers conducted thorough investigations in advance about the gap between the amount of natural gas that is needed for heating in winter and the amount that could be supplied, they would have been able to avert the crisis by drawing up detailed plans to implement the clean energy program in a phased manner. Some of the coal-burning boilers might also have been kept in operation to provide heating when necessary if there was an insufficient supply of gas. How a policy is carried out so it achieves its aims without unintended side effects requires not just hard work but also wisdom on the part of policymakers, who should put themselves in the shoes of residents. The central government's policy of substituting gas for coal as fuel for heating is imperative to improve the air quality, which, let us not forget, has been severe at times in the past. What has gone wrong in northern China is the way this laudatory policy has been implemented. There are lessons that can be learned from the experience in order to ensure that local authorities implement the central government's initiatives in the way they are intended so that they produce the designed benefits. Chinese drone manufacturer Ehang Inc, a company based in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has benefited a lot from the city's preferential policies to support the development of new and high-tech industries over the past few years. For example, the company's taxable income, which was deducted from the expenses for research and development, totaled more than 20 million yuan ($3.02 million) in the past two years. "The preferential tax policies has helped reduce the financial burden. We could invest more in technology research and development, which in turn has helped make our products more competitive in the global market," said Liu Jian, deputy financial executive director with Ehang. The company's investment in technology research and development will reach 43 million yuan this year, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent, according to Liu. Increased investment in technology research has also helped boost Ehang's business at home and abroad. The Guangzhou-based drone maker announced early this year a partnership with the Dubai government for the use of its Ehang 184 passenger drone in the city's smart transportation system. "An open economic mechanism and the city's strategy of developing high and new technology industries is a major factor behind the company's rapid business expansion," said Liu. Ehang, which was established in 2014, is not alone. In the past few years, an increased number of high and new technology businesses have been introduced in Guangzhou, thanks to the city's efforts to boost new emerging industries. Statistics indicated that Guangzhou's total output of high-tech industries increased by 11.6 percent year-on-year to 436.1 billion yuan in the first half of 2017, accounting for 46.4 percent of the city's total industrial output. "Guangzhou is becoming one of the best places for the fourth industrial revolution," said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in late July in Dalian, Liaoning province. Guangzhou has introduced a strategy to develop its IAB industriesthe next generation of information technology, artificial intelligence and biological medicineas well as the new energy industry and new material industry. "In the new technology era, the IAB and emerging industries will help develop a new engine for the city's economic growth and build a high-end and high-quality modern industry system and open economic mechanism" said Feng Shengping, chief researcher of the Guangdong Provincial Situation Research Center, which is affiliated with the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences. Global companies including Canada-based IT and networking solutions provider Cisco, the United States-based research institute Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the New York-listed laboratory equipment provider Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc as well as domestic technology giants Huawei Technologies Co and Tencent Holdings Ltd have all launched business projects in Guangzhou. In the latest development, the construction of a $800 million-General Electric biocampus, planned to become a leading biopharmaceutical and healthcare industrial park, began at Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, a flagship cooperation project between China and Singapore in Guangzhou. The project attracted immuno-oncology drugs producer BeiGene to sign an investment agreement worth of 2.2 billion yuan with Guangzhou Development District. "The settlement of these projects helps highlight Guangzhou's new strategy of industrial development, which is focusing on the construction of industrial parks production integration, living and good ecology and development of an emerging industrial cluster," said Feng. The open economic mechanism has also helped encourage an increased number of local companies to invest overseas. For example, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, a major automaker in South China, plans to invest millions of dollars to build a research and development center in Silicon Valley, in the US state of California, which is of great importance for the company to develop advanced technology and introducing its homegrown vehicles to the North American market. Charles Hayes (left), executive managing director of IDEO Asia, and Robbie Antonio (center), founder and CEO of Revolution Precrafted, talk at a panel during the conference, moderated by Clay Chandler, executive editor of Time International. [Photo/China Daily] Guangzhou, a centuries-old international commercial hub, gathered leaders of the global innovation economy at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference that opened on Tuesday. Focusing on technological innovation, the first-ever Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference is huge in its own right, but is also the curtain raiser event for the Fortune Global Forum, which runs from Wednesday to Friday in the capital city of southern Guangdong province. For its part, the earlier brainstorm tech conference is a meeting for the world's top technology and media thinkers, operators, entrepreneurs, innovators and influencers, according to the event's organizers. They said the two-day event is a showcase for innovation in China and the major trends in technology in the international context, as well as an opportunity to build up Guangzhou as a China-based community for global tech and innovation leaders. "Guangzhou is fast becoming a global leader in science and technology innovation," said Alan Murray, president of Fortune and chief content officer of the United States-based group Time Inc. "The city is the ideal location for the conference," Murray added. Fortune is a multinational business magazine published and owned by Time Inc and headquartered in New York City. Murray said that Guangzhou has established commercial and trade links with more than 200 countries and regions. "It is China's southern gateway to the world and an emerging center for tech innovation," he said. The Fortune Brainstorm Tech International Conference brings together some of China's most promising startup companies and emerging technology leaders. The program features exchanges between innovators in China who are finding new pathways to success, and tech leaders from around the world, including those from Silicon Valley in the United States, Israel, Europe and other parts of Asia. John Needham, managing director of the Fortune Global Forum, said that China has made great progress in innovation in the fields of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, financial technology, virtual reality, the shared economy and mobile technologiesinstead of being an imitator of science and technology. He added that Guangzhou is one of the leaders in China in reforms driven by globalization and digitization, and the city was showcasing its innovation results through the conference. "We are honored that Guangzhou Automobile Group, a company that is highly respected for its innovative research and development, is our partner sponsor," said Needham. The company, one of China's homegrown automakers, is providing official vehicles for the Fortune Global Forum. Another sponsor, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group, has promoted its development scale and international influence in recent years through its innovations. Li Chuyuan, chairman of the group, said that cooperating with the world-leading economic forum provides a good opportunity to promote the brand's international influence and seek more global partners. Guangzhou is strengthening its support for innovation with diverse financing channels and a business-friendly environment. "In 2016 alone, Guangzhou's financial investment in science and technology was 11.3 billion yuan ($1.71 billion), double the figure in 2012, with 80 percent of the investment going to companies," said Lin Huanxu, chief engineer with the Guangzhou science technology and innovation commission. Guangzhou has founded the largest credit risk compensation system for science and technology industries nationwide. It can provide a total credit line of up to 9 billion yuan, which ranks No 1 among all the major cities in China. Sungy Mobile was one of the first companies to launch a free mobile internet service in China. Its products serve more than 200 million users in 200 countries and regions. "Guangzhou's strongly supportive policies and mature financial services market are the main reasons we can remain innovative and energetic," said Zhou Liang, director of Sungy Mobile. The financial industry has made rapid development in the city in recent years. The added value of financial intermediation hit 180 billion yuan last year, 133 percent growth in the last five years, according to a local government official. As of June, more than 260 financial institutions had a presence in Guangzhou financial street, located in Yuexiu district. "These financial institutions will further stimulate private capital to support the real economy, especially small and micro-sized innovative enterprises," said Wu Yuhui, section chief with the financial work bureau of Yuexiu district. Guangzhou has accelerated its industry transformation and upgrading, and further developed its technological and financial innovation capabilities in recent years. Among these is Guangzhou Venture Capital Town, which was named the first venture capital town in the city by the Guangzhou government in June. The town is home to many financial institutions, such as the China Venture Capital Research Institute, the Guangdong Province Venture Capital Association, and the Guangzhou Science and Technology Financial Service Center. These institutions provide entrepreneurs not only with venture capital, but also other professional and innovative financial services. The town has already become a top option for emerging industries, further boosting the development of innovations in Guangzhou. A job seeker looks through employment information at a job fair in Guangzhou in February. [Photo by Chen Jimin/China News Service] Guangzhou's rich talent resources are giving the city a growing presence in the global innovation landscape. In Guangzhou Development District alone, 34 experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering are involved in research projects. Also, 64 experts of China's global recruitment program, three national-level professionals enrolled in the country's recruitment campaign designed for domestic talents, and 16 experts supported with a State Council special allowance, as well as 117 distinguished research contributors and entrepreneurs work in the district. Han Zhongchao, director of the National Stem Cell Engineering Technology Research Center, founded a biotech joint venture in Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City in March, which is funded by the Chinese and Singaporean governments. "Guangzhou has a top scientific research environment," Han said. "I am convinced that stem cell regeneration research can develop well here." Yang Qin, former director of the Guangzhou human resources and social security bureau, said: "The government has invested 700 million yuan ($106.04 million) annually to attract experts and specialists over the past five years, an unprecedented move in the city's history." Guangzhou has issued 2,500 talent residence permits, with 32 percent of these "green card" holders from first-tier Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and 14 percent from overseas. Ni Pengfei, director of the City Competitiveness Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Guangzhou is rich in well-qualified young labor, which can compete with other international metropolises." The commercial application of research saw tech contracts worth 18.26 billion yuan signed in 2015, with 71 percent of the deals, worth about 13 billion yuan, finalized abroad. "Guangzhou has already become an important hub for applied research and it has influenced research in Europe, North America and Asia," said Zhang Yueguo, Party chief of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences. "Guangzhou's sound transportation, energy resources, education and healthcare are part of the major reasons for leading technology companies, such as Cisco, Huawei and ZTE, making investments in the city," said Wang Jianya, CEO of Nokia Shanghai Bell. The internet of things has broad application prospects in these sectors, Wang added. The city hosts many leading industry forums, such as the Fortune Global Forum in December, the leading airline networks event World Routes to be held next year, the 31st World Ports Conference of the International Association of Ports and Harbors in 2019 and the 13th Metropolis World Congress 2020. Guangzhou has become an important venue for international information, technology, knowledge and professional events, said an official of the foreign affairs office at the Guangzhou government. CSCL Globe, one of the world's biggest container ships, docks at Guangzhou Port's Nansha area, taking the port's handling capacity to a new level. [Photo by Fu Chaojun/For China Daily] The GDP of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is expected to overtake Hong Kong's next year, according to one leading expert. The city's economic strength has taken it to the forefront of a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. That's according to Peng Peng, vice-chairman of the experts committee at the Guangdong-based South Nongovernmental Think Tank. Known as an important trading center in China, Guangzhou has a spirit of inclusiveness, innovation and opening-up, which promotes fast but steady economic growth. Among the Fortune Global 500 companies, about half have opened branches or offices in Guangzhou, enhancing the city's links with developed countries. "Through its frequent exchanges with Western countries in business and culture, Guangzhou has introduced many advanced ideas and technologies," Peng said. "It has created a climate conducive to trade and a mature market that can adapt to international principles well." Located near the South China Sea and in southern China, Guangzhou has a history stretching back more than 2,200 years. The city established close links with a growing number of countries, gradually forming into the earliest Maritime Silk Road. The road helped boost communications between China and countries including India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. International Financial Center and East Tower in Wuyang New Town, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. [Photo/VCG] Guangzhou Port has rich resources and a mature infrastructure and distribution system. This has promoted the development of an international shipping center which is contributing greatly to the Belt and Road Initiative. "Guangdong was one of the earliest participants in China's opening-up to the outside world," said Long Guoqiang, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council. "It has played an important part in the country in terms of global trade, attracting foreign investment." The city's pioneering role in the reform and opening-up process also helped make the province the most economically developed province in China, Long said. The city's diverse populationincluding Chinese from abroad, as well as residents from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle Eastis also an important resource for the city, according to Peng. Ranked No 3 among the top three first-tier Chinese cities after Beijing and Shanghai in terms of economic aggregates, Guangzhou has played a unique role, he added. Pillar industries are key to its economic strength. These include automobile manufacturing, chemicals, machinery, and the emerging IAB industries: information technology, artificial intelligence and biopharmaceuticals. The China units of the top three Japanese vehicle brandsToyota, Honda and Nissanhave all settled in Guangzhou. China's own auto brands, such as GAC Group, are also flourishing there. Popular social media platform WeChat has established its headquarters in Guangzhou. Domestic voice recognition giant Iflytek has built its southern headquarters there. Local biopharmaceutical companies, including Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings, immuno-oncology drugs producer BeiGene and Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical, have become known nationwide. Due to its geological location, Guangzhou has important links to Hong Kong. The current era has also brought another special mission for the city when the central government announced the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in March. As a major city in the area, Guangzhou will play a key role in the area's commercial, cultural and civil exchanges, according to the South Nongovernmental Think-Tank's Peng. EDINBURGH, Britain China and Scotland on Tuesday vowed to expand their cooperation in a host of areas ranging from trade and investment to education and culture. The pledge came as visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong met with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Liu said China is willing to enhance its cooperation with Scotland in areas including trade, investment, culture, education, energy, environmental protection, science and technology as well as innovation. She said the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has brought new opportunities for the development of Sino-UK relations. On her part, Sturgeon said Scotland has a time-tested friendship with China and the Asian country's fast development over the past years has provided critical opportunities for the development of Scotland itself. She said Scotland attaches great importance to the expansion and deepening of its cooperation with China in areas including trade, investment, education and culture. Liu's four-day trip, which started Monday and will also take her to London and Oxford, coincided with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-UK ambassadorial diplomatic relations. The centerpiece of the visit is the fifth annual UK-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue - the highest level Sino-UK dialogue to be held in Britain this year - which Liu will jointly chair with British Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt. BEIJING - China will further regulate financial markets and get tough on illegal financial activities, deputy head of China's banking regulator said Tuesday. "Despite progress in the ongoing financial scrutiny, the market is still prone to risks both currently and for the future period, which should not be taken lightly," said Wang Zhaoxing, vice-chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC). "China's financial supervision will be increasingly stricter, with tougher punishment on market irregularities and imprudent operations," he said at the annual meeting of China's city commercial banks. Wang asked city commercial banks to improve corporate management to further control and address financial risks, especially liquidity risks, which are the largest threat to small and medium-sized banks, and could lead to systemic and regional risks. The CBRC has stepped up a crackdown on crime and disorder in the market this year, punishing 1,486 banking institutions and 1,096 individuals in January-October, imposing around 600 million yuan ($90.63 million) of fines. Following the tough supervision, China made progress in reining in risks in its banking sector, with the commercial bank capital adequacy ratio at 13.3 percent, and their provision coverage ratio nearing 180 percent, both relatively high levels, according to CBRC data. Chinese-made containers bearing the name of Seaco are loaded. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] If you take a trip to see Shanghai's ports, there is a good chance you'll see the Chinese-made containers baring the name of Seaco, the world's second-largest container lessor. This scene takes place at Seaco's 176 port locations in 49 countries everyday, part of the Made in China phenomenon of the Chinese manufacturing industry. The most intriguing part is that Seaco, as a financing service provider in specific fields, is actually owned by a Chinese enterprise. Bohai Capital Holding, the parent company of Seaco, is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China. As an international financial group principally engaged in specialized finance leasing business, it owns over 30 operating centers around the world and provides customers with leasing and financing services for products such as aircraft, containers, infrastructure and high-end equipment. The company has been accelerating its emergence onto the international stage, particularly under the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to boost Chinese enterprises' international influence. "To be a leading global leasing company, we are committed to international cooperation," said Wang Jingran, vice-president of investment at Bohai Capital. In 2013, Bohai Capital completed the acquisition of Seaco and soon helped it to become the world's second-largest container leasing company. Following that, Bohai continued to expand its aircraft leasing business by acquiring the New York Stock Exchange listed aircraft leasing company Avolon in 2016, as well as CIT's aircraft leasing arm in 2017. It thus empowered itself to become the world's third-largest aircraft leasing company. To date, Bohai Capital, as a Chinese company, has finally paved its way to becoming a key player on the international stage of the leasing industry. "The leasing business in aircraft and containers has large scale effects. By acquiring top-notch leasing companies, we can enhance our international competitiveness and learn from the overseas management experience, to provide better services to the domestic market," Wang said. In 2016, Bohai Capital invested 40.84 billion yuan ($6.18 billion) in more than 10 industries, including infrastructure, civil aviation and new energy, to support the development of the domestic real economy in China. As an expert in guiding Chinese companies in their bid to go global, Bohai Capital has also conducted business under the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance Chinese enterprises' competitiveness in global markets. "Covering a large population and a huge economic scale, countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are expected to witness rapid growth, which will bring opportunities for Chinese enterprises," said ZhuoYiqun, CEO of Bohai Capital. Zhuo Yiqun, CEO of Bohai Capital Holding. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Since 2012, the company has conducted aircraft leasing business with companies in Belt and Road-related counties such as IndiGoin India, Lion Air in Indonesia, AirAsia in Malaysia, Royal Jordanian in Jordan and SriLankan Airlines in Sri Lanka. Each deal involved an investment of more than $10 million. In 2015, Bohai Capital expanded its strategic layout under the initiative. In 2016, it invested 60 billion yuan in the countries involved in the initiative to aid in the development of transport service industries including aviation and shipping. It has also implemented business in regions including Europe and the Middle East. "As China has made great progress in the manufacturing industry. Chinese enterprises are grateful for policy support and industrial upgrades. We will be more than delighted to support Chinese manufacturing companies to 'go-out' and compete on the international stage to raise the profile of Chinese products," Zhuo said. By the end of September this year, the company had established business partnerships with over 1,000 customers in more than 80 counties, covering most counties involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Additionally, Bohai Capital's subsidiaries have innovated their business models and effectively utilized their abundant customer and business resources in regions as Asia, Africa and Europe. The aim is to gradually allocate resources for business operation under the initiative and give full play to the domestic infrastructure and high-end equipment leasing business, laying the foundation for the future output of domestic production. "Trade communication plays a role in national diplomacy. Chinese enterprises take full advantage of their peers' experience to both boost the local economy and expand the global market," Zhuo said. In 2016, Tianjin Leasing Co, a subsidiary, formally signed an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China and Brazil-based Embraer Industry, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers. The agreement covered the introduction of the E190 series aircraft. It marks the first official cooperation in exported aircraft between China and Brazil, playing a role in the joint exploration of third-party markets and broadening the company's international financial channels. The overseas investment also sets up a bridge between people from different countries and China. As the employees of a Chinese company, people working for the subsidiaries of Bohai Capital, such as Avolon and Seaco, finally get a chance to see the whole, real picture of China. "The quickly growing economy and the scale of infrastructure construction really impressed me. Only by standing here can you really feel the influence of China on the world's economy," said Domhnal Slattery, CEO of Avolon, after his first visit to China and Bohai Capital. In the last five years, the company has bought almost 600,000 containers from domestic producers. It has exported them to 783 customers in more than 80 countries all around the world through the business network set up under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. "As a leading global leasing company, Bohai Capital will pour more investment into countries involved in the B&R initiative and cooperate with domestic enterprises to help them export more high-end equipments next year," Zhuo said. BEIJING - A newly-published index showed Tuesday China's express delivery sector expanded fast in November, reflecting improved business activity in the economy. The China express delivery index rose to 112.1 percent last month from 107.5 percent in October, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), which released the index for the first time. The index was compiled based on data from large-sized logistics firms operating delivery services and could provide a perspective on business activity in the economy, said He Hui, deputy head of the China Logistics Information Center under the CFLP. The new index has shown strong momentum in express delivery services since the beginning of this year, the CFLP said. The sub-index for delivery activity in the manufacturing industry has stood at a relatively high level so far this year, while those for the property and construction industries have dropped consecutively. The rapid growth of express delivery services has created more jobs, with the number of employees in the sector up 130 percent from January 2014, according to the CFLP. China has the world's largest express delivery sector, accounting for more than 40 percent of the world's total delivery volume. In the first 10 months of 2017, 31.1 billion deliveries were made, up 29.1 percent year-on-year and near the annual total of last year, the CFLP said. BEIJING - China's top economic planner has coordinated major natural gas suppliers to secure supply and stabilize prices to cope with rising demand in northern China. Companies should keep natural gas prices basically stable and ensure adequate supplies, Xinhua-run Economic Information Daily quoted a notice from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The move followed a surge in natural gas demand in northern China as millions of households shift from burning coal to using gas for heating in winter to help combat air pollution. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption has witnessed sharp growth this year with consumption reaching 167.6 billion cubic meters during the January-September period, up 16.6 percent year-on-year. Full-year growth in 2016 was 7 percent, NDRC data showed. Consumption is expected to reach 230 billion cubic meters this year with 20 billion cubic meters coming from the coal-to-gas transition, said Xu Bo, senior analyst with China National Petroleum Corporation's (CNPC) Economics and Technology Research Institute. The growing appetite for gas has pushed domestic LNG prices to a record high of 9,000 yuan ($1,361) a ton on Dec 1 in some regions, according to an industry report. To secure gas supply, China's State-owned oil firms, including CNPC and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), are maximizing production at domestic gas fields and the NDRC has urged companies to be self-disciplined in pricing. The ultimate solution lies in encouraging competitiveness of companies and improving infrastructure construction, said Jing Chunmei, a researcher with China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "More social capital should be encouraged in the creation or expansion of infrastructure like pipelines, ports with suitable terminals, storage facilities and transportation networks to lower costs and form a market-based pricing mechanism," said Jing. COLOMBO - Sri Lanka and China will jointly conduct "the First Chinese Enterprise Job Fair in Sri Lanka," organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training, an official said Tuesday. Gao Bin, Director of Teaching Affairs from the China, Sri Lanka Vocational Training Center, told Xinhua that 15 Chinese companies, who had opened branches in Sri Lanka would provide job opportunities to over 400 Sri Lankans in an aim to strengthen the country's employment sector. Gao said that the Job Fair would be held in Colombo on Friday, where representatives from the Ministry of Vocational Training, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and representatives from the 15 Chinese companies would interview locals who sought employment in these Chinese companies. The companies were in search of both skilled and unskilled workers and there were many job categories available, Gao said. "Ties between China and Sri Lanka have strengthened over the years and as many Chinese companies are now present here. There is an opportunity for locals to find employment in these companies," Gao said. Chinese embassy officials in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan government officials, and representatives from Sri Lanka collages and training providers will also attend the fair. Editor's note: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, which opened in the city of Guangzhou Wednesday. The following are some of those responses. Dr Frank-Jurgen Richter, founder and chairman of Horasis, poses for a photo at the Fortune Global Forum in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Dec 6, 2017. [Photo by Wang Yanfei/chinadaily.com.cn ] We heard this morning that President Xi Jinping said China will be an open economy. We see protectionism rising all around the world, but China is defending globalization and a part of the phenomenon. And I believe China will lead global innovation as more and more Chinese companies are coming to the forefront of technology. We should all try to get involved and work with China. My own company is organizing a summit focusing on entrepreneurs in China, helping them make globalization happen. We want to continue to this cooperation, helping Chinese companies build global brands that originate in China. Guangzhou vows to further commit itself to opening to the outside world, which is in the genes and blood of the city, said a senior city official Wednesday. "The opening of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum helps the city elevate its opening-up to a new level," said Liu Yuelun, chairman of the Guangzhou Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). "Recently, many multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies, such as Foxconn, General Electric and Cisco, have increased their investments in Guangzhou, especially in high technology industries, including artificial intelligence, biomedicine, new energy and new materials." "Guangzhou has also attracted more international talent to set up businesses here as the city has a comfortable environment and reasonable housing prices," he added. The ways of investment are also becoming more diversified, with resources such as talent, capital and equipment from different origins. "The city will pursue a development path driven by quality, efficiency and innovation, instead of prioritizing the scale and speed of its economic development," he said. "The high-quality service, market and business environment of Guangzhou makes it quite easy for multinational companies to do business here." BEIJING The United States is throwing cold water on the growing geniality of trade relations between itself and China with its rebuke of the latter's bid for recognition as a market economy in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The US government recently formally opposed to China's bid, citing decades of legal precedent and what it sees as signs the country is moving in the opposite direction. The truth is that denial of such status for China will give the US government useful tools to launch trade probes into Chinese imports under the excuses of dumping goods at unfair price advantages. Refusal distorts facts The US decision comes as the Trump administration is seeking to bridge the trade deficit with China for the so-called fair and balanced trade. To achieve that end, it is tempting to turn a blind eye to China's concrete moves of market liberalization, international observers said. Since China has implemented the opening up and reform policy, it has made consistent efforts to improve its market economy system, which has won global recognition. The US refusal distorts facts, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce. China is now the world's largest goods trading nation, being the top trading partner of more than 120 countries and regions. Su Qingyi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the "non-market economy status" has not held China back from making those achievements. The United States will not benefit from a battered bilateral trade relationship considering its interwoven interests with China. Protectionist measures also impair the interests of US companies and consumers. Over the past three decades, bilateral goods trade surged from $2.5 billion to $524.3 billion. Low-cost and high-quality Chinese products have helped raise the living standard of Americans. While much of the US political campaign rhetoric focused on jobs leaving the United States, Chinese investment is supporting more jobs on that side of the Pacific. Undermined integrity In response to the US rejection, Chinese commerce ministry official Wang Hejun said it undermines the seriousness and authority of multilateral rules. Article 15 of the Protocol on China's accession to the WTO in 2001 has clearly dictated that China will automatically switch over to market economy status when the surrogate country approach expires in 15 years, which means, on that day, the legal foundation for treating China as a non-market economy is gone. The United States is setting a bad example by breaking international rules, Su said. Honoring contracts is the basic principle of the market economy, and the United States is breaching this principle, said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. The US rejection reflects its panic and ideological prejudice, said Zhang Jingwei, a researcher with Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies under the Renmin University of China. Analysts said that China is likely to take legal action at the WTO against members who are not observing the rules, including the United States. Further retaliatory trade measures may also be considered. Even if an all-out trade war is avoidable, no party will emerge unscathed, Zhang said. GUANGZHOU China's achievements in promoting an open and innovative economy and common development offer a good example for case study as global business leaders gather here to float creative ideas for guiding the world through a dramatic transformation. It is the fifth time the famed Fortune Global Forum has taken place in China, whose record of sustained development, commitment to win-win cooperation and contribution to global growth have kept wowing the world. Profound changes, global challenges Themed "Openness and Innovation: Shaping the Global Economy," the 2017 Fortune Global Forum is set to open in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou on Wednesday. The forum comes at a time when technology is reshaping the business world in ways never seen before, and rising nationalism and growing distrust in businesses and other institutions are posing a threat to globalization, said Alan Murray, editor-in-chief of the Fortune magazine. Against this backdrop, more than 700 delegates, including senior executives from over 120 of the world's top companies, are expected to attend the three-day event for discussions on innovation, the future of globalization, 21st-century leadership and sustainable development, among other subjects. The platform, said Cai Chaolin, director of the Guangzhou forum's executive committee, will enable participants to have a positive impact on global economic and social development and create opportunities for enterprises. Meanwhile, Guangzhou has been described as an ideal location for the event, as it has long been a center of global trade and investment and has now also become a hub of innovation. Currently, there are 120,000 sci-tech and innovative companies in Guangzhou, and 13 of China's top innovative companies are based here, according to the US business magazine Fast Company. "By creating a favorable business and innovative environment and laying out a number of key industries, Guangzhou has improved its ability to attract high-end elements, thus enhancing the city's influence and international popularity," Ni Pengfei, director of the City and Competitiveness Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Xinhua in a recent interview. In recognition of its innovative spirit, Guangzhou has been chosen as the permanent venue of the Fortune Brainstorm Tech International, a new event that focuses on technology and innovation and will take place annually. Open China, common development The forum comes as China is pushing forward comprehensive development in line with the blueprint drawn at the landmark 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in October. Taking stock of China's remarkable development over the past few decades, the new blueprint features, among others, the unremitting commitment of the world's second-largest economy to openness, win-win cooperation and common development. The commitment stems from China's increasingly close intertwinement with the rest of the world, and also from Chinese President Xi Jinping's grand vision of building a community with shared future for mankind. A telling example is the Belt and Road Initiative, which was put forward by Xi in 2013 and is aimed at building a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. Official statistics show that so far Chinese businesses have helped build 75 economic and trade cooperation zones in 24 countries along the Belt and Road, generating over 209,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the world's largest developing and most populous country is expected to import $24 trillion' worth of goods, attract $2 trillion of inbound direct investment, and make $2 trillion of outbound investment in the next 15 years. "China's door to the world will never close, but will only open wider," Xi said in a congratulatory letter to the Fourth World Internet Conference, which opened Sunday in the town of Wuzhen in eastern China. Innovative China, sustained development China, which is restructuring its economy and developing new growth drivers, is paying increasing attention to innovation, which has been listed as the first of its five major development concepts. For example, since the inception of the Internet Plus initiative in 2015, new industries and business models have boomed in China, with Internet-related technologies revolutionizing such sectors as manufacturing, retail, finance and health care. Home to about 750 million netizens and boasting the world's second-largest digital economy, China is now in an advantageous position to develop e-commerce and third-party mobile payments. Internet-related growth accounts for 6.9 percent of China's gross domestic growth, the second-highest proportion in the world, according to AliResearch, a research institute of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Many scholars agree that China is actually more digitized than most people have realized, and has the potential to lead in the digital frontier in the coming decades. Addressing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Vietnam last month, Xi said that as China works hard to pursue innovation and higher quality of growth, new forms of business will keep emerging, more innovations will be used, and the development of China's different regions will become more balanced. "All this will create a more powerful and extensive impact, present more opportunities of cooperation and enable more countries to board the express train of China's development," Xi said. New Zealand is ranked as the easiest place in the world to do business, followed by Singapore and Denmark, according to a report, Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create, released by the World Bank. Starting a new business in New Zealand takes the smallest number of procedures required (one) and the shortest time to fulfill them (0.5 day). The ranking uses 11 indicators to measure aspects of business regulation across 190 countries worldwide. Of the top 20 economies in the list, 14 are high-income Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or OECD economies. Let's take a look at 10 easiest places in the world to do business. No 10 Sweden As the sharing economy in China thrives and gives rise to a wide range of new businesses, competition in the domestic market is getting fiercer, especially in the bike-sharing sector. Bluegogo International Inc, which used to rank as one of the top three Chinese bike-sharing companies, has gone bankrupt and reportedly owes nearly 200 million yuan ($30 million) to bicycle makers. On Nov 16, Bluegogo founder Li Gang admitted in a post on social networking platform WeChat that the company has faced severe operation problems. In October, China's first listed bike-sharing firm, Changzhou Youon Public Bicycle System Co Ltd, said it would acquire Shanghai-based bike rental brand Hellobike, as it attempts to gain more strength to compete with other major domestic bike-sharing companies. The move also marked the first merger in China's bike-sharing sector. Zhang Xu, a Beijing-based internet analyst, said the dominance of bike-sharing giants Ofo and Mobike has left little room for the further development of smaller bike-sharing companies. "For small-sized bike sharing firms, the winter is coming. And we will see a new round of reshuffling in the industry," Zhang added. The bike-sharing frenzy started from and has boomed in China, with dozens of startups providing colorful shared bikes on the streets to enable environmentally friendly, convenient short trips. In July, the Ministry of Transport reported that China had more than 16 million shared bikes, posing serious challenges to city management for local governments. The flood of shared bikes across the nation has caused traffic chaos and safety concerns in urban areas. Earlier this year, 12 major cities across China introduced bans on new shared bikes. Guo Jinzhi, chairwoman of the Beijing Bicycle Industry Association, said companies should have taken that into account at the very beginning. "Companies need to learn a lesson. The key is to better meet consumers' needs and to find solutions to adapt to the changing environment," she said. With a wide range of products and services flooding into the blossoming sharing economy, similar problems are popping up. Can all products for sale also be sharable? According to a report in Shanghai-based ThePaper.cn, one shared-umbrella investor is complaining that of the nearly 300,000 umbrellas their company deployed in more than 10 cities across southeastern China, almost none can now be found. The complaint may illustrate a point emphasized by Zhang, who says the sharing model does not work in every situation. "Sharing startups need to consider how to actually meet consumers' specific needs and to share suitable items. And they also need to consider the maintenance" for those items, he added. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, shares views on globalization and technology in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, Dec 6, 2017. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily] Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, said on Wednesday that globalization will help reduce inequality as technology empowers small countries and businesses. "In the next 30 to 40 years, globalization will empower 80 percent of countries, businesses and people that have not benefited from globalization. That's because of the power of the internet and technology," Ma said at the 2017 Fortune Global Forum held in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. If more efforts are made to impart knowledge and know-how to small businesses, that will significantly contribute to inclusive growth, he said. As founder of China's largest e-commerce player, Ma also addressed concerns about market freedom and monopoly as Alibaba is getting bigger in both size and influence. "We will get bigger, but we are building an infrastructure for doing businesses. Our goal is to be an enabler that helps small businesses reach more consumers and apply technology in a very cost-effective way. We are also helping big companies such as P&G reach the rural market in China," he said. The tech tycoon also made suggestions to foreign companies which want to better tap into the China market, adding they should be more patient about investments into the country and have a long-term commitment. "Bringing capital and management staff is not enough. They should also bring technology and talents," he said. Suspect accused of contract fraud; global campaign reaches midpoint A global campaign to catch China's most-wanted fugitives saw the return of its 50th corruption suspect, the top anti-graft watchdog said on Tuesday. The milestone was achieved with the detention of Zhou Jiyang, 47, who has been on the run in Hong Kong for nine years, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He was among 100 Chinese fugitives for whom Interpol issued red noticesinternational arrest warrantsin April 2015. Zhou is accused of committing contract fraud while working for the Party history research department of the Zhejiang provincial committee of the Communist Party of China. The CCDI said he fled to Hong Kong after being placed under investigation in 2008. He was detained by Zhejiang police on Friday and his ill-gotten assets will be confiscated according to the law. The case is still under investigation, the CCDI said in a statement on Tuesday. Since April 2015, half of the 100 corrupt fugitives have been brought back from more than 16 countries and regions to stand trial, which fully reflects "China's firm determination and resolute confidence to pursue the fugitives to the end", the CCDI said. In recent years, a number of Chinese corrupt officials and directors from State-owned companies have fled to the Hong Kong or Macao special administrative regions or overseas destinations to take advantage of the difference in laws or complicated repatriation procedures. Moreover, they have sent millions of yuan in illegal assets to foreign accounts through money laundering or underground banks. To tackle this, in 2014, the Central Anti-corruption Coordination Group, led by the CCDI, launched the Skynet program to capture economic fugitives abroad and confiscate their illicit assets. By the end of August, more than 2,600 fugitives suspected of economic crimes had returned to China from over 90 countries and regions to face charges, including the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Illicit assets totaling 9.36 billion yuan ($1.42 billion) had been recovered. "We will continue our actions and leave no 'safe heaven' for the fugitives," the CCDI said in a statement. "No matter where they are hiding, we will make every effort to bring them back to face justice." By Hou Liqiang in Beijing and Zhang Yu in Shijiazhuang | China Daily | Updated: 2017-12-06 08:37 China's top economic planning agency has coordinated with major natural gas suppliers to secure adequate supplies and stabilize prices to cope with rising demand in northern China. Companies should keep natural gas prices stable and ensure adequate supplies, the National Development and Reform Commission said. Demand surged in northern China as gas replaced coal for heating to fight pollution. High demand has caused sharp growth in liquefied natural gas consumption, reaching 167.6 billion cubic meters from January to September, up 16.6 percent year-on-year, the NDRC said. Consumption is expected to reach 230 billion cubic meters this year with 20 billion cubic meters coming from the transition, said Xu Bo, a senior analyst with China National Petroleum Corp's Economics and Technology Research Institute. The growing appetite for gas pushed domestic liquefied natural gas prices to a record high of 9,000 yuan ($1,361) a metric ton on Dec 1 in some regions, an industry report said. State-owned oil firms are maximizing production at domestic gas fields. The NDRC has urged discipline in pricing. At the end of last month, Hebei issued an orange alert for natural gas supplies, suggesting a supply gap of 10 to 20 percent. Some schools in Quyang county in Hebei failed to finish the transformation on time and the heating was not working in some schools, China Youth Daily reported. On Tuesday, Quyang county said all 11 schools that had a delay have started heating temporarily with "clean coal". The transformation will be finished on Wednesday. Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn Xinhua contributed to this story. Several restaurants in Shanghai, including McDonald's and Taoyuan Village, said on Tuesday that their products are completely safe after a recent official spot check found 10 eateries selling substandard youtiao, fried dough sticks usually eaten for breakfast. Officials from the Shanghai Consumer Council raided 29 popular eateries and reported those not changing the cooking oil frequently or producing food of which the amount of certain indicators exceeding the standards to the city's Food and Drug Administration. Five were closed by the FDA for not having a business license, while another five were ordered to come up to code. The five that were ordered to make a change and are still in business are two Xinya Dabao branches on Changyang Road and Xingguo Road as well as eateries at No 456 Xiaomuqiao Road, No 500 Anlong Road and No 777 Siping Road. Youtiao sold in two McDonald's outlets in Yangpu district and a diner in Changning district were found to contain residues of plasticizer, but none exceeded the national upper limit of 1.5 milligrams per kilogram. "We have verified that no plasticizer is added during the production of the fried dough sticks and their packaging sold at all McDonald's restaurants, and consumers can rest assured," McDonald's China said in a statement. "The origin of the plasticizer is being thoroughly investigated," the statement continued. Residual amounts of aluminum of 9.73 milligrams per kg were found in products in a Taoyuan Village outlet in Jing'an district. The restaurant said there was no alum added to its youtiao. The national standard sets an upper limit of 100 milligrams of aluminum per kg in food products. Excessive intake of the substance can impair the nervous and reproductive systems. "The residue may come from the natural aluminum content of water or flour. We will provide the public with accurate information about the source of the substance in the food after a thorough investigation," the restaurant said in a statement. One store in Pudong New Area was selling products containing nearly 10 times the allowed level of aluminum residue. Tests also showed youtiao from a KFC outlet in Yangpu district contained the highest levels of saturated fatty acid - the excessive intake of which can lead to cardiovascular disease and obesity. The average amount of saturated fatty acid contained in samples taken from the 29 restaurants was 3.5 grams, but the KFC product contained 6.8 grams. In addition, branches of Yonghe King were inspected. The saying goes among retirees in the Caoyang neighborhood of Shanghai's Putuo district that the highest yield per unit of land in Pudong is always the next plot of wasteland to be constructed, because you would never know the limit of human wisdom. Caoyang, constructed in 1951, was China's first "new village for workers" - a residential community of matchbox apartment buildings designed by architects from the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Only those awarded honorary titles, such as "model laborer" and "advanced worker", were allowed to live in the apartments, in which two homes shared one toilet while most locals used closestools. Pudong, or east of the Huangpu River, had been a synonym of countryside for these senior locals since Puxi, or west of the river - which divided Shanghai into two parts - was occupied by Western colonialists in the mid-19th century, becoming a forest of foreign settlements. China started developing Pudong in 1993. It now contributes one-third of Shanghai's GDP but houses onefifth of its population. The skyline marked by the high-rises has become a source of pride for the city. Though constantly renovated, Caoyang, once a high-end community, is now dwarfed by skyscrapers clad in flashy glass curtains in Pudong. The old workers in Puxi were expert in traditional manufacturing and the workers in Pudong manufacture satellites, airplanes and engines, said Pei Lei, a self-employed thirty-something electronic engineer in Pudong from Ma'anshan, Anhui province. "The Huangpu River seems like a boundary marking the old days and the future of Shanghai's industrial development," Pei said. Pei is one of the young people striving for his dreams in Pudong, which attracts young skilled workers through a series of favorable policies, provided housing, tax cuts and cash subsidies. The aging rate in Caoyang is nearly 35 percent, double that of Pudong. "I am proud to work in the first matrix of China's largest and the world's third-largest synchrotron radiation light source," said He You, a researcher in Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, a State high-tech project in Pudong. The luminance of the light source is 1,000 times that of common X-rays, making it possible to discern the structure of even a virus and a microstructure of some materials, He said, explaining the facility as simply as he could. "It is like a super microscope, making some difficult problems easy. Scientists from across the country have made more than 15,000 trips to do experiments with the equipment. I am glad my work helps them," He said. "The average age of our researchers is 31. We have made 25 microsatellites since the center was established 14 years ago, and all of them have successfully been sent to space, and worked well," said Yu Yingjie, director of Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites. The center is working on 30 microsatellites in the fields of dark matter research, global positioning, atmospheric pollution and climate change research, and quantum communication. "All of our satellites are groundbreaking in their respective fields. Our aim is to seek all-around innovations in materials, devices and assembly units, so as to promote the upgrading of the whole industrial chain related to the satellite engineering," Yu added. Also in the industrial zone is Shanghai PartnerX Robot Co, the world first educational robot research and development enterprise. Xu Jiping, 23, an employee of the company, said: "I dream of making a robot that can help the people, and the company provides me with a platform to realize my dream. The company can make all the parts and devices needed for my dream, from electrical machinery to steering engine and controller." Half a year after graduating from college, Xu has had his own team, and he believes artificial intelligence represents the future of robots. Shanghai, with its open and healthy business environment, high-quality public services and solid industrial foundation, attracts young talent like magnets, said Zhang Weiwei, director of the China Institute of Fudan University in Shanghai. "The emerging strategic industries account for 26.7 percent of the total industrial output in the city. The inflow of young talent, one of the most valuable assets, lays a solid foundation for Shanghai to boost further development of these industries." Overseas students at a Xi'an college feel at home Do Dieu Linh from Hanoi in Vietnam and Hue Lee from Bokeo province in Laos, are postgraduates at Xi'an Jiaotong University, who have both been relishing their new lives in China. Like increasing numbers of overseas students coming to study in China, Linh and Lee had to adapt to a few new things when they first arrived to study in 2016. Both say that experiencing Chinese culture was the main attraction for them to come to China. Contestants of the 10th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students take photos onstage after the event lowered the curtain on Oct 28 in Kunming, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to China Daily] Chinese Bridge Chinese-proficiency competitions are bringing people together and helping to build a worldwide community working for a shared future. Fang Aiqing reports. Georgies Srour, a 25-year-old Frenchman, talks eloquently about the history of Beijing, from the traditional hutong, or alleyways, to the establishment of the new administrative area in Tongzhou districtin Chinese. Speaking Mandarin with a slight Beijing accent, he was in high spirits when asked to talk about his understanding of Beijing's urban space, city life and social interactions during a symposium at the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing in early November. "The renovation of Beijing's hutong and some other Chinese cities' downtown areas is getting better now, because China has shifted its focus from merely economic growth to a more people-oriented perspective," Srour says. He explores the city by strolling around and snapping photos. He held a solo photography exhibition titled Guess the City in Beijing in June. He has been reading the book Chengji by former journalist Wang Jun. The book depicts half a century of Beijing's construction and examines its urban planning since the mid-20th century. He will begin working as an urban planner in the Beijing branch of the French multinational AREP in January. Srour started learning Chinese when he was 13. "I watched the films of Wong Kar-wai and Zhang Yimou, and was impressed by China's vitality," Srour recalls. Srour won the Second Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students in 2009. It was one of the Chinese Bridge competitions hosted by the Confucius Institute Headquarters. "The Chinese Bridge is a door," he says. "There's another world waiting behind it." He studied architecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing for a year and then interned as a reporter in France, where he got a chance in 2015 to interview Wu Jianmin, a previous Chinese ambassador to France. He also played a small role in Jackie Chan's movie Chinese Zodiac in 2012. Richer inner world On the 10th anniversary of the first Chinese Bridge competition for foreign high schoolers, 17 former champions were invited to Beijing to share their life experiences since winning. Srour says it was his Chinese-language skills that enabled him to get his forthcoming opportunity at AREP after getting his master's degree in urban planning from France's Aix-Marseille University. Chae Woo-hyuk, champion of the third Chinese Bridge for foreign high schoolers in 2010, says winning enabled him to insist on his own choice rather than follow the life path that his parents had planned for him. Born in South Korea in 1993, he started learning Chinese at age 7 and was sent to Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in fourth grade to improve his Chinese. He stayed for five years and then returned to South Korea. "I thought returning to my home country was just a transitional period of learning Chinese, but I didn't know where to go and was lost until I heard about the competition." Chae came to Chongqing for the Chinese Bridge and won. He is now a senior majoring in Chinese and political science at Sogang University in South Korea. He hopes to work as a diplomat after graduation. Chae believes "political relations between China and other countries are very important". American Nicholas Biniaz-Harris says the competition brought a different kind of change to his lifeit enabled him to overcome his stage fright. Vietnamese Do Dieu Linh enjoys a good life on campus in Xi'an. [Photo provided to China Daily] Do Dieu Linh from Hanoi in Vietnam and Hue Lee from Bokeo province in Laos, are postgraduates at Xi'an Jiaotong University, who have both been relishing their new lives in China. Like increasing numbers of overseas students coming to study in China, Linh and Lee had to adapt to a few new things when they first arrived to study in 2016. Both say that experiencing Chinese culture was the main attraction for them to come to China. As an undergraduate student back in Vietnam, Linh taught Chinese students Vietnamese. "My Chinese friends told me a lot about Chinese culture which really made me interested in coming to study in China," she says. As for Lee, he has long been a fan of Chinese kung fu. "I watched the movies of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Actually, Chinese kung fu is the reason why I chose to study here," Lee says. While studying in China, they have had the chance to travel and see some of the country's wonders, such as the Terracotta Warriors and Huashan Mountain. "China is such a vast country. There are so many cities I have never even set foot in. Both Beijing and Xi'an are cities with a long history. I have plans to visit Beijing," says Lee. However, it's not all been holidays and plain sailing. At first, they found it difficult to get used to Xi'an's climate, which is considerably colder than their home countries. Food was another issue. As with anyone who moves to a new country, the first few weeks can be the toughest, prompting many to consider returning home. Those who stick it out, however, are often rewarded. Linh was lucky, finding comfort and help from her teachers and classmates at Xi'an Jiaotong University. "The Chinese teachers have shown a lot of concern for us foreign students. They often contacted me and asked me if I had any difficulties," says Linh. "We have become good friends. They even invited me and my classmates to their homes. My Chinese was poor, but my classmates were tolerant and helped me out a lot." Organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing, the Chinese Bridge Chinese-proficiency contests are three annual competitions for foreign college students, foreign secondary school students and other foreign learners around the world. The first Chinese Bridge competition was held in 2002 for foreign college students. In 2008, the competition was expanded to include foreign high schoolers. And in 2014, the competition was expanded again to include other foreign Chinese speakers around the world. This year marked the 10th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students. Some 3,000 contestants from 107 countries have participated in the contests in the past decade. The number of participating countries has grown from 24 in 2008 to 96 this year, with 14 participating for the first time. A total of 320 teachers and students from 110 overseas preliminaries got to showcase their capabilities this year. The competition awards individuals and groups. Contestants' Chinese proficiency, knowledge about China and understanding of Chinese culture are tested in various ways. Contestants are also invited to visit Chinese enterprises, communities and families, and to experience and participate in Chinese customs and folk arts, including paper cutting and pottery making. During this year's competition in Southwest China's Yunnan province in October, contestants were asked to do a theater performance about entrepreneurship adapted from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the "four Chinese classical novels". Some contestants also displayed proficiencies in calligraphy, painting, acrobatics, kung fu and traditional instruments. Global forum seeks healthy PE development ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-12-05 The 9th Global PE Beijing Forum, the biggest and most important platform for the private equity (PE) industry in China, was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing on Dec 2. The forum was co-hosted by the China Association of Private Equity, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work, the People's Government of Haidian District, Beijing municipality and the Beijing Private Equity Association (BPEA). The 9th Global PE Beijing Forum, the biggest and most important platform for the private equity (PE) industry in China, is held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing on Dec 2. [Photo by Ma Xiaowen/beijingreview.com.cn] Themed on "Development, Contribution, Innovation", the forum promoted dialogues between the leading foreign and Chinese fund managers, government officers, and institutional investors on the development of China's private equity industry. Shao Bingren, president of the association, said, "As the scale of the PE market continues to expand, the survival of the fittest is more and more significant. From the perspective of investment, the equity investment funds do not really help the development of the real economy." Shao added that at present, the government gives strong support to mass entrepreneurship and high-tech industries, especially innovative and high-growth enterprises in the initial stage and growth stages. It also provides a guarantee for the sustainability and selectivity of equity investments. Shao Bingren, president of the China Association of Private Equity, delivers a speech at the 9th Global PE Beijing Forum on Dec 2. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] Management of Funds of Funds was a key topic during the forum. Wang Chao, founder and president of the China Equity Group, released a White Paper on Practical Guidance on Chinese Funds of Funds. The PE industry also has some hidden dangers. For example, some private equity investment institutions are entering the field of Initial Coin Offerings, Huo Xuewen said, head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work. He said that private equity investment institutions should minimize their investment in these areas and avoid directions inconsistent with common sense and the direction of financial development. ON FRIDAY, a local court in Huaian city, East China's Jiangsu province, sentenced four men found guilty of raping and sexually abusing minors. Besides receiving their deserved legal penalties, the court also made their names and other personal information public and forbade them from taking any jobs in the future that would bring them into contact with children. Beijing Youth Daily comments: Cases involving sexual assaults on minors have shocked people and prompted calls for children to be better protected. For that reason, judiciaries in certain cities have tried to publicize the personal information of sex offenders of this kind, as well as prohibiting pedophiles from taking certain jobs, so as to prevent them from being around minors. Last year, the judiciary in Cixi, Zhejiang province, issued an executive guideline on publicizing the information of offenders. While this August, the local government in Minhang district of Shanghai launched a system to limit such criminals from taking certain jobs. Such moves have provoked heated debate. While many applaud the moves, some argue that they might violate the personal privacy of the criminals and doubt whether they are legal. Actually, the Criminal Law has a clause that forbids those found guilty of such crimes from taking certain jobs, but this clause is far from sufficient, as it states that only those who "make convenience of their professions to sexually assault minors" should be banned from working with children. This loophole should be closed by local judiciaries and legislatures. Besides, the protection of children should come first. The practices in developed countries prove that publicizing the information of those who sexually assault children can effectively prevent these criminals from committing similar crimes again in the future. Shanhua Temple in Datong city. [Photo provided to China Daily] There are many lesser-known attractions to be found near some of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Wang Kaihao reports. Exhausted by the overwhelming crowds that are a ubiquitous feature of popular tourist destinations all over China? If you are and you want to keep your distance from the hordes of sightseers while still immersing yourself in the country's history and culture, it is unnecessary to seek out little-known and hard-to-get-to ancient villages. You will be surprised at the less-crowded scenic spots that can be found near the most popular attractions. Datong, Shanxi Many travelers say they have been to Datong, in the north of Shanxi province. Nevertheless, what they usually mean is they have been to the Yungang Grottoes, the Buddhist grotto complex dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), that is situated on the outskirts of the city. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Yungang Grottoes are a must-see for many tourists. However, the city has other historical legacies equally breathtaking, if less well-known. As the capital during the Northern Wei Dynasty, Datong remained a cultural hub in northern China for centuries afterward. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Business leaders, ex-officials see partnerships based on Belt, Road Chinese and Japanese business leaders and former high-ranking government officials met in Tokyo on Tuesday and called for deepening industrial cooperation and exploring third-party markets. The participants - 32 from China and 52 from Japan - wound up the third round of their annual dialogue on Tuesday after brainstorming for two days on new approaches to advancing economic and trade cooperation. Japanese business leaders said they will be actively involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative, in which they seek to occupy a niche. They will join with their Chinese counterparts to expand cooperation in sectors like trade, investment and manufacturing while keeping bilateral economic and trade ties healthy and moving forward. Business leaders in the two nations hope the initiative will be a way to cooperate in third-party markets, focusing on infrastructure, manufacturing and fields like artificial intelligence, elder care and tourism. Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda said the dialogue is of importance to world economic development. "I fully agree to China's strategy of development, its cooperation with the international community in particular, embodied in the report delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October," he said. Fukuda said he understands China's development strategy. He described it like this: In the interest of a peaceful international environment and stable international order, China will strive for building new patterns of international relations with the rest of the world. They will respect one another, treat one another on an equal footing and develop mutually beneficial cooperation. He said now is the opportune moment, appealing to the two countries to expand exchanges on all fronts. When Xi met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month, they demonstrated the aspiration to improve bilateral ties, said former vice-premier Zeng Peiyan. Zeng, who is chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, an NGO, said he expected China-Japan relations will keep improving. Premier Li Keqiang met with a delegation of 250 Japanese business leaders who visited China in October. The meeting, which lasted nearly an hour - much longer than scheduled - was of great significance for bilateral relations, said Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation. Sakakibara said he was impressed with Li's talk about China's development plans and the importance the premier placed on additional exchanges between the economic and business circles of the two countries. "Japan and China are irreplaceable partners separated by only a strip of water," Sakakibara said. "We have built a close, mutually beneficial relationship after decades of exchange." Over 23,000 Japanese companies have invested a total of 720 billion yuan ($108.8 billion) in China, Sakakibara said. "In so doing, Japanese companies have contributed to China's economic development," he said. "I hope that they will continue to deepen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries." The participants agreed to have the dialogue's fourth round in Beijing next year. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn Vice-Premier Liu Yandong receives an honorary doctor of letters degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland on Tuesday. Du Xiaoying/ China Daily Visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong received an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh on Tuesday, the second day of her four-day official visit to the United Kingdom. Speaking at the ceremony after accepting the honor awarded in recognition of her contribution to the deepening of Sino-UK ties, Liu stressed that "China has entered a new era, and China-UK relations have entered a golden age". She said universities play an important role in the future of China and UK cooperation. "We hope that universities in both countries can be engaged in more practical cooperation and cultivate more talent with global vision and open minds, so they can keep generating more strategic and innovative products in order to contribute more to China-UK relations, and together solve many global challenges that we face today," Liu said. The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition of welcoming students from China and was the alma mater of the first Chinese students ever to graduate from a European university. Timothy O'Shea, principal of the University of Edinburgh, said it also has a proud tradition of promoting the teaching of the Chinese language and culture. "This visit by Vice-Premier Madame Liu Yandong to Scotland and the university is another manifestation of our long-standing partnership and common aspiration in promoting global education and nurturing new generations of global citizens," he said. Jonathan Seckl, vice-principal of the university, said, "It is a great honor and privilege to present Madame Liu Yandong with the doctorate of the university. In doing so, we recognize her leading role in promoting and nurturing our teaching and research capacity in Chinese language and culture, as well as the university's profile and reputation in China." He said the university acknowledges Liu's contribution to promoting the understanding of China and its culture globally, and promoting friendship and understanding between nations. The university houses a Confucius Institute, established 10 years ago, to promote the teaching of the Chinese language and culture. The university has 2,839 students from the Chinese mainland, its largest international student group. Liu also chaired the Shaping Cultural Landscapes event on Tuesday, which aims to intensify cooperation and explore complementary strengths between Chinese and British creative industries like art, film and TV production. During her visit, she will co-chair the fifth annual UK-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue together with Jeremy Hunt, Britain's secretary of state for health. It will be the highest-level Sino-UK dialogue in the UK this year. She is scheduled to meet with a number of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and Princess Anne and Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace. "The UK-China relationship is strong and continues to deliver benefits for both countries, so I am delighted to welcome Madame Liu to the UK for the people-to-people dialogue," Johnson said. Hunt said: "I am delighted to once again co-chair the people-to-people dialogue, which will reaffirm the strong ties between the UK and China and underline our commitment to working together to solve some of the biggest issues facing the world today." duxiaoying1@chinadaily.com.cn Rescue workers are pictured at the site of train crash in Meerbusch west of Duesseldorf, Germany, Dec 5, 2017 in this picture obtained from social media. [Photo/Agencies] BERLIN - Several people were injured in a train crash on Tuesday near the German city of Duesseldorf, fire department and police spokesmen said. Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said a passenger train of the regional provider National Express drove into a freight train from DB Cargo about 1830 GMT in the town of Meerbusch. The Meerbusch fire department said up to 150 passengers were on the train and that 5 people suffered injuries. A police spokesman earlier had told German broadcaster ARD that about 50 people had been injured in the train crash. A German government spokesman said Chancellor Angela Merkel had been briefed on the situation. Reuters Delegates of the Third United Nations Environment Assembly pose for a photograph at the exhibition booth of Sina Weibo in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. The poster they held was for a micro blog calling for protection of pandas. Several Chinese companies such as Mobike, Sina Weibo and Alibaba Group's Ant Financial attended the conference.Chen Cheng / Xinhua UN meeting in Nairobi brings together 4,000 representatives Delegates meeting in Nairobi for the opening of the Third United Nations Environment Assembly on Monday want the global community to show more practical commitment toward tackling pollution. The three-day meeting at UN Environment Program headquarters in the Kenyan capital has brought together more than 4,000 heads of state, ministers, business leaders, UN officials and civil society representatives. It is the world's highest-level decision-making body on the environment. "Our attention is drawn on solutions. We need to show more seriousness that we want to live in a clean environment. Many will continue to suffer if we do nothing especially the most vulnerable groups such as children," said President of UN General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak. "Written declarations are not enough. Concrete steps are needed." Edgar Gutierrez, Costa Rica's minister of environment and energy and president of the UNEA meeting, said: "Our collective goal must be to embrace ways to reduce pollution drastically. Only through stronger collective action, beginning in Nairobi this week, can we start cleaning up the planet globally and save countless lives." Judy Wakungu, Kenyan cabinet secretary of environment, said there was need for stronger efforts toward a pollution-free planet. "It is time to address this without delay," she said. Upsurge There is an upsurge in the number of people affected by pollution, according to a recent UN report - the Executive Director's Report: Towards a Pollution-Free Planet - which the meeting is using as the basis for defining the problems and laying out new action areas. The report's recommendations - political leadership and partnerships at all levels, action on the worst pollution, lifestyle changes, low-carbon tech investments and advocacy - are based on analysis of pollution in all its forms, including air, land, freshwater, marine, chemical and waste. Overall, environmental degradation causes nearly one in four of all deaths worldwide, or 12.6 million people a year, and the widespread destruction of key ecosystems, according to the report. "Given the grim statistics on how we are poisoning ourselves and our planet, bold decisions from the UN Environment Assembly are critical," said Erik Solheim, head of UNEP. "That is as true for threats like pollution as it is for climate change and the many other environmental threats we face." A broader UNEP policy statement, released ahead of the meeting, highlights the links between events over the last 12 months - hurricanes in the Caribbean and United States, droughts in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, flooding in Bangladesh, India and Europe - and the decisions taken on the ecosystems, energy, natural resources, urban expansion, infrastructure, production, consumption and waste management. Solheim made it clear that all of the complex global processes linked to the environment, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, boil down to one simple message: We must take care of people and planet. lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn Palestinians say the US will set off "ticking bomb" if it recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moves US embassy to Jerusalem. [Photo/Xinhua] JERUSALEM - In a welcome move to some and a controversial move to others, US President Donald Trump is reportedly expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital later this week. Any such announcement has inflammatory potential in an already volatile region. Israel has controlled the western part of Jerusalem since its inception in 1948. In 1967, after the Mideast war, Israel captured the eastern part of Jerusalem from Jordan and declared both parts it's united capital. The move was never recognized by the international community, including Israel's closest ally, the US. The Palestinians see eastern Jerusalem as the future capital of their state. Jerusalem is home to all of the Israeli government offices and while foreign embassies are situated in Tel Aviv, dealings with the Israeli government are done largely in Jerusalem, the capital that no one recognizes. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, making it a focal point for many people around the globe. Now, in what seems to be an attempt to appease both Israel and his constituents on the evangelical right, Trump may recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in order to cushion the blow on an undelivered election promise, transferring the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, another controversial move. It is still unclear, however, whether the US will make such a move, and if so, will it recognize both sides of Jerusalem as Israel's capital? Or just the western side? "Trump is a friend of Israel and he thinks that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and recognizing the historic links between the Jews and the city is the right thing to do," Prof. Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua. Inbar believed Trump will be "ambiguous" about what part of Jerusalem the US will recognize. "Nobody really disputes Israeli sovereignty over west Jerusalem," Inbar added. While there is a de-facto recognition of western Jerusalem as Israel's capital, this sovereignty remains unrecognized by the whole of the international community. Up until now, both Israelis and Americans have repeatedly said that the status of Jerusalem needs to be determined in bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. American media has quoted US Defense officials saying a new policy on Jerusalem would endanger American diplomatic missions worldwide, further highlighting how delicate the matter is. Prospects for church fellowship between the Orthodox Church and churches with roots in the 16th century Reformation have been and continue to be distant at best. This is not a reason to despair. This makes dialogue, official or unofficial, all the more important, not least as a repentant and hopeful protest against divisions which we know are contrary to Christs will. The deep scandal of Christian disunity is disobedience to Christs command: As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34). Such love is not tolerant indifference to true doctrine and right practice but demands patient, persevering effort toward reconciliation with fellow Christians from whom we are estranged. The horror of our divisions lies less in the divisions themselves than in our long acceptance of them and the ensuing enmity or (worse) indifference of divided Christians toward one another. Persistent conversation about the faith, even with no prospect of immediate results, is one small but essential way for divided Christians to practice loving one another in imitation of the Savior without whose persistent love in the face of contradiction we would have no hope. An Opening and an Invitation Bradley Nassifs article The Reformation Viewed from the East is a noteworthy example of an Orthodox theologian looking without rancor at a central Reformation teaching, sola fide, and putting the best construction on it. It is an opening and invitation into just the sort of conversation to which we are summoned by Christs command. Representatives of Reformation traditions would doubtless have much to say in response. But rather than pursue this particular conversation further, it seems more useful in this context to say something about the wider theological horizon of contemporary conversation between the Orthodox and heirs of the Reformation. I am honored that Professor Nassif draws so heavily on my article of 20-plus years ago for his understanding of Luther. Since that time, recognition of the importance of union with Christ to both Luther and Calvin has become more common, though by no means universal. Even among those who agree, many questions remain, particularly concerning the relation of union with Christ to the forensic (legal) character of justification, which is unquestionably Reformation teaching. Furthermore, the doctrine of justification cant be separated from the doctrine of the redemptive work of Christ. Recognition that justification is more than a legal exchange leads naturally to suspicion that atonement might be more than just Jesus bearing sins penalty in our place. If Im not mistaken, there is an undercurrent of uncertainty among todays Protestants about both these utterly central Reformation doctrines. This is troublesome, but at the same time, it is also an opportunity for deeper understanding. On the other hand, it seems fair to say that recent Orthodox theology has been seriously allergic to these forensic, juridical themes in the whole Latin theological tradition (not just Protestantism). They are similarly wary of notions of imputed righteousness as well as of the idea of Christs vicarious endurance of divine judgment on the cross. Against these ideas, the Orthodox vigorously advocate Patristic understandings of salvation in terms of participation in divine life and the renewal of human nature through Christs victory over death at Easter. Nevertheless, a few voices among the Orthodox have recently pointed out that Saint Athanasius has no difficulty saying that Christ offered his body to the Father on the cross as an equivalent for all human beings so that the divine law which decreed death as the penalty for sin might be satisfied (Gen. 2:17; 3:19). This doesnt conflict with Athanasiuss overall account of Christs overcoming of corruption and death but seems integrated into it. Why doesnt Saint Athanasius (or his great successor Cyril) see a conflict here? This provides yet another opening for conversation. For Further Discussion It seems to me that Protestant theologians could profit enormously from extended conversation with the Orthodox on these matters. This is particularly the case in light of a great blessing recent study of the early church has given to theology: It is much easier now to appreciate the profoundly scriptural character of Patristic theology than it was through much of the 19th and 20th centuries. The remarkable recent flood of translations of early Christian exegesis reinforces the work of both Orthodox and Western scholars who have illuminated the intense biblical focus of doctrinal debate in the ancient church. Dogmatic and ecumenical theology have barely begun to recognize the implications of these developments. Further conversation would be valuable if Orthodox and Reformation Christians come together, not to repeat old polemics and defend identities but patiently attempting to understand one another and to look together into the mystery of Christ. This is what happens in the best ecumenical dialogues, not the unprincipled negotiating and compromising that conservative Christians often fear. Such dialogue is not bound toor guaranteed byany institutional format but takes place as Christian friendships are formed across lines of division. This does not happen without the Holy Spirit, from whom all Christian fellowship and theological insight come. In this anniversary year, as we contemplate with gratitude and sorrow the tangle of good and evil which has come of the Reformation, we need above all else to cry out, Come, Holy Spirit! David S. Yeago is Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at The North American Lutheran Seminary and Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up. For all the handwringing over what the term evangelical means in the political moment of Donald Trump and Roy Moore, only 1 in 100 Americans would take on the term if it had nothing to do with politics. Meanwhile, the label is primarily a political identity for only about 1 in 10 self-identified evangelicals. Overall, 1 in 4 Americans today consider themselves to be evangelicals. But less than half actually hold evangelical beliefs. And when defined by beliefs and not by identity, evangelicals are less white (58% vs. 70%), more black (23% vs. 14%), and more likely to worship weekly (73% vs. 61%). However, they are not more likely to be Republican or Democrat. These are among the findings of a groundbreaking survey of Americans with evangelical beliefs, released today by LifeWay Research. Most surveys of religion and politics ask Americans a combined questionAre you evangelical or born again?in order to create their evangelical category. LifeWay instead asked about the two self-identities separately, in order to study differences between the two groups. Then researchers compared respondents self-identities to their theological beliefs. Theres a gap between who evangelicals say they are and what they believe, Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, told Facts & Trends. Among the surveys findings: 1) Evangelicals by Identity 24% of Americans consider themselves to be an evangelical Christian. Another 12% are not sure. 29% of Americans consider themselves to be a born-again Christian. Another 6% are not sure. The survey suggests that about 5 percent of Americans accept the born-again label but are uncertain about accepting the evangelical label also. For comparison, the Pew Research Centers US Religious Landscape Study found that 25.4% of American adults were evangelicals in 2014, holding steady from 26.3% in 2007. In addition to being a massive sample (35,000 Americans), Pews study is like LifeWays in that it does not separate out white evangelicals from evangelicals of color, like most surveys do. Instead, it categorized evangelicals based on their denomination. 2) Evangelicals by Belief While the number of evangelicals has stayed strong while Christianity crumbles in America, only about half of them qualify as evangelicals based on their beliefs, according to LifeWay. Researchers used a four-point definition developed by LifeWay Research and the National Association of Evangelicals. It relies on four statements: The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe. It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. Jesus Christs death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive Gods free gift of eternal salvation. Only those who strongly agree with all four statements are categorized as having evangelical beliefs. According to this measure, only 15 percent of Americans have evangelical beliefs. This includes only 1 in 10 millennials; however, before Boomers get too smug, only 2 in 10 of Americans 50 and older do also. For comparison, last years State of the Church report from Barna Group found that 35 percent of Americans are born-again Christians, while only 7 percent of Americans have evangelical beliefs. Barna does not rely on self-identity or denominational affiliation for its categorization; instead, it uses a set of nine belief conditions. The first twohave made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today, and believe that when they die, they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their saviorqualify someone as born again. A further seven statementsincluding having a personal responsibility to share their faith and believing the Bible is accuratequalify someone as evangelical. LifeWays survey found that evangelical beliefs remain strongest in the South, where 23 percent of the population qualifies, compared to 15 percent in the Midwest and only 5 percent in the Northeast. And Americans who started college but did not finish it are twice as likely to have evangelical beliefs as Americans with a bachelors or a graduate degree. 3) Evangelicals by Politics 25% of Americans would consider themselves evangelical if the term had nothing to do with politics. Another 12% are not sure. 62% of Americans would not consider themselves evangelical even if the term had nothing to do with politics. The survey suggests that only 2 percent of Americans would take on the evangelical label if it was stripped of its political baggage, with 1 percent then claiming the term and 1 percent joining those who are not sure what theyd do. The survey also suggests that the term evangelical seems to be primarily a political label for 8 percent of self-identified evangelicals, given that only 92 percent would consider themselves evangelical apart from politics. Prior to President Trumps campaign and election, Pews RLS found that the label evangelical had actually grown more popular among all Christian groups from 2007 to 2014. As CT reported in 2015: Today, all Christians are more likely to consider themselves born-again or evangelical. Half of self-identified Christians described themselves this way in 2014, up from 44 percent in 2007. This includes 72 percent of those in historically black Protestant churches, up from 67 percent in 2007. More surprisingly, a rising share of adults in other Christian traditions self-identify as born-again or evangelical, including: mainline Protestants (27% in 2014 vs. 25% in 2007), Catholics (22% vs. 16%), Orthodox (18% vs. 16%), Mormons (23% vs. 21%), Jehovahs Witnesses (24% vs. 17%), and spiritualist Christians (24% vs. 15%). Though evangelicals are often treated as a synonym for Republicans in American politics, LifeWay found that roughly two-thirds identify as Republicans while one-third identify as Democrats. This holds true whether defining evangelicals by self-identification or by belief, or even apart from politics (only 1% shift). By comparison, born-again Americans are slightly more balanced: 56 percent identify as Republicans while 39 percent identify as Democrats. This is similar to Pews RLS findings on evangelicals by denomination: 56 percent were Republican, 28 percent were Democrat, and 16 percent were neither in 2014. (In the 2007 RLS, 50 percent were Republican and 34 percent were Democrat.) 4) Evangelicals by Race and Ethnicity While white evangelicals get the most attention in US politics, more than 4 in 10 Americans with evangelical beliefs are non-whiteand nearly 1 in 4 is African American. LifeWay found that self-identified evangelicals are 70 percent white and 14 percent black, while Americans with evangelical beliefs are 58 percent white and 23 percent black. This suggests that about 15 percent to 20 percent of evangelicalswhether by identity or beliefare Hispanic, Asian, or of mixed ethnicity (since the samples were too small to be broken out). Born-again Americans fall between evangelicals by belief and by identity, at 62 percent white and 20 percent black. Similarly, PRRI recently found that 1 in 3 evangelicals is a person of color, according to its massive American Values Atlas study of 101,000 people across all 50 states. PRRI found that about a quarter of all Americans (26%) are self-identified evangelicals. About two-thirds of those evangelicals are white (64%), while 19 percent are black, 10 percent are Hispanic, and the remaining 6 percent are Asian, mixed race, or other ethnicities. Additionally, half of evangelicals under 30 years old are now nonwhite (50%). By comparison, Barnas research has found that half of US evangelicalsaccording to its nine criteriaare white (52%), while 16 percent are black, 11 percent are Hispanic, and 2 percent are Asian. In LifeWays survey, switching the criteria from personal identity to theology increases the share of African American evangelicals from 14 percent (identity) to 23 percent (belief), even above their born-again share of 20 percent. This captures what many know anecdotally to be true: many black Protestants qualify as evangelicals theologically, but dont claim the label due to politics. (Even Pew, which usually studies white evangelicals and black Protestants, estimates that two-thirds of black Protestants are evangelicals.) In fact, LifeWay found that African Americans are the most likely group to have evangelical beliefs (30%), much more than the share of whites (13%), Hispanics (13%), or other ethnicities (9%). They are also most likely to identify as born-again (49%), compared to whites (27%), Hispanics (24%), or other ethnicities (19%). For many African-Americans, the term evangelical is a turn-off, even though they hold evangelical beliefs, McConnell told Facts & Trends. The term evangelical is often viewed as applying to white Christians only. And thats unfortunate. Its lost some of its religious meaning that actually unites these groups. 5) Evangelicals vs. Born Agains Researchers also examined the overlap between the two usually combined religious labels. Less than half of self-identified evangelicals have evangelical beliefs (45%). Less than half of self-identified born-again Americans have evangelical beliefs (45%). When looking at only self-identification, both evangelicals and born-again Americans hold evangelical beliefs at the same rate: 45 percent. However, evangelicals are more likely to also consider themselves born-again than born-again Americans are to also consider themselves evangelical (79% vs. 67%). Born-again Americans are strongest in the South (42%) and among African Americans (49%). When it comes to church attendance, 73 percent of Americans with evangelical beliefs say they worship weekly or more, compared to 61 percent of self-identified evangelicals, 59 percent of politics-free evangelicals, and 56 percent of born-again Americans. LifeWay Research surveyed 1,000 American adults between November 10 and 12. The margin of error is about 3 percent. CT has previously examined how to define evangelicals by belief and how politics keeps evangelicals white. New Novel Explores the Beauty and Wisdom of Old Age 'The Song of Sadie Sparrow' bucks conventional wisdom, shows nursing homes as a doorway to elderly joy Contact: Kitty Foth-Regner, 262-786-9202 BROOKFIELD, Wis., Dec. 6, 2017 / Set in a fictional five-star nursing home called The Hickories, "The Song of Sadie Sparrow" (FaithHappenings, 2017) introduces readers to a group of wonderful and wise old people, and the staffers and volunteers who love them. "For those with a soft heart and open mind, a nursing home doesn't have to be life's dreaded last stop," Foth-Regner said. "It can instead be the doorway to meaningful friendships, unleashed creativity and unprecedented peace and joy." "The Song of Sadie Sparrow" is a reflection of Foth-Regner's nearly two decades as a volunteer at Care-age of Brookfield, the southeastern Wisconsin nursing home where her mother lived and died. Here, Foth-Regner has seen the same story play out time after time: A new resident complains bitterly about being "dumped" in this old-folks warehouse by ungrateful children. "This normally goes on for a week or two," she said, "until she begins making friends and sampling the facility's amazing activities calendar, whereupon she becomes an ardent promoter of nursing-home life." That's precisely what happens with Sadie Sparrow, the 86-year-old protagonist of Foth-Regner's novel. Within weeks of being installed in The Hickories, she has befriended a coterie of fellow residents, several staff members and a young volunteer who leads a tiny Bible study. In fact, Sadie soon feels closer to these new friends than she does to her oh-so-busy daughter. Although these characters differ dramatically in everything from age and worldview to sorrows and hopes, the bonds they form with each other are unbreakable and quite possibly eternal. "The Song of Sadie Sparrow" is available at online retailers, including Share Tweet Contact: Kitty Foth-Regner, 262-786-9202BROOKFIELD, Wis., Dec. 6, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- The elderly have so very much to give, even if they're tucked safely away from "real" life, according to Kitty Foth-Regner, a nursing-home volunteer and author of a new novel underscoring this premise.Set in a fictional five-star nursing home called The Hickories, "The Song of Sadie Sparrow" (FaithHappenings, 2017) introduces readers to a group of wonderful and wise old people, and the staffers and volunteers who love them."For those with a soft heart and open mind, a nursing home doesn't have to be life's dreaded last stop," Foth-Regner said. "It can instead be the doorway to meaningful friendships, unleashed creativity and unprecedented peace and joy.""The Song of Sadie Sparrow" is a reflection of Foth-Regner's nearly two decades as a volunteer at Care-age of Brookfield, the southeastern Wisconsin nursing home where her mother lived and died.Here, Foth-Regner has seen the same story play out time after time: A new resident complains bitterly about being "dumped" in this old-folks warehouse by ungrateful children. "This normally goes on for a week or two," she said, "until she begins making friends and sampling the facility's amazing activities calendar, whereupon she becomes an ardent promoter of nursing-home life."That's precisely what happens with Sadie Sparrow, the 86-year-old protagonist of Foth-Regner's novel. Within weeks of being installed in The Hickories, she has befriended a coterie of fellow residents, several staff members and a young volunteer who leads a tiny Bible study. In fact, Sadie soon feels closer to these new friends than she does to her oh-so-busy daughter.Although these characters differ dramatically in everything from age and worldview to sorrows and hopes, the bonds they form with each other are unbreakable and quite possibly eternal."The Song of Sadie Sparrow" is available at online retailers, including Amazon , and in quantity direct from the author. For details and to read an excerpt, visit her website FRC, AFA Deliver 77,000 Petitions in Support of Air Force Colonel Leland Bohannon Contact: J.P. Duffy or Macie Malone, 866-FRC-NEWS, 866-372-6397 WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Family Research Council (FRC) and American Family Association (AFA) today delivered a petition with 77,024 signatures to the Pentagon in support of Colonel Leland Bohannon. After a decades-long career with the Air Force, Col. Bohannon's superior suspended him from command, withheld his decoration, and submitted a letter to the Air Force Brigadier General promotion board recommending that he not be promoted because he sought a religious accommodation exempting him from having to sign a "certificate of spouse appreciation" for an airman in a same-sex marriage. The petition asks Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to fully reverse the complaint against Colonel Bohannon and remove any indication of it from his record. A letter signed by a coalition of 31 religious liberty advocacy groups also asks the Air Force Secretary to correct Air Force policy to ensure this does not happen again. Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, Family Research Council's executive vice president, made the following comments shortly after delivering the petitions: "Like a lot of service members, Colonel Bohannon had reason to be encouraged when President Trump signed the executive order protecting religious freedom. But that same May, he found out the hard way that not everyone in the military had gotten the memo. Instead of encouraging faith, Air Force officials were continuing the Obama policy of punishing it. But now, over 77,000 Americans have joined together in this petition to say they will not stand for service members being punished and driven out simply for living in accordance with their religious beliefs. "We not only delivered petitions, we delivered a message -- we will not back down from defending the religious liberty of those in the military. The action taken against Colonel Bohannon is unacceptable, and Air Force policy must be corrected to ensure this does not happen again. In addition, the complaint against Col. Bohannon needs to be reversed and removed from his record," concluded Boykin. To read the petition from FRC, click here: frc.quorum.us/campaign/5581/ To read the petition from AFA, click here: www.afa.net/activism/action-alerts/2017/11/tell-air-force-secretary-to-end-religious-discrimination/ To read the letter signed by 31 religious liberty advocacy groups: downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17L15.pdf Colonel Bohannon is legally represented by the First Liberty Institute which is dedicated to protecting religious liberty for all Americans. El Grecos Saint Francis and Brother Leo in Meditation Art historian Jacky Klein discusses the devotional power of the 16th-century masterpiece, offered during Classic Week in London from the Stanford Z. Rothschild, Jr. Collection Born in 1541 on the Greek island of Crete, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, known as El Greco, grew up in one of the few remaining outposts of the Greek Orthodox church that was still producing Byzantine art some 100 years after the fall of Constantinople. By the age of 22, El Greco had become a master of the local artists guild. Around 1567 El Greco travelled to Venice, where he studied under the Italian master Titian. In Italy he picked up the spirit of Venetian painting, which is all about luscious, rich, textured surfaces, explains art historian Jacky Klein. After a stint in Rome, El Grecos work also adopted the twisting figures and unusual perspectives associated with the contemporary Mannerist style. But the Greek artist could never shake his reputation as a foreigner. El Greco sailed for Madrid in 1576, seeking the patronage of King Phillip II of Spain. Failing to find work, he left for Toledo, the countrys religious capital. There he finally forged a career painting Catholic altar commissions, portraits of the aristocracy, and devotional aides. In Toledo El Greco found a captive market for his portraits of Saint Francis (1181-1226), patron saint of the city that boasted no fewer than seven Franciscan convents and three Franciscan friaries. In 1606, the business-savvy artist even commissioned his pupil, Diego de Astor, to make an engraving of one of his Saint Francis paintings, for dissemination among potential purchasers. Prior to El Greco, artists tended to depict Saint Francis at the moment of his stigmatisation. But El Greco took a different approach. In Saint Francis and Brother Leo in Meditation, El Greco showed the saint deep in contemplation at the entrance to a cave on Mount Alverna, alongside his faithful companion, Brother Leo. The paintings energy is focused on the skull in Franciss hand: in 1548, a treatise by Jesuit founder Ignatius of Loyola had decreed the cranium central to contemplation. The symbol of the skull perhaps had a personal resonance for El Greco, too. I paint because the spirits whisper madly inside my head, the artist once said. All Old Master painters executed religious scenes of one sort or another, says Klein, but El Greco was absolutely obsessed with spirituality. Saint Francis and Brother Leo in Meditation is classic El Greco in every way, the expert continues. It has all the elements you would expect: the strange otherworldly light; wonderful quivering, vibrating brushwork; and a very strange, elongated form in Saint Francis. Open a larger version of this image El Greco (1541-1614), Saint Francis of Assisi in Meditation. 39 x 34 in (100.7 x 88.3 cm). Sold for 1,161,250 on 7 December 2010 at Christies in London From Shackleton to Nansen the lives of the great explorers On 7 December in New York Christies will auction a fascinating selection of books and manuscripts from the library of Martin Greene, offering a tangible connection to some of the most dashing or foolhardy adventurers in modern history The library of collector and keen mountaineer Martin Greene includes books, atlases, letters and other primary sources from groundbreaking polar and Russian and American expeditions. Collectively they describe narratives of triumph and failure, camaraderie and competition, scientific excellence and raw human courage in exploratory missions undertaken between the 16th and the 20th centuries. On 7 December highlights from the Martin Greene Library come to auction at Christies in New York. Here, we take a look at key 19th- and 20th-century explorers whose dramatic discoveries and near misses expanded the boundaries of the known world. 1 Charles Wilkes (1798-1877) Charles Wilkes led the United States Exploring Expedition from 1838 to 1842. One of the most ambitious scientific expeditions ever attempted, it was instrumental in Americas global expansion. Significant American contributions in the fields of geology, botany, anthropology and linguistics came out of the work done on that expedition, and specimens gathered by its scientists became the foundation of the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Wilkess survey of the Pacific Islands resulted in over 200 new charts for 280 islands, notably Hawaii, the Fiji group, the Philippines and the islands of Micronesia. The charting of the Northwest American coast was equally important: Wilkes surveyed the entrance to the Columbia River and all of Puget Sound. 2 Sir John Franklin (1786-1847) Sir John Franklins final expedition in search for the Northwest Passage began in May 1845, when he sailed from England with two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, carrying 128 officers and men. The vessels were last sighted by British whalers north of Baffin Island, in present-day Canada, in late July of that year; in 1847, when no further word had been received, search parties were sent out. Open a larger version of this image Report of the Committee Appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to Inquire into and Report on the Recent Arctic Expeditions in Search of Sir John Franklin, Together with the Minutes of Evidence Taken Before the Committee, and Papers Connected with the Subject. Estimate: $1,500-2,000. This lot is offered in Russian America & Polar Exploration: Highlights from the Martin Greene Library on 7 December 2017 at Christies in New York For decades, various expeditions sought to find out what had become of the explorers. Their fate remained unknown until 1859, when a search mission reached Canadas King William Island and found skeletons of the vessels crews and a written account of the expedition up until 25 April, 1848. The sunken ships themselves were discovered in October 2014 and September 2016, and their contents are currently undergoing salvage and study. 3 Robert McClure (1807-1873) In 1850 Irish explorer Robert McClure took command of the Investigator, one of two ships sent to find Sir John Franklin. McClure entered the Bering Strait from the Pacific and discovered two entrances to the Northwest Passage around Banks Island, now part of the Northwest Territories of Canada. The Investigator became trapped in ice just north of Banks Island, forcing McClure to abandon the ship; he and his party were subsequently rescued nearby. McClure continued north and east to meet ships which had come in from the east, completing a transit of the Northwest Passage. For abandoning ship, McClure was court-martialled, but was honourably acquitted and finally knighted as the discoverer of the Northwest Passage. In July 2010 the Investigator was found, eight metres deep, in the Beaufort Sea just off Banks Island. 4 Edward Belcher (1799-1877) British naval officer Edward Belcher, commander of the Resolute, led an expedition in search of Franklins party starting in 1852. In April 1854, the Resolute was abandoned in the slow-moving ice in which it had been trapped for months (the men on board walked across the ice to join other expedition ships). It was not until September 1855 that the Resolute was rescued by an American whaler. The ship was returned to Great Britain, and as a token of thanks Queen Victoria presented American president Rutherford B. Hayes with a desk made from its wood. The Resolute desk remains in the Oval Office of the White House to this day. 5 Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) In 1893, Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen set out for the North Pole. Against all advice, he deliberately froze his ship into pack ice and allowed it to drift north across the Arctic. In March of 1895, he set out from the trapped ship on a dogsled and reached the highest latitude then attained by man. The expedition became famous worldwide, and upon his return Nansen settled into a career as a professor of oceanography, a member of the Norwegian independence movement, and a patron of refugees for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922. 6 Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) From 1903-06, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen led the first-ever expedition to cross the Northwest Passage in a single ship. Over the course of several years on the ice, Amundsen learned survival skills from the Netsilik Inuit, who lived on Canadas Arctic coast. Years later, this knowledge would enable him to endure the journey to the South Pole, which he and his team became the first to reach in December 1911. In 1926, Amundsen led the first air expedition to the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles. 7 Robert Peary (1856-1920) American explorer and navy officer Robert Peary made several expeditions in the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He claimed to be the first to have reached the North Pole, along with his team, in 1909. Pearys account of his expedition was embroiled in controversy when another American explorer, Frederick Cook, countered that he had reached the North Pole the year before. Despite winning a high-profile lawsuit against Cook, recent scholarship has cast some doubt on Pearys ability to accurately measure his own location on the ice. 8 Matthew Henson (1866-1955) African-American explorer Matthew Henson accompanied Robert Peary on six expeditions, including the final sledge journey to the North Pole in 1909. Henson was the only member of Pearys party to master the Inuit language and method of driving dogsleds. Henson was also the first man to break the colour barrier at the Explorers Club, the New York society founded in 1905, when he became an honorary member in 1937. 9 Frederick Cook (1865-1940) Cooks claim to have reached the North Pole on 21 April, 1908 was dismissed after close inspection of his records by the University of Copenhagen. He was expelled from the Explorers Club, of which he had been a founding member, and served as its second president. Modern scholars have cast doubt on Pearys own account, however, and as a result Cook has to some degree been vindicated. 10 Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) From 1901, Irish-born British explorer Ernest Shackleton participated in and led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. During the Nimrod expedition of 1907-09, Shackletons team reached the constantly shifting South Magnetic Pole, ascended the volcano of Mount Erebus, and pushed to within 97 miles of the South Geographic Pole. Famous for his strength under pressure and devotion to his team, Shackletons only comment to his wife on not reaching the South Pole was, A live donkey is better than a dead lion, isnt it? This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate What movies are showing outside the megaplex? Here's a list. DISCOVERY GREEN 1500 McKinney; discoverygreen.com "Home Alone" An 8-year-old must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation. 7 p.m. Thursday MEMORIAL CITY MALL 303 Memorial City Way; memorialcity.com "The Santa Clause" When a man inadvertently kills Santa on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place. 7 p.m. Friday MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON 1001 Bissonnet; mfah.org "Human Flow" A documentary about the global refugee crisis from artist Ai Weiwei. 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday "British Arrows" A celebration of the agencies that produce ads and honor the individual craftsmanship behind the commercials. 5 p.m. Sunday ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA 531 Mason, Katy; drafthouse.com/houston "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and 3 p.m. Sunday "The Abominable Snowman" A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti. 10 p.m. Friday "Die Hard" An NYPD officer tries to save his wife and several others taken hostage by a German terrorist during a Christmas party. 10 p.m. Saturday "Gremlins" A boy breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of small, mischievous monsters on a small town. 6:45 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday "The Polar Express" A young boy embarks on a magical train to the North Pole. During his adventure he learns about friendship, bravery and the spirit of Christmas. 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday "The Incredible Shrinking Man" When Scott Carey begins to shrink because of exposure to a combination of radiation and insecticide, medical science is powerless to help him. 12:25 p.m. Sunday RIVER OAKS THEATRE 2009 W. Gray; landmarktheatres.com "The Room" A successful banker's fiancee tempts and manipulates his best friend. Midnight Friday "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" A newly engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must pay a call to a bizarre residence. Midnight Saturday STUDIO MOVIE GRILL 805 Town and Country Lane; crunchyrollmovienight.com "Black Clover" Yuno and Asta take the challenge to become the Wizard King. Noon Saturday and Sunday. Check website for additional locations and times. CENTRAL GREEN PARK 23501 Cinco Ranch, Katy; drafthouse.com "Disney's A Christmas Carol" Victorian-era miser is taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions. Dusk Saturday MARKET SQUARE 301 Milam; marketsquarepark.com "Scrooged" A selfish, cynical TV executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve. 7 p.m. Wednesday HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE 5555 Hermann Park Drive; hmns.org "Museum Alive 3-D Witness what it would be like if the museum exhibitions came to life. Multiple screenings daily "Incredible Predators 3-D" Deconstructs the world of major predators and looks at the strategies they use to succeed. Multiple screenings daily "Sea Monsters 3-D" A prehistoric adventure transports the audience back to the Late Cretaceous, when a great inland sea divided North America. Multiple screenings daily I am a spring-roll aficionado, often prowling the city in search of the tasty Asian wraps. If you are too, you really should know about Bun Bo Hue Co Do, a little restaurant near Hobby Airport. Do not be deterred by the barred windows on its unassuming strip-mall storefront. The hidden gem doesn't have a website, either. But it does have the best spring rolls I've found in Houston, bar none. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Its that time of year. For some of us, that means its time to travel, to see family near and far, or to escape them. If youve let time slip away and find yourself without firm travel plans yet, there are some fairly reasonable options for flight fares. Most travel websites recommend booking flights during a specific period well in advance of your departure date. LAST-MINUTE PLANS: Even procrastinators can find travel deals Cheapair.com sets that "prime booking window" at 21 to 175 days in advance on normal travel periods. It may be too late to lock in a cheap fare for Christmas, but miracles do happen. Booking now for New Years is likely going to get you a better deal. Now Playing: Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the worst times to fly. With the holidays approaching, theres a good chance youll be spending some of that time stuck in an airport. Here are the 8 best ways to pass the time waiting for your flight. Video: Fox32 Cheapair compiles data from more than 8,000 popular markets and analyzes more than 1.3 billion trips to determine the best time to lock in that air fare. Here are some key booking dates to consider: Dec. 19-20: Departing on Tuesday or Wednesday can provide the best savings with a return on Dec. 27. Dec. 25: Traveling on Christmas Day can save you up to $50 per ticket compared with flying on Friday, Dec. 22. Flying on Christmas Eve could offer some significant discounts, too. Jan. 1: Unlike in other years, flying on New Years Day is no bargain, the experts say. Pick another day to fly. Jan. 2: You can save some by flying out on this date, but extending your stay a few more days will mean better fare deals. TAKEOUT SOLUTIONS: Best places to get to-go Christmas dinner Cheapair and other sites also offer helpful tips for flying during the holidays, or at any other time for that matter: Pack light: This can help you avoid extra baggage fees and streamline TSA screening. Get to the airport: Most sites recommend getting to the TSA line two hours early, especially during the holiday travel period from Christmas to New Years. Use your smart phone: All airlines now have apps. Dont forget your charging cord and adapters. Slip-on shoes: In many cases, TSA still requires you to remove your shoes during screening. Remain flexible and cheerful: The gate agents and flight attendants are busier than usual. A good attitude can go a long way. Stay close: Last-minute gate changes happen all the time. Thats especially true during holiday travel. Alternate plans: Texas may be in a heat wave, but other parts of the country easily can become snowbound. If your plans change from airplane to car or train, be sure to notify the airline so youre not counted as an automatic no-show. Another website, Thrifty Nomads, has compiled a Holiday Flight Report. The bad news, according to this site: If you didnt book in October, youre going to pay extra for Christmas and New Years flights. Christmas and New Years flights are quite simply less expensive when you buy early. If you buy in October, youll likely pay $5 more, in November $56 more, and in December a distressing $143 more per ticket. THEFT WARNING: Police create 'Grinch' video for shoppers Thrifty Nomads points out that you can still score holiday flights, but youll face a steeper price and limited choices. If youre bold, some sites recommend waiting until the very last minute to book a flight. At that point, the airlines may have cancellations and no-shows, and need to fill those seats. Look for deals on websites like LastMinuteTravel.com, or even the mainstream sites like Expedia, Kayak, Travelocity and TripAdvisor. Your favorite airlines website also may have some last-minute offers. Dont forget that travel agents have inside information on lower fares, and can help manage your trip for lower costs. To get an idea of whats available, see some of the holiday flight deals in the slideshow above. Andy Warren is a distribution producer for news at Chron.com. You can read more of his stories here and follow his Twitter at @AndyWarrenTX. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A man was arrested Friday for his alleged ties to an auto theft ring that operated in Central and South Texas and delivered vehicles to the Zetas drug cartel, authorities said. Emilio Vidales, 43, was charged with theft. READ MORE: Zeta-related book 'Wolf Boys' excluded from UISD curriculum Laredo police said he worked out of San Antonio along with two other suspects identified as Ramon "Mon" Mendoza Jr., 44, of San Antonio, and Jorge "Pelon" Lopez, 39, of Natalia. Vidales and Lopez allegedly worked under Mendoza, the theft ring's mastermind, authorities said. Mendoza and Lopez remain at large. LPD's auto-theft task force and San Antonio Police Department's vehicle crimes unit recently issued a lookout for Mendoza and Lopez. RELATED: Sister of Zetas drug cartel leaders arrested in Nuevo Laredo on kidnapping charges In March, police announced they had dismantled an auto-theft ring in an enforcement action called Operation Metal Rain. Police said they arrested 16 people. Six others had warrants out for their arrests. That included Vidales, Mendoza and Lopez. The trio and several other defendants are named in an indictment filed in December 2016 in the 111th District Court. Authorities said Mendoza, Lopez and Vidales were responsible for providing stolen vehicles to a group labeled as "crossers," who would then take them into Mexico. READ MORE: Laredo police searching for 'armed and dangerous' suspects in Zetas auto-theft ring case Authorities said vehicles were used across the border for gun and human smuggling and assassinations. To provide information on Mendoza's and Lopez's whereabouts, call LPD at 795-2800 or the Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). A few central New York leaders hailed the study released Monday by the state Department of Transportation that determined a tunnel option for the Interstate 81 project in Syracuse is "technically feasible." U.S. Rep. John Katko, who has urged the state to consider constructing a tunnel as one of three options for the project, said the recommendation by WSP, a design firm that was paid $2 million by the state to conduct the study, should be included in the draft environmental impact statement. WSP endorsed what it called the "Orange Alternative," $3.6 billion tunnel-community grid hybrid that would take nine years to complete. The tunnel portion of the project would extend for 1.6 miles. The state has already said it is considering whether to tear down the existing I-81 viaduct in Syracuse and replace it with a $1.3 billion community grid, or boulevard option, or spend $1.7 billion to rebuild the viaduct and alter its alignment. While the tunnel-community grid hybrid would cost more, Katko, R-Camillus, said it is a viable option that should be considered. "This is a transformative project, or it can be, and we've got to get it right," he said. State Sen. John DeFrancisco echoed Katko's comments. He noted that the project would last for decades and there will be a great impact on the regional economy. He believes it would be "foolish" for the state to pay for this study and not include the tunnel alternative in its decision-making process. He said the state should add the option to the draft environmental impact statement. Owasco Supervisor Ed Wagner, who opposes the community grid option on its own because it could increase truck traffic on state roads that pass through his town, views the tunnel alternative recommended by WSP as a compromise. He said it offers both parties what they want. For many in the city of Syracuse who want to remove the elevated highway and replace it with a boulevard, the community grid is part of the proposal. For those who want to ensure that the through traffic stays on I-81, the tunnel portion of the project would ensure that happens. For Wagner, the benefits of the alternative outweigh the cost. If only the community grid is pursued, he thinks it would have a devastating impact on businesses and increase truck traffic in Owasco. Not all central New York elected officials support the tunnel alternative recommended by WSP. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said the study revealed the tunnel option "would take nearly a decade to build and have an outsize price tag." "A tunnel is not feasible financially and would have detrimental impacts on the economic and social health of our community," she added. She urged the state Department of Transportation to remove the option from consideration in the draft environmental impact statement. The cost of a tunnel option doesn't faze other officials who pushed for its inclusion in the environmental impact statement. Katko, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, highlighted infrastructure projects in downstate New York that have cost billions of dollars. Most, if not all of those projects received significant federal and state funding. DeFrancisco projected that the federal government would pay for 75 to 80 percent of the I-81 project. The state would cover the remaining costs. "I don't think we should be considered chop liver in central New York on a project that's gonna last the number of years this project is going to last," he said. "It seems to me that the federal government has done many projects throughout the country and central New York should not be ignored on this one." University of Texas at Austin graduate students walked out from research and work responsibilities on Wednesday in protest of a tax that would hit tuition waivers under a House bill passed last month. Overworked, underpaid, they chanted. Signs read: Tuition is not income and I can't eat tuition waivers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At 6'4" in height, A.E. "Gene" Reaves could have been an imposing figure. But that wasn't the nature of the county's longest serving sheriff at all. "He was a quiet spirit. He wasn't a big talker" said his daughter Carol Reaves Hamilton. "But when he did speak, you better listen because it was important." A native of the county, Reaves served as Montgomery County Sheriff from 1961 through 1981. Hamilton described him as someone who loved his county. Today his legacy is celebrated with a display case full of memorabilia from his two-decade term at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Museum and by family and friends who remember how he carried out his duties as top cop with a reserved yet dedicated nature. Early life Arthur Eugene "Gene" Reaves was born Aug. 7, 1913 to Charlie and Fannie Reaves. He grew up in the Peach Creek area near Cut and Shoot. He and his brother Otha A. Reaves were born 11 months apart. Another brother, Marvin, was born into the family several years later. He went on to become a businessman in Cleveland. The Reaves family had a dairy in the Cut and Shoot area. "They milked the cows twice a day and hauled the milk by wagon into town to Wahrenberger's store," Hamilton said. The sons were involved in this effort as well. Reaves attended Willis and Conroe schools, graduating from Conroe High School in 1932. He married Norene Hampton on Nov. 24, 1938 after a chance meeting. She was visiting her Aunt Minnie in Houston when they went to visit her friend Big "Will" Williams in the hospital. They were riding the elevator up and Reaves, who was friends with the Williams family, was waiting as the elevator door opened. Her mother told her it was love at first sight. As newlyweds, Norene Hampton Reaves was a beautician and Gene Reaves drove a maintainer for the county. Military service When World War II came, Reaves was drafted into the U.S. Army. From 1942 to 1945, he served under Gens. Omar Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton. His service included landing on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion in June 1944 and later participating in the Battle of the Bulge. He once had an inspiring encounter with Eisenhower as well. Carol was born after he left for the war, but her mother had support from Otha and Ruth Reaves and from the grandmothers. Norene wrote him letters with photos of Carol and he returned with all of the letters and photos after his service was over. When he was discharged in Tyler, Texas, her mother made Carol a special coat and dress for the occasion. "She said I ran right to him with my arms stretched out," Hamilton said. The time overseas impacted him greatly though with Norene concluding that he was never the same after the war. His son, John Reaves, said it weighed on his father why he survived and others did not. Gene Reaves returned from the war Nov. 18, 1945 and John was born in November 1946. John's middle name is "Harold" for Gene's best friend who was killed in combat during the war. A return to Conroe When he returned to Conroe, he and his brother Otha started the Reaves Lumber Company. Otha maintained the business matters and Gene was out in the woods collecting the lumber. The brothers also went in on a ranch near the Shepherd Hill area of Montgomery County. It was the old McIntyre place, according to John. Hamilton said the ranch was the "love of his life." He worked cattle and horses on the land. And at one point, his son John and his wife Connie lived in a log cabin on the property. John Reaves said they lived in the original cabin on the property for five years. The cabin did have electricity, but window units were needed to bring air and heat. A party line telephone was their communications out. Gene Reaves was engaged in cattle ranching for more than 60 years. John Reaves called his dad, who was his best friend and mentor, an excellent cattleman. "He'd say, 'If you don't know the weight of a cow and the worth of a cow, then you shouldn't be in the business'," John Reaves said. In the 1950s, Gene Reaves was featured on the cover of Progressive Farmer for his ranching skills. John Reaves tells a story of the day after his dad returned from the war, he heard about a bounty out for three loose steers. These steers had been loose for some time while he was gone. The collection was $45. The next day, by 10 a.m. he and his best friend, Jim Bennett Williams, had rounded up all three steers. In an article following his death, Justice of the Peace Grady Spikes spoke about how much Reaves loved his ranch and how Reaves had invited him to fish there many times. Eventually Otha sold his brother his half of the property. Otha was in the lumber and construction business for over 30 years and then dealt in investments. Otha served as a director of the Montgomery Walker Soil Conservation district and was a member of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. For 16 years, Otha A. Reaves dedicated his talents and time to the Conroe schools, serving as trustee on the Conroe Independent School District Board of Education. In December 1974, O.A. Reaves Elementary opened in Conroe and the school continues to serve Conroe today. In 1950, "Gene" Reaves built a house at Seventh and Silverdale streets for his family in which Norene lived through the late 1990s. Political involvement In 1960, some of the town's prominent businessmen approached Reaves and asked him to run for office. Leading that effort was former Montgomery County Sheriff Guy Hooper, who was the county sheriff during Montgomery County's rough and tumble oil boom. In his announcement for the office in The Courier, Reaves said he was a strong believer in good, strong, honest and efficient law enforcement and if elected, he would use this as his motto for his office. His opponents were incumbent sheriff Will S. Willette, T.H. "Tex" Edens, and Fred Trammell. Willette had held the office since 1953. An article in the Houston Chronicle on June 5, 1960 announced Reaves had won by 1,024 votes. At the time, Reaves had never held a political office or had any law enforcement experience. He had to go to Austin to receive his certification, according to Hamilton. He inherited a small department with four deputies, two cars, a jailer, a secretary and a $58,000 annual budget. In the early years of his administration, her mother, Norene, cooked food for the jail prisoners housed at the courthouse. Hamilton described Conroe as much simpler then. When you were "going to town," that meant the shops and business on the downtown square around the courthouse. At the time, there was nothing south of the San Jacinto River. The Woodlands came later in the 1970s. Hamilton recalled a few memorable situations during his 20-year term. There was a time when her dad was called to a local attorney's office because a man was making some sort of disturbance. "He went in the room and sat down with the guy and talked him out of doing something really bad," Hamilton said. "This was typical of his mannerism." Another unique situation that came up happened during the 1974 Huntsville prison siege. Three inmates had laid siege to the education/library building of the Walls Unit. Linda Woodman of Conroe worked in the prison library and was one of those held hostage. Hamilton said Woodman was able to convince the captors to let her go. That day, her dad asked to use Hamilton's car, that was unmarked, unlike his vehicle. He was able to quietly make it through the press at the unit and bring Woodman back to Conroe once she was released. Reaves announced his retirement in 1980. According to an article in The Courier at the time of his retirement, Reaves concluded that "the traditional image of a country-style sheriff wouldn't work anymore - even in the country." The county experienced tremendous growth in the 1970s with the addition of Lake Conroe and the opening of The Woodlands in South Montgomery County. Joe Corley ran for the sheriff's post and won the election, starting his term in 1981. Reaves returned to his beloved ranch full time and enjoyed spending more time with his treasured children and grandchildren. Reaves passed away on Jan. 2, 1996 at 82 years old. In his 20 years of promoting renewable energy in Washington, Gregory Wetstone has made common cause with a range of special interest groups:- environmentalists, power utilities, even a handful of natural gas producers. But President Donald Trump's efforts to bail out the coal industry led Wetstone, the head of the American Council on Renewable Energy, to find a surprising new partner: Big Oil. Within hours of Energy Secretary Rick Perry releasing a proposal to overhaul the country's power markets to advantage unprofitable coal and nuke plants, Wetstone was busy pulling together a team of unlikely allies, including solar installers, oil refineries and natural gas drillers, all of whom were worried that the plan would raise electricity costs and undercut their fuel source in the power markets. RELATED: For connected coal magnate, accusations of a bailout With uncharacteristic speed for a collection this broad, Wetstone's renewable energy council joined the American Petroleum Institute and 19 other groups to submit comments that noted their unlikely alliance, slyly noting the proposal's "power to unite." They dubbed the plan ill defined, unwarranted and unreasonable. "It's not often that our interests align, but I think everyone recognizes the importance of standing up together," he said in an interview. "It's a reflection of how disruptive the policy put forward would be. The lobbying is aimed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees the nation's electricity markets and is set to decide by Dec. 11 whether or how to act on the Energy Department's proposal. If approved, it could help achieve Trump's goal of putting some U.S. coal miners back to work by giving unprofitable coal power plants an edge against more economical ones that run off cheap wind, solar and natural gas. RELATED: Perry urges FERC to help coal, nuclear power When he proposed his grid overhaul, Perry relied on an obscure statute to argue that regulators should reward coal and nuclear plants because of their ability to keep enough fuel on hand to operate in case of emergency. Perry has asked FERC to allow power plants with 90 days of fuel on site to charge customers more money. Coal and nuclear plants store their fuel at the plant; natural gas and renewables typically don't. No one is really sure how much that would raise Americans' power bills. Estimates range from a few hundred million dollars to more than $200 billion. Perry's proposal caught energy lobbyists across Washington off guard. One oil company executive described frantic emails and phone calls trying to suss out details on it the night before it was released. Energy lobbyists scrambled to prepare executives, including at least two chief executive officers for phone calls and face-to-face meetings with top Perry and FERC officials. Ben van Beurden, the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, pressed the issue with Perry when the two crossed paths at an energy event in Paris. "I haven't seen the U.S. gas or power industry this concerned in a long time," says Orlando Alvarez, the head of BP Energy Co.'s natural gas and power marketing and trading business. "It's getting attention of senior executives at many energy companies we deal with." BP Plc and other oil companies are now big producers of natural gas, and therefore worried about bailouts to their rivals. Cheaper, cleaner-burning gas has displaced coal at power plants around the country, and now supplies more than a third of the nation's electricity. The proposal is upsetting the balance of power among the energy and electricity industries in Washington, creating friction among traditional corporate allies and turning old foes into (temporary) allies. It's also created an odd match of supporters as coal miners -- who reject efforts to address climate change -- join with the nuclear industry, which has asked to be rewarded for the fuel's carbon-free attributes. The solar and wind energy associations faced a flurry of questions from anxious executives, alarmed by what the plan would mean for their business models. "It was everybody panicking together," said Christopher Mansour, vice president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. BP, the American Wind Energy Association and others hastily formed another alliance to combat the grid rule. That new "Affordable Energy Coalition" also included the R Street Institute, a free-market think tank, and Advanced Energy Economy, a trade group representing companies such as First Solar Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. In naming the coalition, critics turned to a tried-and-true tactic in D.C. of highlighting the consumer costs of a potential policy change, rather than the corporate interests fighting it. Coal interests in recent years used a similar approach to combat the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, by highlighting how that rule to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, would hike electricity costs, picking winners (solar, wind) and losers (coal). "Washington is picking winners and losers in the market, rather than let the markets operate themselves, and that has a negative impact for consumers," Michael Steel, a spokesman for the Affordable Energy Coalition and former House Republican leadership aide, said in an interview. The group is using op-eds, letters and local media to try and get state ratepayers to weigh in with FERC. Tensions have also erupted among longtime allies. After Trump officials heralded a newly updated U.S. Chamber of Commerce-backed study as justifying Perry's proposal by asserting that losing coal-fired power plants would raise electricity costs and lead to a loss of 1 million jobs, oil and gas members of the business group revolted. Not only were those results at odds with the Energy Department's own staff analysis, but oil and gas companies were outraged that a study from a group they paid dues to was being used against them. On a conference call, representatives of those companies took turns bashing Karen Harbert, the head of the U.S. Chamber Global Energy Institute for promoting the study and providing a supportive quote in a news release accompanying the report, say two participants in the call. These groups lined up behind Harbert as she fought against the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan; now they wanted the Chamber to publicly rescind its perceived support for Perry's plan. Harbert said her institute did not know of the proposed grid rule before it was formally released, and the updated study was completed earlier. The institute "will fully evaluate any proposed actions by the FERC to ensure our member interests are well understood," she said. On Nov. 30, the Heritage Foundation hosted an energy and climate forum that featured coal-magnate Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy Corp., who called Perry's coal plan the most important thing that's been done for the power grid in 60 years. "I met privately with President Trump on that three times," he said. "We must stop these closings of these power plants." A few hours before Murray spoke, Heritage held a separate public event meant to highlight skepticism of Perry's grid plan, complete with a critic from the free-market Institute for Energy Research. "The actual subsidy structure of the proposed rule is simply unacceptable," Kenny Stein, a policy director at the institute, said at the event. "Ultimately, the answer to government distortions can't be to introduce new distortions that just favor different companies." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday accused outdoor retailer Patagonia of lying when it said that President Donald Trump "stole your land" by shrinking two national monuments in Utah by some 2 million acres. An angry Zinke called the claim - made in large type on the company's home page - "nefarious, false and a lie." Zinke told reporters the land targeted by Trump remains protected because it is still under federal control. "I understand fundraising for these special interest groups," Zinke said. "I think it's shameful and appalling that they would blatantly lie in order to gain money in their coffers." Patagonia replaced its usual home page Monday night with a stark message declaring, "The President Stole Your Land." The message called Trump's actions to shrink Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments "illegal" and the largest elimination of protected land in American history. Outdoor retailer REI also criticized Trump but in less harsh language. Zinke took a defiant tone in a conference call with reporters, saying: "I don't yield to pressure, only higher principle. And sound public policy is not based on threats of lawsuits, it's doing what's right." 'Our special interest' Patagonia has "always viewed public lands as our special interest," company spokeswoman Corley Kenna said. "And it's odd that Ryan Zinke has no problem with special interests when they're paying for his private jets. We have been fighting for these lands for decades, so that hunters, fishers, hikers and everyone else can use them and help us protect them." Patagonia has joined a lawsuit challenging the Bears Ears decision and joined with REI and other outdoor recreation companies in leading a push to move the industry's lucrative trade show from Salt Lake City to Denver after two decades in Utah. The move was a high-profile protest over Utah leaders' insistence on getting the Bears Ears designation rescinded and trying to take more control of federal lands. Zinke argued that Bears Ears is still larger than Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks combined even after being downsized to about 202,000 acres, while Grand Staircase-Escalante retains about 1 million acres. Environmental and conservation groups and a coalition of tribes filed lawsuits Monday that ensure Trump's announcement is far from the final word in the yearslong battle over public lands in Utah and other Western states. The court cases are likely to drag on for years. Other monuments Trump acted on a recommendation by Zinke, who also has urged that two other large national monuments in the West be reduced in size, potentially opening up thousands of acres of land revered for natural beauty and historical significance to mining, logging and other development. The secretary's plan would scale back Nevada's Gold Butte and Oregon's Cascade-Siskiyou, in addition to the two Utah sites. Zinke also has recommended allowing logging at a newly designated monument in Maine, and urged more grazing, hunting and fishing at two sites in New Mexico. He also called for a new assessment of border-safety risks at a monument in southern New Mexico. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Kathryn Lloyd walked into the brand new Whataburger, Unit 415, on US 90 in Liberty, her face broke out into the biggest smile. The 92-year-old Liberty resident was the third person in line at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, joining several hundred of her Whataburger friends to welcome the restaurant back into business after a fire on May 31 closed the popular eatery. "You can't beat them," Lloyd said. "Every time we find one open, we stop." She recently visited Dallas and says that while she was there, you guessed it -- she was eating in a Whataburger. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Liberty community mourns loss of fast food restaurant on Facebook "They make the best hamburgers," she smiled. She should know. The nonagenarian has been eating in Whataburger restaurants for almost 50 years. Lloyd's opinion is shared by several hundred other customers who made their way over to the restaurant to get one of their tasty hamburgers, chicken tender baskets, and more. Once the announcement was made on the Dayton News Facebook, the site received more than 17,000 views in four hours, more than 200 shares, and some hilariously happy posts. "Sweet lord, baby Jesus, in your Golden Fleece diaper!!! Thank ya!" wrote one Facebook comment. Jennifer Regen posted, "My chefs are back!" Earlier, after the fire, Regen posted her sadness at the closing of the restaurant. "This is a tragedy! Thomas Dunagan and I are going to starve, finally have a ton of money in our savings account, lose a ton of weight, and/or have to learn to cook," she said. One couple made their dinner plans for Whataburger with the family on the Facebook post. It was heartwarming for franchise owner, David Tamminga, to watch. "The community supports us great. When all of this happened [the fire], the city and the community were asking us what they could do to help. It's been as good as an experience as it could be," he said. Tamminga was resolute after the fire. "Nobody was hurt and that's the most important thing," he said. "Everything else can be fixed." The business involves the entire family and BurgerWorks, LLC said they needed to do something with their employees who were all now out of a job and a paycheck. "We wanted them all back so we found some local non-profits who needed some help and we paid them to work for them during the interim period," Tamminga said. He said his people take care of them and they wanted to take care of his employees. Tamminga was originally in a business partnership with another investor, but they split to go their own ways. "I ended up with a couple of the restaurants and he had two and the rest is history," he said. BurgerWorks Texas, LLC, now owns eight franchise locations in Southeast Texas and Tamminga, his son and daughter spend a lot of time commuting between Livingston, Winnie, Cleveland, Groves, Bridge City and Orange. "We call it windshield time," he laughed. Tamminga said it isn't as burdensome as some might expect. "We have a lot of really good people. We all work together as a team," he said. He said they all work within the system and it has made them successful. His 34-year-old son has jumped into the business and each work a different part of the business. "I like being a Whataburger franchisee. They are a family-owned business, they're good people and it all works together for us," he said. Tamminga didn't commit to expansion but said it wasn't out of the question. The store rebuild was delayed with the Hurricane Harvey devastation. "The hurricane set them back and the construction company was doing other projects and we had a tough time getting the materials and resources," said Gary Dorn, Whataburger corporate representative. The whole Houston market was closed to make sure employees were safe and could be with their families. With the devastation in Houston and Harris County, those projects took precedence. "There weren't a lot of them inundated with water, but there were still repairs to be done," he said. The Liberty restaurant is the new Whataburger prototype. "They made the decision not to refurbish but to rebuild and make that investment in the community," Dorn explained. Outside, the new restaurant has double menus for the drive-through and double-lane service. "Our lanes don't merge into one," he said, "but we have employees with tablets who can take orders outside when we need to expedite the line." Customers liked the new look with a larger dining room that sits 114 and is accented with photos from the founding Harmon Dobson family. The first restaurant was opened in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. "We're trying to maintain the A-frame integrity. We can't do the tall A-frames anymore because they don't fit into community or shopping mall standards. We've kept the look, and we're still the brightest in town," he said. The restaurant and parking lot is well-lit and inviting. Inside, there's a halo of neon orange lighting in the restaurant that fits with the corporate. Customers were so excited after the long delay. "Every time we went through the drive-through at McDonald's, we'd look at the Whataburger restaurant and wonder how much longer it would be before they opened," said Lydia Davis. Davis and Mandi Whitmire were the first in line waiting for the drive-through to open and said it's been a long seven months. "They have the best burgers," Davis said. "I can hardly wait to go inside, too." Whitmire's youngest son took his first job at Whataburger. "He loved it and they loved him, too," Davis said. Davis said she was so proud that the owners took care of the employees during their time off. The long wait is finally over and loyal customers are flooding the store with love. Welcome back, Unit 415, welcome back. The 25th anniversary of the Houston Iranian Film Festival and the popular annual run of Oscar Nominated Short Films highlight the January and February film schedule at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Running over two consecutive weekends from Jan. 19 through Jan. 28, the Iranian film festival will feature such titles as: "Tehran Taboo," an adult animated film from Ali Soozandeh about four people and their pursuit of officially forbidden activities; "Disappearance," a drama about the fateful night of a desperate teenage couple; "24 Frames," a photo-film essay based on the photographs of Abbas Kiarostami; "Breath," a family drama that is Iran's official Oscar submission; "Ava," a coming-of-age drama; and "Negar," a mystery-thriller about a woman out to prove her father's death was not a suicide as everyone believes. The partners in one of the city's upcoming multi-vendor dining venues are well aware that food halls may not be a novel idea, even in Houston. But the Bravery Chef Hall backers are confident that their concept, billed as Houston's first "chef hall," will distinguish itself from the food hall pack in a number of ways, primarily as collection of chef-driven restaurants under one roof. On Wednesday the principals involved in Bravery Chef Hall -- set to open in the summer of 2018 on the ground floor of Aris Market Square at 409 Travis in the new Hines residential high rise outlined the concept which will feature five separate open-kitchen stations owned and operated by chefs. Three of those chefs also were named Wednesday: David Guerrero, chef/owner of Andes Cafe; Ben McPherson, who recently launched Krisp Bird & Batter; and Gary Ly, former chef de cuisine at Underbelly (chefs for the other two stations have not been announced). While details about each chef concept will come later, Wednesday's news underscored Bravery's commitment to working with known chefs who have distinguished themselves locally; each a player in the busy Houston restaurant scene. Bravery also announced that restaurateur and sommelier Shepard Ross, who opened Pax Americana to great acclaim, will be a partner in the hall and act as general manager. Ross' expertise in wine and spirits will be put to good use at the wine bar (called the Bravery) that will serve as the anchor for the entire dining concept. In June restaurateurs Anh Mai and Lian Nguyen announced their intentions to create a chef hall in a 9,100-square-foot space on the ground floor of the 32-story Aris. Mai and Nguyen had already distinguished themselves as savvy players in the downtown dining scene when they opened Conservatory in 2016 as Houston's first food hall, a 7,500-square-foot basement space at 1010 Prairie. Beneath their restaurant Prohibition, Conservatory featured four separate food vendors anchored by Conservatory bar. It was a unique concept, but as of this year not the only food hall on the books. In May the Jones on Main in the JPMorgan Chase building at 712 Main announced it was opening a food hall in early 2018 that would feature food outlets, a craft beer and wine bar, and an art deco cocktail lounge. Although not officially announced there are reports that yet another downtown food hall, Lyric Market, is being developed at 411 Smith. That would make four food hall concepts within easy walking distance to each other in downtown. Mai said that Bravery exemplifies an evolution of the food hall format by focusing on chefs of a certain culinary pedigree and offering both fine dining and casual counter service options. At Bravery, each chef will operate a station that can accommodate 30 to 40 guests in counter-style seating where the culinary operations are in the center. Each station also can cater to diners who want to order food to dine in the hall's casual seating options or for take-away. The Bravery bar and two other casual wine bars will service the entire hall and offer wine/beer/cocktail selections tailored to the chef/vendors. There will also be a coffee and pastry bar. David Haltom, director at Hines, said the company considered a number of options for the ground-floor culinary space, including national restaurant vendors and a multi-brand concept. But the proposal from Mai and Nguyen was selected because it fit a number of criteria Hines was seeking, including being an amenity that residents could "use over and over again" (as opposed to a special occasion restaurant) while also acting as a dining amenity to downtown residents and neighbors. Bravery, Haltom said, "checked all those boxes." And it didn't hurt that Mai and Nguyen were already successful operators with both Prohibition and Conservatory, Houston's first legitimate food hall. That Bravery was being pitched as a chef-driven concept also made it special, Haltom said. "It won't be just another food hall." Overall, Bravery will have a seating capacity of 400 and will operate Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday form 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is expected to open in the summer of 2018. Two candidates running to serve as Houston Community Colleges District IX trustee will face off on Dec. 9 after a week of early voting. Pretta VanDible Stallworth and Eugene Gene Pack are running to replace Christopher Oliver, who has not attended a board meeting since his guilty plea to bribery was unsealed in July. Pack, a retired auto broker, and Stallworth, a business consultant, beat out community college teacher David Jaroszewski in the November election. Pack led Stallworth by less than 400 votes, but neither earned the majority of the votes, forcing a runoff. Stallworth, a former HCC trustee from 1989 through 1993, said in the League of Women Voters of Houston election guide that she would advocate for increased ethics training for board members. Administrators should review employer needs regularly to assess what HCC should teach, she said. Pack has pledged to enhance financial aid policies to keep students enrolled after Hurricane Harvey if he is elected. He also proposed several accountability measures for the board, including shortening trustee term lengths to four years from six and pushing for ethics reform in board contracts and procurement. Oliver was appointed to an open board seat in 1995 and has served as a trustee ever since. He remains on the board, though he has not attended a meeting since July. 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. The college is investigating procurement and administrative practices after Olivers plea was unsealed. Incumbent candidates Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Robert Glaser both won their bids in November. Early voting ran from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5. Lindsay Ellis writes about higher education for the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter and send her tips at lindsay.ellis@chron.com. A Galveston woman is in jail on an aggravated assault charge after she allegedly threw a flaming object at her ex-boyfriend on Nov. 29, setting the man on fire. Nancy Allen, 50, is accused of luring the man out of his apartment by repeatedly cutting off the power at the breaker box, a method she had used in the past, in order to assault the victim, Galveston County court records show. The victim, Theolonious Haley, and his current girlfriend told police that Allen had been at the victim's apartment at 503 21st Street earlier in the day Nov. 29, and that all three had been arguing. Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle TERRIFYING: Man allegedly set house on fire while woman, children were asleep Allen reportedly threw a beer can at the new girlfriend before she was asked to leave, the court record states. The power was later cut off to the apartment twice, and each time Haley went outside to turn it back on. On the second time, Haley said Allen threw an object at him. "He stated that he did not know what the object was, but only knew it was on fire and that a 'ball of fire' was heading towards his head," the court record states. Haley was severely burned and underwent skin grafts at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, his girlfriend and a nurse at the hospital told police. On May 3, 2017, Allen pleaded no contest to assaulting Haley after turning off his apartment's breaker three times, court records show. She was convicted of assault causing bodily injury to a family member. In 2016, Allen was granted community service and a case was dismissed after she pleaded no contest to pouring lighter fluid on Haley during an argument and telling him, "Ima douse you." Haley's current condition is not available at this time. Allen was arrested Monday, Dec. 4 and is currently being held in the Galveston County Jail with bond set at $250,000. Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston and the YMCA of Greater Houston invite you to explore your faith in Israel May 27-June 7, 2018. The trip is for adults 55 and older to travel to Israel to explore, discover and experience the country, the people and each other. You don't have to be Jewish to explore your faith and be inspired by a real connection in this holy land. Jim and Marianne Paley made a similar trip to Israel in September. "It was a terrific trip," said Jim and Marianne Paley. "It was a well thought out itinerary, good schedule and great guides. It made the ancient and contemporary history of the area much more understandable." The trip begins in Tel Aviv, the first modern Hebrew city and ends in Jerusalem, known as the center of major religions. The J and YMCA have been working closely with the Jewish Community Center Association office based in Israel to ensure that participants not only get to know the land but have many interpersonal encounters that tie them to Israel's unique communities. "To provide an interfaith experience in Israel is special," said Elena Dinkin, YMCA Active Older Adult Director. "I was moved by my visit to Jerusalem, seeing the Wall, experiencing the preparation for Shabbat and then worshiping at a synagogue. The connection between what I had learned in my studies and then seeing it in person is so meaningful to me. I am looking forward to the opportunity to experience Israel with so many active members of the YMCA and the J." Trip highlights include a guided walk through Neve Tzedek, one of the early neighborhoods that developed outside of Jaffa; dinner in the home of an Arab family living in Galilee; a tour of the church on the Mount of Beatitudes, and hear the story of the development of Christianity in this region of Israel; visit Qasr al Yahud, baptismal site on the Jordan river where it is believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist; a tour of Jerusalem's Old City and visit selected sites in the Jewish and Christian Quarters, including the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Travelers will also rest, relax, and rejuvenate in the Dead Sea and celebrate Shabbat in Jerusalem. Deadline to register is Feb. 1, 2018. For more information please contact Elena Dinkin at elena.dinkin@ymcahouston.org or 713-662-1315 or Morgan Steinberg at msteinberg@erjcchouston.org or 713-595-8170. Visit www.erjcchouston.org for more information about our programs and services. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Nov. 17 At 12:32 a.m., Officer Ortega located a suspicious vehicle that she noticed in the area of 4400 Jim West Street. Officer Ortega conducted a computer query on the vehicle's license plate and the vehicle returned as stolen out of Houston Police Department. Officers then received a suspicious person call about 4 young persons in the backyard of a home in the 4500 block of Oleander Street. Officer Bellard later observed an Uber driver leaving the area of the suspicious person call with four young passengers. Officer Bellard conducted a traffic stop and observed a burglary tool on the floor of the rear right passenger seat. All four suspects were arrested and charged with unlawful possession/use of criminal instrument. At 8:45 a.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to Memorial Herman Orthopedic Hospital in reference to a stolen laptop computer. The reportee stated an employee was terminated and upon doing so did not return her departmental issued laptop computer. At 1:30 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 4400 block of Basswood Lane in reference to an I.D. Theft. The victim stated an unknown suspect, using identifying information, transferred money from the victim's account to an unknown account. At 9:51 a.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 4400 block of Camellia Lane in regards to an identity theft. Officer Schwausch met with the reportee who stated between 10/26/2017 and 11/12/2017 an unknown suspect(s) used his identity to open credit accounts, purchase a Samsung cell phone, and file false claims with FEMA and Texas Workforce Commision. At 11:25 a.m, an unknown suspect wearing a black hoodie and black pants, parked next to the victim's vehicle in a black SUV in the parking lot next to Bank of America at 5133 Bellaire Blvd. The suspect broke the window to the victim's vehicle and stole an empty Bank of America envelope. The suspect fled the scene in the black SUV eastbound on Bellaire Boulevard. At 1:56 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Lobby in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that occurred between 9 a.m. Nov. 16 and 5:30 a.m. Nov. 17. The vehicle was left unsecured in the driveway and multiple items were taken from the vehicle. At 3:59 p.m., Officer Younger made contact with the victim who advised an unidentified suspect burglarized her residence in the 4500 block of Wedgewood Drive. Officer Younger collected evidence and supplied the victim with an incident report number. At 3:40 a.m., Bellaire officers were dispatched to an alarm call at 5420 West Loop South. Bellaire Officers arrived on scene at approximately 0346 hrs. Upon further investigation, unknown person(s) made entry into the business without permission and removed items. Nov. 18 At 3:49 a.m., Officer Bellard was on patrol in the area of 5500 Bellaire Blvd. when he observed a gray ford focus. Officer Bellard conducted a computer query on the vehicle license plate and it showed the vehicle to be stolen. Officer Bellard initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle was taken into custody. The driver was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. At 4:05 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to the 4400 block of Lula Street in regards to a theft. Officer Younger arrived at 4:14 p.m.and made contact with the victim who advised an unknown suspect stole items from their garage. At 5:15 a.m., Bellaire Officers were dispatched to a burglary in progress at 4805 Bissonnet St. Officers arrived on scene at 5:17 a.m. Unknown person(s) made entry into the business without permission and possibly removed items. Officer Bellard will be the reporting Officer in this case. At 3:04 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to 5959 West Loop in reference to a theft. Officer Liccketto arrived and met with the Office Manager who informed the suspect was a previous employee and over the course of a year and a half had taken money. Nov. 19 At 11:18 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on a black Nissan 370 for speeding in the 6600 block of West Loop North. During the investigation, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license with no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid enhanced and was transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking. Nov. 20 At 3:08 a.m., Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on a white 2009 Toyota Corolla at the 5300 block of IH 610 ESR for failing to maintain a single lane and defective equipment. The operator was intoxicated and was subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated. At 8:05 a.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to 4300 Beechnut St. in reference to two suspicious subjects with ten bags of garbage/items. At 8:13 a.m., Officer Andrade arrived and made contact with the driver and passenger of the vehicle who both stated they stopped to clean out their vehicle. After further investigation, the driver was placed in custody for felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor unlawful carry of a weapon and the passenger was placed in custody for misdemeanor possession of two fictitious Texas Driver's Licenses. At 9:45 p.m., Officer Barrientos was dispatched to a possible intoxicated person driving a motor vehicle in the 6500 block of Avenue Boulevard. Corporal Clawson located the Silverado and observed the Silverado fail to signal a lane change and driving on the wrong side of the roadway. Cpl. Clawson was able to conduct a traffic stop on the Silverado for these traffic infractions. Ofc. Barrientos placed the driver in custody for driving while intoxicated. During the inventory of the Silverado, Cpl. Clawson discovered a handgun inside the Silverado. Ofc. Barrienntos transported the driver to the Bellaire jail. At 11:50 a.m., Officer Carson was dispatch to the lobby of 7008 S. Rice to meet with a victim of an identity theft. Unknown suspect(s) applied for a loan in September of 2013. At 2:45 p.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the 4500 block of Birch Street in regards to meeting with victim of an identity theft. The unknown suspect(s) opened a line of credit at an unknown jewelry store buying a men's diamond ring. The suspect(s) used the victim's name and date of birth to open the line of credit. Nov. 21 At 11:30 p.m., Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop in the 5200 block of Bellaire Boulevard on a vehicle for having a defective rear license plate light (light was not lit). Upon making contact with the driver and further instigation, the driver was found to be in possession of marijuana and multiple Xanax pills. The driver of the vehicle was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a State Jail Felony. At 12:20 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary of a motor vehicle on a United States Postal Service (USPS) vehicle in the 4500 block of Maple Street. While the suspect was running away, he slapped a witness in the face with his open palm. The suspect was last seen entering a black Nissan sedan which drove away westbound. At 1:40 p.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to the Randalls Grocery Store at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a theft in progress. The assistant store director observed a black male wearing all grey, conceal items underneath his sweater, and exit the store without paying for the items. The black male was located a few blocks away with the items still hidden underneath his sweater, and was promptly placed under arrest. At 2:44 p.m., Officers responded to a physical altercation at the 6800 block of South Rice Avenue. Officers, including Officer Younger, responded to the scene at approximately 1446 hours and observed an off-duty officer detaining a suspect who had attempted to steal $373.36 in product from Randall's Grocery Store. The suspect was placed into custody and transported to the Bellaire Jail to be processed. At 3:04 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to assist Lt. Cotton, who was flagged down about a theft in progress. Lt. Cotton observed the suspect vehicle flee from location and was able to stop the vehicle at 5500 block of Bellaire Boulevard. Upon approaching, Lt. Cotton observed several bottles of Dove body wash in the back seat. Lt. Cotton also detected an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Through the search of the vehicle, narcotics were located and through investigation it was shown the Dove body wash items were stolen. At 1:46 a.m., Officer C. Barber was dispatched to a possible intoxicated driver in the 5100 block of Elm Street. Officers made contact with the subject vehicle and driver and after speaking with the driver and performing Standardized Field Sobriety Test's (SFST's), the driver was arrested for of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Nov. 24 At 6:13 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 7000 block of West Loop North in reference to a minor accident with a fleeing party. Officer Liccketto was able to locate the vehicle fleeing and detained the driver. During the investigation, the driver was found to be at fault for the accident and Officer Liccketto was able to file charges for fail to stop and give information. At 11:10 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to 4439 Bissonnet in reference to a criminal mischief at the Valero gas station. The suspect kicked the window of the front door, and then left the scene in a new model Jeep. Nov. 25 At 8:45 a.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to an unresponsive male at the 4500 block of Holly. The victim was transported to Ben Taub hospital by Bellaire Medic 81. The victim was pronounced deceased by Ben Taub emergency room medical physician. At 12:10 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the area of 5002 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a theft in progress. Officers searched the area and located a suspect across the street at Randalls who had stolen items from Walgreens. The suspect was arrested for theft and possession of drug paraphernalia. At 3:39 p.m., Officer O'Sullivan was dispatched to the 5400 block of Valerie Street in reference to a past burglary of a habitation. The investigation concluded with possible suspect DNA and prints being sent for analysis at the crime lab. At 4:45 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on a red Kia for defective passenger side brake light in the 5200 block of West Loop Service Road. During the investigation, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license with no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid enhanced and was transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking. Nov. 26 At 12:15 a.m., Officer Ortega was dispatched to the 6500 block of IH 610 South in reference to a major accident. Officer Ortega arrived on scene at 12:17 a.m. and after further investigation, the driver of the vehicle was arrested for driving while intoxicated. A Houston man is accused of gunning down a 61-year-old during a dispute over a pack of cigarettes, days before passersby noticed the smell and found his body in an abandoned house. After nearly a year of chasing down leads, police on Tuesday finally arrested Mark A. Johnson, who'd been on the run since he was charged with murder in September. It was an anonymous tip that led police to the scene of the slaying, just blocks away from the dump site where Ray Charles Henderson's body was found. The day of the killing, just before Christmas 2016, Henderson and Johnson had feuded over a pack of cigarettes, witnesses later told Houston police. They'd both been hanging out at a house in the 4200 block of Madden, where visitors frequently smoked crack, according to court documents. They started arguing Henderson had taken money to go buy a pack for Johnson and another person - but instead he came back empty-handed. That kicked off an argument, and Johnson allegedly shot Henderson repeatedly, in front of at least one other person and with multiple others at home who heard the gunshots. Afterward, Johnson allegedly threatened to kill others at the home, but ultimately left without any further violence. On Dec. 26, two men working in a field caught whiff of a foul odor and spotted Henderson's body in a vacant house in the 6700 block of Madden. After meeting with multiple witnesses over a period of months, authorities charged Johnson in late September and issued a warrant. The 55-year-old has a long list of prior arrests dating back to the 1980s, including everything from drunk driving to robbery. He was arrested Tuesday by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force and is being held in the Harris County jail. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ricardo Llamas, with scars on his back and legs from being shot four times by a sheriff's deputy, was somber after his trial ended Wednesday in a hung jury. "If I had been shot by anybody else, I would be the victim in this case," he said. "But I got shot by a cop, so they're trying to make me a criminal. They have to go after me to justify what this guy did to me." The 41-year-old truck driver's aggravated assault trial ended in a mistrial after the jury sent out three notes over six hours saying they could not agree. Five jurors were voting not guilty and seven wanted to convict. To Llamas, it seemed like he was arrested because he was leaving a flea market at 10 p.m. on March 26. That is when a sheriff's deputy opened fire on the broad side of Llamas' soft-top Jeep Wrangler. "It's very hard to be Hispanic or black in this country," he said. "If he (deputy) comes downtown or the Galleria, he wouldn't have opened fire." Llamas was arrested at the hospital and taken to jail on a charge of aggravated assault against a public servant after police say he tried to use his Jeep to run over Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Mook in the 8700 block of Airline Drive. After notification from the jury that they were hopelessly deadlocked, state District Judge Susan Brown declared a mistrial and released the jury. The prosecutors declined to comment as they left the courtroom. The jury foreman, a 49-year-old woman from north Houston who declined to give her name, said she voted not guilty because prosecutors did not prove intent. "I didn't think the prosecutors proved their case," the juror said. "I'm not doubting that everything happened, I agree with that, but I don't think that they proved to me that he intentionally tried to run over the officer." She said she thought Llamas behaved recklessly, but was not intentionally trying to run over the deputy. Civil rights activists have questioned why Llamas' trial began before a civil rights investigation into the officer's actions was complete. "We continue to believe that important information would be uncovered in an investigation of a questionable shooting that has never been investigated," said defense attorney Carmen Roe, who represented Llamas. After the mistrial, she said she was disappointed that the jury did not agree with her contention that the shooting could not have happened the way the officer testified. "They ignored a story that was completely implausible and could not have occurred based on the physical evidence," she said. "I think the jury correctly identified the issue, which was that Mr. Llamas never intentionally tried run over the officer." Roe said Llamas did not pose any threat to the officer, citing bullet holes in the side rather than front of the vehicle as evidence that the shooting may have been unwarranted. She said evidence presented at trial showed the officer was on one knee, shooting at the side of the Jeep from about 15 feet away. Prosecutors have argued that the officer was in fear for his life from a speeding Jeep when he fired the shots. At a press conference in November, Johnny Mata, acting chairman of the Greater Houston Coalition For Justice, said that the rush to judgment without a serious investigation is "travesty of justice." He questioned why a trial is going forward before the officer has been investigated by a grand jury, as is protocol with all officer-involved shootings in Harris County. The trial began Nov. 28 after reaching the top of the docket on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Last month, Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the District Attorney's office, said trial dates are set by the judge, and are out of his office's control. He confirmed that Mook's actions will be reviewed by the office's Civil Rights Division. While the city collectively braces for rain and 40-degree temperatures Wednesday, some Houstonians question whether snow may be on the menu this month. Temperatures are expected to drop roughly 20 degrees Tuesday night as a cold front moves into the area, Dan Reilly, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston, said in a news release Tuesday morning. "Temperatures will stay mainly in the 40s on Wednesday (upper 40s, lower 50s near the water) with wind chills in the 30s and lower 40s. It will be windy over the marine areas and areas downwind of the Bays," Reilly added. COLD-BLOODED: Creepy giant cockroach of the sea found on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico While it's always possible for snow in Houston this time of year, it is highly unliky, Matthew Lanza, managing editor of Space City Weather, told Chron.com Monday. The cold weather through mid to late December over the U.S. will be heavily directed just east of Houston, meaning the city will likely miss out on really cold temperatures, last seen here with any real consistency back in 2014, Lanza added. Now Playing: FOX 26 News Chief Meteorologist Dr. Jim Siebert Video: Fox 26 Houston "So if we want our snow odds to increase, we would like to see the trajectory of the cold shift a little farther west. That's not in the cards for now, but that's not to say all hope is lost. Houston's greatest snowstorm of record was 20 inches on Valentine's Day 1895. So we have a couple months where it can still snow here," Lanza said. The last time Houston saw a memorable amount of snow was in early Dec. 2008 when flakes were large enough to hold their shape before melting into the pavement. That snowfall left an impact on Reddit users in Houston, who shared their stories and photos Monday on r/houston. "I went and got my son out of school so he could play in the snow as long as he wanted and as long as it stuck around," Reddit user notyouagain2 commented. "I imagine a lot of dogs were in heaven. Being from a place where it snows regularly I know my dogs always were the happiest beings in the world when we got good snows," truepoverty added. 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. Pearland Independent School District officials are disputing claims by the family of a 6-year-old student that a substitute teacher called police on the boy. The boy's father, Maher Suleiman alleges in a Fox 26 Houston report that a teacher at C.J. Harris Elementary School called police to report his 6-year-old son as a possible terrorist. Suleiman told the TV station that the child has Down syndrome and does not speak. Social activist Quanell X told the Pearland Journal on Dec. 4 that his office is looking into the matter on behalf of the Suleiman family, and Child Protective Services representatives confirmed a case has been opened regarding the child. The story on Suleiman's claims went viral earlier in the week, with parents weighing in on various Pearland Facebook groups and Twitter commenters worldwide slamming the school district over the allegations. In a statement released Dec. 5, Pearland ISD spokeswoman Kim Hocott confirmed that a report was made to police regarding the child but said the Suleiman family's allegations are false. From the statement: "It is not true that a substitute teacher made a report of an incident with this child. The substitute teacher was not involved in any way with this report to the police. "It is not true that this child was in any way adversely affected by any school personnel. "The reasons for the report to the police are serious and were legally required of the individual making the report - but those reasons cannot be revealed by the school district - without compromising student/family/employee confidentiality laws. "While we understand the police department may have referred this matter to CPS, we are bound by the same restrictions as are CPS officials with regard to the release of information." Pearland ISD Superintendent John Kelly also posted a blog on Dec. 5 blasting media coverage and social media response to various events in the school district, including the incident at C.J. Harris. "Some social media comments are accurate and supportive. But there are many other comments/critiques that run the gamut from criticism to gossip to blatantly false portrayals of what has happened in each case. "Obviously this causes confusion and people naturally want the school district to comment on what is true and what is not. It's not that simple." Hocott said the district's original response to the allegations was to not provide a comment due to privacy concerns. However, she said the district had since been advised that officials could make statements denying the allegations. Dana Guthrie is a digital reporter at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on Twitter at @danapguthrie. The worker killed on a construction project at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Beaumont died after she was hit by a piece of piping, according to a suit filed by her family Monday. Yesenia Espinoza, 31, was working for Echo Maintenance on a construction project. The medical examiner has released the identity of a Houston man who took his own life after he allegedly held a woman hostage for hours Monday night. Keith Lowrey Townsend, 47, died early Tuesday morning after leading police on a chase through Houston, then taking a woman traveling with him into another vehicle at gunpoint and barricading the two of them inside, according to the Houston Police Department. After HPD's Hostage Negotiation Team successfully negotiated the release of the woman, police say Townsend turned the gun on himself. He died of a gunshot wound to the head, records with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences show. Now Playing: A lengthy SWAT scene ended with an apparent suicide early Tuesday morning after a man led police on a chase then held a woman at gunpoint, the Houston Police Department said. Video: OnSceneTV Townsend had racked up a relatively lengthy criminal record over the past two decades prior to Monday night's SWAT scene. Most recently, he had been charged twice for possession of a controlled substance in Williamson County in 2008 and 2014 and, in Harris County, with misdemeanor theft of three bicycles in 2016 and making a terroristic threat in 2015. As for Monday night's events, police had not determined any motive. The chaos unfolded that night after a Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's deputy spotted what he believed to be a stolen U-Haul van at East Hardy and Tidwell. The driver, Townsend, would not stop, and so HPD joined the chase, which lasted about 30 minutes before the van blew a tire and came to rest at East 32nd and Omega, near Independence Heights. As police closed in, Townsend emerged from the van while holding a woman at gunpoint--she had been a passenger in the van and the two were acquainted, police said. Townsend then led the woman through a vacant lot on Hinton--just a block east of Omega--and fired a shot at officers as they pursued, preventing them from following, HPD said. Ultimately, police say Townsend entered a residential backyard and forced the woman into a Honda CRX parked there. Just after police managed to successfully negotiate the woman's release, a SWAT team threw a gas canister into the vehicle. Not long after, they heard a gunshot. At a 3:30 a.m. press briefing, when Executive Chief Troy Finner still believed Townsend may be alive as he was transported to the hospital, Finner expressed his concern for him, saying HPD would pray that he'd make it. "It's always our goal to end all of these situations peacefully," Finner said, "and we just pray right now, the gentleman, whatever he was dealing with that made him want to attempt to take his own life, that he makes it." A review of Townsend's social media pages shows he was upset over the loss of his longtime girlfriend, who died in September 2016. In various posts he described how the woman taught him to love himself before she passed. On Wednesday, a Facebook friend of Townsend's, who described him as homeless and struggling with addiction in recent times, wrote on his page, "He was a good person. I wish he hadn't passed the way he did and I hope more than anything he has found his peace and that he found [his girlfriend] as soon as he crossed over." A former clerk says he was fired by a Harris County Justice of the Peace because he enlisted in the military, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Houston. The young man claims the judge discriminated and retaliated against him due to his military service. Raul Porras Peralta sued the office of Zinetta Burney, a longtime Justice of the Peace, saying she instructed him to resign from his job as clerk shortly after he enlisted. The firing happened on the same day the judge learned he planned leave the office in four months' time for 22 weeks of military duty and then return to his job, the lawsuit says. Peralta, who according a Facebook profile enlisted in the U.S. Army, refused to resign, according to court documents. He alleges that Burney terminated him on the spot, telling him "in the state of Texas I don't have to have a reason." Peralta worked as a supervisory administrative clerk at the office from Sept. 30, 2015 until the time of his dismissal in September 2016. He was praised by coworkers for his professionalism and productivity, the lawsuit claims. But he says that after he expressed his interest in joining the military, a coworker falsely accused him of a clerical error that caused a defendant to be arrested in error. Burney, who has served as presiding justice of the peace in the court south of University of Houston campus since January 2005, was working off-site on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment on the allegations. However, Robert Soard, First Assistant at the Harris County Attorney's Office said the U.S. Department of Labor previously investigated the allegations and closed its file without taking action. Burney and her chief clerk said in sworn affidavits related to that investigation that they had made the decision to terminate Peralta on Aug. 8, 2016 due to his poor performance, work ethic and attitude. The judge said she only learned of his plans to enter the military after they had made that personnel decision. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO - A meeting to sell a necklace ended with two teens both shot in the leg Tuesday evening on the North Side. San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Robert Perez said the teens, ages 14 and 15, met two men in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 8500 block of Ahern Drive, across the street from North Star Mall. The teens had met the seller using Offerup, a smartphone application used to buy and sell items, and arranged to buy the necklace, police said. RELATED: Police: S.A. murder suspect told his child to clean up blood after stabbing estranged wife Now Playing: Two teens were reportedly shot in the legs on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Police said it appeared that the teens tried to steal a necklace that they had agreed to buy over an app and the seller's passenger shot them. Video: San Antonio Express-News The seller parked a red truck in front of the apartments and met with the teens, Perez said. Investigators said it appears the teens tried to steal the necklace. Thats when a passenger with the seller shot at the teens, Perez said. Both of them were shot in the right leg, Perez said. RELATED: Authorities ID man accused of fatally shooting San Marcos officer They were taken to University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. Everyones being cooperative ... were just trying to sort out if any charges are going to be filed, Perez said. He then urged caution to people who plan to buy or sell items using social media. Meet at the police station, Perez said. Theres no reason to meet in a secluded area where its dark. Youre just taking your own safety at risk. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate South Texas families are stilling finding their way home three months after a Category 4 hurricane swept through the state's coastal bend. Recovery efforts in Port Aransas and Rockport, two small cities wrecked by Hurricane Harvey, are inching along with debris removal, home rebuilds and communities working to help one another. Rockport Mayor Charles Wax said about 86 percent of the city's debris removal is complete, with roughly 2 million cubic yards of trash taken out of town. About 380 businesses of the city's 1,300 have reopened and 118 housing units are set up. RELATED: What Hurricane Harvey would have done to San Antonio Wax said 370 families are in temporary housing and more than $25.6 million has been distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "We're significantly better off than we were," Wax said. "We're making progress a little bit at a time. We're getting better everyday." Roughly 20 miles across the bay in Port Aransas, a local couple has transformed their damaged home into a donation center. Bobbie Bowler and her fiance's home filled with 3.5 feet of water during the storm, which went on to dump more than 50 inches on Houston. The couple had to toss everything inside because sewage water also rushed into the house. With most of the building cleaned out, Bowler and her fiance decided to use it as an area where those looking to help can drop off items, and residents can pick up whatever they need. PHOTOS: 6 large barges wash ashore near Port Aransas after Hurricane Harvey Bowler said the situation in Port Aransas is better compared to three months or even one month ago, but it's still dire. "The place smelled like rotting garbage. The mildew and mold in the air were causing big outbreaks of allergies and asthma. It was like our city was caving in on itself," she said of the weeks just after the hurricane. Now, residents are just "starting to breath again." Trash and debris are still piled up around town, but it's cleaner and filled with less mildew, she said. Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan said FEMA is covering 90 percent of the debris removal costs, more than 80 percent of homes and businesses in town were destroyed by Harvey and more than 100 residents were still displaced as of Thanksgiving. Homes north Texas State Highway 361 still appear as though the hurricane just struck, Bowler said. RELATED: Vintage photos from Port Aransas portray early life of a budding Texas vacation spot "The houses do look like they've been hit by a bomb," she said. "That part of town, when you drive through that, it still pulls at you and it's really hard because you know those people are really hurting." A mile down the road on the city's South Side, Bowler said the area is not as devastated. "It's amazing what a mile of difference does," she said. Those looking to donate supplies can have items shipped to 206 Glendale Avenue, Port Aransas, TX 78373. Monetary donations can be made to Sandcastle Ministry's website. Staff writer Alia Malik contributed to this report. Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @Kbrad5 Ferocious fires tore through Southern California on Tuesday, burning massive stretches of land in a matter of hours and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. As firefighters in Ventura County grappled with an explosive blaze northwest of downtown Los Angeles, others across the region confronted additional fires that forced additional evacuations. Authorities issued ominous warnings of more dangers to come during a "multi-day event" across the area, as weather forecasters said the region faces "extreme fire danger" through at least Thursday due to intense Santa Ana winds and low humidity that could cause the fires to grow rapidly. The wildfires are the latest grim chapter in a brutal year for California, coming just months after deadly blazes in the state's wine country killed dozens of people and razed thousands of buildings. The biggest fire Tuesday was in Ventura County, where a small blaze quickly went out of control as it spread across more than 50,000 acres by the afternoon. The blaze - which burned an area nearly as large as Seattle - stretched into the city of Ventura, home to over 100,000. "The prospects for containment are not good," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said at a news briefing as the fire was beginning its aggressive expansion. "Really, Mother Nature's going to decide when we have the ability to put it out." As the flames spread, the sun rose over Ventura and revealed the damage left behind by what is named the Thomas Fire. Homes were destroyed and the charred remains of cars sat among heaps of ash. The impact hit home for many of those responding to the blaze: One local fire official told a reporter that he had to call his daughter to tell her that her apartment had burned. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County. "This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said in a statement. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so." What caused the fire remained unknown Tuesday, Lorenzen said. The fire's ultimate impact also remained unclear. Authorities said at least 150 structures in Ventura County were destroyed by Tuesday afternoon, but Lorenzen said that number could increase in coming days because firefighters were not able to assess the damage in most affected areas. He also warned that there is "a high possibility" that more areas will be evacuated. Lorenzen said 27,000 people were evacuated, and "almost none of them know the status of their homes." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - A lawyer who spent six months on the run after pleading guilty in a $500 million Social Security fraud scheme was flown back to Kentucky on Tuesday after he was caught outside a Pizza Hut in Honduras. Conn, 57, was led away in handcuffs by Honduran police agents with ballistic vests and assault rifles, and then turned over to the FBI, which flew him home in a private plane. "As promised, Mr. Conn will now be held accountable for his actions, the people he deceived and the lives he shattered, including all the victims of his greed in eastern Kentucky," said Amy Hess, special agent in charge of the Louisville field office for the FBI. Conn speaks multiple languages, had crossed the border 140 times over 10 years and had told at least six people he would flee the country rather than go to jail for his crimes. Yet a federal judge released Conn on $1.25 million bail, and allowed him to remain free even after he pleaded guilty in March to stealing from the federal government and bribing a judge to fix Social Security fraud cases. Conn fled on June 2. He cut off his electronic ankle monitor and put it inside a metallic pouch designed to suppress electronic signals, authorities said. While nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies searched for the fugitive, he was sentenced in absentia last summer to a 12-year prison term - the maximum possible. Conn faces many more years in prison if convicted of charges related to his escape. Conn's capture was cheered by his former clients and their families, who have struggled to make ends meet while fighting to keep their Social Security disability checks. "That's wonderful," said Donna Dye, whose husband was among Conn's clients in Appalachia. "I never thought they would catch him. He let people like my husband have trust in him, and he let that down." Dye's husband, Timothy, was among the throngs of Conn's clients who had to fight to keep their disability checks. Timothy Dye went on disability for chronic arthritis after working decades in coal mines. Conn, who started his law practice in a trailer in 1993, had portrayed himself as "Mr. Social Security." He fueled that persona with outlandish TV commercials and small-scale replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial at his office in Kentucky. Conn represented thousands in successful claims for benefits. But his empire crumbled when officials discovered he had been bribing a doctor and judge to approve disability claims based on fake evidence. As part of the fallout, the Social Security Administration identified about 1,500 beneficiaries, mostly in eastern Kentucky, who were made to undergo hearings. Pillersdorf said those hearings are nearly complete, and about 700 have been found eligible to maintain the benefits. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block an impeachment resolution brought by Houston Democrat Al Green to remove President Donald Trump from office. By a vote of 364 to 58, lawmakers approved a GOP motion to table Green's resolution, effectively killing it. In all, only 58 Democrats including Houston's Sheila Jackson Lee sided with Green. Four others, including Texans Joaquin Castro and Marc Veasey, voted "present." Green's effort, citing "bigotry, hatred and hostility from the president," was strongly opposed by House Democratic leaders, who considered it premature premature and potentially counterproductive. Nevertheless, the vote put some rank-and-file Democrats on the spot, caught between antipathy for the president and a desire to see multiple investigations of Trump's alleged Russia ties run their course. READ ALSO: Immigration activists reject Cornyn proposal on Dreamers Now Playing: A Democratic representative from Texas has declared that there will be a House vote to impeach President Trump before Christmas. Video: GeoBeats Despite the push-back from leaders in his own party, Green pressed on in what amounted to his third attempt at impeachment. "For too long, we have allowed our civility to prevent us from confronting the invidious incivility of President Donald J. Trump," Green wrote in a letter to colleagues on Tuesday. "In doing this, hatred disguised as an acceptable political correctness has festered in our body politic and polluted our discourse to our detriment." Green, wearing an American flag tie, read his entire resolution on the House floor shortly after noon Wednesday. He outlined two articles of impeachment: one for "associating the presidency with white nationalism, neo-Nazism and hatred;" and another for "inciting hatred and hostility." READ ALSO: Farenthold says he will pay back money for sexual harassment settlement Under House rules, a "privileged" resolution for impeachment triggers almost immediate consideration generally, within two legislative days. GOP leaders had signaled in advance their intention to quickly table the measure, which they did. With Republican majorities in the House and Senate, there remains virtually no chance Trump could be impeached, barring new developments in the House, Senate or Justice Department probes of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election. But for Democrats, the GOP's procedural motion to table Green's resolution forced them into the awkward position of having to go on the record on a politically fraught impeachment motion. Kentucky Republican Harold Rogers, who was presiding over the House when Green read his resolution, held off on announcing any immediate move on Green's resolution. But two hours later, the vote was on. While a few other liberals have called for Trump's impeachment, most Democrats said they favored letting the congressional and special counsel investigations run their course. In a statement before the vote, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said that while "legitimate questions have been raised about (Trump's) fitness to lead this nation," she urged rank-and-file Democrats to kill Green's resolution. "Right now, congressional committees continue to be deeply engaged in investigations into the president's actions both before and after his inauguration," Pelosi said. "The special counsel's investigation is moving forward as well, and those inquiries should be allowed to continue. Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." Houston Democrat Gene Green, an ally of Al Green, was among the 126 Democrats who voted to kill the impeachment resolution. "While I disapprove President Trump and most of his policy actions since he has been in office, I believe that we should allow our judicial institutions to do their job before we begin to debate impeachment of the president," he said. Besides Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, two other Texas Democrats voted for impeachment: Lloyd Doggett of Austin and Filemon Vela of Brownsville. El Paso Democrat Beto O'Rourke, running for the U.S. Senate against Texas Republican Ted Cruz, joined four other Texas Democrats in voting to table Green's resolution. Despite divisions within his own caucus, Green has repeatedly talked of impeaching Trump, which he cast as a moral and historical imperative, even if it only has symbolic value. The vote was the first time the House has been called on to formally consider impeachment since a pair of Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush in 2008. That effort died in committee. Only two presidents have been impeached in the House: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Neither was convicted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned before an impeachment measure went before the full House. Green backed down under pressure from an earlier effort to impeach Trump in October. That came after an earlier push, which he postponed out of respect for the mass shooting in Las Vegas. This time, he forced a vote few Democrats wanted to take. "As I have said before, this is not about Democrats, it is about democracy," he told his colleagues. "It is not about Republicans, it is about the fate of our Republic. May everyone vote their conscience knowing that history will judge us all." Green acknowledged that his case against Trump relies not on allegations of criminal wrongdoing, but of divisive words and acts that he said undermine social stability. He made no mention of obstruction of justice, collusion, or any other potential crimes stemming from Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and its alleged ties to Russia. "Impeachment is a political remedy, not a judicial remedy," he said in his letter to colleagues. "Thus it may be a high misdemeanor, which may or may not be a crime." Green's eight-page resolution recounted a series of Trump controversies, starting with his statement that white nationalists and Ku Klux Klansmen protesting in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August included some "very fine people." He also cited Trump's statements criticizing National Football League players who have knelt during the national anthem, his travel ban directed at several majority Muslim nations, his order blocking transgender people from serving in the military, and his recent decision to share three anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of an anti-immigrant British political party. In the NFL dispute, Green seized on Trump's statement calling for the firing of any "son of a bitch" who disrespects the flag. Green's resolution said that amounts to calling the protesters' mothers the majority of them black "bitches." That passage prompted the House Reading Clerk to spell out the offensive language rather than read the words aloud on the House floor. "My friends, like it or not, we have elected a bigot as president," Green said during a morning C-SPAN call-in show just before he went on the House floor. Green, 70, born in New Orleans, reminded viewers that he grew up in the segregated South. "I know what invidious racism looks like. I know what it sounds like. I even know what it tastes like." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON A proposal by Texas U.S. Senator John Cornyn and other GOP senators to provide temporary relief to so-called Dreamers living in the U.S. illegally was shot down Tuesday by a leading immigration rights group opposed to tougher immigration and border measures that would go along with it. Cornyn's plan, unveiled Tuesday with Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, would give three years of legal protection to the estimated 690,000 current Dreamers, or people who were brought into the country illegally as children. "This bill provides a real, bipartisan solution for those brought here by their parents illegally who now find themselves in limbo," said Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. But several activist organizations called it a poor substitute for the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which President Donald Trump has ordered phased out by March. Immigration rights advocate Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice Education fund, called it "a witch's brew of nativist poison pills topped by a stingy, temporary three-year reprieve for those with DACA." "Put bluntly," Sharry continued, "the Grassley-Cornyn bill says, 'give us everything we want in exchange for almost nothing you want, deal?'" The legislation would allow the Trump administration to build wall-like "tactical and technological infrastructure" along the U.S.-Mexico border. It also would threaten funding for so-called sanctuary cities that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and beef up the e-verify employment verification program. Another controversial provision would limit family members that U.S. citizens and permanent residents can sponsor for green cards, a process known as "chain migration." The proposal draws in part on border security legislation Cornyn introduced earlier this year. He said the compromise would provide certainty to DACA recipients, target illegal immigration, and enhance border security. Sharry suggested that Cornyn's terms are unlikely to be accepted by Democrats, setting them up to be cast as obstructionists on immigration. "This isn't about teeing up legislation," he said, "it's about teeing up the blame game." But Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles and former Chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship in the administration of president George W. Bush, called it a "serious proposal" and urged Democrats to negotiate. "I don't like all the provisions in this initial framework, but its proponents have been very clear that this plan is not set in stone and that they are open to changes," he said. Some Senate Democrats have vowed to block a major 2018 spending measure unless it includes a fix for the expiring DACA program, a threat that could lead to a government shutdown. Qualcomm Inc. is taking another stab at breaking into the market for personal-computer processors with a range of new devices it says will stay connected and run all day on one battery charge. The worlds largest mobile-phone chipmaker showed off laptops from Asustek Computer Inc., and HP Inc. using Microsoft Corp.s Windows software at an event Tuesday in Maui, Hawaii. The slim machines will have wireless connections via mobile phone chips that ensure theyre always receiving data and sip battery power in a way that enables them to go days between charges, Qualcomm said. Convincing consumers that theyre getting something new that isnt available already in PCs will be key to breaking Intel Corp.s hold on a market where more than 90 percent of laptops ship with its processors. Qualcomm argues that smartphone processors are now powerful enough to run computers that cover the vast majority of most users daily needs and provide advantages over devices that use Intel chips. Were not trying to create a PC that basically is designed to compare with what the PC is today, said Cristiano Amon, the head of Qualcomms chip business. What were thinking is how can we make the PC more like a smartphone. MORE TECHBURGER Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. See More Collapse The PC push is one of several initiatives from Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf that aim to parlay Qualcomms dominance in mobile into other areas. San Diego-based Qualcomm this year started offering server processors and is aiming to expand into the growing market for chips used in vehicles through a pending $47-billion purchase of NXP Semiconductors NV. Those efforts may struggle to move forward if Broadcom Ltd.s attempt to acquire Qualcomm succeeds. Broadcom chief Hock Tan, who has led his companys central role in industrywide consolidation, has quickly improved profitability in his targets by cutting projects that arent related to their main businesses. Broadcom has offered $105 billion for Qualcomm in an approach that so far Qualcomm has spurned. With the new laptops, Qualcomm is seeking to address common pain points for computer users, including unreliable Wi-Fi connections, complicated log-ins and expensive data access at hotels and other public places. A laptop with a cellular connection should be able to get fast data over the latest modem and remain connected anywhere a phone works, Qualcomm said. Its enlisting phone-service providers such as Sprint Corp. to help promote the products. The Asus machine will go on sale for $599 and be capable of going 30 days on standby between charges, its Chief Executive Officer Jerry Shen said at the Qualcomm event. Qualcomm says computers based on its chips could get more than 25 hours of normal use from one charge. Similar machines running on rivals chips -- Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is the only other supplier of microprocessors -- ran out of juice after about 7 hours in tests, Qualcomm said. For Microsoft, which has tailored software to make sure that regular PC programs will work on the new chips, the initiative is a renewed attempt to get Windows into the mobile space traditionally served by tablets and phones. Its previous attempt failed due to poor performance of the tablets and lack of software and hardware options. Qualcomm was one of the companies that provided chips in the effort that petered out in 2013 amid disappointing sales. Intel countered that the idea of giving a laptop a cellular connection is far from new and there are already plenty of those machines on sale. An always-connected PC needs to be first and foremost a great PC one that delivers a seamless experience in all of the areas consumers and businesses care about, Intel said in a statement. Weve been delivering always connected PCs for years and remain laser focused on offering the latest technology that will bring value to consumers. 2017 Bloomberg L.P. Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. SKANEATELES Former TV weatherman Dave Eichorn talked climate change Tuesday at the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program's annual meeting. His message to the crowd? Climate change is happening, and the Northeast does not have the infrastructure to handle upcoming changes. "We need to start thinking in the back of our minds now about preparing for rapid, abrupt changes in weather, and what used to be normal just isn't anymore," Eichorn said. Retired after nearly two decades on NewsChannel 9, the meteorologist is now a meteorology instructor at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He was the final presenter at the program's meeting at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles Tuesday. Addressing the farming community, he said the Northeast doesn't even seem prepared to handle the weather happening now. There were chuckles throughout the crowd. He referenced heavy rainstorms this past summer, and showed some slides of record-breaking snowfalls in New York state over the last decade. "I think agriculturally," he said," I think we're going to be in a situation where we're going to have to recognize that what we're going through right now is not just a one- or two-year thing. We need to start making adjustments both in our structure, our hardware, our spreading of manure, everything that we're regulated to do, everything that we want to do." The reason for the changing weather patterns, Eichorn explained, is due to a warming Arctic. The temperature rise there is changing the speed and direction of jet streams. Considering North America is sandwiched by two oceans, and storm tracks tend to move up the eastern seaboard, Eichorn said the Northeast and the Ohio Valley are getting some of the more extreme weather events. But while they may appear extreme to residents, the events are what Eichorn calls, "somebody else's weather," getting pushed down into the Northeast region. While Eichorn acknowledged that the climate has always changed, he said the difference today is the increased rate due to greenhouse gases. The only trend people may rely on now, he said, is the weather's variability. "It's for real," he said about climate change. "It's really happening. It's quantifiably and measurably happening." After the presentation, Executive Director of the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District Mark Burger said he experienced a lot of bad things this year at work. In his annual review slideshow, Burger highlighted adversities farmers have faced after the heavy summer storms and harmful algal blooms. "Farmers, I've got to ask you to stick together and support one another," he said. "One of the things I noticed is our industry may have been a little bit slow supporting each other. So when you have a neighbor that's going through a big project and it gets controversial, be there to support them." 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. AUBURN Members of the Auburn Planning Board unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend the Auburn City Council adopt the updated zoning code after it was revised based on comments from the public. During the planning board meeting, Senior Planner Stephen Selvek discussed about a dozen changes that have been made to the final draft of the code. The issue of tiny homes, an item that was not included in the city's code from the early 1990s, generated public comment from multiple sources as two Auburn human service organizations, Chapel House and Cape Haven, have plans to build tiny homes within the city for homeless persons. The 75-percent draft of the code prohibited tiny homes smaller than 384 square feet and only allowed them to exist in clusters of at least four tiny homes. The final draft of the code reduces the minimum amount of square footage to 320 square feet, but still requires the homes to be built in clusters of four to 12 units. Another issue that was remedied based on public comment involves the city's policy for alerting neighboring property owners of new development projects. According to the code's final draft, notification will be mailed out to all neighboring properties 400 feet from all boundaries of the property in question five days prior to a project being introduced at the city planning board meeting. Auburn resident Karen Walker, who raised concern about the previous notification policy, said she was satisfied with the changes. "I'm especially appreciative of the mayor, city council and city manager in both hearing the public's recommendations and what appears to be an affirmative response," Walker said after the meeting. In June, city council voted to impose a six-month moratorium on applications for new billboards as the zoning code was being updated. Originally, city staff wanted to prohibit all new billboards from going up and remove all existing billboards within the next three years. However, after representatives from Park Outdoor Advertising and local businesses expressed concern regarding the policy, it was changed in the code's final draft. New billboards are still prohibited. However, one new digital billboard can be placed in the highway commercial zoning district if the advertising company removes four existing billboard faces from any other zoning district. Selvek said there are 10 billboards within the city, plus the digital billboard on the Arterial. Rules regarding the planning board are also included in the updated code. One major change would reduce the number of board members from seven to five. The code would also provide guidelines for state-regulated board member training, as well as the option for the planning board to review and update the zoning code as needed every April, Selvek said. Board Chairman Sam Giangreco said he does not support changing the number of board members. Selvek also discussed changes regarding food trucks, microbreweries, RV and heavy equipment storage, drive-thrus, standards for heavy industrial uses, short-term rentals and the different zoning districts. Selvek said there are likely to be additional changes and revisions made to the code following a final public hearing, which will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14 during the city council meeting. The code is scheduled to be voted on by the council the following week. Anu Emmanuel, who is currently shooting back-to-back for Pawan Kalyan-starrer Agnyathavaasi and Allu Arjuns upcoming film Naa Peru Surya, is making her presence felt in the Telugu industry. Even though her latest outing Oxygen opened to polarised reviews, she has impressed many with her resolute performance. The Chicago-born actor has now grabbed the eyeballs of many filmmakers. And according to latest reports, Anu has been approached by Trivikram Srinivas for his next film starring Jr NTR, and recently producer DVV Danayya, too, initiated talks with her for his new movie starring Ram Charan. Anus diary is chock-a-block till April. As a result, she has missed out working on Jayam Ravis new film in Tamil. Danayya and Trivikram really want Anu to work in their films, and word is they are waiting for her till she wraps up Naa Peru Surya and Naga Chaitanyas untitled film. If everything falls into place, she may sign both these films in mid-2018. ORRVILLE, Ohio - Venture Products, Inc. is expanding its Orrville location, adding 121 new jobs by fall 2018 and a new $5.5 million, 135,000-square-foot facility to accommodate the company's rapid growth in designing and making tractor equipment. While site preparation is under way, construction on the facility is expected to start in the spring and be completed by late fall. Jeff Dimos, vice president of finance and operations, said is growing rapidly, adding 70 jobs in 2017. The business, which has about 220 employees, plans to add manufacturing, assembly and warehousing jobs next year. "We've been really blessed," he said today. "We have a great team and ownership here. I'm not part of the family that owns the business, but we have a cultural family. I can tell you that. We're all part of the family." A typical 4500 Ventrac with a mower attachment and a Tilmor Tractor, designed and manufactured by Orrville-based Venture Products "Due to increased worldwide demand for our product and the release of new products, this expansion will enable Venture to continue providing top-quality equipment to customers in a timely manner," Randy Kitzmiller, Venture Products president and COO, said in a statement. Representatives from Team NEO, JobsOhio, Wayne Economic Development Council, and the city of Orrville collaborated with the Venture Products leadership team to help plan the expansion. "Along with our partners at JobsOhio and Wayne Economic Development Council, we welcome Venture Products' expansion, which positions Orrville as its global headquarters and the center of all operations," said Team NEO CEO Bill Koehler in a press release. "Northeast Ohio continues to be an ideal location for advanced manufacturing companies seeking proximity to markets, partners and customers. We are committed to helping companies find new ways to innovate. That's why we are particularly delighted that Venture Products will remain rooted in our region as it expands." Mike Hedberg, manager of the Orrville Economic Development office, added in the press release, "Venture Products' growth in Orrville and Wayne County is well-deserved. The company places great emphasis on delivering a quality product to its global customers. Venture's exceptional leadership and commitment to innovation have played, and will continue to play, a key role in the company's success." CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Rocky River entrepreneur was indicted Wednesday and charged with misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars from employees at companies where he served as president and chairman, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. C. David Snyder, 65, collected close to $860,000 for payroll taxes from his employees in 2010 and 2012 while he was chairman, president and CEO of Attevo, a now-defunct technology consulting company based in Cleveland. While meant for the IRS, federal prosecutors say Snyder did not pay the government the taxes. Snyder is also accused of embezzling more than $130,000 from a 401(k) and profit-sharing retirement plan he created for Attevo employees in 2009. Ruralogic, a company based in Bryan where Snyder served as chairman and primary shareholder, was added to the plan in 2010. Snyder did not pay contributions and loan repayments withheld from employee wages, authorities say. He faces seven tax charges and one count of embezzlement from an employee retirement plan. "This defendant embezzled money from an employee retirement account and did not pay to the IRS money he withheld from his employees' paychecks, all while living a lavish lifestyle," U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said in a news release. Prosecutors say Snyder agreed in 2011 to make monthly payments of $48,350 to the IRS to pay Attevo's tax liability. He made 10 payments totaling $483,500 and then paid no more. They say he made $850,132 in income from Attevo between 2009 and 2011 and paid $510,000 for the rental of his home on Edgewater Drive in Lakewood and a vacation home in New York. Snyder also took cash advances from a credit card issued to Attevo and subsequently caused money to be deposited into the bank accounts of he and his wife, according to prosecutors. Snyder has been involved in the Cleveland business community for a few decades and currently is the president and CEO of the technology consulting company Realscape Group. He used to be the chairman of the now-closed Crooked River Brewing Co. and is a former Ohio University board member. John McCaffrey, Snyder's attorney, said in a statement Wednesday that Attevo fell behind on its taxes during the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, and that it was because of "the resulting tightening of available credit from financial institutions, and the inability of customers to timely pay their bills." McCaffrey said the IRS filed a public lien on Snyder and Attevo, which dealt a fatal blow to the company. The statement also says Snyder "personally paid the amounts owed to the employee pension benefit" through a settlement he reached with the U.S. Labor Department in 2014. "David Snyder rejects the government's characterizations in the indictment, and he will defend himself with evidence in a court of law," the statement says. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fat Head's Brewery announced it is closing its Portland location in the first quarter of 2018. According to a press release issued via email at midnight Wednesday, Dec. 6, the company said through a spokeswoman it will shut the doors on the brewpub, which is located in the popular Pearl District in the northwestern part of the city. Glenn Benigni, who founded Fat Head's in 1992 in Pittsburgh, said in the release that the partners on the Portland location and the Fat Head's team "were unable to agree upon a vision for the future" and "mutually decided to close" the taproom. In late 2014, co-owner Matt Cole said he viewed the Portland location as a "new canvas." When Cole started the brewery's Western outpost, he made a concerted effort to keep everything as local as possible, from the equipment that the beer was brewed on to the cheese used in menu items. The location holds about 300 people and is open seven days a week. Fat Head's closing says something about the competition in the craft-beer world in Portland. The brewery is a perennial winner at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver and drew praise in Portland media this year, with oregonlive.com lauding the brewpub and its happy hour. About Fat Head's in Portland - 2014 Fat Head's in Portland - 2017 Fat Head's has grown considerably, especially recently. It has forged ahead with a major expansion in Middleburg Heights and is continuing with its plans to open a brewpub in Canton. Our Fat Heads Brewery Canton storefront is getting a face-lift! pic.twitter.com/OtwvVs1YyW Fat Head's Brewery (@FatHeadsBeer) December 5, 2017 Less than a week ago, Rivals Brewing Co. announced it will move into the Sheldon Road taproom formerly occupied by Fat Head's. Fat Head's is vacating the Sheldon Road location for a production-taproom facility it broke ground on this year near Interstate-71 about a mile and a half away. It will maintain its North Olmsted location. Beer apparently will still be poured at the Portland location on NW 13th Avenue, since the release notes that "All employees will be given the opportunity to retain their positions within the new company that will occupy the space..." On Monday, a Fat Head's Facebook post advertised a part-time position for a host / hostess at that location. The release also said Fat Head's will focus on its production and brand in "Ohio, Pennsylvania and neighboring states." MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- My name is Sonya Nudel and my roommate is Anna Novik. We live in Mayfield Heights. Millie has been nothing but a joy for us. She was a frightened pup at first but she opened her heart (and bark) to us and we've never looked back since. Walks, car rides, dog-friendly patios -- we've made our way around Cleveland. She loves the North Chagrin Reservation Metroparks, adores going getting a "pupachino" at Starbucks, begs for bacon at The Fairmount in Cleveland Heights, and tries to get as many people as possible to pet her along the way. She's the kindest animal I've had the pleasure of having loved me. We recently discovered that Millie is sick and won't be with us for long, but we're determined to show her as much love as possible with the time we have with her. In the three months that we've had her, she's made the world a brighter place for us, and for that I'm forever grateful. She was meant to come into our lives. I try hard not to be sad but to know that we gave Millie happiness, love, pets, and of course, all the food her little heart desires while we could. She's spending her final days happy, comfortable, well fed, and loved. Although it's not the happiest of adoption stories, I think it's an important one. Sometimes having a pet doesn't turn out the way you expected it too. But they can only tell us so much, and we have to be able to give them everything we can. Editor's note: Sonya Nudel reported that Millie recently died. Sonya Nudel Mayfield Heights Do you share your life with an animal that is near and dear to you? Tell us something about your pet - all species are welcome - and send along a photo of the two of you. Be sure to tell us which Greater Cleveland community you live in. Send everything to Linda Kinsey at lkinsey@cleveland.com. Jika Anda mencari situs web sbobet88 login yang andal dan aman untuk bermain poker online, permainan kasino, dan bentuk perjudian lainnya, Anda telah datang ke tempat yang tepat. Situs web kami menampilkan daftar lengkap permainan, opsi pembayaran, dan lainnya untuk memastikan Anda bersenang-senang saat bermain. Agen Judi judi adalah salah satu permainan poker online yang paling populer. Ribuan orang dari seluruh dunia telah bergabung dengan kasino online ini untuk bermain poker demi uang. 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Last month, the company sold 6,849 new energy vehicles and the year-to-date sales of this segment were 49,432 units. Among all Changan models, CS55 was the best-seller in November, whose monthly sales were 26,456 units, followed by another two SUV models, CS35 and CS55, whose November sales were 17,557 units and 15,457 units respectively. In sedan segment, the Changan Eado family achieved a sales volume of 6,731 units while the Alsvin series sold 4,988 units. The sales of Honor, one of Changan MPV models, were 7,021 units last month. Last month, Changan sold 6,570 Ossan A800s while the sales of Ossan were 3,715 units. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 4, Chery Holding Group entered an agreement with REV Group, an American manufacturer of specialty vehicles. The two companies will set up a joint venture in Wuhu, Anhui province, where Chery is headquartered. The new company will produce specialty vehicles for China local market and global market. The agreement says that in the early stage, the joint venture will focus on recreational vehicles and ambulances. According to the plan, the company will produce 6 recreational vehicles series and 3 ambulance series. After the first phase starts production, the production and sales are predicted to reach 5,000 units and the revenue is expected to exceed RMB 2 billion. After signing the agreement, both parties will start the construction of the joint venture factory in Wuhu. Mass-produced products are expected to roll off the production line in the second half of next year. Chery said in the announcement that the cooperation between the two companies signifies new efforts in its overseas expansion. REV Group boasts 29 brands and outstanding advantages in such segments as ambulance and fire trucks. Their cooperation will make full use of the technologies, talents, market and management resources on both sides to establish an international specialty vehicle brand. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Amazon isnt the only reason why some shoppers dont venture to brick-and-mortar stores around southwestern Connecticut. For many, finding a parking spot near their destination just isnt worth the trouble of getting in their car. In parts of some communities, such as Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk, parking is so scarce that business owners say they believe it can stunt their sales. Parking is our biggest complaint, salon manager John Castagnetti said about downtown Greenwich retailers frustrations. We have clients who cant find parking show up so late to appointments that we cant see them and thats money out of our pocket. As the holidays get closer, its an even bigger issue. Everyday, clients complain about not being able to find parking. Getting creative Parking availability frequently ranks as an important factor in where businesses decide to locate their offices or shops in the region, with some opting against central locations because of their limited access to parking. Castagnetti, managing director of Christopher Noland Salon, cited parking as 100 percent of the reason why the salon decided to move its blow dry bar across town to Cos Cob Plaza this fall instead of renewing its downtown lease. We hear people say all the time, Im not going downtown anymore, he said. In downtown Stamford, retailers expressed a range of dissatisfaction with the limited supply of parking, and the closure of the University of Connecticut garage on Washington Boulevard isnt helping matters. The only problem that we have is with parking, said Tom Shuiv, owner of City Furniture on Broad Street. Owner of Izets Leather and Shoe Repair Izet Music acknowledged the citys parking problem but said many of his customers get creative. Somehow customers find a way to get here, he said, citing common solutions include walking from their work buildings or the Stamford Town Center lot. Changing habits Unlike some of Connecticuts communities farther south, downtown Danbury isnt feeling constraints on its parking offerings. With downtown boasting two parking garages that have a combined 900 spaces in addition to 400 on-street spots, Danbury has the parking capacity for even more visitors, which local officials hope revitalization efforts will attract. Still, its supply doesnt stop shoppers from complaining occasionally, according to Danbury Parking Authority executive director Deborah Pacific. People like to park right where they shop or eat when in downtown. They dont stop to realize that when they shop at a box store or the mall, they are parking far away, she said. When they shop downtown, they dont have the same mindset. Several local parking officials discussed similar reasons for their own communitys perceived parking problems. In some places, improved signage and communications about parking options could go a long way in curbing frustrations from those unfamiliar with the area, said commercial real estate broker Tom Torelli. One of our suggestions to Greenwich officials was to create a map that shows the nearest long-term parking to each block and provide that to all store managers and owners, Torelli said. Its something you can do that doesnt cost a lot of money but can have a big impact, especially around Christmas time. Even when drivers do snag a parking spot, how its metered can also foster controversy. Responding to criticism Prompted by criticisms describing its ticketing as overzealous, Norwalk Parking Authority began distributing courtesy cards this summer to vehicles that have overstayed their meter times, allowing an extra 20 minutes of free use before being ticketed. Between July and mid-November, the Norwalk Parking Authority distributed more than 2,100 cards, contributing to an 18 percent reduction in tickets, according to Kathryn Hebert, executive director, who thinks the program could expand to other cities looking for better ways to encourage parking turnover. When Bridgeport installed automated parking meters in the downtown area earlier this year, the so-called RoBo cops drew the ire of many downtown merchants who argued the aggressively issued tickets costing $40 each drove away business. In response, the city council and the Mayors office made several adjustments to the meters, including adding a grace period, lowering the fines to $20 and ending Saturday meter enforcement. Though few communities have added more parking in recent years, Bridgeport, along with several other municipalities, has prioritized parking solutions that use smartphone apps for alerts and payments. Chris Bosak, Jordan Grice, Paul Schott and Alexander Soule contributed to this article. Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_ Every Thursday through the end of the year, the Connecticut Post will publish short stories about local families and people in need of a helping hand. The names of those included have been changed to protect their privacy. Each case will include an estimated dollar amount that would help them face everyday challenges like rent payments, child care costs and transportation. Every dollar donated to the Giving Fund goes directly to the clients in need. Click here to donate to The Giving Fund. Tara Case 021 Tara is a client of LifeBridge. She is a participant in TechConnections and is one of the youth who have graduated and gone on to a four-year college. Tara is one of many siblings and her mother works, but more often than not, her mothers salary only covers bills and family essentials. Tara is able to afford school through Pell Grants and student loans, but often has to buy books on an as-needed basis, or borrow them from classmates. Tara's ability to succeed in higher education would increase greatly if she were able to afford her own books. A gift of $400 would allow Tara the opportunity to sell those books back and apply the credit to next year's balance, making it easier for her to purchase books on an ongoing basis. Jan Case 022 Jan is currently a biology major at Housatonic Community College and is planning on transferring to Southern Connecticut State University to finish his degree. Once finished, he is interested in applying to the University of Bridgeport for the Physical Assistant program. Because of his intensive study schedule, he is only able to work a part-time job as a tiler for a friends dad. While he enjoys the work, his hours are not regular, and sometimes he is without work for two weeks at a time. Jans major financial worries are about his car, which he relies on to get from home to school and work. He has an older vehicle that needs major work, and currently doesnt have the funds to make the repairs. A gift of $500 would allow Jan to properly repair his car so he can continue to attend school and support himself with his part-time work. Joel Case 023 Joel was born and raised in Bridgeport, and was originally placed in a nursing home because he needed extensive care because of congestive heart failure. He lived in the nursing home for three years and recently transitioned back into the community with in-home assistance. While in the nursing home, Joel gained a significant amount of weight because the amount of exercise he could do was limited because of his physical condition. Joel is thrilled and extremely grateful to be living in the community but he is still limited and dealing with restrictions due to his current weight. Joel is in need of a gift of $488.02 to purchase a one-year gym membership to LA Fitness. Joel is a grandfather of three and is looking forward to being able to play and run around with the children in the playground that is across the street from his new home. Brenda Case 024 Brenda is a Bridgeport mother of three from ages 6 to 14, all of whom have physical, mental and developmental challenges. She dutifully brings them to each of their frequent appointments making sure their needs are met. She herself survived years of her own struggles, being abused and trafficked for labor, but now has her own future and that of her children to look forward to. A gift of $500 to help with food and daily supplies would help her provide for them this holiday season. Francine Case 025 Francine is a 59-year old woman from Bridgeport. She, her young adult daughter and her grandson were evicted earlier this year when Francine could no longer work after she was diagnosed with cancer. The daughter and grandson stayed with Francines adult son and wife in their one-bedroom apartment, while Francine was in a nursing home for treatment and rehabilitation. She is doing much better now, shes in remission, secured Social Security benefits and now has an accessible, subsidized three-bedroom apartment with in-home assistance. Francine is happy for her health and to be back with her daughter and the grandson she calls the love of her life. When Francine was in the nursing home, she had all her furniture and belongings placed in storage. However, her dining room table was somehow lost. A gift of $300 would help to purchase a new dining room table so this reunited family can have their meals together again in their new place. Mya Case 026 Mya is a Puerto Rican woman who lives in Bridgeport. A victim of incest, she also is a victim of emotional and physical abuse by her husband. Having moved to Connecticut a few years ago, she became stable and was healing from her traumas. However, recently one of her abusers came to Connecticut, so now she needs to leave the state for her own safety. She has a modest income and has made arrangements to move but still needs a moving truck for her clothes and furniture. Mya cannot afford to start from scratch. A gift of $500 would help her to relocate to safety and peace of mind. CarolAnn Case 027 CarolAnn is a single mother of twins living in Bridgeport who has been in several abusive relationships and desperately wants to find a way to live independently. She is having to move home to her parents house for the time being until she can find a job. A gift of $500 would help ease CarolAnns finances this Christmas so that her daughters do not have to feel the pressure, stress and fear that comes with seeing their mother having to rely on someone who has been abusive in the past. This would be a gift of being able to breathe again. Eugene Case 028 Eugene has been struggling with alcoholism for many years. Currently he is in recovery and has been able to maintain his sobriety for a few years. Due to the positive changes he has made in his life, he was successfully transitioned this year from living in a nursing home to independent living in the Bridgeport community. Eugenes support circle is in Stamford, and because he doesnt have his own transportation, it is difficult for him to stay connected. Feeling connected and keeping his mind occupied is crucial to his sobriety. He is grateful to be living independently but is in need of a computer so that he can lean on his support system and provide a distraction when necessary. Eugene is very determined and is working toward achieving and independent, sober life style one step at a time. A gift of $500 should help him purchase a computer. Please fill out the below coupon, enclose your payment and send to: CT Post Giving Fund P.O. Box 9383 Bridgeport, CT 06601-9383 Case # ______________________________________ Donation Amount: $ _______________________ My check enclosed (Payable to The Giving Fund) Charge my credit card: Visa |MasterCard |American Express|Discover Card # ______________________________________ Expiration Date: ___________ Signature ________________________________________________________________ Name (as it appears on card) ________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________ City _____________________________________ State ____________ Zip __________ Daytime Phone # _______________________________________________________ Id like my donation to remain anonymous All donations will be acknowledged by mail. Hygge pronounced "hue-gah" may be hard to say, but it's not a difficult concept to grasp. Considering the height of political turmoil the last two years have brought us, or the fast and inescapable encroachment of tech in our lives, this may very well be the best time for the people of the United States to wholly embrace hygge. Hygge puts a word to the Danish penchant for creating comfort and coziness. The idea has manifested itself in American books and magazines as pillows and linens, soft blankets and scented candles. But there's more to hygge than enjoying a warm cup of hot chocolate near the fireplace, burrowed in fleece as rain pelts the window. For Rhonda Eleish, hygge captures a sensibility she grew up with. She is part of the duo behind Eleish van Breems, a Westport-based company specializing in Scandinavian antiques, furniture and custom interior design. She and her business partner, Edie van Breems "both come from this perspective of enjoying life and the comforts of home." Eleish has family in Stockholm in fact, her great uncle K.W. Gullers was a famous post-war photographer in Sweden; her great aunt Ingvor was a textile specialist who served as an advisor for the queen's dollhouse collection. Van Breems is a quarter Swedish. Hygge is in their DNA. To Eleish and van Breems, hygge in the home means a space that is supportive of your life. "It needs to be well designed. It's beautiful and supports your life in form and function," Eleish said. Both women give credence to the idea that today's fast-paced world of unknowns may have inspired Americans to turn to hygge and the Danish lifestyle it represents, one that's often cited as the happiest in the world. "People just want to come back and re-center," said van Breems. "Hygge is leaving the rat race to find that spot your center to get inspired to create something better." Creating that center your sanctuary means understanding what brings you comfort and establishes balance in your life. "It's specific to you," van Breems said. It could be memories of eating Grandma's famous homemade lemon cake, or your favorite pair of pajamas, or even hosting friends and family to foster a sense of community. Once you settle on your idea of cozy contentment, it's time to bring it home and create an environment that supports your life, embracing your sense of hygge. Eleish and van Breems offer another concept to hone in on your journey to finding hygge its Swedish counterpart, lagom. Lagom, Swedish for "just the right amount," means "creating a life that is good, but not in excess," Eleish said. It's a way of life for Swedes to appreciate what they have less is more. This plays into creating a space that supports your life and comforts. Take a look at what you have in your home, Eleish suggested. What are your essentials and what can you live without? Having too much stuff can hinder finding your sense of hygge. Ben Soreff sees this struggle in people's homes all the time. As a professional organizer for House to Home Organizing, a company that services Fairfield and Westchester counties and beyond, he often acts as the first step for folks wanting to create a more peaceful living space. "We need to create that space" for hygge, he said. "When there's clutter, the home stops being about happiness and comfort, and it becomes about stress." RELATED: Litchfield Hills resort named one of the most "Hygge" in the U.S. Soreff came to learn about hygge after a bout with KonMari Method, lifestyle guru Marie Kondo's popular plan for de-cluttering. In his experience, KonMari-ing (evaluating everything you own to see if it brings you joy and discarding items that don't) was difficult for clients to stick to. Hygge, on the other hand, gives them a mission to create a sanctuary within the home that's their own. That's an idea a person can carry out. There's a reason it's a way of life for people in Denmark, Soreff said. "It's really common sense." If it wasn't easy, people wouldn't do it, he added. Soreff believes in creating habits to keep an organized home, and embracing hygge is a good habit to have. "Ultimately, we want relationships with people not objects, not stuff," he said. So you need to make the decisions about stuff that you might not have made in 30 years. That's not to say you can't keep items that do contribute to your sense of hygge, like family heirlooms and other sentimental pieces that can add personality to your home. In terms of decor, hygge is a "transition back to comfort and simplicity," van Breems said. It's a response to the "wonderful but sometimes cold modernism" in home design that's been popular over the last decade or so. The pendulum is swinging from super modern to transitional, but it's not going completely back traditional, Eleish explained. "We don't want to go back to traditional it's too heavy and too dated." What you want, she said, is both contemporary and classic a clear and elegant interior, punctuated with traditional designs. Eleish pointed to European interiors as inspiration. "They're so cool and chic." Why? Europeans have the confidence to mix modern and antique. "There isn't so much of a disposable mindset" in Europe as there is in the U.S., she said (there's that lagom concept again). Great grandma's 18th century armoire can hold its own with an Eames-style chair or a Lucite coffee table. There's no need to go out and replace something old if it's something that makes you happy. On the other hand, if you've inherited furniture you despise, lose it. "If it's bugging you every day, it's not going to bring you harmony," Eleish said. Furniture made with natural materials in designs that will last can help bring nature into the home, which can "nurture the soul," van Breems said. Whatever hygge means to you candles and coffee, wooden furniture, hosting family at the holidays it just needs to support the life you want to live. "There's no right or wrong with hygge," van Breems said. "It's you." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Naga Tulasi Ram Bethapudi was weeks away from graduating the University of Bridgeport with a masters degree. But his walk on a Shelton street proved fatal Tuesday when the graduate student was struck during a multi-vehicle crash. Bethapudi, 27, of Hyderbad, India, was hit about 7:20 p.m. in the vicinity of 350 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton police said. Bethapudi was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no arrests in the case as of Wednesday. He was studying electrical engineering, said Nounam Khan, Bethapudis former roommate. He was doing his masters degree. This was his last semester; he was graduating this December. UB officials said he has no relatives in the United States as far as they were aware. Khan, who is a UB senior studying mechanical engineering, said he lived with Bethapudi for four months for the fall 2016 semester. He was my classmate, said Khan. He used to live with me as well. Khan said he met Bethapudi while they were both enrolled in an electrical engineering course during the spring 2016 semester. He said Bethapudi was living in Waterbury at the time of his death and was commuting to UB. Students on campus said they had either not heard anything about his death, or they had read an email sent out by the universitys president Wednesday morning. Mustafa Al-Azdee, a senior electrical engineering major, said he heard about what happened solely through the email sent to the student body that did not identify Bethapudi as the student who was killed. One of my other classmates a friend called me. He said to inform as many people as you can to tell his friends, Khan said. He said the phone calls telling others that Bethapudi had died were not easy to make. Oh, it was tough, Khan said. Very tough. Though news of a memorial had not yet been shared with students Wednesday afternoon, Khan said the university usually organizes one. The UB Dean of Students Edina Oestreicher said her officer was working with Bethapudis cloest friends to plan a memorial. Its (a mood) of shock and sadness, on campus, Oestreicher said. He was polite, he was kind of shy, and a good student, said Bethapudis academic adviser Navarun Gupta, chair of the electrical engineering department. Oestreicher said Bethapudis studies focused on power electronics and solar energy. He was planning to complete a final project with a spotlight on sustainable energy. We wish to extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family, said University of Bridgeport President Neil A. Salonen. It is often helpful to talk about loss in the wake of a tragedy, and we urge individuals to avail themselves of these free and confidential resources. University of Bridgeport students who wish to speak to grief counselors can call 203-576-4454, and staff members can call 800-252-4555. The area of Bridgeport Avenue between Platt Road and Cots Street was closed Tuesday and into Wednesday as the Shelton police accident reconstruction team remained on the scene investigating. The police investigation into the accident is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the accident or has additional information is urged to call the Shelton Police Traffic Division at (203) 924-1544. To be honest, I'm a bigger fan of McDonald's than Burger King. But, when Burger King's CEO Daniel Schwartz talks, I listen. (After all, he turned things around for his restaurant chain, and brought it to the same league as McDonald's.) Related: 9 Questions to Ask Candidates' References In a New York Times interview, Schwartz shared the one question he poses to job candidates, to find out if they would make great hires: "Are you smart or do you work hard?" Now, this feels like a no-brainer: Surely the right answer is to say that you work hard. Right? But, according to Schwartz, a lot of his candidates actually say this: "I'm smart, so I don't need to work hard." Big. Mistake. Now, you shouldn't just hire people who say they work hard. That's not the point. It's about having the right attitude: As a business owner, I sure wouldn't want to hire employees who think they are too smart for the job. While they might get results, their mindset just isn't good for any company's culture in the long run. Related: 7 Interview Questions That Determine Emotional Intelligence So, how do you hire top performers who are humble and willing to learn? Apart from Schwartz's excellent question, here are a few other interviewing tricks which you can use: 1. Ask them about how their ex-bosses would rate them. Get your candidates to tell you how their last three bosses would rate their performance, on a scale of one to 10. Then, ask them to elaborate on each rating. You'll want to look for people who remain respectful and fair, even if they might not have agreed with all the choices their bosses had made. Great employees often can see problems from another point of view, which is a good sign of their people skills. After the interview, be sure to actually call your candidate's ex-bosses to verify the information. This will help you gauge how honest your candidates are. Related: The 25 Trickiest Questions Apple Will Ask in a Job Interview 2. Get them to talk about how they screwed up on the job. Everyone makes mistakes, but how we respond to mistakes is what our character is made of. Here's how I'd phrase the question: "Can you tell me about an occasion or two that you screwed up in your previous job?" You're looking for candidates who take responsibility for their mistakes, and improve from there. Ditch candidates who blame other colleagues or external circumstances. If they refuse to take ownership of their past mistakes, they will do the same when they join your company. If your candidates remain tight-lipped about what didn't go well in their last job, ask them in a more roundabout way instead: "What are some things you would change about your past job?" Then just wait for them to share. Related: The Key to Hiring the Best Candidate Is Deciding What's Most Important 3. Push their buttons and see their reaction. Put some stress on your candidates, so that they show their true colors. Here's what I would say: "Thank you, this sounds good, but I'm not getting the impression you're a superstar." Some might start speaking passionately about their past projects that they championed -- which is awesome -- but you'll definitely get a few people who will blow up under pressure, i.e. become overly aggressive or defensive. Boot the latter out of the door. If you're not comfortable with calling out your candidates so directly, ask them this question instead: "Why do you think you're a top performer?" Hiring smart jerks might be awesome for your short-term ROI. But, trust me, a few months down the road you risk running your company into the ground. What you want instead are A-players who can get shit done, and also excel as team players. Yes, you can get both; both your employees and culture deserve a higher standard. Related Video: 6 Easy Ways to Attract Your Perfect Hire Related: The 1 Question Burger King's CEO Asks Job Candidates Is Much Harder Than You Would Think This is What Every Job Seeker Should Ask In Interviews The Interview Question That Employers Should Stop Asking Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com The media devotes a lot of time to covering early adoption. Media outlets profile emerging technology trends, digital marketing best practices, and health and fitness movements. But what about human capital innovation in business? Enterprise business leaders have always needed to predict what the market will demand in terms of products, processes, and advertising. However, in todays evolving business landscape, its equally vital for company leaders to identify processes and systems that find the right talent and expertise to execute on business-critical solutions. Smart companies are building teams and task forces around the future of work, with the goal of assembling flexible work programs that integrate agility, speed, and specialized talent within their organizations. In my experience, there are three subsets of companies that tend to drive innovation in employment: 1. Businesses based in underpopulated areas or in competitive hiring markets. Regardless of the reason -- geographic location, current industry standing or employer brand -- these companies are taking a close look at alternative approaches to sourcing talent, recognizing that this is almost exclusively their option for attracting the talent they need. This is a broad pool that includes everything from boutique PR agencies based in North Dakota to app development brands in Silicon Valley. Related: 4 Tips for Making the Right Hires in a Super-Competitive Job Market 2. Companies forced to address problems theyve never encountered. A very large beer company that spent generations excelling at manufacturing, marketing and distributing its beer could run up against millennial consumers with drinking tastes different than their predecessors. While the company may have been good at improving its work incrementally, getting 2 to 4 percent better at its methods annually, shifting its product to cater to craft beer lovers may require a new cohort of employees with skills that previously seemed irrelevant. These types of companies need new talent to solve new problems. 3. Organizations spending too much money on traditional consulting firms without receiving equivalent ROI. This subset can include members of the previous groups, but it can also include budget-minded corporations that lack niche specialists in new verticals theyre exploring or firms needing short-term employees for projects. The reason for adoption within these three types of companies isnt all that surprising: They do it out of necessity. Their necessity today is likely to be their competitors necessity tomorrow, so their early adoption gives them a competitive advantage. Related: 5 Things to Look for When Hiring a Consulting Firm The Viability of Innovation While these businesses are fueled by necessity, they also have to be innovative with respect to how they operate and adjust to the marketplace. A great example is General Electric. GE is well-known for manufacturing jet engines and power plants; it hasnt historically focused on software development or machine learning. A company like GE is adopting a flexible approach to its workforce by backfilling areas where it doesnt have as much knowledge about whom to hire. Other household names like Samsung have addressed capability gaps through the utilization of freelance platforms. Cathleen Nilson, who leads on-demand talent at Samsung, has said she really believes this is the future. Ive found that in many companies, a senior executive on the business side is convinced that his or her brand doesnt have the talent it needs to execute a specific strategy. With todays on-demand marketplace, the future of work is helping to solve this problem. Early adoption is driven by companies carrying strong internal knowledge of exactly what they want to get done and why. Related: 10 Traits of the Most Innovative Entrepreneurs The Solution to Every Problem Innovative companies ask themselves two key questions: What products or processes do we think the marketplace will want next? What talent do we need to deliver that? Once the skill sets for those roles are identified, forward-thinking companies can utilize on-demand platforms to locate the talent they need without delaying their timelines or breaking the bank. They can add members to their team for a specific project or to meet cyclical needs, and they can scale up or down, depending on the impact of the task. The key, of course, is for business leaders to understand their skill gaps and be willing to address them differently than they have in the past. Those are the companies that will reap the benefits of a flexible workforce and ultimately thrive in the future of work. Related: How HR Can Embrace Technology to Drive Employee Centricity in 2018 The Future of Work: Solving Problems Through a Flexible Workforce Paying Interns Is a Good Investment In the Future of Your Business Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com In 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins wanted to order a wedding cake from Denver-based bakery Masterpiece Cakeshop. The bakerys owner Jack Phillips refused to make a cake celebrating a same-sex wedding on the basis of his religious beliefs. The case was brought to court, and is now being heard before the U.S. Supreme Court as Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, with arguments starting today. How did the case reach the top court? Craig and Mullins took their complaint to the Colorado Civil Rights Division, which ruled that Phillips's refusal of the couples request violated the states anti-discrimination law and that he didnt have a free speech right to decline their cake order. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the ruling but Phillips appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case. According to SCOTUSblog, Phillips believes that the ruling as it stands impinges on his and all like minded believers freedom to live out their religious identity in the public square. He also believes that the ruling threatens expressive freedom of all who create art or other speech for a living. Phillips interpretation of the First Amendment includes visual art, which he believes that his creations, while temporary, fall under. He holds that the First Amendment prevents Colorado from requiring him to design cakes with messages that are against his beliefs, and punishing him if he does not comply. Related: What You Need to Understand About the Google Firing and Free Speech at Work Who is weighing in? The Trump administration has filed an amicus, friend of the court brief, in support of Phillips. In its brief, the Department of Justice wrote, Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights. The Human Rights Campaign has filed two amicus briefs in support of Craig and Mullins. The first HRC brief was from Chefs for Equality, a group of 240 food industry leaders from across the country with the message that businesses must welcome all. If a business is open on main street, it must be open to everyone, regardless of who they are or whom they love. The brief was signed by people such as Jose Andres, Anthony Bourdain, Carla Hall, Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio. A second brief was signed by a number of companies, including Airbnb, American Airlines, Apple, Ben & Jerry's, Intel, Lyft, Marriott, Uber and Yelp. Chase Strangio, staff attorney for the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, wrote in a blog post about the legal proceedings, it is wrong to think that (1) any business that involves a creative component should be exempt from nondiscrimination laws, or (2) that a business is somehow endorsing each and every customer it serves. What are the ramifications of the case? Should the Supreme Court rule in favor of Phillips, there is a concern that a precedent could be set that non-discrimination laws could be seen as violating business owners first amendment freedoms of religion of speech, opening the door to businesses being able to legally refuse to serve people on the basis of their beliefs, religious or otherwise. However, the case will likely not be decided right away. It could take up to a year to come to a verdict. Related: The Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court Case Has Huge Implications for Businesses: Here is What You Need to Know Sheryl Sandberg's 6 Steps to Make Sure Everyone Feels Safe at Work Facebook, Google and Twitter Are Testifying Before Congress Today. Watch Live Here. Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Up to a dozen Mexican wolf pups could be cross-fostered with wild packs in Arizona and New Mexico next year under a plan put out by wildlife managers Monday. Released each winter, the plan details translocations and releases of captive wolves proposed for that year. Those actions are vital to increasing the wolves' genetic diversity and making progress toward the recovery of the endangered species. An updated plan establishing a recovery goal of 320 wolves in the wild was released by federal wildlife officials last week. The most recent annual count found at least 113 Mexican wolves living in the forests in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, but the animals are as related to one another as full siblings. The process of cross-fostering involves placing captive-born wolf pups that represent valuable genetic diversity into wild dens with similarly aged pups so the mother raises them as her own. The process has shown some initial success, with at least 12 cross-fosters taking place since 2014. It's projected that just a third of those pups will make it to breeding age though, based on past survival rates. The release plan for next year does not include the release of adult wolves from captivity into the wild, a strategy considered necessary by many wolf advocates. The release of two wolf packs from captivity that was planned for this year didnt happen either. The release of adult wolves has drawn strong opposition from wildlife officials in Arizona, who say they disproportionately come into conflict with livestock and humans. In 2015 the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted to oppose all new releases of adult wolves. While it supports cross-fostering, the commission voted to limit them to six per year based on staff capacity to perform the process, said Jim deVos, assistant director of wildlife management for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. But even 12 cross fosters that are authorized for this year are utterly insufficient to address the genetic emergency that the wild Mexican wolf population is facing at this point, said Michael Robinson, with the Center for Biological Diversity. Its pretty dire, Robinson said. Robinson calculated that 52 pups were born in the wild in 2017. Assuming the same number are born in 2018 and wolf managers are successful in cross-fostering 12 more pups from captivity, less than one in four of that cohort of wild-born wolves would be able to eventually pair with a suitable, genetically distinct mate, Robinson said. Robinson said cross-fostering is still experimental and questioned why the pups captive parents cant be released with them. That would immediately put more genetically diverse, breeding wolves into the wild, instead of having to wait for the pups to mature, he said. He disputes reports that adult wolves released from captivity are more problematic. In addition to cross-fostering, the interagency team of wolf managers is considering temporarily removing and artificially inseminating a particular female to prevent her from mating with her brother. Both deVos and Robinson said they support that move. DeVos said artificial insemination, if it works, would be a huge advance for Mexican wolf recovery. But the fact that it has gotten to the point where a brother and a sister are about to mate is a bad sign for the wolves, Robinson said. He cited a study of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park that found the animals deliberately avoid inbreeding. The fact that a brother and sister are trying to pair then, suggests these Mexican wolves really didn't have any other choices, Robinson said. WASHINGTON (AP) There was no violence in the midterm elections last week, and many election deniers lost and quietly conceded. Few listened when former President Donald Trump tried to stoke baseless allegations of electoral fraud. For a moment, at least, a familiar sense of normalcy fell over a nation on edge as the extremism that consumed U.S. politics for much of the last two years was replaced by democratic order. The post-election narrative has instead been focused on each partys electoral fate. Republicans are disappointed that a red wave did not materialize, while Democrats are bracing for the likelihood of a House Republican takeover. At least for now, the serious threats that loomed over democracy heading into Election Day have not materialized. You voted: North Koreaas latest test launch of their new intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29 has caused President Donald Trump and his administration to respond in various ways, and the American public has been placed in a state of unease. According to a Nov. 2017 study by Pew Research Center, seven out of 10 United States citizens, or 71 percent, said the United States should take North Koreaas nuclear threats avery seriously.a This is up from 56 percent in 2013. In the same study, 84 percent said they think Trump is areally willing to use military force against North Korea.a Despite Trumpas threats to retaliate, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has remained steadfast in his quest for perfecting his countryas nuclear weapons program. The Hwasong-15 was Pyongyangas third intercontinental ballistic missile, according to the Pentagon, and its 20th overall missile launch of 2017, according to Alexandra Bell, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and the Council for a Livable World. The success of Hwasong-15as launch prompted Kim to state his regime has afinally realized the great historic cause of completing the state of nuclear force.aA Still, University of Memphis history professor and military expert Stephen Stein said a nuclear war is unlikely between the U.S. and North Korea. aThe whole point of nuclear weapons is not to use them,a Stein said. aFor whatever reason, the leaders of both the U.S. and North Korea appear interested in encouraging hysteria about nuclear weapons and possibilities of nuclear war. North Korea built its nuclear arsenal (and continues to expand it), not to start war, but to deter war.a Taking into account the public jabs between the two national leaders, it may not be difficult to see why nervousness has set in on the home front. Trump has continued to call Kim aLittle Rocket Mana and Kim has countered by calling Trump athe mentally deranged U.S. dotard.a In an emergency meeting at the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley joined the fracas following North Koreaas triumphant test run of Hwasong-15.A aWe have never sought war with North Korea and still today, we do not seek it,a Haley said, according to multiple news outlets. aIf war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.a In light of nuclear threats from North Korea, Hawaii has taken precaution by implementing special air-raid sirens intended for warning residents of impending nuclear missile attacks, which have not been utilized since the Cold War. In California, the Los Angeles-based Joint Regional Intelligence Center issued a 16-page aNuclear Attack Response Considerationsa bulletin instructing readers on how to elude radiation by remaining in a face down position with your hands placed under your body to protect exposed skin.A Nicole Detraz, U of M political science professor and international relations expert, said the U.S.as current relationship with North Korea is similar to its situation with the Soviet Union before and after the launch of Sputnik in 1957. While the U.S. is certainly aware of North Koreaas technological advancements much like they were with the Soviet Unionas, Detraz said war is improbable and cost-inefficient. aNuclear states have to assume that if they strike first, the state that they attack would launch a counter-strike,a Detraz said. aThe U.S. nuclear arsenal is such that a counter-strike would be absolutely devastating, and the North Korean administration knows this.a iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Arrests of undocumented immigrants rose and apprehensions along the Southwest border were down significantly last year, according to the end-of-year numbers released Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During fiscal year 2017, there were a total of 310,531 apprehensions by U.S. Border Patrol nationwide. Thats the lowest its been in at least 17 years. Of those apprehensions, nearly 98 percent were along the Southwest border. Apprehensions are used as an indicator to measure illegal border crossings. April 2017 was the month with the lowest border enforcement activity on record, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which oversees Border Patrol. Since the April-low of 11,127 southwest border apprehensions, the numbers have crept back up. In September, Border Patrol apprehended 22,537 people attempting to illegally cross the Southwest border. The September, as well end-of-year total numbers were released Tuesday as part of the fiscal year report. Illegal immigration, particularly along the southwest border, declined sharply from Jan. 21 to April, said CBP Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald D. Vitiello during a press conference Tuesday. Who is crossing illegally? CBP in May began to see a month-over-month increase in apprehensions and inadmissible cases along the Southwest border, notably from children either as part of a family unit or unaccompanied by their parent or legal guardian, Vitiello said. By the end of the fiscal year, Border Patrol apprehended 75,622 family members and 41,435 children. We remain concerned about the steady increase in the flow of unaccompanied children and family units from Central America, Vitiello said. During 2017, approximately 58 percent of apprehensions were of people from countries other than Mexico -- primarily from Central America. Thats up from 54 percent last year, according to CBP. Trumps immigration policies Border security and illegal immigration enforcement have been pillars of Donald Trumps presidency since taking office in January. On January 25, Trump signed an executive order that expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) enforcement policies and directed the department to no longer exempt any class of undocumented immigrant. In practice this has meant more arrests and more leeway for agents in the field. Critics have accused the Trump administration of carrying out heartless policies towards immigrants. "Everyone who is not white man is being attacked by this administration," claimed, Ambar Pinto the Deportation Defense Hotline Manager at United We Dream. She said that under the Trump administration, people in the immigrant community are disappearing silently and are being confronted by ICE in their most vulnerable places. Our community is in fear, because they hear of people being detained and deported," she said. Detention Watch Network policy director Mary Small said that the administration has misled the public and hid information about its immigration enforcement. "This year, weve seen the ramping up of an already out-of-control deportation machine," she said in a statement in response the end-of-year numbers. "Weve witnessed ICE and CBP regularly lie, actively hide information from the public and retaliate against anyone who speaks out. Despite this, Trump is seeking to increase each agencys budget. Its time to stop the flow of money to an abusive and deadly immigration enforcement system." Thomas Homan, ICE's deputy director and senior official performing the duties of the director, defended the president, saying his policies have led to a 45-year low on border crossings. Thats not a coincidence, thats based on this president and his belief in letting the men and women of ICE and Border Patrol do their job, said Homan. ICE arrests In fiscal year 2017, ICE arrested 143,470 people on immigration violations -- the highest number of these type of arrests over the past three years. There were 30 percent more immigration-related arrests in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to ICEs end-of-year report. If you choose to violate the laws of this country, you should be concerned, said Homan at Tuesdays press conference. Criminal vs. non-criminal Arrests of criminals were up 12 percent over the previous year. ICE immigration officers arrested 105,736 criminal aliens in fiscal year 2017, compared to 10,985 in 2016. However, non-criminal arrests have risen at a faster rate, which rose more than fifty percent compared to last year. According to ICE, non-criminal arrests are up because under the previous administration agents were mostly were prevented from making those arrests. There is a backlog that is being cleared out, including people that have received a final order or removal from an immigration judge, according to ICE officials. Arrest targets Immigration advocates have raised concerns that ICEs new policies have led to indiscriminate arrests and targeting of communities. Nearly eight percent of the people ICE arrested were unknown to the agency before their arrest - meaning they had no previous contact with the criminal or immigration justice system, but nonetheless came in contact with immigration officials. The comparison to last year was not immediately known. Sanctuary cities Homan used the announcement to rail against so-called sanctuary cities - municipalities that in some way decline to cooperate with ICE -- saying they entice more illegal immigration. More people are going to die coming to this country trying to get to sanctuary cities, said Homan on a call with reporters Tuesday afternoon. This isnt just about law enforcement, this is about saving lives, he added. Pinto pushed back against Homan's narrative, saying that while fewer people may be dying during attempts to come to the U.S. illegally, people are instead dying in their home countries. People dont come to the United States to go on vacation," she said. "My family came here because they needed to survive" Deportations Overall ICE deportations, known as removals, were down around 6 percent compared to last year, but ICE attributed that to the dramatically lower number of illegal border crossings. In past years, removals were the primary measurement of how well ICE was doing, but over the past year, the agency has provided more context on arrest numbers as well. The future of ICE Looking forward, Homan said, the public can expect more workforce enforcement, as well as investigations into people who stay in the U.S. after their visas expire. Were going to go back to holding employers accountable, he said. Its about removing that magnet. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The Israel Air Force declared its F-35I unit operational today, following the year-long qualification of 140 Squadron (Golden Eagle) the first IAF unit operating the Fifth Generation fighter (dubbed Adir by the IAF). The Initial Operational Capability (IOC) qualification process began in December 2016 when the first two aircraft arrived and the Nevatim base. Since then the unit received seven additional jets as part of the initial order. By the summer of 2018, the squadron is expected to receive six more fighters. The full delivery of the first order of 33 jets is expected to be completed in three years. Another lot to be delivered by 2024 to complete the formation of two Adir squadrons by the IAF. The qualification and testing phase included five of the nine F-35Is operated by the IAF, along with aircrews and support teams. All were found fit for initial operational activity. The inspection examined missions and scenarios that include all of the operational elements required to fly the Adir, from the ground to the air, shared Lt. Col. Yotam, C/O 140th Squadron. I am confident in the divisions capability to reach operational preparedness and feel that the pressure is positive and healthy. Yotam added. The initial operational capability inspection examined more than the squadrons readiness to operate the Adir, it tested the entire IAF. The inspection dealt with multiple elements in the IAF: the various directorates, the Golden Eagle Squadron, the ATC Unit, Nevatim AFB, the Central Control Unit and many more, described Lt. Col. Yotam. The IAFs standpoint, to adapt itself to the fifth generation instead of adapting the Adir to the IAF, posed a new challenge every day. The main theme that characterized the past year was learning. Every day in the past year ended with a debriefing in which we learned something new: about the aircraft, about its systems, operation, and maintenance, shared Maj. D, Deputy Commander of the 140th Squadron. The Israeli Air Force is the only air force, other than the United States Air Force and Marine Corps, that fly the F-35 operationally. The US Navy, the Italian Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Japans Seld-Defense Air Force are also training their operational units in the respective countries but these have not been operationally ready. The declaration of the squadrons operational capability is occurring at a time in which the IAF is operating on a large scale in a number of fronts, in the constantly changing Middle East, said Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, Commander of the IAF. The operational challenge, which is becoming more and more complex each day, receives an excellent aerial response. The Adir aircrafts operational status adds a significant layer to the IAFs capabilities at this time. Jo Collings, from South West London, was in a relationship with Levi Bellfield The ex-girlfriend of Milly Dowler's killer Levi Bellfield has spoken of how he subjected her to years of abuse and said she believes he treated the torment as a rehearsal for murder. Jo Collings, from South West London, described how she was repeatedly raped and beaten by Bellfield during their three-year relationship before she fled while pregnant with their second child in the late 1990s. In a new documentary she recalls the abuse in chilling detail, revealing how Bellfield openly admitted he raped other women during their relationship and even took her to the alleyway near their home where he would go in search of victims. Jo said she believes the suffering Bellfield administered was 'target practice' which he used to prepare himself for the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange. Horrific crimes: Levi Bellfield is serving life imprisonment for the murder of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy Suffering: Jo Collings, pictured, was raped and beaten by Bellfield during their three-year relationship before she fled while pregnant with their second child in the late 1990s Victim: Bellfield's first murder victim was schoolgirl Milly Dowler, pictured, who was 13 when she was snatched while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey in 2002 In Levi Bellfield Left Me For Dead, Jo explains that Bellfield, who is currently serving a life sentence, 'didn't need a reason' to become violent. 'He didn't need a reason to hit you,' she said. 'Anything. What you cooked for dinner, his black and whites hadn't been ironed right for work. There wasn't an actual reason why or trigger. It was like flicking a switch.' Bellfield's first murder victim was schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was 13 when she was snatched while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey in 2002. Her body was found six months later, dumped in a wood 25 miles away in Yateley Heath, Hampshire. However Bellfield, a former wheel clamper, was not convicted of the murder until 2011. At the time he was already in jail for the murders of Amelie Delagrange and Marsha McDonnell and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. In 2008 he had been given a whole-life term for murdering Ms McDonnell, 19, in Hampton, west London, in 2003, Ms Delagrange, 22, in Twickenham, west London, in 2004, and attempting to murder Ms Sheedy, 18, in Isleworth, earlier that year. The judge at his trial over Milly's murder described Bellfield as a 'cruel and pitiless killer'. After he had been convicted of Milly's murder Bellfield yawned as he was led from court. Bellfield, 47, was given a whole-life prison sentence in June 2011 for Milly's murder, but it wasn't until four years later that he admitted his crime. Bellfield's confession only came when an investigation was launched in to whether he had an accomplice, after he bragged to a fellow prison inmate about his crime. In 2016, Milly's parents revealed the harrowing details of their daughter's final hours as they told of their ongoing torment in the years between her death and her killer's confession. At the time of his conviction for Milly's killing, Bellfield was already in jail for the murders of Amelie Delagrange, left, and Marsha McDonnell, right, and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy Years before he became a killer, Bellfield had started his campaign of terror by sexually abusing Jo as well as victims he stalked on the street. Speaking on the documentary, Jo recalled one occasion when he had taken her to an alleyway near their home where he would find his victims. On an another occasion, he bragged to her about how he'd raped a disabled woman in a car park. Jo said: 'He raped me continuously. The rapes were just target practice for what he went out and did to other people. 'He would beat you to the point that he would strangle you or get to the point where he blacked out, it was all target practice because he knew how far he could go before he actually did something.' Jo finally escaped from Bellfield when he started to beat her when she was pregnant with their second child. Horrifying: Bellfield, pictured, told Jo about the women he raped while they were together She spoke to police about the abuse after detectives appealed for information in the wake of the attempted murder of schoolgirl Kate Sheedy, who was left for dead after she was run down in Isleworth, west London, in May 2004. Miss Sheedy was blonde and years earlier Jo had found a magazine in which Bellfield had slashed the faces of every blonde model. Police also revealed their suspect drove a white van, which Jo believed Bellfield also owned. She said: 'I just wanted to try and help because I had years and years of guilt, of never being able to help or stop anything. I told them that my ex had a white van and he hated blondes.' Bellfield is serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland, alongside Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and Soham killer Ian Huntley. There is no chance he will be released. Levi Bellfield Left Me For Dead airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5. Dating can sometimes feel like playing a board game in which each participant has a different set of rules, but luckily, experts are here to identify some of the biggest mistakes that can tank a relationship in its infancy. From jumping the gun to taking rejection too seriously, it is easy to unknowingly sabotage what could have been a fun time or a more serious encounter by caring too much. The experts' warnings also highlight how important self-confidence can be when it comes to dating, since managing one's own shortcomings will help defuse some serious awkwardness during the first few dates. Dating pitfalls: From jumping the gun to taking rejection too seriously, it is easy to unknowingly sabotage what could have been a fun relationship (stock picture) Jumping the gun Rushing things is almost never a good idea when it comes to dating, and experts recommend pacing oneself instead. Thus, licensed relationship therapist Irina Firstein told BuzzFeed it is best to always assume the other person is keeping their options open and dating other people until a different agreement is made. Similarly, psychotherapist Megan Bruneau warned against expecting a date to turn into a relationship right away. 'Instead of looking at your date as a potential life partner right off the bat, try to look at them as someone you might want to see again,' she wrote on Mind Body Green previously. 'Do I enjoy hanging out with this person? Do I feel connected? If the answer is yes, hope to have another date, not a wedding.' In that spirit, Bruneau also urged single people to date multiple potential partners at a time, as long as things are still 'light'. Keeping cool might, in fact, give you a significant edge in the long run, especially since it might keep you from committing another major dating sin, which is to obsess over text exchangesmore specifically, how long the other person takes to reply to you. 'Keep yourself busy, enjoy your life, and don't get hung up on whether or not someone texts you back or responds exactly when you want them to,' licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker Rachel Sussman told BuzzFeed. 'If you're counting the minutes that it took them to respond, you're only going to make yourself upset and potentially misread into someone's actions.' Forgetting to enjoy the process Yes, dating can be stressful, but there's also plenty of fun to be had, so enjoy itand learn from dates that don't seem successful. 'Instead of looking at dates that don't turn into relationships as failures, try to view them as experiences,' Bruneau wrote. 'An 'exhibition date' for future dates. Prep for a job interview. A great meal. A funny story. A lesson on uranium (true story). Try to take away something from the process of the date, not the outcome.' And if you want to start dating, don't wait until the 'perfect' time to start. 'We mistakenly think we ought to lose 10 pounds, finish school, become more confident, get a job, or get over a past relationship before we enter the dating world,' Bruneau added. 'But being OK with your imperfection is true confidence. There will probably always be another 10 pounds, a partially-healed heart, or an unfulfilled goal standing in your way. So if you keep 'waiting until,' you may be waiting forever.' Not using your imagination While first dates are usually best kept neutral (although if you have a genius idea that seems perfectly suited for the person you will be seeing, why not go for it?) but second and third dates might be the perfect occasion to branch out. 'Sometimes a second date can be used to a get to know the person again, and could be a little shorter, like the first,' Dr. Terri Orbuch, who has a PhD in social psychology, said. 'But if you know you like the person, this is where creativity should come in.' Bruneau also encouraged daters to think outside the box and to stray from the classic restaurant date. Instead, she suggested simply grabbing a drink or a coffee, going for bike rides, hikes and walks, or even meeting up during a lunch break. Going online or offline only Why choose? Plenty of couples have met online or via dating apps, but traditional meet-cutes are still happening as well (just think of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were set up on a blind date). This is why experts warn against shunning online dating, or on the contrary, becoming so comfortable using various online platforms you end up closing yourself to real-life opportunities. 'Explore both optionsyou'll only be increasing your odds of finding a lasting connection,' Bruneau said. 'You can go to a party on Friday night and spend your rainy Saturday afternoon drinking hot cocoa and checking your matches.' Fair shot: Experts recommend giving someone two or three dates before writing them offbut if there's definitely no chemistry, don't hesitate to end things (stock picture) Not listening enough Sure, being a skilled conversation partner will enable you to let every aspect of your charming personality shinebut listening can also be a crucial part of bonding with a date. Thus, Orbuch urged others to ask their dates about themselves, because most people enjoy talking about their lives. 'People make the mistake of thinking that they need to talk the entire time in order to sell themselves,' she told BuzzFeed. 'When really, dates will appreciate you more if you show interest in who they are and what they enjoy. Besides, by letting the other person do their fair share of talking, you will be more likely to avoid two other common pitfalls: oversharing during the first date, and discussing your exes at length (because it can be a clear signal you're not over them just yet). Trying to conceal your flaws Many people believe that the more perfect they seem, the more likeable they will be. But trying to appear flawless can actually work against you. 'By trying to seem perfect, you're not being authentic, which isn't attractive,' Bruneau wrote. 'Not to mention, If your date likes this forced version of you, you basically have to keep up a facade for the rest of your life.' However, while being comfortable with your own flaws is amazing, beware of taking self-deprecation too far. 'It's important to be able to laugh at yourself,' Orbuch says. 'It can show that you're down-to-earth and comfortable with yourself. But sometimes, self-deprecation can indicate a deep lack of self-esteem and confidence, which can make people uncomfortable and end up being a big turnoff.' Expecting perfection Of course, having standards, preferences and non-negotiables is a natural part of dating. But having a mental checklist of every characteristic a potential date should have might not entirely help. 'We seek out the 6-foot-plus, Ivy League-educated business owner, and get disappointed when we realize they're a psychopath,' Bruneau pointed out. 'Instead of focusing on the boxes a date checks off, focus on how they make you feel.' To that end, Sussman recommends giving someone two or three dates before writing them off, because they might not have been in the best disposition the first time around. But of course, if after a few encounters, the chemistry is just not there, don't hesitate to let them know you won't pursue the relationship further. Being in denial about the other person's flaws Giving someone a chance doesn't meant you should let unacceptable behavior fly under the radar. 'It's okay to bring things up that concern you, like a date showing up a little late, or a date ordering a dish for you,' Sussman said. 'But blatant red flags, like if your date is getting smashed on mixed drinks or consistently talking about his/her ex all the time, mean you should probably run.' Most of the time, it comes down to frequency: mishaps may happen occasionally, but if they become a pattern, it might be best to move on. Overthinking rejection Sure, getting rejected isn't pleasant, but it doesn't mean your dating life is over, either. 'Dating is a lot like applying for jobs. Sometimes, the job's not right for you and sometimes you're not right for it,' Bruneau wrote. 'If we were to assume that we're not hirable because we didn't get the first job we applied for, we'd never apply for a job again.' When rejection occurs, think of all the other people who might want to get to know you, Bruneau recommended instead. Being rude Modern dating has paved the way to a whole new array of ways to be rude to potential partners. If you're not interested in taking things further, try to avoid falling off the face of the Earth, a.k.a ghosting. A simple message can be enough to tell the other person you won't be seeing them again. Orbuch suggests going with someone along the lines of: 'It was lovely to meet you, but Im sorry. I dont think I felt that connection that Im looking for and I dont see a reason to go forward. I wish you lots of luck in the future.' Being too passive Yes, chance encounters happen, but a proactive approach to dating can dramatically increase your chances of finding a good match. 'We believe that the person of our dreams is going to move in next door or sit next to us on a ski lift,' Bruneau said. 'Hey, it happens, but it has a better chance of happening if youre not totally passive about the dating process.' And when you do find someone with whom you can connect, don't be shy about letting them know you enjoy their company. Gender shouldn't play a part in determining who will be the first after a date, Orbuch said. People tend to like confidence and honesty, so if you had a good time, feel free to let the other person know, be it at the close of a date or the next morning. A mother-of-two has penned a powerful message about respect after she was cruelly body-shamed by an older woman who told her she was a 'bit big' to be wearing the outfit she had on. Charli Stevens, 33, from Columbus, Ohio, took to Facebook this week to share a photo of herself modeling the half-zip top and black leggings she wore to the grocery store while recalling how the stranger's mean-spirited comments left her in tears. 'She came up to me and said, "I think your clothes are a little too small on you,"' Charli wrote of the older woman who approached her when she was shopping with her five-month-old son Grayson. Body-shamed: Charli Stevens, 33, from Columbus, Ohio, took to Facebook to share a photo of herself modeling the outfit a total stranger told her she was a 'bit big' to be wearing Charli said she noticed the woman, who appeared to be in her late 50s, staring at her for a few minutes before she came up to her to comment on her appearance. 'Completely caught off guard and baffled and also hoping she didnt say what I thought she said, I said, 'Excuse me?" And she said, "Well no offense but youre just a bit big to wear those type of clothes,"' Charli explained. Charli said she is usually 'quick to lash out at rude people,' but she froze when trying to think of a response and immediately started to cry. While she was crying, the woman told her: 'Im not trying to be mean but maybe just reconsider your outfit before leaving your house from now on.' Lesson: Along with the photo, the mother-of-two shared a powerful message about having respect for others as she recalled how she was body-shamed in front of her five-month-old son Cruelty: Charli said she burst into tears after an older woman approached her at the grocery store to say that her clothes were a 'little too small' on her After she walked away, Charli continued to cry in the middle of the store's Christmas aisle while her baby boy looked at her. Charli was so upset she left the star without buying anything, and she continued to cry in her car after she left the store. 'How are people so rude?' she asked. 'Its no secret that Ive gained weight throughout life. Ive birthed two kids so its bound to happen. Do I realize Im overweight? Yes. Do I want to be smaller? Yes. But am I okay with the way I look? Yes!' Charli went on to question why a complete stranger would go out of her way to insult someone like that. Grateful for that: The mom noted that she was glad her four-year-old daughter wasn't there to witness the devastating exchange Powerful message: 'Im not writing this for sympathy but just as a plea to anyone who might read this to just be nice and have respect for people,' she explained in her post 'What if I was severely depressed? Or what if I was constantly made fun of for my weight and that one comment from that stranger pushed me over the edge?' she asked. 'Luckily, Im neither of those things. But people have got to start being nice. Having common sense. Being respectful.' Charli noted that the woman who insulted her knew nothing about her and had no idea that she has recently lost nearly 50lbs. 'My clothes were tighter than what I would normally wear but so what?! It shouldnt matter what people wear,' she wrote while begging people to start showing respect for others. 'You never know what someone is going through or if your one little comment, snicker, stare, whatever will be enough to break someone down or push them over the edge,' she explained. 'Im not writing this for sympathy but just as a plea to anyone who might read this to just be nice and have respect for people. I fear for my daughter to grow up in this world. Weve gotta set a good example for our children.' Australians are binning clothes at an alarmingly high rate, with one in five of us throwing out clothing after only one wear. But there are eco-warriors out there trying to help us change our habits, one of them being Sydney-based stylist Faye De Lanty. 'Christmas time and weddings, especially for me at this point, are a place where you can really get sucked into the buy, buy, buy mentality,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'But its so rewarding when you stop, and take a breath before you shop.' Sydney-based Faye De Lanty (pictured) is an eco-stylist trying to help us change our wasteful habits 'Being stylish doesnt have to involve spending a lot of money and it can actually do something positive for the planet too,' she continued. Research by market research company YouGov Omnibus has revealed the extent of Australia's clothing waste, with three in 10 people having thrown away more than 10 items of clothing in the past year, while 75 per cent binned at least one item. Apparently the worst culprits are millennials, with 38 per cent of those surveyed buying half of the clothing they own in the past 12 months, compared to only nine per cent of baby boomers. This is hardly surprising when there is pressure from peers not to wear the same outfit twice and major retailers are bringing out new lines on a weekly basis. This look here is one Faye created when she hit up her local Salvation Army thrift store to source gorgeous looks for the festive season (model pictured) This is another Christmas inspired look she created using items from Salvos and she repurposed a scarf as a turban 'Being stylish doesnt have to involve spending a lot of money and it can actually do something positive for the planet too,' Faye said FAYE'S WASTAGE REDUCTION TIPS 1. Stop before you shop 2. Get into thrift shopping 3. Learn to make, do and mend 4. DIY 5. Do your homework Advertisement The majority of people will throw out items because they no longer fit or are damaged but 24 per cent of millennials are more likely to toss items because they are sick of wearing them. Shockingly, 19 per cent will bin them simply because they have become unfashionable and 18 per cent of millenials will dispose of them because they are a few seasons old. This being said, Faye has some tips to combat the impulse to buy new clothing. 'Firstly, stop before you shop. Ask yourself do you really need it, will you cherish it and wear it multiple times or do you already have something similar?' she said. 'Could you thrift it, borrow, upcycle or DIY to get the same look.' The research also revealed that millennials are less likely to get rid of their unwanted clothes through sustainable means, with four in 10 throwing them in the bin. Second hand clothing stores always have hidden gems, which is where Faye finds the majority of her clothes. 'Firstly, stop before you shop. Ask yourself do you really need it, will you cherish it and wear it multiple times or do you already have something similar?' she said Her second tip was encouraging people to get into thrift shopping, something Faye is a big advocate of HOW TO REPURPOSE A SCARF - As a top cinched in with a belt - Wrapped around a bag handle - Reincarnated into a turban Advertisement Her second tip was to go thrift shopping, something Faye is a big advocate of. 'When you buy from a store like this you do something positive with your fashion dollar,' Faye explained. 'You divert textile waste from landfill while also supporting the mission of a charity and empowering people.' Faye also told FEMAIL that it is important that people learn how to fix their clothing when they are damaged or learn how to make alterations. It isn't difficult to sew a button back on, repair a hole or stitch a hem and as one of Faye's favourite mottos goes: 'dont despair, repair'. One of her latest DIY creations is an Alexander McQueen recreation using thrift and craft store finds One of the main things Faye is known for is her DIY approach to most of the clothing she wears. She purchases from second hand stores and gives new life by making alterations. One of her latest DIY creations is an Alexander McQueen piece using thrift and craft store finds. Previously she has also made a box shaped handbag look like a Christmas present. She used a bow from a race wear fascinator and she spray painted it gold. It isn't difficult to sew a button back on, repair a hole or stitch a hem and as one of Faye's favourite mottos goes: 'dont despair, repair' 'A quick google search will give you so many tips and tricks on how to easily DIY and customise your clothing,' Faye shared. 'Give it a try!! Chances are you can recreate rather than hitting the high street.' Her final tip is for people to do their homework. 'Study the trends, the runways and challenge yourself to see how you could recreate what you see with second hand or with what you already have and make items work in unexpected ways,' she said. Just a few months after her 21st birthday Laura Langdon began experiencing abdominal pain and bloating. At first, the student, now 23, didn't think too much of her symptoms as a young, healthy woman. 'I assumed it was just period pain, or that maybe my tummy didn't like something that I'd eaten,' she recalled. 'But I became more concerned as the pain and bloating became more and more persistent.' Just a few months after her 21st birthday Laura Langdon (pictured) began experiencing abdominal pain and bloating Ms Langdon, a health science student from Melbourne, put off going to the doctor for a few weeks due to her busy schedule consisting of study and work. 'The thing that eventually pushed me to make an appointment with a doctor was when I broke out in a rash after eating dinner one night,' Ms Langdon told FEMAIL. 'One of the causes of pain and bloating that I'd read about during my ''googling'' was coeliac disease, and I recalled that rashes were another symptom too, so I thought I'd better go and get myself checked. At first, the student, now 23, didn't think too much of her pain and symptoms as she felt she was a young, healthy woman 'The doctor poked and prodded my belly and agreed that I was very bloated, so sent me to get a blood test,' she added. 'I went back for the results a couple of days later and got the shock of my life when the doctor told me I was pregnant.' Ms Langdon said after telling the doctor that there was ''absolutely no chance'' she could be pregnant, she was given the explanation that it was a false positive. '[The doctor] said that an ultrasound was not necessary given my age, but that I could have another blood test in three weeks' time to make sure everything was back to normal by then,' Ms Langdon said. Ms Langdon said one morning she woke up with an excruciating pain in her left side. ''Every little movement was agony' she told FEMAIL (stock image) Ms Langdon (pictured left) said she sought advice from ''Dr Google" and read about coeliac disease 'One morning I woke up with an excruciating pain in my left side. I had never felt anything like it. Every little movement was agony.' The severe pain prompted Ms Langdon to get a second opinion, but surprisingly, another blood test showed that she was pregnant. 'This doctor couldn't explain my symptoms either,' she said. 'I left that appointment with referrals for two ultrasounds and another blood test, and a urine sample kit.' During the ultrasound, Ms Langdon said she was ''frustrated and terrified" as she was told by the sonographer to go back to her doctor and to ''take someone with you''. After an 18cm tumour on her ovary was found to be cancerous, Ms Langdon underwent three months of chemotherapy It was in the doctor's surgery that Ms Langdon was informed she had an 18cm tumour on her ovary. 'I struggled to believe it. I thought there must've been a mistake,' she recalled. 'We didn't know whether it was cancerous or not at this point, and wouldn't know until the tumour was removed and tested,' she explained. 'I had surgery exactly one week after my ultrasound. The pathology results came back four days after that, confirming that it was ovarian cancer,' she added. 'It all happened very quickly.' Ms Langdon (pictured) completed her Health Science degree and is now completing a Master of Occupational Therapy with the ambition of specialising in oncology and palliative care Ms Langdon underwent three months of chemotherapy and now has frequent medical check-ups to ensure the cancer hasn't come back. 'Life doesn't go back to normal after cancer. I found it really difficult to accept and come to terms with that for a long time,' she said. 'It's been almost two years since my diagnosis. I still think about cancer every single day.' OVARIAN CANCER SYMPTOMS Abdominal or pelvic pain Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating Needing to urinate often or urgently Feeling full after eating a small amount SOURCE: ovariancancer.net.au Advertisement Although ovarian cancer is most common in women over the age of 50 and in women who have stopped menstruating, Ms Langdon said young women with symptoms should be checked. 'Doctors may be experts of medicine, but you are the expert of your own body. If you feel that something is not right, no one can tell you otherwise - no one else can tell you what or how you feel,' she said. 'Since meeting other people my age through various youth cancer organisations, I've learned that misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are scarily common - because 'young people don't get cancer'. 'It's the same situation with ovarian cancer too because the symptoms are so non-specific, and it's not a particularly common disease. 'It may be rare, but it still happens. And it can happen to anyone,' she concluded. Linda Faye Snelson (pictured), 51, weighed 130 kilograms until the death of her 'soulmate' and mother in January 2015 sparked a drastic body transformation A grandmother-of-five on the verge of taking her own life says she now has another 50 years to live after completing a drastic body transformation. Linda Faye Snelson, 51, weighed 130 kilograms when her 'soulmate' died from cancer two days after her mother lost a battle with septicemia in January 2015. The woman from Dubbo, 400 kilometres west of Sydney, brought a bottle of pills to the cemetery where they lay, crying in the rain for four hours while contemplating suicide. But Linda told FEMAIL on Wednesday that something suddenly 'clicked', which helped to turn her life around and led her to a weight-loss of more than 50 kilograms. 'My intention was to kill myself, and then I thought: "Is this it for me?",' she said. 'Something just clicked and I told myself: "Get off your a**, get healthy, and get on with it."' Linda said she then took a soul-searching drive, during which she began to plan her lifestyle changes. The woman (pictured) from Dubbo, 400 kilometres west of Sydney, brought a bottle of pills to the cemetery where they lay, crying in the rain for four hours while contemplating suicide Linda (pictured) told FEMAIL on Wednesday that something suddenly 'clicked', which turned her life around and led to a weight-loss of more than 50 kilograms She added: 'I thought back to when I was younger and what we were eating and I decided I'd get back to that. 'I got back to basics and I started exercising all-day, non-stop.' Linda said she now eats scrambled eggs with carrot and apple for breakfast, followed by sweet potatoes with tuna for lunch on most days. In the evening, she typically eats vegetables with chicken fillets or lean steak, while also drinking one litre of carrot juice per day. She also stays clear of rice, pasta and white sugar and drinks plenty of water with lemon and honey. Linda said she took a soul-searching drive, during which she began to plan her lifestyle changes Linda - who is the youngest of eight siblings - said she continues to exercise between one and three hours a day, despite never taking out a gym membership She uses backyard tactics, running up and down a small set of three stairs continuously, and performing between 100 and 150 squats a day Linda - who is the youngest of eight siblings - said she continues to exercise between one and three hours a day, despite never taking out a gym membership. She results to backyard tactics instead, running up and down a small set of three stairs continuously, and performing between 100 and 150 squats a day. She said her homemade weight-loss tricks not only helped her lose more than one-third of her body weight, but also reversed her diabetes. 'Now I'm looking at another 50 years,' Linda said. 'You are what you eat, its true. I used to eat cheeseburgers and chocolate bars but now I wouldnt dare touch anything like that.' Advertisement With a 3D-printed tea bar, freshly baked Italian artisanal food and a multi-sensory coffee experience, it sounds like a high-end cafe. But this luxurious haven is actually the world's largest Starbucks. Located in Shanghai, the coffee giant has opened it's second state-of-the-art Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the traditionally tea-drinking nation of China. Starbucks has opened its world's largest roastery in Shanghai, located in the traditionally tea-drinking nation of China The roastery features a 3D-printed tea bar, freshly baked Italian artisanal food and a multi-sensory coffee experience Customers can watch the beans get roasted, then sent through copper pipes before being served a fresh cup of coffee As coffee lovers step through the front doors of the 30,000 square feet store, they are greeted by the stunning sight of a two-story copper cask, adorned with more than 1,000 traditional Chinese chops, or stamps, hand-engraved to narrate the story of the company. The ceiling has been decked out with 10,000 handmade wooden hexagon-shaped tiles, inspired by the locking of an espresso shot on an espresso machine. In an interactive coffee and retail destination like no other, customers can visit many attractions of the store, including one of three coffee bars offering multiple brewing methods and explore specially-crafted teas. With futuristic features, customers can point their mobile devices around the roastery for even more moments of discovery as they immerse themselves in the augmented reality experience. In an interactive coffee and retail destination like no other, customers can visit many attractions of the store, including one of three coffee bars offering multiple brewing methods and explore specially-crafted teas The coffee giant has opened it's second Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the traditionally tea-drinking nation of China There's a team of more than 30 skilled Chinese bakers and chefs who bring artisan baking to life using premium ingredients 'We've created a space that both recognizes and celebrates our 46-year history of coffee leadership and retail innovation with China's rich, diverse culture,' Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz said. Customers can watch the beans get roasted, then sent through copper 'symphony' pipes - named because of the musical sound the beans make as they travel through them - before being served a fresh cup of coffee. Adding a touch of Asia, diners can pick from 100 beverages from the menu, including coffee from China's Yunnan Province - a rare, exquisite, yellow honey-processed cup of coffee. Inspired by the traditional clay teapots in China, the tea experience bar is a light jade color with dark shadows to represent tea stains formed in a teapot over time. It is also the only tea bar created from recycled materials using a 3-D printer, measuring 7.5 metres (25 feet) in length. Ceiling has 10,000 handmade wooden hexagon-shaped tiles, inspired by locking of an espresso shot on espresso machine As coffee lovers step through the front doors of the 30,000 square feet store, they are greeted by a two-story copper cask The Shanghai Roastery has become the first-of-its kind in China, to seamlessly integrate a real-time, in-store and online customer experience. Customers can simply point their phones at key features around the roastery to bring to life information about the Starbucks bean-to-cup story. Asia will get an exclusive taste of Italian food purveyor Rocco Princi's artisanal baked goods. 'Rocco and his team's passion for handcrafted food and artisanal baked goods at Princi mirrors how I feel about our coffee,' Mr Schultz said. 'His attention to detail, meticulous care in selecting the freshest, high-quality ingredients and the artistry of preparation creates an Italian food experience that perfectly pairs with our most premium coffees. The Shanghai Roastery has become the first-of-its kind in China, to seamlessly integrate a real-time, customer experience There's a team of more than 30 skilled Chinese bakers and chefs who bring artisan baking to life using premium ingredients With futuristic features, customers can point their mobile devices around the Roastery for even more moments of discovery as they immerse themselves in the augmented reality experience 'I look forward to seeing Princi's success in Seattle further extend to our roastery in Shanghai.' There's a team of more than 30 skilled Chinese bakers and chefs who bring artisan baking to life using premium ingredients sourced specifically for each fresh food offering. The menu includes more than 80 different foods, catering for breakfast, lunch and dinner - from flaky cornetti to focaccia sandwiches filled with Parma ham and Italian mozzarella. Starbucks opened its first roastery in its Seattle hometown three years ago. She's the daughter of a former Prime Minister who recently announced her shock engagement to an Olympian after just two weeks together. And Frances Abbott, 26, has flashed her dazzling engagement ring on social media for the first time since rower Sam Loch, 34 proposed to her last month. Appearing on her fiance's Instagram story on Wednesday, the bodybuilding daughter of Tony Abbott was all smiles as she flaunted the sparkler. Frances Abbott, 26, has flashed her dazzling engagement ring on social media for the first time since rower Sam Loch, 34 proposed to her last month She recently announced her shock engagement to the Olympian after two weeks together Wearing a grey sweater, the personal trainer, from Melbourne, cheekily stuck her tongue out as she gave the middle finger at the camera. Keeping her luscious blonde locks in a ponytail, Frances seemed happier than ever when she had the photograph taken by her beau. Recently speaking to Stellar Magazine, Frances said Loch was welcomed into the family despite concerns the young couple were moving too fast. Frances first announced the whirlwind romance and subsequent engagement via Instagram with a series of couple snaps taken in a photobooth. Frances Abbott, 26, has opened up about her shock engagement to Olympic rower Sam Loch, 34, after just two weeks together Miss Abbott first announced the whirlwind romance and subsequent engagement via Instagram with a series of couple snaps taken in a photobooth 'Two weeks was all it took to know that forever with you was a mighty fine idea,' the fitness devotee wrote. Her other half also confirmed the exciting news with a selfie of the pair captioned: 'With the soon to be Mrs Loch'. Taking to Twitter, the 60-year-old former Prime Minister of Australia congratulated the couple: 'Really thrilled at the news of Francie and Sam's engagement. 'We are very proud of her and the Abbotts are looking forward to welcoming Sam into the family.' Mr Abbott's enthusiasm may have been fuelled by his first impressions of the Olympic rower, formed when the two met in Melbourne. At the time the young couple were in the midst of a whirlwind romance and very much in love, but Mr Loch had yet to pop the question. 'I think meeting Tones can be quite intimidating for anyone, but that's what I love about Sam,' the 26-year-old confided. 'He's so grounded, and so settled in his own skin, it felt totally natural. There was no change in voice, no sitting upright. Dad liked him.' As for her mother Margie, she was as surprised as anyone when her middle daughter told her of Mr Loch's proposal. 'Mum was like, "Frances, you are quite impulsive",' Frances remembered, saying her family want the best for her despite the speed of her engagement. Matching a tailored blazer with a pair of white shorts, Frances (pictured) opened up about the all-important first meeting between her fiance and his famous future father-in-law As for the proposal itself, Frances said it happened while she was in the kitchen putting peas in the freezer. Mr Loch had a bottle of champagne in his hands and cleverly convinced her to ask him why. When she obliged, he replied that he had brought it to drink after he asked her to marry him. That was two weeks after they first met, and the couple waited another two weeks before telling the world. Having already moved in together, Frances and Mr Loch have ordered a ring and will walk down the aisle next year. Peppered with questions about the speed of the engagement, Frances revealed it could not have felt more natural, saying she believes in trusting her instincts. But despite Miss Abbott's ever-growing public profile and an upcoming wedding, Frances revealed exclusively to Daily Mail Australia that she will not be giving up bodybuilding anytime soon During her photo shoot with the magazine Frances admitted being moved to tears when the same-sex marriage postal survey results were announced. The difference of opinion between her and her father on the issue was well publicised, but her response was mainly framed by her own recent engagement. Planning her own wedding while same-sex couples were unable to marry themselves put the issue in perspective for her, she said. Not long afterwards, Frances took to Instagram to document a catch-up with Mr Abbott where they discussed the upcoming wedding. 'What did we just do?' she said in an Instagram video. 'We've just been on a nice walk through the backstreets of Forestville, we talked about all sorts of things, including wedding plans!' Mr Abbott shot back. Mr Loch confirmed the news with a selfie of the pair captioned 'With the soon to be Mrs Loch' Mr Abbott reposted the father-daughter moment to Twitter, captioning it 'Early morning walk in Forestville with Francie' and tagging the local newspaper. But despite Frances' ever-growing public profile and an upcoming wedding, she revealed exclusively to Daily Mail Australia she will not be giving up bodybuilding anytime soon. In fact, she is currently in training for a bodybuilding competition in March, 2018. 'I plan to compete again in March next year,' she told FEMAIL at Crown Oaks Day at Flemington. 'I'm looking to change federations and try something a little bit different. But I need to get stronger; that's what I'm all about right now. Lifting heavy.' The 26-year-old said the 'bikini' category is and will remain her focus. 'There are so many different federations, they're all kind of different and they change slightly. The look of this federation is much more of a fresh off the beach bikini girl,' she explained. 'It's not a different type of training, so much as a different approach. It's fuller in the muscles [as a look]. 'By the time I got to the second round, I was maybe a little bit too bony and I think that was probably just my body responding to how quickly I approached training. 'It's really about knowing your body. There are so many things to think about, but I love it. It's such an exciting experiment for me.' One in ten women around the world have endometriosis, but it was only this week that their pain was recognised by the Australian government. Australian Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced on Tuesday that the Federal Government will now develop the first National Action Plan for endometriosis. He described the move as 'long overdue', and apologised to sufferers that it had taken the Parliament so long to give them recognition. Radio host Mel Greig, who suffers from the condition, told Daily Mail Australia she cried tears of joy at the news. Radio host Mel Greig cried tears of joy on Tuesday when it was revealed that the Australian government would officially recognise endometriosis Greig had suffered with severe period pain from a young age, but it wasn't until she was 23 that it became 'unimaginable' 'Endometriosis sufferers are finally being acknowledged on the level that we need,' she said. Greig had suffered with severe period pain from a young age, but it wasn't until she was 23 that it became 'unimaginable'. 'Going to the toilet felt like a knife stabbing me over and over again,' she said. One in ten women around the world have endometriosis, but it was only this week that their pain was recognised by the Australian government (stock image) 'It's like barbed wire being ripped through you. It's unbearable and excruciating.' Greig's doctor told her that a simple pill would fix her, but it only masked the pain. She eventually would have to get major surgery and a bowel resection. Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue meant to line the uterus grows outside of it instead. It has long been called a 'silent epidemic'. Australian Minister for Health Greg Hunt (pictured) announced on Tuesday that the Federal Government will now develop the first National Action Plan for endometriosis Greig, an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia , hopes the new National Action Plan will give 'vital' education to young girls about the condition Hunt revealed that the National Action Plan will target education and awareness, as well as research and funding, for endometriosis. The government has begun by giving the University of Queensland an initial $160,000 grant for endometriosis diagnosis and treatment research. Greig, an ambassador for Endometriosis Australia, hopes the National Action Plan will give 'vital' education to young girls. 'When I was 16 no one understood where my pain was coming from and I just had to deal with it,' she said. Greig said girls need to understand what period pain is normal and what isn't and to get help at a young age 'They need to understand what's normal and what's not, and to get help at a young age, especially given the fact it takes seven years to diagnose on average.' Endometriosis Australian director and co-founder Donna Ciccia likewise hopes the plan will give validation to sufferers everywhere. 'After years of being told "It's all in your head, it's just period pain, it's normal, you're being dramatic", finally someone is listening and taking it on board and helping to create real change,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Lack of awareness in our community has led to late diagnosis, missed treatment opportunities, loss of jobs, lost productivity, loss of daily functioning, and even suicide and death.' Ciccia hopes the action plan will deliver a federally-funded awareness campaign, a national education plan, increased research funding, and clinical standards of care for endometriosis patients. Hunt's announcement came just three weeks after a Change.org petition was launched demanding endometriosis be recognised by the Australian government. The petitition, launched by endometriosis sufferer Karlie Wilkinson, received more than 111,000 signatures. Wilkinson detailed her long struggle with the condition, describing it as 'morning sickness without the baby'. Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue meant to line the uterus grows outside of it instead. It has long been called a 'silent epidemic' (stock image) WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS? Endometriosis is present when the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus (womb) grows outside this layer and causes pain and/or infertility. There are a wide variety of symptoms - pain can affect areas ranging from the abdomen and lower back to the pelvis and vagina. Other symptoms include painful sexual intercourse, abnormal menstruation, nausea, bloating, and pain with bowel movements. The only way that the diagnosis of endometriosis can be made is to undergo a laparoscopy and have a tissue sample taken. There is no cure, but treatments such as hormones and excision surgery, are available. Source: Endometriosis Australia Advertisement 'It is surgery every six to 12 months, being told you'll never have children at the age of 19, and morning painkillers just to get through the day,' she wrote. 'It is torture and it is real. These symptoms persist every single day of our lives, it is our "normal"''. Ciccia hopes the government's decision will set an international precedent that can finally end the stigma surrounding the condition. 'Womens menstruation has been a taboo topic both socially and culturally,' she said. 'Most people don't even know endometriosis exists.' 'Raising awareness across Australia is crucial to helping to address the burden that endometriosis places on our individuals, families, schools and workplaces.' 'It was only about 30 years ago that diseases like breast cancer were just not discussed. It is time now to end the silence on endometriosis.' Vets are warning pet lovers against buying pugs or French bulldogs as Christmas presents, saying the desire for 'cuteness' is leading to severe deformities and health problems. Dr Lindsay Hamilton claims flat-faced dogs popular with celebrities including David Beckham, Lady Gaga and Holly Willoughby, are often intensively bred and can suffer 'serious life-long issues' as a result - because they 'can't pant, exercise, eat or sleep properly'. The number of French bulldogs in the UK has risen by 300 per cent in the past 15 years and it is set to become the country's most popular dog which means the demand has sparked a rise in bad breeding and illegal imports. Scroll down for video A raft of celebrities including Holly Willoughby, pictured with pet pug Benny, have made miniature flat-faced dogs hugely popular, prompting bad breeding and illegal imports A-list pet of choice: David keeps a tight grip on family pet Coco. Right: Made In Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh with her pooch Herby As a result many flat-faced 'designer' dogs suffer with brachycephalic syndrome meaning they can't breathe through their windpipes and small nostrils. The Barbraham Institute scholar claims an 'explosion in popularity of these deformed dogs' is partly caused by celebrities, who have made them 'fashionable' because they're 'cute'. Lindsay, from Cambridge, said: 'Everybody says 'look at those dogs, they're so cute' but don't realise just how much they are struggling. 'As an emergency vet, I used to see dogs that had been run over. Now I see more that can't breathe. 'A Cambridge research group have done a study assessing the breathing capability of these dogs. The results are astonishing. They found that 60 per cent would benefit from surgery. 'People buy pugs and French bulldogs and think it's funny that they snuffle but it's actually a sign they are in distress.' Bad romance? Lady Gaga is frequently spotted with her three jet black French bulldogs The demand for flat-faced miniature dogs, considered cute by pet lovers, has grown so much that unscrupulous breeders are creating pugs and French bulldogs that are plagued by health problems In a passionate Facebook post, Dr Lindsay Hamilton showed in graphic detail just how breathing is affecting poorly bred animals, with the left-hand image showing inhibited breathing in a pug, versus a more normal opening in a well-bred pet Lindsay has publicised images demonstrating how extreme the difference in the airways in flat-faced dogs is compared to other breeds. She is now urging people to research breeders properly, and write to MPs about legislating against 'severely deformed' dogs, and even refrain from buying merchandise which keeps the dogs' popularity high. Lindsay said: 'The pictures on my post are actually what vets see when they open the mouth of a flat-faced dog. 'Their respiratory rate is so high that you wouldn't usually have time to take images like that. If they miss a couple of breaths they turn blue because they don't have an oxygen reserve. Comparison: The top image shows a pug with a deformed jaw - giving the flat-faced look - against the more normal skull of a retriever Evidence: The closed nostrils of an unhealthy dog. Right: A more normal set of nostrils, letting an adequate airflow in 'They struggle to breathe so much that they are unable to oxygenate themselves. Most other dogs have a respiratory reserve. 'Many popular breeds are smuggled in from Europe to keep up with the demand. There's a huge market for smuggling them from overseas. 'My advice for people looking to get a dog is find an ordinary breed or just a dog that can breathe basically.' Everybody says "look at those dogs, they're so cute" but they don't realise just how much they are struggling to breathe... Dr Lindsay Hamilton In her post, Lindsay notes that the airways of these flat-faced dogs are 'seriously obstructed' due to excess soft tissue around their windpipes. She claims that death by choking on their own airways as a distinct possibility because owners think the panting of pugs is 'cute'. Dr David Sargan, a senior lecturer at Cambridge University, heads up a research group which looks at why flat-faced dogs are predisposed to cancer and eye disease. He believes that the use of pugs and French bulldogs in adverts and popular culture has caused a 'difficult to explain' rise in numbers in the UK. The researcher also is seeking to educate owners that snuffling, snorting and sleeping sat up are all dangerous side effects of the dogs' genetics. David said: 'I'm not saying never buy any of these dogs, but a higher percentage have problems compared to other breeds. 'Mad as hell': Dr Lindsay Hamilton's post on buying flat-faced dogs in full Dr David Sargan, a senior lecturer at Cambridge University, advises people looking to buy pugs or French bulldogs to check that they can breathe easily when buying them 'When looking to buy one of these dogs, make sure they are not making an excessive amount of noise by snorting or snuffling. Are they able to breathe easily? 'Try and make sure they are bred properly. The rise in the number of French bulldogs in the UK is difficult to explain. This is a sign that many are imported. 'If they're going to sleep sitting up, this isn't cute. It's a sign that the dog cannot sleep properly. These dogs suffer with sleep apnea because they can't get enough oxygen in their blood. 'This isn't all of the dogs but a high percentage. Research groups are looking into how they can improve them and help them to be healthier. 'Because these dogs are seen as cute, there's an awful lot of companies using them in advertising - Churchill being one of them. 'French bulldogs and pugs are all over advertisements because people think they're cute. 'They are very good companion dogs and no longer aggressive but have other problems now and we really need to reflect on how this can be resolved.' Nebraska Air National Guard Col. James "Bob" Stevenson Jr., has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general and will serve as assistant adjutant general for air of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Stevenson will succeed Brig. Gen. Keith Schell, who is due to retire from the Nebraska Air National Guard in February. Schell had held the command since 2016. As assistant adjutant general for air, Stevenson will be responsible for the organization, training and equipage of the Nebraska Air National Guard, which includes the 155th Air Refueling Wing in Lincoln and the 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base. Stevenson joined the Guard in 1997 following eight years in the U.S. Air Force. He has flown more than 4,000 hours and is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Crown star Matt Smith has said he 'feels sorry' for Meghan Markle following for her engagement to Prince Harry. Speaking at an event in New York on Monday, the actor, who plays the Duke of Edinburgh in the Netflix drama, said he pities the bride-to-be because 'life as she knows it is gone'. But Smith, 35, admitted there was still plenty for Ms Markle to look forward to, adding: 'She's marring the prince of Britain - how exciting for her.' The Crown actor Matt Smith, right with co-star Claire Foy in New York this week, said he 'feels sorry' for Meghan Markle, left last week, following her engagement to Prince Harry New attention: Smith said that 'life as [Meghan] knows it is gone'. Pictured, hundreds of well-wishers gathered to see Ms Markle on her first royal engagement with her fiance last week The actor was joined by co-star Claire Foy, 33, at the event, which was moderated by Vanity Fair's Mike Hogan. The actress, who plays the Queen in the 100m series, explained the engagement between Harry, 35, and Meghan, 36, marked a significant step forward for the royal family, comparing it to the relationship between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend. She said: 'You realize the fact that Elizabeth forbade her sister from marrying a divorced man; it goes to show how time has changed and how they've had to evolve. 'And they really have. This would not have been conceivable, this would not have happened 50 years ago. Hit show: Matt Smith plays the Duke of Edinburgh alongside Claire Foy as the Queen Unflattering portrayal: The second season of the Crown delves into the allegations of Prince Philip's infidelity. Pictured, Smith on the show, left, the duke at an event in October last year And I think that's why the monarchy will survive, and thrive, because it's willing to change and listen to the people and realize that some elements of the institution are outdated and unnecessary.' The second season of The Crown, which is released on December 8, will paint an unflattering portrait of Prince Philip as an adulterer. Scenes show the Duke of Edinburgh being tempted by a flirtatious Jackie Kennedy during her visit to Buckingham Palace in 1961. 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. The second series of The Crown will be available to watch from December 8 on Netflix. She was recently crowned the most beautiful woman in the world, after winning Miss Universe. And Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, from South Africa, is clearly revelling in her victory as she visited Manila, Philippines, with her fellow contestants on Wednesday. The 22-year-old appeared to be in very high spirits as she posed for photographs outside Fort Santiago, after laying wreaths at the Rizal Monument. Demi-Leigh wowed in a striped crop top and co-ordinating skirt, acessorising her ensemble with a pair of hooped earrings. Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters visited Manila, Philippines, with her fellow competitors on Wednesday Wearing her glossy locks down in lose waves, she displayed a flawless make-up look, opting for a rose-tinted gloss on her lips. As well as her fellow competitors, this year's Miss Universe was also joined by former winner Iris Mittenaere, from France, who took the crown in 2016. Demi-Leigh, who recently completed a business management degree, was crowned Miss Universe at The AXIS theatre at Planet Hollywood, LA, last week. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett. The 22-year-old looked in high spirits as he posed with her fellow contestants, as well as last year's winner Iris Mittinaere, from France (second from right, front row) This year's contestants posed for photographs at the Rizal Monument, following a wreath-laying ceremony Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the beauty pageant, with this years edition starring the most contestants ever. Along with taking the title, this year's Miss Universe will get a year-long salary, as well as a luxury apartment in New York for the duration of her reign. But it hasn't all been plain-sailing for Demi-Leigh, who was carjacked and held at gunpoint in Johannesburg about a month after winning her title as Miss South Africa. A Good Samaritan saw her fleeing the scene and drove her to safety, and she managed to escape unharmed. Demi-Leigh posed with the Miss Universe 2016 (left), before taking a selfie with a fan She looked stylish in a striped crop top and skirt, while model Iris opted for a pink playsuit The Queen is rarely a victim of a fashion faux pas, however, she suffered a slightly awkward moment today when she perfectly matched her outfit to that of her guest. Her Majesty welcomed several dignitaries to her home during a private audience at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday. The 91-year-old royal looked her elegant best in a purple dress with a cream and green floral motif to greet her guests. The Queen accidentally coordinated perfectly with George Adesola Oguntade, the High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his wife Mrs Oguntade on Wednesday However, little did she know her Nigerian visitors had an almost identical colour combination planned for their outfits. George Adesola Oguntade, the High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and his wife Mrs Oguntade arrived at the palace in spectacular traditional dress. The couple opted to wear a matching fabric with the High Commissioner wearing a purple Agbada with a cream stripe decorating it. The couple visited the palace to present the Letter of Credence to the Queen on Wednesday The couple arrived in spectacular traditional dress with the High Comissioner wearing an Agbada and his wife a Buba and Gele His wife's Buba and Gele - a traditional Nigerian shirt and head scarf- were identical in shade with both her husband and the Queen, and featured a geometric pattern in the same cream colour. The trio appeared to see the funny side, pictured laughing as they were introduced at the palace today. Oguntade visited the palace to present his Letter of Credence to the Queen on Wednesday. The monarch also welcomed the Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic and his wife Her Majesty, 91, also welcomed Mr Rami Mortada, the Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic, with his wife, Mrs Gamal Yehia. At Buckingham Palace, audiences are either held in The Queens Audience Room or in the 1844 Room. The Queen gives a weekly audience to the Prime Minister and will also have a private audience with the Chancellor of the Exchequor before a new budget is announced, as well as with visiting Heads of State who are not attending on an official State Visit. The Queen also chairs Privy Council meetings, which are held regularly throughout the year, usually around once a month. Ivanka Trump is being raked over the coals for sharing a series of photos of her three children playing peek-a-boo under her red ball gown, as critics call the photos 'creepy' and mock her incorrect use of the word 'peak.' The 36-year-old first daughter may have thought she was just posting a few cute snapshots of herself playing with her kids on Tuesday evening, but many Twitter users slammed her for letting her children play under her dress. 'Oh good lord, there is so much wrong with this picture,' one Twitter user wrote. 'Are you seriously so utterly tone deaf than to post a picture of boys looking up your dress?' 'Creepy': Ivanka Trump is being slammed for letting her children - Arabella, six, Joseph, four, and Theodore, one - play under her red, floor-length gown Inappropriate? Twitter users took to the comments section of the post to call it 'creepy' 'So much wrong with this picture': One Twitter called Ivanka 'tone deaf' after she posted the snapshot 'Or is it a dig about men hiding behind their momma's skirts? Or should we just go ... how many boys can you fit in your skirt? #TMI,' the person added. Ivanka took to Twitter yesterday evening to post an image of her children - Arabella, six, Joseph, four, and Theodore, one - attempting to hide under her flawless red, floor-length gown. The fashion mogul shared a similar image to her Instagram page showing an adorable Theodore sitting on the ground at her feet while in his pajamas in the family's living room. Ivanka captioned both posts - simply writing 'Peak-a-boo.' There's more: The fashion mogul shared a similar image to her Instagram page showing an adorable Theodore sitting on the ground at her feet Not a fan: One Twitter user called the photo 'gross' and asked God to 'make it all stop' Normal family fun? Donna Connellly questioned if this is 'how the Trump play' 'This whole family is just off': One Twitter understood the photo was meant to be cute but still found it creepy In addition to calling the pictures 'creepy' and 'gross,' many Twitter users mercilessly made fun of her for incorrectly writing 'peak' instead of 'peek.' 'So creepiness runs in the family. Kids playing in your dress? BTW, it's peek not mountain "peak". God help us,' one Twitter user wrote, another person named Cora Mae added: 'You cant even spell. By the way, this picture is creepy.' 'That is a bit creepy...' the Resist Hypocrisy Twitter account commented. 'No one thinks letting young boys under a dress where they can look up is a bit weird?' One person pointed out that most children know the difference between 'peek' and 'peak,' writing: 'My 7 year old just peeked over my shoulder, read this and said "That's 'peak' like a mountain, not 'peek' like 'I see you'." God bless our public ed system.' Whoops: When she captioned the photos on Twitter and Instagram, Ivanka incorrectly wrote 'peak-a-boo' instead of 'peek-a-boo' English lesson: Plenty of Twitter users pointed out that 'peek' means to look while 'peak' is the top of a mountain Hitting back: Jesse Blanchard took the opportunity to bring up allegations of sexual harassment against her father, President Trump How hard is it? Joe Pergola questioned why the first family doesn't have anyone check their tweets for errors Quick question: One person asked if Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, was also under her dress hidng from special counsel Robert Mueller Cassandra Paige responded by noting that Ivanka is highly educated and attended the Chapin School, an elite all-girls school in Manhattan, and Choate Rosemary Hall, a famous boarding school in Connecticut. 'Except she went to expensive private school. I went to public school and I know the difference between peak and peek,' she wrote. Other people used the photo as an opportunity to bring up the allegations of sexual assault against her father, President Trump, who was famously recorded telling Billy Bush that he grabs women 'by the p****y.' 'Okay Ivaka, peak means the highest point or value of something,' Jesse Blanchard wrote. 'Peek is something your father buys beauty pageant to do.' Russian doll: One Twitter user called Ivanka 'Kremlin Barbie' while pointing out her spelling error Just saying: One person pointed out that most children know the difference between 'peek' and 'peak' Shout out to public school: Cassandra Paige noted that Ivanka went to expensive private schools and still doesn't know the difference between the two spellings Join the club: Cora Mae was one of the many people who pointed out the spelling error while telling her the snapshot was creepy 'Is this how the Trumps play? And you think this is normal?' Donna Connelly asked. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, was also slammed in the comments section, with many insisting that he was headed to jail. President Trump's son-in-law was thrown into the heart of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe after being implicated as the official who told Michael Flynn to contact Russian officials on behalf of the White House. While commenting on the photo of Ivanka's children huddled under her dress, one Twitter user asked: 'Is Jared hiding under their too? You know, from Mueller?' Holiday spirit: People presumably pictured President Trump as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge when they compared Ivanka to the Ghost of Christmas Present Comparison: In A Christmas Carol, the novella by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Present lifts up his robes to show two emaciated children named Ignorance and Want Fan club: Despite the scathing criticism, some people found Ivanka's picture to be 'sweet' 'Nothing is wrong': Mohit Maurya told ivanka that she has 'done well' 'Great photo'!' A woman named Renee Michelle advised Ivanka to ignore her haters Interestingly enough, a few people saw the photos and immediately thought of a scene from A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale about the dangers of greed and selfishness. People presumably pictured President Trump as miserly Ebenezer Scrooge when they compared Ivanka to the Ghost of Christmas Present. During Scrooge's visit with the Ghost of Christmas Present, he lifts up his robes to show two emaciated children named Ignorance and Want. The Ghost of Christmas Present mocks Scrooge's sudden concern for the children when he never cared before. 'Are you the Ghost of Christmas Present?' one Twitter user asked Ivanka. Focused: Ivanka has yet to comment on the criticism over the photos, and she returned to work at the White House with Jared (pictured) on Wednesday Work: Ivanka was photographed sitting between her husband and White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn while her father spoke to reporters ahead of a cabinet meeting Of course, some fans of the first daughter thought the pictures were 'sweet' and advised her to ignore her critics. 'Nothing is wrong... You done well mam,' Mohit Maurya commented. Ivanka has yet to comment on the criticism, nor has she removed the controversial photos from her Twitter and Instagram accounts. She was back to work on Wednesday to watch her father talk to reporters before a cabinet meeting at the White House. The White House senior adviser was photographed sitting between White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and her husband Jared. Both Ivanka and Jared has serious looks on their faces as they sat behind the president ahead of the meeting. Chrissy Teigen has taken a stance against 'sh***y' friends whom she says reveal private details about her life in exchange for money. The model and TV presenter, 32, took to Twitter yesterday to slam her disloyal pals after reading a story in which an anonymous source had detailed her pregnancy cravings. She is currently expecting her second child with her husband John Legend, 38, after welcoming firstborn Luna a year and a half ago. Speaking out: Chrissy Teigen has taken a stance against 'sh***y' friends whom she says reveal private details about her life in exchange for money Message: The model, 32, took to Twitter yesterday to slam her disloyal pals after reading a story in which an anonymous source had detailed her pregnancy cravings 'You guys should do a service to all the celebs who give you hourly content and say who your sources are so we can get rid of the sh***y "friends" in our lives who sell you stories,' Chrissy wrote along with a link to the story that prompted her outrage. The article, published by E! News, states that Chrissy is currently experiencing intense pregnancy cravings. 'Her cravings are out of control during this time around and she has no discipline,' the unnamed source told E! News. 'She loves junk food and eats basically anything she wants.' The anonymous source, described as insider, provided a short list of Chrissy's favorite foods, pointing out that she 'loves cheeseburgers, French fries, chips and anything fried or spicy'. A growing family: Chrissy is currently expecting her second child with husband John Legend Big sister: John and Chrissy welcomed their firstborn, daughter Luna, a year and a half ago Worrying: Chrissy (pictured with John last month in Washington, DC) later told her followers that the wildfires currently raging in Southern California are now threatening her family home Evacuation: The model explained that all she had managed to grab amid the fire is a packed of limited edition Oreos, her Spike TV award and, of course, her daughter Reassuring: She then assured her followers she and her family would be all right and professed her love of firefighters, who are currently helping people in California stay safe Chrissy's tweet bashing her 'sh***y' friends has resonated with many Twitter users, and has received more than 75,000 likes while being retweeted more than 7,500 times. Not long after publishing her message, the model shared another update with her followers, telling them that the wildfires currently raging in Southern California are now threatening her family home. 'Never thought Id get to actually play what I thought was a hypothetical game of what would you grab if there were a fire. so far all I have is Luna, some limited edition Oreos and my Spike TV Award,' she wrote. The model then reassured her followers, adding: 'We are fine and we will be fine. Thinking of everyone else affected and continuing my lifelong intense love of firefighters.' Chrissy, who has long documented her love of food and cooking, is the author of the New York Times bestselling recipe book Cravings. She also frequently tweets about her culinary thoughts and mishaps, and once famously (and successfully) asked her followers for bananas in a bid to make banana bread. Vikki Mitchell is at her daughter Kias hospital bedside every morning by 8am. She spends the day talking to her, stroking her hair, willing her to keep fighting. The nurses at the high-dependency unit at Leeds General Infirmary, where 11-month-old Kia is being treated, have told Vikki that they have never seen a baby so sick pull through. The doctors remind her more often than she needs to be reminded that her daughter still may not survive. But Vikki is clinging to hope, because thats all shes got. That Kia is still with us is nothing short of a miracle. In the early hours of September 24, she was rushed to hospital with meningitis C. So severe was the blood poisoning raging through her tiny body that her arms and legs had turned black. She has since had all four of her limbs amputated the last, her left arm, two weeks ago and lies in her bed, hooked up to tubes and wires and monitors, clinging to life. Kia Gott (pictured) was rushed to hospital with meningitis C earlier this year after her body began to turn black Vikki and her partner, Kias father Paul Gott, are, of course, devastated. Seeing their baby girl lying helpless in hospital, swaddled in bandages, kills us every day. Their devastation is compounded by anger, too. For if Kia had been born just months earlier, she may not have contracted meningitis at all. In July 2016, the meningitis C vaccine, routinely offered to all babies in the UK at 12 weeks old to protect them from that particular strain of the disease, was quietly withdrawn from the national vaccination programme. Instead, it was decided that the vaccine would be given at 12 months. Ten months earlier, in September 2015, the meningitis B vaccine offering protection against the more common strain had been introduced on the NHS and was being offered to babies at eight weeks old. According to the Meningitis Research Foundation, one of the reasons the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation, which advises the Government, decided to withdraw the meningitis C vaccine at 12 weeks was because incident rates had dropped significantly, and it was believed that the new meningitis B jab, a breakthrough vaccine, would also offer some protection against meningitis C, too. Another factor was the introduction in September 2015 of another meningitis vaccine, known as ACWY and given to children at the age of 14, which would help build herd immunity that would also protect babies and young children. But it didnt protect Kia Gott. In the past few days, Vikki and Paul have begun a petition calling for the meningitis C vaccine to be reinstated at 12 weeks. The number of infants contracting meningitis C remains low, but it has risen since the vaccine at that age was withdrawn. Vikki Mitchell and Paul Gott (pictured) have been told that their daughter Kia, may not survive Statistics released by Public Health England show that in 2015-16 (from July 1 to June 30), two children up to the age of five contracted the disease; in the year 2016-17, the figure had risen to six. In babies up to 12 months, the figure rose from one case in 2015-16 to four in 2016-17. Were devastated, says Vikki. Every day, I wake up feeling sick. Weve been told that Kia might not survive, but Im holding on to hope because thats what gets me out of bed in the morning. We had no idea the meningitis C vaccine had been stopped at 12 weeks. We were told the numbers of babies who contracted it was very low but, in our view, one case is one too many. Wed have had the injection privately if wed known. Our lives have been destroyed by this. Kias life as it should have been has been taken away from her. Two weeks ago, Vikki and Paul received a heartfelt letter from Sophie, Countess of Wessex the wife of Prince Edward and a mother of two who is a patron of the Meningitis Now charity. Weve been told that Kia might not survive, but Im holding on to hope because thats what gets me out of bed in the morning - Vikki Shed heard about Kia and felt moved to get in touch. I wanted to write to you after learning about your beautiful baby daughter, Kia, she wrote. I am completely heartbroken and devastated by Kias prognosis and cant begin to imagine how you are feeling at this impossibly difficult time. I am so very sorry for what you are going through. I know words are inconsequential, but I felt compelled to reach out. I wish you peace, strength and hope as Kia rebuilds her strength and I send my love to your family. It was a very nice letter, says Vikki. There was a telephone number on the letter, so we called to invite Sophie to come to see Kia. We were told she was in Bangladesh [the Countess was on a solo tour of the country], but we hope to hear from her now that she is back. Since Kia was admitted to hospital in September, Vikki has kept a vigil at her daughters bedside and has been sleeping in hospital accommodation, while Paul stays at the family home near Bradford, West Yorkshire, and looks after their two elder children, Kayden, nine, and four-year-old Elsie. Kia has had to have huge doses of painkiller drugs including fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than morphine, and ketamine, an anaesthetic which are administered intravenously through a Hickman line fitted into her chest. Kia (pictured) began retching and appeared to have bruises on her face, when her parents called for an ambulance on September 23rd Doctors are now slowly withdrawing these drugs. She is fed high-calorie formula milk through a nasogastric tube. After contracting a chest infection last week, this week Kias condition appears to have improved slightly. Now less heavily sedated, it brought her mum and dad enormous joy last week to see her open her eyes. I held her yesterday on my knee, says Vikki, with a triumphant smile. When I spoke to her, she turned her head to me. The past few days, she has been a bit more responsive. Shes had her eyes open. It may seem a tiny thing, but doctors had initially warned that Kia was likely to be left significantly brain damaged, blind and deaf. Then the smile fades again. When youre at someones hospital bedside, you naturally go to hold their hand. But I cant do that. So I stroke her face and hair and talk to her, says Vikki. When youre at someones hospital bedside, you naturally go to hold their hand. But I cant do that Weve been amazed at how she keeps going after everything thats been thrown at her shes such a little fighter. Kias fight for life began on September 23. That day, she developed a high temperature and was poorly. Vikki put her to bed with a bottle at 9.30pm, and the family went to bed. At around 2am, Vikki and Paul were awoken by the sound of Kia retching. We rushed into her room and switched on the light, recalls Vikki. She had what looked like bruises all over her face. They seemed to be appearing before my very eyes. We guessed straight away what it was and called an ambulance. On the way to hospital, they drilled into the bone to get drugs into her and slit the skin on her leg to try to get the blood flowing, but it didnt work. When we arrived at hospital, an anaesthetist tried to get a line into her artery, but couldnt. She said if she couldnt get a line in, that would be it. Thankfully, another anaesthetist managed to do it. Kia's parents were told that if the sound of her retching hadn't woken them up, they would've awoken to a dead baby The doctors didnt know which strain of meningitis Kia had. They were pumping antibiotics into her, but the medication wasnt working. Her arms and legs were black. They do a test to show the level of infection. A normal is level around the number five Kias was 200-plus. We were told it was the worst case of meningitis the doctors had ever seen and that, if we hadnt been woken up, wed have awoken the next morning to a dead baby. Kia was given drugs to keep her heart going. Doctors told Vikki, 30, and Paul, a 35-year-old window fitter, that there was no option other than to amputate Kias limbs if she were to have a chance of surviving. The doctors explained how the body works in such circumstances, says Vikki. It says to itself: I dont need my extremities, but I need my organs so blood is diverted away from the arms and legs, cutting off their oxygen supply and turning them black. Learning that Kia would lose her limbs was terrible, but it didnt seem real it still doesnt. It feels as though were standing at the edge of a cliff and we dont know whats going to happen next The first amputation was carried out on October 19. The others were carried out at intervals of around ten days in between, to give Kias body a chance to rest. Her right arm has been amputated just below the elbow, her left above the wrist. Her left leg was amputated above the knee, while shes lost her right leg from the middle of the thigh. Each operation lasted around three hours, says Vikki. Every time, it was entering the unknown. We didnt know how Kias body would cope. During the surgery, Paul and I walked into Leeds to try to take our minds off it, but, of course, you cant. Kia did really well after the first two amputations, but after the last two, she was very poorly. She slept most of the time and, after the final one, she developed a chest infection. Kia's parents were told that she was 90 per cent brain damaged before her amputations were carried out Any sort of infection is potentially fatal to Kia because she has no immunity. Paul wasnt allowed to see her for a couple of days this week because he had a bad cold. She has had kidney problems, too, and has had to have dialysis. Shes also had a couple of blood transfusions. The doctors are worried that her gut isnt working properly. It feels as though were standing at the edge of a cliff and we dont know whats going to happen next. Vikki says that while she is realistic about the gravity of Kias situation, she has been upset by the negative attitude of her daughters consultant. Kias consultant hasnt got faith in her. Its always bad news, always negative. I know you have to be realistic, but I can see the negative stuff in front of me. I need to focus on the positive I need hope, because hopes all thats keeping me going. The consultant has said she thinks only one round of resuscitation would be fair if Kia has a cardiac arrest. But whats fair about that? Kia has had her arms and legs amputated. Thats not fair. If she can smile and just let me know shes happy, Ill be OK Before the amputations were carried out, an MRI scan was done, and doctors told Kias parents she was 90 per cent brain-damaged. (Meningitis causes infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, as well as blood poisoning). They were warned that she was almost certainly blind and deaf, and incapable of independent movement. I just dont agree, says Vikki. Kia definitely reacts to sound and me talking to her, and Ive seen her react to light, too. The other day, she moved the top of her arm, but the doctors just said it was a nervous reaction to the amputation. Kia is on so many drugs at the moment that she cant be properly assessed. Its a waiting game. But were hoping that the doctors are wrong. The nurses have been wonderful, though. One of them phoned Paul the other day really excited because shed seen Kia follow her around the room with her eyes. Vikki says Kia's brother Kayden (pictured left) puts on a brave face for the family Vikki says there is now a plan in place for Kias care, which wasnt there at the beginning because no one thought she would make it. Kias team include a neurologist, a kidney specialist, an eye doctor, a plastic surgeon, a pain team and a physiotherapist. Over the past few days, the physiotherapist has been able to get Kia out of bed and sit her up on a bean bag. In the next few weeks, she will need a skin graft, with skin taken from her back and grafted on to her bottom, where she lost skin as a result of the meningitis. Kia faces many more months in hospital. It will be her first birthday on December 18, and her mum and dad are planning to do everything in their power to make it a happy occasion for their youngest child. They say they have both grieved to a degree for the loss of their daughter as she was. She was only nine months old, but she was able to walk as she held onto our hands, says Vikki. But now, shell never throw a snowball, or put on a pair of gloves, or write her name. Before this, she was saying ma, ma, ma, but now we dont know if she will ever talk. She adds: But there will be different milestones that she can achieve. Her life will be different, but it will be fulfilling. She will need a wheelchair and artificial limbs. But whats most important is that she is loved. A spokesman for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said yesterday: In the UK, MenC disease is now very rare across all age groups, including young babies. The MenACWY vaccination programme in teenagers helps protect people of all ages by interrupting transmission of these groups of meningococcal disease. This good population control of MenC disease means the risk to infants is currently low, which is why the JCVI advised that the MenC dose in infants was discontinued. The dose of combined Hib/MenC offered at 12 months of age provides good protection to toddlers and younger children. In addition, the introduction of MenB vaccine into the infant programme may provide a degree of protection against some cases of MenC disease. Of course, a tragedy such as this affects the whole family and Kias brother and sister are suffering, too. Kayden is putting on a brave face because he doesnt want to upset us, says Vikki. Hes such a thoughtful boy. Elsie says she wants to buy Kia a pair of legs for Christmas. Its hard for her because shes not used to me not being there. But for now, Vikkis vigil goes on. She remains at her daughters bedside every day, willing her to get better. Theyre taking it one day at a time. One thing Kia always such a happy baby before meningitis struck hasnt done since she was admitted to hospital is smile. And thats what Vikkis waiting for: to see her little girls beautiful smile again. If she can smile and just let me know shes happy, Ill be OK, she says. That moment, Kias family and all her many supporters hope and pray will come soon. Anyone who would like to donate to Kias fundraising page should go to: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cheryl-dibbin Melania Trump traveled to Texas to meet with Hurricane Harvey first responders just hours as her husband announced that the U.S. formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital city. The 47-year-old first lady was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence's wife Karen, 59, for the trip, and they were all smiles as they shook hands with the local heroes on Wednesday upon their arrival. Melania kept warm in a $995 olive green puffy coat by Rag & Bone, which she wore over a brown turtleneck and skinny green pants, while the second lady wore a modest black jacket over a button-down shirt. Scroll down for video Melania Trump traveled to Texas to meet with Hurricane Harvey first responders on Wednesday afternoon Well heeled! The first lady wore a pair of knee-high stiletto boots with her ensemble The 47-year-old first lady was all smiles as she shook hands with the local heroes Melania was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence's wife Karen, 59, for the trip. The two are pictured talking together upon their arrival at the Coastal Bend She also had the opportunity to pay a visit to local school children while in Texas, spending time in a classroom speaking to individual students Although she received plenty of flack for wearing sky-high heels to visit Hurricane Harvey flood zones in August, Melania opted for brown stiletto boots for her latest trip to Texas. The former model wore her highlighted brown hair loose around her shoulders and she stuck to natural-looking make-up for the visit. After greeting first responders at the Coastal Bend, the two women traveled to Rockport to meet a family who lost their home in the storm. During the visit, Melania and Karen were able to see the remains of the family's home, as well as the FEMA manufactured residence they are living in now. At the end of their trip, stopped by Whataburger in Corpus Christi to order food. Sticking with her style: Although she received plenty of flack for wearing sky-high heels to visit Hurricane Harvey flood zones in August, Melania opted for brown stiletto boots for her trip Added touch: Melania's $995 olive green puffy coat by Rag & Bone features a lace-up detailing on the sides Say cheese: Melania and Karen happily posed for photos with the group of first responders Snack time! The first and second ladies stopped to grab lunch at Whataburger in Corpus Christi after their visit Pit stop: Melania's communications director happily tweeted a photo of them ordering The first lady's Director of Communications Stephanie Grisham tweeted a photo of Melania and Karen ordering their meals. 'On our way out of town, @FLOTUS & @SecondLady decided to stop in to @Whataburger for some lunch! The American chain opened its 1st restaurant in Corpus Christi, TX in 1950!' she wrote. The trip came on the same day that President Trump announced America formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital city, changing decades of U.S. policy in a brief afternoon speech and casting the move as a bid to preserve, not derail, aspirations for regional peace. Appearing in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room against an elaborate backdrop of Christmas decorations, He also said the United States embassy in Israel would, over time, be moved there from Tel Aviv. Israel is the only country where the United States has an embassy in a city that the host nation does not consider its capital. Busy day: While Melania was in Texas, President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capitol on Wednesday and launched a process to move the U.S. embassy there Right-hand man: The president signed a proclamation after his short speech, backed up by Vice President Mike Pence Take to the streets: Young men in Gaza protested after Trump's announcement, with Hamas asking for a 'day of rage' on Friday His speech was greeted by demonstrations in the Middle East and a threat from Hamas that he had 'opened the gates of hell.' Although he was backed by his vice president during his speech, world leaders including the Pope spoke out against the measure, saying that it jeopardized the peace process. But Trump was unrepentant that he was doing the 'right thing'. 'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said. 'While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today I am delivering.' 'When I came into office I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking,' he said, leaning heavily on a mid-1990s federal law that demanded the embassy's relocation. 'We have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all,' Trump added. 'But today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.' 'It is also the right thing to do. It is something that has to be done.' She rose to fame for her acting chops but Mount Pleasant star Nicola Millbank is just as passionate about food as she is of the silver screen. But mention clean eating to the 29-year-old TV star, and she makes a noise of disgust. Nicola, known as 'Milly' to her friends, is on a campaign against the rampant use of so-called 'healthy' substitutes for sugar, butter and gluten as part of the huge new trend for guilt-free cooking. Taking a veiled swipe at fitness fanatics such as Joe Wicks and Deliciously Ella who often swap ingredients for 'healthier' versions, Nicola claims free-from products are not always necessarily better for you. Nicola 'Milly' Millbank is on a mission to promote nourishing 'real' foods instead of 'healthy' substitutes that are often included in clean eating cookbooks The Silent Witness and Mr Selfridge actress says that unless you're a vegan or have a genuine intolerance or allergy to dairy or gluten, there is no need to substitute ingredients such as butter and flour under the illusion it makes the product healthier for you. 'There's coconut date syrup now and all sorts of other nonsense,' Nicola, who lives in London with her fiance Michael Eagle-Hodgson, a producer who now runs Milly's Cookbook food brand, tells FEMAIL Food&Drink. 'No to that! Sugar! Sugar, and chocolate and everything in between. I've got a saying which is butter makes everything better. 'My book is not about substituting good old-fashioned ingredients for so-called healthy ones, which as we are finding out isn't always the case, as they're not always healthier.' The book contains more than 100 comfort food recipes, and though there are lighter dishes, the focus is on indulgence and nourishment rather than health. Nicola's cookbook came out in May this year. It was commissioned just six months after she set up her successful food blog It was born out of 'pure boredom,' according to Nicola, who set up a food blog just last year when she found herself in between acting jobs. The website proved such a hit that six months later, she was approached by a publisher to write a cookbook. 'In my book, I don't believe in clean eating and "vegan, gluten, fairy-dust paleo",' laughs Nicola, who starred in the last ever series of Mount Pleasant earlier this year. Calling 'healthy' substitutes a 'pet hate' of hers, she adds: 'No, no. For me, it's about cooking up comforting home cooked food and embracing all ingredients. 'If I had it my way I would have had a book of burgers and ragus and cheesecakes. but my publisher said you need to do a bit more [healthy recipes]. Recipe: Slow cooked shredded ox tail ragu with parmesan mash and gremolata oil Serves 4 Nicola says this oxtail ragu is her favourite winter recipe and she serves it up with creamy mash and gremolata oil Ingredients: For the oxtail: Olive oil 1kg of oxtail cut into about 4-5 chunks A good pinch of salt and pepper A knob of butter 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1 white onion, cut into chunks 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 sticks of celery, cut into chunks 200ml of red wine 400g tin of cherry tomatoes 1 tbsp. of grain mustard 1 tbsp. of tomato puree 1 tbsp. of Worcester sauce 1 litre of good quality beef stock For the Parmesan mash: 500g of Maris Piper potatoes 50g of butter A handful of grated parmesan cheese Salt and pepper For the gremolata: a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 clove of garlic Zest of a lemon 100ml of extra virgin olive oil Method: - Preheat the oven to 150C. - Pop medium sized heavy based pan on a high heat and add a glug of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, season the oxtail with sat and pepper and seal until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the butter and throw in the carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, then pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. - Add the tin of cherry tomatoes, mustard, tomato puree, Worcester sauce and beef stock and bring to the boil. Add the oxtail back in, cover with a lid and cook for 4 hours in the middle of the oven. - To make the gremolata oil, finely chop the parsley and garlic and add to a bowl with the lemon zest. Pour in 100ml of extra virgin olive oil and give it a good stir. - To make the mash, peel and cut the potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, transfer back to the pan and using a potato masher mash together with the butter, parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. - Once the oxtail is done, its up to you whether you serve it whole or shred the meet. As oxtail is quite a fatty cut, I like to shred mine. Simply remove the oxtail from the pan, shred the meat away from the bone and add back into the ragu. Give it a good stir and serve with a spoonful of parmesan mash and a drizzle of gremolata oil. Advertisement 'It was something I was really happy to do as that's how I eat everyday. 'I wouldn't have a cheeseburger out and about for lunch then come home and have a massive bowl of pasta and a huge wedge of cheesecake with a bottle of wine. I would very much moderate that.' Nicola, who says she would love to one day present a food and travel TV series, finds it easy to balance her new food career with her acting. She's also an aspiring screenwriter, and is currently writing her first ever screenplay. The self-proclaimed feminist said it's set to have plenty of 'meaty female roles' but couldn't give detail of what it will be about as it is still in development. Nicola is engaged to Michael Eagle-Hodgson, a former TV producer who now runs the Milly's Cookbook food brand Nicola is now writing a screenplay and focusing on her food brand. She one day hopes to present a TV food and travel series But she explained: 'I wanted to create something where women would be given roles they'd be proud to portray. I think we're dearth of really meaty "women with balls" roles.' She admits the main character will be a 'boy' but that the show will definitely have 'lots of strong female parts'. Nicola Millbank's book Milly's Real Food came out in May FEMAIL asked Nicola if this drive to portray strong women on screen was born out of the recent #MeToo campaign on social media in the wake of the rape and sexual assault allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Thankfully, Nicola said she has never had experience of foul play at work - but that she has several 'high profile' friends in the industry who have sadly been victims of harassment or sexual assault. Until her screenplay is finished, Nicola will continue acting and focusing on her food brand, which she says never promotes any dish as 'guilt-free'. Explaining why she hates the term, she said: 'You shouldn't feel guilty about the food you eat. 'So if there's a guilt-free alternative to your favourite dish, it makes you feel guilty about liking it in the first place. 'For me, it's so basic. It goes back to absolutely everything in moderation.' Nicola Millbank is the first ever UK ambassador for Glenilen Farms natural farmhouse yoghurts. Available in Sainsburys, Waitrose, Ocado and independent stores. Visit glenilenfarm.com. Christmas is up to 16 per cent more expensive this year than last, so it's essential that you don't buy more than you really need. Now the experts at Good Housekeeping Institute have revealed the exact amounts you will need to feed a crowd on Christmas Day. They have shared the quantities you will need per person so you can work out how much you will have to buy for your family, as well as the amounts for eight to 10 people, which many households will be hosting this year. You will need a 4-4.5kg turkey to feed between eight and 10 people, or 500g per person. Once off the bone, a serving should be 250g per person Good Housekeeping revealed the quantities after publishing its annual research into the price of a Christmas dinner. The data showed that the 11 basic ingredients for the big day have never been more expensive. However, they say it is still possible to put together a turkey feast for eight for as little as 23.54 - 2.94 per head - if you shop at discount supermarkets. That is up from 19.82 - 2.48 a head last year. The annual study suggests the general increase has been driven by a big rise in the cost of fresh vegetables, specifically potatoes, Brussel sprouts, carrots and parsnips. To counteract the cost, GH has now shared the exact amounts of each item you will need for the dinner so that you don't spend more than you have to. Sausage manufacturers have been accused of failing to cut salt levels to meet public health targets. As a result some brands and supermarkets are putting customers at risk of overdosing on salt, say campaigners. The lobby group CASH says salt, which is linked to raised blood pressure and strokes, has become a forgotten killer. Its research suggests that eating a sausage sandwich for breakfast could contain nearly two-thirds of an adults maximum daily recommended intake for salt, which is 6g. Sausage manufacturers have been accused of failing to cut salt levels to meet public health targets (file photo) The sausage sandwich would contain more salt than a double cheeseburger and large fries. A survey by CASH found many premium and vegetarian sausages, including the Quorn brand, had relatively high salt levels. Earlier this week, academics at Queens University Belfast said British sausages were generally free of certain cancer risk chemicals called nitrates and nitrites, which are used in processed meats. However, they did not look at salt and saturated fat, which carry their own risks. Public Health England (PHE) set a series of voluntary salt reduction targets for sausages which were due to be met by the end of 2017. However, a survey by CASH Consensus Action on Salt and Health found many brands have failed to meet it. As a result, the group says it is time for the Government to use the law to enforce salt reductions. The PHE target is a maximum of 1.38g of salt per 100g based on sausages in their raw form. The sausage sandwich could contain more salt than a double cheeseburger and large fries, campaigners have warned (file photo) The CASH survey, which is largely based on the salt in a sausage once it has been cooked, found more than 50 above that figure. The highest salt levels were in products sold under the Richmond brand. Its skinless pork sausages came in at 2.3g per 100g. The figure was 2.2g for its thick pork sausages, oven ready pork sausages, frozen pork sausages and thin pork sausages. Asdas premium range Extra Special Bacon & Maple Syrup Pork Sausages were high at 2.1g of salt per 100g. The salt level was a relatively high 1.9g per 100g in Heck brand Spring Chicken Sausages and its Chicken Italia Sausages. It was 1.8g in Debbie & Andrews Clean and Lean High Protein Pork Sausages. The levels of salt in some sausages are putting customers at risk of overdosing (file photo) Looking at vegetarian options, the figure was 1.9g in Quorn sausages and 1.6g in some Linda McCartney brands. CASH said Britons eat more than 175,000 tonnes of sausages each year. That equates to an average of 61g of salt per person, which is equivalent to 134 packets of ready salted crisps. Graham MacGregor, the Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of CASH, said: The UK has led the world on salt reduction but this survey clearly shows that many companies are not cooperating with the current voluntary policy. Public Health England must get tough on those companies not complying and set new mandatory targets to be achieved by 2020 without further delay. Otherwise, thousands of people will die from unnecessary strokes and heart attacks every year. Salt reduction is the most cost-effective and most successful public health preventive measure made to date, and it is a national tragedy that it is being allowed to fail. Nutritionist and Campaign Manager at CASH, Sonia Pombo, (correct) said food manufacturers should explore switching from salt to potassium-based salt replacements, which appear to deliver the same flavour without the threat to health. The government should now encourage companies to explore the use of potassium, which is a mineral found naturally in fruit, vegetables other foods, in sausages and help reduce the nations blood pressure, she said. CLAY CENTER, Neb. Dozens of investigators spent hours Tuesday combing roadside ditches and the edges of cornfields in southeastern Clay County, searching for evidence in the death of Sydney Loofe a day after remains believed to be hers were found in the area. A Nebraska State Patrol helicopter circled above while investigators marked locations a half-mile apart or more. Loofe, 24, disappeared nearly three weeks ago. Her mother reported her missing Nov. 16 after she missed work in Lincoln. For the first time Tuesday, law enforcement officials said they found evidence of foul play in the case. But they provided no further details on what might have happened. An autopsy has been ordered. "We are indeed conducting a very thorough investigation to ensure we can provide an accurate account of what happened to Sydney, said Randy Thysse, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Omaha, during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Lincoln. Two people identified by law enforcement as persons of interest in the case Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell remained in custody late Tuesday at the Saline County jail in Wilber. Neither had been charged with a crime related to Loofe's disappearance or death. Police have said Loofe was last seen the night before in Wilber, after apparently going on a date with Boswell, whom she met through the online dating app Tinder. Trail, 51, and Boswell, 23, live in Wilber but left the state after Loofe went missing. They were arrested last week in the Branson, Missouri area. "We're continuing to speak with Aubrey Trail, and we'll continue to do so as long as he's willing to do that," said Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister, who declined to say whether Boswell was also cooperating with investigators. Trail and Boswell have denied their involvement in Loofe's disappearance through a bizarre trio of videos posted last week on social media. While both had active arrest warrants for unrelated charges, Trail said he isn't just a criminal, and deals antiques throughout southeast Nebraska. "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, Trail said in one video. In an earlier video, Boswell claimed she and Loofe drove around Lincoln then smoked marijuana at her apartment in Wilber before she dropped Loofe off at a friend's house. Boswell said she hadn't heard from Loofe since. Bliemiester on Tuesday said investigators have explored the claims in the videos extensively. "The investigative efforts have not been able to confirm those particular details," he said. "Well still work toward that end, but again, the analysis of the (digital records) was what led us to the discovery of who we believe to be Sydney." Lincoln police and the FBI are jointly leading the investigation. FBI officials ask that anyone with information related to the case call the dedicated tipline 402-493-8688 and select Option 1. Loofe, a Neligh native, moved to Lincoln after graduating high school in 2011 as part of a transfer in her employment with Menards, according to her mother, Susie Loofe. Sydney Loofe's coworkers and family said it was out of character when she didn't arrive for her shift as a cashier at the north Lincoln store. When her family couldn't get ahold of her, they reported her missing to police. The Loofe family took to social media the following days to raise awareness about her disappearance in hopes of aiding the search. Her picture appeared on billboards along Interstate 80 in Omaha and in central and downtown Lincoln, and her case became a front-page story for area newspapers and led the evening news. Her family learned shortly after 5 p.m. Monday that remains believed to be hers had been found, her father told the Neligh News and Leader. In an interview with that paper Monday night, George Loofe expressed gratitude to those who prayed for their daughter, posted flyers, spread word on social media and "everyone that had anything to do with the search for Sydney." "The entire state and beyond tried to help, and, in our minds, a lot of good people exist in this world," he said. "Sydney just happened to run into someone that wasn't." A debt-ridden care home chain with around 17,000 vulnerable residents is on the brink of collapse amid a row between its wealthy backers. Four Seasons Health Care could be tipped into administration within 10 days if it misses a 26m interest payment due next Friday that it has warned it may not pay. Its owner, private equity firm Terra Firma which is run by tycoon Guy Hands, and key lender, US hedge fund H/2 Capital Partners, have yet to agree on a rescue deal as the deadline looms. Four Seasons Health Care could be tipped into administration within 10 days if it misses a 26m interest payment due next Friday that it has warned it may not pay (file photo of a Four Seasons care home) The crisis has raised fears of a repeat of the collapse of Southern Cross, which put 31,000 people at risk when it went bust amid a slump in the property market in 2011. About 100 of those homes were taken over by Four Seasons. It comes amid huge concern about debt and underfunding across the care home sector. As well as its residents across 360 homes, Four Seasons has 25,000 employees and hundreds of agency staff. Last night calls were made for the sides to get on with a rescue deal and for the government to step in. Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP and former minister of state for care, said: 'I would say to both sides - get your act together. 'It's intolerable to be fighting in this way when people are potentially at risk and you have got bigger responsibilities. It comes amid huge concern about debt and underfunding across the care home sector (file photo) 'You entered this sector - you have got to demonstrate that you are fit and proper for the role. 'The government cannot simply say it's not our responsibility - they have to be willing and able in a crisis to step in to protect very vulnerable people - that has to be the bottom line.' Former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann said: 'It's a deeply, deeply troubling time for everyone who is living in a Four Seasons home. It is really quite shocking that thousands of people's lives and wellbeing are in the balance.' City power broker Guy Hands bought Four Seasons care home chain in April 2012 for up to 825m after it battled crippling debts under the ownership of Qatar Investment Authority. He is one of the most prominent power brokers in the City, having made more than 40bn of deals and also owns Ettington Park hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon. Four Seasons struggled financially before and since his takeover, with bosses blaming government funding in the sector, and spiralling staff costs. It has also had high interest payments. US hedge fund H/2 Capital Partners, run by former Lehman Brothers banker Spencer Haber, has bought up an estimated 256m of Four Seasons debt since 2015. Last month Four Seasons warned it may not be able to make a 26m interest payment due on December 15 and put forward a restructuring proposal. H/2 Capital Partners put forward a different proposal under which it will take control of the business and install a new chairman. Terra Firma has welcomed the proposal. However, the two sides disagree over whether an extra 24 highly profitable care homes should also be thrown into the deal. City power broker Guy Hands bought Four Seasons care home chain in April 2012 for up to 825m Terra Firma argues they are not part of the deal and potential inclusion was the result of a paperwork error. H/2 believes they should get the homes. A court is due to rule on the row. Last week H/2 put forward a deal under which restructuring could move forward before the court decides. However, sources claim attached conditions make it difficult to sign. H/2 could put Four Seasons into administration after a month-long grace period in January if the interest payment next Friday is missed. Sources close to the situation say that is unlikely. Both sides stress they are working hard to agree and have residents interests at heart. Health watchdog Care Quality Commission could step in and stop Four Seasons from taking on new residents if it is concerned that the financial difficulties are affecting quality of care. A spokesman said last night: 'We continue to closely monitor developments. 'I would like to confirm at this point in time we do not believe that services are likely to be disrupted as a result of business failure.' The row follows long-held criticism of government underfunding for social care and concerns over whether private funds seeking high returns are appropriate owners in such a crucial sector. Mr Lamb said: 'I think beyond the growing sense of crisis in the care sector there is also I think a really big issue over whether these complex financial arrangements are justifiable in a market like this. 'My own view is it is not like selling widgets - this is very personal care people are receiving and just don't think we can play fast and loose with people's lives and the care that some very vulnerable people receive.' Shadow health minister Barbara Keeley MP called on both sides to make sure there was no disruption to residents. She added: 'The Tory Government must come forward with plans to ensure that local authorities have the resources they need, after the damaging cuts they have made to local authority budgets since 2010.' Clive Betts, chair of the Communities and Local Government Committee, said: 'The Government's green paper promised by summer 2018 must include a long term fix to ensure our social care system is able to meet the demographic pressures facing it.' The Department of Health is monitoring the situation. A spokesman added: 'We know the social care sector is under pressure due to our growing ageing population. 'That's why we've provided 2bn additional funding over the next three years and next summer we will publish plans to reform social care to ensure it is sustainable for the future. The Department of Health is monitoring the situation. A spokesman added: 'We know the social care sector is under pressure due to our growing ageing population' 'The public can be reassured that the CQC are monitoring the financial stability of the biggest adult social care providers and if services stop, the law means local authorities will step in to protect individuals receiving care.' Robbie Barr, Chairman of Four Seasons Health Care said: 'Four Seasons is seeking to achieve an orderly and timely handover from Terra Firma's ownership to the creditors through a restructuring. 'This week we have opened our books to the advisors of our single largest creditor which is another positive step forward towards a restructuring. 'In the meantime, all the parties agree that the needs of our 17,000 residents and the smooth running of the business are of the utmost importance.' Guy Hands - who is worth an estimated 265m - is notorious for his disastrous, debt-fuelled takeover of record firm EMI at the height of the financial crash which cost terra Firm around 2bn. A spokesperson for Terra Firma said: 'There is no reason to put Four Seasons into administration. Despite having written off its 450 million investment in the Four Seasons business in 2015, Terra Firma has continued to invest in Four Seasons and drive operational improvements in care quality. 'Terra Firma's priority has been continuing to run the homes well for the benefit of the many elderly and vulnerable patients. We call on H/2 Capital Partners, who have acquired their debt at a discount since 2015, to stand by its commitment to find a consensual outcome for the benefit of employees and residents and head off the risk of the obvious disruption that administration would trigger.' Patients will have to 'sleep, take paracetamol and pray', concerned doctors have warned ahead of the impending winter crisis. The NHS is expected to face unprecedented pressure in the coming months, as campaigners fear it will be disastrous amid soaring waiting lists in A&E. Now GPs are echoing the widespread worries, claiming it will become a 'survival of the fittest' as they are already struggling to cope. A survey of 633 doctors, undertaken by GPOnline, revealed the concerns as the recruitment crisis continues to burn with no signs of slowing. The NHS is expected to face unprecedented pressure in the coming months, as campaigners fear it will be disastrous amid soaring waiting lists in A&E One GP, whose identity is unknown, told the publication: 'One flu epidemic and my out-of-hours service will be in meltdown. It literally will be survival of the fittest. 'The ambulance service cannot cope, there are no beds available in the hospitals and overnight I single-handedly cover half a county. 'The public will have to sleep, take paracetamol and pray. There is no way we will cope. We were working at capacity during August never mind January.' Scores of practices also believe they are working well beyond maximum capacity - feeling pressured to take on a higher workload and risk mistakes. The Government has repeatedly promised to recruit an extra 5,000 family doctors by 2020/21 but recent figures shows they are quitting at a rate of 400 a month. Many are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, as practices have threatened to close their waiting lists until action is taken. The winter crisis The worrying comments follow last year's winter crisis, which saw health secretary Jeremy Hunt beg people to stay away from turmoil-hit hospitals. The Red Cross branded the situation a 'humanitarian crisis' - a term used to describe the devastating civil war in Syria and Yemen. Now GPs are echoing the widespread worries, claiming it will become a 'survival of the fittest' as they are already struggling to cope NHS Providers, a trade association which represents hospital trusts, called for an emergency cash injection in September ahead of the winter. Its chief executive, Chris Hopson, asked for up to 350 million to help the cash-strapped health service make it through the winter. He warned patients would be put at risk and waiting lists would continue to soar unless immediate action was taken in the form of a cash boost. NHS IN FLU PANIC Hospitals are so understaffed they may have to turn away elderly patients seriously ill with flu this winter, an analysis revealed in October. The country is facing a devastating outbreak of a new strain of the illness, which could kill thousands and fuel a winter crisis in the NHS. Several hospitals surveyed by the Mail said they are too understaffed to take in any extra patients. Some launched desperate searches for more nurses abroad. One Trust admitted patients turning up with flu at A&E this winter would be eyeballed by nurses at the front door and sent to an on-site GP if they did not look seriously ill. Another warned it had significant concern for patient safety ahead of the flu season. Separately, the NHS revealed nine in ten hospital bosses are 'concerned' they will not cope while 62 per cent are 'extremely concerned'. Advertisement Cash injections Last year the NHS received a 'kick-start' an extra 3.8 billion, the equivalent to a 3.7 per cent increase to cope with the winter crisis. This year the NHS will only receive an extra 1.3 per cent, and in 2018/19 only 0.4 per cent, prompting campaigners to beg for more funding. Despite calls for a cash injection, the Department of Health has already insisted it has 'prepared for winter more this year than ever before'. And officials remain adamant the NHS is fully prepared and hospitals have put an extra 3,000 beds in place ahead of the impending chaos. However, chiefs across the UK have braced for 'Aussie flu', which many experts suspect will wreak havoc on the NHS after an aggressive strain blighted Australia. Last year's awful winter Statistics from NHS England show that nearly 200,000 patients waited at least four hours in A&E departments between December and February last year. The figures showed it was a five-fold increase from just 41,000 five years previously. Increased demand and slashed funding has wreaked havoc on A&E departments, with many left over-crowded and unable to treat patients on time. Shocking figures released earlier this year show the number of patients languishing in A&E for more than 12 hours has risen by 10,000 per cent in five years. Plans to cut the number of beds in A&E have been suggested, despite the Royal College of Emergency Medicine previously warning 5,000 extra are needed. Overall waiting times this year have reached their worst levels since records began 15 years ago, according to figures, and are only expected to get worse. Labelling millennials 'snowflakes' is damaging their mental health, research claims. The controversial term is now fashionable to use when describing young adults who are seen as taking offence easily and emotionally vulnerable. Almost three quarters of 16-24 year olds surveyed believe the moniker is unfair and are adamant it could negatively affect their mental health. The findings, made by insurance firm Aviva, were derived from a survey of 2,022 British participants between those ages. The controversial term is sometimes used to describe young adults, often seen as being prone to taking offence and emotionally vulnerable The thoughts were echoed by adults of all ages, with 58 per cent claiming the label is unfairly applied, the survey showed. A further 57 per cent felt that the term 'generation snowflake' could also harm the mental health of young people. The worst affected A separate study also released by Aviva today suggests that 16-24 year olds are the worst-affected by mental health issues. Around three in five have experienced a mental health condition, compared to just under half of adults over the age of 24. Some 46 per cent of young adults say they have suffered from anxiety in the past 12 months - significantly higher than the 35 per cent recorded by adults. It comes after the Government's behaviour tsar last February labelled students who demand to be protected from controversial views as snowflakes. SNOWFLAKES CAN'T COPE WITH EXAMS Growing numbers of snowflake students are appealing for special exemptions after missing essay deadlines or exams because they overslept or were stressed out by the tests. A Mail on Sunday investigation has found that top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, were inundated with thousands of appeals last year by undergraduates fearing they could lose vital marks for failing to complete assessments. Students are able to plead with an official panel of academics to be allowed more time to finish work or retake an exam or stage of a course if they can show extenuating circumstances such as illness or serious personal problems. But figures obtained from Freedom of Information requests show that the numbers of such appeals are rising dramatically and academics say undergraduates are playing the system. Advertisement Tom Bennett said that the problem began at school when too many children were protected from the 'harsher realities of the world'. And last month the Mail on Sunday uncovered that growing numbers of 'snowflake' students are appealing for special exemptions after missing essay deadlines. Our paper's investigation found top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, were inundated with thousands of appeals last year - because students overslept. Paddington Bear-style safety wristbands It was also revealed in September that student freshers are being given Paddington Bear-style 'safety wristbands' with their address and emergency contact details. The controversial scheme, taken up in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Exeter, prompted backlash and was labelled as 'patronising' by academics. And during the same month, the head of Oxford University attacked 'generation snowflake' in September and urged young students to toughen up. Professor Louise Richardson asked them to challenge views they disagree with, instead of taking offence at small comments. While a Cambridge University don echoed her sentiments and said 'snowflakes' are so sensitive they obsess about being inclusive of all genders and cultures. A couple is still coping with the tragic deaths of their two children which they say made them better parents. Ben and Allison Gauvin lost their son Beckett, three, and daughter Clementine, two, just eight weeks apart in 2014 due to the same rare genetic disorder. They suffered from pyruvate carboxylase deficiency, a rare disease causing a buildup of acid in the blood that induces fatigue, difficulty breathing and progressive brain delays, which kills most infants within the first six months. Now the couple from Connecticut has said their experience has taught them to love differently and parent their two children, Julia, nine, and Wilbur, three. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO A couple from Connecticut lost their son Beckett (in the wheelchair) and Clementine (in her father's arms) eight weeks apart in 2014 The Gauvin's had four children, two of which (middle) suffered from a rare genetic disorder called pyruvate carboxylase deficiency Allison gave birth to her second child Beckett in 2010 at 38 weeks. He was immediately placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where he became distressed and struggled to breath. Within 24 hours Beckett was diagnosed with a rare mitochondrial disease. WHAT IS PYRUVATE CARBOXYLASE DEFICIENCY? Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is an inherited disorder that causes lactic acid and other potentially toxic compounds to accumulate in the blood. High levels of these substances can damage the body's organs and tissues, particularly in the nervous system. Cells use pyruvate to turn convert sugar, carbohydrates, fat, and protein into energy. In pyruvate carboxylase deficiency, a lack of pyruvate means the body can't properly create energy and instead pyruvate builds up in the body and turns into lactic acid. This can lead to metabolic acidosis, when the kidneys can't work hard enough to flush the acid from the system. When this happens, people can experience seizures and comas. Advertisement Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is a fatal genetic disorder that occurs in one in 250,000 people. It is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, meaning both Allison and Ben were carriers of the gene and passed it down to their children. Their first and last children, Julia and Wilbur, are not affected by the disease, but middle children Beckett and Clementine were impacted. Instead of producing energy, the condition causes the body to produce lactic acid in the blood leading to stomach pain, vomiting, extreme fatigue, organ failure and neurological damage. Doctors told the Gauvins that their son was going to die. Allison told TODAY the doctors said: 'Even if he does survive, he is going to be severely retarded.' But Beckett's condition improved and he was released from the hospital at 10 weeks old. Though he was slow to develop, doctors were impressed by his lack of other symptoms. Months later when Allison went for her postpartum appointment, the couple were shocked to learn that she was pregnant again. Doctors suspected the new baby would also have the disease. Within six hours of Clementine's birth, a blood test diagnosed her with the same illness as her brother. Though the prognosis was fatal for both children, Beckett and Clementine had two years of positive improvement without any extreme medical emergency. Their oldest daughter Julia, (now nine) is pictured next to her brother Beckett who died at three, and holding sister Clementine, who died eight weeks later at two years old Beckett was diagnosed immediately after birth and defied doctors' expectations by living to three years old Parents Allison and Ben Gauvin said the loss of their children, Beckett (left) and Clementine (right) has taught them to love their other two children differently Ben said: 'They were the most sociable, lovable and if anything they were the perfect human beings because that's all they responded to was love.' The army soldier said he was in 'optimistic denial' about the condition of his two children and had hopes that doctors could find some way to keep his children alive. The Gauvin's described Beckett as 'an intelligent kid' and Clementine as a 'sassy diva' to TODAY. During those two years the parents said yes to everything to assure their children lived a full life. Right before Beckett's second birthday was the first time he got very sick. He was rushed to the hospital and put on emergency dialysis to purify his blood. From then on he was back in the hospital every six to eight weeks. A year later, before Clementine's second birthday she experienced the same sickness as her brother and was hospitalized. At that point the parents' goal was to make their children comfortable, instead of watching them writhe in pain in the hospital bed. A week before Beckett's death, they let him out of his wheelchair to sit on the floor with the rest of the kids at school - something they would have never done before for fear of infection. Clementine died in July 2014, just nine days after the family brought her home from the hospital. Eight weeks later, Beckett died. Though they miss their children, the Gauvins feel blessed to have had them. 'I don't think Beckett and Clementine had any less of a life,' she said. Now the couple is raising Julia, nine, and Wilbur, two, who they say they love differently after experiencing the loss. Each year the family celebrates Beckett and Clementine's birthday with a cake. Culture club: The Tate Gallery is looking for a new chairman Bijou ex-BP boss Lord Browne's departure as chairman of the Tate gallery was nearly six months ago, yet still no sign of a successor. Why the delay? The post is much coveted by City grandees eager to add a flashy string to their bow, so there will have been no shortage of applicants. The Tate says the appointment is merely 'on-going'. Interestingly, I'm advised weaselly public relations man Roland Rudd, 56, who was made a trustee last month, is the hot favourite. Burberry's attempt to move further upmarket has suffered a setback. Who should arrive in Brussels this week wearing one of its ties, but seedy-looking EU commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker. Fashionistas suggest this could be the most damaging endorsement that Burberry has suffered since cocaine-sniffing EastEnders chav Danniella Westbrook was snapped head-to-toe in its famous checked print. Goldman Sachs's 18million-a-year boss Lloyd Blankfein, 63, nominates Ron Chernow's biography of US Civil War general and 18th President of the United States UIysses S Grant as his book of the year. He says he enjoyed reading of Grant's flaws, namely 'his drinking lapses, his gullibility on financial matters and his sometimes poor judgment of people'. Bearded Lloyd's character is entirely beyond reproach, I'm sure. The Financial Times charity auction this year offers lunch with editor Lionel Barber, 62, at searingly expensive Mayfair canteen Le Gavroche. When FT journalists last auctioned themselves out like this, lunch with star columnist Gillian Tett, 50, ended up fetching more than Lionel. Incidentally, Gillian is only available to bidders this time for 'coffee and conversation.' Lloyds' 5.5million-a-year chief Antonio Horta-Osorio, 53, is profiled by Spanish newspaper El Pais, in which he's gushingly referred to, inter alia, as 'The Samurai of the City', 'The Mourinho of Finance' and 'The Golden Boy of Don Emilio'. Senor, el sick bag, por favor! I bought an iPhone 6 on eBay for 200 plus 5 postage. The seller sent the phone to me straight away via Royal Mail's 'signed for' service. Unfortunately, on the day it was apparently delivered, my husband and I were both out. When I got home I saw online that the parcel had been delivered and signed for. I checked with my neighbours and looked for the parcel to no avail. Royal Mail spoke to the driver who apparently said that he had left it in my mailbox. My address is in a small hamlet and is notoriously difficult to find. Numerous parcels from couriers have gone missing or ended up at the wrong address. The sender provided proof of posting. I contacted the police who just issued a crime number. Eventually I used the chargeback scheme with my bank to recover the 205. But now the sender, with whom I am in touch, is furious. K. R., Cambridgeshire. Missing mobile: One reader was forced to recover 205 through her banks chargeback scheme after the iPhone she ordered from Ebay failed to arrive This is very mysterious. Every party is adamant they've behaved honestly, yet the iPhone you ordered is not in your hands and the seller is 205 out of pocket. I spoke to Royal Mail which conducted a thorough investigation. They are convinced everything is above board on their side. They spoke to the postman, a long-serving employee, and still cannot get to the bottom of it. So in the spirit of seasonal goodwill they will be paying 155 to the person who sold you the iPhone in addition to the 50 already paid. This will refund him for the chargeback you made and effectively means he has been paid for the phone he sold you. But this does give me a chance to give a timely pre-Christmas reminder to make sure that when sending presents you pay the correct postage, use the appropriate postal service and make sure your parcel is insured. In the case of the person who sent your phone, they correctly opted for 'signed for' delivery but only paid for 50 of insurance. So when the parcel went missing this was all they got. A Royal Mail spokesman says: 'In a case like this where customers are sending high-value items, we would urge them to choose the right service with the right cover.' Sky didn't turn up then snubbed my complaint Our satellite box wasn't working, so I called Sky and was quoted 115 to install two new Sky Q boxes on September 13. I waited in while my wife attended a hospital appointment but no one turned up. I 'threw my rattle away', as my wife would call it, and cancelled the account. I received two emails saying they would refund 20 and 54 but no mention of the 115 we paid for installation. I have now spent a small fortune calling Sky and would like my 115 back. G. W., Peterborough. Sky's response when you complained left you steaming. You say the person who called you was 'quite rude', had 'no empathy or understanding of why we felt the need to complain' and started by asking: 'Why have you written to the Daily Mail?' To which the answer should be obvious: Because you felt you were getting nowhere with Sky. Here's the sequence of events. You ordered the Sky Q and thought September 13 had been agreed. In fact, Sky's operative said they'd call to confirm. They neither called nor turned up. Your rattle went flying, you cancelled and were offered your 115 back plus a 20 goodwill gesture. However, the money you owed for the month was deducted from the 115 resulting in 54.30 being paid plus the 20. You then ordered Sky Q at a retail stand for 70 under a special offer. Separately, Sky offered you a further 70 goodwill gesture. You said you would think about it and asked for a statement of the account. Now this statement sent my eyes spinning and Sky admits it 'shows a lot of transactions' which 'relate to our internal processes'. Apparently this is not the sort of bill normally given to customers and was only sent because you requested more details. You've so far refused the 70 but I think you should accept it, move on and keep your rattle primed for other issues. STRAIGHT TO THE POINT My energy account with First Utility is 100 in credit. For four months Ive tried to get a refund to no avail. What next? R. B., Bristol. You resorted to stopping your direct debit until the money was repaid. I wouldnt recommend this as it can make matters worse but everything is finally sorted. You are no longer in as much credit and First Utility has sent you 30 as an apology. *** I recently received a vague letter asking me to visit a Barclays branch and take proof of identity with me. When I called to ask about it and explain Im no longer a Barclays customer, I was told to ignore it. Should I follow up again? V. B., London. You must be glad you did call again. It turns out Barclays had been trying to find you because it owes you compensation. A few years back the bank discovered it had sent thousands of personal loan customers statements that did not comply with the Consumer Credit Act. Because of these errors, Barclays had to repay any interest charged over that period. As youd moved home since repaying your loan, it hadnt been able to reach you. The letter was vague to ensure that if it fell into the wrong hands someone else didnt try to fraudulently claim the money. *** Norton emailed to say my computer virus software was due to expire and would be automatically renewed if I did nothing. But it took the money a month before the expiry date, giving me no time to shop around for an alternative. I was also charged 59 when it advertises the same deal for new customers at 24. R.M., London. Norton says it told you when it would take the money in the small print of the email. It adds that it takes the money a month before the renewal date so that there is no gap in your cover should there be a problem with the payment. However, it has refunded you the 35 difference between its renewal price and new customer offer. *** I received a voicemail from a Lisa Williamson claiming to work for HMRC. She said I should call back on 2031 296 283, or Id incur high costs. I phoned but didnt get an answer. Should I be worried? F. P., Grimsby. HMRC confirmed this call was from a scammer. It says if you cannot verify the identity of a caller, do not speak to them. I think I was hit by a crash for cash scam Two years ago I was riding my motorcycle along the South Circular in London when a car nudged the rear of my bike. We both pulled over. There was no damage to my bike but there was a hole in the front of the car which looked odd to me. We exchanged details and I informed my insurance company, Zenith, and the police. Zenith informed me that the other party's insurance was looking to issue proceedings as I have always claimed no responsibility for the incident. Zenith arranged for an engineer to inspect my bike and take photos, which I have. I have lost my no claims bonus and I am fairly sure what happened was a scam. R. L., London. I took your case to Markerstudy Group, which owns Zenith, but it would not budge. It says that although it sympathises with cases like yours, they are very difficult to prove in terms of liability. Steve Cross, head of claims, says: 'We feel the 50/50 decision is appropriate to the evidence of the case.' He also says its 'thorough investigations' did not support your description of events and it does not feel the claim is related to fraud. However, it does appreciate it could have done more to keep you abreast of its findings and would therefore like to offer 100 as an apology. You can, of course, take your case to the Financial Ombudsman. The numbers are 0800 023 4567 or 0300 1239 123. City dealmakers are launching a final push to clinch the 1.6 trillion float of Saudi Arabias state oil giant Aramco in last-ditch talks this weekend. Executives from the London Stock Exchange, investment company Standard Life Aberdeen and consultant PwC are jetting into Riyadh to talk up the City. It comes as the climax nears in a bitter struggle between Britain and the US to host the business, with Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump both weighing in. Prime Minister Theresa May, seen here receiving a gift from Saudi King Salman, pitched the benefits of the London Stock Exchangeto Saudi leaders in April this year The city picked to host Aramco can expect to make billions of pounds in fees, boost its tax revenues and earn bragging rights as host to the worlds largest public company. In London, the Financial Conduct Authority has already infuriated major investors by pledging to water down its rules so that Aramco can float more easily. Although securing the float would be a major coup for London, only about 5 per cent of the company is likely to be sold. Many investment companies are concerned that owning such a small stake would force them to support the business without having any control over it. Freelancers: The Gym Group claimed its personal trainers are self-employed FIT PAY Controversial fitness firm The Gym Group is facing fresh criticism for failing to give workers a fair wage. It claimed personal trainers at its facilities are self-employed, meaning they have not been entitled to holiday pay and other rights. It now offers part-time contracts with better rights. But Department for Work and Pensions chairman Frank Field said he is watching closely to ensure that Gym Group fulfils its 'glib and slightly obscure' promise to pay the National Living Wage in future. LIMITED CONTROL Embattled German lender Deutsche Bank will give small shareholders only a limited say when its investment arm floats on the stock market. DEUTSCHE ASSET Management will be 'partnership limited by shares' rather than a normal listed firm meaning external investors have less influence and the bank's bosses can keep control. CLEANING BOSS Once one of Britain's biggest dry-cleaning companies, Johnson Services Group, has named Peter Egan, managing director of its Apparelmaster workwear business, as its next chief executive. The 45-year-old will replace Chris Sander, 59, who steps down after more than three decades at the firm. NEW STORE Fashion retailer Primark is set to open a 70,000 sq ft shop in the Westfield London shopping complex. The building in White City, which is undergoing a 600million expansion, will become Europe's biggest shopping centre. STILL SHOPPING Landlord Capital & Regional said families are still heading to its shopping centres despite the woes on the High Street, with visitor numbers up 0.2 per cent in the past 21 weeks. The company said its shopping centres are 96.6 per cent full, up from 95.5 per cent at the end of June. LOAN BOOST Mobile phone-only lender Starling Bank has been given permission to offer loans, insurance, mortgages and Isas by the Financial Conduct Authority. PROFITS RACING Challenger bank PCF Group has unveiled profits of 3.6million in the year to September 30 the same as the previous year. PCF increased its dividend from 0.1p to 0.19p per share. GENE STUDIES Drug maker Glaxosmithkline is to spend an extra 40m on research in the UK to further explore links between genes and diseases, the company announced yesterday. Legal & General has sold its with-profits savings business to reinsurance group Swiss Re's ReAssure division for 650million. Zurich-based Swiss Re's ReAssure arm will take on around one million of Legal & General 's retail customers holding the group's pension, savings and investment products. Having sold its mature savings arm, Legal & General said it planned to plough money into expanding its investing, investment management, annuities and insurance operations. Sold: Legal & General has sold its mature savings business to reinsurance group Swiss Re's ReAssure division for 650million Legal & General's mature savings business has 33billion worth of assets under management, but is largely closed to new business. Nigel Wilson, Legal & General's chief executive, said: 'This was a difficult decision as with-profits savings has been a part of Legal & General's UK business for over 50 years.' He added: 'Selling Mature Savings is the right decision for us, another important, measured, step in growing our company and updating our products. 'It will drive further earnings growth by allowing us to focus on our successful market-leading businesses and to accelerate the scaling up of our growth businesses. 'Under-saving, including for retirement, is an economic and social challenge for the UK, and Legal & General remains committed to providing attractive solutions to help our customers achieve their financial goals based around LGIM's modern workplace savings, personal investment and intermediated product range.' Legal & General's sale of its mature savings arm is the latest of a number of asset sales by the company in the last few years. In April, the group sold its Dutch division and in August last year offloaded its Cofund platform to Aegon. In 2015, Legal & General sold its Irish, Egyptian and French businesses. Legal & General's share price is down 0.78 per cent today to 261.95p. Commenting on the sale to Swiss Re's ReAssure division, Shore Capital analyst Eamonn Flanagan said: 'This disposal by Legals is consistent with the group's emphasis on rationalising its operations, modernising its products and focusing on its key markets. 'We view this deal as smart, opportunistic and entirely consistent with the group's strategy as regularly elucidated by the CEO.' In August, Legal & General posted a 27 per cent increase in operating profits to 988million for the first half. The group's assets under management climbed 13 per cent to 951billion. Taibach rubgy team's clubhouse looks like it hasn't been decorated since the Seventies. Chipped wooden tables and a plastic Christmas tree have been positioned around the bar and, apart from a bright cabinet displaying a collection of rugby jerseys worn by former Wales hooker and local hero Richard Hibbard, the room is poorly lit. Sitting at a booth in the corner nearest the door are five men who look like ordinary punters having a lunchtime pint at their local. In fact, if it weren't for the piles of paperwork strewn across the table in front of them, there would be no clues to the very serious business behind their meeting. The paperwork shows that these five lifelong Port Talbot steelworkers, most of whom are in their late 50s, have given up the generous final salary pensions offered by their company, Tata. Targets: Some Port Talbot steelworkers have received sums of up to 610,000 after cashing in their pensions In some cases, they have cashed in annual incomes worth more than 26,000 from the British Steel Pension Scheme. In exchange, they have received sums of up to 610,000 an astronomical figure for anyone, let alone someone from a small village outside Port Talbot in South Wales where the average house price is just 117,000. It is a life-changing decision and some of the men are understandably excited by the prospect of being richer than they had ever dreamed. But as they share their stories, it starts to dawn on them that they may have made a grave mistake. Money Mail has travelled to Taibach, in the shadow of the Port Talbot steelworks, to investigate allegations that thousands of workers are being badly advised by financial advisers who stand to gain a slice of their pension pots. The five men who have agreed to meet us at the rugby club are among 130,000 members of the failing British Steel Pension Scheme who have been given until December 22 to make an incredibly difficult choice. The pension scheme, which is struggling to cover payouts to retirees, is being rescued by the official pensions lifeboat fund and workers face losing some of the income they were expecting in old age. Members have been told they can stay put after the scheme is taken over by the Pension Protection Fund and accept a possible 10 per cent cut in their retirement income, lower annual increases and have their payouts capped at a maximum of around 35,000 a year. Alternatively, they can switch to a newer, but less generous version of the steel-workers' pension scheme. On its website, the British Steel Pension Scheme says most, but not all, steelworkers will be better off switching to the new plan. Yet those who do nothing will automatically be moved into the Pension Protection Fund and lose some of their income. Any steelworker who is more than a year from their retirement age typically 65 has a final option that is proving hard to resist. They can ditch their British Steel pension entirely and turn the income they were owed into a cash lump sum. This money must be transferred to another type of pension plan where it can be invested in shares, bonds or other assets. For example, a 57-year-old steelworker entitled to around 10,000 a year at age 65 might be able to transfer around 310,000 into a stock market-linked plan. The Port Talbot pension scheme is being rescued by the official pensions lifeboat fund and workers face losing some of the income they were expecting in old age Back at the rugby club, all five steelworkers have chosen to cash in their pots. But after the initial euphoria of learning that they were sitting on a goldmine, they have been left terrified that they may end up with a fraction of the pension they expected to receive. Both the City regulator and a committee of MPs are investigating concerns that steelworkers are being advised to put their lump sums into dangerous investment schemes where they risk losing money. Evidence submitted to Frank Field MP, the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, suggests that advisers are organising 'chicken in a basket' events where steelworkers are given free food and urged to transfer their final salary pensions to little-known investments. In some cases, advisers are pocketing giant fees for a few hours' work in recommending that scheme members switch into these plans. Charges can be as much as 3 per cent, meaning that the adviser pockets 18,000 from a 600,000 transfer These charges can be as much as 3 per cent, meaning that the adviser pockets 18,000 from a 600,000 transfer. The committee is concerned that some savers are making an irreversible mistake when they would be better off sticking with the guaranteed income from the steel pension scheme. It fears others are getting unclear advice and have no idea they're putting their life savings into inappropriate investments. Money Mail has agreed to change the names of the five steelworkers. I was offered 500,000 - I thought I'd won the lottery Brian Jones, who has come accompanied by his wife Margaret, said he thought he had 'won the lottery' when he realised they could get their hands on 500,961 if he transferred his pension out of the British Steel scheme. The 58-year-old, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, heard about the huge sums on offer for pension transfers from a colleague. Pension rules state that anyone transferring more than 30,000 out of a final salary scheme has to take financial advice from a qualified professional. With so many steelworkers trying to figure out what to do with their pensions and with a deadline approaching many advisers in the Port Talbot area are fully booked. But Brian's colleague knew of a firm that could get him an appointment. He approached Celtic Wealth Management, who said they were not a financial advice firm but could put him in touch with a man called Darren Reynolds. On its website, the British Steel Pension Scheme says most, but not all, steelworkers will be better off switching to the new plan Mr Reynolds, a qualified financial adviser whose company, Active Wealth, is based in Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, made the 220-mile round trip to visit Brian and his wife and discuss their options. It is unclear what Mr Reynolds may have been told during the interviews which may have influenced his advice. However, documents seen by Money Mail show that Brian received figures indicating he was due to get 25,859 a year when he retired at the age of 65. If he gave that up, he would get more than half a million pounds. Brian was sure he wanted the cash and Mr Reynolds signed off the transfer. Documents show Brian was charged 1,500 for the advice. Money Mail took a copy of the recommendation and showed it to Robert Reid, a highly-regarded pensions expert at consultancy firm Canscot Solutions. He was extremely critical. Mr Reid says: 'From what I have seen, this adviser starts off with the objective of moving the money. These people just think that they are getting a transfer and that is that no other option is considered. 'The figures and terms being quoted in the report don't mean anything to most people and there is no explanation of the fund they are invested in and how it works. 'Basically, you're expecting someone who has taken no interest in their pension up until now to suddenly have a masters degree in finance. From the evidence I have seen here, I would not have told this person to transfer.' Brian says he made it clear to Mr Reynolds that he wanted the money somewhere he had already heard of, such as his bank account or a large pension company such as Prudential or Standard Life. I don't need my money put in investment to grow. I don't even know who has got it at the moment. Is it Momentum? Gallium? Vega Algorithms? But, in fact, Brian's money has been transferred out of the British Steel Pension Scheme and into a self-invested personal pension, or Sipp, run by a company called Momentum. Inside this pension plan, the money has been invested in a portfolio of funds run by a company called Gallium Fund Solutions. A separate company called Vega Algorithms allows Brian to view these investments. Brian says: 'I don't need my money put in investment to grow. I don't even know who has got it at the moment. Is it Momentum? Gallium? Vega Algorithms?' The investment fact sheet says 9 in every 10 of Brian's money will be invested in bonds and the rest in the stock market. It also says there is no fund manager looking after the overall pot; where the cash is invested is decided by a computer programme. Right at the end of Mr Reynolds' advice recommendation for Brian there are seven lines which say: 'Unit prices can fall as well as rise', 'past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance' and 'you risk the loss of capital'. The Man of Steel statue in Port Talbot. With so many steelworkers trying to figure out what to do with their pensions many financial advisers in the area are fully booked Sitting in the booth of the clubhouse near the exit is Dai or the 'overtime king', as Brian calls him, because of the long hours he works. Dai also contacted Celtic Wealth on the recommendation of colleagues. If he stayed in the British Steel scheme until he reached the age of 65, he would be entitled to 18,000 a year. The 56-year-old decided to transfer out of the company pension scheme in October because he worried how his wife and two children would be cared for if anything happened to him. Under the British Steel scheme, if he dies before his wife, she will get just 8,000 a year less than half his entitlement. After speaking to Mr Reynolds, Dai decided to transfer his money out the scheme and hope it would grow. He moved his 440,000 pension pot into an Intelligent Money Sipp. Around 370,000 of this was transferred into the same investment as Brian was put into. Dai took the remaining 70,000 as cash to pay off his mortgage and clear other debts. 'I wanted low-risk but now my biggest worry is that I'll retire and I won't have any money,' says Dai. I wanted low-risk but now my biggest worry is that I'll retire and I won't have any money Alastair Rush, a financial adviser who grew up in the Port Talbot area, believes Dai could have solved all his financial worries without the risks of losing his pension by taking out life insurance cover. Mr Rush said: 'If his wife outlives him for 30 years then there won't be much left for her or the children anyway. If that is Dai's main worry, then his adviser should be talking to him about life cover. 'Protecting yourself for a 200,000-300,000 lump sum will be as cheap as chips and more reliable than the uncertainty of the high cost and high risk of some funds within a Sipp.' Mark Taylor, 56, was also adamant that he wanted to leave the British Steel Pension Scheme. He plans to retire in two years and has the biggest pension entitlement of the whole group 26,000 at age 65. But, instead, he decided to transfer his 610,000 pot to a Momentum Sipp. Mark, who plans to retire in 15 months having spent 40 years at Port Talbot steelworks, says he is 'more than happy with' the service he was given. But the City regulator has raised the alarm. Last week, the Financial Conduct Authority stopped Mr Reynolds' firm Active Wealth from taking on new pension transfer business from anyone, including steelworkers, and has sent staff to Port Talbot to investigate. Put into the same funds regardless of needs All five steelworkers who agreed to meet Money Mail had been put into the same investments via either a Momentum Sipp or an Intelligent Money Sipp regardless of their age, health or financial needs. The portfolio of funds the five steelworkers were enrolled in is described as 'conservative' in the paperwork that they were given. This should mean that the fund is less badly affected by swings in the market. But Money Mail was unable to find any track record for its investment returns. One of the group at the rugby club is 38 and has had his 200,000 pension pot moved into the same fund as his older colleagues even though he's got far longer to go until he draws his pension. Usually, financial advisers recommend that workers in their 30s take on more risk than those in their late 50s because they can ride out the ups and downs in the market. Mark makes it clear he would rather risk his pension than stick with the British Steel Pension Scheme. 'I'll be retiring in just over a year, when I'm 58, and to get my full pension I need to stay on until I'm 65 and there's no way I can keep working that long.' he says. 'Even if I do get a full pension, when I'm gone my dependents get only a small amount and the rest goes back into the kitty there's no way that is happening. That's why I pulled out of the scheme.' 'None of these steelworkers have made the right move' Mr Rush believes none of the steelworkers has made the right move, based on the information he has seen and their testimonies at the meeting at the rugby club. He says: 'We spoke to people who didn't need to transfer and who shouldn't have gone into those particular funds. 'I would say only 5 to 10 per cent of people should ever transfer out of final salary schemes and only when it's clearly the right option.' Mr Reid, of Canscot Solutions, adds: 'If you're in a final salary scheme then you're covered by the Pension Protection Fund if your employer goes bust. If you transfer out, you lose that protection. 'You're also at the mercy of stock markets, so you could end up losing a big chunk of your pension if your investments don't perform well. 'Basically, you're swapping a large degree of certainty for chance.' Mr Reynolds did not respond to Money Mail's request for comment. Celtic Wealth says: 'Celtic's role is to act as an introducer. It does not, in any way, influence the client's decision to proceed with the transfer. The assessment of the client's retirement needs and the development of an appropriate solution to meet those needs, as well as the delivery of all regulated advice, is entirely restricted to Active Wealth in its capacity as an authorised firm.' A spokesman for Gallium and Vega says: 'In the advice process, the adviser and the selected Sipp operator effect the transfer of the pension. We are made aware of the client after the transfer is made. Gallium and Vega have no part in the transfer or advice process.' Momentum says it has written to 110 steelworkers asking them to review their transfer requests. p.thomas@dailymail.co.uk Erich Tiemann is the first to file for a seat on the Gage County Board of Supervisors in the 2018 election. Tiemann is seeking a second term representing Gage Countys third district. The district covers the general southeastern portion of Beatrice, and includes Belvidere, the country club and Beatrice High School. He said working toward economic development improvements has been a highlight of his first term, and something he plans to continue if reelected. Other than working with people, what Ive enjoyed along with that is the economic development part of it, Tiemann said. Things finally seem to be making the curve in the right direction again. If Im elected, Im going to continue to push the economic development side of things. There are so many things in the works for potential new businesses coming to town. Tiemann, a Republican, is the countys representative on the NGage economic development group, and is also a member of the Southeast Nebraska Development Districts executive board. Hes a board member of the Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce and is currently the vice president of both R.L. Tiemann Construction and Beatrice Lawn Care. He said his experience in the construction and road industries has been an asset to the county, since hes familiar with the equipment and processes. Its nice being a contractor and doing dirt and road work from the county side, Tiemann said. We work with equipment all the time and asphalt, concrete, gravel and rock. Say the one day there was an issue, I called the highway superintendent because I knew we had an issue with a gravel supplier and we took a look and made adjustments. Sometimes, you can head things off before they become a problem. One of the biggest issues facing the county is the looming Beatrice 6 case, currently progressing through the court system after a $28 million ruling against the county. Tiemann said the board is hoping for the best, but preparing for whatever verdict comes down in the appeal. We think in the beginning of 2018 well probably have a verdict on the Beatrice 6 case, he said. With that coming, weve gone through so many situations trying to figure out if this happens, then what? I cant say Im looking forward to it if its not the decision we want, but there are several ways weve been preparing for outcomes. Theres no silver lining if it doesnt go the countys way in court, but we have to play the hand were dealt, and the best thing is be ready, no matter what the decision is. Overpopulation at the Gage County Detention Center has been another hot topic for the county in recent years. The board recently signed agreements to reserve jail beds in other counties due to lack of space in Gage County. While housing inmates elsewhere is running up a tab, Tiemann said its the best option for the time being. Weve done some cost analysis to see where our costs are," he explained. "Housing them in-house costs $96 per day because of staffing, food and everything. When (we) have someone in-house, we have all the liabilities with holding someone who doesnt want to be held. With outside contracts at $35-$60 per day, and you also have transport costs on there, but even with transport costs at the current time, its cheaper to outsource our prisoners. 'Im 27, gay, single, love young bs', said teacher Mathew Paul Reale - Ben McCormack's secret Skype buddy - in April 30, 2015 This is Ben McCormack's sick online chat buddy - a Catholic primary school teacher who fantasised about raping little boys as young as three. Daily Mail Australia can reveal detectives caught the disgraced A Current Affair journalist after stumbling upon his vile conversations with Mathew Paul Reale. Reale, 30, from Perth, was a recent university graduate teaching Year 6 and the star of a flamboyant joke video where he pretended to be Beyonce. But all the while he was keeping a secret stash of photos and videos of children 'engaging in sexual activity' - and sharing them with others. The teacher, then 27, and the Nine Network personality, 43, met over Skype instant messenger on April 30, 2015, court documents for McCormack revealed. 'I'm 27, gay, single, love young bs (boys)', Reale said. McCormack replied: '28 gay single love young bs too. 'Yummmm,' said Reale. McCormack: '(Ages) 7-12'. '....3-12 for me,' Reale said. Baby-faced McCormack - a North Bondi Nippers supervisor and One Direction fanatic with a penchant for younger boyfriends - was lying to his new pal about his age. Scroll down for video Fall from grace: Ben McCormack (reporting for bail at Redfern Police Station this week) continued his vile conversations with Mathew Paul Reale for more than 18 months The former journalist kept speaking to Reale for more than 18 months. He knew what he was doing was wrong and was seeing a psychiatrist, a court heard, but did not stop 'Sometimes you've just got to roll with it': Reale, now aged 30, described himself as 'fun, energetic, motivated' on social media But even going under the suggestive username 'oz4skinboi', McCormack couldn't keep his true identity a secret, with police finding a crucial clue in their chat logs. The clock started ticking on McCormack on February 27 - a Monday morning, the beginning of a school week for Reale. The pair had kept talking for more than 18 months. Reale, pictured, was charged with a series of child exploitation offences, including distributing and producing it in writing McCormack said at one point he 'loves chatting to pedos', to which Reale said 'OK coolies'. The teacher went unnamed in McCormack's court facts, but his identity was confirmed by a source familiar with the brief of evidence. That February morning, Reale was arrested at a red brick home for a series of child exploitation offences. Detectives trawled through Reale's messages and found his conversations with McCormack. At one point, there was a conversation where Reale made references to 'Ben' and 'A Current Affair'. McCormack never said he was from ACA, his lawyer Sam Macedone said, but the passing remark was enough to intrigue investigators. Months before A Current Affair journalist Ben McCormack was charged with child exploitation offences, he said: 'I love chatting to pedos' About a month later, about 7.30am on April 6, McCormack was driving down Driver Avenue in Moore Park when he was pulled over by police. The operation was clearly planned in advance, with police shooting more than two minutes of footage to distribute to the media. McCormack stood sheepishly on the side of the highway in a navy suit as officers methodically took apart his car. Raids would soon be carried out at his unit in Alexandria and at Nine's offices in Willoughby, sending shockwaves through the media. Ironically, criminal lawyer Sam Macedone was on his way to shoot a quick grab for A Current Affair when he got the call from McCormack. Mr Macedone - who regularly commentates on criminal law matters for the TV network - had worked on stories with McCormack. He only knew him professionally, as someone who was 'fascinated by the legal system'. 'Sam, I've been arrested,' Mr Macedone recalled McCormack saying. 'He told me his situation. I found it a bit confronting. 'I said, hang on, I'll be there straight away.' Mr Macedone found McCormack at Redfern police station. McCormack was a high-flying journalist for the program - fronting consumer segments about the best laundry powder and jetting to Indonesia and Singapore for stories McCormack - whose Grindr profile is pictured above - had been seeing a psychiatrist A muzzed extract of the pair's message exchange, according to court documents He learned the journalist had long been troubled by his thoughts about children and had been seeing psychiatrists for years. It's understood McCormack told psychiatrists he longed to go back to the time when he was 11-years-old, a happy schoolboy in Adelaide. 'He longed to get back to that period of time,' Mr Macedone said. 'He ruminated quite a lot, putting himself back in his adolescence'. Hours after the call, the lawyer and a bailed McCormack were walking free from Redfern Police Station - and into a media squall. One journalist loudly asked McCormack what he was thinking about when he was covering Hey Dad! abuser Robert Hughes' trial in 2014. He jumped in a car driven by veteran Nine cameraman Drew Benjamin. Paparazzi even crashed into his car as they tailed him. McCormack attempted suicide twice in the wake of the arrest. He felt guilty about how his family and friends had been dragged into the mess. 'It's not your mess I've created, it's mine,' he wrote in a suicide note. He was admitted to hospital and at one point even checked every hour. He was filled with dread each time he turned up to court. As he walked towards court to plead guilty to both charges in September, he mumbled to his lawyer: 'I'm starting to feel sick' As he walked towards the Downing Centre to plead guilty to two counts of publishing, transmitting or promoting child abuse material in September, Channel Ten cameras caught him saying: 'I'm starting to feel sick'. 'Suck it in! Suck it in!' Mr Macedone said. His Skype chat buddy, Reale, has pleaded guilty to one count of producing child exploitation material, nine counts of distributing child exploitation, and one count of using electronic communication with intent to procure a person under the age of 16 years for sexual activity. Another man McCormack spoke to - white collar West Australian professional Leon Mario Berger - has pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. He declined to comment when approached at his home last month. Both men will be sentenced by the state's District Court next year. Defence sentencing submissions said McCormack had been 'cured of his idolisations of children' - but 'will always have to be on guard for it'. Before he was sentenced on Wednesday, psychiatrists told McCormack he has to come to terms with the fact that Ben McCormack, TV journalist is over. It's not clear what's next - his career over and his name to be listed on the sex offender's register. 'That person no longer exists,' Mr Macedone said. 'Now it's Ben McCormack issue two'. A second male model has come forward to accuse iconic fashion photographer Bruce Weber of sexual misconduct. The 71-year-old Weber, who worked for Vogue and helped forge the image of such brands as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch, is alleged to have sexually harassed 31-year-old Mark Ricketson during a 2005 photo shoot in New York. 'He told me I 'looked tense' and proceeded to press his thumb on my forehead,' Ricketson said during a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday. A second male model has accused photographer Bruce Weber of sexual misconduct (Mark Ricketson (L), standing beside attorney Lisa Bloom and former model Jason Boyce Dec. 2017) Weber is alleged to have sexually harassed Mark Ricketson during a New York photo shoot in in 2005 (Pictured: Mark Ricketson (L) and Jason Boyce) Ricketson was also joined by Jason Boyce (pictured), who filed a complaint against Weber on Friday following a December 2014 incident at his Manhattan studio According to the complaint, Weber asked Boyce, then 28, to undress and then proceeded to fondle and forcibly kiss him 'He then took my hand and told me to 'find the energy' by guiding my hand and rubbing it on one of three places my forehead, chest or my stomach.' 'Each time the 'energy' in my stomach would get lower and lower until I had to navigate the remaining space left before having to touch myself. I felt ashamed and embarrassed,' he added. Lisa Bloom, Ricketson's attorney, said Weber then reached out for her client's hand, lowered it towards his genitals and began to rub. Ricketson feared he would have been 'blacklisted' by the industry if he voiced his accusations, which places enormous power in the hands of photographers and top tier modeling agencies who book all their jobs. 'If you wanted to work, you did what you were told,' Ricketson said Tuesday. 'Trying to cope with the trauma of what I'd experienced while staying silent all these years led to a battle with depression, addictive tendencies and struggling to form loving and lasting relationships,' he said. Ricketson was also joined by Jason Boyce, who filed a complaint against Weber on Friday following a December 2014 incident at his Manhattan studio. Photographer Bruce Weber, seen here at a New York fashion show September 7, 2017, has been accused of sexually harassing a male model Bruce Weber during W Magazine Trunk Show at 545 West 22nd Street in New York City, New York According to the complaint, Weber asked Boyce, then 28, to undress and then proceeded to fondle and forcibly kiss him. 'If you just had confidence, you'd really go far,' Weber is alleged to have murmured. 'How far do you want to make it? How ambitious are you?' Ricketson claims he would have 'blacklisted' by the industry if he voiced his accusations back in 2005 Bloom told AFP that since the suit was filed on Friday she has received calls from others with similar complaints against Weber. After his experience, Boyce moved to California and gave up modeling. 'Mr Boyce felt intense dread at the thought of a modeling career in an industry where Mr Weber was considered by many to be a top photographer and primary champion of male models,' the complaint said. He is seeking damage and interest for the 'emotional anguish' suffered and the loss of economic opportunity. Besides Weber, the suit names the Soul Artist modeling agency that employed Boyce, and its boss Jason Kanner. Bloom said that the statute of limitation prohibited Ricketson from taking any legal action against Weber. In October, photographer Terry Richardson, known for his provocative photographs and accused of sexually exploiting his models for years, was dropped by Vogue, Vanity Fair and other Conde Nast titles. Richardson had worked for Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford. A huge so-called 'peace diamond' sold by the government of Sierra Leone to discourage crime-tainted 'blood diamonds' was sold for 4.9 million ($6.5 million) on Monday. The 709-carat stone, which was unearthed in March, is the largest discovered in Sierra Leone in almost a half-century. The diamond is said to be the 14th-largest ever discovered, according to the Rapaport Group, which auctioned the stone in New York on behalf of Sierra Leone's government. Found by a company led by evangelical Pastor Momoh, the diamond was given to the government in the hopes it would handle the sale in a way that leaves more profits and development potential in Sierra Leone. Named the Peace Diamond, 2.8 million ($3.8 million) of the proceeds will directly benefit 250,000 inhabitants of a Sierra Leone region with no school, hospital, clean water or roads British jewelers Laurence Graff purchased the stone, according to Martin Rapaport, whose group hosted the auction. The government was expecting about 5.25 million ($7 million). 'Perhaps we're dealing with the price of transparency,' Rapaport said. Illegal mining and sales of so-called blood diamonds have been a major source of strife in many African countries including Sierra Leone. That was the goal of the auction approach of President Ernest Bai Koroma. Expectations at home were high, yet the price may have seemed a disappointment. Gibril Sesay, a market seller, said he wanted the government to provide 'water, electricity and good roads for the people' with the proceeds of the gem following the sale. But Beatrice Cole, a civil servant, told AFP 'the money paid for the diamond was far below what we expected' after watching the auction live on TV in Freetown. Television-friendly criminal defence lawyer Sam Macedone was on his way to shoot an interview with Channel Nine when he got the fateful call from reporter Ben McCormack. For once, the A Current Affair journalist wasn't asking for a comment - but for help with some serious trouble. 'Sam, I've been arrested,' the lawyer of 47 years recalled McCormack saying. It was April 6, 2017, and the prominent journalist had been pulled over on the side of a road in Sydney's east about 7.30am and placed under arrest on suspected child pornography offences. Side by side: Criminal defence lawyer Sam Macedone was Ben McCormack's first port of call on December 6 - having interviewed Mr Macedone for A Current Affair stories before McCormack found himself at the eye of a media storm after being charged with one count of publishing, transmitting or promote child porn using a carriage service It was the beginning of one of a memorable episode of Mr Macedone's career - involving vicious trolling, a media circus and a reeling client contemplating suicide. That day, McCormack was filmed standing sheepishly by the side of the road as detectives methodically searched his car. 'He told me his situation. I found it a bit confronting,' Mr Macedone remembered of that first call. 'He told me a few things - (I said) hang on there, I'll be at the scene straight away'. Investigators soon raided McCormack's home and his office in Willoughby. Police would soon take him to the station to lay a criminal charge - one count of using a carriage service to publish, promote or transmit child pornography material. The pair did not know each other well, having shot a few interviews together. '(He) was fascinated by the legal system... I always found him easy to get on with'. Mr Macedone would soon know McCormack's darkest secrets - something, he said, that was a common theme during his 47 years in the law. He rushed to Redfern Police Station to meet his new client - and was soon guiding him through a media scrum he once would have been a part of. The case had harrowing moments. McCormack, pictured during a TV segment for the Nine Network McCormack twice attempted suicide in the month following his arrest. He was taken to hospital following the first attempt. Prior to his release in May, he said he would consider what Mr Macedone had to say about the brief of evidence before deciding whether to go to court or kill himself. Mr Macedone would tell McCormack's sentencing hearing: 'I did what I could to satisfy him all would be OK. 'Thankfully he's here today.' Mr Macedone was also trolled over the case - particularly after McCormack pleaded guilty in late September. Sam Macedone was viciously trolled after McCormack pleaded guilty. His response, above One said: 'I'm going to dance on your grave when you die'. He hadn't experienced anything like it in a case before. McCormack was sentenced by Judge Paul Conlon on Wednesday morning, bringing an end to his legal nightmare. The judge put his offending at the 'lowest' end of the scale as the offending was not typical of the charge. Reflecting on the case before the sentence, Mr Macedone said he would stay in McCormack's life, as he had with many clients before. 'This is a person who was troubled with these thoughts for some time and recognised they were inappropriate'. He said McCormack's media career was over - something the journalist was coming to terms with - and that it was time for 'Ben McCormack issue two'. 'There's nothing this court can do to punish him more than he's punished himself,' he said. Advertisement Protesters across Palestine have been burning U.S. flags and images of President Donald Trump ahead of his speech later today where he is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Hundreds gathered in Gaza City and Ramallah on the West Bank brandishing Palestine flags and placards protesting the anticipated announcement. Last night, Palestinian Christians gathered in Bethlehem and burned placards featuring Trump's likeness and 'Jerusalem, Palestine's heart, is not up to negotiations,' written on them. A senior administration official said President Trump will make the announcement at 1pm (6pm GMT) from the White House. Anger: Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City as President Donald Trump is set to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings from Arab and Western allies alike of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East On fire: Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, burned pictures of President Donald Trump on Tuesday to protest his anticipated recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital Upheaval: Women wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans during a protest at the Unknown Soldier Square, in Gaza City 'He will say that the United States government recognises that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,' a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality and modern reality.' Plunging further into a decades-long dispute over a city considered holy by Jews, Muslims and Christians, Trump will also order planning to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. 'It will take some time to find a site, to address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility and build it,' the official said. 'It will be a matter of some years, it won't be months, it's going to take time.' Trump will forge ahead with his plans despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of US policy and risk potentially violent protests. Raised voices: A child holds a Palestinian flag as he chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon A man holds torn representations of American and Israeli flags during a protest at the Unknown Soldier Square in Gaza City Taking a stand: Children hold Palestinian flags and drawing of late leader Yasser Arafat during a protest in the west Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday alestinian children hold Palestine flags and pictures of Jerusalem during a protest in Gaza city after President Donald Trump said the US will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitalProtest over Jerusalem recognised as Israel's capital Aggression: Trump is expected to make the announcement despite warnings from world leaders from Europe, the Middle-East, Asia and Africa Today, the Palestinian prime minister said Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is bound to 'destroy the peace process and the two-state solution.' Rami Hamdallah, who met with European diplomats on Wednesday to discuss a two-state solution said that the expected U.S. shift on Jerusalem 'will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region.' Several other senior Palestinian officials have also said Trumps announcement this evening will revert any progress towards peace between the two countries. 'There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome,' said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. 'They cannot take us for granted.' The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed US security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered US personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. Further warnings from world leaders came on Wednesday, incuding from Pope Francis, British foreign minister Boris Johnson and China. 'I cannot silence my deep concern over the situation that has emerged in recent days. Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred for Jews, Christians and Muslims,' Pope Francis said today. A small group of Palestinians in the holy city on the West Bank gathered with placards featuring Trump's likeness and set fire to them 'Move the embassy to your country, not ours,' read one of the placards with Trump's picture on it 'Jerusalem, Palestine's heart, is not up to negotiations, read another anti-Trump sign The pontiff added that maintaining Jerusalem's status quo was important 'in order to avoid adding new elements of tension to an already volatile world that is wracked by so many cruel conflicts'. Boris Johnson, speaking as he arrived for a NATO meeting in Brussels, said 'we view the reports that we have heard with concern, because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement.' China has also warned the plan could fuel tensions in the region and Turkey said it risked igniting a 'fire' in the Middle East. Geng Shuang, a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday the 'issue of Jerusalem's status is complicated and sensitive' and that 'all sides should focus on regional peace and tranquility, act with caution, and avoid sabotaging the foundation for the settlement of Palestinian issues and triggering new confrontation in the region.' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said he had called for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul on December 13 'to display joint action among Islamic countries' over Jerusalem. Jordan and the Palestinians also called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, with a diplomatic source saying it was likely to be convened on Saturday. The Kremlin has also voiced concern, with President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that the 'the situation is not easy.' He said Putin discussed the issue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late on Tuesday and expressed his concern about 'a possible deterioration.' The move of the US embassy to Jerusalem was a frequently repeated promise that Trump made during his presidential election campaign. However, US leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Trump is likely to do the same, US officials said, though less quietly. That's why he plans to couple the waiver with the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, according to the officials who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity. Key national security advisers including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns. Trump (seen above with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on May 23) forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of US policy and risk potentially violent protests Trump also told the leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan that he intends to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is home to sites considered sacred by Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound are seen above on Tuesday An elderly Palestinian man walks past a street sign indicating the distance to Jerusalem on December 5, 2017, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank The concerns are real: Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital could be viewed as America discarding its longstanding neutrality and siding with Israel at a time that the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been trying to midwife a new peace process into existence. Trump, too, has spoken of his desire for a 'deal of the century' that would end Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said they expected a broad statement from Trump about Jerusalem's status as the 'capital of Israel.' The president isn't planning to use the phrase 'undivided capital,' according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek for their own future capital. Jerusalem includes the holiest ground in Judaism. But it's also home to Islam's third-holiest shrine and major Christian sites, and forms the combustible center of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Any perceived harm to Muslim claims to the city has triggered volatile protests in the past, both in the Holy Land and across the Muslim world. Within the Trump administration, officials on Tuesday were still debating the particulars of the president's expected speech as they fielded a flood of warnings from allied governments. The US Embassy is seen above in Tel Aviv on Tuesday A T-shirt bearing an image of US President Donald Trump dressed as a Hasidic Jew is displayed in a souvenir shop in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday Still, any US declaration on Jerusalem's status ahead of a peace deal 'would harm peace negotiation process and escalate tension in the region,' Saudi Arabia's King Salman told Trump Tuesday, according to a Saudi readout of their telephone conversation. Declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the king said, 'would constitute a flagrant provocation to all Muslims, all over the world.' In his calls to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II, Trump delivered what appeared to be identical messages of intent. Both leaders warned Trump that moving the embassy would threaten Mideast peace efforts and security and stability in the Middle East and the world, according to statements from their offices. The statements didn't speak to Trump's plans for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the head of the Arab League, urged the US to reconsider any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, warning of 'repercussions.' French President Emmanuel Macron said he reminded Trump in a phone call Monday that Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations on setting up an independent Palestine alongside Israel. Meeting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said actions undermining peace efforts 'must be absolutely avoided.' Palestinian political factions led by Abbas' Fatah movement called for daily protest marches this week, starting Wednesday. East Jerusalem, now home to more than 300,000 Palestinians, was captured by Israel in 1967 and then annexed in a move most of the international community has not recognized. Advertisement Standing at just over five-foot tall and with a ready grin, Simo Hayha might not look like a killing machine. But the former farmer from Rautjarvi, southern Finland, was just that - racking up 505 confirmed sniper kills for his country in its battle against the Soviet Union during the now largely forgotten Winter War of 1939-40. Hayha, who died 15 years ago aged 96, played an instrumental role in the conflict, during which 25,900 Finns died to protect their new-found independence against the Soviets, who lost 126,900 soldiers. Simo Hayha was born on December 17, 1905 in Karelia, then eastern Finland, where he grew up enjoying hobbies including hunting and snow-skiing. When the Soviets invaded his country in 1939, he joined the Army and rapidly acquired a reputation as a legendary sniper, chalking a total of 505 confirmed kills during the largely forgotten Winter War. He is pictured after being awarded with a new rifle during the conflict Hayha, who died 15 years ago aged 96, played an instrumental role in the conflict, during which 25,900 Finns died to protect their new-found independence against the Soviets, who lost 126,900. Aged 33 when the war broke out, he quickly acquired a fearsome reputation, striking the enemy unseen and unheard from hidden positions up to 300 yards from his target. He is pictured during the war in this undated image Nicknamed The White Death, Hayha was a prime target for the Soviets, who struck him with mortars and heavy artillery to halt his killing spree, which once claimed 25 men in one day. This image, in which Hayha poses with an M/28-30 in his winter camouflage, shows how he was able to blend into the icy terrain of eastern Finland Despite the perils of his situation, Hayha professed to never feel fear, and would obsessively clean his weapon to make sure it worked in -20C temperatures and visit 'favourite' firing positions at night to prepare. After the war he continued his life as a farmer, in his new home in Ruokolahti, by the Finnish-Russian border, where he is pictured in this undated photograph Hayha was an avid hunter both before and after the war, and he once stalked animals alongside Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. He is pictured standing over the body of an elk he shot alongside his dog, Kite. Stalking and shooting remains popular in Finland to this day, with around 300,000 people, or six per cent of the population, owning hunting licenses Other tricks Hayha used included freezing the snow around his hideout, so it would not fly up in the air when firing with an M/28-30 rifle, and covering his mouth to stop the steam rising from his breath. These photographs show in posing in military uniform in the 1940s, with the wound to his left jaw clearly visible Simo Hayha: A life on the frontlines Hayha was born on December 17, 1905 to Juho and Katriina Hayha in Karelia, which used to be Finland but is now Russia. Before serving in the Army he was a farmer and enjoyed hobbies including hunting and snow-skiing. He joined the White Guard, a voluntary Finnish militia, aged 20, and 6th Company of JR 34 during the Battle of Kollaa during the 1939-40 Winter War. On March 6, 1940, he was hit in the left lower jaw but a bullet, leaving 'half his face missing', according to comrades. After two years recovering he returned to shooting Moose, once joining Finnish president Urho Kekkonen for a day of hunting, before dying in a nursing home in 2002, aged 96. Source: BBC History Magazine Advertisement Aged 33 when the war broke out, Hayha quickly acquired a fearsome reputation, striking the enemy unseen and unheard from hidden positions up to 300 yards from his target. Nicknamed The White Death, Hayha was a prime target for the Soviets, who struck him with mortars and heavy artillery to halt his killing spree, which once claimed 25 men in one day. Despite the perils of his situation, Hayha professed to never feel fear, and would obsessively clean his weapon to make sure it worked in -20C temperatures and visit 'favourite' firing positions at night to prepare. Other tricks included freezing the snow around his hideout, so it would not fly up in the air when firing with an M/28-30 rifle, and covering his mouth to stop the steam rising from his breath. With his white hood and a long jacket Hayha was perfectly camouflaged inside the covered foxholes he dug into the icy landscape of eastern Finland, which the USSR invaded on November 30 1939. The Soviets wanted to push their border westwards in an attempt to make Leningrad (St Petersburg) safer from German attack. Hayha and his compatriots fought bravely against the Red Army, which was one-million strong and advancing along several fronts. With his white hood and a long jacket(similar to these other Finnish soldiers, pictured on outpost duty during the Winter War) Hayha was perfectly camouflaged against the icy landscape of eastern Finland, which the USSR invaded on November 30 1939. The USSR wanted to push their border westwards to make Leningrad (St Petersburg) safer from German attack Hayha and his compatriots fought bravely against the Red Army, which was one-million strong and advancing along several fronts. Pictured is a unit of Finnish troops wearing gas masks during the Winter War, circa 1940. The conflict lasted for three months, one week and five days until the Peace of Moscow Hayha's his luck ran out after 98 days, when he was hit in the jaw and spent a week unconscious in hospital before waking up on the precise day countrymen signed the Peace of Moscow on March 12, 1940. Pictured are Finnish troops at the ready on the Russo-Finnish border on October 12, 1939 The Peace of Moscow ended the conflict on Soviet terms, with the Finns agreeing to hand over western Karelia and part of the Hanko Peninsula for a Soviet naval base. Hayha survived the Second World War and became a successful Moose hunter and dog breeder, before dying in a war veterans' home in Hamina, southern Finland. Pictured is a troop of Finnish skiers in an undated image When asked in 1998 about how he had become such a good shooter, Hayha answered, 'practice.' And when questioned whether he regretted ending so many lives, he said: 'I only did my duty, and what I was told to do, as well as I could.' Pictured: A Finnish soldier hauling a machine gun on a toboggan in February 1940 Although the Finns(including these two anti-aircraft machine gunners) were vastly outnumbered, they benefitted from a poorly-organised Red Army, which had been purged of its military experts by Joseph Stalin. On paper, the war was a disaster for Finland, which was forced to cede 11% of its land area and 13% of its economy to the Soviet Union This is a Mosin-Nagant M28/30 Finnish sniper rifle, similar to the one that Hayha would have used during combat. It was one of the most popular bolt-action rifles in history, with over 37million units made since its inception in 1891 Hayha's luck ran out after 98 days, when he was hit in the jaw and spent a week unconscious in hospital before waking up on the precise day his countrymen signed the Peace of Moscow on March 12, 1940. This ended the conflict on Soviet terms, with the Finns agreeing to hand over western Karelia and part of the Hanko Peninsula for a naval base. Hayha survived the Second World War and became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder, before dying in a war veterans' home in Hamina, southern Finland. When asked in 1998 about how he had become such a good shooter, Hayha answered, 'practice.' And when questioned about whether he regretted ending so many lives, he said: 'I only did my duty, and what I was told to do, as well as I could.' The USSR suffered heavy losses during the Winter War, but the amount of territory gained exceeded its pre-war demands. Conversely, its international reputation suffered while that of Finland - which gained independence from the Russian Empire in 1917 - was enhanced. Pictured: Soviet infantry attacking Finnish forces in an undated photograph taken during the conflict The winter of 1939-40 was exceptionally cold, and while most Soviet soldiers wore proper cold-weather clothes, some were lacking. This led to many Soviet soldiers dying from frostbite, with some units losing 10 per cent of their soldiers to the extreme cold. Pictured: Soviet ski troops advancing during the conflict During World War Two, Finland fought alongside the Germans against the USSR to regain its lost territories. But it was forced into a peace treaty with the Soviets in 1944, which included the condition that all German soldiers be expelled from the country. This led to a Finnish offensive against the Nazis which continued until all enemy troops were expelled in April 1945. Pictured: Soviet machine gunners attack across a frozen lake in an undated photograph The poor performance of the Red Army during the Winter War was said to have been one of the key reasons why Hitler was persuaded to invade the Soviet Union in June 1941. Pictured: A Soviet patrol watching for Soviet forces in Petsamo on the northern border between Finland and the USSR in 1940 The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared sharply divided in the closely watched case of a Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Pivotal Justice Anthony Kennedy voiced concerns about endorsing discrimination against gay people but also about anti-religious bias during the first court session for the case. The nine justices -- five conservatives and four liberals -- heard an intense, almost 90-minute argument in the dispute over whether certain businesses can refuse to serve gay couples if they oppose same-sex marriage for religious reasons. The case involving Jack Phillips, a baker who runs Masterpiece Cakeshop in Denver's suburb of Lakewood and turned away gay couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012, pitted Colorado's anti-discrimination law against rights to freedom of speech and expression under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Scroll down for video On Tuesday, the Supreme Court appeared sharply divided in the closely watched case of Jack Phillips (pictured), the Denver-area baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in 2012 Charlie Craig (left) and David Mullins (right) say they went to Phillips' bakery, Masterpiece Cakes, in July 2012 to get a wedding cake. He refused, citing his Christian faith. They sued and won on the grounds that he violated the state's anti-discrimination law Kennedy, an 81-year-old champion of gay rights and free speech who wrote the landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, did not definitively indicate how he would vote in the ruling due by the end of June, posing tough questions to both sides. He raised concerns about a decision siding with the baker that would give a green light to discrimination against gay people. 'It means that there's basically an ability to boycott gay marriages,' said Kennedy, a conservative who sometimes sides with the court's four liberals in major cases on divisive social issues. The court's liberals would likely side with him on that point, with several justices citing a range of other creative professionals who could deny service to gay customers if the baker wins, as some florists and wedding photographers already have done. The baker's lawyers at the conservative Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom argued that creating a custom cake is a form of free expression protected by the Constitution. Phillips has argued that, as an artist, he shouldn't have to be forced to make a cake for something he doesn't believe in Phillips (pictured above at his store in September) continued to fight the decision, taking it all the way to the Supreme Court where justices on Tuesday heard an almost 90-minute argument in the dispute Protesters Lydia Macy, 17, left, and Mira Gottlieb, 16, both of Berkeley, California, rally outside of the Supreme Court on Tuesday Lawyers for Mullins and Craig said it the baker's action was simply unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan wondered about whether a hairstylist, chef or a makeup artist could refuse service, claiming their services are also speech protected by the Constitution. TIMELINE OF THE MASTERPIECE CAKES CASE July 19, 2012: Engaged couple Charlie Craig and David Mullins visit Masterpiece Cakes to buy a wedding cake. Once owner Jack Phillips hears they are gay, he says he won't make them one because of his Christian beliefs May 2013: Craig and Mullins file a complaint to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, saying they believe the state's Anti-Discrimination Act was violated by Phillips. May 2014: The couple's complaint becomes a lawsuit, Craig v. Masterpiece Cakeshop, which is decided in favor of the couple. Phillips is ordered to provide cakes to same-sex couples and to 'change its company policies, provide 'comprehensive staff training' regarding public accommodations discrimination, and provide quarterly reports of the next two years regarding steps it has taken to come into compliance and whether it has turned away any prospective customers.' August 2015: Phillips appeals the decision with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, a far-right Christian legal group. The State's decision was upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals, which said that Phillips refusal to make a cake for a same-sex marriage was 'tantamount to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation'. December 5, 2017: Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case. Advertisement 'Why is there no speech (rights) in creating a wonderful hairdo?' Kagan asked. But Kennedy also asked whether the Colorado civil rights commission that concluded that Phillips had violated state law was biased against religion, which could indicate he could yet side with the baker. Conservative members of the court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, appeared more sympathetic to the baker in one of the biggest cases of the court's current nine-month term. Roberts asked whether a Catholic nonprofit organization providing free legal services should be forced to take on issues that conflict with its religious stances. Phillips is appealing a state court ruling that he violated a Colorado anti-discrimination law that bars businesses from refusing service based on race, sex, marital status or sexual orientation. Expressing his concerns about anti-gay discrimination, Kennedy mentioned the possibility of a baker putting a sign in his window saying he would not make cakes for gay weddings. 'And you would not think that an affront to the gay community?' he asked Solicitor General Noel Francisco, a lawyer for the Trump administration, which has backed Phillips. Kennedy's comments about the Colorado Civil Rights Commission's handling of the case were more supportive of the baker. Kennedy said there was evidence of 'hostility to religion' and questioned whether that panel's decision should be allowed to stand. 'Tolerance is essential in a free society. Tolerance is most meaningful when it's mutual,' Kennedy said. But the commission was not 'tolerant or respectful' of Phillips, he added. Former commissioner Diann Rice said at a 2014 hearing that 'freedom of religion, and religion, has been used to justify all kinds of discrimination throughout history, whether it be slavery, whether it be the Holocaust.' Hundreds of demonstrators on both sides of the dispute rallied outside the white marble courthouse. Supporters of Phillips waved signs that read, 'We got your back Jack.' As Mullins and Craig made their way into the courthouse, the two men led their supporters in chants of 'Love Wins.' After the arguments, Mullins told reporters the couple's snub by Phillips made them feel mortified and humiliated, like 'second-class citizens in our society.' Mullins and Craig are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which has argued that Phillips' legal team is advocating for a 'license to discriminate' that could have broad repercussions beyond gay rights. Phillips told reporters that the backlash against his business after his refusal has included death threats and harassment, adding, 'We are struggling just to make ends meet and keep the shop afloat.' 'It's hard to believe,' Phillips said, 'that the government is forcing me to choose between providing for my family and my employees, and violating my relationship with God.' Matt Lauer and his wife Annette Roque were both seen without their wedding rings on Wednesday morning after the former models father said she would divorce Lauer because she was betrayed by him, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Lauer was seen running errands around Sag Harbor, New York, with his ring finger bare, despite wearing his gold band on Monday morning. He was spotted just hours after Roque, 52, emerged for the first time since his firing from the Today show last week for allegations of sexual assault. The Dutch-born mother-of-three was also not wearing her wedding ring when she picked up breakfast after dropping off her children at school. The two live separate lives, according to sources, and do not reside together. Roque's father, Henri, 76, speaking from his apartment near Amsterdam, had told DailyMail.com exclusively: 'I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed. 'She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out.' Scroll down for video Matt Lauer was seen in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday without his wedding ring, despite wearing it on Monday Matt Lauer's wife Annette Roque was also spotted in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday, her first time being seen since Lauer's Today show firing last week The Dutch-born mother-of-three was not wearing her wedding ring as she picked up breakfast after she dropped off her children at school Henri Roque (pictured), Annette's father, claims she will divorce the fired TV host, saying on Tuesday: 'I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed' Mr. Roque added: '[Annette] is feeling shocked and she is now having sorrow for her children. Me too. Everybody is feeling quite sad. 'There are also the kids, I dont know what shes doing or who they are going to stay with.' Mr. Roque, who worked as director of human resources for the city of Amsterdam until he retired, lives alone in a small flat on the top floor of an apartment block. He added: 'I feel s**t about the whole thing. The situation is so bad. I have met Matt, he was a nice guy. I feel kind of betrayed. Its my own daughter. I dont know how the kids are doing.' Mr. Roque denied reports that his daughter fled the country to be with her family in the Netherlands. He said: 'I speak to her often. I last spoke to her on Sunday. I asked her if she was in Amsterdam, she said no, I am in the Hamptons. 'It was all bulls**t stories. Shes not in Holland. Its all fake news. Its s**t news. Bulls**t news. Shes in America.' Meanwhile, Lauer has been staying at his private Sag Harbor home, in Long Island, and was seen Monday, behind the wheel of his gray Jeep Wrangler, taking his 11-year-old son, Thijs, to school. The disgraced 59-year-old stopped off at a gated property in nearby North Haven to pick up a friend of his son's and was still wearing his wedding ring at the time. Sources say Lauer's marriage to Roque has been on the rocks for years and they have even been living separately. Lauer was spotted hours after Roque, 52, emerged for the first time since his firing from the Today show last week due to allegations of sexual assault The disgraced former Today host picked up his son's lunch from a local deli and delivered it to his school before returning home minus his wedding band on Wednesday Roque looked somber as she folded her hands around her breakfast and lowered her head while she walked to her car Lauer was still wearing his wedding ring as of Monday (pictured) when he finally ventured out of his Long Island compound to do the school run While much of the country was shocked by the sexual assault news given Lauer's image as a wholesome good guy, those who knew the couple say that he was an unfaithful husband. Lauer's alleged history of infidelity reportedly forced his wife to keep close tabs on him when he took trips abroad because she didn't trust him. When Roque sought to divorce Lauer years ago, Lauer reportedly offered her $5 million in cash to remain in the marriage. The image-conscious Lauer made the cash offer because he was reportedly so concerned about how a divorce might be perceived by his audience. Amid reports that Lauer gave a staffer on the Today show a sex toy, sex therapist Dr Laura Berman said Monday that she gave him the toys because he wanted to spice things up with Roque. 'We were in the makeup room and he sort of asked the makeup artist to leave,' Berman told Inside Edition. 'He asked me about sexual aids and devices. He confided in me about some of the struggles he was having in his married relationship.' Berman claims Lauer didn't want to be seen going to a store to buy sex toys so she took care of it for him. 'I brought him a shopping bag filled with toys from my line that were designed for couples and spicing things up,' Berman said. Lauer and Roque met on a blind date in 1997, the same year he took over as co-anchor of Today in place of the departing Bryant Gumbel. While Lauer rose to television stardom with his Today show gig, Roque has been featured in Victoria's Secret catalogs as well as in advertisements for J. Crew. According to Page Six, Lauer, who had a reputation as a philanderer, was urged to settle down and get married by NBC executives who were concerned that his playboy image would hurt the Today show given its heavily female viewership. Roque was still wearing her wedding ring in late September when she joined Lauer for lunch in New York City (pictured) Her father, speaking from his apartment in a small town near Amsterdam, said: 'She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out' The 52-year-old was bare-faced as she did her morning errands on Wednesday Mr. Roque added: '[Annette] is feeling shocked and she is now having sorrow for her children. Me too. Everybody is feeling quite sad' Lauer and Roque were married less than a year after they met, but it was reportedly a tumultuous union. Three years after the birth of their first child, Jack, in 2003, Lauer and Roque separated after the newsman returned from covering the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Rumors swirled that Lauer was having an affair with Natalie Morales, who was then a correspondent for the Today show. Both have vehemently denied the rumors. Nonetheless, Roque, who was seven months pregnant at the time, filed for divorce from Lauer, whom she accused of 'cruel and inhumane' treatment and 'extremely controlling' behavior. 'Defendant has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties' children,' according to court papers, which were leaked in 2014. Roque would eventually withdraw her petition for divorce three weeks before giving birth to the couple's second child, Thijs. There was no explanation given for why Roque had second thoughts about the divorce, though it was reported that Lauer offered her $5 million to remain in the marriage. 'Matt needed to stay in the marriage to keep his reputation as America's nicest dad,' according to a source quoted by Page Six. 'He is in fact a very doting dad to his kids, but he is also a terrible husband.' Roque had not been seen since news broke that Lauer was fired from his $25m position at the Today show over sexual assault allegations Roque previously filed for divorce from Lauer in 2006 but dropped her suit. They are pictured together in India in 1998, the year they were married Lauer persuaded Roque to stay in the marriage 'to keep his reputation as America's nicest dad,' according to a source quoted by Page Six. 'He is in fact a very doting dad to his kids, but he is also a terrible husband'. Pictured: Lauer with his three children Things appeared to be fine until Lauer returned from covering the Olympics in Vancouver in early 2010. After news reports emerged suggesting that Lauer partied hard in Canada, Roque reportedly was so angry that she and her husband began living separately. Since 2011, Roque and her three children were reportedly living in their home in Sag Harbor, while Lauer stayed in Manhattan during the week. The Upper East Side apartment at 133 East 64th Street was also the address of Bernie Madoff, the infamous Ponzi schemer. On weekends, Lauer would reportedly make the trip to Long Island to join them. 'They play happy families at their Hamptons home on weekends, and then she lets him run off to New York to do 'Today' - and goodness knows what else,' RadarOnline quoted one source as saying. Despite her celebrity status, Roque is rarely seen in public. When she does appear, it is usually to attend the Hampton Classic horse show. Roque and her daughter are avid equestrians. In 2012, Lauer purchased a 40-acre property near their Long Island home and converted it into a horse farm with stables for 36 animals, 16 paddocks, two outdoor riding rings, cross-country trails, and a climate-controlled indoor ring. Lauer even owns five horses himself, but it was been widely rumored that the horses were a gift to his wife whenever she caught him cheating. There was no explanation given for why Roque had second thoughts about the divorce, though it was reported that Lauer offered her $5 million to remain in the marriage Lauer's alleged history of infidelity reportedly forced his wife to keep close tabs on him when he took trips abroad because she didn't trust him Roque, a former Dutch model, had been hiding out in her Hamptons home after Lauer was fired from NBC last Tuesday over claims of sexual assault. The couple is pictured in August 2017 Locals who see Lauer near his Manhattan apartment say that they cannot recall ever seeing him and his wife together dining. Lauer is known to be a frequent customer at Donahue's Steak House, a whiskey bar across the street from his apartment. Neighbors told Page Six they see Lauer there at least three nights a week but he's on his own. After news broke of the assault claims, Lauer said in an 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. '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.' Lauer's apology, read out on the show, came hours after more graphic details of the allegations against the host emerged. In one allegation, 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. Lauer and Roque met on a blind date in 1997, the same year he took over as co-anchor of Today in place of the departing Bryant Gumbel 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. Pictured: Lauer on Wednesday 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. Lauer was seen by DailyMail.com for the first time on Thursday since he was fired by NBC on Tuesday night '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,' said Lauer on Thursday (above meeting with lawyer and friend Eddie Burke Jr.) He has been accused of flashing his penis at one woman and buying another a sex toy. There was also a stunning revelation that he had a button under his desk that would lock to the door to his office. It was a security-measure used by most high-profile employees at NBC, but Lauer allegedly used it at least once so he could have sex with the NBC staffer in 2001. The NBC investigation that led to his spectacular downfall was sparked by an intern who accused him of sexually assault at the beginning in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics. She shared her account with the human resources and legal departments of NBC News on Monday - Lauer was fired just 24 hours later. He was sacked so quickly because of lewd messages he sent the female staffer, and at least one explicit picture. Variety also spoke with 10 past and present workers at the company who accused Lauer of a vast array of sexual misconduct, including the intern who claims she was attacked at Sochi. Previously, it was revealed that Lauer visited his son Jack at his prep school to tell him the news in person. President Donald Trump told a bashful tot Tuesday that one day, maybe, he'll be the one running the Oval Office. 'Someday you might be president, you never know,' he told the little boy, identified by the White House as Aaron Williams of Indianapolis. 'Someday you might be president,' Trump repeated, putting his hand on the little boy's shoulder. The little boy, who wearing a dark blue vest and maroon bow tie, grinned and turned his head inward as Trump tickled his cheek. 'That's a good-looking president,' Trump commented to laughter from attendees of the tax reform event, including William's father, also named Aaron. President Donald Trump told a bashful tot Tuesday that one day maybe he'll be running the Oval Office 'Someday you might be president you never know,' he told the little boy, Aaron Williams of Indianapolis, tickling his cheek The little boy, who wearing a dark blue vest and maroon bow tie, grinned and turned his head inward as Trump teased him PRESIDENT IN THE MAKING: Little Aaron Williams put on a show on Tuesday in the Oval Office while the president spoke His father, also named Aaron, had been invited to discuss the GOP tax plan with the president Trump was holding a promotional event in the Oval Office with four families the administration says will benefit from the GOP's tax overhaul. Williams senior noted that he was from Indiana, the same state Vice President Mike Pence. 'You took one of our finest,' he told Trump. 'This tax reform is a huge thing for our country. It's significant.' Williams is the director of field marketing and analyst relations at Topcoder, a company that crowdsources IT requests. He brought both of his children to the White House on Tuesday, with Aaron, who was seated on his lap throughout the event, stealing the show. Trump told Williams and the other families in the Oval Office: 'We have four great families, middle class. I guess at a certain point you're going to be making so much money you're not really going to know what to do with it. 'But we have four terrific families, Some of them have had difficulty. Taxes are too high, frankly their health care is terrible. The health care plan is terrible - Obamacare - and that will be next,' he said. 'We're a long way toward getting rid of that and getting something very good and very much more affordable. It's a very big problem.' Trump said the families want tax cuts, an increase in jobs and more choice in the marketplace. 'These are great families that are doing well, and now they are doing much better, maybe much better than ever before,' Trump said. 'A lot of changes have taken place over the last 10 months and we're very happy to have all of you here.' Touting his own administration's accomplishments, Trump said, 'This is nothing compared to what it will be over a period of years. It's happening a lot faster than anyone projected.' He brought both of his children to the White House on Tuesday, with Aaron, who was seated on his lap throughout the event, stealing the show Trump was holding a promotional event in the Oval Office with four families the administration says will benefit from the GOP's tax overhaul President Donald Trump holds a plaque made by Brian Steorts the owner of Flags of Valor during a meeting with Steorts and other business owners and their families to discussing tax reform in the Oval Office Steve Bannon ripped into Mitt Romney for working as a missionary during the Vietnam War, claiming that Senate candidate Roy Moore has more integrity than Romney's 'entire family.' Bannon, 64, made the shocking statement about Romney while he was campaigning for Moore in Fairhope, Alabama Tuesday night. His comment is in response to the former 70-year-old Massachusetts governor's tweet that said that having 'Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation.' Of Romney, the former White House chief strategist, told the crowd in Fairhope that Moore 'has more honor and integrity in [his] pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA.' Bannon noted that Moore graduated from the United States Military Academy, while Romney received a draft deferment in 1966 for his missionary work in France where he spent two-and-a-half years. He added, 'You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies.' While campaigning in Alabama for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore (right), Steve Bannon (left) ripped into Mitt Romney for working as a missionary while men were dying in Vietnam 'rice paddies' Bannon made the statement about Romney (above left in 1965 with his father center and brother Scott right) in response to him tweeting about Moore being a 'stain on the GOP and on the nation' if he won the election to the Senate Bannon noted that Moore graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, while Romney (top center in 1960s) received a draft deferment for his missionary work in France. He said: 'You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies.' Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, tweeted the above statement about Moore on Monday night Bannon's appearance at the rally Tuesday night comes a week before polling day in the state for the special election race between Democrat Doug Jones and Moore. The campaign between the two has been widely dominated by the sexual misconduct allegations made against Moore by several woman - accusations that he molested two teenage girls and pursued romantic relationships with several others while in his 30s. The 70-year-old has denied the allegations. Bannon savaged national Republican leaders in a fiery call to rally voters behind the embattled Senate candidate and called GOP leaders in Congress 'cowards'. 'They want to destroy Judge Roy Moore. You know why? They want to take your voice away,' Bannon said as Moore looked on. 'If they can destroy Roy Moore, they can destroy you.' 'The days of taking it silently are over,' Bannon declared at a rally that drew hundreds of Moore supporters to a local farm in the southwestern corner of the state. Even if he isn't well-known in this heavily Republican county, Bannon's appearance was a welcome development for Moore, who has been shunned by the Republican Party's biggest stars. Of Romney, the former White House chief strategist (above Tuesday), told the crowd in Fairhope that Moore 'has more honor and integrity in [his] pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA.' Bannon's appearance was a welcome development for Moore (above Tuesday), who has been shunned by the Republican Party's biggest stars. While speaking, Moore cast himself as a political outsider fighting the establishment in both parties, just like Trump did one year ago Trump himself agreed to campaign later in the week in nearby Florida, but many national GOP leaders say the allegations against Moore are credible and he shouldn't serve in the Senate. Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Moore, if elected on December 12, would 'immediately have an issue with the Ethics Committee' - a process that could lead to his ultimate expulsion from the Senate. Some Republicans, including Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, have already promised expulsion. Another Republican, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, sent a $100 check to Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones on Tuesday. He tweeted a picture of the check and the words, 'Country over party.' Outside the event, about three dozen protesters, some dressed as handmaidens to symbolize Moore's accusers, chanted, 'We want a senator, not a predator.' Many gathered inside Oak Hollow Farm's barn have dismissed the allegations as fake. Some didn't seem to mind them, even if true. 'What girl hasn't been kissed at 17 years old?' asked Diane Myrick, 69, of nearby Bon Secour. 'I know a girl who got married at 14.' Moore didn't address the sexual misconduct allegations he's facing on Tuesday night Moore is running against Democratic senatorial candidate Doug Jones (above on Monday) for to replace Jeff Session who is now the U.S. Attorney General Moore didn't address the allegations directly on Tuesday night. Instead, he cast himself as a political outsider fighting the establishment in both parties, just like Trump did one year ago. He also reminded Alabama voters of his focus on Christian conservative values. 'I know we do not need transgender in our military,' Moore said. 'If I'm in a foxhole, I don't want to know whether this guy next to me is wondering if he's a woman or a man.' Bannon's presence had less to do with Moore's religious convictions than with their shared disdain for Washington Republicans. Moore was twice removed from his state Supreme Court position, once for disobeying a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the lobby of the state judicial building and later for urging state probate judges to defy the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage. Bannon is far more focused on economic populism and immigration. But, like Bannon, Moore has promised to stand up to McConnell, a Republican who is deeply unpopular among many diehard Trump supporters. 'They don't want somebody up there with an independent mind,' Moore said. While Bannon is hardly a household name in Alabama - some rally attendees barely knew who he was - he served as Trump's chief strategist during the final months of his presidential campaign and in the early months of his presidency. He was pushed out of the White House in August. Supporters pray during a campaign rally for Republican candidate for Moore on Tuesday People hold up signs in support of Moore during Tuesday night's rally in Fairhope, Alabama at Oak Hollow Farm Bannon has resumed his leadership role at the pro-Trump Breitbart News and launched a broad campaign to take down establishment Republicans across the nation. 'What Steve does is he motivates base voters to turn out, which is the entire key to this election,' said Andy Surabian, senior adviser to the outside group Great America Alliance, which sometimes works with Bannon. Moore may get a bigger boost on Friday when Trump hosts a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, which is less than 20 miles from the Alabama border. The Republican president formally endorsed Moore on Monday and directed the Republican National Committee to send some financial assistance after withdrawing roughly a dozen staffers last month. The RNC made two transfers to the Alabama GOP this week designed to benefit Moore's campaign - one of $50,000 and another of $120,000 - according to one RNC official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Earlier in the day, roughly 250 miles to the north, Moore's Democratic opponent called Moore an embarrassment who would be a 'disaster' for Alabama in Washington. President Donald Trump (above on Tuesday) formally endorsed Moore on Monday and directed the Republican National Committee to send some financial assistance after withdrawing roughly a dozen staffers last month 'I damn sure believe that I have done my part to ensure that men who hurt little girls should go to jail and not the United States Senate,' Jones said during a campaign stop in Birmingham, referring to his own record as a former federal prosecutor. But some in Alabama welcomed Moore's hardline devotion to Christian conservative values and attacks on the Republican establishment. Frank Blakeman, a former history teacher from nearby Foley, Ala., described Moore as a continuation of Trump's conservative movement. 'There has been a tug in this country overall to one side,' Blakeman said before the rally. 'I think Roy Moore represents the wish and desire of the other half of the country to pull that back across. 'Is he extreme in some of his views? Yes, I think he is. Since politics is a tug of war, you need people to pull to at least get it back somewhere in the middle.' Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski alleged Tuesday that Trump administration officials under the eye of the feds for possible crimes 'might go to jail for the rest of their lives.' A discussion was underway about associates of the president, including his son and son-in-law, who were found out to have had contact with the Russians after initially omitting the information. 'Knowing them, I think theyre shocked that the noose is tightening. I dont know if they were arrogant or just incredibly un-self-aware and really dumb about what the job was about, how important it was, and how under the microscope every move you made would be,' Brzezinski said. She added: 'I think they just thought theyd go in there and flimflam and riff through it. And I think theyre shocked that the noose is tightening and that people might go to jail for the rest of their lives.' Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski alleged Tuesday that Trump administration officials under the eye of the feds for possible crimes 'might go to jail for the rest of their lives' Once on friendlier ground with the president, Brzezinski and Scarborough have been at odds with Trump for much of the last year. They engaged in a full-scale war with him this summer after Trump claimed they came to him on New Year's eve while Mika bleeding badly from her face. Co-host Joe Scarborough, also her fiance, chimed in as she was finishing to say, 'Youre exactly right.' He went on to claim that Trump is 'going down' for his own ham-handed handling of the Department of Justice's election meddling investigations. Once on friendlier ground with the president, Brzezinski and Scarborough have been at odds with Trump for much of the last year. They engaged in a full-scale war with him this summer after Trump claimed they came to him on New Year's eve with Mika bleeding badly from her face in the wake of a lift. FACT BOX TITLE Paul Manafort: former Trump campaign chairman faces 12 1/2 to 15 1/2 years in prison for alleged money laundering, CBS News reports. Rick Gates: former Trump deputy could go to the slammer for 10 to 12 1/2 years, the news network says. George Papadopoulos: foreign policy adviser could go away for up to five years, although it's more likely he face zero to six months in prison. Michael Flynn: a plea deal the special counsel's office struck with Trump's ex-national security advisor calls for no more than six months in prison. Others: Trump campaign and White House officials caught lying to the feds could suffer the same fate as Papadopoulos. Advertisement Trump hit Scarborough last week with an implication that the former lawmaker was involved in the death of an aide discovered in his congressional office in 2001 that was ruled an accident. With Trump calling for an investigation into the allegation, Scarborough tweeted: 'He is not well.' Tuesday on Morning Joe, the Trump administration came under fire from the panel for the missteps that put them at the center of a special counsel investigation. Willie Geist, a co-anchor of the program, commented on the long list of Trump associates who say they did not meet with former Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak or left some other contact with a foreign official off a federal disclosure form. He specifically mentioned Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner, the president's son and son-in law, Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator who's now the attorney general and K.T. McFarland, the deputy national security adviser to Trump who was later appointed ambassador to Singapore. 'I dont know if its ignorance or arrogance or some combination of the two to under sworn testimony say, "Im going to say this thing and theyll never find out about it,'" Geist assessed. Scarborough narrowed the omissions down to Trump officials' contacts with the Russians. The television show host wagered that Trump did not think he would win the election so 'it was all about money' and contacts for future business deals. 'But the most remarkable thing about it is that even now that hes president, its still all about money,' Scarborough posited. 'Hes thinking every day, "How can I leverage this so when I get out of the White House I can make even more money?" ' Brzezinski remarked then that they can feel the noose of the special counsel investigation tightening following their obtuse efforts to hide the conversations. Scarborough a former Republican congressman who hails from Florida, said the Trump associates were in a jam because of their 'gross misunderstanding of the rules of Washington, the laws surrounding public service and constitutional norms' and their immense 'arrogance.' They came in thinking 'people in Washington were just dumb local yokels' who would get out of their way. '"Youre just a bunch of hicks in Washington D.C. Let the big city developers come in and were going to show you,"' he said they were thinking. 'They wouldnt listen to anybody, and they stumbled into one possible crime after another possible crime,' he said. 'And then Donald Trump goes into his mode. He thinks taking on Bob Mueller is the same as taking on Rosie ODonnell.' He specifically mentioned Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner, the president's son and son-in law, Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator who's now the attorney general and K.T. McFarland, the deputy national security adviser to Trump who was later appointed ambassador to Singapore Josh Earnest, the last press secretary for Barack Obama when he was president, told Scarborough, 'I think thats right.' 'He does. He thinks, "This worked with Rosie. Ill do with this Comey. Ill do this with Mueller." He has no idea that hes going down,' Scarborough said. Robert Mueller is the prosecutor DOJ brought in to oversee its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The former FBI chief was tapped to lead the investigation after Trump fired James Comey, the head of the federal agency at the time. Mueller brought down the hammer last month on three members of the Trump campaign, including former chairman Paul Manafort. He entered a plea deal last week with former White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pertains to a falsehood he told about his contact with Kislyak in the transition. Kushner was recently interviewed by the special counsel's team about the meeting he and Don Jr. had last year with a Russian lawyer and other Russian nationals in Trump Tower about sanctions on adoption that they thought was to facilitate damaging information on Hillary Clinton. Other current and former White House officials have also had interviews with Mueller about incidents during and after the transition, including Trump's firing of Comey in May. Critics of the president are accusing him of obstruction of justice over the firing of the law enforcement official who was looking into his campaign workers' ties to the Kremlin. He is not known to have personally had an interview with Mueller - yet - and personal lawyer to the president argued this week that Trump could not have obstructed justice because he's technically the nation's top law enforcement official. Female inmates were banned from wearing lacy underwear after it was discovered that bras and panties were being used to smuggle drugs into a prison. Prisoners at Dillwynia Correctional Centre in New South Wales were forced to wear 'unflattering' underwear after being banned from receiving garments from friends and family, The Daily Telegraph reported. This sparked outrage at the minimum to medium security facility, a prison source told the publication. Prisoners at Dillwynia Correctional Centre in New South Wales were forced to wear 'unflattering' underwear after being banned from receiving garments from friends and family Officers found drugs being smuggled in underwear being sent to prison inmates. A spokesperson from Corrective Services confirmed the underwear ban. 'All correctional centre inmates are issued with clothing, which includes socks, bras and singlets, but they may also receive underwear from their family and friends,' the spokesperson said. 'Following recent incidents where contraband was smuggled into the centre in underwear, the Governor issued a warning and interim measure to restrict visitors from bringing these items in.' But inmates complained the supplied garments were 'unflattering' and asked authorities to change their minds. Their protests bore fruit, as management relaxed the interim ban. 'The temporary restriction has since been lifted and Corrective Services NSW is reviewing the policy in relation to visitors dropping-off clothing for inmates,' the spokesperson said. Female inmates were banned from wearing lacy underwear after it was discovered that bras and panties were being used to smuggle drugs into a prison (stock image) An Australian man has been diagnosed with the deadly Zika virus after returning from a holiday in Cuba. A man was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus at Mackay Hospital following a holiday to Cuba, according to the Sunshine Coast Daily. The diagnosis comes after the Zika outbreak in late 2015 which the World Health Organisation called a 'public health emergency of international concern'. The man was initially misdiagnosed after first arriving back in Australia in October, according to Townsville Public Health Unit director Steven Donohue. A man in Queensland has been diagnosed with the deadly Zika virus A man was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus at Mackay Hospital Zika can cause severe birth defects in unborn babies including microcephaly 'There was a little of a delay getting the results with this guy, because the initial doctor didn't do the correct test and it was only afterwards that we realised we had this,' he said. He said a blood test was carried out on the man but not a test for Zika. 'We're particularly careful about Zika. We don't want this thing to spread in Australia by any means.' Dr Donohue said there had been no local transmission of the virus in Queensland and there was not much risk associated with the current infection. The man was diagnosed with Zika after returning home from a holiday in Cuba (stock image) He said the 'initial wave of outbreaks' of the virus had slowed down internationally. WHAT IS ZIKA? The Zika virus is spread by the same mosquito that can carry dengue fever, the Aedes aegypti. For most people Zika causes a mild illness that may include a rash, fever, headaches, sore joints and muscles, and can last up to a week. Zika can cause severe birth defects in unborn babies including microcephaly, in which a newborn's head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have developed properly. It is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, but sexual transmission of the virus is also possible. There have been no local outbreaks of Zika in Australia. It is believed 18 people died during the Zika epidemic in 2015-16. Advertisement 'It might only be a few years before Zika makes a comeback,' he said. Townsville public health registrar Julie Mudd said inexperienced travellers should seek advice about risks before setting off. 'Most outbreaks start when locals catch a mosquito-borne illness such as dengue or Zika while overseas and were still infectious when they returned home,' she said. 'People need to protect themselves from mosquitoes and use insect repellent when they travel to tropical countries where dengue occurs year round, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. 'It should become second nature for people to seek travel advice about the potential health risks in the country they are visiting so they can take the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families.' Advertisement Joe Francis (seen above in 2014), the entrepreneur behind Girls Gone Wild, has been ordered to pay back $2million to creditors who say he fraudulently used funds from his business to maintain his luxurious Casa Aramara home Joe Francis, the entrepreneur and film producer who gave us Girls Gone Wild, has been ordered by a judge to pay back $2million to creditors who say he fraudulently used funds from his business account to maintain his luxurious Casa Aramara home. The trustee in Francis bankruptcy case alleged that Francis profited from renting out his home in Punta de Mita, Mexico, where guests paid $35,000 per night. Instead of paying back his creditors, Francis kept the money from them, according to The Blast. A judge agreed with the trustees claim that Francis profits from the property were fair game because he marketed it to American customers and was charging rates in US dollars. That means Francis will not be allowed to profit off his home. The rental money he charges guests at his home will instead be placed in a 'constructive trust' until the entire $2million debt is repaid. Specifically, between March 2011 and February 2013, Joseph R. Francis, the Debtors founder, funneled more than $2.1million of the Debtors funds to various persons and entities in order to build and maintain the Casa Aramara Property, court papers obtained by PEOPLE state. Francis said that the ruling did not affect the property's ownership - and that it was still open for business. 'The lower court default judgment issued on December 4, 2017 does not affect any ownership rights in property or the operations of Casa Aramara whatsoever,' Francis told The Blast in response to the ruling. 'It is business as usual at Casa Aramara in Punta Mita Mexico. This has been confirmed with BOTH United States and Mexican attorneys. This ridiculous judgment does not affect anything.' Casa Aramara is best known as the preferred getaway for the Kardashian family, who are frequent guests. The trustee in Francis bankruptcy case alleged that Francis profited from renting out his home in Punta de Mita, Mexico, where guests paid $35,000 per night. Instead of paying back his creditors, Francis kept the money from them. Francis is seen left with his wife, Abbey Wilson, in Los Angeles in 2014. He is seen right with the Kardashian sisters in 2008 It was there that Kim Kardashian was photographed by paparazzi wearing a skimpy thong but with the cellulite on her backside clearly showing. In April, Kourtney Kardashian celebrated her 38th birthday with her sisters at Casa Aramara. She posted a number of racy photos in which she is seen in her bikini relaxing by the Pacific shore. Francis has also hosted the likes of Jennifer Anniston, Orlando Bloom, Demi Moore, Eva Longoria, Scott Disick, and Lance Bass. Casa Aramara is best known as the preferred getaway for the Kardashian family, who are frequent guests It was there that Kim Kardashian was photographed by paparazzi wearing a skimpy thong but with the cellulite on her backside clearly showing Billed as the only five-star private residence in Punta Mita, Mexico, the villa includes 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms It was designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the celebrity interior designer who was featured on the Bravo reality series Million Dollar Decorators This private luxury resort is just over two hours by air from Los Angeles, but feels like a million miles from anywhere, according to Home Away It's truly one of the most exclusive properties in the world. Those few who are fortunate enough to experience it, will never forget their time spent at Casa Aramara,' according to Home Away Casa Aramara features world-renowned international cuisine from two 5-Star executive chefs who have trained at some of the best restaurants in the world Built by Francis in 2013, Casa Aramara bills itself as 'the only five-star private residence in Punta Mita, Mexico' In 2013, Francis company filed for bankruptcy protection citing $16million in debts. Privately owned GGW Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in US federal court in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles company said in a statement that it was seeking reorganization and that the filing would not affect any of domestic or international operations of Girls Gone Wild. The company, which has sold millions of the racy videos and DVDs since 1997, listed a $10.3million debt owed to Wynn Resorts casino owner Steve Wynn as its biggest debt. Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis was last year ordered to pay Wynn $40million in damages for defamation and emotional distress. The bedrooms come with a king size bed, en-suite bathtub and separate shower, air conditioning, satellite TV, a DVD player, iPod dock, and Wi-Fi access The above living room features fine art, nicely colored furniture, and an air hockey table For those interested in spoiling themselves with a massage, this room is just what the doctor ordered The image above shows one of the 13 bathrooms at Casa Aramara Some of the bedrooms also have a safe, full-stocked mini bar with assorted snack trays, complimentary beverages, bathrobes, toiletries, and an oceanfront view A Los Angeles jury found that Francis had falsely claimed that Wynn threatened his life over a gambling debt. Another creditor listed in the bankruptcy papers was a woman who won a $5million lawsuit against Girls Gone Wild after someone exposed her breasts in a bar without her consent for one of companys films. GGW Brands said it has assets of less than $50,000, according to the court papers. The company Girls Gone Wild remains strong as a company and strong financially. The only reason Girls Gone Wild has elected to file for this reorganization is to restructure its frivolous and burdensome legal affairs, GGW Brands said in a statement. In April, Kourtney Kardashian celebrated her 38th birthday with her sisters at Casa Aramara Kourtney Kardashian is seen in the red bathing suit in the middle jumping into a pool with her friends at Casa Aramara She posted a number of racy photos in which she is seen in her bikini relaxing by the Pacific shore Billed as the only five-star private residence in Punta Mita, Mexico, the villa includes 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. It was designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the celebrity interior designer who was featured on the Bravo reality series Million Dollar Decorators. This private luxury resort is just over two hours by air from Los Angeles, but feels like a million miles from anywhere, according to Home Away. It's truly one of the most exclusive properties in the world. Those few who are fortunate enough to experience it, will never forget their time spent at Casa Aramara. A top prosecutor working with special counsel Robert Mueller praised former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates at a moment in late January when she was at loggerheads with newly minted president Donald Trump. Andrew Weissman emailed Yates ten days into the Trump administration after she refused to enforce or defend an executive order banning incoming travelers to the U.S. from seven terror-prone majority Muslim countries. 'I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects,' Weissman wrote to her. Andrew Weissmann, a top prosecutor working with special counsel Robert Mueller, let his partisanship show in a glowing January email to then-Acting Attorney General sally Yates Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, had just announced her refusal to enforce President Donald Trump's seven-nation travel ban 'I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much,' Weissman wrote January 30; Trump fired Yates that night The message, sent January 30 to Yates' government email account, was one of hundreds of pages of documents newly obtained by Judicial Watch, a right-leaning advocacy group. Trump fired Yates later that same day. As she packed up her things, she forwarded some emails to her personal account, including Weissman's. News of Weissman's partisanship comes after another top Mueller aide, Peter Strzok, was demoted and reassigned following the revelation that he was sending anti-Trump text messages to his lover another Justice Department lawyer. 'This is an astonishing and disturbing find,' Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said Tuesday in a statement. Peter Strzok, involved in both Trump and Clinton-focused Justice Department probes, texted his lover anti-Trump messages 'Andrew Weisman, a key prosecutor on Robert Muellers team, praised Obama DOJ holdover Sally Yates after she lawlessly thwarted President Trump. How much more evidence do we need that the Mueller operation has been irredeemably compromised by anti-Trump partisans? Shut it down.' Weissman was the driving force behind obtaining indictments against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. The New York Times in late Obtober described him as 'a top lieutenant' to Mueller 'on the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible links to the Trump campaign.' Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating alleged but unproven collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russians, but his probe has received a few black eyes as his prosecutors' partisanship has been revealed Strzok, the more overtly partisan prosecutor, changed language in a controversial statement by then-FBI director James Comey that declared Hillary Clinton 'extremely careless' with her private email server. Comey's original remarks had said Clinton was 'grossly negligent,' a phrase that mirrored language in the federal criminal code about handling classified documents. Strzok also had a direct hand in interviewing former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty last week to a charge of lying to the FBI. And he oversaw FBI interviews with Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin, both of whom shaded the truth about their knowledge of the server but were spared legal trouble. An ex-husband and wife have finally settled their divorce after spending $35 million and 12 years almost as long as they were married battling over their fortune. The former couple, known as Mr and Mrs Strahan, have been at war with each other since divorcing in 2006. Family Court Judge Paul Cronin delivered his judgement in the nation's longest-running divorce case last month, despite Mrs Strahan's request for another adjournment, according to The Australian. An Australian couple have finally settled their divorce after spending $35 million and 12 years almost as long as they were married battling over their fortune (stock image) 'After 12 years of waiting, and at huge expense, the husband is entitled to have the matter concluded,' Judge Cronin said. Mrs Strahan, who met her ex-husband in the late 80s and married in 1994, employed the help of lawyers from 15 different firms during the lengthy battle over assets. She has appealed Judge Cronin's ruling. Mrs Strahan previously asked for $278,000 a week in spousal maintenance - $70,760 of which would go toward caring for their autistic adult son, The West Australian reported. Their son, who was described in court documents as 'a little prince', also suffers from anxiety, insomnia, seizures and Lyme disease, his mother said. A team carers accompany him full-time, including a security guard, a personal chef and autism experts. The former couple, known as Mr and Mrs Strahan, have been at war with each other since divorcing in 2006 (stock image) Mr Strahan, who gave Mrs Strahan a lump sum of $7 million when they separated in 2005, has been funding his son's care for years. Judge Cronin decided that because Mr Strahan entered the relationship with various successful businesses in Asia and Australia and a weekly income of $90,000, he was entitled to keep a bigger chuck of their fortune. Mr Strahan was awarded $38 million in assets and his Swiss chalet, the publication reported. Mrs Strahan was awarded five properties and cash, valued at $11 million. She had previously received $13 million. Teenage pregnancy more than halved in just eight years from the late 2000s, according to new official figures yesterday. They showed that the chances that a girl aged under 18 will get pregnant dived during years marked by the rise of social media, falling unemployment, and increasing numbers of girls going to university. The latest count from the ONS showed that only just over 4,000 girls under 18 became pregnant in England in the three months to the end of September 2016. The record low total amounts to only 43 per cent of the 9,286 teen pregnancies which were seen in the same three months of 2008. Collapsing numbers of conceptions among girls under 18 in the eight years since 2008 contrast with the failure of Tony Blair's heavily-funded and promoted Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in the previous decade. The latest count from the ONS showed that only just over 4,000 girls under 18 became pregnant in England in the three months to the end of September 2016 Mr Blair's plans, based on supplying contraception and sex education to teenagers, succeeded in winning a reduction of only seven per cent in teen pregancies in England between 1998 and 2008. The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was abandoned by David Cameron's government in 2010. According to the ONS breakdown, numbers of teen pregnancies across the year to the end of September 2016 were 18,592. This compares with 39,474 in the year to September 2008, and 39,643 in the year to September 1999. The picture of a historic drop in teen pregnancy is mirrored in figures for conception rates, which, unlike raw numbers, cannot be distorted by the rising number of people in the country. Mr Blair aimed to halve under-18 pregancies in England from 47.1 for every 1,000 girls in 1998. By 2008 the level was still over 40. In the year to September 2016, however, the new figures showed that the chances of teen pregancy in England had fallen to 19.3 for every 1,000 girls, and over the three months to September the rate dropped to an unprecedented low of 17.7 conceptions for every 1,000 girls under 18. The failure of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy to begin to approach its target, and the collapsing number of teen pregnancies in recent years have so far not been fully explained. Falls in teenage conceptions have come alongside evidence that drinking, smoking and drug abuse among teenagers are also in steep decline. Some analysts point to the rise of social media, with Facebook and then Twitter leading the advance of social media giants after 2008. According to the ONS breakdown, numbers of teen pregnancies across the year to the end of September 2016 were 18,592. This compares with 39,474 in the year to September 2008, and 39,643 in the year to September 1999 Other commentators point to the increasing focus of teenage girls on achieving higher education, careers and good jobs. Professor David Paton of Nottingham University Business School has produced research which found areas of the country which have seen the greatest cuts in state subsidies for contraception and sex education schemes have seen the biggest falls in teen pregnancy. 'From 1999, the Labour Government massively increased spending on easier access to contraception for teens and earlier sex education with no discernible effect on unwanted teen pregnancy,' Professor Paton said. 'Since 2008, Government spending on these teen pregnancy measures has been cut by over 70 per cent. 'When these cuts started, groups like the FPA and Brook argued that teenage pregnancy and abortion rates would increase as a result. 'In fact, since spending on teenage contraception and sex education has been cut, teenage conception rates have decreased very significantly and the latest figures from the ONS suggest that this trend is continuing.' Professor Paton added: 'Areas which cut spending on teenage pregnancy the most actually saw the biggest decreases in rates, suggesting that schemes such as those providing the morning after pill in schools without parental knowledge may have encouraged young people to take more risks. 'Cuts to spending are only part of the picture. 'Improvements to standards in schools over the period, have increased opportunities for many youngsters, giving them more of a reason to delay pregnancy. 'The English figures have also benefited from a global trend in which teenagers in several countries appear to have reduced risk taking behaviour in a range of areas with fewer drinking, taking drugs or having underage sex.' He continued: 'The latest figures present a challenge to the Government's plans to force all primary schools to introduce sex education and to limit the rights of parents to withdraw children from inappropriate sex education. Collapsing numbers of conceptions among girls under 18 in the eight years since 2008 contrast with the failure of Tony Blair's heavily-funded and promoted Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in the previous decade 'The current situation in which decisions over sex education are left to schools and in which parents are, in theory at least, fully involved has proved no barrier to reducing teen pregnancy in England.' Mr Blair's strategy was aimed at reducing under-18 pregnancy rates in England by 15 per cent by 2004 and by half by 2010. It concentrated on providing contraception and abortion, and in some areas young women were effectively encouraged to be sexually active. In one town, Swindon, officials declared that young girls 'have the right to a fulfilling sex life'. In East Kent, teenagers were told to 'enjoy their sexuality'; in Essex young people were encouraged to 'explore their own sexuality'. However, in early 2010 Labour Children' Secretary Ed Balls admitted that pregnancy reduction targets had become 'hard to achieve' and the measures were 'not enough'. Ministers began exploring more extreme methods, such as placing contraceptive machines in schools, but the strategy was abandoned in the same year by David Cameron's incoming government. Banks are not doing enough to combat online fraud and need to take greater responsibility, MPs have said. They demanded financial institutions step up to tackle the issue as the problem is too vast to be tackled solely by Government. Ministers must ensure that banks find more effective ways to tackle fraud and that they are held to account for this. They also need to be held responsible for returning money to customers who have been the victim of scams, the MPs said. Banks are not doing enough to combat online fraud and need to take greater responsibility, MPs have said (file photo) The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), revealed that online fraud is now the most prevalent crime in England and Wales. It estimates that the cost of the crime is 10billion, with around two million incidents of cyber fraud last year. However, this is a huge underestimate of the enormous issue as just 20per cent of fraud is thought to be reported to police, they say. The crime does not just affect victims financially, but causes untold distress to those affected which deters them from coming forward, it adds. It said the problem was too vast to be handled by the Home Office alone and banks should take more responsibility. The Home Office response had been too slow and the banks were unwilling to share information about fraud with its customers, it said. The report concludes: The balance needs to be tipped in favour of the customer. It also criticises the response from police across England and Wales as inconsistent and urges them to prioritise online fraud. They demanded financial institutions step up to tackle the issue as the problem is too vast to be tackled solely by Government. The problem is affecting young people, MPs say (file photo) But most of its criticism is reserved for banks, who it says need to take more responsibility and to offer protection from scams. It said that banks do not accept enough responsibility for preventing and reducing fraud as they are not required to provide data for individual institutions. This means that customers do not know which banks are best are protecting them from online fraud. The report concludes that shifting more responsibility on to banks for scams is likely to make them better at protecting customers. Banks are not doing enough to tackle online fraud and their response has not been proportionate to the scale of the problem, the report said. Banks need to take more responsibility and work together to tackle this problem head on. Banks now need to work on information sharing so that customers are offered more protection from scams. Age UK said that elderly people stopped using their computers, unplugged their phones and, in the worst cases, ended up in care homes because they have been victims (file photo) It adds: The Department must also ensure that banks are committed to developing more effective ways of tackling card-not-present fraud and that they are held to account for this and for returning money to customers who have been the victims of scams. MPs also say that campaigns to educate people and keep them safe online have so far been ineffective and are supported by insufficient funds and resources. They warned that the problem was starting to affect young people, despite the perception that it only affects older people. The report warns that social media plays a significant role in online scams and said further education was needed to make young people aware of the dangers of sharing personal information online. Labour MP Meg Hillier chaired the committee that said Banks need to do more to combat internet fraud The City of London Police told the committee that young people can be more vulnerable to fraud than older generations as they have a very different approach to personal information. They cited examples of young people sharing pictures of their passports and driving licences on social media. Age UK told the committee that elderly people stopped using their computers, unplugged their phones and, in the worst cases, ended up in care homes because they have been victims. The committees chair, Labour MP Meg Hillier, said: Online fraud is a virulent and unprecedented threat that has taken hold rapidly, causes untold misery and costs individuals and businesses billions of pounds each year. The Government accepts there is an enormous amount of work needed to tackle the problem work that in our view must put people first. Banks in particular need to step up, take responsibility and focus sharply on protecting and informing their customers. She added: Online fraud affects people of all ages and backgrounds. Young people are increasingly likely to fall victim to a crime which is perceived primarily as affecting the elderly and vulnerable. The Government must get better at explaining the tricks employed by fraudsters to target different groups, and set out clearly the action it is taking to tackle them. Controversial plans to drug test dole recipients have been halted after the Senate refused to endorse a trial scheme. The federal government hoped to drug test 5000 dole recipients at three trial sites in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia beginning in January. Social Services Minister Christian Porter said provisions for the trial will be ditched from an omnibus welfare bill and dealt with separately. The plan was to drug test 5000 Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients in a two-year trial. Controversial plans to drug test dole recipients have been halted after the Senate refused to endorse a trial scheme (stock image) Anyone who tested positive was to have their welfare quarantined, while those who failed more than once were to be referred to medical professionals for assessment and treatment. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the scheme was designed to stop people from taking drugs. 'If somebody has got an addiction to drugs and you love them, what do you want to do?' he told Sky News. The Turnbull government said the trial was part of a suite of reforms to stop welfare payments being used to fuel drug and alcohol addictions. Anyone who tested positive was to have their welfare quarantined, while those who failed more than once were to be referred to medical professionals for assessment and treatment (stock image) Mr Turnbull argued there was a correlation between drug addiction and unemployment, and pointed out random drug testing was common in many industries. Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said taxpayers had a right to see those on unemployment benefits getting themselves to a position where they could work. 'You are not going to be ready for work if you are drunk (or) smashed on drugs,' he said. Child killer Jon Venables (pictured) has a 'price on his head' in prison after furious inmates discovered his identity James Bulger murderer Jon Venables has a 'price on his head' in prison after furious inmates discovered his identity. Venables, 35, was sent back to jail last month after allegedly being caught with child pornography on his computer. A court order bans the media from revealing the prison where he is incarcerated, but fellows cons have found out and want to attack him for his sick past. In order to be protected, Venables is escorted to the visiting room by three officers. A prison source told the Sun that other inmates knew who the killer was as soon as he arrived. They said: 'The screws were talking about it because they don't care who knows. 'There's a price on his head and most of the jail would like to have a pop at him but no one will be able to get to him.' Venables and Robert Thompson were both 10 when they abducted, tortured and killed two-year old James Bulger in 1993. They had snatched him from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, and then left his body on train tracks two and a half miles away. The pair were released in 2001 and given new identities. However, Venables has been sent back inside twice since his original release. He was jailed in 2010 and again last month, both cases involved accusations of possessing indecent images of children. Venables and Thompson (left, in CCTV) were both 10-years-old when they shocked Britain by abducting toddler James (pictured), then just two-years-old in 1993 The Attorney General is currently investigating a social media post that may have revealed Venables' new identity. Identifying the killers anywhere in the world breaches an anonymity order and anyone prosecuted could be jailed. A spokesman for the Attorney General's office said: 'We have received a complaint that the anonymity order has been breached and we are investigating.' In 2013 two men who posted images they claimed to be of Venables and Thompson were given nine-month sentences, suspended for 15 months. Breaking the injunction carries a punishment of up to two years in prison. James' mother Denise Fergus was told Jon Venables was back behind bars only because a newspaper had found out and was about to break the story. She angrily denounced the Ministry of Justice and the Probation Service for 'trying to keep quiet' that Venables had been returned to prison. Mrs Fergus said she was 'absolutely fuming that once again I'm last to know'. In a statement, she said: 'Venables has now proved beyond any doubt what a vile, perverted psychopath he has always been. But what hurts me most is the way the Probation Service has tried to cover this up. How Bulger killer Jon Venables is back in jail for the second time in seven years Jon Venables is back in prison Jon Venables was first released from prison in 2001, at the age of 18, and given a new identity to protect him from the risk of vigilante attacks - but he has been returned to jail twice/ At the time, a psychiatrist ruled that he did not pose a danger to the public and was extremely unlikely to commit any further offences. However, he developed drinking and drugs problems, and he compromised his identity at least twice by telling friends he was a convicted murderer. When a probation officer visited his home in Cheshire in 2010 to discuss his fears that he could be in danger, he was attempting to destroy the hard drive of his computer. The hard drive was later examined by police, who discovered that it contained dozens of indecent images of children. Venables admitted that he had posed online as a 35-year-old woman who had abused her eight-year-old daughter, and was returned to prison. Advertisement 'Venables was taken back into custody a week ago, yet I was only informed hours before it hit the press. But it's clear that they were trying to keep this quiet, until they got a call from the media. 'That left me extremely upset, angry, feeling insulted. I predicted Venables would reoffend unless they kept a very tight rein on him and I pray that now please someone from the UK Government will finally listen to me.' The news triggered renewed calls for Venables to be locked up for the rest of his life. Venables and Thompson were found guilty after a trial at Preston Crown Court in November 1993. A judge ruled that reporting restrictions should be lifted and the pair, then 11, could be named. The court heard that Venables and Thompson snatched James after his mother let go of his hand to pay for some sausages. They led James along a canal towpath before battering him with an iron bar, pouring paint in his eyes, clubbing him with bricks and leaving him on a railway line to be hit by a train. The youngest to be convicted of murder in Britain for 250 years, they were ordered to be detained indefinitely in youth custody. They were released after eight years, in prison with new identities. They were handed a lifelong licence after it was ruled they were no longer a danger to the public. Venables was returned to custody last week after probation officials allegedly discovered child porn images at his home in the North of England during a routine check and alerted police. The material is said to be similar to that discovered on his computer in 2010, leading to his first recall to jail. But the Probation Service did not tell Mrs Fergus until 8.40pm on Wednesday, hours before the news was set to be revealed by The Sun. The crime made Thompson and Venables the youngest killers in modern English history Ralph and Denise Bulger, parents of James, during an emotional police press conference in the aftermath of his death Her lawyer Sean Saxton said: 'She is kept in the dark and only given information about her son's killers when it is about to be revealed publicly in any event. 'She has worried for many years that there may have been a cover-up as to the risk truly posed by Venables and Thompson. 'She believes that there was a rush to release them before they entered youth custody and the authorities turned a blind eye to any evidence that either of them posed a risk to children.' Venables is being held at a maximum security prison, which cannot be identified, while the new allegations are investigated. If he is charged, he will appear via videolink at any trial, to protect his identity. The Ministry of Justice said: 'We do not comment on individual cases.' The 2018 Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship will help talented New Zealand playwright Carl Bland craft a hostage drama set in a pie shop, and writer David Howard summon Katherine Mansfields ghost to a seance. Carl and David have both been selected for New Zealands pre-eminent literary fellowship. The pair will share an annual stipend of $20,000 and will each be given a four -month tenure at the Sargeson Centre in Auckland, to help them focus on their craft full time. Boris Johnson last night condemned attempts by hard-Left campaigners to bully advertisers into boycotting popular newspapers. Stop Funding Hate, which is run by a pro-Corbyn cabal, uses social media to pressure firms into pulling business from titles such as the Daily Mail, the Sun and the Daily Express. The Foreign Secretary said he found it incredible that freedom of expression was under vicious attack. Boris Johnson last night condemned attempts by hard-Left campaigners to bully advertisers into boycotting popular newspapers A small but dedicated group of Left-wing activists has launched a campaign to undermine the financial base of some newspapers whose views they dislike, he said. They have attacked the advertisers who help to fund those newspapers, and who make it possible for reporters to bring new facts into the public domain. Of the few firms that have given in to the pressure, he said: I believe that these decisions are sad and mistaken and indeed cowardly. It is not as if this internet campaign commands overwhelming public support. Despite all the noise and virulence of their campaign, there are said to be fewer than a thousand people who are actively involved. And these companies should realise that they are bowing to a ruse the attack on advertisers that comes straight from some of the worst authoritarian regimes in the world. Richard Wilson, who heads Stop Funding Hate, admitted last month the group wanted to impose its views on papers. He is pictured on Newsnight with Sarah Baxter last month Richard Wilson, who heads Stop Funding Hate, admitted last month the group wanted to impose its views on papers. It has run unsuccessful campaigns against companies such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, but has recently turned its fire on smaller firms. Last month Paperchase became one of the few retailers to succumb to its demands. Speaking to the Mail, Mr Johnson defended the role of newspapers in a democracy and warned of the rise of fake news. He said free speech was an integral part of a free society, adding: A free Press is not only morally right; without a free Press any society will eventually suffer from corruption and economic decay. Stop Funding Hate targeted Paperchase after it ran a promotion in the Mail which offered readers two free rolls of wrapping paper They may not like the editorial line of these publications, or the way in which they cover certain issues. But this country has the worlds strongest laws against libel and defamation. We have highly progressive legislation against hate speech and the whipping up of prejudice. They are attacking the freedom which is the foundation of our democracy. Stop Funding Hate targeted Paperchase after it ran a promotion in the Mail which offered readers two free rolls of wrapping paper. Messages from fewer than 500 Stop Funding Hate supporters objecting to articles in the Daily Mail were enough to panic the firms bosses into issuing a grovelling apology. It prompted leading journalists and commentators from other newspapers to pledge a boycott of Paperchase. The Advertising Association, an industry body, threw its weight behind the Mail and other newspapers, saying their editorial stances should not be subject to external threats and intimidation. This incredible video captured the moment a massive electrical storm lit up the night sky over Australias north. Geoff Green captured the footage in Kimberley, WA, on Saturday as Tropical Cyclone Dahlia moved over the coast. But while the storm looks impressive, Weatherzone meteoreologist Graeme Brittain says they are not that rare. An incredible video captured the moment a massive electrical storm lit up the night sky over Australias north Theyre quite common in the Kimberley area but with that area being very remote, not many people living there, the chances of it being filmed are not very common, he told Nine.com.au. He said the storm occurred because the heat across northern Australia provides the energy needed for it to develop. However, Mr Brittain said that the storms are dangerous due to the amount of lightning and the safest place for those in the vicinity is in a vehicle not under trees or in the open. A nondescript warehouse tucked down the back of an industrial estate has revealed the full extent of China's insatiable thirst for Australian baby formula. Tonnes of 'white gold' from leading brands Aptamil and A2 were among hundreds of pallets found inside the warehouse at Silverwater, in Sydney's west, on Tuesday. From there, thousands of tins are packaged and indirectly shipped to China, as well as being distributed locally, despite limits imposed by supermarkets on how much customers can buy off their shelves in Australia. Top Warehouse, the business behind the warehouse, said it did not 'directly sell baby formula overseas', claiming it was just a 'middle-man' and didn't ask customers about where its products ended up. But a former worker at the factory told Daily Mail Australia huge shipments are sent to China 'on a daily basis'. Scroll down for video A woman arrives at a warehouse in western Sydney to collect a large load of baby formula from a supplier (pictured). It's understood thousands of the tins of baby formula will end up in China While observing their operation on Tuesday, Daily Mail Australia witnessed dozens of vehicles arrive at the warehouse to be loaded up with baby formula (pictured) The enormous demand from the Chinese market has seen Australian shoppers limited to being able to buy two tins at a time from supermarket shelves While observing their operation on Tuesday, Daily Mail Australia witnessed dozens of vehicles arrive at the warehouse to be loaded up with baby formula. It's understood many of those collecting baby formula were owners of Asian grocers and duty free stores across the city. These stores then sell the products to Chinese tourists to take on the plane home with them. Mike Chen, manager at Top Warehouse, said that where the formula ended up once it left the warehouse really wasn't the company's concern. 'Basically what we do is we take the order off the customers and we give them what we get in from Aptamil,' Mr Chen said. 'Mainly, we are selling to local businesses... I believe (but) we're not going to ask and they are not going to tell us about where their product is going.' Aptamil Australia's parent company Danone refused to discuss the warehouse's mass distribution or if it regulated the supply to Chinese markets. 'We don't disclose information about our commercial relationships which are confidential in nature,' a spokeswoman for Danone said. Tonnes of 'white gold' from leading brands Aptamil and A2 were among hundreds of pallets found inside the warehouse (pictured) at Silverwater, in Sydney's west, on Tuesday It's understood many of those collecting baby formula were owners of Asian grocers and duty free stores across the city, where they are later on sold to Chinese tourists to take home Two men seemingly discuss their large order of a pallet of baby formula with the manager of Top Warehouse After minutes of discussion the pallet is loaded into their van and they drive away, set to sell it to China A worker at a neighbouring business inside the industrial estate said the warehouse had popped up in recent months and was constantly distributing baby formula. Similar warehouses to this one are reportedly located all over Australia. Professional Asian shoppers raiding shelves at Coles, Woolworths and other stores across the country have become common place in recent years. While it's legal, the practice has left Australian parents outraged at their now reduced access to the once freely accessible product. So enormous is the demand from China that Aptamil has increased its production of its formula by 50 per cent in the past three months. A worker at a neighbouring business inside said the warehouse had popped up in the past two months and was constantly distributing baby formula A large pallet full of a2 baby formula is loaded by Top Warehouse staff onto the back of a truck Some international shoppers are happy to pay prices marked up to 1000 per cent, so sought after is the high quality milk powder Earlier this year Woolworths announced it would be sending its homebrand products to China, feeding the endless appetite of the nation. Some international shoppers are happy to pay prices marked up to 1000 per cent, so sought after is the high quality milk powder. While Mr Chen admitted he was aware of the controversy surrounding the demand for baby formula overseas, he said their deal with Aptamil restricted who they sold to. 'OK, so I watch the news and maybe some of the businesses go in and grab the stuff from the supermarket (shelves),' he said. 'First, we are not doing anything with the supermarket. We only do business with the local gift (duty free) shops and we are not having any problem with them. 'We are not stocking huge amounts of stuff back to China, we are not doing that. We distribute to all the gift shops and distribute to all the customers we can find out in.' But despite claims by the company that the products are being kept local, it appears that's not always the case. Daily Mail Australia witnessed baby formula being taken to a distributor for AuLinkC.com, a website (pictured) selling products straight to Chinese buyers This comes despite claims by Top Warehouse management that they only sell products to local buyers. There is no limit on the amount of baby formula that can be bought by overseas buyers A delivery van sits outside the warehouse, waiting to be loaded up with baby formula for one of the many daily trips Top Warehouse management admitted he was aware of conjecture surrounding the demand for baby formula overseas, but said their deal with Aptamil restricted who they sell to Daily Mail Australia followed a Top Warehouse truck full of Aptamil baby powder as it left the industrial estate on Tuesday afternoon. Just minutes later it pulled up at another warehouse streets away where the driver of the truck unloaded the boxes into a storage facility. That garage belonged to AuLinkC.com, a website selling Australian products such as baby formula, Ugg boots and other health products directly to Chinese buyers. Despite a supermarket imposed limit on how much can be bought in Australia, there is seemingly no rules on how many tins of baby formula Chinese buyers can order. A vigilante in a pale T-shirt threw a cup of water and spit on A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack after he left court a free man over charges relating to his child sex fantasies. When asked why he did it, the attacker - dressed in sunglasses and a cap - told media about midday Wednesday 'this happened to me as a kid' and, after reporters pointed out McCormack was not accused of abusing anyone, said child abuse was 'disgusting'. The unknown assailant stormed off after a reporter informed him he had committed a crime in front of a series of cameras. Bystanders witnessed the man spitting into a cup before the attack and he had been muttering under his breath prior to the incident. A vigilante threw a cup of water and spit on A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack as he left court a free man over charges relating to his child sex fantasies When asked why he did it, the man - in sunglasses and a cap - told media 'this happened to me as a kid' and said it was 'disgusting' He stormed off after a reporter informed him he had committed a crime in front of the cameras McCormack was handed a three year good behaviour bond after the court heard he was a victim of child sexual abuse. He did not give a statement after the sentence, with his lawyer Sam Macedone speaking on his behalf. 'I'm hoping now Ben will get an opportunity to get on with his life and try and put it all together,' Mr Macedone said. 'It won't be easy but let's give him another chance.' As McCormack strode towards a waiting car, the assailant swore and poured the contents of the cup on him. The incident came after the court heard McCormack obsessively fantasised about a period in his life when he was a young boy, aged 11, in Adelaide. The journalist was suspended from his role on the tabloid TV news program weeks before he pleaded guilty to two charges of using a carriage service to transmit cihld pornography material in September. One charge relate to more than 18 months of text messages fantasising about sex with children which were sent to a West Australian primary school teacher. A second involved a video of McCormack masturbating and talking about 'perving' on kids. McCormack was sentenced to a three year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay up $1000 after the court heard he was a victim of child sexual abuse Ben McCormack is seen arriving at Downing Centre Local Court for sentencing on Wednesday The Nine reporter sent messages over Skype to the teacher using the name 'oz4skinboi', a statement of agreed facts said. He detailed how he 'loved bs (boys)' and described himself as a 'proud Ped'. The offence was punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. However, during a sentencing hearing the judge described McCormack's offending as at the 'lowest' end of the scale. Police did not allege there any evidence of McCormack exchanging pictures or video showing children in pornographic poses, only words. Judge Conlon said many of the factors he had to consider in child porn cases - including whether a child had been exploited or treated cruelly - were not present in McCormack's case. The 43-year-old arrives to appear before District Court judge Paul Conlon for sentencing McCormack pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to promote, publish or transmit child pornography in September. Above, he is seen arriving at court on Wednesday Police did not allege there any evidence of McCormack exchanging pictures or video showing children in pornographic poses, only words The judge said he had never seen a person charged with these offences having gone to a psychiatrist to try and deal with the problem for years before his arrest. 'Well before he was ever charged he acknowledged the wrongness and inappropriateness of his conduct and he sought professional help,' the judge said. 'I am satisfied that he has demonstrated genuine contrition and remorse. 'He does have positive prospects of rehabilitation.' 'I am simply unable to conclude that the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment.' 'There has been no attempt to sexually exploit children and no grooming of any child to partake in child pornography.' Ben McCormack reported to the police station for bail for the final time before his sentencing on Monday morning He said McCormack first saw psychiatrist Dr Michael Atherton in January 2015 because he was suffering long-term anxiety and using alcohol excessively in an attempt to manage it. McCormack also disclosed he had an attraction for young boys. In his report, Dr Atherton said McCormack 'has a tendency to fantasise and idolise a period in his early life and incorporates this into an attraction to young boys. At no time in my dealings within him did I feel like he posed a risk to young people.' During his teens, his sexual fantasies were recreations of missed opportunities where he was too scared of doing anything when he was young. 'He said he had spent many hours fantasising about returning to his childhood ... He had a fantasy love affair with his best friend in his 20s.' The court heard that in 2005 his attraction to pre-teen boys was 'triggered' after meeting children, aged 9 and 11, while doing a story about their father. Former Nine journalist Ben McCormack quit the network shortly before entering his guilty pleas McCormack (with lawyer Sam Macedone) pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, produce or publish child pornography material in September The sentencing judge read out further details of his attempted suicide attempts - the first of which, days after his arrest, involved a car, an exhaust pipe and a 17-page suicide letter. His best friend, Dr Peter Manders, told the court McCormack called him 'Judas' for scheduling him to a mental health facility. The judge said McCormack's career had been destroyed by the charges. 'I do not think it is an exaggeration to say his life has been destroyed,' the judge said. He finished his sentence by warning McCormack not to harm himself. 'You've obviously received a very low point,' the judge said. 'From everything that I have read it would appear you have never harmed anyone. 'And accordingly, I would not like to see you go forth and harm yourself'. McCormack nodded. He remained composed throughout the sentencing - and even after the man poured water all over him. Advertisement More than 27,000 people have been forced to evacuate in southern California due to the fast-moving Thomas Fire that's killed one person, destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses and now forced the governor to declare a state of emergency in Ventura County. The Ventura County Fire Department said that at least three firefighters have been injured as more than a thousand battle the blaze that's grown to 45,000 acres in the coastal county which is just north of Los Angeles. The fire has been captured in apocalyptic and frightening images with flames sometimes taking on the appearance of volcanic eruption. As of 2pm (PT), the Thomas Fire has not been contained. Gov. Jerry Brown urged residents who are near the blaze to evacuate due to how fast the fire has spread. 'This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got,' Brown said while declaring a state of emergency over the area. 'It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.' In addition, two people were hospitalized with burns from a fire, called the Little Mountain Fire, that broke out near the campus of California Sate University, San Bernardino. Scroll down for video Thick black and grey smoke has consumed the sky over Ventura County Tuesday where more than 27,000 people have been forced to evacuate due to the fast-moving wildfire. Above dark smoke fills the sky over Ventura County Tuesday The Creek fire burns on a hillside in the Shadow Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles yesterday Flames from the wildfire advance down a hillside near the Springs of Life Church in Casitas Springs, Ventura County, yesterday Edward Aguilar runs through the flames from the Thomas Fire to save his cats at his mobile home in Casita Springs in Ventura County Firefighters battle the wind-driven brush fire as it consumes a pick-up truck. The Ventura County Fire Department said that at least three firefighters have been injured A man prays as the flames continue to spread behind him More than 27,000 people have been forced to evacuate The fire has killed one person, destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses. The governor has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County. Above dark smoke obscures Interstate 5 in Ventura County Tuesday The Ventura County Fire Department said that at least three firefighters have been injured as more than a thousand battle the blaze, called the 'Thomas Fire'. Above a home is fully engulfed in flames in Ventura County on Tuesday The blaze has grown to consume more than 45,000 acres in the coastal county which is just north of Los Angeles. Above destroyed homes are pictured on Tuesday in Ventura County The above image from NASA Earth Observatory, shows smoke from the Thomas Fire (top C) in California blowing out to the Pacific Ocean on December 5, 2017, along with smoke from the Creek and Rye fires (top R) San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Eric Sherwin said one patient was in critical condition. No other details about the patients were released. Sherwin said the Little Mountain Fire, broke out about 12.28pm just south of the university and burned about 30 acres in two hours. 'I expect that number to grow,' he said. 'We are at zero percent containment.' This blaze is threatening structures, forcing mandatory evacuations in San Bernardino. One victim, Bob Pazen, explained how he and his family had fled their home at the Hawaiian Village Apartments just ahead of the raging flames Monday night. When he returned Tuesday morning he was delighted to see their property still standing. But after leaving to move the cars he'd left behind the night before, Mr Pazen returned later on Tuesday to discover the blaze had doubled back. A firefighter hoses down flareups at the two story Hawaiian Village Apartment complex that burnt to the ground on Tuesday 'The house was totally engulfed in flames,' he said. His story was just one of many illustrating the unpredictability of the flames that had hop-scotched downhill toward the Pacific Ocean on Monday and Tuesday with devastating effect, destroying homes seemingly at random while leaving others untouched. Pazen had been sleeping when his son awakened him, shouting, 'Hey, get out of bed and let's go.' Despite his loss Mr Pazen remains philosophical. 'We're alive and we're healthy,' he said. 'You can always rebuild. It's not a loss of life or anything.' Sherwin could not confirm whether structures had been damaged in the fire that has shut down the northbound lanes of Interstate 215 in the area. 'It broke out on a hill behind a commercial strip mall at University Parkway and Varsity Avenue,' Sherwin said. Filming on HBO's drama Westworld and CBS drama S.W.A.T. were both suspended due to the fires in the state. This has been an unusually bad year for California wildfires, which has seen more than one million acres (1,500 square miles) burn so far in 2017, according to data released Tuesday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Ventura County Fire Department said that at least three firefighters have been injured. Above the fire consumes a home on Tuesday As of 2pm (PT), the Thomas Fire has not been contained. Above Amanda Leon and her husband Johnny Leon watch as firefighters fight to save multi-million dollar homes along Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road in Ventura County on Tuesday Of the fire, Brown said: 'This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got.' The inferno grew from 50 acres to 31,000 acres in just 10 hours at a burn rate of nearly an acre per second. As of 2pm (PT) on Tuesday, the fire has not been contained Brown said: 'It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.' Above a firefighter battles the flames on Tuesday. Above Ventura County Firefighter Aaron Cohen catches his breath after fighting to save multi-million dollar homes along Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road and North Victoria Avenue in Ventura County The fire has been captured in apocalyptic and frightening images with flames sometimes taking on the appearance of volcanic eruption. Above a home goes up in flames in Ventura County on Tuesday The National Weather Service said easterly Santa Ana winds fueling the fire had registered gusts of up to 55 miles per hour -- predicting they could hit upwards of 80 miles per hour into the afternoon and evening. Above This has been an unusually bad year for California wildfires, which has seen more than one million acres (1,500 square miles) burn so far in 2017, according to data released Tuesday by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Above a destroyed home is pictured on Tuesday Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said during a news conference that the prospects for containment depended on improving weather conditions. Above a destroyed home is pictured on Tuesday He said: 'Really, Mother Nature is going to decide when we have the ability to put it out.' Above Chino Valley Fire Engineer Chris Calvert works the engine while battling the large blaze on Tuesday A massive plume of wildfire smoke now extends more than 500 miles off the southern California coast due to the four fires burning in the state. The total area burned in the state this year is bigger than the state of Rhode Island. But sadly those figures released this week don't include the wind-driven Thomas Fire that's currently raging after starting on Monday evening in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula. In the hours that followed, it consumed vegetation and spread to more than 15 square miles, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said. Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said during a news conference that the prospects for containment depended on improving weather conditions. 'Really, Mother Nature is going to decide when we have the ability to put it out,' he said. The National Weather Service said easterly Santa Ana winds fueling the fire had registered gusts of up to 55 miles per hour -- predicting they could hit upwards of 80 miles per hour into the afternoon and evening. Above Justin Ekback watches as Firefighters fight to save multi-million dollar homes while wearing his Christmas garb 'The fire is pushing quickly towards the city of Ventura,' Lorenzen said, and has reached the eastern city limits. The oceanside city has a population of around 100,000. Above firefighters are unable to save one of the multi-million dollar homes in Venture County on Tuesday More than 1,000 firefighters are battling the Thomas Fire alone. Above a firefighter hoses down flareups at the two story Hawaiian Village Apartment complex that burnt to the ground Tuesday The NWS put a 'red flag' warning into effect for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday, saying the coming days would likely see 'the strongest and longest duration Santa Ana wind event we have seen so far this season.' Above the destroyed Hawaiian Village Apartment complex is pictured Tuesday Lorenzen said the fire was consuming dry brush. 'It's heavy brush, brush that hasn't burned in 15 to 20 years,' he said. Above a helicopter makes a water drop on hot spots after the Thomas Fire swept through Ventura on Tuesday The National Weather Service said easterly Santa Ana winds fueling the fire had registered gusts of up to 55 miles per hour -- predicting they could hit upwards of 80 miles per hour into the afternoon and evening. 'The fire is pushing quickly towards the city of Ventura,' Lorenzen said, and has reached the eastern city limits. The oceanside city has a population of around 100,000. The fire chief said one death had been reported. 'As the individual was evacuating from the fire, the car overturned,' he said. 'Fixed wing aircraft and helicopters are expected to attack the fire at daybreak,' the Ventura County website said. Two other large blazes broke out Tuesday -- the Creek Fire, which has so far swallowed 11,000 acres, and the more contained Rye Fire, spread over 1,000 acres. Lorenzen said: 'And it's been a five, six-year drought so the fuel is just tinder dry and just as ripe as can be for fire spread.' Above a home is consumed by flames in the Thomas Fire on Tuesday Authorities warned of widespread smoke and limited visibility, urging residents in impacted areas to run their air conditioners and keep outside windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering. Above firefighters battle flames in the Thomas Fire Tuesday The NWS put a 'red flag' warning into effect for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday, saying the coming days would likely see 'the strongest and longest duration Santa Ana wind event we have seen so far this season.' Lorenzen said the fire was consuming dry brush. 'It's heavy brush, brush that hasn't burned in 15 to 20 years,' he said. 'And it's been a five, six-year drought so the fuel is just tinder dry and just as ripe as can be for fire spread.' Authorities warned of widespread smoke and limited visibility, urging residents in impacted areas to run their air conditioners and keep outside windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering. The Southern California Edison utility company said 180,000 customers in Ventura County and 83,000 in Santa Barbara County were without power. Schools in the Oxnard, Ventura, Hueneme and Santa Paula school districts were closed Tuesday. The cause of the Thomas Fire is unknown. This has been California's deadliest year ever for wildfires. More than 40 people died in the state's wine-producing country in fires in October. A separate one quickly grew in Anaheim Hills, burning through thousands of acres. In one Australian local council, it is now more expensive to leave dog poo on the ground than it is to speed. The City of Casey, in the south-east of Melbourne, is now fining residents $500 for neglecting to pick up after their furry friends. Owners who take the risk and don't bring a bag with them will be facing a $200 fine - even if their dog doesn't relieve itself. Dog owners in the City of Casey, in Melbourne's south-east, will face a $500 fine if they neglect to pick up after their dogs The City of Casey Mayor, Councillor Geoff Ablett told Daily Mail Australia the law was changed in response to 'strong community feedback about this type of behaviour'. 'People are fed up with pet owners not taking responsibility for picking up after their pets,' he said. 'Its common courtesy to the rest of the community to pick up after your pets. Were working hard to create Australias most liveable city, and a big part of that is ensuring our public places can be enjoyed and are kept clean for everyone.' But there are concerns among residents that the new laws are nothing but a smokescreen, and will be impossible to enforce. In the last 12 months, only four infringement notices were issues to owners who failed to clean up their pet's poo. Owners who simply don't have a bag on them will be fined $200 - even if their pet doesn't poo During the same period, 32 complaints were made with the council about errant waste. Speeding fines in Victoria start at $198, and a driver must exceed the speed limit by 30km/h to reach a fine just $15 more than it would cost them to leave their dog's poo on the ground. Before the change, leaving dog poo on the ground would cost an owner just $200. 'The onus is on pet owners - if you own a dog, ensure to take bags with you and youve got nothing to worry about,' Cr Ablett said. 'Our officers are not going to be unreasonable and will exercise common sense, and our focus is more around education than enforcement. 'The laws will be enforced on complaint and by undertaking proactive patrols. Our Local Laws officers will continue to attend community events and shows and educate people on the relevant laws.' A woman Ben McCormack interviewed for A Current Affair as 'Australia's thriftiest mum' wrote a character reference for him saying she is 'forever grateful' the journalist came into her life. The former Nine Network journalist, 43, was sentenced to a three-year good behaviour bond on Wednesday for two charges of using a carriage service to transmit child pornography material. A letter from 'Super Saver' Wendy Gower - who McCormack filmed TV stories about 'my family living on a budget' between June and December 2014 - was included in the defence submissions considered by sentencing judge Paul Conlon. 'I found his style of reporting to be very honest. I got along quite well with Ben and found his character to be pleasant, warm and kind, always making sure I was happy with the line of questioning and filming process,' Ms Gower wrote, in the August letter where she said she was fully aware of the charges against him. 'Super mum' Wendy Gower penned a character reference for Ben McCormack Ms Gower, left, and McCormack, right, worked on stories together in the second half of 2014 'During breaks in filming Ben always included my family in wonderful conversations. 'Ben and I also met interstate a few times to film stories. 'He always greeted me warmly like a long-time friend. He made sure I was well looked after knowing I was away from family. 'I observed Ben in many situations with the general public and found his character and integrity to be outstanding. 'It is because of this, Ben will always be welcomed into my home. 'I am forever grateful for Ben coming into my life. 'His honest reporting on my family's story had a positive impact on many Australians and others around the world'. The 43-year-old is pictured arriving to appear before District Court judge Paul Conlon for sentencing A vigilante attacked the former A Current Affair reporter with water and spit from a cup after leaving the Downing Centre McCormack also received character references from his best friend, Dr Peter Manders, who revealed the journalist's father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer which had 'hit Ben hard' over the past couple of years. Dr Manders said McCormack was the first to admit he had an 'aberrant attraction to children.' 'I strongly believe nobody 'wants' to be a paedophile and definitely not Ben,' the oncologist said. 'Ben understands the magnitude of the charges and even before his arrest was desperately trying to change.' Other references were from family friends, including Kevin Cocks AM. There were no references from his long-time employer, the Nine Network. Police did not allege there any evidence of McCormack exchanging pictures or video showing children in pornographic poses, only words McCormack is pictured reporting to the police station for bail for the final time on Monday morning McCormack was charged on April 6 for sending messages over Skype to West Australian Catholic primary school teacher Mathew Paul Reale, and a further video sent to another man, Leon Mario Berger. In his messages to Reale, McCormack said how he 'loved bs (boys)' and described himself as a 'proud Ped'. His first offence was punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. However, during a sentencing hearing the judge described McCormack's offending as at the 'lowest' end of the scale as the offending was not typical of the charge. Police did not allege there any evidence of McCormack exchanging pictures or video showing children in pornographic poses, only words. Skype chat buddy: Mathew Paul Reale, 30 Judge Conlon said many of the factors he had to consider in child porn cases - including whether a child had been exploited or treated cruelly - were not present in McCormack's case. 'I do not think it is an exaggeration to say his life has been destroyed,' the judge said. He finished his sentence by warning McCormack - who has twice tried to kill himself - not to self-harm.mself. 'You've obviously received a very low point,' the judge said. 'From everything that I have read it would appear you have never harmed anyone. 'And accordingly, I would not like to see you go forth and harm yourself'. McCormack nodded. He remained composed throughout the sentencing - even after he was attacked with water outside the Downing Centre complex. Many were young, powerless and afraid to speak out in case their careers were ruined. For nearly three decades their accusations remained bottled up, some suppressed by pay-offs. Dozens of women have now come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the man once described as 'God' of the film industry. The accusations, including from some of the world's most famous actresses, range from inappropriate massages to rape. Here is a list of some of the brave women who have come forward so far. Actress Natassia Malthe is one of nine women accusing Harvey Weinstein of rape Natassia Malthe The Norweigan actress claims Weinstein raped her in a London hotel room after the 2008 Baftas. The Elektra star said the mogul turned up at her hotel room and started banging on the door. When she let him in he 'pushed her back and forced himself' on her without using a condom. 'I was completely grossed out. I believe that I disassociated during the time that he was having sex with me. I laid still and closed my eyes and just wanted it to end. I was like a dead person. Afterwards I lay there in complete disgust,' she said. Anthony began her career on the stage before moving to Hollywood. She claims she was raped by Weinstein Lysette Anthony English actress Lysette Anthony claimed he raped her in the hallway of her London home in the 1980s. 'He pushed me inside and rammed me up against the coat rack in my tiny hall and started fumbling at my gown. He was trying to kiss me and shove inside me. It was disgusting,' she said. Ms Anthony tried to resist but was unable to fight off heavily-built Weinstein. She said: 'Finally I just gave up. At least I was able to stop him kissing me. 'As he ground himself against me and shoved inside me, I kept my eyes shut tight, held my breath and just let him get on with it.' 'He came over my leg like a dog and then left. It was pathetic, revolting,' she told The Sunday Times. 'I remember lying in the bath, crying.' Mimi Haleyi The production assistant has accused Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her in his child's bedroom at his former New York home. She tried to deter him by revealing she was menstruating but she claims he did not stop and even removed her tampon. 'I was mortified. I was in disbelief and I was disgusted,' Haleyi said. 'I would not have had anyone do that to me even if that person was a romantic partner.' Dominique Huett: The actress claims the mogul sexually abused her in 2010 after luring her to his Beverly Hills hotel room. He demanded she give him a massage and he perform oral sex on her. 'He would not take 'no' for an answer', her legal complaint says. Lupita Nyong'o The oscar-winning actress says Weinstein got her to massage him while his children were downstairs Lupita Nyong'o claims Weinstein once told her that to be in the business she had to be 'willing to do this kind of thing'. She is pictured at the CFDA Fashion Awards in 2017 At a private screening at his home, Weinstein interrupted the film after just 15 minutes and lead her to his bedroom, announcing that he wanted to give her a massage. 'I thought he was joking at first. He was not. For the first time since I met him, I felt unsafe,' she wrote. The actress says she panicked and offered him one instead - writing that this would allow her to be physically in control of the situation and where he placed his hands. But when the producer announced that he was going to remove his pants she decided she had to leave. On a separate occasion he tried to entice up to his hotel room and told her: 'If you want to be an actress, then you have to be willing to do this sort of thing' Heather Graham Heather Graham is another actress who says she refused Weinstein's advances According to the Boogie Nights actress, Weinstein implied he would put her into a movie if she slept with him. He then tried to get the star alone in his hotel room but she dodged the meeting. She never starred in one of his movies Sean Young The Blade Runner actress claims Harvey Weinstein exposed himself to her while she filmed 1992 Miramax movie Love Crimes Lena Headley The Game of Thrones star has revealed Weinstein became furious with her when she spurned his advances as he led her to his hotel room. 'We walked to the lift and the energy shifted,' Headey described. 'My whole body went into high alert, the lift was going up and I said to Harvey, 'I'm not interested in anything other than work, please don't think I got in here with you for any other reason, nothing is going to happen,' I said. I don't know what possessed me to speak out at that moment, only that I had such a strong sense of don't come near me.' 'He was silent after I spoke, furious. We got out of the lift and walked to his room. His hand was on my back, he was marching me forward, not a word, I felt completely powerless, he tried his key card and it didn't work, then he got really angry. 'He walked me back to the lift, through the hotel to the valet, by grabbing and holding tightly to the back of my arm.' 'He paid for my car and whispered in my ear: 'Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent.' I got into my car and cried.' Teen assault: Kate Beckinsale says Weinstein tried to ply her with alcohol and met her in his bathrobe when she was just 17 Kate Beckinsale In an Instagram post the Underworld star said Weinstein made a move on her when she was just 17. 'When I arrived reception told me to go to his room. He opened the door in his bathrobe. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. A few years later he asked me if he had tried anything with me in that first meeting.I realized he couldn't remember if he had assaulted me or not.' Paltrow (pictured with Weinstein in 2002) told the New York Times that when she was 22 Weinstein touched her and suggested having joint massages in the bedroom Gwyneth Paltrow The star said that when she was 22, Weinstein touched her and suggested having joint massages in a hotel bedroom before she started shooting the 1996 Jane Austen adaptation Emma. She told the New York Times: 'I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified'. She said she told her then boyfriend Brad Pitt about the incident and he confronted the mogul. She said Weinstein then told her not to tell anyone and she feared getting fired. Gwyneth Paltrow, 45, is an American actress, singer, and food writer who made her name starring in Seven (1995) and Emma (1996). Jolie (pictured speaking ahead of a screening of her new film In the Land of Blood and Honey) told the New York Times she had to turn down advances from Weinstein in 1998 Angelina Jolie The actress told the New York Times she had to turn down advances from Weinstein in 1998 and chose never to work with him again. She said she warned other women about him. She said: 'I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did.' Angelina Jolie, 42, is cited as Hollywood's highest-paid actress. She made her screen debut as a child alongside her father, Jon Voight, in Lookin' to Get Out (1982). Cara Delevigne The model wrote on her Instagram page about a meeting with Weinstein in which he 'asked her to kiss another woman.' She wrote: 'As soon as we were alone he began to brag about all the actresses he had slept with and how he had made their careers and spoke about other inappropriate things of a sexual nature. He then invited me to his room. I quickly declined and asked his assistant if my car was outside. She said it wasn't and wouldn't be for a bit and I should go to his room. 'At that moment I felt very powerless and scared but didn't want to act that way hoping that I was wrong about the situation. When I arrived I was relieved to find another woman in his room and thought immediately I was safe. He asked us to kiss and she began some sort of advances upon his direction. I swiftly got up and asked him if he knew that I could sing. And I began to sing....i thought it would make the situation better....more professional....like an audition....i was so nervous. After singing I said again that I had to leave.He walked me to the door and stood in front of it and tried to kiss me on the lips. I stopped him and managed to get out of the room'. Cara Delevigne, 25, is an English fashion model and actress. She signed with Storm Model Management after leaving school in 2009. Eva Green Green's mother says Weinstein sexually harassed her during a meeting at his suite in Paris. The Bond Girl, 37, managed to escape however after being summoned to the movie mogul's hotel room, her mother Marlene Jobert said in a radio interview on Friday. 'He operated with her the exact same way he acted with all the others, under the pretext of a professional meeting, of a script that had to get to her with a nice part into the bargain,' said Jobert. 'Since his office was also in his hotel suite, she [Eva] followed him, and the exact same thing happened to her as to the others. She managed to escape, but he threatened to destroy her professionally.' Jobert added: '[It was] the usual scenario, the same pattern he used for all the other victims.' Lea Seydoux The French actress accused the mogul of jumping on her and trying to kiss her. She wrote in The Guardian: 'We were talking on the sofa when he suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. He tried more than once. This was never going to be about work. He had other intentions I could see that very clearly. All throughout the evening, he flirted and stared at me as if I was a piece of meat. The French actress (pictured in Spectre) accused the mogul of jumping on her and trying to kiss her 'It was hard to say no because hes so powerful. Im an actress and hes a producer. We are in the same industry, so its impossible to avoid him. Ive seen how he operates: the way he looks for an opening. The way he tests women to see what he can get away with. Thats the most disgusting thing. Everyone knew what Harvey was up to and no one did anything. It's unbelievable that hes been able to act like this for decades and still keep his career.' Lea Seydoux, 35, starred in Bond film Spectre and was nominated for the Cesar Award for Best Actress for her role as a lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette in the film Farewell, My Queen (2012). Minka Kelly The Friday Night Lights star said she met Weinstein at an event and soon after was asked by her agent if she would be willing to meet him at his hotel room to discuss her career. Kelly said that she agreed to the meeting but refused to go to Weinstein's room, and instead met him at the restaurant inside his hotel with an assistant. Minka Kelly said she met Weinstein at an event and soon after was asked by her agent if she would be willing to meet him at his hotel room to discuss her career 'He bulls*** me for 5 minutes re: movies he could put me in, then asked the assistant to excuse us,' said Weinstein. 'As she walked away, he said, "I know you were feeling what I was feeling when we met the other night and then regaled me with offers of a lavish life filled with trips around the world on private planes etc. 'IF I would be his girlfriend.' Kelly posted a photo of a cross stitch alongside her post that read: 'Boys will be Boys.' The second 'boys' was crossed out at the bottom however, and stitched in was 'held accountable for their f***ing actions.' Kelly claimed the alleged encounter was the day-to-day b***shit of being an actress.' Tara Subkoff The actress claims Weinstein sexually harassed her when she was up for a part in one of his movies in the 1990s. She told Variety: 'That night I was offered the role, and I went out to a premiere after party that was also at. 'He motioned for me to come over to him, and then grabbed me to sit me on his lap. I was so surprised and shocked I couldnt stop laughing because it was so awkward.' She said he could then feel him getting an erection. 'It was implied that if I did not comply with doing what he asked me to do that I would not get the role that I had already been informally offered,' she added. 'I laughed in his face as I was in shock and so uncomfortable. I left the party right after that.' After denying his advances, Subkoff claims she was stripped of the part. Asia Argento The Italian actress has accused Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her when she was 21. She told the New Yorker: 'He terrified me, and he was big. It wouldn't stop. It was a nightmare.' She said she went on to have consensual sex with him over the years that followed. She documented the alleged attack in her 2000 film Scarlet Diva. Asia Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model, and director, best known for the role of Yelena in the action film xXx (2002). Asia Argento (left with Weinstein during 2004 Cannes Film Festival) accused Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her when she was 21 Zoe Brock Model Zoe Brock was 23 when she allegedly had to lock herself in a hotel bathroom to escape Weinstein's advances. She wrote on Medium: 'Harvey left the room, but not for long. He re-emerged naked a couple of minutes later and asked if I would give him a massage. Panicking, in shock, I remember weighing up the options and wondering how much I needed to placate him to keep myself safe. 'I told him I was uncomfortable and that I was angry that I had been tricked into this position. He pleaded with me to let him massage me and I let him put his hands on my shoulders while my mind raced. Harvey chased me, d**k, b**ls and all, and banged on the door with his fists, pleading with me to come out.' Zoe Brock is a model and actress who was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and raised in Australia. Claire Forlani The Meet Joe Black actress appeared in the 2000 Miramax film Boys and Girls. She says she escaped Harvey's advances five times. 'I had two Peninsula Hotel meetings in the evening with Harvey and all I remember was I ducked, dived and ultimately got out of there without getting slobbered over, well just a bit. 'Yes, massage was suggested. The three dinners with Harvey I don't really remember the time period, I was 25. 'I remember him telling me all the actresses who had slept with him and what he had done for them.' I wasn't drinking the cool aid [sic], I knew Harvey was a master manipulator. 'He also announced to me at the last dinner I had with him at Dominic's that his pilot knew to be on standby because he could never get me to sleep with him, to which I did what I always did, make light of the situation, a joke here or there and moved on.' 'I'd had a fair amount of experience. Sometimes I got angry, really angry. I wondered why I had Prey stamped on my forehead but this I kept to myself.' Louisette Geiss The actress said she was called to a late night meeting with Weinstein in 2008. He allegedly emerged in a bathrobe and told her he would green light her script if she watched him masterbate. She left the meeting. Geiss made her accusations in a press conference with high-profile attorney Gloria Allred on October 10. The star was born in Miami, Florida. She is an actress and producer, best known for Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001). Judith Godreche The French actress says Weinstein tried to massage her and pull off her sweater after asking her up to his Cannes suite to see the view in 1996, the NYT reported. Judith Godreche, 45, is a French actress and author. She has appeared in more than 30 films and will soon star in an HBO comedy about a French woman moving to Los Angeles. Dawn Dunning The actress says she was called to a meeting about future film projects in 2003 aged 24. When she arrived she says Weinstein presented her with three scripts for his next three movies which he would let her star in, only if she had three-way sex with him. She fled the hotel, she told the NYT. Dunning is a former actress turned costume designer best known for her role in Alias: The Roughest Cut (2006). Tomi-Ann Roberts The aspiring actress was 24 when she met Weinstein while serving tables as a college junior in 1984. She says he told her to meet him at his home. When she arrived, she says, he was naked in the bath and told her she would give a better audition if she was nude. She says she refused and left, reports the NYT. Katherine Kendall The Swingers actress was told Weinstein had to stop off in his apartment to pick something up after a screening in 1993. He changed into a bathrobe and told her to massage her, she said. When she resisted she said the mogul returned naked and chased her, reports the NYT. Kendall, 48, is an American actress from Tennessee. She made her name in Doug Liman's Swingers (1996). Lucia Evans The actress, formerly known as Lucia Stoller claims Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. Speaking to the New Yorker, she said that she suffered years of trauma after the incident which occurred in a 'casting meeting' in a Miramax office in Manhattan. He reportedly called her late at night after the incident. Mira Sorvino The Mighty Aphrodite actress told the New Yorker that Weinstein tried to massage her in a hotel room at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival. He then went to her home in the middle of the night but she called a male friend to protect her, she claimed. She said turning down the mogul adversely affected her career. Sorovino, 50, is an American actress who came to prominence after winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a hooker with a heart of gold in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995). Rosanna Arquette The actress also said her career suffered after she rebuffed Weinstein's advances in the early 1990s. At a hotel meeting he tried to put her hand on his erect penis, she claims in the New Yorker. Rosanna Arquette, 58, is an American actress, film director, and producer. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the 1982 TV film The Executioner's Song. Rose McGowan The actress, who made her breakthrough in 1996 in the Weinstein-produced slasher revival movie Scream, reportedly sued Weinstein after he assaulted her in 1997 at the Sundance Film Festival. She signed a non-disclosure agreement at the close of the suit and has only referred to him obliquely in social media since. On Sunday she referred to being abused by a 'monster' and has previously referred to being raped by a studio head. Producer Harvey Weinstein (left) and actress Rose McGowan arrive to the premiere of "Grindhouse" at the Orpheum Theatre on March 26, 2007 in Los Angeles Ashley Judd Judd says that during filming for 1997 thriller Kiss the Girls Weinstein repeatedly asked her to watch him shower. She was one of the women who spoke out to The New York Times this week, saying: 'Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it's simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.' Emma De Caunes French actress Emma de Caunes said that she met Weinstein in 2010. Soon after he told her he had a script he was producing based on a book with a strong female character. Weinstein offered to show her the script, and asked her up to his room at the Ritz in Paris, where he began to take a shower. He then emerged naked and with an erection, asking her to lay down with him on the bed and telling her that many had done so before, she told the New Yorker. 'I was very petrified,' said de Caunes. 'But I didnt want to show him that I was petrified, because I could feel that the more I was freaking out, the more he was excited.' Sophie Dix The British actress was 22 when she was invited up to his room at The Savoy after being cast in The Advocate alongside Colin Firth. Weinstein tried to massage her and started pulling at her trousers before he started masturbating. Harvey Weinstein is accused of accosting Sophie Dix in a hotel room 'As soon as I was in there, I realized it was a terrible mistake. I got to the hotel room, I remember talk of a massage and I thought that was pretty gross. I think he showed me his big back and I found that pretty horrid. 'Then before I knew it, he started trying to pull my clothes off and pin me down and I just kept saying, No, no, no. But he was really forceful. I remember him pulling at my trousers and stuff and looming over me and I just sort of I am a big, strong girl and I bolted ran for the bathroom and locked the door.' 'I was in there for a while, I think. He went very quiet. After a while I remember opening the door and seeing him just there facing the door, masturbating, so I quickly closed the door again and locked it. Then when I heard room service come to the door, I just ran.' She said the incident left her bed bound with depression for six months and she decided to end her movie career. 'I decided if this what being an actress is like, I dont want it.' Lauren O'Connor The former creative executive at The Weinstein Company, told executives there in the fall of 2015 that there was 'a toxic environment for women at this company' after one of her colleagues told her that Weinstein had pressured her into massaging him while he was naked, the NYT reported. A former creative executive at The Weinstein Company told executives there in the fall of 2015 that there was 'a toxic environment for women at this company' Ambra Battilana The Italian actress and model, 24, told the NYT that in March 2015 Weinstein invited her to his New York office. There, she said, he asked if her breasts were real before grabbing them and putting his hands up her skirt. She reported the alleged incident to police, but they did not press charges. According to the NYT, Weinstein later paid her off. Jessica Barth Weinstein reportedly pressured Jessica Barth (pictured) to give him a naked massage Weinstein reportedly pressured the actress to give him a naked massage in the Peninsula Hotel in 2011. Jessica Barth, 39, is an American stage and film actress, known for portraying Tami-Lynn McCaferty in the film Ted and its sequel. Laura Madden A former production assistant and the Weinstein company, she told the NYT that Weinstein had asked her to give him massages from 1991 onwards, while they were both in London and Dublin. 'It was so manipulative,' she told the NYT. 'You constantly question yourself - am I the one who is the problem?' Weinstein denied knowledge. Emily Nestor Nestor was a temporary employee of the Weinstein Company for just one day in 2014 when Weinstein approached her and offered to boost her career in exchange for sex, the NYT reported. Zelda Perkins Perkins was an assistant of Weinstein's based in London. Aged 25 in 1998, she reportedly confronted Weinstein after she and 'several' others were harassed and later settled out of court. She said she was subjected to inappropriate requests or comments in hotel rooms. Zelda Perkins reportedly confronted Weinstein after she and 'several' others were harassed and later settled out of court Elizabeth Karlsen Produced Karlsen told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday that almost 30 years ago an unnamed young female executive who had worked at Miramax with Weinstein had found him naked in her bedroom one night. The exec was in a house rented by Miramax at the time to cut its overheads. Karlsen, 57, is the Oscar-nominated British producer of Carol and The Crying Game. Liza Campbell A freelance script reader, she told the UK's Sunday Times that Weinstein had summoned her to his hotel room in London before telling her to get in the bath with him. Campbell, 58, (pictured in 2004) said that Weinstein had summoned her to his hotel room in London Campbell, 58, is an artist, calligrapher, columnist and writer, born in the north of Scotland and currently living in London, England. Lauren Sivan The former Fox news host said that Weinstein trapped her in a closed restaurant and masturbated in front of her to completion in 2007. He allegedly took her to a closed restaurant beneath a club she had visited and attempted to kiss her, then when she refused he cornered her and made her watch him touch himself, according to The Huffington Post. Sivan is now a TV reporter in Los Angeles and was a local journalist in New York 10 years ago when her encounter with Weinstein allegedly occurred. Jessica Hynes Hynes said she was invited to audition for Weinstein when she was 19 - in a bikini. She said she refused to wear the skimpy item - and lost the job. British actress Hynes, 44, formally known as Jessica Stevenson, is best known for her roles in the Bridget Jones movies and for co-creating and co-writing the sitcom Spaced. Romola Garai British actress Romola Garai said she felt 'violated' following a meeting with Harvey Weinstein in his London hotel room when she was 18 in which he was in a bathrobe. Garai, best known for her role in Atonement, said she had already been hired for a part but was told to audition privately with the Hollywood mogul because 'you had to be personally approved by him'. 'Like every other woman in the industry, I've had an 'audition' with Harvey Weinstein,' she told The Guardian. 'So I had to go to his hotel room in the Savoy and he answered the door in his bathrobe. I was only 18. I felt violated by it'. Garai, 35, is an English actress, writer, and director. She is known for appearing in the films Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39. Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel has claimed that she was harassed by the producer in 1993. Darel, 49, who first came to notice in Eric Rohmer's 'A Tale of Springtime' in 1990, told French media that Weinstein had promised to help make her big in America if she became his 'part-time' mistress. She said she first had to beat off his advances after Weinstein's company Miramax bought the 1993 fashion industry comedy 'A la mode' in which she appeared. The following year, pushed by her agent, she agreed to meet Weinstein in a Paris hotel, where he he asked her to be his mistress 'a few days a year'. Actress Florence Darel, 49, revealed on Thursday to French media that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein had promised to help make her big in America if she became his 'part-time' mistress Unnamed assistant Weinstein allegedly behaved inappropriately toward a woman employed as his assistant in 1990. The case was settled out of court. Another unnamed assistant In 2015, Weinstein reportedly pressured another assistant into giving him a naked massage in the Peninsula Hotel, where he is also said to have pressured Barth. Unnamed Miramax employee At one point in the early 1990s, a young woman is alleged to have suddenly left the company after an encounter with Weinstein. She also settled out of court. Unnamed woman A woman who did not wish to be named because she feared Weinstein's connections told The New York Times that the producer had summoned her to his hotel at an unknown date and raped her. This is the moment Australia's dual citizenship crisis reached boiling point with a Labor MP accusing an ABC TV journalist of being a 'maggot'. Former Lateline presenter Matt Wordsworth was grilling marginal seat Tasmanian MP Justine Keay on her family links to the UK at Parliament House in Canberra when a parliamentary colleague had enough. Ms Keay, the member for Braddon, asserted she had legal advice clearing her of being a dual citizen, as the Turnbull Government threatens to refer her to the High Court. Scroll down for video Tasmanian Labor MP Brian Mitchell (right) call ABC reporter Matt Wordsworth a 'maggot' 'You haven't clearly read any of the legal opinion that I have received,' she said to the reporter. 'It's not my opinion, it's the opinion of the QC and citizenship experts in the UK.' Fellow Tasmanian Labor MP Brian Mitchell, who holds the neighbouring seat of Lyons, had enough of his colleague being grilled. 'Go and do your research, maggot,' he said. Labor's member for Braddon Justine Keay told the ABC she had advice showing she wasn't a dual UK citizen Labor MP Justine Keay accused ABC reporter Matt Wordsworth of failing to read her advice Undeterred, Mr Wordsworth continued asking Ms Keay about her citizenship status in the courtyard of Parliament House. 'If I may ask the question?,' he replied, before following the Tasmanian MPs to a side door. Ms Keay, whose father was born in the UK, received confirmation she had renounced her citizenship on July 8, 2016, six days after last year's election. However she insisted she had legal advice saying she had renounced her UK citizenship on the day she posted her documents. Tensions are high in Canberra as the government and the opposition threaten to refer each other's MPs to the High Court to rule on their eligibility to sit in federal parliament. Ms Keay is in the Turnbull Governnment's sights, along with fellow lower house Labor MPs David Feeney, Susan Lamb and Josh Wilson, and Senator Katy Gallagher, for their possible dual citizenship links to Britain. Labor is exploring if Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos, junior ministers Alex Hawke and Michael McCormack and backbencher Julia Banks are dual Greek citizens. The Turnbull government is gunning for Labor MPs Justine Keay (right) and Susan Lamb (left) First-term MP Jason Falinski is also in their sights for his link to Poland while Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg Hungarian's connection is in the spotlight. Liberal backbenchers Ross Vasta and Nola Marino are being scrutinised for their links to Italy. More than a dozen federal politicians could be facing the High Court next year following the release of citizenship disclosures to see if they comply with Section 44 of the Constitution. Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie's eligibility is also in doubt. Mr Feeney says he will be asking to be referred to the High Court on Thursday if documents relating to his UK citizenship renunciation can't be found in time, potentially triggering a by-election in his marginal inner-Melbourne seat of Batman, which the Greens almost won in 2016. Senator Katy Gallagher (pictured) could also facing the High Court next year over her UK link Nick Xenophon Team MP Rebekha Sharkie's (pictured above) eligibility is also in doubt Cabinet ministers Josh Frydenberg (left) and Senator Arthur Sinodinos (right) are in Labor's sights He famously forgot to declare a $2.3 million investment property in Melbourne last year. Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus defended Mr Feeney's sloppiness on Tuesday night, while insisting the coalition could be a 'constitutionally illegitimate government.' 'We've seen a continuing cover-up out of a system that was meant to provide disclosure,' Mr Dreyfus told reporters, adding referrals to the High Court shouldn't be made on a tit-for-tat basis. Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne hit back, seizing on the four Labor MPs 'London to a brick heading for by-elections'. Labor's hit list on the government benches includes coalition MPs Ross Vasta and Michael McCormack (right) 'Bill Shorten has been harbouring these people for the last six months,' Mr Pyne told 6PR Perth Radio. Mr Falinski has sought further legal advice after being unable to ascertain whether his USSR-born father, Polish and British born grandfathers and Leningrad-born grandmother conferred foreign citizenship on him. Mr Vasta's declaration did not provide evidence he renounced his Italian citizenship in 2001. Labor is exploring assistant minister Liberal MPs Nola Marino (left) and Julia Banks (right) are also facing questions about their citizenship Ms Lamb, whose father was born in Scotland, filled out her renunciation form on May 24, 2016. However, on August 10, 2016, the British bureaucracy told her: 'We cannot be satisfied from the documents available that you hold British citizenship. The application has therefore been refused.' Mr Wilson, who was born in London, completed his renunciation form on May 12, 2016 However, the date of the UK Home Office letter confirming renunciation was June 24, well after the close of nominations for the 2016 election. Ms Sharkie renounced her British ties on April 19 last year, but did not get confirmation until June 29, after nominations closed. Child killer Ian Brady died in May - and has since cost the taxpayer a reported 19,000 Moors Murderer Ian Brady reportedly cost taxpayers more than 19,000 after his death. The bill is said to include 15,500 spent by the Royal Liverpool Hospital transferring and securely storing the child killer's corpse after his death at the high-security Ashworth Hospital in May. Terry Kilbride, whose 12-year-old brother John was one of five victims of Brady and Myra Hindley, said: 'No one should have to pay any more for him.' The Sun, which obtained the figures under Freedom of Information laws, reports that Brady left several thousand pounds in his will to animal charities. Brady was buried at sea under a shroud of secrecy after a judge ordered he should be cremated with no ceremony, no flowers and without fulfilling his wishes for a particular piece of classical music to be played. Court documents released in November showed the secret operation was carried out under police guard late on October 25. Terry Kilbride, whose 12-year-old brother John (pictured) was one of five victims of Brady and Myra Hindley, said: 'No one should have to pay any more for him' According to The Sun's figures the cremation at Southport Crematorium cost 1,070. The killer's ashes were then taken out to sea from Liverpool Marina by boat and jettisoned in a biodegradable urn made of rock salt - said to have cost 35. The bill for Merseyside Police's services after Brady's death was 2,570.40, The Sun said. The Royal London National Funeral Cost Index, published in August, showed the average funeral costs 3,784. Brady's accomplice Myra Hindley died in jail in November 2002, aged 60, after suffering respiratory failure following a heart attack Mr Kilbride told the newspaper: 'We've paid for him all his life. 'We had an idea of how much it's cost to keep him in - the expense of the police and Ashworth Hospital and so on. 'It all mounts up. Obviously he's had to be buried by the state but all his money should go towards paying it back.' Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers. An Australian woman who is missing in Canada sent desperate texts to friends saying she was lost the night she vanished. Alison Raspa, from Perth, was last seen leaving the Three Below Bar on Blackcomb Way at 11.30pm on November 22. The 25-year-old was reported missing the next day when she failed to turn up to work. Perth woman Alison Raspa (picture) 25 has been missing for almost a week Canadian police found Alison's mobile phone at Alpha Lake park at 6.30am the day after she went missing, roughly seven kilometres from where she was last seen. RCMP Whistler Staff Sergeant Paul Hayes has now revealed messages sent from her cellphone, indicated she was lost, News.com.au reported. 'She spoke with a friend in the Village Stroll area and later investigators believe Ms Raspa may have taken public transport to an area near Highway 99 and Lake Placid Road (before) walking west toward Alpha Lake,' Sgt Hayes said. 'At approximately 1.15am, Ms Raspa texted some of her friends to confirm she was lost. 'A citizen found a jacket, backpack and wallet belonging to Ms Raspa. These items were found near Highway 99 and Lake Placid Road,' he said. Her phone had been found by another citizen in Alpha Lake Park. Canadian police found Alison's mobile phone at the near-frozen Alpha Lake park at 6.30am the day after she went missing Texts to friends reveal she knew she was lost 90 minutes after she was last seen Sgt Hayes doesn't believe foul play was at work however investigators are keeping an open mind as to different circumstances which lead to disappearance. After two weeks of an intense ground search by police, emergency services and volunteers, efforts were suspended on Wednesday as all leads were exhausted. On Saturday it was reported her family arrived in Canada to join the search. Canadian media said Ms Raspa's brother thanked everyone who had helped in the search to find his sister. She was last seen leaving the Three Below Bar on Blackcomb Way at 11.30pm on November 22 She was last seen wearing a black jacket, with a white and black striped shirt and black pants and a blue backpack. Police said they had spoken to Alison's family and friends and were offering support 'during this difficult time'. Investigators have not commented whether or not Ms Raspa was intoxicated when she left Three Below Bar. It is not believed Raspa walked the distance because of the late hour and the cold, with temperatures in Whistler dropping to 0C throughout the past week. Alison is described as being white, with long brown hair and blue eyes Police have revealed Ms Raspa's last known movements, including that she spoke to a friend on a pathway near the bar shortly after leaving. Ms Raspa was believed to have taken public transport from the Village to a highway stop, then walked about 200 metres to the park where her phone was found, police said. A bus between the two locations takes about 14 minutes. Hayes would not confirm if a driver was being sought. He said police 'had some thoughts' as to how Raspa got to Creekside, but they were yet to confirm whether those were correct. Hayes earlier told AAP there was no indication of foul play but added police 'have not ruled out any option in terms of what has happened or where Ms Raspa could be.' Milo Yiannopoulos has shared a passionate moment with Mark Latham, mimicking the intimate kiss he shared with Tziporah Malkah when he first landed in Australia. Confronting photos of Mr Latham planting a kiss on Mr Yiannopoulos' cheek surfaced on Wednesday, showing the pair grinning from ear-to-ear as they leaned in for the smooch in Sydney. The kiss closely mimicked that Mr Yiannopoulos shared with TV personality Tziporah Malkah, who locked lips with the provocateur when he landed in Australia on Friday. Confronting photos of Mr Latham planting a kiss on Mr Yiannopoulos' cheek surfaced on Wednesday In lead up to Mr Yiannopoulos' Troll Academy Tour, Australians petitioned to ban him from entering the country and spouting his controversial far-right opinions. Mr Latham however, was outspoken about his support for the US-based political commentator. 'Don't let the extremists stop Milo from coming to Australia,' Mr Latham wrote for his platform Mark Latham's Outsiders. 'He goes where few public figures dare to go. He criticises lunatic feminists, cultural Marxists, Islamists, and the cowardly politicians, journalists and public commentators who refuse to stand up to these extremists. 'The extremists simply want to use this to try to stop someone speaking in Australia who is a powerful critic of everything they hold dear.' The kiss closely mimicked that Mr Yiannopoulos shared with TV personality Tziporah Malkah, who locked lips with the provocateur when he landed in Australia on Friday (left and right) Mr Latham has been outspoken about his support for Mr Yiannopoulos (pictured sharing an intimate moment in Sydney) Similar to Mr Yiannopoulos, Mr Latham has also come under fire for his right-wing political views. The former federal leader of the Labor party, was sacked from Sky News in March due to remarks he made on its program Outsiders. Mr Latham was terminated after he called the 15-year-old daughter of Reserve Bank governor, Philip Lowe, a privileged child who didn't care about the disadvantaged. His comment provoked a string of calls for his dismissal. The pair are seen grinning from ear-to-ear following the kiss Mr Latham planted on Mr Yiannopoulos' cheek Similar to Mr Yiannopoulos (pictured), Mr Latham has also come under fire for his right-wing political views Mr Latham was already being investigated by the company for comments he made about Kristina Keneally. He called Ms Keneally a 'Yankee Sheila' and a 'protege of Eddie Obeid' - a Labor politician who went to jail for misconduct. Despite the backlash, Mr Latham refused to be silenced, and created his own commentary show called Mark Latham's Outsiders. Mr Latham met with Mr Yiannopoulos in Sydney on Wednesday, during a busy week for the US-based 'troll'. Protesters pictured at La Montage, in Sydney, where Milo Yiannopoulos was speaking Police officers are seen escorting a protester away from demonstrations in Sydney on Tuesday Protesters are pictured outside La Montage where Mr Yiannopoulos spoke on Tuesday night Mr Yiannopoulos spoke in Melbourne on Monday night and Sydney on Tuesday night - both events required heavy police presence due to protest action. Left-wing protesters and counter-protesters lined the streets outside, hurling insults at one another. Police were forced to use capsicum spray on Monday night to subdue protesters when the demonstration turned violent. Four people were arrested the following night in Sydney, with one man throwing his shoe at Mr Yiannopoulos as he sat in the crowd of his sold-out show. Advertisement Many people turned to exploring local nature paths for their daily exercise when lockdown closed gyms and group sports took a hiatus amid the pandemic. Amateur photographers who captured stunning images of animals in their natural habitat were quick to submit their snaps to Weekend magazine's annual Wildlife Photography Challenge in the hopes of winning a package worth over 1,000. The entrants were split into five categories - Birds; Mammals; Insects; Under-18s; and Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians & Molluscs. While each category winner received a Nikon mirrorless digital camera kit and a year's subscription to Nikon Owner magazine, the overall winner also received a trip to the Camargue with wildlife photographer Simon Stafford, courtesy of Create Away, for a four-night masterclass in photographing the region's wild horses, flamingos and bulls. Judges David Suchet, Clare Balding, Lucy Cooke, Steve Brown, Kelly Brook and Michael Eleftheriades were impressed with Lee O'dwyer, 67, a retired engineer from Lancashire, who was awarded the overall winner for his shot of a long-tailed tit. These runner-up snaps taken by talented amateur photographers prove choosing an overall winner was a tough decision... BIRDS PUFFIN: Taken by Joseph Bristow, 23, a retail supervisor from Llantwit Major. 'Arriving at 3am and queueing for the 6am ticket office to open. First in line I caught the boat over to Skomer Island. With only a few hours permitted on the island I had no time to waste. Surrounded by the Puffins was an amazing spectacle and allowed me to capture some amazing photos. I found this one puffin who seemed very tame and loved posing for the camera. As he stared down the barrel of my lens I took my shot and was pleased with the result. I found the black background really provides a provocative and striking image highlight the vibrant colour of the Puffins.' KESTREL CHICKS: Taken by Jayne Kirkby, 20, from Braintree, Essex. 'Beautiful pair of Kestrel chicks, taken at Wrabness on 20th June 2020.' KINGFISHER: Tim Clifton, a 59-year-old from, St Leonards on Sea, snapped this captivating photo of a kingfisher hunting for small fish MALLARD: William Watson, 64, a semi retired HGV driver from East Dunbartonshire. 'Taken on the Forth & Clyde canal (December '19') Bishopbriggs, As I went to take this photo of this female Mallard it stretched creating a nice reflection....' INSECTS BUTTERFLY: Adam Lane, a 27-year-old host at Legoland, from Slough, captured a butterfly perched on a purple flower in specular detail WASP: Shelia Moth took this captivating photo of a wasp on a thistle, capturing the insect and plant in immense detail SPIDER: Taken by Geoffrey Wells, 67, a maintenance caretaker from North Yorkshire. 'This picture was taken in my back garden during the recent lockdown.' REPTILES MATING FROGS: Taken by Steve Jellett, 64, from Essex, who is retired. 'Taken in small garden pond when 21 frogs descended to mate.' MAMMALS ROE DEER: Tim Cliffton, a 75-year-old from St Leonards on sea, took a photograph of two roe deer spotted in a field MOUSE: Taken by Cameron Parfitt, 20, a student at the University of Brighton, from Worthing. 'I would love to highlight that even in your back garden there are images to be had. This image is of a cheeky wood mouse that keeps stealing food from what we have now dubbed the mouse feeder. It's not unheard of for this little guy to be found inside the feeder without a care in the world stuffing himself with the bird seed.' JUNIORS FOX CUB: Billy Evans-Freke, 15, a secondary school student from East Sussex. 'It wasn't a long wait in the hide before the first fox cub woke up from its nap and came out into the open. It was soon followed by another cub. At first they stayed in the shadows of the bushes near the den. But once they gained their confidence they started coming closer. This cub in particular was very curious and came very close to the hide.' Professional boxer Lauryn Eagle tested positive for drug-driving because she was taking a drug to treat her ADHD, her lawyer said. Eagle has 'been punished enough' for the positive test and its impact on her image, lawyer Adam Houda told a Sydney court. Eagle, 29, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday, dressed in a cobalt blue blazer, black pants and stilettos. Professional boxer Lauryn Eagle (pictured) tested positive for drug-driving because she was taking a drug to treat her ADHD, her lawyer said Eagle (pictured, right) has 'been punished enough' for the positive test and its impact on her image, lawyer Adam Houda told a Sydney court She was charged with driving with an illicit drug present in her blood after being stopped for a random test in Peakhurst in mid-July. Her lawyer argued the methamphetamine detected in Eagle's system, Desoxyn, is not available in Australia and was prescribed to the athlete and swimsuit model in the US to treat her ADHD. She also suffers from persistent depressive disorder, he said, stressing that reports from an Australian doctor and another in Los Angeles confirming the drug was prescribed to Eagle are part of the police brief of evidence. 'The positive reading came as a complete shock to my client because she simply doesn't take illicit drugs,' Mr Houda said. Eagle, 29, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday, dressed in a cobalt blue blazer, black pants and stilettos (pictured is Eagle in 2014) 'She has had some cruel and unfair stories published about her. She's lost sponsors and it has caused damage to her character.' As a first offence, the drug charge carries a fine and a minimum driving disqualification of three months. 'My submission would be that it would be extremely unfair to deal with her by law and punish her even further. She's been punished enough,' Mr Houda said. Police prosecutor Paul Bush was opposed to the case being dismissed on mental health grounds due to there being no direct casual connection between the committing of the offence and the mental condition. Eagle (pictured in 2013) was charged with driving with an illicit drug present in her blood after being stopped for a random test in Peakhurst in mid-July 'I understand there is some objection to the word illicit being used,' the prosecutor said. 'In one way, it is illicit because the drug is not authorised in Australia.' But Mr Houda argued he had never come across a more 'quintessential' case on causal connection in his life. 'They go hand-in-hand and that's abundantly clear,' he said. Eagle is yet to enter a plea, and Magistrate Hugh Donnelly adjourned the case for further hearing at Downing Centre Local Court on January 30. Dr Julian Proctor, pictured, is accused of sending explicit messages to a junior colleague A senior doctor who was struggling with a break-up pestered a junior colleague with 900 WhatsApp messages and urged her go to bed with him, a medical tribunal heard. Dr Julian Proctor, 36, sent more than 100 explicit messages a day to the young woman in a 'relentless pursuit' over a week long period saying they should have a 'secret love affair' to ensure they had a 'good rotation,' it was said. A hearing was told the woman, aged in her 20s and known as Dr B, continually told Proctor she had a boyfriend. But he carried on making sexual advances towards her sending her videos or stills of himself taking a shower or posing in his underwear. Some explicit images were sent by Proctor while both were in a staff meeting with colleagues at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, where he was a senior registrar. A selection of messages read: 'Hey sexy... have you looked at my video yet, (sic) naughty huh? Another said: 'I love squeezing your bum it's a nice shape.... I still want to get you naked. You do like the idea.' In other encounters Proctor allegedly tried to embrace the woman in a lift outside the Acute Medical Unit before slapping her bottom and then pretending to kiss her in a side room asking her: 'How much do you fancy me?' When she asked him to stop he said: 'But I like you I can't help it. ' He also attempted to squeeze the woman's bottom and inner thigh as well as making grabs for her waist and shoulder, it was claimed. At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service the woman said: 'I knew about his reputation before I met him - my friend and partner warned me so I know. The registrar, left and right, who worked at a hospital in Lincolnshire, is accused of 'relentlessly pursuing' the woman and sending her photos of himself in the shower or his underwear 'He wasn't the only one to tell me my colleague who was in rotation before me told me too. 'She said he was a bit sleazy and my partner said he had a thing with women in the hospital. But I thought at first what Dr Proctor said was a prank - it was to outrageous to be real.' The Manchester hearing was told Proctor targeted the woman in April last year on the day she started her very first shift at the hospital. Lawyer for the General Medical Council Peter Atherton said: 'She said she had started a new rotation, and after work Dr Proctor invited her to have coffee with him. 'He then suggested that she sleep with him and that they could have a secret love affair for four months to make sure they had a good rotation. He placed his hand over hers and refused to let go. 'At a later date when she was in the Junior Doctors office, he pulled her close and made kissing and suggestive licking motions. 'This type of behaviour happened more than once. The very first day she was working he sent her explicit text messages and images of himself. The texts speak for themselves. 'On one occasion they were in an office and another member of staff left the room leaving them alone. 'He bent over her as she was facing the computer screen and asked: "How much do you fancy me?", she replied: "I don't." A tribunal heard Dr Proctor also attempted to embrace the woman and tried to 'squeeze her bottom and thigh' 'He then said: "You're lying" and placed his face lose to hers and pursed his lips as though trying to kiss her. 'He later invited her to do a chest drain with him so she went with him to the lift to collect the lift drain equipment. 'But when they were going to the lifts he kept pulling her by the waist and trying to hug her from the back and she pushed him away. 'He asked if he could kiss her and she said no and they got in the lift. But when people got off at their respected floors, Dr Proctor attempted to embrace her and she pushed him away but he was forceful and refused to let go when she said stop. 'When she left the lift he slapped her on the bottom. He did ask her what was wrong because he could see that she was upset. But when she told him she was upset because she didn't want him to touch her, he replied: "But I like you I can't help it."' The woman later went to see her clinic supervisor and asked her for a private meeting. Mr Atherton added: 'She was told that he had lots of problems and lots of complaints. 'She (the supervisor) cuddled the junior doctor and asked what had happened but asked her not to take the complaint higher because it would involve a lot of paperwork. She said she would talk to the registrar and tell him off.' The woman later spoke to a more senior member of staff, reporting she had been 'persistently sexually harassed.' Mr Atherton added: 'She told the meeting that Dr Proctor had told her about some restrictions he was on and she felt sorry for him. He was going through a break up and thought he needed a friend. 'Dr Proctor was aware from the start of her placement that she had a boyfriend as she had told him. The hearing was told the doctor, left and right, was going through a break-up and 'was just looking for a friend' 'When they were in the car together he would try to hold her hand and she pulled away. He would also pull her by the waist closer to him and she would ask him to stop. 'On the third day of offering she refused, and walked home as she could tell where this was going. 'A breakdown of the 800 to 900 messages that Dr Proctor sent to her show that he was intent and relentless in his pursuit of Dr B for sex. 'Dr B was junior to Dr Proctor so he was in effect her boss as registrar. She attempted to have a good and humorous relationship with him making it clear that she didn't want a sexual relationship with him.' Proctor, of Henley-upon-Thames, admits sending sexually explicit messages but denies asking Dr B to engage in a sexual relationship saying it was 'a consensual flirtatious relationship'. He also faces unrelated misconduct charges over his care of two patients. The hearing continues. Tracy Grimshaw has broken her silence about the A Current Affair team's reaction after reporter Ben McCormack was charged by police. After hearing the disgraced journalist had been charged with sending child pornography, his former colleagues reacted with sadness, shock and revulsion. Grimshaw said she had hoped McCormack was simply a victim of a police mistake, but then saw excerpts of messages from his online discussions. Scroll down for video Tracy Grimshaw (pictured) has broken her silence about the A Current Affair team's reaction after reporter Ben McCormack was charged by police After hearing the disgraced journalist (pictured) had been charged with sending child pornography, his former colleagues reacted with sadness, shock and revulsion 'When he called himself a "proud pedo" who was attracted to boys aged 7-13 years old, I realised it was no mistake by the police, she said on A Current Affair. 'How could he do that? It was horrifying.' The revelations also raised questions about McCormack's work on paedophilia-related news stories. She questioned how McCormack could have confronted Hey Dad star Robert Hughes about sexually abusing young girls. Grimshaw said she had hoped McCormack (pictured, centre) was simply a victim of a police mistake, but then saw excerpts of messages from his online discussions 'When he (McCormack is pictured, centre) called himself a "proud pedo" who was attracted to boys aged 7-13 years old, I realised it was no mistake by the police,' said Grimshaw She also asked how McCormack could have provided support and comfort to child sex abuse victim Sarah Monahan while being secretly attracted children. Grimshaw said A Current Affair has made McCormack an open offer for an interview, but so far he has declined. However, Grimshaw highlighted the fact Judge Paul Conlon does not consider McCormack a threat to children, and said the team hopes that is true. Judge Conlon described McCormack's offending as at the 'lowest' end of the scale and noted McCormack had sought mental help. McCormack, 43, was sentenced to a three year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $1000 at Downing Centre Local court on Wednesday (pictured is McCormask's arrest) He said he had never seen a person charged with these offences having gone to a psychiatrist to try and deal with the problem for years before his arrest. Police did not allege there any evidence of McCormack exchanging pictures or video showing children in pornographic poses, only words. Judge Conlon said many of the factors he had to consider in child porn cases - including whether a child had been exploited or treated cruelly - were not present in McCormack's case. McCormack, 43, was sentenced to a three year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $1000 at Downing Centre Local court on Wednesday. In September he pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child pornography. A 16-year-old girl was allegedly shot dead by her 27-year-old boyfriend before he crashed the car they were travelling in in north Connecticut. Evalyce Santiago was found dead with gunshot wounds to her head and hand inside the wreckage in Waterbury, New Haven County. Her boyfriend Dominique Pittman was rescued from the wreckage and arrested by police. Tragic: Police discovered the body of Evalyce Santiago, 16, inside the wreckage of a crashed car in Waterbury, Connecticut and have charged her boyfriend with her murder Police found a weapon in the car and have since charged Pittman with killing the teenager. Pittman and Miss Santiago were in a relationship at the time of her death, but Pittman also had three children with her older sister. Police say they have determined that Santiago was shot at some point before the car crashed. However, it is yet to be established if she died from the gunshot wounds or the crash, which saw the vehicle wrapped around a telephone pole, local news reports. Murdered: It soon emerged that the teenager had suffered gunshot wounds to her head and hand at some point before the car crashed Arrested: Dominique Pittman, 27, was dating the 16-year-old but also had three children with Miss Santiago's older sister, her adoptive father revealed Missed: The teenager's family have paid tribute to a 'vibrant' girl who would 'light up a room' 'He was my son in law. I just want the truth,' Miss Santiago's adoptive father told WFSB.com 'He was dating my daughter and he has three kids with my other daughter.' Miss Santiago's family have paid tribute to the 'vibrant' teenager who 'knew how to light up a room'. The family held a vigil at the crash site this week and have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money towards her funeral. Francisco Rivera, Santiago's grandfather, told NBC Connecticut he raised Santiago, and did not know she was dating Pittman. 'Nobody knows nothing until something happens. That's when we all realize the tragedy. It was under our noses and we didn't see it,' he said. 'We go on with life. He looks at four walls and figures out what he did wrong,' Rivera said. Police said Pittman was 'visibly shaken' when he was pulled from wreckage and arrested A family is mourning the loss of a young man crushed to death in a freak workplace accident on a construction site. David James Wright, 22, was in the basket of a cheery picker when it overbalanced and wedged him between the machinery and a steel frame. Paramedics worked on him for an hour at the scene in Yatala, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, about 10.30am on Tuesday, but couldn't save him. David James Wright, 22, (L) was mourned by his sister Sharley Bird (R) in a series of heartbreaking Facebook posts after he was crushed to death in a freak workplace accident His sister Sharley Bird mourned her little brother in a series of heartbreaking Facebook posts and shared photos of them as children. The car detailer, who used to employ Mr Wright, said losing her only brother was the worst news should could ever hear. 'David I love you so much. Im so sorry your life has been taken away from you so early... 22, you didnt even have a chance to make all the mistakes in life,' she wrote. 'You were only just starting to experience life.' His sister said said losing her only brother was the worst news should could ever hear Paramedics worked on him for an hour at the scene in Yatala, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, about 10.30am on Tuesday, but couldn't save him The next morning she wrote that she wished it had all been a dream, before recalling some fond childhood memories the close siblings shared. 'I remember the day you bit your tongue off but I was just so angry at you because we werent going bowling anymore because we had to go to the hospital,' she wrote. 'I remember getting so mad because you got to eat ice cream for a month but I had to eat my veggies. 'I remember when we wagged school together, you told me you wanted to go to the movies, so we walked nearly two hours to the big shopping centre so we could try sneak in but we couldnt do it. 'The first time I got you drunk, its was 8.30 and you were vomiting in a saucepan because we couldnt find you a bucket.' Mr Wright had only just moved to the Gold Coast to take up the construction job after leaving his sister's business The incident was under investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Ms Bird said her brother would stay at her house when he had a fight with his mother and though him living in her tiny apartment annoyed her, she loved having him around. 'I keep hoping you are going to show up, that this is another one of your stupid jokes. Every moment that passes it becomes more and more real that Im never going to see your stupid face again,' she wrote. 'You werent meant to leave me yet, you werent meant to go. You finally wanted to stand on your own two feet and youll never get a chance. 'They have taken away a life that hadnt even begun living yet, I will miss you forever. I will see you soon brother, you owe me money still.' Mr Wright had only just moved to the Gold Coast to take up the construction job after leaving his sister's business. The incident was under investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. The Irish Prime Minister said Theresa May plans to propose suggestions on an Irish Border over the next 24 hours as she desperately tries to seal a Brexit divorce deal. Mrs May's struggle to hammer out an agreement previously looked to have been stalled, after Dublin threatened to kick trade talks into the New Year. However, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke to Mrs May earlier today and that she wanted to get back to him either 'tonight or tomorrow'. The Prime Minister has denied caving into Brussels demands as she scrambles to get the plans back on track. She is pictured switching on the Christmas lights at Downing Street today Leo Varadkar said Theresa May plans to propose suggestions on an Irish Border over the next 24 hours as she desperately tries to seal a Brexit divorce deal. Theresa May, pictured at PMQs today, had planned to return to Brussels swiftly to try to complete a divorce deal with the EU, but this has been cancelled Boris Johnson is said to have confronted Mrs May over the compromises at Cabinet yesterday. He is pictured right at a NATO meeting in Brussels today Michael Gove, pictured left arriving for Cabinet with Jeremy Hunt yesterday, is said to be part of a revolt of Brexiteers who have a 'genuine fear' Mrs May wants to push through a soft option The Premier said: 'We discussed the idea certainly but we didn't discuss any particular words or combination of words or language but I certainly indicated a willingness to consider any proposals that the UK side have. 'Having consulted with people in London, she wants to come back to us with some text tonight or tomorrow. I expressed my willingness to consider that because I want us to move to phase two if that is possible next week.' Mrs May has angrily denied caving into Brussels demands as she scrambles to get the EU divorce plans back on track. But the DUP, who humiliatingly torpedoed the proposals just before Mrs May was due to seal them on Monday, have demanded more assurances they will not trigger the break-up of the UK. Mr Varadkar previously warned he was ready to delay a decision on launching trade talks to beyond Christmas - even though it could raise the prospect of Britain leaving with 'no deal'. In a combative performance at PMQs, Mrs May defended her position, insisting no terms would be finalised until an overall deal was struck with the EU next year, and said the sides were 'close' to making progress on the first phase of negotiations. The defence came after Mrs May was rebuked for playing a 'risky game' by keeping her top team and the DUP in the dark over plans for a 'soft Brexit' deal with Brussels. The Northern Ireland party inflicted a fresh blow this morning by dismissing the idea the painstakingly assembled proposals can be put back on track this week, ahead of a crunch EU summit next Thursday. Downing Street seemed to be gloomy about the prospect of Mrs May returning to Brussels imminently to finalise the plans. Mrs May was repeatedly urged to toughen up her stance by MPs in the Commons. Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said her Brexit red lines needed a 'new coat of paint', while hardline Eurosceptic Peter Bone offered to accompany her to Brussels to 'sort out' the Eurocrats. Mrs May angrily dismissed the idea that she would agree anything that would put the integrity of the UK at risk DUP MPs Nigel Dodds, Jeffrey Donaldson and Gregory Campbell (pictured left to right) seemed to be enjoying themselves during the PMQs session today Mrs May said: 'We're leaving the EU, we're leaving the single market and the customs union but we will do what is right in the interests of the whole United Kingdom and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.' There is growing alarm on the Tory benches after David Davis confirmed some sectors of the UK economy could have to align with the EU after Brexit to resolve the Irish border issue. Former leader Iain Duncan Smith who has acted as a bridge between No 10 and Eurosceptic MPs until now described the proposal as 'intolerable' and suggested it was time to walk away from the talks. 'We are beginning to stare at the edge of what is a price that we simply cannot afford to pay,' he said. Mr Johnson tried to ease the tensions today by pointing out that the EU is being unreasonable in expecting the UK to make commitments without knowing what the 'end state' of trade arrangements will be. Speaking to journalists as he arrived at a NATO meeting in Brussels today, Mr Johnson said the government 'would find a solution'. 'We are going to take back control of our borders and our cash contributions,' he said. 'But that solution can only be discovered in the context of discussions on the end state of the UK's relations with the rest of the EU.' DUP MP Jim Shannon challenged Mrs May over the situation at PMQs this afternoon. NO TRADE TALKS FOR MONTHS UNLESS A DIVORCE DEAL IS DONE BY NEXT WEEK Brexit trade talks might not start until the Spring unless a divorce deal is done in the coming days. The EU summit taking place next Thursday and Friday is the last opportunity this year to get approval for the second phase of negotiations. Unless leaders agree this time around that 'sufficient progress' has been made, it might have to wait until the next gathering in several months. The EU has also been insisting that a deal must be thrashed out several days before the summit so it can be put out for 'consultation'. But in reality it is likely the arrangement over the Irish border - thought to be the biggest outstanding issue - could be settled by leaders on the night if it came to a crunch. EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has made clear he is prepared to meet Mrs May at any point over the next week to try to clear the first phase. Advertisement 'Can you give a specific commitment that nothing will be done that creates any barrier constitutionally, politically, economically, or regulatory between NI and the rest of the UK?' he asked. She replied: 'The simple answer is yes. He will know as other members will that there are already areas where there are specific arrangements between NI and Republic of Ireland, for example specific energy markets... 'We want to make sure there is no hard border, that is what we're working for, we are also working to protect the constitutional integrity of the UK and the internal market of the UK and I think we share those aims.' Mr Bone, a leading Brexiteer, drew gales of laughter in the chamber by offering to act as the PM's enforcer. 'If we have a problem would it help if I came over to Brussels with you to sort them out?' he said. Mr Rees-Mogg, who yesterday congratulated the DUP on scuppering the proposed divorce deal, said: 'Will she apply a new coat of paint to her red lines... they are looking a bit pink.' Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn labelled the Government's Brexit approach a 'shambles'. But Mrs May shot back that Labour was in chaos over whether it wanted to stay in the European single market or not. 'The only hard border around is right down the middle of the Labour Party,' she said. The DUP is now taking a hard line, insisting that there will need to be 'days' of talks to sort out their differences. Mrs Foster finally accepted a phone call from Mrs May this morning after apparently blanking her for more than 24 hours, however it is understood to have been brief and little more than polite. Downing Street sources described the call as 'constructive' but would not give any estimate for when Mrs May might return to Brussels to finalise the deal. Behind the scenes Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers have complained they are being kept in the dark about the extent of the compromises being mooted by Mrs May, both on the Irish border and the European Court of Justice. Chancellor Philip Hammond today confirmed that the senior team has yet to 'mandate' a government position on the 'end state' it wants - indicating that fundamental questions have yet to be addressed. Mr Hammond said such a discussion would be 'premature' before trade talks have even begun. DAVID DAVIS SAYS BREXIT IMPACT COULD BE ON SCALE OF CREDIT CRUNCH David Davis appeared before the Brexit select committee today Brexit could have as big an impact on the British economy as the 2008 credit crunch, David Davis warned today. The Brexit Secretary said quitting the Brussels club will amount to a 'paradigm change' comparable with the biggest financial slump since the Depression of the 1930s. He made the extraordinary comment as he was called before the Brexit select committee where he admitted no Brexit impact assessments have been carried out by Whitehall. He said an assessment of the potential impact of Brexit on different sectors of the UK economy would not necessarily be 'informative' as economic models 'have all proven wrong' in the past. Mr Davis told the committee: 'You don't need to do a formal impact assessment to understand that if there is a regulatory hurdle between your producers and a market, there will be an impact.' Advertisement One Cabinet source told the Telegraph: 'It seems that either Northern Ireland is splitting from the rest of the UK or we are headed for high alignment with the EU, which certainly hasn't been agreed by Cabinet. The Prime Minister is playing a risky game.' Mr Johnson and Environment Secretary Mr Gove - who have restored their alliance after dramatically falling out during the Tory leadership campaign last year - are said to be leading a revolt of Brexiteers who have a 'genuine fear' that Mrs May is going to push through a 'soft Brexit'. Tory grandee Bernard Jenkin said the EU was trying to force concessions on trade before negotiations had even started. 'EU is using NI border issue as a proxy for the trade negotiations which have not started,' he wrote on Twitter. 'EU cannot abide the idea that UK leaving sets a precedent for invisible external frontiers elsewhere, though we cd all agree: Ireland case is completely exceptional.' The Foreign Secretary reportedly confronted the Prime Minister in a dramatic clash during Cabinet yesterday over her negotiating strategy. A senior insider told The Sun: 'Cabinet is in the dark about what the PM is doing, which is a very strange state of affairs to be in.' Meanwhile the DUP, whose ten MPs prop up the Government, made it clear it would not accept the plans put forward by the Prime Minister on Monday to secure a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal. Talks with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker stalled on Monday after DUP leader Arlene Foster vetoed plans for a compromise on the status of the Irish border. The Prime Minister had planned to return to Brussels today to try to complete a divorce deal with the EU. But the trip has been cancelled after Mrs Foster said she would not accept plans to retain 'regulatory alignment' between Northern Ireland and the Republic after Brexit. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn labelled the Government's Brexit approach a 'shambles'. But Mrs May said Labour was in chaos over whether it wanted to stay in the European single market Peter Bone offered to come to Brussels with the PM and 'sort them out'. DUP MP Jim Shannon asked Mrs May for a commitment that Northern Ireland would not diverge from the UK Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg warned Mrs May she needed to put a 'new coat of paint' on her Brexit red lines Irish Taoiseach Mr Varadkar risked fuelling the row by arguing that the DUP did not represent everybody in Northern Ireland. 'We need to bear in mind that there are a lot of different voices in Northern Ireland; we need to listen to them all, and all parties in Northern Ireland, not just one,' he told the Dail parliament in Dublin. He said his Government wanted to begin phase two of the UK-EU talks to address post-Brexit trade and acknowledged it was in the Republic's own interest. 'We want to move to phase two but if it is not possible to move to phase two next week then we can pick it up in the new year,' he said. He added that he stood by the text of a draft deal 'agreed' on Monday. In a phone call with Mrs May later, Mr Varadkar 'reiterated the firm Irish position', according to a spokesman. Government sources insisted that the proposal on the Irish border was only a 'backstop' designed to open the door to trade talks this month. David Davis, pictured leaving his Whitehall office today, has confirmed some sectors of the UK economy could have to align with the EU after Brexit to resolve the Irish border issue Mr Davis, pictured giving evidence to MPs today, was in Brussels with Mrs May this week DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured in Belfast last night) refused to back down in a row over Brexit insisting she was just as 'unequivocal' as Dublin about the terms of the Irish border A source said the proposal was limited to a few areas linked to the Good Friday Agreement, such as agriculture and energy. But Mr Duncan Smith warned it could 'box in' the UK, making it a 'supplicant' to Brussels even after Brexit, and preventing the Government striking trade deals. Mrs May began the day by telling the Cabinet she was 'very close to getting agreement' with the EU on a divorce deal, which she hopes could unlock the door to the start of trade talks. The PM told ministers there were 'only a small number of issues outstanding'. But a Cabinet source said the detail of the plans had barely been discussed by Mrs May at a meeting of the Cabinet yesterday. 'There is not a lot of clarity here,' the source said. 'People want to be helpful to the PM in this, but they are befuddled by the approach she has taken. People want to see the detail and it is not forthcoming that is a worry.' Whitehall sources last night revealed that even Mr Davis did not learn that the phrase 'regulatory alignment' had been inserted into a proposed agreement with Brussels until Sunday. One former minister last night warned the crisis could shorten Mrs May's tenure in No 10, saying: 'The PM is in a very weak position and she needs to wake up to the fact. She is making her position less and less tenable.' One EU ambassador said: 'We cannot go on like this, with no idea what the UK wants. She just has to have the conversation with her own cabinet, and if that upsets someone, or someone resigns, so be it.' Iain Duncan Smith who has acted as a bridge between No 10 and Eurosceptic MPs until now described the proposal as 'intolerable' Tory Sir Bill Cash said any commitment to align all or part of the UK's laws with the EU would be 'massively difficult' to accept. Former Brexit minister David Jones said the move would make it difficult to strike free trade deals with countries outside the EU. He called the idea 'dangerous', adding: 'If we are aligned with the EU on agriculture, for example, it would be impossible to conclude any meaningful free trade agreements with third countries.' Jacob Rees-Mogg described the issue as an 'indelible red line' and voiced 'gratitude' to the DUP for vetoing the deal. Damian Green is blamed for DUP crisis with claims he was distracted by sleaze scandal Damian Green has been blamed for failing to head off the Brexit crisis with the DUP - amid claims he is distracted by sleaze allegations. The PM's deputy faces jibes that he has not been focused on his role as a link with the Northern Ireland party - which is propping up Theresa May in power. The DUP complained about being kept in the dark over Mrs May's frantic negotiations with the EU as they dramatically torpedoed the plans on Monday. The premier is now scrambling to get the painstakingly assembled proposals back on track ahead of a crunch EU summit next week. Damian Green, pictured leaving his London home today, has been blamed for failing to head off the Brexit crisis with the DUP - amid claims he is distracted by sleaze allegations DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds yesterday defended his party's decision to torpedo the deal Theresa May had painstakingly assembled in the EU Mr Green chairs a key coordination committee intended to ensure the 10 DUP MPs are kept up to speed with government plans. However, senior sources in the party told the Telegraph they were appalled the First Secretary of State made no attempt to brief them on the text of the Brexit deal before. They suggested he might have been too caught up in the Cabinet Office probe into allegations that pornography was found on his office computer in 2008, and that he made a clumsy pass at a Tory activist. The inquiry is expected to deliver its findings to Mrs May within the coming days. A source close to Mr Green insisted the coordination committee only looked at wider issues around government policy. 'It has never been Damian Green's job at any single point to brief the DUP on the border issue,' they added. Walk away from Brexit talks unless the EU drops 'intolerable' demands, Iain Duncan Smith tells Theresa May Iain Duncan Smith last night urged Theresa May to abandon Brexit talks unless the EU agrees to back away from its 'intolerable' demands. In an ominous move, the former Conservative leader went public about his growing concerns with the direction of the negotiations on a potential divorce deal. Mr Duncan Smith said accepting the EU's demands would leave the UK a 'supplicant' nation after Brexit. Iain Duncan Smith last night urged Theresa May to abandon Brexit talks unless the EU agrees to back away from its 'intolerable' demands He said he had told the PM: 'We have reached the point where really these sets of demands are demands too far.' He added that it was time to tell the EU: 'We're not prepared to go down this road any longer, this is not working, we will not box ourselves in.' Mr Duncan Smith has acted as a bridge between No 10 and the Eurosceptic wing of the Tory Party, helping to persuade MPs to back Mrs May and avoid rocking the boat. His decision to speak out underlines the difficulty Mrs May now faces in persuading the Right of the party to back her approach to Brexit. But last night Mr Duncan Smith said he could not accept plans to resolve the Irish border issue by signing up to a system of 'regulatory alignment' that could tie sectors of the whole UK economy to Brussels rules after Brexit. He said it was 'not just the DUP' who were unhappy about a plan that would 'give away our status before we even get to the trade arrangements'. He said agreeing to the demand from Dublin and Brussels would 'box in' the UK's future options and limit our ability to negotiate future trade deals with other countries. Mr Duncan Smith also voiced grave reservations about allowing any future role for the European Court of Justice, which Brussels is saying should continue to have jurisdiction over EU citizens' rights in Britain. He told the BBC: 'We are beginning to stare at the edge of what is a price that we simply cannot afford to pay.' Mr Duncan Smith said the EU 'needs to budge'. He said the UK was 'reaching the point fairly fast' where it should just walk away and prepare to leave the EU without a trade deal. He suggested no deal would be better than a 'wholly intolerable one that leaves us boxed in and unable to make the kind of arrangements with the US, Australia, India and all these other countries that we want to make arrangements with'. Mr Duncan Smith's decision to speak out underlines the difficulty Mrs May now faces in persuading the Right of the party to back her approach to Brexit And he warned there was a danger that 'we will end up being supplicants in this process rather than being equal partners.' He added: 'I think the PM is recognising that. It's just becoming very clear that no matter what we say that we will help them with, there is another demand placed there and that stands in the way of trade.' Signalling the tensions fracturing the Tory Party, former education secretary Nicky Morgan last night rounded on Mr Duncan Smith, saying: 'This is madness. Walking away when the Brexiteers encounter difficulties they never bothered to anticipate is not in the national interest.' With his plump hands in the pockets of his double-breasted winter coat, Kim Jong Un beams as he visits a brand new potato factory in North Korea. Donning his trademark fedora, the despot poses on the gleaming factory floor, in a shed jam-packed with potatoes, and in a pristine food shop on the site in Samjiyon, near the Chinese border. The carefully staged photos, shared with the world by North Korea's state news agency, give the impression the communist state is thriving and sparkling new factories produce an abundance of food. The government boasts this one was built in just a month and can produce 4,000 tons of potato starch every year. But the reality is far different, as everyday North Koreans are ravaged by food shortages and are rationed just 300g of food a day - equivalent to a packet of Hobnob biscuits. Despot: With his plump hands in the pockets of his double-breasted winter coat, Kim Jong Un beams as he visits a brand new potato factory in North Korea Leader: Kim outside the factory before his tour. These carefully staged photos were shared with the world by North Korea's state news agency Delight: Kim poses in a pristine food shop on the site of the factory in Samjiyon, near the Chinese border Beaming: The despot poses on the gleaming factory floor as he takes a tour with his advisers around the factory It is said that the severe food shortage is forcing desperate fisherman go further and further out to sea to find more food - resulting in many dying and their ships being washed up abroad. In November, 28 'ghost ship' fishing vessels - boats without men - washed up in Japanese waters, the highest monthly number since records began in 2014. Exacerbating the phenomenon is the fact that North Korea has sold fishing rights to China in a bid to raise hard currency, forcing fishermen - often sailing rickety vessels - further out towards Japan in search of a catch. There has been a record number of North Korean fishermen rescued alive - 42 this year compared to zero in 2016 - but there are still cases of 'ghost ships' packed full of bodies, with 18 corpses recovered so far this year. A wooden boat is left after being washed ashore in Tsuruoka, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan on Monday Japanese authorities say it is often hard to determine exactly how they died as the boats often drift for months before washing up in Japan. 'Fishermen are desperate to meet annual catch goals, which are elevated to higher levels every year,' said North Korea expert Toshimitsu Shigemura, professor emeritus of Waseda University. Kim Jong-Un ordered an increase in fishing when he took power in 2013, analysts say. 'Since then, fishermen have been frantically trying to meet (annual) catch goals, but what's different this year is that they are travelling to distant waters in their fragile boats,' said Pyon Jinil, a leading North Korea watcher and writer based in Japan. The skeletal remains of eight men were discovered on this wooden fishing boat which washed up in Japan on Monday and is believed to have come from North Korea It is just the latest North Korean boat to have ended up in Japanese waters this month, as mystery remains over why so many have found themselves adrift 'North Korea last year sold part of its fishing rights in the Yellow Sea to China to get foreign currency, so their fishermen have been kicked out of the western part of their waters,' he said. 'So this year, Kim Jong-Un ordered his people in a New Year address to 'establish a fishing base in the Sea of Japan',' Pyon said. Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, concurred, adding: 'Because they can't fish in their own waters, they have to go farther out.' 'North Korea's fishing boats are quite old and they don't have much fuel... so they naturally end up adrift and float into Japan,' said Yang. This boat was discovered last Monday, another washed ashore on Friday, while four were discovered the previous week - including two which capsized There is also the backdrop of a severe food shortage, partly linked to international sanctions, analysts said. Food rationing has been stepped up with 'every North Korean person now receiving only 300 grams of food per day,' noted Pyon. 'In order to plug the shortages of staple food like rice and corn, they want to buy from China, but they don't have hard currency to buy food, either,' he said. North Korea's foreign reserves have shrunk to one third of what it held last year because of new rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council - two this year and nine in total, he noted. Eight North Korea squid fishermen were discovered on this vessel last week and said they had been adrift for a month after losing engine power America's friends and foes unleashed fierce criticism on Wednesday ahead of Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital which is expected at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday. But Trump is sticking to his guns, calling his decision an act of political courage. The president previewed 'a big announcement' during a cabinet meeting, which he said concerns 'Israel and the Palestinians in the Middle East. And I think it's long overdue.' 'Many presidents have said they want to do something, and they didn't do it. Whether it's through courage or they change their mind I can't tell you. But a lot of people have said we have to do something, and they didn't do it.' A senior administration official said Tuesday that the president would also launch a long process of moving America's embassy there from Tel Aviv. 'The president believes this is a recognition of reality,' the official said. While Israel welcomed the news, Palestinian officials declared the Mideast peace process 'finished' and Turkey announced it would host a meeting of Islamic nations next week to give Muslim countries' leaders an opportunity to coordinate a response. In Gaza, U.S. and Israeli flags were burned and in the West bank Hamas declared Friday a 'day of rage,' raising the specter of mass violence in the occupied territories. Scroll down for video Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitol on Wednesday and launch a process to move the U.S. embassy there, casting his decision as an act of political courage In flames: In Gaza Palestinians burned the U.S. and Israeli flags as Trump's announcement later on Wednesday was revealed Palestinians burned a poster of Trump during a protest in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Tuesday in anticipation of the announcement President Donald Trump will say Wednesday that the U.S. officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and that the U.S. will begin the process of moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv. Benjamin Netanyahu was largely silent about the move but his Cabinet welcomed it Rebukes spread: In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge Trump and at the Vatican Pope Francis said he was 'profoundly concerned' and appealed that 'everyone respects the status quo of the city' More opprobrium: Turkey's president Recey Tayyip Erdogan, who met King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday, had called the move on Jerusalem a 'red line'. His spokesman on Wednesday said it was a 'grave mistake that will virtually eliminate the fragile Middle East peace process'. Israeli security forces braced for violence but said so far the situation was peaceful. The Pope made a plea for Trump to rethink urgently and spoke out at his weekly general audience in Rome . 'I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations,' Pope Francis said. THE WORLD REACTS TO TRUMP'S MOVE 'I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts.' Pope Francis 'Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see. We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.' Boris Johnson, British Foreign Secretary 'Our historical national identity is receiving important expressions every day.' Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister 'Declaring Jerusalem a capital is disregarding history and the truths in the region, it is a big injustice/cruelty, shortsightedness, foolishness/madness, it is plunging the region and the world into a fire with no end in sight.' Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag 'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims, hundreds of millions of Christians, that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel.' Manuel Hassassian, chief Palestinian representative to Britain 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Advertisement The Roman Catholic Pontiff told thousands of people at his general audience: 'I cannot keep quiet about my deep concern about the situation that has been created in the last few days.' A Turkish government spokesman said that the move will plunge the region and the world into 'a fire with no end in sight.' In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge the country's closest ally. 'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter,' May told MPs. 'Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one. 'It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states.' The harsh global reaction cast questions about the feasibility of a brewing U.S. peace plan that is expected to be presented by the White House in the near future. Trump would effectively be making a declaration of war, the Palestinians' chief representative to Britain said Wednesday. 'If he says what he is intending to say about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, it means a kiss of death to the two-state solution,' Manuel Hassassian said in a BBC radio interview. 'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims [and] hundreds of millions of Christians that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel,' Hassassian added. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state and fear that Trump's declaration essentially imposes on them a disastrous solution for one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome,' said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. 'They cannot take us for granted.' The U.S. decision 'destroys the peace process,' added Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Top Palestinian officials were meeting Wednesday to plot their course forward. U.S. officials said late Tuesday that Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Moving the embassy will be a longer process. Trump complained during a late morning cabinet meeting at the White House that 'many presidents have said they want to do something, and they didn't do it; whether it's through courage or they change their mind I can't tell you' Contested city: Jerusalem is the holiest city of three religions and until now, never recognized by the U.S. or most other countries as Israel's capital. Trump's move upends what had long been U.S. policy, that recognition would be part of the peace process 'This will be a matter of some years. It won't be immediate, it won't be months, it won't be quick,' a senior administration official said Tuesday night. 'For instance,' he said, 'the United States was looking at moving out of Grosvenor Square in London for a long, long time. And I think that took something like eight years to get done and will be done in early 2018.' 'It is a practicable impossibility to move the embassy tomorrow,' another official said. 'There are about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. There is no facility they can move into in Jerusalem, as of today.' 'It will take some time to find a site, address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility working with Congress, obviously and build it. So this is not an instantaneous process.' Israel is the only country where the United States has an embassy in a city that the host nation does not consider its capital. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Facebook that 'Our historical national identity is receiving important expressions every day.' He said he would comment further later in the day. Other members of his Cabinet were more forthcoming. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the nationalist Jewish Home party, praised what he called Trump's 'bold and yet natural' move. 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said A laborer hangs a U.S. national flag on a lamp post along a street where the U.S. consulate in located in Jerusalem 'The sooner the Arab world recognizes Jerusalem as our capital, the sooner we will reach real peace. Real peace that is not predicated on an illusion that we are going to carve up Jerusalem and carve up Israel,' Bennett told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference. The Family Research Council, an American evangelical Christian group, was enthusiastic. 'America's foreign policy, as it pertains to Israel, is coming into alignment with this biblical truth: Jerusalem is the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state,' the group's president Tony Perkins said. International leaders, however, swiftly criticized Trump's plan. China, which has good ties with Israel and the Palestinians, expressed concerns over 'possible aggravation of regional tensions.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a news briefing that the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and China was concerned the U.S. decision 'could sharpen regional conflict.' BUILD AN EMBASSY? WHY NOT HANG A NEW SIGN INSTEAD? Any building where an American ambassador has his or her residence and regular office is technically an embassy. It's like the concept of Air Force One, which is not a specific aircraft: Any plane the President of the United States rides on, even if it's a single-engine crop-duster, is technically Air Force One. The U.S. already has a consulate in Jerusalem, meaning that a new sign on the door and new accommodations for Ambassador David Friedman would technically acomplish what President Trump wants. But the White House says it will go through a years-long process instead, not moving Friedman and his staff until Congress funds and the State Department builds a brand new facility. 'We don't just put a plaque on a door and open a mission,' a senior administration official said Tuesday evening. 'There are major security, structural concerns and very, very strict guidelines anywhere in the world that have to be followed before that flag goes up or that plaque goes on. Jerusalem is no exception to those rules.' In January former U.S. Ambassador to the United nations John Bolton told DailyMail.com that the State Department could and should take the quicker route. 'You can move the embassy by changing the name-plate on the consulate, and then build a permanent embassy in due course,' he said. 'The sooner they do it the better.' Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee added that the State Department should 'do it do it quickly, do it boldly. In fact, my advice to them is don't announce you're going to do it.' 'Do it and announce you just did it,' said Huckabee. 'You do it, and you just say, "Yesterday we moved the embassy." ... It would be totally unnecessary and counterproductive to say, "We're going to start laying a building cornerstone," and it just creates an environment for tension that's unnecessary.' Advertisement 'All parties should do more for the peace and tranquility of the region, behave cautiously, and avoid impacting the foundation for resolving the long-standing Palestine issue and initiating new hostility in the region,' Geng said. Russia, a key Mideast player, expressed its concern about a 'possible deterioration.' Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump. Britain's Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who had already expressed concern about the U.S. decision, on Wednesday said it was now time for the Americans to present their peace plan for the region. 'Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see,' Johnson said. 'We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.' In Brussels Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to dampen down the reaction. 'The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process,' Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. He said a small team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner - a 36-year-old former property developer - has been 'engaged in a quiet way' in the region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. 'We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely,' Tillerson said. Trump's Mideast team have spent months meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders. Details of their long awaited plan remain a mystery. 'Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward,' Johnson told reporters in Brussels. In his speech, Trump was expected to instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. It remained unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi says moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would be "the death knell of any peace process" https://t.co/GfVtsLxmcT CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 6, 2017 Trump's relationship with Chinese presidenet Xi Jinping could be in danger after Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and the U.S. decision 'could sharpen regional conflict' To that end, the officials said Trump would delay the embassy move by signing a waiver, which is required by U.S. law every six months. He will continue to sign the waiver until preparations for the embassy move are complete. IT'S INSANE, SAY PALESTINIANS IN JERUSALEM Palestinians seethed with anger and a sense of betrayal over President Trump's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many heard the death knell for the long-moribund U.S.-sponsored talks aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They also said more violence could erupt. 'Trump wants to help Israel take over the entire city. Some people may do nothing, but others are ready to fight for Jerusalem,' said Hamad Abu Sbeih, 28, an unemployed resident of the walled Old City. 'This decision will ignite a fire in the region. Pressure leads to explosions,' he said. 'This is insane. You are speaking about something fateful. Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine and neither the world nor our people will accept it,' said Samir Al-Asmar, 58, a merchant from the Old City who was a child when it fell to Israel. 'It will not change what Jerusalem is. Jerusalem will remain Arab. Such a decision will sabotage things and people will not accept it.' Advertisement The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity pending Trump's announcement, said the decision was merely an acknowledgment of 'historical and current reality' rather than a political statement and said the city's physical and political borders will not be compromised. They noted that almost all of Israel's government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries maintain embassies. Still, the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital carries deep symbolic significance and could have dangerous consequences. The competing claims to east Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967, have frequently boiled over into deadly violence over the years. East Jerusalem is home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as well as its 330,000 Palestinian residents. The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed U.S. security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. Embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Key national security advisers including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns. THREE FAITHS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY HAVE SHAPED THE EMBASSY BATTLE Jerusalem has been a contested site for centuries, and today three major world religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity lay claim to various holy sites and monuments there. Jews see the Temple Mount as their holiest site. Christians see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as theirs because they believe it was where Christ rose from the dead. Muslims see the Al-Aqsa Mosque as their third holiest site after the two largest mosques in Saudi Arabia. Three faiths, one city: Jews, Muslims and Christians have contested parts of Jerusalem for many hundreds of years The importance of each has echoed down through history. Medieval maps put Jerusalem in the center of the world, the Crusades tried to capture the city for Christians and the sites changed hands repeatedly during the Middle Ages. By the 1800s Jerusalem had a population of just 8,000 people and was a backwater in the Ottoman Empire but that was to change rapidly as colonial powers fought over the Middle East, Christian revivalists moved into the city and Zionism became a significant political movement among the world's Jews. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire left Britain in charge of the heterogeneous city and its growing New Jerusalem as settlement spread beyond the city walls. Jewish immigration boomed and tensions grew, with a pogrom in 1920, then growing attacks from Zionist groups on British forces. It was to presage a bloody aftermath of World War II as Jewish militias steppes up attacks on the British. But the immediate roots of Trump's dramatic announcement lie in the messy history of the Middle East after World War II. The U.N. plan which set up separate Jewish and Israeli states in what had been British-controlled Palestine in 947 said Jerusalem was to be a 'separated body' administered by the United Nations. The State of Israel was declared in 1948 and over the next year recognized by countries including the U.S. but crucially on the basis of the U.N. plan, meaning Jerusalem could not be the capital. Israeli soldiers after capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967 Conflict which rolled into 1949 ended in an armistice which left Israel controlling the west of the city and Jordan the east, and Israel's president called the city Israel's 'eternal capital'. But the world largely did not follow. The U.S., which wanted a negotiated settlement to replace the armistice of 1949, built its embassy in Tel Aviv, and most other countries followed. The situation was upended in 1967 when the Six Day War's spectacular victories gave Israel control of Jerusalem and the West Bank. That ushered in a new era for Israel, which took control of East Jerusalem and made it separate legally from the West Bank, and over the years repeatedly rejecting the 1947 U.N. position of the city's special status. Repeated efforts to settle the issue have involved the final status of Jerusalem being part of the negotiations towards a deal. The U.S., which has been in support of the major past efforts, kept its embassy in Tel Aviv as a result, and other major countries did the same. Tel Aviv is the undoubted economic capital of Israel but the country's parliament and president are in Jerusalem and diplomats have to go there to be officially recognized and for many meetings with the country's government. A handful of smaller countries have from time to time recognized Jerusalem as capital and even had embassies there, but no major country has until now made that declaration. In Israel and Palestine both sides appear determined to have Jerusalem as their capital and no peace plan has ever got far enough to test whether potential compromises which have been offered such as an international trust administering the holy sites, and the creation of a Palestinian capital in the suburbs would actually happen. Currently the city is roughly two-thirds Jewish and one-third Muslim, and the historic Christian community makes up just two per cent of the population. Advertisement Trump has spoken of his desire to broker a 'deal of the century' that would end Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said the president's speech was not aimed at resolving the conflict over Jerusalem. He isn't planning to use the phrase 'undivided capital,' according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem. One official also said Trump would insist that issues of sovereignty and borders must be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. The official said Trump would call for Jordan to maintain its role as the legal guardian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy places, and reflect Israel and Palestinian wishes for a two-state peace solution. Elsewhere, however, reactions were skeptical, especially across the Muslim world. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the 'whole world is against' Trump's move, and the supreme leader of Iran, Israel's staunchest enemy, condemned Trump. The state TV's website quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying that 'the victory will ultimately be for the Islamic nation and Palestine.' Iran does not recognize Israel, and supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas. That they claim they want to announce Quds as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Khamenei said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. This is the moment a homeowner tried to trick an unsuspecting thief by leaving an exploding package on their doorstep. The hooded man can be seen walking down a residential street in Tacoma, Washington when he appears to spot a parcel outside a property. In the video posted to YouTube, the male jumps the small picket fence and attempts to pick up the box. The hooded man can be seen walking down a residential street in Tacoma, Washington when he appears to spot a parcel outside a property Seconds after, the disturbed item explodes in his face causing him to drop the pack and run away. But not all viewers online believed the footage was genuine, with one user describing the incident as a 'set up'. Others questioned the legalities of leaving a trap out for thieves and pondered who would be liable if the criminal was injured. The law dictates that homeowners are generally not responsible if a trespasser is injured on their property but there are exceptions. Homeowners can be sued for willful and wanton conduct that injures a trespasser if they leave 'booby traps' - such as explosive parcels - out on display. One person did believe it was genuine however, writing: 'So many white crack and meth heads running around North America now - it's comical.' But M Lowry said: 'Yeah, I'm going to call BS on this one. The whole thing is staged and the thief is totally in on it. 'The local on the 'package' is being held on by two peices of tape and is clearly a note not an address label. 'Since when does a package thief check out the boxes? They grab and run.' While Owens witheringly wrote: 'Classic, jumping a gate that is unlocked.' Seconds after the unsuspecting thief attempts to lift the parcel, the disturbed item explodes in his face causing him to drop the pack and run away But not all viewers online believed the footage was genuine, with one user witheringly mocking the thief 'jumping a gate' that was unlocked Atlanta voters were set to declare their new mayor after local officials tallied more than 92,000 ballots that were cast in a runoff election Tuesday evening. The margin was razor-thin however, with less than 800 votes separating Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood. The race for mayor in Atlanta, Souths most influential city, was too close to call after Bottoms, 47, declared herself the city's new leader and Norwood, 65, vowed to request a recount. Bottoms, a Democrat, spoke early Wednesday at an Atlanta hotel, saying near the end of her speech that 'I am just in awe of what God is able to do. I'm so honored to be your 60th mayor,' she told her cheering supporters. Atlanta mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms declares victory during an election-night watch party Wednesday Atlanta city councilwoman and mayoral candidate Mary Norwood steps off the stage after telling supporters she'll seek a recount in the tight race at an election night party in Atlanta, Tuesday But Norwood, an independent politician, took to the podium at her own rally and said that absentee ballots from military members were yet to figure in the totals, and she believes some ballots have yet to be tabulated. 'We will be asking for a recount,' Norwood said after she revealed just 759 votes separated the candidates early Wednesday morning. Bottoms led Norwood by a margin of less than 1 per cent, which is the threshold where the second-place finisher can request a recount under state law. Despite Norwood's public plea for a recount, Bottoms and her supporters celebrated the victory as she said: 'This has been a very, very, very long campaign, but as we look ahead toward the future, I look forward to engaging with each of you, making sure that our city continues to move forward.' Atlanta mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms and her family prepare to enter the gym of Fickett Elementary School to vote during the Atlanta mayoral run-off election, Tuesday 'And for those who did not support me, I look forward to working with you as well because this is still a city for all of us,' she concluded. Additionally at a campaign gathering early Wednesday Kasim Reed, the current 59th mayor of Atlanta, introduced Bottoms as his successor. The contest between Bottoms, who is black, and Norwood, who is white, was seen as a test of the staying power of a long-dominant black political machine amid profound demographic and economic changes. Both women are Atlanta city council members. Norwood calls herself an independent and Bottoms is the chosen successor of outgoing Mayor Kasim Reed. A victory for Bottoms would continue a run of African-American mayors that began with Maynard Jackson in the mid-1970s. A win for Norwood would give Atlanta its first-ever white female mayor, and end the Democratic Party's hold on an office it has held without interruption since 1879. A half-century after white flight led to sprawl that fueled legendary traffic jams, Atlanta is booming economically and growing at a breakneck pace, with townhouses and apartments going up in vacant lots all over town. Parts of the city are more diverse, younger and wealthier than they have been in years. Mary Norwood makes a statement as she arrives for her election night party at the Park Tavern in the Atlanta mayoral runoff on Tuesday Political analysts have said African-American voters will ultimately determine the outcome, but many of the city's most formidable challenges transcend race. Everyone seems to care about transportation, public safety and affordable housing. As rents and home prices soar, some longtime residents struggle to stay in their neighborhoods, and face no easy commutes if they move out. 'We're behind the times in terms of having a modern transportation system compared to what you see in New York or Washington,' said Kendra A. King Momon, professor of politics at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. 'It impacts quality of life because most of us don't know what we're going to run into when we head into the city,' she said of Atlanta's notorious traffic jams. 'That's a huge issue that we have to address.' A big question is whether an ongoing federal probe of corruption in city contracting under Reed's watch will encourage voters to take a fresh look at Norwood, despite fears that as an independent who lives in the upscale Buckhead area of the city, she'll turn out to be a stealth Republican who will serve up City Hall to Georgia's deep-red political apparatus. Atlanta mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, right, is greeted by a well wisher as she arrives for an election-night watch party Tuesday Early returns are broadcast on a television at an election night party for Atlanta city councilwoman and mayoral candidate Mary Norwood in Atlanta, Tuesday As voters went to the polls Tuesday, none spoke openly of race. 'Just listening to Keisha and comparing what she said to the words of Ms. Norwood, I felt like she shared my values more,' said Barbara McFarlin, a 50-year-old black woman who lives in the southwest Atlanta district Bottoms has represented on the city council. James Parson, a 49-year-old black man who also lives in Bottoms' district, said he's been friends with Norwood for three decades and appreciates how she's made herself available to constituents all over the city as an at-large council member. Retired Atlanta firefighters John Howe, left, and Keb Wyant, wait for returns to come in while attending an election night party in support of Atlanta city councilwoman and mayoral candidate Mary Norwood in Atlanta, Tuesday Atlanta mayoral candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms is greeted by a well wisher as she arrives for an election-night watch party Tuesday 'I love that Mary is connected to most of the communities in Atlanta, if not all of them,' he said. 'She's approachable. She has been here. She's no Johnny-come-lately.' Atlanta's last white mayor, Sam Massell, left office in 1974 and was succeeded by five African-American mayors in the next four decades: Jackson, Andrew Young, Bill Campbell, Shirley Franklin and Reed. Regardless of who wins, Atlanta will have its second female mayor, following Franklin who left office in 2010. Jeffrey Brower, 45, a white man who lives in the East Atlanta neighborhood, said he voted for Norwood, but that his vote was more a vote against Bottoms and Reed. Bottoms is too close to Reed and would be like an extension of the current administration, he said. 'Kasim seemed to be more about what's best for Kasim than what's best for the city,' Brower said. A newborn baby found to be alive as it was taken for burial after doctors declared it dead has died six days later. Doctors declared two premature twins dead immediately after their delivery and handed the bodies to their parents in plastic bags. But while the family were on the way to a funeral ground in New Delhi, India, one of the infants started breathing and squirming inside his bag. The boy was immediately admitted to a different hospital but has now died. The first private hospital has sacked the two doctors in charge of the twins' case. Tragic: A boy (picutred) declared dead was found to be alive on the way to afuneral ground. His family admitted the newborn to another hospital where he has died The tragic incident was reported at Delhi's Max Healthcare in Shalimar Bagh on Thursday, where Varsha Bidawat, 21, was admitted on November 28 after suffering labour pains. Her family is now accusing doctors of medical negligence. Aashish Kumar, the woman's husband, said: 'The doctor informed me that Varsha was in a critical stage of labour pain and should be admitted to the ICU immediately.' She delivered a boy and a girl on November 30 at 7.42am. 'The doctors declared the female infant dead soon after she was born, while the male infant was in a critical condition. 'My baby boy was about 75 grams and so he was advised to undergo three months' treatment at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which was costed at 50, 000 per day,' Aashish explained. He added: 'Doctors informed us around 1.30pm that the male infant also died on the ventilator. They packed the bodies of both infants in packets and handed them over to us.' However, the family noticed a slight movement in one of the body bags while they were heading towards the funeral ground. 'Both packets of the dead infants were carried by my father-in-law and he noticed some movement. We immediately stopped the car and saw that the male infant was breathing,' Aashish said. The Max hospital administration in Shaimar Bagh has admitted its error, and asked the doctor concerned to go on leave immediately The family members then rushed to nearby Agarwal Nursing Home at Pitampura, which admitted the baby boy, who was found to be alive. According to the doctors, however, the baby had contracted an infection, as his 'body' had been placed into a plastic bag by hospital staff, and was therefore in a critical condition. 'We have lodged an FIR against Max Hospital at Shalimar Bagh Police Station for medical fault and high medical bills,' said Deepak Kumar, an uncle of the infants. Condemning the incident, union health minister J P Nadda ordered an immediate inquiry. He said the details of the case 'need to be verified' and he asked Delhi government to take the necessary action. The Centre has asked for a comprehensive report from the state government and hospital within two weeks. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kerjiwal tweeted: 'Enquiry ordered. Strongest action wud be taken if found guilty [sic].' Aslam Khan, DCP of north west district, said: 'In cases of medical negligence, the police generally consults the Medical Council of India for its opinion. 'They constitute a committee of expert government doctors to probe the case. Further action will be taken accordingly on the basis of the report.' Meanwhile, the hospital administration admitted the mistake in a statement: 'It has been brought to our attention that a premature (22 weeks), newborn baby who is reported to be on life support at a nursing home was unfortunately handed over without any signs of life by Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh. 'This baby was one of the twins delivered on the morning of November 30. The other baby was stillborn. We are shaken and concerned at this rare incident. 'We have initiated a detailed enquiry, pending which, the doctor concerned has been asked to take leave immediately. We are in constant touch with the parents and are providing all the needed support.' The Delhi Medical Council has taken suo motu cognisance (on its own motion) of the case, said Dr Girish Tyagi, registrar, DMC. A girl of eight was sexually abused by a priest then had her arm broken by a nun who found out about it, an inquiry heard yesterday. Dr Theresa Tolmie-McGrane, now 55, said she was later forced to take Communion from the priest who abused her who told her she was a soldier of God. When she alerted other priests to the abuse, she was told to pray for those responsible. A nun said: What goes on here, stays here. She was a resident of the Smyllum Park orphanage in Lanark, which is now under scrutiny by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Dr Theresa Tolmie-McGrane (left, now 55) was sexually abused by a priest then had her arm broken by a nun who found out about it, an inquiry heard (shown right, as a child) At a hearing in Edinburgh yesterday, Dr Tolmie-McGrane said she informed police about abuse at Smyllum twice, but the nuns accused her of having an overactive imagination. She also said it was common for children deemed to be misbehaving to be told by nuns and staff: Mind you dont end up like Sammy Carr. The inquiry heard last week a six-year-old boy at Smyllum called Sammy Carr was badly beaten by a nun in the 1960s and died soon afterwards. Describing her own abuse, Dr Tolmie-McGrane said a nun had walked in as she was being sexually abused by a priest in 1970. But instead of helping her, the nun called her a whore, grabbed her and hurled her towards a wall. Dr Tolmie-McGrane waived her right to anonymity to recount a catalogue of abuse during her 11 years at Smyllum, which closed in 1981. It included beatings, humiliations, freezing showers and being force-fed. She arrived at the institution, run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in 1968, at the age of six after an abusive early childhood. Dr Tolmie-McGrane said a nun had walked in as she was being sexually abused by a priest in 1970. But instead of helping her, the nun called her a whore and hurled her towards a wall Dr Tolmie-McGrane recounted how, about two years later, she had a job dusting pews in the church. One particular priest would arrive early and ask her to sit on his lap, before progressing to making her perform a sex act on him or watch as he did so. He said, I need you to be a soldier of God, a good little soldier, she told the inquiry, adding that the abuse went on for several months. On one occasion, a nun walked in to the room as it was happening, she said. She told the hearing: I thought, Praise the Lord, shes seeing this, shes going to be angry with him and protect me. Her whole face became distorted. I thought, Shes angry with him, but she was angry with me. She called me a whore, she took my left arm and yanked me out of his lap and flung me across to the wall and said, Get the f*** out of here. Dr Tolmie-McGrane told how she crawled away and had to go back to the chapel where the priest was giving Communion, and looked furious. When another nun found out she could not raise her arm, she was dragged away by the ear and given a real hiding. I said I couldnt lift my arm, my arm hurt. I said a nun has broken my arm, Dr Tolmie-McGrane said. Dr Tolmie-McGrane waived her right to anonymity to recount a catalogue of abuse during her 11 years at Smyllum (shown), which closed in 1981 She told the inquiry the second nun took her to hospital but warned her: Dont you dare tell anybody what happened, young lady, or Ill break your other arm. She also assured her she would be lying to protect a man of God, so its OK to lie. Dr Tolmie-McGrane, who later went to Glasgow University and now works in Norway as a clinical psychologist, was at Smyllum from 1968 until 1979. She said she told priests at confession on two or three occasions about the abuse, but the answer was, Pray for them. Dr Tolmie-McGrane had a fear of the dark but was locked in the Smyllum pantry for up to an hour at a time, at least once a week, until the age of 11 or 12. She approached police on two separate occasions but a nun accused her of having an overactive imagination and no further action was taken. A nun later flew into an uncontrolled rage about her contact with police and told her: What goes on here, stays here. On other occasions, a wooden cross was used by nuns to hit her and other children on the head. Dr Tolmie-McGrane said: I cannot describe what it was like to be hit in the face by Jesus. She was left with permanent emotional and physical scars by nuns who were adept at seeking out childrens psychological weaknesses and branded her a filthy whore and scum of the earth. Colin MacAuley, QC, counsel to the inquiry, put it to her that a particular nun has been spoken to by the inquiry and does not accept the allegations. She replied: All I can say is I have no reason to lie, but she maybe has a lot to lose. The inquiry continues. Advertisement The United States flew a B-1B supersonic bomber over South Korea on Wednesday as part of a massive combined aerial exercise involving hundreds of warplanes, a clear warning aimed at North Korea after it tested its biggest and most powerful missile yet. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Guam-based bomber simulated land strikes at a military field near South Korea's eastern coast during a drill with US and South Korean fighter jets. 'Through the drill, the South Korean and US air forces displayed the allies' strong intent and ability to punish North Korea when threatened by nuclear weapons and missiles,' the military said in a statement. The United States flew a B-1B supersonic bomber (left) over South Korea on Wednesday in part of a massive combined aerial exercise involving hundreds of warplanes, a clear warning after North Korea last week tested its biggest and most powerful missile yet South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Guam-based bomber simulated land strikes at a military field near South Korea's eastern coast during a drill with US and South Korean fighter jets B-1Bs flyovers have become an increasingly familiar show of force to North Korea, which after three intercontinental ballistic missile tests has clearly moved closer toward building a nuclear arsenal that could viably target the US mainland The five-day drills in South Korea, which began on Monday, involve more than 200 aircraft, including six US F-22 and 18 F-35 stealth fighters B-1Bs flyovers have become an increasingly familiar show of force to North Korea, which after three intercontinental ballistic missile tests has clearly moved closer toward building a nuclear arsenal that could viably target the US mainland. The five-day drills that began Monday involve more than 200 aircraft, including six US F-22 and 18 F-35 stealth fighters. North Korea hates such displays of American military might at close range and claimed through its state media on Tuesday that the 'US imperialist war mongers' extremely reckless war hysteria' has put the region at risk of a nuclear war. The North continued to describe the B-1B a 'nuclear strategic bomber' although the plane was switched to conventional weaponry in the mid-1990s. North Korea typically uses strong language when commenting on US-South Korean war games, which it claims are invasion rehearsals. North Korea hates such displays of American military might at close range and claimed through its state media on Tuesday that the 'US imperialist war mongers' extremely reckless war hysteria' has put the region at risk of a nuclear war. Pictured above, a US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber (center), two US F-35A and two US F-35B stealth jets (top) flying over South Korea with South Korea's two F-16 and two F-15K fighter jets (bottom) during a joint military drill. The North, its leader Kim Jong-un pictured above centre, continued to describe the B-1B a 'nuclear strategic bomber' although the plane was switched to conventional weaponry in the mid-1990s South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said on Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats Still, perennially bad tensions are at a particularly dangerous point with North Korea rapidly advancing its nuclear weapons program. South Korea's military says the Hwasong-15 the North tested last week has the potential to strike targets as far away as 13,000 kilometers (8,100 miles), which would put Washington within reach. The test flight used an arched trajectory and the missile flew 950 kilometers (600 miles) before splashing down near Japan. The North also tested a different intercontinental ballistic missile twice in July and conducted its most powerful nuclear test in September which it described as a detonation of a thermonuclear weapon designed for ICBMs. South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said on Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats. The announcement came as a high-level United Nations representative held talks with a senior North Korean official during a rare trip to Pyongyang. U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning IIs participate in a training mission near Kunsan Air Base in preparation for VIGILANT ACE 18 in South Korea The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October condemned the North's continued unannounced missile launches, urging it to comply with international aviation standards to prevent risks. Pictured above, US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II aircraft participate in a training mission near Kunsan Air Base, South Korea in preparation for VIGILANT ACE 18 in South Korea Discussing ways to 'peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear issue' will be on Moon's agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon's office said. Pictured above, a US Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, conducts a training flight with F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea over the city of Gunsan, in South Korea Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary general for political affairs, arrived Tuesday to discuss 'issues of mutual interest and concern'. It was not immediately clear what was discussed between Feltman and the North's vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk. Discussing ways to 'peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear issue' will be on Moon's agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon's office said. China has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected. North Korea stopped giving advance notice of its missile tests in 2014. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October condemned the North's continued unannounced missile launches, urging it to comply with international aviation standards to prevent risks. Felix Vossen, who went on the run after scamming family and friends out of millions, has been jailed in Switzerland A film producer who went on the run after conning friends, family and investors out of millions has been jailed in Switzerland. Felix Vossen was an heir to a textile fortune and maths genius who worked on the films The Sweeney starring Ray Winstone and Miss You Already with Drew Barrymore. But he disappeared from his home in London after investors poured millions in planned films and was eventually arrested with 11 mobile phones and 100,000 in cash in Spain. Following his extradition to Switzerland, the 43-year-old conman was jailed for six years by a court in Zurich after he admitted fraud, forgery and money laundering. As he was sentenced, he told the court: 'I'm sorry for the damage I've done. I caused a lot of misfortune... lived until the end in the belief that luck is still hold me somehow,' the Neuen Zurcher Zeitung reported. The paper reports that after the money dried up, he desperately bought 50 lottery tickets a week in the hope he would win and pay off his debts. Vossen disappeared from his London home after convincing friends to plough millions into films Despite his conviction, his British investors are still unable to get back the money they invested, which could top 45million,The Times reported today. Vossen, who was educated in Switzerland before moving to London, went missing in March 2015. It later emerged he had ripped off at least 30 victims by offering returns of up to 20 per cent on future films. One victim, Tom Trotter, said after his disappearance: 'What makes what he did so insidiously evil is that almost all of his victims were his friends... He not only stole our money, but also our faith in human nature.' Another victim Simon Gargette, a London-based director of TV commercials, said at the time: 'He's clearly a sociopath who drew people in with his charm.' When he was eventually arrested in Spain, he was found with a Greek driving licence, an Italian identity card and a quantity of cash in different currencies. Police also found fake French, Greek and Dutch passports when they searched his City apartment. Money, including 82,310 in Swiss francs, 13,010 in Sterling and 5,905 in Euros was also discovered, it was reported at the time. A top lecturer has been refused entry to Britain after he returned to Gatwick from a trip with colleagues. Dr Paul Hamilton, who teaches Shakespeare seminars at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London, landed at Gatwick Airport following a trip to Iceland on Monday. But the 44-year-old, who is from California, was put on a flight back to Reykjavik despite having a stamp in his passport granting him permission to enter the UK for six months. The Shakespeare expert last year said he was treated 'like a common criminal' when immigration officials put him in custody after his student visa expired. Leading Shakespeare academic Dr Paul Hamilton was refused entry to the UK on Monday - for the second time in two years The 44-year-old, who is from California, was put on a flight back to Iceland from Gatwick (pictured), despite having a stamp in his passport granting him permission to enter the UK for six months Dr Hamilton, who graduated with his PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2015, was horrified when he was thrown into a cell for ten days in January 2016. He was later deported to his home state of Arizona as an overstayer. He was granted permission to teach in Britain again, arriving in the country on November 14 on a six month visa. But his second deportation this week has sparked outrage among his colleagues. Timo Uotinen, who was travelling to Iceland with Dr Hamilton for a memorial service, took to Twitter to share his dismay at border control officials, keeping his followers updated throughout his friends arrest. He wrote: 'Coming back to the UK the border officials deem [Paul] some kind of risk and keep him for an 'interview' even though he was given a 6 month visa. I see him sequestered into a holding pen and twice questioned by a young official suddenly wearing cuffs and a baton. '[Paul] is taken to the customs table and people walking by the spectacle of Paul's belongings being meticulously examined.. the he is taken back downstairs for 'a more in depth interview'. 'On Nov 14 [Paul] got a 6 month visa and now he is being detained for questioning with the threat of deporting him to Iceland. I feel really bad for Paul: he is being treated like a criminal with no justification.' This map shows the route Dr Hamilton was forced to take as he was sent on a round trip from London to Iceland, and back again Dr Hamilton spent ten days in custody at Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in January last year He later added: 'I get that the UK border people are just doing their job and this kind of treatment is dictated from above. People who have a visa should not be detained in this manner. And this is not even yet on the issue of immigration detention. #HumanRights' Mr Uotinen said Dr Hamilton was put on a flight from Gatwick to Iceland at 10.20am after several hours of questioning. He added border officials handed Dr Hamilton 'a note informing him that they think he is deceitful', and said the evidence used against him was his bank card 'failing to work at an ATM'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We do not routinely comment on individual cases. 'People coming to the UK must be able to demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the immigration rules otherwise they will be refused.' A touching photograph has emerged showing two young brothers visiting their father's grave at Arlington National Cemetery for the first time. The heart-melting picture shows Mason and Mylan, aged eight and four, wrapped up in a blanket in front of the headstone of their dad, Staff Sgt Alfred Brazel, who died of cancer at the age of 37 on July 31. Mylan can be seen snoozing in the sunshine as his older brother prays beside him and Mylan later gives the headstone a hug. Mason, right, and Mylan Brazel lie wrapped up in a blanket in front of their father Alfred's grave at Arlington National Cemetery The tender moment was captured by the boys' mother Kait, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, last month. It was the first time the youngsters had visited their father's grave since he died of rectal cancer. 'Mylan said he felt like he could feel his daddy, and he wanted to take a nap with him,' Mrs Brazel told ABC News. Staff Sgt Alfred Brazel died of cancer at the age of 37 on July 31 She added that her sons also used the visit to talk to their father about what they had been up to. 'Mylan shared with him how he had earned his uniform and belt in his fight class, and how he went to a Halloween party and won a cake,' she said. 'Mason told him how he got a trophy for his breaststroke in his swim competition. They updated him on their lives.' Kait said the boys, who are aged eight and five, have 'not once cried' about their father's death. She said: 'I tell them, 'We are here as tools for God. God knew that Daddy was a really strong person, and there were some people God couldn't reach unless he used Daddy as a tool. 'That's how we went with it and how we justified it. That's what we believe.' Kait said she was tearful for the 24-hour drive to the Virginia cemetery as before she saw his headstone she felt there was still a chance he could 'come home'. Before they left the cemetery Mylan went back for one last hug, clasping his arms around the gravestone. 'He said, 'Wait, I have to go back and give Daddy a hug,' she said. A YouCaring page shared earlier this year explained the military man's story. Fred Brazel's mom-in-law Kathleen McElhinney set up the page and said: 'Fred is an amazing husband to my daughter Kait & the perfect father to my grandsons Mason & Mylan. They live an extremely healthy life & are very active.' She said the 37-year-old active duty soldier was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer metastasized to the liver on February 10. She wrote: 'He met with the specialists at Vanderbilt in Nashville where he was told he does not qualify for surgery or radiation. He will only be receiving Chemo. Chemo that he was told would not cure him but only prolong his life. Fred is going through with the Chemo treatments every other week as his doctors advised. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer metastasized to the liver on February 10 'However, Kait & Fred also believe in healing your body naturally & not poisoning it further. Kait began researching everything she could about alternatives to Chemo that might assist her husband. 'Fred received his first chemo round February 24 and will have then every other Friday the rest of his life. Kait will not accept that this is how her husband's journey will end. She has found several alternative treatments that will either assist the chemo or will help with the side effects that come along with chemo. 'Unfortunately Tricare will not cover these alternative treatments. They are looking at additional medical expenses far exceeding an amount that they will be able to sustain on their own for an extended period of time. On behalf of his family - we are forever grateful for any donations, prayers, positive energy or up lifting words.' Downing Street delivered a slapdown to Philip Hammond tonight after he said Britain should pay the 50billion Brexit divorce bill even if no trade deal is struck. The PM's spokesman contradicted the Chancellor after he said it was 'inconceivable' that the UK would not hand over money that it was 'obliged' to pay. The comments were condemned as 'wrong and damaging' by Brexiteers, who said they flew in the face of repeated statements from Theresa May. Mrs May's spokesman said: Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. That applies to the financial settlement. Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have been demanding that payments are contingent on a deal, while many Tory MPs are adamant the UK does not owe Brussels a penny. Giving evidence to the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Hammond played down the question of whether there was a legal obligation to hand over money and stressed the need for Britain to protect its credibility on the world stage. The Chancellor said it was 'inconceivable' that the UK would not hand over money that it was 'obliged' to pay The Prime Minister (pictured in Downing Street today) is scrambling to get negotiations with the EU back on track after an humiliating day in Brussels 'I find it inconceivable that we would walk away from obligations that we recognise as an obligation,' he said. Thats just not a credible scenario, thats not the kind of country we are and frankly that would not make us a credible partner for future international agreements. Mr Hammond also raised questions by confirming that the Cabinet had not yet held a substantive discussion on what 'end state' for trade relations it wanted after Brexit. He insisted it would be 'premature' to consider the issue before there are trade talks formally under way. But No10 again contradicted Mr Hammond, saying the "end-state" would be discussed in Cabinet by the end of the year regardless of whether progress had been made. There are only two more Cabinet meeting scheduled for 2017, on December 13 and 20. Mr Hammond's comments contrasted sharply with the position of his deputy at the Treasury, Elizabeth Truss last month. She insisted any cash would be contingent on us securing a suitable outcome in trade negotiations with the EU. Tory MP Peter Bone told MailOnline said Mr Hammond's remarks were 'unbelievable' and must not represent the policy of the government. 'They are wrong and would damage our negotiating position,' he said. 'I cannot envisage any situation where we come out of the EU without a deal and still pay money. That is just not possible. 'The sooner we make that clear the better. If you get to the summit next week and there is no way forward that would be the time to say, "We are coming out on WTO terms and by the way, we're not going to pay you a penny". 'They would be champing at the bit within a few weeks.' The row came as Mrs May angrily denied caving into Brussels demands on trade. The Prime Minister insisted no terms would be finalised until an overall deal was struck with the EU next year, and said the sides were 'close' to making progress on the first phase of negotiations. DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured in Belfast last nightt) refused to back down in a row over Brexit tonight insisting she was just as 'unequivocal' as Dublin about the terms of the Irish border. The combative response at PMQs came after Mrs May was rebuked for playing a 'risky game' by keeping her top team and the DUP in the dark over plans for a 'soft Brexit' deal with Brussels. An agreement on the divorce arrangements with the EU was humiliatingly torpedoed by the Northern Ireland party, which is propping Mrs May up in power, at the last minute on Monday. GREEN IS BLAMED FOR DUP WALKOUT Damian Green is pictured leaving his London home today Damian Green has been blamed for failing to head off the Brexit crisis with the DUP - amid claims he is distracted by sleaze allegations. The PM's deputy faces jibes that he has not been focused on his role as a link with the Northern Ireland party - which is propping up Theresa May in power. The DUP complained about being kept in the dark over Mrs May's frantic negotiations with the EU as they torpedoed the plans on Monday. Mr Green chairs a key coordination committee intended to ensure the 10 DUP MPs are kept up to speed with government plans. However, senior sources in the party told the Telegraph they were appalled the First Secretary of State made no attempt to brief them on the text of the Brexit deal before. Advertisement The DUP inflicted a fresh blow this morning by dismissing the idea the painstakingly assembled proposals can be put back on track this week, ahead of a crunch EU summit next Thursday. Mrs May was repeatedly urged to toughen up her position by MPs in the Commons. Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said her Brexit red lines needed a 'new coat of paint', while hardline Eurosceptic Peter Bone offered to accompany her to Brussels to 'sort out' the Eurocrats. But Mrs May vowed that she would never make any commitment that risked the integrity of the UK. Mrs May said: 'We're leaving the EU, we're leaving the single market and the customs union but we will do what is right in the interests of the whole United Kingdom and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.' EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said he hopes to meet Mrs May tomorrow or on Sunday to finalise the deal. Mrs Foster signalled last night there will be no quick fix to the crisis which has engulfed the Brexit talks since she told Mrs May her draft deal - that apparently promised Northern Ireland would match EU rules after Brexit, separately from Britain - was unacceptable on Monday. Tory chief whip Julian Smith and DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds have been tasked with agreeing a UK position on the UK-Ireland border. Mrs May must then find a way to ensure that agreement is acceptable in Brussels and Dublin. A deal must be done by the end of the week to avoid further delay. The impasse is also making Tory Brexiteers uneasy and could encourage them to demand Mrs May abandons negotiations with the EU altogether. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg warned Mrs May she needed to put a 'new coat of paint' on her Brexit red lines Mrs May told MPs today: 'What we are doing in the Brexit negotiations is ensuring we can indeed build those houses and build that country for the future we want to see. 'And the principles we are working to is the text currently being discussed is report on the progress on negotiations on which basis the European Commission will decide whether sufficient progress has been made and we can move on to the next stage of talks. 'And it's for those future talks to agree precisely how we ensure cross-border trade while maintaining the constitutional integrity of the UK. We're leaving the EU, we're leaving the single market and the customs union but we will do what is right in the interests of the whole United Kingdom and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.' Peter Bone, pictured at PMQs today, said the comments by Mr Hammond were 'wrong and damaging' to the government's negotiating strategy Mrs May and Mrs Foster had been due to speak by telephone last night but the call was postponed amid continued division and argument. Irish Premier Leo Varadkar has claimed Mrs May was ready to sign before the DUP intervention and insisted the contested language was drafted by Britain. The DUP leader told Irish broadcaster RTE that it was a 'big shock' when the document was finally handed on Monday over after five weeks of the party demanding to see what was on the table. She blamed Dublin for stopping the Tories sharing the details earlier. Speaking in Belfast last night, Mrs Foster warned she was in no mood to give in to Mr Varadkar's demands, insisting: 'He can be as unequivocal as he likes. 'We're equally unequivocal.' In a round of interviews, Mrs Foster said: 'We hadn't seen any text, despite asking for text for nearly five weeks now, we haven't been in receipt of any text and the text only came through to us late yesterday morning. 'And obviously once we saw the text we knew it wasn't going to be acceptable.' She told Sky News: 'We realised that in no way could we sign up to that text because essentially it was making a red line down the Irish Sea.' Brexiteers slammed by the only Independent in Northern Ireland for 'reckless and dangerous' gamble on the Irish border in Brexit Bill debate Brexiteers have been accused of a 'reckless and dangerous' gamble with Northern Ireland by the only independent unionist representing the province in Westminster. Lady Sylvia Hermon wants to to write the principles of the Good Friday Agreement onto the face of the Government's flagship Brexit laws. She has tabled an amendment that has broad cross-party support and could defeat the Government in the Commons division lobbies tonight. Tory MPs Anna Soubry and Ken Clarke said they would back the amendment but Lady Hermon declined to push it to a vote to avoid MPs being forced to vote against the agreement. Lady Hermon was accused of speaking for Dublin by the DUP - the Northern Ireland party that props up Theresa May - during today's debate in a signal of the bad blood that exists even within Unionist politics. Lady Sylvia Hermon wants to to write the principles of the Good Friday Agreement onto the face of the Government's flagship Brexit laws In her speech, Lady Hermon said that her late husband Jack had to attend almost 100 funerals for officers killed during his 10 years as chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She said her husband supported the Good Friday Agreement despite the constitutional consequences of Sinn Fein being involved in the Executive, adding that it had brought stability and peace to Northern Ireland which has benefited the UK, the Republic and the EU. She went on: 'We have normality in Northern Ireland, we have peace, and we undoubtedly have people alive today that would not otherwise have been alive. Conservative former cabinet minister Ken Clarke said Mrs May's apparent border agreement, vetoed by the DUP, seemed to show she shared Lady Hermon's concerns 'May I just say ever so loudly and strongly to senior members of the Conservative Party - I do not want to hear them or see them on television talking about pushing ahead with no deal. Let's just move on from no deal. 'It's an absolute nonsense, it is so reckless and so dangerous because dissident republicans ... are active, they're dangerous, they're utterly ruthless.' Lady Hermon said dissident Republicans would consider PSNI officers, HMRC officers and UK border officials as legitimate targets after a no-deal Brexit. She added: 'And if I had a child or grandchild who hadn't chosen a different career... I would not be encouraging them to join UK Border Force or HMRC in the event of no-deal Brexit because we'll inevitably have a hard border. 'It must be a moral responsibility, a duty on this Government to take care of all personnel, all officials in HMRC, in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and UK Border Force.' Conservative former cabinet minister Ken Clarke said Mrs May's apparent border agreement, vetoed by the DUP, seemed to show she shared Lady Hermon's concerns. He said: 'You can't have an open border without having some regulatory convergence and customs convergence both sides. 'That all came to an end when the DUP vetoed it, which makes it extremely important - more than it was - that (Lady Hermon's) amendment is now put into the Bill to make sure we're not backsliding.' Friends of Matt Lauer have described how the former NBC anchor has been left 'weak, broken and ashamed' by sexual harassment allegations leveled against him. The disgraced broadcaster was fired by the network amid claims he abused his power as a newsreader on Today. He admitted there was 'enough truth in these stories' to make him feel 'embarrassed and ashamed', although Lauer claimed some of the accusations were false. His friends, who spoke anonymously, agreed, admitting he had abused his power but refused to believe the more shocking allegations against him. Matt Lauer spotted leaving his compound in Sag Harbor on Monday morning taking his son to school in the Hamptons Matt Lauer's jealousy of up-and-coming male rivals at NBC has left the network without a viable replacement to fill his spot on the Today show, according to a report on Monday. Lauer is seen above on November 1, 2017 in the Today show studio The disgraced talk show host stopped by his sons friends home about 5 minutes away to pick up his sons friend Lauer then dropped off the boys to the school. He was seen using the intercom to get into his friends gated home on Monday morning and was seen still wearing his wedding ring after he was fired from NBC for sexual misconduct A former colleague told People: 'He is weak and broken and ashamed by his own admission. 'He is my friend. He is human, and he is flawed. But is he going to use his power to be a predator on women? Matt Lauer's full statement in response to the allegations 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. 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 'Until I see solid evidence of that, I just can't believe it. We don't know the details.' Lauer was fired last week after more than 20 years as co-host of NBC's flagship morning program after a female colleague came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. Since his firing at least seven other women have accused Lauer of similar behavior. Matt Lauer was spotted leaving his compound in Sag Harbor on Monday morning taking his son to school in the Hamptons. The disgraced talk show host stopped by around five minutes away from his home to pick up a friend of his son. Lauer then dropped off the boys to the school and the former broadcaster was seen using the intercom to get into his friend's gated home on Monday morning. He was still wearing his wedding ring. Page Six quoted 'industry insiders' as saying that during Lauer's tenure at 30 Rock, he made sure to use his power to snuff out any internal threat to his perch. It is understood, according to People, that the allegations of sexual misconduct related to incidents throughout 2014 involving a woman. This included his time working on the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in that year, according to Time magazine. That particular relationship has left Lauer 'dumfounded', according to sources, because he believed it was consensual. But after several more women anonymously accused him of sexual harassment and assault, according to Variety and The New York Times, it has sparked speculation over his faithfulness to his wife of 19 years Annette Roque. The Peacock Network is desperately scrambling to find a suitable replacement for Lauer even though he personally made sure there would be no heir apparent, according to Page Six. Lauer is seen above with co-host Savannah Guthrie Lauer's jealousy of up-and-coming male rivals at NBC has left the network without a viable replacement to fill his spot on the Today show, according to a report on Monday. The Peacock Network is desperately scrambling to find a suitable stand-in for Lauer even though he personally made sure there would be no heir apparent, according to Page Six. 'Matt killed off, in their infancy, every man who could succeed him at the time that he was ready to hang it up so there's nobody to take his place. And now NBC is paying the price,' a source told Page Six. Among possible successors whose paths to the top were supposedly short-circuited by Lauer were former Meet the Press anchor David Gregory; former sportscaster Josh Elliott; and Billy Bush. Bush last year was fired from NBC, where he co-anchored the third hour of Today, after the infamous Access Hollywood tape of his 2005 interview with Donald Trump surfaced. Trump is heard on the audio making explicit remarks about grabbing women. Among possible successors whose paths to the top were supposedly short-circuited by Lauer were former Meet the Press anchor David Gregory (seen above in 2012) Billy Bush (left), who once co-hosted the third hour of the Today show, and sportscaster Josh Elliott (right), were also once thought to be potential successors to Lauer According to Page Six, Lauer was wary of Bush well before the Access Hollywood tape was revealed. With the dearth of successors, the current front-runner to take over for Lauer is Craig Melvin, according to Page Six. Melvin is host of Weekend Today. He also frequently appears as anchor on MSNBC. 'I couldn't pick him out of a lineup,' a television executive told Page Six. With the dearth of successors, the current front-runner to take over for Lauer is Craig Melvin (left), according to Page Six. Megyn Kelly, who currently hosts Megyn Kelly Today, is not considered a 'viable savior' Lauer's departure fuelled speculation that NBC would turn to its other big-ticket megastar, the recently-arrived Megyn Kelly. But Page Six says that the poor ratings for Kelly's show, Megyn Kelly Today, means that the network doesn't view her as a 'viable savior.' Besides, network sources told Page Six that Kelly has no interest in Lauer's job. NBC hired Kelly away from her previous television home, the Fox News Channel. She is reportedly earning a salary of $23million per year. Hoda Kotb will continue to fill in for Lauer 'in the short term,' according to Page Six. A former judge who arrived in Britain on a West Indian cargo ship 50 years ago has won a High Court battle after he was convicted of harassing his ex-wife. Lincoln Crawford, 71, was accused of sending 'threatening and abusive' text messages to the mother of his child. An order was imposed in 2006 and he was accused of breaking the rules by contacting Bronwen Jenkins and her partner Dominic Buttimore via letter and email. He was later convicted of harassment and breaching a restraining order and received an 18-month conditional discharge 11 years ago. Lincoln Crawford, 71, was convicted of harassing his ex-wife after he sent her text messages, letters and emails Mr Crawford was reprimanded by a barristers' disciplinary tribunal which concluded he had engaged in conduct likely to diminish public trust in the profession. Bosses at the Bar Standards Board, which regulates barristers, complained that a reprimand was an unduly lenient penalty. But two judges have dismissed the challenge following a High Court hearing in London. Lord Justice Hickinbottom and Mr Justice Green concluded that the disciplinary tribunal imposed an appropriate sanction. They explained in a written ruling how Mr Crawford had been brought up in a rural village in Trinidad by his grandparents and, 'determined to make good', bought a one-way ticket to England in 1967. Mr Crawford had taken A levels, then a law degree at Brunel University and become a barrister a decade after arriving in Britain. He had gone on to work as a judge, a commissioner with the Commission for Racial Equality, been a member of the Inner London Education Authority and was awarded the OBE in 1998. The former judge sent messages to his wife Bronwen Jenkins (left) and her partner, Dominic Buttimore (right) Judges said Mr Crawford's marriage had broken down and acrimonious divorce proceedings followed. After he was charged in 2005, the former judge continued worker as a Recorder and was paid up to 500 a day. He arrived in Britain after leaving Trinidad when he was 18 and was called to the Bar in 1977. Mr Crawford worked as a security guard to earn money to pay for his studies. Sickening footage shows a teenager hitting a schoolgirl in the face and dragging her around by the hair while friends urge her on. The lone victim banged her head against metal railings as she was punched in the nose during the incident. Despite begging the female attacker to stop, she was flung around on the ground by her hair after she refused to fight back. The lone victim - who was wearing glasses - banged her head against metal railings as she was punched in the nose during the incident The teenager even laughed at the girl as she wept and said 'aww, you crying?' while jeering spectators urged: 'Go on, hit her.' Police officers are now reviewing the footage following a complaint from a member of the public. The shocking footage consists of two videos which have been edited together, so it is impossible to see what happens between them. The video was posted on Facebook yesterday and was shared more than 10,000 times before being taken down. It shows the teen - approaching a girl sat alone on a wall near a dimly-lit street. She challenges her to fight but the smaller girl replies: 'Don't want to.' The other girl says: 'Do you not? I do.' Without warning she draws back her fist and punches her in the nose. Witnesses gasp as the back of the victim's head thumps against nearby railings. Seeming to feed off the crowd, the girl holds up her hands and says: 'You gonna hit me back?' The teenager even laughed at the girl as she wept and said 'aww, you crying?' while jeering spectators urged: 'Go on, hit her' She puts her arms behind her back and offers the girl a 'free shot' but she refuses to fight. Spectators say 'hit her' and ask the victim to show them her nose so they can see if it is bleeding. Clutching her face, she starts to cry and pleads to be left alone. But the girl mocks her with fake tears and asks: 'Aww, you crying?' A second clip shows her grabbing fistfuls of the victim's hair and hauling her up off the ground using both hands. Finally, the injured girl is seen cowering against the railings as her attacker clenches her fist at her - but then backs away laughing. The distressing scenes provoked fury among social media users. One commented: 'Vile little scum! And the people egging her on are just as bad!! How the hell do you sleep at night? She saw her opportunity to act hard on this poor defenceless girl.' Police officers are now reviewing the footage following a complaint from a member of the public Another said: 'I hope you get what punishment you deserve!!!! Bullies are vile creatures.' A third wrote: 'I hate bullies. I would be so ashamed if that was my child.' A fourth added: 'That poor girl. No one deserves to be treated like that and the girl that did this will regret it as this recording will follow her around for a very long time.' The Police confirmed it was aware of the footage. A spokesman for the force said: 'We have contacted by a member of the public who was concerned about a video on Facebook. 'The matter has been recorded and is currently being passed on to officers to look into the incident further.' Ulys Laffette Bell IV, 38, admitted to handing his 14-year-old daughter a handgun A father from Arizona has been arrested after giving his teenage daughter a gun and telling her to kill herself. Ulys Laffette Bell IV, admitted to handing his 14-year-old daughter a handgun and telling her to 'pull the trigger'. Police in Fort Mohave, Arizona were informed of the incident on the following day when the teenager told school officials. The Mohave County Sheriffs Office says the 38-year-old told deputies he had disciplinary issues with his daughter. Sheriffs spokeswoman Sue Callahan says it is not confirmed that the gun was unloaded at the time. Police were unable to determine this as authorities did not learn about the incident, which took place on Sunday, until the following day when the teenager's school was informed Bell has been jailed on suspicion of disorderly conduct with a weapon, child abuse and endangerment. It is not immediately known whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations. Fort Mohave is a town of some 15,000 people near Bullhead City, around 85 miles south of Las Vegas. A gay teacher was sacked from a Baptist school after a students saw a flamboyant photo of him on Facebook and refused to do their work. Craig Campbell was summarily removed from the relief teacher roster of South Coast Baptist College in Wakiki, south of Perth, in October. The 27-year-old recreated a Belinda Carlisle album cover in which he sat with his legs spread wide across a chair he gripped with both hands. Scroll down for video Craig Campbell was sacked as a relief teacher by South Coast Baptist College in Perth after he revealed to school bosses he was gay 'A couple of students found it, thought it was funny, and shared it,' he told 7.30 of the spark that led to his sacking. 'It's nothing that's not happened to me before. Sometimes kids find your Facebook profile picture.' But it stopped being funny when one student was upset by the photo and openly mocked him for being gay in the classroom. 'He was laughing at me and then I was trying to get him to do his work and he said to me, "I'm not going to be taking orders from a gay teacher". I said, "okay, you need to leave then",' he said. After growing tired of hiding his sexuality anyway, he told school bosses he was gay and in a relationship with a man and tried to work with them. The 27-year-old recreated a Belinda Carlisle album cover in which he sat with his legs spread wide across a chair he gripped with both hands The original album cover for the singer's 1986 album Belinda that Mr Campbell recreated 'We went to my aunt's wedding, and there were three kids from my school in the back of the room. It got to this point where I was like, 'I can't hide this anymore',' he told LGBTI website OutInPerth. 'I told them I was in a relationship, and obviously this is something that I believe is fine from both a moral and a theological standpoint.' Mandurah Baptist College, where he taught full-time for three years before switching to relief teaching, accepted his sexuality and let him keep teaching. However, South Coast Baptist - where Mr Campbell attended both primary and secondary school - didn't give him a straight answer for several weeks. Finally he learned from other teachers he'd been removed from the school's list of approved relief teachers, in what he was later told was a communication breakdown. Principal Des Mitchell told 7.30 the issue wasn't with Mr Campbell's sexuality, but with his beliefs that were 'inconsistent' with those of the school. 'At the time Craig requested to be a relief teacher at SCBC, he had a very clear knowledge of the college's Christian values and related beliefs,' he said. Mr Campbell (pictured with staff at Mandurah Baptist College, where he also teaches) revealed he was in a relationship with a man when a Facebook photo drew attention from students Principal Des Mitchell told Mr Campbell (pictured) the school's beliefs only accepted relationships between men and women He earlier said the school was on a 'respectful journey of understanding' but the school's beliefs only accepted relationships between men and women. 'Young people are naturally inquisitive. The image he posted created interest in his personal life, including his sexuality,' he told the West Australian. Mr Campbell's sacking renewed debate about religious exemptions from anti-discrimination laws being debated after the gay marriage postal vote. Mark Spencer of Christian Schools Australia feared after the yes vote the government would strip religious schools of their right to sack staff with beliefs at odds with those of the school. He would rather all staff were committed Christians instead of feeling the need to lie about their sexuality or views to work there. 'We want people in our schools to be able to genuinely teach the Christian faith, to model that for the students,' he said. Mr Spencer said losing government funding as a result would be 'horrific' for the 130 religious schools in Australia who rely on it. Mr Mitchell said the issue wasn't with Mr Campbell's sexuality, but with his beliefs that were 'inconsistent' with those of the school But Mr Campbell said there were a diversity of views about sexuality among those of his faith, and they should be respected. 'Ultimately, I think it's a bit arrogant to think that anybody, myself included, has a monopoly on the truth. Nobody does,' he said. Mr Campbell recalled his experience as a closeted gay teenager being 'hellish' and he would think of killing himself if anyone found out. 'You are so isolated in your thoughts, there's no support, there's nobody you can talk to. I hoped in some way that I could begin to change that,' he said. 'I recognise there is a need for religious freedom but does it come at the expense of some of the most vulnerable in our society? 'Is that really the Christian way to act? I don't think so.' Two men charged over an alleged Islamist plot to blow up the gates of Downing Street and assassinate the Prime Minister have indicated they will deny terror charges. Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, were driven into Westminster Magistrates' Court in a security van this morning after being charged with planning terror attacks yesterday. Investigators suspect the pair wanted to detonate a bomb hidden in a bag in Whitehall before using a suicide vest, pepper spray and knife to attempt to kill Theresa May. No formal pleas were entered at a court appearance this morning, but magistrates heard the men intend to deny charges when they are brought before the Old Bailey later this month. Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman (left) and Mohammed Aqib Imran are accused of plotting to kill Prime Minister Theresa May after using explosives to get into Downing Street Two men accused of planning a terror attack on 10 Downing Street have appeared at court Security at Downing Street was stepped up this morning as Theresa May left on her way to Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons Security at Downing Street was stepped up this morning after details of the alleged plot emerged yesterday evening. Rahman, from north London, is accused of planning to bomb Downing Street's security gates and then attack the Prime Minister in the ensuing chaos. He was allegedly caught with two IEDs when police swooped in west London last week. He gave his nationality as Bangladeshi-British and appeared in court wearing a grey tracksuit, with long hair this morning. He has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism and appeared in court alongside Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, who is accused of trying to join ISIS. Rahman, from north London, is also charged with assisting Imran in terror planning, while Imran, from south-east Birmingham, is charged with preparing acts of terrorism. Armed guards stood at the entrance to Downing Street today after the alleged plot emerged Downing Street, pictured this morning, is guarded by armed police and two sets of metal gates Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot remanded them in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on December 20. Details of the alleged assassination plot were reportedly given to the Cabinet on Tuesday by head of MI5 Andrew Parker in a briefing in which he revealed that a total of nine Islamist terrorist plots have been thwarted in the UK over the past year. Mr Parker's Cabinet briefing came on the same day that a review of a string of UK terror attacks earlier this year revealed that the Manchester Arena bomber was known to MI5 and his attack, in which 22 people died, might have been stopped 'had the cards fallen differently'. The alleged conspiracy was foiled after a joint operation by Scotland Yard, West Midlands Police and MI5. Security chiefs stepped in amid fears the men were preparing to launch an attack, arresting them at gunpoint. The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, yesterday briefed Cabinet ministers on the unprecedented terrorist threat facing the country (file photo) The alleged plot highlights the extreme threat still faced by the UK in a year blighted by terrorist atrocities which claimed 36 lives. The security service and police have thwarted 22 terrorist plots in the past four years and there are more than 500 live investigations ongoing. Police chiefs are struggling to handle more than 3,000 subjects of interest, along with a growing pool of more than 20,000 individuals identified during terrorist inquiries. The festive season has seen some events, particularly Christmas markets and high-profile events, taking extreme precautions. Police fear a lone-wolf extremist could mount a 'copycat' attack similar to that on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz Christmas market last year. Two Muslim men are suspected of conspiring to attack Downing Street armed with an improvised bomb, suicide vest and knives The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, yesterday briefed Cabinet ministers on the unprecedented terrorist threat facing the country. Mr Parker has said the threat facing the UK was at the 'highest tempo' seen in his 34-year career. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'Mr Parker said that nine terrorist attacks had been prevented in the past year. There have been five attacks that got through, four of which are related to Islamist terrorism.' Mrs May thanked Mr Parker and MI5 for their 'tireless work' tackling terrorism. Murat Aksakalli, pictured, lost a seven-year legal battle over ownership of a 250,000 ancient gold crown A golden crown worth 250,000 is to be returned to Turkey after a former Edinburgh cafe owner lost his claim that he had inherited it from his grandfather. The decision ends a seven-year legal wrangle over the antique thought to have been sealed in a tomb in 350BC after the Turkish government and Murat Aksakalli both claimed ownership. Yesterday, the Court of Session concluded the wreath was stolen from a tomb in Turkey and should be returned to the countrys government. The crown was seized by police in 2010 when Mr Aksakalli, who ran the Clock Cafe in Edinburgh, tried to sell it to undercover detectives. Officers believed the crown, which is being held by Police Scotland, was looted during an excavation in Turkey. A judge decided not to bring criminal proceedings against Mr Aksakalli but ordered that the antique be returned to its owner. But the case was taken to Scotlands highest civil court after the Turkish government and the businessman both claimed ownership. According to a Turkish report, it may have been plundered from a tomb in the ancient city of Milas between 2000 and 2010. Mr Aksakalli had previously claimed the crown had been in his family for generations and that he brought it with him when he moved to Scotland several years ago. In December last year, the businessman sought to have the crown released by the police so that it could be examined by an independent expert. But a judge at the Court of Session told Mr Aksakalli that further information would have to be provided before forensic soil analysis could be carried out on the item. Judge Lady Stacey said she could understand the concerns of Turkish authorities about the items security and the court had to be satisfied that there was no obvious danger to the crown before a full court hearing. The crown, pictured, dates to 350BC and a Scottish court ruled it had been taken from a tomb in Turkey and had to be returned to the country's government Steven Jansch, representing the Turkish authorities, said he had no difficulty in principle with an investigation taking place but added: I do have serious concerns about security measures... if it is to be released. The court heard that the crown had been taken to the Turkish embassy in London in 2013 for forensic analysis. It was returned to the police a week later. Mr Aksakalli said: I should be given the same chance. But Lady Stacey said more information was required about who was to examine the item, what would be done and whether the work could be carried out in Edinburgh at the police headquarters. If that was not possible, the court would need further details. Mr Aksakalli, of Edinburgh, was not in court for comment. High Court Judge Nicholas Madge has now ruled that Aliou Bah was kept in prison for 21 months longer than he should have been and is due 110,000 in compensation A migrant jailed twice for sex attacks has won 110,000 compensation for being locked up too long after his own country refused to take him back. The judge who awarded the money admitted he wholeheartedly agreed that many would think it was the victims of 28-year-old Aliou Bah who deserved large payouts instead. Bah, from Guinea, had been imprisoned twice for serious assaults including an attack on a 16-year-old girl and placed on the sex offenders register. But in a ruling revealed yesterday, a court decided that the Government had held him unlawfully for 21 months when there was no reasonable prospect of deporting him to West Africa. Moves to throw him out were blocked by immigration officials in his homeland who refused to process his travel documents. Another obstacle to deportation was that Bah had been granted permission to stay in Britain as a refugee. Judge Nicholas Madge ruled the sex attacker must receive damages but said he wholeheartedly agreed that people would believe Bahs victims deserved payouts rather than him. The judge said that he had been forced to uphold the principle that no one should be imprisoned unlawfully in a civilised society. The case sparked fresh demands for ministers to make it harder for foreign criminals to block moves to remove them from Britain. Conservative MP Peter Bone said: The public will look at this case and conclude the law is an ass. It is very difficult to understand why a sex attacker should not be sent home, let alone win a vast amount of public money. If he has come to the UK he should live by the rules of the UK. My constituents will quite rightly be outraged at how he has been rewarded despite thoroughly abusing the hospitality of this country. David Green, of think-tank Civitas, said: This is a clear case of punishing the Home Office for protecting the public. This is perverse and a clear failure of the duty of the courts. Its not like they have kept him inside for no reason he is a danger to the public. Central London County Court was told that Bah should not have been held in custody after his sentences ended because he had been granted asylum. And, as Guineas embassy had refused to issue him travel documents, there was never a realistic prospect of deporting him a key test when placing a foreign criminal in immigration detention. Bah, who arrived in the UK in 2007 to join his refugee father, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old in February 2011. He was jailed for 18 months then imprisoned again in 2014 for two years over another sex assault. The Guinea Embassy had refused to issue him with travel documents and has not taken anyone back from the UK since 2006, the High Court heard The Home Secretary signed a deportation order against him in December 2011, without realising he was entitled to be treated as a refugee. Bah, of Southampton, was held in immigration detention unlawfully for two periods 2012 to 2013 and 2014 to 2015 totalling 21 months. The judge said that nobody had been successfully deported to Guinea since 2006 as the authorities there refuse to issue travel papers to anyone who does not want to return. Judge Madge said Bah had served punishments for his crimes and was due compensation only because of the Home Offices failure to properly apply its own policy. Foreign criminals who commit serious offences are automatically considered for deportation, but once the offender is released they are rarely put on a plane home. They can be placed in a detention centre only if there is a realistic prospect they will be removed swiftly because judges would otherwise order them to be released. It means thousands of criminals are placed back in the community with a request to keep in touch with immigration officials. But many simply slip off the radar. In 2014, the Home Office was forced to admit it had lost track of 758 dangerous foreign criminals awaiting deportation. Among those who had gone missing were high harm individuals at risk of committing the gravest crimes. Data published last week showed that, in September, 5,933 offenders from overseas were walking the streets of Britain the highest number since 2012. In the third quarter of the year, a total of 533 overseas offenders including citizens from the Caribbean, Africa and Eastern Europe were released on to the streets despite being eligible for deportation. In the third quarter of the year, a total of 533 overseas offenders including citizens from the Caribbean, Africa and Eastern Europe were released on to the streets despite being eligible for deportation. Of these, only five were actually booted out of the UK. Another three were given permission to stay. The rest were challenging their deportation orders, many using controversial human rights or asylum laws, while others did not have travel documents so could not be removed immediately. Refugee status does not automatically prevent a person being deported after committing a crime, but the Home Office first has to strip them of the status a process which can drag through the courts for years. The Home Office said: People who have no right to live in this country should be in no doubt of our determination to remove them. We have removed more than 41,000 foreign national offenders since 2010. We are now considering the judgment but this case does not change the legality of Mr Bahs status in the UK. Child sex abuse proceedings against Australian rugby league 'Immortal' Graeme Langlands have been adjourned until next year. Langlands, 76, was last month charged by Queensland Police's Child Safety and Sexual Crime Group with six counts of indecent dealing with a girl under 16. It was alleged the offences allegedly occurred on the Gold Coast in the early 1980s. Child sex abuse proceedings against Australian rugby league 'Immortal' Graeme Langlands, 76, have been adjourned until next year Langlands, 76, was last month charged by Queensland Police's Child Safety and Sexual Crime Group with six counts of indecent dealing with a girl under 16 His solicitor Jessica Burke told Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday that Langlands was too unwell to sign a document consenting to bail conditions. Ms Burke said issuing a warrant for Langlands' arrest was an 'idle threat' because he was wheelchair-bound and suffered from severe dementia, Alzheimer's, and vascular disease. His poor health also continued to decline over the past six months, with Ms Burke receiving instructions from his daughter, who was appointed his power of attorney in 2014. 'We are doing the best we can to facilitate the court proceedings,' Ms Burke said. His lawyer said issuing a warrant for Langlands' arrest was an 'idle threat' because he was wheelchair-bound and suffered from severe dementia, Alzheimer's, and vascular disease She said her client was unable to communicate with the court via a video link or in writing. Last month, Langlands' legal team said they would be seeking to have the case against him referred to the Mental Health Court. The case was rescheduled to be heard in Brisbane Magistrates Court on March 12, 2018. Milo Yiannopoulos will donate $2,100 to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party after he raised the money auctioning a shoe thrown at him by a protester. A protester was dragged out of Yiannopoulos' Sydney show in Lilyfiled on Tuesday night after he threw a black dress shoe at the right-wing firebrand. Yiannopoulos, who came to Australia for his Troll Academy Tour, fetched a whopping $2,100 when he auctioned the shoe on Wednesday. Scroll down for video 'Lunch with big sis Senator Pauline Hanson. How did this much fabulous end up in Parliament House? Please explain,' Yiannopoulos said alongside a photo of the pair (pictured) He is expected to donate the money to Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, after he and the Queensland Senator became fast friends on Tuesday. The self-described 'troll' and 'provocateur' posted a photo of himself sharing lunch with Ms Hanson to his 300 thousand followers on Instagram on Tuesday. Alongside the photo, which shows the pair grinning into the camera, Yiannopoulos referred to the Queensland Senator as his 'big sister'. 'Lunch with big sis Senator Pauline Hanson. How did this much fabulous end up in Parliament House? Please explain,' Yiannopoulos said. Yiannopoulos, who came to Australia for his Troll Academy Tour, fetched a whopping $2,100 when he auctioned the shoe (pictured) on Wednesday A protester (pictured) is dragged out of the Lilyfield event after he threw a shoe at Yiannopoulos Speaking to Andrew Bolt (left) on The Bolt Report on Wednesday, Senator Hanson (right) said 'Milo reflects what I believe in' Milo Yiannopoulos appears on stage in Lilyfield, Sydney, where a protester threw a shoe at him His fans fawned over the photo and praised the pair, who have both courted controversy for their right-wing political beliefs. 'So much awesome in one photo,' one supporter said. 'Name a more iconic duo,' one said, while another urged them to 'keep up the good fight'. Milo Yiannopoulos appeared to leave a lasting impression on Ms Hanson, with the Queensland Senator praising him on Wednesday. Speaking to Andrew Bolt on The Bolt Report on Wednesday, Senator Hanson said 'Milo reflects what I believe in'. 'You've got to stand up to those who want to put you down, if you have a difference of opinion, you have a right to have that opinion,' Senator Hanson (right) said 'You've got to stand up to those who want to put you down, if you have a difference of opinion, you have a right to have that opinion,' she said. Senator Hanson also called out the 'aggressive' left. 'The left of politics are so abusive, aggressive and nasty,' she said. 'They feel that if you think anything differently to what they do, they've got to shut you down.' Senator Hanson's comments come after left-wing protesters demonstrated against Yiannopoulos outside of his shows in Melbourne and Sydney this week. Senator Hanson's comments come after left-wing protesters demonstrated against Yiannopoulos outside of his shows in Melbourne and Sydney (pictured) this week Left-wing protesters and counter-protesters lined the streets outside, hurling insults at one another One man is escorted away from the demonstration by police in Sydney on Tuesday Left-wing protesters lined the streets in Kensington, Melbourne on Monday night, and Lilyfield in Sydney on Tuesday, to protest Yiannopoulos' speaking tour. Left-wing protesters and counter-protesters lined the streets outside, hurling insults at one another. Police were forced to use capsicum spray on Monday night to subdue protesters when the demonstration turned violent. Four people were arrested the following night in Sydney, where one person threw his shoe at Yiannopoulos as he sat in the crowd of his sold-out show. Two surfers were relaxing and enjoying some New Zealand waves when some territorial locals decided to chase them from the water on Friday afternoon. Hawaiian surfer Albee Layer and his friend Kain Daily were on the beach when two sea lions decided to defend their territory from the invaders. 'So I'm setting up for wave and just a huge black shape just goes [loud slapping sound] and hit my leg...Kind of hard,' Albee said. 'I look underneath [the water] and there's just shape circling around to face me. And I just screamed "SHARK!".' Scroll down for video Hawaiian surfer Albee Layer (left) is chased from the water by seals at a New Zealand beach Hawaiian surfers Albee Layer (left) and his friend Kain Daily (right) were chased by sea lions But it wasn't a shark - it was a group of seals, apparently disgruntled that Mark has chosen to squeeze in a spot of surfing right in the middle of their habitat. 'And then it just bodysurfed a wave with its mouth open,' Albee laughed, imitating the seal in a hilarious video shot by Take Shelter Productions. 'It was like the dragon in Game of Thrones!' 'I swear to God...One came for [Kain] and one came for me,' Albee said of his close call with the New Zealand sea mammals. 'It came right up to me and it was fully charging at me!' The still out-of-breath professional surfer explained that he had to use his board to defined himself, manoeuvre away from the seals and escape the water. Albee said: 'I swear to God...One came for [Kain] and one came for me. It came right up to me!' Even after the pair left the water, the seals chased them across the sand and across the beach But Albee and Kain weren't even safe on land, as hilarious footage reveals that the seals regrouped and then continued chasing the surfers across the sand and away from the waves. 'It turns out these f***ers can run like 15 miles an hour, and it just kept charging at us!' he said. 'Angriest locals ever!' The video has been watched by millions of people in the last week, with Take Shot productions calling it 'one of the best moments we've captured in quite sometime...Had a hard time getting a steady shot while laughing as [Albee] and [Kain] got chased by a few sea lions!' Sharon Edwards (pictured) was jailed for life for murdering her husband A bullying wife who knifed her lawyer husband to death just two months after they got married in Law Vegas has lost an appeal to clear her name. Sharon Edwards, 44, was jailed for life for murdering 51-year-old solicitor David Edwards after he was made redundant. A jury heard that she attacked her husband following a long campaign of bullying at their home in Chorley, Lancashire. The mother-of-four denied murder but was convicted of murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years. Jurors were told that Edwards 'liked the idea of being a solicitor's wife', and that when her husband lost his job, their already rocky relationship deteriorated further. And according to the Manchester Evening News, she took her case to the Court of Appeal and claimed that her husband walked into the knife. However, three senior judges rejected her bid to overturn her conviction. Lady Justice Hallett said: 'The central evidence in this case was that Sharon Edwards was holding the knife which caused the stab wound to her husband's chest, from which he died. 'There is no merit whatsoever in the grounds of appeal which she has advanced and we refuse leave to appeal.' Her trial at Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Edwards had been the victim of 'forceful bullying' during the 'turbulent' year-long relationship. This torment culminated in him being fatally stabbed in the heart with a kitchen knife on August 23 2015. Just two months before they tied the knot in Nevada. The trial heard that the killing was to be the second attack in as many successive days in which Edwards had used a knife in anger against Mr Edwards - who she knew would never fight back or call the police. After he was found dead, Mr Edwards's bruised and cut body revealed the extent of the regular assaults. The pair had just got married in Las Vegas and she ended up killing him at their home in Chorley A black-handled kitchen knife measuring 13ins in length and stained with blood was found at their home He had 60 external injuries, of which 30 were incised or prod wounds, including stab wounds to his thigh, knee, finger and a shallow wound to his scalp. A black-handled kitchen knife measuring 13ins in length and stained with blood was found at their home, where torn up wedding photographs were also discovered. Mr Justice Davis said Mr Edwards was 'a hugely valued member of the community in Chorley and elsewhere'. The judge added: 'This deadly attack was the culmination of long-term bullying by you on this respected member of the community.' He said he accepted that she did not intend to kill him but that she certainly meant to cause really serious harm. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (picutred) declared: 'People who rape 12-year-old girls are not human' An Indian state has approved the death penalty for paedophiles who rape girls younger than 12. A bill titled 'the punishment method' unanimously passed the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Monday. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared: 'People who rape 12-year-old girls are not human, they are demons. They do not have the right to live.' He added: 'There are people in society who can be set right only by severe punishments. [The bill] will deal with them. We will also raise awareness in society against such crimes.' The bill also raises the minimum sentence for paedophile rapists to 14 years and for gang rapists to 20 years. It must now be approved by the president and federal government before it can be signed into law. Campaigners warned the death penalty may induce child rapists to also murder their victims to eliminate evidence - as they can be found guilty by a child's testimony. Maydha Pradesh, in central India, has only the fifth largest population of the Indian states but the highest number of rape reports. In 2016 it had 4,900 of almost 39,000 reported rapes in India. Almost half of the victims were minors. Capital punishment is a legal penalty in India but has only been carried out five times since 1995. It is done by hanging by the neck until death. In November 2012, India voted against a UN General Assembly draft resolution to end capital punishment around the world. President Donald Trump has announced that the US will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a decision Muslim leaders have warned will inflame the region. Trump's move plunges the United States into a decades-long dispute over a city considered holy by Jews, Muslims and Christians, and flies in the face of warnings from US allies and enemies across the Middle East. But Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the move as 'historic' and said any peace deal with the Palestinians must concede that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. He also urged other countries to follow the US's move, which he called a 'courageous and just decision'. Palestinian terrorist group Hamas warned the announcement 'opens the gates of hell on US interests in the region'. It also called on Arab and Islamic states to 'cut off economic and political ties with the US embassy and expel American ambassadors to cripple' the move. The PLO - Palestine Liberation Organisation - said it destroys the two-state solution, while Iran said it would incite a 'new intifada'. Scroll down for video President Macron branded the decision 'regrettable', calling for efforts to 'avoid violence at all costs'. Pictured: Protests in Istanbul after the announcement tonight A woman chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - has been one of the thorniest issues in long-running Mideast peace efforts. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza City tonight Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) hailed the move as 'historic' and said any peace deal with the Palestinians must concede that Jerusalem is Israel's capital Jordan condemned the recognition as amounting to a violation of international law and the UN charter. Pictured: Pro-Palestinian protesters in Istanbul tonight Palestinian protestors burn tires as they wave Palestinian flags and pictures of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat during a protest at the main Square in Gaza City A protester chants slogans during a demonstration against the US and Israel in front of the US consulate in Istanbul The secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said US President Trump's decision destroys any hopes for a two-state solution to the conflict. Pictured: Protests in Istanbul tonight Palestinian protesters burn the US flag during a protest against US President Donald Trump in Gaza City Protesters light flares as they participate in a demonstration outside the US Consulate in Istanbul In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move. Pictured: Trump making the speech today Trump's move plunges the United States into a decades-long dispute over a city considered holy by Jews, Muslims and Christians, and flies in the face of warnings from US allies and enemies across the Middle East Palestinian terrorist group Hamas warned the announcement 'opens the gates of hell on US interests in the region'. Pictured: Palestinian protesters burn the American flag and Israeli flag in the city of Gaza City The Turkish foreign ministry added in a statement that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can only be solved through the creation of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Pictured: Protests in Istanbul A Turkish government spokesman said the decision was 'irresponsible' and illegal. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza attack the move Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, near the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (pictured) said the United States can no longer play the role of peace broker after Trump's decision Protesters hold banners during the protest against the plan of Jerusalem's recognition at the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza City Anger: A man in Istanbul screams in the street after Trump announced the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital Prime Minister Netanyahu afterwards pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem's highly sensitive holy sites in the city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Pictured: Unhappy protesters in Istanbul gather outside the American embassy Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the United States can no longer play the role of peace broker after Trump's decision. 'These deplorable and unacceptable measures deliberately undermine all peace efforts,' Abbas said in a speech after Trump's announcement. He said Trump's move amounted to 'an announcement of US withdrawal from playing the role it has been playing in the past decade in sponsoring the peace process.' Abbas also referred to Jerusalem as the 'the eternal capital of the state of Palestine' and said Trump's move was 'legally null'. But the Czech Republic released a statement after Trump's speech saying they recognise part of Jerusalem - the west of the city - as the Israeli capital. The Central European state also said it sees Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it can 'start considering moving of the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem only based on results of negotiations with key partners in the region and in the world.' Jerusalem Q&A What is the status of Jerusalem? Israel set up its parliament in West Jerusalem when the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948. The move followed the United Nations' vote to partition Palestine on the basis of the British pledge known as the Balfour Declaration that paved the way for a homeland for the Jewish people. Israel occupied 78 per cent of the land, with the remaining 22 per cent split between Gaza and the West Bank. Then, in 1967, during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war, Israel annexed Arab-controlled East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Israel has claimed ever since that both parts of the city are its 'undivided' capital. However, Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their capital. Most countries, including Britain, do not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. Why is Jerusalem so important to both sides? Chiefly because of its religious history. The Temple Mount in the Old City is the most sacred place in Judaism the site of Solomon's Temple said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant and destroyed in 586 BC by the King of Babylon. The site is also the third holiest shrine in Islam, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif ('Noble Sanctuary'). It was the scene of Prophet Muhammad's 'Night Journey' ascension from Earth to Heaven in 621. The compound includes Islamic shrines the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The city is also sacred to Christians Jesus attended a temple in the Old City and was crucified on a hill outside its walls. But it also has hugely important implications for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. What has Donald Trump done and why is his intervention so toxic? Until now, peacemakers have pursued the strategy that Jerusalem would be part of an overall negotiated settlement, with its status decided in the latter stages of peace talks, with agreement on both sides. But if America jumps to a conclusion on the city's status now and takes Israel's side many fear it will undermine the chances of a peace deal. It could also damage America's position as an 'honest broker' between the two sides. It does not take much to spark violence in the Middle East. In 2000, the Second Intifada two bloody years of Palestinian suicide bombings and Israeli military killings started after a visit by the then leader of the Israeli opposition, Ariel Sharon, to the Old City site. How can the status of Jerusalem be peacefully resolved? Jerusalem is described as the most intractable part of the world's most intractable conflict. But one of the main planks of the peace process is a two-state solution in which Jerusalem would serve as capital of both states: East Jerusalem for Palestine, West Jerusalem for Israel. About a third of the people living in Jerusalem are Palestinians. An uneasy co-existence is lived out day-to-day, under the watchful eyes of clusters of armed Israeli police. Though there is generally free movement around the divided capital, Israeli security forces set up checkpoints to seal off Palestinian neighbourhoods in times of tension, such as a wave of stabbings in 2015. In 1967, during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war (pictured), Israel annexed Arab-controlled East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Israel has claimed ever since that both parts of the city are its 'undivided' capital Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Jerusalem is governed by a mayor and city council whose members are elected to four-year terms. Palestinian Arabs living in East Jerusalem have the right to vote in Israeli elections, but most refuse to do so. How does Trump justify moving the U.S. embassy? The U.S. embassy is currently in Tel Aviv. To move it to Jerusalem would be a powerfully symbolic and inflammatory gesture in support of Israel and in defiance of Palestinians. But technically Trump has a legal framework: in 1995, amid lobbying from pro-Israel Americans, the Republican-controlled Congress passed a law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which instructs the President to move the embassy. But all Presidents since Bill Clinton have signed a waiver every six months to prevent that happening. So why has he done this now? Mr Trump's move seems driven not by diplomatic calculations, but by a campaign promise and his current low ratings. In 2016, he appealed to Christian evangelicals and ardently pro-Israel American Jews by vowing to move the embassy. His pledge was extremely popular with these voters, including casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who donated $25 million to the Trump cause. Mr Adelson expressed anger when Mr Trump signed the waiver in June to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. Advisers said this week Mr Trump was making good on his promise. Why are all the Arab countries so hostile to the move? Opinion polls show that at least 90 per cent of Arabs view Israel as their main enemy. So no Arab regime can risk provoking internal political upheaval by appearing to side with the U.S. Mr Trump could now have catastrophically undermined his own Middle East strategy of trying to forge peace not just between Israel and Palestinians, but also between Israel and Saudi Arabia's Sunni Muslims. Pictured: Israeli soldiers celebrate outside the Dome of the Rock after the capture of Old Jerusalem from the Jordanians He wants the Saudis to take on and curb the growing influence of Iran's Shia Muslims the Sunni's mortal enemies and their allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The Saudis could now be forced to abandon their gradual clandestine move towards open acceptance of the Jewish state. Do other countries recognise Jerusalem as the capital? The world including China is virtually united in not recognising Israel's claim to Jerusalem as its undivided capital. One exception is the Pacific island of Vanuatu, which recognised it in May this year. Its late president, Baldwin Lonsdale, was an evangelical Christian who was described as having 'a strong connection to the Jewish people and to Israel'. Taiwan also considers Jerusalem as Israel's capital. However, Israel does not even recognise Taiwan as a country. Russia's position is slightly ambiguous but seems to leave room for the city to be Israel's capital in the event of a peace deal. Advertisement Palestinian secular and Islamist factions called a general strike and midday rallies to protest the announcement. Answering the call to strike, the Palestinian education ministry declared a day off and urged teachers as well as high school and university students to take part in the planned rallies in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas in Jerusalem. The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet on Friday at the request of eight states on the 15-member body over the decision. The request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats. French president Emmanuel Macron, though, agreed with the UN in saying the status of Jerusalem must be determined during negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. Palestinian demonstrators burn the US flag in Bethlehem's Manger Square in protest to the announcement Protestors shout slogans against US President Donald Trump and burn an Israeli flag during a demonstration against the Jewish state in Cairo, Egypt Protesters wave Palestinian flags during a demonstration against the US and Israel in front of the US consulate in Istanbul Flares burn in the background as protesters march outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey tonight Protesters in Bethlehem burn pictures of Donald Trump as they protest against his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel He also called for calm from all sides and said violence must be avoided. President Macron branded the decision 'regrettable', calling for efforts to 'avoid violence at all costs'. Addressing a press conference during a state visit to Algeria, Macron affirmed 'the attachment of France and Europe to the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within internationally recognised borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states. 'France is ready with its partners to take all necessary initiatives in this direction.' A Turkish government spokesman said the decision was 'irresponsible' and illegal. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Trump's recognition doesn't automatically make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Cavusoglu said Wednesday in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, that 'with one announcement by a country, Jerusalem cannot be the capital of Israel.' Cavusoglu adds, 'You can't come out and say, `I'm a great power, I can do what I want.' 'There can be no understanding under which one can say I made such an announcement and it will become reality,' Cavusoglu insists. He says 'the whole world opposes it and it is wrong.' Cavusoglu also describes Trump's move as a 'dangerous step,' adding, 'we would have wished that this decision were never taken.' Turkey said earlier the move will push the region and the world into 'a fire with no end in sight'. The Turkish foreign ministry added in a statement that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can only be solved through the creation of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. It also called on Arab and Islamic states to 'cut off economic and political ties with the US embassy and expel American ambassadors to cripple' the move. Pictured: Protesters in Istanbul French president Emmanuel Macron agreed with the UN in saying the status of Jerusalem must be determined during negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza City react to the news In the speech at the White House tonight, Trump said his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza Criticism poured in from Tehran and Ankara to war-ravaged Syria and Pope Francis, reflecting the anxiety surrounding the announcement, which upends decades of US policy. Pictured: Palestinian women shout slogans during a protest in Gaza City It warned that the decision by Trump will have 'negative reflections on the peace and stability in the region' and risks 'completely destroying the ground for peace'. 'We call on the US administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes,' it added. German Chancellor Angela Merkel 'does not support' the decision by President Trump, her spokesman said. The German government 'does not support this position because the status of Jerusalem can only be negotiated within the framework of a two-state solution,' spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter. Criticism poured in from Tehran and Ankara to war-ravaged Syria and Pope Francis, reflecting the anxiety surrounding the announcement, which upends decades of US policy. In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move. In the speech at the White House tonight, Trump said his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - has been one of the thorniest issues in long-running Mideast peace efforts. 'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said. 'While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.' 'I think it's long overdue. Many presidents have said they want to do something and they didn't do it,' Trump said at a cabinet meeting ahead of his announcement. He added: 'Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. 'Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace,' added the US leader, declaring: 'It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.' 'This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do.' Jordan condemned the recognition as amounting to a violation of international law and the UN charter. 'The decision of the American president to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the transfer of the US embassy to this city constitutes a violation of decisions of international law and the United Nations charter,' said government spokesman Mohammed Momani. But Pope Francis voiced 'deep concern' over Trump's decision, and called for all to honour United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. 'Declaring Jerusalem a capital is disregarding history and the truths in the region, it is a big injustice/cruelty, shortsightedness, foolishness/madness, it is plunging the region and the world into a fire with no end in sight,' Turkish deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag said on Twitter. More opprobrium: Turkey's president Recey Tayyip Erdogan, who met King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday, had called the move on Jerusalem a 'red line'. His spokesman on Wednesday said it was a 'grave mistake that will virtually eliminate the fragile Middle East peace process'. A labourer hangs a U.S. national flag on a lamp post along a street where the U.S. consulate in located in Jerusalem An Ultra Orthodox Jewish man holds a shofar (ram's horn) with the golden Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine behind Pictured: US and Israeli national flags projected on the wall of Jerusalem's Old City in Jerusalem 'I call on everyone to act logically, respect the agreements they signed and behave reasonably, avoid risking world peace for domestic politics or other reasons,' he said. Prime Minister Netanyahu afterwards pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem's highly sensitive holy sites in the city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implicitly criticized President Trump's decision, warning that the city's status must be resolved through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. 'From day one as secretary-general of the United-Nations, I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians,' Guterres said, immediately after the US leader's announcement. 'Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides,' Guterres said. The secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation said US President Trump's decision destroys any hopes for a two-state solution to the conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres implicitly criticized President Trump's decision, warning that the city's status must be resolved through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Pictured: Trump speaking to reporters tonight 'He destroyed the two-state solution,' Saeb Erekat, who long served as the Palestinians top negotiator, told journalists after Trump's speech. Trump 'disqualified his country from any role whatsoever' in the peace process, he said. 'As a chief Palestinian negotiator, how can I sit with these people if they dictate on me the future of Jerusalem as Israel's capital,' he added. Erekat warned that 'it is really throwing the whole region into chaos, international chaos.' British Prime Minister Theresa May disagrees with the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel because it is unlikely to help efforts to bring peace to the region, her spokesman said. 'We disagree with the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement,' the spokesman said. 'We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region.' Iran 'seriously condemns' the decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and its recognition of the city as Israel's capital, read a statement on Wednesday from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs carried by state media. The move violates international resolutions, the statement said. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier that the United States was trying to destabilize the region and start a war to protect Israel's security. Protesters spray paints 'Free Palestine' on a wall outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey tonight Demonstrators pray during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, near the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul The U.S. action will 'incite Muslims and inflame a new intifada and encourage extremism and violent behavior for which the responsibility will lie with (the United States) and the Zionist regime (Israel),' the foreign ministry statement said. The statement also called on the international community to pressure the United States not to go through with the embassy move or the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran has reiterated that the most important reason for the falling apart of stability and security in the Middle East is the continued occupation and the biased and unequivocal support of the American government for the Zionist regime,' the statement said. 'And the deprivation of the oppressed Palestinian people from their primary rights in forming an independent Palestinian government with the noble Quds as its capital,' it said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. The State Department will immediately act on President Donald Trump's order to prepare to relocate the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday. 'The State Department will immediately begin the process to implement this decision by starting the preparations to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,' Tillerson said in a statement shortly after Trump's landmark announcement. Australia's foreign minister says she is concerned that the U.S. decision to move its Israel embassy to Jerusalem will increase tensions with the Palestinians. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she's 'concerned by any unilateral action by either side which could add to tensions.' She adds: 'The Australian government remains committed and optimistic that the way to achieve enduring peace between the Israelis and Palestinians is a negotiated two-state solution.' She says Australia doesn't intend to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv. Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has sparked warnings that it could unleash more violence in the Middle East and Tillerson said his department had taken measures to protect American nationals in the region. 'The safety of Americans is the State Department's highest priority, and in concert with other federal agencies, we've implemented robust security plans to protect the safety of Americans in affected regions,' said Tillerson, who is on a visit to Germany. Although Trump's decision has been met with widespread criticism in the region, the top US diplomat said that the US president had only acted after widespread consultation with allies. 'We have consulted with many friends, partners, and allies in advance of the president making his decision,' he said. 'We firmly believe there is an opportunity for a lasting peace,' he added. The two-state solution has long been the basis of international peace efforts for the conflict. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector of the city as the capital of their future state. 'I think tonight he is strengthening the forces of extremists in this region as no one has done before,' Erekat said, referring to Trump. Hundreds of Palestinians, meanwhile, burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the West Bank city of Hebron and a refugee camp near Bethlehem. Demonstrators chanted 'Death to America', 'Death to Israel' and 'Down with Trump' during the protests. Palestinian leaders previously warned the move could have dangerous consequences, calling it a 'kiss of death' to the two-state solution. Palestinians burn posters depicting Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the US intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Palestinians burn Israeli and US flags and posters of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during protest against the US intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, In flames: In Gaza, Palestinians burned the U.S. and Israeli flags as Trump's announcement later on Wednesday was revealed Israeli border police patrol the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem on Tuesday ahead of Trump's announcement 'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5billion Muslims (and) hundreds of millions of Christians that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel,' Manuel Hassassian, the chief Palestinian representative to Britain, told BBC radio. The announcement brought warnings from leaders in the Middle East and elsewhere that this move could cause violent protests and complicate peace efforts. Anticipating protests, US government officials and their families were earlier ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said earlier the plans were a sign of US 'incompetence and failure', while Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said there was 'no place for new adventurism by global oppressors', according to Mizan, the news site for the Iranian judiciary. Iran has long supported a number of Palestinian militant groups opposed to Israel. Islamist terrorist groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment. 'Our Palestinian people everywhere will not allow this conspiracy to pass, and their options are open in defending their land and their sacred places,' said Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Palestinians burned a poster of Trump during a protest in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Tuesday in anticipation of the announcement A child holds a Palestinian flag as he chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon Palestinian children hold Palestine flags and pictures of Jerusalem during a protest in Gaza city on Tuesday A range of world leaders issued further warnings. Germany and France warned its citizens in Israel and the Palestinian Territories of the risk of unrest. French President Emmanuel Macron said he reminded Mr Trump in a phone call on Monday that the status of Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations on a two-state solution for the Middle East. 'The French President expressed his concern over the possibility that the United States would unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' the statement said, after Macron and Trump spoke over the phone. 'Mr Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that the question of Jerusalem's status had to be dealt with in the framework of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, with the aim in particular to establish two countries, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and security side by side with Jerusalem as capital.' In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge her country's closest ally. 'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter,' May told MPs. 'Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one. 'It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states.' Contested city: Jerusalem is the holiest city of three religions and until now, never recognized by the U.S. or most other countries as Israel's capital. Trump's move upends what had long been U.S. policy, that recognition would be part of the peace process In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge the country's closest ally. She urged that Jerusalem should be a shared capital British foreign minister Boris Johnson, speaking as he arrived for a NATO meeting in Brussels, expressed concern 'because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement British foreign minister Boris Johnson, speaking as he arrived for a NATO meeting in Brussels, expressed concern 'because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement'. China warned the plan could fuel tensions in the region and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said 'Muslims must stand united against this major plot.' Russia, now a key Mideast player, expressed concern about a 'possible deterioration.' Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul on December 13 'to display joint action among Islamic countries' over Jerusalem. In Brussels Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to dampen down the reaction. 'The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process,' Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrained from commenting on the issue on Wednesday in his first speech since Trump's plan was confirmed. As well as Netanyahu, Trump spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan's King Abdullah and Saudi King Salman to inform them of his decision. Jordan and the Palestinians also called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, with a diplomatic source saying it was likely to be convened on Saturday. 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said The Jordanian king 'affirmed that the decision will have serious implications that will undermine efforts to resume the peace process and will provoke Muslims and Christians alike,' said a statement from his office. Abbas warned Trump of the 'dangerous consequences' that moving the embassy would have for peace efforts and regional stability, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. But Trump assured Abbas that he remained committed to facilitating an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, one U.S. official said. Although winter rains dampened protests called for East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip, few doubted fresh bloodshed now loomed. Israeli security forces braced for possible unrest but police said the situation in Jerusalem was calm for now. That could quickly change, given the religious passions that swirl around the Old City, where Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, abuts the Western Wall prayer plaza, a vestige of two ancient Jewish temples. THE WORLD REACTS TO TRUMP'S MOVE 'I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts.' - Pope Francis 'Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see. We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.' - Boris Johnson, British Foreign Secretary 'Our historical national identity is receiving important expressions every day.' - Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister 'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims, hundreds of millions of Christians, that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel.' - Manuel Hassassian, chief Palestinian representative to Britain 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' - Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Advertisement Palestinians mounted two uprisings, or intifadas, against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 then from 2000 to 2005, the latter ignited by a visit by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the shrine area, known to Jews as Temple Mount. Violent confrontations also took place in July this year after Israel installed metal detectors at the entrance to the Al Aqsa compound. Four Palestinians and three Israelis were killed, as well as two policemen shot dead by gunmen. Trump will instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, US officials said Tuesday. The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed US security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered US personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. The US State Department issued a cable to all its diplomatic posts worldwide on Wednesday asking its officials to defer non-essential travel to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank until December 20 according to a copy of the cable seen by Reuters. 'Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate General Jerusalem request that all non-essential visitors defer their travel to Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank from December 4-December 20, 2017,' said the cable, which did not specify a reason for the request. It remains unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by US law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades. The officials said numerous logistical and security details, as well as site determination and construction, will need to be finalized first. Because of those issues, the embassy is not likely to move for at least three or four years, presuming there is no future change in US policy. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Police are today hunting for 13 missing Vietnamese teenagers amid fears they could have fallen into the hands of slave gangs. The girls and boys, all aged between 14 and 18, came into the country illegally in June and September and were housed within Northamptonshire. They left their accommodation separately shortly after entering the care system and a police operation code named Fresco has been launched to find them. Police are today hunting for these 13 missing Vietnamese teenagers amid fears they could have fallen into the hands of slave gangs Northamptonshire Police say a decision has now been made to publicise the descriptions and pictures of the teenagers and ask the public's help in finding them. Detectives have been working alongside social services, accommodation providers and other forces in a co-ordinated and covert approach, targeting specific communities. Last month it emerged scores of Vietnamese children rescued from traffickers and put into council care have vanished and are feared to have fallen back into the hands of slave gangs. More than 150 Vietnamese youngsters have gone missing from their care and foster homes since 2015, and 88 have disappeared temporarily. This summer alone, 12 vanished from Rochdale. Experts have said some of the youngsters 'freak out' after being taken in by British authorities and run back to the arms of traffickers in panic. Baroness Butler-Sloss, chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary group on human trafficking and modern slavery, described the figures as 'very disturbing'. She said the Home Office should make 'some special arrangement' for the children that present a particular risk. The figures, obtained by The Times through freedom of information requests to 430 local authorities. A total of 79 authorities did not respond to the request. James Simmonds-Read, of the Children's Society, told the newspaper the children did not feel safe after being rescued. He said: 'We are not creating a culture where they feel safe, so children freak out and go missing and back to the people that trafficked and abused them.' Footage published earlier this month shows a group of Vietnamese migrants, including children, jumping from a lorry near Northampton Many Vietnamese children taken into care disappear and may have returned to traffickers Rochdale council was in charge of 12 youngsters who went missing. The local authority said they had only been in its care for two days and their ages had not been verified Helen Johnson, head of children's services at the Refugee Council, added: 'If children are treated with hostility, they'll believe what traffickers tell them: that they won't be helped or believed and that they are in debt.' The Home Office said it was developing an independent advocate system to help councils support young trafficking victims, and added that it had placed a duty on councils to flag up cases of children disappearing from care. Rochdale council said there was 'no similarity' between the street grooming scandal and the issues surrounding missing Vietnamese children. More than 120 crocodiles live in 6km stretch due to huge amounts of barramundi Infamous waterway is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the country Group were sitting on the vehicle's roof when it was washed off Cahills Crossing Drunk Aussies rescued after their car was washed into crocodile-infested waters A carload of 'drunk' Australians have been rescued from crocodile-infested waters after their vehicle was washed off a notorious crossing while they were sitting on its roof. The four-wheel drive was swept off Cahills Crossing, an infamous stretch of road between Kakadu and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, at about 7pm on Monday. Five of the group, who had allegedly been drinking alcohol, were reportedly sitting on the roof of the car when it plunged into the notorious saltwater croc feeding grounds. Five drunk Aussies had to be rescued after their car was washed into crocodile-infested waters Heroes Clayton Dwyer and Nick Perkins (pictured) rescued the travellers from the waterway Huge numbers of people every year dice with death as the try to cross the deadly waterway Shocking images show their white Toyota almost completely submerged in the waters, where dozens of the deadly reptiles are known to lurk and where fatalities have previously been reported. Have a go heroes Clayton Dwyer and Nick Perkins leapt to the rescue of the group, reversing their landscaping truck into the perilous waters to help them to safety. 'Nick was a f***ing hero,' Mr Dwyer told Daily Mail Australia. 'He literally dragged two people from that croc-infested river who would have died without him. No doubt in my mind. 'We wanted to cross ourselves but decided it wasn't worth the risk with our work gear, so we were waiting for the tide to go down. 'As soon as they went in we could see it happening. There was no time to get help and we decided we had a reasonable chance of getting them out. 'I backed in off the ramp and Nick was on the back of the truck. It was very awkward because of the angle and the car was full of work gear: I'm not sure how everyone fit. 'They were also rotten drunk. One of them even fell in the water at one point but he somehow got back. This is about the worst place in Australia for that to happen.' Clayton said he did not have time to look out for crocs before leaping to the rescue. Rangers surveyed East Alligator River and counted 120 crocodiles in a six-kilometre stretch As the waters rise over the submerged crossing, cars are washed into the croc-infested water He was later told scores of the reptiles which can grow up to a staggering 20ft in length had been sighted close to the crossing just hours before. Numerous fatal crocodile attacks have been reported at Cahill's over the years, including a man, 47, who was savaged this January and a 40-year-old man decapitated in 1987. Northern Territory Police confirmed when they attended the scene all those involved had already safely got out of the water but urged drivers not to attempt the deadly crossing at high tide. A spokesman said: 'Jabiru Police were called at 7.20pm on December 4 to reports a car containing six people had been washed off Cahill's Crossing. 'By the time police arrived, all six people had self-ejected from the vehicle and were waiting on the opposite side. They were later collected by family members. 'Police attended to make sure no one else attempted to cross while the submerged vehicle was still in situ. 'The advice from police is always to not attempt the crossing at any time other than low tide. 'It is a notorious crossing and this is not the first vehicle to be washed off there.' The site is littered in signs instructing people not to go near the dangerous waterway on foot Advertisement Newly-unearthed photographs showing the moment a fearsome German U-boat surrendered to the RAF have been found in a war hero's archive. The aerial images show U-570 on the surface of the north Atlantic with its defeated crew stood on deck waving a white flag after they were overcome by an air attack. U-570 was one of only six enemy submarines captured by the Allies in the Second World War so hardly any photos showing the moment of capture exist. The submarine was captured on its first ever patrol in August 24, 1941 and was eventually recommissioned by the Royal Navy as HMS Graph. In one image, there is a dinghy containing two Royal Navy officers who would go on to board the U-570 and seized its cipher machine to be investigated by the codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Incredible aerial images show U-570 on the surface of the north Atlantic with its defeated crew stood on deck waving a white flag after they were overcome by an air attack. Some of the crew can be sen perched precariously on the edge while wearing life jackets The photos were discovered in an archive owned by Group Captain Montague Whittle who was in command of the RAF base in Reykjavik, Iceland, from where the RAF bombers originated on that day. In one image, a dinghy containing two Royal Navy officers are seen negotiating the terms of surrender with the submarine crew How the German crew of the U-570 surrendered after thinking a depth charge had caused a deadly gas leak In August 1941 several Hudson light bombers flew from their base in Iceland to patrol the north Atlantic for 'wolf packs' of U-boats when they spotted U-570. Four 250lbs depth charges were dropped on it with one exploding 10 yards from the craft, causing damage. The U-boat surfaced and the commander and 10 of his shocked crew emerged on deck waving a white sheet, prompting the bombers to halt their attack. The inexperienced crew had wrongly thought the attack caused a deadly leak of chlorine gas, prompting them to surrender. The 220ft long U-boat was towed to Reykjavik the following day and more valuable German codebooks were recovered. It was later taken to Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbrua, for repair and was then commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Graph to be used against the Germans. The officers were later sent to a PoW camp in Cumbria and there a court martial was held by other German prisoners, which found them guilty of cowardice. Advertisement In August 1941 several Hudson light bombers flew from their base in Iceland to patrol the north Atlantic for 'wolf packs' of U-boats when they spotted U-570 on its first-ever patrol. The inexperienced crew had wrongly thought the attack caused a deadly leak of chlorine gas, prompting them to surrender to the RAF The photos were discovered in an archive owned by Group Captain Montague Whittle who was in command of the RAF base in Reykjavik, Iceland, from where the RAF bombers originated on that day. A year after the incident Gp Capt Whittle was involved in an air accident. But he was killed when a German air raid on the hospital in Torquay, Devon, where he was recuperating. His archive that includes his logbooks, photos, a letter of condolence on his death sent to his family by King George VI, RAF maps and his uniform are now being sold by a direct descendant of his. Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wilts, said: 'These black and white photographs showing the moment the U-boat was captured are truly remarkable and exceptionally rare. 'They were taken by one of the crew members of an RAF Hudson bomber which had forced it to the surface. 'Rather than be obliterated in a further attack the German crew surrendered. The images are shown in graphic detail with the date and time they were taken shown on each image. 'The pictures show about 20 of the crew stood on the deck and on the conning tower and you can just about make out a white object which may well be the white sheet signalling their surrender. 'Only a handful of German submarines were captured intact by the Allies in the war and when they were they provided an invaluable opportunity to seized enemy codebooks.' Gp Capt Whittle, from Cheshire, joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1918 and his career spanned the two world wars, culminating in him commanding the RAF base in Iceland. His archive is being sold at for 2,000 on December 16. Jean Wilson, pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court today, where she was given a suspended jail sentence A woman managing director today walked free after stealing more than 55,000 to pay for gastric band surgery and luxury holidays abroad. Jean Wilson from Port Talbot in South Wales, splashed the stolen cash on the expensive operation to help her lose more than six stone in just five months. The 58-year-old scammed her company, which recruited special needs teachers for schools, for five years by filling in fake invoices and paying the money into her own bank. She then splurged almost 10,000 on a five star luxury holidays to Singapore, Bali and Thailand where she sipped cocktails and stayed in top hotels. More than 9,000 was spent on a gastric band operation which left her unable to eat full meals, and thousands of pounds were spent on grooming her dog, vet bills, a new boiler, and home improvements. Wilson was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position. But she was spared jail after Cardiff Crown Court was told she had been battling mental health problems including a bipolar disorder and depression. The 58-year-old also splurged almost 10,000 on a five star luxury holiday to Singapore , Bali and Thailand where she sipped cocktails and stayed in top hotels The 58-year-old scammed her company, which recruited special needs teachers for schools, for five years by filling in fake invoices and paying the money into her own bank Wilson was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months. She was also ordered to wear an electronic tag in line with a 7am to 7pm curfew. She has been ordered to complete a one-year mental health programme and a 10-day rehabilitation activity. A further hearing will determine how much of the stolen cash Wilson has to repay to Axcis Education Recruitment, where she was managing director. The court heard Wilson carried out her fraud by 'deliberately falsifying records including invoices, impersonating clients by email, and taking large sums of money.' Wilson submitted one invoice for 9,504 supposedly for a bill covering the National College of Teaching - but it was really made out to a company called Healthier Weight to pay for her gastric band operation. She told friends that the operation - which took place in August 2015 - helped her lose more than six stone in just five months as she was unable to eat full meals afterwards. Wilson (pictured outside court), was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months. She was also ordered to wear an electronic tag in line with a 7am to 7pm curfew Wilson is pictured here before the gastric band surgery which she had at her employers' expense A further hearing will determine how much of the stolen cash Wilson has to repay to Axcis Education Recruitment, where she was managing director The defendant had held the position of managing director at Axcis Education Recruitment, now known as RO Education Ltd, for five years before her embezzlement was discovered and had spent 10 years at the company in total Another bill for 9,380 was made out to Audley Travel and paid for Wilson's travel to the Far East in January 2015. During the two week break Wilson downed Singapore Slings cocktails in Raffles and stayed in a luxury suite in the five star Fullerton Hotel. She boasted about having her own butler while staying in Thailand where she visited temples and went on an elephant safari. She flew from London Heathrow to Bangkok for the two week trip in top hotels with a friend. Wilson uploaded pictured of her luxury holidays to social media and boasted about them Wilson has been ordered to complete a one-year mental health programme and a 10-day rehabilitation activity Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees told her: 'For five years you supplied false invoices and managed to defraud the company of that money. 'You used it on luxury holidays and other things like installing a new boiler, dog grooming, and so forth. 'There is no doubt this was one of the most serious breaches of trust. 'A custodial sentence is richly deserved. But I cannot ignore the fact there is significant mental health problems.' A chainsaw-wielding clown ripped open a teenager's face in a funfair House of Horrors. The 17-year-old was rushed to hospital with an inch-deep wound after the accident on Sunday night. The employee wearing a clown suit had got too close to his victim when scaring him with the chainsaw at the Chiapas Fair in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico. A chainsaw-wielding clown ripped open teenager's face in a funfair House of Horrors (pictured the day after the accident) in Mexico Employee Ivan Azael was arrested and the fair was shut down while police investigated. But the Chiapas Prosecutor's Office said the incident was being considered accidental. The office released a statement saying: 'The accused accidentally wounded the young man in the right cheekbone with the chainsaw.' Last year ten people were taken to hospital after stairs collapsed at a House of Horrors attraction in Ireland. And in the US a woman claimed she feared for her life after being waterboarded at San Diego's McKamey Manor haunted house branded the 'world's scariest'. Two 'warped' British paedophiles who used a conference calling app to watch films of children being raped have been jailed following an international investigation. Stephen Stott, 23, and 34-year old Dean Jones were held after investigators from Homeland Security in the US discovered paedophiles were using video conference software to watch horrific and explicit child pornography together. Using pin numbers, up to 50 paedophiles at a time would log onto a chatroom via the app to see boys and girls being raped live - with some horrific film footage featuring babies just 12 months old. Stephen Stott, 23, (pictured) and 34-year old Dean Jones were held after investigators from Homeland Security in the US discovered paedophiles were using video conference software to watch horrific and explicit child pornography together The National Crime Agency in the UK were alerted after Stott, a VIP hospitality worker who lives with his mother in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, posted bragging messages on the site replying to a post from another user who said: 'baby n toddler lovers?' after they watched a pre-recorded video clip Over a three month in 2015 a series of posts from Stott - after watching a five year old girl being raped - included: 'Would love to see boy,' 'Anyone snuff?' and 'who wants tiny?' He also enquired about actual participation in abuse by asking the group 'anyone had real?', 'anyone with access' and 'any UK with access.' Jones, from Stockport, was later arrested and was found to have filmed himself taking part in sordid sexual encounters but none involved children Detectives swooped on Stott - a regular figure on Manchester's club scene - in July 2016 and examined his phone to discover he had sent various horrific pictures via WhatsApp to Jones, a college graduate who works in palliative care. They included video clips of girls and boys being repeatedly raped and abused. One showed a 43 second clip of a 10-year-old girl. Jones, from Stockport, was later arrested and was found to have filmed himself taking part in sordid sexual encounters but none involved children. In a WhatsApp exhange between the two men Jones said: 'You child minding soon?' to which Stott replied: ' Hopefully. What you wana do then? What if he said something?' At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Stott was jailed for 32 months after he admitted making and distributing indecent images, possessing extreme pornography, aiding and abetting the showing of indecent images and conspiracy to perform a sexual act. Jones was jailed for nine months after he admitted conspiracy to commit a sexual act, possessing extreme pornography and making an indecent image of a child. The court heard Stott came to the attention of the NCA following an international investigation involving agencies from the USA and Canada. Stott (left) was jailed for 32 months after he admitted number of offences including making and distributing indecent images and possessing extreme pornography. Jones (right) was jailed for nine months after he admitted conspiracy to commit a sexual act, possessing extreme pornography, making an indecent image of child Jon Close prosecuting said: 'It focused an investigation on the use of online video conferencing software to share, view, comment and even live stream the sexual abuse of children. The method by which it was viewed was quite sophisticated. 'Most of the 'meetings' using the app involved legitimate legal activity. Unfortunately a criminal element had discovered that the app allowed for secret meetings wherein like minded individuals could meet on line and watch together the sexual abuse of children. 'Sometimes this material was by way of pre-recorded clips. Sometimes there was a live feed of abuse wherein the viewers could solicit specific acts. There is no suggestion, however, that Stott was present at the time of 'live streamed' abuse.' Stott was at a 'video conference' on two occasions, between September and December 2015 when participants viewed, shared and commented upon pre-recorded video clips showing the sexual abuse of children. Stott was jailed for 32 months after he admitted making and distributing indecent images Jones was said to have watched and commented on the abuse 'with some enthusiasm' but he did not share any of his own video or pictorial content with the group. Mr Close said on September 21 2015 24 people including Stott were present in the 'chat room' in which footage was streamed of a pre-recorded clip showing the rape of boys aged between the ages of 10 and 14. On December 4 2015, there were up to 50 people present in the 'chatroom' during which six more sick recordings were broadcast including a film entitled: 'baby-2years old (brutal)'. Mr Close added: 'Whilst the videos are playing, or before the same are selected, there is often comment made by those present in the room. Stott made comments during a discussion as to the type of image the group would like to see. 'After viewing the abuse of a five-year-old female the defendant asked the group 'anyone snuff?' and 'who wants tiny?' He also enquired about actual participation in abuse by asking the group 'anyone had real?', 'anyone with access' and 'any UK with access.' Stott was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and Jones (pictured) will be on it for 10 years Investigations showed Stott had been swapping WhatsApp messages and sick sexual photographs with Jones in the week before his arrest. As part of the Whatsapp conversation, the pair also discussed whether they would force someone to have sex and the abuse of children. Police spoke to a young boy amid fears he might have been molested by Stott but but no evidence was found of any abuse. In mitigation for Stott, defence lawyer Mark Fireman, said: 'It was never the case that Mr Stott distributed images that he had created himself to be viewed by others. His role was a passive one in that he watched what others had done and albeit typed words of encouragement. 'At a relatively young age he became involved with older individuals who have a long way to corrupting what most would consider to be wholly wrongful actions and wrongful material. His actions are from what took place when he was a much younger man. In mitigation for Stott, defence lawyer Mark Fireman said: 'It was never the case that Mr Stott distributed images that he had created himself to be viewed by others. His role was a passive one in that he watched what others had done and albeit typed words of encouragement' 'It's plain he deeply regrets his actions. He has expressed genuine remorse for his behaviour and wishes to change the way he is living, change his lifestyle. When he is released he will go back to live with his mother. For Jones, Nicholas Clarke, said: 'He received and willingly engaged in conversation beyond his experience. It may well be the case that Mr Stott was more technologically sophisticated and more deeply involved in this world of child images. 'The life he was living was some what isolated with short relationship that were to his desire. A report said that for that period Mr Jones had a preoccupation with deviant sexual behaviour. It shocked him but he has to accept that is accurate. 'He didn't back away from the images sent to him. He was encouraging it saying 'don't you owe me a video?' 'Can't you send me some more?' But there's no indication that the material has come from anyone else but Stephen Stott.' Stott was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and Jones will be on it for 10 years. Judge Mark Savill said their behaviour had been 'warped' and told them: 'It is is most disturbing that both of you have shown deviant sexual interest in very young children. The images and discussions you engaged in are abhorrent and distressing in equal measure. 'Viewing images for your own perverse interests repeats the dreadful abuse of children. You place yourselves in close connection with the abusers themselves - and by doing so these are not victimless crimes. You have both abandoned the moral compass and you should hang your heads in shame.' Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson has been accused of covering up child sex abuse by the Catholic clergy for nearly three decades. Crown prosecutor Gareth Harrison told the Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday that Wilson had allegedly been involved in a number of cases where he had tried to prevent abuse claims being reported to police between 1976 and 2004 to protect the Catholic Church. In his opening address on the first day of Wilson's trial where he is accused of concealing information about the abuse of an altar boy by now-dead pedophile priest James Fletcher in the NSW Hunter region, Mr Harrison said the evidence would show Wilson had failed to report widespread child abuse by the Catholic clergy and a teacher. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson arrives at Newcastle Local Court, Wednesday, December 6 The prosecutor said Wilson had been a priest at a parish in 1976 when an altar boy came to him in the presbytery to reveal he had been sexually abused by Fletcher when he was 10 years old. The altar boy claimed Wilson was shocked by the abuse claims and promised to look into it but nothing happened. Mr Harrison said another altar boy, aged between eight and nine years old, went to see Wilson in the confessional box in late 1976 to complain about being abused by Fletcher but Wilson told the boy he was lying. Wilson allegedly told the boy he didn't believe him and he should be ashamed of himself before sending him off to say 10 Hail Marys as an act of contrition. The prosecutor said Wilson was told by another boy's family in 2004 how he had been abused by Fletcher. Wilson allegedly told the family there was nothing he could do because by that time he was the Archbishop of Adelaide and they should ring their local bishop. Fletcher was convicted in 2004 of sexually abusing another young boy and died in prison in January 2006. Wilson is accused of concealing information about the abuse of an altar boy by now-dead pedophile priest James Fletcher (pictured) in the NSW Hunter region The altar boy claimed Wilson was shocked by the abuse claims and promised to look into it but nothing happened Wilson allegedly told the boy he didn't believe him and he should be ashamed of himself before sending him off to say 10 Hail Marys as an act of contrition The prosecutor said Wilson was told by another boy's family in 2004 how he had been abused by Fletcher Mr Harrison said the family claimed when they finally met Wilson in late 2004 he told them he had paid $10,000 to one woman from South Australia who had been pestering him about claims she or one of her relatives had been abused by someone from the Catholic Church. Defence barrister Stephen Odgers SC said a lot of the claims aired in court by the prosecutor were hearsay and would be inadmissible during Wilson's trial. Wilson, 67, the most senior Catholic official in the world to be charged with concealing child sex assault, sat quietly in court behind his team of lawyers during the prosecutor's opening address. Wilson had travelled to Newcastle from Adelaide on Wednesday to appear in court after having been found fit to stand trial. Wilson, 67, is the most senior Catholic official in the world to be charged with concealing child sex assault Wilson had travelled to Newcastle from Adelaide on Wednesday to appear in court after having been found fit to stand trial He had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease before meeting Adelaide neuropsychologist Emma Scamps on Tuesday afternoon to determine if he was capable of understanding the evidence to be given at his trial and to instruct his lawyers. Dr Scamps believed Wilson, who had a pacemaker fitted on November 22, had signs of cognitive impairment but was mentally well enough to stand trial. Wilson's trial had been due to begin last week before concerns were raised over his physical and mental health. The trial resumes on Thursday. The NSW Court of Appeal in June dismissed Wilson's third attempt to have the proceeding against him quashed or permanently stayed. An Argentine woman has been reunited with her relatives 40 years after she was stolen as a newborn by the country's former dictatorship. A human rights group says DNA tests determined her identity, bringing the number of 'stolen baby' cases they have solved in Argentina to 126. The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo rights group said Tuesday that Adriana, a 40-year-old lawyer, is the biological daughter of activists Violeta Graciela Ortolani and Edgardo Roberto Garnier. Former military and police figures kidnapped Ortolani when she was pregnant on December 14, 1976, in the Argentine city of La Plata. Garnier was kidnapped on February 8, 1977. Neither were ever seen again. Adriana attended a press conference with the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, where she was reunited with relatives after four decades. The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo rights group said Tuesday that Adriana (center in blue), a 40-year-old lawyer, is the biological daughter of Violeta Graciela Ortolani (top right photograph) and Edgardo Roberto Garnier (left photograph) Former military and police figures kidnapped Ortolani when she was pregnant on December 14, 1976, in the Argentine city of La Plata. Garnier was kidnapped on February 8, 1977. They're both still missing Adriana attended a press conference with the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, where she was reunited with relatives after four decades Argentina's search for truth remains focused on the 500 or so newborns raised by surrogate families after the military junta launched a systematic plan to steal babies born to political prisoners. Pictured above, Adriana leans on the shoulder of her aunt during a press conference Speaking at the conference, she said that she learned she was not the biological child of the couple who raised her after the man and women died. 'I found out on a Saturday and on the Monday I had already gone to the Grandmothers, I wanted to know if I was the daughter of people who had disappeared, more than anything because of my date of birth,' she said. The DNA test took four months find a match, and on Monday she finally received a call that her parents had been identified. Her biological aunt attended the press conference on Tuesday, and the pair appeared emotional over their meeting. Adriana's grandmother, who continued to look for her daughter, Violeta Graciela Ortolani, for decades, could not attend the news conference, but Adriana said they had already spoken by phone. Since learning about her mother and father, Adriana has already spoken on the phone with her biological grandmother Speaking at the conference, Adriana said that she learned she was not the biological child of the couple who raised her after the man and women died The DNA test took four months find a match, and on Monday she finally received a call that her parents had been identified. Pictured above, Hector Pantuso, left, hugs Adriana, the recovered daughter of two activists Adriana is the 126th grandchild recovered by the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo (Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo) human rights organization Since 1977, the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have fought to recover their stolen grandchildren 'She is beautiful inside and out and such a personality.' Adriana said. 'Love is stronger than hate, always.' Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were jailed, tortured and killed or forcibly disappeared during the brutal 1976-1983 dictatorship. Since 1977, the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have fought to recover their stolen grandchildren. In the dictatorship years, they marched every week in front of the main square in Buenos Aires at great risks to their lives. After Argentina's return to democracy, they lobbied the government to create a DNA database and dedicate judicial resources to the effort. Argentina's search for truth remains focused on the 500 or so newborns raised by surrogate families after the military junta launched a systematic plan to steal babies born to political prisoners. Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were jailed, tortured and killed or forcibly disappeared during the brutal 1976-1983 dictatorship The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo has so far helped to identify 126 of the illegally adopted children in a campaign that has stirred painful memories. Pictured above, Adriana speaks as people hold portraits of her parents Adriana's biological aunt attended the press conference on Tuesday, and the pair appeared emotional over their meeting Adriana was raised not knowing she had been forced into adoption by the Argentine government The Grandmothers successful pushed for the creation of the DNA database that enables people illegally adopted, including Adriana, to determine their real identity Two former dictators were eventually convicted along with others of systematically kidnapping children. Pictured above, Adriana at Tuesday's press conference The group has so far helped to identify 126 of the illegally adopted children in a campaign that has stirred painful memories. The Grandmothers successful pushed for the creation of the DNA database that enables people illegally adopted to determine their real identity. Two former dictators were eventually convicted along with others of systematically kidnapping children. Jorge Rafael Videla died in prison in May 2013 while serving a 50-year sentence. Reynaldo Bignone remains in prison. Officials during the dictatorship also have been convicted of organizing the theft of babies from political prisoners who were often executed. A 17-year-old girl was thrown to the floor and dragged by her hair in a shocking 'hazing' by her fellow volunteer firefighters. Four officers at the Eaglehawk Country Fire Association brigade in Victoria, including captain Hayden Allen, were stood down after CCTV of the incident surfaced. After getting out of a fire engine with her colleagues, the girl playfully tapped a man in his 20s on the back - only to be grabbed by the throat. A 17-year-old girl was thrown to the floor and dragged by her hair in a shocking 'hazing' by her fellow volunteer firefighters, including local captain Hayden Allen (pictured) She was slammed to the ground headfirst and pinned to the concrete floor as another firefighter kicked her with steel-cap boots on November 27. The teenager was allowed to stand up but then grabbed by her hair and dragged before she was pushed down and dragged by her legs under a fire engine. The men then activated the truck's sprinklers which soaked her - all while a group of men, including her brother and another teenager, watched on and cheered. Mr Allen walked in part way through the two-minute ordeal before walking away without saying anything, then later returned to break it up. He then pointed at the girl and appeared to scold her as she tried to fix her clothes. Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the 'graphic footage' 'appalling' and clearly not in line with community expectations. Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the 'graphic footage' 'appalling' and clearly not in line with community expectations 'You have a couple of individuals, men, perpetrating this, whilst other men are standing around looking at it. It is disgusting,' he said. 'It is being immediately investigated as is appropriate. As minister for Emergency Services and as a parent, I am disgusted that a 17-year-old girl has been treated in this way.' Mr Allen made a Facebook post thanking friends for their support and saying his name had been 'tarnished throughout the media' over the incident. 'Please understand that I can not make comment on the allegations that have been accused. But like all things there is two sides to every story and unfortunately we just have to ride the wave,' he wrote. The 28-year-old sales rep for tool manufacturer Wurth Australia joined the CFA 15 years ago, following the example of other family members. His CFA bio lists his favourite thing about the organisation as its 'family atmosphere', and called it 'one of the best things you will ever do'. 'Some brigades love having young members, for others it is a taboo. So how do we balance this within CFA?' he told a CFA youth forum last year. He said young people were often challenged and frustrated by 'the pace of getting things done'. Mr Allen, a 28-year-old sales rep for tool manufacturer Wurth Australia, joined the CFA 15 years ago, following the example of other family members He made a Facebook post thanking friends for their support and saying his name had been 'tarnished throughout the media' over the incident Just three days before the 'hazing', Mr Allen added a White Ribbon Day filter to his Facebook profile picture of himself in his CFA uniform. 'I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men's violence against women,' he wrote. CFA chief executive Frances Diver also slammed the 'hazing' and said the attack and was referred to Victoria Police. 'That footage shows a young girl, a 17-year-old girl, getting out of a truck with a group of men, mostly middle-aged men,' she told 3AW on Wednesday. 'They engage in physical behaviour with the woman, dragging her across the floor, pushing her over, holding her down and harming her. They did wet her with the fine spray of a truck.' Ms Diver said she was 'sickened' by the footage and has been in touch with the girl and her family, who do not want to take it further. 'She's a young girl, she lives in a small town, it would be humiliating,' Ms Diver said. But she referred the matter to police because she believed what she saw could constitute a criminal offence. Just three days before the 'hazing', Mr Allen added a White Ribbon Day filter to his Facebook profile picture of himself in his CFA uniform A full investigation has been launched by CFA, but the young girl does not appear to be pressing charges and police have closed their investigation (stock image) However, Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia there was no criminal act in the video. 'Bendigo Crime Investigation Unit detectives have been made aware of some footage taken at an Eaglehawk Fire Station on 27 November,' she said. 'Victoria Police has investigated the matter. No formal complaint has been made and no offence has been detected. The matter is now complete.' Ms Driver said the CFA would undertake an independent investigation to determine exactly what is going on in that brigade that allowed that behaviour to continue. 'One of the most disturbing parts of the footage is that not only did one or two individuals engage in that behaviour, but a group of people stood by and watched,' she said. 'I am horrified at the idea that a young girl has been brutalised in that way. 'I've got parents that are sending their kids into junior brigades... and I need to provide some assurance to those parents that we are taking this seriously.' Four members who were immediately identified have been suspended and others are being questioned. CFA chief executive Frances Diver said she was 'sickened' by the footage and has been in touch with the girl and her family, who do not want to take it further Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia there was no criminal act in the video A spokesperson for CFA told Daily Mail Australia the four suspended members were volunteers, and would remain off duty pending a full investigation. 'CFA leadership was recently advised of an incident that occurred at the Eaglehawk Brigade on November 27,' they said. 'Since being notified, we have taken immediate steps to deal with this issue, including standing down those allegedly involved in the incident, including the captain of the brigade. 'CFA will also be reviewing the incident with the intention of addressing any underlying cultural issues in this brigade. 'CFA is adamant that it will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour, we are committed to making the organisation more inclusive. 'Any behaviour that is not consistent with our values and doesn't meet reasonable community standards will not be accepted within the organisation.' A father-of-two who drank petrol before ramming into three banks and crashing through the doors of Crown Casino has been jailed over the bizarre rampage. Chen Jie Xu, 34, was arrested after driving his white SUV down footpaths at high speeds in Melbourne's central business district in June. Pedestrians on Swanston Street could be heard yelling 'off the footpath!' as they scrambled out of the way of Xu's car. Scroll down for video A father-of-two (pictured) who drank petrol before ramming into three banks and crashing through the doors of Crown Casino has been jailed over the bizarre rampage Police body cam footage from after Xu's arrest show him asking for water as officers questioned him,Seven News reported. Xu has not explained why he deliberately drove into the doors of three banks and Crown's underground carpark. He told police he accidentally drank water from a bottle of petrol in his car and became confused while looking for water to drink from a bathroom. Xu admitted taking cocaine earlier in the evening, and tested positive for the illegal drug, ABC News reported. Chen Jie Xu, 34, was arrested after driving his white SUV down footpaths at high speeds in Melbourne's central business district in June (pictured is Xu's car entering Crown Casino) Magistrate John Bentley rejected Xu's explanation, and noted the incident could have been worse if pedestrians had not been able to avoid Xu's car. 'How could someone, he's drunk petrol and on cocaine, navigate himself to the Crown Casino car park?' asked Magistrate Bentley. 'He was intent on a destructive path.' The East Burwood man pleaded guilty to reckless conduct endangering serious injury, possessing a controlled weapon without lawful excuse and damaging the glass doors. Xu (pictured on the night of the rampage, left) was sentenced to 13 months in jail, which means with time served he will be eligible for parole in two months The glass security doors at Crown Casino and the three banks were valued at $10,000 each. Xu was sentenced to 13 months in jail, which means with time served he will be eligible for parole in two months. His licence has been suspended for two years. The incident led to concrete bollards being placed on Melbourne streets the weekend after. Xu's rampage followed a much worse incident in January in which a car driven down Bourke street killed six and injured 36. Moving on from the residual impact of losing someone to suicide can take time and can often only be aided by sharing memories, using words to express pain and remembering the life that is gone. Zac Franich has experienced the devastating pain felt after a close family friend took their own life and the onslaught of mixed emotions that followed their loss. Shared by Voices of Hope, a heart-breaking interview with The Bachelor star reveals the ensuing stress, regret, torment and even guilt carried while suffering through anguish and throughout the aftermath of carrying on without someone so deeply cared for. Scroll down for video Zac Franich (pictured) has experienced the devastating pain of losing a friend to suicide Franich frantically called his siblings (pictured) who were equally distraught, before rushing to be by their side to grieve together upon hearing the news The raw emotion is still apparent even eight years after losing his family friend Woody. As Franich relives the last moment he saw Woody alive, he describes the frustration and heartache in finding out he was gone. He says Woody was 'one of the family' who had his brother's back which Franich says was natural as loyalty was one of his quality traits. 'I feel real bad because I was at home one afternoon... and he kind of wondered around, because he just had no where else to go,' Franich candidly explains. 'For one reason or another, I was just quite short with him, I might have had a bad day.. and I was quite dismissive of him. 'My brother and my sister weren't home, so it was just me he kind of stuck around for a little while and watched TV. 'I don't know if I made him feel uncomfortable or what but he left and went somewhere else and that was the last time I saw him.' The Bachelor star revealed the ensuing stress, regret, suffering and even guilt felt while suffering through pain following the loss of a friend (pictured: Zac and his siblings Brianna and Jed) Zac urges anyone, while placing an emphasis on men, who may be struggling to find reassurance in the fact that circumstances Franich remembers it was a Thursday night when his mum called and delivered him harrowing news that his friend was gone. She asked if he had spoken to his brother to which he answered 'no' and she just said 'Woody's passed away' before explaining how - that it was suicide. Franich frantically called his siblings, who were equally distraught, before rushing to be by their side to grieve together. 'We just cried.' In the lead up to speaking about his experience Franich thought he would be ready to speak about Woody, but told Daily Mail Australia the intensity of the trauma left behind outweighed the acceptance of the events. In the Voices of Hope video Franich shares emotions he felt while suffering through anguish 'It quickly became apparent how raw and tender the subject was to me after the first question asked. 'I guess it's something you never really get over. There's always the same emotions associated with losing someone you care about; be it the pang of guilt, like ''could I have done something more?'' to the frustration and anger around trying to place blame, to the sadness that they can no longer bring the joy they once used to.' Through his own journey Franich has encountered trying times, which pushed him to a state of depression. In 2015, after realising his sporting dreams were over, he was overwhelmed with a senseless feeling which lacked direction. The high amount of pressure he had placed on himself came down on him hard as he attempted to find his place again. Woody was 'one of the family' who had his brother's back which Franich says was natural as loyalty was one of his quality traits 'I found for me, the depression and anxiety I faced was from a really tough situation, with many sides and it was a bunch of big events happening all at once.' Bravely, Franich worked to fix his problems by finding the strength to speak up, and eventually turning to help, to talk out the issues that were weighing him down and preventing him to be his best self. Franich currently works with teenagers at a surf lifesaving club in Red Beach and is passionate about advocating positivity and hope. His willingness to help others expands past his job, now using the platform given to him by starring on New Zealand's The Bachelor to share his own struggles to give others hope. Zac Franich (pictured) appeared in the teaser clip promoting men speaking out around mental health issues When approached to lend his voice for the 'it's not weak to speak' campaign Franich didn't think twice. 'For me, it was about helping people. I'm confident with my emotions and feel I am able to articulate them well. So from that standpoint, I really felt compelled to be vocal on a subject that a lot of people struggle on.' He urges anyone, while placing an emphasis on men, who may be struggling to find reassurance in the fact that circumstances, pain and hard times can get better. 'You may be in a dark place at the moment, but it won't stay like that for much longer. No one gets through this life by themselves, on their own. 'We all lean on various people along the way and there are so many people out there who would love to help you, if given half the chance. 'You can become stronger by talking about your vulnerabilities and weaknesses.' For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14 or any of the numbers below. Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (24/7 crisis support) www.kidshelpline.com.au Richard Holden, 32, (pictured today) allegedly groped the woman's genitals during a party at his three-bedroom house close to Parliament in Vauxhall during a Christmas party A former special adviser to MP Sir Michael Fallon sexually assaulted a woman during a Christmas party at his 1million home, a court heard today. Richard Holden, 32, allegedly groped the woman's bottom and genitals during a party at his three-bedroom house close to Parliament in Vauxhall, on December 17 last year. It is alleged that while appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, he put his hands around the complainant's waist before moving his hands up her skirt and touching her intimately. The alleged victim, who is in her 20s, reported the incident to the Conservative party's central office and the civil service authorities as well as making a complaint to the police. Holden was interviewed under caution in February before being charged with one count of sexual assault. He issued a denial last month and insisted the allegation is 'completely and utterly untrue' before his first appearance at Westminster magistrates' court today. Holden, dressed in a smart blue suit, spoke only to confirm his identity and enter a not guilty plea. Prosecutor Robert Simpson said: 'The incident took place at a Christmas party held at the defendant's house just before Christmas last year. 'The defendant at the time was working as a special advisor to Michael Fallon MP.' Richard Holden, a former aide to ex Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, denies the allegations and pleaded not guilty today Sir Michael Fallon, pictured arriving for a constituency meeting in Swanley, dramatically quit his Cabinet role following claims of a sexual nature Holden is accused of drunkenly groping the complainant's bottom and touching her genitals over her clothing. Holden will appear again in court in the New Year He joined Conservative Campaign Headquarters in 2007 and later became deputy head of the party's press office and a special advisor to former leader of the House of Lords Baroness Tina Stowell. He was promoted to serve as a media advisor for Sir Michael last year before the former defence secretary resigned amid a series of allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour in November. The London School of Economics graduate joined Newington Communications as an associate director in September, but his contract was terminated once the firm found out he was charged with sexual assault. Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said: 'You will be going to Southwark crown court, you have elected trial there. 'The first hearing will be on the 3 January.' Holden was released on conditional bail until a preliminary hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 3 January. This is the dramatic moment a schoolgirl was yanked off her feet and nearly strangled when a tanker caught on a low hanging cable and sent it whipping through the air. The 12-year-old was flipped over in the air and landed crashing in the middle of the road when the incident happened in Puebla City in south east Mexico. CCTV footage shows the young pupil leaving a stationary shop in the Azcarate neighbourhood. The driver turns the corner without noticing their vehicle is dragging telephone cables, entangled around a water pipe. Pictured: The driver turns the corner without noticing their vehicle was dragging telephone cables, entangled around a water pipe The 12-year-old was flipped over in the air and landed crashing in the middle of the road when the incident happened in Puebla City in south east Mexico Local reports suggest they that were reportedly left behind by a communications company. As the tanker passes the girl, the cables pull tight and catch her neck, violently yank her forwards. The girl notices the flying cords too late as it wraps around her and throws her into the air by several metres. A local newspaper reported the girl was taken to the hospital before being taken home. According to one report, the lorry driver kept on going and it is unclear if he even realised what had happened or whether he was questioned or detained by police. Azcarate residents have often complained about the state of the cabling in the area and the danger they present. Local councillor Miriam Arabian said that the council is making moves to sanction companies that leave public work unfinished and pose a threat to pedestrians. Two people have arrested a man and a woman over the murder of an elderly army veteran who was killed during a robbery at his home. The pair, both aged 29, are currently being quizzed on suspicion of murder and robbery in connection with the death of 80-year-old Tommy Ward. Great-grandfather Tommy suffered a smashed skull, broken ribs and fractured jaw in an attack in his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, in October 2015. His 30,000 life savings were stolen during the robbery and he died four months later after his ordeal. Scroll down for video Tommy Ward, 80, pictured in hospital, was 'beaten to a pulp' by thugs who broke into his home and stole his 30,000 life savings. He died in hospital months after the suck attack A safe, identical to the one in which he kept his savings, was found dumped in a canal around two weeks after the attack but it was empty. Four men arrested on suspicion of murder over the course of the investigation have all been released without charge. In February, detectives working on the murder probe released CCTV footage of a car which pulled into Mr Ward's street at around the time they believe he was attacked. The car - a Saab 93 - pulled onto the street at 5.15am and is then later seen on the CCTV footage doing a U-turn and driving off. There is a 25-minute period for which the car is unaccounted. Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Short said at that time that detectives were 'determined to identify the killer'. The grandfather, pictured left, sustained injuries to his brain, skull and jaw, right, and spent nearly five months in hospital before his death She said they want 'justice for Tommy and closure for his family' and described the incident as 'horrendous'. Tommy was an ex-miner, who did National Service with the Norfolk Regiment and the Northumberland Fusiliers. Tommy's daughter Jackie Perry spoke out at the time of his death, saying: 'He was a proper character, he loved his Irish jokes and loved craic with everybody - he was a real joker. Even though we heard these jokes hundreds of times he still told them. 'He loved his family, everybody loved him, he was a really great dad and granddad and great-grandad. 'He liked his pint up at the Manor Hotel - he'd go up there on his scooter. He was a lovable rogue as you say.' A police spokeswoman said: 'One man and one woman have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder in connection to the death of Tommy Ward. 'Both, aged 29, are currently in custody.' Anyone with information should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. A family has won a 2,000 payout after they were forced to sleep on airport benches when their trip to South Africa was ruined. Anton Van Der Hoven, 52, his wife Val, 57, and their two children, faced cancellations as well as diversions and delays and ended up being separated in a hotel. They were due to fly from Heathrow to their final destination of Johannesburg via Frankfurt in Germany but ended up arriving three days late. The family, from Lymington, Hampshire, had booked to fly with airline Lufthansa and have now won a large payout after their trip turned into a holiday from hell. Anton Van Der Hoven, 52, his wife Val, 57, and their two children Ben, 10, and Alex, 12 (pictured together) had booked to fly to South Africa At one point they were told to get a connecting flight to Angola but were stopped from boarding because they had not been given yellow fever vaccinations. Mr Van Der Hoven, an electrician was with his wife and their children Ben, 10, and Alex, 12. They had to fly to Cologne because of storms before they eventually arrived in Frankfurt. They then had to board a different flight to Istanbul before finally landing in Johannesburg. To make things worse, some of their luggage went missing. Mrs Van Der Hoven said: 'We spent the night on an airport bench as no arrangements had been made for alternative accommodation. 'My husband and I stayed awake to keep an eye on our luggage at all times. 'Very early in the morning I tried to call the Lufthansa offices in London and Frankfurt, without success. 'After looking round, we found a Lufthansa representative who was putting passengers into taxis to travel back to Frankfurt.' A flight from Frankfurt to South Africa was delayed thanks to 'technical problems' and then cancelled hours later. Lufthansa told the family they weren't entitled to a refund because the first leg of the journey was disrupted by bad weather. However, the German airline has given them a 2,120 pay-out as 'a goodwill gesture and not part of any compensation' after the family instructed solicitors Bott & Co to act on their behalf. Mrs Van Der Hoven said: 'Two of our bags did not come off the baggage claim and we were told that they may be lost or on another flight. 'Whilst at the baggage claim, we were told we were booked on a flight to Luanda [Angola] the following evening with a connecting flight nine hours later to Johannesburg. We had not received a text informing us of this.' Mrs Van Der Hoven stayed at the airport to try to change the onward flights from Luanda to Johannesburg while her husband and their two children went to a hotel. She said: 'It was unacceptable to ask us to wait for a connecting flight for nine hours at an airport with two children.' At the hotel, they were given two double rooms on separate floors. During this time, the two lost suitcases turned up at the hotel. Alex and Ben were forced to sleep on seats in Cologne, Germany, after their flight was delayed Mrs Van Der Hoven added: 'While queuing to try to change the flights, there was a lot of confusion among staff, as well as passengers who were not sure which desks they should be at to rebook their flights. 'I was told the only way to get to Johannesburg was via Angola, but there were just three seats on an earlier flight out of Luanda with only a three hour stopover. 'I accepted this for my husband and the two children, leaving me with the nine hour stopover.' The journey they should have made Heathrow Airport Frankfurt Johannesburg Advertisement However, just before they tried to board they were refused entry to the plane as they didn't have yellow fever vaccinations - Lufthansa had not informed them these would be required. Mrs Van Der Hoven said: 'This wasted another day of our holiday, waiting for a flight that we could never board. 'We queued at the desk and were eventually rebooked for the following day via Istanbul with Lufthansa, and Turkish Airways onwards to Johannesburg, and given another hotel voucher for yet another night's stay in Frankfurt.' The family eventually made it to South Africa via Turkey but missed their family reunion. Mrs Van Der Hoven said: 'We queued for over 13 hours during our three day delay. 'For the children, this was the first trip to South Africa since they were babies and our trip of a lifetime to show them their father's country and to meet relatives who had not seen them since they were babies. The journey they ended up making Heathrow Airport Cologne Frankfurt Istanbul Johannesburg Advertisement 'Because of the delays and cancellations, we missed a family reunion in Johannesburg, held in our honour - that can never be replaced. 'Not only was our arrival three days later than scheduled, but the treatment we received from the Lufthansa booking clerks, cabin crew and other staff on the whole was rude, surly and not of the standard we were expecting from an airline with a reputation such as Lufthansa. 'This experience was made worse because of the lack of information available, the lack of staff with appropriate knowledge and staff who were unhelpful and at times embarrassed by what was happening to us.' A spokesperson from the airline said: 'We do everything in our power to maintain flight schedules and avoid waiting times for our passengers. 'Occasionally factors outside our control, such as adverse weather, may cause delays.' The family of a paraglider trainer who died after crashing into a field have said they are 'in pieces' following the tragic accident. Paul Kilburn, 54, crashed in the village of Pilling, in Lancashire, on Sunday lunchtime and was taken by ambulance to the Royal Preston Hospital where he died a short time later. Mr Kilburn ran Manchester Paragliders in Astley and also offered paramotor training. The married father-of-two was 'paramotoring' at the time of the crash. Paramotors comprise a harness-mounted engine which is worn like a backpack under a paraglider wing. Unlike a standard paraglider, they can be launched from an open, flat field instead of a hill facing into the wind. Paul Kilburn, 54, died after crashing into a field in the village of Pilling, in Lancashire, on Sunday Mr Kilburn ran Manchester Paragliders in Astley and also offered paramotor training Mr Kilburn's son Dale described Sunday as the 'hardest day I've had'. He wrote on Facebook: 'I woke to a knock on the door with news my dad passed away in an accident. 'Nothing can prepare you for this. We're all in pieces. It's almost as if you're going to run through the door and shout 'surprise' like the joker you were. 'I hope you're flying high. Love you dad.' Niece Nicola Westwood described Mr Kilburn as her 'crazy funny uncle Paul' and said she 'just can't get her head around it'. She added: 'Life is just so cruel. Only the other day you were having so much fun with Oliver and now you're gone, just like that. 'Our family has lost a top guy. Such a big shock for everyone.' Paramotors comprise a harness-mounted engine which is worn like a backpack under a paraglider wing Kerry McAllister wrote: 'Heaven gained a funny and caring man, my brother-in-law Paul. 'He was always fun and always trying to make people laugh. 'Life can be incredibly cruel sometimes and it really is true that it takes the good ones!' Lancashire Police described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and said the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association is investigating. A spokesman for the force added: 'We would like to thank all of those members of the public who tried to assist at the scene of the crash.' The tragedy comes a year after paraglider Ben Jones, 37, died in a field in Pilling during a camping get-together with fellow flyers. An eight-month-pregnant teenager was killed and had her baby cut from her womb by a jealous woman who wanted her child after suffering a miscarriage. The sadistic killer lured student Gabrielle Barcelos Silva to her house in Uberlandia, Brazil on the pretence of gifting her baby clothes. She laced her coffee with drugs, suffocated her and sliced her open with a stiletto knife to remove her child. Gabrielle Barcelos Silva (left before her pregnancy) was killed for her baby. Right: Just a day before her brutal murder, Gabrielle, 18, posted a selfie of her growing baby bump captioned: 'I am the happiest woman in the world.' The 38-year-old killer then dialled 999 claiming she had given birth in the street. When she got to hospital, suspicious doctors called police and the woman later confessed to her grisly crime. The killer's 14-year-old son found Gabrielle's body wrapped in a blanket at their rundown house. Just a day before her brutal murder, Gabrielle, 18, posted a selfie of her growing baby bump captioned: 'I am the happiest woman in the world.' Today it emerged the killer hatched her horrific plan to take Gabrielle's baby after her 34-year-old partner, who has also been arrested, threatened to leave her when she miscarried earlier this year. She is said to have targeted Gabrielle, who lived in the same neighbourhood as her, after realising she was pregnant when she spotted her in the street. The sadistic killer lured student Gabrielle Barcelos Silva (pictured) to her house in Uberlandia, Brazil on the pretence of gifting her baby clothes Local reports said she confessed to police she had done an Internet search for information on how to perform a Caesarian section before completing her awful act by slipping a tranquillizer in juice and coffee she served Gabrielle and cutting her open with a stiletto knife once she had killed her. Medics at the Hospital de Clinicas in Uberlandia called police after admitting the child to an emergency neo-natal unit and confirming through tests the fake mother could not have given birth to the baby girl. She told cops her partner knew about her plan and helped her get rid of the body. He is protesting his innocence. The baby was today said to be stable and undergoing 'special care' after being forcibly removed from her mum's womb. In her last Facebook post just before the sickening crime, Gabrielle, an agricultural engineering student who described herself as single, posted a picture of her heavily-pregnant tummy with her shirt lifted up, alongside the message: 'Things happen in life without people planning them and end up becoming the most important things in our lives. Today it emerged the killer hatched her horrific plan to take Gabrielle's baby after her 34-year-old partner, who has also been arrested, threatened to leave her when she miscarried earlier this year. Pictured: Gabrielle before pregnancy 'A few months ago I received a blessing from God with the news I was pregnant. I was worried at first but then I started getting used to it and today I am the happiest woman in the world because I'm carrying my unborn daughter and there's not long to go before I'm able to see her face and hold her.' In a previous post last month, she posted a selfie with the words: 'Every day that passes I see you moving more and more and getting bigger as you grow inside your mummy.' 'I'm in love with you even before I get to know your face.' The horrific crime prompted an outpouring of anger on social media. Mylena Araujo wrote on Gabrielle's Facebook: 'Very sad. I hope justice is done.' Lu Lacerda added: 'Justice should be done to punish this sickening crime. 'They should hand the killer and her partner over to the people so they can deal with them. Lipe Wolf said: 'One day her daughter is going to read about this and see how much her mum loved her. I am speechless.' Airlines could ban so-called 'smart' suitcases from all flights because their batteries pose a fire risk, officials have said. The bags, which have been growing in popularity, contain GPS tracking and can charge devices, weigh themselves or be locked remotely using mobile phones. But they are powered by lithium ion batteries, which have been known to burst into flames on flights. US based carriers American Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines all said last week that as of January 15, 2018, they would require the battery to be removed before allowing the bags on board. American Airlines spokeswoman Leslie Scott told the Chicago Tribune: 'We wanted to get out ahead of the holiday season given that it's one of the trendy gifts for travelers.' Pictured: Bluesmart luggage cases. Airlines could ban so-called 'smart' suitcases from all flights because their batteries pose a fire risk. Bluesmart said it would be holding meetings with airlines to try and ensure its products are exempt from any restrictions And the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said it could issue industry-wide standards on the new luggage soon. 'We expect guidance to be issued potentially this week,' Nick Careen, IATA senior vice president of airport, passenger, cargo and security, told a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. Mr Careen gave no details of any potential industry-wide standards, but said he expected others could quickly follow the example of the US carriers. Smart luggage companies Away and Raden say on their websites that batteries in their bags can be easily removed. But Bluesmart, which says more than 65,000 of its suitcases are being used around the world, said its batteries cannot be removed but that its products meet all safety regulations and requirements. It said it would be holding meetings with airlines to try and ensure its products are exempt from any restrictions. Concerns over the risk of a lithium ion battery fire were highlighted during the electronics ban temporarily imposed earlier this year on some flights to the United States. Theresa May has will challenge Donald Trump over his 'unhelpful' decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. She was one of several MPs to tear into Donald Trump for his hugely controversial decision, branding it a threat to peace. Politicians said the move showed the US President has 'abandoned America's role as a peace-broke' and risks ushering in 'another round of violence'. Mr Trump has sparked worldwide condemnation after he announced this evening that he would recognise the disputed city as Israel's capital. And he will move America's embassy from Tel Aviv to the historic city - despite warnings this is likely to ignite angry and violent clashes. The Prime Minister today said she will challenge Mr Trump over his decision in showdown call - their first after their diplomatic spat over his retweeting of videos posted by far-right group Britain First. Mrs May refused to say if the US President had warned her about his decision, but said she intends 'to talk to him' about it. Scroll down for video Theresa May pictured in PMQ's in the Commons today, said she intends to talk to Donald Trump about his hugely controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital Donald trump, pictured in Washington on Monday, has sparked worldwide condemnation with his Jerusalem plans. A showdown call with Theresa May is likely to be very frosty as it comes just a week after he told the British PM not to criticise him and to focus on tackling Islamist terrorism in an astonishing Twitter attack She said: 'We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. 'Our position on the status of Jerusalem has been clear and long-standing: it should be determined in negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. Theresa May's full statement 'We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. 'We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. 'Our position on the status of Jerusalem has been clear and long-standing: it should be determined in negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. 'We share President Trump's desire to bring an end to this conflict. We welcome his commitment today to a two-state solution negotiated by the parties, and note the importance of his clear acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including the sovereign boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. 'We encourage the US Administration to now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.' Advertisement 'We share President Trump's desire to bring an end to this conflict. We welcome his commitment today to a two-state solution negotiated by the parties, and note the importance of his clear acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including the sovereign boundaries within the city, must be subject to negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. 'We encourage the US Administration to now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.' Other UK politicians were also quick to dismiss the President's latest move. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who is the only UK MP with Palestinian background, said: 'The Prime Minister must use what remains of the special relationship to urge President Trump to reconsider his decision. 'There is now a high probability that the two state solution will be in tatters, and yet another round of violence in the region can be expected. 'Trump risks bolstering support for extremists, recklessly increasing the likelihood of an upsurge in potential new attacks in the west.' Labour shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said: 'Even by Donald Trump's low standards, moving the embassy and recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital are breathtakingly dangerous decisions, which do not just set back the hopes of finding a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, but threaten to trigger even greater instability and radicalisation throughout the Middle East. Labour shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry (pictured left) and Lib Dem MP Layla Moran (pictured right) both condemned the decision and warned it could reignite violence in the region 'With one un-thinking sweep of his pen, Donald Trump has abandoned America's role as a peace-broker between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, and done serious damage to his country's relationship with other regional powers. 'The British government must both condemn Donald Trump unequivocally for that recklessness, and also work immediately with our other allies to try and fill the mediation role that he has deserted today.' Mrs May's phone call with the Us President is likely to be very frosty as it comes just a week after Mr Trump launched an extraordinary attack on the PM after she criticised him for retweeting anti-Muslim propaganda. Appearing in the House of Commons today for her weekly bout of PMQs, Mrs May told MPs: 'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter. 'Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one. 'It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states. Palestinian protesters today burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City amid reports Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital Mr Trump's decision is hugely controversial as both the the Palestinians and Israelis claim the city of Jerusalem (pictured) as their historic home and rightful capital 'We continue to support a two state solution, we recognise the importance of Jerusalem and our position on that has not changed.' Mr Trump's decision is hugely controversial as both the the Palestinians and Israelis claim the city of Jerusalem as their historic home and rightful capital. To avoid igniting tensions and violence, all Western countries have their embassies in the the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The showdown call is likely to be very tense as it comes just a week after the outspoken US President caused a major diplomatic spat by attacking Mrs May on Twitter. The PM said Mr Trump was 'wrong' after he retweeted several videos by far-right group Britain First peddling anti-Muslim hate. But the President hit back at the criticism by taking to Twitter to write: '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!' The looming phone call over the Jerusalem row is believed to be the first time the two leaders have spoken since the diplomatic row. Fresh details of how two young Utah sisters were rescued in the dark on a remote polygamist compound after being kidnapped by their father have emerged. Dinah Coltharp, eight, and Hattie Coltharp, four, were rescued by police in Lund on Monday after a highly publicized amber alert search. The girls were taken by their father, John, and had been handed over to his friend Samuel Shaffer who hid them on the compound when the amber alert was issued on Monday. It is feared they were to be married off to cult leader Shaffer. When police raided the site, they also discovered Shaffer's two young daughters, Lily, seven, and Samantha, five, who had not been reported missing. Samantha and Hattie, the two youngest, were being kept in a 50lb blue water barrel where they had been for more than 24 hours. Dramatic images obtained by CBS shows two of the girls being rescued. They were barefoot and wearing what looked like thin leggings. The two older girls were found in an abandoned trailer. All were dehydrated and Samantha remains in hospital. When questioned, Shaffer said the girls were being hidden from police. Scroll down for video One of the four girls who was being held on a polygamous compound in Utah is rescued late on Monday night wearing thin leggings and no shoes Another of the young girls is pictured being rescued. Two were found in a 50lb water container and the other two were found in an empty trailer Dinah Coltharp, eight, (left) and Hattie Coltharp, four, (right) were being hidden on a compound in Lund, Utah, by their father's polygamous cult leader friend who hoped police would not find them Samantha Shaffer, five, and Lily Shaffer, six, were also found on the site. They are the daughters of Samuel Shaffer (above) who police fear was grooming the Coltharp sisters to marry him. Unlike the other two girls, neither of the Shaffer sisters had been reported missing His daughters were never reported missing and their mother has not been identified. After being rescued on Monday, the girls were in 'high spirits' as they spoke to investigators. 'Their spirits are getting better and they're very talkative. They're very cute girls... we're happy to see this ending with them,' Iron County Lt. Del Schlosser said. Coltharp, 33, and Shaffer, 34, are both in custody on kidnapping charges. Shaffer is also accused of four counts of child abuse. Police fear the men planned to marry Coltharp's daughters off to Shaffer who was described as the 'prophet' of the cult. Hattie and Dinah's brothers William, seven, and Seth, six, were found earlier on Monday. They had also been taken by their father. The case began in mid-September when Coltharp took his four children away from their mother despite not having full custody of them. On Friday, he was arrested after police finally received court documents from the children's mother. Fathers: Samuel Shaffer, 34, (left) and John Coltharp (right), 33, are now both in custody on kidnapping charges. Shaffer is also facing child abuse charges The compound was made up of disused freight cars and trailers. Police are seen searching it in a helicopter on Monday Two of the girls were found in an empty trailer on the compound, like the one shown above Police were led to the site in Lund, Utah, on Monday after arresting John Calthorp. They found Shaffer walking on a dirt road nearby Once in custody, he refused to tell police where the children were. Shaffer (above) is a key figure in the Knights of the Crystal Blade polygamous cult. Police say he was priming the young girls to marry them Police then tracked his parents' car to the compound in Lund but there was still no sign of the four Coltharp children. The two boys were found later on Monday with their grandmother, Catherine Coltharp. She told officers that her two young granddaughters were last seen with Shaffer who they spent the night with inside a tent along with his two daughters. An Amber Alert was issued shortly afterwards. Two hours later, police found Shaffer walking down a dirt road alone after receiving a tip from the public. Once in custody, he told police roughly where Hattie and Samantha were being hidden. They found Lily and Dinah an hour later. The two fathers' religious obsession has been of concern to investigators as it has to friends and relatives since the children were first reported missing. Last week, Coltharp's sister Cindi Ray said she feared he was grooming Dinah and Hattie for child marriage. She said her brother was a 'doomsday prepper'. On the cult's website, Shaffer describes in length his 'revelations' about marriage and adultery. Dinah and Hattie were reported missing along with their brothers William and Seth. The two boys were found safe on the compound on Monday with their grandmother before the girls were discovered The Coltharp girls' mother Micha Soble (right) first reported them missing. She said she pleaded with authorities not to allow their father John (left) to have access to them because she was worried about his intensifying religion They include multiple men being able to have sex with one woman if permitted by her husband and women or 'wives' being used to 'raise up' men in the religion through sex. 'A man to whom a woman is sealed need merely place his wife's hand in the hand of another and she shall be submissive to him to whom she has been given. 'Whether it is to be temporary permission or eternal union according to the order, she may have intercourse with him and he with she,' is one of his remarks. Shaffer refers to himself in the religion as Samuel The Seer and Frederick Warren Schafer. Shaffer, 34, was found walking along a dirt rode in Utah on Monday. He had hidden the girls because he did not want police to find them No one else from the religion has yet commented on the two fathers' arrests. It is not clear how many people were living on the compound when police found the girls. Polygamy and bigamy are illegal in the United States, although Utah, a state that is home to a large Mormon community, does not prosecute polygamists who are law-abiding, giving way to the 'Sister Wives' phenomenon which is seen in some parts of the state. Police say Shaffer was grooming Coltharp to take over as the cult's 'prophet'. 'It was believed Samuel Shaffer was the Prophet of the Knights of the Crystal Blade. During an interview with Shaffer he stated he had turned over the position of Prophet to Johnathan Coltharp,' Iron County Sheriff's Officer Lt. Del Schlosser said. Coltharp's wife pleaded with a judge not to allow him access to the children but she was turned down. She said she feared his strict religious beliefs were harmful to the children. Among his previous remarks was that he would rather shoot the girls than have them taken away from him. Shaffer has been arrested on two counts of kidnapping and four counts of child abuse. It is not clear how much his bond is but he remains behind bars. Coltharp faces kidnapping and obstruction of justice charges. He is being held in county jail on a $50,000 bond. The leader of an internet doomsday cult who disappeared in WA a decade ago told online followers he was planning a suicide pact involving his partner, five-year-old daughter and another man, an inquest has heard. However one of his overseas disciples or so-called 'servers', a US woman, advised him against it, saying it would constitute murder to involve his child. Gary Felton, a self-styled spiritual leader who went by the alias Simon Kadwell, predicted a looming doomsday or judgment day in several books he sold on his website. Chantelle McDougall, her daughter Leela, cult leader Gary Felton and flatmate Tony Popic However the 45-year-old had been increasingly despondent about life in posts leading up to disappearing in July 2007 along with his partner Chantelle McDougall, 27, daughter Leela and friend Tony Popic. Three of his followers in North America committed suicide. A coronial inquest is being held over three days in Busselton this week into what is one of the nation's most unusual missing persons mysteries. No trace of the four people has been found since they disappeared. Coroner Barry King suggested to investigator Senior Sergeant Greg Balfour that it was difficult to be sure beyond reasonable doubt that they were dead because of possible sightings, the possibility they left by boat, and Mr Felton's history of having false identities. 'Yes, I could not say one way or the other that they were missing persons or deceased,' said Sen-Sgt Balfour, who investigated the case. Gary Felton was a self-styled spiritual leader who went by the alias Simon Kadwell Simon Kadwell and daughter Leela pictured before they disappeared in 2007 When the group disappeared they left all of their furniture in the Nannup farmhouse they rented, and their computer and other electronic gadgets. However they sold their dogs and cars, took all of their clothes and the house had been cleaned and was 'spotless', said landlord Elizabeth Crouch. They told numerous people and left a note at the farmhouse stating that they were moving to Brazil to live an alternate lifestyle in an Amazonian religious group. Mr Felton was described in court as an odd and quiet person who did not have a job, stayed up all night on his computer and slept during the day. He tried to ban Leela from seeing her grandparents, who would 'poison her', and had a psychological and controlling hold over Ms McDougall and Mr Popic, who were described as 'avid followers' and 'subservient', despite the fact they were hard workers who provided the income he lived off. A coronial inquest is being held over three days in Busselton this week into what is one of the nation's most unusual missing persons mysteries (Chantelle McDougall and her daughter Leela) Mr Felton was described in court as an odd and quiet person who did not have a job, stayed up all night on his computer and slept during the day Sen-Sgt Balfour said Mr Felton was skilled at manipulating people and had stolen the identity of the real Simon Kadwell, a former colleague in his native UK. The police investigation failed to find any evidence of any of the four after their disappearance, including in Brazil. Mr Popic - and possibly Mr Kadwell - likely travelled under false names on trains to Kalgoorlie and Bunbury on the same week. Their bank accounts were never accessed. Four days after the family told friends they were headed for Brazil, a Tam Airlines domestic flight crashed, killing 181 passengers Four days after the family told friends they were headed for Brazil, a Tam Airlines domestic flight crashed, killing 181 passengers. More than 70 of the bodies were so badly burnt they were never identified. WA Police missing persons squad liaised with Brazlian authorities to determine whether the family were among the victims. According to the passenger manifest, their names were not listed, but Mr Felton's reported history of forging identity documents complicated the investigation. According to the passenger manifest, their names were not listed, but Mr Felton reportedly had a history of forging identity documents Catherine McDougall said Chantelle told the family she was going to Brazil to live in a commune to 'help people' and were never heard from since Speaking of his daughter Chantelle's disappearance, Jim McDougall said he still lived with the guilt. 'It's really a big emotional roller coaster that you're on, and you can't get off it,' he said in an episode of SBS program Insight this year. Chantelle's mother Catherine McDougall said she had a gut feeling something strange was going on with her daughter before the family went missing. 'A passport for Leela has come while I was there, but they didn't say anything about it. Simon took it and put it away,' she said. 'I wish I had asked more questions and tried to find out more, but I thought, she's an adult. She's got her life.' Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. Billy Irving arrives at Glasgow Airport today after being released from prison in India A former British soldier said it 'feels excellent to be home' as the first of the Chennai Six arrived back in the UK today, more than four years after they were jailed in India on weapons charges. Billy Irving, of Connel, Argyll and Bute, was greeted by two bagpipers and his family after touching down at Glasgow Airport to be home for Christmas. He and five other British men had been guards on a ship to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean but were jailed in October 2013 after being charged with carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition. After years of campaigning, they won an appeal against their convictions last week and were allowed to leave India. Mr Irving was hugged in the arrivals hall by family members who had made signs reading: 'Welcome home Billy'. He stopped briefly to speak to the media and expressed his thanks to supporters of the campaign for his release. Mr Irving said: 'I'd just like to give a massive thank you to everyone who supported all of the Chennai Six, all of the 35 men throughout. Mr Irving was greeted by two bagpipers and his family after touching down at Glasgow Airport Mr Irving was hugged by family members who had made signs reading: 'Welcome home Billy' 'I just want to thank everyone, they've been so kind. Thank you for your support, thank you so much. It feels excellent to be home.' Two pipers played outside the terminal to welcome the 37-year-old, who had cut his hair and beard since the most recent pictures of him in India last week. The other five men - Nick Dunn, John Armstrong, Nicholas Simpson, Ray Tindall and Paul Towers - are expected to arrive in the UK on Thursday. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said earlier: 'It is wonderful news that the men are returning to the UK. 'The Foreign Office has worked unstintingly on this case, lobbying on the men's behalf, visiting them in prison, updating their families and maintaining close contact with their legal team. He stopped to speak to the media and expressed his thanks to supporters of the campaign The group had always denied the charges, which were initially quashed but later reinstated 'I pay tribute to those who have campaigned for the men, who will be delighted to see them return home after being separated for so long.' On November 28, the six British ex-soldiers were released from a 'hell hole' Indian prison four years after they were charged with weapons offences. The men, known as the 'Chennai Six', beamed as they walked out of Puzhal Central Prison in the city of Chennai with British consular officials. The other 17 foreign men, who were also arrested in October 2013 accused of importing guns to terrorists, were freed an hour later. On November 27, the High Court acquitted the crew from the MV Seaman Guard Ohio ship after a judge ruled the prosecution did not prove their case. Two pipers played outside the terminal to welcome the 37-year-old former British soldier Mr Irving leaves Glasgow Airport after being released from India following four years in jail The men, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, were arrested while working as anti-piracy guards on the ship in the Indian Ocean. Indian authorities said their weapons had not been properly declared. The group has always denied the charges, which were initially quashed but later reinstated. They were sentenced to five years in 2016 and were being held in the prison in Chennai, formerly known as Madras. After an appeal, all charges were dropped. The other men are Nick Dunn, 31, of Ashington, Northumberland, John Armstrong, 30, of Wigton, Cumbria, Nicholas Simpson, 47, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, and Paul Towers, 54, of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Yvonne McHugh, partner of Mr Irving, said last month: 'Billy called straight away, he couldn't quite believe it had happened. 'He's just over the moon and didn't think they would be released. He took everything that was said with a pinch of salt and didn't believe it.' The men walked out of Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai with UK consular officials last month Yvonne MacHugh, fiancee of Mr Irving, and her two year old son, William, deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street in London along with other Chennai Six family members in October Speaking on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, Joanne Tomlinson, sister of Mr Armstrong, said last month: 'He called me a couple of hours ago from the embassy. 'We were talking about where they are going to be staying and how he gets his belongings back which are being held by his friend in India. Mr Irving has cut his hair and beard since the most recent pictures of him in India last week 'I'm hoping once he gets a proper meal into him we will be able to have a proper conversation.' An officer at the Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai said: 'All the 23 foreign persons who were jailed in connection with the weapons case have been released. 'All the 23 persons were handed over to the officials of their respective embassies, who had come to the jail to receive them.' Justice Basheer Ahamed directed the men were released, their passports returned and be reimbursed for the 1000 rupees (10) court fine. He said: 'The prosecution has failed to prove that the disputed ship was engaged in any of the activities prejudiced to peace, good order or security of the state.' Officials found 35 guns, including semi-automatic weapons, and almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition on board the anti-piracy ship MV Seaman Guard Ohio when the men were arrested in October 2013. They argued the weapons were lawfully held and their paperwork, issued by the UK Government, was in order. A teenage boy has been shot in the nose and struck in the back of the head with a homemade gun after he and his mates spray-painted a truck that was parked outside their Kuraby home. Kaleb Liberti, 19, felt guilty after learning that the owner 'couldn't go to work(and) lost money', so he started the clean off the graffiti. But while he was scrubbing the truck on Saint Patrick Avenue at the south-east Brisbane suburb of Kuraby, 25-year-old Yunus Babaa confronted him and allegedly demanded money. Yunus Babaa doused Kaleb Liberti, 19, (pictured) with petrol and threatened to set him on fire After Kaleb refused to pay Babaa, the boys allege that the man drenched Kaleb with petrol and then pulled out a cigarette lighter. 'He got out his lighter and was like 'I'm gonna f***ing burn you if you don't leave',' Kaleb told 9NEWS Queensland. The man disappeared after Kaleb and his friends left the scene and walked home, but returned on Tuesday night carrying a homemade weapon. 'I've opened the door, seen the guy just pull up the gun, I've just s**t bricks,' said 19-year-old victim Anton Cooper. 'It's like one of those nail guns that you shoot into the wood, and it's got these little gunpowder cartridges. Babba then pointed the gun straight at his face and fired, with the bullet grazing Anton's nose before hitting a wall. Anton Cooper,19, (pictured) was shot with a homemade gun with the bullet grazing his nose 'I faked falling over so he wouldn't try and go for me again. And that's when he's come down with the gun on my back, and then on the back of my head.' Police allege he then pressed the firearm into a 29-year-old man's back and forced him to his knees while demanding money. 'And they then turned and sprinted out the door like the cowards they are,' the 17-year-old recalled. Babaa was subsequently arrested and charged with four counts of attempted robbery in company whilst armed using personal violence. Yunus Babaa (pictured) fronted Richlands Magistrates Court on Wednesday on 16 chargers Babar - who is reportedly known to the victims - faced Richlands Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning on 16 charges related to the attack, while his accomplice remains on the run. He has been charged with two counts of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault, extortion, obstructing police and other offences. He was out on bail over the alleged torture of a 26-year-old man in a Southport mechanic shop earlier this year. A convicted murderer, a parolee supervisor and an Uber driver have been charged over an alleged plot to import $250million worth of drugs. The trio are due to face court in Sydney on Wednesday after 313 kilograms of ice and 300 kilograms of cocaine intended for Australia were intercepted in South America. Scott Alan May, 37, Trevor Alfred Derley, 64, and Robert Albert Piras, 60, were arrested on Tuesday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. May, the alleged head of the syndicate, was previously convicted for murdering a heroin dealer in 2003, and acquitted of another murder in 2008. Mr Derley is a 'work release supervisor' for convicts on parole, and Mr Piras is employed as an Uber driver. Scroll down for video Three men have been charged in Sydney after 313 kilograms of methylamphetamine (pictured) intended for Australia was intercepted in Panama A convicted murderer, a parolee supervisor and an Uber driver have been charged over an alleged plot to import $250million worth of drugs (pictured is one of the men) Scott Alan May, 37, Trevor Alfred Derley, 64, and Robert Albert Piras, 60, were arrested on Tuesday (pictured is one of the men) Their arrests come after an international operation was launched last year to investigate the activities of a Sydney-based, transnational, organised crime syndicate. The ice was seized in Panama on October 26 - the country's largest ever seizure of methamphetamine. Further investigation uncovered a separate plan to import cocaine from Colombia to Australia. Pictures released by the police show the haul of drugs seized as part of the operation. In other images men are seen being bundled into the back of a police van, while police dressed in riot gear hold dogs. A video shows the alleged smugglers sitting handcuffed on the ground. Two men, aged in their 60s, were arrested at a warehouse in Alexandria The drugs were seized on October 26 in a joint police operation that also uncovered a separate plan to import cocaine from South America to Australia Officers found 300 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of $120million, headed to Australia One man, wearing a bright-coloured top, was seen handcuffed and led away by officers Mr Derley and Mr Piras were arrested at a warehouse in Alexandria and both charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug. May was arrested shortly after at a home in Coogee and charged with two counts of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and direct activities of criminal organisation. Officers then carried out search warrants throughout Sydney, at Coogee, Lilyfield, Regents Park, Strathfield, and Zetland. They uncovered more than $500,000 cash, ice, mobile phones and other items relevant to the investigation. A 24-year-old woman was arrested at the Zetland property and charged with dealing with property proceeds of crime. Police dressed in riot gear were pictured holding dogs as part of the operation Officers have also carried out search warrants throughout Sydney, at Coogee, Lilyfield, Regents Park, Strathfield, and Zetland She was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 11 January 2018. NSW Police Force's Director of Crime Operations, Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Smith, said shutting down international crime syndicates was only possible through strong relationships with agencies overseas. 'Over the past 12 months, NSW Police Force in partnership and cooperation with local and international law enforcement and intelligence agencies has uncovered some sophisticated attempts to bring narcotics through our borders and onto the streets of Sydney,' he said. 'Our joint investigations have ensured these attempts were only attempts; tonnes of these harmful substances have been seized and countless members of criminal syndicates arrested and put before the courts. 'International cooperation in law enforcement and intelligence is not new, but our relationships are stronger than ever, allowing us to reach across the globe to target any crime that may impact on the people of NSW.' She'd had a four-month affair with Infante, then 17, at Barahona was fired when she became pregnant with Infante's baby in 2012 A man has pleaded guilty to strangling to death his former teacher-turned-lover and their four-year-old son on Christmas Day in 2016. Isaac Duran Infante, 23, of the Bronx now faces 25 years to life in prison, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon said. Infante confessed to a judge in Manhattan on Tuesday that he 'strangled' Felicia Barahona, 36, and the son they had together, Miguel Barahona. The killings took place on Christmas Day in 2016. He was angry about that Barahona was constantly feeding the child junk food and letting him dress up like a girl, prosecutors say. Scroll down for video Isaac Infante, 23, is seen here in court on Dec 5. He confessed to the gruesome murders of his former high-school-teacher-turned lover, Felicia Barahona, 36, and their four-year-old son, Miguel Barahona by strangling them Infante appeared emotionless in court here in December. He told the judge how he killed the mother of his child and his child on Christmas morning in 2016: 'I strangled them' Barahona and Miguel (pictured), were found dead Christmas Day 2016. She was lying on the floor with a telephone cord wrapped around her neck and the boy was found in a bathtub filled with water. Barahona also had a daughter, eight, from an earlier relationship, pictured far left Infante had also reportedly complained about having problems paying $80-100 in child support a week. Barahona was 'still gasping for air and fighting for her life,' when screaming to their young son to call 911, according to a statement read in court by prosecutor Nicole Blumberg. Infante strangled Barahona with a telephone cord, when their son Miguel Barahona entered the room from the bathroom, insider sources claimed in 2016. Infante then strangled the tiny witness before before dumping his body in the bathtub and running off, the NY Daily News reported last year. Prosecutor Nicole Blumberg recalled Infante's next step after the gruesome killings. She said Infante 'attempted to cover up these murders. [He] staged a murder suicide and went to the precint posing as a grieving father'. After he was arrested and arraigned in late December 2016 on murder charges in Manhattan Criminal Court, Infante admitted to entering Barahona's apartment with the intention of killing her. He struck her to the floor before strangling her with the telephone cord, they said. Police sources also said he turned himself in after his sister, Elizabeth, showed police a photo of him in a red sweatshirt. He had worn that sweatshirt when he entered that apartment, but left it behind afterward, they said. Infante (pictured here in 2016) had Miguel with Barahona when she was his science teacher at a Bronx high school. He reportedly told cops he had entered her apartment intending to murder her Infante was angry over how she was raising Miguel, police sources said. He is seen here in 2016 being led out of the 30th Precinct in West Harlem Infante was reportedly seduced by Barahona, who was his high school science teacher at the time. He is seen here at his arraignment in 2016 Infante, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was reportedly seduced by Barahona, who 'made her his sex toy' while she was his science teacher at the Bronx's DeWitt Clinton High School. He fathered Miguel while still at the school, sources said. Barahona was discovered dead inside her Harlem apartment, along with Miguel. She was lying on the living room floor with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck and the little boy was found face down in a bathtub filled with water, investigators said. A medical examiner determined Barahona died from strangulation and her son died of asphyxia from neck compression, according to NBC 4 New York in 2016. Infante's grandmother told the station last year that she wanted justice and that she knows her grandson is innocent of the charges. The couple shared custody of Miguel, according to relatives. Family on Miguel's father's side were expecting to see the boy for New Year's Eve 2016 to give him his Christmas presents, NBC reported shortly after the murders. A medical examiner determined Barahona died from strangulation and her son died of asphyxia from neck compression. Barahona and Miguel (pictured together) The superintendent of Barahona's building called 911 after he noticed a foul stench coming from the family's third-floor apartment,WABC reported. He then saw the woman's body in the living room through the fire escape. Infante said his actions were an evil deed and mentioned the devil during his confession in 2016, law enforcement sources told the New York Post. He first told investigators he hadn't visited his former teacher's apartment since 2011 and acted like a grieving father, sources said. But detectives saw him on surveillance footage entering and leaving the building on several days, the New York Post reported. The former student is believed to not have a criminal history or past experiences with mental illness. The mother and son were discovered dead inside their third-floor unit at 640 West 153rd Street in Manhattan Barahona (left), an Afghan War veteran, was fired from her job as a public school teacher in 2012 after it emerged that she had an affair with 17-year-old Infante; Miguel Barahona (right) was the product of his mother's affair with the teen An investigative report released in early 2013 revealed that Barahona, then 32 years old, had a four-month affair with a 17-year-old boy who attended Dewitt Clinton High School in The Bronx where she taught science. The teacher got pregnant after allegedly telling her underage lover 'not to worry' about using condoms because she did not like them, according to a report by the city's Special Commissioner of Investigation. Barahona at first flirted with Infante on Facebook and then in October 2011 invited him to a McDonald's near Columbus Circle, the New York Post reported. She, Infante and her young daughter - who she had from a previous relationship and did not live with her - went to a Disney store together, according to the report. During their first 'date', Barahona told Infante that she wanted to kiss him, but didn't because her daughter was there. Photos posted on Barahona's mother's Facebook page at the time showed the newborn baby boy in a pink outfit, and the woman's neighbors in Harlem told the New York Post that she would sometimes dress Miguel as a girl. Siblings: This photo, taken in December 2015, shows then three-year-old Miguel and his sister meeting with Santa Claus On her Facebook page, Barahona indicated that she studied forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and also taught at the school. She described her marital status as 'divorced'. Barahona, an Afghan War veteran, had waited until her teenage lover was of legal age of consent before the pair began a sexual relationship in 2011. Infante once told investigators that 'he embraced the idea of being a father', and later moved in with Barahona to prepare for the birth, according to the Post. But the couple broke up a few weeks later after Barahona told him that she wanted to take the child out of the country to visit family. She allegedly went so far as to purchase the pair wedding rings during their brief romance. It is believed that the couple were getting together five times a week for trysts, according to an investigation for which they were both interviewed. The New York Daily News reported in 2013 that Barahona kicked her young lover out of her home for drinking after four months together and shortly after she learned that she was pregnant. Barahona was fired from her $73,000-a-year job at DeWitt Clinton High School in August 2012, around the time that she welcomed her son. Her downstairs neighbor, Nelson Jaque, told DNAInfo New York in 2016 that he would often see the mother playing with her son and described her demeanor as extremely protective, to the point of being obsessive. Judge Solomon will sentence Infante on Dec 19. A mother and her two young children were found dead on Tuesday afternoon inside their the apartment in Arkansas. The bodies of Moriah Cunningham, 24, her four-year-old son Elijah and five-year-old daughter Alayliah were discovered by a relative around 2pm at the Rosewood Apartment complex in Little Rock. Little Rock Police said Moriah's grandmother, Sheba Cunningham, was concerned that the children had not been seen at school and went over to check on the family. The bodies of Moriah Cunningham (left and right), 24, her four-year-old son Elijah and five-year-old daughter Alayliah (right) were discovered by a relative around 2pm at an apartment complex in Arkansas Police said Moriah's grandmother, Sheba Cunningham, was concerned the children had not been seen at school and went over to check on the family. Elijah is (left) with his mother, older sister and Alayliah (right). The older sister was not at home at the time of the killings 'I couldn't even think, seeing them lie there in blood I couldn't even think,' Sheba told KATV. Officer Steve Moore said authorities have interviewed several people in the area to get more background information on the family. 'Background is what we want right now, to kind of see, like I said, what's been going on, who's supposed to be there, who's not supposed to be there; is there anything now that's not here that should be,' he told KTHV 11. Moore said all three deaths are believed to be homicides. Police said Cunningham's car was not in its parking spot on Tuesday and initially asked the public with help finding it. Later that evening, the 2004 white, four-door Honda Accord was located, but officers did not provide any additional information. The bodies of the family were discovered inside an apartment at the Rosewood Apartment complex Authorities do not have any information to release about a suspect. Police also didn't give details about how the mother and two children died or a possible motive. Moriah is pictured (left) and her children, Elijah and Alayliah (right) A family member wrote an emotional post about her cousins on Facebook. 'My Cousin & My Baby Cousins are gone to heaven and I am in disbelief. This cant be real! WHY?!!! Please pray for my family!' According to the relative, Moriah also has another young daughter believed to be eight years old. Jeff Williams, a neighbor of the family, told KTHV that he knew the children and they were 'some outstanding kids'. 'It really was tragic, what I heard today,' Williams said. 'Because I knew I hadn't seen them in a couple of days. And then all this stuff popped off. I just, I ain't really got the words to say.' Authorities do not have any information to release about a suspect. Police also didn't give details about how the mother and two children died or a possible motive. Officers said they are currently establishing a timeline from interviews with neighbors, relatives and friends. Authorities are also in the process of reviewing the apartment complex's security cameras. Antony Dines has avoided a jail term for hiding a camera in a coffee shop toilet A devout Christian who hid a spy camera inside an air vent at a Starbucks toilet to satisfy his fetish for watching women urinate avoided a jail sentence today. Antony Dines, 31, was caught after the tiny device was discovered above the loo in the branch in Vauxhall, south London, directly opposite MI6's HQ. Dines hid another device in a ladies' toilet on the third floor at his workplace at New Malden Business Centre in south-west London. He was arrested in front of law firm colleagues with a bag containing small cameras, memory cards, a screwdriver and nine pairs of women's underwear. The match-boxed size camera at Starbucks had been left filming for nine months before a customer found it in the air vent on November 27 last year. Detectives released an image of Dines a year ago in which he could be seen reaching up towards the camera. He was finally arrested nearly a year later in New Malden on November 22 and later admitted four charges of voyeurism. Hines was caught after police found footage of him installing the device above the toilet The tiny camera was in the toilet for around nine months before it was spotted by a customer Dines was sentenced to a 12 month community order, and ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also fined 170 and ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for five years. Prosecutor George Crivelli said a male customer was using the loo on 22 November last year when he 'looked up at the ceiling and noticed a light shining. 'Upon closer inspection it became clear that he could see a camera, he stood on the toilet seat and touched the device.' Police took the camera away for forensic analysis but could not find Dines' DNA. Mr Crivelli said: 'But a download was done of the contents and on one of the pieces of footage it is clear that the defendant can be seen.' Hines admitted voyeurism and was given a community order at court today Dines was seen using a screwdriver when he filmed himself installing it and wiped the toilet seat clean of his foot prints. The prosecutor said: 'He freely admitted that he had placed the camera in February 2016. 'He stated that had a fetish for watching women urinate.' Dines also placed a camera at his own workplace 'in order to receive sexual gratification.' 'He placed a camera on the third floor ladies' toilet,' added the prosecutor. The prosecutor said up to 24 videos of people using the toilet were found on one of the cameras, which was voice-operated to only film when someone was in the room. A spokesman for Starbucks has since said as soon as they were made aware of the distressing discovery they contacted the police. They said they take the responsibility of providing a safe environment very seriously and did not know who placed the camera. Dines worked as a Facilities and General Office Assistant for a firm of solicitors and was responsible for health and safety compliance and environmental management. The device was hidden in the toilets at this Starbucks coffee shop in Vauxhall, south London He was also a devout Christian and a regular speaker at Cornerstone Church, Kingston-upon-Thames. Peter Woodcock, a senior pastor at the church, said in a letter read to the court. 'Obviously I am devastated and appalled to hear about Antony's behaviour, so when I became aware I immediately rang the police to report him. 'I am not belittling what Antony has done but I would say that it is completely out of character, Antony has always shown great care for others.' Dines appeared in the dock wearing an open collar shirt and V-neck sweater as Chief Magistrate, Edward Gold told him: 'We have considered your case with care and listened to both the probation officer and to your representative. 'We have come to the conclusion that this case does fall into the second category and in light of that we will be making a community order.' Donald Trump Jr. will get grilled by House Intelligence Committee members about his Russia contacts Wednesday, just days after the guilty plea of former White House national security advisor Mike Flynn. The voluntary appearance by the president's eldest son takes place behind closed doors, and follows an earlier closed meeting Trump Jr. had with a Senate committee. Panel members are planning to quiz him on his June 2016 meeting with Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. The person who helped set up that meeting, British music publicist Rob Goldstone, is scheduled to speak to the committee next week. The meeting took place after the promise of dirt on Trump rival Hillary Clinton. Veselnitskaya said in written responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee that at the meeting Trump Jr. asked her for information on any illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation at the meeting, NBC News reported. Scroll down for video Donald Trump Jr. went to Capitol Hill to get grilled by the House Intelligence Committee Wednesday '"Today, I understand why it took place to begin with and why it ended so quickly with a feeling of mutual disappointment and time wasted," Veselnitskaya wrote. "The answer lies in the roguish letters of Mr. Goldstone,' she wrote. She said in her 51-page letter she didn't work for the Russian government and was not carrying a message from Russia during the meeting, and claims she was there to lobby against the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which slaps sanctions on Russian officials. Trump Jr. asked her directly for the incriminating information, according to her answers. 'Now that I know the kind of apocalyptic Hollywood scenario that a private conversation between a lawyer and a businessman can be turned into, I very much regret that the desire to bring the truth to the [Congress] has thrown the U.S. president's family, as well as Mrs. Clinton, into the whirlwind of mutual political accusations and fueled the fire of the morbid, completely groundless hatred for Russia,' she wrote. His appearance came after Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya's responses to a Senate committee's questions about their June 2016 meeting were revealed Trump Jr. will also face questions on communications with WikiLeaks. He publicly released his text communications with the group's founder, Julian Assange, after their existence was revealed. Some of Assange's outreach went unanswered. But in once case, he asked Trump Jr. to share a link about emails presumed to be hacked from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta's email account, and Trump Jr. did so. Trump Jr. attended a June 2016 meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer after the offer of dirt on Hillary Clinton The U.S. Intelligence Community has concluded that the Democratic emails posted on WikiLeaks were hacked as part of an election meddling strategy driven by the Russian government. I think the three key areas are the June 9 meeting, the WikiLeaks communications and overall Trump investments with Russia throughout the decades, a committee source told The Hill newspaper. And then any information exchanged between father and son throughout the campaign and transition. Trump Jr. met with Senate Judiciary Committee members in September for five hours. He also plans to meet with staff for the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own probe. A second teenager has been charged over the terrifying abduction of a nurse who was allegedly shoved into the boot of his own car by masked men armed with knives and a gun. Nicholas Dines, 18, is facing multiple offences in relation to the alleged kidnapping of 25-year-old Joe Brooker including deprivation of liberty and torture, according to 7NEWS. The teen did not appear alongside his alleged accomplice on Wednesday, but will appear in court on Friday. He will not apply for bail. Two teens have been charged over the terrifying abduction of Joe Brooker (pictured) who was allegedly shoved into the boot of his own car by masked men armed with knives and a gun Three teens attacked Mr Brooker as he walked to his car at Pindara Private Hospital (pictured) The first person charged over the kidnapping was a 17-year-old boy that police allege was one of three to attack Brooker, 25, as he walked to his car at Pindara Private Hospital in the Gold Coast suburb of Benowa on Friday. It's alleged the men, who were wearing balaclavas and armed with knives and a handgun, bundled him into the boot and drove him to an ATM where they forced him to withdraw cash. He was then put back into the boot before his attackers crashed the car into the fence of a house at nearby Ashmore and fled, police said. Mr Brooker was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries after neighbours rescued him from the boot. He was discharged later in the day. Joe Brooker was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries Police said the gang went on to steal a second car that rolled on Ashmore Rd about 4.45am on Saturday. The teen appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, two counts of armed robbery, and one count each of torture and deprivation of liberty. Investigations are continuing into the incident. Vladimir Putin has declared that he intends to seek re-election for another six-year term as Russian president. Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. If, as expected, he contests and wins what would be a fourth presidential term in March, he would be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. Contest opinion polls show he will comfortably win the election, setting the stage for him to extend his dominance of Russia's political landscape into a third decade. Vladimir Putin has declared that he intends to seek re-election as Russian president. The 65-year-old has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000 If, as expected, Putin contests and wins what would be a fourth presidential term in March, he would be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72 'I will put forward my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian Federation,' Putin told an audience of workers at a car-making factory in the Volga city of Nizhny Novgorod. Addressing the factory workers, Putin said he could not find a better place and a better moment to announce his candidacy. Several hours earlier, he was asked about his intentions in Moscow and signalled that he would run but stopped short of declaring his bid. Putin served two presidential terms in 2000-2008, then shifted into the prime minister's seat because of term limits, but continued calling the shots while his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, served as placeholder president. Medvedev had the presidential term extended to six years and then stepped down to let Putin reclaim the presidency in 2012. Putin's approval ratings that top 80 per cent make him certain to win an easy first round victory. Putin served two presidential terms in 2000-2008, then shifted into the prime minister's seat because of term limits, but continued calling the shots while his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, served as placeholder president Dmitry Medvedev (pictured) had the presidential term extended to six years and then stepped down to let Putin reclaim the presidency in 2012 He is lauded by allies as a father of the nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. His critics accuse him of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of illegally annexing Ukraine's Crimea, a move that has isolated Russia. The challenge for Putin is not other candidates - nobody looks capable of unseating him. Instead, his toughest task will be to mobilise an electorate showing signs of apathy to ensure a high turnout which in the tightly-controlled limits of the Russian political system is seen to confer legitimacy. The veterans of past campaigns - Communist chief Gennady Zyuganov, ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky - all have declared their intention to run. They will likely be joined by Ksenia Sobchak, a star TV host who is the daughter of late former St Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak, who was Putin's boss in the 1990s. The most visible Putin foe, Alexei Navalny, is also considering running for president, even though a conviction he calls politically motivated bars him from joining the campaign The most visible Putin foe, Alexei Navalny, also wants to run, even though a conviction he calls politically motivated bars him from joining the campaign. He has organized a grassroots campaign and staged rallies across Russia to raise pressure on the Kremlin to let him register for the race. While next year's election in March is devoid of real suspense about who will win, what follows is more unpredictable as attention will turn to what happens after Putin's final term - under the current constitution - ends. There is no obvious successor, and many investors say the lack of a clear succession plan, and likely jockeying for position among Russian elites for dominance in the post-Putin era, is becoming the biggest political risk. If re-elected next year, Putin will have to choose whether to leave Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, or appoint someone else. That decision will trigger a round of intrigue over the succession, as whoever holds the prime minister's post is often viewed as the president's heir apparent. Paul Hetyey (pictured outside court), passed notes to women in the street A sex pest handed out notes to women he met on the street inviting them to make a 'private arrangement' with him and wishing them an 'enchanting day'. Paul Hetyey included his telephone number in his messages and requests for no-strings attached sex in return for cash. Teesside Magistrates' Court heard how the 51-year-old wrote in the the notes he wasn't after a long-term relationship, instead saying 'I'm looking for a submissive female'. Hetyey claimed to have been inspired by a video on YouTube and told police after he was arrested: 'The laws of this country were made by feminists.' The letters were circulated on social media after one was posted on Facebook, sparking a police appeal. In victim impact statements from Hetyey's targets, all spoke of how scared they were after he approached them - with one fearing that he would follow her to her car. One of his targets was a 17-year-old who has been left traumatised by the ordeal. Self-employed Hetyey,from Middlesbrough, committed the offences on September 19, 28 and 30 and October 5 this year. He admitted four counts of soliciting another person for the purpose of obtaining their sexual services as a prostitute. The letters were circulated on social media after one was posted on Facebook, sparking a police appeal Paul Dixon, defending, told the court that the defendant had been inspired to use the unusual method of approach after watching YouTube videos. He said: 'He has done something completely stupid without thinking about the consequences for the other people involved. 'He was spoken to by the police in early October and there have been no further incidents since.' District Judge Helen Cousins heard statements from his victims who were all left frightened and disturbed by the content of the folded notes. Teesside Magistrates' Court heard how the 51-year-old wrote in the the notes he wasn't after a long-term relationship, instead saying 'I'm looking for a submissive female' The judge told Hetyey that she hoped he understood his behaviour was 'unacceptable'. She handed him a criminal behaviour order banning him from passing notes, letters or invitations to women in public for three years. He was also fined 85 and ordered to pay a 30 victim surcharge. One was gang-raped by soldiers after they decapitated her son in front of her. Another was set on fire after after troops raped her and killed her husband. These four brave Rohingya Muslims have told their chilling stories after escaping Myanmar and reaching Bangladesh. There has been widespread rape and sexual assault on Rohingya women and girls by Burmese security forces during violence against the ethnic minority in Rakhine State. More than half of the survivors of sexual assault receiving treatment by humanitarian organizations in refugee camps at the Bangladesh border are below 18 years old. The United Nations human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, said in Geneva on Tuesday that Burmese security forces may be guilty of genocide, adding international pressure on Myanmar to be investigated for crimes against humanity. The purge began in November 2016 as the government responded to alleged attacks on Myanmar border posts by Rohingya insurgents. A murdered pensioner found dead along with his daughter in a gruesome discovery is rumoured to have won 2,000 in a recent bet. Marie Brown, 41, and her father Noel, 69, were discovered in the early hours on Monday at his house in Deptford, south east London. Mr Brown was a regular in local bookmakers and police believe he may have been targeted after landing a big win, with his daughter being killed after attempting to stop the perpetrators. Officers say that although still in early stages, they continue to piece together the final movements of the pair and were seen inspecting drains near the home. Marie Brown, 41, and her father Noel, 69, were discovered in the early hours on Monday at his house in Deptford, south east London Police officers using a drain pump and a mechanical scoop are seen searching the storm drains in the area around New Butt Lane this afternoon Mr Brown was a regular in local bookmakers and police believe he may have been targeted after landing a big win, with his daughter being killed after attempting to stop the perpetrators Forensics scouring the scene of the gruesome double murder were today seen handling what is believed to be a knife amid rumours the pair had their throats cut A visibly upset women is comforted outside the house shortly after police were called by panicked neighbours It is rumoured that Mr Brown may have won in the region of 2,000, leading a neighbour to say: '[That] is a serious amount of money round here.' Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, leading the investigation, said: 'I am asking the public to assist police by providing information relating to those coming and going from the New Butt Lane address. 'Noel Brown had a significant routine and at this stage it appears that he was not seen after Thursday, November 30. 'I would like to hear from anyone who either saw Noel in the week leading up to his death, or who has information concerning anyone who visited him at home. A window of the home in New Butt Lane, Deptford, is taped up with black bin bags (shown) Police officers and forensic teams were seen outside the house again this morning as the murder investigation continues A police forensic officer searching wheelie bins at the scene as the area has been taped off Others were seen looking inside as they continued their investigations. Police are appealing for information from the public about the father and daughter 'Similarly, anyone who can provide information concerning the movements of Marie Brown is asked to call our incident room. 'No matter how insignificant or small a detail it may seem, any information will assist my team in piecing together the events leading up to this tragic incident.' Police discovered the single mother, 41, and her father at his home in Deptford at 2:45am, after receiving a tip-off from a concerned member of public and burst through the front door. Officers forced entry and found the Mr Brown and his daughter, who lived in Peckham. Forensics scouring the scene of the gruesome double murder were today seen handling what is believed to be a knife amid rumours the pair had their throats cut. Earlier today, a family friend revealed how Ms Brown's distraught daughter, who is thought to be nine-years-old and autistic, cried 'who is going to be my mother now?' Flowers have been left at the scene on New Butt Lane today after news of the killings emerged Police discovered the nursery worker (pictured) and her father after receiving a tip-off from a concerned member of public and bursting through the front door Shocked neighbours of pensioner Mr Brown said they were woken by 'screaming' before he and his daughter, who worked as a creche leader in Nunhead, were found. A friend of the family told the Evening Standard: 'The little one said to me 'Who is going to be my mother now?' It's heartbreaking. 'We have no idea how this can have happened. They were never in any trouble, just a decent family who no one had a bad word to say about. 'Marie was just a lovely person, they both were. The most caring people you could meet.' One woman, who refused to be named, said: 'There are a lot of crackheads around here. 'I heard some petrified screaming but didn't really think anything of it, I just closed my window and went back to sleep. 'I was told it's like a horror movie in there, really gruesome. 'Noel was really nice though, very polite. He liked a gamble and a drink but he wouldn't hurt a fly. 'He used to hang around outside the bookies with a group of guys I haven't seen for a while.' It is understood CCTV footage has been removed from the local betting shops by police as inquiries continue. Police forensic officers carry out investigations at the scene in New Butt Lane earlier Ms Brown's best friend Lakisha Ross, who lives in the United States, believes tragic the mother was killed when she went round to check on her father who had been missing for a few days. In a Facebook status posted overnight, which she has since taken down, she wrote: 'I woke up with a sudden urge to contact my bestfriends in London GB today and decided to contact them all this morning! I have 3 and each one means the world to me! Although we dont speak every day...when we do there's absolutely no change! 'I managed to connect with all about ONE, so I sent her this msg on whatsapp! ...8 hours later her daughter called to tell me she was taken from us last night after going to check in on her elderly father who had been missing for a few days. We've yet to know the full story but it seems her father was a robbery target and she walked in on the perpetrators! They took her life and that of her fathers! We've been bestfriends since the age of 6! .....speechless, devastated, numb and everything in between! 'I refuse to tag her at this moment in order to allow my Goddaughters, her family and our friends time to grieve without social media adding to the stress! 'Just know whenever you feel a burning feeling in your gut to do something...do it, its your angels trying to connect! It was her spirit guiding me to reach out this morning! 'Please bear with me for a few days as i take this all in! She was a huge piece of me, snatched and taken in 1 sec! Please pray for her 2 daughters, one who is diagnosed with Autism! I keep praying for it not to be real but it is! #TheirLifeMattered #StopTheViolence' Shocked neighbours heard screams on the night of the double murder and one saw a red car speeding away from outside the house. One man said: 'I told police I saw a red car speeding away outside my window, it was very unusual. 'It literally shot off, but I didn't hear or anything else so I couldn't believe it when the police turned up.' Another friend, who knew Noel from Paddy Power, said: 'Noel liked to bet on horses, he was a really nice bloke, very quiet.' Detectives say the 1980s former council house in Deptford is the home of Mr Brown, while his 41-year-old daughter lived in Peckham Neighbour Collette Lavelle, 46, who has lived on the estate in Deptford for 25 years, said: 'I heard some screaming at two in the morning' Gary Greenwood, 50, a neighbour of Ms Brown, expressed his dismay at news of her murder. He said: 'She was a lovely lady, very friendly. She has been trying to do well for herself and learn how to drive to get the girls around. 'She was always very up. She was a single mum. I used to see her when she was bringing the girls from school, but they kept themselves to themselves. Life is cheap nowadays.' A post-mortem examination is due to be held to establish the exact cause of death. Neighbour Collette Lavelle, 46, who has lived on the estate in Deptford for 25 years, said: 'I heard some screaming at two in the morning. 'There was just screaming. I shut my bedroom window and went back to bed, because you hear it so often. 'It's a regular thing to get up, shut your windows. SCHOOL'S TRIBUTE A head teacher has made an emotional tribute to Marie Brown. The 41-year-old worked at the Ivydale Primary School in Nunhead, south east London. One of her children was also a pupil at the school. Head teacher Helen Ingham said: 'We were devastated to hear the news that Marie Brown and her father have died. 'Marie was both a valued member of our team, and a parent to a pupil at the school, and so this is a very difficult time for the Ivydale community. 'We are in touch with her family and have offered our sincere condolences, and ongoing support. 'I have written to all parents, and we are speaking to pupils today to let them know. We have staff in school who are trained to offer bereavement support and Southwark Council has also offered its support to those affected by this terrible incident.' Advertisement 'It's nothing like they were messing about. It was like proper screaming. It was like a petrified scream.' She said she could not tell if it was a man or woman's voice, adding: 'I am not sure. 'It was two, three in the morning. I was ready to go back to sleep.' The area was sealed off today with officers in blue boiler suits at the scene, and a crime scene remains in place at the address and forensic officers are at the property. Other local residents expressed shock at the discovery and described the area as quiet. One said: 'I heard raised voices about 3am to 3.30am. I heard somebody trying to kicking a door in and one or two raised voices. 'It lasted about 20 minutes. I suppose it could've been the police. It's really shocking that something like this has happened.' A woman whose home backs onto the estate said: 'I didn't realise something was happening. 'It is quite a nice area. But London is London. It is unfortunate. 'I was surprised. I always leave my windows open. It is unfortunate, but it won't put fear in me.' She added the homes on the estate tended to be one-bedroom council flats. The woman, who has lived in the area for three years and declined to give a name, said: 'At first I thought it was some filming, because Deptford is becoming upmarket. 'It is being gentrified - it's not a bad thing.' Another resident, Hassan Sherket, 80, who has lived in Deptford for 35 years, said: 'I thought it was a murder, because when I went out there everything was taped off. 'But police didn't say anything. I never heard anything last night. 'It is shocking. It could happen to me. I hope they catch them.' A crime scene remains in place at the Deptford address and forensic officers are at the property Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating, but no arrests have yet been made Matthew, 35, who would not give his surname and lives nearby, said: 'I work from home. 'If it was anything where there was a lot of noise or violence, I would have expected to have heard anything. 'It is very odd - and all the more worrying. I didn't hear anything, and I am a pretty light sleeper. 'I was aware of it from around 8am, when I took the dog out. There were police walking up and down.' Window cleaner David Gunstone, 44, said: 'It's quite a mixed area, it's relatively calm. Deptford is a good area, I have lived here for 13 years and never had any problems. 'Murder - you wouldn't expect that around here. Obviously there's some rough bits, but nothing like that.' Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating, but no arrests have yet been made. For the millions of people who lose their phones each year, locator apps are a lifeline when it comes to getting their devices back. But the trackers provided no help for Richard Walker, from Suffolk, after informing his that his iPhone had somehow made it all the way to Senegal. The handset was traced to the tiny, remote village of Birkelane - some 2,800 miles from where it was last seen. Richard Walker, from Felixstowe, in Suffolk, lost his iPhone two weeks ago before managing to track the device to a village in Senegal A phone tracking app revealed the device's exact location to be the village of Birkelane, around 2,800 miles from where it was lost Posting an image of the tracking data on Twitter on Tuesday, Mr Walker said: 'My iPhone was stolen a couple weeks ago. Now it is in a forest in Senegal.' 'Don't understand why it left,' he added. 'It always said that I really pushed its buttons.' A later, more detailed map, seemed to suggest it had ended up in Birkelane. 'I am so closing in on these guys,' he wrote while zooming in on their location. 'Don't look up now.' If the device was carried there by hand, it would have taken a 100 mile car journey to London before two flights to Dakar via Lisbon, in Portugal. Mr Walker, a journalist and consultant, joked: 'I don't understand why my phone left. It always said that I really pushed its buttons' Once in the Senegalese capital, the device would have been taken on a second car journey of almost 150 miles before arriving in Birkelane. Standard post from the UK to Senegal typically takes a week to arrive, though can take up to eight, according to Royal Mail. Mr Walker is a freelance journalist and consultant on digital content and strategy. He has spent time working in Africa and East Asia, and now advises the likes of the London Business School, Royal Bank of Scotland, and UPS. A police officer who was widely hailed has a hero after the deadly June 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando has been let go from the Eatonville force. Omar Delgado, 45, was one of the first responders when gunman Omar Mateen opened fire and left 49 dead and at least 68 injured in what has now become the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Delgado says he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing the carnage and has been on desk duty. He said the department told him they have to dismiss him because they need an additional officer on patrol, a job he can no longer perform, USA Today reports. Delgado dragged victim Angel Colon to safety, who had been shot six times. Their story of survival and subsequent friendship captured international media attention. Scroll down for video The hero police officer Omar Delgado, 45, has been let go from the Eatonville force. He believes his PTSD is to blame Delgado had dragged shooting victim Angel Colon (right) to safety. He then visited him in the hospital Delgado was informed of his firing on Monday. Eatonville council members confirmed the news at a meeting late Tuesday. He will be terminated at the end of the month. Delgado told his superiors he is ready to leave to focus on his mental health, but requested an additional six months on the job, as that would allow him to become vested in his pension and collect 64 percent of his salary with benefits for life. He currently makes $38,500 annually. Since he is leaving the force before he has worked there 10 years, he will only receive 42 percent of his earnings. 'Just let me get vested and I will be more than happy to pack up my troubles and leave,' he said. 'This is the thing I've been working toward for 10 years and to be six months shy then be fired, it's like 'wow!'' Delgado requested six more months on the job because he would become vested in his pension and collect 64 percent of his salary with benefits for life, but his last day will be December 31 Colon is shocked to learn of the officer's termination. 'He was my hero. He saved my life and for them to just do what they're doing to him in front of my face is a slap to my face as well,' Colon said Delgado originally returned to patrol duty after the massacre, but had to stop. He still does not feel comfortable going to bars and restaurants. 'I don't need to be a police officer with my gun belt and so forth to do those little tasks,' Delgado said before Tuesday's meeting to the Orlando Sentinel. 'Could they have let me do that for six more months? That's the debate.' The hero officer says he still wakes up from the same nightmare every night, more than a year and a half after the shooting. 'I never thought I would have gotten to this point. I thought I'd shake it off and everything would be fine,' he said. 'But that hasn't happened. Nothing has been right since that day.' Delgado plans to apply for disability, but until it is approved he says he will be struggling financially to support his wife and three children. 'This Christmas is going to be a really sad one,' he said. 'There's simply not enough money to make it.' Colon, 26, was shot three times in the leg and his bones shattered as desperate club-goers trampled him in a bid to get out of the club The June 12, 2016 massacre left 49 dead and at least 68 injured at Pulse nightclub The 2016 massacre is now the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history Deglado's friend Colon is shocked to learn of the officer's termination. 'He was my hero. He saved my life and for them to just do what they're doing to him in front of my face is a slap to my face as well,' Colon told WFTV. Gunman Omar Mateen was killed in a shootout with officers after a three-hour standoff 'He did his job that night on June 12 so they should have his back 100% totally and just be there for whatever he needs.' A short time before the club was due to close on June 12, 2016, the shooting started. Gunman Omar Mateen was killed in a shootout with officers after a three-hour standoff. Police were notified by an off-duty detective who was working security at the club that night. It took just 90 seconds for backup units to arrive at the scene. Colon, 26, was shot three times in the leg and his bones shattered as desperate club-goers trampled him in a bid to get out of the club. Then, he was shot twice more, in the hand and hip, as the gunman fired repeatedly at the wounded 'to make sure they're dead.' He was dragged to safety by Delgado, who then visited him in the hospital. Advertisement Oxford students may have found themselves on the naughty list this morning after hundreds of them enjoyed a Santa-themed bar crawl. Revellers were seen tumbling around the city centre during the annual Santa Crawl Oxford with some collapsing after getting merry ahead of the festive period. The club crawl promised to be the biggest night of your life on Facebook, and it looked like it was the messiest night of their lives for some. Students donned Santa hats and jackets and Mrs Santa costumes as they drank their way between the venues. The bar crawl, which cost 10 per person, ended at Emporium after making pit stops along the way at Thirst, ATIK and Anuba. As part of the event, organisers gave out several of the Santa suits that came free with a ticket to the city's homeless population. Oxford students may have found themselves on the naughty list this morning after hundreds of them enjoyed a Santa-themed bar crawl Revellers were seen tumbling around the city centre during the annual Santa Crawl Oxford with some collapsing after getting merry ahead of the festive period As well as getting all festive by donning Santa outfits and hats, many of the revellers accessorised with tinsel (shown left) Students donned Santa hats and jackets and Mrs Santa costumers as they drank their way between the venues For some of the Santas, a kebab marked the end of their night before they made their way back to their halls of residence The bar crawl, which cost 10 per person, ended at Emporium after making pit stops along the way at Thirst, ATIK and Anuba Some people got their Santa Claus outfits with their 10 tickets whilst some brought their own accessories in a bid to impress The club crawl promised to be the biggest night of your life on Facebook, and it looked like it was the messiest night of their lives for some It is all to much for one student, who is comforted by her two friends who are more than happy to share some some good will Despite the cold temperatures, this worse-for-wear student just wanted to be shot of her Mrs Santa outfit at the end of the night Others were helped home by their friends after a few stumbles across the road and a few falls to the ground Walking home after an eventful night out, students were seen making their merry way back to their halls of residence and student digs As part of the event, organisers gave out several of the Santa suits that came free with a ticket to the city's homeless population Danielle Gardner, 18, was handed a suspended sentence after smashing a window at a house party which left a young man without sight in one of his eyes A teenage girl blinded a young reveller by smashing a window to get back into a house party. Danielle Gardner, 18, was ordered to pay 3,000 compensation to the party-goer for the 'stupid' smash. A court heard she banged on the kitchen window because the door was locked at the party. But the glass shattered and sent a shard flying across the room - becoming embedded in the young man's left eye. A court heard he lost his sight in the eye but may get his vision back with a corneal transplant. In a statement read to the court, her victim said: 'The week after was the worst of my life.' The court heard he was unable to take a railway engineering course due to health and safety reasons - calling it a 'big blow.' Defending Ieuan Bennett said Gardner had gone to get cash on March 17 when she returned to the party and broke the window. Mr Bennett said: 'She ran off thinking she may have caused a small amount of damage, nothing more. 'A minor incident has had terrible consequences.' Gardner, left and right, was locked out of the party and banged on a window to get back in, only for the glass to shatter, with a shard ending up embedded in the victim's eye Gardner, of Cwmbran, Gwent, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at Newport Crown Court. Judge Recorder Peter Rouch said banging on the window was 'stupid and reckless.' Gardner was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years, and ordered her to pay 3,000 compensation to her victim. A finance assistant paid out more than 250 for her cat to be put down before discovering it was someone else's pet. Lisa Rogers, 42, of Bath, Somerset, had been told by the RSPCA that her cat Dusty had been found after he was reported missing, but was seriously ill. She spent 252 for the moggy to be put to sleep, but the feline 'came back from the dead' and turned up on her doorstep a month later. Dusty the cat belongs to Lisa Rogers from Bath, who paid for the wrong pet to be put down The RSPCA apologised and refunded Ms Rogers, blaming a miscommunication over microchip details. The dead cat had belonged to an elderly person who had died. Miss Rogers said: 'Between the grief and the money, it's outrageous.' She added: 'I was distraught when I was told Dusty had to be put down - I love that cat. 'And although I was over the moon when she came back from the dead, I'd still been left to pay out to have someone else's cat put down.' Dusty went missing from home while he was being looked after by Miss Rogers's mother while she was on holiday in Portugal with her fiance Craig, 43, an engineer. She reported her missing when she came home on September 14, and was put on a list circulated to animal charities. Within hours the RSPCA called Miss Rogers to say a cat matching Dusty's description had been found and the microchip matched her phone number and the cat's name. Apparently the name and address on the chip did not match Miss Rogers, but she claims the surgery said this was a 'mix up' and the cat was hers. The vet at Bath's RSPCA Rosemary Lodge centre then delivered the devastating news that the cat had lost her sight, could not walk and had to be put down. Miss Rogers spent 252 for Dusty to be put to sleep, but the feline 'came back from the dead' Miss Rogers was away from the area so sent her mother to the vet, and paid 252 for Dusty to be put to sleep. A month later, she was still waiting for the ashes when the real Dusty turned up. 'I came home from work and there she was on my front doorstep,' she said. 'I knew it was Dusty because she had a distinctive lump under her belly from where she had surgery when she was little. Miss Rogers claims she spent weeks arguing her case before the vets refunded her 'And when I picked up him he had the distinctive squeaky meow I know and love. All the signs pointed to it being Dusty. 'And then we had the microchip checked and, sure enough, it was my cat. I was delighted he was home - but I was still landed with this bill for someone else's cat.' Miss Rogers claims she spent weeks arguing her case before the vets refunded her and apologised for the mix up. Dusty has since gone missing again. An RSPCA spokesman said: 'We are very pleased to hear that Dusty has been reunited with his owners and understand this has been an upsetting time for them. 'We were called to help a very poorly grey cat called Dusty, which we understood matched the description and microchip of missing Dusty. 'A member of Lisa Roger's family visited and confirmed the cat was their missing pet and consented to them being put to sleep by a vet, to prevent further suffering. 'We have since discovered there was a miscommunication about the microchip details and are looking into this. We have refunded the cost of treatment to Lisa Rogers and apologised for the distress caused. 'We have made enquiries and the owner of the cat which was put to sleep had passed away previously. The welfare of this very poorly cat was the number one concern of everyone involved in this very unusual event.' A teenage boy in Tennessee has been killed as he tried to fight back against two home invaders. Ja'Donte Thompson, 17, was fatally shot during a scuffle late Tuesday in Nashville. The teen, his mother, stepfather and grandfather were all sleeping in their home when two suspects kicked in the door, demanded money, and ordered the family into the hallway. Ja'Donte Thompson, 17, was fatally shot during a home invasion in Nashville on Tuesday The gunmen are described as being in their late 20s to 30s. One of them wore a red beanie hat and a red jacket and smelled of alcohol, according to the victims Ja'Donte reportedly tried to fight back against the attackers when he was shot in the chest. He was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. His stepfather Joseph Patton, 41, was pistol-whipped by the other attacker. The two suspects then fled from the scene without taking anything. Police said no arrests had been made by early Wednesday morning. Ja'Donte reportedly tried to fight back against the attackers when he was shot in the chest. Pictured with his mother 'It's a shame. He was a great kid,' said his great aunt, Cotina Hancock to the Tennessean. 'To know he was trying to defend his family.' 'He had a permanent smile,' she said. 'You could be in a dark place and he could light up the room.' Metro Nashville Schools spokeswoman Michelle Michaud said in a statement that the teen attended Hillsboro High School and the district is providing grief counselors. He was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead 'Our thoughts go out to the community and we will support them through this process,' the district released in a statement on Wednesday. The gunmen are described as being in their late 20s to 30s. One of them wore a red beanie hat and a red jacket and smelled of alcohol, according to the victims. The other attacker was masked and wore all black clothing. A New York high school student allegedly lured a classmate into a stairwell and raped her. Police say 18-year-old Jevon Martin snatched his 16-year-old victim's backpack to pull her into a stairwell at the Washington Irving Campus in Manhattan just after 8am on Monday. The girl struggled and tried to push the student off her but he ripped off her clothes and raped her. The teen was taken to Lenox Hill Healthplex for treatment and immediately identified Martin as her attacker. Police arrested him a short time later. Police say 18-year-old Jevon Martin ended up raping a 16-year-old girl as the Washington Irving school campus, pictured, in Manhattan. He dragged her into the stairwell before attacking her 'Everybody's just kind of like freaked out that this happened,' said Jay'von Downer, 17, a senior to the Daily News. Another boy at the Gramercy Arts High School said: 'It made me nervous because I don't want to be in a school with a rapist ... it's just nasty.' Other students learned about the incident from a reporter and not their teachers. At his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday, Judge Gerianne Abriano set bail at $10,000 bond or $7,500 cash and ordered Martin to stay away from the victim. Defense attorney Lorin Nathan called for a 'thorough' investigation of the charges. 'There may be surveillance video cameras inside the school ... I suspect they will show a picture very different from what is alleged here,' he said Parents picking up young children Tuesday who attend school on the same campus had plenty to say and could not believe such a thing could happen in a place where every student should always feel safe. 'I hate to hear that just the worst thing I could imagine,' one parent said to CBS2. 'I'm worried and I didn't receive notice,' another said. Department of Education spokeswoman Miranda Barbot said officials are taking the allegations very seriously. 'This troubling incident was immediately reported and we are working closely with the NYPD as they conduct an investigation,' Barbot said in an emailed statement. 'We are treating this with the utmost seriousness and are providing the campus with additional guidance and safety supports.' The campus located at 40 Irving Place houses several schools, including the International High School at Union Square, Union Square Academy for Health Sciences and the High School for Language and Diplomacy. Police have launched a murder inquiry into the death of a 24-year-old, who died 10 days after he was attacked outside a town centre nightclub. James Etherington was found seriously injured outside Bijou nightclub in Bingley, Bradford, on Saturday, November 25. Police were contacted by the ambulance service at 3.32am following reports of an injured man. Mr Etherington, who is also from Bingley, was taken to hospital with head injuries, where he remained until he passed away yesterday. His heartbroken girlfriend Imogen Wellman-Brown said he was the 'most perfect boyfriend'. James Etherington (pictured with his girlfriend Imogen Wellman-Brown) was found seriously injured outside Bijou nightclub in Bingley in Bradford, on Saturday, November 25 Mr Etherington's heartbroken girlfriend Imogen Wellman-Brown (right) said he was the 'most perfect boyfriend' In a tribute on Facebook, the student nurse wrote: 'Words can't describe how much I will miss you James Etherington. 'You made everyone smile and laugh and are loved by us all. That cheeky smile, wit, humour, beautiful blue eyes and contagious laugh could make anyone's day amazing. You were the best and most perfect boyfriend I could have wished for. 'The memories will last a lifetime and I was the luckiest girl to have you. I love you so much! You'll always have my heart.' She later wrote: 'It's absolutely heartbreaking that nothing will bring my amazing boyfriend James back but justice is needed for all his family! ' Mr Etherington's brother Joe wrote a message to friends on his Facebook account to announce that James had passed away. Dozens of tributes have since been posted online and even the local council posted a message of condolence. One friend said: 'Never thought this day would come, bingley is absolutely heartbroken today, James you were and friend and a brother to not only me but half of bingley aswell! I'll never forget you mate!' Mr Etherington's brother Joe wrote a message to friends on his Facebook account to announce that James had passed away While another posted: 'A very sad day today. First thing I want to say is my thoughts and prayers are with the Etherington family always. 'James Etherington was one of my best friend growing up. And we shared many memories together. I will never forget you mate you will always be in my heart.' Flowers for Mr Etherington have also been placed outside the door of Bijou nightclub. Bingley Town Council wrote on Facebook yesterday saying: 'We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of James Etherington who sadly passed away this afternoon. 'The Town Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled out of respect for James's family and in consideration of their privacy. 'We are seeking advice from the police as to suitable future actions. Thank you for your understanding, our thoughts are with James's family and friends.' Flowers for Mr Etherington have also been placed outside the door of Bijou nightclub One of the many floral tributes placed outside the Bijou nightclub, Bingley, West Yorkshire, where James Etherington died after being attacked Four men aged 31, 30, 28 and 23 were arrested in connection with the incident. The 31-year-old and 30-year-old were released under investigation and the 23-year-old was bailed. The 28-year-old was released without charge. Detective Chief Inspector Ian Scott of Protective Services (Crime), said: 'I would appeal to anyone with information about the incident and who hasn't yet come forward to do so. 'We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who took footage on their mobile phones to come forward.' Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting crime reference number 13170551254 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The White House slapped down rumors Wednesday that President Trump is trying to ice out Mitt Romney. Just yesterday, Trump spoke to Romney, said Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway. 'The president says he's got a great relationship with Governor Romney,' she said this morning on CNN. The conversation took place after Romney skewered Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican accused of sexually harassing teens that Trump this week endorsed, as a 'stain' on the GOP if he's elected. President Trump stopped to speak to reporters as he left the White House Monday for Utah. He's taking Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch with him on board Air Force One, signaling he'd rather see Hatch seek re-election than Mitt Romney run for Hatch's seat Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (right) appeared on CNN with Chris Cuomo (left) Wednesday and characterized President Trump's relationship with Mitt Romney as 'great' Mitt Romney lashed out at Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore (pictured) saying a Moore victory would represent a 'stain on the GOP and on the nation' Conway says the men discussed Trump's visit to Utah, where Romney is considering a bid for the Senate, and the president's tax cut plan. She said they had a 'wonderful conversation' based on what she was told by President Trump. The White House official refused to entertain a potential Romney Senate run, noting that the seat's current occupant, Republican Orrin Hatch, could make another run. Trump has encouraged Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, to stay in the Senate, she said, because he is the incumbent, just like he endorsed sitting Sen. Luther Strange in the Alabama primary when he was up against Moore. On Monday, Trump traveled to Utah alongside Hatch, a Republican who's represented the state in the Senate for the last 40 years. But Trump had broader intentions than taking the senator for a ride aboard Air Force One and championing one of the senator's causes: shrinking the national monuments of Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante. The president is said to be angling to keep Romney out of the U.S. Senate. Former GOP nominee Mitt Romney (left) is mulling a Senate run if Sen. Orrin Hatch (right) retires. However, it looks like President Trump is trying to keep Hatch in the upper chamber so he doesn't have a nemesis Republican in that seat Romney, a Mormon with roots in the state who previously served as the governor of Massachusetts, has been mulling a run for Hatch's seat, if Hatch indeed announces his retirement. However, Hatch hasn't committed either way, a move that is angering Romney's people, according to Politico. They believe it's Trump's doing and they may be right, as Trump has told friends he wasn't into the idea of a Sen. Romney, the publication reported. If Hatch stays in the Senate, he'll likely continue to be a strong ally for the president. Even though Romney is a Republican, he's probably act more like Sen. Jeff Flake, the Arizona Republican who is leaving the Senate after next year, and has sworn to spend his remaining time in the upper chamber calling a certain president of the United States out. Romney displayed that kind of behavior during last year's presidential campaign. Mitt Romney (right) famously got dinner at Jean Georges restaurant in New York with President-elect Donald Trump (left) as Trump was considering Romney to be his secretary of state On March 3, 2016, the ex-GOP nominee appeared at the University of Utah and labeled then-candidate Trump a 'fraud.' 'He's playing the American public for suckers: he gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat,' Romney said. The former nominee didn't endorse one of the remaining GOP candidates Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. John Kasich but suggested to Republican voters that they vote in their state for who would do the most damage to thwart Trump's march to the nomination. It didn't work. Fast-forward to the aftermath of Trump's electoral win and the Romney-Trump relationship was back in the news as the president-elect seemed to be courting him to be secretary of state. The question was whether Trump's overtures were serious or if the president-elect was making Romney dance to simply, eventually embarrass him. After highly-publicized meetings at Bedminster and then in New York, Trump called Romney to tell him he'd decided to go with ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson instead. Since then, Romney has contemplated ways to get back in the political game, including testing the waters for this Senate seat. After Trump's trip to Utah on Monday, Romney lit into Moore, who the president had just endorsed, in a tweet. '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,' he said. Meanwhile, President Trump's former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has been threatening to take out incumbent Republican senators in an effort, he says, to get the body to better cooperate with the president's agenda. While previously eyeing Hatch as a senator who needed to be replaced, according to the Washington Examiner, Bannon is now contemplating endorsing Hatch so that Romney stays out. 'If Steve had a choice between Orrin Hatch and Mitt Romney, he would pick Hatch 10 times out of 10,' a Bannon insider told the Examiner's David Drucker. Trump was seemingly following suit by taking Hatch to Utah Monday. The president invited the Utah senator to take Air Force One to and from Salt Lake City. The two men disembarked from Air Force One side-by-side and traveled to the Utah state capitol where the president signed an executive order shrinking Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante. A family of six cuddled a crying baby in court as they were all handed prison sentences for their roles in a 100,000 'crash for cash' fraud conspiracy. The group, from Enfield, north London, had taken part in a plot to pocket compensation for whiplash injuries in crashes which never happened and involved drivers who didn't exist. Three fathers - Mehmet Yavuz, 36, and his brothers in law Salman Gulbudak, 32, and Hasan Sel, 30 - went from searching for a dummy for a sobbing child to being led away in handcuffs, after receiving immediate sentences of 16 months, 12 months and four months respectively. Two mothers, Eylem Yavuz, 35, and Ayse Sel, 34, each received four-month sentences, suspended for a year, as did Mr Gulbudak's father Mato Gulbudak, 58. They were each also ordered to pay 9,000 in legal costs. (Left to right) Eylem Yavuz, Ayse Sel and Mato Gulbudak are among a group of people sentenced today over a 'cash for crash' scam High Court judge Mr Justice Warby said that alarm bells were set ringing by 'the striking fact' of 'six members of the same extended family being victims of accidents in the space of just five weeks. Both crashes involved eastern European cleaners from seaside towns in the south of England' as well as 'other remarkable common features,' the court heard. In September 2011, Mr and Mrs Yavuz and Mrs and Mrs Sel all claimed to have been injured in a collision with another east European cleaner living in Margate, Kent. Four almost identical claims had also been lodged with insurers, LV=, by other fraudsters during the same period. Eylem Yavuz, 35, and Ayse Sel, 34, both received suspended sentences but three others were jailed for the scam 'To suggest that this is mere coincidence is stretching credulity to breaking point,' the judge said. The judge told them: 'Each of you lied in an attempt to receive damages for losses never suffered. None of you admitted your guilt, but chose to tell more lies. 'The civil justice system is seriously undermined by lying claims,' the judge went on, adding that fraud adds an estimated 44 a year onto the price of a motor insurance policy for each honest driver in the country. 'The courts must emphasise how serious it is for somebody to make a dishonest claim', he said. 'However easy it is to make fake claims, the consequences will be disastrous if you are found out. The lives of yourselves and your families are likely to be ruined.' The judge also told the court that Salman and Mato Gulbudak claimed to have been involved in a November 2011 crash on Addison Road, Enfield, with an eastern European cleaner, living in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex. Mehmet Yavuz worked as a black cab driver, Hassan Sel a shopkeeper and Salman Gulbedek runs an off-licence, the judge added. An unrelated family of three who the judge found were also involved in a fraud conspiracy also received jail terms today. The case was heard at the High Court after insurers LV= brought a case for contempt of court Ercan Kaya was handed nine months immediate imprisonment, whilst Ayten and Gunes Kaya were each given four months, suspended for a year. All of those dealt with were found to have 'told lies in support of conspiracies which amount to contempt of court'. Speaking after the case, Clare Lunn, fraud director for insurance firm LV=, said: 'This is a great result for LV= and society. 'The gang all played their part in this crash for cash scam and worked together to stage several fictitious accidents. We're pleased that custodial sentences were handed down today and hope these criminals serve as proof that fraud doesn't pay. 'LV= takes this type of crime very seriously, we will investigate suspected fraud cases thoroughly and will not tolerate fraudulent activity; the sentences today reflect this.' The food industry has been revealed as the worst place to work in terms of sexual harassment complaints. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - the federal agency that enforces workplace laws - have released data stretching back as far as 1995 detailing every claim of sexual abuse. Of the 170,000 incidents the government handed over, 10,057 were made at what was described as 'full-service restaurants' - by far the most beleaguered workplace. The food industry has been revealed as the worst place to work in terms of sexual harassment complaints (file image) Full-service restaurant encompasses anything from fast-food restaurants to bars and food trucks, and the harassment claims relate to the past 20 years. In schools, a total of 3,214 incidents were recorded across the US from colleges and universities to bus transportation put on by the education boards. Women filed the bulk of the 170,000 complaints at 83 percent while men filed 15 percent. Two percent of the complaints came from someone who did not specify a gender, according to BuzzFeed, who published the data. Not all the claims fell into categories for the website's data, with 64,000 of the complaints not specifying an industry. In sampled surveys, people were asked whether they had experienced sexual harassment at work. A quarter of respondents said they had, according to the EEOC study. Astonishingly, that number soared to 40 percent when the question changed to whether or not they had experienced 'unwelcome sexual based behaviors. This encompassed anything from unwanted sexual attention to sexual coercion. In the claims reported since 2010, the EEOC found half were found to have 'no reasonable cause' when the evidence was analysed. Sahar Aziz, a law professor at Rutgers University who sat on the panel of the EEOCs Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, told BuzzFeed: 'It's difficult because sexual harassment claims are allegations. 'It's a broad term and it's not as clear-cut - there are subjective components.' Of the 170,000 incidents the government handed over, 10,057 were made at what was described as 'full-service restaurants' - by far the most beleaguered workplace. Full-service restaurant encompasses anything from fast-food restaurants to bars and food trucks, and the harassment claims relate to the past 20 years. (file image of McDonald's in Chicago) Meg Bond, director for the Center for Women and Work at the University of Massachusetts, was also on the EEOC task force. 'We should not trip over ourselves to define the difference between what is legally sexual harassment and what is problematic behavior,' she said. 'It's about identifying where the more egregious types of harassment happen.' It comes as Hollywood is still reeling from a slew of similar claims made against A-listers such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. In a city famous for street food, a roadside restaurant in Bangkok with plastic tables and simple but sumptuous fare has earned one of the dining scene's highest honours: a Michelin star. Jay Fai, named after the 72-year-old proprietor who took over from her father, is located in old Bangkok and features an open-air kitchen known for churning out crab omelettes and curries. Though classified as street food, Jay Fai is more expensive than your average roadside stall, with a typical speciality costing upwards of $20. Jay Fai, named after the 72-year-old proprietor who took over from her father, is located in old Bangkok and features an open-air kitchen known for churning out crab omelettes and curries Fai accepted her Michelin star on Wednesday at the five-star Grand Hyatt hotel. It is the only streetside establishment listed in Michelin's first-ever Bangkok guide It was the only streetside establishment listed in Michelin's first-ever Bangkok guide released on Wednesday, which said the Thai capital's culinary scene was as 'diverse as it is surprising'. A total of 17 restaurants in the city serving up a mix of Thai and international cuisine received either one or two stars, though none clinched the coveted three-star rating. Jay Fai cooks the food herself while wearing large goggles to deal with the endless steam from the dishes. The accolade was a welcome one even if the owner was not so familiar with the company behind it. 'Before, I knew the Michelin name but I did not know it had to do with cooking,' she told AFP after obtaining the star at the five-star Grand Hyatt hotel on Wednesday. Though classified as street food, Jay Fai is more expensive than your average roadside stall, with a typical speciality costing upwards of $20 Michelin has a reputation for fine dining, but the organisation says that not all restaurants on its list are upscale. Pictured above, a street-side restaurant in Bangkok 'I am very proud,' she said, adding that she must be back in the kitchen Thursday. 'We do not have a lot of staff because I'm a bit difficult and crazy.' Chawadee Nualkhair, a Bangkok-based street food blogger, called Jay Fai the 'queen of street food'. Nualkhair told The Guardian: 'She could have done anything with her fame: chain restaurants, street food branches, a fancy secondary location, but she didn't. 'She stayed at her open-air shophouse with her two woks. I'm glad she's finally getting some recognition.' Michelin has a reputation for fine dining, but the organisation says that not all restaurants on its list are upscale. In 2010, a dim sum hole-in-the wall in Hong Kong was awarded a star. Last year, a star was given to a chicken rice hawker in Singapore. Jay Fai's newfound stature comes at a tough time for food stalls in Bangkok. City officials, backed by the military government, are attempting to unclutter the streets by pushing vendors into hawker centres as in Singapore. Labour has formally dropped its investigation into the behaviour of Carl Sargeant amid continued questions over how the claims were handled Labour has formally dropped its investigation into the behaviour of Carl Sargeant amid continued questions over how the claims were handled. Mr Sargeant killed himself four days after resigning from his post in the Welsh Government over unknown allegations. Labour general secretary Iain McNicol has written to Mr Sargeant's family to say the case has been 'closed' as it is impossible to pursue after his death. Other inquiries into how the allegations were handled and Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones' actions. In the letter, which has been seen by the Guardian, Mr McNicol said: 'It is no longer possible to take forward any investigation under our procedures and therefore the Labou rparty deems its investigation closed.' McNicol said the Labour party had acted in accordance with its procedures. He wrote: 'As you know our procedures require that after a complaint has been received the Labour party sends an agreed formal statement of the complainant to the respondent so that the respondent may revert. 'The Labour party received the initial complaint on Friday 3 November and was waiting for the formal statement to send to Mr Sargeant when the tragic news reached us of his passing. 'At no stage did the Labour party assume or confer any guilt on any individual The Labour party rejects any liability for costs in this matter. 'We are confident we have acted in accordance with our procedures at all times.' Labour general secretary Iain McNicol has written to Mr Sargeant's family to say the case has been 'closed' as it is impossible to pursue after his death Mr Sargeant, 49, was found dead at his home in Connah's Quay, North Wales, on November 7, four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secretary for communities and children. On Friday, friends, family and colleagues gathered at St Mark's Church in Connah's Quay for his funeral at midday. His son Jack comforted his mother Bernie as they led mourners which included the Labour leader and his wife Laura Alvarez. In a eulogy, Mr Sargeant's friend, Daran Hill, praised his kindness and said: 'If only everyone had shown him the same kindness he showed others.' Friends and family members wore colourful shirts as they carried Mr Sargeant's coffin on Friday A Roman Catholic priest who sexually abused children at an abbey school which became one of Britain's most notorious dens of paedophilia is set to die behind bars. Andrew Soper, 74, raped and groped pupils at St Benedict's School in Ealing in the 1970s and 80s and used 182,000 from his Vatican bank account to flee to Albania when victims came forward decades later. Former headmaster father David Pearce and former maths teacher John Maestri had been jailed for abusing children at the 12,000-a-year private school. Soper flew to the UK to be interviewed by police about the claims in July 2004, June 2009 and September 2010, and was allowed to return to Rome, Italy, on police bail until 11 March 2011. Andrew Soper, left and right, has been found guilty of a catalogue of sex offences against young boys at the Catholic school he is a former headteacher at Seven days before Soper was due to attend a police station in the UK, he flew to Kosovo, Albania, with Euro 204,000 withdrawn from his Vatican bank account. Today Soper was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, one count of indecency with a child, 10 counts of indecent assault on boys under 16 and six counts of indecent assault on boys under 18 following an Old Bailey trial. He showed no emotion as the jury convicted him of each charge by a majority of 10-to-two after deliberating for 14 hours. Judge Anthony Bate is expected to adjourn sentence until a later date. Soper, himself a former headmaster, got a sexual thrill from caning young boys and 'cunningly' used corporal punishment as an excuse to pull down their trousers and act on his perverted desires. The 'manipulative', 'perverted' and 'sadistic' former monk - also known as Father Lawrence Soper - pulled up his robes to rape one 12-year-old pupil over a desk in his office and warned the boy he could be expelled if he ever told his parents. His ten victims, who have been plagued by mental health problems after he abused them between September 1972 and July 1983, were initially afraid to speak out because their families viewed Catholic priests with 'deep respect'. They came forward after Soper resigned as abbot and went to live at the Benedictine headquarters at Collegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome in 2000. He was highly regarded as a religious scholar in the Vatican and his views on the catholic church were widely sought. One victim had described how he had a mental breakdown when police told him there was insufficient evidence to pursue his claims after interviews in 2004 and 2007. Soper, left and right, was described as 'sadistic, perverted and manipulative' monk who 'got a sexual thrill from caning young boys'. He will be sentenced at a later date The abuse took place between September 1972 and July 1983 while Soper was headmaster at St Benedict's School in Ealing The man recalled Soper performing oral sex on him and trying to kiss him while he was asleep on the top of a bunk-bed on a school cycling holiday. He said he didn't come forward earlier because 'no one would have believed you'. 'I would have had the s**t beaten out of me by my father because he's a devout Catholic,' he added. 'Who's going to believe a 13/14-year-old boy against a priest? 'I'm so screwed up by it all the thought of doing a life sentence for murder didn't bother me. 'I would just sit and rot in a prison cell and not give a s***.' Another victim said he believed Maestri was running a paedophile ring at the school. 'When I speak of a paedophile ring, [I say] that there were school masters, lay or clerical, who were or have been convicted of the sexual abuse of children,' he explained. 'Therefore it's reasonable to believe that something like a paedophile ring was operating at St Benedict's school. 'I believe that the Benedictine Order should answer for the serial abuse that has gone on in its educational establishments for the last few decades.' The conviction comes a year after the school's former deputy head Peter Allott, pictured, was jailed after 'getting hooked on child pornography' A third victim described the school environment as 'poisonous' and said: 'You don't really understand what was going on. 'It was a horrible place to be and I think you came to the point when most people just said this is a hard part of my life and I want to get through it. It was a dictatorship.' The court heard pupils were caned, beaten with jocari bats and forced to do severe manual labour such as moving logs until they dropped. Soper claimed he fled to Kosovo out of 'stupidity and cowardice' and told jurors: 'If you want to destroy a priest, all you have to do is make an accusation of the sort against me.' His defence barrister Jane Humphryes, QC, suggested his accusers were bitter 'professional victims' and fantasists and told one he was determined to 'squash' St Benedict's and become a core participant in the IICSA. Soper has been expelled from the monastery of St Benedict of Ealing for 'scandalous behaviour' but is still a priest. The child abuser, born Andrew Charles Kingston Soper, entered the monastery at Ealing Abbey and became a Benedictine Monk after a short career in banking in 1964. He took the name Laurence when he was ordained as a priest in 1970 and became a teacher at St Benedict's in two years later, eventually rising to become head of the Middle School from 1977-1983. Soper also acted as the school's bursar and took control of financial matters until 1991. He occupied the 'very senior position' of Abbot of Ealing Abbey from 1991 until he resigned and moved to the Vatican in 2000. St Benedict's paid one former pupil 135,000 to settle a sex abuse claim against Soper out of court in 2010, while another one was paid 5,900 after launching a civil claim. THE LEADING CATHOLIC SCHOOL WITH A 'TERRIBLE LEGACY' St Benedict's reputation as one of the UK's leading Catholic schools has been blighted by a 'terrible legacy' of sex abuse by paedophile priests. Soper is one of seven senior figures either convicted or accused of preying on pupils at the 15,000-a-year private school during the last 25 years. Former headmaster Christopher Cleugh admitted the school 'could have, and should have, done more' to protect victims following a damning 2011 inquiry which concluded that Ealing Abbey monks had to lose their control of the school. TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS AND CONVICTIONS: 1992: The junior school's former headmaster Father David Pearce is accused of sexually abusing a boy, but police take no further action. 2001: Former abbot Rev Dom Martin Shipperlee receives complaint about Pearce and makes police aware of it. 2003: Former middle school master John Maestri admits three counts of indecent assault against two pupils between 1980 and 1984. 2005: Maestri pleads guilty to another count of indecent assault relating to a sex attack in 1982. 2006: The High Court awards damages to one of Pearce's victims. 2007: Rev Shipperlee allows Pearce to return to Ealing Abbey as bursar. Pearce sexually assaults a child within months. 2007: Father Stanislaus Hobbs, part of St Benedict's middle school staff between 1969-1984, stands trial for one count of indecent assault in 1984 but is cleared by a jury. 2008: Former middle school headmaster Father Anthony Gee is accused of caning a boy on his bare buttocks but no further action is taken. 2009: Father David Pearce is charged with 22 counts of indecent assault against six boys between 1975 and 2007 - prosecutors accepted his guilty pleas to 11 of the charges. 2009: Maestri admits one count of indecent assault between 1979 and 1981. 2010: Father Gregory Chillman is accused of one indecent assault between 1975-76, but no further action was taken. 2010: Two female pupils at another school complain about Father Chillman's 'inappropriate' behaviour in 2004 and he is later put on restricted ministry and barred from access to children. 2010: St Benedict's teacher John Skelton is convicted of indecent assaults against two pupils in 1983. 2011: Pearce is charged with four counts of indecent assault against another boy between 1977 and 1978, but he was cleared following a trial. 2011: Maestri is charged with three counts of indecent assault against another former pupil but is cleared by a jury. 2011: Former headmaster Christopher Cleugh apologises for 'terrible legacy' of sex abuse following damning inquiry by Lord Carlile. 2011: Father Andrew Soper withdraws 182,000 from his Vatican bank account and flies to Albania while on bail for sex offences against pupils. 2016: Deputy head of St Benedict's Peter Allott, 37, is jailed for 'getting hooked on child pornography' and taking part in chemsex 'paedophile sex parties' 2017: Soper convicted of 19 sex attacks on pupils at St Benedict's in the 1970s and 1980s following an Old Bailey trial. Advertisement Prosecutor Gillian Etherton, QC, said: 'Whilst this trial concerns Andrew Soper, you should know that St Benedict's School and Ealing Abbey have in the past come under critical scrutiny. 'There have been numerous large scale inquiries into the failure of the school to protect and safeguard children in their care. 'There have been investigations, against both monks and teachers, and this has led to a number of prosecutions. 'It is fair to say that over a number of decades, the 1960s to 1990s, both violence and sexual abuse by the adults in charge against the young pupils was prevalent at the school.' One victim claimed the Benedictine order which ran the school was responsible for covering up a ring of abuse involving many teachers and pupils who were too ashamed to come forward. Comic Julian Clary, who won a scholarship to St Benedict's in the 1970s, described Pearce 'touring all the school toilets in the hope of finding who knows what'. He says he was never personally sexually abused, but is expected to give evidence about the school at the upcoming independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA). A 2011 inquiry led by Lord Alexander Carlile said Ealing Abbey monks must lose control of St Benedict's, prompting the school's then headmaster Christopher Cleugh to apologise for its 'terrible legacy' of sexual abuse. Pearce, a twisted pervert described as a 'devil in a dog collar', was jailed for eight years in 2009 after pleading guilty to a 10 indecent assaults and one sexual assault on five boys at the school between 1972 and 2008. Maestri, previously St Benedict's 'master of discipline', was jailed for 30 months in 2003 after pleading guilty to three counts of indecently assaulting schoolboys under 16 between 1980 and 1984. The sex offender was let off with a community order two years later after admitting indecently assaulting another boy under 14 between 1982 and 1983. Maestri was spared jail again and given a two-year sentence suspended for two years for indecently assaulting a boy under 14 when another victim emerged in 2009. Last year 'respected' former deputy head Peter Allott was jailed for 33 months after it was revealed he spent 600 a week on Class A drugs and attended chemsex child porn parties with paedophiles he met on Grindr. The depraved teacher pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photos of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography, one count of sharing indecent photos of children and one of possessing a Class A substance at Blackfriars Crown Court. Syria has been completely liberated from ISIS, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov said on Wednesday that the group has been expelled from its final strongholds in the Euphrates Valley. 'Therefore, as of today, there's no territory controlled by ISIS in Syria,' he said. General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's Armed Forces Chief of Staff, announced on Wednesday that ISIS has lost all of its territory in Syria (pictured, a Russian bomber attacks targets in the Euphrates Valley earlier this week) Russian troops have been fighting alongside the forces of Bashar al-Assad in order to drive ISIS from its last remaining towns along the Euphrates River Russian forces have been fighting alongside dictator Basahr al-Assad's troops since 2015 to drive ISIS out of the country. In November they achieved a major victory after pushing the terror group out of Deir Ezzor, the last major city it held in the Middle East. That started a campaign to retake other towns dotted along the Euphrates River, which leads to Syria's border with Iraq. ISIS was pushed out of that country last month when government forces seized the border city of Al-Qaim and announced victory. The group's remaining fighters have now fled into a large, remote area of desert spanning the two countries. President Putin also confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying: 'Some detached resistance hotspots still exist, but on the whole the military part at this point and on this territory is finished. 'I emphasize the complete defeat over Daesh and victory over terrorists.' It comes after the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces liberated Raqqa, once ISIS's de-facto capital, back in October (pictured, fighting there in August) The remaining ISIS fighters are now believed to have fled into a large area of desert spanning Iraq and Syria (file image) He added that the focus would switch to a political process that would eventually involve presidential and parliamentary elections. Putin also said it was important to establish the Congress of Syrian Peoples, a proposed peace conference that Russia has offered to host, which would lead to the preparation of a new constitution and then presidential and parliamentary elections. 'But it is a big and prolonged task,' he said. The victory came after Russian and Syrian government forces liberated the town of Abu Kamal, Sputnik reported. ISIS has now lost all of the territory it claimed back in 2014 as it swept through the Middle East in a lightning offensive which established it as the world's most powerful terrorist group. Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war in 2015 has turned the tide of the conflict in favour of Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and against rebel groups fighting to oust him. The bus driver who saved the life on a woman pushed into the road by a runner has called on the infamous 'Putney Pusher' to reveal his identity. Oliver Salbris, 45, swerved his number 430 bus to avoid the commuter, 33, when she was pushed into the road by the runner on Putney Bridge in south west London. Despite the assault happening seven months ago, police have failed to charged anyone, arresting and later releasing three men. Mr Salbris, who was handed a special commendation last month for his quick-thinking actions at the UK Bus Awards, called on the man to 'come forward'. The man was running across Putney Bridge in south west London when he shoved the woman He told Sky News: 'He has done something bad and the consequences could have been terrible for the victim and me. 'It would be good if the police could catch him, but if only he could reproach himself, search his conscience, at least be responsible for his actions.' Mr Salbris was hailed a hero for his response to the near-miss, which was captured on shocking CCTV footage and released by the Met as part of their inquiries. He told the Sunday Times: 'I thought I was going to touch her. If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head. It was reflex.' Bus driver Oliver Salbris swerved to avoid the woman and says her attacker must be caught and justice done The double decker driver pulled over to help the victim, who escaped with minor injuries, and ask if she needed his help. He said: 'She was just in shock. She was crying. I offered her my help. I gave her a note with the bus number, my route and my name and garage and my phone number.' Mr Salbris pulled over after the fall in the morning rush hour on May 5 and passengers tended to the woman - who does not wish to be named. Bus operators Go Ahead London told 5 News: 'The driver commented that he is pleased to have been a hero, he was just doing his job.' Police questioned and released three men including millionaire American investment banker Eric Bellquist, 41. Officers said that the as-yet-unidentified jogger ran the other way across the bridge around 15 minutes after pushing his victim. But when the woman attempted to speak to him 'he did not acknowledge her'. Detective Sergeant Chris Griffith, leading the investigation, said: 'We are continuing to investigate this incident and follow up leads as and when we receive new information about possible suspects. He added: 'We are grateful to those who have called in so far 'I am also appealing for anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV stills, or with any information that might assist the investigation to contact police or Crimestoppers.' Anyone with information should call detectives from Wandsworth CID on 020 3276 2606 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Bill and Hillary Clinton's team ignored repeated warnings about Harvey Weinstein from Lena Dunham and Tina Brown, and were planning a lucrative documentary with him in the days before he was exposed. The former President and First Lady were effectively complicit in stopping the movie producer's history of sexual abuse from coming out, a damning New York Times investigation claims. Dunham, a writer and actress, and Brown, a magazine editor, both warned Hillary's advisers about Weinstein as far back as 2008, but she and Bill remained friends with him. Dunham - one of Hillary's biggest celebrity endorsers - emailed her campaign's deputy communications director last year stating: 'I just want you to let you know that Harvey's a rapist and this is going to come out at some point,' and warned 'it's a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved.' It is not clear if the warnings ever made it to the Clintons themselves but regardless the couple served as Weinstein's most effective 'celebrity shield'. Their relationship was so close that on September 29, less than a week before the first story about Weinstein's predatory behavior was published, Hillary Clinton's lawyer emailed Weinstein to talk about European buyers for the documentary about her Presidential campaign. Robert Barnett wrote to Weinstein: 'I am hopeful we can get a good price for this.' Clinton's Complicity: Hillary was 'repeatedly warned' about the rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein but remained friends with him, a New York Times bombshell investigation has revealed. Above they are pictured at a cocktail party in 2012 Actress and writer Lena Dunham - one of Hillary's biggest supporters - and journalist Tina Brown reportedly warned Clinton's team multiple times. Brown's warning came during the 2008 Presidential race, when she advised it was 'unwise to be so closely associated with him' The New York Times article says that Weinstein was able to carry on abusing women for decades because he built a 'wall of invulnerability' that was covered by a 'sheen of celebrity' like the Clintons. Financed with millions of dollars, he operated a machinery of PR people, journalists, private investigators, and powerful lawyers to keep people quiet. That also included many famous friends and 'chief among them were Bill and Hillary Clinton', the New York Times said. By aligning himself with liberal causes it allowed Weinstein to portray himself as a champion of women and LGBT people, an effective foil to the reality of him being a sexual predator. The claims in the article come as the Democrats are reexamining Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct whilst in office through the post-Weinstein prism. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand shocked the party when she said last month that he should have stepped down for having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Weinstein, who was fired from his company The Weinstein Co and is being investigated by police in the US, the UK, and France, has been a supporter of the Clintons and Barack Obama for years. He has personally donated and bundled $1.4 million to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and when Bill Clinton was facing impeachment Weinstein donated $10,000 to his legal defense fund. In an email to Hillary's campaign deputy communications director last year, Dunham warned that Harvey 'is a rapist and this is going to come out at some point.' Clinton's team has denied receiving any warnings Long-term friends: Weinstein personally donated $1.4 million to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. By aligning himself with liberal causes it allowed him to portray himself as a champion of women and LGBT people (Pictured above in 2004) Weinstein was a guest in Hillary Clinton's hotel room when she won her 2000 Senate race, he was an early backer of both her Presidential bids and dined with her days after her shock loss to Donald Trump in November last year. The New York Times article claims that Clinton Inc, as Clinton's team is known, had at least three warnings that Weinstein was dangerous but did not sever ties with him. Last year Dunham sent a blunt email to Kristina Schake, Hillary Clinton's campaign's deputy communications director. It read: 'I just want you to let you know that Harvey's a rapist and this is going to come out at some point. 'I think it's a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because it's an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault'. Dunham said that Schake was surprised and said she would speak to Robby Mook, the campaign manager and one of Hillary Clinton's most trusted aides. Last summer Dunham said she sounded the alarm again to Adrienne Elrod, one of Hillary Clinton's spokeswomen who was in charge of reaching out to celebrities. Dunham said her concerns appeared to have been ignored - weeks before the election Weinstein helped to organize a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton featuring Anne Hathaway and Julia Roberts among others. Brown's warning to the Clinton camp came during the 2008 Presidential race. Democrats are now reexamining Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct while he was in office through the post-Weinstein prism. Harvey donated $10,000 to Bill's legal defense fund during his impeachment She said that she told one of their inner circle and said: 'I was hearing that Harvey's sleaziness with women had escalated since I left Talk (magazine) in 2002 and she was unwise to be so closely associated with him'. In response Clinton's advisers issued a flurry of statements. Nick Merrill, Hillary Clinton's communications director told the New York Times: 'We were shocked when we learned what he'd done. It's despicable behavior, and the women that have come forward have shown enormous courage. 'As to claims about a warning, that's something staff wouldn't forget.' Referring to Dunham, he said: 'Only she can answer why she would tell them instead of those who could stop him.' Elrod and Schake denied that Dunham mentioned rape to them and Mook said he was never alerted to her concerns. Hillary Clinton herself came under fire for waiting a week before she addressed the Weinstein scandal. She was accused of hypocrisy by some of his victims but she eventually gave an interview saying she was 'shocked and appalled' and that his behavior 'cannot be tolerated'. Despite this, the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton's charitable organization, will not return the donations from Weinstein which is listed on their accounts as being between $100,000 and $250,000. Dunham, a vocal supporter of feminism, has gone through her own controversy about sexual misconduct after defending a former colleague who was accused of inappropriate behavior, sparking a storm of criticism on social media. She said in a statement that she has an 'incredible allegiance to Hillary' and does not think her concerns were ever relayed directly to her. But she said: 'A year and a half ago, on one of the most progressive campaigns in history, this wasn't a problem,' referring to Weinstein. The lengthy investigation in the New York Times included interviews with 200 people who told of his disturbing array of techniques for silencing people. According to the newspaper, Weinstein offered $50,000 to the former manager representing actress Rose McGowan, who was writing a memoir that included details about how he allegedly raped her. Weinstein is said to have hired ex-Mossad agents to spy on his accusers and paid gossip writers to dig up dirt on celebrities he could use to barter with reporters who wanted to expose him. A loyal police dog who was shot in the paw serving in the line of duty, has made an incredible recovery to rejoin the front-line and serve his community once more. The Dutch Shepherd, Mikey, had served for three of his six years with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, in California, before suffering a terrible injury on July 18 this year. Leading the line on a SWAT apartment raid, the dog was suddenly charged and attacked by two pitbulls. Attempting to save Mikey from further injury, one of the officers opened fire on the vicious dogs - but a bullet accidentally struck police hound on his front right paw. Mikey the police dog is seen recovering with his front right paw in plaster and another bandage on his hind left leg An officer carrying Mikey after two of his toes were blown off by a stray bullet after he was attacked by pitbulls The medical team hold up Mikey's fixed leg, which has been wrapped up in a Superman cast Mikey back in action, taking down a potential criminal in a training exercise The police hound and a handler walk between two Fresno County Sheriff's Office patrol cars Mikey back at work, but minus two of his toes, which were blown off by a stray bullet With amputation of his entire leg a genuine fear, it was thought Mikey would never be able to serve in the police force again. But despite losing two of his toes, incredibly, the dog made a full recovery, returning to the front line on November 29. Handler officer Jerry Kitchens said: 'The bond you have with your animal, once that is broken or you see him get injured, that does take a toll on you - it's like a punch in the gut. 'I loved seeing Mike back. Once we saw the tissue starting to heal, that's when we knew Mike would be returning to service. 'But the only real way we would be able to tell was to put him through the paces and tests we do for all our canines. 'Mike was able to complete all of those tasks without injury or hesitation.' The woman charged with murdering her businessman husband more than 20 years ago has finally appeared in court in New York this week. Roslyn Pilmar, 60, and her brother Evan Wald, 43, are accused of murdering her husband Howard Pilmar outside his Manhattan office in 1996. Howard Pilmar, 40, was stabbed 25 times in the neck, chest and back, with several wounds inflicted after he had died. In court: Roslyn Pilmar, 60, and her brother Evan Wald, 43, are accused of murdering her businessman husband Howard Pilmar outside his Manhattan office in 1996 Police noted at the time that his wallet was not stolen after his killing. Prosecutors have alleged that Pilmar stood to gain a lot by her husband's death. She was given close to $1.5 million in a life insurance payout and came into her late husband's businesses and two homes, according to CNN. Howard - whose office was just by the Empire State Building - was the owner of the multi-million dollar King Group, including King Office Supply and Philip's Coffee Bar. Roslyn and Wald were formally charged at Manhattan Supreme Court with second-degree murder in August. Accusations: Nearly 21 years after his death, Pilmar and her brother, seen in a New York court this week, were charged with the murder of Howard Pilmar In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said that at the time the murder 'shocked New Yorkers' and 'mystified law enforcement' while the killers 'eluded justice'. He added: 'But, in the more than two decades that have passed since Howard Pilmar was brutally stabbed to death, prosecutors in my office's Cold Case Unit and NYPD detectives never forgot this shocking crime. Howard Pilmar was 40 when he was stabbed 25 times outside his office in Manhattan, which was just by the Empire State Building (pictured) 'I thank them for their dedication, and hope that this prosecution will bring closure to Mr Pilmar's loved ones.' It is alleged that dental hygienist Roslyn was in financial dire straits in March 1996 after embezzling $200,000 from her dentist employer. According to Vance Jr, she pleaded guilty to the theft in 1999. Roslyn's lawyer, however, said her client's money concerns were not evidence of a murder. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lederer, meanwhile, said the case is 'one of the most compelling' she has ever seen. According to the New York Daily News, she said: 'His throat was slashed. He was stabbed 25 times, some of the injuries were post-mortem. It was clearly a crime of rage. There was nothing taken from him.' She added: 'The mere fact that she was in the office that night was startling to everybody who knew her and worked there.' A grieving mother whose baby died when her severe labour pains were dismissed as constipation has been given an apology and payout by the hospital that treated her. Bosses at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Manchester, said sorry for the failings in mum Joanne Farrar's care during the delivery of her baby girl Ava in July 2014. Grieving parents Joanne and James Farrar have waited three years for the apology, and want to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated. Joanne, 41, said she knew she was in labour when she started to experience severe pain and discomfort on July 7, 2014. Joanne (pictured), 41, said she knew she was in labour when she started to experience severe pain and discomfort on July 7, 2014 A post-mortem indicated that while Ava was fully developed at the time of her birth, evidence suggested she had been deprived of oxygen But when she arrived at Stepping Hill in Stockport, doctors said she had an infection and insisted she was constipated. The mother-of-two claims she was dismissed by one medic as a 'time-waster.' It was only when Joanne suffered a bleed that her labour was confirmed. Her daughter Ava was born after a caesarean section. But Joanne and James were devastated to learn their baby had suffered severe brain damage during delivery. The couple then made the heart-breaking decision to turn off their daughter's life-support machine at the Royal Oldham Hospital on July 12. A post-mortem indicated that while Ava was fully developed at the time of her birth, evidence suggested she had been deprived of oxygen. Joanne, from Ashbourne in the Peak District, said: 'I did everything I was told by hospital staff, so was stunned when I had some issues with them. 'At one point I overheard a doctor refusing to examine me and calling me a "time-waster", while it was also suggested that I have a natural birth despite the issues with my previous pregnancies. It was an incredibly upsetting time.' Lawyers managed to secure a settlement as well as a written apology from Ann Barnes, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. Pictured: Baby Ava An inquest into her death concluded Ava died of natural causes, contributed to by neglect. Joanne added: 'Having had two children already, I knew what I was experiencing was undoubtedly labour. I managed to get myself to hospital and told the doctors and midwives, but they claimed it was just a urinary tract infection. 'To make matters worse, when tests came back clear I was then told I was constipated and given medication for it. I was in utter disbelief as no one was listening to me.' Following their daughter's death the couple instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them hold Stepping Hill to account. Lawyers managed to secure a settlement as well as a written apology from Ann Barnes, chief executive of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. An inquest into her death concluded Ava died of natural causes, contributed to by neglect. Pictured: Baby Ava before her death 'I deeply regret that the standard of care that your daughter received was inadequate and I would like to take this time to express my deepest sympathy on the loss of your daughter and the distress that this and subsequent investigations have caused you and your family,' the letter said. A spokesman for the trust added: 'We failed to provide a reasonable standard of antenatal care for Joanne and baby Ava and for that we are deeply sorry. 'We launched an immediate investigation afterwards, to ensure that something like this does not happen again. 'We would like to take this opportunity to repeat our sincere apologies, sympathy and condolences.' Daphne Caruana Galizia, Malta's best-known investigative journalist, was killed when a bomb blew up her car The car bomb that killed Malta's most famous investigative journalist was triggered by a text message from a hitman on a boat at sea, it was reported today. Anti-corruption blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was blown up while driving near her home village of Bidnija in northern Malta in October. Three alleged assassins have been charged with her murder but investigators still don't know who gave the order. George Degiorgio, 55, is believed to have triggered the bomb from his speed boat out at sea by texting a SIM card attached to the device, sources told MaltaToday. He was told when to send the message by his 35-year-old brother Alfred who called him after watching Galizia, the source said. George allegedly then hung up the call and sent the text from a second phone which he destroyed afterwards. The text triggered a TNT bomb thought to have been attached to the underside of Galizia's car beneath the driver's seat when she left it parked in a alleyway in Bidnija. The brothers were arrested last Monday with Vincent Muscat, 55, when police raided a former potato storage warehouse in Marsa, in the south east of Malta. The suspects arrested over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia try to hide their faces as they arrive in a police car at the Court in Valletta, Malta One of the suspects covers his face with hood of a coat as he is led into the court in Valletta Another of the three men pulls his beige coat over his had police take him into the court There they found a cabin cruiser owned by George and a phone and other electronic devices at the bottom of the sea. The three men charged pleaded not guilty during a hearing in Valletta on Tuesday. They sat motionless in the dock, with their heads lowered before Magistrate Neville Camilleri. The three suspects were among 10 people arrested in an operation on Monday. The other seven have been released on police bail pending a further investigation of other evidence. George Degiorgio, 55, is believed to have triggered the bomb from his speed boat (above) out at sea Ms Caruana Galizia's most explosive reports included allegations that members of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle benefited from kickbacks on business deals and a controversial passports-for-investment scheme. She also focused on alleged dubious behaviour by prominent opposition and business figures, fuelling speculation she could have been the victim of mobsters. Mr Muscat said all of the 10 suspects were arrested due to a 'reasonable suspicion' of their involvement Ms Caruana Galizia's murder. The arrests, made in an operation coordinated among the Police Corps, the Armed Forces of Malta and the Security Services, were the first break in the murder on October 16 that has drawn widespread outrage and condemnation. Europol, the European Union's police agency, sent a team of organized crime experts to help Maltese police investigate the assassination, joining the FBI and Dutch forensic experts. Just before her death, Ms Caruana Galizia, had posted on her closely followed blog, Running Commentary, that there were 'crooks everywhere' in Malta. The tiny nation has a reputation as a tax haven in the European Union and has attracted companies and money from outside the continent. Police stand outside the court in Valletta, Malta, as three suspects arrested over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, appear for a hearing Ms Caruana Galizia, whose reporting focused heavily on corruption on the EU island nation, was killed when a bomb destroyed her car as she was driving near her home PM Mr Muscat, who faced accusations of wrong-doing by Ms Caruana Galizia earlier this year, denounced her killing, calling it a 'barbaric attack on press freedom'. 'I will not rest until I see justice done in this case. Our country deserves justice,' he said in a televised statement at the time. 'Everyone knows Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of mine, both politically and personally, but nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way,' Muscat said. 'The only remedy for anyone who felt slandered was through the courts.' Mr Muscat had called early elections in June seeking a vote of confidence to counter Ms Caruana Galizia's allegations of corruption. She said documents in a small Malta-based bank showed that the premier's wife was the beneficial owner of a company in Panama, and that large sums of money had been moved between the company and bank accounts in Azerbaijan. An ambulance is parked along the road where a car bomb exploded killing the journalist Both Muscat and his wife denied the accusation and sued Ms Caruana Galizia for defamation. Recently, her outspoken blog had turned its fire on opposition politicians. 'There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate,' she wrote in the last blog published on her site days before she was killed. In another entry last year, she wrote: 'Malta's public life is afflicted with dangerously unstable men with no principles or scruples.' Television reported that Ms Caruana Galizia had filed a complaint to the police two weeks ago to say she had received threats. It gave no further information. John Travolta slammed sexual assault rumors as pure 'speculation' and claimed that his new movie Gotti was delayed because he 'begged' Lionsgate to sell the film back to its production company. Last month Travolta was named in a criminal complaint by a 21-year-old masseur who accused the actor of sexual battery that reportedly took place in 2000. 'Unfortunately, the reports were speculation bordering on fake news,' Travolta told Deadline this week. Travolta claimed that he 'literally begged' Lionsgate to give up the movie because the company was 'planning on a minimal release', adding that the movie 'wasn't dropped'. The actor said he is now working with Edward Walson, the producer of five Broadway plays and eight films. Scroll down for video John Travolta (pictured as John Gotti in the movie) has slammed sexual assault rumors as pure 'speculation' and claimed that his new movie Gotti was delayed because he 'begged' Lionsgate to sell the film back to its production company Last month Travolta was named in a criminal complaint by a 21-year-old masseur who accused the actor of sexual battery that reportedly took place in 2000. Travolta's wife Kelly Preston, also stars in the flick as Gotti's wife Victoria 'I did an investigation into people who might have the interest and financial wherewithal to better release it. Ed is a fan of mine and of the Gotti story and really wanted to see the movie. I invited his group, they saw it and bought it. That is the simple explanation for this,' Travolta told Deadline. Walson and others found the money to buy Lionsgate out of the equation. The actor claimed that Lionsgate didn't want to give the movie up and 'they said no, twice'. 'We signed this deal about three weeks ago, to purchase back the film from Lionsgate. Our mistake was we should have said something right then and discussed our plan for the film. We didn't anticipate this speculation that is so grossly wrong,' he told the site. On Tuesday, Lionsgate dropped the John Gotti biopic starring Travolta 10 days before the movie's scheduled released date. The surprising eleventh hour move was confirmed by several sources that said the studio cut ties with the project. Lionsgate reportedly sold Gotti back to its production company Emmett/Furla/Oasis and they are expected to be seeking new distribution. However, it's highly unlikely a new distributor will be found in time for the slated release date of December 15 and it could be pushed to 2018. But Travolta claims that he and Walson are nearing a deal with a significant distributor. Neither Travolta nor Walson gave any information about who the distributor is. Lionsgate has not given any explanation for the sale which took place on Tuesday. Travolta claimed that he 'literally begged' Lionsgate to give up the movie because the company was 'planning on a minimal release', adding that the movie 'wasn't dropped' The crime drama covers the life of the infamous leader of the Gambino crime family and was directed by Entourage's Kevin Connolly. It also stars Travolta's wife Kelly Preston who play's the crime boss' wife Victoria Gotti. Production started in July 2016 and has been plagued by delays and false starts. A number of other actors have been connected to the project throughout its development including Al Pacino, Lindsay Lohan, and Anthony Hopkins. Lionsgate has not given an explanation for the last minute move Talking to EW about the film, Connolly said previously: 'There are nice cars and fancy suits in the movie, but we're also showing where all that eventually leads. 'HBO made a Gotti movie in 1996, but his death, which was horrible, hasn't been covered too much. That's a different angle that we're going to explore.' Mafia leader Gotti was brought to trial multiple times throughout the 1980s, only to be acquitted. Travolta, 63, plays Gotti in multiple stages of his life, including when he finally went to prison in 1992. Gotti died of throat cancer, while still incarcerated, in 2002. Gotti's son, John Gotti Jr, claims in his self-published memoir detailing what it was like to grow up as John Gotti's son, that the Feds let his father die choking on his own vomit and blood as his bones rotted around his neck from cancer after spending the decade 'in 'the hole'. Previous adaptations of Gotti's life story have been explored in terms of his relationships with other mafiosos (Witness to the Mob, Boss of Bosses) and the fight to convict him of a crime (Getting Gotti). On November 13, the bombshell report emerged of a masseur alleging Travolta groped his bare buttocks and indecently exposed himself during a deep body massage at the spa inside the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California. Travolta also allegedly made lewd remarks about gay fantasies while at the hotel's spa facility around 1.30am on February 15, 2000. Travolta (left), 63, plays John Gotti (right) in multiple stages of his life, including when he finally went to prison in 1992 According to the documents, obtained by RadarOnline.com, Travolta wanted a more intimate rubdown and even removed the towel 'exposing' his buttocks as the male spa employee gave him the massage. The employee claimed in the report that he kept replacing the towel and covering Travolta's buttocks up when the Pulp Fiction actor removed it. After that massage was complete they allegedly went into another room where the masseur performed what he called a 'Citrus Scrub' on Travolta, who is married to Kelly Preston. During the treatment, Travolta, a devout Scientologist, told him that he was very attractive and that he had gotten him 'excited', the documents said. The report states that once the 'scrub' was complete, 'they moved to the steam room, where Travolta asked it he would accompany him, so he wouldn't have to sit alone'. The pair then sat in the steam room together, according to the report. They were both wearing towels initially but the employee claimed that Travolta removed his towel and 'was nude'. Travolta then allegedly offered to demonstrate his own massage techniques on the masseur. As the man lay on his stomach, 'Travolta reached under his towel and began to rub his inner thigh'. Then the actor 'began rubbing [the masseur's] bare buttocks as well as in the groove between'. According to the report, the masseur said he felt uncomfortable and left, but then Travolta followed, offering to 'soap up' his back while he showered. While the masseur was packing up his massage table, he alleged that Travolta made lewd comments' toward him and asked if he'd 'ever had his a**hole licked by another man' and if so, 'tell him what he would do, so he [Travolta] could have something to fantasize about'. On November 13, the bombshell report emerged of a masseur alleging Travolta (right) groped his bare buttocks and indecently exposed himself during a deep body massage at the spa inside the La Quinta Resort and Club (pictured) in La Quinta, California The masseur reported the incident to the Palm Springs Sheriff's Department. Officer Mark Peters went to the hotel to speak with Travolta, who had already checked out by the time he arrived. The case was later 'closed unfounded' and Peters advised the man to 'speak with a civil attorney'. This isn't the first time Travolta has been accused of misconduct while getting a massage. In 2012, Travolta was sued over accusations that he tried to have sex with a male masseur during a therapy session at the luxury Beverly Hills Hotel. The married actor, who has repeatedly denied being gay in the past, was said to have touched the unnamed therapist's genitals during a $200-per-hour massage appointment, the lawsuit claimed. The suit claimed that Travolta stripped naked - and appeared aroused - before being massaged while at the same time trying to remove the towel covering his bottom. After the session was over, Travolta allegedly touched the man's scrotum and penis. But the masseur insisted he pulled away and claimed he then informed the actor that he was a professional masseur and not a prostitute. Travolta is then said to have responded that 'we must have got our signals crossed', before adding: 'Come on dude, I'll jerk you off.' A CAREER PLAGUED BY RUMORS Whispers about John Travolta's sexuality have plagued his movie career almost from the outset. Various camp roles in films most notably as a drag queen in the musical Hairspray have helped fuel rumors he is secretly gay. But there have also been strongly denied accusations he has been living a double life strikingly at odds with his family man image. They include the rumor that his 1991 marriage to Kelly Preston was arranged by the shadowy cult-like religion of Scientology, of which he is a leading disciple. Seven years later, the father-of-two Travolta was named as a homosexual in court papers by a former member of the Church. The case never got a hearing, however. And in 2001, Travolta faced unsubstantiated claims that he had tried to pick up a business executive in a health club. However, the rumor mill reached a crescendo in 2006, when the actor was seen apparently kissing a male friend as he prepared to board his own Boeing 707 jet in Canada. Advertisement According to the report at the time, the star is then said to have suggested a 'reverse massage', which is believed to mean that he wanted the masseur to lie on the table while the actor gave the man a full body rub. The lawsuit was filed at the US District Court of Central California. The document claimed that during the encounter Travolta also masturbated. The lawsuit sought more than $2 million in damages. At the time, a spokesperson for Travolta issued a vehement denial: 'This lawsuit is complete fiction and fabrication. None of the events claimed in the suit ever occurred. 'The plaintiff, who refuses to give their name, knows that the suit is a baseless lie On that date when plaintiff claims John met him, John was not in California and it can be proved that he was on the East Coast. 'Plaintiff's attorney has filed this suit to try and get his 15 minutes of fame. John intends to get this case thrown out and then he will sue the attorney and Plaintiff for malicious prosecution.' Okorie Okorcha, the lawyer representing the masseur, told RadarOnline.com: 'My client is afraid of John Travolta. He added: 'Mr. Travolta made very explicit threats against my client, which are contained in the lawsuit. 'Specifically, John Travolta told my client that Hollywood is controlled by homosexual Jewish men who expect favors in return for sexual activity. 'Let's face it, John Travolta is an extremely powerful man, and my client absolutely felt threatened by Mr. Travolta. My client was sexually assaulted by Mr. Travolta and he needs to be held accountable for his actions.' Police in California say they have uncovered a tape in which Corey Feldman lists the names of men who abused him in the past. The former child actor had claimed in October that he had given the names of sexual predators in Hollywood to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office in 1993 during their investigation into Michael Jackson's molestation charges. But the sheriff's office previously denied the claims, saying they had no records of Feldman revealing such information, however they have now changed their tune and stated that an audio recording has been found in a container from the original Michael Jackson child abuse investigation. Just weeks after denying the existence of a record of claims Corey Feldman made in 1993, Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office says it has located the exact records Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office public information officer Kelly Hoover told Fox News on Tuesday night in an emailed statement: 'Following the recent inquiries into the Sheriff's Office interview of Mr. Feldman in 1993, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office conducted an additional review for any stored items remaining from the Michael Jackson investigation. 'In a container which included the original reports from the investigation, the Sheriff's Office located some detective working copies of audio recordings made during the investigation. A copy of Mr. Feldman's interview was located. 'The recording is being turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department. Due to the fact that this case involves the alleged sexual abuse of a child, we are unable to comment further and any documentation or evidence related to this case is exempt from release.' Feldman said in October that more than two decades ago, he specifically identified to police a list of people involved in an alleged pedophile ring Feldman became a household name by starring in such blockbuster hits as Stand By Me and The Goonies. He previously revealed the identities of two alleged child molesters he claims took advantage of him and other adolescent screen stars about 30 years ago Marty Weiss was named by Corey Feldman as an alleged child predator earlier this year Feldman began naming names following an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show last month to discuss an alleged Hollywood pedophile ring (Pictured: Feldman and Grissom, 1988) In October the sheriff's office had released a completely different statement saying: 'We are aware of the statements that Mr. Feldman is making regarding an investigation in 1993. Our records do not indicate that he named any suspects.' Feldman, 46, had insisted in a Today show interview that he 'sat down and I gave them names. They're on record. They have all this information.' Last month Feldman, who became a household name by starring in such blockbuster hits as Stand By Me and The Goonies, revealed the identities of two alleged child molesters he claims took advantage of him and other adolescent screen stars years ago. He claimed that his former assistant and actor Jon Grissom was the first to take advantage of him in the 1980s. Feldman made the revelations while speaking to TV host Dr. Oz. 'This guy on his My Space page and his Facebook page has got pictures of me and Corey Haim,' Feldman said during the interview. 'He still taunts it and flaunts it.' Feldman also named his former assistant and actor Jon Grissom (pictured) as his alleged abuser following an interview with Dr. Oz in November Grissom (pictured) denies any sexual misconduct between the two occurred, while Weiss has yet to publicly comment on the accusations Dr. Oz, however, said that his legal team uncovered a long criminal past on Grissom, including a conviction for child molestation years ago. Grissom allegedly now lives in Mexico. 'Everything from assault, theft, drugs in 2001 he was arrested on child molestation charges he was found guilty in 2003 and served time in prison,' an attorney for Dr. Oz said in a video posted to Facebook. Feldman also named former child talent manager and convicted sex offender Marty Weiss in a separate interview with Megyn Kelly. However, Weiss has not commented publicly on the allegations. Weiss was arrested in 2011 after one of his clients told police he had been sexually abused by the man starting when he was just 11-years-old, claiming the incidents happened 30 to 40 times over a roughly three years period. He eventually pleaded no contest to two counts of child molestation in 2012 and was sentenced to a year in jail and five years probation however he was immediately released after entering his plea for time served. Feldman told multiple media outlets that he reported members of a supposed Hollywood pedophile ring back in 1993 with the Santa Barbara Police Department, but until Tuesday night, such an account was disputed by the SBPD. Feldman has been trying to raise $10 million to finance a film that he says will expose the ring of Hollywood pedophiles who Feldman claims molested him and Corey Haim, who later died of suicide, when they were young boys. Florida snake hunters captured a monstrous 132-pound Burmese python in the Everglades on Friday. The 17-foot-1-inch snake is the largest captured so far under the South Florida Water Management District's python elimination program. Snake hunter Jason Leon spotted the enormous reptile at around 2.45am on Friday morning, according to the Miami Herald. He grabbed the snake and quickly shot her in the head, killing her instantly. Scroll down for video Florida snake hunters captured a monstrous 132-pound Burmese python in the Everglades on Friday Hunter Jason Leon spotted the snake in water and quickly shot her in the head 'That snake could pretty much kill any full-grown man. If that snake was alive right now it would probably take like three of us to be able to control that snake,' Leon said to NBC6. Leon holds the record for the largest snake captured in Florida. In 2013, he wrangled an 18-foot-8-inch serpent. Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida and are wreaking havoc in the Everglades. 'We have these guys out there eating our alligators, raccoons, possums, otters, pretty much everything out there,' Leon said. 'There's no natural predators too.' In April, Miami-Dade county launched a python elimination program that pays hunters $8.10 an hour. The program pays $50 for for a four-foot snake and $25 for each additional foot beyond that. Leon and two other hunters will bring in $375 for the massive reptile captured Friday. The program has proved so successful that two neighboring counties have initiated similar ones. The snakes first started appearing in the area in the 1980s, and are now considered to be the top predator, outranking alligators. Hunters have removed more than 2,000 from Everglades National Park so far, but scientists believe that number represents just a small fraction of the invasive species. Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida and are wreaking havoc in the Everglades President Donald Trump set off protests throughout the Middle East on Wednesday as he announced that America formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital city. He changed decades of U.S. policy in a brief afternoon speech and cast the move as a bid to preserve, not derail, aspirations for regional peace. Appearing in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room against an elaborate backdrop of Christmas decorations, he also said the United States embassy in Israel would, over time, be moved there from Tel Aviv. Israel is the only country where the United States has an embassy in a city that the host nation does not consider its capital. But his speech was greeted by demonstrations and a threat from Hamas, who called Thursday and Friday 'days of rage' that he had 'opened the gates of hell'. In Gaza thousands flooded the streets and burned U.S. flags. Palestinian secular and Islamist factions called a general strike on Thursday after tens of thousands took to the streets on Wednesday night. Israeli security forces braced for possible violence for days to come and the U.S. embassy in Jordan was effectively locked down. World leaders including the Pope spoke out against the measure, saying that it jeopardized the peace process. But Trump was unrepentant that he was doing the 'right thing'. 'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said. 'While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today I am delivering.' 'When I came into office I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking,' he said, leaning heavily on a mid-1990s federal law that demanded the embassy's relocation. 'We have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all,' Trump added. 'But today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.' 'It is also the right thing to do. It is something that has to be done.' Scroll down for video and to read the complete speech Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capitol on Wednesday and launched a process to move the U.S. embassy there, casting his decision as an act of political courage Days of rage on way: Hamas supporters stage a protest against the decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Jebaliya Refugee Camp, part of the Gaza Strip Palestinian protesters chant slogans as they wave their national flags and pictures of late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat during a protest at the main Square in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Defying worldwide warnings, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke with decades of U.S. and international policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.(AP Photo/Adel Hana) The president signed a proclamation after his short speech, backed up by Vice President Mike Pence 'Today we finally acknowledge the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel's capital; this is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do,' Trump said Take to the streets: Young men in Gaza protested after Trump's announcement, with Hamas asking for a 'day of rage' on Friday Reaction spread around the Islamic world, with this crowd taking to the streets in Istanbul in front of the U.S. consulate to protest In flames: In Gaza Palestinians burned the U.S. and Israeli flags as Trump's announcement later on Wednesday was revealed Trump spoke to cameras in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, surrounded by Christmas trees as he spoke about tensions between Muslims and Jews TRUMP SETS OFF CONDEMNATION WORLDWIDE... 'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter. Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one. It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement.' British Prime Minister Theresa May 'These deplorable and unacceptable measures deliberately undermine all peace efforts.' Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas 'This decision will open the gates of hell on US interests in the region.' Hamas official Ismail Radwan The move will have 'dangerous repercussions on the stability and security of the region and efforts to attain peace'. King Abdullah of Jordan 'This decision is a regrettable decision that France does not approve of and goes against international law and all the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council.' French President Emmanuel Macron 'I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.' U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 'We call upon the U.S. Administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem.' Turkey's Foreign Ministry 'Death sentence for all who seek peace.' Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani ' I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts.' Pope Francis 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei 'The aspirations of both parties must be fulfilled and a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states.' European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini Advertisement Every president since Bill Clinton has exercised a waiver in the Jerusalem Embassy Act, effectively kicking the can down the road. Trump said that has brought the world 'no closer to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.' A major theme in Trump's unprecedented statement was his claim that it shouldn't interfere with longer-term peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. What the speech did not spell out was how that could be the case - and there was no briefing from the White House afterwards to expand on Trump's case. His son-in-law Jared Kushner is currently drawing up a Middle East peace plan, but when it will appear and how Wednesday's dramatic announcement will play a part in it is unknown. Notably Kushner, 36, a former property developer, was not present for Trump's speech and proclamation signing. But the Palestine Liberation Organization said after his speech that it had destroyed hopes for a two-state solution. The terror group Hamas said Trump had opened 'the gates of hell.' Sami Abu Zuhri, the leader of Hamas, said that Trump's decision 'will not succeed in changing the reality of Jerusalem being Islamic Arab land.' 'This decision is foolish and time will tell that the biggest losers are Trump and Netanyahu.' But Trump insisted that 'this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. 'We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians.' 'We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders,' he continued. 'Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.' Trump said the United States will continue to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian standoff, 'if agreed to by both sides.' 'In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites,' he said. ... BUT ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER IS HAPPY 'This is a historic day. Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years. Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia. Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.' Benjamin Netanyahu. Advertisement 'Jerusalem is today, and must remain, a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross and where Muslims pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque,' Trump added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump's policy shift 'historic' and quickly pledged to continue giving Muslims and Christians access to their sacred places in Jerusalem's Old City. Trump insisted that ordering a move of the embassy's location would 'immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.' America's friends and foes unleashed fierce criticism before Trump made official what the White House previewed for reporters Tuesday night. But Trump stuck to his guns, calling his decision an act of political courage. The president previewed his 'big announcement' during a cabinet meeting, which he said concerns 'Israel and the Palestinians in the Middle East. And I think it's long overdue.' 'Many presidents have said they want to do something, and they didn't do it. Whether it's through courage or they change their mind I can't tell you. But a lot of people have said we have to do something, and they didn't do it.' US and Israeli national flags were projected on the wall of Jerusalem's Old City on Wednesday The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - has been one of the thorniest issues in long-running Mideast peace efforts. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza City tonight A woman chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon President Macron branded the decision 'regrettable', calling for efforts to 'avoid violence at all costs'. Pictured: Protests in Istanbul after the announcement tonight Rebukes spread: In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge Trump and at the Vatican Pope Francis said he was 'profoundly concerned' and appealed that 'everyone respects the status quo of the city' More opprobrium: Turkey's president Recey Tayyip Erdogan, who met King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday, had called the move on Jerusalem a 'red line'. His spokesman on Wednesday said it was a 'grave mistake that will virtually eliminate the fragile Middle East peace process'. A senior administration official said Tuesday that the president's decision to move the embassy in the long term 'is a recognition of reality.' While Israel welcomed the news, Palestinian officials declared the Mideast peace process 'finished' and Turkey announced it would host a meeting of Islamic nations next week to give Muslim countries' leaders an opportunity to coordinate a response. This is a day that is long overdue. Jerusalem has been, and always will be, the eternal, undivided capital of the State of Israel. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan The president's decision ... comes at the wrong time and unnecessarily inflames the region Democratic Sen. Mark Warner In Gaza, U.S. and Israeli flags were burned and in the West Bank Hamas declared Friday a 'day of rage,' raising the specter of mass violence in the occupied territories. Israeli security forces braced for violence as well. The Pope made a plea for Trump to rethink urgently and spoke out at his weekly general audience in Rome . 'I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations,' Pope Francis said. The Roman Catholic Pontiff told thousands of people at his general audience: 'I cannot keep quiet about my deep concern about the situation that has been created in the last few days.' A Turkish government spokesman said that the move will plunge the region and the world into 'a fire with no end in sight.' In the UK Prime Minister Theresa May said she would challenge the country's closest ally. 'I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter,' May told MPs. 'Our position has not changed, it has been a long standing one and it is also a very clear one. 'It is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately form a shared capital between the Israeli and Palestinian states.' The harsh global reaction cast questions about the feasibility of a brewing U.S. peace plan that is expected to be presented by the White House in the near future. Trump would effectively be making a declaration of war, the Palestinians' chief representative to Britain said Wednesday before the president's speech. 'If he says what he is intending to say about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, it means a kiss of death to the two-state solution,' Manuel Hassassian said in a BBC radio interview. 'He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims [and] hundreds of millions of Christians that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel,' Hassassian added. Trump complained during a late morning cabinet meeting at the White House that 'many presidents have said they want to do something, and they didn't do it; whether it's through courage or they change their mind I can't tell you' Contested city: Jerusalem is the holiest city of three religions and until now, never recognized by the U.S. or most other countries as Israel's capital. Trump's move upends what had long been U.S. policy, that recognition would be part of the peace process The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state and fear that Trump's declaration essentially imposes on them a disastrous solution for one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome,' said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. 'They cannot take us for granted.' The U.S. decision 'destroys the peace process,' added Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Top Palestinian officials were meeting Wednesday to plot their course forward. Congressional leaders on the Republican side of the aisle were overwhelmingly supportive in Washington on Wednesday. 'This is a day that is long overdue,' said Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. 'Jerusalem has been, and always will be, the eternal, undivided capital of the State of Israel.' But Democrats were openly critical. Trump's decision 'comes at the wrong time and unnecessarily inflames the region,' Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia insisted. 'This announcement upends long-standing U.S. policy and international agreements that the status of Jerusalem should be determined as part of a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, not unilaterally.' Among Trump's critics Wednesday was Nicholas Burns, a former member of the Foreign Policy Board while Democrat John Kerry was secretary of State and a faculty member at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. 'I believe this decision is misguided. It will diminish U.S. influence among Palestinians and the wider Moslem World,' Burns told DailyMail.com. 'The State Department is already warning Americans about the possible reaction worldwide. And we are getting nothing for this major, unilateral American concession.' WHY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT HAS PUSHED TO MOVE ISRAEL'S CAPITAL TO JERUSALEM - 'IT'S WHAT THE GOSPEL SAYS' President Trump's controversial decision to announce the move of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has drawn criticism from Islamic groups, U.S. Jewish groups, and even the Pope as a potential obstacle to peace. Pope Francis advised against 'adding new elements of tension in a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts,' cautioning against the move in unusually stark terms. But the move is a priority for a group of Christian evangelicals who are strongly pro-Israel and are an important part of Trump's electoral coalition. They see Mike Pence, the vice-president, as a leader and instrumental in Wednesday's announcement. Among those cheering the president's announcement was Rev. Robert Jeffress, the pastor at a Texas megachurch who preached during Trump's inauguration. Jeffress tweeted on Wednesday: 'President @realDonaldTrump has demonstrated true leadership today by recognizing Jerusalem as the legitimate capital of Israel.' In his statement, he mentioned his belief that Jerusalem will be the place where Jesus Christ will return for the 'second coming' and 'judgement day.' 'Jerusalem is and should be recognized as the capital of Israel. It is David's capital, the site of the First and Second Temples, the focus of the historians' accounts, the Psalmists' songs and the prophets' visions,' wrote Jeffress. 'It is the place where Jesus, a Jew himself, was crucified, and where he was resurrected. It is the place where he will set foot again on earth at his second coming.' Trump signed, Pence smiled: The vice president is a figurehead for evangelicals Another vocal supporter of the move has been Christians United for Israel, whose chairman, John Hagee has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hagee issued a video statement Wednesday lavishing praise on Trump for the move. 'President Trump told me when last we spoke regarding the embassy that he would not disappoint us, speaking of the evangelical community, and today he has kept that promise,' Hagee said, speaking in front of American and Israeli flags. 'President Trump has made a bold and courageous stand that will be remembered in history forever.' He gushed: 'President Trump has stepped into political immortality.' Trump, in his statement announcing his decision, cast it as a matter of political courage and acknowledging reality. Israel makes Jerusalem its capital, though other nations keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. 'This is nothing more, or less, than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It's something that has to be done,' Trump said. 'Jerusalem is today, and must remain, a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque,' the president said. Some Christian evangelicals, including adherents to Christian Zionism, cite Biblical prophesies that that return of the Jews (the descendants of Abraham) to the Holy Land heralds the second coming of Christ. Some also believe this will bring about the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. Advertisement Moving the embassy will be a long process. 'This will be a matter of some years. It won't be immediate, it won't be months, it won't be quick,' a senior administration official said Tuesday night. 'For instance,' he said, 'the United States was looking at moving out of Grosvenor Square in London for a long, long time. And I think that took something like eight years to get done and will be done in early 2018.' 'It is a practicable impossibility to move the embassy tomorrow,' another official said. 'There are about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. There is no facility they can move into in Jerusalem, as of today.' 'It will take some time to find a site, address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility working with Congress, obviously and build it. So this is not an instantaneous process.' Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Facebook that '[o]ur historical national identity is receiving important expressions every day.' Other members of his cabinet were more forthcoming. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the nationalist Jewish Home party, praised what he called Trump's 'bold and yet natural' move. 'That they claim they want to announce [Jerusalem] as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said A laborer hangs a U.S. national flag on a lamp post along a street where the U.S. consulate in located in Jerusalem 'The sooner the Arab world recognizes Jerusalem as our capital, the sooner we will reach real peace. Real peace that is not predicated on an illusion that we are going to carve up Jerusalem and carve up Israel,' Bennett told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference. The Family Research Council, an American evangelical Christian group, was enthusiastic. 'America's foreign policy, as it pertains to Israel, is coming into alignment with this biblical truth: Jerusalem is the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state,' the group's president Tony Perkins said. International leaders, however, swiftly criticized Trump's plan. China, which has good ties with Israel and the Palestinians, expressed concerns over 'possible aggravation of regional tensions.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a news briefing that the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and China was concerned the U.S. decision 'could sharpen regional conflict.' BUILD AN EMBASSY? WHY NOT HANG A NEW SIGN INSTEAD? Any building where an American ambassador has his or her residence and regular office is technically an embassy. It's like the concept of Air Force One, which is not a specific aircraft: Any plane the President of the United States rides on, even if it's a single-engine crop-duster, is technically Air Force One. The U.S. already has a consulate in Jerusalem, meaning that a new sign on the door and new accommodations for Ambassador David Friedman would technically acomplish what President Trump wants. But the White House says it will go through a years-long process instead, not moving Friedman and his staff until Congress funds and the State Department builds a brand new facility. 'We don't just put a plaque on a door and open a mission,' a senior administration official said Tuesday evening. 'There are major security, structural concerns and very, very strict guidelines anywhere in the world that have to be followed before that flag goes up or that plaque goes on. Jerusalem is no exception to those rules.' In January former U.S. Ambassador to the United nations John Bolton told DailyMail.com that the State Department could and should take the quicker route. 'You can move the embassy by changing the name-plate on the consulate, and then build a permanent embassy in due course,' he said. 'The sooner they do it the better.' Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee added that the State Department should 'do it do it quickly, do it boldly. In fact, my advice to them is don't announce you're going to do it.' 'Do it and announce you just did it,' said Huckabee. 'You do it, and you just say, 'Yesterday we moved the embassy.' ... It would be totally unnecessary and counterproductive to say, 'We're going to start laying a building cornerstone,' and it just creates an environment for tension that's unnecessary.' Advertisement 'All parties should do more for the peace and tranquility of the region, behave cautiously, and avoid impacting the foundation for resolving the long-standing Palestine issue and initiating new hostility in the region,' Geng said. Russia, a key Mideast player, expressed its concern about a 'possible deterioration.' Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump. Britain's Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who had already expressed concern about the U.S. decision, on Wednesday said it was now time for the Americans to present their peace plan for the region. 'Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see,' Johnson said. 'We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy.' In Brussels Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to dampen down the reaction. 'The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process,' Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. He said a small team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner - a 36-year-old former property developer - has been 'engaged in a quiet way' in the region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. 'We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely,' Tillerson said. Trump's Mideast team have spent months meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders. Details of their long awaited plan remain a mystery. 'Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward,' Johnson told reporters in Brussels. In his speech, Trump was expected to instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. It remained unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi says moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would be "the death knell of any peace process" https://t.co/GfVtsLxmcT CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 6, 2017 Trump's relationship with Chinese presidenet Xi Jinping could be in danger after Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the status of Jerusalem was a complicated and sensitive issue and the U.S. decision 'could sharpen regional conflict' To that end, the officials said Trump would delay the embassy move by signing a waiver, which is required by U.S. law every six months. He will continue to sign the waiver until preparations for the embassy move are complete. IT'S INSANE, SAY PALESTINIANS IN JERUSALEM Palestinians seethed with anger and a sense of betrayal over President Trump's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many heard the death knell for the long-moribund U.S.-sponsored talks aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They also said more violence could erupt. 'Trump wants to help Israel take over the entire city. Some people may do nothing, but others are ready to fight for Jerusalem,' said Hamad Abu Sbeih, 28, an unemployed resident of the walled Old City. 'This decision will ignite a fire in the region. Pressure leads to explosions,' he said. 'This is insane. You are speaking about something fateful. Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine and neither the world nor our people will accept it,' said Samir Al-Asmar, 58, a merchant from the Old City who was a child when it fell to Israel. 'It will not change what Jerusalem is. Jerusalem will remain Arab. Such a decision will sabotage things and people will not accept it.' Advertisement The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity pending Trump's announcement, said the decision was merely an acknowledgment of 'historical and current reality' rather than a political statement and said the city's physical and political borders will not be compromised. They noted that almost all of Israel's government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries maintain embassies. Still, the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital carries deep symbolic significance and could have dangerous consequences. The competing claims to east Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967, have frequently boiled over into deadly violence over the years. East Jerusalem is home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as well as its 330,000 Palestinian residents. The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed U.S. security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. Embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Key national security advisers including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns. THREE FAITHS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY HAVE SHAPED THE EMBASSY BATTLE Jerusalem has been a contested site for centuries, and today three major world religions Judaism, Islam and Christianity lay claim to various holy sites and monuments there. Jews see the Temple Mount as their holiest site. Christians see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as theirs because they believe it was where Christ rose from the dead. Muslims see the Al-Aqsa Mosque as their third holiest site after the two largest mosques in Saudi Arabia. Three faiths, one city: Jews, Muslims and Christians have contested parts of Jerusalem for many hundreds of years The importance of each has echoed down through history. Medieval maps put Jerusalem in the center of the world, the Crusades tried to capture the city for Christians and the sites changed hands repeatedly during the Middle Ages. By the 1800s Jerusalem had a population of just 8,000 people and was a backwater in the Ottoman Empire but that was to change rapidly as colonial powers fought over the Middle East, Christian revivalists moved into the city and Zionism became a significant political movement among the world's Jews. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire left Britain in charge of the heterogeneous city and its growing New Jerusalem as settlement spread beyond the city walls. Jewish immigration boomed and tensions grew, with a pogrom in 1920, then growing attacks from Zionist groups on British forces. It was to presage a bloody aftermath of World War II as Jewish militias steppes up attacks on the British. But the immediate roots of Trump's dramatic announcement lie in the messy history of the Middle East after World War II. The U.N. plan which set up separate Jewish and Israeli states in what had been British-controlled Palestine in 947 said Jerusalem was to be a 'separated body' administered by the United Nations. The State of Israel was declared in 1948 and over the next year recognized by countries including the U.S. but crucially on the basis of the U.N. plan, meaning Jerusalem could not be the capital. Israeli soldiers after capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967 Conflict which rolled into 1949 ended in an armistice which left Israel controlling the west of the city and Jordan the east, and Israel's president called the city Israel's 'eternal capital'. But the world largely did not follow. The U.S., which wanted a negotiated settlement to replace the armistice of 1949, built its embassy in Tel Aviv, and most other countries followed. The situation was upended in 1967 when the Six Day War's spectacular victories gave Israel control of Jerusalem and the West Bank. That ushered in a new era for Israel, which took control of East Jerusalem and made it separate legally from the West Bank, and over the years repeatedly rejecting the 1947 U.N. position of the city's special status. Repeated efforts to settle the issue have involved the final status of Jerusalem being part of the negotiations towards a deal. The U.S., which has been in support of the major past efforts, kept its embassy in Tel Aviv as a result, and other major countries did the same. Tel Aviv is the undoubted economic capital of Israel but the country's parliament and president are in Jerusalem and diplomats have to go there to be officially recognized and for many meetings with the country's government. A handful of smaller countries have from time to time recognized Jerusalem as capital and even had embassies there, but no major country has until now made that declaration. In Israel and Palestine both sides appear determined to have Jerusalem as their capital and no peace plan has ever got far enough to test whether potential compromises which have been offered such as an international trust administering the holy sites, and the creation of a Palestinian capital in the suburbs would actually happen. Currently the city is roughly two-thirds Jewish and one-third Muslim, and the historic Christian community makes up just two per cent of the population. Advertisement Trump has spoken of his desire to broker a 'deal of the century' that would end Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said the president's speech was not aimed at resolving the conflict over Jerusalem. He isn't planning to use the phrase 'undivided capital,' according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem. One official also said Trump would insist that issues of sovereignty and borders must be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. The official said Trump would call for Jordan to maintain its role as the legal guardian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy places, and reflect Israel and Palestinian wishes for a two-state peace solution. Elsewhere, however, reactions were skeptical, especially across the Muslim world. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the 'whole world is against' Trump's move, and the supreme leader of Iran, Israel's staunchest enemy, condemned Trump. The state TV's website quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying that 'the victory will ultimately be for the Islamic nation and Palestine.' Iran does not recognize Israel, and supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas. 'That they claim they want to announce Quds as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure,' Khamenei said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Orlin Root-Thalman (pictured), 37, and Craig Root-Thalman, 29, were charged with conning their neighbor, 92, into handing over her house and $2M in savings A gay couple were charged on Tuesday with conning their 92-year-old neighbor who suffers from dementia into to handing over her house and $2 million in savings. Orlin Root-Thalman, 37, and Craig Root-Thalman, 29, moved into the victim's Milwaukee neighborhood in 2012. The victim, a retired Milwaukee Public Schools teacher, lived alone for years at her home and had been cared for by her cousin and his wife, who were senior citizens as well. That was until her dementia worsened, making it harder for them to help her. In April 2016, the Root-Thalmans started helping the cousin care for the woman and her home, according to USA Today. Three months later, in July 2016, the Root-Thalmans had filed a quitclaim deed purporting to transfer the victim's house to them. According to the newspaper, the victim signed a power of attorney document naming Orlin Root-Thalman as her financial agent, four days later. The Root-Thalmans allegedly gained control over the woman's home and the $2 million she had saved in more than a dozen area banks. County attorney Dewey Martin told the newspaper that there were 'red flags' that the couple was manipulating the woman. 'This couple befriended her and they started financially exploiting her,' he said. According to the cousin, the Root-Thalmans changed the locks on the house and told him that they no longer needed their assistance with caring for the victim. In April 2016, the Root-Thalmans started helping the victim's caretaker care for the woman and her home. Three months later, in July 2016, the Root-Thalmans had filed a quitclaim deed purporting to transfer the victim's house to them. The home is located in the area above Orlin Root-Thalman (pictured) allegedly tried to change the payable-on-death beneficiaries on the woman's bank accounts and wrote checks to himself and his spouse for caretaking services Orlin Root-Thalman allegedly tried to change the payable-on-death beneficiaries on the woman's bank accounts and wrote checks to himself and his spouse for caretaking services. Authorities said they also moved the woman out of the home and into a hotel. It wasn't until August 2016 that a doctor grew suspicious and had a social worker contact the Department of Aging. The Root-Thalmans had taken her to the doctor to get them to declare her incompetent. At the time, the victim's condition was so bad that she would have been incompetent 30 days before she was brought in, according to USA Today. While she was interviewed by investigators last year, she didn't remember the day, week or month and had no recollection of signing the quitclaim deed or the power of attorney in July and did not recognize a photo of the Root-Thalmans. The Thalmans who own Salon Orlin (pictured), were charged Tuesday with two counts of theft of more than $10,000 in a business setting. The Thalmans face a possible maximum penalty of five years in prison on the theft charges According to the complaint, the defendants knew their neighbor was mentally incompetent before they had her sign over her house because 'her dementia was obvious, chronic and longstanding'. According to USA Today, attorney Eamon Guerin now serves as the victim's court-appointed guardian. Guerin said the woman is doing well, living in an independent apartment with 24-hour available care. The Thalmans who own Salon Orlin, were charged Tuesday with two counts of theft of more than $10,000 in a business setting. They were also charged with criminal slander to title related to how they got the woman to sign over the deed to her home last year, a transfer later voided by a judge in probate court, according to The Thalmans face a possible maximum penalty of five years in prison on the theft charges. A group of angry activists are questioning why a man who has a history of racist tweets has been hired as a New York firefighter Joe Cassano, 28, has been promoted from his previous position as an EMT within the FDNY, despite his history of shocking social media posts. Members of the National Action Network led a protest outside the New York City Fire Department headquarters on Monday in response to the news, citing a slew of sickening tweets he wrote in 2013. The bigoted posts were first revealed in March 2013 by the NY Post. He referred to black people as 'shwoogs' and tweeted, 'I like jews as much as hitler'. The National Action Network led a protest against the promotion of 28-year-old Joe Cassano (pictured here) to a firefighter position. Cassano received backlash for a series of racist tweets in March 2013 This is just one of firefighter Joe Cassano's anti-Semitic tweets that caused an uproar when he was exposed in 2013 Cassano even shared his distaste for his job at the time. He tweeted: 'I hate EMS. Everybody wanna be a firefighter, but don't nobody wanna be a damn EMT.' He also mocked Martin Luther King Jr: 'MLK could go kick rocks for all I care, but thanks for the time and a half today.' Due to the uproar in response to Cassano's tweets in 2013, he resigned from his position as an EMT in March of that year. But many of his critics believe even his resignation was unfair. They believe Cassano received special treatment from his father, Salvatore Cassano, who is the former FDNY commissioner. Salvatore, who led the department in 2013, allowed his son to resign instead of firing him, according to critics. After he resigned, Cassano issued this statement: 'From the bottom of my heart, Im truly sorry and I apologize for my offensive remarks. My intention was never to hurt anyone, or any group, and these tasteless comments do not reflect the person my parents raised me to be. I know my actions have hurt and disappointed many people, especially my family. I would like to move forward.' Cassano's Twitter account was suspended and is still no longer active. The public dismay over Cassano's position didn't stop there. The former EMT was re-hired as an EMT in July 2015. Cassano's most recent promotion to firefighter will increase his salary from the EMT annual average of $38,614 to $45,196, the NY Post reported. In five years, Cassano's salary will increase to over $100,000. Many believe Joe Sassano (right) receives special treatment in the New York City Fire Department because his dad, Salvatore Sassano (left) is a former commissioner Critics of Joe Cassano took to Twitter to express their dismay over his recent promotion. Cassano had previously left his job as an FDNY EMT in March 2013 and then was re-hired in 2015 Joe Cassano's Twitter account was suspended after his racist tweets were exposed in 2013. But that hasn't stopped current users from reminding the public of his anti-Semitic remarks Joe Cassano's will begin training for his new role as a FDNY firefighter this month. He will reportedly be sworn in on Dec 11 Cassano reportedly will begin training this month and will be sworn in on Dec 11, a source told NYPost.com. While Cassano's tweets are from four years ago, this week's protest proves people have not forgotten them. 'If you're a black firefighter or a Jewish firefighter and this guy is behind you in a burning building, do you feel safe?' Rev. Kirsten John Foy, president of the National Action Network's Brooklyn Chapter, said to PIX11 News. And while he doesn't have a Twitter of his own, Cassano is still certainly being talked about on the social media site - and not in a nice way. One Twitter user commented: 'I am shocked and appalled to learn that FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro will be rehiring and promoting Joe Cassano, son of former Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, after his numerous racist and anti-Semitic tweets.' Another angry Twitter user called the news 'ludicrous', 'unacceptable', and 'vile'. NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio defended Cassano's promotion on Monday. He said he believes Cassano's tweets were 'inexcusable', but 'believes in second chances'. Though the mayor did give this warning: 'If there's any further incident, it'll be dealt with very harshly.' What's the first thing you're told by your parents as a kid when you're anywhere near fire? That's right: don't pour oil on it. Why? Well, ignore the advice and see for yourself the fire will instantly erupt into a far larger and more furious ball of violent flame, endangering the lives of everyone in the immediate vicinity. Today, President Donald Trump has taken a million-ton barrel of oil and tipped it all over the Middle East. His decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as the new capital city of Israel, and to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, is a staggeringly reckless act of wilful provocation even by his tweet-enraging standards. And it could very quickly turn out to be a far more worrying threat to world peace than even the North Korea crisis. I don't say this lightly. U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the proclamation Wednesday that announces the United States recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving its embassy there To understand the enormity of this decision, it's important to understand the history behind it. Jerusalem is at the very heart of the Israel/Palestine conflict. West Jerusalem is the home of Israel's government; East Jerusalem is the home to 300,000 Palestinians. Both sides insist it must be the capital of their states. This is why America has trodden very carefully when it comes to Jerusalem, locating its embassy in Tel Aviv since Israel's creation in 1948. They are not alone in this. No other country in the world has their Israeli embassy in Jerusalem, acknowledging that to do so would be incredibly inflammatory. Now President Trump is re-igniting this smouldering tinderbox in spectacular fashion. He apparently considers it a roll of the dice worth throwing to force through a peace settlement. Palestinian protesters burn the American flag and Israeli flag in the city of Gaza City on December 6 after Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel Almost everyone else sees it as a desperately dangerous gamble that could have disastrous consequences for the whole already war-ravaged region. Saudi Arabia's King Salman told Trump personally in a phone call it 'would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims all over the world'. King Abdullah of Jordan said it would have 'serious implications for security and stability in the Middle East'. Turkish President Erdogan described it as a violation of international law and a 'red line' for Muslims that would force Turkey to sever all diplomatic ties with Israel. China warned it could 'sharpen regional conflict, initiating new hostility'. Russia, a key Middle East player, agreed, expressing concern over 'possible deterioration'. 'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said from the White House Wednesday. 'It's the right thing to do' French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in similar terms to Germany and the UK, told Trump to urgently reconsider the plan, stressing that the status of Jerusalem 'must be resolved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians'. Pope Francis spoke of his 'deep worry' about the situation and pleaded for 'wisdom and prudence' to prevail. He said: 'I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city.' Palestinians, obviously, are livid. Their leader Mahmoud Abbas warned of 'dangerous consequences' and an end to the peace process. Hamas, the extremist arm of the Palestinians, said it would constitute a 'dangerous escalation' that 'crosses every red line' and called for 'days of rage' to protest. Despite this extraordinary global opposition, Trump has gone ahead and done it anyway. As things stand, the only people who will be happy about this are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his right wing government and their supporters. And the Christian Right in America. French President Emmanuel Macron (left) told Trump to urgently reconsider the plan and Pope Francis (right) spoke of his 'deep worry' about the situation and pleaded for 'wisdom and prudence' to prevail Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition But this decision is not even something most Americans support. A new poll by the University of Maryland found that 66% of Americans, including 44% of Republicans, oppose moving the embassy. The majority of Americans, and American Jews, believe that international recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital city can and should only come in an agreement with the Palestinians on a two-state solution. And in that eventuality, parts of the city would be ring-fenced as Israel's capital, other parts as Palestinian's capital with each side having sovereignty over the areas in which its citizens reside. Jerusalem is one of the most sacred cities on the planet, home to Muslims, Jews and Christians and some of the most important holy sites of all those religions. Trump's decision tells the entire Arab and Christian world that it now belongs to the Jews of Israel and not them. This incendiary move comes as a time when many were hoping real progress could be made in reaching some kind of two-state solution. Palestinians play cards during U.S. President Donald Trump's televised speech in the West Bank City of Nablus, Wednesday Protesters shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Turkish flags during a protest against the Israel in Istanbul Indeed, Trump's own son-in-law Jared Kushner has been working for months on behalf of the administration to forge new impetus for a peace deal in an attempt to finally end the conflict. But all his efforts, and those of the myriad others who devote their lives to this, are now likely to go up, quite literally, in smoke. I'm all for fresh new thinking when it comes to the Israel/Palestine crisis, as Trump put it today, because let's be perfectly frank: none of the old thinking has worked. This, though, is a terrible idea that will make things worse not better. In the short term, Trump's decision will inevitably spark a new wave of violence and instability across the region. In the longer term, it will surely embolden Islamist terror groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS right and act as their greatest possible recruitment drive. This, self-evidently, will make Israel less safe. As for America, by moving from peace-broker to blatant side-taker, it is deliberately waving an Israeli red rag in the face of the Arab bull. That can only make any resolution to this interminable issue even more unlikely. And I fear it will also make America a less safe country, too. An ultra Orthodox Jewish man rides a bicycle as US and Israeli flags are projected on the walls of Jerusalem's old city, Wednesday Donald Trump has already enraged the world's Muslims on a regular basis. During his election campaign, he called for a ban on all Muslims entering the US following a terror attack in California. This week, his controversial watered down travel ban, that targets seven predominantly Muslim countries, was given the green light by the Supreme Court. Last week, Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by a racist, Islamophobe, criminal group named Britain First. So Muslims already feel this President is their enemy. Today's announcement won't just confirm that suspicion, it will heavily cement it. The Palestinian ambassador to London said the move amounts to 'declaring war on 1.5 billion Muslims.' Hyperbole or not, there is no question that Donald Trump has just poured oil on the fire. Or worse, as President Erdogan's spokesman put it, he's 'plunging the region and the world into a fire with no end.' God help us. A Conservative association has been accused of 'rubbing salt into the wounds' of former miners after booking its annual dinner - at England's national mining museum. The Conservative group has been warned it faces a huge protest outside if the event goes ahead as planned. Miners went on strike for a year in the mid-1980s in a dispute over pit closures under the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. The Dewesbury Conservatives Association want to have their annual dinner at the National Coal Museum in Wakefield, Yorkshire, pictured, much to the disgust of former miners The miners strike in 1984 saw mass civil disobedience as the then PM Margaret Thatcher faced down the National Union of Miners leading to major battles such as this in Orgreave, Sheffield Striking miners and police fought pitched battles across large areas of the country provoking bitterness in some mining communities which blame the Tory Party for destroying the industry Dewsbury County Conservative Association has booked its annual dinner for March 10 next year at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield - much to the anger of former miners But a West Yorkshire branch of the Tory party has booked to hold the event at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield regardless. The Dewsbury County Conservative Association described it as a 'venue with a difference'. But the choice of location has left mine workers and their families fuming after the mining industry was destroyed under Tory rule. The 1984 Miners strike After her election in 1979 Margaret Thatcher was determined to face down the National Union of Miners. Under her plan, she wanted to force an industrial dispute between the government and the mine union during spring time when there was less need for coal. Also, in advance of her strike, she stockpiled coal in power stations to reduce the immediate impact of the strike. In addition, she mobilised the police in an unprecedented fashion to stop militant miners from travelling the country. In March 1984, five pits were designated for closure for 'economic reasons' prompting strikes in Yorkshire and Scotland. Further areas soon walked out although some areas such as Nottinghamshire were reluctant to strike. Miners who continued working during the strike were described as 'Scabs'. More than 11,000 people were arrested during the year-long dispute which broke the power of the NUM. After the failure of the strike, the government continued a policy of closing down coal mines, removing well paid jobs from communities across the north. Advertisement The annual dinner is scheduled for March 10 next year - which would be two days after the anniversary of the return to work at the end of the Miners' Strike in 1985. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has urged the trustees at the museum to think again. NUM general secretary, Chris Kitchen, has written to the board of trustees at the museum to object. He wrote: 'It is a matter of common knowledge that the Conservative Party conspired to close and destroy the coal industry in the UK. 'I think it is wrong to allow the museum to be used by a political party that is clearly determined to keep rubbing salt in the wounds it created wherever it can. 'Are the board of trustees for the National Coal Mining Museum for England satisfied that the strategic direction of the museum is to enter the field of party politics?' The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign was formed to get to the truth behind an infamous clash between police and miners during the 1984-5 strike. A complaint letter by the group said: 'March 10 is only days after the anniversary of the proud return to work for the miners, families, and communities after the 12-month strike of 1984-85. The choice of venue is extremely insensitive and I feel it is provocative.' The event will start with a drinks reception in the museum itself, followed by a three-course set dinner in the Caphouse Suite. On its Facebook page, the Conservative association said Esther McVey, the Tory deputy chief whip, would be a guest speaker at the annual dinner. They told members: 'The event will start with a drinks reception in the museum itself, followed by a three-course set dinner in the Caphouse Suite. 'We hope you will join us for what should be a fantastic evening at a venue with a difference.' The closure of Kellingley Colliery on December 18, 2015 marked the end of deep-pit coal mining in Britain. With the closure of the site in North Yorkshire, owned and operated by UK Coal, made 450 miners redundant. Energy minister, Andrea Leadsom, said at the time all miners at Kellingley would receive from UK Coal 'the same severance package as miners at Thoresby' The National Coal Mining Museum for England and Dewsbury Conservatives have been asked for a comment. The Trump administration has physically started testing southwestern border wall prototypes. Tests officially began on November 27, but physical tests intended to prevent scaling and breaching were initiated on Monday through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and are expected to last two weeks. Attempts will be made to scale the prototypes, ABC News reports, and items such as jackhammers, saws and hydraulic tools will be used to try to breach them. Eight sample prototypes were completed in San Diego in October, after the administration chose six companies to build the pieces. The Trump administration began physically testing southwestern border wall prototypes this week Eight sample prototypes were completed in San Diego in October, after the administration chose six companies to build the pieces The eight prototypes are between 18 and 30 feet tall and extend at least six feet underground. The samples mark Trump's first serious efforts to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, a cornerstone of his campaign. The prototypes were built next to the current secondary wall in San Diego, though officials say those barriers need to be modernized. The deputy chief patrol agent of the San Diego sector says building the new border wall is necessary. Tests on the prototypes officially began on November 27 but physical tests began Monday Items such as jackhammers, saws and hydraulic tools will be used to try to breach the prototypes The prototypes were built next to the current secondary wall in San Diego, though officials say those barriers need to be modernized 'If you go back to the late '80s, the border was completely overrun. There were daily robberies, rapes, assaults, vehicle thefts, high-speed pursuits, people getting killed along the border in staggering numbers,' Villareal told ABC News. 'That has all curtailed as a result of investment in border security. That has curtailed as a result of what you see here today.' However, Trump's plan to build a wall has met widespread opposition from Democrats and moderates alike. The samples mark Trump's first serious efforts to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, a cornerstone of his campaign A Quinnipiac poll in April found that Americans oppose building the wall two to one. Another poll found that 61 percent of Texans are opposed to the wall, compared to just 35 percent in favor. Department of Homeland Security Director John Kelly said it is 'unlikely' that the wall along the Southwest border of the United States will stretch 'from sea to shining sea' in April. A Quinnipiac poll in April found that Americans oppose building the wall two to one The physical tests are expected to be completed in the next two weeks Kelly is just one of several officials who have said a full border wall is simply not realistic. 'Across the Southwest, border residents and local stakeholders like mayors and sheriffs are firmly opposed to President Trump's folly endeavor, based on economic, environmental and humanitarian impacts,' said Lorella Praeli, the director of immigration policies and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, in a July statement. Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has said President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a 'flagrant aggression against the Palestinian people'. In a speech in Washington, Trump said his announcement marked the beginning of a new approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, urged Arabs and Muslims to 'undermine the US interests in the region' and to 'shun Israel.' Palestinian terrorist group Hamas warned the announcement 'opens the gates of hell on US interests in the region'. Pictured: Palestinian protesters burn the American flag and Israeli flag in the city of Gaza City Criticism poured in from Tehran and Ankara to war-ravaged Syria and Pope Francis, reflecting the anxiety surrounding the announcement, which upends decades of US policy. Pictured: Palestinian women shout slogans during a protest in Gaza City Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh (pictured) said the Palestinian people 'know how to respond properly to the disregard of their feelings and sanctuaries' Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said the Palestinian people 'know how to respond properly to the disregard of their feelings and sanctuaries.' He added that the decision 'will not change the facts of history and geography.' President Trump recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital earlier today - a historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East. 'Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital,' the US leader declared from the White House. 'Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.' 'It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,' Trump said, urging calm and 'the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate.' The declaration - met by fierce regional condemnation - ends seven decades of deliberate diplomatic ambiguity about the final status of a holy city vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Although welcomed by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a 'courageous and just decision,' Trump's move also left the already faltering peace process in deep doubt. Mahmud Abbas's Palestine Liberation Organization said Trump has destroyed the two-state solution, warning the United States could no longer hope to be a peace broker, while Hamas - the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip - said Trump's decision opens 'the gates of hell on US interests in the region.' An Ultra Orthodox Jewish man holds a shofar (ram's horn) with the golden Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine behind A Turkish government spokesman said the decision was 'irresponsible' and illegal. Pictured: Protesters in Gaza attack the move The Turkish foreign ministry added in a statement that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can only be solved through the creation of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Pictured: Protests in Istanbul Making the announcement, Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. That makes good on a campaign promise dear to evangelical Christian and right wing Jewish voters - as well as donors - in what he said marked the start of a 'new approach' to solving the thorny Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump's predecessors - from Bill Clinton to George Bush - made similar campaign promises. But they quickly reneged upon taking office and assuming the burden of war and peace. Having taken office with no foreign policy experience and denouncing experts, Trump was determined to show his arrival in Washington spells the end of business as usual. 'Many presidents have said they want to do something and they didn't do it,' Trump said in the run-up to his historic address. Trump's move plunges the United States into a decades-long dispute over a city considered holy by Jews, Muslims and Christians, and flies in the face of warnings from US allies and enemies across the Middle East In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move. Pictured: Trump making the speech today 'Whether it's courage or they changed their mind, I can't tell you,' he said. 'I think it's long overdue.' The announcement leaves many angry US allies and leaders across the Middle East trying to find a measured response and hoping that the tinderbox region is not destined for yet another round of bloodshed. The leaders of Muslim nations deployed ever-harsher rhetoric to describe Trump's decision, dashing any hope of a muted response that would help avoid clashes. Turkey called the decision 'irresponsible' and illegal. In a frantic series of calls, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the European Union, France, Germany and Turkey had warned Trump against the move. Pope Francis joined a list of leaders warning of a historic misstep. 'I cannot silence my deep concern over the situation that has emerged in recent days,' the pontiff said Wednesday. Moving the US embassy will probably take years to implement, but the repercussions of Trump's decision preceded even his announcement. Hundreds of Palestinians burned US and Israeli flags as well as pictures of Trump in the Gaza Strip, while relatively small clashes erupted near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. Palestinians called for three days of protests - or 'days of rage' - starting Wednesday. US government officials and their families were ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank, though the situation remained largely calm up until Trump's address. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul next week to display joint action over Jerusalem. Jordan and the Palestinians also called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League. Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in negotiations - a point reiterated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the wake of Trump's decision. Guterres implicitly criticized Trump, stressing his opposition to 'any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace.' A child holds a Palestinian flag as he chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon A woman chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon But Trump insisted the move did not prejudge final talks, saying it simply reflected the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. 'This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do,' Trump said. 'Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it,' said the US leader, who declared that 'this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace.' 'The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides,' Trump said, as he announced that Vice President Mike Pence would travel to the region in the coming days. Trump further stated that the United States was not taking a position on any 'final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders.' 'Those questions are up to the parties involved.' Israel seized the largely Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its capital. The Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. Trump was pushed to act on the embassy as a result of a 1995 law, which stated that the city 'should be recognized as the capital of the state of Israel' and the US embassy be moved there. A waiver has been invoked by successive US presidents, postponing the move on grounds of 'national security' once every six months, meaning the law has never taken effect. Several peace plans have unravelled in the past decades over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites in Jerusalem. Two babies were left in critical condition after they ingested opioids in two separate incidents in The Bronx Friday and Saturday. Edgardo Rodriguez, 20, admitted to taking heroin and being 'high', and therefore unable to know how his one-year-old daughter got in contact with the drug on Saturday. He has been charged by police with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child, ABC reported. A one-year-old ingested heroin from her father's bed and was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital and had to be put on a Narcan drip Rodriguez told police: 'I was using heroin in the bed before my kids laid down. My kids were there. Some of it spilled onto the bed. It made a mess.' 'I went to sleep. I don't know how my daughter got in contact with the residue on the bed because I was high,' he said, according to the criminal report. It wasn't even Rodriguez who rectified the situation, a few hours went by and the baby's grandmother then noticed she was having trouble breathing. She was then immediately taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where doctors had to give her three doses of Naloxone. Not only that but they had to put the infant on a Narcan drip. She has now been transferred to Montefiore Medical Center and is being cared for in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. A similar completely unrelated incident occurred in The Bronx the night before. Pictured here is a Naloxone kit which the Canadian Mental Health Association prepare staff for in bars On Friday night a mother and father said they were walking with their 18-month-old daughter when the girl ate an unknown substance from a small bag she found on the floor, police revealed. Apparently the father attempted to wipe the unknown substance from her mouth but she began to turn 'greenish hue,' police report. Matters became worse when the young girl had a seizure and was therefore rushed to the hospital where she too was given two shots of Narcan. The New York City Administration for Children's Services said in a statement: 'The safety and well-being of New York City's children is our top priority. ACS and NYPD are actively investigating the events surrounding this incident.' A mysterious murder investigation is underway at a Melbourne home after the second shooting at the same house since last year. Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia a man aged in his 30s was mysteriously found dead at the Mitcham home after homicide detectives were called to the property at about 3.30am Thursday. It comes after a violent shooting took place at the same east Melbourne house, which has barbed wire across a number of the windows, on Cochrane Street in May 2016. Scroll down for video A mysterious murder investigation is underway at a Melbourne home after the second shooting at the same property (pictured) since 2016 Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia a man aged in his 30s was mysteriously found dead at the Mitcham home (pictured) Homicide detectives were called to the property at about 3.30am Thursday (pictured) Manfred Ulrich Kobert was jailed for five years and six months in October for recklessly causing serious injury to his housemate's lover, whose liver and right kidney were pierced with a bullet in May 2016. Police say they don't believe the two shootings are related. A 46-year-old woman is currently in custody and police believe the woman and man were known to each other. The woman is believed to be assisting police with their inquiries and police are treating the death as suspicious. It comes after a violent shooting took place at the same east Melbourne house (pictured) in May 2016 Detective Senior Sargent David Yeoman (pictured) said it's a 'complicated scene' at the house 'There is a complicated scene inside the house and the circumstances are still very unclear as to what has actually occurred,' Detective Senior Sargent David Yeoman told the Nine Network. Authorities believe the man had been dead for several hours before paramedics arrived at the scene, according to The Herald Sun. A neighbour told the publication police were often called to the property describing it as 'very dodgy'. Arlene Padawang-Cosme (pictured) died from a brain aneurysm just two weeks after giving birth to her third daughter A New Zealand mother has tragically died just two weeks after giving birth to her third child. Arlene Padawang-Cosme suffered a brain aneurysm after delivering daughter Grayan Claire last month. She was found collapsed on the floor at home and rushed to hospital. She spent her final weeks lying in a coma in Auckland Hospital, where her family gathered around, singing and showering the 37-year-old with love. An image shared to a GiveALittle page set up by the local community shows Grayan being baptised next to her mother's hospital bed, as Arlene remained in a coma. 'Grayan was so settled and comfy beside her mums side,' a caption to the image read. On the same day, a video was also shared to the page, showing Rayan Come, Arlene's husband, serenading his wife with The King by Garth Brooks. Scroll down for video In the days leading up to her death, her family shared some of their intimate moments, including the baptism of her newborn child, which took place next to Arlene's hospital bed (pictured) Playing an acoustic guitar as he sang, Rayan was seen looking on at his wife as another woman held her leg. In the background, somebody is heard sniffling. In the caption, it is revealed the song is one Arlene and Rayan would sing together to their children. On Tuesday, the page was updated with a final, heart-wrenching message. 'With deep grief, we are so sad to announce the passing of our dear sister Arlene,' it read. 'She is now in peace with the Lord Almighty. 'Thank you so much for the love and prayers you shared with us. 'May God Bless you all.' Arlene has left behind her husband and three daughters; Gracee, 10, Ayene, 5, and baby Grayan, who is just 17 days old. Speaking with The New Zealand Herald earlier this month, Rayan tearfully admitted only a miracle could have saved his wife's life. Confronted with the enormous task that he now faces, he told the paper: 'I don't know how I can raise these kids alone'. Jeffrey Tambor may not be leaving the Transparent after his rep said he hadn't actually quit. It will come as a surprise to many that Tambor intends to continue playing the transgender character, Maura Pfefferman, after he told the world last month he could not see himself returning to set amid sexual harassment allegations. 'Playing Maura Pfefferman on 'Transparent' has been one of the greatest privileges and creative experiences of my life. What has become clear over the past weeks, however, is that this is no longer the job I signed up for four years ago,' he said in a statement at the time. 'Given the politicized atmosphere that seems to have afflicted our set, I don't see how I can return to Transparent.' Although the statement was ambiguous, he said that the idea that he would deliberately harass anyone is untrue. Jeffrey Tambor said that he was leaving the show Transparent in which he stars in as the lead but his rep insists 'no final decision has been made, either by Jeffrey or Amazon' He was accused of sexual harassment by his former assistant Van Barnes (right) and his 'Transparent' co-star Trace Lysette (left) Lysette claims that when she emerged from wardrobe in a costume of a lingerie top and shorts for a scene with Tambor, he said: 'My God, Trace. I want to attack you sexually' (Pictured, Lysette and Tambor in a scene from 'Transparent' in 2014) 'I've already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue. But now a representative for Tambor has told the New York Times that the actor did not have any plans to quit the show. 'What he said was that given the toxic atmosphere and the politicization on the set, it's very hard for him to see how he can possibly return. But no final decision for next year has been made, either by Jeffrey or by Amazon,' Allan Mayer, his publicist said to the New York Times. Tambor has starred as transgender matriarch Pfefferman since 2014. He won Emmys for the role in 2015 and 2016. The show is currently in its fourth season. In a private Facebook post last month, Tambor's former assistant, a transgender woman named Van Barnes, accused the actor of inappropriate behavior, including telling her: 'You will love my d**k'. In a statement, the Emmy-winning actor 'adamantly and vehemently' denied any wrongdoing, and called Barnes 'disgruntled'. In response, Amazon launched an investigation, speaking to both members of the 'Transparent' production and Tambor personally, per the studio's policy. Then, Trace Lysette, a transgender actress who plays Shea on 'Transparent', told The Hollywood Reporter that Tambor 'has made many sexual advances and comments at me, but one time it got physical.' Claims were made in a private Facebook post last month by Tambor's former assistant, a transgender woman named Van Barnes (left and right) who said Tambor told her: ': 'You will love my d**k' Amazon launched an investigation, speaking to both members of the Transparent production and Tambor personally. Tambor plays the transgender matriarch of the Pfefferman family The probe comes on the heels of the resignation of Roy Price (pictured, left, with Tambor in June 2017), the head of Amazon Studios, in October over claims of sexual harassment. Producer Isa Hackett says Price suggested they 'have an affair' to help promote her series She claimed that the actor cornered her and thrust himself 'back and forth against my body' before she pushed him off. Lysette claims that when she emerged from from wardrobe in a costume of a lingerie top and shorts for a scene with Tambor, he said: 'My God, Trace. I want to attack you sexually.' 'I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas and I pushed him off of me,' she said. She urged Amazon to 'remove the problem and let the show go on.' A third woman, makeup artist Tamara Delbridge, came forward at the end of November and said Tambor kissed her without consent on the set of the movie Never Again in 2001. Tambor said he did not recall the encounter, but that if he did kiss her, it was simply a good-natured goodbye to wrap up filming. Transparent may not have been the most popular series streaming on Amazon or its chief rival, Netflix, but it was among the most decorated winning awards and securing glowing reviews helping Amazon Studios burnish its reputation in the area of original content. Tambor was one of a number of high profile Hollywood figures to be accused of misconduct in a wave that began when dozens of sexual harassment allegations were reported in October against film mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is being investigated for rape by police departments in London, New York and Los Angeles. Annette Roque was seen receiving some emotional support from a close friend hours after she and estranged husband Matt Lauer were seen ditching their wedding bands. The Dutch-born mother-of-three, who was seen publicly on Wednesday for the first time since Lauer's ousting, visited close friend and interior designer Muriel Brandolini in Hamptons Bays, New York, DailyMail.com can reveal. Earlier on Wednesday, Roque was spotted without her ring as she picked up breakfast and dropped off her children at school. Lauer was seen hours later, running errands around Sag Harbor, New York, with his ring finger bare, despite wearing his gold band on Monday morning. Sporting a sleek bun and a long blue puffy coat paired with black riding boots, the 52-year-old seemed downcast as she said goodbye to Brandolini outside of her home after receiving a consoling hug. Brandolini, a home designer based in New York City, met Roque in the 1990s, when Annette was still modeling and Muriel was working as a photo stylist. She designed the Lauers' $18 million Hamptons estate, which the couple put on the market last year. According to sources, Roque and Lauer, who have been married for 19 years, have been living separate lives and do not reside together. Scroll down for video Emotional support: Matt Lauer's wife Annette Roque was seen visiting close friend and interior designer Muriel Brandolini in Hampton Bays on Wednesday afternoon Sporting a sleek bun and a blue puffy coat, the Dutch-born mother-of-three appeared downcast as she received an emotional hug from her friend Brandolini, a home designer based in New York City, designed the Lauers' $18 million Hamptons estate, which the couple put on the market last year Old friends: Muriel and Annette have been long-term friends who met in the 1990s while Roque was still modeling and Brandolini was a photo stylist Roque's father, Henri, 76, speaking from his apartment near Amsterdam, had told DailyMail.com exclusively: 'I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed. 'She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out.' Mr. Roque added: '[Annette] is feeling shocked and she is now having sorrow for her children. Me too. Everybody is feeling quite sad. 'There are also the kids, I dont know what shes doing or who they are going to stay with.' Mr. Roque, who worked as director of human resources for the city of Amsterdam until he retired, lives alone in a small flat on the top floor of an apartment block. He added: 'I feel s**t about the whole thing. The situation is so bad. I have met Matt, he was a nice guy. I feel kind of betrayed. Its my own daughter. I dont know how the kids are doing.' Mr. Roque denied reports that his daughter fled the country to be with her family in the Netherlands. He said: 'I speak to her often. I last spoke to her on Sunday. I asked her if she was in Amsterdam, she said no, I am in the Hamptons. 'It was all bulls**t stories. She's not in Holland. Its all fake news. It's s**t news. Bulls**t news. She's in America.' Meanwhile, Lauer has been staying at his private Sag Harbor home, in Long Island, and was seen Monday, behind the wheel of his gray Jeep Wrangler, taking his 11-year-old son, Thijs, to school. Lauer was seen covering his eyes with sunglasses as he headed out again to make a stop at a school in his Hamptons neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon The fired Today host - who has been staying at his private Sag Harbor home, in Long Island - was seen earlier on Wednesday running errands with his ring finger bare, despite wearing his gold band on Monday morning Matt Lauer was seen in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday without his wedding ring, despite wearing it on Monday Matt Lauer's wife Annette Roque was also spotted in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday, her first time being seen since Lauer's Today show firing last week Henri Roque (pictured), Annette's father, claims she will divorce the fired TV host, saying on Tuesday: 'I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed' Lauer was spotted hours after Roque, 52, emerged for the first time since his firing from the Today show last week due to allegations of sexual assault The disgraced former Today host picked up his son's lunch from a local deli and delivered it to his school before returning home minus his wedding band on Wednesday The disgraced 59-year-old stopped off at a gated property in nearby North Haven to pick up a friend of his son's and was still wearing his wedding ring at the time. Sources say Lauer's marriage to Roque has been on the rocks for years and they have even been living separately. While much of the country was shocked by the sexual assault news given Lauer's image as a wholesome good guy, those who knew the couple say that he was an unfaithful husband. Lauer's alleged history of infidelity reportedly forced his wife to keep close tabs on him when he took trips abroad because she didn't trust him. When Roque sought to divorce Lauer years ago, Lauer reportedly offered her $5 million in cash to remain in the marriage. The image-conscious Lauer made the cash offer because he was reportedly so concerned about how a divorce might be perceived by his audience. Amid reports that Lauer gave a staffer on the Today show a sex toy, sex therapist Dr Laura Berman said Monday that she gave him the toys because he wanted to spice things up with Roque. 'We were in the makeup room and he sort of asked the makeup artist to leave,' Berman told Inside Edition. 'He asked me about sexual aids and devices. He confided in me about some of the struggles he was having in his married relationship.' Berman claims Lauer didn't want to be seen going to a store to buy sex toys so she took care of it for him. Roque looked somber as she folded her hands around her breakfast and lowered her head while she walked to her car Her father, speaking from his apartment in a small town near Amsterdam, said: 'She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out' The 52-year-old was bare-faced as she did her morning errands on Wednesday Lauer was still wearing his wedding ring as of Monday (pictured) when he finally ventured out of his Long Island compound to do the school run 'I brought him a shopping bag filled with toys from my line that were designed for couples and spicing things up,' Berman said. Lauer and Roque met on a blind date in 1997, the same year he took over as co-anchor of Today in place of the departing Bryant Gumbel. While Lauer rose to television stardom with his Today show gig, Roque has been featured in Victoria's Secret catalogs as well as in advertisements for J. Crew. According to Page Six, Lauer, who had a reputation as a philanderer, was urged to settle down and get married by NBC executives who were concerned that his playboy image would hurt the Today show given its heavily female viewership. Lauer and Roque were married less than a year after they met, but it was reportedly a tumultuous union. Three years after the birth of their first child, Jack, in 2003, Lauer and Roque separated after the newsman returned from covering the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Roque was still wearing her wedding ring in late September when she joined Lauer for lunch in New York City (pictured) Rumors swirled that Lauer was having an affair with Natalie Morales, who was then a correspondent for the Today show. Both have vehemently denied the rumors. Nonetheless, Roque, who was seven months pregnant at the time, filed for divorce from Lauer, whom she accused of 'cruel and inhumane' treatment and 'extremely controlling' behavior. 'Defendant has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties' children,' according to court papers, which were leaked in 2014. Roque would eventually withdraw her petition for divorce three weeks before giving birth to the couple's second child, Thijs. Mr. Roque added: '[Annette] is feeling shocked and she is now having sorrow for her children. Me too. Everybody is feeling quite sad' There was no explanation given for why Roque had second thoughts about the divorce, though it was reported that Lauer offered her $5 million to remain in the marriage. 'Matt needed to stay in the marriage to keep his reputation as America's nicest dad,' according to a source quoted by Page Six. 'He is in fact a very doting dad to his kids, but he is also a terrible husband.' Things appeared to be fine until Lauer returned from covering the Olympics in Vancouver in early 2010. After news reports emerged suggesting that Lauer partied hard in Canada, Roque reportedly was so angry that she and her husband began living separately. Since 2011, Roque and her three children were reportedly living in their home in Sag Harbor, while Lauer stayed in Manhattan during the week. The Upper East Side apartment at 133 East 64th Street was also the address of Bernie Madoff, the infamous Ponzi schemer. On weekends, Lauer would reportedly make the trip to Long Island to join them. Roque had not been seen since news broke that Lauer was fired from his $25m position at the Today show over sexual assault allegations Roque previously filed for divorce from Lauer in 2006 but dropped her suit. They are pictured together in India in 1998, the year they were married Lauer persuaded Roque to stay in the marriage 'to keep his reputation as America's nicest dad,' according to a source quoted by Page Six. 'He is in fact a very doting dad to his kids, but he is also a terrible husband'. Pictured: Lauer with his three children 'They play happy families at their Hamptons home on weekends, and then she lets him run off to New York to do 'Today' - and goodness knows what else,' RadarOnline quoted one source as saying. Despite her celebrity status, Roque is rarely seen in public. When she does appear, it is usually to attend the Hampton Classic horse show. Roque and her daughter are avid equestrians. In 2012, Lauer purchased a 40-acre property near their Long Island home and converted it into a horse farm with stables for 36 animals, 16 paddocks, two outdoor riding rings, cross-country trails, and a climate-controlled indoor ring. Lauer even owns five horses himself, but it was been widely rumored that the horses were a gift to his wife whenever she caught him cheating. Locals who see Lauer near his Manhattan apartment say that they cannot recall ever seeing him and his wife together dining. Lauer is known to be a frequent customer at Donahue's Steak House, a whiskey bar across the street from his apartment. Neighbors told Page Six they see Lauer there at least three nights a week but he's on his own. Lauer's alleged history of infidelity reportedly forced his wife to keep close tabs on him when he took trips abroad because she didn't trust him Roque, a former Dutch model, had been hiding out in her Hamptons home after Lauer was fired from NBC last Tuesday over claims of sexual assault. The couple is pictured in August 2017 After news broke of the assault claims, Lauer said in an 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. '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.' Lauer's apology, read out on the show, came hours after more graphic details of the allegations against the host emerged. In one allegation, 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. Lauer and Roque met on a blind date in 1997, the same year he took over as co-anchor of Today in place of the departing Bryant Gumbel 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. Pictured: Lauer on Wednesday 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. Lauer was seen by DailyMail.com for the first time on Thursday since he was fired by NBC on Tuesday night '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,' said Lauer on Thursday (above meeting with lawyer and friend Eddie Burke Jr.) He has been accused of flashing his penis at one woman and buying another a sex toy. There was also a stunning revelation that he had a button under his desk that would lock to the door to his office. It was a security-measure used by most high-profile employees at NBC, but Lauer allegedly used it at least once so he could have sex with the NBC staffer in 2001. The NBC investigation that led to his spectacular downfall was sparked by an intern who accused him of sexually assault at the beginning in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics. She shared her account with the human resources and legal departments of NBC News on Monday - Lauer was fired just 24 hours later. He was sacked so quickly because of lewd messages he sent the female staffer, and at least one explicit picture. Variety also spoke with 10 past and present workers at the company who accused Lauer of a vast array of sexual misconduct, including the intern who claims she was attacked at Sochi. Previously, it was revealed that Lauer visited his son Jack at his prep school to tell him the news in person. A food blogger has threatened to sue Ashy Bines for $150,000 amid claims the fitness guru stole five of her recipes. Allie Dodd, from Brisbane, has accused the 29-year-old Gold Coast mother of copying recipes from her blog Mealspiration to her own ebook on healthy eating. The 26-year-old said she was skimming through Ms Bines' ebook, which was published in 2012, when she allegedly spotted her exact recipes for salmon and cauliflower sushi, kangaroo rolls and chicken mince quiche. 'I started reading [Ms Bines' book] and thought that's exactly what's written in my blog there were pictures of my hands,' Ms Dodd told 9News as she pointed to a heart tattoo on by her thumb. Scroll down for video Brisbane food blogger Allie Dodd has threatened to sue Ashy Bines (pictured) for $150,000 amid claims the fitness guru stole five of her recipes Ms Dodd (left) has accused the 29-year-old Gold Coast mother of copying recipes from her blog Mealspiration to her own ebook on healthy eating (right) In 2015, Ms Bines revealed she learned some of the recipes used in the publication were not new and blamed the error on nutritionists she hired Ms Dodd, who claims Ms Bines never got in touch with her to apologize, said the alleged rip-off left her unmotivated and she stopped blogging for a while. The ebook was taken out of circulation in 2013. In 2015, Ms Bines revealed she learned some of the recipes used in the publication were not new and blamed the error on nutritionists she hired. 'It's recently come to my attention that some recipes were not originals at all and have been copied from other sources,' the social media sensation admitted in a video. 'Unfortunately, I may have been too naive to think I wouldn't have to check the origins of each recipe.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Bines for comment. 'It's recently come to my attention that some recipes were not originals at all and have been copied from other sources,' the social media sensation admitted in a video (pictured) Ms Bines' (pictured) ebook was taken out of circulation in 2013 Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Bines for comment. She is currently in the Maldives celebrating her birthday (pictured with her husband) Ms Dodd said she intends on taking Ms Bines (pictured) to court and will rely on crowd-funding for her legal fees Ms Dodd told The Courier Mail she intends on taking Ms Bines to court and will rely on crowd-funding for her legal fees. 'I used the funds I originally raised and now the next step is going to be in the vicinity of $5000, possibly more, to lodge the documents with the court and engage a lawyer to do further work,' she said. Ms Dodd is now blogging under a new name Mama Nourish. 'I really want to stand up for myself, I really don't want to back down' she told 9News. A Texas family is in mourning after their six-month-old baby boy was smothered to death when his toddler brother crawled into his crib to sleep next to him. The two-year-old somehow managed to get inside his younger brother's crib and as the two slept, the infant was smothered. Houston police said the tragic death happened at the Jadestone apartment complex. A Texas family is in mourning after their six-month-old baby boy was smothered to death when his toddler brother crawled into his crib to sleep next to him. Houston police said the tragic death happened at the Jadestone apartment complex (pictured) According to KTRK, the baby's death is being considered an accident by investigators. Firefighters and police responded to the family's home around 7.20pm on Tuesday. They found the infant unresponsive upon arrival. Police told the station that the boy's father put the infant in his crib and then put his two-year-old son into a separate bed. When the dad went to check on the boys about a half hour later, he found both children in the same crib. Authorities believe the older child climbed into his younger brother's crib to sleep next to him. While sleeping together, the infant was somehow smothered. According to KTRK, the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine how the child died, but police believe it was an accident and do not suspect foul play. Because the baby is so young, it make take some time to determine an official cause of death. It was not quite the end to a lovely evening they had been expecting. Princess Michael of Kent and her husband Prince Michael had dined at an exclusive Mayfair club and restaurant, and were stepping out to head home. But things turned sour as the princess dubbed Princess Pushy by other royals found she was the one in danger of being shoved as the couple found themselves ambushed by beggars. The group of persistent women, believed to be Romanian, swamped their car as they tried to leave LouLous. Princess Michael of Kent and her husband Prince Michael had dined at an exclusive Mayfair club and restaurant, and were stepping out to head home An eyewitness said the 75-year-old Prince who is 45th in line to the throne handed 10 to one of the women. But that only attracted a chorus of pleas from the others. The prince was very nice but when he gave one of them 10 the others were all over him like bees. They were all saying Please, please, please, he said. Staff from LouLous are said to have stepped in to allow Princess Michael, 72, who was behind the wheel, to drive off. It took some time before they actually managed to drive away, the witness added. An eyewitness said the Prince handed 10 to one of the women. But that only attracted a chorus of pleas from the others Prince and Princess Michael, who married in 1978, were said to have eaten dinner at the club, where membership costs around 1,500 a year. As the couple attempted to leave in their black BMW at around 11pm, Prince Michael tipped the valet driver and was approached by the women when they spotted a wad of notes in his hand. Princess Michael, dressed in black with large pearl earrings, was pictured smiling at one of the women who was trying to force a rose on her in a last ditch attempt to get more cash. The group of beggars, believed to be from Queensway, are said to operate in the area each evening until 3am, targeting the rich patrons of a number of restaurants and bars in the affluent area. They are here from 8pm most days and work all through the night. I dont think they make a lot because most people ignore them, said a waiter from one restaurant. While the Romanian women live a very different life to that of Czech-born Princess Michael, the royal has previously told how her family have had to cut down on luxuries since agreeing to pay the full market rental value of their home in Kensington Palace. Weve cut back dramatically. I mean we never go out to dinner unless we go to somebodys house. We never go to restaurants. Thats too extravagant, she claimed in one 2013 interview. Prince and Princess Michael have lived in the palace apartment all their married life, paying only 70 a month in rent, including utilities, until grace-and-favour homes were reviewed in 2002. The group of beggars, believed to be from Queensway, are said to operate in the area each evening until 3am, targeting the rich patrons of a number of restaurants and bars in the affluent area Staff from LouLous are said to have stepped in to allow Princess Michael, 72, who was behind the wheel, to drive off For the next seven years, the Queen paid their annual 120,000 market rent, but after that the couple had to sell their country home to pay it themselves. The couple receive no income from the Crown and so run their own commercial interests. The prince is a business consultant to companies in sectors including construction, telecoms and finance. His wife carries out speaking engagements and writes books. The daughter of an aristocratic Nazi SS officer, she is once said to have been referred to by the Queen as too grand for us. Magnet for the A-List where a G&T is 20... Hidden behind a discreet, unmarked maroon door in the heart of Mayfair, LouLous has been a magnet for the rich and famous since it opened in 2012. A-listers who frequent the fashionable members club, resturant and bar include Tom Cruise, George and Amal Clooney, Mick Jagger, Leonardo DiCaprio, Prince William, Princess Eugenie and Pippa Middleton. In September, Rita Ora, Lewis Hamilton, Brazilian footballer Neymar, model Cara Delevingne and socialite Fran Cutler attended the Love Magazine for Miu Miu bash. LouLous is owned by tycoon Robin Birley and named after his aunt Loulou de la Falaise, the fashion designer, who died in 2011. Mr Birley, 59, spent 30million doing up the dilapidated premises. Rather than employing an interior designer, he allowed the fashion designer Rifat Ozbek to conjure up its distinctive look. Hidden behind a discreet, unmarked maroon door in the heart of Mayfair, LouLous has been a magnet for the rich and famous since it opened in 2012 The club features a giraffes head and neck rising out of the floor, a bar made of shells, and an illuminated peacock. Membership is rumoured to cost 1,500 a year with a 1,200 joining fee and there are believed to be only 3,000 names on its secret members list. As well as two restaurants and the nightclub, there is a cinema room and a cigar shop. A gin and tonic is believed to cost 20 and customers can buy 30g of caviar for 700. The venue once turned away members of the boy band One Direction because they did not meet its strict dress code. Men must not wear shorts, T-shirts, flip flops or sandals or sportswear of any kind. Women are not permitted to wear sportswear, flip-flops, dirty shoes or trainers, or items of clothing with any large rips. Club owning is in the blood for Old Etonian Mr Birley, a former Ukip donor. His father, Mark Birley, who died in 2007, ran several in the heart of London including Marks Club, Harrys Bar and Annabels, named in honour of Robins mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith. A woman was found 'stabbed to death' next to a bloody man inside of a parked car at a Florida city hall on Wednesday. The gruesome sighting was first reported by a passerby around 9.30am in Hialeah, according to the Miami Herald. Police and fire departments arrived to the scene and found the man to be in an 'altered mental status' and covered in blood. Wendy Bandera, 25 (pictured here) , was found stabbed to death in a parked car outside of the Hialeah City Hall The image above shows investigators at the crime scene where Bandera was found dead next to a man covered in blood that has yet to be identified. The man was alive and found in an 'altered mental status' It was a passerby walking by Hialeah City Hall that spotted the bloody man and woman inside of this parked car He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, Hialeah Fire Captain Cesar Espinosa said. The woman has not been identified by authorities but friends identified her as 25-year-old Wendy Bandera from Venezuela, according to NBC Miami. The man has still not been identified. Authorities are unaware of how they know each other. The man appeared to be in his 30s, Espinosa said. The Hialeah Police are investigating this as a possible attempted murder-suicide, the Miami Herald reported. Police said there is no connection to Hialeah City Hall other than its proximity to the crime scene. Police and fire units responded to the bloody scene around 9.30am Wednesday. There is no connection to Hialeah City Hall other than it being the location of where the car was parked Samantha J. Fitzpatrick, 28, (pictured in her mugshot) was charged with sexual assault for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a male student, 17 An ex-high school teacher was charged with sexual assault after police received a tip telling of her 'inappropriate relationship' with an underage student. Samantha Fitzpatrick, 28, had allegedly 'done stuff' with a 17-year-old boy during her time employed at Ripon High School in Wisconsin between 2016-17, before she abruptly resigned before summer break in May, a student said in the tip. After receiving the tip, police sought further information which led to another teacher revealing she heard about a romp session between Fitzpatrick and the boy - when the teacher confronted Fitzpatrick and she denied the story. The criminal complaint filed Tuesday read: 'In October, a student came to (the teacher) and reported that someone told her that Victim A had gone to a party at a hotel in Oshkosh and he had arrived at the party late. 'Victim A told a student that the reason he arrived to the party late was because he was at Fitzpatrick's and he just had sex with her,' the Ripon Press reported. The teacher said she noticed flirtatious behavior between Fitzpatrick and the teen, who was 16 at some point during the alleged sexual relationship. A scantily-clad Fitzpatrick is pictured partying it up and smiling for cameras in a variety of Facebook pictures from the past decade Fitzpatrick is shown above left in a current Twitter profile picture with bleached hair and a nose ring. She is seen drinking in a Facebook photo, right. It was revealed the teacher had 'romp sessions with an underage student' She said she saw the victim on different occasions alone at her desk with Fitzpatrick, who would pay close attention to him and tune out the remaining students in the class. While speaking with the concerned teacher, Fitzpatrick chuckled about the rumors at the time, and said: 'I could see how they would say this.' The victim told police Fitzpatrick often gave him car rides, but denied the two had a sexual relationship. He claimed he 'joked' about the romp sessions to his friends. But police discovered a slew of racy Facebook messages and texts between the two - which detailed ideas of 'role playing, sex acts and more.' The teacher was employed at Ripon High School in Wisconsin (shown) during the time the alleged sexual relationship happened. She abruptly resigned in May Conversations between November 2016 to May 2017 revealed the relationship had positively turned 'sexual' at some point, the complaint said. It seems Fitzpatrick deleted the student's contact information from her phone, but police were able to retrieve. After reviewing phone records, authorities found '67 phone calls from the victim's phone to Fitzpatrick's phone,' according to WBAY. Messages further included Fitzpatrick professing her 'love for the victim' and asking the student to send revealing photos. The adventurous Fitzpatrick (shown) confessed her 'love' for the underage student. She also asked him for lewd photos Fitzpatrick willingly resigned after the scandal went public, it had been revealed. Officials at the Ripon High sent out a letter alerting of matter to parents. 'In May of 2017, the district shared the attached information with high school parents about an investigation regarding allegations of improper conduct by former employee Samantha Fitzpatrick. 'We are sharing this information with all district parents today as we are aware the investigation involving former employee Samantha Fitzpatrick is complete and a criminal complaint with charges has been issued,' the letter read. 'We have just received this information and will respond once we have an opportunity to review and understand the criminal complaint.' Aside from sexual assault charges, Fitzpatrick was charged with child enticement, exposing a child to harmful materials and obstructing a police officer. She faces 35 years behind bars and $130,000 in fines if convicted on all four charges. Lord Bassam, Labours Chief Whip in the Lords, admitted that he had been wrong to claim tens of thousands of pounds in taxpayers money Jeremy Corbyn's chief whip in the House of Lords has announced he will quit in the New Year over a 41,000 expenses scandal. Lord Bassam had previously admitted he had been at fault over 41,000 in travel expenses. He also faces questions over 260,000 paid in a 'second home' allowance over a property that does not exist. Lord Bassam had already offered to repay expenses claimed for travelling between London and his home in Brighton, although he said he had not breached parliamentary rules but could have dealt with the issue in a 'more appropriate' way. He has now told Labour peers he plans to stand down in early 2018 once they have elected a replacement, a Labour Lords spokesman said. The Mail on Sunday reported that as chief whip and because his main home is not in London, he is one of a small number of Lords frontbenchers entitled to a Lords office holders' allowance - currently 36,366 a year. The payment - paid as part of his salary - is to cover peers' 'expenses in staying overnight away from their main or only residence'. However the paper said that rather than using it to cover the costs of a second home in London or hotel bills, Lord Bassam simply made the hour-long train journey between Brighton and the capital. At the same time the paper said he also claimed about 6,400 a year in expenses for train tickets and cab fares. In a statement on Sunday, Lord Bassam said: 'With my home outside of London, I have been in receipt of the relevant office holders' allowance for the opposition chief whip in the Lords. #At the same time, in accordance with rules laid down by the House, I have claimed costs for my regular travel to and from Parliament. 'While I have not been advised that any breach of the rules has taken place, waiving the right to such travel claims would perhaps have been a more appropriate response on my part. 'I will not be submitting any further claims in this way, and instead use the office holders' allowance to cover those additional costs. 'I will also discuss with House officials the steps necessary to repay previous travel claims.' The 64-year-old peer has been nicknamed Lord Swampy a reference to the New Age eco-warrior of the 1990s because of his background as a squatters leader when he was plain Steve Bassam in the 1970s. He now lives with wife Jill in a 1 million townhouse in Brightons fashionable Kemptown district. Because of his position as Chief Whip, and because his main home is not in London, he is one of a handful of Lords frontbenchers entitled to a Lords Office Holders Allowance (LOHA), currently 36,366 a year (worth about 22,000 after tax). Lord Bassam faces further questions over another 260,000 second home allowance that he has pocketed since 2010 despite not having one. Pictured is his home in Brighton The top-up paid as part of his salary is to cover peers expenses in staying overnight away from their main or only residence. But instead of spending the extra cash on a second home in London or hotel bills, Lord Bassam pockets it and joins commuters on the hour-long, 55-mile train trip between Brighton and the capital. Astonishingly, he also claims about 6,400 a year in expenses to pay for those train tickets and cab fares, despite the LOHA payments that assume he stays in London. The expenses scandal is particularly embarrassing for Mr Corbyn because, as Chief Whip, Bassam is in charge of maintaining discipline among Labour peers. Since taking that position following the 2010 General Election, he has received 260,000 in LOHA and claimed 40,900 in travel expenses a total of more than 300,000. The 64-year-old peer has been nicknamed Lord Swampy a reference to the New Age eco-warrior of the 1990s because of his background as a squatters leader when he was plain Steve Bassam in the 1970s Lord Bassam made his reputation as a Left-winger in the 1970s when he set up the Squatters Union, which campaigned for the rights of squatters to occupy empty properties. He was once thrown out of a court for wearing a red nose. He became leader of Brighton council in 1987 and was appointed a life peer in 1997 by Tony Blair, who made him a Minister in 1999. Gordon Brown promoted him to Chief Whip in 2008 and the following year he joined the Privy Council, giving him the formal title of The Rt Hon The Lord Bassam of Brighton PC. Juror speaks out: Silicon Valley engineer Philip Van Stockum, an alternate juror in the Kate Steinle murder trial, wrote an essay defending the jury's not guilty verdicts An alternate juror in the high-profile trial of the Mexican national who shot and killed Kate Steinle in San Francisco says the jury made the right decision by acquitting the defendant of murder and manslaughter charges. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times, was found not guilty last week in Steinle's shooting death on a San Francisco pier in 2015. Philip Van Stockum, a trained physicist who works as an engineer in Silicon Valley, writes in a column published by Politico Magazine on Wednesday that as an alternate juror in the trial, he did not get a vote, but saw all of the evidence and was privy to the jury instructions. And he is convinced that based on all of the available information presented during the trial, the jurors did not botch the case, as President Donald Trump has suggested in an angry tweet slamming the verdict as a 'miscarriage of justice.' 'Most of the public reaction I've seen has been surprise, confusion and derision,' Van Stockum writes in the op-ed piece. 'If these were among your reactions as well, I'm writing to explain to you why the jury was right to make the decision that it did.' Jose Ines Garcia Zarate (left), an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle, 32 (right) Van Stockum writes in his op-ed piece for Politico Magazine that the evidence presented to the jury during the trial failed to show that Garcia Zarate intentionally killed the woman Garcia Zarate has said he found an object wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench on a pier that turned out to be gun and accidentally fired when he picked it up. Legal experts have said prosecutors overreached by asking for a first-degree murder conviction because the fatal shot ricocheted off the ground, supporting Garcia Zarate's defense that the shooting was an accident. Jurors could also have convicted Garcia Zarate of second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter but chose not to. From his perspective, Van Stockum writes: 'it seemed clear to me that the evidence didnt support the requirements of premeditation or malice aforethought (intentional recklessness or killing) for the murder charges. 'After having heard the evidence, I agreed with the defenses opinion that the murder charges should not have been brought. The evidence didn't show that Garcia Zarate intended to kill anyone.' The Silicon Valley engineer then goes through the facts: the defendant had no motive to kill Steinle and no past history of violence; the shot he fired hit the ground 12 feet in front of him before ricocheting another 78 feet and hitting the woman; the gun he found was a Sig Sauer P239 pistol, which has a light trigger mode and no safety. The presumption of innocence, as stated in the jury instructions, according to Van Stockum, required the jury to select an interpretation of the facts that favors the defendant: that Garcia Zarate found the gun, picked it up out of curiosity, it accidentally fired, and he then dumped it in the water because he was wanted by immigration authorities. As Van Stockum acknowledges in his essay, the jury panel had the option of finding Garcia Zarate guilty of manslaughter, but even that count did not meet two key requirements: '1) A crime was committed in the act that caused death; 2) The defendant acted with 'criminal negligence.' He says that the 'crime' in the first prong was defined by the prosecution as 'brandishing' the gun, but Van Stockum says that prosecutors 'presented absolutely zero evidence of brandishing during the trial.' Vocal critic: President Donald Trump slammed the not guilty verdict on December 3 as a 'total miscarriage of justice' He goes on to write: 'no witnesses ever saw the defendant holding a gun, much less brandishing it. Given that baffling choice by the prosecution, the manslaughter charge was a nonstarter for the jury.' In the end, the jurors convicted Garcia Zarate of a state charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail. And on Monday, federal authorities charged him with new immigration and gun violations. His public defender Matt Gonzalez said Garcia Zarate will ask a judge to toss out the state conviction. Van Stockum, who points out that he is not a lawyer but understood the law that was read to the panel in the Steinle trial, came away from the experience 'with a strong sense of respect for the jurors and their objective handling of a sensitive case under the national spotlight.' Jeremy Corbyn yesterday questioned whether the 13.4billion foreign aid budget is big enough. Spending on overseas development has repeatedly risen under the controversial target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income. But after growth forecasts were cut, the aid budget will also be trimmed. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on the Prime Minister to increase foreign aid spending despite the economic slowdown which has seen growth forecasts slashed But now the Labour leader has raised concerns that aid officials are not being given enough money to hand out. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Corbyn questioned an announcement in the Budget that the aid ministry will be told to tighten its belt for the first time in four years. The foreign aid budget will be slashed by nearly 900m over two years as worsening economic growth forecasts mean the UK will be able to spend less cash to meet the controversial target. Under David Cameron's foreign aid law, the country must spend 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas development. Mr Corbyn wrote: 'As the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) revised growth figures down, the UK will now be spending 895 million less than expected on the intended objective of aid which is poverty reduction and tackling disease. 'Are you confident that the Department for International Development (Dfid) has the resources it needs to deliver global development?' Last night, Labour sources insisted that party policy remained to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid. Mr Corbyn's concerns came in a letter raising the issue of a 12million foreign aid project that has been suspended amid fears some of the money has gone to jihadis. Last month's budget showed foreign aid spending will reduce by 375m in 2018-19 and 520m in 2019-20 due to the latest poor economic growth figures from the OBR He wrote: 'The British public is extremely proud of our country's commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid to reduce global poverty. 'Under a Labour government, the UK was a world leader in aid effectiveness and global development. 'Therefore, allegations of aid money ending up in the hands of an Al Qaeda affiliate and contributing to the Free Syrian Police's work with a judicial system accused of numerous human rights abuses is yet another blow to Britain's reputation on the world stage.' Small print included with the Budget last month revealed that projected foreign aid spending will be adjusted down by 375million in 201819 and 520million in 201920. The Department for International Development, which spends most but not all of the aid money, will have its departmental budget cut. The aid ministry has repeatedly been handed more and more cash as other Whitehall departments have been forced to make cuts. However, Treasury documents released with the Budget show that in 2019/20, its annual funding will go down from 11.9bn to 11.7bn. At the time of the last Budget in March, Dfid spending had been projected to go up from 12.3billion in 2018/19 to a whopping 12.6billion in 2019/20. Ministers have been under pressure to improve how aid money is spent following Theresa May's announcement during the general election campaign that the government would keep the controversial 0.7 per cent spending target. Official figures released last month showed the country's aid spending reached 13.4billion in 2016, up 1.3billion on the year before. The chunk of the money funnelled through the EU rose by 177million to 1.5billion, despite warnings from Priti Patel when she was international development secretary about how we 'don't have any oversight' over how Brussels distributed the money. EU-run aid projects include providing juggling lessons in Tanzania and promoting African dancing. Despite pledges to stop aid to India, last year 92.6million was spent by Whitehall officials on projects there. The amount sent to China jumped by 2.6million to 46.9million. UK-funded schemes included 86,616 on testing whether yoga helps people who have had heart attacks in India, and 100,000 on bringing female scientists from the country to visit Cambridge University. In China, British aid cash went on improving dementia care in Qingdao and a schools programme to encourage children to consume less salt. Other schemes funded by the UK last year included 116,631 for the conservation of freshwater eels in the Cagayan River in the Philippines and 52,125 to promote the long-term survival of marine turtle populations in Madagascar. Gavin Williamson signalled he was prepared to hunt down and use air strikes against the remaining 270 UK passport holders who have travelled to Syria and Iraq. The new Defence Secretary today was accused of dreaming up a policy which belongs in a Netflix series after he suggested all British terrorists who fight for ISIS should be 'eliminated'. Gavin Williamson told the Daily Mail Britons who have fought for terror group should never be allowed to come back to this country. And he said those who were intent on bringing 'destruction, death and bloodshed' onto the streets of the UK were being 'hunted down' and that threat 'eliminated'. But his comments have sparked a row after the former director of public prosecutions Lord MacDonald branded the remarks 'juvenile'. He said: 'It simply will not be lawful in all circumstances to kill jihadis, as the secretary of state seems to be suggesting. 'A policy which says we will simply kill every individual who has travelled to Syria or to Iraq, even if they are surrendering, even if they have laid down their weapons, is really a policy that belongs in a Netflix series more seriously than it belongs in the range of policies that should be being applied by the UK government. 'We can't simply say that everyone who has gone to Iraq will now be hunted down and killed. 'That's a juvenile response. It's not a serious, grown-up policy response for a senior British Government minister.' Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Lord Menzies Campbell said the comments 'are ill-considered and appear to endorse a clear breach of humanitarian law'. Lord MacDonald, pictured in the House of Lords last month, branded Gavin Williamson's remarks 'juvenile'. He said: 'In present circumstances it is not difficult to see that any member of the military that followed his advice could be subjected to court martial and prosecution. 'The gung-ho opinions that he has expressed undermine the credibility of British armed forces in general and his office in particular.' But Downing Street today backed Mr Williamson's comments and said Britons who fight for ISIS are 'legitimate targets' for military strikes. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The Government position on this has been made clear a number of times in recent months, which is that if you travel to Iraq and Syria and if you are fighting with our enemies there, then you make yourself a legitimate target.' He added: 'There are existing powers in relation to foreign fighters who seek to return to the UK. 'They include expulsion orders that allow the UK to cancel an individual's passport. 'In instances where people do return to the UK, we are clear they should face the consequences of their actions, which include investigation by police and possible prosecution.' In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Williamson signalled he was prepared to hunt down and use air strikes against the remaining 270 UK passport holders who have travelled to Syria and Iraq. He said: 'Quite simply, my view is a dead terrorist can't cause any harm to Britain.' He added: 'I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country. 'We should do everything we can do to destroy and eliminate that threat.' Labour MP and former paratrooper Dan Jarvis said his comments were 'morally, legally and practically wrong' Mr Williamson's comments are the starkest yet on the issue of whether British jihadists should be allowed to return home to the UK. In October, Britain's terror watchdog, Max Hill QC, sparked a row by suggesting that some young people who had travelled to Syria and Iraq should be allowed to come home and re-join society. He said that it was not worth losing a generation of young people who 'naively' went to join Islamic State. But Mr Williamson's remarks appear to be an emphatic rejection of that argument. More than 800 UK citizens are thought to have gone to fight for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Around half of them have already returned, and around 130 have been killed, leaving an estimated 270 left. London-born Lucas Kinney (left) converted from Catholicism and become an Al Qaida fighter in Syria. Jihadi John (right) was also originally from the UK Earlier this year, the Mail revealed that RAF pilots had been secretly assassinating British jihadists in Syria and Iraq, using drones and fighter jets to work through a 'kill list' of targets - particularly those plotting attacks back in the UK. In his interview, Mr Williamson condmened British citizens who had gone abroad to join terrorist organisations 'that hate everything that Britain stands for, hate our values, hate that Britain is as a beacon to the world of democracy and tolerance.' He said it was right that Britain's forces were trying to tackle that threat - to stop those people from returning home to launch attacks here. 'Our forces are right across the globe degrading and destroying that threat, making sure that these people who want to bring destruction, death, bloodshed onto our streets aren't able to come back,' he said. 'That is as important part of the jigsaw as what we actually do on the streets in Britain. New figures reveal how Britain has dramatically increased its drone strikes in Syria (Reaper drone pictured) 'Every day we have got British service personnel making a difference to make sure some of those people that want to cause that harm are never able to come back to this country. That is something I am incredibly proud of. 'I do not believe that any terrorist, whether they come from this country or any other, should ever be allowed back into this country. 'We should do everything we can do to destroy and eliminate that threat.' Defence sources made clear that UK terrorists in Iraq and Syria would either be taken out in airstrikes by warplanes or drones operated from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. Mr Williamson said: 'Quite simply my view is a dead terrorist can't cause any harm to Britain.' The lawyer who wants jihadis spared The terror watchdog was accused of a 'reckless disregard' for society earlier this year after he called for 'naive' teenage jihadis to be spared prosecution. Max Hill, the independent reviewer of anti-terror laws, said militants returning from the Islamic State war zone should instead be given space to reintegrate. The top lawyer warned against losing a generation of young men and women brainwashed by online propaganda. He said those who returned in a 'state of utter disillusionment' could be 'diverted' from the criminal justice system. Mr Hill, who took the role in February, said travelling to Syria should not always mean prosecution. He said: 'We should be looking towards reintegration and moving away from any notion that we are going to lose a generation due to this travel.' But a top RAF commander said last month that the idea that British jihadis who travelled to the IS war zone did not know what they were doing was 'fanciful'. Air Commodore Johnny Stringer said UK jihadis had made themselves 'valid' targets by going to the war zone. Advertisement The Defence Secretary also pledged that those British fighters who had 'splintered' and fled to other countries would also be found and prevented from returning to the UK. It is understood they will have their passports taken off them if they try to cross over international borders. 'We have got to make sure that as (they) splinter and as they disperse across Iraq and Syria and other areas, we continue to hunt them down,' he said. 'Make sure there is no safe space for them, that they can't go to other countries preaching their hate, preaching their cult of death.' The former chief whip, who was given the Cabinet job only last month, added: 'Our job in terms of eliminating that will not stop this year, will not stop next year, it is something we have got to continue to pursue. 'That is about keeping Britain safe just as much as making sure we have the right response here in Britain.' Mr Williamson said the Armed Forces stands ready constantly to do whatever is needed to keep Britain safe from terror attacks His comments came as new figures reveal how Britain has dramatically increased its drone strikes in Syria, where the remaining UK foreign fighters are believed to be plotting attacks on British soil. Figures disclosed by the Ministry of Defence show there was one Reaper strike in 2015, compared to 24 strikes in 2016, and 31 strikes in 2017. In Iraq there have been a total of 352 Reaper strikes since the war began in 2014, 663 strikes by Tornados and 402 strikes by Typhoons. Mr Williamson said the Armed Forces stands ready constantly to do whatever is needed to keep Britain safe from terror attacks. He added: 'But let's not underestimate the role that they are playing actually on foreign fields. Yes the threat manifests itself on the streets of Great Britain. 'But actually so much of what is done to activate it is done in places, whether it be Libya, whether it be Iraq, whether it be Syria. 'And we have a duty, and this is what we are doing right across the globe, degrading and destroying that threat.' Coalition airstrikes have killed about 45,000 IS fighters up until August last year. In September a top commander said secret strikes by RAF warplanes against jihadists in Iraq and Syria had stopped a series of home-grown terror attacks. The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, has said the terror threat facing the UK was at the 'highest tempo' of his 34-year career Air Commodore Johnny Stringer admitted British citizens had also been killed in the missions against Islamic State strongholds. The extremist group has a special unit dedicated to mounting atrocities in the UK and Europe. The head of MI5, Andrew Parker, has said the terror threat facing the UK was at the 'highest tempo' of his 34-year career. On Tuesday the spy chief told the Cabinet that British spies have foiled nine terror attacks in the UK in the past 12 months. The thwarted attacks included alleged plans to create carnage at tourist attractions, government buildings, pop concerts and carry out knife and vehicle rampages. What is the status of Jerusalem? Israel set up its parliament in West Jerusalem when the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948. The move followed the United Nations vote to partition Palestine on the basis of the British pledge known as the Balfour Declaration that paved the way for a homeland for the Jewish people. Israel occupied 78 per cent of the land, with the remaining 22 per cent split between Gaza and the West Bank. Then, in 1967, during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli war, Israel annexed Arab-controlled East Jerusalem, including the Old City. Israel has claimed ever since that both parts of the city are its undivided capital. However, Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their capital. Most countries, including Britain, do not recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, and keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. The Temple Mount in the Old City is the most sacred place in Judaism the site of Solomons Temple said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant and destroyed in 586 BC by King of Babylon. The compound includes Islamic shrines the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque Why is Jerusalem so important to both sides? Chiefly because of its religious history. The Temple Mount in the Old City is the most sacred place in Judaism the site of Solomons Temple said to have housed the Ark of the Covenant and destroyed in 586 BC by King of Babylon. The site is also the third holiest shrine in Islam, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). It was the scene of Prophet Muhammads Night Journey ascension from Earth to Heaven in 621. The compound includes Islamic shrines the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The city is also sacred to Christians Jesus attended a temple in the Old City and was crucified on a hill outside its walls. But it also has hugely important implications for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. What has Donald Trump done and why is his intervention so toxic? Until now, peacemakers have pursued the strategy that Jerusalem would be part of an overall negotiated settlement, with its status decided in the latter stages of peace talks, with agreement on both sides. But if America jumps to a conclusion on the citys status now and takes Israels side many fear it will undermine the chances of a peace deal. It could also damage Americas position as an honest broker between the two sides. It does not take much to spark violence in the Middle East. In 2000, the Second Intifada two bloody years of Palestinian suicide bombings and Israeli military killings started after a visit by the then leader of the Israeli opposition, Ariel Sharon, to the Old City site. How can the status of Jerusalem be peacefully resolved? Jerusalem is described as the most intractable part of the worlds most intractable conflict. But one of the main planks of the peace process is a two-state solution in which Jerusalem would serve as capital of both states: East Jerusalem for Palestine, West Jerusalem for Israel. About a third of the people living in Jerusalem are Palestinians. An uneasy co-existence is lived out day-to-day, under the watchful eyes of clusters of armed Israeli police. Jerusalem is governed by a mayor and city council whose members are elected to four-year terms. Palestinian Arabs living in East Jerusalem have the right to vote in Israeli elections, but most refuse to do so Though there is generally free movement around the divided capital, Israeli security forces set up checkpoints to seal off Palestinian neighbourhoods in times of tension, such as a wave of stabbings in 2015. Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Jerusalem is governed by a mayor and city council whose members are elected to four-year terms. Palestinian Arabs living in East Jerusalem have the right to vote in Israeli elections, but most refuse to do so. How does Trump justify moving the U.S. embassy? The U.S. embassy is currently in Tel Aviv. To move it to Jerusalem would be a powerfully symbolic and inflammatory gesture in support of Israel and in defiance of Palestinians. But technically Trump has a legal framework: in 1995, amid lobbying from pro-Israel Americans, the Republican-controlled Congress passed a law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which instructs the President to move the embassy. But all Presidents since Bill Clinton have signed a waiver every six months to prevent that happening. Mr Trump could now have catastrophically undermined his own Middle East strategy of trying to forge peace not just between Israel and Palestinians, but also between Israel and Saudi Arabias Sunni Muslims So why has he done this now? Mr Trumps move seems driven not by diplomatic calculations, but by a campaign promise and his current low ratings. In 2016, he appealed to Christian evangelicals and ardently pro-Israel American Jews by vowing to move the embassy. His pledge was extremely popular with these voters, including casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who donated $25 million to the Trump cause. Mr Adelson expressed anger when Mr Trump signed the waiver in June to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv. Advisers said this week Mr Trump was making good on his promise. Why are all the Arab countries so hostile to the move? Opinion polls show that at least 90 per cent of Arabs view Israel as their main enemy. So no Arab regime can risk provoking internal political upheaval by appearing to side with the U.S. Mr Trump could now have catastrophically undermined his own Middle East strategy of trying to forge peace not just between Israel and Palestinians, but also between Israel and Saudi Arabias Sunni Muslims. Opinion polls show that at least 90 per cent of Arabs view Israel as their main enemy. So no Arab regime can risk provoking internal political upheaval by appearing to side with the U.S He wants the Saudis to take on and curb the growing influence of Irans Shia Muslims the Sunnis mortal enemies and their allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The Saudis could now be forced to abandon their gradual clandestine move towards open acceptance of the Jewish state. Do other countries recognise Jerusalem as the capital? The world including China is virtually united in not recognising Israels claim to Jerusalem as its undivided capital. One exception is the Pacific island of Vanuatu, which recognised it in May this year. Its late president, Baldwin Lonsdale, was an evangelical Christian who was described as having a strong connection to the Jewish people and to Israel. Taiwan also considers Jerusalem as Israels capital. However, Israel does not even recognise Taiwan as a country. Russias position is slightly ambiguous but seems to leave room for the city to be Israels capital in the event of a peace deal. Advertisement Gay marriage campaigners including television star Magda Szubanski have gathered outside Parliament to celebrate as same-sex unions are about to be legalised. Same-sex marriage is set to be passed into law by the House of Representatives as the final vote on the bill authored by Liberal senator Dean Smith approaches. Supporters of the law change, clad in rainbow-coloured attire and holding signs, came together outside Parliament House in Canberra to celebrate on what is an emotional day for many. Scroll down for video Same-sex marriage is set to be passed into law by the House of Representatives as the final vote on the bill authored by Liberal senator Dean Smith approaches Supporters of the law change clad in rainbow-coloured attire and holding signs came together outside parliament to celebrate on what is an emotional day for many Pictured outside Parliament celebrating were television star and prominent same-sex marriage campaigner Magda Szubanski Pictured outside Parliament celebrating were television star and prominent same-sex marriage campaigner Magda Szubanski, and Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster. If any changes are made to the bill then Parliament will be forced to stay until tomorrow, when it can then be passed. 'If any of the amendments are carried, and I don't think they will be, we have a problem,' Labor's Tony Burke told Sky News. About 120 MPs have spoken during debate on the bill. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster was also in attendance outside Parliament to celebrate Ambassadors and volunteers from the Equality Campaign are pictured gathered in front of Parliament House Same-sex marriage campaigners Alex Greenwich and Magda Szubanski dance as they call on the gay marriage bill to be passed Liberal MP Tim Wilson proposed to his partner Ryan Bolger shortly after the bill was introduced to the lower house. Queensland crossbench MP Bob Katter delivered a bizarre speech on the issue, making accusations that gay people were 'murderers' and responsible for AIDS. It can be hard to resist the lure of Facebook. Social media sites such as this aren't just a way to catch up with friends, but also a tool to affirm our identities - and for many using them has become an addiction. In an article for The Conversation, Simon McCarthy-Jones, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology at Trinity College Dublin, looks at how these sites are manipulating our behaviour, and how we can take back control. Social media addiction is becoming more and more common, with 5 per cent of teenagers considered to have 'significant levels of addiction-like symptoms'. Children understand social dominance from as young as 15 months and networking sites prey on our need for social status and reputation (stock image) THE SIX COMPONENTS OF ADDICTION There are six core components of any addiction, according to James Roberts' book 'Too Much of a Good Thing: Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?' Integration : how ever-present the behavior is in daily life. Euphoria : whether there is a feeling of anticipation or excitement around the behavior. Tolerance : the need for an ever-increasing 'dose' of the behavior to achieve the desired 'high.' Withdrawal symptoms : feelings of irritability, stress, anxiousness, desperation and even panic that arise when not engaged in the behavior. Conflict : the degree to which the behavior impedes relationships with other people. Relapse : the degree to which attempts to limit the behavior fail. Advertisement How can you live the life you want to, avoiding the distractions and manipulations of others? To do so, you need to know how you work. 'Know thyself', the Ancients urged. Sadly, we are often bad at this. But by contrast, others know us increasingly well. Our intelligence, sexual orientation and much more can be computed from our Facebook likes. Machines, using data from our digital footprint, are better judges of our personality than our friends and family. Soon, artificial intelligence, using our social network data, will know even more. The 21st-century challenge will be how to live when others know us better than we know ourselves. But how free are we today? There are industries dedicated to capturing and selling our attention and the best bait is social networking. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have drawn us closer round the campfire of our shared humanity. Yet, they come with costs, both personal and political. Users must decide if the benefits of these sites outweigh their costs. This decision should be freely made. But can it be, if social networking sites are potentially addictive? The decision should also be informed. But can it be, if we don't know what is happening behind the curtain? Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, recently discussed the thought process that went into building this social network. He described it as being: 'All about how do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?' To do this, the user had to be given: 'A little dopamine hit every once in a while because someone liked or commented on a photo or a postand that's going to get you to contribute more.' Parker continued: 'It's exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology The inventors, creators, it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg] understood this consciously. And we did it anyway.' Information about ourselves is treated as a treat by the brain, triggering a release of dopamine. Facebook understood how to exploit a vulnerability in the human psychology to keep people contributing via likes and comments (stock image) Human needs create human vulnerabilities So what are these vulnerabilities? Humans have a fundamental need to belong and a fundamental desire for social status. As a result, our brains treat information about ourselves like a reward. When our behaviour is rewarded with things such as food or money, our brain's 'valuation system' activates. Much of this system is also activated when we encounter self-relevant information. Such information is hence given great weight. That's why, if someone says your name, even across a noisy room, it automatically pops into your consciousness. Information relating to our reputation and social rank is particularly important. We are wired to be sensitive to this. We understand social dominance at only 15 months of age. Social networking sites grab us because they involve self-relevant information and bear on our social status and reputation. The greater your need to belong and be popular, and the stronger your brain's reward centres respond to your reputation being enhanced, the more irresistible is the site's siren song. Is social media addictive? Gambling is addictive because you don't know how many bets you will have to make before you win. B F Skinner uncovered this in his Harvard pigeon lab in the 1950s. If pigeons were given food every time they pecked a button, they pecked a lot. If they were only sometimes given food when they pecked a button, they not only pecked much more, but did so in a frantic, compulsive manner. It could be argued that Skinner's pigeon lab was resurrected at Harvard in 2004, with two modifications. It was called Facebook. And it didn't use pigeons. HOW TO HELP FIGHT ADDICTION As with any addiction, a qualified health professional may be able to help. Self-help is also an option: Set aside times and places in your day where smartphone use is forbidden. Write up a social contract that lists acceptable and unacceptable smartphone uses and enlist a trusted friend to keep you accountable, meting out punishments and rewards as appropriate. Technology itself can help, too: Many apps are available for monitoring and limiting smartphone use. For example, President Trump could block his own access to Twitter on Saturdays, when he has sent some of his most inflammatory tweets. Advertisement When you check Facebook you can't predict if someone will have left you self-relevant information or not. Social network sites are slot machines that pay out the gold of self-relevant information. This is why billions of people pull their levers. So, can they be addictive? Facebook reportedly originally advertised itself as 'the college addiction'. Today, some researchers claim Facebook addiction 'has become a reality'. However, this is not a recognised psychiatric disorder and there are problems with the concept. People undertake many activities on Facebook, from gaming to social networking. The term 'Facebook addiction' hence lacks specificity. Also, as Facebook is just one of many networking sites, the term 'social networking addiction' would seem more appropriate. Yet, the term 'addiction' itself remains potentially problematic. Addictions are typically thought of as chronic conditions that cause problems in your life. Yet, a 5-year follow-up study found that many excessive behaviours deemed to be addictions such as exercising, sex, shopping and video gaming were fairly temporary. Social media offers a range of activities to it's users including gaming and chatting, with some people arguing that excessive use of social media platforms is now a genuine medical addiction Furthermore, excessive social network use need not cause problems for everyone. Indeed, labelling excessive involvement in an activity as an 'addiction' could result in the overpathologisation of everyday behaviors. Context is key. Nevertheless, excessive social network use has been convincingly argued to lead to symptoms associated with addiction. This includes becoming preoccupied with these sites, using them to modify your mood, needing to use them more and more to get the same effects, and suffering withdrawal effects when use is ceased that often cause you to start using again. The best estimate is that around 5 per cent of adolescent users have significant levels of addiction-like symptoms. Taking back control How can we benefit from social networking sites without being consumed by them? Companies could redesign their sites to mitigate the risk of addiction. They could use opt-out default settings for features that encourage addiction and make it easier for people to self-regulate their usage. However, some claim that asking tech firms 'to be less good at what they do feels like a ridiculous ask'. So government regulation may be needed, perhaps similar to that used with the tobacco industry. Users could also consider whether personal reasons are making them vulnerable to problematic use. Factors that predict excessive use include an increased tendency to experience negative emotions, being unable to cope well with everyday problems, a need for self-promotion, loneliness and fear of missing out. These factors will, of course, not apply to everyone. Finally, users could empower themselves. It is already possible to limit time on these sites using apps such as Freedom, Moment and StayFocusd. The majority of Facebook users have voluntarily taken a break from Facebook, though this can be hard. 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,' run the famous lines from Invictus. Sadly, future generations may find them incomprehensible. Margaret Thatcher's remarkable success at the ballot box may have been partially due to her distinctive voice, according to a new study. Experts looked at whether voters could be swayed by the way politicians speak. They found that politicians whose voices were hoarse, flat or slow received a better response from the public than those who had a different speech pattern. They believe this is because they are perceived as wiser and more competent than those who have a high-pitched voice. Scroll down for video Margaret Thatcher's remarkable success at the ballot box may have been partially due to her distinctive voice, according to a new study. The research found politicians whose voices were hoarse, flat or slow received a better response from the public than those who didn't THE STUDY The team examined two cases Umberto Bossi, former leader of the Italian Lega Nord party, whose vocal cords were partially paralysed by a stroke, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, whose larynx has disturbed functionality due to throat cancer. Both of these disorders cause the politicians' voices to become lowers slower and hoarser. In the study, the researchers assessed several charismatic adjectives with a French audience who didn't understand either Bossi or da Silva's languages. The audience were asked which vocal stimuli they would vote for. Surprisingly, the audience preferred the leaders' post-disorder voices. Dr Signorello said: 'French people didn't want to vote for someone who was strong and authoritarian, or perceived as a younger version of the leader.' But the trend was variable, the researchers highlight. Advertisement Researchers from the University Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris looked at the effect of vocal disorders on politicians' success. In the study, the team examined two cases Umberto Bossi, former leader of the Italian Lega Nord party, whose vocal cords were partially paralysed by a stroke, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, whose larynx has disturbed functionality due to throat cancer. Both of these disorders cause the politicians' vocal range to narrow, and their pitch to lower. Their voices have also become hoarse and slow, with a restricted ability to modulate pitch. Dr Rosario Signorello, co-author of the study, said: 'We use pitch manipulation to be ironic and sarcastic, to change the meaning of a sentence. 'Before the stroke, people perceived Bossi as positive, enthusiastic, a very charming speaker, and when listening to his post-stroke voice, everything changed. 'After the stroke, he had a flat pitch contour, a lack of modulation, and this was perceived as a wise and competent charisma.' In the study, the researchers assessed several charismatic adjectives with a French audience who didn't understand either Bossi or da Silva's languages. Dr Signorello said: 'Whenever you listen to a voice you assess the acoustics, but also what they say, and we didn't want the verbal, semantic content to influence our results.' The audience were asked which vocal stimuli they would vote for. The team examined two cases Umberto Bossi (pictured left), former leader of the Italian Lega Nord party, whose vocal cords were partially paralysed by a stroke, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (pictured right), former president of Brazil, whose larynx has disturbed functionality due to throat cancer ROBOT POLITICIANS A recent survey conducted by OpenText found that people living in the UK believe that robot politicians could revolutionise their country. Of the 2,000 people interviewed, one in four felt that robots would make better politicians. And 66 percent believe they will have a position in government by 2037 16% foresee it happening in the next one to two years. 35% that do not think it will be possible for robots to get into government, as they do not posses the ability to analyze 'cultural aspects' in order to make decisions. Advertisement Surprisingly, the audience preferred the leaders' post-disorder voices. Dr Signorello said: 'French people didn't want to vote for someone who was strong and authoritarian, or perceived as a younger version of the leader.' But the trend was variable, the researchers highlight. Dr Signorello added: 'In each example the vocal patterns are so diverse you never find the same answers; all trigger different emotional states and convey different personality traits.' The results suggest that there is no 'best' voice for a politician to have. Dr Signorello said: 'Charisma is a social phenomenon, difficult to assess because it is subject to social trends. 'It's impossible to give a recipe of what is more or less charismatic - it's like fashion, it changes drastically with time.' The team now plans to extend the study to vocal disorders of female politicians. Becoming a better listener could be as simple as favouring your right ear, according to new research. Remembering conversations can be difficult at the best of times, with background noises and interruptions only adding to the problem. Now, experts have found that ignoring what you hear with your left ear could help you to process and retain audio information - up to 40 per cent more effectively. Scroll down for video Becoming a better listener could be as simple as favouring your right ear, according to new research. Experts have found that ignoring what you hear with your left ear could help you to process and retain audio information - up to 40 per cent more effectively. TEST METHODS Experts wanted to find out whether childhood reliance on the right ear persists into adulthood. Researchers asked 41 participants, aged 19 to 28, to complete both dichotic separation and integration listening tasks. With each subsequent test, the researchers increased the number of items by one. They found no significant differences between left and right ear performance at or below an individual's simple memory capacity. However, when the item lists went above an individual's memory span, participants' performance improved an average of eight per cent, with some individuals' up to 40 per cent, when they focused on their right ear. Advertisement Audiology researchers at Auburn University in Alabama found that in such demanding environments, both children and adults depend more on their right ear for processing and retaining what they hear. The team's work is based on dichotic listening tests, which are used to diagnose, among other conditions, auditory processing disorders in which the brain has difficulty processing what is heard. In a standard test, listeners receive different auditory inputs delivered to each ear simultaneously. According to the experts, children understand and remember what is being said much better when they listen with their right ear. What is less understood is whether this right-ear dominance is maintained through adulthood. Aurora Weaver, assistant professor at Auburn University and member of the research team, said: 'Conventional research shows that right-ear advantage diminishes around age 13, but our results indicate this is related to the demand of the task. 'Cognitive skills, of course, are subject to decline with advance ageing, disease, or trauma. 'Therefore, we need to better understand the impact of cognitive demands on listening.' In dichotic tests, listeners hear sentences, like 'she wore the red dress', words or digits. They are given instructions to pay attention to the items delivered in one ear while dismissing the words in the other, known as separation. Alternatively, they are required to repeat all words heard, known as integration. Sounds entering the right ear are processed by the left side of the brain, which controls speech, language development, and portions of memory. In a standard dichotic test, listeners receive different auditory inputs delivered to each ear simultaneously. They are usually sentences words or digits. Listeners either pay attention to the items delivered in one ear while dismissing them in the other, or repeat both Each ear hears separate pieces of information, which is then combined during processing throughout the auditory system. However, young children's auditory systems cannot sort and separate the simultaneous information from both ears. As a result, they rely heavily on their right ear to capture sounds and language because the pathway is more efficient. To find out why this persists into adulthood, researchers asked 41 participants, aged 19 to 28, to complete both dichotic separation and integration listening tasks. WHY LISTENING WITH YOUR RIGHT EAR HELPS YOU TO REMEMBER Sounds entering the right ear are processed by the left side of the brain, which controls speech, language development, and portions of memory. Each ear hears separate pieces of information, which is then combined during processing throughout the auditory system. However, young children's auditory systems cannot sort and separate the simultaneous information from both ears. As a result, they rely heavily on their right ear to capture sounds and language because the pathway is more efficient. Researchers found this pathway still appears to function into adulthood. This resulted in improved test scores when participants focused on information played into their right ear, rather than their left. Advertisement With each subsequent test, the researchers increased the number of items by one. They found no significant differences between left and right ear performance at or below an individual's simple memory capacity. However, when the item lists went above an individual's memory span, participants' performance improved an average of eight per cent, with some individuals' up to 40 per cent, when they focused on their right ear. Lead researcher Danielle Sacchinelli added: 'The more we know about listening in demanding environments, and listening effort in general, the better diagnostic tools, auditory management - including hearing aids - and auditory training will become. The research will be presented at the 174th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from December 4 to 8. A pelvis bone said to belong to the fourth-century saint who inspired the story of Father Christmas could indeed be from the legend himself, scientists have said. Researchers at the University of Oxford radiocarbon tested the the bone said to be from St Nicholas, and found it dates from the correct historical period. While they cannot categorically prove they are from the Christian saint, the team said the results pinpoint the relic's age to the fourth century AD. This is the period widely believed to have been when St Nicholas died, around 343 AD. Scroll down for video A fragment of bone (pictured) said to belong to the fourth-century saint who inspired the story of Father Christmas could indeed be from the legend himself. Researchers found the relic, long venerated as the bones of St Nicholas, dates from the correct historical period SANTA'S BONES St Nicholas, one of the most revered Christian saints, is thought to have lived in Myra, which is now modern day Turkey. According to legend he was a wealthy man widely known for his generosity - a trait that inspired the story of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day. After his death in the year 343, Nicholas was buried in his hometown of Myra. Arab forces who occupied Myra in the 11th century excavated the bones and brought them back to the Italian port of Bari where they are buried to this day, it is widely claimed. But over the years, relic fragments have been acquired by churches around the world. Some archaeologists have suggested the wrong bones were removed from Myra, and that the ones moved to Italy belonged to an anonymous priest. Advertisement 'Many relics that we study turn out to date to a period somewhat later than the historic attestation would suggest,' said study coauthor Professor Tom Higham. 'This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas himself.' St Nicholas, one of the most revered Christian saints, is thought to have lived in Myra, which is now modern day Turkey. According to legend he was a wealthy man widely known for his generosity. The Bishop was famed for his secret gift giving, such as putting coins into the shoes of people who left them out for him. St Nicholas's giving spirit inspired the story of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day. Most of his remains have been held in the Basilica di San Nicola, in Bari, Italy, since 1087, where they are buried in a crypt beneath a marble altar, but over the years relic fragments have been acquired by churches around the world. According to legend, St Nicholas was a wealthy man widely known for his generosity - a trait that inspired the story of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day (stock image) St Nicholas (pictured) was known for his secret gift giving, such as putting coins into the shoes of people who left them out for him As many as 500 of St Nicholas's bone fragments are believed to be held in Venice. The bone analysed in Oxford - a pelvis fragment - is owned by Father Dennis O'Neill, of St Martha of Bethany Church, in Illinois, United States. Dr Georges Kazan, another director of the Oxford Relics Cluster, said: 'These results encourage us to now turn to the Bari and Venice relics to attempt to show that the bone remains are from the same individual. 'We can do this using ancient palaeogenomics, or DNA testing. 'It is exciting to think that these relics, which date from such an ancient time, could in fact be genuine.' But there may never be any way of knowing whether the bones really were from the real St Nicholas. Professor Higham added: 'Science is not able to definitely prove that it is - it can only prove that it is not.' The new find adds to the long-running debate on where St Nicholas's remains now lie. Pictured is what was believed to be the Saint's original crypt THE ORIGINS OF SANTA CLAUS St Nicholas was Bishop of Myrna, in what is now Turkey, in the 4th century, and was known for his generosity towards children. He was known for his secret gift giving, such as putting coins into the shoes of people who left them out for him. This practice is still celebrated on his national feast day, December 6. The bishop was popularised in 6th century Europe as Father Christmas, who secretly gave gifts to young children. In modern depictions, Saint Nicholas or 'Santa Claus' is presented as a portly old man dressed in red and white with a bushy beard Young Dutch arrivals to the United States called Saint Nicholas 'Sinterklaas', which later became Santa Claus. In modern depictions, Saint Nicholas is presented as a portly old man dressed in red and white with a bushy beard. But some have suggested the original character wore green, and that his modern red-and-white colours are the result of a 1930s marketing campaign from soft drinks brand Coca Cola. Advertisement The new find adds to the long-running debate on where St Nicholas's remains now lie. In October, archaeologists claimed they had found ruins beneath an ancient Turkish church that could house the remains of the saint behind Santa Claus. Located in the Antalya province in southern Turkey, Myra is known to be the birthplace of the much-revered Christian saint St Nicholas. In October, archaeologists claimed they had found ruins beneath an ancient Turkish church (pictured) that could house the remains of the saint behind Santa Claus. Gaps underneath the church could contain the Saint's remains, experts said Located in the Antalya province in southern Turkey, Myra is known to be the birthplace of the much-revered Christian saint St Nicholas. Pictured is what is believed to have been the church the Saint was born and died in During electronic surveys researchers found there were gaps beneath the ancient St Nicholas Church. They now believe it could contain an undamaged grave and more bones of the revered saint. Many believe the Saint's remains now lie in Italy after they were removed from Turkey in the 11th Century. But the Turkish archaeologists suggest the wrong bones were removed, and that the ones moved to Italy in fact belonged to an anonymous priest. WHAT IS RADIOCARBON DATING? Radiocarbon dating works by comparing the three different isotopes of carbon. Isotopes of a particular element have the same number of protons in their nucleus, but different numbers of neutrons. This means that although they are very similar chemically, they have different masses. While the lighter isotopes 12C and 13C are stable, the heaviest isotope 14C (radiocarbon) is radioactive. This means its nucleus is so large that it is unstable. Over time 14C decays to nitrogen (14N). It is then oxidised to create 14CO2, which is dispersed through the atmosphere and mixed with 12CO2 and 13CO2. Every plant and animal in this chain will therefore have the same amount of 14C compared to 12C as the atmosphere (the 14C:12C ratio). When living things die, tissue is no longer being replaced and the radioactive decay of 14C becomes apparent. Around 55,000 years later, so much 14C has decayed that what remains can no longer be measured. Radioactive decay can be used as a 'clock' because it is unaffected by physical and chemical conditions. In 5,730 years half of the 14C in a sample will decay. Therefore, if we know the 14C:12C ratio at the time of death and the ratio today, we can calculate how much time has passed. Source: The Conversation Advertisement Artificial intelligence companies have shown off their tracking technology at the World Internet Conference in China - giving a glimpse of how citizens are being watched everyday. Companies such as China's facial recognition start-up Face++ showed how their technology is already being used to identify and describe people. For the first time, the 'Big Brother' conference was attended by top executives like Tim Cook of Apple, Sundar Pichai of Google and Jack Ma of Alibaba. Guided by the hand of the state, tracking technology has become widely accepted in China and this vast data collection could mean these companies have an edge over American competitors. Scroll down for video Guided by the hand of the state, tracking technology has become widely accepted in China and this vast data collection could mean these companies have an edge over American competitors WAYS TO TRACK CITIZENS One company present at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen was Face++ which used its technology to identify people in the audience's gender, hair length, colour and clothing. The company, which was founded in 2011, claims to have already helped the police catch more than 3,000 fugitives. China United Network Communications Group or China Unicom is a state-owned telecommunications operator and the world's fourth-largest mobile service provider by subscriber base. The company openly discussed how they had data on where foreign visitors had roamed on networks. It also showed attendees how it maps how people commute to and from work. Another company - state-own telecommunications company China Telecom - showed how it can measure trash in garbage cans and spot fire hydrants that do not work. Advertisement One company present at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen was Face++ which uses its technology to identify people in the audience using their gender, hair length, colour and clothing. The company's video network automatically detects potential criminals and alerts them to the police. Founded in 2011, the company claims to have already helped the police catch more than 3,000 fugitives. Another company at the event, China Unicom, showed how it could break down the vast amount of data it has on subscribers, writes New York Times. China United Network Communications Group or China Unicom is a state-owned telecommunications operator and the world's fourth-largest mobile service provider by subscriber base. The company openly discussed how it had data on where foreign visitors had roamed on networks. It also showed attendees how it maps the way people commute to and from work. Another company - state-own telecommunications company China Telecom - showed how it can measure trash in garbage cans and spot fire hydrants that do not work. Face++ plans to expand its business from software to hardware by developing more products with built-in AI, such as smart surveillance cameras that can capture faces better and faster, said Xie Yinan, Face++'s marketing and public relations director last month. 'We want to enhance these 'eyes of the city' and make them intelligent,' Mr Xie told Reuters. 'So that 'footage of the city' become 'data about the city',' he said. 'It's just like in the films. The police no longer need to manually look for someone from thousands in the camera. The video network automatically detects and alerts them to situations so that greatly enhances their efficiency,' Mr Xie said. Companies such as China's facial recognition start-up Face++ showed how their technology is already being used to identify and describe people (stock image) Artificial intelligence companies have shown off their tracking technology at a vast conference in China - giving a glimpse of how citizens are being watched everyday. Jack Ma of Alibaba (pictured) spoke during the conference Apple CEO Tim Cook told the gathering as the conference opened Sunday that his company was proud to work with Chinese partners to build a 'common future in cyberspace' Face++ does not release specific revenue figures but Mr Xie said it has been growing at about 400 per cent annually and the company is expected to break even this year. It's also targeting an initial public offering, although it has no time frame. Last month Face++ announced it has raised $460 million ($343m) in its latest capital raising, including pulling in money from China's national venture capital fund. During the opening speech Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, said China's approach to the internet is more about openness than censorship. The high-profile attendance of the leaders of Apple and Google at a Chinese conference promoting Beijing's vision of a censored internet highlights the dilemma for Western tech companies trying to expand in an increasingly lucrative but restricted market. During the opening speech Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, said China's approach to the internet is more about openness than censorship. Pictured are delegates attend the opening ceremony People look at Xiao Qiao robots during the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen. Another company at the event, China Unicom, showed how it could break down the vast amount of data it has on subscribers Apple CEO Tim Cook told the gathering as the conference opened Sunday that his company was proud to work with Chinese partners to build a 'common future in cyberspace.' His and Google CEO Sundar Pichai's presence along with other business leaders, diplomats and other experts, some analysts say, helped bestow credibility on Beijing's preferred version of an internet sharply at odds with Silicon Valley's dedication to unfettered access. Beijing's restraints also extend to Western companies like Google, Twitter and Facebook, which have largely been shut out from the market, leaving it to homegrown internet giants like Tencent. Apple has a large production base in China, which is one of its biggest markets, though domestic smartphone makers are catching up. Apple has a large production base in China, which is one of its biggest markets, though domestic smartphone makers are catching up. Pictured is CEO Tim Cook Last month, conspiracy theorists predicted that the end was nigh, as Planet X, or Nibiru, was set to trigger a series of earthquakes that would lead to the apocalypse. While their predictions thankfully didn't come true, the conspiracy theorists now have a new theory, this time involving the moon. Their bizarre theory suggests that world leaders are using the moon and sun to hide Nibiru by spraying chemicals into the skies. Scroll down for video Conspiracy theorists now have a new theory, this time involving the moon. Their bizarre theory suggests that world leaders are using the moon and sun to hide Nibiru (artist's impression pictured) by spraying chemicals into the skies WHAT IS NIBIRU? Nibiru, sometimes referred to as Planet X, is a hypothesised planet on the edge of our solar system that reportedly orbits the sun every 3,600 years. Conspiracy theorists believe the gravitational influence of the 'rogue planet' Nibiru disrupted the orbits of other planets in the solar system hundreds of years ago. They claim the next disruptive passage could happen at any time, with the planet predicted to either collide directly with Earth or trigger apocalyptic weather patterns across its surface. Some claim that this planet is sending 'plasmatic energy particles' through our solar system. The flow of energy will disrupt the 'core flows' of the Earth and trigger catastrophic changes in Earth's climate. Conspiracy theorists often blame natural disasters and freak weather patterns on the planet. 'Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax,' Nasa has said. 'Obviously, it does not exist.' Advertisement Matt Rogers, who regularly posts conspiracy videos on YouTube, predicted that Nibiru would trigger world-ending earthquakes on November 19. And now that his theory has fallen flat, Mr Rogers has come up with an explanation. In a new video, titled 'Our skies are being sprayed to cover up the truth', Mr Rogers shows several images of the moon and sun taken around the world. Speaking about an image of the moon over Austria, Mr Rogers said: 'Looking up we should see the moon, not that beam of light. 'I do believe they are using another reflector up there - it does look very strange. That is not the moon. 'I have seen the moon on webcam images and even with binoculars, the moon does not cause this blue sky around it. 'People state they can't see the stars at night, it is being lit up. It is absolutely without a shadow of a doubt that is not the Moon - it is too bright, too white.' And on an image of some clouds, Mr Rogers said: 'This photo is totally amazing because you're seeing all these lines in the sky unnatural cloud formations. 'All of these are caused by pilots, spraying our skies. They're being used and controlled by the governments.' Mr Rogers suggests that the chemicals are being used to hide Nibiru. He said: 'It all comes down to a point of Nibiru. 'They spray the skies at specific times of the day and times of the month, and the pattern of spraying is so blatantly obvious that they're hiding something. Mr Rogers suggests that world leaders are spraying the skies with chemicals to hide the sun and moon, and ultimately prevent us from seeing Nibiru (stock image) THE NEW THEORY Matt Rogers, who regularly posts conspiracy videos on YouTube, predicted that Nibiru would trigger world-ending earthquakes on November 19. And now that his theory has fallen flat, Mr Rogers has come up with an explanation. In a new video, titled 'Our skies are being sprayed to cover up the truth', Mr Rogers shows several images of the moon and sun taken around the world. He suggests that world leaders are spraying the skies with chemicals to hide the sun and moon, and ultimately prevent us from seeing Nibiru. Advertisement 'They're doing it to hide the sun and moon. They're also doing it at night time to hide the stars. 'This is a big cover-up.' While you might see his theory as fairly wacky, several commenters have agreed with Mr Rogers' predictions. Julie Dotseth said: 'They have been spraying in CA heavy for a long time. I feel ill almost every day. It's hard to understand how our military would do something like this, but they are. ' And Nancy Simmons added: 'The public is aware of the cover up by the government, Nasa. I have emailed our president asking him to tell us the truth, we the voters who put you in office, but hope the rest of you will do the same. Be safe all. ' But not everyone is so convinced. Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual, told MailOnline: 'There have been lots of conspiracy theories surrounding the Moon. 'Now we get this idea that it is being projected to hide the mythical Planet X. 'Seems like such theorists just don't want to accept a scientific viewpoint of the world, and believe any thing the "authorities" say or do is part of a plan to hide the "truth" about our "real" existence.' Nibiriu is yet to be proved to exist, and in September, Nasa was forced to make a statement in an attempt to quell doomsday fears. Nibiru, sometimes referred to as Planet X, is a hypothesised planet on the edge of the solar system that orbits the sun every 3,600 years. It was supposed to collide with Earth on September 23 after conspiracy theorists claimed it would destroy our planet (stock image) 'The planet in question, Nibiru, doesn't exist,' the space agency said in a statement. 'Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. 'If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. 'Obviously, it does not exist.' Global warming will cause temperatures to rise even higher than we thought by the end of the century, a shocking new study has claimed. Experts examined a range of modelling simulations to work out which was best able to accurately predict climate change. Their findings suggest that there is a 93 per cent chance that global warming will exceed 4C by 2100. Scroll down for video Global warming will cause temperatures to rise even higher than we thought by the end of the century, a shocking new study has claimed. Experts examined a range of modelling simulations to work out which was best able to accurately predict climate change (stock) KEY FINDINGS The study relied on the idea that the models that are going to be the most skillful in their projections of future warming should also be the most skillful in other contexts, including simulating the recent past. The study eliminates the lower end of this range, finding that the most likely warming is about 0.5C (0.9F) greater than what the raw model results suggest. The researchers focused on comparing model projections and observations of the spatial and seasonal patterns of how energy flows from Earth to space. The models that best simulate the recent past of these energy exchanges between the planet and its surroundings tend to project greater-than-average warming in the future. The study indicates that if emissions follow a commonly used business-as-usual scenario, there is a 93 per cent chance that global warming will exceed 4C (7.2F) by 2100. Previous studies had put this likelihood at 62 per cent. Advertisement Researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS) in Washington DC looked at a range of widely used software to make their assessment. The programmes predict how much warming should be expected for any given increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Based on existing levels of increasing concentration, raw climate model results suggest we can expect global temperatures to increase anywhere between 3.2 and 5.9C (5.8 and 10.6F) above preindustrial levels by 2100. This is a difference of about a factor of two between the most and least severe projections. Patrick Brown and Ken Caldeira set out to determine whether the upper or lower end of this range is more likely to prove accurate. They found that the models that are best able to recreate current conditions are the ones that simulate a reduction in cloud cooling in the future. These are the models that predict the greatest future warming. Dr Brown said: 'There are dozens of prominent global climate models and they all project different amounts of global warming for a given change in greenhouse gas concentrations. 'That's primarily because there is not a consensus on how to best model some key aspects of the climate system. 'Our results suggest that it doesn't make sense to dismiss the most-severe global warming projections based on the fact that climate models are imperfect in their simulation of the current climate. Researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC looked at a range of widely used software to make their assessment. Their findings suggest that models e may be underestimating future warming by as much as 15 per cent (stock image) KEY GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has four main goals with regards to reducing emissions: 1) A long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels 2) To aim to limit the increase to 1.5C, since this would significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change 3) Goverments agreed on the need for global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries 4) To undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science Source: European Commission Advertisement 'On the contrary, if anything, we are showing that model shortcomings can be used to dismiss the least-severe projections.' The uncertainty in the range of future warming is mostly due to differences in how models simulate changes in clouds with global warming. Some models suggest that the cooling effect caused by clouds reflecting the sun's energy back to space could increase in the future while other models suggest that this cooling effect might decrease. The study relied on the idea that the models that are going to be the most skillful in their projections of future warming should also be the most skillful in other contexts, including simulating the recent past. The study eliminates the lower end of this range, finding that the most likely warming is about 0.5C (0.9F) greater than what the raw model results suggest. The researchers focused on comparing model projections and observations of the spatial and seasonal patterns of how energy flows from Earth to space. The models that best simulate the recent past of these energy exchanges between the planet and its surroundings tend to project greater-than-average warming in the future. The study indicates that if emissions follow a commonly used business-as-usual scenario, there is a 93 per cent chance that global warming will exceed 4C (7.2F) by 2100. Previous studies had put this likelihood at 62 per cent. Speaking about the result Dr Mark Maslin, professor of climatology at UCL, who was not involved in the study, said: 'Our climate models are running too cold, making the Paris climate agreement 2C target even more ambitious than we thought. 'To achieve these targets the climate negotiations must ensure that the global emissions cuts start as planned in 2020 and continue every single year thereafter.' A stunning pink gate dating back nearly 3,000 years has been moved from north Cairo to a new museum near the famed pyramids in Giza. The gate is made from pink granite and bears royal etchings referring to Amenemhat I, the first king of the 12th dynasty of ancient Egypt. It will undergo restoration before being put on display alongside Tutankhamun's tomb in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is set to be partially opened in 2018. Scroll down for video Egypt's Antiquities Ministry says it has moved a gate (pictured) dating back nearly 3,000 years from north Cairo to a new museum near the famed pyramids in Giza THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM The Grand Egyptian Museum had been scheduled to open in 2015, but construction has lagged as expenses mounted to more than $1 billion (750 million). The museum is now scheduled to open partially in 2018. Eventually, the vast complex will house more than 100,000 relics including the 4,500 pieces of Tutankhamun's treasure discovered in the southern Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The huge GEM complex will extend over 47 hectares (116 acres) and contain some 24,000 square metres (258,300 square feet) of permanent exhibition space. It will feature alabaster facades, and its eventual opening will relieve the pressure on the current national museum that was inaugurated in 1902 and has run out of space. Advertisement In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a horizontal line at the end, indicating that the text enclosed refers to a royal. Amenemhet I ruled from 1991 BC to 1962 BC. During his reign he moved the capital from Thebes to a more central residence south of Memphis. He started the 12th dynasty, widely considered to be a golden-age in ancient Egypt. This gate will join thousands of other ancient Egyptian artefacts that are due to be displayed at the new museum. The still unfinished museum at the foot of the pyramids will eventually house the collections of the current brimming museum in the city's Tahrir Square. It was scheduled to open in 2015, but construction has lagged as expenses mounted to more than $1 billion (750 million) and is now scheduled to open partially in 2018. Eventually, the vast complex will house more than 100,000 relics including the 4,500 pieces of Tutankhamun's treasure discovered in the southern Valley of the Kings in Luxor. A gilded bed and a funeral chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb - discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 - were transferred in May, well packed in wooden containers complete with materials to protect them from both heat and vibration. But the young pharaoh's mummy will remain in his tomb as it is too fragile to transport. He died at the age of 19 in the year 1324 BC after a nine-year reign. This first set of Tutankhamun artefacts destined for the new museum includes three funeral beds, five chariots and 57 pieces of textiles. The gate (pictured) is made from pink granite and bears royal cartouches referring to Amenemhat I, the first king of the 12th dynasty of ancient Egypt Amenemhet I (pictured) was king of ancient Egypt and founder of the 12th dynasty. He ruled from 1991 BC to 1962 BC The still unfinished museum at the foot of the pyramids will eventually house the collections of the current brimming museum in the city's Tahrir Square Bas-reliefs of the pharaoh Snefru, founder of the 4th dynasty, are also among the 71 selected objects that were moved in May. The huge GEM complex will extend over 47 hectares (116 acres) and contain some 24,000 square metres (258,300 square feet) of permanent exhibition space. It will feature alabaster facades, and its eventual opening will relieve the pressure on the current national museum that was inaugurated in 1902 and has run out of space. Workers move a gate made of granite dating back nearly 3,000 years from north Cairo to a new museum near the famed pyramids in Giza Construction of the massive new archaeological facility museum was announced in 2002. During the uprising, looters broke into the building and several ancient treasures were damaged or stolen. Its world-famous star attraction - literally the face of the museum - is the golden funeral mask of Tutankhamun which contains more than 10 kilos (22 pounds) of gold and precious stones. The chariot of the ancient Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamun is revealed after being delivered to its new home, the Grand Egyptian Museum, on May 23, 2017 Japanese and local Egyptologists examine a chariot of King Tutankhamun at a museum in Cairo on March 28, 2017, before transferring the king's burial goods to the new museum in May Visitors look at the gold mask of King Tutankhamun in a glass case, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016 Its opening has been postponed several times, including because of the political instability that has rocked the country. The current rose-pink museum with its neo-classical facade was a tourist highlight before the January 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, unleashing years of political turmoil which led to plummeting tourist numbers. It also contains so many items that many have been kept in storage and never seen by the public. A tourist looks at a statue of Mitri, one of the prominent figures in the 6th Dynasty, old kingdom 2465-2150 BC, at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016 A visitor looks at one of the oldest papyri in the history of Egyptian writing among the collection of King Khufu papyri discovered at Wadi El-Jarf port, as it is on display for the first time at the Egyptian museum in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, July 14, 2016 An Ancient Egyptian gold sheet depicting Tutankhamun smiting a Nubian captive in the presence of Queen Ankhesenamun, displayed in a glass case during the opening of the exhibition entitled Tutankhamun's Unseen Treasures at the museum The artefacts moved in May were well packed for transportation in wooden containers complete with materials to protect them from both heat and vibration A bizarre feathered dinosaur resembling a nightmarish mutant swan has been identified by scientists. The strange creature had a graceful swan-like neck but also scythe-like claws, a reptilian tail, and a beak lined with teeth. Halszkaraptor escuilliei, which lived 75 million years ago, was about the size of a modern swan and is thought to have been semi-aquatic. Scroll down for video The strange creature (artist's impression) had a graceful swan-like neck but also scythe-like claws, a reptilian tail, and a beak lined with teeth FEATHERED DINOSAUR The strange creature had a graceful swan-like neck but also scythe-like claws, a reptilian tail, and a beak lined with teeth. Halszkaraptor escuilliei, which lived 75 million years ago, was about the size of a modern swan and is thought to have been semi-aquatic. It walked on two legs on land, but probably used its flippered forearms to manoeuvre in water. The dinosaur is the first of the large family of meat-eaters, called theropods, known to have adopted the lifestyle of a present day water bird. Other theropods include the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex and agile Velociraptor, star of the movie Jurassic Park. Advertisement It walked on two legs on land, but probably used its flippered forearms to manoeuvre in water. The dinosaur is the first of the large family of meat-eaters, called theropods, known to have adopted the lifestyle of a present day water bird. Other theropods include the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex and agile Velociraptor, star of the movie Jurassic Park. Dr Andrea Cau, from the Geological Museum Capellini in Bologna, Italy, said: 'The first time I examined the specimen, I even questioned whether it was a genuine fossil. 'When we look beyond fossil dinosaurs, we find most of Halszkaraptor's unusual features among aquatic reptiles and swimming birds. 'The peculiar morphology of Halszkaraptor fits best with that of an amphibious predator that was adapted to a combined terrestrial and aquatic ecology: a peculiar lifestyle that was previously unreported in these dinosaurs', he said. He added that Halszkaraptor had sickle-shaped 'killer claws' on its feet similar to those of Velociraptor. Scientists at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, used an advanced form of X-ray imaging to create a 3D reconstruction of the creature. The scan revealed hidden details within the rock in which the fossil was embedded, including numerous teeth. Halszkaraptor escuilliei was about the size of a modern swan and is thought to have been semi-aquatic. Pictured is a 3D rendering created using X-ray imaging ESRF researcher Vincent Beyrand said: 'We also identified a neurovascular mesh inside its snout that resembles those of modern crocodiles to a remarkable degree. These aspects suggest that Halszka was an aquatic predator.' A description of Halszkaraptor appears in the latest issue of Nature journal. The unusually well preserved fossil skeleton was discovered in southern Mongolia before spending years in the hands of private collectors around the world. It was one of many fossils illegally exported from Mongolia. The scientists, who acquired the specimen in 2015, plan to return it to the country. Scientists exploring a canyon floor more than 2,000 feet beneath the oceans surface have captured the breathtaking moment a leggy sea-spider appeared to waltz through the water. So-called sea spiders are not actually spiders at all, but marine arthropods that bear a striking resemblance to their terrestrial counterparts. The footage reveals the unusual swimming strokes of the eight-legged creature, as it cycles its legs in a hypnotic dance before drifting out of sight. The sea spider, also called a pycnogonids, is thought to be from the order pantopoda. The translation of pantopoda is all leg, so its a very appropriate name, one of the researchers notes THE SEA SPIDER While commonly known as sea spiders, the eight-legged creatures of the deep ocean arent actually spiders. Sea spiders are marine arthropods, of the class Pycnogonida. These animals can be found all over the world, and vary greatly in size. Some are tiny, at just 1 millimetre large but, others can stretch more than 90 centimetres (35 inches). Its thought that the massive specimens may exhibit a phenomenon known as polar gigantism, in which those that dwell in the polar oceans, such as the Antarctic region, grow to staggering sizes. Advertisement Researchers with the NOAAs Okeanos Explorer spotted the remarkable sight during the third dive of their Gulf of Mexico 2017 mission. The team was exploring a region known as Okeanos Ridge using the remotely operated vehicle, Deep Discoverer (D2). Look at that little guy! one of the researchers can be heard saying in the video as the sea spider wanders into view. The sea spider, also called a pycnogonids, is thought to be from the order pantopoda. The translation of pantopoda is all leg, so its a very appropriate name, one of the researchers notes. The NOAAs Okeanos Explorer team launched the Gulf of Mexico mission on November 29. Its expected to carry on through December 21, as scientists investigate the diversity and distribution of deep-sea habitats and marine communities in the basin, and explore undersea canons and even shipwrecks known to exist in the area. Dive three took the team to the Okeanos Ridge, which was first mapped by the Okeanos Explorer ship back in 2012. The dive took place within a proposed Habitat Area of Particular Concern, so we were interested in collecting baseline information on the local distribution and abundance of life on the seafloor, the team wrote in a recent mission log. Scientists exploring a canyon floor more than 2,000 feet beneath the oceans surface have captured the breathtaking moment a leggy sea-spider appeared to waltz through the water Researchers with the NOAAs Okeanos Explorer spotted the remarkable sight during the third dive of their Gulf of Mexico 2017 mission The ROV explored a sediment-covered canyon floor roughly 740 meters (2,428 feet) deep, climbing escarpment and crossing an exposed platform to investigate the habitats. During the dive, the ROV spotted a number of remarkable things, from carbonate structures and undersea caves, to an amphitheatre created by slabs that broke off a low wall. The researchers also made note of at least five species of black corals, and several strange deep-sea animals, including golden crabs, a Gracilechinus urchin, and a Circeaster sea star preying on octocorals. The team was exploring a region known as Okeanos Ridge using the remotely operated vehicle, Deep Discoverer (D2). Look at that little guy! one of the researchers can be heard saying in the video as the sea spider wanders into view The footage reveals the unusual swimming strokes of the eight-legged creature, as it cycles its legs in a hypnotic dance before drifting out of sight The current expedition is the first of three planned for the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NOAA. During this time, the ship will conduct 24-hour operations, with ROV dives during the day and mapping operations at night. This expedition will help to establish baseline information in the region to catalyze further exploration, research, and management activities, NOAA says. The next two cruises are set to launch in spring 2018. The ride-hailing company Lyft is now sending self-driving cars to pick up passengers in a Boston neighborhood. The cars will have backup human drivers at the wheel and will be limited to short routes within the city's Seaport District, a burgeoning tech startup hub. Lyft and its Boston-based partner nuTonomy, which builds self-driving software, announced Wednesday that the pilot project has begun. The Renault Zoe EVs will be limited to short routes within the city's Seaport District The cars will initially be a small number of Renault Zoe EVs, which Nutonomy began road-testing in Boston starting last November. Nutonomy engineers are already working on integrating Lyft software into 'a couple of' vehicles, to be deployed sometime 'in the coming months,' for actual customer pickups, though no more specific timeline was given. Boston city officials approved the pilot in October and say they hope to gain insight into how people interact with shared autonomous vehicles that could eventually complement the city's public transit system. Lyft hasn't disclosed how many autonomous cars it will be running in the neighborhood per day. NuTonomy was bought earlier this year by auto supplier Delphi Automotive. It's also testing autonomous taxis in Singapore. Last month Lyft secured a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, taking it one step further in the race with several other companies to bring self-driving cars to the masses. Lyft's permit, reflected on the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website, comes two months after it announced plans to offer a self-driving car as a ride option in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lyft already has partnerships in place with autonomous car companies to advance its self-driving strategy. The firm struck a research collaboration earlier this year with Alphabet unit Waymo. It has also secured deals with Ford Motor Co and startup Nutonomy to incorporate self-driving cars in its fleet. Earlier this year, Lyft joined forces with Ford to deploy self-driving vehicles in 'large numbers' by 2021. Ford and Lyft teams will begin working together to design software to allow Ford vehicles to communicate with Lyft's smartphone apps. Ride-hailing firm Lyft Inc said on Monday it would launch its service in Toronto, marking the first international expansion for the U.S.-based rival of Uber Technologies Inc. A stock image is pictured Ford will initially put human-driven vehicles on Lyft's network, and it is unclear when the first self-driving cars will hit roads. Ford self-driving test vehicles will be connected to Lyft's network, but at first, customers will not be able to use them, according to Sherif Marakby, Ford's vice president for autonomous vehicles and electrification. 'We're not building prototypes for the sake of building prototypes,' Mr Marakby said, adding Ford intends to ultimately put thousands of self-driving vehicles in use. Ford's new Chief Executive Jim Hackett is scheduled to meet with investors next weel to outline the automaker's strategy for boosting profitability. Mr Hackett's plans to compete for revenue from mobility services, which include car sharing and ride-hailing, will be one area of focus for investors. LYFT GOES GLOBAL Earlier this month ride-hailing firm Lyft Inc said it would launch its service in Toronto, marking the first international expansion for the U.S.-based rival of Uber Technologies . 'Before you know it, Lyft will be coming to you live in Toronto,' the company said in a blogpost, without giving a launch date. Lyft is crossing into Canada at a time when rival Uber has opted out of operating in Quebec, Canada's second-most populous province, to avoid following tough new regulations for drivers. Advertisement The Lyft partnership fills in a piece of the puzzle. Ford is also testing delivery services using self-driving vehicles and a van shuttle service. The self-driving vehicles Ford will deploy through Lyft will use software developed by Argo AI, a company in which Ford is investing $1 billion (746 million) over the next five years. Lyft's chief rival Uber secured the California permit to test self-driving cars in March. Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics, Tesla Inc and a host of automakers also have the permit. A Delta flight from New York City to Seattle had to make a stop in Billings, Montana, on Saturday night after the plane's toilets stopped working and passengers couldn't hold it any longer. A local paper reports that the direct flight diverted hundreds of miles south to make the emergency bathroom stop. Delta says that upon landing in Billings, the plane had to taxi to a cargo area because a gate was not available. A Delta flight from New York City to Seattle had to make a stop in Billings, Montana, on Saturday night after the plane's toilets stopped working and passengers couldn't hold it any longer Ground crews rolled a stairway to the Boeing 757 so passengers could 'disembark to find relief of built-up pressures'. According to the Billings Gazette, a flight report indicated that the 757's toilets 'ceased functioning, with passengers queuing up and indicating they needed to visit the toilet'. A flight from New York City to Seattle can take about six hours. In 2015 a British Airways flight to Dubai was forced to return to London because of a foul odour emanating from an overflowing toilet Delta Air Lines isn't the only carrier to have suffered bathroom issues above the clouds. In 2015 a British Airways flight to Dubai was forced to return to London because of a foul odour emanating from an overflowing toilet. Cabin crew were unable to fix the problem and the smell became unbearable for passengers seated nearby, forcing the plane to turn around near Brussels and land at Heathrow Airport. Tory councillor Abhishek Sachdev, who was one of the passengers on the diverted British Airways plane, tweeted at the time: 'Insane! Our BA flight to Dubai returned back to Heathrow because of a smelly poo in the toilet! 15hrs until next flight.' He told MailOnline at the time: The pilot made an announcement requesting senior cabin crew, and we knew something was a bit odd. He said it was liquid faecal excrement, those are the words he used. He said its not a technical fault with the plane, and he was very adamant about that. Ryanair's scratchcards are part of a series of extras that netted the airline 1.6billion last year Double chances 'only true if your chances of winning are always 0 or you bought 0 cards' he tweeted Scientist David Robert Grimes did the calculations mid-flight then showed his work on Twitter Advertisement Flying Ryanair doesn't always add up - and now there's scientific proof of that, it's been claimed. Regular flyers will be familiar with the claims from the flight crew that buying two of the airline's scratchcards doubles your odds of winning. But a passenger, scientist David Robert Grimes, recently did the maths and claims that this couldn't be correct. Ryanair sells its scratchcards onboard their route network alongside snacks and drinks David Robert Grimes worked out that the probability of doubling your odds by buying two scratchcards wasn't correct and shared his workings on Twitter Grimes is a scientist who works at Oxford University and regularly flies with the budget airline Grimes, who has a PhD in physics, worked out the calculations on a notepad in the air and tweeted his results later, reported The Independent. He Tweeted: 'Ryanair doing 2 scratchcards for price of 1, claimed it'd double your odds of winning. I spent a good 5 minutes checking & this was only true if your chances of winning are always 0 or you bought 0 cards. This is a fine hill to die on, damn it!' He wrote on the calculations 'no dice O'Leary', referring to Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive. The scientist, who normally works on scientific research into cancer modelling at Oxford University, was flying from Dublin to Brussels Chareloi when he figured out the fib. He told MailOnline Travel: 'The claim is based on a misunderstanding of how probability works - if you flip a coin, your chances of getting a heads is 50 per cent. But it's not 100 per cent if you flip twice. The reality is that we all tend to misunderstand statistics and probability, and they can confound our intuition!' His discovery hasn't put him off flying with Ryanair, though. He added: 'I fly Ryanair all the time - and certainly an innocent mistake from an overworked cabin crew member won't change that. It's an entirely understandable error, and I was just having some fun with math pedantry to amuse myself.' Ryanair told The Independent: 'All of our 129million customers are already a winner thanks to our unbeatable low fares and our scratchcard game offers great prizes including cash, luxury cars and the chance to win 1million, while supporting charities across the UK and Europe. We also offer a bundle of seven cards for the price of five!' The sale of onboard scratchcards on the Irish budget airline was one of the issues raised by cabin crew recently. They allege that they are threatened with poor shift patterns if they fail to sell items including scratchcards, food, drink and perfume. According to The Guardian, documents reveal how much money each crew member is making and asking them to give an explanation when they fail to meet a target. If their sales fall below the strict targets, crew members are allegedly hit with unfavourable shift patterns and disciplinary measures. The budget airline raked in 1.6billion last year from more than 16 different 'extras' including baggage charges, leg room and even oxygen as well as in-flight sales. A Ryanair spokesman said: 'These claims are false. We do monitor and manage sales performance and any crew members that consistently and markedly under-perform are given time and training to improve.' Reggie Yates has been replaced by BBC Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo after resigning from Top of the Pops following 'some ill-considered remarks'. The 34-year-old TV presenter stepped down on Monday night after coming under fire for referring to music managers as the 'fat Jewish guy', which he apologised for at the time. Less than 24 hours later, it was announced that he would be replaced by Clara- the show's first new presenter in over 10 years. Scroll down for video Stepping down: Reggie Yates has resigned from Top of the Pops after making 'some ill-considered remarks' In a Twitter statement released on stepping down on Tuesday, Reggie said: 'On a recent podcast, during a discussion about grime artists, I made some ill-considered remarks which have hurt many people. 'I can see clearly that the words I used reinforced offensive stereotypes, and that there is no context which would justify such remarks. He continued: 'My comments are no reflection on how I truly feel, and I would like to apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community, people in the music industry and anyone else I have offended. Stepping into his shoes: Replacing Reggie, DJ Clara Amfo was announced as the first new Top of the Pops presenter in over 10 years 'This has been, and continues to be a huge learning experience for me, and on reflection I have taken the decision to step down from hosting Top of the Pops this year. (sic)' Reggie wrote in the caption of the tweet: 'I am stepping down from hosting Top of the Pops this year, please see below (sic)'. A BBC spokesperson said: 'We take these issues very seriously and Reggie is in no doubt about the BBC's view of his comments'. Reggie's replacement was rapidly announced for the Top of the Pops Christmas and New Year specials on BBC One screens this festive period, the next day. Resigning: The 34-year-old TV presenter previously came under fire after he referred to music managers as the 'fat Jewish guy', for which he apologised for at the time. But he has now decided to step down from hosting the show's Christmas special after admitting his comments have 'hurt many people' (Pictured with Top of the Pops co-host Fearne Cotton) Statement: In a statement released via his Twitter account, he said: 'On a recent podcast, during a discussion about grime artists, I made some ill-considered remarks which have hurt many people Clara will join Reggie's former Radio 1 counterpart Fearne Cotton to host two, one-hour specials that will celebrate the biggest hits and most successful acts of the year. Clara, who hosts Radio 1's mid-morning show on weekdays, said: 'I'm so happy and honoured to be presenting Top of the Pops alongside Fearne. 'It's an iconic show that I've grown up with and continue to enjoy watching, especially during the festive season. 2017 has been a rich year in pop and I can't wait to celebrate it with the artists, Fearne and everyone at home.' Reggie made the offending comments during an interview with DJ Chuckie Lothian in an episode of a podcast titled, #Halfcast Podcast: Take Back The Power. Comments: Reggie made the comments during an interview with DJ Chuckie Lothian in an episode of a podcast titled, #Halfcast Podcast: Take Back The Power On the show, he said: 'The thing that makes it great about this new generation of [music] artists is that they ain't signing to majors. 'They're independent, they're not managed by some random fat Jewish guy from north west London, they're managed by their brethren.' Reggie said sorry shortly afterwards, saying: 'I'm hugely apologetic for this flippant comment. Interview: On the show, he said: 'The thing that makes it great about this new generation of [music] artists is that they ain't signing to majors. 'They're independent, they're not managed by some random fat Jewish guy from north west London, they're managed by their brethren' 'It was not my intention to offend or reinforce stereotypes, but I'm aware that this could have been interpreted that way and for that I am also deeply sorry. Adding: 'What I was actually trying to say was how proud I am of the new generation of artists making their success independently on their own terms and without giving away control or their rights to major labels.' Reggie was due to co-host the Top of the Pops Christmas and New Years special with Fearne Cotton. Host: Reggie was due to co-host the Top of the Pops Christmas and New Years special with Fearne Cotton (Pictured in 2009) The presenter first got his break into the industry as an eight-year-old on Channel 4 comedy Desmonds - which ran from 1989 - 1994. However, he changed tack in 1998 when he began presenting The Disney Club and Diggit alongside pal Fearne Cotton. Before the pair presented BBC children's show Smile also. The beginning of a long-standing presenting relationship Fearne and Reggie went on to present on BBC Radio One together and Top of the Pops. Kick-start: The presenter first got his break into the industry as an eight-year-old on Channel 4 comedy Desmonds - which ran from 1989 - 1994 Career: However, he changed tack in 1998 when he began presenting The Disney Club and Diggit alongside pal Fearne Cotton. Before the pair presented BBC children's show Smile also (Pictured in 2002) In 2007, Reggie made a brief appearance the third series of Doctor Who as Leo Jones, the brother of the Doctor's time travel sidekick Martha. Back on the presenting front, he joined forces with Fearne's best pal Holly Willoughby to co-host The Voice in 2012 and 2013. And in recent years, Reggie has fronted documentaries for BBC Three, including Reggie Yates' Extreme Russia, Extreme South Africa and Extreme UK. Since 2015, he has co-presented the primetime BBC One game show Prized Apart, alongside Emma Willis. On Christmas Day, the Top of the Pops line-up will include Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, James Arthur, Clean Bandit, Rita Ora and The Script. Tara Moss is celebrating her eighth wedding anniversary with photographer husband, Berndt Sellheim. The 44-year-old former model and author took to Instagram on Wednesday to gush about her man, and mark the occasion. Sharing a stunning shot from their wedding day - taken by Samm Blake Weddings - Tara looks gorgeous in her flowing red Alex Perry wedding dress, as she cuddles her man. Scroll down for video 'Love gets better each year': Tara Moss celebrates her eighth wedding anniversary with husband Berndt Sellheim and shares stunning throwback snaps from their big day 'Happy 8th wedding anniversary, my beautiful man,' Tara wrote in the caption. She added: 'My red wedding dress was by Alex Parry and is currently in the Love Is show at the Powerhouse Museum.' Tara added hashtags including 'love gets better each year.' Candid: In another black and white shot from the day, the pair sit in a car and cuddle, with smiles on their faces Showstopping: The media personality wore a strapless dress on her wedding day, which featured a featured a fishtail skirt and frills The media personality wore a strapless dress on her wedding day, which featured a featured a fishtail skirt and frills. Tara carried a bouquet of fresh red roses and had her long blonde locks out and over her shoulders, in loose tousled curls. In another black and white shot from the day, the pair sit in a car and cuddle, with smiles on their faces. Smitten: Tara - who hails from Canada - married Berndt in 2009, and has been married twice before Suits you! Tara was previously known for her long blonde locks and tanned skin (R), but has since enjoyed a rockabilly transformation (L) In another image, the pair have their backs to the camera and walk together holding hands, underneath a rose archway. Tara - who hails from Canada - married Berndt in 2009, and has been married twice before. She and her man share one daughter together. Tara was previously known for her long blonde locks and tanned skin, but has since enjoyed a rockabilly transformation. She recently dyed her hair red and turned to sewing. Blonde bombshell Margot Robbie proved she's the full package, showcasing some amazing party tricks on Jimmy Kimmel on Monday. The Aussie starlet, 27, appeared alongside guest host Chris Pratt, who couldn't help but be impressed by the star's ability to open a beer bottle, sans bottle opener. Margot was on the show to promote her new movie I, Tonya, but the chat quickly turned towards the actress's serving skills, having picked them up while working at a Gold Coast restaurant as a teenager. Playful party tricks: Blonde bombshell Margot Robbie proved she was full of surprises on a visit to Kimmel. The actress opened beers sans bottle opener 'I started out polishing cutlery then peeling potatoes,' the actress said. 'Then by 14, I was behind the bar,' she told Pratt. 'Is that legal in Australia?' Pratt asked. 'No, it's not, Robbie replied. 'I got away with it.' Filling in for Jimmy Kimmel - whose son is currently undergoing heart surgery - Pratt gushed over the actress's beauty. 'She's the hottest Australian import since the bloomin' onion,' he told the audience, referencing a menu item on the Australian-themed casual dining chain Outback Steakhouse. Secret skills: The Aussie actress was handed the beers by show sidekick Guillermo. She said she picked-up the skills while working at a Gold Coast restaurant Life hack: Robbie told the host she worked behind a bar at age 14 New gig: Chris Pratt filled in for Jimmy Kimmel on ABC's late night show Monday as the talk show host takes time off following his baby son Billy's successful heart surgery New film: The actress was on the show to promote her new film, I, Tonya. A biopic of shamed figure skater Tonya Harding The Suicide Squad actress then went on to talk about her childhood, growing up on Australia's Gold Coast, complete with 'creepy crawly things' and snakes in the house. Meanwhile, country crooner Chris Stapleton also appeared on the show, to promote his album, The Room Vol. 2. Guest host Pratt and Stapleton preformed a 'wheel of cheesy duets' skit together, with both recreating the famous lift scene from Dirty Dancing, while singing The Time of My Life. The performance included special effects, which wowed the audiences. Can sing too: Country music star Chris Stapleton was also on the show and joined Pratt in a duet of the Dirty Dancing hit (Ive Had) The Time of My Life! Funny: The two recreated the famous scene where Patrick Swayze lifts up Jennifer Grey and twirls her around above his head thanks to a little special effects magic Also joining Pratt was his Jurassic World co-star Bryce Dallas Howard, with the pair promoting the new trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which showed Pratt cuddling up to a dinosaur. Other guest hosts this week as Kimmel spends time with this family are Tracee Elis Ross, Neil Patrick Harris and Melissa McCarthy. Look who's here: Also joining Pratt was his Jurassic World co-star Bryce Dallas Howard who helped him introduce a three-second clip from the new trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom that's set to drop on Thursday Big moment: Pratt was psyched as he came on set for the first time, fist pumping the air at the chance to host the ABC late night talk show Pratt and Howard arrived together at the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio on Hollywood Boulevard. While she changed into a black suit for her TV appearance, Howard arrived wearing a colorful floral-themed skirt paired with a black top and a casual black jacket. The daughter of Hollywood director Ron Howard was bare-legged in black ankle boots and wore her long flame-red hair loose. Celebrity guest: Howard was spotted arriving at the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles earlier in the day Stylish: The daughter of Hollywood director Ron Howard wore a colorful floral-themed skirt paired with a black top and a casual black jacket and went bare-legged in black ankle boots Hunky star: Pratt arrived for his hosting gig in an all-black ensemble and he rocked a pair of round gold-framed sunglasses Casual style: He paired a dark finely checked cotton shirt undone at the collar with black jeans Earlier in the day, Pratt arrived for the hosting gig in a dark, checked cotton shirt undone at the collar with black jeans. He paired the look with a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses. Meanwhile, Pratt confirmed to the audience during the show that Kimmel's seven-month-old son Billy had successfully undergone a second scheduled heart surgery Monday morning. The late night host is spending time with Billy and wife Molly and their three-year-old daughter Jane. Billy underwent open-heart surgery shortly after his birth in April and Kimmel spoke about his sons life-saving procedure in an emotional opening monologue on his show, describing it as 'the longest three hours of my life.' Matt Damon has a lot to smile about. The 47-year-old star was seen grinning during his arrival into Los Angeles on Tuesday after a trip to his native Massachusetts. Tuesday is also the 20 year anniversary of the release of his hit film Good Will Hunting with Ben Affleck. The duo wrote the screenplay and starred in the classic film about a janitor at M.I.T. who was a mathematical genius. Time flies: Matt Damon returns to Los Angeles on Tuesday, the same day as the 20th anniversary of the release of Good Will Hunting The Miramax film was nominated for nine Academy Awards and it won two for Best Screenplay, written by Damon and Affleck and one for Robin Williams for Best Supporting Actor. 'One of the scenes in Good Will Hunting is actually based on something that happened to my brother Kyle,' Damon said during his commencement speech at M.I.T.'s graduation in 2016. 'He was visiting a physicist we knew at M.I.T. and he was walking down the Infinite Corridor. 'He saw those blackboards that line the halls. So my brother, who is an artist, picked up some chalk and wrote an incredibly elaborate, totally fake version of an equation. And it was so cool and completely insane that no one erased it for months. This is a true story.' In blue: Damon wore a very under the radar outfit that consisted of jeans and a hoodie 'Kyle came back [to me and Ben] and he said, You guys, listen to this. They've got blackboards running down the hall [at M.I.T.] because these kids are so smart, Damon continued. 'They just need to, you know, drop everything and solve problems. It was then we knew for sure that we could never have gotten in.' Although Damon did not attend M.I.T. himself, he did attend Harvard University though he never graduated. Hit: Tuesday is also the 20 year anniversary of the release of his hit film Good Will Hunting with Ben Affleck. The duo wrote the screenplay and starred in the classic film about a janitor at M.I.T. who was a mathematical genius; here with Robin Williams Damon and Affleck became superstars after taking home their respective Oscars. The former has starred in countless films including lead roles in the Jason Bourne and Oceans Eleven films. The Cambridge native also received Academy Award nominations for his work in Invictus, The Martian and Manchester by the Sea. Who knew that all these great accolades and opportunities would follow a film that started out as a school project? Winner, Winner: Damon and Aflleck won Academy Awards in 1998 for their Good Will Hunting screenplay Up next for the father of four is the release of his newest film, Downsizing co-starring Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig. The dramedy is described as a social satire in which a guy realizes he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself. 'It's a humanistic and heartfelt movie,' Damon said about the film during TIFF. 'It's very optimistic at its end, and about the way we treat each other. We started telling stories to each other the minute we could communicate, drawing pictures on cave walls. It's the way we relate to each other and we understand each other.' His next big film: He can be seen in Downsizing, which opens in theaters on December 22 He continued, 'Movies are kind of the most technologically advanced ways we've learned to tell each other stories. I think it'll get into virtual reality and that'll be an even greater tool for empathy. As we can kind of experience things.' Downsizing opens in theaters on December 22. On Monday she gushed about landing her first Vogue Italia front cover. And on Tuesday, the fashion magazine released more fun shots of Russian model Irina Shayk from the shoot for its December Celebration issue. They included a very, very messy, black and white shot of the 31-year-old and a male model being fed a large forkful of spaghetti. Slurping it up: Sizzling Russian model Irina Shayk shows off her sexy decolletage as she shares a big forkful of spaghetti with a male model for her Vogue Italia photoshoot The pasta dribbled down past her generous cleavage, which was on full display in a very low-cut dress with, appropriately, spaghetti string straps. A second black and white shot featured her sitting at a beautifully laid table in her LBD showing off her long legs and supple back as she whipped her long, brunette tresses around. Irina was joined by Australian model Cat McNeil, 28, who showed off her long legs and her extensive back tattoos in her LBD. On the front cover, the fiancee of actor Bradley Cooper sizzled in a studded black leather mini-dress as she knelt on the table to tangle with a lobster. Dressed for dinner: A second black and white shot featured the 31-year-old and Australian model Cat McNeil, 28, sitting at a perfectly set table She shared the image on social media, telling her 17.3 million followers: 'I am beyond excited to reveal our cover! '[I'm] so [grateful] to everyone who believed in me on this journey, and to the incredibly talented @mertalas & @macpiggott for always bringing out the absolute best in me. 'Lastly to my agent @alikavoussi for always believing in me no matter what. I love you guys!' Seafood and eat it: On the front cover, released on Monday, actor Bradley Cooper's fiancee sizzled in a studded black leather mini-dress as she knelt on the table to tangle with a lobster Vogue put out two other front covers for its issue, on stands on Tuesday. One featured Irina's Russian rival, Natalia Vodianova, 35, while Cat appeared on the third cover along with Joan Smalls, 29, Anja Rubik, 34, and Jamie Bochert, 33, all in black studded panties and staggeringly high heels. Meanwhile, Irina has been dating Hollywood star Bradley Cooper, 42, since 2015 and they welcomed baby Lea in March this year. They're known for their incredible figures, building an empire thanks to their sizzling bikini snaps. And on Wednesday, Natasha Oakley's best friend and business partner Devin Brugman flaunted her assets in a plunging red bikini from their swimsuit range, Monday Swimwear. Taking to Instagram, the brunette beauty shared a snap of herself flaunting her curves after she and Natasha celebrated their work Christmas party. Scroll down for video Feeling festive! Devin Brugman puts on a VERY busty display in a plunging red bikini... as she and bestie Natasha Oakley celebrate their work Christmas Party In the snap, Devin - who hails from Hawaii - looks off camera laughing. She holds the edges of her high-waisted bikini bottoms and showcases a golden tan. Her short locks are pulled back into a high bun and she has the front layers hanging out. Besties: The brunette is always seen by business partner and pal Natasha Oakley's side Celebrating: On Wednesday, the girls enjoyed a Christmas lunch with their team after recently buying an office space in Los Angeles She appears to be wearing minimal makeup. 'When you find out the A Bikini A Day Calendars are 30% off for Christmas!' Devin wrote in part of her caption. Devin and Natasha are best known for founding their blog, A Bikini A Day, and own their own bikini and activewear line. Sizzling! Devin and Natasha are best known for founding their blog, A Bikini A Day, and own their own bikini and activewear line On Wednesday, the girls enjoyed a Christmas lunch with their team after recently buying an office space in Los Angeles. Devin and Australian-born Natasha exchanged Christmas presents, with Natasha being gifted Christolfe Paris goods. Meanwhile, Natasha gifted her best friend a new designer handbag. She's recently gone her separate ways from Love Island beau Jonny Mitchell. But Stephanie Pratt seemed relaxed and carefree as she made her way into Mayhews Tinsel and Tails gala in London on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Made In Chelsea star wowed in a floor length sparkling gown. Scroll down for video Chic: Stephanie Pratt seemed relaxed and carefree as she made her way into Mayhews Tinsel and Tails gala in London on Tuesday. The Made In Chelsea wowed in a floor length sparkling gown Showing a flash of shoulder, the star showed off her statuesque figure in the sparkling black evening gown. Tapering in around her waist, Stephanie was all smiles as she made her way into the venue in London. Letting her long blonde hair flow past her shoulders, the star wore a smattering of light makeup to highlight her natural good looks. Leash in hand, the stunning star led her adorable pooch into the canine friendly gala alongside a host of other reality TV celebs. Stunning: Showing a flash of shoulder, the star showed off her statuesque figure in the sparkling black evening gown. Tapering in around her waist, Stephanie was all smiles as she made her way into the venue in London Stephanie was flying solo after her short-lived love affair with Jonny came to an end after just three months, with claims of cheating and abuse surfacing. She had accused her ex-boyfriend of being unfaithful to her in a slew of furious tweets she shared on Monday. The reality star claimed she was forced to call the police on Sunday evening after she was said to be 'terrified' during a row with Jonny. Jonny, however, told MailOnline he was left baffled by the claims. While he has not directly addressed the cheating allegations, he did appear to hit back at claims he has been unfaithful in a recent interview where he downplayed pictures of himself with female fans that had surfaced on social media and appeared to leave Stephanie speechless. The Love Island hunk seemingly addressed those photos, claiming they are nothing new, as he spoke about the breakdown of the couple's romance during an interview on FUBAR Radio. Pals: Letting her long blonde hair flow past her shoulders, the star wore a smattering of light makeup to highlight her natural good looks.Leash in hand, the stunning star led her adorable pooch into the canine friendly gala alongside a host of other reality TV celebs He commented: 'You do find that a lot of people are out to get you. People will try and sting you - the amount of times I've had people take a selfie with me and claim they're on a night out with me. The former flames have parted ways for good following just three months in each other's charming company. The end of their relationship came shortly after sources close to the couple divulged to MailOnline that an engagement was imminent. At the time, an insider said: 'Jonny and Steph have become really close since they met and are living their lives as one. Close friends have said that an engagement is on the cards sooner than everyone thought! 'They are inseparable and are taking their first steps as a new couple, nobody saw it coming but an engagement is expected very soon. Pals: Stephanie was flying solo after her short-lived love affair with Jonny came to an end after just three months, with claims of cheating and abuse surfacing 'Who would have thought that from their different show backgrounds that they would meet and end up potentially being married. 'Love is the key to their successful relationship and you can see in their body language that they are just so into each other.' The lovebirds initially hit it off when Jonny left Love Island's Hidden Hills villa in Majorca. It was a whirlwind affair with the former flames jetting off to Croatia together within just weeks of meeting each other. It was on their sun-soaked travels they first courted attention when they were pictured smooching as they frolicked on the beach. In September, the good-looking pair then took their love story to Bali for a 10-day trip away where they shared their intimate moments with fans on Instagram. Busty! Olivia put on a racy display in a plunging blazer, which showed off her tattooed decolletage Sizzling! Boasting statement sleeves and coordinating with a pair of wide-leg trousers, she completed the ensemble with a nude pair of heels, wearing her hair in tousled waves Suave! Alex cut a dapper figure in a crisp silver shirt and well-fitted suit, holding their adorable puppy affectionately Alex Nation is a mother first and a charismatic entertainer second. And both of those traits were on display on Wednesday, in a cheeky-but-touching tribute to her son Elijah on his seventh birthday. 'You changed my sleep routine, my idea of what peace and quiet was and also my idea of what privacy on the toilet was,' she wrote on Instagram. 'You changed my life forever': Alex Nation teased son Elijah for ruining her 'sleep routine and privacy on the toilet' in cheeky tribute for his 7th birthday on Wednesday She wrote the lengthy message alongside an adorable snap of the birthday boy, who was dressed as Jack from Jack and the Bean Stalk. Standing in their front yard, Elijah flashed a beaming smile as he posed for the photo. '7 years ago today, you changed my life forever,' the tribute began. 'Privacy on the toilet': 'You changed my sleep routine, my idea of what peace and quiet was and also my idea of what privacy on the toilet was,' she wrote on Instagram Naww! After getting a cheeky jab in, the former Bachelor star took a touching turn, writing: 'Ultimately, you've shaped me and changed my life for the better' 'You changed my sleep routine, my idea of what peace and quiet was and also my idea of what privacy on the toilet was (apparently it's fine to do numbers 2's with you telling me about your day and so on).' After getting a cheeky jab in, the former Bachelor star took a touching turn, writing: 'Ultimately, you've shaped me and changed my life for the better.' 'I love you Elijah, thanks for making my heart feel like it could explode with happiness every single day.' 'I love you': She continued: 'I love you Elijah, thanks for making my heart feel like it could explode with happiness every single day' 'Ps. Can you please dress up as Jack And The Bean Stalk all the time? You look so damn cute!' Alex shares Elijah with ex-husband Joel Porter, with the pair remaining on speaking terms. Alex previously spoke with Daily Mail Australia about her positive relationship with Joel. 'Joel and I will always have love for each other because we share a beautiful child. That will never go away,' she said. Dad's day! Alex shares Elijah with ex-husband Joel Porter (pictured) with the pair remaining on speaking terms 'It was tough': Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the breakup, Alex said: 'It was tough. It wasn't hard so much on Elijah because he wasn't two yet. He didn't know and was none-the-wiser to what was going on' The pair attempted to do the right thing by their son in the early stages of their relationship - but things quickly turned sour. 'It was tough. It wasn't hard so much on Elijah because he wasn't two yet. He didn't know and was none-the-wiser to what was going on. 'But it was more heartbreaking for Joel and I because of course we wanted to do everything right.' The energetic youngster has built quite the rapport with her fiancee Maegan Luxa, the trio regularly seen spending time together. She's currently on the promotional trail for the third installment of Pitch Perfect. And despite the chilly temps in Berlin, Germany, last Thursday, Rebel Wilson made time for her fans. The 37-year-old actress, in a red plaid cape and black knee-length frock, signed autographs as she arrived for a screening of the musical comedy film. Scroll down for video She's a good sport! Rebel Wilson, 37, braved the cold in a red plaid cape and signed autographs for fans, at a screening of Pitch Perfect 3 in Berlin, Germany, last Thursday Rebel cut a chic figure in a black knee-length frock teamed with a red plaid cape. The Sydney-born actress accessorised with black pointy-toed kitten heels. Her blonde locks styled in soft waves with a sleek fringe, Rebel's makeup palette consisted of a matte complexion, defined brows, a false set of lashes and a glossy nude lip. Looking good: The Sydney-born actress cut a chic figure in a black knee-length frock teamed with a red plaid cape Details: The cape featured button detailing at the stitching Making her way to the Cubix Cinema, the Bridesmaids star acknowledged her fans that had camped outside. Rebel who was accompanied by a small entourage, signed posters with her face emblazoned on the front. She also appeared to engage in lighthearted conversation with her appreciative followers. Beauty: Rebel's blonde locks were styled in soft waves, and her makeup palette consisted of a matte complexion, defined brows, a false set of lashes and a glossy nude lip Approachable: Upon arriving at the Cubix Cinema, the Bridesmaids star appeared to engage in lighthearted conversation with her fans The sighting comes after Rebel told Yahoo 7Be that she's not as genetically blessed as her Pitch Perfect 3 co-stars - Brittany Snow, Ruby Rose, Hailee Steinfeld and Anna Kendrick. 'Everyone is so different looking and I think that's great but I think all the girls (I'll take myself out) they're so beautiful and they're all so gorgeous,' she told the outlet. Rebel went on to fawn over the ensemble adding that their beauty is not just on the outside. 'They all have a light that shines through and I think that's why we have so much fun working together, because they're beautiful inside and out.' Candid comments: The sighting comes after Rebel told Yahoo 7Be that she's not as genetically blessed as her Pitch Perfect 3 co-stars - Brittany Snow (second left), Ruby Rose (second right), Hailee Steinfeld and Anna Kendrick Paris Jackson is in Paris, France, and on Tuesday she posted a cryptic Instagram from outside the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the center of the city. The daughter of the late Michael Jackson shared a photo showing her holding up a handwritten note on lined paper that read: 'I love you always' and a smiley face. Paris, 19, wrote in the caption: 'when i get the downs i look at dis (sic).' 'when i get the downs i look at dis': Paris Jackson is in Paris, France, and on Tuesday she posted a cryptic Instagram from outside the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the center of the city Paris doesn't give any clue as to who wrote the note. However, she followed it up a few hours later with another post in which she's seen in what appears to be a throwback snap as she had dark hair instead of her current blonde locks. Paris is pictured in profile holding what looks to be a black sweater to her face with the caption: 'this ones for you devin rip i think of you every day (sic).' On November 5, she had shared on social media that her close friend Devin Freeman had passed away. She wrote a touching tribute to her friend on Instagram and also tweeted: 'why the f*** do people keep dying?' Remembering: The teen followed it up a few hours later with another post in which she's seen holding what looks to be a black sweater to her face with the caption: 'this ones for you devin rip i think of you every day (sic).' Her close pal Devin Freeman passed away lastmonth The teen, who split from her longtime boyfriend Michael Snoddy back in February, has been spending time in France where she's been photographed busking in the streets and climbing lampposts. She's shared several photos to her Instagram from the French capital since mid-November. Some also have cryptic captions including a selfie in which she's pulling a face and she writes: 'in the back of my mind everything seems fine you go your way i go mine (sic).' Getaway: The daughter of the late Michael Jackson has been in France since mid-Novemebr and has been photographed backpacking, busking in the streets and climbing lampposts Paris also met up with her godfather Macaulay Culkin, 37. The two were spotted smoking cigarettes outside a estaurant where they had dinner with the actor's girlfriend Brenda Strong Paris has also spent time in with her godfather Macaulay Culkin going to dinner with him and his girlfriend Brenda Strong. She and the Home Alone star were spotted smoking cigarettes outside the ritzy eatery. In early November, Paris had been in Australia to attend the Melbourne Cup and got dubbed 'Wacko Jacko 2.0' by the Herald Sun who published a photo of her licking a window inside a marquee. Taking to Twitter, Paris vented her frustrations blasting the article authors as 'f****n' cowards. bet you don't have the balls to call me that to my face.' She added: 'i couldn't care less what they call me tbh but adding the "2.0" is their way of dragging my father into it and THAT i will not stand for.' The 19-year-old is one of three children of the King of Pop. She has a brother Prince, 20, to whom she is very close; they share the same mother Debbie Rowe. She also has a younger brother Prince Michael II - known as Blanket - who is 15. She has found herself at the centre of rumours she is 'still secretly dating' her ex-boyfriend James Middleton while starring on I'm A Celebrity. But in Tuesday night's episode of the much-loved reality series, Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo confirmed her split from her ex in a candid conversation with Vanessa White, where she blamed her jam-packed working schedule for their break up. The Made In Chelsea star, 23, confessed that her confidence has been seriously knocked following the breakdown of her relationship, as she confessed she had thought about spending the rest of her life with ex James. Scroll down for video All over: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo confirmed her split from her ex James Middleton in a candid conversation with Vanessa White on Tuesday's episode of I'm A Celebrity In an emotional heart-to-heart, Toff addressed her split with James, as she told new BFF Vanessa that she now has no plans for New Year, as she was meant to be jetting off to South Africa with her former love. Asked how she was feeling about the split, Toff said: 'I've thought about it, obviously, but I wanted to use this time to get my confidence back up.' The blonde beauty admitted her self-esteem has taken a knock since the break up and she doesn't feel like herself any more. In the honest chat, Vanessa had spoken about her split with her ex-boyfriend of six years Gary Salter, where she confessed her indecisiveness had split up the couple, as she wasn't sure she wanted to 'be with him forever'. Her comment prompted Toff to reply that she felt like she had met somebody she could see a future with, adding that her relationship with James had been 'great'. Smitten: The Made In Chelsea star, 23, confessed that her confidence has been seriously knocked following the breakdown of her relationship, as she confessed she had thought about spending the rest of her life with ex James Candid: Asked how she was feeling about the split, Toff said: 'I've thought about it, obviously, but I wanted to use this time to get my confidence back up.' 'But then it just went wrong,' she confessed. 'Maybe I work too much?' At that, Vanessa told Toff that she shouldn't blame herself for things not working on, with her co-star agreeing: 'It literally happened just straight before here. 'I want my confidence to come back, I want to be who I was before.' Toff's comments come as confirmation that she and James are no longer together, despite rumours claiming the pair had been dating in secret while she is starring on I'm A Celebrity. It was claimed friends of the reality star belived she was 'still in a relationship' despite claiming otherwise on her jungle entrance. Tough: The blonde beauty admitted her self-esteem has taken a knock since the break up and she doesn't feel like herself any more. Boosting her self-esteem: Toff said: 'I want my confidence to come back, I want to be who I was before' According to new reports, friends of the reality star believe they are secretly still in a relationship while she's in the jungle. A source had told The Sun that pals consider the pair to still be together and she plans to go public with James after her stint in the jungle, after which he may also join her reality show Made In Chelsea. 'She split from James after discovering that he cheated on her with a PR girl,' the insider side. 'She bears a striking resemblance to her. 'James really messed her around when they were together so she went ahead and did [reality show] Celebs Go Dating as a single woman. 'But it wasn't long before they got back together again and they're still in a relationship now, even with Georgia being in the jungle.' Short-lived: Just over a month ago, Toff had revealed her happiness at reuniting with ex-beau James, revealing that he had re-connected with her and asked her out A representative for Georgia Toffolo has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Georgia spoke briefly about her tendency to 'carry on as normal' when she had a man in her life, saying she could be 'selfish' in relationships. The beauty told The Mirror: 'The way I am makes it difficult for guys; I do my own thing the whole time, I'm so independent. If there's someone else in my life I often forget and carry on as normal. 'I go out every night, I go for dinner with my friends, so I find it hard to think about another person. It's selfish, but I'm having so much fun concentrating on myself, so maybe that's part of the problem.' Hitting it off: Georgia seemed to initially hit it off with YouTuber Jack Maynard, but he was removed from the ITV show after three days when his old Twitter and Facebook messages sparked outrage Dating scene: Georgia recently admitted that she tends to be 'selfish' in relationships, and carry on as normal During her pre-show interviews, she also seemed to hint at finding new love in the jungle, with singletons Jack Maynard, 22 and Jamie Lomas, 42. Commenting on the 'obscene' number of bikinis she'd packed, the blonde confessed to one publication: 'I don't know whether I'm that sexy, but you've got to shower, haven't you?' She seemed to initially hit it off with YouTuber Jack, yet the 22-year-old was ejected from the jungle after three days, following a scandal surrounding resurfaced tweets featuring homophobic and racist slurs. He was also accused of messaging a 14-year-old girl inappropriately when he was 16, via Facebook Messenger. She's a busy as ever with films Darkest Hour and The Party out in 2017 and a slew of new projects in the pipeline for 2018. And Kristin Scott Thomas, 57, admitted to the latest edition of British Vogue that she is back after deciding to take a break from the movie industry for three years. The British actress, who dazzles in a sweeping silk dress for Edward Enninful's latest edition of the glossy magazine, admitted she had an epiphany when she realised it was time for a temporary break from the relentless filming schedule. Scroll down for video 'This is the last f***ing film': Kristin Scott Thomas, 57, made a defiant to return to Hollywood after she got 'fed up' with filming three years ago She explained: 'Id just had it this is the last f**king film, this is the last f**king time. Its the way I earn my living, you know. 'You put one foot in front of the other, you keep going, you just plod through. And I did plod through a lot of them and got into a sort of a lull.' The award winning actress is making a memorable comeback as Winston Churchill's wife Clementine in Darkest Hour. She's back! The award winning actress is making a memorable comeback as Winston Churchill's wife Clementine in Darkest Hour It transports viewers back to the early days of World War II where the fate of Western Europe hangs on the shoulders of the newly appointed British Prime Minister. Churchill (Gary Oldman) must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler or to fight against the odds. Kristin is also starring as the leading lady in The Party, which charts the story of a woman who hosts a party to celebrate her promotion but everything isn't all it seems. Wow: Kristin has been out promoting her latest movie Darkest Hour in New York (pictured in November 2017) Storytelling: It transports viewers back to the early days of World War II where the fate of Western Europe hangs on the shoulders of the newly appointed British Prime Minister Now she is filming Au bout des doigts and signed up for Paramour as well as landing a role in the highly anticipated flick Tomb Raider alongside Alicia Vikander. The BAFTA star has fallen in and out of love with the movie business during her stellar career spanning more than 40 years. After finding success with The Horse Whisperer and Random Hearts, she took a break from the big screen to raise her three children: Hannah, Joseph and George. Movie sensation: Now she is filming Au bout des doigts and signed up for Paramour as well as landing a role in the highly anticipated flick Tomb Raider alongside Alicia Vikander Read all about it: Catch the full interview in the January issue of Vogue, on sale Friday She shared her children with her ex-husband Francois Olivennes. Kristin explained women become 'invisible' after they reach a certain time in their life. 'Its quite nice being 57. I mean, believe me, some of it isnt. Having tendonitis isnt nice. Or being the invisible woman,' she added. 'I can turn it on and off, but if Im not paying attention, if I havent decided to turn it on, then I just disappear. Sometimes it quite depresses me. It is such a weird feeling and its quite traumatic when you first have to deal with it.' See the full shoot in the January issue of Vogue on sale Friday. Blast from the past! The BAFTA star (pictured in May 2017, Cannes) has fallen in and out of love with the movie business during her stellar career spanning more than 40 years Naya Rivera has filed for divorce from Ryan Dorsey - just 10 days after her arrest for domestic battery against her husband. The 30-year-old actress, who has been married to Ryan, 34, for three years, is citing irreconcilable differences in the filing, according to TMZ. She is asking for joint custody of their two-year-old son Josey and wants the court to deny spousal support for both parties. Over for good? Naya Rivera has filed for divorce from husband Ryan Dorsey following her arrest for domestic battery on November 25 The former Glee star has enlisted the services of power lawyer Laura Wasser, whose client list has included stars Ryan Reynolds, Heidi Klum, Ashton Kutcher and Christina Aguilera. TMZ also reports that Naya has listed the date of their separation as November 24, the day before the alleged assault. The Devious Maids actress previously filed for divorce in November 2016 but the couple appeared to have reconciled when they called off the separation in October this year. Naya was arrested in West Virginia on November 25 after Ryan called police and alleged Naya hit him over the head during an argument over their son. The 30-year-old actress was pictured out in Los Angeles last week just days after her arrest for allegedly hitting Ryan, after an argument about their son The Glee star is seen in her mugshot on November 25 after being arrested in West Virginia after the altercation In a 911 call obtained by TMZ last week, Ryan sounds frightened as he tells authorities: 'There's a domestic dispute. I just need a police officer. My wife's out of control. She's getting physical.' The actor was out of breath on the call and came off as frantic before telling police Naya had been drinking and they were fighting over their son, Josey, when she hit him twice causing his lip to tear. The Sorry singers bail was set for $1,000 and she was picked up from the courthouse later that evening by her father-in-law. The Pitch actor broke his silence about the incident last week on Twitter. The actress is asking for joint custody of their two-year-old son Josey and wants the court to block spousal support for either party. She has enlisted the services of divorce lawyer Laura Wasser He told his followers his family's affairs were 'not some reality show' and that they deserve 'kindness, respect, without judgment.' His full statement read: 'This is a difficult time for everyone in the family especially for Naya and I. 'This isnt some reality show, this is our life, and I ask that everyone especially "the media" please respect our privacy and treat us/this situation how you would want a loved one to be treated. 'Perhaps with kindness, respect, without judgement, and as negative a situation like this is, with positivity and love. Thanks.' The duo married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on July 19, 2014 three months after Naya ended her engagement to Big Sean. She recently returned from ruling the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China. And Bella Hadid, 21, looked ravishing in a silky yellow dress for the grand opening of the Bulgari Dubai Resort in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday evening. The supermodel was joined by actress Alicia Vikander, 29, who stunned in a romantic rosy low-high lacy frock for the star-studded affair. Scroll down for video Mellow: Bella Hadid, 21, looked ravishing in a silky yellow dress for the grand opening of the Bulgari Dubai Resort in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday evening Bella seemed to be bra-less in the high neckline dress which featured a deep opening across her chest. The sweeping frock billowed down to her ankles to reveal a golden pair of heels that laced up to her calves. She added a small silver chain belt to her hips which highlighted her supremely slender waistline. Pretty in pink: The supermodel was joined by actress Alicia Vikander, 29, who stunned in a romantic rosy low-high lacy frock for the star-studded affair. Star power: Bella seemed to be bra-less in the high neckline dress which featured a deep opening across her chest while Lena Perminova opted for a see-through sequined pantsuit Alicia Vikander showed off her fantastic form in a darling pink dress with a unique high-low lacy hem. Her toned and tanned arms were on display with delicate cap sleeves hugging her shoulders. The Danish Girl starlet added a pair of matching satin heels and accessorized with a sparkling diamond necklace to match an ornate bracelet. Take a seat: The sweeping frock billowed down to her ankles to reveal a golden pair of heels that laced up to her calves Handsome: Jon Kortajarena looked dapper in grey trousers and a white blazer Just one kiss: The Spanish model stole a kiss from Bella Lena Perminova sparkled at the event in a matching three-piece pantsuit which included a glittering sequined bra. Jon Kortajarena looked dapper in grey trousers and a white blazer next to Alicia before stealing a kiss from Bella. Jasmine Sanders rocked a bright orange kaftan with golden embellishments lining her chest and a thigh-high slit in the hem. Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin wore a pair of winter white trousers with a navy blue blazer alongside Diala Makki in a gorgeous white dress. Sweet: Jasmine Sanders rocked a bright orange kaftan with golden embellishments lining her chest and a thigh-high slit in the hem She's best known for playing girl next door Whitney Dean in EastEnders. And Shona McGarty was a far cry from her casually-clad alter-ego when she attended the Christmas with the Stars annual concert, in aid of blood cancer research charity Bloodwise, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The soap star, 26, looked impossibly elegant as she cosied up to Barbara Windsor at the star-studded event on Tuesday night. Scroll down for video Dynamic duo: Shona McGarty joined forces with Barbara Windsor at the Christmas with the Stars annual concert, in aid of blood cancer research charity Bloodwise, at the Royal Albert Hall in London Looking good: The soap star, 26, looked impossibly elegant in her elegant dress, which boasted ruffle detailing Shona wowed in her pretty dress, which featured a floor-skimming train and ruffle detailing. She wore her auburn locks coiffed in a glamorous up do and set off her look with drop earrings. Meanwhile, TV legend Barbara looked stylish in a navy dress with semi-sheer panels and a skater skirt cut. Chic: TV legend Barbara looked stylish in a navy dress with semi-sheer panels and a skater skirt cut Date nightL Duncan Bannatyne and his wife Nigora Whitehorn were in attendance Blonde beauties: Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace (left) and Nadia Essex (right) partied Making a statement: Former Big Brother star Nikki Grahame dazzled in glittering grey On the red carpet: Former Strictly star Chizzy Akudolu put in an appearance Last week, viewers saw Whitney Dean planning to start a new life in Spain with Woody Woodward. But Shona's character was left heartbroken when Woody, played by Lee Ryan, did not turn up, leaving her waiting at Walford East Station. And keen fans soon noticed what they branded a continuation error, with the scene appearing to switch from night to day within minutes. Oops! Whitney, played by Shona, was left heartbroken when Woody, played by Lee Ryan, did not turn up, leaving her waiting at Walford East Station last week As Whitney strolled out of the station with her suitcase, the scene appeared to be at night- with the station's name lit up. However just a few steps later, as Whitney desperately attempted to call Woody, the scene appeared to have been filmed in bright daylight. And eagle-eyed viewers were quick to spot the apparent gaffe, taking to Twitter to point out the unexpected change. Awks! Keen fans soon noticed what they branded a continuation error, with the scene appearing to from night to day within minutes Weird! Just a few steps later, as Whitney desperately attempted to call Woody, the scene appeared to have been filmed in bright daylight 'Did Whitney wait all night? Was dark when Stacey left her... daylight when she found the note #EastEnders', one fan joked. Another added: 'Did anyone else notice the fact that when Stacey was leaving the tube station after saying goodbye to Whitney one minute it was daylight, next it was going dark then hey presto daylight again #EastEnders'. And one light-hearted viewer added: 'Poor Whitney but at least she's discovered the ability. Day to night to day again #eastenders'. Friend in need! Whitney said her farewells to Stacey Slater as she waited for Woody 'Did Whitney wait all night? Was dark when Stacey left her... daylight when she found the note #EastEnders', one fan joked MailOnline has contacted Eastenders representatives for comment. The episode saw an excited Whitney looking forward to starting a new life with Woody in Spain. However her flame failed to turn up, leaving the heartbroken brunette waiting at the station, desperately trying to get through to him. But Woody had already disappeared, instead leaving her a note instead telling her she would be better off in the UK. Mariah Carey headed to her Christmas concert in New York Tuesday in another figure-hugging ensemble. The superstar songstress, 47, stepped out in ripped skinny jeans and over-the-knee lace-up black boots. She poured her bosom into a thin white t-shirt under a black leather biker jacket. She's off: Mariah Carey leaned on a male assistant for support as she headed to her Christmas concert in New York Tuesday in another figure-hugging ensemble and towering heels Mariah wore a jaunty peaked cap and large sunglasses and as usual, held onto a male assistant for support as she navigated the sidewalk to her waiting vehicle. She sported glossy red lips and heavily rouged cheeks and accessorized with large hoop earrings. The hitmaker was also accompanied by her backup dancer and boyfriend Bryan Tanaka. Ready to perform: The superstar, 47, wore a jaunty peaked cap and large sunglasses. She sported glossy red lips and heavily rouged cheeks and accessorized with large hoop earrings Figure-hugging ensemble: Mariah stepped out in ripped skinny jeans and over-the-knee lace-up black boots paired with a thin white t-shirt under a black leather biker jacket Inseparable: The hitmaker was also accompanied by her backup dancer and boyfriend Bryan Tanaka Meanwhile, Mariah has been getting into the Christmas spirit with her six-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon. On Sunday, she and Tanaka helped the twins pick out and decorate a tree and shared the snaps to her social media platforms. Traditionally, she spends Christmas Day itself in the tony ski resort of Aspen, Colorado. She has long had a keen eye for style, even starting up her own fashion brand Draper James a couple of years ago. And this Tuesday, Reese Witherspoon was photographed in two different outfits while out and about in Los Angeles. The Oscar-winning 41-year-old was, at one point, glimpsed teaming a navy miniskirt with Draper James' $165 Love Birds Peplum Sleeve Top. Scroll down for video Gal on the go: This Tuesday, Reese Witherspoon was photographed in two different outfits while out and about in Los Angeles That skirt outfit included a jet black pair of ankle-strap platform heels, plus a sleek black purse slung from her left forearm. Her other ensemble featured a cozy Bow & Drape grey sweatshirt with the phrase: 'living my best life' scrawled across the front of it in cursive. Letting her blonde hair down, she wore a pair of butterfly sunglasses and charcoal leggings, as well as black and white shoes and a navy backpack. When she was in that sweater look, she was seen ambling along beside a female friend who held a beverage in a clear, plastic lidded cup. Cheery message: One ensemble featured a cozy Bow & Drape grey sweatshirt with the phrase: 'living my best life' scrawled across the front of it in cursive Since 2011, Reese has been married to talent agent Jim Toth, by whom she has a five-year-old son called Tennessee, the youngest of her three children. From 1999 to 2007, Reese was married to her Cruel Intentions star Ryan Phillippe, by whom she had her elder two children - daughter Ava, 18, and son Deacon, 14. Recently - that is to say, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend - Reese was visiting Paris for this year's edition of the annual Bal des debutantes. She and Jim were photographed arriving to the event, where Ava was debuting. The look: Letting her blonde hair down, she wore a pair of butterfly sunglasses and charcoal leggings, as well as black and white shoes and a navy backpack Padmanabh Singh was Ava's cavalier at the iconic ball, where she was decked out in a long-sleeved gold Giambattista Valli gown. The 19-year-old Padmanabh is unofficially known as Jaipur's Maharajah, although Indian royalty was legally abolished under Indira Gandhi's government in the 1970s. As Vanity Fair reported while announcing Ava as a debutante, the exclusive fete was held held at the iconic Peninsula Paris in the 16th arrondissement. In previous years, le Bal has according to its website introduced a stunning variety of debutantes ranging from Princess Fawzia-Latifa, daughter of the deposed last King Of Egypt, to Scout and Tallulah Willis, daughters of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. Julia Roberts was all smiles as she started work on her new motion picture in Westchester County, New York, on Tuesday. The Hollywood star, 50, was snapped in costume outside a single family home as principal photography began on the drama Ben Is Back. The Pretty Woman stunner is playing the mother of the titular Ben, played by Lucas Hedges, in the film written and directed by Lucas's father Peter Hedges. On set: Julia Roberts was all smiles as she started work on her new motion picture in Westchester County, New York, on Tuesday Julia was dressed in blue jeans and a long olive green winter coat. She wore a large gray kitted hat over her long hair and had a checked scarf wrapped around her neck. She was seen in character welcoming Hedges back to the family home that had a holiday wreath on its red front door. She put her hands to his head to push back his blue hoodie before pulling him close for a warm hug. In character: The actress, 50, was dressed in blue jeans and olive green winter coat. She wore a large gray kitted hat over her long hair and had a checked scarf wrapped around her neck Mature role: The Pretty Woman stunner is playing the mother of the titular Ben, played by Lucas Hedges, in the film written and directed by Lucas's father Peter Hedges Greeting: She was seen in character welcoming Hedges, 20, back to the family home that had a holiday wreath on its red front door Home for the holidays: She put her hands to his head to push back his blue hoodie before pulling him close for a warm hug Lucas, 20, had on baggy jeans and a winter jacket over his hoodie. The young actor was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar this year for his performance opposite Casey Affleck in Manchester By The Sea. His first acting role was in his father's 2007 movie Dan In Real Life. Big role: Lucas, 20, who was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in Manchester By The Sea, had on baggy jeans and a winter jacket over his hoodie Supporting cast: Joining Julia and Lucas in the scene were two young children also dressed in warm winter clothing who play Julia's younger son and daughter in the family drama Reunion: The story revolves around the 'charming yet troubled' Ben who returns home to surprise his mother on Christmas Eve Dramatic plot: Ben's homecoming turns out to be problematic after his mother soon realizes her son remains in harms way Joining Julia and Lucas in the scene were two young children also dressed in warm winter clothing who play Julia's younger son and daughter. The story revolves around Lucas's Ben who is described as 'a charming yet troubled man who returns home to his unsuspecting family on Christmas Eve,' according to Variety. The trade publication adds that Julia welcomes her beloved son back to the family 'but soon learns that he is still very much in harms way'. Variety reported Tuesday that Courtney B. Vance has been cast to play Julia's husband and Lucas's step-father in the film. On location: Julia and Lucas were seen waiting for cameras to roll alongside some crew members at the shoot in Westchester County in upstate New York Just getting going: Variety reported Tuesday that Courtney B. Vance has been cast to play Julia's husband and Lucas's step-father in the film He's the Australian 'It' model who is not afraid of showing off his chiseled good looks. And it seems Jordan Barrett is up to his old tricks again, taking to Instagram to show his legions of fans his enviable physique. The 21-year-old posted a snap of himself posing topless for the camera on a balcony. He's not shy! 'It' model Jordan Barrett shows off his enviable physique in another topless snap after celebrating his 21st birthday In the filtered image, he wears a denim jeans hanging off his hips, a pair of black rimmed glasses and a watch. Jordan captioned the post: 'Bye Hitch hiked my way across the USA,' which fans loved, including one who wrote, 'Damnnnn Jordan!!!!' Another commented: 'K stop. Girls are dying out there.' It comes after the male model celebrated his 21st birthday in very low key fashion. Birthday boy! Jordan celebrated his 21st birthday in very low key fashion only days ago. He shared a flashback image of himself at Burning Man in Black Rock Desert, Nevada Going topless: Jordan recently stripped down to a towel for his 669,000 fans He took to Instagram to share a flashback image of himself at Burning Man in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Jordan caption his post: '** FINALLY LEGAL. 21 FIRST TIME #VIRGIN Reincarnated.' His friends and family immediately wished him a happy birthday, including socialite Paris Hilton and model Caroline Daur. Jordan's appeal also lies beyond the catwalk, having been linked to the likes of 'it' girls Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, Sofia Richie and Megan Blake Irwin. Advertisement She's never been known to put a foot wrong on the red carpet. And on Wednesday, Erin Holland did not disappoint as she led the star arrivals at the annual AACTA Awards in Sydney. The 28-year-old showed off her toned back in a vibrant frock with a strategic cut-out. Red hot! Erin Holland, 28, showed off her toned back in a statement frock as she led the star arrivals at the AACTA Awards in Sydney on Wednesday All eyes were on Erin as she showed off her best angles on the red carpet. A red silk frock with a dramatic train featured a large cut-out, drawing attention to her toned back, while strappy heels elongated her already statuesque frame. Sweeping her brunette locks into a sleek topknot, the former beauty pageant titleholder accessorised with delicate stud earrings. Erin finished off the look with a luminous complexion, defined brows, a subtle smoky eye and a matte nude lip. Trim and terrific: The former beauty pageant titleholder opted for a red silk frock that skimmed over her svelte figure Showing off her best angles: Turning for the camera, Erin showed off her toned back with the frock's strategic cut-out Beauty: The singer swept her brunette locks into a sleek topknot and accessorised with delicate stud earrings Friendly: Erin engaged in friendly conversation with a photographer Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew followed on with the bold memo, donning a Bianca Spender number. Taking on a Grecian feel, the 34-year-old's orange gown draped predominately over one shoulder, cinching in at the waist and flaring out from the knees. Black strappy heels, delicate silver drop earrings and her engagement ring tied in nicely, and her blonde locks were styled loosely at the nape of the neck. Beaming for the cameras, Edwina enhanced her pretty facial features with a dewy foundation, lashings of mascara and a glossy lip. Vibrant: Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew, 34, followed on with the bold memo, donning an orange Bianca Spender number Details: Taking on a Grecian feel, the journalist's frock draped predominately over one shoulder, cinching in at the waist and flaring out from the knees Work duties: Edwina was pictured on the red carpet alongside The Daily Telegraph's Jonathon Moran Stunning: E! presenter Ksenija Lukich, 27, opted for a red one shoulder frock by famed Australian designer Toni Maticevski E! presenter Ksenija Lukich wore a red one-shoulder frock by famed Australian designer Toni Maticevski. The bodice accentuated her lithe arms and slender waist, while flaring of fabric from the hips down provided a dramatic touch. Strappy black heels, statement drop earrings and midi-rings worked as accessories. Slender: The bodice accentuated the journalist's lithe arms and slender waist, while flaring of fabric from the hips down provided a dramatic touch Jewels: Statement drop earrings and midi-rings worked as accessories Putting her best foot forward: Holding onto the frock's fabric, Ksenija showed off her strappy black heels In profile: Her brunette tresses were styled into a tight chignon at the nape of the neck, and celebrity makeup artist Max May placed focus on Ksenija's striking eyes, opting for a burnt orange shadow and lashings of mascara. A complementing matte lip tied in with the glamorous makeup palette Equipped: Ksenija came prepared with an umbrella Her brunette tresses were styled into a tight chignon at the nape of the neck, and celebrity makeup artist Max May placed focus on Ksenija's striking eyes, opting for a burnt orange shadow and lashings of mascara. A complementing matte lip tied in with the glamorous makeup palette. Wentworth's Danielle Cormack, 46, took the plunge in a burgundy gown, with a sheer panel emphasising her cleavage. Taking the plunge: Wentworth's Danielle Cormack, 46, took the plunge in a burgundy gown, a sheer panel emphasising her cleavage Side-on: Ruffle detailing added an extra wow factor, which the actress worked to her full advantage Quick readjustment: The brunette grabbed hold of her train, revealing her black platform heels Darker hue: Meanwhile The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk, 37, went for a contrasting hue, donning a black bustier-style number Getting swept up: The reality star styled her signature fair locks into a topknot with wavy strands framing her face Meanwhile The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk, 37, went for a contrasting hue, donning a black bustier-style number. The reality star styled her signature fair locks into a topknot with wavy strands framing her face. Shaynna Blaze of The Block also kept with a dark hue, pouring her curves into a navy strapless number. Her locks swept into a elegant do, the 54-year-old accessorised with feather-inspired drop earrings and statement rings. In a similar vein was The Real Housewives of Sydney's Melissa Tkautz, 43, who looked sensational in a semi-sheer black frock that highlighted her cleavage. Makeup palette: Sophie's beauty look consisted of a bronzed complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a matte pink lip Going to the beat of her own drum: Meanwhile The Block's Shaynna Blaze, 54, went for a contrasting hue, pouring her curves into a navy strapless number Playful: The presenter pulled an animated expression for the camera Sensational: In a similar vein was The Real Housewives of Sydney's Melissa Tkautz, 43, who looked sensational in a semi-sheer black frock that highlighted her cleavage Sheer-daring: The socialite drew attention to her lean legs with the frock's semi-sheer fabric The former actress carried her belongings in a coordinated clutch and elongated her frame with black stilettos. Actress Alison McGirr went down a different route, sporting a forest green frock. A plunging neckline highlighted her delicate decolletage, and a thigh split offered a glimpse of her toned legs. Winners & Losers star Jana Wilkes also opted for green, posing on the red carpet in a sleeveless textured gown with a hem of varying lengths. Making them green with envy: Meanwhile actress Alison McGirr (L) went down a different route, sporting a forest green frock, alongside Winners & Losers star Jana Wilkes (R) who posed on the red carpet in a sleeveless textured gown with a hem of varying lengths Making a statement was Emma Booth who dazzled in a sparkly silver gown with a plunging neckline. The silver number also featured a daring knee-high split which showed off the actress' strappy heels in a similar shade. To complement her loosely wave hair, the former Underbelly star went for a light dusting of copper eye shadow teamed with a nude lip. Stand-out stunner: Emma Booth dazzled in a sparkly silver gown with a plunging neckline and daring thigh split Also taking the plunge was A Place To Call Home's Abby Earl who opted for a very low-cut all-white jumpsuit. The blonde bombshell dared to bare in the racy ensemble which flashed her decolletage and added a silver clutch. Accessorising the look, the actress chose gold earrings, while a thin chain necklace and pendant draped delicately across her cleavage. Taking the plunge! A Place To Call Home's Abby Earl opted for a very low-cut all-white jumpsuit Meanwhile, Penny McNamee was a goddess in green as she also flaunted some skin with a dress featuring a risque thigh split. The Home And Away stunner donned an off-the-shoulder pastel frock with lace bodice detailing and a hemline that dropped to the floor. Penny looked sleek and stylish as she wore her light brown locks loosely waved and added a silver clutch to complement the outfit. Goddess in green: Home And Away actress Penny McNamee flashed some skin in an off-the-shoulder pastel frock featuring a risque thigh split and lace detailing in the bodice Bringing Hollywood glitz and glam to the red carpet was 800 Words star Melina Vidler who effused elegance in a gorgeous gold gown. The blonde beauty put on a performance, twirling and twisting so the full effect of the floor-skimming hemline could be realised. Posing for photographers, the glowing star showed off her toned figure with the backless cut-out section, while the low-cut neckline emphasised her assets. Putting on a performance! Melina Vidler twirled and twisted so that the full effect of her dazzling gold gown could be realised Daring to bare: The backless cut-out section and plunging neckline showed off the 800 Words star's enviable figure Beautiful: The 800 Words star brought glitz and glamour to the red carpet with her choice of outfit If you've got it, flaunt it: Posing for photographers, the glowing star showed off her toned figure in the stunning dress Putting on a busty display was Natalie Bassingthwaighte in a slinky dusty pink number which clung to her curves in all the right places. The singer and actress' dress featured a sheer chiffon sleeve on one side and black ribbon bows - one pinned to her hip and the other wrapped around her wrist. Adorning Natalie's fingers were several sparkling rings and the star topped off her attire by incorporating bold winged eyeliner into her make up palette. Beautiful: Putting on a busty display was Natalie Bassingthwaighte in a slinky dusty pink number which clung to her curves in all the right places Clearly enjoying their time together on the red carpet were Simon Baker and his wife Rebecca Rigg who were snapped laughing animatedly, with their eyes fixated on one another. The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other as they happily posed for photos, with Rebecca selecting a pale pink figure-hugging number matched with black heels. Meanwhile, the former Mentalist actor looked dapper in a well-fitted designer suit and tinted glasses. In stitches! Clearly enjoying their time together on the red carpet were Simon Baker and his wife Rebecca Rigg who were snapped laughing animatedly at the event Couple goals! Rebecca radiated beauty in a figure-hugging pink ensemble while Simon looked dapper in a designer suit Happy days! The good-looking couple were all smiles as they were photographed on the red carpet Also seemingly enjoying a date night at the AACTAs were Rove McManus and Tasma Walton. The former talk show host went for a dashing velvet blazer and accessorised with a bow tie. But it was Cleverman star Tasma who really wowed in the style stakes, showcasing her figure in a strapless black number which featured a sheer skirt and floral pattern. Date night: Rove McManus (right) attended the event with wife Tasma Walton (left) who wowed in strapless black number which featured a sheer skirt and floral pattern Suiting up! Rove opted for a velvet blazer and accessorised with a bow tie A beauty in black at the prestigious event was The Voice alum Prinnie Stevens, who was dressed in a spaghetti strap number which emphasized the brunette's svelte figure. The singer tied her locks back in a tight and high ponytail, leaving her statement earrings to do the talking. Also opting for the same shade was A-list actress Rachel Griffiths who wore a demure black ensemble with sheer sleeves and a circular pattern. Rachel's frock was cinched at the waist with black ribbon and shiny black heels pulled the look together. Delightful: Prinnie Stevens was a beauty in black as she chose a spaghetti strap number which emphasized her svelte figure All-black attire: Also opting for the shade was Rachel Griffiths, who wore a demure black ensemble with sheer sleeves and a circular pattern Pulling it off! The actress' dress was cinched at the waist by a black ribbon while heels in the same hue completed the outfit Continuing the theme of the night was Janet King leading lady Marta Dusseldorp, who provided a glimpse of cleavage in a charcoal blazer with a glittery trim. The accomplished actress matched the head-turning jacket with smart black pants and heels in the same hue. Up top, the blonde star opted for statement earrings which were colour-coordinated to her outfit and added a dusting of glittery gold eyeshadow and kept her pout a natural shade. Sticking to the theme! Janet King star Marta Dusseldorp provided a glimpse of cleavage with a charcoal blazer that had a glittery trim Meanwhile, Radha Mitchell went for a flirty frills as she radiated beauty in a pastel pink lace mini-dress which featured a white collar and black waist band. A pair of charcoal heels and a black clutch helped tie the London Has Fallen star's ensemble all together. For the occasion, Radha kept her beauty simple, going for a pared back palette, while black drop earrings added a stylish touch. Frill-ing attire! Radha Mitchell radiated beauty in a flirty pastel pink lace mini-dress teamed with black heels and a clutch Former Saturday Disney presenter Candice Dixon couldn't be missed as she turned heads in a bright blue design. The strapless sapphire showstopper showcased the actress' slender physique with the low-cut neckline amplify Candice's assets. For an extra racy touch, the frock contained a thigh-split which let Candice flaunt her trim pins and strappy black heels underneath. Shining bright: Candice Dixon stepped out in a strapless sapphire showstopper with a low-cut neckline and thigh split Love Child's Sophia Forrest went for more casual-chic garb, flaunting her figure in a halter neck jumpsuit which was emblazoned with a palm tree pattern. Leeanna Walsman, who stars in Seven Types Of Ambiguity, accentuated her ample assets in a two-toned blue and navy ensemble that hugged her enviable physique. Stepping out in a racy cut-out dress, actress Madeleine Madden was a vision in white. Elsewhere, brunette bombshell Sarah Bishop, from Foxtel's The Slot, chose a frock by Philippa Galasso, which featured a feathery skirt. Casual chic: Sophia Forrest flaunted her figure in a halter neck jumpsuit which was emblazoned with a palm tree pattern Shades of blue: Seven Types Of Ambiguity star Leeanna Walsman accentuated her ample assets in a two-toned blue and navy ensemble that hugged her enviable physique Looking good! Stepping out in a racy cut-out dress, actress Madeleine Madden was a vision in white Sheer delight: Sarah Bishop from Foxtel's The Slot, chose a frock by Philippa Galasso, which featured a feathery skirt And it wasn't just the ladies who brought their A-game to the star-studded event. The men of showbiz suited up for the occasion, with Josh Lawson channelling his inner gentleman in a dashing navy suit with black trim and bow tie. MasterChef Australia judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris donned classy suits and ties for the red carpet. Meanwhile, actor Don Hany and comedian Matt Okine also looked dapper in their respective attire. Rounding out the men of the moment was comedian and former talk show host Rove McManus who Suiting up! Josh Lawson channelled his inner gentleman in a dashing navy suit with black trim and bow tie Three's not a crowd! MasterChef judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris (pictured from left) donned classy suits and ties for the star-studded event She's the lingerie model known for her ageless appearance. And Annalise Braakensiek, 44, has thrown her support behind another icon of the Australian industry, hitting back at a Sydney politician who labelled Bras N Things' shopfront advertising 'disgusting'. 'I think to be wearing Bras N Things on the window of a shopfront selling bras n things makes complete sense and is by no means disgusting,' Annalise told Studio 10 on Wednesday. 'Ive been in many windows of a Bras N Things in my lingerie!' Glamour model Annalise Braakensiek hits back at politician who labelled underwear ads 'disgusting' The popular glamour model was on the Channel 10 daytime show to promote her role as ambassador for Bras N Things' 30th anniversary. The lingerie brand recently came under fire from western Sydney councillor Cindy Cagney, who labelled their store advertising in Macarthur Square store 'disgusting' and 'sexually suggestive', the Macarthur Chronicle reported. Annalise said she had to 'wholeheartedly disagree' with the politician's comments, adding that the campaign's models, which includes The Block's Elyse Knowles, were 'stunning'. Supporting: The popular glamour model was on the Channel 10 daytime show to promote her role as ambassador for Bras N Things' 30th anniversary 'The fact that they are wearing lingerie in all shapes and sizes and embrace their curves and each other': Instead of finding issues with the advertising, Annalise said she hoped people would be more positive 'Ive been in many the windows of a Bras N things in my lingerie,' Annalise told Studio 10. 'And I think to be wearing Bras N Things on the window of a shopfront selling Bras N Things makes complete sense, and is by no means disgusting. Instead of finding issues with the advertising, Annalise said she hoped people would be more positive. 'I think we should support women, and beautiful women,' the glamour model explained. 'I think we should support women, and beautiful women': Annalise said that the campaign's models, which includes The Block's Elyse Knowles (pictured), were 'stunning' 'The fact that they are wearing lingerie in all shapes and sizes and embrace their curves and each other, and the fact that it is on the front of a lingerie store makes complete sense.' Annalise's new ambassador role comes as she opened up about what it was like to model in the 1990s. 'When I first started modelling, retouching didn't exist,' she told Confidential last month. 'There was a massive amount of intimidation, you had to look hot and be completely fit up against these incredible supermodels.' 'When I first started modelling, retouching didn't exist': Annalise's new ambassador role comes as she opened up about what it was like to model in the 1990s They recently celebrated their one year wedding anniversary. And Joanna Burgess, along with her NRL star husband George and their son Boston Mark, are currently enjoying a holiday in Spain. On Wednesday, the 27-year-old shared an Instagram snap of the adorable nine-month-old in gingham shirt and overalls while showing off his dimples as he sat next to his dad in a cafe. Making memories: Joanna and George Burgess are currently on a family holiday in Spain Joanna gushingly captioned the cute post: 'This cheeky boy the best little traveller (we found the BEST cafe for a dose of Aussie brekkie)' Fans of the interior design student shared her same sentiments about including one who wrote: 'Ohh, Boston is such a cutie! I love him!' While another said: 'Cuteness overload!' 'The best little traveller!' Joanna gushed over her adorable nine-month-old son Boston Mark, sharing an Instagram snap of him looking very happy and showing off his dimples as he sat next to his dad at a cafe, in Barcelona Looking dapper: The young family landed in Barcelona for the several days age to attend a friend's wedding. The young family landed in Barcelona for the several days age to attend a friend's wedding. Joanna documented their arrival on social media with a snap of the couple smiling with a tired looking Boston, and the caption: 'Two planes, 25 hours later, we made it.' The Burgess' have also been busying taking in the many famous sites of the city including Sagrada Familia cathedral and Park Guell. Finally here! Joanna documented their arrival on social media with a snap of the couple smiling with a tired looking Boston, and the caption: 'Two planes, 25 hours later, we made it' The blonde beauty recently celebrated their one year wedding anniversary by posting photos from their 2016 nuptials on Instagram. 'One year has passed in the blink of an eye...excited for a lifetime with you,' she also wrote a heartwarming messages to her husband. In April 2017, they welcomed their son Boston Mark Burgess. The Setai Miami Beach played host to the Creatures Of The Night Late-Night Soiree hosted by Chopard and Champagne Armnand De Brignac on Monday. Among the attendees was Adriana Lima, the longest-serving current Victoria's Secret Angel, who flashed a bit of leg in a white split gown with a bit of a train. Meanwhile, Czech model Petra Nemcova, 38, sizzled in a gleaming dull gold Cristina Ottaviano skirt that featured a knee-length hem and a dizzying thigh-slit. Scroll down for video A night out: The Setai Miami Beach played host to the Creatures Of The Night Late-Night Soiree, with guests including Adriana Lima (left) and Petra Nemcova (right) Monday The backless dress that Adriana, 36, had slid into included a strap at the left side but was off-the-shoulder at the right. Accenting her features with makeup including a slick of dark red lipstick, Adriana balanced on a glinting pair of stiletto's at the evening's festivities. This Petra teamed her skirt with a strapless top that had a black background spattered with gold-colored and bronze-colored patterning. Hello, gorgeous: Adriana, the longest-serving current Victoria's Secret Angel, flashed a bit of leg in a white split gown with a bit of a train Looking fabulous: The backless dress that Adriana, 36, had slid into included a strap at the left side but was off-the-shoulder at the right She posed up a storm on a pair of her own stilettos, adding a splash of glitz to the ensemble by way of an elaborate Chopard choker that was open at the front. Her hair had been slicked back into a ponytail, and she stood for the cameras holding an intricately patterned Tadashi Shoji clutch in her right hand, the left one at her waist. Adriana and Petra posed flanking an actor called Gabriel Macht, who had buttoned himself into a navy suit matching his tie, popping on a pair of camel-colored shoes. Meanwhile: This Petra teamed her skirt with a strapless top that had a black background spattered with gold-colored and bronze-colored patterning Troika: Adriana and Petra posed flanking an actor called Gabriel Macht, who had buttoned himself into a navy suit matching his tie, popping on a pair of camel-colored shoes Degrees of separation: Gabriel, who was immaculate coiffed at Tuesday's fete, is a star of Suits - also an acting credit of Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle Gabriel, who was immaculate coiffed at Tuesday's fete, is a star of Suits - also an acting credit of Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle. Another carpet-stomper at the Creatures Of The Night party was one Joy Corrigan, who shot the camera her best smoldering stare from beneath a tightly-wound bun. She had arrived at the party in a nightie-esque pale pink dress with barely perceptible straps, accessorizing with a necklace and earrings. Aglow: Another carpet-stomper at the Creatures Of The Night party was one Joy Corrigan, who shot the camera her best smoldering stare from beneath a tightly-wound bun Mellow: Karolina Kurkova looked magnificent in an all yellow ensemble It is one of the most talked about topics in Australia at the moment - whether or not Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy are still together. And The Bachelorette starlet did little to quell the rumours as she attended the AACTA Awards in Sydney on Wednesday. Instead, she turned heads in a very risque gown. Forget Stu, look at me! Sophie Monk shows off her cleavage and A LOT of leg in a risque gown as she attends AACTA Awards without Laundy... after finally coming clean about their relationship status The 37-year-old gave a leggy display in a revealing black number that flaunted her trim pins to good effect. The outfit featured a black, corset-style top that accentuated Sophie's cleavage while her well-toned shoulders were also given their moment in the sun. The more risque elements came into play thanks to a pair thigh length black shorts and a black lace skirt that fully exposed Sophie's leg. Slender: The 37-year-old gave a leggy display in a revealing black number that flaunted her trim pins to good effect Noir: The outfit featured a black, corset-style top that accentuated Sophie's cleavage while her well-toned shoulders were also given their moment in the sun Sophie's top also clung perfectly to her well-toned midriff and she added an extra element of playfulness by posing with her hand on her hip. Her trademark flaxen locks were styled in an elaborate bun, with wavy bangs cascading down, framing her face. The reality star dialed back the bling for the occasion, preferring to let the risque outfit do the talking. Genetically blessed: Sophie's top also clung perfectly to her well-toned midriff and she added an extra element of playfulness by posing with her hand on her hip Classic: Her trademark flaxen locks were styled in an elaborate bun, with wavy bangs cascading down, framing her face She wore some subtle silver bling in her hears and an array of adornment on her fingers. Her porcelain-like face was accentuated with a light application of blush, a dramatic dark mascara and a light rose shade for her lip. Sophie appeared to be having a great time as she walked the red carpet, chatting and laughing with the assembled crowd. Keep it simple: The reality star dialed back the bling for the occasion, preferring to let the risque outfit do the talking Looking good: Her porcelain-like face was accentuated with a light application of blush, a dramatic dark mascara and a light rose shade for her lip. Sophie's high-spirits were conjured despite attending the star-studded event without her Bachelorette beau Stu Laundy. Ever since the hit show's finale aired, the couple have been plagued by rumours of a split and, on Monday, Sophie spoke at length about her relationship with Stu on the No Filter podcast. 'I'm just done with it [public opinion]... we can't win,'Sophie revealed. Chatty: Sophie appeared to be having a great time as she walked the red carpet, chatting and laughing with the assembled crowd Going solo: Sophie's high-spirits were conjured despite attending the star-studded event without her Bachelorette beau Stu Laundy Explaining their strange, seemingly hesitant public displays of affection, Sophie blamed onlookers egging the pair on. 'We're at the airport at they'll just be like "kiss" and I'm like "why are we doing this?" and then they're like "overboard! You're Trying too hard!" she complained. 'Or [they're like] we're not affectionate enough.' Sophie added that hers and Stu's strong work ethic was one reason the pair were rarely pictured together. 'I travel a lot for work. I think they're used to these people coming off the show and being together as a profession everyday, but I'm never home,' she said. Tell-all: Ever since the hit show's finale aired, the couple have been plagued by rumours of a split and, on Monday, Sophie spoke at length about her relationship with Stu on the No Filter podcast She's known for the gritty roles on dramas such as Rake, Wentworth and Underbelly. And actress Danielle Cormack raised eyebrows once again at the annual AACTA Awards in Sydney, on Wednesday. The 46-year-old showed off her cleavage in a daring sheer figure-hugging burgundy gown. Red alert! Wentworth star Danielle Cormack shows off her extreme cleavage in a daring sheer figure-hugging burgundy gown at AACTA Awards Circular style ruffles on the neck, sleeves and and skirt featured prominently on the New Zealand-born actress' frock. Meanwhile, the sheer plunging neckline drew attention to her ample assets. Her curly brunette locks were styled in a ponytail with her side fringe caressing her youthful visage. Busy: Circular style ruffles on the neck, sleeves and and skirt featured prominently on the New Zealand-born actress' frock Whoops! To complete her award show ensemble she wore a pair of black platform heels that almost caused her to trip over in front of the cameras For makeup, Danielle's look was kept simple with defined brows, lashings of mascara, a hint of blush on her cheeks and mauve toned lips. To complete her award show ensemble she wore a pair of black platform heels that almost caused her to trip over in front of the cameras. Earlier in the year, she spoke to Stellar about her life changing role on the ABC drama Rake as lawyer Scarlet Meagher. Fresh faced! For makeup, Danielle's look was kept simple with defined brows, lashings of mascara, a hint of blush on her cheeks and mauve toned lips '[The role] enabled me to be introduced to the industry here [in Australia]... so I guess I hold it in a special place. Because people love the show. It's wonderful.' Danielle's work on Rake led to more gigs, most notably her as Sydney crime queen Kate Leigh and her award winning performance as Bea Smith on the Foxtel show Wentworth. 'I've had an extraordinary run,' she said reflecting her on career so far. She's the popular actress who's starred in various acclaimed movies, including Muriel's Wedding. And Rachel Griffiths flaunted her star appeal at the annual AACTA Awards red carpet in Sydney on Wednesday. The 48-year-old cut an elegant figure in a dark semi-sheer dress with polka-dot embellishments. Spot on! Rachel Griffiths showcases her trim figure in chic black polka-dot frock as she attends annual AACTA Awards ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday The star, who is also known for her roles on Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters, highlighted her svelte frame in the ensemble as she posed for the cameras. A thick black ribbon was tied around Rachel's garment, enhancing the blonde's slender waistline. While the outfit featured a high-neck and long sleeves, her sculptured pins were on display in the flirty design. Leggy blonde! Boosting her petite frame, the Hollywood A-lister added a pair of black stilettos to her outfit, along with a matching clutch in-hand Boosting her petite frame, the Hollywood A-lister added a pair of black stilettos to her outfit, along with a matching clutch in-hand. The Melbourne-native kept accessories to a minimum, opting for statement drop earrings. Rachel styled her blonde locks into voluminous waves, while applying bronzer and impeccable contouring to intensify her pretty facial features. Little black dress! The star, who is also known for her roles on Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters, highlighted her svelte frame in the dark ensemble, which had a ribbon that cinched in at her slender waist While on the red carpet she also posed with Australian actor and filmmaker Matt Day. Rachel appeared humoured by something Matt had said, beginning to laugh as she placed her arm around the suave-looking A-lister. Matt, who wore a smart black suit with a tie, appeared alongside Rachel in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding. He's the beloved Australian A-Lister who recently called time on his iconic Wolverine character. And Hugh Jackman has revealed he almost became the legendary celluloid spy James Bond, but turned down the role at the last minute. Speaking to Variety this week to promote his latest film, The Greatest Showman, Hugh revealed he said 'no' to the role as he felt the scripts had become too unrealistic. Shaken not stirred: Hugh Jackman has revealed he almost became the legendary celluloid spy James Bond, but turned down the role as he felt the scrips were too unrealistic 'I was about to do X Men 2 and a call came from my agent asking if I'd be interested in Bond,' Hugh told the publication. He added: 'I just felt at the time that the that the scripts has become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real.' Hugh also revealed that he decided not to apply for his licence to kill as we has told by producers that he would have no say in the character's direction. 'I just felt at the time that the that the scripts has become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real,' Hugh told Variety 'The response was: "Oh, you don't get a say. You just have to sign on."I was also worried that between Bond and X-Men, I'd never have time to do different things. The iconic role was inhabited by Peirce Brosnan when Hugh was asked to don the iconic tux, with Daniel Craig eventually stepping into James' shoes for four Bond films - Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre, as well as an unnamed installment due for release in 2019. Ironically, those four Bond films did take a much more realistic approach to the franchise's predecessors. The iconic role was inhabited by Peirce Brosnan (pictured) when Hugh was asked to don the iconic tux, with Daniel Craig eventually stepping into James' shoes for four Bond films - Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre, as well as an unnamed installment due for release in 2019 Back at it: Daniel had previously spoken about his desire to hang up the Bond tux, telling Time Out in 2015 that he would rather 'slash his wrists' than play the iconic character again. However, Daniel reportedly netted a whopping $150 million to reprise the role in two installments Daniel had previously spoken about his desire to hang up the Bond tux, telling Time Outin 2015, after the release of Spectre that he would rather 'slash his wrists' than play the iconic character again. However, Daniel reportedly netted a whopping $150 million to reprise the role in two installments. Saying no to Bond obviously didn't hurt Hugh's career, with the star going on to star in seven X-Men/Wolverine films, and becoming one of the most beloved celluloid superheroes, before hanging up the adamantium claws after this year's well received Logan They got married in 2003 and have three sons together. But it was very much a date night without the kids for comedian and host of Pointless Alexander Armstrong and his wife Hannah Bronwen Snow on Tuesday evening. The couple were spotted spilling out of members only club Lou Lou's in Mayfair and climbing into the back of a black cab in fits of laughter. Scroll down for video Pins on point(less): Alexander Armstrong's wife Hannah Bronwen Snow puts on a leggy display as she joins her husband for a festive night out in Mayfair Date night: Host of Pointless Alexander Armstrong and his wife Hannah Bronwen Snow went out to Lou Lou's on Tuesday evening And Hannah put on a notably leggy display as she climbed into the car, showing off her long pins in her short dress. She grinned as she sat with her husband, who looked dapper in a navy suit and pale blue shirt. Hannah, 40, clasped the front of her long slate-coloured jacket but flashed her bare legs, crossing them and holding on to Alexander's arm. Her coat featured a russet fir lining and her complexion looked fresh with a classic dusting of foundation. Night on the tiles: The couple were spotted spilling out of members only club Lou Lou's in Mayfair and climbing into the back of a black cab in fits of laughter Legs 11: Hannah put on a notably leggy display as she climbed into the car, showing off her long pins in her short dress Byeeee: She grinned as she sat with her husband, who looked dapper in a navy suit and pale blue shirt Hannah wore a little black dress underneath her coat and a long statement necklace. She completed the look with a pair of black ankle boots and wore her short dark blonde locks slightly wavy and loose. Last month, her husband, 47, released an album of classic English music. He was set for a career as a bass-baritone until comedy hijacked his plans at Trinity College, Cambridge, in the late Eighties. Over the past 25 years, Armstrong has established himself as one of the most recognisable faces on TV, perhaps best known as half of comedy duo Armstrong & Miller. Home time: The couple headed from the club to their waiting car Good night? . Over the past 25 years, Armstrong has established himself as one of the most recognisable faces on TV, perhaps best known as half of comedy duo Armstrong & Miller His many credits include guest appearances in Doctor Who and, with 26 appearances, he holds the record for guest-hosting Have I Got News For You. Since 2009 he has co-hosted the popular BBC1 teatime game show Pointless with Richard Osman. For years I allowed music to take a back seat to comedy, he says, and that was always on my conscience. In fact, I used to have terrifying dreams about it. 'A lot of people have recurring dreams about turning up unprepared to an exam. My recurring nightmare, even in adulthood, was missing choir practice. 'Something was telling me that I was missing out on something hugely important by neglecting music. 'It was time to face that by making a record. She recently paid tribute to her beau on social media, gushing that he is her 'everything'. Proving their relationship is going from strength-to-strength, Georgia May Foote cosied up to her boyfriend George Alsford as they attended the Aspinal of London store opening on Regent's Street St. James's on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old former Coronation Street star put her best foot forward for the glamorous occasion in a pair of high-waisted powder blue trousers. Scroll down for video Loved-up: Georgia May Foote cosied up to her boyfriend George Alsford as they attended the Aspinal of London store opening on Regent's Street St. James's on Tuesday night She teamed her waist-cinching pants with an emerald green chiffon blouse which featured floral embroidery throughout. The high-necked piece boasted billowing sheer sleeves which offset the frill detail across her chest. The actress added inches to her diminutive frame in a pair of pointed leather stilettos which matched her thin leather belt and crocodile leather bag. Accentuating her flawless complexion, she worked her glossy brown locks into a fishtail plait and applied a slick of berry-coloured lipstick across her pout. Style star: The 26-year-old former Coronation Street star put her best foot forward for the glamorous occasion in a pair of high-waisted powder blue trousers Complementing his other half's style, George looked dapper in an aubergine-hued suit with a navy shirt and matching cardigan. The model showcased his flare for fashion with a patterned scarf and black felt fedora. Late last month, she declared her love for her George, with a sun-drenched snap of the model posing on Brighton beach. She gushed: 'Yes I'm a mess but I'm blessed to be stuck with you....you are everything.' All in the details: The actress added inches to her diminutive frame in a pair of pointed leather stilettos which matched her thin leather belt and crocodile leather bag Flawless: Accentuating her flawless complexion, she worked her glossy brown locks into a fishtail plait and applied a slick of berry-coloured lipstick across her pout Not shy about flaunting their love, Georgia said in another snap: 'My dream man right there. Reminds me what love is every single day. #getwellsoonmygza #sohandsome.' George, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, no doubt caught her eye across their modelling agency. He has appeared in campaigns for Hugo Boss, Pepe Jeans and Russell & Bromley, among other top-flight brands, and frequently shows off his gym-honed torso on his Instagram account. The duo enjoyed a romantic getaway in Los Angeles at the start of the year with her new beau. Fashion fiend: Complementing his other half's style, George looked dapper in an aubergine-hued suit with a navy shirt and matching cardigan The former Strictly Come Dancing flooded Instagram with pictures of herself with her hunky boyfriend, who is signed to Select Model Management - the same agency she is signed to. The new romance comes after her split with Strictly professional Giovanni Pernice, who she began dating shortly after her relationship with her Coronation Street co-star Sean Ward. Georgia made her name in Coronation Street, but her character left in 2015 after five years amid promises that the door was always open. But it appears Coronation Street bosses have had a change of heart, as it's reported that Georgia May Foote's character will be 'killed off' in an off-screen accident. 'Everything': Late last month, she declared her love for her George, with a sun-drenched snap of the model posing on Brighton beach. She gushed: 'Yes I'm a mess but I'm blessed to be stuck with you....you are everything' Georgia will not return to play Katy Armstrong and is instead expected to die in a car crash in Portugal during an episode next week, amid claims she 'has no future in the show'. A decision was made to write Georgia out of the soap in April 2014, with bosses insisting that the door was still open and she was not being 'killed off'. Elsewhere, Binky Felstead took a break from her motherhood duties to attend the bash, putting in a rare yet glamorous appearance at the star-studded fashion bash. The 27-year-old former Made In Chelsea star wowed in a plunging blue dress, showing off a liberal amount of cleavage thanks to the plunging neckline. Stepping out: Binky Felstead took a break from her motherhood duties to attend the fashion bash Glamorous: The 27-year-old former Made In Chelsea star wowed in a plunging blue dress, showing off a liberal amount of cleavage thanks to the plunging neckline Binky ensured the rest of her look was more modest, thanks to flared sleeves and a floaty, floor-skimming skirt. The elegant dress was paired with some stataement accessroeies, including a glittering box bag and a pair of sky-high heels. She wore her newly-darkened brunette tresses down in loose waves and kept her make-up simple and natural. Yummy mummy: Binky ensured the rest of her look was more modest, thanks to flared sleeves and a floaty, floor-skimming skirt Beauty: She wore her newly-darkened brunette tresses down in loose waves and kept her make-up simple and natural Little India is Binky's first child with boyfriend Josh Patterson, and the pair seem to have taken to parenting like ducks to water. The star has made it no secret that she would like to expand her brood, with Josh telling The Sun in October: 'Binky was like I want another child, so I'm just trying to give myself a bit of time.' 'I don't want one straight away, but two and half years is the plan.' Platinum beauty: Ashley James rocked a red velvet dress, contrasting with her icy blonde locks While the brunette explained: 'I don't want one straight away, but two and half years is the plan.' The couple are closer than ever since welcoming their daughter following what was initially a tumultuous on/off romance during their time on MIC. Recently, Binky confessed JP is a changed man after becoming a father for the first time in an interview with MailOnline. Suited and booted: Ex MIC star Hugo Taylor (left) and Bruno Tonioli (right) partied at the event 'Me and JP are living together now, and I think it's forced him to grow up a bit,' Binky explained. 'We're in a really good place now. Everything is going so well we don't really want to change anything at the moment. 'We are very happy. I have really enjoyed every second of being a mum. They grow up so fast. Everyone I have spoken to has told us to take so many pictures because you don't want to miss any of it.' She was mocked for posting a 'cringey' video of herself dancing to mark her six-month wedding anniversary. But defiant Nigora Whitehorn put the drama behind her as she cosied up to her beloved husband Duncan Bannatyne at the Christmas With The Stars annual concert in London. The 37-year-old looked chic in a velvet minidress as she posed lovingly with the Dragon's Den star, 68, at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday evening. Scroll down for video Cute couple: Nigora Whitehorn put the drama behind her as she cosied up to her beloved husband Duncan Bannatyne at the Christmas With The Stars annual concert in London The brunette beauty accessorised her statement dress with a plush fur coat and racy thigh-high suede boots. Duncan, meanwhile, looked dapper in a smart tuxedo as they posed at the gala, in aid of blood cancer research charity Bloodwise. Nigora's outing comes after she was mocked on Twitter after she posted a video of herself dancing in the mirror to mark the couple's six month wedding anniversary. Nigora, 37, filmed herself dancing and singing along to a love song and shared the clip with the caption: 'Happy anniversary to us @DuncanBannatyne. Love you so much baby.' Her husband, 68, was clearly delighted with the romantic gesture and shared the video on his account too alongside three love heart emojis. However some of his Twitter users were less impressed and ridiculed Nigora, branding the video 'cringey' and asking, 'why would you do that?' Oh dear: She was mocked for posting a 'cringey' video of herself dancing to mark her six-month wedding anniversary Celebration: Duncan Bannatyne, 68, married third wife Nigora, 37, in Portugal in June Dragons' Den star Duncan met Nigora in 2011 and the couple tied the knot in an intimate beach ceremony in Portugal in June. It is the entrepreneur's third marriage. To mark six months since the romantic occasion, Nigora, a former dental receptionist, filmed herself strutting her stuff along to Donna Lewis' I Will Love You Always Forever. Wearing a short red dress, Nigora is shown filming herself strutting towards the camera swinging her hips from side to side in a bedroom, believed to be in Kensington, west London. Romantic gesture: Nigora filmed herself swaying, posing and singing along to a love song Public display of affection: She shared the video on Twitter, tagging her husband of six months Criticism: Nigora came under attack from some of her husband's followers over the video Proud: Dragons' Den star Duncan shared the video along with three love heart emojis Some Twitter followers praised the romantic idea, commenting on how 'beautiful' Nigora looks and calling Duncan a 'lucky man'. But not everyone was supportive. One Twitter user wrote: 'Oh my days! Don't mean to be rude but that video is one of the cringiest things I've ever seen!' The post which had an emoji covering it's face in embarrassment emoji was liked in agreement by dozens of other social media users. Ridiculed: Duncan and Nigora's followers both questioned the decision to post the video Another unimpressed viewer tweeted: 'Cringe. Why put it on social media', alongside an emoji icon rolling its eyes. A third added: 'Sorry but why would you do that!!! Cringing!' Nigora was living in a 200,000 terrace house in Bedfordshire with her teenage daughter before she met the mogul. Support: Other followers congratulated the couple on reaching the six month milestone The father-of-six met Nigora, originally from Uzbekistan, in 2011 after splitting from his second wife, Joanna McCue. Duncan, who has an estimated 175million fortune, proposed last year while the pair were holidaying in Monaco. He popped the question with an enormous pear-shaped ring that features a giant diamond surrounded by a small cluster of diamonds. She's a Miami girl with a keen interest in all things art. And of course, Victoria Silvstedt didn't miss one the biggest events in Miami's social calendar, as she attended the attended a Chopard party during Art Basel Miami. Victoria, 42, looked red hot as she arrived for the Creatures Of The Night Late-Night Soiree at The Setai Miami Beach. Scroll down for video Red alert: Victoria later stepped out for Creatures Of The Night Late-Night Soiree Hosted By Chopard And Champagne Armand De Brignac at The Setai Miami Beach The model and socialite showcased her lithe figure in a tightly-fitting scarlet dress, which skimmed off at her thighs. The long-sleeved garment featured a long ruching at her middle to further accentuate her waist. She paired black strappy sandals to give her a boost in height and styled her hair in voluminous platinum waves. Red alert: Victoria later stepped out for Creatures Of The Night Late-Night Soiree Hosted By Chopard And Champagne Armand De Brignac at The Setai Miami Beach Art Basel attracts around 200 of the world's leading international Modern and contemporary art galleries to display artworks at The Setai Miami Beach. It took place on Tuesday with the Chopard And Champagne Armand De Brignac party at the same venue in the evening. Event planner Victoria has a keen interest in art, and has travelled the world to see the best loved collections including the Museum Of Modern Art and the Tate Modern. Victoria is best known for representing her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993. Since her career rocketed, she has modeled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino. She later became a pin-up when she was spotted by Hugh Hefner and became a Playboy Playmate. The former Bachelor starlet was shocked this week when her model boyfriend was approached to appear on Nine's dating series, Love Island. But Zilda Williams put any relationship doubts between the pair to rest on Tuesday, as they put on a VERY loved-up display on Queensland's Tallebudgera Beach. The 34-year-old reality star couldn't keep her hands off boyfriend Keith Frazer, as they frolicked and smooched in the ocean and on the sand. Hot and heavy! Zilda Williams flaunts E-cup assets and peachy posterior as she puts on VERY cheeky display with model beau Keith Frazer at the beach They're STILL together! The former Bachelor starlet was shocked this week when her boyfriend was approached to appear on Nine's dating series, Love Island The busty reality star confirmed she was in a relationship with the chiseled tradie and devout Christian in September. The pair have appeared absolutely smitten with each other ever since, even confessing that they love each other after dating for less than three months. Zilda, who is not shy of flaunting her enviable physique online, highlighted her curvaceous frame in a sexy white swimsuit. Looking all white! Zilda, who is not shy of flaunting her enviable physique online, highlighted her curvaceous frame in a sexy white swimsuit Smitten! The pair have appeared absolutely smitten with each other ever since, even confessing that they love each other after dating for less than three months Kiss me! The 34-year-old reality star couldn't keep her hands off boyfriend Keith Frazer, as they frolicked and smooched in the ocean and on the sand She struggled to contain her E-cup assets in the low-cut design, while the thin fabric also provided a glimpse of her nipples when wet. The barely-there bathers also sat high on her slender hips and showed off a small tattoo on her inner thigh. Exposing her peachy posterior in the g-string style one-piece, her beau couldn't held but caress and grab her derriere playfully during the outing. That's cheeky! Exposing her peachy posterior in the g-string style one-piece, her beau couldn't held but caress and grab her derriere playfully during the outing Going strong! The busty reality star confirmed she was in a relationship with the chiseled tradie and devout Christian in September Busting out! She struggled to contain her E-cup assets in the low-cut design, while the thin fabric also provided a glimpse of her nipples when wet Zilda and Keith cuddled up in the shallow waters as Zilda placed her arms around her boyfriend's neck and passionately kissed her man. The pair were very flirtatious on the public beach, laughing and clambering over each other at every opportunity. Zilda couldn't contain her pearly grin as she flaunted her affection for her beau. Happy and carefree! Zilda and Keith cuddled up in the shallow waters as Zilda placed her arms around her boyfriend's neck and passionately kissed her man All smiles: The pair were very flirtatious on the public beach, laughing and clambering over each other at every opportunity Bottoms up! The barely-there bathers sat high on Zilda's slender hips and left little to the imagination While drying off on their towels, Zilda seductively climbed on top of Keith for a close cuddle. Keith showed off his numerous tattoos by going shirtless for the beach outing. The fitness model flaunted his muscular physique, wearing tiny banana-printed board shorts. Sizzling display! While drying off on their towels, Zilda seductively climbed on top of Keith for a close cuddle Hunk! The fitness model flaunted his muscular physique, wearing tiny banana-printed board shorts Still together! Their amorous display comes after Zilda claimed Keith turned down an offer to appear on Nine's Lobe Island because they were ' in love' Their amorous display comes after Zilda claimed Keith turned down an offer to appear on Nine's Lobe Island because they were 'in love'. The blonde bombshell told Daily Mail Australia this week: 'They rung him today and I was like "uh, excuse me, that's my man you're talking to here. He's taken!"' The pair haven't appeared on each other's public Instagram feeds in a few weeks, with the curvaceous beauty joking: 'I said "maybe we should post a photo on our main page, so they know that we're definitely together".' Keith also told Daily Mail Australia he definitely didn't apply prior and insisted: 'They actually thought I was single, but in fact I am in love with Zilda.' Daily Mail Australia reached out to Channel Nine for comment at the time. "uh, excuse me, that's my man you're talking to here. He's taken!"' Zilda was shocked when she found out Nine had approached her boyfriend to appear on the dating show She's the iconic Australian actress who took home two AACTA awards on Wednesday night. And Nicole Kidman looked youthful as she accepted her best supporting actress in a television drama award for Top Of The Lake:China Girl. While she wasn't able to attend the festivities, the 50-year-old exuded a heartfelt exuberance in her pre-recorded acceptance speech for her turn in the Jane Campion-produced BBC drama. Scroll down for video Fountain of youth: A youthful Nicole Kidman graciously accepted her best supporting actress in a television drama AACTA award, taking the time to gush about husband Keith Urban and mother Janelle Nicole looked elegant in a lacy white top underneath a simple black blazer while her wavy strawberry blonde locks fell freely down her shoulders. Her flawless face was augmented with a light application of blush to accentuate her cheekbones and a light red shade for her lip. The Hours actress looked genuinely chuffed with her win and took the time to thank all involved with the production, in particular Jane Campion. After paying homage to the crew and her long-standing agent, Wendy Day Nicole turned her attention to Keith who she divulged was waiting in the wings as she made her speech. Stunning: Nicole looked elegant in a lacy white top underneath a simple black blazer while her wavy strawberry blonde locks fell freely down her shoulders The Hours actress looked genuinely chuffed with her win and took the time to thank all involved with the production, in particular Jane Campion. Nicole is pictured in a scene from Top Of The Lake: China Girl 'Obviously Keith, who is here, he's standing over there cheering me on,'Nicole said cheekily pointing off camera to her husband. She continued: 'Always, always so supportive and my children...amazing, and to the Australian public who just come out to support me time and time again. I'm incredibly grateful. I love what I do.' Nicole also took time to offer a heartwarming tribute to her mother Janelle, for her unwavering support throughout the actress' long and storied career. Supportive: After paying homage to the crew and her long-standing agent, Wendy Day Nicole turned her attention to Keith who she divulged was waiting in the wings as she made her speech Tribute: Nicole also made special mention of her mother Janelle with: 'I also want to say a shout out to my own mama who is just...she moulded me, she shaped me' 'I also want to say a shout out to my own mama who is just...she moulded me, she shaped me,' Nicole exclaimed. 'She's supported me as a woman in this industry and pushed me forward time and time again and given me the confidence to keep going,' the actress added. It was a big night for Nicole who was also awarded top honours in the best supporting actress in a feature film for Lion. The film scooped the pool at the prestigious ceremony, taking home an impressive 12 gongs, including a best actor award for nine-year-old star Sunny Pawar. It was a night for starlets, as Cara Delevingne celebrated her Cara X Burberry launch on Tuesday night in Dalston with pals Suki Waterhouse and Jaimie Winstone. But the model, 25, was seen leaving with Paris Jackson, 19, at the end of the night - seen fleeing to an awaitng car and heading back to her hotel. Leaving the venue Cara led Paris to the car for a swift getaway, trying to keep incognito. Scroll down for video Exit strategy: Paris Jackson and Cara Delevingne sneak out the back door of a London club at 3AM after partying all night together... wrapping up with hoods and scarves Leggy: Cara put on a leggy display as she strutted out of the back exit in knee-high leather boots Cara put on a leggy display as she strutted out of the back exit in knee-high leather boots. She wore a baggy white and grey hooded jacket, swamping the rest of her model frame. Ever the ambassador, she kept a Burberry cap on her head, worn low so as to shield her face. Incognito: Paris followed swiftly behind in a beige sweater and a khaki green scarf Hidden: She sported glittery make-up on her forehead and a smokey sweep of eye-shadow, only just visible over the top of her scarf Moving through the throngs: Cara was eager to get to the car Head down: Ever the ambassador, she kept a Burberry cap on her head Move it: Cara stormed her way through the surrounding people Paris followed swiftly behind in a beige sweater, with her khaki green scarf wrapped around her face. She sported glittery make-up on her forehead and a smokey sweep of eye-shadow, only just visible over the top of her scarf. She wore finger-less gloves, various items of bohemian jewelry and allowed her dip-dyed brunette/blonde mane fall loosely around her shoulders, hiding her face. The girls weren't known to be friends, but got into the car and headed off together, supposedly back to Cara's hotel. They were very keen to not be seen with one another too, leaving their other pals inside the venue. Late night: Cara celebrated her Cara X Burberry launch on Tuesday night in Dalston with pals Out the way: The model, 25, was seen leaving with Paris, 19, at the end of the night - fleeing to an awaiting car and heading back to her hotel Rucas: Leaving the venue Cara led Paris to the car for a swift getaway Coming through: Cara put on a leggy display as she strutted out of the back exit in knee-high leather boots Parting the crowds: She wore a baggy white and grey hooded jacket, swamping the rest of her model frame Paris was in Paris, France last Tuesday when she posted a cryptic Instagram from outside the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the center of the city. The daughter of the late Michael Jackson shared a photo showing her holding up a handwritten note on lined paper that read: 'I love you always' and a smiley face. Paris wrote in the caption: 'when i get the downs i look at dis (sic).' Pretty in pink: Both ladies displayed glittery eye make-up Hiding: The main signs that it was Paris were her distinct tattoos Edgy: Paris wore finger-less gloves, various items of bohemian jewelry and allowed her dip-dyed brunette/blonde mane fall loosely around her shoulders, also hiding her face Don't look now: The girls bundled into the back of a car Paris didn't give any clue as to who wrote the note. However, she followed it up a few hours later with another post holding what looks to be a black sweater to her face with the caption: 'this ones for you devin rip i think of you every day (sic).' On November 5, she had shared on social media that her close friend Devin Freeman had passed away. She wrote a touching tribute to her friend on Instagram and also tweeted: 'why the f*** do people keep dying?' Time for bed: The girls headed off in the car once safely inside 'when i get the downs i look at dis': Paris Jackson is in Paris, France, and on Tuesday she posted a cryptic Instagram from outside the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the center of the city The teen, who split from her longtime boyfriend Michael Snoddy back in February, has been spending time in France where she's been photographed busking in the streets and climbing lampposts. She's shared several photos to her Instagram from the French capital since mid-November. Some also have cryptic captions including a selfie in which she's pulling a face and she writes: 'in the back of my mind everything seems fine you go your way i go mine (sic).' Remembering: The teen followed it up a few hours later with another post in which she's seen holding what looks to be a black sweater to her face with the caption: 'this ones for you devin rip i think of you every day (sic).' Her close pal Devin Freeman passed away lastmonth Paris has also spent time in with her godfather Macaulay Culkin going to dinner with him and his girlfriend Brenda Strong. She and the Home Alone star were spotted smoking cigarettes outside the ritzy eatery. In early November, Paris had been in Australia to attend the Melbourne Cup and got dubbed 'Wacko Jacko 2.0' by the Herald Sun who published a photo of her licking a window inside a marquee. Getaway: The daughter of the late Michael Jackson has been in France since mid-Novemebr and has been photographed backpacking, busking in the streets and climbing lampposts Taking to Twitter, Paris vented her frustrations blasting the article authors as 'f****n' cowards. bet you don't have the balls to call me that to my face.' She added: 'i couldn't care less what they call me tbh but adding the "2.0" is their way of dragging my father into it and THAT i will not stand for.' The 19-year-old is one of three children of the King of Pop. She has a brother Prince, 20, to whom she is very close; they share the same mother Debbie Rowe. She also has a younger brother Prince Michael II - known as Blanket - who is 15. She split from her Love Island beau Jonny Mitchell last week after three months together. Attempting move on with her life, Stephanie Pratt left Mayhew's Tinsel and Tails Christmas Fundraiser held at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on Tuesday alongside TOWIE's Pete Wicks. The 31-year-old Made In Chelsea star wrapped up as she left the star-studded event with Pete's black blazer around her to keep her warm. Scroll down for video Heading off: Stephanie Pratt left The Mayhew's Tinsel and Tails Christmas Fundraiser held at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on Tuesday alongside TOWIE's Pete Wicks The E4 beauty stunned on the red carpet earlier in the evening in her full-length shimmering halterneck gown which accentuated her slender figure. Stephanie's striking garment was noticeable under her blazer while she left the venue with her canine companion Max in one hand and a white paper carrier bag in the other. While her golden locks cascaded down her back into a soft wave, she sported a dramatic smokey eye while she made her way into her taxi with Pete and their pal. Proving to be ever the gentleman, Pete opened the door to the cab for Stephanie moments after giving the American star his jacket to combat the chilly December temperatures. Warming up: The 31-year-old Made In Chelsea star wrapped up as she left the star-studded event with Pete's black blazer around her to keep her warm The ITVBe star - who split with on/off girlfriend Megan McKenna for good in October - showcased his striking pattern shirt while he followed Stephanie to the car. MailOnline have contacted Stephanie Pratt and Pete Wicks' reps for comment. Stephanie was flying solo after her short-lived love affair with Jonny came to an end after just three months, with claims of cheating and abuse surfacing. She had accused her ex-boyfriend of being unfaithful to her in a slew of furious tweets. The reality star claimed she was forced to call the police on Sunday evening after she was said to be 'terrified' during a row with Jonny. Jonny, however, told MailOnline he was left baffled by the claims. Canine companion: Stephanie's striking garment was noticeable under her blazer while she left the venue with her canine companion in one hand and a white paper carrier bag in the other Shimmering: The E4 beauty stunned on the red carpet earlier in the evening in her full-length shimmering halterneck gown which accentuated her slender figure While he has not directly addressed the cheating allegations, he did appear to hit back at claims he has been unfaithful in a recent interview where he downplayed pictures of himself with female fans that had surfaced on social media and appeared to leave Stephanie speechless. The Love Island hunk seemingly addressed those photos, claiming they are nothing new, as he spoke about the breakdown of the couple's romance during an interview on FUBAR Radio. He commented: 'You do find that a lot of people are out to get you. People will try and sting you - the amount of times I've had people take a selfie with me and claim they're on a night out with me. The former flames have parted ways for good following just three months in each other's charming company. Drivng away: While her golden locks cascaded down her back into a soft wave, she sported a dramatic smokey eye while she made her way into her taxi with Pete and their pal What a gent: Proving to be ever the gentleman, Pete opened the door to the cab for Stephanie moments after giving the American star his jacket to combat the chilly December temperatures The end of their relationship came shortly after sources close to the couple divulged to MailOnline that an engagement was imminent. At the time, an insider said: 'Jonny and Steph have become really close since they met and are living their lives as one. Close friends have said that an engagement is on the cards sooner than everyone thought! 'They are inseparable and are taking their first steps as a new couple, nobody saw it coming but an engagement is expected very soon. 'Who would have thought that from their different show backgrounds that they would meet and end up potentially being married. Claims: Stephanie was flying solo after her short-lived love affair with Jonny came to an end after just three months, with claims of cheating and abuse surfacing. She had accused her ex-boyfriend of being unfaithful to her in a slew of furious tweets she shared on Monday Hitting back: The reality star claimed she was forced to call the police on Sunday evening after she was said to be 'terrified' during a row with Jonny. Jonny, however, told MailOnline he was left baffled by the claims 'Love is the key to their successful relationship and you can see in their body language that they are just so into each other.' The lovebirds initially hit it off when Jonny left Love Island's Hidden Hills villa in Majorca. It was a whirlwind affair with the former flames jetting off to Croatia together within just weeks of meeting each other. It was on their sun-soaked travels they first courted attention when they were pictured smooching as they frolicked on the beach. In September, the good-looking pair then took their love story to Bali for a 10-day trip away where they shared their intimate moments with fans on Instagram. Actor Russell Crowe told a bizarre tongue-in-cheek tale about 'sodomising Jacqueline McKenzie' on the set of a 90s film during Wednesday night's AACTA Awards in Sydney. According to The Guardian, the Hollywood star told the shocking anecdote on stage as a means to highlight the need for 'sensitivity' in the industry. The 53-year-old apparently laughed as he recalled the encounter, saying: 'I was sodomising Jacqueline McKenzie (female co-star) on the set of Romper Stomper. I didn't actually intend to do that.' Actor Russell Crowe's tone deaf anecdote about 'sodomising Jacqueline McKenzie' on set of 90s film Romper Stomper was CUT from AACTA Awards broadcast on Wednesday night, according to The Guardian The publication claims the comments made by the New Zealand-born A-lister were cut from the Channel Seven broadcast. 'I didn't actually intend to do that I was trying to keep my bits away from her bits, and she's been given one of those pieces of elastic that the girls get when you do those scenes, which protects them from all things, and my bits and pieces were in a little canvas sack with a drawstring,' Russell began. 'And it was actually my desire to keep the bits apart. It wasn't until the opening night of the film that it was pointed out by none other than Jackie McKenzie's beautiful late mother that we were in fact, in her mind, engaged in sodomy. 'Anyway that was just a story about sensitivity!' He concluded but his 'joke' was met with a muted silence from the audience. The scene mentioned was in the youth gang film, where the actors portrayed intimacy in an aggressive manner. 'I was sodomising Jacqueline McKenzie (female co-star) on the set of Romper Stomper. I didn't actually intend to do that': It's alleged the 'joke' did not please the crowd, with a silent audience reacting to his description of the event from more than 20 years ago Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Russell Crowe, the AACTA Awards and Channel Seven for comment. The film producer and musician reportedly made the comments with his former co-star Jackie sitting in the crowd on the night. Just days prior, the actress claimed she was the victim of 'grubby behaviour' and 'sexual harassment and groping' during her early career in a Facebook post. 'It was actually my desire to keep the bits apart': Russell apparently laughed as he told the tale about how despite the actress wearing 'one of those pieces of elastic' and himself wearing a ' canvas sack with a drawstring' they appeared to get a little too close for comfort The scene he was referring to was within the racist youth gang film, Romper Stomper, where the actors had sex in an aggressive manner Daily Mail Australia have reached out to AACTA organisers, Channel Seven and management for Russell Crowe for further comment She also claimed a blind eye was turned when she raised the issue and her complaints were ignored on two occasions in the past. On the red carpet before the event, Jackie told Guardian Australia: 'It's not just about sexual assault and harassment, it's bullying and bad behaviour in the industry.' What timing: Only a week earlier the actress had claimed she was the victim of 'grubby behaviour' and 'sexual harassment and groping' during her early career in a Facebook post 'In all industries, no matter what job, gender or age, it occurs everywhere. I posted on Facebook last week about my experience I'm really interested in effecting some change now,' she added. The 50-year-old has remained too nervous to publicly 'out' her offenders in the past, but said they were predominantly 'actors/directors'. Reese Witherspoon already knows what she will be getting daughter Ava for Christmas. In the new issue of People, the blonde beauty revealed she'll be shopping at Tiffany & Co and will be getting her a piece of jewelry. The Big Little Lies star also has sons Deacon and Tennessee. Good one: Reese Witherspoon already knows what she will be getting daughter Ava for Christmas; seen on Monday in LA Nice gifts: In the new issue of People, the blonde beauty revealed she'll be shopping at Tiffany & Co and will be getting her a piece of jewelry When asked what she was getting Ava, the 41-year-old did not hesitate. 'Something really beautiful and simple, like a piece from Tiffany & Co,' said the Draper James designer. 'It's like an heirloom.' The company specializes in silver pieces, from heart shaped pendants to chains and bracelets. Her thinking: When asked what she was getting Ava, the 41-year-old did not hesitate. 'Something really beautiful and simple, like a piece from Tiffany & Co,' said the Draper James designer. 'It's like an heirloom' Turns out it's a family tradition for the Witherspoons. 'My mom gave me earrings from there when I was young and I still have them.' Also in the interview Reese said that she takes a lot of time to pick out gifts: 'I think about what people really want,' she said. New look: On Tuesday the siren shared this photo from her Hello Sunshine offices. She added the caption: 'Christmas came early to our @HelloSunshine office thanks to @CrateandBarrel!' 'For a go-to hostess gift, I like monogrammed napkins or a beautiful box of chocolates.' 'And she says what she always wants is food. 'I like gingerbread houses, cookies, chocolates... things like that.' The Wild star added that she loves to spend time at home with her three kids and her CAA husband Jim Toth where they drink cocoa and 'sing a lot of Christmas carols.' The star was plugging her production company Hello Sunshine and said it's all about telling stories that women want to hear. Next she will work with Jennifer Aniston on a TV series about network shows. The two have already worked together on the series Friends. They played sisters. She hit the headlines recently after her boyfriend's estranged wife accused her of 's*ut-shaming'. But Chloe Green appeared unfazed by the accusations on Wednesday as she flaunted her hourglass curves in a fiercely seductive Instagram post. Clad in a luxurious black velvet minidress, the 26-year-old, who is dating 'Hot Felon' Jeremy Meeks, showed off her toned pins in the sultry snap. Scroll down for video Defiant: Chloe Green flaunted her figure in 3,000 Saint Laurent minidress on Instagram on Wednesday... after she was accused of 's*ut-shaming Jeremy Meeks' estranged wife Melissa War of words: Melissa, (pictured) has accused the heiress of 's*ut-shaming' her - however there are no other details included to share more light on the accusations Adorned with crystal embellishments along the sleeves and padded shoulders, the former Made In Chelsea star looked effortlessly stylish in the dramatic ensemble. One for expensive taste, the Topshop heiress was dressed head-to-toe in designer, with the Saint Laurent dress totting up to 3,420. She complemented the mini-dress with black studded Miu Miu stilettos which were on full display as she posed with her back to the camera. Indulging in a blow-dry, Chloe styled her long brunette tresses in soft waves and completed the look with a smoky black eye and a soft pink lip. In another snap the star was joined by her mother Tina, who looked stunning in a black lace gown. The family outing comes after the estranged wife of Jeremy Meeks made quite the accusation at Chloe, who is currently dating the 'Hot Felon'. Family outing: In another snap the star was joined by her mum Tina, who looked stunning in a stunning black lace gown Moving on: Jeremy, 33, is now dating heiress Chloe Green (pictured above in LA back in July) It's getting ugly: Melissa has filed legal documents asking for child support from ex Jeremy Meeks according to a Tuesday report from TMZ, as they are pictured earlier this year According to TMZ, the mother-of-one said: 'Shame on Ms. Green for attempting to s*ut shame me.' However there are no other details included to share more light on the accusations centered around the daughter of Topshop owner Philip Green. Melissa also claimed that her estranged husband has stopped paying child support for their eight-year-old son Jeremy Meeks Jr. Sad: Melissa also claims that her estranged husband has stopped paying child support for their eight-year-old son Jeremy Meeks Jr according to TMZ, as the child is pictured with her kids from a previous relationship She also says that Jeremy had left to pursue his modelling career while she is having to raise their children on her own so she wants money from him. Melissa has had a transformation since their split and has even posted a selfie in her underwear as Jeremy has criticized her showy displays. She claims that the model is a hypocrite as she said: 'Jeremy struts around on a catwalk in his underwear and that's ok for our son to see, but my attempts to help shape my public image are wrong?? I would not even have a public image if not for Jeremy's tabloid adventures. Wow factor: Melissa has had a bit of a physical transformation since their split and has even posted a selfie in her underwear last month as Jeremy has criticized her showy displays 'I am shocked that Jeremy and his attorney attempt to slut shame me as they do.' Melissa also claims that of the 130 days since their separation, Jeremy has only had their child for 30 days of it according to TMZ. Jeremy had shot to fame when his mugshot earned him the nickname 'Hot felon'. He was jailed in 2009 for stealing and was sent to prison again in 2014 for gun law violations and resisting arrest. His new relationship with Chloe hit headlines in June when the couple pictured kissing on a yacht in Turkey. Jeremy was accused of infidelity but insisted his marriage to Melissa was over when he met Chloe. He is one of the best known British actors, having starred in the likes of Atonement, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Shameless. But James McAvoy looked worlds away from his usual self on Friday, as he showed off his very hunky physique in Pennsylvania. The X-Men star, 38, had his fans hot under the collar with his impressively muscular frame, which was clear for all to see in a tight T-shirt, as he stepped out in Philadelphia during a break from filming new flick Glass. Swoon: James McAvoy had his fans hot under the collar on Tuesday as he showed off his very hunky physique in Pennsylvania Transformed: The actor looked worlds away from his usual self (pictured in 2016) with his impressively muscular frame as he enjoyed a break from filming in Philadelphia The Scottish star kept things low-key for his day off in a simple navy T-shirt, teamed with funky white tracksuit bottoms adorned with red and yellow stripes down the side. Adding matching blue trainers and a pair of dark Wayfarer shades, James looked casually cool as he enjoyed an afternoon exploring the city. However, it was James' impressively strapping physique that caught the most attention - having got into good shape for his new role in Glass. Casual: The Scottish star kept things low-key for his day off in a simple navy T-shirt, teamed with funky white tracksuit bottoms, trainers and trendy Wayfarer sunglasses The actor's appearance even went viral on Twitter, with fans praising his 'hot body' in their droves. One wrote, beside a photo of the star: 'Wait. Hold on!....for real yeah? This is you now James Mcavoy?! Alright then. Hand me a ticket girl, im on board.' While others added: 'Damn, James McAvoy. HELLO', 'Good morning James McAvoy and your new hot body' and 'I've always loved #JamesMcAvoy. Even more now'. Muscle man: However, it was James' impressively strapping physique that caught the most attention - having got into good shape for his new role in Glass Impressed: The actor's appearance even went viral on Twitter, with fans praising his 'hot body' in their droves Another joked he had overtaken other heartthrobs, writing: 'Now that armie hammer's stint as the Internet's Boyfriend is over, can we pls focus our attention on james mcavoy' (sic) While others swooned: 'Drooling over James McAvoy's body transformation' and 'James McAvoy is such a GIFT.' The BAFTA winner revealed his tips to getting in shape last year, after bulking up for 2016 film Split - the prequel to his new project Glass. Hitting the gym: The BAFTA winner revealed his tips to getting in shape last year, after bulking up for 2016 film Split (pictured in the film) - the prequel to his new project Glass Keeping it simple: The actor admitted he didn't use a personal trainer, but simply searched for workouts online and upped his calorie intake instead (pictured in July) Speaking to Mr Porter, the actor admitted he didn't use any professional trainers, but simply searched for workouts online and upped his calorie intake instead. However, he admitted he was still 'chuffed' with the results, explaining: 'I Googled, 'Good way to put on muscle quick' then went to a gym and did it myself. 'I also ate between 5000 and 6000 calories a day. Instead of eating two eggs in the morning, I'd eat eight. Then a snack of chicken breast. Then two chicken breasts for lunch and a steak for another snack. Then two salmon steaks for dinner. 'In a relatively short space of time, I got bigger. I wasn't huge but I was quite chuffed with myself.' Proud: He said of his fitness regime: 'In a relatively short space of time, I got bigger. I wasn't huge but I was quite chuffed with myself' (pictured in January) Action! James has been in Pennsylvania filming Glass, which also stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Paulson (pictured last month) He's back: The film sees him reprise his Kevin Wendell Crumb role (above) - a dissociative identity disorder sufferer with 23 personalities James has been in Pennsylvania filming Glass, which sees him reprise his famous Kevin Wendell Crumb role - a dissociative identity disorder sufferer with no less than 23 different personalities. All of his personalities feature something dangerous for his captives, and one even takes on a creature known as The Beast. Following the conclusion of Split, the new installment sees superhuman David Dunn (played by Bruce Willis) pursuing The Beast, before Elijah Price (played by Samuel L. Jackson) interferes as the mysterious Mr Glass. The film also stars American Horror Story star Sarah Paulson and BAFTA nominee Anya Taylor-Joy, and is set for release in January 2019. Queen Victoria will face a harrowing disaster on the ice in the two-hour Christmas special of the eponymous ITV drama. The weeping monarch (Jenna Coleman) is seen screaming in horror on the snow-covered lake - just seconds after her husband Prince Albert (Tom Hughes) skated onto it. A trailer from the one-off show airing on Christmas day shows Victoria sobbing in panic as she reaches her hands into a hole in the lake where the ice has smashed. Scroll down for video Horror: Queen Victoria will face a harrowing disaster on the ice in the two-hour Christmas special of the eponymous ITV drama The video shows her thumping on the ice in shock and crying as she stretches out on her belly and tries to reach into the water's freezing depths. Earlier, keen skater Albert was seen whizzing across the ice - hinting that he may have suffered an injury. The Christmas special, called Comfort And Joy, will celebrate all of the festivities of a Victorian Christmas at Buckingham Palace. Set in Christmas 1846, the episode sees Victoria uncharacteristically melancholy as she prepares to tackle her first Christmas without her beloved Baroness Lehzen. Pregnant with her and Alberts fourth child, the festive period reminds her of her lonely childhood spent at Kensington. Albert, on the other hand is gripped by an obsession with staging the perfect family Christmas, transforming the palace into a magical festive wonderland. Tensions arise between him and Victoria, however, when Albert invites some unwelcome house guests to join the celebrations. Below stairs, having accepted their feelings for one another, Francatelli and Skerrett are finally together. Exciting: The Christmas special, called Comfort And Joy, will celebrate all of the festivities of a Victorian Christmas at Buckingham Palace New horizons: Set in Christmas 1846, the episode sees Victoria uncharacteristically melancholy as she prepares to tackle her first Christmas without her beloved Baroness Lehzen However, as romances amongst staff are forbidden, the pair cannot show that theyre in love to their co-workers which puts strain on the relationship. The situation complicates further when Skerrett inherits a large estate from an estranged uncle. The latest eight-part series ended in October, but is back with the special - written by creator and executive producer, Daisy Goodwin. The Victoria Christmas special airs on Christmas Day at 9pm on ITV She has been busy blazing the promotional trail for her new movie, Molly's Game. But Jessica Chastain took a break from her tough schedule on Wednesday, as she returned to her hotel in London for a spot of relaxation. The Oscar-winning actress, 40, nailed off-duty dressing as she rocked a chic pink striped sweater and styled her auburn locks in tousled waves. Scroll down for video Down time: Jessica Chastain took a break from her tough schedule on Wednesday, as she returned to her hotel in London for a spot of relaxation The Interstellar actress teamed her cosy knit with a pair of skinny indigo jeans and patent ankle boots. Wrapping up in a chic black pea coat, the Californian star shielded her eyes behind a pair of tortoiseshell square-frame shades. Styling her trademark fiery tresses in windswept waves, she appeared to go make-up free to showcase her natural beauty. Looking good: The Oscar-winning actress, 40, nailed off-duty dressing as she rocked a chic pink striped sweater and styled her auburn locks in tousled waves Chic: The Interstellar actress teamed her cosy knit with a pair of skinny indigo jeans and patent ankle boots Jessica has been busy promoting her new movie Molly's Game - and was seen in Berlin for the drama's premiere earlier this week. The Oscar-winning actress' new movie tells the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. In a recent interview with Deadline, Jessica admitted that she had used the Kardashians for inspiration when preparing for the role. Transformation: Chastain's casual vibe was worlds away from the polished glamour of her red carpet looks. Pictured right, in Cannes in May Taking centre-stage: Styling her trademark fiery tresses in windswept waves, she appeared to go make-up free to showcase her natural beauty Tough schedule: Jessica has been busy promoting her new movie Molly's Game - and was seen in Berlin for the drama's premiere earlier this week She explained: 'It's the Kardashian story. I was judging her for her clothes, for her makeup. 'But in many cases, women have to present themselves in that way, to find success in an industry where men are making the rules.' Jessica revealed that she placed photographs of the famous family in her trailer to retain the 'idea that to find success, to have it be given to you, you have to present this image of who you are'. As well as Jessica, the movie boasts performances from the likes of Idris Elba, Kevin Costner and Michael Cera. All eyes on her: The film star, 40, stunned in the sophisticated yet chic number that highlighted her svelte frame, thanks to its stylish belted design Taking the plunge: She rocked a plunging gown at the Madrid premiere days earlier Gripping: Molly's Game tells the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target She is known for turning heads when it comes to her red carpet ensembles. And dazzling once more, Cate Blanchett looked simply stunning as she stepped out for the Opening Night Gala of the Dubai International Film Festival held at Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday night, where she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The actress, 48, commanded attention on her arrival in a colourful floor-length Giorgio Armani gown and showcased her youthful beauty, as she chose a pared back beauty look to showcase her striking features. Scroll down for video All eyes on her: Cate Blanchett looked simply stunning as she stepped out for the Opening Night Gala of the Dubai International Film Festival held at Madinat Jumeirah on Wednesday night Posing on arrival, Cate made sure to catch the eye in her vibrant number that boasted a fitted bodice and high ruffled neckline - nipping in at the waist to accentuate her slender frame. Her dress then billowed out around her legs in a striped pleated skirt, that saw her frock tie together clashing materials, including one charcoal grey hue and a pink patterned design. Choosing to let her dress make a statement, the Blue Jasmine star decided to keep things pared back on the beauty front as she favoured subtle yet glamorous make-up that drew attention to her youthful beauty. Stunning: The actress, 48, commanded attention on her arrival in a colourful floor-length Giorgio Armani gown and showcased her youthful beauty Chic: Posing on arrival, Cate made sure to catch the eye in her vibrant number that boasted a fitted bodice and high ruffled neckline - nipping in at the waist to accentuate her slender frame Sporting a dewy complexion, Cate teamed blusher-swept cheeks with a slick of rose pink lipgloss across her lips. She wore her blonde cropped tresses in tousled waves swept over to one side. The Hollywood sensation was joined on the red carpet by IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, who was clad in a dapper tux and bow-tie for the calendar highlight. Marking a special evening in the Middle East, Cate was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award as this year's Film Festival got underway. Making an entrance: The Hollywood sensation was joined on the red carpet by IWC Schaffhausen CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr, who was clad in a dapper tux and bow-tie for the calendar highlight Honour: Marking a special evening in the Middle East, Cate was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award as this year's Film Festival got underway Thrilled: The Blue Jasmine star was seen clutching onto her prize on stage Leading lady: All eyes were on her as she addressed the crowd during her acceptance speech Delight! She was presented the gong by Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed al-Maktoum and was seen beaming from ear-to-ear as she took to the stage to accept her honorary prize She was presented the gong by Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed al-Maktoum and was seen beaming from ear-to-ear as she took to the stage to accept her honorary prize. Joining Cate on the red carpet for the event's Opening Night Gala were the likes of Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart and his wife of four years Sunny Ozell. Stewart was also honoured at the opening gala as he too received a Lifetime Achievement Award on the night. Star-studded: Joining Cate on the red carpet for the event's Opening Night Gala were the likes of Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart and his wife of four years Sunny Ozell Glamorous: While Star Trek actor Stewart was suited and booted for the occasion, his wife Suzy favoured a glitzy low-cut frock A-list: The Hollywood couple flashed huge smiles on their arrival to the eight day event Success: Patrick was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award Smile! Stewart appeared delighted to be honoured with the gong Content: He was seen shaking hands with Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed al-Maktoum Delighted: Stewart couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he returned to his seat Stranger Things actor David Harbour - he stars in the much-loved Netflix series as Police Chief Jim Hopper - was also present for the first day of the film festival. Model Olga Kurylenko was in attendance and dazzled in a red lace gown that was entirely embellished and came complete with a ribbon that tied together at the neck. Dubai's International Film Festival is the largest in the region and has been taking place since its debut in 2004. This year it will take place between 6-13 December and celebrates the latest in the film industry while offering screenings on a beach location, set along the coastline of Dubai Marina. Cate's trip to Dubai comes as she has three films in post-production; Jungle Book, Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Ocean's Eight that boasts a stellar cast including Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Helen Bonham Carter and Damien Lewis - all set for release in 2018. Red carpet arrivals: Stranger Things actor David Harbour was also in attendance (R) along with model Olga Kurylenko Stunning: Olga looked ever so glamorous in a red lace gown that was entirely embellished and came complete with a ribbon that tied together at the neck Catching the eye: She made sure to dazzle on her entrance to the opening gala, as she stopped for photographers Cate is also filming for The House with a Clock in its Walls, where she plays the role of Florence Zimmerman. The movie is based on the novel of the same name and is fantasy horror, directed by Eli Roth. Jack Black stars as the film's leading role, while Cate plays a witch who is his character Jonathan Barnavelt's neighbour and best friend. In a recent interview with Vogue, Cate spoke of the nature of her work which has seen her adapt from role to role for different movies over the years. Glamorous: Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams looked just lovely in a glittering gown that came complete with a billowing cape But despite seeming extremely polished onscreen, the beauty insisted her approach to filming is 'much more circus-like'. She said: 'The reality of acting is that you can do all of the homework in the world for a part - but my relationship with performance is much more circus-like. 'I have to jump into someones hands. They have to catch me at the right moment. Otherwise, theres no trapeze act.' Rubbing shoulders: Cate made sure to stop for a snap with the festival's chairman Abdulhamid Juma Advertisement In the iconic 1990 movie Home Alone, he was famously left in America by his parents as they jetted off to Paris for Christmas. But there was no being left behind for Macaulay Culkin, as he was pictured enjoying a romantic holiday with girlfriend of four months Brenda Song in Paris. The Home Alone star, 37, and The Social Network actress, 29, looked in the throes of love as they wandered through the city of love on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Je t'aime! Macaulay Culkin was pictured enjoying a romantic holiday with girlfriend of four months Brenda Song in Paris on Wednesday Cutting a dapper figure, Macaulay rocked black skinny jeans and a chunky poloneck, teaming it with a denim jacket and sunglasses. He held onto his belle lovingly, who looked stylish in a pair of fitted jeans held up by a Gucci belt, and casual biker boots. Injecting a splash of colour with a Burberry scarf and a bright red hat, she rocked a pair of oversized glasses, adding to her chic look. The duo appeared besotted, barely able to keep their hands off each other as they were spotted embracing frequently and gazing into each others' eyes, holding hands at every opportunity. Loved up! The Home Alone star, 37, and The Social Network actress, 29, looked in the throes of love as they wandered through the city of love on Wednesday Tres chic! Cutting a dapper figure, Macaulay rocked black skinny jeans and a chunky poloneck, teaming it with a denim jacket and sunglasses as he embraced his stylish girlfriend Brenda The duo were joined by couple Seth Green and his wife Clare Grant, as they enjoyed the sights and sounds of the romantic city. Family guy star Seth, 43, and his Holidays actress wife of seven years, 38, introduced Macaulay and Brenday earlier in the year. Since then the duo have been spotted spending time with Macaulay's goddaughter Paris Jackson in Paris, enjoying dinner together this week. And Paris was also seen enjoying the sights and sound of the picturesque capital, cutting a chic figure in Bardot olive jumper and wearing her hair in French braids. Culkin has been dating Brenda for four months, but he's clearly smitten with her, with the duo spotted on an array of romantic dates of late. As he was: Culkin at his lowest point, in 2012, left when pictures of him looking gaunt set the tabloids alight with rumors of drug abuse, which he denied; he is also pictured in May this year, before he began dating Brenda Celebrity pals: They've been spotted spending time with Macaulay's goddaughter Paris Jackson in Paris, enjoying dinner together this week Turning heads! He held onto his belle lovingly, who looked stylish in a pair of fitted jeans held up by a Gucci belt, and casual biker boots as she held hands with her beau Since their relationship took off the once shabby actor has ditched the long hair and unkempt beard, for a far smarter appearance - even wearing a suit for his Parisian night out. Back in 2012 it was a different story - with pictures of Culkin looking skinny and haggard setting the tabloids aflame with rumors of drug abuse, something he has denied. During their Parisian getaway - which took place over Thanksgiving - Culkin and Brenda were also spotted enjoying some couple time. The two were seen splashing the cash on a shopping trip at the Monoprix retail store, where Culkin bought his love a large stuffed teddy bear. Romantic getaway! Paris was also seen enjoying the sights and sound of the picturesque capital, cutting a chic figure in Bardot olive jumper and wearing her hair in French braids Group holiday! The duo have been spotted spending time with Macaulay's goddaughter Paris Jackson in Paris, enjoying dinner together this week Double date! During their Parisian getaway - which took place over Thanksgiving - Culkin and Brenda were also spotted enjoying some couple time The actor is no stranger to Paris - he bought a house there in 2013 following his split from Jordan Lane Price. Culkin was and is rated as one of the most successful child actors, launching his career opposite John Candy in Uncle Buck, before Home Alone and its sequel Lost In New York and My Girl. But a trio of same year Razzie nominations for Worst Actor in 1994 for Getting Even With Dad, Richie Rich and The Pagemaster coincided with him taking a long break from acting, not reappearing on screen until 2003's Party Monster where he played a drug using murderer. But he was thrust back into the limelight this year when he and Song were first spotted together over the summer, as they ventured out to dinner at the Los Angeles restaurant Craig's. The duo were joined by couple Seth Green and his wife Clare Grant, as they enjoyed the sights and sounds of the romantic city Crazy in love! The duo appeared besotted, barely able to keep their hands off each other as they were spotted embracing frequently and gazing into each others' eyes, holding hands at every opportunity Playing cupid! Family guy star Seth, 43, and his Holidays actress wife of seven years, 38, introduced Macaulay and Brenday earlier in the year He is currently filming Changeland, an upcoming comedy-drama film written, directed and co-starring his friend Seth Green. Macaulay and Brenda struck up their relationship earlier this year when they were introduced to one another while shooting former Austin Paris star Seth's directorial debut, Changeland, in Thailand. The 29-year-old actress said previously: 'It's been incredible. We spent five weeks in Thailand shooting this. 'Seth directed and wrote and starred in it, and this has been in the making for the last seven years, so he made it happen, it was incredible - it was like, Changeland for me.' And she admitted: 'That sounds super cheesy but I came back like a different person.' Retail therapy! The two were recently seen splashing the cash on a shopping trip at the Monoprix retail store, where Culkin bought his love a large stuffed teddy bear Home from home: The actor is no stranger to Paris - he bought a house there in 2013 following his split from Jordan Lane Price Child star! Culkin was and is rated as one of the most successful child actors, launching his career opposite John Candy in Uncle Buck, before Home Alone and its sequel Lost In New York and My Girl Song recently opened up again about co-starring with boyfriend Culkin and close pal Green on the dramatic comedy Changeland. 'It was a wonderful experience,' she told the show. 'Everyone was great ... we had the best time ever. 'Everyone was lovely, we just got to go to Thailand and hang out with our best friends for five weeks.' Coming soon: He is currently filming Changeland, an upcoming comedy-drama film written, directed and co-starring his friend Seth Green Work pals: Macaulay and Brenda struck up their relationship earlier this year when they were introduced to one another while shooting former Austin Paris star Seth's directorial debut, Changeland, in Thailand 'It was a wonderful experience,' she told the show of starring with Culkin and her pals in Changeland. 'Everyone was great ... we had the best time ever. Song is a prolific actress who jump-started her career as a Disney child star, playing the female lead in both 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' and 'The Suite Life on Deck'. She has since appeared in the Facebook origin story 'The Social Network' and as Raven-Symone's character's best friend in 'College Road Trip'. Macaulay was previously married to actress Rachel Miner, who he tied the knot with in 1998, but the pair separated in 2000 and divorced two years later. Talented: Song is a prolific actress who jump-started her career as a Disney child star, playing the female lead in both 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' and 'The Suite Life on Deck' Success! She has since appeared in the Facebook origin story 'The Social Network' and as Raven-Symone's character's best friend in 'College Road Trip' Moving on! Macaulay was previously married to actress Rachel Miner, who he tied the knot with in 1998, but the pair separated in 2000 and divorced two years later Brenda, on the other hand, was engaged to Miley Cyrus' brother Trace but called off the engagement in 2012. Meanwhile their pals Seth and Clare met while working together on animated TV show Robot Chicken, which Seth created and provides voiceovers for. The pair became engaged on New Years Eve in 2009 and were married in May 2010 in Northern California. Former flames: Brenda, on the other hand, was engaged to Miley Cyrus' brother Trace but called off the engagement in 2012, while Culkin was previously linked to Miley Cyrus On a night dedicated to iconic French fashion house Chanel it was only appropriate that two of their best known ambassadors led the red carpet glamour on Tuesday evening. Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart commanded attention as celebrated designer Karl Lagerfeld unveiled his latest range at the Metiers dArt runway show in German city Hamburg, where they were joined by a host of high profile guests. Making an entrance at the sprawling Elbphilharmonie concert house, Lily-Rose, 18, caught the eye in an embellished black sheer dress. Scroll down for video On a night dedicated to iconic French fashion house Chanel it was only appropriate that ambassadors Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart led the red carpet glamour on Tuesday evening The model daughter of Hollywood star Johnny Depp and French actress Vanessa Paradis added to her striking look with a tasteful evening coat, while an obligatory Chanel handbag proved to be a notable accessory. With her bobbed, tousled locks maintained with a simple centre parting, Lily was an engaging sight as she made her way inside the lavish German venue. Joining the teenage star, Kristen, 27, looked equally stylish in a simple white vest top and generously cut trousers. Looking good: Making an entrance at the sprawling Elbphilharmonie concert house, Lily-Rose, 18, caught the eye in an embellished black sheer dress Striking: The model added to her look with a pair of matching embellished sheer trousers A vision in black: With her bobbed, tousled locks maintained with a simple centre parting, Lily was an engaging sight as she made her way inside the lavish German venue Striking: Lily commanded attention as she took her place on the FROW Leading lady: She proved her model prowess and striking natural beauty as she posed for cameras The Twilight star was in high spirits as she greeted Lily, with both posing for photos as they prepared for the show. Claiming her own share of the spotlight, Tilda Swinton also turned heads as she made an entrance at the glamorous event. The British actress, 57, opted for a collarless white blouse and matching trousers, teamed with conventional white flats. Pure glamour: Joining the teenage star, Kristen, 27, looked equally stylish in a simple white vest top and generously cut trousers Sultry: A tasteful evening jacket and strappy heels rounded off her elegant ensemble Don't mind me: But the actress was hard to miss as she took her front row seat Hollywood glamour: Kristen looked typically edgy as she posed for photos at the event VIP: Kristen fiercely smouldered for cameras as she took her place on the FROW Making an entrance: Claiming her own share of the spotlight, Tilda Swinton also turned heads as she made an entrance at the glamorous event Other guests on the night included actress Ellie Bamber, who opted for a comparatively casual sweater and skinny jeans for her arrival, before changing into a stunning evening dress. Taking to the catwalk, model of the moment Kaia Gerber, 16, made a sartorial splash in two different ensembles for the 16th annual celebration of the revered fashion house. Daring to impress, the young model rocked a black sweater dress, paired with a set of silver embellished black heels that complimented the over sized rider's cap. Say cheese: Lily-Rose and Kristen posed fort snaps inside the German venue Pals: The two friends were inseparable at the high-profile runway show in Hamburg BFFs: Lily-Rose later beamed widely as she embraced Carine Roitfeld, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris Star-studded: Tilda and Lily-Rose joined a host of celebrity faces at the event on Wednesday Finishing touches: The model daughter of Hollywood star Johnny Depp and French actress Vanessa Paradis added to her striking look with a tasteful evening coat, while an obligatory Chanel handbag proved to be a notable accessor Keeping it simple: With her bobbed, tousled locks maintained with a simple centre parting, Lily was an engaging sight as she made her way inside the lavish German venue Kaia's signature brunette locks were swept under the hat as her makeup palette included a smokey eye and light berry lip. Later in the show, she dazzled onlookers again as she commanded attention in a black striped white tweed flapper dress. Shortly after turning 16, the legal age required for the runway, Kaia made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week. She instantly became the It girl for a slew of major designers including Calvin Klein, Chanel and Moschino. Stylish: Joining the teenage star, Kristen, 27, looked equally stylish in a simple white vest top and generously cut trousers Incoming: British actress Tilda greeted onlookers as she made an appearance at the event on Wednesday evening Centre stage: Model of the moment Kaia Gerber dazzled as she took to the catwalk at the event Hard to miss: Kaia modelled an array of new designs from Lagerfeld and Chanel Don't mind me: She dazzled onlookers as she commanded attention in a black striped white tweed flapper dress Tasteful: Kaia's signature brunette locks were swept under the hat as her makeup palette included a smokey eye and light berry lip Elsewhere Lily is set to put her fluency in French to good use as she gears up to star in upcoming thriller Les Fauves. The movie is thought to tell the tale of a campsite where young people start to disappear over the summer, with rumors a big cat is attacking them. Lily takes on the starring role of Laura alongside French actors Laurent Lafitte and Camille Cottin in upcoming thriller Les Fauves. The teen has previously appeared in films Planetarium, The Dancer and Yoga Hosers alongside her famous father Johnny. Off screen, Lily has been in a relationship with British model Ash Stymest for the past two years, though their romance first raised eyebrows given their eight-year age gap and the fact Lily was only 16 when their dating commenced. Say cheese: Lily-Rose posed for photos as she made her way inside the event on Wednesday evening Incoming: Ellie Bamber was also in attendance at the glamorous fashion show in Hamburg Quite a difference: Ellie later traded her casual outfit for a stunning blue evening dress Main man: Karl Lagerfeld made an entrance as his new collection was unveiled Make way: Catwalk models showed off the designer's new range of clothing on Wednesday Leggy: A thigh-skimming jumper dress proved to be a distinctive addition to the new collection Iconic: Lagerfeld posed for a front row snap with Lily-Rose Three's company: Kristen later joined the pair as they celebrated the launch of the new Chanel collection She plays Molly Bloom - the Olympic-class skier who ran high-stakes and highly illegal game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons - in the upcoming crime film Molly's Game. And Jessica Chastain flaunted her slender frame in a sheer skater frock as she arrived arm-in-arm with her film co-star Idris Elba the premiere in Leicester Square on Wednesday. The 40-year-old actress has been on a promotional trial for the drama flick, but took a break from her tough schedule as she visited a London hotel earlier that day. Scroll down for video Co-stars: Jessica Chastain, 40, flaunted her slender frame in a sheer skater frock as she arrived arm-in-arm with her fellow actor Idris Elba, 45, the premiere in Leicester Square on Wednesday The American star put on an elegant display in her light peach midi dress, which featured a flared detail at the rim of the frock. Cinched at her waist with a sizzling metallic belt, her attire was covered in intricate floral embellishments. Her copper mane was swept into a low bouffant bun as she teamed her ensemble with classic pink lipstick and faint rose blush. Film premiere: The American star put on an elegant display in her light peach midi dress, which featured a flared detail at the rim of the frock Neat display: She donned a pair of Rupert Sanderson gold peep-toe heels as she stood beside her dapper co-star She donned a pair of Rupert Sanderson gold peep-toe heels as she stood beside her dapper co-star. Idris looked the picture of sophistication as he was dressed in a suave fitted black suit, finished with a slim midnight blue tie. Based upon the memoir Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker, tells the true story of the poker queen. Elegant: Cinched at her waist with a sizzling metallic belt, her attire was covered in intricate floral embellishments Dapper: Idris looked the picture of sophistication as he was dressed in a suave fitted black suit, finished with a slim midnight blue tie Fan favourite: She looked ecstatic as she signed art from film followers In a trailer released in late August, the copper beauty is seen meeting her criminal defence lawyer Charlie Jaffey, played by Idris Elba. 'I'm getting that you don't think much of me', she spits after spying a tabloid report on her arrest in his office. 'But what if your ill-informed, unsophisticated opinions about me were wrong? 'I'd be amazed,' he replies, smiling. The film will have a limited release in the United States on December 25 before going worldwide on January 5, 2018. Supporters: The Hollywood actress is pictured in front of the promotional stand, as Idris is seen approaching the podium Stunning: Her copper mane was swept into a low bouffant bun as she teamed her ensemble with classic pink lipstick and faint rose blush Crime drama: Co-stars Jessica and Idris were pictured with director Aaron Sorkin, who made his feature directorial debut with the film Upcoming: The film will have a limited release in the United States on December 25 before going worldwide on January 5, 2018 The Interstellar actress teamed a cosy knit with a pair of skinny indigo jeans and patent ankle boots earlier that day. Wrapping up in a chic black pea coat, the Californian star shielded her eyes behind a pair of tortoiseshell square-frame shades. Styling her trademark fiery tresses in windswept waves, she appeared to go make-up free to showcase her natural beauty. In a recent interview with Deadline, Jessica admitted that she had used the Kardashians for inspiration when preparing for the role. Chic: The Interstellar actress teamed her cosy knit with a pair of skinny indigo jeans and patent ankle boots She explained: 'It's the Kardashian story. I was judging her for her clothes, for her makeup. 'But in many cases, women have to present themselves in that way, to find success in an industry where men are making the rules.' Jessica revealed that she placed photographs of the famous family in her trailer to retain the 'idea that to find success, to have it be given to you, you have to present this image of who you are'. As well as Jessica and Idris, the movie boasts performances from the likes of Kevin Costner, Jeremy Strong and Michael Cera. She paved the way for a new generation of models when she broke onto the scene with her bombshell curves and body confident message. And Ashley Graham was happy to flaunt her famous figure while teasing a glimpse of a smoldering new shoot for Vogue Italia on her Instagram account Wednesday. Praising the fashion bible for not re-touching her physique, the supermodel, 30, slipped her incredible curves into a retro-style cheetah-print bustier in one stunning shot shared on her page. When they dont retouch you- @vogueitalia A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 7:13am PST Ashley looked breathtaking in a silky animal print one-piece designed by Dolce And Gabbana, paired with sheer hosiery. The cover girl amped up the sex appeal with a dramatic cat eye and a full pout, courtesy of make-up artist Diane Kendal. She let her light brown locks cascade down in a untamed yet romantic up-do. The bombshell model later turned around to show off her derriere, which was clad in silky briefs with embroidery. #italianvogue A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 3:44am PST Ok Im done @vogueitalia A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 7:21am PST A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 7:18am PST Ashley was the epitome of carefree cool in the look, tying her tresses back with a black scarf and covering her full chest in black. In a close up, three rows of diamond earrings could be seen adorning the look, which was styled by George Cortina. Ashley also turned heads in slinky black dresses from designers Brandon Maxwell and Marina Rinaldi as she treated her fans to snapshots of the shoot. thank you to this amazing team!! #vogueitalia A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 3:47am PST @vogueitalia A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Dec 6, 2017 at 3:42am PST Ashley also embraced retro glamour at Monday night's British Fashion Awards in London. The starlet showcased her envy-inducing body in a figure hugging Vivienne Westwood design with a flirty mermaid hem as she worked her magic on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall. While there are no doubt many pining for the star's affections, Ashley is happily spoken for. The model has been married to long-term sweetheart Justin Ervin, who she met through her church, since 2010. Work commitments were put to one side as Lily James and Matt Smith made their latest appearance in New York on Wednesday afternoon. With winter temperatures soaring, the couple wrapped up as they ventured out in the city, where Matt has been promoting the second series of The Crown. Opting for a distinctive leopard print coat, former Downton Abbey star Lily looked typically stylish while walking arm in arm with her fiance. Scroll down for video Stepping out: Work commitments were put to one side as Lily James and Matt Smith made their latest appearance in New York on Wednesday afternoon Opting to keep it simple, the actress added to her look with a conventional black top, while matching retro-cut jeans and Reebok trainers rounded things off. Walking alongside his girlfriend, Matt looked equally casual in his own black top and jeans, teamed with a stylish winter coat. On another chilly day the actor completed his look with a monochrome beanie hat, while a simple striped scarf proved to be a distinctive addition to his ensemble. Out and about: With winter temperatures soaring, the couple wrapped up as they ventured out in the city, where Matt has been promoting the second series of The Crown Going wild in the city: Opting for a distinctive leopard print coat, former Downton Abbey star Lily looked typically stylish while walking arm in arm with her fiance Upbeat: The pair were in high spirits as they strolled thorough the city on Wednesday Their appearance comes after Matt, who plays the Duke of Edinburgh in Netflix drama The Crown, said he pities Meghan Markle because 'life as she knows it is gone'. But Matt admitted there was still plenty for Meghan to look forward to, adding: 'She's marring the prince of Britain - how exciting for her.' The second season of The Crown, which is released on December 8, will paint an unflattering portrait of Prince Philip as an adulterer. Low key: Walking alongside his girlfriend, Matt looked equally casual in his own black top and jeans, teamed with a stylish winter coat Taxi please! The couple were seen hailing a famous yellow cab Sign here: Lily was accosted by autograph hunters as she made her way to an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers Scenes show the Duke of Edinburgh being tempted by a flirtatious Jackie Kennedy during her visit to Buckingham Palace in 1961. 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. Not this time: The actress seemed reluctant after being offered a pen from a waiting fan Walk on by: She appeared to be in a hurry while venturing into the studio in her leopart print jacket Previously: Earlier that day Matt was seen heading back to the Bowery Hotel in New York Late night: Lily was later seen after filming of Late Night with Seth Meyers Cute outfit: She wore sweet flat shoes and a velvet ribbon in her hair Heading out: She flashed her short leggings beneath her glittering dress She lives on one of the most expensive streets in the world, with her 70M Kensington home boasting a jaw-dropping 57 bedrooms. But even Tamara Ecclestone likes a bargain, as she proved in Wednesday's episode of Tamara's World. The 33-year-old heiress daughter to F1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, who herself is thought to be worth 232million, was seen shopping in Wembley's huge low budget store Costco- where you can buy an array of goods from as little as 1. Scroll down for video An unexpected visit to Costco! Tamara Ecclestone likes a bargain, as she proved in Wednesday's episode of Tamara's World Accompanied by two personal assistants and two bodyguards, the mother-of-one was seen having a wild time, picking up an array of bargains from the wholesale store. Grabbing an array of cabbage patch dolls for just 25- the price of a single doll in most retail stores, she was seen excitedly picking up a spurs book for husband of four years Jay Rutland, 36, and shelled pistachio nuts for her younger sister Petra. As the trolleys multiplied in numbers, her entourage was seen running around the excited heiress with around ten trolleys, as she exclaimed: 'I'm like a kid in the candy store!' Who doesn't like a bargain? The 33-year-old heiress daughter to F1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, who herself is thought to be worth 232million, was seen shopping in Wembley's huge low budget store Costco- where you can buy an array of goods from as little as 1 And as an influx of shop workers were seen wheeling out her goods, which surely mounted into the thousands of pounds in worth, Tamara squealed: 'It's the most exciting thing that's happened to me in a long time. 'I'm done with Sloane square I love going out in my leggings and trainers now!'. But her spree proved larger than expected, and her chauffeur-driven car was certainly not large enough to haul her goods home, with two further van journeys needed. Shoppings spree! Accompanied by two personal assistants and two bodyguards, the mother-of-one was seen having a wild time, picking up an array of bargains from the wholesale store Bargain-hunting! Grabbing an array of cabbage patch dolls for just 25- the price of a single doll in most retail stores, she was seen excitedly picking up a spurs book for husband of four years Jay Rutland, 36, and shelled pistachio nuts for her younger sister Petra 'We came, we saw, we conquered', she concluded happily as she headed back to the more upmarket West London area. Later in the day as she enjoyed a home-cooked meal by her chef and welcomed art dealer Jay home, she excitedly told him about their day. And the Essex-born chap appeared highly amused, exclaiming: 'My how things have changed!' Last month she told the Standard: 'My dad is the biggest lover of a deal, or a sale, in life, ever. Somehow it has been passed down by genetics. Excited! As the trolleys multiplied in numbers, her entourage was seen running around the excited heiress with around ten trolleys, as she exclaimed: 'I'm like a kid in the candy store!' 'I'm done with Sloane square I love going out in my leggings and trainers now!'her chauffeur-driven car was certainly not large enough to haul her goods home, with two further van journeys needed. 'Yes, I like nice things, but if there is a way to save money or have a deal my father will always say, 'Look for the deal, ask for a discount, you will always get it, don't just pay the first price'. 'I do go to Costco and if there is money to be saved, why wouldn't you? It doesn't matter how much you have, if you can pay less for something, then you should.' But her father Bernie still proved a lover of extravagant deals, as Tamara proved later in the show when they enjoyed a weekend to Gstaad, Switzerland. Taking private jet to their five storey chalet, complete with swimming pool and sauna, where a flurry of helpers were waiting with their unpacked suitcases and a roaring fire, Tamara explained the significance of their stay. Back to the good life! They were later seen taking private jet to their five storey chalet, complete with swimming pool and sauna, where a flurry of helpers were waiting with their unpacked suitcases and a roaring fire 'I've inherited my dad's love for Gstaad- it's the only place he can switch off. I love coming here just the three of us', Tamara was seen admitting 'Bernie owns a hotel- sofia: that hotel is ours!' Tamara confirms of her Bernie's lavish taste- something Tamara has clearly inherited, as well as his love for a good deal 'I've inherited my dad's love for Gstaad- it's the only place he can switch off. I love coming here just the three of us', Tamara was seen admitting, as Jay interjected hopelessly that he'd love it to be 'four'. And Bernie's love for the town was soon proven, as they took an amble through the picture postcard town, ambling past a grand hotel. 'Whose hotel is that?' Jay is seen asking, as Sofia exclaims: 'Ours!' 'Bernie owns a hotel- Sofia: that hotel is ours!' Tamara confirms. And they later go to visit a 3000-foot Glacier for the first time with Sofia, with Tamara explaining: 'Glacier 3000 is my dad's mountain, he liked the mountain so he bought it, taking Sofia for the first time is so special'. 'Glacier 3000 is my dad's mountain, he liked the mountain so he bought it', Tamara exclaimed of Gstad's Glacier 3000 'Taking Sofia for the first time is so special', Tamara exclaimed, but Sofia seemed less impressed, screaming 'Get me home!' 'You see where she gets it from', Jay jokes. But Sofia is less impressed, screaming 'Get me home!', as they are pictured battling the wind on the stunning bridge. And her father's lavish taste came out in Tamara this month, as she decorated her exclusive home with an array of jaw-dropping Christmas decorations, including an extensive selection of baubles, a huge Christmas trees, a life-sized sleigh. Completing the decorations were a realistic pile of brightly-coloured presents, two statue reindeer positioned on each side of the driveway, playfully dressed in Santa costumes, while a stunning red and white wreath graced the front door itself. Tasmania faces the "real possibility" of a minority government after the 2018 state election, voter data shows. Support for the Liberal government and Labor opposition is identical for the first time since 2010, according to an EMRS poll of 1000 voters. "Both major parties are level on their primary vote at 34 per cent, indicating a very real possibility of a minority government scenario for either party," EMRS spokesman Samuel Paske said on Wednesday. Support for the Liberal government has dropped three points since August while Labor's backing was unchanged. The Greens snared 17 per cent support and and among the remaining undecided voters, six per cent said they'd back an independent candidate. Premier Will Hodgman's popularity dropped two points to 35 per cent while Opposition Leader Rebecca White held steady lead at 48 per cent. "However, so far that hasn't translated into increases in the Labor party primary vote in the most two recent polls," Mr Paske said. Tasmanians are due to go to the polls in March. The Northern Territory government must urgently introduce industrial manslaughter laws following the death of an Inpex worker, a union says. Carl Delaney, 56, died last week at the gas project's Bladin Point construction site in Darwin while installing insulation inside a cryogenic tank. The Electrical Trades Union says over the past four years Inpex's Ichthys plant has been plagued by a culture of fear and intimidation against workers who speak out about safety issues. But the Japanese-owned company says safety is its "number one value" and employees are encouraged to raise concerns. "Before every shift begins, pre-start meetings are required to be held where safety is discussed," Inpex said in a statement. ETU NT secretary Peter Ong says industrial manslaughter laws may be the only way to force companies such as Inpex, JKC and their contractors to fulfil safety obligations and prevent further tragedies. "We owe it to Carl and his family to make sure we fix the culture on this project and try and stop this culture from continuing on other construction sites," he said. "The only thing that is going to stop these companies and big business from putting workers lives secondary to profits is the threat of going to jail for killing workers." Mr Ong also demanded the Gunner government strengthen health and safety legislation and audit NT WorkSafe. NT WorkSafe Minister Natasha Fyles said Labor will wait for the outcome of a national review into occupational health and safety laws, currently underway, before making any changes. "People have the right to go to work, to remain safe and come home to their loved ones," she said. Ms Fyles said the government also needs to respect any recommendations arising from investigations into the "tragic incident". Inpex maintains "major" construction work was suspended the day after Mr Delaney's death on Thursday to allow colleagues to mourn. But the ETU says while a full site audit should have been ordered, only the area surrounding the fatality was closed off. "For these contractors to turn around and push these workers back out to work without completely reviewing safety procedures is not only disgusting, but has put more workers' lives at risk," Mr Ong said. Inpex said each JKC subcontractor was required to undertake a review of their area, including "re-verification of safety measures", before work resumed. The ETU says many workers fear that if they come forward with safety complaints they'll be blacklisted and let go at the next round of redundancies, or if they are within their six-month probation period they'll be terminated on the spot. Robbie Katter has declared victory for Katter's Australian Party in the north Queensland seat of Hinchinbrook. With only about 1000 votes left to count, the state leader says Nick Dametto has ousted LNP member Andrew Cripps from the coastal seat. "We've won the seat of Hinchinbrook now," he said in Townsville on Wednesday. "It's been a six-year project for us to get another seat in parliament and we've done that." Shortly after Mr Katter's announcement, Mr Cripps posted a concession speech on his Facebook page. "I have not been re-elected as the Member for Hinchinbrook," he said. "I leave this role knowing that I served to the best of my ability and judgement, represented the Hinchinbrook electorate faithfully and was beholden to nobody in doing so." Mr Dametto will join KAP MPs Mr Katter and Shane Knuth in the Queensland parliament. Mr Katter said the result meant the party had a "very strong mandate" to represent voters in the state's far north. "I think we're the ones that can take the fight up to our southern cousins and ensure we get what's fair for us," he said. Labor looks set to get 47 seats and a slim majority in the new 93 seat parliament, and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk strongly ruled out forming government with the support of any of the minor parties or independents during the election campaign. Mr Katter said he was yet to receive a call from Labor about working with his party on the crossbench, even if it secured a majority government. "If they want to run the gauntlet and treat the rest of Queensland with contempt by saying, 'We've got this arrogant attitude where we're going to govern by one or two' - number one that's stupid, number two it's disrespectful," he said. Mr Katter said KAP was willing to work with whoever was in government and its door was always open. "If they can't even be bothered contacting us and negotiating I think we're off to a very bad start," he said. Favourable weather conditions have eased an out-of-control fire burning on the NSW mid-north coast. The bushfire has burnt about 1780 hectares at Crescent Head near Port Macquarie and was threatening homes on Plomer Road after westerly winds pushed the blaze east on Wednesday evening. Firefighters were able to gain the upper hand after the winds eased, allowing them to plan backburning operations overnight. The previous watch and act warning has been downgraded to advice for residents in the Plomer Road, Maria River and North Shore Road areas. A Labor MP has apologised for his "heated words" to a television journalist questioning one of his colleagues about her citizenship status. In footage aired on Wednesday, Tasmanian Brian Mitchell appears to call the ABC's Matt Wordsworth a "maggot" while attempting to stop him from speaking to fellow backbencher Justine Keay in a Parliament House courtyard. Mr Wordsworth was seeking details from Ms Keay about when she renounced her British citizenship and if she should be referred to the High Court. In a statement to parliament, Mr Mitchell - a former journalist and editor - said he had spoken to Mr Wordsworth and apologised for the encounter. "I deeply respect the work that Mr Wordsworth and all his colleagues in the press gallery do and they should be free to do it without fear or favour," he said. The Northern Territory Attorney General has slammed an independent politician as being hypocritical and ageist for demanding a young minister get the boot. Independent member Robyn Lambley is calling for Tourism Minister Lauren Moss to be sacked over the shock resignation of her department boss, claiming she is out of her depth. Attorney General Natasha Fyles has rushed to Ms Moss' defence, pointing to her work negotiating direct flights to Darwin from China, attracting NRL and ARL games to the NT and establishing the National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs. Ms Fyles said her government is diverse and genuinely reflects the make-up of the Territory. She described Ms Lambley, who was dumped as the former Country Liberals Party government treasurer after six months in 2015, as a dud who "wasn't good at maths". Ms Lambley lost her portfolio for her role in a failed coup, and Ms Fyles says she wants to return to "the chaos of a constantly changing cabinet line-up". The CLP was obliterated in the 2016 election after four years of scandals and infighting. Ms Fyles said Ms Lambley wants Labor to repeat the CLP's mistakes. Ms Fyles said the CLP "sacked their chief minister while he was overseas, had a midnight coup to replace the new one, had countless reshuffles and controversies and were totally focused on themselves". "We won't be doing that," she said. The Chinese Embassy has scolded the Australian media and political class for jeopardising "mutual trust" between the two countries. The embassy's statement comes after the Turnbull government vowed to curb foreign influence in Australian politics, and after Labor's Sam Dastyari was banished to the opposition backbenches over his dealings with a Chinese businessman. "China has no intention to interfere in Australia's internal affairs or exert influence on its political process through political donations," an embassy spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Australia's reputation as a multicultural society is being tarnished by "fabricated" news stories with a Cold War mentality, she said. The reports, "made up out of thin air" and filled with ideological bias, reflected a typical anti-China hysteria and paranoia. As well, some Australian politicians and government officials had made irresponsible remarks to the detriment of trust between the two countries, the embassy said. "We urge the Australian side to look at China and China-Australia relations in an objective, fair and rational manner," the spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, former trade minister Andrew Robb has hit out at his former coalition colleagues for painting him as treasonous, as the government eyes foreign interference laws. Mr Robb, who took up a job with Chinese firm Landbridge Group after leaving parliament, might have to sign up to a register under the planned crackdown. He said attempts to trash his reputation in some quarters were ill-informed and cheap politics. High levels of toxic chemicals have been found in seafood in two Darwin waterways contaminated by old firefighting foams used at a nearby military base. Pollutants from Darwin's air force base have leeched into Rapid and Ludmilla creeks, which aren't safe for swimming. The Defence Department on Wednesday assured residents who live in the investigation area that their bore water is safe to drink. But home-grown produce on these properties may pose a health risk due to pollutant concentrations in soil. This week Katherine residents were warned not to eat local fish, which contained high levels of the poisonous substances used at RAAF Base Tindal, and locals were offered blood testing and counselling. The "catastrophic" failure of the Catholic church to take action left the Victorian diocese of Ballarat and its children exposed to a web of pedophiles who continued their abuse, the royal commission has found. * THE SCHOOLS ST ALIPIUS Four Christian Brothers taught at the small primary school in the early 1970's - three have been convicted for abusing children, along with the school's chaplain Gerald Ridsdale. One of the brothers, Gerald Fitzgerald, died while being investigated. ST PATRICK'S COLLEGE Several brothers who taught or lived at the senior school have been convicted, while dozens of former students have made accusations of abuse. * THE WORST OFFENDERS GERALD RIDSDALE Sentenced to 33 years in prison for abusing 65 children over three decades from about the 1960s during his time as a priest in Victoria, mostly in the Ballarat diocese. Ridsdale was locked up in 1994 and will remain in prison until at least 2022. The royal commission believes he has more than 100 victims, while activist group Broken Rites says it's closer to 1000. MONSIGNOR JOHN DAY Senior priest in the Ballarat diocese, died in 1978 before serving jail for molesting children over 13 years. Some believe he molested more than 100 children. CCK Christian Brother molested at least 20 boys from 1968 to 1988 at four schools in Ballarat, Box Hill, Geelong and Essendon, and will not be eligible for parole until mid-2027, when he is 86. EDWARD DOWLAN Christian Brother taught at St Alipius and St Patrick's as well as other schools in Victoria. Currently serving six and a half years in prison for indecently assaulting 20 boys during the 1970s and 1980s. First jailed in 1996 for the indecent assaults of 11 boys at four schools. GERALD FITZGERALD St Alipius Christian Brother, died in 1987 while being investigated for the molestation of boys from 1950 to 1975. * DID NOT ACT BISHOP RONALD MULKEARNS The royal commission found former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns led the failures with his appalling conduct and reckless indifference to children's safety. He only took action when there was a possibility a priest's sexual abuse of children would become widely known. Tziporah Malkah, the former model and actress previously known as Kate Fischer, has accused Victorian police of being "bullies" as she considers fighting drink-driving charges. The 44-year-old, who recently appeared on reality show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!, is accused of driving while intoxicated at Toorak in Melbourne's inner-east on January 3. It's also alleged she refused a breath test after an accident, drove carelessly, reversed in an unsafe manner, and stopped on a nature strip. Malkah appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday facing seven charges, and indicated she may contest some or all of them. The court was told she was "extremely unhappy" with the way police acted on the night of the allegations. "Vic Pol are bullies," she told reporters as she left, without providing details of what happened. "You'll find out. You'll find out." Defence lawyer Michael Kuzilny said there was "certain procedural conduct she was not happy with". The case was adjourned while Malkah considers her legal options and reviews evidence, including video footage taken by another driver. The former pin-up model and actress has featured on the cover of Vogue four times and was engaged to billionaire James Packer in the 1990s. She also appeared alongside Hugh Grant in the saucy 1994 film Sirens but more recently she has worked in aged care. Born in Adelaide with Jewish ancestry, she changed her name to Tziporah Malkah in her 20s and converted to Judaism. Her bail was extended and she is due to return to court on December 15. The dual citizenship saga has returned to parliament with a bit that's new, a lot that's old and a good dose of the absurd. Immediately before Wednesday's question time started, a new member was ceremonially announced and in walked Barnaby Joyce to standing applause and handshakes from the government benches. Joyce was an early victim of the citizenship trap and, having handsomely won the resulting by-election, is the first to get back. It was as if he'd never been away. In no time at all he was boasting, in his mildly manic style, of all the great things the government had done for farmers - which seemed mainly to consist of sharply higher prices - and the dire threat that Labor represented. He wound up with Bill Shorten as the leader who can't be trusted. By then Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull had had a good old barney. Shorten started it with a faux sincere suggestion that the two sides co-operate by referring a nicely balanced list of nine MPs to the High Court. Turnbull was having none of it, and you sense he feels the worst of the crisis is over for the coalition while it's only starting for Labor. The PM accused Shorten of dishonesty and ridiculed Labor's list, saying it comprised Labor dual citizens and Liberals who are not. He also brought up Sam Dastyari, who is not on the list, as a person whose loyalty to Australia was questionable and whose faction gave Shorten his job. But this loyalty thing has its odd side. Barnaby Joyce, as part of his triumphant return, swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors. Now Joyce was pinged because he was, if distantly, a Kiwi. But most who've been caught, or are in danger, have been trapped by a British connection. They didn't know they were Brits, or they didn't do enough about it, or the dog ate the paper work, or something. Yet they all, like every other MP, promised allegiance to the Queen. Sure there's the constitutional fiction that she's Queen of Australia. But that doesn't make her Australian. She sounds English, she live there. We don't sing "God save our gracious Queen". It seems strange that an MP who has to swear allegiance to this English lady can be kicked out because a great grandmother's cat was English. It is clear disgraced Nine Network reporter Ben McCormack "believes that his life is destroyed" over his conviction for child pornography offences, a judge has told a Sydney court. "Owing to his mental fragility, he will continue to struggle with his total loss of reputation and public ridicule," Judge Paul Conlon said as he sentenced McCormack, 43, to a three-year, $1000 good behaviour bond. McCormack previously pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child pornography after police raided his home and workplace in April. On Wednesday he was convicted in the Downing Centre District Court and released to be of good behaviour for three years. McCormack was showered with water by a rogue protester as he left the court. The man approached the former A Current Affair journalist outside court, yelling "f***ing filthy maggot" before throwing the contents of the cup, into which he'd reportedly spat. "That happened to me when I was a f***ing kid," he said. The court heard McCormack had numerous online conversations with another man between April 2015 and February 2017 that involved "fantasising about young male persons". Images of child pornography were not transmitted. "There has been no attempt to sexually exploit children and no grooming of any child to partake in child pornography," Judge Conlon said. He said the Crown conceded the proposition that had the conversations taken place in a private setting they would not be an offence. Judge Conlon found McCormack has shown "genuine contrition and remorse" and "a willingness to accept personal responsibility." "Well before he was ever charged he acknowledged the wrongness and inappropriateness of his conduct and he sought professional help," he said. McCormack first saw a doctor in January 2015 because he was suffering long-term anxiety and using alcohol excessively in an attempt to manage it. McCormack also disclosed he had an attraction for young boys - he would fantasise that he was a teenager again, having fun with similar-aged boys. In their reports for court, his two treating psychiatrists said McCormack does not pose a risk to young people. A forensic psychiatrist said the former reporter's awareness of his sexual attraction to prepubescent boys was triggered in 2005 when he met two children while doing a story about their father. The court heard after his arrest McCormack had written a 17-page suicide letter outlining his "shame and guilt" and was admitted to hospital. "It is clear that Mr McCormack believes that his life is destroyed," Judge Conlon said on Wednesday. When sentencing McCormack the judge took into consideration the extra-curial punishment of having suffered public humiliation from "extensive and explosive media coverage". Judge Conlon said McCormack has positive prospects of rehabilitation if he continues to be treated by mental health professionals. Before leaving the courtroom he addressed McCormack directly: "You have not harmed anyone and accordingly I would not like to see you go forth and harm yourself," he said. Outside court McCormack's lawyer said they're very pleased with the result and he's hoping McCormack has an opportunity to get on with his life. "I feel sorry that Ben's got to dry-clean his suit," he said after the drenched former Nine Network reporter had left. ABC and SBS employees earning more than $200,000 will be forced to disclose their salary under new draft laws introduced to federal parliament. The public broadcasters were given the chance to voluntarily make the salaries of their top-paid employees public but declined, forcing the federal government to introduce legislation to the Senate. "This measure not only provides transparency in the allocation of funding but will also provide for the comparison of remuneration between male and female employees and on-air talent," Communications Minister Mitch Fifield told parliament on Wednesday. The disclosure bill comes after the Turnbull government and One Nation struck a deal on wide-ranging media reforms which passed last month. That package's centrepiece will allow a proprietor to control more than two out of three platforms - TV, radio or newspaper - in one licensed market. The public broadcasters have raised privacy concerns about the change which will required them to list the names, position, salary and allowances for employees whose combined salary brings them to more than $200,000 a year. "Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent for high-profile employees and on-air talent," Senator Fifield said. He said it was reasonable to expect greater transparency from high-earning people at taxpayer-funded broadcasters. In the UK, the BBC publishes information of all senior executives earning more than PS150,000. A separate bill to establish a fund for regional and small publishers was also introduced to the upper house - the result of a deal over media reform struck with the Nick Xenophon Team. The fund will provide $16.7 million a year for small publishers from 2018-19 to 2020-21, with an aim to help regional journalism. Shocking footage showing the brutalisation of a young volunteer firefighter by her Victorian colleagues has rocked state authorities. Grainy CCTV vision viewed by AAP on Wednesday shows the 17-year-old being dragged by her hair, kicked, and left soaked by fire sprinklers as a victim of boot-wearing middle-aged men. Four volunteers, including Eaglehawk brigade captain Hayden Allen, have been suspended by the Country Fire Authority, but police say there will be no criminal charges. Emergency Services Minister James Merlino has seen footage. "It shows quite graphic footage of a 17-year-old girl, her head is being pushed down until she is forced on to the floor, she is dragged by the hair, she is dragged by her feet," he told reporters on Wednesday. "You have a couple of individuals, men, perpetrating this, whilst other men are standing around looking at it. It is disgusting." The footage was captured on November 27 during a training session, when numerous men are spotted walking nearby without intervening. The CFA says others in the 50-member team could also face action. "She's not physically harmed, and she doesn't want to take the matter further," CFA chief executive Frances Diver told 3AW of the girl on Wednesday, adding that she has been offered support. "She's a young girl, she lives in a small town, it would be humiliating." Ms Diver says the incident has also been referred to WorkSafe, which is making inquiries, but Mr Allen says there are "two sides to every story". "As you are aware my name has been tarnished throughout the media," Mr Allen wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post on Wednesday. "Please understand that I can not make comment on the allegations that have been accused. But like all things there is two sides to every story and unfortunately we just have to ride the wave." Three days before the attack, Mr Allen updated his Facebook profile picture to include a frame promoting White Ribbon Day with the tagline "I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men's violence against women". Mr Merlino says the behaviour "by a bunch of blokes" was "just not good enough", and urged for reform of fire services. "We want a fire service where I would want my daughters to go to; we want young people at the CFA, we want girls and women attracted to the CFA," he said. An attempt to reform the CFA and resolve an ongoing, bitter pay dispute by making it volunteer-only has stalled in state parliament. Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin says the incident reinforces the need for a royal commission into Victoria's fire services. Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria said in a statement it could not comment on the specific incident, but it is "strongly opposed to any form of hazing, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour". Foreign bribery laws will be beefed up under a federal government crackdown on white collar crime, which costs Australia billions of dollars. Legislation tabled in parliament on Wednesday extends foreign bribery offences to companies' employees and contractors, as well strengthening offences for offshore companies. Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament corporate crime costs Australia an estimated $8.5 billion annually. "It hurts business, it hurts Australia's international reputation and it hurts our economic well-being," Senator Brandis said on Wednesday. The new regime will encourage companies to self-report misconduct and is based on offences in the UK and United States. The Australian embassy in Tel Aviv isn't going anywhere, even as President Donald Trump plans to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and set in motion the relocation of the US embassy to the city. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says any decision about the relocation of US embassies is a matter for Washington. Ms Bishop has previously left the door open to relocating Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv, should its major allies do likewise. "The Australian government will continue our diplomatic representation to Israel from our embassy in Tel Aviv and our representation to the Palestinian Authority from our office in Ramallah," she said in a statement. "Matters relating to Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority." Australia supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong supports continuing Australia's diplomatic representation to Israel from Tel Aviv and representation to the Palestinian Authority from Ramallah. "Labor believes the proposed change to US policy on this matter is unhelpful toward progressing peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution," she said. Greens leader Richard Di Natale condemned Australia's reaction to the US decision, especially in light of other global criticism. "What an utterly disgraceful lack of leadership," he said. Leadfoots on mobility scooters are in the sights of an inquiry established by a senator whose wife was seriously injured in a footpath collision. The partner of Nationals senator John Williams needed a hip replacement after being struck as she stepped out of her office in regional NSW last year. He told parliament 62 people had been killed and a further 442 hospitalised in mobility scooter incidents between 2000 and 2010. "I think we need to have a good look at the industry, the circumstances and make it safer for all Australians," Senator Williams said on Wednesday. The veteran senator put a successful motion to his party's federal conference in September calling for speed limits to be slashed from 10km/h to 6km/h. That motion also sought to limit scooter weight to 150kg but Senator Williams has no intention to ban the "essential item". Independent senator Derryn Hinch said one of his staff's mother suffered serious hip injuries after she was inadvertently "run over" by her 80-year-old, legally blind partner. "I think the weight of these things should be checked out, the speed limit should be checked out and I think they could be safer," Senator Hinch said. The parliamentary inquiry will look at the cause of deaths and injuries attribute to mobility scooter accidents and review current regulations. The Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee will also investigate the supports in place to ensure the safe operation of scooters. Nobody could deny Bachelorette star Sophie Monk is a scene-stealer and she proved no different at the AACTA Awards by declaring Pauline Hanson "hot" during a presenting segment that fell a little flat. Monk was presenting the award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy alongside Ali's Wedding star Osamah Sami, who joked he wanted to present it with Pauline Hanson. "She is hot though," Monk said before adding: "I like Nicole Kidman," to groans from the audience, passing it off as a joke about diversity. The segment fell a bit flat as Sami quipped he could do Farmer Wants A Wife with Monk because he's Muslim. Actors Shane Jacobsen and Paul Hogan didn't fare much better presenting the first award, as the Crocodile Dundee star gave a meandering speech to anyone who lost out on the night. "If the river of life upsets you and tips you out of your boat, don't struggle against the current just lay on your back and float," Hogan said. Early winners on the night included Hounds of Love star Emma Booth for Best Lead Actress and Lion star Dev Patel for Best Supporting Actor. "Being in Australia changed my life, I feel like a part of my soul is there," British actor Patel told the audience. The Mentalist star Simon Baker accepted the Trailblazer Award and paid tribute to his wife Rebecca Rigg. "I am the frontman babe but you are the rockin' rhythm section," Baker said. Director Gillian Armstrong and Rachel Griffiths got the audience on side very quickly saying it had been a great year for female directors, praising Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins. "They always said women couldn't direct action, but they can," Armstrong said. She told women with visual talent to think about becoming something other than a Victoria's Secret Model. "Put on your gumboots and come and join us in the mud," Armstrong said. Nicole Kidman won the two AACTAs she was nominated for, as best supporting actress in Lion for film and TV's Top of the Lake: China Girl, and sent a video message from Los Angeles thanking the Australian industry for supporting her. "To be acknowledged now at 50 years old, I started out at 14 years old, just extraordinary," Kidman said. Lion's Garth Davis also won the award for Best Direction in what was turning out to be a big night for the film. Steve Smith has laughed off suggestions England got the better of him with their sledging in the pink-ball Ashes Test. Jimmy Anderson claims a calculated England lured Smith into distraction with their verbal barrage during his knock of 40 in Australia's second innings at Adelaide Oval. It wasn't enough for the visitors to avoid going down 2-0 in the series after Australia sealed a 120-run victory on day five. But Anderson said it was mission accomplished for England when Smith fired back at the tourists and appeared to lose focus. "I think it did work yeah, because we got him out quite cheaply," Anderson said. "I think picking the right time to do something like that, just trying to get someone out of their little bubble and unsettle them is a good thing. "At that point in time Steve seemed more interested in having a chat with me and Stuart (Broad) than actually focusing on his job, so that's a job well done from our point of view." Australia's skipper took the opposite view. "I think they actually switched me on to be perfectly honest with you," he said on Wednesday. "I think it was when they stopped talking to me that I might have lost concentration. "I actually enjoyed it. It made me really focused and got me in my little bubble ... they can think what they like but from my point of view it actually made me focus." Tensions between the two sides bubbled away in Adelaide, with former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior suggesting Australia had crossed the line with their on-field barbs. Joe Root appeared to bear the brunt of Australia's hostility and was involved in fiery clashes with Tim Paine, Peter Handscomb and Nathan Lyon at different times. But the England skipper said he was comfortable with the verbal onslaught. "It's Ashes cricket," he said. "I don't think it ever went too far. I think both sides are desperate to win and desperate to do their country proud, and that was expressed out on the field." The Turnbull government will use Labor senator Katy Gallagher as a guinea pig case in the High Court to smoke out three of her lower house colleagues with similar citizenship doubts. Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said the government is unlikely to refer any further MPs to the High Court this year unless it can win over an independent MP's support. "If Katy Gallagher is disqualified, those three members should resign," Mr Pyne said, referring to Justine Keay, Josh Wilson and Susan Lamb, who also have UK citizenship doubts. The High Court is due to go on a summer break from December 15 and is slated to return February 5. Mr Pyne said it was a matter for the High Court to decide whether its comes back early. Senator Gallagher will join Labor MP David Feeney at the court after the Victorian MP failed to find his UK citizenship renunciation paperwork from 2007. The citizenship saga distracted MPs from the debate on same-sex marriage legislation on Wednesday, with the opposition seeking crossbench support for nine MPs to be checked for their eligibility. Labor sought to end the fiasco, gaining the support of five crossbenchers to bring on a motion to refer four ALP members, four coalition MPs - Julia Banks, Jason Falinski, Alex Hawke, Nola Marino - and one independent Rebekha Sharkie to the court. However, with the vote tied 73-all Speaker Tony Smith used his casting vote to defeat the motion. The government is short one vote, with John Alexander facing a by-election in Bennelong in ten days. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the motion "debased" the House. Mr Shorten told parliament the Australian people wanted a bipartisan end to the saga. "We need a circuit breaker to rebuild the confidence of the Australian people," he said. Ms Sharkie said she accepted being on the list of those to be referred to the court. "This cannot be a place for a protection racket of the highest order," she said. Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke had little sympathy for his colleague Mr Feeney, and stopped short of endorsing him to be Labor's candidate at a by-election for the marginal seat of Bateman. "When it came time to actually find the document, one of the documents hasn't turned up. Now, I find that weird," Mr Burke told ABC Radio. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce was on Wednesday re-sworn in to parliament after winning the by-election in the seat of New England after the High Court disqualified him for having New Zealand citizenship. He has reiterated his call for a referendum on section 44 of the constitution. But Pyne dismissed the idea, pointing out the lack of success of past referendums. "I think we need to work within the rules the High Court has created," he said. QUESTION TIME IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT WHAT WE LEARNED * Barnaby Joyce returned to parliament with new facts about agricultural produce prices since 2013, including table grapes (up 216pc); mutton (125pc) and potatoes (112pc). * Australia has now had four quarters of business investment growth, Treasurer Scott Morrison proclaimed. WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN Labor has no policy that would encourage any business to invest one dollar or hire one more employee. WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT Will the prime minister work with the entire parliament, including Labor and the crossbench, to reach agreement on which MPs should be referred to the High Court? THEY SAID WHAT "It is an uncertain environment down there, believe me." - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says of the High Court. "Taking lessons from the shadow treasurer on the economy is like getting driving lessons from a drunk driver." - Morrison says of Chris Bowen. TWEETED @RobMitchellMP: Deja vu. @TurnbullMalcolm telling lies Barnaby looks sloshed. @swrightwestoz: Some sense to QT ... Hazlewood has taken two, England is 6/182. Treasurer Scott Morrison won't be consulting the federal opposition on the terms of reference for the royal commission into the financial sector, including bank misconduct. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says it's important the inquiry have bipartisan support and part of that is to properly consult on its scope. "Taking economic advice from the Labor Party is like asking a drunk-driver to give you driving lessons - I don't think they have a lot to offer here," Mr Morrison told reporters on Wednesday. Fearful Northern Territory residents say the federal government has kept the public in the dark for too long about the toxic firefighting foam environmental scandal engulfing Katherine. The Defence Department has warned residents not to eat local fish containing high levels of poisonous chemicals used at the nearby Top End military base. PFAS - or poly-fluoroalkyl - substances were used on RAAF Base Tindal between 1988 and 2011, and pollutants have leeched into Katherine's bores used for drinking water and irrigation. This week the commonwealth also announced a $5.7 million support package for the community which includes voluntary blood testing and counselling - 12 months after it was first requested. Warren de With has lived in the town for 33 years and he's concerned for his children, who have grown up drinking the water and fishing in the Katherine River. "This hasn't happened overnight, this has been going on for 15 years ... and there were warning bells sent off overseas," he said. Defence maintains there's no consistent evidence that exposure to the foam impacts human health, but Mr de With says the uncertainty is taking its toll on families, who deserve answers. "Once they tell you you've got PFAS in your system, what do you do? Jump off the High Level Bridge?" he asked. The Amateur Fishing Association NT president also fears the reputational damage could deal a blow to the region's tourism industry and damage the economy. Each wet season seafood migrate from the Katherine River to the Daly River - a barramundi fishing hot spot which attracts anglers from across the country - and Mr de With wants testing done there immediately. The NT government will erect signs along the Katherine River alerting people that fish consumption is off limits, which Mr de With criticised as a "knee jerk reaction" akin to the 2011 ban on Australian live cattle exports to Indonesia. Mr de With, who owns Rod & Rifle Tackleworld, thinks it will have long term flow on effects for local businesses and satellite industries. But he's more concerned about indigenous locals who rely on Katherine River barra, catfish and black bream as a daily food source. Barramundi had up to eight times the safe level of contamination, catfish contained up to 17 times the safe amount, while fish in a third 'other' category had 67 times the acceptable value, based on a young child eating 500 grams of fish a week. Australian directors of the Oscar-nominated film Tanna, Martin Butler and Bentley Dean, have told the country's small and large screen stars it's time Australia had a treaty with its Aboriginal people. The duo received the Byron Kennedy Award at the AACTAs in Sydney, with Dean using his time on stage to express his disappointment at the federal government's recent response to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The statement, released by the Referendum Council in May, called for a constitutionally-enshrined advisory body and a commission to oversee treaty-making and truth-telling. "It was really disappointing when the Australian government dismissed it off hand," Dean told those gathered on Wednesday night. "We want a treaty, it's time." Backstage, Butler elaborated on the pair's disappointment that the government had shown "they weren't going to do anything" with the statement. "We felt at the time when the statement came out - and it had been years in negotiation - that here was a really, heartfelt, generous offer from the Aboriginal people for a route to true reconciliation," Butler told reporters. Dean said the issue was "not going away". "I think it's one of those things that make common sense," he told reporters. The NSW Information and Privacy Commission has admitted it distributed incorrect advice to government agencies regarding freedom of information requests, in what could be a costly mistake for the state government. The "bureaucratic stuff up" could result in millions of dollars in processing fees being repaid to the public who paid for FOI requests, according to Greens MP David Shoebridge. Departments were told by the commission they could lengthen some deadlines on FOI requests by 15 days, on top of the mandatory 20-day deadline that the Government Information (Public Access) Act permits. However, Mr Shoebridge says the 15-day extension is incorrect and departments should only have been able to apply for an additional 10 days. If deadlines are missed by government departments, applicants are allowed a full waiver of fees. In a written statement to AAP, the commission said it had identified the error following a complaint and had "revised and re-issued" the relevant advice. The commission stressed it did not provide legal advice to government agencies, only "general advice". "Because of a major bureaucratic stuff up, the NSW government has unlawfully charged millions of dollars in fees under the state's freedom of information laws," Mr Shoebridge told AAP in a statement on Tuesday. NSW Greens MPs Jeremy Buckingham and Dawn Walker have been arrested at a blockade in Queensland protesting the Adani Carmichael coal mine. The pair was among 17 people arrested on Wednesday morning for trespassing at the proposed site of the controversial mine, 270 kilometres west of Bowen, according to Queensland Police. A group of more than 30 protesters blockaded a rail construction site near the proposed mine, with many climbing on top of vehicles, police said. Another woman locked herself onto a gate at the site, according to police, who are still working to remove the lock from her neck. Mr Buckingham and Ms Walker were each issued with a police infringement notice for trespassing unlawfully at a place of business and fined $252. Mr Buckingham said while several people were arrested and taken into custody, police worked with "professionalism and a high level of care". "I was just told I was under arrest," Mr Buckingham told AAP following the incident. "The officer just placed his hand on me and said 'you are under arrest, move to the side of the site'." Mr Buckingham, who has been in Queensland for four days, says he intends to stay in the region until at least Friday, talking to farmers and traditional landowners near the proposed coal mine in the Galilee Basin. He said he would travel to the Great Barrier Reef to observe coral bleaching on Thursday. Former federal minister Andrew Robb has hit out at his former coalition colleagues for painting him as treasonous, as the government eyes foreign interference laws. Mr Robb, who took up a job with Chinese firm Landbridge Group after leaving parliament, might have to sign up to a register under the planned crackdown. "The attempts to trash my reputation in some quarters - now being aided and abetted by the government - are ill-informed and cheap politics," Mr Robb told Fairfax Media on Wednesday. But Attorney-General George Brandis, who unveiled proposals to curb foreign influence in Australian politics, was at pains to praise the Liberal stalwart. "Andrew Robb is a very patriotic Australian, in fact he is a great Australian," Mr Brandis told ABC radio. "He is probably the greatest trade minister Australia has ever had since Sir John McEwen." Senator Brandis suggested Mr Robb had misunderstood the effect of a planned register for former ministers taking work within three years of them leaving parliament. "It is merely a transparency measure." Groups such as those headed by former NSW premier Bob Carr may also have to register. Mr Carr, now director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, indicated this week there would be no Chinese investment in Queensland's Adani coal mine. His comments brought a sharp response from Resources Minister Matt Canavan. In June, China-backed company Yancoal bought Rio Tinto's coal mines in the Hunter Valley for more than US$2 billion. "If Bob Carr thinks Chinese investment in Queensland coal mines is bad but Chinese investment in NSW coal mines is good, I'd like him to explain that." The Australian Greens say the changes to foreign donation laws are implicitly directed at China. "I think that there's no question that underneath some of this is a strain of xenophobia," leader Richard Di Natale said. A Chinese embassy spokesman said Beijing did not interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries. "We urge the relevant people in Australia to discard prejudice and speak and act more in a way that will be conducive to boosting the China-Australia relationship," he said in a statement. Labor senator Katy Gallagher will be referred to the High Court over her dual citizenship despite insisting she is eligible to sit in parliament. She will stand aside from her opposition frontbench role until the court rules on her eligibility. The former ACT chief minister did not receive confirmation of her UK citizenship renunciation until two months after nominations closed for the 2016 federal election. Under section 44 of the constitution, dual citizens are ineligible to sit in parliament. According to paperwork she lodged under new parliamentary rules for citizenship disclosure, Senator Gallagher completed a British citizenship renunciation form, with payment, on April 20, 2016. But the UK Home Office wrote back on July 1, almost a month after election nominations closed, requesting original copies of her birth certificate and her parents' marriage certificate. Senator Gallagher, whose father was born in the UK in 1939, did not receive the formal renunciation document until August 16, just over two months past the nomination date for the election. She told parliament on Wednesday she stood by her advice that she was eligible for parliament as she had take all steps required to renounce her British ties. "It is however clear to me that the government has decided that I should be referred, despite having full access to all of my legal advice and expert reports for the past two days," Senator Gallagher said. "In light of this and conscious the attacks on my legitimacy to sit as a senator will continue to be used by my opponents, I have formed the view that my situation be considered by the High Court, despite the lack of any legal advice indicating I have a problem that warrants referral." Labor Senate leader Penny Wong moved the court referral, noting that the coalition attacks on her colleague "will not stop". However she said the party had "compelling evidence" Senator Gallagher was qualified to sit. Senator Gallagher stood aside from her frontbench portfolios and as manager of opposition business in the Senate. Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament the government did not reflect on the integrity of Senator Gallagher. "We do, of course, reflect upon the integrity of the leader of the opposition, Mr Shorten." More volunteer firefighters could face disciplinary action over an attack on a 17-year-old girl, captured on camera at a Victorian fire station. Grainy CCTV vision seen by AAP shows the girl being pulled to the floor, kicked and left soaked by fire sprinklers at the hands of boot-wearing middle-aged men at the Eaglehawk station. The station's captain, Hayden Allen, and three other Country Fire Authority volunteers have been stood down amid investigations but police said the men faced no criminal charges. The CFA said more men filmed walking nearby without intervening could also face repercussions. "She's not physically harmed, and she doesn't want to take the matter further," CFA chief executive Frances Diver told 3AW of the girl on Wednesday. Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said the behaviour "by a bunch of blokes" was "just not good enough". "You have a couple of individuals, men, perpetrating this, whilst other men are standing around looking at it. It is disgusting," he told reporters. In a Facebook post Mr Allen said his name had been tarnished in the media but added there were "two sides to every story". The incident has been referred to WorkSafe and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner while the girl has been offered support by the CFA. A car belonging to a woman who was found dead in a western Sydney home has been found as police try to establish how she died. The 67-year-old woman's body was found in a South Penrith home on Wednesday morning after concerns were raised for her welfare. Police are treating her death as suspicious and searched for her car to help establish how she died. The car was found on Wednesday afternoon at a car park in Penrith, a NSW Police spokeswoman told AAP. Emergency services will continue searching on Thursday morning for an 11-year-old boy who was dragged out to sea by hazardous surf on the NSW mid-north-coast. Ambulance crews, Marine Rescue vessels including a jetski and a Surf Life Saving drone were forced to call off the search after looking until nightfall on Wednesday. The 11-year-old was walking with his 17-year-old brother in shallow water at an unpatrolled part of Lighthouse Beach at Port Macquarie, with their mother nearby, when he was caught by a rip about 1.30pm. The young boy was waist-deep when he was dragged out and his older brother tried to rescue him, NSW Police Inspector Peter Neville told reporters in Port Macquarie on Wednesday. Large, powerful waves up to two metres were reported off the coast of Port Macquarie. The incident came just hours after Marine Rescue issued a warning that swells would be hazardous for boating, swimming and fishing along much of the NSW east coast. The true story about a young man's search for his birth mother, Lion, became a major winner at this year's AACTA Awards. The tear-jerker, starting Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, won all 12 of the awards it was nominated for at the annual ceremony in Sydney. The movie's producer Angie Fielder acknowledged that the film was partly funded by Harvey Weinstein's company and praised those speaking out against abuse and harassment in the industry. She added that it was really encouraging to see people in the industry taking a stand. "So let's keep talking about it. That's how you make real change," Fielder said. Russell Crowe presented the Best Film Award but not before making a strange "joke" about sensitivity in the industry. "I was sodomising Jackie McKenzie on the set of Romper Stomper," he said. The rest of his story referred to the devices used to cover up their "bits" while filming the scene. "It wasn't until the opening night of the film and it was pointed out by none other than Jackie McKenzie's beautiful late mother that we were in fact in her mind engaged in sodomy," he said. "Anyway that was just a story about sensitivity." Jane Campion's drama Top of the Lake: China Girl took out several awards including Best Television Drama Series. Director Phillip Noyce was awarded the Longford Lyell Award while Simon Baker was given the Trailblazer Award, thanking his wife Rebecca Rigg for being a "rockin rhythm section" to his frontman. Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood says he's surprised at how rapidly England folded in the second Ashes Test. The tourists started Wednesday's final day of play in Adelaide at 4-176, needing 178 to win. But after Hazlewood struck twice within the initial three overs, England stumbled to be bowled out for 224 as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series. "We didn't expect England to collapse," Hazlewood told ABC radio. "We expected them to dig in and fight hard for every run." Hazlewood's initial two strikes included the prized scalp of English skipper Joe Root. "It was very pleasing that Josh was able to come out and do what he did," Australian captain Steve Smith said. "His length was exceptional and to get the wicket of Root really put us in a good position and I could breathe a little more easily then." Smith said Hazlewood was previously struggling to find his peak form. "Josh probably hasn't been bowling as well as I've seen him bowl, I think he knows that," Smith said. A final parliamentary vote on a bill to legalise same-sex marriage could come as early as Thursday. The bulk of speeches wrapped up in the lower house late on Wednesday night, after sitting hours were extended for a second day to allow extra debate. MPs, around 120 of whom spoke on the issue, will now get the chance to propose and consider amendments before voting on the legislation itself. Several government MPs, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, have said they will support or at least consider changes to be put forward by their conservative colleagues - namely Andrew Hastie and Michael Sukkar. The Greens have also indicated they will propose amendments. Labor will oppose any change, as will cabinet minister Christopher Pyne who branded some of them "superfluous". If the bill passes unchanged from the one that cleared the Senate last week, it will become law. If changes are successful, the bill will have to return to the Senate for approval. Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews, who is against same-sex marriage, believes the bill contains very little protection for religion and belief. The former cabinet minister told parliament marriage was a "natural arrangement" between a man and a woman and pre-dated politics. "To claim that there will not be a range of adverse consequences for the freedom of speech, religion and parental rights ... is wrong," Mr Andrews said. "A significant concern that millions of Australians have about these proposed changes to marriage laws is the manner in which the freedom of speech and religion is threatened." Liberal colleague Sarah Henderson, however, is backing the change. In an emotional speech, she recalled the struggles one of her closest friends - John Parker, a gay man - before his death earlier this year. "He really wanted to see this change in the law," she said through tears. "One of the last conversations I had with him, he just said to me: 'Hendo, just bloody well get on with it, OK?' I say to my dear beloved friend who I miss dearly: JP, that's what we are doing." The lives of dozens of children and their families have been devastated by the Catholic Church's catastrophic and inexcusable failure to deal with pedophile clergy in a Victorian diocese, an inquiry has found. Protecting the church's reputation and avoiding scandal drove the Diocese of Ballarat's handling of abuse complaints over at least three decades, the child abuse royal commission concluded. "That failure led to the suffering and often irreparable harm to children, their families and the wider community," the commission said. "That harm could have been avoided if the church had acted in the interests of children rather than its own interests." The findings echo the royal commission's conclusions about the handling of child abuse complaints in the Melbourne archdiocese under its 1974-1996 archbishop Frank Little, when a culture of secrecy prevailed in a bid to protect the church's reputation. Ballarat abuse survivor Phil Nagle said the commission's findings validated what victims have been saying all along - that the church hierarchy covered up abuse and protected pedophile clergy. "It's just a horrible, horrible thing that the Catholic hierarchy did trying to protect their brand," Mr Nagle said. "Protecting a brand is no reason to create more victims and to move your pedophile clergy and members around to let them sexually abuse more kids. That's as evil as doing the crime yourself." Mr Nagle, who was abused by a Christian Brother at Ballarat's St Alipius primary school in 1974, hopes those involved in concealing abuse are prosecuted. Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird said the mishandling of allegations against priests and church personnel and a lack of response to complaints led to unnecessary suffering for many victims and their families. He said it also brought distress to communities throughout the Ballarat diocese, which covers the western third of Victoria. "Where the failures of my predecessors allowed abuse to occur, I offer my heartfelt apology," Bishop Bird said. The commission also found the Christian Brothers leadership's response to abuse complaints and widespread rumours of brothers' sexual misconduct at St Alipius and Ballarat's St Patrick's College was grossly inadequate. The Christian Brothers Oceania Province again apologised and said it remained committed to working with those affected to bring some healing. "It is a matter of profound regret that these events, which have had a devastating impact on individuals and on the community, ever took place," it said. Other commission findings into the Catholic and Anglican churches in Newcastle may be released in coming days, ahead of the five-year inquiry's final report being made public on December 15. A senior Labor frontbencher has reluctantly thrown a lifeline to his embattled colleague David Feeney should the High Court send him off to a by-election. Mr Feeney has been referred to the court to clarify his citizenship status, because he could not find documentation relating to the renunciation of his UK citizenship back in 2007. He is the second Labor MP to be referred to the court, following Senator Katy Gallagher. Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke expressed little sympathy for Mr Feeney in an ABC radio interview on Wednesday evening. "When it came time to actually find the document, one of the documents hasn't turned up. Now, I find that weird," Mr Burke told ABC Radio. He was asked repeatedly whether the party should endorse Mr Feeney to be Labor's candidate at a potential by-election for the marginal seat of Batman, but brushed away the questions. Later in a separate ABC TV interview, Mr Burke reluctantly said: "My expectation is he'd remain the candidate." Mr Feeney will face an uphill battle to ward off a Greens challenge to the Melbourne seat which he holds on a margin of just 1.03 per cent. He famously forgot to declare a $2.3 million investment property in Melbourne last year, and accidentally left confidential opposition briefing notes in a television studio following a gruelling interview. Meanwhile, the argy-bargy over citizenship is expected to continue on Thursday - the last scheduled sitting day of federal parliament for the year. Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said the government is unlikely to refer any further MPs with citizenship doubts to the High Court this year unless it can win over an independent MP's support. The government is short one vote, with John Alexander soon to face a by-election in Bennelong. Labor sought to end the citizenship fiasco on Wednesday, gaining the support of five crossbenchers to bring on a motion to refer four ALP members, four coalition MPs and one independent to the court. However, with the vote tied 73-all Speaker Tony Smith used his casting vote to defeat the motion. The government is seeking to use Senator Gallagher as a guinea pig case in the High Court to smoke out three of her lower house colleagues with similar citizenship woes. "If Katy Gallagher is disqualified, those three members should resign," Mr Pyne said, referring to Justine Keay, Josh Wilson and Susan Lamb, who also have UK citizenship. The High Court is due to go on a summer break from December 15 and is slated to return February 5. The leader of an internet doomsday cult who disappeared in WA a decade ago told online followers he was planning a suicide pact involving his partner, five-year-old daughter and another man, an inquest has heard. However one of his overseas disciples or so-called "servers", a US woman, advised him against it, saying it would cost constitute murder to involve his child. Gary Felton, a self-styled spiritual leader who went by the alias Simon Kadwell, predicted a looming doomsday or judgment day in several books he sold on his website. However the 45-year-old had been increasingly despondent about life in posts leading up to disappearing in July 2007 along with his partner Chantelle McDougall, 27, daughter Leela and friend Tony Popic. Three of his followers in North America committed suicide. A coronial inquest is being held over three days in Busselton this week into what is one of the nation's most unusual missing persons mysteries. No trace of the four people has been found since they disappeared. Coroner Barry King suggested to investigator Senior Sergeant Greg Balfour that it was difficult to be sure beyond reasonable doubt that they were dead because of possible sightings, the possibility they left by boat, and Mr Felton's history of having false identities. "Yes, I could not say one way or the other that they were missing persons or deceased," said Sen-Sgt Balfour, who investigated the case. When the group disappeared they left all of their furniture in the Nannup farmhouse they rented, and their computer and other electronic gadgets. However they sold their dogs and cars, took all of their clothes and the house had been cleaned and was "spotless", said landlord Elizabeth Crouch. They told numerous people and left a note at the farmhouse stating that they were moving to Brazil to live an alternate lifestyle in an Amazonian religious group. Mr Felton was described in court as an odd and quiet person who did not have a job, stayed up all night on his computer and slept during the day. He tried to ban Leela from seeing her grandparents, who would "poison her", and had a psychological and controlling hold over Ms McDougall and Mr Popic, who were described as "avid followers" and "subservient", despite the fact they were hard workers who provided the income he lived off. Sen-Sgt Balfour said Mr Felton was skilled at manipulating people and had stolen the identity of the real Simon Kadwell, a former colleague in his native UK. The police investigation failed to find any evidence of any of the four after their disappearance, including in Brazil. Mr Popic - and possibly Mr Kadwell - likely travelled under false names on trains to Kalgoorlie and Bunbury on the same week. Their bank accounts were never accessed. Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467. TODAY IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT * It's the final scheduled sitting day of the year. * The Reps is debating, and likely voting on, the same-sex marriage bill passed by the Senate last week. * Question time in both chambers at 2pm. WHAT'S MAKING NEWS * The Turnbull government will use Labor senator Katy Gallagher as a guinea pig case in the High Court to smoke out three of her lower house colleagues with similar citizenship doubts. * About 120 MPs have had their say on the private bill to legalise same-sex marriage bill, paving the way for a final vote in parliament on Thursday. * A Senate inquiry into the plight of struggling farmers and their dealings with the banking sector has tabled its report to parliament. * The Chinese embassy says detrimental media reports and statements by politicians are threatening relations with Australia. * A damning audit of arrangements for tracking federal school funding has found the education department can't tell if money is being distributed based on need. * Treasurer Scott Morrison is giving nothing away about the timing of the government's flagged income tax cuts. WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA * The House of Reps: MPs continue debate on same-sex marriage bill. Vote expected after lunchtime. * Senate: Senators debate government legislation including for establishment of Regional Investment Corporation; welfare reform; anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures; migration law changes relating to family violence; better targetting of student payments. ARGY-BARGY * Government spin: Labor has not one policy that would encourage any business to invest one dollar or hire one more employee. * Opposition attack: Why won't the prime minister work with the entire parliament, including Labor and the crossbench, to reach agreement on which MPs should be referred to the High Court? WHAT THEY'RE SAYING "China has no intention to interfere in Australia's internal affairs or exert influence on its political process through political donations." - Chinese embassy spokesman. TWEETED @DavidLeyonhjelm: Australia needs to follow Trump's lead. Israel is an oasis of democracy in a sea of authoritarianism. Middle East peace process has been blocked by Palestinians for decades. Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan has been branded "unhinged" after he accused Queensland's Labor government of racism and xenophobia over the Adani coal mine. Senator Canavan has told The Courier-Mail the project is on a "knife edge" after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she'd veto a taxpayer-funded loan sought by the Indian miner to build a rail link to get coal to the coast. He said Labor has "a long and colourful history of xenophobia and racism" and a British company wouldn't have faced the same hurdles as Adani. Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten's office responded by calling the senator unhinged. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (front 2nd L) listens to China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, with each side voicing hope for future cooperation even as expected trade talks have failed to materialise. Trudeau arrived in China this week amid speculation the two sides would announce the start of talks on a proposed free trade agreement. But with top-level meetings in Beijing now completed, no progress has been announced. Meanwhile, Canada's trilateral talks with the United States and Mexico to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) appear headed towards deadlock. Trudeau told reporters earlier Tuesday with regard to the China pact that both sides want to "make sure the progress we make is solid and the things we commit to, we can deliver on". At a meeting later in the day, Xi hailed Trudeau's second visit to China in as many years as "extremely useful" for bilateral relations, but otherwise no news emerged from the encounter. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, far behind the United States, with bilateral trade of more than Can$85 billion (US$67 billion). On Monday Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang signed cooperation documents covering energy, food products and education, but details have been scant. Li said exploratory talks on a potential free-trade agreement would continue. China already has such deals with Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland, among others. The two sides also said Monday that Canadian beef and pork would have greater access to the Chinese market and that they would work toward agreement on Canadian exports of canola to China. A new joint statement on battling climate change was also issued but no details given. Trudeau's five-day visit, which ends Thursday, is his second to China since he came to power two years ago. On NAFTA, Canada and Mexico staunchly oppose US proposals to add a sunset clause to the trade deal along with requirements for minimum US content in car parts and the nixing of the pact's trade dispute mechanism. The US has adopted a more protectionist tone under President Donald Trump. "It's a time where there is much political space given up in various countries for populism or resurgent nationalism, and Canada stands strongly... for international trade that benefits everyone," Trudeau told reporters. He travels Tuesday night to the southern city of Guangzhou to attend a business forum. Chinese Premier Li visited Canada in September 2016, when the two sides agreed to double bilateral commerce by 2025. Huthi rebel fighters inspect the damage after a reported air strike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition targeted the presidential palace in the capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017 Saudi Arabia called on Tuesday for a Yemen free of "militias supported by Iran", in its first official statement since rebels killed their erstwhile ally former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. "The Saudi Arabian cabinet expresses the hope that the uprising of the Yemeni people against the sectarian terrorist Huthi militias supported by Iran will free Yemen of abuse, death threats and the appropriation of public and private property," it said in a statement published on the official SPA news agency. The statement made no mention of Saleh, who was killed by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on Monday. Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years, was for decades an ally of Saudi Arabia before joining ranks with the Shiite Huthis in 2014. Saleh's ties to the rebels, strained for months, were dealt a major blow on Saturday when he announced he was again open to talks with Saudi Arabia and its allies, who had been fighting the Saleh-Huthi camp for nearly three years. Iran -- which Riyadh accuses of arming the Huthis -- on Tuesday also said Yemen would fight back against "aggressors", a jab at Saudi Arabia. Iran denies it arms the Huthis. A majority of ANC regional delegates currently back South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to become the next leader of the ruling African National Congress party South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa enjoyed a sharp lead on Tuesday in the contest to become the leader of the ruling African National Congress party. A majority of party regional delegates backed Ramaphosa ahead of an elective conference to be held in Johannesburg which will select a successor to ANC chief President Jacob Zuma between December 16 and 20. Ramaphosa leads his closest rival, Zuma's ex-wife and former African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, by 529 regional delegates according to a provisional official tally released on Tuesday. He currently has 1,859 pledges to her 1,330. They have been embroiled in an increasingly bitter proxy battle, with allies of the two trading insults and allegations in recent months. The successful contender will go on to contest presidential elections in 2019 as the ANC candidate. Other hopefuls include parliament speaker Baleka Mbete and presidency minister Jeff Radebe -- although they are seen as outsiders. There are 4,731 branch delegates in all who will make up roughly 90 percent of the votes that will be cast at the elective conference to pick a new leader. The remaining votes are reserved for delegates from the ANC's Women's, Youth and Veteran's branches as well as provincial executive committee members. Branch delegates can change their votes up until the conference. Ramaphosa, 65, is a former trade union official turned successful entrepreneur who is the preferred contender of the business community. They hope that he will be able to extricate South Africa from a spiral of high-unemployment, slow growth and soaring debt. He will face-off against 68-year-old Dlamini-Zuma who previously held a string of ministerial posts and went on to chair the African Union Commission. Her detractors have suggested that she could shield her ex-husband Zuma from any corruption prosecution. He faces a slew of graft allegations and the possible reinstatement of 783 corruption charges related to a 1990s arms deal. ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe sought to alay fears that divisions within the party could spill into the open at the elective conference. "Contestation for leadership must strengthen the ANC rather than weakening it," he said. "We are working very hard to ensure that the conference is steady and successful." Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and what US intelligence believes was a Russian effort to tilt the election in his favor US prosecutors probing Russia's election meddling have subpoenaed financial records from Donald Trump's long-time financiers Deutsche Bank, two sources said Tuesday, but the White House denied the president was targeted directly. A source close to the matter told AFP that Germany's biggest bank had received a subpoena from Robert Mueller's team for documents related to its dealings with the US president and had already begun to provide them. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rejected reports of a subpoena for Trump-related financial records as "completely false," as did Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow. "No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources," Sekulow said in a statement. "We have confirmed that the news reports that the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false." A second source familiar with the investigation told AFP that the subpoena was linked to Trump's indicted former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. "There was a subpoena to Deutsche Bank in the Manafort case," the source said. German business paper Handelsblatt reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed the German lender to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family. It reported that the subpoena arrived "a few weeks ago," and that the most important files relevant to the request have already been sent to Mueller's team. Investigators were looking for "information about specific financial and credit transactions with the Trump family," Handelsblatt reported. After the White House denial, a source close to the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, reiterated to AFP that Deutsche Bank had received the request several weeks ago. A spokeswoman for the German bank declined to comment on the reports when contacted by AFP, saying only that "Deutsche Bank takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations into this matter." - Four indictments so far - Trump has a history of dealings with Deutsche Bank during his career as a New York property mogul, and his businesses owed it around $300 million in July 2016, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The president's wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are all customers of Deutsche Bank's wealth management arm, according to Handelsblatt. The news came days after Mueller unveiled his fourth indictment in the sprawling Russia probe, which is examining possible collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and what US intelligence believes was an effort by Moscow to tilt the election in his favor. One key indictment has been of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was accused of laundering $75 million in relation to work he did for the former Moscow-backed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. On Friday Mueller charged Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with lying to investigators about his contacts with Russian officials. Flynn pleaded guilty to the charge in a deal under which he agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Palestinian militants of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades demonstrate against the US president's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at Al-Fawar refugee camp in the occupied West Bank Clashes, Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli air strikes killed at least two people and wounded dozens of others on Friday in violence linked to US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In the latest diplomatic fallout, the United States stood alone as, one after another, fellow UN Security Council members criticised Trump's decision in an emergency meeting of the world body. After a day of protests and clashes in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories, at least three rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip, including one shot down by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system, the army said. Another appeared to have fallen in wasteland but the third landed in the southern Israeli city of Sderot although Israeli public radio said that rocket did not explode and did not cause any casualties. Following the first two rockets, Israel responded with air strikes on two Hamas military facilities in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian protester hurls a tear gas canister back towards Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 8, 2017 The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said 14 people were wounded from the strikes. Earlier in the day, two Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces along the fence dividing the Gaza Strip from Israel -- the first deaths in the protests over Trump's decision. Dozens of others were wounded from rubber bullets or live fire in clashes in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem that followed the main weekly Muslim prayers. Whether violence would further spiral in the Palestinian territories and elsewhere was being closely watched, with Friday marking a second day of unrest. Tens of thousands also protested in a range of Muslim and Arab countries, including Jordan, Turkey and Malaysia. - Isolated - With Trump's decision having drawn near universal condemnation, the United States saw itself isolated at the Security Council session in New York. Five European countries on the council insisted the new US policy was not consistent with past UN resolutions, including one that considers east Jerusalem to be Israeli-occupied. But the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, told delegates that the White House was serious about the search for peace. "Let me again assure you, the president and this administration remain committed to the peace process," she said. Israeli troops take position during clashes with Palestinian protesters near an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 8, 2017 The meeting was convened by eight of the 14 non-US members of the council but was largely symbolic -- no vote on a resolution was planned, as the US has veto power. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hailed the international concern, according to a statement carried by official Palestinian news agency WAFA. Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, had called for a "day of rage" and its leader Ismail Haniya for the start of a new intifada, or uprising. "We call on our people in all factions and resistances to continue in this blessed intifada until we achieve all our just demands," it said in a statement late Friday. Palestinians protest in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on December 8, 2017 against US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel The Israeli army said around 4,500 Palestinians "participated in violent riots" along the Gaza-Israel border. It said that troops shot at "dozens" of what it said were ringleaders of the disturbances along the frontier, but did not specify how many were wounded. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians also took part in "violent riots" throughout the territory, with 28 Palestinians arrested and about 65 wounded, the army said. It did not elaborate on the type of injuries. - Most sensitive issue - Trump's announcement has brought a worldwide diplomatic backlash, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lavished praise on the president and called the declaration "historic". A masked Palestinian protester gestures during clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 8, 2017 Trump said his defiant move -- making good on a 2016 presidential campaign pledge -- marked the start of a "new approach" to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But many analysts question how a fair deal could be reached by granting such a major Israeli demand while seeming to require nothing in return. Israel has long claimed all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians see the annexed eastern sector of the city as the capital of their future state. Its status is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and international consensus has been that it must be negotiated between the two sides. While the declaration may mean little immediate concrete change, it risks setting off another round of bloodshed in the turbulent Middle East. Muslim and Middle Eastern leaders, including key US allies, have expressed alarm over Trump's decision to break with decades of precedent with unpredictable consequences. - 'Not welcome' - Palestinian leaders have been so outraged that they have argued it disqualifies the United States from its traditional role as peace broker in the Middle East conflict. Mohammad Shtayyeh, a senior Palestinian official who has been involved in past peace talks, questioned what was left to negotiate. "If these are the signs of the ultimate deal, God knows what the deal is going to be," he said. The declaration is sure to weigh heavily on an upcoming visit by US Vice President Mike Pence. He was due to meet the Palestinian president later this month but a senior member of Abbas's Fatah faction said this would not now happen. "The American vice president is not welcome in Palestine. And President Abbas will not welcome him," Jibril Rajoub said, although the Palestinian leader himself has not made similar comments. A White House aide said Pence "still plans to meet with Abbas as scheduled", and "believes it would be counterproductive for him to pull out of the meeting". burs-mjs/scw/hc/jta/kaf Social media firms could be fined US$380,000 under new Australian laws cracking down on 'revenge porn' Social media networks face fines of more than Aus$500,000 (US$380,000) under new Australian laws proposed Wednesday cracking down on "revenge porn", with individuals distributing images without consent also risking hefty punishment. It follows a survey this year that revealed abuses, including shooting and sharing intimate images without permission, was happening on a "mass scale". Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said he hoped the fines would be a deterrent. "Civil penalties will make people stop and think before distributing intimate images without consent -- whether that's an ex-partner of a victim seeking revenge, an acquaintance or complete stranger being malicious," he said. A civil penalty is imposed by a government agency rather than a court, addressing concerns of victims who do not pursue criminal charges because of lengthy and expensive court processes. Perpetrators could still face criminal prosecution, but victims can choose to instead report the offence to the government's eSafety Commissioner's office, with no police involvement. Individuals face fines of up to Aus$105,000. Content hosts like Facebook run the risk of penalties up to Aus$525,000. Generally, under the civil penalty regime the state must only prove "clear and convincing evidence" rather than the more cumbersome "burden of proof" in the criminal system. Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said the draft legislation introduced to parliament would ensure victims get faster action to remove images. "When someone has intimate images shared online without their consent their main concern is to ensure they are taken down as soon as possible and our legislation enables that," she said. "Image-based abuse is often a method used to intimidate and harass women, it is a growing problem and we are taking strong action to let perpetrators know we will not tolerate it." Australia is among world leaders in efforts to combat revenge porn and this year launched an online portal allowing victims to report cases where their photos have been shared on the internet without consent. The eSafety Commissioner then works with websites and search engines to have them removed. A government-funded national study of more than 4,200 people this year revealed one in five Australians have had intimate photographs taken without their consent, and then confronted threats to share them on social networks. It found that men and women were equally likely to be targeted. Nigerians make up the majority of undocumented migrants trying to make the treacherous crossing via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe Nigerian migrants expressed relief as they arrived home on Tuesday from Libya, describing the "hell" of harsh conditions in detention camps where they had been held. African heads of state have condemned the treatment of undocumented migrants in Libya, including widespread violence and apparent slave trading. The 144 returnees who touched down late Tuesday, and another planeload expected to land shortly after, are part of a repatriation programme that Nigeria has stepped up in recent months. One man who gave his name as Franklin told AFP that he was "very, very happy" to return. The UN has called on Libya to agree to shut down 30 detention centres holding 15,000 migrants "It's good to be home, because I've been in hell in the land of Libya. I'll start a new life in my country," he said as he waited to be given food. The UN has urged Libya to agree to shut down 30 centres holding 15,000 migrants, whose detention has become a pressing issue after video footage showing African men sold in Libyan slave auctions sparked global outrage. "Thank God, thank God, thank God," said one young man as he stood in an orderly line at the airport to be registered first by immigration officers and then by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Nigerians make up the majority of undocumented migrants trying to make the treacherous crossing via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Franklin, one of the 144 returnees who touched down on Tuesday, said he was 'very, very happy' to be home Their repatriation began nearly a year ago but numbers have increased recently, with nearly 1,300 brought home in November, according to NEMA. Another returnee, Omoburo, said he had been held in a Libyan detention camp for nearly nine months before he could return home. "They used us to do all sort of things, to carry bombs, to carry ammunition, even to 'pack' dead bodies," he said as he stood in front of a large poster of Nigeria's first lady Aisha Buhari extending a warm "welcome" to the group. The Nigerian ambassador in Libya has visited the camps for illegal migrants on their way to Europe, said Tiwatope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, spokeman for Abuja's ministry of foreign affairs. The visits, made in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration, aim to identify detained Nigerians and issue them with emergency travel documents, he said on Monday. African heads of state have condemned the treatment of undocumented migrants in Libya "The embassy has a record of 2,778 registered Nigerians in accessible detention camps and they are ready for repatriation," the spokesman said, adding that 250 Nigerian migrants were being flown back to Lagos each week. Once they have landed, they are taken back to their home towns or villages or given a small sum of money to make the journey on their own. Libya's UN-backed government has hit back at growing criticism, saying that it was being overwhelmed by illegal immigration. Nieves Rosento, mayor of the town of El Nido, Palawan island, the Philippines, speaks at the wake of murdered environmental para-enforcer Ruben Arzaga, from the Palawan NGO Network Inc (PNNI) Environmental activists are being killed in record numbers around the world, with the corruption-plagued Philippines one of the most dangerous countries, according to watchdog Global Witness. At least 200 community activists, NGO workers and other civilians on the frontlines of protecting the environment were reported murdered worldwide last year, the highest on record, the group said. In the Philippines, an environmental activist was recorded to have been killed at a rate of every 12 days in 2016, with only Brazil and Colombia having more murders. As in other hotspot nations, the deaths in the Philippines are rising as communities stand up against corrupt politicians and businessmen intent on securing increasingly scarce natural resources. "Voracious industries such as mining, agribusiness and logging are trampling over people's rights to take part in decisions that affect their land and environment," Billy Kyte, Global Witness environmental and land defenders campaign leader, told AFP. "Forced into activism, many of these marginalised communities then receive threats and attacks for defending their rights. The government does little to stop the ensuing violence and rarely holds anyone to account for the killings." In the Philippines, an environmental activist was recorded to have been killed at a rate of every 12 days in 2016, with only Brazil and Colombia having more murders Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial crackdown on drugs, which has seen police and suspected vigilantes kill thousands of people, further highlights the culture of impunity, according to rights groups. Father-of-five Ruben Arzaga was one of the most recent land defenders murdered in the Philippines when he was shot in the head in September as he tried to approach illegal loggers on Palawan island, a popular tourist destination. Arzaga was an elected village captain in Palawan's tourist town of El Nido, famed for its idyllic beaches and limestone cliffs, and had been trying to confiscate illegally cut timber as part of a personal crusade to stop rampant deforestation. "If this illegal activity is not stopped, I think before my youngest daughter becomes a young adult and has a family of her own, all the big trees here will be gone," Arzaga, 49, told AFP in February during another mission to confiscate chainsaws from illegal loggers. Police said Arzaga, who was leading a small group of local officials, was ambushed at the logging site in September. Two brothers from Arzaga's local community have been charged with murder over his killing. Arzaga belonged to the Palawan NGO Network Inc (PNNI), a non-profit group made up of so-called para enforcers that uses a citizen's arrest law to confiscate equipment that is being used to destroy the island's environment. Arzaga was the 12th member of the group murdered since 2001. "The PNNI's environmental enforcement work is an example of concerned citizens willing to risk their lives to save Palawan's precious environment. It's a selfless, courageous task that should be celebrated," said Kyte, from Global Witness. Nieves Rosento, the mayor of El Nido and a friend of Arzaga's who is struggling with few resources to stop environmental destruction in the area, said the work of PNNI was essential. "We have a lot of battles here, and they help a lot," Rosento told AFP a day after attending Arzaga's funeral. A statue of Taiwan's Chiang Kai-shek defaced with the word "murderer" Tributes to Taiwan's former dictator Chiang Kai-shek will be removed across the island after lawmakers voted in favour of the mandatory axing of symbols of its authoritarian past. The so-called "transitional justice" bill, which was passed late Tuesday, means that streets and schools will be renamed and statues taken down. It also paves the way for a full investigation into Chiang's "White Terror" -- a purge of his political opponents between 1947 and his death in 1975. Campaigners have long called for the names of unjustly jailed or executed victims to be cleared and perpetrators exposed. The bill said that authoritarian rule should be "stripped of legitimacy" as it violated freedom and democracy. "For this purpose, institutions, schools, public buildings and spaces should be prohibited from displaying any commemorative symbols of authoritarian rule," it said. "Related symbols and signs should also be removed, renamed, or otherwise disposed of." President Tsai Ing-wen is expected to ratify the bill within the next two weeks. Public statues of Chiang are regularly attacked and hundreds now lie discarded in the grounds of his mausoleum outside Taipei. Since Tsai's opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took the leadership and a majority in parliament from the Kuomintang (KMT) in elections in 2016, it has targeted Chiang's legacy. Earlier this year it announced a hall in memory of the dictator -- one of Taipei's most recongisable landmarks -- would stop selling souvenirs depicting him, while references to him would be removed from its galleries. That move came on the 70th anniversary of a 1947 massacre which is estimated to have killed 28,000 people and was the prelude to the "White Terror" crackdown. Chiang's public profile was also steadily eroded when the DPP first ruled the island from 2000-2008, including the renaming of the island's main airport and his image being scrapped from bank notes. The new bill is the first time removal of authoritarian symbols has been made compulsory. Chiang fled to Taiwan and ruled the island under martial law after his nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) troops lost a civil war in 1949 to the Communists on the mainland. Although still revered by some as a hero for taking on Communist forces and fighting the Japanese during the Second World War, others see him as a stain on the history of the now fully fledged democracy. As part of the bill, parties must declare all political files they have dating between 1945 and 1992 and could be ordered to hand them over to national archives, as part of a probe into Chiang's rule. The DPP described the bill as a "bridge of reconciliation" that would be a "comfort and compensation" to victims and their families. But the KMT blasted the bill as unconstitutional, saying it gave the DPP an excuse to meddle in the judicial system. Parliament last year also passed a bill to investigate and seize ill-gotten assets from all parties, although it is only the KMT which has faced questions about its trove, leading to accusations of a witchhunt. Saudi Arabia has supported Saad Hariri for years (shown with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud), hoping he would fight back against what it sees as Iran's main instrument in the region -- Lebanon's powerful Shiite armed movement Hezbollah A month ago, Saudi Arabia pressured Lebanese premier Saad Hariri to step down in an audacious endeavour to rein in regional rival Iran. But the aftermath brought just the opposite. Not only did Hariri rescind his resignation on Tuesday, but Riyadh's power play paradoxically led divided Lebanese factions to come together in order to avoid a political breakdown. The Lebanese cabinet issued a joint statement on Tuesday to reaffirm their commitment to staying out of regional conflicts and apparently put an end to the month-long Hariri saga. His resignation caught Lebanon and outside countries by surprise, and was seen as a direct result of the escalating power struggle between Riyadh and Tehran that has seen them square off from Syria to Yemen. Saudi Arabia has supported Hariri for years, hoping he would fight back against what it sees as Iran's main instrument in the region -- Lebanon's powerful Shiite armed movement Hezbollah. But in 2016, a landmark compromise deal in Lebanon cut across those political lines, bringing Hariri in as the head of a government that included Hezbollah ministers. - 'We will punish Lebanon' - By the time Hariri's premiership turned a year old, the Saudis had grown exasperated with Hezbollah's growing influence and threatened to push back financially, a source close to the premier said. "When Hariri travelled to Saudi Arabia (in early November), he got a huge shock," the source said. "He thought he was going to discuss economic projects. He found himself faced with a list of economic sanctions brandished by the Saudis against Lebanon." Saad Hariri's resignation caught Lebanon and outside countries by surprise, and was seen as a direct result of the escalating power struggle between Riyadh and Tehran that has seen them square off from Syria to Yemen Riyadh threatened to expel 160,000 Lebanese nationals working in the Gulf and force regional businessmen to withdraw their investments from Lebanon. "This would have been catastrophic for the country. Hariri had his back up against the wall," the source said. The 47-year-old premier wrote his own resignation announcement, crafting it in a way he thought would appease the Saudis. "He was not a prisoner in the literal sense but the Saudis told him, 'if you go back to Lebanon, we'll think of you as Hezbollah, and your government as an enemy,'" the source told AFP. "They said: 'We will punish Lebanon like Qatar,'" he said, referring to Saudi's months-long land, sea, and air blockade on Qatar. Karim Bitar of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Affairs said Riyadh's plan spectacularly backfired. "The Saudis wanted to send a powerful message demonstrating their determination to push back on Iran's foray into the Levant," said Bitar. "But it produced a real boomerang effect." - 'Gone too far' - After his resignation, Hariri spent two weeks in Riyadh amid furious speculation he was being held "hostage" there by Saudi authorities. Eventually, he returned to Beirut, put his resignation on hold, and dove into consultations with political rivals. On Tuesday, he held his first ministerial meeting since his return, declaring he had rescinded his resignation and that Lebanon remained committed to "disassociation," or neutrality in regional conflicts. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 'realised he had gone too far... and that the operation resulted in Hariri regaining popularity,' according to a French diplomatic source "As fictitious, provisional and fragile as it is, this forced rapprochement between the two Lebanese camps is necessary and welcome, since security and economic risks are real," Bitar said. He expected Riyadh would continue demanding Hezbollah withdraw its forces from Yemen. "The Saudis want more than just cosmetic concessions," Bitar warned. "The Saudis have not said their last word yet. They're still determined to clip Iran's wings in the region." Last week, Saudi foreign minister Adel Jubeir warned "there will not be peace" in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah stayed armed. Riyadh, however, has also struggled to backpedal on its faux pas after Hariri's resignation sparked French and US interventions on his behalf. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman "realised he had gone too far... and that the operation resulted in Hariri regaining popularity," a French diplomatic source told AFP. Another Western source told AFP that Riyadh remained "very reluctant" to back Hariri, now once again leading a cabinet that includes Hezbollah. "They thought he would be able to counter Hezbollah. The opposite happened," the source said. And the source close to Hariri said Saudi's crown prince was not necessarily wedded to the Lebanese premier. "MBS isn't sentimental," the source said, using a popular nickname for Mohammed Bin Salman. "With him, it's give and take. In his eyes, Beirut isn't more important than Riyadh," the source added, describing the heir to the Saudi throne as "the prince in a rush." Supporters of Lebanon's resigned prime minister Saad Hariri hold up placards demanding his return from Saudi Arabia on the starting line of Beirut's annual marathon on November 12, 2017 Questions remain over what Saudi's next move in Lebanon will be. "Even Riyadh's closest allies in Lebanon fear Saudi's intransigence will cost the Lebanese economy dearly, without weakening Hezbollah much," said Bitar. Back at the helm, Hariri will attend crisis talks in Paris on Friday with top foreign officials, including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. But if the Saudis pursue their policy of "one-upmanship," Bitar warned, "France and Europe may not be able to do much to protect Lebanon from the escalating dangers on the regional level." Dozens of North Korean fishing vessels wash up on Japan's coast ever year, but last month Japanese coastguards registered 28 cases, the highest monthly number since records began in 2014 A severe shortage of food and foreign currency as international sanctions bite are contributing to a fresh wave of North Korean "ghost ship" fishing vessels washing up in Japanese waters, analysts said. Exacerbating the phenomenon is the fact that North Korea has sold fishing rights to China in a bid to raise hard currency, forcing fishermen -- often sailing rickety vessels -- further out towards Japan in search of a catch. Dozens of North Korean fishing vessels wash up on Japan's coast ever year, but last month Japanese coastguards registered 28 cases, the highest monthly number since records began in 2014. There has been a record number of North Korean fishermen rescued alive -- 42 this year compared to zero in 2016 -- but there are still cases of "ghost ships" packed full of bodies, with 18 corpses recovered so far this year. Japanese authorities say it is often hard to determine exactly how they died as the boats often drift for months before washing up in Japan. "Fishermen are desperate to meet annual catch goals, which are elevated to higher levels every year," Toshimitsu Shigemura, professor emeritus of Waseda University and North Korea expert, told AFP. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered an increase in fishing when he took power in 2013, analysts noted. "Since then, fishermen have been frantically trying to meet (annual) catch goals, but what's different this year is that they are travelling to distant waters in their fragile boats," said Pyon Jinil, a leading North Korea watcher and writer based in Japan. North Korean "ghost ships" on the coast of Japan "North Korea last year sold part of its fishing rights in the Yellow Sea to China to get foreign currency, so their fishermen have been kicked out of the western part of their waters," he said. "So this year, Kim Jong-Un ordered his people in a New Year address to 'establish a fishing base in the Sea of Japan'," Pyon said. Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, concurred, adding: "Because they can't fish in their own waters, they have to go farther out." "North Korea's fishing boats are quite old and they don't have much fuel... so they naturally end up adrift and float into Japan," said Yang. There is also the backdrop of a severe food shortage, partly linked to international sanctions, analysts said. Food rationing has been stepped up with "every North Korean person now receiving only 300 grams of food per day," noted Pyon. "In order to plug the shortages of staple food like rice and corn, they want to buy from China, but they don't have hard currency to buy food, either," he said. North Korea's foreign reserves have shrunk to one third of what it held last year because of new rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council -- two this year and nine in total, he noted. - Spies, with shabby boats? - Japanese media have provided blanket coverage of boats landing coming from the North, with some speculation they may be spy ships. Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii has said he is "boosting efforts to investigate Japan's coastal areas" following a surge in suspicious boats drifting or washing ashore. And top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters Tuesday the government was "investigating cautiously including whether they are fishermen or not," amid media reports that one of boats carried a sign reading "(North) Korean People's Army." But Shigemura played down the possibility they are spies from Pyongyang. North Korean fishermen -- often sailing rickety vessels -- have been forced further out towards Japan in search of a catch "Japan is very easy to sneak into and spies can enter the country any time if they wish," he said. "North Korean agents don't come in such clapped-out boats. They come in vessels with proper equipment for sailing," he said. One of the latest groups of North Korean fishermen spotted off Japanese waters is suspected of stealing a variety of items -- including fridges, TV sets and a door knob -- before reportedly dumping some of them into the sea before Japanese coastguard investigated them. "They wanted to sell them back home," Shigemura said. "But if they go home -- after thorough investigation by Japanese police -- they would be executed as authorities fear they must have been turned into Japanese spies," the professor said. Cambodian authorities display pieces of smuggled ivory Cambodia has seized nearly a tonne of ivory hidden in hollowed-out logs and discovered inside an abandoned shipping container, an official said Wednesday. The country has become a key regional transit point for the illicit wildlife trade. Nearly 280 pieces of ivory -- full and partial elephant tusks -- were found in the container at the southwestern port of Sihanoukville after sitting there for a year. The shipment, owned by a company based in Mozambique, left Ivory Coast and arrived in Cambodia in December 2016, an official said. "When the containers arrived at the port we found strange objects in the scanners," said Lim Bun Heng, deputy prosecutor for Preah Sihanouk province. "We requested the company owner to open the containers but no one showed up," he said, adding that eventually authorities seized the shipment. An inspection uncovered the ivory, some of it hidden in logs. Cambodia's elephant population is small but demand for ivory in China and Vietnam -- and in the smaller domestic market -- has made it a hub in recent years for the banned trade in wildlife parts. Corruptible officials and weak law enforcement are an attractive mix for wildlife smugglers, more so as neighbouring Thailand tries to improve its reputation as the regional centre for the trade in endangered species. Ivory is prized for its beauty while demand for traditional medicine has led to the smuggling of rhino horn and pangolin scales. Chinese demand has driven a decade-long rise in elephant poaching, especially in Africa. China has pledged to phase out ivory sales by the end of the year. In December last year Cambodian authorities found 1.5 tonnes of mostly ivory and pangolin parts in containers on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, also originating from Mozambique. Local media reported earlier this year that the government had decided to keep ivory stockpiles instead of destroying them, sparking criticism from conservation groups. Last week Pyongyang fired what it said was a new intercontinental ballistic missile A state-run newspaper in a Chinese province bordering North Korea published a list of tips on Wednesday for how civilians can protect themselves in the event of a nuclear attack. The apocalyptic article comes as tensions soar on the Korean Peninsula over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. A full-page illustrated advisory in the Jilin Daily, an official publication of the northeast province, instructed readers to close their doors and windows and thoroughly wash their belongings to minimise radioactive impact. "Modern warfare is three-dimensional, and intercontinental missiles could hit any corner of the world," the newspaper said. While the publication does not explicitly mention North Korea, Jilin was one of the Chinese provinces where people reported feeling tremors after Pyongyang conducted a powerful nuclear test this September. Last week Pyongyang fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that it said could hit anywhere on the US mainland. In China, the authoritarian regime's largest trade partner and sole major diplomatic ally, concern has grown in recent months that North Korea's expanding weapons programme will cause residual damage along the border. China's environmental protection ministry performed eight days of emergency monitoring following the September blast, which the North claimed was the successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb. Authorities concluded that radiation levels remained normal in the four provinces where tests were done, including Jilin. In something reminiscent of the Cold War era, the Jilin Daily used a colourful comic Wednesday to tell readers to wear masks and take iodine tablets to prevent radioactive iodine from collecting in their thyroid glands. To remove radioactive contamination on the body, one should vigorously wash garments and swab the ears, nose and mouth, the paper advised. Xu Yucheng, a deputy director for Jilin's Civil Air Defense Office, told the Beijing News that the newspaper's goal was to "strengthen national defense education". Compared to Japan and other developed countries, Xu said, the public education on "ordinary national defense" in China is "still not sufficient". An editorial in the Global Times, a state-run nationalistic tabloid, sought to calm what it called a "storm of conjecture" that the nuclear attack advisory has aroused on Chinese social media. While conflict on the Korean peninsula is not unavoidable, the editorial said, "China must prepare for the worst. Both the country and its people should heighten vigilance." Beijing has backed a slew of sanctions on Pyongyang that include bans on imports of North Korean coal, iron ore and seafood. But the Chinese government fears taking any tougher action 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. Beijing has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected. London mayor Sadiq Khan, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, laid a wreath at a memorial to the victims London's first Asian-origin mayor Sadiq Khan said the British government should apologise for a colonial-era massacre in India as he visited the site on Wednesday. The 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in which British troops opened fire on thousands of unarmed protesters in the city of Amritsar, remains an enduring scar of British colonial rule over the subcontinent. The then British prime minister David Cameron described it as deeply shameful when he visited the memorial in the northern state of Punjab during a 2013 trip to India, but stopped short of an apology. Writing in the visitors' book, Khan said it had been "incredibly moving" to see the site of the massacre, calling it a tragedy that should never be forgotten. "It is time for the British government to finally apologise," he wrote. "Our thoughts are with all those who died." Colonial-era records show about 400 people died when soldiers opened fire on men, women and children in the enclosed area, but Indian figures put the toll at closer to 1,000. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II laid a wreath at Jallianwala Bagh during a tour of India. But her gaffe-prone husband Prince Philip stole the headlines by reportedly saying that the Indian estimates for the death count were "vastly exaggerated". Khan also visited the Golden Temple, the most revered place for the Sikh religion Khan, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver in London, also laid a wreath at a memorial to the victims. Earlier in the day he visited the Golden Temple, the most revered place for the Sikh religion, where he covered his head with a white cloth and sat cross-legged on the floor to eat at the community kitchen. Khan, who represents Britain's opposition Labour party, later entered Pakistan via the Wagah border crossing between the two countries. Australia's Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull announced a suite of wide-ranging reforms to tackle rising concerns of foreign interference, noting 'disturbing reports' about Chinese influence Beijing accused Australia Wednesday of stirring "anti-China hysteria" after Canberra proposed a suite of foreign interference laws, labelling comments by some government officials as irresponsible. Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull on Tuesday announced wide-ranging reforms to tackle rising concerns of foreign interference, noting "disturbing reports" about Chinese influence. That came after Turnbull ordered an inquiry in June in the wake of media revelations that the nation's spy agency had warned the country's political elite two years ago about taking donations from two billionaires with links to the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese embassy in Canberra issued a furious response to the proposed laws Wednesday, saying Australian media had "repeatedly fabricated" stories about "so-called" Chinese infiltration in Australia. "Those reports, which were made up out of thin air and filled with cold war mentality and ideological bias, reflected a typical anti-China hysteria and (are) paranoid," an embassy spokesperson said in a statement. Rhetoric has escalated from inside Canberra over the past week, after a key Australian labor MP, Sam Dastyari, was forced to resign as deputy opposition whip after reports that he told a Chinese businessman his phone was likely being tapped by intelligence agencies. The June probe said intelligence agencies had major concerns that China was interfering in Australian institutions and using the political donations system to gain access. Beijing denied the allegations as "totally groundless". There have also been mounting concerns within Australian universities about Beijing's use of nationalist student groups to monitor Chinese students, and challenge academics whose views do not align with Communist Party doctrine. The embassy said these reports "unscrupulously vilified" the Chinese community in Australia with "racial prejudice". "Some Australian politicians and government officials also made irresponsible remarks to the detriment of political mutual trust between China and Australia," the embassy statement reads. "We categorically reject these allegations." Turnbull announced a host of new initiatives Tuesday, including broadening espionage laws and a ban on foreign donations to political parties, with legislation to be introduced to parliament this week. "We have recently seen disturbing reports about Chinese influence," he told reporters. "I take those reports, as do my colleagues, very seriously." Foreign interference is a "global issue", he said, adding that Russian meddling in the American political system had helped Australian foreign interference reforms gain momentum. Beijing has long maintained a commitment to sovereign respect and non-interference throughout the allegations but on Wednesday struck a stronger tone. "China has no intention to interfere in Australia's internal affairs or exert influence on its political process through political donations," the Chinese embassy in Canberra said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrains from commenting on US President Donald Trump's intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in speech on December 6, 2017, his first since the plan was confirmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday refrained from commenting on US President Donald Trump's intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in his first speech since the plan was confirmed. Netanyahu, speaking at a diplomatic conference organised by The Jerusalem Post newspaper, instead focused on Israel's security and economic ties with countries globally during his 20-minute speech. Trump's plan, to be announced later Wednesday, has set off alarm bells around the world. Other Israeli ministers commented on the plan, hailing it as a historic move. "I call upon other countries to follow the United States and recognise Jerusalem as the Jewish and undivided capital," Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the far-right Jewish Home party, said at the conference. "The United States is adding another brick to the walls of Jerusalem, to the foundation of the Jewish nation." Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of Jewish Home, said: "I think it is a victory of the American people and the American spirit." Intelligence and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, said Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem means "this is an historic day". "Whoever does not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel does not recognise the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state," he said. "We expect the international community to support President Trumps decision." The Palestinians fiercely oppose the move and have called for three "days of rage" to protest against it. Yemeni rebel fighters march during a rally in the capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017, celebrating the killing of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh after their uneasy alliance collapsed Yemeni women held rare protests in Sanaa on Wednesday, demanding that the capital's rebel authorities hand over the body of slain ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Around 20 women, dressed head to toe in black, did not hide their loyalty to the leader of three decades, who was killed by the Iran-backed rebels on Monday after their uneasy alliance collapsed. "There is no God but God and the martyr is a friend of God," they shouted in front of the Saleh mosque, the largest in the capital and named for the former president. The rebels dispersed the protest but video footage of the women fleeing the scene was posted on social media. A second group of women gathered in front of Sanaa military hospital, shouting: "The people want the remains of the leader," witnesses said. It was unclear on Wednesday whether the Huthis had already buried Saleh's body. Saleh had joined forces with the Huthis in 2014 when they took control of large parts of the country, including the capital. But that alliance unravelled over the past week as the former leader reached out to the Saudi-led coalition that has waged an air campaign against the Huthis since March 2015. A least 234 people were killed in fighting that the International Committee of the Red Cross described as the fiercest since the start of the conflict. Lafarge is accused of paying the Islamic State group and other militants through a middleman Former Lafarge CEO Bruno Lafont was questioned on Wednesday over allegations that the French cement-maker indirectly financed jihadists in Syria, sources close to the case said. Lafont was questioned along with former human resources chief Eric Olsen and former deputy managing director for operations Christian Herrault, the sources told AFP. Lafarge is accused of paying the Islamic State group and other militants through a middleman so that the company's factory in Jalabiya, northern Syria, could continue to operate in a war zone. Lafont headed Lafarge from 2006 to 2015, when the company merged with the Swiss building supplies company Holcim, before serving as co-chairman of LafargeHolcim until April this year. Investigators are seeking to determine whether he was aware of millions of dollars paid to various armed groups including IS. Three former officials at the Jalabiya factory were charged in the case last week. Herrault told investigators early this year that "either you agreed to the racket or you left" Syria, adding that he had had "discussions" with Lafont. The former CEO insisted that he believed "things were under control" and there was no reason to flee the war-torn country. Lafarge's Syrian subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) paid out some $5.6 million (4.7 million euros) between July 2012 and September 2014, according to an April report commissioned by LafargeHolcim and seen by AFP. LCS is also suspected of using fake consulting contracts to buy fuel from IS, which took control of most of Syria's strategic oil reserves in June 2013. Frederic Jolibois, who took over as manager of the Jalabiya factory in 2014, was charged with financing terrorism, violating an EU embargo on Syrian oil and "endangering others' lives". His predecessor as factory chief Bruno Pescheux and security boss Jean-Claude Veillard were also charged. Jolibois has admitted to buying oil from "non-governmental organisations", notably Kurdish and Islamist groups, in violation of the EU embargo declared in 2011. Pescheux has meanwhile admitted Lafarge paid up to $100,000 a month to Syrian tycoon Firas Tlass, a former minority shareholder who gave cash to armed factions in order to keep the factory open. IS would have received around $20,000, Pescheux estimated. Lafarge hung on in Syria for two years after most French companies had left as IS made major territorial gains. No caption US President Donald Trump was set to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital later Wednesday in a move that would upturn decades of precedent and run counter to international consensus. The city is revered by three major faiths but mired in political, as well as religious, disputes. Its status is one of the thorniest issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. - Whose capital? - Jewish Israelis consider Jerusalem to be their 3,000-year-old capital and the inalienable birthright of Jews everywhere. Since the destruction in ancient times of two separate Jewish temples in the city and the exile of the Holy Land's surviving Hebrews, Judaism has looked for a return of its people to their biblical home. According to scripture, King David made Jerusalem the capital of a unified kingdom of Israel around 1000 BC. The city's heavily visited Western Wall is among the last remnants of the second Jewish temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. The Palestinians, who make up about a third of the modern city's population of some 882,000, claim east Jerusalem as the capital of the state to which they aspire. It also has great religious significance for Muslims as it houses the Al-Aqsa mosque complex, Islam's third-holiest site, and the emblematic gold-topped Dome of the Rock. While Palestinians have been divided in recent years between president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah and Islamist movement Hamas, Jerusalem remains one of their most powerful rallying points for both religious and nationalistic reasons. The city is also home to the holiest sites in Christianity, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where most Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried. - City of controversy - A 1947 United Nations plan prescribed partitioning British-run Palestine into three separate entities: a Jewish state, an Arab state and a separate enclave, or "corpus separatum", consisting of Jerusalem, nearby Bethlehem and holy places in the vicinity to be under UN control. The proposal was accepted by Zionist leaders but rejected by the Arabs. Following the departure of the British in 1948, the Jews declared an independent state of Israel, followed by fighting with Palestinians and neighbouring Arab states. At the end of the war, east Jerusalem was in Jordanian hands while the new Jewish state set up its capital in the west. The two sides were divided by barbed wire, sandbags and machinegun emplacements until the Six-Day War of 1967, when Israel seized and occupied the eastern zone. It declared the whole city its eternal and united capital and in 1980 annexed east Jerusalem, a move never recognised by the international community. - Capital without embassies - Until the annexation, 13 countries maintained their embassies in Jerusalem: Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela. They all relocated to Tel Aviv, where other states had their legations. Costa Rica and El Salvador returned to the city in 1984 but headed back to Tel Aviv in 2006. - US policy on holy city - In 1995, the US Congress passed an act stating "Jerusalem should be recognised as the capital of the State of Israel and the United States embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999." Since then, implementation has been blocked by succesive US presidents. Trump vowed during his election campaign to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to recognise the disputed city as Israel's capital. He is due to partially fulfil that pledge on Wednesday, declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital, but only declaring his intent to move the embassy there, which could take years. The traditional US position on the city has been that Jerusalem's status must be negotiated between the two sides. Jay Fai smiles as she accepts the Michelin guide recognition at a hotel in Bangkok In a city famous for street food, a roadside restaurant in Bangkok with plastic tables and simple but sumptuous fare has earned one of the dining scene's highest honours: a Michelin star. Jay Fai, named after the 72-year-old proprietor who took over from her father, is located in old Bangkok and features an open-air kitchen known for churning out crab omelettes and curries. Though classified as street food, Jay Fai is more expensive than your average roadside stall, with a typical speciality costing upwards of $20. It was the only streetside establishment listed in Michelin's first-ever Bangkok guide released on Wednesday, which said the Thai capital's culinary scene was as "diverse as it is surprising". A total of 17 restaurants in the city serving up a mix of Thai and international cuisine received either one or two stars, though none clinched the coveted three-star rating. Jay Fai cooks the food herself while wearing large goggles to deal with the endless steam from the dishes. The accolade was a welcome one even if the owner was not so familiar with the company behind it. "Before, I knew the Michelin name but I did not know it had to do with cooking," she told AFP after obtaining the star. "I am very proud," she said, adding that she must be back in the kitchen Thursday. "We do not have a lot of staff because I'm a bit difficult and crazy." Jay Fai's newfound stature comes at a tough time for food stalls in Bangkok. City officials, backed by the military government, are attempting to unclutter the streets by pushing vendors into hawker centres as in Singapore. Yemeni Huthi rebel fighters inspect the damage after a reported Saudi-led coalition air strike hit presidential palace in the capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017 The killing of ex-leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, days after his overtures to the Saudi-led coalition, has buried hopes for a breakthrough in Yemen's war, analysts say, and risks fuelling a standoff between Riyadh and Tehran. "The future of Yemeni politics has changed completely -- Saleh was the foundation and now he's gone," Maged Almadhaji, Cairo-based director of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, told AFP. On Saturday, the strongman ruptured three years of uneasy alliance with Iran-backed Huthi rebels, offering to "turn the page" with foe Saudi Arabia in return for the lifting of a crippling blockade and a ceasefire. With Yemen's conflict locked in stalemate, the move was welcomed by Riyadh and its allies and sparked expectations of a major shift in a war that has claimed over 8,750 lives since 2015. Battles broke out between the Huthis and pro-Saleh forces on the streets of the capital Sanaa that they have controlled since 2014, while Yemen's exiled president -- long sidelined from events -- looked to activate his Saudi-backed troops east of the city. This file photo taken on November 29, 2007 shows Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh addressing a ceremony "Saleh brought a big hope for an end to Huthi rule," said Almadhaji. "It's not that people loved him. It was a chance to break a frightening militia rule." But that came to an abrupt end on Monday when Saleh was gunned down by the Huthis and a gruesome video emerged of his bloodied corpse. "People are upset because this was an important opportunity and it's been lost," said Almadhaji. - No substitute for Saleh - Before his slaying Saleh was seen as Yemen's great survivor. As president he dominated for over three decades and, even after mass protests forced his resignation in 2012, he remained a key player in the chaos that followed by allying with Huthi forces he had once fought. A Yemeni waves a national flag during a rally celebrating the death of Yemeni ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh a day after he was killed, in the capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017 The attempt to seduce the Saudis, whose military coalition has been facing off against him since 2015, was another stunning turnaround -- and Riyadh will be hard-pressed to find another such dealmaker. "There are no Yemeni political figures comparable to Saleh in terms of influence," the US-based Soufan Center said in a briefing. "The near-term result of Saleh's death may be an increase in fighting by local forces, which in turn could intensify foreign interventions on both sides, as the Saudi coalition and Iran continue to protect and prop up their proxies." In its first statement after Saleh's death, Riyadh called for a Yemen free of "militias supported by Iran", while regional rival Tehran defiantly insisted the strongman was killed for attempting a coup. Inside the coalition, allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE appear to differ on who to work with now, with commentators saying Riyadh favours the Islamist Al-Islah party while the Emiratis are plumping for Saleh's son. A Huthi rebel fighter is seen atop a tank in front of the residence of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa on December 4, 2017 Analyst Randa Slim of the Middle East Institute in Washington predicted Saleh's death would diminish any chances for a push to end a war that has created a humanitarian catastrophe. "Everyone, local and regional, will want this military cycle to play itself out for some time before they will be ready to sit at the negotiation table," Slim told AFP. Yemeni tribes who were "sitting on the fence" waiting to see if Saleh's gambit succeeded may now pledge allegiance to the Huthis, she said. "One thing for sure is that Yemen is headed toward more conflict." - 'End their suffering' - The latest surge of violence in Sanaa came on the back of an already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, where a Saudi-led blockade had fuelled fears of a devastating famine. A malnourished Yemeni child receives treatment at a hospital in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on December 3, 2017 In a sign of growing concern over a fresh deterioration, the UN Security Council called on all sides to "de-escalate" and return to talks after a closed door meeting in the wake of Saleh's killing. The world body on Tuesday demanded a pause in fighting to allow it to deliver aid to civilians trapped in the capital after five days of bloodshed that killed over 230 people. "Youve got children terrified and pregnant women stuck," Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick told AFP by phone from Sanaa. "In the coming days there will be more air strikes and more ground fighting," he warned. Analyst Almadhaji said the death of Saleh has left the warring parties reeling -- and peace an even more distant prospect. For Saudi Arabia, negotiating with the Iran-backed rebels is a non-starter, he said, while the Huthis are weakened by the loss of their key governing partner, who helped deflect accusations of loyalty to Tehran. A displaced Yemeni family are pictured next to their makeshift shelter on a street in the Yemeni coastal city of Hodeidah on November 16, 2017 At a Tuesday rally in Sanaa, the rebels sought to project an image of unity and said they would ensure the safety of members of Saleh's party. But Almadhaji said frustrations of local residents -- and the readiness of some to put their hopes in Saleh -- go well beyond the Saudi-led blockade and are increasingly focused on the faults of Huthi rule. "Trade has been decimated, the black market is thriving. The security situation is terrible. Streets are closed and there is a massive campaign of detentions," he said, predicting that roundups of Saleh loyalists would continue. "People want a country. They want laws. They would welcome back anyone who could end their suffering." At least 25 percent of world's total number of children living with HIV are in west and central Africa Angry AIDS activists are urging western and central Africa to step up the fight against HIV, saying millions of people, especially children, are at risk from complacency and underfunding. A six-day conference in Africa has thrown a stark light on the problems in a region whose two dozen nations extend from Mauritania in the north to Gabon in the south, and include some of the poorest countries in the world. Coalition Plus, an alliance of AIDS groups, said AIDS-related deaths in western and central Africa are running at 5.1 percent, more than twice the 2.1 percent in the rest of the continent. The region accounts for just six percent of the global population, but has at least 16 percent of the total of the world's adults -- categorised as people aged over 15 -- who live with HIV. The share rises even more dramatically, to 25 percent, in the category of infected children aged from birth up to 14 years. Even though the HIV pandemic is more than four decades old, nearly 80 percent of the estimated 540,000 infected children in West and Central Africa are not getting life-saving antiretroviral therapy, the UN's children's agency UNICEF and AIDS programme UNAIDS said on Tuesday. "HIV and AIDS pose direct threats to the lives of 820,000 children and adolescents," they said in a report issued at the ICASA conference which ends on Saturday. "Yet we know what works." - 'Scandalous' rise in youth mortality - Delegates at ICASA's opening ceremonies held up placards demanding action In 2016, an estimated 60,000 children were newly infected with HIV in West and Central Africa, it said. Among adolescents aged 15-19, AIDS-related deaths are on the rise. Among the 10-19 age group, 16,000 people died last year, a rise of 35 percent over 2010. "The rise in youth mortality is a scandal," Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF's director for West and Central Africa, told AFP. "Most of these teenagers are unaware of their HIV status," she said. "Everyone is responsible. Support from international donors is insufficient for the region's needs. And governments must give priority to the fight against AIDS, even if they have limited resources," she said. The situation is not entirely bleak -- the region slashed mother-to-child transmission of HIV by a third from 2010 and 2016 -- nor is it the same everywhere. - 1.3 million awaiting treatment - Other parts of the world are rolling back the AIDS pandemic -- but West and Central Africa are failing badly in key areas, say experts Adult HIV prevalence ranges from less than 0.4 percent in Niger to 6.2 percent in Equatorial Guinea, the figures show. Nearly half of all infected children in the region are in Nigeria. But the major problems are common, say experts. One is the lack of so-called point-of-care HIV tests, so that a patient can be diagnosed and immediately treated -- a major step in prevention. Another is availability of antiretroviral drugs, which suppress the virus but do not eliminate it. The cost of AIDS therapy has plummeted since the first triple-therapy drug regimen became available in 1996, and access to the lifeline -- taken in a simple once-a-day pill -- is spreading across parts of Africa. In West and Central Africa, though, 1.3 million people who know they have HIV are still awaiting treatment. Stigma and discrimination, as well as homophobia, are factors that help the virus to spread underground. "We have to shift up gears, to that of 'emergency response,' we have to mobilise all of society -- government, civil society, families," said Poirier. French President Emmanuel Macron is surrounded by security as he greets children in the streets of Algiers on his first official visit to Algeria French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday made his first official visit to Algeria, announcing that he came as a "friend" despite France's historically prickly relationship with its former colony. Ties between Paris and Algiers have defrosted in recent years, a half-century after French forces brutally cracked down on independence fighters in a 1954-1962 war that left some 1.5 million Algerians dead. Macron, the first French president to be born after the war, told news website Tout sur l'Algerie that he was "ready" to see his country hand back the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters killed in the 1850s, which are held at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. Algerian and French academics have long campaigned for the return of the 37 skulls, a symbolic hangover from France's 130-year occupation of Algeria. Macron arrived in Algiers under bright sunshine on Wednesday after stressing that he came as "a friend of Algeria, a constructive partner who wants to strengthen our links". "I know the history, but I am not a hostage of the past," he told Algerian newspapers El Watan and El Khabar by phone ahead of his visit. "But from now on, I hope... that we will turn together towards the future." Macron was welcomed at Algiers airport by Senate speaker Abdelkader Bensalah, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel. He later laid a wreath at a monument in central Algiers to those killed in the war, and walked through the centre of the capital, talking with passers-by. French President Emmanuel Macron reviews a guard of honour on his arrival in Algiers on December 6, 2017 Macron later held a one-hour meeting President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 80, who has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 that has affected his speech and mobility. He told reporters they discussed the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, crisis-hit Libya and the anti-terrorism struggle in the Sahel. US President Donald Trump's decision was "regrettable", Macron said, calling for efforts to avoid violence. - Security cooperation - During his election campaign in May, the French leader called his country's colonial history a "crime against humanity", prompting criticism from some in France and praise from Bouteflika. But on a recent trip to west Africa, Macon called for "neither denial nor repentance", stressing that "we cannot remain trapped in the past". Paris is keen to build ties with Algeria, a key player in the fight against armed groups in the Sahel, and the region's crises are likely to figure in meetings with officials. The Sahel, which stretches from Senegal to Sudan, has sunk into lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, Islamists overran northern Mali in 2012, and Boko Haram rose up in northern Nigeria. French President Emmanuel Macron (C) reviews a guard of honour on his arrival in Algiers on December 6, 2017 France has praised Algeria's "experience in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation", a reference to its decade-long civil war in the 1990s. Macron is due to host talks in Paris on December 13 on "speeding up deployment" of a five-nation anti-terrorism force in the region. He touched a nerve in Algiers by choosing its regional arch-rival, neighbouring Morocco, for his first visit to the Maghreb. But accompanied by artists and business executives on his Algiers mission, he hopes to boost economic ties. In his interview with Algerian newspapers, he said: "Algeria must open up more, there are still many obstacles to investment." But he also pointed to "promising fields of cooperation" between the two countries. France remains the largest foreign employer in Algeria although it is losing market share to other European countries and China. On a visit to Algiers in November, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said it was "time to raise the bar". Macron is set to leave Algeria for Qatar on Wednesday evening. Deir Ezzor's provincial capital of the same name, pictured here on November 5, 2017, has been devastated by Russian-backed government military operations against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists Russian air strikes killed 24 civilians Wednesday in a village held by the Islamic State group near the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombing raids hit the village of Al-Jerzi on the eastern bank of the river, which cuts across Deir Ezzor province. After reporting earlier Wednesday that the strikes killed 21 civilians, the Britain-based monitor said the toll had risen. "More people died and more bodies were found," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. "Ten children and four women are among the dead in the Russian air strikes targeting residential buildings in Al-Jerzi," he told AFP. The monitor relies on a network of sources inside Syria and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. It says IS, which used to control swathes of Deir Ezzor province, has been ousted from all but eight percent of the oil-rich region. The jihadists have lost vast swathes of it to separate offensives by Russian-backed Syrian troops and an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF has long been backed by US-led coalition bombing of IS in Iraq and Syria, but its Kurdish component recently said it had also received support from Moscow. Russian warplanes had given air cover to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as they fought against jihadists in Deir Ezzor, according to the YPG and Moscow's defence ministry. Russia first launched bombing raids in 2015 in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's beleaguered forces. Those strikes have helped Assad regain control over much of war-ravaged Syria. More than 340,000 people have been killed since the conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad, who launched a brutal crackdown. IS has also lost most of the territory it held in neighbouring Iraq. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and his wife Emine Erdogan, left, welcomed Jordan's King Abdullah II and Queen Rania for talks in Ankara on Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday strongly warned the United States against recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying the move would help terror groups. "Such a step will only play into the hands of terror groups," Erdogan said at a joint news conference in Ankara after talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II. "This mistaken step... will lead to public outrage in the entire Islamic world, dynamite the ground for peace and ignite new tensions and clashes in our region," he said. US President Donald Trump was set to announce Wednesday that Washington would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and that it would move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, a plan that has caused consternation in the Islamic world and beyond. The Turkish presidency said earlier that Erdogan was calling a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the main pan-Islamic body, in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the move. King Abdullah, who had been personally informed by Trump of the move by telephone, backed Erdogan's warnings and said East Jerusalem must be the capital of a future Palestinian state. "There is no alternative to a two-state solution," Abdullah said, speaking in English. He cautioned that "Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement (between Israel and the Palestinians) and is key to the stability of the entire region". Abdullah said he had told Trump of "our concerns" over the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem during their telephone call. He added that it was "imperative now to work fast" to reach a final status solution and a peace agreement between Palestinians and Israelis. "This must allow the Palestinians to establish an independent state side by side with Israel and its capital in East Jerusalem." He also warned that ignoring Muslim rights in Jerusalem "will only fuel further extremism and undermine the war against terrorism." Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's deadly storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties. The two sides have since stepped up cooperation, in particular in energy, but Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is still often bitterly critical of Israeli policy. The United States supports a strong relationship between Turkey, the key Muslim member of NATO, and Israel, which is Washington's main ally in the Middle East. Jerusalem -- the city both Israel and the Palestinians claim as capital EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called Wednesday for Palestinian "restraint" over an expected announcement by US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In a phone call with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Mogherini reiterated European Union's commitment to a two-state solution, and its stance that the status of Jerusalem should be settled by negotiations. "Federica Mogherini called for restraint in any reaction to the expected announcement and welcomed the commitment by President Abbas to call for any demonstrations to remain peaceful," an EU statement said. Mogherini invited Abbas to Brussels to meet EU foreign ministers, the statement said. The move by Trump, set to come in a speech later Wednesday, would upend decades of careful US policy and ignore dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East. On Tuesday, Mogherini made a pointed warning about the situation at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as he was visiting Brussels for talks with the EU and NATO. "We believe that any action that would undermine this effort must absolutely be avoided," she said. A man takes a picture of the Dome of the Rock mosque in the city of Jerusalem, on December 4, 2017 Israelis and Palestinians reacted with shock, anger or joy on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump's plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but the disputed city remained calm despite calls for protests. The US leader is due to make the announcement at 1800 GMT from the White House, upending decades of US policy and ignoring warnings that it could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East. An outpouring of emotions is expected after Trump speaks, with a major protest set for the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday and the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip Hamas calling for a day of rage Friday. But already ahead of the announcement there were signs of the rising tensions. Hundreds of angry Palestinians in the Gaza Strip burned American and Israeli flags and pictures of Trump at demonstrations. Meanwhile there were relatively small clashes at the entrance to the Al-Arroub refugee camp near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. A Palestinian man walks past Israeli border guards standing in Jerusalem's Old City on December 6, 2017 as President Donald Trump gears up to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital In Jerusalem itself the situation was calm on a cold and wet Wednesday morning -- with Palestinian responses varying from fury to resignation. "How can he bring the embassy from Tel Aviv to here?" 50-year-old Mohammed Nabarak said. "There will be new problems again. There will be a new intifada," he said, referring to the two previous bloody Palestinian uprisings. "The Western countries are even more against it than the Arabs." Salah al-Shawish, 49, said that the decision would "make things worse". "It is natural for the corrupt Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, because the Arab world is torn and its leaders weak," he said. - 'It is about time' - Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City on December 6, 2017 as President Donald Trump gears up to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital The status of Jerusalem is one of the most hotly contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel seized control of the east of the city in 1967 and later annexed it in moves never recognised by the international community. Israel considers the city its undivided capital, but Palestinians believe the east is illegally occupied and see it as the capital of their future state. There are no clear walls or barriers separating east and west, only invisible lines known to the residents. In the Old City, populated largely by Palestinians, heavily armed Israeli forces patrol the streets and control access to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a key site for Muslims. "If they recognise Jerusalem as the capital or they don't, what will change? We are living under occupation," Abu Abed, a Palestinian in the Old City, said Wednesday. At least until Trump's announcement, no countries currently fully recognise Israeli control over the city, with all foreign embassies located in Tel Aviv. For Israelis in Jerusalem the Trump announcement was a major moment. Emmanuel Posen, 44, said he had been smiling all morning after hearing the news. "It is about time -- 3,000 years later than it should have been," he said, referring to the long Jewish history in the city. He insisted he was not concerned about potential violence as Palestinians react to the move. "If I was afraid for every step I am making (because of) what the Arabs will do I wouldn't do anything," he said. Eugene Kontorovich, a campaigner for moving the embassy and head of international law at the Kohelet Policy Forum, a Jerusalem-based conservative think-tank, lauded it as an "extraordinary development of historic proportions." "Since the birth of the state of Israel (in 1948) no president has recognised Jerusalem as being part of the country." Yemeni boys peer inside the husk of a burnt car as they inspect damage from recent clashes between Huthi rebel fighters and loyalists of Yemen's slain ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa on December 6, 2017 Sanaa residents were stocking up on goods and seeking urgent care Wednesday, fearing an impending resumption of hostilities after a showdown between Huthi rebels and loyalists of Yemen's slain ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The International Committee of the Red Cross has appealed for "bold measures" to provide life-saving care to civilians after an "unprecedented" escalation of fighting killed more than 230 people over the past week. Mounir, a doctor at Sanaa's Republican Hospital, said he and fellow staff were dealing with an influx of patients traumatised by the events of recent days. "We received dozens of children and women who were traumatised by confrontations near their homes and the sounds of the explosions," he said. Yemenis push a motorcycle loaded with jerrycans down a street leading to the residence of Yemen's late ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa on December 6, 2017 Residents of the capital, now controlled by the Iran-backed Huthis, said they were finally able to leave their houses and search for basic provisions on Wednesday. "I ran out to buy grilled chicken at the restaurant at the end of my street. But when I got there it was closed -- they were only doing takeaway," said Mohammed, a local journalist. "I bought the most expensive chicken of my life," he said, adding that price had nearly doubled since the week before. Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said aid workers were able to reach a number of hospitals and health posts in the capital on Wednesday to distribute trauma kits and equipment. He said residents were stocking up on supplies but that fuel shortages were a "big concern" for the days ahead. Not everyone was prepared to venture out of the house after the week's violent clashes, which saw streets blockaded by warring factions and intimidating checkpoints sprouting up. "We're living in a state of fear. We have no wages, no security, no life," said a schoolteacher in Sanaa. "We are afraid of the next wave of violence. We want to leave Sanaa for any safe place that won't become the next battlefield," the mother of four continued. "But I am from Taiz, I grew up in Aden and I live in Sanaa, and none of these three cities are safe." A Yemeni boy peers inside the husk of a burnt car after clashes between Huthi rebel fighters and loyalists of Yemen's late ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in the capital Sanaa on December 6, 2017 Residents of Sanaa said the southern districts -- the most contested during the clashes -- were still paralysed in the wake of the fighting, with the majority of shops shuttered and streets largely deserted, the remnants of the battle still littering the ground. "We couldn't open our shop for the fourth day in a row," said Yasser, the owner of a minimarket. "We're afraid, the situation is ambiguous and we have no faith in the gunmen in civilian clothes patrolling the city." Banks, schools and government institutions remained closed. Local media reported that some residents had fled to their villages, fearing Sanaa would come under heavy aerial bombardment from the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Huthis. A file picture shows an Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet performing at an air show in the Negev desert, near the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva, on June 29, 2017 Israel' military on Wednesday declared its newly acquired F-35 stealth fighters operational, making it the first country outside of the United States to put the ultra hi-tech jets into service. The Israeli Air Force currently has nine jets out of the total of 50 it has agreed to buy. The aim of the purchase is to allow Israel to maintain its military superiority in the turbulent Middle East, particularly regarding its arch-foe Iran and the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system delivered to it by Russia. Israel has also acknowledged carrying out air strikes in Syria since the outbreak of the civil war in the country six years ago to stop arms deliveries to Hezbollah forces. Major General Amikam Norkin said Israel was "operating on a large scale on a number of fronts in a dynamic Middle East". The F-35s added "another level" to the air force's capabilities, he said in remarks relayed by the army. Made by US-based Lockheed Martin, the jets are the most expensive in history, with the first 33 sold to Israel at an average of about $110 million each. The cost of the jets has been sharply criticised, including by US President Donald Trump, though Lockheed Martin says the price is gradually coming down. Among its main features are advanced stealth capabilities to help pilots evade sophisticated missile systems. The single-pilot jets can carry an array of weapons and travel at a supersonic speed of Mach 1.6, or around 1,200 miles per hour (1,900 kilometres per hour). A fire at a paint factory in Abidjan sent a thick column of smoke high above the capital's industrial zone A huge fire ripped through a paint factory in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan on Wednesday, causing multiple explosions, destroying nearby businesses and leaving two people in hospital. A factory employee suffered severe burns and a firefighter was poisoned by gas fumes in the blaze, which sent a thick column of smoke high above the city's industrial zone. Several other people were slightly injured in the fire at the Drocolor paint factory, according to police sources. Dozens of firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze, which also spread to the nearby shops and boutiques, gutting at least 12 stores. Groups of young men ran with buckets and bowls of water in a bid to put out the fire in small shops, and others frantically sought to remove petrol cans, crates and other flammable material. Firefighters brought the blaze at the Drocolor paint factory under control at around midday "The fire started around 8am, 9am -- there were flames, then about a dozen explosions. Then the fire spread very quickly," said Dieudonne Ghakobi, who runs a small upholstery business. "The fire was impossible to stop. The firemen can't do anything, they don't have the means," said blacksmith Bema Kone, who told AFP that responders had carried out a fire drill at the same factory just two weeks ago. Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control at around midday and security forces were deployed in the area to prevent any looting. In tears, Abu Bama, who also works in upholstery, said his entire livelihood had gone up in flames. "They warned me there was a fire. But by the time I arrived it was too late -- I've lost everything. The shop, my stock, the armchairs I was repairing," said the distraught 32-year-old. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has dismissed reports that the White House wants him to resign within weeks Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met US military officers on Wednesday to prepare for a trip to better coordinate American security and diplomatic strategy in Africa. Tillerson plans to make the trip in the first quarter of 2018, the State Department said, after he dismissed reports that the White House wants him to resign within weeks. Washington's top diplomat touched down at Ramstein air base in Germany to be briefed by officers of the US European and African commands to prepare for the journey. "The secretary will set an agenda of priorities that the Department of State and Department of Defense will work on prior to the trip," senior Tillerson aide R.C. Hammond said. "The goal is to align the two departments' efforts in the region," he told reporters travelling with Tillerson. The US military footprint in Africa has grown rapidly in recent years, with missions training local troops and fighting Islamist militants in several countries. But some critics have argued that the American civilian diplomatic effort to support partner countries has not kept pace with what has become a Pentagon-led strategy. With political and media attention focused on the fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the build-up had not until recently gained a lot of attention in Washington. But the dangers of the campaign were thrown into sharp relief in October when insurgents ambushed a US special forces patrol in Niger and four soldiers were killed. Tillerson stopped off at Ramstein for a little under two hours while travelling to Vienna from Brussels, where he had attended a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Before leaving, he angrily dismissed reports that members of US President Donald Trump's White House team want him to resign and be replaced by CIA chief Mike Pompeo. Media reports citing anonymous White House officials suggest Tillerson may be gone before he has time to lead his planned African trip. But Tillerson retorted: "This is a narrative that keeps coming up every six weeks, and I would say you all need to get some new sources, because your story keeps being wrong." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem's highly sensitive holy sites Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday as "historic" and a "courageous and just decision". Netanyahu also pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem's highly sensitive holy sites in the city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. "This is a historic day," Netanyahu said in a video message released immediately after Trump's speech. "Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. It's been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years ... Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia." "We're profoundly grateful for the president for his courageous and just decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to prepare for the opening of the US embassy here." Netanyahu also called on "all countries that seek peace to join the United States in recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move their embassies here". Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting female athletes under his care, faces sentencing in a separate child pornography case Olympic gymnastics gold medalist McKayla Maroney says the former US team doctor facing child porn and sexual assault charges "deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison". Larry Nassar is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Michigan on Thursday after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. He has also pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault in two other cases in Michigan, admitting that he abused young athletes under the guise of offering medical treatment. Maroney and Olympians Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas have said they, too, were assaulted by Nassar, who worked with USA Gymnastics as a trainer and medical coordinator. "He abused my trust, abused my body and left scars on my psyche that may never heal," Maroney wrote in a victim-impact letter to the federal court where Nassar is to be sentenced on Thursday. The letter was obtained by ESPN's Outside the Lines program. "Larry Nassar deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison," Maroney wrote. Maroney won team gold and an individual vault silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. A three-time World Champion, she first went public with her allegations against Nassar amid the "#MeToo" movement. She said Nassar began abusing her when she was just 13, and the abuse continued throughout her gymnastics career. "It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and it happened before I won my silver medal," Maroney wrote. Maroney's mother, Erin Maroney, says in a letter to the court that abuse changed her daughter. "She was transformed from a bubbly, positive, loving world class athlete into a young adult who was deeply depressed, at times suicidal," Erin Maroney wrote. According to court documents, prosecutors have asked for a 60-year-sentence for Nassar on the child pornography charges. As president, Donald Trump has steered a new course in the Middle East Donald Trump has spent much of his first year as president of the United States seeking to undo the legacy of his predecessor, Barack Obama. The volatile Middle East is one of the many areas where Trump has broken with US policy and precedent. On Wednesday, Trump overturned decades of US policy by announcing that Washington recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and setting in motion plans to move the embassy there from Tel Aviv. Here is a look at some of the hot button issues in the Middle East and the new course being steered by Trump: - Israel and the Palestinians - Trump has instituted a policy of unwavering support for Israel after a period of strained relations between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The last days of the Obama administration included an extraordinary US refusal at the United Nations to block a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction. Netanyahu welcomed Trump's November 2016 election saying he was a "true friend of the State of Israel." Since then, Trump has appointed a US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, known for his support for settlement activity, and ordered the withdrawal of US support for UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias. Trump has tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior adviser, with relaunching moribund peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. But he has been lukewarm about a Palestinian state and angered Palestinian leaders earlier this year with a threat -- since withdrawn -- to close the Palestine Liberation Organization mission in Washington. - Iran - Trump considers Iran to be the principal threat to US interests in the Middle East and has frequently condemned the Islamic Republic for what he sees as its "destabilizing" influence in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Trump has been a relentless critic of the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 and has repeatedly threatened to scrap the agreement intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The president's tough stance on Iran has earned praise from Netanyahu and from Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic's chief regional rival. - Saudi Arabia, Egypt - Trump has strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia and his first official visit abroad as president was to the oil-rich monarchy, where he was received with pomp and circumstance. Trump threw his support behind the anti-corruption crackdown launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi actions against Qatar, which Riyadh accuses of cooperating with Tehran. Relations with another Middle East powerhouse -- Egypt -- have also entered a new era under Trump. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was persona non grata under Obama and the United States cut off some military aid because of the bloody crackdown on supporters of the former president. But Trump welcomed Sisi to the White House in April and proclaimed his "strong backing" for the Egyptian leader. - Syria - Trump frequently accused Obama of failing to stand up to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and in April he ordered the first US military strike on Syrian troops since the civil war began in that country. Dozens of US missiles were fired at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on a rebel town which left 87 people dead. The United States has deployed some 2,000 troops in Syria and the Pentagon said Tuesday that they will stay "as long as we need" to prevent a return of the Islamic State group. Trump also reinforced the US military contingent in Afghanistan, a move at odds with Obama's efforts to withdraw US troops from conflict zones abroad. New troubles: A whistleblower says Michael Flynn promised to end sanctions on Russia to help a US-Russia nuclear plan for the Middle East as he became President Trump's national security advisor last January Former White House national security advisor Michael Flynn texted a businessman during President Donald Trump's inauguration speech that a Middle East nuclear power plant scheme with Russian partners was "good to go," a Democratic lawmaker alleged Wednesday. According to a whistleblower who contacted the lawmaker, the businessman said Flynn had told him that sanctions on Russia would be "ripped up" as a priority in the new Trump government to help the nuclear scheme go ahead. "Mike has been putting everything in place for us," the businessman, Alex Copson, managing director of nuclear power promoter ACU Strategic Partners, allegedly told the whistleblower. "This is going to make a lot of very wealthy people." The allegations posed new troubles for Flynn, who left the White House last February after barely three weeks and pleaded guilty last week to lying to FBI investigators in the Russia election meddling probe. It also raised fresh questions on what Trump knew about Flynn's business plans when he appointed the retired three-star general to serve as his national security advisor. Representative Elijah Cummings, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, recounted the whistleblower's allegations as part of a push to have Flynn and others testify to his committee. According to Cummings, on January 20, 2017, the whistleblower had a conversation with Copson as they attended Trump's inauguration. Six months earlier, Copson had paid Flynn $25,000 to travel to the Middle East to help promote his scheme, and was excited about the possibility that it would move ahead. The ACU plan involved some two dozen nuclear power plants around the Middle East, to be developed jointly by the United States and Russia. The key to the plan's success was ending economic sanctions on Russia, which would supply the reactors. Three weeks before the inauguration, the outgoing Obama administration had expanded sanctions on Russia to punish Moscow for meddling in the 2016 presidential election that sent Trump to the White House. Flynn though told Copson that sanctions would be dropped, and he reportedly began circulating the plan to top White House officials within days of the inauguration. According to The Wall Street Journal, he also discussed the nuclear plan with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and a close friend of the president, Thomas Barrack. Cummings detailed the whistleblower's allegations in a letter to Trey Gowdy, the Republican chairman of the oversight committee, and called on the panel to subpoena Flynn to testify. "Our committee has credible allegations that President Trump's national security advisor sought to manipulate the course of international nuclear policy for the financial gain of his former business partners," said Cummings. He also requested subpoenas for Copson, Barrack and other officials linked to the nuclear scheme. Cummings said he was first contacted by the whistleblower last June, but suggested that his account had remained under wraps while Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian meddling, was investigating Flynn. Democrats have debated the political merits of pressing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, and some have cautioned that an aggressive stance could provoke a backlash by Trump's conservative base at the ballot box The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected a congressman's motion Wednesday to impeach President Trump, as Democratic Party leaders argued that now was not the time to pursue the effort. Lawmakers voted 364 to 58 in rejection of liberal Democrat Al Green's resolution to begin impeachment proceedings against the Republican president. The vote was not on the articles of impeachment themselves but on tabling the proposal. Green had used a so-called privileged motion to force a vote on the issue. All Republicans opposed the motion, along with 126 Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that while Trump has made several statements and taken actions "that are beyond the pale for most Americans," it was important to allow congressional committees probing Russian meddling in the US election and possible Trump campaign collusion to proceed with their work. "The special counsel's investigation is moving forward as well, and those inquiries should be allowed to continue," she added, referring to Robert Mueller. "Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." Green first introduced impeachment proceedings in October, but forced the vote on Wednesday. "I love my country. For this reason I will bring articles of impeachment to a vote in the House of Representatives," Green wrote in a letter to colleagues. In the resolution, Green argues that Trump has sown discord among Americans "by associating the majesty and dignity of the presidency with causes rooted in white supremacy, bigotry, racism, anti-Semitism, white nationalism, or neo-Nazism." Two other House Democrats have introduced impeachment articles, but they have not reached the floor. Democrats have debated the political merits of pressing for impeachment, and some have cautioned that an aggressive stance could provoke a backlash by Trump's conservative base at the ballot box. English actor Sir Patrick Stewart and his wife US singer Sunny Ozell arrive on the red carpet to a screening of the US film Hostiles at the opening of the 14th Dubai International Film Festival on December 6, 2017 Dubai's international film festival opened on Wednesday night, bringing together Britain's Patrick Stewart, India's Irrfan Khan and Egypt's Wahid Hamed -- cinema stars from different corners of the globe. In a region rife with conflict which pushed the famed Marrakesh festival to take a one-year hiatus, dozens of stars, cinema lovers and social media influencers gathered for the 14th Dubai International Film Festival. The event runs through December 13 and features 140 movies from 51 countries with a heavy focus on the Middle East and North Africa, from Iran to Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Walking the red carpet opening night were cinema royalty from around the world, including Cate Blanchett, Egyptian film and TV star Yusra and India's Khann, of "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi" fame. The largest cheer was reserved for Stewart, who said he was looking forward to the screenings of regional films in particular. "I'm not very familiar with Arabic film," Stewart told journalists on the red carpet. "After this week, I will certainly know very, very much more." The festival opened with the Middle East premier of the Scott Cooper Western "Hostiles," the story of a 19th century soldier forced to escort a dying Cheyenne chief and his family home starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike. But the star attraction over the coming week is Syria's "Last Men in Aleppo", a documentary on the daily lives of the White Helmets -- the volunteer rescue workers who have refused to leave their homeland despite a devastating war. The film landed the Sundance Grand Jury Prize this year. The festival also honours Egypt's Hamed, the screenwriter behind the 2006 film adaptation of The Yaacoubian Building, with a lifetime achievement award, along with both Khann and Stewart. Hamed, known as a pioneer of Arab cinema, has long history of battling censorship. For over a decade, he fought for his political drama "Al-Baree" ("The Innocent") to make it to the silver screen. The film was finally released in 1997, and only after he had agreed to alter the ending of his tale, which chronicles the disillusionment of a peasant drafted into the Egyptian army. Protesters chant slogans and wave Palestinian flags during a demonstration against the US and Israel in front of the US consulate in Istanbul on December 6, 2017 Hundreds of people staged a loud but mostly peaceful protest outside the US consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, denouncing US President Donald Trump's move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Around 1,500 gathered outside the well-protected compound close to the Bosphorus and the area was sealed off by police barricades. The slogan "free Palestine" was daubed on a consulate wall while protesters hurled plastic bottles into the compound. A piece of paper with a representation of an Israeli flag was also burned. They chanted slogans including "murderer US, get out of the Middle East", "down with America!" and urged Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to "strike Israel". "Jerusalem is for Muslims and will remain forever," the organisers said in a statement. Protesters also lit flares and waved Palestinian flags. However the protest passed off largely peacefully and demonstrators dispersed. A similar protest took place outside the US embassy in the capital Ankara, with people holding images of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ahead of Trump's widely-flagged announcement Erdogan had warned after a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II that the move would "play into the hands" of terror groups. Erdogan has called a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the issue. Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift caused by Israel's deadly storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties. The two sides have since stepped up cooperation, in particular in energy, but Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is still often bitterly critical of Israeli policy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi built his reputation as an economic reformer in his prosperous home state of Gujarat India's Narendra Modi will face a key test of his popularity after a series of controversial economic reforms when the state where he forged his political career goes to the polls on Saturday. Modi built his reputation as an economic reformer in his prosperous home state of Gujarat, which boomed under his rule, attracting investment from around the globe. But turning around the national economy has proved more difficult and the Modi government reforms have hurt the very constituency of traders and small business owners who were his biggest supporters in the western state. Analysts say voter anger over the reforms and a desire for change after 22 years of rule by Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could boost the flagging fortunes of the opposition Congress Party. That the Congress campaign has been fronted by Rahul Gandhi -- the man likely to challenge Modi for the premiereship in the next general election in 2019 -- has only added to the pressure on the prime minister. The election is seen as a chance for Gandhi to finally prove his mettle before he is named president of the party his mother Sonia has led for more than two decades. "The Gujarat election's national and psychological impact makes it all-important," said Indian political commentator R Jagannathan. "This state saw Modi's rise, and if he gets humbled here, then even his allies will doubt if he can still win in 2019. An upset here will be unlike any other state." Modi's personal popularity remains high, with 88 percent of Indians surveyed by the Pew Research Center earlier this year saying they viewed him positively. Rahul, the 47-year-old scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty that has led the centre-left Congress Party for much of its history, trails behind him on just 58 percent. But the poll preceded the introduction in July of a new nationwide goods and services tax that has poleaxed small businesses in India, creating widespread anger. That came just months after a currency ban aimed at tacking widespread tax fraud that created a months-long cash shortage and economists say the two major reforms have hit India's growth. - Caste politics - Gujarat has seen major protests, particularly around the city of Surat, home to textile and diamond trading industries that employ tens of thousands of people. Manoj Agarwal, who heads a local textile traders' association, said they had been hard hit by the chaotic implementation of the new goods and services tax. "It has hurt all of us, particularly the smaller ones who're being squeezed out under the fresh tax and paperwork burden," he told AFP. Another threat to Modi's dominance comes from two prominent groups -- the Patidars, who make up almost 14 percent of Gujarat's 43 million voters, and the lowest Dalit caste. The Patidars, a relatively well-off caste of farmers and traders, came out in force to support Modi in previous polls. But their 24-year-old firebrand leader Hardik Patel is a fierce opponent of Modi who regularly attracts tens of thousands of supporters to his rallies. Although at 24 he is a year too young to stand for election in India, Patel has played a key role in the election with his calls for preferential access to government jobs and education for his caste. He accused the BJP of playing "dirty politics" after a sex tape was leaked online and has entered an informal alliance with Congress. That alliance also includes Jignesh Mevani, who emerged as a Dalit leader during caste unrest last year sparked by a video of upper caste Hindus publicly beating members of the historically marginalised community that went viral. Modi has addressed over a dozen rallies, seeking to shore up support ahead of the vote on a whirlwind tour of the state where he grew up as the son of a humble tea-seller. At a recent BJP rally, thousands of Modi supporters wearing hats in green and orange -- the colours of the BJP -- waved flags and chanted his named. "Things are not as good as when Modi ji (sir) was here in Gujarat... But he is a leader with a vision," said Rajesh Kumar. "We have to back him." The watershed vote marks Nepal's transition from a monarchy to a federal democracy, after emerging from a brutal decade of civil war only to stagger through political turmoil and natural disaster Nepal voted Thursday in the final round of historic parliamentary elections aimed at drawing a line under years of conflict and political turmoil in the Himalayan country. Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed in the capital Kathmandu and the volatile southern lowlands for the vote after pre-election violence that left one dead and dozens injured. It was the second phase of a watershed election for national and provincial parliaments under a new constitution that represents the culmination of the transition from feudal monarchy to federal democracy following a brutal civil war that ended 11 years ago. It will establish the country's first provincial assemblies, devolving power away from a top-heavy central government. Retired teacher Harihar Prasad Yadav said he hoped that would bring stability to a country that has cycled through 10 leaders in the last 11 years, hampering development after a decade of conflict and a devastating earthquake. "People will get better representation and the development agendas of the country will be in focus," he said after casting his ballot in the southern city of Birgunj. Nepal vote The newly-elected assemblies will be tasked with naming their provinces, choosing capitals and negotiating budgets with Kathmandu -- all sensitive issues that could rekindle tensions in the ethnically-diverse south. The populous south is home to a mosaic of ethnic minorities who say the new constitution leaves them politically marginalised, a cause that has sparked bloody protests in recent years. Political analyst Chandra Kishor Jha said violence could return if the promises of a fairer distribution of power were not met under the new federal system. "If they cannot fulfil their promises then the groups that have been part of the struggle will not stay quiet. There is possibility of conflict again," he told AFP. - Politically marginalised - Over two decades of political turbulence have hampered development in the impoverished country, which is still recovering from a powerful earthquake that hit in April 2015, killing 9,000 people and destroying over half a million homes. It took nine years after the end of a decade-long civil war to agree to a new constitution. The charter adopted in 2015 mandated a sweeping overhaul of Nepal's political system to give greater autonomy to the provinces. More than 12.2 million people are eligible to vote in the the second phase elections, which come 10 days after the country's mountainous north cast their ballots But it also sparked deadly protests in the south by ethnic minority groups who say the charter leaves them politically marginalised, and have demanded changes to it. The communist CPN-UML party is expected to sweep the polls, buoyed by its alliance with the main Maoist party comprised of former rebels who fought government forces for a decade. But the nationalist CPN-UML has strongly opposed amending the constitution to address the demands of ethnic minorities whom it views as being more closely aligned with India. Many in the southern lowlands share close linguistic and cultural ties with Indians across the border. Nepal's powerful neighbour to the south has long played the role of big brother in the landlocked country. But in recent years Kathmandu has played diplomatic ping-pong with its two large neighbours, India and China, who use big-ticket infrastructure projects to vie for influence. Around 8.1 million people -- 67 percent of eligible voters -- cast their ballot in Thursday's second phase of voting, according to the election commission. Nepal's mountainous north voted in the first phase 10 days ago. The complicated task of counting the ballots from both stages of the election now begins, with results expected in a few days. Palestinian protesters burn pictures of US President Donald Trump at Manger Square in the West Bank city of Bethlehem US President Donald Trump's decision Wednesday declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital outraged Palestinian leaders who said it disqualified the United States as a peace broker, but was hailed by Israel as historic. The city, however, remained calm on a cold and rainy evening after Trump's speech with no sign of protests, while Israeli authorities projected an American flag onto the walls in one area of Jerusalem's ancient Old City in celebration. Palestinian demonstrations were set for the occupied West Bank on Thursday, and several thousand marched in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Wednesday night, burning US and Israeli flags while chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." Palestinian leaders in the West Bank were left fuming after Trump's speech and responded with outrage, declaring that the United States could no longer serve as Middle East peace broker. President Mahmud Abbas called it "deplorable". "These deplorable and unacceptable measures deliberately undermine all peace efforts," Abbas said in a speech after Trump's announcement. He said it amounted to "an announcement of US withdrawal from playing the role it has been playing in the past decade in sponsoring the peace process." Saeb Erekat, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation who long served as the Palestinians' top negotiator, said Trump had "destroyed the two-state solution". "As a chief Palestinian negotiator, how can I sit with these people if they dictate on me the future of Jerusalem as Israel's capital?" he said. "I think tonight he is strengthening the forces of extremists in this region as no one has done before," Erekat said, referring to Trump. Trump's move upturns decades of precedent and runs counter to international consensus, with no other country currently taking the same stance. Jerusalems status is among the most difficult issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the US traditional position has been that it must be negotiated between the two sides. While Israel has long considered Jerusalem its capital, with the prime minister's office and parliament building located there, countries have avoided recognising it as such to prevent damaging hopes for a two-state solution. The Palestinians see the eastern sector of the city as the capital of their future state. - 'Focus of our hopes' - A decision like Trump's has been long sought by Israeli leaders, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as "historic" and "courageous and just". "This is a historic day," Netanyahu said in a video message released immediately after Trump's speech. Jerusalem "Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years. It's been the capital of Israel for nearly 70 years," he added, referring to Jewish history in the region and the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. "Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia." "We're profoundly grateful for the president for his courageous and just decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to prepare for the opening of the US embassy here." Netanyahu also called on "all countries that seek peace to join the United States in recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move their embassies here". Netanyahu pledged no change to the status quo at Jerusalem's highly sensitive holy sites in the city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims -- frequently the source of tension. But while Netanyahu may have hoped to calm tensions with the pledge, the fallout from such a controversial decision concerning a city so intensely disputed remained unpredictable. While Palestinians have been divided between armed Islamist movement Hamas and Abbas's Fatah in recent years, Jerusalem remains one of the issues that unites them. Hamas had issued warnings in recent days as news of Trump's intentions spread, and it reacted to his speech on Wednesday with another. "This decision will open the gates of hell on US interests in the region," Hamas official Ismail Radwan told journalists after Trump's announcement. He called on Arab and Islamic states to "cut off economic and political ties with the US embassy and expel American ambassadors to cripple" this decision. Separately, Palestinian officials said they switched off the lights to the giant Christmas tree in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be the city where Jesus was born, in protest. But in another illustration of the starkly different viewpoints, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said of Trump's declaration that "there is no more fitting or beautiful gift as we approach 70 years of the state of Israels independence." Cambodia's Supreme Court, effectively controlled by Prime Minister Hun Sen (L), outlawed the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party Cambodia's government on Thursday laughed off rare efforts by Donald Trump's administration to punish it over a clampdown on democracy and human rights, as the kingdom effectively becomes a one-party state under strongman Hun Sen. The State Department said Wednesday it would bar Cambodian officials deemed to have been "undermining democracy" from entry to the US. That came after Cambodia's Supreme Court last month dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and redistributed its seats to factions allied with Hun Sen's ruling party. The dissolution followed the arrest of CNRP leader Kem Sokha for treason. Dozens of other party members have fled the country in a snowballing crackdown on critics of the prime minister. The State Department said its move was a "direct response to the Cambodian government's series of anti-democratic actions". Hun Sen, one of the world's longest serving leaders, has used the kingdom's pliant judiciary to smother his critics as elections loom. Ties between the two nations have withered in recent months with Hun Sen preferring Beijing's no-questions-asked offer of loans and investment to Washington's opprobrium on rights as he looks to extend his 32-year grip on power. "If Cambodian people cannot go to US, it is ok, it is not a problem," government spokesman Sok Eysan said, shrugging off the State Department threats. "If we can not join any meetings in the US, there are many other meetings outside the US that we can join." The State Department did not disclose which Cambodian ruling party officials would be affected by the restrictions but said in certain instances, their relatives could be also be barred from entering the US. Huy Vannak, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Interior, called the move a "desperate measure" that unpicks President Trump's "policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states." Cambodia's relations with the US have gone into deep freeze in recent months. Hun Sen's government has singled out US-funded media outlets critical of the regime, limiting access to Voice of America and forcing Radio Free Asia to shutter. Two former RFA journalists have been arrested and charged with espionage. At the same time, Cambodia has moved into a closer orbit of China. Its economy is growing fast thanks to Chinese investment and soft loans that come without directions on human rights or democracy. A malnourished Yemeni child receives treatment at a hospital in the capital Sanaa US President Donald Trump took the rare step Wednesday of publicly demanding that ally Saudi Arabia immediately allow humanitarian aid into war-ravaged Yemen, as residents in the capital Sanaa scrambled for supplies. Trump stopped short of calling for a pause in the US-backed, Saudi-led bombing of the country, which is enduring what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. But Trump said he had asked aides to contact the Saudi leadership "to request that they completely allow food, fuel, water, and medicine to reach the Yemeni people who desperately need it." "This must be done for humanitarian reasons immediately," he said in statement. Saudi Arabia and its allies have launched a campaign to oust Huthi rebels who control Sanaa and have links to Riyadh's arch foe, Iran. Seven million people are believed to be on the brink of famine and a cholera outbreak has caused more than 2,000 deaths. Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Yemen's ports after a Huthi missile was fired toward Riyadh airport on November 4. The Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, has struggled to convince Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pay more heed to the humanitarian crisis. The conflict has seen civilians repeatedly killed by bombing and through a lack of access to food and clean water. - Searching for provisions - Fighting in Sanaa has spiked in recent days during a showdown between Huthi rebels and loyalists of Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh was killed at the hands of Huthi rebels Monday and clashes over the past week have seen streets blockaded by warring factions and the setting up of checkpoints. The International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday that at least 234 people had been killed and another 400 wounded since December 1. Saleh's death came after he bypassed his Huthi allies of three years, telling the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen he was ready to negotiate if the crippling siege were lifted. But the move backfired and Saleh was killed as fighting raged between his forces and the Iran-backed Huthis for control of the capital -- a new front in the war. The ICRC has appealed for "bold measures" to provide life-saving care to civilians after the "unprecedented" escalation of fighting. In Sanaa on Wednesday, residents said they were finally able to leave their houses and search for basic provisions with the city now in Huthi hands. Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said aid workers were able to reach a number of hospitals and health posts in the capital to distribute trauma kits and equipment. No caption He said residents were stocking up on supplies but that fuel shortages were a big concern for the days ahead. The UN last month warned that Yemen faces a mass famine that will affect millions of lives unless the Saudi-led coalition ends its blockade and allows aid deliveries into the country. "We're living in a state of fear. We have no wages, no security, no life," said a schoolteacher in Sanaa. America has supported the coalition through weapons sales, air-to-air refueling of jets and some limited intelligence sharing. Scott Paul, a humanitarian policy leader at Oxfam America, said Trump's call was long overdue but "hugely important." "The past month's escalation has killed thousands and condemned thousands more to die in the near future. Millions will die in a historic famine and public health crisis if President Trump's call is not heeded," Paul said in a statement. He also noted "the fact that US support has helped create Yemen's horrific crisis" and called on Washington to cease military assistance if parties don't agree an immediate ceasefire and a political settlement. BEIRUT (AP) - The Latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local): 6:15 p.m. A spokesman for the Syrian opposition's delegation to peace talks says it remains committed to a political transition in which President Bashar Assad would have no role, a position the government has always rejected. Talks resumed between the opposition and the U.N. envoy to Syria on Tuesday but the government delegation did not show up. The Syrian government said it is mulling a return to Geneva, following a short break. The head of the government delegation has called the opposition communique to the talks, in which they state that their goal is to see a transition period take effect without Assad, "irresponsible." Opposition spokesman Yahya Aridi meanwhile called on the United Nations and allies of Assad to halt a bombing campaign that has escalated in recent weeks against eastern Ghouta, a besieged rebel-held suburb near Damascus. Aridi said children in Ghouta are dying and have no access to medical care amid an intense bombing campaign that began last month. ___ 4:15 p.m. The U.N. envoy for Syria is "ready to engage" with President Bashar Assad's representatives as peace talks are set to resume in Geneva, but they haven't shown up yet. U.N. spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci says the eighth round of peace talks under special envoy Staffan de Mistura was set to restart Tuesday after a weekend break. She said: "The delegation of the government has been invited back in Geneva as of today." Syria's ambassador to Geneva, Hussam Edin Aala, told The Associated Press that Damascus was "studying" the invitation. The head of Syria's government delegation has blasted the opposition for a communique in which it stated its ultimate goal was to remove Assad from power. Bashar Ja'afari said on Friday his team was leaving Geneva for the weekend and that Syria would decide whether it would return to the talks. Ja'afari warned then that there could be no progress in the talks as long as the opposition insisted on what he described as a "provocative and irresponsible" position. ___ 2:30 p.m. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say an explosion has ripped through a van near the central city of Homs, killing at least eight people. The Islamic State group claimed Tuesday's attack in Akarma, a government stronghold south of Homs. IS says it targeted a bus carrying Syrian soldiers, but the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those killed were civilians, including six women. Syrian state TV has aired images of the van's charred body, as well as damaged vehicles nearby. State news agency SANA says eight people were killed and 18 wounded. Homs, Syria's third largest city, is frequently hit by bombs. The city was known as the "capital of the revolution" following the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad, but is now under government control. ___ 9 a.m. Syria's state news agency says Syrian air defense has shot down three Israeli missiles that were targeting a military post near the capital, Damascus. SANA says the attack occurred early on Tuesday but hasn't said whether there were casualties. The attack comes three days after Syria said Israel fired several surface-to-surface missiles at a military post near Damascus, causing material damage but no casualties. There was no Israeli comment on the incident. The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack was an Israeli airstrike on the Damascus suburb of Jamraya, which is home to a government research center. Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces. DETROIT (AP) - Ford Motor Co. is promising to roll out more than 50 new vehicles in China over the next eight years including 15 powered by electricity as it restructures its business and responds to a government push for cleaner air by making all new vehicles electric. The automaker, currently a small player in the world's largest auto market, announced the ambitious plan on Tuesday in Shanghai. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brand electric vehicles, the company said a new Zotye-Ford joint venture will sell a new line of affordable vehicles that run on batteries. FILE - This Jan. 17, 2017, file photo shows a Ford sign at an auto dealership, in Hialeah, Fla. At least 30 percent of the new vehicles Ford will roll out in China by 2025 will be electric, with Beijing pushing hard to improve air quality for people living in smoke-choked cities. Ford said Tuesday, Dec. 5, that the new electric cars will fall under the Lincoln brand and its namesake. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File) The move comes as Ford tries to become more competitive globally under new CEO Jim Hackett. In October, the company announced plans to cut $14 billion in costs, drop some car models and focus resources on trucks, SUVs and electric vehicles. It's also a sign that unlike rival General Motors, Ford has missed out on the past opportunities to grow substantially in China, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for the LMC Automotive consulting firm. "China is extremely important and I think this is an acknowledgement of maybe some previous missteps of investment in China for Ford," he said. Here's what you need to know about Ford's plan: - Foreign and domestic automakers in China sold 24.4 million cars, minivans and sport-utility vehicles in China last year. LMC forecasts only 1-2 percent growth this year because part of a tax incentive expired at the end of last year, forcing buyers to act in 2017. Schuster says annual growth should settle in in the 3 percent to 4 percent range in future years. - General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG vie for the title of largest automaker in China. GM sold 383,000 vehicles in October compared with Ford's 150,000. - In September China joined France and Britain in announcing plans to end sales of gasoline and diesel cars. It's developing a timetable to end production of traditional fuel cars and no date has been set for the change to electrics. - Schuster says it's not too late for the company to increase sales in China, where growth is expected to outpace other developed nations. - Ford says it will assemble five additional vehicles in China for customers there including a Lincoln SUV and Ford's first global all-electric SUV. It also will "contain structural cost in the region" this year. -The company says by the end of 2019 all Ford and Lincoln vehicles in China will be linked to the Internet via modems or plug-in devices, to increase consumer connectivity. NEW YORK (AP) - Prize-winning novelist Jonathan Lethem has a new publisher and a planned book that returns him to the style of his breakthrough "Motherless Brooklyn." Ecco told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Lethem's "The Feral Detective" comes out next fall. Ecco, a HarperCollins imprint, is billing the new work as his first "genre-bending detective novel" since "Motherless Brooklyn." According to Ecco, "The Feral Detective" will focus on a Brooklyn woman's journey to desert communities in California as she searches for her best friend's daughter. Lethem, who has spent much of his career with Doubleday, won the National Book Critics Circle prize in 2000 for "Motherless Brooklyn." His other books include "The Fortress of Solitude," ''Chronic City" and "A Gambler's Anatomy." ___ Online: http://jonathanlethem.com/ ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Residents and officials from three eastern Aegean Greek islands have demonstrated outside Greece's ministry for migration, protesting the increasingly precarious and overcrowded conditions for newly arriving migrants and refugees. The mayors of Lesbos, Chios and Samos, along with dozens of locals, travelled to the mainland to protest outside the ministry Tuesday, demanding the government take measures to reduce overcrowding. Under a European Union-Turkey deal reached last year to reduce the migratory flow, those arriving on Greek islands from the Turkish coast are held in camps on the islands and face deportation back to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece. The lengthy process has led to severe overcrowding. On Lesbos, for example, more than 6,500 people are stuck in facilities with a capacity of just over 2,300. BRUSSELS (AP) - The Trump administration intends to name a former U.S. ambassador to the Philippines and Bolivia to run its embassy in Cuba. A U.S. official says the administration has selected Philip Goldberg to be the charge d'affaires in Havana. That's the top diplomat at U.S. missions where there is no ambassador. The Senate hasn't confirmed an ambassador to Cuba since relations were restored in 2015. The official wasn't authorized to disclose the decision and demanded anonymity. The State Department declined to comment. Goldberg is a long-serving diplomat once kicked out of Bolivia after the government accused him of fomenting unrest. He served in the Philippines under President Barack Obama. It's unclear how long he'll serve in Cuba. Word of Goldberg's selection came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Brussels. BENI, Congo (AP) - Faida Mwenge's baby boy is nearly 3 months old but she and her son are still not allowed to leave the hospital - not until their bill is paid. The 20-year-old in eastern Congo has been detained since giving birth via an emergency cesarean section and owes hospital authorities $190 before she and little Jospin will be released. Mwenge is one of hundreds of thousands of people estimated to be illegally detained every year by hospitals in poor countries worldwide, according to a new study attempting to quantify the problem, which experts describe as a major violation of human rights. The Associated Press found about a dozen other people detained at the same hospital because they are unable to settle their bills. In the report released by British think tank Chatham House on Wednesday, experts reviewed nine studies on the issue and combed through media articles documenting cases of patients detained in 14 countries from Latin America to sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers found more than 950 cases between 2003 and 2017, including a report of about 400 patients held in a single hospital in Kenya in 2009. In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Faida Mwenge, plays with her son Jospin Kambale, inside her house in Beni eastern Congo. Faida Mwenge's baby boy is nearly 3 months old but she and her son are still not allowed to leave the hospital - not until their bill is paid. The 20-year-old in eastern Congo has been detained since giving birth via an emergency cesarean section and owes hospital authorities $190 before she and little Jospin will be released. (AP Photo/Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro) The researchers said based on that limited data, the rate of detentions reported and the size of the countries where such reports originated, it was likely that hundreds of thousands more people faced the same fate. "It appears to be very systemic and a big problem in countries where the charging of user fees is rampant and unregulated," said Robert Yates of Chatham House, the study's lead author. "Even though all countries would say these practices are illegal, the law is not being enforced and health facilities are just breaking the law and essentially holding people hostage until their families pay their bills." Yates and colleagues found the problem affected a disproportionate number of women like Mwenge, who suffered unexpected complications in childbirth. Yates said hospitals across Africa often have a devoted wing that resembles a prison more than a hospital, staffed by security guards, to house people unable to pay their bills. Patients are deprived of treatment and frequently held in unsanitary and even abusive situations. He cited instances of a Nigerian woman who was chained to a urinal pipe and women in Kenya who said they had been pressured into having sex with hospital staff in exchange for cash to pay their bills. Dr. Pierrot Kabemba, chief medical officer for the Beni region where Mwenge is detained, said it is common for patients to be held when they can't pay, including those treated for gunshot wounds in the conflict-wracked area. "Often times NGOs will pay for those patients who have spent many days in the hospital," he said. Mit Philips of Doctors Without Borders said the researchers' estimate of hundreds of thousands of people illegally detained was plausible, based on what the aid group has seen and the belief that the phenomenon is underreported. She was not connected to the research. "People see this happening in almost all health facilities and might not know this is not a normal practice," said Philips, a health policy and advocacy adviser. "Hospitals are generally not proud of it but don't really hide it either." Others blamed the problem on how health care is paid for in developing countries. The World Bank once encouraged developing countries to charge people fees for services provided in hospitals to help cover their costs, as opposed to providing free care for all. It has since reversed itself and called service fees "unjust and unnecessary." Sophie Harman, a global health expert at London's Queen Mary University, said there was little motivation for most countries or health agencies to tackle the problem. "It's in no one's strategic interest to open up this can of worms," she said. "Governments don't want to do it as they will then have to address backlash from overburdened health professionals." Aid agencies like the World Health Organization probably wouldn't want to risk offending member countries by confronting them, she added. Although WHO condemned the practice, the U.N. health agency acknowledged it hasn't done enough to stop the illegal detentions. "It's been a bit under the radar but we are deepening our support for human rights," said Agnes Soucat, director of WHO's department of health systems, governance and financing. She said the agency had never written directly to countries to say that detaining people in hospitals because they could not pay for their care was unacceptable. For patients like Mwenge in Congo, the priority is simply to scrape together the required funds. So far, Mwenge's friends and family have raised $70 of the $260 needed to cover her emergency C-section, which was necessary due to her small pelvis. She and her young son are no longer in the maternity ward but still live on hospital grounds, where Mwenge is washing other patients' laundry in a bid to work off her debt. "My husband isn't working right now. I've already given up my sheets and other things I brought to the hospital," Mwenge told the AP. "But I am still not allowed to leave." ____ Cheng reported from London. Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed. In this photo taken Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017. Faida Mwenge, sits with her son Jospin Kambale, outside her house in Beni eastern Congo. Faida Mwenge's baby boy is nearly 3 months old but she and her son are still not allowed to leave the hospital - not until their bill is paid. The 20-year-old in eastern Congo has been detained since giving birth via an emergency cesarean section and owes hospital authorities $190 before she and little Jospin will be released. (AP Photo/Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro) NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) - The Coast Guard has suspended its search for two missing crewmembers of a fishing boat that sank near Nantucket. The Coast Guard received a distress call from the 69-foot Misty Blue around 6 p.m. Monday. A nearby fishing boat rescued two of the four crewmembers and brought them to a Coast Guard vessel, but two remained missing. The Coast Guard suspended its search around 8 p.m. Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Massachusetts State Police say divers located a large object believed to be the vessel. Weather and ocean conditions prevented them from investigating further. Divers plan to return on Thursday. Atlantic Cape Fisheries, the ship owner, identified the two missing crewmembers as 44-year-old Michael Roberts and 32-year-old Jonathan Saraiva. Authorities say the two rescued crewmembers were in good condition. DALLAS (AP) - A suburban Dallas couple facing charges after the death of their adopted 3-year-old daughter may have no contact with their biological daughter, a judge ruled Tuesday. State District Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon issued the ruling Tuesday after two days of testimony in the custody case involving Wesley and Sini Mathews of Richardson, Texas. Wesley Mathews is charged with first-degree felony injury to a child in the death of Sherin Mathews, who was adopted from India. His wife is charged with child endangerment or abandonment relating to the death. Investigators previously said Wesley Mathews had said Sherin died after choking while he was forcing her to drink her milk. On Tuesday, Richardson police Detective Jules Farmer testified that Wesley Mathews told officers that he was force-feeding Sherin, who was underweight, with milk from a bottle in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 7 when she choked. Mathews said he held his daughter as she died, then placed her body in the back of his car with a bag of garbage, drove to a shopping center where he disposed of the garbage, then to a culvert where he hid her body. Her body was found there two weeks later. Farmer said Wesley Mathews had turned off a geo-locating setting on his cellphone that morning. He said Mathews appeared shocked when asked about that, and he said he noticed a dark stain on the shorts Mathews was wearing. Sini Mathews told police that she awoke about 5 a.m. Oct. 7 to find Sherin missing and Wesley sitting at the kitchen table with a strange look on his face, Farmer said. When asked if she knew if her husband had done something with their daughter, she said she was unsure, and she asked police if she would still be able to attend a baby shower later that day, Farmer said. Stained clothes thought to be Sherin's were found in the trash inside the couple's home and are being tested, Farmer said. Last week, a doctor with a clinic that treats at-risk children testified that Sherin had several bone fractures when she examined her last March. Dr. Suzanne Dakil said she notified Child Protective Services. Also Tuesday, CPS investigator Kelly Mitchell testified that Sini Mathews was "eerily calm" when her biological child was removed from her custody and showed no anger toward her husband when he returned from jail. Wesley Mathews remains in the Dallas County jail with bond set at $1 million and faces up to life imprisonment if convicted of the first-degree felony. Sini Mathews remains in the Dallas County jail with bond set at $250,000 and faces up to two years in a state jail if convicted of child abandonment or endangerment for leaving Sherin alone at home Oct. 6. Results are still pending of Sherin's autopsy. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A former Sandia National Laboratories worker accused of creating a phony company to defraud the New Mexico facility of more than $2 million has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors say 55-year-old Carla Sena of Santa Rosa will be sentenced at a later date. A federal grand jury indicted Sena last month on 11 counts including wire fraud, major fraud against the U.S. and money laundering. Most of the lab's work involves research, development and maintenance of nuclear weapons. A former procurement officer, Sena was tasked in 2010 with overseeing the bidding for a $2.3 million contract for moving services. The indictment accused Sena of preparing a bid for a company under someone else's name and leveraging other bidders' information to ensure herself the winning bid. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's Parliament would legalize gay marriage this week despite some lawmakers' concerns about whether Australian cake makers should have to cater for same-sex weddings, a leading opponent of marriage equality said on Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether a baker who refused to provide a wedding cake for a gay couple was exercising artistic freedom and was exempt from Colorado anti-discrimination laws. Drafting such measures into the Australian bill would delay it, but several gay marriage opponents have told Parliament this week they would not stand in the way of marriage equality because the Australian public clearly supported it in a recent postal ballot. Government minister Peter Dutton, a leader among hard-right lawmakers in the conservative government, said his fellow leading gay-marriage opponents in Parliament agree they should not stop the bill from becoming law while arguing over protecting views of gay-marriage opponents. "The same-sex marriage bill will pass this week, there's no doubt in my mind about that, but we do need to have a sensible, mature discussion around where we can get those appropriate measures in place" to protect opponents' rights, Dutton told reporters. "This debate for me has never been about homophobia, it's never been about denying the love in a same-sex relationship, never been about discriminating on any basis. The question though is we need to get the balances right in terms of the protections of those people who have fundamental beliefs based on religion or otherwise," he added. Dutton declined to comment on the U.S. baker's case, saying legal rights and protections there were different. "I don't support discrimination; I don't want to see a situation also though where people don't have the ability to express their own views," Dutton said. The current bill allows churches and religious organizations to boycott gay weddings without violating Australian anti-discrimination laws. Several amendments being proposed would expand those exemptions, but Dutton and other lawmakers expect all amendments would be rejected. The government has appointed a panel to examine how to safeguard religious freedoms once gay marriage was a reality in Australia. Dutton said none of his allies intended to delay gay marriage until those safeguards were decided. While marriage equality could become law this week, state marriage registries have said they could not proceed with weddings until January due to paperwork. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia rolled out the red carpet Wednesday for New Zealand's governor general, who is marking 60 years of diplomatic ties between the countries. Patsy Reddy's visit is the first to Malaysia by a New Zealand governor general since Silvia Cartwright's trip in 2004. New Zealand's governor general acts as Queen Elizabeth II's representative in the country and is a largely ceremonial position. Reddy, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur late Tuesday for a four-day visit, was given a 21-gun salute at a state welcoming ceremony in Parliament attended by Malaysia's King Sultan Muhammad V, Prime Minister Najib Razak and Cabinet ministers. Reddy will visit the Islamic Art Museum and a mosque in Kuala Lumpur before being feted at a state banquet with Malaysia's king later Wednesday. She is scheduled to tour the historic city of Malacca on Thursday before leaving the next day. JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's expected recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday (all times local): 3:10 p.m. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have rallied against President Donald Trump's imminent announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his plan to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Palestinians holds posters of the U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Ramallah, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) Wednesday's demonstration on the streets of Gaza City was organized by different Palestinian factions and militant groups which called for Palestinian unity in response to Trump's expected announcement. The protesters burned American and Israeli flags. They also waved Palestinian flags and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as "our eternal capital" and calling it a "red line." Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza and which the United States and the European Union consider a terrorist organization, also called for more protests over the coming days. Hamas official Salah Bardawil said the Palestinians were "on a dangerous crossroad today; we either remain or perish." He added that "Trump or anyone thinking that our people, nation and resistance are unable to push back his plans is wrong." Hamas' politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh told Al-Jazeera TV that "our Palestinian people will have a suitable response. As a people, we cannot accept this American pattern." ___ 2:25 p.m. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the Trump administration continues to believe there's "a very good opportunity" to achieve Middle East peace despite President Donald Trump's impending moves on Jerusalem. Tillerson is speaking in Brussels ahead of Trump's announcement that he's declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Tillerson says he doesn't want to discuss any decision before Trump announces it himself. But he says people should "listen carefully" to Trump's speech in its entirety. Tillerson says Trump is "very committed" to the peace process. He says the team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is working "very diligently" to achieve it. ___ 2:05 p.m. The leader of Israel's main opposition party says he hopes President Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem will be accompanied by concrete confidence-building measures with the Palestinians. Avi Gabbay, head of Israel's Labor Party, spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday, ahead of Trump's anticipated announcement. Gabbay says that while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital is important, it would be "much better if together with this declaration there would be more steps to assist us to build some confidence with the Palestinians in order to restart the peace process." ___ 1:55 p.m. Pakistan's ruling party has criticized President Donald Trump's plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it will ignite violence in the world. Raja Zafarul Haq, chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League party, urged for speedy pressure on Trump to "refrain from complicating the Palestine issue instead taking steps to resolve it." Firebrand cleric Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban," described Trump as an "evil man" and urged the Muslim world to stop the U.S. leader from insulting Palestinians. Prominent militant and suspected mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Hafiz Saeed, recently released from house arrest in Pakistan, also condemned Trump's planned announcement. ___ 1:30 p.m. The Palestinian prime minister says President Donald Trump's expected recognition of contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital is bound to "destroy the peace process and the two-state solution." Rami Hamdallah met with European diplomats on Wednesday and urged European countries to recognize a state of Palestine on the lands captured by Israel in 1967. The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly recognized such a state in 2012, but influential countries in Western Europe have not individually recognized "Palestine." The Palestinians seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as a capital. Israel's government rejects partition of the city. Hamdallah told the diplomats that the expected U.S. shift on Jerusalem "will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to convene advisers after Trump's expected announcement Wednesday to decide on a way forward. ___ 1:05 p.m. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman says the Turkish leader is inviting leaders of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to an extraordinary meeting to discuss Jerusalem's status next week. Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Wednesday that the meeting, planned for Dec. 13, will give the opportunity for Muslim countries leaders to act together and coordinate following President Donald Trump's expected recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Kalin also said that Turkey calls on the U.S. administration to "immediately turn away from this grave mistake that will virtually eliminate the fragile Middle East peace process." Erdogan said on Tuesday that Jerusalem was a "red line" for Muslims and could lead Turkey to cut diplomatic ties with Israel. ___ 1 p.m. The Kremlin is also concerned about President Donald Trump's expected announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The move could upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests in the Middle East where the Arab Muslim majority is strongly opposed to the idea. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the "the situation is not easy." He said Putin discussed the issue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late on Tuesday and expressed his concern about "a possible deterioration." Peskov said, however, that the Kremlin would refrain from commenting a decision that has not been announced yet. ___ 12:40 p.m. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel isn't likely to be able to sign peace treaties with Arab states without a deal with the Palestinians, but asserts that it can enjoy covert ties with many of them. Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday at the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference and was notably silent on the issue of President Donald Trump's anticipated announcement later in the day recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The prime minister said that while relations with Arab states have thawed, "it doesn't mean that we can make peace treaties yet with the Arab world without some kind of movement with the Palestinians." He says: "Peace treaties, no, everything else below that, yes, and it's happening." ___ 12:35 p.m. A senior Palestinian official says President Donald Trump's expected recognition of contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital means that "the peace process is finished" because Washington "has already pre-empted the outcome." Under an international consensus backed by successive U.S. presidents, Jerusalem's fate is to be determined in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The Palestinians seek a capital in east Jerusalem, captured and annexed by Israel in 1967. Unlike its predecessors, the current Israeli government rejects partition of the city. Hanan Ashrawi warned Wednesday that a U.S. shift on Jerusalem is a dangerous "game changer." Trump has promised a Mideast deal, but Ashrawi says that "there is no way that there can be talks with the Americans." Ashrawi says the Palestinian leadership is to hold consultations soon and decide on the next move. ___ 12:25 p.m. Britain's top diplomat is calling on the U.S. administration to present a Mideast peace plan quickly following President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Brussels. He said, speaking alongside Tillerson, that the U.K. will have to "wait and see" what Trump says in his speech later on Wednesday. But Johnson says the decision clearly "makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward." He says that should happen "as a matter of priority." Tillerson did not comment on the president's decision but says it hasn't been a major topic with fellow diplomats during his meetings this week at NATO headquarters. ___ 12:15 p.m. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned President Donald Trump's imminent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The state TV's website quotes Khamenei as saying that "when they (U.S.) claim that they want to declare Jerusalem as the capital of occupied Palestine, it shows their inability. " He also added that he is convinced "the victory will ultimately be for the Islamic nation and Palestine" and that "the Palestinian people will be victorious" in their struggle. Iran does not recognize Israel, and supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas. ___ 12:05 p.m. China has expressed concerns over "possible aggravation of regional tensions" in response to the expected U.S. announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Geng Shuang, a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday the China would monitor developments on the issue. He says the "issue of Jerusalem's status is complicated and sensitive" and that "all sides should focus on regional peace and tranquility, act with caution, and avoid sabotaging the foundation for the settlement of Palestinian issues and triggering new confrontation in the region." China has provided the Palestinians with financial and technical aid. It also has built stronger ties with Israel, providing a large market for Israeli technology. China says it views both Israel and the Palestinians as "important partners" in its "One Belt, One Road" initiative, a mammoth Chinese-funded push to develop transport routes including ports, railways and roads to expand trade in a vast arc of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. ___ 11:55 a.m. Syria's Foreign Ministry says President Donald Trump's expected announcement to recognize of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a "dangerous step" that will fuel global conflict. The ministry in Damascus issued a statement on Wednesday calling Trump's imminent move the "culmination of the crime of the seizing of Palestine and the displacement of the Palestinian people." It also urged Arab states to stop normalizing relations with Israel. Israel has mainly stayed out of the conflict in Syria, though it has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces. ___ 11:50 a.m. Two leading Lebanese newspapers have issued front page rebukes to President Donald Trump over his expected announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The An-Nahar compares the U.S. president to the late British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, who a hundred years ago famously promised Palestine as a national home to the Jewish People, in what is known as the Balfour declaration. The paper's Wednesday headline reads: "Trump, Balfour of the century, gifts Jerusalem to Israel." The English-language Daily Star newspaper has published a full-page photo of Old City of Jerusalem capped by the Dome of the Rock beneath the headline: "No offense Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of PALESTINE." ___ 11:35 a.m. Pope Francis is calling for the status quo of Jerusalem to be respected and for "wisdom and prudence" to prevail to avoid further conflict. Francis made the appeal during his weekly Wednesday audience, ahead of the expected U.S. announcement by President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Francis said he was "profoundly concerned" about recent developments, and declared Jerusalem a unique and sacred place for Christians, Jews and Muslims that has a "special vocation for peace." He appealed "that everyone respects the status quo of the city" according to U.N. resolutions. He says: "I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts." ___ 11:30 a.m. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the "whole world is against" President Donald Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and eventually move the U.S. Embassy there. Cavusoglu's remarks came just before a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. He says that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be a "grave mistake." Cavusoglu says such a move would "not bring any stability, peace but rather chaos and instability." The Turkish diplomat says the whole world is reacting, not just the Muslim world. He says he's raised the issue with Tillerson in the past and plans to do so again. ___ 11:20 a.m. Pope Francis has called for dialogue that respects the rights of everyone in the Holy Land and expressed his hope for "peace and prosperity" for the Palestinian people, ahead of the expected announcement that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Francis made the comments on Wednesday during a previously scheduled meeting with a Palestinian delegation of religious and intellectual leaders. The Vatican says it was coincidental that the audience fell on the same day as the U.S. announcement. In his remarks, Francis said the Holy Land was the "land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind." He said: "The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognizing the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be." ___ 11:10 a.m. Israel's justice minister says she welcomes Trump's declaration on Jerusalem and encourages him to "move the embassy de facto" to Jerusalem. Ayelet Shaked told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post's Diplomatic Conference on Wednesday that Trump has to go beyond the paperwork stage and not be intimidated by Arab threats of violence. Shaked says: "I wouldn't be worried about this event or the other. If Arab leaders take steps to prevent unrest, there won't be any unrest." She spoke ahead of a speech at the conference by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Trump is slated to make an announcement about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which has garnered widespread condemnation from the Palestinians and the wider Arab world, later on Wednesday. ___ 10:35 a.m. Britain's foreign secretary is expressing concern about reports that U.S. President Donald Trump might recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Boris Johnson says: "Let's wait and see what the president says exactly, but we view the reports that we've heard with concern." He told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday that Britain thinks "Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians - a negotiated settlement that we want to see." Johnson added: "We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy." ___ 10:30 a.m. Pope Francis has spoken with the Palestinian leader about the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and is meeting with a Palestinian delegation of religious and academic leaders. Vatican officials say Wednesday's meeting was organized well in advance by the Vatican's interreligious dialogue office, and that it was purely coincidental that it fell on the same day as the U.S. announcement, expected in the early afternoon in Washington. The Vatican says Francis spoke by telephone on Tuesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas after President Donald Trump called Abbas to advise him of his decision. The call came at Abbas' initiative. The Vatican has long sought an internationally guaranteed status for Jerusalem that safeguards its sacred character for Jews, Muslims and Christians. ___ 9:40 a.m. Turkey's prime minister says President Donald Trump's expected recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will make the region's problems "unresolvable." U.S. officials have told The Associated Press the announcement would come on Wednesday and would include instructions for the State Department to begin moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim spoke about the possibility at a news conference with South Korean officials in Seoul. Yildirim said it was vital for the Middle Eastern region and for global peace that Trump not make such an announcement. Jerusalem is sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims and is a contentious part of Israel-Palestinian negotiations. The prime minister said a declaration could cause religious clashes and destroy efforts toward formation of a Palestinian state. ___ 9:15 a.m. President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. U.S. officials say Trump will also instruct the State Department on Wednesday to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. The officials said numerous logistical and security details, as well as site determination and construction, will need to be finalized first. Because of those issues, the embassy is not likely to move for at least 3 or 4 years, presuming there is no future change in U.S. policy. The U.S. officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity Tuesday because they were not authorized to publicly preview Trump's announcement. Palestinian demonstrators wave flags representing various Palestinian factions during a protest against the possible U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) Women chant slogans and hold Palestinian flags during a protest at the Unknown Soldier Square, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) A view of Jerusalem's old city is seen Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday, Dec. 6, despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Palestinian hold posters of the U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest in Bethlehem, West Bank, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Trump forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) A group of Israelis play on the walls of Tower of David compound in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday, Dec. 6, despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) A protestor holds torn representations of American and Israeli flags during a protest at the Unknown Soldier Square in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with Iranian officials, participants of the 31st International Islamic Unity Conference and ambassadors from Islamic countries, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Khamenei condemned President Donald Trump's imminent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) Women wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans during a protest at the Unknown Soldier Square, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Jerusalem Old City is seen trough a door with the shape of star of David, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, Dec. 6, and instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. His decision could have deep repercussions across the region. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) A woman chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) A girl with Arabic painted on her face that reads, "Jerusalem is for us," chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - For years African leaders have toyed with the idea of free movement by citizens across the continent, even raising the possibility of a single African passport. Now some African countries are taking bold steps to encourage borderless travel that could spur trade and economic growth on a continent in desperate need of both. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced during his inauguration last week that the East African commercial hub will now give visas on arrival to all Africans. That follows similar measures by nations including Benin and Rwanda. FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 file photo, the crowd watch as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, center, and Deputy President William Ruto, center right, appear on a video screen at his inauguration ceremony at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. Citing the need to be "more integrated," Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced during his inauguration that the East African commercial hub will now give visas on arrival to all Africans. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) "The freer we are to travel and live with one another, the more integrated and appreciative of our diversity we will become," Kenyatta said. The African Union has cheered such steps, calling it the direction the 54-nation continent needs to take. "I urge all African states that have not yet done so to take similar measures," AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Twitter after Kenya's announcement. Trade among African countries is at just 16 percent, while trade among European Union states is at 70 percent, Mahamat told AU trade ministers on Friday. For a continent whose leaders often speak fondly of "African brotherhood" and once pondered the idea of a United States of Africa, the visa policies of many countries for many years suggested little progress in implementing the continent-wide, visa-free ideal advocated by the AU. Africans can get a visa on arrival in 24 percent of African countries, yet North Americans, for example, have easier access on the continent, according to a 2017 report on visa openness by the African Development Bank. African Union figures show Africans need visas to travel to 54 percent of the continent. Free migration of people across the continent would help in talent exchange as well as trade, said Ali Abdi, the Uganda chief of mission at the International Organization for Migration. Countries may have to invest more in border patrols but "the benefits far outweigh the costs, in my view." Kenya's decision is a "good move and it's progressive," said Godber Tumushabe with the Uganda-based Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies. "It should have been done a long time ago." Change is coming, and not just in East Africa. While visiting Rwanda last year, Benin's President Patrice Talon said his West African country would no longer require visas for other Africans. He said he was inspired by Rwanda, whose government started issuing visas on arrival to Africans in 2013 and recently announced that in 2018 citizens of all countries will benefit from the policy. "We are happy that other African countries are opening their borders up for Africans to increase foreign investments," said Olivier Nduhungirehe, a deputy foreign minister in Rwanda in charge of regional integration. Opening borders will spur economic prosperity for the entire continent, he said. Some African countries are going visa-free by region first. Weeks ago, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community removed visa requirements for citizens of its six members. Many African countries rely heavily on tourism for foreign currency. Kenya's new visa policy was welcomed in a country where the threat by Islamic extremists based in neighboring Somalia has deterred some international travelers. Offering visas on arrival to all Africans could attract the continent's small but growing middle class. "Visa-free travel for Africans into Kenya is a great move by the president and a strategic one for the tourism industry," said Bobby Kamani, who runs the popular Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa in the second-largest city, Mombasa. "The president's bold move couldn't have come at a better time when the tourism sector has experienced uncertainty and is now on recovery mode." Conflict and sharp income disparities in many countries are among other factors slowing the adoption of visa-free policies. Even the African Union passport, launched in July 2016 and given to some heads of state, is yet to be offered to citizens. Some North African countries, notably Libya, struggle with a flow of impoverished African migrants trying to make their way to Europe. South Africa, one of the continent's top economies, has seen a sometimes violent backlash against African immigrants amid fears about crime and the taking of jobs. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and another of its strongest economies, maintains visa requirements before arrival for many nations across the continent. Still, many are hopeful for a borderless Africa and urge those regional leaders to follow Kenya's lead. "Is a new wind blowing across #Africa?" Wolfgang Thome, a tourism consultant who once led the Uganda Tourism Association, tweeted. "When will the last walls fall? #Nigeria we are waiting!" ___ Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda contributed. FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 30, 2017 file photo, participants gather for a group photo for the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For years African leaders have toyed with the idea of free movement by citizens across the continent, even raising the possibility of a single African passport, and while that ambition may be years from reality, some African countries are taking bold steps to encourage borderless travel. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File) LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Some knelt and placed their foreheads to the ground in prayer. Several carried small children. After being stranded in Libya on a failed attempt to reach Europe, more than 400 Nigerian migrants were brought home and began sharing stories of abuse and fear. "If they lock you up in a room, you hardly eat, that's number one," Ejike Ernest, one of the returnees, told The Associated Press on arrival late Tuesday in Lagos. "You'll urinate there, you'll defecate there and every morning, let me say three times a day, you will be severely beaten" until you can pay the money to be freed. Nigeria's government, its president appalled by recent CNN footage of a slave auction in Libya where migrant Africans were "sold like goats," has committed to bringing its citizens home, along with a number of other African nations. Nigerian returnees from Libya disembark from a plane upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) After disembarking from a plane chartered by Nigeria, the European Union and the International Organization for Migration, some of the newest arrivals looked exhausted, some clutching sleepy children. Some were astonished by the way they had been treated. "It's heartbreaking, especially when I see a 13-year-old come with a baby," said Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to Nigeria's president on diaspora and foreign affairs. "One 14-year-old girl said to us she doesn't know how many men have slept with her, she can't count ... You look at them and wonder whether their lives can ever be the same again." The African Union and member states will repatriate more than 15,000 migrants stranded in Libya by the end of the year amid outrage over the slave auction footage, the AU's deputy chairman said Tuesday. Between 400,000 and 700,000 African migrants are in dozens of camps across the chaotic North African country, often under inhumane conditions, AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told a summit of European and African leaders last week. The AU has a six-week plan to "access all detention centers in Libya and repatriate all those who want to return home," Mahamat said Wednesday on Twitter. Europe has struggled to stem the flow of tens of thousands of Africans making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean. But many Africans still make the journey, risking death and abuse, saying high unemployment and climate change leave them little choice. Another Nigerian recently repatriated told the AP about his ordeal. "I paid 500,000 naira ($1,600) to one Nigerian called Mr. Fix It in 2016 to facilitate my illegal journey to Europe through Libya across the Mediterranean Sea. But on getting to Libya, he abandoned all of us to our fate," the man said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears for his security. He said he and others were detained by Libyan militia members and kept in a makeshift prison where they were tortured and starved. More than 10 Nigerians, including girls, were sold as slaves. He was lucky to be rescued by security forces, he said, and was repatriated in July. African and European leaders last week drew up an emergency evacuation plan for migrants, agreeing to airlift at least 3,800 stranded in one of more than 40 detention centers across Libya. Morocco, France, and Germany will provide the air carriers, according to Gambian senior foreign affairs official Ebrima Jobe. Jobe criticized the "African brothers" who act as middlemen for the smugglers. "Our criminal justice system should without delay initiate the prosecution of all those Africans involved," he said. Other African countries are now joining in on repatriations, including Ivory Coast and Cameroon. Amnesty International has criticized Europe, saying its primary aim is to close the Mediterranean route and leave hundreds of thousands of migrants trapped in Libya and facing horrific abuses. John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Director for Europe, said: "Plans which overwhelmingly prioritize the 'voluntary' return of people now stuck in Libya to their country of origin without an effective system for assessing and meeting asylum needs or offering more resettlement places will end up as a mechanism for mass deportation." ___ Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Hilary Uguru in Warri, Nigeria and Abdoulie John in Banjul, Gambia contributed. Nigerian returnees from Libya wait to be registered by officials upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) National Emergency Management Agency officials register Nigerian returnees from Libya upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya disembark from a plane upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya hand over their baggage tags to an official of National Emergency Management Agency after been process upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya disembark from a plane upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from Libya, Tuesday, as part of an organized repatriation by The African Union and member states amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya wait to be registered upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from Libya, Tuesday, as part of an organized repatriation by The African Union and member states amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya disembark from a plane upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigeria Immigration officials register Nigerian returnees upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from Libya, Tuesday, as part of an organized repatriation by The African Union and member states amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) An unidentified Immigration officer, right, speaks to Nigerian returnees from Libya upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from Libya, Tuesday, as part of an organized repatriation by The African Union and member states amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya disembark from a plane upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, having been repatriated from Libya by the African Union (AU) amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Nigerian returnees from Libya walk away with luggage after they have been registered by officials upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Nigeria Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. Hundreds of Nigerians have returned from Libya, Tuesday, as part of an organized repatriation by The African Union and member states amid outrage over recent footage that showed migrants being auctioned off as slaves. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Rioting youths hurled fire bombs, set up street barricades and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, violence that broke out after marches marking the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager and continued on-and-off for several hours. The clashes in Athens and Thessaloniki coincided with a police security operation to prepare for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-visit to Greece, which starts Thursday. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Authorities said at least 22 people were detained for questioning in the Greek capital, where a pair of rallies drew several thousand participants. Some youths proceeded to hurl stones, flares and Molotov cocktails at police officers and set a parked car ablaze, police said. Riot police hold their positions next to fire from firebombs thrown by protesters, engulfing vehicles and barricades set up by protesters, during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) The unruly rowdy demonstrators also blocked streets with burning trash bins and material taken from construction sites. Similar scenes unfolded in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, where protesters threw rocks at police from the top of apartment buildings. locks. About 2,000 police were deployed in Athens for the events marking the 2008 death of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos. A police officer shot the boy while he was out with friends in Exarchia, a central Athens neighborhood popular with anarchists. The policeman who fired the fatal shot said he didn't intend to shoot Grigoropoulos. He was convicted of deliberate manslaughter and is serving a life sentence. The teenager's death sparked riots across Greece that lasted for weeks. Athens was the hit the worst, with many stores, buildings, and vehicles in the capital smashed and burned. ___ Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece. Follow Becatoros at http://www.twitter.com/ebecatoros and Kantouris at http://www.twitter.com/CostasKantouris Riot police charge protesters as firebombs thrown by protesters burn, during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Riot police hold their positions next to fire from firebombs thrown by protesters, engulfing vehicles and barricades set up by protesters, during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Riot police hold their positions during clashes with protesters in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A firework fired by protesters explodes over riot police during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Amidst tear gas fired by them earlier and flares and fire from firebombs brown by protesters, riot police hold their positions during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Amidst tear gas fired by them earlier and flares and fire from firebombs brown by protesters, riot police hold their positions during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Clashes erupted as protesters marked Wednesday the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Amidst tear gas fired by them earlier and flares and fire from firebombs brown by protesters, riot police hold their positions during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Clashes erupted as protesters marked Wednesday the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) A protester throws a firebomb owards riot police during clashes in Athens, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Amidst tear gas fired by them earlier and flares and fire from firebombs brown by protesters, riot police charge protesters during clashes in Athens, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Rioting youths hurled petrol bombs at police, set up street barricades, and damaged storefronts in Greece's two largest cities Wednesday, as violence broke out at marches held to mark the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Firefighters try to put out a fire in a car during clashes between riot police and protesters in Athens, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Clashes erupted as protesters marked Wednesday the ninth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on Britain's talks to leave the European Union (all times local): 11:50 a.m. The U.K. official shepherding Britain's departure from the European Union says no formal assessments have been made on the economic impact of leaving the 28-nation bloc. A Pro-EU membership supporter holds European Union flags as he protests against Brexit across the street from the Houses of Parliament in London in London, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government was holding talks Tuesday with the Northern Irish party that props it up, in a bid to salvage a crumbling Brexit deal ahead of a deadline next week (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Brexit Secretary David Davis told a House of Commons committee on Wednesday that the nation should be prepared for a profound shift in the way the economy operates on a scale similar to that of the 2008 financial crisis. He says that since Britain must prepare for a "paradigm change," in the economy, any assessment in the automotive, aerospace financial services or other sectors would fail to be "informative." But the Brexit committee's chair, Hilary Benn, described the decision as "rather strange" since authorities hope to renegotiate of Britain's trade relations with the rest of Europe within weeks. ___ 9:30 a.m. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says Brexit negotiations must not be held up by disputes over Irish borders and that the issue should be tackled in phase two of departure talks. Johnson said Wednesday that "the best way to sort it out is to get onto the second phase of the negotiations, where all these difficult issues can be properly teased out, thrashed out, and solved." Britain and the EU came close Monday to agreeing on key divorce terms, including how to maintain an open Irish border after the U.K. - including Northern Ireland - leaves the EU. But the agreement was scuttled at the last minute by a party that props up Prime Minister Theresa May's minority government. May will hold talks with top EU officials later Wednesday. BERLIN (AP) - German prosecutors say they've dropped an espionage investigation against seven people, largely Islamic clerics, who were suspected of spying on opponents of the Turkish government. The federal prosecutors' office said Wednesday it had found insufficient evidence to pursue a case against the seven. Judges previously refused to issue arrest warrants against the suspects, who prosecutors said have since left Germany. Their current whereabouts are unclear. The case largely involved clerics affiliated with the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, or DITIB, whom German officials suspected of collecting for the Turkish government's office for religious affairs information on alleged supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. He is accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating a coup attempt last year. A second investigation into suspected Turkish spying on alleged Gulen supporters continues. BALTIMORE (AP) - School officials say a Baltimore city school police officer was doused with bleach while breaking up a fight. News outlets report Baltimore City Public Schools spokeswoman Edie House-Foster says an 18-year-old student at Achievement Academy threw bleach in the unnamed officer's eyes Tuesday. She said the bleach also splattered in the eyes of a hall monitor and onto the clothes of another student. House-Foster says the student will be charged with three counts of first-degree assault and reckless endangerment. She has not been named. The officer and hall monitor were taken to the hospital, and later released. House-Foster said the student didn't require treatment, and both are expected to fully recover. The president of the city school police union, Sgt. Clyde Boatwright, said the officer will require further medical evaluation. NORTHPORT, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities say a woman arriving at a Long Island court to answer a marijuana possession summons was smoking pot when she parked her vehicle in the local police chief's spot. Newsday reports that the 26-year-old woman had been ticketed in May for unlawful possession of marijuana. Police say she was arriving for her court appearance in Northport on Monday night when she cut off an unmarked police car in the parking lot while talking on her cellphone. Police say she then pulled into the parking spot clearly marked as reserved for the village's police chief, Bill Ricca. He says when the officers asked the woman to roll down her window, pot smoke billowed out. Police issued the woman another appearance ticket for unlawful possession of marijuana. She was also ticketed for using her cellphone while driving. ___ Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com BEIRUT (AP) - Muslims across the Middle East warned Wednesday of disastrous consequences after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, but in a region more divided than ever, many asked what leaders can do beyond the vehement rhetoric. Arab powerhouses are mired in their own internal troubles, their populations tired of wars, and the days when Arab leaders could challenge the United States in a meaningful way are long gone. Beyond the eruption of protests and potential explosion of violence, there is little the Arab world can do to challenge Trump's move, unanimously decried by leaders. Protesters, some waving Palestinian flags chant anti-U.S. slogans during a demonstration near the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Hundreds of people staged demonstrations near U.S. diplomatic missions in capital Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Omer Kuscu) Jerusalem, a cherished and combustible landmark, is one of the very few unifying issues in an Arab world plagued by wars and sectarianism. But even the prospect of Trump recognizing it as Israel's capital became a reason for bickering between the Middle East's Sunni and Shiite powerhouses, Saudi Arabia and Iran, who are engaged in a catastrophic proxy war for supremacy in the region. "If half the funds spent by some rulers in the region to encourage terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and incitement against neighbors was spent on liberating Palestine, we wouldn't be facing today this American egotism," Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in a tweet Wednesday, clearly directed at Saudi Arabia. Criticism of Trump's move poured in from Cairo to Tehran to Ankara to war-ravaged Syria, reflecting the anxiety over Trump's announcement, which upends decades of U.S. policy and could ignite violent protests. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Trump has destroyed America's credibility as a Mideast peace broker, adding in a televised statement that the decision "is a declaration of withdrawal from the role it has played in the peace process." Egypt, which was the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, denounced Trump's decision, describing it in a Foreign Ministry statement as a violation of international resolutions on the city's status. The statement said Egypt is worried about the impact of the U.S. move on the stability of the region and about its "extremely negative" impact on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Jordan's King Abdullah II, whose country like Egypt has a peace treaty with Israel, said he had expressed his concerns to Trump in a phone call Tuesday, saying that ignoring Palestinian, Muslim and Christian rights in Jerusalem would only fuel further extremism. He spoke at a meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyeb Erdogan, who has invited leaders of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to an extraordinary meeting to discuss Jerusalem's status next week. In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian protesters burned American and Israeli flags and waved Palestinian flags and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as "our eternal capital" and calling recognition of it as Israel's capital a "red line." Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, called for more protests over the coming days. Hamas official Salah Bardawil said the Palestinians were "on a dangerous crossroad today; we either remain or perish." In Beirut, several hundred Palestinian refugees staged a protest in the narrow streets of the Bourj al-Barajneh camp, some of them chanting "Trump, you are mad." And in Turkey, hundreds of people took to the streets to stage demonstrations near U.S. diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul. Palestinian officials, meanwhile, declared the Mideast peace process "finished." The Palestinian prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, met with European diplomats on Wednesday and told them that the expected U.S. shift on Jerusalem "will fuel conflict and increase violence in the entire region." It is not clear what, if any, concrete diplomatic action is planned. Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse that could help the White House push through a Middle East settlement, has voiced strong opposition to Trump's move, saying it would "provoke sentiments of Muslims throughout the world." Trump's move puts the Sunni nation, whose king holds the title of "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques," in a bind. The kingdom, particularly its powerful crown prince, Mohammad Bin Salman, enjoys close relations with Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner - a relationship that the Saudis need and cannot afford to compromise. While the Saudis can at least on the surface pressure Trump and distance themselves from Israelis, they will almost certainly continue to cooperate on intelligence sharing regarding Iran. For its part, Iran will seize upon Trump's move to show itself the defender of Muslims - and Saudi Arabia cannot be seen as acting any less forceful in its opposition to recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In 1973, Arab oil producers imposed an oil embargo against the United states in retaliation for American military support for Israel, causing soaring gas prices and straining the U.S. economy in a move that demonstrated Saudi Arabia's power and Arab unity at the time. Such forceful action is all but ruled out nowadays. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have invested in good relations with the United States and are at odds with fellow Arab countries over political and religious differences. Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are mired in wars and conflict, and entire cities have been laid to waste. Sunni-led Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, share with Israel a deep distrust of Shiite power Iran and their relations with Israel have somewhat thawed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to this Wednesday. While he acknowledged that Israel won't be able to sign peace treaties with the Arabs without a deal on the Palestinians, he implied that ties have already been established and have plenty of room to grow. "Peace treaties, no. Everything else below that, yes, and it's happening," he said. Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Egypt's former vice president who now lives in self-imposed exile, suggested Arabs do have options, including radically reducing the billions of Arab money flowing to America and a radical downsizing of diplomatic, military and intelligence relations with the U.S. "But if reaction will be limited to condemnations and denunciations, silence is the more honorable option," he said in a post on Twitter. One thing everyone did agree on Wednesday is that Jerusalem is a powder keg and Trump's decision will have huge implications in the region. Reflecting opinion in much of the Arab world, two leading Lebanese newspapers issued front page rebukes to Trump over his expected announcement. The An-Nahar newspaper compared the U.S. president to the late British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, who a century ago famously promised Palestine as a national home to the Jewish People, in what is known as the Balfour declaration. The paper's Wednesday headline read: "Trump, Balfour of the century, gifts Jerusalem to Israel." The English-language Daily Star newspaper published a full-page photo of the Old City of Jerusalem capped by the Dome of the Rock beneath the headline: "No offense Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of PALESTINE." ___ Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in the United Arab Emirates, Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Fares Akram in Gaza City and Fadi Tawil in Beirut contributed to this report. Protesters chant anti-U.S. slogans during a demonstration near the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, late Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Hundreds of people staged demonstrations near U.S. diplomatic missions in capital Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Omer Kuscu) A girl with Arabic painted on her face that reads, "Jerusalem is for us," chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) A woman chants slogans during a sit-in in the Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a meeting with Iranian officials, participants of the 31st International Islamic Unity Conference and ambassadors from Islamic countries, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Khamenei condemned President Donald Trump's imminent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks with Iranian officials, participants of the 31st International Islamic Unity Conference and ambassadors from Islamic countries, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Khamenei condemned President Donald Trump's imminent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) A view of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, some of the holiest sites for for Jews and Muslims, is seen in Jerusalem's Old City, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, Dec. 6, and instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. His decision could have deep repercussions across the region. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Polish military police say they have detained a former head of Poland's military counterintelligence services for further questioning over alleged illegal cooperation with Russian security services in 2010. Gen. Piotr Pytel denies the cooperation was illegal. The case relates to Poland's and NATO's agreement with Russia's military intelligence that allowed for the passage of Polish troops back home from Afghanistan. Poland's prime minister of the time, Donald Tusk, now European Union leader was questioned in the case last year. On Wednesday, opposition politicians accused Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz of ordering the detention in revenge against Pytel, who has criticized him. The opposition has called for the dismissal of Macierewicz. ARNOLD, Mo. (AP) - A suburban St. Louis police officer who was shot in the head by a handcuffed burglary suspect outside of the police station survived surgery and is in stable condition, authorities said. Arnold police officer Ryan O'Connor, 44, was rushed to St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis County on Tuesday after being shot by Chad Klahs, Jefferson County Sheriff's Captain Gary Higginbotham said. Klahs, 29, apparently fatally shot himself after wounding O'Connor, he said. "Against all odds our officer has fought through the horrific incidents that occurred earlier today and remains in stable condition," the Arnold Police Department said late Tuesday on Facebook, noting that the 20-year law enforcement veteran will face a challenging recovery. Arnold Police investigate the scene of a shooting of one of their own officers on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in the parking lot of the Arnold Police Station in Arnold, Mo. The officer was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Tuesday after being shot inside a police SUV by a handcuffed burglary suspect he was taking to the police department for booking, authorities said. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) The shooting shook police in Arnold, a city of roughly 21,000 people about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of St. Louis. Klahs had a long criminal record and Higgonbotham said he was well known to police. Police were initially called after a gun was reported stolen from a home. Higginbotham said the suspect ran into the woods and officers heard shots fired, though it wasn't clear if shots were fired at them. Police believe Klahs committed a second burglary after the home break-in, this time stealing a second gun from a vehicle at an auto body shop. Officers arrested Klahs near a gas station and confiscated one gun, put him in handcuffs and into the back of a police SUV. But officers were apparently unaware of the second burglary or the presence of the second gun. O'Connor drove Klahs to the police station to be booked. Officers inside watched on camera as the police SUV approached an area where suspects are taken out of police vehicles and brought inside. When they didn't immediately come in, officers went outside and found that the SUV had crashed into a diesel fuel tank and both men were wounded inside the vehicle. Higginbotham said Klahs apparently managed to get hold of the concealed gun despite being handcuffed, and shot the officer before turning the gun on himself. Both men were shot with a .40-caliber handgun. Investigators are trying to determine why the second gun wasn't confiscated. Arnold police Chief Robert Shockey said O'Connor has worked for the Arnold department for about three years and that he previously served in Ferguson and St. Louis County. O'Connor is a married father of four and is the son of Tom O'Connor, a former police chief in the St. Louis County town of Maryland Heights. Klahs' fiancee, Amanda Cochran, told KTVI-TV that Klahs was impulsive but that the shooting came as a shock. "He would be mad at himself for what he did. He would beat himself up so bad. I know right now he is up there crying," she said. Missouri court records show Klahs had previous convictions for crimes including burglary, theft, assault, drug charges and receiving stolen property. He served some time in prison. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens visited O'Connor and his family at the hospital Wednesday, said Greitens' spokesman, Parker Briden. Jefferson County Sheriff Captain Gary Higginbotham talks to the press at the scene of a shooting of an Arnold Police officer, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in the parking lot of the Arnold Police Station in Arnold, Mo. The officer was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Tuesday after being shot inside a police SUV by a handcuffed burglary suspect he was taking to the police department for booking, authorities said. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) Arnold Police officers leave the scene of a shooting of one of their own officers on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in the parking lot of the Arnold Police Station in Arnold, Mo. The officer was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Tuesday after being shot inside a police SUV by a handcuffed burglary suspect he was taking to the police department for booking, authorities said. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) Arnold Police investigate the scene of a shooting of one of their own officers on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in the parking lot of the Arnold Police Station in Arnold, Mo. The officer was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Tuesday after being shot inside a police SUV by a handcuffed burglary suspect he was taking to the police department for booking, authorities said. (J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) NEW YORK (AP) - Unreleased songs recorded by Jimi Hendrix between 1968 and 1970 will be released next year. Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings announced Wednesday that they will release Hendrix's "Both Sides of the Sky" on March 9, 2018. The 13-track album includes 10 songs that have never been released. Hendrix died in 1970 at age 27. The new album is the third volume in a trilogy from the guitar hero's archive. "Valleys of Neptune" was released in 2010, followed by "People, Hell and Angels," released in 2013. FILE - In this 1970 file photo, musician Jimi Hendrix performs on the Isle of Wight in England. Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, that they will release Hendrix's "Both Sides of the Sky" on March 9, 2018. The 13-track album includes 10 songs that have never been released. (AP Photo/File) Eddie Kramer, who worked as recording engineer on every Hendrix album made during the artist's life, said in an interview that 1969 was "a very experimental year" for Hendrix, and that he was blown away as he worked on the new album. "The first thing is you put the tape on and you listen to it and the hairs just stand up right on the back of your neck and you go, 'Oh my God. This is too (expletive) incredible," said Kramer. "It's an incredible thing. Forty, 50 years later here we are and I'm listening to these tapes going, 'Oh my God, that's an amazing performance.'" Many of the album's tracks were recorded by Band of Gypsys, Hendrix's trio with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. Stephen Stills appears on two songs: "$20 Fine" and "Woodstock." "It sounds like Crosby, Stills & Nash except it's on acid, you know," Kramer, laughing, said of "$20 Fine." "Jimi is just rocking it," he added. "It's an amazing thing." Johnny Winter appears on "Things I Used to Do"; original Jimi Hendrix Experience members Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding are featured on "Hear My Train A Comin'''; and Lonnie Youngblood is on "Georgia Blues." Kramer produced the album alongside John McDermott and Janie Hendrix, the legend's sister and president of Experience Hendrix. Kramer said though "Both Sides of the Sky" is the last of the trilogy, someone could find new Hendrix music in an attic or a basement, which could be re-worked. He also said they have live footage of Hendrix, some just audio and some in video, which they plan to release. "It was amazing just to watch him in the studio or live. The brain kicks off the thought process - it goes through his brain through his heart and through his hands and onto the guitar, and it's a seamless process," Kramer said. "It's like a lead guitar and a rhythm guitar at the same time, and it's scary. There's never been another Jimi Hendrix, at least in my mind." ______ Online: https://jimihendrix.lnk.to/bothsides http://www.jimihendrix.com/ RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Police in Rio de Janeiro captured one of Brazil's most wanted drug bosses Wednesday, a rare victory for authorities struggling to curb rising violence a year after the city hosted the Summer Olympics. The arrest of Rogerio Avelino da Silva came amid an operation in the northern part of the city that included nearly 3,000 police and Army soldiers who have been sent in to help stabilize areas of frequent conflict. Police said da Silva was found under the covers of a bed in a house in the favela, or slum, of Arara. Two bodyguards reportedly fled when police arrived. Police said da Silva gave a fake name and said he was a cousin of the woman who owned the house. Drug boss Rogerio Avelino da Silva, better known as "Rogerio 157", is escorted by police officers at police station, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Police in Rio de Janeiro captured da Silva, one of Brazil's most wanted drug bosses, in a massive operation that included armed forces. (AP Photo/Fabio Teixeira) "For 10 years, he has been causing problems for Rio de Janeiro," state Security Secretary Roberto Sa told reporters. Da Silva, known as "Rogerio 157," is accused of crimes including homicide, trafficking and extortion. Authorities had offered a US$16,000 reward for information that led to his arrest and circulated his image widely. Over the last several months, several police operations, which shut down parts of Rio and often led to shootouts, have been focused on apprehending da Silva. Da Silva oversaw drug trafficking operations in the Rio slum of Rocinha, one of Brazil's largest. In August and September, battles between followers of da Silva and a former Rocinha boss, who is in prison, prompted authorities to send in military police and soldiers to stabilize the area. Within hours of Wednesday's arrest, several photographs of police with a handcuffed da Silva began appearing on social media. In one selfie, both a woman police officer and da Silva smile. Authorities said they would crack down on that behavior. "People should not glamorize a criminal," Sa said, adding that the capture likely led to a moment of euphoria for police. WASHINGTON (AP) - A top White House aide says President Donald Trump spoke late Tuesday with 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Kellyanne Conway said on CNN Wednesday that the two had a "wonderful conversation." It was not clear if they discussed the Utah Senate race. Romney has been considering a 2018 run in Utah if Sen. Orrin Hatch retires. Trump has encouraged Hatch, 83, to seek another term. Conway wouldn't say if Trump would support Romney in a potential Senate bid. Romney fiercely criticized Trump during the presidential campaign. Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon assailed Romney during a Tuesday rally for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Bannon attacked Romney as a "draft dodger." Romney received a draft deferment for his missionary work in France. MOSCOW (AP) - The Latest on Vladimir Putin (all times local): 5:45 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will seek re-election in next March's election. Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Putin's statement Wednesday came at a meeting with workers of the GAZ factory in Nizny Novgorod. Several hours earlier, he was asked about his intentions in Moscow and signaled that he would run but stopped short of declaring his bid. With his approval ratings topping 80 percent, Putin is certain to win a quick victory in the March 18 vote. Addressing the automobile factory workers, Putin said he couldn't find a better place and a better moment to announce his candidacy. Putin has effectively been in power in Russia since 2000. ___ 3:45 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin has inched closer to declaring his intention to seek re-election in next March's vote, saying he will weigh the decision based on public support. Speaking at a meeting with volunteers Wednesday, Putin was asked if he would run and said that public trust would be a key factor in his decision. He said he would decide "shortly" if he will run in the March 18 vote, adding - to massive applause - that he would take the audience's support into account. Putin, whose approval ratings top 80 percent, is set to easily win the vote, but he has dragged his feet on announcing his bid. He's expected to make the move after the upper house of parliament formally launches the race later this month. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support.(Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, back to a camera, speaks at the annual Volunteer of Russia 2017 award ceremony at the Megasport Sport Palace in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. Putin has moved an inch closer to announcing his intention to seek re-election in the next March's vote, saying he would weigh the move based on public support.(Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) BEIRUT (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the Islamic State group has suffered a "complete defeat" in eastern Syria at the hands of Syrian troops and Kurdish-led forces, both supported by Moscow. During a visit to Nizhny Novgorod, Putin said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told him that operations against IS on both the western and eastern banks of the Euphrates River had been successfully completed. Putin said some isolated pockets of resistance could remain in the area. Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov meanwhile told foreign military attaches that "all IS gangs on the territory of Syria have been destroyed and its territory has been freed." Gerasimov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that Syrian government forces coming from two directions met in eastern Syria Wednesday, completing the route. He said "there is no area under IS control in Syria," but the group is believed to still maintain a presence in some scattered areas. The Russian military says it has provided air support to Kurdish forces and local tribes in the oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria and helped coordinate their offensive against IS. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Sunday thanked both the U.S. and Russia for their military support, days after the U.S. announced it would stop arming the group. Russia launched an air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in 2015. Syrian activists say airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 12 civilians in an eastern Syrian village held by the Islamic State group. Deir Ezzor 24 said the attack targeted the village of al-Jarthi. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 21 civilians were killed, among them 9 children. It said Russia carried out the strikes. WASHINGTON (AP) - Donald Trump Jr. refused to tell lawmakers about conversations he had with his father regarding a 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer after emails detailing the meeting had become public, according to the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee. Speaking to the committee behind closed doors on Wednesday as part of its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Trump Jr. said he didn't tell the president about the meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians when it happened and he declined to elaborate on what he ultimately told him after the meeting became public. California Rep. Adam Schiff said that Trump Jr. said he couldn't speak about the conversations with his father this summer because of attorney-client privilege, telling the committee a lawyer was present when he spoke to his father about the June 2016 meeting and the emails that led up to it. FILE - In this July 11, 2017, file photo, Donald Trump Jr. is interviewed by host Sean Hannity on his Fox News Channel television program, in New York. Trump has arrived on Capitol Hill for a private interview as part of the House intelligence committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Schiff said that wasn't a valid excuse not to talk, saying "the presence of counsel does not mean communications between father and son are privileged." The Trump Tower meeting is a matter of keen interest to special counsel Robert Mueller, who is also investigating the meddling and whether there was any obstruction of justice. Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, attended the meeting with several Russian operatives under the impression that they might receive damaging information about the Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. Mueller is also interested in the White House response to the meeting once it became public. The White House has said the president was involved in drafting an early statement saying the meeting primarily concerned a Russian adoption program, but emails later released by Trump Jr. showed he enthusiastically agreed to the sit-down with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and others after he was promised dirt on his father's rival. Trump Jr. later said the promised material never materialized. Trump Jr. said during Wednesday's eight-hour interview that he spoke with President Donald Trump's communications aide Hope Hicks as early reports of the meeting emerged, according to one person familiar with the interview. The New York Times was first to report the existence of the meeting last July, and Trump Jr. released the emails detailing the planning for it several days later. Hicks was with the president on Air Force One while they were writing the initial statement that said the meeting primarily concerned the adoption program. Trump Jr. also told the intelligence panel that he didn't tell his father about the 2016 meeting at the time that it happened, according to the person familiar with his interview. The person was not authorized to speak about the testimony and asked not to be identified. Both the House and the Senate intelligence committees have been interested in the Trump Tower meeting and have interviewed several participants. The Senate Judiciary Committee is also investigating the meeting, and interviewed Trump Jr. behind closed doors in September. In that interview, Trump Jr. cast the 2016 meeting as simply an opportunity to learn about Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications," insisting to investigators that he did not collude with Russia to hurt Clinton's campaign. The Senate intelligence committee also hopes to interview Trump Jr. before the end of the year. Kushner has spoken to both intelligence committees. The panels have also interviewed Ike Kaveladze, who was at the meeting as a representative of a Russian developer who once partnered with Trump to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow, and Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-American lobbyist. A translator who was in attendance has also spoken to congressional investigators. Lawmakers were also expected to ask Trump Jr. about his communications with WikiLeaks during and after the campaign. Trump Jr. released messages last month that showed him responding to the WikiLeaks' Twitter account three times, at one point agreeing to "ask around" about a political action committee WikiLeaks had mentioned. He also asked the site about a rumor about an upcoming leak, and tweeted a link that the account sent him. Also Wednesday, the House intelligence panel released a transcript of an interview last week with Erik Prince, the founder of the security firm Blackwater and a prominent Trump supporter. According to the transcript, which was partially redacted, Prince told the panel he met a Russian with ties to President Vladimir Putin in the Seychelles islands earlier this year, but he denies he was representing Trump in the exchange. Prince said he and Kirill Dmitriev of the state-run Russian Direct Investment Fund had a 30-minute conversation in a hotel bar Jan. 11 and discussed oil and commodity prices and how Dmitriev wished the two countries' trade relationship would improve. The meeting has captured the interest of investigators since an April report in The Washington Post that it was an attempt to establish a back-channel line of communication between Trump and Putin. Prince denied that assertion in the interview. He also suggested intelligence officials in former President Barack Obama's administration leaked details of the meeting. Though the intelligence committee does not generally release transcripts of interviews, lawmakers agreed to do so in negotiations with Prince. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks to media after a House Intelligence Committee meeting where President Donald Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was interviewed behind closed doors on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, heads to a closed-door session with the president's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) SHELTON, Conn. (AP) - Police in Connecticut say a college student from India hit by a car during a multivehicle collision has died of his injuries. Shelton police on Wednesday identified the victim of the Tuesday night crash as 27-year-old Bethapudi Naga Tulasi Ram, who was living in Waterbury and attending the University of Bridgeport. Shelton Detective Christopher Nugent says police responded to a report of a multivehicle accident with a pedestrian struck at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. No further information regarding what caused the collision was released by police. Anyone with information or who witnessed the accident is asked to call the Shelton Police Department. NEW YORK (AP) - Gene Simmons wants you to be rich and powerful, but it's not going to be easy. You're going to have to learn English, wake up early, turn off the TV and study. "I want to shake you up and tell, you a real harsh truth: The world doesn't need you," he says. "The only way you're going to become rich and powerful is if you stand up on your hind legs. You're only going to get the respect you demand." Simmons, the co-founder and bassist for the rock band Kiss, is brutal in his advice: Women, choose between a career or a family. Guys, get rid of your worthless friends. Above all, don't listen to the self-esteem movement or be politically correct. Simmons is here to demand that you drop and give him 20. In this Nov. 14, 2017 photo, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons poses for a portrait in New York to promote his book, "On Power." (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP) "I want to be your drill sergeant and piss you off so that you wake up and smell the coffee and go out there and become that rich and powerful person you deserve to be," he says. "You cannot fail in America." Why should you listen to this guy, someone who has spent much of his adult life slathered in scary makeup, in towering platform boots, wagging his tongue onstage and singing songs like "Lick It Up"? Because he's also an entrepreneur who came to America with no money and no English. He's become, he says, a millionaire with a hand in a restaurant franchise, a wealth management services firm and a magazine, among others. "You don't have enough hours in the day to understand what I do," he says. Now Simmons is ready to reveal the principles he's learned in his book, "On Power," part guidebook, part self-help manual, with several profiles of people we should admire, like Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett. It's a small book, and that's on purpose. "You can take it to the pooper with you," he explains. Jessica Sindler, his editor, called working with Simmons "without a doubt a memorable experience" and that all the concepts in the book came from him. "They're based on the way he lives his life and runs his career. He is very much a man who practices what he preaches." In person, Simmons is a jokester and a wordsmith who clearly loves attention. He wags his impressive tongue to whoever asks and glad-hands strangers like a politician. He likes to wear a ball cap decorated with a picture of a sack of money that he's trademarked. He puns outrageously ("Close but no guitar," he says at one point. "See what I did there?"). Simmons cheerfully poses for selfies, interrupts conversations and likes to take candid photos of people he encounters who are lost in their phones. "Every once in a while, look up," he told one startled bystander. Sometimes, he goes too far, as he did recently during a visit to Fox News Channel. He was allegedly crude, taunted staffers and exposed his chest, triggering a network ban. Simmons has become legendary for leveraging Kiss's distinctive look and winking cool into everything from reality TV shows to action figures, colognes, keychains, cabernet sauvignon and even a coffin - the Kiss Kasket. Simmons is a curious mix of things. He's a hawk on foreign policy, no fan of unions or socialism, but a liberal when it comes to social issues. "You want to get married to a rock? Or change your sex? Go to Mars and become a Martian religious fanatic? I really don't care," he says. He has boasted of his sexual conquests but is a long-married teetotaler who has no patience for illegal drug users. He can quote Kierkegaard and Kant and speaks four languages, but blames the recent global financial meltdown on greedy borrowers. He believes we're still basically hunter-gatherers, with men awash with testosterone and only vaguely civilized. He applauds the wave of women these days calling out men for sexual misconduct. "There will always be bad guys, don't kid yourself. The best thing that's happening now is the female of the species is standing up collectively and saying, 'That's enough.' Good for women. That should always have been the case." His advice to gaining wealth is simple: Start a limited liability partnership in your home, use social media and deduct your costs from taxes. You can keep your old job until the rewards flow in. If they don't? You can declare bankruptcy and "then you can start again." (It's advice not all financial advisers endorse.) Having a brilliant idea for a business is fine, but outhustling is more important to Simmons. "It doesn't have to be new or original. It can be a stupid idea," he says. "Some of the dumbest people have become enormously successful." ___ Online: http://www.genesimmons.com ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits In this Nov. 14, 2017 photo, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons poses for a portrait in New York to promote his book, "On Power." (Photo by Brian Ach/Invision/AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - The House overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to kill a resolution from a liberal Democratic lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump as a majority of Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the move. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said Trump had associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism. To back his claim accusing Trump of high misdemeanors, Green cited incidents such as Trump's blaming both sides for violence at a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his recent sharing of hateful, anti-Muslim videos posted online by a fringe British extremist group. After his resolution was read aloud, the House voted 364-58 to table the resolution. Four Democratic lawmakers also voted present. The vast majority of Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to table it in the GOP-led House. In this photo from Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, arrives for a Democratic Caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House has overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution from Green to impeach President Donald Trump. The vote Wednesday was 364-58. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a statement shortly before the vote that while "legitimate questions have been raised about his fitness to lead this nation," they argued "now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." Several Democratic lawmakers expressed serious reservations with the effort, saying it's premature to act before special counsel Robert Mueller's team completes its investigation into Russian election meddling. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., said Democratic lawmakers cannot allow themselves to be drawn into a process "that's not thoughtful or complete or might not even be the conclusion we ought to draw." "We ought to let Mr. Mueller complete his full investigation rather than engage in what would essentially be a public relations stunt," Kildee said. "This is a serious thing. It ought not to be done on a whim." Green said on the House floor that he planned to take the road less traveled in seeking Trump's impeachment. He's convinced it's a road worth traveling, but he said, "I ask that no one take this journey with me." Pelosi has said any impeachment drive should wait until there's evidence of an impeachable offense. Another problem for Democrats is that opposing Green's resolution puts them at risk of angering the party's rabidly anti-Trump voters. Some Democrats tried talking Green out of his plan. They did the same in October, when he proposed a similar resolution but never demanded a vote on it. ___ Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Sen. Al Franken and sexual misconduct allegations (all times local): 9 p.m. The head of the Democratic Party is adding his voice to the majority of Senate Democrats calling on Sen. Al Franken to resign. In this Nov. 27, 2017 photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken is denying an accusation by a former Democratic congressional aide that he tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Chairman Tom Perez says in a statement Wednesday that sexual misconduct, harassment and assault have no place in the Democratic Party, Congress, the White House or anywhere. Franken faces multiple allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. The Minnesota Democrat plans to make an announcement Thursday. In a swipe at the GOP, Perez highlights accusations against both President Donald Trump and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Perez says: "The Republican Party has chosen to pursue power and push their radical far-right agenda at any cost. And they've continued to champion a president who has a long and disturbing history of misconduct with women." __ 6 p.m. A tweet sent from Sen. Al Franken's verified account says he is still talking with his family and has not made a final decision on whether he'll resign. The tweet was sent Wednesday after Minnesota Public Radio News reported that Franken will resign. The report cited an unnamed Democratic official who spoke to Franken. In response, a tweet from Franken's account says the story is "not accurate" and "No final decision has been made." Franken lost support in the Senate on Wednesday after a seventh woman came forward accusing him of sexual impropriety. He denied the allegation, but more than a dozen Senate Democrats, led by female lawmakers, called on him to step aside. Franken's office says he'll make an announcement Thursday, but has offered no more details. ___ 5:06 p.m. The top Senate Democrat says Sen. Al Franken should resign as allegations of sexual misconduct against the Minnesota lawmaker multiply. In a brief statement on Wednesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said: "I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately." The statement came after a majority of Senate Democrats, led by female members, called for Franken to quit as a fresh accusation emerged about the senator. Franken plans to make an announcement on Thursday. ____ 1:50 p.m. A top Senate Democrat says he expects Sen. Al Franken to resign Thursday over allegations of sexual misconduct. Another woman has come forward with accusations against the Minnesota Democrat of sexual misconduct. In a tweet on Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said: "I expect that Senator Franken will announce his resignation tomorrow." Wyden tweeted that "It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations." More than a dozen Senate Democrats, led by female lawmakers, have called on Franken to step aside. The nearly simultaneous clamor for the two-term senator to quit comes a day after Michigan Rep. John Conyers, another Democrat, announced his resignation. Franken's office said in a brief statement that he will have an announcement on Thursday, details to come. __ 12:38 p.m. Facing growing demands for him to resign, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken will make an announcement on Thursday. That's the word from the Democrat's office on Wednesday. Franken's support among his fellow Democrats is collapsing as a host of female Democratic senators called upon him to quit. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., all called on Franken to step down. The calls came as another woman accused Franken of sexual misconduct in an account to Politico. Franken vehemently denied a new sexual misconduct accusation that came from a former Democratic congressional aide that he tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006. ___ 11:44 a.m. Female senators are calling on fellow Democratic Sen. Al Franken to resign. In Facebook posts and Tweets, the women said the two-term senator should step aside after a fresh allegation that he forcibly tried to kiss a woman in 2006. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wrote on Facebook that while Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, "I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn't acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve." Sens. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Patty Murray of Washington state and Claire McCaskill of Missouri joined Gillibrand in pressing for Franken to quit. The senator is facing other allegations that he groped women. ____ 9:43 a.m. Sen. Al Franken is denying an accusation by a former Democratic congressional aide that he tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006. The Minnesota Democrat says in a statement that the allegation - reported by Politico - is "categorically not true." The woman, who's not identified by name, says Franken pursued her after her boss had left and she was collecting her belongings. She says she ducked to avoid his lips. And she says Franken told her: "It's my right as an entertainer." Franken says in his statement that the idea he'd claim such behavior as a right as an entertainer is "preposterous." The senator is facing a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into previous claims by other women that he groped them. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Latest on Dallas County Sherriff Lupe Valdez resigning to run for Texas governor (all times local): 1 p.m. Democrat Lupe Valdez has signed paperwork to run for Texas governor, saying the state's Republican-controlled government shouldn't keep "putting a spin on lies and creating fear." FILE - In this July 28, 2016, file photo, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Valdez, Texas' first Hispanic female sheriff, announced Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, that she will run against Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Valdez used fluent Spanish barely a minute into a speech at Democratic headquarters in Austin attended by a handful of supporters. She described being the eighth child of "migrant farmworkers" and said her family sometimes had to choose between buying food and paying rent. Valdez said Texans in the country illegally live in constant fear of deportation, and that Texas elected officials have left them feeling "attacked for who they are, where they come from." Valdez resigned as Dallas County sheriff to launch a longshot bid against incumbent Republican Greg Abbott. Abbott declined comment, but announced that he'd won the Dallas Police Association Pac's endorsement. ___ 7 a.m. Texas' first Hispanic female sheriff says she will run against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018. Democrat Lupe Valdez has been the sheriff of Dallas County for 12 years. Her announcement Wednesday makes her the most prominent Democrat in the race after bigger names passed on trying to break Republicans' 22-year hold on the Texas governor's mansion. The 70-year-old Valdez is an Army veteran and was Texas' first openly gay female sheriff. She's clashed with Abbott over federal immigration detainers and says opportunity is "out of reach" for many Texans. Valdez will resign as sheriff to run for governor. She'll be an underdog in Texas, which hasn't elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994. Several other lesser-known Democrats are also running. Abbott has no serious GOP challenger. BRUSSELS (AP) - It's a go-to catchphrase when U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is called on to explain his boss on the world stage: "America first is not America alone." Yet as President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, Tillerson on Wednesday stood all by himself. The onslaught came from all sides as Tillerson, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, got an earful from many a U.S. ally on Trump's Jerusalem move. So far, not a single country - other than Israel, of course - has thrown its support behind the declaration. Even Tillerson's own State Department has conceded the announcement could sow unrest throughout the Middle East. Turkey's top diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, was unsparing in criticism that was far harsher than any the U.S. is accustomed to from a NATO ally. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his NATO counterparts held talks on Georgia and counter-terrorism efforts on Wednesday, the final day of their two-day meeting in Brussels.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) "The whole world is against this," Cavusoglu told reporters as he awaited Tillerson's arrival for their meeting. He said he'd already told Trump's chief diplomat that it was a "grave mistake." Cavusoglu said he planned to "tell him again." That time-tested "special relationship" with Britain? Not so special as to prevent Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson from putting Tillerson on the spot. After the two shook hands, Johnson used the occasion to suggest it was time for Trump's Mideast peace team to put up or shut up. "Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward, and I would say that that should happen as a matter of priority," Johnson said as Tillerson stood uneasily a few feet away. Trump, in a speech Wednesday, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and said he'd start the process of moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. The Palestinians and essentially every country see that as undermining future Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that would include Jerusalem's fate - just as the Trump administration purports to be working to broker the ever-elusive deal. Asked about Trump's decision, Tillerson urged critics to "listen carefully to the entirety of the speech." While the decision directly affects his department, Tillerson acknowledged his role was relatively minimal. He said Trump's Mideast peace team, led by the president's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, had shared the decision with him so he could "give them guidance on areas that I thought would be challenging to address." "They've done the hard work to try to address those," Tillerson said, insisting there remains "a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved, and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely." Tillerson has tried throughout his tenure to soften the president's isolationist-tinged foreign policy by explaining that the U.S. still seeks to lead and build strong partnerships with likeminded nations. He also has echoed Trump in describing how the U.S. feels burden-sharing has gotten out of balance in recent years. There are few signs America's foreign partners are buying it. At EU and NATO meetings this week, Tillerson got earful after earful about Trump's hampering of the Iran nuclear deal, withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and stated disdain for the United Nations, to name just a few examples. ___ Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adjusts his glasses as he speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his NATO counterparts held talks on Georgia and counter-terrorism efforts on Wednesday, the final day of their two-day meeting in Brussels.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson walks off the podium after addressing a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his NATO counterparts held talks on Georgia and counter-terrorism efforts on Wednesday, the final day of their two-day meeting in Brussels.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Home bakers in New Jersey say their brownies and muffins are perfectly safe and they should be able to sell them, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday seeking to strike down the country's only ban on the sale of homemade baked goods. The New Jersey Home Bakers Association sued the state's health department over rules that require people to have a license before they can sell their home-baked treats. "Right now, people need every chance they can get to make an honest living," said plaintiff Martha Rabello, a 38-year-old mother of two who said she likes to make bite-sized cookies that pair with coffee. "We want to be on the right side of the law." FILE - In this Wednesday Dec. 6, 2017 photo, baker Martha Rabello bakes coffee cookies in the kitchen of Fanwood Presbyterian Church in Fanwood, N.J. Rabello rents space in the church's kitchen to bake her goods to sell, as a state law prohibits her from baking commercial goods in her home. The New Jersey Home Bakers Association filed a lawsuit Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, against the state's health department over rules that require people to have a license before they can sell their home-baked treats. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) A spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health said the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation. New Jersey became the only state in the country to bar the sale of homemade baked goods after a similar rule in Wisconsin was invalidated in June. The nearly decade-long push to overturn the regulation in New Jersey has gained supporters who say that people should be able to sell baked goods without going through the expensive and time-consuming effort of opening a storefront. A legislative proposal has been blocked by a state senator who says that home kitchens need to be regulated like any other bakery if people are going to cash in on their cookies. "I want to strike a balance here," said Sen. Joseph Vitale, a Democrat who chairs a state committee on health and has refused to bring a bill up for a vote. The bakers also note in their lawsuit that the state allows them to sell the same treats at charity events. ___ Izaguirre reported from Philadelphia. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on a resolution by a Democratic lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump (all times local): 2:05 p.m. The House has overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution from a Democratic lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump. The vote Wednesday was 364-58. Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas says Trump has associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism. After his resolution was read, Republicans held a vote to table it. Democratic leaders announced beforehand they were opposed to Green's resolution. Green argued that Trump has committed a high misdeed and is unfit to be president and warrants impeachment, trial and removal from office. Lawmakers did not debate the merits of his resolution. The vast majority of Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to table it. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer tell Democrats: "Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." ___ 1:15 p.m. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer say "now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." The two have issued a joint statement responding to Democratic Rep. Al Green's resolution read on the House floor Wednesday that calls for the impeachment of President Donald Trump based on the assertion that he has associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism. Pelosi and Hoyer say Congress faces a vast set of urgent overdue priorities and that Democrats are focused on "protecting American families" in the coming tax debate and vote. They say legitimate questions have been raised about Trump's fitness to lead the nation, but say congressional investigations and a special counsel investigation should be allowed to continue. ___ 12:35 p.m. Democratic Texas Rep. Al Green has submitted a resolution on the House floor calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, saying he has committed "high misdemeanors" while in office. The longshot effort is expected to lose and is opposed by Democratic leaders who consider the effort premature. The resolution offered by Green states that Trump has sown discord among the people of the U.S. based on national origin and race. Green argues that Trump has committed a high misdeed and is unfit to be president and warrants impeachment, trial and removal from office. Green's effort is also certain to be opposed by all Republicans. Green's impeachment articles cite incidents including Trump's defense of protesters after a rally of white supremacists at this year's riot in Charlottesville, Virginia. ___ 12:15 p.m. Democratic lawmakers are wary about a liberal colleague's push for a House vote on impeaching President Donald Trump, saying it's premature until special counsel Robert Mueller's team has completed its investigation into Russian election meddling. Texas Rep. Al Green says he will present articles of impeachment Wednesday under a rule requiring the House to vote on the issue within two days. Green's new eight-page resolution accuses the Republican president of "high misdemeanors," citing "harm to American society to the manifest injury of the people of the United States." The effort is certain to lose. Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan says Democratic lawmakers can't let themselves be drawn into a process "that's not thoughtful or complete or might not even be the conclusion we ought to draw." CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on a hacking attack on a North Carolina county (all times local): 2:35 p.m. A North Carolina county says it's still weighing options on how to deal with data frozen by a hacker. Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio told reporters Wednesday afternoon that local officials haven't decided whether to pay a hacker who's ransoming county data frozen on dozens of servers. Diorio said that it appears the hacking came from Iran or the Ukraine but didn't elaborate. A forensic review is underway. Whether or not the ransom is paid, Diorio says it will take days to get county computer systems running in normal fashion. A 1 p.m. deadline set by hackers has passed, but Diorio says talks with the hacker continue. County services ranging from transportation to Medicaid patients to processing of arrestees have been slowed as employees use manual instead of computer-based controls. ___ 1:30 p.m. A hacker's deadline has passed for a North Carolina county to pay for access to frozen computer data, but it's not clear if local officials paid ransom. Mecklenburg County officials said that a hacker that was ransoming data on its servers gave a 1 p.m. Wednesday deadline to pay more than $23,000 to get the data back. After 1 p.m., multiple county sites including an online jail inmate search were still not functioning. County spokesman Leo Caplanides said in an email that he could offer no further information. The county manager has scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference to discuss the case. ___ 12:20 p.m. North Carolina's largest city says its computer system hasn't been affected by a hacking attack on the surrounding county. Charlotte government officials released a statement Wednesday saying that its separate computer systems have not been affected and that it has severed direct connections to county computers. The release noted that the city and county maintain separate servers. Mecklenburg County officials say that a hacker is seeking a ransom of more than $23,000 after freezing county computer files. Departments including the sheriff's office and code enforcement have had to use paper records for at least some of their functions. The sheriff's office said emergency calls are processed by the city and haven't been affected. ___ 11:30 a.m. A North Carolina sheriff's office is checking in arrestees by hand after a hacking attack on county government computers. Mecklenburg County Sheriff spokeswoman Anjanette Flowers Grube said in an email that the problems don't extend to the processing of emergency calls, which is handled by the city of Charlotte. Charlotte officials have said their computers aren't affected by the hacking. The sheriff's office also posted a message that its website wasn't able to process requests for information on jail inmates that are normally easily accessed by the public. Mecklenburg County officials say that the hacking has affected its computer system and that a hacker is seeking a ransom of more than $23,000. ___ 10:30 a.m. A deadline is approaching for one of North Carolina's largest counties to respond to a hacker who froze county servers and is demanding ransom. Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio told reporters that local officials face a deadline of 1 p.m. Wednesday to decide whether to pay a ransom of two bitcoin, or more than $23,000. On Wednesday morning, some county sites such as the jail inmate search function were down. Diorio said departments including the code enforcement office were using paper records. The county issued a statement on Twitter Wednesday asking residents to contact county offices before visiting to see whether they are offering services. Diorio said leaders are working with a technology consultant and haven't ruled out paying the ransom. Charlotte officials say city government computers haven't been hacked. ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greece is rolling out the red carpet for a visit this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hoping to improve often-frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. Security in Athens will be tight for Erdogan's arrival on Thursday, when he will meet with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the country's largely ceremonial president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, before heading to northeastern Greece the next day to speak with members of the country's Muslim minority. Greek authorities on Wednesday announced a ban on demonstrations in central Athens during Erdogan's stay. "It's a visit of exceptionally great significance and importance," Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said, adding the government was looking forward to "exceptionally constructive discussions." It will be Erdogan's first visit to Greece as Turkish president, although he has visited twice before as prime minister. FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016 file photo Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras joke before a bilateral meeting during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Erdogan will arrive in Athens on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 as Greece hoping to improve often frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. (Kayhan Ozer/Pool Photo via AP, file) Talks are to focus on the refugee crisis, as Greek islands have been the gateway into Europe for migrants crossing from the Turkish coast, as well as regional relations, energy and business ties, and Turkey's stalled bid to join the European Union. Longstanding disputes with Greece such as territorial claims in the Aegean Sea will also be on the agenda. So will the flight to Greece of eight members of the Turkish military just after last year's abortive military coup in Turkey. Greece's supreme court has rejected a Turkish extradition request, saying the men - who have requested asylum in Greece - could not be guaranteed a fair trial in Turkey. That caused considerable anger in Ankara. In an interview broadcast Wednesday, Erdogan told private Greek Skai TV that his country's judicial system is "the best in Europe," and claimed that Tsipras promised to return them in "15 to 20 days" during a telephone conversation just after the servicemen reached Greece in a military helicopter. "That is what he said. But unfortunately right now they are still in Greece," Erdogan said, adding that the servicemen should have been handed over before Greek courts became involved. "If you leave it up to the judiciary there will be no result," he said. "In order to facilitate the work of the judiciary you must first, as the government, take the necessary measures before you assign it to the judiciary." Erdogan's visit comes as his country finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage, and he could use his appearances in Athens to improve relations, some analysts say. "It's an attempt on the Turkish president's behalf to de-escalate tensions with the European Union, as the Turkish economy is very much dependent on European capital and as he foresees that relations with the U.S. might take ... a further negative prospect," said Constantinos Filis, research director at the Institute of International Relations. "I think that Erdogan ... has come to the conclusion that he cannot (maintain) both fronts at the same time with the West." Turkey's ties with several European countries - Germany in particular - and the EU as a whole deteriorated significantly following Erdogan's crackdown in response to the July 2016 failed coup. Tens of thousands of Turks have been fired from their jobs, and tens of thousands more were imprisoned on accusations of being linked, however tenuously, with the man Erdogan blames for the attempted coup: Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric who lives in the US and runs a network of schools, hospitals and businesses. Since the failed coup, Greece is only the second EU country, after Poland, to have invited Erdogan to visit. Tension has also risen recently between Ankara and Washington, particularly concerning the New York trial of a Turkish banker over alleged transactions with Iran. Erdogan lashed out Tuesday over the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, describing it as an American conspiracy to blackmail and blemish his country. "I think that he will take the opportunity and try to show a more moderate face, at least in Turkey's relations with the EU," Filis said. "If he decides to attack the EU and the U.S. from a European capital - that is, Athens - then this will create a very serious problem for the Greek government, because the Greek government will have to respond." But many sources of tension remain between Greece and Turkey, neighbors with historically fragile relations who have come to the brink of war three times since the 1970s. Decades-old thorny issues include territorial disputes in the Aegean, the Muslim minority in northeastern Greece and the continued occupation by Turkish troops of northern Cyprus. Some of these issues "will probably be hidden under the carpet," said Filis. "I don't think that Erdogan in the few hours that he will spend in Athens has the luxury, and neither Greece has the luxury, to discuss with Erdogan about the historic difficulties and differences in the Aegean, for instance." In Ankara, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Wednesday that Turkey hoped the visit would "develop and deepen" ties between the two neighbors, noting that both countries "have shouldered great responsibilities in resolving the issue" of migration. He accused the EU of failing to fulfill its obligations in a March 2016 EU-Turkey deal, saying it had yet to disburse funds earmarked for Syrian refugees in Turkey, allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel or open new negotiation "chapters" to advance Turkey's EU membership bid. Kalin said, however, that Ankara is pleased with Greece's support for Turkey's membership bid. ____ Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. FILE - In this Monday, March 4, 2013 file photo, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras shake hands after a joint news conference in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Athens on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 as Greece hoping to improve often frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. (AP Photo, file) FILE - In this Friday, May 14, 2010 file photo, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, right, and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands in Athens. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Athens on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 as Greece hoping to improve often frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File) FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 file photo, Prime Ministers George Papandreou of Greece, right, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey shake hands during their meeting in Athens. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Athens on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 as Greece hoping to improve often frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, file) HONOLULU (AP) - The administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is concerned about complaints that a recent test of an attack warning siren could barely be heard in tourist mecca Waikiki. Vern Miyagi says the agency is looking into moving or repositioning sirens. He says officials need to better communicate the test to tourists. The agency has also received complaints about difficulty hearing the siren in other parts of the state. FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2017, file photo, a Hawaii Civil Defense Warning Device, which sounds an alert siren during natural disasters, is shown in Honolulu. The administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is concerned about complaints that a recent test of the attack warning siren could barely be heard in tourist mecca Waikiki. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File) Threat of a nuclear missile attack from North Korea prompted Hawaii to reintroduce a siren that hasn't been heard since the end of the Cold War. The wailing tone sounded for about a minute after a regular, monthly test of a siren for natural disasters. Specifics about last week's test will be available when the agency completes its report by mid-month. FILE- In this Dec. 1, 2017, file photo, Vern Miyagi, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, talks to reporters at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's command center in Honolulu. Miyagi is concerned about complaints that a recent test of an attack warning siren could barely be heard in tourist mecca Waikiki. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Outdoor retailing giant Patagonia on Wednesday joined a flurry of lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump's decision to chop up two large national monuments in Utah could finally bring an answer to the much-debated question of whether presidents have the legal authority to undo or change monuments created by past presidents. Until that question is answered months or years from now, the fate of the contested lands in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments will remain unresolved. Proclamations signed Monday by the president allow lands no longer protected as a national monument to be opened up in 60 days to mining, but conservation and tribal groups will likely try to keep that from happening. FILE - This July 15, 2016, file photo, shows the "Moonhouse" in McLoyd Canyon which is part of Bears Ears National Monument, near Blanding, Utah. President Donald Trump's rare move to shrink two large national monuments in Utah triggered another round of outrage among Native American leaders who vowed to unite and take the fight to court to preserve protections for lands they consider sacred. Trump decided to reduce Bears Ears - created last December by President Barack Obama - by about 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante - designated in 1996 by President Bill Clinton - by nearly half. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) Mark Squillace, professor of natural resources law at the University of Colorado-Boulder, said he doubts the federal government would permit mining so quickly after Trump's announcement because it would be bad politics, especially as the legal battle mushrooms. California-based Patagonia filed its lawsuit on behalf of several other organizations to block Trump's reductions to Bears Ears. The California-based company said in the lawsuit that Trump's proclamation shrinking the monument by 85 percent exceeds the president's authority and strips much-needed protections from sacred tribal lands. Patagonia also replaced its usual home page with a stark message, "The President Stole Your Land." The post drew a strong rebuke from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke who called it "nefarious, false and a lie." Three lawsuits already had been filed involving Utah's monuments. And more are expected - especially if Trump follows Zinke's recommendations to shrink two other monuments - Gold Butte in Nevada and Cascade Siskiyou in Oregon. Supporters of Trump's move welcomed the fight, saying it will answer longstanding questions about presidential power involving the protection of land. "Hopefully, we can have some closure on what the president can and cannot do," said Mike Noel, a Republican state representative in Utah who was on stage with the president during his proclamation signing in Salt Lake City. Past presidents have trimmed national monuments and redrawn their boundaries 18 times, according to the National Park Service. Legal experts disagree on whether the 1906 Antiquities Act - allowing presidents to create a monument - also lets them reduce one. The question has never been settled in court, but conservation and paleontology groups and Native American tribes launching lawsuits are preparing to argue that Trump doesn't have that authority and his move jeopardizes a wealth of Native American artifacts, dinosaur fossils and rugged spaces. "Gee whiz, it sounds like there are going to be a lot of attorneys making a whole lot of money," quipped Noel. "For every organization, there's a lunch ticket for a group of attorneys to exist." Noel plans to intervene himself, filing a court brief to show support for the president's actions. Donald Kochan, a professor of natural resources, property and administrative law at Chapman University in Orange, California, believes Trump's action is likely legal and the separate lawsuits allow each group to show supporters they're speaking up. Squillace said the lawsuits will likely be merged into one case for each monument. He thinks a court will try to focus on the overall question of whether Trump has the authority to reduce the monuments - something Squillace doesn't think the president has the legal authority to do. While the legal battles play out, Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has introduced a bill that would prevent presidents from designating monuments larger than 85,000 acres and give states and local officials the power to veto a monument larger than 10,000 acres. Bishop's bill is awaiting a vote on the House floor. ___ Associated Press writer Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report. FILE - In this July 30, 2017 file photo, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke speaks during a news conference near Gold Butte National Monument in Bunkerville, Nev. Zinke and outdoor retail giant Patagonia are trading harsh words over the Trump administration's plans to shrink several national monuments, an opening salvo in an imminent legal battle that could be waged for years. A barrage of lawsuits is expected by groups looking to block President Donald Trump's order on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, drastically reducing Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP, File) Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke takes the stage before President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Trump traveled to Salt Lake City to announce plans to shrink two sprawling national monuments in Utah in a move that will delight the state's GOP politicians and many rural residents who see the lands as prime examples of federal overreach, but will enrage tribes and environmentalist groups who vow to immediately sue to preserve the monuments. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) FILE - This July 15, 2016, file photo, shows the "Moonhouse" in McLoyd Canyon which is part of Bears Ears National Monument, near Blanding, Utah. President Donald Trump's rare move to shrink two large national monuments in Utah triggered another round of outrage among Native American leaders who vowed to unite and take the fight to court to preserve protections for lands they consider sacred. Trump decided to reduce Bears Ears - created last December by President Barack Obama - by about 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante - designated in 1996 by President Bill Clinton - by nearly half. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) SAN DIEGO (AP) - A man who smuggled a Bengal tiger cub into California from Mexico has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Eighteen-year-old Luis Valencia of Perris entered the plea on Tuesday in San Diego. The 6-week-old cub was found on the passenger-side floor in Valencia's car in August at a San Diego border checkpoint. FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2017, file photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows an agent holding a male tiger cub that was confiscated at the U.S. border crossing at Otay Mesa southeast of downtown San Diego. A man who smuggled a Bengal tiger cub into California from Mexico has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Eighteen-year-old Luis Valencia of Perris entered the plea on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2017, in San Diego. He now faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The tiger cub was named Moka and now lives at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP, File) Tigers are endangered and it's illegal to import them without a permit. Valencia told authorities he obtained the animal as a pet but later acknowledged he was bringing it into the U.S. for commercial purposes. He now faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Another defendant is awaiting trial. The tiger cub was named Moka and now lives at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2017, file photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a male tiger cub that was confiscated at the U.S. border crossing at Otay Mesa southeast of downtown San Diego. A man who smuggled a Bengal tiger cub into California from Mexico has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Eighteen-year-old Luis Valencia of Perris entered the plea on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2017, in San Diego. He now faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The tiger cub was named Moka and now lives at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via AP, File) PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A seventh-grader at a Philadelphia public school is under arrest for bringing a loaded gun onto campus. The 13-year-old at Gen. George A. McCall Elementary School was taken into custody Wednesday morning after another student alerted the principal the boy had a gun. Police say the boy was arrested and no one was injured. A school district spokesman says the safety of students and staff is the district's top priority and they are cooperating with police. It wasn't clear where the child got the gun. No other details were released. McCall is in the city's tony Society Hill section. The school landed a 2017 National Blue Ribbon from the U.S. Department of Education in September for its high academic achievements. PHOENIX (AP) - Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio was unable to cite any evidence on the witness stand Wednesday to back up his now-dismissed animal cruelty case against one of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake's sons in the 2014 deaths of 21 dogs. The former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix told jurors he felt his detectives had gathered the proper evidence to recommend charges after the dogs died of heat exhaustion. He repeatedly declined to explain his confidence in the investigation into Austin Flake and his then-wife Logan Brown, who were caring for the animals at a kennel operated by Brown's parents. "Once again, I don't have the nuts and bolts," Arpaio said. "The detectives handled it." FILE- In this July 6, 2017, file photo, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio leaves the federal courthouse in Phoenix, Ariz. Arizona jurors who will decide a malicious-prosecution trial against Arpaio were told Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, that one of Sen. Jeff Flake's sons suffered from depression as a result of a now-dismissed animal cruelty case that the lawman brought against him. (AP Photo/Angie Wang, File) Arpaio was the first witness to testify in the malicious-prosecution lawsuit filed by Flake and Brown. It alleges Arpaio pursued charges against them to do political damage to the Republican senator from Arizona and gain publicity for himself. They say the criminal case caused them emotional distress and contributed to the demise of their marriage. Under questioning from Arpaio attorney Jeffrey Leonard, the former sheriff said he didn't pressure his investigators or prosecutors to bring charges. The case against the Flakes was dismissed at the request of prosecutors, and the owners of the kennel pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after an expert determined the facility's air conditioner failed because the operators didn't properly maintain it. The media-savvy lawman also was grilled over his motivations in publicizing the investigation, saying he spoke out about the dog deaths because it was a serious matter and reporters were asking about the case. He downplayed the number of news conferences he called to discuss the case and was unable to explain why he told reporters shortly after the investigation began that the deaths were suspicious, when his spokesman had called them a tragic accident a day earlier. "What turned it from tragic accident to highly suspicious in 24 hours?" asked Stephen Montoya, an attorney representing Flake and his ex-wife. "I don't know," Arpaio answered. "Maybe someone had an opinion." His low-key demeanor during the trial contrasted with the blustery style he had shown through the years in his news conferences and political events. His voice wasn't booming in court as it often is before TV cameras. He instead spoke in a subdued voice. Jurors were played a 22-minute video of a September 2014 news conference in which Arpaio announced that he was recommending charges against the Flakes and kennel operators. Montoya asked Arpaio about speaking to another gathering of reporters just days after the deaths and displaying photos of the dead dogs. Arpaio said he didn't consider the gathering to be a news conference and explained that it grew out questions reporters had about a news release his office sent about the investigation. The event was held at a podium in the sheriff's office where Arpaio regularly spoke to reporters. The only mention of Sen. Flake during the testimony so far came when Montoya asked Arpaio whether he knew that making a criminal case against the son of a U.S. senator would bring national and international media attention. "I don't know," Arpaio said, adding that he doesn't care about the last names of the people his office investigated. Arpaio declined to say whether his recommendation to charge the Flakes was a mistake, given that a judge has since ruled that there was no probable cause to charge them. Lawyers for Austin Flake and Brown have said previously that the senator drew Arpaio's ire by disagreeing with the sheriff over immigration and criticizing the movement that questioned the authenticity of then-President Barack Obama's birth certificate. Arpaio was known for carrying out dozens of large-scale immigration crackdowns and conducting a five-year investigation of Obama's birth record. The sheriff's attorneys are expected to get a chance later Wednesday to question their client on the stand. ___ Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/jacques%20billeaud . A total of nine Islamist terrorist plots have been thwarted in the UK over the past year, the director general of MI5 has told Cabinet. Andrew Parker told Theresa May and her senior ministers that the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria did not mean the terror threat was over, warning that social media was being used to encourage attacks in the UK and elsewhere. Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the weekly meeting in 10 Downing Street that the pace of attack planning has increased significantly over the past year. MI5 director general Andrew Parker (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mrs May told ministers that the threat from terror was at an unprecedented level, despite the military setbacks experienced in its Middle East strongholds by Islamic State also known as Daesh. In a regular Westminster media briefing, the Prime Ministers official spokesman declined to discuss the details of the attacks that had been prevented over the past year, some of which are subject to forthcoming court proceedings. But he confirmed that the subject of Mr Parkers presentation to Cabinet was the threat from Islamist-related terror. A senior counter-terror police officer said earlier this year that 13 attacks had been foiled by security services since 2013. Police officers on Borough High Street following June's attack But the pace of plotting is understood to have been stepped up in a year which has seen deadly Islamist-inspired attacks in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge, as well as the bombing of a Tube train at Parsons Green and a van driven into pedestrians outside a mosque in Finsbury Park. Mr Parker said that nine terrorist attacks have been prevented in the past year, said Mrs Mays spokesman. There have been five attacks that have got through, four of which are related to Islamist terrorism. The Prime Minister gave thanks to the tireless work of staff at MI5 to combat the unprecedented terrorist threat. Ministers heard that, while Daesh had suffered major defeats in Iraq and Syria, that doesnt mean that the threat is over. Rather it is spreading to new areas, including trying to encourage attacks on the UK and elsewhere via propaganda on social media. The Home Secretary said the pace of attack planning had increased significantly this year. Amber Rudd said that the Government has been putting pressure on social media companies to remove terrorist material and progress was being made. She pointed to recent efforts by Facebook, which last week said 83% of Islamic State and al Qaida content was being identified and removed within one hour. The Home Secretary stressed there was more for social media companies to do. Theresa May should rethink her reckless red lines and consider remaining part of the customs union and single market, Labour has urged. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said there needed to be a UK-wide response to Brexit, after the Democratic Unionist Party refused to accept proposals on a customs border, leading to a deadlock in talks. But Brexit Secretary David Davis said Labours policy on the customs union and single market had changed 10 times in the last year. After we leave the EU, the UK will remain a great place to do business pic.twitter.com/QB6fkTRcYa Department for Exiting the EU (@DExEUgov) November 16, 2017 Sir Keir, who asked an urgent question in the Commons on the negotiations, said: Labour is clear that there needs to be a UK-wide response to Brexit. So the question for the Government today is this: will the Prime Minister now rethink her reckless red lines and put options such as a customs union and single market back on the table for negotiation? Because if the price of the Prime Ministers approach is the break-up of the union and reopening of bitter divides in Northern Ireland then the price is too high. Mr Davis pointed to comments made by members of the shadow cabinet on remaining in the single market and customs union, and said: So much for Labour policy on this matter, we can see why its changed 10 times in the course of the last year. He continued: The suggestion that we might depart the European Union but leave one part of the United Kingdom behind still inside the single market and customs union that is emphatically not something that the UK Government is considering. The Union flag flies outside EU headquarters in Brussels Mr Davis said the Government was in the middle of an ongoing round, and that, while progress had been made, a final conclusion had not yet been reached. I believe we are now close to concluding the first phase of negotiations and moving on to talk about our future trade relations, he said. There is much common understanding, and both sides agree that we must move forward together. He told MPs the Government had always been clear that it wanted to protect all elements of the Good Friday Agreement to maintain the common travel area and to protect associated rights. Mr Davis said the Government recognised that the integrity of the EU single market and customs union must be respected after Brexit, but added that it was equally clear we must respect the integrity of the United Kingdom. But Sir Keir claimed the last 24 hours had given a new meaning to the phrase coalition of chaos'. Its one thing to go to Brussels and fall out with those on the other side of the negotiating table; its quite another to go to Brussels and fall out with those supposedly on your own side of the negotiating table. England folded quickly in pursuit of a national-record chase as Australia took six wickets in under a session to go 2-0 up in the Ashes with a 120-run victory. The hosts had appeared a little rattled for much of the penultimate day in this second Test, while England captain Joe Root was sustaining Englands unlikely fightback with a determined half-century. But Steve Smiths men were right back on their game as the Adelaide Oval sunshine came out to play at last on the final afternoon, Josh Hazlewood wasting no time with the instant wickets of nightwatchman Chris Woakes and Root himself in successive overs and Mitchell Starc (five for 88) turning the screw. Josh Hazelwood celebrates the wicket of Joe Root After that, despite the best efforts of Jonny Bairstow, the rest was just details as England were all out for 233 after being set 354 to level the series. The tourists had done enough over the preceding day-and-a-half to give their supporters hope, even vaguely realistic hope. But on the resumption, from 176 for four, they simply could not have got off to a worse start. The Barmy Army was still singing Jerusalem, as is its wont before the second ball of each day, when Woakes got the thinnest of edges behind to a very good delivery. Contact was so feint, in fact, that Aleem Dars decision was upheld after Woakes went to DRS only on the basis of a Snicko spike and in the absence of any corroboration at all from Hotspot technology. In Hazlewoods next over, Root did not hang around to query Dars ruling of another caught-behind - departing like Woakes without addition to his overnight score. Both had succumbed to significant movement off the pitch, not previously evident in this match, and Hazlewood kept getting the ball to dart around against new batsmen Moeen Ali and Bairstow too. Australia win by 120 runs and take a 2-0 series lead.https://t.co/C4bOpoxYh7#Ashes pic.twitter.com/9HNIYUJkMP England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 6, 2017 It was Moeens off-spin opposite number Nathan Lyon who would account for him, though, for the second time in the match and fourth out of four in the series. In the first innings, Lyon had pulled off a crowd-pleasing caught-and-bowled from a tame chip back too close to him; second time round, Moeen missed a sweep and had to go lbw after chancing his teams second review in vain. England had therefore lost four wickets for 19 runs, dating back to Dawid Malans dismissal late on Tuesday night. Debutant Craig Overton had helped to kickstart the revival with some fine tailend resistance in the first innings but was dealt an even tougher hand for his second Test innings. Craig Overton He survived on five when Cameron Bancroft could not hold a very sharp chance off Pat Cummins, wearing a helmet at an advanced third slip, but got little further before Starc pinned him lbw in the crease at his first attempt with the second new ball. For the record, Starc bagged Stuart Broad caught-behind and Bairstow was last out chopping on to his former Yorkshire team-mate. England therefore knew for sure the urn will be on the line again when they rejoin battle at one of their unhappiest hunting grounds in Perth next week. A fragment of bone said to belong to the fourth-century saint who inspired the story of Father Christmas could indeed be from the legend himself, scientists have said. Researchers at the University of Oxford radiocarbon tested the relic, long venerated as the bones of St Nicholas, and found it does date from the correct historical period. While they cannot categorically prove they are from the Christian saint, the team said the results pinpoint the relics age to the fourth century AD the time that some historians allege that St Nicholas died (around 343 AD). Father Christmas at LaplandUK in Berkshire Many relics that we study turn out to date to a period somewhat later than the historic attestation would suggest, said Professor Tom Higham, director of the Oxford Relics Cluster at Keble Colleges Advanced Studies Centre. Could ancient bones suggest #Santa was real? New @UniofOxford research has revealed that bones long venerated as relics of the saint, do in fact date from the right historical period: https://t.co/lkxG2uAkAU #OxAdvent pic.twitter.com/dSPRLfa8aC University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) December 6, 2017 This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas himself. St Nicholas, one of the most revered Christian saints, is thought to have lived in Myra, which is now modern day Turkey. According to legend he was a wealthy man who was widely known for his generosity a trait that inspired the story of Father Christmas as a bringer of gifts on Christmas Day. Most of his remains have been held in the Basilica di San Nicola, in Bari, Italy, since 1087, where they are buried in a crypt beneath a marble altar, but over the years relic fragments have been acquired by churches around the world. As many as 500 of St Nicholass bone fragments are believed to be held in Venice. The bone analysed in Oxford a pelvis fragment is owned by Father Dennis ONeill, of St Martha of Bethany Church, in Illinois, United States. Dr Georges Kazan, another director of the Oxford Relics Cluster, said: These results encourage us to now turn to the Bari and Venice relics to attempt to show that the bone remains are from the same individual. We can do this using ancient palaeogenomics, or DNA testing. It is exciting to think that these relics, which date from such an ancient time, could in fact be genuine. But there may never be any way of knowing whether the bones really were from the real St Nicholas. Professor Higham added: Science is not able to definitely prove that it is, it can only prove that it is not, however. The estate of sound pioneer Ray Dolby has donated 85 million to Cambridge University. Dolby was at Cambridge from 1957 to 1961, and he founded Dolby Laboratories four years later. It went on to invent sound technologies which made him a fortune, including Dolby Surround, familiar to cinema-goers, Dolby Noise Reduction and the Dolby System. The 85 million gift, which is the largest philanthropic donation ever made to UK science, will help redevelop an entire laboratory. The Cavendish Laboratory redevelopment will be named the Ray Dolby Centre, and is expected to open in 2022. Dolby, who died in 2013 at the age of 80, was a student and later a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. An 85 million gift from the Dolby family will transform UK science.https://t.co/19sEF3bXBQ pic.twitter.com/5YDUJT5MFY Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) December 6, 2017 His son, David Dolby, said many of his fathers ideas were stimulated by his time at Cambridge. My fathers time at the Cavendish provided him with an environment where he got a world-class education in physics, and many of his successful ideas about noise reduction were stimulated by his Cambridge experience, he said. Our family is pleased to be able to support the future scientists and innovators who will benefit from the thoughtfully designed Ray Dolby Centre. Dolbys widow, Dagmar, said: The University of Cambridge played a pivotal role in Rays life, both personally and professionally. At Cambridge and at the Cavendish, he gained the formative education and insights that contributed greatly to his lifelong groundbreaking creativity, and enabled him to start his business. The Dolby family previously donated 35 million to Pembroke College in 2015. Ray Dolby credited Cambridge University for his successes (Nick Ansell/PA) It is now the second-largest donor to Cambridge University in its 808-year history. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave 210 million US dollars for a postgraduate scholarship programme. Cambridge Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Toope said: This unparalleled gift is a fitting tribute to Ray Dolbys legacy, who changed the way the world listened, his research paved the way for an entire industry. A century from now, we can only speculate on which discoveries will alter the way we live our lives, and which new industries will have been born in the Cavendish Laboratory, in large part thanks to this extraordinarily generous gift. The new Cavendish Laboratory will be its third home since its founding in 1874. Its researchers have made many contributions to the development of science over the past 140 years, including the discovery of the electron and of the neutron, and the unravelling of the structure of DNA. Hayley Turner has expressed her regret after a mistake concerning the opening of an internet betting account left her facing a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing on December 14. Britains most successful woman jockey officially retired from the saddle at the end of the 2015 turf season and after initially establishing a media career with At The Races and ITV Racing, Turner recently opted to return to race riding in France. However, Turners decision to open an online account following her initial retirement prompted a BHA inquiry as she technically still held a licence, leaving the rider in breach of the rules and deeply embarrassed by the situation. Hayley Turner was a successful part of the ITV Racing team through the Flat season (John Walton/PA) Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, said in a statement: Following her retirement from the saddle in November 2015, Hayley opened an online betting account in her name registered to her home address, the first ever betting account she had opened. Even though she was officially retired, Hayley subsequently took part in a number of one-off, invitational events and had some warm-up rides to prepare for them, and held a licence from the BHA enabling her to take part in those events. It was only this summer that Hayley decided to return to race riding more fully in France. Even though Hayley no longer saw herself as a jockey, and placed no bets whilst actively riding, she did place bets whilst holding a licence which technically placed her in breach of the Rules of Racing, something Hayley entirely accepts. First woman to have a winner in Mauritius.....so I dabbed it! pic.twitter.com/tQTdWILEYB Hayley Turner (@Hayleyturner123) December 3, 2017 There were a total of 164 such bets over a period of approximately 18 months, with a median average stake of 10 and a mean average stake of 18.62, which generated a total profit of 160. Hayley has co-operated fully with the BHA and has been transparent and honest throughout. The BHA has confirmed to Hayleys representatives that beyond the Rule breaches themselves, it has no further integrity concerns over the bets or Hayley herself. Hayley is absolutely devastated at her mistake and deeply embarrassed and sorry for it. Her hearing is scheduled for next Thursday, December 14. Joint champion apprentice in 2005, Turner was the first woman to ride 100 winners in a year and is a three-time winner at the top level. In line with BHA policy, racings rulers offered no further comment. Mobile phone thefts in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest level for a decade, new data suggests. Some 401,000 mobile phone owners had a device stolen in the year to March 2017, down from 446,000 in the previous 12 months. The number, equivalent to 0.9% of all mobile owners, is almost half the total for 2006/07, when thefts were 796,000. It represents a statistically significant decline, according to the Office for National Statistics, which compiled the figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales. (PA Graphics) Mobile thefts peaked at 897,000 in 2008/09 (equivalent to 2.1% of mobile owners). The figures also show that thefts of phones are most common among young adults. Among 22 to 24-year-olds, 2.2% roughly one in 45 people had a mobile stolen in 2016/17. This is down from 4.3% in 2006/07, however. Mobiles were involved in 32% of all thefts from the person in 2016/17, down from 51% in 2014/15. Thefts from a person are defined as items taken from an individual using little or no force. The average (mean) cost of items stolen during thefts from the person rose from 202 in 2015/16 to 221 in 2016/17, with the middle range (median) cost of items being around 100 in both years. However, the proportion of more expensive items, valued between 500-999, stolen also rose significantly compared with a decade ago, from around 3% of thefts from the person in 2006/07 to 16% in 2016/17. Theresa May has criticised Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, describing it as unhelpful for the peace process in the region. The Prime Minister said she disagrees with the presidents decision and reiterated Britains position that the city should be the shared capital of Israel and Palestine in a negotiated two-state solution. In a White House speech, Mr Trump said his move marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and that it was in Americas interests. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described Mr Trumps move as reckless. Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, including occupied Palestinian territory, is a reckless threat to peace. The British Government must condemn this dangerous act and work for a just and viable settlement of the conflict. Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 6, 2017 The president also announced plans to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the holy city but Mrs May said Britain had no plans to follow suit. In a statement, the PM said: We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. Theresa May Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. In line with relevant Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Mr Corbyn tweeted: Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, including occupied Palestinian territory, is a reckless threat to peace. The British Government must condemn this dangerous act and work for a just and viable settlement of the conflict. Jerusalem: for the first time in all the long years of the American century we now have in the White House a reckless and ignorant American President. The world is an even more dangerous place tonight. Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) December 6, 2017 Mrs May said Britain shares Mr Trumps desire to end the Israel-Palestine conflict and welcomed his commitment to a negotiated two state solution. She also noted the importance of his acknowledgement that the final status of Jerusalem, including the sovereign boundaries within the city, should be subject to negotiations. We encourage the US administration to now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement, she added. To have the best chances of success, the peace process must be conducted in an atmosphere free from violence. We call on all parties to work together to maintain calm. Palestinians see Mr Trumps move as a decision to side with Israel on one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict. They see east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967, as their capital. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Mr Trump has destroyed his credibility as a Middle East peace broker, describing his decision as a declaration of withdrawal from the role it (the US) has played in the peace process. President Trump, thank you for today's historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful. Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 6, 2017 But Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country profoundly grateful, adding that Mr Trumps announcement marks a historic day and is an important step towards peace. He said his country will continue to work with the president and his team to make that dream of peace come true. By Robert Muller PRAGUE, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic should stay close to the European Union's core and talk of holding a referendum on leaving the bloc is dangerous, presidential candidate Jiri Drahos said in an interview. Polls show that Drahos, 68, is the main challenger to incumbent Milos Zeman, who has fostered ties with Russia and China while sympathising with far-right and far-left groups and criticising the EU, mainly over its migration policy. The country held parliamentary elections in October and it will choose a president in January. "If we want to decide something then we should be at the table where such decisions are taken. I would very much like to see the Czech Republic at the table where Europe's future is decided," Drahos told Reuters. Although Czech presidents have limited powers, their role is crucial in situations like the forming of a new government. Presidents can also sway public opinion and influence foreign policy, though the government exerts daily control. Zeman says he is an EU-federalist. He has criticised the EU's Russia sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea and has also said he favours a referendum on leaving the EU, though he said he would vote to stay in it. Drahos, a chemist by training, who has led the Czech Academy of Sciences, said both EU and NATO membership are vital his country. "To play with the (expression) 'referendum on leaving the European Union' is very hazardous," he said. Czechs are the least enthusiastic nation when it comes to the EU in the wake of Zeman's five year presidency and a decade under Vaclav Klaus. A Eurobarometer poll in October showed that only 29 percent of Czechs saw EU membership as a "good thing". Drahos said people should be more aware of the EU's benefits but should criticize where appropriate. "LET'S DO TRADE" He rejected Zeman's warm stance toward Russia and China and said Czech foreign policy should be more self-confident. "Let's do trade, but let's do it in a self-confident way. We are a small country but that does not mean that we have to cringe," he said. A November poll commissioned by news website www.seznam.cz news website showed Zeman, 73, as the most likely winner of the first round on Jan. 12-13 ahead of Drahos. But it predicted a dead heat in any run-off vote to be held Jan 26-27. The next president will most likely need to cooperate with a government chaired by billionaire Andrej Babis whose ANO party won the October election and is building a minority cabinet. Zeman, who backs Babis, plans to appoint Babis's cabinet on Dec. 13. Babis will face an uncertain confidence vote but may be in office for months with Zeman's consent even if he loses. Initial votes in the new parliament showed cooperation among ANO, Communists and the SPD party which campaigned with anti-EU, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda. Drahos said that if elected, he would be watching for any attempts to sway the country away from standard democratic path. "I would be a professional, but I would be on guard, because a government leaning on undemocratic parties creates a concern at least that our democracy could be in danger," he said. (Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Jan Lopatka and Matthew Mpoke Bigg) By Lizbeth Diaz and Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Honduran opposition battling President Juan Orlando Hernandez over a disputed presidential election proposed on Tuesday that a run-off be held if authorities would not recount the entire vote. TV star Salvador Nasralla, who claimed victory in the Nov. 26 election after early results put him ahead of Hernandez, has been locked in a bitter row over the vote count since the process broke down and suddenly swung in the president's favor. The dispute has sparked deadly protests and a night-time curfew in the poor, violent Central American country. On Tuesday, Nasralla said the electoral tribunal should review virtually all the voting cards. "If you don't agree with that, let's go to a run-off between (Hernandez) and Salvador Nasralla," he said on Twitter. Former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a 2009 coup and now backs Nasralla, said that the opposition was seeking a total recount of the vote, or legislation to permit a run-off, which is not used in Honduras. Hernandez, who has been praised by the United States for his crackdown on violent street gangs, indicated later on Tuesday that his party might be willing to check all votes. "We're open to checking, that there's a review of one, two, three, however many," he said. "They talk about 5,000 (polling stations), of more, of less; there's no problem, but it has to be under the procedures established by Honduran law." Hernandez has not claimed victory in broadcast comments in recent days, but said on Tuesday that "there will soon be time to celebrate," and praised his center-right National Party for containing itself during the turmoil that has followed the vote. "That doesn't mean it's not a vigorous party, and when they see it in the street, they'll see something extraordinary they haven't seen yet," he added, without elaborating. Authorities took a week to count votes in the nation of 9 million people, but the Organization of American States (OAS) said results were marked by irregularities and errors. The tribunal has not declared an official winner, but the results gave a 1.60 percentage point advantage to Hernandez over Nasralla, who says tally sheets from ballot boxes were altered and has declared himself the rightful winner. On Tuesday, the top official at the electoral tribunal, David Matamoros, invited the opposition to compare their copies of voter tally sheets with the official body's versions. Matamoros also said the tribunal would extend a deadline for legal challenges to Friday from Wednesday. Street protests in favor of Nasralla that began last week continued on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of people, including police officers, gathered at the Tegucigalpa headquarters of Honduras' elite police force yelling "Out, JOH," referring to Hernandez's initials. Some rebel police officers had refused to crack down on demonstrations on Monday, urging the government to resolve the political deadlock. But the police force said on Tuesday it had agreed to a deal under which it will not be asked to "repress" legitimate protest. If demonstrators are caught breaking curfew, their cases will be reviewed, but police officers will also accompany them home, a spokesman said. Nasralla's center-left Alliance bloc previously demanded a recount of nearly a third of tally sheets, a request that was backed by the OAS and European Union election observers. The Alliance is also expected to formally contest the results. Early last week, Nasralla, a 64-year-old former sportscaster and game show host, appeared set for an upset victory, gaining a five-point lead with more than half of the ballots tallied. The count halted for more than a day, and began leaning in favor of Hernandez after resuming. (Writing by Mexico City Newsroom, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Michael Perry) By Nigel Hunt LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - U.S. soybean futures rose for a fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, with the market trading near its highest since late July on concerns over dry weather reducing yields in Argentina, the world's third-largest supplier. The most active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was up 0.5 percent at $10.13-1/2 a bushel by 1043 GMT, edging up towards Tuesday's peak of $10.15, which was the highest since July 28. "The price is profiting from the dry weather in Argentina....Only half of the expected acreage has been planted, which is significantly less than at this time last year. The lack of moisture is also fuelling fears of reduced yields," Commerzbank said in a market note. Dealers said the declaration of a La Nina weather event, which can bring dry weather to parts of South America, helped to heighten concern about crop outlook. "It is still too early to make any definite predictions about the effects, especially since all the climate models suggest that La Nina will be short and mild," the bank said. The uncertainty surrounding Argentine crop prospects fuelled hopes that China, the world's biggest soybean importer, might start booking more U.S. soy cargoes. Sales of U.S. soybeans in the 2017-18 marketing year that started Sept. 1 have lagged the pace set at the same time last year. "The market is trying to build a weather premium but we feel it is bit too early to get worried about Argentina's soybean crop." said one India-based commodity analyst at an international bank. CBOT corn prices rose 0.3 percent to $3.54-3/4 a bushel, also supported by a diminished crop outlook in South America. Private analytics firm Informa Economics cut its estimate of Brazil's 2017/18 soybean and corn crops, trade sources said. Informa put 2017/18 Brazil soybean production at 110 million tonnes, down 1 million from its previous estimate, and put 2017/18 all-corn production at 89 million tonnes, down 3 million from a previous forecast. U.S. wheat prices were lower with the market weakened partly by sluggish exports. Cheaper wheat supplies from the Black Sea region are giving stiff competition to U.S. exporters. Russia still expects to export 45 million tonnes of grain in the 2017/18 marketing year which started on July 1, Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV on Wednesday. His forecast includes 35 million tonnes of wheat. Grain lobby Coceral also on Wednesday raised its forecast for EU 2017 soft wheat production. The most active CBOT wheat contract was down 0.2 percent at $4.31-3/4 a bushel while March milling wheat on Paris-based Euronext fell 0.3 percent to 161 euros a tonne. (Additional reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Joseph Radford and Elaine Hardcastle) By Clara Denina , Julie Zhu and Ron Bousso LONDON/HONG KONG, Dec 6 (Reuters) - China's Sinopec Group has hired BNP Paribas to sell its oil business in Nigeria and Gabon, three people with knowledge of the matter said, as the state-owned oil giant pares back its presence in Africa. Sinopec and other oil groups including China National Petroleum Corporation and CNOOC made large acquisitions between 2009 and 2013 with the help of low-cost loans from Chinese state-owned banks. The hunt for overseas assets was intended to bulk up their energy reserves and meet future demand from China, the world's second-largest economy. But oil prices fell to about $27 a barrel in 2016 from more than $100 in 2014, making some of these investments unprofitable. Benchmark Brent Crude oil is now trading at more than $60. Militants have also recently attacked oil and gas facilities in Nigeria, further discouraging Sinopec. China's economy, which was growing strongly when the company expanded, has also slowed. "Sinopec is trying to sever ties," one of the people told Reuters. "It has hired BNP to sell (its) assets in Nigeria and Gabon." A Sinopec spokesman did not respond to requests for comment and a BNP Paribas spokeswoman declined to comment. Sinopec spent $7.24 billion in 2009 for Switzerland-based Addax Petroleum, its largest ever foreign oil acquisition, to secure land in Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and Iraq that was licensed for extraction and exploration. It offered considerable potential as commodity prices rose but bankers expect the Nigeria and Gabon assets to sell for less than $1 billion. The sources said Sinopec was planning to sell Addax's onshore and offshore oil and gas production sites in Nigeria and Gabon. Sinopec's Cameroon operation would be its only remaining project in Africa. "We've already seen several Chinese companies divest some of their overseas assets," said a second person, who asked not to be named. "At the current oil prices, such investments (are not) economically viable for Chinese companies." The sources said Sinopec had also decided to sell Addax after a recent bribery investigation by Geneva prosecutors into payments made in Nigeria. Addax agreed to pay 31 million Swiss francs to settle the bribery charges, for which its executive officer and legal director had also been charged, and shut its offices in Geneva, Houston and Aberdeen. At the time, Addax said its parent company was closing the offices in response to low oil prices and did not comment on the investigations at the time. The Sinopec spokeswoman did not respond for a request for a comment on whether this was a reason for the sale. MILITANT ATTACKS Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, fell into recession for the first time in 25 years in the second quarter of 2016, after militant groups attacked oil and gas facilities in its Delta region. That cut the country's oil production dramatically. Lower crude exports, Nigeria's mainstay, meant less money in government coffers, especially the U.S. dollars Nigeria needs to import essential products and keep businesses running. The latest group of militants to emerge in the Delta earlier this year also threatened that oil facilities belonging to major international oil companies would be destroyed. Sinopec's assets in Nigeria and Gabon could attract the interest of companies already operating in the region including Perenco, which bought Total's assets in Gabon for $350 million earlier this year, and Kosmos Energy, the sources said. One of the people who spoke to Reuters said that Sinopec was looking to sell some of the Chinese company's other exploration and drilling businesses outside China because of falling oil prices and regional political instability. Sinopec has also agreed to sell its oil business in Argentina for $500 million to $600 million to Mexican company Vista Oil & Gas, according to sources, in part because of social unrest there. ($1 = 1.2680 Canadian dollars) (Additional reporting Chen Aizhu in Beijing; Editing by John O'Donnell and Anna Willard) BRUSSELS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed on Wednesday a package of legislative and non-binding measures to reform the euro zone and make it more resilient to future crises. Below are the main proposals: EUROPEAN MONETARY FUND The euro zone bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) should be transformed into a European Monetary Fund (EMF) with more responsibilities. In addition to providing loans to member states in financial trouble, the EMF would be a backstop for the euro zone's lender-funded bank resolution fund, the Single Resolution Fund. To make it more nimble, the EMF would in an emergency be able to take decisions with a majority vote, rather than with unanimity, as is the rule now. It could also develop new financial instruments that could be used to provide further support to states hit by financial shocks. EUROPEAN MINISTER OF ECONOMY AND FINANCE A European Minister of Economy and Finance could start working from November 2019 when a new commission will take office. The minister would be at the same time a vice president of the commission, the chair of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers and would oversee the work of the new European Monetary Fund. The minister would promote and support the coordination and implementation of reforms in EU countries and "would also be responsible for identifying an appropriate fiscal policy for the euro area as a whole." STABILISATION TOOL This new instrument would help countries hit by a crisis to maintain the same level of investment as in good times thanks to EU financial support. This could accelerate the recovery of troubled states. An ailing state could receive "automatic" support with a mix of loans and grants from the EU budget and the EMF. The financial aid would "be strictly conditional on clear criteria and continuous sound policies, in particular those leading to more convergence within the euro area". MONEY FOR REFORMS EU states will be encouraged to carry out structural reforms with funds from the EU budget that could be made available already from next year. Technical and financial support would be provided to the EU countries that are not members of the 19-state euro zone and which want to join the common currency area. CHANGES TO FISCAL RULES The intergovernmental Fiscal Compact treaty that has introduced stricter budgetary rules for all EU countries except Croatia, the Czech Republic and Britain which did not sign it, should be incorporated into EU law. The process is to increase the democratic legitimacy of EU fiscal rules, but faces opposition from countries like Italy that fear the tight provisions of the compact will become permanent. It is also criticised in Germany, where many fear it could lead to a softening of the current fiscal rules. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio) By Lin Taylor SUVA, Dec 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Vulnerable communities uprooted by climate change are being left out of global talks on migration, campaigners warned, calling for greater protection for climate migrants as the United States pulls out of the voluntary pact. In low-lying small island states, like the Pacific islands, people are already moving within their own nations to flee worsening storms, sea level rise and other climate-related crises. But being forced to relocate due to climate change will not be recognised in the United Nations talks on migration next year, an omission that puts lives at risk, said Emele Duituturaga, head of the Pacific Islands Association Non-Government Organisation (PIANGO). "Many of the situations we find ourselves in, here in the Pacific, is not caused by us. We continue to ask, 'Where is the justice?' Those of us who are least responsible, continue to bear the brunt," Duituturaga told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We hope that there will be an openness and an acceptance that climate-induced migration is one that the world community has to be responsible for," she said on the sidelines of a conference run by PIANGO and global rights group CIVICUS in Fiji's capital Suva. For Telstar Jimmy, a student from the Bank Islands in northern Vanuatu, climate displacement is a daily reality for her family, who have relocated several times because of worsening cyclones and flooding. Jimmy said her ancestral homelands and burial sites are slowly being washed away by rising seas. "The foundations of our unique heritage were taken ... Relocation just meant safety and continuing to exist. But now the question is, 'safe' and 'existing' for how much longer?" she said. Worldwide, sea levels have risen 26 centimetres (10 inches) since the late 19th century, driven up by melting ice and a natural expansion of water in the oceans as they warm, U.N. data show. Seas could rise by up to a metre by 2100. "GOING TO GET WORSE" With a record 21.3 million refugees globally, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly adopted a political declaration in September last year in which they also agreed to spend two years negotiating the pact on safe, orderly and regular migration. U.S. President Donald Trump this week withdrew from negotiations because the global approach to the issue was "simply not compatible with U.S. sovereignty". Trump is also pulling out of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit a rise in average world temperatures to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, ideally 1.5 (5.4F) to limit more droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising sea levels. The U.S. is the only country not part of the climate agreement now that Syria and Nicaragua have joined. "With climate-induced displacement, we know that there are already people, communities and countries at risk. It's only going to get worse (and) we need to come up with ways to manage those flows," said Danny Sriskandarajah, head of CIVICUS. PIANGO and CIVICUS have joined climate group 350.org, aid charity Oxfam Pacific, Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and others, in drafting a declaration to recognise climate change as a key driver of migration, which they aim to present to the U.N. ahead of next year's talks. Though the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention grants refugee status to those fleeing persecution, wars, and conflicts, it does not include climate change as a reason to seek asylum. New Zealand is proposing a special climate humanitarian visa for Pacific islanders who are forced to migrate. Fiji plans to move more than 40 villages to higher ground to escape coastal floods and is also working on ways to help future migrants from other Pacific island nations as sea levels rise. Vanuatu local Jimmy said she hopes countries around the world would continue to band together to help smaller countries like those in the Pacific. "I'm a bit nervous because other countries may also pull out with the U.S. and that's going to be a bigger issue for us. Especially at a time when we're trying to battle climate change," she said. "Whatever each country does will impact the lives of other people around the whole globe," Jimmy said. (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by xxxxx; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, gender equality, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories) DUBAI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will have to do more to address the European Union's concerns about tax transparency in order to get itself removed from a tax-haven blacklist, the EU's ambassador to the UAE said on Wednesday. "The EU has been in touch over the last months with the UAE authorities and the UAE made a certain number of commitments," Patrizio Fondi said in an email to Reuters. But he added that the UAE "does not apply the BEPS (base erosion and profit sharing) minimum standards and did not commit to addressing these issues by December 31, 2018." (Reporting by Nawied Jabarkhyl, Writing by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Andrew Torchia) By Kieran Guilbert LONDON, Dec 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Two members of a London criminal gang who used a young woman to carry and sell drugs have been convicted for human trafficking in a landmark case in Britain, police said on Wednesday. The two men, Mahad Yusuf, 20, and Fesal Mahamud, 19, pleaded guilty on Tuesday at Swansea Crown Court in Wales to trafficking a young person for the purposes of exploitation under Britain's Modern Slavery Act, and to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. The gang lured the victim into a car in London after making contact on social media and drove her to South Wales, where Yusuf held the 19-year-old in a property for five days and forced her to store drugs against her will, investigators said. Yusuf told the woman she "belonged to him", although Mahamud directed his actions, according to London's Metropolitan Police. It is the first time that Britain's 2015 Modern Slavery Act has been used to convict drug dealers, and police and prosecutors hope its hefty sentences will help to tackle the use of children as drug runners. "Drug supply is not new, however the exploitation of vulnerable young people by criminal networks, to move and supply drugs across the country, takes this offending to a new level," said Tim Champion, a detective superintendent. "The use of the Modern Slavery Act is a proportionate and necessary response," he said in a statement. The 2015 law introduced life sentences for traffickers, better protection for people at risk of being enslaved, and forced companies to check their supply chains for forced labour. Senior police officials and Britain's anti-slavery tsar Kevin Hyland last week told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that using the law to prosecute those who exploit, traffic and enslave people would send a strong message to other criminals. Thousands of children - some as young as 12 - are estimated to be used by gangs to carry drugs between cities and rural areas in Britain, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Police have seen a rise in the abuse of and violence towards children, and have identified more than 700 criminal operations in the so-called 'county lines' drug trade, the NCA said. At least 13,000 people across Britain are estimated by the government to be victims of forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude - but police say the true figure could be in the tens of thousands with slavery operations on the rise. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Katy Migiro. 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) YAOUNDE, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Cameroon's government has ordered thousands of villagers to leave their homes in the Anglophone Southwest region as it deploys troops to root out armed separatists who have vowed to loosen President Paul Biya's long grip on power. The deployment marks an escalation of Biya's year-long crackdown on peaceful protests in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions that has killed dozens of civilians and forced thousands to flee their homes in fear of reprisals. Now, the government is using force to confront an insurgency that has sprung up alongside the civil unrest. The separatists have killed at least eight soldiers and policemen over the past month as part of their campaign to break from the capital Yaounde in Francophone Cameroon and form a separate state called Ambazonia. Authorities of the Manyu Division in the Southwest on Dec. 1 gave the order to evacuate 16 villages across the region. They warned that anyone deciding to stay "will be treated as accomplices or perpetrators of ongoing criminal occurrences." Motorbikes, a preferred mode of transport for separatist attackers, were ordered off the roads between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. "People ran helter skelter when they saw the statement," said Agbor Valery, a lawyer in Mamfe, which is near some of the evacuated villages. He said people were afraid of being rounded up and put in jail, as has happened since September in other areas of the English-speaking part of the country. "If you go to the villages, everyone has fled. Only the old people stayed. The streets are quiet. It is highly militarized. At night, you hear gunfire." Valery said he saw hundreds of troops and truck loads of military equipment arrive in Mamfe on Sunday that were then deployed to the surrounding villages. Reuters was unable to independently verify his account but two military sources in the city of Bamenda in Northwest region confirmed that additional security forces have been deployed in the English-speaking regions. PROBLEMS FOR BIYA The separatist movement compounds problems for 84-year-old Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982 and plans to stand for another term next year. The economy has slowed sharply since 2014, while attacks in the Far North region by Islamist militant group Boko Haram have strained the military. The fall last month of Zimbabwe's leader Robert Mugabe after decades in power highlights the potential vulnerability of Africa's long serving rulers amid a growing grassroots push for strict term limits for presidents. Last week Biya vowed to flush out secessionists, whom he called "criminals". Defense minister Joseph Beti Assomo said on Monday the new deployment would "prevent terrorists from harming others". Violence has spiraled since last year when government forces crushed peaceful protests by Anglophone teachers and lawyers protesting their perceived marginalization by the French-speaking majority. The heavy-handed government response fuelled support for the separatist movement, which has existed on the fringes of Cameroonian politics for decades. The response has also forced thousands out of their homes. More than 5,000 have fled Anglophone Cameroon across the border to Nigeria since Oct. 1, the United Nations said. Nigeria is also English speaking. The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said it is making preparations for up to 40,000 refugees. "GO HOME TO WHERE?" Refugees' stories have been slow to emerge because of government-imposed internet outages that have blocked messaging and social media sites like Facebook and Whatsapp. But they are beginning to shed light on what new refugees will likely face. Abia David told Reuters that he left Bamenda in Northwest Cameroon on Oct. 27 amid widespread arrests in the town. He heard from friends that the police were coming to arrest him because he is a member of an opposition political group. To escape Bamenda, and avoid its increasingly crowded jail, he cycled 16 kilometers into the countryside to the head of a bush road. From there he walked some 100 km (62 miles) alone north through a series of remote villages towards Nigeria. "There was no time to carry food. I had one change of clothes but I lost that." He slept on strangers' floors and arrived in Nigeria a week later, where he fell ill with malaria. He said NGOs on the border had estimated an extra 1,000-odd people had arrived since the weekend. The UNHCR is offering provisions like mosquito nets and is helping refugees find housing. So far there is no central camp for refugees and they rely on the hospitality of Nigerians for room and board. For David, it beats going home. Asked if he planned to return, he said: "Go home to where? Go home to be killed? To go to jail without trial? I can only go back once this is resolved." (Reporting by Edward McAllister in Dakar and reporting team in central Africa region; Writing by Edward McAllister and Sofia Christensen; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) By Lamine Chikhi and John Irish ALGIERS/PARIS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron, visiting Algeria, said on Wednesday he would not be held hostage by France's colonial involvement there and urged young Algerians to build for the future and not dwell on past "crimes". The relationship is scarred by the trauma of the 1954-1962 independence war in which the North Africa country broke with France. Hundreds of thousands of Algerians were killed and both sides used torture. Macron was in the capital Algiers for talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and senior officials, a rite of passage for all new French presidents. Many in Algeria had wondered whether Macron would offer an official apology for the past given his statement earlier this year when he described France's colonial rule as a "crime against humanity". But he did not go any further than his predecessor, Francois Hollande, who sought a more conciliatory tone but stopped short of saying sorry. Instead, Macron's message to young Algerians was not to harbour grudges from the past but look to the future. "I've already said we need to recognise what we did, but Algeria's youth can't just look to its past. It needs to look forward and see how it will create jobs," Macron said, answering questions from people as he walked through downtown Algiers. "I'm not here to judge those in the past. There have been crimes and there were people that also did good things. Your generation must not allow this. It's not an excuse (to blame the past) for what is happening today," he said. When asked by reporters about the past, a visibly annoyed Macron, said it was time to stop asking questions from 20 years ago. "These benchmarks block our bilateral relationship. They don't interest me because the ambition I have for the relationship between Algeria and France has nothing to do with what was done for decades. It's a new story that's being written," he told a news conference. "VISAS PLEASE!" Facing high unemployment, low oil prices, austerity and political uncertainty, Algeria's youth is likely to warm to Macron's call to look to the future more than the war veterans. An inter-governmental forum presided by the countries' prime ministers will take place in Paris on Thursday to discuss how to develop an economic roadmap. Economic ties between the two countries have marginally progressed since 2012 and France is now behind China as the main partner. Annual trade stands at about 8 billion euros compared with 6.36 billion five years ago. More than 400,000 Algerians are given visas for France annually, almost twice as many as in 2012. While walking near the university, young Algerians came out in force, calling out: "Visas, Please!" Highlighting just how divided opinion remains some others called out: "Go home! We don't want you here." "This morning I saw too many people simply asking me for visas. That's not a life project," Macron told reporters. Franco-Algerian relations are also a sensitive subject in France. Macron past condemnation of France's colonial rule angered many at home. "There must be no taboos between us. But there has to a be a project for the future and I think the Algerians must build their future from Algeria," Macron said responding to more questions in the streets. But the thorny issues are unlikely to disappear just yet. "Excuse me but France will have to apologise for the martyrs we lost," said a woman who gave her name as Nadia. (Writing by John Irish in Paris; additional reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tunis; Editing by Richard Lough and Richard Balmforth) ABIDJAN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will cut its armed forces by about 1,000 troops by the end of the year, the government spokesman said on Wednesday, in a bid to rationalise a costly and sometimes unruly military. Government spokesman Bruno Kone told reporters after a cabinet meeting that the 997 soldiers had accepted voluntary retirement this year as part of an initiative to conform to "accepted standards", partly by reducing the ratio of non-commissioned officers to lower ranks. Ivory Coast does not give details on the size of its military, but security sources estimate there are more than 25,000 troops in a country with a population of about 24 million. Francophone West Africa's biggest economy suffered two army mutinies this year that damaged its reputation among investors and forced the government to agree to costly pay rises. "The distribution of Ivory Coast's army is out of step with the standards accepted in modern armies," Kone said. The former French colony, once known as one of the most stable states in West Africa, is still recovering from a brief civil war fought after President Alassane Ouattara won a disputed election in 2010 but incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down. Ouattara has struggled to assert his authority over the army, which was cobbled together in an uneasy merger of the northern New Forces rebels who supported him and the professional troops who had fought against him. The soldiers being taken out of action included three senior officers, 634 non-commissioned officers and 354 regular foot soldiers, Kone said. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Andrew Heavens) By Rania El Gamal ADU DHABI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is interested in reaching a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington, the U.S. government's energy chief said on Wednesday, a step which would allow American companies to participate in the kingdom's civil nuclear programme. Saudi Arabia has invited U.S. firms to take part in developing the kingdom's atomic energy programme, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who this week visited Saudi Arabia on his first official trip to the region told Reuters that negotiations between the two allies will start soon to tackle the details of the pact - known as a 123 agreement. "We heard that message that ... 'we want the United States to be our partner in this'," Perry said, referring to discussions he had during his meetings with Falih and the top Saudi leadership. Perry met with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during his trip. But one potential sticking point could prove to be Riyadh's ambitions to have the ability of one day enriching uranium - the process for producing fissile material which can have military uses. Riyadh has said it wants to tap its own uranium resources for "self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel" and it was not interested in diverting nuclear technology to military use. But under Article 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, a peaceful cooperation agreement is required for the transfer of nuclear materials, technology and equipment. Washington usually requires a country to sign a pact that blocks it from making nuclear fuel which has potential bomb-making applications. In previous talks Saudi Arabia has refused to sign up to any agreement that would deprive it of the possibility of one day enriching uranium itself. Perry declined to comment whether that issue was raised during his visit to Saudi Arabia. "It is not for me to negotiate the deal but we have agreed to move forward ... We are going to get a negotiating team together going forward and try to hash out any details. But I feel comfortable that progress was made on that front," he said. The worlds top oil exporter says it wants nuclear power to diversify its energy supply mix, enabling it to export more crude rather than burning it to generate electricity. Riyadh sent a request for information to nuclear reactor suppliers in October in a first step towards opening a multi-billion-dollar tender competition for two nuclear power plants, and plans to award the first construction contract in 2018. Riyadh's main reason for leaving the door open to enrichment in the future may be political - to ensure the Sunni Muslim kingdom has the same potential to enrich uranium as Shi'ite Muslim Iran, industry sources and analysts say. (Reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Greg Mahlich) Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) General Secretary Arumugam Thondaman, in an interview with Daily Mirror, spoke about the current political environment and his plans to contest the elections. Following are excerpts of the interview done with Thondaman. We never ask for separate land Creation of new Pradeshiya Sabhas in N-Eliya isnt a concept of Govt Ministers Postponement of Elections affected all Our identity is Tamils of Indian Origin Cost of Living is a major issue in the estate sector I was able to understand who is who by being in the opposition I am in touch with former President Rajapaksa and also the present President How do you view the current political environment as the head of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC)? Everybody is getting ready for the local authorities election. There are different groups. There are alliances already formed or being formed. This is going to be a very interesting election. Why do you say it is going to be very interesting? The elections have been postponed over and over again. Finally, it has been declared. You will be able to see who is really popular in the country. That is why I said it is going to be an interesting election. As far as the upcountry Tamil community is concerned, how did the postponement of elections affect its members? The postponement of elections affected not only the plantion areas, but also other areas. There were no local bodies functioning. You noticed the aggravation of Dengue problems, garbage problems etc. If there were local bodies functioning, they could have handled these issues professionally. Indian channels repeatedly showed the last stages of the war. That affected the mindset of the people. Plantation people mostly watch Indian channels How severe was it in your areas? It was very severe. If you look at the Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council area, it couldnt dispose of garbage. Ultimately, I had to collect garbage and dump it in a land belonging to my party. For the first time, a new political front called the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) has emerged as an alternative to the CWC in the estate sector. It is with the Government whereas you are in the opposition. How challenging is this to you? There is no challenge to the CWC. The political front, which you mentioned, campaigned for two weeks in support of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and two weeks for President Maithripala Sirisena. At that time, there was a wave of public support in favour of President Sirisena. This alliance rode over it. You represented the previous Government. People of Indian origin voted overwhelmingly against it. In your view what created that wave of public support against Rajapaksa? That is because of Indian channels repeatedly showed the last stages of the war. That affected the mindset of the people. Plantation people mostly watch Indian channels. What was aired there affected mindsets of the people here. Tamil Nadu TV channels have attracted our people more and more. The Government maintains it delivered a lot to the people in the plantation sector. What is your view? The Government has said so many things. Actually, nothing has happened on the ground. There are certain things happening for the sake of publicity. They talk about housing. If you send a team up here, you can see the way the houses are built, and whether they are suited for living. They said they delivered the sun and the moon. That is what we hear in the media. How do you plan to contest the elections this time? I always tell the truth when campaigning. I dont blow anything out of proportion. You have always been in the Government led by whatever party. For the first time, you have been in the opposition for a long time. It is said that some Tamil Ministers serving the Government blocked you from becoming a Minister in the present Government. How true is it? I have never asked for a post. I also thought that I should learn how people think. I have been in the opposition for the past three years. I got an opportunity to learn how things happen on the ground. Earlier, with our positions, we used to only give orders. None can match the amount of work I did at that time. I am out of power. Its a good opportunity for me to know who is who. This is good. I have more time to spend with people. We have helped so many people. Now we know who is who. How do you compare and contrast the present Government with the past Government? Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave me a free hand. Before that, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga also gave me a free hand. When I was in the Government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the past, I had freedom to work. Earlier, with our positions, we used to only give orders. None can match the amount of work I did at that time. I am out of power. Its a good opportunity for me to know who is who How will you contest the elections this time? I will contest under the CWCs cockerel symbol in certain areas. In some areas, I will join hands with President Sirisena to contest with the UPFA. In Colombo, Vavuniya, Mulaituvu and Kalutara, we have an understanding with Prabha Ganeshans party to contest the elections. Did you receive any invitation from former President Rajapaksa to jointly contest the elections? I am always in touch with him. I am also in touch with the present President. Did Rajapaksa request you to contest under the Flower Bud symbol this time? No. He told me, Thonda you learned a lesson during these two years. Now you have to reestablish yourself. You do what is right for you. Both the former President and the current President told this to me. As you know, the CWC always works with the Head of State. My grandfather Saumyamurthy Thondaman also did the same as the founder leader of the party. Even for one day, I havent mentioned a ministers post to the President. We dont want a minister post to serve people. We have a big trade union well entrenched in the estate sector. What are the new political dimensions of the plantation community? Today, youngsters have come to the urban areas. They get influenced by the urban setup. Senior people know the background how the trade union commenced, how much it contributed etc. Youngsters have shifted to urban areas. The moment they shift to urban areas, they have a different outlook. They have forgotten how the trade union commenced among other things. They think you can maintain a trade union only if you have political power. That is the latest trend. The CWC can stand alone with or without political power. For others to survive, they need some form of political power. How are you planning to attract young voters again? You would see it at the end of the elections. We should never reveal plans. After the elections, I will grant you a similar interview. There is a big demand by Government Ministers Mano Ganeshan and others to create a couple of more local authorities in the Nuwara-Eliya District. How do you see it? This wasnt created by them. This was started in 1989 by my grandfather, S.B. Dissanayake and Renuka Herath. Due to some reason or other, it was put off. There was some opposition to it. There were so many negotiations later on. But, the present lot in the Government should be credited for pushing it faster this time. Today, they have the political strength to push for things. I appreciate it. One former local Government member of the Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha challenged the creation of a new local body, citing the entrance to Sripada as an objection. How do you look at it? Sripada falls under the Sabaragamuwa Province. Only the entry point to the peak is within our area. For so many years, we have received Sripada processions. Both the communities go on pilgrimage to Kataragama. Both go to Thirupathi together. What is wrong with us respecting Sripada? Only shallow minded people create problems. It is good if both the communities can participate in it. I dont know why they get so jittery about it. If you ask the Chief Incumbent of Sripada, he would tell you I organised the function to mark the arrival of Sripada procession grander. We respect it. We go there for blessings as well. In making the new Constitution, what are your proposals to ensure the political rights of Tamils of Indian origin? Our thinking is that we are Sri Lankans. All are equal. We are a minority in certain areas. Likewise, the Sinhalese are the minority in the Nuwara-Eliya District. All have to be treated equally. Whatever right you have, I must also have. That is our stand. But, what are your proposals for a political administration? Even for delimitation, it has not been done properly in certain areas. It has to be done in a manner that our representation is also ensured. In a political body, all the parties must be represented. There is a demand for greater devolution of political power for the North and the East. What would you seek? Right from the days of my grandfather, we never asked for a separate land. We live with the majority community. We have no problem with it. We are very comfortable living with the majority community. You and I go to the same place to worship. We do business together. There may be small, small issues here and there. It isnt worth even to talk about. As far as the Sripada pilgrimage is concerned, it has been going on harmoniously for long. The visit of the Head of State of India to our area is a great thing. I must thank the present Indian High Commissioner here How do you analyze the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the estate sector this year? We were very proud of it. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit us. We are people of Indian origin. Yet, we are Indians. The visit of the Head of State of India to our area is a great thing. I must thank the present Indian High Commissioner here. It was made possible because of him only. It shows how much India recognizes us. Do you want to be referred to as people of Indian origin continuously? I have to say what I am. You reveal your identity. Likewise, I have to reveal my identity. You are of Aryan origin. I am of Indian origin. In terms of reconciliation, how do you view the performances of the Government? It isnt satisfactory. It isnt up to the expectations. People brought this Government to power with huge expectations. They havent beenfulfilled. How is the performance in the economic front? There too, we find a lot of problems. The cost of living has affected our people very much. It is the main issue. It has been eleven years since the passing away of Justice P. Ramanathan who was well known to me. I recall meeting him for the first time in Kandy at the BASL second Convocation as fellow delegates. Meeting this handsome personality who had a charming smile became friends thereafter forever. Even though he was not involved in politics he had a clear view of the political situation in the country and he used to always discuss matters of political interest from which I benefitted. His political forecast was always accurate. Justice Ramanathan was educated at St Josephs College, Colombo 10 and was a Barrister-at-Law and a Bencher of the Grays Inn. He was such a simple person and ready to help so much so that when I requested for a letter of introduction for a young graduate to join Lincolns Inn, he never hesitated and readily complied with my request as the father of the young lady was also known to him. He served at the Attorney Generals Department and in 1978, mounted the Bench and became a Judge of the High Court and ascended to the Court of Appeal and thereafter to the Supreme Court. As a Judge he performed his duties without any favour and thus we never heard any criticism of his judicial work. He was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. After his retirement from the Supreme Court he was appointed Governor of the Western Province and thereafter Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University. In recognition of his dedicated services to the nation, he was honoured with the title Deshamanya the highest National Award of Sri Lanka. A past President of the Medico-Legal Association and British Scholars Association, and he also served as the President of the Rotary Club of Colombo Central in 1985/1986 during which period he rendered yeoman service to the community through Rotary, for which Rotary International gave him due recognition. He was a descendant of Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan and the son of S. Pathmanathan who was a respected director of many private and public quoted companies. Being a devout Hindu, Justice Ramanathan was also appointed a Trustee of the Sri Ponnambala Vaneswara Temple in Colombo. After his marriage, I was delighted to meet his wife Mano, an Attorney-at-Law herself, who arose to be the Senior Deputy Legal Draftsman in the Ministry of Justice, Sri Lanka, and she is the daughter of S. Saravanamuttu, an illustrious advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. When I was persuaded by Mano to be the President of the Board of Management of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya of which she was a distinguished past pupil, Justice Ramanathan being a simple person came all the way to the Lionel Wendt Theatre, where I was at that point of time to have my signature on the nomination form, as the filled-in form was urgently required, ensuring that I will not say no, and of course had his way. Having cherished and enjoyed his varied interests to the maximum, he lived a life that was full, regrets were too few to mention, but nevertheless faced it all, stood tall and of course had his way. Washington, (Hindustan Times), Dec 05, 2017 - A former top Pakistani diplomat has said that because of Indias influence and economic power, countries are unwilling to raise the issue of Kashmir at international level, including the UN. Masood Khan, former Pakistani Ambassador to the UN who is now president of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), rued that India had veto on the talks between the two South Asian neighbours. Khan is currently in Washington for what he described is part of his effort to apprise the international community about the current situation in Kashmir. India has strategic alliances with certain countries. Because of the lucrative deals that it offers to powerful countries in the West, it has practically imposed a gag order on Kashmir, Khan said on Monday in response to a question at the Atlantic Council, a top American think-tank. Khan said that because of increasing Indian influence, people here (in Washington DC), in Brussels, in London or other world capitals dont talk about Kashmir, because this would have consequences for these countries, like in terms of economic transactions, and strategic costs. Responding to questions at the thinly-attended Atlantic Council Mr. Thusitha Rajapaksa - Managing Director D. Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Naleen Weerawardena - National Sales Manager - Retail, and Mr. Upendra Gunawardhana - Senior Manager Marketing joining to light the oil lamp at the opening.On the 30th of November 2017, DSI celebrated the opening of the latest footwear outlet in Ratnapura. The new outlet can be found at No 23 of the Seneviratne Building on the Main Street of Ratnapura. The new DSI showroom offers a wide range of popular local brands - Beat, Beach Waves, AVI, Petalz, Jessica and Supersport, as well as renowned international brands including, Reebok, Puma, FILA and Red Tape. Present at the opening ceremony was Mr. Thusitha Rajapaksa, the Managing Director of D. Samson and Sons (Pvt) Ltd and other senior members of the organization. Mr. Thusitha Rajapaksa, Managing Director, D. Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd makes the first purchase at the showroom Strong tremors were felt in Delhi and NCR following a moderate earthquake in Uttarakhand on Wednesday evening. According to the Centre for Seismology, an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude was reported in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. According to European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the tremors were also felt in different parts of the country. The depth of the earthquake was 30 km. It occurred at around 8.45 pm. The epicentre is in Uttarakhand, the tremors felt in Delhi and NCR are the impulses, an official at Centre for Seismology, India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS. No loss to life or property had been noted in and around Rudraprayag till late night even as news of tremors poured in from Rudraprayag, and all other parts of the state. Initial reports from Dehradun indicate that the impact of the earthquake was not significant and a lot of people did not even feel it. According to the initial information the epicenter of the 5.5 magnitude earthquake is at Rudraprayag. No damages, or losses have been reported yet, Secretary (disaster management) Amit Negi said. The state emergency operation centres were made active as soon as the news of tremors started pouring in on Wednesday night. I have spoken to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officials. We are keeping a constant vigil on the situation, Negi said. This is the second earthquake in Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, a 3.3 magnitude quake was reported in the state. According to the state government data, in the past two years 38 small earthquakes of magnitude 5 or less have occurred in Uttarakhand. (Indian Express) Its learned that the proposed, imported Mixed Voting System, is designed to elect more than 225 parliamentarians through (First Past the Post) FPP and (Proportional Representation) PR on an adhoc 50:50 basis. The declared objective of FPP is to assign a MP from the area to be responsible for each electorate. In our view, the introduction of this complex system merely to assign central Govt. MPs to peripheral Electorates through a high cost General election exercise is preposterous, superfluous and meaningless, as it leads to, MPs usurping the main role of some 455 Provincial Councilors and of 4486 local Govt, members at grassroots level who are already unproductive. Citizen concerns will be addressed at steering committee deliberations Proposed, imported mixed voting system, is designed to elect more than 225 parliamentarians through FPP and PR systems A sum allocating a massive Rs. 3.5 billion is to be set aside for the Local Govt. elections to train and educate voters and officials under the alien Mixed Voting system Each electorate will have 44 unproductive politicians in the future! The number of local govt. members will increase by another 3,500 The latter figures work out to an average of 26 politicians for each electorate! Now, its shuddering to hear that the number of local Govt. members will increase by another 3,500to inter-alia accommodate female members. As a result, each electorate will have 44 unproductive politicians in the future!People never asked for these frightful increases in the numbers of our unproductive politicians breeding bribery and corruption at the expense of the taxpayer. Incidentally, the latest bombshell is tallocating a massive sum of Rs. 3.5 billion for the Local Govt. elections to train and educate voters and officials under the alien Mixed Voting system ignoring low cost and simple proposals by the sovereign voters. Be that as it may, a practical necessity for MPs to maintain an Umbilical cord connection with the voters at grassroots level shouldnt arise at a time the Preference Voting system stands to be abolished. Tax payers money Surely, it isnt good governance to duplicate functions on the one hand and waste tax payers money on the other, on expansion of the infrastructure to accommodate the increasing numbers of our unproductive political fraternity. The writer has submitted a comprehensive package of proposals on Electoral reforms several times during the recent past through the press with copies to Public Committee on constitutional reforms, Constitutional Assembly, Election Commission, Presidents office, PMs office a few concerned Party offices, Civil Organizations and individuals to of no avail. In essence, the proposals address the following important national imperatives triggering from our emerging political culture, which arent adequately dealt with under the imported Mixed Voting system which is practised only in 30 countries out of 213! 1) Resolving ethnic conflict by mandatory recognition of equality of all citizens of Sri Lanka as Sri Lankans bereft of race, religion or caste differences by giving an equal value to all votes at any General or Provincial Council elections buttressed with the introduction of an all-party Cabinet (35 to 40 Portfolios) based on proportionate national vote obtained by each party big or small. 2) The introduction of Grama Rajya concept acceptable to all communities by depoliticizing Local Govt. elections to allow independent persons to be elected as ward members by the local people supported by steps to increase efficiency of much maligned Public Service, Police and the judiciary. With depolitizisation, the present fiasco of delaying LG elections would never have occurred! 3) Improving the effectiveness of Provincial Councils which now remain as white-elephants by streamlining the existing Decentralized Political administration with specific allocation of functions to avoid duplication and wastage of resources. 4) Decentralized budgets for provinces to be effectively utilised by discontinuing separate allocations for MPs at the centre. 5) Hoodwinking the voter by false promises to be stopped by transforming Party Election Manifestos to legally enforceable documents. 6) Wasteful and unproductive electoral system to be replaced by simple, cost and time saving electoral reforms such as, substituting Preference Voting system with District merit lists of Parties carrying names of political professionals selected under robust national criteria leading to avoidance of Bi-elections, Hung-Parliament and Cross-overs et al. 7) Reducing exorbitant, unproductive expenditure incurred by the political fraternity by rationalising the numbers, salaries, allowances and the role responsibilities of all politicians including the Cabinet. 8) Cutting down wasteful expenditure by holding Elections on specified dates. 9) Simplifying the work-load of the Elections Dept. paving the way for Election results to be announced before mid-night. 10) Removing the draconian powers remaining, if any, of Executive Presidency while maintaining the post to deal with Provincial Governors and other executive functions to ensure enhanced productivity of the country as a whole. 11) Making Executive President a Statesman cum Caretaker by prohibiting participation in Party politics during his tenure of office. Readers will appreciate that the above proposals constitute a Model of our own anvil with Social equality, Justice, simplicity and passion for high productivity forming its Metal-Plates. Therefore, looking for examples from other countries is superfluous. At last, we are happy to learn that citizens concerns will be addressed at steering committee deliberations after the current session of the constituent assembly. We therefore, appeal to all sensible citizens, academics, politicians and civil activists to carefully study the above proposals with an open mind and persuade the authorities to dispense with the redundant and complex Mixed voting system that will breed more unproductive politicians draining the resources of our country already burdened with a colossal debt portfolio and low productivity. Complex system It is learned that the proposed, imported mixed voting system, is designed to elect more than 225 parliamentarians through FPP and PR on an adhoc 50:50 basis. The declared objective of FPP is to assign an MP from the area to be responsible for each electorate. In our view, the introduction of this complex system merely to assign central Govt. MPs to peripheral Electorates through a high cost General election exercise is preposterous, superfluous and meaningless, as it leads to, MPs usurping the main role of some 455 Provincial Councilors and of 4486 local Govt, members at grass root level who are already unproductive. The latter figures work out to an average of 26 politicians for each electorate! Now, it is shuddering to hear that the number of local Govt. members will increase by another 3,500 to inter-alia accommodate female members. As a result, each electorate will have 44 unproductive politicians in the future! People never asked for these frightful increases in the numbers of our unproductive politicians breeding bribery and corruption at the expense of the Tax-payer. Incidentally, the latest bombshell is allocating a massive sum of Rs. 3.5 billion for the Local Govt. elections to train and educate voters and officials under the alien Mixed Voting system ignoring low cost and simple proposals by the sovereign voters. Be that as it may, a practical necessity for MPs to maintain an umbilical cord connection with the grass root level voters should not arise at a time the Preference Voting system stands to be abolished. With legal issues being cleared, the Local Council Elections are now likely to be held in February with the possible date being February 10. Earlier the Elections Department had planned to hold elections to 90 councils because of a legal problem over the others and an interim stay order being issued by the Court of Appeal. Now the Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has said elections would be held on the same day to all 341 Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. Significantly, for the first time, the elections are being held on a mixed system with 60% of the candidates being elected on the First-Past-the-Post system to a particular ward and the others on the Proportional Representation (PR) System. There will be no Manape or preference votes. Another significant feature is that 25% of the seats are being reserved for women and we hope that they will play a much more dynamic role in leadership because, without the typical feminine characteristics, leadership will lack vital qualities, including integrity and honesty. Sri Lanka produced the worlds first woman Prime Minister Sirimovo Bandaranaike, and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, despite regular clashes with the mother and went on to become Sri Lankas first woman Executive President. Up to now, most women have come into politics mainly through family political connections. We hope that in future women intellectuals and rural women with leadership qualities will be encouraged to come into Local Government and national politics. On the party political side, reports say a dead end has been reached in the reconciliation talks between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Joint Opposition (JO) led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to reports, President Maithripala Sirisena had earlier given his blessings to the unity talks initiated by senior SLFP members. But the talks have collapsed with the SLFP now deciding to go it alone under the hand symbol or the betel leaf symbol. The Rajapaksa faction has formed a new Sri Lanka Podujana Party with its front-liner Basil Rajapaksa claiming the new party and its allies could win up to 200 councils. President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, with the intention of working together at least till 2020 and perhaps till the economic goals of Vision 2025 are achieved, have held talks to strengthen ties between the two main parties. For instance, Mr. Wickremesinghe has told UNPers not to be critical of the President. The UNP and the SLFP have differences over some major economic issues the Hambantota Port Project, the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms and the liberalisation of the marine industry. More consultations, compromises and consensus on these issues will be good because the two major parties are working together for the first time since independence and the road ahead will be like climbing a mountain. But great events take place at mountain tops where we may see the creation of a peaceful, just and all-inclusive society when the impoverished people will have their dignity restored and also have a say in decision making. BAABDA AFP Dec5, 2017-Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Tuesday that he had withdrawn his resignation, a month after his shock announcement that he was quitting sparked political upheaval. The announcement brought some respite to Lebanon, which had been gripped by fears of new political and economic instability in a country driven by deep divisions and caught up in regional rivalries. Minutes after Hariris announcement, Paris said the Lebanese premier would attend talks Friday in France on the situation in Lebanon, which US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will also attend. The council of ministers thanks the prime minister for rescinding his resignation, Hariri said, reading from a cabinet statement issued after its first meeting since his return two weeks ago. Hariri announced he was stepping down on November 4 in a televised address from Saudi Arabia, a move widely seen as part of the boiling tensions between the Saudi kingdom -- a long-time Hariri backer -- and its regional rival Iran. In his resignation, Hariri lambasted Tehran and its Lebanese ally, the powerful armed movement Hezbollah, for destabilising his country and the Middle East. He later said he would consider coming back as premier if Hezbollah stopped intervening in regional conflicts, including the wars in Syria and Yemen. In recent days, consultations across the political spectrum have sought to find a compromise between the Saudi-backed camp led by Hariri, and Hezbollahs Iran-backed bloc. On Tuesday, Lebanons cabinet, which includes both blocs, reaffirmed its official policy of disassociation, or remaining neutral in regional conflicts. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday voiced grave and deep concern over possible US plans to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, saying the move could have serious implications for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. President Donald Trump faces a key decision this week over Jerusalems status, potentially reversing years of US policy and prompting a furious response from the Palestinians and the Arab world. Saudi Arabia (expresses) grave and deep concern over reports that the US administration intends to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing a foreign ministry source. This step will have serious implications and will further complicate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It will also obstruct the ongoing efforts to revive the peace process. The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contentious issues of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Facing dark warnings of a historic misstep and widespread unrest, Trump on Monday delayed a decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and move the US embassy there. The White House said Trump would miss a deadline to decide on shifting the embassy from Tel Aviv, after a frantic 48 hours of public warnings from allies and private phone calls between world leaders. The mercurial president has yet to make his final decision, officials said, but is expected to stop short of moving the embassy to Jerusalem outright, a central campaign pledge which has been postponed once already by the new administration. -RIYADH AFP Dec5, 2017 GWP growth hits Rs.23bnLife Rs.9.2bn and General Rs.14.1bn Total claims paid during the quarter tops Rs.11.5bn PBT at Rs.10.6bn; PAT unadjusted for life insurance surplus at Rs. 9.5bn Risk based capital adequacy ratio way over regulatory minimum Sri Lanka Insurance, the leading insurance company in the island, has put up a strong performance for the period ending September 30, 2017. Announcing an excellent third quarter performance for 2017, SLI Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya said the company recorded a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs.10.6 billion and a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 9.5 billion for the period. The latter figure was before transferring to the Life Fund while Rs.2.09 billion was recorded as profit after tax attributable to shareholders. Both life and general insurance contributed to this sound performance of the company with the life Insurance sector reporting Rs. 8.7 billion as PBT and Rs.7.9 billion as PAT.The general sector achieved Rs.1.9 billion in PBT and Rs. 1.5 billion in PAT. The company leads the general insurance sector with a 21.4 percent market share while coming second in the life sector. The gross written premium (GWP) for the period was Rs.23.3 billion of which Rs. 9.2 billion came from the life business and Rs.14.1 billion from general. SLI reported a net written premium of Rs.19.3 billion with life and general contributing Rs.9.1 billion and Rs. 10.3 billion respectively. The company achieved an investment income of Rs.9.2 billion with Rs.7.8 billion and Rs.1.3 billion being attributed respectively to life and general sectors. The company stood in the forefront when it came to honouring claims to its policyholders. Claims worth Rs.4.9 billion were paid to life policyholders during the period under review while Rs.6.5 billion was paid as claims to general policyholders, making up a total of Rs. 11.5 billion in claims paid. The risk based capital adequacy ratio, of which the minimum requirement is 120 percent, was maintained at 427 percent by SLI Life and 195 percent by SLI General. SLIs assets base, which is the largest in the local insurance industry, continued to grow during the period under review, recording Rs.187 billion of which Rs.118 billion was from Life Insurance and Rs.68 billion from general insurance. According to Amarasuriya, SLI also has the largest life fund in the industry of Rs.99 billion. SLI was assigned AA+(lka) National Long-Term Rating and AA+(lka) National Insurer Financial Strength Rating by Fitch this August. Conducting of Asian Packaging Federation (APF) events in Sri Lanka this year is of great significance to the packaging fraternity in our country as the incumbent President of Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging (SLIP), Rohan Victoria who is the senior Vice President of APF is expected to be elected as the next President of the Federation and will assume duties from 1st January 2018. Rohan Victoria will be the third person from Sri Lanka to adorn this Prestigious position as the President of the Asian Packaging Federation.. Out of the member organizations of the APF from 16 countries - Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan around 30 delegates from 9 countries in the Asia-pacific region have already registered to attend the annual events this year at Galadari Hotel from 10th to 14th December. This years annual events include meetings of three working committees two of which will be chaired my Dharmatilake Ratnayake, a past President of Asian Packaging Federation and the Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging. The meeting of the Board of Administration and the General Assembly of the Federation is scheduled to be held on 13th December. The grand finale of these events will be the Asia Star2017/Lanka Star Awards Presentation on 13th December at the Grand Ball Room commencing at 7.00 p.m. The Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging is making arrangements to felicitate a senior and a world recognized member of the Sri Lankan Packaging industry Dharmatilake Ratnayake , a past President of the Institute and the Asian Packaging Federation and also a past Vice President of the World Packaging Organization (WPO) during the awards presentation for being honoured by the WPO by conferring him Lifetime Achievement in Packaging Award 2017 on May 2017 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Ven. Anandasiri was assassinated during a time when the country was ravaged by a war against terrorism and an uprising by the JVP The recent focus on the Yala National Park being overcrowded takes the minds of wildlife enthusiasts to the 20th century, the time when it was a pleasure to go on a safari in anyone of the islands 26 national parks. This was a time when Buddhist devotees trekked through the jungles of Kutumbigala to Kataragama, on pilgrimage. There are also records of a forest dwelling monk by the name of Ven. Thambugala Anandasiri inspiring the villagers to go on pilgrimage and even joining them on most occasions. Memorable moments of the priests jungle travels have been included in a two-book series titled 25 Years of Life in the Jungle, which was published by Dayawansa Jayakody & Company. As much as Ven. Anandasiri was a great exponent of the Dhamma, he was also well-aware of the jungle habitat and ways of the wild animals. He came to reside in the Kutumbigala jungles in 1954 and took great effort to clean and make conducive for living several ancient caves. During these times the jungles in the east of Sri Lanka werent very populated, hence wild animals were virtually undisturbed. The monk, during these travels, came across elephants, crocodiles, Pangolins, bear and different kinds of leopards, but there was never an occasion during these times of this monks life (1930-1989) that he had been harmed by any wild animal. Ven. Anandasiri in the book states that he practised the Dhamma and the Dhamma in return protected him. Coexistence between humans and animals The book gives us an insight into the subtle unwritten laws of the jungle which help immensely in the coexistence between humans and animals in the wilderness. According to him there had been occasions when he had spoken kind words to animals and even avoided confronting them to ensure peace exists. He also talks about animals not showing the tendency to be aggressive when they see the ochre coloured robe of a monk. He based himself at Kutumbigala and there soon was a small committee (Kapakaru mandalaya) established to look into the needs of the handful of forest dwelling monks who resided there. At the beginning he was alone and had the habit of reciting the Sathipattana Suthra and offering merit to God Skanda with the motive of obtaining protection, before going to sleep in the night. A few days later in a dream a man with a giant body emerged and taught him the stanza Ithipiso bhagawa which is used by Buddhists to dispel fears during challenging times. There are ample instances in the book when the reciting of the first few words of this stanza had brought results. 25 Years of Life in the Jungle, which was published by Dayawansa Jayakody & Company The Lenama Leopard Unlike today, where even the ferocious leopards in the wild are harassed by jeep drivers, this was a time when the cats roamed freely. The priest says in the book that the biggest leopards had been seen in the wilds of Lenama, an area which fell within the boundaries of Panama. The priest says that the Lenama leopard never flees when he sees a human and compared to other cats isnt ferocious. It is these leopards who are said to have wiped out an entire generation of veddas who lived in Lenama. Ven. Anandasiri Thera cultivated close relationships with the villagers of Panama. This village, during the time of the priest, was populated by Sinhalese people. But most of the men folks placed their beliefs in voodoo and witchcraft. The priest was able to convert most of them to Buddhism. A key feature in the society that helped the priest to teach them Dhamma is their culture of respecting elders, a habit which is present even today! Kutumbigala National Park Ven. Anandasiri was known as a revolutionary. He encountered some opposition when he sought membership in the order of forest dwelling monks. But the monk who spearheaded this movement, Ven. Kadavadduwe Jinawamsa, saw Ven. Anandasiris potential and allowed him to join the clan of monks who operated under the Samathawa umbrella. Much later in years Ven. Anandasiri reached a milestone in monkhood when he was successful in getting the Kutumbigala National Park gazetted on September 8th 1973. This move immensely helped in the nurturing of the Kutumbigala Forest Hermitage, where the monk resided. Obtaining National Park status also helped Kutumbigala protect its valuable trees and herbs. The ability in villagers to using herbs for treatment underscores the presence of traditional healing methods in Sri Lanka, which was not mixed with the Indian Ayurveda system, which entered the country much later. Kutumbigala belongs to Kumana which is one of six villages that make up Panama Paththuwa. According to the priest there are 58 Buddhist worship sites in Panama. There were occasions when Ven. Anandasiri came across hunters and people involved in illicit activities such as graphite mining. He always preached Dhamma to those who were willing to listen. With those involved in illicit activities and who didnt wish to be reformed he maintained a didnt see, didnt hear approach. A key characteristic in the priest was that he was naturally friendly. The words he selected to speak often oozed with kindness. There are records where he had subdued ferocious animals merely by speaking kindly to them. Despite his travels and the many sermons that he made to propagate the Dhamma, Ven. Anandasiri always set aside time to meditate and reflect within. He was in all sense a true forest dwelling monk. Ven. Kadavadduwe Jinawamsa, saw Ven. Anandasiris potential and allowed him to join the clan of monks who operated under the Samathawa umbrella Assassination Once the monk took a group to the lagoon in Salawa Forest. After spending some time at the lagoon the members of the group had started to meditate on the banks of the lagoon. After about two hours the priest had adjourned his meditation, a practice he observed given that he was in the jungle and animals approached people, regardless whether they slept, meditated or travelled. The priests had then seen a crocodile closing in on one of the member of the group who fast asleep. Seeing the priest walking briskly up to the person who was asleep, the crocodile panicked and slid back into the waters. The priest had told the group that those who live by the religion are protected by it and also obtain the power to see. Ven. Anandasiri had no enemies. His close associates state that he was a Buddha aspirant. Author Prof. Michael Carrithers has set aside a chapter for Ven. Anandasiri in his much acclaimed book The forest monks of Sri Lanka. In the mid 1980s the priest was forced to leave his forest hermitage in Kutumbigala and head to Monaragala due to the ongoing commotion in the east during this period. Despite being so humble and having a revered status bestowed upon him, a group of unknown gunmen shot him dead on October 3rd 1989. The remains of Ven. Anandasiri were cremated at the Borella Cemetery on October 6th. The ability in villagers to using herbs for treatment underscores the presence of traditional healing methods in Sri Lanka, which was not mixed with the Indian Ayurveda system, which entered the country much later The wordings on the back cover of the book describes the monks assassins as a group of people who werent accustomed to any religious practice and didnt have the habit of doing good deeds. Ven. Anandasiri was a good example of how to live life in keeping with Buddhas teachings. His life also underscores the core message of The Enlightened One that all good things come with an expiry date. Washington, (AFP),04.Dec 2017 - US President Donald Trump on Monday officially endorsed the candidacy of embattled Republican Senate hopeful Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women including one who was 14 at the time. Trump had previously characterized the allegations against Moore as very troubling before changing tack and warning voters in Moores home state of Alabama that a victory for his Democratic rival Doug Jones would be a disaster! On Monday he telephoned the 70-year-old Christian conservative to offer his formal backing ahead of the December 12 special election in the right-leaning southern state, the White House said. The president had a positive call with Judge Roy Moore during which they discussed the state of the Alabama Senate race and the president endorsed Judge Moores campaign, said principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah. Oops....! We couldn't find that... 404 error Unfortunately the page you were looking for could not be found. It may be temporarily unavailable, moved or no longer exist. Check the URL you entered for any mistakes and try again. Alternatively, search for whatever is missing or take a look around the rest of our site. Payments bank will use local banking correspondents to help customers in depositing and withdrawing money from their Paytm Payments Bank account. New Delhi: Paytm Payments Bank on Tuesday said it will set up one lakh 'Paytm Ka ATMs' across the country to enable its customers to transact on its platform. The payments bank will use local banking correspondents to help customers in depositing and withdrawing money from their Paytm Payments Bank account. In the first phase, Paytm has started with 3,000 such points in select cities including Delhi NCR, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Aligarh. The company has also introduced a dedicated 'Bank' section on the Paytm app where it has made available a range of banking services including payments, digital debit card, passbook, help and support among others. Paytm Payments Bank has already committed Rs 3,000 crore, to be invested over the next three years, to expand offline distribution network by allowing local partners to act as potential cash-in and cash-out points. "The Paytm Ka ATM banking outlets is our step towards ensuring every Indian has access to banking facilities. This will enable our customers to visit their trusted neighbourhood outlet to open their bank account, deposit and withdraw cash, in addition to getting their Aadhaar linked," Paytm Payments Bank MD and CEO Renu Satti said. DMRL or Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, a part of DRDO, manufactures complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems. Hyderabad: In tune with the ongoing strategic relations India and Vietnam, state-run miner NMDC is expected to enter into a deal with Hanoi-based Masan Resources to acquire a minority stake in a tungsten mine in the Southeast Asian nation. We have got clearance from the Ministry (of Steel) (for the MoU). We are going to have an MoU with Masan Resources very soon... Then the due diligence will be done. After that we will take a call on whether to invest (in the mine) and if yes how much. We have a JV partnership with Midhani. DMRL will be supporting in the form of funding the due diligence, said NMDC director (production) P.K. Satpathy. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event held to announce the companys diamond jubilee celebrations. DMRL or Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, a part of DRDO, manufactures complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems. Apart several general industrial applications, tungsten is also used for radiation shielding and missiles, making this metal of strategic importance to India. Foreign portfolio investors held 68.83 per cent in the company as on September 30, 2017. (Photo: AFP) Mumbai: The Reserve Bank has allowed foreign investors to raise their stake in micro finance lender Bharat Financial Inclusion as the applicable limit has gone below the threshold limit. The aggregate foreign shareholding by foreign portfolios investors (FPIs) under Portfolio Investment Scheme in Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited has gone below the prescribed threshold caution limit, Reserve Bank (RBI) said in a notification. "Hence, the restrictions placed on the purchase of shares of the above company are withdrawn with immediate effect," the RBI said. Foreign portfolio investors held 68.83 per cent in the company as on September 30, 2017, the BSE data showed. Promoter shareholding in the company stands at 1.65 per cent. FIIs, NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) can invest in primary and secondary capital markets in India through PIS. RBI monitors ceilings on FII/NRI/PIO investments in Indian companies on a daily basis. It has fixed the cut-off points two percentage points lower than the actual ceiling. Bharat Financial Inclusion stock traded 0.20 per cent down at Rs 992.75 on BSE. Mumbai: The RBI on Wednesday said that the recapitalisation plan announced by the government to shore up the balance sheet of public sector banks (PSBs) would be accompanied by governance reforms including the sale of non-core assets. Governance reforms for all PSBs will also feature as part of the plan. This will be a reform and recap package and not just recap package so as to ensure that these money is used to strengthen PSB balancesheets and that we dont sow seeds of the next boom and bust cycle of lending, said Urjit Patel. He added that the final details would be announced soon by the finance department. In October, the government announced Rs 2.1 lakh crore capital infusion plan for ailing public sector banks that includes Rs 1.35 lakh crore through issue of bonds, Rs 18,000 crore from the Budget and the remaining Rs 58,000 crore through share sales. Mr Patel informed that the RBI is working closely with the government to finalise the extend of funding to be raised by banks and the amount of recapitalisation bonds to be placed on banks balance sheet as governments equity contribution. However, he added that the plan would be differentiated across banks. In particular, the recap bonds will be front loaded for banks that have managed their balance sheet strength more prudently and can use injected capital to lend besides providing for legacy asset losses, he added. Cryptocurrency hit a record high of just under $11,800, stoking fears that a rapidly swelling bubble could burst in a spectacular fashion. Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday reiterated its concerns about Bitcoins, just days after the cryptocurrency hit a record high of just under $11,800, stoking fears that a rapidly swelling bubble could burst in a spectacular fashion. The RBI said it wanted to reinforce its previous message to users, holders and traders of Virtual Currencies (VCs) including Bitcoins regarding the potential economic, financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks associated in dealing with such VCs. The statement was issued after the cryptocurrency, which trades 24 hours a day and seven days a week, climbed as high as $11,799.99 on the Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange on Sunday. The RBI had previously said those trading in virtual currencies were doing so at their own risk, given that the central bank has not given a licence or authorisation for any company to deal in such cryptocurrencies. Mumbai: Sonam Kapoor will be present at the 14th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) that kick-starts today. As the brand ambassador of a watch brand, the actress will be one of the presenters of the award at the fest. To add to her happiness, the Kapoor girl will be rubbing shoulders with none other than Cate Blanchett. The two-time Academy Award winner actor is heading the jury for the sixth edition of the IWC Filmmaker Award. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor is looking forward to meeting her favourite actress. According to the source quoted in Mid-Day, "As an actor, she has always been an admirer of Cate's work. She is looking forward to discussing cinema and fashion, her two greatest passions, with Cate." Sonam will walk the red carpet at the opening ceremony this evening. Excited about the event, the Neerja star Sonam said, "I look forward to meeting all the beautiful women from all walks of life at the event." Besides Sonam, Irrfan Khan will be in attendance at Dubai Film Festival. The Hindi Medium actor will be at the receiving end of DIFF Honorary award for his contribution to the world of cinema. On work front, Sonam Kapoor is looking forward to the release of her next 'Padman' with Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte in January 2018 and 'Veere Di Wedding' with Swara Bhaskar and Kareena Kapoor Khan in May next year. Hugh Jackman will be next seen in a musical drama, 'The Greatest Showman'. Mumbai: Every actor in his or her lifetime wants to suit up and do action sequences like '007' James Bond. And then there is Hugh Jackman, who rejected the role of the special MI6 detective because of a reason that maybe taken as something 'unbelievable'. According to an interview with a leading U.S. publication, Jackman rejected the role of James Bond because he felt the scripts had become 'unbelievable and crazy', reports Contactmusic.com. The actor noted, "I was about to do 'X-Men 2' and a call came from my agent asking if I'd be interested in Bond. I just felt at the time that the scripts had become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real. And the response was, 'Oh, you don't get a say. You just have to sign on." Ultimately, though, what turned Jackman away from pursuing the role was the potential demands of two blockbuster roles. "I was also worried that between Bond and 'X-Men',' I'd never have time to do different things," noted Jackman. Hugh explained that for a portion of his career, he worried about being pigeon-holed as an actor. But, the main reason for saying no to the role was that he wanted to prove his versatility as a performer. "I always tried to do different things. But there was a time between 'X-Men 3' and the first Wolverine movie when I could see the roles getting smaller. People wanted me to play that kind of hero part exclusively. It felt a little bit claustrophobic," explained Jackman. It should be noted Daniel Craig will play the role for presumably his final time in the thus-far untitled 'Bond 25', that starts shooting early next year. Hugh Jackman will be next seen in a musical drama, 'The Greatest Showman', alongside Zac Efron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, and Rebecca Ferguson. It releases on December 20 in US. Meanwhile, a proposal to take action against the gym to avoid any untoward incident in the future was sent to the RDO Malkajgiri division. Hyderabad: Rachakonda police on Tuesday seized Anils Gym in Neredmet after the gym owner was arrested by the Neredmet police for misbehaving with a woman who was attending the gym. The accused, Banda Bhasker, was arrested earlier and sent to remand. A 27-year-old private employee, who had joined the gym filed a complaint with the police that Bhasker was touching her inappropriately under the guise of training and when she questioned his intentional advances, he abused her and threatened her to get out of the gym. While investigating on her complaint, cops found that there were many women enrolled in the gym whom he would take to the terrace for training and watch them while they worked out. A case was booked against him and he was arrested. It was also found that Bhasker did not comply with the instructions issued by the Rachakonda police commissioner to all gyms to comply with them regarding safety issues. Meanwhile, a proposal to take action against the gym to avoid any untoward incident in the future was sent to the RDO Malkajgiri division. After verifying the facts, the RDO issued orders to seize the gym. Hyderabad: Cybercrime police arrested a 25-year-old techie for harassing his former colleague by posting abusive content against her on social media. The suspect was identified as Sandeep Kumar Gupta Perumalla, a native of Chennai. According to police, the victim lodged a complaint with the cybercrime sleuths stating that her friends, colleagues and relatives were receiving abusive mails and messages from an unknown person. The victim also said that she found a few blogs created in her name, along with her mobile number and also the details of her husband and father. Police on inquiry found that the mails and messages were sent by a Chennai-based person and he was traced. Both of them were colleagues in a software firm, where the victim had worked earlier. He created a fake Facebook account on her name and started sending abusive messages to her contacts. He even uploaded her picture and mentioned her contact number in an adult dating site, stating her as a call girl, said Ms Janaki Sharmila, DCP (Crimes) Cyberabad. The accused was apprehended and sent to judicial remand. The encounter took place at 7 am in a forested part of Kalled village, in Sironcha tehsil, when a squad of C-60 commandos, members of Maharashtras special anti-Maoist police unit, were out on an anti-Maoist operation. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Five women and two men suspected to be Maoists were killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Wednesday. The police recovered two self-loading rifles, two .303 rifles and some bags from their possession. C-60 commandos were patrolling the dense Zinganur forest area when they came under fire. The resulting exchange of fire led to the death of seven Maoists, said a senior official of the Gadchiroli Police. The persons killed are suspected to have been members of the Local Organising Squad of the Sironcha. Their bodies were later shifted to Gadchiroli. The encounter took place at 7 am in a forested part of Kalled village, in Sironcha tehsil, when a squad of C-60 commandos, members of Maharashtras special anti-Maoist police unit, were out on an anti-Maoist operation. The letter, addressed to all parents and signed by principal Sharmila Nath, voiced that the school shared the parents' concern about their children. (Photo: ANI) Kolkata: GD Birla School in south Kolkata where a four-year-old was sexually assaulted last week allegedly by two teachers now in custody is in a deeper mess. Principal Sharmila Nath sent out a letter to all parents of the school on December 2 explaining the reason why the school was shut for an indefinite period. Unfortunately, and contrary to all practical and ethical standards, she mentioned the name of the four-year-old girl who was assaulted. The letter, addressed to all parents and signed by principal S Nath, voiced that the school shared the parents' concern about their children. Later, the letter mentioned that the case of (name of child) was under investigation by the police. The naming of the victim in a case as sensitive as this has left parents of the school's students shocked. The school spokesperson, Subhash Mohanty, said it was unfortunate that the name of the child had been revealed. He justified it as an accident, resulting out of the stress that every person is in due to the situation. Read also: Ex-students of Kolkata school detail abuse after sex assault of child He was, however, more worried about the legal implications this might have rather than the effect it might have on the child. The school authorities had earlier denied all allegations, terming the incident 'a small mischief'. The concerned teachers were sacked on Sunday, according to a statement from the school. Situation intensified in Kolkata as the police lathicharged on a gathering of protesting parents, demanding the arrest of the accused. (Photo: Abhijit Mukherjee) Kolkata: Principal of G D Birla School Sharmila Nath was questioned by the police on Tuesday, for disclosing the name of the sexually assaulted four-year-old student in a letter she sent to nearly 4,000 parents of the school. The storm, however, continues to brew as staff member of another school -- this time M P Birla -- was arrested on Monday night in connection with the sexual assault of a three-year-old student twice. Manoj, the arrested staff member, is charged with molesting the student once in June, and once in September. Also read: Kolkata student sex assault: Principal reveals victim name; school says 'accident' Parents of the child had made an official complain to the police, but the arrest was made recently, following demonstrations by other parents in lieu with the sexual assault of a four-year-old in G D Birla School. The situation intensified as the police lathicharged on a gathering of protesting parents in front of M P Birla school, demanding the arrest of Manoj. In a statement made on the Facebook page of Kolkata Police, however, it has been claimed that the lathicharge was strictly in order to control the unruly mob, which in addition to blocking a vital traffic passage, were not allowing students and teachers of the school to leave campus. "The mob got into the school buses and conducted searches, so that no teacher leaves the campus. Such violent behaviour disturbed and traumatized the students. To stop the mob from scaring the children, the police decided to remove the gathering forcefully," the statement read. Several protest programmes were also undertaken by various students and civil society groups in the city, demanding justice for the victims. One such event, slated to happen on December 8, is also demanding the arrest of Manjushree Khaitan, grand-daughter of Ghanshyam Das Birla and owner of the school. The Council for School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), in a circular issued on December 4, has made it mandatory for all schools to install CCTV cameras within two weeks. "We are upgrading the safety manual for schools, but for the time being they will have to adhere to the measures specified in the circular," said Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief executive of CISCE, according to reports. KOLLAM: Relatives of NRIs, languishing in jails in Oman, alleged apathy by the Indian Embassy in effectively intervening for their release even after the government there had eased punishment for those who have neared completion of the jail term. Several innocent people have been trapped as they lacked proper legal aid, they allege. The prisoners in jail in Muscat, Oman are eligible to get released in accordance with the law of the land as they have completed nearly 75 per cent of their jail term. The Indian Embassy is apathetic towards these prisoners and their laxity has denied freedom to these men who were trapped in various cases, said N. Jayachandran who has been waging a legal battle for the release of the victims. Shajahan from Thiruva-nanthapuram and Santh-osh from Alappuzha are in jail in Muscat for nearly 20 years. According to the law in Oman, if the convicted has completed 75 per cent of their jail term, the respective native countries can apply for their release. However, the Indian Embassy, though contacted repeatedly, refused to intervene for their release, the relatives of Shajahan alleged. Shajahan and Santhosh who were working in a shop in Oman had loaned their neighbours hailing from another country an electric cutter. This cutter, without the knowledge of the duo, was used to loot a bank and a security guard was murdered in the attempt. The duo was also nabbed and convicted for 20 years of imprisonment. Similar is the case of many who were trapped in various crimes without their direct involvement, said Mr Jayachandran. Abdul Manaf from Kannimelcheri in Kavan-adu has completed 9 years of his 10 year term while cases of Navas from Kothamangalam in Ernakulam, Surendran from Kunnel Colony in Alappuzha, Bharathan of Cherumala House, Kodu-vally in Kozhikkode, and Shiju from Vettoor in Varkala are no different. The relatives allege lack of proper legal aid, which is to be initiated by the Embassy, has worsened the situation. The Embassy authorities work for renewing passports of expatriates and sending dead bodies back to India, and nothing more, they alleged. The T-59 Tank, one among the 37 Pakistani tanks destroyed in the night of December 4 / 5, 1971, Longewala Battle, by the 23rd Punjab regiment and IAF, on display at the site museum. Chennai: Rewinding 46 years and assaying to visualise the supreme bravery of 120 Indian soldiers who defended India's borders in the cold December desert night at Longewala, a border town in the Thar Desert in western Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) is something spine chilling, literally. The Indian soldiers ran from bunker to bunker, lobbing grenades at the approaching enemy forces and laying mines blowing tanks. Chinese-made tanks used by Pakistan ended up in smoke when the 23rd battalion of the Punjab regiment, initially startled at the hushed activity, decided to respond to the crisis by taking on the aggressor. Indian Army's 23rd battalion, Punjab Regiment, commanded by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, who was honoured with Mahavir Chakra, is the hero of the Battle of Longewala. He led his men to a brilliant victory despite his superiors giving him either or option of remaining firm or beating a hasty retreat in the night. "And it was not an easy task to decide to taken on over 2,000 Pakistani soldiers who were fully equipped. Pakistan appeared to have chosen full moon (pournami) night to capture Indian territory right upto Jaisalmer from Longewala," a major guarding the post at Longewala explained. The small group of journalists from Chennai who were taken to the frontier position in Rajasthan by the PIB, recently, were greeted by an uncanny silence as the friendly Major paused. Before the officer could commence his terse narration pointing out at the captured Pakistan tanks that are still preserved in the Longewala war memorial, the visiting team sought to know if there would be shelling from across the border. "No," he replied. "Things have been quiet in this desert region but we are not taking any chances. We continue to maintain vigil and are in an advantageous position," he added. Many of us heaved a sigh of relief! Though walking is rather difficult on the smooth sandy surface, one could not imagine how the soliders ran from one bunker to another or even dared to lay mines and blew up the advancing tanks. For south Indians, especially those from TN, with about 1,076 km coastline and three seas lapping the shores, it is pretty difficult to imagine the troubles faced by the people in states like Rajasthan which has borders with a hawkish Pakistan - though the same could be said for any north Indian for that matter when it comes to the travails of the TN fishermen who frequently face problems at sea. Thankfully, Ockhi eclipsed the Lankan coast guard firing incidents and highlighted the yeoman service rendered by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Indian Air Force in the search and rescue operation - Sahayam, in the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands. The Pakistani plan to reach Longewala, Ramgarh and Jaisalmer was frustrated by the Indian Army despite Pakistan launching the offensive at 12:30 am of December 4, 1971. Only next morning the Indian Air Force was able to direct HF-24 Maruts and Hawker Hunter aircraft to assist the Indian soldiers. Pakistan's Sherman tanks and T-59 Type 59 Chinese tanks are displayed at the memorial. The Longewala War Museum at Jaisalmer, like the battle memorial is a huge draw. Several hundreds of Indian and foreign tourists visit the sites on a daily basis. And in the vicinity, the Tanot Mata temple, where the BSF has established its outpost, is another sensitive spot that keeps the BSF constantly on their toes. Despite the pressures, the Indian Army and BSF men are cordial in receiving the Indian visitors and allowing the tourists to enjoy the eerie silence on desert sands. Chennai or madras too has fair share of glorious role in wars Chennai or Madras as it was known in the past, too has its fair share of glorious role in World Wars and also the Indo-Pak wars. The Victory War Memorial, south of the historic Fort St George near the 13-km-long Marina beach, was originally built to commemorate the victory of the allied armies during World War I (1914-1918) and later became the victory war memorial for World War II (1939-1945), erected in the memory of those from the Madras Presidency who lost their lives in the wars. Later, it included inscriptions of 1948 Kashmir Aggression, 1962 War with China and the Indo-Pakistan War. This circular rock and marble structure was constructed in the area that formerly housed the coastal belfry. It was formerly called the Cupid's bow. The Madras War Cemetery and memorial in Nandambakkam, here, was established to receive Wo-rld War II graves from many civil and cantonment cemeteries in the south and east of India where their permanent maintenance could not be assured. The cemetery contains 856 Commonwealth burials of the World War II and was established in 1952 by the Imperial War Graves Commission, now known as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), to pay tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in World War II. It is currently maintained by the CWGC in partnership with Government of India. It is located on Mount-Poonamallee Road, Nandambakkam, about 5 km from the airport and 1 km from St Thomas Mount. The cemetery is open to the public. War memorial or museums can be excellent spots to attract tourists and to educate and inform them about the heroic deeds in the past. Such structures not only extol the greatness of the region but also make one proud. "The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Kapil Sibal ji," Modi said. (Photo: PTI/File) Netrang (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for disassociating themselves from the statement of senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal in connection with the long-standing Ayodhya matter. The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Kapil Sibal ji, the Prime Minister said while addressing a public gathering here. The board on Wednesday disassociated itself from the statement made by Sibal, who had been representing it in the Supreme Court. "Yes, Kapil Sibal is our lawyer, but he is also related to a political party. His statement in the court yesterday was wrong. We want a solution to the issue at the earliest. We have got nothing to do with his statement," Haji Mehboob associated with the Sunni Waqf Board said. Reacting to PM's remarks, Sibal said "PM did not check the fact that actually I never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court. And yet he thanked Sunni Waqf Board for a statement on the basis that I represented them. Request PM to be a little more careful". "Please address the concerns of India. Don't divide the people of our country like this. You may win perhaps in your mind, but you will lose badly and India will lose if you only care about yourself not India," he added. Sibal had on Tuesday, demanded for the next hearing in the case to be held only in July 2019 after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls, citing political ramifications. The Supreme Court deferred hearing in the case for February 8, 2018. Following this, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Amit Shah, in a press briefing, took potshots at the Congress Party and Vice President Rahul Gandhi, for adopting 'double standard' in the matter. The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528. The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque. Citing this, Hindu zealots demolished the mosque on December 6, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday allowing concealed carry gun permits to be valid in any state that issues permits. There are 10 states that do not recognize out-of-state concealed carry permits. Most of those states have a higher level of requirements for the issue of permits. Permit holders in California, for example, must demonstrate a specific need for a concealed carry permit for local law enforcement officials. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act cleared the House with a 231-198 vote, including a vote in favor cast by Montanas lone congressman, Rep. Greg Gianforte, who is also one of the bills 213 co-sponsors. Montana requires concealed carry permit holders to have some type of firearms training such as a hunters safety course, and to undergo a background check performed by county sheriff's offices. Permits from 43 states are recognized in Montana, including all 10 states that do not recognize any out-of-state permits. Vermont does not issue concealed carry permits. According to the Montana Office of the Attorney Generals website, several states Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia do not require background checks for concealed carry permit applicants. Those permits are not recognized in Montana. Montanas concealed carry permits are not recognized by eight states in addition to the 10 that do not accept out-of-state concealed carry permits. I will always defend Montanans Second Amendment rights, and I am proud to have co-sponsored the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act," Gianforte said in a press statement. "The bill ensures that law-abiding Montanans keep their right to bear arms when they cross state lines. He encouraged Senate members to pass the bill. Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines is one of 39 co-sponsors of the Senate version of the bill. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox joined 22 other attorneys general in a letter to Congressional leadership supporting the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act last week. Foxs office is charged with determining whether out-of-state permits adhere to Montana legal requirements for reciprocity. He endorsed the House bill that would allow the carrying of firearms in Montana by permit holders from the five states without reciprocity and the District of Columbia. Individuals who obtain concealed carry permits are, by and large, the most responsible gun owners in our communities, said Fox in an emailed statement. Self-defense is the primary reason to obtain a concealed carry permit, and is a central component of the Second Amendment. "Nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permits would provide our nations most responsible gun owners the assurance that their right to self-defense under the Second Amendment is recognized, regardless of which state they are in," he added. In some areas of Montana the number of concealed carry permit applications has fallen in recent years. The number of permits issued in Yellowstone County peaked in 2016 at 2,053. As of November 2017, 1,323 permit applications had been processed, according to Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder. Linder is confident in the background checks performed in Montana. He has some concerns with the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. I dont think its a good idea for Montana, simply because I dont know what kind of background checks are done in other states, he said. A panel formed by the Delhi government to look into the case on Tuesday found Max Hospital guilty of not following prescribed medical norms in dealing with newborn infants. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: A premature baby, who was delivered in Max Hospital and wrongly declared dead last week, has died during treatment, police said on Wednesday. The baby, born on November 30, died on Tuesday evening. Aslam Khan, deputy commissioner of police (northwest), confirmed the news. A panel formed by the Delhi government to look into the case on Tuesday found Max Hospital guilty of not following prescribed medical norms in dealing with newborn infants. The case relates to the birth of twins (a boy and a girl) on November 30. The parents alleged the babies were declared dead by the Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh but they later discovered that the boy was alive. The parents said they were told by the hospital that both the babies were stillborn. The infants were handed over to them in a polythene bag, they said. Just before their last rites, the family discovered that the baby boy was breathing, the police said. On December 2, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain had said the hospital's licence could be cancelled if a probe found it guilty of medical negligence. Kanyakumari: Of the 39 mechanised fishing boats reportedly missing off the western coast of Kanyakumari following Ockhi cyclone, 20 are yet to return, said State Fisheries secretary, Gopal, adding, details about more missing Tamil Nadu fishermen who put out to sea from neighbouring Kerala are pouring in. He said the emergency warning was given around 2 pm on November 29, through public announcement system, the local fishermen co-operative societies and through the respective parish priests, fishermen went for deep sea fishing on the morning of November 29. Further, explaining that the discrepancy in the number of missing fishermen was mainly due to the non-availability of details about the Tamil Nadu fishermen who had ventured into sea from Kerala fishing harbours, the official said that only 805 mechanised vessels that comply with the Tamil Nadu Marine Regulation Act have been registered in Kanyakumari district. Around 424 bigger boats that have more than 20-m length and having engine power more than the prescribed 150hp were registered in Kerala state, he noted. Among the reportedly missing boats, many are Kanyakumari fishermen owned boats but registered in Kerala, said the official, who too added that even among the boats that went for fishing from Kerala habours 20 were yet to be found. About 60 fishermen were on board those missing boats. Information pouring in about the missing Tamil Nadu fishermen having reached the shore in states like Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep islands give us the hope that all missing fishermen would safely return home. It has also been said that special committees have been sent to these states to safely bring home the fishermen, he said. The principal secretary, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, elaborated the steps being taken to compensate the crop damage in Kanyakumari district due to the cyclone. According to him, so far it has been enumerated that crops in around 3,696 ha are damaged. Plantain and rubber planted in 1,500 and 1,546 hectares respectively have been severely damaged, he said and assured due compensation for crop damage. Further survey of the affected crops is on. Explaining the works being done to restore power supply in Kanyakumari district, Tangedco chairman, Sai Kumar said that of the 10,500 damaged lamp posts, 7,500 have been replaced. The Tangedco chief added that aound 5,320 field staff were working round-the-clock in the district under the direct supervision of two directors, ten chief engineers and 18 superintending engineers of Tangedco to ensure 100 per cent restoration of power supply within the next 72 hours. Earlier, the consultation meeting of the government secretaries of various departments was held here under the presidentship of the additional chief secretary to the government, Mr. Hansraj Verma. Following a complaint from the journalist alleging that he was assaulted by Vijayakanth and then DMDK MLA Murugesan at the airport in October 2012, the Meenambakkam police registered a case. (Photo: File) Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a lower court against DMDK leader Vijayakanth and a former party MLA in connection with a criminal case against them for allegedly attempting to assault a journalist. Justice M S Ramesh quashed the NBWs issued by the judicial magistrate in Alandur on December 5. Following a complaint from the journalist alleging that he was assaulted by Vijayakanth and then DMDK MLA Murugesan at the airport in October 2012, the Meenambakkam police registered a case. The magistrate court commenced the trial and subsequently granted bail to the duo based on a direction from the Madras High Court. Vijayakanth did not appear before the lower court when the case was taken up last month. The court directed him to be present during the next hearing and then adjourned the case to December 5. But when the case came up yesterday, both Vijayakanth and the former MLA did not appear with their counsel submitting that they were not well. Counsel for Vijayakanth submitted that he had gone to Singapore for a medical check-up. A petition under Section 317 CrPC seeking to dispense with their presence was filed. Declining to accept the submission, the magistrate issued the warrant and adjourned the case to February 13 for further hearing. Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba appealed to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reverse a government order that is attempting to limit educational reimbursement to children of martyred or disabled soldiers. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar appealed to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reverse a government order that is attempting to limit educational reimbursement to children of martyred or disabled soldiers. Admiral Lanba, who is also Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, wrote: "this small gesture would assure the families of our brave women and men that the nation cares for them and their sacrifices are truly appreciated by the government," according to an NDTV report. Lanba also added that these soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice for the country and this small contribution to their wards is recognition of their commitment to the country's defence. Earlier, children of soldiers killed in action, those missing or disabled were given a full reimbursement of tuition fees, hostel charges, cost of books, cost of uniforms and clothing. This has now been capped to Rs. 10,000 per month, in an order that was issued by the government on July 1. This cap on the scholarship was imposed earlier this year, after the Seventh Pay Commission report and impacted nearly 3,400 children of army personnel, reports have said. Chandrashekhar has written: "The services and sacrifices of our soldiers cannot be repaid ever and it is our moral obligation to ensure their families do not face any hardships and difficulties." He further added that the decision to cap the funds would go against the basic principle with which the scheme was announced. According to reports, the Defence Ministry was apprised of the criticisms and it is likely to consider the points raised by Lanba and Chandrashekhar, and take a decision soon. The scheme to provide financial aid to children of martyrs was announced in December 1971, days after the Indian victory in the war with Pakistan. Dhandhuka (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Congress party now wanted to link Ram Temple in Ayodhya with 2019 elections. Addressing a rally in Dhandhuka, Prime Minister Modi trained guns at the Congress over its leader Kapil Sibal's arguments in the Supreme Court (SC) in the Ramajanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case. "Yesterday in the SC, a Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing (which is his right) for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that but is it right for him to say: postpone hearing till 2019? Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir with elections? Is such thinking proper," the Prime Minister asked. Coincidently, today is the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya. He further added, "Now Congress is linking Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation." While representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case on Tuesday, Sibal urged the court to take up the matter after 2019 general elections as "the case was being used to polarise the electorate with an eye on the polls". The court didn't accept his appeal and set the final hearing for February 8, 2018. Since then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been cornering the Congress by asking to clarify what was the real meaning of Sibal's statement. Addressing a press conference in poll-bound Gujarat, BJP president Amit Shah demanded Congress should clear its stand on this. Speaking on the issue of 'triple talaq', Modi said "When the matter was in the Supreme Court, the Government had to put their affidavit. The media commented that Modi will remain silent because of Uttar Pradesh polls". People told me not to speak on the matter else there will be losses in elections, he said Maintaining his stand that he will not remain silent on the issue of 'triple talaq', Modi said, "I am clear that on 'triple talaq' I will not be silent. Everything is not about elections. This issue is for the rights of women... elections come later humanity comes first". New Delhi: In a candid admission that in recent times politics is making an unwanted appearance in the military, the Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday sought a return to the good old days when women and politics were never discussed in the military. The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity, Gen Rawat said during his address at the United Services Institutes (USI) annual lecture on national security on Wednesday. Whenever issue linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then that is best avoided, he said adding that the military performs best when they dont get into the political affairs of the country. Known not to mince words nor hold his punches back, Army chief General Bipin Rawat may well have been mouthing Chinese philosopher Sun Tzus famous deceptive war strategies when he solicited the Indian medias help to deceive the enemy into thinking what is not. Admitting that while the purpose of the media is to come out with the truth, to highlight the truth and to keep the citizenry informed, the chief said, At times there may be a requirement to spread out some disinformation, spread out some half-truths Surprise and deception require lot of disinformation This is one area where I think the military needs to move forward. For this, it is important that we have all the media channels on board so that they appreciate what is the purpose of the information that is being communicated... not all of which will be usable to all... some of it will be disinformation which is being spread across for the purpose of deception... so there the media has to understand why half-truths is being informed to them and why the military insists on the publication of the half-truths in popular media... it is for the purpose of surprise and disinformation... Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana to place the details of application forwarded by Mr A. Revanth Reddy, the MLA of Kodangal, seeking to register cases against ministers for collecting funds from public for the TRS plenary, before it by December 13. Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with the petition of the MLA seeking to declare the action of the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau in not taking action against the Telangana ministers for collecting funds from the public to hold TRS party plenary in April 2017 as illegal. Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, senior counsel, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that though the petitioner posted the application on August 31, till date the ACB has not taken any action on his application. After perusing the application, the judge pointed out that it was undated and asked the counsel on which basis his client claiming that the application was received by the ACB on August 31. Referring to the photographs attached to the petition wherein it shows that Telangana ministers working as ice-cream vendors, hamali, tea vendor and salesman in the name of Gulabi Coolie for collecting money from restaurant, bakeries and shop owners, the judge pointed out that none of the photograph shows that they are receiving the money. The senior counsel submitted that the petitioner might have posted the appl-ication on August 3 and collecting funds by the ministers falls under Section 7, 11 and 13 of the PC Act and also it is an offence under Section 120 B of the IPC. The judge asked Mr. Ravi Kiran Rao, senior counsel appearing for the ACB to submit details of inward number of the application and date on which the application of the petitioner received to the court by December 13. TS: Got nod for Kaleswaram The Telangana government on Wednesday informed the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal at Delhi that the Centre has accorded environment clearances to the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. The bench was dealing with an application filed by Md. Hayath Uddin seeking a stay on the construction of the project contending the state government undertaking construction without required clearances from the Centre. The counsel appearing for the state government told the bench that they had received approval from the Union forest and environment department. The bench later adjourned the case to January 5, 2018. The departments of women development and child welfare, municipal administration, and Animal Husbandry have all spent less than 20 per cent of the funds allotted to them. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The Telangana government has directed departments to utilise the entire amount allotted to them under the SC Development Fund. After reviewing department-wise and scheme-wise expenditures, the government has found the utilisation of funds by some departments to be unsatisfactory. Many departments have failed to spend the funds allotted to them in the first quarter, and some have not incurred any expenses at the end of the second quarter. The government has now sent out a note instructing all departments to sort out any existing issues within a month and indicate whether or not they will be utilising the amounts allotted to them. The government wants all funds to be utilised by the end of the current financial year. According to the SC&ST Special Development Fund Act, funds that remain unspent are compensated in the subsequent fiscal year. Keeping this in mind, the state government wants departments to spend the entire amount released under the SC Development Fund in order to avoid bearing a financial burden in the next fiscal year. The irrigation department has spent the least money so far only 8.73 per cent of the total amount allotted under the SC Development Fund and the agriculture department has spent the most 78.08 per cent. The departments of women development and child welfare, municipal administration, and Animal Husbandry have all spent less than 20 per cent of the funds allotted to them. Hyderabad: The Telangana State government will make it compulsory for commercial establishments and other public and private organisations to print the name of the establishment in Telugu on signboards. The decision was taken keeping in mind the World Telugu Conference to be held in the city from December 15 to 19. It is also in line with the government's recent decision to make the study of Telugu language mandatory for all students till Class XII from the next academic year. Sources in the Chief Ministers Office said that the issue of the Telugu signboards came up for discussion at a meeting Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held at Pragathi Bhavan on December 4 to review the arrangements for the World Telugu Conference. The CM apparently said that delegates from various states and countries will visit the city for the five-day event and this will make Telugu visibility more and will also promote Telugu. An order to this effect will be passed in the next two days by the labour department. A similar order was issued by the Congress government of N. Kiran Kumar Reddy in 2012, prior to the World Telugu Conference being held in Tirupati in December of that year. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 7 and the final list of candidates will be released on the same day Chennai: The high profile RK Nagar on Tuesday created yet another record with the number of nominations being rejected surpassing the number of nominations accepted. Day-long drama prevailed in the congested assembly constituency till late Tuesday night with over 70 nominations of independents being rejected by returning officer K. Veluchamy. Though the district election officer till the time of going to press issued no official communique on the number of forms accepted, the scrutiny of total 145 forms continued till late night. According to highly placed sources J. Deepa, niece of late Jayalalithaa, was briefed about her nomination being rejected for submitting the incomplete form. A highly placed official on RK Nagar poll duty told DC that returning officer Veluchamy conveyed the preliminary findings of the scrutiny to the corporation commissioner and the office of chief electoral officer informing them the reasons for rejecting the nominations of independents and a final official communique will be sent on Wednesday. Earlier in the day J. Deepa cried foul with the election commission and said that she would approach the court seeking justice. Ms Deepa did not fill all the essential columns in her affidavit, an official who was part of the nomination scrutiny told DC. When asked about the drama related to actor Vishal nominations, an official blamed the media for sensitising the issue. When we enquired two people admitted that they did not sign the nomination forms supporting the candidature of Vishal, and the same was explained to Vishal stating that his nomination will be rejected. Later in the day Vishal explained that they were genuine signatures and not forged, this was accepted by RO, the official added. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 7 and the final list of candidates will be released on the same day. On Tuesday after the supplementary revision, the total number of voters in RK Nagar was 2,28,234 including 1.17 lakh women voters. Actor Vishal, on Wednesday gives his petition to Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni at the secretariat, after his nomination papers were rejected (Photo: DC) Chennai: After his hopes of contesting the Dr RK Nagar byelections came crashing down following rejection of his nomination papers, actor Vishal Krishna on Wednesday termed the returning officer's action mockery of democracy and decided to knock at the doors of Raj Bhavan to seek Governor Banwarilal Purohit's intervention. As a major controversy erupted over the rejection of his nomination papers late on Tuesday night by RK Nagar Returning Officer K. Velusamy for the byelections scheduled for December 21, Vishal flaunted the video evidence and claimed that his nomination was rejected without any basis and saw via a political conspiracy. The actor, who is the general secretary of Nadigar Sangam and chief of the Producers' Council, also made public his plans to petition Governor Banwarilal Purohit, seeking his intervention in saving the democracy since his right to contest polls have been snatched away. What happened on Tuesday is a mockery of democracy and we will not accept the decision of the returning officer. Why am I being targeted? What is the need to reject my nominations? Despite submitting video proofs, I am yet to get justice, Vishal told reporters, even as he met Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni and explained to him about Tuesdays incidents. Vishals nomination papers to contest the December 21 byelection to RK Nagar was rejected by the returning officer on Tuesday on the grounds that two of the 10 persons whose names figured as proposers disowned their signatures on those documents. The actor also sought to raise the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovinds office through his twitter handle. To the people, I look up to, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn... I am Vishal, I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails, he said in the tweet. The actor said he has sought an appointment from Governor Purohit, currently in Kanyakumari, to lodge a complaint on the matter. During his meeting with Lakhoni, Vishal submitted a written complaint detailing the events that led to the ultimate rejection of his nomination papers. People know what happened yesterday. They know how a rejected application was reconsidered before being rejected again. I have submitted a complaint to him (Lakhoni) n all that happened, he said. Vishal also denied he was being propped up by the DMK, Kamal Haasan or AIADMK rebel T T V Dhinakaran. New Delhi: On the penultimate day of campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of linking the Ram temple with politics and attacked senior party leader Kapil Sibal for asking the Supreme Court to defer the hearing on the issue till after the 2019 general election. Mr Modi, addressing an election rally in Gujarat on Wednesday, said the Congress was now linking Ram Mandir with politics. Kapil Sibal, a Congress MP, can argue in court, but is it right for him to say postpone the hearing till 2019? Why is he linking the elections with Ram Mandir? Does the (Sunni) Waqf Board fight elections? Are these thoughts of delaying the hearing for elections that of the Waqf Board? Mr Modi asked. Mr Sibal, however, hit back. I did not represent the Sunni Waqf Board. With Rahul Gandhis imminent elevation as president of the Indian National Congress, Indias grand old party is all set to write a new chapter, whose content is yet unknown. There is much jubilation within the rank and file of Congress workers; restrained hopes and scepticism among political observers; and downright sniggers and slurs by the ruling partys top leaders and minions. Contrary to the constant barbs of his opponents calling him prince and shehzada, Rahul Gandhis life cant exactly be described as a bed of roses. Losing his grandmother and father within a short span of seven years, both victims of terrorist assassinations, would be an exceptionally hard and shocking blow for anyone to come to terms with. A vicious political atmosphere in which ones family members, including those long dead and gone, are constantly being subjected to mud-slinging, and in which he himself been subjected to malicious but carefully planned and executed campaigns of personal attacks, are enough to test the limits of a persons emotional strength and endurance. Even the worst enemies of Rahul Gandhi should admit that despite all the turbulence and provocation, he has emerged clean, dignified and strong. The man can face challenges thrown at him by fate or by the nastiest of his opponents. He is definitely a fighter. After 2014, a persistent refrain had been that the Congress is directionless and that it needs a new narrative. While there was some truth in the first assertion, at least in the initial years, the directionless-ness was perhaps more in terms of a political strategy, rather than ideology. People who blame the Congresss lack of a coherent ideology perhaps do not have any idea either about the Congress history or its character. Unlike the BJPs Hindutva, or the Left parties class war, the Congress never had a set of regimented doctrines. The greatest strength of the Congress has been its ability to accommodate multiple, and sometimes mutually contradictory voices. Even during the struggle for Independence, the Congress provided platforms to varied ideological factions like the constitutionalists, extremists and moderates, and brought them together under one umbrella to fight for independence. The Congress under Mahatma Gandhi was able to accommodate the interests of both zamindars and farmers, capitalists and labourers. The Congress doesnt reflect a faction, it represents all. The Congress is like India. And like India, the Congress has the innate ability to change with times while being rooted in its fundamental values. After Independence, the Congress government under Pandit Jawahar-lal Nehru introduced a planned, mixed-economy model with strict state control over private enterprises. Its the same Congress that ushered in the economic reforms in the 1990s to address the challenges of an entirely different era. Despite being in power with a majority of its own for many decades, the Congress successfully adopted to the coalition form of government, realising the need of the time. The Congress core values like democracy and civil liberties, pluralism, inclusive growth, and adherence to the Constitution are non-negotiable. Within the broad framework of its ideology, the Congress journey has been a saga of continuity and change. In this context, it will be interesting to see what changes Rahul Gandhi brings to the table. Fundamental values like inclusivity and pluralism cannot and should not be discarded in the search for a new narrative. Mr Gandhi, like every former Congress president, will of course create his own team that process is already on. There will perhaps be a generational change, giving more responsibilities to a younger generation of leaders. But there is no indication that the old guard will be put in cold storage, as the BJP did with its Margdarshak Mandal. Mr Gandhi, on more than one occasion, has stated the Congress has a treasure trove of leaders with years of political and administrative experience. The Congress under him will perhaps see a perfect blend of maturity and experience, with the fresh ideas and energy of youth. But what is his personal vision for the Congress and the people of this country? From his speeches, and from discussions with people who are seen as close to him politically, if I had to coin his vision in one word, it would be empowerment. Thats how I see it. During the UPA period, all the major government initiatives that were said to have his stamp were about empowerment. MGNREGA, Right to Information, Right to Education all are about empowering people. Even his pet scheme Aadhaar, that is now being distorted and used by the present government as a discriminatory tool, was about empowering every citizen with a national identity. In his speech at the PHD Chamber of Commerce last month where he spelt out his economic vision, he talked about strengthening the micro, small and medium enterprises, employing and benefitting a huge number of people. His emphasis on strengthening the rural economy, particularly agriculture; his political programmes identifying the causes of farmers and landless labourers in rural India and street-vendors in urban India, among others, all indicate a vision of empowering the marginalised. In my opinion, his vision is to create a strong base of economically, socially and politically empowered citizens consisting of the majority of Indians. Within the organisation, the same vision is reflected. The democratisation of front organisations like the NSUI and Youth Congress created opportunities for a large number of youth from non-political background to enter politics. Primaries, done on a pilot basis in a few constituencies before the 2014 elections, might not have borne electoral benefits, but were genuine attempts to accommodate the workers voice in the decision-making process. Front outfits like the Mahila Congress will definitely get a boost under Mr Gandhis stewardship, and one definitely hopes to see more women leaders at all levels of the organisation. The immediate challenge before Mr Gandhi is of course to win elections. All those predicting doom for the Congress could only be silenced through electoral victories. But a greater challenge lies before him that only the Congress has the ability to perform to heal a wounded society torn apart by hatred and bridge the ever-widening faultlines created by a divisive political ideology. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, who carries a bounty of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, walked free on November 24. (Photo: AFP) Washington: Little evidence against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed compelled the courts to set him free, Pakistan's top diplomat in Washington on Tuesday, days after the US demanded the immediate re-arrest and prosecution of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind. Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry was referring to the evidence provided by India against Saeed. The JuD chief, who carries a bounty of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, walked free on November 24 after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under detention since January this year. With "that kind of little evidence, it has been very difficult for the courts in Pakistan to keep him behind bars," Chaudhry told a Washington audience. "What the government did was using some of these other laws like maintenance of public order, and others to keep him behind bars. But the courts are free in Pakistan. They rule regardless of what the government does or does not. They do it in the best interests of justice and therefore they set him free," Chaudhry said in his remarks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Relations. He was responding to a question on the White House's statement on November 25 in which the US strongly condemned the release of Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan. Chaudhry said that Pakistan was following the UN Security Council resolution on the matter. Under the UNSC designation, he said Saeed would not carry arms, raise funds and ravel internationally. "We have been implementing that regime because Hafiz Saeed was on that list and faithfully," he said. Chaudhry said the situation in South Asia was not good. "India and China have an uneasy peace. India and Pakistan are not talking. Afghanistan remains not in a good shape and the security situation has deteriorated by all accounts," he said. Responding to a question on India's role in Afghanistan, the Pakistani diplomat said that Islamabad has objections to the use of Afghan soil to create instability in Pakistan. "We believe that India if it is participating in the development activities of Afghanistan of course fine. But it does not have a military or political role in Afghanistan," he said. India, he alleged, has "very little interest" in stabilising Afghanistan. The California wildfire has already charred more than 50,000 acres, destroying hundreds of houses. (Photo: AP) Ventura: A fast-moving wildfire whipped by hot, dry Santa Ana winds destroyed hundreds of homes in and around Ventura, California, on Tuesday as thousands of residents were forced to flee ahead of the flames. The blaze, dubbed the Thomas Fire, broke out on Monday evening in the foothills above Ventura. Winds quickly drove it west into the city some 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles. By Tuesday evening it remained zero per cent contained, and had charred more than 50,000 acres, fire officials said. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, freeing state funds and resources to assist the more than 1,000 fire-fighters battling to save homes from the conflagration. "This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said in a statement. "It's critical, residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so," he added. There were no immediate reports of fatalities from the blaze but KABC-TV reported that one person was killed in a car crash while fleeing the area. The Los Angeles Times reported that a car hit a fire-fighter who was protecting homes from the flames. It said he was being treated in hospital. "Due to the intensity of the fire, crews are having trouble making access and there are multiple reports of structures on fire," officials said on Ventura County's emergency management website. More than 2,50,000 homes were without power, utilities said. All schools in the Ventura Unified School District were closed. The Thomas Fire was the largest of several large blazes that broke out across Southern California following the onset of the Santa Ana winds. In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, the so-called Creek Fire had blackened more than 11,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes and a convalescent centre north of Interstate 210. The highway remained open even as other roads were closed, officials said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a state of emergency in the city. "We're chasing the fire, trying to get ahead of it, trying to get in front to provide structure defence," Los Angeles County Chief Deputy David Richardson told reporters at an afternoon briefing as thick black smoke drifted across the city. The Santa Ana winds, which blow in from the California desert, were forecast to top out at 70 miles per hour (115 km per hour) and remain strong through the week. Can the US president be sued for defamation? A New York judge began hearing arguments on the issue on Wednesday and must decide whether Summer Zervos, who accused President Donald Trump of sexual harassment, can pursue the case in civil court. Mr Trump is asking for the case to be dismissed. Zervos was a candidate on the TV reality show The Apprentice, which Mr Trump hosted from 2004 to 2015. During his campaign for President last October, Zervos alleged that Mr Trump had made unwanted sexual advances toward her when she met him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in 2007 to discuss career opportunities. She alleged that Mr Trump moved toward her aggressively during the encounter and touched her on the breast but she rebuffed him. Zervos filed suit in January, three days before Mr Trumps inauguration. On Wednesday, Judge Jennifer Schecter heard arguments from Marc Kasowitz, one of the lawyers for the billionaire president, who is seeking dismissal of the case. Kasowitz invoked a clause of the United States constitution, saying the states cant exercise any control over the President. He argued that the person cannot be separated from the function of President, and this prevents him from being present at judicial hearings and an eventual trial. US prosecutors probing Russias election meddling have subpoenaed financial records from Donald Trumps long-time financiers Deutsche Bank, two sources said on Wednesday, but the White House denied the President was targeted directly. A source close to the matter said that Germanys biggest bank had received a subpoena from Robert Muellers team for documents related to its dealings with the US President and had already begun to provide them. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rejected reports of a subpoena for Mr Trump-related financial records as completely false, as did Mr Trumps personal attorney Jay Sekulow. No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources, Sekulow said in a statement. We have confirmed that the news reports that the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false, Sekulow said. A second source familiar with the investigation said that the subpoena was linked to Mr Trumps indicted former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. There was a subpoena to Deutsche Bank in the Manafort case, the source said. German business paper Handelsblatt reported earlier on Wednesday that Mueller had subpoenaed the German lender to hand over financial information about Mr Trump and members of his family. It reported that the subpoena arrived a few weeks ago, and that the most important files relevant to the request have already been sent to Muellers team. The drills come a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, as part of a weapons programme that it has conducted in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation. (Photo: Representational/AFP) Seoul: A US B-1B bomber on Wednesday joined large-scale US-South Korean military exercises that North Korea has denounced as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, as tension mounts between the North and the United States. The bomber flew from the Pacific US-administered territory of Guam and joined US F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters in the annual exercises, which run until Friday. The drills come a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, as part of a weapons programme that it has conducted in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation. Asked about the bomber's flight, China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing in Beijing: "We hope relevant parties can maintain restraint and not do anything to add tensions on the Korean peninsula." North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea, the United States and Japan. Its official KCNA state news agency said at the weekend that US President Donald Trump's administration was "begging for nuclear war" by staging the drills. It also labelled Trump, who has threatened to destroy North Korea if the United States is threatened, "insane". KCNA said on Tuesday that the exercises in which the bomber took part are "simulating an all-out war", including drills to "strike the state leadership and nuclear and ballistic rocket bases, air fields, naval bases and other major objects..." US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday urged the Pentagon to start moving US military dependants, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea was getting close. The US-South Korea drills coincide with a rare visit to the isolated North by UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman. North Korean vice-foreign minister Pak Myong Guk met Feltman on Wednesday in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and discussed bilateral cooperation and other issues of mutual interest, KCNA said. Feltman, a former senior US state department official, is the highest-level UN official to visit North Korea since 2012. The state department said on Tuesday he was not carrying any message from Washington. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit China next Wednesday for a summit with his counterpart Xi Jinping, Seoul's presidential Blue House said. North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile capability would top the agenda, it said. The military exercises, called "Vigilant Ace", are designed to enhance joint readiness and operational capability of US extended deterrence, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a statement. North Korea has vehemently criticised the drills since the weekend, saying the exercise precipitates US and South Korean "self-destruction". China and Russia had proposed that the United States and South Korea stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes. China is North Korea's lone major ally and fears widespread instability on its border. Russia also has communication channels open with North Korea and is ready to exert its influence, the RIA news agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov as saying on Tuesday. North Korea has tested dozens of ballistic missiles, two of which flew over Japan, and conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September. It says its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against US plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention. British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said Britain had thwarted nine plots in the past 12 months. (File photo) London: The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that two men arrested last week had been charged with terrorism offences and would appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the men were arrested by its Counter Terrorism Command on Nov. 28. It identified them as Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham. Sky News reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that police had foiled a plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Theresa May. The report said police believed there was a plan to launch an improvised explosive device at Downing Street and, in the chaos that ensued, attack and kill May. Earlier on Tuesday, Mays spokesman said Britain had thwarted nine plots in the last 12 months. Run out of space on your Android smartphone? Struggling to locate a file that you saved? Google just launched an app, Files Go, that will help free up space, find files in a jiffy. The file transfers are encrypted and could be as quick as 125 Mbps provided both the devices have the same app installed. Using its mobile vision technology, the app also suggests deletable files such as unused apps, duplicate files, low-resolution videos, memes or even good morning WhatsApp messages. So, what prompted Google to go live with an app the beta version of which it had launched in November? In a blogpost, Caesar Sengupta, vice president, Next Billion Users, Google explains: Every day, millions of smartphones run out of space. While phones with 16GB or 32GB of storage are becoming more popular, many phones around the world have much less storage, often as low as 4GB. Users often struggle to keep on top of the storage space on their phones and are constantly having to choose between what to keep or delete. In the testing phase, Google analysed that the average Android phone user saves 1GB of space. The new app lets you backup selected files to the Google Drive or any cloud storage option. Available globally, Files Go can work with any Android device running Lollipop (5.0) or higher. Google Go To cater to internet users on low-end handsets, another app, Google Go has also gone live. Google services including Search, Voice Search, YouTube, GIFs, Maps and Translate are bundled under this app to give a unified experience. Also on offer are search trends and top Web stories. Optimised for devices with less than 1GB of RAM, Google Go uses 40% less data to also offer access to Instagram, Facebook and CricBuzz. For smartphones, Google has proposed to launch Oreo Go. Vijay Mallya's defence on Tuesday dismissed as "zero" the Indian government's extradition case against him, saying it has no credible case to show that the tycoon's now-defunct Kingfisher Airline's borrowings were fraudulent or that he had no intention to pay back the loans. The 61-year-old liquor baron, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering allegedly amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore, was in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court for his defence, headed by barrister Clare Montgomery. The defence team concluded the second day's proceedings at the trial by calling into question the "admissibility" of the evidence submitted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government. It was claimed that the evidence was "contentious" without any underlying material to support the claims being made. "There is virtually nothing by way of direct evidence by way of anyone with direct knowledge of the discussions," said barrister Clare Montgomery who is leading Mallya's defence. Mallya will return to the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday after a non-sitting day on Wednesday. The 32,000-strong collective of Aero- Modellers in the country just got an assurance from the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha: The government will consider formulating exclusive Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) to govern the sport, far less stringent than the rules drafted for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles classified as drones. The Aero-modellers had their demands clear at an Open House consultation process arranged here on Tuesday by the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA): Fixed wing model aircraft (model planes, gliders and model / scale helicopters) used for hobby and recreational flying should not be restricted to a weight below 2 kgs and a height not exceeding 200 ft. Worldwide, the established standard weight for aero-modelling aircraft is 35 to 40 kg. The height (Above Ground Level) restriction is 400 ft. These are currently the practice in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, the hobby flyers told DGCA. Unlike aero-modelling aircraft, the quadcopters and drones have a highly accurate and precise flight path. Besides, their ability for autonomous flight raises concerns of privacy, safety and security. "Such concerns do not apply in any manner whatsoever to the conventional model aircraft used for hobby, recreation and sports." To regulate commercial drone operations, DGCA's draft rule has mandated that all types of modern aircraft weighing more than 2 kgs (including those for recreational use) should be subject to Unique Identification Number (UIN) and Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) requirements. Registration and training will be mandatory. These stringent conditions besides the weight and height restriction will affect about 12,000 model aircraft currently in operation countrywide. "These are being flown by more than 8,000 enthusiasts from various walks of life, of all age groups, including students and educational institutes," an aero-modeller elaborated at the Open House. Bulk of the aero-modelling aircraft used for sport / recreation weight from 3 kgs to 30 kgs. The smaller models of 2 kgs are generally flown only in parks or indoors. "In the case of motorised fixed-wing and glider models, it is impractical to manoeuvre the aircraft within a height of 200 ft," says Umesh More, chairman, Wings India Radio controlled Model Flyers Club. The current import restrictions on aero modelling equipment should also be lifted, contended Bengaluru-based aero-modeller Adarsh Nagarajiah. "We can make in India, but the raw materials are just not available. The spares are seized by the Customs the moment they land in India," he noted. KEY DEMANDS: * DGCA should lift blanket ban on flying all types of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS); exclude aero-modelling aircraft from restrictions. * Allow model aircraft up to a maximum weight of 30 kgs as per global standards. Permit a maximum altitude of 400 ft above ground level. * Exempt design, building, assembly of model aircraft from DGCA regulations. * Create a separate category in Draft Policy for model aircraft strictly for sports, recretion and educational purposes. * Exempt this category from UIN registration, UAOP conditions. The US House of Representatives has condemned "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims and called on Myanmar's leadership to end attacks on minorities in the northern Rakhine state, in the stiffest congressional criticism of the government in the Buddhist-majority country. The House passed a resolution yesterday, urging immediate restoration of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state where unrest has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "This slaughter must end, and our resolution ought to send a strong message to Burmese leaders that their commitment to restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedoms of all people living within Burma's borders, no matter their faith or ethnicity," House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement. Introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel, the resolution condemns the "horrific actions" of the military and security forces and calls for an immediate cessation of violence. The resolution also urges the restoration of humanitarian access to the restive Rakhine state where unrest has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar's de facto leader) to exercise moral leadership, something that's needed now more than ever," Engel said in his remarks on the House floor yesterday. "We reject the Army's claims that what's taking place in Burma is a so-called counterterrorism measure that's nonsense. It's a textbook ethnic cleansing, that's what it is," Engel said. "We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees' needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved," he said. Clashes erupted after the August 25 deadly attacks by militants on security forces in the Rakhine State, sparking a major army crackdown on the community. According to the UN estimates, more than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group have fled across the border into Bangladesh since then, triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the country. "Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut," Engel said. "The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it's not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now," he said. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, said that as Congressional fact-finding mission has noted their visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State is a "severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust" American leadership. "This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against Rohingyas. As our delegation saw, there is a path forward. The Burmese government and military must fully implement the recommendations of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's advisory commission," McCollum said. Meanwhile in Geneva, at a special session on Myanmar by United Nations Human Rights Council, the US called for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation and hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. "The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the US stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma, she said in a statement. Congressman Steve Chabot said Rohingyas had long been at the fringe of Burmese society and it is no secret that the Burmese military regards them as outsiders who don't belong in Burma at all. "That is why they used attacks in August, by a rogue group of Rohingya, as a pretext to terrorise the entire Rohingya population," he alleged. "This campaign of terror and violence has worked over 600,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for Bangladesh. At least 250,000 of these are children. Further, credible human rights organisations and the media have documented numerous horrors and abuses. "Together, these atrocities amount to what has been called a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'," Chabot alleged on the House floor. Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified that there was no proposal to ban the entry of BJP National President Amit Shah into the state. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said Shah has to be careful of the speeches he makes. "He must not assume that we act according to BJP's wishes as stated by MP Pratap Simha. He should act as a responsible national political leader and not incite violence," Reddy added. Reddy also said that Pratap Simha has to change his ways of campaigning and the Hunsur disturbance was completely unnecessary. Being an MP, Simha must not have indulged in it. "Disturbing the peace is not the right way to capture vote banks," he added. During the recent disturbance in Hunsur which has gone viral on social media BJP MP Pratap Simha had remarked that government officials were acting according to BJP's wishes. To this, Reddy asserted that govenment officials don't dance to the tunes of the BJP and SP Ravi had acted according to law. The MP should not make incorrect statements, Reddy added. The ruling Congress, which is leaving no stone unturned to retain power, has set up a corporate-style war room in the city to take on the BJP ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. In a first, a 30-member team of young professionals has been set up to plan the party's poll campaign and ensure it retains power. The war room is located in the affluent Vasanthnagar locality. In political parlance, the term war-room was coined by a team of political strategists in the United States who worked for Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in the early 1990s. Ever since, war rooms have become a regular fixture in election campaigns. The Congress had a war room in place in 2009 headed by former union minister Jayaram Ramesh. Equipped with wall-mounted TVs, recorders and rows of laptops, the war room of the state Congress has been set up on the lines of the one headed by actor-turned-politician Ramya at the national level. It will act as a command centre to frame the party's poll campaign narrative and counter attacks against BJP leaders, while researching to launch an offensive at short notice. For now, the focus is on a full-fledged social media battle with the BJP. "In the 2013 Assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party was sporadic in its campaign effort here. The war room means that there is an organised, focused content generation and research that is happening," party sources directly involved with the war room said, requesting anonymity. The Congress set up the war room in August. The #BariOluModi, #BariSulluYeddyurappa (a pun identical to Yeddyurappa's abbreviation BSY) and #ConstitutionNammaDharma were some recent campaigns the war room planned and launched that helped the party gain traction. Now, a concerted #BJPUgraAgenda campaign is on to target Mysore-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha. The campaigns are planned in tandem with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's in-house social media team. The team comprises full-time professionals having experience in political campaigns and content writing. The party is paying them salaries. "A campaign management team will be in place closer to the polls," sources said. The war room is part of a larger effort towards content dissemination, said Srivatsa Y B, a software professional heading the state Congress' digital team. "In each of the 55,000 booths, we are appointing an youngster who can handle digital assets," he said. The party has taken a stand that it will not push out fake news as part of its social media campaigns. "This has given us the edge and more credibility," Srivatsa said. Illuminated skyline, shopping malls and eateries suddenly give way to pot-holed roads and desolate stretches where small thatched cabins serve Chinese food. Vibrant Gujarat ends here. The only semblance of development is the signal on the mobile phone. But the contrast again shows up as one reaches Maljipura, the home of a local satrap deep inside the tribal heartland, with a beeline of swanky SUVs and mansions. "Here there is no Gujarat model of development," says Chhotu Vasava, six-time legislator and the man whose vote helped Ahmed Patel, senior Congress leader and political advisor to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, enter the Rajya Sabha. "We want autonomy to tribal areas on the lines of the Northeastern states. We want to have our own budget and decide the fate of our land. We want Schedule and 6 of the Constitution to be implemented," says Chhotubhai, while seated next to his political boss Sharad Yadav, who describes him as a "man of few words". In fact, Chhotubhai now wants to raise the pitch for a separate state of Bhilistan - carved out of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. "We have Bhilistan Tiger Sena and earlier we had Bhilkhand. This area has a population of almost 1.1 crore tribals and if you see the Statue of Unity or even Narmada Dam have been built on our land," says Chhotubhai, who is contesting the polls on the newly-formed outfit, Bharat Tribal Party (BTP). "We are just beginning our journey from Gujarat and will spread across going forward." Chhotubhai is considered to be the man who is above party politics. In the 1990s, he won under the Gujarat Adijati Vikas Party ticket, then as an Independent and next as a JD(U) candidate. He recently moved out of the JD(U) with his benefactor Sharad Yadav, who is currently camping in the region after having lost his Rajya Sabha seat. Chhotubhai even contested the zilla panchayat polls with the BJP for almost a decade. However, this did not stop him from recently releasing a video on social media, alleging threat to his life from BJP president Amit Shah. "Narendra Modi is killing notes, Amit Shah is killing men," he says in the video. Chhotubhai's hold over the area can be gauged from the fact that when you ask for directions to his home nestled deep inside the jungle, a person 25 km away will assist you. 2017 won't be easy The going may be tough for the strongman this time around. "The BJP candidate Raujibhai Vasava was one of his closest aides. Raujibhai used to run Chhotubhai's empire. He was the link between Chhotubhai and his electorate. He could be his toughest challenger," says Mihirbhai, a local businessman and an old-time political observer. "The other problem Chhotubhai faces is that his three generals a son Mahesh Vasava, aides Anil Bhagat and Pravin Vasava a are contesting Assembly polls from Dediapada, Ankleshwar and Waghodia. He is left to fight a lonely battle this time despite having struck a deal with the Congress in lieu of his support for Ahmed," Mihirbhai added. Chhotubhai's troubles do not end here. For this election, he has also lost the 'arrow', a symbol synonymous with him. The Election Commission shot down his request for the JD(U)'s official symbol arrow as he was with the Sharad Yadav faction. This may compound problems for Chhotubhai as he may find it difficult to send out a message to the entire electorate about his new election symbol - autorickshaw. What has made matters difficult is that Nitish Kumar's JD(U) has fielded his namesake - Chhotubhai Vasava a as its official candidate under the arrow symbol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a rally to seek votes for Raujibhai at Netrang on Wednesday. Shah has sought Jhagadia as a "gift" from his party men in south Gujarat. However, with 1.45 lakh tribals, 10,000 OBCs, 9,000 SCs, 29,000 Muslims and 40,000 general category voters forming the 2.31-lakh strong electorate in Jhagadia, the real Chhotubhai is confident of making it to the Assembly for the seventh time in a row. Indeed, the US-headquartered employment-related search engine for job listings, on Wednesday said top Indian unicorns are on a hiring spree and Snapdeal, Paytm, ShopClues and Flipkart comprise 90% of the hiring. According to the research report published by Indeed, more than half of all job postings by these unicorns are for fresh graduates. A unicorn is a startup company valued at more than a billion dollars, typically in the software or technology sector. Commenting on the report, Indeed India Managing Director Sashi Kumar said Indeed's latest study reveals that more than half (57%) of all job postings by unicorns are for fresh graduates. "This is encouraging for millions of young freshers looking to jumpstart their careers with young companies, and being a part of the exciting startup ecosystem," he said. The major finding of the study is that despite tumultuous journey in 2017, Snapdeal conducted more hiring than Flipkart. As per the report, the hiring is primarily due to exponential growth in the Indian e-commerce market. It is expected to grow at 30% a year, and attain a valuation worth $200 billion by 2026. "Our earlier study on job flexibility also indicates a trend towards contractual hiring in these firms, which reaffirms the growing affinity among today's new-age job seekers, who look at striking a balance in work- life integration," he said. Snapdeal topped the chart in terms of percentage of total job postings at 53%, followed by PayTM at 23%, ShopClues (11%), Flipkart (4%), Zomato (4%), Ola Cabs (3%) and InMobi (2%) among others. The study reveals that demonetisation and widespread use of mobile for transaction helped financial technology companies like Paytm to thrive on new business opportunities. While the top four firms in terms of hiring together make up over 90% of all jobs posted, the region that saw maximum number of postings from these companies is Delhi NCR, with an overwhelming majority of 83%. The study included an analysis of job postings within the timeframe of October 31, 2016 to October 31, 2017. The study also looked into job postings from Flipkart, Hike Messenger, InMobi, Mu Sigma, Ola Cabs, PayTM, ShopClues, Snapdeal, RenewPower and Zomato. Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will shortly convene a meeting with Dalit leaders to take a decision on according internal reservation to Scheduled Castes. Speaking to reporters after garlanding B R Ambedkar's statue to mark Ambedkar Parinirvana Day in Bengaluru, Anjaneya said, "The Chief Minister will convene a meeting comprising representatives from both sides - those demanding the reservation, and those who are opposing it, and arrive at a suitable decision." He said that certain sections were trying to spread misinformation that the government might not consider all 101 castes under SC for internal quota. "There is no question of dropping any castes," he said. He said that the Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation. It had also asked the state government to take up the matter with the Centre for bringing about a suitable law by the Parliament to incorporate the recommendation. Caste census Anjaneya also said that the socio-economic caste census had still not been finalised by the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission. He said that the Commission was still in the process of giving finishing touches to the report. "The Chief Minister will take a call on when to release the survey findings," said Anjaneya, when asked if the report will be released before the upcoming Assembly elections. Reacting to Pejawar Math seer Vishweshateertha Swami's demand for incorporating changes in the Indian Constitution, Anjaneya said that such changes could not be made. "Ambedkar has taken into consideration all sections of society while penning the Constitution. Nobody can change it. This is a resolution passed by the Udupi Dharma Sansad. This has nothing to do with the government. It is the duty of every Indian citizen to respect Ambedkar," he added. Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa on Wednesday indirectly took a dig at State Congress chief GaParameshwara on the issue of taking out the yatre, saying that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had every right to take the achievements of the government to the people. "The party is in power in the state. The chief minister leads the government and all party functionaries including the party president should tag along," Thimmappa told reporters in Bengaluru. He was replying to queries on the rift between Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara over a government-sponsored one-month long "Sadaneya Sambrama" yatra to highlight the achievements of the Congress regime which the chief minister will lead from December 13. Parameshwara is unhappy that he was not consulted when the yatra plan was finalised and has distanced himself from the yatra. Parameshwara, on his part, is keen that the party take out a yatra in March next year just ahead of the assembly polls. "It is immature to say that the party and the government are two different entities. The chief minister is the leader and others should follow," Thimmappa said. Thimmappa, a former Speaker of the legislative assembly, decried the low attendance of legislators during the Belagavi session. "The sense of participation and involvement of legislators in voicing the problems of the people in the legislature has come down," he said. To another query, Thimmappa said he is willing to contest from his home constituency of Sagar for the 2018 assembly polls if the party wants him to do so. It has also recommended provisions for early childhood education with primary classes at all schools, including those run by private entities. "Introduce pre-primary education in all government schools as it makes children ready for school (education). Make provisions for early childhood education/primary education for all schools with primary classes," the 12-member sub-committee of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has recommended. The recommendation assumes significance as the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) are toying with the idea. The ministries in a recent joint communication to the states have asked them to "integrate" Anganwadi centres with government-run primary schools in their vicinity for early childhood education. The MoWCD initiated a move in September to provide special training to Anganwadi workers to enable them to provide early childhood care and education to children at the pre-primary level. The CABE, which is the highest advisory body of the central government for education, constituted the sub-committee under Kushwaha, Minister of State for Human Resource Development in-charge of School Education Department, at its meeting in August 2015. The 12-member committee comprises Education Ministers of Tripura Tapan Chakraborty, Madhya Pradesh Kunwar Vijay Shah and Haryana Ram Bilas Sharma as its members, besides the director of NCERT and the chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. To improve the quality of school education, the panel has recommended the introduction of a mechanism to assess the performance of a teacher. "Schools should have vocational education in their curriculum and the vocational skills acquired at the school level should be certified (by a government agency)," the committee has suggested. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today castigated senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal for seeking deferment of hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid title dispute till after the 2019 general elections and wondered if such an issue should be kept unresolved for political gains and losses. On the campaign trail in Gujarat, Modi recalled how his government decided to oppose 'triple talaq' in the Supreme Court risking a possible backlash in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He also pitched for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. "Yesterday, Sibal advocated the cause of the Muslim community. He has the right to do it and we do not have any problem with it. You can present your argument quoting all facts and laws to save Babri Masjid. "But you dare say that the case should not be heard till 2019 elections. You want to stop the hearing of Ram temple (issue) in the name of elections," Modi told a well-attended election rally here in Ahmedabad district. Modi said now he understands why the Congress kept many issues unresolved, without elaborating but implying that it was done to derive political mileage. "Does the Waqf Board fight elections? Are these thoughts of delaying the hearing for elections that of the Waqf Board? The elections in the country are being fought by the Congress party. You want to keep the issue unresolved for political gain and losses in the elections?" Modi asked the Congress. He, however, noted that the Congress has said the views by Sibal, who represents the Sunni Waqf Board in the case in the Supreme Court, were his own. The prime minister said every six months there were elections in one place in the country or another. "This attitude of weighing everything on the political scale has made this country suffer the most," he said, adding that was the reason why he favoured simultaneous Lok Sabha and state Assembly polls. This, he said, would also bring down the money spent on conducting elections. Sibal, while arguing for the Sunni Waqf Board, told the Supreme Court yesterday that since the court's decision in the case would have "very serious ramifications", the hearing be deferred till July 2019 by which time the general election would be over. His contention was, however, not accepted by the court which decided to hear the matter on February 8 next year. Modi said he faced a similar situation during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls when his government had to make its stand clear on the contentious issue of 'triple talaq' in the apex court. "Everybody was saying that if we take a stand against it, we will face a backlash in the UP elections, but we took a stand and the Supreme Court asked us to form a law in six months," he said. The prime minister said a law banning the controversial practice of divorce providing for the jail term to those "ruining the lives of our mothers and sisters" will be passed by Parliament. "Can decisions be held to ransom for electoral gains and losses or should they be taken for benefit of the entire country? he asked. An Islamist terror plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Theresa May by detonating an explosive device to storm into her Downing Street office has been foiled by the country's security services, media reports said today. Two men, 20-year-old Naa'imur Zakariya Rahman and 21- year-old Mohammed Aqib Imran, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today charged with terror offences following their arrest by counter-terrorism officers on November 28. They have been remanded in custody to appear before the Old Bailey court in the city on December 20. At a brief hearing, the court was told that Rahman had "planned to detonate" a bomb at Downing Street gates and in the ensuing chaos try to kill May with a knife. He is charged with the preparation of terrorist acts and is also charged with assisting another man to prepare separate acts of terrorism. Imran is accused of allegedly planning to travel overseas for the preparation of acts of terror. The latest plot emerges as a new report released this week found that the UK's security services could possibly have prevented a suicide attack at the Manchester Arena in May. Bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. Barrister David Anderson, who was asked to conduct an independent investigation, said Abedi had been on MI5's radar but that his "true significance was not appreciated at the time". After reviewing the security services' actions in relation to four terrorist attacks in the UK this year, he concluded, "It is conceivable that the Manchester attack, in particular, might have been averted had the cards fallen differently." His report also noted that the Pakistani-origin ringleader, Khuram Butt, of the terrorist attack on London Bridge in June had been on the security services' radar for two years. The 27-year-old had been watched by MI5. Butt was involved in "high-risk extremist activity", according to intelligence initially received by MI5 but the assessment was downgraded and he was believed to have turned his attention to travelling overseas instead. Butt appeared on the security radar a number of times and was on bail for fraud on June 3 when he, Youssef Zaghba and Rachid Redouane killed eight people in a knife and van attack. The Supreme Court dismissed a plea that calls for quashing the on-going recruitment process for 60 district judge posts in Karnataka. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta dismissed a special leave petition filed by Bharati Bhatt, an advocate, against a Karnataka high court's decision that dismissed her writ petition on November 23. Bhatt, a resident of Dharwad, has obtained 163 marks in the written examination held on September 17, but she did not figure among the 104 eligible candidates for viva-voce, being conducted between November 27 and December 8. In her plea, she challenged the validity of the Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) Rules, calling those as ultra vires and unconstitutional. She contended that since the appointment was to be made on the basis of aggregate marks obtained in the written examinations as well as viva voce, she should be called for an interview. Her elimination by adopting a ratio of 1:3 for the interview for 12 posts for general category candidates was repugnant to the rule of appointment on aggregate marks, she claimed. The HC's registrar general maintained that though she cleared the written examinations, she was not found within a zone of consideration. By rejecting her plea, the HC pointed out that harmonious reading of the rules led to the conclusion that the viva voce would be conducted for short-listed candidates. The aggregate marks of written examination and viva voce of only those short-listed candidates would be considered in the order of merit for final selection. It also relied upon the well-settled principle that once a candidate participated in the recruitment process after being aware of the rules, she was estopped from challenging those on being unsuccessful. At least 1,200 residents in and around Bellandur formed a human chain demanding a skywalk anywhere from Bellandur junction to Ibbalur junction in order to prevent accidents in the area. The protesters complained that crossing the road was a nightmare during the peak hours. "The Outer Ring Road has a number of IT companies and more than one lakh cars cross this stretch. We have to wait for hours together to cross the road," said Shonali Singh, a resident of Bellandur. K P Singh of Rainbow Drive Apartments said: "Traffic movement is not just for vehicles, but pedestrians also." The city corporation is just on tenders announcing spree. But the citizens do not have any idea about what is happening to taxpayer's hundreds of crores of money, he added. The protest comes in the wake of the death of a youth a week ago. Sanjay Giri, (19), a security guard at the Akme Harmony Apartments was hit by a speeding car while he was crossing the road and which eventually cost his life. The protesters also said that there was a proposal to build four skywalks in the stretch and it was also mentioned in the detailed project report. "We are just demanding the skywalk which is part of the plan, neither less nor more," added Singh. Some protesters also said that the authorities were trying to put off the skywalk construction as a metro service was planned for the area. Asha Suresh, area councillor, promised the residents to hold a meeting on the issue with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad and Bangalore Development and Town Planning Minister K J George next week. DH News Service Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Amartya rescued Androth (Lakshadweep island) registered fishing boat Barracuda (Regd No IND LD AN MM 153) along with 13 crew members from a position 18 km off Malpe on Wednesday. FB Barracuda had sailed from Kochi on November 7. The crew members were from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam. The rescued are Bebron John (32), Stalin (29), Antony (27), Abin (22), Andross (49), Prabhu (38), Meerlin (35), Benedit (48), Jelastin (46), Martin (34), Arul Das (55), Thadeus (46) and Mohammed Ali (33). Coast Guard Karnataka Commander Deputy Inspector General S S Dasila told reporters on Wednesday that Coast Guard Karnataka received the information regarding sinking of fishing boat Barracuda with 13 crew 18 km off Malpe from Deputy Director of Fisheries, Malappuram on Wednesday morning. ICGS Amartya was patrolling off Karnataka - Kerala coast after the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi to provide search and rescue services. Immediately, the ship was diverted to proceed at maximum speed and render assistance. Within two hours, the ship reached the distressed fishing boat. According to the master of the boat, the boat had suffered damages to its superstructure during cyclone Ockhi and its communication equipment, two support dinghies and rations were lost. The boat was drifting without propulsion since December 3. In distress due to flooding Coast Guard Commander said that the fishing boat was in distress due to flooding. There was about three tons of water in the engine room. The ship's damage control party embarked on the fishing boat which de-flooded the fishing boat using a submersible pump and contained the sea water ingress using damage control plugs. The fishermen were exhausted and were provided first aid, food, water and support by the ship. Due to flooding, the engine of the boat had seized and it was towed by ICGS Amartya safely to Malpe and handed over to another fishing boat Mary Matha along with three crew for being taken to Malpe Port. The ICG ship entered New Mangalore Port along with 10 rescued fishermen. ICGS Amartya has been at sea since December 1 and saved 35 lives during cyclone Ockhi. On an earlier occasion, this ship was also involved in the rescue of Barge IBIS, wherein 27 lives were rescued in the thick of monsoon in the month of June. The ship has saved 62 lives since the onset of South West monsoon. Rescue operation The rescue operation was overseen by No 3 Coast Guard District Headquarters (Karnataka). During the rescue efforts, constant liaison was maintained with DK Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S and Udupi DC Priyanka Mary Francis by Deputy Inspector General S S Dasila, the Commander, Coast Guard Karnataka. The Commander expressed his satisfaction over the rescue efforts and said: "Saving every life is important irrespective of the challenges of rough sea conditions. We at Coast Guard Karnataka are committed to respond to all probabilities emerging at sea, convert daunting missions and tasks into possibilities through proactive and cohesive approach and operational agility. The Coast Guard is ever ready to respond to maritime challenges and will not leave any stone unturned in the service of the nation and protection of life at sea." DH News Service Notwithstanding the formula put forward by the Shia Waqf Board as well as attempts made by others to find an out of court settlement to the vexed Ram temple-Babri masjid dispute, there are very few takers. Both the Hindu and the Muslim parties to the dispute have made it clear that they will wait for the Supreme Court verdict rather than trying for a negotiated settlement. ''There is no scope for a negotiated settlement of the dispute...Muslim plaintiffs should withdraw their claim on the disputed land....our saints and religious leaders and the millions of Hindus believe that it is the birthplace of Lord Ram,'' said Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesman Sharad Sharma here on Wednesday. Iqbal Ansari, son of the oldest litigant in the dispute Hashim Ansari, also remains sceptical about the negotiation efforts. ''The matter has become political...out of court settlement has very little chance,'' he said. Babri Masjid Action Committee convener Zafaryab Jilani also said that the issue could not be resolved through negotiations. The Shia Waqf Board had recently proposed a Ram temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Complex and a mosque in Lucknow as part of its proposal for an out of court settlement of the dispute. The proposal was supported by All India Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri. Court hearing Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar had also initiated efforts to resolve the vexed issue and met representatives of the parties to the dispute. Both Hindu and Muslim religious leaders, however, expressed doubts if Sri Sri's initiatives would bear fruits. The matter is currently pending in the Supreme Court, which is likely to start hearing the case from February 8 next year. AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, on Wednesday, sought an explanation from Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi over a marks card 'scam' that he has been accused of abetting. The party-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI), in a petition to Venugopal, has accused "the present minister" (Rayareddi) of allowing the Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) to flout rules and "unduly favour" a Mumbai vendor for purchase and printing of marks cards and degree certificates. Rayareddi held a closed-door meeting with officials on the purported scam on Wednesday and refused to comment when reporters approached him. According to the student body, the 'scam' has made it difficult for students to get marks cards and certificates as the process being followed was resulting in faking of the documents. BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy used the marks card 'scam' to attack the government. Karandlaje demanded Rayareddi's resignation. Rayareddi is already in a spot, with a legislature committee probing irregularities in the procurement of laptops for students. U-turn NSUI, however, backtracked from its claim that Rayareddi was involved in the scam. "If the minister had a 10% role to play in this, officials have 90%," NSUI Karnataka president Manjunatha H S said. "We wanted to highlight the difficulty students are facing, since there are lots of fake certificates being generated. Officials and vice-chancellors of universities have colluded. It was done without the minister's knowledge," he said. Strangely, Manjunatha said the government was not involved in the decision to award the tender to MSIL for purchase of marks cards. The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea for quashing the ongoing recruitment process for appointment of district judges to 60 posts in Karnataka. A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta dismissed a special leave petition filed by Bharati Bhatt, an advocate, against a Karnataka High Court's decision of November 23. The HC had dismissed her writ petition. Bhatt, a resident of Dharwad, has obtained 163 marks in the written examinations held on September 17, but she did not figure among 104 eligible candidates for viva voce, being conducted between November 27 and December 8. In her plea, she challenged the validity of the Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) Rules, calling them ultra vires and unconstitutional. She said that since the appointment was to be made on the basis of aggregrate marks obtained in written examinations as well as viva voce, she should be called for interview. Her elimination by adopting the ratio of 1:3 for interview to 12 posts for general category candidates was repugnant to the rule of appointment on aggregrate marks, she claimed. The HC's registrar general has maintained that though she cleared the written examination, she was not found within the zone of consideration. Rejecting her plea, the HC had pointed out that harmonious reading of the rules led to the conclusion that the viva voce would be conducted of short-listed candidates. The aggregate marks of written examination and viva voce of only those short-listed candidates would be considered in the order of merit for final selection. It also relied upon well-settled principle that once a candidate participated in the recruitment process after being aware of the rules, she was estopped from challenging those on being unsuccessful. Vadodara, PTI: The Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students in Gujarat free of cost by abolishing GST if voted to power, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev announced on Wednesday. "Imposition of 12 percent GST on sanitary napkins is a big shocker for poor girls and women. The Modi government did not slash the tax (on sanitary napkins) despite demands raised by various NGOs and women's group though it reduced the tax on other items," Dev said while addressing reporters. The campaigning for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, will end today. "At one end, the government is promoting healthier menstrual hygiene practices among girls and women while on the other hand they are increasing the cost of sanitary napkins," said Dev, who represents Silchar seat in Assam. She said the imposition of 12 percent GST on sanitary pads is a "regressive move in the menstrual health discourse", which will take a toll on health of poor girls and women who lack the access to sanitary napkins. Dev sought to link the "rising girls school dropout ratio in Gujarat" with costlier sanitary pads. "I am afraid that higher price (of sanitary pads) on account of GST might push girls back to adopting unhygienic menstrual practices," the Congress leader said. Dev also attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for "not filling up" posts of women in the state police department. Dev also claimed that the Gujarat Police have been refusing to register complaints of rape sought to be lodged by affected women. "Congress will set up a committee in each district of Gujarat to extend help to the victims of rape," she said. Speaking after Dev, Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi termed as an "eyewash" the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign. Chaturvedi accused the prime minister of "remaining silent" on the Naliya gangrape issue while addressing public rallies in the poll-bound state. Infosys, India's second-largest IT services company, on Wednesday said it has approached market regulator Sebi to settle a probe into CFO severance pact. The company had constituted a committee to probe into alleged disclosure lapses involving the severance pact with former chief financial officer (CFO) Rajiv Bansal. "The settlement application process is based on an undertaking that the applicant will neither admit nor deny the finding of fact or conclusion of law," said the company in the regulatory filing. The settlement application pertains to the severance agreement with the former CFO in October 2015. The severance package was among the concerns raised by Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy with the Board and CEO Vishal Sikka earlier this year. The application is made under Regulation 3 read with Schedule II(1)(12) of the Sebi (Settlement of Administrtive and Civil Proceeding) Regulations, 2014. Infosys will provide an update upon the conclusion of the confidential settlement process. The software giant wants to resolve allegations against the company of not seeking prior and separate approval of the Nomination and Renumeration Committee and the Audit Committee in relation to the CFO's settlement process. When Bansal left in 2015, Infosys had agreed to pay him Rs 17.38 crore as severance, about two years of pay. But the company paid out only about Rs 5 crore before suspending the payments. Wipro, the third largest IT services company, is going to expand its operations in London by setting up its third office in the UK capital. Rajan Kohli, senior vice-president and global head of Wipro Digital, said Wipro Digital pod in London is a significant milestone in the company's continued growth journey. Kohli said the additional presence in London would allow the company to serve the digital clients better. Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel on Wednesday said that the planned Rs 2.11 lakh crore fund infusion for state-run banks is not only a recapitalisation package, but to ensure that the seeds of boom-and-bust-lending cycle is not sown in future. In October, the government had announced a Rs 2.11-lakh crore capital infusion into the NPA-hit public sector banks over the next two years. Of this, Rs 1.35 lakh crore will be through recapitalisation bonds a small portion of which will also come from capital markets, and the remainder Rs 76,000 crore will come from Budgetary support. "This will be reform and a recap package and not just a recap package, so as to ensure that this money is used to strengthen public sector banks' balance sheets, and that we don't sow the seeds of the next boom and bust cycle of lending," Patel said. He said the recap plan will be differentiated across banks. "In particular, recapitalisation bonds will be front-loaded for banks that have managed their balance sheets more prudently and can use injected capital to lend, besides providing for legacy asset losses," he added. Meanwhile, the RBI has decided to rationalise charges on debit card transactions based on category of merchants. With India setting up an astronomical observatory to pick up elusive gravity waves, a consortium of Indian institutes has tied up with seven UK-based universities for developing instruments for the detector. Existence of gravity waves, ripples in the space-time - was predicted by Albert Einstein a century ago, but the first gravity wave signal was spotted only in September 2015. In the last two years, scientists were able to detect only five such signals. As Indian scientists face a deadline to build and operationalise a gravity wave detector in India by 2025, one of the major handicaps they face is lack of expertise in designing sophisticated instruments for the detector. That's where the pact with UK institutes will come handy. The UK varsities partnering Indian institutes include Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Sheffield, Southampton, Strathclyde and University of West of Scotland. All of them have played a key role in developing the instruments for other gravity wave detectors. "For instance, the University of Glasgow has expertise in developing the special suspension system for the mirrors that would lie at the core of the detector. Birmingham has the know-how of optical simulation software, whereas Cardiff knows about laser optics," Somak Raychaudhury, director of the Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune told DH. IUCAA is spearheading the Indian gravity wave detector project. In February 2016, the Union Cabinet gave in-principle approval to set up an Indian gravity wave observatory to aid Indian scientists undertake cutting edge research in astronomy. The approval came just a week after the first detection of gravity waves by an international team that includes many Indian scientists. Newton-Bhabha project The Indo-UK agreement, signed under the government supported Newton-Bhabha project, will enable Indian scientists to work with UK institutes for an extended period of time, with reciprocal visits to India laboratories to develop infrastructure and provide onsite training that are essential to build the LIGO-India detector. The 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics winners - pioneering scientists Kip Thorne, Barry Barish and Rainer Weiss made "decisive contribution" in conceptualising and developing the first gravity wave detectors that picked up these feeble signals from a distant corner of the universe. The impasse over resuming classes at the G D Birla Centre for Education, one of the city's prominent schools. ended on Wednesday with the school authorities suspending the principal. Classes will resume tomorrow. Members of the guardians' forum and the school authorities reached an agreement after more than three hours of talks amid mounting pressure from several guardians and senior students to resume classes as the ICSE and ISC board examinations are nearing. West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, who was present at the meeting, told DH that the school authorities have also agreed to install CCTV cameras across the school premises. "The school authorities had initially tried to retain the principal and reopen the school, which was rejected by the members of the guardians' forum. Finally, the authorities relented and decided to relieve the principal from all duties and send her on leave for an indefinite period. Classes will resume from tomorrow and two vice-principals of the school will run the day-to-day affairs and will be in charge. Only female attendants will be employed inside the school premises and CCTV cameras will be installed immediately. Finally, the guardians' forum will be recognised by the authorities," said Chakraborti. A four-year-old girl student of the school was allegedly sexually assaulted by two teachers of the physical education department last Thursday. Both teachers have been arrested and charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Parents' onus The principal, Sharmila Nath, was summoned by officers of the detective department at the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar on Tuesday and was interrogated for over seven hours. In the meantime, another reputed school in the city has decided to ban unescorted pool cars for nursery students from January 16, 2018 and has urged parents to personally drop and pick up their kids from the school. Even as Beijing is persistently blocking New Delhi's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement another multilateral export control regime seems set to open up its doors for India. The 23rd annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement commenced in Vienna on Wednesday and New Delhi is expecting that the 41-member cartel might take a positive decision on admitting India, sources told DH. Russia, France, Germany and the United States are strongly supporting India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement, which controls the global trade of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies. China, which blocked New Delhi's plea for admission into the NSG, is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Wednesday discussed the issue of India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. Jaishankar and Ryabkov led the diplomats of India and Russia respectively for the foreign office consultation in New Delhi. "India could join (the Wassenaar Arrangement), as the decision is being taken today and tomorrow. The positive action could be taken tomorrow, fingers crossed. This is an example and reflection of Russia's unwavering support to India's membership of international export control regimes," Ryabkov told journalists. Four regimes The Wassenaar Arrangement is one of the four export control regimes India has been trying to enter ever since it inked the civil nuclear cooperation agreement with United States in 2008. France has been the chair of the Wassenaar Arrangement since January this year and the United Kingdom will take over after the plenary in Vienna. The NSG controls global export of nuclear material and technology. The Australian Group governs international trade in materials used to make chemical and biological weapons. The objective of the Missile Technology Control Regime is to restrict proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles, and related technology for systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction. The MTCR admitted India as a member in June 2016. The office of Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said no scam was involved in the leasing out of land of the Karnataka Milk Federation to a firm in which he was an investor. Chandrasekar's office said that the MP chairs the board of Jupiter Capital in a non-executive capacity. The statement was in reaction to the story in DH about the KMF land in Koramangala in Bengaluru. The statement, issued by senior manager communications, office of Chandrasekhar, said he was not a member of the boards that manage any of the investee companies of Jupiter Capital. "Rajeev Chandrasekhar chairs the board of Jupiter Capital in a non-executive capacity. Jupiter Capital is a financial investor that has invested in and continues to invest in many ventures. These financial investments are in public listed companies and private companies.'' It stated that he held the majority of shares but did not interfere in the administration of these companies. "Chandrasekhar is not a member of the boards that manage any of these investee companies. Each company in which financial investments are made, are separate entities and as per law are managed by separate independent boards and professional managements. All financial investments of Jupiter Capital are made after proper due diligence. This is how all mature private equity and financial investment companies function, that is, as limited liability companies. Therefore, to suggest that Chandrasekhar exerts any management influence on any of Jupiter Capital's investee companies would be mala fide, false and defamatory.'' The statement said PVK Koramangala entered into a joint development agreement with Mantri Habitats Private Limited to build the commercial complex and that the concession agreement and the lease deed executed by KMF permitted PVK Koramangala to enter into such joint development transactions. "The commercial complex is nearing completion. The KMF has always received lease rentals in accordance with the concession agreement and the lease deed, which is to the tune approximately of Rs 1.6 crore per annum. The KMF will receive rentals throughout the lease period and at the end of the lease period, the commercial complex worth hundreds of crores of rupees will be transferred entirely and free of cost to KMF," the release stated (according to the lease deed executed by the KMF in favour of PVK Koramangala, the KMF would get a quarterly rent of Rs 35 lakh after completion of the commercial complex). DH response This paper had reported how PVK Koramangala obtained two acres and 14 guntas from KMF on lease. After this, PVK Koramangala entered into an agreement with Mantri, keeping KMF in the dark. Between them, Mantri Habitats and PVK Koramangala raised Rs 165 crore in loans mortgaging the land. While Mantri pledged 56% of its share for construction, PVK Koramangala pledged the land for repayment of unsecured loans and for other business requirements. DH looked at documents accessed from the ministry of corporate affairs to track PVK Koramangala to Jupiter Capital. The Anti Corruption Bureau is now out to pin responsibility on KMF officials who allowed this transaction. The ACB has filed an FIR and has sought vacation of a High Court stay to continue with its investigation. DH stands by its reports. London & Partners (L&P), the promotional agency of the London mayor, will set up its office in Bengaluru in February. The opening of the office will further enhance the relationship between two startup ecosystems, David Slater, Director of International Trade and Investment, L&P, told DH. "London and Bengaluru are hotbeds of the startup ecosystem. If the talent pool of these destinations interacts each other on a wider scale, it will help in creating ideas which will solve global problems," he added. He further said London gave necessary access to Indian tech companies to reach out a wider audience. "Our decision to open a new office in Bengaluru will help us reach key decision-makers in India and support our continued drive to help Indian businesses expand and internationalise in London," he added. The announcement has been made to coincide with the visit to Bengaluru of a trade delegation of London business leaders and tech entrepreneurs from the Mayor of London's International Business Programme. The visit is part of the wider trade mission to India this week led by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who also met business leaders and politicians in Mumbai and Delhi earlier this week. India remains the second biggest foreign investor into London, with Indian firms creating over 4,500 jobs in the UK capital over the last 10 years - more than China, Japan and second only to the United States. According to London & Partners investment data, technology is the leading sector for investment from India into London, representing almost half (47%) of all investment projects in the past 10 years. Companies travelling on the trade mission include Baby2Body, an online platform which provides advice for new and expectant mothers, Spotify, a digital music streaming service, and Winnow, a tech company which helps chefs measure, monitor and reduce kitchen food waste. Winnow has announced a partnership with Indian sustainability leader Diversey to fight food waste in the Indian hospitality sector. A Wyoming State Penitentiary inmate is suing prison officials, saying they violated his constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment by failing to maintain the facility. Chester L. Bird, who has been serving a life sentence since 1994, filed federal suit against three prison officials last week. The suit alleges that Bird had to breathe pepper spray for hours at a time due to a non-functional ventilation system. However, it's unclear if the lawsuit will proceed because Bird must first pay a $400 filing fee. The suit names Robert Lampert, director of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, Michael Pacheco, head warden, and Jeffrey Heier, the prison's maintenance manager, as defendants. A Monday afternoon phone call to a prison spokesman went unanswered. The federal court filing system does not name an attorney for the three prison officials. They are typically represented by Justin Daraie of the attorney general's office. Daraie could not be reached for comment by Tuesday afternoon. In court filings, Bird alleges that airflow in his cell stopped Aug. 9. Three days later, he submitted a complaint form, which noted that twice that week pepper spray had been used on his unit. Pacheco allegedly replied that a new HVAC employee was "working to address the current air flow issues." In response to another complaint form submitted Aug. 20, a prison sergeant said Heier acknowledged "reduced air flow" but denied that the ventilation was non-functional, according to the filings. Pacheco gave a similar response on Aug. 31, according to Bird. Bird claims that prison policy requires staff to turn on emergency exhaust fans when pepper spray is used. He states that the fans have not been used in the year he has spent in his current housing unit. He wrote that after prison officials broke up a fight using pepper spray on Sept. 8, a sergeant said the fans were broken. Bird wrote in his filing that the prison is understaffed and overcrowded, exacerbating the airflow issue that forms the basis of his suit. The state prison in Rawlins suffers from structural problems that create security risks, officials have said. The Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee voted in July to approve $7.5 million in repairs to the prison, rather than a proposed $80 million dollar fix that would be good for decades. Bird is acting as his own lawyer in the suit. He also filed suit in May on his own behalf alleging that the same parties did not provide him proper medical care. Defense attorneys filed a motion last week to have the medical suit dismissed. In addition to monetary damages, Bird is seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent prison officials from using pepper spray in areas of the prison that do not have functional air exhaust systems. Bird's lawsuit will only be considered if he pays a $400 filing fee by Jan. 8. He had attempted to file the lawsuit in forma pauperis, which would have meant a waiver of the filing fee, but Judge Alan Johnson declined his request. Because Bird has had three previous lawsuits dismissed that were frivolous, malicious or failed to state a claim upon which relief may have been granted, he no longer qualifies for in forma pauperis filings from prison. Prisoners at the Wyoming State Penitentiary cannot receive incoming phone calls, so Bird was not contacted for comment in relation to this story. The Supreme Court collegium led by the Chief Justice of India has recommended names of five advocates for appointment as judges in the Karnataka High Court. It brushed aside "disagreements" shown by the chief minister and Governor over the names. The decision is expected to ease some pressure on the high court's judges, as 37 posts of judges out of 62 sanctioned positions were lying vacant. Of the 10 names sent by the Karnataka High Court's collegium comprising the Chief Justice and two senior-most judges, the apex court's collegium recommended names of Dixit Krishna Shripad, Shankar Ganapathi Pandit, Ramakrishna Devdas, Bhotanhosur Mallikarjuna Shyam Prasad, and Siddappa Sunil Dutt Yadav. Once approved by the Union government, the warrant for their appointment as additional judges will be issued from the President's office. However, the Supreme Court collegium, also comprising Justices J Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi, however, remitted back the names of four advocates for fresh consideration by the present high court collegium on their suitability for appointment as judges. Those whose recommendations were returned are Gurudas Shyamrao Kannur, Kuloor Arvind Kamath, Kanakatte Narayana Phanindra and Maheshan Nagaprasanna. Varun Dhawan To Salman Khan: I Am Your Biggest Fan...This Was Salman Khans Hilarious Reply A presenter with type 1 diabetes working for the BBC World Service has been praised after recovering from hypoglycemia live on air. Alex Ritsons blood sugar levels dropped just as he was introducing The Newsroom show, shortly after 5pm on Friday 1 December. As the journalist started to talk about a story involving the Pope travelling to Bangladesh, he became confused, stumbling on his words and becoming hesitant. As he began to recover, Mr Ritson then moved onto a news story involving a diabetes study published in the journal The Lancet, which he suggested was appropriate. Mr Ritson told listeners: I should apologise at this stage for the slightly confused start to this programme. I have type 1 diabetes and I had a low sugar attack, a hypo, just as we came on the air which caused me a little confusion in my opening sequence, so many apologies for that. People took to social media following the incident to congratulate the journalist for recovering well. A Twitter user by the name of @High_Net_Wife tweeted: Well done to the BBC World Service presenter @bbcworldservice for coming back from a very confused intro. Being honest and explaining why the confusion had happened. He told the listeners that he has type 1 diabetes and his blood sugar level had dropped. #strong #honesty #true. A representative for the BBC said: One of our presenters was a little unwell while on air this morning. The presenter came back on air later in the programme and explained to listeners that they have type 1 diabetes and were feeling better. Hypoglycemia, also referred to as a hypo, is triggered when blood sugar levels fall under 4 mmol/L and can be caused by too much insulin or not enough food. Hypo symptoms can vary but commonly include feeling dizzy, hungry, sweaty, experiencing a change in mood, trembling or finding it difficult to concentrate. People with diabetes can get support in helping to prevent and treat hypos by joining our Hypo Awareness Program, an education course to help improve your knowledge of hypo symptoms and learn more about how hypos develop. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON U.S. economic growth has accelerated after a sluggish start to the year, while unemployment has fallen to the lowest point in almost 17 years and the stock market has been climbing to record highs. President Donald Trump attributes the good news to optimism about his economic program but some economists worry about how long the good times can last. . . . Subscriber content preview PORTLAND (AP) Municipal governments worry the tax overhaul in Washington, D.C. could chill the construction of affordable housing as homelessness reaches a crisis point on the West Coast. Officials with the housing authority in Portland said Tuesday that the U.S. could lose nearly 1 million units of affordable housing over 10 years if the final bill eliminates the tax-exempt status for a type of bond commonly used by developers to finance affordable housing. . . . It's time to get wrapped up and stay close to the fire with snow forecast for Donegal in the coming days. Temperatures are set to drop and it will be become bitterly cold over the next few days in the region. Snow is forecast but it will not be as bad in coastal areas as it will be in inland areas. Sunday will be miserable with sleet and rain but the harsh weather could set in again from Monday. Meanwhile, a wind warning has been issued for Donegal on Thursday. An Atlantic storm heading for the north coast of Scotland is expected to bring strong winds to the west coast of the country. Met Eireann has issued the status yellow wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry. The UK Met Office has named the storm Caroline. Severe winds will affect parts of Scotland, but it will generate strong and blustery winds over Ireland also. Northwest winds of 55 to 65 are expected to gust 100 to 110 km/h with strongest winds in coastal areas and over high ground. The Dothan City Commission decided this week to take a pass on a business seeking to sell alcohol near a public housing complex and a boys and girls club. Below Cost Package, whose address is listed as 219 Fortner Street, applied to the City of Dothan for a Class II liquor license, which would allow alcohol to be sold at the business for consumption off premise. The application failed Tuesday when no commissioner made a motion to bring the application to the body for a vote. The business is adjacent to the Wiregrass Boys and Girls Club and in close proximity to the Henry Green public housing complex. Officials with both entities spoke publicly against the application this week. Our residents are already faced with a lot of life challenges and we do not want to see an addition to those challenges, new Dothan Housing Authority Director Sam Crawford said. Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Phillip Gilley said the addition of an alcohol sales point posed a safety risk to children walking near the business, and did not send a positive message. It is just not conducive to what we are trying to convey to our students, Gilley said. And, while we would like to think everyone would obey the laws about drinking and driving, thats just not going to happen. We know that. The Boys and Girls Clubs long range plan is to build a teen center across Lafayette Street where ball fields currently exist. Gilley said the expected additional foot traffic would not benefit from a business selling alcohol nearby. The business could still seek its license by applying to the Alabama ABC Board. More than a century ago people celebrated holidays in simpler ways. Landmark Parks Victorian Christmas is an opportunity to revisit that bygone era. The open house event from 1-4 p.m. Sunday is free to attend. This is kind of our way of saying thanks to the community, to set aside one day where we dont charge admission, park director William Holman said. Gates open at noon. The event provides a glimpse at what the park located less than three miles north of Dothans Ross Clark Circle on U.S. 431 has to offer. Landmark Park is a 135-acre natural science and history museum. It has nature trails, an elevated boardwalk, playground, a planetarium and picnic areas alongside a turn-of-the-century farmstead with animals and crops typical of an 1890s farm. It includes a drug store with an operating soda fountain, a one-room schoolhouse, general store and historic church, all preserved from the surrounding area. Admission to Victorian Christmas is free but attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the Wiregrass Area Food Bank. Since 1996 more than 64,000 pounds of food have been donated. Sundays event focuses on how the holiday used to be celebrated. Christmas 100 years ago was vastly different from Christmas today, Holman said. All the buildings will be decorated in the fashion of the turn of the century. Back then they decorated with just what they had, natural greenery and things like that. Victorian Christmas is sponsored by The Joy FM 94.3 and is one of the parks largest events. It has had as many as 1,900 people over a three-hour period, Holman said. Visitors can sip hot chocolate or apple cider, enjoy old-fashioned desserts, arts and crafts, music and handmade decorations. They can hear a circuit riding preacher deliver a holiday message, take a wagon ride and visit with Santa in the activity barn. In the schoolhouse kids can make paper chains and string popcorn. Victorian Christmas is an official AL200 event, celebrating Alabamas Bicentennial. Events like that are happening all over the state, encouraging people to think about and learn about and appreciate our state history, Holman said. The park is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the region. It will have a membership booth for people who want to join the park or give a membership as a Christmas gift. The parks first public event was when the Waddell House opened in December 1979. Victorian Christmas carries on that holiday tradition. Its just a great way to spend time with your family, see the farm animals, and visit the historic buildings, Holman said. Louth councillor Ruairi O Murchu has called on DUP voters, Unionist farmers and businesses to challenge and confront the DUP on their Brexit stance following the debacle on Monday which seen the Brexit negotiations deteriorate into a farce. There appeared to be agreement to move forward but following a phone call between DUP leader Arlene Foster and British Prime Minister Teresa May, those plans were scuppered. Cllr O Murchu said: The DUP are being reckless in their quest to copper fasten their Britishness. The north should not be removed from the Customs Union and the Single Market. It is hard to see a solution which works for the people of the border region and across Ireland other than the North remaining within the EU. Sinn Fein has consistently sought a Designated Special Status for the north within the European Union and this makes the most sense economically. The Louth Councillor went on to say: People will not accept the return of border installations to this part of Ireland. There can be no removal of the rights and protections contained within the Good Friday Agreement. Trade, healthcare and communities would be greatly impacted by a return of border checks and stops. Economic devastation to Co. Louth is the only guarantee of a Hard Border Brexit. A Hard Border Brexit would be as absurd as the Germans rebuilding the Berlin Wall. Cllr O Murchu called on the Irish government to remain firm on the issue of the border and is encouraging all those who live in Co Louth and beyond to attend a go-slow protest at the border at Carrickarnon (just past the Carrickdale) on Saturday morning at 11am. There will be a mock customs post erected and people can see for themselves the absurdity and effects of a hard border. Everyone is welcome. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) are today advising consumers to be vigilant for counterfeit high-end beauty products on sale through certain outlets, markets and websites in the lead up to Christmas. Tests carried out by the HSE on a number of the 728 counterfeit and imitation products that the HPRA has detained, identifies some contain harmful substances, such as arsenic and lead, which can be potentially harmful to peoples health. Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner and Urban Decay were among some of the forged cosmetic brands which were found to contain these illegal substances. The counterfeit products detained by the HPRA include, Kylie Holiday-Burgundy and Bronze eyeshadow palettes, Kylie Matte liquid lipstick and lip liner, and Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes. The HPRA warns that the Christmas season is the peak time of year for rogue sellers of counterfeit products and shoppers are strongly urged to avoid these potentially harmful products. HPRA ADVICE ON HOW TO SPOT A COUNTERFEIT COSMETIC Is it significantly cheaper than on the high street? Is the distributor reliable? Beauty brands usually list their licenced sellers on their website. Physically check counterfeit cosmetics for: - Uneven fill levels e.g. in eye-shadow palettes - Faded packaging - Misspelling on the packaging or in the information leaflet - Slight differences in the name of the product or shade - A different print (font or style) on the container - Mirrors that dont quite fit or are of bad quality The HPRA states that over the past few months significant quantities of counterfeit and imitation cosmetics have been seized on entry to the country by Revenues Customs Service. The majority of counterfeit cosmetic products seized have been eye-shadows and lip products. Some of these products can be purchased online from websites based outside of the EU and are being sold to Irish consumers online and through social media. They have also been found in some trade shows and at markets throughout the country. Aoife Farrell, Cosmetics Compliance Manager, HPRA, states: The HPRA is extremely concerned that highly toxic substances, such as arsenic and lead, have been detected in products which are available to Irish consumers. Prolonged exposure to both of these banned substances can severely damage your health causing potential harm to your brain and kidneys, among other organs. The suppliers of these products are unconcerned about the health of the consumers who purchase them. We cant emphasise enough the need for consumers to be vigilant when purchasing cosmetics this Christmas; while they may be sold at a cheaper cost than legitimate beauty products, it is never worth gambling with your health when buying these products. As well as the possible toxic ingredients which may be contained in counterfeit cosmetics, the way the products are manufactured and the safety and cleanliness of the production environment is unknown, which is another reason to avoid purchasing and using these cosmetics at all cost. The HPRA highlights that the genuine Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner are currently only available from the companys website in the USA, and other genuine high-end cosmetic products are usually only available through high street stores or pharmacies. The HPRA and the HSE advise extreme caution if consumers are offered such products at markets or through non-reputable websites. In Ireland, the market surveillance of cosmetic products is carried out by the HPRA and Environmental Health Service and Public Analysts Laboratories of the HSE. Beauty brands usually list their licensed retailers on their websites and this is an easy way for consumers to ensure that they are purchasing a genuine cosmetic product. If a product is much cheaper than in a high street store or pharmacy, consumers should be immediately suspicious and think twice before buying the beauty product, Ms Farrell advised. Loved the old TV westerns; always an episode where a medicine wagon pulls into town. Folks gather to hear a pitch for "a cure-all for what ails ya." The spiel's convincing, perhaps aided by a shill in the audience claiming "it worked for him." The gullible succumb, parting with hard-earned cash. Gratefully, justice prevails as the quack is run out of town on a rail. Times have changed. "Snake oil" is still being sold. However, the medicine wagon has been replaced by the internet. The crowd has grown from a handful to a country-full. "Justice is more complicated. Trump has a bigger megaphone. Congress is desperate to pass something/anything quickly rather than develop an elixir that will truly benefit the middle class long-term. They are hopeful that voters will be just gullible enough, just long enough to return them to office. If trickle-down was truly effective, support would be bipartisan. Want to stimulate the economy? Put money directly into the pockets of lower- and middle-income Americans. We will purchase goods and services and "percolate-it-up," nourishing all levels of the economy quickly. No smoke and mirrors required. Regrettably "Profiles in Courage" in D.C. seemingly are in short supply. History will no doubt refer to this presidency as "The Art of The Scam." John Ilgenfritz Helena A public comment period for a refinery proposed near Theodore Roosevelt National Park begins on Friday with a public hearing set for January, the North Dakota Department of Health said Tuesday. Health regulators are inviting comments on a draft air pollution control permit required for the construction of the Davis Refinery, proposed by Meridian Energy Group about two miles west of Belfield. A review by the Division of Air Quality found the refinery is expected to comply with federal and state air pollution rules and regulations. A public information meeting and public hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Jan. 17 in the Dorothy Stickney Auditorium, May Hall, Dickinson State University. The public comment period will continue through Jan. 26. Meridian Energy has touted the project as the cleanest refinery on the planet, and supporters point to economic development opportunities. But the location, about three miles from the east boundary of Theodore Roosevelt National Parks South Unit, has prompted opposition. Plain and simple, there should be no refinery no matter how clean located with that kind of proximity to a national park, said Jan Swenson, executive director for the Badlands Conservation Alliance. Terry OClair, director of the Division of Air Quality, said the departments typical comment period is 30 days, but, in this case, the timeframe will be longer due to public interest and the holiday season. We believe this is an important issue that a lot of people have questions on, OClair said. Meridian filed for a synthetic minor source permit, meaning the facility would emit less than 100 tons annually of pollutants, such as sulfur, nitrous oxide, methane and carbon monoxide, and less than a combined 25 tons annually of hazardous air pollutants, including benzene, cyanide, arsenic and mercury. A major source permit would require more scrutiny and approval by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, OClair noted that state health regulators spent significant time reviewing the proposal, including seeking input from the EPA and the National Park Service. Meanwhile, the North Dakota Public Service Commission plans to meet with Meridian officials on Dec. 19 to discuss the companys plans. Meridian has not filed for a siting permit with the Public Service Commission, which would conduct a review for refineries that process 50,000 or more barrels of oil per day. In applications to health regulators and the State Water Commission, Meridian said it planned to construct a first phase capable of processing 27,500 barrels per day and expand to a facility capable of processing 55,000 barrels per day. However, the company now says on its website the second phase will process 49,500 barrels per day, just shy of the amount that would trigger a PSC review. In addition, Meridians application for a water permit through the State Water Commission has not yet been resolved. State Water Commission staff recommended approval of a water permit, but nearby landowners are contesting it. The matter has been assigned to an administrative law judge, with a hearing not expected until next year. Featuring dozens of original fashion shows, the 2017 Guangzhou Fashion Week came to a close on Nov 14 at the Canton Tower and Haixinsha Island, the two main venues for the event. The past week has seen a special conference attended by over a hundred fashion enterprises from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, match-making seminars between designer groups from New York Fashion Week and Guangzhou's fashion industry, thematic forums and high-end design work shows. Mark Cheung's fashion show is presented at the closing ceremony of Guangzhou Fashion Week.[Photo/southcn.com] At the closing ceremony for the event, Mark Cheung, China's prestigious fashion designer and president of the Global Original Design Alliance, presented his grand Chinese-style fashion show, which culminated in prolonged applause. Peter Levy, vice-president of the Organizing Committee of New York Fashion Week, led his team to explore Guangzhou's fashion industry and expressed his strong willingness for further cooperation. Mark Cheung's fashion show features elegant qipao dresses mixed with western elements.[Photo/southcn.com] The preparation for the Global Fashion Inter-City Alliance was also initiated during the week. In the future, Guangzhou will deepen its exchange with global fashion capitals like Paris, Milan, and New York. Chinese models walk the catwalk at the fashion show. [Photo/southcn.com] Seeking more input on state revenue projections after recent estimates missed the mark, North Dakota lawmakers voted Tuesday to contract with a consulting firm to provide economic forecasting data. The Legislative Revenue Advisory Committee voted unanimously in favor of IHS Markits proposal, which carries a $49,292 price tag. That came just weeks after the Office of Management and Budget signed a new two-year, $140,000 contract with Moodys Analytics that includes the option for two two-year renewals, the agencys outgoing director Pam Sharp said. The Legislature is responsible for passing a budget, said House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo. And we need to be also responsible for gathering the revenue numbers that we work with when we go to build that budget. Sharp, meanwhile, raised some concerns about having two forecasts. Best practice would be to have everyone work together on one forecast, she said. I think theres more and more opportunity for political decisions to get into the mix. Dan White, director of fiscal policy research at Moodys, echoed that sentiment but said policymakers should try to gather as much information as they can to make budget decisions. Sharp said they added a fourth scheduled forecast and a few other things to the Moodys contract. Gov. Doug Burgum vetoed legislation creating the bipartisan committee in May, arguing that it could result in conflicting revenue forecasts, creating additional challenges for the states budgeting process. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem later said it wasnt a constitutional violation for the Legislature to create a committee to monitor state revenues and economic activity. Sharp said shes been really pleased with Moodys, describing the firm as extremely responsive. She said it doesnt shoulder all of the blame for missed revenue projections. Lawmakers used a revenue forecast prepared by Moodys to set a record $14.2 billion two-year budget in 2015-17 that included $6 billion in general funds, which was later slashed due to lagging oil and farm commodity prices. Then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered a round of budget cuts in early 2016 to cover a $1 billion revenue shortfall, and lawmakers later addressed a $310 million shortfall during a special session. We would try to figure out, OK, how many rigs are we going to have, how many wells are going to be drilled, and then wed have to give that to Moodys, Sharp said. When that information isnt what it actually turns out to be, then everything is skewed. Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg, the Senates chief budget-writer and chairman of the revenue advisory committee, acknowledged there was some frustration among lawmakers, but Moodys wasnt the only one that misjudged the large downturn in ag and energy. IHS Markit plans to deliver a final report to North Dakota officials by the end of September 2018, and an updated report is due in January 2019, when lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol. Fifty technicians from Montana-Dakota Utilities were en route to Tioga Tuesday evening to restore natural gas service to 1,100 customers after a citywide outage. MDU spokesman Mark Hanson said a disruption in MDU's supply occurred Tuesday afternoon. He said he didn't yet have all the details on the cause, though the supplier had been conducting maintenance. "So the process is we need to shut off the gas meters to every residence and then we have to purge our system, clear any remaining gas in there, then the supply will be put back into our system and then our techs have to go out back of each residence, turn the gas back on and relight the natural gas appliances," Hanson said. MDU had planned to have all gas meters shut off in Tioga by 9 or 10 p.m. Tuesday before relighting anything. The city's high school, which has coal heat, has been opened as a shelter for residents without heat, according to Tioga Police Officer Mia Lefever. Service techs were traveling from Williston, Dickinson, Watford City, Minot and Bismarck, as well as Miles City and Glendive, Mont. "It's cold so we want to get (the outage) taken care of as quickly as we can," Hanson said. Tuesday's overnight low in Tioga was expected to dip down to 12 degrees and only climb another 3 degrees for the high, according to the National Weather Service. Lefever said MDU has prioritized Tioga's nursing home and hospital. Technicians were expected to work through the night, according to Hanson. "This will be a lengthy process," Hanson said. Tioga is a city of about 1,600 residents in northwestern North Dakota about 40 miles east of Williston. Erdogan: Jerusalem is 'red line' for Muslims President Erdogan told "We could go as far as cutting diplomatic ties with Israel over the issue. on his speech at parliament. Reports emerged on Friday that US President Donald Trump was considering recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on his speech at the parliament, responded Trumps statement. "US CAN NOT TAKE THIS KIND OF STEP" "Mr. Trump, Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims," Erdogan said at the parliamentary group meeting of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. "We are imploring the US once again. You cant take this kind of step." Erdogan: Jerusalem is 'red line' for Muslims- VIDEO TURKEY COULD CUT OFF DIPLOMATIC TIES Erdogan also warned that if the US does so, Turkey could cut off diplomatic ties with Israel. "If you take this kind of step, we will convene an Islamic cooperation summit in Istanbul." he added. Israel has always regarded it as its capital city, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. If Washington recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, it would be the first country to do so since the foundation of the state in 1948. Muslim countries are taking the action over Israel Issue President Erdogan invites Muslim countries to convene over Jerusalem issue. Reports emerged on Friday that US President Donald Trump was considering recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that Jerusalem was 'red line' for Muslims and Turkey could cut off diplomatic ties with Israel if US took that kind of step. Regarding this issue, Muslim countries are taking the action. "JERUSALEM IS OUR HONOR" Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said President Erdogan has invited leaders of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to convene for an extraordinary leaders summit in Istanbul on Wednesday over the issue of Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is our honor, our common cause, and as Mr. President said yesterday, it is our red line." Kaln told reporters. Dustin Hoffman is one of the actors who has been named a 'sexual predator' during the on-going epidemic currently taking over headlines. Hoffman was accused by actress, Anna Graham Hunter, of sexually harassing her when Hunter was 17 years old. The alleged incident took place during the filming of the movie, Death of a Salesman, in 1985. During a panel that celebrated the 20th anniversary for the screening of the film, Wag the Dog, the host of the panel, John Oliver, engaged in a heated conversation with Hoffman in regards to the allegation. Hoffman was joined on stage with costar of the film, Robert De Niro, and director Barry Levinson. In a clip that was posted online, Oliver brought up the subject by commenting it was 'hanging in the air' with Hoffman rebuffing that the host 'made him guilty' from the few articles he read. Oliver also called out Hoffman's apology to Hunter. "'It's 'not reflective of who I am.' It's that kind of response to this stuff that pisses me off. It is reflective of who you were. If it happened and you've given no evidence to show that it didn't [happen] then there was a period of time for a while when you were a creeper around women.," Oliver stated. Hoffman replied that it was 'difficult' for him to respond to that question because Oliver 'wasn't there'. Hoffman also said that he considers anyone he works with, his 'family' and sexual things are sometimes said but are 'meant to be funny'. Hoffman's Alleged Victim The actress wrote a detailed piece to the Hollywood Reporter recounting the event. The actress stated that at the time, she was attracted to Hoffman and was conflicted on coming forward with her story. "He asked me to give him a foot massage my first day on set; I did. He was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me. One morning I went to his dressing room to take his breakfast order; he looked at me and grinned, taking his time. Then he said, 'I'll have a hard-boiled egg...and a soft-boiled clitoris.' His entourage burst out laughing. I left, speechless. Then I went to the bathroom and cried," the article stated. In his apology that he issued to the actress, Hoffman stated that he has the 'utmost respect' for women and that he was 'deeply sorry' for anything he did that could have made her feel "uncomfortable". Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour will bring her talents to the Public Broadcasting Service when she takes over the air slot formerly held by disgraced journalist Charlie Rose. On Mon, Dec.3, The Public Broadcasting Service and WNET announced that the CNN International Correspondent broadcasted the first episode of the interim news show: Amanpour on PBS. The broadcast is expected to air on all of the Public Broadcasting Service's stations on Mon., Dec. 11. A New Chapter For Amanpour President and Chief Executive of WNET Neal Shapiro was the first to welcome the international reporter to the fold in a statement. "We are pleased to welcome her to the PBS system and are gratified to offer this thorough and responsible news program to viewers nationwide." Said Shapiro. Amanpour has an impressive resume as she earned over 11 Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, and is a two-time recipient of the George Polk Awards in Journalism. She also spent several years as a 60 Minutes correspondent and anchored ABC's This Week. Amanpour also spent time as ABC News' Global Affairs Reporter. The Public Broadcasting Service added that Amanpour might not be the only current events host that will join the network. The network revealed that they are in the process of setting up another program, but did not disclose further details. Fallen Power Players News of Amanpour's hiring comes weeks after both the Public Broadcasting Service and CBS fired Charlie Rose over sexual harassment claims that were highlighted in a Washington Post article revealed that eight women accused the former CBS: This Morning anchor of doing disturbing activities in their presence. Rose apologized in a public statement and added that he "behaved insensitively at times" and accepted responsibility for his actions. In addition to Rose, NBC terminated longtime Today Show anchor Matt Lauer after an employee reported his alleged behavior. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret the pain that I have caused others by words and actions," Lauer wrote in a statement. "To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry." Since Lauer's apology, more women who choose to remain anonymous have come forward and accused the former NBC News anchor of sexual harassment. All of these developments stem from the unnerving expose regarding fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. The movie producer is currently facing over 80 allegations of sexual misconduct, which were exposed in a New York Times article. Selena Gomez has been forced to spend time away from her boyfriend, Justin Bieber, in recent weeks and apparently, she's quite upset about having to be so far away from home. According to a new report, Gomez is missing Bieber quite a lot as she continues to spend time in London and other locations around the globe. Selena has been a bit bummed since her time out of the states and away from Justin. She misses him dearly and the time apart has helped her realize how important he is to her, a source close to Gomez explained to Hollywood Life on Dec. 4. Gomez and Bieber rekindled their previously troubled relationship in October of this year as her relationship with The Weeknd came to an end and ever since, the couple has been frequently photographed together. However, in recent weeks, they've been spending less time together than they did immediately after their initial reunion. Most recently, after enjoying time with her family in Texas, Gomez reunited in Los Angeles with Bieber, where he was spotted serenading her at the hotel bar of the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. Although things between Gomez and Bieber appeared to be heating up quick, the Hollywood Life source said that Gomez did recently pull back just a bit. Selena felt the need to pull back a little but that has only made things more clear in her mind. Selena has a strong love and bond for Justin. She wanted alone time, got it, and it was what she needed. It has helped her learn about herself and how much Justin means to her. She genuinely misses him and is cant wait to get back to him, the insider added. Gomez shared a post on Instagram earlier this week in which she told her many fans and followers that she needed some alone time. While she didn't reveal what the alone time was in reference to, many assumed she was speaking of her new relationship with Bieber and feeling a bit overwhelmed. As fans of Gomez will recall, she's had a rough year. In addition to her breakup with The Weeknd, Gomez endured a kidney transplant earlier this year after her friend Francia Raisa offered to be her donor. Gomez first confirmed the surgery on her Instagram page and shared an image of herself and Raisa in the hospital together. France's equivalent of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley, Johnny Hallyday, has died of lung cancer at the age of 74. Battle With Cancer Hallyday died on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The legendary artist was admitted to a hospital in Paris on Friday, Nov. 17, for respiratory problems and had been undergoing treatments for lung cancer. "Johnny Hallyday has left us," Hallyday's wife, Laeticia, said in a statement obtained by The Guardian. "I write these words without believing them. But yet, it's true. My man is no longer with us. He left us tonight as he lived his whole life, with courage and dignity." The 'French Elvis' Hallyday earned the nickname "French Elvis" for his role in popularizing the rock and roll genre of music in his country and dominated the French rock scene for half a century. He gained prominence as an artist shortly after the release of his first single "Laisse les Filles," in 1960, following which he delivered the hit song, "Souvenirs, Souvenirs" and his debut album, Hello Johnny. He became known for his French-language covers of hit songs as well as his vast catalog of original tracks that were released on dozens of albums through 2015, selling a total of a 100 million records. Hallyday released a slew of hit albums and singles with his combination of originals and local-language covers of songs, including his two biggest hits, "L'Idole des Jeunes" and "Da Dou Ron Ron." He also covered tracks sung by rock legends including Chubby Checker (his cover of "Let's Twist Again" crossed the 1 million mark in sales) and Jerry Lee Lewis on the 1961 album, Johnny Hallyday Sings America's Rockin' Hits. Hallyday had a huge fan following in the 60s and sold out stadiums and arenas with his dark, gravely voice and unique charm. He had such a huge impact on his fans that he achieved teen idol status that rivaled the likes of Elvis in the United States. He continued to perform to thrilling crowds well into his retirement years and also enjoyed a successful movie career after starring in films by renowned directors including Jean Luc Godard, Claude Lelouch, Henri-Georges Clouzot, and Costa-Gravas. The Music Industry Mourns Hallyday's Death Shortly after news of Hallyday's passing emerged, many celebrities from the music industry, including Celine Dion and Lenny Kravitz took to social media to express their condolences. Here's what they wrote: I'm very sad to hear the news that Johnny Hallyday passed away. He was a giant in show business...a true icon! My thoughts go out to his family, his loved ones, and to the millions of fans who adored him for many decades.He will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.- Celine xx Celine Dion (@celinedion) December 6, 2017 Farewell Dear @JohnnySjh. Your friendship, sweetness and support are imprinted in my heart. It is an honor to have known you and to have spent time with you and your beautiful family. Your soul is pure Rock and Roll. Repose en paix. : @candyTman pic.twitter.com/1ZAFUewHlo Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) December 6, 2017 The Crown star Matt Smith is not thrilled for Meghan Markle now that she will soon become a royal. The British actor has said that he feels sorry for her. Smith plays the role of Prince Philip in The Crown, so he knows a thing or two about what it's like to be part of the royal clan. However, the actor doesn't envy Markle or anyone else who has joined Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's family. What Does Matt Smith Think Of Meghan Markle Becoming A Royal? "It's such a tradition in her life, and it's such a huge thing to take on. Life as she knows it is gone. But hey, he's marrying the prince of Britain - how exciting for her," said Smith. Smith's co-star, Claire Foy, has a more positive view about Markle becoming Prince Harry's wife in the next couple of months. The actress noted the fact that Markle is a divorcee, but the queen has given her the blessing to marry Prince Harry. "You realize the fact that Elizabeth forbade her sister from marrying a divorced man. It goes to show how time has changed and how they've had to evolve. And they really have. This would not have been conceivable, this would not have happened 50 years ago," said Foy. Meanwhile, Markle is completely aware of what she's signed up for since she and Prince Harry started dating. During their first sit-down interview as an engaged couple, Prince Harry revealed that he reminded Markle that everything in her life will change now that she's dating him. Prince Harry asked Markle if she's open to the idea of change and the Suits alum said "yes." Meghan Markle's Life Changes There have already been a few changes in Markle's life ever since she started dating Prince Harry. She's no longer active on her social media account and her lifestyle blog has been shut down. Markle has also left Suits to start a life in London where Prince Harry resides. Even though a lot of people saw her decision to leave the USA Network show as a way of giving up on her career, Markle has a very different point of view about it. Markle said that she doesn't see it as giving but as a change. Prince Harry supports Markle all the way and he's excited about what the future has in store for them. "At the moment for us it's going to be making sure that our relationship is put first, but both of us have passions for wanting to make change for good," said Prince Harry. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has refused to remove their Therese Dreaming display. The painting was created by Balthasar "Balthus" Klossowski. Therese Dreaming features a young girl sitting on a chair with her underwear visible. An online petition asking the museum to remove the painting from its display received thousands of support on Monday. Online Petitions Urge Removal Of 'Therese Dreaming' The petition also urged the museum staff to rethink their decision of displaying the painting despite the current climate around sexual assault in the country and around the world. I put together a petition asking the Met to take down a piece of art that is undeniably romanticizing the sexualization of a child. If you are a part of the #metoo movement or ever think about the implications of art on life, please support this effort. https://t.co/gcCAFDe749 Mia Merrill (@miazmerrill) November 30, 2017 Mia Merrill, the petition's author, suggested that another painting from the same time period should take the place of Therese Dreaming. The Met Refuses To Take Down 'Therese Dreaming' However, Ken Weine, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, refused to take down the painting. He said that keeping the painting on display paves the way for guests to reflect on today's culture. According to Weine, visual art is one of the most significant means that people have to reflect on both their past and present. The National Coalition Against Censorship has also issued a statement in support of the museum's decision to not take down the painting. It stated that there has been a "disturbing" trend regarding the removal of paintings especially when they represent difficult subjects. "Art can often offer insights into difficult realities, and as such, merits vigorous defense," read the statement. Despite not receiving a favorable response to her petition, Merrill said that she will look at it as a success if the museum includes a disclaimer below the controversial painting. Meanwhile, Klossowski's artwork was inspired by his neighbor, Therese Blanchard, who was just 12 or 13 at the time the painting was created. The subject of the painting is also featured in a series of 10 other creations together with her brother, Hubert Blanchard and sometimes, with her cat. Merrill's negative comments about Klossowski's painting are not an isolated case. A review of the painting from 2013 claimed that the artist had an inordinate fixation on girls who have just hit puberty. African and European heads of state made a joint decision to speed up the efforts to repatriate thousands of migrants stranded in Libya, some of them living in dire conditions. About 80 EU and African leaders ended two days of negotiations in Ivory Coast, pledging to step up their action against human trafficking and reports of slavery. They announced they would repatriate about 3,800 migrants in one camp near Tripoli as soon as possible. Yet, African Union officials say that there are nearly 42 camps across the country, lodging about 700,000 people. French President Emmanuel Macron called slave trade a crime against humanity and added that human traffickers were deeply linked to jihadist groups and extremist networks across northern Africa. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said it was horrendous that some Nigerians were being sold like goats for a few dollars in Libya. He added that all Nigerians stranded in Libya and other countries around the world would be brought home and rehabilitated. Libya is the stepping stone for many Africans trying to reach Europe, hoping to flee low security, threat of terrorism and poverty at home. Thousands lose their lives every year, attempting to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. The EU and Libya are working to discourage such hazardous trips, including cracking down on human traffickers who often leave their cargo stranded at sea. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency, about 244 million people now live outside the country they were born in up from 152 million in 1990. More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. Theresa May announced yesterday that the UK and the EU failed to reach an agreement to move to the next stage of the divorce talks. The British leader said that the negotiations would convene again before the end of the week and that she was confident we will conclude this positively. The talks are believed to have broken down after Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) did not accept concessions regarding the future of the Irish-Irish border. London, however, commented that this was not the only outstanding problem. I am surprised and disappointed that the British government now appears not to be in a position to conclude what was agreed earlier today, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said at a press conference in Dublin. The UK government was reportedly willing to accept that Northern Ireland may remain in the EUs customs union and single market. DUP leader Arlene Foster said that party would not accept any form of regulatory divergence that separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. DUP also stressed that it would veto any move to make Northern Ireland close to the Republic. The Irish broadcaster RTE reported that the draft deal stipulated that in the absence of agreed solutions the UK will ensure that there continues to be no divergence from those rules of the internal market and the customs union which, now or in the future, support North South cooperation and the protection of the Good Friday Agreement. Downing Street later commented that the PM has been clear that the UK is leaving the European Union as a whole and the territorial and economic integrity of the United Kingdom will be protected, the Prime Ministers spokesperson said. The EU has named 17 countries including South Korea, Mongolia, Namibia, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in its first ever tax haven blacklist and put a further 47 on notice, including British overseas territories and the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, in an attempt to crack down on the estimated 506bn lost to tax avoidance every year. This followed the meeting of European Union ministers earlier this week to discuss the blacklist of non-EU tax paradises. Though being hailed as a vital first step, the failure of the member states to come to an agreement on any sanctions for those blacklisted provoked the European commissioner for economic and financial affairs, Pierre Moscovici, to openly admit it was as yet an insufficient response. There were about 20 countries that are thought to facilitate tax evasion and Novembers Paradise Papers leak gave the initiative a new momentum. The papers made public some of the intricate ways the worlds richest individuals and entities evade paying taxes using offshore havens. The EU had struggled for more than a year to agree on the list due to internal divisions. Smaller, low-tax, EU member states such as Luxembourg, Ireland and Malta were concerned about discouraging multinational corporations with the United Kingdom fighting hard against the blacklist since its own crown independencies such as the Virgin Islands could be potentially jeopardized. On top of agreeing on the final blacklist, there were also considerations being made for the Caribbean countries that had been damaged during hurricanes earlier this year. European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici earlier commented that EU leaders were still in talks over an initial list of 29 countries, with disagreements still strong on who will make the final version. Since Thursday, we have entered a phase of intense political and diplomatic activity, Mr. Moscovici commented. And I do see a risk that some countries whose names were quoted in the many tax scandals over the last five years may not be listed. That would be strange, he warned. The biggest problem has been the issue of enforcement. EU member states still disagree whether blacklisted countries should be subjected to financial sanctions or whether the blacklist itself is shaming enough. Some states support tough restrictions against the listed tax havens such as exclusion from World Bank or EU funding but the discussions are still ongoing. Other states are unwilling to draw up common measures in belief that responsibility is better left to member states. Nowadays, numerous actors are involved in military cooperation programs aimed at strengthening African armies and building special partnerships. These programs provide trainings and the deployment of military counselors, as well as material and financial support to different sub- Saharan African armies. Military cooperation may, however, encounter a number of constraints due to the patchwork nature of many African armies and, often, to their lack of professionalization. Although this military cooperation may sometimes leave counselors frustrated, its impact in Africa is undeniable and perceptible in the long run, making it a highly strategic tool. Nevertheless, military cooperation is facing serious challenges and there is still a long way to go. To that end, cooperation will have to be dealt from the bottom up with the deployment of advisors at the operational level, as well as from the top down with the introduction of security sector reforms which will enable to bring progressive yet intensive changes that African armies need. In the context of the challenging sub-Saharan reality ranging from terrorism to organized crime, insurgencies and piracy, African armies can no longer confine their role to be mere prestige tools, to take part in parades at the national holidays or to allow themselves be used to destabilize the democratically elected political powers by coups detat. African armies need to take on new roles in specific missions as they are being confronted with numerous conflicts and bloody wars examples include the difficulties with peace operations in Mali, South Sudan and Somalia, all of whom clearly show that a failure to empower the armies in the right direction may easily lead to a states collapse (like the Malian army against the jihadists in 2012). African armies are, however, not alone to face the new challenges. They can rely on many initiatives in military cooperation including with both private and public actors. Historically, this form of assistance varied in nature and importance, which is why during the Cold War, African armies were subjects of great interest for the world powers, be it France, the UK, the USSR and the countries of the communist bloc or the United States. Following the end of the Cold War, there was a sharp decline in the interest in other parts of the world in Africa. However, with the new millennium, an increased significance of the newly emerging issues such as terrorism, as well as an influx of new investments from Asia and the West and the accelerating economic growth on the continent have spawned a renewed interest in Africa that is nowadays seen as a new land of economic opportunity. This has also resulted in renewed competition between countries and private actors to rebuild African armies and subsequently cooperate with them. The contemporary African armies are shaped by the history mostly colonial, though they have not been modeled on European forces but there are also other important factors. To understand the current dynamics, we need to focus on the cooperation especially in ground forces, but some collaboration takes place among the navies and air forces as well. However, the particular situations of the African armies, mainly those south of Sahara, are the biggest challenge to understanding the possible biases of these cooperations within the continent and beyond. The field of intelligence is mostly excluded from the studies on this topic, due to a lack of available data and information, although it is an important part of cooperation with the African armies. This comprehensive study presents the different types of military cooperation whose ambitions can range from the ex nihilo construction of an army, such as in Somalia, to the simple support for the export of military equipment. It also involves establishing a sociology of cooperation actors: who cooperates with these armies and how? The study also highlights the difficulties in which a large part of these African armies find themselves and what this implies for the actors who try to reform them. It also ponders the question of evaluating the results of these military cooperation policies and, finally, the study returns to two avenues that seem essential to a profound reform, from below and from above, of the African armies: operational cooperation and security sector reform (SSR). Cooperer avec les armees africaines Research Paper by Aline Leboeuf Institut francais des relations internationales (IFRI). (The Research Paper can be downloaded here) Will movers pack and unpack for you in France? You can pay more for this in the US, not sure if 'full service' like this exists here? Movers in France typically quote a few different rates that depend on how much of the packing you are willing to do on your own. The service options range up to you not laying a finger on anything. We moved about a year ago and it was pretty odd and probably illegal. The brother-in-law of one of my co-workers showed up late in the afternoon, with his two-man crew and his employer's moving van, packed everything, drove it to our new house, and unloaded it all in the same day. We paid him 500 in the mid-afternoon and 500 late in the evening after they finished. The total cost was about 1 000 to 1 500 less than other companies were quoting. Did I mention this was all in cash? I suspect that the 1 000 went equally to the pockets of the three guys who moved us, and none was reported to their employer or to the tax authorities who, I imagine, might have had an interest in the transaction. Its reassuring to know that El Nogal is holding down its piece of old San Antonio at North St. Marys and Interstate 35. Its a sunny cafe open from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the weekdays, with hot coffee, plenty of parking and breakfast tacos on handmade tortillas starting and mostly staying around $1.50. Tacos: In the malleable world of chilaquiles, its hard to know if youre getting plain chips and eggs or cheese or pico de gallo or the true chile-soaked chips that characterize the style. El Nogal gives you a hint with chilaquil a la mexicana. Chips, cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes and eggs, all of it made fresh to order. Its one of the best $1.50 breakfast tacos in this series. And if you need more chile in your chilaquiles, customize the experience with El Nogals molcajete-style chunky salsa roja Northeast Lakeview College, the fifth and newest community college in the Alamo Colleges District, was accredited Tuesday after a decade of stops and starts marked by periodic flare-ups of controversy. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, meeting in Dallas, also reaffirmed three other colleges in the district Northwest Vista, St. Philips and San Antonio College lifting the warning status they had operated under for a year. Were just elated, absolutely elated, said Yvonne Katz, chairwoman of the community college districts board of trustees. Were going to celebrate and we really appreciate our community supporting us. The agency had issued the warnings after finding a lack of administrative autonomy at those institutions, fueling tensions created by the districts drive to standardize curriculum, counseling and other policies. All of the Alamo Colleges are individually accredited. Palo Alto College was not warned because it had been reaffirmed in 2012 on its own 10-year accreditation cycle. The warnings had caused the districts board of trustees to change several policies earlier this year, including one that had placed the self-help methods of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in the curriculum for first-year students in the district. The warnings also caused some voters to question the timing of the districts $450 million capital improvement bond vote in May, which ultimately passed by a 2-1 margin. Most of Northeast Lakeviews 5,000 students were technically enrolled in San Antonio College, through which they received federal financial aid until this fall, when the government allowed Northeast Lakeview to offer the aid, anticipating accreditation. The Southern Association had approved a minimal level of academic programs at Northeast Lakeview, which now must prepare for a period of growth and propose new programs for approval by the districts chancellor and board and the accrediting agency, Katz said. Northeast Lakeview started as an extension of St. Philips College and has struggled to earn accreditation since 2007, when it became independent. The college applied for accreditation four times between 2007 and 2015, when SACSCOC finally agreed to a site visit that resulted in the college advancing to candidacy status. The accrediting agency sent the colleges first application back with many requested changes, including a stand-alone audit. The Alamo Colleges inability to separate Northeast Lakeviews finances from the rest of the districts generated a proposal to accredit the district as a single, multi-campus entity, which the board rejected in 2010 after months of contentious debate. Such a change would have cost millions of dollars in federal grants received by St. Philips College, the only one in the nation to be designated both a Historically Black College and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Southern Association next rejected Northeast Lakeviews application for a candidacy visit in 2013, saying the college did not meet institutional effectiveness standards for educational programs and administrative and student support services. The college re-applied in 2014, but withdrew its application because the agency asked for more information, and newly appointed President Craig Follins wanted to take a year to assess student outcomes. The college applied yet again in 2015. Alamo Colleges Chancellor Bruce Leslie removed Follins from the presidency later that year, saying he had exhibited a pattern of emotionally abusive behavior that could drive away employees and jeopardize accreditation. The accrediting agency visited the campus in February 2016, granting it candidacy status under interim President Tom Cleary. The final site visit took place a year later, shortly before President Veronica Garcia was hired. In a prepared statement, Leslie congratulated Cleary, Garcia and the Northeast Lakeview administration, faculty and staff on the excellent work they have done and said he was pleased with the reaffirmation of the three warned colleges. Alamo Colleges leaders have said throughout the year that they anticipated Tuesdays outcome. Katz said candidates to replace Leslie, who is retiring next fall, have done their research and know the three warned colleges received the least severe punishment possible. The colleges remained fully accredited, with no effects on enrollment, availability of financial aid, transfer of credits or students ability to graduate. They knew that we were going to be moving ourselves out of that level of citation, Katz said. Some faculty and community members at the colleges have spent years pushing for increased institutional autonomy, accusing Leslie and trustees of ignoring their input to make top-down decisions that harmed individual colleges. In warning the three colleges last year, the accreditation agency charged they were not representing themselves as separately accredited institutions and that trustees had infringed on their autonomy in setting certain policies, including some that governed curriculum and hiring. In addition to removing the 7 Habits from the curriculum, trustees responded by rebranding the Alamo Colleges as the Alamo Colleges District and clarifying in policy that the chancellor works with college presidents to hire at their campuses. The colleges also began individually accepting transfer credits and calculating grade-point averages. We worked hard to get this approved now, Katz said. If some entity tries to snub an accrediting group, that is not good, because they will come down further on you, so you have to show that you are most appreciative that shortcomings were identified and youre going to bring them from the minus side to the plus side. amalik@express-news.net Water and sewer rates for San Antonio Water System customers will likely go up next year, though some San Antonio City Council members remain opposed to the increases. As of Tuesday, five council members say they will vote for the higher SAWS water and sewer rates on Thursday. Three council members have said they will vote no. The vote on rates was postponed in early November. Interviews with council members indicated the vote then could have been a tie with District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales absent for the birth of her third child. SAWS wants to raise per-gallon rates delivery rates 9.7 percent, water supply fees 4.5 percent and sewer rates 3.6 percent in 2018. In 2019, those increases would be 0.4 percent, 4.3 percent and 8 percent, respectively. Monthly fixed fees based on meter size would also go up. For the smallest meter generally used for residential connections, fees of $11.64 for water and $12.28 for sewer would rise by 2019 to $12.82 and $14.53, respectively. The proposed increases would raise the average bill of $62.27 by 5.8 percent in 2018 and by 4.7 percent to $68.63 in 2019. For year-by-year comparisons, SAWS assumes an average customer uses 7,092 gallons of water per month. File photo Most of the rate increases in 2018 are going to water and sewer system improvements. Mayor Ron Nirenberg requested more money in the utilitys 2018 budget for water line upgrades, which led to the 5.8 percent bill increase, higher than a 5.3 percent number originally proposed. SAWS maintains a network of roughly 12,000 miles of water and sewer mains to serve more than 1.7 million people in the San Antonio region. An increase in sewer rates will fund a 10-year deal with federal environmental regulators to reduce sewage leaks into local creeks and rivers. The improvements were originally projected at nearly $1.1 billion, though SAWS now says the cost will be closer to $1.5 billion. The utility also has cited the need to build new pipelines to move more water from its H2Oaks Center in South Bexar County into its main system and to supply water to fast-growing areas on the far West and Northwest sides. The 2019 rates will continue to fund upgrades to water and sewer lines, plus an initial rollout of automated meters and the building of a reserve to start paying for water from the Vista Ridge pipeline in 2020. The utility has been attacked by the public on social media for the salary of its President and CEO Robert Puente, whose total compensation has gone from $275,000 in 2008 to more than $567,000 this year. Mayor Ron Nirenberg has acknowledged a need to study equity in the rate structure overall, though he framed next years proposed rate increases as an example of doing whats right instead of whats politically popular. What motivation would any public servant have in trying to force a rate increase on anyone? he said. Its not good politics. On the flip side, its the easiest thing in the world to argue against it. SAWS Chief Operating Officer Steve Clouse has said that SAWS is replacing water lines at about half the rate recommended by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Nirenberg said he wants to avoid another situation like the EPA consent decree, but on the water side. But to District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, a retired Air Force engineer who plans to vote no on the rate increase, thats not a realistic way to run a water utility. You look at where youre having the most problems at, and thats how you prioritize the systems that need to be replaced, Perry said. You budget it to what the needs are, and you dont always get everything you want. Perry said he doesnt look at SAWS rates alone but as part of a bundle of fees and taxes that have been rising for Bexar County residents. All these rate increases across all these agencies, and not to mention these huge property tax increases over the last 10 years it adds up, he said. Joining Perry will be District 6 Councilman Greg Brockhouse, the most outspoken opponent of the proposal, and District 9 Councilman John Courage, who said he would only support an increase to fund sewer work under the federal agreement. Gonzales, District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval and District 4 Councilman Rey Saldana have said that they will join Nirenberg in approving the increases. I hate having to pay higher rates and higher taxes, Pelaez said. But I live in a city whose infrastructure is in need of repair. I live in a city whose grid requires investment to accommodate the people that are coming, and I live in a city where the new normal is megastorms that require heavy investment in stormwater and sewer delivery. Saldana and Gonzales said their biggest concern was providing enough funding for SAWS affordability programs and making it easier for customers to sign up for those programs. I cant deny that there are certain infrastructure investments that need to be made, Saldana said. What I cant have is community members who are literally reaching out for help being turned away. SAWS officials are expected to announce updates to those programs Thursday. District 2 Councilman William Cruz Shaw and District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran did not respond to requests for comment. bgibbons@express-news.net | Twitter: @bgibbs This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, on probation since March in a 2016 driving-while-intoxicated incident, will continue to be monitored after failing a court-ordered drug test. Wolff recalled being surprised when his probation officer informed him of the positive test during an October meeting. Ive done everything thats been asked of me, and I have not been drinking and wont, he said. Ill continue to do what is asked of me. In March, the Republican pleaded no contest to a driving-while-intoxicated charge and accepted a years probation and a breath monitor, which was required to be used for six months. A supplemental report issued to the court Monday by Wolffs probation officer indicates that since his sentencing, Wolff has not had any blow violations, but has had 24 skipped tests between May 17 and June 17 of this year. He had been allowed by the court during that time to travel and had been told to take the portable alcohol monitoring device and continue compliance, though Wolff, at some point, said that the unit wouldnt function properly. Wolffs drug tests in April, May and June tested negative; however, he then tested positive for alcohol and benzodiazepine on his urinalysis in August, the report states. The defendant has prescribed medication for his benzodiazepine and is under psychiatric care, but denied alcohol use when CSO (community supervision officer) confronted him about it at his October visit, the report states. Because he had completed his DWI classes, community services and paid his fees, Wolff had been placed on reporting every other month at the August visit, but when his urinalysis came back positive, he was placed back on monthly reporting, and use of the mobile testing unit was extended until Jan. 2, the report states. Wolff said hes not sure what led to the result, but he has an idea of what might have happened. During his urinalysis test in August, Wolff said he had not produced enough of a sample to match the required amount. Wolff offered to retake the test the next day, but the attendant told him his first sample might work. I tell the guy, I guess Ill come back tomorrow, Wolff said. And he goes, well, maybe this will test, lets see. And so he sends it off. I dont think anything of it. Two months later, Wolff said his probation officer informed him of the test result. She immediately tells me, you violated on your last urinalysis, Wolff said. And Im like, What are you talking about? She goes, Yeah, your last urinalysis came back positive. I said thats not possible. And she immediately got defensive and said, Well, the test doesnt lie. Wolff said he was not happy that it took two months to hear about the positive test, which hes never seen. Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas Nico LaHood said Wolff could face jail time if it is determined that the failed test is considered a parole violation. Any defendant who violates the terms of their probation could have their probation revoked and they would have to serve their jail sentence, LaHood stated in a text message. Alternatively, the court could continue the defendant on probation and impose a jail sanction as a condition of continued probation. J. Charles Bunk, Wolffs attorney, said if the allegation that his client was drinking is proven, it could be a violation. But he echoed Wolffs denial, saying the commissioner did not consume alcohol in August. Wolff said hes unsure whether he can challenge the test results, but might consider doing so if its an option. According to Wolff, he passed his breath monitor test around 6 a.m. the day of the urinalysis test, then took the test a few hours later a window during which it would make little sense to be drinking. The commissioner said hes never failed a breath monitoring test, which hes required to take during designated windows three times a day, seven days a week. Many of the skipped tests in May and June resulted from a trip to China, Wolff said, where he and his wife, Sandi, visited their daughter for her 20th birthday. Wolff said the monitor failed to transmit his results, noting he was in remote areas of the country. Wolffs DWI troubles began on July 31, 2016, when he was arrested around 3 a.m. after twice rear-ending a car in a Whataburger drive-thru. He told authorities at the time that he drank cocktails made of vodka with peach tea, and also took three prescription drugs, including the sleep aid Ambien. As part of the plea agreement, the DAs Office lessened the charge from a Class A misdemeanor. Wolff was sentenced by County Court-at-law Judge Jason Garrahan to a 180-day jail term, which was probated for a year, and fined $650. Serving as Precinct 3 commissioner since 2008, Wolff announced in early November he would not seek the U.S. District 21 seat being vacated by Rep. Lamar Smith, a seat he said hed had his eye on for years. ezavala@express-news.net | jscherer@express-news.net AUSTIN A leader of the effort to censure House Speaker Joe Straus was elected chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party Monday, raising the likelihood Straus could face a formal rebuke from his hometown GOP. Mark Dorazio takes the helm a week before the county party is set to vote on the latest resolution to censure Straus, R-San Antonio, who isnt seeking re-election in 2018. (Straus) is not going to be riding off into the sunset in full retirement, he is going to be actively involved, he has a lot of cash, said precinct chair Phil Sevilla, in a group pushing the censure. That's why it's going to be important to continue the censure. Straus, who hasnt ruled out a future run for higher office, has pledged to be an active player in the upcoming GOP primaries by helping responsible Republicans. His campaign war chest had nearly $10 million at last count. Speaker Straus understands that acting in the best interest of the state of Texas, as he has tried to do, is going to make him unpopular with some. But hes proud of the way he has led the House and grateful for the overwhelmingly positive feedback hes received in San Antonio and throughout Texas, spokesman Jason Embry said in a statement, emphasizing Staus is focused on ensuring the state economy is competitive. The campaign to censure the longtime House speaker has sparked bitter divisions among the Bexar County Republican Party members. Outgoing party chairman Robert Stovall, who stepped down to pursue a bid for U.S. Congress, opposes the move and says Republicans should focus instead on defeating Democrats. Attacking our own elected officials and candidates hurts the party, he said. We shouldn't be focused on infighting. Stovall rejected attempts to consider censure at a contentious October meeting of the Bexar County GOP executive committee, during which Dorazio tried to call a vote from the floor in protest. On Monday, Dorazio handily defeated two competitors including the candidate Stovall supported to become the partys interim chairman, several precinct chairs said. Dorazio did not immediately return a request for comment, though he is expected to serve until the March Republican primary, when a permanent replacement will be elected, Sevilla said. The Straus censure resolution is scheduled to come up for a vote at an executive committee meeting Monday, Sevilla said. We realize this censure resolution will not have long-term concrete ramifications... however this will be on his record, said precinct chair Susan Bayne. It will be a public statement by his county of their lack of confidence in him and their displeasure in his actions. The two-page resolution accuses Straus of obstructing Gov. Greg Abbotts agenda, including on anti-abortion policies and proposals to subsidize private-school tuition with state funding, among other things. If passed by a two-thirds vote of Bexar County Republican precinct chairs and then approved by the state party, the censure would let the GOP withhold financial support for Straus. Prospects of passage at the state level, however, remain unclear. The first-ever attempt by the State Republican Executive Committee to censure a sitting House member Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana failed Saturday without the needed two-thirds margin. Efforts to publicly rebuff Straus gained steam after a contentious session this year that pitted the five-term speaker against Tea-Party aligned Republicans advocating policies to restrict abortion, transgender bathroom access and other social issues. More than 50 Republican Party organizations across Texas have taken votes of no confidence or passed other rebuffs of Straus leadership, according to news reports. Straus, for his part, has dismissed the censure campaign, saying in a recent interview: When I place my hand on the Bible and I raise my right hand on the first day of the session, I pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States and of this state, and not any party conventions platform. Straus, whose current term lasts through 2018, also said critics cant claim credit for his surprise decision not to run for reelection, which he said was driven by a desire to leave office on a high note. They tried to defeat me before I was elected the first time, they didnt even know my name, Straus, who has been speaker since 2009, told the Express-News several weeks ago. I win, they lose They will say what they say, but the records will show they were 0 for 5. amorris@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Texas Sen. John Cornyn and GOP colleagues Tuesday offered a set of aggressive immigration curbs in return for signing on to protections by years end for some 800,000 young undocumented immigrants subject to deportation in three months. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd joined 33 other Republican House members pressing Speaker Paul Ryan to swiftly find a solution to the precarious status of the young people subject to deportation in March because of President Donald Trumps order ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Hurd of San Antonio is part of a House GOP working group assigned to come up with a solution. As urgency surrounding the plight of the young immigrants grows, more than 1,000 activists are expected for a rally today on Capitol Hill, among a host of events in Texas and across the country this week demanding that Congress take up the issue before scheduled adjournment Dec. 22. So-called Dreamers and their advocates believe that a solution must be reached this year well before the deadline because the task would grow even more challenging in 2018, an election year with greater tendency toward political posturing. This month, immigrant supporters could have greater leverage with consequential matters on the front-burner and Democrats across Capitol Hill threatening to withhold support on must-pass legislation that doesnt address the status of people brought to this country illegally as children. Thus far, three months after Trump ordered DACA rescinded, the political parties on Capitol Hill remain locked in a high-stakes game of brinksmanship. The massive new legislation offered by Cornyn and four other Republicans 524 pages long makes concessions by including elements of the so-called Bridge Act, which enables a provisional protected presence and work authorization if certain conditions are met. It also draws heavily from earlier Cornyn proposals calling for a multilayered tactical plan with fencing, levees, technology or other physical barriers rather than extending the border wall. But Republicans bargaining offer also includes controversial efforts to stem so-called chain migration by limiting the capacity to sponsor relatives for immigration, along with an array of controversial measures that have the effect of making it harder for new arrivals. Their Secure Act also takes aim at so-called sanctuary cities and increases penalties for immigration violations. Cornyn said he stands ready to work with Democrats as long as the final product includes what he referred to as pillars, among them stepped up immigration away from the border and expansion of E-Verify, an online system for employers to document the immigration status of new hires. I hope theyll come back to the table and respond to this proposal, Cornyn said on the Senate floor. I hope theyll also quit threatening to shut down the government, which wont solve the problem but indeed will make it worse. A debate this week between Cornyn and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chief sponsor of Dream Act legislation to protect young undocumented immigrants, has grown increasingly pointed. Durbin has said hes encouraging Democrats to oppose funding legislation needed this month to avoid a partial government shutdown. How can we in good conscience pass a spending bill giving authority and resources to this administration to go out and arrest and deport these young people and not address the underlying issue of their legality in the future of the United States, Durbin said to colleagues Monday night. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tried to soften that approach Tuesday by asserting that Democrats werent prepared to withhold votes on the sensitive issue of funding government operations. Durbin said Tuesday he doesn't consider the Cornyn legislation a good-faith effort to provide protection for the Dreamers. The laundry list of unrelated immigration bills which they have offered is designed to delay and stop any serious bipartisan effort to solve this crisis created by the Trump administration on Sept. 5. Immigration advocates, too, were quick to condemn the legislation. Their proposal is a witchs brew of nativist poison pills topped by a stingy, temporary three-year reprieve for those with DACA, said Frank Sharry of Americas Voice, an alliance of immigrant advocacy groups. This is the (Trump adviser) Stephen Miller wish list that amounts to the entire hard-right, mass-deportation agenda. A sponsor, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pointed to concerns among some senators about protections Democrats demand, sentiments suggesting difficult bargaining ahead. It creates a whole new category of Americans who could get legal status for their extended families, including the very parents who brought them here in violation of our laws, he said. For U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, the Senate plan is not sufficiently far-reaching, an indication it could meet with resistance from House hardliners if it becomes the vehicle for solving the Dreamer problem. Smith said hes pleased about the potential limiting effects of prioritizing the immediate family of U.S. residents as potential new arrivals and applauded provisions to speed implementation of a biometric entry-exit program to track visa over-stayers. But Smith said he cant support the legislation because of what he considers overly broad DACA-related wording and omission of a more strict E-Verify system, something he has championed, missing an important opportunity to save jobs for American workers. blambrecht@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EDINBURG The Hidalgo County sheriff told Catholic Church officials in 1960 they should hire a private investigator to undermine the murder investigation of Father John Feit and thereby avoid a scandal that threatened to rock the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy, a witness testified Tuesday. Feit, now 85 and no longer a priest, is on trial for the murder of Irene Garza, a 25-year-old elementary school teacher and former beauty queen killed during Holy Week that year. He was 27 at the time and serving as a fill-in priest in the Rio Grande Valley. An official letter dated Oct. 1, 1960, written by Father Joseph Pawlicki, pastor of a church in Georgetown near Austin, to Father Lawrence J. Seidel, provincial of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Southern Province, urged church officials to avoid a public scandal. I believe I found some element in every paragraph that I found very unusual, that pointed to an attempt to cover this up, to minimize the circumstances to make it go away, testified Father Thomas Doyle, 73, a canon lawyer who has worked with survivors of priest sex abuse. Doyle read the letter to the jury Tuesday. Sheriff E.E. Vickers, a Catholic, suggested a private investigator might compel the district attorney to find a case against Feit weak, Pawlicki wrote. Pawlicki also told Seidel that allowing the case to go before a jury would expose the church to its enemies, and threatened to become a political scandal possibly affecting Kennedy, who was running for president. Kennedy would be the first Catholic elected to the nations highest office and was the target of anti-Catholic sentiment. It wasnt immediately clear why Pawlicki and Seidel, both now deceased, were involved in the Feit case. Vickers also is deceased. Doyle also testified Tuesday that church law requires it law to keep a record of priests under investigation for crimes, yet the church has no such files nor disciplinary records for John Feit in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, which McAllen was a part of in 1960, or in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, where Feit was trained as an Oblate. Though its strictly forbidden to remove or destroy church records, its not unusual for files to be tampered with, Doyle testified. One thing I did not see in any of the documentation I read, including this letter, was one word of compassion or concern about the young woman, Ms. Garza, Doyle said on the stand. Contrary to what Pawlicki said Vickers told him, the sheriffs public comment early in the investigation was that his detectives would leave no stone unturned to solve the Garza killing. Later, however, numerous reports indicate Vickers instructed his deputies to turn over their records and cease their investigation. Also testifying Tuesday was Richard Sipe, a former priest whose research into the sexual behavior of the Catholic clergy was pivotal to Boston Globe reporters who revealed widespread abuse by priests in Massachusetts. Sipe described Feit as a very smart, clever man who acted on his sexual impulses. He also was asked to comment on testimony last week by Cleotilde Tilly Sanchez, 80, a cook who worked at the Sacred Heart rectory. She testified that several days after Feit had attacked another woman in Edinburg, he called her to say: Tilly, youre next, honey. Asked to interpret that behavior, Sipe said, I put that under the area of creep. Brooks Egerton, 58, a former Dallas Morning News reporter, also testified Tuesday morning. He said Father Joseph OBrien, an assistant pastor who worked alongside Feit at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen, had pressured Feit to confess to the Garza murder. After nearly coming to blows, OBrian told Feit, John, how can I help you if I dont know the truth, Egerton testified. OBrien died in 2005. Egerton wrote an article in November 2004 that questioned then-District Attorney Rene Guerras decision not to indict Feit. Michael Garza, the assistant district attorney and lead state prosecutor, has said that despite OBriens desire to see Feit held accountable, even late in life, it didnt absolve him of his role in the alleged cover-up, claiming OBrien disposed of items found at the rectory belonging to the victim. Ricardo Rodriguez, the Hidalgo County district attorney, reopened the investigation into Garzas rape and slaying shortly after he took office in 2015, fulfilling a campaign promise. Feit was arrested at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in February 2016. He remains in Hidalgo County Jail under 24-hour medical watch due to various ailments. anelsen@express-news.net Some elections come down to voting records. That was the case with the 2006 state Senate primary race between Democratic upstart Carlos Uresti and incumbent Frank Madla. Uresti successfully argued that Madla had voted to drop 180,000 minors from the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Madla countered that it merely was a procedural vote, but the charge stuck. The Texas House District 116 contest between Diana Arevalo and Trey Martinez Fischer isnt one of those races. Were unlikely to hear a lot about misguided votes on the House floor or failed ideological litmus tests. The question that divides these two candidates isnt about their positions on the big issues which essentially are the same but about who can actually use the levers of government to make things happen. Martinez Fischer, 47, held this overwhelmingly Democratic seat for 16 years. He gave it up last year to make the second of two failed tries at beating Jose Menendez for the state Senate. Thats where Arevalo stepped in. Now, Martinez Fischer wants his old seat back. My constituents have always told me that my job was not just to go to Austin and vote the right way, push a certain button, Martinez Fischer said Tuesday, three days after officially announcing a long-rumored candidacy. My job was to make a difference. Neither his admirers nor his adversaries would deny that Martinez Fischer made a difference in the House. The combative former chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus wielded a wide array of parliamentary jiujitsu moves to block divisive Republican bills: voter ID in 2009, a sanctuary cities ban in 2011, tree-ordinance restrictions in 2013 and open carry in 2015. In a perpetually Republican-controlled Legislature, Democrats measure their lawmakers at least as much by what they prevent as what they pass. Arevalo cant match Martinez Fischers track record on that front, and, after a single term in the House, it would be unfair to expect it. Arevalo, 36, did not respond to an interview request for this column. Martinez Fischer also can make the argument that the urgency of the Democrats plight has intensified since Joe Straus, the pragmatic San Antonio-based Texas House speaker, announced in October that this would be his last term. Last weeks decision by the House GOP caucus to unite behind a single speaker candidate (and cut Democrats out of the process) all but guarantees Straus successor will be a more dogmatic conservative. Theres always been this sort of relaxed comfort because we had Speaker Joe Straus, Martinez Fischer said. If I was ever looking for a sign that I need to get back into the public discourse, it was when (President) Donald Trump took office and when Joe Straus left office. That was a clear sign to me that we were in trouble and I think thats not lost on people. The District 116 primary race has created discomfort among local Democrats who would prefer not to publicly choose sides between former and current Democratic lawmakers. While Roland Gutierrez, the dean of the San Antonio House delegation, is solidly in Martinez Fischers corner, most of the delegation is (at least temporarily) on the sidelines. On Nov. 11, during the Bexar County Democratic Party straw poll, Arevalo displayed a list of nine high-profile endorsers. Sheriff Javier Salazar and former interim Councilwoman Mari Aguirre-Rodriguez were on that list, but neither of them is endorsing Arevalo. Diana is good at her job, so I was supporting her early on, because shes the sitting state rep, Salazar said. But once we got into the race a little bit more, I called Diana and said, I hope you dont mind, now that youve got Trey as an opponent, Im going to stay out of this one. Aguirre-Rodriguez also said that she is not endorsing either candidate. Another odd element of the straw poll was that the ballot pitted Arevalo against Martinez Fischer, although Martinez Fischer had not yet announced his candidacy. Arevalo, the partys former secretary, easily carried the straw poll, with 64 percent of the vote. The big challenge for Martinez Fischer will be to answer the inevitable question of why voters should return him to a seat he voluntarily relinquished last year. Ive been reminded, over and over again by the people that have given me the privilege to serve them in Austin, that this is not my seat, this is their seat, he said. As far as Im concerned, this election is a decision for voters to elect who they want to serve. Its always been that way. ggarcia@express-news.net Twitter: @gilgamesh470 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Theyre much more than 300 years old. In fact, some of the trails that comprise El Camino Real de los Tejas could have been celebrating their own tricentennial by the time San Antonio was founded. Many of the 2,500 miles of trails that span from Mexico City, diagonally through Texas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, were footpaths of the ancient Caddo nation, or those of dozens of other Native American tribes, which were later adopted by European travelers. Labeled a National Historic Trail in 2004, parts of El Camino Real are being identified, developed and protected by the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association, in partnership with the National Park Service, local governments and private landowners to teach people about the history of this resource. The associations website offers some history of the trails, which went from carrying Native American foot traffic to the carts and cattle of the Spanish as they began to colonize what would become Texas. Within two years of Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, landing and starting a settlement in Victoria County in 1685, Spanish expeditions had started in search of the French who had invaded their territory. After several failed missions from the coastline, a group came up from Coahuila toward the Guadalupe River, continuing east and finally finding the settlement after it was believed to have been plundered by the Karankawa Indians. But it was then, the associations trail history reports, that the Spanish learned the Tejas Indians of East Texas were seeking Christianity. So in 1690, a group of Spaniards set out for East Texas, and founded the first mission in that area, San Francisco de los Tejas, lending the tribes name to the mission, and the trail that would ultimately shape the states, and San Antonios, history. It was named that because of the the Spanish entradas into East Texas, Steven Gonzales, executive director of the association, said. It was the (royal) road to the kingdom of the Tejas Indians. More missions followed. The Spanish took these ancient roads north and east and founded San Juan Bautista in 1700 and San Fernando de Bexar and San Antonio de Valero in 1718. Three hundred years ago you would have seen the Spanish settlers coming up the roads into San Antonio and encountering Native Americans living along the river, Gonzales said. As the Spanish built their community in San Antonio, the Camino Real was a route for supplies and personnel. The core of the Camino Real is in San Antonio, Gonzales said. All Caminos Reales came together in San Antonio. It was the core of Spanish colonial Texas. There are four main trails considered part of the historic El Camino Real de Los Tejas. El Camino Real itself runs more or less southwest to northeast from Guerrero, Mexico, to Natchitoches. The Lower Road loops south of El Camino Real both west of San Antonio and east of San Antonio, reaching Cuero. The Laredo Road dips farther south still, connecting San Antonio, Cuero, Goliad and Laredo and Villa de Dolores to the south. Finally, the Old San Antonio Road trails southeast of El Camino, running through Bastrop before meeting up with the other caminos near Bryan and then heading east into Louisiana. This was the path many Anglo settlers would take to enter Texas from the east. Many early Anglo settlers called it the Old San Antonio Road, Gonzales said. They were coming to Texas from Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana. According to the Handbook of Texas Online, Steven F. Austins father, Moses, traveled that route when he came to Texas to start a settlement. The younger Austins settlement resulted in the arrival of many new Anglo settlers. The profile of the roads changed a bit with each new group that used the caminos, bringing with them different materials and livestock. They were Native American footpaths followed by Spanish, then French, then Anglo settlers, Gonzales said. They became better defined as Europeans began using them. During Texas war for independence, famous fighters including David Crockett traveled those roads to meet their fate at the Alamo. Those troops and those people, those combatants moved along those trails, Gonzales said. The Camino Real is that elemental to not only Texas but San Antonio history. And thats why work began to identify and preserve the trails. In 1911, efforts began by the Daughters of the American Revolution to mark the trail. The original plan was to place granite markers every 5 miles along the trail, from Louisiana to the Mexico border. Many of these markers, though faded, are still in place, including markers near Mission Espada and San Pedro Springs. In recent years, since becoming a National Historic Trail, the association has worked to get sites along the trail recognized in the National Register of Historic Places and as State Antiquities Landmarks. Theyve also been working with the National Park Service and state and local governments to place El Camino Real Official Route identification signs at sites along the trail. Locally, the signs can be seen near the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, at Comal Springs in New Braunfels, at interpretive trails along the Medina River Greenway and in Floresville, and along Nacogdoches Road between Loop 410 and Loop 1604. A lot of people dont know these are original routes of discovery and trade, city archaeologist Kay Hindes said. Its really informative for the citizens of San Antonio who may have heard of it, but didnt know where it went, to see the signs. Of the 40 Texas counties and two Louisiana parishes on the trail, Gonzales said about half of them have signage, with an initial focus on the most publicly accessible areas. Their efforts are limited by the fact that 99 percent of the trail is on privately owned land, but Gonzales says they are working with landowners to identify and protect the land, where possible. With Sergio and Melinda Iruegas of GTI Environmental, Gonzales says theyve worked with owners to examine some privately owned land at Rancheria Grande in Milam County and land the association purchased at Lobanillo Swales in far East Texas. The swale in Lobanillo Swales refers to the telltale indentations along areas of the trail throughout the state, which make a U-shaped groove between two ridges, caused by thousands of years of foot and hoof traffic. Sergio Iruegas said Lobanillo Swales would have been a meeting point for travelers headed west into Texas, as two divergent paths reconnect there. They have found artifacts from the Spanish Colonial period, including a wrought-iron nail and a specific Spanish majolica pottery, a Puebla blue on white. At Rancheria Grande, nearly two dozen Native American tribes lived in the area. Five landowners have allowed access to their properties, where Iruegas said theyve been able to document four different Native American villages in close proximity and four separate segments of trail. The Iruegases have also worked with Hindes on some projects close to the caminos in San Antonio, including the rancho of Jose Francisco Ruiz-Herrera. The Camino Real passes right between the Ruiz-Herrera and the Juan Ignacio Perez rancho, which is partially accessible via the Medina River Hike and Bike Trail. El Camino Real went through Spanish mission lands leading to different missions, Iruegas said. At the Ruiz-Herrera site, Iruegas said theyve documented another structure beneath a standing jacal, with the older structure dating back as early as the 1700s to 1775. With the pastoral land of Mission San Jose extending all the way to the Medina River, this could have been part of the original mission. Theyve also found Mexican red painted ware at the site as well as Goliad ware, further suggesting activity during the Spanish Colonial Era. The association has opened interpretive sites along the trails in San Antonio including one near the Old Applewhite crossing of the Medina River Greenway and another in Floresville to help visitors understand El Camino Real, and is planning more development of interpretive sites at Lobanillo Swales. We need to preserve (the trail) and we cant preserve it if people dont learn about it, association board member Ellen Riojas Clark said. But if people learn not just the name but the in-depth history of it, theyre much more prone to preserve it. Clark, professor emerita of bicultural bilingual studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said she is passionate about material to help children and adults learn about the caminos. Theres a need for us adults as citizens of San Antonio to learn about what this is, Clark said. The Camino Real, the Royal Road, right? That is pretty dramatic. If you do a literal translation and get the Royal Road to the Tejas Indians, that should perk people up to want to learn about it. In 2018, the association will hold its annual meeting at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System Act and San Antonios tricentennial. They will offer resources and presentations on local history related to the trail. The group also plans National Park Service site identification signs at nine more locations in San Antonio that have been designated official trail sites. Its amazing how many El Camino Real remnants are still visible, Iruegas said. Im so happy the tricentennial celebration has awoken a spirit of history in San Antonio. COMING THURSDAY: Margaret Mary Healy-Murphy opened school to educate children of slaves. CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct the year that Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, landed in Victoria County. This resource is no longer available This resource is no longer available. Return to previous page. Farmers will be eligible to take part in carbon offset system By Kate Ayers Staff Reporter Farms.com Saskatchewans recently released Climate Change Strategy does not include a carbon tax and the provinces general farm organization supports the strategys principles. With the Climate Change Strategy, the province is taking steps towards pricing carbon. Notably, agriculture is mainly exempt from this pricing, according to a CTV article on Monday. Rather, the plan proposes performance standards for facilities that produce over 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year. If the facility exceeds this limit, it must pay. The over-producing companies will be able to buy carbon offsets from farmers or foresters, buy a carbon credit from facilities under-producing emissions or choose to pay into a fund set up by the province, according to the CTV article. And the Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan (APAS) endorses the provinces climate change plan. Its an opportunity for industry in Saskatchewan, other than agriculture, to take advantage of what agriculture has done and the improvements weve made in carbon sequestration, Todd Lewis, APAS president, said to Farms.com today. Hopefully it helps some of our other industries that dont have those opportunities that provide offsets and agriculture can start filling that gap. The offset system will provide incentives for producers to implement practices that sequester carbon and reduce emissions from agricultural soils, wetlands and forests, according to a Monday release from the Government of Saskatchewan. It starts to steer the conversation towards recognition of what producers have done. Most farmers and ranchers in the province have done a lot as far as carbon sequestration, Lewis said to Farms.com. Farmers can voluntarily take part in the anticipated offset program that would recognize carbon management in agriculture. The federal government insists that all provinces have a carbon price implemented by next year, according to CTV. However, Sask. officials are prepared to hold their ground. Indeed, these officials have been opposed to any federally imposed carbon tax for months, according to a CBC article on Monday. But Ottawa may not accept the Sask. plan since it does not have an economy-wide reduction target. The (government is) not touching their transportation, home heating, commercial and industrial energy use at all with this policy, Andrew Leach, an energy economist at the University of Alberta, said to CTV. Consultations will take place early next year with stakeholders. Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions enter here to gain access. If you are not a Current Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! A broker formerly owned by the insurer AXA UK Plc was fined Wednesday for failing to disclose that it wasnt independent but instead had a business strategy to sell AXA products. The UK Financial Conduct Authority fined Bluefin Insurance Services Limited 4 million ($5.35 million). From March 2011 until the end of 2014, Bluefin held itself out as an independent broker. But during that time it tried to achieve synergies with its shareholder ahead of treating customers fairly, the FCA said. That meant steering business customers toward AXA insurance products. The broker introduced every small and medium business customer needing renewals to AXA before showing them other prospective insurers, the FCA sad. Bluefin didnt disclose its business strategy to customers. It led them to believe they were dealing with truly independent brokers, the FCA said. When owned by AXA, Bluefin had about 1,500 agents in 45 locations around the UK serving more than 150,000 business and individual customers. Annual revenue was more than 100 million ($133 million). Marsh & McLennan acquired Bluefin from AXA at the end of 2016. The independence offenses had stopped at the end of 2014. The FCAs Mark Steward said it is unacceptable that firms hold themselves out as independent when they are not. Insurance brokers must promote a culture in which they act in their customers best interests and provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision, Steward said. The FCA said Wednesday it makes no criticism of any member of the AXA Group other than Bluefin. Bluefin received a 30 percent discount on its fine because it settled early in the investigation, the FCA said. The Financial Conduct Authoritys December 5, 2017 Final Notice against Bluefin Insurance Services Limited is here (pdf). ____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog. Amazon Fashion has witnessed a tremendous rise in lingerie shopping in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Interestingly, some of the international brands have experienced a significant demand from tier-2 and tier-3 cities over metros. For 2017, sales in terms of units coming from tier 2/3 cities have contributed over 50 per cent of the total lingerie sales. "The top brands that are extremely popular in tier 2/3 cities include brands like Amante, Marks & Spencer, Triumph and Jockey. Orders from cities like Coimbatore, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Dehradun, Shimla, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram and Bhopal form a significant share of key brands sales," Amazon said in a press release. The top selling brands on Amazon Fashion are a comprehensive mix of homegrown and international brands such as Marks & Spencer, Jockey, Amante, Enamor, Lovable and Triumph. In turn, the brands have also scaled, contributing largely to the overall growth of the lingerie category. Amazon Fashion has witnessed a tremendous rise in lingerie shopping in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Interestingly, some of the international brands have experienced a significant demand from tier-2 and tier-3 cities over metros. For 2017, sales in terms of units coming from tier 2/3 cities have contributed over 50 per cent of the total lingerie sales.# It was observed that popular brands like Marks & Spencer, Jockey and Enamor perform better even when offered on non-discounted rates, suggesting that customers are not hesitant to buy right products. Jockey has also seen a rise of 13X growth in daily sales in 2017 from 2015 since the introduction on Amazon.in. Amante and Enamor have also grown significantly (over 5.5X) in 2017. Amazon Fashion has also added new visibility feature, launched as self-service stores for specific brands, which further helps customers find new trends on Amazon Fashion effortlessly. "This has led to the growth of over 150 per cent in sale of lingerie in the festive months of 2017 over last years festive sales," the press release stated. Amazon Fashions bestselling categories within the lingerie segments are inner-wears and nightwear, followed by a significant growth in the athleisure vertical. The maternity range has also grown increasingly popular, reporting a 10X growth this year over 2016. The expanded reach across the country makes Amazon Fashion the biggest online marketplace for most lingerie brands including Marks & Spencer, Jockey, Hanes, Amante and Enamor amongst others. (RR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Sarah Stanley, Managing Editor at the Acton Institute, speaks with Mac Tristan, Chief of Police in Coppell, Texas, on the topic of servant leadership: what is it, how has Mac found it helpful in his line of work, and why it is valuable for leaders in business too. Then, on the Upstream segment, Bruce Edward Walker talks with Jessica Hooten Wilson, Professor of English at John Brown University, on the work of prolific American author Flannery OConnor. Check out these additional resources on this weeks podcast topics: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership website The Servant as Leader by Robert K. Greenleaf What Flannery OConnors Timeless Stories Reveal about American Politics Today by Jessica Hooten Wilson Walker Percy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the Search for Influence by Jessica Hooten Wilson Do you have questions for the Radio Free Acton team that you would like answered in future podcast segments? Leave a message at 888-705-4180 or email [email protected] Strong demand from growing affluent Chinese consumers has pushed up Australian wool prices to a record high this season. Wool prices are currently at a high of more than Au$16 per kilogram. Though prices are not as high as they were about five years ago in terms of US dollar, Australian wool growers are earning more due to weaker Australian currency. As the worlds largest producer, Australia exports wool valued at about Au$3 billion (approx. $2.28 billion). China accounts for over 70 per cent of this value. Chinese companies use Australian wool for manufacturing a range of products including apparel, sportswear and shoes. About 60 per cent of all wool imported by China is utilised for making products that are consumed by the Chinese, compared to almost full re-export of wool around 15-20 years ago. Strong demand from growing affluent Chinese consumers has pushed up Australian wool prices to a record high this season. Wool prices are currently at a high of more than Au$16 per kilogram. Though prices are not as high as they were about five years ago in terms of US dollar, Australian wool growers are earning more due to weaker Australian currency.# Besides growing Chinese demand, high wool prices are also due to other factors like limited number of Australian suppliers and decreasing wool supply. The level of optimism that is currently seen in the wool industry has not been witnesses in the past many decades, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) CEO Stuart McCullough said at the recent annual general meeting (AGM) of AWI. International marketing campaigns continue to connect more retailers, brands and consumers with Australia's natural fibre, aided by the development of new and innovative fabrics. Moreover, initiatives such as the Merino Lifetime Productivity project, wild dog control and Lifetime Ewe Management help woolgrowers lift their production and profitability, McCullough said. AWI has recently unveiled WoolQ, earlier called the Wool Exchange Portal, a platform for woolgrowers, buyers, brokers and classers, seeking access to data, selling choices and trading opportunities. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India A delegation of Egyptian companies will visit Sao Paulo in Brazil for two daysDecember 7 and 8to discuss trade with several companies, including Elktob Textiles and Almatex, which offer cotton yarn and fabrics. The visit, organised by the Egyptian Commercial Services, will include authorities from the trade promotion organisation of the Arab country. On December 7, the visiting Egyptian delegation will attend meetings with representatives of various Brazilian government agencies and individual sector associations, a news agency reported. The next day, the delegation will take part in a seminar on the free trade agreement signed by Mercosur and Egypt, which went into effect in September this year. There will be a business matchmaking with the Brazilian companies, after the seminar, which is being organised by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. A delegation of Egyptian companies will visit Sao Paulo in Brazil for two daysDecember 7 and 8to discuss trade with several companies, including Elktob Textiles and Almatex, which offer cotton yarn and fabrics. The visit, organised by the Egyptian Commercial Services, will include authorities from the trade promotion organisation of the Arab country.# During January-October 2017, Brazil imported cotton and cotton yarn worth $6.7 million and another $3 million of apparel from Egypt, according to the data from Brazils ministry of development, industry and foreign trade. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Walmart has become part of the Cotton Leads programme, supporting responsible production practices by cotton growers. Walmart joins more than 480 companies worldwide which recognise the environmental gains cotton growers in Australia and the US are achieving and their commitment to meet the challenge of growing cotton through sustainable practices.Cotton is a major ingredient in many of our apparel and home textile products, explains Ken Lanshe, Walmarts vice president, General Merchandise, Technical, Quality and Sustainability. Through the Cotton Leads programme, Walmart hopes to learn from and collaborate on efforts that US cotton farmers are taking to be responsible and sustainable producers. Our support for the Cotton Leads programme aligns with Walmarts goal to sell products that sustain the environment. Walmart has become part of the Cotton Leads programme, supporting responsible production practices by cotton growers. Walmart joins more than 480 companies worldwide which recognise the environmental gains cotton growers in Australia and the US are achieving and their commitment to meet the challenge of growing cotton through sustainable practices.# Walmart joins more than 480 companies worldwide which recognise both the environmental gains cotton growers in Australia and the United States continue to achieve and their commitment to meeting the challenge of growing sustainable cotton.The Cotton Leads programme is at the forefront of the worlds efforts for sustainably-sourced cotton, says Mark Messura, senior vice president Global Supply Chain Marketing at Cotton Incorporated, a founding member organisation of the Cotton Leads programme. Joining with Walmart in the Cotton Leads programme brings the scale and commitment of an industry leader together with the leaders in cotton sustainability and responsibly-sourced cotton.Dr. Jesse Daystar, chief sustainability officer at Cotton Incorporated, notes, Our leading efforts in the US and Australia are rooted in science, measurement and best practices. Companies that join the Cotton Leads programme are aligning themselves with an objective and valid approach to the sustainability challenge.Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay states, Whether its greenhouse gas emissions or soil health, cotton farmers are always looking to implement best practices and technologies so that we can continue to be careful stewards of the natural resources. (SV) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Lectra, a leader in technology solutions for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials, recently got partners from the world of education to the firms Bordeaux-Cestas campus for its eighth education congress. The event was devoted to the trends shaping fashion industry and impacting professions from design to production.Over fifty representatives from among the most important fashion schools in Germany, Canada, China, US, France, Hong Kong, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Sweden, participated in this biannual meeting between industry experts and teaching professionals. Lectra, a leader in technology solutions for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials, recently got partners from the world of education to the firm's Bordeaux-Cestas campus for its eighth education congress. The event was devoted to the trends shaping fashion industry and impacting professions from design to production.# Fashion professions are evolving as companies make their first steps towards Industry 4.0, adopting 3D and rationalising the lifecycle management for their collections, thanks to PLM. Lectras congress enabled schools to discuss the developing role of designers and patternmakers, and the new elements to be integrated into training programs.Lectra illustrated future changes through presentations on design, patternmaking, 3D prototyping, and PLM.Working with schools to design courses which meet the needs of fashion companies has always been at the heart of Lectras education program. During the event, the company presented collaborative experiences between partner schools and fashion brands, such as the competitions organised by Lectra with Missoni, Balenciaga, and Armani in Italy, as well as Peacebird in China and JC Penney in the US.In the United Kingdom, Lectra collaborated with COS (H&M group) and the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) for a competition centred on the design of a collection with zero waste.The event also shone the spotlight on China and its major role in the evolution of the fashion industry. Li Min, Vice-Dean of the fashion and design faculty at Donghua university in Shanghai spoke of the event, organised by Lectra, which brought together major Chinese companies, experts, and representatives from the biggest schools in China.Celine Choussy Bedouet, chief marketing and communications officer, Lectra said, Lectras eighth education congress confirms the companys commitment to our partner schools. We shared our analysis of the market, the digitalisation of the eco-system, and how Industry 4.0 principles can be applied to the fashion industry. We also discussed mass customisation and the role of PLM. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Regulatory News: United Company RUSAL Plc (Paris:RUSAL) (Paris:RUAL): Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement. UNITED COMPANY RUSAL PLC (Incorporated under the laws of Jersey with limited liability) (Stock Code: 486) CONTINUING CONNECTED TRANSACTIONS SALE OF RAW MATERIALS Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 23 December 2014, 13 September 2016, 30 December 2016, 28 February 2017 and 10 March 2017 in relation to the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts. The Company announces that on 5 December 2017, a member of the Group, as seller, entered into the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract with an associate of En+, as buyer. THE ADDITIONAL AGREEMENT TO THE RAW MATERIALS SUPPLY CONTRACT Reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated 23 December 2014, 13 September 2016, 30 December 2016, 28 February 2017 and 10 March 2017 in relation to the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts. The Company announces that on 5 December 2017, a member of the Group, as seller, entered into an additional agreement to the original contract dated 25 December 2014, with an associate of En+, as buyer, with major terms set out below (the "Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract Date of the dditional agreement Seller (member of the Group) Buyer (associate of En+) Raw materials to be supplied Estimated delivery volume for the year ending 31 December 2017 Estimated onsideration payable for the year ending 31 December 2017 excluding VAT (USD) Scheduled termination date Payment terms 5 December 2017, which is the additional agreement to the original contract dated 25 December 2014 Joint-stock company "United Company RUSAL - Trading House" "KraMZ" Ltd. Silicon Approximately 40 tons 86,899 (Note 1) 31 December 2017. The additional agreement may be extended automatically for the following calendar year if neither party declares its intention to terminate the additional agreement in writing prior to the expiry of the additional agreement 100% advance payment upon signing of the additional agreement Total estimated consideration payable for the year 86,899 Note: 1. The contract price is agreed between the parties according to market price and based on per unit price of up to USD2,173/ton (including transportation costs). The consideration under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract is to be paid in cash via bank transfer. THE ANNUAL AGGREGATE TRANSACTION AMOUNT Pursuant to Rule 14A.81 of the Listing Rules, the continuing connected transactions contemplated under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract and the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts should be aggregated, as they were entered into by members of the Group with the associates of Mr. Deripaska/En+, and the subject matter of each contract relates to the supply of raw materials by the Group to the associates of Mr. Deripaska/En+. The annual aggregate transaction amount that is payable by the associates of Mr. Deripaska/En+ to the Group under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract and the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts for the financial year ending 31 December 2017 is estimated to be approximately USD16.049 million. The consideration payable under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract is calculated by multiplying the unit price by the volume. The unit price is set out in the note to the table above. The consideration payable under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract has been arrived at after arm's length negotiation with reference to the market price and on terms no less favourable than those prevailing in the Russian market for raw materials of the same type and quality and those offered by members of the Group to independent third parties customers. The annual aggregate amount is the maximum amount of consideration payable under the terms of the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract based on the delivery volume estimated by Directors and the demand from the buyer. REASONS FOR AND BENEFITS OF THE TRANSACTIONS The Directors consider that the entering into of the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract is for the benefit of the Company as the sale is profitable and the Group is assured of payment on a timely basis and there are less financial risks. In addition, the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract was entered into in order to comply with the requirements of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation. As the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation instructs, the Group is required to supply certain raw materials to local consumers. The Directors (including the independent non-executive Directors) consider that the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract is on normal commercial terms which are fair and reasonable and the transactions contemplated under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract are in the ordinary and usual course of business of the Group and in the interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. None of the Directors has a material interest in the transactions contemplated under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract, save for Mr. Deripaska, Mr. Vladislav Soloviev, Mr. Maxim Sokov, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya and Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova who are directors of En+, being the holding company of "KraMZ" Ltd. Mr. Deripaska is also indirectly interested in more than 30% of the issued share capital of "KraMZ" Ltd. Accordingly, Mr. Deripaska, Mr. Vladislav Soloviev, Mr. Maxim Sokov, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya and Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova did not vote on the Board resolution approving the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract. LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS "KraMZ" Ltd. is held by En+ (a substantial shareholder of the Company) as to more than 30% of the issued share capital. En+ is in turn held by Mr. Deripaska as to more than 50% of the issued share capital. "KraMZ" Ltd. is therefore an associate of Mr. Deripaska and of En+, and is thus a connected person of the Company. Accordingly, the transactions contemplated under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract constitute continuing connected transactions of the Company. The estimated annual aggregate transaction amount of the continuing connected transactions under the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract and the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts for the financial year ending 31 December 2017 is more than 0.1% but less than 5% under the applicable percentage ratios. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 14A.76 of the Listing Rules, the transactions contemplated under these contracts are only subject to the announcement requirements set out in Rules 14A.35 and 14A.68, the annual review requirements set out in Rules 14A.49, 14A.55 to 14A.59, 14A.71 and 14A.72 and the requirements set out in Rules 14A.34 and 14A.50 to 14A.54 of the Listing Rules. These transactions are exempt from the circular and shareholders' approval requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules. Details of the Additional Agreement to the Raw Materials Supply Contract and the Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts will be included in the relevant annual report and accounts of the Company in accordance with Rule 14A.71 of the Listing Rules where appropriate. PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ACTIVITIES The Company is principally engaged in the production and sale of aluminium, including alloys and value-added products, and alumina. "KraMZ" Ltd. is principally engaged in aluminium processing. DEFINITIONS In this announcement, the following expressions have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: "associate(s)" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "Board" the board of Directors. "Company" United Company RUSAL Plc, a limited liability company incorporated in Jersey, the shares of which are listed on the main board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. "connected person(s)" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "continuing connected transactions" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "Director(s)" the director(s) of the Company. "En+" En+ Group Limited, a company incorporated in Jersey, a substantial shareholder of the Company. "Group" the Company and its subsidiaries. "Listing Rules" the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited. "Mr. Deripaska" Mr. Oleg Deripaska, an executive Director. "percentage ratios" the percentage ratios under Rule 14.07 of the Listing Rules. "Previously Disclosed Raw Materials Supply Contracts" the raw materials supply contracts entered into between members of the Group and the associates of Mr. Deripaska/En+, pursuant to which members of the Group agreed to sell raw materials to associates of Mr. Deripaska/En+ in 2017, as disclosed in the announcements of the Company dated 23 December 2014, 30 December 2016, 28 February 2017 and 10 March 2017. "substantial shareholder" has the same meaning ascribed thereto under the Listing Rules. "USD" United States dollars, the lawful currency of the United States of America. "VAT" value added tax. By Order of the Board of Directors of United Company RUSAL Plc Aby Wong Po Ying Company Secretary 6 December 2017 As at the date of this announcement, the executive Directors are Mr. Oleg Deripaska, Mr. Vladislav Soloviev and Mr. Siegfried Wolf, the non-executive Directors are Mr. Maxim Sokov, Mr. Dmitry Afanasiev, Mr. Ivan Glasenberg, Mr. Maksim Goldman, Ms. Gulzhan Moldazhanova, Mr. Daniel Lesin Wolfe, Ms. Olga Mashkovskaya, Ms. Ekaterina Nikitina and Mr. Marco Musetti, and the independent non-executive Directors are Mr. Matthias Warnig (Chairman), Mr. Philip Lader, Dr. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Mr. Mark Garber, Mr. Dmitry Vasiliev and Mr. Bernard Zonneveld. All announcements and press releases published by the Company are available on its website under the links http://www.rusal.ru/en/investors/info.aspxhttp://rusal.ru/investors/info/moex/ and http://www.rusal.ru/en/press-center/press-releases.aspx, respectively. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171205005775/en/ Contacts: United Company RUSAL Plc NEW YORK, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UiPath K.K. (Headquarter: Chiyoda-ku Otemachi, CEO: Koichi Hasegawa), a Japanese subsidiary of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) global leading software company UiPath, announced provision of its RPA software to Dentsu Inc. and its support for their deployment of UiPath RPA to achieve Dentsu's technology-enabled work style innovation. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/562224/UiPath_Logo.jpg ) Dentsu is now working for various initiatives for their employee work environment innovation as one of their most important management issues. RPA deployment with UiPath is one of their action measures for their ongoing employee work environment innovation. Dentsu schedules to complete their 400 implementations of UiPath RPA software processes by the end of 2017. In addition to the RPA software, UiPath provides technical support along with advice of RPA governance, various standards documentation, RPA developer training. Among UiPath deployment cases there are automating analytical processing of various data or some partial processes of accounting operations. For instance, leveraging RPA for aggregating tasks of Excel sheets sent from media companies reduced the required time from three hours by person to several seconds. As a result, Dentsu achieved generating more than 10,000 hours on a monthly base. Dentsu needs RPA software that has flexibility to develop various tasks in a wide range of user departments to realize company-wide business automation. UiPath's RPA software meets Dentsu's diverse set of needs, providing an intuitive and versatile workflow automation engine, usage of 300 automation activities tools, and development tools that enable workflow generation through recording. Additionally, when deploying RPA software to each department, management of monitoring operation status in integrated and continuous manner is required. UiPath's RPA platform enables to comprehensively manage the robot's operation status and software updates through their software 'Orchestrator' which conducts each robot's schedules and monitoring. Also, this software enables flexible integration with Dentsu's software management system. Head of Streamlining Promotion, Dentsu Inc., Mr. Hajime Koyanagi, prompting work style innovation, says: "Our project's goal is to improve each employee's work life balance and enhance productivity. To achieve this goal, we must consistently automate our internal diverse businesses through RPA. UiPath RPA software's development support tools are very easy to use and fulfilling and they enable us to develop various tasks in a short term. Also, as we can start from responding to each user department's needs and in the future progress to an integrated robot management in an enterprise wide environment, we determined that this was the best software to popularize RPA utilization which is our goal. UiPath provides RPA's know-how as a global leading vendor as well as establishing strong support in Japan. Another reason that we have chosen UiPath is that currently Dentsu also invests to enable advanced business through AI and Cognitive usage and UiPath also has a wide range of APIs which address this initiative." UiPath will continuously support Dentsu's 'Technology-enabled Work Style' innovation. About UiPath Built for both business and IT, UiPath is the leading platform for Enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The company is at the forefront of the digital business revolution achieving over 500% yearly revenue growth since 2015. A global community exceeding 30,000 users and over 450 enterprise customers and government agencies use UiPath's Enterprise RPA platform to deploy attended and unattended software robots quickly and accurately resulting in better business outcomes, stronger security and compliance, and higher job satisfaction. Based in New York City, US, UiPath also maintains offices in Australia, France, India, Japan, Romania, and the United Kingdom with an employee base over 400 people. Japanese subsidiary was established in February 2017 and already has over 60 customer base and more than 70 companies are working on PoC (Proof of Concept). For more information, please access UiPath Website. (https://www.uipath.com/ja/) http://www.uipath.comfacebooktwitterLinkedIn JAKARTA, INDONESIA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/05/17 -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB)(TSX: BB) today announced Saka Energi, a national oil and gas company, is deploying BlackBerry Unified Endpoint Manager (UEM), to increase operational efficiency and enable its management, staff, and clients to securely share information regardless of time and location. The deployment of BlackBerry UEM by Saka Energi is a result of a new channel partnership with PT PGAS Telekomunikasi Nusantara (PGASCOM), a subsidiary of PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) Tbk (PGN). Saka Energi sought a solution to increase workforce productivity within a trusted mobile environment, that maintained security from any kind of threat, especially cyberattacks. BlackBerry UEM is enabling the company to increase the convenience of mobile working, maintain security, and reduce its operational burden. Tumbur Parlindungan, CEO of Saka Energi said, "As part of our digital transformation strategy, we need to mobilize our workforce and drive satisfaction as well as efficiencies in our business, with the peace of mind that we are protecting sensitive business information and keeping our people safe. We chose BlackBerry UEM and PGASCOM because together, they can provide information confidentiality at every level, with the integration support and expertise that truly understands the complexity of our business." Alex Manea, BlackBerry's Chief Security Officer, speaking at Cybersecurity Indonesia in Jakarta this week, says, "The energy sector is one of the largest industries in Indonesia and therefore, among the most targeted by cybercrime. We are excited to partner with PGASCOM, combining our secure solutions with their expertise to help Saka Energi and other companies to deliver on their digital transformation goals. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to helping Indonesian enterprises be 'BlackBerry Secure' by providing solutions and local knowledge to protect against cyber-attacks - ultimately creating safer working environments that drive efficiency, productivity and innovation." PGASCOM, a leader at providing telecommunications network services, including fiber optics, internet access, business solution and managed services for the Indonesian oil and gas industry, recently joined BlackBerry's global Enterprise Partner Program as a Gold-level partner. BlackBerry's Partner Program is designed to help partners navigate the ever-changing mobile business environment through secure mobile business solutions for their people, processes, and data. It helps partners gain new competencies and capabilities that will enable them to meet and exceed market demand, by ensuring partners are well equipped to successfully design, architect, implement, and support BlackBerry solutions. Sri Budi Mayaningsih (Ibu Maya), President Director of PGASCOM says, "PGASCOM provides the information and technology backbone for many industries in Asia and globally, so we understand the severity of concerns by CIOs with regards to data security and people safety. Cybersecurity threats against the oil and gas industry are a significant and ongoing challenge. As a trusted brand in Indonesia and leader in secure software that delivers a safe operating environment for people and information, we are pleased to partner with BlackBerry to help customers like Saka Energi protect critical infrastructure." BlackBerry UEM delivers complete unified endpoint management and policy control for diverse and growing mobile workforces. Part of the BlackBerry Enterprise Mobility Suite, BlackBerry UEM allows you to securely manage devices operating on key platforms (Android for Work, Samsung KNOX, iOS, Windows 10, OS X and BlackBerry 10). It also supports native Mobile Device Management (MDM) controls for managing device policies and Mobile Application Management (MAM) capabilities for deploying approved business apps. For more information about BlackBerry Secure solutions visit https://us.blackberry.com/enterprise. For more information about the BlackBerry Enterprise Partner Program visit www.blackberry.com/partners. About BlackBerry BlackBerry is a cybersecurity software and services company dedicated to securing the Enterprise of Things. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com. BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services. Contacts: Media Contact: BlackBerry Media Relations (519) 597-7273 mediarelations@BlackBerry.com Investor Contact: BlackBerry Investor Relations (519) 888-7465 investor_relations@BlackBerry.com Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Regulatory News: Kiadis Pharma N.V. ("Kiadis Pharma" or the "Company") (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative cell therapy products to make bone marrow transplantations safer and more effective for patients, today announces that it has entered into an agreement to lease an existing commercial manufacturing facility, which includes process development and quality control laboratories, as well as space for the Kiadis Pharma headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The facility is located at Paasheuvelweg 25A in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The in-house manufacturing capability will allow the Company to enhance flexibility and expand capacity, and will not affect the ongoing contract manufacturing collaborations. Arthur Lahr, CEO of Kiadis Pharma, commented: "As we continue to prepare for European launch in 2019, this provides Kiadis with a unique opportunity to obtain access to a recently established state-of-the-art commercial manufacturing facility in Amsterdam without spending capital and time on a construction project. Also, we can now locate all our activities at a single site." About Kiadis Pharma Kiadis Pharma's cell-based immunotherapy products can make haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) safer and more effective. Single dose Phase 2 data with lead product ATIR101 in patients with blood cancer shows a strong and clinically very relevant improvement over literature for the Baltimore protocol. Based on the positive results from the Phase 2 trial, the Company submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in April 2017, for approval of ATIR101 across the EU as an adjunctive treatment in HSCT for malignant disease. Kiadis Pharma received Day 120 questions in September 2017 and is on track for potential (conditional) approval in H2 2018 and launch in 2019. Kiadis Pharma is conducting a Phase 3 trial with ATIR101 across Europe and North America (head to head against the Baltimore protocol). The first patient was enrolled in December 2017. In September 2017 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted ATIR101 the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation. ATIR101 has been granted Orphan Drug Designations both in the US and Europe. The Company's shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels under the ticker KDS. Website: www.kiadis.com Company presentation: http://www.kiadis.com/company-presentation/ Forward Looking Statements Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect Kiadis Pharma's or, as appropriate, Kiadis Pharma's directors' current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, Kiadis Pharma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither Kiadis Pharma nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person's officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171205006469/en/ Contacts: For more information, please contact: Kiadis Pharma: Karl Hard, +31 611 096 298 Head of IR Communications k.hard@kiadis.com or Consilium Strategic Communications: Mary-Jane Elliott, Philippa Gardner, Lindsey Neville, Hendrik Thys, +44 203 709 5708 kiadis@consilium-comms.com MOBILE, Ala. - University of Mobile's most distinguished piano students and faculty from the Alabama School of the Arts will perform a once-in-a-lifetime concert on the Van Cliburn Steinway Piano Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. The public is invited to the free concert at the Steinway Piano Gallery at 11247 US-31 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. For more information, contact Shadoe Valentin at svalentin@umobile.edu or 251.442.2383. At the height of the Cold War, Texan and virtually unknown pianist Van Cliburn earned his status as a world-renowned musician in 1958 when he won the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia. Today, the Steinway piano he owned travels the world as a special exhibit. This concert is part of the university's inaugural Piano Festival, a yearlong series of special events spotlighting Alabama School of the Arts' undergraduate and graduate programs in piano performance. Dr. Kadisha Onalbayeva, associate professor of piano and Steinway Artist, is excited for her students to have this opportunity. "My students are very talented and I am excited to give them the opportunity to perform on the piano of one of the greatest pianists of all time," said Onalbayeva. For Onalbayeva, this event is particularly special. Her late father was in the audience at Van Cliburn's winning performance at the Tchaikovsky Competition. She says that he met Cliburn during the three rounds of competition, and they struck up a friendship. "My father always said he was the best pianist he ever heard - and encouraged me to be a pianist like Van Cliburn," Onalbayeva says. Making history as Kazakhstan's first Steinway Artist, she credits much of her success to her father's encouragement in her formative years - and Van Cliburn's example was central to that encouragement. "To perform on his piano," she says, "is a dream come true." University of Mobile is an All-Steinway School and offers a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a Master of Music in Piano Performance. About University of Mobile: University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's and master's degree programs in over 40 areas of study. Founded in 1961, University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres. For more information about University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222. WINNERSH, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 12/06/17 -- Vernalis PLC (LSE: VER) 6 December 2017 LSE: VER Vernalis and Servier Achieve Research Milestone in Third Oncology Collaboration Vernalis plc and Servier today announce the achievement of a pre-clinical milestone in their third oncology drug discovery collaboration. Vernalis will receive a payment of EUR 1.0m from Servier in recognition of this achievement. This third collaboration with Servier was initiated in January 2012 and utilises Vernalis' proprietary fragment- and structure-based drug discovery platform. Vernalis receives fees and a share in the future success of the product in the form of milestones and royalties on sales. Financial terms are not disclosed. Ian Garland, CEO of Vernalis commented: "We are delighted by the continuing success of our multiple collaborations with Servier and look forward to further success from this relationship." "This new milestone testifies the valuable collaboration between Vernalis and Servier", said Olivier Geneste, head of research in Oncology at Servier. -- ends -- The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Enquiries Vernalis plc: +44 (0) 118 938 0015 Ian Garland, Chief Executive Officer David Mackney, Chief Financial Officer Canaccord Genuity Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker): +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor Emma Gabriel Shore Capital (Joint Broker): +44 (0) 20 7408 4090 Mark Percy Toby Gibbs FTI Consulting: +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 Ben Atwell Simon Conway Stephanie Cuthbert Servier Sonia Marques Servier Media Relations Dpt. Tel: +33 1 5572 4021 Email: media@servier.com Notes to Editors About Vernalis Vernalis is a revenue generating, commercial stage pharmaceutical company with significant expertise in drug development. The Group has three approved products: Tuzistra XR targeting the US prescription cough-cold market; Moxatag, a once-daily formulation of the antibiotic, amoxicillin, indicated for the treatment of tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older; and frovatriptan for the acute treatment of migraine. It has an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialise multiple novel products focused on the US prescription cough-cold market as well as eight programmes in its NCE development pipeline. Vernalis has also significant expertise in fragment and structure based drug discovery which it leverages to enter into collaborations with larger pharmaceutical companies. The Company's technologies, capabilities and products have been endorsed over the last five years by collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies, including Asahi Kasei Pharma, Biogen Idec, Endo, GSK, Genentech, Lundbeck, Menarini, Novartis, Servier, and Tris. For further information about Vernalis, please visit www.vernalis.com. About Servier Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 148 countries and a turnover of 4 billion euros in 2016, Servier employs 21,000 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of its turnover (excluding generic drugs) in research and development and uses all its profits for development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier's constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory and neuropsychiatric diseases, cancers and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. More information: www.servier.com Vernalis Forward-Looking Statement This news release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events including the clinical development and regulatory clearance of the Company's products, the Company's ability to find partners for the development and commercialisation of its NCE pipeline, the Company's ability to successfully commercialise its cough-cold products and Moxatag through its own sales force, as well as the Company's future capital raising activities. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the ability of the Company to identify and agree beneficial terms with suitable partners for the commercialisation and/or development of its products, as well as the achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, the acceptance of Tuzistra XR, Moxatag, frovatriptan and other products by consumers and medical professionals, the successful integration of completed mergers and acquisitions and achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, and the ability of the Company to identify and consummate suitable strategic and business combination transactions. Contact: RNS Customer Services 0044-207797-4400 rns@londonstockexchange.com http://www.rns.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2017) - Arctic Star Exploration Corp. (TSXV: ADD) (FSE: 82A1) (WKN: A2DFY5) (the "Company" or "Arctic Star") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Director Roy Spencer to the newly created position of Country Manager for Finland. Mr. Spencer will be managing the Company's exploration activity on its newly acquired Timantti Diamond Project ("the Project") that lies within the highly prospective Karelian Craton. Roy's extensive background working within the Karelian Craton includes leading the discovery of the Grib diamond mine that generated revenue of $340 million USD in 2016, and is the 8th largest diamond mine in the world. Mr. Spencer brings over 40 years of diamond exploration and discovery success to Arctic Star. Roy is a member of the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA) and a Fellow of the AusIMM. Roy joined De Beers in 1966 and has been involved with exploration and deposit evaluation for gemstones and other commodities throughout his career. Roy's tertiary education was at the University of Natal and Rhodes University in South Africa. As Technical Director of Peregrine Diamonds, he discovered the first kimberlites on the Pilbara craton in Western Australia in 1989, and as Leader of the Owners Team for Archangel Diamond Corporation he was largely responsible for the discovery of the world class Grib kimberlite in far northern Russia in February 1996. In 1998, Roy created and raised the seed finance for Ilmari Exploration Oy to explore for gold, base metals and diamonds on the Karelian Craton in Finland. Ilmari went public in 2000, and discovered the Lentiira kimberlite cluster in central Finland in 2003. In 2006, as CEO of London-based diamond explorer European Diamonds, Roy led the Owners Team which brought the Liqhobong kimberlite in Lesotho into commercial production on time and under budget. In mid-2007, Roy left European Diamonds, a company which had evolved into a successful mid-tier diamond producer and marketer after having raised 23 million over a 6-year period. Since that time Roy has continued in gemstone exploration and deposit evaluation in Africa, Finland and western Russia for a variety of junior and senior mining companies. Mr. Spencer stated, "Having worked extensively in the Karelian Craton throughout my career, I am excited to begin our exploration program at the highly-advanced Timantti project, where we have begun ground geophysics followed by drilling." ABOUT ARCTIC STAR: The Company owns 100% of the recently acquired Timantti Diamond Project including a 243 Ha Exploration Permit and a 95,700 Ha Exploration Reservation near the township of Kuusamo, in Finland. The Project is located approximately 450km NW of the operating Grib Diamond Mine in Russia. Arctic is commencing its exploration in Finland on the Timantti Project, where two diamondiferous kimberlites may represent the first finds in a large kimberlite field. The Company also controls diamond exploration properties in Nunavut (Stein), the NWT (Diagras and Redemption) and a rare metals project in BC (Cap). Arctic Star has a highly experienced diamond exploration team previously responsible for numerous world class diamond discoveries. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ARCTIC STAR EXPLORATION CORP. /s/ Patrick Power Patrick Power, Executive Chairman +1 (604) 218-8772 /s/ Scott Eldridge Scott Eldridge, President and CEO +1 (604) 722-5381 scott@arcticstar.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this press release include that the Timantti Project transaction is a pre-eminent opportunity. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. Specific risks included that the Timantti Project does not contain as much promise as expected or that despite promise, its minerals cannot be economically mined. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond our control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. Motive Partners is honored to announce the appointment of ten world-class members to its Global Advisory Council. NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Motive Partners, an investment firm focused on technology enabled companies that power the financial services industry, today announced the appointment of the following distinguished members to its Global Advisory Council (GAC): Douglas Flint CBE , Former Group Chairman of HSBC; Former Group Chairman of HSBC; Russell Fradin , Operating Partner at Clayton , Dubilier & Rice and former President & CEO of SunGard Data Systems; Operating Partner at , Dubilier & Rice and former President & CEO of SunGard Data Systems; Rosemary Leith , Founding Director of the World Wide Web Foundation & Fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center; Founding Director of the World Wide Web Foundation & Fellow at Berkman Center; Peter Leukert , Group CIO at Deutsche Telekom; Group CIO at Deutsche Telekom; James Neary , Managing Director of Warburg Pincus; , Managing Director of Warburg Pincus; Henry Ritchotte , former Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Bank; former Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Bank; Lawrence H. Summers , Charles W. Eliot University Professor & President Emeritus at Harvard University & 71 st Secretary of the United States Treasury; Charles W. Eliot University Professor & President Emeritus at & 71 Secretary of the United States Treasury; John W. Thompson , Chairman of Microsoft; Chairman of Microsoft; Romesh Wadhwani , Chairman & CEO of Symphony Technology Group; and Chairman & CEO of Symphony Technology Group; and Paul Walker , former Co-Head of Technology at Goldman Sachs. The GAC members will provide strategic guidance to Motive Partners and its portfolio companies and extend connectivity across technology, financial services and investment management. Each GAC member is widely renowned as a thought-leader in their respective fields. The GAC members are closely aligned with the firm's overarching strategy with deep expertise investing, operating and innovating in financial technology and financial services. Having held senior leadership positions at some of the world's most successful financial services and technology firms, the GAC members' knowledge and networks extend the firm's domain expertise and connectivity. With an estimated $4.7tn in revenue at risk of displacement by new tech-enabled entrants (source: Gartner) and nearly $700bn spent by established financial institutions on technology each year (source: Goldman Sachs), the intersection of finance and technology represents one of the most compelling and important market opportunities today. Motive Partners was founded by Rob Heyvaert, former Chairman and Founder of Capco; Stephen C. Daffron, former Global Head of Technology & Operations at Morgan Stanley and former CEO at Interactive Data Corporation; and Mike Hayford, former CFO of FIS and President & COO of Metavante, each sharing the collective goal of applying their extensive expertise, experience and connectivity in the financial technology arena to help businesses achieve long-term growth and value creation. Other Partners include Etienne Castiaux, former CTO of FIS, and founder of Clear2Pay; Alberto Corvo, former PwC Capital Markets Technology leader; Frank Martire III, former Partner at Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Jim O'Neill, former head of M&A at Metavante and Senior Analyst at Celent; and Andy Stewart, former co-head of BlackRock Alternative Investors. The GAC will be Chaired by Rob Heyvaert, Founder of Motive Partners, and Vice-Chaired by Alastair Lukies CBE, the UK Prime Minister's Business Ambassador for Financial Technology and Founding Partner of Motive Partners. Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor & President Emeritus at Harvard University & 71st Secretary of the United States Treasury & Motive Partners GAC Member, commented: "The stability and performance of the global economy is dependent on the development of the financial system, and in particular, the impact of technological innovation. Motive Partners has formed a team with experience across financial services, technology, academia and government that wants to help transformative companies make the financial system more effective for society. I look forward to working with them on that mission." John W Thompson, Chairman of Microsoft & Motive Partners GAC Member, commented: "As we see financial services, technology and investment management intersect and evolve, Motive Partners' financial technology focused combination of investors, operators and innovators will be a welcome force for economic and social impact. The team's unique DNA, culture and deep industry expertise will be a huge asset for the industry and I'm excited to work with the team as they achieve great results across the Motive ecosystem." Paul Walker, Senior Advisor & GAC Member, commented: "The model at Motive, which combines investing expertise, true sector specialization and a passion for innovation, is one I'm excited to help build. I look forward to working with the Motive team and the diverse and accomplished members of the GAC to create value for Motive's investors and portfolio companies." Rob Heyvaert, Motive Partners Founder, commented: "The financial services industry is undergoing a perfect storm of change, with technology at its core. We are very excited to welcome this group of exceptional members to help Motive Partners empower financial technology businesses to accelerate their transformative impact on the industry by providing capital, expertise and connectivity. We have a deep respect for the members of Motive's GAC, both in their achievements to date but also for their continued vision for financial services, technology and investment management." Mike Hayford, Motive Partners Founder, commented: "We believe Motive Partners will add value to our portfolio companies by partnering with top tier management teams and applying our long history of investing and operating in financial technology businesses - our GAC members bolster our ability to execute on this strategy." More information on Motive Partners, its strategy and team can be found at www.motivepartners.com For more information please contact: Alexa Hooft Graafland, Prosek Partners O: 212.279.3115 x292 M: 917.886.1183 ahooftgraafland@prosek.com I www.prosek.com JERUSALEM, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At a moving ceremony held recently in the Canadian city of Toronto, the leadership of Keren Hayesod - United Israel Appeal conferred the organization's prestigious Yakir Keren Hayesod Award upon international businessman Aaron Frenkel. The award is conferred annually to leaders of Keren Hayesod-UIA who, through their exceptional contributions and efforts, have helped advance the goals of Keren Hayesod in Israel and in the Jewish world. Past recipients of the Yakir Keren Hayesod Award have included many other outstanding philanthropists, public figures and international leaders, among them Israel's late President Shimon Peres, late Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and former Knesset Speaker Shlomo Hillel. The award ceremony was held at the International Leadership Reunion of major donors of Keren Hayesod and the Jewish Federations of North America in the presence of Keren Hayesod Honorary President Julia Koschitzky; the chairman of the Keren Hayesod World Board of Trustees, David Koschitzky; Keren Hayesod Director General Greg Masel and hundreds of major donors to the State of Israel, including Sheldon Adelson. Aaron G. Frenkel, who was born in 1957, is an international businessman and entrepreneur. Since the late 1980s, he has been the owner of the Loyd's Group, which is engaged in investments in the fields of real estate, civil aviation, energy and high tech. In the 1990s, Frenkel provided major assistance in bringing new immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel, in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel. In addition to his global business activities, Frenkel plays an active role in a number of public initiatives in Israel and abroad. By virtue of his efforts, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor by French President Nicolas Sarkozy; was made a chevalier of the Ordre de Grimaldi by Prince Albert II of Monaco; and Mecenate of Russia by the president of the Russian Federation. Frenkel was chairman of the Israeli Presidential Conference during the presidency of the late Shimon Peres and currently serves in a number of leading public positions, including serving as president of Limmud FSU; chairman of the governing board of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress; honorary consul in Jerusalem of the Republic of Croatia; and president of the Monaco Jewish community. Since its founding in 1920, Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal has been at the forefront of Israel's growth and development. Early in its history, Keren Hayesod brought hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees to Israel who had survived the horrors of the Holocaust, providing support for their integration into the country, as well as assistance in establishing more than 900 urban and agricultural communities around the country. After Israel's establishment, Keren Hayesod became a national institution and in 1956 received special status by virtue of the Keren Hayesod Law enacted by the Knesset. In cooperation with Jewish communities in more than 45 countries around the world, Keren Hayesod has helped bring and absorb nearly 4 million new immigrant to Israel. It is currently working to advance national priority projects of the State of Israel, with special emphasis on communities in outlying areas of the country, the advancement of disadvantaged youth and support for immigration and absorption of new immigrants. For additional information, please contact Ronnie Vinnikov at roniv@khuia.org. ZUG, Switzerland, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium cardiac and vascular imaging rises to a new standard as Hitachi Medical Systems Europe introduces its new premium 2D/4D cardiovascular ultrasound system, the LISENDO 880, featuring HDAnalyticsTM, a unique and accurate cardiovascular analysis package for confident cardiac hemodynamic assessments, at EuroEcho Imaging 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal, December 6, 2017. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615951/Hitachi_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615952/LISENDO_880.jpg ) Since their inception, today's ultrasound systems have progressed to become essential medical devices for all levels of cardiovascular care. The LISENDO 880 is Hitachi's new premium 2D/4D diagnostic ultrasound solution for cardiologists that redefines the vision of cardiac ultrasound by providing exceptional clinical performance coupled with state-of-the-art features and analytics. Hitachi released the world's first diagnostic ultrasound system in 1960 and the world's first Colour Doppler ultrasound system in 1983. Continuing this history of innovation, Hitachi introduced Vector Flow Mapping (VFM) analysis using ultrasound in 2013. Hitachi stands out as a company dedicated to providing unique solutions to echocardiography's clinical challenges. The LISENDO 880 maintains Hitachi's tradition of providing exceptionally innovative ultrasound for cardiovascular care. The LISENDO 880 was developed to address the most important needs for cardiovascular imaging: Pure Image Technology The advanced architecture of the LISENDO 880 offers state-of-the-art transducer technology for 2D/4D imaging, a high performance OLED display, premium image optimization parameters such as eFocusing and Pure Symphonic Architecture to capture the subtlest of changes and produce the highest-quality 'sound'. Seamless Workflow The LISENDO 880 was designed to provide maximum scanning comfort, along with state-of-the-art technology to help you complete your exams more easily. LISENDO's flexible positioning which includes a four-point articulating monitor arm and adjustable panel height, supports comfortable operation while the operation panel allows ergonomic function adjustment as a part of our intuitive user interface. LISENDO 880 delivers seamless workflow users expect in a premium ultrasound system. Additionally, LISENDO 880 is equipped with a sophisticated automatic anatomy recognition and cardiac function measurement package based on our HDSI (HemoDynamic Structural Intelligence). Smart cardiac measurements, using learning data structured by Hitachi's big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology significantly improve the examination efficiency and create new value with Hitachi's unique solutions. Your Application The LISENDO 880 is Hitachi's most advanced ultrasound system offering premium 2D/4D cardiovascular applications and innovative cardiac imaging features, namely the unique HDAnalytics' (HemoDynamic Analytics) package which includes LVeFlow, iDGD (Dual Gate Doppler) with R-R Navigation, VFM (Vector Flow Mapping) and eTRACKING with Wave Intensity. In addition, LISENDO 880 offers the Eyeball EF and i2DTT quantification tools. With these features, LISENDO 880 moves cardiac evaluations to a new level and maintains Hitachi's tradition of providing exceptionally innovative ultrasound for cardiovascular care. About Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Hitachi Healthcare in Europe is represented by Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland. The company is a first choice supplier of open and powerful high-field MRI systems, multi-slice CT systems as well as medical ultrasound, endoscopic and optical topography systems (NIRS). Ultrasound expertise encompasses clinical applications such as cardiology, radiology, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, gastroenterology, urology and surgery. Hitachi Medical Systems Europe offers a complete range of solutions to address a wide range of medical challenges. For more information about Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG, For more information, please visit http://www.hitachi-medical-systems.eu About Hitachi, Ltd. Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2016 (ended March 31, 2017) totaled 9,162.2 billion yen ($81.8 billion). The Hitachi Group is a global leader in the Social Innovation Business, and it has approximately 304,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation, Hitachi is providing solutions to customers in a broad range of sectors, including Power / Energy, Industry / Distribution / Water, Urban Development, and Finance / Government & Public / Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com. Contact: Romea Wallnoefer Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG r.wallnoefer@hitachi-medical-systems.com +41-41-748-63-33 Amanda Benfell PR Manager +44 20 7467 8125 amanda.benfell@warc.com LONDON, Dec 6, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - The final shortlist for the WARC Media Awards 2017, an international competition that examines the insight, strategy and analytics that power effective channel investment, is now released.19 campaigns have been shortlisted in the Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships category, a search for how successful collaborations with third parties, including native advertising and sponsorships, have helped brands meet business goals.As well as two Global and one European campaign, the finalists come from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Pakistan, Spain, Turkey, UK and US. Shortlisted brands include Bank of America, Dell Japan, M&Ms, Pizza Hut and Sainsbury's.Jerry Daykin, Head of Global Digital Media Partnerships, Diageo and jury chair, said: "It's been an inspiring experience reviewing the partnership entries, and fantastic to see such a broad range from different sectors and with different business challenges. Personally, it was great to see huge diligence in terms of the results, evaluation and learnings, as well as on delivering the upfront creative and approach. It has confirmed my belief that the best partnerships can benefit all the involved parties, and it feels like an approach to marketing that's only going to become more important and relevant."The shortlisted entries in Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships are:- Workforce Transformation - Dell Japan Client Solutions - Dell Japan - MediaCom Japan - Japan- Reimagining" My Job, Your Job" - Petplan Insurance & The Secret Life of Pets - Allianz Insurance & Universal Pictures - Brand Culture, NOW - United Kingdom- Le Mans live-ad - Ford Performance - Ford Motor Company - Mindshare Worldwide - United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain- Ultimate Badger Beer Sheds - Badger Ales - Hall & Woodhouse - Joint - United Kingdom- SuzukiSaturdays - Suzuki Cars - Suzuki GB - the7stars, Suzuki - United Kingdom- Cinergia In Your Head - Gas Natural Fenosa - Arena Media Barcelona - Spain- Online drinks and delivery service - Jumia Party - Pernod Ricard - Bean Interactive digital agency - Africa- Ben Ainslie Racing - Land Rover - Jaguar Land Rover - Creative Artists Agency - Global- Touch of magic - Tang - Mondelez International - Starcom Mediavest Pakistan - Pakistan- Habit Injection - BiP - Turkcell - BPN Istanbul - Turkey- Pie Tops - Pizza Hut - YUM Brands - Droga5 - North America- Live on Facebook - Vodka Cruiser - Asahi Premium Beverages - Vizeum, The Story Lab - Australia- The Business of Life - Bank of America - Starcom - United States- Do not watch Game of Thrones! - M&Ms - Mars - Almap BBDO - Brazil- Buy a Lady a Drink - Stella Artois - Anheuser-Busch InBev - MediaCom, Mother New York - United States- Sharing music with X Factor - Intesa Sanpaolo - MEC, Access Live Communication - Italy- Getting Gogglebox animated about Sainsbury's Christmas food - Sainsbury's - PHD - United Kingdom- Batman Barges In - The LEGO Batman Movie - Warner Bros. - PHD - United Kingdom- How a little blood goes a long way - Bodyform - Essity - AMV BBDO - GlobalThe shortlisted campaigns across all four categories - Effective Use of Partnerships and Sponsorships, Best Use of Data, Effective Channel Integration and Effective Use of Tech, can be viewed at www.warc.com/mediaawards.prize.The winners will be announced from 10 January 2018.About WARC- your global authority on advertising and media effectivenesswarc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.Source: WARCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Embargoed 9pm (December 6th, 2017 AEST) PERTH, Australia, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AirlineRatings.com has launched the world's first country and airline safety comparison tool as part of its all new website. Safety Rating Tool: https://www.airlineratings.com/safety-rating-tool/ For the first-time travelers can easily select airlines to compare from the 408 that the site rates, or select a country and compare all its airlines. Those airlines account for approximately 97 per cent of the world travel. The Airlineratings.com safety rating system has been constructed by bringing together recognized and approved industry and country audits of the airlines themselves and the country's regulators. The AirlineRatings.com rating system was created in 2013 and developed with assistance from the International Civil Aviation Organization based in Montreal, Canada in 2014. The Various Audits Cover Several Thousand Different Critical Criteria. One audit, the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), which has 1067 different criteria has dramatically reduced the number of accidents. Over the past five years the accident rate for IOSA members was been between twice and three times as good as for non-IOSA airlines. The rating system also includes the EU Blacklist and FAA assessment of airlines. The other major audit is the ICAO country audit which looks at eight different areas of industry oversight of its airlines and the systems that they use such as air traffic control and airports. AirlineRatings.com does not include incidents in its rating system, as agreed with ICAO, because not all countries report them and incidents happen to all airlines every day. Most are minor in nature but it is the way pilots handle an incident that is critical. Passengers just need to type in the country they are going to visit and all its airlines are displayed for comparison. Alternatively, they may select a number of airlines from the alphabetical listing and compare ahead of making their booking. About AirlineRatings.com: http://www.airlineratings.com/about-us.php Contact: AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas +61 41 793 6610 (24/7) Email: Geoffrey.Thomas@AirlineRatings.com - Pundi X showcases its POS solution to make Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies available to the vast "unbanked" population LONDON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pundi X, a cryptocurrency point-of-sale ("POS") solutions provider for retail stores, is making its debut appearance in Europe at the 2017 FinTech Connect Live Expo, where it will showcase its Pundi X POS device on booth P49 from December 6-7.Retail stores seeking to accept cryptocurrencies are able to offer their customers a smooth transaction experience via the Pundi X POS device. Connected to the Bitcoin, Ethereum, NEM, and QTUM blockchains, the Pundi X POS device will enable consumers to easily buy or sell cryptocurrencies using fiat money (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.), bank card, mobile wallet or with an NFC-enabled Pundi X Pass. Pundi X aims to empower blockchain developers, trading platforms, crypto traders and token holders to buy, sell and spend cryptocurrency on products or services at any physical store in the world. Making its European debut at the 2017 FinTech Connect Live Expo, Pundi X is looking for industry partners to explore and develop on the Pundi X platform and for potential retail partners to install its pilot POS devices in their stores. Pundi X successfully closed its pre-sale ICO in November, during which the company raised a total of 10,511 ETH, 622 BTC and 527,442 XEM and 50,000 QTM- equivalent to 12 million US Dollars - from 1,125 investors. The full public Initial Coin Offering (ICO) will commence on January 21, 2018. Come and visit Pundi X on stand P49 and join our presentation FinTech Connect Live Expo attendees can experience a demonstration of cryptocurrency transactions in action via the Pundi X POS device. Zac Cheah, CEO & Founder, Pundi X, will present and explain the Pundi X POS device at 15:30 pm today in the Technology Buyer's Theatre on the Exhibition Floor. Media and analysts who are interested in meeting with Pundi X can contact press@pundix.com to schedule an exclusive one-on-one meeting. About Pundi X Pundi X is a cryptocurrency point-of-sale ("POS") solutions provider for retail stores seeking to accept digital currencies in emerging countries. Pundi X POS enables shops, cafes and convenience stores to sell cryptocurrency to consumers and builds on the success of Pundi-Pundi, which is one of Indonesia's most popular QR code cashless payment apps. Pundi X token sale will commence on January 21, 2018, with the aim of financing as many as 700,000 Pundi X POS devices to be installed over the next three years across target markets around the world. For more information, please visit https://pundix.com/. You can also find us on the following social media channels: Twitter: https://twitter.com/PundiXLabs Telegram: http://t.me/pundix Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/pundixlabs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pundi_x/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIf6WeLEzZi3DQxzenTZeA Medium: http://medium.com/pundix View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-cryptocurrency-pos-device-appears-at-fintech-connect-live-2017-300567602.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Rep. John Conyers, the senior most member of the US Congress, has resigned amid a growing sexual-harassment scandal. The Democrat Rep. From Michigan told a Detroit radio station Tuesday that he is retiring immediately, and said he is endorsing his son, John Conyers III, to replace him. Conyers is the first among four serving US lawmakers facing sexual misconduct allegations to step down. Many women, including former aides, have come forward to accuse the 88-year old lawmaker of sexual misconduct, but he denied any wrongdoing. Last month, Conyers had admitted that he paid $27,000 to secretly settle a complaint with a former employee, who claimed that he sexually harassed her. He also stepped down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee as the House Ethics Committee started investigating the allegations against him. As the longest-serving active Representative, he was the Dean of the House of Representatives. After serving in the Korean War, Conyers became active in the civil rights movement, and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. Conyers' more than five decades-long congressional career began in 1964 when he was first elected to the House. He is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Known as one of the most liberal members of the US Congress, Conyers is o the only African-American to have served it for half a century. 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 / December 6, 2017 / H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q2 Earnings Call to be held on December 6, 2017 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/1799. 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 ZHANGZHOU, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / China Zenix Auto International Limited (NYSE: ZX) will host a conference call to discuss the results of the third quarter 2017, to be held Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time. Live Event Information To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event. Date, Time: December 6, 2017 at 8:00 AM ET Toll Free: 877-407-0782 International: 201-689-8567 Replay Information The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on January 6, 2018. Toll Free: 877-481-4010 International: 919-882-2331 Replay ID#: 22591 About China Zenix Auto International Limited China Zenix Auto International Limited is the largest commercial vehicle wheel manufacturer in China in both the aftermarket and OEM market by sales volume. The Company offers more than 772 series of aluminum wheels, tubed steel wheels, tubeless steel wheels, and off-road steel wheels in the aftermarket and OEM markets in China and internationally. The Company's customers include large PRC commercial vehicle manufacturers, and it also exports products to over 80 distributors in more than 28 countries worldwide. With six large, strategically located manufacturing facilities in multiple regions across China, the Company has a designed annual production capacity of approximately 15.5 million units of steel and aluminum wheels as of June 30, 2017. For more information, please visit: www.zenixauto.com/en. SOURCE: Investor Network Veteran Derivatives Operations Executive Joins Firm at Period of Substantial Growth LONDON, Dec. 6,2017 /PRNewswire/ --CloudMargin, the multi-award winning creator of the world's first web-based collateral and margin management solution, announced that Martin Adams has joined the firm's senior leadership team as Head of Client Operations. Adams is a 26-year veteran of derivatives operations, with extensive experience in over-the-counter (OTC) and listed derivatives, as well as fixed income and foreign exchange (FX) products. His work has addressed risk, control, and process and technology optimisation, along with the impact of evolving European and US regulatory requirements on some of the world's largest investment banking operations. In this new role, Adams will be responsible for leading CloudMargin's pre-sales support, onboarding and ongoing client support functions. CloudMargin CEO Steve Husk said: "At this time of significant growth for CloudMargin, Martin is the ideal leader to ensure that we offer our clients world-class operations support at every stage of their interaction with us. His extensive experience with operational and regulatory challenges at premier banks globally will be especially valuable as large institutions and smaller entities alike seek to leverage our cloud-based collateral management services for their OTC and listed derivatives portfolios." Adams said: "I have been following CloudMargin's progress for some time now, and I am very excited to join such an innovative FinTech company. CloudMargin offers a cost-effective collateral and margin management solution that can be implemented in weeks - rather than the months I have seen with enterprise on-premise software solutions. It's great to be part of such a collaborative organisation during this period of extraordinary growth, and I look forward to leading and growing the talented operations team as we constantly strive to exceed client expectations." Prior to joining CloudMargin, Adams spent more than two years at Lombard Risk, where his work included functional product development of existing and new modules for the firm's collateral management solution, as well as pre-sales activities in certain European markets. Previously, he was Vice President, EMEA Derivative Clearing Operations for J.P. Morgan. Adams joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2005, where he spent nearly nine years, including five as Vice President, EMEA FX Operations and then several years as Vice President, EMEA OTC Clearing. From 2000 to 2005, Adams served as Clearing Manager and then Business Development Manager for EDX London, formerly OMLX and now a subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange. Early in his career, Adams held derivative operations roles at several investment banks, including Morgan Stanley and Salomon Brothers. About CloudMargin Headquartered in London, CloudMargin created the world's first cloud-based collateral management workflow tool, which has earned 12 different industry awards since 2015 for innovation and best-in-class technology. The firm's Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model is helping many of the leading financial institutions globally - including exchanges, brokerage firms, banks, asset management firms and insurance companies - meet time-critical regulatory deadlines and reduce costs associated with collateral requirements that are growing dramatically. CloudMargin bypasses many of the shortfalls of legacy, on-premise software, enabling clients to experience rapid implementation and access to robust and secure collateral management workflow software. For more information, visit www.cloudmargin.com. To access the firm's FlightPlan microsite designed to help financial institutions globally navigate the uncleared margin rules and other regulations impacting their collateral management function, please visit flightplan.cloudmargin.com. Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/464866/CloudMargin_Logo.jpg View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/martin-adams-joins-cloudmargin-as-head-of-client-operations-300567136.html MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 12/06/17 -- Relevium Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RLV)(FRANKFURT: 6BX) (the "Company" or "Relevium") is pleased to announce the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement (the "Agreement") with Tersus Life Sciences for Provinal C16:1n7 a patented, ultra-purified Omega 7 fatty acid blend . Highlights -- Provinal is a patented ultra-purified Omega 7 fatty acid blend -- Shown to decrease: insulin resistance, hepatic fat accumulation and acute and chronic inflammation - with no known side effects -- Omega global market is estimated at USD 57B by 2025 (1) -- North American exclusivity for online sales through Amazon, Walmart/Jet and others -- Initial 2-year term Aurelio Useche, CEO of Relevium Technologies stated: "Omega fatty acid products sell extremely well online, especially through Amazon.com." Mr. Useche continued, "Relevium is extremely proud to have secured this deal. We will now enable all of our brands, be it BioGanix or new brands to have exclusive, cutting-edge products - a major differentiator for online D2C retailers swimming in a sea of generics. We would like to thank Dr. Tina Sampalis who sits on the Relevium Board and is also the Chief Science Officer at Tersus for providing this opportunity to us. Dr. Sampalis is credited with the discovery and pioneering of krill oil while she was at Neptune Technologies." Mr. Useche went on to say: "The krill oil market is expected to reach USD 709.4 million by 2025. We think that Relevium can be instrumental in building up the Omega 7 market for humans and pets with Provinal through online marketing in North America. We see a strong opportunity here and are excited to provide access to cutting-edge nutraceuticals to online buyers." What is Provinal? Provinal Omega 7 is a novel, patented and clinically-substantiated monounsaturated fatty-acid ingredient targeting the prevention and reversal of dyslipidemia, and cardio-metabolic disorders. Provinal Omega 7 is a naturally-occurring highly purified monounsaturated fatty acid. Preclinical and clinical evidence has demonstrated a broad range of benefits bridging the treatment gap in highly prevalent disorders with special emphasis on lipid management. Omega 7 (purified palmitoleic acid) oil of palmitate can potentially help in the fight against diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and atherosclerosis. In this 4-minute video, Dr. Michael F. Roizen, frequent contributor on the Dr. Oz show and Chairman of the Wellness Institute of The Cleveland Clinic, explores the beneficial effects of Provinal on the management of atherosclerosis, its causes and consequences: heart disease, stroke, memory loss, impotence, and wrinkling. Purified Omega 7 has been shown to decrease insulin resistance, decrease hepatic fat accumulation, and decrease acute and chronic inflammation - with no known side effects. More information can be found on the Tersus Life Sciences webpage at tersuslifesciences.com Terms of Exclusive Distribution Agreement Relevium has a two (2) year exclusive distribution agreement for defined online markets in North America, for certain exclusive Relevium formulations formulated with Provinal. An option for an agreement extension will be evaluated, considered and negotiated by Tersus and Relevium, subject to the fulfillment of the two (2) year Agreement Terms. Any agreement extension would be evaluated, considered and negotiated ninety (90) days prior to its expiration of the second year of the Agreement. Territory and Channels The Agreement will grant Relevium exclusive rights to market, sell and distribute the products as described here to the defined online markets in North America for Relevium's exclusive formulations and brands, with consideration by Tersus for additional countries. Additional or other geographical markets and territories will be agreed upon on a case-by-case basis with final approval to be granted by Tersus, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld. Minimum annual purchases for additional markets and territories will be decided and agreed upon by Tersus and Relevium. Products Tersus will provide Relevium with exclusive formulations and product specifications and pricing for custom-formulated Provinal-based products on an exclusive basis custom designed to target Eye Health and Cardio-metabolic/Metabolic Syndrome. Final formulations, product specifications and product and bottled quantities will be determined and approved by Relevium. Appointment and Licensee Tersus will grant Relevium a non-exclusive, personal, limited and non-transferable license for the Term of the Agreement, to use and display the Tersus Provinal trademarks and Intellectual Property ("IP") for the sole purpose and in accordance with Relevium's obligations under the Agreement. Trademarks and IP shall mean those: trademarks, tradenames, service marks, trade dress, logo, copyrights in advertising and promotional materials, website and all website links in the territory, scientific and clinical studies and data. Relevium also has the right to appoint sublicenses with prior authorization and approval by Tersus and subject to the control and responsibility of Relevium. Scope of Products Products shall include all Relevium exclusive Provinal formulated products, the right of first refusal to market, sell and distribute future Tersus Provinal and Provinal combination newly-formulated products. Tersus will grant Relevium a right of first refusal to review and evaluate such newly-formulated products after which Relevium will advise Tersus of its acceptance or decline. Acceptance of future Provinal newly-formulated products will be on an exclusive basis as defined by Relevium's markets, channels and territories, and as agreed upon in writing. 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. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn Contacts: Relevium Technologies Inc. Edward Ierfino Investor Relations +1(514) 562-1374 eierfino@releviumcorp.com www.releviumtechnologies.com MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 12/06/17 -- NanoXplore Inc. ("NanoXplore") (TSX VENTURE: GRA), a world leading graphene company, announced today that it has finalized the acquisition of CEBO Injections SA ("CEBO"), a Swiss-based precision injection molding company, from BCR Plastic Group. CEBO's total sales for 2016 were 5.9M Swiss francs ("CHF") (Non-audited, Swiss GAAP). NanoXplore has acquired all the outstanding shares of CEBO for a total of 2.3M CHF, with 1.5M CHF having been paid to BCR Plastic Group, 0.4M CHF to be paid after 12 months, and another 0.4M CHF to be paid after 24 months. Export Development Canada provided debt financing of 1.15M CHF to support this transaction. Following the transaction, both Mr. Cornelis Smit, CEO and founder of CEBO, and Mr. Thierry Poulleau, Director of Sales of CEBO, continue in their positions. In anticipation of continued strong growth, CEBO has placed an order for two new ARBURG precision injection molding machines. "It is a pleasure to welcome CEBO to our plastic division and we are very excited that Mr. Smit and Mr. Poulleau are continuing with the company." says Dr. Soroush Nazarpour, President and CEO of NanoXplore. About NanoXplore NanoXplore is a graphene company, a manufacturer and supplier of high volume graphene powder for use in industrial markets as well as standard and custom enhanced thermoplastic products to many customers in transportation, packaging, electronics and other industrial sectors. For more information visit www.nanoxplore.ca. NanoXplore Inc. On behalf of the Board "Soroush Nazarpour, Ph.D." President and Chief Executive Officer Cautionary Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions based on information available at the time the assumption was made and on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors deemed appropriate in the circumstances. No assurance can be given that these assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predications and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "foresee", "grow", "expect", "plan", "intend", "forecast", "future", "guidance", "may", "predict", "project", "should", "strategy", "target", "will" or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of risks and uncertainties some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking information necessarily involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause NanoXplore's actual results to differ materially from any projections of future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include risks related to the satisfaction of the conditions to closing of the acquisition and performance of the businesses acquired pursuant to the acquisition. Any forward-looking information is made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, NanoXplore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. 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: NanoXplore Inc. Dr. Soroush Nazarpour President and CEO (+1) 514-935-1377 info@nanoxplore.ca www.nanoxplore.ca NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on December 6, 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/2635. 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 In Time For The Holiday Shopping Season, Adyen Now Offers China's Three Largest Payment Providers on Point-of-Sale Terminals Worldwide AMSTERDAM, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Adyen, the payments platform of choice for the world's leading companies, today rolled out WeChat Pay, one of the most popular mobile payment apps in China, allowing Adyen merchants to offer WeChat Pay on their point-of-sale (POS)terminals worldwide. This is a key addition to Adyen's unified commerce solution. Since 2016, consumers have been able to buy goods online using WeChat Pay through the Adyen platform; now, they can do the same in brick-and-mortar stores. The addition of WeChat Pay means that Adyen merchants can now accept payments from China's three largest payment providers, including Alibaba's Alipay and China UnionPay (UPI). WeChat has 1.3 billion users, 400 million of whom use WeChat Pay for either paying friends (P2P payments) or purchasing a product. "We are thrilled to announce that Adyen now offers all three major Chinese payment methods on our clients' POS terminals worldwide," said Roelant Prins, chief commercial officer, Adyen. "This capability allows our merchants to cater to this incredibly important and large customer base as they travel abroad. After November's record-breaking Singles' Day sales, it's more important than ever for retailers to find ways to allow Chinese consumers to make purchases with their payment method of choice." China's new buying power is driven by several key trends: Chinese consumers crave luxury goods - Chinese consumers are responsible for up to half of all luxury brand sales worldwide, according to a McKinsey report. This year, it is projected that cross-border buyers in China will spend an average of $473.26 each on cross-border purchases, which represents 4.2 percent of the total retail e-commerce market. This is expected to equate to $85.76 billion in 2017. - Chinese consumers are responsible for up to half of all luxury brand sales worldwide, according to a McKinsey report. This year, it is projected that cross-border buyers in will spend an average of each on cross-border purchases, which represents 4.2 percent of the total retail e-commerce market. This is expected to equate to in 2017. Chineseconsumersare global shoppers- this factor has led to cross-border purchases. By 2022, Forrester predicts that cross-border e-commerce could increase by 20 percent, reaching $630 billion , with China leading the boom. For more information about Adyen, please visit www.adyen.com. About Adyen Adyen is the payments platform of choice for the world's leading companies. The only provider of a modern end-to-end infrastructure connecting directly to Visa, MasterCard, and consumers' globally preferred payment methods, Adyen delivers frictionless payments across online, mobile, and in-store. With offices all around the world, Adyen serves more than 4,500 businesses, including 8 of the 10 largest U.S. Internet companies. Customers include Facebook, Uber, Netflix, Spotify, Casper, Bonobos and L'Oreal. Press Contacts: Adyen Dave Pedersen dave.pedersen@adyen.com Logo- http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615900/Adyen_Logo.jpg NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / Dynagas LNG Partners LP (NYSE: DLNG) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on December 6, 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/3235. 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 / December 6, 2017 / Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE: LEE) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q4 Earnings Call to be held on December 6, 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/1053. 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 / December 6, 2017 / Brown-Forman Corporation Class B (NYSE: BF.A | NYSE: BF.B) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q2 Earnings Call to be held on December 6, 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/2856. 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 Speaking at the joint opening ceremony of the SmartBiz Expo and Asian E-tailing Summit, HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong said the inaugural Expo provides companies with timely market insights and inspiration. Featuring more than 500 exhibitors from 43 countries and regions, the inaugural SmartBiz Expo enhances the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and encourages them to explore technology and innovation. The Techtopia zone displays an array of technologies, including augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. HKTDC Communications and Public Affairs Department Banbi Chen Tel: +852 2584 4525 Email: banbi.yc.chen@hktdc.org HONG KONG, Dec 6, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the inaugural SmartBiz Expo and the Hong Kong International Franchising Show opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Together, the twin events, which run from 6-8 December, generate synergy and showcase value-adding and versatile business solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grasp the latest business opportunities."With the challenges and opportunities posed by the changing economic landscape and evolving digital era, the HKTDC is pleased to launch the SmartBiz Expo to provide companies with timely insights, inspiration and a platform for interaction," said HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong at the opening ceremony. She added, "SmartBiz Expo is a unique cross-industry platform spotlighting innovative business solutions, creative ideas and cutting-edge technologies."- One-stop platform to upgrade and transformFeaturing more than 500 exhibitors from 43 countries and regions, SmartBiz Expo aims to enhance SMEs' competitiveness and encourage them to explore technology and innovations. The fair is divided into several theme zones: Techtopia, Envision Lot, Boosters, Hatchery, Pathfinder and Muses. Techtopia zone displays an array of technologies, including augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications from established companies, such as VTM Digital Ltd (Booth No: 1D-E16), Win Win Industrial Co Ltd (Booth No: 1D-E10), and Alibaba Group Services Ltd (Booth No: 1D-D02).For companies seeking to sharpen their competitive edge, Boosters zone offers the latest technology, from cloud and e-commerce systems, to branding and financial services. Meanwhile, Envision Lot zone exhibits inventions and research findings from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe and Asia. In addition, Hatchery zone serves as a promotion platform for local and overseas start-ups to pitch their businesses to potential business partners. Another highlight is the Pathfinder zone, which gathers exhibitors from countries and regions including Saudi Arabia, Canada and Indonesia, to foster opportunities in investment partnership among Belt and Road countries and regions, particularly within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area.- Industry experts unveil latest AI and tech trends and opportunities under Industry 4.0During the three-day event, more than 20 seminars will be held to cater to the needs of SMEs. The series will systematically help companies explore the latest global market trends, identify challenges and introduce various innovative solutions through real case-sharing sessions, as well as unveil the latest industry technologies. Industry experts will examine global market conditions, business opportunities in AI, technological innovation and marketing strategies, as well as the latest trends in online shopping and social media. Speakers include Herbert Chia, Venture Partner of Sequoia Capital China; Leo Liu, Alibaba Cloud General Manager (HK, Macau, Taiwan & Korea Region); Andrew Young, IBM China/Hong Kong Ltd Commercial Sales Unit Executive; Gerardo Salandra, CEO and founder of Rocketbots; and David Tang, CEO of BeeHive Network Information Technology Ltd. To help businesses harness new opportunities and inspiration, the HKTDC is also hosting a three-day "FitBiz Rendezvous" programme, featuring a series of thematic forums and seminars, multiple pitching sessions and inventors, as well as tech-savvy demonstrations.In addition, with the rising trend in product and service customisation, a seminar, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Productivity Council, will explore how manufactures can adopt smart production with 'Industry 4.0' by integrating their business and production processes. In addition, the seminar series "InnoTech for Branding - From Surviving to Growing," co-organised by the HKTDC and the Trade and Industry Department, will spotlight cost-effective marketing strategies for companies to grow in a competitive business setting. Topics to be covered include branding with virtual reality, online marketing and big data, with the aim of helping SMEs formulate efficient branding strategies. A series of business-matching and networking events are also being held to expand business connections with potential partners from around the world.- Franchising - an alternative for new business opportunitiesThe booming franchising sector in recent years has inspired young entrepreneurs and SMEs to adopt the business model. With its strategic geographic location and diversity, Hong Kong has developed into a regional franchising hub for many international brands expanding to Asia.The Hong Kong International Franchising Show returns in its third edition for companies and entrepreneurs looking for franchising brands to identify business partners and gain franchising tips. The event gathers 130 exhibitors from such places as Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia and the United States, with zones covering catering, retail, education and various services industries. Well-known brands, including popular local music institute, Parkland (Booth No: 1E-A07); the health-food brand, bless (Booth No: 1E-A08); local pet training institute, Dogaroo (Booth No: 1E-B15); intelligent vending machine, iAPP (Booth No: 1E-B17), and Korea's popular Nolboo (Booth No: 1E-E09) will be among the participating exhibitors.The "Franchising and Wealth Building" seminar series features industry experts and leaders from around the world to share franchising success cases and the latest trends. In particular, a seminar featuring prominent industry representatives from Tai Hing Worldwide Development Ltd, Tao Heung Group, and Maxim's Group will share the latest innovations and developments in Hong Kong's competitive F&B sector. The seminar series will also spotlight such topics as franchising business management from afar, innovative business concepts for catering, and franchising opportunities in the Chinese mainland. A series of networking and business-matching activities will be held to assist companies to expand their business networks and foster cooperation.The HKTDC is concurrently staging the Asian E-tailing Summit (6 December), the Business of IP Asia Forum (7-8 December), and DesignInspire (7-9 December), at the HKCEC for companies to get the latest market information and foster cross-industry cooperation.Fair websites:SmartBiz Expo: http://www.hktdc.com/smartbizexpoHong Kong International Franchising Show: http://www.hktdc.com/hkifsPhoto Download: http://bit.ly/2BN8oeuAbout HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2017) - Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSXV: PQE) (OTCQX: PQEFF) (FSE: A2DYWC) (the "Company"), a company focused on the development and implementation of proprietary technologies for the environmentally safe extraction of heavy oils from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits, announced today that it has joined the American Petroleum Institute (API). The API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, promoting safety across the industry globally and influencing public policy in support of a strong, viable oil and natural gas industry. "We are very pleased to join the oil and gas industry leaders of API," said Alex Blyumkin, CEO of the Company. "API has led the development of operating standards for our industry, and we look forward to contributing our experience with oilfield technologies in addition to introducing our PetroBLOQ platform to its members throughout the supply chain." "We welcome Petroteq Energy to the API community," said Lisa Salley, Vice President of Global Industry Services at API. "We note that Petroteq has been focused on using environmentally safe processing technologies, and we're interested to see how PetroBLOQ can help companies manage an increasingly global and complex supply chain." "PetroBLOQ is looking forward to leveraging our collective experience in the oil and gas industry and with blockchain technology to help solve the inherent difficulties and complexities up and down the industry, said Greg Rubin, CEO of First Bitcoin Capital Corp. and an Advisory Board member of PetroBLOQ. "We're eager to partner with API to introduce industry-wide education and certification programs as we demonstrate the value of blockchain-based applications to create transactional and operational efficiencies for all industry participants." Petroteq has launched a new website dedicated to the joint venture (www.petrobloq.com) where problems facing the oil and gas industry are outlined and corresponding solutions will be offered. PetroBloq will be the first blockchain-based platform developed exclusively for the supply chain needs of the oil and gas sector, with a goal of providing each of the individual companies involved with cost and time savings, increased transparency, and the ability to effectively mitigate the risk of fraud and disputes amid the constantly evolving geopolitical atmosphere and subsequent market fluctuations. The Company will be presenting at the 10th annual LD Micro Main Event on Wednesday, December 6th at 12:00 PM PST / 3:00 PM EST at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The Company's President, Dr. R. Gerald ("Jerry") Bailey, will be presenting and meeting with investors. About PetroBLOQ PetroBLOQ is a collaboration formed by the Company and First Bitcoin Capital Corp. to develop the first supply chain management platform based on advanced blockchain technology for the global transaction needs of the oil and gas industry. About First Bitcoin Capital Corp. First Bitcoin Capital Corp. is engaged in developing digital currencies, proprietary blockchain technologies, and the digital currency exchange -- www.CoinQX.com (in beta). For more information visit: www.BitcoinCapitalCorp.com. About The American Petroleum Institute (API) API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry. API's more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. For more information visit: www.api.org. About Petroteq Energy Inc. The Company is engaged in the development and implementation of its proprietary environmentally friendly heavy oil processing and extraction technologies. The proprietary process produces zero greenhouse gas, zero waste and requires no high temperatures. The Company is currently focused on developing its oil sands resources and expanding production capacity at its Facility at Asphalt Ridge, Utah. The Company also (i) owns a minority stake in an exploration and production play located in southwest Texas held by Accord GR Energy Inc., (ii) has a joint venture with Recruiter.com and Oilprice.com that provides internet based job placement and career services to the increasingly skilled and specialized energy sector, and (iii) is developing an advanced blockchain solution for the energy industry, in a project called PetroBloq, with a goal of optimizing petrochemical industry workflow processes. For more about Petroteq Energy Inc. visit: www.petroteq.energy. For more on the joint venture with Recruiter.com and Oilprice.com visit: www.jobs.oilprice.com. For more on Petrobloq visit: www.petrobloq.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. and Canadian securities laws. Words such as "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, including the Company successfully developing an advanced blockchain solution for the Energy industry, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, based on information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. While forward-looking statements are based on data, assumptions and analyses that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results, performance or developments will meet the Company's expectations and predictions depend on a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition of the Company to differ materially from its expectations. Certain of the "risk factors" that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation: changes in laws or regulations; the ability to implement business strategies or to pursue business opportunities, whether for economic or other reasons; status of the world oil markets, oil prices and price volatility; state of capital markets and ability by the Company to raise capital; litigation; the commercial and economic viability of the Company's oil sands hydrocarbon extraction technology, the SWEPT technology, the S-BRPT technology, and other proprietary technologies developed or licensed by the Company or by Accord which are of experimental nature and have not been used at full capacity for an extended period of time; reliance on suppliers, contractors, consultants and key personnel; the ability of the Company and Accord to maintain their respective mineral lease holdings; potential failure of the Company's business plans or model; the nature of oil and gas production and oil sands mining, extraction and production; uncertainties in exploration and drilling for oil, gas and other hydrocarbon-bearing substances; unanticipated costs and expenses, availability of financing and other capital; potential damage to or destruction of property, loss of life, and environmental damage; risks associated with compliance with environmental protection laws and regulations; uninsurable or uninsured risks; potential conflicts of interest of officers and directors; and other general economic, market and business conditions and factors, including the risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ending August 31, 2016, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. 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. The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements. Petroteq Energy Inc. Alex Blyumkin Chief Executive Officer Tel: (800) 979-1897 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Automatic Data Processing or ADP's Employment Report for November will be published at 8.15 am ET Wednesday. The economists are looking for consensus of 186,000 compared to 235,000 in the previous month. Ahead of the data, the greenback traded mixed against its major rivals. While the greenback rose against the euro, it held steady against the pound and the yen. Against the franc, it retreated. The greenback was worth 1.1817 against the euro, 1.3375 against the pound, 112.13 against the yen and 0.9880 against the franc as of 8:10 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. PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Travel Bag Market by Material Type, Luggage Type, Distribution Channel, and Price Range: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023," The global travel bag market was valued at $15,045 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $24,027 million in 2023, registering a CAGR of 7.1% from 2017 to 2023. In 2016, the trolley bag segment is anticipated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 ) Do Enquiry for Sample Report@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2050 Travel bags consist of bags or cases, or containers which can hold a traveler's belongings while travelling. The travel bags are generally used to carry clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip necessities, and souvenirs. In the present era, bags also represent their owner's wealth and fashion statement. The substantial boom in the travel and tourism sector (including medical tourism) fosters the demand for various types of travel bags. The robust movement of business travelers, further fuels the requirement of travel bags especially backpacks and trolleys. Based on material, the global travel bags market is bifurcated into hard side and soft side. The market is also divided by luggage type into duffle, trolley, and backpacks. The market is further sub-divided by different price range, which includes premium range for travel bags with price above 400$, medium price range for bags within $150 to $400 and low-price range for travel bags below $150; and by distribution channel into supermarket/hypermarket, specialty stores, factory outlets, online stores, and others. Do Enquiry before purchasing Report@https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2050 In 2016, the duffle bag segment was the leading revenue contributor to the global market. However, the trolley bag segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. KEY FINDINGS OF TRAVEL BAG MARKET STUDY In 2016, Asia-Pacific dominated the global market with more than one-third share in terms of value. dominated the global market with more than one-third share in terms of value. Asia-Pacific is estimated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. is estimated to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. In 2016, China was the leading revenue contributor to the Asia-Pacific travel bag market. was the leading revenue contributor to the travel bag market. The soft-side by material type segment generated the highest revenue to the global market in 2016, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4%. The trolley bag segment is estimated to register the highest growth rate, in terms of revenue, registering a CAGR of 10.3%. In 2016, Asia-Pacific dominated the global market, owing to robust growth of the business travel & leisure industry. Furthermore, presence of major players is anticipated to boost the market growth in the near future. North America is the second leading revenue contributor to the global market, and is expected to register a CAGR of 5.5% in terms of revenue. The key players profiled in the report are Delsey SA., VIP Industries, TGHI, Inc., Samsonite, Ace Co. Ltd., U.S. Luggage Company, Jiaxing Bianca Luggage Industrial Co. Ltd., Travelpro Products, Inc., Rimowa GmbH, and Kering SA. Ask for discount before buying@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/get-discount/2050 About Us: Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Dhananjay Potle 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: + 44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1aY855aY550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2017) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: QTA) (OTCQB: QTRRF) ("Quaterra" or the "Company") today announced that recently completed summer drilling at the Groundhog copper prospect, Alaska, has intersected intrusive rocks and sulfide mineralization commonly associated with porphyry copper mineralization. The Groundhog property is located in an established copper porphyry belt 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, and three miles north of the large Pebble porphyry copper, gold and molybdenum project. The objectives of the reconnaissance drilling program were to determine the source of numerous IP anomalies identified by historic and 2017 surveys and to confirm the prospectiveness of the area for porphyry copper mineralization. Four widely-spaced core holes totaling 4,073 feet - the first ever drilled on the 40,000-acre Groundhog property - were drilled to test induced polarization (IP) anomalies over an area approximately six miles north-south by three miles east-west. The holes targeted only the southernmost of three magnetic anomalies that have been defined on the property by historic surveys and 26.1 kilometers of new IP completed by Zonge International in June and July this year. (For drill hole locations and geophysical features please see map on the Company website at https://www.quaterra.com/groundhog-drill-map-2017/). Hole 3/3A , drilled to a depth of 1,178 feet (S65E at -70 degrees), encountered strong propylitically altered Jurrasic-age gabbro-pyroxenite-basalt basement rocks in the entire hole from 0 to 1,178 feet. The strongly altered and pyritized core was uniformly anomalous in copper (25 to 612 ppm) with scattered anomalous molybdenum (trace to 177 ppm) and gold (trace to 827 ppb). The hole did not penetrate the full extent of the IP anomaly. The strong alteration and anomalous copper, molybdenum, and gold suggest that the hole may be above or adjacent to a porphyry copper system. Hole 4 , collared approximately six miles south of Hole 3, encountered variably pyritized and silicified multi-phase intrusive porphyry rocks over its entire 985-foot length (S45E at -77 degrees). The dominant rock was a crowded quartz-plagioclase-potassium feldspar porphyry intruded by a more altered and mineralized feldspar porphyry, both of which were intruded by a late unmineralized intrusive breccia. The strongly altered and pyritized porphyritic rocks contain weakly anomalous copper and zinc values. Holes 1 and 2, drilled approximately three miles apart midway between Holes 3 and 4, intersected weak sulfide mineralization currently interpreted as Tertiary epithermal mineralization and syngenetic pyrite, respectively. Today's results confirm that pyrite is the source of all IP anomalies tested and will be an effective tool for exploring the project's large land position; and that intrusive rocks similar to those at Pebble were intersected in Holes 3 and 4 and extend well into the Groundhog land block. IP surveying to date has defined a large sulfide anomaly(s) open laterally and at depth whose ultimate extent and source will be determined by additional surveys and deeper drilling. Data compilation and analysis will be completed prior to finalizing 2018 work plans. Groundhog is located on State of Alaska claims covering the northern extension of a 10-kilometer wide north-northeast trending structural zone that hosts a number of porphyry copper-gold prospects. Regional magnetic data suggest that geology similar to that at the Pebble porphyry deposit extends under cover for an additional 30 kilometers northeast from Pebble. Quaterra has signed a lease agreement with Chuchuna Minerals Company ("Chuchuna"), an Alaska corporation, giving Quaterra an option to purchase a 90% interest in Groundhog. Chuchuna is jointly owned by Kijik Corporation ("Kijik"), the ANSCA village corporation for the community of Nondalton, and Alaska Earth Sciences ("AES"), an Anchorage-based mineral exploration company whose principals have more than 40 years of experience throughout Alaska, and have been involved in major discoveries including the Donlin Creek gold deposit. Chuchuna is the operator of the project and plans, implements and manages exploration field programs as set out in a budget and work plan approved by Quaterra. Core drilling was contracted to AES which completed four BTW core holes with a Discovery 1 drill rig. Core samples were sawed in half and sealed in heavy plastic bags into two- to three-meter samples by AES personnel. The samples were then sealed into two foot by three foot rice bags and shipped by a commercial air carrier from Nondalton, Alaska, to Anchorage, Alaska. In Anchorage the samples were picked up by AES personnel who then inserted sample blanks from a local rock quarry approximately every tenth sample. The samples were then shipped by Lynden Transport trucks to the ALS USA's Prep Laboratory in Fairbanks, Alaska, where they were crushed, pulverized and split. ALS then shipped a split of the samples to their Reno Nevada analytical lab where they were analyzed by ME-MS41 ultra trace Aqua Regia ICP-MS and Au-AA23 (Au 30g fire assay with AA finish, 0.005 ppm Au detection limit). ALS routinely inserts about 15 duplicate samples, blanks, and standards with each sample shipment. About Quaterra Resources Inc. Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: QTA) (OTCQB: QTRRF) is a copper exploration and development company with the primary objective of advancing its U.S. subsidiary's copper projects in the Yerington District, Nevada. The Company also looks for opportunities to acquire copper projects on reasonable terms in mining-friendly jurisdictions that have the potential to host large mineral deposits attractive to major mining companies. The Company this year acquired the right to earn a 90% in the Groundhog copper project in Southwest Alaska. Technical information in this news release has been approved by Thomas Patton, Ph.D., the CEO of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Thomas Patton, Chairman & CEO Quaterra Resources Inc. For more information please contact: Thomas Patton, Chairman & CEO Quaterra Resources Inc. 604-641-2758 Gerald Prosalendis, President and COO Quaterra Resources Inc. 604-641-2780 Disclosure note: Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements under Canadian securities laws and within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified in this news release by words such as "will", "may", "intends", "anticipates", "offers the potential", "suggests", and similar language, or convey estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives, potential outcomes, expectations, or goals. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. In particular, forward looking statements in this news release include that the Company will be able to finance exploration efforts and acquisition costs; that commodity markets and copper prices will improve; that mapping, sampling, IP and exploration drilling will be undertaken; that results will define mineralization or high grade zones; that historical and new exploration will support a resource on the property; and that the Groundhog assets have the potential to support mining operations. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. A summary of risk factors that apply to the Company's operations are included in our management discussion and analysis filings with securities regulatory authorities, and are publicly available on our website. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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 MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., a leading global provider of technology-enabled risk and benefits solutions, has signed an agreement to acquire Cunningham Lindsey, a global loss adjusting, claims management and risk solutions firm. An industry pioneer with 100 years of experience, Cunningham Lindsey assists businesses, insurance companies, brokers and policyholders around the world by offering expert support when losses occur, such as during natural disasters. The company's 6,000 highly skilled professionals comprise local teams in 600 offices across 60 countries. "Bringing the incomparable talent, expertise and robust global capabilities of Sedgwick, Vericlaim and Cunningham Lindsey under one umbrella is among the greatest stories to emerge from the claims industry in many years," said Michael Arbour, Sedgwick group president. "This exciting development puts us in an optimal position to meet the increasingly complex needs of clients around the world." The Cunningham Lindsey group includes a range of services addressing all aspects of the risk management life cycle, including pre- and post-loss; their specialties in loss adjusting, third-party claims administration, global account management, forensic engineering, and restoration and repair consulting, among others, notably complement the existing offerings of Sedgwick and subsidiary Vericlaim. "Joining forces with Sedgwick and Vericlaim presents an opportunity to provide our clients an end-to-end service solution around the world," said Jane Tutoki, global CEO of Cunningham Lindsey. "Our vision is to align our complementary services and further grow the reach to a scale that will help redefine the expertise and talent we can offer. We are excited about the next step in this journey with Sedgwick and Vericlaim to offer a truly global path to transform the way we provide our services together." The strategic acquisition of Cunningham Lindsey enhances Sedgwick's status as the leading global provider of innovative risk and benefit solutions and broadens the company's international footprint, Arbour said. Following the close of the transaction, the Sedgwick family will be more than 20,000 colleagues strong. "At Sedgwick, taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do, and we know that Cunningham Lindsey shares our commitment to caring for people when the unexpected occurs," said David A. North, Sedgwick president and CEO. "Together, we will have the capacity to reach more individuals in their time of need in more locations than ever before." The closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. About Sedgwick Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., is a leading global provider of technology-enabled risk and benefits solutions. At Sedgwick, caring countsSM; the company takes care of people and organizations by delivering cost-effective claims, productivity, managed care, risk consulting and other services through the dedication and experAtise of 15,000 colleagues in some 275 offices located in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Ireland. Sedgwick facilitates financial and personal health and helps customers and consumers navigate complexity by designing and implementing customized programs based on proven practicAes and advanced technology that exceed expectations. Sedgwick's majority shareholder is KKR; Stone Point Capital LLC, La Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more, see www.sedgwick.com. About Cunningham Lindsey Cunningham Lindsey is a leading provider of claims management services to the insurance market. The group's expertise is deployed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year across a wide range of disciplines, from risk management to technical loss adjusting. Cunningham Lindsey serves clients in the insurance industry in more than 60 countries with over 6,000 employees. Further information can be found at www.cunninghamlindsey.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/215042/sedgwick_logo.jpg Innovative Symposium for Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industries to Take Place in both Europe and U.S. in 2018 NORTH READING, Massachusetts, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and providing real-time information sharing for better patient outcomes, today unveiled FutureLink-a new and innovative annual gathering of commercial and operational executives from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries who are dedicated to achieving regulatory compliance and shaping the future of digital drug supply with information sharing networks. As the only conference of its kind, FutureLink Munich will occur in June 2018, with FutureLink Chicago taking place in November 2018. Both events will provide a forum for a range of business leaders to foster innovative thinking, discuss actionable insights, and develop strategies that address rapidly approaching compliance deadlines-and the analog-to-digital information-sharing transformation taking place in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Taking place on June 5 - 7, 2018, roughly eight months prior to the February 2019 EU FMD compliance deadline, FutureLink Munich will offer tailored conference experiences for: Supply chain, compliance, and serialization leaders -who want to participate in focused workshops and develop specific action plans for achieving EU FMD compliance on time; and, -who want to participate in focused workshops and develop specific action plans for achieving EU FMD compliance on time; and, Sales, marketing, financial, brand, and other commercial executives-seeking to delve into the most beneficial ways to leverage the use of unique serial number identifiers that accompany each prescription drug that moves through the supply chain for the purposes of extracting long-term business value, achieving new operational efficiencies, and improving the quality of medicines delivered to patients. "The pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are in the midst of a massive transition. New regulations require complex digital connectivity and data exchange between trading partners, and primitive business processes and architectures are barriers to efficiently manage product recalls, returns, inventory, and more," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO of TraceLink. "By connecting more than 700 pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, hospitals and pharmacies to over 260,000 trading partners on our network, we've digitized the world's prescription drug supply chain, providing companies with the best platform for achieving compliance and transformational business value. At FutureLink, industry decision makers will come together to discuss compliance best practices and strategize about how to take advantage of real-time, collaborative information sharing that enables them to operate more cost effectively and deliver better patient outcomes." FutureLink Munich: Unique Learning Paths for Executive Leaders with Compliance and Commercial Business Interests Designed for both commercial and operational executives from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, FutureLink will deliver content that is customized for executives with interests in regulatory compliance and commercial initiatives. Compliance-specific sessions will center on: Implementation best practices, customer case studies, creating step-by-step execution plans to ensure compliance, practical user group training on TraceLink software applications, and requirements for rapid partner onboarding. Commercial and value-oriented tracks will explore: Brand protection, patient safety and financial reconciliation opportunities related to eliminating drug shortages, initiating instant and accurate product recalls, engaging healthcare providers and patients at the point-of-dispense, and more. Both groups will have the opportunity to experience visionary keynotes, hands-on knowledge sessions, special interest group discussions, and networking with TraceLink partners, with but with content that caters to their specific interests. Registration for FutureLink Munich is now open. For more information and to reserve a seat, please visit FutureLink Munich. About TraceLink TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including three consecutive years on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 177 in 2017), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. TraceLink is funded by Goldman Sachs, FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital. TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 12/06/17 -- Belo Sun Mining Corp. ("Belo Sun" or the "Company") (TSX: BSX) reports that the Federal Court of Appeals in Brasilia has decided to uphold the suspension of the Construction Licence ("Licenca de Instalacao" or "LI") related to its Volta Grande Project. The Court has verbally advised the Company of its decision, however it has yet to publish the written details of the ruling. Belo Sun will provide an update on the ruling if the written decision is materially different than what was verbally announced by the Court this morning once details of the decision have been published. As previously announced on April 12, 2017, a judge from the Brazilian Federal Regional Court had issued an interim order suspending the LI due to fact that Funai (Indigenous Affairs Agency of Brazil) had not approved the indigenous studies that had been completed by Belo Sun. According to the decision of the Federal Court of Appeals, Belo Sun will be required to complete an indigenous study in accordance with Funai's guidelines. The Company intends to continue negotiations with Funai to complete an indigenous study that complies with the agency's protocols. In parallel, all possible legal options available to the Company will be evaluated, including appealing the decision. According to current Brazilian regulations, only projects located less than 10 kilometres from indigenous lands require an indigenous study. In accordance with best practices, Belo Sun completed indigenous studies on the two closest indigenous lands, despite the 12 and 16 kilometres distance from the Volta Grande Project. Peter Tagliamonte, President and CEO of Belo Sun, commented, "We are disappointed with the ruling, however we are confident that a resolution can be reached. We will continue working with Funai to ensure that our indigenous study meets their requirements, and in parallel we intend to explore all legal measures to appeal the decision." About Belo Sun Mining Belo Sun Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based mining company with a portfolio of gold-focused properties in Brazil. The Company is currently focused on the development of its 100%-owned flagship Volta Grande project. Belo Sun trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "BSX". For more information, please visit www.belosun.com or contact Investor Relations at +1 (416) 309-2137. Caution regarding forward-looking information: This press release contains "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the ruling by the Federal Court of Appeals in Brasilia related to the interim suspension order, next steps for the Volta Grande property, the next steps to appeal the ruling or to negotiate a settlement with Funai, the timetable for development, production forecast, infrastructure projections, progress in development of mineral properties and the future financial or operating performance of the Company. 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". The Company has based its production forecasts on the results of the feasibility study (please see the related technical report available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website for details on the underlying assumptions and parameters. 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, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the annual information form of the Company. 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. Contacts: Investor Relations +1 (416) 309-2137 www.belosun.com BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / Announcing its utility token sale this week, Talla, a leader in enterprise AI software, today shared the development of their new BotChain network. After two years and over 2500 installations of Talla bots at various companies, Talla recognized the need for compliant enterprise bots and for bot actions to be audited and inspected. As artificial intelligence makes agents and bots more autonomous, and reinforcement learning makes them more unpredictable, the need to constrain and capture their actions for training, auditing, and compliance becomes more urgent. BotChain works by creating digital certificates with every bot action and storing those certificates on a blockchain for creating an identity for each bot. Companies with decryption keys can then audit or inspect those certificates and this will help to monitor bots' activities. "As more organizations deploy intelligent robotic processes, the need for BotChain is only going to grow. Compliance is incredibly important to large enterprises," said Michael Maloney, the former blockchain CTO at Ernst and Young. His statement was further echoed by Chris Curran from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who said, "As bot processes grow within organizations, it makes sense that they would be subject to risk and compliance requirements just like any other workers." This becomes increasingly important as bots start to handle workflows that require certification, like HIPAA, SOC2, and more. BotChain allows auditors to validate that bots are compliant with the requirements of these workflows. BotChain also manages bot registration and identification. "Bots are starting to be spoofed. Hackers are using them to steal information and because of this, bot identity is rapidly becoming an issue. BotChain is an identity solution for bots so that as humans interact with more bots, or bots interact with each other, they can quickly establish trust," said Rob May, CEO at Talla. The BotChain provides critical systems for anyone that uses AI-powered products, as well as those that develop them. For example, end users of any AI-powered, autonomous system will gain an auditable trail of interactions and decisions made, accomplished by hashing information about each agent task to the blockchain so it is immutable. Bots' identities are verified with certainty to the humans that use them, and to other bots, preventing bot spoofing and spamming. Developers, companies, and individuals will need Botcoins, the token of the BotChain, in order to transact. The token sale is a way to get tokens into the market at launch. It is currently anticipated that, of the tokens initially created, 50 percent will be sold to the public, and those that are not sold will be burned. Further, it is anticipated that 20 percent of the tokens will be reserved for BotChain partners, advisers, and developers. The terms of Botchain's utility token sale remain subject to change. Companies interested in building on BotChain should reach out to Talla to learn more at hello@talla.com. Website: https://botchain.talla.com Whitepaper: https://botchain.talla.com/whitepaper.pdf Twitter: https://twitter.com/tallainc?lang=en Telegram: https://t.me/botchainICO Media Contact Name: Brooke Torres Website: botchain.talla.com Email: pr@talla.com Talla is the source of this content. Virtual currency is not legal tender, is not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to consumer protections.This press release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. Additional Links BotChain Bitcoin PR Buzz SOURCE: Talla (Announces essential tools for Supply Partners at ASAP this week in London) RESTON, Virginia, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --This week, ASAP (the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers) will host Sean Worker (BridgeStreet CEO), Steve Burns (Managing Director, EMEA & APAC) and Aaron Turner (CTO) to share new supporting technology that will enhance the simple journey of connecting the Forbes Global 2000 companies to world-class serviced apartments, homes and extended-stay hotels. It's clear, serviced apartments, homes, and extended-stay brands are seeking new channels to connect with qualified clients. Travel managers and business travelers all want personalized communication, seamless planning, flawless execution, and an authentic customized travel experiencei that they trust. BridgeStreet is responding to these needs by offering their supply partners, travel managers-and business travelers new technology that addresses these demands on BridgeStreet.com. Supply Partners When supply partners sign on to BridgeStreet.com they will now be able to create a customizable, digital experience to introduce travel managers and business travelers to their properties. This electronic guide will communicate essential information--from where to pick up keys, how to run the dishwasher, to the best place for dinner and coffee. By using this application, suppliers will be able to deliver the promise of a seamless stay and an authentic experience for each stay. Supply partners will also be able to take advantage of BridgeStreet's world class photography partner when they sign on to BridgeStreet.com. Living rooms, kitchens and amenities will pop as travel managers and guests view each room. These photos will also illustrate BridgeStreet's commitment to their extensive portfolio of clients, which include Forbes Global 2000 companies, to curate the most trusted suppliers of serviced apartments, homes and extended stay hotels. Travel Decision Makers For corporations located around the globe with needs as wide ranging as short- and extended-stay business travel, relocation, project-driven travel, and intern groups, these new applications will be impactful tools for providing peace of mind and duty of care by removing the guess work of new accommodations and new locations, guaranteed every time. Chief Technical Officer, Aaron Turner said, "With these new technology solutions, our clients can actually "see" that we are continuing to enhance the connections between the supply partner, corporate travel manager and our clients." These new technology solutions combined with the BridgeStreet Guarantee ensures that each stay is perfect: timely delivery of keys, clean and comfortable apartments and homes, and reliable wireless. *Please contact us for interviews with Steve Burns or Aaron Turner to discuss new technologies that are driving the serviced apartment industry forward into 2018 and beyond. About BridgeStreet Global Hospitality With more than 120,000 accommodations in over 81 countries, BridgeStreet Global Hospitality is the leading hospitality solution. Powered by OTA technology, BridgeStreet.com is built for business travellers and gives serviced apartment and home operators access to extensive global reach bookable in real-time along with built-in demand from BridgeStreet's 5000+ client portfolio and 100+ global sales team. Widely recognized for uncompromising standards of quality, comfort and service, BridgeStreet Global Hospitality is a renowned award winner in both the Americas and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). For more information on BridgeStreet Global Hospitality, please visitwww.bridgestreet.comor call 800 278 7338/ +44 (0) 20 7792 2222. i 2016 Travel and Hospitality Industry Outlook, p.45 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / California Gold Mining Inc. (OTCQX: CFGMF) (TSXV: CGM)("California Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the status of the resource expansion drill program at its flagship Fremont Property ("Fremont" or the "Property") in Mariposa County, California. Following the successful completion of its recently announced private placement financing for $1.2 million, the Company commenced the drill program on December 2, 2017. The main objective of the drill program is to generate a second mineral resource on the Property covering the newly identified Queen Specimen mineralized zone. This zone is located in the north-west portion of the Property, and constitutes roughly 750m of strike length, out of the total four kilometers strike of the Mother Lode shear zone (the "Shear Zone") on the Property. For a Property map illustrating the location of the various mineralized zones, please refer to Appendix A. Vishal Gupta, California Gold's President and CEO, said, "We are excited to initiate the second large-scale drill program at Fremont, located in the heart of Central California's Mother Lode gold belt - North America's original and most prolific gold rush district. The results from this drill campaign will be incorporated in a brand new mineral resource at Queen Specimen that is expected to add quite substantially to the first mineral resource at Pine Tree-Josephine published last year. We anticipate initiating at least one more resource expansion program in the second half of 2018, as we continue our bid to convert the vast exploration potential at Fremont into tangible mineral resources." Previous exploration drilling at Queen Specimen has intersected significant mineralization, as highlighted in the table below: To view the graphic, please click here ** Notes: Composite grades are length weighted to interval width. Composite true widths for DD-16-052 are estimated at 70% of the reported interval. Composite true widths for all other holes in the table are unknown. The current drill program is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018. It will consist of 60 to 65 HQ-sized (2.5" diameter) diamond drill holes, totalling 10,500m-12,000m, with an average drill hole length of 180m. The Company's current NI 43-101 mineral resource of 515,000 ounces grading 1.71 g/t gold in the Indicated category, and an additional 364,000 ounces grading 1.44 g/t gold in the Inferred category, only encompasses the Pine Tree-Josephine zone within the Property (the NI 43-101 Technical Report is available on SEDAR and at the Company's website www.caligold.com). The Pine Tree-Josephine zone hosts two historical underground gold mines, and covers a strike length of roughly one kilometre, out of a total strike of four kilometres over which the Shear Zone is interpreted to extend on the Property. Discussion on Queen Specimen The previously drilled exploration holes at Queen Specimen were designed to test the continuity of lithology, structures, and mineralization to the north, and along strike, of the Pine Tree-Josephine deposit. In general, the same lithological sequence was observed in these drill holes as with previously analyzed drill holes in the Pine Tree-Josephine deposit, including a sequence of metavolcanic mafic rocks overlying a melange of serpentinized ultramafic rocks. These are separated from the underlying meta-sedimentary rocks of the Mariposa Formation by a zone of highly sheared and serpentinized phyllonite that is characteristic of the Shear Zone. In addition to the sequence stated above, an additional zone of fault emplaced Mariposa Formation sediments is apparent within the hanging-wall mafic metavolcanic rocks. This stratigraphic repetition may be due to thrust faulting or isoclinal folding associated with dextral movement along the Shear Zone that has been observed in airborne magnetic data recently acquired for the Fremont Project. Lastly, the airborne magnetic data also illustrated the presence of a major dilational-jog along the extent of the Shear Zone at Queen Specimen, which has the potential to significantly widen the mineralized zone at this target. For a Property map illustrating the results of the airborne magnetic survey completed on the Property last year, please refer to Appendix B. Description of Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA/QC) Procedures The laboratory being used for assay analyses is American Assay Laboratories Inc. ("AAL") based in Sparks, Nevada (ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Certified). Prior to transportation of core samples to AAL, all core processing is conducted at the Project site in an enclosed 6,000 sq. ft. office facility. All diamond drill core is logged, photographed and split using core saws. Core from entire holes is being sampled every five feet to compare with the historic RC hole assay intervals. Additionally, sub-samples are being collected within the planned five foot intervals where important geological or mineralization contacts occur to allow better discrimination within the geological model. The minimum sample interval is 1.5 feet. One half of the split core is transported to AAL by Company employees for prep and analysis. The other half of the core is stored at the Company core storage facility for future inspection and assay verification. All gold analyses of strongly mineralized samples utilize the screened metallics fire (SMF) assay method with a gravimetric finish. At the laboratory, the entire sample is crushed to 90 percent minus ten-mesh. A rotary splitter is used to obtain a 500 gram sample for pulverising. The screened metallics are collected as the plus fraction from a 150-mesh screen at the lab. The plus 150-mesh fraction is fire assayed in its entirety. Two separate one-assay ton fire (1ATF) analyses of the minus 150-mesh fraction are performed and arithmetically averaged. The minus and plus 150-mesh results are then combined for a total screened metallics fire assay. A full QA/QC program, involving insertion of appropriate blanks and standards is being employed with acceptable results. About California Gold Mining Inc. California Gold Mining Inc. is focused on developing its flagship Fremont gold project in Mariposa County, California. The project consists of a land package totaling 3,351 acres of historically producing gold mines. The Fremont Property lies within California's prolific Mother Lode Gold Belt that has produced over 50 million oz of gold historically. The Company purchased the property in March 2013. Mr. Vishal Gupta, the Company's President & CEO has reviewed and approved this press release. Mr. Gupta is a P.Geo. registered with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO), and a Qualified Person (QP) as defined under National Instrument 43-101. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release of California Gold contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause California Gold's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 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. Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding planned exploration work on the Company's Fremont Property including the anticipated results thereof. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. Any factor could cause actual results to differ materially from California Gold's expectations. California Gold undertakes no obligation to update these forward looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change, unless otherwise 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. For further information contact: Vishal Gupta President & CEO 647-977-9267 x333 Website: www.caligold.ca Appendix A Map depicting the location of the major mineralized zones on the Fremont Property To view the graphic, please click here Appendix B Magnetic Calculated Vertical Derivative Map from the 2016 Airborne Geophysical Survey Illustrating Dilational-Jog and Folding at Queen Specimen zone To view the graphic, please click here SOURCE: California Gold Mining Inc. NORTHVILLE, MI / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / ZF Friedrichshafen AG will reduce its outstanding USD bond portfolio by $842,043,000 after accepting for purchase a total of $704,166,000 in aggregate principal amount under its Capped Tender Offer and $137,877,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Any and All Securities pursuant to the Any and All Offer. Both offers commenced on November 21, 2017 and are part of ZF Friedrichshafen AG's ongoing capital management. In addition, ZF Friedrichshafen AG's outstanding USD bonds will be further reduced by its partial make-whole redemption of $ 425,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 4.000% Notes due 2020 announced on November 20, 2017. The final aggregate principal amount of Any and All Securities purchased under the Any and All Offer that expired on November 29, 2017 was $137,877,000, including the notes purchased under the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Offer to Purchase. The Capped Tender Offer, which commenced on November 21, 2017 and will expire on December 19, 2017, was oversubscribed at 5pm, New York City time, on December 5, 2017, the Capped Tender Early Tender Deadline, and therefore $704,166,000 in aggregate principal amount of Capped Tender Securities will be purchased. No Capped Tender Securities tendered after 5pm, New York City time, on December 5, 2017 will be accepted. The following notes will be purchased pursuant to the Capped Tender Offer: $340,732,000 in aggregate principal amount of ZF North America Capital, Inc. 4.500 % Notes due 2022 and $363,434,000 in aggregate principal amount of ZF North America Capital, Inc. 4.750 % Notes due 2025. None of the ZF North America Capital, Inc. 4.000 % Notes due 2020 will be purchased. The Capped Tender Securities purchased will be retired and cancelled and no longer remain outstanding. Title of Security Issuer and Offeror ISIN/CUSIP Acceptance Priority Level Outstanding Principal Amount Principal Amount to be Purchased Regulation S Notes Rule 144A Notes 4.500% Notes due 2022 ZF North America Capital, Inc. USU98737AB20 U98737AB2 US98877DAB10 98877DAB1 1 $ 962,187,000 $ 340,732,000 4.750% Notes due 2025 ZF North America Capital, Inc. USU98737AC03 U98737AC0 US98877DAC92 98877DAC9 1 $ 1,440,839,000 $ 363,434,000 4.000% Notes due 2020 ZF North America Capital, Inc. USU98737AA47 U98737AA4 US98877DAA37 98877DAA3 2 $ 973,514,000 $ 0 Subject to the terms of the Capped Tender Offer, Capped Tender Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Capped Tender Early Tender Deadline with an Acceptance Priority Level higher than two have been prorated using a proration factor of approximately 45.6 per cent. All Capped Tender Securities not accepted as a result of proration have been rejected from the Capped Tender Offer. No Capped Tender Securities tendered after the Capped Tender Early Tender Deadline have been or will be accepted for purchase. The settlement date for the Capped Tender Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Capped Tender Early Tender Deadline to be purchased is expected to be December 7, 2017. Capitalized terms in this announcement have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase dated November 21, 2017. 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. ZF North America Capital Inc. BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - United States Steel Corp.(X) issued statement in response to the Department of Commerce's preliminary ruling on circumvention petitions filed by American steel producers in September 2016. The preliminary found that imports of Chinese steel that is finished in Vietnam are covered by U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports from China. As a result of DOC's preliminary decision, U.S. importers of cold-rolled and galvanized steel from Vietnam must make cash deposits equal to the applicable duties. DOC's final decision could be as early as February 2018. United States Steel said,'The Commerce Department's finding of circumvention represents a critical step to shutting down one of the many paths used to flood the U.S. with dumped and subsidized steel. This decision presents an encouraging sign for the steel industry and should put other countries and companies on notice that their cheating will no longer be tolerated.' United States Steel urged Secretary Ross and President Trump to continue to aggressively crack down on unfairly traded steel imports, including immediate and broad action in the Section 232 investigation on steel imports and national security. 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. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A majority of voters disapprove of the Republican tax reform plan, according to the results of a Quinnipiac University national poll released on Tuesday. Fifty-three percent of voters said they disapprove of the GOP's tax plan, while 29 percent approve. Another 18 percent are undecided. Quinnipiac found that 67 percent of Republicans approve of the plan but said they are the only party, gender, education, age or racial group listed to approve. The disapproval of the Republican tax plan comes as voters say 61 percent to 34 percent that the proposal favors the rich at the expense of the middle class. Forty-one percent of voters think the plan will increase their taxes, while 20 percent think the plan will reduce their taxes and 32 percent think the plan will not have much impact on their taxes. The poll also found that voters say 47 percent to 39 percent that the Democratic Party can do a better job handling taxes than the GOP. The Quinnipiac survey of 1,508 voters was conducted November 29th through December 4th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. 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. TORONTO and NEW YORK, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Scotiabank announced today partnerships with two prominent Israeli technology leaders, Viola Group and Team8. These partnerships further establish Scotiabank as a leader in the global innovation ecosystem and will help accelerate its development of technology capabilities, best-in-class customer experiences, and expertise in cybersecurity. Scotiabank is investing in Viola FinTech I, L.P., a new venture fund that will invest in Israeli, European and North American FinTechs across various growth stages. The fund will co-invest alongside other leading global venture capital, private equity and financial institution investors. Their mission is to create mutual value by bridging the gap between financial institutions and innovative startups. The fund is led by Avi Zeevi, Prof. Daniel Tsiddon and Tomer Michaeli, an exceptionally experienced team with proven track records in banking, entrepreneurship and investment. "We are delighted to partner with Viola Group to accelerate the Bank's digital transformation and work with the most promising FinTechs across the globe," said Ignacio (Nacho) Deschamps, Group Head, International Banking and Digital Transformation at Scotiabank. "This partnership will allow us to access Israel's innovation ecosystem including well-established cybersecurity and anti-fraud expertise by leveraging Viola Group's unique entrepreneurial and operational expertise." "We are honoured to work with a world-class financial institution such as Scotiabank which is truly committed to innovation and its customers worldwide," said Prof. Daniel Tsiddon, principal of Viola Fintech. "We already see early results of this long-term collaboration and we look forward to working with Scotiabank to accelerate the integration of innovative ideas." Scotiabank and Team8, Israel's most prestigious cybersecurity think tank and company-creation platform, will work together to foster cybersecurity innovation, through the exchange of knowledge, insights, and methodologies.An executive from Scotiabank will sit on Team8's advisory board alongside Chief Information and Security Officers of other global financial institutions. "We look forward to our partnership with Team8 to deepen our technology capabilities and know-how, which are foundational to Scotiabank's digital transformation," said Michael Zerbs, Chief Technology Officer at Scotiabank. "This partnership will increase our access to Israel's world-class cybersecurity and fraud prevention ecosystem." "We are thrilled that Scotiabank will play a role in our unique company creation model to solve the big problems in cybersecurity. It is truly a win-win partnership," said Nadav Zafrir, CEO and Co-Founder of Team8 and former Commander of Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200. "Joining our advisory board and pioneering our community of chief information security officers represents Scotiabank's deep commitment to our shared vision of partnering with the industry to empower resilience within organizations. Their insights and experience bring incredible value to our approach." Israel has become known as the "Start-up Nation" and one of the premier places for high-tech firms and innovation. These partnerships are part of a broad digital transformation strategy the Bank is undertaking, which spans over multiple geographies and multiple strategic alliances, such as existing venture capital relationships with QED Investors, Georgian Partners and ScaleUP Ventures. Execution of this strategy has also yielded the creation of the Digital Factories in Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and the establishment of partnerships with academic institutions. About Scotiabank Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 24 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of over $915 billion (as at October 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visithttp://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank. About Viola Group Viola Group, with over $2.8 Billion under management, is Israel's premier technology oriented private equity investment group. Viola Group aims to provide long term, world-class returns by identifying and pursuing attractive investment strategies in the vibrant Israeli technology market. Viola Group is comprised of focused independent partnerships including a venture fund, a debt fund and a growth fund.Viola is currently establishing its FinTech arm - a global cross stage FinTech focused venture fund. The group funds, backed by leading global institutional investors from all over the world, have invested in over 200 technology companies. The group was co-founded by Avi Zeevi who is considered Israel's leading Fintech investor. About Team 8 Team8, Israel's most prestigious cybersecurity think tank and venture creation foundry, develops disruptive companies that challenge the biggest problems in cybersecurity today. The Team8 innovation process combines a research team with intimate knowledge of both offensive and defensive aspects of cybersecurity, access to the best cyber talent, and a global syndicate that provides access to customers, partners and key influencers. Team8 was founded by leading cybersecurity experts Nadav Zafrir, Israel Grimberg and Liran Grinberg, all with deep ties to Israel's famous IDF Technology & Intelligence Unit 8200. It is backed by Microsoft Ventures, Cisco, AT&T, Accenture, Qualcomm, Nokia, Temasek, Mitsui, Bessemer Venture Partners, Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors and Marker LLC. For more information on Team8, please visit http://www.team8.vc For media enquiries only: Marcelo Gomez-Wiuckstern, Global Communications, Scotiabank, +1-416-933-1344, marcelo.gomez-wiuckstern@scotiabank.com; Tomer Michali, Partner, Viola Fintech, Tomerm@violafintec.com; Matthew Krieger, GKPR for Team8, Matthew@gkpr.com, +972-54-467-6950; Investor Relations: Adam Borgatti, Scotiabank, +1-416-866-5042, adam.borgatti@scotiabank.com Washington D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2017) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today continued its crackdown on brokers who defraud customers, charging two New York-based brokers with making unsuitable trades that were costly for customers and lucrative for the brokers. The case follows similar charges of excessive trading by brokers brought in January, April, and September. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that Zachary S. Berkey of Centerreach, New York, and Daniel T. Fischer of Greenwich, Connecticut, conducted in-and-out trading that was almost certain to lose money for customers while yielding commissions for themselves. According to the complaint, 10 customers of Four Points Capital Partners LLC, where Berkey and Fischer previously worked, lost a total of $573,867 while Berkey and Fischer received approximately $106,000 and $175,000, respectively, in commissions. "We're intensifying our focus on unscrupulous brokers and their harmful practices," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director of the SEC's New York Regional Office. "As alleged in our complaint, Berkey and Fischer did grave harm to their customers by providing unsuitable recommendations and siphoning money in the form of high commissions and costs." According to the SEC's complaint, since the customers incurred significant costs with every transaction and the securities were held briefly, the price of the securities had to rise significantly for customers to realize even a minimal profit. The complaint also alleges that Berkey and Fischer churned customer accounts and concealed material information from their customers, namely that the costs associated with their recommendations, including commissions and fees, would almost certainly exceed any potential gains on the trades. The complaint further alleges that Fischer engaged in unauthorized trading. Without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, Fischer consented to a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from similar violations in the future and orders him to return his allegedly ill-gotten gains with interest and pay a $160,000 penalty. The settlement is subject to court approval. Fischer separately agreed to an SEC order barring him from the securities industry and penny stock trading. The SEC's litigation against Berkey will proceed in federal district court in Manhattan. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Hane L. Kim, Karen Lee, David Stoelting, and Gerald A. Gross. The litigation will be led by Mr. Stoelting, Ms. Kim, and Ms. Lee. The case is being supervised by Mr. Wadhwa. The SEC examination that led to the investigation was conducted by Rosanne R. Smith, Terrence P. Bohan, William D. Ostrow, and Doreen Piccirillo. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Office of Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. * * * SEC Investor Alert: Excessive Trading at Investors' Expense Complementary products range offering breakthrough technology Global access to Asian and European markets Amplification of commercial means in the United States Regulatory News: IMPLANET (Paris:ALIMP) (OTCQX:IMPZY) (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0010458729, PEA-PME eligible; OTCQX: IMPZY), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, announces that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a view to setting up a strategic partnership with Korean company L&K BIOMED. L&K BIOMED is a company listed on the Kosdaq stock exchange in Seoul, Korea. It designs, develops and markets an extensive range of high-end implants for spine surgery in Asia and the United States. In 2016, this fast-growing company generated total revenue of 31 million dollars, including 10 million in the United States through its Aegis Spine subsidiary. This strategic partnership, which should be finalized by no later than January 31, 2018, provides IMPLANET with a unique opportunity to significantly accelerate its expansion thanks to L&K BIOMED's well-established presence in the United States and Asia. In the United States : IMPLANET America will join forces with Aegis Spine to accelerate the marketing of its Jazz platform, notably through the deployment of existing and complementary solutions incorporating both companies' technologies. Aegis Spine hence intends to make the most of IMPLANET t America's sales network on the East Coast of the United States, where the company has little presence. Conversely, IMPLANET will be able to benefit from Aegis Spine's substantial direct and indirect sales network across the rest of North America, capitalizing on recent positive clinical results and a powerful network of opinion leaders; : IMPLANET America will join forces with Aegis Spine to accelerate the marketing of its Jazz platform, notably through the deployment of existing and complementary solutions incorporating both companies' technologies. Aegis Spine hence intends to make the most of IMPLANET t America's sales network on the East Coast of the United States, where the company has little presence. Conversely, IMPLANET will be able to benefit from Aegis Spine's substantial direct and indirect sales network across the rest of North America, capitalizing on recent positive clinical results and a powerful network of opinion leaders; In Asia and in Oceania : L&K BIOMED will distribute the Jazz platform in addition to its existing product range. The main objective for both companies will be to jointly penetrate the Japanese market, the world's second largest market for medical technologies and one that is eager for spine innovations in order to better address its substantial number of elderly or aging patients. The two companies also intend to subsequently penetrate the Chinese market. : L&K BIOMED will distribute the Jazz platform in addition to its existing product range. The main objective for both companies will be to jointly penetrate the Japanese market, the world's second largest market for medical technologies and one that is eager for spine innovations in order to better address its substantial number of elderly or aging patients. The two companies also intend to subsequently penetrate the Chinese market. In Europe: IMPLANET will distribute L&K BIOMED's implants, which complement the Jazz platform, with the clear goal of becoming a player of a considerable size on this continent. "L&K BIOMED is very pleased with this partnership with IMPLANET, leader in latest-generation braided implants for treating spine disorders. We firmly believe that there are substantial synergies between our two companies on both an operating level, with the disruptive and innovative nature of our product ranges, and a commercial level, with our respective distribution networks", says Lee Seung Joo, CEO of L&K BIOMED. Ludovic Lastennet, CEO of IMPLANET, adds: "The search for a strong partner of a significant size with an innovative product range that complements our technology had been a priority for us in recent months. We are delighted with this agreement with L&K BIOMED, particularly as it should enable us to significantly accentuate our presence in the United States, given our new partner's longstanding and successful activity, in Asia, via its natural presence there and its in-depth knowledge of these markets' specificities, and in Europe, by providing surgeons with an innovative range of high-end implants that complement our own technology About IMPLANET Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its flagship product, the JAZZ latest-generation implant, aims to treat spinal pathologies requiring vertebral fusion surgery. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and the CE mark. IMPLANET employs 48 staff and recorded 2016 sales of 7.8 million. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET established a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. IMPLANET is listed on Euronext Growth market in Paris. The Company would like to remind that the table for monitoring the BEOCABSA, OCA, BSA and the number of shares outstanding, is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005872/en/ Contacts: IMPLANET Ludovic Lastennet, Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55 CEO investors@implanet.com or NewCap Investor Relations Julie Coulot, Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 20 40 implanet@newcap.eu or NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau, Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 implanet@newcap.eu or AlphaBronze US-Investor Relations Pascal Nigen, Tel.: +1 917 385 21 60 implanet@alphabronze.net Regulatory News: Biom'Up (Paris:BUP), a specialist in surgical hemostasis, announces the appointment of Mrs. Cecile Ferracci as Global Vice President, Marketing. Etienne Binant, Chief Executive Officer of Biom'Up, says: "I am delighted to welcome Cecile Ferracci to Biom'up as our Global Vice-President, Marketing. Her solid and diverse experience within global medical technology companies represents a crucial asset for Biom'up's success at a key time in its history. Her inclusion in the Company's Executive Committee will enable her to have a maximum impact on HEMOBLASTTM Bellows' launch strategy in Europe and the United States, in close cooperation with our regional sales and marketing managers. Cecile Ferracci, 49, has substantial experience in the Sales Marketing departments of a number of medical innovation companies. Her considerable experience includes the launch of new products and new therapies, the optimization of resources, the construction of networks of KOLs and the putting together of efficient and creative multicultural teams.She notably has a Masters degree in international commerce from the Sorbonne and INSEAD, and began her career at Ethicon Endo Surgery, Johnson Johnson, eventually being appointed the Marketing Director Europe of the company's laparoscopic surgery division. She then strengthened her experience as Marketing Director Europe and then EMEA for ARROW International, C.R BARD and Endologix B.V/Inc. Cecile Ferracci adds: "I am proud to be able to bring my experience and vitality to Biom'Up. Today, the Company has clearly superior and distinctive hemostatic technology that will attract all practitioners on a transnational level and is part of a controlled medico-economic approach. Etienne Binant and his Company's sizeable ambition was a major factor behind my decision to join Biom'up. Thanks to the talent of Biom'Up's teams, I firmly believe that we will be able to make Hemoblast the success story it deserves to be. About Biom'Up Founded in 2005 and based in the Lyon suburb of Saint-Priest (France), Biom'Up designs hemostatic products based on patented biopolymers that aim to simplify surgical procedures in numerous specialties (spine, cardiothoracic, general, orthopedic, plastic) and give patients a better quality of life. Its flagship product, HEMOBLAST Bellows, is a unique hemostatic solution, ready to use (no preparation time needed, no need to mix, no heat required), usable once or several times during the surgery. Developed by a world-renowned scientific team, HEMOBLAST Bellows has obtained positive results for all the primary and secondary endpoints of Phase III of its pivotal study involving 412 patients in the United States. HEMOBLAST Bellows obtained its CE Mark in December 2016, and its PMA (Pre-Market Approval) application was submitted to the FDA (Food Drug Administration) in July 2017 with a view to obtaining marketing approval in the United States in mid-2018. Since its creation, Biom'Up has benefited from the support of prominent European investors such as Bpifrance, Innobio, GIMV, Lundbeckfond, Merieux Participation, SHAM and ACG, as well as all the Company's managers, who have invested 2 million in equity. Biom'Up successfully completed its IPO on Euronext Paris, raising 38.1 million euros in October 2017. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005891/en/ Contacts: Biom'Up Chief Financial Officer Jean-Paul Alves, +33 (0)4 86 57 36 10 investisseurs@biomup.com or NewCap Investor Relations Tristan Roquet Montegon, +33 (0)1 44 71 00 16 biomup@newcap.eu or NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau, +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 biomup@newcap.eu Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2017) - Diamond Fields International Ltd. (TSXV: DFI) ("DFI" or the "Company") announces that the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") has agreed to an effective date of Thursday, December 7, 2017 (the "Effective Date") for a change of the Company's name from Diamond Fields International Ltd. to "Diamond Fields Resources Inc." Accordingly, the Company will commence trading at market open on the Effective Date under the new name, with the new trading symbol "DFR". Sybrand Van Der Spuy, CEO said: "The name change to Diamond Fields Resources Inc., the company founded by Jean-Raymond Boulle that discovered the world class nickel deposit of Voisey's Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, reflects the Company's resolve to discover and develop more world class mining assets." DIAMOND FIELDS INTERNATIONAL LTD. SIGNED: "Sybrand van der Spuy" Sybrand van der Spuy, CEO and President Contact: Earl Young at +1 214 566 3709 Website: www.diamondfields.com The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. New Global Business Lifestyle Hotel Brand HONG KONG, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosewood Hotel Group introduces a new hotel brand -- KHOS' -- an innovative concept for business hotels with a distinct lifestyle orientation inspired by the energy, art, innovation, creativity, style and dynamism of modern-day Asia. KHOS aims to turn the traditional notion of a business hotel on its head-- designed specifically for the modern business traveller, for whom the conventional boundaries of work and play no longer exist, and who is no longer willing to sacrifice style, inspiration, socialising and wellness for the predictable functionality of a traditional business hotel. Derived from the Mongolian word meaning "pair"-- KHOS is a befitting symbol how this new brand of upscale hotels will blend work and play, people and ideas, East with West, and business with lifestyle. KHOS will establish a global footprint, matching the footsteps of its guests to capital cities and urban portals, up-and-coming business centres, and resort destinations as well, with the first KHOS hotels to be announced and opened in 2018. "We have created KHOS to serve the needs of the new generation of business travellers,individuals who are constantly on the move and crave places to stay that understand, mirror and support their dynamic personas," says Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. "Hotels have not kept pace with the evolution of this group of travellers and KHOS reflects a new age in hospitality in which business travel is inseparable from lifestyle." The KHOS guest will be one who demands high functionality where they stay, but requires practicality delivered with style. Challenging the common interpretation of what a business hotel must be, KHOS will fulfill the needs of a more contemporary, vibrant and collaborative work era. It is envisioned as the go-to destination for teams to unite and leaders to socialise with public spaces that are vibrant and convivial. Within each of its communities, KHOS will also act as a gathering point for people to form bonds and gain mutual inspiration with like-minded influencers, those who are insatiably curious and gain their insight and motivation from a constantly stimulating global backdrop of cultures, art, design and cuisine. In keeping with the KHOS spirit, traditional hotel facilities and services will be re-conceived to create opportunities to spontaneously interact, relate and celebrate with fellow travellers. KHOS will also deliver an environment for repose and reflection-- time to unwind, meditate and create-- all essential components of a lifestyle in which work and leisure are intertwined in one continuum. Meeting facilities have been reimagined, and event spaces ingeniously designed for greater flexibility and sociability facilitating personal interaction along with business purpose. Taking inspiration from the wealth of culinary traditions from all across Asia, the brand will aim to create authentic, artisanal, communal dining options to intrigue and satisfy both social and gastronomic urges. Innovative approaches to recreation and relaxation, of central importance to the KHOS guest lifestyle, will be applied in areas from spas and wellness facilities to business centres and executive lounges. Couples, friends and families in addition to business travellers will find a fertile environment to be inspired, grow closer and create shared and meaningful experiences. About Rosewood Hotel Group Rosewood Hotel Group, one of the world's leading hotel companies, encompasses four brands: ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resortsin North America, Caribbean/Atlantic, Europe, the Middle East and Asia; contemporary deluxe New World Hotels & Resorts in China and Southeast Asia; neighbourhood lifestyle pentahotels in Europe and Asia; and KHOS', a dynamic global business lifestyle hotel brand. Its combined portfolio consists of 59 hotels in 18 countries. Rosewood Hotel Group is pursuing a thoughtful expansion strategy with a target of 120 hotels in operation by 2020. For more information, please visit rosewoodhotelgroup.com. For media enquiries, please contact: Maggie Leung Rosewood Hotel Group Telephone: +852-2138-2266 Email: maggie.leung@rosewoodhotelgroup.com For enquiries related to development, please contact: Ada Leung Rosewood Hotel Group Telephone: +852-2138-2287 Email: ada.leung@rosewoodhotelgroup.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615505/KHOS_Rosewood_Logo.jpg BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The European markets got off to a weak start Wednesday. Technology stocks added to their recent losses and mining stocks struggled. Weakness in commodity prices and concerns over the possibility of a possible U.S. government shutdown also contributed to the negative mood. However, the markets pared their losses over the course of the trading day and ended the session with mixed results. Markets on Wall Street struggled in early trade Wednesday, but investors were encouraged by the release of the better than expected U.S. private employment data. Investors are looking forward to the release of the U.S. jobs report on Friday. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 0.10 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks decreased 0.25 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, added 0.14 percent. The DAX of Germany dropped 0.38 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell 0.02 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. gained 0.28 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished higher by 0.23 percent. In Frankfurt, furniture retailer Steinhoff plunged 63.26 percent after its CEO Markus Jooste resigned with immediate effect on allegations of irregularities in the company's accounts that require further investigation. Thyssenkrupp lost 0.29 percent after its labor union gave the company until December 22 to agree to demands. In Paris, Elior sank 7.05 percent. The catering group said it expects organic sales growth of 3 percent in the 2017/18 fiscal year. In London, Legal & General Group lost 0.87 percent after it agreed to sell its Mature Savings business to the ReAssure division of Swiss Re Ltd for 650 million pounds. Smith & Nephew rose 0.15 percent. The medical equipment group said it has completed the acquisition of Rotation Medical Inc., the developer of a novel tissue regeneration technology for shoulder rotator cuff repair. Shopping center investment firm Hammerson tumbled 6.17 percent after making a recommended 3.4bn offer for rival Intu Properties. Shares of Intu surged 13.77 percent. Insurance and travel specialist Saga plunged 21.40 percent after a profit warning. EasyJet gained 1.26 percent after reporting an 8 percent growth in passenger traffic for November. Nestle rose 1.24 percent in Zurich after it agreed to buy privately-held Atrium Innovations from a group of investors led by Permira Funds for US$2.3 billion in cash. Novo Nordisk rallied 3.36 percent in Copenhagen after receiving FDA approval for a diabetes drug. Anheuser-Busch InBev weakened by 1.44 percent in Brussels after JP Morgan downgraded its rating on the stock to Underweight' from 'Neutral.' Germany's factory orders increased unexpectedly in October helped by demand from domestic market and non-euro area economies. New orders in manufacturing climbed 0.5 percent month-on-month in October, but slower than the revised 1.2 percent rise in September, figures from Destatis revealed Wednesday. Orders were forecast to fall 0.2 percent. Germany's construction activity expanded at the weakest pace in ten months in November, survey data from IHS Markit showed Wednesday. The headline Purchasing Managers' Index dropped to 53.1 in November from 53.3 in October. Employment in the U.S. private sector increased by slightly more than expected in the month of November, payroll processor ADP revealed in a report released on Wednesday. ADP said private sector employment climbed by 190,000 jobs in November after surging up by 235,000 jobs in October. Economists had expected an increase of about 185,000 jobs. Labor productivity in the U.S. saw a notable increase in the third quarter, according to a revised report released by the Labor Department on Wednesday. The report said labor productivity jumped by 3.0 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the preliminary estimate. Economists had expected the increase in productivity to be upwardly revised to 3.3 percent. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said unit labor costs fell by a revised 0.2 percent in the third quarter compared to the previously reported 0.5 percent increase. Costs had been expected to rise by a revised 0.2 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Paysafe, a leading global payments provider, has been named winner of a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award, ranking the company number two out of the 25 Best Places to Work in Canada, with an overall Glassdoor company rating of 4.5. The Employees' Choice Awards rely solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments and companies via Glassdoor. The list, which has just been announced globally by Glassdoor, places Paysafe ahead of other highly ranked employers in Canada, including some of the world's biggest brands such as Microsoft, Apple and Starbucks. The latest Glassdoor accolade follows the inclusion of Paysafe's President and CEO, Joel Leonoff, in Glassdoor's 2017 Highest Rated CEO list for Canada. Again, in an award voted for by employees, Leonoff, who has a global Glassdoor employee rating of 96%, was ranked 6th out of Canada's Top 25 CEOs. "It's a great feeling for Paysafe to be recognized as such a great employer by our people," said Joel Leonoff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Paysafe. "One of our top priorities is to create a winning and comfortable culture for all our employees, backed up with great opportunities for professional development and career growth. I am incredibly proud and grateful for all that our employees in Canada, and throughout the world, have achieved through their commitment and collaboration. This award is a symbol of the belief they have in our vision and our commitment to delivering a leading payments platform for our customers." Nick Walker, Chief Human Resources Officer, Paysafe, added: "Given employee engagement is such a high priority at Paysafe, our approach has been to take the necessary time and effort to design the right programmes that really matter to our people. This starts with first-rate onboarding for new starters, and then continues with relevant learning and personal development programmes; accessible reward and recognition schemes; a strong performance culture, and, very importantly, a keenness to ensure day-to-day wellbeing. We believe that by focusing in this area, we are differentiating ourselves from other employers and building a strong Paysafe employer brand enabling us to attract top talent as we move forward in our growth strategy." "We know today's job seekers are more informed than ever about where they go to work, researching everything from company culture to career opportunities to pay philosophy and more. To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards recognize employers that are truly Best Places to Work because they're determined by those who really know best the employees," said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder. "Employers where employees love to work continue to prove that they have a recruiting and business performance advantage. We're proud to celebrate the 2018 winners as we mark our tenth anniversary of the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards." The Best Places to Work are determined using company reviews shared by Canada-based employees between November 1, 2016 and October 22, 2017. To be considered for the Canada category, a company must have at least 1,000 or more employees and have received at least 25 ratings across eight workplace attributes from employees during the period of eligibility. The final list is compiled based on Glassdoor's proprietary algorithm, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2018, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.ca/Award/Best-Places-to-Work-Canada-LST_KQ0,26.htm About Paysafe Paysafe is a leading global provider of end-to-end payment solutions. Our core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through our industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallets and online cash solutions. Delivered through an integrated platform, our solutions are geared towards mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between bricks-and-mortar and online payments. With over 20 years of online payment experience, a combined transactional volume of US$48 billion in 2016 and over 2,300 staff located in 12 global locations, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across 200 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Paysafe Group plc shares trade on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol (PAYS.L). For more information, visit: www.paysafe.com. Follow Paysafe on Twitter / LinkedIn / Google + stories.paysafe.com About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005975/en/ Contacts: Paysafe Group plc Amy Gregus, +1 514-294-0247 Head of Corporate Communications, North America amy.gregus@paysafe.com or Glassdoor Alison Sullivan Corporate Communications pr@glassdoor.com WATERLOO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 12/06/17 -- While the integration of technology and connectivity in automobiles greatly improves the driving experience, it also creates complex cybersecurity challenges for automakers. To address these new concerns, BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB)(TSX: BB) today laid out a recommended framework to harden connected and autonomous vehicles against cyberattacks. "Protecting a car from cybersecurity threats requires a holistic approach," said Sandeep Chennakeshu, President of BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "Leveraging our experience as a leader in cybersecurity and embedded automotive software, BlackBerry has created a recommended framework to protect cars from cybersecurity threats. If followed, we believe vehicles will not only be secure but BlackBerry Secure." Within this framework, automakers and their supply chains can deploy their technology choices to differentiate.BlackBerry's recommendation leverages the company's proven expertise in security and accounts for industry trends in connectivity and automated driving. The key points, outlined in the whitepaper titled "Cybersecurity for Automobiles: BlackBerry's 7-Pillar Recommendation," are summarized below. The full version of the whitepaper can be downloaded here. 1. Secure the supply chain: Establish a root of trust by ensuring every chip and electronic control unit (ECU) in the automobile can be properly authenticated and loaded with trusted software, irrespective of vendor or manufacturer. Scan all software deployed for compliance to standards and required security posture. Conduct regular evaluations of the supply chain from a vulnerability and penetration testing perspective to ensure they are certified and "approved for delivery." 2. Use trusted components: Create a security architecture that is deeply layered in a defense in depth architecture, with secure hardware, software, and applications. 3. Employ isolation and trusted messaging: Use an electronic system architecture that isolates safety critical and non-safety critical ECUs and can also "run-safe" when anomalies are detected. Additionally, ensure all communication between the electronics in the automobile and the external world are trusted and secure. Further, ECU-to-ECU communication needs to be trusted and secure. 4. Conduct in-field health checks: Ensure all ECUs have integrated analytics and diagnostics software that can capture events, and are able to log and report the same to a cloud-based tool for further analysis and to initiate preventative actions. Moreover, automakers should confirm that a defined set of metrics can be scanned regularly when the car is in the field, as well as be able to take actions to address issues via secure over-the-air (OTA) software updates. 5. Create a rapid incident response network: Share common vulnerabilities and exposures among a network of subscribing enterprises so expert teams can learn from each other and provide advisories and fixes in shorter time frames. 6. Use a lifecycle management system: Proactively re-flash a vehicle with secure OTA software updates as soon as an issue is detected. Manage security credentials via active certificate management. Deploy unified endpoint policy management to manage applications downloaded over the lifetime of the car. 7. Make safety and security a part of the culture: Ensure every organization involved in supplying auto electronics is trained in functional safety and security best practices to inculcate this culture within the organization. BlackBerry has developed and is developing innovative technologies, tools, and services for each of these 7-Pillars. The company will demonstrate its vision for connected cars and autonomous vehicles at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 9-12 (Booth #7523, North Hall). For reporters interested in meeting with BlackBerry, please email mediarelations@blackberry.com. About BlackBerry BlackBerry is a cybersecurity software and services company dedicated to securing the Enterprise of Things. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com. BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services. Contacts: BlackBerry Media Relations: (519) 597-7273 mediarelations@blackberry.com BlackBerry Investor Relations: (519) 888-7465 investorinfo@blackberry.com Weekly net asset value ("NAV") is calculated as of the close of business on each Tuesday and posted on the following business day. In the event that Tuesday is not a business day, the Company will calculate the close-of-business NAV as of the business day immediately preceding that Tuesday. The end-of-month NAV is calculated as of the close of business on the last day of the month and posted on the following business day. For weeks that include a month-end NAV report, PSH will provide only the month-end NAV and not report the Tuesday NAV. Monthly NAVs are published in accordance with the Decree on Conduct of Business Supervision of Financial Undertakings under the Wft (Besluit Gedragstoezicht financiele ondernemingen Wft). 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. LITTLE FALLS, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2017 / Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMD) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the first quarter 2017, to be held Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. Live Event Information To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event. Date, Time: December 7, 2017 at 11:00 AM ET Toll Free: 877-407-8033 International: 201-689-8033 Live Webcast: http://www.investorcalendar.com/event/22864 or www.cantelmedical.com Replay Information The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on January 7, 2017. Toll Free: 877-481-4010 International: 919-882-2331 Replay ID#: 22864 Webcast: www.investorcalendar.com or www.cantelmedical.com 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: Investor Network Apax Partners, a global private equity advisory firm, closed its latest fund, at $1 billion. Based in New York and London, Apax Digital makes minority and buyout investments in high-growth enterprise technology and consumer internet companies globally. Investments will be concentrated in subsectors where Apax has proven expertise, including vertical software, data and analytics, tech-enabled services, marketplaces, digital media, and disruptive e-commerce. The fund targets individual equity investments of $30m-$150m, with the ability to complete larger investments alongside its limited partners. The first investment has been just made in Moda Operandi, an ecommerce business offering luxury goods from top designer brands. The funds 14-person team is co-led by Marcelo Gigliani and Daniel OKeefe and comprises longstanding Apax investors as well as new hires from leading technology investment firms, including Insight Venture Partners, Summit Partners, TA Associates and Technology Crossover Ventures. In addition, Mark Beith, a technology investor from Silver Lake, joins in January as a Managing Director to lead the London office. FinSMEs 06/12/2017 Indigo Ag, Inc., a Boston, MA-based agtech company, raised an additional $47M in its Series D funding round. The largest investor in the second close was Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), which will hold a Board Observer seat at Indigo. Since the announcement of a $156M closing in late September, the total round has now reached $203M. The Series D funding round will support Indigos global commercial expansion, along with its continued investment in the plant microbiome and development of software and data tools. It will also enable the promotion of the adoption of Indigos microbial technology, as the company works to discover and commercialize products that increase agricultural yields, while decreasing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and agricultural chemicals. Led by David Perry, President and CEO, Indigo works alongside its growers to apply natural approaches, conserve resources for future generations, and grow healthy food for all. Utilizing plant microbes to improve crop health and productivity, the company is focused on cotton, wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. Founded by Flagship Pioneering, the company has commercial operations based in Memphis, TN, and international offices in Sydney, Australia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. FinSMEs 06/12/2017 JACKSON, Miss. -- President Donald Trump's plan to attend the opening of the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson has received heavy criticism from some Democrats, with one state legislator comparing Trump policies to Jim Crow laws and another accusing him of "hateful, offensive and violent rhetoric." On Wednesday, Rep. Jeramey Anderson, D-Moss Point, released the following statement: "The fight for Civil Rights in Mississippi was one of the darkest yet inspirational times in U.S. History. The opening of a museum to honor those who fought is both a celebration of the freedoms earned and a time to mourn and pay tribute to the many lives lost in the quest to equality. I recognize holistically the many contributions of African Americans to both Mississippi's economic and cultural development. The President's numerous calls for violent actions, his hateful, offensive and violent rhetoric is regressive and jeopardizes the integrity of the entire nation. Governor Bryant's invitation undermines the very progress we have made in our state to progress pass the dark days of our past as a state. The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum should serve as a place of education and reflection for all that visit. I remain optimistic that in light of so many American's calling for change, that Mississippi will continue to stand up to hate and discrimination. In the greatest nation on Earth, we should all be committed to ensuring that all people have an equal and fair opportunity at building their own American Dream." That followed a Monday statement by Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Jackson, who said: "With President Donald Trump accepting Gov. Phil Bryant's invitation to attend the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, I am hopeful he will begin to understand the pain he is causing in the black and underserved communities across America," Thompson said. "His unfair budget cuts in agriculture, education, healthcare and housing disproportionately impacts people of color and is viewed by many as an act reminiscent of Jim Crow policies of the South." Trump accepted an invitation from Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to attend the Saturday opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. The NAACP also has criticized his decision to attend. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that protests over the president's attendance would be "very sad" and that "this should be something that brings the country together." A Wednesday comment from Bryant suggested he was not having second thoughts about the invitation: Mumbai: Even as Bitcoin touches new highs fuelling investor interest, the Reserve Bank today warned the public of the risks of virtual currencies (VCs). Citing its earlier warnings on the subject, the central bank said, "in the wake of significant spurt in the valuation of many VCs and rapid growth in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), RBI reiterates the concerns". It can be noted that the price of a single Bitcoin, which is not regulated by any monetary authority, had skyrocketed to up to $11,000 last week in a rally which puzzled watchers. "There is no underlying or backing of any asset for VCs. As such, their value seems to be a matter of speculation. Huge volatility in the value of VCs has been noticed in the recent past. Thus, the users are exposed to potential losses on account of such volatility in value," the central bank had said in a 24 December, 2013 note. Bitcoins or other VCs do not yet have a wide acceptance as tender for settling trade transactions. They are minted using algorithms which are based on blockchain technologies, according to experts. Those backing the instrument say no one has been able to crack the code which mints the currency and stress the fact that such instruments are the future of finance in an inter-connected world. The Reserve Bank has been repeatedly saying since late 2013 that they possess "potential financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks". The apex bank had said that it was studying the sector but emphatically clarified that it is uncomfortable with "non-fiat" cryptocurrencies. "As regards non-fiat cryptocurrencies, I think we are not comfortable," its executive director Sudarshan Sen said an industry summit in September this year. "The creation, trading or usage of VCs including Bitcoins, as a medium for payment are not authorised by any central bank or monetary authority. No regulatory approvals, registration or authorisation is stated to have been obtained by the entities concerned for carrying on such activities," it had said in its first comments in September 2013. Such currencies, stored in electronic wallets, are prone to losses arising out of hacking, loss of password, compromise of access credentials, malware attack, it had said. The RBI had also said that the exchange platforms on which the Bitcoins are traded are set up in various jurisdictions whose legal status is also unclear. In September this year, media reports had said the finance ministry is mulling over launching a cryptocurrency called "Lakshmi" and has set up a committee for the same. New Delhi: Central trade unions on Tuesday pitched for tax exemption on income of up to Rs 5 lakh, minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000 and Rs 3,000 minimum pension for workers in a pre-budget consultation with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Representatives of the trade unions, including Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Hind Mazdoor Sabha, took up their 12-point charter of demands with Jaitley in the meeting that lasted for more than hour. "We demanded that budget should provide for income tax exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 18,000 minimum monthly wages and Rs 3,000 minimum monthly pension for retired workers," Hind Mazdoor Sabha General Secretary Harbhajan Singh Sidhu told reporters after the meeting. Currently, the income tax exemption limit for individual taxpayers is Rs 2.5 lakh, while the minimum EPF pension is Rs 1,000. Asked about any assurance given by the minister, Sidhu said, "Finance Minister has not given us any assurance. But he listened to our demands as per our 12-point charter of demands." Jaitley said the government is fully committed to safeguarding the interests of the workers, especially those working in the MSME and unorganised sector, according to a Finance Ministry statement. Jaitley said the workers are entitled to minimum wages prescribed by law and asked all the concerned industries to strictly comply with the same without fail. Sidhu further said the unions asked the minister to stop privatisation of public sector undertakings and disinvestment in state-run companies. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Vice-President K Lakshma Reddy told reporters that the minister also discussed labour reforms and assured them that the draft codes on industrial relations and wages will be revised in view of objections raised by the trade unions. Jaitley also heads a ministerial panel which is looking into various labour issues, including labour reforms. The panel has not met since August 2015. In their memorandum, the unions pointed out that the finance minister had listened to their views while preparing the budget for 2017-18, but none of their suggestions were addressed in final document presented by him in Parliament. The unions said the government should encourage labour intensive industries. They also cautioned the government that the decision of encouraging private players in defence production will have a detrimental effect not only on PSU employees and their families but also the security and sovereignty of the nation in the long run. They said the government spent crores of rupees on demonetisation which could not give the desired results like checking terrorism and reducing black money. Similarly, they said the Goods and Services Tax was introduced without proper home work. The whole GST structure need serious review and the government should provide some relief in the budget, they added. Unions also demanded bringing in a national employment policy and implementing social security coverage for unorganised workers. For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here. London: Vijay Mallya's defence on Tuesday dismissed as "zero" the Indian government's extradition case against him, saying it has no credible case to show that the tycoon's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines borrowings were fraudulent or that he had no intention to pay back the loans. The 61-year-old liquor baron, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering allegedly amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores, was in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court for his defence, headed by barrister Clare Montgomery. The defence team concluded the second day's proceedings at the trial by calling into question the "admissibility" of the evidence submitted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian government. It was claimed that the evidence was "contentious" without any underlying material to support claims being made. "There is virtually nothing by way of direct evidence by way of anyone with direct knowledge of the discussions," said barrister Clare Montgomery who is leading Mallya's defence. Mallya will return to the dock at Westminster Magistrate's Court in London on Thursday after a non-sitting day tomorrow. During the course of laying out their opening arguments, 'CBI has a long and inglorious history in being politically motivated in cases... with a direct correlation between allegations of corruptions and election years," Montgomery said. She termed India's prison system as worse than that in Russia, a country where extradition cases hinge on unsafe prison conditions. Describing the situation in Russia as a "lot better than India" because they at least allow international experts to review breaches of court orders, Montgomery dismissed representations provided by the Indian government of the safety of the prison where Mallya is to be held if he was to be extradited because there was "simply no mechanism to secure compliance" with the assurances. Both the issues are expected to be discussed in detail as witnesses are deposed through the course of the trial, which will go on until next week. Earlier, the defence opened its arguments by stating that there was no evidence to support the fraud case and repeatedly used "nonsense" and "nonsensical" words in reference to the fraud claims laid out by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is arguing on behalf of the Indian government. Dismissing the government of India's case as "clutching at straws", the defence said the arguments laid out were "financially incoherent" and that there had been no "concealment" and nothing to suggest Mallya was being "intentionally fraudulent". Montgomery claimed that the evidence presented by the CPS, on the opening day of his extradition trial on Tuesday, amounted to "zero", which she said was a "critical failing on the part of government of India". She claimed that the government does not have a credible case to support the argument that the borrowing by Mallya was fraudulent and he had no intention to pay back the loans he sought because his profit projections for loss-making Kingfisher Airlines were unreliable. "The reality is that the profitability of an airline depends on economic factors, which are largely cyclical and largely out of the control of the airline itself," she said. The defence deposed its first witness, aviation expert Dr Humphreys, who elaborated on several factors outside the control of an airline that could lead to its demise. Asked by the CPS if the demise of Kingfisher Airlines during the period of the IDBI loan acquisition in 2009 was "inevitable", he said that there was a big shake-up expected in the airline industry in India at the time but what form it would take would be a matter for debate. "There was considerable excess capacity in the Indian market... one or more airlines would have to go bankrupt and of that Kingfisher Airlines was a distinct possibility," said Humphreys, drawing on his experience having worked with UK- based airline Virgin Group. Indicating that it would be plausible to conclude that any loan default was the result of "business failure", Montgomery presented internal company assessments and bank documents to prove that all numbers related to the struggling airline were known to the bankers and there was "no attempt to mislead by over-valuing the worth of the brand". "It is simply economically and legally impossible to palm losses on to banks or by borrowing," she added as she went about addressing what she termed as the "three-legged structure laid out by CPS" in its case for fraud against Mallya. Montgomery also claimed that there was a "poverty of material" to support the prosecution's contention that Mallya misused the proceeds from the bank loans to pay off the rent on his private jet. The defence admitted there had been a massive falling out between the banks and Kingfisher Airlines by 2012-13, when the banks were allegedly leaking information that they were not going to support the business at a critical point for the airline trying to avoid being grounded. Montgomery claimed that the opening up of India's aviation sector to foreign investors around that time was a "belated decision" by the Indian government and ended up benefiting Kingfisher's main competitor Jet Airways, which secured a tie-up with Emirates. All Mallya tried to do during that period of "bitterly fought litigation" in the Indian courts was not borne out of "deliberate dishonesty" but instead a "desire to fight his own corner", it was claimed. The defence's opening arguments rested on countering the Indian government's assertion that Mallya is a fraudster who was out to make "gains for himself and cause a loss for banks". It claimed that in fact the "reality" was that at the end of the sequence of events, the tycoon ended up with a massive personal liability and had "lost control of the jewel in his corporate crown-- the UB Group". The defence has also indicated that in due course it will establish that there "has been political interference" with the prosecution process in a way that is "improper". The prosecution yesterday had laid out what it termed as "three chapters of dishonesty" by the former Kingfisher Airlines boss' the first being misrepresentations to various banks to acquire loans, then how he misused the money and finally his conduct after the banks recalled the loans. "Instead of acting as an honest person and doing what he could to meet his obligations, he sets about erecting lines of defence," CPS barrister Mark Summers had said. The charge of money laundering, for which Mallya had been re-arrested in October, is being focussed on by the CPS less at this stage. Summers told the court that the Indian government says there are reasons why a court can conclude that the bank loans at the centre of the fraud case were ones the "defendant (Mallya) never intended to repay". While Kingfisher Airlines and the airline industry were in "intensive care", Mallya chose to palm off the losses to banks, in particular state-owned banks. The opening days proceedings were concluded with an assertion by the CPS that it had "shown by virtue of evidence a prima facie case" against Mallya and the hearing should now move to the next phase of any "bars to extradition". The next phase is when factors such as prison conditions in India are likely to take centre-stage. The CPS had earlier admitted that there may have been "irregularities" in the internal processes of the banks sanctioning some of those loans but that would be a question to be dealt with at a later stage in India. "The focus of our case will be on his (Mallya's) conduct and how he misled the bank and misused the proceeds," Summers said, as he presented a detailed chronology of events with specific focus on a loan sought by Kingfisher Airlines from IDBI bank in November 2009. His erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines allegedly owes several Indian banks around Rs 9,000 crores. Mallya, who was arrested by Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in April this year, has been out on bail on a bond worth 650,000 pounds. His trial is scheduled to end on 14 December, with Wednesday and Friday marked as non-sitting days. A timeframe for a judgement in the case, being presided over by Judge Emma Louise Arbuthnot, will be determined only at the end of the trial and once the closing arguments have been made. The tycoon has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on 2 March, 2016. If the judge rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallyas extradition within two months. However, the case can go through a series of appeals in higher UK courts before arriving at a conclusion. Actor Isla Fisher feels that there are lack of comic roles being written for women in the film industry. The 41-year-old actor, who has starred in film such as Wedding Crashers, Now You See Me, Definitely, Maybe, Confessions of Shopaholic and others, said there are not many films which have a woman in the lead. "Even today though, there are still not enough female comedic roles. There are plenty of eye-rolling women as the male lead makes a joke, but very few are commanding the starring role," Fisher told Balance magazine. "I remember when Sex and the City started. We all thought we were going to get so much more work, but then it went quiet until Bridesmaids. Everyone was like, OK, now we have really proved that women can be funny, but sadly it has all died down again," she added. The clickety-clack from the typewriter of acclaimed writer-journalist TJS George night after night was so soothing that it would lull his young son Jeet Thayil to sleep in the next room. "Perhaps that's what first introduced me to the world of writing," says Thayil, shortlisted in the past for the Man Booker Prize and whose latest offering, The Book of Chocolate Saints, was released in November. "For me, even now that's a very soothing sound. If I hear it I can fall asleep... Because it is something that I heard a lot as a child... So I think, if you are a child and you see the adults in your life reading, you become a reader. In the same way, when you are a child and see the adults around you writing, you become a writer," Sahitya Akademi recipient Thayil told IANS in an interview. As a young boy, up till the age of 18, Thayil travelled a lot. Every time his father got a new job somewhere, the whole family would move with him. From Bombay to Patna, then to Delhi, back to Bombay, followed by Hong Kong and then New York, and back again to Hong Kong. But the inspiration too was continuous. "The first time I read poetry was from his bookshelf," recalls Thayil a hardcover first edition of the Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas. "I read Dylan Thomas, Ulysses and James Joyce when I was just 14 or 15." Thayil said his travels shaped his perspective of the world. "When you are not in one place for very long and when you are exposed to many cultures as a child, I think it makes you more accepting, less judgemental; it makes you more open-minded about the world," he elaborated. The author-poet's self-discovery as a writer came at the age of 14 when he first read the English translation of a French poem 'Le Lethe' by Charles Baudelaire, which translates into 'The River of Forgetfulness'. "I remember it had a physical effect on me, on my body. I felt it physically when I read this poem. My hair stood up. It had a very profound physical effect on me for a few seconds. I found it thrilling. And then I wanted to write something like that. Once that happened, you are changed. You are never the same person again," Thayil maintained. What followed was a "totally natural process" of learning the art of writing. "In fact, it was so undisciplined because I was teaching myself. I had no idea, I just read everything that I could read. And then I tried to write. No one was there to tell me what's good or what's bad. And actually, that's the only way to do it," he added. Thayil's literary works, particularly his poems, reflect a strong sense of grief and chaos, but he says he was very happy as a child. "But then childhood ended and so did happiness." What also stopped was his conversations with his father. "We had a lot of problems," he recalled about his late teens. After his return to India at 18, Thayil began experimenting with drugs. "And before I knew it, it had become a habit." His addiction lasted for two long decades, the exact time that he worked as a journalist. "I financed my drugs from my journalism salary. So when I quit drugs at 40-something, I quit working, I didn't need that job any more. I could just sit and write and write," he explained. Thayil was back home in India but he no longer had a monthly salary and was working on a novel that would take five years to complete. When he first finished the draft of Narcopolis, it was an 800-page book, from which he carved out the 300-page version. From the 500 pages that were left, he started working on a new book. And split them into two other books, the first of which is The Book of Chocolate Saints. "It was much bigger than it is now; I deleted about half of the book and then wrote new stuff because once I started working on this, it became a totally different thing from it had been. And there was a moment in 2014 when I thought it was done. But it was nowhere near done. It was only in this last year that it really took its final shape," he elaborated. Of course the father-son relationship is back to normal now. The only difference is that it is George who very often asks for Thayil's feedback on his works these days. And why not, Thayil has come a long way! He won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2012 and a Sahitya Akademi award in 2013. He has also been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Man Asian Literature Prize and the Commonwealth Prize. One can just imagine the accolades that will come his way for arguably his best work so far The Book of Chocolate Saints. The trailer of Kaalakaandi has released and it shows Saif Ali Khan in his most uninhibited form. The trailer of this upcoming dark comedy has drugs, sex, profanity aplenty but it also has fresh punchlines which leave an impact. Khan, in a never-seen-before avatar, is unrestrained yet balanced. After being diagnosed with stomach cancer, Khan's character decides to live it up. Soon after come a slew of bad decisions so bad, they're actually good. It is refreshing to see Khan take risks and play roles one wouldn't expect him to play. He clearly has a plan carved out for himself. Apart from Khan, there is Vijay Raaz and his understated brilliance. Raaz's dialogues remind you of his Delhi Belly stint, in a good way. Directed by Akshat Verma, who also helmed Delhi Belly (which explains the similarity, which again we're not complaining about), Kaalakaandi boasts of an ensemble cast comprising Sobhita Dhulipala, Akshay Oberoi, Vijay Raaz, Deepak Dobriyal, Shehnaz Treasury and Amyra Dastur. The makers were earlier in a fix regarding the release date and were planning a Netflix-only release. However, according to the trailer, this Rohit Khattar and Ashi Dua production is now slated to release on 8 September. Watch the trailer here: Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan's debut film, Kedarnath, has been the talk of the town since its announcement. Now the Abhishek Kapoor film has wrapped up its first schedule in the mountains, and is headed to Mumbai for the second schedule on a splendid set that is being touted as one of the most expensive sets to be built in the industry, as reported by India Today. The set that reportedly costs 7 crore has recreated the Kedarnath town, including the holy temple to shoot the flood sequences authentically as the film is set against the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. As reported by DNA, according to a source, They have replicated the entire holy city at a whopping cost. A model of the Kedarnath temple has also been designed. Since the film is an inter-faith love story, set against the backdrop of the devastating Uttarakhand floods, the makers plan to shoot the flood sequences now. Hence, this will be the city that will go under the water. Huge water tankers, too, are going to be made available for the shoot. It is being said that the co-producers, Prernaa Arora and Abhishek Kapoor, did not want to compromise on their vision and have thus created one of the biggest sets seen in Mumbai in recent times. The highly anticipated film is the debut vehicle for Sara Ali Khan. One of the most publicised debutante in recent times, Sara reportedly plays a rich tourist who falls in love with the poor yet simple character of Sushant Singh Rajput. Sushant, who also owes his debut to Abhishek Kapoor in Kai Po Che, is playing a pithu, or a someone who guides tourists through their pilgrimage. The film, which was earlier slated for a December 2018 release, is currently expected to release on 26 January 2019. MegaPath is in a unique position in the SD-WAN space as they were on the leading edge of the MPLS curve and SD-WAN in many cases is becoming a competing or even next-generation technology. In 2012, the company even hosted an MPLS University which we attended at ITEXPO in Florida. Dan Foster is the COO of the company and we decided to get his take on the market. Here is our interview: When and how did you get into the SD-WAN market? MegaPath launched its first SD-WAN solution, SD-WAN Pro, in early 2016. SD-WAN Pro capabilities include centralized network management and monitoring, QoS-based priority routing, session-level application performance monitoring and standard network security protocols including IPsec VPN, load balancing and failover (both wired and wireless). A year later, we expanded our portfolio with the introduction of SD-WAN Enterprise, adding capabilities such as bi-directional priority routing, real-time application failover, packet-level application performance monitoring, true bandwidth aggregation, complete network performance visibility, and additional Advanced Security capabilities. Tell us more about your particular offerings in this space. MegaPath offers several key advantages compared to other SD-WAN providers: Best-of-breed, multi-vendor approach to SD-WAN and Security, giving businesses the flexibility to build a solution thats the right fit for their business needs, size and budget. Fully-managed service that includes full-solution design engineering, dedicated project management, and white-glove support 100% U.S.-based expert technical support, available 24/7/365 100% Uptime SLA with SD-WAN Enterprise package, guaranteeing substantial service credits equal to $1,000 or 50% of monthly recurring charges, whichever is greater. (See www.megapath.com/RED) Free Proactive Circuit monitoring for all circuits, including 3 rd -party circuits (non-MegaPath provided) -party circuits (non-MegaPath provided) MegaPaths expertise combined with its broad portfolio gives real value to partners that desire a broad range of high-value services from a single nationwide provide What is driving enterprise interest in SD-WAN? Todays businesses simply cant afford downtime. With the increasing reliance on the cloud, the cost of downtime has grown exponentially, and the need for always-on, reliable WAN connectivity has become a business imperative. MegaPaths SD-WAN solutions address the increasing bandwidth demands of our customers and empower businesses of all sizes to realize the full potential of the cloud. What is the biggest pain your solutions take away for customers? Downtime. Downtime is the Achilles to any business no matter the vertical. Today, if you dont have reliable, always-on access to the Internet, your business will suffer or even die. Simply put, SD-WAN eliminates downtime without breaking the bank or over-tasking resources, making zero-downtime accessible to businesses of all sizes. What is your target audience? Mid-sized enterprises looking to migrate from MPLS to a fully-managed SD-WAN solution are our sweet spot, although we also offer a solution for SMBs that are seeking a low-cost entry point to the popular networking technology. How do you go to market? Direct? MSPs? Carriers? Etc. We go to market through direct and indirect channels. We have inside sales teams focused on solutions for the SMB and the Enterprise, and an active network of channel partners comprised of master agencies, alliance and referral partners. What synergistic technologies and markets are aided by SD-WAN? Hosted Voice, UCaaS, Managed IT and Managed Security services What regions of the world will be most disrupted by SD-WAN? The SD-WAN market is exploding across all major geographic regions. Its affordability and ease of adoption knows no boundaries wherever there are businesses that require reliable access to the Internet. How do you differentiate your company from others in the market? As stated above, we offer key advantages over other SD-WAN providers: Best-of-breed, multi-vendor approach to SD-WAN and Security Fully-managed service with full-solution design engineering, dedicated project management, and white-glove support 100% U.S.-based tech support 100% Uptime Guarantee available Free Proactive Circuit monitoring for all circuits, including 3 rd -party circuits -party circuits 20+ years of network expertise Single provider for Voice, UCaaS, Nationwide Internet, Network and Security What is driving the competitive SD-WAN landscape? Why are so many vendors and providers throwing their hats in the ring? Its such a hot market, especially for the next five years where analysts are predicting SD-WAN sales will grow at a 69% compound annual growth rate, hitting $8-9 Billion by 2020. The demand for SD-WAN is only going to grow as we see businesses move more applications to the cloud and increase their mobile demands and big data requirements. How will the competitive landscape change in the next year? We will see more consolidation by carriers and technology vendors to round out their offerings, like VMWares recent acquisition of Velocloud to challenge Cisco. What is the future for your organization? MegaPath will continue to expand deeper into the Enterprise space as well as expand our services to markets abroad. We plan to invest in new features and functionality across all of our product lines, including the integration of our SD-WAN Pro and Enterprise service offerings with other popular cloud applications. The best way to learn more about SD-WAN and related activities and see Megapath and the entire SD-WAN ecosystem in action is to be at the worlds only SD-WAN Expo @sd-wanexpo, Feb. 14-16, Fort Lauderdale, FL. We hope to see you there! It appears as if Jon Snow really knows nothing after all. At least when it comes to fashion. And love. And who to trust... Okay, you get the picture. Even though Game of Thrones star, Kit Harington, hasn't been able to get his hands on the Iron Throne yet, there is another throne that he now finds himself atop leading fashion magazine British GQ's annual list of Worst Dressed Men (2017). Coming in right at the very top Harington managed to beat out very stiff competition from the likes of Morrissey Jacob Rees-Mogg PewDiePie (As you can see, this is a very legit list). Also, on their Best Dressed List? This guy Just to put things in perspective? This is what our beautiful Kitty Kat looks like Now we know that Harington's bum has been voted the Most Perfect Bum Of All Time according to Science (lets be honest, these days Twitter is science), so maybe the jury (Giorgio Armani and Sir Paul Smith, amongst others) feels that Harington should employ the age old formula of 'if you've got it, flaunt it'. Or maybe they were on hallucinatory substances of some sort? The kind which alter one's perception of reality and make you see something else entirely? (*cough* LSD *cough*). We just want someone to fix this, stat. In other news - DJ Marshmello was also on the British GQ's Worst Dressed list. This is Marshmello... Every single appearance of this man is the same. What sense does it make to put someone who wears a helmet on his face everyday in the worst dressed list? I mean, really? This year's list makes us question the legitimacy of GQ, because clearly, they have no clue what they're doing. Just in case you guys forgot: Marshmello wears white overalls and a helmet with a friggin' smiley face on his face every single time. We're just hoping that this list is a Moonlight - La La Land-esque mix-up and the British GQ actually meant to place Harington's name here Best-dressed men: 1.1. Kit Harington 1. Matt Smith 2. A$AP Rocky 3. Jeff Goldblum 4. Harry Styles 5. Andrew Garfield 6. Skepta 7. Riz Ahmed 8. Ryan Reynolds 9. Brooklyn Beckham 10. Alessandro Michele In the year 1964, when Satyajit Ray was busy shooting for his landmark film Charulata, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant paid him a visit in his home in Kolkata. Merchant and Ivory had just finished work on a film titled Shakespeare Wallah then, and they requested Ray to compose the music for the film. Ray watched the film, liked it immensely, and said that he would do it gladly. Anyone who has watched Shakespeare Wallah since then will know the important role that the music of the film plays in its success. And the close association that one of the actors in the film Shashi Kapoor forged with Satyajit Ray during this time was to remain strong for many years to come, all the way to the time when Rays son was to embark upon his own filmmaking career. Shashi Kapoor was a busy star in the Bombay film industry, but he was also Indias first global star, and this made him bump into Ray every now and then at film festivals all around the world. Kapoor and Ray became good friends and their friendship extended to their families as well. Even before the two gentlemen had been introduced, Ray had met the other Kapoor, elder brother Shammi, during the shooting of Kanchenjungha, which was Rays first film in colour. During the shooting in Darjeeling, the unit of Kanchenjungha ran out of colour stock, which used to be in severely limited supply during those days. Shammi Kapoor happened to be shooting in Darjeeling at the same time, and one day, Ray simply walked up to him and sought a loan of a few reels of his units colour stock. The start was only too glad to help a man of Rays stature and fame. This was in 1962. In the year 1984, Shashi Kapoors wife Jennifer Kendal wowed audiences by playing a short and yet important role in Satyajit Rays adaptation of Rabindranath Tagores novel Ghare Baire. Kendal played Miss Gilby, the British music tutor to the films female lead. Miss Gilbys sincere devotion to teaching her pupil the melodies of the highland ballads, and her subsequent shock at being pelted with stones by young boys during the Swadeshi movement were some of the highlights of the film. In the following years, when Ray was hospitalised in the United States owing to a weak heart, Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal constantly kept in touch with him and his family, offering support and prayers this despite the fact that Jennifer herself was quite ill (she passed away soon after). In 1986-87, Rays son Sandip got an opportunity to direct a television series for Doordarshan. The series, aptly titled Satyajit Ray Presents (modelled after Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which had ruled the networks in America over an entire decade), was to have two parts of thirteen episodes each all based on Satyajit Rays favourite stories. Ray senior was to write, Ray junior was to direct. The series was extremely well received by viewers, and featured such stalwarts of Indian cinema as Utpal Dutt, Iftekar, Smita Patil, Dr. Sreeram Lagoo, Pankaj Kapur, Neena Gupta, Amol Palekar, Anupam Kher, Victor Banerjee and many others. For the closing segment of the series, Sandip Ray wanted to select one of his fathers most popular Feluda adventures, and adapt it as Kissa Kathmandu Ka. Feluda was Rays immortal creation, and he was an epitome of Bengaliness a striking personality, a sharp young man whose keen sense of observation, highly analytical mind and superlative detection skills had endeared him to every single reader of Bengali fiction over the years both young and old. But both Satyajit and Sandip knew that they were about to step into a whole new territory a viewership who had absolutely no idea who Feluda was (Feluda adventures had not been translated yet). They decided to tread cautiously and cast a well-known face. Which is why, it was decided that Shashi Kapoor would play Feluda. A sketch of Feluda, drawn by Satyajit Ray himself, for one of the sleuths early novels based in Lucknow may have had a role to play in the decision because of its remarkable similarity with a 70s Shashi Kapoor with sharp jawlines, a jutting nose, smartly brushed hair and dark shades. Bengali audiences may or may not have been able to accept the past-his-prime and unignorably overweight Shashi Kapoor of the late 80s as their beloved, strapping young Feluda, but it was undeniably true that Shashi Kapoor put his heart into the film. In Sandip Rays own words, the star had moved around all his dates to make room for a continuous shooting schedule for the film. His professionalism was remarkable. From coming to shoot right on time, to assisting with continuity, from adapting his acting to the position of the camera to showing great depth of knowledge on the subject of lighting, Shashi Kapoor had won everyone over during the shooting of the film. He assayed one of the most famous characters ever created in Bengali literature at a time when there was no translation of it at all, leaving him no room to understand the phenomenon called Feluda. But like a great actor, Shashi Kapoor stuck with Satyajit Ray, asking him question after question, to try and understand what, in Rays mind, Feluda was like. Director Partho Chakrabortys new film Samantaral may not be the best film youve seen in recent months, but there is not a shred of doubt that it is an honest effort. The title of the film means parallel, and alludes to the detached life that the films central character Sujan lives in his North Kolkata home, even as he is surrounded by his own family. The story begins when Sujans nephew, a teenager who was orphaned at the age of two, returns to his mothers home in Kolkata after finishing school in Darjeeling. As his romance with a girl he met on social network begins to flourish, he slowly begins to find his place in the household where several characters live under the same roof. Theres the patriarch of the family a retired teacher, who is now both voiceless and hapless, thanks to his old age. Theres the eldest brother who is a reserved but well-meaning gentleman. Theres his wife who showers motherly love on the young boy and holds the family together. Theres the youngest brother, who is an aggressive, foul-mouthed, beastly wretch who doesnt shy away from threatening his kin when they protest at his wayward behaviour. He is aptly supported by his equally wretched wife, who finds her life in the household stifling. And finally, theres Sujan the middle brother. Soft spoken, mild mannered, often breaking into poetry and songs, and playing the violin, his is a parallel world a world in which he can erase everything thats vile by simply shutting his eyes and imagining those miserable things never ever happened. Mysteriously enough though, the family keeps Sujan confined to his room in the terrace, although most of them are nice to him. The young boy naturally finds this very disturbing and with the help of his girlfriend, sets out to solve the mystery behind his favourite uncles strange behaviour, and the even stranger reaction of the rest of the family to his antics. Clocking at just under two hours, Samantaral is a good one-time watch, although it does have its faults. The films biggest flaw is in its pacing and flow. While some messages and scenes are stretched too long for comfort, others are not given their due. Some side-tracks are quite unnecessary, and perhaps the writer, the director and the editor ought to have, in that order, focused a bit more on filling the several plot holes that exist in the storyline. The makers try to grapple with too many themes and, as a result, the film almost goes downhill under all that load. The fact that it doesnt is only because of some terrific performances by the actors. Riddhi Sen plays the unsuspecting teenager who fights to get his uncle the life of dignity that he deserves. Although he has a long way to go, the young actor shows commendable promise. Aparajita Adhya is superb as the elder aunt, and she puts her heart and soul into her role. Kushal Chakrabortys reticent presence in the film comes across as flawed in the beginning, but the films denouement offers a perfectly plausible justification for his behaviour. Anindya Banerjee and Tanushree Chakraborty both play their parts with great sincerity, and the fact that I loathed them without even realizing that they were simply playing their parts speaks volumes of their merit. Veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee is always a treat to watch, and does his best in the rather small role that he is given. Surangana Bandopadhyay has precious little to do, but she gives her role a hundred percent. I would certainly like to see her in more substantial roles in the future, because she does exude a calm confidence that is frightfully lacking in several other actors of her age. But right from the moment that he appears on screen, and all the way to the final scene, the film entirely belongs to its protagonist, played with great maturity by Parambrata Chatterjee, who smiles, weeps, grins, sings and tugs at your heartstrings with equal ease. In most of the scenes, Parambrata fills the frame with a bright cheer a stark contrast to the life he is forced to live. At other times, he is incorrigibly naughty, much like a child who doesnt know the ways of the world in the more adult sense of the term. And yet in other scenes, his pent up melancholy spills over, turning him into a miserable wretch a raving lunatic locked up in the loon bin. The sparks of genius that he shows, in his philosophy or in his music for instance, only leads to a series of embarrassments moments later, when his family has to cover for him. And in the films climax, when we learn the truth about him, theres no way we cannot feel for him, and for the utterly miserable life he has lead all these years, thanks merely to some preconceived and prejudiced notions held by the members of his family. Samantaral is one of those rare films where flaws in both the story and its execution are forgotten and forgiven, and all travesties are more than compensated for, thanks solely to the beautiful performance of its leading actor. Despite all its technical defects, it is an important film with an important message and everyone should watch it if only to ensure that we give all the Sujans of the world their fair share of dignity. Bollywood was shocked at the news of the death of celebrated actor Shashi Kapoor on 4 December. Now, Amul known for their quirky, smart and tasteful advertisements based around popular culture has paid tribute to the actor with an advertisement of their own. The dialogue Mere paas maa hai from Deewar is undoubtedly one of the most iconic dialogues in Indian cinema's history. The scene between Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan, where Kapoor triumphs Bachchan's materialism when he utters the evergreen words, has been watched by all of us. It was only fitting for Amul to play around with the immortal dialogue and pay tribute to the late legend. It was Mylapore and TAG centre at that. Ground zero of classical Carnatic fans, steeped in tradition and upper class sensibilities in arts. And there was a poet who had to face severe protests for his fictional portrayal of a traditional ritual at the Ardhanareeswara temple in Tiruchengode in his novel Madorubagam (one part woman). He had to sign an unconditional apology in front of the police and withdraw all copies of the novel. He had, in fact, announced on his Facebook page in January 2015 that he was giving up writing and proclaimed, "Perumal Murugan the writer is dead. As he is no God, he is not going to resurrect himself. He also has no faith in rebirth. An ordinary teacher, he will live as P Murugan. Leave him alone. Some people were of the opinion that the controversy was not so much the content but the fact that he had married a Dalit woman. The Madras High Court dismissed the litigations that had been filed against Madorubagam, saying there was no binding force or obligation in the previous state intervention that forced him to apologise and withdraw the books. The court further directed the state to provide appropriate protection when artistic or literary people come under attack, and to form an expert body to help guide the police and local administration to develop sensitivity to the issues involved. Perumal Murugan returned to his literary career with a robust collection of poetry. Here he was, hosted by the Prakriti Foundation at its annual Poetry with Prakriti festival with a new collection of poems in the form of keertanas and they were all being sung in the Carnatic classical format by one of the most celebrated young musicians, TM Krishna. Krishna, fresh from a controversy after his talk on Culture and Community, had outraged the classical Carnatic music community. He sang in a most delightful Carnatic form, content that had nothing to do with the Gods. Krishna had requested Perumal Murugan to write keertanas with local dialect of Kongu region where he hails from and to topics like the palm tree, water, fire etc. There was one love song to finish with. What a combination. An ostracised poet and a musician so outspoken that he has not left untouched any topic of public concern to give his opinions on. Such audacity in someone so young! Krishna shocks his world of Carnatic music using the very story that the community has constructed. He poses to it an immensely daunting challenge compelling it to question itself. He had debuted as a classical vocalist at the age of 12 at the Madras Music Academy, the Mecca of music. As he grew, his concerts drew large crowds and his confidence grew. He began to question himself and his milieu, getting right wingers into a flutter. He stayed away from the hallowed December music season of Madras, going to concerts instead of singing. He began to build bridges, first with a book on senior musicians he co-wrote with Bombay Jayashree, and then the Svanubhava experience for college and school students of classical and folk arts again started with Bombay Jayashree, but continued solo with his own students and volunteers. Then came the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha that showcased classical arts in fishing village on the beach and then, he began collaborations with the transgender Jogappas of Karnataka, now with Perumal Murugan. The classical music world began to spew venom on him when the Deccan Chronicle gave a sensational heading to the report on his talk Community and Culture at the launch of the Telugu translation of TJS George's biography of MS Subbulakshmi. He speaks without moderating or masking reality in any way. He locates himself firmly within the community and confronts and stirs it like an outsider. He offers his own interpretation of socio-cultural equations with larger communities and the upper-class dominated classical music. Pushing this into sharp focus has already infuriated his community and then comes this talk which analyses the Goddess of Carnatic music MS Subbulakshmi. He believes her voice had a rich spontaneity to it pre-marriage and after it was curated with Sanskritised Bhakthi songs, it lost that spontaneity and her singing became tinged with a pain. This made Subbulakshmi extraordinary in her singing and he goes on to say, No one can stir our hearts with music like MS Subbulakshmi can. Krishna gave his talk distinctive shades of meaning, features and qualities of his own but then, they are political and seen by many as being super-realistic and hence disliked by those who live by their music alone. They see him as a manipulator for bigger chunk of media attention while several see no reason he should seek that. Being outraged and being sensitive is of course now our national pastime and why would the conservative classical music world not be outraged by a fellow musician who has completely freed himself of routine, conventional repertoire, conventional programming yet draws such huge crowds? TM Krishnas music aesthetic, completely wired into building impossible bridges with deep empathy, can perhaps be the project to get his listeners to have an experience of Jagrutasamadhi. SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Loss-making Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (0293.HK) hired McKinsey & Co consultants earlier this year to advise on a transformation plan, drawing on turnarounds at regional rivals such as Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) and Japan Airlines Co Ltd (9201.T). A Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A330 plane is towed past other planes parked at the Sydney International Airport terminal in Australia, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/David GrayBattered by competition from Chinese and Middle East airlines and hobbled by missteps in fuel hedging, Cathay in January completed a strategic review, and later announced its biggest job cuts in almost two decades. Following McKinseys subsequent input - which has not been previously reported - Greg Hughes, Cathays Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer, said more than 740 initiatives had so far been identified to cut costs, boost productivity and improve customer service - including easier access to higher frequent flyer status, more economy-class seats on Boeing (BA.N) 777 airliners, and on-demand dining for business-class fliers. We were very keen on learning from them the best way to go about a transformation, Hughes told Reuters. They have done thousands of them, and we havent. Steve Saxon, McKinseys aviation expert partner in Shanghai, said the firms policy is to decline comment on client work. Hughes said McKinseys involvement ended after its consultants helped structure the three-year transformation programme, which is being carried out by Cathay Pacific staff and aims for HK$4 billion ($512 million) of savings from lowering costs and boosting productivity. We have always wanted our transformation programme to be something that our people own and can deliver upon, he said. COLONIAL CULTURE But, as Cathay chases a return to profitability, it looks set to continue a practice that some current and former employees say may be the biggest obstacle to a real change of culture: the airlines unusual executive rotation system. Under this system, so-called house staff at unlisted British conglomerate John Swire & Sons Ltd - which owns a majority stake in Hong Kong-listed Swire Pacific (0019.HK), which, in turn, owns 45 percent of Cathay - rotate positions at group companies every few years. This could, in theory, see a Coca-Cola refrigeration manager at a Swire-owned plant in China take charge of Cathays operations in France. Supporters of the scheme say it brings a fresh eye and diverse experience to the job, and helps succession planning. If they go through all these different areas they learn to look at things from different perspectives, said Achim Czerny, associate professor of aviation management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Critics, though, say its a costly, two-tiered relic that leads to short-term and conservative thinking and can demotivate talented middle-managers, who feel excluded from the scheme. Some blame it for Cathay being slow to spot the strategic threat from rival airlines. Its a bit of a colonial culture, said Terence Fan, an assistant professor specialising in transport at Singapore Management University. Theres certainly a lot of complacency. Cathay declined to say whether McKinsey had examined its rotation system, but said it planned to keep it in place as part of its transformation programme. SWIRE PRINCES Founded as an import-export business in Liverpool in 1816, John Swire & Sons opened its first China office 70 years later. Still family-controlled, it also owns majority stakes in maintenance group Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co Ltd (HAECO) (0044.HK) and Swire Properties Ltd (1972.HK). As a management service fee, the companies pay John Swire & Sons 2.5 percent of their profit before tax and non-controlling interests. The arrangement doesnt give Cathay much incentive to hire top executives from outside as it pays Swire regardless. Air China Ltd (601111.SS) and Qatar Airways are major Cathay shareholders, though Swire gives them little say in the airlines day-to-day operations. Former Cathay CEO John Slosar is chairman of Swire Pacific, Cathay, HAECO and Swire Properties. Like many senior managers - including Cathays current CEO Rupert Hogg - Slosar started out on Swires house staff programme - once an all-male and predominantly Oxbridge preserve, with members dubbed by outsiders as Swire princes. There is a separate stream of management trainees, more usually Hong Kong locals with Chinese language skills, who stay at a Swire company throughout their careers but move around within that company. Hoggs predecessor, Ivan Chu, began as a management trainee at Cathay. Many airlines have graduate programmes and employees rotating between management posts, but at Cathay managers could be rotated in with no knowledge of the aviation industry. Cathay rarely brings in top outside talent from rival airlines. Its a very traditional, fairly conservative company and its policy has always been to grow its own management talent, said a person who previously worked with Swire, and didnt want to be named so as not to jeopardise relations with the company. A former Cathay employee, who asked not to be named, said the rotation system at the top was frustrating for middle managers. These werent glass ceilings, but brutally hard concrete ceilings. If you were in middle-management, there was no way you were going to get into the cadre of top management. One current employee said the Swire culture held up decision making as approvals were needed to react to sometimes fast-changing situations, and another said it hampered the airlines long-term strategy as CEOs commonly moved on after 2-3 years, with a new manager coming in changing things again. However, a second former Cathay middle manager, who didnt want to be named as he is still in the aviation industry, said Swires two-tiered management system worked well. While senior country and regional managers sometimes brought no aviation knowledge, they were there for their corporate knowledge, for their business acumen. The culture is a fabulous thing, said a former house staff member. If theres one small weakness, you might argue that if you grow up with people, its sometimes quite hard to look them in the eye and call them out when they are wrong, and have a really robust conversation. Slosar declined an interview request, but told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 that a benefit of the rotation system was that managers were all on the same page with the corporate culture. The downside, he acknowledged, was Swire had to ensure it assimilated new ideas from outside and kept pace with trends. Singapore Management Universitys Fan said that hiring McKinsey showed Cathay was serious about change, but it was a mistake not to consider adjusting the rotation system. If youre thinking about drastic change, Im not sure whether hiring people who have been steeped in the same culture will be sufficient to bring in the more fundamental changes that might be required, he said. ($1 = 7.8171 Hong Kong dollars) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Sanjukta Nair In 2014-15, Madhya Pradesh was Indias fourth poorest state in terms of per capita income; it had the countrys highest infant mortality rate (51 infant deaths per 1,000 live births) and under-five mortality rate (62 child deaths before reaching age 5 per 1,000 live births) in 2015-16. As Shivraj Singh Chauhan completed 12 years as the chief minister of the state on 28 November, 2017, an IndiaSpend analysis of health, income and education data from these 12 years shows that the countrys sixth most populous statewith 72.6 million peoplehas made progress, but it is still one of the worst performing Indian states. High growth rate but high inequality in rural wages During the financial year 2005-06, when Chauhan became the states chief minister, Madhya Pradesh was the third poorest state in the country with a per capita income of Rs 15,927, 39 percent lower than Indias per capita income, at 2004-05 constant prices. In 11 years to 2016-17, state's per capita income grew 225 percent to Rs 51,852. During the same period, Indias average per capita income grew 216 percent from Rs 26,015 in 2005-06 to Rs 82,269 in 2016-17. Still, Madhya Pradesh's per capita income was 37 percent below Indias, indicating that the state hasnt been able to significantly reduce the gap. The state had an average agricultural growth rate of 9.3 percent between 2005-06 and 2013-14, highest among 20 Indian states. In 2013-14, Madhya Pradesh had an agricultural growth rate of 20 percent, the second highest in the country, compared to Indias agricultural growth rate of 4.7 percent. But gains from this agricultural growth have been unequal. Small and marginal farmers, who often tend to work as agricultural labourers, have not seen a significant rise in their incomes over this period, according to a June 2017 article published by LiveMint, which analysed data on inequality, rural wages and agricultural income in Madhya Pradesh. Further, while 10 percent of all farms in India were in Madhya Pradesh in 2010-11, average farm sizes fell from 2.02 hectare in 2005-06 to 1.78 hectare in 2010-11, according to the 2010-11 agricultural census. Source: RBI Handbook of Statistics, 2017, per capita income at (04-05) constant prices till 2010-11, afterwards at (11-12) constant prices. Highest child mortality but 34 percent primary healthcare centres operated without doctors Madhya Pradesh's infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-five mortality rate (U-5MR) has reduced more than Indias over the past decade, but the state did not achieve its IMR target for 2012. In 2010, the Madhya Pradesh state planning commission said the state would reduce the IMR to 28 per 1,000 live births during the 11th five year plan (2007-2012). In reality, the IMR reduced from 70 in 2005-06 to 51 in 2015now close to that of Haiti, a Caribbean island that repeatedly faces natural disasters and has a per capita income lower than Indias. Madhya Pradesh's IMR is the highest of any state in India. Madhya Pradesh also had the highest U-5MR of 65 in 2015-16, a reduction from 90 in 2005-06, according to 2015-16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data. Madhya Pradesh Failed To Achieve Its Goal OfReducing IMR To 28 By 2012 Source: National Family Health Survey Even as Madhya Pradesh has Indias highest infant and under-five mortality rates, an acute shortage of doctors affected health care delivery services, the Hindustan Times reported in June 2016. Of 1,771 sanctioned positions for doctors in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state, 46 percent remained vacant as of March 31, 2017. As many as 34 percent of PHCs were operating without a doctor in 2017, compared to 21 percent of PHCs in 2006. Of 309 obstetricians and gynaecologists required, only 58 were posted, indicating a shortfall of 81 percent. There is also a 87 percent shortfall of paediatricians, Health Management Information System data show. The planning commission had also set a target to bring the child sex ratio (0-6 years) to 935 girls per 1,000 boys by 2011-12. In reality, it was 918 in 2011, lower than 932 in 2001 as per census data. Madhya Pradesh's overall sex ratio dropped from 961 females per 1,000 males in 2005-06 to 948 in 2015-16, much lower than Indias sex ratio of 991. Though the sex ratio at birth (girls born alive per 1,000 boys) in Madhya Pradesh also dropped from 960 in 2005-06 to 927 in 2015-16, it is still Indias seventh best. Increase in female literacy but still lower than India average, high school dropout rate In 2015-16, 59 percent of women in Madhya Pradesh were literate, an increase of 15 percentage points from 2005-06, when 44 percent were literate. In comparison, the average female literacy in India grew by 13 percentage points from 55 percent in 2005-06 to 68.4 percent in 2015-16. In 2015-16, state's female literacy rate was 9 percentage points lower than the all India average of 68 percent. Source: National Family Health Survey Only 14 percent of rural women in Madhya Pradesh, aged 15-49 years, had completed more than 10 years of schooling in 2015-16, compared to 27 percent Indian rural women, according to data from the NFHS. As many as 34 percent of women in state, aged 15-49 years, had never been to school, data show. At both the upper primary and secondary school level, gross enrollment ratio for girls has fallen. At the secondary schools level (grades 9 and 10), the gross enrollment ratio for girls (total enrolment in secondary schools, regardless of age, as a percentage of official secondary school-age population), fell from 82 percent in 2013-14, to 79 percent in 2015-16, according to District Information System for Education (DISE) flash statistics. Further, Madhya Pradesh had Indias highest dropout rate among girls in upper primary school, with 10.7 percent girls dropping out between Classes 6 and 8, versus 4.6 percent in India in 2014-15, according to 2015-16 DISE data. School attendance reduces in higher classes: It is as high as 90 percent at ages 6-14 years in Madhya Pradesh, but 65 percent at ages 15-17 years, according to the 2015-16 NFHS report. As few as 29 percent of schools in Madhya Pradesh had an electricity connection in 2015-16, fourth lowest among Indian states, according to 2015-16 DISE data. In India, 63 percent of all schools had electricity. Third highest crime rate, one women raped every two hours In 2016, Madhya Pradesh had the third highest rate of reported crimes under the Indian Penal Code at 337.9 cases per 100,000 population, second after Delhi (974.9) and Kerala (727.6), according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Madhya Pradesh had the fourth highest rate of reported rape cases in the country at 13.1 per 100,000 population in 2016, according to data from NCRB. One woman was raped every two hours between February 2016 and February 2017, Hindustan Times reported in November 2017 based on Madhya Pradesh's state legislative data for 2017. In 2016, Indore, in western Madhya Pradesh, had the third highest rate of reported rape cases (17.2 per 100,000), among 19 major Indian cities (average rate of reported rape cases: 9.1). The city also had the sixth highest rate of crimes in 2016 under assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty21.3 per 100,000 compared to an average of 19.3 across the 19 cities. In 2005-06, 46 percent of women in Madhya Pradesh said they were physically or sexually abused by their spouse. After 10 years, one in three Madhya Pradesh women have faced such violence, according to the 2015-16 NFHS data, implying a 13 percentage point reduction, more than Indias eight percentage point reduction in women facing spousal violence (from 37 percent in 2005-06 to 29 percent in 2015-16). MP Had Indias Third Highest Crime Rate In 2016 Crime Head Rank (Rate) in 2016 Rank (Rate) in 2006 Indian Penal Code Crimes 3rd (337.9) 5th (289.7) Crimes Against Women 8th (71.1) 6th (21.3) Crimes Against Children 7th (45.7) 3rd (5.9) Source: National Crime Records BureauNote: Rate = Cases per 100,000 population; Rank out of 30 states including Delhi Between 2006 and 2016, rate of crime against children in Madhya Pradesh increased from 5.9 per 100,000 to 45.7 per 100,000, which could be because of greater reporting of crime in the state or an actual increase in crime. In November 2017, the Madhya Pradesh government approved a bill to allow capital punishment to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 and below. New Delhi: Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that there was a politicisation of the armed forces and the military "should be somehow" kept away from politics. It is essential that the military stays far away from politics for a vibrant democracy, he said. "The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity," he said. Rawat was speaking at an event organised by the United Service Institution. In the "good old days", the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces, he said. However, these subjects were gradually "inching" their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added. "Whenever (any) issue (of) linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then... that is best avoided," he said. The defence forces, he asserted, do best when they don't meddle in the political affairs of the nation. To make sense of the present, often we need to take a hard look at the past. On the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition which for many reasons remains an epochal moment in the history of modern India, it would be worthwhile looking at the impulses that led to the destruction of the mosque and how these long-suppressed impulses of far-history are shaping the political narratives of today. To those untrained in history and to practitioners of wilful denial, the bringing down of the 16th-century structure was an act of communal wantonness that broke the back of 'secularism' in India and unleashed genies that cannot be put back into the bottle. It is the only reading that has ever been allowed to exist and it refers to that moment as the 'manifestation of naked majoritarianism'. It is the starting point of any discussion an axiomatic truth over which all structures of future debates must necessarily rest. The problem with reality is that it exists in many dimensions. Sometimes these realities clash, and when they do, those in position of power to determine the discourse relegate some realities to nether regions of consciousness in favour of their version of events. The subterranean realities do not cease to exist. In turn, these suppressed realities reveal themselves in various ways sometimes in quite unexpected, resentful ways and a nation that refuses to engage honestly with these realities pay a steeper price in the end. It would be misleading and wrong to see the demolition of the mosque in Ayodhya on 6 December, 1992, in medias res. It wasn't an event without context, and it certainly wasn't an act that started and ended with BJP's ambition to gain power over the rubble of a mosque. Those political impulses are undeniable, and even the BJP might acknowledge it as such. However, a larger, balanced debate over the Babri mosque demolition is impossible if we refuse to ask ourselves why, even two-and-a-half-decades later, the issue not only remains relevant but continues to drive political discourse. Any fruitful discussion must necessarily break free of the trope that mosque demolition was an act of "pure evil" sponsored by the far-right Hindu revivalist programme as against a syncretic 'idea of India'. It is precisely because of these restrictions on discourse that we have been going around in circles. When the kar sevaks on that fateful day cried "Ek dhakka aur do, Babri Masjid tod do", they were not only responding to political impulses of the day, but were also releasing the anger of suppressed history that has not been allowed an expression. These are strong impulses, grappling with these motivations aren't easy, and they start where the boundaries of political correctness end. A few writers and thinkers who have been brave enough to shed light on the unwritten histories have been branded and labeled into neat little compartments, notwithstanding their considerable achievements in own fields. Historians, for instance, have even branded Nobel Laureate VS Naipaul a 'BJP sympathiser' for his take on the history of Hindu civilisation. In a discussion with the late author and journalist Khushwant Singh whose views on Babri demolition were firmly within the realms of accepted reality (that it was an act of communal disharmony created by BJP), Naipaul once described razing of the mosque as "an act of historical balancing." In the discussion, which happened 17 years ago in the month of May and was reproduced in Outlook, Sir Vidia told Singh that Hindu revivalists were "mimicking the Islamic fundamentalists" in their destruction driven by an impulse of resentment because "the mosque built by Babar in Ayodhya was meant as an act of contempt. Babar was no lover of India. I think it is universally accepted that Babar despised India, the Indian people and their faith." These were by no means outlier statements by the agent provocateur. A year before that discussion, in conversation with journalist Tarun Tejpal in Outlook, the Trinidad-born author who by some reckoning is the greatest living writer in English, expanded on his claim that Muslim invaders had indulged in wanton and large-scale destruction of Hindu religion and culture, and these histories lie un-chronicled but never forgotten, consequently giving rise to a revivalist version of Hinduism. He contested the view that Muslim invasions had resulted in enrichment and syncretisation of cultures. "In art books and history books, people write of the Muslims "arriving" in India, as though the Muslims came on a tourist bus and went away again." The author who relied for his reading of history on primary and original sources such as 14th century Moroccan traveler Ibn Batuta, the Chachnama, an account of the invasions of Sindh by Arabian marauders, or Bernier, the French traveller to India during the time of Shah Jahan held that Muslim version of the history of India's dark ages were truer ones compared to the sanctified ones that we have been taught to believe. "The Muslim view of their conquest of India is a truer one. They speak of the triumph of the faith, the destruction of idols and temples, the loot, the carting away of the local people as slaves, so cheap and numerous that they were being sold for a few rupees. The architectural evidence-the absence of Hindu monuments in the north-is convincing enough There are no Hindu records of this period. Defeated people never write their history. The victors write the history," he told Tejpal in the interview. Giving two examples the destruction of the Vijaynagar kingdom in the south in 1565 and Akbar's ravaging of Odisha in 1592, he spoke of a "larger and more tragic and more illuminating theme. That theme is the grinding down of Hindu India." In an article written in 2004 in Outlook, India-born British playwright Farrukh Dhondy ripped apart historian William Dalrymple for challenging Sir Vidia's credentials as a historian. Pointing out that unlike Dalrymple, Naipaul had relied on primary sources, Dhondy wrote that "Naipaul's history is constructed from the original sources and from the evidence of what is left." Naipaul had a meeting with BJP functionaries in Mumbai in 2004 (he reportedly also was keen on meeting Congress party members but received no invitation). Dhondy, who had attended that meeting later wrote in the Outlook article about Naipaul's views on Babar. "Naipaul is not saying that Babar single-handedly destroyed Hindu civilisation What Naipaul did say about this sixteenth century invasion, at the misreported meeting and elsewhere, was that Babar knew very well what Ayodhya meant to the Hindus. In an act of hubris and religious vandalism he built a mosque on the spot where the population had pitched a legend." We find similar views from the late Nirad C Chaudhuri, the irreverent Englishman who happened to be a Bengali scholar, author and a man of letters. On Babri demolition, he held that: "Muslims do not have the slightest right to complain about the desecration of one mosque in Ayodhya. From 1000 AD every temple from Kathiawar to Bihar, from the Himalayas to the Vindhyas has been sacked and defiled." For his impertinence, the brilliant Nirad C was dismissed as an eccentric who had lost his reason with age. This denial of raids and destructions, which Dhondy reckons have "left the civilisation headless, wounded, truncated in its development," and forced suppression of history, have given rise to anger which manifests itself in myriad, unconnected ways such as unmitigated rage against a Bollywood movie. Padmavati fell victim to that impulse of resentment which seeks to now rewrite history in its own terms. Will this set forth another chain of destruction? Sir Vidia feels it won't. He called India a wounded civilisation in his work, and told Tejpal that Hindu resurgence is "a necessary corrective to the history" It is undeniable that much of the suppression which happened under the aegis of Nehruvian secularism by Leftist historians had as its motto a higher ideal of communal harmony. But as events subsequently have taught us, it is never wise to tamper with history. It is important to engage with injuries of the past to heal the present. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday gave the University of Mumbai another chance to ensure that the technical glitches it faced with the on-screen marking (OSM) system during the summer semester are not repeated during the winter semester this year. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by students and the Bombay University and College Teachers' Union challenging the OSM system for assessing papers online. "Earlier the university went on to introduce the system without doing proper homework. But now we are informed by the state government that the glitches have been identified and remedial measures have been undertaken," a division bench of Justices BR Gavai and Manish Pitale said. "We are of the view that taking into consideration the fact that the government has stepped in and monitored the new system, it would be appropriate to give the university another chance to conduct the OSM system," the court said. The petitions were filed after the university earlier this year faced problems with the system and failed to declare the summer semester results in time. The university's lawyer, Rui Rodrigues, on Wednesday informed the high court that the present semester's exams are likely to get over by mid-December and the results are expected to be declared after 45 days. The bench then posted the matter for further hearing on 14 February. The state government on Wednesday filed an affidavit saying several meetings were held with the university's vice-chancellor, and Maharashtra's governor and chief minister to discuss the difficulties faced by the varsity in declaring the results. "After discussing all the pros and cons, it was decided that the Mumbai University, being a premier university, the OSM system shall be continued for the second half of the examinations of this year too. All issues will be resolved before the commencement of the exams," the affidavit said. Victoria Beckham has received $52 million in funding for her fashion label Victoria Beckham has proven herself as a designer in ways not many other celebrities ever could, and now, her eponymous label is growing fast. The brand has just announced they have received 30 million in funding, thats about AUD$52 million, from Neo Investment Partners, who will now take up a minority stake within the company. Partnership and collaboration is incredibly important to me - working with an amazing team has been the root of the success of my business over the past 10 years, Beckham explained of her business decision. Neo is the perfect partner to now accompany us on the next step of our journey: they understand my vision and my wish for the company to retain its independence, as well as my commitment to continuing to develop the brand with a unique, forward thinking approach. I am hugely excited to be working with Neo. Announced via a release from Victoria Beckham Limited, the brand revealed it will use the money to enhance digital platforms, improve and expand their bricks and mortar stores, and launch new collaborations and categories. The label will also move to a new headquarters in West London in early 2018. Beckham started the label in 2008, and by 2011 was showing at New York Fashion Week and had become established and respected amongst the global fashion community. Now, Beckham is known for her classic take on tailoring and form-flattering shapes in luxurious materials. Most recently, the former Posh Spice announced a collaboration with Reebok, set to be a massive expansion for the designer into active wear. Big things ahead for VB, thats for sure. Read more at:cadbury purple bridesmaid dresses | lemon bridesmaid dresses New Delhi: Corporate India on Wednesday sought lower tax and more incentives for investments while exporters called for quicker GST refunds at a meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the run-up to the last full-year Budget of the NDA government before 2019 general elections. The industry bodies suggested lowering the corporate tax to 18-25 percent, from up to 30 percent at present. The exporters, who are grappling with blockage of working capital, pressed for exemption from tax on export income or lower levies on forex earnings and faster clearance of GST refunds. "The finance minister has promised 25 percent corporate tax rate long back and we expect that the finance minister will fulfil his promise in this Budget," Ficci President Pankaj Patel told PTI. The industry body also sought support for innovation, employment generation through investment in the MSME and startup sector and specific incentives for new investments, highlighting the need to establish an export zone with manufacturing facilities but without any taxes or regulations. "We have asked to reduce the corporate taxes. Across the world, people are reducing corporate taxes and India is among the highest. We do need to create more demand and capacities for private investment and if you see today, GST has increased the tax rates," CII President Shobana Kamineni said. CII suggested that the road map for corporate tax rate for India should include reducing it to 18 percent (all inclusive) at the earliest and withdrawal of surcharges and cesses. "The implementation (of GST) and refund delays are a cause of concern, so we have suggested that if they can give us the IGST refund also, along with the drawback. In the US, there is a differential tax rate for export earnings, so we have sought a lower rate of tax on export earnings than the normal corporate rates," EEPC India Working Committee Member P K Shah said. According to Shah, refunds of exporters to the tune of at least Rs 60,000-70,000 crore are stuck post GST rollout in July. "We have asked the finance minister to take the corporate tax to 25 percent comparing with developed and industrialised nations. This would help in investment and which, in turn, would increase employment opportunities. Dividend distribution tax, which is around 20 percent, should also be lesser," said Assocham President Sandeep Jajodia. "We would urge the government to provide fiscal support to units that provide additional employment in the export sector. Such a scheme will also help the workers move from informal employment to formal employment, which is a priority of the government. "Incentives may be provided based on twin criteria of growth in exports and growth in workers so that while export is increased, the employment intensive units also get a boost," exporters' body FIEO said. "We have requested for reduction in the direct taxes and a scheme to boost women employment and expediting the refunds under GST as they have been delayed," P R Aqueel Ahmed, Vice-Chairman of the Council for Leather Exports. For full coverage of Union Budget 2018, click here. By Sharanya Gopinathan What does Dr Piyush Saxena, a self-described past-life regression therapist, film producer, actor and magician, have to do with trans people? Well, hes the founder of an organisation called, unbelievably, Salvation of Oppressed Eunuchs. This seems to be the sole reason why he became the governments primary source of information for the Transgender Persons [Protection of Rights] Bill 2016. This controversial Bill is set to be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament, and is meant to put into action all the mostly-wonderful things the Supreme Court ordered in the NALSA judgment of 2015. The Bill has been championed by the Union Minister for Social Justice Ramesh Bais, a BJP MP who headed the committee that provided a Parliamentary report on an earlier version of the Bill. Bais freely admits he doesn't know much about trans people himself, and that his main source of information was Dr Saxena. If the knowledge that a professional magician is the brains behind a Bill protecting trans people doesn't worry you already, get this: in an interview to Hindustan Times, Saxena once said that some trans women are sexually very hot, and also never get erections. Given the individuals behind the Bill then, its no surprise that its hugely problematic. This timeline by Sampoorna, a trans and intersex advocacy group, shows that the government has no excuse for the many issues with the Bill. It had numerous opportunities to revise it to include the suggestions that rights groups submitted at different stages of the Bill being drafted, like in December 2015, when the government put out an early draft. Sampoorna has even launched an online signature campaign to stop the Bill from being passed. So what protections does the Transgender Persons [Protection of Rights] Bill 2016 afford trans people in its current form, and why are LGBTQI groups opposing it so vociferously now? Heres a quick rundown of the facts. Who gets to be trans? Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start, sang Julie Andrews who is currently advocating for trans students in the US. The Bill spectacularly begins with a wildly problematic definition of the word transgender. It declares that a transgender person is neither wholly female nor wholly male, or a combination of female or male or neither female nor male, and whose sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to that person at the time of birth, and includes trans men and trans women, persons with intersex variations and gender-queers. While the definition of transgender is of course, very complex, and can change in different cultural contexts, its generally accepted that a transgender person is simply one whose gender identity is inconsistent with the one assigned to them. It certainly has nothing to do with being neither wholly female nor wholly male or an amalgamation of the two. This definition also flies in the face of the Supreme Courts own ruling that people have the right to gender self-determination. Not to mention that transgender and intersex are not interchangeable terms at all and its problematic for this Bill to say they are. Even more worryingly, the current Bill specifies that a transperson needs to receive a certificate to show that they are trans to avail any of their rights under this Bill. A person who wants such a certificate must file an application with the District Magistrate, who will refer them to a screening committee consisting of a Chief Medical Officer and a psychiatrist, among others, who will apparently take a group decision on the persons gender. This once again flies in the face of the idea of gender self-determination, a right the Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed we possess in the Right to Privacy judgment, and in NALSA. Just imagine the spectacle of a trans person having to convince a doctor, psychiatrist and assorted others that they are trans. Or imagine having to prove your own gender to a doctor and psychiatrist to receive a certificate saying you are the gender you claim to be. Imagine the insult, the humiliation, the sheer unfairness of it all. Where did all the medical services go? While it seems to have big plans for identifying and certifying trans people, the Bill is remarkably unambitious when it comes to health care, one of the biggest areas of concern for trans people. The Bill goes back on a provision from its own 2015 version, and no longer contains a provision for free gender-reassignment surgeries and procedures. Instead it now has a provision for providing for medical health facilities such as gender-reassignment surgeries and hormonal therapy, except it doesnt seem to be free. It also provides for an insurance scheme for transgender persons, but only those certified by a District Screening Commission. The Bill also makes the ambitious, complex plan of bringing out a health manual on gender reassignment surgery, aimed at medical professionals. Trans and intersex groups, on the other hand, have been asking for the Medical Council of India to make clear guidelines about trans health care, monitoring mechanisms to ensure accessibility to healthcare, the creation of separate wards for transgender persons in hospitals, the right to avail insurance without having to prove their gender to psychologists, and the provision of amenities to provide healthcare and education to trans people in juvenile justice homes, prisons and short-stay homes. None of these provisions have made it into the Bill. But hey, at least there will be a manual. Why criminalise begging? The Bills provision on the criminalisation of begging is the perfect example of how little this Bill speaks to the actual, specific realities of trans peoples lives. The Bill says, whoever compels or entices a transgender person to indulge in the act of begging or other similar forms of forced or bonded labour [] shall be punishable with imprisonment. Hijras and begging have a complex relationship. Academicians have listed begging (mangti) as one of the three traditional types of work that hijras in India engage in for their livelihood (the other two being badhai, or giving blessings, and sex work), which means that hijras engage in both a cultural and economic practice of begging. This Bill ignores all these subtle connotations. Organisations such as Sampoorna have pointed out that the provision will only lead to the further criminalisation of vulnerable trans communities struggling to make a livelihood. It could also lead to situations where gurus (the heads of hijra family structures) could be imprisoned for forcing their chelas to beg. The Bill, therefore, is likely to punish individuals who engage in begging without being cognisant of the actual economic circumstances, alternative family structures and cultural traditions that lead some trans people in India to begging in the first place. 'No one rapes trans people' Shockingly, the Bill takes no measures to curb the specific violence that the trans community faces. The current laws on sexual assault in the Indian Penal Code do not apply to trans people anyway (due to the archaic language of the law like the modesty of a woman or unnatural sex with any man, woman or animal). The new Bill does nothing to bridge this legal gap. The only oblique reference to sexual violence here says that the sexual abuse of a trans person would be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to two years and with fine. What logical reason is there for the crime of raping a trans person to merit a lesser punishment than the crime of raping a non-trans (cis) person, which has a minimum sentence of seven years? By mandating a lesser sentence here, the Bill seems to imply that violence against a trans person is a less heinous crime than violence against a cis people. This conveys the clear message that, in the eyes of the law, trans people are lesser humans than others. Forgetting something? The Bill contains a definition of family that fails to include families of choice and adoptive families, which are of particular relevance to trans people. It also makes no mention of affirmative action, a move that the Supreme Court itself called for in NALSA, or for a specific avenue for the documentation of rights abuses. So as it stands, the Transgender Persons [Protection of Rights] Bill 2016 is clearly woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the Indian trans community. If passed, it would not only cement problematic definitions of gender into law, but also institute provisions that actively harm the community and potentially lead to more interference and discrimination than they already face. It would also make it seem as though the job is done because if a seemingly-comprehensive Bill actualising the NALSA judgment is passed, it seems unlikely that lawmakers will rush to the issue again in the near future. This would mean that the Bill, if passed, will likely be the last major legislation we will see in this field for a while. So, its even more urgent that its done right. The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between. Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said a total of 4,501 houses in Cyclone Ockhi-hit Kanyakumari have suffered partial and full damage and relief to the tune of Rs 41 lakh has been provided in this regard so far. A government release quoting Revenue Secretary B Chandramohan said 1,687 houses had been damaged completely while 2,814 houses suffered partial damage. The assessment of the damaged houses was complete in the district, it said. A relief of Rs 5,000 each has been deposited in the bank accounts of owners of 325 houses that were damaged completely, while 1,002 houses that suffered partial damage have been provided Rs 4000, totalling Rs 41 lakh, the release said. The process of verifying the bank account details of the rest of the house owners who have suffered losses was on and once it was completed, the relief amount will be deposited within two days after that, it added. Further, assessment of the extent of damage to paddy crops, coconut trees, plantain crops, rubber plantation and spices will be taken up from today by teams comprising officials from the departments of Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulture. These efforts were being undertaken on 'war-footing,' Chandramohan was quoted as saying. Last week, Cyclone Ockhi battered Kanyakumari, severely crippling normal life, particularly affecting scores of fishermen. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had visited the district on Sunday, reviewing the search and rescue operations of the missing fishermen by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force. Senior officials of the state government are also camping in the district and overseeing the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Cyclone Ockhi is gradually weakening into a depression and may not hit the Gujarat coast near Surat as predicted earlier, the Meteorological Centre said in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night. Cyclonic storm Ockhi has already turned into a "deep depression" and may hit south Gujarat only as a "depression", according to an official statement. The deep depression is located around 240 kms south-southwest of Surat. "The deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea moved further north-northeastwards with a speed of 18 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred over east-central Arabian Sea near latitude 19.4 N and longitude 71.5 E, about 240 km south-southwest of Surat and 150 km west-northwest of Mumbai," the IMD forecast said. "It is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken further and cross south Gujarat and adjoining north Maharashtra coasts near Surat as a depression by tonight (5th December 2017)," the bulletin read. However, there is also a probability of dissipation of the system over the sea before the landfall due to unfavourable environmental conditions, like high wind shear and colder sea surface temperatures near the coast, it added. The Indian Express, however, reported that over 3,200 people were evacuated from 29 coastal villages in Surat district as a precaution against cyclone Ockhi. Pankaj Kumar, Principal Secretary of Gujarat Revenue Department, was quoted as saying by the report, "The administration has deployed two NDRF teams in Surat and one each in Navsari, Valsad, Bhavnagar and Amreli. The air force, army, navy, coast guard, BSF all have been put on alert." The rains will however continue in parts of Gujarat as the forecast says Valsad, Surat, Navsari, Bharuch, Dang, Tapi, Amreli, Diu, Daman, Dadra, Nagar Haveli districts are very likely to receive light to moderate rainfall till morning on 6 December, reports India Today. North Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are also very likely to see similar rainfall patterns till Wednesday noon. Maharashtra's Palghar, Thane, Raigarh, Greater Mumbai, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar and Pune districts are likely to get light to moderate rainfall till morning on 6 December. Regional IMD officials said the cyclone had already weakened into a deep depression. "The cyclone has already weakened into a deep depression and it is highly likely that it will turn into a depression. There are possibilities that it does not hit the coast at all and, as there is a probability of dissipation over the sea before the landfall," Jayanta Sarkar, director of the MeT office in Ahmedabad, said. "The system weakened mainly because of unfavourable environmental conditions, like high wind shear and colder sea surface near the coast. The system weakened because it is winter. The story would have been different had it occurred during the monsoon or pre-monsoon season," he said. The IMD release said that the deep depression would bring light to moderate rain in several parts of state for the next three days as the sea condition would remain rough for the next 18 hours. The MeT Centre cautioned fishermen from venturing into the sea for the next 18 hours. After causing rains in Mumbai, Cyclone Ockhi was likely to make a landfall near Surat. Several top political leaders were forced to cancel their rallies in the poll-bound state, which experienced showers. Although the cyclone has weakened, the state administration has made all the preparation to meet any eventuality. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani travelled to Surat and took a review meeting of preparations to deal with the situation. Around 1,600 people have been shifted to safer places in Surat, officials said adding that the security forces NDRF, BSF, Army, Navy, Coast Guard have been alerted to take all necessary steps. Conducted review meeting with officials in view of #OkhiCyclone at Surat. Instructed them to leave no stone unturned to counter any adverse situation. People are requested to follow the instructions issued by the administration from time to time and cooperate. No need to panic. pic.twitter.com/vgxXzD8ETh Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) December 5, 2017 With inputs from PTI Mumbai: An activist has filed a case of extortion against unidentified members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang at Mumbai's suburban Khar police station, a senior official said on Wednesday. The activist, Shabnam Sheikh, told police that she started receiving multiple calls from Pakistan-based numbers after she filed a cheating complaint against former Bigg Boss contested Zuber Khan, the official said. In her complaint, Sheikh alleged that the caller used to identify himself as a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang and demanded Rs 1 crore. She said the caller also threatened her family members. "Based on the complaint filed by Sheikh, a case has been registered against the members of the Dawood and Chhota Shakeel gang," said Khar police station senior inspector Ramchandra Jadhav. The case has been registered under sections 387 (extortion) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Jadhav said, adding that further investigations are on. According to sources, Sheikh had earlier helped Zuber Khan in getting a complaint lodged against Bollywood actor Salman Khan, the host of the Bigg Boss. After getting evicted from the show, Zuber had alleged that Salman threatened him, and allegedly attempted suicide by consuming pills. The sources said Sheikh verified Zuber Khan's version of the suicide bid from the doctor of the show, which she found was an exaggerated claim. She then approached Khar police station and filed a cheating complaint against Zuber Khan, following which she started receiving extortion calls from Pakistan-based numbers. ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police fired teargas on Wednesday at youths marching in Athens to mark the ninth anniversary of the killing of a teenager by police in an incident that sparked the worst riots for decades in a country with a history of street violence. A petrol bomb explodes next to riot police during clashes following an anniversary rally marking the 2008 police shooting of 15-year-old student, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in Athens, Greece, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alkis KonstantinidisBefore Wednesdays march, Reuters witnesses saw young people wearing hoods smashing paving stones to use as projectiles and street poles to break window displays. A few hundred students, among them dozens of black-clad youths, marched through central Athens chanting Resist!, waving red and black flags in a tribute to 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos who was shot dead in 2008. Some of the protesters set garbage containers on fire and hurled stones at police who responded with teargas and had formed protective cordons outside parliament and hotels in central Athens. More than 2,000 police were deployed in Athens, a day before a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A petrol bomb explodes in front of riot police during an anniversary rally marking the 2008 police shooting of 15-year-old student Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in Athens, Greece December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Costas Baltas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYOn Wednesday evening, hundreds of protesters marched outside parliament chanting This bullet did not fall by accident, keep your hands off the youth and held banners reading These days belong to Alexis. Slideshow (5 Images)After the march, police clashed with protesters hurling petrol bombs at them in the bohemian Exarchia district, where the unarmed boy was shot dead. There were more demonstrations in other cities across the country. Clashes broke out during protests in the northern city of Thessaloniki. On the night of December 6, 2008, hours after Grigoropoulos was shot dead, thousands took to the streets of Athens, torching cars and smashing shop windows. The riots, that were also fuelled by anger over unemployment and economic hardship in the prelude to Greeces debt crisis, lasted for weeks. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Chandigarh: A committee set up by the Haryana government to investigate the death of a seven-year-old child in a Gurugram hospital has found it guilty on various counts and a case would be registered against it, a Minister said on Wednesday. The high-level probe panel had found Fortis Hospital in Gurugram guilty of "grave negligence, lapse, unethical and unlawful acts in the death of Adya Singh in September", Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told the media in Chandigarh. He said the government will get a case registered against the leading private hospital, adding that legal opinion was being sought on how it could be done. "A notice has been issued for the cancellation of the licence of the hospital's blood bank. The Haryana Urban Development Authority will also be requested to explore the possibility of cancellation of the lease of land given to the hospital," Vij said. "The action has been taken in view of the committee report which found irregularities in the hospital functioning. The girl's parents have also recorded their statements before the committee," Vij said. The Health Department had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Additional Director General Dr Rajiv Wadhera. The case made national headlines in November after revelations that Fortis issued a bill of nearly Rs 16 lakh to the bereaved family even though she had died due to dengue-related complications. Vij said the report said the minor girl was admitted in the paediatrics intensive care unit of Fortis Hospital from August 31 to September 14. "During this period, the hospital not only violated diagnosis protocol, but also ignored rules and regulations of the Indian Medical Association. In this direction, a letter has been written to the Medical Council of India for taking appropriate action. He said hospital administration deliberately used expensive medicines rather than generic and affordable ones to treat the girl in violation of IMA norms." Vij said the rules provided for informing the local Civil Hospital about any dengue patient, which Fortis Hospital did not do. "The Gurugram Civil Surgeon has issued a notice to Fortis Hospital. Its doctors also carried out transfusion of platelets 25 times and there was overcharging on this count. So, orders have been issued to cancel the hospital's blood bank licence," the Minister said. "Serious irregularities vis-a-vis the shifting of the child to some other hospital have also come to the fore. As per IMA guidelines, advance life support ambulance should have been provided but hospital only provided her with a basic life support ambulance that lacked oxygen and other basic facilities. The parents told the probe committee that hospital authorities forged their signatures on the consent letter," Vij added. The Minister said the government will write to the Medical Council of India to act against the erring doctors. Vij said costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available in the Fortis pharmacy, adding that the hospital overcharged on every count of treatment. He said the hospital made hefty profits on the medicines given, which worked out between 108 per cent and as high as 1,737 per cent in certain cases. Hablish, Kashmir: Since the day her son disappeared in Januaryafter which he joined the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)Mehmooda Wani made frantic and often desperate attempts to locate her youngest son, thinking up ways of persuading him to give up arms and come home. But Yawar Bashir Wani, 21, never returned to meet his parents, particularly his mother, after joining militancy. He was a militant for 308 days. The end came swiftly. On Monday night, security forces blew up a residential home in Kulgam, killing Yawar and two foreign militants. One August morning, the Jammu and Kashmir Police identified Yawar among the four militants who were allegedly part of an attack on the pilgrims returning from Amarnath Yatra on 10 July which left eight worshippers dead and more than 20 injured. The attack shook Kashmir and was widely condemned by political parties and civil society across the ideological spectrum. I wish they are lying, Yawar's father Bashir Ahmad Wani, 55, a government employee in the forest department, told me earlier this year. The other three, Inspector General of Police, Munir Khan, said, were all foreigners. No religion teaches killing of innocent people, and particularly when they are on their religious duty, Wani added. Mehmooda knew the police blamed her son for the brutal attack. However, she remained unconvinced and never abandoned her search. The second wife of Bashir, Mehmooda would look for her son at the homes of active and former militants, their over-ground workers, religious figures, seminaries, bus stands, in buildings under construction and even a nearby forest. Bashir married Mehmooda in early 2002, after Yawars mother died at a young age. He accompanied his father on the day of his second wedding, sitting in the front seat of a taxi that carried the groom, Mehmooda told me one recent morning, as we drove to a nearby village after news broke that one of the militants trapped in an encounter was Yawar. "Bashir's children were young and that is why he got married again," Mehmooda said. "He wanted to make sure they did not feel the absence of a mother. After a grueling search, in the last week of October, when a phone rang, Mehmooda got dressed and stepped out of her single-storey house in Hablish area of Devsar in Kulgam district. Bashir stood on the narrow path between the front steps of the home and the small gate. Where are you going? Bashir asked his wife. I am going to find my son, Mehmooda replied calmly. People will say you have gone mad. He is a militant. They will say you are an informer for police, Wani scolded his wife. He stopped her from leaving their home. After that, Mehmooda hardly ever left home. Confined to her kitchen and thinking about her son, she spent most of her days looking through a window which offered a panoramic view of the vast paddy field behind her home and the Pirpanjal mountains. A few days later, I sat with Mehmooda in her kitchen, sipping nun chai, as the paddy in the field swayed with the wind. I am his step mother,Mehmooda said, I have to try harder than his own mother. If I dont, people will say I was the reason behind his joining militancy. I cant afford to miss any opportunity that comes my way to get him back. It is often an unexplained yet traumatic experience when you sit with parents of those who have chosen the path of violence as a political ideology. The experience of dealing with the decisions of their children can, at best, remain unexplained. But it is the life afterwards which is more traumatic. Covering it as a reporter also means consciously keeping an observant eye instead of becoming part of the story. Returning home empty-handed, Mehmooda would often find people staring at her for trying to get back a militant, who was on the path of Allah now. But then, the next morning, she'd embark on another journey without, in most instances, informing her husband. Yawar was a student at a religious seminary Darul-Uloom Bilaliya in Srinagar before he joined the LeT. He decamped with a weapon from a policeman at Hazratbal area of Srinagar. He soon announced his decision on Facebook. Bashir, who despite being in the forest department, a highly corrupt bureau in Jammu and Kashmir, is not a rich man. The house is not well furnished; a small area turned into a park is filled with dust coming from outside. When my children needed money, I hardly had it, Bashir said, Now, I have it but the boy who needed it most is gone. A few days before he left, Yawar asked his father to change his seminary from Srinagar to Anantnag. Bashir was furious. After all, he'd recently paid Yawar's fees. This led to an argument and the father and son were not on speaking terms. Bashir said on the last day his son was home, he asked Yawar asked for forgiveness and told him to hug him tight. I will always remember that I did not hug him tightly, Bashir said, almost murmuring. If I knew he was not going to come back, I would have hugged him tightly and told him to forgive me. On Monday, a group of militants attacked a convoy which was coming from Jammu to Srinagar, near Qazigund area of south Kashmir in Kulgam district, killing an army soldier. The militants fled from the scene and entered a double-storey house. Yawar was among the militants killed by security forces. I could not bring him back and it will haunt me forever, Mehmooda shouted even as people began gathering at their home on Tuesday morning in the run up to the funeral prayers. My son, I will soon join you in your world, she cried, as Yawar's body was taken away to be buried. London: Indian soldiers who fought both the world wars have been honoured for their "significant contribution and sacrifice" by a group of British Members of Parliament who sported marigold badges in their memory. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in the World War I and 2.5 million in the World War II the largest volunteer army in history. More than 160,000 soldiers lost their lives in the two conflicts and 39 individuals received the prestigious Victoria Cross medal for their bravery. Members of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee from all the major political parties highlighted the "significant contribution and sacrifice" of Indian soldiers during the wars at a meeting held on Tuesday. The lawmakers wore marigold badges, the new Indian symbol of remembrance to mark Armed Forces Flag Day on 7 December. "The Armed Services Flag day this week provides a timely opportunity to highlight the role of the Indian armed forces particularly ahead of the 2018 Centenary of the end of the First World War," said Tom Tugendhat, Conservative party Member of Parliament and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. "By wearing the orange marigold, I hope our committee can make an important and highly appropriate gesture in recognising the outsised contribution of Indian soldiers in both world wars," he said. The Royal British Legion, which runs the annual poppy appeal in the United Kingdom, is planning a special programme of activity for the 2018 Centenary Year marking the end of the World War I, which will include recognition of Indian soldiers. MUMBAI (Reuters) - Infosys has sought a settlement with Indias market regulator over a disputed severance package awarded to its former chief financial officer. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Infosys is pictured inside the company's headquarters in Bengaluru, India, April 13, 2017. REUTERS/Abhishek N. Chinnappa/File PhotoFounders of the Indian IT services company, led by Narayana Murthy, had objected to the payout to Rajiv Bansal and the ensuing row culminated in the resignation of the then CEO Vishal Sikka and chairman R Seshasayee. Infosys said in a statement on Wednesday it had applied to the Securities and Exchange Board of India as it wanted to resolve allegations, including issues related to not seeking the prior approval of the nomination and remuneration committee and disclosures relating to the payout. The company, which appointed Salil Parekh as its new CEO on Saturday, said the process was based on an undertaking that it would neither admit nor deny any findings. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Editors Note: Today, Marvin Blunte filmmaker of 6 Weeks to Mothers Day , shares some of the things he learned while teaching at a school in rural Thailand. Like many students, I grew up in a traditional school system. It wasnt until my mid 30s, when I visited a school in the Thai jungle, that I began to question the education I received and education practices in general. My first day at this little school, called Childrens Village School , I wandered around taking photos. While most of the students in the village were in class, one instead followed me around relentlessly. At one point in the day, the one English-speaking teacher in the village approached me and asked how I was doing. I responded that all was well, and then apologized that the student was skipping class to follow me. She smiled and responded, He is in class. He is studying you. He likes your camera, so he naturally wants to learn what you are doing. This is a Summerhill school. The children are free to study what they choose. My first reaction was disbelief, but the longer I stayed, the more I realized that this little jungle school was way ahead of the curve, and I started doing research. Childrens Village School opened in rural west Thailand in 1979 as the countrys first democratic school. Its opening signaled a firm and somewhat controversial departure from the countrys rather rigid one-size-fits-all education system. The school credits the inspiration for its democratic education approach to A.S. Neills Summerhill School in England. Childrens Village founders Pibhop and Rajani Dhongchai felt that since not all children are the same, there was no reason all schools should be the same. They also noticed that the current government system didnt make any accommodations for abused or poverty-stricken children, leaving them behind. This centralized system did an excellent job of keeping its impoverished citizens uneducated and powerless. Taking the Summerhill concept one step further, Childrens Village doubled as an orphanage/boarding school for the countrys most underprivileged, hence the village part of the schools name. At the heart of the schools democratic ideals is the student council, where students can air grievances and vote equally with teachers on village issues. My initial exposure to the school inspired me to return the next year to teach a photography class. This led to a deeper understanding of the school and its purpose. Here are 5 lessons I learned while teaching at this school. 1. People naturally learn what they like. Adults and children alike tend to gravitate to what interests them. As adults, we hate to be forced to do anything, so its no wonder that children feel the same. Forcing children to study something they hate most likely has the opposite effect of that desired. Getting a good grade on a test means nothing if the student is turned off from the subject forever. Applying something as radical as the Summerhill system in all schools may not be the answer, but educators must engage students and figure out when to push and when not to push. Its difficult to put a fun or interesting spin on something like calculus, but its not impossible, and putting stress on a child to learn something they dislike isnt the answer, either. Educators must strive to find an appropriate middle ground. 2. Children have a strong sense of justice. An integral part of the social system in Childrens Village is the student council. Here, students air grievances and vote as equals with each other and adults on village issues. They learn early that the concept of accountability is a group effort. In my observations, the students managed to solve issues in a far more mature way than one might expect. They have an incredibly strong desire to see justice served, and they also call for harsher punishment, even for infractions that they themselves are likely to commit. Being a part of the schools decision process gives students more self-confidence, independence, and grows their ability to reason. These are lessons that can be applied to any classroom or situation in life. If you want to engage your students, act as a guide but let them take the lead. 3. Maybe medication isnt the answer. A lot of debate has swirled around giving children medication for conditions such as attention deficit disorder. Rather than focusing on diagnoses and medication, the founders of Childrens Village emphasize an understanding of child psychology. Forcing a child to do something they dont want to do often manifests as behavioral problems. In some instances, the proposed solution in traditional education is to medicate the child for ADD or ADHD. Perhaps instead, other methods could be tried to engage the child. If that means offering up more freedom, so be it. If not, perhaps a different education system might serve the child better. Medication should ideally be the last resort. 4. Our education practices reflect strengths and weaknesses of our culture. Not long ago, getting knuckles slammed with a ruler was considered a normal punishment in traditional schools. Even if thats no longer the case, fear is still often used to motivate students, and that lack of empowerment and helplessness may cause future issues. At Childrens Village School, students are empowered to speak out immediately about infractions against them and bring it before the council. They are taught from day 1 that they have rights and to violate those rights means to be judged in front of their peers. 5. Freedom does not mean anarchy. Contrary to popular belief, the Summerhill system does not spiral into disaster. Good teachers are every bit as important in a Summerhill school as they are in any other school system. At Childrens Village, a peer process is in place, and older students help guide younger ones. Encouraging students to look after their younger counterparts helps keep things level, and is part of the reason there are no cotton candy breakfasts or gummy bear lunches, for example, in spite of the free environment of the village. I have studied this small Summerhill school for more than 6 years and have watched many students grow into young adults. The system is by no means perfect, but I firmly believe that many of Childrens Village democratic traits should be incorporated into more standard school systems. I have learned that giving more power to students better helps them grow into well-adjusted adults, and thats really what the purpose of education should be. Connect with Marvin and Heather on Twitter. Image credit: 6 Weeks to Mothers Day. Used with permission of the author. Mumbai: The CBI on Wednesday quizzed former media baron Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani Mukerjea, both of whom are in jail in the Sheena Bora murder case, in connection with a case related to the affairs of INX Media. The special CBI court conducting the trial in the Sheena Bora murder case recently allowed the Central agency to question the Mukerjeas in jail. While CBI officials questioned Indrani Mukerjea in Byculla prison, Peter Mukerjea was questioned at Arthur Road prison, a senior agency official said. "We have started questioning both since 4 December. It will continue on 7 and 8 December," the official added. INX Media is accused of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions for receiving investment from Mauritius, and Mukerjeas, who at one time controlled the firm, are accused of syphoning off money. Srinagar: Police said on Wednesday it has cracked the murder case of Territorial Army jawan Irfan Dar, who was abducted and killed by militants last month, by arresting a person from south Kashmir's Shopian district. A search is on for three militants in connection with the case. The gruesome murder of Sepoy Irfan Dar, who was working with 175 Territorial Army, has been worked out and one of the co-conspirators identified as Muzamil, a resident of Shirmal, has been arrested by Shopian Police, a police spokesman said in Srinagar. Dar's bullet-ridden body was recovered from village Wuthmula on 25 November and consequently police registered a case and started investigations. The spokesman said the investigation conducted so far has found that militants Saddam Padder and Bilal Mohand both residents of Heff, Touseef, a resident of Gadbugh, and a newly-recruited unidentified militant along with arrested accused Muzamil hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill Dar. In pursuance of the criminal conspiracy, the spokesman said, on November 24, Muzamil went to the native village of Irfan and took him to Wuthmula where the above mentioned militants were already present in a nearby orchard. The militants came out from the orchard and fired at Dar, killing him on the spot, he said. After executing the gruesome murder, all of them fled from the spot, the spokesman said. He said police, on the basis of evidence available, could unearth the entire chain of conspiracy and nabbed accused Muzamil. Police is on a look-out for the other three militants and necessary legal proceedings are in progress to complete the investigation, the spokesman said. Ahmedabad: Father of Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, who was allegedly killed in a fake encounter along with Ishrat Jahan and two others in 2004, on Tuesday opposed the discharge application filed by former IPS officer PP Pandey at a special CBI court in Ahmedabad. Moving an application in the court of special judge JK Pandya, Pranesh's father Gopinath Pillai, who was added as a respondent on the order of the CBI court, said Pandey's discharge would "obstruct the uncovering of the conspiracy". "Pandey's discharge will obstruct the uncovering of the conspiracy to murder the present respondent's son and others, and will hinder the trial court from arriving at the true facts," the application said. "Pandey had misrepresented and concealed the case against him as disclosed by the CBI. Pandey, then a joint commissioner of police, was a key conspirator behind the abduction and killing of the four and was involved in criminal conspiracy, as proven by recorded statements of witnesses," Gopinath said in the application. He said Pandey had "not denied" any knowledge of the incident in his discharge application. "There are legal evidences which are more than a strong suspicion and therefore, grounds to frame charges and proceed with the trial," Gopinath said. The court posted the matter for 16 December. An FIR was registered against Pandey and others in December, 2011 and a charge sheet was filed against him by the CBI on 3 July, 2013 for murder, criminal conspiracy and other charges under various sections of IPC and the Arms Act. Pandey surrendered before a special CBI judge in Ahmedabad on 13 August, 2013. He was granted bail in February, 2015. Pandey had moved the discharge plea last December, saying that the statements of two witnesses against him were contradictory. He had also cited his reinstatement and promotion as incharge DGP (he resigned in April this year following the Supreme Court's reservation against him) as one of the grounds for seeking his discharge. He had claimed that none of the 105 witnesses examined by the court named him in the fake encounter case. Pandey had also said that he should be discharged as he did not have any "direct or indirect involvement in the case," and that the court had not yet taken supplementary charge sheet on record. He had submitted before the court that the CBI initiated action against him without taking sanction from the state government as per the provisions of section 197 of CrPC. Arguing against Pandey's discharge plea, the CBI had told the court that the agency had enough evidence against him. In the first charge sheet filed by the CBI in 2013, seven Gujarat police officers were named as accused, including IPS officers PP Pandey, DG Vanzara and GL Singhal, who are facing charges for kidnapping, murder and conspiracy. Pandey is facing charges of murder (section 302), criminal conspiracy (section 120(B)), abetter present when crime is committed (section 114), and sections of the Arms Act. The case pertains to alleged staged encounter of Ishrat Jahan (19), her friend Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai and two others, by crime branch officials on 15 June, 2004 on the outskirts of the city. The city crime branch had then said that those killed in the encounters were Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who had landed in Gujarat to kill then chief minister Narendra Modi. The SIT constituted by the Gujarat High Court had concluded that it was not a genuine encounter as the four were first abducted, held illegally and then murdered in cold blood. Jaipur: Eight members of Pakistan based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including three Pakistanis, were awarded life imprisonment by a local court in Jaipur on Wednesday. The LeT members were arrested in 2010 and 2011 by the Rajasthan Anti Terrorist Squad. An additional district and sessions court in Jaipur pronounced the sentence on Wednesday. The accused were awarded life imprisonment under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act along with a cash penalty of 3 lakh each, Mahaveer Jindal, special public prosecutor told reporters. They were convicted under sections 13 (abetting unlawful activity), section 18 (punishment for conspiracy), section 18 (B) (recruiting for terror act) and section 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA last week, he added. The Pakistani LeT members Asgar Ali, Shakkar Ulla and Shahid Iqbal were accused of recruiting persons for various anti-national activities. The other five accused are Babu alias Nishachand Ali, Hafiz Abdul, Pawan Puri, Arun Jain and Kabil, Jindal said. Babu and Pawan Puri came into contact with Asgar Ali in Bikaner Jail, he said adding that Kabil came into touch with Shahid Iqbal in a Punjab jail. All of them were in touch with a LeT commander based in Pakistan through mobile, Jindal said. The Rajasthan ATS had swung into action on receiving an alert from central intelligence agencies intercepting telephonic conversation between the LeT men lodged in jails and Lashkar commander in Pakistan in 2010. Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government has sought the army's cooperation in removing bottlenecks in the construction of an airstrip in the picturesque Kishtwar district, an official spokesman said on Wednesday. State chief secretary BB Vyas took up the matter with concerned army officers during a visit to the proposed airstrip in Kishtwar, the spokesman said. Byas sought the army's cooperation in getting issues resolved at the earliest so that the much-needed airstrip could be made operational. The chief secretary said government was keen to make the airstrip functional at the earliest for the convenience of the people as also to increase the tourist footfall in the area. Vyas was in Kishtwar on Tuesday to take stock of the progress of developmental works on the ground. Expressing concern over the sluggish pace of fund utilisation, the chief secretary asked officers to access resources available for developmental works and make optimum and judicious use of the same to build requisite public infrastructure in the area. Jammu: Indian and Pakistan armies traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district late on Monday. Police said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in the area by using mortars, automatics and small arms. "Pakistan army resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing in Nowshera sector Tuesday evening." "Indian positions retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing exchange between the two sides continued for over one hour. There was no casualty or damage on our side," police said. Jammu: JKNPP chief patron Bhim Singh on Tuesday sought President Ramnath Kovind's intervention to invoke Section 92 of Jammu and Kashmir's Constitution to impose Governor's rule in the state. Section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir is invoked to impose Governor's rule. If Governor's rule is not revoked within six months, President's rule under Article 356 of the Constitution of India is imposed. "There is no governance in the entire state. The situation in the Jammu municipal limits has crossed the flash point because of the presence of Burmese Rohingya in total defiance of law," the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) leader said in statement. He appealed to the president to direct shifting of Rohingya refugees outside J&K, saying "it will be in the best interest of the state and the rest of the country". JKNPP chief also called on Governor NN Vohra to convene an all party meeting, either in Srinagar or Jammu and invite Hurriyat leaders. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be more concerned about priorities before the country rather than focusing on who represents whom in court, Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said even as he claimed that he never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya case. In a retort to Modi, the former union minister asked him to check facts before saying something in public. "I learnt that the prime minister and Amit Shah have said that I represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court, but I was never representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya issue. "It would have been better had the prime minister been more careful and checked the facts before saying so in public. What I said in court on his divisive agenda, he has proved that right in a single day," he told PTI. The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the vehement submission of Sunni Waqf Board and others that hearing of appeals in the sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute be conducted in July 2019 after the general elections and fixed February 8 to hear them. In the Supreme Court order, Sibal's name featured as a lawyer for the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board. Sibal said instead of worrying about whom he represents in court, the prime minister should be more concerned about the problems before the country and his home state of Gujarat. He said there were serious problems arising out of demonetisation and implementation of GST besides uprising of youths against the BJP due to job losses and lack of employment, the state of education and health and those of tribals and also rising pollution. "There are serious problems concerning the country. But look at the priorities of the prime minister. "We want to take the country forward, but he wants to take it behind. We want to unite the society, but he wants to divide it," Sibal said. Asked whether he wanted the temple to be built, Sibal said it is up to Lord Rama to do so and the court and not Narendra Modi. "We have faith in God and Lord Rama and not in Modi. The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be built only when the Lord wants and the courts will decide and not Modi," he also said. The former union minister asked whether any discussion about his going to court to represent someone will help the country in solving the serious problems before it. He said issuing statements would not help India as it would take the nation towards more controversies. Earlier in the day, Modi, while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat, castigated Sibal for seeking deferment of hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute till after the 2019 general elections, and wondered if such an issue should be kept unresolved for political gains and losses. "Yesterday, Sibal advocated the cause of the Muslim community. He has the right to do it and we do not have any problem with it. You can present your argument quoting all facts and laws to save Babri Masjid. "But you dare say that the case should not be heard till 2019 elections. You want to stop the hearing of Ram temple (issue) in the name of elections," Modi told a well attended election rally in Ahmedabad district. Modi said now he understands why the Congress kept many issues unresolved, without elaborating but implying that it was done to derive political mileage. "Does the Waqf Board fight elections? Are these thoughts of delaying the hearing for elections that of the Waqf Board? The elections in the country are being fought by the Congress party. You want to keep the issue unresolved for political gain and losses in the elections?" Modi asked the Congress. LONDON (Reuters) - Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called on the British government on Wednesday to make a formal apology for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in which nearly 400 Sikhs were shot dead by British Indian army soldiers. London Mayor Sadiq Khan visits the holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar, India, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/StringerDuring a visit to the Golden Temple at Amritsar in northern India, the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism, Khan called the massacre one of the most horrific events in Indian history. On Sunday 13 April 1919, some 50 soldiers began shooting at unarmed civilians who were taking part in a peaceful protest against oppressive laws enforced in the Punjab by British colonial authorities. At least 379 Sikhs were killed, but the figure is still disputed. It is wrong that successive British governments have fallen short of delivering a formal apology to the families of those who were killed, he said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan places a wreath at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial in Amritsar, India, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/StringerIm clear that the government should now apologise, especially as we reach the centenary of the massacre. This is about properly acknowledging what happened here and giving the people of Amritsar and India the closure they need through a formal apology. Khan, who is from the opposition Labour Party, does not speak for Britains Conservative government. Slideshow (2 Images)Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron visited Amritsar at the end of a trade mission to India four years ago in a show of contrition over the massacre but stopped short of making a formal apology. Khan is on a six-day mission to India and Pakistan to strengthen cultural and economic ties with the British capital. The British Foreign Office said in a statement: As the former Prime Minister said when he visited the Jallianwala Bagh in 2013, the massacre was a deeply shameful act in British history and one that we should never forget. It is right that we pay respect to those who lost their lives and remember what happened. The British Government rightly condemned the events at the time. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Maharashtra government on Wednesday issued a five-page notification to all the central government departments, reminding them that Marathi is a part of the state's Tri-language policy and that its use, apart from English and Hindi, is mandatory for services to public and all communication. According to the circular, only the state government offices were following the policy while the central government offices in the state were not using Marathi 'effectively' along with English and Hindi. The circular says, Marathi is the official language of State of Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Official languages Act, 1964 and Amendment Act, 2015 and its jurisdiction is whole of the state. So, as per Tri- language formula of the Central Government, it has been mandatory to use Regional language, i.e. Marathi language along with English and Hindi in all offices and Establishments of the Central Government in the state of Maharashtra and other offices of the Central Government which provides banking, telephone, post, insurance, railway, metro, mono-rail, airline, gas, petroleum, taxation, etc. services to the people in the State of Maharashtra. In this context, the resolutions had passed in both of the Houses of the Parliament of India. In order to implement this Tri- language Policy, Department of Official language, Central Government, had given the instructions for the use of regional languages of the respective state, vide its above-referred office orders, dated 18.06.1977 and 01.07.2010." This news comes days after Maharashtra Navnirma Sena chief Raj Thackrey had asked banks to ensure that all the transactions are done in Marathi. He criticised banks for ignoring the Marathi despite RBI guidelines on using the local language, reported Hindustan Times. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been ensuring that the Tri-language policy is used in other sectors too. In June it was reported that Maharashtra government would implement recommendations of the Marathi language policy to use the state language other sectors such as science, education and trade. Education Minister Vinod Tawde was quoted by PTI as saying, "The first draft recommendations are received. It will be reviewed with Marathi language department followed by Cabinet approval. Once it clears all the necessary stages, it will be implemented soon." If a school disciplines black students at a significantly higher rate than their white peers, is that alone a violation of federal civil rights laws? That questionat the core of recent debates over school disciplineplayed a big role in Tuesdays confirmation hearing for Kenneth Marcus, President Donald Trumps nominee to be assistant secretary of civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education. If there is a disparity in how African-American children are being disciplined in a particular school or school district as compared to how white children are being disciplined, would that be legitimate grounds for an OCR complaint or an OCR investigation? asked Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat who was referring to the office of civil rights in the education department, which Marcus would oversee. Murphy has supported efforts to rethink school discipline and minimize the use of suspensions. In general, the answer is yes, Marcus said. Murphy said he would argue that we have a school discipline crisis in this country. He cited federal data that show significantly higher rates of suspensions and expulsions for black students compared to white students and for students with disabilities compared to their peers without disabilities. If there was a school district that was suspending or expelling five times as many black students for the same set of behaviors compared to white students, can you perceive any legitimate reason for that disparity? he asked. Let me say that if even one child is punished because of their race or punished worse because of their race, I believe that to be a significant concern, Marcus responded. Now, if the numbers are as significant as you just described, I would consider that to be grounds for asking some very tough questions. I will just share my view with you, Murphy responded. I dont believe theres any legitimate explanation. I believe that that kind of disparity in the treatment of African-American children would be on its face a violation of federal law and I think, even if you didnt find a smoking gun in which an administrator admitted that they had an intentional policy of targeting black children, on its face that kind of disparity would be a violation of the federal law. Do you agree with that statement? Marcus said his experience says that one needs to approach each complaint or compliance review with an open mind and a sense of fairness to find out what the answers are. He said he has seen disparate discipline numbers in some schools that ended up being the result of paperwork errors. I think one needs to find out what is happening and, if there is discriminatory conduct, there needs to be consequences, said Marcus, the founder and president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law . He was previously delegated the authority of the assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department under President George W. Bush. The Debate Over Disparate Impact in School Discipline That back and forth between Murphy and Marcus during Tuesdays confirmation hearing was quite timely. Civil rights groups like the Leadership Forum have urged a thorough vetting and his positions on enforcement in areas like school discipline. Civil rights groups have voiced concern that Trumps education department, under the direction of Secretary Betsy DeVos, would rescind Obama-era civil rights guidance on school discipline . That 2014 document, released by the education and justice departments, calls out disparate impact, putting schools on notice that the agencies may find them in violation of federal civil rights if they discipline students of one race at higher rates than their peers, even if their disciplinary policies were written without discriminatory intent. Advocates have said that the Obama guidance protected students of color, who are persistently disciplined at higher rates than their peers. Conservative groups have said the document is a heavy-handed directive that amounts to placing racial quotas on discipline. Some critics of the guidance recently met with officials from the Education Department to voice their concerns. Educators For Excellence, a national group that supports the guidance, says it will have a meeting with Education Department officials Friday. Heres what the guidance in question says about disparate impact: The administration of student discipline can result in unlawful discrimination based on race in two ways: first, if a student is subjected to different treatment based on one's race, and second, if a policy is neutral on its facemeaning that the policy itself does not mention raceand is administered in an evenhanded manner but has a disparate impact, i.e., a disproportionate and unjustified effect on students of a particular race. Under both inquiries, statistical analysis regarding the impact of discipline policies and practices on particular groups of students is an important indicator of potential violations. In all cases, however, the Departments will investigate all relevant circumstances, such as the facts surrounding a students' actions and the discipline imposed." The guidance includes a flowchart to help schools determine if policies that result in disparate impact are discriminatory. As an example of a hypothetical policy that would be flagged for disparate impact, the guidance cites a zero-tolerance policy for tardiness that is applied more frequently to Asian-American students because those students largely live farther away from their school and are more likely to deal with delays in public transportation compared to their white peers, who are able to walk. If the departments determine that a schools articulated goal [reducing disruption caused by tardiness, encouraging good attendance, and promoting a climate where school rules are respected] can be met through alternative policies that eliminate or have less of an adverse racial impact, the Departments would find the school in violation of Title VI and require that the school implement those alternatives, the guidance says. For complete coverage of the confirmation hearing for Marcus and Johnny Collett , Trumps nominee ssistant secretary of education for special education and rehabilitative services, read Alyson Kleins post on Politics K-12. Further reading on discipline and civil rights: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. The newborn who was erroneously declared dead by New Delhi's Max Super Specialty Hospital passed away on Wednesday, according to media reports. Max hospital newborn twins medical negligence case: The newborn who was found to be alive later by parents has also passed away during treatment at a hospital in Pitampura #Delhi ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 On 1 December, a pair of premature twins were declared dead by the private hospital, and handed in a polythene bag to their parents who realised that one of them was alive only when they were on the way to perform the last rites. The twins were delivered on 30 November, 2017. Police then registered a case in the matter under Section 308 of the IPC which governs cases related to attempt to commit culpable homicide and can attract imprisonment of up to seven years. The Delhi government also ordered an inquiry into the "criminal negligence" with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promising "strict action". On Sunday, the Delhi Police sent a notice to the administration of the hospital in a case of medical negligence, asking the the private hospital to be available for questioning over the issue and has also asked for detailed information of the incident. A day later, the hospital terminated the services of two doctors involved in the declaration of the 22-week-old premature baby as dead. "While the inquiry by the expert group which includes external experts from IMA is still in process, we have decided to terminate the services of the two treating doctors, Dr AP Mehta and Dr Vishal Gupta in the case relating to the twin extreme pre-term babies," the hospital said in a statement. "This strict action has been taken on the basis of our initial discussions with the expert group and as a reflection of our commitment to higher standards of care," the statement added. The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) also has taken cognisance of the case and decided to examine it, said the registrar of the DMC, Girish Tyagi. Mumbai: Rich tributes were paid on Wednesday to the architect of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar, on his 61st death anniversary by thousands of followers who converged at his memorial Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who visited Chaityabhoomi near Shivaji Park in Dadar on Wednesday morning, said the work on Ambedkar's memorial at the Indu Mill land in Mumbai will begin in a month. Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao also paid tributes to Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi. The rain soaked ground at Chaityabhoomi after Tuesday's rainfall the highest December rain in Mumbai in 50 years did not deter the followers of Ambedkar who gathered from various parts of the state and country. Those thronging the place shouted slogans like 'Jai Bheem' and 'Babasaheb amar rahe'. Three persons were on Tuesday injured when a pandal, set up for Ambedkar's followers, collapsed on them due to heavy rains at Shivaji Park. At Mantralaya, the state Secretariat, floral tributes were offered to the late leader. At Vidhan Bhawan, the Legislature staff also paid tributes to Ambedkar. The city's public transport wing, BEST undertaking, ran special buses between Dadar and Shivaji Park, an official said, adding that food stalls were also being put up to provide free snacks there. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed temporary sheds, mobile toilets and six medical stalls at Shivaji Park, Dadar station, Rajgriha (Ambedkar's residence) and Kurla terminus in view of the huge rush of the Dalit icon's followers. Drinking water arrangements were also made at Shivaji Park, the official said. The BMC also made arrangements for accommodation of the visitors at 70 civic schools in the city. New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday assured the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it will bring the next Odd-Even traffic rationing scheme as per the tribunal's direction that includes "no exemptions". The NGT has directed the Delhi government and neighbouring states to clarify their action plans and how they would implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) given the severity of the air quality. The tribunal also sought clarity from other governments across NCR on their stand over Odd-Even scheme. Earlier in November, while the Delhi-NCR faced "severe-plus or emergency" air quality situation that calls for the implementation of Odd-Even scheme under GRAP, the NGT directed the Delhi government to implement the road rationing scheme without any exemptions for two-wheelers and women drivers. The Delhi government then filed a review plea stating that it sought exemptions due to inadequate numbers of public buses. However, later the city government demanded that the Odd-Even scheme shall come in entire NCR region and not just Delhi. "We will implement the Odd-Even scheme next time as directed by the tribunal, which is no exemptions," Delhi government counsel Tarunvir Singh Khehar said. However, appreciating the city government, the bench headed by NGT chief Justice Swatanter Kumar has sought more clarity. "Odd-Even will come when the air-quality is beyond severe but what about other days? How would you implement GRAP when air quality is very poor... Sit with your respective chief secretaries and make a plan," Justice Kumar directed the Delhi government and neighbouring states, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. On 24 November, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) already made it clear that the next Odd-Even vehicle rationing scheme will be applied across the national capital region (NCR), including Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad and not just Delhi, with minimum exemptions. EPCA had also asked the respective concerned officials of NCR for augmentation of the public transport for Odd-Even with minimum exemptions (ambulance and school buses). Washington: Sixty-nine percent Indians believe that life today is better than it was some 50 years ago, the Pew Research Center, a US think tank, said on Tuesday. Same is the case with several other countries which have seen dramatic economic transformations since the late 1960s, it said. However, Americans are split on the issue with 41 percent saying life is worse while 37 percent say it is better, the research said. The result is based on a recent survey of 38 countries and interviews with more than 40,000 people. In Vietnam, 88 percent while in South Korea, 68 percent people believe that life today is better than it was some 50 years ago, it said. A majority of people in Turkey (65 percent better) also share a sense of progress over the past five decades. In some of the more developed countries, people report that life is better today, including 65 per cent in Japan and Germany, and 64 per cent in the Netherlands and Sweden. Half or more in countries ranging from Italy (50 percent) and Greece (53 percent) to Nigeria (54 percent) and Kenya (53 percent) say life is worse today, the report said. According to the report, in Europe, populists tend to be more enamoured of the past than people who disapprove of some of the continent's right-wing parties. For example, Germans who support the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) are 28 percentage points more likely to say that life is worse for people like them than those who have an unfavourable view of the anti-immigrant party, it added. Thiruvananthapuram: Denying that Kerala had got advance warning about Cyclone Ockhi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the kin of those who died and Rs 5 lakh to the permanently disabled. Under flak over the way rescue operations were handled, Vijayan also unveiled at a cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram fresh measures to tackle similar calamities so that destruction can be minimised. Addressing reporters later, Vijayan said the first information the state government got about the cyclone was on 30 November noon. "There was no advance information about Cyclone Ockhi at all. On November 30, at 8.30 a.m. the India Meteorological Department told us about a very deep deep depression about 170 km off Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) coast. "Even at that time, there was no mention of cyclone. And by that time, fishermen had already ventured into the sea. "Even the union ministers who came here said there was no fault on the part of the state government and in an hour's time the defence personnel began rescue work." Vijayan said this was one of the biggest ever rescue operations done. It was ongoing and would continue till the last fisherman was brought back. Officials have put the death toll in the cyclone at 33. The injured number many more. "About 2,600 fishermen, including 1,130 Malayalees, were rescued and as per the records with us 92 are still missing," said Vijayan. He said Rs 20 lakh had been announced for the kin of each person who died in the cyclone. Those who have been permanently disabled will get Rs 5 lakh each. In the next one week, all the adults engaged in fishing will get Rs 60 per day while their children will be paid Rs 45 a day as allowance. Free ration will be given to the coastal villages for a month, the Chief Minister said. "All those who lost their fishing craft and gears will be compensated. The children of those killed and those missing will get free education and job training." The meeting also decided that from now on all those who go for fishing will have to register with the Fisheries Department every day. "All the boats that go into the sea should be fitted with GPS facility where two-way communication regarding the weather will be available. "Two hundred people will be recruited to the Coastal Police and preference will be given to the children of fishermen who lost their lives or are missing," said Vijayan. Three different committees will be formed to look into the various issues being faced by the fishing community while the Disaster Management Authority will be reconstituted. "We wish to thank the Centre and all those who helped us when the worst disaster struck. By and large the media did a good job but some sections of the media have to seriously introspect if they did the right job," added Vijayan. He said a request will be made to the Centre to declare this as a national disaster. A special package to mitigate the loss and destruction that took place will be submitted to the Centre. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a plea of the father of seven-year old boy, who was found dead in a Gurugram school, seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to three trustees of the Ryan International Group. A bench of Justices RK Agrawal and AM Sapre reserved its verdict and said it will pass order on 11 December. During the hearing, advocate Sushil Tekriwal, appearing for the father of the victim, said the grant of anticipatory bail to the trustees of the group which runs the school by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana was absolutely "illegal", "unwarranted", "unconstitutional" and "erroneous". He said the murder of the Class II student had taken place in the campus of Ryan International School and hence the order of the high court should be set aside. Tekriwal said the present case was rarest in nature keeping in view the manner in which the boy was killed. Advocate Sandeep Kapur, appearing for Ryan Pinto, Grace Pinto and AF Pinto, said the trustees were never directly involved in the administration of each school and only took policy decisions. "CBI was looking into the conspiracy angle for the murder of the boy in the school but has not found any evidence regarding the involvement of the respondents," he said. Kapur said that merely on suspicion, a person cannot be arrested and put behind bars when he is in no manner related to an offence. He said the school authority and its management was fully cooperating with CBI in the matter and intended to help the investigating agency reach a conclusion regarding the commission of murder of the student inside the school. Kapur said recently the CBI has arrested a student of the school against whom it has collected evidence regarding commission of the crime. "The case and the plea of the CBI against the petitioners (Pintos) is same as it was on the date of passing of order granting anticipatory bail and no new plea or evidence has come on file of investigating agency connecting the petitioners with the crime in this case," he said. The seven-year-old was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurugram on 8 September. School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was earlier arrested by Haryana Police in connection with the crime. He was recently granted bail by a lower court. The case was transferred to the CBI and the agency had apprehended a Class 11 student in connection with the killing. Earlier, the apex court had agreed to hear the appeal seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted by the high court to three trustees of the group. The high court had on 21 November granted anticipatory bail to Ryan International Group CEO Ryan Pinto and his parentsfounding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, in connection with the murder. Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the rehabilitation of victims of unrest in the state is a "deep concern" for Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The comment from the party came after its ally, the BJP, said on Tuesday that a well-governed state was the "only guarantee" against militancy. "The rehabilitation of victims of unrest has been a deep concern for Mufti and providing resource and support to most affected persons is her desire which she wants to pursue with absolute empathy and humility," Sartaj Madni, PDP vice-president, said. Madni said PDP leadership has always felt that state's people cannot thrive into a situation of conflict and confrontation. PDP's emergence is an outcome of the critical need to lead the state into stability through reconciliation and healing, he said. A few days ago, Mufti had said that militancy cannot be wiped out by killing militants alone and a more "humane approach" was needed to tackle the problem. Chennai: Actor Vishal Krishna on Wednesday met the chief electoral officer and urged him to reconsider rejection of his nomination papers for the 21 December bypoll to the Radhakrishnan Nagar in Chennai. The actor also sought to raise the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind's office through the twitter handle. The vaccancy was caused following the death of then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on 5 December , last year. To the people, I look upto, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn I am Vishal,I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails. Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 6, 2017 The actor also said he planned to meet Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit to lodge a "complaint," on the matter. The actor-producer met Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni at the Secretariat here and later said he had submitted a written complaint detailing Tuesday's events that led to the ultimate rejection of his nomination papers. "People know what happened yesterday (Tuesday). They know how a rejected application was reconsidered before being rejected again. I have submitted a complaint to him (Lakhoni) on all that happened," Vishal told reporters. On Tuesday, the office of the Returning Officer (RO) for RK Nagar bypoll witnessed drama when RO K Velusamy rejected Vishal's nomination, prompting the actor to stage a dharna. Vishal had later claimed his nomination was accepted, and "thanked" the EC for the same. However, the RO, late in the night, said Vishal's nomination had been rejected after a summary enquiry. In his order, he said only eight valid proposals had been received for the actor as against the required ten. Two among the 10 proposers Sumathy and Deepan appeared before him in person and claimed it was not their valid signatures (in the nomination papers), the RO said. "Sumathy and Deepan appeared before me in person and submitted a written representation stating that they had not proposed the nomination of Vishal Krishna," Velusamy said. They submitted that their signatures had been forged, the order read. The veracity of an audio clip submitted by Vishal that Sumathy appeared before the RO on "coercion" by some persons and not on her own volition could not be ascertained, the election official said. Vishal said even if there were any discrepancies, the candidate should be given 24 hours, apparently indicating time should have been given for his response. The electoral officials "should reconsider rejection of nomination," he added. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at his residence, Vishal denied he was being 'propped' up by DMK, Kamal Haasan or sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. The 40 year-old actor said he wanted to contest as a 'representative' of the people. ADEN/DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi-led coalition stepped up air strikes on Yemens Houthis on Wednesday as the Iran-allied armed movement tightened its grip on Sanaa a day after the son of slain former president Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed revenge for his fathers death. Houthi fighters pose for a photo in front of a damaged building on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled AbdullahFormer president Saleh plunged the country deeper into turmoil last week by switching allegiances after years helping the Houthis win control of much of the countrys north including the capital. He was killed in an attack on his convoy on Monday. The pro-Houthi Al Masirah television station said on Wednesday Saudi Arabia and its allies had bombed Salehs residence and other houses of his family members now controlled by the Houthis. Air strikes also hit northern provinces including Taiz, Hajjah, Midi and Saada, it said. There was no immediate word on casualties. The intervention by Salehs son Ahmed Ali, a former commander of the elite Republican Guard who lives in exile in the United Arab Emirates and was once seen as a successor to his father, has provided the anti-Houthi movement with a potential figurehead. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the de facto leader of the UAE, visited Ahmed Ali at his residence to offer his condolences, according to Sheikh Mohammeds Twitter account. He posted a picture of himself sitting near Ahmed Ali. Ahmed Ali had been widely expected to leave the UAE, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, for Yemen to help in the war amid media reports that some Saleh loyalists have been switching sides. Many Sanaa residents were staying indoors on Wednesday out of fear of a Houthi crackdown. On Tuesday, Saleh supporters said his nephew Tareq, another top commander, and the head of his party, Aref Zouka, had both been killed. Theres a scary calm in the city, said Ali, a 47-year-old businessman who declined to use his full name. People are reporting that there are many arrests and they are trying to shoot military men and (Saleh party) members. Yemens conflict, pitting the Houthis against the Saudi-led military alliance which backs a government based in the south, has unleashed what the United Nations calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. PROXY WAR The proxy war between regional arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia - armed and given intelligence by the West -- has killed more than 10,000 people, with more than two million displaced. A view of damage on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled AbdullahSalehs decision to abandon the Houthis was the most dramatic development in three years of stalemate. Top Houthi officials called it high treason backed by their Saudi enemies. Tens of thousands of Houthi supporters staged a rally in Sanaa on Tuesday to celebrate what the Houthis had said was the defeat of a major conspiracy by Saleh, chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia and its allies. Political sources said the Houthis had arrested dozens of Salehs allies and army officers affiliated with his party in and around the city. Several had been killed in the raids. On Wednesday, several dozen women gathered in a main Sanaa square holding Salehs portrait and demanding his body be handed over for burial, but they were forcibly dispersed by Houthi security forces, eyewitnesses said. The Houthi-controlled interior ministry distributed a video of dozens of seated barefoot men it said were pro-Saleh fighters detained in one of its party headquarters. A man rides a motorbike on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled AbdullahMedia rights group Reporters Without Borders appealed for the release of 41 journalists it said have been held hostage by the group since it overran the headquarters of the Saleh-owned al-Yemen al-Youm TV station on Saturday. THREAT OF FAMINE Nearly a million people in Yemen have been hit by a cholera outbreak, and famine caused by warring parties blocking food supplies threatens much of the country. The UN secretary-generals special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called on all parties to show restraint. Increased hostilities will further threaten civilian lives and exacerbate their suffering, he said in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the killing of Saleh would likely worsen an already dire humanitarian situation in the country in the short term. Speaking with reporters on a military aircraft en route to Washington, Mattis said his death could either push the conflict towards U.N. peace negotiations or make it an even more vicious war. The commander of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, praised what he called the Houthis swift quashing of the coup against the holy warriors, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. Much is likely to depend on the future allegiances of Saleh loyalists who previously helped the Houthi group, which hails from the Zaidi branch of Shiite Islam that ruled a thousand-year kingdom in northern Yemen until 1962. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Srinagar: Six activists of the Shiv Sena were detained in Srinagar on Wednesday as police thwarted their bid to hoist a tri-colour at Lal Chowk, an official said. The Shiv Sena activists arrived at Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in two vehicles and were taken into preventive custody as soon as they alighted, a police official said. The detained activists were taken to the Police Station Kothibagh where they were released after completing legal formalities, the official said. The Jammu unit of the Shiv Sena had sent a special team to hoist the national flag in Srinagar following National Conference president Farooq Abdullah's remarks on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last week. "They (Centre and BJP) are talking about raising the flag in PoK. I ask them to go and raise the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. They cannot even do that and they are talking about PoK," Abdullah had said. Abdullah had said this while defending his earlier comment that PoK did not belong to India. The outfit's state chief Dimpy Kohli had said that time was not too far when the tricolour would be hoisted in PoK as well. A federal appeals court has ruled that a 2012 Indiana law that curtailed the rights of tenured teachers during layoffs violates their rights under the contracts clause of the U.S. Constitution. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, in Chicago, unanimously upheld a federal district courts decision in favor of Joseph R. Elliott, an elementary school teacher with 14 years of tenure in the Madison Consolidated Schools. In 2012, the Indiana legislature passed a law that established a mandatory teacher-evaluation system and removed protection for tenured teacher during layoffs. Schools laying off teachers were required to cancel contracts on the basis of performance rather than seniority. Later in 2012, the Madison district faced declining enrollment and a reduction in state funds, and it made the decision to lay off several teachers. The school district cited some negative comments about Ellliott in evaulations going back as far as 2002 in laying off Elliott, who was the president of the local teachers union that year and had just received a positive evaluation. The district retained six non-tenured teachers in positions that Elliott was licensed to teach. Elliott sued on several state-law grounds, but also under the provision of Article I of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits states from passing laws impairing the Obligation of Contracts. The 7th Circuit court noted that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in 1938, in Indiana v. Brand , that the states 1927 teacher tenure law created contractual rights protected by the federal constitutions contracts clause. In its Dec. 4 decision in Elliott v. Board of School Trustees of Madison Consolidated Schools , the 7th Circuit court said that since the states 1927 law and until the 2012 change, Indiana teachers ... benefitted from enforceable contractual rights when they became tenured. These contractual rights included job security rights in a layoff. Indiana itself created the binding obligation on which tenured teachers have relied for decadesand from which the state itself has benefitted, Judge David Hamilton wrote for the court. The panel, which ruled solely on the federal contracts clause question, rejected the states multiple arguments why the 2012 law should supersede the older tenure law. The Constitution does not prevent the state from changing the promises it makes on a prospective basis to new teachers, Hamilton said. Having restricted tenure for new teachers, the state and its school districts were and are free to buy out the tenure rights of more senior ones. Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh regime has become the first state government to endorse the Modi government's draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence. The draft law, which provides for three years in prison and a fine for a Muslim man trying to divorce his wife by uttering "talaq" three times, got the Uttar Pradesh government's approval at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Adityanath Tuesday night. "The Centre's draft Bill on triple talaq has been endorsed by the Cabinet. The Centre had asked the states to send their respective views on it by 10 December," Uttar Pradesh government spokesman and Cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh said. Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to give its nod to the proposal, which is to be introduced as a bill in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning next week, an official said. There have been 177 reported cases of instant talaq before the judgment and 66 after the Supreme Court order this year and Uttar Pradesh tops the list, he said. As per the draft, triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' will be a "cognisable and non-bailable" offence punishable with three years imprisonment and the wife will be entitled to maintenance and the custody of children if they are minor. The Supreme Court had on 22 August struck down triple talaq, calling the practice unconstitutional and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which provides for equality before the law. The draft 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' was sent by the Centre to the states for their views as the practice continued despite the Supreme Court striking it down. The draft was prepared by a ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The proposed law would only be applicable to instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue. Under the draft law, triple talaq in any form, spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp would be bad or illegal and void. The provision of subsistence allowance and custody has been made to ensure that in case the husband asks the wife to leave the house she should have legal protection. All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali questioned the need for making the law when the apex court had already termed triple talaq as unconstitutional. "In the draft, there is a provision of three-year jail to the husband and compensation to the wife. When the husband will go to jail, how will he pay the compensation," he wondered. "The government should have consulted community representatives before going ahead on it. Neither the Centre nor the state government has done this. What is the guarantee this law will not be misused like an anti-dowry act? It is direct interference in Shariyat," he claimed. All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber said that before finalising the Act, the organisation which worked against triple talaq should have been consulted. The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) welcomed the NDA government's decision to enact a law to end triple talaq. Some of the activists who spearheaded the movement against 'triple talaq' have maintained that they want nothing less than a Muslim personal codified law, and that merely amending the IPC would not suffice. New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic development after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doka La region of Bhutan earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' trilateral meeting in New Delhi next week. The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Wang, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would attend the meeting on 11 December to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interests well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-to-face situation near the Sikkim sector of the international border after the Chinese People's Liberation Army tried to build a road in Doka La in mid-June. While India and Bhutan said that it violated the status quo along the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, Beijing claimed that it was China's territory. New Delhi and Beijing eventually agreed to pull back their troops towards the end of August ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China for the G20 Summit. Akola: BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday called off his three-day-old protest at Akola in Vidarbha region over farmers' issues, saying Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured him that their demands will be met. The 80-year-old leader, who was detained on Monday during the protest but had resumed his sit-in after he was released that night, said that Fadnavis had spoken to him on telephone and he had apprised the chief minister of their demands. "The chief minister has accepted our demands, but I don't look at this agitation from the point of view of victory or defeat. Farmers will benefit," Sinha, who has been sidelined in the party in recent years, told reporters, while announcing the decision to end the stir at the district police headquarters grounds. "Promise me that no farmer will now commit suicide," Sinha appealed to cultivators who had gathered at the venue. "The chief minister spoke to me at 11 am on Wednesday. We had a good discussion. I apprised him about the farmers demands. He gave an assurance to accept the demands," Sinha said. The former finance minister, who has had frequent run-ins with the current BJP leadership, was detained on Monday evening while protesting outside the district collector's office against the state government's alleged "apathy" towards the farmers of Vidarbha. The leader refused to budge from the protest venue till all demands of farmers were met. Sinha had on Monday said the government does not appear serious about solving the problems being faced by agriculturists. On Tuesday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had spoken to the BJP veteran over phone and discussed farmers' issues. The district administration had said a majority of the demands including compensation to cotton farmers for losses incurred due to pink bollworm infestation, action against companies manufacturing "bogus" bio-technologically modified seeds and 100 percent payout for crop losses to moong, udad and soyabean farmers, have been accepted. The farmers were also demanding that bank officials and administration execute loan waivers by personally visiting gram panchayats. The demands also included uninterrupted power supply to agricultural pump sets, removal of "unjust" conditions from the gold mortgage waiver scheme of the government for farmers, and purchase of all farm produce at MSP by NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India). Public sphere is defined as a discursive space in which individuals and groups associate to discuss matters of mutual interest and, where possible, to reach a common judgment about them on a public platform. Every social identity aspires to have a voice in the mainstream to discuss, to participate, to exercise political power and to influence opinion. But often the mainstream refuses to make way and what happens next is predictable yet hardly ever foreseen. The muted section pushes its way ahead, creating its own parallel space and leading to what can be called a split public sphere. The emergence of Dalit movement in India could be seen as a good example of a split public sphere which made ground for Dalit art, literature and theatre, and which eventually muscled its way into the mainstream. Ram Janmabhoomi movement is also an equally apt example of such a split public sphere. It thrust on to national screens the Hindu identity that had hitherto remained banished from public sphere. Ram Janmabhoomi movement created a space for debate and discussion about issues related specifically to Hindus. Prior to the movement, issues concerning this religious section from conversion to untouchability, demolition of temples to their trusteeship were met with stoic silence. Before 1980s, newspaper The Hindu and Hindu rate of growth were the only popular references to the term Hindu and both had nothing to do with its primary meaning the geo-cultural identity with a living tradition of thousands of years on the land between Himalayas and Indian ocean. Ram Janmabhoomi Movement The story of the birth of this movement and the way it split the public sphere invariably leads us to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates. The RSS was founded with national rejuvenation as the core and Hindu ethos as the force. RSS and its other organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Vanwasi Kalyan Ashram started many projects for the development of downtrodden and poor Hindus (in particular) and for everyone in general. VHP was founded on the Krishna Janmashtami of 1964 with Guru Golwalkar, Swami Chinmayananda, Maharaja Vadyar of Mysore as founding members. These were all notable people in their own streams and were brought together by the feeling of a lack of public sphere to discuss issues related to Hindus. Contrary to what many may claim, the interests of these people were neither political nor personal. For example, right after its foundation, the VHP leadership convinced the Sant Samaj of India and passed a resolution against untouchability in the organisation's first meeting that was attended by Shankaracharyas and Mahamandleshawars. Similarly, in 1970s, RSS Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras declared if untouchability is not a sin then there is no sin in the world. It is important to understand that for the RSS and the VHP, the issue of Ram Janmabhoomi did not just entail reconstructing one shrine in a place called Ayodhya. It was more a symbol of national reconstruction, of claiming a physical and psychological space that Hindus had been denied for centuries. Unfortunately, the movement came to be seen as an attempt to tear down another community, blacking out its basic purpose which was to jolt the nation out of its state of selective amnesia. It is on record that when the structure at the disputed site in Ayodhya was demolished not one of the hundreds of other mosques in Ayodhya and Faizabad were touched. At its Palampur convention, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) adopted a resolution to build a temple at the birth place of lord Ram. The then BJP president LK Advani started a Rath Yatra from Somnath where a magnificent ancient shrine had been rebuilt after the Independence to Ayodhya. The clear message for Hindus, in the growing split public sphere, was that while the Ram Janmabhoomi had been demolished 450 years ago when the country fell in the hands of foreign invaders, time had now come to reclaim freedom and profess and practice Hindu culture and tradition without fear or shame. But, of course, the mainstream missed it all together. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress had moved away from the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and tried to formulate new ideals that were more secular in tone and texture. Slowly, it came to be observed that this secular fabric was inclined towards minorities and specifically away from Hindu identity. Nehru's understanding was one reason, vote bank compilations was another, either ways it pushed Hindus out of public sphere. The Hindu cause eloped from the mainstream entirely after the demise of Sardar Patel. It was thought that Nehruvian consensus was antithetical to the Hindu cause. From academic texts, curriculum, public debate, newspapers to art and architecture, the idea of Hindu was quietly erased knowingly and unknowingly. After the cases of conversion in Minakshipuram, the RSS deputed VHP to ensure temple entry and construction of temples for Dalits in Tamil Nadu. They also decided to start a movement for national rejuvenation to enlighten people about the glorious tradition of this civilisation. They took up the issue of reconstruction of Ram Janmbhumi temple as a symbol of national pride (Ram Mandir ka Nirman Rashtriya Swabhiman ka Prateek Hai). In this backdrop, first the RSS and the VHP, and later the BJP, started the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Ekatma Yatra was organised by VHP in 1984. In 1989, Ram Shila Pujanstook place in different parts of India in large numbers. These Shilas (bricks) were brought to Ayodhya by Karsewaks. Advani also declared that he will perform Karsewa in Ayodhya on 30 October 1990. But he was arrested by the then Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in Samastipur, Bihar. On 2 November 1990, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav gave order to fire at karsevaks on Saryu bridge. Hindu in Public Discourse Since 1989, construction of a Hindu Shrine in Ayodhya became the subject of debates and discussions in different quarters and acquired considerable public attention. Newspapers and magazines began to track developments on the issue while editorials dissected the Ayodhya logjam. In Universities like JNU and DU many talks, seminars were organised by both the sides. The campus which used to discuss virtues of Marx, Lenin and Mao was now discussing secularism and communalism. Vivekanand, Savarkar and Golwarkar also became the subject of discussion on mess tables. Cultural nationalism and secular nationalism emerged as two poles in every intellectual arena. Advani, Malkani and others coined the term pseudo-secularism and minority appeasement which gained much currency. This was also the time when many intellectuals and journalists, who were not RSS workers or BJP sympathisers stood up for the cause of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. Girilal Jain, Karanjia, Chandan Mitra, Swapan Dasgupta are some of the names who began to write heaps in favour of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. This was the time when BJP won governments in many states and became the principal Opposition party in Lok Sabha. It also became evident in early 1990s that the BJP was going to come to power sooner or later. ABVP, the student wing of RSS, also won elections in many campuses especially in a campus like JNU. In 1993, first ABVP candidate won central panel seat in JNUSU. It is not as if there were no organisations working for Hindu cause. There were many like Ram Krishna Mission, Bharat Sewashram Sangh, Chinmay Mission and others. But these organisations were dependent on the government for land and grants and chose a somewhat subservient manner of functioning. It was the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that brought Hindu cause to the light, made way for Hindu awakening by creating a Hindu Public Sphere where debate, deliberation, discussion about the Hindu issues became a norm. The author teaches Political Science in Satyavati College of Delhi University Kolkata: Targeting the BJP on the anniversary of Babri mosque demolition, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said divisive politics that began 25 years ago is still continuing and religion cannot be an election issue or the agenda of a government. She also hit out at the BJP over its accusations against her government of pursuing politics of appeasement and said that West Bengal has nearly 31 percent Muslim population. "As a chief minister of the state, it is my duty to look after them. If working for the people is appeasement, I will continue to do it," she while at a 'Samhati divas' rally here to mark the 25th anniversary of the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya. The Trinamool Congress chief, who is a bitter critic of the BJP-led government at the centre, said that intolerance has become the stated policy of a political party and government. "We feel proud of our diversity. We are all Indians. This is our identity. The divisive politics that began 25 years ago is still continuing. "A certain political party indulges in communal politics and wants to divide the nation. Religion cannot be the agenda of any government" she said. Banerjee said that someone who indulges in divisive politics, cannot lead the nation. "A true leader must take everyone along", she said. Accusing the BJP of "trying to disturb communal peace and harmony in the state", she said, "As long as I am alive I will speak for the people. You cannot silence me." Banerjee alleged that intolerance has "reached its peak". "Journalists are getting killed, people are being lynched. Who has given these people the right? The government must protect its people," she said. The chief minister said, "Who are they to decide who can eat what? They are even dictating what pregnant women will eat. They are only issuing fatwas and inciting communal tension." "Roti-kapda-makan (food, clothing and shelter) must be the issue during elections. Development must be the issue during elections. Whether a party has fulfilled its manifesto must be the issue during elections. Religion and communal politics cannot be an issue," she said. She appealed to the people to remain alert and thwart any attempt to disturb communal peace. She alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre is "pursuing vendetta politics against the TMC" and challenged it to fight on the plank of development. "In UP they cannot even provide basic healthcare to the children and they talk big. We challenge you to compete with us on the plank of development", she said. Banerjee alleged that her party leaders were being threatened and arrested as they were speaking against the BJP. She cited the instances of party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, Tapas Pal and former minister Madan Mitra in this connection. "They (BJP) cannot stop us from speaking against their anti-people policies," she said. Supporting electoral reforms, she said that there must be transparency and accountability. She also said that the Election Commission should look into complaints about EVMs. Criticising the role of a section of the media, she alleged that some TV channels were spreading lies about the Uttar Pradesh municipal polls. She claimed that the vote share of BJP has decreased by 13 percent in Uttar Pradesh but no one was talking about it. Referring to farmer suicides in the country, Banerjee claimed that they are common in BJP-ruled states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It was a First Day First Show of the kind Vishal would have never imagined. 24 hours after he filed his nomination for the RK Nagar constituency by-election, he was labeled a cheat who had forged the signatures of two of his proposers. Two other independent candidates alleged forgery once Vishal's nomination papers were put out in the public domain. Like he does in his movies, pushed to the wall, Vishal fought back. He produced an audio conversation with Velu, the husband of Sumathi, one of the ten proposers. On tape, whose authenticity has not been independently verified, Velu is heard explaining to Vishal how he was confined to a place by AIADMK candidate E Madhusudanan's men and offered a bribe to claim forgery. He also claims Sumathi was threatened. This, Vishal said, was proof that strong arm tactics were used to force Sumathi to tell the Returning Officer that her signature was forged. But the Election Commission was not a film set where the hero always wins in the end. Vishal's application even after this revelation, was rejected which means he will not be in the fray in the byelection on 21 December. Vishal was among the 73 candidates whose nomination papers were rejected on various counts. Another high profile candidate Deepa who is Jayalalithaa's niece, also found herself out in the cold, after a scrutiny revealed that she had not filled in details on a few forms. Vishal took to Twitter to express his disgust and disillusionment at what had happened. "5th Dec 2016, #Amma died. 5th Dec 2017, #Democracy died,'' he tweeted. In another tweet, he wrote, "Democracy at its lowest low !! Disheartening to hear that the nomination made by me was initially accepted & later when I left, has been announced as invalid.'' Democracy at its lowest low !! Disheartening to hear that the nomination made by me was initially accepted & later when I left, has been announced as invalid.#PoliticalGame Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 5, 2017 Vishal is right. RK Nagar, which was named after Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India and an eminent scholar, now stands associated with bribery, cash for votes, forgery, abduction and intimidation. If the two people who proposed Vishal's name were indeed kidnapped, threatened and bribed, it points to goons running amok and the law and order machinery looking the other way. These are very serious charges and the Election Commission owes an explanation on what happened and a fair investigation to the constituency, Tamil Nadu and the country. I asked Bhanwarlal, former Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, if the EC makes it a point to check with every person who has proposed for a candidate, if it is indeed his signature. "No, we don't. The nomination papers of every candidate are put out in the public domain. The EC does not crosscheck with every proposer whether he/she signed for a candidate unless another candidate raises a specific objection,'' said Bhanwarlal. That is what happened in Vishal's case. What is intriguing is how did the two independents know that of the ten proposers, Sumathi and Deepan's signatures were allegedly forged. The two proposers are believed to have walked in to meet the Returning officer and tell him their signatures were forged. That begs the question, how did they know their names were used by one of the 145 candidates who had filed their nominations. Prima facie, it seems highly unlikely that a person of Vishal's stature would not have managed to get ten genuine voters in RK Nagar constituency to propose his name. But the dramatic turn of events has led to conspiracy theories buzzing by the dozen. Did Vishal outsource the job of finding ten proposers or did he personally check with every individual himself? Did he have quality legal assistance when he filed his nomination papers? Because if a police probe does indeed establish forgery, it will seriously affect his credibility not just as an actor-producer and a budding politician but even his leadership within the Tamil Producers Council and Nadigar Sangam (South Indian Artistes Association). Already his rivals within the film industry have taken potshots at Vishal. The Jayalalithaa vote was seen as getting split four ways - between party candidate E Madhusudanan, AIADMK rebel TTV Dhinakaran, Deepa and Vishal. The actor had strategically made it a point to visit Jayalalithaa samadhi before filing his nomination papers. Now with two candidates neutralised, it will be a straight fight for the Jayalalithaa vote between Madhusudanan and Dhinakaran. An understanding of the demographics of RK Nagar will tell you that Vishal would have hurt Madhusudanan's chances to an extent. Both Madhusudanan and Vishal are Telugus and the language connect would have been useful in a constituency with a significant migrant population from Andhra Pradesh. This is not to say that Vishal would have caused an upset but if he took away a few thousand votes that would have otherwise fallen into the AIADMK kitty, Madhusudanan would have risked a close encounter with Dinakaran. It would be interesting to see who Vishal extends his support to, now that he is no longer in the running. If he asks his fans in RK Nagar to vote for Dhinakaran, it would confirm the rumours on who nudged him to contest. With the election result on 24 December bound to impact the longevity of the AIADMK government, both Madhusudanan and Dhinakaran would not want to leave anything to chance. Even if the DMK gains by the split in the traditional AIADMK vote, the second position will be equally important in the scheme of things. Ahmedabad: Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said his party had been consistently saying that the government and political parties should take a decision on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court. He said the order of the apex court in this regard should be acceptable to all. His comments came soon after BJP chief Amit Shah asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party to clear their stand on the Ram Janmabhoomi case after (party leader and) lawyer Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that hearing in the matter should be held after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Surjewala also accused the ruling BJP of raking up the Ayodhya issue to escape from the "failed" development promises. "The BJP is running away from the main issues and in order to escape from failed development promises, Amit Shah is raking up the Ram Mandir issue," he alleged. "The truth is that the entire matter of Ram Janmbhoomi is under consideration of the Supreme Court. Congress has been saying since day one that the government and political parties should take a decision in the matter at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court and the order of the Supreme Court should be acceptable to all," he said. "And not just Congress, even the BJP's law minister has said the same thing," he said adding that Amit Shah was creating controversy to garner votes in the name of Lord Ram. The BJP is nervous and worried as it faces a defeat in the upcoming (Gujarat) Assembly elections and is evading questions posed by Rahul Gandhi about Gujarat's development, Surjewala alleged. "Congress has nothing to do with whose lawyer Kapil Sibal becomes as it is his personal decision. Our decision is clear: Whatever decision the Supreme Court takes on Ram Janmbhoomi should be accepted by all," he said. "The government and all the parties should take the decision on the matter at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court," he added. The Congress leader further said that the matter was first taken to the court in December 1885 by Nirmohi Akhada and it has been pending ever since. Surjewala also alleged that as per some media reports, Rs 1,400 crore collected for the construction of Ram Mandir were embezzled by the organisations associated with the BJP. "The member of Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, Ramvilas Vedanti, also said that the BJP is using temple as a pretext to earn political points. Do you agree to this, and if you do not, then did you act against him?" the Congress leader asked the saffron party. "Are you not trying to divert the issue of Gujarat? You sometimes go to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mughal era, but people want to know when you will come back to 2017 and talk about the current issues affecting them? Patidar, Dalit agitations and the adverse impact of 'Gabbar Singh Tax' on Surat businesses are issues the affecting the people today," he said. "Why is BJP not giving right price for cotton or groundnut? Why are the Dalits and backward people agitating? People are seeking justice and change and want a prosperous Gujarat. You are resorting to low level politics after realising that your government is slipping out of your hand," he said. Cyclone Ockhi, which brought unseasonal thundershowers throughout the west coast of India this week, has thrown elections preparations of both the BJP and the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat for a toss. Both parties had scheduled a series of rallies and election meetings, but these now stand cancelled or postponed. On Tuesday, BJP party president Amit Shah was scheduled to hold a rally in Surat, but he was forced to cancel this due to the weather conditions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, was to hold a rally in the south Gujarat city on Wednesday, and this also stands cancelled. BJP leader and Bhojpuri film star Manoj Tiwari was also expected to address a roadshow in Gujarat state capital Ahmedabad on Tuesday, but was forced to cancel this, local MLA Jagroopsinh Rajput said. The BJP had also lined up chief ministers of the other states it rules Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath to address rallies and press conferences in Surat in the run-up to Assembly elections, but given the inclement weather conditions, these too were called off. In the Congress camp, Rahul Gandhi had lined up a series of public meetings, and CNN-News18 said all of these stand cancelled. The party vice-president did hold a rally on Tuesday at Anjar, but cancelled three others at Morbi, Dhrangadhra and Surendranagar. A report on The Times of India said that Gandhi arrived in Bhuj on Tuesday and moved from there to Anjar, but with the weather worsening, he was forced to beat a hasty retreat and return to Delhi. Shankersinh Vaghela, who quit the Congress earlier this year to float his own Jan Vikalp outfit, was scheduled to address roadshows and rallies in Junagadh, and Saurashtra's Mahuva and Palitana towns on Wednesday, a leader of his outfit said. The former Gujarat chief minister was to arrive in Surat late Tuesday night, but dropped his plan. With Modi's Tuesday and Wednesday rallies being cancelled, the prime minister will now directly address rallies on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, The Times of India report added. Modi later took to Twitter to exhort all party workers to focus on helping people. "Our Karyakartas (workers) should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens," Modi said. With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017 Inspired by his tweet, BJP leaders in Surat suspended all campaign-related work and began shifting people to safer places, the MLA for Surat's Majura constituency, Harsh Sanghvi, said. "We have decided not to do any kind of campaigning until the effect of cyclone remains. Since this morning, all our workers have spread across the city to help people. We are moving them to safer locations. During this work, we will not wear any scarves having BJP's election symbol," Sanghvi said. Read complete coverage of Gujarat Elections 2017 here After massive crowds in Hardik Patel rallies, people in Gujarat are wondering what effect these rallies by the protagonist of the Patidar movement might have. Will the crowd at these rallies listen to Hardik's pleas to vote against the BJP, or has the crowd only come to take a look at him? Be it a rally in Rajkot or a road show in Surat, young patidars are increasingly seen to be supporting Hardik. They neither have any problems with Hardik's CD nor do they care about other things. At Hardik's rally, there is an electricity which emerges when a leader directly connects with the public. The crowds gathering at Hardik's rallies are being compared to the ones which showed up at Keshubhai Patel's rally before the last Assembly elections. In 2012, when Keshubhai Patel formed a separate party to contest elections, the Patel factor was being discussed. There was also talk of the displeasure in the Patel community, but they deserted him during the election and voted for the BJP again. In the 2012 elections, only one other candidate other than Keshubhai Patel won a seat. Keshubhai's party Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) won only two seats and their vote share was 3.6 percent. It is a different matter that GPP later merged with the BJP. Why didn't the Patels support Keshubhai? What was the reason that despite Keshubhai being in the fray, the Patel community did not support him? To answer this, we have to understand some things about the Patel community and their politics. Patels make up about 15 percent of the voters in Gujarat, out of which 60 percent are Leva Patels and 40 percent are Kadwa Patel. The Patels were with the Congress till the 1970s. However, Congress leader Madhav Singh Solanki then implemented the KHAM formula in which the party appealed to Kshatriyas, Harijan, Adivasis and Muslims. Congress won a big victory using this policy. However, this led to the Patel community feeling neglected. Slowly the Patels started joining the BJP. Since the formation of the BJP government in 1995, the Patel community has stayed with them. Even when Narendra Modi was made Chief Minister after the removal of Keshubhai Patel of the Leva community, the Patels stuck with the BJP. This was the result of Modi's development-policy in which he worked heavily for the Patel-dominated Saurashtra. People in Saurashtra had to walk long distance to get water. Modi's policy has supplied water to each house. In villages, electricity is now provided twenty-four hours. Farmers too were happy as their electricity and water woes were taken care of. Patel businessmen too were able to take forward their businesses without any troubles. Essentially, under Modi's rule, the Patel community in Gujarat got everything that they wanted. The community got progress as well as respect. This had an effect in the 2012 elections. Then too, the Patels were sympathetic to Keshubhai. They felt that he had been sidelined. The displeasure regarding this was evident in many Patel-dominated ares. However the Patels gave up on Keshubhai and supported Modi and the BJP. As a result, the BJP again took control of Gujarat's Assembly by a two-thirds majority. Will it be the same story this time? Will the Patels leave Hardik and vote for the BJP? This is the question uppermost in many minds. However, one must consider the vast difference between their personalities and experiences. How different is Hardik from Keshubhai? When Keshubhai was removed from the Chief Minister's post, he was gradually marginalised in the party. He was a big name but his influence steadily fell in the party. By 2012, his influence fell considerably but he failed to realise that. As he lost his hold on the public, Keshubhai challenged Modi by forming a separate party. However by that time he was too weak and while he got respect from the community, the votes did not materialise. Even other than Keshubhai, there were many BJP leaders who achieved little after splitting ways with the party. Their stature was reliant on the party and the organisation. After splitting, their appearance of popularity was shattered. From Kalyan Singh in Uttar Pradesh to Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh to former Gujarat chief minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, everyone met the same fate. Keshubhai too could not break this trend. However, Hardik is a 23-year-old who is neither a part of any organisation nor a party worker. Hardik emerged as a leader from the fire of the reservation movement which he has been leading. It is pointless to compare Hardik's stature with that of Keshubhai. However the comparisons are being done as people are visibly supporting Hardik. Where last time, the talk was about Keshubhai, this time it is about Hardik. BJP's worries in this election are at least partly a result of the crowds which have been showing up for Hardik's rallies. Many of Hardik's partners have joined the BJP. BJP has labelled the reservation formula as useless. It has called Hardik an agent of the Congress. Even then, young Patels are still standing with Hardik. Hardik's image has turned into one of a hero. All of BJP's moves against him have failed be it lathi charges at rallies to jailing Hardik to filing sedition cases against him. Even after being banished from Gujarat, Hardik is showing a connection with the youth. The people at Rajkot's Hardik rallies said that they are with Hardik. Sanjay and Tulsi Patel spoke of voting for the Congress based on Hardik's speeches. The two had voted for the BJP till now and even voted for the party instead of Keshubhai. Even the release of the so-called sex CD has not affected Hardik's popularity. It is worth noting that it was something similar which had marginalised BJP's former general secretary Sanjay Joshi in the party. Hardik has sought to portray the CD as a conspiracy of the BJP. Many of Hardik's supporters are those who were born around 1995. Aged between 18 to 30 years, these people did not suffer through the days without electricity and water before the BJP came to power. This is the biggest challenge for Modi and Shah this time around. How to woo these young people standing with Hardik Patel is a serious challenge for the BJP. A bigger challenge is to woo the Patels, who the party has convinced that the Congress is anti-Patel. This policy has been effective as seen from the fact that even when a leader like Keshubhai left the party, the Patels stayed with the BJP. Hardik is now convincing the Patels that it is not the Congress but the BJP which is anti-Patel. From lathi charges on Patels to the removal of Anandiben Patel to the appointment of Vijay Rupani as Chief Minister instead of Nitin Patel, all of these have been blamed on the BJP. The real test of just how effective Hardik's appeal will be is soon to come. At the moment, the biggest question remains whether the Patels will again leave Hardik like they left Keshubhai? Will the Patel community once again remember Gujarati identity and the work done by Modi, and go with their vada pradhan? Or will the story be something else this time? This is the biggest question that remains. Will the BJP's allegation that the crowd at Hardik rallies was actually brought by the Congress prove true? To find out, we have to wait till 18 December. Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017 Two hours from Ahmedabad is Surendranagar, the edge of Saurashtra's cotton belt. Dilip Valera, vice-president of the Surendranagar District Congress Committee and an industrial consultant, is helping Congress candidates in every election. His visiting card is a replica of his Facebook page. "It's my way of telling people I'm on Facebook. I have 4,800 friends there," says the 65-year-old. Like any party foot soldier would, he too claims Congress will win all five seats in the district in the upcoming Assembly election the party had won only one in 2012. "I don't know what the final results across Gujarat will be like. But I can tell you that I have never seen the Congress put up such a good show in Gujarat, and never seen the central leadership work so hard on the ground," he says. For this, he credits Rahul Gandhi. "Rahul is working so hard in Gujarat; it has enthused the workers and made them feel there is hope for the Congress, the hope to win," Valera says. But is it a genuine sentiment or just sycophancy at work? "Everybody can see the difference. Do you notice how the BJP and its supporters are no longer able to call him 'Pappu'?" he asks. "Aaj Pappu baap ban raha hai unka." His main fear is regarding the EVMs, that they may be rigged. A 20-member team of the Congress party in the district was trained in checking EVMs. They were given a copy of the rules regarding handling of the machines. They checked every EVM, casting up to 1,000 votes on each machine for every candidate, to see if there was any error. "The centre where the EVMs were kept didn't have metal detection gates. We said handheld detectors won't do as the rules clearly mandate gates. They had to install those," he recalls. He's even discussed EVMs with Sam Pitroda. Curiously, he says, the BJP hasn't bothered with checking EVMs yet. "That makes me think they might still have some tricks up their sleeve," he adds. The rigged EVM fear is widespread, he says, convinced that this is how the BJP won 312 seats in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year. While many in Gujarat say a bigger problem for the Congress is a weak cadre, Valera alleges that BJP workers could cast fake votes in the name of voters who don't turn up. That could happen only if a Congress boot worker leaves his post, as many in Gujarat say they do by afternoon. "That won't happen this time," Valera says, indirectly admitting it has been a problem in the past. "There's been a lot of training and oversight by AICC this time. There is a multi-layered system of oversight the AICC has put in place," he says. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's visits to Gujarat's temples have helped prevent the Congress from being portrayed as a Muslim-only party, he adds. "We are showing that we too are Hindu, and that meant their communal propaganda is not working," he explains. But it's not that Rahul Gandhi leading from the front has meant Ahmed Patel's influence has reduced. Valera insists that Patel is still as influential, except not publicly so. "Every election the BJP spreads rumours that Ahmed Patel would be chief minister if the Congress wins. This time they are unable to say so," he says. He does feel the Congress would have benefited by naming a chief ministerial candidate, and in Bharat Solanki, the current Gujarat Congress chief, they have a good choice. "But more importantly," he says, "Shankersinh Vaghela's exit has been a gain for us. There's no infighting and factional wars this time." So what's the central issue this election? It's the failure of the BJP to deliver on its promises, he says. "Far from meeting expectations, the Modi government has worsened matters. Farming has become unviable and the youth don't have jobs," Valera says. Rahul Gandhi appears more energised in the last leg of the Gujarat campaign. He has reason to feel upbeat and opinion polls are indicating a tightening of the race. The latest poll by Lokniti-CSDS-ABP News showed BJP could pick up 91 to 99 seats in the 182-member House with Congress not far behind at 78 to 86 seats. Understandably, theres a spring in Rahuls stride as reflected in this speech. He promised a golden future for Gujarat by undoing some of the Narendra Modi government's initiatives such as GST something he refers to as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. "We can give you a golden future. The Congress chief minister will not take decisions without listening to you, without understanding you. We will not take decisions like Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and note ban," Rahul said. Good words to play to the gallery, but Rahul is certainly promising more than he can deliver. In fact, he is asking for trouble. Imagine, if his Congress does pull off an upset: The immediate task for Rahul will be to appease the aggressive trader community in the state. Does he really have a plan to offer here? Most likely not. So far, the only thing he has revealed as far as GST is concerned is that he prefers a single tax rate at 18 percent. That is unthinkable. In a country like India it will be impossible to tax toothpaste and luxury cars at the same rate. The GT targets are too vast and too complex to handle something the government is realising every week, if not every day. No state government can unilaterally do anything to repeal or change provisions of the GST. Golden future? The problem with catchphrases that are thrown at voters in the age of social media is that they always come back to haunt. Remember 'acche din'? Rahuls challenge, if Congress wins Gujarat, will be far more daunting than simply winning the elections. Gujarats challenges are too many and Rahul's party is not really known to spin miracle solutions to bring in quick, radical changes for the good of the system, wherever it has been in power in the past two decade or so. Even though it's one of Indias more prosperous states, Gujarats challenges are daunting. Take a look at the RBI data on the states economic and social indicators. If one looks at the total employment data of state-wise medium and small scale industries, Gujarat (47.73 lakh) lags far behind states like Tamil Nadu (80.98 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (92.36 lakh), West Bengal (85.78 lakh), Maharashtra (70.04 lakhs), Andhra Pradesh (70.69 lakh) and Kerala (49.62 lakh). This means that while a large number of companies have been set up, not enough jobs have been created by the state. The poverty rate continues to be one of the highest (16.63 million) among the heavily industrialised states and the infant mortality rate too remains high (33) compared with states like Maharashtra (21) and Tamil Nadu (19). This means that despite the enviable pace of industrialisation in the state over years, not enough jobs are being created and most social indicators fail to reflect the growth seen in macroeconomic indicators. So, the new government in the state has a tough challenge ahead. It is doubtful whether Congress has any solutions to these problems. A quick look at the Congress' poll manifesto doesn't throw up any impressive plan to radically change Gujarats socioeconomic landscape. The only major highlights are the rollout of freebies such as farm loan waivers and the Patidar job quota. So, when Rahul offers catchy, social media-baiting phrases like 'golden future', he should consider what he is promising an ambitious electorate. For the Congress battling an existential crisis and confronting the indomitable Modi factor on his home turf, Gujarat is indeed a crucial game. But the bigger one still awaits the party in 2019. The Congress revival in Gujarat can, of course, breathe life into its ailing cadres. But Rahul would do well not to fall into the trap of creating too much hype. He should, instead, first admit that he has no magic wand to cure Gujarats problems or gift a 'golden future' overnight. A more realistic assessment of Gujarats economy and communicating to the electorate the steps that can be taken, rather than grand promises, will win the trust of voters. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said that the Gujarat Assembly poll campaign had transformed Rahul Gandhi into a leader and that the Congress vice-president's temple visits was a "win for Hindutva", which the BJP should welcome. Gandhi has been campaigning extensively in the election-bound state, where the first phase of polling will take place on Saturday. He has visited a number of temples in Gujarat, which his party believes would help counter the Hindutva platform of its rival. "The election, which is touted by the BJP to be a sure win, seems to have tired Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it has turned Rahul Gandhi into a leader," the Sena, a long-time but often bickering partner of the BJP, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana. "The polls have proved that Rahul Gandhi is not a Pappu anymore. The BJP should have a big heart and accept this," the party said. The position of the Congress across the country is bad, the Sena noted, adding "Gandhi will have to carve a way out of the dense fog of vilification and political maze the BJP has created for the party." "The BJP is even angry with Rahul Gandhi for his visits to temples and offering prayers. On the contrary, it should be welcomed. Rahul Gandhi visiting temples is a win for Hindutva. If he is taking the party towards Hindutva from bogus secularism, the Sangh should welcome it," the Sena said. Taking a dig at Modi for dubbing Gandhi's expected elevation as Congress president as "Aurangzeb raj", the Sena said, "Such comments prove that the prime minister considers Rahul Gandhi an opponent and that he has become an able leader." Read complete coverage of Gujarat Elections 2017 here Ahmedabad: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who played a major role in social engineering by roping in Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mewani on the side of Congress in Gujarat, wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attack the party and Rahul Gandhi even more so that it will "ensure a Congress victory". As the campaign in the state reaches a feverish pitch, Gehlot accused Modi of speaking "only untruths" and making "false promises". Modi has now been "exposed" and people are not going to believe him or come under his "illusion", says the former Rajasthan chief minister. He maintains the prime minister is becoming "furious" as he senses defeat in the Assembly polls, which is the reason for his "disgraceful" attacks on Congress and its legends like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. "We want him to attack us more. We want him to abuse our legendary leaders. We will be benefiting as much as he attacks us," Gehlot told IANS in an interview. Claiming that the party will win the Gujarat polls with a clear majority, he also attacked the prime minister for describing Rahul Gandhi's impending elevation as party chief as "Aurangzeb raj". "We will win this election with a comfortable majority. There is an undercurrent in favour of Congress. See how Modiji is attacking Congress and even its internal elections. A figure like the prime minister is attacking Rahul's elevation, and that too by taking the name of a person who is not a Congress member," Gehlot said, referring to Shehzad Poonawala. He said it goes to show how the prime minister and the entire BJP is "scared". "In fear of defeat, he is saying anything in order to get the election agenda diverted from his model of development. He is mocking Congress' internal democracy, but everyone knows that in the BJP the RSS decides who will be prime minister, president, and chief minister. And you are talking about Congress," he said. Gehlot was referring to Modi's charge that Nehru was not in favour of reconstructing the Somnath temple and his accusation that Indira Gandhi covered her nose with a handkerchief to avoid the stench when she visited Morbi in 1979 after the Machhu dam flood tragedy. "It was under Indira Gandhi's leadership that Pakistan was divided. It was one of the world's historic events. There are many more such events with which the new generation is not familiar. They (BJP) are in the habit of misguiding people," he said. "They (prime minister and BJP) are raising these issues as they have become furious (baukhla gaye hai). Who cares about all this? They may hatch conspiracies to win elections but we don't care. This is all because defeat is at their doorsteps. People of Gujarat are with us. Rahulji (Gandhi) is getting people's love, affection, and blessings." Continuing his attack on Modi, he said the prime minister has "lost his charisma" and this is seen during his election rallies too. "Modiji has fooled people in the name of Vibrant Gujarat. Go to the villages of Gujarat and you will find the reality of development called 'Modi model'. He has been exposed. Which class of society is happy with him? From farmers to labourers and from youths to business class, all are unhappy. Now people of Gujarat are not going to believe him. They are not going to come under his fake claims. "You can see this on the ground. Earlier crowds used to chant 'Modi, Modi' in his rallies. Now, what is happening? Chairs remain vacant. Where have they gone - those who used to chant his name?" he asked. "His graph is shrinking. Now people have acknowledged their (BJP) lie. They speak only untruth and make false promises. People still remember the promises of bringing back black money, two crore employment every year and getting Rs 15 lakh into their bank accounts." The Congress General Secretary in charge of Gujarat said that Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the party president's post will impact the country's politics a lot and youth would come forward under his leadership. "I believe the young generation will come forward under his leadership. We were also youth. I became Member of Parliament at an age of 28 and then became PCC president, general secretary, Union minister and chief minister. Today, there are four general secretaries in AICC, who were youths during Indira Gandhi's regime. This is the specialty of the Congress that it gives opportunities to the new generation. "Rahulji will do the same. He will take benefit from the experience of senior leaders and will move ahead with the youth," he said. Describing BJP as a party of "hypocrites" he said that they are "embracing Gandhiji, whom they killed". "Sardar Patel banned RSS and now they are claiming their birthright on him. After being humiliated by the public throughout their journey from Jan Sangh to Janata Party and now BJP, they are doing divisive politics in the name of Congress. "In the early years, they did politics in the name of cow and its protection. They then raked up the issue of Ram temple. And now when they are in power they are again doing politics in the name of cow and trying to divide the country," he said. On Rahul Gandhi's temple visits, he said that there was nothing new in this as Sonia Gandhi also began her election campaign in 2007 from Ambaji temple. "She used to campaign by helicopter and temples don't exist in the air. Rahulji is travelling through roads and he goes to temples on the way," he said. Read complete coverage of Gujarat Elections 2017 here Chandigarh: Punjab Congress on Tuesday released three more lists of candidates for the forthcoming civic elections in the state, announcing 25 more names from Patiala, 79 from Jalandhar and 80 from Amritsar. According to a party spokesperson, with the announcement of 25 names on Tuesday, candidates for 56 of the 60 wards in Patiala have been declared, leaving only four tickets pending in the region. The party had earlier announced 31 names from Patiala. In Jalandhar, the party released the names of 79 candidates, leaving only one candidature pending. Two sitting members have been dropped in Jalandhar, said the spokesperson. For Amritsar, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has declared the names of candidates for 80 out of 85 wards. Releasing its first list on Monday, the party had announced that it would stick to its one-family-one-ticket rule with the exception of sitting councillors. It had also made it clear that it would take a tough stand against rebels and deserters. Elections to three municipal corporations-Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar and 32 municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats will be held on 17 December. Lucknow: Even as BSP supremo Mayawati advocated the use of ballot paper in future elections instead of EVMs, data released by the state election commission based on the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh civic polls showed that the BSP fared poorly where paper ballots were used. According to civic poll results, BSP candidates contested on all 16 mayoral seats and won two Aligarh and Meerut. Its candidates forfeited deposits in 11 seats. In the mayoral polls, voting was done through EVMs and 68.7 per cent of BSP candidates lost their deposits. However, this was still better compared to the BSP's performance in Nagar Palika Parishad and Nagar Panchyat polls, where ballots were used, the data showed. The BSP fielded contested in 186 seats of the Nagar Palika Parishad, in which 131 (70.43 percent) of its candidates had to forfeit their deposits. Similarly, in the Nagar Panchyat chairman polls, BSP contested in 357 seats in which 268 (75 percent) of its candidates lost their deposits. A day after the civic polls results were released, Mayawati had challenged the BJP that the saffron party would lose the general elections due in 2019 if ballot papers were used instead of EVMs. "If the BJP claims that they enjoy the mandate of the people and the entire country is with them, then they should set aside EVMs and hold the elections through ballot paper. And I can say with full confidence that if the 2019 Lok Sabha polls are held by ballot paper, (BJP) will not come to power," she said. Mayawati alleged that the government machinery was "misused" in the urban local body polls. "Otherwise, more of our candidates would had become mayors in the state... and we would have won more seats," she said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, making light of Mayawati's charges, said she should ask her mayors to resign and contest those two seats again in ballot-based elections. The Samajwadi Party too has blamed EVMs for its poor performance. As per election results, SP candidates forfeited deposits in 10 out of 16 seats. The SP, however, fared better than the BSP in the seats where ballot papers were used. In the Nagar Palika Parishad, of the 190 candidates fielded by the SP, 83 (43.68 percent) lost deposits and in Nagar Panchyat chairman polls, 207 SP candidates (54.47 percent) lost their deposits in the 380 seats the party contested in. Modji Dhadukh, 77, vividly remembers the time when he could barely cultivate one crop. For 15-17 years, though, he has been cultivating three. Jayaben Redadiya, 63, would have to scamper if she had to host guests for lunch. Those worries are now a thing of the past. Without any farmland, 41-year-old Thobhan Japda could not have imagined sustaining his household only on dairy products. He recently built a pucca house and a stable where he nurtures three robust Gir cows, each costing over Rs 60,000. All three are residents of Junagarhs Jamka village in Gujarats Saurashtra region, which has been plagued by water scarcity for years. Their lives changed for the better in 1998-99, when Mansukhbhai Suvagiya, president of Jalkranti trust in Rajkot, visited Jamka and convinced the residents to build check dams. Water woes had reached miserable levels by the time, says Suvagiya. "Farmlands were parched. Livestock could not be maintained. Youngsters had started migrating." Saurashtra is large agrarian constituency which is solely dependent on rainfall, which, unfortunately for the farmers, has been extremely erratic. The region does not have a perennial river, and its strange topography like that of an inverted saucer makes it even more difficult to conserve water. Suvagiya says he wanted to create a model village in Jamka, which would then inspire the rest of Saurashtra, and possibly inspire the whole of Gujarat to follow suit. He chipped in some of his own money, explained how check dams could solve the water problems, and urged people to contribute as much as they could. "The science behind check dams is simple," he says. "A small concrete structure prevents water flow during monsoons, and helps conserve water. It can, thus, be used to irrigate farmlands. It also seeps into the ground, helping the ground water recharge, which increases your chances of finding water while digging a well or a borewell." Jamka was desperate, says Dhadukh, and they lapped up what Suvagiya told them. The village pooled in Rs 10 lakh to build 51 check dams, varying from 4 feet to 14 feet. "I still remember how the entire village came together and worked tirelessly to build those check dams," he says with a grin. "Today, I sow groundnuts in June, tur and wheat as winter crops and cultivate oilseeds in summers. I could not imagine farming in summers. There were days when we hardly farmed six months. Since the check dam initiative, we are working round the year." Even today, the constructions in Jamka stand firm, greeting the annual monsoons without a hiccup. Villagers say the water gushes through the check dams, optimising each and every rain drop. Jayaben says even during some of the acute droughts in the past few years, Jamka has managed to survive well. "Water tankers have not made rounds in our village," she says. "We do not have to go anywhere to wash clothes, there is enough water to prepare food. Our physical efforts have dwindled to a third." Sure enough, Jamka did become a model village as Suvagiya had desired. The Gujarat government under the then Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel initiated Sardar Patel Sahabhagi Water Scheme, and the irrigation minister in his cabinet, Babubhai Bokhariya, wrote a letter to Suvagiya appreciating his efforts and citing Jamka as one of the reasons behind launching the state-wide scheme. To oversee the proceedings of the scheme in Saurashtra, Keshubhai named Devshibhai Patel as the man-in-charge. A loyal BJP member since 1966, who is 72 today, Devshibhai says, "The idea was to educate people and get them involved in the project." Sardar Patel Sahabhagi Water Scheme assumed an integral role of the peoples movement. We would provide the raw material required for the check dam, which would be 60 percent of the job. And labour work was to be done by the villagers. Devshibhai reminisces the initial steps taken by the government. We did a yatra from Dwarka to Somnath, and the target was to finalise 20,000 check dams, he says. The yatra would entail going to various villages and explaining the scheme to get them on board. When it began, 3000 people were with us. By the time it ended, we were accompanied by 60,000. Devshibhai says the tremendous response ensured the government built 1.80 lakh check dams by 2002 in merely Rs 50 crore. According to a news report in 2003, the water table in the wells of Saurashtra increased by 2.50 m to 17 m, along with land under irrigation and, thereby, agriculture growth. Following the earthquake of Bhuj, due to the negative public perception, the BJP replaced Keshubhai with Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister. "In the next 10-12 years, the state did not even construct 3,000 check dams. Worse, the check dams require maintenance and that too, seems to have been neglected, says Devshibhai. In Gondals PatKhilori village, 20 check dams, built one after another, have been languishing in a broken and deteriorated condition for years. Such dilapidated structures are commonly witnessed in the region. Shambhu Lonagariya and his wife Jaya of PatKhilori say they benefitted from those check dams for two years, after which the constructions collapsed. Either the quality was not good, says Shambhu, Or the required maintenance did not come along. We are back to square one, depending solely on monsoons, running around the district if the rain gods betray us. Which is why, while travelling through rural Saurashtra, one stumbles upon inspirational stories like Jamka in pockets where independent NGOs like Suvagiyas coupled with peoples participation have managed to bring about change. But, by and large, the region continues to grapple for water. During the 2016 drought, the acute situation resulted in large-scale crop failure and human suffering in vast swathes of Saurashtra. Kaajal Oza Vaidya, an Ahmedabad-based author and someone who has studied the water crisis of Saurashtra in detail, says the mental makeup of every village is different. "There are petty egos driving our behaviour," she says. "In such situation, the villages do not show the unity that is required to bring about change. Not all the villages have been educated and communicated about the initiative either." However, there are places where farmers have not built the check dam, but ensured its maintenance even though the government has turned its back. In the outskirts of Kalavad town of Jamnagar, Vipulbhai Patel, 35, says around 10-12 households who benefit from the check dam near their farmland contribute money when it requires repair work. The check dam reduced our water issues during the drought to a large extent, he says. But we are farmers, and we can only spend as much. There is a bit of a hole in the check dam that needs to be plugged. It needs work and money. If it had happened, we would have benefitted even more. The government has not responded even though we have written to them." Modi launched an ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana in 2012 to permanently end the regions water deficit. SAUNI envisions channelising floodwater from Sardar Sarovar Dam through a network of canals that would fill 115 major dams of Saurashtra. A 1,125-km network of pipelines costing 12,166 crore rupees would carry Narmada water to these dams, and irrigate 4.13 lakh hectares land. The work has begun, and the reported deadline is December 2019. SAUNI is an expansive scheme, as opposed to the check dams, which cost nowhere near what SAUNI does. But, Vaidya says check dams can optimise the water that the region gets, but that too can sometimes not be enough. "SAUNI may be fancy, but it is useful, she says. It is a good idea to bring Narmada water to Saurashtra. But the check dams should have also been maintained. The two would have complimented each other to solve Saurashtras water woes. Right now, peoples bath tubs are being filled, but farmers' wells remain dry." Campaigning for the first phase of election in Gujarat ends on Wednesday and political parties are making their final attempt to woo the voters from 89 Assembly constituencies that go to polls on 9 December. Addressing one such rally in Dhanduka, a city in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Opposition Congress and raked up several issues starting from Ambedkar, Sardar Patel to Babri Masjid demolition case. Remembering Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary, Modi said, "Today we remember the great Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. I paid tributes to him in Parliament this morning, before coming to Gujarat. Dr Ambedkar was passionate about ensuring proper irrigation facilities to every part of India." Modi said that it was the BJP that finished the scam being run in the name of the tanker service, and ensured proper water facilities for entire Gujarat. Seeking to appeal to the Dalit electorate, Modi also attacked the Nehru-Gandhi family for "doing great injustice to both, Ambedkar and Sardar Patel." "There is only one family which has done greatest injustice to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Sardar Patel and everybody knows who they are," Modi said. He said the Congress had failed to do anything even though it had been in power for 50 out of 70 years since Independence. "Why did the Congress not think of conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dr Ambedkar," Modi asked. Modi also continued his attack on Congress leader Kapil Sibal. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Babri Mosque demolition, Modi also accused the Congress of linking the Ram Temple issue to the Lok Sabha elections. "In India, every now and then elections are there. In that case, I would say let us have elections of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas together." "Yesterday in the Supreme Court, Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing (which is his right) for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that, but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019?" Modi said while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka. "Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir (temple) with elections. Is such thinking proper?" Modi asked the crowd. He also accused the Congress of linking the Ram Temple issue with the elections. "Now Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation," Modi said. Modi's remarks came a day after Sibal while representing the Sunni Waqf Board on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ayodhya title suit till July 2019 after the Lok Sabha elections. Sibal requested the apex court to defer the hearing stating the case has ramifications on polity of India. Though Sibal did not explicitly mention elections, his request was clear, to which the bench also expressed surprise. Meanwhile, the Congress distanced itself from Sibal's comments and said that his arguments were made in his capacity as a lawyer, which did not represent the view of the party. Modi, however, latched on to the comment as he sought to corner the party on the issue "I appeal to the future Congress president, please clear your stand on the issue," Modi said, also adding, "On the one hand, temples are being visited ahead of elections. On the other hand, they are trying to delay hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi case. The Congress has double standards on the issue." Modi also made an attempt to reach out to Muslim women. Modi said he will not remain silent on an issue like triple talaq which concerned the welfare of so many women. Everything is not about elections. This issue is for the rights of women elections come later humanity comes first, Modi said. When the triple talaq matter was in Supreme Court, the government had to put their affidavit. Media was commenting that Modi will remain silent because of Uttar Pradesh polls. People told me not to speak on the matter else there will be losses in elections, Modi said. He said that his party was synonymous with development in the state, and although young people may not remember what it was like, before BJP worked in the state, most people would know what the situation was like. There are some words that the young generation do not even know. One such word is curfew," Modi said as he claimed that the law and order situation has improved tremendously under the BJP governments. The prime minister sought to remind the people that how there used to be frequent curfews amid a communally tense environment. "Today a child of 15-17 would not know what is a curfew, what it felt like to live under curfew.. But Gujarat has had children who knew local policemen better that their relatives... those days are now over," Modi said. ""Apart from development, BJPs biggest gift to Gujarat is sense of security, Modi said adding "You may be rich and wealthy but what is that without peace of mind and good law and order." At Netrang, Modi continued his attack on the Opposition party Congress and said "Congress feels only one family won India freedom". The prime minister also lauded Sunni Waqf board's stand to distance themselves from Kapil Sibal's comment and called it a 'brave stand'at Netrang rally on Wednesday. The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Kapil Sibal ji: PM Modi ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 ; "Congress feels only one family won India freedom. They forget the contribution of the tribal communities in India's freedom struggle, Modi said.They call us a government of the rich. It is the blessings of the poor that make us rich. Our asset is the hard work of the poor. Our government worked for tribal welfare, ensured better education, healthcare," Modi said. IANS The adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms will dominate enterprise IT strategies in 2018, along with smart object storage, analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), a new report said on Tuesday. According to Hitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, IoT solutions will deliver valuable insight to support digital transformation in almost every industry and market sector. IT must work closely with the operations side of the business to focus on specific business needs and define the scope of an IoT project. "Building IoT solutions that provide real value can be difficult without the right underlying architecture and a deep understanding of the business to properly simulate and digitalise operational entities and processes," Hubert Yoshida, Chief Technology Officer, Hitachi, said in a statement. According to Hitachi Vantara, enterprises started their digital transformation this year but the first problem that they ran into was the ability to access their data. Data is often locked in isolated islands that make it costly to extract and use. These islands were built for purpose and not to be shared and many contain data that is duplicated, obsolete or no longer used because of changes in business process or ownership, the report said. "Data scientists tell us that 80 per cent of the work involved in gaining analytical insight from data is the tedious work of acquiring and preparing the data," added Russell Skingsley, Chief Technology Officer, Asia Pacific. "The concept of a data lake is alluring, but you can't just pour your data into one system, unless that data is properly cleansed, formatted and indexed or tagged with metadata so that the data lake is content aware. Otherwise you end up with a data swamp," he added. Next year will see a growth in analytics and AI across the board as companies see real returns on their investments. "AI became mainstream with consumer products like Amazon Alexa and Apple Siri, and Hitachi believes that it is the collaboration of AI and humans that will bring real benefits to society," said Skingsley. Video content analytics will be a "third eye" for greater insight, productivity and efficiency in a number of domains beyond public safety. The year 2018 will see new challenges in data governance which will require organisations to implement new frameworks. The biggest challenge will come from the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will give residents in the European Union more control over their personal data. The increasing numbers of passwords required by today's consumers will also support the shift towards biometric authentication in 2018, the report said. tech2 News Staff Ahead of the 7 December launch in China, Xiaomi's Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus have been listed on AliExpress along with their respective prices. The Redmi 5 Plus is listed at $249.99 (approx Rs Rs 16,000) and the Redmi 5 at $199.99 (approx Rs 12,000). Image of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus were revealed days ahead of its 7 December launch. The listing on AliExpress shows both smartphones with very little bezels and these look similar to the images revealed by Xiaomi global spokesperson, Donovan Sung a few days ago. Both the new smartphones will be available in Pink, Gold, Blue, and Black. According to the listing, Redmi 5 Plus comes with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage. The Redmi 5, on the other hand, features 2 GB RAM variant with 16 GB internal storage. Contrary to this, the TENAA listing shows Redmi 5 to be available in 3 GB+32 GB and 4 GB+64 GB. Both the phones come with a Snapdragon octa-core CPU. As per TENAA, Redmi 5 is expected to come with 1.8 GHz octa-core SoC. This would either be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 or 625 SoC. The Redmi 5 Plus is expected to come with Snapdragon 600 series SoC. As per the pictures, both the phones come with a fingerprint sensor at the back. And both are powered by Android with Xiaomi's MIUI skinning. As said before and now in the listing also, the smartphones would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio. According to TENNA listings, the Redmi 5 phone is expected to come with a 5.7-inch HD+ display (1440x720 pixels). The Redmi 5 Plus is expected to be bigger than this. In case of the camera, Redmi 5 will sport a 12MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. The Redmi 5 is expected to feature a 3,200 mAh, while the Redmi 5 Plus is said to pack in a 4,000 mAh battery. Recently, Redmi 5A was launched in India. The smartphone will go on sale on 7 December. The latest smartphone, which comes with MIUI 9, would be available in Mi.com, Mi stores in New Delhi and Bengaluru, and on Flipkart as well. Dubbed 'Desh Ka Smartphone', the Redmi 5A is offers a 3,000 mAh battery. It comes in two variants. One is 2 GB RAM and 16 GB variant, the other is a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB variant. IANS Joining the chorus against a messaging app exclusively for kids from Facebook, British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned the social media giant to stay away from his children. "Facebook told me they would come back with ideas to PREVENT underage use of their product, but instead they are actively targeting younger children. "Stay away from my kids please Facebook and act responsibly!" Hunt posted on Twitter on Wednesday. Facebook on Monday introduced Messenger Kids for under-13 children to video chat and message with family and friends when they can't be together in person. Rolled out in the US for the moment, Messenger Kids is a stand-alone app that will be available on kids' tablets or smartphones but can be controlled from a parent's Facebook account. "Not sure this is the right direction at all," Hunt tweeted. Facebook was yet to comment. Facebook's move has already been criticized in some countries. Not sure this is the right direction at all. Facebook told me they would come back with ideas to PREVENT underage use of their product, but instead they are actively targeting younger children. Stay away from my kids please Facebook and act responsibly! https://t.co/XrwfSHsUMj Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) December 5, 2017 Facebook, however, said it launched Messenger Kids after talking to thousands of parents, associations like National PTA and parenting experts. Facebook found that there's a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level of control parents want. "In addition to our research with thousands of parents, we've engaged with over a dozen expert advisors in the areas of child development, online safety, and children's media and technology who've helped inform our approach to building our first app for kids," Loren Cheng, Product Management Director at Facebook, wrote in a blog post. Once the account is set up by a parent, kids can start a one-on-one or group video chat with parent-approved contacts. In addition to video chat, kids can send photos, videos or text messages to their parent-approved friends and adult relatives, who will receive the messages via their regular Messenger app. Anirudh Regidi PCs have been dying for years now. A lack of innovation, increasingly powerful mobile devices and cloud computing have been slowly but surely killing off what little value the PC has left. The latest innovation in this space, one that we feel has the potential to transform the PC as we know it comes not from PC king Intel, but from mobile giant Qualcomm. Perhaps its only fitting that Qualcomm is leading the charge now. Qualcomms always-connected PC platform, built in partnership with Microsoft, is in a nascent stage, but if the devices we saw today are anything to go by, the future is certainly promising. Features and specifications At the event, we saw the launch of two devices, the HP Envy x2 and the Asus NovaGo. Both devices are powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 platform and come in variants offering up to 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. Both promise 20+ hours of battery life while playing back video and boast of weeks of standby time. Theyre both loaded with Windows 10 S, including full support for Windows Ink and related apps. Both devices ship with pens for sketching. The Envy offers a 12.3-inch screen to the NovaGos 13.3 inch one. Both offer a WUXGA+ resolution of 1920x1280. Build and Design The Envy x2 and NovaGo differ in form factor. The x2 is a tablet with a detachable keyboard and a pen, much like Microsofts Surface Pro lineup, while the NovaGo goes for a more traditional, 2-in-1 laptop design with a 360-degree hinge. The NovaGo offers more ports, featuring 2x USB ports on one side and a full-sized HDMI port and microSD card slot on the other. The x2, like Apples 12-inch MacBook, only has 1x USB-C port. Unlike Apples MacBook, the x2 will be bundled with a USB-C adapter that will expand functionality. From our initial impressions, the HP device felt premium and the NovaGo more like a solid workhorse. The NovaGo was also the heavier of the two, weighing in at 1.3 kg. The x2 weighs a mere 700 g. Weve nothing against either device in terms of build or design. The choice will entirely depend on your use-case. Performance We only got to spend a few minutes with the devices, but we can tell you right now that performance was quite impressive. Basic Windows functions were quick to respond and apps also loaded quickly. Pen response was very good and we noticed no lag when sketching in an app like Paint3D. Even more impressive was a Powerpoint demo we experienced, where we could easily manipulate and animate a 3D object within a presentation. The experience wasnt perfect and there was a bit of lag now and then, but it wasnt as bad as we thought it would be. We couldnt try out heavier tasks on the device, so we cant tell you for sure if it can handle 50 Chrome tabs or any kind of video editing. More on that in our full review. Both devices offer 20+ hours of battery life, but nobody could confirm whether the devices supported Qualcomms Quick Charge standards. Pricing and availability The devices will be available in Spring 2018, which translates to some time around March next year. Pricing is only available for the Asus NovaGo, which will be available in two variants. A 4 GB RAM / 64 GB storage variant will go for $599 while an 8 GB RAM / 256 GB internal storage variant will be available for $799. Were likely to learn more about the pricing structure of the HP Envy x2 around CES next year, where Lenovo is also expected to debut their take on the always-connected PC. Disclaimer: The correspondent was invited by Qualcomm India for the Snapdragon Summit at Hawaii, USA. All travel and accommodation expenses were taken care of by Qualcomm. tech2 News Staff While third-party keyboard applications are common to Android users, a number of users also use virtual keyboard applications. A report now reveals that a popular virtual keyboard app has apparently leaked personal data belonging to as many as 31 million users. The server which was compromised was identified as owned by Eitan Fitusi in a report by ZDNet. Fitusi is the co-founder of AI.type, a customisable on-screen keyboard which boasts of as many as 40 million users worldwide. As per the report, the server was left unsecured without a password allowing access to the company's user database. The compromised database consisted of what is known to be 577 GB worth sensitive data. The server contained sensitive information of all Android users of the app. Based on the information gathered by the publication, the records on the server had entries of the user's full name, email addresses, and how many days the app was installed. The records also included the user's location set by GPS, including their city and country. ZDNet who obtained a portion of the database to verify the information collected by the servers made a few scarier revelations to the breach. Certain portions of the records were found to include the user's phone number, network provider and on occasions also their IP address and the name of their internet provider if the user was found connected to Wi-Fi. Fitusi who acknowledged the breach has secured the server since the news went public but did not respond to any questions. Washington: Republican leaders in Washington are coming to grips with the possibility perhaps even probability that Alabama's Roy Moore will win his special election next Tuesday and join them in the capital. Looking past allegations of sexual misconduct with Alabama teenagers, President Donald Trump formally endorsed Moore, and the Republican National Committee quickly followed suit, transferring $170,000 to the Alabama Republican Party to bolster Moore's candidacy. "I think he's going to do very well. We don't want to have a liberal Democrat in Alabama, believe me," Trump said Tuesday during a lunch with Republican senators. "We want strong borders, we want stopping crime, we want to have the things that we represent and we certainly don't want to have a liberal Democrat that's controlled by Nancy Pelosi and controlled by Chuck Schumer, we don't want to have that for Alabama." Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, who once called on Moore to get out of the race, changed his rhetoric over the weekend to say that it was Alabama voters who should decide. The changed tone and Trump's decision to do away with any facade of distancing himself from the race make it clear they are increasingly confident in Moore's chances of victory despite the continued unease of some other Republicans. The special election is next Tuesday for the seat once held by Jeff Sessions, now the US attorney general. Although the polls have showed a narrowing contest with Democrat Doug Jones, Alabama is a strongly Republican state and Democrats generally have little hope there. A Moore victory would set up a potential clash with fellow Republicans in Congress, some of whom have resoundingly called on him to quit the race. While some have softened their rhetoric recently, others have said they still will try to expel him if he is elected. An RNC official confirmed late Monday that the committee would once again be supporting Moore after severing its fundraising ties to his campaign last month. On Tuesday, the official said the RNC had made two transfers to the state party: one for $50,000 and another for $120,000. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorised to discuss the transfers by name. Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Breitbart's executive chairman, attended a rally with Moore Tuesday evening. Buoyed by the taste of his own success in Congress as the Republican tax bill inches closer to passage, Trump telephoned Moore on Monday to offer encouragement as well as support and also argued in a pair of tweets that Moore's vote was badly needed to push the president's policies forward. Weeks ago, when accusations of sexual misconduct with teenagers first surfaced, Trump's spokesman had said the president believed Moore would "do the right thing and step aside" if the allegations were true. Top Republicans had vowed to expel him from the Senate if he wins. Publicly and privately, GOP leaders described the allegations against Moore as credible and insisted there were no circumstances under which he should serve in the Senate. Moore's campaign was wounded by accusations this fall of sexual misconduct, decades ago, made by women who were then teenagers. One of the women alleges he initiated sexual contact when she was 14. Moore has denied the allegations, saying "I do not know any of these women. I did not date any of these women I did not engage in any sexual misconduct with anyone." Trump, who has repeatedly noted Moore's denials, took a more political stance on Monday. "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama," Trump tweeted. "We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more." In that same vein, longtime Alabama Senator Richard Shelby said Trump's endorsement didn't surprise him. He said of the president, "I think he's interested, a lot of us are, in the numbers, being a Republican." And Senator Orrin Hatch, who travelled with Trump on Monday to Hatch's home state of Utah, said he realistically didn't have any choice. Hatch said of Moore, "That's the only Republican you can possibly get down there at this time." Trump first appeared to back Moore after his first choice, Senator Luther Strange, lost the GOP primary for the seat. But the president went silent after The Washington Post reported on the allegations of sexual misconduct with two teens, ages 14 and 16, and efforts to date several others while Moore was a local prosecutor in his 30s. By late November, however, with pressure mounting from Bannon and other corners of his base, Trump was making clear that he preferred Moore, raising doubts about the candidate's accusers and criticising Democrat Jones as the "liberal puppet" of Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Jones sidestepped questions about Trump's endorsement while suggesting the support of national Republicans like McConnell could do more harm than good in Alabama. "Our campaign is going straight to the people of the Alabama because that's who my voters are. It's not the president, it's not Mitch McConnell," Jones told reporters outside a steel mill in suburban Birmingham. "Obviously Mitch McConnell has very little credibility in this state anyway, so I'm not worried about him at all." Expelling a senator is no easy task. The Senate Ethics Committee would have to investigate, and a recommendation of expulsion could take years. Detroit: Democratic Representative John Conyers resigned from Congress on Tuesday after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job in the torrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation's workplaces. The 88-year-old civil rights leader and longest-serving member of the House announced what he referred to as his "retirement" on Detroit talk radio, while continuing to deny he groped or sexually harassed women who worked for him. "My legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we're going through now," said the congressman, who called into the radio show from the hospital where he was taken last week after complaining of light-headedness. "This, too, shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children." He endorsed his son John Conyers III to succeed him. Conyers, who was first elected in 1964 and went on to become a founding member in 1971 of the Congressional Black Caucus, easily won re-election last year to his 27th term in his heavily Democratic district in and around Detroit. But after being publicly accused by one woman after another in recent weeks, he faced growing calls to resign from colleagues in the House, including Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. As the furor grew, he stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and the Ethics Committee began investigating him. Democratic Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York said he was saddened by the resignation of his "friend and mentor" but added: "There can be no tolerance for behaviour that subjects women to the kind of conduct that has been alleged." It will be up to Republican Governor Rick Snyder to set a date for a special election to pick someone to serve out the remaining year in Conyers' two-year term. State Senator Ian Conyers, a grandson of Conyers' brother, said he plans to run for the seat. On Monday, yet another allegation was lodged against Conyers, when a woman who said she worked for him for more than a decade, Elisa Grubbs, said he slid his hand up her skirt and rubbed her thighs while she was sitting next to him in the front row of a church. Grubbs also said she repeatedly saw Conyers touching and stroking the legs and buttocks of other female staffers. Such behavior "was a regular part of life while working in the office of Representative Conyers," she said. Grubbs is the cousin of another accuser, Marion Brown, who reached a confidential, taxpayer-funded settlement of more than $27,000 over allegations Conyers sexually harassed her. That settlement came to light in mid-November, setting off the cascade of allegations against the congressman. At least two other women who worked for him have accused him of sexual misconduct. "This is about much more than one congressman," Grubbs' attorney, Lisa Bloom, said in an email after Conyers resigned. "Systemic change is urgently needed so no other women have to endure the retaliation, secrecy and delays my client Marion Brown and others experienced." While Hollywood and media titans accused of sexual misconduct have been swiftly fired in recent weeks, including studio boss Harvey Weinstein and TV news hosts Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose, that has not been the case in Congress, where lawmakers have spoken of due process and clung to the argument that the voters have the final say. Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, Republican Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas and Democratic Representative Ruben Kihuen of Nevada have all rebuffed calls to step down, though Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas has said he won't seek re-election in 2018. Conyers said in a statement read Tuesday on the floor of the House that he was resigning "to preserve my legacy and good name." He also complained that he was not being afforded due process to defend himself, and cited his health problems as another factor in his decision. He added that he hopes his retirement will be viewed in the "larger perspective" of his more than 50 years as a lawmaker. Conyers regularly won elections with more than 80 percent of the vote. He co-sponsored a 1972 resolution recommending President Richard Nixon's impeachment for his conduct of the Vietnam War and regularly introduced a bill from 1989 onward to study the harm caused by slavery and the possibility of reparations to the descendants of slaves. After a 15-year struggle, Conyers succeeded in establishing the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr's birthday as a federal holiday in 1986. He employed civil rights legend Rosa Parks at his Detroit district office for more than two decades. Word of Conyers' resignation was met with sadness among House Democrats. The uproar had divided members of his party, especially those in the Congressional Black Caucus. Pelosi, too, had struggled, calling Conyers an "icon" before pressing days later for him to go. "Congressman Conyers has served in the Congress for more than five decades, and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half century," Pelosi said following his retirement. "But no matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate. The brave women who came forward ... were owed the justice of this announcement." The furore over Conyers unfolded as the sexual misconduct allegations against Franken and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore sent members of both parties rushing to choose sides. "I think that we lose our moral authority if we also don't call out those we love who have done things that are bad," said Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal. "I think we have to recognise and be able to hold the duelling possibilities that somebody can be a great man and have done great things for our country and for civil rights but also have done terrible things that require accountability." Amritsar: The British government should apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, London mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday, calling it a tragedy one "must never forget". Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday, paid a rich tribute to those who died in Jallianwala Bagh incident. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Our thoughts are with all those who died. "It is time for the British government to finally apologise. The tragedy in 1919 on the eve of Vaisakhi is one we must never forget," Khan wrote in the visitors' book at the Jallianwala Bagh here. The massacre took place on 13 April, 1919 when British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, opened fire at a crowd of unarmed people, on the harvest festival of Baisakhi. A large number of people died in the incident. The former British Prime Minister David Cameron, during his 2013 visit to Jallianwala Bagh, also condemned the tragedy and described it as a "deeply shameful incident" in British history. However, he stopped short of making any official apology. Wrapping up his first official tour to India, the London mayor, earlier on Wednesday, also paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Golden Temple. During his visit, he participated in langar at the Golden Temple complex and showed keen interest in knowing how the food is prepared. Khan was also presented with a Siropa (robe of honour) by officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). "It has been a privilege for me to be in Amritsar for the last 24 hours. The Golden Temple is a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Londoners of the Sikh faith and millions of Sikhs around the world come to Amritsar to pay their respects to worship," he said while talking to the reporters. Also, sharing the same sentiments on the visitors' book of the Golden Temple, he wrote: " The warmth, hospitality, spirituality are a lesson to us all. Thank you for providing me with memories that will stay with me forever". On Tuesday evening, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh hosted a dinner for the London mayor in Amritsar. Khan, who was on a three-city tour to India, visited New Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to strengthen the UK's capital trade ties with India. WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Donald Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in defiance of warnings from around the world that the gesture risks creating further unrest in the Middle East. In a speech at the White House, Trump said his administration would begin a process of moving the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. The status of Jerusalem -- home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions -- is one of the thorniest obstacles to reaching a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Trump said. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering. Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the citys eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Trumps announcement as a historic landmark and urged other countries also to move their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem. He said any peace deal with Palestinians must include Jerusalem as Israels capital. This would be a non-starter for Palestinians if it means the entire city would be under Israeli control. The Palestinians have said Trumps move would mean the kiss of death to the two-state solution, envisaging a Palestinian state in territory - the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - that Israel took in 1967. Ahead of Trumps announcement, Washingtons allies in the region warned of dangerous repercussions. With Vice Pence Mike Pence looking on, U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order after he announced the U.S. would Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin LamarquePope Francis called for Jerusalems status quo to be respected, saying new tension would further inflame world conflicts. China and Russia expressed concern the plans could aggravate Middle East hostilities. A Palestinian envoy said the decision was a declaration of war in the Middle East. Trump said his move is not intended to tip the scale in favour of Israel and that any deal involving the future of Jerusalem would have to be negotiated by the parties. He said he remained committed to the two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians if they parties want one. Slideshow (6 Images)Amid warnings of potential unrest in the Middle East, the president called on the region to take his message calmly and with moderation. There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcementbut we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a place of greater understanding and cooperation, Trump said. His announcement fulfils a core pledge of his election campaign last year Trump said his move reflected the reality of Jerusalem as the centre of Jewish faith and the fact that the city is the seat of the Israeli government. Trumps decision is likely to please his core supporters - Republican conservatives and evangelical Christians who comprise an important share of his political base. He acted under a 1995 law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem. His predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, had consistently put off that decision to avoid inflaming tensions in the Middle East. Trump signed a waiver delaying the embassy move from Tel Aviv since the United States does not have an embassy structure in Jerusalem to move into. A senior administration official said it could take three to four years to build one. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas said Tuesday US President Donald Trump had informed him he intended to move the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. If he does so and recognises the holy city as Israel's capital, Trump will break with decades of US policy and international consensus on the city. Here are the positions of world powers on the issue: History In 1947, the United Nations devised a plan to divide British mandate Palestine into three entities: a Jewish state, an Arab state and Jerusalem, which would have a unique status as an internationally-controlled city. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but the Arab world rejected it. Following the British withdrawal the next year, a war broke out in which Israel seized the west of the city, while Jordanians and Palestinians took the east. In the next conflict in 1967 Israel seized control of east Jerusalem and later annexed it, in moves never recognised by the international community. The predominantly Palestinian population in the east lives under full Israeli control, but cannot vote in parliamentary elections. Israeli, Palestinian views Israel views the city as its undivided capital, with a Tuesday statement saying the city "is the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and Israel's capital since 70 years." The internationally-recognised Palestinian government sees the eastern part as the capital of their future state. Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza and does not recognise Israel, calls Jerusalem the Palestinian capital. United States In 1995, the US Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act calling on the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognising it as Israel's capital. The law is binding on the US government but a clause allowed presidents to postpone its application for six months on "national security interests". Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama re-ratified the clause every six months. Trump reluctantly renewed it for the first time in June 2017, despite promising during his campaign to move the embassy. But six months on, his decision is due. International community The position of the majority of the international community has been largely unchanged for decades. Essentially, Jerusalem is viewed as an issue for final status negotiations between the two sides. United Nations statements suggest, however, that the city could remain the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state in any deal. The vast majority of countries have largely followed this line. All embassies are based in the commercial capital Tel Aviv, but most countries simply do not specify what they consider to be Israel's capital. Thirteen countries did have embassies in Jerusalem until 1980, however, when a UN resolution called upon them to remove them. Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, the Netherlands, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela then shifted their embassies. Russia Earlier this year Israeli media trumpeted a Russian government statement that for the first time specifically said "we view West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel". This appeared to be a shift in policy position and was hailed by some Israeli politicians, though it had little practical implication. The statement also recognised "east Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state". President Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped down warnings of widespread West Asia unrest as he told anxious Arab leaders he still intends to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, on the eve of a much-anticipated policy speech. Amid a frantic round of telephone diplomacy, Trump told Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah that the deeply controversial move was coming, but crucially did not give a timeframe. Trump "informed the president (Abbas) on his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," the Palestinian leader's office said in a statement that was echoed from Amman. Trump missed a Monday deadline to decide whether to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv or fulfill a campaign promise and move it to Jerusalem de facto recognizing Israel's claim on the disputed city. Such a move would delight both Trump's donors and the conservative and evangelical base that is so vital for the embattled president's survival. But it could also extinguish Trump's much-vaunted efforts to broker peace in West Asia and ignite the flames of conflict in a region already reeling from crises in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar. The 71-year-old president will give a speech on his decision Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Anticipating widespread demonstrations, US government officials have already been ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. 'Threading the needle'? US officials talk of "threading the needle" fulfilling Trump's pledge, while keeping the peace process on the rails but critics say Trump's approach is more like "splitting the baby." Officials say he will hold off on moving the embassy right away, largely for logistical reasons, but may present a timetable for that to go ahead on Wednesday. Equally controversially, he is also expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while leaving open questions about control of the predominantly Palestinian eastern part of the city. The White House argues that such a move would not prejudge final talks and would represent the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. But it could upend a decades-old western policy observed by both Republican and Democratic presidents that stated Jerusalem's status can only be decided by negotiation. Saudi Arabia's King Salman warned his close ally that moving the US embassy was a "dangerous step" that could rile Muslims around the world. "Mr Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a raucous televised speech, echoing alarm expressed by Palestinian and Arab leaders. In his address, Erdogan warned that any move to back Israel's claim to the city would mobilize "the entire Islamic world" and even prompt Ankara to sever its recently renewed diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. However, Israeli intelligence minister Israel Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkeys threat and reiterate Israels position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. Israel's government has largely been silent. It earlier left the Trump administration with the impression that moving the embassy was a "no go," leading to Trump signing the waiver the first time around. The armed Islamist Hamas movement has threatened to launch a new "intifada" or uprising. Other Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-US sentiment. Most of the international community, including the United States, does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 'A way must be found' Following talks in Brussels with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini warned that any move which risked undermining efforts to jumpstart moribund peace talks "must absolutely be avoided." "A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, so that the aspiration of both parties can be fulfilled," she said. In Cairo, Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit warned it would be viewed as an act of "clear aggression" against the Arab and Muslim world. The Palestinians said it would shatter any illusion about Trump's ability to fairly mediate in any talks. "That totally destroys any chance that he will play a role as an honest broker," said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Abbas. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York. A US official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against US interests in West Asia. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trumps son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the US president has called the ultimate deal. The initiative has made little progress. The Jerusalem Embassy Act In Israel, however, hardline Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman hailed the moment as a "historic opportunity" for Trump, expressing hope he would see the US embassy in Jerusalem "next week or next month." The US Congress has already made its aim clear in the so-called Jerusalem Embassy Act, which was passed in 1995 and which stated that the city "should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel" and that the US embassy should be moved there. But an inbuilt waiver, which allows the president to temporarily postpone the move on grounds of "national security," has been repeatedly invoked by successive US presidents, meaning the law has never taken effect. Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Several peace plans have unravelled over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee sites in the city that are holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims. With inputs from agencies Washington/Jerusalem: President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in West Asia. Senior US officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. US endorsement of Israels claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing US policy that the citys status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Jordans King Abdullah, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabias King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral US steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling US-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region. The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a US embassy move to Jerusalem. Netanyahus office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trumps decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. "The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point," she said, declining to provide details. Trump notified Abbas "of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Abbas, in response, "warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world" and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene. The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have "dangerous repercussions" for the region and would obstruct US efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement. King Salman stressed to Trump that any US announcement on the status of Jerusalem would "inflame Muslim feelings all over the world," the Saudi Press Agency said. None of the leaders statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close US ally. But US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver as have his predecessors keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said. The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one US official. Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally. 'A big mistake' Israeli intelligence minister Israel Katz, who met last week with US officials in Washington, told Israels Army Radio: "My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel." Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: "We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake." Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-US sentiment. Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: "A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the presidents decision." Senior US officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region. Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem. Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkeys threat and reiterate Israels position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. A US official said the consensus US intelligence estimate on US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against US interests in West Asia. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the US president has called the "ultimate deal". The initiative has made little progress. The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump "reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks" and "underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner." Arab criticism of Trumps plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washingtons traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obamas distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran. The European Unions top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that "any action that would undermine" peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians "must absolutely be avoided." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York. Brussels: President Donald Trump is "very committed" to the West Asia peace process, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said amid global alarm at a US plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Tillerson said the US believes "there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved" between Israel and the Palestinians, despite international outcry over Trump's decision on Jerusalem. "The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process," Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. He said a small team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been "engaged in a quiet way" in the region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. "We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely," Tillerson said. Trump's decision to back Israel's claim on Jerusalemwhich he is due to announce at 1800 GMThas triggered a chorus of international concern, amid fears that it could sink any hope of new peace talks. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and previous peace plans have stumbled over debates on whether and how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites. Jerusalem: President Donald Trump's move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday could have deep repercussions across the region. Any recognition of Israel's control over the city will be welcomed by Israel, a close American ally, and be popular with pro-Israel evangelical Christian voters who make up a key part of Trump's base. But it could also trigger violence in the region, derail a developing US. Mideast peace plan before it even gets off the ground and infuriate key allies in the Arab world and in the West. Here is a look at why Jerusalem is such a sensitive issue: Conflicting claims Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the city's eastern sector, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as the capital of a future independent state. These rival claims lie at the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict is focused largely on the Old City, home to Jerusalem's most important Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites, and in particular on a hilltop compound revered by Jews and Muslims. The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the spot where the biblical Jewish Temples stood thousands of years ago and is considered the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the iconic gold-topped Dome of the Rock. While Israel controls the city and its government is based there, its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognised. The international community overwhelmingly says the final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations. Why is Trump doing this? On the campaign trail, Trump took a strongly pro-Israel stance and promised to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries keep their embassies, to Jerusalem. Since taking office, he has learned that such a move is easier to talk about than to carry out. Under American law, the president must sign a waiver every six months that leaves the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Trump renewed the waiver, as a string of predecessors has done. This week, another six-month deadline passed without Trump renewing it. US officials say Trump will again sign the waiver but will also instruct the State Department on Wednesday to begin the multi-year process of moving the US Embassy to the holy city. The officials say the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will be an acknowledgement of "historical and current reality" rather than a political statement but that moving the embassy will not happen immediately. The officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Trump's announcement beforehand. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital could allow Trump to say that he kept a campaign promise. It also will thrill Israel, whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is one of Trump's biggest supporters on the global stage. What effect will his declaration have? On the ground, very little will change. Netanyahu's office and official residence are in Jerusalem, as are the country's parliament, Supreme Court and Foreign Ministry. Visiting world leaders immediately travel to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli officials. For its residents, Jerusalem is an open city where Jews and Palestinians can move about freely, though in reality interaction between the sides is minimal and there are large disparities between wealthier Jewish neighborhoods and impoverished Palestinian ones. But a US declaration carries deep symbolic meaning by essentially imposing a solution for one of the core issues in the conflict. How will this be received? Beyond the electoral concerns, there seems to be little upside for Trump in making a change. Trump likes to call an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal," and he has invested significant effort in laying the groundwork for a peace initiative in the coming months. His son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, is leading that effort and a close aide, Jason Greenblatt, has crisscrossed the region for talks with Israelis, Palestinians and other Arab leaders. The Palestinians have warned that changing the status of Jerusalem would mean the end of those peace efforts. They also have warned of mass street protests something that could easily erupt into full-scale violence. International opposition to the move, including from key American allies, also has grown increasingly strident. In recent days, the European Union, Germany and France have all implored Trump not to take action on Jerusalem. The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said changing Jerusalem's status would amount to "naked aggression" against the Arab and Muslim world, and the head of the Arab League said it would be a "dangerous measure that would have repercussions" across the entire West Asia. Perhaps most significantly, Saudi Arabia spoke out strongly against the possible American step. The Saudis are a key American ally necessary for any attempt to forge a region-wide peace. Will there really be violence? Israeli security officials say they are monitoring the situation and prepared for all scenarios. Israel and the Palestinians also maintain discrete security ties in the West Bank that have helped prevent violence from escalating in recent years. Still, much of the violence between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the past 20 years has been connected to tensions in the holy city. The city experienced deadly riots in 1996 after Israel opened a new tunnel in the Old City. The second Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000 after then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount. More recently, the city experienced a wave of Palestinian stabbings in late 2015 in part because of growing numbers of visits by Jewish nationalists to the Temple Mount, and last summer, the city again experienced weeks of unrest when Israel tried to install security cameras next to the Al Aqsa Mosque after a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli police officers. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose on Wednesday deeper euro zone integration that would help unite the broader European Union rather than just the single currency area. FILE PHOTO - A Bulgarian seamstress manufactures EU flags in a factory in the town of Parvomai, some 160 km (99 miles) south east of the capital Sofia, December 13, 2006. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov The Commission, the EUs executive arm, will present a package of ideas aimed at making the 19 countries sharing the euro more resilient to potential future crises and united around the euro currency as Britain leaves the bloc in 2019. But such plans have sparked concern in eight non-euro countries that deeper integration will make them second-class members of the EU, with less say and less in funds in the future. To alleviate such fears, the Commission proposals will follow the principles of building EU unity and increasing the democratic accountability of euro zone institutions. But some of the ideas clash with what some euro zone leaders want. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for creating a large euro zone budget of several hundred billion euros, a euro zone finance minister and a euro zone parliament. The EU executive, however, is likely to propose creating only a dedicated line for the euro zone within the wider EU budget that, in total, is worth around 100 billion euros. Instead of a euro zone finance minister, there should be a pan-European Minister of Economy and Finance, the Commission is likely to say. The European Parliament should be left undivided. The map of Europe is featured on the face of a two Euro coin seen in this photo illustration taken in Rome, December 3, 2011. Photo illustration taken December 3, 2011. REUTERS/Tony Gentile Other euro zone integration ideas, floated by Germany, include transforming the euro zone bailout fund into a European Monetary Fund and setting up a sovereign insolvency mechanism to raise market pressure on government fiscal policy. But the Commission will call for the bailout fund, which is now owned and run by euro zone governments, to become an EU institution that would be subject to European Parliaments control. This will not fly with governments, officials said. The Commission is also likely to say that the European finance minister, a post that would only be set up in 2025, should be in charge of overseeing structural reform efforts and coordinating economic and fiscal policy in the euro area. Presiding over any kind of euro zone bailout fund, the EU finance minister should also be a senior member of the Commission and responsible before the European Parliament, the Commission is likely to propose. Under the current arrangement, the chair of the euro zone finance ministers, the closest thing the bloc now has to a single finance minister, often testifies before the parliaments economic committee, but it has no power over him or her. There is no appetite among euro zone finance ministers now to allow the Commission, which is only an observer at their monthly meetings, to chair the talks. The Commission is also likely to call for a swift completion of the EUs banking union by setting up a Europe-wide bank deposit insurance scheme, something that Germany insists can only happen after the bad loans on banks books fall sharply. The ideas will be discussed by all of the European Unions leaders except Britain at a special euro summit on Dec. 15. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Unions executive will sue Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in the blocs top court for their refusal to host asylum-seekers, two EU sources said on Wednesday. A barbed wire is seen in front of a European Union flag at an immigration reception centre in Bicske, Hungary June 25, 2015. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh The European Commission will announce the decision on Thursday, the sources said, stepping up a legal case it opened against the three last summer. The countries have declined to shelter asylum-seekers despite an overall drop in arrivals due to tighter borders and projects beyond the EUs frontiers to discourage migration to Europe. They say the mainly-Muslim refugees have no place in their homogeneous, predominantly Christian societies and cite security concerns given deadly attacks by Islamist militants in Europe. Their reluctance to help host migrants from Africa and the Middle East who came to Europe mainly in 2015 has opened a rift with many other European governments. These include Greece and Italy, two countries that have been the first port of call for refugees and migrants, as well as Germany and other wealthy Western nations that are frequently their preferred final destinations. They say the post-communist countries have failed to show sufficient solidarity with their peers and have threatened retribution, including siphoning away some of the funds the bloc contributes to their development. The eastern states have already lost one case on the matter at the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice. The new case heralds months of legal wrangling on an issue that has undermined the EUs ability to tackle other problems. The dispute has also blocked reform of the blocs broader asylum system, which collapsed under the 2015 influx as governments struggled to control the situation. The number of new arrivals has fallen sharply since then. This has made finding a policy solution less pressing. EU states aim to arrive at a compromise by mid-2018, though it is unclear how a deal will emerge. The EUs 28 interior ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday will not even look in detail at the latest asylum proposal, which is by Estonia, diplomats and officials said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. CAIRO/AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Arabs denounced President Donald Trumps plan to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem as a slap in the face but few thought their governments would do much in response. Palestinians burn an Israeli and a U.S. flag during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed SalemTrump phoned allies in the Middle East late on Tuesday to tell them the United States would acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and prepare to move its embassy there. It incites feelings of anger among all Muslims and threatens world peace, said Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Imam of Egypts al-Azhar mosque, one of Islams most important institutions. The gates of hell will be opened in the West before the East, he added, warning of the possible reaction. Israels sovereignty over East Jerusalem, which it seized in the 1967 war, is not recognised internationally, and under the U.S.-brokered Oslo accords of 1993 the citys status was to be decided in negotiations with Palestinians. Arab governments issued statements of concern or condemnation and emergency meetings of both the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have been called. But the U.S. decision has been taken. In a bitterly divided region, backing for Palestinians is often seen as a unifying position, but it is also often a source of internal recriminations over the extent of that support. A cartoon in al-Arabi al-Jadeed, a London-based Arabic news website, showed Trump raising a hand against an Arab as if to slap him, wearing a large glove marked with the Israeli flag. In Lebanon, the Daily Star newspaper ran a full page photograph of Jerusalem on its cover with the headline No offense Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Around the Arab world - including Egypt and Jordan, its only two countries to recognise Israel - and across the bitter divide between allies of regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, people denounced the move. Neither I nor my children nor my childrens children will give up our right to Palestine and Jerusalem, said Hilmi Aqel, a Palestinian refugee born in Jordans al-Baqaa camp after his family fled the fighting that accompanied Israels creation. America does what it wants because its powerful and thinks it wont feel the consequences ... Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, not of Israel. It never can be, said Nada Saeed, 24, a property broker in Cairo. This is a provocation for the Arabs, said Mahdi Msheikh, 43, a taxi driver in Beiruts Hamra district. ETERNAL CAPITAL However, few people Reuters interviewed on Wednesday expected their governments to take any real action. What saddens me most about this is that Palestine in the past was an ultimate rights cause for us as Syrians and Arabs ... Palestine has retreated from our priorities, said a lecturer at Damascus university, who asked not to be named. Saudi Arabia, home to Islams holiest sites, pushed a plan in 2002 offering Israel peace with all Arab countries in return for a Palestinian state including east Jerusalem. But a recent newspaper report suggested it was willing to compromise on several areas that are regarded by Palestinians and some other Arab countries as red lines. Riyadh has denied that and called on Trump not to move the embassy. The current events on the world stage and especially in the Gulf help Trump take this step because the most important thing is that Saudi Arabia is not against it, said Adnan, a 52-year-old trader in Beirut. The kingdoms top clergy issued a mild statement saying Saudi Arabia supported Jerusalem, but did not explicitly denounce Trumps move. Many Saudi Twitter users posting under the hashtag Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine, shared a film clip of the late King Faisal, who launched the 1973 Arab oil embargo against the West, pledging never to accept Israel. But one Twitter user posting with a common Saudi family name said that while Muslims and Arabs would be provoked by the move, its top royals would not be. Instead, they would suppress any move or call to jihad against the Zionist enemy, he wrote. REFUGEES In Cairo, Khaled Abdelkhalik, a lawyer, said: We paraded Trump as an ally of the Arabs, but he turned out dirtier than his predecessors. Jordan, which agreed peace with Israel in 1994 while the peace process with the Palestinians still seemed on track, held a special session of parliament. I call on my colleagues to tear up the treaty of humiliation and shame, said MP Yahya Saoud, referring to the peace deal. Jordan, like Lebanon, is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. This is a conspiracy that is denying us our rights, the first of which is to return. They think we are a branch of thorns that they can step on and break, said Fadia, a social worker with two daughters in Lebanons Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp. But we are a bomb. If they step on it, it explodes, she said. In Israel, analysts said that despite such warnings, they expected little violence or opposition. The moderate camp in the Arab world needs the United States as well as Israel in order to face their main threat, which is Iran, said Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies. We may see some public announcements maybe denouncing the American decision, but in substantive terms I dont think much will change. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Tegucigalpa: Honduras appeared set for a recount of its election Tuesday after incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez welcomed a demand by the Opposition to re-open ballot boxes, a week into a crisis triggered by rigging claims. The small Central American nation of 10 million people has been plunged into uncertainty punctuated with clashes since the 26 November election pitting Hernandez against leftwing former TV presenter Salvador Nasralla, with both sides claiming victory. Hernandez ordered a state of emergency last Friday to curb protests and pillaging, but at least one death was reported in clashes after thousands staged defiant demonstrations. His authority looked fragile as hundreds of police officers refused to enforce a nighttime curfew late Monday. Officers returned to work Tuesday on condition that the government would not force them to repress protesters. In the first hours after the vote, Nasralla looked on track to comfortably win. But then counting of ballots was delayed multiple times, with election authorities speaking of computer malfunctions, before results trickled out that credited Hernandez with a slight lead. The Supreme Electoral Authority ultimately said Hernandez won 42.98 percent, against 41.39 percent for Nasralla but refused to name a winner, saying appeals might challenge the result. 'A complete count' The opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship cried foul and initially demanded ballots from nearly a third of polling stations be checked. But after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Tuesday said it was willing to look at the Opposition's documents for those polling stations, opposition leader Manuel Zelaya called for a recount of ballots from all 18,000 polling stations. "Our position is that there should be total checking between polling station records and the votes in the ballot box. Meaning open up the boxes, do a complete count to avoid any contamination" of the results, Zelaya, a former president, told AFP. Hernandez concurred, saying he was willing for the vote to be reviewed "once, twice or three times," adding he was confident it would uphold his victory. The election was held under controversy because Hernandez, a 49-year-old lawyer, was seeking re-election despite an explicit bar to more than one term in the constitution. The country's Supreme Court two years ago ruled that ban was void, but many Hondurans were uncomfortable with that especially as Zelaya himself had been ousted in a coup in 2009 in part because of perceptions that he wanted to lift the barrier to presidential re-election. Hernandez first took office in 2014, after beating Zelaya's wife, Xiomara Castro, in a poll opponents also said was tainted by fraud. Uncertain situation The situation in Honduras is now one of uncertainty. "The only path possible" to quell the crisis was for the claims of voter fraud to be rigorously checked, said the head of the election observer mission from the Organisation for American States, Jorge Quiroga. The European Union, which also sent poll observers, urged calm and restraint while the process played out. "It is essential that the electoral authorities remain open and responsive to possible appeals, including to a transparent re-counting process, if requested by candidates," the EU's external action service said in a statement. Meanwhile, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States was monitoring the situation "very closely." "We would urge all actors to exercise their rights peacefully and call for a transparent, impartial and timely determination of the elections results," she said. Nasralla, 64, on Monday told AFP he refused to recognize the tribunal's vote count. Going into the election, Hernandez enjoyed implicit backing from the United States, which is pouring $750 million into Central America's so-called Northern Triangle the poor, gang-infested trio of nations made up of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to try to stem migration from the region into the US. New Delhi: Bringing perpetrators of terror to justice is the "basic ingredient" in fighting terrorism, Israeli envoy Daniel Carmon said, following the release of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed by Pakistan. He said joint efforts by victims of terrorism were the main instrument to combat terror. "Bringing the perpetrators of terrorism to justice is a very basic ingredient in fighting terror," the envoy told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by the Israeli embassy to highlight the work done by Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV). Gil Haskel, head of MASHAV, was also present at the programme. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed walked free after a Pakistani judicial body ordered his release from house arrest late last month. The development is seen as a setback to India's efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Israelis too were victims of the terror attack. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rebbetzin Rivka Holtzberg were killed in the attack at the Nariman House, which was home to a Chabad house, a Jewish outreach centre and a synagogue. When asked whether Israel, like the US, would demand the re-arrest of Saeed, Carmon said, "The main instrument of fighting terrorism is unity of those and joint efforts of those, who on one hand, are victims of terrorism, but also have decided to join hands in confronting it (terror). We are into it together." When asked about the likely visit of Israeli prime minister Benjamin to India early next year, the envoy evaded a clear reply. It is "natural" that after the "successful" visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July, a visit would be reciprocated by Netanyahu, Carmon said. "I am not going into the details of the expected visit of (Netanyahu). Let us wait for an official announcement," he added. Gil Haskel, head of Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV), was also present at the event. Washington: The US Senate confirmed White House deputy chief of staff Kirstjen Nielsen as Secretary of Homeland Security on Tuesday, putting her in charge of implementing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Nielsen is close to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who was President Donald Trump's first secretary at the Department of Homeland Security before he was brought in to discipline Trump's chaotic office at the end of July. Nielsen, 45, is a lawyer and veteran of the national security sector. She served in the transportation security unit of DHS during the George W Bush administration, and was also Bush's homeland security adviser in the White House. Later she ran her own security advisory firm, Sunesis Consulting. Known for expertise in cyber issues, she was named Kelly's chief of staff when he took over DHS at the beginning of the Trump administration, and then followed him to the White House. Described as tough and no-nonsense, she nevertheless lacks the experience of running a massive organisation like the 2,40,000-strong DHS. The agency oversees a wide range of security issues, from immigration, to cyber, terror threats and disaster relief. The Senate approved her nomination 62-37. Her confirmation came on a day when DHS reclaimed substantial success in slowing illegal immigration across the southern border and arresting and deporting criminal aliens. DHS said arrests of illegal immigrants were up 40 percent in the first nine months of the Trump administration, while border crossings plummeted based on tougher enforcement. Trump has also ordered DHS to build a wall along the southern border. But both Kelly and Nielsen have said that a wall on the entire 2,000 mile (3,200 kilometer) frontier with Mexico would be inappropriate, and that other measures, including electronic monitoring, would be required as well. LONDON (Reuters) - A 20-year-old man appeared in court on Wednesday accused of plotting to kill British Prime Minister Theresa May by first detonating an explosive device to get into her Downing Street office. Naaimur Rahman, of north London, has been charged with preparing to commit acts of terrorism. He was remanded in custody after a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court. Prosecutor Mark Carroll told the court Rahman planned to detonate an improvised explosive device at the gates of Downing Street and gain access to Mays office in the ensuing chaos and kill her. The secondary attack was to be carried out with a suicide vest, pepper spray and a knife, he told the court. Rahman was carrying two inert explosive devices when he was arrested last week, the court heard. FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May meets Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at 10 Downing Street, London, December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Matt Dunham/Pool/File PhotoHis purpose was to attack, kill and cause explosions, Carroll said. Rahman appeared with a co-defendant, 21-year-old Mohammed Imran, from Birmingham, who is also charged with preparing to commit acts of terrorism. Carroll said Imran was accused of trying to join the Islamic State militant group in Libya. Rahman and Imran gave no indication as to their plea so a not guilty plea was entered on their behalf. There was no application for bail. The men will appear at Londons Old Bailey central criminal court on Dec. 20. No. 10 Downing Street is the official residence of British prime ministers. It is heavily guarded and there is a gate at the end of the street preventing members of the public from getting close to the house. In 1991, Irish Republican Army (IRA) militants launched a mortar bomb attack on No. 10. John Major, the prime minister at the time, was inside but not hurt. A Downing Street spokesman declined immediate comment on the case. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. VENTURA, Calif. (Reuters) - More than 1,000 firefighters battled an unrelenting wildfire on Wednesday that threatened more than 12,000 homes in and around Ventura, the biggest of several uncontrolled Southern California blazes fanned by intensifying dry Santa Ana winds. The Thomas Fire raged in the foothills above and in the city of Ventura some 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Los Angeles, fire officials said late Tuesday. The blaze, which began on Monday, had charred more than 50,000 acres, they said. We are still in the middle of an aggressive and active firefight on the ground, said Robert Welsbie, spokesman for the Ventura Fire Department. If the winds pick up, we will face quite a challenge. The fire, which was entirely uncontained, was being whipped by unpredictable Santa Ana winds, which blow in from the California desert. Wind gusts were forecast to top out at 70 miles per hour (115 km per hour) on Wednesday and remain strong through the week. There were no immediate reports of fatalities, Welsbie said. Some 1,000 firefighters battled to save homes, with one suffering a minor injury, Welsbie said. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a nearby small but growing 50-acre brush fire early Wednesday that forced the partial closure of heavily traveled Interstate 405, near scenic Mulholland Drive. The nearby Getty Center museum shut down for the day to protect its art collection from smoke damage, it said. A fire crew passes a burning home during a wind-driven wildfire in Ventura, California, U.S., December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, freeing state funds and resources to assist. More than 250,000 homes lost power, utilities said. Classes were canceled at all schools in the Ventura Unified School District on Wednesday. Slideshow (9 Images)Thomas was the largest of a number of wildfires that broke out across Southern California following the onset of the Santa Ana winds. In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, the Creek Fire had blackened more than 11,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes and a convalescent center north of Interstate 210. Three firefighters were injured and hospitalized in stable condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a state of emergency while 11 Los Angeles Unified schools canceled Wednesday classes. Some 30 structures were destroyed by the Creek Fire by Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Miranshah: A bomb rigged to a motorcycle exploded in a militant-plagued part of northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing nine people, officials said on Wednesday, the latest violence in a recent rise in attacks in the nuclear-armed country. The bomb was detonated by remote control late on Tuesday when an army vehicle passed in Mir Ali town in the North Waziristan region, said three Pakistani officials who declined to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. A spokesman for the Pakistani army, which is responsible for security in the volatile, ethnic Pashtun region, did not respond to calls seeking comment. Waziristan is bleeding once again, said police official Tahir Khan in Peshawar, the main city in the northwest, who said he had heard about the blast but had no details. No militant group claimed responsibility. North Waziristan was long home to Pakistani and foreign Islamist militants linked to the Taliban and al Qaeda until the Pakistani army launched a major push against them in mid-2014. The military offensive cleared the militants from their bases and largely broke up their networks, forcing them to flee either over the porous border into Afghanistan or to other parts of Pakistan. But the militants have struck back, sometimes with major attacks. Last Friday, three Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers stormed a college in Peshawar, killing eight students and a guard. A week earlier, a senior police commander was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Peshawar. On Tuesday, the Pakistani Taliban killed a member of an anti-Taliban faction in another part of the northwest, while a bomb aimed at members of another pro-government faction killed five people a week earlier. The Pakistani Taliban are fighting to topple the government and impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law. They are loosely allied with the Afghan Taliban who ruled most of Afghanistan until they were overthrown by US-backed military action in 2001. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visited Pakistan this week to urge it to redouble efforts to rein in militants accused of using the country as a base to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. Islamabad: A Pakistani engineer kidnapped in war-torn Afghanistan was recovered by the Pakistan Army, officials sources said. Faiz Ahmed, who belongs to garrison city of Rawalpindi, was abducted in Afghanistan on 21 August, while working on Torkham-Jalalabad road project, which is being supervised by army-linked Frontier Works Organization. A security official confirmed Ahmed's recovery without sharing any further details. DawnNews reported that family of the kidnapped engineer also confirmed that he has been rescued and thanked army for the recovery. "My father has returned in good health," Farhan Malik told the channel. According to Farhan, his father had first been brought to Peshawar, where he was received by his family. They later brought him home. It was not clear why he was kidnapped and how recovered. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinians seethed with anger and a sense of betrayal over U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to recognise the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Students hold a Palestinian flag inside the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, southern Lebanon, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ali HashishoMany heard the death knell for the long-moribund U.S.-sponsored talks aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They also said more violence could erupt. Trump wants to help Israel take over the entire city. Some people may do nothing, but others are ready to fight for Jerusalem, said Hamad Abu Sbeih, 28, an unemployed resident of the walled Old City. This decision will ignite a fire in the region. Pressure leads to explosions, he said. Jerusalem -- specifically its eastern Old City, home to important shrines of Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli captured Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War then later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians want it to be the capital of a future independent state and resolution of its status is fundamental to any peace-making. Trump is due to announce later on Wednesday that the United States recognises the city as Israels capital and will move its embassy there from Tel Aviv, breaking with longtime policy.. This is insane. You are speaking about something fateful. Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine and neither the world nor our people will accept it, said Samir Al-Asmar, 58, a merchant from the Old City who was a child when it fell to Israel. It will not change what Jerusalem is. Jerusalem will remain Arab. Such a decision will sabotage things and people will not accept it. Palestinian newspapers also decried the move. Trump Defies the World, thundered Al-Ayyam. Another, Al-Hayat, roared Jerusalem is the Symbol of Palestinian Endurance in a red-letter headline over an image of the citys mosque compound flanked by Palestinian flags. Palestinian leaders have also warned the move could have dangerous consquences. Although winter rains dampened protests called for East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip, few doubted fresh bloodshed now loomed. A member of the Palestinian Fatah faction holds a gun inside the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, southern Lebanon, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ali HashishoIsraeli security forces braced for possible unrest but police said the situation in Jerusalem was calm for now. That could quickly change, given the religious passions that swirl around the Old City, where Al Aqsa Mosque, Islams third-holiest shrine, abuts the Western Wall prayer plaza, a vestige of two ancient Jewish temples. Palestinians mounted two uprisings, or intifadas, against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 then from 2000 to 2005, the latter ignited by a visit by then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the shrine area, known to Jews as Temple Mount. Violent confrontations also took place in July when Israel installed metal detectors at an entrance to Al-Aqsa compound after Arab gunmen holed up there killed two of its policemen. Four Palestinians and three Israelis died in ensuing violence. ANGRY IN GAZA In the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza, demonstrators chanted Death to America, Death to Israel and Down with Trump. They also burned posters depicting the U.S., British and Israeli flags. Youssef Mohammad, a 70-year-old resident of a refugee camp, said Trumps move would be a test for Arab leadership at a time of regional chaos and shifting alliances. Let him do it. Lets see what Arab rulers and kings will do. They will do nothing because they are cowards, the father of eight said. The Jerusalem uproar could affect Egyptian-brokered efforts to bring Gaza, which has been under Islamist Hamas control for a decade, back under the authority of U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who favours negotiation with Israel. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Trumps planned moved showed the United States was biased. The United States was never a neutral mediator in any cause of our people. It has always stood with the occupation (Israel), he said. He said Abbas administration should rid itself of the illusion that rights can be achieved through an American-backed deal. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Dhaka: A bilateral agreement signed by Dhaka and Naypyidaw over the repatriation of the Muslim minority Rohingyas, hundreds of thousands of whom had fled to Bangladesh following a crackdown by the Myanmar Army, is yet to take off on the ground, an official from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Wednesday. According to the agreement signed on 23 November, the repatriation process should begin within two months. "Nothing is going on at this stage," UNHCR senior regional Public Information Officer Mohammed Abu Asaker told Efe news. According to the UNHCR, the process might be stalled owing to Myanmar's precondition that the refugees will be repatriated only after due verification of their documents. The official stressed that the return of around 626,000 refugees, many of whom have either lost or have no valid identification papers currently living in Bangladesh should be voluntary, safe and sustainable. "Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the return (of Rohingyas)," he said. Several refugees in Bangladesh alleged that even after three months since the crisis erupted, the Myanmar Army was still razing Rohingya villages. The Rohingyas, who are denied citizenship by Myanmar continue to flee the country with hundreds of new arrivals recorded in Bangladesh every day. The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied that its offensive in Rakhine in western Myanmar, that began on 25 August, following a series of attacks by Rohingya rebels against multiple government posts in the region, had targeted civilians. However, the UNHCR, the US and various other human rights organisations described the offensive as "ethnic cleansing". On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra'ad had said the repression of the Rohingya by the Myanmar Army had all the characteristics of a genocide. Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he would seek a new six-year term in the country's March elections in a move that would make him the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin. Putin, who has been in power for the past 18 years, is expected to sail to victory, with only token opponents competing against him. "I will offer my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian Federation," he said during a visit to a car factory in Nizhny Novgorod. He made the widely-expected announcement surrounded by cheering workers, who prodded him to unveil his plans in a carefully-choreographed ceremony. "There is perhaps no better place and better excuse to announce this," Putin said in a nod to his core constituency. "Russia will go only forward! And no-one would ever stop her in this direction." Predictably, a chorus of Russian politicians praised the announcement, while social networks were abuzz, with many ridiculing the Kremlin strongman. Top Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who has earlier declared a Kremlin bid even although he will not be allowed to run due to a suspended sentence for fraud, called Putin a "swindler." "I suggest we don't agree," the 41-year-old Western-educated lawyer said on Twitter, referring to Putin's plans to seek a fourth Kremlin term. Putin's confirmation of the Kremlin bid came as Russia reeled from a decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban the country from the Winter Games as punishment over claims of state-orchestrated doping. But despite a litany of mounting problems including corruption, poverty and poor healthcare, the 65-year-old leader enjoys approval ratings of some 80 percent. 'Do you trust me? Just hours earlier Putin visited a glitzy ceremony for volunteers in Moscow where he sought to rouse supporters. "I want to ask, do you trust and support me?" he addressed the huge audience of mostly young people. "Yes!" the audience chanted. Before Putin took the floor prominent figures, including athletes and Soviet-era celebrities such as 83-year-old actor Vasily Lanovoi, took to the stage to extol the country's successes, such as Soviet victory in World War II. Cosmonaut Sergei Ryazansky addressed the audience via video link from the International Space Station. Putin has sought to appeal to the country's youth after thousands of young Russians took to the streets earlier this year to protest alleged corruption among the elites, targeting Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev among others. The demonstrations were sparked by a documentary fronted by Navalny. Putin, who first became president after Boris Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year's Eve 1999, handed power to his ally Medvedev in 2008 at the end of his second term. Putin served as prime minister though few doubted who was really in charge and returned as president in 2012. If he extends his rule to 2024, Putin will have led Russia longer than Leonid Brezhnev, who presided over an era of stagnation from 1964 to 1982 and became the target of derision in his later years. "He cannot not seek a new term," independent analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told AFP. "If he left the system he himself created he would become weak and vulnerable." Analysts say that after more than 17 years of leadership both as president and prime minister Putin fatigue may be spreading across the country. Many Russians say they would vote for Putin simply because they don't see an alternative to him amid the former KGB officer's chokehold on domestic politics. With the result of the election already a foregone conclusion, turnout could be low, dealing a blow to the Kremlin' hopes for a decisive new mandate, observers say. According to a poll conducted by the independent Levada Centre pollster last month, just 58 percent of respondents said they would take part in the polls, down from 75 percent in December 2007. 'What will happen after 2018?' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed this week that those figures came ahead of the start of a political campaign, saying they were set to grow. Many expect that Kseniya Sobchak, a 36-year-old glamourous former host of a television reality show and daughter of Putin's former mentor, will likely be allowed to run against Putin to rekindle public interest in the dull election. With the election virtually devoid of any suspence, the question is what will happen after Putin's expected re-election and later, after his new term ends in 2024, analysts say. "The main intrigue is, what will happen after 2018, how the configuration of power will be changing," Tatyana Stanovaya, a Paris-based analyst for the Centre of Political Technologies in Moscow, to AFP. Speculation has swirled over the past weeks that the Kremlin may be considering whether to change the constitution or create a brand new post for Putin in an effort to extend his grip on power. "The main task for the Kremlin is to adapt the regime to Putin's future status - be it an extension of presidential powers or the creation of a new post," said Stanovaya. NIZHNY NOVGOROD/MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russias worst kept political secret on Wednesday, saying he would run for re-election in March 2018 - a contest he seems sure to win comfortably and extend his grip on power into a third decade. Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000, longer than veteran Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and outstripped only by dictator Josef Stalin. If he wins what would be a fourth presidential term, he will be eligible to serve another six years until 2024, when he turns 72. Backed by state TV, Putin regularly enjoys approval ratings of around 80 percent, and his decision to run for re-election -- which he announced at a car-making factory in the Volga river city of Nizhny Novgorod -- was widely expected. I will put forward my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian Federation, Putin said, in answer to a question from a factory worker who told the Russian leader that everyone without exception in the hall supported him. Theres no better place or opportunity to make this announcement, said Putin. Im sure that everything will work out for us. The workers then broke into a chant of Russia! Allies laud Putin as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscows global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. Critics accuse him of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of illegally annexing Ukraines Crimea in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is unlikely to be allowed to run against Putin due to what he says is a trumped up criminal conviction, said Putin was overstaying his welcome. He wants to be in power for 21 years, Navalny wrote on social media. To my mind, thats too long. I suggest we dont agree. Despite the Central Election Commission ruling him ineligible to stand, Navalny has organised mass protests and set up campaign headquarters across the country, hoping he can pressure the authorities into allowing him to stand. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) greets participants as he arrives at the congress of volunteers in Moscow, Russia December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei KarpukhinNO OBVIOUS SUCCESSOR The challenge for Putin though is not other candidates -- nobody, including Navalny, looks capable of unseating him. Instead, his toughest task will be to mobilise an electorate showing signs of apathy to ensure a high turnout which in the tightly-controlled limits of the Russian political system is seen as conferring legitimacy. Whilst next years election in March is devoid of real suspense about who will win, what follows is more unpredictable as attention will turn to what happens after Putins final term - under the current constitution - ends. There is no obvious successor. Many investors say the lack of a clear succession plan, and likely jockeying for position among Russian elites for dominance in the post-Putin era, is becoming the biggest political risk. Putin, once re-elected, will have to choose whether to leave Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister, or to appoint someone else. That decision will trigger a round of intrigue over the succession, as whoever holds the prime ministers post is often viewed as the presidents heir apparent. In the meantime, perhaps the Kremlins biggest task will be to make it look as if Putin faces real electoral competition. In a move critics suspect is a Kremlin ploy to split the liberal opposition vote while injecting a patina of interest, TV celebrity Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putins political mentor, is standing against him, offering voters unhappy with his rule someone to back. A political ingenue, Sobchak has scant chance of winning. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied her candidacy is a Kremlin ploy. Sobchak said on Wednesday that Putin would probably win as always, but that she still planned to run to represent people who wanted change. Otherwise, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, 73, and nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, 71, - both political retreads - are likely to run. They are broadly supportive of the Kremlins policies and have repeatedly run for president, behaviour critics say is a ruse to create the illusion of genuine political choice. Putin draws much of his support from outside the two biggest cities -- Moscow and St Petersburg -- where many credit him with raising their living standards despite an economic crisis Russia is only now recovering from. State TV, where many Russians still get their news, affords Putin blanket and uncritical coverage while ignoring or denigrating his opponents. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Pyongyang: A senior United Nations official met with North Korea's vice-foreign minister on Wednesday, the first full day of a four-day trip to Pyongyang. It was not immediately clear what Jeffrey Feltman, the UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, discussed with Vice-Minister Pak Myong Guk. Feltman, an American citizen and former State Department official, arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday. A UN spokesman said he was to have a wide range of talks in Pyongyang during his stay, but did not elaborate. Feltman is the first person in his position to visit Pyongyang since 2010. He is also expected to meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and with the UN staff based in the North Korean capital. Although Feltman does not represent the United States, hopes are high that visits by him or other diplomats, a senior Chinese official visited in November, might help relieve tensions that have been growing amid threats and taunts between Pyongyang and Washington. North Korean officials rarely brief the media on the content of discussions with foreign dignitaries. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said they do not expect to update the media on Feltman's visit until it is concluded. Six UN agencies, with approximately 50 international staff, are represented in the North. Washington: A South Asian group in the US on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's decision allowing the immediate enforcement of President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries. The Supreme Court order is a significant win for the Trump administration, which has fought all year to impose a travel ban against citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. The order means it can be enforced while challenges to the policy make their way through the legal system, US media reported. Such a move will only contribute to a worsening climate of hate aimed at South-Asian communities, said South-Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in a statement. "The Supreme Court's decision comes on the heels of the President tweeting incendiary and irresponsible anti-Muslim videos last week, posts applauded by white supremacists such as David Duke and denounced by British Prime Minister (Theresa May) and civil rights organisations," said Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT. "No one should be discriminated against on the basis of how they look, how they choose to pray, or their country of origin. 'Muslim Ban 3.0' remains reprehensible at its core and discriminatory in its intent. "While the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the 'Muslim Ban', court after court has consistently rejected it as an outright discrimination and a threat to our most fundamental constitutional protections," Raghunathan said. SAALT said that anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric continue to have deadly consequences. The FBI's 2016 hate crime statistics reveal that assaults against Muslims have surpassed levels reached in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Since the election, SAALT has documented over 205 incidents of hate violence aimed at South Asians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs and Middle Eastern Americans, a 58 percent increase from the year prior. Due to a massive underreporting of hate crimes, we know this is just a fraction of the attacks our communities experience regularly, it added. As a result of the 7-2 vote by the Supreme Court, Trump's travel ban, which restricts travel to the US by people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Chad without bona fide connections to America, can take full effect while legal challenges proceed. Seven of the nine judges lifted restrictions on the travel ban imposed by other courts earlier. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor said they would have denied the government's request. The court gave no reason for its decision, but said it expected lower court review of the executive orders to proceed quickly. The Metropolitan Police has allegedly foiled a plot to assassinate British prime minister Theresa May. Sky News reported on Tuesday, citing sources, that the police had foiled a plot to assassinate May. The report said police believed there was a plan to launch an improvised explosive device at Downing Street and, in the chaos that ensued, attack and kill May. Earlier on Tuesday, Mays spokesman said Britain had thwarted nine plots in the last 12 months. The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that two men arrested last week had been charged with terrorism offenses and would appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday. It also said in a statement that the men were arrested by its Counter-Terrorism Command on 28 November. It identified them as Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of North London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham. According to The Telegraph, details of the alleged terror plot were given to Cabinet members on Tuesday during a briefing by MI5 chief Andrew Parker. The report also said that between March and June, there had been four terror attacks in London and Manchester which killed 36 people and injured another 200. The details of the latest plot emerged as a report into the terror attacks in Britain between March and June was released, according to The Guardian. The report also showed that MI5 could have stopped the Manchester terror attack with the intelligence they had. Many security officials have claimed that Britain is facing a heightened terror threat and the MI5 director-general has even said that the threat is the worst he has known in his 34-year-long career. With inputs from Reuters VALLETTA (Reuters) - A magistrate on Tuesday charged three men with murder over a car-bomb blast that killed anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, court officials said. Candles burn to commemorate the killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Berlin, Germany, October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Axel SchmidtCaruana Galizia died instantly when her car was blown up as she drove out of her home on Oct. 16, a killing that shocked Malta and raised concern within the European Union about the rule of law on the tiny Mediterranean island. All three pleaded not guilty at the arraignment, which was attended by her husband, Peter Caruana Galizia. The men were named as Vince Muscat and brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio. It was not immediately clear whether police thought they had acted on their own or were hit men working for others. Caruana Galizia wrote a popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged graft targeting politicians of all colours, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Vince Muscat was not a relative. [ ] Police arrested 10 men on Monday in connection with their investigation into the killing. The other seven were released on bail. A close friend of Caruana Galizia told Reuters that she did not think the journalist had ever investigated the three men charged on Tuesday. She wrote about government officials, politicians and wealthy business types, the friend said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the case. The Malta government had offered a 1 million euro reward leading to information on the murder. It also called in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Europol to assist in investigations. Maltese media said investigators had homed in on the suspects following telephone intercepts known as triangulation data that included the call from a mobile phone which triggered the car bomb. Malta, the smallest nation in the European Union, has been engulfed by a wave of graft scandals in recent months, including accusations of money laundering and influence peddling in government - all of which have been denied. Caruana Galizia exposed many of these cases and was loved by her readers as a fearless, anti-corruption crusader. Critics saw her as a muck-raking fantasist and she had been hit with 36 libel lawsuits in the nine months preceding her death. Much of her criticism was levelled against Prime Minister Muscat and his leftist Labour party, which won power in 2013 after a nearly quarter of a century of uninterrupted rule by the conservative Nationalist Party. In the months before her death, she had also regularly targeted senior Nationalist figures. Italian newspapers have speculated that she might have fallen foul of men who were making a fortune by smuggling fuel out of lawless Libya. However, her friend said she had never looked into the illegal trade and any mention of it in her blog related to articles already published elsewhere. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite warnings from around the world that the gesture further drives a wedge between Israel and the Palestinians. In a speech at the White House, Trump said his administration would also begin a process of moving the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. The status of Jerusalem -- home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions -- has been one of the thorniest issues in long-running Mideast peace efforts. Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the citys eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally. Trumps decision is likely to please his core supporters - Republican conservatives and evangelical Christians who comprise an important share of his political base. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol, where he announced big cuts to Utah's sprawling wilderness national monuments, in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueTrump aides contend the move reflects the reality of Jerusalem as the centre of Jewish faith and the fact that the city is the seat of the Israeli government. Slideshow (4 Images)Trump called his decision a a long overdue step to advance the peace process. I have determined that it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Trump said. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering. Trump acted under a 1995 law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem. His predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, had consistently put off that decision to avoid inflaming tensions in the Middle East. A Palestinian envoy said the Trump decision was a declaration of war in the Middle East. Pope Francis called for Jerusalems status quo to be respected, saying new tension would further inflame world conflicts. China and Russia expressed concern the plans could aggravate Middle East hostilities. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Utah State Capitol, where he announced big cuts to Utah's sprawling wilderness national monuments, in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueSenior U.S. officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. U.S. endorsement of Israels claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing U.S. policy that the citys status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordans King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabias King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral U.S. steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling U.S.-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region. The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. Netanyahus office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trumps decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point, she said, declining to provide details. Trump notified Abbas of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Abbas, in response, warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene. The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have dangerous repercussions for the region and would obstruct U.S. efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement. King Salman stressed to Trump that any U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem would inflame Muslim feelings all over the world, the Saudi Press Agency said. None of the leaders statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close U.S. ally. But U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said. The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one U.S. official. Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem. A general view shows the Dome of the Rock and Jerusalem's Old City December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunIsrael captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally. A BIG MISTAKE Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with U.S. officials in Washington, told Israels Army Radio: My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel. Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake. Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiment. Slideshow (2 Images)Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the presidents decision. Senior U.S. officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region. Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem. Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkeys threat and reiterate Israels position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. A U.S. official said the consensus U.S. intelligence estimate on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against U.S. interests in the Middle East. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the U.S. president has called the ultimate deal. The initiative has made little progress. The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner. Arab criticism of Trumps plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washingtons traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obamas distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran. The European Unions top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that any action that would undermine peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians must absolutely be avoided. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: A South-Asian group in the US expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's decision allowing the immediate enforcement of President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries. The Supreme Court order is a significant win for the Trump administration, which has fought all year to impose a travel ban against citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. The order means it can be enforced while challenges to the policy make their way through the legal system, US media reported. Such a move will only contribute to a worsening climate of hate aimed at South-Asian communities, said South-Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) in a statement. "The Supreme Court's decision comes on the heels of the President tweeting incendiary and irresponsible anti-Muslim videos last week, posts applauded by white supremacists such as David Duke and denounced by British Prime Minister (Theresa May) and civil rights organisations," said Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT. "No one should be discriminated against on the basis of how they look, how they choose to pray, or their country of origin. 'Muslim Ban 3.0' remains reprehensible at its core and discriminatory in its intent. "While the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the 'Muslim Ban', court after court has consistently rejected it as an outright discrimination and a threat to our most fundamental constitutional protections," Raghunathan said. SAALT said that anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric continue to have deadly consequences. The FBI's 2016 hate crime statistics reveal that assaults against Muslims have surpassed levels reached in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Since the election, SAALT has documented over 205 incidents of hate violence aimed at South Asians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs and West Asian Americans, a 58 percent increase from the year prior. Due to a massive underreporting of hate crimes, we know this is just a fraction of the attacks our communities experience regularly, it added. As a result of the 7-2 vote by the Supreme Court, Trump's travel ban, which restricts travel to the US by people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Chad without bona fide connections to America, can take full effect while legal challenges proceed. Seven of the nine judges lifted restrictions on the travel ban imposed by other courts earlier. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor said they would have denied the government's request. The court gave no reason for its decision, but said it expected lower court review of the executive orders to proceed quickly. UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for a rare visit that some analysts and diplomats hope could spark a U.N.-led effort to defuse rising tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs. People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj The former senior U.S. State Department official is the highest-level U.N. official to visit North Korea since 2012. During a four-day visit he is due to meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. This is broadly a policy dialogue with (North Korea). I think we have to wait and see what comes out, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. All key member states ... were informed and briefed of the visit. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Russia, Japan, the United States, China and North and South Korea in August he was available to help broker talks. So-called six-party talks on North Koreas nuclear program stalled in 2008. A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described expectations for Feltmans visit as modest and high at the same time, meaning that they depend on what our hosts are thinking as well. We need to find a way to scale back tensions, the official said. I dont think we will have a major breakthrough being announced at the end of this trip. But the visit could serve as a step to build a framework for engagement. Suzanne DiMaggio of the New America Foundation think tank, a participant in recent unofficial talks with North Korea, said Feltman could propose during his visit to Pyongyang that Guterres play a mediation role. I do think that the Trump administration would like to explore talks about talks at this stage. I think the North Koreans are assessing the timing of when to do that, she told a seminar in Washington on North Korea. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Feltman was not travelling on behalf of the U.S. government. And hes not travelling - I want to make this clear - with any kind of message from the U.S. government ... Hes going on behalf of the U.N., not the U.S. government, she told a regular news briefing. Nauert said Washington remained open to talks if North Korea showed it was serious about giving up its nuclear weapons, but added: The activities they have been engaged in recently have shown that they are not interested, they are not serious about sitting down and having conversations. North Korea has been working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States in defiance of U.N. sanctions. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September and last week tested a missile capable of reaching anywhere in America. Feltman told the 15-member Security Council last week that its unity creates an opportunity for sustained diplomatic engagement an opportunity that must be seized in these dangerous times to seek off-ramps and work to create conditions for negotiations. In September, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia urged a return to dialogue, including by leveraging mediation efforts by Guterres. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on Tuesday that Pyongyang was seeking dialogue with Washington on its nuclear program, according to RIA news agency. Morgulov, at a conference in Berlin, was quoted as saying Russia had communication channels with North Korea open and was ready to exert its influence on Pyongyang. Swedens Deputy U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau told reporters he hoped Guterres could mediate in probably the largest threat to international peace and security at the moment. Britains Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Allen said Feltman had our backing and I think he goes to represent the U.N. family as a whole. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers will fly over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill being staged with South Korea this week, the Souths Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified military source. FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, takes-off to fly a bilateral mission with Japanese and South Korea Air Force jets in the vicinity of the Sea of Japan, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, October 10, 2017. Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot/U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS The bombers will take part in the drills at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and as United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman makes a rare visit to North Korea. The North has warned the drills would push the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. Some analysts and diplomats hope Feltmans visit to the North could spark a U.N.-led effort to defuse rising international tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programmes. North Koreas state media confirmed the arrival of Feltman and his entourage late on Tuesday without offering more details. Feltman, a former senior U.S. State Department official, is the highest-level U.N. official to visit North Korea since 2012. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday he was not carrying any message from Washington during his visit. The drills, which started on Monday and will run until Friday, come after North Korea tested last week what it called its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the United States. South Korean government officials, including President Moon Jae-in, have said the Norths latest ICBM is their most capable yet, although it has several critical points to prove, such as re-entry technology and terminal stage guidance. A South Korean defence ministry official was unable to immediately verify the Yonhap report about the U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers taking part in the drills on Wednesday. The annual joint exercise, called Vigilant Ace, has been designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, officials have said. Around 12,000 U.S. service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight U.S. and South Korean military installations. The U.S. Air Force has said the size of this years drill is comparable to previous years. North Korea has vehemently criticised the drills since the weekend, saying the exercise precipitates the United States and South Koreas self-destruction. China and Russia had proposed that the United States and South Korea stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes. Beijing formally calls the idea the dual suspension proposal. Russia has communication channels open with North Korea and Moscow is ready to exert its influence on Pyongyang, RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov as saying on Tuesday. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats have a rare chance to win major concessions in a U.S. Congress they do not control by taking advantage of a battle within the Republican Party over keeping the government open. The Peace Monument is seen outside the US Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. BernsteinWith a Friday deadline looming when most funding for federal agencies runs out, Democrats finally have some clout. But their power is strongest while the Republicans in Congress remain fractured and fighting. The showdown with Republicans could come to a head on Thursday when Democrats are expected to press their demands to President Donald Trump at a White House meeting. For Trump, the complex, and very public, battle over the shutdown will also be a demonstration of his ability to deliver on a central 2016 campaign promise of adding billions of dollars to the U.S. military budget. That issue is at the core of Republicans behind-the-scenes negotiations with Democrats. Most Republicans want a defence buildup. But many also want to limit government spending. While many Democrats also support bolstering defence, they insist on raising spending on non-defence programs too. Democrats top two demands include passage of legislation that has eluded them for 16 years: protecting from deportation nearly 700,000 young people known as Dreamers, whose parents brought them illegally to the United States as children. The Democrats also want to shore up Obamacare by reversing Trumps decision to stop monthly subsidy payments to insurance companies offering healthcare policies to lower-income people. Democrats will enter the White House meeting knowing their support is crucial to Senate Republicans passing any spending bills. Republicans control the chamber by 52-48, but need 60 vote for passage of most spending measures. While a partial government shutdown would keep emergency services and the military mainly operating, thousands of operations would be suspended, such as the operation of national parks. Republicans have clear control of the House of Representatives. But a core of conservative Republicans who consistently vote against funding bills in their drive for smaller government could balk. Democrats have a history of strongly supporting stopgap funding bills, providing the cushion for victory in the Republican House. Conservative Republicans said on Tuesday they would try to pass temporary spending bills without House Democrats support. If so, it is unclear whether such a bill could clear the Senate, where Democratic votes are necessary to pass most bills. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters following the party luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. BernsteinWHICH TRUMP? There is another wild card for both parties in Thursdays meeting: Trump. Democrats will test the unpredictable president to see whether he is willing to go the bipartisan route in order to keep federal agencies running smoothly or whether he will be in a confrontational mood. In May, angry he did not win money to build his promised wall along the border with Mexico, Trump said the United States needed a good shutdown to force his agenda on Congress. Just last week, he wrote on Twitter about the spending bills: I dont see a deal. Democrats are counting on the bipartisan Trump showing up, betting that he and fellow Republicans in Congress do not want to leave the immigration legislation, popularly known as the Dreamers Act, to fester until a March deadline, so close to the 2018 congressional election season. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan speaks at a news conference with House Republican leaders after a closed conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. BernsteinChuck Schumer, Senate minority leader, and Nancy Pelosi, House minority leader, are calculating that voters wrath would rain down on Republicans if the government lights go out. Republicans would blame Democrats. At a news conference last Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that if Democrats vote against the temporary spending bill because they have not won their demands, then they will have chosen to shut the government down. Republicans already are trying to exploit possible differences among Democrats over whether to link support for the stopgap spending bill to the immigration measure. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said she expected Democrats to vote for the government funding bill this week, telling Reuters in an interview that while it is important to all of us to take care of the Dreamers, I dont think we should shut the government down. Senator Dick Durbin, the chambers No. 2 Democrat, told the Washington Post last week he would oppose any spending bill if Congress had not first taken care of the Dreamers. On Tuesday, Schumer noted there were good negotiations under way on the immigration measure. This weeks vote to keep the government operating on temporary funding is likely to be the first of a three-step process that could stretch to Jan. 31. A second step would be another short-term funding bill, followed by one to fund the government through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. ADU DHABI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is interested in reaching a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington, the U.S. governments energy chief said on Wednesday, a step which would allow American companies to participate in the kingdoms civil nuclear programme. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry attends the opening of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria September 18, 2017. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Saudi Arabia has invited U.S. firms to take part in developing the kingdoms atomic energy programme, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who this week visited Saudi Arabia on his first official trip to the region told Reuters that negotiations between the two allies will start soon to tackle the details of the pact - known as a 123 agreement. We heard that message that ... we want the United States to be our partner in this, Perry said, referring to discussions he had during his meetings with Falih and the top Saudi leadership. Perry met with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during his trip. But one potential sticking point could prove to be Riyadhs ambitions to have the ability of one day enriching uranium - the process for producing fissile material which can have military uses. Riyadh has said it wants to tap its own uranium resources for self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel and it was not interested in diverting nuclear technology to military use. But under Article 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, a peaceful cooperation agreement is required for the transfer of nuclear materials, technology and equipment. Washington usually requires a country to sign a pact that blocks it from making nuclear fuel which has potential bomb-making applications. In previous talks Saudi Arabia has refused to sign up to any agreement that would deprive it of the possibility of one day enriching uranium itself. Perry declined to comment whether that issue was raised during his visit to Saudi Arabia. It is not for me to negotiate the deal but we have agreed to move forward ... We are going to get a negotiating team together going forward and try to hash out any details. But I feel comfortable that progress was made on that front, he said. The worlds top oil exporter says it wants nuclear power to diversify its energy supply mix, enabling it to export more crude rather than burning it to generate electricity. Riyadh sent a request for information to nuclear reactor suppliers in October in a first step towards opening a multi-billion-dollar tender competition for two nuclear power plants, and plans to award the first construction contract in 2018. Riyadhs main reason for leaving the door open to enrichment in the future may be political - to ensure the Sunni Muslim kingdom has the same potential to enrich uranium as Shiite Muslim Iran, industry sources and analysts say. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Chicago: Former President Barack Obama told a summit of mayors driven to act after President Donald Trump rejected the Paris climate accord that cities and states are the "new face of American leadership" on climate change. Obama, who did not mention Trump by name, made a quick appearance at the conference hosted by his former chief of staff, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He said it was an "unusual time" with the US as the only country to walk away from the Paris agreement, but it was a chance for local leaders to come together and fulfil promises the country has made. "Ultimately the work is done on the ground," Obama said. "Cities and states and businesses and universities and nonprofits have emerged as the new face of American leadership on climate change." Chicago officials billed the North American Climate Summit, which began on Tuesday evening, as the first of its kind for the city. Leaders elsewhere have taken similar action, despite Trump's announcement earlier this year that the U.S. would pull out of the 2015 Paris agreement, which involves nations setting benchmarks to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases. The US won't technically back out until 2020 because of legal technicalities. The idea is to fill the void left by the actions of the Republican president, who has worked to reverse much of Obama's approach to foreign policy, Chicago officials said. Trump has said the terms of the agreement should be more favourable to businesses and taxpayers. The Chicago charter calls for mayors to achieve a percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that's equal to or more than what is outlined in the Paris agreement. It also calls for them to work with scientific and academic experts to find solutions. Some mayors have specifically agreed to commitments to expand public transportation and invest in natural climate solutions such as tree canopy and vegetation. Emanuel said the current resident of the White House not mentioning Trump by name and his environmental officials are in denial on climate change despite facts. "Climate change can be solved by human action," he said. "We lead respectively where there is no consensus or directive out of our national governments." Mayors from 51 cities including Paris, Mexico City, San Francisco and Phoenix attended the summit. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said city residents will be the victims if action isn't taken. "We cannot afford to be cautious," she said. Washington: The US House of Representatives has condemned "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims and called on Myanmar's leadership to end attacks on minorities in the northern Rakhine state, in the stiffest congressional criticism of the government in the Buddhist-majority country. The House passed a resolution on Tuesday, urging immediate restoration of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state where unrest has forced over 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "This slaughter must end, and our resolution ought to send a strong message to Burmese leaders that their commitment to restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedoms of all people living within Burma's borders, no matter their faith or ethnicity," House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement. Introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel, the resolution condemns the "horrific actions" of the military and security forces and calls for an immediate cessation of violence. The resolution also urges the restoration of humanitarian access to the restive Rakhine state where unrest has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar's de facto leader) to exercise moral leadership, something that's needed now more than ever," Engel said in his remarks on the House floor yesterday. "We reject the Army's claims that what's taking place in Burma is a so-called counter-terrorism measure that's nonsense. It's a textbook ethnic cleansing, that's what it is," Engel said. "We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees' needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved," he said. Clashes erupted after the 25 August deadly attacks by militants on security forces in the Rakhine State, sparking a major army crackdown on the community. According to the UN estimates, more than 6,00,000 members of the minority Muslim group have fled across the border into Bangladesh since then, triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the country. "Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut," Engel said. "The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it's not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now," he said. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, said that as Congressional fact-finding mission has noted their visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State is a "severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust" American leadership. "This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against Rohingyas. As our delegation saw, there is a path forward. The Burmese government and military must fully implement the recommendations of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's advisory commission," McCollum said. Meanwhile in Geneva, at a special session on Myanmar by United Nations Human Rights Council, the US called for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation and hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. "The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the US stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma, she said in a statement. Congressman Steve Chabot said Rohingyas had long been at the fringe of Burmese society and it is no secret that the Burmese military regards them as outsiders who don't belong in Burma at all. "That is why they used attacks in August, by a rogue group of Rohingya, as a pretext to terrorise the entire Rohingya population," he alleged. "This campaign of terror and violence has worked over 600,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for Bangladesh. At least 250,000 of these are children. Further, credible human rights organisations and the media have documented numerous horrors and abuses. "Together, these atrocities amount to what has been called a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'," Chabot alleged on the House floor. For those peering into the US crystal ball in 2018, there will likely be two persistent drumbeats all the way stretching right up till 2019 - the path of the Robert Mueller-led investigation into Donald Trumps alleged dealings with Russia and the midterm elections in November 2018. The countdown has begun. Mueller would likely have closed the investigation ahead of the midterms which will be a referendum on the man leading Americas most xenophobic political movement in history and US President Donald Trumps biggest political test yet. The November 2018 midterm election is not a clutch of scattered political fights; every seat in the US House of Representatives that makes and passes federal laws is up for re-election. In the House, the odds are stacked in the Republicans' favour - they control 239 seats while the Democrats have 194. Democrats will have to hold on to all their seats and win an extra 24 to regain control of the House. The number of elected House members proportionally represent the population of the 50 American states. The Republicans control the Senate too but by a far thinner margin than in the House - 52 Republicans versus 48 Democrats which means Democrats need at least three more seats to retake the chamber. Of 13 most competitive races in 2018, nine are held by Democrats and four by Republicans. The Senate has 100 members, 2 from each state, who are elected to serve for a term of 6 years. After an extraordinary year of stoking racial tension at home and discrediting world leaders and multilateral institutions, the US President faces his biggest political battle in the November 2018 midterms. If the Democrats do well, they will pounce on any red meat thats available via the Mueller investigation in a bid to skewer Trump. Conservative institutions and personalities are either unwilling to go against Trump or protect the President defiantly. Populist firebrand Stephen Bannon is one such, already out on the campaign trail defending Roy Moore, who is fighting several allegations of sexual misconduct and a Washington establishment that wants him to lose the Dec. 12 election. Bannon, like Trump, is savaging national Republican leaders in an impassioned call to rally voters behind embattled candidates and causes that are fundamentally opposed to conservatives and even plain decency and dignity of political office. Bannon, known best for his former role as President Donald Trump's chief strategist, is going around calling GOP leaders in Congress "cowards". "The days of taking it silently are over. They want to destroy Judge Roy Moore. You know why? They want to take your voice awayIf they can destroy Roy Moore, they can destroy you," Bannon said. This rallying cry will only get louder, Trump's loudest advocates will look to light a match in every troubled corner, inciting fear, doubts and anger at all manner of non-whites and outsiders. The Republican Party is at war within but a looming election means the house of cards can't be allowed to fall apart either. The Republicans control both the Houses of Representatives and the Senate in the US Congress. The Senate races are a bit different and there too, the Republicans remain strong despite all the polls over an entire year showing Trumps numbers going south. Rural voters hard done in the Obama years are still rooting for Trump or often just plan anti-Democrat or anti-Hillary. If the Republicans hold on to what they have and / or increase their share in the midterm elections, that will deliver a sharper edge to the rest of Trumps term, allowing him to pass sweeping changes to laws that align with his America First anthem and possibly cement his place for a 2020 run. Also, if Trump gets a majority in both houses yet again, its all the more likely that any dirt from the Mueller investigation on Trump will be trashed. Yet, the weight of history is against a Trump sweep. At little over 90 % of midterm elections since the civil war have ended up with the incumbent governments party losing seats. Another data point, for what it's worth, is that Presidents with ratings lower than 50% have not done well in the mid-terms. Trump is in the 30s. If the House turns blue, Trumps power to make, change and twist existing laws into an America First contortion will become severly limited, paving the way for a fresh barrage of executive orders. Even a Democrat controlled House will not be able to rein in Trump politically but middle of the road conservatives agree in private conversations that legislative gridlock offers a more tolerable hiatus until the next election than the prospect of Trump being in total control. Until the midterms, expect to hear more of this pet Trumpism, which goes to the heart of his appeal to the whites and plays to their worst fear of an assault on whiteness: The Democrats are really looking at something that is very dangerous to our country, he said. They want to have illegal immigrants - people that we dont want in our country. They want to have illegal immigrants pouring into our country, bringing with them crime, tremendous amounts of crime. We dont want to have that. Washington: The White House has denied that President Donald Trump's financial records had been subpoenaed from Deutsche Bank by the special prosecutor examining allegations of Russian election meddling. A source close to the matter told AFP that Germany's biggest bank had received a subpoena for documents related to its business dealings with the US president, after Bloomberg News and the German business daily Handelsblatt first reported a summons by special counsel Robert Mueller. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rejected reports of a subpoena for Trump-related financial records as "completely false," as did Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow. "We have confirmed that the news reports that the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false," Sekulow said in a statement. "No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources." Bloomberg News and Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed the German lender to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family. Handelsblatt reported that the subpoena arrived "a few weeks ago", and that the most important files relevant to the request have already been sent to Mueller's team. Investigators were looking for "information about specific financial and credit transactions with the Trump family," Handelsblatt reported. After the White House denial, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, reiterated to AFP that Deutsche Bank had received the request several weeks ago. A spokeswoman for the German bank declined to comment on reports when contacted by AFP, saying only that "Deutsche Bank takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations into this matter". Trump has a history of dealings with Deutsche Bank during his career as a New York property mogul, and his businesses owed it around $300 million in July 2016, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The president's wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all customers of Deutsche Bank's wealth management arm, according to Handelsblatt. The news came days after Mueller unveiled his fourth indictment in the sprawling Russia probe, which is examining possible collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and what US intelligence believes was an effort by Moscow to tilt the election in his favor. One key indictment has been of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was accused of laundering $75 million in relation to work he did for the former Moscow-backed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. On Friday, Mueller charged Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with lying to investigators about his contacts with Russian officials. Flynn pleaded guilty to the charge in a deal under which he agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. At the Qualcomms second annual tech summit, the company has announced a partnership with AMD for Always Connected PCs on AMDs high-performance Ryzen mobile processors along with Always Connected, Gigabit LTE and Microsoft Windows 10 OS. The Ryzen Mobile Processor with Radeon Vega graphics which was unveiled back in October features upto 2.7x faster CPU performance and up to 2.2X the GPU performance generationally. The processor is capable of powering displays including HDR, Radeon FreeSync 2, and 4K monitors. With the addition of Snapdragon X16 LTE modems, you can stay connected always without needing to rely on Wi-Fi hotspots. Qualcomm at the same event introduced two Snapdragon 835 mobile PC-platform one from Asus and another from HP. They both also feature the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem with gigabit speeds. No actual products were announced in partnership with Qualcomm and AMD, but we expect more in the days to come. Kevin Lensing, corporate vice president, and general manager, client computing, AMD said: Both AMD and Qualcomm have shown a consistent commitment to delivering products that redefine next-generation mobile user experiences. OEMs around the world will now be able to combine the recently announced AMD Ryzen mobile processors with Qualcomm Technologies leading wireless solutions via their Snapdragon LTE modem family to achieve new levels of performance, connectivity, and capability for ultrathin notebook PCs. Alex Katouzian, senior vice president, and general manager, mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said: Qualcomm Technologies believes the Always-Connected PC is the future of personal computing, and we are working with AMD to bring each companys expertise to bear for these exciting products. Combining AMD processors with our cutting-edge LTE connectivity technology results in Always Connected Client Notebooks for consumers in a mobile-first future. Source 061217DONOT MEDDLE WITH PANGUNA SAYS MASONO By Aloysius Laukai ABG Vice President and Minister for Mining, RAYMOND MASONO is calling on Panguna leaders, PHILIP MIRIORI and LAWRENCE DAVEONA to know that the Panguna mine is no ordinary mine. He said that the Panguna mine has a bad history that has crippled the economy of PNG and Bougainville and with many lives lost fighting for it. The Vice President said that the Panguna mine no longer belongs to the landowners because Bougainvilleans blood were spilt over that particular mine. He said that whilst the resources in Panguna and other parts of Bougainville might belong to the people, the ABG has a responsibility to protect its people from unscrupulous companies whose sole interest is to exploit our people for their own economic interests. The Vice President said that we have seen how Bougainvilleans were exploited by foreigners since colonial days and the ABG does not want a repeat of the past. He said that he was surprised that certain individuals can so easily sell their birth right for as little as FOURTY THOUSAND KINA a month to a foreign company when foreign exploitation was one of the issues against which our people fought and died. Also the ABG rejects companies that think they can bribe their way into the peoples resources by giving certain individuals money to gain landowner consent. Ends This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. A former Sandia National Laboratories worker accused of creating a phony company to defraud the New Mexico facility of more than $2 million has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors say 55-year-old Carla Sena of Santa Rosa will be sentenced at a later date. A federal grand jury indicted Sena last month on 11 counts including wire fraud, major fraud against the U.S. and money laundering. Most of the lab's work involves research, development and maintenance of nuclear weapons. A former procurement officer, Sena was tasked in 2010 with overseeing the bidding for a $2.3 million contract for moving services. The indictment accused Sena of preparing a bid for a company under someone else's name and leveraging other bidders' information to ensure herself the winning bid. From CVS (NYSE:CVS) and Aetna (NYSE:AET), to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Whole Foods, 2017 has been a year filled with M&A activity across many industries, a trend that could continue well into next year. In the U.S., 2017 will be the fourth straight year with reported M&A dollar value well above $1 trillion, according to Baird, and all signals point to continued strong deal value and volume in 2018. Nothing that we see is necessarily deeply concerning that we cant have a fifth solid year here, Chris McMahon, Bairds head of global M&A, told FOX Business. Right now, assuming the environment is reasonably status quo, were optimistic that the M&A run is going to continue. In November alone, M&A activity approached a record level with $200 billion worth of deals documented, according to Dealogic. Meanwhile, at the start of December, retail pharmacy CVS reached a $69 billion deal to acquire insurance giant Aetna, while Disney (NYSE:DIS) purchased select assets from 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA), the parent company of Fox News and FOX Business, for $52.4 billion. Other notable deals from the past year include United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) acquisition of Rockwell Collins (NYSE:COL) and Amazons $13.7 billion bid to acquire Whole Foods. Interestingly, Amazon could be partially contributing to the rise in M&A activity, as companies business models come under pressure. Companies like Amazon are causing many businesses to look at themselves and wonder, Do we have the right business model to compete? If we dont, do we have to go and make some defensive acquisitions? McMahon said, adding that businesses are using M&A deals to advance their strategic objectives at a faster pace. CVS reached its deal for Aetna after Amazon reportedly received pharmacy-wholesaler licenses, and even held preliminary discussions with drug makers. The $69 billion agreement will allow CVS and Aetna to offer a more consumer-centric model, one area where the health care sector has been slow to evolve. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Amazons bid to acquire Whole Foods put pressure on grocery markets. There are certain businesses that are really looking over their shoulder and trying to assess what is the impact here? Just think about the ripple effects of the Whole Foods deal, McMahon said. Other factors driving M&A activity, according to McMahon, are increasing dry powder reserves at private equity firms, the prospect for successful tax reform that could boost business growth and the fact that capital remains inexpensive compared to historical standards. Additional notable developments include a formal move by chipmaker Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) this month to take over semiconductor company Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). Meanwhile, GNC (NYSE:GNC) has reportedly retained the services of Goldman Sachs to potentially shake up its organizational structure. The U.K. government acknowledged Wednesday that it has made no detailed assessment of the economic impact of leaving the European Union, as its lack of preparation for a momentous break became clear. David Davis, the official shepherding Britain's departure from the 28-nation bloc, said the nation should be prepared for a profound shift in the way the economy operates on a scale similar to that of the 2008 financial crisis. He told a parliamentary committee that since Britain must prepare for a "paradigm change," in the economy, any assessment in the automotive, aerospace financial services or other sectors would fail to be "informative." The House of Commons' Brexit committee's chair, Hilary Benn, described the decision as "rather strange" given the historic decisions at hand and since authorities wish to start renegotiating Britain's trade relations with the rest of Europe within weeks. "You have said there are no impact assessments," Benn said. "You were hoping that, at the October (European) Council, the door would be open to phase two of the negotiations, where the question would be asked 'What does the U.K. government want?' "Are you actually telling us that the government hadn't at that point and still hasn't undertaken the assessment?" Benn asked. Davis told the committee he didn't need a formal impact assessment. "I'm not a fan of economic models because they have all proven wrong," Davis said. "When you have a paradigm change as happened in 2008 with the financial crisis all the models were wrong." But as the day wore on, the government's last minute-planning became more evident. Treasury chief Philip Hammond revealed that Prime Minister Theresa May's closest advisers in her Cabinet had not yet had a full discussion of the "end state position," the status the U.K. would aim to have once it leaves the EU. In testimony before the House of Commons Treasury Committee, Hammond said it was too soon to have such talks. He said that would happen once the EU accepts to move the Brexit talks on from the divorce issues to the question of future relations, like trade. "We are not yet at that stage and it would have been premature to have that discussion before we reach that stage," he said. Britain and the EU on Monday came close to agreeing on key divorce terms, including how to maintain an open Irish border after the U.K. including Northern Ireland leaves the EU. But the agreement was scuttled at the last minute when the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up May's minority government, warned it wouldn't support a deal it saw as undermining Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that a solution to the issue "can only be discovered in the context of discussions on the end state of the U.K.'s relations with the rest of the EU." "We are going to take back control of our borders, of our laws and of U.K. cash contributions and that's the way forward," he added. May was expected to hold talks with top EU officials later this week. Britain and the EU have only days to clinch a deal on the divorce terms the Irish border, Britain's financial exit bill and the rights of citizens hit by Brexit before a Dec. 14-15 EU summit that will decide whether Brexit talks can move on to future relations and trade. The lack of progress so far has raised concerns that Britain may not have a deal by the time it officially leaves on March 29, 2019, and heightened fears that May's government could collapse. Business leaders in particular are expressing alarm at the lack of certainty in the process. The chief executive of manufacturers' organization EEF, Stephen Phipson, warned that inability to secure a transition deal before Christmas would be costly. "While international companies appreciate the nuances of complex negotiations, they will assess the situation based on the facts at hand and all they will be able to see is the probability of a cliff edge looming on the horizon," he said. German police briefly closed off a portion of a street in a southern city after a suspicious package was sent to a building amid ongoing jitters about a murky plot to extort money from delivery company DHL Express. Ulm police tweeted Wednesday they'd investigated a suspect package but it turned out to be a normal delivery. Germany has been on edge after authorities last week said they were investigating a plot to extort money from DHL. That announcement came after a package sent to a pharmacy in Potsdam containing wires, batteries and nails to resemble a bomb prompted the evacuation of a Christmas market on the same street. The package contained a link to an online message threatening to send more packages unless DHL paid millions of euros (dollars). What happened Agricultural equipment manufacturer Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) soared 12.8% in November on the back of a strong set of fourth-quarter earnings and a positive outlook for 2018. It's been a difficult few years for the company but 2017 marked the passing of a trough in revenue and earnings and Deere looks set for an upswing in the agricultural machinery cycle. Here's a quick recap of the full-year earnings compared to the full-year guidance given on the third-quarter earnings call alongside the formal guidance for full-year 2018. Deere & Company Guidance at Q3 17 Actual FY 17 Forecast FY 18 Ag & Turf Net Sales 9% 9% 9% Forestry & Construction Net Sales 15% 17% 69%* Worldwide Financial Services 475 477 515 Net Sales (equipment sales) 10% 11% 22%** Net Income 2075 2159 2600 The headline data and guidance is good enough, but it only tells part of the story. The underlying takeaway from the earnings report is that U.S. and Canada agriculture equipment sales -- Deere's most important end market -- are forecast to increase 5%-10% in 2018 following a decline in 2017. The positive outlook in North America comes despite Deere's expectation that U.S. farm cash receipts will decline 2% in 2018 to $368 billion after increasing 3% in 2017. Discussing the North American outlook on the recent earnings call Manager of Investor Communications Josh Jepsen said: So what The results and outlook help confirm the fact that Deere's management has done a good job in managing the downturn and that the cycle is starting to turn. In particular, the positive outlook and commentary on replacement demand for large agricultural equipment -- a problem area for the company -- in North America is a sign that farmers can no longer defer purchasing equipment. Meanwhile, the strong outlook for forestry & construction confirms what competitors like Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) have been saying recently. Here's how Caterpillar crushed it in 2017. Now what Aside from hitting the numbers in 2018, investors can look forward to the potential upside from construction coming from an infrastructure stimulus. In addition, Deere's positive forecast for North American agriculture machinery sales is being made despite ongoing price weakness in key crops like corn and soybeans. This means that any kind of increase in crop prices, and consequently farmers' income, could boost the sales recovery even further. Something to look out for. 10 stocks we like better than Deere & CompanyWhen 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 Deere & Company 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 December 4, 2017 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. U.S. crude on Wednesday slid nearly 3 percent on Wednesday, its biggest daily decline in more than two months, after a sharp rise in U.S. inventories of refined fuel suggested demand may be flagging, while U.S. crude production hit another weekly record. U.S. gasoline stocks rose by 6.8 million barrels and distillate inventories were up 1.7 million barrels, government data showed, both exceeding expectations in a Reuters poll. The surprise data hit prices of both crude and products in a market that was tilted bullish and vulnerable to a selloff, analysts said. The Energy Information Administration data also showed U.S. crude stocks fell 5.6 million barrels, more than expected. That was partially due to closure of the Keystone pipeline after a leak in South Dakota in mid-November, which cut flows to Cushing, Oklahoma. That line reopened Tuesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 settled down $1.66, or 2.9 percent, to $55.96 a barrel. It marks the lowest close for the benchmark since Nov. 16 and the biggest one-day decline for WTI since Oct. 6. Brent crude futures LCOc1 ended down 2.6 percent, or $1.64 a barrel to $61.22, for its lowest close since Nov. 2. Gasoline stocks tend to build in December, but at 221 million barrels of inventory, stocks are slightly above the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline inventories are also now building as demand eases back even in the face of decent export numbers. Gasoline futures have clearly broken technical support levels and ULSD (diesel) futures are testing them, said David Thompson, executive vice-president at Powerhouse, an energy-specialized commodities broker in Washington. Gasoline futures led the energy complex lower on Wednesday, as RBOB RBc1 dropped 3 percent to $1.6658 a gallon. Heating oil HOc1, a proxy for diesel, lost 2.6 percent to $1.8650 a gallon. U.S. crude production rose to 9.7 million barrels per day, another weekly record, though short of all-time records reached in the 1970s. That increase may undermine efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers to cut supply. Those cuts, which were extended at a meeting last week for the whole of 2018, have helped lift Brent prices more than 40 percent since June. Prices have slipped from Novembers peak, which represented two-year highs. The sentiment-driven support to crude oil prices has somewhat dissipated as market participants look beyond last weeks OPEC meeting, said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energys Global Gas Analytics in London. Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak said it was too early to talk about exiting the OPEC agreement, and that the process would be gradual. Analysts such as Goldman Sachs have said that the expected rise in demand in 2018 would mostly be offset by U.S. and Canadian supply growth. U.S. oil production C-OUT-T-EIA has climbed by 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.7 million bpd, close to levels of top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia. With U.S. production, were still in the throes of seeing that go ever higher. Theres only going to be more production coming which is very problematic for OPEC non-OPEC deal adherence, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. Many mainstream economists say they're appalled by President Donald Trump's threats to trash trade agreements and tax imports in a blunt-force drive to shrink America's bulging trade deficits. Yet economists themselves bear some blame for the backlash against free trade and globalization that helped propel Trump to the White House and Britain to abandon the European Union. So says Dani Rodrik, a Harvard economist, in a provocative new book. In "Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy," Rodrik argues that most economists long ignored what their own scholarship had made clear: That global free trade, for all its benefits, inevitably ends up depressing some industries and communities. Economists kept quiet about this, Rodrik argues, because they feared that any criticism of free trade would empower "protectionist" critics who oppose open trade in nearly all forms. But according to Rodrik, it all backfired: By dodging an honest debate on the pros and cons of open trade, he says, economists perversely "empowered the barbarians" and made it easier for "extremists and demagogues" to win public support. "Economic theory teaches us that globalization and openness to trade cause a lot of redistribution of income," Rodrik says. "The flip-side of gains from trade is that some people, some communities, some parts of the country end up becoming worse off. That wasn't a mystery. That's what economists were teaching all along." Rodrik, a 60-year-old Turkish-born professor of international economy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, has cast a critical eye on globalization for years. The Associated Press spoke with him recently about his latest book, Trump and his policies and how economists are responding to discontent with globalization and its consequences. Rodrik wants to be clear: He supports free trade. But he is critical of what he calls "hyperglobalization" something he says involves wresting control of commerce from individual governments and handing it to global institutions to spur ever-freer-flowing trade and investment. When many European countries abandoned their own currencies and adopted the euro, for example, they effectively turned their economic policy over to the European Central Bank. Countries should form their own policies, Rodrik says, guided by the likely impact on workers and communities. If European nations fear the consequences of genetically modified foods for people, for instance, they should be free to ban them even knowing the trade-off will likely be fewer food choices and higher prices. Some of his peers take issue with Rodrik's argument. One of them, C. Fred Bergsten, director emeritus of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, has sparred for years with Rodrik over the consequences of globalization. Bergsten argues that while some economists downplayed the costs of free trade, others, including at Peterson, backed programs to help workers who lose out to foreign competition and train them for new careers. More at fault, Bergsten says, are business leaders and free-trade advocates in Congress who pushed trade deals but refused to pay for the safety-net programs that would support displaced workers. Advocates of free trade "are often the very same people who are most resistant to even modest programs" of assistance to those hurt by trade, Bergsten contends. Yet in Rodrik's view, recent free-trade deals have evolved from simple efforts to pry open closed markets into complex deals that reward powerful corporations but often cause workers to lose jobs to cheaper labor in countries with lax workplace and environmental safeguards. Rodrik, points, for example, to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal with 11 Pacific Rim countries that Trump nixed in January. The deal would have served pharmaceutical companies by strengthening patent protections on their drugs, thereby delaying poorer countries' access to cheaper generics. Trade deals contain "thousands and thousands of pages of detailed rules," Rodrik says. "Do we protect labor and affected communities, or do we protect pharmaceutical companies or large multinationals or financial establishments?" Rodrik says he empathizes with the grievances that led to Trump's election. He agrees with the president, for example, that the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada cost America jobs by opening the U.S. market to cheap Mexican imports and by encouraging U.S. manufacturers to move jobs to capitalize on lower-wage labor. Still, he rejects Trump's idea that his administration could bring back those jobs by renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA. "Just undoing that agreement is going to create new dislocations elsewhere," he says, "like in all the auto supply chains" that now cross NAFTA borders. Rodrik says he thinks the economics profession is learning from its mistakes, including its pre-Great Recession celebration of a free flow of capital around the world. As finicky investors move in and out of markets, sometimes overwhelming and destabilizing economies, it's clear, he says, that "financial globalization is no bowl of cherries." "Things change when the evidence comes in," Rodrik says. "Economics is a discipline that's quite capable of changing track. It just doesn't happen very quickly." ___ Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP Luxury goods companies may ban sales of their products on online platforms like Amazon to preserve their aura of exclusivity, the European Union's top court said Wednesday. The European Court of Justice ruled in favor of the German branch of luxury cosmetics group Coty, whose brands include Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs, which sought to keep its products from selling on non-authorized digital sale platforms. The court said Coty's effort to limit distributors "is appropriate to preserve the luxury image of those goods," adding that it "does not appear to go beyond what is necessary." Coty wanted to ban an authorized distributor from selling its products on Amazon.de in a case pending at a Frankfurt court, which requested a ruling from EU judges. The Computer and Communications Industry Association said the ruling was "bad news for consumers who will face fewer choices and also less competition when they want to shop online." Germany's antitrust agency said it was examining the EU court ruling, but expected it to have only a limited effect on its own decisions. The court in Luxembourg "apparently made a great effort to limit its statements to the realm of real prestige products, where the luxurious aura is a significant part of the product itself," said Andreas Mundt, the head of the Federal Cartel Office. Manufacturers of goods that aren't luxury brands "still have no carte blanche to sweepingly limit their distributors' use of sales platforms, according to our assessment," Mundt added. Lawyers for a Volkswagen senior manager say his U.S. prison sentence shouldn't exceed 40 months for his role in the automaker's diesel emissions scandal. Oliver Schmidt will be sentenced Wednesday in Detroit federal court. The U.S. government is asking a judge to send him away for seven years. VW used sophisticated software to cheat emissions rules on nearly 600,000 U.S. vehicles. Schmidt led VW's engineering and environmental office in Michigan from 2012 to early 2015. Prosecutors say Schmidt concealed the software tricks to California regulators while offering "bogus" explanations of any differences in emissions. But his lawyers point out that he wasn't involved when the scheme was hatched years earlier by the company. VW pleaded guilty as a corporation in March and agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines. On the same day that the CVS (NYSE:CVS) and Aetna (NYSE:AET) merger was announced, Walgreens (NASDAQ:WBA) unveiled a rebranding effort. These changes to the pharmacy business come following rumors that Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is considering entering the prescription drug business. At the end of October, The Wall Street Journal reportedwhen the CVS/Aetna merger was a rumorthat the link up was being considered due to Amazons potential entrance into the pharmacy-services sector, citing a person familiar with the matter. In the same month, the St. Louis Dispatch reported, citing pubic records, that Amazon had received approval from a number of state pharmaceutical boards to become a wholesale distributor. At the Forbes Healthcare Summit in November, Walgreens Boots Alliance Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Stefano Pessina said he didnt expect Amazon would jump into the pharmacy business anytime soon, given its complexity. He added that, at the end of the day, Amazon is not a retailer, it is a technology company. Meanwhile, in a press release dated Dec. 4, Walgreens announced it had launched a rebranding program on Dec. 3. The companys rebranding strategy is to focus on millennial and Gen X female shoppers and to remind customers of its 116 year history. Walgreens new tagline will be Walgreens, Trusted since 1901. In leading the relaunch, we started with extensive research to identify our growth and core target demographic Millennials and Gen X females. It is our goal to position Walgreens as their preferred pharmacy of choice, known for care, trust and accessibility, Walgreens told FOX Business. FOX Business also asked Walgreens if they are concerned about the increased competition from the link up of CVS and Aetna and they said: As far as the CVS-Aetna deal, we wont be publicly commenting on that while it is under regulatory review. They noted that the timing of the rebranding announcement near CVS and Aetnas merger was coincidence. On Wednesday, Walgreens reported that it has reached an agreement with China National Accord Medicines Corporation Ltd. to become an investor in its subsidiary Sinopharm Holding Guoda Drugstores Co., Ltd. which operates and franchises retail pharmacies across China. Back to the CVS-Aetna merger, cost savings and growth potential were the motivation behind the combination. In their press release discussing the deal, CVS said: This transaction fills an unmet need in the current health care system and presents a unique opportunity to redefine access to high-quality care in lower cost, local settingswhether in the community, at home, or through digital tools. As new details emerge in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into the alleged Russian meddling during the 2016 election, some are worried President Donald Trump and his associates may be implicated. Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Trump campaign aide David Bossie insist there is not one iota of evidence of collusion. The ranking [Democrat] on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and shes on the Intelligence Committee, has found no evidence of [Trump-Russia] collusion, cooperation or coordination because it doesnt exist. I was there, it doesnt exist, the former Trump campaign manager and co-author of Let Trump Be Trump told FBNs Lou Dobbs on Tuesday. Former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn resigned in February over questions surrounding his dealings with Russia and there have been mixed reports that Mueller has subpoenaed records from Deutsche Bank related to the probe, though White House lawyers deny the claim. Lewandowski says there needs to be more accountability in the FBI regarding the investigation and the forthcomings related to the Hillary Clinton email scandal. Its amazing to me that when the president launched the campaign, they said it wasnt a real campaign, hell never be successful. Whats also amazing to me is Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has said there is no evidence whatsoever that she has seen that there has been any cooperation. But the Democrats pooh-pooh her, Lewandowski said. As for Trumps progress in office, his former campaign manager says that the mainstream media will never give the president the credit he deserves regardless of his economic accomplishments. While tax reform is front and center on Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives is set to take on another bill that would overhaul concealed carry laws in the U.S. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), would permit owners of legally concealed handguns to carry them from one state to another. Currently every state and municipality has the ability to set its own carry rules, but Rep. Hudson is betting on the Full Faith and Credit Clause to move the bill forward. The Full Faith and Credit Clause says that every state has to give full faith and credit to the judicial proceedings and legal documents of every other state and that Congress has a responsibility to determine how those are recognized, he told FOXBusiness Stuart Varney on Varney & Co. Rep Hudson said the bill is gaining support in the House. We whipped the bill last week. We continue to have discussions with members. This bill is easily going to pass today, he said. While the bill could face challenged in the Senate, Rep. Hudson is banking on Texas Senator John Cornyn to find a path forward. Sen. John Cornyn has the legislation in the state. Hes long been a champion of the Second Amendment, he said. He actually brought up constitutional carry in 2013 as an amendment and there were 7 Democrats who are still in the Senate who voted for it at that time. So theres a precedent for Democratic support. Actress Lena Dunham said she warned Hillary Clintons campaign about disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and was uncomfortable with his presence during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to a report out Tuesday. The Girls star told The New York Times that she heard stories about Weinstein from other actresses who claimed they had troubling interactions with him, so in March of 2016 she warned Clinton campaign deputy communications manager Kristina Schake about him. I just want you to let you know that Harveys a rapist and this is going to come out at some point, Dunham said she told the campaign. I think its a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because its an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault. LENA DUNHAM'S CONTROVERSIES, FROM WISHING SHE HAD ABORTION TO DEFENDING ACCUSED RAPIST Dunham, who has professed an incredible allegiance to Hillary, claimed Schake told her shed relay the message to campaign manager Robby Mook, but that she was surprised at the warning. The controversial actress said she also told another Clinton campaign member, spokeswoman Adrienne Elrod, about Weinstein. Dunham said the campaign had not responded to her concerns about the disgraced megaproducer, whos been accused of sexually assaulting or harassing more than 100 women. Weinstein donated thousands of dollars to Clintons political campaigns over the years, and it took the former secretary of state five days to break her silence following the accusations made against him. I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said in a statement through campaign communications director Nick Merrill. The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior. LENA DUNHAM UNDER SIEGE FOR 'SHOCKING HYPOCRISY' FOR PREACHING ON 'GIRLS' WRITER ACCUSED OF SEX ABUSE Merrill told the Times that no one ever told him about Dunhams warning regarding Weinstein, and Schake and Elrod denied that the actress mentioned rape when she advised the two about him. Last month, Dunham apologized for defending a male writer and executive producer of Girls who was accused of raping an actress when she was 17 years old. Dylan Howard, the top editor for National Enquirer and US Weekly, was investigated in 2012 after a string of accusations that he sexually harassed women at work, making explicit comments about female co-workers and forcing employees to watch porn in the office, according to a report out Tuesday. The investigation into Howard was launched after two female employees complained of his behavior while he managed the Los Angeles-based office, The Associated Press reported. Howard is currently the chief content officer of American Media Inc. "American Media Inc. takes any claims of workplace harassment very seriously," the company said in a statement provided to Fox News. "After a thorough review by a third party investigator, American Media stands by the findings of that investigation. We welcomed Mr. Howard back to AMI in 2012, and since that time he has continued to have the respect of his peers and colleagues, and has been promoted to his current position as Chief Content Officer. In the wake of these baseless allegations, he has the full support of AMI and its executives." The Associated Press interviewed 12 women with knowledge of the situation. Ten of the women remained anonymous because of nondisclosure agreements, which were reportedly a common practice upon leaving the company. Maxine Max Page told the AP that she reported Howards behavior on behalf of two other women in the office. DANNY MASTERSON FIRED FROM NETFLIX SERIES AMID RAPE ALLEGATIONS According to Page and six other ex-employees, Howard told colleagues in the newsroom he wanted to create a Facebook account on behalf of a womans vagina, commented on her sex life and forced her and other women at work either to watch or to listen to graphic recordings of sex involving celebrities despite there being no professional rationale for doing so. Howard also reportedly claimed in a meeting that the same woman had had sex with one of her sources, which he allegedly praised saying she needed to do what you need to get a story. The woman at the center of the allegation confirmed the incident, and others, to the AP but did not want to be identified. Page and others also claimed that Howard talked about his own sexual encounters, including descriptions of his partners physical attributes. He also reportedly nicknamed himself after a phallic sex toy, one person said. Another former employee, Liz Crokin, claimed Howard harassed her, including once when he asked whether she was going to be walking the streets tonight because she was wearing heels at work. It was not clear whether Howard faced any discipline over the accusations. The AP reported it was not aware of any sexual harassment allegations involving Howard since he was rehired. Page, Crokin and other employees told the AP that they were laid off by American Media Inc. during company downsizing. Others said they left by choice. RNC TO SUPPORT ROY MOORE IN SENATE RACE AFTER CUTTING FUNDRAISING TIES WEEKS AGO In a brief phone interview with the AP, Howard characterized the ex-employees' claims as "baseless." The companys lawyer, Cam Stracher, told the AP that the firm had hired an outside team to investigate the claims but it was ultimately decided that the behavior didnt warrant firing Howard. "It was determined that there was some what you would call as horsing around outside the office, going to bars and things that are not uncommon in the media business," Stracher said. The investigators also confirmed that theyd filed the report. Howard quit soon after the report was completed, but the company rehired him one year later with a promotion that landed him in the company's main office in New York. Stracher said Howard was cautioned when he returned that the behavior described as horsing around was not appropriate, he said. Fox News' Leora Arnowitz and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Terry Crews doubled down on accusations that Radar Online threatened him with a false story in the wake of its editor being accused of sexual harassment. As previously reported, its been revealed that Dylan Howard was investigated in 2012 over accusations for sexual harassment in the workplace. American Media Inc., which runs the sites Howard works for, conducted its own investigation at the time via a third party and welcomed Howard back to the company after deeming the accusations baseless - a claim which his accusers contest. Still, Crews went after Howard on Twitter bringing up a recent email he received for a story that never went to print. The same guy who runs @radar_online and @NatEnquirer who threatened me with the false prostitute story 1 day after my @GMA interview now accused of SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, he wrote on Twitter with a link to the story. ABUSERS PROTECT ABUSERS. Crews was referencing a tweet he posted in mid-November in which he shared a screenshot of an alleged email from RadarOnline asking him to comment on a story about him hiring two prostitutes while he was in Monte-Carlo, Monaco in 2015. Crews believes the story was a threat to silence him after he spoke on Good Morning America about his sexual assault experience involving his former WME manager, Adam Venit. The story was never published on RadarOnline, which Crews attributes to the fact that its untrue. Crews response happens to come on the same day that Deadline reports he filed an official lawsuit against Venit for sexual assault. It is now time to hold Venit accountable for his sexual predatory behavior and to hold WME accountable for its conduct in condoning, ratifying, and encouraging Venits sexual predatory behavior, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star said in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Cour. Indeed, a message needs to be sent to those in power who abuses those over whom they can exert influence and control that abuse and sexual predatory behavior will not be tolerated. Ashley Judd said the reason she came forward to report on disgraced producer Harvey Weinsteins sexual misconduct earlier this year was because it was the right thing to do. Judd, who spoke at the TimesTalks' forum Uncovering Sexual Harassment in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, said she went to The New York Times with her experience because she trusted their journalistic integrity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The New York Times expose on Weinstein chronicled the inappropriate encounters some women endured from the disgraced producer. Judd was one of the women featured in the expose. WEINSTEINS EX-EMPLOYEES SAY THEY SUPPLIED HIM WITH ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION MEDS, BATHROBES, LINGERIE Judd told the Times she met him at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills in 1997 for a meeting. She was sent to his hotel room, where he opened the door in his bathrobe. The Hollywood mogul asked Judd to give him a massage or watch him while he showered, the actress said. She refused his offer and advances and quickly left the room. The Divergent star said as soon as she left the room she started talking about the incident in private. Judd said she met with her father at the hotel because he was in town to visit her and immediately told him. Literally, I exited that hotel room at the Peninsula Hotel in 1997 and came straight downstairs to the lobby, where my dad was waiting for me, because he happened to be in Los Angeles from Kentucky, visiting me on the set. And he could tell by my face to use his words that something devastating had happened to me. I told him. I told everyone, Judd said. HARVEY WEINSTEIN SEX SCANDAL: DETAILING THE ALLEGATIONS Judd said she did not go public with the accusations because there was no place for us to report these experiences, Vulture reported. The actress said she went to the Great Smoky Mountains for five days after the story was published but returned and started getting involved in meetings about sexual harassment in Hollywood. The conversations Ive been having with my fellow actors have been incredibly rewarding, Judd said. They are absolutely blowing this out of the water. On Wednesday, Judd was featured on the cover of Time magazines Person of the Year issue, which gave the annual honor to the silence breakers. Judd was featured in the article for being one of the first stars to come forward with her story on Weinsteins inappropriate behavior. Billy Bush and his wife, Sydney Davis, are ready to patch things up, according to a source. They are trying to reconcile and it seems like theyre making progress. Theyre working on it, a source told Page Six TV. Tongues wagged when a photographer snapped Bush holding hands with former Access Hollywood colleague Tara Bernie earlier this week. Bernie told Page Six the hand-holding was innocent. Were friends. I was his producer for 15 years at Access He was walking me to get my Uber, she said. Page Six reported about his split from Davis in September. Bushs lawyer denied the split was because of infidelity and described the separation as a short-term break. Another source said, Billy still has his wedding ring on. A rep for Bush did not comment. This article originally appeared in Page Six. Matt Lauer's estranged wife Annette Roque was spotted for the first time since her disgraced husband was fired by NBC, as Roque's father is confirming to the press that their marriage is over. Roque, a Dutch-born former model, was seen getting breakfast after dropping her children off at school Wednesday in Sag Harbor, New York. The 52-year-old's wedding ring was noticeably missing. Lauer has also been spotted without his ring since the scandal. Lauer and Roque married in 1998 and she filed for divorce in 2006, accusing the disgraced journalist of "cruel and inhumane" behavior before withdrawing her petition one month later after reaching a private agreement. While Roque has not yet publicly commented on the allegations against Lauer, her father told the Daily Mail she has plans to divorce Lauer. "She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out," Roque's father, Henri, told the publication from his home in Amsterdam. "I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed." The 76-year-old added his daughter is "feeling shocked" and "is now having sorrow for her children." He also denied reports that Roque had returned to Holland following the scandal. "The situation is so bad. I have met Matt, he was a nice guy. I feel kind of betrayed. Its my own daughter. I dont know how the kids are doing," Henri Roque said. NBC announced on Nov. 28 that Lauer was being fired for "inappropriate sexual behavior," cutting the star of its highly lucrative morning show. How much Lauer's status may have protected him from allegations of impropriety is among the questions that have been raised. NBC has said current executives didn't receive any complaints before the one filed on Nov. 27 that triggered Lauer's dismissal the next day. Other women have since come forward with accusations, with one telling The New York Times that Lauer had sexually assaulted her in his office in 2001. A Variety magazine investigation outlined a pattern of alleged inappropriate behavior, including three women who said Lauer harassed them. "She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out" Henri Roque, Matt Lauer's father-in-law In his only public response, Lauer said in a statement that some of the allegations were untrue but others had enough truth that he felt "embarrassed and ashamed." Repairing the damage caused is now his "full-time job," Lauer said. The former morning show host joined a lengthening list of prominent men toppled by misconduct claims, starting with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and expanding out to others in Hollywood, media and politics. The Associated Press contributed to this report. HBOs Westworld and CBS S.W.A.T. have temporarily stopped filming due to wildfires that broke out in California near the filming stations. The large wildfires broke out in Southern California for the second time in two months. Crews said the blazes have burned some 85 square miles, destroying at least 150 structures and forcing nearly 30,000 people to evacuate. BEYONCE SURPRISES COLIN KAEPERNICK WITH SIS MUHAMMAD ALI AWARD Westworld was in the middle of shooting its second season in Santa Clarita when two fires broke out in Los Angeles County. HBO said in a statement that producers decided to shut down the shows production to avoid any danger to actors or crew members. Due to nearby wildfires, Westworld stopped production earlier today and will resume filming as soon as its safe to do so," HBO said in a statement. CBS suspended the production for S.W.A.T. for safety reasons as well, according to The Hollywood Reporter. LENA DUNHAM SAYS SHE WARNED CLINTON CAMPAIGN ABOUT HARVEY WEINSTEIN Production of S.W.A.T. has been suspended for the day due to wildfires and unsafe air near our stages, a tweet from the S.W.A.T. writers account stated. Safety of cast and crew come first. Prayers to all affected by these fires. The NFL's Los Angeles Rams, who hold workouts near the largest of Southern Californias fires, canceled Wednesdays exercises. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More than 7,000 cases of influenza have been confirmed in the U.S. so far this flu season -- more than double the number this time last year, CBS News reported, citing data frm the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most vulnerable to serious flu complications are older adults, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain long-term health conditions, the Chicago Tribune reported. The latest death attributed to the flu was a woman from Arizona. Her case increased the influenza death toll to eight adults nationwide. This season so far, Oklahoma has seen two fatalities from influenza, while five deaths related to the flu were reported in North Carolina. Ninety percent of U.S. states report some type of local, regional or widespread flu activity, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing the CDC. The flu is now widespread in four states: Georgia, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Massachusetts, according to the CDC report. Mary Anderson, manager of infection control at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Ill., told the Chicago Tribune that the flu is more serious than the common cold, and this year's H3N2 virus is cause for concern. "Those strains hit hardest among the very young and very old," Anderson said. Vaccinations can decrease the chance of spreading the virus to at-risk populations, Anderson said. However, the flu vaccine was reported to be only 10 percent effective against the H3N2 strain, according to USA Today, citing the public health journal Eurosurveillance. Martin Hirsch, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, told USA Today that while 10 percent seems low, flu vaccines are usually only about 40 percent to 60 percent effective in the best of years. Even if the vaccine is only 10 percent effective against H3N2, the vaccine does protect against other strains that are circulating, he said. The most important thing is still to get your flu vaccine. Each year since 2010, the flu virus has caused between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses in the U.S., the CDC said. Those cases resulted in between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations, and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths each year. The flu shot is the first line of defense, but people could also use a few simple preventative measures to prevent the spread of germs, the Chicago Tribune reported. "Wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay home when you're sick," Anderson told the Chicago Tribune. A University of Alabama student learned the hard way not to tempt Twitter with outrageous promises. Kelsey Hall posted a photo of herself dressed in a Christmas tree costume on the social media site and captioned it, 1,000 retweets and Ill wear this to all my classes for the rest of the semester. STUDENT 'OWES' $200,000 TO ST. JUDE AFTER FUNDRAISING TWEET GOES VIRAL Its not known why the student posted the shot in the first place, but she is definitely regretting it now. Hall who has a little over 2,600 followers watched in disbelief, and probably a little horror, as her tweet went viral and managed to snag nearly 20,000 retweets. During the surge in popularity, Hall would respond with guys I really dont want to do this, and everyone needs to calm down, obviously unhappy with the way her post took off. Though others took pleasure in spreading the tweet. One of her friends was on the forefront of pushing the issue, writing Plz retweet this !!! Very important, on Twitter. Hall retorted with You are the worst. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The 20-year-old is a woman of her words, though. She went to campus sporting the festive costume and a very contrite look on her face as she posed for pictures with a fan. Hall wont have to suffer too long. Her tweet states she only has to wear the tree until for the rest of the semester, which ends this week. Editor's note: The following column first appeared in the Washington Times. We know the Nov. 5 Texas church shooting massacre should never have happened. Because we can never expect a moral position from a monster who would do that, as a nation we have regulations and laws in place that should have prevented the previously convicted domestic batterer from buying his firearms. But those laws failed when bureaucrats in the military failed to do the thing that bureaucrats are supposed to do best: follow procedure. Now we know the Air Forces failure to submit shooter Devin Kelleys court-martial to the FBI was not a one-off mistake; instead, it is apparently quite common for the military as a whole. A Department of Defense Inspector General report released Monday has revealed the extent of the incompetence of the military, in general, to report relevant courts-martial to the FBI. The goal of liberals isnt to actually keep people safe while also protecting the constitutional rights; its to use chaos as the excuse to implement their unicorn-and-rainbow collective via even more government control over the American people. U.S. military services collectively failed to submit reports on hundreds of qualifying court-martialed service-members to the FBI, a Monday Department of Defense Inspector General report examining procedures between 2015 and 2016 found, the Daily Caller reports. The military is required by law to submit both fingerprint cards and final disposition reports to the FBI for certain court-martialed offenses. Overall, of the 2,502 fingerprint cards required to be submitted, we identified 601 (24 percent) that were missing. Of 2,502 required final disposition reports required to be submitted, 780 (31 percent) were missing, the damning report concludes for just a single calendar year, the Daily Caller notes. After the recent mass shootings, we have a replay of liberals demanding more regulations and more government involvement to stop the senseless murders. Yet, as in the aftermath of the deadly Texas shooting, we are reminded our society is willing and has been implementing controls intended to protect people from the beasts among us. But then we see the same gigantic, unaccountable and bureaucratic government were relying on to implement those rules making a deadly mockery of the entire effort. For anyone who still thinks we need more regulations and bigger government to implement them, consider this gem: Last year, the FBI tasked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms with seizing 4,000 firearms from people who did not pass background checks. The New York Post reports, Gun owners who were targeted by the feds were either barred from purchasing a firearm due to their criminal backgrounds, mental health issues or other various problems. These are people who shouldnt have weapons in the first place, and it just takes one to do something that could have tragic consequences, former ATF official David Chipman told USA Today. You dont want ATF to stand for after the fact. [] In total, the FBI referred 4,170 gun purchases to the ATF last year for seizure, up from the 2,892 requests that were made in 2015, the paper reports. Despite this reality, liberals continue to call for more regulations, and more bureaucratic government, when its clear the very thing theyre arguing for does, in fact, make social problems worse. But then again, the goal of liberals isnt to actually keep people safe while also protecting the constitutional rights; its to use chaos as the excuse to implement their unicorn-and-rainbow collective via even more government control over the American people. Just like how liberals and Hollywood crowed about being champions for women then ended up exposed as their victimizers, they also dont really care about gun violence. For the left, every tragedy is simply a good crisis to be used to further their goal of a collective fascist state. Take, for example, the result of the Kate Steinle murder trial. A jury of San Franciscans agreed with a public defender from San Francisco and acquitted an illegal alien felon, the confessed shooter, of all crimes of violence murder, assault and manslaughter. He was found guilty only of illegal possession of a firearm. What a revelation about San Francisco liberals here they had the admitted killer, and they refused to punish him in any fashion for gun violence that took the life of a young woman. This columnist contends that the liberal sanctuary city policy and national debate is having more of a negative impact than we realized. The national hectoring by liberals about how illegal aliens need to be protected from the big, bad American rule of law, I contend, is contributing to a conditioned mindset among liberals that criminal illegal aliens simply should not be held responsible for anything they do. Their refusal to convict a man who used a firearm to kill a woman, even if not initially intended, is at least involuntary manslaughter. But no, San Franciscans let that slide, providing another example of the gobsmacking depth of liberal hypocrisy and fraud. Whether it be their liberal feminist political donors in Hollywood sexually assaulting women, or their romanticized and illegal alien criminals protected in sanctuary cities, a liberal leadership and policies continue to place all of us in existential danger. Dec. 6, 1917 exactly 100 years ago marks one of the most extraordinary episodes of American heroism, when common U.S. citizens rushed to the scene of a disaster unlike anything the world had seen before. A French freighter carrying 6 million pounds of high explosives intended for the trenches of the World War I blew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, wiping out half the Canadian city, wounding 9,000, and killing 2,000 more. It was the worlds biggest man-made explosion until America dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Within an hour of the explosion in Halifax, the people of Boston starting sending two trains and two ships with 100 doctors, 300 nurses and $1 million in medical supplies all without being asked. The Americans remarkable compassion and courage helped transform Canada from an adversary to an ally, and is honored every winter when Nova Scotia spend $180,000 to send the provinces biggest and best Christmas tree to Boston Common in gratitude for helping to save their city a century ago. On the morning of disaster, the captain and crew of a French munitions ship called Mont-Blanc were eager to reach the safety of Halifax Harbor and with good reason. Five days earlier a crew of stevedores in Brooklyn in New York City had finished loading the ship with a staggering 6 million pounds of high-explosives 13 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty. The touchy cargo was headed for France, where it was to be packed in shells and fired on Germans to break the Great Wars three-year stalemate. A Norwegian relief ship named Imo was just as eager to go in the opposite direction to New York to get supplies. At Halifax Harbors narrowest stretch, the Imo passed several ships on the left, against nautical convention, which set it on a collision course with Mont Blanc, hugging the shore. In this high-stakes game of chicken, Mont-Blanc bailed first, pivoting to the left at the last second also against nautical convention. This would have worked if Imo hadnt steered to the center at the exact same moment. At 8:46 a.m. Imo struck Mont-Blancs bow, igniting barrels of airplane fuel on deck. Mont-Blancs crew escaped on lifeboats, while Halifaxs workers and schoolchildren watched the ghost ship slip perfectly into Pier 6. At 9:04 a.m. Mont-Blanc erupted, leveling almost half of Halifax, rendering 25,000 people homeless, wounding 9,000, and killing 2,000 more all in less time than it takes to blink. Years later, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the architect of the atomic bomb, correctly calculated the bomb dropped on Hiroshima would be only five times more powerful. At 10:13 a.m., Bostons leaders received a brief telegram about the tragedy. It was hard to predict how they would respond. On the one hand, the Revolutionary War pushed some 30,000 Loyalists to the British from New England to Nova Scotia with hard feelings. During the War of 1812, one of Nova Scotias favorite sons, Joseph Barss Jr., returned the favor by capturing, sinking, or burning more than 60 American ships. This made him the most wanted man in New England. During the Civil War, people in Halifax helped a notorious Confederate battleship, the Tallahassee, sneak past Union ships under cover of darkness. For the Americans part, when the U.S. speaker of the House took the floor of Congress in 1911 to advocate annexing Canada, Massachusettss representatives didnt raise a peep. But Boston and Halifax were two shipping towns that had more in common than most. Boston was home to thousands of Halifax cousins and transplants, including James Earnest McLaughlin, who designed Bostons Fenway Park. It was helpful that in April 1917, the United States finally entered the Great War, becoming allies with Canada for the first time. Plus, Boston had just created something no one else had a Committee on Public Safety, for disasters like this. About two hours after the explosion, Massachusetts Gov. Samuel W. McCall sent a telegram to the mayor of Halifax: Understand your city in danger from explosion and conflagration. Reports only fragmentary. Massachusetts ready to go the limit in rendering every assistance you may be in need of. Wire me immediately. While waiting for a response, McCall gathered the Committee on Public Safety at Faneuil Hall, where 100 leaders formed the Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Committee and organized a relief train to leave that evening. When Gov. McCalls second telegram to Halifax received no response, he sent a third: Realizing time is of the utmost importance we have not waited for your answer but have dispatched the train. Explosion survivor and Halifax historian Thomas Raddall recalled: Doctors and nurses arrived from outlying provincial towns and substantial help was on the way from Montreal and Toronto, but the first and most valuable assistance came from the ancient foe beyond the Bay of Fundy. Boston. The Boston train had to smash through gigantic snowdrifts left by the Maritimes biggest blizzard in a decade. When McCalls representative arrived Saturday morning, he handed a Canadian official the governors letter, which assured him: I need hardly say to you that we have the strongest affection for the people of your city, and that we are anxious to do everything possible for their assistance at this time. The stoic official could not hide the tears streaming down his face. Just like the people of good old Massachusetts, he said. McCalls group sent another train and two ships loaded with food, clothing, bedding, motor trucks, medical supplies, welfare workers, 300 nurses and 100 doctors. The group included Dr. William E. Ladd, whose experience in Halifax would help him become the father of pediatric surgery back in Boston. When Boston newspapers told their readers where the next relief ship had docked, the pier overflowed with Good Samaritans eager to contribute to the cause, including a society lady who doffed her fur coat and added it to the cargo. When the ship pushed off from the pier, one reporter said a lusty cheer went up from the crowd of workers and spectators who lined the docks. Halifax greeted Bostons help with a gasp of relief, Raddall wrote. And this was only the beginning. Financed entirely by American funds, the Massachusetts Relief Commission continued its clinics and its housing and welfare work in Halifax long after the disaster, a memory cherished by Haligonians to this day. Some seven decades later, interviewer Janet Kitz noticed the first thing aging survivors mentioned was the instant and unstinting aid from the State of Massachusetts. Joseph Ernest Barss, the great-grandson of Canadas deadliest privateer, had been wounded in the Great War and returned to Nova Scotia to recover. When the Mont-Blanc exploded, he put his first-aid experience to use for three sleepless days before being relieved by medics from Boston. I tell you well never be able to say enough about the wonderful help the States have sent, Barss wrote his uncle. The response was so spontaneous and everything done even before it was asked for. It brought tears to all our eyes. You know we have always been a trifle contemptuous of the U.S. on account of their prolonged delay in entering the war. But never again! They can have anything Ive got. And I dont think I feel any differently from anyone down here either. In the 1920s, Canada opened official diplomatic relations with the United States, and has been our nations biggest trading partner for decades exceeding China, Japan, Germany and Mexico. On Nov. 30, the people of Boston lit the Christmas tree, a testament to a time when the worst the world could inflict brought out the best in two countries. The hard-earned friendship those days forged has stood as an example to the world for a century. Why, one Nova Scotian asked, do we have to stop saying Thank you!? The capital of Israel is Jerusalem. Ask American politicians of either party and they will tell you that. Check the platform documents of the two major political parties and you will read that. Check with Congress and you will find a bipartisan resolution that passed declaring Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel. So it is fitting that President Trump would announce plans Wednesday to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and publicly refer to Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. After all, the political parties believe that, every major presidential candidate in the past few decades has said that, and Congress has declared it in bipartisan form. Unfortunately, President Trump is committing the most grievance sin any politician in Washington can commit. He is walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. This is the behavior that is responsible for his election. For decades, it has been perfectly convenient for politicians of both parties to fundraise in Jewish and Christian evangelical communities, declaring their support for Jerusalem as Israels capital. This may be the first time in American history that a president is being attacked for keeping a promise made by the politicians who are attacking him. It has been a great fundraising ploy to pledge support for moving the American embassy to Jerusalem. But few of the politicians have ever meant it. They could boldly claim to American audiences what they wanted to hear while privately winking at Palestinians and others who were in on the joke. President Trump, though, is not joking. So now some of the very same American politicians who have for years supported Jerusalem as Israels capital when addressing American audiences are now savaging the president for doing what theyve long claimed they wanted. This is all an exercise in mendacity that President Trump has no time for. He pledged to do something and he is going to do it. This may be the first time in American history that a president is being attacked for keeping a promise made by the politicians who are attacking him. Sadly, time and time again we see this even within the Republican Party. From calls for repealing ObamaCare to claims of being staunchly pro-life, the GOP has kept ObamaCare alive and fully operational and has kept funding Planned Parenthood. The American people have become deeply cynical about American politics and deeply skeptical of political promises. They took a radical chance by voting for Donald Trump and, where he can, they are seeing him keep promises other politicians made and never kept. The reaction of Washingtons elite will only prove to Americans that the voters were right all along about the liars inside the Beltway. That, in turn, will probably help re-elect the president in 2020 What in the sweet name of Santa Claus is wrong with liberals? A popular doughnut shop in Portland, Maine, was forced to apologize to the community after it offended customers by working with the Salvation Army to provide Christmas to a needy family. Click here for a free subscription to Todds newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives! The Holy Donut had asked customers to help them with a gift drive for a local family with five children. Those customers who participated received free doughnuts. The Holy Donut should be commended for helping a family in need and spreading a bit of Christmas cheer. The doughnut shop reached out to the Salvation Army to find the family in need, the Press-Herald reports. Instead of saluting the doughnut shop for doing a good deed an online mob stormed their Facebook page. Many accused the Salvation Army of being anti-gay and discriminating against the LGBT community. It was all untrue, of course but the truth doesnt really matter these days. They proselytize to the people in their programs, they reject LGBT people from their shelters, one outraged customer wrote. They have tried to scrub their image, but still discriminate. For the record, the Salvation Army is a well-respected Christian ministry that provides shelter for the homeless, addiction programs and of course the iconic red kettles at Christmas time. Nevertheless, some freedom-loving, donut eaters defended the popular mom-and-pop establishment. Going after a doughnut shop because they dont like their politics is exactly why people voted for Trump, one observer wrote online. I dont care if someone is L, G, B or T, but when they stand in the way of people helping people simply because their own personal noses are out of joint, they lose my respect and any sympathy I have for their cause, wrote another. But the Press Herald reports that the anti-doughnut mob was unrelenting going so far as to threaten boycotts unless the donut shop renounced its association with the Salvation Army. In case you forgot, a solid 70 percent of your clientele is part of the LGBTQ community, one rabble-rouser wrote. Youre making a silent statement that youre completely fine with their choices. Ah yes, nothing quite like an old-fashioned yuletide public shaming. We do not support the Salvation Army or consider them our partner for this project, they simply linked us to a needy family, the store owners wrote on Facebook. We have nothing to gain here, we just wanted to help a family in need. As unthinkable as it might be a good number of the pro-LGBT protesters were upset that the donut shop dared to help a family in need during the Christmas season. To quell the growing controversy, The Holy Donut threw themselves at the mercy of the surging mob. We take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone that we have offended, the store owners wrote on Facebook. We are an organization which prides itself on our track record of kindness and acceptance of everyone. The Holy Donut should be commended for helping a family in need and spreading a bit of Christmas cheer. They should also be commended for make delicious doughnuts. (Ive been privileged to sample their Maple Bacon Maine Potato Donut). And shame on all of you folks out there for harassing these good people and spreading out-right lies about the Salvation Army. Shame! No doughnuts for you. President Trumps declaration Wednesday that the United States formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israels capital city is an acknowledgement of historical fact and current reality. As Israels closest ally, as the principal facilitator of Arab-Israeli peacemaking, and as the pre-eminent global leader, the U.S. initiative in taking this step is of critical significance. The president has acted wisely. Bold actions can prompt new thinking and stimulate initiatives to advance peace. Forty years ago last month, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat flew to Israel. He became the first Arab head of state to visit and he addressed the Knesset (parliament) in Israels capital of Jerusalem, even before formal peace negotiations began. Recognition of the city that Israel has always deemed its capital is long overdue. The prime ministers office, the Knesset, and nearly all Israeli government offices have been situated in Jerusalem since Israel declared its independence nearly 70 years ago. U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital is an act of constructive diplomacy not, as one Palestinian leader proclaimed, a declaration of war. Heads of state and other top officials from countries around the world visit Jerusalem regularly to engage with Israels leadership. In fact, there was a time when 16 countries maintained their embassies in Jerusalem. Succumbing to Arab pressures, however, they relocated their embassies to Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries have long kept their embassies. This perpetuates a nonsensical abnormality. No other country in the world has been treated this way, neither in bilateral relations nor at the United Nations and other multilateral forums. Longstanding resistance to recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital has encouraged many U.N member states, led by Arab and Muslim nations, to regularly adopt resolutions that ignore historical facts and deny any Jewish link to Jerusalem. Indeed, just last week, the U.N. General Assembly voted 151 to 6 (with nine abstentions) to adopt another resolution disavowing Israeli ties to Jerusalem. But the ties are authentic and deep. For millennia, Jerusalem has been uniquely connected to Judaism and the Jewish people, and thus it was only natural that it would become the capital of Israel. U.S. recognition sets the stage for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. When that happens, the new embassy will be located in a neighborhood in western Jerusalem, an area that has been under Israeli sovereignty since its independence in 1948. The status of the disputed eastern part of the city will be resolved through the peace process, in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Tragically, Palestinian leaders continue to prefer confrontation over resuming negotiations to achieve an enduring comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution. Even before President Trump delivered his speech recognizing that Jerusalem is indeed the capital of Israel, Palestinian and other leaders of Arab and Muslim countries issued threats of protest and violence. U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital is an act of constructive diplomacy not, as one Palestinian leader proclaimed, a declaration of war. A more practical response from the Palestinians would be to urge a resumption of peace talks on final-status issues. Hopefully, clearer heads will eventually prevail over the initial, highly emotional and dangerous reactions. Rational thinking in the conflict has been too rare. But when exercised, it has led to constructive peacemaking solutions and the building of ties between Israel and its neighbors, as well as many countries beyond the region. These should not end or recede because of any violent responses to President Trump's action. In the future, with prudent hindsight, we will look back at Dec. 6, 2017 as a day of clear-headed and purposeful action by the White House. This is a tale of FBI power misused and presidential trust misplaced. Last week, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trumps confidant on matters pertaining to national security from June 2015 to February 2017 and his short-lived national security adviser in the White House, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C., to a single count of lying to the FBI. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Flynn, who had faced nearly 60 years in federal prison had he been convicted of charges related to all the matters about which there is said to be credible evidence of his guilt, will now face six months. What could have caused Robert Mueller, the no-nonsense special counsel investigating whether any Americans aided the Russian government in its now well-known interference in the 2016 American presidential election, to have given Flynn such an extraordinary deal? Here is the back story. During the FBIs investigation of Russian meddling in the election, it became interested in Flynns communications with Sergey Kislyak, a KGB colonel (the KGB is now known by its post-Soviet acronym, FSB) masquerading as the Russian ambassador to the U.S. After Trump won the presidency, Flynn became an important member of the presidential transition team. Between the election and the inauguration, Flynn spoke on the telephone with Kislyak five times. Because Kislyak was a foreign spy, as well as an ambassador, his communications with Americans were monitored by the FBI. When Flynn agreed to be interviewed by the FBI in his West Wing office on Jan. 24, he probably did not know what the agents were looking for. Jim Comey was still the director of the FBI. Mueller had not yet been named special counsel. The FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the just-completed presidential election was in its infancy. Prior to the interview, the FBI obtained the transcripts of Flynns conversations with Kislyak. The conversations themselves were not illegal. On the contrary, it is expected that an incoming presidential administration will begin to reach out to foreign leaders even before the new president is inaugurated. When the FBI interviewed Flynn, it asked him whether he had spoken with Kislyak and, if so, whether they had discussed American sanctions imposed on Russian individuals as retaliation for Russian meddling in the election. Flynn acknowledged the conversations but denied that they had been about sanctions. The two agents interviewing him knew immediately that he was lying, because they had read the transcripts of his conversations. Since the FBI knew the subject matter of the Flynn-Kislyak conversations, what was the purpose of the Flynn interview? And given that the conversations were lawful -- as long as they occurred after Trumps victory -- why would Flynn lie about them? As well, given that Flynn once ran thousands of surveillance projects against high-level foreign targets, how could he not have known that the FBI knew what he had discussed with Kislyak before its agents walked into his office? Did Flynn have anything to hide from his interrogators? If he did, he has no doubt since revealed it to the FBI, because his guilty plea requires full cooperation with the same special counsel team that prosecuted him. Timing is everything. The question of whether the conversations occurred while Trump was a candidate and whether they involved the transfer of anything of value from the Russian spy to the American campaign adviser or vice versa -- whether the campaign, through Flynn, helped the Russians in their meddling or the Russians gave helpful information to the campaign in exchange for something of value -- is at the heart of Muellers mission to prove or dispel allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Three weeks after the FBI interviewed Flynn, Trump fired him. The publicly stated reason for the firing was a purported lie that Flynn had told to Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Kislyak. Last weekend, on the day after Flynn pleaded guilty, the president issued a tweet claiming that he fired Flynn for lying to Pence and to the FBI. If Flynn was fired in February for lying to the FBI in January, then Trump was aware of Flynns lies and his likely prosecution for them when he asked Comey to back off the FBI investigation of Flynn and then fired Comey for not backing off. This is dangerous territory for the president. Obstruction of justice is the interference with a law enforcement or judicial proceeding for a corrupt purpose. Thus, if the president knew of Flynns lies to the FBI when he asked Comey to back off Flynn, the existence of a presidential crime and impeachable offense depends on the presidents state of mind. If the "back off Flynn" request was given because the president felt sorry for the general or because he had concluded that the FBI's limited resources would be better utilized finding terrorists or arresting bank robbers, there was no corrupt motive. But if the motive for the request to Comey was fear of what beans Flynn might spill -- about the president himself or his son-in-law, for example -- that would be a corrupt motive, and the request would be a crime, as well as an impeachable offense. Obstruction of justice is the rare federal crime that need not succeed to be criminal and prosecutable. It is also the rare federal crime that nearly all legal scholars agree is an impeachable offense. The presidents lawyers are not among them. They have argued that because the president is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the land, his decisions on whom to prosecute are final and always lawful. That sounds like former President Richard Nixons now fully discredited argument that when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. In America, the president is a public servant, not a prince. Is the president in legal hot water? In a word: yes. Hillary Clinton visited New Hampshire on Tuesday to plug her new book. She used the opportunity to rebuke President Donald Trumps claims that voter fraud might have led to her victory in the state by a few thousand votes. About 1,000 people showed up to meet the failed presidential candidate and get a signed copy of her book What Happened, which gives her view of why Trump defeated her in the race for the White House. "I love coming to New Hampshire, and I love the friends that I've made over 25 years now. So any chance I have to come back, I am anxious to take it," Clinton told the crowd. Clinton carried the state in November last year by a mere 2,736 votes, but Trump has insisted that it was the result of rampant voter fraud in the state, prompting him create a commission to investigate the allegations. Some have suggested that more than 5,000 people who cast ballots might not have been residents of the state. The former U.S. secretary of state dismissed the allegations, but did not delve into the issue. Well, you can read my book and find out what I think about that," she said. Not everyone was glad to see Clinton. Supporters of Bernie Sanders protested at the event, with one fan holding a banner thanking Sanders for making Medicare 4 All household words. He said Clinton represents a corrupt system that rewards corporate greed. "Bernie does not do that, so it's important to spread that word at every opportunity," he said. "Does it do any good? I don't know. I don't really know." Vermin Supreme, a joke candidate and local novelty, also made an appearance at the protest outside the bookstore where Clinton was speaking, blasting his eccentric message through a megaphone. She should go away, Supreme ally Heather Allain told the Concord Monitor. Shes a big girl, so she should go put her big girl pants on and find something else to do. "She should go away. Shes a big girl, so she should go put her big girl pants on and find something else to do." Protester Heather Allain, speaking to the Concord Monitor Clinton's supporters did not share the sentiments of the protesters, although they appeared to be more energized by the Trump administration than by Clintons presence Tuesday. Any time he opens his mouth, it's a lie. Don't even get me started, said 65-year-old Karolyn Carpenter, adding that she believes Trump is destroying our country. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Following the announcement Tuesday of Michigan Rep. John Conyers retirement from Congress, new allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him, according to a released affidavit on Twitter. Attorney Lisa Bloom released a copy of the document by the accuser, Delores Lyons, with her tweet. Here is another woman stepping forward to document her sexual harassment claims against John Conyers, who still denies harassing anyone, Bloom said. Conyers said he wasnt getting due process but he knew our witnesses were prepared to testify before the Ethics Committee. In the document, Lyons claimed she was a volunteer for Conyers from 2010 through 2014. She described two incidents in which Conyers allegedly touched her buttocks and another in which he allegedly put her hand on his crotch. CONYERS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT, ENDORSES SON TO SUCCEED HIM In the latter incident, Lyons said she was driving with the congressman when he grabbed my hand off the steering wheel and put it on his penis. She said she was horrified and pulled her hand away, only for him to allegedly repeat the maneuver again. A short while later, Rep. Conyers did it again and I yelled at him to Stop that! Go back to sleep! as I pulled my hand away, she said in the affidavit. Rep. Conyers giggled in response. About the encounters, Lyon added, This seemed to be a game to Rep. Conyers as he thought he could cop a feel wherever and whenever he wanted and no one would ever do anything about it. Lyons also claimed to witness the incident between Conyers and fellow accuser Elisa Grubbs at church. She alleged she saw Grubbs, who was sitting next to Conyers, jump and say, He just ran his hand up my thigh! CONYERS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AT A CHURCH AMID LOOMING ANNOUNCEMENT Grubbs allegations against Conyers were made public late Monday, also by Bloom, before his retirement was announced. In Lyons' affidavit, she said Marion Brown told her that Conyers was always coming onto [her] as well. Ms. Brown confided in me on multiple occasions that Rep. Conyers repeatedly made sexual advances toward her, Lyons said in the affidavit. Rep. Conyers black balled Ms. Brown and ruined her political career because she rejected his inappropriate sexual advances. An attorney for Conyers has since denied Lyons claims and told Fox News that she never worked for the congressman but was friends with Brown. They alleged Lyons would come into the congressmans office and flirt with him. Fox News Matt Finn contributed to this report. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon slammed Mitt Romney at a rally for Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore Tuesday night, saying Moore "has more honor and integrity in [his] pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA." Bannon's appearance came one week before polling day in a brief, but ugly special election race between Moore and Democrat Doug Jones. The campaign has been dominated by accusations of sexual misconduct made against Moore by several women, one of whom claimed Moore molested her when she was 14 years old and he was in his early 30s. On Monday, Romney tweeted that "Roy Moore in the US [sic] Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation." In response, Bannon contrasted Moore's Army service during the Vietnam War with Romney's work as a Mormon missionary in the late-1960s. "You hid behind your religion," said Bannon, addressing Romney. "You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies." Bannon spoke hours after the Republican National Committee transferred $170,000 to the Alabama Republican Party to bolster Moore's campaign. The RNC had dropped its support for Moore after the sexual abuse allegations surfaced last month. Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel -- Mitt Romney's niece -- called the allegations against Moore sufficiently "concerning" to warrant the RNC severing financial ties. Many Washington Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, had called on Moore to quit the race, though McConnell changed his rhetoric over the weekend to say Alabama voters should decide Moore's fate. "The days of taking it silently are over," Bannon declared at the rally, which drew hundreds of Moore supporters to a local farm in the southwestern corner of the state. "They want to destroy Judge Roy Moore. You know why? They want to take your voice away," Bannon said as Moore looked on. "If they can destroy Roy Moore, they can destroy you." On Monday, the Washington Post reported new evidence of Moore's pursuit of teenage girls decades ago. Moore has denied knowing any of the women, but one of them, Debbie Wesson Gibson, shared with the newspaper a card she said was signed by Moore congratulating her on graduating from high school. Jones responded to Bannon's appearance Tuesday night by tweeting "We don't need an outside agitator like Steve Bannon carpetbagging in Alabama," a reference to Northerners who moved South after the Civil War, ostensibly for political and financial gain. During a speech in Birmingham earlier Tuesday, Jones referred to his record as a former federal prosecutor: "I damn sure believe that I have done my part to ensure that men who hurt little girls should go to jail and not the United States Senate." The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump on Wednesday will order the State Department to begin moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, senior administration officials said, a move that fulfills a campaign promise made to religious conservatives but one that could inflame tensions across the Middle East. In his announcement, Trump will say that the U.S. government recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. One official described it as an "honest" acknowledgement of a "seven-decade old fact." While President Trump recognizes that the status of Jerusalem is a highly sensitive issue, he does not think it will be resolved by ignoring the simple truth that Jerusalem is home to Israels legislature, its Supreme Court, the prime minister and is such the capital of Israel, one official said. The U.S. would be the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Other countries who have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. But the embassy move would not be immediate and could take at least three or four years. The U.S. officials said there are currently about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. They added that there is no facility in Jerusalem ready to serve as the embassy site, and it will take time to address security, design and cost concerns. "It will take some time to find a site, address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility -- working with Congress, obviously -- and build it," one official said. "So this is not an instantaneous process." Ahead of the announcement, Trump spoke Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has said he supports the U.S. moving its embassy. But Abbas has warned of the gravity of consequences should the move become official for the peace process and security and stability in the region and world. WHY TRUMPS PROMISE TO MOVE US EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS SO CONTROVERSIAL An international affairs adviser for Abbas said that the move totally destroys any chance that he can play a role as an honest broker in Middle East peace negotiations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that moving the capital was a red line for Muslims, and such an action could result in Turkey severing diplomatic ties with Israel. The controversy surrounding the move of the embassy dates back decades. A law passed in 1995 under the Clinton administration considers Jerusalem the capital, and even mandates the move of the embassy there. But the law allows for a loophole used by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama an option to issue waivers every six months to delay the move from Tel Aviv. Trump also took advantage of the loophole, which Republicans have long called to be closed. Trumps first waiver was signed in June, which drew praise from the Palestinians and some disappointment from Israel. The administration officials said Tuesday that Trump will still sign a waiver to keep from jeopardizing State Department funding while the relocation process begins. In January, Republican Sens. Dean Heller, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz introduced legislation that would move the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel's capital, after the Obama administration abstained from a U.N. Security Council vote to condemn Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Fox News' Brooke Singman and Kelly Chernenkoff contributed to this report, along with The Associated Press. Another woman is accusing Sen. Al Franken of forcibly trying to kiss her this time after a taping of his radio show in 2006. The woman, who spoke to Politico, claims the Minnesota Democrat pursued her after her boss had left and she was collecting her things. The woman was in her 20s at the time. The accuser, who was not identified, said Franken tried to kiss her but that she ducked. Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" performer who was a host on the now-defunct "Air America" radio network at the time, allegedly followed up by telling her it was his right as an entertainer. He was between me and the door and he was coming at me to kiss me, she told Politico. It was very quick and I think my brain had to work really hard to be like Wait, what is happening? But I knew whatever was happening was not right and I ducked. I was really startled by it and I just sort of booked it toward the door and he said, Its my right as an entertainer.' Al Franken's latest accuser I was really startled by it and I just sort of booked it toward the door and he said, Its my right as an entertainer. Franken strongly denies the accusations. This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous, Franken said. I look forward to fully cooperating with the ongoing ethics committee investigation. Pressure has been mounting on Franken to resign from office as the number of women accusing the lawmaker of groping them grows. Franken, the second-term senator who was accused last month by Los Angeles radio personality LeeAnn Tweeden of groping her during a 2006 USO tour, has since been rocked with claims from women who say he grabbed their butts or breasts while posing for photos at events including the Minnesota State Fair. A total of six women have now accused Franken of unwanted touching. Lindsay Menz, 33, of Frisco, Texas, told CNN last month she was groped by Franken in 2010 at the Minnesota State Fair. Franken, she said, pulled her close when her husband offered to snap a cell phone photo of them, and 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." Then last week, 41-year-old Army veteran Stephanie Kemplin, of Maineville, Ohio, told CNN Franken groped her in Kuwait during a 2003 USO tour, before Franken was a senator. Kemplin said Franken cupped her breast as they posed for a photo. Two other women have alleged to media outlets that Franken groped them but have requested anonymity. For his part, Franken has apologized for the earlier incidents, but has shown no signs of plans to give up his seat. Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report. As the Alabama senate race gets down to the wire, with less than a week to go, the two major candidates are working to mobilize core groups of voters. Republican Roy Moore is working to shore up his base of rural and conservative Christian voters while Democrat Doug Jones focuses on gathering a coalition of support. In a race that is expected to have low voter turnout, Larry Powell, a political expert and professor of communications studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, says how many will show up at the polls on Tuesday is key. This is a controversy that has spilled over to the nation, with most of it going on right here in Alabama, Powell told Fox News. Its really surprising to have such a competitive Senate race in a state that is normally heavily Republican. RealClearPolitics average of recent polls has Moore edging out Jones 48 percent to 45.7 percent. The question before us today in this election is which way will the people of Alabama go being watched by everybody in the nation and around the world, Moore said before a room of supporters at a rally in Fairhope, Ala. Jones says he expects a decent turnout of voters for the Dec. 12 special election. I think were going to see a good turnout not only in the African-American population [but] I think were going to see a good turnout of people that want change, Jones said after a fish fry and rally in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Sunday. They want to see a change in that crisis of confidence [in] leadership. Powell says the sexual misconduct allegations against Moore have given his Democratic challenger a real shot at winning the race. He notes the state has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in over 30 years. Both campaigns have spent the last week crisscrossing the state and calling voters ahead of the December 12th election. Powell says each candidate needs to encourage his core group of voters to show up on Election Day to reach victory. Jones has to turn out his voters. Hes [got to] turn out people who are Democrats [and] hes got to turnout people in high numbers. Theres a lot of discouragement amongst Republicans, so their turnout could be lower, Powell said. The one exception among Republicans [is] Roy Moore supporters. His supporters are avidly behind him and they will get to the polls. Moore has held several events in churches throughout the state and most recently held a rally in a rural Alabama town. Former White House aide Steve Bannon re-affirmed his support for the embattled Senate candidate by introducing Moore at the rally. Moore called on his supporters to stand against Jones, saying his opponent supports abortion, transgender rights and the Clinton agenda. If your beliefs do not accept abortion, same-sex marriage, sodomy [and] transgender rights in their school bathrooms and in the military, then by definition you are discriminatory and will not be protected. Nor will your rights to carry guns be secured, Moore said, giving his interpretation of an interview with Jones featured in The Economist. Jones says his campaign is focusing on a message of unity and is working to court a diverse group of supporters, including Republicans who may not want to vote for Moore. Jones called Moore an embarrassment to the state and said men who hurt little girls should go to jail, not to the U.S. Senate. I dont demean my fellow citizens but treat everyone with dignity and respect, Jones said during a speech in Birmingham. Roy Moore has spent his entire life to use whatever position he was in to create conflict and division in order to promote his personal agenda. On Monday, Moore received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, which triggered the Republican National Committee to throw its support behind the former judges campaign after it cut fundraising efforts weeks ago. Although President Trump has no plans to campaign for Moore in Alabama, he will hold a rally in Pensacola, Fla. on Friday, which is only about an hour away. It started with six female senators, but by mid-afternoon Wednesday, many Democratic leaders had joined together to call for Sen. Al Franken's resignation. Franken said Thursday that he would resign from office in "the coming weeks" after dozens of his Democratic colleagues called for him to step aside. Franken, a Minnesota Democrat who has been in office since 2009, was plagued by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct over the past month and faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. The allegations began after Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. Heres what key Democrats have said about Franken, 66, in their calls for his resignation. Tammy Baldwin In a simple tweet, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wis., said it was best for Franken to resign. Michael Bennet Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said he expects Franken to make an announcement on Thursday and is confident hell do the right thing and step aside. Sexual harassment and misconduct are never acceptable, Bennet said. Cory Booker Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called on Franken to resign and said he let him know via text message. These courageous women have come forward, and I think clearly this last revelation adds to what seems to be a pattern here, Booker told NorthJersey.com of the latest accusations against Franken. That was enough to make me come to the conclusion that even though there is a process established, that desperately needs to be changed, it is right that he should step down at this point. Booker also encouraged Franken to take this time to speak to the larger issues that are clearly being evidenced not only for his life but also whats going on in American culture. Sherrod Brown Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, acknowledged that there is a serious problem in this country with sexual harassment and assault in Congress, in Hollywood, in business, in the military everywhere in a statement. He also praised those who had the bravery to come forward. I have listened to them. I have listened to my female colleagues, to women I work with and women in my life. And I agree the time has come for Senator Franken to step aside, Brown said. He encouraged the Ethics committee to continue with its investigation as well. Maria Cantwell Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Frankens alleged actions are disturbing, egregious and demonstrate a pattern of serious misconduct and abuse. It is time for Senator Franken to resign from office, she said. Tom Carper Although he said Franken was a friend to many in the Senate including toe Republicans and Independents Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said in a tweet that it was time for Franken to resign. [T]hese allegations are deeply troubling, especially as the number has grown, Carper said. Bob Casey The first male senator to join the calls for Frankens resignation, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said on Twitter that he agreed with his colleagues on the matter. We cant just believe women when its convenient, Casey said. Catherine Cortez Masto Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said she was disappointed [and] disgusted by the allegations against Franken. Sexual harassment in any context is unacceptable, Cortez Masto said in a tweet. She also linked to a longer statement on sexual harassment and ethics reform. In that, she called out Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., who has also been accused of sexual harassment. Joe Donnelly Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., called for Frankens resignation in a statement which he posted online. I believe there is more work to be done to protect victims of sexual harassment and to reform the system of filing and settling harassment claims in Congress, Donnelly said, adding that he would like to ensure taxpayers are not footing the bill for settlements made by members of Congress. Tammy Duckworth Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., called for Franken to resign as she is deeply disturbed by the allegations against him. To all those across America who have come forward to share their stories over the past few months: thank you. Your courage and strength in driving this long-overdue national conversation is awe-inspiring, Duckworth said in a statement. This isnt about Democrats or Republicans, its about our society. Its about how we are as a people and the kind of country we want our daughters and our sons to grow up in. Sen. Duckworth As national leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard and we must lead by example to ensure every person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, she continued. This isnt about Democrats or Republicans, its about our society. Its about how we are as a people and the kind of country we want our daughters and our sons to grow up in. Dick Durbin Senator Frankens behavior was wrong. He has admitted to what he did. He should resign from the Senate, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on Twitter. Diane Feinstein Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., said its the right thing to do for Franken to resign. Its clear the American people dont look lightly on these kinds of actions, no matter who theyre committed by, and the number of complaints against Senator Franken is a concern, she said. Kirsten Gillibrand In a lengthy Facebook post, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she was shocked and disappointed to hear of the allegations against Franken, someone who she called a friend and someone she was fond of personally. But this moment of reckoning about our friends and colleagues who have been accused of sexual misconduct is necessary, and it is painful. We must not lose sight that this watershed moment is bigger than any one industry, any one party, or any one person, Gillibrand said. To achieve lasting change, we will need to fight this everywhere on behalf of everyone by insisting on accountability and working to bring more women into leadership in each industry to fundamentally shift the culture, she added. Gillibrand contended that the allegations against Franken are not the same as the criminal conduct alleged against Roy Moore, or Harvey Weinstein, or President Trump, but it is still unquestionably wrong, and should not be tolerated by those of us who are privileged to work in public service. Kamala Harris Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called on Franken to step down on Twitter. Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere, she said. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down. Maggie Hassan On Twitter, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., slammed Franken for what she said was a pattern of egregious and unacceptable behavior toward women. We are experiencing a change in our culture that is long overdue, and we must continue working to empower all women and do everything we can do to prevent sexual harassment, misconduct and assault, Hassan said in calling for Frankens resignation. Martin Heinrich In a tweet, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., said we all need to do more to make clear that sexual harassment and assault are unacceptable. He, too, called for Franken to step down. Heidi Heitkamp Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said she was very concerned and disappointed by Frankens alleged actions and applauded the brave women who came forward with their stories. She called for Franken to step down. Ive said before that for decades as a country, we have been far too tolerant and dismissive of past allegations, Heitkamp said. In recent months, women have been courageously stepping out of the shadows to tell their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. Thats a huge step. We need to stand by them and all women to empower them to come forward and speak out, prevent these actions, and impose serious consequences when they do happen, she added. Mazie Hirono The junior senator from Hawaii, Mazie Hirono called on Franken to resign but said she struggled with this decision because hes been a good Senator, and she considers him to be a friend. My hope is that this moment for a cultural change will result in women no longer being viewed as objects or toys, but recognized for their abilities and achievements. As regular human beings. Women have endured this behavior, which for too long has been ignored and tolerated, Hirono said. But no longer. We can only create a culture where women are respected as equals if we all step forward and be part of the change by holding everyone, especially our leaders, accountable. Angus King The Democrat-aligned Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, called for Franken to step down from his office. A big part of the national conversation were having on sexual assault involves listening carefully and with respect to women, King said in a statement. I urge Sen. Franken to do just that: listen to the Senates female leaders, and evaluate if he can continue to be an effective Senator for the people of Minnesota, given the growing number of allegations against him. For me, I think its time for my friend to resign, King added. Patrick Leahy While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Frankens situation has become untenable, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said in a statement. He called on Franken to step aside as he said even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systematic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go, he said. Ed Markey Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called for Franken to resign and said sexual harassment was unacceptable, completely inappropriate and cannot be tolerated. We must support a culture in our workplaces and our entire nation where individuals can come forward, without judgment or reprisal, if they have been subject to inappropriate behavior, Markey said. Claire McCaskill Sen. Claire McCaskill simply tweeted Wednesday, Al Franken should resign. The Missouri Democrat has championed numerous initiatives aimed at tackling sexual assault and misconduct throughout her tenure in the Senate. Betty McCollum Rep. Betty McCollum said the allegations against Franken make it impossible for him to be an effective Senator for Minnesota. When he makes his announcement tomorrow, I have every confidence that he will do the right thing for Minnesota and our country, she said in a statement. Like Franken, McCollum is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota. Jeff Merkley Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said ahead of Frankens planned announcement that he has hope that he will do the right thing. It is in the best interest of our country for him to step aside, Merkley said. Chris Murphy Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that while Franken has the right to continue to seek a process through the Ethics Committee, he believes the best course of action for him right now is to step down, as I expect he will do tomorrow. The increasing number of women coming forward suggests a pattern of repeated harassment and unacceptable behavior that is impossible to ignore, Murphy said. Patty Murray Patty Murray, the Democratic senior senator from Washington, said she is shocked and appalled by Senator Frankens behavior. Its clear to me that this has been a deeply harmful, persistent problem and a clear pattern over a long period of time. Its time for him to step aside, she said. Its time for us as elected representatives to hold ourselves to a higher standard, to set an example, and to live a set of values that is truly representative and worthy of the Congress, our democracy, and our great country, Murray said. Bill Nelson Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., also said Franken should resign from office. Nelson was slow to respond to the call for the Minnesota lawmakers resignation, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Tom Perez Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said on Twitter that Franken should leave his office. Everyone must share the responsibility of building a culture of trust and respect for women in every industry and workplace, and that includes our party, Perez said. Gary Peters Posting on Twitter, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said, I think the time has come for Senator Franken to step down. Jack Reed Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island said in a statement that Franken should resign, according to Rhode Island Public Radio. The accumulating accusations and acknowledgement that inappropriate behavior took place cannot be countenanced, he said. Sexual harassment must not be tolerated and this is a part of a larger national discussion that is long overdue and must lead to fundamental change and lasting progress. Bernie Sanders Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the right thing for Franken to do is resign. The former 2016 Democratic presidential candidate said, We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. "The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way." Sen. Sanders The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way. We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right, Sanders said in his statement. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg. It needs to be an ongoing movement of women and men that includes a national discussion about sexism, sexual harassment, objectification, inequality and abuse of power. Chuck Schumer I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. Debbie Stabenow In calling for Frankens resignation, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said, Sexual harassment is unacceptable. Jon Tester Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Franken is no exception. Elected officials must be held to a high standard, Al Franken is no exception, Tester said. Its time for him to step down. Tom Udall Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., encouraged Franken to step down and send a strong message that sexual misconduct is unacceptable in any setting. Elizabeth Warren Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., spoke with Franken and implored him to resign, Fox News has learned. Sheldon Whitehouse Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., simply said, "Given what we have learned in recent weeks, I expect Senator Franken to step aside." Ron Wyden Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., predicted Wednesday afternoon that Franken would announce his resignation on Thursday. It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations, Wyden said. Fox News Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A growing group of Democratic senators on Wednesday called for Sen. Al Franken to resign in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct complaints made against the Minnesota lawmaker. Sens. Claire McCaskill, Maggie Hassan, Kirsten Gillibrand, Patty Murray, Mazie K. Hirono, Kamala Harris, Debbie Stabenow, Tammy Baldwin and Heidi Heitkamp were among the women who called for Franken to step down. Faced with multiple calls to resign, Franken's office announced he will make an announcement on Thursday. His colleagues didnt mince words on what they thought he should do. "I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down, Harris, D-Calif., said. Hassan, D-N.H., tweeted, It is clear that Al Franken has engaged in a pattern of egregious and unacceptable behavior toward women. He should resign." Late Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Franken should step down. "I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments," Schumer said in a statement, "but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately." I agree with my colleagues who have stepped forward today and called on Senator Franken to resign, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., tweeted. We cant just believe women when its convenient. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he has listened to my female colleagues, to women I work with and women in my life. And I agree the time has come for Senator Franken to step aside. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez tweeted: "Sen. Al Franken should step down. Everyone must share the responsibility of building a culture of trust and respect for women in every industry and workplace, and that includes our party." The largest newspaper in Franken's home state, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, called for his resignation in an editorial, saying "No senator can function effectively when he has lost the confidence of so many colleagues." Frankens political career has been in peril since California radio broadcaster Leeann Tweeden posted a blog detailing how the Democratic senator kissed and groped her without her consent in 2006. Tweeden posted a blog detailing the alleged incident and also tweeted a picture showing a grinning Franken standing over her as she sleeps, his hands over her breasts. Franken has since apologized, but other allegations from five additional women have surfaced since Tweedens claims. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wrote on Facebook that while Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, "I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn't acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve." More allegations also emerged Wednesday, with a woman accusing Franken of forcibly trying to kiss her this time after a taping of his radio show in 2006. The woman, who spoke to Politico, claims the Minnesota Democrat pursued her after her boss had left and she was collecting her things. The woman was in her 20s at the time. The accuser, who was not identified, said Franken tried to kiss her but that she ducked. Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" performer who was a host on the now-defunct "Air America" radio network at the time, allegedly followed up by telling her it was his right as an entertainer. He was between me and the door and he was coming at me to kiss me, she told Politico. It was very quick and I think my brain had to work really hard to be like Wait, what is happening? But I knew whatever was happening was not right and I ducked." The calls for Franken to step down come one day after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., retired following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against him. In Alabama, several women have accused Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct when they were in their teens, including one who said she was 14 when Moore molested her. Moore denies the allegations. President Trump who had multiple allegations of sexual harassment against himself when running for president- has endorsed Moore. The Republican National Committee is also supporting him. Shaneen Allen, a Philadelphia mother of two, was arrested during a traffic stop three years ago after she crossed from Pennsylvania into New Jersey with a loaded .380-caliber Bersa Thunder handgun -- unaware that her concealed-carry gun permit in her home state was not transferable to another. Allen was eventually pardoned by the New Jersey governor after legal wrangling, but her case stirred a national debate over concealed-carry gun permits. That debate has come to a head. On Wednesday the House of Representatives passed a bill, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, that would oblige every state to recognize a concealed-carry gun permit issued by any other state. So what does reciprocity mean? It means that anyone with a valid concealed-carry gun permit in one state may travel to any other state with the permitted weapon and not worry about being arrested or fined for carrying that concealed weapon as Allen was. In other words, each state must reciprocate the approval of a permit that any other state has issued. Reciprocity does not affect any specific states laws about carrying a concealed weapon. Some states have relatively restrictive permitting procedures. New York state, for example, has one of the most rigorous standards for anyone seeking a concealed-carry gun permit. The process, if successful -- and success is far from guaranteed entails completing a large amount of paperwork, months of waiting and detailed inquiries into applicants history and personal lives. The bill that just passed does not require New York to change or stop enforcing its existing laws. The state can continue to enforce relatively restrictive standards for anyone seeking, within the state of New York, a concealed-carry gun permit. There are at least seven states whose laws about concealed carry are relatively strict. Besides New York, those states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The remaining 43 states generally take a somewhat less restrictive approach to applications for a concealed-carry gun permit. Allen's case is one of several involving out-of-state, gun-toting citizens -- some of them tourists -- arrested and charged for carrying a concealed weapon outside of their home states. Elizabeth Elderli never left her Houston home unarmed. So, when the 31-year-old former U.S. Marine visited Manhattan's September 11 Memorial in August 2015, two guns were in her backpack when she saw a "no firearms" sign at the security checkpoint. Elderli told a police officer about the loaded 9 mm and .380-caliber semiautomatic pistols -- both covered by her Texas-issued concealed-carry weapons permit, which she believed was valid in New York, her attorney said at the time. But she quickly learned that the Empire State's gun control laws bear no resemblance to those in .the Lone Star State Elderli was arrested in the incident, charged with felony possession of a weapon and left facing 3 to 15 years in prison. Mark Bederow, who has handled similar cases, told Fox News that he hopes the bill -- whether it passes or not -- will force authorities in New York to rethink the criminal prosecution of gun owners like Elderli who make an "honest mistake." "If it doesn't go through, I hope the Acts support will lead New York prosecutors to re-evaluate the usefulness of criminally prosecuting honest, law-abiding firearms owners who accidentally run afoul of New Yorks stringent weapons laws," Bederow said. For reasons such as these, the House-passed reciprocity bill has been hailed by supporters -- including President Donald Trump -- as a common sense measure and considered a top legislative priority for the National Rifle Association. But its critics raise serious concerns. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has accused Republicans of doing the bidding of the National Rifle Association. Two months after two of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history, Republicans were "brazenly moving to hand the NRA the biggest item on its Christmas wish list," said Pelosi, D-Calif. Before Wednesdays vote, critics took to Twitter blasting the bill -- including Mark Kelly, the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head but survived during an attempted assassination in 2011. The NRA, meanwhile, called criticism of the bill "fake news." The bill comes as the latest polling shows the majority of Americans support stricter gun laws in the wake of several mass shootings, including America's deadliest mass-shooting to date in Las Vegas on October 1. A Gallup poll released in November found that a majority of Americans for the first time since Gallup asked in 2000 now favor passing new gun laws. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to impeach President Trump after a liberal Texas congressman forced a vote on his effort. Democratic Rep. Al Green, who has repeatedly called for the president's removal, introduced two articles of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday. But lawmakers immediately voted to effectively kill his resolution, with 364 voting to table it and 58 Democrats voting to move ahead. In a dramatic speech on the floor ahead of the vote, Green called Trump unfit for office and accused him of "high misdemeanors." The symbolic vote had been expected to fail in the Republican-controlled House. It put some lawmakers in competitive districts in a tough spot by forcing them on the record about impeachment. Lawmakers did not actually vote on the actual articles of impeachment, but on a procedural measure that would have led to a vote on them. As I have said before, this is not about Democrats, it is about democracy, Green wrote in a memo to his colleagues. It is not about Republicans, it is about the fate of our Republic. May everyone vote their conscience knowing that history will judge us all. Green has discussed his intention to impeach Trump since last spring. In October, Green filed impeachment articles that nearly forced a vote -- until House Democratic leaders persuaded him to abandon the effort. At the time, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders called the effort "pathetic. AL GREEN INTRODUCES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST TRUMP In his memo to lawmakers, Green didnt allege obstruction of justice or reference the ongoing investigation into the 2016 presidential campaigns connection with Russia. Instead, Green highlighted Trumps supposed association with White Nationalism, Neo-Nazism and Hate, as well as Inciting Hatred and Hostility, as offenses worthy of impeachment. Friends, whether we like it or not, we now have a bigot in the White House who incites hatred and hostility, Green wrote in a letter. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has insisted that any impeachment effort should be put on hold until there is evidence of an impeachable offense. Fox News Mike Emanuel and Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, has multiple times brought articles to impeach President Trump to the House floor. Each effort to impeach the president has failed, and he hasnt garnered support from some top lawmakers in his party, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. But Green said he isnt giving up, contending that Trump is the quintessential person that impeachment was designed for. The House overwhelmingly rejected Greens impeachment resolutions in December and January. What does impeachment mean? Congress has the ability to remove a sitting president from office before his term is finished an authority granted by the Constitution. Along with the president and vice president, all civil officers in the U.S. can be removed from office if they are impeached and convicted of bribery, treason or other high crimes and misdemeanors, according to the Constitution. How does impeachment work? Article One of the Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment; the Senate has the sole authority to try all impeachments. If the president is being tried, the Chief Justice should preside over the trial. The House must vote, requiring a simple majority, to adopt the articles of impeachment. Before a vote, the House Judiciary Committee or another special committee may investigate the articles. The House is able to vote to impeach even if the committee does not recommend doing so. Should that vote be reached, then the House will appoint members called managers to act as prosecutors as the proceedings then go to trial in the Senate. The president is able to have defense attorneys. The Senate would need a two-thirds majority in order to find the president guilty. Should that happen, the president would be removed from office and the vice president would take the president's place. Have other presidents been impeached? Only two U.S. presidents have been impeached and neither were removed from office. Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. While the proceeding began against former President Richard Nixon, he was not actually impeached. Nixon was the only president to resign from office. Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Some of the top congressional Democrats blasting President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy there have in fact supported that very position in the past. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., penned a letter to the president last week, urging him not to move the embassy. Feinsteins letter said the move would spark violence, further alienate the United States and undermine the prospects of a two-state solution. The future of Jerusalem is an issue that should be decided by Israel and the Palestinians, not unilaterally by the United States, Feinstein wrote. But Feinstein was among those who voted for a 1995 law passed by Congress that required the relocation of the United States embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The measure also required the U.S. recognize the city as the capital of Israel. That law, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, passed the Senate by a 93-5 margin. But it has never been implemented due to a loophole that allowed successive presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama the option to issue waivers every six months to delay the embassy move. Trump also took advantage of the loophole, in June, drawing praise from Arab allies and Palestinians, and some disappointment from Israel. And administration officials said the president will still sign another waiver to keep from jeopardizing State Department funding while the relocation process from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem begins. Feinsteins office did not immediately respond to Fox News request for comment on her change in position. But she is hardly alone. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with Senate Democrats, slammed Trump's decision as well. "Theres a reason why all past US administrations have not made this move, and why leaders around the world have warned Trump against it: It would undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage our ability to broker it," Sanders posted on Twitter. But Sanders supported a resolution in June titled "A resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem," which mentions keeping Jerusalem as the "undivided capital of Israel." The call to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital was also included in the official Democratic Party platforms of 2016 and 2008: While Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations, it should remain the capital of Israel, an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. Israelis deserve security, recognition, and a normal life free from terror and incitement. In 2008, the platform said Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. In fact, both the Democratic and Republican party platforms leave room for final status negotiations, but generally support the 1995 law. Not all Democrats are criticizing the president. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D- N.Y., who has proven to be a tough critic of Trump, slammed Trump for his indecisiveness on the issue, but actually supports the move, saying that it would show the world that the U.S. definitively acknowledges Jerusalem as Israels capital. Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer in July 2016 after learning she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic opponent of now-President Trump. But Trump Jr. and other key figures involved in the meeting downplayed the gathering when questioned by Senate investigators. The meeting provided no meaningful information and turned out to be not about what was represented, Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to recently released transcripts. He contended that the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was actually regarding a Russian adoption prohibition. So what was this meeting about? Before Trump Jr. was set to meet with the Russian lawyer as his father campaigned for the presidency, Trump Jr. was told Veselnitskayas potentially damning information about Clinton was from the Kremlin, according to emails he released. Trump Jr. has maintained that Veselnitskaya did not have any information to share and instead wanted to discuss other matters, such as the Magnitsky Act which enacts sanctions on certain Russian officials as punishment for human rights violations. After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton, Trump Jr. said in a statement. Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered, Trump Jr. continued Was anyone else at the meeting? Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting, along with a translator. Rob Goldstone, a music publicist who set up the meeting, was also in attendance, as well as Rinat Akhmetshin, a prominent Russian-American lobbyist, Ike Kaveladze, a business associate of a Moscow-based developer and a translator. A spokesperson for Trumps outside legal team said Trump was not aware of and did not attend the meeting. Trump Jr. said he wouldnt have wasted his time by telling him about the meeting. Didnt Trump Jr. publish the emails about the meeting? Trump Jr. posted screenshots of multiple emails purportedly from Goldstone. In a June 3, 2016 email, Goldstone said he was asked to contact you with something very interesting. The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father, Goldstone said. He added that the information was very high level and sensitive but was part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump. Trump Jr. responded in less than 20 minutes saying that he wanted to check out the information first, but if its what you say I love it especially later in summer. In another email, Goldstone referred to Veselnitskaya as the Russian government attorney. So did Trump Jr. break the law? As Trump Jr. does not have a position in his fathers administration, he is not required to disclose foreign contacts, according to The Associated Press. Foreign nationals are prohibited from providing "anything of value" to campaigns, and that same law also bars solicitation of such assistance. The law typically applies to monetary campaign contributions, but courts could consider information such as opposition research to be something of value. Trump Jr. told the Senate committee that if he had been given any information about Clinton, he would have consulted with counsel on what to do with it. Bradley A. Smith, a former Bill Clinton-appointed Republican Federal Election Commission member, said based on what's known about the meeting, Trump Jr.'s actions are unlikely to be considered illegal solicitation. "It's not illegal to meet with someone to find out what they have to offer," Smith said. But Larry Noble, a former general counsel at the FEC, said the situation "raises all sorts of red flags." "You do not want your campaign to be involved with foreign nationals, period," said Noble. Fox News Benjamin Brown, Brooke Singman, Bree Tracey and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to appear before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday as it continues its probe into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election. The presidents eldest son previously answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee behind closed doors in September regarding a June 2016 meeting he took with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in New York City. For his second appearance on Capitol Hill, Trump Jr. will face similar questions surrounding the familys financial dealings with Russia and once again, the 2016 meeting he had with Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who promised information on then-candidate Donald Trumps Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, the Hill reported. Wednesday's voluntary meeting also will take place behind closed doors, the paper reported. Trump Jr. is also in the crosshairs of U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who is pressuring the judiciary panel's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to subpoena Trump Jr. to testify publicly. Public testimony is necessary to compel him to fully account for his actions in front of the American people, Blumenthal said, according to the Hill. Blumenthal cited Trump Jr.s Twitter communications with WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential campaign as one of a number of cascading disclosures that suggest collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, the paper reported. Russian hackers reportedly accessed Democratic National Committee emails that were later distributed via WikiLeaks, according to U.S. intelligence officials. However, the organizations founder, Julian Assange, disputes the claim, telling Fox News earlier this year that the source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party. Mr. Trump, Jr.s refusal to testify before the Committee means that key questions have been left unanswered, Blumenthal added. Trump Jr. was subpoenaed earlier this year by the committee, but it was later dismissed after he agreed to cooperate. Rob Goldstone, the British publicist who reportedly arranged the infamous meeting between Trump Jr. and the Russian lawyer, will also go before the House and Senate Intelligence committees possibly sometime next week, CNN reported. The publicist hinted last month in an interview with the Sunday Times that he was ready to talk with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and put his recollection of events in the public record." "After the story initially broke, it seemed to quiet down for a while. But now it's back in the news with such force, I feel it's time for me to explain what happened," he told the paper. Last week, former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in Muellers ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump administration. Terror group Hamas is calling for a day of rage Friday, urging Palestinians to protest President Donald Trumps plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. The group, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., encouraged Palestinians in an official Arabic statement to send a message with all available means to Israel after the upcoming Friday prayers. It added that making Jerusalem the Israeli capital was crossing a red line. We call on the people of Palestine to declare rage day on Friday against Israel, denying the U.S. plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, the statement read. It added: "The youth and the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank need to respond with all means available to the U.S. decision that harms our Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a red line and the resistance will not allow any desecration of it. Senior Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh also called upon people to stand against efforts to Judaize Jerusalem, according to the official group account in Arabic. The warning follows reports that Trump will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday and will move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City, although the process could take up to four years to complete. Hamas English social media accounts, which tend to offer a watered-down version of hostile statements, said the Palestinian leadership urges Palestinians to organize demonstrations against Israel and the U.S. Palestinian factions declare days of anger on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and to hold demonstrations in cities and in front of Israeli embassies and consulates, Hamas' Twitter account read. According to Hamas charter, which outlines key principles and policies, the terror group aims to establish a state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital and states that not one stone of the city can be given up. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Its religious, historic and civilizational status is fundamental to the Arabs, Muslims and the world at large. Its Islamic and Christian holy places belong exclusively to the Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic Ummah, the charter reads. Not one stone of Jerusalem can be surrendered or relinquished. The measures undertaken by the occupiers in Jerusalem, such as Judaization, settlement building, and establishing facts on the ground are fundamentally null and void. Multiple Middle Eastern countries have come out against the decision to recognize Jerusalem, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying Monday that moving the capital was a red line for Muslims. House Republicans on Wednesday voted in favor of making concealed-carry permits valid across state lines, scoring a major victory for gun-rights supporters. But similar Senate legislation still faces an uncertain future, with top Democrats and other gun-control advocates rallying in opposition on Capitol Hill. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act passed 231-198 in the GOP-controlled House, with six Democrats voting in support. For the millions of law-abiding citizens who lawfully carry concealed to protect themselves, for conservatives who want to strengthen our Second Amendment rights, and for the overwhelming majority of Americans who support concealed carry reciprocity, Christmas came early, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the bill's sponsor, reacted. Hudson had tried unsuccessfully for years to pass such legislation, which he says simply attempts to clarify the patchwork of state laws that confuse citizens who might unwittingly be arrested while going from state to state. "Despite scare tactics by the bills opponents, concealed-carry licensees as a group have proven to be more law-abiding than the general population and even the police. NRA statement before balloting The three-term congressman has garnered strong support for his bipartisan legislation -- including 213 co-sponsors as well as 24 state attorneys general and the National Rifle Association. Despite scare tactics by the bills opponents, concealed-carry licensees as a group have proven to be more law-abiding than the general population and even the police, the NRA said before balloting. We are on the eve of passing the most expansive piece of self-defense legislation in the history of Congress. New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler said at a rally outside House chambers, that Hudsons bill represented a gift to the gun lobby. Another critic is Jane Dougherty, whose sister, a teacher, was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. She said, This bill would weaken laws that I have worked hard for. Those attending the rally continued to make the argument that the bill would put guns in the hands of criminals, and suggested that those from states with loose concealed-carry laws would be able to exercise those privileges in places like New York City that have stricter requirements. When I go to New York, I have to follow New Yorks laws, Hudson recently told Fox News @ Night." He also maintains that the bill in no way softens background checks. Those at the rally also contended that the House bill was combined with so-called Fix NICS legislation so it could pass. The reciprocity bill includes efforts to create maximum coordination in states providing the federal government with mental health records and other information for FBI gun background checks. The Fix NICS Act of 2017 is a bill that applies penalties to government agencies for not reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. They are combining these to pieces of legislation together because they know the conceal carry (bill) is extremely unpopular, said Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy. Murphy praised Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican who sponsors the Senate version of the concealed-carry legislation, for keeping the measures separate. Gun-control advocates are also reportedly getting $25 million from ex-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, through his Everytown for Gun Safety group, to block the reciprocity bill. Cornyns bill is now in his chambers Judiciary Committee. In 2013, Cornyn got support for his bill from 13 Democrats, including seven who are still in the Senate. He would need their support and more to pass the measure with a 60-vote majority, considering Republicans have 52 senators in the chamber. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., reached his goal of 3 million Twitter followers Tuesday -- but not before thousands of social media users staged an online protest. McCain was just 74 followers shy of 3 million when he asked for help in reaching the milestone. But instead he initially lost nearly 20,000 followers the following day. The critics -- many marking their messages with #UnfollowMcCain -- were responding to McCain's recent vote on the Republican Partys tax bill, which they said would hurt the poor and help the rich, the New York Daily News reported. The protesters asserted that by voting to approve the bill, McCain had flip-flopped from his original position, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The bill, which the Senate approved around 2 a.m. ET Saturday, underwent major revisions in the final hours of negotiations. McCain, who was diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this year, is not seeking reelection, so his number of Twitter followers lacks any real significance, Fortune reported. A recent tally showed him to have nearly 1,300 more than 3 million followers, leading some Twitter users to speculate that bots were involved. Professor Stephen Hallett has been appointed as the Director of the Composites University Technology Centre (UTC), supported by Rolls-Royce, at the University of Bristol. The Composites University Technology Centre (UTC) was established in 2007 at the University of Bristol and sits within the newly launched Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS). The research programme provides validated analysis capability for the response of composites that can be used in the design and manufacture of components. The UTC is at the forefront of supporting Rolls-Royce in its development of the next generation of fan blades and cases for future aero-engines. The UTC acts as a focus for composites research, providing a coordinated programme to meet the needs of Rolls-Royce and advising on appropriate technology strategy. Rolls-Royce technical experts support the research programme, ensuring transfer of the technology back to the company whilst maintaining scientific excellence. In the Directorship role, Professor Hallett will be responsible for leadership of the overall research programme and strategy of the UTC in collaboration with the Rolls-Royce UTC Co-ordinator. The Bristol UTC has been further strengthened through collaboration with the Lightweight Structures and Materials UTC at TU Dresden, creating the Rolls-Royce University Technology Partnership (UTP). Research activities going forward will be collaborative between the UTP parties, allowing a wider scope for research development and application within the research programme. The change in Directorship coincides with the ten-year anniversary of the UTC, for which celebrations were recently held at the University of Bristol. Key stakeholders from Rolls-Royce and academia presented a showcase of the current programme of research as well as highlights and technical advancements made since the launch of the UTC. Professor Hallett said: "I am delighted to take on the UTC Directorship role and to continue the work shaped by Professor Wisnom over the first ten years of the UTC. My previous involvement as Technical Director of the UTC has provided me with a sound understanding of the composites research strategy of Rolls-Royce and I can bring expertise and leadership in composite mechanics, analysis and manufacturing to support and shape the programme going forwards. I welcome the opportunity to lead the delivery of world-class research for Rolls-Royce and look forward to continuing collaborative working with both Rolls-Royce and TU Dresden, as a key member of the UTP." Adam Bishop, Rolls-Royce UTC Co-ordinator, added: "I am delighted that Professor Steven Hallett has taken on the Directorship of the Composites UTC at the University of Bristol. We have worked together for many years and I am looking forward to taking that partnership forward for many years to come. I would also like to take this opportunity on behalf of Rolls-Royce to say thank you to Professor Michael Wisnom for all his efforts over the last ten years and helping to shape the UTC into being a centre at the forefront of composites research." Professor Hallett replaces Professor Michael Wisnom as the UTC Director. Professor Wisnom continues his involvement in the programme's activities as UTC Technical Fellow, maintaining an advisory role to the research programme. Vice President Mike Pence reportedly tattled on his fraternity brothers and told his colleges associate dean that there were kegs inside their Phi Gamma Delta house. Pences former fraternity brother Dan Murphy told The Atlantic that when the future vice president was a sophomore at Hanover College in Indiana, he got his house into hot water with the school. At the time, Pence was the president of his fraternity. Murphy said his fraternity was throwing wild parties at their house to imitate the movie Animal House. The former Phi Gamma Delta member said they held toga parties despite the colleges strict dry campus rule. REPUBLICANS ALLEGE DOJ DOUBLE STANDARD AS MUELLER PROBE TAKES HEAT The fraternity brothers conducted elaborate schemes to bring the booze into their house in order to throw wild parties. However, Pence was not much of a party animal, Murphy said. In fact, Pence was normally the moderator and was dispatched to smooth things out with the adults whenever the fraternity came into some trouble, Murphy told The Atlantic. Phi Gamma Delta was throwing a particularly rowdy party one night when the brothers reportedly heard the associate dean was coming over to the house. The fraternity members quickly hid the kegs and drinking cups before the associate dean knocked on the door. Pence greeted the administrator who informed him that he was aware the fraternity had kegs. Murphy said when this type of situation occurred, one of the brothers would take the fall for everyone so the house was not punished. However, Pence directed the administrator to the kegs and said the fraternity owned them. The fraternity was severely punished as a result, Murphy said. They really raked us over the coals, Murphy said. The whole house was locked down. MCCAIN REACHES 3 MILLION TWITTER FOLLOWERS DESPITE #UNFOLLOWMCCAIN PROTEST Following the incident, some fraternity members were reportedly furious with Pence but the future politician kept up a good relationship with the schools administration. After Pence graduated, Hanover College offered him a position in its admissions office. Murphy said when he read that Pence was chosen to be Trumps vice president, he said he recognized a familiar quality in his old friend. Somewhere in the midst of all that genuine humility and good feeling, this is a guy whos got that ambition, Murphy said. Is Mikes religiosity a way of justifying that ambition to himself? Murphy also said Pence agonized over his calling and spoke about becoming a priest but was attracted to politics. The former fraternity member said it was obvious to him and his other brothers that Pence wanted to be president of the United States someday. Fox News request for a comment from Pences office was not immediately returned. Did former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio doggedly pursue an animal cruelty case just to embarrass a U.S. senator who opposed his hardline views on immigration? Thats the question now facing jurors in a malicious-prosecution lawsuit brought against Arpaio by Sen. Jeff Flakes son Austin and his ex-wife. Jurors heard opening arguments Tuesday, including the claim that the younger Flake suffered from depression as a result of the now-dismissed animal cruelty case. The jury was told that Flake and his ex-wife Logan Brown still suffer emotional distress from the charges they faced when 21 dogs at a kennel operated by the younger Flake's in-laws died of heat exhaustion. The Flakes were watching the dogs while their in-laws were in Florida. The couple's lawsuit alleges Arpaio pursued charges against them to do political damage to the Republican senator from Arizona and gain publicity for himself. While jurors were told about Arpaio's efforts to publicize the case, the elder Flake was barely mentioned during Tuesday's opening statements. Jeffrey Leonard, an attorney representing Arpaio and Maricopa County, said the charges against the couple were the result of a competent investigation. Leonard also told jurors that the prosecutor who filed the charges was not pressured by Arpaio's office to prosecute the couple. Arpaio lost his re-election bid last year after serving as sheriff of greater Phoenix for 24 years. The case against the Flakes was dismissed at the request of prosecutors, and the owners of the kennel pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after an expert determined the facility's air conditioner failed because the operators didn't properly maintain it. The federal judge presiding over the trial has determined previously that investigators didn't have probable cause to charge the couple. The lawsuit alleges that Arpaio tried to link the senator to the dog deaths by conducting surveillance on the senator's home and examining phone records to see if the younger Flake called his father when the younger Flake was watching the dogs. Lawyers for Austin Flake and his then-wife have said previously that the senator drew Arpaio's ire by disagreeing with the sheriff over immigration and criticizing the movement that questioned the authenticity of then-President Barack Obama's birth certificate. Arpaio was known for carrying out dozens of large-scale immigration crackdowns and conducting a five-year investigation of Obama's birth record. The allegations from the younger Flake came after Maricopa County paid $8.7 million to settle lawsuits from officials and judges who claimed Arpaio had launched criminal investigations against them on trumped-up allegations in disputes over budget cuts, a plan to build a new court complex and other issues. The lawsuit by Austin Flake and his ex-wife doesn't specify how much money they are seeking. But they previously sought $4 million in a notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit. Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt in July for what U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton called his flagrant disregard of a 2011 court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio in August, and in October, Bolton formally dismissed that criminal case against him. Arpaio has criticized Bolton as biased and maintains that he did nothing wrong. But as of last Friday, individuals who were detained from late December 2011 to late May 2013 in one of the illegal traffic stops can now begin seeking compensation from the local government. Maricopa County will pay $500 for the first 60 minutes of each person's illegal detention, plus $35 for each additional 20-minute increment, out of a taxpayer-funded compensation system established as a result of the federal case against Arpaio. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Justice Department officials are reading through over 10,000 texts between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, Fox News has learned, after it emerged Strzok was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe following the discovery of anti-Trump messages between them. Department of Justice officials told Fox News they are in the process of going through the texts so they can hand them over to the House Intelligence Committee. Strzok, who was an FBI counterintelligence agent, had worked on the Mueller probe, but was reassigned to the FBIs human resources division after the discovery of anti-Trump text messages with Page, with whom he was having an affair. Page was briefly on Muellers team, but since has returned to the FBI. The disclosure of those messages revived Republican concerns about the objectivity of Muellers probe. Its unclear whether a significant number of the 10,000 texts have anything to do with Trump or the probe itself. Justice Department officials say the process of reading and redacting the texts could take weeks, and that the thousands of text messages between Strzok and Page span over several months. The review process comes as the committee also threatens to move forward with a contempt resolution against top DOJ and FBI officials barring an imminent breakthrough after the agencies did not comply with a deadline to hand over long-sought information that goes well beyond text messages. Strzok is a focus of their efforts. House investigators have long regarded him as a key figure in the chain of events when the bureau, in 2016, received the infamous anti-Trump "dossier" and launched a counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling in the election that ultimately came to encompass FISA surveillance of a Trump campaign associate. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., has sought documents and witnesses from the DOJ and FBI to determine what role, if any, the dossier played in the move to direct the surveillance. Strzok briefed the committee on Dec. 5, 2016, sources said. But within months of that session House Intelligence Committee investigators were contacted by an informant suggesting that there was documentary evidence that Strzok was purportedly obstructing the House probe into the dossier. Early Saturday afternoon, after Strzoks texts were cited in published reports by the New York Times and the Washington Post and Fox News had followed up with inquiries about the departments refusal to make Strzok available to House investigators the Justice Department contacted the office of House Speaker Paul Ryan to establish a date for Strzoks appearance before House Intelligence Committee staff, along with two other witnesses long sought by the Nunes team. The Justice Department maintains that it has been very responsive to the House panel's demands, including private briefings for panel staff by senior DOJ and FBI personnel and the production of several hundred pages of classified materials available in a secure reading room at DOJ headquarters on Oct. 31. But Nunes voiced skepticism on Saturday. He said that after the Strzok texts were revealed, the DOJ expressed a sudden willingness to comply with some of the Committees long-standing demands but added: This attempted 11th-hour accommodation is neither credible nor believable, and in fact is yet another example of the DOJs disingenuousness and obstruction. A DOJ spokeswoman said Sunday they will continue to work with congressional committees to provide the information they request consistent with our national security responsibilities. Fox News has learned that Strzok also oversaw the bureaus interviews with ousted National Security Advisor Michael Flynn who pleaded guilty Friday to lying to FBI investigators in the Russia probe. He also was present during the FBIs July 2016 interview with Hillary Clinton at the close of the email investigation, shortly before then-FBI director James Comey called her actions extremely careless without recommending criminal charges. Fox News James Rosen contributed to this report. Pope Francis spoke in support of the status quo in Jerusalem on Wednesday, calling for wisdom and prudence in order to avoid conflict. The Roman Catholic leader's comments came after President Donald Trump announced plans for the U.S. to support the relocation of the Israeli capital to Jerusalem -- and for the U.S. Embassy to be relocated there as well. The pope said he was profoundly concerned about recent developments regarding Jerusalem, which he called a special vocation for peace and a sacred place for Christians, Jews and Muslims. He appealed to all sides to respect the status quo of the city as according to the United Nations resolutions. I pray to the Lord that its identity is preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world and that wisdom and prudence prevail to prevent new elements of tension from being added to a global context already convulsed by so many cruel conflicts, the pope added. Francis expressed his views about Jerusalem during a meeting with a Palestinian delegation of religious and intellectual leaders and at a weekly Wednesday audience. The Vatican said the meeting with Palestinians was pre-arranged and happened to coincide with Trumps announcement the same day. At the meeting, the pope said dialogue between all parties would come only through "recognizing the rights of all people," noting that the Holy Land was the "land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind." "The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognizing the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be. The calls against Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel continues to grow across the Islamic world. In addition to multiple countries officials coming out against the move, two leading Lebanese newspapers issued scathing editorials against the U.S. The English-language Daily Star newspapers front page features a full-page photo of Old City of Jerusalem with a headline reading: No offense Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of PALESTINE." Another paper, the An-Nahar, compared Trump to the late British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour who a hundred years ago issued a public statement now known as the Balfour declaration that supported the creation a national home for the Jewish people in the territory know as Palestine. "Trump, Balfour of the century, gifts Jerusalem to Israel, the paper's Wednesday headline reads. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Backers of the United Nations-sponsored Paris climate agreement are switching strategies after the Trump administrations withdrawal from the deal, by dramatically stirring up grassroots forces. Their aim: to keep greenhouse gases declining drastically despite the Trump setback by whipping up state and local promises to roll back the forces of carbonization, culminating in a Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco next September -- just before the U.S. off-year federal elections. Business and social leaders also will be urged to join in, along with scientists, students, nonprofitsanyone who recognizes that climate change is an existential threat to humanity, according to the Climate Summits website exhortations. In other words, the climate movement is in the throes of acknowledging that it needs to renew its own energyor, as the Summit website puts it, underscore the urgency of the threat and channel the energy and idealism of people everywhere to overcome it, just as top heavy U.N.-sponsored climate summits have tried to do several times in the past. The host of the San Francisco event, California Gov. Jerry Brown, has already vowed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in California down to 1990 levels by 2020. His chief cohorts are former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, since 2014 the U.N.s Special Envoy in charge of mobilizing cities around the climate change issue, and Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the U.N. body sponsoring the Paris treaty. Quietly acting as administrative fiduciary for the event is the United Nations Foundation originally created by Ted Turner, which will support the Summits fundraising, partnership and communications needs, the Foundation told Fox News, and is already adding staff for the event. More than just an event, the Summit will catalyze climate action through 2020 and beyond, the Foundation promises in one of its Help Wanted advertisements. The catalyzing, in fact, is already starting this week, with a first-ever North American Climate Summit in Chicago of mayors from the U.S., Canada and Mexicoincluding nearly 400 U.S. mayors who have committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement, and who hope to encourage still more to join in. One of the keynote speakers on December 5 was former President Barack Obama, who hailed U.S. cities and states as the new face of American leadership on climate change. Obama set the U.S. target for the Paris accord of a 26 to 28 percent reduction in U.S. greenhouse gases by 2025, and unleashed a dramatic array of regulatory policies to try to make that happen. Former President Barack Obama hailed US cities and states as the new face of American leadership on climate change. Some of the most draconian of those measures, like the EPA-sponsored Clean Power Plan, are under review by the Trump administration and are certain to be scaled back. As a countermeasure, mayors at the Chicago meeting were invited to sign a Chicago Climate Charter, committing them to addressing climate change at the local level, and declaring that the gathered mayors reductions will happen regardless of action taken by their respective federal governments. Just how the promises made in Chicago will be enforced, or even monitored, and the cumulative impact they will have, is still fairly unclear. Nonetheless, the North American local politicians will be cheered on by a Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate And Energy, which says it is an international alliance of cities and local governments of all shapes and sizesa heavy concentration are in Europe-- with a shared long-term vision of promoting and supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low emission, resilient society. U.N. Special Envoy Bloomberg, as it happens, is also one of the co-chairs of the Global Covenant Board. The vice chair is Christiana Figueres, who was the UNFCCC executive director before Espinosa, from 2010 to 2016. The top leadership of the grassroots movement, in other words, is something of a closed circle. More than anything else, the Chicago and San Francisco events, as well as others that doubtless will occur in 2018, are intended as much to rebuild flagging enthusiasm for climate change goals as to cause significant impact on the worlds carbon emissions. The problem for the Paris supporters is not merely the Trump Administration, but more the fact that the goals themselves currently appear far out of reach. . According to the most recent annual global greenhouse gas emissions report by the U.N. Environmental Program, issued last November, government pledges cover no more than a third of the emissions reductions needed under the Paris agreement. This, the report says, is creating a dangerous gap, which even growing momentum from non-state actors cannot close. And beyond that, the report says, more ambitious state commitments will be necessary by 2020. According to the assessment, between 80 and 90 percent of coal reserves worldwide will need to remain in the ground, if climate targets are to be reached. This compares with approximately 35 percent for oil reserves and 50 percent for gas reserves. Whether that would ever happen is a question that goes far beyond the U.S. and the Trump administration. In Germany, Angela Merkels anti-fossil fuel and anti-nuclear policies have become almost as unpopular in many circles as her controversial immigration policies were. In Japan, anti-nuclear policies are leading to a major planned hike in coal-fired electrical plans. Canada, Mexico, South Africa and the European Union, as well as the now-dissenting U.S. were all deemed in the UNEP emissions report as likely to require further action to meet their further carbon reduction targets for 2030. Moreover, the report adds, it is currently unclear how many of the actions by non-state actors are already included in those unsatisfactory national pledges. Many national Republican leaders pulled their support for Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate, in the wake of allegations claiming he had inappropriate sexual contact with teenage girls. The Washington Post reported that four women accused Moore of initiating sexual contact with them in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he was an assistant district attorney in his early 30s. One of the women, Leigh Corfman, told the newspaper that Moore had sexual contact with her when she was 14. The age of consent in Alabama is 16. Several additional women have since come forward to accuse Moore of sexually inappropriate behavior. Moore denied the allegations, saying in a statement obtained by Fox News that the allegations are "based on a lie supported by innuendo." "It seems that in the political arena, to say that something is not true is simply not good enough. So let me be clear. I have never provided alcohol to minors, and I have never engaged in sexual misconduct," he said. Multiple Republican lawmakers called on Moore to step aside from the Dec. 12 special election. However, President Trump offered his endorsement for the embattled politician, and the Republican National Committee began supporting Moore after having previously cut its fundraising ties to him. The White House White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had no plans for an in-person appearance on Moore's behalf. In addition, the president previously signed off on a decision by the Republican National Committee to cut off support for Moore's campaign. But publicly, Trump unleashed his criticism on Democratic candidate Doug Jones instead of Moore. The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is weak on crime, weak on the border, bad for our military and our great vets, bad for our 2nd Amendment, and wants to [raise] taxes to the sky. Jones would be a disaster, Trump tweeted on Nov. 26. And just over one week before the election, Trump said he needed Moores vote in the Senate when it comes to certain issues, such as immigration, gun rights and judicial appointments. Trump also encouraged his Twitter followers to vote for Moore on the morning of the election as he contended that Moore "will always vote with us." Vice President Mike Pence found the allegations in the story disturbing and believes, if true, this would disqualify anyone from serving in office, his press secretary, Alyssa Farah, has told reporters. Sen. Mitch McConnell While speaking to reporters, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he believes the women quoted in the Washington Post story. He urged Moore to step aside in light of the allegations. Previously, McConnell said Moore should step aside if "these allegations are true." Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Gardner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, said he believes the women who have alleged Moore's misconduct. In a statement, he encouraged the Senate to "vote to expel" Moore should he win the election next month. "He does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate," Gardner, R-Colo., said. Sen. Mike Lee A former backer of Moore, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, pulled his endorsement from Moore after the allegations came to light. "Having read the detailed description of the incidents, as well as the response from Judge Moore and his campaign, I can no longer endorse his candidacy for the US Senate," Lee said in a tweet. He had also requested that Moore's campaign no longer use his image. Sen. Lisa Murkowski Im horrified and if its true, he should step down immediately, Murkowski told reporters. She reportedly also urged Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Jeff Sessions seat when he was tapped to become attorney general, to launch a write-in campaign. The deadline to take Moore off the ballot has passed. Sen. Mike Rounds If they are true, then he should seriously think about stepping aside," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said. Sen. John Cornyn I find it deeply distrusting and troubling. Its up to the governor and the folks of Alabama to make that decision as far as what the next steps are," Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. He later withdrew his endorsement of Moore. Sen. Tim Scott If theyre accurate, he absolutely should [step aside]," Tim Scott, of South Carolina, said. Sen. Susan Collins In a tweet, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for Moore to "withdraw from the Senate race in Alabama." Collins wrote that she listened to Moore deny the allegations in a recent radio interview, but "did not find his denials to be convincing." Collins' most recent statement comes after she previously tweeted: "If there is any truth at all to these horrific allegations, Roy Moore should immediately step aside as Senate candidate." Sen. Steve Daines "I am pulling my endorsement and support for Roy Moore for U.S. Senate," said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Sen. John McCain "The allegations against Roy Moore are deeply disturbing and disqualifying. He should immediately step aside and allow the people of Alabama to elect a candidate they can be proud of," Arizona Sen. John McCain said. Sen. Richard Shelby Its a devastating nasty story, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby told reporters. If its true, I dont believe thered be a place for him in the U.S. Senate. He said that he did not vote for Moore when he sent in his absentee ballot but voted instead for a "distinguished Republican write-in." Sen. Jeff Flake Like other Republicans, Flake called on Moore to step aside from the election. "Just to be clear. If the choice is between Roy Moore and a Democrat, I would run to the polling place to vote for the Democrat," Flake tweeted. Hes said that Republicans to support Roy Moore over Doug Jones is political tribalism at its worst. Flake also tweeted a photo of a check made out to Jones for $100 with "Country over Party" written in the memo line. Sen. Luther Strange Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, who lost the special election primary to Roy Moore, called the allegations disturbing. It is too late to take Moore off the ballot, but Strange has been encouraged to launch a write-in campaign. Sen. Rob Portman I think if what we read is true, and people are on the record so I assume it is, then he should step aside, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said. Sen. Ben Sasse Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called the Washington Posts story "heartbreaking." Sasse also slammed the Republican National Committee for providing funds to Moores race. This is a bad decision and very sad day. I believe the women and the RNC previously did too. Whats changed? Or is the party just indifferent? Sasse said on Twitter. This sends a terrible message to victims its not that the party wont believe you if you come forward. It might. But just doesnt care. The senator than warned that if the National Republican Senatorial Committee decided to contribute to Moore, he would no longer be a donor to or fund-raiser for it. Sen. Ted Cruz "These are serious and troubling allegations," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who previously endorsed Moore, said in a statement. "If they are true, Judge Moore should immediately withdraw. However, we need to know the truth, and Judge Moore has the right to respond to these accusations." Sen. Bill Cassidy Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., officially withdrew his support from the candidate. "Based on the allegations against Roy Moore, his response and what is known, I withdraw support," he said. Sen. Orrin Hatch "I stand with the Majority Leader on this. These are serious and disturbing accusations, and while the decision is now in the hands of the people of Alabama, I believe Luther Strange is an excellent alternative," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, tweeted. But a week before the election, Hatch said Trump didnt have another choice but to endorse Moore, Bloomberg reported. He also said that many of the things he allegedly did are decades ago. So its hard to thats a decision that has to be made by the people in that state. If they make that decision, who are we to question them? Hatch said. Sen. Pat Toomey We'll probably never know for sure exactly what happened," Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best if Roy would just step aside. Sen. Lindsey Graham South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham took to Twitter to say Moore should step aside in the Alabama Senate race. "In light of the most recent allegations and the cumulative effect of others, I believe [Moore] would be doing himself, the state, the GOP, and the country a service by stepping aside," Graham said. "If he continues this will not end well for Mr. Moore." He has also bemoaned Trumps attempt to throw a lifeline to Moore. Rep. Paul Ryan House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said if the allegations are true, they would disqualify Moore from the special election. These allegations are disqualifying if true. Anyone who would do this to a child has no place in public office, let alone the United States Senate, Ryan said in a statement. Rep. Peter King "I would say unless he can prove his innocence, the burden is now on him within the next day or so, I believe he has to step down. He owes it to himself, he owes it to the state and and he owes it to the U.S. Senate," New York Rep. Peter King said after the allegations came out. Rep. Lee Zeldin In a tweet, Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., called for that "creepy Roy Moore dude" to step aside from the campaign. "It's about that time for that creepy Roy Moore dude to exit stage left. He should step aside & let someone take his spot on the ballot who doesn't prey upon young teenage girls as a grown man," he said. Gov. John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich said on Twitter that hes long opposed Moore and called on him to step aside from the race as well. Ive long opposed Roy Moore [and] his divisive viewpoints. The actions described make him unfit for office. The GOP must not support him. He should step aside, Kasich said. Former Gov. Mitt Romney Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, slammed Moore on Twitter. Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman, the former governor said. Her account is too serous to ignore. Moore is unfit for office and should step aside. "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," Romney said in another tweet on Dec. 4. Former Gov. Jeb Bush Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Moore should step down in light of the allegations. "This is not a question of innocence or guilt like in a criminal proceeding; this is a question of whats right and whats wrong. Acknowledging that youre dating teenagers when youre 32 years old as assistant state attorney is wrong. Its just plain wrong," he told CNBC, adding that he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said earlier Monday that Moore should "step aside." "We need to stand for basic principles, and decency has to be one of those," Bush added. "In the really poisonous political environment we have right now, one of the rules I think has to apply is that when you attack somebody on the other party, and the other team for doing something wrong, when it happens on your team, you have an obligation I think to speak out as well." Ivanka Trump The president's daughter had some harsh words for Moore. "There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children. I've yet to see a valid explanation, and I have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts," Ivanka Trump told the Associated Press. Condoleezza Rice While she didnt name Moore, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is from Alabama encouraged voters to take a stand for our core principles and for what is right. These critical times require us to come together to reject bigotry, sexism and intolerance, Rice said in a statement to AL.com. "It is imperative for Americans to remain focused on our priorities and not give way to side shows and antics. I know that Alabamans need an independent voice in Washington. But we must also insist that our representatives are dignified, decent, and respectful of the values we hold dear, she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Nearly a month after he announced plans to leave Congress due to sexual misconduct allegations that began in November, Sen. Al Franken officially resigned on Jan. 2. Aides to the senator told Fox News that Franken has provided his letter of resignation to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Franken will be replaced by Lt. Gov Tina Smith, who is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday morning. Franken, who has been in office since 2009, was plagued by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. The allegations began after Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. Dozens of his Democratic colleagues called for him to step aside after the allegations came to light. Below is a timeline of key moments in the senators political career. Prior to 2008 Before running for Senate, Franken was a comedy writer, actor, author and radio talk show host for 37 years, according to his Senate website. Frankens comedy career included time as a writer and performer for NBCs Saturday Night Live. 2008 After being tapped by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in June of 2008, Franken was elected to represent Minnesota in the Senate later that year. After a protracted recount, his opponent, Republican Norm Coleman, finally conceded to Franken -- officially ending one of the longest Senate races in U.S. history, Politico reported at the time. AL FRANKEN DRAGS OUT SENATE DEPARTURE, ONLY MENTIONS 'TRANSITION' AFTER REPLACEMENT NAMED 2013 Franken was the primary sponsor behind a bill that allows the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in the State of Minnesota to lease or transfer certain land. The bill was enacted later that year. 2014 Franken was re-elected to his Senate seat in 2014, easily defeating his Republican challenger, Mike McFadden. Later that year, Franken endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president during an interview on MSNBC. 2015 Franken sponsored the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015, which was enacted that same year. The law increases public safety by facilitating collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, veterans treatment services, mental health treatment, and substance abuse system, according to the bill. 2016 Franken visited nine different states in 2016 as part of an effort to help Clinton get elected to the White House. He traveled to New Hampshire, Wisconsin and California, where he campaigned and raised money for the Democratic presidential candidate. Franken first met the Clintons in 1993. Hillary Clinton supported Franken in his 2008 run for Senate. Also in 2016, Franken was the sponsor behind a bill called the Adding Zika Virus to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act. The bill, which was later enacted into law, added the Zika virus to the list of tropical diseases under the priority review voucher program. Jan. 2017 Franken questioned Betsy DeVos, President Trumps pick for secretary of education, on several issues during her confirmation hearing. Franken later said that DeVos failed to adequately answer even the most basic questions about education policy. Oct. 2017 Franken and Attorney General Jeff Sessions got into a heated exchange during Sessions Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Franken pressed Sessions about his meetings with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign. AL FRANKEN ACCUSED OF KISSING, GROPING LA TV HOST WITHOUT CONSENT Nov. 16, 2017 Radio personality Leeann Tweeden alleged in a post on the KABC website that Franken kissed and groped her without her consent during a USO tour in 2006. Tweeden said that Franken insisted on practicing a kiss for a skit. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth, she said, adding that she pushed him away. Tweeden said that in another incident, she fell asleep during a flight and later looked at a CD of photographs. Her post included an image of Franken with his hands over her chest. I couldnt believe it, she wrote. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep. "I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann," Franken said in an initial statement. "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasnt. I shouldnt have done it. Franken apologized to Tweeden again in a longer, second statement. In it, he said that the photo was completely inappropriate and called for an ethics investigation. Nov. 23, 2017 Franken apologized again, this time saying that he crossed the line. Im a warm person; I hug people, Franken said in a statement at the time. Ive learned from recent stories that in some of these encounters, I crossed a line for some women -- and I know that any number is too many. I feel terribly that I've made some women feel badly, he added, and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again. The statement came after he had been accused of groping by a total of four women. Ultimately, eight women in all would accuse Franken of sexual misconduct. Nov. 30, 2017 The Senate Ethics Committee said in a statement that it had "opened a preliminary inquiry into Senator Frankens alleged misconduct." Dec. 6, 2017 Multiple Democratic senators call for Franken to step down. Dec. 7, 2017 Franken said he would step down "in the coming weeks." Dec. 13, 2017 Minnesota's Lt. Gov. Tina Smith was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to replace Franken. Tina Smith will make an excellent United States Senator, the outgoing senator said in a statement. Franken also said that he is looking foward to working with her on ensuring a speedy and seamless transition. Dec. 20, 2017 Fox News confirmed that Franken is going to resign Jan. 2. Jan. 2, 2018 Franken formally hands in his letter of resignation to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it's time to "acknowledge the obvious" as he ordered the State Department to begin moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the president said during a speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. The move fulfills a campaign promise made to religious conservatives. But it could also inflame tensions across the Middle East. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality," Trump said. "It is also the right thing to do. Its something that has to be done. 'I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.' President Trump Trump acknowledged the opposition from other countries in the Middle East to his decision, saying Vice President Mike Pence will be traveling to the region in the coming days. There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement, Trump said. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and place far greater in understanding and cooperation. WHY TRUMPS PROMISE TO MOVE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS SO CONTROVERSIAL During his remarks, Trump emphasized he is still committed to a peace deal between the two sides. This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement," he said. "We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians. The U.S. would be the first country to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Other countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum" that Trump's decision was "acknowledging something thats common sense to everyone." "The [Knesset] is there, the prime minister is there, the Supreme Court -- that is the capital," Haley said. "And by us putting the embassy there, thats a U.S. decision." But the embassy move would not be immediate and could take at least three or four years. The U.S. officials said there are currently about 1,000 personnel in the embassy in Tel Aviv. They added that there is no facility in Jerusalem ready to serve as the embassy site, and it will take time to address security, design and cost concerns. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers and planners so that a new embassy when completed will be a magnificent tribute to peace, Trump said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a televised message, thanked Trump for what he called a courageous and just decision. This decision reflects the presidents commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, Netanyahu said. The presidents decision is an important step toward peace, for there is no peace that doesnt include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He stressed there would be no change in the status quo at the holy sites and Israel will ensure freedom of worship for all faiths. Ahead of the announcement, Trump spoke Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah and Netanyahu. Abbas has warned of the gravity of consequences should the move become official for the peace process and security and stability in the region and world. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that recognizing the capital as Jerusalem was a red line for Muslims, and such an action could result in Turkey severing diplomatic ties with Israel. "Courage doesnt come by doing what everybody else says," Haley told Fox News Wednesday night. "Courage comes by doing what you know is right. This is the right thing to do and what the presidents doing is hes showing leadership." The controversy surrounding the move of the embassy dates back decades. A law passed in 1995 under the Clinton administration considers Jerusalem the capital, and even mandates the move of the embassy there. But the law allows for a loophole used by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama an option to issue waivers every six months to delay the move from Tel Aviv. Trump also took advantage of the loophole, which Republicans have long called to be closed. Trumps first waiver was signed in June, which drew praise from the Palestinians and some disappointment from Israel. The administration officials said Tuesday that Trump will still sign a waiver to keep from jeopardizing State Department funding while the relocation process begins. Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney spoke by phone late Tuesday night, a senior White House official confirmed to Fox News. The call came as Trump is urging Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to run for re-election in an apparent bid to block Romney who has been sharply critical of Trump since the 2016 campaign from seeking the seat. But White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said on CNN that Trump described their phone call as a wonderful conversation. They discussed, among other things, what President Trump did the day before in Utah with national monuments -- and talking about historic tax cuts and the like," Conway told CNN. "[Trump] has got a great relationship with Governor Romney," Conway said of the former Massachusetts governor. The White House would not detail whether the two discussed Romney's potential run for U.S. Senate in Utah, should current Hatch decide to retire after seven terms. During his visit to Utah on Monday, Trump publicly encouraged Hatch to run again. We hope you will continue to serve your state and your country in the Senate for a very long time to come, Trump said at the event at the state capitol to announce a reduction of federal protected lands in Utah. Romney had been invited but did not attend. During an impromptu gaggle with the traveling White House press corps following the president's remarks in Utah, Hatch told reporters that he was still undecided on running again. Well have to see. Ive gotten a lot of pressure to run, a lot of pressure not to. From my wife," Hatch said. When asked Wednesday morning by CNN whether it was true that the president did not want Romney to "take Orrin Hatch's seat," Conway replied that she had not seen Romney file papers for the seat. "Senator Hatch may run for re-election, she said. The White House also would not confirm whether the Alabama Senate race came up during their conversation. Trump and Romney have split on supporting controversial Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore in next Tuesday's special election in Alabama. Despite sexual misconduct allegations against the nominee, the president openly endorsed Moore and said that Alabama needs him over a liberal Democrat. Romney tweeted on Monday that Moore would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity, he added. News / National by Stephen Jakes THE Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) in conjunction with the Elections Resource Centre (ERC) have deployed door-to-door voter mobilisers countrywide in addition to the roadshows launched in September.The voter registration mobilisers will cover the last phase of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) blitz being held by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).Beginning another week of voter mobilisation roadshows, targeting areas in Harare, ZimRights and ERC held roadshows at Mbare Bus Terminus and in Kambuzuma areas on Monday, December 4, 2017.Fungai Siwela, a voter educator with ZEC, addressed people at Kambuzuma 2 where she explained the requirements for registering as a voter."For proof of residence we don't just accept affidavits, but we also accept title deeds or photocopies, any envelope of a letter addressed to you, or a clinic card," said Siwela."There are many proofs of residence. We urge you to register to vote because voting is your right."The roadshow teams will cover Mufakose and Budiriro on Tuesday, December 5, Kuwadzana and Dzivarasekwa on Wednesday, December 6, Warren Park 1 and Warren Park D on Thursday, December 7 and finish off with Manyame of Friday, December 8.The door-to-door mobilisers have also been visiting places of worship to talk about voter registration such as the Methodist Church in Budiriro 5 on Sunday, December 3, where the congregants were receptive and welcomed the voter registration mobilisation initiative.The civil society organisations continue to daily monitor the BVR blitz process and its statistics since its commencement in October through their accredited observers, using mobile telephone technology. When the allegations of sexual misconduct against Roy Moore were first published, President Trump was quick to distance himself. While a "mere allegation" should not be allowed to destroy someone's life, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement, "the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside." Mitch McConnell said that if Moore won the Senate seat in Alabama, he would face possible expulsion. "If he were to be sworn in," the majority leader said at a Wall Street Journal forum, "he would immediately be in a process before the Senate Ethics Committee." Moore would be "asked to testify under oath" in what would probably be "an unprecedented beginning." And the Republican National Committee quickly yanked its financial support. That was then. On Monday, Trump formally endorsed Moore in a phone call to the former judge. "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama," the president tweeted. McConnell dropped the expulsion talk, which was designed to force Moore out of the race. He now says Alabama voters should "make the call" on sending him to the Senate. And the RNC has restored its financial support. What happened? How did GOP leaders flip back in Moores direction in just three weeks, in the home stretch before the Dec. 12 special election? After all, nine women have accused Moore of sexual misconduct or dating them when they were teenagers, one as young as 14. Moore vehemently denies the allegations. Many in the Republican Party were appalled by the womens accounts and hoped to force Moore out of the race. But he owed nothing to the establishment that opposed him in the primary, and once the race against Democrat Doug Jones became more competitive, Republicans began to worry about losing what should be an incredibly safe seat. In effect, Moores strategy of denial and delay worked. Allegations that seemed shocking and beyond the pale when they first surfaced gradually became part of the political background noise. Moore dismissed the accusers, attacked the Washington Post for carrying some of their stories and questioned why it took nearly four decades for their accounts to surface. When John Conyers and Al Franken faced their own sexual misconduct allegations, the atmosphere subtly shifted, as this was no longer an exclusively Republican problem. The 88-year-old Conyers announced his resignation yesterday after mounting sexual misconduct allegations, a week after one accuser, his former deputy chief of staff, went on the "Today" show. The delay strategy has worked before, most notably for Bill Clinton in 1998. If Clinton had admitted to a sexual relationship with "that woman" when the Monica Lewinsky story broke, he probably would have been forced to resign. The country was horrified by a president being involved with an intern and apparently lying about it. But when his grand jury testimony came seven months later, many Americans had grown tired of the saturation media coverage and the White House attacks on Ken Starr took their toll. The House still impeached Clinton on a party-line vote, but there was never much doubt that the Senate would acquit him. In the Moore case, not all Republicans are on board, and that includes his fellow Alabama senator Richard Shelby. Mitt Romney said that having Moore in the Senate would be "a stain on the GOP and on the nation." One of Moores accusers, Debbie Wesson Gibson, who says she dated Moore when she was 17, showed the Washington Post a signed high school graduation card she received from him. Moore once acknowledged knowing Gibson as a "friend," but now maintains he doesnt know any of his accusers. What we are seeing here is cold political reality. As the stories of the women have faded from the headlines, Roy Moore is very likely going to win next week's election. Trump had already been unofficially helping him by attacking Jones as a tax-and-spend liberal. The RNC does whatever the president wants. And McConnell, in taking a hands-off approach, must have realized that expulsion is unlikely. The bottom line: In a CBS poll (which gives Moore a 6-point lead), 71 percent of likely Republican voters say the misconduct allegations against him are false. And of that group, 92 percent say the Democrats are behind the charges, and 88 percent say newspapers and the media are behind them. About half of Moore supporters say their vote is to support Trump. And thats why the president and his party are changing their stance on the controversial candidate. A student libertarian group at the University of California at Berkeley has asked a federal judge to intervene in a campus dispute. The campus chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) claims that campus administrators have so far denied it the privileges of a recognized student organization, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The campus recently ruled that the group couldnt be formally recognized because of its similarity to another group Cal Libertarians and suggested that the two groups merge. Information about the groups' reaction to the merger proposal was unavailable. But YAL offered its view on the impact of the lack of registered status. Because UC Berkeley has excluded Young Americans for Liberty from Registered Student Organization status and all the benefits that accompany it, the group cannot reserve space, invite speakers, or access the pool of funds their tuition covers, the student group said in a statement. On Monday, the group sued UC President Janet Napolitano, Chancellor Carol Christ, and other campus officials in U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif. According to the suit, UC Berkeley has recognized 1,000 primarily liberal student groups, many of which overlap -- such as the Queer Student Union and the Queer Alliance & Resource Center, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The suit further claims that the decision to deny or delay formal recognition of Young Americans for Liberty violates the students constitutional rights to free speech, association, and equal protection. Dan Mogulof, a spokesman for UC Berkeley denied the accusation, pointing to the campus recent recognition of Berkeley Conservative Society. A statement from UC Berkeley said that no final decision has been made and the process is not yet complete. UC Berkeley has experienced previous controversy with conservative figures on its campus. In February, right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos canceled a planned talk when rioters caused $100,000 in damages on campus to protest his arrival. In April, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter canceled a planned talk at UC Berkeley after the campus restricted when and where she could speak. The event's organizers sued UC Berkeley, claiming that administrators were biased against conservative students. UC Berkeley spent $800,000 on security for Yiannopoulos when he returned for 15 minutes in September. Young Americans for Liberty originated in 2008 at the end of Libertarian candidate Ron Pauls presidential campaign. According to its website, it has 917 chapters nationwide. Sen. Al Franken officially resigned on Jan. 2, nearly a month after he announced his plans to step down from Congress amid numerous sexual misconduct allegations that began in November of last year. Aides to the senator told Fox News that Franken has provided his letter of resignation to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, who is replacing Franken, is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday. Franken, a Minnesota Democrat who has been in office since 2009, was plagued by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct over the past month and faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. The allegations began after Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour. Franken announced he would resign after more than two dozen key Democratic lawmakers called for him to step down. Heres what will happen to his Senate seat once he leaves office, according to Minnesota election law. 1. Governor appoints a new senator Gov. Mark Dayton would appoint a new senator to fill Frankens seat, when he resigns, Ryan Furlong, a spokesman for the Minnesota secretary of states office, told Fox News. A Democrat, Minnesotans could expect Dayton to appoint a member of his own party. The newly-appointed senator would be in office until at least Nov. 2018 when a special election would be scheduled. The appointed senator would not be obligated to run in that election. Minnesota is one of 36 states where a governor will make an appointment to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 2. A special election is scheduled for November 2018 A special election would be scheduled for Nov. 2018 and the winner would remain in the Senate for the remainder of what was Franken's term. That ends in Jan. 2021. AL FRANKEN TOLD TO RESIGN BY SEVERAL FEMALE DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES If a Senate vacancy occurs less than 11 weeks before Minnesotas state primary in August 2018, then whoever the governor would appoint to the vacancy would remain until the next election, which is Nov. 2019, Furlong said. 3. The next full term begins in 2021 Whoever wins the special election in 2018 would also have to run again in 2020 if he or she so chooses in order to serve a full six-year term, Furlong said. The next full Senate term would then begin in 2021. The new U.S. embassy in Israel is set to officially open in Jerusalem on Monday as President Trump has formally recognized the holy city as the countrys capital. The opening comes after a day of celebratory festivities in Israel juxtaposed with mass protests along the border of Israel that left at least 52 Palestinians dead and more than 1,000 injured Monday. It was the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations that has cast a cloud over the embassy opening. The Trump administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital was heralded by many pro-Israel activists but decried by Palestinians and Americas Arab allies. Ahead of the opening, Trump tweeted its a great day for Israel." Read on to find out why the decision is so contentious and why it wasnt accomplished before. Finding the capital The international community and until 2017, the U.S. largely does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as it is claimed by both Palestinians and Israelis. Like other countries, the U.S. kept its embassy in Tel Aviv, approximately an hour away. The U.S. moving its embassy could cause significant harm to the U.S. credibility as a mediator for peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, said Dylan Williams, vice president of government affairs for J Street, a left-leaning pro-Israel advocacy organization. Williams added that the move could undermine confidence from Palestinians and Arab countries that the U.S. would remain an impartial negotiator in efforts to create peace in the Middle East. Even seemingly minor changes of Jerusalems status quo either in fact or in law have historically had the impact of sparking violence, Williams said. Support for Jerusalem Millions of evangelical eyes were on Trump, waiting to see if he would keep his campaign promise to move the embassy, longtime Pastor John Hagee told Fox News ahead of the president's official announcement. "I can assure you that 60 million evangelicals are watching this promise closely because if President Trump moves the embassy into Jerusalem, he will historically step into immortality," Hagee said. "He will be remembered for thousands of years for his act of courage to treat Israel like we already treat other nations." "If he does not, he will be remembered as just another president who made a promise he failed to keep which would generate massive disappointment in that strong evangelical base that went to vote for him against Hillary Clinton," he added. "Trump will be remembered for thousands of years for his act of courage to treat Israel like we already treat other nations." Pastor John Hagee Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church, a megachurch in San Antonio, Texas. He founded the nonprofit Christians United for Israel in 2006, as well. A March 2016 Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans didnt express an opinion when asked if the U.S. embassy should move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But of those who did have an opinion, Americans were split with 24 percent supporting a move and 20 percent disagreeing with relocation. Congressional authority Trump isnt the only president to declare his intentions to move the U.S. embassy; both former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also pledged to move the embassy only to abandon the idea once in the White House. Congress approved in 1995 the funding and relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem by 1999. But the law included a stipulation, allowing for presidents to sign continuous waivers to stall the relocation. Every president since had used the waiver in an effort to avoid conflict with the peace negotiations. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Multiple wildfires were raging in Southern California on Thursday. A wildfire which erupted in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles early Wednesday, called the "Skirball Fire," is just five percent contained. Santa Ana winds have been linked to the spread of dangerous wildfires, causing evacuations and mass damage. Heres what you should know about the weather phenomenon. What are the Santa Ana winds? The wind is a weather condition in which strong, hot, dust-bearing winds descend to the Pacific Coast around Los Angeles from inland desert regions, the National Weather Service glossary explains. These winds are generated by cold air descending on a Western area called the Great Basin. Air flowing from that region of high pressure spills through mountain ranges and down into Southern California metropolitan areas. Santa Ana winds push back the normal moist and cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, and gain warmth from compression and speed. Earlier this fall, a wind-driven wildfire in Southern California dubbed the Canyon 2 fire burned more than 9,200 acres, the Orange County Register reported. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES FORCE THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE, NEW BLAZE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES What else should I know about the winds? "A strong surface high over the Great Basin will continue to support an extended period of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds to Southwest California through Friday," the National Weather Service said Thursday morning. "Winds are expected to increase again this morning and continue through Friday." The Associated Press contributed to this report. A team manning a deep sea research vessel says it has found and captured the first underwater images of a sunken U.S. Navy ship credited with firing Americas opening shots of World War II. The USS Ward was located in the waters near Ponson Island in the Philippines, an expedition crew led by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen announced, just before the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is going to be the first time the Ward has been seen in 73 years since she was sank, Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for the research vessel Petrel, said as an underwater drone inspected the ship on Dec. 1. We got some wreckage just coming into view. STUNNING PICTURES REVEAL THE WRECK OF US WORLD WAR II-ERA SUB Images coming from the drone showed the ships remains heavily overtaken by marine life, giving the scraps varying shades of bluish-green color. The ship will be left alone -- untouched -- at its current location. "The USS Ward found herself in the crucible of American history at the intersection of a peacetime Navy and war footing, Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was quoted as saying in a press release. She took decisive, effective and unflinching action despite the uncertain waters. Now 76 years on, her example informs our naval posture. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Wickes-class destroyer sank a Japanese midget submarine in Pearl Harbor around an hour before the infamous attack began. The crew of the Ward was alerted of the vessels presence by the cargo ship USS Antares, which said it had a suspicious object following it into the harbor. HAUNTING PHOTOS OF JAPANESE MINI-SUBMARINE SUNK DURING PEARL HARBOR ATTACK Within moments, at 0640 Ward was a ship alive, the general quarters alarm rousted the men from their bunks and sent them on the double to their action stations, says a biography of the ship by the Naval History and Heritage Command. The first shot of the Pacific war barked from Ward's gun at 0645 and splashed harmlessly beyond the small conning tower, it added. The USS Ward continued firing at the submarine, described in the release by Allens crew as one of five top secret Japanese vessels armed with two torpedoes intended to penetrate the harbor under the cover of darkness. SUNKEN AMERICAN WWII TORPEDO BOMBER DISCOVERED IN PACIFIC As Ward pounded past at 25 knots, number three gun atop the galley deckhouse amidships commenced fire, its round passed squarely through the submersible's conning tower, the Naval History and Heritage Command said. As the Japanese midget wallowed lower in the water and started to sink, the destroyer swiftly dropped four depth charges, signalled by four blasts on the ship's whistle. Black water gushed upwards in the ship's boiling wake as the charges went off, sealing the submarine's doom. The Ward is credited with firing the first American shots during World War II, even though the U.S. didnt officially enter the conflict until a day after the Pearl Harbor attack. It went on to perform a variety of duties in the Pacific theater, including assisting in numerous landings, going on antisubmarine patrols and fending off a Japanese air attack in the area of Guadalcanal in June 1943. GERMAN WW II U-BOAT DISCOVERED OFF THE AZORES Three years to the day after Pearl Harbor, the Ward was patrolling the Ormoc Bay off the Philippines island of Leyte when it was attacked by several Japanese kamikazes. Ward's gunners opened fire with 3-inch and 20-millimeter batteries, hitting the center plane that wavered and crashed the ship at the waterline at 0956, entering the forward part of the boiler room and the after part of the lower troop space, the Naval History and Heritage Command said. Men in the forward part of Ward could not contact those in the aft, since the fires amidships had severed all communications. An out-of-control blaze soon engulfed the ship and less than a half hour after being hit, the crew were given orders to abandon. The nearby USS OBrien led by Lt. Cmdr. William Outerbridge, who was in charge of the Ward in Pearl Harbor, scuttled the ship, and only one crew member was injured. All of them made their way on board other nearby ships. It just was something that had to be done, Outerbridge was quoted as saying years after sinking the Ward, adding that there was little emotion involved in executing the task. GERMAN WW I SUBMARINE DISCOVERED INTACT WITH 23 BODIES INSIDE The ship, for all its service, has received one battle star for World War II as a destroyer and eight as a high speed transport, the Navy says. The Research Vessel Petrel, led by Allens crew, cross-referenced historic drawings and schematics of the ship to confirm that the location was accurate. It was found 650 feet below the ocean's surface, according to Stars and Stripes. "The Petrel and its capabilities, the technology it has and the research we've done, are the culmination of years of dedication and hard work," Kraft said. "We've assembled and integrated this technology, assets and unique capability into an operating platform which is now one among very few on the planet." Expedition leaders said the survey of the Ward was part of a mission to document Imperial Japanese Warships that were sunk during the Battle of Surigao Strait in the Philippines. More than 4,000 men were lost in the battle, in what is considered part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, the last between battleships. A November expedition by the Petrel in the area captured video of the sunken Yamashiro and Fuso, both dreadnought class battleships, and the Asagumo and Michishio, both destroyers. An August expedition led by Allen also found wreckage from the USS Indianapolis, which sank in the Philippine Sea after being torpedoed in 1945 by the Japanese. The sinking of the ship was the greatest single loss of life in Navy history, as only 317 survived from a crew of 1,196. Weve done a number of these explorations to try to find sunken warships, Paul Allen said. We try to do these both as really exciting examples of underwater archeology and as tributes to the brave men that went down in these ships. The vast majority of the 700,000 people who are locked up in Americas local jails have not been convicted of any crime. Unable to afford bail and awaiting trial, theyre separated from society at a significant cost to taxpayers. Appolition, a new app launched three weeks ago, aims to change this with a simple idea: Why not allow everyday people to donate their spare change from purchases to help low-income incarcerated people make bail? The app, taking a cue from crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe, connects to your bank account, and then each debit card purchase is rounded up to the nearest dollar and donated each time you reach at least 50 cents in spare change. You can pause and resume your donations at any time through the app and you will be able to pay with credit cards soon. SENATORS DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT DATA BREACH Our short term goals are to get as many people home for the holidays as possible, Dr. Kortney Ziegler, co-founder of Appolition, told Fox News. Cash bail is meant to guarantee that defendants dont vanish between arrest, arraignment and trial, and it can vary from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. However, those who cant afford bail have to be kept in prison before theyve even had a trial. Appolition partners with National Bail Out, a group that helps with bail amounts of up to $2,000. One organization that National Bail Out works with, Brooklyn Bail Fund, assists those who are in dire straits: low-income mothers, those suffering from addiction and abuse survivors, for example. The law limits bail assistance to people who have been charged with misdemeanors. Although the app launched only three weeks ago, 5,000 users have signed up and raised a total of $11,000. So far, nine people have been bailed out because of funds raised by the app (with average bail amounts of about $910). Ziegler first tweeted about the idea in July and soon enough, connected with folks who have expertise in building crowdfunding software to launch the platform. According to a study from the Vera Institute of Justice, the annual cost, per incarcerated individual, averaged out to $47,057 in 35 different jurisdictions. The app arrives at a time when lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rand Paul (R-Key.), have called for bail reform as a way to shrink Americas prison population, which at 2.2 million is the highest in the world. AS OUTRAGE INTENSIFIES, GOOGLE HIGHLIGHTS NEW WAYS TO CLEAN UP YOUTUBE In August 2016, the Justice Department filed a document to a Georgia federal appeals court arguing that its unlawful to jail someone who cant afford their bail. The DOJ filed the document in response to the case of Georgia man Maurice Walker, who was charged with a misdemeanor offense and spent six nights in jail because he could not pay his $160 bail. Advocates who want to see cash bail reformed or eliminated point to the case of Kalief Browder, who at 16, was imprisoned on Rikers Island for three years, which included 800 days in solitary confinement, after being accused of stealing a backpack containing a camera; although he was released in 2013 due to a lack of evidence, Browder battled depression after his experience and committed suicide on June 6, 2015. New York City jails held an average of 3,931 prisoners a day in 2016 who couldnt make bailcosting taxpayers about $116 millionthe citys Independent Budget Office recently reported. In about half the instances where bail was the issue, the amount that would lead to freedom was $5,000 or less. The money bail system disproportionately impacts those who are poor. According to a 2016 report from the Prison Policy Initiative, people in jail had a median income of just $15,109 before their incarceration half that of non-incarcerated people. Long term, we see the platform being used in a variety of ways to bolster the voices of those in need beyond just a financial contribution, said Ziegler. The concept of an AI god may seem outlandish, but a former Google and Uber engineer is touting the idea of a high-tech 'deity' as a way to improve society. Think about how much we depend on Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa today. We ask the AI bot for directions, to check on the weather, and to dim the lights in our house. Few of us know the complex engineering required to make this happen, we just trust it will work. By 2029, computers will reach human levels of intelligence, according to one theory. In fact, Google already uses a bot called the Assistant that can answer just about any web-search related inquiry. Could what we trust and rely on so heavily on a daily basis evolve into a 'religion' or a cult? STEPHEN HAWKING SAYS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD 'DESTROY' HUMANITY A well-known engineer who worked at Google and Uber named Anthony Levandowski has founded a new AI-based religion called Way of the Future. The charter? To worship and understand the Godhead for the betterment of society. At least one expert suggested the idea of an AI godhead might be overblown, however. The recent coverage of AI as a single, unified power is a predictable upshot of a self-aggrandizing Silicon Valley culture that believes it can summon a Godhead, says Thomas Arnold, a Research Associate at Tufts Universitys Human-Robot Interaction Laboratory. GOOGLE'S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER 'NO LONGER CONSTRAINED BY LIMITS OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE' According to Arnold, the idea of an AI religion is really more about the tech elite thinking they can summon a religion from whole cloth -- similar to how the industry thinks one single app can be transcendent in society or life-changing in some way. Instead, he argues that the cold and impractical nature of technology is not exactly a match made in Heaven. The ideas of mourning, loss, tragedy, social justice, and larger responsibilities to a neighbor -- which the world religious tradition have gradually developed resources to accommodate, reflect upon, and offer rich re-framings thereof -- are largely dispensed with in the AI as religion evocations, he says. God only knows if anyone will worship an AI thats so sterile. An AI could write a bible for how to live and expect humans to become subservient. Its one reason Elon Musk has decried the dangers of AI, saying superintelligence is more dangerous than North Korean nukes. Musk has slammed the concept of an AI god. HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL TELL IF YOU'RE SLACKING OFF AT WORK Nonetheless, AI is clearly extending its reach into society. A podcaster named Rose Eveleth helped create an algorithm that wrote an AI bible gathered from sacred writings. Its a remarkable exercise, even though the result is mostly gibberish. Whether that really matters is open to debate, according to the experts. An AI would provide the equivalent of a Messiah -- having many orders of magnitude more processing elements than the brain, enabling it to gift us with solutions to the most daunting social, political, economic, and environmental challenges, says Dr. Stephen Thaler, the President and CEO of Imagination Engines who is an AI and consciousness expert. Seminary grad and lawyer John Mitchell says humans have a tendency to worship supreme understanding -- and that applies to AI. We [believe] there must be some higher power that causes lightning, sunsets, and crashing waves or at least speaks to the bottom of our beings, rather than ignore them as ho-hum background, he says, suggesting the same thing could happen with AI or that AI could help us understand religion better. HOW AI AND TECH COULD STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S BORDER WALL Of course, a superintelligent AI would likely not want to be worshipped, preferring to merely guide humanity in ways that we perceive as being (mostly) helpful. I would expect the AIs that evolve in the next 50 years to be very rational and, if conscious, not want to be worshipped. If they have the human race's best interests at heart (and God help us if they don't) then they would want us to have as much right of self determination as possible, says book author and computer consultant Peter Scott. A major ransomware attack has forced the shutdown of a host of IT systems at Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Officials confirmed late Wednesday that they will not pay the ransom to unlock many of the county's applications that have been frozen since Monday. I am confident that our backup data is secure and we have the resources to fix this situation ourselves, said County Manager Dena Diorio, in a statement. It will take time, but with patience and hard work, all of our systems will be back up and running as soon as possible. Attackers gave a deadline of 1 p.m. ET Wednesday for payment of the ransom, according to news reports. SHIPPING GIANT HIT BY CYBERATTACK, REFUSES TO PAY HACKERS' RANSOM The hackers have demanded for the payment in bitcoin. One bitcoin is worth approximately $13,000. Fox 46 reports that hackers froze a number of servers in the attack, preventing county official from accessing the information stored on them. Systems affected by the shutdown span human resources, finance, parks and recreation, social services, deeds registration, assessors office, tax office and Land Use and Environmental Services Agency (LUESA). In a statement released on Wednesday, the county explained that departments have implemented paper processes and other solutions to continue serving customers. HACKER TARGETS SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT, DELETES 30 MILLION FILES IN RANSOMWARE ATTACK There is no evidence at this time that personal, customer or employee information or data has been compromised, it said. The County is consulting with Federal, state and private stakeholders, including the FBI and Secret Service, while the County works to restore services, it added. Fox 46 reports that the county backs up all of its files, so information frozen by the attack will eventually be retrieved. At this point in time, backups seem to be highly effective, explained a Mecklenburg County official during Wednesdays press conference. The attack reportedly unfolded after a worker at Mecklenburg County clicked on an infected email. HUGE 'PETYA' RANSOMWARE ATTACK HITS EUROPE, SPARKS MASS DISRUPTION A growing number of organizations and municipalities are being targeted in ransomware attacks. U.K. shipping giant Clarkson, for example, recently fell victim to a cyberattack, but vowed not to pay a ransom to the hackers. 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, opting instead to back up the data. 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. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers News / National by Staff reporter Air safety and how passengers are being treated both by airlines and fellow passengers has once again become a hot topic after local award-winning music group Black Motion were escorted off a British Airways flight following an alleged racist incident.They duo were flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Monday, 04 December.According to the duo who took to Instagram to discuss the matter, they booked into business class and were seated when an air hostess asked them to move to economy after a fellow passenger complained about a broken seat and she needed to be move.Bongani "Murdah" Mohosana took to Instagram account to speak out about the incident, insisting that they had been asked to move simply so that a "white woman could be comfortable".Mohosana says they questioned why they were singled out to move to economy over other passengers in business class and were apparently told their tickets were "worth less.""Black motion happened to be the only two young black men in a British Airways business class."We were embarrassed and removed from business class just because a white woman complained about her broken seat."Our image has been compromised. We had to suffer as if we own British Airlines (sic) having to suffer while a white lady was comfortable in our seats."We were told that they couldn't risk flying us as they were avoiding 911."In their eyes, we are terrorists the captain said it indirectly"Our image/ reputation as has been compromised and this is because of our kindness. We will forever humble ourselves."The group's road manager, Nicky Seema, who was also on the flight told TimessLive that the group were ill-treated because they were "the only two black people in economy"."When they asked why they were being chosen, they [the air hostess] told them their ticket was cheaper. We asked them why they were not accommodating us and they said they were doing so by putting us in economy," he says.Seema says once the crew discovered that Mabongwane and Mohosana were famous, they apologised and offered to get them onto the next available flight.According to Seema the airline indicated it was not about race, but he alleges the incident only happened because they did not know they were Black Motion and "they saw two boys and thought they could undermine them".It is unclear if the change of seating is based on the airline's new controversial policy that boards passengers based on how much they paid for a seat.The new "pay less, board last" means passengers with the cheapest tickets will be last to hop on the aircraft, no matter where they sit on the plane. Traveller24 asked Comair if this new policy had any bearing, with the airline stating it would only be able to comment once it has all the details.In a statement, Shaun Pozyn, Marketing, Loyalty and Customer Experience Head told Traveller24 that they are aware of the incident and will comment further once they have more details."We have been made aware of this incident. Comair and British Airways will not tolerate racism," says Pozyn. "We regard these allegations as very serious and they thus warrant thorough investigation. We will establish what happened and take whatever action is required." This is a rush transcript from "Your World," December 6, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. NEIL CAVUTO, "YOUR WORLD" HOST: All right, Well, Palestinians burning images of the president today. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat with us. Mayor, what do you think of the reaction this is getting pretty much across the world? I mentioned Germany and France not liking it. I mentioned the pope not liking it. What do you think? NIR BARKAT, MAYOR OF JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: Well, first, I want to applaud and thank the president, president of the United States, President Trump. It's a historic day for our region. Recognizing the history of Jerusalem with the Jewish people that goes back 3,000 years should have been done 70 years ago, when Israel was founded, 50 years ago, when the city was reunited, in 1995, when the Congress made a decision. And, here, you have a president which is bold and keeps his promises, and I applaud him. With respect to what the world says, it's unfortunate. We know that people have all kinds difference of opinions. But my expectation and Israelis' expectation is recognize the truth, the history. Anyway you put a shovel in the ground in Jerusalem, you find Jewish roots. Stick to the truth. Be honest. And everyone knows that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people. So, my expectation from the world, don't be political. Stick to the truth, like the president of the United States. CAVUTO: Now, the pope and others have been saying that, while that is very important to Israel -- And I think, by extension, you can understand that, Mayor, that many people lay claim to this great city, and it can't be Israel's alone. The fear is that if it is your capital, and we do build our embassy there, that it's being sort of cordoned off from the rest of the world. You say? BARKAT: Well, the reality is that, in any potential deal, peace -- real peace deal with the Palestinians, Jerusalem is Israel's capital. It's an undivided capital of the Jewish people. And, by the way, we take pride in the fact that today it's open, freedom of religion. You can go in one square kilometer in the Old City of Jerusalem, there are more functional mosques, synagogues and churches than anywhere in the world. We will maintain that. We will maintain that status quo and freedom of religion, unlike other places in the Middle East. This is imperative for the city of Jerusalem to continue maintaining that status quo. And we're very proud of that. CAVUTO: Finally, Mayor, you know, Turkey not satisfied with this. They had just, I wouldn't say normalized relations, but had looked into relations with Israel. Now they want to look into maybe stopping that progress. How do you feel about that? BARKAT: Well, it's unfortunate. Hopefully, they will eventually understand the alignment and the fact that the United States of America is aligned with Israel and understands the reality, the path and the future. And I can only hope that the Palestinians and the Arab neighbors around us will understand that this doesn't further peace. This brings peace, a real peace, not a theoretical peace, a real peace to the region. And I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu, with the backup of President Trump and rest of the rational world, will help us converge with a potential deal with the Palestinians, and improve relationship with our Arab neighbors. This is something we all strive for. CAVUTO: Mayor, thank you very, very much. Appreciate it. BARKAT: Thank you very much. CAVUTO: All right. END Content and Programming Copyright 2017 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2017 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. Almost 200 passengers aboard one of the worlds largest cruise ships have been struck down with a diarrhea and vomiting after indulging in a bottomless buffet. The mighty Ovation Of The Seas which carries more than 5,800 had been at sea for 14 days after a trip to Singapore when 195 passengers reported suffering from a gastrointestinal illness. One passenger posted a video on Facebook showing hallways being sprayed by crew members in industrial cleaning suits after it docked in Hobart, Tasmania. Im on here now and basically a sitting duck with people in both cabins either side not well with the gastro, another person commented on the video. They are doing everything perfectly to avoid further sickness. I could hear them last night doing this spraying outside my cabin. Another reported restaurants could not be accessed, finger food had been stopped and a galley tour had been canceled. A letter posted on the internet revealed the Bottomless Brunch service had been cut back after the outbreak. Other passengers praised the crews efforts to deal with the outbreak. The ship is doing absolutely everything to control it, you wash your hands at least a dozen times a day. Their hygiene is first class, its obviously a passenger thats brought it on, one passenger told the ABC. Crew members decked out in industrial cleaning suits complete with face masks were seen spraying down hallways of the lavish ship in the video posted to Facebook Royal Caribbean International, which owns the ship, said dozens received over-the-counter medication for gastroenteritis. The ship will be comprehensively sanitized and cleansed once it arrives at its next port in Sydney and before new passengers board. Tasmanias Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said five people from the ship had been taken to the hospital but couldnt confirm whether any were suffering from gastro. Outbreaks of highly infectious conditions such as gastro and respiratory illness can occur in cruise ships, where a population the size of a medium-sized town mixes closely together, he said. Ovation of the Seas is expected to leave Tasmania this afternoon. Those affected by the short-lived illness were treated by our ships doctors with over-the-counter medication and we hope all our guests feel better quickly, Royal Caribbean said in a statement. Meanwhile, were taking steps like intensive sanitary procedures to minimise the risk of any further issues. We communicate well-established educational hand hygiene practices to all passengers and crew. Hand-washing basins are provided at key dining venues and hand sanitizers at all restaurants and bar entrances, where the crew are located encouraging guests to use the sanitizing hand product. It is imperative that any guests who are experiencing or have experienced any symptoms of illness advise us as soon as possible so that they can be provided the care required and to prevent any further spread. This article originally appeared in The Sun. Step aside, rose gold this is a job for old-school Minnie Mouse. After Disney fans went wild for the parks sparkly pink Minnie ear headbands this August, it seemed impossible that anything else would come close to going instantly viral. Through the end of summer, Halloween, and with Christmas on the horizon, there have been plenty new items worthy of accessorizing with, but none have resonated with theme park fans like Disneyland and Walt Disney Worlds brand new vintage-inspired Minnie ears. The sparkly headbands, which just hit stores last week, are much more than just a trend theyre a little piece of fashion history. The new pastel ear headbands are inspired by the Minnie Mouse of yesteryear, referencing her appearance in color animations in the mid-1930s and early 1940s. The sequined blue polka dot ears match her original skirt design which would later be swapped out for the classic red we know today while the little wire daisy is a style Minnie would regularly sport poking out from atop her favorite red hat. The ears are available at shops throughout Disneyland and Walt Disney World for $24.99, and if you see them, move quickly if its anything like we witnessed this summer, these vintage Minnie ears will soon be flying off store shelves. This throwback Minnie souvenir is just the latest in a run of fan-favorite merchandise coming out of the Disney parks. Guests waited in hour-long lines to snag a popcorn bucket in the shape of Oogie Boogie from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" back in September, and last months Pluto popcorn bucket, which features the pup in an ugly Christmas sweater and Santa cap, has been eagerly snapped up by fans on both coasts. A woman and an airline crew member both landed themselves in a police station after allegedly engaging in a slap fight at Indias Indira Gandhi International Airport. The female passenger had arrived late for her flight to Ahmedabad and began arguing with airline staff when they wouldnt let her on the plane. The 40-year-old passenger had arrived at 4:18 am for her 5 am flight. Air India stipulates that passengers must arrive at the airport at least 75 minutes before departure, The Hindu reports. PLANE RETURNS TO SEATTLE AFTER ASSAULT ON FLIGHT ATTENDANT The woman was redirected to the duty manager, with whom she continued to argue over not being allowed a boarding pass. The argument escalated when the passenger allegedly slapped the duty manager. The manager then slapped the woman back. Local police arrived on the scene after a call was placed at 4:55 am. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Bhatia, told the Independent, When the police reached the spot, it was found that the passenger had reported for check-in at 4:18 a.m. and was denied entry to the flight. There was an argument between the passenger and Air India staffer and the former slapped the latter. The staffer then slapped her back. Neither of the women were seriously injured, the Independent reports. However, both were taken to the hospital for examinations. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Afterward, both women were escorted back to the police station, where they apologized to each other and stated in writing that they want no police action in the matter, Bhatia said. Air India has since released a statement saying the incident has now been resolved. A former monk has testified that an ex-priest accused of killing a Texas woman in 1960 confessed to him three years after the killing. Dale Tacheny testified Monday in the murder trial for John Feit, who is accused of suffocating Irene Garza after she went to confession at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen. An autopsy determined the teacher and former beauty queen was beaten, raped while unconscious and asphyxiated. Tacheny said the now 85-year-old Feit confessed to him in 1963, after the church sent Feit to a Missouri monastery where Tacheny worked. The former Trappist monk said Feit expressed no remorse during the confession. Tacheny said he didn't initially report the crime because it "was not my place to make a judgment." The 88-year-old said he instead tried to counsel Feit to change his behavior toward women. But in 2002, Tacheny went to police in San Antonio and reported what Feit allegedly told him decades earlier. Investigators said Feit gave them conflicting versions of what happened the day Garza died in April 1960. They said Feit initially alleged he didn't take Garza's confession and that another priest was present at the time. But he later said he was alone and had taken Garza's confession, according to investigators. Feit's attorney argues there is no physical evidence linking his client to the killing. He also said Tacheny made assumptions about the crime when he reported it to police in 2002. A lawyer who spent six months on the run after pleading guilty in a $500 million Social Security fraud scheme was being flown back to Kentucky on Tuesday after he was caught outside a Pizza Hut in Honduras. Eric Conn was handed over to the FBI after his capture by a SWAT team as he left the restaurant in the coastal city of La Ceiba. Spokesman Jorge Galindo of the countrys Technical Agency of Criminal Investigation said they left Honduras on a private plane. Conn was expected to arrive in Lexington, Kentucky, late Tuesday afternoon. As promised, Mr. Conn will now be held accountable for his actions, the people he deceived and the lives he shattered, including all the victims of his greed in eastern Kentucky, said Amy Hess, special agent in charge of the Louisville field office for the FBI. Conn speaks multiple languages, had crossed the border 140 times over 10 years and had told at least six people he would flee the country rather than go to jail for his crimes. Yet a federal judge released Conn on $1.25 million bail, and allowed him to remain free even after he pleaded guilty in March to stealing from the federal government and bribing a judge to fix Social Security fraud cases. Conn fled on June 2. He cut off his electronic ankle monitor and put it inside a metallic pouch designed to suppress electronic signals, authorities said. While nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies searched for the fugitive, he was sentenced in absentia last summer to a 12-year prison term the maximum possible. Now 57 according to his FBI wanted poster, Conn faces many more years in prison if convicted of charges related to his escape. Authorities interviewed dozens of people, analyzed his bank accounts, and meticulously read through emails and social media posts purported to be from Conn. They searched his former law office and his mothers house in Stanville, Kentucky. The hunt led searchers to a Walmart parking lot in New Mexico over the summer and, finally, to the Pizza Hut in Honduras on Saturday. Ultimately, the Honduras public magistrates office said his arrest was the product of arduous intelligence, surveillance and tailing by the agents. Conn, wearing a blue polo shirt with close-cropped, reddish-gray hair, was led away in handcuffs by Honduran police agents with ballistic vests and assault rifles, and then turned over to the FBI, which flew him home in a private plane. Conns capture was cheered by his former clients and their families, who have struggled to make ends meet while fighting to keep their Social Security disability checks. Thats wonderful, said Donna Dye, whose husband was among Conns clients in Appalachia. I never thought they would catch him. He let people like my husband have trust in him, and he let that down. Federal authorities claim Conn had help in escaping. An indictment unsealed in October alleged that one of his employees opened a bank account Conn used to transfer money, tested security at the Mexican border and bought a pickup truck for use in Conns escape. The employee, Curtis Lee Wyatt, has pleaded not guilty to aiding in Conns escape and abetting his failure to appear. The same indictment claims Conn hatched his escape plot around June 2016, two months after he was first indicted and a year before his disappearance. Conn, who started his law practice in a trailer in 1993, had portrayed himself as Mr. Social Security. He fueled that persona with outlandish TV commercials and small-scale replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial at his office in eastern Kentucky. Fox News previously reported Conn represented thousands in successful claims for Social Security benefits. But his empire crumbled when authorities discovered he had been bribing a doctor and judge to approve disability claims based on fake medical evidence. Among his former clients in the impoverished coalfields of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia are many people with legitimate disabilities. Donna Dyes husband, Timothy, was among the throngs of Conns clients who had to fight to keep their disability checks. Timothy Dye went on disability for chronic arthritis after working decades in coal mines. I have gone through hell, she said by phone Tuesday. My husbands gone through hell. Its just been nothing but pain and struggle and worries. Just pure pressure. Ned Pillersdorf, an eastern Kentucky attorney representing hundreds of Conns former clients, said Conn caused a true humanitarian crisis. With his capture, Im hoping we can get this ordeal behind us, put him in prison where he belongs and start to undo the damage he has done to his former clients, Pillersdorf said by phone Monday night. As part of the fallout, the Social Security Administration identified about 1,500 beneficiaries, mostly in eastern Kentucky, who were made to undergo hearings. Pillersdorf said those hearings are nearly complete, and about 700 have been found eligible to maintain the benefits. Federal officials filed a new set of immigration and gun charges Friday against Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, the illegal immigrant found not guilty last week in the murder of Kate Steinle. "A federal grand jury indicted Jose Inez Garcia-Zarate today for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and for being an illegally present alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition," according to a statement released by the Department of Justice. If convicted of either charge, he could face a maximum of ten years in jail. AFTER STEINLE VERDICT, REP UNVEILS BILL TO IMPRISON OFFICIALS WHO SHELTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Zarate was acquitted of first and second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter on Thursday. He also was found not guilty by assault with a semi-automatic weapon. However, he was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon. Steinle was walking with her father and a family friend on a pier in San Francisco in July 2015 when she was fatally shot, collapsing into her father's arms. The illegal immigrant had been released from a San Francisco jail about three months before the shooting, despite a request by federal immigration authorities to detain him for deportation. The case sparked a national debate over illegal immigration and sanctuary cities. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, with local law enforcement officials barred from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. President Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to cities with similar immigration policies, but a federal judge in California permanently blocked his executive order. DOJ FILES ARREST WARRANT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACQUITTED IN KATE STEINLE CASE The new charges follow a move Friday by the Department of Justice, which unsealed an amended arrest warrant for Zarate, which included violations related to the charges of a felon in possession of a firearm, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon, all of which were filed after the defendant's initial arrest, according to the warrant. After Zarate's acquittal, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also announced last week that they planned to take Zarate into custody and remove him from the U.S. after the case was completely over. ICE Deputy Director Tom Homan added, "San Francisco's policy of refusing to honor ICE detainers is a blatant threat to public safety and undermines the rule of law. This tragedy could have been prevented if San Francisco had turned the alien over to ICE, as we requested, instead of releasing him back onto the streets." Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report. After battling the so-called "Thomas Fire" for over a month, fire personnel announced on Jan. 12 that the blaze -- the biggest in California's history -- is 100 percent contained. The wind-whipped wildfire started on Dec. 4 about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles and caused at least 50,000 people to evacuate, destroyed 1,063 structures and scorched roughly 281,893 acres. About 280 structures were also damaged by the blaze. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. One firefighter died while trying to combat the fire in Southern California, authorities said on Dec. 14. Cory Iverson, 32, was an engineer based in San Diego. He left behind a pregnant wife and a 2-year-old daughter. Iverson, who died of burns and smoke inhalation, had been with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection since 2009. Iverson's wildfire-related death was not the first. Authorities confirmed the death of a 70-year-old woman on Dec. 8. Virginia Pesola was reportedly killed in a car crash along an evacuation route on Dec. 6. Her death was the first connected to the six wildfires that were in the region. Also, three other people were burned by a smaller fire in San Bernardino County on Dec. 5, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. President Trump tweeted about the wildfires on Dec. 6. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the path of Californias wildfires," the president tweeted. "I encourage everyone to heed the advice and orders of local and state officials. THANK YOU to all First Responders for your incredible work!" On Jan. 2, Trump declared that a natural disaster exists in California, according to a statement from the White House. He also ordered federal assistance to supplement the on-going recovery efforts in the state. In light of the now-contained Thomas Fire, heres what you need to know about California wildfires. How do the fires start? While lightning storms often cause wildfires in Northern California, about 99 percent of wildfires in Southern California are caused by humans, David Peterson, a senior research biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, told Fox News. While throwing a cigarette butt out of a window is usually not enough to spark a fire, Peterson said, other simple tasks -- like mowing the lawn or parking a car on dry grass -- can. For instance, if a rock hits a lawn mowers metal blades, thats usually enough friction to create a spark that can ultimately start a fire, Scott McLean, an information officer at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, told Fox News. And the heat from a cars catalytic converter, a device located underneath that controls its exhaust emissions, can reach up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit -- enough heat to create a fire if a car is parked over dry, flammable grass. It only takes one spark to start a fire, McLean said. Another common source of wildfires are utility wires, Peterson said. On a windy day, these cables can be knocked over, land on dry vegetation and ultimately ignite a fire. Wildfires are a perfectly natural, normal phenomenon, Peterson said. But as urban areas continue to expand into wildland areas, the risk of wildfires will also continue to grow. We cannot stop them. We can maybe do things to reduce their severity, like removing as much dead vegetation that we can, but they will continue to occur, Peterson added. How are wildfires stopped? All wildfires can bring mass destruction. But the way each fire is stopped varies, McLean said. In other words, the different vegetation and different scenarios up and down the state impact how each fire is handled. "You dont just throw resources at a wildfire, McLean said. Its like a battle -- you have to think what will be the most effective." Cal Fire usually depends on a mix of bulldozers, fire engines, inmate crews, and helicopters or airplanes, which disperse things like fire retardant, to stop wildfires. Using containment lines, or large areas where a bulldozer cuts away vegetation to the point where only dirt remains, is very common, he said. But this isnt always an accessible option. What would increase the fires speed, what would slow it down?'" McLean asked. Helicopter and airplanes are ineffective with winds over 30 miles an hour, and bulldozers cant always get in there. Strong wind gusts also cause problems when putting out or controlling wildfires, he said. Regional atmospheric patterns that develop in the fall create dry, hot wind gusts that can sometimes reach 80 miles per hour. These winds can create so-called spot fires -- which is when an ember from the central wildfire gets blown into a nearby bush or field, ultimately creating a second fire. Its like a blowtorch, he said. Indeed, the thing thats really challenging here is the embers, which can float one or two miles and jump across fire breaks, Peterson said. Thats why residential areas are so vulnerable. "It's like a blowtorch." Scott McLean There is so much energy and so much intensity that we cannot stop them with conventional means, Peterson said. In these fires, we have to allow them to burn until theres a period of high humidity and rain that helps reduce the temperature of fire enough to control it. But rain can also create muddy conditions for bulldozers and fire crews which impacts how they can combat the blaze. Peterson said that firefighters work to steer the fire, pushing it toward the ocean, highway or a steep, rocky area where there is less vegetation. This method usually helps to stop or slow down the wildfire. They also use aerial and satellite photos to work with the landscape and keep an eye on which direction the wind is coming from, he said. As for the Thomas Fire, however, McLean said resident safety always comes first -- hence the evacuations that took place as the fire worsened. Its a case by case basis, and its extremely fluid, McLean said, adding that several strategies and tactics are in place to stop or control it. Why have Californias wildfires been so destructive recently? McLean explained that California had faced a significant drought over the past five years, which created a lot of dead vegetation across the state. Like other Mediterranean climates, wintertime brings rain, which fills up water reserves and helps new plant-life grow. California also had a record amount of rainfall in the spring of 2017. But the summers heat dried out that new growth, and, combined with the autumn winds, means a lot of fuel was created for wildfires, he said. These wildfires in Southern California are unlike anywhere else in the West, Peterson said. And this year in particular, thats primarily because of the Santa Ana winds. Indeed, the fires that occur in Southern California in the fall and winter are unique, Peterson said. While most of the wind cycles across the U.S. blow off of the Pacific Ocean and move east, the Santa Ana winds blow off the desert in Arizona and move west toward California. These hot, dry winds, which can reach 50 miles per hour or more, along with warm weather and dead vegetation, is the perfect concoction for severe wildfires. This [the Santa Ana winds] usually happens to some extent every year, but, like all natural phenomena, happens more severely some years than others, he said. One of the more severe years was 2017. Between the winds and the lightning storms, close to 10 million acres in the West burned in 2017 alone, Peterson said. McLean said there are millions of dead trees in California -- but those primarily serve as potential fuel for wildfires to blaze across the northern part of the state. In Southern California, on the other hand, smaller fuels -- like chaparral, which is a shrub-like plant with fine stems and leaves -- propel the wildfires. Were not dealing much with forest in Southern California, were dealing more with chaparral -- and that gets even hotter than a forest fire, Peterson said. Theres a long road ahead of us. The fires weve dealt with recently -- like the Thomas Fire -- are all indicators of what were having to deal with in California for the next few years, McLean added. Rains are not a cure-all with one winter -- it will take several years of winters to get moisture back into plants and reservoirs. What is the impact on wine, entertainment and wildlife? Wildfires could also impact the states wine industry from an economic standpoint, wine experts previously told Fox News. In the state of California, the wine industry generates $57.6 billion in annual economic activity, according to 2015 data from the Wine Institute. About 325,000 Californians are employed by the wine industry in California, according to the Wine Institute. It also contributes $17.2 billion in wages annually in the state. Additionally, the industry generates $7.2 billion in tourism expenditures in California. One of the biggest revenue generators in the West are recreational activities on public lands, Peterson said -- such as hiking, skiing or sightseeing. Businesses shut down, and smaller communities who depend on tourism are greatly impacted, Peterson said. As for wildlife, most animals can either fly or run away from the wildfires, while others can burrow underground. Peterson said that fires are a good thing for deer, elk, Bark Beetles and some types of vegetation. But for other animals -- like the Spotted Owl and the Lynx, for example -- wildfires are harmful, often destroying their habitats. Theres always going to be winners and losers in wildfires, Peterson said. Additionally, the smoke from wildfires is hard on people who have respiratory problems. The smoke typically impacts older adults and children. Peterson recalled a time that there was so much smoke in the air from a wildfire it was difficult to talk. As for the entertainment industry, the Hollywood Reporter reported that HBO suspended its second season of Westworld due to a 200-acre brush fire that broke out near where the show was filming. Overall, the Thomas fire has cost more than $204.5 million to fight, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman told the Los Angeles Times. Fox News Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Defying dire, worldwide warnings, President Donald Trump on Wednesday broke with decades of U.S. and international policy and formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Despite urgent appeals from Arab and European leaders and the risk of anti-American protests and violence, Trump declared it was time for a new approach to Mideast peace after decades of failure. Calling Jerusalem Israel's capital, he argued, was merely recognizing the obvious. "We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past," the president said. He also said the U.S. would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, though he set no timetable. Ahead of Trump's speech, a wide array of world leaders warned that his declaration could severely damage Arab-Israeli peace prospects in a region wracked by instability. They said recognizing Israel's claims to the city, however caveated, would infuriate Muslims and potentially spark protests and violence that might further fray American alliances. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his nation was "profoundly grateful" and Trump's announcement was an "important step toward peace." However, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that the U.S. shift "is a declaration of withdrawal from the role it has played in the peace process." In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinian protesters burned American and Israeli flags. They also waved Palestinian flags and banners proclaiming Jerusalem as their "eternal capital," language that Israelis similarly use. Even America's closest allies in Europe questioned the wisdom of Trump's departure from the past U.S. position, which was studiously neutral over the sovereignty of the city. "I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said in a White House address, calling his decision "overdue" and in America's best interests. "This is nothing more or less than the recognition of reality," he said. Trump made no reference to signing a waiver that officials said he would sign delaying any move of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Establishing a Jerusalem embassy was a major campaign promise of Trump's and one that officials said he had focused on in discussions with top advisers in recent weeks. The waiver means there will be no embassy move for at least another six months. Instead, Trump stressed that he directed the State Department begin the process of moving the embassy as required by U.S. law, however many years that might take. After his speech, he signed a proclamation to that effect. The Trump administration has opted against an earlier plan of converting the existing U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem to an embassy, said a non-governmental expert on the Middle East who consults regularly with the White House. Instead, it's looking to construct an entirely new facility over the long term and a U.S. team is examining prospective sites in Jerusalem, said the individual, who wasn't authorized to disclose private conversations with U.S. officials and requested anonymity. There was little in Trump's statement to encourage the Palestinians. Although he recited the longstanding U.S. position that Jerusalem's borders must still be worked out through negotiation, he made no recognition of the Palestinian claims to east Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was expected to deliver a statement later Wednesday after consulting fellow Arab leaders. While Trump for the first time endorsed the concept of an independent Palestine existing alongside Israel, even that idea appeared conditional. He said he would promote the "two-state solution" if both sides agree. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is dominated by hardliners who oppose Palestinian independence. Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a powerful symbolic step. The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has seen the city's future as indelibly linked to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been trying to restart a new peace process. In making his decision, Trump overruled more cautious counsel from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis, who expressed concern about endangering U.S. diplomats and troops in Muslim countries, according to officials briefed on internal administration deliberations. Those officials were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. "There will of course be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement but we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a place of greater understanding and cooperation," Trump said. He said he intends "to do everything in my power to help forge" a peace agreement. Jerusalem includes the holiest ground in Judaism. It's also home to Islam's third-holiest shrine and major Christian sites, and any perceived harm to Muslim claims to the city has triggered protests in the past, in the Holy Land and beyond. On Tuesday, America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to stay away from places with increased police or military presence. Saudi Arabia's King Salman, one of several Arab leaders to speak to Trump this week, warned the U.S. leader Tuesday that declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital "would constitute a flagrant provocation to all Muslims, all over the world." Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II said they told Trump specifically not to move the embassy. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she planned to call Trump to discuss her country's support for a two-state solution. Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, said Wednesday that Trump's recognition of contested Jerusalem as Israel's capital means "the peace process is finished" because Washington "has already pre-empted the outcome." Now, she said, "there is no way that there can be talks with the Americans." ___ Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem; Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan; Josh Lederman in Brussels; Matthew Pennington and Bradley Klapper in Washington; Elaine Ganley in Paris; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. An Arizona dad was so fed up with his 14-year-old daughter's disciplinary issues he handed the girl a gun Sunday and told her to pull the trigger, police said. Ulys Laffette Bell IV, 38, of Fort Mohave, gave the 9mm handgun to his daughter Sunday and instructed her to commit suicide, the Mohave County Sheriffs Office said. MOM OF 2 DIES DAY AFTER FLU DIAGNOSIS The teenager reported the incident Monday to school officials who informed police, 3 News Las Vegas reported. Bell admitted to authorities he had disciplinary issues with his daughter and gave her a gun to shoot herself with, officials said. He told police the gun was not loaded at the time of the incident. PIZZA HUT STARTS DELIVERING BEER AND WINE IN ARIZONA Sue Callahan, the sheriffs office spokeswoman, said officials couldn't confirm the gun was unloaded at the time of the alleged incident. Bell was jailed on suspicion of disorderly conduct with a weapon, child abuse and endangerment. It was not immediately known whether Bell had an attorney. The Associated Press contributed to this report. News / National by Stephen Jakes Patson Dzamara the brother to the abducted Itai Dzamara whose where about are still not known has petitioned the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa demanding the release of his brother dead or alive.Itai was abducted in Harare some time ago and no leads have been made as to where he is to date."We demand the release of Itai Dzamara dead or alive today. I petitioned the president at his Munhumutapa offices over the abduction and subsequent missing of Itai Dzamara. I hope he remembers that the voice of the people is God's voice and hit the ground running over this matter," Dzamara said. The National Border Patrol Council blasted a Texas sheriff's claim a border agent's mysterious death last month was caused by a passing tractor trailer -- and the union chief gave Fox News pictures and details from the scene he says proves Rogelio Martinez's death was no accident. Martinez was found dead of a traumatic head injury in a culvert Nov. 18, lying near another injured agent, who hasn't been identified. Since the incident, few aspects of the case have been released by authorities. Nothing makes sense, Brandon Judd, the president of the NBPC, told Fox News. Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carillo said the two agents could have sustained their injuries -- which included broken bones -- when a tractor trailers mirror sideswiped the agents and pushed them into the culvert, which was about 8 feet 8 inches high, the Dallas Morning News reported. Carillo added there had been several accidents reported on Interstate 10. From the beginning we were radioed to assist in the incident as an injury, not an assault," he said. "Thats the way it was communicated to us. Martinez was patrolling the Big Bend Sector near the Texas border with Mexico just after 11 p.m. on Nov. 18 when he and his partner suffered the injuries, FBI El Paso said in a news release. Both agents were rushed to the hospital, where Martinez died. Judd, however, said the accident theory doesnt add up. He sent agents to the scene where the supposed sideswipe would have occurred and said the evidence isn't there to suggest a traffic accident. We sent agents out to the scene where Agent Martinez was found and measured to see how far off the shoulder was to the pavement, then to the grass and culvert, Judd said. The highways shoulder measured 9 feet 2 inches. From the shoulder to the edge of the culvert is another 20 feet 8 inches, according to the NBPCs measurements. Based on those figures, the agents would have to be standing on the pavement and the truck would have had to significantly veer off the interstate to push them into the culvert. First of all, there was no reason for the agents to have been on the pavement, Judd said. Many questions have remained unanswered since Martinezs death, including the key query: What happened Nov. 18? Investigators have said Martinez's partner, who radioed for help, is recovering from his injuries but does not remember what happened. Judd previously told Fox News, based on reports from agents working in the area, it was a high likelihood this was an assault on Martinez and his partner. He added a group of illegal immigrants could have used rocks to bash the agents in the head, which would explain the severe head injuries both suffered. Before espousing the sideswipe theory, the sheriff also initially said the agents may have simply fallen into the culvert and died. But Judd believes its unlikely for someone to sustain such traumatic injuries from a fall. Judd also questions how the sheriff came up with the specific details for the sideswipe scenario, such as saying an 18-wheeler may have been the vehicle at fault. The FBI suspects it was a violent assault. The FBI does not suspect a sideswipe. The FBI does not suspect an accident, Judd said, citing a Nov. 21 FBI statement. FBI spokeswoman Jeanette Harper also told Fox News on Wednesday that, though the bureau was looking at all scenarios, its main focus was investigating an intentional assault on the officers." With the leads that come in, [an accident is] one of the many scenarios that we are looking at, but the primary focus of the FBI is an intentional assault on the officer, Harper said. All the leads and tips that come in, we have to aggressively look at those. The FBI doubled its reward for information on Martinez's death, bringing the total to $50,000 Monday. Texas is also offering a $20,000 reward for information. In the Nov. 20 press release authorizing the Texas reward, Gov. Greg Abbott's office said it was seeking "the person or persons responsible for the murder" of Martinez. [Texas first lady Cecilia Abbott] and I offer our deepest condolences to the families of the agents killed and seriously injured in this attack," Abbott said in the statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A teenage girl was shot and killed Monday by her 27-year-old boyfriend who reportedly also fathered three children with the teens sister before the man crashed the car the couple was riding in, police said. Evalyce Santiago, 16, was found in the passenger seat of a flaming car with three gunshot wounds to her head and hands, FOX61 reported. The car crashed into the yard of a Waterbury, Conn. home about 10 a.m. Monday. Dominique Pittman, 27, is accused of shooting Santiago and escaping the vehicle before it burst into flames. Police found Pittman visibly shaken and suffering from some bumps and bruises, Waterbury Police Deputy Chief Spagnolo told WFSB. Police are investigating the relationship between Santiago and Pittman. The age of consent in Connecticut is 16, but its unclear when their relationship began. Francisco Rivera, Santiagos adoptive father, told WFSB that Pittman was also the father of three children with his other daughter. "He was my son in law. I just want the truth," Rivera said. "He was dating my daughter and he has three kids with my other daughter." Christy Rivera, Santiagos aunt, said at a vigil being held for the teenage girl she wished she could bring her back. "To have all this happen and not even say 'Goodbye' or 'I love you' to her again, it just hurts," she said. "I hope she's looking down at me right now and knows that I really love her, and I wish she was here with us today." Pittman was charged with murder and various weapons violations. He's being held on $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. A GoFundMe was created to cover funeral and burial expenses for Santiago. Two Virginia elementary school physical education teachers smoked marijuana and hashish in an office nearly every day before classes began, using air freshener to mask the smell before students walked in, police said. Taylor Elementary School physical education teachers Luke Lloyd, 25, and Michael Diaddigo, 28, were arrested, charged with possessing marijuana, and suspended from the school following the accusations, FOX5 DC reported. A third teacher, who has not been identified, was placed on administrative leave. Police received an anonymous tip the three teachers were smoking marijuana in their office, NBC Washington reported. MARRIED MOTHER-OF-TWO, 29, PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES OF CLASSROOM SEX WITH HER TEEN BOY STUDENT On Friday, the Arlington Police Department received two search warrants, one for the school and the other for a car. Drug-sniffing dogs reportedly found the drugs in Diaddigos desk and in the desk of the unidentified teacher, The Washington Post reported. Police told NBC Washington that Diaddigo supplied other teachers at the school with marijuana and exchanged it on school property. Diaddigo and Lloyd were released on a summons and slated to appear for arraignments Wednesday. Harold Pellegreen, the principal at Taylor Elementary, sent a letter to parents addressing the arrests. SPECIAL ED TEACHER, 24, FIRED FOR ALLEGED TRYST WITH MALE STUDENT IN CLASSROOM As educators, we are obviously shocked and dismayed by this news, and our first concern has been for our students, Pellegreen wrote. This is a disheartening situation for Taylor. Please be assured that we will continue to work together to ensure that Taylors students, families and staff are supported during this transition. Police who busted a fentanyl ring in Columbus, Ohio found enough of the drug to kill the population of the entire city, prosecutors told Fox News. Investigators ended up finding 4.5 pounds of fentanyl in a drug bust in October, which could have wiped out the city of about 800,000 residents. But that's not even close to what was found in the Ohio capital the following month when police seized 20 pounds of pure fentanyl. So it would probably be enough to kill all, the entire population in the state of Ohio, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron OBrien said. Ohio has 11.6 million residents and, at 2 to 3 milligrams per lethal dose, the amount of fentanyl discovered in the November bust could potentially kill more than 9 million people. "Two or three milligrams of fentanyl is not much more than five or six small grains of salt," OBrien said. But the epidemic goes beyond Ohio. Some of the major opioid busts this year could have killed the entire populations of several states. In New York, officials seized more than 140 pounds of fentanyl in August. The Drug Enforcement Administration said that amount couldve killed nearly 32 million people -- the populations of Texas and Oklahoma combined In San Diego, close to 100 pounds of fentanyl were seized in June, enough to kill the combined residents of New York, New Hampshire and Maine -- 22.4 million people. In St. Louis, nearly 60 pounds of pure fentanyl found in April could have killed 13.6 million people. OBrien said he knows the issue of opioid abuse extends beyond his city. Thats occurring not only here but across the country, he told Fox News. The Center for Disease Controls latest drug report stated more than 33,000 people died from opioid-related drug overdoses in 2015. Close to 10,000 of them were from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Researchers say the issue has moved beyond prescription opioids. Weve tried to curtail the supply of prescription opioids but that has led users to move to illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl," Michael Betz, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences at Ohio State University, told Fox News. The ongoing battle against the epidemic is costing Ohio residents between $6.6 and 8.8 billion per year, Betz told Fox News. "That's roughly what the state of Ohio spends on its education for K through 12," he said. Betz said tackling the issue remains a challenge. How do you stop illegal supplies of illicit drugs? he said. Im not sure we have many good answers to that right now. A police officer who responded to last year's Pulse Nightclub massacre in Florida is being dismissed -- just six months before being eligible to receive pension benefits. Cpl. Omar Delgado of the Eatonville Police Department was told Monday that his last day would be Dec. 31. Six more months would have allowed the 45-year-old officer to collect 64 percent of his salary, plus benefits, for life. Instead, he will now receive only 42 percent of his salary starting at age 55, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The officer claims the department made the decision after a doctor found him unfit to return to full duty because of post-traumatic stress disorder. The department did not confirm Delgados claim but Deputy Chief Joseph Jenkins said the department reached an agreement with Delgado to end his employment, the Sentinel's report said. Delgado was among the first police officers on the scene June 12, 2016, after a gunman killed 49 people and left 68 wounded. He was praised for helping to save the life of Angel Colon, who had been shot several times. Delgado now suffers from PTSD. A few months after the shooting, he returned to his patrol job but soon had to stop because memories from the bloody nightclub scene haunted him. Too many people. God forbid, something happens I dont know if Id be able to react, Delgado said speaking about being fearful even going to restaurants and bars. For the last eight months, Delgado has worked a desk job but will be unable to reap the benefits of his pension when he is let go by the end of the month after nearly 10 years on the job. A Florida art professors anti-Trump display with T-shirts bearing such slogans as Unapologetic Racist Enabler 2017" and WTF? 2016" is being showcased at Pensacola State College ahead of the presidents visit to the Panhandle Friday. Douglas Reiser, who designed the shirts amid the 2016 election, has them up in the schools art department until Jan. 12 as part of a faculty and staff exhibition. "This is such a Trump-central area, it's so pro-Trump, that I felt like somebody in this area should say, 'Hey, we're not all pro-Trump,'" Reiser told the Pensacola News Journal. Next to each shirt is a plaque with quotes from Trump that Reiser found interesting, with blank space available for future inexplicable quotes, he said. A Twitter account that appeared to have been set up by Reiser shows pictures of the exhibit. A free speech zone is also set up with a book that guests can sign. Reiser told the Pensacola News Journal that it is basically a platform for free speech, for both sides. "Trump sold us his speech and suckers bought it," reads one message. "ANTIFA = ISIS/Nazis, says another. Reiser says his boss and gallery director encouraged the installation, although he has gotten some blowback from his students. President Trump will hold a rally Friday at the 10,000-seat Pensacola Bay Center, which Reiser plans to attend in one of his shirts. The county in which Pensacola is located voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton by a total of 88,808 to 57,461 votes. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant who was found not guilty of murder in November for the fatal shooting of Kate Steinle in 2015, pleaded not guilty on Feb. 13 to U.S. gun charges. Federal prosecutors charged Garcia Zarate with two counts of illegal gun possession in the fall after jurors in California court found him not guilty of killing Steinle. The charges are similar to a conviction that the jury did return being a felon in possession of a gun leading to a three-year jail sentence. Tony Serra and Maria Belyi, Garcia Zarate's attorneys, argue that the federal charges are politically motivated and are asking for the case to be thrown out. Short of dismissal, they say the two federal charges should be combined into one. Garcia Zarate was sentenced to time served in January for being a felon in possession of a firearm -- the sole conviction resulting from his November trial. Garcia Zarate was acquitted of first- and second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. He was also acquitted of assault with a deadly weapon. In March, Garcia Zarate's lawyers accused the federal government of "vindictive prosecution and collusion" against his client, according to a motion they reportedly filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. The lawyers wrote that the new charges brought against Garcia Zarate by the federal government are in "violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and violates Double Jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment because of ongoing collusion between the State of California and the federal government, according to the motion. Steinle was shot by Garcia Zarate when she was walking with her father and a family friend on Pier 14 in San Francisco. The case sparked a national debate about illegal immigration and so-called sanctuary cities. Garcia Zarates defense argued that the murder was an accident, explaining that the gun unexpectedly went off when he found it wrapped in a cloth underneath a bench. Heres what you need to know about Steinle and the case. Who was Kate Steinle? Steinle, 32, was from Pleasanton, Calif. After graduating from Amador Valley High School, she received a communications degree from California Polytechnic State University. Known for her adventurous spirit, Steinle traveled the world after graduating college. Prior to her death, she was employed by the medical technology company Medtronic. Her funeral was held at a winery in Pleasanton in July of 2015. Steinle is survived by her mother, Liz Sullivan, father, Jim Steinle, and brother, Brad Steinle. Who is Jose Ines Garcia Zarate? Garcia Zarate is an illegal immigrant from Mexico. He had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Steinle was fatally shot in the back while walking with her father on the pier. Before the shooting, Garcia Zarate had completed a federal prison sentence for illegal re-entry into the United States and had been transferred to San Francisco's jail in March 2015 to face a 20-year-old charge for selling marijuana. SANCTUARY CITIES: WHAT ARE THEY? The sheriff's department released him a few days later after prosecutors dropped the marijuana charge, despite a request from federal immigration officials to detain him for deportation. What are the details of the case? In a jailhouse interview in 2015, Garcia Zarate claimed he found the gun that killed Steinle, which was later determined to be stolen from the SUV of a U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger that was parked in San Francisco. Garcia Zarate fired one shot from the gun, which hit Steinle in the back and pierced her aorta. She collapsed into her fathers arms, who was with her and a family friend as they walked along the pier. Steinle died at a hospital shortly after she was shot. Garcia Zarate was arrested about one hour after the shooting. San Francisco Deputy District Attorney Diana Garcia said during the trial that she didn't know why Garcia Zarate fired the weapon, but that he created a risk of death by bringing the firearm to the pier and twirling around on a chair for at least 20 minutes before he fired. "He did kill someone. He took the life of a young, vibrant, beautiful, cherished woman by the name of Kate Steinle," she said. Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said in his closing argument that he knew it was difficult to believe Garcia Zarate found an object that turned out to be a weapon, which fired when he picked it up. But he told jurors that Garcia Zarate had no motivation to kill Steinle and that as awful as her death was, "nothing you do is going to fix that." Ballistic experts testified that the bullet ricocheted about 15 feet from where Garcia Zarate was sitting and then traveled another 80 feet before striking Steinle in the back and piercing her heart. His attorneys argued that even an expert marksman would have difficulty pulling off such a "skip shot." Garcia Zarate was ultimately found not guilty and was acquitted of first-and second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Following the verdict, U.S. immigration officials announced that he would be deported. But the Department of Justice later unsealed an arrest warrant for Garcia Zarate. The arrest warrant was originally drafted in 2015 and later amended to include violations related to the charges of a felon in possession of a firearm, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon, all of which were filed after the defendant's initial arrest, according to the warrant. As a result of Steinles death, the House of Representatives passed new legislation called Kates law in June of last year. The law increases penalties for deported aliens who are caught trying to return to the U.S. What has President Trump said about the case? Trump has been anything but silent on Steinles case. In November of last year, Trump tweeted that the verdict was disgraceful. A day later, he reiterated his campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2015, prior to Kates law being passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, Trump tweeted that he supported the law. In another tweet, he criticized former President Barack Obama's reaction to the shooting. During his speech at the Republican National Convention as the GOP presidential nominee, Trump mentioned Steinle in his speech. "But where was the sanctuary for Kate Steinle? Where was sanctuary for the children of Mary Ann, Sabine and Jamiel Where was sanctuary for all the other- ah it's so sad to even be talking about it cause we can solve this problem so quickly," he said during the speech, referencing sanctuary cities. "I don't pay too much attention to it, you know, they're going to say what they're going to say. I really have no say in what's going to be put out there," Brad Steinle said in response to Trump's comments, according to a 2016 interview with ABC 7. What was the Steinle familys reaction to the verdict? Jim Steinle told the San Francisco Chronicle the family was saddened and shocked by the verdict. "There's no other way you can coin it. Justice was rendered, but it was not served, he said. Fox News' Claudia Cowan and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Police say a teenager in Tennessee has been killed in a confrontation during a home invasion. Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron told news outlets that 17-year-old Ja'Donte Thompson was fatally shot during a scuffle late Tuesday with one of two people who had entered the home. Metro Nashville Schools spokeswoman Michelle Michaud said in a statement that the teen attended Hillsboro High School and the district is providing grief counselors. Police said no arrests had been made by early Wednesday morning. The wife of Omar Mateen, the gunman who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub last year in the name of ISIS, will stand trial in the Florida city, a judge ordered Wednesday. Noor Salmans attorneys had filed a motion in September to have her trial moved to another city, claiming that media coverage of her husbands attack and remarks from Orlando Police Chief John Mina wouldnt allow her to have a fair trial, according to WESH. Salman has been charged with providing material support to a terror organization and obstruction of justice, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Salmans husband, Mateen, killed 49 people and wounded almost 70 others when he opened fire at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016 in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. The gay bar on the night of the shooting was packed with more than 300 people. Mateen called 911 when he was pulling off the attack to pledge his allegiance to ISIS, and was shouting Allahu akbar while engaging officers, law enforcement sources told Fox News around the time of the attack. Salman knew about her husband's plan before the shooting and how he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group, prosecutors said. She shopped with her husband the night before the attack when he bought five containers of ammunition, a source close to the investigation told Fox News. The motion filed for Salman, according to the Sentinel, cited remarks made by the police chief, one of which said: I am glad to see that Omar Mateens wife has been charged with aiding her husband in the commission of the brutal attack on the Pulse nightclub. PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING: 49 VICTIMS REMEBERED ONE YEAR LATER The statement stems from comments Mina made when Salman was arrested in January. He said her arrest provides some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime. The judges order quoted a U.S. Supreme Court ruling which said, prominence of media coverage does not necessarily produce prejudicing and juror impartiality does not require ignorance, WESH reported. Salmans trial is scheduled for March 1. A veteran Florida python hunter last weekend snagged a record 17-foot snake, a behemoth so immense he said it could "kill any full-grown man." The South Florida Water Management District said Monday python hunter Jason Leon broke the agency's old record with his kill of a Burmese python in southern Miami-Dade County at around 2:45 a.m. Friday. "That snake could pretty much kill any full-grown man," Leon told NBC6. "If that snake was alive right now it would probably take like three of us to be able to control that snake." The 17-foot, 1-inch python, weighing 132 pounds, is the longest ever brought in for the agency's Python Elimination Program. Leon also holds the overall state record with an 18-foot-8-inch python he caught in 2013. Leon said in a video posted by the SFWMD he spotted the female snake in submerged water, grabbed her and quickly shot her in the head while holding the snake. There was a smaller male python nearby, but he was not captured, Leon said. Were going to find a 20-footer tonight, he joked after bringing the snake to the districts field office in Homestead. The catch on Friday toppled the previous record by Dusty Crum, which measured 16 feet, 11 inches, according to WSVN. AS SNAKES INVADE THAILANDS CAPITAL, ITS FIREFIGHTERS WHO ARE COMING TO THE RESCUE The water districts Python Elimination Program asks licensed South Florida hunters to remove the invasive animals in order to protect native wildlife. Since the program began in March, more than 730 pythons have been removed from the Everglades, according to the agency. The district pays hunters $8.10 an hour as part of the hunt, plus a bounty for each snake caught, and plans to continue until its $125,000 budget runs out, The Miami Herald reported. News / National by Simbarashe Sithole The Norton independent legislator Temba Mliswa has come under attack on micro blogging social network, Twitter, after he said President Emmerson Mnangagwa was for the people though he is not eloquent as former President Robert Mugabe."We officially now have the President of the people ED spent at least 15mins greeting people and listening to them after the official event of renaming the KG6 to Josiah Magamba Tongogara."He's not as eloquent as Bob but he's definitely for the people," tweeted Mliswa.One commenter labeled Mliswa as a bootlicker and advised him to stop bootlicking as it is linked to Mugabeism."Temba please stop the bootlicking, that's a typical Mugabeism trait every leader should be able to talk to his nation look at Botswana president?" twitted Tadiwa.Witness Mawire refuted the claim saying Mnangagwa was never voted for, "ED is not for the people ! We didn't vote for him instead he stole the presidency.Others said they should not be reminded about former president Robert Mugabe."Hon Mliswa you're out of order .LOL. We are trying to forget RG but you keep bringing him up into the new dispensation," A series of wind-whipped wildfires that turned parts of Southern California into a smoldering scene of destruction continued to rage Wednesday, as a new blaze erupted in an exclusive ridge-top neighborhood in Los Angeles. The fire erupted early Wednesday near the famed Getty Center in the Sepulveda Pass, prompting the partial closure of the 405 Freeway and threatening multi-million dollar homes in the city's ritzy residential enclave of Bel Air. The blaze, known as the "Skirball Fire," was reported at 4:52 a.m. on the east side of the freeway near Mulholland Drive, Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department told FOX11. The Getty Center and the nearby Skirball Center are both on the west side of the freeway opposite the roughly 150-acre blaze, but the fire was threatening homes toward the top of the hill on the east side, Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference. Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the area east of the 405 Freeway, South of Mulholland Drive, West of Roscomare Road and North of Sunset Boulevard. "These are days that break your heart. But these are also days that show the resilience of our city." Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Garcetti said the fire, which is 0 percent contained, has destroyed at least four homes, possibly two more. These are days that break your heart, he told reporters at a news conference. But these are also days that show the resilience of our city. The brush fire is burning uphill, driven by topography rather than winds, fire officials said. LA Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said 350 firefighters and 52 engines are fighting the "Skirball Fire." Cal Fire has brought in six fixed-wing aircraft fighting the fire from the north, west and east as Santa Ana winds have calmed down as of early Wednesday. Water-dropping helicopters and hundreds of firefighters on the ground are working to protect the homes as the evacuations are being carried out by firefighters and police. The largest and most destructive of the fires in the region, a 101-square-mile blaze known as the "Thomas Fire" in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles, had nearly reached the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday night after starting 30 miles inland a day earlier. The blaze is now estimated to have burned 65,000 acres with zero percent containment and threatening 12,000 structures. It is being pushed by strong Santa Ana winds from the east as it consumes vegetation that hasn't burned in decades, according to FOX11 Los Angeles. "The prospects for containment are not good," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said at a news conference Tuesday. "Really, Mother Nature's going to decide when we have the ability to put it out." Those fierce winds, with gusts of over 50 mph on Tuesday, kept water-dropping planes and helicopters mostly grounded because it's too dangerous to fly them in those conditions. Fire commanders hoped to have them back in the air on Wednesday, but all indications were that the winds will be whipping then, too fanning the flames that spurred evacuation orders for nearly 200,000 people, destroyed nearly 200 homes and remained mostly out control. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the path of Californias wildfires," President Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. "I encourage everyone to heed the advice and orders of local and state officials. THANK YOU to all First Responders for your incredible work!" While the blazes in Southern California brought memories of the firestorm two months ago further north that killed 44 people, no deaths and only a handful of injuries had been reported as of Wednesday morning. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES TRIGGER MASS DESTRUCTION, HURTING FAMILIES, ECONOMY "This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement as he declared a state of emergency in Ventura County. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so." The "Thomas Fire" jumped the major artery of U.S. Highway 101 to a rocky beach northwest of Ventura, bringing new evacuations, though officials said the sparse population and lack of vegetation in the area meant it was not overly dangerous, and the highway was not closed. Ventura Fire Department Chief David Endaya told Fox News' "Happening Now" he hasn't seen fires like this in his 15 years with the department. "There's no way to get ahead of something like this, as far as where we were on the night where it began," Endaya said. "We had a red flag warning, we had winds up to 80 mph gusting, and again as we saw very recently in Northern California, even with the best of planning and continued up-staffing of people, it's really up to where Mother Nature decides to do something -- its very difficult to get ahead of it." The fire had destroyed at least 150 structures, but Todd Derum, an incident commander, said he suspects hundreds more homes have already been lost, though firefighters have been unable to assess them. Mansions and modest homes alike were in flames in the city. Dozens of houses in one neighborhood burned to the ground. Lisa Kermode and her children returned to their home Tuesday after evacuating Monday to find their home and possessions in ashes, including a Christmas tree and the presents they had just bought. "We got knots in our stomach coming back up here," Kermode told the Associated Press. "We lost everything, everything, all our clothes, anything that was important to us. All our family heirlooms it's not sort of gone, it's completely gone." John Keasler, 65, and his wife Linda raced out of their apartment building as the flames approached, then stood and watched the fire burn it to the ground. "It is sad," Keasler said. "We loved this place. We lost everything." The blaze also destroyed Vista del Mar Hospital, a psychiatric hospital that specializes in treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. "I burst into tears," Sandy Case, who lives next to the facility, told the Los Angeles Times. "It broke my heart." While the "Thomas Fire" may be the largest wildfire in the region, a separate blaze known as the "Creek Fire" in the foothills of northern Los Angeles burned 30 structures and forced more than 100,000 people from their homes. EXPLOSIVE WILDFIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FORCE TENS OF THOUSANDS TO EVACUATE An estimated 600 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was being pushed by sustained winds of 25 mph, along with gusts up to 45 mph, according to FOX11. Fires are not typical in Southern California this time of year but can break out when dry vegetation and too little rain combine with the Santa Ana winds. Hardly any measurable rain has fallen in the region over the past six months. The so-called Santa Ana winds have long contributed to some of the region's most disastrous wildfires, which blow from the inland toward the Pacific Ocean, speeding up as they squeeze through mountain passes and canyons. In LA County, television shows with large outdoor sets including HBO's "Westworld" and CBS's "S.W.A.T." halted production of because of worries about the safety of cast and crew. The NFL's Los Angeles Rams, which hold workouts near the Ventura County fire, canceled practice Wednesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The controversial tax bill approved by the Senate over the weekend includes a provision that would allow commercial oil drilling in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) marking the closest Alaska lawmakers and the fossil fuel industry have come in decades to having the pristine corner of the state opened up for development. Tonight is a critical milestone in our efforts to secure Alaskas future, Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement over the weekend. Opening the 1002 Area and tax reform both stand on their own, but combining them into the same bill, and then successfully passing that bill, makes this a great day to be an Alaskan. Murkowski, along with Alaskas other senator, Republican Dan Sullivan, has been a major proponent of opening up ANWR to oil and gas development to help fund the state. Without income or sales tax, Alaska is almost entirely dependent on oil revenues to pay for everything from infrastructure projects to social welfare programs. ANWR Facts Refuge was created in 1980 under Carter Adminstration Encompasses 19 million acres along Alaska's northesatern border with Canada Home to polar bears, porcupine caribou, gray wolves and over 200 species of migratory birds There are an estimated 11.8 billion barrels of oil under ANWR's coastal plain Drilling provisions are estimated to bring in $2.2 billion in fees to Alaska during the first 10 years, with the money coming entirely from bids, as oil production is not expected to start within that time frame. This is crucial for the economic growth of our state and nation, but also for countless families, communities and small businesses, Alaskas Republican Rep. Don Young said in a statement. At the heart of the battle over ANWR a 19-million-acre tract of land flanked by the Brooks Range to the south, the Beaufort Sea to the north and Canadas Yukon province to the east is a section of the refuge called the coastal plain, or section 1002. Along with Alaskas Republican lawmakers, the fossil fuel industry sees the estimated 11.8 billion barrels of oil under the coastal plain as a boon to the states flagging economy that has suffered from low oil prices on the global market and a decline in crude flowing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. On the other side are environmental groups and the indigenous Gwich'in people, who consider the coastal plain sacred land and say oil drilling would ruin a fragile habitat for gray wolves, polar bears, porcupine caribou and more than 200 species of migratory birds. Its outrageous that the oil lobby and their allies in Congress are trying to destroy the crown jewel of Americas wildlife refuge system after nearly four decades of bipartisan support for protecting it, Nicole Whittington-Evans, the Wilderness Societys Alaska regional director, told Fox News in an email. The coastal plain is vital habitat for millions of migratory birds, wolves, musk oxen, threatened polar bears, and the Porcupine Caribou Herd. It has value far beyond whatever oil might lie beneath it. The refuge was created in 1980 as part of comprehensive public-lands legislation signed into law by President Jimmy Carter that put more than 100 million federal acres in Alaska under conservation protection. Lawmakers at the time recognized the potential for oil drilling on the coastal plain but they prohibited leasing or other development on the land unless authorized by a future Congress. That is basically where the issue has stood for the past 36 years as Alaskan lawmakers and oil industry executives advances have been thwarted in Congress. In 1995, the Alaskan delegation inserted a provision opening ANWR to development in a budget reconciliation bill, but the bill was vetoed by President Bill Clinton. In 2005, despite having the Senate, House and White House all in Republican hands, a push to open ANWR was also unsuccessful as a number of moderate Republicans voted against it. More than a decade later -- and with pressure on Republicans to push through tax cuts and get their first major legislative win of Trumps presidency many of those moderate Republicans are feeling the pressure to close party ranks. There is tremendous pressure on moderates to get a win for the GOP ahead of the midterms, Athan Manuel, the director of the Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, told Fox News. And with Murkowski, she feels like it is now or never to open up ANWR. Despite making it through the Senate, opening up ANWR to drilling is still far from a sure thing. The House version of the tax bill does not include the ANWR provision in the Senate bill and a group of 12 Republican congressmen sent letters last week to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell expressing their opposition to drilling in the refuge. In order for the measure to become law, identical versions of the tax bill must be voted on by both chambers, meaning that the ANWR provisions will have to be added to the House version. Even if the policy is approved and signed by Trump, Democrats could put up significant roadblocks if they take control of either house of Congress after next years midterm elections. Plus, environmental groups have vowed to challenge the legislation in court. Were not giving up, the Sierra Clubs Manuel said. Were going to fight this every step of the way. Maybe the biggest barrier to drilling in ANWR, however, will be the price of oil and the high costs of operating in Alaska. With the current price of oil hovering around $60 a barrel, oil executives are unlikely to jump on exploring ANWR a process itself that could take years as companies need high oil prices just to recoup the high costs of operating in such a challenging environment. Price is the final arbiter. You can sell a lot of leases at any price, but you cant produce barrels at any price, Kevin Book, managing director of policy consulting firm ClearView Energy Partners, told the Hill. A teen accused of killing his grandmother before Thanksgiving has been extradited back to Florida from New York where he was captured by agents near the Canadian border. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office tweeted that 15-year-old Logan Mott arrived in back in Florida on Tuesday evening to face charges of second-degree murder and theft of a vehicle. Mott and his 53-year-old grandmother Kristina French were reported missing when they didn't pick up his father at the airport the day before Thanksgiving. The grandmother was watching the teen while his father was out of town. French's body was found in a shallow grave in Mott's backyard. Police say he took her car and was detained in Buffalo, New York. A coalition of Jewish and pro-Israel students at the University of California, Berkeley, are calling for swift action against a lecturers promotion of hatred and intolerance. Ethnic Studies lecturer and Students for Justice in Palestine founder, Hatem Bazian, was blasted for anti-Semitic retweets in a letter co-signed by several groups, including the Chabad Jewish Student Group at UC Berkeley, Bears for Israel, Berkeley Hillel and Tikvah: Students for Israel. While we fully support academic freedom and free speech, we believe Bazians record is severe enough to warrant more than just condemnation, the students said in the letter. We also know that there is a precedent for the removal of non-tenured faculty who promote hate on social media and elsewhere. Oberlin College fired professor Joy Karega, following an investigation into anti-Semitic statements she made on social media, a University of Tampa professor was fired for suggesting that Hurricane Harvey was karma for the state of Texas, and a John Jay College professor was suspended for tweeting about dead cops. The tweets mocked Hassidic Jews, with one saying Mom, look! I is chosen! I can now kill, rape, smuggle organs and steal the land of Palestinians Yay #Ashke-Nazi. Another had an image of North Koreas leader wearing a yarmulke with the words God chose me, 101 Judaism we teach it, and the message: I just converted all of North Korea to Judaism. Donald Tlump (sic): Now my nukes are legal and I can annex South Korea and you need to start paying me 34 billion a year in welfare. Bazian issued an apology for retweeting the images without giving it much thought, noting it popped up because of a number of pro-Israel groups highlighted it. I take responsibility for my words and statements and stand by my own work relative to Palestine, BDS and opposition to Zionism and settler colonialism and those who take issue on the content of my scholarship and work are welcome to disagree and offer a defense of their point of view in the open market of ideas, Bazian wrote. The university promptly condemned the lecturers unacceptable anti-Semitism that clearly crossed the line. But the students believe that doesnt go far enough, and that the university should cut all ties with Bazian. While I believe that the university condemning Bazian's actions is a great first step in combatting this issue, I don't think enough was done to make sure it does not happen again, Adah Forer, co-president of Tikvah: Students for Israel, told Fox News. In a letter to the administration, the students said Bazian has a track record of anti-Semitism, going back as far as 2002, when he insinuated Jews control UC Berkeley: A classic anti-Semitic trope about Jewish power, the groups wrote. He also compared Israelis with Nazis in 2014, and, in May of this year, he shared a video claiming that Israeli soldiers killed young Palestinians for their organs. As Chairman of American Muslims for Palestine, or AMP, the groups point out, Bazian heads an organization whose leaders and speakers have spread racism, homophobia, and genocide denial. If such vile racism was spread targeting a different group be it black, Hispanic, or Muslim the university administration would have already taken disciplinary action, Forer said. The double standard against attacks on the Jewish community is fully evident here. I am also highly concerned by what propaganda Hatem Bazian, an official lecturer at our university, spreads in the lecture hall to my peers, unchallenged and through an official university platform. The university said administrators have offered to meet with the Jewish student groups to listen to their concerns and make sure the college leaders improve our campus climate for Jewish students, said Oscar Dubon, vice chancellor for Equity & Inclusion. A newly-unearthed photo of Bonnie and Clyde depicts the murderous outlaws in a loving embrace days before they met a gruesome end. The photo shows the legendary crime duo kissing in Joplin, Missouri, shortly before they were gunned down in an ambush. The snapshot was part of an exhibit on the pair at the Photographs Do Not Bend (PDNB) Gallery in Dallas. Bonnie and Clyde gained notoriety for a two-year crime spree that started in 1932, during which they ruthlessly robbed banks and killed 13 people. The pair, whose full names were Bonnie Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow, ran out of luck in 1934 when they were ambushed by police officers in Louisiana. Authorities unleashed 107 rounds in less than two minutes, killing the dark duo in their car. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Parker and Barrow were 24 and 23 years old, respectively, at the time of their deaths. The exhibit includes photographs of their bullet-sprayed car, of their bloodied bodies on a gurney and of the arresting officers, the Daily Mail reported. Also in the collection is a copy of Barrow's criminal record, which includes this grim warning: This man is very dangerous and extreme care should be taken when arresting him. Some of the photographs are gory, they were killed in a horrible manner, but they were killers, too Im like a doctor and look at them in a clinical way, Burt Finger, the gallerys director, told the Daily Mail. He said the photos previous owner acquired them from her uncle, who worked at a local newspaper at the time of the event. There are certain outlaws that become iconic, like Billy the Kid, Al Capone and others, who live on forever, Finger said. Bonnie and Clyde were certainly that. They were both handsome people, were nobodies, and they robbed banks at a time when banks were not loved by everyone. He added, The images are like a storyboard to a movie, but it reminds you that these were actual people aside from the portrayals and preconceptions. A private collector recently purchased the photographs from Photographs Do Not Bend. An armed Washington state man stopped in the middle of an intersection last month to fight lizard people because President Trump told him to, police said. The Pierce County Sheriffs Office said they received a call on Nov. 25 in Parkland, Wash., that a 54-year-old man had stopped his white SUV in the middle of an intersection, waved an AK47 and screamed about sending in the news and lizard people. SUSPECT ARRESTED, OTHERS SOUGHT IN WASHINGTON STATE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING Police arrived at the scene and started closing in on the man who put his weapons away in the car and laid on the ground as per police orders. The man allegedly resisted being handcuffed before police tasered him. According to police, the man said he had snorted methamphetamine to lose weight and had been prescribed morphine. The meth doesnt make me crazy man, the lizard people are real! he reportedly told officers. He also said Trump called his home to inform him about the lizard people and that he needed to fight them before they took over, police said. The man, police reported, claimed that Trump told him an alpha dragon had kidnapped his family and were holding them hostage. The man reportedly said he screamed because he wanted to attract the news vans so his story could be documented for history. WASHINGTON STATE CONSIDERING X GENDER OPTION FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATES The department said the man was heavily under the influence of a stimulant and was transported to a hospital for treatment. He was subsequently put in a 14-day mental health evaluation hold, the office said. The office did not release the mans name. Deputies said after they searched the mans SUV they discovered a loaded Century Arms AK47, a loaded Ruger .357 revolver, 5 loaded magazines for the AK47, a holster for the revolver, and a wooden bat. A former teacher in Wisconsin was charged Tuesday following an alleged ongoing sexual relationship with an underage student, according to a report from the Ripon Police Department. Fitzpatrick was charged with child enticement, sexual assault of a student by school staff, exposing a child to harmful material and obstructing an officer, police said. Per the arrest report obtained by Fox News, officials were provided information in April about an inappropriate relationship between Samantha Fitzpatrick, 28, and an underage teenager at Ripon High School, where Fitzpatrick worked at the time. The teacher, who left her job in May, was reportedly having marital problems at the time of the alleged relationship. Two teachers who spoke to authorities claimed to see the teen and Fitzpatrick together often, and one added that the pair would both be missing from school on the same days and late to school on the same days, the report said. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS SMOKED MARIJUANA IN OFFICE EVERY DAY BEFORE SCHOOL BEGAN, COPS SAY When interviewed, the student told an officer that he was not sexually involved with Fitzpatrick, had never been alone with her and never sexted, texted, or communicated by phone, police said. When questioned again later about the nature of their relationship, the teen reportedly claimed hed joked to friends about having sex with Fitzpatrick. But according to the report, another student told police that the pair had "done stuff" and based on what the teen had said, the pair had sexual relations at the teacher's house and a hotel. Police said the student also recalled dropping the teen off at a gas station, where he allegedly said Fitzpatrick would pick him up. Police said they also spoke with Fitzpatrick who similarly denied having a sexual relationship or any type of communication with the teen, adding that she didnt have his phone number. Officers learned that both statements denying the situation were false after uncovering extensive electronic communication between the pair thru the Facebook Messenger app, the report said. They also reportedly recovered data from Fitzpatricks phone, including 67 phone calls, messages and the teens phone number, the latter two of which had been deleted. SPECIAL ED TEACHER, 24, FIRED FOR ALLEGED TRYST WITH MALE STUDENT IN CLASSROOM Sexually graphic messages were exchanged between May 2016 and November and detailed that the pair wanted to have, and had previously had, sex with each other, the report said. In one message, Fitzpatrick also reportedly expressed her love for the student. According to a statement from Mary Whitrock, the superintendent of the Ripon Area School District, the school is aware of the police investigation and said Fitzpatrick voluntarily quit her job after employers complained of her attendance record. She stopped working there in May, they said. Whitrocks statement also said the school had previously notified parents of an internal investigation into Fitzgerald, unrelated to her attendance, but police determined at the time that there was insufficient evidence to move forward. Upon receiving new information in April, police then decided to open an investigation, the school said. Student safety is an essential part of the Districts purpose and mission, Whitrock said in the statement. The District has adopted policies and administrative guidelines designed, in large part, to ensure student safety. The Districts administration and staff are trained to enforce these policies and guidelines and to enlist the assistance of law enforcement as necessary. We trust that our administrators and staff are taking necessary actions to ensure student safety. U.S. Marine Corps Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams (FAST) have bolstered security across several U.S. embassies in the Middle East ahead of the expected announcement Wednesday by President Donald Trump about moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as well as mulling whether to recognize Jerusalem officially as the Israeli capital. Israeli security officials say they're also preparing for a potential outbreak of violence. We understand that in any moment the order that we have achieved could change, said Jerusalem District Police Commander Major Gen. Yoram Halvy about the potential outbreak of violence with moving the U.S. Embassy to the holy city. Any second this place could be set on fire. Jerusalems status long has been a flash point in the Arab-Israeli conflict, with both Palestinians and Israelis claiming the city as their capital. In 1995, Congress passed a law recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but allowed U.S. presidents to sign a six-month waiver postponing the move to entice both Israeli and Palestinians to the negotiating table. WHY TRUMPS PROMISE TO MOVE US EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS SO CONTROVERSIAL On Tuesday, Palestinian leaders said that if Trump recognized Jerusalem, as he has promised to do, the move would end U.S.-led peace efforts. If Mr. Trump recognizes Jerusalem, he will destroy any chance of the deal of the century, Dr. Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, said referring to Trumps vow to reach a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Shaath said Palestinians would continue to work with other countries toward a two-state solution. ERDOGAN: RECOGNIZING JERUSALEM AS ISRAELS CAPITAL IS RED LINE FOR MUSLIMS Arab and European leaders also have pushed the Trump administration to resume peace negotiations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah political party has called for daily protests marches this week. With the threat of a violent Palestinian reaction, Israels police and military commanders have been meeting to evaluate the potential for escalation. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. An Islamic terror plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Theresa May in London has been thwarted, according to a report out Tuesday. The plan was in essence an extreme Islamist suicide plot against Downing Street by two men who have now been arrested, Sky News reported. 10 Downing Street is the location of the prime ministers office. Police believe the plan was to launch some sort of improvised explosive device at Downing Street and in the ensuing chaos attack and kill Theresa May, according to the report. Scotland Yard, military intelligence security service MI5 and West Midlands Police reportedly had been investigating the plot for several weeks. The two men who were arrested on Nov. 28 for the foiled plot are Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of Birmingham, according to a Metropolitan Police news release. Both Rahman and Imran were charged with the intention of committing acts of terrorism and are expected to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday. MI5 has prevented nine terror attacks in the U.K. within the past year, Director Andrew Parker said Tuesday, according to The Guardian. A 40-year-old woman who was taken as a newborn from her mother in Argentina has been reunited with her relatives thanks to a DNA test that helped identify her. Adriana, who didn't want to use her last name, is one of the hundreds of children who were victims of the countrys Dirty War. With the help of the group Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, she was able to match her DNA to the relatives of her parents, who disappeared under Argentinas military rule, the BBC reported. Adriana is the 126th child identified by the group. According to records, Adriana is the daughter of Violeta Ortolani, 23, and Edgardo Garnier, 21, who were part of a left-wing student group in the city of La Plata. Ortolani was detained by military in December 1976 when she was eight months pregnant. Adriana was born in captivity a month later. "Love is stronger than hate, always." Adriana Garnier was detained in early 1977 while he was searching for Ortolani. They were never seen again. Some 30,000 people disappeared during the period of brutal military rule between 1976 and 1983. Adriana told reporters Tuesday that when the couple who raised her passed away, she was told that she was not their biological child. It got her thinking maybe she was a missing child from the Dirty War. I found out on a Saturday, and on the Monday, I had already gone to the Grandmothers, I wanted to know if I was the daughter of people who disappeared, more than anything because of the date of my birth, she said. On Monday, four months after taking the DNA test, the National Commission for the Right to Identity called saying they had information. She said that during a lot of the waiting period she began to think her parents had abandoned her. However, she said she discovered she was a person that was wanted, searched for and I have a beautiful family. I have a grandmother at 40 years old, I cannot believe it, Adriana said. Today I got to speak with her and I love her. They showed me a photo of her and she is beautiful. She is beautiful inside and out. Love is stronger than hate, always. The Associated Press contributed to this report. News / Press Release by 1893 MHRRM The 1893 Mthwakazi Human Rights Restoration Movement (1893 MHRRM) plans to conduct demonstrations against the Zimbabwean government for the genocide this government committed against the Matebele people in 1983 and against its pogrom of on-going oppression of the Matebele people in Zimbabwe.The Demos are planned to take place on the 23rd December 2017 in the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries. In the UK the Demo is planned to take place at the Zimbabwe Embassy at the Strand from 13:00 hrs to 16:00hrs. More details are to follow on South African Demos and Demos in other countries.In 1983, the then Government of Robert Gabriel Mugabe unleashed a North Korean trained crack unit called the 5th Brigade of Zimbabwe in Matebeleland. This unit caused a lot of untold suffering in its genocidal forays in our territory and turned Matebeleland into its ethnic killing fields and into its ethnic "rivers of blood". It also turned Matebeleland into an Auschwitz concentration camp of Africa never witnessed in Africa.Between 50 000 and 100 000 Matebele people died in this genocide. The CCJP report puts a conservative number of more than 20 000 as it was researched in a climate of fear and therefore its estimate figures are extremely conservative. Millions were driven from their homes to neighbouring countries and to overseas countries. Thousands endured torture and rape of unimaginable proportions. The survivors remain traumatised, enslaved and held hostage in Zimbabwe by the same tyrannical rulers who committed and continue to commit heinous crimes against them.To this day, this ethnic cleansing and Genocide continues unabated under different forms and guises including cultural and linguistic genocide as well as the brazen confiscation of Matebele Land. The Matebele rights and that of others are violated with impunity. The Matebele are not allowed to assembly and exercise their cultural rights. Any form of assembly invites beatings and arrests.The ring leaders of this ethnic genocide against the Matebele were Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the deposed President of Zimbabwe, the current President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who at the time was the State Security Minister, Constatino "Dominic Chinenge" Chiwenga, the current Army General who deposed Mugabe through a Coup D'etat, the late Army General Commander, Rex Nhongo Mujuru, Air Force Commander, Perence "Bigboy" Shiri who was the then Commander of the 5th Brigade and now the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and the former Defence Minister, Sydney Sekeramai among many others.At the time of the genocide, Perence Shiri assumed a godly status and blasphemously nick-named himself "Black Jesus" as he engaged in his genocidal forays in Matebeleland with reckless abandon.The current military-imposed President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the then State Security Minister, compared the Matebele people, in April 1983, to "cockroaches" that needed to be killed with a now banned insecticide called DDT. The North-Korean trained 5th Brigade crack unit became the DDT insecticide that fumigated the Matebeles to agonizing deaths with reckless abandon.At the time of the genocide, the military-imposed President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa made statements that fuelled the genocide, such as, "Blessed are they who will follow the path of the Government laws, for their days on earth will be increased. But woe unto those who will choose the path of collaboration with dissidents for we will certainly shorten their stay on earth.' -MINISTER OF STATE SECURITY EMMERSON MNANGAGWA, 4 APRIL 1983Driven by fear to protect themselves, the majority of the ring leaders of the genocide have carried a Coup Detat in Zimbabwe and installed the then State Security Minister, who was the leading figure in the Genocide campaign against the Matebele, Emmerson Mnangagwa, as the President of Zimbabwe.In the midst of this unfolding dangerous militarization of a government in Zimbabwe by genocidalists, the Matebele voice about this genocide is being drowned out. Our concerns are being ignored by the world. We therefore make an appeal to Matebeles, friends of the Matebele and anyone who is horrified by this genocide to come and join us on the 23rd December 2017 to send a strong message to the world that tyranny must not be rewarded.The Matebele Genocide Matters. Truth, Justice and Reparations for this Genocide matters!Give us a hand, give us a voice and together we expose tyranny for what it is!Released by 1893 Mthwakazi Human Rights Restoration Movement (1893 MHRRH) Information and Publicity DepartmentTel: +447889422695 / +447763305905 A chainsaw-wielding clown seriously injured a 17-year-old boy at a fair in Mexico Sunday after the "House of Scares" worker got too close to the teen and ripped his face open, officials said. The teenager was at the fair in Tuxtla Gutierrez, located in the southern part of the country near the Guatemala border, when he went into the "House of Scares," El Universal newspaper reported. The employee wearing the clown suit reportedly approached the teen as part of the "Scares" experience -- but he got too close while trying to scare the 17-year-old and struck the unidentified teenager with the chainsaw, leaving him with an inch-deep wound. FLORIDA DEPUTIES ISSUE WARNING AFTER YOUNG BOY NEARLY ATTACKED BY CLOWN The Chiapas Prosecutor's Office said the incident was considered "accidental," and employee Ivan Azael was arrested. "The accused accidentally wounded the young man in the right cheekbone with the chainsaw," the office said in a brief statement. The teenager was immediately rushed to a hospital, but officials did not disclose his condition, according to Multimedios. The prosecutors office has launched an investigation into the incident. The fair was eventually shut down by local officials because "they did not meet the minimum security requirements for the attending population," according to La Neta Noticias. China has scolded Australia over its plan to ban foreign interference in politics an effort motivated in part because of China's global political influence. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said this week the government would update treason and espionage laws and ban foreign political donations to ensure Australian politics could withstand attempted interference. An opposition senator was demoted last week for soliciting a donation from a Chinese businessman, an act that would be considered a crime under the proposed changes. The Chinese Embassy said in a statement on Wednesday, "China has no intention to interfere in Australia's internal affairs or exert influence on its political process through political donations." It added that it wanted Australia to look at bilateral relations in an objective manner. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Greece is rolling out the red carpet for a visit this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hoping to improve often-frosty ties between the two neighbors and NATO allies at a time when Turkey's relations are being tested with both the European Union and the United States. Security in Athens will be tight for Erdogan's arrival on Thursday, when he will meet with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the country's largely ceremonial president, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, before heading to northeastern Greece the next day to speak with members of the country's Muslim minority. Greek authorities on Wednesday announced a ban on demonstrations in central Athens during Erdogan's stay. "It's a visit of exceptionally great significance and importance," Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said, adding the government was looking forward to "exceptionally constructive discussions." It will be Erdogan's first visit to Greece as Turkish president, although he has visited twice before as prime minister. Talks are to focus on the refugee crisis, as Greek islands have been the gateway into Europe for migrants crossing from the Turkish coast, as well as regional relations, energy and business ties, and Turkey's stalled bid to join the European Union. Longstanding disputes with Greece such as territorial claims in the Aegean Sea will also be on the agenda, among other issues. Erdogan's visit comes as his country finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage, and he could use his appearances in Athens to improve relations, some analysts say. "It's an attempt on the Turkish president's behalf to de-escalate tensions with the European Union, as the Turkish economy is very much dependent on European capital and as he foresees that relations with the U.S. might take ... a further negative prospect," said Constantinos Filis, research director at the Institute of International Relations. "I think that Erdogan ... has come to the conclusion that he cannot (maintain) both fronts at the same time with the West." Turkey's ties with several European countries Germany in particular and the EU as a whole deteriorated significantly following Erdogan's crackdown in response to a failed coup in Turkey in July 2016. Tens of thousands of Turks have been fired from their jobs, and tens of thousands more were imprisoned on accusations of being linked, however tenuously, with the man Erdogan blames for the attempted coup: Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric who lives in the US and runs a network of schools, hospitals and businesses. Since the failed coup, Greece is only the second EU country, after Poland, to have invited Erdogan to visit. Tension has also risen recently between Ankara and Washington, particularly concerning the New York trial of a Turkish banker over alleged transactions with Iran. Erdogan lashed out Tuesday over the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, describing it as an American conspiracy to blackmail and blemish his country. "I think that he will take the opportunity and try to show a more moderate face, at least in Turkey's relations with the EU," Filis said. "If he decides to attack the EU and the U.S. from a European capital that is, Athens then this will create a very serious problem for the Greek government, because the Greek government will have to respond." But many sources of tension remain between Greece and Turkey, neighbors with historically fragile relations who have come to the brink of war three times since the 1970s. Decades-old thorny issues include territorial disputes in the Aegean, the Muslim minority in northeastern Greece and the continued occupation by Turkish troops of northern Cyprus. Some of these issues "will probably be hidden under the carpet," said Filis. "I don't think that Erdogan in the few hours that he will spend in Athens has the luxury, and neither Greece has the luxury, to discuss with Erdogan about the historic difficulties and differences in the Aegean, for instance." In Ankara, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters on Wednesday that Turkey hoped the visit would "develop and deepen" ties between the two neighbors, noting that both countries "have shouldered great responsibilities in resolving the issue" of migration. He accused the EU of failing to fulfill its obligations in a March 2016 EU-Turkey deal, saying it had yet to disburse funds earmarked for Syrian refugees in Turkey, allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel or open new negotiation "chapters" to advance Turkey's EU membership bid. Kalin said, however, that Ankara is pleased with Greece's support for Turkey's membership bid. Tzanakopoulos, the Greek government spokesman, said Athens expects the visit to produce "a substantial upgrading of our relations with Turkey, as this will, in a period of widespread destabilization in the region, play a catalytic role both for economic development and for the improvement of special relations, both of Greece with Turkey, as well as between Turkey and the European Union." ____ Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. It's a go-to catchphrase when U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is called on to explain his boss on the world stage: "America first is not America alone." Yet as President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, Tillerson on Wednesday stood all by himself. The onslaught came from all sides as Tillerson, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, got an earful from many a U.S. ally on Trump's Jerusalem move. So far, not a single country other than Israel, of course has thrown its support behind the declaration. Even Tillerson's own State Department has conceded the announcement could sow unrest throughout the Middle East. Turkey's top diplomat, Mevlut Cavusoglu, was unsparing in criticism that was far harsher than any the U.S. is accustomed to from a NATO ally. "The whole world is against this," Cavusoglu told reporters as he awaited Tillerson's arrival for their meeting. He said he'd already told Trump's chief diplomat that it was a "grave mistake." Cavusoglu said he planned to "tell him again." That time-tested "special relationship" with Britain? Not so special as to prevent Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson from putting Tillerson on the spot. After the two shook hands, Johnson used the occasion to suggest it was time for Trump's Mideast peace team to put up or shut up. "Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward, and I would say that that should happen as a matter of priority," Johnson said as Tillerson stood uneasily a few feet away. Trump, in a speech Wednesday, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and said he'd start the process of moving the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv. The Palestinians and essentially every country see that as undermining future Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that would include Jerusalem's fate just as the Trump administration purports to be working to broker the ever-elusive deal. Asked about Trump's decision, Tillerson urged critics to "listen carefully to the entirety of the speech." While the decision directly affects his department, Tillerson acknowledged his role was relatively minimal. He said Trump's Mideast peace team, led by the president's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, had shared the decision with him so he could "give them guidance on areas that I thought would be challenging to address." "They've done the hard work to try to address those," Tillerson said, insisting there remains "a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved, and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely." Tillerson has tried throughout his tenure to soften the president's isolationist-tinged foreign policy by explaining that the U.S. still seeks to lead and build strong partnerships with likeminded nations. He also has echoed Trump in describing how the U.S. feels burden-sharing has gotten out of balance in recent years. There are few signs America's foreign partners are buying it. At EU and NATO meetings this week, Tillerson got earful after earful about Trump's hampering of the Iran nuclear deal, withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and stated disdain for the United Nations, to name just a few examples. ___ Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP More than 220 deportations were stopped in Germany when pilots tasked with transporting them out of the country refused to fly the plane with them on board, a report says. Between January and September 2017, a total of 222 planned deportations were classified as failed due to a pilots refusal to take off, government figures show. Most of the flights were taking people back to Afghanistan, where violence is still rife. Germany deems the Middle Eastern country a safe country of origin. The figures were obtained and released by the Die Linke political party, which is commonly referred to as the Left Party. Westdeutsche Allegeimeine Zeitung newspaper first reported the figures. It's unclear whether the reason the pilots refused to fly was fear of terrorism or humanitarian concern. According to the report, some of the grounded flights belonged to Lufthansa Airlines and its subsidiary, Eurowings. A spokesman for the airline told Westdeutsche Allegeimeine Zeitung that the decision not to carry a passenger ultimately is the pilots on a case-by-case decision. If he has the impression that flight safety could be affected, he must refuse the transport of a passenger, spokesman Michael Lamberty added. Should security personnel at the airports have some sort of information in advance which indicates that a situation could escalate during a deportation, they can decide ahead of time not to let the passengers onboard. According to the figures, most of the grounded flights occurred at the Frankfurt Airport. Others refused to fly from Cologne and Bonn. Pilots who refuse to fly on moral ground could face disciplinary measures. Lufthansa Group spokesman Helmut Tolksford told RBB24 that he was not aware of any case where one of our pilots has refused to take them for reasons of conscience. Whether at a lubricant factory, orphanage, potato company or fish-pickling plant, Kim Jong Un has conducted sporadic visits to odd and quirky North Korean sites throughout the years. Through the years, Kim has visited several companies, including a "newly-remodeled" Pyongyang Teacher Training College and trackless trolley factory, around the regimes capital to provide "field guidance," according to North Korean propaganda. The despot is often photographed with a massive grin and interacting with factory workers as several officials stand in the background taking notes -- about something -- during the visit. The only details released about the trips come through the official state news agency, KCNA. Kim usually includes praise for the workers. At times, hes joined by his rarely-seen wife, Ri Sol Ju, and his sister, Kim Yo Jong, with the women often seen peering at glass cases of beauty products or standing -- smiling -- behind the despot. Here are some of the more bizarre photos of Kim during his visits. 2013 to 2016: Kim at a foodstuff factory Kim was photographed visiting foodstuff factories several times since assuming power in 2011. He inspected biscuits at Foodstuff Factory No. 354 in 2013 while officials took notes behind him. The leader visited Pyongyang Chidrens Foodstuff Factory in 2014 wearing a large furry hat and lab coat while holding a package of food. Another visit in 2015 had him giggling in front of a glass case of packaged food. The leaders visit to Kumkop General Foodstuff Factory for Sportspersons came after the facility went through a complete renovation, KCNA reported. The state-run news agency added Kim was "pleased" that production was occurring on a "highly intensive basis." August 2014: Kim at a lubricant factory The leader was all smiles while watching an unknown substance squeeze out of a machine and into a blue canister at the Chonji Lubricant Factory. Kim reportedly praised factory employees for their work and thanked them for producing a product North Korea previously imported. He called for "steadily improving technical specifications" to improve "international competitiveness." August 2014: Kim at a hosiery factory Kim gave some "field guidance" at Pyongyang Hosiery Factory and was seen talking to workers as they stood in front of a wall of colorful socks. The North Korean despot made the visit because he was reportedly deeply "concerned" about "consumer goods for peoples life," Yonhap News Agency reported. "The production capacity of the factory is very big, he noted, calling for operating all production processes in full capacity so as to meet the demands of people for hosiery," KCNA said in its statement. 2014 to 2015: Kim at Pyongyang Baby Home and Orphanage Kim's first visit to the orphanage was in 2014, when the facility was under construction. Kim returned the next year to a new building filled with bright-colored furniture. He is seen laughing as he played with children and toys. Another photo showed a hoard of toddlers coming toward Kim. September 2017: Kim at a farm Kim gave more "field guidance" during a visit to Farm No. 1116, strolling through a field of unknown plants and then picking up a vegetable and inspecting the quality of it. He was also pictured marveling at apples in an orchard. October 2017: Kim at a footwear factory Kim and his wife visited Ryuwon Footwear Factory in early October. This was the first time his wife was spotted in public in months. He watched a worker at a sewing machine and looked at childrens shoes. The photos were released with a scathing threat that called President Trump a "rabid man in the White House." October 2017: Kim at a cosmetics factory Kim visited the remodeled Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory and was "very pleased" with the products, which were aimed to make North Korean women "more beautiful." "He said he felt good as the factory has been remodeled to be proud of in the world so that it would be flawless in the distant future, too," KCNA said in a statement Sunday. Kim also discussed "important tasks" for the next phase of modernizing the factory. Details of the plans were not released. November 2017: Kumsong Tractor Factory Kim had some fun at a tractor factory in November while, once again, giving field guidance, KCNA said. The despot was even pictured in the drivers seat of a tractor with his hands on the wheel. A group of people were seen taking notes as Kim talked to them. December 2017: Kim at a tire and potato flour factories Just three days after launching the Hwasong-15 ICBM, Kim visited a factory and thanked workers for making the tires for the vehicle that transported the missile. The workers built large-size tires for the 9-axle missile truck. Kim also called for efforts to raise production to "satisfy the daily-increasing needs in developing the country's economy and beefing up national defense capabilities," KCNA stated. Kim in September tasked the Amnokgang Tire Factory with making the tires for the "great event in November," the agency reported. The next week, the dictator was photographed in front of a mountain of potatoes during an "inspection" of a potato flour factory. Snow was also seen on the roofs of the building while Kim, wearing his black peacoat and hat, was surrounded by his officials. December 2017: Kim at the "sublime mountain of revolution" Kim strolled Mouth Paektu, an inactive volcano and North Koreas highest peak the regime dubbed the "sublime mountain of revolution," with several officials to celebrate the rogue nation's Nov. 29 missile launch. "Imposingly standing on Janggun Peak, the respected Supreme Leader gave a familiar look for a while at the dizzy cliffs and the sea of trees, recalling the emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment and with the indomitable faith and will of Paektu," KCNA said in a statement. The state-run media boasted about the "nice weather" seen during the visit. Kim also spoke about building a new hotel and better facilities around Paektu station for tourism. January 2018: Kim at newly-remodeled school Kim visited a newly-remodeled Pyongyang Teacher Training College on Jan. 17 and checked the classrooms for their desks and technology. In one photo, Kim is seen looking at a projection of cartoon students sitting in desks possibly a demonstration on how the classroom would appear with children. On Jan. 25 Kim and his wife Ri also did a "field guidance" at Pyongyang Pharmaceutical Factory. Officials took notes during the visit, though its unclear what information he provided. Just before the month ended, Kim also visited factory workers at the "newly remodeled" trolley bus factory. "Looking at the factory with a bright smile on his face, he said that all buildings are neat and fine," KCNA said in a statement. "[Kim] stressed that officials and workers of the factory should bear in mind the honor and pride of working at the glorious worksite associated with patriotic sweats of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and their love for people and make constant innovations." And to celebrate Kims New Years Day address, KCNA also released a stamp of the despot from the speech. August 2018: Kim at a fish-pickling factory Kim and his wife were seen inspecting a fish-pickling factory in Kumsunpo in North Koreas South Hwanghae Province. Photos released by KCNA showed the despot wearing a white T-shirt and hat an unusually light and casual outfit, compared to the Mao-style suits he usually wears. Kim told factory workers they "did a lot of work" when he heard the facility made 30 pickled fish products, including shrimp, eel, anchovy and shellfish. On Aug. 13, KCNA announced Kim visited one of the regimes livestock farms, and he was seen walking through the cow pens with his group of officials towing behind him. "[Kim] underscored the need to scrupulously organize scientific and technological work for preventing degeneration of fine breeds and keeping the characteristics of pure breeds and change the cow breeds of low weight increment, poor taste and milk into good breeds," KCNA said in a statement. On the same day, the North Korean leader also visited a fish farm used to breed fish for the man-made lake in Kaechon City. Kim stressed to officials the importance of "massively [raising] mandarin fishes and other young fishes" for the lake to become functional. April 2019: Kim at a department store Kim provided "field guidance" at a recently remodeled department store, Taesong Department Store, in Pyongyang ahead of its grand opening, KCNA reported. The despot was pictured looking at shoes while his officials stood behind him taking notes. "Now that the modern department store has been completed, it has become possible to provide citizens of the capital with different varieties of more quality foodstuffs, clothing, footwear, household articles, sundry goods for daily use, school things and goods for cultural use," Kim was quoted saying during the visit. The North Korean leader donned a Mao-style suit for the visit. October 2019: Kim on horseback Kim opted for a more active photoshoot this time round, channeling his inner Vladimir Putin with images of him riding horseback on a sacred mountain. The undated images, released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shoed Kim dressed in a long winter coat riding a white horse on snow-covered Mount Paektu, the highest point on the Korean peninsula. The government-run agency also said that during a visit later that day in Samjiyon County, Kim lamented over the U.S.-led U.N. sanctions that were imposed after nuclear talks broke down. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Arabs and Muslims across a Middle East on edge warned on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's anticipated announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital would inflame Muslim feelings worldwide and bring further chaos and instability to the region. Criticism poured in from Tehran to Ankara to war-ravaged Syria, reflecting the anxiety ahead of the announcement which upends decades of U.S. policy and risks potentially violent protests. U.S. officials say Trump will instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Speaking on condition of anonymity Tuesday because they were not authorized to publicly preview Trump's announcement, the officials said they expected a broad statement from Trump about Jerusalem's status as the "capital of Israel." Jerusalem includes the holiest ground in Judaism. But it's also home to Islam's third-holiest shrine and major Christian sites, and forms the combustible center of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Any perceived harm to Muslim claims to the city has triggered volatile protests in the past, both in the Holy Land and across the Muslim world. In Beirut, a few hundred Palestinian refugees staged a protest in the narrow streets of the Bourj al-Barajneh camp, some of them chanting "Trump, you are mad." "We came here to tell Trump that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine," said Nada Adlouni, a Palestinian refugee. Two leading Lebanese newspapers issued front page rebukes to Trump over his expected announcement. The An-Nahar newspaper compared the U.S. president to the late British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, who a hundred years ago famously promised Palestine as a national home to the Jewish People, in what is known as the Balfour declaration. The paper's Wednesday headline read: "Trump, Balfour of the century, gifts Jerusalem to Israel." The English-language Daily Star newspaper published a full-page photo of the Old City of Jerusalem capped by the Dome of the Rock beneath the headline: "No offense Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of PALESTINE." The Arab League said it will hold an emergency meeting for foreign ministers on Saturday and Turkey announced it would host a meeting of Islamic nations next week to give Muslim countries' leaders an opportunity to act together and coordinate following Trump's move. Palestinian officials declared the Mideast peace process "finished." Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, slammed Trump's imminent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel while in Syria, a Foreign Ministry statement said the anticipated announcement is a "dangerous step" that will fuel global conflict. It described Trump's imminent move as the "culmination of the crime of the seizing of Palestine and the displacement of the Palestinian people" and urged Arab states to stop normalizing relations with Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the "whole world is against" President Donald Trump's move and argued that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be a "grave mistake." Cavusoglu's remarks came just before a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. He said such a move would "not bring any stability, peace but rather chaos and instability." Police in Rio de Janeiro have captured one of Brazil's most wanted drug bosses in a massive operation that included armed forces. Wednesday's capture of Rogerio Avelino da Silva represented a rare victory for authorities in Rio. The city is struggling to stem rising violence a year after hosting the Summer Olympics. The man known as "Rogerio 157" was captured in a slum in northern Rio. News portal G1 showed video of him handcuffed and being led by police. Authorities in Rio have been trying to apprehend da Silva for months. He is accused of crimes including homicide, trafficking and extortion. Authorities say da Silva oversaw drug trafficking operations in the Rio slum of Rocinha, one of Brazil's largest. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Former Yemeni strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh's death at the hands of his own allies, the Shiite rebels known as Houthis, has put the impoverished nation's three-year civil war at a crossroads, and there are several widely differing directions it could now go. It could mark the beginning of the end for the Iranian-backed Houthis as their opponents are hoping, trying to forge a force out of Saleh's angry supporters to assault the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. Equally, it could show the strength of the Houthis: they easily eliminated the once-mighty Saleh, who had previously ruled Yemen as president for more than 30 years. They also broke the military units loyal to him, leaving his camp in disarray. That's a sign of how complicated the conflict is. The fighting has been deadlocked for more than a year. Despite a punishing air campaign, the Saudi-led coalition backing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has been unable to gain further ground against the Houthis, who control the north and western part of Yemen, where most of the population lives. The war has caused profound misery among Yemen's 28 million people. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in fighting and airstrikes; food-supply and medical infrastructure has collapsed, causing a humanitarian emergency of hunger and cholera. Here is a look at Yemen's power players, what happened and what could happen next. ___ THE HOUTHIS Originally a religious movement aimed at reviving Yemen's Zaidi branch of Shiism, Ansar-Allah, the group's official name, fought a series of wars against Saleh after his army killed its leader, Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi, in 2004. But after Saleh's fall, he backed the Houthis and they overran the capital in 2014. Saudi Arabia and its allies say the group is a proxy for Iran, accusing it of providing weapons and missiles, a claim Tehran denies. The Houthi forces are battle-hardened and have a constant supply of new recruits from their heartland in the north. They have emerged as warlords with a powerful, repressive hold, detaining thousands, imposing heavy taxes and engaging in black market business. ___ SALEH'S CAMP During his three decades as president, Saleh built an extensive network of allies among tribes, the military and his political party. His sons and nephews commanded the main military branches. Much of that remained in place after he was forced to resign in 2012 and was replaced by Hadi. Hoping to ride the Houthis back to power, Saleh threw that network behind the rebels. But they never trusted each other. The Houthis quietly sucked away Saleh's strength, winning over his tribal allies, seizing his armories and wooing his military commanders. Analysts believe the large majority of Saleh's forces quit and went home or dissolved into Houthi ranks. Only a few remained in his camp, particularly the Special Guards unit, part of the Republican Guards once headed by his son Ahmed. When Saleh turned against the Houthis, he "made many miscalculations; he thought the street will rise up; the forces will fight with him; the tribes will get together," one of his former associates, Gamal Ammar, told The Associated Press. ___ THE SAUDI-LED COALITION The coalition launched its campaign of heavy airstrikes along with an air, sea and land blockade in March 2015 after Hadi's government was driven out of the capital and nearly out of the country by the Houthi onslaught. The coalition succeeded in pushing the rebels out of the southern and eastern provinces then deadlocked. On the ground, the coalition fights with a mix of Yemeni army units loyal to Hadi, southern secessionist militias, the armed branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and ultraconservative Islamist fighters. Most of his forces are centered in Marib, east of Sanaa. Hadi has been in self-imposed exile in Riyadh for most of the war. In the south, the UAE has become the dominant power, setting up its own militias and undermining Hadi's authority. ___ WHAT HAPPENED IN PAST DAYS? The Saleh-Houthis alliance deteriorated for months; he resented their domination of power, they suspected he was secretly talking to the coalition. Last week, outright battles over Sanaa erupted between their forces. They fought for six days with artillery, heavy machine guns and tanks, trapping Sanaa residents. During the fighting, Saleh and Hadi's government each said they willing to put aside their past enmity and join forces. But on Monday, the Houthis gunned down Saleh, and by nightfall they retook most of the capital from his forces. ___ WHAT COULD HAPPEN NOW? The Houthis have sole domination over northern Yemen without their untrustworthy partner. But they are alone, without the political support Saleh brought them, "stripped of any cover and shown purely as a religious sectarian movement ruling with force and repression," said Majid al-Madhaji, from the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies. The coalition and Hadi will try to unify the remnants of Saleh's supporters and forces and rally them against the Houthis. The forces need a leader, and the most plausible one is Saleh's son Ahmed, the former Republican Guard commander, reportedly under house arrest in the United Arab Emirates. With Saleh's forces, Hadi and the coalition could launch a push on Sanaa from the mountain region of Nihm just to the east, backed by escalated airstrikes. They would need the backing of the seven big tribes in the areas surrounding the capital, known as the Collar Tribes, which have stayed neutral during the war, essentially allowing Houthi control. They are seen as likely to side with whoever seems stronger. The plan is that a ground advance on Sanaa, where the Houthis' hold has been unquestioned since 2014, could break the stalemate. "The road to get rid of Houthis is becoming clearer and easier," al-Madhaji said, calling the end of the Saleh-Houthi alliance "a free gift" for the coalition. "The question is if it's able to exploit it." ___ HOWEVER.... The answer to that question is not a sure thing. Even if Saleh's forces can rally, there's no guarantee they can tip the balance against the Houthis. The Collar Tribes won't join unless they believe the Houthis will be beaten. The anti-Houthi forces are riven by conflicting agendas that have undermined their ability to prosecute the war, like the interminable battle for the city of Taiz. The UAE, one of the coalition's main players, hates the Muslim Brotherhood a main component in Hadi's forces and does not want to see it advance. The Brotherhood and their patron Hadi's top commander and vice president Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar hated Saleh and may resist working with his supporters. The Houthis remain a formidable military force. They have already withstood more than two years of relentless bombardment by the Saudi-led coalition. If the war turns decisively against the Houthis, Iran could intervene more substantially to rescue them. "It would be a risky move, but I see it as a real possibility," said Will Picard, the executive director of the Yemen Peace Project, a Washington-based think tank. Serbian and Bosnian leaders say they want to resolve problems left over from their 1990s conflict after tensions soared over the conviction of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic and the dramatic death of a Croat ex-general at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says the talks Wednesday with the three members of Bosnia's multi-ethnic presidency "have not been simple or easy." But Vucic added, "we are here to solve problems." Head of the Bosnian presidency Dragan Covic said the meeting in Belgrade has "predominantly focused on how to boost bilateral cooperation and gradually remove problems." Officials say open issues include defining the border between Serbia and Bosnia, more than two decades after the 1992-95 war that left 100,000 dead and millions homeless. Opinion / Columnist "Rinemanyanga hariputirwi!" (Evil can never be hidden forever, it will always come out!) so goes the Shona saying.There is no doubt that Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his Zanu PF regime have done a lot of evil things during the last 37 years and counting of their corrupt reign of terror. Robert Mugabe, he has led from the front on this, has shamelessly falsified or denied of facts and glossing over those he could not deny for the single purpose of portraying his evil dictatorship as God's greatest gift to the people of Zimbabwe.Nick Mangwana, Zanu PF's representative in the UK and Europe, is a die-hard Zanu PF apologist who has learned the art of denying and falsifying historic facts at the grandmaster Mugabe's feet and learnt it well. But there is only so much even a seasoned apologist like Nick can rebuff. In a recent Conflict Zone interview, the presenter, Tim Sebastian bombarded Nick with the historic facts of Zanu PF's ruinous reign of terror the Zanu PF apologist melted like bee wax in the midday African sun.The truth historic facts of Zanu PF past in coming out bit by bit and soon the trickle will turn into a flood. No one, not Mugabe himself much less his acolytes, apologists and propaganda specialists can stop the flood or deny the truth. Tim Sebastian had done his research and was spoilt for choice of what historic bombs to lobby at the Zanu PF apologist seating before him! The two subjects Nick tried to deny was that Zanu PF destroyed the Zimbabwe economy and that the replacement of Mugabe with Mnangagwa has changed nothing. See video of the full interview on Bulawayo 24.In his 37 years in power Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs have completely destroyed the country's economy. 90% of our people are out of work and many have never held a formal job for 20 or more. Zimbabwe is now the poorest nation in Africa and 72.3% of the population live on US$1.00 or less a day. Basic services like clean running water have all but collapsed.Meanwhile Mugabe and the few ruling elite have lived in unparalleled luxuries and have amassed wealth that even mega Movie Star will not match. Mugabe's has 15 large farms, business interests all over the world and his Blue Roof mansion is valued at US$ 2 billion.The Mugabe regime has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans to establish and retain the de facto one-party, Zanu PF, dictatorship. The coup last month was about removing one dictator, Mugabe, to replace him with another, Mnangagwa; the dictatorship itself has remained untouched, if not reinvigorated.Mnangagwa was not only Mugabe's right hand man all these last 37 years but his chief enforcer. It is Joint Operation Command (JOC); a Junta, comprising the top brass in the Army, CIO, Police and Prison Services, a select few from party and government and headed by Robert Mugabe and deputized by none other than Mnangagwa; that has ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist all these years. It was JOC that has masterminded and executed all corruption, vote rigging, political murders and all the other mischiefs and treasonous acts by the dictatorship.The coup was a precipitous act by the Junta to stop Mugabe handing over the presidency to his wife Grace instead of passing it to Mnangagwa, a JOC member. Although Mnangagwa was out of the country, running for his life, he has himself admitted that he had "remained in touch with the coup plotters throughout".The coup was code named "Operation Restore Legacy", said General Chiwenga, the coup ringleader. The only legacy the coup has restored is the supremacy of JOC. It came as no surprise, that many of the Junta members are today ministers, special advisors, deputy ministers, etc. in President Mnangagwa's new administration. No doubt General Chiwenga and General Phillip Valerio Sibanda will be appointed to fill the two VP positions after the Zanu PF congress this coming weekend.The key Zanu PF dictatorship players in will finally move out of the shadows of the shadowy JOC into the full limelight of cabinet and thus restoring thugs' secretive brotherhood bond, the legacy Chiwenga was talking about, that JOC members will rule Zimbabwe forever.Of course, Tim Sebastian was right to call Zanu PF a party of "thugs" and Zimbabweans "deserve better".Mugabe lost the March 2008 vote to Morgan Tsvangirai who polled 73%, by Mugabe's own inadvertent admission. After six weeks of recounting, ordered by Mugabe himself, ZEC had reduce this to 47% to force the run-off. The Junta had contrived to use wanton violence to force the people to vote for Mugabe."What was accomplished by the bullet cannot be undone by the ballot!" Robert Mugabe had thundered to spar his thugs on to beat, rape and even murder innocent Zimbabweans.And yet we still have apologists like Nick Mangwana, stoically insisting that Zimbabweans "voted for Zanu PF and deserved Zanu PF". The poor idiot still thinks that his stubborn denial of the historic facts can, somehow, turn rigged elections into free, fair and credible elections, thugs into democrats, etc.President Mnangagwa is a thug, he owes his elevated position to his fellow Zanu PF thugs and they are in his government for no other reason other than to claim their own share of the spoils of power. Zanu PF's past-history of corruption, vote rigging and tyranny and his own part in it are all coming out in the open and there is nothing anyone can do to stop or deny these facts. The Zanu PF thugs and the many evil things Zanu PF has committed are all coming out, a milestone round Mnangagwa's neck that will drag him and his presidency into the abyss.Zimbabwe is due to hold parliamentary and presidential elections next year. The pressure is mounting to make sure the elections are free, fair and credible. If the elections are indeed free and fair, they will be the country's first ever. Zimbabweans would want to boot out Zanu PF and to quickly implement the democratic reforms to another dictatorship rising from the ashes of this Zanu PF dictatorship to haunt them."Will Zimbabwe ever have justice under Mugabe's party?" Tim Sebastian asked.The answer is to that question has to be; NO!The sooner Zimbabweans rid themselves of this Zanu PF culture of political thugs the sooner the country can start the task of rebuilding the nation from the ruins Mugabe left. The U.S. Seventh Air Force flew a B-1B supersonic bomber over South Korea on Wednesday as a part of a joint aerial exercise with the Souths military, South Korean officials confirmed. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the U.S. bomber simulated land strikes on military grounds near the eastern coast, proving its ability to punish the Norths aggression. Through the drill, the South Korean and U.S. air forces displayed the allies strong intent and ability to punish North Korea when threatened by nuclear weapons and missiles, the JCS said. The drill involving the B-1B Lancer bomber was part of a five-day joint training exercise called Vigilant Act, Reuters reported. The Seventh Air force has sent other strategic military assets, including six F-22 and 18 F-35 stealth fighter jets. About 12,000 U.S. military personnel are participating in the drill, which started Monday. The participating aircrafts will be flying at eight U.S. and South Korean military installations throughout the South. The drills come just a week after North Korea launched its most powerful missile yet, an intercontinental ballistic missile with the capability to reach the U.S. mainland. The Seventh Air Force released a statement saying that the drills were not scheduled in response to the recent test-launch. North Korea warned that the drills would push matters to the brink of nuclear war, Reuters reported. UN official in Pyongyang Amid the heightened tensions, United Nations undersecretary general for political affairs, Jeffery Feltman, has made a rare visit to North Korea. Arriving Tuesday, Feltman was set to meet North Koreas foreign minister and vice president during his three-day visit, the Wall Street Journal reported. The last time a top U.N. official visited Pyongyang was in 2010. The visit is the response to a longstanding invitation from Pyongyang for a policy dialogue with the U.N., the Journal cited Stephane Dujarric, spokeswoman for the U.N.s secretary-general, as saying. The visit could be an attempt to try to deescalate tensions in the region -- although the U.N. Security Council has yet to formally respond to last weeks missile test. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 America's friends and foes unleashed fierce criticism on Wednesday ahead of President Donald Trump's announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. While Israel welcomed the news, Palestinian officials declared the Mideast peace process "finished" and Turkey announced it would host a meeting of Islamic nations next week to give Muslim countries' leaders an opportunity to coordinate a response. The harsh global reaction cast questions about the feasibility of a brewing U.S. peace plan that is expected to be presented by the White House in the near future. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state and fear that Trump's declaration essentially imposes on them a disastrous solution for one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "There is no way that there can be talks with the Americans. The peace process is finished. They have already pre-empted the outcome," said Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi. "They cannot take us for granted." The U.S. decision "destroys the peace process," added Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Top Palestinian officials were meeting Wednesday to plot their course forward. U.S. officials said late Tuesday that Trump will instruct will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Trump was expected to unveil his plan in a speech later Wednesday. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Facebook that "Our historical national identity is receiving important expressions everyday." He said he would comment further later in the day. Other members of his Cabinet were more forthcoming. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the nationalist Jewish Home party, praised what he called Trump's "bold and yet natural" move. "The sooner the Arab world recognizes Jerusalem as our capital, the sooner we will reach real peace. Real peace that is not predicated on an illusion that we are going to carve up Jerusalem and carve up Israel," Bennett told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference. International leaders, however, swiftly criticized Trump's plan. Pope Francis said he was "profoundly concerned" and appealed that "everyone respects the status quo of the city." China, which has good ties with Israel and the Palestinians, expressed concerns over "possible aggravation of regional tensions." Two leading Lebanese newspapers published front-page rebukes of Trump. Britain's Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, who had already expressed concern about the U.S. decision, on Wednesday said it was now time for the Americans to present their peace plan for the region. Trump's Mideast team, led by his adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have spent months meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders. Details of their long awaited plan remain a mystery. "Clearly this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward," Johnson told reporters in Brussels. In his speech, Trump was expected to instruct the State Department to begin the multi-year process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. It remained unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades. The officials said numerous logistical and security details, as well as site determination and construction, could take three or four years to sort out. To that end, the officials said Trump would delay the embassy move by signing a waiver, which is required by U.S. law every six months. He will continue to sign the waiver until preparations for the embassy move are complete. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity pending Trump's announcement, said the decision was merely an acknowledgment of "historical and current reality" rather than a political statement and said the city's physical and political borders will not be compromised. They noted that almost all of Israel's government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the U.S. and other countries maintain embassies. Still, the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital carries deep symbolic significance and could have dangerous consequences. The competing claims to east Jerusalem, the section of the city captured by Israel in 1967, have frequently boiled over into deadly violence over the years. East Jerusalem is home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as well as its 330,000 Palestinian residents. The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a renewed U.S. security warning on Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. Embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Key national security advisers including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns. Trump has spoken of his desire to broker a "deal of the century" that would end Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said the president's speech was not aimed at resolving the conflict over Jerusalem. He isn't planning to use the phrase "undivided capital," according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem. One official also said Trump would insist that issues of sovereignty and borders must be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. The official said Trump would call for Jordan to maintain its role as the legal guardian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy places, and reflect Israel and Palestinian wishes for a two-state peace solution. Elsewhere, however, reactions were skeptical, especially across the Muslim world. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the "whole world is against" Trump's move. He says that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be a "grave mistake" and would "not bring any stability, peace but rather chaos and instability." ___ Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Aron Heller in Jerusalem, Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan; Josh Lederman in Brussels; Zeina Karem in Beirut; Nicole Winfield in Rome and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed to this report. iStock/Thinkstock(ATLANTA) -- Atlanta voters delivered a near-split decision in the city's mayoral contest on Tuesday, making the runoff race too close to call. Candidate Keisha Bottoms, a Democrat, declared herself the winner of the race early Wednesday morning, while her opponent, Mary Norwood, an independent, requested a recount. Both candidates are members of Atlantas city council. Bottoms led the race by a margin of less than 1 percent, which is the threshold where the second-place finisher can request a recount under state law, according to official reports. Just over 92,000 people voted in Tuesday's runoff, which was held after no candidate received an absolute majority in November's election. Bottoms led the general election, 26 percent to 21 percent. "It's not over yet," Norwood told supporters, noting that she trailed Bottoms by just 759 votes. "We will be asking for a recount." "We will be here until every vote is counted and we know what happens," she added. Meanwhile, Bottoms, 47, celebrated a victory alongside outgoing Mayor Kasim Reed -- who backed her run -- as she spoke to supporters. "I am just in awe of what God is able to do," Bottoms said. Im so honored to be your 60th mayor." "This is about Atlanta. And what we said from day one is that this is about what we hope this city can be for our childrens children, she added. If chosen, Norwood, 65, would be the citys first white mayor since 1974. The city hasnt had a female mayor since 2010. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 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 Nothing is moving on the ground. For now let's give him 100 days to prove that things are moving.For me I'm beginning to doubt everything because, we have Chombo behind bars is he the only one who looted Government funds? We have Chipanga behind bars is he the only Zanu PF functionary who misused state funds and resources? What about those that looted Government coffers but they attended the cabinet meeting yesterday? Was the "operation restore legacy for 3 people only? So the army intervened because of three people only? Where Zimbabweans used in this process to clean up their mess?So many questions are going unanswered and I urge the President to take a strong consideration that he should have a state of the nation address to answer some of these questions.As analysts we have studied the situation on the ground and it is most likely to be a tight contest in 2018 as Tsvangirai is predicted to win with an outright majority, analysts warn.There is a lot of grumbling on the ground and people had hopes pined on ED only to discover that there is nothing that has changed. Governance is not only about winning elections but it is all about development and economic reforms.You see what Zanu PF seems not to see is that those wide celebrations which were witnessed on that Saturday was not about them but it was about the welfare of people.It was not about Chiwenga, ED or Zanu PF but it was all about the people of Zimbabwe. I think ED clearly got the message from the people when he appointed a cabinet that is not wanted by people and he went ahead to impose himself on the people, you see Zimbabweans are very funny they seem not to see anything but I for see that 2018 elections will be a protest vote.People raised issues that were never addressed, but alas the President went ahead to do the opposite.Why would the H.E go ahead to appoint people like Obert Mpofu, Sibusiso Moyo, Chinamasa, Supa Mandiwanzira and yet these are the same people who brought Mugabe down.You remember very well that Supa abused 200 000 that belonged to POTRAZ and nothing happened to him, he remained in the cabinet so what it means is that ED endorsed what he did.People had high hopes on ED after inauguration thinking that the atmosphere will change only to discover that we are back to square one. So long ED is protecting these people who looted our economy nothing is likely to change. We need economic reforms in this country.How is the President going to address the issue of corruption so far, I've been listening to all his address he never pointed out corruption, he never talked about reforms all he is saying is we want the economy to grow.Mr President how does the economy grow when people who looted marange resources are still hanging around on the Zim cabinet? As we speak money for toll gates is not accounted for, money for roadblocks are nowhere to be seen so what exactly is he talking about when he talks of economic recovery? The current cabinet does not represent the majority but it is all about themselves, in other words we fought for them, people risked their lives on that very Saturday so that people can feast in that cabinet, so who cares no one? With the current statistics on the ground Tsvangirai is likely to win the presidential race with 58% analysts warns Zanu PF.You see the problem is the people surrounding ED from the recent confusion that happened on Saturday over the appointments of ministers you can clearly tell that ED is never prepared to listen to the voice of the people.For now I will focus on the issue of what is likely to come out in 2018 but so far people are not happy with the current mess.Why including soldiers in the cabinet when we have so many technocrats on the ground, we have people like Mayor Wadyajena who are really capable, we have the likes of Luxon Zembe who can deliver best results but I'm surprised he stuck to his guns that he wanted Chinamasa on the ground why? People have several questions over the Chinamasa mantra.Why would someone bring such a cabinet filthy of people who have been looting before, who have human rights issues as well, we have also people in the cabinet who are on the wanted list in foreign lands over dirty deals and this is the cabinet we have.We have to be realistic, international partners are expressing concern over the current cabinet composed of questionable characters, and there is outrage over these appointments.We don't need a psychiatrist to tell us that ED may have a tough time ahead of watershed elections. The electorate is watching.From the day the cabinet was appointed, most people have expressed disappointment and they are registering to vote in huge numbers.Urban areas it is likely Tsvangirai will return all the seats and he may even penetrate some rural areas which has been a challenge to him before.Given the node that Matabeleland has been hostile to Zanu PF before during Mugabe's era, it will even be worse considering the issue of Gukurahundi when ED was the security Minister.There are a lot of dynamics which are likely to take place in 2018. For now I don't see any meaningful change between now and June. ED lost the plot when he appointed wrong people in the Government. It is never late to address the issue.Situation on the ground is campaigning for Tsvangirai and it favors the MDC as the party that is likely to win presidential elections in 2018. Virginia Democrats formally requested a court-ordered special election for the 28th District House of Delegates seat after revelations that more than 100 voters in the Fredericksburg region cast ballots in the wrong House race. Attorneys for the House Democratic Caucus filed court papers late Wednesday afternoon asking a federal judge to require a special election between Democrat Joshua Cole and Republican Del.-elect Bob Thomas, who won by just 82 votes on Nov. 7. They also requested federal court orders preventing Thomas from being seated in January and requiring the State Board of Elections to withdraw its certification of the results. In addition, Cole recently filed a request for a recount in the race to succeed retiring House Speaker Bill Howell, RStafford County. The outcome of the recount and lawsuit could determine which party controls Richmonds lower chamber. The 28th District includes parts of Fredericksburg and Stafford. Neither Cole nor Thomas immediately returned calls for comment Wednesday. House Democrats David Toscano and Charniele Herring released a statement Wednesday night saying a special election is the only remedy for voters who got the wrong ballots. Having a new election where mistakes are corrected will allow voters to trust the system and be assured that their Delegate was duly elected, they stated. Democrats remain committed to ensuring the accuracy of our elections. But Parker Slaybaugh, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker-designee Kirk Cox, said in an email that we are disappointed that Democrats continue to pursue unnecessary litigation in federal court. He added that there is a clear state process that should be followed, and we will continue to follow that process in good faith. Under state law, Democrats could contest the election to the General Assembly, which Republicans narrowly control. House Democrats called for the special election in an amended complaint in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on behalf of three 28th District voters from Fredericksburg who erroneously received ballots listing House candidates in the neighboring 88th District. Two of those voters had been assigned to the incorrect district in poll books, the suit claims. The third had been placed in the correct district, but got the wrong ballot because of an apparent error by a poll worker. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis denied the lawsuits original request for an injunction prohibiting the State Board of Elections from certifying the 28th District result. He set a deadline of 5 p.m. Dec. 6 for an amended complaint. The suits defendants include the State Board of Elections, Stafford Registrar Greg Riddlemoser and Fredericksburg Registrar Marc Hoffman. It says Fredericksburg elections officials received at least one complaint by 11 a.m. on Election Day from a voter who got the wrong House ballot. But those officials provided no remedy to the voter who complained . . . or to any other voter, the suit states. The State Board of Elections certified Thomas win Nov. 27 after a weeklong delay. Virginia Elections Commissioner Edgardo Cortes released a memo last week saying at least 147 residents in Fredericksburg and Stafford cast ballots in the wrong House race. At least 86 voters in the 28th District erroneously got ballots for the 2nd Districtwhich includes parts of Staffordor the 88th District, Cortes said. And at least 61 voters in the 88th District incorrectly cast ballots in the 28th District. Democrats have not called for a special election for the 88th District seat, which Republican incumbent Mark Cole won by more than 4,000 votes. On day 3 in Marrakech, we arranged for a private van for a day trip to neighboring coastal town of Essaouira. By we, I mean the hubs and I and the couple we traveled with from Oakland, dear friends of ours and another Bay Area resident Tom who was traveling solo. One of only two in the group that was traveling solo.Majority of the people in the tour group opted to sign up for the Optional Tour to Essaouira, and they left early on a big bus with the tour manager, Mr. Sninat. The other couple that we hang around with decided that they would stay in Marrakech and enjoy the medina and Jamaa el Fna more.Because we were doing our own thing privately, we got the chance to wake up a bit later and leisurely eat breakfast.The van pulled up in front of the hotel and we were notified of his arrival. It was a 7-seater van and more than enough for the 5 of us. It was more or less about 3 hours drive to the coastal town.As a devout road trip enthusiast, I was at my happy place watching the foreign sceneries pass by.Much later, we stopped at a road side attraction. To be perfectly honest, until that day I did not knew this existed. And THIS is the tree with goats up on its limbs. The tree is argan and this is the only region in Morocco that produces the liquid gold known as argan oil.From the side of the road we took photos of the scene, because if you go closer and take photos, the owner (I presume) would collect fees. Yap you have to pay to have a selfie with the goats on the tree. SKYWATCH is a weekly gathering of sky lovers and sky watchers. Join us. Cincinnati, OHCapt. Willard (Bill) Ernest Siepel, USN Retired, 80, a man of strong faith, family devotion and community service, passed away suddenly on Thursday, November 30, 2017. Bill's distinguished military career included three consecutive tours to Vietnam, Commanding Officer of the USS Somers, Chief of Staff to the Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, as well as being the first Commanding Officer of the AEGIS training center in Dahlgren, Va. For more info, tpwhite.com. In the midst of the fun, Gala guests were focused on the purpose of the evening: giving generously to advance discoveries that save the lives of people like Douglass. Those gathered at the Gala have come to recognize that few issues are more important than cancer research, because the statistics are terrifying. But the science is tremendously promising, said Christine Gregoire, former Washington state governor and current Fred Hutch board chair, in her opening remarks. Thats why we are here tonight: to collectively and generously fuel the acceleration of research. Fred Hutch scientist Dr. Barry Stoddard, who attended with his wife, Amy, said, Every year, its such a gamut of emotions. Its just emotional, when you see that video, and peoples stories. Stoddard added that he admired the Fred Hutch physician-scientists who pioneered the transplant procedure that saved the lives of Douglass and many others. Its very humbling to listen to their stories of what theyve done over the years. Jenny Brooks, who came with her husband and several friends, said that, as a mother, being able to advance research that helps other mothers means a lot to her. Seeing other mothers up on the screen we dont have to fight that battle currently, Brooks said. So were here supporting other mothers. A question of when Hutch leader Gilliland talked about one particular mother in the Gala video, a woman named Pat who did not survive her cancer. The story is deeply meaningful to Gilliland. Thats why I do what I do, he said onscreen. We cant let that happen. And we have the tools now to ensure that it doesnt happen to other people like Pat. Researchers at the Hutch continue to advance the forefront of cancer care, Gilliland said, just as they did in Douglass case the first successful tissue-mismatched bone marrow transplant, which opened the door for Hutch teams to develop the approach for more patients in the future. Now, he said, researchers are harnessing the power of patients immune systems to fight their cancers, building on insights from the Hutchs transplantation research. Advances in prevention, detection and treatment are coming out of new leaps forward in cancer biology and technology, and each new discovery is the launchpad for many more. In short, said Gilliland, incredible changes in cancer care are rapidly approaching. I know we can cure cancer. Its no longer a question of whether, Gilliland said from the Gala stage. Its a question of when. And thats where you come in tonight. Missed the chance to attend the Gala? Give online to our Gala fund to advance the pace of research breakthroughs at Fred Hutch: bit.ly/FHgala What are your hopes for the research that these gifts will accelerate? Tell us on Facebook. United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, PlaintiffAppellee, v. Kevin CLARDY, DefendantAppellant. No. 17-5094 Decided: December 05, 2017 Before: SILER, KETHLEDGE, and THAPAR, Circuit Judges. ON BRIEF: Ronald C. Small, Andrew C. Brandon, FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellant. William L. Deneke, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellee. OPINION Kevin Clardy argues that he has not waived the right to challenge his sentence under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c), despite explicitly waiving that right in his plea agreement. We have rejected this argument multiple times, albeit in unpublished opinions. The district court likewise rejected it here. We affirm. In 2009, Clardy pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and to possessing over 50 grams of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it. He agreed neither to appeal his eventual sentence nor to challenge it under various statutes. In particular, the relevant section of his plea agreement (titled Waiver of Appellate Rights) states that Clardy knowingly waives the right to challenge the sentence imposed in any collateral attack, including, but not limited to, a motion brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2255 and/or 2241, and/or 18 U.S.C. 3582(c). After ensuring that Clardy understood the agreement and had signed it of his own will, the district court accepted his plea and sentenced him to 144 months in prison. The Sentencing Commission thereafter amended the Guidelines to reduce the offense levels for drug crimes. Clardy then moved under 3582(c)(2), which allows a court to reduce a sentence that was based on a Guidelines range that has since been lowered, to have those reductions applied to him. The district court denied the motion, reasoning that Clardy had expressly waived his right to file a 3582(c) motion. Clardy now appeals. We review de novo whether Clardy has waived the right to file a 3582(c) motion. See United States v. Griffin, 854 F.3d 911, 914 (6th Cir. 2017). A defendant can waive any right, even a constitutional right, in a plea agreement. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). Clardy does not dispute that he signed his agreement knowingly and voluntarily. Thus the only question is whether the agreement itself waives the right he now seeks to assert. Id. On that point the agreement could hardly be more clear. It generally bars Clardy from challeng[ing] the sentence imposed in any collateral attack [.] And it specifically forbids him from challenging the sentence under three statutes, one of which is 3582(c). That the parties did not list every type of challenge that the waiver coverspreferring instead the shorthand reference to challenges including, but not limited to, motions under 2255, 2241, and 3582(c)makes their intent as to those motions all the more clear. Thus, per the plain terms of the plea agreement, Clardy has waived his right to file a 3582(c) motion. Clardy argues that the waiver is ambiguous as to 3582(c) motions, for three reasons. First, he argues that, because the waiver is titled Waiver of Appellate Rights and a 3582(c) motion is not an appeal, the waiver does not clearly cover 3582(c) motions. That might be true of a provision that did not mention 3582(c) motions specifically. Cf. United States v. Goodloe, 388 Fed.Appx. 500, 503 (6th Cir. 2010). But this provision does. And the specific terms within the provision, not the general title above it, control its reach. See 11 Williston on Contracts 32:10, 32:15 (4th ed. 2016). For good reason: the title alone says little about what the parties intended the provision to cover; the terms they used to express that intent, on the other hand, say everything. And those terms leave no doubt that the waiver covers 3582(c) motions. Second, Clardy argues that the waiver is ambiguous because it refers to a 3582(c) motion as a collateral attack. Specifically, Clardy waived his right to any collateral attack, including a motion brought pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2255 and/or 2241, and/or 18 U.S.C. 3582(c). Yet a collateral attack is normally an attempt to overturn a sentence by filing a new lawsuit rather than by a direct appeal. Motions under 2255 and 2241both of which allow courts to overturn sentencesare commonly referred to as collateral attacks; motions under 3582(c)which merely allows courts to reduce sentencesare not. See Goodloe, 388 Fed.Appx. at 503. Yet Clardy's conclusion does not follow. Instead this argument suffers the same flaw as his first, namely that the provision's intent is too clear to ignore. As we have held multiple times, [w]hether or not the waiver properly classifie[s] 3582(c) motions is irrelevant when a defendant expressly waives the right to bring a 3582(c) motion. United States v. Bryant, 663 Fed.Appx. 420, 422 (6th Cir. 2016); see also United States v. Shelton, 673 Fed.Appx. 524, 525 (6th Cir. 2017); United States v. Ellison, 664 Fed.Appx. 507, 509 (6th Cir. 2016). Suffice it to add here thatespecially to readers unfamiliar with the common usage of legal terms (such as many criminal defendants)references to specific statutes more clearly explain an agreement's scope than do terms like collateral attack. So this argument fails. Finally, Clardy argues that the waiver is ambiguous because 3582(c)(2)the specific provision he invokesallows the district court to reduce sentences on its own motion. 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(2). Clardy argues that he could not waive a power that belongs to the court. But not even Clardy accepts this argument: elsewhere he suggests that we construe the waiver to cover only a subset of 3582(c), namely 3582(c)(1)(B); yet that provision also allows the court to modify sentences of its own accord. That a defendant waives the right to file a 3582(c) motion does not strip the court of any power to grant relief under that section. Instead the waiver merely denies the defendant the right to seek it. And Clardy has waived that right here. In summary, where a waiver provision in a valid plea agreement specifically forbids a defendant from challenging his sentence under 3582(c), he cannot challenge his sentence under 3582(c). The district court's order is affirmed. PER CURIAM. Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Pope Francis noted how Jerusalem is a unique city that is considered holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Author: Elise Harris | Source: Aciprensa With debate on the status of Jerusalem heating up in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognize the city as the capital of Israel, Pope Francis has urged international leaders to proceed with prudence and respect for current U.N. resolutions. My thought now goes to Jerusalem. In this regard, I cannot ignore my deep concern for the situation that has been created in recent days, the Pope said Dec. 6. He issued a heartfelt appeal to the international community to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations. The position of the U.N. on the Jerusalem issue is that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory, and that the city should eventually become the capital of the two states of Israel and Palestine. Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall during his weekly general audience, during which he recounted the phases of his recent Nov. 27-Dec. 2 trip to Burma, also called Myanmar, and Bangladesh. His appeal for Jerusalem comes shortly after news came out that U.S. President Donald Trump would be recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a widely controversial decision that has provoked a mixed reaction from the international community. As part of the plan, the Trump administration is expected to eventually move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and while Israel welcomes the changes, both Palestinians and Arab leaders have voiced concern that the move could jeopardize the peace process in the Middle East, according to BBC. Israel has traditionally always recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, however, Palestinians claim that the eastern portion of the city is the capital of the future Palestinian state. In recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the U.S. is the first country to do so since the state was established in 1948. Debate on the issue is in many ways the crux of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which is backed by Arab leaders, including Saudi Arabia, and the wider Islamic world. According to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem will be discussed in the late stages of the talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognized by the international community, and all countries have embassies in Tel Aviv. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, then, is likely to increase tension on the issue, particularly in regards to the 200,000-some settlements Israel has built in East Jerusalem, which are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this stance. In his general audience, Pope Francis noted how Jerusalem is a unique city that is considered holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Because of this, he said the city has a special vocation for peace. I ask the Lord that this identity be preserved and reinforced for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world, and that wisdom and prudence prevail to avoid adding new elements of tension in a global panorama already convulsed and marked by so many cruel conflicts, he said. Prior to his general audience, the Pope met with a Palestinian delegation of religious and intellectual leaders for a scheduled audience, urging dialogue that is respectful of everyone's rights in the Holy Land. He also voiced his hope that peace and prosperity would prevail for the Palestinian people. On his trip to Burma and Bangladesh, Francis said it was a great gift from God, and thanked the civil authorities and bishops of each country for their welcome and for everything they did to prepare for the trip. He noted how his Nov. 27-30 visit to Burma marked the first time a Pope has ever traveled to the country, which took place just months after the Holy See established full diplomatic relations with the nation in May. I wanted, also in this case, to express the closeness of Christ and of the Church to a people that has suffered due to conflict and repression, and which now is slowly walking toward a new condition of freedom and peace, he said. Burma, a majority Buddhist country where minorities, including Christians, often face stigma and discrimination, is still working to transition to a democratic government after more than 50 years of military rule, while also facing harsh criticism from the international community over what the United Nations has called a textbook case of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims from the country's Rakhine State. In this context, Christians there are the leaven of God, he said, and called the Church in Burma a living and fervent community that he had the joy of meeting and affirming in faith and communion. Similarly, he said his Nov. 30-Dec. 2 visit to Bangladesh was equally important, and focused largely on the need for respect and dialogue between Christianity and Islam, as the country is a majority Muslim nation with a small Catholic community. Religious freedom was a major theme, and was reflected in each of his meetings, he said, and underlined the importance of openness of the heart as the basis for the culture of encounter, harmony and peace. No more interim, Batchler named new Blacksburg football coach Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Josh Batchler achieved one of his dreams when he was named the new Blacksburg High head football coach Monday evening. He had served as... Indians hit growth spurt just in time Gaffney coach Dan Jones never wavered when the Indians were blown out by South Pointe in the season opener. He never wavered when the Indians struggled to beat Hammond. He... Donate dresses for poor Bride Source: Aciprensa A Catholic wedding planner has encouraged married women in Ecuador to put a smile on the face of a poor bride by donating their wedding dresses this Christmas. The goal is to have women give up their wedding dresses, since they don't have a real use for them anymore. What's better than keeping them is to give them to someone who needs one, Maria Alejandra Guerra told ACI Prensa. Guerra explained that the idea came to her Nov. 26, when she went with a group of missionaries from the Bonds of Marian Love Movement to St. Arnoldo Janssen Parish, located in a poor section of Guayaquil, to coordinate a Christmas campaign for the children there. She said that the pastor, Fr. John Codjoe, told them that one of the parish's ministries was marriage preparation, and that because most of these women don't have wedding gowns, that he was looking for dresses to be donated. So that little light went on, because that was something I wanted to do for some time, and so I said to him 'Father, I'm a wedding planner, I'm going to help you and I'm going to promote this for your parish, Guerra related. Fr. Codjoe was thrilled with the proposal and told her about 19 couples who would soon be getting married in the parish. That's why I decided to launch this campaign on my social media. I didn't think I was going to get a good reception because some time ago I did a poll and most women told me they preferred to sell their wedding dresses. But it turned out just the opposite and now seven women have offered to give me their dresses, she said. I'm going to go pick up the dresses and I'll bring them over to St. Arnoldo Janssen parish. I even told Fr. Codjoe that I wanted to attend the couples' weddings, she commented. On her Instagram account where she launched the campaign, Maria Alejandra Guerra said that Christmas is a joy, it's giving something to someone you don't know but who needs it more...'giving without remembering and receiving without forgetting,' because that bride you give the dress to will be immensely grateful. She hopes that we can put smiles on the faces of the brides most in need. Guerra said that if I succeed in coming up with the dresses that Fr. Codjoe needs for next year and I continue to get more dresses, then I'll be looking for other parishes that will want to receive them as donations. She also invited married women from other Latin American countries to look for churches where they could give their wedding dresses to low-income couples who are preparing for marriage. For women who live in Mexico, Guerra suggested they give their gowns to the charitable initiative called Brides with a Cause which collects dresses throughout the country to give them to needy young women. Villanueva has been consistently trailing Luna as results from last week's election continued to be tallied. The defense attorney for a Corvallis man charged with murder said he is waiting on critical information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the case. The case against William Hargrove cannot proceed without the information, his lawyer, Mike Flinn, said Monday during a status check hearing in Benton County Circuit Court. Flinn did not elaborate on the critical information. Deputy District Attorney Amie Matusko did not object to scheduling the case for another status hearing on Jan. 22. A trial date has not yet been set in the case. Hargove has pleaded not guilty in the case. He is accused of murdering a 27-year-old Russian woman named Anna Alekseyevna Repkina, with whom he was romantically involved. Repkinas body was found in April alongside a logging road near Alsea, and officers arrested Hargrove three days later. During Hargroves arraignment earlier this year, Matusko called the case "a problematic love triangle." Hargrove had been living with two women in two different households and one of them gave him an ultimatum, "her or me, and the defendant decided," Matusko said. Repkina had moved to the United States just weeks before her death. Investigators have alluded to the possibility that she was a mail-order bride but they have not publicly confirmed that. Hargrove remains in custody at the Benton County Jail. Train conductor prevents more serious consequences : Passenger train collides with freight train outside of Dusseldorf Meerbusch A regional train collided with a freight train in the town of Meerbusch near Dusseldorf, nearly 50 persons were reported injured. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The search for the cause of the train accident with almost 50 injured in North Rhine-Westphalia's Meerbusch will take some time. National Express Rail spokesman Marcel Winter said on Wednesday morning that he didnt expect the affected route to be in use in the short term. Official police and federal railway investigations have to be completed and the demolished trains removed before the route can be used again. Also, the destroyed overhead line must be repaired before the track is back in operation. It remains unclear why the Regional Express line 7 from Cologne to Krefeld and the DB Cargo freight train on its way from Dillingen to Rotterdam collided on an open track on Tuesday evening. But National Express said it expected they would be successful in pinpointing the cause of the accident. No one was willing to speculate about why the accident occurred, noting that it was much too early in the process. A crane was to be brought in on Wednesday to lift the trains from the track. Rescue workers were busy until midnight evacuating passengers from the wreck. A ruptured overhead line, which connected the train to the electric current, made the rescue operation more difficult. The fire department was at the scene with more than 200 rescue workers. A spokesperson for the federal police said the most positive news was there were no life-threatening injuries. This is apparently also due to the reaction of the conductor of the regional train. By slamming on the brakes, he prevented more serious consequences for the passengers and also saved his own life, according to Winter. In his conductor department at the time, he was injured during the collision. He was rescued but was in a state of shock. Passengers described a big bang and an emergency stop. According to the Meerbusch Fire Department, 155 people were on board the passenger train. The MidTown Council of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce will host the inaugural Taste of MidTown luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 13. The event highlights diverse eateries in the MidTown footprint and serves as a toy drive for the Chambliss Center for Children. Officials said, "This is a cant-miss networking event for business and civic leaders in the MidTown community and throughout Chattanooga." Taste of MidTown will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Family Justice Center at 5705 Uptain Road. Attendees are invited to arrive early and stay late for networking, and encouraged to bring toys for families served by the Chambliss Center specializing in foster care, adoptions, residential care for youth and early childhood education. All toys donated during Taste of MidTown will be designated for the centers Santas Workshop, which ensures families participating in the organizations early childhood education and residential programs as well as teachers who have children can enjoy the magic of the holidays. Were thrilled to host this special event spotlighting the array of dining options in MidTown from the airport to the zoo, said MidTown Council President Luronda Jennings. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the growth of MidTown while also making this holiday season unforgettable for families touched by the Chambliss Center for Children. Several MidTown restaurants will provide samples of their unique menu items. Admission is $10 and the event is open to the public. MidTown Council meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month. Learn more about the Chattanooga Chambers 12 area councils here. xspraise at 6-12-2017 08:00 AM (4 years ago) (m) One hundred and forty-four Nigerian migrants have returned home from Libya, Tuesday night as part of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) voluntary return scheme. One hundred and forty-four Nigerian migrants have returned home from Libya, Tuesday night as part of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) voluntary return scheme. They arrived at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, and were received by the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) among others. Among the returnees were 39 female, 97 male, two children and six infants. Their return comes barely a week after news of slave trading of Africans in the North African country drew global criticism, with several leaders, authorities, as well as citizens condemning it. Last week, a total of 140 Nigerians were deported. The migrants who are mainly from Africa, arrive in Libya as they attempt the voyage across the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean sea to European shores. Most migrants are placed in detention centres across Tripoli, with some requesting assistance to return to their home countries. Some 600,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa since 2014, most leaving from Libyas western coast. More than 12,000 have died while trying. (Channels TV). They arrived at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos, and were received by the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) among others.Among the returnees were 39 female, 97 male, two children and six infants.Their return comes barely a week after news of slave trading of Africans in the North African country drew global criticism, with several leaders, authorities, as well as citizens condemning it.Last week, a total of 140 Nigerians were deported.The migrants who are mainly from Africa, arrive in Libya as they attempt the voyage across the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean sea to European shores.Most migrants are placed in detention centres across Tripoli, with some requesting assistance to return to their home countries.Some 600,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa since 2014, most leaving from Libyas western coast. More than 12,000 have died while trying. (Channels TV). Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 6-12-2017 08:00 AM (4 years ago) | Hero clarajancita at 6-12-2017 11:17 AM (4 years ago) (f) An aggrieved Nigerian has called out ASKY Airlines over his missing luggage since September 2017, which they have reportedly carelessly handled. According to Mr. Benedict Soghie, his luggage got missing during his journey back to Nigeria from Denver, U.SA. An aggrieved Nigerian has called out ASKY Airlines over his missing luggage since September 2017, which they have reportedly carelessly handled. According to Mr. Benedict Soghie, his luggage got missing during his journey back to Nigeria from Denver, U.SA. He further revealed that his journey from Denver started with United Airlines, to New Jersey, Ethiopia and then to Lome where ASKY brought him down to Nigeria. However while on transit at Lome, he was told that his luggage will be received upon his arrival in Lagos, but unfortunately this was never so. He only received 2 out of 3 luggage. He then made a complaint at ASKYs head office in Lagos, initially ASKY allegedly agreed to look for the luggage, and then settled for compensation when they couldnt find it. Mr. Benedict however said they reneged on the compensation agreement, claiming that they are not the only airline involved in the case. He further revealed that since September, it has been back and forth call from ASKY, as all their calls brought him to a futile search for his luggage, which they are carelessly handling with a turnaround position. He also attached some repeated Email ASKY airlines sent him and the one he sent; He further revealed that his journey from Denver started with United Airlines, to New Jersey, Ethiopia and then to Lome where ASKY brought him down to Nigeria.However while on transit at Lome, he was told that his luggage will be received upon his arrival in Lagos, but unfortunately this was never so. He only received 2 out of 3 luggage. He then made a complaint at ASKYs head office in Lagos, initially ASKY allegedly agreed to look for the luggage, and then settled for compensation when they couldnt find it.Mr. Benedict however said they reneged on the compensation agreement, claiming that they are not the only airline involved in the case.He further revealed that since September, it has been back and forth call from ASKY, as all their calls brought him to a futile search for his luggage, which they are carelessly handling with a turnaround position.He also attached some repeated Email ASKY airlines sent him and the one he sent; Quote Everybody is still tracking your bag. We receive information this morning from ETHIOPIAN Airlines that one bag was found in EWR and they reply that this was forwarded to Lagos via American Airlines. They called the passenger and after checking he said that it is not for him. Our partner ETHIOPIAN manager in Lagos will call you to get more information as this bag was never deliver to ASKY to be forwarded to Lagos. We are very sorry for any inconvenience. De : Benedict Soghie [mailto: Envoye : vendredi 17 novembre 2017 10:48 A : Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL Objet : Re: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE Sir Benedict,Everybody is still tracking your bag. We receive information this morning from ETHIOPIAN Airlines that one bag was found in EWR and they reply that this was forwarded to Lagos via American Airlines. They called the passenger and after checking he said that it is not for him. Our partner ETHIOPIAN manager in Lagos will call you to get more information as this bag was never deliver to ASKY to be forwarded to Lagos.We are very sorry for any inconvenience.De : Benedict Soghie [mailto: [email protected] Envoye : vendredi 17 novembre 2017 10:48A : Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIELObjet : Re: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE Quote Madam Rosalie, That my luggage did not get to my hand and you took delivery of my collection tag without adequate due diligence is not my fault. All i know is that you have my luggage and not Ethopia Airline and am claiming this from you. As i speak with you, this case has gotten to the Nigerian government and if further delay be taken, due sanctions will be melted. You dont play with professional matters and then you come telling me this after several months. From the federal officials and judicial system, we will have to settle with the fight i have always wanted to avoid. Thanks Dr. Benedict Soghie On Nov 16, 2017 9:09 AM, Benedict Soghie < [email protected] > wrote:That my luggage did not get to my hand and you took delivery of my collection tag without adequate due diligence is not my fault. All i know is that you have my luggage and not Ethopia Airline and am claiming this from you. As i speak with you, this case has gotten to the Nigerian government and if further delay be taken, due sanctions will be melted.You dont play with professional matters and then you come telling me this after several months. From the federal officials and judicial system, we will have to settle with the fight i have always wanted to avoid.ThanksDr. Benedict Soghie Quote Sir Benedict, Im very sorry, Im not all time in the office as I use to work some days at the airport. Ive just reply to the email you sent me this morning. Thank you De : Benedict Soghie [mailto: Envoye : mardi 14 novembre 2017 21:42 A : Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 7:09 PM, Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL < [email protected] > wrote:Sir Benedict,Im very sorry, Im not all time in the office as I use to work some days at the airport.Ive just reply to the email you sent me this morning.Thank youDe : Benedict Soghie [mailto: [email protected] Envoye : mardi 14 novembre 2017 21:42A : Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL Quote Objet : RE: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE Hello Madam Rosalie, Its becoming a deliberate and conscious decision to me with your silence. You havent spoken as regarding this matter neither have you made a comment on the proceedings but you have kept mute and not minding the pain this is causing me. Am been pushed to take a decision which may not be favorable to both myself and Asky. Thanks Dr. Benedict Soghie Quote Madam Rosalie, Your further silence is golden and certainly making me to draw a conclusion. My mails are proofs and evidence of effort and patience I have given towards this. I pose this before you, if your family were to be deprived what they hoped for and all of a sudden you are still further treat with disrespect would you like it? Your position should expedite things but contrary is the feedback am getting . This is the third mail after we last spoke. This is for the records. Thanks Dr. Benedict Soghie On Nov 12, 2017 5:28 AM, Benedict Soghie < [email protected] > wrote:Madam Rosalie,Your further silence is golden and certainly making me to draw a conclusion. My mails are proofs and evidence of effort and patience I have given towards this.I pose this before you, if your family were to be deprived what they hoped for and all of a sudden you are still further treat with disrespect would you like it?Your position should expedite things but contrary is the feedback am getting .This is the third mail after we last spoke. This is for the records.ThanksDr. Benedict Soghie Quote Dear Benedict Soghie, Greetings, Please once again accept our apologizes for all inconveniences you faced with your bag. I am the person who settled the refund of the bag at the headoffice. But we need an approval from our headoffice and this is on process till yesterday afternoon. Im doing all effort to get the authority and send an email to Lagos to credit your bank account or if you want somebody to collect the refund. Once again, please it is a question procedure and we all are doing our best sort this out till tomorrow. Thank you very much. De : Benedict Soghie [mailto: Envoye : mardi 7 novembre 2017 13:46 A : Simon Oladimeji DAYO-MOBOLAJI Cc : BAGAGE SERVICE; AWE Olufisayo Alaba; Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL; Koudjo AMADAH; SHOBOWALE Yakubu; AWOMILUYI Oghenetega Helen; Binitte LARE Objet : RE: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE On Nov 7, 2017 3:29 PM, Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL < [email protected] > wrote:Dear Benedict Soghie,Greetings,Please once again accept our apologizes for all inconveniences you faced with your bag.I am the person who settled the refund of the bag at the headoffice. But we need an approval from our headoffice and this is on process till yesterday afternoon. Im doing all effort to get the authority and send an email to Lagos to credit your bank account or if you want somebody to collect the refund.Once again, please it is a question procedure and we all are doing our best sort this out till tomorrow.Thank you very much.De : Benedict Soghie [mailto: [email protected] Envoye : mardi 7 novembre 2017 13:46A : Simon Oladimeji DAYO-MOBOLAJICc : BAGAGE SERVICE; AWE Olufisayo Alaba; Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL; Koudjo AMADAH; SHOBOWALE Yakubu; AWOMILUYI Oghenetega Helen; Binitte LAREObjet : RE: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE Quote Mr Simon Adedayo, I am writing to further express my displeasure and dissatisfaction with the ways things are been handled. On Friday, Mr Alaba Awe asked for my account details so as to clear this issue once and for all but am disappointed to see that as at today nothing has been done regarding payment. I further called just to follow up but it seems am at the mercy of ASKY. I am not accepting this level of to and fro. Its unprofessional and unethical. Thanks Dr. Benedict Soghie Quote Dear Mr Benedict Thanks for your mail I appreciate your patience and understand that you do not appreciate the delay in resolution of this issue Id like for you to understand that there are processes that must be followed internally to either find your luggage or compensate your for its loss and these require some timeframe to do so. We were also conscious of your plight, that was why twice, we made you offers which you were not ok with. As it stands, rest assured that our team is not quiet about this issue and are giving it the utmost attention. I simply ask for a bit more time to ensure they revert to you with a final position. I sincerely thank you for the patience. You are very important to us Kind Regards, Simon Adedayo MOBOLAJI Country Manager, Nigeria ASKY Airlines, 2nd Floor Former Skye Bank Building, 87 Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos. Tel: +234 816 987 1178 On Nov 3, 2017 7:28 AM, Simon Oladimeji DAYO-MOBOLAJI < [email protected] > wrote:Dear Mr BenedictThanks for your mailI appreciate your patience and understand that you do not appreciate the delay in resolution of this issueId like for you to understand that there are processes that must be followed internally to either find your luggage or compensate your for its loss and these require some timeframe to do so.We were also conscious of your plight, that was why twice, we made you offers which you were not ok with.As it stands, rest assured that our team is not quiet about this issue and are giving it the utmost attention. I simply ask for a bit more time to ensure they revert to you with a final position.I sincerely thank you for the patience. You are very important to usKind Regards,Simon Adedayo MOBOLAJICountry Manager, NigeriaASKY Airlines,2nd Floor Former Skye Bank Building,87 Allen Avenue,Ikeja Lagos.Tel: +234 816 987 1178 Quote Sent: 03 November 2017 02:00 To: AWE Olufisayo Alaba Cc: SHOBOWALE Yakubu; Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL; AWOMILUYI Oghenetega Helen; Koudjo AMADAH; Binitte LARE; Simon Oladimeji DAYO-MOBOLAJI; BAGAGE SERVICE Subject: RE: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICE ASKY , Without doubt the management and staff of ASKY are seeking for me to go public with my notice. I have pleaded and spoken repeatedly, but with careful appraisal it seems my complaints and desired response is not been considered. I am also writing to pose questions. If the management of ASKY and Families of the work forces have had their families deprived of their expectations particularly a new born child been involved, would they appreciate this level of humiliation and deprivation? Am been charged for decisions I really felt was not necessary. Dr. Benedict Soghie From: Benedict Soghie [mailto: [email protected] Sent: 03 November 2017 02:00To: AWE Olufisayo AlabaCc: SHOBOWALE Yakubu; Rosalie ADJIWANOU-GABRIEL; AWOMILUYI Oghenetega Helen; Koudjo AMADAH; Binitte LARE; Simon Oladimeji DAYO-MOBOLAJI; BAGAGE SERVICESubject: RE: Missing Luggage SINCE 27SEP2017 REPEATED NOTICEASKY ,Without doubt the management and staff of ASKY are seeking for me to go public with my notice.I have pleaded and spoken repeatedly, but with careful appraisal it seems my complaints and desired response is not been considered.I am also writing to pose questions.If the management of ASKY and Families of the work forces have had their families deprived of their expectations particularly a new born child been involved, would they appreciate this level of humiliation and deprivation?Am been charged for decisions I really felt was not necessary.Dr. Benedict Soghie Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 6-12-2017 11:17 AM (4 years ago) | Hero The content you are looking for has either been removed or requires you to login to view Please login below or register for an account With Naijapals.com xspraise at 6-12-2017 11:55 PM (4 years ago) (m) The Nigeria Customs Service has confiscated 64 vehicles valued at over N1.3 billion during a raid at Omole Estate and Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos. The Nigeria Customs Service has confiscated 64 vehicles valued at over N1.3 billion during a raid at Omole Estate and Lekki Phase 1 in Lagos. Three bulletproof sport utility vehicles were among the vehicles seized based on lack of End Users Certificate (EUC), the Customs said. The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Lagos, led by Mohammed Uba, on Wednesday said nobody had come to claim ownership of the vehicles two weeks after the seizure. On assumption of office, I promised that on a monthly basis, I will bring to your notice of our activities, Mr. Uba said. We have intercepted 64 vehicles, among which 59 are brand new. To prove to you that they were smuggled, the owners are at large. This seizure is coming barely a month after the agency, acting on intelligence reports, intercepted 59 bulletproof vehicles hidden in a house in Ikoyi, Lagos. The Customs comptroller said the new seizures were made through another intelligence report. Whistle blowers. Three bulletproof sport utility vehicles were among the vehicles seized based on lack of End Users Certificate (EUC), the Customs said.The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Lagos, led by Mohammed Uba, on Wednesday said nobody had come to claim ownership of the vehicles two weeks after the seizure.On assumption of office, I promised that on a monthly basis, I will bring to your notice of our activities, Mr. Uba said.We have intercepted 64 vehicles, among which 59 are brand new. To prove to you that they were smuggled, the owners are at large.This seizure is coming barely a month after the agency, acting on intelligence reports, intercepted 59 bulletproof vehicles hidden in a house in Ikoyi, Lagos.The Customs comptroller said the new seizures were made through another intelligence report. Whistle blowers. Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 6-12-2017 11:55 PM (4 years ago) | Hero PDP Is The Only Political Party In Nigeria At The Moment Ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar Says xspraise at 7-12-2017 12:08 AM (4 years ago) (m) Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked politicians who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for other parties to return, saying there is no other political party in the country apart from the PDP. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked politicians who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for other parties to return, saying there is no other political party in the country apart from the PDP. The former vice president made the assertion Tuesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy call on the national leadership of the party at its national secretariat in the nations capital. Alhaji Atiku had only recently dumped the governing All Progressives Congress, APC to return to the PDP, which he left in 2014. Accompanied by his loyalists and praise signers, the Waziri Adamawa, showered encomiums on the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, just as he expressed gratitude to the leadership of the party for receiving him at short notice. He said: The former vice president made the assertion Tuesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy call on the national leadership of the party at its national secretariat in the nations capital.Alhaji Atiku had only recently dumped the governing All Progressives Congress, APC to return to the PDP, which he left in 2014.Accompanied by his loyalists and praise signers, the Waziri Adamawa, showered encomiums on the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, just as he expressed gratitude to the leadership of the party for receiving him at short notice.He said: Quote I like to thank you very much indeed for this privilege and opportunity granted me to do so, realizing that this is a very busy for you. All what I have come to do today is to come and show my face. Many people have read in the media that I have returned home. This is home. Mr. Chairman, I want to congratulate you for a wonderful work which you have been doing to redeem the image of this party, to return it, rebrand it and return it to its original form. I want to assure you of my support and cooperation at all times, to make sure that these objectives are achieved by you and subsequently by your successors. Post Reply I am Victor, I write reportage on sport news and latest metro happenings in Nigeria. Posted: at 7-12-2017 12:08 AM (4 years ago) | Hero freethinker at 7-12-2017 01:44 AM (4 years ago) (m) I CONCUR, APC IS A FAILURE...BUHARI IS A FAILURE.... I KNOW SOME GULLIABLE PIGS WILL SUPPORT HIM, BUT I AM NOT SUPRISE COS EVEN DEVIL HAS SUPPORTERS. Posted: at 7-12-2017 01:44 AM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac I CONCUR, APC IS A FAILURE...BUHARI IS A FAILURE....I KNOW SOME GULLIABLE PIGS WILL SUPPORT HIM, BUT I AM NOT SUPRISE COS EVEN DEVIL HAS SUPPORTERS. Reply sandra78 at 7-12-2017 06:58 AM (4 years ago) (f) Quote from: freethinker on 7-12-2017 01:44 AM I CONCUR, APC IS A FAILURE...BUHARI IS A FAILURE.... I KNOW SOME GULLIABLE PIGS WILL SUPPORT HIM, BUT I AM NOT SUPRISE COS EVEN DEVIL HAS SUPPORTERS. Yes, Buhari is a nonsense and has caused lot of hardship and hunger in that country.... Posted: at 7-12-2017 06:58 AM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac Yes, Buhari is a nonsense and has caused lot of hardship and hunger in that country.... Reply Haso112 at 7-12-2017 08:05 AM (4 years ago) (m) Quote from: freethinker on 7-12-2017 01:44 AM I CONCUR, APC IS A FAILURE...BUHARI IS A FAILURE.... I KNOW SOME GULLIABLE PIGS WILL SUPPORT HIM, BUT I AM NOT SUPRISE COS EVEN DEVIL HAS SUPPORTERS. WERE.... YOU DON COME BACK, AFTER GOING ''KANU'' ON US.... Posted: at 7-12-2017 08:05 AM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac WERE.... YOU DON COME BACK, AFTER GOING ''KANU'' ON US.... Reply Haso112 at 7-12-2017 08:05 AM (4 years ago) (m) Quote from: sandra78 on 7-12-2017 06:58 AM Yes, Buhari is a nonsense and has caused lot of hardship and hunger in that country.... AND SEE HIM MUMU FOLLOWER..... Posted: at 7-12-2017 08:05 AM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac AND SEE HIM MUMU FOLLOWER..... Reply ruthie at 7-12-2017 08:59 AM (4 years ago) (f) Quote from: Haso112 on 7-12-2017 08:05 AM WERE.... YOU DON COME BACK, AFTER GOING ''KANU'' ON US.... NO MIND THEM...AS A-TI-KU DON JOIN PDP...HE SUDDENLY GET MOUTH...SEE HIS LIFE! Posted: at 7-12-2017 08:59 AM (4 years ago) | Hero NO MIND THEM...AS A-TI-KU DON JOIN PDP...HE SUDDENLY GET MOUTH...SEE HIS LIFE! Reply ruthie at 7-12-2017 09:00 AM (4 years ago) (f) Quote from: Haso112 on 7-12-2017 08:05 AM AND SEE HIM MUMU FOLLOWER..... THEM PLENTY..PEOPLE WILL NO BRAINS Posted: at 7-12-2017 09:00 AM (4 years ago) | Hero THEM PLENTY..PEOPLE WILL NO BRAINS Reply ruthie at 7-12-2017 09:01 AM (4 years ago) (f) POLITICAL PROSTITUTE WITH ZERO IDEOLOGY & NOTHING TO OFFER Posted: at 7-12-2017 09:01 AM (4 years ago) | Hero POLITICAL PROSTITUTE WITH ZERO IDEOLOGY & NOTHING TO OFFER Reply agbodour at 7-12-2017 09:40 AM (4 years ago) (m) Atiki is the most useless politician i have ever see in my life ...........more useless than OBJ, Rochas Okorocha , and more useless than a pig. Atiku still have some stolen money he kept when he was vice president ....the PDP want the money not Atiku. and if by mistake pdp give the presidential ticket to Atiku .........then i know PDP and its supporters are the biggest failure in this world and under the world. Posted: at 7-12-2017 09:40 AM (4 years ago) | Upcoming Atiki is the most useless politician i have ever see in my life ...........more useless than OBJ, Rochas Okorocha , and more useless than a pig. Atiku still have some stolen money he kept when he was vice president ....the PDP want the money not Atiku. and if by mistake pdp give the presidential ticket to Atiku .........then i know PDP and its supporters are the biggest failure in this world and under the world. Reply itumopapa at 7-12-2017 09:54 AM (4 years ago) (m) Somebody who is changing parties because of post or power is a betrayer. From pdp to apc and apc to pdp again. No stable mind. Continua Posted: at 7-12-2017 09:54 AM (4 years ago) | Upcoming Somebody who is changing parties because of post or power is a betrayer. From pdp to apc and apc to pdp again. No stable mind. Continua Reply SweetDaddy1 at 7-12-2017 11:17 AM (4 years ago) (m) Quote from: agbodour on 7-12-2017 09:40 AM Atiki is the most useless politician i have ever see in my life ...........more useless than OBJ, Rochas Okorocha , and more useless than a pig. Atiku still have some stolen money he kept when he was vice president ....the PDP want the money not Atiku. and if by mistake pdp give the presidential ticket to Atiku .........then i know PDP and its supporters are the biggest failure in this world and under the world. Thank you... Posted: at 7-12-2017 11:17 AM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac Reply The Mastersons are on tour with Steve Earle and will be in Chattanooga on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at Walker Theatre. Review for the Mastersons: The Mastersons, the husband-and-wife duo of Chris Masterson and string player Eleanor Whitmore, are on tour for their first album on Red House/Compass Records Group album, Transient Lullaby. Theyll be performing both as the support act for Steve Earle and as members of his band, The Dukes. Theyre stellar players guitarist Masterson has worked with Son Volt and Jack Ingram; Whitmore composed the albums lush, countrypolitan string arrangements and has worked with Regina Spektor and Angus and Julia Stone. Transient Lullaby is their third album darker, wistful and imbued with the insights brought by an itinerant lifestyle. Happy When I'm Movin'" reflects their constant need for forward momentum, both physically and emotionally, and the title track paints the pair as "pilgrims of the interstate" on an endless voyage. Though its a deeply personal album, its not without its political moments. Dont Tell Me To Smile is Whitmores response to an audience members condescending remark to smile something every woman has experienced. Whitmores talking about life on the stage, but its a universal experience she shares, "told with a bit of Liz Phair sass in a rich, roots-rock package and a lush hook, wrote the Bluegrass Situation, who chose it as their "Song of the Week." Make-Create Night at Heritage House Arts & Civic Center in East Brainerd will be held on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m. This is the former Ambi-Artists / Craft 'n' Crop event which has been rebranded for 2018. Heritage House's Make-Create is a home for creatives of all stripes. Based on the 'Artists Way' book series by Julia Cameron and its creative clusters, Make-Create is a place for creative people working within any medium. Non-traditional and traditional crafting is welcome. Food is potluck so participants are asked to bring a simple dish or a snack item to share. Make-Create meets the first Thursday of the month from 6-9:30 p.m. The format is free-form, so participants may come as their schedule permits. For more information visit the Facebook page. COLLINSVILLE The Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Bassett. The incident happened around 4:15 a.m., when the Henry County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call about a man trying to force his way into a home in the 3300 block of Philpott Drive. According to the police report, when the man failed to get inside, he started firing a handgun. As soon as Henry County sheriffs deputies pulled up to the scene, the suspect started firing at their vehicles. One of the sheriffs deputies returned fire and the suspect was wounded. He was taken to SOVAH Health in Martinsville, where he died from his injuries. We feel at this time the officers were in a situation that they had no other option, Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said. It was a very dangerous situation and they responded. According to all agencies who responded, no residents or deputies were injured in the incident. The name of the suspect had not been released as of Tuesday night. Corinne Geller, Public Relations Director for the Virginia State Police, said that the identity would be released to the public after the next of kin had been notified. Two deputies who were at the scene, the one who returned fire and a second, have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Henry County Sheriffs Office. Officials declined to name them as of Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Salem Division of the Virginia State Polices Bureau of Criminal Investigation was at the scene conducting its investigation into the incident. In todays age in keeping the community aware of whats taking place, we want to say up front that our officers respond to dangerous calls every day and there are numerous calls, Perry said. Speaking at a 4 p.m. press conference at the sheriffs office, Perry explained what happened from the departments point of view. What was taking place in the 3300 block of Philpott Drive in the Bassett area of Henry County was someone was trying to force their way into a residence, Perry said. The people that were inside the residence were able to prevent the individual from getting in. They closed the door [and] they made a 911 phone call. On the 911 call, the residents state that there is a person outside causing a disturbance and they inform the dispatcher that the man has a gun. According to Perry, as well as the details provided by the Virginia State Police, as deputies pulled up, the suspect started firing at the patrol cars. One of the deputies then returned fire and hit the suspect. The state police is investigating this incident at this time, Perry said. We just wanted to make the citizens aware of what did take place. We have fully cooperated with the investigation and turned everything that has been requested over to them. At this point the officers are on administrative leave and will be while the investigation is going on. We also would like to say our thoughts and prayers are with everyone the family of the deceased and the officers, and we ask the community as well if they would have their thoughts and prayers for them. Sheriff answers questions Perry was then asked if there was any known connection between the suspect and the people inside that home on Philpott Drive. Perry said at this time, they dont know of any connection. He was also asked if only one deputy fired, since there are two on administrative leave. At this point, I wont elaborate on that, Perry said, before confirming that two deputies are on administrative leave. He was also asked why the office would not release the names of the two deputies who had been placed on leave. They have been through an extremely difficult situation as well and they have an emotionally trying time, Perry said. We want to give them a period of time for healing so at this time were not releasing their names. There is no timetable to release those names, Perry said, adding that he and his staff will be in communication with both of them. There is certainly a very tragic incident, first off, Perry said. A person has lost their life, but you have two officers that were there. They need to process and heal in this incident. We want to give them a little more time to start this, they and their families as well. Perry explained that its protocol in a situation like this to put the involved deputies on leave, as it allows them to have time to process what happened and allows the investigation to take place. In terms of how many shots were fired, an exact number has yet to be released. People who lived near the Philpott Drive residence said they heard multiple shots, but were divided on what caused them. Multiple people said they heard pistol shots, shotgun rounds and possibly rifle rounds fired. All I can say is there were multiple rounds fired - and I will say multiple rounds from the suspect, Perry said. When asked if the suspects gun had been recovered at the scene, he simply said that we do feel that evidence was collected at the scene. A journalist asked how people who find themselves in similar situations -- with someone trying to break in their home should handle it, for example, should they hold the door to prevent entry or try to leave the home and go somewhere safe. Perry responded that if something like that happens during the night, to call 911. We will respond as quick as we possibly can, Perry said. We would be the first people to go. What can we help you with or see what the situation has happened. I dont know the exact front end of this but I do know they were able to prevent entry. Perry was then asked how the incident has affected the sheriffs office. You know we have a lot of people, they take pride in serving the community, Perry said, his voice filled with emotion. We take pride and we never want to hurt anyone. Henry County Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Nester said his office has asked the Chesterfield County Commonwealths Attorneys Office to handle the matter because of the close working relationship between his office and the sheriffs office. A former defense contractor convicted of fraud now argues that federal prosecutors never had enough evidence against him in trial months ago and wants the jury verdict overturned. At the least, William H. Whyte, former CEO of the now defunct Armet Armored Vehicles, wants a new trial if he cant get an outright acquittal. His defense attorneys will argue the point in U.S. District Court in Danville on Tuesday. An October motion calling for acquittal by Roanoke-based Thomas Bondurant cites the insufficiency of the evidence presented against him at trial as the reason for a judge to reverse a unanimous jurys decision. Whyte was found guilty of three counts of major fraud against the United States government, four counts of wire fraud and three counts of false or fraudulent claims in the District Court of the Western District of Virginia on Oct. 9 following a two-week trial. Whyte is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Jackson L. Kiser on Feb. 20. This case was tried in Danville because Armet once was based in the city. Federal prosecutors on Monday filed a motion opposing any reversal. Bondurant claimed during the trial the government had not presented all of the relevant evidence or witnesses, including former FBI informant and former Armet company president Frank Skinner. The motion also states there were several cases of prosecutorial misconduct and that prosecutors shifted the burden of proving the case to the defense another argument that the court has already ruled against during the October jury trial. The remarks did not provide any inadmissible evidence, and the governments case against the defendant was strong, with multiple witnesses, numerous exhibits, and the defendants own admissions as to his conduct, prosecutors argued in the motion filed Monday. The United States motion in opposition states, Finally, any burden shifting was cured by the courts jury instructions, which instructed that the burden of proof is with the government. This same motion was denied twice once on Oct. 3, and again on Oct. 9. Federal prosecutors, in the motion filed Monday, argue the defendant cannot meet the heavy burden required to overturn a unanimous jury verdict. This case is about greed and reckless disregard for the men who would ride in these trucks, federal prosecutor Caitlin Cottingham repeated often during closing arguments in October. The buck stops with William Whyte. Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Canada Zinc Metals Corp. (TSX Venture Exchange: CZX) is pleased to announce that the Company has received a 3-year extension to its Akie Underground Exploration Permit to December 31, 2020. Underground Drill Permit Extension With improving zinc prices and more robust financial markets, the Company feels the timing for advancement of the project will be favorable in 2018. The Company was able to complete certain surface construction tasks in the period from 2011 to 2016, including construction of 2.2 km of the portal access road, clearing of a small waste dump, and clearing of the proposed portal site. Although the Underground Program has not yet commenced, Canada Zinc Metals has diligently continued to collect both environmental baseline and monitoring data to ensure compliance with the Mines Act, the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia, the Mineral Exploration Permit and the Effluent Permit as issued from the Ministry of Environment. This work includes surface and groundwater quality data, turbidity monitoring, and ongoing rock characterization. As part of the Companys ongoing commitment to open and transparent communication and cooperation with First Nations, and subject to the 2013 tripartite Exploration and Cooperation Agreement signed with Tsay Keh Dene and Kwadacha, the Company provided a copy of the Underground Exploration Permit extension application to the respective communities for input and comment 30 days prior to application. No concerns were expressed apart from the desire of both communities to see continued communication from the Company on all exploration related matters, including the ongoing surface drill program. Both First Nations provided letters of support that demonstrate the commitment of both communities to support Canada Zinc Metals endeavor to advance the Akie project in a timely and environmentally sound manner. The approval was received November 3rd 2017 from the permitting section of the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines and Petroleum Resources and will now allow the Company time to execute the planned underground drill program in the coming years without the need for a permit revision or amendment. Stated, President and CEO Peeyush Varshney, This extension will enable us to execute on our planned underground drill definition program. We look forward to aggressively moving the Cardiac Creek deposit forward. The Akie Zn-Pb-Ag Project The 100% owned Akie property is situated within the Kechika Trough, the southernmost area of the regionally extensive Paleozoic Selwyn Basin and one of the most prolific sedimentary basins in the world for the occurrence of SEDEX zinc-lead-silver and stratiform barite deposits. Drilling on the Akie property by Canada Zinc Metals since 2005 has identified a significant body of baritic-zinc-lead SEDEX mineralization known as the Cardiac Creek deposit. The deposit is hosted by siliceous, carbonaceous, fine grained clastic rocks of the Middle to Late Devonian Gunsteel Formation. The Company has outlined a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource at Cardiac Creek, including an indicated resource of 19.6 million tonnes grading 8.2% zinc, 1.6% lead and 13.6 g/t silver (at a 5% zinc cut-off grade) and an inferred resource of 8.1 million tonnes grading 6.8% zinc, 1.1% lead and 11.2 g/t silver (at a 5% zinc cut-off grade). In addition to the Akie Project, the Company owns 100% of ten, large, contiguous property blocks that comprise the Kechika Regional project. The Kechika Regional Project includes the Pie, Yuen, Cirque East and Mt. Alcock properties, extending northwest from the Akie property for approximately 140 kilometres along strike of the highly prospective Gunsteel Formation shale; the main host rock for known SEDEX zinc-lead-silver deposits in the Kechika Trough of northeastern British Columbia. These projects are located approximately 260 kilometres north northwest of the town of Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada. Ken MacDonald P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration, is the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release. The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANADA ZINC METALS CORP. PEEYUSH VARSHNEY PEEYUSH VARSHNEY, LL.B CEO & CHAIRMAN To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/CanadaZinc12062017_0.pdfSource: Canada Zinc Metals Corp. (TSX Venture:CZX) To follow Canada Zinc Metals Corp. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below. Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 FSCwire 11/15/2022 In 1990, when she was 25, Bronwyn McEwen enrolled at UTC as a theater major. I had two major goals in life, she said. The biggest was to be a wife and a mom, and the second was to be an ... more Senator Bob Corker, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, on Tuesday released the following statement after the committee passed legislation to "improve our nations financial regulatory framework and promote economic growth." Since Dodd-Frank was signed into law in 2010, community banks in Tennessee and across our country have faced an overwhelming and disproportionate regulatory burden, said Corker. These reforms are long overdue and not only will help our community banks better serve hardworking Americans but also will ensure small businesses have access to the credit they need. While more work remains, I believe this bill is an important step in the right direction and am pleased we are close to getting this over the finish line. The package, authored by Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and cosponsored by Senator Corker, is targeted toward helping community banks, credit unions, mid-sized banks, regional banks and custody banks. It includes important consumer protections, particularly for veterans, senior citizens and victims of fraud. Republican Co-Sponsors: Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), David Perdue (R-Georgia), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho). Democrat Co-Sponsors: Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana), Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri), Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado). Highlights of the legislation include: Improves consumer access to mortgage credit; Provides regulatory relief for small financial institutions and protects consumer access to credit; Provides specific protections for veterans, consumers and homeowners; and Tailors regulations for banks to better reflect their business models. For a section-by-section summary, click here. Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, referring to the 27 complaints the legislature's inspector general received over the last few years -- even though the position was unfilled. Since the launch of the #metoo movement in October, 300 women have signed an open letter saying sexual harassment in the Illinois capitol is pervasive, and a new IG has been hired to field those complaints and others. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous released a plan Wednesday calling on Maryland to take the plunge and create a universal health care system without waiting for the the federal government to take the lead.The release of Jealous' outline of a statewide "Medicare for all" plan comes as he is planning a Wednesday night rally at the College of Notre Dame with 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, a supporter of single-payer health care who has endorsed Jealous' candidacy."The time for Medicare for all for Maryland has come," Jealous told The Baltimore SunJealous said in the summer, shortly after he announced his candidacy in the June 26 Democratic primary, that he wanted to establish what would be the nation's first state-based single-payer plan. He is among eight Democrats who have announced bids to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.The former NAACP president's 19-page plan fleshes out his intentions of the issue -- but leaves unanswered such questions as how much it will cost and whether Marylanders would have a choice of participating.Jealous contended in an interview with The Baltimore Sun that Maryland is in a better position than any state has ever been to create a state-based version of the federal Medicare program that would serve people of all ages. He said his proposed MD-Care program would build on Maryland's unique "all-payer" health care system, which requires that all insurers pay a standard rate for hospital services.The system, which has support in both parties, saved an estimated $429 million between 2013 and 2016 and held the growth of Maryland health care costs below the national average, according to the state Department of Health. Jealous said his plan would build on that system.Jealous' proposal flies in the face of skepticism about whether a single state can achieve the economies of scale necessary to set up a single-payer system on its own. Even in politically liberal California, with a population more than six times Maryland's, efforts to set up a Medicare-for-all system have stalled in its Democratic-dominated legislature.In Sanders' home state of Vermont, Democrat Peter Shumlin won the governorship in 2010 on a promise to set up a single-payer system. But in 2014, he abandoned the plan, saying the tax rates Vermonters would have to pay for such a system would be "staggering."According the the Department of Legislative Services, it has conducted no recent studies of what it might cost to set up such a system in Maryland.Jealous insisted Maryland, with a population about 10 times that of Vermont, has a large enough economy to go it alone in setting up a system of its own. He said Marylanders would pay less in state taxes to establish such a system than they are now paying in insurance premiums because overhead costs would be much lower.A Medicare-for-all system would also have advantages in negotiating with "Big Pharma" for lower prices for medicines, Jealous said. He said while federal law prevents the U.S. government from using its market power to negotiate lower rates, state and local governments are covered by the ban.Jealous' MD-Care plan calls for services that go well beyond traditional Medicare and Medicaid service. He would include, among other things, comprehensive mental health care benefits, as well as vision and dental care.To devise such a system, Justice said he would bring together various stake holders to establish an advisory council that would recommend details such as how to pay for the system and whether participation would be mandatory.Among the funding sources he said the panel would consider are premiums charged to employers, the sales tax and income taxes. When the economy first began unraveling during the Great Recession, most governments didnt feel it right away. Then, as revenues began to tumble, states and localities cut back on services, implemented hiring freezes and left vacancies unfilled. By 2010 and 2011, many state and local governments were shedding staff and making sizable cuts to agency budgets.The economy since then has recovered at a sluggish pace, but governments have recuperated even more slowly. Today, many jurisdictions continue to operate with staffing well below pre-recession levels. Given that this month marks the 10-year anniversary of the official start of the recession, its worth considering whether limited staffing and resources can ever rebound fully, or whether they have become a more permanent fixture of the public sector.There are about 7.5 million full-time equivalent state and local government workers, excluding those in education, according to last years Census Bureau survey of governments. That number is 3 percent below the levels of March 2008, shortly after the recession began. Taking population growth into consideration, noneducation local government employment per capita is down about 8 percent, while state employment is nearly 11 percent lower.GoverningSeveral compounding factors have constrained public-sector staffing levels: Income tax revenue growth remains weak; property tax collections for many jurisdictions arent keeping up with the demand for services -- hampered in some places by laws placing a cap on rate increases; and sales taxes are growing sluggishly, partially because of shifts to e-commerce and untaxed services. As a whole, state revenues just havent tracked broader economic growth, says John Hicks, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO).Rising pension and health-care costs are also making it difficult for states and localities to fill vacant staff positions. For state governments, its Medicaid thats eating up an ever-larger share of the budget. Theres a crowding out effect, Hicks says. The rest of the government has been living with flat or declining [spending levels].There arent a lot of reasons for optimism, either. Most state governments reported revenues coming in below original projections earlier this year. Governors budget proposals called for just a 1 percent uptick in general fund spending for fiscal 2018, the smallest recommended increase since 2010, according to NASBOs Fiscal Survey of States Cities find themselves in a similar situation. Christiana McFarland, the National League of Cities research director, says that shes starting to see revenues contract, signaling more difficult times ahead. Generally speaking, we may be in a new normal in terms of what personnel levels look like, she says. The associations annual survey of finance officers found cities budgeted lower property tax revenue growth and expected declines in both sales and income tax revenues this year.Personnel downsizing has extended across different areas of government unevenly. Census Bureau data shows a particularly large cutback of 9.2 percent since 2008 for those classified as state and local government highways employees, which includes most public works functions. Administrative and non-sworn police employees have suffered similarly large reductions. On the other hand, state-funded higher education has yet to experience a national slowdown in hiring. Areas such as parks and recreation, relying more on user fees, also have weathered the recession better.Some governments in states that sustained major property tax losses from the housing market collapse, including Arizona and Florida, havent come close to recovering those losses. The Census data indicate Arizona, Massachusetts and New Jersey have suffered the largest declines in combined state and local government employment, excluding education, since the start of the recession in early 2008. Only Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington, D.C., have seen their public-sector workforce expand more than 5 percent over that time period.In other places, the gradual shrinking of government payrolls began long before the recession. For Michigans local governments, it started in the early 2000s. Mounting cuts to aid from the state accelerated around that time. Shanna Draheim, the Michigan Municipal Leagues policy director, says the recession only exacerbated existing structural problems. The system as a whole is broken, she says, We cant track with the economy.Meanwhile, localities legacy costs continue to climb, with infrastructure, pensions and other line items siphoning away more dollars. Michigans local leaders worry the situation isnt sustainable over the long term without more state aid. I dont think any of them are accepting this as a permanent reality, Draheim says. But it has long since ceased to be a temporary phenomenon.The challenge for governments continues to be maintaining service levels with fewer resources. Some jurisdictions have responded by pursuing shared service agreements or partnerships with nonprofits, while others have sought efficiencies through technology and performance management initiatives.The publics expectations certainly havent waned. A Pew Research Center poll conducted earlier this year found 48 percent of Americans prefer a bigger government providing more services. That exceeded those preferring a smaller government with fewer services (45 percent) for the first time since late 2008. Many may be assuming, incorrectly, that their governments are fiscally strong if the local economy shows visible signs of growth.All of this raises a crucial and worrisome question: Are governments any better prepared for the next recession than they were for the last one?The good news is that states have managed to bolster their reserves. The median rainy day fund balance as a percentage of state spending has exceeded its high from the last decade, according to NASBO. And a few sources of revenue, albeit relatively small ones, are increasing. Many states are collecting more online sales taxes and expanding taxes on digital services, while others have sought additional gaming revenue.Local governments arent in a better position to weather the next downturn, but they may be more prepared in terms of management, says McFarland of the National League of Cities. Managers who worked through the last recession have proceeded cautiously. Rather than staff up, theyre relying more on contractors and temp workers.By now, suppressed staffing levels and diminished resources have persisted long enough that employees of affected jurisdictions have grown accustomed to them. Given the not-so-rosy financial outlook for many states and localities, its a reality thats unlikely to change anytime soon. There may be an acceptance of where we are right now, says Elizabeth Kellar of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, and an effort to see what we can do under the new circumstances. Iowa and 12 other states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law that restricts eggs sold in that state to come from hens that have room to extend their limbs.Missouri's Attorney General filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of the 13 states in what is the latest challenge to the California regulations. The states challenging the law argue it directly has increased the cost of eggs, hurt consumers and state agencies who buy eggs for daily consumption, and violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution."By its extraterritorial regulation of egg producers, California has single-handedly increased the costs of egg production nationwide by hundreds of millions of dollars each year," the lawsuit reads.The issue stems from when voters in California approved an initiative in 2008 that required the state's egg producers give each egg-laying hen at least 116 square inches of space. After an outcry from California producers that they would be put at a competitive disadvantage, California lawmakers passed a law that would require all producers selling eggs in the state to provide the same floor space.Judges have shot down challenges to the California law twice before. In 2014, a District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Missouri, Iowa and four other states against the California regulations.A federal appeals court upheld that dismissal in 2016 and said the suing states did not prove the California law would hurt more than a few egg producers, the Associated Press reported.The California initiative went into effect in 2015."These regulations are unconstitutional and a clear attempt by big-government proponents to impose job-killing regulations on Missouri," Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said in a news release.Neither the Iowa Attorney General's Office nor the Iowa governor's office had a comment on the lawsuit late Monday.The California Attorney General's Office said Tuesday it was reviewing the lawsuit but did not provide further comment.Missouri and Iowa were joined in the lawsuit by Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.Iowa produced more than 13.6 billion eggs in 2016, making it the largest egg producing state in the country. In 2012, when Iowa produced 14.5 billion eggs, more than 9 percent went to California, according to the lawsuit.Combined, the 13 states who brought the lawsuit produced more than 43.5 billion eggs a year, or about 43 percent of all the eggs produced in the United States.California produced about 3.5 billion eggs in 2016, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.In their filing with the Supreme Court, Missouri and the other states argue the California law has increased the cost of eggs between 1.7 and 5.12 percent nationwide. That in turn affects their citizens and state agencies who purchase eggs for daily consumption, the suit reads.The states that brought the suit all have Republican attorneys general, except for Iowa, where Attorney General Tom Miller is a Democrat. Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg is stepping down from his position for the duration of the investigation after bombshell sexual misconduct allegations against his husband Bryon Hefner, a Senate aide confirmed to The Republican/MassLive.com.The State House News Service first reported that Rosenberg, in a letter that was shared with members of his leadership team at morning meeting Monday, said he intended to take a "leave of absence as your president, effective immediately" for as long as the investigation lasts.Rosenberg was elected Senate president in January 2015. He is the first Jewish and first openly gay lawmaker to lead the state Senate.Rosenberg, D-Amherst, married Hefner in September 2016.The Boston Globe on Nov. 30 reported on four men who work in politics alleging Hefner groped, and in one case kissed against their will, while he was Rosenberg's fiance.The next day, Rosenberg read from a statement to reporters saying Hefner has "no influence" on the workings of the state Senate. He said Hefner was also seeking treatment for alcohol dependence.Senators moving to hire an independent investigator.MassLive reported on Dec. 3 that Hefner earlier this year mistakenly sent an unsolicited picture of another male's genitalia to someone who works on Beacon Hill, according to that person.Massachusetts senators this week moved to start up a structure for an independent investigation into the allegations reported by the Globe.Hefner told the Globe he was shocked by the allegations. "To my knowledge, no one has complained to me or any political or governmental authority about these allegations which are now surfacing years afterward," he said in a statement to the newspaper.Senate Democratic leaders met this morning in the office of Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester. As they walked out of Chandler's office to head to a meeting with the full Democratic caucus, the senators declined to comment to reporters."We're going to have a conversation," said Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, D-Boston. State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe told a Democratic male colleague to stop touching his arm Tuesday during a House committee meeting because he's heterosexual, and then urged the Democrat to look to people in his own party if he wanted to touch men."I'm a heterosexual. I have a wife. I love my wife. I don't like men, as you might," Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, told Rep. Matthew Bradford, D-Montgomery County, during a State Government Committee meeting."But don't -- stop touching me all the time," Metcalfe continued. "It's like, keep your hands to yourself. Like if you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't."Metcalfe, 55, made the comments during a meeting in which the committee was scheduled to vote on a bill related to eminent domain and roads. Bradford was discussing whether to table a bill or debate it further when he touched the arm of Metcalfe, who was seated beside him. Bradford said in the meeting that he touched Metcalfe's arm as part of a plea for more time to discuss the legislation.Metcalfe is the committee's majority chairman. Bradford is its minority chairman."It was very unpleasant and awkward and appalling," Bradford said in an interview after the meeting. "In this day in age, that's really inappropriate."Metcalfe said in an interview that he intended to draw attention to unwanted touching from Bradford, who he said has touched his arm or shoulder often in meetings in recent months despite his telling Bradford to stop."We have someone who's an elected leader and he continues to touch an elected leader when he's been told to stop," Metcalfe said.When asked if he was suggesting Bradford -- who is married to the mother of the pair's four children -- is gay, Metcalfe responded, "I don't know what his sexuality or his sexual behavior is. I don't know what it is. But I know from him touching me all the time that he indicates he likes to touch men."When asked about Metcalfe's claim, Bradford responded, "I'll be honest, I often try to calm him down. I speak with my hands. I've tried to calm him down."Bradford said the committee meetings are often contentious and that he has often tried to quell disagreements between Metcalfe and other members.Metcalfe, when asked about his comments regarding other Democrats, said the only openly gay member of the House is a Democrat sitting in the committee.Rep. Brian Sims, D-Philadelphia, who sits on the committee, is the first openly gay legislator in Pennsylvania.When asked whether he intended the references to the sexuality of Bradford and other Democrats in a pejorative way, Metcalfe responded, "I said what I said. If he likes to touch other men, then find another man to touch because I'm not the man to be touching."The Pennsylvania Democratic Party quickly called for the resignation of Metcalfe, who is in his 10th term."For years Metcalfe has taken policy positions based on bigoted misconceptions and fear of minority groups and the LGBT community, but today he has gone beyond the pale," party spokesman Brandon Cwalina said in a statement. "We are again calling on Daryl Metcalfe to resign and to apologize to all Pennsylvanians for his ridiculously bigoted behavior."Metcalfe has been outspoken in his belief that homosexuality is a sin and marriage should only be between a man and a woman.In 2013, Metcalfe used a procedural maneuver to prevent Sims from speaking on the House floor about the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act."For me to allow (Sims) to say things that I believe are open rebellion against God are for me to participate in his open rebellion," Metcalfe told The Associated Press at the time.Also that year, Metcalfe was one of several Republican lawmakers to call for the impeachment of former Attorney General Kathleen Kane because they said she was refusing to defend the state's ban on gay marriage.In 2015, Metcalfe spoke out against the Supreme Court ruling ensuring that same-sex marriages must be recognized across the United States."What the justices displayed today is judicial tyranny. The justices set themselves above God's law, natural law and the will of the people across this country. ... This is a government of 'We the People,' and we the people are not done with this fight," Metcalfe said.Bradford said he talked with House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Marshall, about Metcalfe's comments. He believes that at least an apology is warranted.A Turzai spokesman said he was not aware of the speaker getting involved."I wish some civility would reign," Bradford said. With most precincts reporting, Keisha Lance Bottoms held a narrow lead over Mary Norwood on Tuesday in the race for Atlanta mayor.It was too early to declare a winner in the race, but at press time Bottoms had a slight lead in the race in which about 80,000 ballots had been counted.Some voters said they made up their minds at the last minute, at the ballot box.Travis Copeland arrived at his west end polling precinct with his decision for Atlanta mayor still up in the air.He said he wanted to see the city "continue on the path that it's on" _ but that didn't mean he was going to back Bottoms."I'm a maybe for Bottoms at best," said Copeland, a 30-year-old who works in the airline industry. "But progress is important, especially in the southside. We're lagging behind, and we need new development."In the runoff race, Bottoms most significant challenge was convincing voters her administration would not be an extension of Mayor Kasim Reed's. The mayor's endorsement of Bottoms in October seemed to vault her to the front in a 12-way contest in the general election. But he was heavily criticized for some of the comments he's made during the runoff campaign. Two weeks ago, when City Council President Ceasar Mitchell endorsed Norwood, Reed described Mitchell and Norwood as "one man, one woman, two losers."At the last televised debate between the two candidates on Sunday, Bottoms said those Reed's words not hers.Reed is leaving office with City Hall under the cloud of a federal bribery investigation. He has never been identified as a person of interest in that investigation and has pledged to cooperate with federal authorities.Bottoms has said questioning whether her administration would be an extension of Reed's is sexist and "an affront to every woman like my mother who raises girls to be strong women."But Norwood cited a moment when Bottoms said the only difference between her and Reed was that she could smile when she cut you.For Norwood, the challenge was putting distance between herself and the Republican Party.In the waning days of the campaign, ads by the Democrat Party of Georgia said electing Norwood would be the equivalent to handing the city over to President Donald Trump.Norwood was also recorded telling a group of young Republicans in Buckhead that the reason she lost a runoff election to Reed in 2009 was partly due to voter fraud.Norwood has identified herself as a "progressive independent." She has repeatedly said that she voted for former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.At Sunday's debate, she defended the allegations she made about voter manipulation, saying she had the names of people who were "coerced" to voting in jurisdictions in which they didn't live.In some cases, the Republican label was too much for voters to overcome. Casting his ballot at Oakland Missionary Baptist Church, Edward Barnes voted against Mary Norwood."I definitely wasn't voting for a Republican, which I know Norwood is," he said.Some of the most sought after group of voters were the progressives who cast ballots for former State Sen. Vincent Fort and former City Council President Cathy Woolard in the general election.Fort declined to endorse anyone, but called Norwood a viable option.After questioning both candidates at a forum a week before the election, Woolard endorsed Norwood.At least one of Woolard's supporters followed her lead.Josh Jones, 25, a yoga teacher, said he voted for Norwood after Woolard backed her.He said corruption in city hall was a big issue for him."People want somebody they can trust and who can keep Atlanta growing, because it's booming," he said. "Housing especially is a big deal."Hillary Bolle, a writer who lives in Midtown, reluctantly cast her vote for Norwood"I wasn't thrilled with either candidate," said Bolle, who voted for Mitchell in November."There's a lot about Keisha Lance Bottoms that makes me nervous with the corruption in city hall and the fact she didn't pay her water bill," said Bolle.Bolle said it "gave her pause" to vote for a white candidate in a diverse city that has had black leadership for so long, but she didn't feel Bottoms was an ethical candidate. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a Colorado case about a same sex-wedding cake that ultimately could determine where the legal system draws the line between discrimination and religious freedom.The legal fight stems from the refusal of Lakewood baker Jack Phillips in 2012 to make a wedding cake for fiances Charlie Craig and David Mullins. Phillips argues he shouldn't be compelled to violate his religious beliefs by creating a custom dessert for the couple; they argue they are being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, which is protected by Colorado law.During the 90-minute hearing, all eyes in the crowded courtroom were on Justice Anthony Kennedy -- widely believed to be the swing vote on the ideologically divided court.Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 2015 case Obergefell vs. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage, but the Ronald Reagan appointee previously has lent a sympathetic ear to arguments of religion and freedom of expression.He had tough questions and comments for both sides.Kennedy posed a question to Phillips' attorneys: If the baker's cakes were truly expressive and an extension of his First Amendment rights, would that make it OK for him to refuse to sell any of his cakes -- and not just a custom one?Kennedy also wondered whether the case could give a rise to a national movement to deny wedding cakes to same-sex couples."If you prevail, could the baker put a sign in his window, 'We do not bake cakes for gay weddings'?" he asked.But Kennedy also questioned whether the Colorado Civil Rights Commission took appropriate action when it disciplined Phillips for not serving Craig and Mullins."It seems to me that the state in its position here has been neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips' religious beliefs," he said.If there is one area where both sides agree, it's that the stakes in this high-court confrontation are huge and the court's eventual ruling -- expected by next summer -- could have far-reaching implications.A victory for Phillips would open the door for more businesses to use religion and expression as an excuse for discrimination, argued David Cole of the American Civil Liberties Union."We don't doubt the sincerity of Mr. Phillips' convictions. But to accept his argument leads to unacceptable consequences," Cole said. "A bakery could refuse to sell a birthday cake to a black family if it objected to celebrating black lives. A corporate photography studio could refuse to take pictures of female CEOs if it believed that a woman's place is in the home."But attorneys on the side of the Lakewood baker countered that the First Amendment rights of creative professionals were the real issue for the court."They believe that they can compel speech, of filmmakers, oil painters, and graphic designers in all kinds of context," said Kristen Waggoner, of Alliance Defending Freedom, in response to the arguments of the ACLU and its allies.One vexing issue for the nine-member court was defining which professions were expressive and should be protected by the First Amendment. Compounding that question was whether there were differences even within an industry or even one shop -- say, between a sheet cake and a carefully crafted wedding dessert."What is the line? How would you have this court draw the line?" asked Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Colorado native and the Supreme Court's newest member.Noel Francisco, the U.S. solicitor general for the Trump administration, took the side of the baker and pointed to the cost as one clue."People pay very high prices for these highly sculpted cakes, not because they taste good, but because of their artistic qualities," he said.In another exchange -- between Waggoner and Justice Elena Kagan -- the expressive rights of hairstyling and makeup were compared to those of a baker."Why is there no speech in creating a wonderful hairdo?" Kagan asked."The makeup artist may again, be using creativity and artistry, but when this court is looking at whether speech is involved, it asks the question of, is it communicating something, and is it analogous to other protected forms of speech?" Waggoner answered.Said Kagan in response: "Because, you know, a makeup artist, I think, might feel exactly as your client does, that they're doing something that's of great aesthetic importance" to an event like a wedding."There's a lot of skill and artistic vision that goes into making somebody look beautiful. And why wouldn't that person or the hairstylist -- why wouldn't that also count?" she added.The Tuesday morning hearing was the latest chapter in a legal battle that dates to 2012, when Craig and Mullins went into Masterpiece Cakeshop ahead of their nuptials."Charlie was carrying a binder full of concepts and ideas that we had come up with, but we never even got a chance to open it," said Mullins in a press call last week. "As soon as we sat down with the owner, he asked who the cake was for, we said it was for us, and he immediately informed us that he wouldn't make a cake for a same-sex wedding."Afterward the two men filed discrimination charges with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The panel agreed with Craig and Mullins, as did the Colorado Court of Appeals when Phillips took his case there.The loss meant that Phillips' business, Masterpiece Cakeshop, had to reorient itself to deal with Colorado's anti-discrimination laws, including staff training and follow-up reports with the state. His attorneys have argued the ruling and legal fight have cost him substantially."By effectively forcing him to stop designing wedding cakes, the commission stripped Phillips of roughly 40 percent of his family income, which caused him to lose most of his employees," they wrote.Phillips appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed in June to hear the dispute.The case has attracted widespread national attention. For days, onlookers have lined up outside the court for a chance to see the proceedings, and on Tuesday morning a crowd of hundreds gathered on the court's marble steps to advocate for one view or another.Some carried signs in support of Phillips."We got your back, Jack," read one. "Should any government force its people to celebrate sin?" read another.A few feet away, a man dressed in shorts and a giant Bible costume carried his own sign that said: "Use me not for your bigotry." Club music played in the background of a chilly morning.Ben Hogue had stood in line outside the courthouse since 3:30 a.m. He wore a clerical collar and a rainbow-flag pin, and the former Grand Junction resident -- now a Washington, D.C., denizen -- said he felt "called to stand with people who are being discriminated against and marginalized."Hogue, a vicar at the nearby Lutheran Church of the Reformation, said he recognized Phillips' right to free expression and agreed "we ought to defend the First Amendment."But he added that "it's when people become oppressed and discriminated against (under) the guise of the First Amendment is where I sort of have a problem." For more than a year, Uber Technologies Inc. concealed a massive hack that exposed the personal data of millions of drivers and riders, violating a California law that requires companies to promptly report such breaches, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer.In October 2016, hackers stole the names, cellphone numbers and email addresses of more than 57 million riders across the world, as well as driver's license numbers for 600,000 Uber drivers in the United States. Uber disclosed the hack last month.Feuer filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of California residents. The case will focus on Uber's failure to disclose the data breach to Uber's California drivers, he said.California law requires companies to report hacks "in the most expedient time possible" and "without unreasonable delay" when some forms of personal data, including driver's license numbers, are compromised. The law is designed to help consumers fight identity theft.Instead, Uber paid the hackers $100,000 to destroy the data, pressured them to sign nondisclosure agreements, and portrayed the ransom as a payment to test the vulnerabilities of the company's data security systems, according to the lawsuit."We're taking action because we believe very strongly in the importance of protecting consumers," Feuer said Monday at a news conference at Los Angeles City Hall.The consumer protection law is commonly invoked in the lawsuits that follow data breaches. In September, San Francisco's city attorney cited the law in a suit filed against Equifax, alleging the company failed to promptly disclose a hack that affected more than 15 million California residents.Feuer said he doesn't yet know how many drivers in California were affected in Uber's lawsuit.The lawsuit seeks $2,500 for each violation of the law. Any payments would be shared between the city and the county of Los Angeles, and would be spent on consumer protection efforts, Feuer said.In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said the company is happy to address regulators' questions, and is "committed to changing the way we do business, putting integrity at the core of every decision we make, and working hard to regain the trust of consumers."Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who was hired in August to replace controversial founder Travis Kalanick, said in a blog post last month that he learned of the hack months after it occurred.Uber's chief of security and another employee were fired for not revealing the hack, and the company has provided free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to affected drivers, Khosrowshahi said."None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it," Khosrowshahi said. "While I can't erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes."The hack did not expose Uber riders' trip histories, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers or dates of birth, he said.In January 2016, Uber paid a $20,000 fine to the New York attorney general for failing to promptly report a separate data breach in 2014. That previous disclosure, Monday's lawsuit said, makes the company's "gross conduct ... even more alarming." On Tuesday, in the morning, at Tattersalls Club, Brisbane, Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the Lyceum Clubs Christmas Morning Tea and addressed guests. In the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC presided over a special meeting of the Executive Council of Queensland. Following, at the Hear and Say Brisbane Centre, the Governor attended the Hear and Say Board Christmas Function and launched the silver anniversary publication Sounds of Hope: The Hear and Say story. Thirteen Mormon missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in the MainX24 Street Parade in downtown Chattanooga last Saturday. The parade has been a Chattanooga attraction for the past 11 years bringing together businesses, organizations and individuals to celebrate a sense of community and revitalization, officials said.The LDS missionaries are part of the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, which includes the greater Chattanooga area. These young men and women (ages 18-20) are serving two-year missions, and 18-month missions, respectively without pay. "Like all LDS missionaries who are called to serve, they have left their homes, friends and family to devote full-time service to the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim the good news and glad tidings of His gospel in accordance with His commission 'to preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15)."While serving missions, these young missionaries do not date, go to movies, listen to the radio or watch TV. They communicate with their families once a week by mail and email, and twice a year by phone at Christmas, and usually on Mothers Day. Typically, prior to service, these young people (with the support of their families) prepare and save in advance for missions. LDS missionaries do not choose where they serve, but gladly go where they are called," officials said.While on their missions, they proselyte, baptize, and engage in humanitarian and community service. Sometimes, they even participate in local parades. For the MainX24 parade, the Mormon missionaries decorated a mission car with Christmas decorations and painted the windows with a message encouraging attendees to Light the World. The Mormon missionaries drove their float along the parade route, with some of the missionaries walking along, hoisting a banner also calling for one and all to Light the World today. The missionaries handed out more than 900 Light the World glow-in-the-dark wristbands, and more than 800 Light the World pass-along cards.#LightTheWorld is an initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which encourages everyone to light the world in 25 ways over 25 days as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by serving others this Christmas season. Description GIS - 06 December, 2017: The New Supreme Court which is in line with Governments commitment towards the nation to modernise the institutions, should stand as a symbol of boldness to step into a new era of development. Similarly, the physical and digital infrastructure being deployed should reflect the path towards attaining sustainable growth and further consolidating Mauritius position as a champion in Africa and across the world. The New Supreme Court which is in line with Governments commitment towards the nation to modernise the institutions, should stand as a symbol of boldness to step into a new era of development. Similarly, the physical and digital infrastructure being deployed should reflect the path towards attaining sustainable growth and further consolidating Mauritius position as a champion in Africa and across the world. The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement this morning during a ceremony for the laying of foundation stone for the new building of the Supreme Court at Edith Cavell Street in Port Louis. According to the Prime Minister, this landmark project as announced in the Government Programme 2015-2019 bears testimony to Governments pledge to address the challenges facing the fast expanding judicial system and the ever increasing number of cases. On this score, he expressed his gratitude towards the Government of India which has provided a grant assistance to the tune of USD 30 million for the construction of this state-of-the-art building. Prime Minister Jugnauth also recalled that the budgetary allocation of the Judiciary has been significantly increased from Rs 558 million in 2015/16 to Rs 848 million in 2017/18 in view of ensuring that the Judiciary has the required facilities to dispense and administer justice effectively. He further dwelt on the various components of the supreme court project comprising of a modern judiciary system with latest technology. They are namely: a modern computerised revenue collection system to better monitor payments of fines and other court fees and keep track of the progress of cases; implementation of the system of E-Courts and E-Law whereby in the future civil cases will be lodged electronically; setting up of a user-friendly database to keep citizens abreast of new Acts of Parliament, or amendments to existing legislations; and a new mobile application enabling citizens to check cause lists, recent decisions of the Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court, and also access E-Court services such as online payment of fines. By June 2018, this system will be accessible to the public. For his part, the High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Mr Abhay Thakur, qualified the laying of foundation stone as yet another milestone achievement between India and Mauritius hence deepening the longstanding relations between the two countries based on mutual trust and confidence. He recalled the continuous support of India to various development projects in Mauritius and reiterated the strong cooperation between the two countries in several areas ranging from the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement (CECPA), infrastructure projects to the blue economy. New Supreme Court project The new Supreme Court project which has been funded by the Government of India following a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November last year, is expected to be ready by end 2019. The building will house all divisions of the Supreme Court namely Civil, Criminal, Commercial, Family and Mediation Courts, the Chief Justice and Judges chambers as well as the administration, under one roof hence creating a more conducive working environment leading to greater synergies between the various divisions. Description GIS - 06 December, 2017: Government has at heart the welfare and well-being of the vulnerable and the disadvantaged of the society. In order to develop its social agenda, Government cherishes the contribution of volunteers to strengthen its efforts to cater for the needs of the community. Government has at heart the welfare and well-being of the vulnerable and the disadvantaged of the society. In order to develop its social agenda, Government cherishes the contribution of volunteers to strengthen its efforts to cater for the needs of the community. The Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr Etienne Sinatambou, made this statement yesterday at the Municipality City Council, Port Louis to mark the International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2017 . The event is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In his address Minister Sinatambou recalled that IVD is an opportune time to recognise the social work carried out anonymously by volunteers with a view to ensuring equity and inclusiveness in society. Volunteers can be defined as ordinary people having an extraordinary heart. They are all driven with the common goal of helping people in need without expecting any reward, he said, adding that their unflinching commitment and generosity are indeed laudable. According to the Minister, there is a pressing need for smart volunteerism to uplift the quality of services volunteers offer, in order to achieve meaningful social change. To this end, Government has set up various capacity-building programmes and trainings to strengthen and enhance the potentials of volunteers, he said. On that note, Mr Sinatambou announced the launching of training programmes for members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in effective communication, social leadership and first aid which will be organised at the initiative of the NGO Trust Fund and the UNDP. For her part, the UN Coordinator of UNDP, Ms Christine Umutoni, highlighted that v olunteerism helps to translate human principles into concrete actions. It particularly holds significant value in war-torn countries and regions facing social conflicts, wherein volunteers safeguard rights of those in precarious situations, she added. Speaking about the multicultural context of Mauritius, she underlined that volunteerism helps to promote social inclusiveness, a sense of cohesion and solidarity in the society. She pointed out that an inclusive and equitable participation of the community is important and adding that Mauritius is a good example in this matter. Ms Umutoni outlined that the UNDP supports Government in its endeavours to care for the disadvantaged members of the society. In this regard, she enumerated some of the initiatives which include: establishing a Social Register for Mauritius; organising various workshops to map out strategies to attain sustainable goals; setting up of the National Council of Social Work and supporting the fight against poverty and organising capacity-building training for NGOs, amongst others. International Volunteer Day IVD, observed worldwide on 5 December, seeks to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism. It is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organisations to raise awareness of, and gain understanding for, the contribution they make to their communities. It is also viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector. The theme for this year is Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere. , highlighting the positive solidarity of volunteers around the world who answer calls in times of crisis, helping save lives today and supporting those who want to continue living their lives with dignity . Atlanta Chicago Kansas City To understand where smart city projects are going, one must understand where theyve been. Atlanta CIO Samir Saini does this by dividing these projects into three phases: Smart Cities 1.0, Smart Cities 2.0 and Smart Cities 3.0.Smart Cities 1.0 is tech that predates the phrase smart city, going back about a decade to utility and energy companies that first used industrial control systems made of basic sensors to collect data for analytics work. Smart Cities 2.0 is where most cities are now, starting to use limited Internet of Things (IoT) tech to sense whats happening at surface levels and to control systems. Smart Cities 3.0, which is where most CIOs want to be, will transform municipalities into unified data platforms that give government prescriptive and predictive analytics capable of improving quality of life.Most cities are just doing demos, Saini said. No ones really done a full, citywide scaled deployment of IoT yet, and neither have we. So, from an IoT perspective, were not so different than most other cities doing demonstrations to prove the value of sensing and control-based projects.Atlanta, however, has its eye on Smart Cities 3.0 status, as do two of the nations other pioneering smart city jurisdictions, Chicago and Kansas City, Mo. What exactly this means, however, varies by city.Atlanta is collaborating with academia, specifically with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), on predictive analytics in transportation, starting to use advanced sensors to predict potholes and identify intersections with frequent near-crashes. With this data, the city can direct resources to fix potholes before they happen and make changes to dangerous roads, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs.Atlanta is also working with Georgia Tech on public safety through a machine learning algorithm that uses natural language processing to draw connections between thousands of case reports generated by police. This project seeks to identify similarities in cases in real time, a vast improvement over manual review.With the algorithm, we can see there are five cases that have five investigators, but these five cases have a 0.8 and above probability of being correlated to each other, Saini said, which means we should probably have these investigators work together. If they do, its likely we can find the bad guy sooner, get a conviction and maybe even avoid future crimes.Chicago has also established itself as a groundbreaking smart city with its Array of Things project, which Chicago CIO Danielle DuMerer said has drawn interest from 90 other jurisdictions, including Denver, Seattle and Boston. Chicago has proven a productive testing ground for this project, which is made up of hundreds of outdoor nodes, because the hardware must stand up to the Windy Citys weather. Since the project launched more than a year ago, developers have improved the nodes to reduce issues such as interior condensation.A collaborative commitment to smart cities has also taken root in Chicago. On the data side, the city is working with the University of Chicago to break down silos and funnel smart cities data into a platform called Plenario, which funnels info back through an API and makes it available around locations. To create hardware that can be seamlessly placed throughout the city, Chicago is also collaborating with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on stylish hardware boxes. Other efforts are underway at Northwestern University, which, like Georgia Tech, is studying applications in transportation.Its all in service of broader goals: creating data about whats happening through the city and making that data available to public agencies, community groups, researchers and residents. Chicago has kept this at the forefront as it expands its Array of Things projects and advances toward Smart Cities 3.0 status.One of our goals is really to find locations where weve got the city, universities and communities that are interested in a platform and leveraging it collectively to solve challenges, DuMerer said. Those are the locations that will move forward most quickly.Kansas City, Mo., was at the forefront of smart city tech in 2015, embracing expanded broadband access, smart streetcars with video sensors capable of finding badly parked cars, traffic lights to keep streets moving, and digital kiosks serving as city guides.Kansas City Chief Innovation Officer Bob Bennett said recent progress has involved expanding existing initiatives, as well as improving data analytics platforms. Potential uses of analytics are wide-spanning and nuanced, with examples including the parks department putting pools in overheated neighborhoods to reduce crime, or economic development tools identifying areas in need of resources.Expansion also continues with the citys smart streetlight plan, which is set to grow to 7,200 units. Other growth has taken place with public Wi-Fi and traffic cameras, which now collect data from all main thoroughfares connecting highways to city streets. The city is also using sensors to direct water during storms, and, like Atlanta, to predict potholes. Bennett said results have been fantastic for government efficiency, even if the average Kansas City resident is unaware.Theres nothing sexy about this, Bennett said, but its deadly effective, it saves money, and thats what gets peoples attention. (TNS) - The fire that has ravaged Ventura County continued to burn out of control Wednesday, reaching the Pacific Ocean unchecked as officials warned many more homes have been lost.The fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire continued to rage through the city of Ventura on Tuesday evening, jumping Highway 33 and burning through oil fields before crossing the 101 Freeway into Solimar Beach, authorities said.The blaze has consumed 50,500 acres on its journey to the ocean. The 101 remains open, but authorities warned drivers to be cautious traveling through the area.Thousands of homes were still threatened by flames, 27,000 people were forced to flee, a firefighter was injured and Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, as some 1,100 personnel continued to battle the blaze.At least 150 structures including one large apartment complex and the Vista Del Mar Hospital, a psychiatric facility were consumed by flames. But Cal Fire suspects the true number is hundreds more; firefighters just havent been able to get into areas to know for sure.Authorities Tuesday evening continued to widen evacuation zones and announced dozens of school closures in Ventura and Conejo Valley for Wednesday.The Casitas Municipal Water District warned residents to boil their tap water for about a minute before drinking and cooking. The order was issued to residents in the Upper Ojai Valley, Casitas Springs, Foster Park and the entire city of Ventura because of the loss of pressure and water supply from fire-related power outages.The fall weather sequence helped spark the Thomas fire, which as of 7:45 p.m. Tuesday was 0 percent contained, fire officials said. In the last couple of years, the rains came before the Santa Ana winds. But this year, with no rain in three months, the winds hit dry fuels.This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but well continue to attack it with all weve got, Brown said. Its critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.The state sent resources to help with firefighting efforts as authorities opened new shelters throughout the county. Ventura County officials have asked the state for eight fixed-wing firefighting aircraft to help douse the flames, said Ventura County Sheriffs Sgt. Kevin Donoghue.The blaze started about 6:25 p.m. Monday in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, a popular hiking destination. It grew wildly to more than 15 square miles in the hours that followed consuming vegetation that hasnt burned in decades, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said.The burn area is pretty much all the mountains between Ventura and Ojai and extending east to Santa Paula, Donoghue said. Its a challenge because of the enormity of it, and its a challenge because its pretty rugged terrain.Power outages also caused problems for firefighters Monday night and rendered some pumping systems inoperable, said Ventura County Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann. Some hydrants couldnt get water pumped to them because there was no power, he said.At one point in Ojai, the entire water system went down, including hydrants and drinking water, because a pumping system was damaged by the fire, Kaufmann said.On Tuesday morning the water district had sent people to Ventura to repair the problems, but he did not know status of the repair.It definitely presented a challenge to us, he said.By 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, authorities had ordered a mandatory evacuation of the entire community of Casitas Springs, northwest of Ventura. The evacuation area spreads from the northern portion of Highway 33 into Ojai, said Ventura County Fire Department Capt. Stan Ziegler. The county also issued a voluntary evacuation order for all parts of Ojai Valley not under mandatory evacuation.In addition to the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura and Nordhoff High School in Ojai, evacuation centers have been set up at the Oxnard College gymnasium and Santa Paula Community Center.The size of the fire will likely grow, Ziegler said. Authorities are still seeing erratic fire behavior and erratic winds so its making the firefight very difficult, Ziegler said.Aircraft are available for firefighting efforts, but will usually only drop retardant when winds are below 30 mph, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean.About 7 a.m., the wind appeared to be pushing the fire east toward Camarillo and north toward Ojai, said Ventura County Sheriffs Senior Deputy Tim Lochman.On Tuesday, firefighters continued trying to save homes in Ventura, where the fire was active. They faced a red-flag wind advisory that notes ridgeline winds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 70 mph. Winds are expected to decrease somewhat in the afternoon, said Chad Cook, Ventura County Fire Department division chief.The fire hopscotched through hillside neighborhoods Monday night, burning some homes and sparing others. Some residents hoped the worst might be over in the early hours of the morning when the wind died down. But it picked up with a fury around daybreak, causing more destruction.Engulfed in flames, the Hawaiian Village Apartments above central Ventura collapsed about 4 a.m.Water gushed down North Laurel Street as firefighters worked to put out the flaming complex and residents watched, holding cameras and cellphones. The sound of bursting propane tanks filled the air.Hundreds of firefighters working through the night tried to prevent the blaze from spreading, block by block, as they were confronted by wind gusts of up to 50 mph.One firefighter was hit by a car while he was protecting homes. He was at a hospital, said Ventura County Fire Capt. Scott Quirarte.Fire officials said the intensity of the fire, coupled with the high winds, made it pretty much unstoppable.Schools in the Oxnard, Ventura, Hueneme and Santa Paula school districts were closed Tuesday.California authorities have secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist in firefighting efforts, the Office of Emergency Services announced Tuesday morning.Fire officials expected flames would rip through at least 50,000 acres in the mountains between Santa Paula and Ventura.The destruction comes in what was already the worst year on record for wildfires in California. Forty-four people were killed and more than 10,000 structures were lost when fires swept through Northern Californias wine country in October.The Thomas fires movement bears some similarity to Northern Californias Tubbs fire, which ravaged the town of Santa Rosa and killed more than 20 people in October, McLean said.The Thomas fire has moved almost as quickly as the Tubbs did, with winds pushing flames that started north of a community into a city, he said. Like the Tubbs, there are access issues with the Thomas fire because of the topography, McLean said.Whats different, though, is that authorities began the morning of the Tubbs firefighting more than a dozen blazes in the area, whereas the Thomas fire is currently the greatest threat in Southern California. The Creek fire, near Sylmar, was at 11,000 acres early Tuesday afternoon and had destroyed at least 30 structures.There were no confirmed fatalities in the Thomas fire as of 2 p.m., authorities said.Southern California has been under red-flag weather conditions since Monday, with the strongest and longest duration Santa Ana wind event we have seen so far this season expected through at least Thursday, the National Weather Service said.The dry, gusty Santa Ana winds will continue for at least the next three days, the National Weather Service said.Generally, its awful fire weather today, tomorrow and Thursday, said forecaster Ryan Kittell. The winds were seeing right now are plenty strong to drive a fire.It doesnt matter that the winds are relatively cool compared to typical Santa Anas because wind gusts are so powerful and dry, he said.Ventura County fire officials reported Monday night that one person was killed in a traffic accident on a road closed due to the Thomas fire. But at about 6 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said no human fatalities were confirmed although they added that one dog had died.At least 1,000 homes in Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai were evacuated.More than 260,000 customers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties lost power as the fire raged. By noon Tuesday 15,000 homes in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties were still without power, said Southern California Edison spokesman Paul Netter.More homes may lose power as the fires continue to spread, and some may be without power for days, Netter said.Were encouraging conservation because of the power fluctuations, he said. Every little bit helps when it comes to maintaining power as we restore it.(Parvini, Nelson, Vives and Hamilton reported from Ventura County, Kohli from Los Angeles. Times staff reporters Jaclyn Cosgrove, Alene Tchekmedyian, Joseph Serna and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.2017 Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. In the past few days after the swearing in of Jenny Durkan as mayor of Seattle I've thought, "Maybe we have a chance now with a new leader for progress to be made on the issue of unreinforced masonry buildings (URM) in the city of Seattle."You could call that romanticizing the leader ...I've also heard the opposite about people who characterize leaders as the devil incarnate, leading us to hell and damnation.With that in mind, see this text I copied from an email: The West has become too reliant on romanticising the power of leaders The image of the leader as a hero endures in today's thinking on leadership This romantic view shapes our concept of leaders and followers Romanticising leaders re-inforces men rising to positions of authorityRomanticising political leaders such as Donald Trump can be harmful because it excludes the logic of their policies, according to new research into the popular leadership theory. Romanticised leadership can be thought of as the tendency to over-attribute organisational success and failure to a leader, even if they dont deserve it.Academics believe we make these unconscious ascriptions to simplify the complex factors involved in significant organisational outcomes. As a result, we view the leader as the driving force behind everything that happens to an organisation during their tenure.As the worlds voting public expresses anger towards what they view as the distant, impersonal, technocratic and corrupt power ruling over them in the European Union and in the US, they are turning to politicians and parties, who promise a return to mythical golden eras.The notion of 'the Hero' has had an enduring influence in leadership theory and practice, particularly in the US where this way of thinking resonates strongly with the dominant culture of individualism. However, in ' No More Heroes': Critical Perspectives on Leadership Romanticism, published in Organization Studies, academics argue that in placing their trust in heroic leaders, the public neglect or avoid the tensions and contradictions in the heroes practices and theories.Should leaders be seen as heroes?Romanticising leadership is bewitching because it offers an account of leadership drenched with imprecise mystique. It asks that we view leaders as privileged, holding a transcendent position above the fray of political or historical critique, said Keith Grint, Professor of Public Leadership & Management at Warwick Business School, who conducted the study along with David Collinson, of Lancaster University, and Owain Smolovic Jones, of The Open University.However, this is just a romanticised mirror image of an ideology that promises salvation. What happens in the post-romantic phase, when followers become disenchanted with the leaders they previously placed on a pedestal? "The study of leadership continues to be characterised by romanticising tendencies in many of its most influential theories, such as spiritual and authentic leadership. "While romanticism, an enduring tradition that has survived and evolved since the mid-18th century, can also shape thinking about followers as well." When success or failure occurs, these romanticised leaders who tend to possess strong vision, dissatisfaction with the status quo, and out of the ordinary behaviour are more likely to be praised as protagonists or blamed for the failure.The researchers argue that power and identity may be to some degree socially constructed and manufactured, through self-romanticism and self-mythologising. They also write that romanticised leadership can reinforce the gendered dynamics through which men may be especially prone to elevate other men as leaders, and to try to reinforce male leaders power and authority, while securing themselves through forms of masculine prestige by association. This raises important issues about gender and masculinity, as well as race and ethnicity."For a copy of the paper, email ashley.potter@wbs.ac.ukWarwick Business School, located in central England, is the largest department of the University of Warwick and ranked in the worlds top one percent of business schools by the Financial Times. WBS is triple-accredited by the leading global business education associations and was the first in the UK to attain this accreditation. Offering the full portfolio of business education courses, from undergraduate through to MBAs, and with a strong Doctoral Programme, WBS is the complete business school. Students at WBS currently number around 6,500, and come from 125 countries. Just under half of faculty are non-UK, or have worked abroad.Keith Grint is Professor of Public Leadership & Management at Warwick Business School. He was Professor of Defence Leadership at Cranfield University and prior to that he was Professor of Leadership Studies and Director of the Lancaster Leadership Centre at Lancaster University Management School. Before that he taught in Oxford for 12 years and was Director of Research at Said Business School and Fellow in Organizational Behaviour at Templeton College. Professor Grint spent 10 years in industry before switching to an academic career. He is a founding co-editor of the journal Leadership published by Sage, and founding co-organiser of the International Conference in Leadership Research. He remains a Visiting Research Professor at Lancaster University, an Associate Fellow of Templeton College, a Fellow of the Windsor Leadership Trust, and a Fellow of the Sunningdale Institute, a research arm of the UKs National School of Government. He wrote the literature review for Strengthening Leadership in the Public Sector (2000) a project of the Performance and Innovation Unit (Cabinet Office)."This is Eric writing again. I've been an active reader about leadership for all of my adult life. As a military officer, I've read biographies of great generals: Grant, Lee, Washington, MacArthur, etc. Lately I've read Doris Goodwin books on Lincoln, and both Roosevelt presidents. I also have read just about every book I could get my hands on about the rise of Adolf Hitler and how that happened "somewhat peacefully" in the German Weimar Republic. Because of my readings, I remembered this picture of Hitler depicting him as a knight riding to the rescue. The cult of personality taken to the extreme. I'd say the same is true today in North Korea.As the short article above states, we should not confer too much miraculous capabilities on our leaders. Many have feet of clay. None can deliver all that they have promised and what we hoped for. Coming down off of hero worship can be a long fall. (TNS) A new data practices policy quietly appeared on the city of Duluth's books the day before Thanksgiving more than four months after city administration withdrew a resolution proposing a similar fee for requests.The new policy would charge people nothing for any request that takes 15 minutes or less to fulfill. But requests that require more time would be billed at a rate of $35 per hour after the first 15 minutes. If a request necessitates the services of a city attorney, it would result in a $155 fee after the first half hour.That's what the policy approved Nov. 22 by David Montgomery, Duluth's chief administrative officer, says.But when contacted Tuesday, Montgomery indicated the policy was still a work in progress."What we need to do is go back, and I think in what we put forward, I think we missed the mark in setting the level. I think we're too high, and so we're going to pull that down. That will put us more in the mainstream when you look around the state," he said.Montgomery also said Duluth will waive any attorney charge, noting that the city typically does not bill for legal staff time and probably can't under state statute.Tony Webster, a software engineer and online citizen journalist who specializes in public-records research, agreed that the proposed attorney's fee was dubious at best. "There is no basis in law for that," he said.As for the standard $35-per-hour fee proposed, Montgomery said: "We've calculated that as the equivalent of the lowest rate that we have for someone who can do the work. But we think we're a little high on that."A person earning such an hourly wage on a full-time basis would pull down $72,800 annually, but Montgomery said that cost calculation includes benefits.The current fee mirrors what was proposed in July. That resolution met with criticism from both Webster and Duluth News Tribune Publisher Neal Ronquist."Again, this is a terribly disappointing decision," Ronquist said. "The public has a right to this information and a right to know. Doing anything to make it more difficult for the public to obtain information is wrong. Further, to implement this seemingly in secret and without public discussion is inappropriate."We expect better from our local government. This is yet another reach by the city into the pockets of local citizens and local businesses," Ronquist said.Mark Anfinson, legal counsel for the Minnesota Newspaper Association, said charging a one-size-fits-all fee of $35 per hour for data requests conflicts with state law, which allows local governments to bill only for actual costs incurred.Webster questioned the administrative decision to adopt a policy internally without involving the Duluth City Council."I don't know that these rules should just be implemented administratively without any public feedback. And I also don't think they should be implemented when there has been feedback and it has pretty much been universally negative. To just go ahead implement it anyway, that concerns me," Webster said.Montgomery defended the process the city followed yet said the council probably should and will be consulted."Our internal view is that it does not require council action, but we likely will bring it before council to keep them apprised of where we are. It's an item of public interest," Montgomery said, adding that the matter will likely go up for council review in January.Montgomery denied any effort to go around the council or avoid public scrutiny."This was not an attempt to backdoor anything," he said. "We were working through it to get to an answer that we thought was appropriate. And we're willing to keep looking at it. We think we missed the mark a little bit on it. But the good thing about a policy is it's easy to sort of adjust and correct and improve to get to where we think it ultimately should be in a relatively straightforward fashion."City Council President Joel Sipress also expressed some concern about Duluths data practices policy being approved administratively.I think it would have been preferable to have this brought to the council, as it was over the summer. And in addition to it being preferable, I would say that particularly when an issue has to do with transparency and access to public records, its important to make that decision in a public, transparent manner, he said. (TNS) For the first time, Minnesotans can send a text message to 911 during an emergency when calling for help is not an option, state authorities announced Tuesday.The statewide service, known as "Text-to-911," went live Tuesday morning and will provide a connection to emergency services for people who are deaf or unable to speak. It could also help crime victims caught in dangerous situations such as home invasions, domestic assaults or active shooter incidents in which speaking on the telephone could put them in greater danger."This will save lives," said Aaron Gutzke, executive director of ThinkSelf Inc., a St. Paul-based nonprofit that provides education and advocacy for deaf adults. "Imagine someone broke into your house in the middle of the night. You would want to be able to text 911 and say, 'Someone is in my house.'?"State officials said the service will have a particular benefit for the estimated 1 million Minnesotans who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing, and have long sought an alternative to calling 911. Minnesota is the eighth state to implement Text-to-911, after Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Indiana, North Dakota and New Jersey.To use the new service, people type 911 into the number field, and then type the nature of the emergency and their exact location in the body of the text message. Officials emphasized that people should use the new service only when they cannot safely make a voice call. That's because texting does not provide precise location information and because there can be a small time lag before a text is received by a 911 dispatch center. At a demonstration of the new technology Tuesday, the delay between sending and receiving a text was 20 to 40 seconds.In addition, they said, emergency dispatchers prefer voice calls so they can get cues from background noises and vocal inflections, and are likely to ask if they can respond to the sender with a voice call.Since its inception 50 years ago, the 911 system has been dangerously out of reach for people who are deaf. They would often rely on friends, neighbors and even strangers to call for help during an emergency. Some can call 911 through an online video relay service, which connects the caller to a live interpreter at a call center. But connecting to an interpreter can take minutes, putting callers who are deaf at greater risk.The unequal access to emergency services had even raised civil rights questions. In February 2016, the National Association for the Deaf and three individuals filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Arizona, alleging that the state and local government's failure to provide text to 911 services was discriminatory. They claimed they could not use 911 outside their homes or in areas without high-speed internet access."This is a fundamental civil rights issue," said Christian Vogler, director of the Technology Access program at Gallaudet University, a school in Washington, D.C., for people who are deaf. "Not being able to contact 911 on their own in a life-and-death situation would impede on people's ability to live independently, and prevent them from leading lives that are functionally equivalent to those who are hearing."Of the 6,400 emergency call centers nationwide, only about 15 percent have the capability to respond to text messages. In other states, the service has been rolled out sporadically, in different counties and cities, creating some confusion over its availability.Officials with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety took a different approach, working with local agencies to ensure the service was deployed statewide at the same time. It took nearly a year of rigorous testing, at all of Minnesota's 104 emergency dispatch centers, before the service was made available on Tuesday, officials said.Officials said the new service is unlikely to result in a major change in 911 use overall. In places where Text-to-911 has been implemented, only about 1 to 2 percent of the emergency calls have been text messages, while the rest are still voice calls.Nearly 3 million 911 calls are made in Minnesota each year. We are aware that the Explore Minnesota Facebook page is acting up and are looking into the matter. Thanks for your patience while we resolve this issue. Explore Minnesota (@exploreminn) Dec. 4, 2017 An unknown entity took over the Explore Minnesota Facebook page for more than eight hours on Dec. 4, posting non-travel-related content until officials were able to regain control of the popular webpage.A spokesperson for the state's tourism agency said staffers first noticed the page had been hacked around 8 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The state immediately contacted officials at Facebook and at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) for assistance in resolving the issue.Explore Minnesota officials were briefly successful in regaining control of the page, their most-followed social media outlet, during the day but otherwise worked with the company and MNIT to mitigate the incidents effects, warn social media followers of the breach; and afterward, to remove added content.Alyssa Hayes, Explore Minnesota spokesperson, said control was restored around 4:30 p.m. CST, and while there appears to be no lasting damage to the agency or to its social media page, the hack was no small incident.It was a serious cyberattack against our Explore Minnesota page. We were working diligently with the actual team at Facebook headquarters for about nine hours yesterday to resolve the issue, Hayes said. We ended up gaining access at one point (but) the hacker had completely closed us off after we had addressed that.A Facebook spokesperson said via email that the company works around the clock to safeguard accounts and pages, but did not specifically discuss the Explore Minnesota incident. The spokesperson urged users who believe their accounts may have been compromised to visit facebook.com/hacked , or to report a hacked page at: facebook.com/help/contact/434468003315353 Hayes praised MNIT for assisting the tourism agency in investigating the matter, and said the breach was something of a reminder that teamwork and swift action are essential during a hack.Im not sure if its a lesson, but we do know that addressing these things as quickly as possible is very important and learning to lean on our allies, like our state partner agencies, like MNIT Services, Hayes added.Cambray Crozier, director of communications at MNIT, said the incident is proof that public agencies must continually do everything possible to guard their technology and online presence against bad actors.A good talking point is that they fend off more than 3 million attempted cyber attacks every single day, Crozier said of MNITs state security operations center, noting that the Legislature declined to approve Gov. Mark Dayton's $27 million cybersecurity investment request during its last session.In our view this is a great example of something weve been advocating in the legislature, the importance of proactively funding better cybersecurity protection in our state and investing in advance in better tools including password managers to protect Minnesota and the people we serve, Crozier said.The communications director recommended via email that Minnesotans create long and strong passwords using letters, numbers and symbols that are unique to each account; use two-factor authentication if available; and when in doubt, dont click.I think the most important thing to highlight is that, at MNIT, we think its tremendously important to have honest conversations about how technology is driving business and government in the state of Minnesota, Crozier added, pointing out that residents private tax information, for example, must receive public protection from the state once they file their taxes.Its unclear how the hacker or entity may have gained access to Explore Minnesotas Facebook account, but Hayes said the webpages relatively high number of around 226,000 followers could have attracted the unwanted attention.Weve been in close discussion with the state of Minnesota IT services and their cybersecurity team. Theyve explained to us over and over again that this can happen to anyone, Hayes added.The tourism agencys Instagram page has about 121,000 followers, while its Twitter account has around 58,000 followers but in terms of connectivity, Hayes said Explore Minnesotas Instagram runs first, having achieved more than 560,000 of the around 700,000 uses of the statewide travel hashtag #OnlyinMN. (TNS) WASHINGTON, D.C. The Army has approved a program to recruit experienced cybersecurity experts directly into the service as cyberofficers in an attempt to bolster a growing field that military leaders see as vital to national security.U.S. Army Cyber Command will directly commission five civilians in the coming months, aiming to bring its first batch of officers into military training by February, said Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, the Armys Cyber Command chief. The pilot program, approved by the Pentagon and Congress, seeks to bring in five new officers each year for five years.Its an ability for us to go after some of the most technical and adept talent out there that would like to serve our nation, Nakasone told reporters Tuesday at the Pentagon. What we are looking for is someone who has experience, who has operated within cyberspace, who has the drive and the dedication and has the inclination that they want to serve the nation.The candidates the Army is hoping to attract should have at least a bachelors degree and real-world experience in computer science or similar fields such as data science or industrial control systems, said Nakasone and Maj. Gen. Patricia Frost, the services cyber director for operations and planning. Candidates should be skilled in teamwork and innovative thinkers who are prepared to help the Army shape its defensive and offensive cyber operations for years.So its, what are you bringing thats a new idea to gain us the advantage in the cyberspace domain? Frost said.Earlier this year, the Army began developing the pilot program based on other direct-commission programs for medical doctors, lawyers and chaplains, which place experts in those fields into the Army at a rank that is commensurate with their experience in the civilian workforce. However, at least initially, candidates chosen to directly commission into the service will start their Army career as second lieutenants. In other fields, the services have allowed direct commissions at ranks as high as colonel. Nakasone said that could change as the Army examines its processes during the pilot program.Candidates seeking to apply to the program can do so on the Armys recruiting website, goarmy.com. The requirements for consideration include U.S. citizenship, a four-year college degree, the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance and the ability to meet Army physical fitness standards, Nakasone said. Applicants must be younger than 41 years of age.Individuals selected for the pilot program will spend six weeks in the direct commission course at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and then attend the 12-week Cyber Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Gordon in Georgia. Most cyberofficers will be stationed either at Fort Gordon or Fort Meade in Maryland, Nakasone said.Direct commissioning will allow candidates chosen to forgo the Armys 10-week Basic Combat Training Course, receive an expedited security clearance and expedited promotion to first lieutenant. It also guarantees placement as a cyberofficer, whereas recruits who commission through other routes, such as Officer Candidate School or ROTC, cannot be guaranteed a slot within the cybercorps, Nakasone said.The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy will offer similar pilot programs in the cyber field, officials said. The pilot programs all follow on former Defense Secretary Ash Carters 2016 commitment that the Pentagon would broaden its direct commission program, seeking to attract leaders with proven track records in the private sector, especially in fields like cybersecurity with a need for rapid improvement. Congress has given the Pentagon through 2020 to study the potential of expanding direct commissioning programs.The Army is looking at incentives that it could offer people interested in the program, Nakasone said, but the biggest attraction for people interested should be uniformed service in a critical field.Every single day youre going to go toe-to-toe with the best hackers in the world, and you are defending our nation, he said. Whether its against a nation-state or a non-nation-state actor or terrorists, if you want that opportunity come join us to go against the best in the world, because you wont do that necessarily in another place. Chattanooga native and local executive, Ryan Rogers, and his wife, Nicole, launched an online mens clothing company called SilverFox on Oct. 17. This online company has already been shipping products locally, nationally, and internationally as far as Dubai. Mr. Rogers, a Leadership Chattanooga alumnus, and Mrs. Rogers spent several years talking about launching a clothing line based on his long-time nickname, Silver Fox. The process of producing SilverFox clothing began when they hired a designer out of Los Angeles in 2016. The Rogers decided to launch their niche brand, SilverFox, with a small, uniquely made, product line including mens sport shirts, polos, and hats. The unique feel and fit of SilverFox sport shirts can be attributed to the fabric composition being 36 percent bamboo. Bamboo is moisture-wicking, wrinkle-resistant, and silky soft to the touch. The SilverFox polos are made with Peruvian Pima cotton which is the softest cotton on the market. Less than 3 percent of clothing in the world is made with Peruvian Pima cotton. The SilverFox logo is the statement piece on the custom hats. SilverFox is currently an online mens apparel store. Consumers may shop by visiting www.silverfox.style. SilverFox is also on Instagram and Facebook as silverfoxbrand. Mr. Rogers said, SilverFox is for the man who is refined, innovative, determined, stylish, and who sets the bar for everyone else. The companys tag line is SilverFoxbecause everybody knows one. Kicking off International Human Rights Week 2017, Palestinian Refugees on the North America Nakba Tour visited Chattanooga to share their stories and help raise awareness about the current global refugee crisis. "The Exiled Palestinians" featured the personal stories of stateless Palestinians from the refugee camps in Lebanon. Khawla Hammad has been a stateless refugee in Lebanon for 69 years. At the age of 16, she was expelled from her village of Kabri, in Palestine. Now she is 84 years old and still a refugee in Lebanon, with no citizenship in any country at all. Joining her was 23-year-old Palestinian refugee, journalist and translator Amena Elashkar, the great-granddaughter of other Nakba survivors. She and her parents were born as stateless refugees in Lebanon and have never lived in their own country. Ms. Elashkar said, "We are hopeful. It is not simply a dream for us to return to our homeland one day. We know that one day we will return home and once again we will live in peaceful co-existence with the Jews there just like we did before the Nakba or 'Great Catastrophe' in 1948 when we were forced away from our homes." Gandhi Global Center For Peace Co-Founder Missy Crutchfield said, "The work for nonviolent revolution in Israel-Palestine, Egypt, and across the Middle East is the final frontier of civil and human rights. And Palestine specifically has become a metaphor for ending global occupation and oppression. Gandhi spoke to it. Mandela spoke to it. And Gandhi reminded us that fear is the enemy, not each other, and ultimately it will be love that conquers all." The North America Nakba Tour is administered by a committee of Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition, Free Palestine Movement and the International Solidarity Movement Northern California. Local Chattanooga partners working with the committee to bring "The Exiled Palestinians" to Chattanooga for International Human Rights Week 2017 included: Gandhi Global Center For Peace, Egyptians Abroad for Democracy Worldwide, and The Well on the Soutside, a member church of the Adventist Peace Fellowship. Bridge Refugee Services also joined in the event to help make the connection locally and share about what is being done to help refugees who are relocated to Chattanooga. Key human-vehicle interface features include a 49-inch by 10-inch coast-to-coast screen, voice and gesture recognition and hand tracking, and a touch-screen steering wheel. The car also uses facial recognition to identify its drivers and passengers. BYTON also announced technology partnerships with Bosch and Faurecia toward realizing its vision. BYTON, a China-headquartered automotive brand owned by Future Mobility Corporation, inaugurated its North American headquarters in Santa Clara, California last week, marking further progress in the companys strategic effort to establish a global presence. BYTON aspires to build affordable premium intelligent EVssmart devices on wheelsfor the future. The company is focused more on the user experience of the connected environment in the car, rather than on eye-watering acceleration and road speeds of 250 km/h. BYTON will mainly work with Bosch on powertrain and braking systems. BYTON will work with Faurecia on the development and design of advanced interior technologies that takes advantage of the latest technologies in EV architecture, connected user interface and autonomous driving features. BYTONs first drivable concept car will make its debut at CES 2018 in January. In 2019, its first vehicle, a mid-sized electric SUV, will enter the market, followed by a sedan and then an MPV, all derived from the same basic platform. BYTON derives its name from the phrase Bytes on Wheels, with Bytes representing the internet and Wheels symbolizing automobiles. BYTONs proposed HMI. The powertrain basics. At a workshop at BYTONs headquarters in Santa Clara, Dr. Dirk Abendroth, VP powertrain and autonomous driving, ran through a basic outline of the powertrain platform, developed in partnership with Bosch. BYTON owns the vehicle functions, the battery pack assembly and the battery management system. BYTON is cooperating with Bosch, leveraging economies of scale across multiple customers. The basic skateboard battery pack has 71 kWh capacity, with a projected range of 350 km (217 miles). An expanded 95 kWh pack can take that up to 500 km (311 miles). The BYTON vehicles will offer rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. The RWD system will use a 200 kW motor; AWD adds a second 150 kW to the front. BYTON is using prismatic cells, but the pack architecture can support pouch cells or even cylindrical cells if necessary. Autonomous driving. Time to market is key and affordability to key for BYTON, said Dr. Abendroth. While BYTON will enable the deliver of autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on its platform, the company is wont have Level 4 functionality at launch in 2019, he said. BYTON will offer a full suite of safety-oriented ADAS applications and Level 3 AD functionality on day one, and then gradually add increasing AD functionality. BYTON is partnering with a leading L4 technology provider on a technology project, Dr. Abendroth added. Electronic architecture. As an iPhone on wheels, BYTON is extremely sensitive to the design of its electronic architecture, its ECUs and data communication. Seeing what kind of standards we need for communication to the central controller is pretty easy. We know the character of the data coming in from the radar, from the LiDAR from the camera, its kind of foreseeable what kind of data rate will come out. We just need to have enough ports on the ECU. A bigger question is how much computing power and memory we need. Whatever ECU and memory you put in development is gone halfway on the way to series production. Its gone. It will always be used. But I dont need to tell you how much I need. What I need to protect for is space. I need to be able to make the ECU grow accordingly. We have four different computers on our roadmap, but the entire roadmap is prepared for the biggest one. Customers dont pay us for being able to drive 250 km/h [155 mph] on a road. Im German, and I used to do that, but Im not very representative of the rest of the world. You cant. So why spend lots of money and weight and cost and a braking system and a cooling system to support that type of driving? Why not save money there and put it into an on-board Ethernet and a communication gateway? Dr. Abendroth HMI and the iPhone on wheels. One of the clearest visual indicators of BYTONs focus is the coast-to-coast display that spans the dashboard. CEO Dr. Carsten Breitfeld said that BYTON intends for this screen to provide a shared experience for everyone in car. Separate smaller screensone for the driver in the steering wheel, others for passengers in the backwill deliver individual digital experiences. We think that this approach is very revolutionary. We will have touch operations for the small screen and there will be advanced voice control and gesture control for the larger screen. Doing so will give us access to a lot of business opportunity. It is not only producing a car, it is a base. It will be about car sharing, ride sharing, parking services, vehicle management. It is designed to capture myriad mobility opportunities. Dr. Carsten Breitfeld BYTON will announce further partnerships in the HMI and mobility arenas at CES in January. Production and sales. The new Silicon Valley center is focused on autonomous driving and user experience, but BYTONs global headquarters, R&D center and manufacturing base is in Nanjing. (The R&D center responsible for the design of prototype and concept models is based in Munich, Germany. ) The company is building its plant in Nanjing, with start of production slated for 2019, said Dr. Daniel Kirchert, President and, with Dr. Breitfeld, one of the co-founders of the company. The plant is designed to ramp to 300,000 units; the first phase for 2019 will have 100,000-unit capacity. We think that is an ideal size to achieve quality, said Dr. Kirchert. Total investment in the plant is $1.1 billion. BYTON expects China to be its main market, said Dr. Kirchert, with around half of the business. BYTON expects the US to account for 30% and Europe for the other 20%. BYTON will use a direct sales model. The company is shooting for a price point of around US$40,000 to $42,000. BYTON hosted Green Car Congress at its Santa Clara event. Cleveland State Community College student Hunter Stokes says he has been able to get to know everyone on campus through the CSCC Ambassadors working in the Enrollment Services Department on campuseven President Dr. Bill Seymour! You can just sit down and have lunch with the president at CSCC, stated Mr. Stokes. I dont know many four-year schools where you can do that. I got to know him through the Ambassadors. He is an awesome, down to earth guy; you can just sit down and have a normal conversation with him. He is not too good to talk to the students here. Im not sure that you can do that at a university. Mr. Stokes takes his role as a CSCC Ambassador very seriously. Student Ambassadors serve as the first point of contact to hundreds of students each year. The goal of the Student Ambassadors is to educate prospective students, families, school groups and the general public on the programs, resources and student life at CSCC. Stokes conducts campus tours, participates in college fairs, provides assistance in the Enrollment Services Department on campus, assists at events on campus and recruits at the local high schools. One of my favorite things I have been able to do was help at McMinn, stated Mr. Stokes. I was able to tell the high school students about Tennessee Promise and the free opportunity to go to college. I told them about my experience at CSCCwhich classes to take, which classes I took, which teachers I had. I gave them tips on how to study, not to procrastinate. In addition to the CSCC Ambassadors, Mr. Stokes is also involved in Phi Theta Kappa and the intramural program on campus. I like to be involved on campus, stated Mr. Stokes. I dont like to just go to class and go home. That would be my suggestion for othersto get out there and be involved. Meet the faculty and staff; it will make your experience even better. Mr. Stokes said one reason he has been able to get to know students, faculty and staff on campus is because of Cleveland States small size. You connect more with your fellow students in a smaller class settingyou become more like friends. The same thing goes with the faculty and staff. Its a lot easier to connect in a smaller class setting. You just cant get that at a larger institution. The faculty and staff at CSCC want you to succeed. And they will work with you to watch you excel. Not just in class, but in life. Mr. Stokes is the son of Bryan and Melissa Stokes of Etowah. Previous Next It was beginning to sound a lot like Christmas, as Morning Pointe of Collegedale at Greenbriar Cove and The Lantern hosted the Chattanooga Community Symphony during the 2017 Christmas at the Cove event. The community at-large was invited to the Christmas celebration, as local dignitaries and guests joined the residents, families and associates for a beautiful symphonic performance at the assisted living and Alzheimer's memory care campus. Dana McCormack Tamjeed Azara Previous Next The senior class at Signal Mountain High soared to the top on the ACT college entrance test. Twenty-five percent of the senior class had a composite score of 30 or higher on a single administration of the official ACT test. The seniors scored between 30 and 36 with two coming away with a perfect score. The performance of the Signal Mountain seniors falls between the 94th to the 100th national percentile. The seniors included Tamjeed Azad, Kate Barry, Jonah Bird, Sara Brooks, Michael Cornett, Meg Corley, Hunter Curtis, Will Davis, Trinity Donnellan, Jack Dowling, Paul Ferris, Nicholas Fowler, Emily Fox, Caitlin Hall, Cora Hansen, Emelie Howley, Emma Johnson, Dylan Lisowski, Ben Lockhart, Sophia Lyle, Seth Majic, Dana McCormack, Gaddiel Morales, Audrey Morrow, Aidan Newton, Julia Noll, Aidan Perez, Emily Pope, Caleb Rowe, Emeline Sharpe, Carla Slabber, Micah Smith, Natalie Taggart, Thomas Thelen, Alexandra Tippett, Caroline Vanderhoof, Mary Elizabeth Wakim, and Grant Williams. Tamjeed Azad and Dana McCormack achieved perfection on the test with the top possible composite score of 36 on the ACT exam. They join Signal Mountain graduate Andy Vernetti who was the first SMHS student to ace the ACT two years ago. Of the 154 seniors at Signal Mountain, 38 scoring anywhere from 30 to 36 on the ACT test is pretty impressive, noted Leslie Sharpe, a counselor at Signal Mountain High. The students prepared for their success as 28 of them have taken a full load of International Baccalaureate courses as juniors and seniors. She added, five others were enrolled in a partial IB program. International Baccalaureate is recognized around the world as a rigorous program preparing students to succeed in a rapidly globalizing world. The Signal Mountain seniors have a long list of colleges and universities they are considering after they graduate in the spring. Some have aspirations for Ivy League schools like Yale and Princeton. Others institutions being considered include Arizona State, the University of Chicago, Davidson, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Tennessee Tech, the University of Tennessee, and UTC. GREENSBORO County commissioners will hold a public hearing today on a plan to publish required public notices on the county website rather than on newspapers print and online pages. Commissioners are expected to vote on the plan immediately after. If it passes, the county will start publishing foreclosure, creditor, unclaimed property, public meeting, audit and other notices on its website as soon as Jan. 8. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Old Guilford County Courthouse. Local governments in North Carolina are required to publish in newspapers and, more recently, on their websites. But earlier this year, the General Assembly passed a law unique to Guilford County that allows municipalities to bypass newspapers. The county spends $70,900 a year on public notices. It would impact the News & Record, the High Point Enterprise, the Carolina Peacemaker and the Jamestown News. The countys plan calls for hiring a part-time employee to manage the notice-publishing at a cost of about $35,000 a year plus benefits. The move was led by state Sen. Trudy Wade (R-Greensboro), a long-time critic of the News & Record and other local media. Backers of the bill assert that it does not require local governments to shift public notices to official websites, only gives them that freedom. They also said more people have access to the internet in Guilford County than subscribe to newspapers, and even fewer of those newspaper subscribers regularly inspect the legal notices and other public messages. Newspaper industry defenders point out that the various print publications also have websites where legal and other official notices are published and reach much wider audiences than do government websites. The North Carolina Constitution requires that the state give its children a sound basic education, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled two decades ago. That means the state has to provide a competent, qualified teacher in each classroom and a competent, qualified principal in each school, plus necessary resources to support them, the court later clarified. Last week, Guilford County Board of Education Chairman Alan Duncan traveled to Raleigh to take part in the first meeting of a new 19-member commission to judge the states commitment of those resources and its ability to staff those jobs. It was a very impressive group, Duncan said. Besides Duncan, Gov. Roy Cooper appointed three others with ties to the Piedmont Triad: Rockingham County Commissioner Mark Richardson; Fernando Solano Valverde of Greensboro, who teaches at South Lexington School in Lexington; and N.C. Association of Educators President Mark Jewell, a longtime Guilford County Schools educator temporarily living in Raleigh. This summer, the state and a group of school systems that long ago sued the state agreed to ask the judge in their case to appoint an independent expert consultant to create a plan for the state to live up to its obligations. Presuming that appointment happens, Jewell said the commission will consult its own experts and provide advice to the consultant. Besides addressing issues around providing high-quality teachers and principals, Jewell said he hopes the commission can bring forward the importance of mental health resources and similar services for children. I applaud the governor for instituting the commission, he said. It is good to see that he is putting a microscope back on our most needy children, particularly those living in poverty. He pointed to some changes he said the long-ago lawsuit, Leandro v. State, has helped prompt, including new funds for disadvantaged students and low-wealth school systems, and the More at Four prekindergarten program. He sees those as positive, but he also pointed to education budget cuts made by the state legislature in 2013. The advances we made prior to 2013 have been greatly hampered by cuts to public education by the General Assembly, Jewell said. Cooper is starting this commission at the same time the legislature has pulled together its own task force to examine whether the states school funding formulas could be updated to be more fair and functional. Eric Houck, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at UNC-Chapel Hills School of Education, pointed out a key difference. The legislative task force, Houck said, is looking at how well the state is doing at equitably spreading out its education funding among the states school systems. The governors commission, on the other hand, is interested in adequacy is the state providing for an adequate basic education for its students, wherever they live? Terry Stoops, the vice president for research and director of education studies at the conservative John Locke Foundation, wrote in a blog post in August that he is concerned that the consultant or members of the commission might try to convince the court to order the state to prescribe a specific amount of funding for schools. After the state Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that children had the right to a sound basic education, a judge named Howard Manning was assigned to monitor the states compliance with the decision. Manning ruled in 2002 tthat he state hadnt done enough to provide the opportunity for sound basic education for at-risk students, and the state Supreme Court backed him up in 2004. Over the years, Houck said, many of Mannings comments have been more about what he thinks the state is doing wrong than right, including pointing to some schools test results as evidence of a lack of sound basic education being provided. After Mannings retirement, Judge David Lee took over the case in October 2016, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported. Houck said the courts cant compel the legislature to do anything, only rule on what it has done, so he said that has created a sort of uneasy tension between North Carolinas legislative and judicial branches in this matter. The governors commission is well-positioned to have an effect, he said, though progress is likely slower than some residents might prefer. Saihanba Afforestation Community in north China's Hebei province receives the UN's highest environmental honor at an award ceremony on Tuesday, December 5 2017, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. [Photo: China Plus / Xing Yihang] China's Saihanba afforestation community on Tuesday scooped a prestigious UN environmental award for its outstanding contribution to restoration of degraded landscapes, amid the national efforts to advance ecological civilization. The announcement about Saihanba afforestation community emerging among top winners of the annual UN Champions of the Earth Award was made in Nairobi during the ongoing third edition of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA3). Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), hailed Saihanba community for pioneering innovative but cost effective grassroots led initiatives to reclaim degraded landscapes. Hu Weiwei, founder of Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike, gives a speech during the award ceremony on Tuesday, December 5 2017, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Mobike wins the UN's highest environmental honor in the categories of "Entrepreneurial Vision."[Photo: China Plus / Xing Yihang] "The Saihanba afforestation community has transformed degraded land into lush green paradise-- part of a new Great Wall of vegetation that will play a part in helping protect millions from air pollution and preserving precious water supplies," Solheim remarked. He added that the Chinese conservation group has inspired the global community to start a new conversation on effective measures to adopt in order to restore the health of vital ecosystems. "The work is proof that environmental degradation can be reversed, and that this is an investment worth making," Solheim remarked, adding that grassroots initiatives have often proved to have profound impact on environmental conservation globally. Heads of the UN Environment and inspirational environmental leaders take group photos on December 5 2017, in Nairobi, Kenya. [Photo: China Plus / Xing Yihang] The Saihanba region that covers about 93,000 hectares in north China's Hebei Province almost became a waste land in the 1950s due to rampant felling of trees which made it possible for wind to blow sand into Beijing and adjacent regions. Hundreds of foresters in 1962 embarked on tree planting in Saihanba given the heavy price they were paying due to rapid desertification. Three generation of foresters from Saihanba have managed to increase the forest cover from 11.4 percent to 80 percent while the reclaimed landscape currently supplies some 137 million cubic meters of clean water to Beijing. Wang Wenbiao, the chairman of Elion Resources Group, was awarded the UN's highest environmental honor on December 5 2017, in Nairobi, Kenya. [Photo: China Plus / Xing Yihang] At the same time, the restored forest has stimulated growth of green sectors of the economy that generate an estimated 15.1 million U.S. dollars in 2016. Liu Haiying, head of Saihanba Forest Farm said that restoring degraded forests has capacity to unleash huge ecological, social and monetary benefits. "I believe that as long as we continue to promote ecological civilization, generation after generation, China can create more green miracles like Saihanba and achieve harmony between humans and nature," said Liu. China bagged three of the six prizes presented to pioneers in environmental conservation during this year's edition of Champions of the Earth Award. Photo taken on September 11, 2017 shows the wind power generation equipment in Saihanba tree farm in Chengde, Hebei Province. [Photo: VCG] In addition to Saihanba, which won in the category of "Inspiration and Action," Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike, which has revolutionized urban mobility, and Wang Wenbiao, Chairman of Elion Resources Group that is credited with transforming deserts into pristine oasis, also reaped the coveted environmental award. They were awarded in the categories of "Entrepreneurial Vision" and "Lifetime Achievement Award" respectively. Other famous names who received UN's top environmental honor includes the President of Chile Michelle Bachelet. GREENWICH The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is almost done with a key part of what will eventually be the Long Island Sound Blue Plan a state initiative to inventory the Sounds resources and how they are used for the purpose guiding future use. DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee has said the mapping and data collection portion of the plan is nearing an end, and maps showing ecological and human uses are in the works. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. New York, New York, right? Well, not so much with legal marijuana. While medical marijuana is legal in New York, the state has been slower to adapt legalization of recreational marijuana thats already happened in Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Massachusetts and Washington. Maine voters approved it, too, but the Republican governor vetoed the bill to create a legalized marijuana system. New York might be about to catch up, if a new poll is any indication. And in Illinois, a budget crisis is driving some lawmakers to push for legal marijuana to help pay the states massive debt. They even brought in a celebrity this week to make their case. New York poll A new poll, conducted by Emerson College for the Marijuana Policy Project, found 62 percent of New York voters favored making adult-use marijuana legal. About 28 percent opposed the idea. The support is due at least in part to the idea of using taxes and fees on marijuana to pay off the states burgeoning debt. That debt is expected to reach $4.4 billion in the fiscal year that begins in April. Related: Entrepreneurs See Opportunity Addressing Consumer Demand for Pesticide-Free Cannabis The Marijuana Policy Project quickly used the results to push New York lawmakers to consider legalizing marijuana. Landon Dais, political director for the projects New York office, told the New York Daily News, This should be a wake-up call to lawmakers: New Yorkers want their state to take a sensible, humane approach to marijuana policy. New York should stop wasting resources punishing otherwise law-abiding residents for using a substance that is safer than alcohol. Illinois issues In Illinois, the budget crisis is even worse. The state faces unfunded pension liabilities of almost $130 billion, according to the University of Illinois Chicago. The city of Chicago alone faces more than $25 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. Thats a lot of billions. Enter Rick Steves, famed host of the PBS show, Rick Steves Europe. Lawmakers who favor legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois joined Steves at a press conference to back their initiative. Related: Cannabis Advocates Want 'Unjust' Federal Tax Code Changed Steves is a pro-legalization advocate. His reasoning is that people who want marijuana will get it, anyway. He said it is better to tax and regulate marijuana rather than allow it to flow through the black market. He called his position anti-prohibition. Steves also appeared before a legislative panel considering a bill that would make marijuana sales and possession legal for those over 21, according to the Chicago Tribune. Two Chicago Democrats, Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy, are sponsoring the bill. They project it will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and fees to the cash-starved state. To stay up to date on the latest marijuana related news make sure to like dispensaries.com on Facebook Related: Will New York or Illinois be Next to Legalize Recreational Marijuana? Cannabis Advocates Want 'Unjust' Federal Tax Code Changed The Cannabis Industry's Largest Conference Showcases a Maturing Industry Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged Muslim world to stand against the U.S. "plot" to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A handout photo provided by the office of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on December 6, 2017 shows him (R) waving next to President Hassan Rouhani (L) during a meeting with the Iranian government in the capital Tehran. [Photo: VCG / HO / KHAMENEI.IR] "Palestine today tops the political issues facing the Islamic Ummah (people) and everyone is duty-bound to make endeavors towards its freedom and salvage," Khamenei was quoted by Press TV as saying. Khamenei made the remarks in an address to state officials, ambassadors of Muslim countries and participants of the 31st International Islamic Unity Conference held in Tehran. The enemies' plan to recognize Jerusalem as the "capital" of the Israeli stems from their "incompetence and despair," the top Iranian leader said. A handout photo provided by the office of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on December 6, 2017 shows him speaking during a meeting with Iranian government in the capital Tehran. [Photo: VCG / HO / KHAMENEI.IR] "The Muslim world would undoubtedly stand against this conspiracy, and the Zionists (Israelis) will be dealt a heavy blow with this move. Dear Palestine will at last be liberated without doubt," he added. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and instructed the State Department to begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "I am determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," said Trump, adding he has judged that "this cause of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians." "This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement," Trump argued, saying his announcement is just a "recognition of reality." In the meantime, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that the relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is illegal and would further destabilize Palestine and the Middle East region. During a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Rouhani called on Islamic states to join hands in opposing the "dangerous" move by the Trump administration. "We believe, given the current conditions, all Islamic nations must become united and take a serious step in countering this wrong, illegal, provocative and gravely dangerous move by the U.S.," Rouhani said. He added that Israel is "responsible for all the insecurity and instability" in the region. There will be lamb skewers and other dishes meant to be had with drinks. Photo: Melissa Hom Hao Noodle and Tea was one of 2016s biggest hits, serving a style of modern, pan-regional Chinese food that hadnt been seen in New York. New Yorks Adam Platt named it one of 2017s Best New Restaurants, saying it offered this city its first window into this brave new world of contemporary Chinese cuisine. The New York Times Pete Wells and Eater New Yorks Robert Sietsema were similarly enthusiastic about the place, the American debut of restaurateur Zhu (Julia) Rong, who runs a successful chain of higher-end restaurants in China. Now, theres good news for her fans: Early next year, shell expand to 343 West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District with a Hao Noodle spinoff thats all about Chinese drinking food. What does that mean? Skewers like pork and lamb with a cumin-chili spice rub the kinds that perfume streets in China at night cooked over grills. You can compare them to Japanese yakitori style, says Jasmine Wong, Haos general manager. But theyre in the style of Chongqing, Julias hometown. Theres also an added emphasis on cold appetizers, like Shanghai-style drunken chicken and strips of tofu in chili oil, as well as lots of noodles. (Note: Theyre testing some dishes out at the original Hao Noodle now.) Like the first Hao Noodle, Rong wants this to be a neighborhood restaurant. But its a different neighborhood, so its tailored more to the surrounding nightlife scene. Which means out with the afternoon tea, in with happy hour and later hours. Expect plenty of beer and wine, but theyre still unsure about spirits. Hard liquor is not really our style, Rongs assistant Effie Li says, and, anyway, we think beer and wines are the best match for our food. The design of the space will be less cozy and more modern, with lots of art from Rongs collection, as at the original Hao. There will be an open kitchen chiefly because of the skewers, Li says, so that they can sort of replicate the experience of how theyre served back home. Hao Noodle and Teas kitchen is run by two chefs who were brought over from Madam Zhus in China, and if all goes according to plan (read: if the visa works out) this second location will be run by a third. Even before opening her first New York spot, Rong talked grand expansion plans, going so far as to suggest that she wanted to open as many as 50 places over five years. Hao No. 2 wont be her last restaurant here. Theyre eyeing spaces on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side, and theyre also planning a line of faster-paced, smaller-size noodle bars to spread the gospel of their best-in-show dan-dan noodles. Tofu with chili oil. Photo: Melissa Hom Haiti - News : Zapping... March against corruption dispersed On Tuesday, the march against corruption could not get to Parliament, protesters were repulsed and dispersed by police who used tear gas. Heavy gun fire from unidentified sources was reported to the Primature. "Sweet Micky" in Port-de-Paix Thursday, December 7, under the patronage of the City Council of Port-de-Paix, Radio Capois will organize a great musical event called "Festi Immaculee" at the Breeze Marina to celebrate the patron saint of the town. Reste #1, Rebel La & Cash Music are among others the 3 local music bands that will undertake to open the festivities and Cle Compas from Boston carefully selected will guarantee the continuity of the atmosphere. The inevitable long awaited moment of this anniversary of the city of Port-de-Paix, remains the performance of the group "Sweet Micky" of the former President Michel Martelly... FLASH : Evening fundraiser of CFHCI The traditional fundraising evening of the Franco-Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is back. Unite for the benefit of the Cancer Support Group on Saturday, December 9, 2017 in ASU from 7:00 pm Tickets are on sale at CFHCI. All details on : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22903-icihaiti-flash-fundraising-evening-of-the-cfhci.html Minister Georges in Kenya Pierre Simon Georges, the Minister of the Environment represents Haiti at the Third United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 4 to 8, 2017. Delegates and Environment Ministers from around the world gather to discuss the best solutions for combating pollution. In the margins of this Assembly, Minister Georges met with the Director and Representative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for the Latin America and Caribbean region. CEP : Hearing of parliamentary candidates Earlier this week, a hearing session was held before the bicameral Commission to analyze the candidates' files to represent the parliament at the permanent CEP. Success of the Fair "Konsome Lokal" The first edition of the "Konsome Lokal" fair took place last weekend in the Historical Park of the Sugar Cane https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-22658-icihaiti-flash-1st-edition-of-the-konsome-lokal-fair.html . More than 80 exhibitors presented their different products to a large audience with diverse tastes. Food, bags, pottery, jewelry and also music, all imbued with a local touch or better, national, confirmed the name chosen for the activity. HL/ HaitiLibre By Lisa Espinosa | Published on 2017/12/05 Closing up review season for the year with "Lookout". We get to know Bo-mi a bit more, while Kyung-soo proves his mettle, and Soo-ji continues to be a brave, headstrong, and impetuous woman. Then there is Do-han, who once seemed to have everything under control, but events are quickly slipping from his capable fingertips. Advertisement Soo-ji and Bo-mi bond a bit over their mutual trauma, although I'm sure all of the characters in this show are able to do the same. For Bo-mi, her trauma, watching her family die in front of her eyes, has paralyzed her so that she can't go beyond her four walls and protects herself with a biting tongue. We get a bit of Kyung-soo's backstory, something to do with a mother he was ashamed with, but I know we'll have some solid screen time devoted to him, if only because he's played by SHINee's Key. Outside of the nuclear unit of the rogue justice workers, self-proclaimed leader Do-han is wallowing in his own conscience, but not quite enough to stop his rather brutal plan for revenge that uses people mercilessly. He's still a bit hard to pity. I'm actually enjoying him squirm as his plans start to unravel. His ability to improvise shows his humanity and, at the same time, his ruthlessness. I wonder if Chief Prosecutor Yoon is going to figure out his game, or if they're going to be constantly going to be neck and neck. As for Eun-joong, he is still a bit too cowardly to really join the rogue team, but I can see him slowly doing more to help them out and thwart the corrupted people in the system. They could use him. But until then, Soo-ji will keep escaping and fighting the bad guys with her team who are slowly pulling away from Do-han's clutches. They are, at the same time, coming closer to uncovering him as their unknown leader. Detective Nam may not be around for to much longer and to be honest, a utilitarian character like him isn't very interesting. Let's move on! Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy' "Lookout" is directed by Son Hyeong-seok, written Kim Soo-eun, and features Lee Si-young, Kim Young-kwang, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Seul-gi, Key, and Choi Moo-sung. Episode 13 Episode 14 Tim Atkin MW: Wine's luxury lustre By Tim Atkin Serendipity is part of the pleasure of owning a wine cellar. Unless youre the kind of person who keeps a log of every bottle thats down there Im as organised as the next Virgo, but there are limits these chance discoveries are wonderful. Well, most of the time. For every bottle of oxidised Condrieu or dried-out claret, there are dozens that are exciting to unearth. I had a bottle of 2006 TMV Swartland Syrah recently, made by Chris and Andrea Mullineux before they set up their own now globally famous winery in South Africa, and it was a revelation. Last week I was going through a bunch of Burgundies. Buried in the middle was a bottle of 2005 Rousseau Chambertin, one of the Cote dOrs most celebrated wines. It may seem hard to believe, but Id forgotten that Id bought it as part of a Wine Society offer back in 2008. In those days, Rousseau Chambertin was still (just) an affordable luxury. Nowadays, its for the super rich. But what should I do with the bottle? Drink it, keep it or flog it? Im a wine lover, not a trader or speculator, so Im very reluctant to part with my purchases. A quick glance at Wine-Searcher changed my mind. My Chambertin was worth around 2,000! Thats 26.66 per centilitre. I called a couple of fine wine traders and, within five days, Id sold it. To me, no wine is worth that much money. Even if the Rousseau is in perfect condition when its opened an elixir rather than a disappointment its only fermented grape juice, however exalted the vineyard from which it hails. The price of fine wine has increased dramatically in the decade since I bought that bottle. Liv-ex tracks the worlds most tradable brands not always the best wines, in my view, but the ones that drive the top end of the market and the figures dont lie. Since 2008, the Burgundy 150 is up 169.7%, the Rest of the World 50 up 144.6% and the Liv-ex 1000 by 77.3%. There have been fluctuations over those 10 years the value of the first growths fell by 41% between 2011 and 2014, for example but despite the financial crash and its continuing fallout fine wine has continued to be something that (mostly rich) people want to buy. Some will trade the wines, but I suspect that most wont. The pleasure of owning and sharing a famous bottle is undiminished. And the rarer the wine think Romanee-Conti or Le Pin the more they want to drink it and are prepared to pay to acquire it. Rise of a luxury product Over the past decade wine has become a luxury product. Provenance and authenticity are a large part of this, but so is scarcity. One of the reasons that LVMH doesnt release production figures for Dom Perignon rumoured to be around five million bottles a year is that it would damage its image. The first growths are made in greater quantities than the top Burgundies, but even 15,000 cases of Chateau Lafite is a small amount of wine. Globally, there are 33 million people with a net worth of more than US$1m according to Credit Suisse, 2,043 of whom are in Forbes annual list of The Worlds Billionaires. To many of these people, 2,000 for a bottle of Rousseau Chambertin is small change. Is wine bucking a trend here? In the book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Lustre, Dana Thomas argues that the wider luxury business has lost some of its soul. To meet profit forecasts, the luxury companies have cut corners. Some use inferior materials, and many have quietly outsourced production to developing nations. Most have replaced individual handcraftsmanship with assembly line production, much of it done on machines. By such standards, even Dom Perignon is the epitome of integrity. After all, its made to high standards with grapes from Champagne. In a world where luxury is increasingly mass-produced, most fine wine has an identifiable sense of place and, just as importantly, is still made by human beings. Does that explain its growing popularity? Its surely part of the explanation. Todays LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton may be radically different from the company founded by the eponymous trunk maker in 1854, but many of Europes greatest wine estates are virtually unchanged, farming the same plots of land as they did in the mid-19th century. The only threat to the close relationship between high-end consumers and fine wine is the growing number of fakes. Rudy Kurniawan received a 10-year jail sentence for willful misrepresentation of counterfeit goods, but the problem is far greater than that. China in particular is producing copies on an industrial scale. The more suspect the provenance of fine wine becomes, the more likely purchasers will be put off. At least I know that my (ex) bottle of Rousseau Chambertin was the real thing, purchased from an impeccable source. Whoever ends up pulling the cork, I hope that they enjoy it. Kamehameha School Child Molester Case Hidden Payoff to Judge Exposed HNN Update Dec 6, 2017: After Three Years Conflict of Interest, Judge Suddenly Recuses Herself When Outed by Media by Andrew Walden Its 20 years later and Hawaii hasnt changed a bit. Hawaii News Now December 5, 2017 reports Judge in Kamehameha Schools case didn't disclose apparent conflict : For more than three years, Circuit Judge Virginia Crandall has presided over the lawsuits against Kamehameha Schools and St. Francis Hospital by former students who accuse a psychiatrist of sexual abuse decades ago . But she didnt publicly disclose that in the 1990s and the early 2000s, her husband, David Schulmeister, and his law firm, Cades Schutte , represented the Kamehameha Schools, billing as much as $1 million a year.. Schulmeister and Cades Schutte have represented Kamehameha Schools on a broad range of issues. Attorney Robert Richards, the special master appointed by state Probate Judge Kevin Chang in 2000, explained the firm's role at the Kamehameha Schools in this way: (This) firm had an extensive history of legal work for the Trust it became involved in almost everything, submitted bills on almost everything, Richards wrote. In reviewing the billings, its purpose often seems to be that of an overseer, directing and checking the work of others, often in a duplicative, cost ineffective manner. It was never counsel of record in any of the proceedings and seldom assumed lead status. Nonetheless it submitted very large billings, which were always paid. A potential conflict of interest in this case is especially sensitive given the historic and controversial role that the courts played in selecting former Kamehameha Schools trustees. "Anyone who knows the problems with Kamehameha Schools years ago and the long relationship with the Judiciary would immediately become suspicious, said University of Hawaii Political Science Professor Colin Moore. It gets worse. In 2014 , three child molestation lawsuits were filed against KSBE. All three were assigned to none other than Judge Virginia Crandall. Within a year, each had been dismissedand Crandall imposed a gag order which KSBE lawyers are now using to threaten plaintiffs and their attorneys in the current litigation. The Star-Advertiser Nov 26, 2017 reports : Kamehameha would not answer questions related to the (current) lawsuit, citing a 2014 gag order issued (by Judge Virginia Crandall) in a similar suit that was dismissed. The school says the order covers the current litigation and prevents the parties from publicly discussing the case. The 2014 order said it would apply to other proceedings arising from claims in that lawsuit. The school has asked the court to sanction the plaintiffs lawyers, accusing them of flagrantly violating the gag order by talking to the press and running newspaper ads seeking additional witnesses. But the plaintiffs attorneys say the order doesnt apply to the current case and that Kamehameha simply is trying to keep past wrongdoing concealed. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 12, 2000 informs readers Cades Schutte took in $1.8M from KSBE making it, the estate's largest outside professional firm. The Star-Bulletin continued, (Cades) work for the estate is directed by former Judicial Selection Commission member Michael Hare. According to the Hawaii Judiciary website , Hare, a Cades-Schutte partner, was the Chairman of the Judicial Selection Commission from 1991-93. Hare succeeded Broken Trust-era KSBE Trustee Gerard A. Jervis who chaired the JSC from 1989-91. In a September 22, 2017 statement naming Crandall, Jurist of the Year, the Hawaii Judiciary informs readers: Judge Crandall joined the Judiciary as a Circuit Court Judge of the First Circuit Ninth Division on April 1, 1991. Kamehameha School child molester, Dr Robert Browne, killed himself in late October, 1991 . What kind of work did Judge Crandalls husbands law firm do for the corrupt Broken Trust KSBE Trustees? In 1994 a legal opinion from Cades Schutte was used to justify spending $14,948 of KSBE Trust funds to pay legal fees racked up in a non-KSBE case by methamphetamines addict state Senator Milton Holt. As Broken Trust authors Samuel King and Randall Roth observed, Not many employers would pay the legal expenses of a staff member under investigation for public corruption. -- Broken Trust p 203 In 1995 another legal opinion written by Cades Schutte was used by criminal Trustee Lokelani Lindsey in an unsuccessful effort to undermine dissident Trustee Oswald Stender. -- Broken Trust p 243-44 In response to the 1997 Broken Trust essay, Michael Hare: criticized the authors for throwing mud and tarring people with rhetorical questions and faulty logic. Hare said it was wrong for the authors to reveal that his firm received over $10 million in legal fees from Bishop Estate in the years following his term chairing the Judicial Selection Commission. He did not question the statements accuracy; he simply argued that it might lead readers to assume a connection. -- Broken Trust p 163 In 1999 the corrupt Trustees were ousted and replaced by interim trustees. Cades Schutte continued to work for KSBE unabated with deputy State Attorneys General describing the firm as stonewalling AG investigators. -- Broken Trust p 270 The interim trustees were currently paying the Cades firm to do what the former trustees had previously paid that firm to do: hinder the attorney general. -- Broken Trust p 275 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 18, 2000 explains: law firm Cades Schutte Fleming & Wrightreviewed photographs of Kamehameha Schools alumni and parents who marched in protest to the former trustees in May 1997, in an apparent attempt to intimidate critics. Mike Heihre, a Cades partner (and still a partner in 2017) (is) described as the estate's shadow general counsel (by court-appointed special master Robert Richards). Richards recommended that Cades Schutte disgorge about $880,000 of the $1.3 million that it billed the trust between August 1998 and May 1999. "More than any other law firm involved in this review, (Cades) was to represent the interests of the majority of the split board, namely the interests of trustees Peters, Wong and Lindsey," Richards said. "Except in very limited instances ... the work of this firm cannot be described in any fashion as benefiting the trust." And what role did KSBE lawyers play in concealing the activities of the child molester Browne? On this, former Trustees seem unanimous: Star-Adv Nov 28, 2017: Oswald Stender (said) the trustees were told that the schools attorneys would deal with the matter. HNN Nov 28, 2017 former state House Speaker and KSBE Trustee Henry Peters told Hawaii News Nowthe abuses were hidden so long because of a "wall of secrecy" erected by then-President Michael Chun and other campus administrators. In an August 2016 deposition, Chun said he was relying on advice from the Bishop Estate legal department, which apparently didn't follow up. Attorney Eric Seitz said that department often bottled things up. "A lot of stuff that was happening at the school was never really communicated to the trustees, said Seitz, who represented ex-trustee and former state Senate President Richard Dickie Wong. ---30--- Big Q: Whats your reaction to Kamehameha Schools apology to former students suing for sex abuse by its onetime psychiatric consultant? Farmers killed in Illinois gas pipeline explosion Two farmers were killed and two injured, one critically, after they ruptured a natural gas pipeline while laying drainage pipes in a field near the town of Dixon, Illinois, on December 5. The pipeline is owned by Kinder Morgan and its subsidiary Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, and representatives arrived to investigate the incident after the resulting blaze was put out by the local fire department. Stock image According to the emergency services, a tractor pulling the drainage pipe layer became stuck, and a second tractor, attempting to free the first, lost traction and hit the 20-inch pipeline, causing the explosion and the resulting fireball. Two men died at the scene and the other two were taken by nearby residents to hospital, where one is in critical and the other in stable condition. Kinder Morgan will begin making repairs to the cross country transmission line after the National Transportation Safety Board gives its clearance, a company representative said. The state Fire Marshall's Office, State Police and the Sheriff's Department are investigating. The initial set-up for an employer requires one document to be completed and then employee approvals can be completed online moving forward, Naidoo says. Still, there are some niggling myths that deserve to be shattered once and for all. Perhaps the most enduring myth is that a novated lease only serves to benefit higher income executive employees. Not so most employees looking at a vehicle can benefit from leasing. The opportunity to reduce your taxable income but also GST savings made on running costs is beyond a doubt beneficial, Naidoo says. Most households on average have at least two vehicles and generally one or both are financed. The opportunity to make a mixture of pre- and post-tax deductions for the finance and running costs could appeal to anyone currently employed. Affordability, credit history, employment situation, etc, are all factors that will affect eligibility; however, for the average Australian employed fulltime there are potential savings to be had. COMPARE AND SAVE Novated leasing may be a convenient and cost-effective way for employees to package a car and its running costs. Marissa Naidoo from FleetPartners and her team are often asked about potential savings. Naidoo provides an example of the savings that can potentially be made with a novated lease. Lets say an employee, Jane, earns $80,000 per year and takes out a three-year novated lease on a new Mazda 3 Touring Hatchback travelling 25,000 annually with 100% private usage. In this example, a novated lease could save her around $10,000 over the three-year term when compared to financing the car with a personal loan. A novated lease is a three-way agreement between an employee, their employer and the financier. The car finance and its running costs are paid from a combination of the employees pre- and post-tax salary. FleetPartners can help employees set a budget for the ongoing running costs based on the type of car leased and how far its expected to travel each year. The budget can be adjusted at any time if they dont quite fi t the employees requirements. When the lease is established, a residual amount is set, and the employee then has the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease term. There is also the option to extend the lease or sell the vehicle and use the funds to pay out the residual. Delving deeper A car fringe benefit most commonly arises where a car is made available to an employee from an employer, this will give rise to a fringe benefit tax (FBT) liability. FBT is a federal government tax imposed on employers on the value of certain fringe benefits that have been provided to employees. When an employer is involved in a novated lease agreement, FBT is payable. It is common practice for the FBT cost to be passed onto the employee. FBT is calculated using either the statutory formula method or the operating cost method. Statutory formula method: this method applies a single statutory rate (2017: 20%) and does not require an employee to record their business or private use and therefore it is attractive for employees who have little or no business use. Operating cost method: this method calculates the percentage of private use and business use of a vehicle. A logbook must be completed in a logbook year for a minimum of a 12-week continuous period. A logbook year is commonly every five years or when travel patterns change. Anyone who is using the vehicle primarily for work purposes would benefit from using this method. WHAT DOES STP MEAN FOR EMPLOYERS? To help ease your transition into STP and to reap the full efficiency and savings benefits, ADP has also launched a new service to help you get ready. To learn more visit adppayroll.com.au/stp Here are key activities employers can start to work on now. 1. Review your processes Given that STP is a move into the digital realm, is it time to review your HR and payroll processes? How robust are your delegation processes for who can access, edit and authorise payroll? Is your employee commencement process very manual, with lots of pieces of paper floating around? Are employees still sending you an email with the hours they clocked for each pay period? How do you manage and validate this attendance data as well as leave requests? Jag Chugha, legal director, ADP Australia and New Zealand explains: It is important to consider that the person managing the payroll run process may feel new pressure resulting from STP. Every time they run payroll and commit to the disbursements, the sending of the STP PayEvent puts an onus on them to ensure accuracy. As the sender, they are making the declaration that the file is true and correct and they are committing to the liability of the employer in regards to pay as you go withholding [PAYGW] and superannuation guarantee. STP could be a good trigger to help you streamline your payroll processes and to add some additional checks and balances. 2. Check the accuracy of your data Many businesses manage inaccuracies in their payroll data as part of a big payroll reconciliation and clean-up process at the end of the financial year. Often, they are checking and rechecking their employee totals to ensure accuracy, even just before hitting the submit button on their Payment Summary Annual Report for lodgement with the ATO. Now, however, every STP PayEvent could require this type of checking and correction. How will your business find the time to manage this? Unless you have the right process to prevent payroll errors, your effort and risk could increase. Megas says: It can be an error that seems very small but it will still be clearly visible. For example, using the wrong algorithm for the tax file number of an employee all year and disclosing an allowance as the wrong type. Now your employee is going to be able to see this error on a regular basis. An emphasis therefore needs to be put on ensuring your payroll data is as clean as possible at all times, as STP adds layers of transparency to your payroll reporting both from an employee and ATO perspective. 3. Educate and engage your employees Talk to your employees about the benefits of STP reporting. If they havent already, they should look into setting up a MyGov account and linking through to ATO online. Without an account, they will not have the ability to review their balances and/or print their year to date summary. You should also tell your employees what your chosen onboarding solution will be under STP. This includes how they can self-serve from the perspective of TFN declarations, superannuation choice forms and PAYGW variation forms. All the concessions that STP is aimed at achieving for an employer can be lost if employees continue to hand in incomplete and/or inaccurate forms, or if they are chasing you for a copy of their PAYG payment summary around 14 July each year. ADP can help you assess your readiness for STP. Our consulting business can run an STP workshop designed for your business, helping you identify what you need to be ready to fully benefit from STP. To learn more and book an appointment, please visit adppayroll.com.au/stp Any financial wellbeing or education initiative must aim towards changing behaviour to address short-term needs and to plan for the future. Therefore, the programs that Your Financial Wellness implements adapt to the life situation of the user based on their inputs to the platform and reflect each employees situation. Hanly says his company can confidently take each employee on a personalised journey to financial wellness in the form of interactive learning modules. There are also modules on offer relating to aged-care costs, which are particularly useful to people who are faced with the prospect of parents entering a nursing home. Based on the responses and inputs of each employee, Your Financial Wellness delivers content that is relevant to the individuals situation. For example: Millennials will likely be focused on lifestyle and ensuring they can balance everything life throws at them. There is a concern about getting into the housing market and having a better understanding of the process for buying their first house, but they also want guidance on how to save and at the same time spend their hard-earned cash responsibly. Credit card debt can easily mount up after that overseas holiday and they need advice on paying that down without enduring a significantly reduced lifestyle. will likely be focused on lifestyle and ensuring they can balance everything life throws at them. There is a concern about getting into the housing market and having a better understanding of the process for buying their first house, but they also want guidance on how to save and at the same time spend their hard-earned cash responsibly. Credit card debt can easily mount up after that overseas holiday and they need advice on paying that down without enduring a significantly reduced lifestyle. Gen X are generally already in the housing market, so its a conversation about investments be it property or shares. Family planning comes into the equation: how can they drop back to one wage with kids on the horizon? Spending can be a lot tighter, so smart decisions are critical to making ends meet. are generally already in the housing market, so its a conversation about investments be it property or shares. Family planning comes into the equation: how can they drop back to one wage with kids on the horizon? Spending can be a lot tighter, so smart decisions are critical to making ends meet. Late Gen Xers might be seeking advice on the finances involved in raising a blended family or preparing for retirement; or now being empty nesters, they may be revisiting some of their life goals that have been on hold. People are still taking on significant amounts of debt, so there are also concerns about how long people will be working for. The stability of the kids is important: Gen Xers want to ensure the whole family is on the right path. might be seeking advice on the finances involved in raising a blended family or preparing for retirement; or now being empty nesters, they may be revisiting some of their life goals that have been on hold. People are still taking on significant amounts of debt, so there are also concerns about how long people will be working for. The stability of the kids is important: Gen Xers want to ensure the whole family is on the right path. Baby boomers for 65 year olds and three years either side, its about making sure they have enough money in super to fund the lifestyle they want into retirement. Helping but not overstepping the mark Of course, employers must also tread a fine line between caring enough about employees to offer services that will help with their financial wellbeing, and offering advice on anything relating to personal finance. There are limits and restrictions on the type of advice employers can offer, especially when it comes to superannuation. That line is crossed as soon as an employer gives an opinion around what someone should do with their finances. Its advisable to instead guide employees towards where they can get help. Employers are urged to always advise employees to seek the assistance of qualified financial advisors as early as possible. Importantly, through the Your Financial Wellness service, the employer is able to offer employees a secure and private platform for the employees to explore all things financial. While employers may offer employees participation in the program, no private employee information is ever made available to employers. This gives employees confidence that they may use the platform without judgment, while taking advantage of all the features of the service to create their own household finance system. YOUR FINANCIAL WELLNESS Australians are not taught about the world of personal finance at school, university or in the workplace. YourFinancialWellness.com.au was created to fill this gap by providing education, content and online tools to help households and individuals make more informed choices regarding their financial futures. Employers sponsoring the program for their employees will benefit from a more productive and engaged workforce. For further information email [email protected] A total of $510,840 in penalties has been secured in the Federal Circuit Court against a cleaning company in Perth, with a Judge slamming them for their deliberate, repeated and systematic exploitation of overseas employees. Mark Povey - who was once worth $40 million - was penalised $72,240, his wife Catherine Paino-Povey was fined $77,400, and their contract cleaning company, Commercial and Residential Cleaning Group Pty Ltd, has been penalised $361,200. They are the highest penalties secured by the Fair Work Ombudsman in a legal action in WA and the third highest penalties secured by the Agency in any case nationally. Moroever, the FWO secured $343,860 in penalties in 2013 against Paino-Povey and another cleaning company she operated with Povey for deliberately exploiting local and overseas workers. The three overseas workers exploited in the most recent case were all Taiwanese women in Australia on 417 working holiday visas. Judge Antoni Lucev said that the exploitation of workers in both cases demonstrate similar circumstances and a similar mode of operation. It is open to infer that the Respondents actions towards the employees formed part of a deliberate business strategy to engage vulnerable employees, refuse to pay them during their first few weeks of employment, refuse to pay them their full entitlements when they fell due and then refuse to pay outstanding wages owed to the employees on the termination of the employment relationship, said Judge Lucev. Beyond the inherent seriousness of the Respondents' failure to afford the employees basic minimum employment entitlements in the form of regular wages and entitlements, there are significant aggravating factors in this case, including the deliberate and repeated nature of the respondents' conduct, the prior similar conduct and the vulnerability of the employees. The three workers were underpaid a total of $11,511 for various periods of cleaning work performed between June, 2012 and April, 2013. One worker was paid just 34% of what she was entitled to for two months work, and she gave evidence that she had to borrow money from a friend and only ate one meal a day to be able to pay her rent. Another worker was paid nothing for three days work despite being lawfully entitled to a minimum of $569. She gave evidence that she needed the money to pay for her rent and expenses and felt she had been taken advantage of as an overseas worker. The third worker was paid only about half of what she was entitled to over a three-month period, resulting in a total underpayment of $5836. The underpayments remain outstanding and, in addition to the penalties, Judge Lucev has ordered full-back-payment of the workers. Judge Lucev also found that they had shown no contrition and displayed no evidence of corrective action and no cooperation with the Court or the regulator. The Respondents have failed to show any form of contrition or intention to alter their behaviour which suggests a lack of responsibility for their actions, and that the likelihood of further contraventions is high, said Judge Lucev. Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said it is extremely frustrating to encounter such callous, recidivist exploitative conduct in the community. The outcome of this case sends a clear message to operators that there are serious consequences for exploiting vulnerable workers. Lawful minimum pay rates apply to all employees in Australia and they are not negotiable, said James. Those employers who think they can profit from blatant exploitation of vulnerable workers need to get the message that we are committed to pursuing you to the full extent of the law to ensure you receive the punishment you deserve. It is clear that others share our frustrations with the courts increasingly ordering larger penalties, particularly in cases involving the exploitation of vulnerable workers. Now that the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Act 2017 has come into effect, penalties available for serious conduct are now significantly higher than were previously available to be imposed in matters such as this one - and we will not hesitate to seek maximum penalties from the courts when it is in the public interest. cessful organisations are built around highly empowered teams driven by inspiring leaders. The Australian HR Awards earlier this year recognised the companies that stood out for their leadership, engagement, communication and employee benefits, qualifying for the title of Employer of Choice.HRD readers now have the opportunity to hear directly from several Employer of Choice finalists at the 2018 National HR Summit A panel of HR leaders including Mari Ruiz, Chief People and Culture Officer of BankVic, oOh! Medias Group HRD Steve Reid and QinetiQs Jessica Ciccozzi will share their key learnings. The discussion will cover how to create and cultivate a strong employer brand, trends and best practices in employee reward and recognition and innovative L&D options.More information is available here The National HR Summit returns to Luna Park Sydney on 14-15 March to mark its sixteenth year. Voted Australias best business event last year, the event will bring together 1000 HR professionals to discuss the most crucial and complex people management issues facing the industry. Super Saver discounts are available on all online registrations until next Friday 15 December. The survey found that the share of people who have confidence in the government has dropped to a new record low since last year, from 33 to 31 per cent. Finns are growing more and more concerned about the decision-making capacity of the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre), indicates a survey conducted by T-Media and the Economic Information Office. There is a crisis of confidence in political decision making. Confidence in the government has possibly been eroded by the numerous overturned decisions and the uncertainty lingering around the social and health care reform. The cuts in what has been a source of pride for Finns, the education system, have probably had a similar effect, analyses Harri Leinikka, the chief executive of T-Media. The share of highly educated respondents who have confidence in the government, in particular, has decreased notably from 52 per cent in 2013 to 33 per cent in 2017. The survey also measured public attitudes towards foreign labour and international co-operation. Over a half (51%) of respondents seven percentage points more than last year agreed with the statement that more foreign labour will be needed in Finland. The vast majority (89%) of respondents, in turn, viewed that international co-operation is very important for Finland and 70 per cent that the country should not withdraw from the European Union. Leinikka interprets the results as an indication of an increased readiness to be part of the international community. Finns seem to have understood that co-operation is an asset amidst the turbulent situation in world politics. This is reflected also in the growing popularity of the EU, as the union despite its crises has become a meaningful and important community for Finns, he says. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Timo Heikkala Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi BRISTOL, Tenn. City leaders voted unanimously to create a new business zone on first reading at the City Council meeting Tuesday night. The proposed zone, which will be named the Central Business Expansion District, or B-2E zone, aims to increase business growth by reducing parking for nonresidential uses, eliminating setback requirements, allowing buildings to be up to six stories high and establishing signage and design standards to match those in the Central Business District. The borders for the proposed district include the portion of West State Street between Volunteer Parkway and 18th Street, which is currently zoned for General Business. The borders of the B-2E zone will be Anderson Street, State Street, the Norfolk and Southern Railroad right-of-way and Volunteer Parkway. Bristol Tennessee senior planner Cherith Marshall said that current zoning makes it difficult for businesses to expand. Many of the older businesses along the current zone dont have a setback, she said. So eliminating the setback requirements will allow for business growth, and the design standards that have been included in the amendment would help to make sure the character of the area would remain intact. Bristol Tennessee Mayor Jack Young said the proposed zone will make development easier. There have been challenges along the corridor because of the current zoning, he said. Creating this new zone will provide opportunities to make developing the area easier. Businesses permitted in the B-2E zone include restaurants, retail, offices, printing services, automobile sales, churches, civic and social organizations and personal care services. The proposal would also alleviate congestion by dialing back nonresidential parking. Parking requirements in the current zone are restrictive, Marshall said. So the B-2E zone would reduce parking for all nonresidential uses except for in the case of food services. According to the zoning amendment, full-service restaurants wont have any reduction to their parking, cafe-style restaurants would see a 25 percent reduction, and special food service restaurants would get a 50 percent reduction. The allowances for off-site parking would also change. The change would be citywide, she said. And applicants would be allowed to submit documentation for off-site parking arrangements at the time of the site plan review. A public hearing and second reading will be held at the next City Council meeting on Jan. 2, 2018. In other business, City Council unanimously approved funding a $73,000 Downtown Development Strategy Study. The study, to be conducted by Walker Collaborative LLC of Nashville, Tennessee, will include a market study for retail and commercial uses in Bristol, existing market conditions for housing and offices in downtown Bristol, and comparisons between the downtown retail market and other retail areas, including The Pinnacle and Volunteer Parkway. The firm will also look at existing and potential public spaces, pedestrian circulation, building use and utilization, parking access and inventory, loading and unloading spaces, streetscapes, potential infill development and expansion of the Central Business District. Bristol Tennessee Director of Economic Development Tom Anderson said the study is an investment. When completed, this study is not going to sit on a shelf, he said. It will be an actionable plan that will be put into immediate use. It will help to identify areas of redevelopment. Its exciting. Sorah said Bristol, Virginia, will not help fund the study. This study is specific to Bristol, Tennessee, he said. Its a good investment, but Bristol, Virginia, will not be participating. BRISTOL, Va. Five sites have been chosen as the best potential locations for a new elementary school in Bristol, Virginia, including one adjoining Van Pelt Elementary. On Monday, the city School Board pared its list of 13 potential sites down to seven and then selected five finalists. School officials continue promoting a plan to close the citys three oldest and smallest elementary schools Highland View, Stonewall Jackson and Washington-Lee construct a new elementary school and consolidate students into the new building and Van Pelt, which is near Interstate 81s Exit 7. To qualify, a site needs a minimum of 10 acres, and board members eliminated all that were not on the market, too expensive or had other issues. We had all our central office administrators, all our elementary principals and our School Board rate the sites using a rubric, Superintendent Keith Perrigan said Tuesday. It was pretty easy to knock the bottom sites off the list. That left seven or eight, and they narrowed that to five potential sites. All are currently available. Van Pelt received the best overall score, followed by a King Mill site where the city owned part of the land. Two other sites are located off or near King Mill Pike, and the other is off Long Crescent Road near Interstate 81s Exit 5. We looked at geographic centers, and Long Crescent is the most geographically centered property that were looking at, Perrigan said. But we also looked at population-centered, and 75 percent of our students live within a three-mile radius of Van Pelt. Board Chairman Randy Alvis said the board will study each location carefully. I think all five sites are very good. I think the difference between the sites will be accessibility and having utilities. One of them could be expensive getting utilities [Long Crescent], Alvis said. The other thing is whether theyre city-owned properties or properties that would have to be purchased. Every dollar we have to spend to put in utilities or for grade work is less school [of a] building well have for our students. The less prep we have to do, the more [of a] building we can get for our students. The Van Pelt site checks the most boxes based on Alvis criteria. It includes 32 total acres 13 acres adjoining the existing school building and the 19-acre Suncrest Park. All of the land is owned by the city, and the flat portion of the lot could accommodate the foundation of a new building. If that site is chosen, school officials would likely have pre-kindergarten through second grade in one building and third through fifth grades in the other. If this site is chosen, my recommendation would be to bring an access road up to keep traffic out of the residential area. Wherever you put the new school, its going to increase traffic, the superintendent said, adding that most of the park would remain undisturbed. Other potential sites include: King Mill Pike, at the intersection with Shakesville Road. It includes two parcels six acres owned by the city which could be combined with an eight-acre lot owned by Kingsmill Properties LLC and has a $169,000 price. The site is accessed by a heavily traveled road and lies within three miles of 92.9 percent of all city elementary students. It ranked second among the five finalists. Lavinia Street, just off King Mill Pike behind the existing town homes. The relatively flat 18-acre site is owned by Capital Bank NA with a $235,000 asking price. The site has limited road access, but 89.2 percent of city elementary students live within three miles. It ranked third among the finalists. King Mill Pike behind the Whiten Hills subdivision is a hilly 33-acre site owned by Commercial Bank with a $275,000 asking price. More than 89 percent of city elementary students live within three miles, and there is road access. It ranked fourth among the five finalists. Long Crescent Road facing Interstate 81, near the Woodmen of the World office, is a 17-acre, partially steep site owned by Highlands Union Bank with a $170,000 price tag. It is the most centrally located, based on population, with 95.7 percent of city elementary students living within a three-mile radius. There is no sewer on that site. It received the worst score of the finalists. A previous School Board approved the two elementary school concept in 2011, but it stalled amid the citys financial challenges. The city has nearly reached its debt capacity and couldnt borrow the roughly $20 million it is expected to cost. In August, Perrigan briefed City Council about potential funding available through the Virginia Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002. Under the program, localities can secure private funding or construction sources without relying on traditional bond issuance. The act allows private entities to invest in public or nonprofit projects and private firms can build the structures while the public entity pays back the cost. Perrigan expects to receive an unsolicited bid for the project in January or February. Ill put together a presentation on those fives sites, well go to each elementary school in January, and then well have a public hearing. I think the board plans to make a decision in February on a final site as we move toward a construction project, the superintendent said. Alvis said those meetings will be scheduled soon, and the board wants to hear from the public. We want to get input from everybody, Alvis said. We want to try to hear everyones concerns and show the advantages and disadvantages of different school models and locations and then let the community help guide us in the decision. The quest for collusion is over. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs Russia investigation has not, either through leaks or announced indictments, revealed any collusion, and Democrats and their allies in the liberal mainstream media know that it never will. This reality is setting in among the presidents clearer-thinking foes, and they are transitioning to an obstruction of justice claim in an effort to sustain the fight with President Donald Trump. Muellers investigation has been looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 election since May. His team has made a number of consequential findings, but none of them establish collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. We would know by now if anyone close to Trump had actually colluded with Russia to impact the 2016 campaign. The only thing we know for certain is that Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn have been indicted for or admitted to things that fall short of collusion and have nothing to do with the president. The Democrats know their faux-outrage over collusion is hollow and spent. Given that Muellers investigation hasnt found the holy grail or produced anything that rises to the level of criminality on the part of Trump, liberals in Congress and in the media are now transitioning to an obstruction of justice story-line. Mueller is not talking, so the presidents critics are creating a new line of attack based on the notion that the firing of former FBI director James Comey was somehow a criminal act. The problem with the Democrats claim is that the president can fire the FBI director for any reason or no reason at any time. Never mind that, they say. The Democrats believe the presidents motive was to end an investigation into Flynn and that doing so was somehow outside the bounds of his authority - and therefore criminal. Thats right: The liberals want to take us into a mind-numbing legal netherworld where the president committed a legal act with a corrupt mind-set and should therefore be impeached. I cant imagine how this convoluted reasoning will lead to an indictable charge against Trump, but it is becoming the Democrats latest obsession. Democrats will inevitably be unfulfilled with Muellers investigation, and they will therefore rationalize taking action themselves against Trump. This could lead them to make the 2018 midterm election a referendum on whether Trump should be impeached. Without anything else to say, and no affirmative agenda, the Democrats could nationalize the election via a call to impeach Trump once they are given the majority in the House of Representatives. The Republicans, it seems, could do worse than having House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., be the face of an election that avoids issues and is all about the Democratic Partys pursuit of the president. The Democrats find Trump irresistible. Elections are supposed to be about issues involving peace, prosperity and the quality of the candidates and campaigns. The Democrats are heading in a different direction. They seem determined to make the election about Trump and sensationalized claims of obstruction of justice and the prospect of impeachment. The question is whether enough voters will see the Democrats talk of impeachment for what it is: a desperate shriek that keeps them from having to defend their lurch to the left. RUTHERFORD COLLEGE Following the release of an engineering report on Rutherford College Elementary School last week, the Burke County Board of Education followed through on its promise to hear from the community at a specially called public meeting at the school Monday night. The report suggested more than $5.5 million in work is needed to the school, the main portion of which was built in 1929. Stated immediate needs include work to the exits, vertical circulation system, installation of a fire suppression system and replacement of toilet facilities. For the long-term use of the facility, replacement of the boiler, kitchen and electrical systems is necessary. The school was added on to in 1950 and 1955, an annex building was built in 1955 and a freestanding gymnasium was built in 1991. The total facility area is 32,300 square feet. Doug Setzer and Bob Acord of the Burke County Public Schools Auxiliary Services Department showed those in attendance late Monday the same presentation the board had seen at its work session a week prior. The report was made after a three-day examination of the school by Cort Architectural Group, SKA Consulting Engineers and McKim & Creed. The review of the building came after the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction sent multiple follow-up letters regarding the state of the building from its inspection of the school. Following the presentation, Cort Architectures John Cort and Hamilton Cort fielded questions from the board about the work needed at the school. John Cort told the board the $5.5 million figure certainly could increase because every issue wont be known until workers tear into the building. Cort also told the board the project would take an extended period of time more than a summer break, meaning students would have to be relocated, at least temporarily. Board chairman Randy Burns said he believes there is trouble with the building, noting that it would take all the boards capital funding for the next three years to complete the needed work at the school meaning no work could be done at other schools during that time. Board member Seth Hunt Jr. said if his son was going to a school with structural issues like RCES, he would pull him out and send him elsewhere. But several community members who spoke at the meeting didnt share those sentiments, saying the learning environment at the school and its status as a school of excellence, along with its importance to the community, were the most important factors to them and the school should remain open. RCES parent Tuesday Sigmon said she believes if there was an issue at the school, the teachers would be able to get her children out safely. I am concerned, but I would send them every day, even knowing the concerns that have been outlined, Sigmon said. I know that each individual teacher here would make sure that my child got out of this building if something happened. The engineering report documented the building has no fire protection aside from plaster walls and ceilings, and the boiler room located under the 1929 portion of the building has no fire protection. The school does not have a sprinkler system and some of its fire alarm pull boxes do not meet ADA mounting height requirements. All the windows in the main building have sills mounted at 46 inches and above the steam radiator system. New construction requires windowsills to be mounted at 32 inches. Also, only half of the school buildings exits discharge at grade as required by building code. Community member James Causby, the first to speak during public comments said the issues posed in the engineering report are not a surprise to anyone. Rutherford College being old raise your hand if thats a surprise, Causby said to the crowd. Nobody is surprised. Rutherford College needing repairs raise your hand if thats a surprise. No surprise. The newspaper articles and a lot of things that come to us so quickly look like a surprise. Its not a surprise. We all knew this was going on. Roofs get old, rafters twist and you get heat and moisture damage. Some of these things could have been shored up and repaired. Causby also noted a 2010 report by Cort said it would cost roughly $1 million to renovate RCES. Hamilton Cort told the crowd that report was less extensive and did not cover the scope of work of the more recent report. Tom Wood spoke to the possibility of moving Rutherford College students to Valdese Elementary, noting that previous reports listed some similar issues at that school. He also cited reports about similar problems at Icard Elementary and Glen Alpine Elementary. He asked the board why they were not considering closing those schools. Others to speak included Yates Jensen, Jim Jacumin and Mark Stinson, who reiterated the importance of the school and its small learning environment to the community. Jacumin reflected his memories as a student and encouraged the board to consider asking citizens to vote on a bond for school repairs listing all the issues for each school. He said that was done 25 years ago and resulted in the first passage of a countywide school bond. The board took no action on the matter Monday night. Another specially called meeting for the board has been scheduled for Thursday morning at 11 a.m. At that time, the board will tour the school building at Rutherford College and then the facilities at Valdese. School board officers elected At the boards regularly scheduled meeting at Olive Hill Resource Center in Morganton before the public meeting, the positions of board chair and vice-chair were filled. Board member Don Hemstreet nominated Burns to continue serving as chairman, a move that was seconded by Edna Weller. Burns accepted the nomination and unanimously was re-elected. Now-former vice-chairman Sam Wilkinson nominated Buddy Armour to fill that role. Weller seconded the nomination, which Armour accepted. The board unanimously approved Armour. Before the elections, recently elected incumbents Armour, Wilkinson and Hunt were sworn in and took the oath of office for their new terms. Justin Epley can be reached at jepley@morganton.com or 828-432-8943. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ The contest on Dhoraji seat of Gujarat will be a prestige issue for Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel as one of his key aides, Lalit Vasoya, is contesting from there on Congress ticket. Vasoya will be taking on veteran BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP Harilal Patel on this Patel community-dominated Assembly constituency in Rajkot district. Dhoraji has traditionally been a stronghold of Congress. Veteran Patel community leader Vitthal Radadiya was elected from the seat for five times on Congress ticket before he quit the party and joined the BJP. Radadiya is presently the BJPs Lok Sabha member from Porbandar. Dhoraji is the only Assembly constituency on which Congress has fielded a leader from Hardik Patel-led PAAS. The Patidars form a sizable chunk of the population in the constituency, but Muslims and Dalits are also present in significant numbers and can together decide the fate of candidates in the fray. But more than the issues of Patidars and Dalits, it is the issue of development at the local level that has taken the centre-stage, because of an incomplete underground sewage system and poor road infrastructure in Dhoraji town. The problems faced by farmers, cutting across caste lines, in getting the right minimum support price (MSP) for their produce like cotton and groundnut is also a key issue. The local issues are more prominent here than the issues of caste and Patidars. The BJP-ruled nagarpalika could not complete the underground sewage system in time and it is still incomplete, says Vasoya. The PAAS leader is campaigning aggressively and also focusing on the issue of alleged corruption in the local body and low MSP for farmers in the villages. In rural areas, the issues of low MSP for cotton, groundnut and pulses since last three years remain prominent. The farmers are getting less support price than their investment. They (farmers) belong to all castes and therefore, caste does not matter much to them, Vasoya says. Meanwhile, the BJPs nominee, Harilal Patel, also a member of the Patidar community, is seeking votes on the issue of development. Development is our main issue. The state government allocated Rs 110 crore for the development of Dhoraji. The work on underground sewage system is on, half of the work is completed, says Patel, who represented the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat till 2009. On the issue of MSP to farmers, Patel says the state government is making purchases by offering the cultivators Rs 100 over the MSP of cotton. The farmers understand that the state government is working for their benefit by giving them Rs 100 per 20 kg over and above the MSP, he says. But will the Patidars vote for BJP given that Congress has fielded a member of the group that fought with the saffron party-led government for reservation to the community members? To this, Patel says, The educated Patidars understand that the BJP government has done a lot for them. They understand that the government did its best to address their demands and so, I do not see a reason why they should not support the BJP. Patel, however, is battling the tag of being an outsider with Vasoya claiming that he does not belong to Dhoraji and would not be able to understand the local issues. It matters a lot to the voters whether you are a local candidate or have been imported from outside the constituency. The BJP candidate does not belong to Dhoraji and this goes against him, says Vasoya. The PAAS leader, who is contesting for the first time, is banking on the prominence he gained while fighting for the Patidar community over reservation demand. The Congress had won the election in Dhoraji in 2012. Vitthal Radadiya, then a Congress MLA, registered victory from the seat in 2012 for the fifth term, before resigning and joining the ruling BJP. Following Radadiyas resignation, a byelection was necessitated in 2013 from this Congress stronghold. However, BJPs Pravin Makadiya then won the seat. Vasoya is now looking to regain the Congress foothold here while the BJP aims to maintain the gain made during the 2013 byelection. As many as 17 candidates are in fray on the seat, with some prominent nominees being of Aam Aadmi Party, Janta Dal (U), Bahujan Samaj Party, former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghelas Jan Vikalp front and six independents. PTI KA PD GK Read this news in brief form. Click here The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is convinced Other Backward Classes or OBCs hold the key to it retaining Gujarat, a state it has governed for the past 22 years. The realisation has come even as the party faces what some experts see as its toughest challenge in the state in two decades: an alliance of the economically dominant Patidar community with the Congress, which is also banking on support from Dalits; farmers hard-hit by the agrarian crisis; and small traders upset at the prospect of having to pay tax under the new Goods and Services Tax regime. The Patidars were once supporters of the BJP, but the primarily agrarian community is seeing its fortunes fade (as, indeed, are dominant agrarian communities across India), and wants reservation (anamat in local lingo) for government jobs and in colleges. The Patidars account for around 12% of Gujarats population and could influence the outcome in around 60 of the 182 assembly constituencies in the state. The Congress has backed the Patidar demand, although its way of facilitating the quota without falling afoul of a Supreme Court ruling that caps reservations at 50% could yet fail legal scrutiny. Sentiments in the Patidar community are running high. Scars of a violent police crackdown on young Patidar agitators in 2015 are still fresh in the minds of the seven elderly Patidars this writer encounters in Jabalpur village in Tankara assembly constituency of Morbi district. We have to teach the BJP a lesson, one says. The others agree. Is it a crime to ask for better education and employment prospects? another asks. But the equation isnt a straightforward one and the BJP plans to leverage that. Other backward communities are apprehensive the fear of sharing reservation benefits with the affluent community is palpable among the socially and economically backwards of Gujarat. Arent they (Patidar) well off? They have business, land and everything. Why should they limit the scope for our kids? If Patidars get reservation benefits, they will corner most of the benefits, leaving nothing for our sons and daughters, says Devji Bhai of Mokhana village in Jamnagar Rural assembly constituency. He is an Ahir, or a Yadav equivalent of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The community has sizeable presence in Jamnagar and Dwarka, the fabled city of Lord Krishna. The sentiment reverberates in several parts of this region -- louder at some, subtle at many. In Uttar Pradesh earlier this year, a consolidation of the backward communities did wonders for the BJP the countrys most populous state that it won with a three-fourth majority. The arithmetic OBCs account for over 40% of Gujarats population, more than three times that of the Patidars. The backward classes have been almost equally divided between the BJP and the Congress in past elections. This election could be different, say experts, especially if their fear tilts the balance in favour of the BJP even by few counts. The electoral gains would be much more than the loss that Patidars could inflict. Between 2002 and 2012, the BJPs vote share ranged between 47.9% and 49.8% and it happened with near-total support from Patidars, besides other communities. Patidars, who brought the BJP to power in 1995, grudge that influence of OBC increased at their cost under Modi, says Kaushik Mehta, editor of Rajkot-based Gujarati daily Phulchhab. The OBCs list in Gujarat includes 146 castes, including 17 from the Muslim community. The most populous among them is the Koli community, a traditional fishing community with a strong presence in south Gujarat and Suarashtra, that accounts for 15% of the states population. Saurashtra has 48 assembly constituencies and 33 went to the BJP in 2012. The Congress ended up with 13 and Gujarat Parivartan Party of Patidar stalwart Keshubhai Patel got two. The core of the BJPs strategy in Gujarat seems to be to limit the damage as far as the Patidar vote is concerned, and woo OBCs. People familiar with BJP President Amit Shahs thinking say that he believes that it is possible to win even 150 seats if both strands of the strategy work. Towards this, the BJP has fielded more Patidar and OBC candidates this time. Hardiks team has been divided, with some of his aides joining the BJP recently. A word of mouth campaign about emergence of the OBC under the BJP is on. The idea is to reach out to every voter from the OBC community and convert them, a BJP strategist told HT. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that his government builds toilets for the poor, not for industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, as he tried to deflect criticism that he cares only for big businessmen. His remarks were in response to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis repeated jibes that the NDA government works only for rich industrialists. My government has initiated a drive for constructing toilets, Modi said in tribal-dominated Dahod. Was it rich people who used to attend natures call in the open was such a practice followed by Ambani and Adani? Isnt it for the poor people of India? he said. Then at Netrang, he referred to Ambani and Adani again and asked if they live in villages identified by his government to provide electricity. Isnt it for the poor people? He said his government was committed to bring electricity to 18,000 villages across the country. The toilets he was referring to are part of his governments Swachh Bharat campaign to dissuade people from defecating in the open, a practice rampant among the poor people with no access to washrooms. Congress leader Gandhi had accused Prime Minister Modi of favouring only industrialists during his rallies in Gujarat, which votes on December 9 and 14 to elect a new assembly. Modi is also campaigning in his home state, where the BJP is in power for more than two decades. He paid tribute to BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution and champion of Dalit rights, on his death anniversary. The Prime Minister accused the Congress of grave injustice to the Dalit icon. Like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar too had to face the Congresss injustice, he alleged. He said the party did not confer the Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian award, on Ambedkar even when it ruled the nation for six decades. His foreign education was recognised even by the Maharaja Gaikwad of Baroda, but not by the Congress. For a place in the Constituent Assembly, Dr Ambedkar had to go to Bengal to seek support from Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, he said. Modi was speaking in Dhandhuka, which has a sizeable Dalit population. The Congress is trying to woo the Dalits, who make up around 40% of the states about 60-million people. Alpesh Thakore, a Dalit leader, joined the party before the elections. Modi will address a rally on Thursday, the last day of campaigning for the first phase of voting on December 9. As Gujarat nears the first phase of assembly polls, all eyes are set on two temples that epitomise the pride and power of the Patidar community and exercise considerable influence among members, political analysts say. The Khodaldham Temple in Rajkot district, built by the Leuva sect of Patidars, and the Umiya Dham temple in Mehsana district of North Gujarat, built by the communitys Kadva segment, have gained political importance ahead of the polls. Built in the last two years, both the temples have become centres of power and pride for the respective groups, sociologist Gaurang Jani said. The Khodaldham temples two trustees -- Dinesh Chovatiya and Ravibhai Ambaliya -- are contesting the elections on Congress tickets from Rajkot South and Jetpur respectively. Another trustee Gopalbhai Vastapara is contesting on the BJPs ticket from Lathi Babra in Amreli district. The temples in Gujarat have often been in news for political reasons. Former BJP president LK Advani started his rath yatra, for the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in 1990, from the famous Somnath temple. Temple politics came to the fore again in 2002 when the Sabarmati Express was set on fire, killing Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. It led to riots in other parts of the state. Nareshbhai Patel, the chairman of The Shree Khodaldham Trust, met Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel last week. Hardik later claimed he had succeeded in clearing the doubts in the mind of Nareshbhai Patel. The trust, however, clarified later that it would remain politically neutral even as it admitted that it agreed with Hardiks claim that a sizable number of Patidar community members live in poor conditions. However, a senior political analyst from Rajkot said, Nareshbhai has never appeared before people, but he allowed his photo with Hardik to be released to media. Khodaldham trust supports Hardiks demand of quota, but Hardik wants to achieve it by political victory. It clearly means the community is inching towards Hardik. He also said that Nareshbhai Patel represents Leuva community, which comprises around 70% of Patidars, and he allowed his photo to be released with Hardik, who is Kadva Patel. Isnt it enough to guess in which direction the wind is blowing in Gujarat, he said. Hemant Shah, another political analyst, said that the BJP was the symbol of power for Patidars and in the last few years, these two temples -- constructed by their own sub-castes -- have become important for them. Both the temples witnessed the presence of lakhs of Patidar on the day of their inauguration. It was a clear message that Patidars have formed their own power centre outside BJP, he said. Notably, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, during his campaign in Gujarat, visited various temples, including these two and met their trustees. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani also visited the Khodaldham temple immediately after Gandhis visit and held talks with Nareshbhai Patel. A senior Congress leader, while cautiously accepting that the two temples are likely to play a role in the election, felt it is too tall a claim to say that they would swing the polls. The people are already disappointed with BJP and its recent attempts to polarise elections. It is true that these two temples are highly revered by Patidars as they have raised funds for it; it will be a tall claim to say that temples would swing the elections, the Congress leader, who does not want to be identified, said. More importantly, the failed schemes and wrong policies of the state and Union governments are going to play a vital role in this election, he said. The BJP appears to have taken the influence of temples more seriously. Following Rupani, the partys senior leaders have held meetings with the trustees of these two temples and assured them of resolving the problems of the Patidar community. The Patidars are mainly divided into two sects -- Kadva and Leuva -- and Patel is the common surname for both. Though both the sects are part of the community, which accounts about 18% of the states population, marital alliances between the two are still rare. But Hardik Patel has largely succeeded in gaining the support of both the sects, said Jani. Political observers say that Gujarats former chief minister and senior BJP leader Keshubhai Patel first brought the Patidars together and since then they have been largely supporting the saffron party. In 2012, the Patels felt the need to have their own power centre outside the political party they have been supporting and both the sects separately constructed Khodaldham for Leuva and Umiya Dham for Kadva Patidars, an analyst said. Among the Patidars, the Leuva Patidars constitute about 70% of the population, while Kadva Patidars are around 30%. While the Leuva Patidars are mostly concentrated in Saurashtra, Central and South Gujarat the Kadva Patidars are hail mostly from North Gujarat. In the city of Neemuch, about 425 kilometers north west of Bhopal, the chief municipal officer (CMO) over there chose to add another dimension to Swachh Bharat campaign when he saw tonnes of flowers and coconuts offered to deities in more than 50 main temples in the city, going waste rather polluting the water bodies and adding to incleanliness in the city. He gets flowers, coconuts etc offered in the temples collected on municipal corporations vehicles and dump the same in two large pits dug on the premises of his official bungalow to make organic fertiliser. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modis Swachh Bharat campaign Sandesh Gupta, the CMO, says every day people offer flowers and coconuts big and small temples of the city and at the end of the day the flowers and coconut fibers are dumped around the premises. So he took it upon himself to get all of it collected and carted to his house where he has dug two big pits with the help of national agricultural cooperative marketing federation (NAFED) where he puts it along with dry neem leaves to make fertilizer. Organic fertilizer sells at a premium and Gupta is using around one quintal of flowers and coconut fiber to make the fertiliser. This adds to the revenue of the municipal corporation too. Historically, Neemuch gets its name from Neem trees abound in the city. Neem leaves too add to incleanliness in the city but it is of great use as an ingredient of organic fertiliser. Gupta gets collected the neem leaves too lying on the streets and put it in the pits with flowers and coconuts. I do the mixing and putting it in the pits by myself. I am now trying to get the other temples in nearby town and cities to join in so that more flowers and coconut fibers can be used, he says. The entire city produces around 60 tonnes of dry and wet garbage and Gupta argues that the city would be much cleaner and healthier if the garbage is disposed at the source itself. For instance, the vegetable mandi produces around 10 quintals of garbage and now I have persuaded the 400 odd traders to put their waste in a pit and thus organic fertilizer is being produced over there. This can be replicated everywhere in localities, Gupta argues. Neemuch municipality chairman Rakesh Jain has only praise for the work being done by the CMO. It is helping us in keeping the city clear and we will package and sell the organic fertilizers and hopefully made a bundle. Amit Sharma, a social activist in Neemuch says the cleanliness drive has assumed a different dimension and proportion in Neemuch and hopes that this would be known as Neemuch model in coming days and replicated in other parts of the state too, if not the country to earn the district a great name. The trailer of Saif Ali Khans next film Kaalakaandi has just dropped and its 2:22-minute of sheer fun. Saif plays a suave, corporate guy who has just discovered that he is suffering from stomach cancer. The doctor suggests his days are numbered and thus he should do whatever he wants. The news unleashes Saifs wild side and the people closest to him are the first ones affected. And who are these people? Akshay Oberoi who falls on a TV before getting some action in a hotel room. Then there are Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz who are transporting drugs worth Rs 1 crore. Writer-director Akshat Verma has once again chosen a fast-paced megacity as the backdrop of his film. He was the writer of Delhi Belly. From rave parties to weird costumes to role playing, the trailer of Kaalakaandi features everything. Like Delhi Belly, this one is also going to be full of expletives. After Rangoon and Chef, finally Saif Ali Khan looks at ease in Kaalakaandi. His jokes and mannerisms make you laugh and he seems to be back in his comfort zone. The milieu will remind you of Go Goa Gone in which he played a Russian-speaking gangster leading the fight against zombies. The film will also feature Sobhita Dhulipala and Kunaal Roy Kapur. Kaalakaandi will hit the screens on January 12, 2018. Multiple allegations of systematic abuse of women by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein started a massive clean-up operation in Hollywood that saw big names such as Kevin Spacey and Brett Ratner crumbling in the face of #MeToo protests and more. Can something along the same lines happen in the Hindi film industry? Actor Richa Chadha says she does not see it happening immediately, mainly because of the culture of victim-shaming in our country. I dont see that happening immediately given the culture of naming and shaming in our country. But when it happens, as it is happening in Hollywood right now, the entire power structure will change. People, who you see making feminist films and claiming to be progressive etc, they will all come tumbling down, she says. We will lose a lot of heroes and several people will lose their lives work, their legacies. I think thats what people will attack -- they cant attack them monetarily so they will go after the legacies. And it will happen, I would think in the next four-five years, she adds. If someone suffers the loss of livelihood apart from emotional trauma, why will they come forward? In Hollywood,it is easier as actors get royalty, the actor explains why Bollywood has been quiet on the issue. Richa also says Bollywood is not the only industry we need to look at when it comes to sexual or power harassment. It is very sexy to say, Bollywood, ye gire hue log. They do this for work, they are just a cesspool for parties and all. We have a very fertile imagination when it comes to Bollywood. But we refuse to look at others. The press has a role in this - they should not be jumping on a hashtag. The press should be consistently creating a support system for the victim to come forward to say this happened to me and he did that. The judiciary has a role. I once met a rapist who said mereko to bus saat saal ki sazaa hogi and then I am back to a normal life, no remorse whatsoever. Richa is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film, Fukrey Returns that hits theatres on December 8. Talking about the movie, she says, The film is fun and the story has moved forward. We took time as we wanted to make a story as good as the first one and this one has turned out be a better. They took time to write it, perfect it, tie up loose ends. When asked about the kind of roles she enjoys doing the most, Richa chooses comedy. I always look for good parts to play but thats not always possible. Really good work is not easy to come by. My favourite genre is comedy because it doesn't take a toll on me. It is so fulfilling and light. I say no to a lot of dark stuff, like trafficking drugs in the body, because I feel those roles take a toll on the actor. Talking about the new wave of content-driven cinema in Bollywood, Richa says, It is a wrong notion that the demarcation of parallel and commercial cinema doesnt exist anymore. The demarcation still exists in the minds of certain producers and directors in the industry. The lines are blurring, slowly. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two major Chinese lenders plan to support a move by China Development Bank to put Indian wireless carrier Reliance Communications (RCom) into insolvency court as they seek to recover about $2 billion in debt, said three people with knowledge of the matter. Last month, CDB began insolvency proceedings against RCom, which has been trying for months to restructure its debt via a debt-for-equity swap. Now, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the countrys biggest-listed lender by assets, and Export-Import Bank of China, plan to back CDB, the sources said. The combined effort would be a rare tilt against an Indian conglomerate by a group of Chinese lenders, keen to boost their presence in India. And it would also further jeopardize Anil Ambani-controlled RComs efforts to restructure out of court. RCom last week said the majority of its creditors will oppose CDBs insolvency bid. With total debt of 457.33 billion rupees as of end March, RCom is the most-leveraged of all listed telecoms carriers in India. The company has not reported its debt level since then. The CDB petition seeking insolvency proceeding against RCom is not on behalf of all three Chinese banks, but the banks are on the same page, said one of the people with knowledge of the development. If needed, the other two banks will file their own petitions at Indias National Company Law Tribunal, which hears bankruptcy cases in the country, the person said. Two other people with knowledge of the Chinese banks plans also confirmed that ICBC and Export-Import Bank would seek to join the insolvency bid unless the parties reach an out-of-court settlement. The people spoke to Reuters on condition they not be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. RCom did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ICBC declined to comment, while the other two Chinese banks and the mobile carriers top Indian lender, State Bank of India, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. DEBT RESTRUCTURING There has not been any consensus yet on whether Indian banks would oppose the CDB petition as the Joint Lenders Forum, that comprises all banks that have lent to RCom, is yet to meet following the filing of the insolvency plea, according to two sources. The sources also said that there is no concrete mechanism for other lenders to block insolvency proceedings initiated against a creditor by one of their peers. An out-of-the-court settlement between RCom and the Chinese lenders would be very difficult from the Chinese banks perspective as they were frustrated that RCom had not kept promises it made previously on debt repayment, one of the people said. In June, RComs group of largely domestic lenders agreed to restructure its debt under the Indian central banks Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) rule that allows banks to own a majority stake in a company by swapping part of their loans for equity. That plan hinged on two deals that RCom hoped would cut its debt load by 60 percent, but both deals fell apart after months of talks. Since then, RCom has pledged to do a new asset sales programme to repay debt. Bankers have also held off on the debt-equity swap with RComs stock falling to less than half of the agreed swap price. RCom said last week the lenders who planned to oppose the CDB insolvency bid had appointed Indian law firm J. Sagar Associates to represent them. But Dina Wadia, joint managing partner at the law firm, told Reuters that her firms mandate, as of Saturday, was only to act for the group of lenders in the SDR process. RCom did not respond to Wadias statement. Bitcoin broke through the $12,000 barrier for the first time Wednesday, extending the virtual currencys rise to new records as it gears up to take its place on mainstream markets. The controversial cryptocurrency, which has been used to buy everything from a pizza to manicures, touched a new high of $12,590 in Asian trade before dipping back to $12,567, according to Bloomberg News. Bitcoin, which came into being in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software and has no central bank backing it has risen from a 2017 low of $752 in mid-January, and has surged dramatically in the past month. Observers say the increase is due to growing interest from Wall Street, with plans for mainstream markets to offer trading in the currencys futures despite concerns from some in the financial industry about its volatility. US regulators last week cleared the way for Bitcoin futures to trade on major exchanges, including the worlds biggest futures centre the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), in news welcomed by analysts. The fact that CME, the biggest kid on the block, is moving early into cryptocurrency, will force other major exchanges to follow suit in the fear of not missing out, Shane Chanel, from Sydney-based ASR Wealth Advisers, said in a note this week. Transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network. Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and maintained by a network of computers. Corporate India on Wednesday sought lower tax and more incentives for investments while exporters called for quicker GST refunds at a meeting with finance minister Arun Jaitley in the run-up to the last full-year Budget of the NDA government before 2019 general elections. The industry bodies suggested lowering the corporate tax to 18-25%, from up to 30% at present. The exporters, who are grappling with blockage of working capital, pressed for exemption from tax on export income or lower levies on forex earnings and faster clearance of GST refunds. The finance minister has promised 25% corporate tax rate long back and we expect that the finance minister will fulfil his promise in this Budget, Ficci president Pankaj Patel told PTI. The industry body also sought support for innovation, employment generation through investment in the MSME and startup sector and specific incentives for new investments, highlighting the need to establish an export zone with manufacturing facilities but without any taxes or regulations. We have asked to reduce the corporate taxes. Across the world, people are reducing corporate taxes and India is among the highest. We do need to create more demand and capacities for private investment and if you see today, GST has increased the tax rates, CII President Shobana Kamineni said. CII suggested that the road map for corporate tax rate for India should include reducing it to 18% (all inclusive) at the earliest and withdrawal of surcharges and cesses. The implementation (of GST) and refund delays are a cause of concern, so we have suggested that if they can give us the IGST refund also, along with the drawback. In the US, there is a differential tax rate for export earnings, so we have sought a lower rate of tax on export earnings than the normal corporate rates, EEPC India Working Committee member PK Shah said. According to Shah, refunds of exporters to the tune of at least Rs 60,000-70,000 crore are stuck post GST rollout in July. We have asked the finance minister to take the corporate tax to 25% comparing with developed and industrialised nations. This would help in investment and which, in turn, would increase employment opportunities. Dividend distribution tax, which is around 20%, should also be lesser, said Assocham President Sandeep Jajodia. We would urge the government to provide fiscal support to units that provide additional employment in the export sector. Such a scheme will also help the workers move from informal employment to formal employment, which is a priority of the government. Incentives may be provided based on twin criteria of growth in exports and growth in workers so that while export is increased, the employment intensive units also get a boost, exporters body FIEO said. We have requested for reduction in the direct taxes and a scheme to boost women employment and expediting the refunds under GST as they have been delayed, PR Aqueel Ahmed, vice-chairman of the Council for Leather Exports. RUDRAPUR: The entry points on the Indo-Nepal border was sealed for 48 hours in view of the election in western Nepal. Polling for the house of representative and assembly is to be held on Thursday. Police and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are on high alert and intensive patrolling is being conducted. The decision to seal the border was taken on November 25. The entry points were closed at 5 pm on Tuesday. The election is being held first time after the new constitution of Nepal came into effect. The first phase of elections was conducted on November 26 in the neighbouring country. The second phase is scheduled on Thursday, December 7 in Kanchanpur and Kailali districts of western Nepal bordering US Nagar and Champawat districts of Uttarakhand. The order will remain into effect till the polling is over on Thursday. At present, the responsibility of monitoring the border is with the SSB. Tanakpur, Banbasa Garhigoth of Champawat and Melaghat of US Nagar are main entry points at the international border. In view of these elections, the SSB is on alert and patrolling and frisking at the border. On Wednesday, entry points at border wore a deserted look. We are keeping a strict vigil at the border as per the decision taken by co-ordination committee. Nobody is permitted to cross the border from either side. Sealing will end at 7 pm on Thursday, when the polling in Nepal is over, circle officer of police, Tanakpur, RS Rautela said. Haridwar: Suspended zila panchayat chairperson of Haridwar, Savita Chaudhary has blamed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing their cards against her. She was suspended on Tuesday after government took cognizance of the report alleging her involvement in irregularities pertaining to distribution of shops in Jwalapur and Bhagwanpur. In an investigation conducted by the district magistrate (DM) Deepak Rawat, Chaudhary was found involved in a financial scam of Rs 8 crore in distribution to 27 shops at Jwalapur and 18 shops at Bhagwanpur. These shops are constructed and auctioned by the zila panchayat. The shops which were allocated at minimised premium rate were later sold in open market for Rs 20-25 lakh, through a broker, who was given free hand by zila panchayat chairperson for the commercial deals, claims the report. Chaudhary, however, claims to take support of the judicial system. I had taken charge of office on May 18, 2016 while allocation of the shops was done on May 16 and 17. So, I have no role or power to affect the allocation process despite being elected as chairperson then, but assumed office a day after. This is done to taint my position and malign my image for political advantage, Chaudhary said who is the sister-in-law of ex Congress zila panchayat chairperson Chaudhary Rajendra Singh. She complained of not being given time to submit her clearance on the blames. Rawat, during the investigation, had called the broker as a prospective buyer, which led to busting of the irregularities in the shops scam, he said. Refuting the allegations of Chaudhary, Rawat said, To present her case, Chaudhary was served a notice on October 25 which gave her 15 days time to reply. She failed to submit her stance in the given period following which she was given extension of three more days. Yet, she failed. In absence of her reply, DM filed a report with the government, as a result of which, principal secretary Manisha Panwar ordered her suspension. She also handed over the investigation to commissioner Garhwal. Former State Congress Committee vice president, Brahamswarup Brahamchari has threatened of mass protest against the tyrant working of BJP led state government which is falsely targeting Congress leaders, whether they are of panchayat, co-operative unions or committees. In 2015, financial and administrative rights of Anjum Begum, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders were seized by government after Uttar Pradesh police seized Rs 1 crore cash from her car in Bareilly. Later, a committee was formed which essayed the chairperson role till the next panchayat elections in January 2016. Prior to Anjum, BSP supported chairperson, Ramesho Devi Kashyap, was divested of financial and administrative rights on April 2008 and a committee was formed to carry out the panchayat body work by the then BJP led government on account of financial irregularities. Later, Nainital high court gave her relief and her rights were restored. First women zila panchayat chairperson, Brij Rani had a two year stint only as the house had passed a resolution for her removal and she was succeeded by Barkha Rani. A 70-year-old man died after his denture and lower jaw got dislodged mid-air during a flight and got stuck in the back of his throat, blocking his windpipe. The Mumbai-Amritsar SpiceJet flight had to be diverted to Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and the passenger was rushed to a clinic at the airport, but could not survive. Due to a blocked airway, the passenger couldnt breathe. His body had turned blue depicting lack of oxygen, said Dr Prabhanjan Shakunt, medical officer, Medantas airport clinic. The incident took place on November 30 on Spicejet flight SG 438 from Mumbai to Amritsar that had 176 passengers on board. The passenger, a native of Jalandhar, was travelling with his wife and son, police said. The fight landed at T-1 in a medical emergency. Medanta Hospital gave him first aid but he could not survive. We have initiated the inquest proceeding, DCP (airport) Sanjay Bhatia said. According to the doctor, he also suffered from co-morbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and half of his body was already paralysed, making it a difficult case to handle. When he was brought to us, his tongue was already blue and his heart had stopped. Two doctors on board had already given him cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which didnt work. We also performed CPR for about an hour after he came to us but to no avail, Shakunt added. After the deboarding of the passenger and his relatives, the flight again took off for Amritsar. SG 438 had experienced a medical emergency during cruise. The patient was attended by cabin crew and passenger doctors. Considering the condition of the patient and as advised by the passenger doctors, the crew diverted to Delhi. After landing, the patient was attended by doctor and ambulance and was escorted, along with family members to Medanta clinic, said a SpiceJet spokesperson. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A juvenile was arrested after he allegedly opened fired at a police team in south Delhis Sangam Vihar on Tuesday evening after finding himself cornered, police said on Wednesday. The 17-year-old was able to fire only once before the police team returned fire and overpowered him, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (south). The teenager was found to be involved in at least three robbery cases over the past few weeks in Sangam Vihar and surrounding areas. A semi-automatic pistol and two live rounds were recovered from him. Two adults, who were in his gang, have been arrested. The DCP said that the first arrest from the gang happened on Tuesday when a tip-off led to the arrest of 22-year-old Virat, an associate of the juvenile. At Virats instance, one other suspect, Prince, was nabbed thereafter. Baaniya said that the police had been on the gangs trail for many days, but a robbery near a school in the early hours of Monday intensified the chase. On Tuesday night, a police team received a tip-off about the teenager who was inside a DDA park in Sangam Vihars G block. One of the police officers, constable Pankaj, who had got inside the park to catch him, was caught by surprise when the boy fired at him. Our constable had a narrow escape, but he fired in return. That allowed the police team to swiftly overpower the boy, said Baaniya. The boy also allegedly led the police to nine mobile phones the gang had robbed over the past few days. Police said all the three gang members drug addicts and snatched mobile phones to sell them and buy drugs. The teenager told the police he always carried a pistol to threaten his victims. Police are now probing how he got the pistol. New Delhi A newborn who was wrongly declared dead by a private hospital in Delhi has died due to infection and other medical problems, a family member said on Wednesday. The boy, who was born prematurely in Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh on Nov 30, died in a clinic in Pitampura, where he was being treated for a week after his parents found him alive while taking the body for final rites. His uncle Deepak Kumar who told HT that the boy died during treatment added that the body was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for post mortem and remains there. The family has refused to perform the last rites unless action is taken against Max Hospital We just learnt of the sad demise of the 23-week preterm baby, who was on ventilator support, Max Healthcare authorities said in a statement. Our deepest condolences are with the parents and other family members. While we understand that survival in extreme preterm births is rare, it is always painful for the parents and family. We wish them the strength to cope with their loss, it said. A Delhi government probe panel had on Tuesday found the Max hospital guilty of negligence in declaring the child, a twin, dead. His sister was stillborn. After the death of the child, the police investigation into the alleged medical negligence has been transferred from North West district police to Crime Branch. The notification came late Wednesday evening stating that the case has been transferred to Crime Branch, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West) Aslam Khan. Joint Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Alok Kumar also confirmed that they would probe the case now. The police had registered a case under section 308 i.e attempt to commit culpable homicide of the Indian Penal Code which was not changed to Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) till late Wednesday evening. In his complaint to police, babys father Ashish Kumar, had said the boy had contracted an infection after being wrapped in a plastic bag by the Max Hospital. Ashishs brother, Deepak Kumar,said doctors informed the family about the childs death around 12:45pm even as he demanded action against Max Hospital. The health facility had recently sacked two doctors over negligence in the case. Khan also said security was stepped up outside Max Hospital following protests after the death. Hours after a 15-year-old was killed after falling 40-feet from a loop of the yet-to-be opened Mukundpur Flyover in north Delhi, locals said the absence of barricades and guards has made the road a favourite for stunt bikers . On Tuesday, the 15-year-old, Karan Dutt, was killed after he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding on the under-construction loop and plunged nearly 40 feet below onto the Ring Road. Aslam Khan, DCP (northwest), confirmed that the loop, which is being constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD), is unguarded and did not have signages restricting motorists from entering the road. PWD officials did not respond to the allegations. When HT visited the spot on Tuesday, the entry was partially blocked by cement slabs. Yet, the opening was enough to allow a four-wheeler to enter the loop that is nearly a kilometre long. The exit point was completely open. The cement slabs were set up by PWD authorities only after the accident on Tuesday. Till the time the construction was on, guards were deployed. But for the past many weeks, there is no one to stop motorists from using the loop, alleged Pankaj Singh, uncle of Kunal Dutt, the 15-year-old boy killed in Tuesdays accident. We cant say if the two boys consciously chose to ride on the loop, but restrictions could have prevented the mishap, Singh said. In the absence of restrictions, the loop regularly witnesses stunt biking and racing, locals alleged. Boys as young as 13, indulge in racing along the sharp curves of the loop, said Ramashray Singh, a local resident. The stretch was also found littered with empty alcohol bottles and cigarette packs. At nights, youngsters race on heavy and loud motorcycles. Most of them are drunk, said Ravinder Kumar, a stall owner nearby. Delhi police on Tuesday said the teens had fallen after they failed to negotiate a sharp turn while riding on the flyover. Police have no evidence to confirm if the two were performing stunts on their bike. The Delhi police on Wednesday said they have arrested five members of a gang of fake police officers in central Delhis Daryaganj. The arrested men included auto-rickshaw drivers and AC repair mechanics who also did odd jobs but were not happy with their earnings. With the dream of becoming rich, they posed as CBI and Delhi police officers to dupe people by claiming to arrest him in false cases. Two city traders who had been abducted by the gang to extort money were also rescued in the operation. The five policemen had told the two traders that they were arrested. DCP of Shahdara, Nupur Prasad, said that on Tuesday police received a distress call about an abduction and extortion. The caller, Abid, told police that his two friends were kidnapped by crime branch officers. Abid told the police that he along with his two friends had come to Pushta Road in Geeta colony to finalise a property deal but his friends were abducted in a white Gypsy van by the men. The men had also allegedly shown an identity card with the words CBI printed on it. The two men were taken to different places and asked to pay Rs 1 lakh failing which they threatened to frame the two men in a rape case. They even paid the first instalment of Rs 10,000 and promised to pay the remaining amount in Daryaganj. All this while Abid who was in touch with the two, informed us about the case, said a police officer. Prasad said that a police team spotted the gypsy near Daryaganj. A police constable risked his life by putting his motorcycle in front of the speeding vehicle to stop them. When the vehicle did not stop, two police officers including assistant sub inspector Subhash and constable Vinit clung to the vehicle for at least a kilometre and forced them to stop. The five arrested men were identified as Mohammed Asif, Rizwan, Naseem, Samsuddin and Gaurav. During interrogation, police learnt that Samsuddin was the kingpin of the gang. He had first met Rizwan in jail and formed the gang. After coming out of prison, they had roped in the other three. Samsudin knew that one of the duped men was arrested in a case so he planned to extort money posing as a cop. He lured the man to come alone on the pretext of striking a property deal, said DCP Prasad. The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has ordered completion of formalities to get Union governments in-principle approval for the development of an international airport in Jewar.. The decision was made in the meeting on Tuesday night. It was headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Noida International Greenfield Airport in Gautam Buddha Nagar district will be developed in four phases, an official spokesman said. Nearly 3,000 hectares land would be required to build an international airport at Jewar, near Noida, and 1,206 hectares, costing around Rs 3,000 crore, would be needed in the first phase, according to Uttar Pradesh government estimates. Jewar will be the second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR). The government expects the airport to be operational in the next five to six years and cater to 30-50 million passengers per year over the next 10-15 years. This airport will not just help decongest Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport but also cater to cities like Agra, Mathura, Bulandshahr and Meerut. The Union government had given site clearance approval for the project on July 5. The Union home ministry has also given a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project on October 5. The proposal for an airport in Jewar was made in 2001 when current Home Minister Rajnath Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. His successor Mayawati also backed the plan and acquired more than 2,000 acres for the project. The erstwhile UPA government at the Centre then formed a group of ministers to decide on the project as it violated a policy guideline prohibiting building of another airport within 150 km of the existing one in Delhi. The plan was revived after Mahesh Sharma, who represents Noida in the Lok Sabha, became the Union minister of state for civil aviation. The revenue department has freed around three acres of Delhi government land worth Rs 100 crore from encroachment in South Delhis Chhatarpur area. The land was acquired back by the Delhi government after the South district administration carried out a demolition drive on Tuesday. Around 17 illegal structures were razed in the drive that was conducted on Shivalaya land in Chhatarpur village. Basically, these structures were built by land grabbers and leased out on rent. No family was displaced during the drive as they vacated the rented premises themselves, said Amjad Tak, District Magistrate (South). The action was taken without any casualty in the presence of revenue officials, Delhi police and a Delhi Disaster Management Authority team, he added. With the land now being free to be taken over by the Delhi government, directions have been issued to the Block Development Officer (BDO), South for construction of a boundary wall to secure it from encroachments in future. Last week, a slip road along the Masjid Moth DDA flats that fell into disuse when the BRT corridor was cleared of encroachments. Around 25 shops selling marble, paint and hardware material were brought down in that drive. These shop owners had gradually put up their permanent structures over a period of five decades and were found to have no ownership rights. Now that it is cleared, the road may once again take pressure off the Chirag Dilli intersection which sees one of the worst traffic bottlenecks during peak hours. We have initiated a fresh survey to identify all roads in South Delhi that are choked due to encroachments, Tak said. Once such areas are identified, the process includes issuing notices to shops or households for vacating within a given time frame. If that is not done then the structures are razed. The father of a newborn who died on Wednesday refused to accept the body demanding arrest of two doctors who had allegedly declared the baby dead earlier but was later found to be alive. The premature baby died at a nursing home in Pitampura after battling for life for nearly a week since he was found alive on the way to be cremated by family members. The baby was one of the twins a boy and a girl -- delivered by Ashish Kumars wife on November 30 at Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. The girl was stillborn. Kumar refused to take the body of his child, in an act of protest and demanded arrest of the errant doctors of Max Hospital allegedly involved in what is being described as a case of medical negligence. I will not take my sons body until the two doctors are arrested, Kumar said. He also said he will also not get his wife, who is still admitted at Max Hospital, discharged from until they get justice. The babys uncle said they will continue to protest outside Max Hospital. A panel formed by the Delhi government to look into the case on Wednesday found the hospital guilty of not following prescribed medical norms in dealing with newborn infants. Max Healthcare authorities released a statement on Thursday saying, We just learnt of the sad demise of the 23-week preterm baby, who was on ventilator support. Our deepest condolences are with the parents and other family members. While we understand that survival in extreme preterm births is rare, it is always painful for the parents and family. We wish them the strength to cope with their loss, it added. Max Healthcare had earlier said it had decided to terminate the services of two doctors allegedly involved in the case. Aslam Khan, deputy commissioner of police (northwest), confirmed the news. On December 2, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain had said the hospitals licence could be cancelled if a probe found it guilty of medical negligence. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday proposed to levy a uniform rate of property tax, instead of different levels for various categories. In its budget proposals for 2018-19, the civic body proposed a flat 15% rate of tax for residential properties and 20% for commercial, including industrial, ones. The proposal will have to be ratified by the house of elected councillors and the standing committee before implementation. Officials clarified that a uniform rate does not mean everyone will have to pay the same tax. The tax will be calculated on the basis of six components age, area, use, occupancy, structure and base unit area value (BUAV) of the property which vary for different properties, said Renu Jagdev, additional commissioner, north corporation. For example, the basic unit area value for a colony in category A such as Rajendra Place is Rs 630, for category B which covers Rouse Avenue (institutional area) and Maurice Nagar, the value is Rs 500. The suggestions, if implemented, will affect at least eight lakh properties registered with north corporation. Earlier, the category of the property decided the rate of property tax with varied between 7%-11%. The decision has been taken to simplify the process of calculating property tax. Moreover, property tax is our major source of revenue so the decision will help us mop up more money, said north corporation commissioner Madhup Vyas, while presenting the budget. Cap on tax rebates The commissioner has also recommended reducing the percentage of rebates given to the property owners in various categories. For example, the 15% rebate given on timely payment of the tax has been proposed to be reduced to 10%. Other rebates given in various categories such as old age, women and handicap (30%), DDA flats & Group Housing Society (10%), Co-operative Group Housing Society (20%) are also likely to be reduced. We will ensure that the overall rebate should be capped at 42%, including the 2% for online payment, said Vyas. Currently, people may get nearly 70% rebate in tax. Political parties react While the BJP, which rules in the north corporation, welcomed the proposals, the opposition led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called it an anti-people budget. The leader of the Opposition in the north corporation house Rakesh Kumar said instead of additional tax, alternative sources for finances should have been looked into. Standing committee chairman Tilak Raj Kataria said amendments will be made later to suit the requirement of people. It will be ensured that people living in F, G and H colony wont be affected much by increase in property tax, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly two months after five persons, including four women of a family, were found dead inside a sprawling building in east Delhis Shahdara, the police on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the murders and arrested seven people for the crime. Police said that one of the victims, dead watchman Rakesh, was the main conspirator in the crime that took place on October 7. Rakesh reportedly roped in his family members to execute the robbery-cum-murders, investigators claimed. But fearing that he will spill the beans to the police, Rakeshs son and son-in-law later killed the watchman too, said officers of the crime branch. Police officials on Wednesday said they had arrested seven men who allegedly committed the murders for robbery, a motive local police had earlier ruled out. Among the five arrested by the police are Rakeshs son Anuj and son-in-law Vikas who reportedly have confessed to the crime. On October 7, the bodies of 82-year-old Urmila Jindal and her three daughters Sangeeta Gupta, 56, Nupur, 48, Anjali, 38 and security guard Rakesh, 42, were found inside the sprawling house. The family of four was among 40 members who occupied the house known as Jindal Oil Mills, a popular landmark in east Delhi and one of the first buildings to be built in Shahdara. Rakesh facilitated the entry of assailants on the night of the murder and later stood guard as they killed the women inside and ransacked the house, said joint commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar. Rakesh, while visiting his village in Baghpat in August this year, had told the family about cash and jewellery kept at his employers house and discussed with them the plan to commit a robbery there. According to the police, Anuj later discussed his fathers plan with two of his associates, Neeraj and Deepak, and roped them in. Vikas, on the other hand, discussed the plans with his relatives Sunny and Vicky and his friend Nitin and roped them in. On October 6, the accused met in Loni around 5 pm. They switched off their phones to avoid technical surveillance and then proceeded to the house where Rakesh was already present. They first killed Nupur by slashing her throat after she opened the door. They then proceeded to kill Nupurs mother and two sisters in another room. This was followed by ransacking the whole house for cash and valuables, said Kumar. The local police had earlier ruled out robbery as a motive despite the womens room being ransacked. The case, which took place on October 7, baffled Delhi Police for two months before they could finally crack it. Precision in attacks provided clue Our first clue came from Vikas. We zeroed in on him after figuring out that the murderers had targeted the vital organs of all their victims. Vikas had worked in a hospital and was more likely to be aware about which organs to target. On being questioned, he confessed to the crime and revealed the role of his late father-in-law and others, said DCP (crime) G Ram Gopal Naik, who is a doctor himself. The observation that the major organs of the victims were targeted proved to be a decisive clue in cracking the case in the end and drew praise from Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik who described the solving of the Shahdara murders as one of the most outstanding pieces of investigations this year. Swedish home furnishing retailer Ikea on Wednesday said it will have 15,000 co-workers in India by 2025, of which half would be women. IKEA Group also announced an increase of Rs 1.50 lakh in pension fundings for its Indian co-workers as part of TACK programme, the furniture major said in a statement. Tack is a groups Loyalty Programme to show appreciation for co-workers who continue working for the success of the business. IKEA currently has close to 400 co-workers in India and plans to have 15,000 co-workers by 2025, of which 50% will be women. The company is hiring 500-700 co-workers for each of its four stores that will open in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi/NCR cities, said Ikea. Our co-workers should know how much we value their experience and commitment and I am proud that IKEA Group in India will give an additional Rs 1.50 lakh each to our co-workers pensions this year, said IKEA India Country HR Manager Anna Carin Mansson. Co-workers, who work for at least five years, qualify for Tack, which means thank you in Swedish. This year, Ikea will be rewarding a total of 96 million euros (Rs 700 crore) to the global co-workers pension fundings, the company said. It was introduced in 2013 and since then the IKEA Group has paid out 509 million euros globally. Under Tack, all co-worker gets the same amount regardless of position or salary, and part-time co-workers are rewarded in proportion to their hours worked, it added. The amount is allocated to all co-workers who have worked at IKEA for at least one full fiscal year. Once they reach their five year anniversary with the company, the accumulated money is paid out to their pension funds. After this, every annual pay-out goes directly into their pension funds. Hollywood actor Gwyneth Paltrow has claimed that Harvey Weinstein lied about having sex with her to lure other women. According to the New York Times, the Iron Man actor has slammed the disgraced studio mogul for using false claims as an assault weapon after hearing he tried to coerce aspiring starlets into sleeping with him by repeatedly boasting they had been intimate. In an interview with the publication, Paltrow said, Hes not the first person to lie about sleeping with someone, but he used the lie as an assault weapon. The 45-year-old actor has been connecting with some of the women who claimed Weinstein had used her name in their encounters in a number of devastating phone calls. Paltrow told The New York Times than in 1994 she met Harvey Weinstein at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel for a meeting. He suggested they move to the bedroom for massages. She refused and later told her then boyfriend Brad Pitt. Pitt confronted Weinstein, and soon after, the producer warned her not to tell anyone else about his come-on. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) The movie mogul allegedly told one young actor in 2000 that complying with him was the best thing you can do for your career now, mentioning Gwyneth and others as examples of his influence. Weinsteins career in Hollywood was destroyed after reports came forward accusing him of intimidating, sexually harassing and abusing women for decades. In many of the alleged incidents, women said that Weinstein invited them into his hotel room under the guise of a professional meeting, but then asked them for massages or sex. In the fallout, the once-acclaimed producer has been ousted from his own production company, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America. Follow @htshowbiz for more In a significant diplomatic development after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers trilateral meeting here next week. The foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Wang, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would attend the meeting on December 11 to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interests well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-to-face situation near the Sikkim sector of the international border after the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army tried to build a road in Doklam in mid-June. While India and Bhutan said that it violated the status quo along the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, Beijing claimed that it was Chinas territory. New Delhi and Beijing eventually agreed to pull back their troops towards the end of August ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to China for the G20 Summit. The Sunni Waqf Board said on Wednesday that senior lawyer Kapil Sibal and litigant Haji Mehboob have nothing to do with the influential Islamic organisation in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid trial in the Supreme Court. The boards Uttar Pradesh chairman, Zufar Ahmed Farooqui, came out with the clarification after Sibal, who is also a senior Congress leader, requested the top court to hear the Ayodhya lawsuit after the 2019 parliamentary elections. The UP Sunni Waqf Boards case is being handled by two advocates, Shahid Rizvi and Shakeel Ahmed Saeed, in the apex court, Farooqui said and asserted that his organisation had not briefed its lawyers to seek more time in the trial. According to him, Sibal isnt the waqf boards counsel but representing one of the private parties in the case. Sibal had remarked on Tuesday that the case was being used to polarise the electorate with an eye on the polls. His statement triggered a flood of reactions, with the BJP accusing the Congress of trying to politicise the emotive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Speaking in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board, saying: Everyone wants a time-bound solution except Congress and their leaders. The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Kapil Sibal ji, he said. Reacting to the controversy, Sibal told ANI: Our PM comments without knowing things sometimes. Amit Shah and he said I represented Sunni Waqf Board. I was never a Sunni Waqf Board lawyer... PM did not check the fact... And yet he thanked Sunni Waqf Board... Request PM to be a little more careful. Sibals remarks in the Supreme Court generated political heat after Haji Mehboob, who claimed to be associated with the Sunni Waqf Board, said the lawyer-politician is our lawyer. But he is also related to a political party. His statement in the court yesterday was wrong. We want a solution to the issue at the earliest. We have got nothing to do with his statement, news agency quoted Mehmood as saying. The UP chief of the Sunni Waqf Board contested Mehmoods assertion that he is a member of the organisation. Haji Mehboob, who has given the statement saying that Sibal was a Sunni Waqf Board lawyer, himself is not a member of the Sunni Waqf Board, but an individual party in the matter, Farooqui said. The top court is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Allahabad high courts 2010 decision in a civil suit between Hindu and Muslim organisations over ownership of a 2.7-acre land, where the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on December 6, 1992. The high court had ruled that the land should be split between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla, the infant god Ram. Many Hindus believe the mosque was built on the site of the birthplace of Ram. A political slugfest surfaced after the first days hearing over Sibals comments, though the Supreme Court brushed aside his request. The court fixed February 8, 2018, for the next hearing. The Congress dissociated itself from Sibals statement, saying its his personal opinion. But the BJP took his remarks to accuse the opposition party of politicising the issue. Modi said the Congress has sought to link the Ram temple in Ayodhya with the 2019 elections. Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that but is it right for him to say: postpone hearing till 2019? Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir with elections? he asked. On Tuesday, BJP chief Amit Shah trained his guns on the rival party, saying Sibal was speaking on the Congresss behalf when Muslims want early resolution of the longstanding case. Now that the Sunni Waqf Board has said that they dont agree with what Kapil Sibal said in the apex court, it is certain that Sibal spoke in his capacity as a Congress leader, with the blessings of party high command, Shah said in a tweet. Shameful posturing by the Congress on Ram temple issue! he said. Change of government in the state and a saffron-clad Mahant heading it as chief minister had its bearing in VHPs Shaurya Diwas celebrations on the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on Wednesday. For the first time after the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992, saffron outfits took out a motorcycle rally in Ayodhya to mark the occasion. Defying Section 144 of the IPC, which was imposed in Ayodhya on Wednesday, a large number of activists of the Bajrang Dal took out a motorcycle rally across the city to mark Shaurya Diwas. When members of the Muslim community, who had assembled at the residence of a litigant in the dispute Haji Mehboob to observe the day as Yaum-e-Gham (day of sorrow) and Yaum-e-Syaah (black day) came to know about the rally, they expressed their outrage. To protest against the incident, Muslims came out on the street outside Mehboobs residence and raised slogans. The situation became tense when some members of the group also demanded that a rally be taken out to protest against the demolition of the mosque. However, additional district magistrate Vindhyavasini Rai and superintendent of police Anil Singh Sisodia assured action against the Bajrang Dal activists, thereby controlling the situation. Mehboob also pacified agitators and controlled the situation. Never in the past has any Hindu or Muslim organisation taken out a rally in Ayodhya on December 6. It is for the first time that a rally has been taken out in violation of tradition that has been followed till date in Ayodhya, he said. Meanwhile, police stopped some Bajrang Dal activists at Naya Ghat crossing and detained them. They were allowed to disperse after a few minutes but not in groups. Mehboob also handed over a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through district magistrate, Faizabad, accusing Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders of fanning communal hatred by making announcements related to the Ram Mandir. Members of the Muslim community kept their commercial establishments closed on Wednesday to observe black day. In another first, members of saffron outfits were allowed to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla at Ram Janmabhoomi. Earlier, only commoners were allowed to visit the site on December 6. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Veteran BJP leader and former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday announced the end of a three-day agitation after the Maharashtra government accepted all his demands including farm loan waiver. Sinha called off his agitation at Akola in west Vidarbha after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to the 80-year-old leader on phone and agreed to all the seven demands. The chief minister has accepted our demands, but I dont look at this agitation from the point of view of victory or defeat. Farmers will benefit, Sinha told reporters at the district police headquarters grounds. Promise me that no farmer will now commit suicide, Sinha appealed to cultivators who had gathered at the venue. A defiant Sinha, a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government, was detained with 250-odd farmers on Monday after the activists broke barricades following break-down of talks with the DC. He was taken to district police headquarters and later released. But the senior leader refused to leave and sat on a dharna at the police ground and said he would not budge from the venue till all demands raised by farmers were met. Besides farm loan waiver, Sinha had insisted that the government accept the other demands that included uninterrupted power supply to agricultural pump sets, action against companies manufacturing bogus Bt seeds and purchase of all farm produce at the minimum support price fixed. District collector Astik Pandey said Fadnavis sent his emissary, Akola sub-divisional magistrate Sanjay Khadse, who told Sinha that the chief minister wanted to talk with him. Sinha spoke over phone with Fadnavis at around 11.30 am during which in which the chief minister conceded his last demand of purchasing all farm produce at the minimum support price by the government agency, the DC added. Sinha had arrived at Akola three days ago to participate in the Shetkari Jagar Manch convention, called to highlight the plight of farmers in the Vidarbha region, a cotton growing region caught in a cycle of drought and crop loss. After calling off the agitation, Sinha spoke to local leaders representatives of different political parties including former union minister Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress), Lok Sabha member Pratap Jadhav (Shiv Sena) and Priti Menon Sharma (AAP). On Tuesday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and NCP veteran Sharad Pawar also spoke to the BJP leader over phone and discussed the farmers issues. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Do you worry a lot? What do you worry about? Is it about money or family issues? Have you suffered from seizures? These were some of the queries posed in a 20-point questionnaire for Border Security Force (BSF) personnel during their health check-up this year. The document was prepared by a team of doctors engaged by the paramilitary force to conduct a psychological analysis of its 2.5 lakh members. The exercise, which was launched last week, comes at a time when the paramilitary force is grappling with rising cases of suicide 43 in 2014, 27 in 2015, 24 in 2016, and 36 so far in 2017. We plan to complete the test, which is usually a year-long exercise, in the next four months. Once the results come in, troopers found susceptible to psychological issues or stress will be allotted a buddy under the buddy support system. Medicines will be prescribed for troopers showing chronic signs of depression, Dr Rohit Kumar, a commandant involved in the test, told Hindustan Times. Other queries in the questionnaire pertain to possible personality disorders; manias; thought and eating disorders; memory impairment; and drug or alcohol abuse. The BSF will take follow-up measures based on the ratings received. Computer-assisted clinical interview techniques have been used to conduct the psychological analysis. This was recommended by a team of doctors that previously worked on farmer suicides. Officials said the Wellness Quotient Assessment Test (WQAT) is being implemented for proper upkeep of the BSF personnels psychological health as well as early detection of personality disorders if any. The answers will be analysed by a computer program that adjudges the respondent on parameters such as anxiety, concentration, depression, psychosis, obsession, phobia, mania, hypochondriasis, disorientation, memory, eating disorder and sleep difficulties. Originally called the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool, the software exercise was renamed as WQAT on the recommendation of BSF director general KK Sharma because he reportedly wanted to do away with the word mental considered stigmatic by many. Government officials said the ministry of home affairs plans to implement the same test for other paramilitary forces too. The WQAT will be carried out by BSF paramedics trained by a team of medical experts headed by UK-based Dr Vimal Kumar Sharma. Suicide is something that happens when a person or, in this case, a trooper reaches an extreme situation in his/her life. The test is about much more than just dealing with suicide. It also helps negate the factors that cause stress among security forces. The most important asset we have is our personnel. Each life is valuable to us, and we want to ensure that everything is done to protect it, a senior BSF official said on the condition of anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that it served a notice to RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh for questioning in its ongoing probe into a money laundering case. An ED official requesting anonymity told IANS: The Palam Farms in Delhis Bijwasan was bought from the money raised through shell companies owned by Bharti and her husband. This is not the first time the couple would be quizzed by the ED. The agency grilled them in July. Palam Farms was allegedly bought from the money raised through M/s Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd, owned by Bharti and her husband, he said. In September the agency had attached the property. The Income Tax Department is also probing how shell companies were used by Lalu Prasad and his family to buy expensive properties in Delhi and Patna. In July, the ED had charge-sheeted around 35 persons, including Chartered Accountant Rajesh Agrawal and businessmen brothers Surendra Jain and Virendra Jain. Agrawal was accused of helping Shaileshs company with some transactions. Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd was registered at 25, Tuglaq Road, New Delhi, which was then the official address of Lalu Prasad, till the shares were bought by Bharti. It was only during 2009-10 that the address was changed to Farm number 26, Palam Farms, Bijwasan, New Delhi. Members and Parliament staff may get prepaid food cards to pay bills at House canteens in yet another push for cashless transactions at the cafes, where cash is still the king. The Lok Sabha secretariat is preparing to introduce these cards similar to those for the Metro after a failed bid to promote the use of credit and debit cards in Parliaments four canteens following last years demonetisation. We have tied up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to introduce the new system. There will be card readers in the canteens and it will make payments easier than dealing with cash, Ashok Kumar Singh, who is additional secretary in the Lok Sabha secretariat and is in charge of the canteens, said on Monday. The cards can be refilled at the banks Parliament complex branches. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to withdraw 1,000 and 500-rupee banknotes on November 8 last year, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan had launched POS (point of sales) machines in all the cafes. But it was a non-starter, as people preferred to pay for their food, which is highly subsidised, in cash. A vegetarian thali costs around Rs 40. A masala dosa is priced at Rs 20. People continued to pay these small amounts in cash, said an official. Other than fighting corruption, black money and terror funding, demonetisation was also described as a move to push for digital payments and a step towards a cashless economy. Of the four canteens, one is exclusively for Members of Parliament. The other three are used by parliament staff, journalists and visitors. Around 4,500 people eat in the canteens every day when Parliament is in session, according to an estimate provided by the food committee of the Lok Sabha in 2015, the latest year for which data is available. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha together have 790 members and the combined staff strength is around 2,900. According to the 2015 estimate, 42% of the food is consumed by staff and security personnel when Parliament is in recess. Card payments never crossed more than Rs 50,000 a month, which amounted to less than five per cent of the total transactions, sources said. A few months after they were introduced, the POS machines disappeared. Normally, MPs consume snacks and tea and coffee in Parliaments Central Hall. For such small amounts they prefer to pay in cash. The SIM card-attached POS machines dont work in Central Hall due to jammers. MPs find it cumbersome to go to the POS machine in one corner of the Central to enter the pin, said BJD MP Tathagata Sathpathy. The digital push might have been a non-starter in cafes but Parliament successfully introduced e-payments for all members, staff and vendors this April. Replacing the system of drawing cheques, the Lok Sabha secretariat now transfers salaries directly to members bank accounts. The Rajya Sabha has its own e-payment system. In October, the LS secretariat disbursed Rs 35.86 crore through e-payments and in November the amount increased to Rs 40 crore. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Four militants and a sympathiser were involved in the killing of an army jawan in Kashmir last month, police said on Wednesday. The sympathiser, identified only as Muzamil, has been arrested, a police spokesperson said. The 23-year-old Kashmiri trooper, Irfan Dar, of the 175 Territorial Army was abducted when he was on leave and visiting his family in Shopian in south Kashmir. His bullet-riddled body was found in an orchard on November 25. Investigations have revealed that four militants -- Saddam Padder, Bilal Mohand, Touseef and an unidentified new recruit -- and the arrested man hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill sepoy Irfan Dar, the official said. On November 24, the accused Muzamil went to the native village of Irfan and took him to Wuthmula where the above mentioned militants were already present in a nearby orchard. They came out of the orchard and fired at Irfan, resulting in his instant death, the spokesperson added. The chain of conspiracy was based on available evidence which the official did not disclose. A resident of Sezan Keegam village in Shopian, Dar was posted at an army unit in north Kashmirs Bandipora. Local residents had discovered the body and his car a few kilometres away from his home. Over the past few months, several Kashmiri security personnel including policemen -- have been killed or attacked and their homes ransacked by suspected militants, seen as warnings to stop participating in counter-insurgency operations. Earlier this year, a Kashmiri army officer on leave was abducted from a wedding and killed in south Kashmir and a police officer lynched in Srinagar. A burst of bullets caught Yemeni soldier Khalid Ahmed Alwans spine and immobilised him during a fierce gunfight against Houthi militiamen two years ago. After months at a hospital in his war-torn nation, 25-year-old Alwan along with 54 fellow wounded soldiers was flown in a chartered aircraft to New Delhi on November 19 for advanced medical care. More than wound, he is now worried about the woman he was betrothed to. The young man was deployed to Marib, about 120km from Yemeni capital Sanaa, to fight the Houthis a week after his engagement and days before his marriage. I hope I would be fine soon and get married to the same girl. That is the only thing I worry about, he said in a Gurgaon hospital through an interpreter. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is footing the medical bill for this people. And Indian hospitals were chosen to take care of them because of the UAEs close ties with India. Alwan and fellow wounded soldiers Anaz Nadeem and Shikah Khalil considered themselves lucky to be alive in a conflict that has so far killed 8,600 people, wounded 49,000 and left over 20 million in need of imminent humanitarian assistance since March 2015. Anas Naeem, Khaled Alwan and Nadeen at Fortis Hospital in Gurgaon. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo) The United Nations had termed the civil war in Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis. Doctors treating these war patients in three hospitals in and around Delhi are astounded by the complexity of their wounds and ailments. Dr Vikram Sharma, the head of urology at Fortis hospital in Gurgaon, said he is dealing with unique kinds of urological cancer in these patients. It could be because of chemical weapons or from radiations. We need more investigations to come to a conclusion. According to Dr Anil Behl, who heads plastic surgery at Fortis, reconstruction surgeries are often required as most of patients are from a war zone and victims of bomb blasts. Yemen has been one of the poorest in the Arab world and the war between forces loyal to president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebellion has deepened the economic crisis. Ahmed Al Banna, the UAEs envoy to India, said his country has spent more than $2.35 billion in humanitarian and development aid for Yemen in the past two years. Yemeni soldier Shikh Khaled at a Fortis Hospital. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo) The UAE governments decision to send wounded Yemeni citizens to India for treatment is a reflection of the trust we have in Indias medical infrastructure, he said. The current lot of patients wishes to go home early. I am in pain, but home is home Khalil said. The 24-year-old Nadeem joined the army to serve the nation. But the military training, war and bloodshed didnt take away his love for literature and psychology. He wants to go home and hopes to complete his studies. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A three-member panel formed by the Haryana government has found gross negligence by the Fortis Hospital in Gurgaon causing the death of a seven-year-old girl suffering from dengue. There were many irregularities, unethical practices and the protocol for diagnosis and medical duties was not followed. In simple words, it was not a death, it was a murder, state health minister Anil Vij told reporters here on Wednesday after the panel submitted its report. We are going to lodge a police case against the hospital for negligence which caused the death of Adya. We have already sent a notice, asking why the hospitals pharmacy and blood banks licences should not be cancelled. We will also write to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to cancel the licence of the hospital, said VIj, who was flanked by the probe committee members. The health department panel had been formed to look into charges of foul play in the treatment and of inflated bill (Rs 15.5 lakh) that Adyas parents Jayant Singh and Deepti had levelled against the hospital. Adyas parents had posted their plight on social media, triggering an outrage and a promise of action by the Union health minister JP Nadda. Adya was diagnosed with dengue on August 28, at Rockland Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi. She remained admitted there till August 31 from where she was shifted to Fortis, Vij said. She was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in an emergency condition at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, for 15 days till September 14. She died while being shifted back to Rockland hospital in an ambulance that lacked ventilator and other facilities, the minister said. He added that the committee members perused medical record and investigations concluded that the patient was given highly expensive medicines despite the availability of various other medicines, including generic ones. A costly injection was administered on most occasions, which costs Rs 3,112, whereas a substitute worth Rs 499 was available, Vij said citing the inquiry report. The death of the girl happened due to not following the LAMA (Leave Against Medical Advice) protocol. The girl was on a ventilator, but she was put in an ordinary ambulance, ventilator was withdrawn and an ambu bag was not provided in that, which became the cause of her death, which is a very serious irregularity, the minister said. He said that the IMA protocol says that if a patient is discharged against medical advice, then proper arrangements should be made to transfer him or her to another hospital. The minister added that the hospital did not inform the local health department about the admission of a dengue patient which is mandatory in case of notified epidemic diseases which is also negligence. The events of 1992 left an indelible impression on Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, who had just graduated from college at the time. Even today, he closely identifies with the movement to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Adityanath graduated with a B.Sc degree from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in the summer of 1992, the year thousands of kar sevaks or supporters of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) razed the Babri Masjid, which many Hindus believe was built on top of the birthplace of god Ram. The destruction unleashed some of the deadliest religious riots across India since Independence, killing more than 1,000 people. It was during that turbulent period that Adityanath visited Gorakhnath Mutt, an influential shrine in Gorakhpur headed by chief priest Mahant Avaidyanath, who went on to become the young mans mentor, guru and adopted father. Mahantji organised a march from Sitamarhi in Bihar to Ayodhya for the Ram temple. He asked people to vote for that party or leader who supported construction of the temple, said Ram Kumar Tiwari, a schoolteacher in Gorakhpur. The Mahant called meetings of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Yagya Samiti, an organisation he headed. Leaders of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Mahasabha and sadhus of Ayodhya were invited to these conclaves. It was Adityanaths job to organise these meetings, and he was good at it. Impressed, the Mahant appointed Aditynath as his successor in 1996. Two years later, the Mahant announced that the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat, which he had represented for four terms, would now be contested by Adityanath. Adityanath went on to win the seat for five terms. Through this period, Adityanath kept the cause (of the temple) alive, organising a Virat Hindu Mahasammelan (in 2006), and similar gatherings. All told, representatives of 970 Hindu organisations and 10,000 sadhus were invited to these meetings, said Kamalnath, a priest at Gorakhnath Mutt. These meetings were aimed at mobilising Hindus. Adityanath also spoke about the Ram temple in Parliament . He revived the defunct Hindu Mahasabha in eastern UP and launched the Hindu Yuva Vahini to galvanise young people to the movement. The saffron-clad, priest-politician established himself as a firebrand Hindu leader. He championed for the temple, a uniform civil code in India, and a blanket ban on cow slaughter. Earlier this year, he was his partys surprise-choice to head the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous and politically crucial state. In May, he became the first Uttar Pradesh chief minister to visit Ayodhya in 15 years. He has visited the town four times since, offering prayers at the makeshift temple of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram as an infant) at the disputed 2.7-acre site; declared Ayodhya a municipal corporation; and organised a grand Diwali festival there. The states BJP government also announced plans to build a 100-feet-tall statue of Ram on the Saryu riverbank. Adityanath said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on 1 December that while everyone should wait for the court s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, he would like to see things settled through consensus, and, indeed, would be happy to help if all parties involved in the dispute reach a consensus. It would be interesting if that were to happen. When public support for the Ram temple was waning in 1997-98, the Mahant had told a gathering of sadhus: my disciple will give impetus to the movement and fulfil my dream. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India will explore the possibility of greater cooperation in the Asia Pacific region with China and Russia, in an attempt to allay Beijings apprehensions over a proposed axis New Delhi is seeking with the US, Japan and Australia. The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China will meet at a day-long session in New Delhi on December 11. India is likely to push for naming Pakistan-based terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) in the joint communique to be adopted at the meeting. Experts familiar with the developments said India would raise a number of contentious issues such as Indias bid for entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Beijing scuttling New Delhis move to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a terror mastermind. India is also set to raise the issue of release of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat- ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest by Pakistan. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss key strategic issues at the meeting. On South China Sea, India is expected to pitch for countries respecting all provisions of UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ensuring freedom of navigation in the resource-rich waters. There will be enough diplomatic jostling before the countries agree for a structured discussion on Asia Pacific. In September, the BRICS summit -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa had for the first time named Pakistan- based terror groups LeT, JeM and the Haqqani network in its declaration, which was seen as a major diplomatic victory for India. Though India may raise the contentious issues, it will highlight the need for joining hands by the three countries to pursue common strategic interests in the region, it is learnt. It is understood that India will strongly push for strengthening cooperation among the three countries in effectively countering terrorism in the region and beyond. Relations between India and China witnessed a downturn owing to differences over a series of issues including China blocking Indias move to get Masood Azhar banned by the UN, its opposition to Indias bid for NSG membership and New Delhi cold sholdering the Belt and Road initiative. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The three-year jail term for a man who tries to end his marriage through instant triple talaq in the proposed law that seeks to ban the Muslim divorce practice could be counterproductive, legal experts have warned. The penal action could harm the victims it sets out to protect and be construed as bad in law since a Muslim marriage is essentially a civil contract, they say. All you need to say is the marriage continues despite pronouncement of triple talaq. (A penal law) can be struck down by the court, senior lawer Indira Jaising told Hindustan Times on Tuesday. The government, however, says its intention is to promote gender justice and the draft laws focus is on according equal rights to Muslim women, and not interfere in personal laws. The law ministry plans to introduce a bill in Parliament in the coming winter session to make instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-biddat, a criminal offence punishable with three years in prison. The winter session begins December 15. The Supreme Court on August 22 struck down the controversial practice that allowed a Muslim man to end the marriage by uttering the word talaq, or divorce, three times in a go. The doubts being raised by experts were also discussed by the high-level committee of ministers that cleared the draft bill, a source in the government said. The issue of its possible misuse to settle marital discord was also raised. But in the end, the committees decision to draft a bill (penalising instant triple talaq) was unanimous, the source said. The committee included union ministers of law and justice, finance, home and external affairs. The junior ministers in the prime ministers office and law and justice were also part of the panel. India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion pertaining to marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance. Muslims are allowed to marry and divorce according to the Shariah or Islamic law. Talaq-e-biddat, however, is outlawed in most Islamic countries. The proposed law seeks to convert a contractual marriage into a sacrament, said Faizan Mustafa, the vice chancellor of the Hyderabad-based Nalsar law university. By doing that, you would be applying Hindu personal law to Muslims, he said. The fallout of the new law could be men abandoning their wives without divorcing them. Jaising, too, cautioned that by sending a husband to jail, the purpose of declaring the divorce void was defeated. It amounts to penalising the woman for raising the issue by sending the man to jail. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, which had defended the divorce practice in the Supreme Court, is miffed with the government for not including it in the deliberations on drafting the new law. The law ministry on December 1 sent a draft of the bill to all state governments seeking their views. Their purpose is to polarise communities at this time We have taken this very seriously, board member Kamal Faruqui said. The board is meeting next month in Hyderabad to decide on its response to the governments move. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Security was stepped up in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya on Wednesday on the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, an incident that triggered communal violence all over the country in 1992. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court decided to continue the final hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case on February 8 next year, brushing aside a plea to postpone it till after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as the final verdict would have political and electoral repercussions. However, the Sunni Waqf Board distanced itself from lawyer Kapil Sibals request and said it was not in favour of shifting the hearing till after the 2019 general elections. The hearing took on a political hue outside the court, with Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah asking Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to clear his stand on the Ram temple issue. The apex court began the final hearing of the case at a time when the Congress and the BJP are engaged in a political battle in poll-bound Gujarat, where the Opposition party is aspiring to dislodge the BJP from power after 22 years. Here are highlights on the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjids demolition: 3.21pm: We have got nothing to do with his statement as we are not connected to any political party or do politics. Every Hindu and Muslim of the country wants a solution to the issue soon: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board, on Kapil Sibal in Supreme Court. Sibal, while representing the Sunni Waqf Board, urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to defer hearing in the Ayodhya title suit till July 2019 when the next Lok Sabha elections will be over. 3pm: Saints at Kar Sevak Puram attend Saurya Sammelan to mark 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. 1.38pm: I am going to ask Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, please explain your partys position on should the Ram Janambhoomi case be heard at the earliest or not? Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. 1.36pm: As a lawyer, Kapil Sibal can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past. What does he mean when he says dont hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside? It is unfair and in many ways irresponsible: Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. 1.18pm: Yes, Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in the Supreme Court yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board. 11.30am: Ayodhya has been divided into four zones and 10 sectors and prohibitory orders under section 144 have been clamped. Any form of protests, demonstrations have been completely banned. 11.05am: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy tells ANI: He (Sibal) just gave his arguments on the political level, as they will lose the elections if they lose this (Ayodhya) case. 11am: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury says: Today happens to be the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition that remains to be a black spot in the history of modern India. That has been the biggest assault on the secular democratic foundation of our country. The CPM along with other Left parties will observe Black Day on Wednesday to commemorate the 25th year of Babri Masjids demolition. 10.40am: All areas of Ayodhya have police presence, with bomb disposal squads on alert. 10.15am: Security heightened in Ayodhya on the 25th anniversary of #BabriDemolition pic.twitter.com/IyfctuiQpq ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 6, 2017 9.43am: I want to ask Congress how the Sunni Waqf Board comes out with this new idea of postponing hearing on Ram Mandir, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tells CNN-News18. Rahul Gandhi has teamed up with Owaisis, Jilanis to oppose Ram temple in Ayodhya. Rahul Gandhi is certainly a "Babar Bhakt" & a "Kin of Khilji". Babar destroyed Ram temple & Khilji plundered Somnath. Nehru dynasty sided with both Islamic invaders.Travesty & Perversity of dynasty! GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) December 6, 2017 *Ahead of the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, the Centre has asked all the states to remain cautious and ensure peace, so that no incident of communal tension is reported from anywhere in the country. *Appearing for the Sunni Waqf Board on Tuesday, a plaintiff in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, Kapil Sibal took strong objection to the manner in which the hearing was expedited on the request of someone (BJP leader Subramanian Swamy) who is not even a party in the case. Read the full story here. Subtract your commissions and cuts, and the cost of projects will come down. The money allotted for projects will be sufficient then. I cannot fund your commissions. Mamata Banerjee tells Trinamool MLA Asit Mazumder in Tarakeswar on June 1. You used to till the land earlier, but you no longer do it. How will you know what is happening when you dont go out of your home? She tells backward classes welfare minister Churamoni Mahato in Jhargram on October 10. The sight of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pulling up her MLAs and ministers in closed-door meetings is not unusual, and probably even expected. It is when she gives them a tongue-lashing on live television with some aggressive body language and finger-pointing thrown in that real eyebrows of apprehension are raised. The mercurial chief minister has shaken up the administrative machinery as well as her party leaders over the past few months with a new model of live governance that comprises virtually shifting the entire secretariat to district towns and inviting the common people to telecast administrative meetings in real time. Indian cinemas angry young man was born when Zanjeer hit the screens in 1973. The people of Bengal witness the rise of an angry young woman in these meetings, says Kaushik Maitra, a Kolkata-based entrepreneur. The live telecast of these meetings began just a year before the rural polls, deemed as a rehearsal for the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The astute politician has fully exploited the potential drama and shock that live shows allow. During a meeting in North 24 Parganas, she pulled up the inspector-in-charge of Titagarh police station for failing to take action against encroachers at the site of a shipbuilding unit. Why havent you done anything? she asked the officer, who could be seen fumbling for words. When he tried explaining that no complaint was lodged, the chief minister asked: How will they complain? They probably know they will not get protection. I am bringing it to your notice. Take action tomorrow. For the public, the televised meetings provide the incredible sight of a frail woman pulling up high and mighty people like district magistrates, superintendents of police, hospital bosses, departmental officers, public representatives and municipality authorities. To give them a first-hand feeling, the government even invites them to air grievances and voice their opinions. The attendance on the podium is usually imposing, with everybody from the chief secretary and home secretary to bureaucrats in charge of key departments such as education, health, transport, industry, MSME, power and irrigation registering their presence. The chief minister holds the microphone, functioning as the emcee throughout the meeting. The state information and cultural affairs department provides the input, which is then telecast live by almost all Bengali news TV channels in the state. While there have been other chief ministers such as Lalu Prasad Yadav who held durbars to hear public grievances, the live-telecast factor has lent the Bengal experiment a new colour. However, not everybody is impressed. We also went around the districts holding meetings too; we did not rule the state from the capital. The chief minister advised us to visit remote districts and blocks to hold administrative meetings. But there was no technology to project our efforts. Mamata is only offering old wine in a new bottle, said Pradip Bhattacharya, former minister in the Siddhartha Shankar Ray cabinet (1972-77). Bhattacharya also had a warning for Banerjee. She must also know that meetings can be counter-productive. People will find out that the administration has failed to achieve what she asked it to deliver months ago, he said. Others, like Debesh Das, professor of computer science at Jadavpur University, are downright dismissive. Mamata is trivialising administrative meetings by turning them into television reality shows. We held numerous meetings in various districts and participated in serious discussions, but the ones we now see on television are nothing but image-building exercises, said Das, who was the IT minister in the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government (2006-11). The state government began its live telecast on April 26, and the first one pertained to a meeting held at Alipurduar in north Bengal. The idea behind it can be traced to a high-profile meeting that Banerjee held with authorities of both state-run and private hospitals at Kolkatas Town Hall on February 22. Back then, she bluntly told the medical officials present that they were not only overcharging patients but also providing shoddy service. This became a talking point among the people for weeks to come. The admirers of Banerjees initiative are many. By doing this, the chief minister has increased transparency and accountability among government servants. The chief minister comes fully prepared to the meetings. She pulls up the people involved and gives them a dressing down for lapses. She also praises those who deserve it, said Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, vice-chancellor of the Rabindra Bharati University. Chaudhury, who attended one such meeting in Howrah on May 12, praised the practice of inviting college and university students to the televised events. These meetings have a definite impact (on the government machinery). While such events keep officials on their toes on the one hand, they on the other tell the people that here is somebody who does not hesitate to fix responsibility if the authorities fail to perform, he added. Jawhar Sircar, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, agrees. The point here is to enhance transparency. Common people never come to know much about the decision-making process, he said. Biswanath Chakravarty, professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University, expressed his approval for the exercise but issued a word of caution. It is good that Mamata is trying to bring the administrative machinery to the doorstep of the common man, but she should ensure that people from her own party are not the only ones invited to these events. The televised meetings are now starting to look like a political tool, he said. Chakravarty, who popularised psephology on Bengali TV, also points at another flaw. The chief minister issues diktats from the dais in micro-matters that often belong in the domain of gram panchayats. This defeats the important goal of local self-governance, he said. While former Presidency College principal Amal Kumar Mukherjee wondered why university vice-chancellors should attend these meetings when they arent public servants, Sanjoy Mukherjee a teacher of film studies at Jadavpur University said he was waiting to see whether the dramatic meetings would help in governance. The exercise, however, has created some discontent within the ruling party. The meetings should not be telecast live. What is the point of humiliating us before everybody? said a Trinamool MLA who was pulled up in a south Bengal meeting. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress on Wednesday lodged a police complaint over a morphed picture of Mahatma Gandhi in a photograph showing Rahul Gandhi filling nomination papers for the Congress presidents post. The picture, circulated on social media by unidentified persons, insulted the father of nation and also showed senior Congress leaders in poor light, it said. We have petitioned the cyber cell of police against the people who morphed the picture, state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said. As pictures of Rahul Gandhi filling nomination papers for the party presidents post with a Mahatma Gandhis photo in the background appeared in media, some unidentified persons doctored it to make Mahatma Gandhi look like a Mughal emperor, Chaturvedi said. This is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi. It was also aimed at showing our senior leaders in poor light, he said. Superintendent of police Shailendra Singh Chauhan of the cyber cell said police had received the complaint and would take appropriate action. A parliamentary panel reviewing the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, may recommend stricter punishment for those involved in hit-and-run accident cases in the country that witnessed 17 deaths and 55 road accidents every hour in 2016, one of the highest in the world. The joint panel for the bill met on Tuesday to prepare its draft report and some members raised the issue of hit-and-run cases, saying such a crime should attract more stringent penal provisions. Members like Naresh Gujral (SAD) said that hit-and-run case cannot have the same penalty as rash or negligent driving. In the former case, the culprit tries to run away from the crime spot, Gujral told the panel. The bill proposes Rs 5,000 and jail term for hit-and-run cases, which is the same penalty for rash or negligent driving. A report released by the Union road transport and highways ministry in September said road accidents killed 150,785 people across India in 2016 a 3.3% jump from 2015 when 146,000 lakh road fatalities were reported indicating Indian roads continue to be one of the deadliest in the world. According to a World Bank estimate, road accidents cost India about 3% of its gross domestic product every year. In the proposed law, which aims to prohibit violations of traffic rules by imposing stricter deterrents, violators will have to cough up almost 10 times more than what they pay now for overspeeding and drunk driving. The maximum penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. The bill, pending since the UPA regime, was cleared by the Lok Sabha in April 2017 with some amendments. The government added amendments to specify that a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund will be created and utilised for treatment of people injured in road accidents, compensation to the family of a person killed in a hit and run accident and compensation to a those grievously hurt in a hit and run case. The bill proposes hefty penalties for various traffic offences, three-year jail terms for parents of minors caught driving and causing fatal accidents, a ten-fold increase in compensation for families of accident victims, and check bogus licences and vehicle theft. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha last August and was referred to a parliamentary standing committee, whose suggestions have been endorsed by the Union cabinet. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON First a house, then a wife, and now a motorbike. Dana Majhi, the poor Odisha tribal who last year shook the nations conscience after being forced to walk back home with the body of his dead wife on his shoulder, has struck it rich. Majhi on Tuesday travelled from Bhawanipata in Kalahandi district to his village Melghar under Thuamul Rampur block on a spanking Honda motorcycle that he bought from a glitzy showroom for Rs 65,000. A penniless Majhi, accompanied by one of his sobbing daughters, had walked along the same road in August last year with the body of his wife, Amang Dei, tightly wrapped in cloth after being unable to pay for a transport. The district hospital where Dei died of tuberculosis had no ambulance available. Images of a hapless Majhis 10 km-long walk triggered global outrage. It prompted many, including the prime minister of Bahrain, to open up their purse strings for Majhi, a marginal farmer. Financial aid poured in, helping Majhi to put his poor past behind. Last year, Dana Majhi had walked around 10km with his wifes body on his shoulder because he failed to get a vehicle to transport it from a government hospital in Odishas backward district of Kalahandi where she died. (Video grab/OTV) The turnaround in Majhis status has been swift. The Bahraini prime minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa gave him Rs 9 lakhs. Other individuals and organisations also chipped in and Majhi, who never had a bank account earlier, now has sizeable fixed deposit that will mature in five years time. Even the administration, often considered insensitive to peoples plight, came to his aid and allotted him a house under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojana. The house is under construction and Majhi currently is residing in the village Anganwadi centre. His three daughters are in a residential school in Bhubaneswar after an educational institute offered to provide them free education. In between, Majhi remarried. His new wife, Alamati Dei, is now pregnant. All this and more has evidently helped Majhi to dream big. He (Majhi) told me he has a new house and now needs a motorcycle for going around, Manoj Agarwal, the owner of the Bhawanipatna Honda showroom, said. Majhi still cultivates the small patch of land he owns, but neighbours say he is a changed man. Dana is not the same Dana now. He got all the benefits while we got nothing, complained Gundal, a Melghar resident. Majhi, meanwhile, is proud of his new machine. In all senses, it is a case of neighbours envy, owners pride. For the moment, Majhi is more concerned that he does not know how to ride a motorbike and has to sit behind his nephew. The NIA on Tuesday arrested a Meerut resident for allegedly supplying a gun to the main accused in the killing of an RSS worker in Punjab in October, the agency said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) last month took over the probe into the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Ravinder Gosain. Pahar Singh, 48, was arrested for supplying a country-made weapon to the main accused Hardeep Singh alias Shera, NIA said in a statement. Another suspect in the case, Malook, managed to flee on Sunday when a joint team of NIA and the UP police had gone to arrest him from a Ghaziabad village. The villagers opened fire and pelted stones on the raiding party. The NIA said their probe has revealed that Hardeep Singh had visited Meerut on three occasions during in the last two years to procure weapons to carry out the targeted killings of members of the RSS and other organisations. Around April or May this year, Hardeep Singh procured a .315 bore country made weapon from Pahar Singh at his house. This weapon was recovered and seized at the instance of Hardeep Singh subsequent to his arrest by Punjab police last month, the NIA statement revealed. Pahar Singh is also an accused in another case registered under the Arms Act in nearby Amroha district three months back. He will be produced before the Special NIA Court in Mohali on Wednesday. Londons plain-speaking mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday said it was time for the British government to make a full and formal apology to India for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre nearly a century ago as he visited Amritsar. This is not the first time a British politician has called on the government to apologise for the killing of hundreds when troops from the British Indian Army led by Brig Reginald Dyer opened fire on unarmed protesters on April 13, 1919. A British commission that conducted an inquiry into the incident concluded 379 people were killed but Indian leaders estimated up to 1,000 people had died in the firing. Over the years, several MPs and politicians of Indian and South Asian-origin have asked the UK government to offer an apology to the Indian people but members of the royal family and British premiers have never gone that far during their visits to India. Visiting the Jallianwala Bagh memorial on Wednesday, Khan paid his respects to those who lost their lives in the massacre and extended his own apologies, according to a statement on the London mayors website. It is one of the most horrific events in Indian history and it is shameful that successive British governments have fallen short of delivering a formal apology almost 100 years on, he said. Heres what other British leaders and politicians have said on the issue: 1. Winston Churchill, who was then the secretary of state for war, said in the House of Commons more than a year after the massacre that this was an episode which appears to me to be without precedent or parallel in the modern history of the British Empire. He described it as an extraordinary event, a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation and which was not the British way of doing business. 2. Queen Elizabeth, during a visit to Amritsar in 1997, paid 30 seconds of silent homage and laid a wreath at the site of the massacre, which she described as a distressing and difficult episode in India-UK relations. But history cannot be rewritten, however much we might sometimes wish otherwiseWe must learn from the sadness and build on the gladness, the queen, who was in India to mark the 50th anniversary of the countrys independence, said in a speech at a state banquet. Her husband, Prince Philip, was embroiled in a controversy during the same visit when he questioned the higher death toll cited by the Indian side. 3. Tony Blair, who visited the Jallianwala Bagh memorial as the head of a British parliamentary delegation on April 11, 1990, before he became prime minister, wrote in the visitors book: A memorial which reminds us of the worst aspects of colonialism but fortunately the friendship between the two countries has survived it. 4. David Cameron, the first serving British prime minister to visit the memorial in 2013, expressed regret for the massacre but stopped short of an apology. This is a deeply shameful event in British history, one that Winston Churchill rightly described at the time as monstrous, he wrote in the visitors book. Cameron defended his decision to not offer a formal apology by saying: So I dont think the right thing is to reach back into history and to seek out things you can apologise for. I think the right thing is to acknowledge what happened, to recall what happened, to show respect and understanding for what happened. 5. Virender Sharma, a Labour Party MP of Indian-origin, tabled a parliamentary motion in October calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to formally apologise in the House of Commons for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The motion has been backed by 13 other MPs. A group of historians might decide the fate of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis controversial film Padmavati, which has been in the eye of a storm over the alleged misrepresentation of a 14th century Rajput queen. The makers of Padmavati have put off the release of the film after a wave of protests from multiple Rajput groups and dire threats to lead actors Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and director Bhansali. The film was cleared for viewership by the censor board in UK, but is yet to get a certification from the CBFC. The nformation and broadcasting (I&B) ministry has written to the ministry of human resource development to provide a list of historians who can watch and vet the contents of the film, said sources. The Ccentral board of film certification (CBFC) that is yet to watch the film had asked the I&B ministry to help organise a group of historians who could assess the content of the films to ascertain whether the filmmaker has tampered with history. On November 30, CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi had submitted before a parliamentary panel that the film would not be released before its content was cleared by historians. Bhansali, who also deposed before the committee, said the movie was based on a fictional theme. Both Joshi and Bhansali had appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on information and technology and the Petitions Committee of the Lok Sabha after MPs raised the issue of the film hurting sentiments of the Rajput community and demanded a ban on its release. Some BJP MPs and Rajput groups such as the Karni Sena have accused Bhansali of distorting history. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress for linking the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case to the 2019 elections, making Ayodhya one of the talking points of his election campaign in Ahmedabad. Do you want to keep the issue unresolved for political gain or loss in the elections? he asked the Congress. Modi was referring to the lawyer Kapil Sibals plea in the Supreme Court on Tuesday asking that the case not be heard before the 2019 elections because its outcome could have a bearing on that poll. The court didnt accept his argument. Sibal, a former Union minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance that governed India between 2004 and 2014, was appearing for one of the litigants in the case, but the Congress was quick to clarify on Wednesday that his plea was not consistent with its stand. Congress leader Anand Sharma said his party was not a litigant in the dispute, and would accept whatever decision the Supreme Court made. Congress is clear that the matter is before the Supreme Court and our party will support whatever the court says. The prime minister should decide if he is giving any direction to the Supreme Court, Sharma said. Interestingly, the Congress wasnt the only one seeking to dissociate itself from Sibals plea. In a statement to news agencies, Haji Mehboob, a litigant, said he was a member of the UP Sunni Wakf Board, and that Sibal was our lawyer, but that his plea in court was wrong. We want a solution to the issue (case) at the earliest, he added. The UP Sunni Wakf Board was quicker to dissociate itself from not just Sibal, but also Mehboob. The chairman of the body, Zufar Ahmed Farooqui said Sibal wasnt the boards lawyer and that Mehboob himself was not a member of the board, but an individual party to the matter. Usually, when there are multiple litigants fighting the same case on the same side, and represented by high-profile lawyers, it is understood that the lawyers are arguing the case on behalf of all litigants, not just one. Indeed, even in this instance, Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, and Dushyant Dave were appearing for the litigants, and the Waqf Board could be backing off now because it doesnt want to be embroiled in a controversy, said a lawyer appearing for one of the litigants on condition of anonymity. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, an influential body representing Muslims, however, backed Sibal and said this is not the right time to take up the matter for final hearing. As the representative body (of Muslims), the board endorses and confirms the said statement of the counsels made in court, it said in a statement. Modi said he faced a similar situation ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls regarding triple talaq. Everybody said that if we take a stand against it, we will face a backlash in the UP elections, but we took a stand and the Supreme Court asked us to form a law in six months, he said. Can decisions be held to ransom for electoral gains and losses or should they be taken for the benefit of the entire country? Modi asked. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and vice president Venkaiah Naidu paid tributes to the architect of the Constitution BR Ambedkar on his death anniversary on Wednesday. Ambedkar, who was hailed for his contribution towards uplift of Dalits, passed away on this day in 1956. Rich tributes were paid to the architect of the Constitution on his 61st death anniversary by politicians as well as thousands of followers who converged at his memorial Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who visited the site near Shivaji Park in Dadar, said the work on Ambedkars memorial at the Indu Mill land here will begin in a month. Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao also paid tributes to Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi. The rain-soaked ground at Chaityabhoomi did not deter the followers of Ambedkar who gathered from various parts of the state and country. Those thronging the place shouted slogans like Jai Bheem and Babasaheb amar rahe. Three persons were on Tuesday injured when a pandal, set up for Ambedkars followers, collapsed on them due to heavy rains at Shivaji Park. At Mantralaya, the state Secretariat, floral tributes were offered to the late leader. At Vidhan Bhawan, the legislature staff also paid tributes to Ambedkar. The citys public transport wing, BEST undertaking, ran special buses between Dadar and Shivaji Park, an official said, adding food stalls were also being put up to provide free snacks there. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed temporary sheds, mobile toilets and six medical stalls at Shivaji Park, Dadar station, Rajgriha (Ambedkars residence) and Kurla terminus in view of the huge rush of the Dalit icons followers. Drinking water arrangements were also made at Shivaji Park, the official said. The BMC also made arrangements for accommodation of the visitors at 70 civic schools in the city. Six activists of the Shiv Sena were detained here today as police thwarted their bid to hoist a tricolour at Lal Chowk, an official said. The Shiv Sena activists arrived at Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in two vehicles and were taken into preventive custody as soon as they alighted, a police official said. The detained activists were taken to the Police Station Kothibagh where they were released after completing legal formalities, the official said. The Jammu unit of the Shiv Sena had sent a special team to hoist the national flag in Srinagar following National Conference president Farooq Abdullahs remarks on Pakistan- occupied Kashmir last week. They (Centre and BJP) are talking about raising the flag in PoK. I ask them to go and raise the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. They cannot even do that and they are talking about PoK, Abdullah had said. One of the appellants in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board said on Wednesday it wanted speedy justice in the case and was not in favour of shifting the hearing till after the 2019 general elections. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Sunni Waqf Board, had, however, said in the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the appeals be heard in July 2019 after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls as the atmosphere at present was not conducive. The board is of the view that hearing in the case be held and the matter be disposed of promptly... I do not know on whose behalf the counsel for the Muslims appearing in the apex court, Kapil Sibal had stated this... No such directive had been given by the board, chairman of the Sunni Waqf Board Zafar Farooqui said. Apparently, Sibal had appeared on behalf of one of the appellants in the Ayodhya case Hasim Ansaris son Iqbal Ansari... There was no directive from the board. We want that the case is solved at the earliest, he stressed. Another party to the case, Haji Mehboob said he also wanted early disposal of the matter and did not approve of Sibals stand. Everyone is involved in politics, be it the Congress or the BJP. I do not want get involved in their politics. I just want the issue be solved soon, Mehboob said. Reacting on Sibals contention before the court, BJP chief Amit Shah has asked the Congress and Rahul Gandhi to clarify their stand on this count. The Congress has retorted by saying that Shahs statement was aimed at diverting attention from real issues in the Gujarat polls. As the Centre plans to bring a bill against triple talaq in the Parliament, a 32- year-old woman in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh was allegedly divorced by her husband from Kuwait on phone. The woman, belonging to Dalelkheda village under Zafarganj police station area, visited the SP office on Tuesday and complained that she was divorced on November 24 by her husband from Kuwait who uttering talaq thrice on the phone, ASP Vinod Kumar Singh said. He added that the woman, who came with her two children, and her father, said she was married ten years ago to a man from the same village who went to Kuwait last year for work. The father of the woman claimed that demands were being made for dowry and Rs two lakhs were given to them about three years ago, the ASP said adding that investigations were on and necessary action will be taken soon. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday rejected criticism of his decision to disqualify rebel JD(U) MPs Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar, saying justice delayed is justice denied and such matters should not be left pending. Addressing the 12th annual convention of Central Information Commission (CIC), he asked the commissioners to also work in such manner and make sincere efforts towards speedy disposal of cases registered with them. Yesterday, I passed an order on disqualification within three months and then I gave the strong opinion at the end saying such decisions should be decided in around three months because the disqualifications (plea) itself that have been filed, some of them are pending for years, Naidu said. He said he thought his decision would be welcomed by the people across the country. Of course, people are welcoming but some people are asking why the chairman has given the order just in three months, he added. Stressing that justice delayed is (justice) denied, Naidu asked the information commissioners to provide timely and correct information to the citizens. On December 4, Naidu disqualified the two JD(U) rebels from the Rajya Sabha on a plea filed by the party on September 2 for their disqualification after they revolted against party chief Nitish Kumars decision to ally with the BJP. In his order, Naidu had said that disqualification of a member of legislature should be decided by the presiding officer in about three months to thwart political defections. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had questioned what he called the mind-boggling speed with which the plea was decided by Naidu. Naidu had said that such applications were dragged with a view to save the membership of the persons, who have otherwise incurred disqualification or even to save the government, which enjoys majority only because of such type of persons. Detention Center The inmate count at the Platte County Detention Facility Tuesday was 68, with 50 from Platte County and 18 from out of county. Police Nov. 16 7:49 a.m. At 1603 14th St., Morshawn Hawkins, 21, homeless, was cited for possession of stolen property. Dec. 1 6:27 a.m. At the intersection of 18th Avenue and 17th Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Irma Martinez Rivera, 63, 816 Third St., and Raymond Kuta, 38, 17 Riverview Lake. 7:18 a.m. In a parking lot at 3805 27th St., traffic accident. Drivers were Sarah Evans, 23, 3805 27th St., No. 62, and Kevin Ternus, 50, 3805 27th St., No. 51. 4:39 p.m. In the 1500 block of 33rd Avenue, an unknown vehicle struck a vehicle driven by Audrie Juarez, 37, 3116 13th St., and left the scene. 4:42 p.m. In the Columbus High School parking lot, an unknown vehicle struck a parked vehicle owned by Stacy and Steve Steffen, 3030 29th St., and left the scene. Dec. 2 1:32 p.m. At Carriage House Estates, 2500 Fourth Ave., traffic accident. Drivers were Sixto Vasallo, 37, Carriage House Estates, No. 2, and Josue Luna-Bernal, 21, Carriage House Estates, No. 101. Dec. 3 6:51 a.m. At the intersection of 17th Street and 30th Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Sergio Salazar Pena, 33, 1267 25th Ave., and Laroy Edic, 66, 3816 18th St. 12:22 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 20th Street, traffic accident. Drivers were Emilia Campbell, 68, 2420 29th St., and Javier Ramirez Negret, 45, 1762 24th Ave. 12:29 p.m. At the intersection of 13th Street and 32nd Avenue, traffic accident. Drivers were Susan Jensen, 64, 55633 836th Road, Norfolk, and Christopher Spale, 35, 13569 340th St., Columbus. Dec. 4 4:59 p.m. Theft at Parkview Trailer Court, No. 4, suspect signed for FedEx package and stole it, $200 loss. Sheriff Nov. 30 Midnight-7:53 a.m. In a parking lot at 1529 E. 23rd St., an unknown vehicle struck a parked vehicle owned by Ruben Maldonado, 61, San Marcos, California. Dec. 3 6:12 a.m. On U.S. Highway 81, two miles north of Columbus, a vehicle driven by Stephanie Suchan, 37, 311 W. Indiana St., Norfolk, struck a deer. 6:43 a.m. On East 44th Avenue, three miles east of Columbus, a vehicle driven by Kim Loseke, 60, 4594 E. 53rd St., struck a cow owned by Roy Reinke Jr., 185 S. Fifth Ave. Dec. 4 12:02 a.m. Traffic violation at the intersection of 18th Avenue and Lost Creek Parkway, Rudy Escobar-Perez of Columbus jailed for driving under the influence, no operators license, driving on the shoulder and open container of alcohol. 10:13 a.m. Traffic violation on U.S. Highway on the western edge of Duncan, Trevor Stoltenberg of Grand Island cited for speeding. 11:26 a.m. Wanted person at the Platte County Courthouse, 2610 14th St., Luis Salinas of Columbus jailed on a Platte County warrant. 9:15 p.m. Criminal mischief at 4018 W. Highway 30, $300 loss. Fire Dec. 4 10:29 a.m. In the 3100 block of 38th Avenue, medical. 12:18 p.m. At the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 23rd Street, medical. 3:32 p.m. In the 100 block of South Road, medical. 5 p.m. In the 4500 block of 38th Street, medical. 9:57 p.m. In the 5400 block of South Ninth Street, medical. Dec. 5 12:24 a.m. In the 500 block of 12th Avenue, medical. The Law Commission of India will recommend faith-specific amendments to different family laws currently in practice in the country instead of a composite Uniform Civil Code (UCC), its chairperson Justice BS Chauhan has said. If a composite code is difficult (to come up with), we will suggest religion-wise amendments to the various family laws in a piecemeal manner, Chauhan told the Hindustan Times. India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion governing marriage, divorce, succession, adoption and maintenance. Hindu family laws were modified in the 1950s but those for the Christians and Muslims are colonial-era relics. Activists have long argued Muslim personal law, which remained mostly unchanged, contains provisions biased against Muslim women, often victims of polygamy and the triple talaq system. The Uniform Civil Code has been a long-standing poll promise and ideological position of the BJP but many minority groups have opposed what they see as an effort to erase their cultural and religious identities. The law ministry had in June 2016 sent a reference to the commission asking it for an in-depth examination of matters in relation to the Uniform Civil Code and whether the time was ripe for bringing it in. Chauhan said the commissions report will be in consonance with the spirit of the constitution and in keeping in mind the right of all individuals to practice the religion of their choice. There are provisions in the Constitution which extend certain exemptions to the northeast, Chauhan said referring to the sixth schedule for the administration of tribal areas of the four states of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam. The commissions recommendations will be framed keeping the fundamental rights in mind, he said. The exemptions provided to communities under the Constitution cannot be done away with, Chauhan added. While the Supreme Court has already struck down the practice of instant triple talaq and the government is bringing a bill to penalise it, commission officials have zeroed in on other practices such as bigamy and discrimination against women in inheritance laws that they say need reform. The commission received nearly 45,000 responses to a detailed questionnaire it circulated on the subject in October last year. The responses came from different stakeholders, including civil society and religious organisations, as well as political parties. Commission officials involved in the process are now busy sifting through the responses. We are yet to examine the issue. We will take this up from January, Chauhan said. Commission officials said the focus of the exercise would be to revise and reform family laws to address social injustice rather than do away with the plurality of laws. The commissions tenure will come to an end in August next year and the UCC reference is expected to be the last report it submits. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh have devised a new way to put pressure on the state government. An Aanganwadi worker from Sitapur symbolically married a picture of chief minister Yogi Adityanath to attract the attention of the government. In the mock wedding, witnessed by Anganwadi workers in Sitapur on Tuesday, the Mahila Aanganbadi Karmachari Sanghs district president Neetu Singh garlanded an image of Adityanath. Through this marriage we thought around 4 lakh sisters will be benefited, Singh said, adding that Adityanath was visiting Sitapur on Friday and that she plans to go to Lucknow with him. If our demands are still not met, I will go to meet Yogi ji on a horse, she said. The woman who put a picture of Adityanath on her face and acted as the groom said she was happy to be part of the novel nuptial. The Anganwadi workers had given a four-month ultimatum to the new Bharatiya Janata Party government to address the issues raised by them but they claim the state government has done nothing for them. An Anganwadi leader said that they were lathicharged in Lucknow when then went to protest. India, the world No 1 Test team, signed off an impressive phase by equalling the world record for most series wins after Sri Lanka fought to salvage draw in the final Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Wednesday. (India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, day 5 - updates) A Test blighted by acute air pollution ended in far better conditions as Sri Lanka finally showed spine, avoiding defeat against India in a full game for the first time since August, 2015. India won the series 1-0. (India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, day 5 - scorecard) The last time India played at Virat Kohlis home ground, they overcame a blockathon by South Africa in late 2015. Sri Lanka batsmen showed better resistance. READ | Ravindra Jadeja turns 29, birthday boy gifted with lucky wicket of Angelo Mathews Dhananjaya De Silvas ton India, having reduced Sri Lanka to 31/3 overnight, got a lucky break when birthday boy Ravindra Jadeja got first-innings centurion Angelo Mathews caught off a no-ball. Umpire Joel Wilson made a howler, not checking if Jadeja had over-stepped. He was alert when Jadeja bowled a no-ball the second time to bowl Dinesh Chandimal on 24. He was reprieved after the TV umpire was consulted. The Sri Lanka skipper raised 112 runs for the fifth wicket with Dhananjaya de Silva before R Ashwin broke through after lunch. Sri Lankan batsmen, especially de Silva, used their feet to prevent Ashwin from exploiting the rough, but the off-spinner beat Chandimal with flight and loop to knock back off-stump. Dhananjaya de Silva scored his third century as he defied the Indian bowlers on the final day of the Kotla Test. (AFP) De Silva made all the difference. Despite the glute problem which needed repeated attention from the physio, there was no dip in his wristy stroke play. He handled the spinners with assurance and saw off a phase after Chandimals dismissal when Virat Kohli dried up the runs with his field placements. He gave a chance on 110, but it was too stiff for bowler Ashwin to hold on. Indias last chance went abegging when keeper Wriddhiman Saha missed a stumping off Jadeja. De Silva made his Test debut last year, scoring two centuries, but was dropped after a string of low scores. He was called up for the first time this series to replace No 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, criticised for loose play. The batsman reached his third century by punching Mohammed Shami through cover for three. Roshen Silva, given his Test debut at 29 after scoring over 6400 first-class runs, supported de Silva and then joined Dickwella to kill Indian hopes of victory. The wicketkeeper was let-off on 32 when Wriddhiman Saha missed a stumping off Jadeja. India were in prime position to win coming into Wednesday, but the pitch was slow and there was no trouble facing the bowling until the new ball was taken after tea, taken at 226/5. At one point, Virat Kohli came on with opener Murali Vijay to make a point about the lifeless pitch. After poor air quality hogged attention in the Test for three days with Sri Lanka players wearing face masks, pollution levels dropped significantly to ease the conditions. Virat Kohlis career-best 243 and Vijays 155 powered India to 536/7 declared. Sri Lanka made 373 to concede a 163-run lead before the hosts made a quick 246/5 declared to give themselves a chance to win. India won the Nagpur Test by an innings and 239 runs after the rain-hit Kolkata game was drawn. After three days of heavy smog and pollution debate, play started under sunshine. The pollution levels were significantly lower on Wednesday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The wait to introduce tigers into the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) is likely to get longer with villagers living inside the protected forest area refusing to be rehabilitated. The locals claim that the compensation offered to them is not sufficient and they want the government to raise it by four times. Of the 14 villages located inside MHTR, which was notified as third tiger reserve in Rajasthan in 2013, only two have been rehabilitated so far. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had earlier approved to shift three tigers two females and a male -- from Ranthambore National Park to MHTR by the end of this month. Created after merjing wildlife sanctuaries of Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh districts, MHTR currently has no tiger. Now, even as MHTR is waiting eagerly to hear the roar of the first tigers, the rehabilitation of villages located in the reserve remains a thorny issue. Only two villages Lakshmipura and Kharli Baori have been relocated so far. The residents of the other 12 villages are not satisfied with the compensation. Based on the National Tiger Conservation Authority norms, wildlife department had promised Rs 10 lakh to every adult and compensation for land as per District level committee (DLC) rates. Villagers are ready to move out but the existing compensation is not acceptable. Government should propose a revised package. Translocation of tigers without shifting out the villages will only lead to man-animal conflict, said Nandlal Meghwal (42), sarpanch of Dolya gram panchayat. Meghwals Girdharpura village is also situated inside the MHTR. Meghwal said the government should expeditiously approve the revised relocation package so that villagers can move out of the MHTR prior to tiger reintroduction. Forty-year-old Pooranmal, another resident of Girdharpura says there are no facilities in the villages like roads, schools, and drinking water supply, so villagers want to shift out but compensation should be justified. He said villagers want four times the compensation offered and land. Deputy conservator of forests, MHTR, SR Yadav says that relocation of the villages was a priority but but village relocation and tiger reintroduction will take place simultaneously and are not separate processes. He said that the wildlife department has sent a revised relocation package to the state government for approval. Around 100 hectares of forest land has been identified in Lakhawa area of Kota for rehabilitation of the relocated villagers. For this, a proposal has been sent to the Union government through state government for approval, he said. It is not that the Tigers cannot be reintroduced into MHTR without relocation of the villages. Ranthmabhore and Sariska still have villages inside the reserve area, he said, adding the village relocation will be a voluntary process and not forced one. As per wildlife department officials, the 12 villages are home to 4,000 individuals of which 1500 are adults and entitled to compensation. Contacted, district collector, Kota, Rohit Gupta, confirmed that the revised relocation package has been sent to the state government for approval but denied having any more details. Meanwhile, wildlife department officials took some villagers to Ranthambhore for creating awareness among them and to motivate them for relocation from MHTR. Former Deputy Conservator of Forest and now wildlife activist, Sunayan Sharma does not consider relocation of villagers as a prerequisite condition for tiger translocation. There were 27 villages inside Sariska when tigers were reintroduced there in 2008. It still has 26 villages but the tiger population has grown from two to 14 in Sariska, said Sharma Spread over 759.99 square kilometers, MHTR has a core area of 417.17 square km and buffer area of around 342.82 square km. The notification for the MHTR was issued by previous Congress government in state in 2013 A court in Rajasthans Jaipur on Wednesday sentenced eight men, including three Pakistani nationals, to life in prison for their links to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and taking part in terror activities, an official said. Nishachand, Pawan Puri, Arun Jain, Qabil Khan and Hafiz Abdul Majid, along with Pakistani nationals Asghar Ali, Mohammed Iqbal and Shakrullah were also asked to pay a fine of Rs 3 lakh, special public prosecutor for Rajasthan anti-terror squad Mahaveer Jindal said. The men were convicted for terrorist conspiracy, recruiting others for terrorist acts and being members of a terrorist organisation under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case that was being heard for the last seven years. The court of 17th additional district judge (ADJ-17) imposed an additional fine of Rs 2 lakh each on Nishachand and Puri for raising funds for terror activities. Eight members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including three Pakistanis, who were awarded life imprisonment by a local court in Jaipur on Wednesday. (PTI Photo) Ali was lodged in Bikaner Central Jail while Iqbal and Shakrullah in jails in Punjabs Nabha and Patiala after they were arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan. Jindal said that the Pakistani men started influencing and recruiting fellow inmates for terror activities on the directions of LeTs Waleed Bhai. Ali came in contact with Nishachand and Puri in the Bikaner jail. Nishachand contacted Jain of Nagaur after being released from jail. Iqbal and Shakrullah influenced Qabil Khan, a resident of Jhalawar who worked at a madrasa, in Nabha jail. Khan roped in Hafiz Abdul Majid, a fellow at the same Jhalawar madrasa, for carrying out terror activities after coming out of jail. Khan and Majid were planning to carry out a bomb blast in Jhalawar during a Dussehra procession in 2010 but were arrested four days before the event, the public prosecutor said. Syed Mohammed Ali, the lawyer for Nishachand and Pawan Puri, said that they would appeal against the judgment in a higher court. An influential Hindu religious leader warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party will bear the brunt of public anger in the next Lok Sabha polls if there was any delay in constructing the Ram temple at Ayodhya. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, declared this before a gathering of saints at Kar Sevak Puram in Ayodhya. They had assembled there to attend the Saurya Sammelan, organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to mark the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. Nritya Gopal Das is the most revered head priest in Ayodhya, and his Mani Ram Das Chawni Peeth spearheads the temple movement. We currently have friendly governments both at the Centre and the state. This is the right time to construct a grand temple in Ayodhya, he said to a thunderous applause. If the temple is not constructed now, it will never come up. The septuagenarian then proceeded to warn the Modi government against stalling on the sensitive issue. If there is delay in building the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Modi government will have to face the consequences in the 2019 elections. Voters will not spare his party, Das thundered, even as the crowd responded with chants of Jai Shri Ram and Mandir wahi banaayenge (We will build the temple there). The head priest also urged the apex court to take the peoples voice into consideration before delivering its verdict on the Ram Janmabhooomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Ayodhya Sant Samaj president Mahant Kanhaiya Das, who addressed the gathering earlier, rejected any possibility of negotiating with the Muslim community on constructing the Ram temple at the controversial site. Only a Ram Mandir will come up in Ayodhya, and nothing else. The Babri Masjid will not be allowed to come up anywhere else in the country either, he said. Kanhaiya Das accused the Congress of trying to delay the verdict in the case. It is at the behest of the Congress that Kapil Sibal asked the Supreme Court to defer the hearing until the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he said. Rahul Gandhi is going from one temple to another in Gujarat, but in the Supreme Court, Kapil Sibal wants to defer the hearing. The Congress does not want a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The religious leader thanked the apex court for deciding to launch daily hearings into the case from February 8. Ambrish Singh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishads Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand head, also ruled out negotiating with their Muslim counterparts on the temple dispute. The Centre must enact a law in Parliament to pave the way for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The entire land (at the disputed site) must be handed over to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas for building it, he said. Karsevak Puram was the epicentre of the Ram temple movement in the 1990s. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Oct 2, 2015: A 50cm chunk of the track between Kankaha and Mohanlalganj stations found missing. The matter came to light when an alert loco pilot sensed some abnormality on the track and reported it to authorities, suggesting immediate inspection of it. Investigators recovered broken hexa blades from the site and termed it a sheer act of sabotage. Jan 16, 2016: A vigilant keyman spotted two unusual cuts (not rail fractures) on the track near the Kankaha station, 30km from Lucknow. The cuts were 2.23meters apart on the Mohanlalganj-Kankaha route. One was 2.3cm deep while the other was less than 1cm deep. Here too, agencies recovered cutter blades. Feb 6, 2016: Patrolling staff again found two cut-marks on the Mohanlalganj Kankaha section track near Mohanlalganj. Lucknow: Such incidents will probably not pose hazard to human lives in near future as the RDSO has developed a unique system to keep tabs over acts of sabotage and rail fractures, which often result in train mishaps. RDSO officials said the Ultrasonic Broken Rail Detection (UBRD) system is a foolproof system to detect in advance any abnormality in railway tracks. The system, as its name suggests, is designed to detect snags through ultrasonic waves. NK Sinha, executive director (admn) RDSO, said the system largely comprises of a transmitter and a receiver that are fitted along the railway tracks. The transmitter emits ultrasonic waves that pass through the tracks and reach the receiver. In case of any breakage (of the rail track), the transmission would be interrupted. The interrupted signals, along with the exact location of the track, would be passed on to the monitoring cell or rail control cell for immediate action, said Sinha, while talking to HT. He said, it is designed to give real-time monitoring that makes it efficient. At present, the system is in testing phase at different points. The UBRD is under trial on a 25-km stretch between Allahabad and Kanpur and in Moradabad Division till April 2018. Once it clears the field test, the decision will be taken on its induction, he added. Read: Major train tragedy averted after multiple pandrol clips of railway track found missing in Lucknow HOW IT WORKS The system, as its name suggests, is designed to detect snags through ultrasonic waves. It largely comprises of a transmitter and a receiver that are fitted along the railway tracks, said NK Sinha, executive director (admn) RDSO. The transmitter emits ultrasonic waves that pass through the tracks and reach the receiver. In case of any breakage (of the rail track), the transmission would be interrupted. The interrupted signals, along with the exact location of the track, would be passed on to the monitoring cell or rail control cell for immediate action, said Sinha. SECURITY UPPED ON 5 SECTIONS Northern Railway (NR) has beefed up security arrangements after clips were found missing from the railway track near Daliganj railway station, a couple of days back. Railway Protection Force (RPF) has shortlisted around five sensitive sections between Lucknow and Mallhaur, Lucknow and Unnao, Lucknow and Alamnagar and Lucknow and Utretia via Transport Nagar and intensified patrolling. Read: ATS to assist probe into missing railway track clips: DGP Satya Prakash, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF (NR Lucknow division), said the patrolling on all routes has been intensified. It is being carried out jointly along with Government Railway Police (GRP) and city police along with the staff of the engineering department of the Railways. Former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has seen the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute up close for decades. Speaking on the phone to Sunita Aron, the leader shared details of three secret meetings he had with representatives of the VHP and the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) to thrash out a resolution during his first stint as chief minister between 1989 and 1991. Excerpts: Do you think the issue has any solution? As CM , I had three secret meetings with the representatives of both the sides here at Raj Bhawan, in which I had mooted a simple formula to resolve the temple tangle. Mahant Avaidyanath (then chief priest of the Gorakhnath Temple) was positive as he was keen to find a solution to the dispute. Ashok Singhal (then VHP chief ) was initially adamant, but after I spoke to him separately, he softened a bit. Former judge Deoki Nanadan Agarwal, however, was unyielding. What was your formula? I told the VHP leaders to start temple construction outside the disputed area and expand it or build another temple if the apex courts judgment came in their favour. After all, the contentious issue was the 2.77 acres and not the entire complex. Even Mahant Nritya Gopal Das later appreciated the formula. What have they achieved so far? Many have died without their dream of a grand temple turning into a reality. Muslims agreed as their claim is on the site where the Babri Mosque once stood. Would you like to play mediator today? They abuse me today. Who is going to listen to me when they did not even consider the feasible formula I mooted then? Even Sharad Pawar and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat were involved. Some elements from both the sides scuttled the settlement. Can PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath resolve the emotive issue? Narendra Modi is intelligent. If he wants or attempts, he can find a solution. But all parties should wait for the SC judgment though there is no harm in attempting a negotiated settlement. Do you regret the police firing on kar sevaks during your tenure as the CM? My government was committed to protecting the Babri Mosque and preserving the countrys unity. I had to uphold the faith of Muslims in the Constitution. The CRPF lost their cool after some kar sevaks burnt their tent and a cop died. In all, 28 lost their lives, of which 16 died on the spot. The saffron propaganda machinery spread rumours about 56 deaths. Read| Ayodhya Babri Masjid case: Will Yogi finish what Kalyan started? Are you content you saved the mosque? Yes, but I am also pained as some lives were lost. Then Iranian President Rafsanjani, who visited Lucknow in 1994, appreciated the steps taken by my government to save the mosque. I had gone to receive him at the airport. He asked me to sit in his car and this is when we discussed the issue. Any feelings today the 25th anniversary of Babri demoltion? They ruined the communal fabric of the country. What did they achieve? Nothing. At least now the divisive elements should introspect and allow a settlement, legal or negotiated. Internet giant and search engine Google will give approximately Rs 65 lakh to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University for research work. AKTU vice-chancellor Vinay Pathak said it is the first university to get such financial assistance from Google. It will help us in strengthening research work in the centre of advanced studies of the varsity, he said. Manish Gaur, director of centre of advanced studies, said it was a big achievement of the university, which is establishing its coding lab on AKTUs Lucknow campus. This will give the students and the faculty an opportunity to work with Google and develop an app for its utility services in Java. The lab is nearing completion and is expected to become functional by the year-end. Once ready, the lab will help the faculty and students to see how Google functions. Not only will it be a learning experience for them, but will also open up a new vistas for students once they graduate from the varsity, said Pathak. Google will establish a server room on the campus where students will learn the code generation activity and digital security system. However, the lab will not be open for all the students. Only a few of them, who are well-versed with new-age technology and are potentially talented, will get a chance to study at the lab, said Manish Gaur. In view of increasing use of mobile phones, the university has tied up with Google to start android-based application development programmes. As Google apps are free, hence there is a lot of scope for students to explore new things, said Gaur. Air quality in Kanpur is on the decline as it has become the fourth polluted city in the country, according to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report released on Sunday. The CPCB recorded the deadliest air pollutant particulate matter 2.5 (PM-2.5) at around 380 microgram per cubic metre on Saturday which rose overnight to 386 microgram per cubic metre of air. The status of PM-2 was recorded at 456 microgram per cubic metre of air in Ghaziabad, 431 in Varanasi, 400 in Moradabad and 386 microgram in Kanpur. The growing air pollution is leading to respiratory problems among the people. Professor at the GSVM Medical College and chest expert Dr Sudhir Chaudhari said the number of patients suffering from respiratory problems had increased. Read: Air pollution damages childrens brains, lowers IQ, says Unicef report About 10-20 new patients suffering from breathlessness visit the OPD at the Murari Lal Chest Hospital, an associate hospital of the GSVM Medical College. People suffering from asthama should avoid morning and evening walks, said Chaudhari. However, neither the administration nor the law enforcement agencies are concerned about the growing pollution in city. Read more: As Sri Lankan cricketers reel under Delhi pollution, Mamata Banerjee taunts PMs Swachh Bharat programme According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report, only two cases were registered under the Air Pollution Control Act and not a single case was registered under the Water Pollution Act in any of the districts of the state in the last one year. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson set his sights on property tax reduction and stressed the need for the Trump administration to "make smart trade policy decisions" as he marked his organization's 100-year milestone this week. The organization's first major advocacy victory occurred in 1919, two years after its formation, Nelson said, when the Nebraska Farm Bureau supported enactment of legislation to help farmers and ranchers deal with grasshopper infestations that were destroying their crops. Formation of the Nebraska Farm Bureau brought farmers and ranchers together to work in common cause, Nelson said. Looking ahead, Nelson told the organization's annual convention this week that property tax reduction sits atop the current challenges along with "the need to continue to push for expanding markets for Nebraska agricultural commodities through international trade." Nelson said he believes there is "an opportunity to work with Gov. (Pete) Ricketts and the Nebraska Legislature to deliver tax relief and get us on the right track on property taxes into the future." But, he said, "we also continue to engage with interests focused on taking this issue directly to Nebraska voters through a ballot measure." "There'll be no stone left unturned," he pledged. Increased global trade is "where the future lies for our Nebraska agricultural commodities," Nelson said. Wise trade policy by the Trump administration is "critical to our farms and ranches," he said, "but also to our state's agriculture-based economy." The nudge for "smart trade policy decisions" comes at a time when the Trump administration is attempting to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which binds the United States, Mexico and Canada together in a trade partnership that has benefited U.S. agriculture. Nearly half of Nebraska's agricultural exports go to Canada and Mexico. Earlier this year, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement negotiated by the Obama administration with 11 other nations, including Japan. That agreement was considered to be particularly beneficial for U.S. beef and pork trade. Students of the Lucknow University (LU) may now post their feedback and grievances online through their individual login id. If a teacher is not regular in class or is unable to communicate well, students may post their feedback on grievance column. The university will look to address the issues confronting the students. What students have to do Students have to register by entering their student ID that is mentioned on their allotment letters and ID cards issued by the university. They will receive a verification code on their mobile numbers registered at the time of form filling. In case the mobile number has changed or is not functional, the student can have it changed by submitting the details to the University Data Resource Centre (DTP Cell) in the Administrative Building of the University of Lucknow for approval. Students can now create their own password by entering the verification code. They can login and view their details. The university has added the new feature by creating login id of all its first year undergraduate students to prepare a database of not only students but also of teachers and university officials. The attendance will be uploaded every month and feedback of only those students will be considered who were regular in class. Addressing the media at the launch of the new feature on Tuesday, LU vice chancellor SP Singh said, Other benefits will be that students can download their duplicate allotment letter and fee receipt, submit feedback form, submit grievance redress form and submit their examination form online. The University Data Resource Centre (UDRC) is being developed as a facility for automation by developing and implementing software solution developed on the latest technology and centralised database concept for faculty, non-teaching staff of the university, campus students, college students and colleges. All the registered users will be provided different roles designation wise. The university authorities will have the provision to search and view the student data. According to need and role, the officials will have the provision to enter the achievements, award, and punishment for students throughout his academic year. This would also be visible on the student module after authentication by the UDRC admin, the vice chancellor said. The Uttar Pradesh police on Tuesday sounded a statewide alert in view of the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference here, IG (law and order) Hari Ram Sharma, said in view of the sensitivity associated with December 6, superintendents of police (SP) of all the 75 districts have been directed by the DGP to keep the force on alert. Sharma said 27 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in 18 communally sensitive districts. The Faizabad district administration has tightened security in Ayodhya as well. Para-military forces, including Central Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary, along with local police personnel, staged route march on the main streets of the twin cities of Ayodhya and Faizabad on Monday and Tuesday. A route march was also staged in Meerut, which has an almost equal population of Hindus and Muslims. Read| Babri demolition anniversary: Security beefed up in Ayodhya but residents say peace will prevail Director general of police Sulkhan Singh has directed the SPs to hold meetings with officers of various departments for assistance in maintaining law and order, Sharma said. The SPs have been also told to hold meeting with district magistrates and seek imposition of section 144 Cr PC prohibiting assembly of five or more people. To mobilize support of influential people in maintaining communal harmony, the SPs have been directed to hold meetings of district peace committees and social service organizations, Sharma said. Each district will be divided into sectors and zones. After discussing with DMs, sector and zonal magistrates will be appointed to monitor the situation in their respective areas. Fire-cracker shops have been told to remain closed on Wednesday. A close watch will be maintained on weapon shops and liquor outlets. Fire tenders and fire fighters will also be on alert, the IG said and added police will check roofs of the houses of suspicious people to see if they have collected stones or acid bottles. Read more| Babri demolition anniversary: JNU cancels talk on Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya Rumour mongers and social media will be watched and if any rumour was spread, the district administration will immediately counter it in electronic and print media. In apprehension of terror outfits trying to carry out disruptive activities, there would be random checks of vehicles and public places. Slums and houses along railway tracks have come on the radar of UP police and other agencies probing into the missing pandrol clips of the track between Badhshahnagar and Daliganj railway crossing. Investigators of Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force, Lucknow police and UP Anti Terror Squad (ATS) suspected that the people involved in removing the clips must have taken shelter or stay in these slums/houses. SIMILAR INCIDENTS August 25, 2015: Attempt to steal joggled fish plates of the railway track in Sherpur village of Nigohan on Lucknows outskirts August 27, 2015: Another attempt to steal joggled fish plates of the railway track in Sherpur village of Nigohan. October 2, 2016: Railway track was found half cut near Mohanlalganj. January 16, 2016: Over 2 meters of railway track was found missing at the same place in Mohanlalganj. February 6, 2016: Another attempt to cut the track at the same place in Mohanlalganj. Moreover, the investigators so far had not found any terror link behind the damage caused to the railway track. They suspected it was a handiwork of people involved in stealing railway properties or a result of internal conflict of railway employees. The teams of four police and railway agencies were working on the case with each others coordination. We have got some specific inputs about people involved in causing damage to the railway tracks and the case will be cracked soon, said a GRP official supervising the probe. A source said the investigators had prepared a list of at least 20 suspects, including some railway employees, slum dwellers and people staying alongside railway tracks. The movement and location of each suspect on Saturday-Sunday intervening night is being examined closely, he added. He said a team of Mahanagar police station, where an FIR regarding missing pandrol clips was lodged, also summoned some railway employees and cross-examined them. Two railway employees, who spotted the damage first and a woman eyewitness, who spotted some people hammering the railway track around 1.30am on Saturday-Sunday night, were examined, added the source. Around 4.25 am on Sunday, railway patrol men, Shiv Shankar and Sanjay discovered that the clips were missing between Badshah Nagar and Daliganj stations in Lucknow. Read| Clips missing from Badshahnagar-Daliganj track: Now, a system to detect breaks in railway tracks The timely detection of at least 71 missing pandrol clips of the track shortly before Kaifiyat Express train was scheduled to cross averted a major tragedy. Later, UP DGP Sulkhan Singh asked ATS officials to assist the investigation, suspecting terror link in the incident. The fascination with wine begins with the land, which year after year has the potential to produce something different and original from the same vineyard. So it is with wine writers, who each year plow more or less the same terrain, finding novel and provocative ways of presenting their material. Here are five of the most interesting books on wine that were published in 2017, which would make excellent gifts for friends, loved ones or yourself. Few regions have undergone so fundamental an evolution in the last few decades as Champagne, and the nature of the transformation has been little understood. Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers and Terroirs of the Iconic Region by Peter Liem beautifully details the regions renewed focus as a producer of wines rather than a creator of luxury goods. In transparent prose, Liem looks back on the winemaking history of the region, which has been obscured in effervescent mythology. He makes a compelling case for the historic importance of place and terroir in Champagne, a departure from decades of marketing that focused on the cellar work of master blenders rather than on the land. For Liem, an American who lives in Champagne, the increasing exploration and understanding of the regions terroirs is the crucial element in improving the wine and deepening our comprehension of it. But that does not mean, he insists, that a Burgundy-style shift to producing microscopic expressions of the land is in the best interests of the wine or the producers. Nor does he countenance any of the various trends as intrinsic improvements. He is admirably unbiased and authoritative. Speaking of terroir, wine books are often organized around places, grapes or people. Seldom do they focus on dirt, or, more accurately, bedrock. The Dirty Guide to Wine: Following Flavors From Ground to Glass, by Alice Feiring with Pascaline Lepeltier, takes a big step toward looking at wine from the underground up. Feiring, who has written numerous books on natural wine, and Lepeltier, a leading sommelier, survey the various geological formations on which the most distinctive wines are grown. Whether granite, limestone, basalt, shale, gravel, slate or clay, each, they argue, imparts consistent characteristics when matched with the proper grapes, particularly when carefully and conscientiously farmed. The New Wine Rules: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know packs a lot of wisdom into its slender, 150-page, stocking-stuffer frame. The author, Jon Bonne, whose 2013 book, The New California Wine, outlined the evolution of California wine in the early part of this century, here takes on a less daunting task: Soothsaying fearful, inhibited wine consumers. How to select a wine, how to serve it, how to store it, how to pair it with food: These are among the topics that many consumers find so challenging. Bonne succeeds in extracting the answers from decades of overwrought expert instruction and presenting them in a clear, easygoing manner Wine books tend to find their audience among wine lovers or those interested in becoming so. The exceptions to that rule are books like In Vino Duplicitas: The Rise and Fall of a Wine Forger Extraordinaire by Peter Hellman, which merge wine with tales of true crime, a genre with wider audience appeal. In Vino examines the story of Rudy Kurniawan, a wine collector of mysterious wealth and origin, who fooled a coterie of even wealthier collectors along with covetous hangers-on, bilking them all with fraudulent bottles of rare, old wines, many of which he created in his kitchen. The best way to drink better wines, I have argued, is to think of wine as food. Good wines are agricultural products, and just as many people are concerned with how the produce they buy was farmed, so, too, should they care about how the wine is grown and made. But such information is not always so easy to come by or to understand. Wine Revolution: The Worlds Best Organic, Biodynamic and Natural Wines by Jane Anson, is a helpful and enlightening guide that aims to decode these often baffling categories. Anson, a contributing editor at Decanter, the British wine magazine, briefly outlines these agricultural and winemaking philosophies and offers capsule profiles of wine producers and their bottles. Her taste is exceptional, and while she at times retreats to the sort of winemaking jargon that you would typically find in a wine-oriented publication, general-interest readers will profit as well. Purists might complain about some of her entries, but I find the absence of rigidity refreshing. The producers she cites, and their ways of thinking, will have you drinking better in no time. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Its not like Muslims are scared to venture out on December 6. The community was affected badly, but we have learnt our lessons and the biggest one is that of self-empowerment, said Feroze Mithiborwala, national co-convenor of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, as he reflects on the changing scenario for an average Muslim living in Mumbai, two decades after the riots. The violence not just changed the way one of Indias most cosmopolitan city lives, it also created and strengthened ghettos, which continue to exist even today, in Mumbai. Even 25 years after the riots, Muslims in the city find it difficult to get homes or jobs, with housing societies and companies banning them on basis of their religion. However, today there is whole new generation that has only heard about the violence from their parents and grandparents. Their agenda is to not fight on religious lines, but look at the communitys development and economic growth. Shahid Lateef, editor of Inquilab, the largest read Urdu daily in Mumbai, said: The riots have left a deep scar. It was an event where the community suffered like never before. Mumbais composite culture was shaken but for community, it was a lesson to look at what ails them, to look at economic growth and educational upliftment. After 25 years, there are visible signs of educational awareness. Sarfaraz Arzoo, editor of the Hindustan Urdu Daily newspaper, said the community is learning to not trust political parties. All successive governments have failed the community. We know its an on-going fight for survival, but somewhere, the community has realised that educational and economic upliftment is the way forward. There is no looking back. Some members of the community, however, are still waiting for justice to be delivered for what happened two decades ago. While some have lost hope, some continue to run from one court to another. Farooq Mapkar, who became the face of the Mumbai riot victims, said, Even if the verdict is against us, we will accept it. But let there be some decision. How long will the victims wait? Mapkar was shot on his left shoulder as the police force led by sub-inspector Nikhil Kapse opened fire, killing seven Muslims, at Hari Masjid in Wadala in January 1993. He was 24 then. Over the decades, consequent government data has also presented a poor picture of the communitys growth. The 2006 Sachar Committee report submitted to the Parliament stated that Muslims in India were more backward than even the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Even a decade after the report was submitted, there has been no major change in the condition of Indias Muslims. Workforce participation has shown a minimal rise and Muslims continue to have a poor representation in decision-making bodies. Add to this, the changing political scenario in recent years the re-emergence of Hindutva as an ideology and the rise of vindictive politics. The country had passed the post-Partition phase, but then the kind of fear and hatred that Muslims are facing today is rather hard to believe, said Mithiborwala. His organisation consists of liberal, progressive and reformist Muslims. The absurd debates on who is a patriot, who is an anti-national, the mob lynchings have created an atmosphere of fear in the minds of Muslims again in the past couple of years, a scenario I had not seen in my life yet, Mithiborwala said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A commission headed by a Bombay high court judge, a special task force (STF), a committee headed by the Director General of Police (DGP), four special courts and a high-power committee headed by the additional chief secretary for home all these were formed over the years to bring justice to those affected by the 1992-93 riots, which killed 900 people and injured 2,306 others in Mumbai. However, the question whether the victims have got a closure still remains. Lawyer Shakil Ahmed, also an activist who had contested the case of Farooq Mapkar, a victim and an accused in the Hari Masjid police firing case, said things have stopped moving as everyone, who was part of the long battle, has come to the conclusion that they will not get justice. Victims have lost faith and dont want to continue the fight, said Ahmed, who had filed a petition in Supreme Court in 2002, demanding dismissal of 31 policemen indicted by the Srikrishna Commission. According to an affidavit filed by the Maharashtra government in the Supreme Court in January 2008, 2,267 cases were filed during the riots, of which the police failed to detect 1,371. These cases were closed as A Summary cases crimes that have happened but remain undetected. Later, 112 cases were re-investigated and charge-sheets were filed in eight cases. In all, 894 charge sheets have been filed in the courts. The affidavit was filed on an order of the apex court that had come in response to the cases filed before it. In 2007, four special courts were formed for trial of around 253 pending cases related to the riots. A high-power committee (HPC) was formed in August 2007 to review pending cases. It selected 16 cases to be expedited and ordered revival of 93 other cases. This led to the arrest of 41 absconding accused involved in 24 cases. The HPC also chose to scrutinise 379 of the 539 cases, where the accused were either acquitted or discharged. The HPC identified 50 cases for action, sources in the state home department said. Meanwhile, the Srikrihna Commission took around five years to complete its investigation. The 800-page report was submitted to the state in February 1998 after examining over 500 witnesses and 2,126 affidavits, of which two were from the state government, 549 from the police and 1,575 from the public. The commission indicted 31 policemen for actively participating in riots, communal incidents or incidents of looting, arson, and so on. Of them, RD Tyagi, former joint commissioner of police (crime), along with eight other policemen, was accused of opening fire at Suleiman Usman Bakery. The incident led to the death of nine people. He was acquitted by Bombay high court in 2009 along with other policemen. The acquittal was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2011. Tyagi was also promoted as Mumbai police commissioner later. The commission, in its report, also indicted several politicians, including late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and several other leaders, for inciting people to participate in the riots. The government affidavit filed before the apex court also says the police filed nine cases against Thackeray and Saamana, the Sena mouthpiece, for provocative articles. In two cases, the Sena chief was acquitted on October 2, 1996. In four cases, charges were not framed and Thackeray, along with other accused, was discharged on October 18, 1996. Former Sena MP Madhukar Sarpotdar was the only leader convicted and that too for provocative speeches during the riots, on July 9, 2008. He was awarded one-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs5,000, but secured bail immediately and never went to jail. Sarpotdar died in February 2010. The commission has suggested measures to be taken to exorcise the police force from the evil of polarisation on communal lines and to inoculate them against it. Revamping riot control scheme and deficiencies to counter rumors by equipping the police control room with modern technology are some of the other measures suggested by the commission in its report. Arif Naseem Khan, former minority affairs minister, also one of the petitioners in the SC, admitted that the findings of the Srikrishna Commission report could not be brought to a logical end but blamed implementing agencies for the lapses. There are lapses on part of the agencies in implementing the government decisions which were issued time and again. The same was highlighted before the apex court by filing counter-affidavit by many of us. The matter is still is pending before SC, Khan told HT. A senior official from home department, who did not wish to be named, said: There is sea change in the police force from their training to the technology being adopted since 1992-93. We have incorporated many things as part of police training to prevent the police force to not get swayed by communal hatred in such situations. He said the Mohalla committees formed to increase dialogues with the communities in the wake of the communal riots have also helped in regaining confidence in the police force. All the grievances raised by Mohalla committees were also addressed. About the use of technology, the senior bureaucrat said the Mumbai police now has a state of art control room. We have around 5000 CCTVs installed across Mumbai. They have become the eyes of the police force. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The decades-old underground water tanks, which were handed over to the fire department to refill their water tankers for years, have now become unusable. Reason: encroachments. This is one of the reasons why the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started to identify new spots to refill water tankers during an emergency. RA Choudhary, deputy chief fire officer of the Mumbai fire brigade, said, We need at least 50 new water refilling spots. Eighteen spots already exist, but that is not sufficient. We have told the hydraulic department we need 32 more. The prerequisite is they should have 24x7 high pressure water supply. We cannot rely on water hydrants anymore, as many are non-functional, and those that work dont get water 24x7. Commenting on the encroachments, Choudhary said, The underground water tanks handed over to the fire brigade cannot be accessed by a tanker. There are so many encroachments around them, that there is no place to put a pipe to draw water. We cant count on them, even though they were made to aid the fire brigade. The fire brigade uses some of the 10,843 water hydrants. But in those cases, too, water supply is an issue. For example, Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of the A ward, said, All water hydrants in A ward are functioning, but they get water only for a few hours. We have designated filling points are prominent places such as Azad Maidan, and Mantralaya, in case of an emergency. In some instances, the ward office receives a special request to start the water supply at odd hours, so the water hydrant can be used during a fire. In case of Colabas Metro House fire of June 2016, water supply to the area was started at 7pm (odd hour) in the evening. However, according to civic officials, this is no longer a reliable method. After getting a legal notice, the state government has swung into action to terminate the services of those who got jobs based on fake caste certificates. In July, the Supreme Court ruled that the jobs of employees who submitted invalid caste certificates could not be protected at any cost. It also had directed state governments to initiate action against such employees immediately. With no action even five months later, organisations fighting for the rights of the tribals have sent a legal notice warning the government that they would file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court if the employees are not sacked. Taking note of it, the state held meetings in the last two weeks and asked all its departments across the state to submit information on such employees immediately. According to the data received by the general administration department (GAD) till December 5, about 1,000 employees have invalidated certificates. The government has now sought the opinion of the advocate general and law and judiciary department. By issuing a government resolution in June 1995, the government had given protection to such employees. The government had decided to shift the employees recruited after the 1995-GR to their respective categories after their caste certificates proved to be invalid. In October 2015, the government issued a fresh GR extending the deadline of 1995s GR till date. The GRs, however, been quashed by various court orders, said an official from the GAD. We have now sought legal opinion on whether the termination is possible in phases or it has to be at one go. We are trying to avoid the uproar of the employees if the order is implemented in one go, the official said. The Maharashtra government held a high-level meeting with the officials, including chief secretary Sumit Mullick, on this issue at Raj Bhavan late on Wednesday. Dasharath Madavi, founder president of Birsa Kranti Dal, one of the tribal welfare organisations that are moving court in contempt, said, Even after the first GR was issued in 1995, not a single employee securing government job on bogus caste certificates was sacked. We have given government 15 days to act on the SC order. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the narrow and congested by-lanes of Jogeshwari lies Gandhi Chawl, one of the last remaining structures that witnessed the worst-ever riots in Mumbai. On January 8, 1993, six people were burnt to death in one of its 11 rooms. Known in Mumbais 1992-93 riots chronicles as the Radhabai Chawl incident, the deaths of these six Hindus became one of the defining moments of the riots and unleashed retaliatory violence against Muslims from January 6 to 20 in 1993. Since then, the four rooms in this chawl, taken over by the NGO Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) in 1993, are known as the Sadbhavana Bhawan (communal harmony centre). Over two decades, the work by YUVA and others has borne fruit, spurring eight to nine local youth groups to bring the two communities together over common issues such as sanitation, civic amenities and education. I would like to think we have moved on from the horrors and hate. The real culprits were never found. Today, there is an understanding that communal hate works more for politicians than people, said Sajid Sheikh, whose Modern Youth Association has been working with the community here since 1986, but has been more involved after the 1992-93 riots. Shaikh was a 19-year-old living in Prem Nagar, close to Gandhi Chawl, in 1992-93. However, despite efforts by youth groups, the border between the Hindu and the Muslim clusters here is crystalised an almost invisible physical barrier that less than 5% from both the communities dare defy. Divisions that stayed Sudarshan Bane, who lost both his parents in the Gandhi Chawl incident, has not been able to go back to the house and locality he was born and brought up in. The riots displaced us from our home, livelihoods and family. There is no going back for us, and no moving on either. There is no closure, said Bane, who now stays in a rented home at Gorai. Like Bane, thousands of families were displaced and pushed into the safety of ghettos across the city. While Mumbai had a history of riots and ghettos existed even before 1992-93, these riots led to complete polarisation and intensified existing divisions. Many among the affected people I interviewed were not happy living in these ghettos. Muslims got pushed into ghettos outside the city limits, said journalist and author Meena Menon. Menon in her 2012 book, Riots and After in Mumbai, revisited the affected families and places to piece together the personal and public after-effects of the riots. Firoz Ashraf, a lecturer, was among those who had to leave his home in a mixed community building in Malad and move to Jogeshwari West, in a Muslim ghetto. We were only two Muslim homes in the building. Our neighbours told us to not leave, but when our homes got marked and our son was targeted, we were forced to leave. I have missed the colours of Holi and lights of Diwali every year since. For someone brought up in a liberal, mixed milieu, it has been a very difficult transition, said Ashraf. Along with the physical barriers, the March 1993 serial bomb blasts, which followed the riots, also led to stereotyping and targeting of the Muslim community. In the popular city psyche, the Muslims became those to avoid; the troublemakers and the terrorists. They found it difficult to get jobs and houses. There was a clear schism in the way justice system operated for perpetrators of the blasts and those who caused riots, Menon said. Moving on A former senior Mumbai cop admitted that the impact of these divisions and alienation immediately after the riots and blasts was felt on intelligence gathering, with police losing informers and sources from the community. Mohalla committees did help. Since then, efforts have been made to build the trust, but it is a slow process. More Muslim men in uniform would help, he said. Former state home secretary Chandra Iyengar said, After having gone through fire, I think Mumbai, foremost a financial capital, will be always on guard. There continues to be a concern of integration of Muslims into the mainstream and that can only happen with more opportunities in jobs and education. But Sheikh has a counter point. Its nice to think that riots can never happen again. But, in the back drop of cow vigilante groups and mob lynching, there is fear that communal sentiments can be fanned. No Hindu or Muslim will want this, but who can vouch for the politicians? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday upheld the constitutional validity of recently enacted Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016, which regulates the construction industry and protects the interests of home buyers. The two-judge bench dismissed a bunch of pleas filed by real estate developers and individual plot owners challenging 18 provisions of the Act. The bench of justice Naresh Patil and justice Rajesh Ketkar, however, allowed the Real Estate Regulatory Authority to grant an extension beyond the one-year limit set by the enactment to complete projects under exceptional and compelling circumstances. Having careful scrutiny of relevant provisions of RERA (the Act), its object and scheme and submissions advanced, we have harmoniously construed sections 6, 7, 8 and 37, the bench said. We hold in case the authority is satisfied that there are exceptional and circumstances due to which promoter could not complete the project in spite of extension granted under section 6, then the authority would be entitled to continue registration for completing the project, it said. This comes as a major reprieve for builders and developers as they will get an additional period over and above the stipulated period of one year to complete their projects, in case the work is delayed due to circumstances beyond their control. The bench has, however, clarified that this power to grant additional extension can be exercised by the authority only in exceptional and compelling circumstances and on a case to case basis, and no builder or developer can seek an additional extension beyond the stipulated one year period as a matter of right. The court held the two-member bench of a majority of the Real Estate Appellate Tribunal must comprise one judicial member and majority of the bench must comprise judicial officers where it has more than two members. It struck down part of section 46(1)(b) which required the judicial members of the tribunal to have served as additional secretary to the government in addition to having been a judicial officer. Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni sought a stay on the operation of the judgement, especially the two changes introduced by the decision, but the bench rejected the request saying it lacked merit. In the course of the judgment, the bench stressed on the scrupulous implementation of provisions of the RERA act. We are conscious of the fact that actual implementation of RERA needs to be closely monitored in years to come. RERA is not a law relating only to regulatory control over the promoters but its object is also to develop the real estate sector, particularly to complete the incomplete projects across the country, it said. The problems are enormous and it is time to take a step forward to fulfil the dream of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, to wipe every tear from every eye, it added. The act provides for curbs on builders and developers in the execution of construction projects, penalising them for the delay in completing projects and safeguarding flat-buyers from unscrupulous builders. CLAY CENTER Dozens of investigators spent hours Tuesday combing roadside ditches and the edges of cornfields in southeastern Clay County, searching for evidence in the death of Sydney Loofe a day after remains believed to be hers were found in the area. A Nebraska State Patrol helicopter circled above while investigators marked locations a half-mile apart or more. Loofe, 24, disappeared nearly three weeks ago. Her mother reported her missing Nov. 16 after she missed work in Lincoln. For the first time Tuesday, law enforcement officials said they found evidence of foul play in the case. But they provided no further details on what might have happened. An autopsy has been ordered. "We are indeed conducting a very thorough investigation to ensure we can provide an accurate account of what happened to Sydney, said Randy Thysse, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Omaha, during a news conference in Lincoln. Two people identified by law enforcement as persons of interest in the case Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell remained in custody late Tuesday at the Saline County jail in Wilber. Neither had been charged with a crime related to Loofe's disappearance or death. Police have said Loofe was last seen Nov. 15 in Wilber, after apparently going on a date with Boswell, whom she met through the online dating app Tinder. Trail, 51, and Boswell, 23, live in Wilber but left the state after Loofe went missing. They were arrested last week in the Branson, Missouri, area. "We're continuing to speak with Aubrey Trail, and we'll continue to do so as long as he's willing to do that," said Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister, who declined to say whether Boswell was also cooperating with investigators. Trail and Boswell denied their involvement in Loofe's disappearance through a bizarre trio of videos posted last week on social media. While both had active arrest warrants for unrelated charges, Trail said he isn't just a criminal. He said he deals antiques throughout Southeast Nebraska. "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, Trail said in one video. In an earlier video, Boswell claimed she and Loofe drove around Lincoln, then smoked marijuana at her apartment in Wilber before she dropped Loofe off at a friend's house. Boswell said she hadn't heard from Loofe since. Bliemeister on Tuesday said investigators have explored the claims in the videos extensively. "The investigative efforts have not been able to confirm those particular details," he said. "Well still work toward that end, but again, the analysis of the (digital records) was what led us to the discovery of who we believe to be Sydney." Lincoln police and the FBI are jointly leading the investigation. FBI officials ask that anyone with information related to the case call the dedicated tip line at 402-493-8688, option 1. Loofe, a Neligh native, moved to Lincoln after graduating from high school in 2011 as part of a transfer in her employment with Menards, according to her mother, Susie Loofe. Sydney Loofe's co-workers and family said it was out of character when she didn't arrive for her shift as a cashier at the north Lincoln Menards. When her family couldn't reach her, they reported her missing. The Loofe family took to social media in the following days to raise awareness about Sydney's disappearance in hopes of aiding the search. Her picture appeared on billboards along Interstate 80 in Omaha and central and downtown Lincoln, and her case became a front-page story for newspapers and led the evening news. Her family learned shortly after 5 p.m. Monday that remains believed to be Sydney's had been found, her father told the Neligh News and Leader. In an interview with that paper Monday night, George Loofe expressed gratitude to those who prayed for their daughter, posted flyers, spread word on social media and "everyone that had anything to do with the search for Sydney." "The entire state and beyond tried to help, and, in our minds, a lot of good people exist in this world," he said. "Sydney just happened to run into someone that wasn't." Stray dogs brought in for adoption at the oldest and largest veterinary facility in Mumbai are allegedly being used as blood donors for ailing pet dogs needing treatment or surgery. Terming the practice as illegal and unethical, veterinarians, animal welfare officers and legal experts said such transfusions violate animal rights and pose a health risk. Officials from Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA), Parel, said more than 100 stray dogs have donated blood in the past the four years and it was used during surgeries or for pet dogs suffering from blood-related disorders. Our facility provides shelter to pet dogs abandoned by their families and stray dogs for treatment and care after accident or disease. Once these dogs are healthy and until they get adopted, we use their blood to treat other pet dogs, said Col [Retd] Dr JC Khanna, in-charge chief executive officer, BSPCA. Khanna said a basic cross-matching blood test is done before the transfusion to ensure the donor and recipient are compatible. These donor dogs are healthy and between the ages two and seven.The facility has about 35 dogs for adoption, who can become blood donors if needed, he said. Veterinary doctors, however, said a complete blood count and tick fever test is mandatory before transfusion, and the dog has to be young and should weigh at least 30kgs before giving 300ml of blood. Due to unavailability of health history and blood tests, stray dogs may carry a range of infections that can be transmitted to recipient dogs if the transfusion is based only on cross-matching, said Dr Deepa Katyal. An activist and senior member of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) said the practice of drawing blood from stray dogs needs permissions from AWBI [statutory advisory body on animal welfare laws] and Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals [statutory body under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960]. Neither of the criteria, as confirmed by BSPCA officials, is fulfilled. The practise is unethical and must be stopped immediately, said Dr Chinni Krishna, former vice-president, AWBI. Till the dog gets adopted, no organisation or individual has the right to collect blood because strays are not protected by legal provisions. The BSPCA can take up the issue of blood transfusion with the Chennai Veterinary Medical College, which has created a blood bank and a registry of healthy pet dogs who can donate blood during emergencies, said Krishna. Akin to Chennai model, Katyal said a registry of dogs treated in the apst 20 years, which double as a blood donor database during emergencies, must be maintained. Safe medical practices disallow using a blood donor dog diagnosed with diseases that affect the blood quality in six months, said Katyal. With strays, these diseases are silent and surface only after transfusion. Such transfusions can prove fatal for stray dogs and pose a tangible risk of infection to the recipient dog. With an aim to improve health care and education facilities in villages with the help of corporate sector, the state government on Wednesday signed 34 memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with various companies. The move is expected to benefit 75 lakh people, with an investment of Rs335 crore through corporate social responsibility (CSR)under public-private partnership. The MOUs include a proposal and letter of intent (LOI) to Tata Trusts to set up world-class veterinary care training and research centre in Goregaon and Parel with the help of state animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries (ADF) department. Among the proposals is one by the Billion Lives and Center for Digital Financial Inclusion to develop a financial system for Maharashtra village social transformation. The Maharashtra village social transformation foundation is a joint venture of the state government and corporate companies. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the development biggest ever public-private partnership that will change the lives of the needy. The move is also part of the village social transformation mission adopted by the state government last year that aims to converge all government schemes and activities under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) for transformation of the most backward areas of the state. A corpus fund has also been made for which the state government and corporate will contribute equal share. This is an important step towards increasing pace of development. Farm distress is only because of non-sustainability and we need to focus more on water conservation, to get rid of this situation, Fadnavis said. The corporate companies that have signed MoUs include Tata Trusts, Tata Chemical, Tata Centre of Development-University of Chicago, Inga Foundation-Tata Trusts, Aditya Birla Foundation, ATE Foundation, R Jhunjhunwala Foundation, DMart, Enam Holdings, Wild Life Conservation Trust, Billion Lives and Centre of Digital Financial Inclusion. Barely a week after the Maharashtra state board announced its decision to disallow Class 10 and Class 12 students inside the examination hall after the exam begins, the board has now clarified that students will be allowed to appear for the exam in genuine cases. This decision comes after the board received flak from several school principals, especially from rural Maharashtra, who called the diktat unfair to students. As per clarification received by schools on Tuesday, the state board has mentioned that in certain genuine cases, including personal tragedy, natural disaster or any untoward incident, schools can allow students to appear for the exam even if they are late. The new rule was misinterpreted by schools across the state, so we issued a clarification . In specific cases, schools can take a call whether a student was late due to a genuine reason, said state board secretary, Krishnakumar Patil. Until now, the board allowed students to enter the examination hall 30 minutes after the commencement of exam. Students were also allowed to leave the exam hall after spending 30 minutes inside the exam hall or finishing before time stipulated. The new rule allows the 30-minute grace period to students only under specific conditions and no student will be allowed to leave the examination hall until the end of the exam. The board is trying to avoid any form of malpractice during exams, but that cant be done by punishing the entire student community. Even in a city like Mumbai, students have reached late for an exam owing to traffic jams so imagine the state of students in rural Maharashtra with minimal transport facilities, said Prashant Redij, secretary of Mumbai School Principals Association. The association had written to the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Examinations (MSBSHSE) against the new rule. The state boards decision to introduce strict entry and exit rules at exam halls was based on several cases last year where students had found copies of the question paper on various social media websites before the exam began. However, principals thought that instead of targeting students, the board should focus on making their system more foolproof. The problem is in their system, which needs a thorough scrutiny. Punishing students is not the answer, said another school principal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The air intelligence unit (AIU) on Tuesday arrested a passenger with gold bars worth Rs25.37 lakh which he was trying to smuggle outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). Investigations revealed that the syndicate chose a flight that flew from Dubai to Kozhikode and later to Mumbai on the domestic leg. The arrested man, Muhammed P, came from Kozhikode. Based on a tip-off, he was intercepted searched. He was carrying eight gold bars, totally weighing 928gm. The accused had wrapped two bars together with help of an adhesive tape. The total four pieces were kept in his pockets, said an AIU officer. The accused was quizzed which revealed the involvement of chain of persons in the smuggling racket. The accused said gold was picked up by him from the back pocket of his seat on the flight. The gold was kept there by an international passenger coming from Sharjah to Kozhikode as an international flight, said the officer. The accused admitted that he did it as per the instructions of an operator calling from Dubai. As the battle for Gujarat enters its last leg, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Aurangzeb-jibe about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The Sena said the way Modi has targeted Gandhi during his election rallies in Gujarat, is an indicator that the PM considers him as a serious competition. Although Gandhi was dismissed as Pappu four years ago, he has emerged as a leader now, the editorial in Saamana, which is seen as Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays view. The prime minister criticised [Gandhis imminent elevation to the post of Congress president without any challenge] and said the coronation of Rahul Gandhi is like Aurangzeb Raj. This means Modi now considers Rahul as a serious competitor and that he is capable of leading, the Sena said, in its editorial in the party mouthpiece. At an election rally held earlier this week in Gujarat, Modi compared democracy in the Congress to the dynastic succession of Mughal rulers. I want to congratulate Congress party for their Aurangzeb Raj, Modi had said. The BJP, meanwhile, chose not to react to its allys comments. We would not like to comment to irrelevant things, said Madhav Bhandari, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson. The Saamana said all eyes are on Gandhi, who has the tough task of reviving the party and breathing fresh life into it. The Gujarat Assembly polls, which were considered one-sided for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seems to have tired out the PM, but Rahul, who was called Pappu for four years, has turned into a leader, the editorial said. This is not the first time the Sena has lauded Gandhi. Last month, senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, Gandhi is capable of leading the country and that the Modi wave has fadeda statement that did not go down well with the BJP. It is wrong to call him (Gandhi) Pappu as he has changed in the past three years. Sena, the oldest member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has a blow hot-blow cold relationship with its ally both at the Centre and in Maharashtra. After sitting out for the 2012 Gujarat elections, the Sena is now contesting around 65 seats in the polls that are scheduled in two phases on December 9 and December 14. Describing Gandhi as the man to watch for the BJP, the Sena said, Rahul Gandhi has proved that he is no more a Pappu and the BJP must accept this magnanimously. It also mocked the BJP, which had raised hue and cry over Gandhi visiting a temple during is campaigning in Gujarat. Instead, the BJP should have welcomed Rahuls temple trip, which signals a victory of the pro-Hindutva forces, and that he could guide the Congress to adopt a soft-Hindutva line, the Sena suggested. If Modi has so much aversion to the rule of Aurangzeb, he should direct Maharashtra chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) to demolish the tombs of Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan in the state, which have become places of worship, the Saamana piece said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The citys fire brigade has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) hydraulics department to identify new water filling spots across Mumbai, to refill its water tankers during an emergency. This despite there being 10,843 fire hydrants and 53 underground water tanks in Mumbai. Unfortunately, decades of negligence and lack of upkeep has rendered these hydrants and tanks unusable. Since the British era, there were 10,843 fire hydrants set up across the city and 66 underground water tanks. In 2016, the BMC identified 53 of the underground tanks, which were handed over to the fire brigade. But these cannot be accessed by a water tanker. P Rahangdale, chief fire officer said, There is no policy at present for these tanks. One of these tanks, that are 70-80 years old, was accidentally discovered in the A ward by nominated ex-corporator from Shiv Sena, Avkash Jadhav, following which the BMC began to trace the others. While an old record indicated there are 66 such tanks, BMC managed to locate only 53, but even these are surrounded by encroachments. Similarly, in 2015, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured legislators the BMC will begin work on restoring water hydrants in the city, a cause the civic body had long given up on. However, after several attempts at reviving this old infrastructure, the fire brigade wants a reliable solution to refill water. RA Choudhari, deputy chief fire officer of the Mumbai fire brigade said, We cannot rely on these underground tanks or the defunct water hydrants. We noticed there are insufficient refilling spots in Mumbai when tankers run out of water during a fire fighting operation. A water tanker cannot be expected to travel 10km for a refill. The fire brigade has asked for 50 water refilling spots in Dadar, Bandra, Mahim, Mulund, Ghatkopar and Goregaon, among other areas. Presently, there are 18 spots already available Ideally, the water hydrants placed at regular intervals of 150 metres have been designated as refilling spots, but more than 85% of them are defunct due to encroachments, damage and lack of maintenance. Many of them are buried under the roads or footpaths after the civic body kept adding layers of bitumen or asphalt on roads and tiles on pavements. These cannot be revived anymore, as they need a 24-hour water supply with sufficient pressure. These are connected to the main BMC line that has water only during the designated water supply hours of the respective ward. Mumbai: The JJ Marg police registered a complaint against an unidentified couple on Tuesday for cheating a 44-year-old woman of Rs4 lakh. The complainant, Soumya Faiyyaz Momin, 38, told the police that she had received a friend request from a woman, who introduced herself as a citizen of New York. After the two started talking, the woman introduced her to Max. Shirish Gaikwad, senior police inspector of JJ Marg police station, said, According to Momin, after a few conversations, Max told her that since he had lost his wife and mother to cancer, he wanted to help cancer patients in India as treatment in India is expensive. He said that he was sending some medicines to India, and Momin agreed to help with the process. Last week, Max allegedly called her, claiming that the medicines he had sent were stuck at Delhi airport due to increased taxes in India and an amount of Rs4 lakh had to be paid to custom officials to clear it. Momin transferred the amount to the various bank accounts provided by him. When she did not hear back from his, she registered a complaint with the police. The police are currently investigating the bank accounts. There have been two similar cases in November, and the police suspect it may be the same couple. During the initial stage of their investigation of the Sanpada bank heist, the police were on a wild goose chase trying to trace and arrest Gena Bachchan Prasad, who they suspected was the mastermind. Now, it has emerged that the passport photo used in the rent agreement for the shop was that of 45-year-old Bhawar Lal, a native of Rajasthan. Lal, who was part of the plot, died of brain haemorrhage two months before the robbery. While making the rent agreement, Lal had identified himself as Gena Bachchan Prasad and submitted identity documents such as PAN and Aadhaar, a police officer said, on condition of anonymity. Lal then handed over the shop to Hajid Mirja Baig, a key accused and Lals acquaintance. READ: How a gang of burglars cleaned out 30 lockers at a Navi Mumbai bank It is only later that the police realised the documents were fake. Despite this, the police kept hunting for him at different locations. After arresting a few of the accused, the police learned that the person in the photo that they had got from the agreement was actually Lal. Police commissioner Hemant Nagrale rejected that an intelligence failure led to the heist. Our officials can collect information from the city, but not from underground. The accused took six months to dig the tunnel. How should we get to know what was happening below the ground? he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The state administration on recommendation of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has issued show-cause notices to 40 officers of the development body, including five serving PCS officers, for alleged inaction against a school that was constructed on land set aside for a park in Model Town area of Ghaziabad; the officers allowed the school to operate for years over a decade. The basic education department issued an NOC for the school in 2002. GDA officials demolished the building of St Mary School at Model Town on July 13 this year on the Allahabad high courts order passed on a PIL filed in 2011. Ghaziabad officials also sought action against those who failed to check the land use violation. The show-cause notice has been issued to officers who were posted with GDA between 2002 and 2016. Show-cause notices have also been issued to five serving PCS officers. This was done after getting directions from the state officials. In all, the 40 officers include nearly 10 PCS officers, but some of them have retired or are dead, GDA vice-chairperson Ritu Maheshwari said. The notices demand explanation of why they could not act for the past several years, she said. The list of 40 officers, includes assistant engineers and executive engineers who allegedly failed to take action against the land use violation. In this context, the Allahabad high court, during a hearing on November 1, had come down heavily on the GDA and said: We are prima facie satisfied that attempt is being made to implicate only subordinate officers of the Ghaziabad Development Authority, leaving out the senior officers responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Urban Planning Development, namely the vice-chairman and other senior officers (sic). The court expressed displeasure and questioned how a vice-chairman of the GDA can in any way permit a public school to get constructed on an area reserved for a park and allow it to function for years. Later, the court directed secretary of the UP urban planning department to identify the vice-chairman responsible and direct an inquiry against senior officials, just as it was directed against subordinate officers. In November, during another hearing, principal secretary of the state housing and urban planning department, filed an affidavit before the court disclosing the names of the vice-chairman and the GDA secretary who were posted at the time when the school was built. The state officials said details of officers involved have been forwarded to secretary, appointment (government of UP), for initiating action against. Later, the high court directed the chief secretary to ensure action is taken against the officials concerned and the proceedings initiated must be disclosed to the court through an affidavit. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has proposed a waste-to-biofuel plant at Indirapuram which will scientifically process the entire bulk of municipal solid waste produced in the area on a daily basis. The prime locality near Delhi produces an estimated 100-150 metric tonnes of solid waste every day. This waste is currently dumped in the open at an 11-acre plot opposite Kanawani near the sewage treatment plant built along the CISF-Vasundhara Road, and burnt. The GDA has planned the project with a public sector undertaking (PSU), which will now present the proposal before its board for final approval. Under the proposed project, the Ghaziabad civic body will lease land to the PSU for setting up a plant for scientifically converting solid waste to biofuel, GDA vice-chairperson Ritu Maheshwari said. The proposed plant will come up at the 11-acre site where garbage is being dumped. In October, locals had protested against the open dumping of waste at the site. The solid waste here is dumped in an unscientific manner and burnt by locals causing pollution. Leaching also contaminates the earth, Mohan Sangwan, a resident of Shakti Khand, said. Indirapuram is home to many businesses and service-class residents, most of whom had migrated from different areas of the NCR in search of affordable housing. The locality houses more than 100 high-rise residential buildings and daily disposal of solid waste is a major issue. The locality is managed by GDA and is yet to be handed over to the Ghaziabad municipal corporation. The entire investment will be done up by the PSU and they will develop the plant on the land we will provide on lease. They will get the revenue from the by-products generated. This will solve a major issue of scientific disposal of daily solid waste, Maheshwari said. In December last year, the National Green Tribunal had quashed the environmental clearance and the NOC granted by the UP pollution board for a proposed scientific solid waste management plant at Dundahera near NH-24. The site was proposed to process the entire daily solid waste of Ghaziabad but residents opposed the move as many residential buildings were close by. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Each spring, Nebraska farmers head to their fields to plant and prepare for their fall harvest. Their individual success depends on many factors and is a key part of our states overall economic success. Our farm and ranch families are the foundation of our states No. 1 industry. To grow Nebraska, we have to continue to grow opportunities for those families. In 2017, Ive continued to make growing agriculture a top priority for my administration by expanding trade, encouraging livestock development and promoting the biofuels industry. Growing demand for Nebraskas quality ag commodities through trade generates over $6 billion annually for Nebraskas ag economy. Our efforts to expand trade led our trade delegation to Canada this year. Our neighbors to the north have been one of our best export customers over the years, and its important for us to thank them for their business so the relationship can continue to expand. On the trade mission, I met with Agri-Plastics to encourage them to choose Nebraska. This fall, Agri-Plastics announced they will be expanding their calf-housing line by opening a production facility in Sidney their first in the United States. In September, we had a similar opportunity to maintain and build trade relations with Japan. Japan is already our largest source of direct foreign investment and were eager to grow that relationship. During that trip Sagami Restaurant Chain signed a letter of intent with Smithfield to source more of their pork from Nebraska farmers. Weve been able to open new markets as well as expand opportunities with current partners. This year, China agreed to open its beef market to the United States for the first time since 2003. For years, Nebraskans have been working together with federal officials to reopen this market, and my administration continued that work with two visits to China in 2015 and 2016. Federal trade agreements can have a big impact on growing Nebraska agriculture. This year, I led a coalition which urged the Trump Administration to continue to focus on growing market access as they negotiate NAFTA. I have also advocated for immediate negotiations on bilateral agreements with some of our key trading partners such as Japan. Our efforts to create state and regional demand for Nebraskas quality commodities are just as important as our international work. One of the best ways to grow our industry here at home is through livestock development. Livestock development provides a way to add value to the billions of bushels of feedstocks our farmers produce each year. Our work this year included breaking ground on the $300 million Costco chicken processing project near Fremont and the opening of Hendrix-ISAs chick hatchery in Grand Island and turkey hatchery in Beatrice. When you consider additional investments from Cargill, Novozymes and Evonik this year, Nebraska has seen over $650 million invested in value-added ag and biofuels operations just from these projects. Were also expanding programs that make investment and growth in the agriculture industry accessible and easy. The Livestock Friendly County program and the livestock siting assessment matrix are both administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. In 2017, the Livestock Friendly County program added Thurston and Hall counties. This brings the total number of Livestock Friendly Counties in Nebraska to 43. The program provides the counties a tool to let the livestock industry know they are open for business. Additionally, Dodge and Merrick became the first two counties in the state to voluntarily adopt the livestock siting assessment matrix to bring greater predictability to decisions on livestock siting applications. Biofuels also play a critical role in the states agriculture industry. Nebraska is the second-largest producer of ethanol in the country. In the past two years, ethanol plants in Jackson, Fairmont and Adams have invested approximately $190 million in new technology. These investments have increased the capacity and product diversification of their operations. The synergistic relationship between corn, ethanol and livestock encourages the success of all three industries. In 2017, I have had the privilege of serving as chairman of the Governors Biofuels Coalition. Serving as chairman gave me the opportunity to encourage the EPA for a timely release of the 2018 proposed targets under the Renewable Fuel Standards. Last week, the Trump Administration announced the final volume levels in a timely manner with minimal changes. Their decision provides much-needed predictability, which helps ethanol producers plan for their businesses and spur growth in the biofuels industry. More work lies ahead as we rise up to seize the opportunities and face the challenges our farm and ranch families work through to feed a growing world. We will continue to build on the momentum weve experienced in 2017. A canter was set ablaze and windshields of over scores of vehicles were broken by angry protesters on Wednesday after a security guard died and his friend was seriously injured in an incident of speeding in Dankaur. Irate residents blocked traffic for over an hour on the Pushta Road on Wednesday morning. The deceased, Arjun Sharma, 27, was returning with his friend, Amit, to their home in Latifpur village. Both were working together at a private factory in Greater Noida as security guards in the 8am-8pm shift. The police said that around 8.30pm on Tuesday, while the duo was on their way home. Their bike was hit by a speeding truck on Pushta Road near Atta Fatehpur village. Passersby spotted the duo bleeding profusely and informed the police. A police team rushed to the spot and took them to Kailash Hospital in Greater Noida, where doctors declared Sharma, who had suffered an injury to the head, as brought dead. Amit is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Piyush Kumar Singh, circle officer, Greater Noida-2, said, The truck driver fled the spot and we have registered a case of hit-and-run at Dankaur police station. We have some leads on people who triggered the violence on Wednesday and will file a case against them. Sharma is survived by his wife Meenu, 23, a daughter, Varsha, 4, and a son, Mayank, 3. Sharmas relatives blocked the Kasna-Tappal Pushta Road from 10am to 11am on Wednesday. The family members demanded the drivers arrest at the earliest. Vikram Singh, a resident of Latifpur, said, It was a tragic incident and we were expecting the police to visit the area to know about the matter. On Wednesday morning, when no one came, locals started protesting on the Pushta Road that goes to Haryana and vehicles were attacked. The circle officer said that after receiving information about the incident, a police team immediately rushed to the spot and prevented the gathering of around 150 people from damaging vehicles. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON To ensure security of women in Noida and Greater Noida, the police on Tuesday organised women safety awareness week at the police headquarters in Surajpur area of Greater Noida. The programme was inaugurated by Inspector General (Meerut) Ram Kumar and it was attended by SSP Love Kumar, SP (rural) Suniti and SP (crime) Preeti Bala, among other police officials. While addressing the officials, Ram Kumar said the women should report all safety issues to the police and use the helpline that has been established by the administration. Security of women has been always our top priority. Many initiatives have been taken from time to time to make the cities safer. If anyone faces any problem, it should be reported without hesitation. Our police personnel will be available forefront to get it resolved, Ram Kumar said. The campaign on womens safety will conclude on December 10. The women safety week has been undertaken to promote use of Uttar Pradesh Women Power Line 1090. During the campaign, police officials will visit colleges and schools to tell women how they can be vigilant. Students will be sensitised about various situations and a debate will be conducted on the theme, police said. SSP Love Kumar asked police station heads to be sensitive to complaints by women. There are times, when cases of children below 18 years are reported under acts such as POSCO and Juvenile Justice. They should also be dealt with utmost sensitivity. In schools, there is need for the children to be educated about laws, rights and duties by the legal service officials and experts, Kumar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Patna high court on Wednesday rejected bail applications of former Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) chairman Sudhir Kumar and 13 other accused in the recruitment examination question paper leak case that surfaced in February. Among others whose bail petitions were rejected by justice PK Jha included Sudhir Kumar s sister-in- law Manju Devi, government schoolteacher Atal Bihari Rai, former data operator Avinash Kumar and then BSSC IT manager Niti Ranjan Pratap. Sudhir Kumar, a senior IAS officer, was arrested from his parents house in Hazaribagh town in neighbouring Jharkhand on February 24 in connection with the question paper leak case along with his brother Avadhesh Kumar, sister-in- law Manju Devi, nephew Ashish Kumar, Sajjad Ahmad and Niti Ranjan Pratap. READ| Bihar recruitment board chairman held for exam racket scam The leaked question paper of the BSSC examination had reportedly become available online, before the commencement of the test. The Bihar government had cancelled on February 8 the inter-level examination, conducted by BSSC after the special investigation team, constituted to probe allegations of question paper leak, submitted its report to the to the chief secretary and the director general of police . READ| Police quiz BSSC chief in job exam question paper leak case The examination was being conducted in four phases to recruit 1,700 clerks in state government departments across Bihar. About 95,000 candidates had taken the examination at 750 centres across the state in the second phase held on February 5.The first phase was held on January 29. Decks have been cleared for Geographical Indications (GI) tag to Jardalu mango, Katarani paddy and Magahi Paan (betel leaf), with the three agricultural products from Bihar figuring in the latest edition of Geographical Indications Journal (GIJ). It is a matter of pride for the people of Bihar that applications for granting GI tags to these three items have been accepted and the products have been listed in the GIJs issue dated November 28, 2017, states agriculture minister Prem Kumar said on Wednesday. Heartiest congratulations to our farmers for making Bihar proud. Efforts will soon be made to get GI tags for other specialities from the state, like Shahi litchi and makhana (fox nuts), the minister added. The journal is now available in the public domain, as per rule 41(1) of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2002. The state government and the Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour (Bhagalpur district), had been pursuing the matter for GI tag to these products on a priority basis. Bihar Agriculture University (BAU) vice chancellor Ajoy Kumar Singh said all the three products exclusively grown in the state would be registered with GI if not challenged by anyone within three months. BAU director (extension) RK Sohane said after GI registration the growers would be in a position to authenticate the products while selling them within the country as well as abroad. READ| From Bihar, with love: Jardalu mangoes for Prez Mukherjee before he demits office Jardalu mango has been described as a unique product from Bhagalpur in the journal. This mango variety is known for its light yellow skin and special aroma. The application for GI tag was moved by Jardalu Aam Utpadak Sangh (Jardalu mango producers union), Madhuban, Maheshi village under Sultanganj block of Bhagalpur district. It has been mentioned in the journal that the Jardalu mango was first planted in Bhagalpur region by Maharaja Rahmat Ali Khan Bahadur of Kharagpur. The journal has quoted growers association as saying that a more than 200-year-old Jardalu tree in Tagepur village under Jagdishpur block of the district acted as mother plant. The application for Katarani paddy, long and thin in shape and distinctly aromatic, was moved by Katarani Dhan Utpadak Sangh, Jagdishpur village in Bhagalpur. Magahi Pan Utpadak Kalyan Samiti, Deuri village, Nawada district, had moved the application for GI tag to the unique variety of betel leaf which is adored for its softness and taste. The betel leaf variety is also grown in adjoining district of Gaya. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three-and-a-half months after a 10-year-old rape victim gave birth to a girl at a city hospital, a well-to-do couple from Maharashtra has adopted the infant. Extremely happy, the family took her home last week. The couple got to know about the child through the website of the Central Adoption Resource Authority, which had uploaded details of the baby after she was born on August 17. The UT social welfare department has confirmed the development. The 10-year-old girl was raped by her two maternal uncles and one of them impregnated her. Later, a special court in a fast-track trial found the duo guilty and awarded them life term till death. Caring parents Sources said the baby has been adopted by a well-to-do family, who were very caring. When the couple arrived here, they also brought clothes for her, said sources. Meanwhile, child welfare committee chairman Sangeeta Vardhan laid rest to the rumours that a foreign couple was adopting the child and said adoption has taken place according to the guidelines. A few days back, the family came to take the baby home. Other details are being kept confidential to respect the couples privacy and this is also in the childs best interest, she said. However, some paperwork is still pending but the pre-adoption undertaking has been signed. We prayed for her bright future Vardhan said the entire team at Ashiana, a specialised adoption agency (SAA) in Chandigarh, wished the baby well and prayed that she had a loving home and bright future. The staff is usually aware that the baby in their care will leave the care home some day, she said. So more than the fear of parting, they are rather happy to see the child get a loving home. The SAA will also be monitoring and reporting every six months about the adopted child for two years. After parents of the 10-year-old rape victim refused to even see the face of the baby, she was taken to Ashiana where she was looked after by house mothers, nurses and caregivers, under the supervision of the social welfare department. A paediatrician also monitored her health regularly. The baby does not have any medical deficiency even though it was a premature delivery. Her height, weight and growth have been reported to be normal as well. The case had made global headlines after the Supreme Court rejected the rape victims abortion plea. India has a 20-week ceiling on abortion, unless there is a grave danger to the mother or the unborn baby. The victims pregnancy was discovered when she was 30 weeks pregnant after her mother took her for a check-up at a city-based hospital. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In its biggest haul of contraband this year, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops recovered 55kg heroin and two .32 revolvers on the Indo-Pak border near Kalanaur in Gurdaspur district on Wednesday. The contraband was found in 55 packets of 1 kg each at Rosse border out-post in the area after BSF personnel thwarted intrusion of three Pakistanti smugglers , deputy superintendent of police (DSP-headquarters) Gurbans Singh Bains told HT. Bains said the night-domination patrol of the BSF troops noticed movement of three Pakistani smugglers across the fence on the Pakistani side at about 6.30 pm. The troops challenged the Pak smugglers who didnt pay any heed to the warnings and continued with their aggressive posture. To stop their further misadventure, the BSF troops fired at Pak smugglers, but they managed to escape under the cover of darkness, he said. Immediately, a special search operation was launched wherein BSF troops recovered the contraband in 55 packets and two .32 revolvers, besides a plastic pipe, he added. The DSP said, As there is thick growth of weeds and reeds in the area, it was not possible for the BSF jawans to conduct a thorough search of the area at night to see if there was any casualty among Pakistani smugglers who ran back after the BSF challenged them. He added that the BSF would now carry out search in the area on Thursday morning. On November 18, the BSF and the counter-intelligence wing of the state police arrested three smugglers with 22kg of heroin, a pistol and a Pakistani SIM. During the current year so far, the BSF has seized 257 kg heroin on the India-Pakistan border. Mention the word patent and peoples eyes glaze over. That is why I prefer to use the word innovation. Andrew Czajkowski, head of the innovation and technology support division of World Intellectual Property Organisation, a Geneva-based specialised agency of the United Nations, is all too aware of the general disinterest in the world of intellectual property rights. This is why Czajkowski, who was in Chandigarh to inaugurate Indias first Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) at Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST), was happy to see a large number of people associated with IPR (intellectual property rights) in the region. We have 600 TISCs in 71 countries, but there are places where we had to start from scratch. Its not so in Punjab. We were selected for setting up TISC due to our work in the field of IPRs, says Dr Jatinder Kaur Arora, executive director, PSCST, adding, We have IPR cells in 14 universities of Punjab. INVENTORY OF INVENTORS The council has also compiled a directory of inventors from the state titled Inventory of Inventors. Its got a long list of inventions, which include a solar refrigerator, an earthquake alarm, a bladder for inflatable balls, and a knee joint pain treatment using 32 plants. While institutes such as Punjab Agricultural University and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) are among the top five in inventions, there are many village-bred Newtons as well with inventions such as a device to control headlights through vision. Dr Arora is now working to take these inventions to the market. Weve floated a project to the central government in which we have proposed to identify the unmet needs of industry and secondary agriculture sector, and link these to research undertaken by various institutes. This will be a win-win situation as scientists will be able to tailor their research to meet the needs of the industry. SEARCH BEFORE RESEARCH Czajkowski, who also addressed a two-day workshop on access to technology for innovation, told IPR coordinators from 14 universities and seven states across the region about the importance of doing a patent search before embarking on a research project. Likening the search to looking for a needle in the haystack, he said, You need to know where to look and how to look. Often, people end up wasting their time and money by working on a breakthrough that has already been made, he said. He recounted how a retired patent examiner from the UK found that a prospective research had been carried out by that very university a couple of years ago. FREE DATABASES The participants learnt about PATENTSCOPE and Espacenet, the two free patent research databases of WIPO, besides other databases in India. Gurharminder Singh, senior scientific officer and in charge of TISC, said he was particularly impressed with patent analytics. It helps you find out what is trending in the field of research. It also gives you a chance to peek into the future. Czajkowski said the WIPO is now working on preparing two guides, one on identifying inventions in the public domain, and the other on using these for commercialisation. IN SCHOOL SYLLABUS All praise for the work being done by Punjab on IPR, Avipsha Thakur, assistant vice-president, Centre for Intellectual Property Assessment and Management (CPAM), government of India, said the government is working hard to create awareness at school level. NCERT will include IPR in its syllabus for classes 11 and 12 from next year. The CPAM, which carries the tag line, Creative India, Innovative India, is also promoting GI (geographical indication) of local handicrafts, textiles and agri-products. We have brought down the pendency for trademark applications from 13 months to a month ever since we were set up a year ago, said Thakur. The ministry of home affairs has also brought out a booklet for the police to enforce the IPR regime and tackle any violations. Around 70 participants from seven northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir attended the workshop. Know WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), one of the specialised Geneva based organizations of UN, through its TISC program aims to provide innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property Rights. On Monday, December 4, the baby panda born earlier in 2017 at Frances ZooParc de Beauval was officially named Yuan Meng. The naming marks a new milestone in the life of the cub, now four months old, who is also celebrated on a postage stamp. And pandamania shows no sign of waning. Heres a look at some of the worlds other star giant pandas and, in particular, at zoos that have recently welcomed baby pandas. Europe A post shared by VG (@vgnett) on Jul 6, 2017 at 2:44pm PDT Berlin, Germany The German capital has been a top destination for panda lovers for many years. The citys zoo was previously home to Bao Bao, who died in summer 2012, originally gifted to the country by the Chinese communist leader in November 1980. In fact, Bao Bao lived to be the worlds oldest male captive panda. Now, pandas are back on the bill with the arrival of two new additions in 2017, a female named Meng Meng and a male named Jiao Qing. German zookeepers are hoping to echo Beauval Zoos happy event, with the arrival of a baby panda in the next three years. A post shared by Thomas Photo (@thomphoto_) on Dec 5, 2017 at 10:06am PST Brugelette, Belgium Pairi Daiza is one of 21 zoos in the world that are on the pandamania map. The Belgian zoo is home to no less than three individuals, including a cub born in the country on June 2, 2016. Tian Bao is a young male born to Xingh Hui and Hao Hao, who arrived in February 2014. A post shared by Kerstin (@von.wien) on Dec 3, 2017 at 1:30am PST Vienna, Austria Tiergarten Schonbrunn, or Vienna Zoo, was in the limelight in 2016 with the arrival of two baby pandas. In November 2016, some 12,000 web users submitted suggested names for non-identical twins Fu Ban (male) and Fu Feng (female). Mother panda Yang Yangs two offspring are now a top attraction at the zoo. A post shared by VEJA (@vejanoinsta) on Apr 5, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT Madrid, Spain Madrid is one of four European zoos that can boast being home to three pandas. Its latest addition is a female called Chulina, a name meaning Cutey and paying homage to Chulin, the first panda born in captivity in Europe 34 years ago. The Spanish capitals zoo is, in fact, something of a specialist when it comes to baby pandas, with four previous births: Chulin in 1982, twins Po and De De in 2010, and Xing Bao in 2013. All were males. North America A post shared by 93-5 The Move (@935themove) on Mar 8, 2016 at 4:10pm PST Toronto, Canada Several million visitors have already met baby pandas Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, born in 2015. Panda parents Da Mao and Er Shun are on loan from China for a period of 10 years. The giant pandas arrived in Canada in 2013. The whole family can currently be admired at Toronto Zoo. A post shared by Ramien Balouch (@ramienbalouch) on May 29, 2017 at 7:41am PDT Atlanta, USA At Zoo Atlanta, twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun celebrated their first birthday in September. Although giant pandas can be seen at other American zoos, this is the only place in the USA to catch sight of twin baby pandas. Those who cant make it to Atlanta can check out the animals via a webcam, with footage broadcast on the official Zoo Atlanta website. Asia A post shared by TBSNEWS_insta (@tbsnews_insta) on Nov 30, 2017 at 11:21pm PST Tokyo, Japan Ueno Zoo in Tokyo saw the birth of its first baby panda for five years on June 12. Like Yuan Meng at ZooParc de Beauval, the female cub was in the spotlight as soon she arrived in Japans oldest zoo. The panda was named Xiang Xiang at the end of September. Pandas can also be seen in zoos in the region of Kobe and in Shirahama. France is the fourth European country to see the birth of a baby panda, after Austria, Belgium and Spain. In total, 22 countries worldwide have received pandas on loan from China, including seven European countries. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more Shot in the Dark Cast - Howard Raishbrook, Zak Holden, Scott Lane Rating - 4.5/5 In early 2017, the Washington Post, in a first, adopted a motto. It would take second-billing on the masthead, innocent yet indiscreet. The juiciest interpretation of Democracy Dies in Darkness, aided in no small part by the fact that it was adopted a month after Donald Trumps swearing in as President, was that the Post was, characteristically, taking a swipe at him. It was too much of a coincidence, considering especially that the newspaper had publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton in the race, and Trumps habit of incessantly attacking the press. It was and still is, despite the Posts declaration that it wasnt made as a response to Trump a grand, and far too rare statement by journalists about the difficult situation their profession finds itself in. And while the death of journalism can come in many forms, youd be hard-pressed to find one as unexpected as the sort shown in Shot in the Dark, the new documentary series on Netflix a show that I must admit took me by surprise (I had no idea it existed until it popped up on my suggestions) and compelled me to write about it. It isnt about weathered investigative journalists, working months on cracking a cover-up; it isnt about streetwise crime reporters, juggling friendships with cops and criminals; and nor is it about brave editors, constantly challenging and supporting the truth. And yet, it is about all of them. In the three men that it makes its subjects, Shot in the Dark explores an almost subterranean offshoot of journalism: Stringing specifically, in Los Angeles, at night. Howard, Zak and Scott are independent journalists who prowl the street of LA at night, armed with police scanners and camera equipment, looking for stories to sell to news channels in the morning the bigger the disaster the better. Democracy may die in the darkness, but it is when the three of them come alive. And once the initial shock of watching them pray for violent deaths and mass carnage wears off, you realise that while the ethics of chasing these frankly salacious stories for financial gain are shady at best, Howard, Zak and Scott are just as weathered as any investigative journalist, just as streetwise as any crime reporter, and just as brave as any editor in search of the truth. Their intentions behind capturing these images of death and loss may be murky despite their insistence that theyre simply journalists doing their jobs (theyre not) the nightly game that they take part in is truly frightening. Every night, for decades, Howard, Zak and Scott have prowled the streets of Los Angeles from the affluent Hollywood Hills to the infamously violent South Central on the hunt for their Shangri La, an incident so scandalous that every news channel would want a piece of it. They like to call it The Story of the Night. It could be anything from a gang-related death (although theyre so common these days that no one seems to be interested anymore) to car chases (capturing the passing shot is vital) and rescue operations (dead bodies are a plus). Theyre all equipped with police scanners, which means that often, they arrive at the crime scenes before the emergency services. But what this also means is that theyre all essentially chasing the same story. Shot in the Dark utilizes a neat map of LA that charts Howard, Zak and Scotts race to get to the scene, and ends with a scoreboard that tallies the number of hits they got for their footage hits are basically channels buying what they shot. The Sisyphean exercise begins again the next night. And in these moments, while they race through the streets of Los Angeles like characters out of a Michael Mann film theyre at their most uninhibited. Slowly, over the course of eight excellent episodes, a narrative builds. Zak, while exuding enviable calm on the surface, reveals himself to be a cunning businessman, constantly making attempts to poach stringers from Scotts team and to run Howard out of business. He always has a smile on his face when he addresses cops and firemen -- a business card at the ready, along with the promise of footage of their heroism were they to express interest. All this annoys Scott to no end. Hes the live wire, never above breaking or at least bending rules to get that perfect shot. Its a cutthroat business, and hes the one wielding the knife. Howard, meanwhile, comes off as the most sympathetic of the lot although thats damning with faint praise, because even he cant block out the smell of blood when the scanner announces a seven-car pileup on the freeway. His is the smallest business of the three, under threat from Zaks enterprising ways and Scotts malpractices. None of them, however - despite how accurate Shot in the Dark is at resembling a Los Angeles crime movie - is a patch on Jake Gyllenhaals character from Nightcrawler although that was never possible for Howard, who is listed as one of the shows executive producers but then again, Nightcrawler isnt a documentary. Its a moral quagmire that I, despite having witnessed the energy change around a newsroom in moments of tragedy, still cannot comprehend. Howard, Zak and Scott found the truth, just not where they were looking for it. Watch the Shot in the Dark Trailer here Follow @htshowbiz for more The author tweets @RohanNaahar At least 47 people were injured when a passenger train crashed into a freight train near the western German city of Duesseldorf on Tuesday, prompting a large rescue operation. At least three of the passengers were badly hurt while the vast majority suffered light injuries, the Meerbusch fire department said on Twitter, giving the overall toll. The train was carrying 155 people. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, which happened at around 7.30 pm (1830 GMT) near the station of Meerbusch-Osterath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germanys most populous state. The rescue services on the ground have the situation under control. The injured people are gradually being transferred to hospital, the fire department tweeted. A spokeswoman for Germanys state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn told DPA news agency that its DB Cargo train was apparently stationary when the regional train operated by Britains National Express slammed into it. There was no sense of panic, 19-year-old Lukas Kehler who had been on board the train told regional television station WDR. Emergency services deployed after the accident but access to the train was hindered by ruptured contact wires which first had to be made safe to prevent electric shocks, according to the Meerbusch fire department. Rescue workers were able to reach those injured by 9.15 pm, it said. The fire department tweeted a picture showing the trains moderately damaged first carriage, while other carriages appeared largely unaffected. Both trains were still standing upright on the tracks. The National Express driver was freed from his mangled cab by firefighters, the federal police said. He appears unharmed but he is in shock, it added. A National Express spokesman told Bild newspaper that the driver noticed an obstacle on the track and immediately hit the emergency brake. Images from the scene showed many firefighters along the tracks, while the blue sirens of a long line of emergency vehicles could be seen in the distance. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been briefed on the crash and is following the situation closely, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Twitter. We hope all those injured will be helped as soon as possible. In May, seven people were lightly injured when a regional train derailed in eastern Germany. The countrys deadliest train accident happened in 1998 when a high speed train derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people. Social media networks face fines of more than Aus$500,000 (US$380,000) under new Australian laws proposed Wednesday cracking down on revenge porn, with individuals distributing images without consent also risking hefty punishment. It follows a survey this year that revealed abuses, including shooting and sharing intimate images without permission, was happening on a mass scale. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said he hoped the fines would be a deterrent. Civil penalties will make people stop and think before distributing intimate images without consent -- whether thats an ex-partner of a victim seeking revenge, an acquaintance or complete stranger being malicious, he said. A civil penalty is imposed by a government agency rather than a court, addressing concerns of victims who do not pursue criminal charges because of lengthy and expensive court processes. Perpetrators could still face criminal prosecution, but victims can choose to instead report the offence to the governments eSafety Commissioners office, with no police involvement. Individuals face fines of up to Aus$105,000. Content hosts like Facebook run the risk of penalties up to Aus$525,000. Generally, under the civil penalty regime the state must only prove clear and convincing evidence rather than the more cumbersome burden of proof in the criminal system. Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said the draft legislation introduced to parliament would ensure victims get faster action to remove images. When someone has intimate images shared online without their consent their main concern is to ensure they are taken down as soon as possible and our legislation enables that, she said. Image-based abuse is often a method used to intimidate and harass women, it is a growing problem and we are taking strong action to let perpetrators know we will not tolerate it. Australia is among world leaders in efforts to combat revenge porn and this year launched an online portal allowing victims to report cases where their photos have been shared on the internet without consent. The eSafety Commissioner then works with websites and search engines to have them removed. A government-funded national study of more than 4,200 people this year revealed one in five Australians have had intimate photographs taken without their consent, and then confronted threats to share them on social networks. It found that men and women were equally likely to be targeted. Czech billionaire businessman Andrej Babis was appointed prime minister on Wednesday after his ANO party came first in an October election, and he must now focus on securing parliamentary backing for a minority administration. Running on pledges to fight migration and make the state more efficient, ANO won 29.6% of the vote, nearly three times the support won by second-placed centre-right Civic Democrats. Despite that strong showing, however, it is unclear whether Babis will be able to win a confidence vote for his government by mid-January as required by the constitution. He also faces the threat of prosecution in connection with his business interests. ANO holds 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house but has so far failed to win the backing of any of the other eight parties. Should he lose such a vote, Babis would stay in power until a new arrangement is found. But given his partys size, it would also most likely have to lead any other arrangement. In a televised ceremony on Wednesday, President Milos Zeman appointed Babis, 63, who set up ANO in 2011 as a protest movement when mainstream parties were embroiled in corruption scandals. Babiss new cabinet will take power on Dec. 13, allowing him to take part in a European Union leaders summit the following day. He has pledged to keep the budget in shape but also boost infrastructure investments and public sector wages, and play a more active role in the European Union, especially in securing the EUs external border to stop illegal migration. The Czechs are facing a possible EU suit over refusing to accept migrants under an EU quota system, which Babis said was his first European task. I will first have to negotiate and convince the European Commission not to sue us and to find a different solution, he told a news conference after his appointment. Quotas are not a solution, and the solution is outside Europe, and we have to win over other member states for this. Lacking votes The far-right, anti-EU and anti-NATO SPD party and the Communists have lent ANO support in several initial votes in return for committee posts for their members, raising the prospect that they may have some kind of agreement to back ANO. But Babis said on Wednesday he had no deal in place and would talk to all parties to either back the cabinet or abstain from the vote to help it win. In the week of Dec. 18, we will present the programme manifesto and negotiate on whether someone will go into government with us or give us tolerance, Babis said. Rival parties have criticised Babis, the second-richest person in the country, worth $4 billion according to Forbes, for conflicts of interests. He owns a farming, chemicals, food and media group which has contracts with the state and receives European subsidies. The main sticking point is a police request that parliament strip Babis of his immunity so he can be prosecuted for suspected fraud in tapping European Union subsidies. He denies any wrongdoing. If police drop the case or parliament refuses to lift immunity, Babis may win some votes from other factions. Analysts say a second attempt to form a cabinet, with or without Babis, may have a greater chance of success because many parties suffered losses in the October vote and are keen to avoid an early election, which a prolonged crisis could eventually lead to. President Donald Trump is set to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital and set in motion the relocation of the US embassy to the ancient city, upending nearly seven decades of US foreign policy and risking violence in West Asia. Jerusalem includes the holiest ground in Judaism. But its also home to Islams third-holiest shrine and major Christian sites, and forms the centre of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Any perceived harm to Muslim claims to the city has triggered volatile protests in the past, both in the Holy Land and across the Muslim world. The State of Israel was established after the Second World War and gradually recognised by most of the worlds countries. The UN recognised Israel in 1948, allowing it to become a member state, but it placed Jerusalem under international control in 1949. Despite this, most governmental offices moved to the city, explains this Time magazine article. Israel, during the Six-Day War in 1967, captured the eastern section of Jerusalem, which Jordan presided over, and declared Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration would be applied to the whole city. Israels action has been considered illegal under international law and was condemned by the UN, as well as other states. Israels Parliament Knesset passed a law in 1980 saying Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel, but the UN and most countries rejected this claim. Israel called UNs decision as unjust. Countries have their foreign embassies in Tel Aviv, Israels second largest city, and most of them refuse to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli territory. No country had an embassy in Jerusalem, but Trump is about to end that policy. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the US embassy. However, US leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander-in-chief issues a waiver on national security grounds, reports the Associated Press. In this Friday, October 2, 2015, file photo, Israeli border policeman exchanges blows with a Palestinian man during a confrontation after Friday prayers outside the Old City in Jerusalem. (AP) Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the head of the Arab League, urged the US to reconsider any recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, warning of repercussions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Parliament such recognition was a red line and that Turkey could respond by cutting diplomatic ties with Israel. Palestinian political factions led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah movement called for daily protest marches this week, starting Wednesday. East Jerusalem, now home to more than 300,000 Palestinians, was captured by Israel in 1967 and then annexed in a move most of the international community has not recognised. For a brief time, Bob Pazen thought he had been one of the lucky ones, a man whose house had somehow escaped the ferocious wind-driven fires that destroyed at least 150 other structures in his hillside neighbourhood overlooking this picturesque beachfront town. Pazen, his wife, son and their dog had fled just ahead of the raging flames Monday night, and when he returned Tuesday morning he was delighted to see their home still standing. But after leaving to move the cars hed left behind the night before, Pazen returned later Tuesday to discover the blaze had doubled back. The house was totally engulfed in flames, he said. His story was just one of many illustrating the unpredictability of the flames that had hop-scotched downhill toward the Pacific Ocean on Monday and Tuesday with devastating effect, destroying homes seemingly at random while leaving others untouched. Pazen had been sleeping when his son awakened him, shouting, Hey, get out of bed and lets go. A weather vane is pictured on a ranch during the Creek Fire in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, in Sylmar, California, US, December 5. (Reuters Photo) John Terrones was also asleep when he heard a noise outside about the same time his phone began to ring. It was his son calling to warn him a wildfire was heading right toward him. I went outside and looked, and I saw the flames coming over the hill, he said. He and his wife loaded their five dogs, some cash, jewelry and a few other items into their car and fled. From a safe distance, he watched as his neighbours house went up in flames while his was spared. I just watched it burn, burn, burn, he said. It got almost to our backyard. We got very lucky. David Rensin was another of the lucky ones. Hed stepped outside to check on things about an hour after the winds had knocked out power throughout his neighborhood. When he saw flames illuminating the full moon bright red he decided it was time to leave. Rensin, his wife and their cat spent a night in their car at an evacuation center at Venturas beachside county fairgrounds. As he looked up the hill at his neighborhood he was fairly certain his home was gone. He was grateful to find it untouched the next day. A resident holds a leaking hose on his burning property during the Creek Fire on December 5, 2017 in Sunland, California. (AFP Photo) Two blocks away the three-story Hawaiian Village apartment complex had burned to the ground. John and Linda Keasler had just enough time to grab an envelope with their passports and flee their first-floor apartment, leaving one of their two cars behind. They returned the next day to discover that the fire that reduced their entire 52-unit apartment complex to a smoldering pile of rubble had somehow spared their other car. She and her husband have lived in Ventura for two years, and they say they hope to remain in the city of 110,000 people 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. With its white sandy beaches and funky old downtown, its one of Californias best-kept beautiful secrets. Although disappointed she didnt think to grab two boxes containing childhood photos of her adult sons as she headed out the door, Keasler added there was nothing else in the couples apartment that cant be replaced. Those things we can always get back, she said. The truth is its just things, its just things, and thank God no one died. Pazen was similarly philosophical. Were alive and were healthy, he said. You can always rebuild. Its not a loss of life or anything. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his US counterpart Donald Trumps plan to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital today, saying it would not be tolerated. Rouhani also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone, describing Trumps announcement as wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous, according to an account posted on the Iranian governments website. He also agreed to attend a special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on December 13, which Erdogan called to discuss the issue. Rouhani had earlier been speaking at an international conference in Tehran promoting Islamic unity and marking the anniversary of the birth of Islams Prophet Mohammed. Iran will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities, he said in reference to Trumps Jerusalem announcement. Muslims must stand united against this major plot. Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke at the event, saying the US move was the result of paralysis and incompetence. The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated, Khamenei said. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Irans opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinian cause has been central to its foreign policy. The issue has again come to the fore in recent weeks amid rumours that regional rival Saudi Arabia has sought to build ties with Israel in order to better face down Irans growing influence. Iran was dedicated to building unity among Islamic countries, Khamenei said, but unfortunately there are rulers and elites in this region that dance to the tune of the US: they do whatever the US desires against Islam. His official Twitter account in English, which exists despite the messaging service being banned in Iran, later added: We advise them: the outcome of what some states, in region, are doing will be as Quran says, their own destruction. The Iranian account of Rouhanis conversation with Erdogan quoted the Turkish president as saying: Trumps insolence is a result of internal differences in the Islamic world. Now the Islamic world must demonstrate its unity and oppose this move, Erdogan reportedly said. President Donald Trumps move to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital on Wednesday could have deep repercussions across the region. Any recognition of Israels control over the city will be welcomed by Israel, a close American ally, and be popular with pro-Israel evangelical Christian voters who make up a key part of Trumps base. But it could also trigger violence in the region, derail a developing US Mideast peace plan before it even gets off the ground and infuriate key allies in the Arab world and in the West. Here is a look at why Jerusalem is such a sensitive issue: Conflicting claims Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the citys eastern sector, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as the capital of a future independent state. These rival claims lie at the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict is focused largely on the Old City, home to Jerusalems most important Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites, and in particular on a hilltop compound revered by Jews and Muslims. The compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the spot where the biblical Jewish Temples stood thousands of years ago and is considered the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and the iconic gold-topped Dome of the Rock. While Israel controls the city and its government is based there, its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. The international community overwhelmingly says the final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations. Why is Trump doing this? On the campaign trail, Trump took a strongly pro-Israel stance and promised to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries keep their embassies, to Jerusalem. Since taking office, he has learned that such a move is easier to talk about than to carry out. Under American law, the president must sign a waiver every six months that leaves the embassy in Tel Aviv. In June, Trump renewed the waiver, as a string of predecessors has done. This week, another six-month deadline passed without Trump renewing it. US officials say Trump will again sign the waiver but will also instruct the State Department on Wednesday to begin the multi-year process of moving the US embassy to the holy city. The officials say the recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital will be an acknowledgement of historical and current reality rather than a political statement but that moving the embassy will not happen immediately. The officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Trumps announcement beforehand. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital could allow Trump to say that he kept a campaign promise. It also will thrill Israel, whose prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is one of Trumps biggest supporters on the global stage. What effect will his declaration have? On the ground, very little will change. Netanyahus office and official residence are in Jerusalem, as are the countrys parliament, Supreme Court and Foreign Ministry. Visiting world leaders immediately travel to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli officials. For its residents, Jerusalem is an open city where Jews and Palestinians can move about freely, though in reality interaction between the sides is minimal and there are large disparities between wealthier Jewish neighbourhoods and impoverished Palestinian ones. But a US declaration carries deep symbolic meaning by essentially imposing a solution for one of the core issues in the conflict. How will this be received? Beyond the electoral concerns, there seems to be little upside for Trump in making a change. Trump likes to call an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement the ultimate deal, and he has invested significant effort in laying the groundwork for a peace initiative in the coming months. His son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, is leading that effort and a close aide, Jason Greenblatt, has crisscrossed the region for talks with Israelis, Palestinians and other Arab leaders. The Palestinians have warned that changing the status of Jerusalem would mean the end of those peace efforts. They also have warned of mass street protests something that could easily erupt into full-scale violence. International opposition to the move, including from key American allies, also has grown increasingly strident. In recent days, the European Union, Germany and France have all implored Trump not to take action on Jerusalem. The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation said changing Jerusalems status would amount to naked aggression against the Arab and Muslim world, and the head of the Arab League said it would be a dangerous measure that would have repercussions across the entire Middle East. Perhaps most significantly, Saudi Arabia spoke out strongly against the possible American step. The Saudis are a key American ally necessary for any attempt to forge a region-wide peace. Will there really be violence? Israeli security officials say they are monitoring the situation and prepared for all scenarios. Israel and the Palestinians also maintain discrete security ties in the West Bank that have helped prevent violence from escalating in recent years. Still, much of the violence between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the past 20 years has been connected to tensions in the holy city. The city experienced deadly riots in 1996 after Israel opened a new tunnel in the Old City. The second Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000 after then-opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount. More recently, the city experienced a wave of Palestinian stabbings in late 2015 in part because of growing numbers of visits by Jewish nationalists to the Temple Mount, and last summer, the city again experienced weeks of unrest when Israel tried to install security cameras next to the Al Aqsa Mosque after a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli police officers. _ A North Korean ballistic missile was seen by the crew of several airliners last week, aviation authorities said Wednesday, raising concerns about the threat to civilian flights posed by Pyongyangs unannounced tests. The North has conducted a flurry of missile tests this year in defiance of repeated international protests, including from aviation authorities. Pyongyang fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, which reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometres (2,780 miles) before splashing into the sea 950 kilometres (590 miles) east of its launch site, North Korean state media said. A Korean Air jet flying to Incheon from San Francisco reported to Japanese controllers that its flight crew saw a flash from what was believed to be the North Korean missile, a Korean Air spokesman told AFP. Four minutes later another Korean Air plane on a Los Angeles-Incheon flight also reported the same sighting to Japanese control, he said. A South Korean transportation ministry official, who wanted to remain unnamed, said the flight paths of both Korean airlines were some 220 kilometres (140 miles) away from where the missile landed. In the clean dark sky, you can see flashes from a missile from that long distance, he told AFP. A bright flame falling down Japans transport ministry also said air controllers in the country received reports of four such sightings. A Japan Airlines spokesman said the cockpit crew of one of its airliners, flying from Tokyo to London, saw a bright flame falling down over the sea of Japan. The reports from South Korea and Japan come after Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said Monday that the crew of its flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong saw what is suspected to be the re-entry of the North Korean missile. Cathay said there was no current plan to change air routes, saying its plane was far from the event location. In a message shared with staff, Cathay general manager Mark Hoey said the crew had described seeing the missile blow up and fall apart, the South China Morning Post reported. David C. Wright, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a report Tuesday that the Cathay crew most likely had seen the missiles first stage burn out and fall back to earth. Ignition of the second stage rocket engine and separation of the first stage may have looked like an explosion that caused the missile to fall apart, he wrote. Wright also said the flash seen by Korean pilots about an hour after the missiles launch would be consistent with the warhead heating up during reentry, since the missile flew for 53 to 54 minutes. North Korea stopped giving advance notice of its missile tests in 2014. The UNs International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October condemned the Norths continued unannounced missile launches, urging it to comply with international aviation standards to prevent risks. South Korean authorities said they warned airlines of a possible missile test a day before the launch based on intelligence reports, the transportation ministry official said. A fast-moving wildfire whipped by hot, dry Santa Ana winds destroyed hundreds of homes in and around Ventura, California, on Tuesday as thousands of residents were forced to flee ahead of the flames. The blaze, dubbed the Thomas Fire, broke out on Monday evening in the foothills above Ventura. Winds quickly drove it west into the city some 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles. By Tuesday evening it remained zero percent contained, and had charred more than 50,000 acres, fire officials said. A Los Angeles County firefighter sprays water on a burning house in a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo) California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, freeing state funds and resources to assist the more than 1,000 firefighters battling to save homes from the conflagration. This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but well continue to attack it with all weve got, Brown said in a statement. Its critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so. A news photographer takes pictures of a wildfire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo) There were no immediate reports of fatalities from the blaze but KABC-TV reported that one person was killed in a car crash while fleeing the area. The Los Angeles Times reported that a car hit a firefighter who was protecting homes from the flames. It said he was being treated in hospital. A water dropping helicopter flies over a hot spot on the Creek Fire in the Lake View Terrace area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo) Due to the intensity of the fire, crews are having trouble making access and there are multiple reports of structures on fire, officials said on Ventura Countys emergency management website. More than 250,000 homes were without power, utilities said. All schools in the Ventura Unified School District were closed. Firefighters battle to save one of many homes burning in an early-morning Creek Fire. (Reuters) The Thomas Fire was the largest of several large blazes that broke out across Southern California following the onset of the Santa Ana winds. In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, the so-called Creek Fire had blackened more than 11,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes and a convalescent centre north of Interstate 210. The highway remained open even as other roads were closed, officials said. Wildfire engulfs horse stables after an early-morning Creek Fire. (Reuters) Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a state of emergency in the city. Were chasing the fire, trying to get ahead of it, trying to get in front to provide structure defence, Los Angeles County Chief Deputy David Richardson told reporters at an afternoon briefing as thick black smoke drifted across the city. A firefighting helicopter passes by the smoke covered sun during the early-morning Creek Fire. (Reuters) The Santa Ana winds, which blow in from the California desert, were forecast to top out at 70 miles per hour (115 km per hour) and remain strong through the week. A firefighting helicopter tries to make a water drop in heavy winds after an early-morning Creek Fire. (Reuters) Pope Francis Wednesday defended the status quo of Jerusalem, hours ahead of an announcement by US President Donald Trump in which officials said he will recognise the disputed city as Israels capital. I cannot silence my deep concern over the situation that has emerged in recent days. At the same time, I appeal strongly for all to respect the citys status quo, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, the pope said in his weekly address. The Argentine pontiffs call came a day after he spoke by phone with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, the Vatican said without elaborating. Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred for Jews, Christians and Muslims, he said, adding that it was home to sites deemed holy by followers of the three major monotheistic faiths. Jerusalem, the pope said, holds a special vocation for peace. I pray to God that this identity is preserved and reinforced, for the sake of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the whole world, and that wisdom and prudence prevail, he said. The pontiff added that maintaining the status quo was important in order to avoid adding new elements of tension to an already volatile world that is wracked by so many cruel conflicts. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, overturning decades of US diplomacy and drawing sharp criticism from the world, especially Arabs and Muslims. The president also announced he had directed the state government to begin the process of relocating the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, that was in line with a 22-year-old US law that had passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and that fulfilled a major campaign promise. It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Trump said in prepared remarks from the White House, presenting the announcement as a major policy shift. My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The move has elicited sharp reaction from outraged Palestinians, who claim a major part of the historic city. This is a gift to Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian authority president, said in a televised address, and added, according to Al Jazeera, the United States could no longer play the mediator in Israel-Palestinian negotiations. Palestinian Liberation Organizations top negotiator Saeb Erekat told reports, This step is prejudging, dictating, closing doors for negotiations, and I think President Trump tonight disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process. Regional allies of the United States, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, had already expressed their dissent in the run up to the announcement, said it was dangerous and will complicate an already complex issue that has defied resolution for decades and make peace that much more difficult to achieve. But President Trump who had made the recognition of Jerusalem and relocation of the embassy a campaign promise had pressed on. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement, he said in the remarks that were along the lines previewed by administration officials on Tuesday. Trump maintained that the announcement did not impact any other aspect of the Israel-Palestine dispute, the negotiations and situation on the ground, and will not change the citys geographic and political borders, which will still be determined by Israel and the Palestinians. We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved, he said. Palestinians watch a televised broadcast of US President Donald Trump delivering an address in Jerusalem's Old City. (Reuters Photo) But, he added, Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace. West Jerusalem houses the Israeli Knesset, the supreme court, the home and offices of the president, the prime minister thats the reality Trump was referring to. But because its considered a disputed city, all countries with bilateral relations with Israel have their embassies in Tel Aviv, including India. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 war, and see it as the seat of their future nation. The announcement, which Trump said is a recognition of reality, reverses decades of US policy that had bipartisan purchase from Republican and Democratic administrations, neither of which moved to implement the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which was passed by an overwhelming majority in both houses and which mandated the state department to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing it as the capital of Israel. Allies in the region and outside have already protested, and will continue to, as reflected in statements emerging from their leaders. To them, the US president said, There will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation. Aware that tensions could flare because of his announcement the Palestinians had called for three days of rage in protest Trump called for for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts. President Donald Trump will announce on Wednesday that the United States recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, upending decades of American policy and disregarding public appeals and warnings from allies in the region and outside. Trump will also announce that the US is relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv, where most countries including India have their main diplomatic missions, to Jerusalem --- a process that, officials have said, could take upwards of three or four years. In recognition of the sensitive nature of the announcements, the United States is boosting the security of its facilities and officials and has warned its citizens to take adequate precaution where ever they were if travelling abroad. Trump conveyed his decision, which he will announce in a speech from the White House on Wednesday afternoon (11:30pm India time), to the leaders of the Palestinian National Authority, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and Israel in a series of phone calls through the day. Trump was told in unequivocal terms by all but Israel that the announcement would be a mistake and would complicate an already complex situation and make peace more difficult to achieve. Palestinians, who have claims on East Jerusalem, have announced the start of three days of rage in protest. French President Emmanuel Macron had conveyed his concerns to Trump earlier on Monday. Read more | Donald Trump moves ahead on Jerusalem-as-Israel capital: Explained Senior administration officials said the decision, which fulfils an important campaign promise, was an acknowledgement of the historical and current reality and insisted it will not have any bearing on the boundaries of future Israeli and Palestinian states as negotiated under a final status agreement and all other disputes. it doesnt change the status quo. Israel claims Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish nation for 3,000 years, and the citys western parts, called West Jerusalem, is the seat of the government, hosting the offices of the prime minister and many government departments and the Knesset, the countrys legislature. For a long time, the US position held ambiguity or a lack of acknowledgement in hopes of advancing the process of peace, one of three officials who briefed reporters said, and added, The physical location of the American embassy is not material to a peace deal. Its not an impediment to peace and its not a facilitator to peace. After having tried this for 22 years, an acknowledgement of reality seems like an important thing. The Jerusalem Embassy Act passed in 1995 enjoins upon the state department to move the US embassy to Jerusalem or suffer punitive budgetary cuts that US presidents since have waived every six months. Trump will do that again, but he will start the relocation. The world will be focussed on the region in the coming days as tensions are expected to flare with Palestinians, who look at East Jerusalem as the seat of their future nation and which the world recognizes as a disputed city, declared protests, starting Wednesday. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas conveyed his his opposition directly to Trump during their phone conversation that he would not accept it, according to news reports citing an adviser. King Abdullah of Jordan called Jerusalem the key to achieving peace and stability in the region and the world according to a statement, which went on to say, he stressed that the adoption of this resolution will have serious implications for security and stability in the Middle East, and will undermine the efforts of the American administration to resume the peace process and fuel the feelings of Muslims and Christians King Salman of Saudi Arabia told the US president, Such a dangerous step is likely to inflame the passions of Muslims around the world due to the great status of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. He also said, American announcement regarding the situation of Jerusalem prior to reaching a permanent settlement will harm peace talks and increase tensions in the area. And Egypts Abdel Fatah al-Sisi told Trump not to complicate the West Asia situation and that the announcement would undermine the chances of peace in west Asia. American officials who previewed the announcement claimed they didnt expect the peace process to be impacted and that considerable progress had been achieved by the team working on it let by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner most of which has gone unnoticed, away from public gaze. (With agency inputs) Lieutenant Lawrence Ruff, USS Nevadas communications officer, rose early that Sunday. He had turned in after the ships movie the night before, planning to attend church services on the hospital ship Solace. Since his transfer to Nevada, he had lived on board as a geographical bachelor, leaving his wife back on the West Coast. They had both decided that life in the islands, while idyllic, was too uncertain and potentially dangerous for a family household. Emerging on deck, Ruff stepped into another day in paradise. High clouds lingered over the Koolau Mountain Range to the east, but the sun had already burned off most of the early morning overcast. Lieutenant Ruff joined Father Drinnan in the boat headed for Solace. Chugging in leisurely fashion across Pearl Harbor, the launch deposited the two officers at Solaces accommodation ladder shortly before 7 a.m. Ruff waited in the officers lounge while Father Drinnan assisted in the preparation for services. Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), had most of his ships in port that Sunday. While his aircraft carriers were at sea delivering planes to some of Americas outlying Pacific islands, he felt it would be prudent to keep his remaining ships under the protective cover of land-based aircraft. Nests of destroyers bobbed together, tethered to mooring buoys about the harbor. The larger cruisers and auxiliaries rode alone or occupied the limited berthing space at the naval station. The heart of the fleet, seven battleships, rode at their moorings east of Ford Island. An eighth battleship, Pennsylvania, rested on blocks in dry dock No. 1. While the smaller ships swayed gently in the wind, the broad-beamed, immense battleships were unaffected by the lapping water. In the atmosphere of rising tensions with Japan, Admiral Kimmel wanted to keep his fleet concentrated for any eventuality. For the officers and men, Sunday in port meant holiday routine, with liberty for most of the men and reduced work schedules for those standing watch. As the tropical heat rose and the clouds retreated, December 7, 1941, promised to be an excellent day for relaxation. Nevada occupied berth Fox 8 alone at the northeast end of the line of battleships. At 583 feet long and 29,000 tons, Nevada and her sister ship Oklahoma were the smallest and oldest. Nevertheless, each possessed a powerful main battery of 10 14-inch guns. Twelve 5-inch guns, four 6-pounder anti-aircraft guns and eight .50-caliber machine guns provided anti-aircraft protection. Six Bureau Express oil-fired boilers powered a pair of Parsons turbines generating 25,000 shaft horsepower for a top speed of 20.5 knots. While Lieutenant Ruff waited for services to start, the reveille watch on Nevada polished brass, piped away breakfast and woke the forenoon watch. The assistant quartermaster of the watch woke Ensign Joseph K. Taussig, Jr., the forenoon officer of the deck, at 7 a.m. Taussig was the junior gunnery officer in charge of the starboard anti-aircraft batteries. He did not have to relieve the watch until 7:45 and had ample time to dress and eat breakfast. Ensign Taussig was descended from a proud naval family. His father and namesake had led the first American warships to Europe in World War I. Destroyer Squadron 8s six ships had barely arrived in Ireland following a rough North Atlantic passage when British Vice Adm. Sir Lewis Bayly asked when they would be available. Commander Taussig answered confidently, We are ready now, sir. Truly a fine example for the young Taussig to live up to. Taussig relieved the watch promptly at 7:45. His first duty of the day was to execute colors at 8 a.m. A 23-member band and color guard, with proper holiday colors for Sunday, stood ready. Taussig had to precisely follow the lead of the senior officer present afloat, Rear Adm. William R. Furlong on the minesweeper Oglala. At the proper signal, they would raise the national ensign aft and the blue, white-starred jack forward and play the national anthem, simultaneously. Taussig was determined to execute this ceremony in precise military fashion. The rest of the watch was easy in comparison. First call to colors sounded at 7:55. Few on deck noticed the planes buzzing around the harbor. The watch piped colors at 8 a.m., the flags went up and the band played. Only what they thought to be an inconsiderate Army aviator roaring low over Battleship Row marred the ceremony. But this was no ill-timed Army drill. At 7:40 a.m. Japanese naval aircraft, led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, approached Kahuku Point, the northernmost tip of the island of Oahu. There, the main force broke into smaller attack groups, each proceeding to its primary target. Fuchida, in a Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber, accompanied the high-level bombers. Nevada was his planes target. Torpedo bombers, dive bombers and high-level bombers formed up northwest of Kaena Point at 7:50. Five minutes later, the first bombs began to fall on both ships and Oahus shore installations. Midway through the Star-Spangled Banner on Nevada, the first bomb exploded on Ford Islands seaplane ramp. Hard on the heels of the first blast came several more. A torpedo struck USS Arizona, just ahead of Nevada. As the B5N torpedo bomber (later given the Allied code name of Kate) pulled up over Nevada, its rear gunner sprayed the fantail, shredding the flag but, amazingly, missing the tight ranks of bandsmen. Through shock, discipline or habit, the band members finished the anthem before rushing to their battle stations. Ships klaxons sounded all over the harbor, mixed with the wail of air-raid sirens from the nearby airfields. Smoke from fires and spray from near-misses obscured the sights of gunners bringing their mounts into action. Ensign Taussig rushed through the press of men to his battle station in the starboard anti-aircraft director. From there, he took charge of Nevadas defensive fire. The regularly manned fore and aft .50-caliber machine guns chattered, and a single 5-inch gun barked. Taussig plugged his sound-powered phones into the net, linking him with the other anti-aircraft stations. He found many of them already on the line. One 5-inch mount had been manned at the beginning of the raid for its daily systems check. Taussig calmly passed orders while guiding his director from target to target, but the system was inadequate to handle so many attackers. Surprised men scrambled up from below, struggling into their clothes. Shortly after 8 oclock, most of the guns were manned and firing but lacked good overall coordination. Despite the confusion, Nevadas gunners had already claimed a couple of enemy planes shot down, including a torpedo bomber off the port quarter. Marine Private Peyton McDaniel paused to watch a torpedo bear down on the ship. Though he expected it to break the ship in two, Nevada only shuddered and listed somewhat to port. Then a projectile crashed into Taussigs gun director, passed through his thigh and smashed the ballistics computer. In shock, the ensign felt no pain. His leg was shattered, and his left foot was lodged up under his armpit. Taussig commented absently, Thats a hell of a place for a foot to be. Ignoring his injury and refusing evacuation, Taussig tried to regain control of the gun mounts. While the guns could still fire in local control, Taussig knew that they would be much more effective in directed mode. Most of the connections between his director and the starboard guns were cut, but the wounded ensign continued to give visual spotting reports over his sound-powered phones. Far above, Commander Fuchida guided his bombers down Battleship Row. Although anti-aircraft fire increased steadily, most of the shells burst well below his planes. The gunfire and lingering high clouds frustrated the attackers, and Fuchidas bombardier reported that he could not see Nevada. Other planes reported similar difficulties, though some managed to drop their bombs. With resistance still largely ineffective, Fuchida did not want to rush the attacks, so he led his charges in a wide circle over Honolulu to make another run. This took only a few minutes, but on the second pass the northern end of Battleship Row was still obscured, this time by the blaze and thick, oily smoke from Arizona. Despairing of a clear shot at Nevada, Fuchida directed his pilot to try for another ship. Lieutenant Ruff remembered saying to himself, Uh oh, some fool pilot has gone wild, as he heard the first explosion from Solace. A short time later, he heard a roar and rushed to the starboard porthole in time to see Arizona erupt in a ball of flame. Leaving Father Drinnan behind, he commandeered one of Solaces launches, directing the coxswain back to Nevada. The small boat labored across the smoky harbor, strafed but unhit. Shouting above the din, Ruff guided the coxswain under Nevadas stern for protection from low-flying attackers. Moments later, he scrambled up the accommodation ladder to the quarterdeck. Ruff found himself in the midst of a full-blown shooting war. Minutes after Arizona had been torpedoed, a speeding Kate launched one into Nevada, tearing a 45-by-30-foot gash in her bow. The gunners labored to maintain a high volume of fire, but the Japanese aircraft seemed to attack with impunity. Fuses set for too low an altitude caused 5-inch shells to explode below many of the attackers. Lack of coordination reduced overall effectiveness. Ruff saw only a glimpse of this as he headed below to his general quarters station in radio central. On the way he passed Ensign Pops Jenkins at his damage control station near the galley, but they exchanged little more than a glance. Ruff trotted down the passageway, ducking through watertight doors. He reasoned that with Captain Francis Scanland and the executive officer ashore, Lt. Cmdr. Francis Thomas, the command duty officer, would need all the help he could get. Though unsure of Thomas location, Ruff realized that radio central would not play much of a role under the current circumstances. He changed direction and headed up to the navigation bridge. There, higher and more exposed, Ruff could feel the intense heat and smoke from Arizona. Upon reaching the bridge, Ruff found Quartermaster Chief Robert Sedberry on station. When the attack began, Chief Sedberry, on his own initiative, had ordered engineering to prepare to get underway. Since Nevada always kept one boiler steaming, she could sortie when most of the other large ships were resting at cold iron and could not. Ruff joined Sedberry in preparing the bridge, laying out charts and identifying navigable landmarks for a run to sea. Admiral Furlong had already signaled the fleet to sortie as soon as possible. None of the larger ships had yet attempted to do so. Establishing communications with Commander Thomas in Nevadas internal control station, deep in the bowels of the ship, Ruff detailed the conditions topside. He filled Thomas in on the sortie signal and his readiness on the bridge. Thomas had his hands full below, counterflooding to correct Nevadas port list, dispatching firefighting teams around the ship and supervising engineerings preparations to get underway. Ruff suggested that Thomas handle things belowdecks while he handled topside. Battling damage and a shortage of manpower, Thomas readily agreed. Time was running out for a sortie. A sheet of flames from Arizona rode a slick of fuel oil toward Nevadas bow. Despite the spirited defense organized by Taussig, assisted by Ensign T.H. Taylor in the port director, two or three bombs struck Nevada around 8:25. Inside the bridge, Lieutenant Ruff heard a faint voice calling, Let me in, let me in. Ruff opened the hatch leading to the bridge wing but found no one. Returning puzzled, he heard the voice again. After casting about for the location of the voice, Ruff and Sedberry traced it to the deck. They lifted the deck gratings and opened the access hatchand found Thomas, who had climbed the 80-foot access trunk from his control station. Mounting damage had convinced him that Nevada must attempt the sortie soon or be pounded under the water. Thomas had stabilized the ships damage to the best extent possible, so it was now or never. Ruff and Sedberry quickly briefed him, and within 15 minutes Nevada pulled away from Fox 8. By sheer luck, Thomas timed his departure perfectly. Between 8:25 and 8:40 there was a lull between the first and second strikes. With steam to the engines and the steering tested, Thomas directed that Nevadaget underway. Chief Boatswain Edwin Hill, led a few sailors to the moorings ashore to cast off the lines. Although hindered by Arizonas spreading fire, strafing planes and spent anti-aircraft shells falling around them, Chief Hill and his party quickly freed Nevada. They then dove into the treacherous waters and swam back to the ship. Thomas, Ruff and Sedberry now began the difficult maneuvers involved in getting the 29,000-ton battleship out of Pearl Harbor unassisted. As Ruff remembered, it usually took two hours to build steam in all boilers, and required several tugs, a civilian harbor pilot, the navigator and the captain to get underway. The three of them would attempt the channel passage alone, under attack, their ship damaged by both flooding and fires. Ruff found the prospect daunting. With Thomas conning, Ruff navigating and Sedberry manning the helm, Nevada eased back from her berth. Ruff aligned his landmarks on Ford Island and fed Thomas positions and recommended courses to steer. As Nevada headed fair into the South Channel, Ruff gazed in shock at the destruction of Battleship Row. Arizona blazed fiercely, forcing Nevadas sailors manning the starboard anti-aircraft batteries to shield the shells from the heat with their bodies. The deck crew still managed to throw a line to three sailors in the water. Wet and oily, they promptly joined the crew of the nearest 5-inch battery. Several of Ruffs U.S. Naval Academy classmates had been serving on Arizona, and he could only wonder if any had survived her destruction. West Virginia came into sight next. She had taken several torpedo hits, and she was settling into the mud on an even keel, thanks to rapid counterflooding. Oklahoma had turned turtle, trapping many sailors inside. Tennessee and Maryland were moored inboard and had escaped torpedo damage. Still, smoke rose from both of them. Finally, Nevada steamed past California, the flagship of the battle force. Flames surrounded her and she, too, was settling on an even keel. Nevada cleared the end of Battleship Row just before 9 a.m. Ahead lay the dredge Turbine and its pipeline attached to Ford Island. Maneuvering through the narrow space between the dredge and 1010 Dock would be challenging on a normal day. Now time was running out; the second wave of Japanese planes began to arrive in force. Attacks on Nevada intensified, and Chief Sedberry didsome real twisting and turning to make Nevada a difficult target and avoid the dredge. Planes destined for Pennsylvania dove on Nevada instead. If they could sink her, they could bottle up the South Channel or, better yet, the main channel off Hospital Point, for months. Nevadas gun crews threw up the stiffest barrage they could, but Aichi D3A1 dive bombers scored numerous hits and near-misses. Casualties mounted in the gun crews. Flying splinters raked the decks, and fires set off ready ammunition. Boatswains Mate A. Solar, who had taken charge of his mount until its officers arrived, fell to shrapnel. Seaman 1st Class W. F. Neundorf, gun captain of No. 6 gun, also died at his post. Most of the bombs struck forward, making a shambles of the forecastle. Ruff, Thomas and Sedberry hung on. Their bombs jolted all Hell out of the ship, Ruff remembered. My legs were literally black and blue from being knocked around by the explosions. Still, the officers on the bridge hoped that they might make it to open water. Then, a signal from Vice Adm. W.S. Pye, the battle force commander, ordered Nevada not to exit the harbor because of reported enemy submarines. Committed to their present course and continuing to absorb heavy punishment, Thomas and Ruff decided to nose her into the mud off Hospital Point so that she would not be sunk in the channel. Hits to the forecastle had wrecked the anchor windlass and killed many in the deck crew, including Chief Hill, who was blown over the side. Once aground, securing the ship there might prove impossible. Fortunately, Ruff could still talk to the boatswains mate standing by the stern anchor on the fantail. Fires raged around the conning tower, threatening to cut him off, so Ruff relayed the plan as quickly as possible. Heedless of the danger on the open fantail, the young sailor promised to wait for Ruff to wave his hat, the signal to let go the anchor. Passing out of the channel between buoy No. 24 and floating dry dock YFD-2, Ruff backed the engines full, then hastened to the bridge wing, waving his hat out over the side. With a clatter and a cloud of rust, the stern anchor plunged into the water and took hold. At 9:10, Nevada came to rest at Hospital Point. Thomas then turned his full attention to damage control, while Ruff headed aft to assess conditions topside. Five minutes later, he met Captain Scanland boarding at the quarterdeck. The captain had left his home in Honolulu as the first bombs fell, fighting his way through the chaos in the streets to commandeer a launch and chase down his command. With the second-wave attacks nearly spent, firefighting and flood control became paramount. Tugboats sent by Admiral Furlong arrived alongside, bringing their hoses into action against the fires that raged from stem to almost amidships. For a time, only the tugs could fight the fires because most of Nevadas fire mains had been ruptured. Thomas directed his damage-control parties to splice or patch the critical ones forward. After directing Ruff to report Nevadas status to Admiral Kimmel, Scanland headed forward to find Thomas, and Ruff boarded the launch that had brought Scanland. As the coxswain picked his way through smoking debris, Ruff saw Arizona, still blazing as fiercely as when they had passed her half an hour before. Californiaalso burned steadily. Shaw, the destroyer perched in YFD-2, added to the pall. Her forward magazine had exploded shortly after Nevada had grounded. Finally, great columns of smoke billowed skyward from the major airfields surrounding Pearl. Even from lowly sea level, the destruction appeared complete. Back on Nevada, as the attacks ceased, the gun crews joined in the battle to save the ship. Sweating, smoke-grimed sailors gradually gained the upper hand over the fires. Individually, officers and sailors secured their immediate areas. Ensign Taylor climbed down from his gun director to lead the firefighting on the port gun deck. Hindered by shattered eardrums, Taylor directed hose teams to spray red-hot ready ammunition boxes before they exploded. Escape proved considerably more difficult for Taussig. His men finally convinced him to relinquish his post, where he had fought on despite his serious wounds. Now fires licked up and around the upper works, blocking the ladders to the starboard director. Eager sailors rigged a line to lower Taussigs stretcher directly to the deck. The young ensign remained conscious and coherent as pharmacists mates worked to stabilize his injuries. With no bow anchors to hold her fast, Nevada might still slide back and block the South Channel. At 10:35, with the damage situation under control, Scanland prepared to move Nevada to a safer haven well clear of the shipping channels. Two tugs pushed her stern around until her bow slid free, then accompanied her across the channel to Waipio Point, where she grounded herself stern first at 10:45. Nevada rested there until February 1942, when she was floated for repairs. She later returned to service. Meanwhile, Ruff had arrived at CINCPAC headquarters to find a somber staff sorting out the details of the attack and grasping for some means of retaliation. Admiral Kimmel questioned Ruff personally, his calm demeanor barely masking the anguish he obviously felt. Ruff had hardly returned to Nevada when Scanland sent him back to report the grim initial damage assessment. At least one torpedo and five bombs had hit Nevada, mostly forward. Numerous near-misses had added to the hull damage. Engineering was flooded, salting the boilers and much of the steam piping. Though she had sortied, Nevada was now neither battle-worthy nor seaworthy. Some stubborn fires burned on and would not be completely extinguished until 6:30 p.m. Ruff made several more trips between headquarters and Nevada. He acted as Captain Scanlands pointman ashore, organizing necessary services for the ship and crew. Most important, the crew needed shelter and sustenance. The wounded received top priority, evacuating to Solace or the base hospital. Ensign Taussig was on one of the first boats. He would lose his left leg and spend the remainder of the war in the hospital. With the ship in such bad shape, Ruff arranged shore billeting for the crew in the bases open-air theater. Captain Scanland left a skeleton crew aboard to serve as a reflash watch and to perform critical repairs to keep the ship defensible. Thomas remained aboard, directing much of that work. In fact, Scanlands after-action report offered high praise of Thomas, a naval reservist, not only for his skillful handling of the ship during the attack but also for his dogged repair efforts. Two days after the attack, Thomas was on the verge of collapse from almost continuous work with no sleep. As darkness fell, Lieutenant Ruff bedded down with the crew at the theater. Exhausted, he could only gaze into the night sky, pondering the few short hours that had shattered this tropical paradise. Friends had died, Nevada lay aground, and the war he and his wife had feared was upon them with stormlike fury. Reeking, oily smoke hung over Pearl, and the glow of fires was still visible all around. In the darkness, the desperate day finally ended. Author Mark J. Perry has conducted extensive research on the Pearl Harbor attack and its aftermath. For further reading, try: At Dawn We Slept, by Gordon W. Prange; and Day of Infamy, by Walter Lord. This article originally appeared in the January 98 issue of World War II. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Artists from all disciplines pitched in, like so many other people, with the array of Hurricane Harvey rescue and relief efforts - mucking out houses, demolishing sheetrock, hauling trash, donating money and clothing and food and other goods - often ignoring their own losses. They also gave in ways that only artists can, doing what they do best. Few nights at Miller Outdoor Theatre have been as emotional as the quickly cobbled-together concert staged Sept. 27 by the companies of Houston's storm-hobbled Theater District to benefit the Mayor's Harvey Relief Fund. The all-volunteer show itself was a spectacularly uplifting gift to the city. GalleryHOMELAND founder Paul Middendorf, one of the hometown heroes recognized that night for his Herculean efforts during the storm, went way beyond his comfort zone, though. Collaborating with friends, he gave himself a Harvey project that continues to do good even beyond Houston. Middendorf and Maggie Dillard Judge co-founded the Houston Rescue Clinic, an organization that began as an emergency provider of medical supplies and vaccines for first responders and rescuers but soon morphed into much more, and they're not finished. They're now collaborating with the Montrose Center to ensure that those suffering post-traumatic stress syndrome or compassion fatigue have access to treatment; and with Legacy Community Health to educate people about vaccines and respiratory issues. Data from their storm work, much of which was done through the app Zello, was adapted by rescue teams in Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. And they hope to help government officials build a strong model for citizen rescue and relief efforts in the future. Middendorf and Judge, who have known each other about a year, were miles apart when Harvey hit. Both dove into work, on overdrive, during the first days. Middendorf and artist Zach Moser, who live in the city's East End, grabbed a canoe and went looking for people to rescue in Fifth Ward, and then West Houston. Early on, they had only a Google map of the flooding to follow. It looked like every neighborhood had a life-threatening situation. "You just had to just pick the worst one and try to find your way out there," Middendorf said. "The city and county services were so inundated. Every government agency was there, but they needed help." With the canoe in the bed of his truck, he drove through 4-foot deep water, mud and debris. He and Moser weren't alone, of course. By Day 2, civilian rescuers had police escorts on the freeways and were allowed to remove barriers, at their own risk, to help get evacuees to dry ground. "The water was always rising, and there was a current," Middendorf said. "When the water gets to a certain height, you can't open any doors, so we had to rescue people from balconies and second-story windows. In some neighborhoods, we were canoeing over cars." Meanwhile, Judge, a registered nurse who lives on the city's north side, near Spring Creek, was stranded at home with her four young daughters as the neighborhood all around them flooded. They have lived in Houston about six years, so Harvey was their first hurricane. Judge could see on her neighborhood's Facebook page that others who were stranded needed medical help. She reached out to other area professionals and built a spreadsheet of medical providers in different neighborhoods. "We had a lot of pregnant ladies. Luckily we also had labor and delivery nurses," Judge said. With her daughters in tow, she also made her way to hastily assembled clinics at nearby evacuation shelters, where she could see that supplies were either short or over-supplied. "So I became like the caravan, bringing things where they were needed," she said. By Day 6, as some Houstonians were beginning to shift from rescue to recovery mode, Middendorf - who had been pulling 18-hour rescue shifts - had moved on to Beaumont and Port Arthur, where he spent a night in a convoy camp, "a boating tent city." That's where he learned that he would no longer be allowed in the floodwaters. Officials told the boat crews that water in some Houston neighborhoods was contaminated "off the charts," full of dangerous bacteria, raw sewage and chemicals. No rescuer who had blisters or cuts would be allowed back in, because even a tiny skin break could lead to a life-threatening infection. To Middendorf, that sounded like just about every rescue worker he knew. "We were all climbing over broken car windows and through fences to get to people," he said. Feeling crushed, he drove back to Houston. But instead of resting, he called Judge and asked what they might be able to do to help other rescuers get tetanus and hepatitis shots and antibiotics they would need. The Houston Rescue Clinic was born. Middendorf already had been volunteering during his "off" hours as an administrator-dispatcher, through the Zello app's Houston Rescue Coordination Channel made famous by the Cajun Navy. So he just shifted into a new mode there. Within a day, the clinic had an operating space at Midtown Kitchen, thanks to landlord Adam Brackman. Judge had delivered a carload of antibiotics and vaccines donated by a doctor in The Woodlands and a pharmaceutical company where she had once worked. Within two days, the clinic served its first 30 or 40 people - mostly first responders and relief people. Judge, nurse Susan Franz and physicians assistant Lisa Wheeler, who came from North Carolina to help, did the assessments and paperwork. The clinic also became a clearing house for information, even helping city officials who couldn't have boots on the ground everywhere. Then, just as quickly - when Hurricane Irma landed - some of the clinic's early supporters shifted to Florida. Promised donations fell through. Again, it would have been easy to just call it quits. Middendorf and Judge instead hit the streets, taking the clinic to the rescuers, securing a location in Montrose to store the truckloads of donated medical supplies that were arriving daily and organizing medical convoys to other cities. The needs seemed overwhelming; ultimately far more than a few volunteers could handle. After a friend connected Middendorf with Legacy Community Health, the rescue clinic began referring people there for medical attention, health screenings and vaccines. Three or four weeks in, Judge and Middendorf knew they needed to get back to their own jobs and lives. But Middendorf couldn't shake thoughts about people who had died in the floods, wondering if people he hadn't been able to rescue had survived. "You think, 'Was that the person I said I'd be back to get?' " he said. "You can't sleep when you know there's more people. You can't do enough." He also realized the clinic's work wasn't over yet, aware that he wouldn't be the only rescue worker experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder or compassion fatigue. Soldiering on, he turned to the Montrose Center to help organize free group therapy sessions for relief workers through the end of the year. The rescue clinic operation is now sending leftover medical supplies to devastated Caribbean countries and educating Houstonians about respiratory issues caused by exposure to black mold and other airborne toxins in damaged buildings - a condition health experts call the "Harvey hack." Middendorf and Judge also are thinking about what's next for their fledgling organization, knowing their lessons and data can be useful again. "Seeing house after house, street after street, neighborhood after neighborhood piled high with everything people have ever owned - it hurt my soul," Judge said. She and Middendorf, who has set up a Facebook page for Houston Rescue Coordination, want to see all the facets of civilian rescue better organized. Middendorf is grateful that Houston's city officials welcomed civilian help. "It didn't happen like that in Florida and Puerto Rico," he said. "We're working with them now to help make this better - not just medical, but rescue coordination, supplies and food. They basically had about 30,000 volunteers at their disposal, but there was no one to organize it." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Many of the country's largest oil and gas drillers said Tuesday they will voluntarily reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, even as the Trump administration takes steps to roll back existing environmental regulations targeting those emissions. Under a voluntary program announced by the American Petroleum Institute, 26 companies would begin implementing new standards that include employing advanced leak detection technology and replacing older equipment prone to leaks across their U.S. operations. Among the participants are oil majors such as Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell, and indepdendents such as Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of The Woodlands and EOG Resources of Houston. "The industry is proactively doing something to enhance the improvements we've already made," said Greg Guidry, executive vice president for unconventional production at Shell."There's no question by targeting the areas that joint industry and EPA studies have shown to be the most problematic for emissions, we can continue to improve." The announcement comes as governments in Europe and across much of the world clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions to try to prevent the worst consequences of climate change, which scientists say is likely to cause oceans to rise and weather patterns to shift. President Donald Trump has bucked that movement, moving to pull the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate accord, signed by almost every other country in the world. At the same time, his administration has worked to roll back climate change regulations put in place by former President Barack Obama, including a regulation adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency that would force operators of new oil and gas wells to take greater steps to control methane leaks. Guidry said the voluntary program developed by API would go one step further than the EPA regulation, in that it would include not just new wells but existing wells - something the Obama administration was pursuing when Trump took office in January. "There's a heck of a lot more existing facilities," he said. "Most companies today, when they're building new facilities, are already using the latest technology." But the announcement did little to assuage criticism of the oil and gas industry for its longstanding fights against climate change regulation, including its determined opposition to the Obama administration's efforts to lower methane emissions. "This is nothing but a cynical ploy for public goodwill as API continues to work with Donald Trump and (EPA Administrator) Scott Pruitt to undermine the effective, common-sense methane safeguards that are required by law," said Kelly Martin, director of the Sierra Club's anti-fossil fuel campaign. "This voluntary program falls far short of what is necessary to protect our communities and our climate from the dangers of methane pollution, and API knows it." For now at least, the impact of the program will be limited by participation. Even with big names like Exxon Mobil on board, the majority of U.S. oil and gas production continues to come from companies that produce less than $5 million worth of oil and gas each year, a group largely absent from names published by API. Mark Berg, executive vice president of corporate operations at Pioneer Natural Resources, said the hope was this initial group would provide an example to other companies by publishing data on the program and sharing best practices. "In the year ahead, the environmental partnership will be working to build on this sold foundation," he said. "There continues to be a tremendous amount of focus on methane emissions." United Parcel Service is expecting slight delays in package deliveries through midweek after a surge in e-commerce sales swamped its network after Thanksgiving. Online orders on Cyber Monday and the days after overwhelmed expectations, UPS spokesman Steve Gaut said Tuesday, causing a "bubble" to develop at certain package centers. Heavy volumes forced one- or two-day delays for certain items ordered last week. The company worked over the weekend to catch up. Much of the backlog is already cleared, and UPS doesn't expect to miss Christmas deadlines because of it, Gaut said. "The bubble has worked its way through the system, and we expect everything to be back in line with our forecasts by tomorrow," Gaut said. UPS has been preparing for months to handle the spike in deliveries during the peak holiday season, implementing a 27-cent surcharge for the first time on packages shipped to U.S. residences over certain weeks. The company also expects to add 95,000 temporary workers. The shopping surge prompted the company to notify many of its drivers that they would be required to work as many as 70 hours over an eight-day spell, Gaut said. Sixty hours over a seven-day period is more typical during peak season. Drivers are entitled to an extended rest following that period. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said that UPS made that move without first consulting the local unions representing employees. "This is, after all, the third consecutive year in which Cyber Monday purchases have overwhelmed the company's capacity to deliver packages for the holidays," Teamsters General President James Hoffa wrote in a letter to UPS Chief Executive Officer David Abney on Monday. UPS has implemented the temporary 70-hour workweek over eight days in the past, although it is using it more broadly around its network this year, Gaut said. News of the delays at Atlanta-based UPS was reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal. The courier's Express unit delivered 89 percent of packages by the end of the expected delivery day between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2, compared with an on-time rate of more than 99 percent at FedEx Corp., according to ShipMatrix Inc., a data provider that tracks shippers' performance. UPS's Cyber Monday week performance was at least 95 percent in the previous four years, according to ShipMatrix. The survey only measures UPS's Express deliveries and does not measure its much larger Ground unit. Gaut declined to make any internal UPS on-time statistics available. UPS delivers almost double the volume of packages over peak season that FedEx does. UPS expects to deliver 750 million packages globally during peak season, compared with as many as 400 million at FedEx, according to each company's forecast. FedEx alerted customers that Monday night storms at its airline hub in Memphis, Tennessee, disrupted sorting and flight operations and could delay some shipments Tuesday. "FedEx is proud of the outstanding service we've been able to provide during the first week of the peak holiday season," the company said by email. FedEx is "well-positioned" to meet expected record demand, it said. Boundary-pushing companies seeking to mine asteroids or build moon bases could face a stubbornly terrestrial challenge: getting regulatory approval for activities that are more common in science fiction than traditional business plans. By international treaty, the federal government is responsible for regulating private U.S. commercial activity in space. But while specific agencies oversee launches, satellite operations and the collection of data through remote sensing from Earth's orbit, it is unclear who has jurisdiction over other endeavors. "What we're starting to see now is a lot of companies coming up with new ideas moon bases, asteroid mining, lots of exciting ideas," George Nield, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration, said Tuesday. "But the question then becomes: Who in government is responsible to authorize and continuously supervise those kind of activities?" In a panel discussion during the third annual Space Commerce Conference and Exposition, Nield said the FAA has volunteered to regulate these new endeavors but has not yet been given authority. He said he worries a U.S. failure to clarify its process could encourage domestic innovators in the burgeoning private space sector to move to countries with less regulatory uncertainty. "We want to be able to say 'Yes' to these companies rather than, 'Gee, I'm sorry. I don't know who is supposed to look at that, but we're not able to help you,' " Nield said. The SpaceCom event highlights the intersecting technologies of the aerospace, energy, medical, maritime, advanced manufacturing and agribusiness sectors. It's expected to draw more than 2,000 to the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown though Thursday. Attendance should be slightly higher than last year, which pleased SpaceCom's executive director, James Causey, considering the impact of recent hurricanes on two large space markets: Texas and Florida. He added that sponsorship dollars are up significantly, and this year's event has 118 exhibiting or sponsoring companies. NASA's acting administrator, Robert M. Lightfoot Jr., praised the evolution in commercial space. "It's kind of a watershed time as our commercial partners and commercial space in general come of age," he said. Lightfoot also praised the commercial sector for launching rockets on U.S. soil and for its prolific use of cube satellites. He also highlighted its partnership with NASA to one day get crews to the International Space Station through the Commercial Crew Program and focusing on deep space exploration through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships, or NextSTEP. "I look at our annual budget, and I see the diversity of activities and aspirations at a gathering like this," he said. " It's clear that we have to look at our work beyond the traditional ways of doing things. This very much is an 'and' not an 'or.' It can't be NASA or industry. It can't be big companies or small companies. It's got to be both." Government expenditures made up less than a quarter of a global space economy that was approaching $350 billion in 2016, said Carissa Christensen, CEO of Bryce Space and Technology. She said satellite services, including direct-to-home TV, Wi-Fi on planes and navigation products accounted for much of that. Meanwhile, investment in startup space companies has been growing, approaching $3 billion each year for the past few years. "It's unprecedented venture investment," Christensen said. "It's not coming from major institutions and banks and giant corporations. It's coming from investors that fund more entrepreneurial businesses." She said 2015 and 2016 saw several mega-deals, including a $1 billion investment by Google and Fidelity Investments in SpaceX. Roughly the same amount of money was invested both years, although there weren't as many deals in 2016. That could mean investors are putting more money into new ventures or putting additional money into maturing ones. Mega-deals haven't been as prominent this year, she said, but venture capital investment has been consistent. Christensen cited three reasons for the uptick in venture capital. The first is cost. Small electronics developed for smartphones and computers have made it more affordable to create small satellites. Venture capitalists are willing to invest tens or hundreds of millions of dollars rather than the several billion that historically was required. The second reason is the potential for massive financial returns. New insights can be sold to businesses and consumers when global satellite imagery is combined with advanced computing power and data analytic tools, such as machine learning. Finally, Christensen said, investors are encouraged that billionaires and business superstars, like Amazon and Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos or Tesla and SpaceX's Elon Musk, are investing their time and money in space ventures. Moving forward, she said, companies will need to start showing profits - or be acquired for huge amounts - to show the industry is sustainable. The future of government's role in private space, outside of regulation, was also discussed. Richard DalBello, a vice president for Virgin Galactic, discussed that topic during a panel on commercial space policy. "When it comes to the commercial sector, you have to trust that the marketplace is going to continue to work," he said. "The government's role isn't to make winners. The government's role is to be a smart buyer." Stages Repertory Theatre plans to build a $30.5 million theater complex to bolster its position as the city's largest performing arts nonprofit outside of the downtown Theater District a move to improve not only the company's artistic freedom, but also provide an amenity for the surrounding north Montrose neighborhood. The company wants the 66,850-square-foot proposed building, which features three stages and a two-story parking garage, to be more than a theater. "We want to change this idea that a performance space opens itself for 90 minutes a night," said Managing Director Mark Folkes "We want to, rather, create a dynamic gathering space, where there can be post-performance open mic cabaret." The plan by Gensler, an architecture firm known for modern, open-concept workspaces, aims to buck traditional practices while promoting contemporary trends in architecture. Rather than develop entirely from the ground up, the construction will reclaim an unused art warehouse located at 800 Rosine St., across D'Amico Street from Stages' existing home, and retain the warehouse's polished stone floor and exposed ceiling for an industrial-chic look. The garage and the two main theaters will be built adjacent to the warehouse. Folkes said the lobby will be used for anything. The space, which overlooks a campus-style lawn, will be able to house coffeeshops, writing sessions, meetings and impromptu performances. Instead of laying out a surface-level parking lot for the open area in front of the warehouse, Stages will create a grass-laden plaza to invoke the feeling of a campus. The move is partly motivated by a desire to improve the quickly-developing neighborhood of industrial spaces, retail shops and new apartment complexes. "This will be transformative for the neighborhood," Folkes said. Groundbreaking is planned for summer 2018. An opening date is set for the fall of 2019. Plans for a big move have been in the works at Stages since 2015. In May of 2016, the group purchased the lot at 800 Rosine St. This fall, the theater company had raised $20 million toward it $30.5 million goal when a gift from Glenda and Russell Gordy pushed the organization to announce the project. The couple, longtime fans of Stages and owners of a range of properties along Buffalo Bayou, has pledged $5 million to match every donation for the building, which will be called the Gordy. Stages is currently located at 3201 Allen Pkwy., the historic Star Engraving Building that has served as the company's home since 1985. The company is in plans to sell it to a buyer who aims to preserve the structure. As Stages grew over the decades as an organization, the size of its theaters stayed the same to preserve intimacy, said Artistic Director Kenn McLaughlin. But the building itself has turned into a place with many challenges. On a recent afternoon, the cast of "Panto Cinderella" spilled out into the lobby due to lack of rehearsal space. Inside the theaters, beams block the audience's view, creating headaches both for unlucky audience members and the artists that must design sets around the beams. McLaughlin said Stages often hears complaints about parking, temperature control (the theater has a reputation for being cold) and the number of bathrooms. The move to the Gordy aims to fix all these issues. By moving to the new property, Stages' building will increase from 32,000 to 67,000 square feet, from 83 parking spaces to 343, from 25 toilets to 56 and from 403 total audience seats to 618. The Gordy also more than doubles Stages' studio and multi-purpose event space, as well as expanding its lobby to a 3,480 square feet gathering area. The theaters are designed by Charcoalblue, a UK-based consultancy responsible for the theaters for New York's St. Ann's Warehouse and Roundabout Theatre as well as the National Theatre of London. Of the two larger stages at the Gordy, one is in the thrust style, featuring a slightly elevated stage that juts out into the audience. The second is an arena style stage, meaning audiences wrap around a center stage, looking at the actors from all four directions. McLaughlin said the measurements of the theaters bring the audience as close to the stage as possible. "Neither of these spaces exist in Houston, these intimate theaters with balconies created like this," said McLaughlin, moving his thumb over a sketch of the 253-seat thrust stage. McLaughlin hopes that a modern, innovative building will open up the opportunity to host art of the same nature. Having three theaters which is more permanent theaters than any other a single professional nonprofit theater company in Houston could allow Stages to house popular shows indefinitely, a model for theater that is popular on Broadway but rarely seen in nonprofit theater, which generally relies on a season of regularly rotating productions. Having a third stage, a 138-seat movable space in the warehouse, could allow Stages to keep best-selling shows like "The Marvelous Wonderettes" running, making room for edgier productions on the mainstage. Though the new complex's benefits to audiences and the neighborhood are many, McLaughlin said, the move has always been about creating art. "That was always our first priority," he said." The biggest chunk of change was always going to the theaters." They look like traditional wood-burning barrel smokers, but a new generation of pellet grills (they grill and smoke) is changing the way backyard barbecue enthusiasts approach the often laborious, all-day exercise of smoking meat. In this week's BBQ State of Mind podcast, Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid and food editor Greg Morago sit down with Ryan Zboril of Houston's Pitts & Spitts one of Texas' leading makers of custom smokers and grills to learn more about the apparatus. Pellet grills have become must-have barbecue equipment over the past several years, by simplifying the traditional offset smoker process with clever automation that controls temperature and manually feeds the fire using wood pellets that burn evenly and produce the smoke of your choice. Pitts & Spitts is rolling out a new high-tech version that will surely appeal to the mad scientist side of backyard barbecue warriors. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure. For as long as I can remember, I've always had a thing for made-for-TV Christmas movies. You know the ones I'm talking about: tried-and-true rom-com films that feel like an elevator pitch for a movie hybrid - "It's 'Mean Girls' meets Christmas!" (a real movie called "Christmas Crush," by the way) - with actors who are just familiar enough that you probably don't remember their names. These are not your mama's chick flicks, and they're certainly not Nora Ephron's. But there's usually a somewhat plucky female lead whose shoes I could easily walk a mile in, who meets cute with some guy who is somehow down to earth and generically good looking in the Calvin Klein-model way, yet always underappreciated and overlooked by the other sex. This female lead is a go-getter who "doesn't have time for love right now," (but definitely does have time to blow out her hair perfectly, every damn morning - which, honestly, is mystifying). He's a sweet-as-pie foil to the snobby finance dude she's been dating for the past couple years. And over the course of almost exactly 90 minutes, they weave a tale of cookie-cutter true love that wipes my mind of all the Gloria Steinem I've ever read and fills me with pure hope that this marriage plot will work out. I get so invested in these movies that last week I found myself yelling "Kiss him!" at the TV during "Love at the Christmas Table," which stars Winnie from "The Wonder Years" and Ethan from the millennial reboot of "90210," because of course it does. It's so easy to be snarky about these movies, which dominate the schedules of Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel this time of year. And yet, here I am: warm, fuzzy socks kicked up onto the coffee table, settling in for the umpteenth movie this season. In fact, I've watched so many of them on Netflix that the streaming site's algorithm now suggests I add "Christian Mingle: The Movie" to my must-watch list. Does that make me want to re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about myself? Absolutely. Will it keep me from watching Zach from "Saved by the Bell" and the blonde girl from "Varsity Blues" risk it all for true love in "Groundhogs Day Meets Christmas" ("The 12 Dates of Christmas")? No way. Pass the cocoa, because I am here for that. If you're like me, and you've watched enough of these movies to wonder just how many toy stores/bakeries/Christmas tree farms in danger of going out of business can possibly be owned by lovesick 20-somethings, you've noticed the similarities and formulaic scripts - like all the writers are working off the same Mad Libs sheet. That's why I've created this Christmas Movie Bingo board: Keep it on the coffee table when you queue up your next holiday rom-com, and check off each square as it comes up. Believe me, it will fill up quicker than you think. And when it does, tweet us a photo with the hashtag #ChronBingo, and let us know which movies did the trick! Christmas, TV-movie style As if you needed a reminder when these Christmas-themed TV movies air. Still, here's a list to keep you warm on the couch this weekend. "My Christmas Prince" 9 p.m. Thursday, Lifetime "With Love, Christmas" 6 p.m. Thursday, Hallmark Channel "Switched at Christmas" 4 p.m. Friday, Hallmark Channel "Christmas in Mississippi" 7 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime "The Christmas Trap" 9 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime "The Christmas Cottage" 6 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark Channel "Marry Me at Christmas" 8 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark Channel "Sharing Christmas" 6 p.m. Sunday, Hallmark Channel "A Christmas Reunion" 7 p.m. Sunday, Lifetime See More Collapse Click here to download the Christmas Movie Bingo Card. A man was killed and two were injured, including a baby, in a shooting in west Houston early Tuesday morning, police said. About 2:30 a.m., unknown suspects fired several shots through a window at the El Paraiso Apartments at 7700 Corporate, striking three people inside, said Houston Police Department Lt. Larry Crowson. Forget the lip service on flooding reforms after Hurricane Harvey. Where's the action? This is a question you'd expect a flooded homeowner to ask. And maybe an environmental lawyer. But even Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is asking it, despite the fact that he and his fellow commissioners passed some significant new flood regulations this week. The regulations, including more stringent elevation requirements in floodways in unincorporated areas, are progress, no doubt. But compared to the most devastating flooding event in American history, they're a drop in the bucket. Emmett will be the first to admit this. Instead of crowing about the reforms, he focused on what is not getting done. That includes many of the items on his list of priorities, from building a third reservoir, which has wide support, to expensive home buyouts in flood-prone areas, which will be among the hardest to achieve. "There are so many," he said of the buyouts. "It's costly, it's time-consuming and it's agonizing. Not everyone wants to be bought out, and a lot of people do." He says he's in the process of reorganizing his staff to make sure they're staying on top of flooding reforms he has proposed. But he said many of the proposals require action from the state and federal governments, which aren't moving fast enough. "I'm probably within a month of being really agitated," Emmett said. "But I know the process has to work." He pointed out how state leaders have refused to dip into the $10 billion rainy day fund, a state savings account, but said they assured people they would instead opt for the Legislative Budget Board to redirect funding from state agencies and then repay it with legislative approval in 2019. But that hasn't happened. Just this week in a Senate committee meeting, a Dallas senator suggested a special legislative session to dip into rainy day funds to help thousands of Texans, some living in tents, with immediate housing needs. The comment drew silence from his fellow committee members, the Houston Chronicle's Mike Ward reported. Emmett is frustrated that Gov. Greg Abbott won't consider using rainy day funds at least to jump start a third reservoir, which has wide bipartisan support in the area affected by Harvey. "I don't know why the state won't go ahead and fund that," he said, estimating the cost around $500 million. "That's five percent of the rainy day fund. That's all." Abbott has cracked the window on the idea of a special session, required to use rainy day funds, but has reiterated that he doesn't want to tap the savings account until the total costs of the storm are known. At one point, Abbott claimed Houston had enough funds for hurricane relief and then relented a bit by showing up in Houston in September with a $50 million check in state funds for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. But Emmett says he's perplexed as to why the state hasn't done more to help other areas affected by the storm, including unincorporated Harris County. "My gosh, if I were governor, and I'm sitting here on $11 billion dollars by the time they get to the next legislative session," Emmett said, referring to the rainy day fund. "How good a politician would I be to say, 'You know what, Southeast Texas, here's $2 billion. I'm going to solve a lot of your problems.' " He's concerned that the governor seems to view Harvey relief as a local issue. On some level, it is. But it's a local issue that affects a region that serves as the economic engine of the state, and a fifth of the state's population. Harvey isn't just a Houston problem. It's a Texas problem. It's a U.S. problem. It's understandable that state leaders are waiting to see how much Congress will appropriate in federal funds before deciding how much the state should chip in. But federal funding is another mess - another area of lip service and no action. The Chronicle's Kevin Diaz reported last week that the White House's $44 billion storm relief package, a far cry from the $61 billion Abbott has asked for, is being held hostage in a partisan war over an end-of-year spending package that has deteriorated to the point of a possible government shutdown. Jim Blackburn, a veteran environmental lawyer who will be a keynote speaker at Wednesday night's Chronicle-sponsored symposium "Greater Houston After Harvey," said he was encouraged by the small action county commissioners took, but frustrated by the glacial pace of officials approaching an epic problem. "I don't get a sense of urgency about this problem," said Blackburn, co-director of Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center. Blackburn praised Emmett for being the most vocal official on the issue, and calling flooding his No. 1 priority, but the lawyer questioned why other officials aren't charging ahead. "I hear it's the No. 1 priority," Blackburn said. "I would suggest it's the only priority. We've got to get this issue done with. We haven't been successful in the past. And I think it's wrongheaded to think we can continue doing what we've been doing." No, we can't. What we've been doing cost the Houston region lives, and jobs and thousands of homes, and total losses that could reach $200 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. As expensive as that sounds, a lagging recovery and failure to prevent damage that will surely come in a future storm will cost infinitely more. Hector Angeles loves it here. He adores the schools and streets. The people and culture. The unity. The diversity - all of it. "Everything I know is in Houston," said Angeles, 18, who was brought to the U.S. illegally by his parents as a child. Angeles is one of the roughly 800,000 so-called "Dreamers" - including nearly 125,000 in Texas - who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children but shielded from deportation by the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. In September, President Donald Trump ordered an end to the program and called on Congress to pass a replacement. Now, Angeles worries that he'll lose everything - that he'll have to abandon his two younger siblings who were born here; that his pursuit of a double major in physics and computer science at the University of Houston will be cut short; that he'll be forced to move to a strange country where he knows no one. "I don't know what's going to happen," Angeles said. "I love education, but I am uncertain of what will happen if nothing gets changed." With Congress expected to vote this week on DACA's future, activists in Texas and across the country are trying to mobilize support for the program and the so-called "Dreamers" it protects. At UH, volunteers with the national Inside Out/Dreamers Project on Tuesday covered a few walls of the university student union with large, black-and-white photos of students, immigrant and not. The message of the pop-up art installation was simple: "We are all America." "When you see those pictures of people, you don't know who is or isn't a Dreamer," Jaime Scatena said as he slowly pulled a fresh portrait of a UH student from the printer lodged inside the group's truck. "You realize Dreamers can be just like you." "We are creating a portrait of America," said Lizzie Lewis of Emerson Collective, a nonprofit advocacy group that helped host the event. "We are all Dreamers." DACA changed things Nearby, Maria Garcia, 20, waited to have her photo taken. She, too, was brought to the U.S. as a child from Mexico, and like Angeles was unsure how she'd ever afford college. Then came DACA, and with it work permits, opportunities for some tuition aid and, for the first time in Garcia's life, a sense of normalcy. Garcia, a UH sophomore, said she's still paying out of pocket for most of her schooling. Still, DACA changed things, she said. "It made me feel like I didn't have to be fearful," she said. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that would extend DACA for three years. The bill also would slash funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" that don't assist the federal government in deporting immigrants living in the country illegally, as well as allow wall-like "tactical and technological infrastructure" along the U.S.-Mexico border. Another provision would strengthen electronic verification systems for employers and limit green cards for family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The bill was introduced by Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. Activists and Democratic leaders immediately decried the legislation. "This proposal, as I have told them personally, cannot be considered a good-faith effort to provide protection for the Dreamers, including those who were enrolled in DACA," said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin. Immigration rights advocate Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice Education fund, called it "a witch's brew of nativist poison pills topped by a stingy, temporary three-year reprieve for those with DACA." "Put bluntly," Sharry continued, "the Grassley-Cornyn bill says, 'give us everything we want in exchange for almost nothing you want, deal?' " 'A lot of momentum' It's unclear what, exactly, any agreement over DACA might look like ahead of the program's current end date on Friday. For activists like Lewis, though, the confusion and uncertainty over the program's future often has felt entirely unnecessary. As Lewis noted, virtually all public polling shows widespread support for allowing Dreamers to stay in the country, and many colleges and businesses have said a full repeal of the program would have serious consequences on their operations. Still, Lewis said it's been inspiring to see the many diverse people she said have attended events in support of DACA and other immigration issues. "There's a lot of momentum," she said. Among the most important things, she and others said, has been watching people interact with those they may not have known were immigrants or Dreamers. "One of the things we dismiss is this notion that all immigrants are all criminals or Mexican," said Paola Ramos, of the Emerson Collective. "All it takes is that exposure. It's one thing to hear about (immigrants) on TV or from Trump. " Angeles and Garcia, meanwhile, said their uncertain futures will not deter their fight for more permanent immigration changes. "We came here to follow that American dream," Angeles said. "We dropped everything for a better life." "We are people," he continued. "We are trying to fight the good fight." Kevin Diaz contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Five detention officers with the Harris County Sheriff's Office were indicted Tuesday for allegedly doling out a brutal jailhouse beatdown, a legal development announced just days after a former inmate filed a $1 million lawsuit for an unrelated beating. "These actions are not representative of the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the values that we strive to uphold," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in announcing the indictments. The Harris County Jail has a troubled history of violence, including a notorious 2016 incident in which a group of inmates beat a fellow prisoner to death. That outburst of violence came just five months before the beating that sparked Tuesday's indictments and left inmate Jerome Bartee battered so badly he needed facial reconstruction. Bartee needed screws, stitches and a plate to reconstruct his face and a shattered eye socket, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in a news release issued by her office. Her office said officers Jeremy Ringle, Joshua Degler, Napoleon Harmon and Andrew Rowell all face aggravated assault by a public servant charges for the September 2016 incident. Officer Salvador Garibay was indicted on a misdemeanor assault charge tied to the incident. A warrant has been issued for the arrests of those charged. "Our office supports law enforcement. We don't want anyone to think that our office is out seeking something against law enforcement," Assistant District Attorney Jules Johnson said at a Tuesday news conference. "What we are trying to do, is that we want the laws of the state of Texas followed by everyone." Started with traffic stop A month after his alleged beating, Bartee filed a civil suit against Harris County requesting unnamed compensatory, special and punitive damages, as well as a trial by jury. A 29-year-old father of three, Bartee was originally arrested on Sept. 3 after police found drugs and a gun registered to his wife inside his car, according to a narrative laid out in Bartee's suit. The case started when he was pulled over for failing to use a turn signal. The following day, Bartee told jail employees that he had a severe toothache and requested medical care. He was escorted to the clinic by Rowell, according to court filings. The man was then allegedly pushed into a door in the clinic hallway by Rowell "unnecessarily and without provocation," the suit said. Rowell and several other Harris County employees continued to physically assault Bartee, throwing him "into a chair and a podium" as they stomped and beat him to "near unconsciousness." Jail surveillance cameras caught the whole episode on tape - including the moment when one employee tried to shut off the recording. The injured man was taken to Ben Taub hospital by jail employees, but he returned to general population the same day, with sutures and bruises, according to court papers. Punching 'not necessary' After an internal affairs investigation, three Harris County Jail employees were suspended just days after the incident. "We feel that that part of it was not done properly," Sheriff Ron Hickman said at the time. "We feel there was punching involved that was not necessary." Bartee was released from jail on Sept. 7. He was originally charged with assault of a public servant, but it was dismissed on Sept. 8. Five months later in February 2017, Ringle was terminated by the sheriff's office for an unrelated use-of-force investigation tied to a July 2016 incident, according to the sheriff's office. Garibay and Rowell were terminated in September. Degler and Harmon, who are still working for the sheriff's office, will be relieved of duty based on the indictment, according to the sheriff's release. In an unrelated legal case, another jail inmate last week filed a $1 million lawsuit alleging three unnamed jailers beat him up so badly they dislocated his shoulder, then tossed him in solitary confinement and tried to cover it up. "There's a problem with excessive force in the Harris County Jail," said attorney Andre Evans, who's representing Tennyson in his civil case. "These allegations aren't baseless, and they have been systemic." The sheriff's office referred all requests for comment to the county attorney, who did not immediately respond. Tennyson was sitting in jail on a family assault charge when he says he was pulled from his pod in the middle of the night on March 3. "Somebody was singing or rapping or making noise in his pod," Evans said. It was well after 1 a.m., and lights were out for the night - so the jailers dubbed it a group demonstration, which is banned in jail. 'Discriminatory' action "Then one of the Harris County employees came and rounded up a group of about six or eight African-American inmates," Evans said. "Mr. Tennyson was one of those inmates, and he let her know it was discriminatory." In response, a male guard allegedly slammed Tennyson's head and neck so hard it dislocated his shoulder. Afterward, they tossed him in a cell until the next morning, when day shift employees finally got him medical care, he says. At one point, a higher-ranking jailer allegedly tried coercing Tennyson into keeping quiet, telling him that if he didn't make an issue out of the incident he wouldn't have to worry about a disciplinary record. Ultimately, Tennyson's disciplinary charges were dropped, though he did spend 24 to 48 hours in solitary confinement, Evans said. The suit also harps on the jail's past mistakes, including those leading to a 2009 U.S. Justice Department memorandum outlining constitutional deficiencies such as insufficient medical treatment and potentially inappropriate use of force. "Harris County Jail has for years, systematically failed to protect its detainees from harm, especially from harm caused by its employees," Evans wrote in court filings, also accusing the jail of a "well-documented history of misconduct involving abuse of authority or misuse of force, including beating, kicking and body-slamming inmates." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Imagine living in an apartment complex and the neighbors throwing a party every night for 40 days straight at the end of the year. For Heights residents, this would be like Lights in the Heights, but for a month and a half. RELATED: Houston Zoo gorilla sneaks out to hang with red river hog neighbors That's what Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo is for the animals that inhabit its 55 acres just north of the Texas Medical Center. Zoo Lights kicked off in 2012 and is now an annual Houston institution with visitors of all ages marveling at elaborate Christmas light displays decorating almost the entirety of the zoo. Holiday music is pumped in to up the yuletide attitude. Since the beginning the staff has worked tirelessly to make sure the animals are comfortable with thousands of people a night walking through their home. A staff of about a dozen does intense work nightly making sure that the lights and sounds don't disturb the zoo's population, tweaking the displays and monitoring the decibel levels coming from the many speakers situated throughout the grounds oozing a festive holiday soundtrack. The animal welfare team's job is to make sure that the event is a success for the zoo and also comfortable for the animals. A cold front has blown through the area and made some of the animals tonight a bit more active. Now Playing: A staff of about a dozen does intense work nightly making sure that Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo doesn't disturb the zoo's population, tweaking the displays and monitoring the decibel levels coming from the many speakers situated throughout the grounds oozing a festive holiday soundtrack. Video: Houston Chronicle According to Hannah Bailey, curator of natural encounters and birds, the Houston Zoo strives to create an experience for Houstonians while also looking out for the welfare the animals. "We have to manage the expectations of this event while also making sure the animals get the sleep they want and deserve," Bailey says. "This is an event at the zoo but it's not about the animals. It's beautiful setting and place but it's not about seeing animals." RELATED: Inside the Houston Zoo's 10th anniversary conservation gala The public might be harassing an animal and not even know it. Simply flashing a cellphone camera flash at an animal can be disorienting. There are barriers that only allow Zoo Lights visitors walk through certain places but some people do diverge from the stated boundaries. It's up to this staff to make sure that doesn't happen. Signs are up to discourage patrons from taking photos as well. Bringing a flashlight to get a better look in the darkness may sound like a good idea for a visitor but to the animals it can be troublesome. The zoo's LED lights are set up as to detract attention from the animal exhibits for this reason. Speakers are set up just so, for the comfort of the animals. The animals, of course, can't lodge a complaint with management about the loudness of the music or the intensity of the holiday lights throughout the zoo. This means that intense study is done. For example daily fecal samples are taken from the jaguar population to see the steroid levels, a stress indicator in those particular animals. Tesoro, the younger of the zoo's two adult male jaguars, has shown some stress and the night we visit he's a priority. RELATED: Is the Houston Zoo haunted by the ghost of a former daredevil zookeeper? Bailey says keepers are currently observing some of the big cats to see how they are dealing with the added activity at the zoo. These studies begin two months before Zoo Lights, during the event, and two months after. This information can be used next season to make needed changes to light displays and sound. The meerkat mob apparently lost weight during one Zoo Lights season because a brand-new lighting exhibit had disoriented them. "It took the meerkats a period of time to realize it wasn't going to eat them," Bailey says. Zoo staff every night use a decibel readers to see how loud the crowds and the music are around certain animal exhibits. If the music is too loud then the crowds will become louder to shout over it, and so on. RELATED: Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo kicks off Supervisor David Suttinger adjusts light fixtures, alerts an on-duty electrician to make certain aesthetic changes, and makes sure that none of the animals are exhibiting distressed behavior. His team works year-round to focus on animal care and welfare and during special events like Zoo Lights his hours change. Sometimes he doesn't leave until midnight. "Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are prime nights for guests. Weeknights are usually value-priced nights to encourage crowds to spread out," Suttinger says. The night Chron.com visited, most every animal is tucked away in warm barns or behind doors. The giraffes are snug inside their barn but they can be seen through a tinted window. The rhinos make a brief appearance to snack but are soon out of public view. The reptile house is closed during Zoo Lights, tucked behind a cute sign about the scaly creatures needing their beauty sleep. The chimps are behind dark cloth partitions because they were being disturbed by the nearby disco balls in their habitat, although one of them makes a brief appearance and Suttinger is called to investigate. By the time he arrives the male chimp has shuffled back off to sleep. Animals are also given the choice of whether or not they want to be on exhibit or not during Zoo Lights, a product of the behind-the-scenes engineering going on. Craig Hlavaty The elephant exhibit, for instance, is off-limits during Zoo Lights as the rambunctious male elephants have become overly-curious by the extra people coming around at night. "What animals really want is safety and choice," Bailey says. "Sometimes they choose to be on exhibit or they can have privacy." FM station Sunny 99.1's holiday playlist is piped into the zoo during Zoo Lights. Bailey says that the animals don't seem to have any preference when it comes to Christmas music. We don't know if they prefer Wham's "Last Christmas" to the Taylor Swift version. The lights will stay up until Jan. 14, 2018. Zoo Lights is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas. The zoo closes at 5 p.m. and within an hour, the site's two million LED lights, carolers, and brand new 33-foot-tall Christmas tree come to life. Zoo Lights kicked off five years ago and has grown into a major success. The separately-ticketed event, sponsored by TXU Energy, is held daily starting at 6 p.m. 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. Following a year filled with countless, and often vulgar, anti-Trump proclamations, Gale McCray's simple sign featuring a saying he grew up hearing as a child in Lawton, Oklahoma, was one of the most popular this year. McCray created the simple sign featuring the phrase "Trump That Boy Don't Act Right" in February out of frustration with Trump's administration, he told Chron.com Wednesday morning. "I knew I had to do something," McCray said. "If it was a regular Republican, I wouldn't be doing this. Trump is out there." GRIPPING: The most powerful news images from 2017 from Getty Images McCray's sign was in stark contrast in decorum to a sticker Karen Fonseca featured on her truck proclaiming "F--Trump." Fonseca was arrested Nov. 16 on an outstanding warrant for fraud. Like Fonseca, McCray never expected his sign, which he started holding at Fort Worth at intersections like Main Avenue and 2nd Street, to go viral. McCray, a former bus driver and mailman, has since been featured in the Grand Forks Herald, Topeka Capital-Journal, and High Plains Reader. Now Playing: A new poll has found that a historically low number of Americans approve of the job President Trump is doing. Video: GeoBeats During a trip this summer to Washington, D.C., McCray participated in a protest and met people from South Africa, Iran, and Ireland who had seen his sign on social media. "It's great. It seems like a lot of people from other countries know more about what's going on in America than Americans." 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. AUSTIN Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez turned from her law-enforcement job to the Democratic race for governor Wednesday, saying her life has prepared her to be a voice for everyday Texans as she looks to secure the daunting challenge of taking on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Like so many Texans, I have lived the life where your day starts way before the sun rises. I was born the eighth child of migrant farmworkers. I grew up between San Antonio and distant fields in the north, Valdez said. I know what it is to have to decide if food or rent will get the funds But I also know the joy of sharing the little that we have with others, she said. Im stepping up estoy obligada for Texas, for everybodys fair shot to get ahead. Valdezs announcement, coming days ahead of Mondays filing deadline, was a fairly low-key event. Rather than being celebrated by a huge crowd on her home turf, she was applauded by a smaller group at Texas Democratic Party headquarters near the Texas Capitol. She spoke in a soft, measured tone while describing the personal story that brought her to this point, sprinkling Spanish in her remarks and answering questions in Spanish as well as English. She ended questions from reporters by saying she had to catch a flight. Even though she said she had resigned as Dallas County sheriff, she explained that until an appropriate person that has good management takes over, Im still there. Her Wednesday announcement came a week after a confusing episode in which she denied news reports that she already had submitted her resignation. In a statement Wednesday, she said she was notifying the Dallas County Commissioners Court that morning of her decision to step down, paving the way for an interim sheriff and the election of a successor. The run by Valdez will set up a high-profile contested Democratic primary for governor marked by the face-off with Houston businessman Andrew White, son of the late Democratic former Gov. Mark White. He is scheduled to formally announce Thursday in Houston. Reacting to Valdezs announcement, Whites campaign said he believes it will bring more attention to the governor's race, to the benefit of the Democratic Party and Texas. The two embody the different messages pushed by Democrats. Some say Valdez is perfectly positioned to carry an unflinching progressive message. She is openly gay and, according to her website, the only female Hispanic sheriff in the United States. She already has tangled with Abbott over so-called sanctuary city policies. White, by contrast, has said he doesnt care if hes described as a moderate Republican or a conservative Democrat, contending that extremes on either side of the political spectrum dont fit Texas voters views. There also are several lesser-known hopefuls. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will face an uphill battle against Abbott, who has more than $40 million in his campaign war chest by last count and trounced Democrat Wendy Davis in 2014. A Democrat hasnt won election for statewide office in Texas in more than two decades. Valdez was born in San Antonio and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, her campaign said, but her parents were migrant farmworkers so the family traveled for their work. She emphasizes that background, and presents her positions as a contrast to those espoused by Abbott. In 2015, she said she wouldnt comply with all federal requests to detain unauthorized immigrants past their release date if the immigrants only were accused of minor offenses. She said later that year that she hadnt yet refused any detainer requests, but Abbott still slammed the policy as dangerous. Abbott senior adviser Dave Carney reacted with Twitter snark to word of the announcement by Valdez. He re-tweeted a story about it with the comment, Never doubt the power of prayer! #BarrelScrapingWorks. The Abbott campaign also released a video poking fun at Democrats quest for a serious candidate, comparing it to an online dating search filled with rejection and saying theyve fielded a team of far-left liberals. Regardless of who Texas Democrats ultimately nominate for governor, our campaign will be prepared to run on Governor Abbotts record and policies that have led to more jobs created in Texas in the past year than any other state, the best business climate in America and record low unemployment, said Abbott campaign spokesman John Wittman. Abbotts campaign also took more serious note of the new challenge, touting an endorsement by the Dallas Police Association political action committee. I am committed to working alongside our law enforcement officers over the next four years to improve public safety and to make sure that the men and women in law enforcement have the support and protection that they need to carry out their duties, Abbott said in a statement, citing his deep respect for law enforcement officers. Valdez said the Dallas endorsement doesnt mean that rank-and-file association members all support the action. Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said its good for Democrats to have a choice in their primary. Certainly it is uphill, Turner said of the looming campaign against Abbott by the winner of the Democratic nomination, given that the governor starts out with a $40 million head start, among other reasons. That said, 13 months ago, I would not have predicted that Donald Trump would be elected president of the United States. Anyone who tries to make an ironclad prediction on politics probably shouldnt be talking. David Crockett, chair of the political science department at Trinity University, said of the prospects of a Democrat ousting Abbott, Hopeless might be strong, but pretty close. Its still a red state, and he (Abbott) has still been pretty popular. It looks like some of the craziness of the last year hasnt really hurt him, Crockett said. Still, he said, the Democrats need to make the effort, even without the top names that some had hoped would lead the charge, such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio. Its better to run someone than no one at all, Crockett said. That looks just utterly pathetic. ... If you dont run anyone at all, what happens is you cede ground to third parties in Texas. pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved new, tougher regulations for flood-plain development Tuesday, including a requirement that some new homes use pier-and-beam construction and that they be built to withstand high winds. Spurred by Hurricane Harvey's widespread devastation, the new rules also mandate higher elevations - up to 8 feet higher than previously required in some areas - and require new construction to be built to the 500-year storm standard rather than a 100-year standard, opening up much larger areas of the county to regulation. The new rules come more than three months after Harvey covered much of the county in record-breaking rainfall, in some areas more than 51 inches over the course of the storm. To design the regulations, which take effect Jan. 1, the county analyzed how and where the more than 30,600 homes flooded in its unincorporated jurisdiction during the storm. "That could have protected the vast majority of homes that flooded," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. Matthew Festa, a professor of land use law at South Texas College of Law Houston, said the regulations could impact growth in unincorporated Harris County, where the lion's share of the Houston area's expansion has occurred in recent years. Unincorporated Harris County has added nearly 1 million people since 2000. "The regulations make it more expensive, so one impact could be less development," Festa said. "But there's still going to be demand. This could make it less efficient for developers to keep doing what they've been doing. At a bare minimum, it's going to be more expensive to build each house." He said the new rules also could impact the feel of neighborhoods built decades ago to older standards - some homes, damaged during storms, will have to be elevated while others remain at a lower level, creating a patchwork feel. Festa said regulations could be a disincentive to build in wider areas of the county, which could encourage sprawl. "The developer's next move might be to say, 'OK, we're not going to build in the 500-year floodplain,'" he said. The Greater Houston Builders Association, Houston Real Estate Council, American Council of Engineering Companies of Houston, Houston Apartment Association and the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects had written letters to the county supporting the regulations. Ed Taravella, chairman of the Community Developers Council for GHBA, said builders of large subdivisions generally avoid flood plains, so they would not be affected by the new regulations. According to county figures, since 2009, when a set of county infrastructure regulations were put into place to address drainage issues, more than 75,000 homes have been built in unincorporated Harris County. Of those, 467 flooded during Harvey, which Taravella said indicated that even current regulations largely were effective during the storm. He said those that will be affected by the new regulations could include those seeking to rebuild homes in older neighborhoods damaged by floods. He said the cost to meet the new regulations likely would be in the thousands and would depend on such factors as topography and how deep in a flood plain the home is. "It could be pretty wide ranging," he said. "It is really hard to quantify." So-called 100-year flood plains are based on a storm so severe that it has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year and equates to between 12 and 14 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period across the county. A 500-year event has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in any year and equates to between 17 and 20 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. The flood plains and flood levels are mapped by modeling how water spills out of the creeks, bayous and ditches during those storms and how high the water would rise. For the more severe 500-year storm, water spills out in much wider areas. For some areas along the San Jacinto River, Spring Creek and Cypress Creek, the difference between the new and old regulations - 500-year versus 100-year flood levels - could be several feet of elevation required for new homes, which could increase the cost of development by thousands of dollars. For the wind protections, the regulations state that homes should be able to "withstand a three-second gust basic wind speed of 120 miles per hour." Those protections could include reinforcing straps that connect rafters and walls, County Engineer John Blount said. Homes in the 100-year flood plain need to be raised on pier-and-beam or other foundations that allow water to flow through, according to the regulations. That could increase the cost of building a home rather than simply using a concrete slab foundation that sits directly on the ground. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he thought the new regulations "move us in the right direction." "We are experiencing a new normal, and it's clear we need to be planning for the future and building resilient systems that can withstand extreme weather, from flooding to drought," Ellis said in a statement. "Since Harvey's floodwaters receded, we've been confronted with complex, intersecting issues surrounding new and existing developments, infrastructure, housing and climate change." Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, while casting a vote in favor of the new regulations, said he wants to monitor the impact of the regulations to see if they create an "undue burden" on developers or those seeking to buy new homes. He said the benefits would have to be weighed against the cost of potentially losing the county's affordability. "This is a work in progress," Cagle said. The flood-plain regulation changes were one component of Emmett's 15-point plan to revamp flood control that he proposed in October. He said they were necessary to protect future homes from a Harvey-level deluge. "Nobody wants to build a house that's going to flood," he said. Former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia announced Tuesday that he will run for Precinct 2 commissioner against incumbent Jack Morman. In a video posted to Garcia's Facebook page Tuesday, Garcia touts his credentials as a former member of Houston City Council and as sheriff. He said that during Hurricane Harvey, he saw residents of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds helping one another, and that "this is the kind of leadership that I want to bring to Precinct 2 every day." Garcia could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and a campaign advisor said, despite the announcement, the candidate was out of town for a "pre-existing engagement." Garcia, however, did thank supporters on Twitter. "This election is important for the future of our region," he tweeted to one. "I welcome your help to engage our neighbors in this precinct." Garcia was a Houston police officer for 23 years before he won election to Houston city council, representing Distict H, in 2004. He was elected Harris County sheriff in 2009, and re-elected once. He left his post in 2015 for an unsuccessful run for mayor of Houston He angered local Democratic Party regulars when he launched a primary challenge against longtime U.S. Rep. Gene Green in 2016. Garcia sought to boost Hispanic participation in the 77 percent Latino 29th District that curls around eastern Houston. He finished 19 percentage points behind Green. In announcing his candidacy for Precinct 2, Garcia's campaign cited an internal poll claiming to show him with a better favorability rating than the Republican Morman. "We all know that sometimes government can come up short, so it's up to leaders who love what we do to roll our sleeves up and find better solutions," Garcia said in an emailed announcement. In running for the Precinct 2 seat, Garcia once again is seeking to capitalize on a seat that represents a large Latino population. Precinct 2 includes much of the city of Pasadena, neighborhoods north of Houston between I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road and the eastern portion of the county north of I-45 and south of U.S. 90. The Precinct 2 commissioner controls more than $150 million in funds and represents a precinct of more than 1 million people. Jeff Yates, a campaign consultant for Morman, said the incumbent could not be reached Tuesday because he had the flu. Yates called Morman the superior candidate because of his demonstrated focus on infrastructure. Yates said Morman spearheaded projects to restore the Sylvan Beach Pavilion and the Leonel Castillo Community Center, and expand the ship channel bridge from four to eight lanes. He also said Morman has held more than 30,000 social events and other meetings for seniors in more than a dozen community centers across Precinct 2. Yates pointed out that Garcia had lost his mayoral and congressional bid. "It's no surprise that he's trying something else," he said. Bob Stein, a Rice University political scientist, said that any Democratic challenger would have a shot at unseating Morman. Stein said Morman caught political operatives off guard in 2010, when he unseated Democrat Sylvia Garcia, the first upset of a sitting county commissioner in 36 years. The November 2018 election advantages Democrats, who have been energized by President Donald Trump and a national political climate that is particularly hostile to Hispanic populations, Stein said. Local Democrats also have been buoyed, he said, by a strong showing in Harris County in 2016, including successful races for district attorney, sheriff, county attorney, two dozen judgeships, even tax assessor-collector. Sammy Casados, a Pasadena city councilman who opposed a controversial plan to redistrict that city's council districts that a federal judge ruled discriminated against Latino voters, also has said he would run as a Democrat against Morman. Nonetheless, Stein said, Garcia could face a particular challenge in fundraising after losing his last two campaigns. Stein said he expects others to throw their hats in the ring for the position. "Adrian's got to be a strong candidate," he said. "He's got to be able to get out of the primary without any real challenges and save his money." Kristi Nix contributed to this report. As Congress continues to ignore Houston's hurricane recovery needs, you can't help but wish that we still had Texas politicians in the mold of Sheriff Thomas W. "Buckshot" Lane. The top lawman in Wharton County witnessed a fair share of shootouts in his day, but for years the biggest threat to his constituents was the dangerous Kentleton Bridge on Highway 59. A faulty alignment caused accident after accident, and in 1935, the bridge claimed the lives of three college students. Shortly thereafter the bridge caught fire, forcing the state to build a new, safer one. Ten years later - once the statute of limitations on the arson had passed - the perpetrator stepped forward and confessed to the crime. The arsonist had been Sheriff Buckshot Lane himself. The lesson: Sometimes you've got to be willing to burn a few bridges if you want to get anything done in government. Three months have passed since Harvey, and the Houston congressional delegation can't seem to find a match. Heck, in September they couldn't even persuade four fellow Texans - Reps. Joe Barton of Ennis, Jeb Hensarling of Dallas, Sam Johnson of Richardson and Mac Thornberry of Clarendon - to support one of the preliminary hurricane recovery bills. They need to find their inner Buckshot, and there's no opportunity better than right now. The federal government is on path to run out of funding on Friday, forcing Congress to pass a continuing resolution to keep the money flowing until it approves a full budget. The Texas delegation should threaten to block these budget negotiations until Congress passes the hurricane relief our city and state deserve. Republicans and Democrats might have to break with their parties to get this done - they might have to burn some bridges. But the Lone Star State won't stand alone in this fight. A bipartisan group of representatives from Texas and Florida met last week to strategize the best way to secure adequate funding during the inevitable budget battle. Houston's U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat, even dropped the s-bomb: shutdown. "We do not have the adequate resources, and this is going to be on the verge of a government shutdown if Texas and all of the other victims of these hurricanes do not have a compromise where we can work together," she said. "I would encourage you to tell the president that it is not enough. It simply is not enough." Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, the man responsible for the inadequate $44 billion hurricane recovery bill, does not seem to be moved. "[T]here's a group of lawmakers from some of the hurricane states who want to shut the government down until they get what they want," Mulvaney said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "This just sheds light on the fact that the appropriations, the spending system is broken when any little group can sort of hold the government hostage." Perhaps Mulvaney's illustrious career in the House Freedom Caucus never brought him to the Lone Star State. Maybe he's ignorant of the degree to which the entire nation relies upon our refineries and fracking fields. It may be that he's never counted the massive container ships that keep commerce flowing through the Port of Houston. The extensive studies illustrating the existential threat that a hurricane poses to all this critical infrastructure might have passed him by. Mulvaney saw fit to support the 2013 government shutdown in an inherently futile attempt to block the Affordable Care Act, and now he goes on national television to make light of our struggle to rebuild after Harvey and prepare for the next big storm. During Harvey, Houston endured a disaster of wind, rain and flood beyond any modern record. If Congress can't write a proper recovery bill, then we might as well add some fire to the mix. Let's burn some bridges. Shut it down. More than a decade ago, a young member of my church, 14-year-old Devante Johnson, was battling kidney cancer. He was previously covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program and was receiving cancer treatment. His mother, a hard-working paralegal, earned too much to qualify for Medicaid in Texas but too little to afford expensive cancer treatment for her son. CHIP was created to fill the gap so that children in circumstances like these would qualify for assistance. However, the state of Texas, which administers the program, had put onerous requirements on continued qualification for CHIP, causing him to wrongfully lose coverage. Despite his mother's doing everything in her power to reverse the error, Devante was unable to access treatment for months. As a member of the Texas Legislature at the time, I was able to get Devante his needed cancer treatments at the renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. But four months of lapsed coverage and treatment made it too late to save him. Devante passed away in 2007. There was still time to save children who could find themselves in Devante's shoes. In the 2007 legislative session, I filed House Bill 109, which changed state law to remove the restrictions that directly led to Devante's coverage lapse. The law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and expanded coverage for more than 130,000 children. Gridlock in Washington now threatens not only to erase the work we did in Austin, but to end the program altogether. Congress allowed the deadline for reauthorization to pass without action and CHIP authorization expired Sept. 30. This is a problem with a solution. In fact, the solution is rather simple: A bipartisan bill to fund CHIP through 2022 is currently before Congress. However, its renewal has been caught up in a political tug-of-war and used as collateral for other political agendas. Members of Congress have attempted to tie CHIP to unpalatable political goals. As a result, CHIP reauthorization has stalled, and its funding is nearly depleted. The state of Colorado has already sent letters to CHIP recipient families alerting them of the program's end. The Texas program will run out of funds on Jan. 31. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has requested $90 million from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - at best a stopgap measure that will extend the program through February. If the agency refuses the request, families with children on CHIP will receive cancellation notices among their Christmas cards. Even if funding is extended, those families may be receiving cancellation notices in February. In either scenario, more than 450,000 children in Texas will lose their health care in early 2018 if Congress fails to act. These are the children whose working parents are making too much money for Medicaid and too little to afford exorbitant private health insurance premiums. I have left the Texas Legislature and now serve as mayor of Houston, home to the largest concentration of health care institutions in the world. Some of the most significant advancements of our time occur at the Texas Medical Center. Newly discovered treatments, procedures and technologies that will save and improve the lives of millions across the globe originate in our city. My heart breaks when I think about the fact that thousands and thousands of my youngest constituents will not be able to benefit from those advancements because of congressional inaction. How many of the 78,000 children on CHIP in Harris County will face the same challenges in lapsed coverage as Devante Johnson if the program ends? What does the future hold for the nearly 10,000 Harris County expectant mothers on CHIP's perinatal program, which assists with prenatal and some postpartum care, and the children they are carrying? HHSC has said letters informing CHIP recipient families of the program's termination will go out soon if nothing changes. Congress must act now to prevent that from happening. It is unacceptable that in a city with such rich medical resources, the children of hardworking parents are denied access to even basic medical care. It is intolerable that this circumstance exists because Congress was unable to reach a political solution to a life-or-death problem. The lives and health of millions of children across the nation, thousands and thousands in Houston, are too important for Congress to ignore because of political agendas. Texas learned this hard lesson a decade ago. I can never forget Devante Johnson, his mother and the fact this tragedy was preventable. Congress should remember him and the over 9 million children like him whose lives depend on CHIP and take action now. Turner is mayor of Houston. This essay first appeared on TribTalk.org The Phelps County Sheriffs Department issued a warning Monday afternoon about an armed and dangerous man who it is responsible for south-central Missouri crime spree. According to the department, Justin Giller, 26, has been victimizing people in the southern portion of Phelps County. He travels through Phelps, Texas, Dent, and Pulaski Counties. He is suspected of burglarizing homes and stealing numerous vehicles. PLEASE KEEP YOUR HOMES AND VEHICLES SECURE. If seen, do not approach, call 911. The department posted a flyer, stating Giller is wanted on suspicion of resisting/interfering arrest, unlawful possession of a firearm, felony stealing and possession of burglarizing tools. Anyone with information or who sees suspicious activity has been asked to call 573-426-3860. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Co-Founder Glenn Dicker Talks Seminal Indie Label Yep Roc In this interview Glenn Dicker, co-founder of Yep Roc records (now in its twentieth year), chats about the origins of the label, the value of genre diversity, suggests some essentials from their catalogue, and more. ______________________________ Guest post by Will Hodge of Noisetrade Its always an incredibly fun opportunity to chat with the industry professionals that help get the music that we love into our hands and our newest NoiseTrade One-on-One with Yep Roc Records co-founder Glenn Dicker is no exception. During our enlightening and entertaining discussion, Dicker gives us a little of Yep Rocs origin story, talks about celebrating 20 years as a label, speaks to the genre diversity of their upstarts-and-icons roster, recommends some quintessential Yep Roc releases, and much more! NoiseTrade: To kick things off, give us a little bit of your backstory regarding the decision to pursue music as career, your early work at Rounder, and then your eventual founding of Yep Roc with Tor Hansen. Glenn Dicker: Tor and I both grew up in the same Pennsylvania neighborhood and have known each other since we were about five years old. As we grew up, we discovered a mutual interest in music and started to play music together in bands in junior high school doing mostly classic rock stuff by the Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Eventually, when we got into high school we began writing songs and doing more timely cover songs by mod, punk, and new wave groups. After going to separate colleges, we found ourselves in Boston, again with the primary goal of playing music in a place we thought would fit our vibe. We had to get day jobs and found that Rounder Distribution was the right fit. We both started working in the warehouse and moved our way up into any new job opening that became available. Tor gravitated towards sales, myself towards the product end being a buyer and then eventually working for their record label. As all of this was going on, we had a band that we booked our own gigs, toured around the country and put out some of our own records, as no one else was interested. So we learned a great deal from the artist side of things and the label and distribution side of things in just a few years time. Eventually Tor went to work for a retailer and did marketing, opening up stores and coming up with cool ideas of how to connect music with people. I started a record label with a couple other guys at Rounder and started putting out records. The label was ultimately financed by Rounder as we partnered up with the owners on the venture. The label was called Upstart and this is where I originally connected with Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets. Tor eventually moved to Chapel Hill, NC to work for another retailer and when the parent company decided to consolidate their business to Ann Arbor, MI, he decided it was time for a change. The next move was Redeye! In time, I saw what Tor was doing as being a great thing and I felt the pull of true independence calling. So I moved down to join up and got onboard and came to work every day in Tors basement. Yep Roc started about one year after Redeye kicked off. NT: Congrats on Yep Roc celebrating its 20th year this year, which is certainly no small feat for an indie label! What have been some of your most memorable moments regarding the YR20 events this year? Dicker: Wow, there were so many killer moments. I really enjoyed some of the surprise type moments like having Alejandro Escovedo play an amazing set with a bunch of great local musicians including Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter, just to name a couple. Also Jimmie Dale Gilmore surprising everyone by coming out to do the last tune with Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin in which he sang Get Together by the Youngbloods. I loved it when the Stray Birds jumped up to do Wild Fire with Mandolin Orange during the outdoor day festival which blew everyone away. Chuck Prophet and Kim Richey doing a duet together at the outdoor stage also was amazing. And no one, and I mean no one, could deny the mighty Los Straitjackets backing up Nick Lowe for an unbelievable set. So much good music from everyone. But some super fun hangs with people and artists too. Just a great fun, wacky family reunion! NT: What do you remember about the very first Yep Roc release and what did it feel like putting it together and then seeing it out in the world? Dicker: It felt like the natural thing to do really, kind of organic. We both had been involved in putting our records before, but certainly this was a new feeling. The record was called Revival and was a compilation of all the amazing roots-based artists that were in the southeast doing their thing at the time. Some of them were artists that we distributed their records for through Redeye. But this comp was a great start to things as it included Trailer Bride, Two Dollar Pistols (who eventually recorded a handful of records with Yep Roc), Whiskeytown, and many others. NT: What was one of the first Yep Roc releases that really took you by surprise in its awesomeness and let you know that you all had something special going there in North Carolina? Dicker: Honestly, I think they all felt that way. We were so passionate about the records we put out, that they all seemed like we were really in it and living the dream. Bands like the Mayflies USA, Two Dollar Pistols, and Caitlin Cary really helped get the label on the map. But it was working with Los Straitjackets and then Nick Lowe that helped propel the label into more of a national thing. NT: One of Yep Rocs notable strengths is its diverse-sounding roster and no one can peg the label to any one single music genre. Was that an intentional decision from the outset or just a pleasant outcome of your unique orbit of artists? Dicker: I wouldnt say it was intentional, but it came about that way organically. Tor and I were not guys that really hung in one genre of music. We had grown up digging so many different bands and then when working at Rounder we really got turned onto a world of wonderful stuff. So our initial goal was to work with artists that we really loved and that were local as that was how the distribution was set up at the time. Just selling to regional stores in the southeast. But you could go to the Cats Cradle one night and see an indie pop band like the Mayflies sell the place out and the next night the Two Dollar Pistols would sell the place out and when you looked around, it was a lot of the same folks there for both. So why not have a label that was for these types of hardcore music fans, right? NT: Im always impressed that Yep Roc has released albums by some incredible young upstarts, as well as legendary icons like Nick Lowe, Bob Mould, Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, and Dave Alvin, just to name a few. What do you think draws established artists to the label and what do you think those types of partnership say about the label? Dicker: Well, Id say it was initially Nick Lowe. We call him the great Legitimizer of the label. Once he signed on, managers and artists suddenly started accepting our calls and indeed, some even started to reach out to us. Imagine that. We never intended it to go this way, but we were like, why not work with our favorite artists of all time? Lets just make the call and see what happens. All the while we continued to search out new talent to help develop and grow over time. We like doing both things. NT: What are three Yep Roc releases that you think best represent the spirit of the label and what are some of your own personal favorite Yep Roc releases? Dicker: Such a tough one. Id say that Nick Lowes holiday record Quality Street is one because it was really just a fun idea that he really went for and made a super fun and rocking record. Another would have to be Mandolin Oranges Blindfaller, due to our being super fans of great songwriters and Andrew Marlin is a powerful young force to be reckoned with. The third I guess Id have to say Take A Good Look by the Fleshtones. I think this is one of their best albums, but also just a great, fun rocking vibe that reminds me of the spirit of what Yep Roc is all about now but also where we came from. I dont think I can adequately say which are my favorite records. There are just too many. I love all of our artists, new and alumni, and I just dig them all too much to choose. NT: Finally, one of absolute favorite records Yep Roc has ever put out is the Christmas record We Three Kings from Reverend Horton Heat. Over the years, youve also released some incredible holiday records from Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets as well. With the holidays being right around the corner, whats the Yep Roc secret for putting out such incredibly fun holiday records that hold up to year-over-year repeat spins? Dicker: That is high praise which I am eager to accept! I think that holiday music has always represented such a fun time to us. We get excited for Christmas every year and really go all out for it. So why not contribute some of our own to the genre, right? We should do that and we will continue to do so. Maybe we just tend to sign artists that feel the same way we do about Christmas music. But we strive for some new take on things, with new songs, but then a couple classics to keep the people happy. But the Nick Lowe record was a triumph of another level in some ways. I think we managed to really pull a fast one by doing a record that was really a super hip rockabilly type of record disguised as holiday music. Nick is brilliant in that way and it was pure joy to play that kind of music on TV while panning it off as Christmas music. We have a Minus 5 holiday record out this year. Go buy it. The vinyl is fabulous and very creative artwork. You will love it! When writer Will Hodge (@will_hodge) isnt spending Christmas at the airport, you can find him running off at the keyboard about music, concerts, and vinyl at My So-Called Soundtrack Share on: After more than 18 years of service, the City of Park Hills will be saying goodbye to an employee who City Administrator Mark McFarland described as a hard man to replace. Economic Developer Norman Lucas said he first came to the city in the period following consolidation, when he saw that he could fill the needs of Park Hills as it began expressing the wish to grow. I used to work for the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, which operates from an office in Perryville, Lucas said. I was assigned mostly to look after folks and their needs in Iron, Madison, St. Francois and occasionally Perry Counties. So I became more and more accustomed to learning about the needs of Park Hills. This was in the time before Flat River, Esther, Elvins and Rivermines consolidated into what is now Park Hills. Lucas said after consolidation in 1994, he saw an opportunity to assist the new city in its search for economic growth as an assistant city administrator. Lucas said because of city officials previous experience with him during his time at the regional planning commission, his interview process was less than daunting. At the beginning of the interview, there were six people interviewing me in the room, he said. The very first one thought that it was important to make a disclaimer that they had worked with me on thus and such, and so their interview questions might not be very pointed because they already had a high level of regard and respect for me. When they were done, the second person said, Well, I have to say the same thing because Ive worked with Norm on ..., and they listed the things wed worked together on and it just went down the row that way until we got to the end. They all looked at each other and said, Do you have any questions for us, because we just want to hire you! Lucas said in his time with the city, he has had the opportunity to work on projects that have helped the community a great deal and made a lasting difference in residents lives. In addition to physical projects, Lucas has helped work toward a more economically robust Park Hills in general. When I arrived our sales tax was declining, which is not a good sign, he said. That has not been the case now for many years. We havent had big leaps, but gradual increases. Real steady, strong, good stuff. As part of the larger goal of making Park Hills an inviting place to live and do business, Lucas has also had his hand in working to foster a healthy student population in the Central School District. When I arrived, the school superintendent expressed concern about the falling school population, Lucas said. He, I and the city administrator who hired me kind of formulated a plan by which we could reverse those things. The schools held up their end of the deal beautifully, and the school is now what many would consider the best school in the county. Lucas said the citys end of the deal was to foster and provide for housing development, among other things, which have positively affected the population of the school district. One of the more obvious projects that Lucas is proud to have worked on is the pedestrian bridge over Flat River. Im really pleased that we got to build what I call the new pedestrian bridge across Flat River, he said. But its in the exact same spot as the old swinging bridge. It has as much to do with the history of the community as it does the present. I think its wonderful that kids today can cross over Flat River in exactly the same way, following the same path that people did a hundred years ago. Lucas also mentioned such projects as the walking trails in Columbia and Haney Parks, providing residents with safe places to walk away from traffic. While important, he said that some larger projects will have more enduring effects on the city economically. Those projects kind of pale in comparison to the importance of some of the other projects, he said. He described the importance of upgrading the rail system surrounding Piramal Glass, Ltd., and partnering with Lee Mechanical Contractors, Inc. and Bulk Tank, Inc. through the Park Hills Industrial Park. Describing the positive growth that he has seen over time in Park Hills, Lucas said he is particularly proud of the rates of individuals successfully pursuing continued education. Ive seen an incremental and kind of gradual, but consistent, increase in educational attainment, he said. Thats one of the biggest points where Park Hills had to catch up to the average community around the state. We really had a lack of educational attainment. But now were moving in the right direction. Were not there yet, but were getting there. He said one factor for that positive growth is the ability for students to attain a four-year degree through Mineral Area College, Central Methodist University and Missouri Baptist University without ever leaving the immediate area. As he prepares to move on from his position with the City of Park Hills, Lucas said that he is confident the city will continue moving in the right direction even after he has gone. Of course, I would love to be able to stick around and see the completion of my most recent projects, he said. But I know the city is going to be in good hands and Im confident in the person who will come behind me to take up the work. These projects will be completed. Like I tell people these projects have legs. At this point, theyre funded and plans are laid. People should have confidence that these projects will be accomplished. Lucas will be moving and beginning a new job to be closer to family. His last day at city hall is today. Aerial view of a neighborhood in Puerto Rico taken in October. The island was devastated by a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 20. Bright Ideas Will Host Benefit for Puerto Rico NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Bright Ideas Brewery will host a benefit for Puerto Rico with an art sale and silent auction Wednesday. Puerto Rican native Zorelly Cepeda Derieux watched Hurricane Maria devastate her home on the news from North Adams in September and inspired by her brother's actions, harnessed the power of the local arts and business community to help bring relief to the commonwealth. "My brother and a couple of friends hosted a similar fundraiser at a bar in New York City and raised thousands for hurricane relief efforts," Cepeda Derieux said. "I figured I could do the same in North Adams. Before that, I was just sharing addresses of friends and family on the island with people who offered to help so they could send supplies, but I wanted to do something bigger." Cepeda Derieux said there will be a silent auction featuring artists and fellow colleagues from North Adams and New York City. There will also be an art sale featuring Colorado-based and Kidspace artist Wes Sam-Bruce and North Adams graphic designer Nicholas DuPont. Cepeda Derieux added that Bright Ideas Brewing and caterer Crisp also contributed. All proceeds will go to the organization Somebody Help Us Alguien Ayudenos "It is a foundation devoted to assisting communities in their recovery efforts by installing water filtration systems, distributing medicine, helping special needs individuals and providing building materials for damaged homes," she said. The event itself will take place from 6 to 9 Wednesday night and Crisp, in addition to their usual menu, will serve Puerto Rican Arroz Mamposteao, or "dirty rice," with pork and chicken. Cepeda Derieux, who is also a dance instructor, said there will also be a Puerto Rican Christmas dance party with impromptu dance lessons throughout the night. Cepeda Derieux said there is still a lot of work to be done in Puerto Rico. She said over 50 percent of the island still does not have power and clean water drinking water is still scarce. In the three months since the hurricane devastated the island, residents have been dealing with lack of electricity, water and supplies, and numerous buildings and roads were significantly damaged. "Many still have no homes or jobs, hospitals and senior citizens cannot get the medical help they need and municipalities are still sheltered from aid due to infrastructural damage," she said. "So if you see any news concerning Puerto Rico, talk about it with a friend, co-worker, share it on social media, anything, but stay informed." Clarksburg students present Darlene Ellis, right, with a check fro $411.50 for the Berkshire Food Project. The Girls Advisory Group, facilitated by teacher Brenda Johnson, left, held a movie night to raise the funds. Clarksburg Girls Group Raises Funds for Berkshire Food Project NORTH ADAMS, Mass. A student-led movie night at Clarksburg School raised more than $400 for the Berkshire Food Project. The nine girls involved in the Girls Advisory Group presented the check for $411.50 to Darlene Ellis, the non-profit's kitchen manager, on Monday. The Food Project feeds a daily weekday lunch to anyone who walks in the door, as well as several special holiday meals. It's been housed in First Congregational Church on Main Street for many years, using its large kitchen and hall. The group has done movie night in the past to benefit various causes, but in this case, the project was chosen "because they needed a new roof and, like, they needed renovations," said student Marissa Berger. Ellis said the project had done some research on what the funds could be used for. "It could go to the church for the new roof, which will be put over our dining area ... and they also said we could use it with whatever we needed, so if we need Christmas food, we can use it," she said. "There are always supplies to buy." Brenda Johnson, a math teacher for the middle school grades at Clarksburg, said the Advisory Group meets with her once a week on Fridays to discuss local needs. "We teach about community and wellness," she said. "We talk about how we can get out in the community and makes things better for people." The girls decided on a movie night, offering an early movie for younger children and a later one for older kids. The price of admission also included popcorn. Johnson said the Thursday night event brought out a large number of children and adults. "We had a very good turnout," she said. It was enough to raise hundreds of dollars to aid the 30-year-old Berkshire Food Project, which serves nearly 30,000 meals a year. "We are very dependent on donations," Ellis said. "I'd say 80 percent of our income is donations and the rest is grants." The students are Emma Arnold, Marissa Berger, Grace Brule, Destiny Smith, Kendall Martin, Kennedy Moore, Destiny Domenichini, Rhiannon Perras, and Lauren Matys. Letter: City Council Health Care Benefits Must Cease To the Editor: Recently, the Selectmen for the town of Cheshire made a cost saving and diligent decision to eliminate health insurance for part-time elected and appointed officials, thus saving the taxpayers an estimated $10,000 to 15,000 annually. While Massachusetts state law requires cities and towns to offer health insurance to any employee who works a minimum of 20 hours per week, elected and appointed officials are excluded from this requirement. Due to the spiraling cost associated with health insurance, many other cities and towns are taking a hard look at this issue. In 2010, newly elected North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright requested a Financial Management Review of the city's finances. It was performed by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division of Local Services, which is a state agency that supports local cities and towns to achieve sound fiscal management through guidance, training and oversight. Although many suggestions were made that would result in significant cost savings to North Adams, one that stands out was the recommendation to thoroughly review health insurance benefits that were being offered to part-time elected officials as well as board members and appointed officials. The report stated that health insurance cost to the taxpayers for elected and appointed officials as well as board members was estimated to be $50,000 for fiscal year 2011. A recent public records request revealed that although in 2010 the change was made by Mayor Alcombright to discontinue health insurance benefits for board members, City Council members continue to be offered health insurance benefits at a significant expense to the taxpayers of North Adams. Currently, North Adams is contributing $38,616 annually towards health insurance benefits for two councilors. And, in 2018, with the addition of four new councilors, that figure could possibly inflate to an additional annual taxpayer burden of $77,232 should all four new councilors choose to purchase healthcare through the city. This is simply unacceptable given the amount of tax and fee increases homeowners have had to absorb for the last eight years. The taxpayers deserve much stronger fiscal management. Massachusetts has an outstanding healthcare marketplace from which anyone can purchase health insurance at a reasonable cost. There's simply no justification for North Adams to continue with this practice. In 2018, a new mayor will be in office as well as four new city councilors. One can only hope that a new culture of financial responsibility will emerge. The new administration as well as the new city council must stand up and work in the best interest of the hardworking residents of this great city. Dan Peters North Adams, Mass. About $500 was raised at an auction for MART scholarships to Mineral Area College. New officers will be inducted at MARTs December meeting at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Farmington. The officers to be inducted are President Pam Kauflin, Vice President Linda Lewis, Secretary Diane Clark, and Treasurer Nancy Bess. Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are now the focus of both the public's and the regulator's attention. ICOs are a digitalised method of raising capital in which an organisation issues tradable digital units (tokens) to finance a specific project or to develop it further. They are exclusively used to fund early stage projects of startups, often without a clear track record and with unclear success probability. In the course of the offering, the investor receives a token from the issuing organisation in exchange for cryptocurrencies (for example, bitcoin) or standard currencies (also referred to as fiat money). Tokens are created on a blockchain and exist as tradable digital units on distributed ledgers as a part of a protocol. For example, the Ethereum blockchain provides not only the cryptocurrency Ether, but also a platform to write smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain, which makes it possible for market participants to easily generate and issue their own tokens, mostly on the basis of the ERC-20 token standard. As most jurisdictions have not issued specific laws or regulations for ICOs and tokens, a large number of legal issues have yet to be resolved. ICOs are usually accessible over the internet from any jurisdiction and trading of tokens has no geographical limits due to the decentralised nature of blockchain technology. As many of the ICOs involve issuers based in Switzerland, this article briefly analyses ICOs from a Swiss capital markets law perspective. The authors believe that established capital markets standards provide a best practice which can be used to refine ICOs and attract more investors, in particular institutional investors, which are largely still shying away from this market. Tokens Depending on the main characteristics, five categories can be distinguished (many tokens fall into more than one category): a) usage tokens which give access to a platform, give the holder a claim to use a service or can be used as payment for specific product offerings; b) work tokens, which give the holder a right to contribute their work; c) profit share tokens, which represent a financial claim against the issuer; d) voting tokens, which give the holder the right to vote; or, e) native cryptocurrency tokens, which do not vest the holder with a specific right or set of rights other than holding and trading the token. Due to the varying appearances of tokens, a general qualification is not possible and each token has to be qualified on a case-by-case basis taking into account its content and form. Legally, the right embodied by a token can potentially be qualified as a claim (Forderung), including claims qualifying as shares or other equity securities. This qualification is relevant for the method of transfer and for determining whether the underlying right can be designed in alternative form such as negotiable securities (Wertpapiere), de-materialised securities (Wertrechte) and, in a second step, intermediated securities (Bucheffekten). White paper versus prospectus In connection with an ICO launch, it is customary to publish a so-called white paper. The purpose of a white paper is to describe the project for which tokens are issued in more detail. In cases where the tokens offered qualify as equity or debt securities, an obligation to prepare a prospectus may arise (article 652a, 1156 Swiss Code of Obligations). This is in particular the case if the offering is public, in other words, not limited to a pre-selected group of investors. However, the existing and still applicable content requirements for offering prospectuses are extremely limited under Swiss law and do not provide for adequate disclosure. In fact, they are much more limited than the requirements under the EU prospectus regulation or for a listing of securities on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Hence, if an ICO involves a risk of an economic loss for the investors, issuers are well advised to be guided by prevailing best capital market practice. This would involve third parties conducting a certain degree of business and legal due diligence to identify risks involved that could translate into a loss for the investor as initial purchaser of tokens. In a second step, those risks should be adequately described in the white paper. Allocation As the distribution and allocation of tokens in an ICO is not explicitly regulated, token issuers can decide on what terms they want to allocate their tokens. Most issuers have allocated their tokens based on the first-come first-served principle and might even provide early bird discounts to provide additional incentives to first buyers. Based on the first-come first-served principle, a fixed number of tokens are sold at a fixed price to the first buyers. Obviously, this creates pressure on investors to invest and penalises those market participants willing to carefully study a white paper on its merits. This method also lacks transparency as it is unclear from the outset when the offering ends. It may mean that a certain investor gets a full allocation, and an investor submitting a bid seconds later may not receive any allocation at all. To ensure a certain degree of equal treatment, a fairer method would be to allocate tokens based on a pro rata cut-back basis among the interested investors who have submitted bids within a pre-defined period. An example of this kind of allocation is the ICO of EOS. Another possibility to allocate tokens could be by way of a Dutch auction to maximise the price. For example, Gnosis distributed their tokens by way of a Dutch auction. Alternatively, to optimise rather than maximise the price, an issuer could use the book building process, allowing it to prefer certain pre-defined categories of investors based on objective criteria, but otherwise treating investors equally and curbing them pro rata in case of oversubscription. So far, to our knowledge, only ICOBox has announced that it will establish a platform to enable the distribution of tokens by way of a book building process. The industry would be well advised to consider the way in which tokens are offered and allocated to investors. A general standard of best practice in the form of self regulation similar to the Allocation Directive for capital market transactions is recommended and is probably the only way to avoid regulatory action in the mid term. The Swiss Crypto Valley Association recently announced that it is working on an ICO code of Conduct. Outlook Blockchain technology, as a base for tokens and many more applications, will have an important role in the future. However, the future of ICOs is uncertain. It remains to be seen whether ICOs are just a hype that passes or whether they will become an established way of raising capital. Nevertheless, best market practices in the form of self-regulation should be promoted in order to prevent fraudulent transactions and exuberant governmental regulation. Kaspersky Lab researchers have discovered a new malware which steals cryptocurrencies from a users wallet by replacing their address with its own in the devices clipboard. Criminals are targeting popular cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash, Monero and others. Indeed, criminals have already succeeded with bitcoin wallets, earning almost 100,000 dollars overall, according to our data. In addition, experts have found a new Trojan, designed for Monero mining, with some samples currently available in the wild. With the cryptocurrency boom continuing across the world, it is fast becoming an attractive target for cybercriminals. Kaspersky Lab researchers have already seen a rise of miners, which have affected thousands of computers and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, experts have noticed that criminals are starting to use less advanced techniques and are spending less time and resources in this area. According to the research, cryptocurrency stealers - which have been increasing in prevalence since 2014, are again putting users crypto savings at risk. Kaspersky Lab researchers have discovered a new CryptoShuffler Trojan, designed to change the addresses of users cryptocurrency wallets in the infected devices clipboard (a software facility used for short-term data storage). Clipboard hijacking attacks have been known for years, redirecting users to malicious websites and targeting online payments systems. However, cases involving a cryptocurrency host address are rare. In most cryptocurrencies, if the user wants to transfer crypto coins to another user, they need to know the recipients wallet ID a unique multi-digit number. Here is how the CryptoShuffler exploits the systems need to operate with these numbers. After initializing, the CryptoShuffler Trojan starts to monitor the devices clipboard, utilized by users when making a payment. This involves copying wallets numbers and pasting them into the destination address line of the software that is used to carry out a transaction. The Trojan replaces the user's wallet with one owned by the malware creator, meaning when the user pastes the wallet ID to the destination address line, it is not the address they originally intended to send money to. As a result, the victim transfers his or her money directly to the criminals, unless an attentive user spots the sudden replacement. The latter is usually not the case, since multi-digit numbers and the wallets' addresses in blockchain are typically very difficult to remember. Therefore, its hard to define any distinctive features in the transaction line, even if it is directly in front of the users eyes. Destination replacement in the clipboard occurs instantly, thanks to the simplicity of searching for wallet addresses: the majority of cryptocurrency wallets have a constant position in the transaction line and always use a certain number of characters. Thus, intruders can easily create regular codes to replace them. Based on the research, CryptoShuffler works with a wide range of the most popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash, Monero and others. So far, based on observations from Kaspersky Lab researchers, the criminals behind the CryptoShuffler trojan have mostly succeeded in attacks against Bitcoin wallets - they were able to steal 23 BTC, which is equivalent to almost 100,000 USD. The total amounts in other wallets ranges from a few dollars to several thousand dollars. Cryptocurrency is not a far-off technology anymore. It is getting into our daily lives and actively spreading around the world, becoming more available for users, as well as a more appealing target for criminals. Lately weve observed an increase in malware attacks targeting different types of cryptocurrencies, and we expect this trend to continue. So, users considering cryptocurrency investments at this time need to think about ensuring they have proper protection, says Sergey Yunakovsky, malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab. Experts have also found another Trojan targeting the Monero cryptocurrency DiscordiaMiner, which is designed to upload and run files from a remote server. According to the research, there are some performance similarities with the NukeBot Trojan, discovered earlier this year. As in the NukeBot case, the Trojans source codes have been shared on underground hacking forums. We recommend that users install robust security solutions that provide dedicated functionality for protecting financial transactions, like the Safe Money feature in flagship Kaspersky Lab solutions. For greater security, this feature scans for vulnerabilities that are known to have been exploited by cybercriminals, constantly checks for specialized malware, guards transactions from intrusion with the help of Protected Browser technology and specifically protects the clipboard where sensitive data could be stored during copy/paste operations. Kaspersky Lab products successfully detect and block these malware with the following detection names: Trojan-Banker.Win32.CryptoShuffler.gen Trojan.Win32.DiscordiaMiner Learn more about newly discovered miners on Securelist.com Governor Brown Announces Appointments Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments: Poonum Rashmikant Patel, 28, of San Jose, has been appointed senior business development specialist in the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, where she has been a senior permit assistance specialist since 2015 and has served in several positions since 2013, including permit assistance specialist and special assistant. Patel was a special assistant for appointments in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2011 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,008. Patel is a Democrat. Frank Ramirez, 64, of Sacramento, has been appointed sustainable freight project manager in the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, where he has served as a senior specialist since 2015 and was a senior permit assistance specialist from 2011 to 2014. Ramirez was senior policy analyst at the California Research Bureau from 2014 to 2015 and at the California State Library from 2004 to 2011. He served as senior project manager in the Office of the Governor from 2003 to 2004, where he was deputy director of planning from 2000 to 2003. Ramirez served as director of the Office of Permit Assistance at the California Trade and Commerce Agency from 1997 to 2000. He earned a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $110,004. Ramirez is a Democrat. Robert Purcell, 69, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board. Purcell was a director in the Public Employee Department at the Laborers International Union of North America from 1997 to 2012, a political organizer for the California Democratic Party from 1988 to 1989 and a political director at Neighbor-to-Neighbor from 1986 to 1988. He was in-house counsel at Unite Here Local 2 from 1984 to 1986 and a legal advisor at the California Public Employment Relations Board from 1982 to 1984. Purcell was a staff analyst at Cal/ OSHA from 1977 to 1979 and an organizer at the United Farm Workers of America from 1971 to 1976. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Purcell is a Democrat. Dora Westerlund, 46, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board. Westerlund has been chief executive officer and founder at the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation since 2004. She was an executive assistant to the consul of Mexico at the Consulate of Mexico in Fresno from 1997 to 2001. She is a member of the 21st District Agricultural Association, Big Fresno Fair Board of Directors, California State University, Fresno Foundation Board of Governors and the Saint Agnes Medical Center Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Westerlund is a Republican. Margaret Parker, 72, of Santa Ana, has been reappointed to the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, where she has served since 2013. Parker has been interim associate dean at California State University, Dominguez Hills since 2016, where she has served in several positions since 1999, including chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program, coordinator of Special Education and the Health and Human Services Program, assistant professor and lecturer. Parker was clinical director of the Center for Voice at Western Medical Center, Santa Ana from 1992 to 1999, a speech and language pathologist in private practice from 1981 to 1991 and a speech pathologist for the Westminster School District from 1970 to 1972. Parker is a member of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialings Board of Institutional Reviewers. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in communication disorders from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is a $100 per diem. Parker is a Republican. Larry Serpa, 65, of Fresno, has been reappointed to the 21st District Agricultural Association, Big Fresno Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2005. Serpa has been an independent real estate broker in agricultural properties and a farmer since 2015. He was a manager of member relations at Land OLakes Incorporated from 1998 to 2012, a field representative for Western United Dairymen from 1982 to 1998 and a feed salesman at Carnation Milling from 1976 to 1982. He is past vice chair of the California Creamery Operators Association and Dairy Cares. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Serpa is a Republican. This Isnt Our Last Love Letter Dear Don Don, Way back in 92 I walked into the room and knew Never felt this way before I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes And the feeling grew As I took a seat I knew A love that would have my heart Forever I knew Way back in 92 They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true We were the exception to that rule Our love had no where to hide A spark set fire As if this is how the universe started I never doubted our love or what we could do Together we grew Forming a bond everlasting That became our glue My euphoria was YOU Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared For how fortunate we were : to have and to hold through sickness and in health Til death do us part Until we are together again This isnt our last love letter I love you with all my heart and soul Yours forever, Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow) Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus. A True American Hero I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus. I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years. I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years. But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us. In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about. Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle. I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life. I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life. No one will ever do what he did. I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO David Jurist IMUS IN THE MORNING FIRST DAY BACK! Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Lubaina Himid has been crowned this years Turner Prize winner, beating Rosalind Nashashibi, Hurvin Anderson, and Andrea Buttner to take home the 25,000 prize money. The African artist, currently Professor of Contemporary Art at the University of Central Lancashire, is best known for her paintings, drawings, printmaking, and installations that centre on black identity, her works making reference to the African diaspora and the slave industry. At 62-years-old, Himid becomes the oldest person to ever win the Turner Prize, 2017 being the first year since the introduction of a rule change allowing artists over the age of 50 to compete. Judges from Tate Britain praised her various projects including the solo exhibitions Lubaina Himid: Invisible Strategies and Navigation Charts for raising questions of personal and political identity. Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures A woman views artworks by Hurvin Anderson which form part of his submission for the Turner Prize 2017 in the Ferens Art Gallery AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Hurvin Anderson Hurvin Anderson, one of the four artists shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Hurvin Anderson Members of the public view artworks by British artist Hurvin Anderson which form part of his submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Hurvin Anderson Artwork by British artist Hurvin Anderson entitled 'Ascension' which forms part of his submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Hurvin Anderson A woman views artworks by Hurvin Anderson, including 'Peter's Sitters III' (L) which form part of his submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Hurvin Anderson A painting titled 'Peter's Sitters III' by British artist Hurvin Anderson which forms part of his submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Rosalind Nashashibi Rosalind Nashashibi, who is one of the four artists shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Rosalind Nashashibi Members of the public view a video piece by British artist Rosalind Nashashibi which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Rosalind Nashashibi Previous artwork by Rosalind Nashashibi entitled 'Electric Gaza, 2015' PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Andrea Buttner Andrea Buttner, who has been shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Andrea Buttner Members of the public view a piece entitled 'Yes, I believe, every word you say' by German artist Andrea Buttner which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Andrea Buttner A gallery assistant stand by a series of artworks by German artist Andrea Buttner entitled 'Beggar', which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Andrea Buttner Members of the public view artworks at the Ferens Art Gallery by German artist Andrea Buttner which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Andrea Buttner A man stands by a work by German artist Andrea Buttner entitled 'Fabric Painting (blue)' which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Lubaina Himid Lubaina Himid, one of the four artists shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. PA Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Lubaina Himid Pottery by Lubaina Himid entitled 'Swallow Hard: The Lancaster Dining Service' which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Lubaina Himid 'Le Rodeur: Exchange' by British artist Lubaina Himid which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images Turner Prize 2017 nominees: in pictures Lubaina Himid Pottery by Lubaina Himid entitled 'Swallow Hard: The Lancaster Dining Service' which forms part of her submission for the Turner Prize 2017 AFP/Getty Images The awards ceremony took place at the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, Yorkshire, marking the citys status as the UKs current capital of culture. British musician Goldie presented the award, praising the political views expressed by all the shortlisted contestants' work: Its good that the artists are digging deep challenging peoples perceptions. A Fashionable Marriage, 1987, by Lubaina Himid (Getty Images) (Getty) Accepting her prize, Himid began by thanking the people of Hull, saying: First of all to the people who stopped me to wish well... It worked. She then thanked the various assistants, curators, and friends who helped her throughout her career, finishing with a few words about her mother. Thanks to my mother who let me do what I wanted as a teenager if I was home by 10, she told the audience. 'Naming the Money' a 2004 work by Lubaina Himid (PA) Himid faced stiff competition from Anderson, 52, best known for work that explores ideas of identity, as inspired by his Jamaican immigrant parents, often in depictions of Afro-Caribbean barbershops. Nashashibi, 43, had two films on show in Hull. While best known as a filmmaker, shes also known as painter, her most popular piece being 2015s 'Electrical Gaza. Rounding off the shortlisted contestants comes Buttner, 45, who works across a range of mediums including painting and woodcuts, often dealing with themes of religion and botany. Each runner-up receives 5,000. Speaking about the age limit being increased before the winner was announced Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and chairman of the jury, said: "The Turner Prize has always championed emerging artists it has never been a prize for long service but for a memorable presentation of work in that year. "Now that its reputation is so firmly established, we want to acknowledge the fact that artists can experience a breakthrough in their work at any age. Established in 1984 by the Patrons of New Art, the Turner Prize aims to promote new developments in contemporary British art. The award goes to an artist for an outstanding exhibition within the 12 months preceding the award deadline; this years was 24 April 2017. Former winners of the Turner Prize include Richard Deacon, Damien Hirst, and Howard Hodgkin. The Ferens Art Gallery will continue to host the shortlisted work until the 7 January, 2018. DEAR ABBY: I'm a teenage girl who has always heard and seen on TV and in movies that there's pressure from guys to have sex. That may be true, but I feel there is also pressure from society. I never thought I would feel like that when I got to high school, but now I do. It hurts, and I am writing this for all the girls who feel the same way I do about it. I have been struggling with it for a few days, and it is messing with me a lot. I know I don't want to have sex yet, but I still feel like I have to. "Tom" really wants to, but he isn't a virgin. It scares me, and while he isn't pressuring me, I feel like there is a boulder on my shoulders. If you know how I can stop feeling like this, please let me know. -- PRESSURE FROM SOCIETY DEAR PRESSURE: A surefire way to feel less pressured into doing something you're not ready for would be to stop assuming Tom's sex drive is YOUR responsibility. Remember that although many teenage girls have been pressured into having sex, a sizable number have not. If you choose to wait until you are older, that's your privilege, because regardless of what you're seeing on TV and in the movies, "everyone else" ISN'T doing it. DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have two amazing children, and while they do require a lot of attention, I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick. My wife works third shift, while I work 8 to 5. She's off two days out of two weeks, but even then, she's on call it seems like all the time. When I try to make time for us, things come up more often than not and it gets pushed aside. We used to have time for each other, and we are talking about having another child. How do I find the time for one more child when we don't have enough time for each other? I'm beginning to think she doesn't want to be around me anymore, or she's no longer in love with me or that she's cheating on me. I don't want to believe it, but I don't know what else to think. What should I do? -- NEEDS TIME TOGETHER DEAR NEEDS TIME: Have you told your wife all the things you are telling me? If you haven't, place it at the top of your agenda. Feeling the way you do, you should be talking about improving your marriage before enlarging your family and the responsibilities that go along with it. Not only should you and your wife be scheduling alone time together, you should also consult a licensed family therapist to reopen the lines of communication between the two of you. DEAR ABBY: Could you please tell me what's proper in a situation like this? My husband and I are always invited to his family's holiday celebrations. When we accept, the invitation is also extended to my mother and sister. If my husband and I are unable to attend, should my mother and sister still go or consider their invitation canceled? -- JAN IN SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. DEAR JAN: If the invitations that were extended were accepted by your mother and sister, and they are expected, they should attend. DEAR ABBY: Is it cheating to proofread your college-aged child's final before he/she turns it in? -- WONDERING IN ORANGE, CALIF. DEAR WONDERING: To read it? No. To correct it, yes. DEAR ABBY: I am a man who owns a large four-bedroom home, and I have two tenants. One pays the rent on time, helps with cleaning and yard work, and is an all-around great roommate. The other has been here for four months, has never paid his rent on time and always disappears when we must clear off the driveway or do yard work. The major problem I have with this guy is he sleepwalks -- at least he claims he does. He opens doors at night. Some mornings I have found the front door or garage door wide open. Additionally, he raids the refrigerator late at night. He claims he doesn't realize he's doing it. It's really annoying to find food I prepared the night before to take to work has been eaten. I have spoken to him about it on numerous occasions, and he claims that he can't control his sleepwalking. I feel he should have told me about his issues prior to signing the lease. None of the references he gave mentioned his sleepwalking. Is it considered a disability? Would I be discriminating against a disability if I chose to not renew his lease because of his sleepwalking? -- LANDLORD IN WISCONSIN DEAR LANDLORD: Because doors are being left open, it might be in your interest to install inexpensive security cameras. Sleepwalking (and sleep eating) can be symptoms of a sleep disorder, or possibly be caused by certain sleep medications. If your tenant is unaware of this, he should be informed and advised to be evaluated at a sleep disorder clinic. Because he doesn't pay rent on time or do other things expected of him, you may not be obligated to renew his lease. My advice is to talk to a lawyer about how -- and whether -- you can get rid of this tenant. DEAR ABBY: My ex-mother-in-law, "Blanche," takes my 14-year-old daughter, "Grace," shopping often. I was grateful at first, but now she buys her anything she wants. Grace has a high school dance soon, and I was looking forward to shopping with her. But before I could go, Blanche took her and bought her a $299 dress. I wasn't consulted because Grace knew I would've said no. She's a freshman and that's just way too much money to spend. I asked them to take the dress back, and Blanche said OK. A week later I called her to explain why I said no, but instead of listening, she told me it was her Christmas and birthday present for Grace, and she wasn't taking it back. My daughter never spends that kind of money. Grace said she was keeping the dress, and I told her she was not wearing it. How do I explain this to my daughter who has become self-entitled because of her grandmother? -- ANYTHING SHE WANTS DEAR ANYTHING: You have already explained it to your daughter. You told her it was too much money to spend. The problem isn't just Grace, it's also your ex-mother-in-law. You are Grace's mother, and your wishes should have been respected. I don't blame you for being angry. DEAR ABBY: Over the last 13 years in his job, my husband developed a "very friendly" relationship with a clerical person. Now that he has retired, she wants to continue it by meeting with him (and me) for dinner. We have had dinner together once, and when they began to talk shop, I became the odd one out. Although I interjected myself into the conversation, it was clear there is real feeling between them. He says she's "just so nice." She continues to send emails addressed to both of us and asks me (since he is not computer savvy) to relay that she misses him greatly and he was her "ray of sunshine" every day when he would walk in the office. Should I be worried, jealous or envious? It is only now I have become aware that she was so important to my husband at work. I had no knowledge about their relationship before. -- UNCERTAIN IN NEW JERSEY DEAR UNCERTAIN: I don't think you have anything to worry about. That the conversation at dinner revolved around the office is not surprising. The office and the job were the basis of their relationship. Because she's sending emails addressed to both of you, I doubt she's trying to slip anything past you or make a play for your husband. Be patient, and with time, I suspect she will adjust to the loss of her "ray of sunshine." DEAR ABBY: A group of friends and I go out for dinner. When the check arrives, we all have cash except for one woman who wants to pay her share with a credit card. She claims she "doesn't know how much she owes" and tells the waiter to use her credit card to pay her share. Abby, she then pays only for her food and beverage, no tax and no tip! I have told her in the past to bring cash, but she won't. I think it is unfair to the waiter to have to figure out how much she owes. When we tried to talk to her about it, she reacted like she was being attacked and went to other friends and got them to agree with "her side." If anyone disagrees with her, she goes on and on until she either loses a friend or the person gives in and tells her she's right. How do we deal with someone like this? Should we just give up on her and end the friendship? -- CHECK, PLEASE DEAR CHECK, PLEASE: I see no reason to give up on the friendship. Just stop having dinner with her if her behavior bothers you. DEAR ABBY: I'm 12 and I'm depressed. I have been depressed for a year now. I have not told my mom that I cry in the shower. Please guide me on what to do and help get me out of this dark hole. -- SAD IN SAN DIEGO DEAR SAD: I'm so glad you wrote. It's very important that you tell your mother or some other trusted adult that you are depressed, and how long this has been going on. You may need counseling or the intervention of some other adult to fix this problem. Please don't wait, and please DO write again and let me know how you're doing. I care. DEAR ABBY: I have been dating my boyfriend for three years. We have lived together for the last two. We have a great life together, but there is a problem I don't know how to solve. "Jeremy" hates his job. We met in the education department of our college, and after graduation, we both took jobs in the public school system. I enjoy my career, but he loathes his. He complains constantly without seeming to take action on the issue. I know he's miserable, but he hasn't looked for other jobs or enrolled in a new school program. I have bad days, too, but I've reached the end of listening to the constant griping. I am usually a positive person, but he is dragging my mood down because of this. He says I need to guide him and give him some direction, but I don't know what to say. I don't think it's my responsibility to tell another adult what he should or shouldn't do with his life. I don't mind helping him talk through his choices, but he wants more from me. This is the man I want to marry. Is there a way to get past this issue and make it work? -- UNCERTAIN AND LOST DEAR UNCERTAIN: Until your boyfriend has settled this uncertainty about his work life, any discussion about marriage should be put on hold. I agree you are not qualified to give him career advice. However, you might ask him to tell you what exactly it is that he hates about his job, and what he would rather be doing. His answers may give both of you insight into what he may be better suited for emotionally, and stimulate him to do something positive about his future. Once he has more clarity, there may be places he can go for career counseling that can help him decide what his next steps should be. DEAR ABBY: You have mentioned in the past that you have a booklet on writing letters, including thank-you notes. Where do I send for it? I'll need four because my grandkids are lacking in that area. It's truly a shame that younger generations haven't been taught about the importance of such notes. A simple "thank you" can not only open doors of opportunity both socially and in employment, but also help grandparents feel appreciated after their heartfelt gift-giving. -- NANCY IN NEVADA DEAR NANCY: If there is one subject that crops up repeatedly in my mail, it's thank-you notes -- or rather, the lack of them. I print letters about it because of the number of complaints I receive. When a gift or a check isn't acknowledged, the (unwritten) message it sends is that the item wasn't appreciated, which is insulting and hurtful. Chief among the reasons that thank-you notes are unwritten is that many people don't know what to say. They think the message has to be long and flowery when, in fact, keeping it short and to the point is more effective. My booklet, "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," contains samples of thank-you letters for birthday gifts, shower gifts and wedding gifts, as well as those that arrive around holiday time. It also includes letters of congratulations and ones regarding difficult subjects, such as the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child. It can be ordered by sending your name, mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby Letters Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.) With the holiday season approaching, this is the perfect time to reply with a handwritten letter, note or well-written email. Because the composition of letters is not always effectively taught in the schools, my booklet can serve as a helpful tutorial, one that is valuable for parents as a way to teach their children to write using proper etiquette. DEAR ABBY: My 8-year-old daughter keeps asking me for a smartphone. I'm at a loss about who she would call besides me and her dad. She points out these different kids her age who have phones. They are the same kids I view as ones who will have no curfew, boyfriends at 12 and parents who aren't as involved as we are. At what age do you feel kids should have smartphones? -- INVOLVED PARENT DEAR INVOLVED PARENT: I don't think there is a magic number, but your daughter is definitely too young to have one. Smartphones can be dangerous when they are used irresponsibly. A flip phone, perhaps, for her to contact you in case of emergencies, might be appropriate. Because her friends have smartphones is not a valid reason for her to have one. Before that happens, you must be confident that it will be used responsibly, and that you and her father will be able to review its history. DEAR ABBY: Could you help all of us guys named Shelby spread the word that Shelby is not just for the female gender? Many boys and men like me have the handle and are proud of it. -- SHELBY FROM TEXAS DEAR SHELBY: So do some automobiles! I'm glad to relay your message. Today many women have names that were once associated only with the masculine gender -- Cameron, Bailey, Logan, Morgan, to name a few -- and turnabout is fair play. I'm reminded of the song "A Boy Named Sue." DEAR ABBY: I'm a 17-year-old girl and a junior in high school. I have a crush on a guy who's 14 and a freshman. I know age gaps don't matter as much later on, but the difference between 17 and 14 can be drastic. "Jake" is really sweet, and he's as interested in me as I am in him (unlike the boys in my grade). I'm friends with Jake's sister "Julie," who's a year older than me and a senior. Julie has made it clear she doesn't like the idea of a romantic relationship between Jake and me because Jake is only 14. What can I do? Should I ignore this crush? I have judged people who have dated despite age gaps. (For example, a senior boy dating a sophomore girl.) But now I understand it. If the girl is older, does that complicate things? I don't want to be seen as creepy or gross, but, to be honest, I'm not that experienced romantically or socially myself. (I have never even been to a real party.) Must I forget my feelings and move on, or do I talk to Julie and try to pursue this? -- TEEN CRUSH DEAR TEEN CRUSH: Julie has already given you her answer. As you have pointed out, there is a bias against dating someone so much younger, and it could cause you problems not only with your peers, but also with the law if your relationship were to become sexual when you turn 18. That's why I'm suggesting you turn your romantic interests elsewhere. When you're BOTH adults, if you're still interested, you can pursue a romantic relationship then. DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I are being married in a few days. We are expecting our first child a few days after that. The problem is my mother. We decided on a small ceremony, but my mother is opposed to the marriage because she doesn't like the idea of me marrying -- not just my fiance, but anyone. She has always told me a man will leave me destitute, pregnant with too many kids, and I won't be able to take care of myself. She has repeated it since I was about 10. Because she has threatened to object at the ceremony, we decided not to invite her. We have invited his parents and my father and stepmother. Mom has said she will not allow my child to see her grandfather because "he is a bad person." She may have good intentions, but dictating who can be around my child is not her choice, considering she has had little to no contact with him in 25 years. I wish she could be at our wedding, but she has now distanced herself from me and my fiance. Should I let her cool off and hope she comes around, or accept that this is the path she has chosen? Please advise, Abby. -- PROBLEM MOTHER IN KENTUCKY DEAR PROBLEM MOTHER: Your mother may be anti-marriage because hers failed spectacularly. She appears to be a troubled woman. By all means, let her cool off, but do not allow her to dictate your life. If she does, her anger and bitterness could negatively affect your marriage. DEAR ABBY: The winter months are hard for me. They remind me that another year has gone by without my father and my younger sister. Dad had been a smoker since his teens and died from pancreatic cancer at 39. I was 13, and my siblings were younger. In those days, we didn't know that smoking was a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. My sister smoked from the time she was 13. She died from lung cancer at 44, leaving behind two young sons. Neither my father nor my sister got to experience the wonderful family milestones and celebrations we have had. Their grandchildren will never know them. Each year during the holidays, I feel a sadness in my heart. I urge every smoker to make a vow to quit and carry it through, not only for their own sake but also their family's. Stay determined to quit so you won't cause your loved ones sadness and won't miss out on their futures. With all my heart, I wish smokers the best of luck in quitting. -- MISSING DAD AND SIS IN SACRAMENTO DEAR MISSING: I'm glad you wrote because the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout will be held on Nov. 16. It's a day when millions of smokers put down their cigarettes -- just for one day -- with the conviction that if they can go 24 hours without one, then they can do it for 48 hours, 72 hours, and stop smoking for good. The idea grew out of a 1970 event in Randolph, Massachusetts, and became a national event in 1977. Readers, I'm not going to harangue you with death threats. We are all aware of the grim statistics associated with cancer-related deaths caused by tobacco. If you're interested in quitting, this is a perfect opportunity. Call (800) 227-2345 to be connected with counseling services in your community, provided with self-help materials offering information and strategies on quitting for good, and to receive information about medications available to help you quit. This service is free and provided 24/7. Or go online to cancer.org. DEAR ABBY: I need your help. Over the past few weeks, I have been vacationing at my mother-in-law's home. The other day I was browsing on her computer and accidentally opened her browsing history. It turns out that she regularly looks at and responds to Craigslist personals. I was shocked when I read some of the perverted requests she has responded to. The language she used would make a sailor blush. Keep in mind, my mother-in-law is a married woman. I don't know how to react. Should I tell my wife? Keep it to myself? Make a fake Craigslist post and catch her in the act? -- KINKS IN THE FAMILY DEAR KINKS: If you disclose this to your wife, it could damage her relationship with her mother. If she tells her mother what you found, it will create a breach in the family. If you trap the woman by creating a fake Craigslist post and she realizes she has been made a fool of, it will not -- to put it mildly -- endear you to her. Let it lie. DEAR ABBY: Help! I'm a 67-year-old man being relentlessly chased by a 68-year-old woman. I have told her I want to date other women and will be moving out of the country at the end of the year. Despite this, she is constantly trying to maneuver me into an exclusive relationship, probably ending in living together. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm at a loss as to how to get her to back off. -- HAPPILY UNCOMMITTED DEAR UNCOMMITTED: Here's how. Tell her you can't handle the pressure she's putting on you and end the relationship NOW. DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped. Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least. I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Writer and actor Lena Dunham claims to have warned Hilary Clinton aides that Harvey Weinstein was a rapist while the Democrat nominee was running for President last year. Speaking to the New York Times, Dunham says she spoke to two members of the Clinton campaign, saying allegations against Weinstein who has since been accused of sexual harassment by multiple actors would become public. I just want you to let you know that Harveys a rapist and this is going to come out at some point, Dunham claims she told the campaigns deputy communications director, Kristina Schake, who was reportedly surprised by the allegation. Dunham added: I think its a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because its an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Show all 42 1 /42 Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Harvey Weinstein Harry Weinsteins reputation as one of Hollywoods leading executives was long cemented in stone. The acclaimed movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, clocked up box office successes and accolades aplenty. But this has quickly changed since a chorus of women have come forward to accuse the Hollywood producer of sexual harassment and assault. Since the New York Times bombshell report disclosed sexual harassment and rape allegations against the film mogul dating back decades, Weinstein has been fired from his namesake company, expelled from the Oscars and has had his wife leave him. Weinstein has apologised for having caused a lot of pain but has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Annabella Sciorra The Sopranos actor alleged Weinstein raped her after shooting The Night We Never Met, a 1993 movie that Weinstein produced. Similar to the stories told by other women, Weinstein drove the actor home, only to reportedly burst into Sciorra's apartment and start unbuttoning his shirt. He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra said. I kicked and I yelled. Weinstein then allegedly locked her arms and forced sexual intercourse on her. After the incident, Sciorra found it increasingly hard to get work, many filmmakers saying 'We heard you were difficult', something the actor claims was because of the 'Weinstein-machine'. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Natassia Malthe The model and actress, who has appeared in around 50 films, said she met Weinstein at a BAFTA after party in 2008 while she was working as a spokeswoman for LG. She told a press conference in New York that she felt pressured into telling Weinstein she was staying at the Sanderson Hotel after being put on the spot. Malthe, now 43, said after her shift on February 10 she went back to her room and went to sleep, but was awoken by "repeated pounding" on her door, from someone yelling: "Open the door Natassia Malthe, it's Harvey Weinstein." Feeling humiliated, she said she opened the door. She alleged Weinstein began implying sex would get her a role in an upcoming film while semi-undressed and then he began to masturbate. "I was sitting on the bed talking to Harvey when he pushed me back and forced himself onto me. It was not consensual. He did not use a condom," she said. AP Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sean Young The actor, best known for her role in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, said that Weinstein exposed himself to her in the early 1990s, when she was starring in the Miramax-produced Love Crimes - a production company that Weinstein headed at the time. "I personally experienced him pulling his you-know-what out of his pants to shock me," she said. "My basic response was, 'You know, Harvey, I really dont think you should be pulling that thing out, its not very pretty.'" Young never worked with Weinstein again after the incident. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lupita Nyong'o In an op-ed for The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said she was invited to Weinsteins family home in Connecticut on the premise of watching a film shortly after they met in 2011. But she said shortly after it started he "insisted" in front of his children that she follow him and she was led to his bedroom. The Kenyan-Mexican actress, now 34, said she felt pressured into giving him a massage after he offered her one. "Before long he said he wanted to take off his pants," she wrote."I told him not to do that and informed him that it would make me extremely uncomfortable. He got up anyway to do so and I headed for the door, saying that I was not at all comfortable with that." Over the years that followed, he continued to get in touch, Nyong'o said, and when she declined another proposition she felt her career was threatened. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lena Headey Writing on social media, the Game of Thrones actor claims she first met Weinstein at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 where, after taking her for a walk by the water, he made some suggestive comment and gesture. Headey claims she bumped into Weinstein years later where he kept asking her questions about her love life. She alleges that, when Weinstein invited her to his hotel room to show her a script, the "energy shifted. The actor notes how, after saying she was not interesting in anything but the work, Weinstein was furious, apparently marching her back to a lift, "grabbing and holding tightly to the back of [her] arm." She claims that, after paying for her car, he whispered in her ear: "Don't tell anyone about this, not your manager, not your agent. Headey finished the post, writing: I got in the car and I cried. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Laura Madden Madden, a production assistant who worked at Miramax for a decade, told the Times that Weinstein allegedly prodded her for massages at hotels, a common theme among the sources the Timess reporters spoke with. On one occasion, she claims she locked herself in his hotel bathroom, sobbing Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Judd recounted for the Times how Weinstein allegedly harassed her while she was filming Kiss the Girls in 1996, inviting her to his hotel room and asking her for a massage, then inviting her to watch him shower. Judd first went public with the allegations in a 2015 interview with Variety during which she discussed the experience without naming the producer involved. She described Weinsteins alleged behaviour as coercive bargaining; I said no, a lot of ways, a lot of times, and he always came back at me with some new ask, she told the Times AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rose McGowan McGowan reportedly reached a previously undisclosed $100,000 settlement with Weinstein in 1997, over an incident that occurred in a hotel room Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mimi Haleyi Mimi Haleyi said she was assaulted by Weinstein in what appeared to be a child's bedroom in his New York City apartment in 2006 when she was in her 20s. She said she was aspiring to work in television and film production when she was first introduced to him at the London premiere of The Aviator around two years earlier and he helped her get experience on the set of a TV show being produced by The Weinstein Company. But, she added, he repeatedly hassled her and even tried to force himself through her front door in an effort to get her to join him on a trip to Paris. At one point he allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on an aspiring production assistant while she was on her period. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emily Nestor Nestor had been temping at the Weinstein Company for only one day in 2014 when Weinstein allegedly offered to boost her career in return for sexual favours, according to the Times. She declined and reportedly complained of his behaviour to colleagues, who later passed the information on to senior executives. An internal Weinstein Company document cited by the Times describes Nestors encounter with Weinstein as follows: She said he was very persistent and focused though she kept saying no for over an hour Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ambra Battilana In March 2015, Battilana, an aspiring model and actress, was reportedly summoned to Weinsteins office on a Friday night to discuss her career. According to a police report cited by the Times, Battilana claimed she was assaulted by Weinstein, who grabbed her breasts after asking if they were real and put his hands up her skirt. Weinstein later claimed that Battilana had set him up, according to colleagues of his who were interviewed by the Times. The Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, later declined to press charges, and according to the Times, made a payment to Battilana. On 5 October, the International Business Times reported that after Vance dropped the charges, he received $10,000 from Weinsteins lawyer Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lauren OConnor Lauren OConnor, an employee of the Weinstein Company, penned a memo to executives alleging a toxic environment for women at the company. The memo cited numerous incidents of Weinstein harassing or coercing women who worked for him. She expressed fear that Weinstein was using her and other female employees to facilitate liaisons with vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. That same year, Weinstein allegedly reached a settlement with OConnor Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Kate Beckinsale The actor, who starred in the Weinstein Company films Serendipity and The Aviator, alleges that she was invited to Weinsteins hotel room at the age of just 17. When she approached the door, the producer reportedly greeted her dressed in just a dressing gown. I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him, she wrote on Instagram. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. Theo Wargo/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Gwyneth Paltrow The actor alleges that after he cast her in the title role of the film Emma when she was 22, he took her to his hotel room, placed his hands on her and suggested massages. I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, Paltrow told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Asia Argento Italian actress Asia Argento has alleged that in 1997 Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her as she repeatedly told him to stop. When I see him, it makes me feel little and stupid and weak, Argento told The New Yorker. After the rape, he won. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Cara Delevigne The British model and actress penning an Instagram post claiming that Weinstein had ordered her to kiss another woman in his hotel room, and tried to kiss her on the lips. AFP/Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Ashley Judd Ashley Judd said she rebuffed Harvey Weinsteins unwanted sexual advances by offering to consent only after she had won an Oscar. When she was initially invited to a meeting with Weinstein, Judd said, she was surprised to learn the producer was in his hotel room - a tactic that recurs in other womens accounts. Echoing the accounts of other women, Judd said Weinstein suggested she give him a massage and then invited her to watch him shower. After a volley of nos she said she would only after she wins an Oscar, fleeing after making the comments. Reuters/Mike Segar Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Judith Godreche French actress Judith Godreche said when she was 24 Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked to give her a massage. The next thing I know, hes pressing against me and pulling off my sweater, she told the New York Times. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Mira Sorvino The Oscar-winning actor said she found herself in a hotel room with Weinstein in 1995 where he started massaging my shoulders, which made me very uncomfortable, and then tried to get more physical, sort of chasing me around. According to an interview in The New Yorker Weinstein subsequently arrived at her apartment late at night and she had to call a friend to come over to pose as her boyfriend in order to get Weinstein out of the house. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Katherine Kendall The actress said Weinstein undressed and chased her around a living room when she was just 23. She subsequently felt that telling others meant Ill never work again and no one is going to care or believe me, she told the New York Times. WireImage Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Tomi-Anne Roberts As an aspiring actress and working in a restaurant in New York, Tomi-Ann Roberts encountered Weinstein who encouraged her to audition for one of his films back in 1984. She subsequently went to meet him and found him naked in the bath and invited her to get naked and get into the bath with him, she told the New York Times. She said she left feeling manipulated. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Myleen Klass It has also been alleged that the disgraced film producer propositioned Myleene Klass with a sex contract at Cannes Film Festival in 2010. One of the singer and television personalitys friends reportedly told The Sun, Klass had told Weinstein to f*** off. Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Sophie Dix Sophie Dix, best known for her role as Captain Sadie Williams in Soldier Soldier, described her encounter with Weinstein when she was 23 as the single most damaging thing thats happened in my life. She told The Guardian Weinstein had pushed her to her bed and was tugging at her clothes. She rushed to the bathroom to escape, but when she came out she found him standing there masturbating. I quickly closed the door again and locked it, she said. Then when I heard room service come to the door I just ran. Rex Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lea Seydoux The actor and director claims she had to fight off Weinstein after he brought her to his hotel room during what she remembers to be 2012. He suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. Hes big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. I left his room, thoroughly disgusted, she wrote in The Guardian. AFP/Getty Images Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Claire Forlani British actress Claire Forlani wrote on Twitter that she had evaded Weinsteins advances on five occasions at the age of 25. At meetings with the Hollywood a-lister, she says massage was suggested, and that Weinstein had boasted of all the women hed had sex with. Mark Douet Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Florence Darel French actress Florence Darel claimed Weinstein relentlessly pursued her in the mid 1990's and propositioned her while Eve Chilton, his wife at the time, was in the hotel room next door. I was astonished, she told People magazine. When you have someone so physically disgusting in front of you, continuing and continuing as though this was all perfectly normal What happened to me may not be illegal but it was inappropriate. Very inappropriate. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lysette Anthony Lysette Anthony, who starred as Marnie Nightingale in Hollyoaks, has claimed Weinstein raped her in the late 1980's after turning up to her London home in the late 1980s. She described the disgraced film producers alleged attack as pathetic and revolting and said it left her feeling disgusted and embarrassed. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Dawn Dunning Dunning said she met Weinstein in 2003 when she was 24-years-old and the disgraced film producer suggested she have a threesome with him and someone else. She told the New York Times Weinstein got angry when she refused. Youll never make it in this business, she said he told her as she left. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Arquette was already well known for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she said she met Weinstein at his hotel to pick up a script in the early nineties. Weinstein was dressed only in a dressing gown, and tried to put her hand on his erect penis. Speaking to the New York Times, Arquette said as she left she told him: I will never be that girl. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Emma de Caunes Caunes, a French actor, claimed Weinstein took her to his hotel room in 2010 supposedly to retrieve a book he was making into a film, but once there he went into the bathroom. De Caunes said he then emerged naked, with an erection and told her to lie on the bed. She fled the room. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Zoe Brock Model Zoe claimed that she had to lock herself in a bathroom at Weinsteins hotel in 1997, after the mogul had sent all of the assistants out of the room, and then appeared naked. I was alone with Weinstein, she told ITVs This Morning programme. He very quickly left the room and came back naked. He chased me naked. Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Barth Actress Jessica Barth described an encounter with Weinstein in 2011 in an interview with The New Yorker in which she said Weinstein veered between offering her roles in films and demanding a naked massage. She alleges the producer said to her: So, what would happen if, say, were having some champagne and I take my clothes off and you give me a massage? When she tried to leave, he then promised to give her the number of a female executive at the company. He gave me her number, and I walked out and I started bawling, Barth said. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Romola Garai The actress told The Guardian she felt violated after she went to a meeting with Weinstein at the age of 18 and he met her in his hotel room wearing nothing but a dressing gown. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Heather Graham Graham claimed that during a casting opportunity in the early 2000's Weinstein had told her he had an open relationship with his wife. He could sleep with whomever he wanted when he was out of town. I walked out of the meeting feeling uneasy, Graham told Variety. There was no explicit mention that to star in one of those films I had to sleep with him, but the subtext was there. Graham was never hired to work in a Weinstein film. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Jessica Hynes Spaced and W1A star Jessica Hynes tweeted about an encounter with Weinstein earlier this week, but subsequently deleted the tweet. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Lucia Evans The actor told The New Yorker that after a meeting to discuss casting her in various projects, Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him. I said, over and over, I dont want to do this, stop, dont. She added: Hes a big guy. He overpowered me. I just sort of gave up. Thats the most horrible part of it, and thats why hes been able to do this for so long to so many women: people give up, and then they feel like its their fault. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louisette Geiss The former actress said she met Weinstein to pitch a film script she was working on. During the meeting, Weinstein allegedly went out and reappeared naked and got into a jacuzzi where he masturbated in front of her and said he would make the script into a film if she stayed and watched. Getty Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Liza Campbell Liza Campbell, a British writer and artist, alleged that Olympically ugly Weinstein asked her to join him in the bath and began getting undressed at a hotel. In a piece for The Times, Campbell claimed she was forced to sprint to the door to escape. Rex Features Harvey Weinstein: his accusers Louise Godbold Writing in a blog post, Louise Godbold, a non-profit director in Los Angeles, said her encounter with Weinstein took the form of an office tour that became an occasion to trap me in an empty meeting room. She said then Weinstein was begging for a massage, his hands on my shoulders as I attempted to beat a retreat. The actor also claims she told Clintons spokesperson Adrienne Elrod about Weinsteins alleged behaviour. As far as Dunham could tell, though, no-one from the campaign responded to the concerns as the producer hosted a celebrity-packed fundraiser on Broadway soon after. Magazine editor Tina Brown also claims to have warned Clintons inner circle about Weinstein, saying she mentioned the producer during her 2008 campaign. Recommended Harvey Weinstein accused of violating sex trafficking laws at Cannes She told the publication: I was hearing that Harveys sleaziness with women had escalated since I left Talk in 2002 and she was unwise to be so closely associated with him. Both Schake and Elrod have denied through Clintons communications manager that Dunham mentioned rape. Meanwhile, Weinstein continues to deny any allegations of non-consensual sex. Criminal cases in London, New York, and Los Angeles have been opened against him. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After seven episodes, the first half of The Walking Dead season 8 is set to draw to a close for 2017 with what many fans are expecting to be a devastating episode likely to end in death for one of the main characters (feast your eyes on the trailer here). The Independent spoke with Katelyn Nacon, the actor behind the character of Enid, who will feature heavily in the midseason finale having last been seen driving away from the Hilltop with Aaron (Ross Marquand) in a bid to rid the world of some Saviours. Without giving anything away, Nacon teased the horrific events to come, whether she'd be game to crossover with the spinoff series as well as offering final word on the long-standing theory that her character is still a member of the faded faction known as The Wolves. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Show all 10 1 /10 The most shocking Walking Dead moments The most shocking Walking Dead moments Sophie's a walker (season 2, episode 7) Much of season two's opening half is spent looking for Sophia, the missing daughter of Carol (Melissa McBride). Turns out she was locked up in Hershel's barn as a zombie all along. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Shane reanimates without being bitten (season 2, episode 12) When Carl (Chandler Riggs) guns down a deranged Shane (Jon Bernthal) to protect his father, the shock arrives when he manifests into a walker despite not being bitten; turns out everyone's infected with the virus and will turn whichever way they die. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Axel's bullet to the eye (season 3, episode 10) A character introduced in the show's prison arc, Axel is a reformed prisoner who strikes up a friendship with Carol - until he's gunned down mid-sentence. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl kills Lori after she gives birth (season 3, episode 4) Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labour at the very moment a zombie siege breaks out at the prison. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it through the procedure with her son Carl being the one to put a bullet to her head. The most shocking Walking Dead moments The Governor slays Hershel (season 4, episode 8) The Governor makes his dramatic return for a showdown at the prison after he captures Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Hershel (Scott Wilson). Rick reaches out, attempting to reason with him - but The Governor starts a war when he proceeds to decapitate poor old Hershel instead. The most shocking Walking Dead moments "Look at the flowers" (season 4, episode 14) In a standout episode from the show's fourth season, Carol is forced to take drastic measures when young teenager Lizzie murders her sister Mika in the belief that she'll live on as a zombie. Realising Lizzie's depraved mind would endanger those around her, Carol puts a gun to the young girl's head and, telling her to "look at the flowers," pulls the trigger, fighting back the tears. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl's bullet to the eye (season 6, episode 9) Season six returned from its mid-season break in typically dramatic fashion when an iconic moment from the graphic novels came to life: Carl takes a bullet to the eye. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Beth is killed (season 5, episode 8) Upon being kidnapped, Beth (Emily Kinney) is taken to Grady Memorial Hospital managed by Atlanta Law Enforcement. Forced to reside there against her will, the group - including Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus) - eventually find her - only for her to be accidentally shot in the head by her captor. The worst thing? Her sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) had just arrived outside. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Abraham Season seven opened in brutal form as we discovered it was Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) at the opposite end of Negan's baseball bat. "Suck my nuts," the soldier growls as the Saviours' leader brings Lucille raining down on his head until nothing remains but a pulpy mess. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Glenn Negan decides to punish the group once more after getting clocked round the face by Daryl. Without expectation, he thwacks Lucille round the head of poor Glenn. With his eyeball popping out of his head, he manages: "I'll find you, Maggie before Negan proceeds to finish the job ending the former pizza delivery boy's life. What can you tease about your scenes ahead with Aaron? We're the only two in a car together so It's kind of obvious that were gonna have scenes. It seems like this season everyone has their different ways of handling Negan and the war so with Aaron and Enid, youre going to see their way of going around the whole situation. Were also going to see a change in Enid because with everything that's been happening, shes been in this place of 'Am I supposed to be more like Maggie?' or 'Am I supposed to be more like Jesus?' I know I want this war to be over and I want Negan to be gone, but she doesnt really know exactly how to get to that point and how to make her actions become reality. So were going to see a bit of a change in her as she goes along on this journey with Aaron. If Enid could share more screen time with one character, which would you pick? Apart from everyone? I've never worked with Melissa [McBride, Carol]. I would love to do that because I love that character, she's amazing. Enid and Carol? They'd be awesome together. Some fans are still inexplicably convinced that Enid could be a member of The Wolves. Could it still be a possibility? I mean, theres always a possibility on this show because there's always some kind of bad guy and some kind of mystery and Enid has a lot of mystery surrounding her. Shes very closed off and doesn't let a lot of herself show. So I think there's always a possibility; Im never going to rule anything out so I dont get in trouble. I always love hearing different theories: shes on the side of The Wolves, shes on the side of The Whisperers, or for The Saviours - she's Negan's daughter even. There's a tonne of stuff. But I love it. The fans are very invested in Enid - I love hearing what they have to say. Are there any personal question marks surrounding your character Any times where showrunner Scott Gimple approached you to perhaps play something in a different way without telling you why? Not necessarily. I thought for a second Enid might be one of The Wolves because there was one line that kind of set a lot of people off. She's talking to Carl and there were Wolves in the house and she says, 'That's how we were able to...' and then she gets cut off. I was like. 'Wait, does that mean she knows how The Wolves were able to get in? What doe that mean?' But I talked to Scott and he was like, 'No, that means something different, youre going the wrong way.' It was a good thing I asked! That was the main time where I thought maybe these fan theories are right, but otherwise, I think I've had a basic understanding of Enid and where her character seems to be going. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up It was recently announced that Lennie James was leaving the show for spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead. Would you be up for switching shows one day in the future? I honestly didnt see that coming. I found out at Comic-Con when they were going to announce [the actual crossover]. I'm interested to see how they do it. I'd always be open to it, of course - I'm always open to everything. As long as I never die, thats great. The Old Man Rick future scenes lent credence to the theory that Carl could one day surpass his father as the show's leader. Do you see that happening? Well, thats how its written in the comic books - it's very very prevalent - so I feel like its definitely a possibility. Carl really does become a huge leader role in the community so I wouldnt be surprised if its one of the routes they want to take. But at the same time also this is a show that can veer clear of the comics as well so its just whether or not they want to try and keep it in Rick's realm or have a younger leader Are there some Glenn-style awful moments ahead fans need to brace themselves for? Do you know what show were on? There is going to be some tough stuff to come but I feel like it will come with a silver lining because there are a lot of horrifying things to come, but also a lot of beautiful things that comes with it, comes because of it. It's a big win-lose situation because it is a tough show to get through - it can punch you back - but I would say that a lot of beauty comes from the horror. We have to wait and see what's going to come after and how it's going to affect the show. The Walking Dead season eight airs every Sunday in the US on AMC with the UK premiere arriving the following evening on FOX. It will also be available on NOWTV Follow Independent Culture on Facebook Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyBest email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} These days, a luxury eye mask is considered a solid pillar of a good nights sleep. Blocking out light, keeping you feeling cosy and comforted, and also adding a stylish new dimension to your nightwear, the humble eye mask has come a long way in recent years to become a modern hero of the bedroom. But with so many available to buy, it can feel like a tall order to pick just one that will both work effectively and look cool while also standing the test of time. Luckily, we tested out some of the very best around to come up with this shortlist of the best eye masks for sleeping, ever. Weve determined the following seven to be the best of the bunch; buying any one of these should, we hope, result in you scoring those much-coveted eight hours of sleep a night. How we tested To effectively review each eye mask, our writer wore each for a minimum of two nights at a time to get a full feel for the product. We were looking for style as well as substance, with design and fabric both important. Of course, we also concentrated on the ability of each mask to block out light. Read more: The best eye masks for 2021 are: Best overall The Drowsy silk sleep mask: 59.95, Thedrowsysleepco.com The Drowsy silk sleep mask: 59.95, Thedrowsysleepco.com Best for a contoured effect Slip contour eyelash eye mask: 55, Anthropologie.com Slip contour eyelash eye mask: 55, Anthropologie.com Best heated eye mask Spacemasks masks: 15, Cultbeauty.co.uk Spacemasks masks: 15, Cultbeauty.co.uk Best for knitted cosiness Cashmere sock and eye mask bundle: 108, Freepeople.com Cashmere sock and eye mask bundle: 108, Freepeople.com Best fun print Desmond & Dempsey bocas print blue mask: 20, Desmondanddempsey.com Desmond & Dempsey bocas print blue mask: 20, Desmondanddempsey.com Best luxury cashmere option Ven Store cashmere eye mask: 30, Ven-store.com Ven Store cashmere eye mask: 30, Ven-store.com Best weighted mask Kitsch the lavender weighted satin eye mask: 19, Mykitsch.com The Drowsy silk sleep mask Best: Overall Rating: 10/10 Our reviewer has always sworn by Drowsys silk mask, which may be pricey but is oh so worth it for a perfect nights sleep. Super soft and smooth, with a cushiony section across the eyes, this is the mask to wear if you usually hate eye masks. It is available in seven gorgeous shades, is completely washable, and has blackout properties that mean not even the brightest of lights will creep in. Plus, the adjustable velcro strap means the fit will be just right. Hard to beat, in our humble opinion. Buy now 59.95 Thedrowsysleepco.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Slip contour eyelash eye mask Best: For a contoured effect Rating: 9/10 If you prefer an eye mask that doesnt cling to the lashes, a contoured design will be the best for you, and this one by Slip is top tier. Slip is known for its silk pillowcases and hair accessories, and its comfortable eye masks are of the exact same high quality, meaning you can trust in them for a solid eight hours plus. The only slight downside is the strap; if it were a little wider or adjustable, it would be perfect. Another one thats a little pricey, but absolutely worth forking out the extra cash for. Buy now 55 Anthropologie.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Spacemasks masks Best: Heated eye mask Rating: 8/10 Ideal for cold nights and stress headaches, you cant beat a heated eye mask, and Spacemasks dominates the market here in the UK. The masks are air-activated, meaning when you open them and pop them onto your face, they will instantly heat up, offering a comforting, warming treat for the senses. While these may not be preferable for everyday wear (theyre single use, after all), they are glorious for an extra-special treat, or for when youre feeling particularly ropey. Pack them for your next long haul flight. Buy now 15 Cultbeauty.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Cashmere sock and eye mask bundle Best: For knitted cosiness Rating: 8/10 Want to really treat yourself? Why not pick up this cashmere duo by Free People, which will keep both your feet warm and your room dark at night. The mask is super soft and comes in a jewel-blue hue, which will look gorgeous laying on your pillow after you make your bed. The mask is a little smaller than some, meaning it may not be ideal for those who like a looser fit, but combined with the cosy and cool socks, you cant beat this cute duo it would be especially lovely as a luxurious gift. Buy now 108 Freepeople.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Desmond & Dempsey bocas print blue mask Best: Fun print Rating: 8/10 If youd like a bold design to match with your other stylish nightwear, head to Desmond & Dempsey, where the prints galore are a feast for the eyes. This one was inspired by the Panaman region of Bocas del Toro, and is sure to transport you to warmer climates and happier times at a single glance. But fear not; the mask is not just pretty but also practical, blocking out light and helping you to sleep soundly. Its made from a soft cotton material so is not as luxurious as certain other designs, but is a great alternative if you tend not to like the slip of silk or warmth of cashmere and wool. Buy now 20 Desmondanddempsey.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Ven Store cashmere eye mask Best: Luxury cashmere option Rating: 9/10 The epitome of luxury? A cashmere eye mask, of course. And this one by Ven Store, founded by former fashion editor Charlotte Lewis, is hard to beat. The design is backed with cotton cashmere that is soothing for the eyes and helps to keep things extra dark, meaning its both chic and practical. The eye mask comes in three different colours (grey, navy, and charcoal), and we now consider it an overnight (or in-flight) essential. Buy now 30 Ven-store.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement, it was the hottest topic on everyones lips. The ring, the coat, the feminist causes - the world cannot get enough of Markle. And new figures reveal just quite how taken with the soon-to-be Princess Henry of Wales we all are. Recommended The questions Meghan Markle will need to answer to become a UK citizen According to data from Hitwise, one in every 227 searches online was for Meghan Markle on the day the news of her engagement broke (Monday 27th). And across the week as a whole, searches for Prince Harrys fiancee were up over 2700 per cent. Much like we saw the Kate effect when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became engaged, and the Prince George effect, with everything the royals wear selling out, the Meghan effect appears to be in full swing. Everything Markle says, does and wears is likely to receive a boost across the world. In the US, where royal interest is reaching fever pitch, data shows there has been a huge surge of interest in British designers. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty People who search for Meghan Markle in the US before visiting the website of Hunter boots has grown by 6,199 per cent, Roland Mouret has grown by 780 per cent, and Jo Malones site has grown by 50 per cent. And in the UK, many Brits are equally as enraptured by Markle and her fashion choices. Searches for the luxury Strathberry bag she used during her first official engagement in Nottingham increased 2,044 per cent, with stock reportedly selling out in eleven minutes. (Getty Images (Getty Images) Strathberry is a Scottish company headed up by Leeanne and Guy Hundleby, who, on a whim, decided to send Markle a selection of handbags a fortnight ago (before the engagement announcement was made). The bag is a tri-colour leather midi tote costing 495, and the designers have been propelled into a new league. The coat Markle wore for her engagement announcement was designed by Canadian brand Line the Label, and it duly sold out too. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced last week that they were engaged (Getty Images) Now the brand has announced it is renaming the coat the Meghan in her honour. The same went for the 489 bottle green dress by unknown Italian label P.A.R.O.S.H. that Markle wore for her engagement interview - it sold out and has been renamed for her. And its not just in fashion that the Meghan effect is taking hold: data shows that following an appearance on Daves Britishisms where she claimed Vegemite to be superior to Marmite, the former has seen a 104 per cent increase in searches around the product, with Marmite dropping 22 per cent. The reach of the Meghan effect knows no bounds. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Chinese state media has issued advice to citizens on how to survive a nuclear attack or explosion. A state-run newspaper in northeastern China's Jilin city, which is near the border with North Korea, published a full page of "common sense" advice that was intended to keep its readers alive in the case of attack. The article didn't name North Korea or any other military power, despite their proximity. But China has been vocal in its criticism of North Korea's nuclear and missiles programme, as well as attacking the US and South Korea for ratcheting up tensions. Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Show all 30 1 /30 Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Farmer works in a field Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Women soldier walk on the street Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A female soldier guards railway Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of platform of Pyongyang Railway Station Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Students stage a protest against South Korea and the US in Pyongyang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Students rehearsal for celebrating the 70th birthday of Workers' Party of Korea Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone People enjoy the cool at the carriage door Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of countryside Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Korean People's Army soldier rest on the rail 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A little boy begs food on the platform in Hamhung Railway Station in Hamhung 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Children swim in a river in noon Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone People cross a railway crossing 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A boy collects corn cob beside a railway Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officer is seen on the train No.100 from Moscow to Pyongyang at Tumangang railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officer checks a passenger's mobile device on the train to Pyongyang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of the railway station in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Kids pass by Tumanggang railway station in Tumanggang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A general view of Tumangang - a small town located at North Korea and Russia border Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A train carriage on it's way to Pyongyang is delayed for a day and half due to military transportation in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A customs officers talks to a passenger at Tumanggang railway station in Tumanggang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone A little girl walks on the street in Tumanggang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone An elderly man is seen in Tumangang Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Kids go to school in morning in Tumangang 2015 Getty Images Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone Life in North Korea captured with a mobile phone New operations this week will see US bombers fly over the Korean peninsula as part of a huge drill that is being co-ordinated with South Korea. Those drills often provoke the North, which sees them as potential preparations for attack. North Korea suggested the drills they will push the area to the "brink of war". That was just one part of a range of often aggressive rhetoric to come out of Pyongyang, including a claim that one of Donald Trump's tweets constituted an act of war. Recommended US to fly strategic bombers over Korean peninsula The full page article in the Jilin Daily explains how nuclear weapons differ from traditional arms and instructs people how to protect themselves in the event of an attack. Nuclear weapons have five means of causing destruction: light radiation, blast waves, early-stage nuclear radiation, nuclear electro-magnetic pulses and radioactive pollution, the article explained. It said the first four kill instantly. People who find themselves outside during a nuclear attack should try to lie in a ditch, cover exposed skin in light coloured clothing or dive into a river or lake to try and minimise the possibility of instantaneous death, it said. Cartoon illustrations of ways to dispel radioactive contamination were also provided, such as using water to wash off shoes and using cotton buds to clean ears, as well as a picture of a vomiting child to show how medical help can be sought to speed the expulsion of radiation through stomach pumping and induced urination. The influential state-backed Global Times in a commentary on Wednesday described the article as a public service announcement due to the situation on the Korean peninsula. "If war breaks out, it is not possible to rule out the Korean peninsula producing nuclear contaminants, and countermeasures must be seriously researched and spoken openly about to let the common folk know. But at the same time, there is absolutely no reason to be alarmed," the Global Times said. North Korea last week tested what it called its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he would destroy the North Korean regime if it threatened the United States with nuclear weapons. China has rejected military intervention and called for an end to the war of words between Washington and Pyongyang. Additional reporting by Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rabbis, priests and imams have pleaded with Twitter to remove Donald Trump's account. A full 35 leaders have signed a letter, co-ordinated by the Interfaith Center of New York, to beg Twitter to remove Mr Trump's account and stop him from being able to post messages to the tens of millions of people who follow him. In doing so, they join other public figures including UK MPs to suggest that Twitter needs to delete the President's account. And like those British lawmakers, the faith leaders suggest that the company is endangering the world by allowing his account to say around. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Show all 11 1 /11 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Turn on Night Mode Twitters dark blue Night Mode is a lot easier on your eyes than its regular, vibrant theme. On the site, you can enable it by clicking your profile photo (on the right-hand side of the bar at the top of the screen) and selecting Night Mode. On Android and iOS, you need to tap your profile picture at the top of the screen and select Night Mode. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Lengthen your tweets A small group of users are no longer restricted by Twitters 140-character tweet limit. Even if youre not a chosen one, you can double your limit to 280 characters on desktop by downloading the Tampermonkey plugin, going to https://gist.github.com/Prof9/c16fc4997e0ef5b22a15c43edd7f5f49, clicking Raw and then Install. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Improve search Twitters regular search tool can be a little messy, but Advanced Search makes it much easier for you to find specific things. Go to https://twitter.com/search-advanced and filter your search by word, hashtag, exact phrase, location, date and account. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Disable read receipts Like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, Twitters direct messaging service shows you when your messages have been seen by the person you sent them to. You can disable read receipts though. On Android, iOS and the site, go to Settings and Privacy, click on Privacy and Safety and disable read receipts. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Monitor your tweets Retweets and Likes only form part of the story, as far as tweet engagement is concerned. You can view a lot more information about how people have reacted to your updates, including the number of times theyve been seen and the number of times people have interacted with them. Just open your tweets and hit the View Tweet Activity button. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Trim the fat If you feel like youre drowning in push notifications, you can cut down the number you receive from Twitter by going to Settings, Notifications, Push Notifications and deselecting the types of notifications you wouldnt like to receive. You can also enable sleep settings, which allow you to switch off all mobile updates during certain hours of the day. On the site, go to Settings, Mobile and select your hours. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Save data You can stop videos from playing automatically on desktop and the Twitter app. On the site, you can do this by going to Settings, Account, Video Tweets and unchecking Video Autoplay. On both the Android and iOS versions of the app, go to Settings, General, Data Usage, Video Autoplay, and choose between Mobile data & Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Only, and Never. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Save even more data You can save even more data and completely transform your timeline in the process by disabling images. Just go to Settings, Data Usage and uncheck the Image Previews box. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Customise your profile Editing your Twitter profile is really straightforward, just go to your profile and click the large Edit Profile button. However, theres one customisation option thats easy to miss. As well as your name, bio and profile photos, you can change your colour scheme. The option is only available on the Twitter site, and is sandwiched between the Website and Birthday sections. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Browse properly One of the Twitter apps most annoying features is its in-app browser, which links automatically open up in. You can sacrifice it for your favourite mobile browser by going to Settings, Display and Sound and unchecking the Use In-App Browser box. 11 useful Twitter features you might not know about Subscribe to tweets You can set up alerts that let you know whenever a certain account tweets, but its a two-stage process. First, on the app, go to Settings, Notifications, Push Notifications, Tweets and turn the toggle button on. Then open the profile page of the account you want to receive notifications from, tap the Bell icon next to the Following button and choose between All Tweets, Only Live Video and Off. "As a group of New York City faith leaders with congregations and communities in one of the most religiously diverse cities in the world, we are writing with deep concern over the way that Twitter is being used by our current President as a platform for incendiary and misleading images that fan the flames of religiously-based hatreds and prejudice," the letter begins. "We are calling on you, the CEO of a revolutionary technology company, to embrace more fully the responsibility that comes with the power of your platform and make sure President Trump is subject to the same rules about hateful conduct as other Twitter users." It goes onto note that Mr Trump is almost certainly breaking the rules that every Twitter user signs up to when they register with the service. "For Twitter to treat his account differently than other accounts shows a lack of ethical consistency with a grave cost to our country," it reads. Twitter has admitted that it is treating the President's account differently to those owned by normal users. It says it is doing so because his tweets are newsworthy, and that there is value in keeping Mr Trump's tweets and account online so that people can see them. But the faith leaders say that doing so is encouraging divisiveness and hate in their communities, and that the desire to shut down the account isn't simply an abstract concern. "We religious leaders in New York City feel the effects of the Presidents hatred-filled Twitter messages on the groundscratched onto Synagogue doors and spewed at Hijab-wearing women on the subway," it concludes. "For this reason, we are writing to ask you to ensure that your company will provide equal treatment for the Presidents account when it comes to his violations of your Hateful Conduct policies." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A crime-fighting charity has launched an appeal to the public for information on making, buying and selling counterfeit banknotes ahead of the Christmas period, when an increasing amount of cash tends to change hands. Charity Crimestoppers said that during the first half of 2017, over 237,000 worthless counterfeit banknotes with a notional value of over 4.88m were seized from the UKs streets. It said that although the total number of notes known to be fake only represents around 1 per cent of all notes in circulation, scores of retailers, businesses, schools, charities and the elderly had already fallen victim to the con. The charity said that Christmas is a time when more cash tends to change hands especially notes in larger denominations. Fraudsters, it said, tend to take advantage of temporary staff with less experience. Back in October, Crimestoppers partnered with the Bank of England to launch a banknote checking scheme aimed to educate the public about how to identify fake note. The general public play an important role when it comes to reporting counterfeit currency, Ben Crosland, senior manager of banknote engagement and communications at the Bank, said on Wednesday. Campaigns like this and the recently launched banknote checking scheme, are essential to encourage the public and businesses to help us and law enforcement stop the counterfeiters, he added. Now's the time to be extra vigilant, check your change as soon as you are given it and if you arent sure if it's genuine ask for it to be swapped straight away at the till, said Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money savings advice site money.co.uk. If you try to pay the fake money it into your bank it will be confiscated, and you wont have the funds added to your balance. It's really important you know what you're looking for to spot the fakes so you arent left out of pocket. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Christine Keeler, who has died aged 75, was the model and dancer at the heart of the Profumo affair, which shook the British establishment in 1963, contributing to the downfall of the Harold Macmillan Government. Keeler was born in Uxbridge in 1942 and raised in Berkshire by her mother and step-father. She left school at the age of 15, with no qualifications, and sought work as a dancer in Soho. Aged 19, Keeler was performing at Murrays Cabaret Club when she met Stephen Ward, an osteopath, artist and society figure. Ward in turn introduced her to John Profumo, the then-Secretary of State for War in the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan. The pair had a brief affair, lasting some three months. Profumos infidelity with Keeler, whom he later described as a very pretty girl and very sweet, would have remained undiscovered had it not been for what followed. Recommended Model Christine Keeler at centre of Profumo Affair dies aged 75 Keeler met Aloysius Lucky Gordon, a jazz musician, in August 1961 in Notting Hill and the pair had become lovers. When, the following year, the shebeen owner Johnny Edgecombe moved in with her, a confrontation ensued, during which Edgecombe slashed Gordons face with a knife. In December 1962 the animosity escalated, Edgecombe fired a gun at the door of Stephen Wards home, where Keeler, the model Mandy Rice-Davies and Gordon were hiding. Edgecombe was arrested for possession of a firearm. The ensuing trial exposed the world of Keeler, Rice-Davies and the involvement of establishment figures, including Lord Astor, who had hosted wild parties at Cliveden House. The investigation also revealed that Keeler had a brief affair with Yevgeny Ivanov, a Russian naval attache and spy, creating concerns for national security. Profumo at first denied any sexual activity with Keeler, making a statement to that effect in the House of Commons on 22 March 1963. Under pressure to reveal her side of the story, Keeler decided to tell all to the press. The News of the Worlds front page bore the glaring headline Confessions of Christine By the girl who is rocking the Government and recounted her lurid tales in a series of weekly episodes. Profumo resigned on 5 June. Ward, who faced trial on charges of living off immoral earnings, died in an apparent suicide in August, following an overdose of barbiturates. His trial had in turn revealed that Keeler had lied in court. She was tried and convicted of perjury, serving six months of a nine month jail sentence. Her life was immortalised in film and on stage An investigation, chaired by Lord Denning, examined the affair and its repercussions for the Government. His report, published in September 1963, concluded that no security leaks had occurred. But by then Macmillans position was already compromised and he resigned the following month. The affair went on to have a life of its own in film, three plays for the theatre, and in a new six-part BBC drama series, The Trial Of Christine Keeler, to be broadcast next year. Executive producer Kate Triggs told The Independent: In 1963 Britain changed irrevocably. Old certainties about class, race and sex exploded. And 19-year-old Christine Keeler was the flame that lit the touchpaper. "Christine was not a show girl or a prostitute and she did no real modelling. She was a poor kid from a challenged emotional background with all the energy and force that life gave her. "She was also part of a world where her sexuality became a currency for rich and powerful men. Christine Keeler, model, born 22 February 1942, died 4 December 2017 For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} King Michael of Romania was proud to have broken the mould of one of Europes tawdriest royal dynasties. His English grandmother Queen Marie of Romania, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was a shameless self-publicist who in the 1920s had a contract with an American newspaper syndicate. Maries son King Carol II was a royal rake who inspired a biography by Barbara Cartland called The Scandalous Life of King Carol. By contrast his son, Michael, was a shy, intensely serious man who loathed his playboy father. Despite his natural diffidence, Michael proved on two occasions that he possessed considerable political courage. In August 1944, he engineered the overthrow of the fascist dictator Ion Antonescu in a royal coup detat that allowed Romania to defect from the Axis side just as advancing Soviet troops were about to cross the border. Three years later, Michael doggedly resisted communist attempts to seize control of the state until the threat of a massacre of opposition politicians forced his abdication. The memory of both these episodes encouraged many Romanians to regard the exiled Michael as an ideal candidate for head of state when the Ceausescu regime collapsed in 1989. Michael did nothing to dampen hopes of his restoration. In December 1990 he arrived in Bucharest on what he claimed was a private visit, and was greeted by rapturous crowds. Michaels motorcade was turned back by police just outside the airport, and he was forced to return to his home in Switzerland. A second visit to Romania in 1994 also had to be aborted. As these showdowns demonstrated, Michael was no match for Romanias new President, Ion Iliescu, a former communist apparatchik who was determined to neutralise the former king. In 2003, Iliescu serving his final term struck a deal with Michael, allowing him to return to Bucharest provided he did not campaign for the return of the monarchy. Michael served as a goodwill ambassador for Romania, and successfully lobbying to receive 21m in compensation from the government for royal property confiscated by the communist regime. Michaels royal career was turbulent from the outset. His mother, the former Princess Helen of Greece, was disowned by his father shortly after Michaels birth in October 1921. Carol had become infatuated with Magda Wolff, the daughter of a German immigrant, who later Romanised her name to Lupescu. In December 1925, King Carol appalled his parents by joining Magda in Italy, where she had been dispatched by King Ferdinand in a futile attempt to end the affair. Offered a choice between the throne or his mistress, Carol renounced his succession rights and settled in exile with Magda. When King Ferdinand died in July 1927, five-year-old Michael was proclaimed king. A regency council had been formed, consisting of the Romanian patriarch, the president of the Supreme Court and Michaels uncle Prince Nicholas: but in what was formally a constitutional monarchy, real power after December 1928 rested with the new prime minister Juliu Maniu, whose centre-right National Peasants Party, formed two years earlier, swept the board in the general election. Maniu was soon intriguing against the council, and within a few months he had secretly made contact with the exiled Carol, who had no intention of keeping his word regarding the succession. In June 1930, with Manius connivance, Carol flew into Bucharest on board a plane piloted by the French air-ace Lalouette. Arriving at the royal palace, Carol informed Michael he was now the crown prince, and declared himself king. Michaels mother was sent into exile, and Magda Lupescu returned to Bucharest. In 1938, encouraged by Magda, Carol overthrew the corrupt parliamentary regime and established a royal dictatorship with strong fascist tendencies. Throughout this period, Michael was firmly under Carols tutelage. Yet none of Carols vanity and arrogance rubbed off on his son. Where Carol nourished absurd delusions of grandeur (he had a special button to call the palace elevator, marked M for Majesty), the adolescent Michael was timid and unassuming. In November 1938 the British public caught a fleeting glimpse of Michael, then 17, when he accompanied his father on a state visit to London. At Buckingham Palace he met his distant cousins Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, with whom he swapped notes about stamp collecting (the only interest Carol had passed on to him). In September 1940, Carol reluctantly abdicated, propelling Michael to the throne for a second time. Carols position became untenable when he buckled to intense pressure from Hitler and Stalin (not yet at war) and conceded about 40 per cent of Romanian territory to the Soviet Union in the east, Hungary in the west and Bulgaria in the south. Faced with an uprising by the Fascist Iron Guard a rival to his own royalist movement Carol fled Bucharest in a sealed train, accompanied by his mistress, his stamp albums and much of Romanias national art collection. In a last bid to avert a coup by the Iron Guard, Carol had entrusted power to Ion Antonescu, a nationalist army general. Antonescu soon established his own pro-German dictatorship, having persuaded Hitler in January 1941 to sanction a massacre of the Iron Guard, which had outlived its usefulness to the Fuhrer. Antonescu agreed to the stationing of about 500,000 German troops on Romanian territory and in June 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the puppet Romanian dictator declare his countrys own holy war against Bolshevism. Still only 19, Michael later presented himself as effectively Antonescus prisoner during Romanias alliance with Hitler he once reluctantly met Hitler for lunch. That version of events was fiercely disputed by his younger half-brother Prince Paul, the son of Carol and Magda Lupescu. In 2005, Paul unsuccessfully attempted to stop Romanias parliament granting Michael a compensation package for property confiscated by the communists, arguing that he had been a war profiteer who had connived at the deportation of Romanian Jews to extermination camps. This was vehemently denied by Michael in a 2011 interview with the BBC. He said that he had no power to influence outcomes at that time as he was excluded from decision-making. The charge remains unproved; but the claim by some of Michaels supporters (though never Michael) that he had actively opposed Antonescu before 1944 was equally far-fetched. In August 1944, with Axis troops in headlong retreat on the Soviet front, Michael finally steeled himself to overthrow Antonescu. According to Michaels later account, when the news reached Bucharest that the Soviet army were about to cross the Romanian border, he summoned Antonescu to the royal palace, and ordered him to negotiate an armistice with the allies. Antonescu refused, at which point Michael told him: You leave me with only one alternative. This was the cue for guards to enter the room and seize the dictator. Antonescus supporters, oblivious to the coup, were then brought to the palace and locked in the vault that had once housed Carols stamp collection. Four hours later Michael broadcast to the nation, announcing a ceasefire on the Soviet front. In gratitude, Stalin later awarded Michael the Order of Victory. Stalins recognition of Michael as the legitimate head of state, at least for the time being, reflected the weakness of the Romanian Communist movement, whose leaders had spent most of the previous two decades in Moscow. In March 1945, under pressure from Stalins emissary Andrei Vishinsky (notorious as the chief prosecutor in the pre-war Moscow show trials), Michael was obliged to appoint Petru Groza as his new prime minister. Groza was the head of a supposedly non-Communist party, the Ploughmens Front, but in reality he was Stalins stalking horse. When Grozas intentions became clear, Michael tried to force his resignation. Groza refused, and in protest at what he saw as a breach of the constitution, Michael went on strike, refusing to sign any decrees. The Russians sent me threatening notes and sent complaints to the United States and Britain, he later recalled. Finally the Russians dispatched to Bucharest Vishinsky, and the Americans dispatched Averell Harriman [ambassador to the Soviet Union]. To fix things up, Harriman thought we ought to have elections. I privately warned him that elections must be properly supervised, otherwise the Communists, with the help of the Red Army, would take over. Harriman ignored my warning. As Michael feared, the elections in November 1946 were rigged, allowing the government bloc to claim 71 per cent of the vote. The Communists were awarded all the key portfolios in the cabinet, with the exception of the foreign ministry. It was only a matter of time before they demanded Michaels removal. A year later, when Michael travelled to London for the wedding of his cousin Princess Elizabeth, to another relative, Prince Philip of Greece, the Communists assumed he would bow to the inevitable and not return to Bucharest. That was also the advice of the British king, George VI, who feared for Michaels life. Yet Michael felt it was his duty to return to Romania. Nine days later, he was confronted at the royal palace by Groza and the real power in the country, the Romanian Communist Party leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. Michaels continuing presence in Romania was an obstacle to the development of Communism, Gheorghiu-Dej told the king: it was time for him to abdicate. Michael replied that this was a constitutional question which must be settled by the people. Not necessary, Gheorghiu- Dej continued, since it is clear that the peoples happiness would be guaranteed in a peoples democracy. When Michael refused to sign the abdication document that was thrust in his face, Groza gave him half an hour to reconsider. By now, troops had surrounded the palace and the royal telephone had been disconnected. Still Michael held out, until Groza threatened to arrest all opposition politicians and have them shot, with the king held responsible for the bloodshed. A few hours later a peoples republic was declared, and on 30 December 1947 Michael left for Britain. Having abdicated under duress, he never accepted the documents validity. In exile, Michael at least had the consolation of a happy marriage and family life. At the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (where he was briefly, and absurdly, linked with Princess Margaret), he had met an Italian princess, Anne of Bourbon-Parma. They were married in 1948, and had five daughters. She died last year. In other respects, Michael found exile frustrating. Short of money, his first venture was to rent a small farm in Hertfordshire belonging to a British friend. Four years later the project collapsed and he joined the Lear aircraft company in Geneva (where the family settled), selling executive jets for the European market. But Michael was not cut out to be a salesman and increasingly he relied on his investments and the generosity of Romanian exiles, one of whom gave scholarships for his two eldest daughters to complete their education. He was frustrated, too, by the political situation in Romania, which for a long period seemed to offer no hope of return. With the death of this well-intentioned, but politically naive, king, any chance of restoring the Romanian monarchy has certainly disappeared. Michael (Mihai) I of Romania, exiled king, born 25 October 1921, died 5 December 2017 For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A pair of county line gangsters have been convicted of trafficking a teenager and forcing her to sell cocaine nearly 200 miles away. Mahad Yusuf and Fesal Mahamud were members of a north London street gang that lured the young woman into a car after speaking to her on social media. She was then driven to Swansea, south Wales. Once there, the 19-year-old was met by Yusuf who told her she belonged to him, police said. London's Metropolitan Police described the woman as vulnerable. After rescuing her in May, the force said the gang had destroyed her phone and held her there for five days, using her to transport and sell class A drugs. She was found during a joint operation with South Wales Police. In so-called county lines schemes, gangs in Britains big cities identify rural markets they can flood with hard drugs and use specific mobile phone numbers to take orders in the areas. The National Crime Agency has estimated there are more than 720 of the lines across England and Wales alone. They are protected with violence and intimidation. Gangsters groom young and vulnerable people in order to use them as mules, investigators have said. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images Yusuf, 20,and Mahamud, 19, both from north London, both admitted trafficking the woman an offence under the Modern Slavery Act and conspiracy to supply class A drugs at Swansea Crown Court earlier this week. They will be sentenced on 4 January. Mahamud was directing the actions of Yusuf, police said. The victim in this case suffered a horrendous ordeal at the hands of these two men, who trafficked her for their own criminal gain," said Detective Inspector Rick Sewart. Unfortunately this case is by no means unique. Drug dealers are exploiting vulnerable people across the country via county lines. Country Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man accused of helping potential terrorists by sharing details of Prince Georges school online has appeared in court. Husnain Rashid, 31, allegedly shared a photo of the young prince and the address of his school on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. He is also accused of making other posts that could help extremists identify targets in the UK, including stadiums. Prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates Court that Rashid additionally planned to travel to join Isis in its territories in Syria. Rashid, who was arrested on 22 November by counter-terror police in Lancashire, spoke only to confirm his name and address during the hearing. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty He has been charged with one count of preparing acts of terrorism, relating to his alleged aspiration to join Isis in Syria, and one count of assisting others to prepare acts of terrorism with the alleged Telegram posts. Rashid, of Leonard Street in Nelson, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 20 December. Additional reporting by PA For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More than half of UK teenagers have seen their friends sharing revenge porn images of people they know, research suggests. And nearly four in 10 say they have witnessed peers setting up so-called bait out groups on social media to solicit or share sexual images and gossip. The figures arose in a new report by the Childnet charity which found that for many young people, online sexual harassment is embedded in their digital lives and to some extent normalised and expected. Hannah Broadbent, the groups deputy chief executive, told The Independent the findings were staggering and that the stories of some young people were heartbreaking to hear. Speaking about the bait out groups, she said: The idea is not necessarily just for images but also for gossip. Its kind of the name-and-shame culture in these communities. Sometimes a page, or, were seeing, its in videos, where young people are invited to bait out people that they know. Theyre asked to share nude images or gossip. We found that these are quite localised. Theyre very much linked to the offline theyre based around a school, a local community. Childnets report, part-funded by the European Union and using data collected by the University of Central Lancashire, found also that 31 per cent of girls and 11 per cent of boys had received unwanted sexual messages online from their peers. One in 10 had been the target of sexualised threats, including rape threats. More than half, or 51 per cent, had witnessed the sharing of nude images of someone they know, while 6 per cent had been victims of the practice. Childnet surveyed 1,559 UK teens aged between 13 and 17. Girls are judged more harshly when revenge porn-style images of them are shared, Ms Broadbent said. But the motive for sharing is not always retaliatory, she said. Sometimes an image is taken and spread as a joke, or banter going too far. A 14-year-old who shared an image of herself with a boy told researchers: Lots of people asked for nudes and I finally sent one to a boy who told me he really liked me and that if I sent him it we could be such an amazing couple. I fell for it and the next day my pictures were all around school even though he sent me a picture first. Everyone says its okay for boys to send dick pics but when girls do it all you get is hate, like slag, sket, slut. I made the wrong decision, I regret it. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty Ms Broadbent added: What we saw is that there is the non-consensual taking of images as well. Sometimes its referred to as creep shots or upskirting. Creep shots could even be spread as punishment by friends who felt they had been slighted, she said. Nearly a quarter 23 per cent of those surveyed said they had seen one of their peers take such an image and share it online, while 8 per cent admitted they had done it themselves. Sharing of images takes place over Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram, and can move across platforms, Ms Broadbent said. These are the places that young people are. Group chats in apps like WhatsApp are a common medium for the practice. On Instagram, children create private accounts specifically to share the pictures; in order to be allowed to follow the account and see the images, their peers must send gossip or similar photos. Childnet hopes speaking out about the abuse faced by children across the UK will spur bystanders to actually take action and not just let it happen in their peer groups without challenging it, Ms Broadbent said. To read the report in full, click here. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In the city of Stoke-on-Trent, England, the council is offering 25 homes for sale for just 1 each. The houses are mainly two-bedroom Victorian terraces, in a deprived area of the city where there are a large number of empty properties, and which has a reputation locally for high levels of disorder and antisocial behaviour. Clearly, the city council hopes the Reviving Communities Scheme will do just that. This doesnt mean that Christmas has come early for private landlords or property developers in Stoke. These properties must be renovated and lived in, rather than demolished or rented out, and there are strict criteria which applicants need to meet. Would-be 1 home owners must have a local connection and earn no more than 27,000 each year if theyre a single person (up to 60,000 if theyve got a family with children). This scheme includes a loan of up to 60,000 repayable over 15 years which funds renovations carried out by the council before new owners move in. This way, new owners can avoid the stressful process of organising the renovations themselves. The big issues Faced with ongoing austerity measures, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has had to make 172m in savings since 2010 and will need to find a further 34m by 2020. So one might wonder why the council doesnt simply renovate the properties to rent them out and generate much-needed income in the process. The answer is that rather than being a money-maker this scheme sets out to address some of the deepest social issues facing Britain today. It is estimated that there are more than 589,000 empty homes in England and Wales more than 200,000 of which have been empty for six months or more. Against the backdrop of severe housing shortages across the UK and an anticipated need to build over 210,000 homes per year the 1 scheme can put disused homes back into use, providing short-term relief from some of the pressure on the housing market and freeing up extra rental spaces in the city. The scheme has been introduced at a time when many young people are struggling to buy a home. Incomes are stagnating and, on average, house prices are 7.6 times the average UK salary, up from 3.6 times earnings in 1997. The Council of Mortgage Lenders recently revealed that less than 50% of people under 35 believe they are likely to buy a home within 10 years. While there have been calls for young people to spend less and save for a deposit, the reality is often that young people who are far more likely to live in private or social rented housing routinely pay more in rent than they would for a mortgage. The uncertainties of living in rented housing exacerbated by short-term lets have recently spread to council tenants and other social renters. The 1 homes scheme offers residents, and especially younger people, an affordable way to buy their own homes and escape these uncertainties. Small but successful Schemes like this have been tried before in Stoke back in 2014, and in cities as far afield as Liverpool in the UK, Roubaix in France and Abruzzo in Italy. The previous scheme in Stoke proved remarkably popular, attracting hundreds of applications for just 35 homes. There is evidence that they work, too Stokes first 1 homes scheme led to reductions in disorder and anti-social behaviour, as well as improvements in local health outcomes and housing conditions in the local area. Meanwhile, The Portland Inn Project has encouraged local organisations to work together to turn the former Portland Inn into a community centre. In working to breathe new life into the former pub, they have helped local residents develop a stake in the community. Schemes such as this can work in tandem with other initiatives to deliver real benefits for local people. For example, Stoke has been shortlisted for the UK City of Culture 2021 contest. The ambition to revive declining communities and support local cultural and heritage industries formed a key part of the bid. In this sense, the 1 scheme can be seen as part of the broader plan to encourage and sustain the citys long-term cultural revival. It has given the council a means to encourage and maintain stable inner-city communities, while delivering benefits for residents by creating a sense of safety, belonging and ownership. It can also encourage younger residents to make a long-term commitment to the local area, helping places to become communities that survive and thrive long into the future. On their own, small projects such as 1 houses wont give all residents a chance to own their own home nor can they alleviate the insecurities of renting or make up for the nations housing shortages. Only the national government has the power to solve problems of this scale. But they do give local authorities the means to encourage a sense of ownership in their local communities. And for Stoke and many other post-industrial centres across the UK and Europe that commitment from residents is what helps cities thrive. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Muslims planning to open a new mosque in a traditionally Jewish north London community have joined people at their local synagogue to give blood as part of a national drive to help those in need. Plans to turn the Hippodrome in Golders Green into a Muslim community centre in September after it was bought by the Centre for Islamic Enlightening caused a dispute in the local community. Over 5,000 people signed a petition to oppose the planning application to have the building turned into a Muslim place of worship, while some people against the plans were accused of showing blatant Islamophobia over the issue. Barnet Council has not yet ruled on the planning application. Recommended Opposition to Islamic centre in Jewish area sparks Islamophobia claims Despite the tensions, last month members of the new Golders Green Islamic Centre gave blood at the communitys local synagogue as part of Mitzvah Day, a faith-based day of social action promoting good deeds. Mitzvah Day takes place during Interfaith Week and saw tens of thousands of people across the UK volunteer time to help elderly people, the homeless, refugees and other vulnerable people in their communities. A spokesperson for action group said 1,200 projects were held in the UK as part of Mitzvah Day this year, with people from eight different faiths taking part including Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. One event in London, at the South Hampstead High School, saw Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis help sort clothes for the Holy Trinity Shelter with English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic church Vincent Nichols. They were joined by the Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Keir Starmer MP, Mitzvah Days Interfaith Chair Daniela Pears and school children of all faiths and none. The event also marked The Popes World Day of the Poor. Members of the Muslim and Jewish communities together at the Golders Green synagogue for Mitzvah Day (Steven Derby/Interfaith Matters ) (Steven Derby/Interfaith Matters) In Leicester, Muslims joined the local Jewish congregation to bake Jewish bread called challah and make place mats for the homeless. Imam Ibrahim Mogra, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council, who joined the activity, said the day of social action is important for the Muslim community to participate in. It gives us an excellent opportunity to get to know our Jewish brothers and sisters, as well as people of other faiths. Laura Marks OBE, who founded Mitzvah Day, claimed it is at grassroots level that interfaith social action makes a difference within communities: "The conversations people of different faiths and none, are having, often for the first time - whether while chopping onions or entertaining the elderly or giving blood side by side - are the key to making a better society. "These conversations start to break down any mistrust, show how much we have in coming and often lead to genuine and lifelong friendships." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Home Office is to be challenged in the High Court over its decision to remove an Afghan man who worked as a loyal and personable interpreter for the British Army for two years. Hafizzulah Husseinkhel, 26, was told he would be removed from the UK within days after the Home Office handed him removal papers and placed him in a detention centre near Oxford last Wednesday. He was told he would be put on a flight between 6 and 22 December. The Independent can now reveal that following legal intervention, a bail hearing for Mr Husseinkhels case has been listed at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday, 7 December. The High Court has granted an injunction preventing his removal from the UK during judicial review proceedings. The barrister representing Mr Husseinkhel, Paul Turner, of Imperium Chambers, said he would be contesting his removal on the arguments that he placed his life at risk serving the Crown and that leaving the UK would place him in danger. He will also argue that the Home Office has ignored medical evidence outlining that he is mentally and physically unwell and therefore unfit for detention. Mr Turner told The Independent that while the injunction is good news because it means Mr Husseinkhel will not be removed in the coming days, the Home Office is still acting unlawfully by keeping him in detention, despite there being no order for his immediate removal. Mr Husseinkhel served on the front line for the British Army between 2010 and 2012, when he worked as an interpreter between British and Afghan officers. He spent several years working for Nato forces prior to that. He fled from Afghanistan in 2014 after receiving death threats from the Taliban, and arrived in the UK a year later. His father was shot in the leg when he refused to reveal his whereabouts. If Mr Husseinkhel is removed, he is likely to be sent to Austria, the first country he was registered in as an asylum seeker. But recent changes to the immigration system there mean he is likely to end up being sent back to Afghanistan, where his life would be in danger. Speaking to The Independent from inside Campsfield House detention centre, Mr Husseinkhel said: "I tried to follow the rules. I waited in Austria for a year, but they told me I couldn't get asylum there because they aren't part of Nato so my work for the US and UK forces didn't matter to them. "So I decided to come to the UK, because they know me better and I worked for them. I saved British lives. But the Home Office doesn't care. I feel betrayed." Recommended Afghan man who worked for British Army faces deportation in days Mr Turner said he and his team would do their "utmost" to secure Mr Husseinkhel's release, but added: Whilst this good news, it does not detract from the manner in which the Home Office have, in my view, unlawfully detained this mentally and physically sick man. They have acted inconsistently and ignored their own guidance, his mental and physical health that was not treated in Austria and that he served with HM Army in Afghanistan for many years putting his and his family's life at risk. What compounds his treatment is that it appears his conditions are as a direct result of serving the Crown. Indeed his own father was shot as a result." It comes after a former senior British army officer who worked with Mr Husseinkhel told The Independent the translator risked his life on the front line during the conflict in Afghanistan, and argued the Home Office decision to deport him were ridiculous. William Locke, who served for five months as troop leader of a squadron deployed in Afghanistan in 2011, with Mr Husseinkhel working as his interpreter, said the 26-year-old helped save British lives. A reference from the regiment echoes this, stating: Hafizullah has fulfilled his responsibilities to an extremely high standard and has fitted well into the squadron. 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 He is very popular amongst his Troop who have commented on several occasions on how impressed they have been with his performance, both in terms of his day-to-day activities and his calm approach during enemy engagements. He is an enthusiastic, personable and loyal individual. A petition launched by campaigners demanding Mr Huseeinkhel be allowed to remain in the UK has so far garnered 8,450 signatures, out of a target of 10,000. The Home Office has told The Independent it does not comment on individual cases. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has said she regards the decision by the United States to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as unhelpful to prospects for peace in the region. The Prime Minister said she disagrees with Donald Trump's move and reiterated Britain's position that the city should be the shared capital of Israel and Palestine in a negotiated two-state solution. In a White House speech, Mr Trump said his move "marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians" and that it was in America's interests. The President described the move as a "long overdue step" after previous US presidents failed to fulfil pledges to make the change. Ms May said in a statement: "We disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement. We believe it is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region. The British Embassy to Israel is based in Tel Aviv and we have no plans to move it. Our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. In line with relevant Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories." She urged the White House to "now bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement". 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 To have the best chances of success, the peace process must be conducted in an atmosphere free from violence. We call on all parties to work together to maintain calm, she added. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Security services believe they have foiled a plot to assassinate Theresa May in Downing Street. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill the Prime Minister by using a bomb disguised as a bag to blow off the gates of Downing Street and then attack her with knives. The suspects were detained during raids in London and Birmingham last week and charged with terrorism offences. They are due to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The plot was revealed to the Cabinet yesterday by Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, who also told ministers that security services have foiled nine terrorist attacks on the UK in the last year. The Metropolitan Police said Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, from north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, from Birmingham, had been charged with preparing a terrorist act. A Scotland Yard spokesperson declined to confirm that the arrests were linked to a plot to attack Ms May. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty It comes as a new report found that security services could possibly have prevented a suicide attack at the Manchester Arena in May. Bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert. David Anderson QC, who was asked to conduct an independent investigation, said Abedi had been on MI5s radar but that his true significance was not appreciated at the time. After reviewing the security services actions in relation to four terrorist attacks in the UK this year, Mr Anderson said: It is conceivable that the Manchester attack in particular might have been averted had the cards fallen differently. Addressing the Cabinet, Mr Parker reportedly said Isis had been defeated in Syria and Iraq but was continuing to orchestrate attacks on the UK. Militants are increasingly using social media to try communicate with would-be attackers, he said. After the meeting, Ms Mays spokesman said: The Prime Minister led thanks to the tireless work of staff at MI5 to combat the unprecedented terrorist threat. Cabinet ministers heard that while Daesh suffered major defeats in Iraq and Syria, this did not mean the threat is over. Rather it is spreading to new areas, including trying to encourage attacks in the UK and elsewhere via propaganda on social media. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Brexit Secretary David Davis looks set to avoid an investigation for contempt of Parliament amid an embarrassing row about the publication of economic impact assessments that do not exist. The influential Brexit Committee voted that Mr Davis had honoured demands to hand over detailed economic analysis by the Government on the impact of Brexit on various sectors, which a Commons vote compelled him to release. The row centres on claims by Mr Davis that his department was carrying out "57 sets of analyses" on various sectors but when pressed by MPs to publish the documents, he later claimed the work did not exist in that form. Dragged before the committee to explain himself, he admitted to MPs the Government had failed to carry out economic forecasts on the impact of the EU withdrawal on the UK economy. The news prompted calls for his resignation and for contempt proceedings to be brought against him for misleading Parliament. But Tory and DUP committee members decided that he had complied with Parliament's demand for information as the papers do not exist, casting the prospect of future contempt proceedings into doubt. In a resolution, the committee said: "That, in view of the statement that no impact assessments have been undertaken, the Committee considers that the Governments response to the resolution of the House of 1 November has complied with the terms of that resolution. However pro-Remain Labour MP Chuka Umunna said he had written to Speaker John Bercow, urging him to consider whether Mr Davis had misled Parliament. He posted on Twitter: "In light of the finding of the [committee] this evening that the Brexit impact assessments don't exist, I have written to the Speaker to ask him to consider whether the Government have misled the House of Commons since the Brexit Secretary told us last year they did exist." It comes after Mr Davis told the committee that the usefulness of such documents was thought to be "near zero" as leaving the EU would provoke a "paradigm change" in the UK economy. The Brexit Secretary informed MPs as early as last December that his department was "in the midst of carrying out about 57 sets of analyses" on different parts of the economy. In a television interview in June he said: In my job I dont think out loud and I dont make guesses. Those two things. I try and make decisions. You make those based on the data. That data is being gathered. Weve got 50, nearly 60, sectoral analyses already done. In October, he told Mr Benns committee that Ms May had read summary outcomes of impact assessments, which he said went into excruciating detail. 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 As a result he was compelled to release some 850 pages of analysis that his Brexit Department has carried out, following a parliamentary vote in November. The revelation that no assessments exist was branded a "dereliction of duty" by Labour MP Seema Malhotra, while Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said: "This is beyond farcical. Davis is either grossly incompetent, or someone who struggles with the truth and treats MPs with contempt. Either way, he should be out of his job." Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron called for "Dexit: an exit from the duplicity and dither of David Davis" as he called for the removal of a minister who he said had "misled Parliament and ... turned incompetence into an art form". Several MPs including Labour's David Lammy and the SNP's Pete Wishart approached the Speaker to ask whether contempt proceedings could be triggered. But Mr Bercow said he would await the conclusions of the committee before considering the issue. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May says she will not explain how the UK will prevent a hard Irish border until later in the Brexit negotiations despite facing an EU deadline to do so by the end of the week. The Prime Minister faced Labour taunts that her strategy was a shambles after the collapse of her hopes of a breakthrough deal on Monday, when the Democratic Unionist Party vetoed her plan. It leaves Ms May with just days to convince EU leaders that a hard border - with customs checks and posts can be avoided, in order to move the talks on to future trade. But, she told MPs: To those Labour members who shout how thats the whole point of the second phase of the negotiations. Because we will deliver this we aim to deliver this as part of our overall trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union And we can only talk about that when we get into phase two. The comments are likely to alarm the Irish Government, which believes it has full Brussels backing in demanding an immediate - written guarantee there will be no hard border. They came as Ms May finally held her delayed telephone call with Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, but Ms Foster is not expected to travel to London for face-to-face talks. DUP sources suggested an agreement was still a long way off, while Ms Foster told the Belfast Telegraph she wanted to be at the table when the Brexit talks discuss Northern Ireland. In the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn, said the shambles showed the Government was failing, adding: If they can't negotiate a good deal, wouldn't it be better if they just got out of the way? But the strongest pressure on the Prime Minister came from hard Brexit-supporting Tory MPs, who fear she is poised to weaken her negotiating position. They suspect regulatory alignment with the EU for the entire UK, David Davis said will curtail the freedom to pursue new trade deals after Brexit, with different rules. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leading Tory hard Brexiteer, challenged Ms May to apply a new coat of paint to her red lines warning they were beginning to look a little bit pink. And a second, Pete Bone, fired a warning shot, asking the Prime Minister: If we have a problem, would it help of I came over to Brussels to help sort it out. Ms Mays insistence that the Irish border issue will not be settled until phase two is likely to increase Brexiteer suspicions of close trading alignment for the whole of the UK. Equally, Dublin is likely to be more concerned about the value of the assurances it will be given in Brussels later in the week. However, Ms May put in a strong performance, given the pressure she is under, repeatedly telling Tory MPs nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. And she hit back at Labour divisions over Brexit, telling Mr Corbyn: The only hard border around is right down the middle of the Labour Party. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A hard Brexit would have an "infinitely" bigger impact on the UK than the EU, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said. Speaking in Dublin, where he met Irish premier Leo Varadkar, Mr Rutte underlined the importance of securing a good deal on the issue of the Irish border, saying it was "essential". However, he said the other two major issues in Brexit negotiations - the UK's settlement bill and guarantees of citizens' rights - were equally important. Achieving enough progress to allow talks to progress to their second phase, which concerns the UK's future relationship with the EU, was difficult but achievable, he added. The Irish border has proved to be a sticking point in talks, but Mr Varadkar said on Wednesday evening that Theresa May had told him she would propose suggestions to Brexit negotiators in the next 24 hours to try to break the impasse. British negotiators hoped to have achieved sufficient progress to convince EU leaders to agree to talks progressing when the meet at the European Council summit on 14 and 15 December. 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 "We discussed the idea certainly," Mr Varadkar told a news conference, "but we didn't discuss any particular words or combination of words or language." "I certainly indicated a willingness to consider any proposals that the UK side have." "Having consulted with people in London, she wants to come back to us with some text tonight or tomorrow. I expressed my willingness to consider that because I want us to move to phase two if that is possible next week." Meanwhile, a group of 19 Tory MPs have written to Theresa May to condemn "highly irresponsible" Brexit-backing colleagues who "seek to dictate terms" which could lead to Britain leaving the European Union with no deal. They said those who suggest leaving the EU without an exit or trade deal with the UK "deliberately" miss warnings of the uncertainty expats would face, higher prices for consumers and disruption at the border. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has been forced to slap down her Chancellor after he claimed the 45bn Brexit divorce bill will be paid even if no EU trade deal is struck, opening up a fresh cabinet split. The Prime Minister sided with Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who only signed up to handing over the huge sum if Brussels delivers a favourable trade agreement in return. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that applies to the financial settlement, her spokesman insisted just an hour after Philip Hammond described not paying as inconceivable. Britain set to agree divorce bill with EU that could cost up to 45bn Any suggestion that Britain will pay up with no trade guarantees would spark fury among Tory Brexiteers who are piling pressure on Ms May to walk away from the talks if the EU refuses to bend. The clash exposed the tensions on another difficult day for the Prime Minister over Brexit, as: * Mr Hammond admitted the Cabinet had not agreed or even discussed - the end state position it hopes to achieve when trade talks finally begin. * David Davis faced calls to resign after admitting no impact assessments of the effect of EU withdrawal on sectors of the UK economy have been carried out despite previously boasting they had been. * Ms May failed to reach agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party to allow her to go back to Brussels to try to kick-start the stalled exit negotiations. * The Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said he would prefer talks to drag on into 2018 than to soften his stance on the border, telling Ms May in a phone call that the firm Irish position would not shift. * Tory MPs on opposing sides of the Brexit divide flexed their muscles with a pro-EU group urging Ms May to stand up to highly irresponsible Brexiteer colleagues urging her to walk out of the negotiations. * Brussels toughened its position on EU citizens rights after Brexit, requesting a 15-year oversight role for the European Court of Justice another move opposed by London. After months of prevarication, the Government agreed, last week, to pay the EU around 45bn to settle its financial obligations to the EU. To calm Tory anger, Liz Truss, the Treasury Chief Secretary, pledged that the payment was contingent on getting a suitable outcome from those negotiations. But, giving evidence to the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Hammond said: I find it inconceivable that we as a nation would be walking away from an obligation that we recognised as an obligation. He added: Thats not the kind of country we are and frankly it would not make us a credible partner in future international agreements. No 10 moved quickly to dismiss Mr Hammonds view, keen to avoid antagonising the likes of Mr Johnson and Mr Gove and to preserve the Cabinets delicate agreed position. The Foreign Secretary and the Environment Secretary are also the loudest cabinet voices arguing for a clean break from the EUs economic structures. The likes of Mr Hammond want much deeper access, even at the price of adopting more EU rules and regulations a crucial decision Ms May has postponed until now. The Chancellor told the committee: The Cabinet has had general discussions about our Brexit negotiations, but we havent had a specific mandating of an end-state position. But he defended the delay until the talks moved on to trade in phase two, adding: It would have been premature to have that discussion before we reach that stage. The admission was quickly condemned as beyond parody by Labour MP Alison McGovern, a supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain group. The Government is flailing around trying to get agreement to move on to talks on the future UK-EU relationship, she said. Yet they dont even know what they want that relationship to be once they make that progress. They are breathtakingly dysfunctional. No 10 said the cabinet discussion inflamed by a dispute over the extent of regulatory alignment needed to satisfy fears over the Irish border would take place later this month. Earlier, Mr Davis sparked uproar when he was hauled before the Brexit Select Committee to explain his failure to hand over 58 sectoral assessments, as required by Parliament. In June, he had claimed they had been completed, later saying the Prime Minister had read summary outcomes of assessments that went into excruciating detail. But he told the committee that no such documents had been produced as their usefulness was thought to be near zero. Mr Davis will not face contempt proceedings, but the result could be close if, as threatened, opposition MPs force a vote on whether he has misled Parliament. Ms May finally held her delayed telephone conversation with Arlene Foster, but the DUP leader has not yet travelled to London for face-to-face talks on how to avoid a hard Irish border. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Opposing groups of Tory backbenchers launched rival bids to shape Theresa Mays Brexit plans on Wednesday, as the Prime Minister attempted to salvage a withdrawal deal with the European Union. Prominent Conservative Eurosceptics led by Jacob Rees-Mogg ambushed Ms May in the Commons to push her into a harder position amid the fallout of the row over the Irish border. Meanwhile, another group of Tories who previously backed Remain, including three ex-cabinet ministers, wrote to the Prime Minister urging her to put the interests of the UK economy first. It comes as Ms May finally had a phone call with Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster on Wednesday, after her eleventh hour blocking of the Prime Ministers attempt to gain a withdrawal deal. Ms Foster had feared Ms Mays proposed Brexit settlement would see her compromise, by allowing Northern Ireland to remain in regulatory alignment with the EU. David Davis went further and said the whole UK could stay in regulatory alignment with the EU. At Prime Ministers Questions Tory Brexiteers who want the UK to break free from EU regulation, reminded Ms May of her stated intention to leave the customs union. Among them was Mr Rees-Mogg, talked of as potential future leader, who said: Before [Ms May] next goes to Brussels, will she apply a new coat of paint to her red lines? 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 Because I fear on Monday they were beginning to look a little bit pink. The Prime Minister said the principles on which the Government is negotiating were set out in her Lancaster House and Florence speeches. But Eurosceptic Bernard Jenkin MP stood up to hit home on the same issue, saying: Would [she] confirm that she is aware of the very strong enthusiasm for free trade deals with the UK from countries like Canada, Japan, the United States, Australia and even for participations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But none of these opportunities will come our way if we remain shackled to EU regulation after weve left the EU. He was later joined by Peter Bone MP who reminded Ms May that the public had voted to leave the EUs regulatory regime and offered to negotiate with the Prime Minister in Brussels if it would help. From the other side 19 MPs wrote to the Prime Minister condemning their Brexiteer colleagues as highly irresponsible for urging her to walk away from the negotiating table. Jacob Rees Mogg says May's Brexit 'red lines looking pink' Among them were ex-cabinet ministers Nicky Morgan, Dominic Grieve and Stephen Crabb, who pushed the Prime Minister not to be swayed by Eurosceptic colleagues pushing for a harder Brexit. They wrote: In particular it is highly irresponsible to seek to dictate terms which could lead to the UK walking away from these negotiations. Ms May has pledged to protect the constitutional integrity of the UK in the negotiations to break the deadlock in the Brexit talks over the Irish border. The Prime Minister said the Government was committed to ensuring there was no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. However, she told MPs that the issue could only be finally resolved once negotiations with the EU move on to the second phase, including talks on a free trade deal. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Profumo affair has been revisited in popular culture numerous times over the years, with adaptations including a 1989 film, Scandal, starring Ian McKellen and a 2013 Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical. Now, the major scandal that dominated headlines in the Sixties has been turned into an original BBC One drama, starring The Crowns Ben Miles as John Profumo and Sophie Cookson (best known for playing Roxanne Roxy Morton in the Kingsman films) as Christine Keeler. It is the first version of the story told from Keelers point of view, with previous ones having focused solely on the men involved. The Profumo affair engulfed Harold Macmillans government in the early 1960s and has been credited with contributing to the Conservatives failure to win the 1964 general election. It initially centred on the sexual relationship between the Secretary of State for War, Profumo, and Keeler, a then-little known model, but it soon spiralled into a major scandal about Cold War espionage and government security. The scandal forced Profumo out of office and out of parliament, precipitated Macmillans resignation, and led to the death of an osteopath, Stephen Ward, who had introduced Profumo to Keeler. The affair had a colossal impact on the rest of Keelers life, and the effects of the scandal are still felt in Westminster today. Heres everything you need to know about the Profumo affair. Who was Christine Keeler? Christine Keeler was the woman at the centre of the scandal. At the time of the affair she was a 19-year-old model and showgirl. Originally from Uxbridge, Middlesex, she was brought up by her mother and her mothers partner who lived in two disused train carriages. When she was nine years old her school health inspector sent her to a holiday home because she was suffering from malnutrition. She was sexually abused as a teenager by her mothers partner and his friends. (Getty (Getty) She found work as a model at a dress shop in Soho at the age of 15, and two years later gave birth to a son after a brief relationship with a US Air Force Sergeant. The child, born at home, was premature, and died six days later. Later that year through an acquaintance Keeler got work at a cabaret club in Soho where she worked as a topless showgirl. She was introduced to Profumo by osteopath and artist Stephen Ward, who had first met her himself in the club. Ben Miles as John Profumo (BBC iPlayer/The Trial of Christine Keeler) After the Profumo affair Keeler was briefly married twice, and had two children. She published several accounts of the affair. In 2001 she claimed she had been pregnant with Profumos child and pressured into having an abortion, and after Profumos death in 2012, she released another revised edition with the strapline: Now Profumo is dead I can finally reveal the truth. What was the Profumo affair? Wards introduction between Profumo and Keeler took place at Cliveden, the house of Lord Astor, in 1961. The pair then embarked on an affair Profumo was married to the actress Valerie Hobson. Subsequent meetings between Keeler and the MP took place at Wards home in Wimpole Mews in Marylebone. John Profumo and his wife Valerie Hobson in 1959 (PA) The affair came to light after one of Keelers other lovers, Johnny Edgecombe, shot at the door lock of Wards central London house in which Keeler was said to be hiding with Jamaican jazz singer Aloysius Lucky Gordon, with whom shed also had an affair. Police investigations into the incident soon led to the uncovering of Keelers affair with Profumo. In March 1963, Profumo denied any impropriety in a public statement to the House of Commons. But public interest increased when it was revealed that Keeler had also been linked to Soviet naval attache Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, with whom she had also been having a sexual relationship. Ward had also introduced them to one another. Ivanov was known to MI5 and with the possibility of a Profumo-Keeler-Ivanov love triangle emerging, questions over the possibility of a security risk arose. Weeks after his initial denial, amid growing media clamour and the publication of stories that took a broad brush to MPs, civil servants and military personnels morals, Profumo confirmed he had lied in the Commons and then resigned from the government and from Parliament. Actress and showgirl Christine Keeler (Getty) Ward was subsequently arrested and charged with immorality offences, while the press branded him as a likely Soviet agent due to his closeness with Ivanov. He was charged with living off immoral earnings, however, before the trials verdict was announced, he took an overdose of sleeping pills and died three days later. Who was John Profumo? Profumo was the son of Albert 4th Baron Profumo, an Italian diplomat and barrister. He studied law at the University of Oxford and was said to be a member of the notorious Bullingdon Club. Profumo served in the army and in 1940 was elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative MP for Kettering in Northamptonshire. He rose steadily in the party was was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation prior to his role as Secretary of State for War Sophie Cookson as Christine Keeler (BBC iPlayer/The Trial of Christine Keeler) Profumo maintained complete public silence over the affair, despite resurged interest thanks to Scandal and the publication of Keelers memoir. He died in 2006 aged 91 after suffering a stroke. Who was Stephen Ward? Ward was a successful osteopath who treated several well-known figures, including Lord Astor, the American ambassador, W. Averell Harriman and Winston Churchills son-in-law, Duncan Sandys. James Norton as Stephen Ward (BBC iPlayer/The Trial of Christine Keeler) Alongside his osteopathy business, Ward was a successful artist and in 1960 was commissioned to make a series of portraits of members of the Royal Family. Ward was also the photographer who took a famous picture of Keeler, who posed nude straddling a chair, and which was subsequently bought by the National Portrait Gallery. Christine Keeler: Ex-showgirl at centre of Profumo scandal dies He married actor Patricia Mary Baines in 1949, but the marriage lasted just three years. Ward also served in the British Army from 1941 to 1945. Who was Mandy Rice-Davies? Mandy Rice-Davies was a showgirl and close friend of Keeler who became embroiled in the Profumo affair due to an alleged affair with Lord Astor at Cliveden. Rice-Davies, who was 19 at the time, made a famous appearance at Wards trial for living off immoral earnings. It was put to her that Astor denied her allegation. Ellie Bamber as Mandy Rice-Davies (BBC iPlayer/The Trial of Christine Keeler) Well, he would, wouldnt he? she replied, a remark that dominated the headlines the next day and earned Rice-Davies a spot in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Rice-Davies claims were never proven given that the court case ended with Wards death. Nonetheless, she acquired notoriety from the court appearance and is said to have profited from the publicity, releasing a memoir about her rise to fame in 1964 titled The Mandy Report. Rice-Davies was also one of Lloyd Webbers closest collaborators for his musical about the Profumo affair, titled Stephen Ward. She died in 2014 aged 70. Who was Johnny Edgecombe? Johnny Edgecombe was an Antiguan shebeen owner who Keeler had an affair with following her relationship with Gordon, who Keeler accused of sexual assault. The accusation led to Gordon being sentenced to three years in prison, though Keeler withdrew her accusation and he was released from prison the following month after an appeal. In December 1963, Keeler admitted perjury and was jailed for six months. After Keeler had left Gordon in 1962, Edgecombe confronted him at the Flamingo Club in central London, slashing his face with a knife. Mandy Rice-Davies pictured in 1963. (Rex Features) Months later, Edgecombe stalked Keeler to Wards flat in Wimpole Mews and fired gunshots at the door. Police were called and press began looking into Keelers various affairs, soon uncovering her relationship with Profumo. What was the impact of the affair? The scandal ran through the summer of 1963, and in October, the night before the Conservatives annual conference, Macmillan resigned as prime minister. The following year Labours Harold Wilson led the party to victory at the general election, with many commentators pointing out that the scandal had shaken the Conservative party and left it a considerably changed entity. The scandal is also credited with catalysing a change in the relationship between the press and politicians, where a state of mistrust in figures of authority increasingly became the accepted norm. The first episode of The Trial of Christine Keeler aired on BBC One on Sunday. The series comprises six episodes that will continue to air on Sundays at 9pm. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} David Davis has admitted the UK Government has done no impact assessments for the implications of Brexit on sectors of the British economy. Despite having previously indicated that work had been undertaken, Mr Davis accepted in public that there is no such systematic impact assessment. The Brexit Secretary also said no formal impact assessment had been undertaken into the effect of leaving the EU customs union before the Cabinet took the decision to withdraw. Recommended May battles to contain Cabinet divisions as Davis makes key admission The minister made the admissions during a grilling by the Brexit Select Committee which had demanded the assessments were released by the Government after Mr Davis and other members of the Government had signalled they existed. Labour went on to force a vote in the House of Commons on the issue, with the outcome requiring the Government to release them, with officials later releasing 850 pages of analysis. But Committee chairman Hilary Benn challenged Mr Davis at the hearing on Wednesday as to whether the documents received constituted impact assessments, or whether the assessments had been undertaken. Mr Davis said: Theres nothing ... theres no such systematic impact assessments that Im aware of. 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 Pressing the issue, Mr Benn responded: So the answer to the question is no? So the Government hasnt undertaken any impact assessments on the implications of leaving the EU for different sectors of the British economy. After Mr Davis signalled his agreement, Mr Benn went on: So, there isnt one on the automotive sector? The Brexit Secretary said: Not that Im aware of. Asked whether there is an assessment on aerospace or financial services, he added: The answer is going to be no for all of them. He said the work undertaken by his Government were not formal impact assessments, but instead an analysis looking at the make-up of UK industries, looking at their size in terms of revenue capital and employment and their exposure to the European market, but were not forecasts of what would happen to them after Brexit. Mr Davis explained: When these sectoral analyses were initiated they were done to understand the effect of various options what the outcome would be. Brexit: No deal in Brussels after Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker meeting to break deadlock You dont need to do a ... formal impact assessment to understand that if there is a regulatory hurdle between our producers and a market that it will have an impact, it will have an effect. The assessment of that effect ... is not as straightforward as people imagine. Im not a fan of economic models because they have all proven wrong. When you have a paradigm change, as happened in 2008 when you had the financial crisis, all the models were wrong. Mr Davis said that the Government would at some stage do the best we can to quantify the effect of different negotiated outcomes. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who sits on the Brexit Select Committee, said: It is unbelievable that these long-trumpeted impact assessments dont even exist, meaning the Government has no idea what their Brexit plans will do to the country. Ministers must now urgently undertake these impact assessments and ensure people are given the facts. As the session drew to a close, Mr Davis was asked if an assessment had been undertaken into the impacts of leaving the EUs customs union before that decision was taken and announced by Theresa May, he said it had not. Hilary Benn quizzed Mr Davis during a committee hearing (Getty) The Brexit Secretary told MPs as early as last December that his department was in the midst of carrying out about 57 sets of analyses on different parts of the economy. In a television interview in June he said: In my job I dont think out loud and I dont make guesses. Those two things. I try and make decisions. You make those based on the data. That data is being gathered. Weve got 50, nearly 60, sectoral analyses already done. In October, he told Mr Benns committee that Ms May had read summary outcomes of impact assessments, which he said went into excruciating detail. As a result he was compelled to release some 850 pages of analysis that his Brexit Department has carried out, following a vote in Parliament on 1 November. The motion, put forward as a humble address to the monarch, passed without opposition from the Government and stated that impact studies should be handed over while making no provision for any items to be withheld. Officials at Mr Daviss department explained at the time that they had never had separate impact assessments as such, but instead had a broad body of information consisting of some analysis that the UK Government had done on Brexit and issues related to various sectors, and also confirmed some documents would be held back. With the prospect of Mr Davis being declared in contempt of Parliament, carrying a potential suspension from the Commons with it if he failed to comply with the vote, the minister was called back to the committee on Wednesday to explain why no impact assessments have been handed over. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Ministry of Defence has reportedly banned Philip Hammond from using a fleet of RAF jets and helicopters used by senior members of the Government. The Treasury has been accused of owing a six-figure sum over previous flights made with No 32 (The Royal) Squadron, and until that bill is settled Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials who take VIP bookings have allegedly been ordered to to refuse any more travel requests. Mr Hammond has used BAe 146 jets and A109 helicopters from the squadron on more than 20 official business-trips this year. He has taken flights to Manchester, Brussels and Frankfurt. At the same time as claiming our brave armed forces dont need any more money and that the army only needs 50,000 troops, it is a huge double-standard to willingly use the armed forces facilities at the same time as refusing to pay for them, an MoD source told The Times, which originally reported the story. The ban comes as Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is preparing to push back against potential financial cuts to the armed forces, after the Chancellor reportedly told Theresa May the army could cope with 50,000 troops, down from its present strength of 77,400. Some Conservative MPs have threatened to resign if the number goes below 70,000. Junior defence minister and former soldier Tobias Ellwood expressed deep discomfort at the cost-saving plans. Philip Hammond says MPs cannot amend the Budget in usual way amid 'rigging Parliament' accusations A source at the Treasury told The Independent any ban would be a low-key administrative issue and the two departments are working to resolve it. Mr Williamson, a former chief whip and close ally to Ms May was seen by some commentators as a controversial appointment to the Cabinet. The 41-year-old, who keeps a tarantula called Cronum on his desk, has been nicknamed the baby-faced assassin by some. As Chief Whip, he was said to have played a key role in the sacking of his predecessor Michael Fallon after claims from several female journalists that he had behaved inappropriately towards them. Mr Williamson himself is also facing pressure from his own partys MPs to ensure the proposed cuts to the defence budget do not take place. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty Mr Hammond used an RAF plane earlier this week and is expected to be allowed one on Friday if a planned trip to Europe goes ahead. It is thought the alleged ban would then come into effect until the bill is paid. Some have blamed administrative delays for the lack of payment and the Treasury is said to be preparing to expedite the payment. The MoD told The Independent it was neither confirming or denying the reports. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Ministry of Defence and the Treasury in discussions over Chancellor Philip Hammonds reported unpaid bill for the use of military planes, Downing Street has confirmed. On Wednesday, The Times reported that the Chancellor had been banned from using MoD planes until his department settles the bill for a recent flight. The MoD was said to have told officials not to accept any more bookings from the Chancellor until the six-figure sum for flights with No 32 (The Royal Squadron) had been paid. Prime Minister Theresa Mays official spokesman told reporters: My understanding is the Chancellor used a Government jet yesterday. I gather there is an administrative discussion going on. This matter is being resolved. A Downing Street source said the issue had not been raised with Number 10, but was being sorted out between the two departments. The story has emerged weeks after staunch Theresa May ally Gavin Williamson has taken over as Secretary of State for Defence. It is understood that Mr Hammond used BAe 146 jets and A109 helicopters to fly to more than 20 destinations this year on official business, including Manchester, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Aberdeen, Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt. Senior government ministers often use military jets, but are encouraged to use cheaper commercial options where possible. The Ministry of Defence and Treasury declined to comment on the report, which comes amid claims of differences between Mr Hammond and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson over possible cuts to military spending as part of a defence review. A spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: The Governments problems and the Cabinets problems are multifarious. This is a Government in a shambles on both the most important issues facing the country and the more minor ones, and I would suggest that this is one of those. Im sure we would be in favour of the Treasury paying its bill. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Brexit deal handing separate trading rules to Northern Ireland could have unravelled the entire United Kingdom, Ruth Davidson warned Theresa May. The Scottish Conservative leader revealed she made clear to the Prime Minister that her block of 13 Scottish Tory MPs would not support any such proposal. Within hours yesterday, the Brexit Secretary insisted any regulatory alignment with the EU would apply across the UK, rather than treat Northern Ireland differently suggesting Ms Davidson's intervention was crucial. A markedly separate deal for Northern Ireland - perhaps with membership of the single market - could have unravelled the entire United Kingdom, Ms Davidson said. Writing in The Scotsman, she added: Indeed, the alacrity with which Nicola Sturgeon spotted a political opportunity on Tuesday only served to demonstrate as much. That is why I made clear to the Prime Minister yesterday that neither I nor the 13 Scottish Conservative MPs at Westminster could support such an arrangement. The comments come after the DUP blocked any deal which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the United Kingdom. It was clear the DUP believed regulatory alignment on both sides of the Irish border, to avoid customs checks and posts, would only apply in Northern Ireland. 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 veto plunged the Prime Minister into a fresh crisis, with a new EU deadline to present an acceptable plan to avoid a hard Irish land border with customs checks - looming at the end of the week. Ms Sturgeon, the SNP First Minister, had leapt on the original suggestion to claim it left no good practical reason for Scotland not to be allowed the same deal softer Brexit deal. In the article, Ms Davidson argued that keeping the internal market throughout the UK on a level playing field is crucial to Scotland. My view is therefore that, whatever happens with Brexit, we should do nothing that damages the integrity of the one union that really does keep Scotland in business, the Tory leader wrote. Protecting our border-free access with our biggest market - the rest of the UK - is a fairly significant one. We should do nothing to imperil that. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called on the British government on Wednesday to make a formal apology for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in which nearly 400 Sikhs were shot dead by British Indian army soldiers. During a visit to the Golden Temple at Amritsar in northern India, the most important pilgrimage site of Sikhism, Khan called the massacre one of the most horrific events in Indian history. On Sunday 13 April 1919, some 50 soldiers began shooting at unarmed civilians who were taking part in a peaceful protest against oppressive laws enforced in the Punjab by British colonial authorities. At least 379 Sikhs were killed, but the figure is still disputed. It is wrong that successive British governments have fallen short of delivering a formal apology to the families of those who were killed, he said. Iam clear that the government should now apologise, especially as we reach the centenary of the massacre. This is about properly acknowledging what happened here and giving the people of Amritsar and India the closure they need through a formal apology. Khan, who is from the opposition Labour Party, does not speak for Britain's Conservative government. Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron visited Amritsar at the end of a trade mission to India four years ago in a show of contrition over the massacre but stopped short of making a formal apology. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty Khan is on a six-day mission to India and Pakistan to strengthen cultural and economic ties with the British capital. There was no immediate comment from the Foreign Office in London. Reuters Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has said she intends to speak to Donald Trump about his expected recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The Prime Minister said the ancient city should ultimately be shared between Israel and a future Palestinian state, amid growing unease over the American president's proposal to move the US embassy in Israel. Mr Trump is expected to make an announcement on Wednesday on the plans, first proposed during his presidential election campaign. Talk of the move has prompted condemnation around the world and sparked fears of violence and demonstrations, while the Palestinians' chief representative to Britain warned it would be the "kiss of death to the two-state solution". "I'm intending to speak to President Trump about this matter," Ms May said during Prime Minister's Questions. "The status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians." She said there should be a sovereign and viable Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has also voiced "concern" over Mr Trump's expected announcement, seen by Palestinians as the White House abandoning decades of neutrality on the Middle East peace process to side with Israel. Speaking to reporters as he arrived for a Nato summit in Brussels, Mr Johnson made clear that the UK has no intention of following Mr Trump's lead by moving its own embassy from Tel Aviv. He said: "Let's wait and see what the president says exactly, but we view the reports that we have heard with concern, because we think that Jerusalem obviously should be part of the final settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, a negotiated settlement that we want to see. "We have no plans ourselves to move our embassy." The diplomatic status of Jerusalem is a highly sensitive issue, with the city's holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and Palestinians want a number of areas of the city as part of any future state. Middle Eastern leaders have warned the US recognising the city is Israel's capital could lead to a "major catastrophe". US officials insist recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital will be an acknowledgement of historical and current reality rather than a political statement. They note that almost all of Israels government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the US and other countries maintain embassies. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} What began as an innocent attempt to start a new holiday tradition is starting to drive people crazy. It's called the Elf on the Shelf, and for some parents, it's causing more headaches than it's worth. Inspired by a 2005 children's book and sold with the book for $30, Elf on the Shelf is part Christmas decoration, part babysitter. Many parents tell their children that the doll is observing them in the weeks before Christmas, reporting to Santa whether or not they've behaved well enough to receive gifts. The problems are obvious, namely, telling a child he or she is being watched by an inanimate object throughout the day. I think it' s creepy that parents set it up to monitor their kids. I think it's just another thing mothers are expected to do every day in December. I just can't do it. I don't have time for that, Portland, Maine resident Kate Brogan told The Bangor Daily News. Parents are encouraged to move the doll to a different location in their home each night to make it appear as if the doll has flown to the North Pole and returned by morning. Some have used this activity as an opportunity to stage a social media competition, battling with other parents to photograph the most creative scenarios for their Elf on the Shelf. Many parents say they find the maintenance exhausting. At first, it's fun, but after a week, you're just tired of it. It's one more thing you have to do for the holidays, New Hampshire resident Kelly Blackadar said to The Daily News. Not to mention the competitive stuff between parents. You see someone's amazing thing they did on Facebook, and it's like a 'Who's the best parent?' competition. Not cool. I ate Donald Trump's McDonald's order and it was worse than I imagined Meet the 25-year-old Dutch pilot who's taking over Instagram The biggest thing outsiders get wrong about Nordic countries Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Indonesian monkey that triggered a landmark copyright case when it took a photograph of itself has been named Person of the Year by one of the world's largest animal rights groups. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it was honouring the crested black macaque dubbed Naruto to recognise that "he is someone, not something". The monkey took the photograph of itself in 2011 after British nature photographer David Slater set up a camera on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Mr Slater published the photographs in a book, but a bitter copyright dispute erupted after Wikipedia reproduced the photographs without permission. The online encyclopedia argued the images did not belong to the photographer as the monkey pressed the camera button. Later, PETA started a separate suit on behalf of the monkey, arguing it should be "declared the author and owner of his photograph". The organisation's president Ingrid Newkirk said at the time: "Naruto's historic selfie challenged the idea of who is a person and who is not and resulted in the first-ever lawsuit seeking to declare a nonhuman animal the owner of property, rather than being declared property himself. PETA hopes that by honouring him, Naruto will be recognised as a special person an individual with thoughts and feelings, emotions and desires, and the ability to plan and self-reflect as a being with personality, and as someone, not something. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Slater won the first hearing in California, but PETA then appealed to a higher court. The case was eventually settled in September, with Mr Slater agreeing to donate 25 per cent of future profits from the photographs to help protect crested black macaques in Indonesia. PETA said the number of the monkeys has decreased by 90 per cent in the last 25 years because of the destruction of their habitat and because indigenous people slaughter them for their meat. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump's Republican Party will resume funding the US Senate campaign of Roy Moore after the president endorsed the Alabama Republican, who is accused of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. The Republican National Committee (RNC) had transferred $50,000 (37,500) to the Alabama Republican Party in support of Mr Moore, an official said. No RNC staff have been deployed to the state. The state party can use the money as it sees fit, the official said on condition of anonymity. A second transfer for the sum of $120,000 (89,600) was made to the Alabama state Republican Party on Moores behalf, making the total $170,000 (127,000), an official said. The RNC cut ties with Mr Moore last month after several women accused the former Alabama judge of sexual assault or misconduct when they were teenagers and Moore was in his early 30s. The 70-year-old, has denied the accusations. Earlier this week, the White House said Mr Trump had called Mr Moore to give him his support. In a tweet that acknowledged the presidents endorsement, Moore quoted Trump as saying: Go get em, Roy! In a sign of the deep divide within the Republican Party around the allegations facing Mr Moore, former US presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticised Mr Trumps endorsement, as did former RNC Chairman Michael Steele. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation, Romney wrote on Twitter, using the abbreviation for Grand Old Party, which the Republican Party is sometimes referred to as. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last month he believed Moores accusers and joined other senators in urging him to quit the race. But on Sunday, the Republican McConnell said it was up to Alabama voters to decide whether to send Moore to Washington. Moore will face off with Democratic candidate and former US Attorney Doug Jones in a special election on Dec. 12. As I have said before - I believe these women. And so should you, Mr Jones said in speech earlier this year. 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 At the White House, Mr Trump told reporters he thought Mr Moore was going to do very well in next weeks election. We dont want to have a liberal Democrat in Alabama, Mr Trump said. We want strong borders, we want stopping crime, we want to have the things that we represent. And we certainly dont want to have a liberal Democrat thats controlled by Nancy Pelosi and controlled by Chuck Schumer, he added in reference to the Democratic leaders of the US House of Representatives and Senate. Reuters Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities in Costa Rica say a US woman is dead after a shark attacked her at a diving spot off the coast of the Isla del Coco island. The Environment Ministry said on Friday the woman was killed the previous day by a tiger shark off the remote island, about 330 miles (530 kilometres) from Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The woman was treated by park guards and medical personal vacationing on the island. But the ministry said she had suffered severe bites to her limbs and died. 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 A dive master also suffered a shark bite but was conscious and in relatively stable condition. The dive master told officials that the shark attacked when his group was surfacing after a dive. A boater and divers tried to drive the animal away. Associated Press Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A TV news anchor issued a powerful response live on air to a viewer who called her a "n****r". Sharon Reed, a presenter on Atlanta station CBS 46, confronted a woman who had demanded her sacking in a racially abusive email. The journalist and her co-hosts had been discussing the role of race in the Georgia city's mayoral election, which was contested this week by black and white candidates. The viewer, who gave her name as Kathy Rae, accused Ms Reed of "race baiting" and told her: "You are a racist N****r. You what's wrong with the world." Her email added: "You need to be fired for the race baiting comment you made tonight. It's OK for blacks to discuss certain subjects but not whites, really? You are what I call a N****r not a black person." As producers displayed the message on-screen, Ms Reed said she would let the viewer's words "speak for themselves". She responded: "I didn't say that white people couldn't talk about race. Quite the contrary, we think that race is an authentic discussion to have. It's one we're having tonight because it's one that you are talking about at home and it's one that has clearly entered the Atlanta mayor's race. "That's why, behind the scenes, my colleagues and I - white and black - we decided, hey let's go for it." She added: "When arguing with somebody you have to be careful not to mischaracterise their viewpoint, so I won't mischaracterise your view either, Kathy Rae. I get it. On 5 December, 2017, you think it's OK to call this journalist a 'n****r'. I don't. "But I could clap back and say a few things to you. But instead I'll let your words, Kathy Rae, speak for themselves. And that will be the last word." Atlanta's mayoral election has divided a city known as America's "black mecca" for its usually harmonious racial relations. 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 Polls had suggested Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is black, would win about three quarters of the black vote, with 80 per cent of white voters expected to back white independent Mary Norwood. Ms Bottoms declared victory early on Wednesday morning, although Ms Norwood demanded a recount, with little more than 700 voters separating the two candidates. A win for Ms Bottoms would continue a run of African-American mayors that began in Atlanta in the mid-1970s. Victory for Ms Norwood would give Atlanta its first white female mayor, and end the Democratic Partys control on an office it has held without interruption since 1879 Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Republican senator has made a personal donation to a rival Democratic politician, saying he wanted to support country over party. Jeff Flake wrote a $100 (75) cheque for the campaign fund of Doug Jones, the Democrat running against Roy Moore in next weeks Senate election in Alabama. Mr Moore, now 70, has been accused by multiple women of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. Recommended Donald Trump backs Roy Moore on Twitter One said she was only 14 when he initiated sexual contact. The former judge has denied the accusations and blamed them on socialists and LGBT people. On Twitter Mr Flake agreed with former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who had said: 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. Mr Flake, of Arizona, added in a tweet: A Roy Moore victory is no victory for the GOP and the nation. Posting an image of the cheque on Tuesday he said: Country over Party. Mr Flake has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, who endorsed Mr Moore on Tuesday morning. The billionaire tweeted: Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet! He later spoke to Mr Moore on the phone and according to the White Houses deputy press secretary, Raj Shah, it was a positive call. At a rally on Tuesday night, the Presidents former chief strategist called Republican leaders in Congress cowards for distancing themselves from Mr Moore. Steve Bannon, back at the helm of the populist political website Breitbart, told supporters at farm outside Fairhope: They want to destroy Judge Roy Moore. You know why? They want to take your voice away. If they can destroy Roy Moore, they can destroy you. The days of taking it silently are over. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Earlier in the day, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had said that Mr Moore would immediately have an issue with the ethics committee if he is elected on 12 December. Yet a Republican National Committee official told AP the group had transferred $170,000 ($127,000) to the Alabama Republican Party to boost Mr Moores campaign. In October Mr Flake announced he would not seek re-election in an apparent protest against Mr Trumps reckless, outrageous and undignified behaviour. He said: We must never meekly accept the daily sundering of our country the personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms, and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth or decency, the reckless provocations, most often for the pettiest and most personal reasons, reasons having nothing whatsoever to do with the fortunes of the people that we have all been elected to serve. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US officials have confirmed Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday and instruct the State Department to begin the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. The officials say recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will be an acknowledgement of "historical and current reality" rather than a political statement. They note that almost all of Israel's government agencies and parliament are in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, where the US and other countries maintain embassies. Recommended US citizens in Jerusalem issued with safety warning The officials say moving the embassy, long a campaign pledge that Mr Trump has insisted he must fulfil, will not happen immediately. The officials spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to publicly discuss Mr Trump's announcement beforehand. They said numerous logistical and security details, as well as site determination and construction, will need to be finalised first. Because of those issues, the embassy is not likely to move for at least three or four years, presuming there is no future change in US policy. To that end, the officials said Mr Trump will sign a waiver delaying the embassy move, which is required by US law every six months. He will continue to sign the waiver until preparations for the embassy move are complete. The officials said the city's physical and political borders will not be compromised. Jared Kushner: Trump is still yet to make decision on recognising Jerusalem as Israel capital The Presidents decision - which would break with decades of US foreign policy - was met with harsh words from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who warned of dangerous consequences, according to Mr Abbas' spokesperson. On Tuesday night, Palestinians burned pictures of Mr Trump in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, based on a photo by AFP. Mr Trump is expected to deliver the speech recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital later on Wednesday. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The US diplomatic staff is bracing for violence in Jerusalem after Donald Trump controversially told Middle East leaders that he intended to move the US embassy in Israel to the holy city. The Presidents decision - which would break with decades of US foreign policy - was met with harsh words from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who warned of dangerous consequences, according to Mr Abbas' spokesperson. With widespread calls for demonstrations beginning 6 December in Jerusalem and the West Bank, US government employees and their family members are not permitted until further notice to conduct personal travel in Jerusalems Old City and in the West Bank, the US Consulate in Jerusalem said in a security message. United States citizens should avoid areas where crowds have gathered and where there is increased police and/or military presence, the message said. The State Department had already warned American embassies worldwide to heighten security ahead of Mr Trumps announcement. On Tuesday night, Palestinians burned pictures of Mr Trump in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, based on a photo by AFP. 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 Israeli troops were also preparing for the possibility of violence, according to The Times of Israel. Mr Trump is widely expected to deliver a speech on Wednesday that will recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital - another controversial move. This week, he is still anticipated to sign a waiver that would delay moving the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months - but would direct members of his administration to immediately begin planning for a relocation. Both decisions have the potential to derail his administration's peace initiative in the region by fanning the flames in the Israel-Palestinian crisis. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A former Clinton campaign staffer has slammed Donald Trump via the President's favourite medium, tweeting that the former businessman would go to any length to undermine his predecessor. If Barack Obama cured cancer Donald Trump would try to bring it back, tweeted Josh Schwerin, a former press aide to Hillary Clinton and current communications director for Priorities USA. Mr Schwerin was once described by the Hill as one of the youngest, fastest-rising stars of the Clinton campaign. His tweet came shortly after Mr Trump slashed the size of the Bears Ears National Monument, a 2,000-square-mile expanse of red rock canyons first declared a monument by Mr Obama. Mr Trump shrank the Utah monument by 85 per cent and cut another monument, the Grand Staircase-Escalante, by half. The President said his decision would give control of the land back to the people of Utah. Environmentalists, however, claimed it would destroy important archaeological sites and sites of national heritage. It is a disgrace that the President wants to undo the nations first national monument created to honour Native American cultural heritage, Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council, told the New York Times. National parks Show all 9 1 /9 National parks National parks MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images National parks Getty Images National parks Lance King/Getty Images National parks Doug Pensinger/Getty Images National parks Ethan Miller/Getty Images National parks Sean Gallup/Getty Images National parks Getty National parks REUTERS/Jim Urquhart National parks Marco Garcia/Getty Images Mr Trump has also attempted to roll back several other Obama-era policies, from the former Presidents signature healthcare law to his plan to protect childhood immigrants. Mr Trump announced his decision to roll back the childhood immigration plan, known as DACA, in September. He gave Congress six months to save the programme before he tackled it himself. Mr Obama responded in a Facebook post, calling the push to save DACA one of basic decency. This is about whether we are a people who kick hopeful young strivers out of America, or whether we treat them the way wed want our own kids to be treated, he wrote. Its about who we are as a people and who we want to be." Mr Trump has reached out to top Democrats in Congress about forging a deal to save the programme. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Former US President Barack Obama can lay claim to having had an impressive year on Twitter - even eclipsing his more-prolific successor in the Oval Office. The former President had the most-liked tweet of the year, according to Twitter, while Presiddent Donald Trump did not register in the top ten retweeted Twitter messages Mr Obamas topped the list for a tweet he sent in the aftermath of a Charlottesville, Virginia white supremacist rally descending into violence. That response offers a sharp contrast to the uproar after Mr Trump equated neo-Nazis with leftist protesters, suggesting both bore responsibility for the bloodshed. The former Presidents paean to diversity and denunciation of hatred earned spurred nearly 4.6 million people to click the small heart icon the most of any tweet this year. It was also the second-most retweeted. Also landing in the top-three most liked tweets of the year was Mr Obamas message of support for Senator John McCain, a onetime political rival Mr Obama defeated in the 2008 election, after the Arizona Republican was diagnosed with brain cancer. Two more of Mr Obamas tweets were among the ten most shared of the year, and both of them came in the twilight of his time in office. Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Show all 11 1 /11 Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama's best moments in the White House May 19, 2009 The President was leaving the State Floor after an event and found Sasha in the elevator ready to head upstairs to the private residence. He decided to ride upstairs with her before returning to the Oval Office, Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Oct. 26, 2012 President Barack Obama pretends to be caught in Spider-Man's web as he greets the son of a White House staffer in the Outer Oval Office Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House A National Security staffer, Carlton Philadelphia, brought his family to the Oval Office for a farewell photo with President Obama. Carltons son, Jacob, softly told the President he had just gotten a haircut like President Obama, and asked if he could feel the Presidents head to see if it felt the same as his. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House March 21, 2010 The President, Vice President and senior staff applaud after watching on television the House vote on H.R. 4872 for health care reform, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Dec. 3, 2009 President Barack Obama fist-bumps custodian Lawrence Lipscomb in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building following the opening session of the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Sept. 22, 2015 "The Obama family and Biden family greet Pope Francis as he arrives in the United States for the first time at Joint Base Andrews," Sept. 22, 2015. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 21, 2014 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden participate in a "Let's Move!" video taping on the Colonnade of the White House, Feb. 21, 2014 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 18, 2016 President Barack Obama watches First Lady Michelle Obama dance with 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month, Feb. 18, 2016 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Jan. 21, 2013 "The President and First Lady wave to supporters as they ride in the inaugural parade. I had asked the President if I could ride in the presidential limousine and the President joked, 'But Michelle and I were planning to make out," Jan. 21, 2013. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama share a private moment in a freight elevator at an Inaugural Ball, January 2009 all pics: Pete Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama rests his hand on the bible that President Lincoln used for his swear-in, being held by his wife Michelle Obama as he is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America Rex One urged Americans to embrace their ability to effect change, and the other issued on the day of Mr Trumps inauguration said his time in office had been the honor of my life. By contrast, Mr Trump did not have a tweet that was one of the top-ten most retweeted or liked of the year despite the volume of Twitter messages he issues, often in early-morning bursts, denouncing rivals or weighing in on policy issues and current events. Thats not to say Mr Trump didnt register in the minds of Twitter users. No world leader was tweeted about more. While Mr Trump has issued more than twice as many tweets as his predecessor, Mr Obama has the clear edge in followers. Mr Obama referenced that advantage during a recent speech in which he implored Mr Trump to think before you tweet. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Patagonia has an ominous message for anyone visiting its website: The President Stole Your Land. The outdoor recreation company splashed that accusation on its homepage after President Donald Trump slashed the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments in Utah. The message, contrasted in all white against a black backdrop, was an urgent warning of what the company sees as executive overreach. Recommended Trump faces lawsuit from clothing brand Patagonia In an illegal move, the president just reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, the message continued. This is the largest elimination of protected land in American history. Patagonia was joined by outdoor supply store REI in using their retail website to protest the Presidents decision to reduce the size of the two monuments by a combined nearly 2 million acres. REI, taking a slightly less aggressive stance, promised to continue its efforts to protect important American lands Despite the loss of millions of acres of protected lands this week REI will continue to advocate for the places we all love, the company wrote on its website 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 two companies becoming involved in the debate in a battle for the wild west being waged by the outdoor recreation industry in general, which has been pushing back on plans to exploit the lands for cattle grazing, development, and fossil fuel production. But Mr Trumps decision to reduce the size of two of Americas national monuments wasnt only met with public appeals from retailers. Almost as soon as the reduction was announced, a deluge of lawsuits were filed on behalf of many involved in that fight including one by a coalition of 10 conservation groups, and one by a coalition of five Native American Tribes. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke hit out at Patagonia on Tuesday. I think it is shameful and appalling that they would blatantly lie in order to get money in their coffers, he said. No land, not one square inch, has been transferred or sold, Mr Zinke added.. But the move to open up public lands to those types of uses that interest developers was supported by prominent politicians in the area. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who represents the state that holds the monuments, applauded the decision. Mr Hatch has frequently said that the monuments in the area were unnecessarily vast. Mr Trump, for his part, justified his decision by returning to an old favorite: Washington overreach. Ive reduced the size of the monuments because some people think that the natural resources of Utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington. And guess what? Theyre wrong, Mr Trump said. Mr Zinke has now recommended a number of other charges. He said the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument straddling the border of Oregon and California and the Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada were both too big for the purpose of protecting important historical sites and should be reduced in size. He also said that Mr Trump should consider changing the boundaries of the Pacific Remote Islands and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments in the Pacific Ocean. Mr Zinke also recommended changes in the management of 10 other monuments to allow for more grazing, timber, fishing, road access and other uses. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The White House is disputing reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed some of Donald Trump's financial records. We confirmed that the news reports [that] the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records related to the president are completely false, said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a briefing. No subpoena has been issued or received, she added. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources. It was reported that as part of his probe into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, Mr Mueller asked Deutsche Bank to share data and documents on accounts related to Mr Trump and his dealings. Mr Trump's relationship with the lender spans decades. Since 1998, Deutsche Bank has led or participated in loans of at least $2.5bn that the real estate tycoon used to finance some of his most high-profile projects, the Wall Street Journal reports. The subpoena was earlier reported by German newspaper Handelsblatt and other outlets, such as Reuters and the Journal - both of which cited unnamed sources. 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 I think this is another example of the media going too far and too fast and we don't see it going in that direction, Ms Sanders said. Ms Sanders declined to say whether banks should comply with subpoenas for records if they receive them. I'm not going to get into hypothetical situations and try to determine everything that could happen, she said. We know it hasn't happened up until this point and that the reports out were totally false and again the media got ahead of their skis a little bit pushing and driving that story that wasn't true. Mr Mueller's investigation has heated up in recent months. On Friday, the President's ex-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a senior Russian diplomat. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US President Donald Trump has called on Saudi Arabia to end its Yemen blockade immediately, citing humanitarian concerns. Mr Trump said in a statement that he has directed US officials to call Saudi Arabian leaders and request they "completely allow food, fuel, water and medicine to reach the Yemeni people." He said Yemenis "desperately need it." A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting to defeat the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces in Yemen since March 2015 with the aim of reinstating the internationally recognized government of Mr Saleh's successor, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The US has been supporting the coalition through weapons sales, some intelligence sharing, and refuelling capabilities for air operations. Since the conflict began, at least 10,000 people have died as a result and 40,000 have been wounded, Al Jazeera reported. Mr Saleh was killed earlier this week after moving to switch allegiances in the bloody conflict, making the situation in the country unpredictable according to experts. Unverified footage circulated by Yemeni social media users appeared to a show corpse resembling Mr Saleh. Armed militiamen unfurled a blanket containing the body and shouted, "praised God!". There has been heavy fighting in Sanaa that has killed at least 125 people and wounded 238 in six days, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Saudi-led coalition had imposed a blockade on the country last month after Houthi rebels fired a missile on the Saudi capital of Riyadh. It responded by sending a slew of missiles into Yemen's capital Sanaa. The blockade was partially lifted at the Hudaya port of the international airport in Sanaa and the first aid shipments were allowed to enter the country just last week. In the meantime, aid groups were forced to buy their own fuel in order to assist with relief work. The country is on the "brink of famine" according to David Beasley, head of the United Nations World Food Programme. Mr Beasley told CBS: " "I don't think there's any question the Saudi-led coalition, along with the Houthis and all of those involved, are using food as a weapon." UN head of humanitarian affairs Mark Lowcock had said last month: "it will not be like the famine that we saw in South Sudan earlier in the year, where tens of thousands of people were affected. It will not be like the famine which cost 250,000 people their lives in Somalia in 2011. It will be the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims." The World Health Organisation has also confirmed that the country is facing a massive cholera outbreak, particularly affecting children; nearly a million reported cases are expected by the end of the year. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rapists who attack girls under the age 12 could be handed death sentences if a bill passed in one Indian state becomes law. Politicians in Madhya Pradesh voted through the legislation earlier this week. It will now be sent for approval or dismissal by the country's central government and President Narendra Modi. There are people in society who can be set right only by severe punishments, the states chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, told The Hindu newspaper. He added that the bill would deal with them and raise awareness in society against such crimes. Other sentences available for the crime include life imprisonment or a minimum imprisonment of 14 years with a fine, the Press Trust of India reported. Human rights campaigners have opposed the plan. The Madhya Pradesh legislatures concern on the issue of child sexual abuse is welcome, but the solution is misplaced, said Asmita Basu, of Amnesty International India. There is no evidence that the death penalty is more of a deterrent than prison terms. The government should, instead, focus on ensuring the certainty of justice rather than increasing the severity of punishment. She added: The death penalty is the ultimate violation of the right to life. In India, its use has been highly arbitrary, and it has disproportionately affected socially and economically marginalized people. The President must not allow this regressive bill to become law. 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 Other proposed changes to the law include cracking down on men who make false promises of marriage in order to have sex with women, the Hindustan Times reported. According to Indias National Crime Records Bureau, more than 38,000 rapes of women were recorded in 2016, of which 4,882 happened in Madhya Pradesh. Victims under 18 numbered 2,479 in the state, while 192 were under 12. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} American bombers will fly over the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, according to South Koreas Yonhap news agency, a move likely to antagonise North Korea. Pyongyang has regularly denounced joint military drills between the United States and South Korea as acts of aggression, characterising them as preludes to an invasion. North Korea warned that a mass air force drill this week would push the world to the brink of nuclear war. Just as this is not the first time North Korea has threatened retaliation for military exercises, it's not unique for America to deploy sophisticated aircraft amid North Korean belligerence. Earlier this summer, with Pyongyang vowing to destroy the US territory of Guam after Donald Trump threatened North Korea with fire and fury, B1-Bs conducted joint drills with Japan in airspace near the Korean peninsula. The latest assertion of military might contrasts with a diplomatic effort unfolding on the Korean Peninsula this week, as United Nations envoy Jeffrey Feltman pays a rare visit to the increasingly isolated nation. Mr Feltmans visit follows North Koreas latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The projectile soared higher than any previous attempt, according to military experts, before crashing into the sea near Japan. North Korea claimed it now has the power to strike anywhere in the United States. Global condemnation followed, with Trump administration officials reiterating that they were prepared to take military action if diplomacy failed. 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 After urging other nations to sever all ties with North Korea, Americas ambassador to the United Nations, Hikki Haley, warned that the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed in the event of war. China, seen as crucial to dampening the Korean threat because of its geographic proximity and trading ties with the North, has discouraged such bellicose talk, saying both sides are increasing the risk of conflict. Chinese officials have urged America to suspend joint military drills as a condition of a peace deal. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A soldier who escaped the North Korean regime, fleeing across the demilitarised zone at the border with South Korea was like a broken jar, after being shot repeatedly before he was dragged to safety, his doctor has said. Lead surgeon Lee Cook-Jong who worked on defector Oh Chong Song has told the press his patient was suffering from catastrophic blood loss, and during surgery to remove bullets, the medical team encountered squirming white parasitic worms coming out of the mans digestive tract. His vital signs were so unstable, he was dying of low blood pressure, he was dying of shock, Dr Lee told CNN. He was like a broken jar. We couldn't put enough blood into him. Mr Oh had been shot at least five times, with several bullets perforating his intestines. During the operation to repair the damaged intestinal track the doctors discovered the parasites. Everything was stained with blood, but the parasite was basically a really white colour and this thick, big, long and very, very hard, this kind of thing was getting out from his bowel system, Dr Lee said. The medical team managed to remove all of the worms, some of which were over 10 inches long (27cm). At least three North Korean troops shot at Mr Oh, hitting him in the stomach, knee and shoulder (Screengrab/CNN) During the delicate procedure, Dr Lee said Mr Ohs vital signs were so unstable he thought the defector would die on the operating table. We [were] struggling with treatment as we found a large number of parasites in the soldiers stomach, invading and eating into the wounded areas, Dr Lee was previously quoted as saying by the Korea Biomedical Review. It's a miracle that he survived, the surgeon said. During his 20-year career he had never previously come across intestinal worms, he told journalists. The parasites are typically transmitted to the human digestive tract through poor hygiene and sanitation facilities and ingestion of faeces or contaminated water or soil. According to the World Health Organisation the most prevalent infections are in the poorest and most deprived parts of the world where eggs present in human faeces then contaminate the soil in areas where sanitation facilities are lacking. Children and those with weakened immune systems are usually most at risk. According to the WHO, Latest estimates indicate that more than 880 million children are in need of treatment for these parasites. The greater the number of worms present in the gut, the worse the symptoms are. These include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss and fatigue. Mr Oh is the first soldier to defect to South Korea across the heavily guarded demilitarised zone in 10 years. 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 An estimated 40 rounds were fired by soldiers as he ran for the South when the jeep he was fleeing in got stuck in a ditch. He was left with bullet wounds to his abdomen, shoulders, elbow and knee. Close The UK has not conducted a Brexit impact assessment on any sector, says David Davis Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May is battling to keep Brexit on track after one of her toughest weeks since the process began. Challenges are coming from all sides for the Prime Minister after negotiations with Brussels stalled on Monday, with intense pressure from Ireland and Europe over key aspects of the border arrangements after Brexit. Ms May finally spoke to her Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ally Arlene Foster this morning, whose party have insisted they will not sign up to a proposal for Northern Ireland to remain in regulatory alignment with the Republic once Britain has left the EU. However, the Irish government has warned that unless the UK goes ahead with the plan there could be no question of the Brexit negotiations moving on to the second phase including trade talks before the end of the year. During Prime Minister's Questions, Jeremy Corbyn said the Government's efforts were "a shambles" and also mocked International Trade Secretary Liam Fox for previously saying talks would be "the easiest in human history". MPs are also calling for Brexit Secretary David Davis to be held in contempt of Parliament for "misleading" MPs on the existence of a series of Brexit impact assessments. In a grilling by the Brexit Select Committee today, Mr Davis admitted the reports had not been done. If that was not enough, the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is facing its fifth day of Commons scrutiny, where the discussions are expected to focus on the Irish border and whether there should be a vote on the Brexit divorce bill. Brexit Secretary David Davis sought to reassure the DUP that retaining common rules with the Republic on issues such as food safety standards and animal welfare would not effectively mean the creation of a new border in the Irish Sea between the North and rest of UK. In the Commons on Tuesday, he pointedly did not rule out the idea that regulations which continued to apply in Northern Ireland could be retained across the whole of the UK. Every approach we take will treat the whole of the UK as a single constitutional entity and a single economic entity, he said. However the move threatened to put him on a collision course with hardline Tory Brexiteers who argue that escaping EU rules and regulations is one of the key benefits of leaving. Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 40 people have been injured in a train crash close to the west German city of Dusseldorf after a passenger and freight train collided, police said. Authorities said the accident occurred near the train station in the town of Meerbusch. Initial reports gave the number injured as 50, a figure that was later revised down. The 41 injured include serious and minor injuries, although none are said to be life-threatening, according to the local fire department. Emergency crews were on the scene helping to unload people from the passenger train. A photo posted by the Meerbusch fire department showed the passenger train partially derailed but still upright. In a series of tweets the local fire service confirmed five people were injured with "up to 150 people" still stuck inside the train. A hanging cable was impeding the rescue efforts, the department said. The accident occurred on the line between Meerbusch-Osterath and Neuss, both suburbs in the west of Dusseldorf, at around 7.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT). Federal Police earlier said up to 50 were injured, while state-run German rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB) gave the figure as 20. "DB and the competent authorities as well as emergency services are on the spot to provide quick help for the victims and to clarify the situation," the company said in a statement. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Germanys foreign minister has warned the US will never be the same now Donald Trump is president. Sigmar Gabriel, the European powers top diplomat, delivered a stark warning over Americas new approach to international relations during a speech to foreign policy experts on Tuesday. "The US no longer sees the world as a global community, but as a fighting arena where everyone has to seek their own advantage," Mr Gabriel told the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, according to German newspaper Deutsche Welle. Germany can no longer simply react to US policy but must establish its own position even after Trump leaves the White House, relations with the US will never be the same. Mr Gabriel said that nobody has turned towards the European Union after the US withdrawal from the international stage, suggesting the bloc was failing to stand for a specific set of values and accusing member states of treating the union as if they have a second one in their pocket. The 58-year-old also warned Europe could stand right now in front of a new nuclear arms race if member states did not live up to their progressive ideals. US presidential election campaign: Trump threatens to sue women who have accused him of sexual assault Mr Gabriel went on to criticise the United Nations for failing to understand the desire for order and clarity that was giving rise to populist leaders around the globe, and accused Western countries of failing in their "very ambitious plans to help war-torn Syria. Speaking before White House officials confirmed Mr Trump would officially recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital on Wednesday, Mr Gabriel made clear Germanys stance on the issue. 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 "There are signs that America is going to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he said. Without having reached an agreement with Europe on this subject, we all know what the repercussions to that may be. "The German stance on this question remains unchanged: The solution to the Jerusalem question can only be found through direct contacts between the two sides. Anything that could exacerbate the crisis is counter-productive. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Dmitry Rogozin, the minister responsible for the Russian space industry, could only watch as the Prime Minister delivered a damning assessment of his work. Unsuccessful rocket launches had become a repetitional issue for the country, Dmitry Medvedev said at a cabinet meeting on Monday. Dmitry Olegovich, I hope you understand the seriousness of this matter, he said. The political fallout from last Tuesdays unsuccessful launch of a Soyuz 2-1b rocket continues at the highest level. And Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin, who has been responsible for the Russian space programme since late 2011, has been attracting a large part of the criticism. Tuesdays crash was, after all, the tenth under his watch. Recommended Russia loses contact with satellite launched hours earlier It reminded everyone that Russias space industry remains a few steps away from collapse. Up until an hour after launch, everything was going fine. It was only the second launch at Russias new far-eastern Vostochny Cosmodrome, so there was a festive atmosphere. The equipment the Soyuz 2-1b rocket, Fregat booster, and associated payload of 19 satellites was well-worked and considered reliable. The rocket was a direct descendent of the one that sent Yuri Gagarin to space, and has been refined thousands of times since. Upon lift-off at 8.42am Moscow time, there seemed little else for Mr Rogozin to do but to declare the mission a resounding success. Which he did, publicly as Mr Medvedev later reminded him. Three hours later, of course, Russias space corporation Roscosmos admitted anomalies. They had lost contact with the satellites before they had reached the correct orbit, said a public statement. Soon afterward, reports came through that the load had crashed over the Atlantic ocean. It is not yet clear what caused the failure. Early speculation in the Russian media suggested the Fregat booster had been sent on the wrong trajectory, perhaps owing to a human error in plotting coordinates. One theory attributed the problem to the fact the rocket was launched from a new cosmodrome, and there was a mix-up. This theory was first carried on Russian state news agencies, and referred to anonymous sources within the space industry. It was since been picked up by Western publications. But specialists contacted by The Independent doubt its main claim. Pavel Luzin, a specialist in the space and defence industry at Perm State University, said that previous crashes were usually because of defects in manufactured components. The flight programme, in comparison, is simpler and a less likely culprit. Aleksandr Zheleznyakov, a specialist in design and production of rocket and space systems, told The Independent that the incident suggested ongoing problems in manufacturing. Weve been talking about the poor quality of manufactured parts ever since the Proton rocket accident in 2010, he said. There is no proper quality control in the sector. A commission set up by the government is expected to deliver findings within two weeks. In the meantime, a debate continues about whether Russias struggling space industry is in a position to survive the latest setback. Or indeed, whether it should even try. The Russian government has prioritised space and recovering lost Soviet prestige. A lot of money is being thrown around. In 2017, Russia will spend a record 170bn roubles on space (2.4bn) and that number is set to rise. Those figures are a fraction of the money spent by Nasa. But they are more than enough for Russias current aims, which prioritise commercial uses of satellite technology. 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 Like elsewhere in Russia, however, there are serious problems with how the money is spent. The new Vostochny Cosmodrome, introduced to reduce reliance on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was plagued by endless scandals of corruption and mismanagement. And this week, Mr Rogozin came under criticism for spending 9m roubles (120,000) on flying a business jet to the failed launch. There needs to be more transparency, and better wages for ordinary engineers, said Mr Luzin. Its absurd that a rocket engineer is earning $400 a month while Mr Rogozin and his bureaucrats are flying business jets. Low wages bar people with ambition from entering the profession, said Mr Luzin. But it is not the only reason why young engineers arent coming in to replace the Soviet-trained generation. Since the space sector is classified as a military industry, specialists are by law prohibited from travel or work abroad. The clever youngsters keep well away, said Mr Luzin. James Oberg, a retired Nasa Space Shuttle mission control specialist, told The Independent that the Russian space industry is beginning to resemble a medieval order of soldier monks. Those specialists who remained are capable and dedicated, he said, but they are now all dying at their posts. One of the saddest aspects of last weeks incident, he said, was that 18 of the 19 satellites had been created by teams of university students: It was a great idea to try to encourage college kids into the aerospace industry. The former Nasa engineer said that Russias continued difficulties in space represented bad news for everyone. At its peak, the Russian space programme was critical to the US, he said. It was a credible rival, a spur. And without it there wasnt a chance in hell that wed have put a man on the moon. An earlier version of this article included a misquoted comment by expert Konstantin Kreydenko, for which The Independent apologises For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hamas has said US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the decision to move the US embassy there, "opens the gates of hell". "Trump's decision on Jerusalem will not succeed in changing the fact that Jerusalem is an Arab Muslim land," a spokesperson for the militant group running Gaza noted. The group has also repeatedly called for a Palestinian "day of rage" on 8 December as well. The youth and the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank need to respond with all means available to the US decision that harms our Jerusalem," the statement read. Hamas called the decision about the city - home to holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians - "a red line". The statement was unequivocal: "The resistance will not allow any desecration of it." The spokesperson said that "this decision is foolish and time will prove a that the biggest losers [from it] are" Mr Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The embassy will not move for at least another six months per a waiver the President signed, if not longer but the recognition of the capital breaks with US foreign policy practise of the last 70 years. It would be folly to assume repeating the exact same formula would yield different results said Mr Trump, adding that the parties are no closer to a peace agreement. Mr Trump called the decisions long overdue because Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. The Knesset parliament, supreme court, and several ministries are located there. The move is "nothing more or less than recognition of reality," the President said. Trump says he will fight for peace deal between Israel and Palestine Israeli Minister for Education Naftali Bennett thanked the President and said it was a "shiny day" for all Israelis. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham immediately tweeted his support of the Presidents decision, writing: I fully support the Trump Administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel because this statement reflects the reality on the ground for the last 3,000 years. House Speaker Paul Ryan called Jerusalem the "eternal, undivided capital of the State of Israel" in a statement. East Jerusalem was under Jordanian control from Israel's creation in 1948 until Israeli forces captured it during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community, including its historical ally, the US. Palestinian leaders were seeking to rally diplomatic support to persuade Mr Trump not to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital after he first floated the possibility. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavasoglu was also quick to respond via Twitter, posting that the decision was "irresponsible" and "is against international law and relevant UN Resolutions." A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that: "Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of Security Council & General Assembly resolutions." 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 Senator John McCain echoed that sentiment, which has been the US foreign policy norm for decades. Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, said a day before Mr Trump's announcement that recognition of Jerusalem as an Israeli capital is "a kiss of death to the two-state solution". Mr Trump clarified today in his announcement that the move should not be seen as a "not intended in any way to reflect a departure from" a mutually acceptable peace deal and two-state solution, should "both sides" agree to it. The "US remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement," Mr Trump noted. He had appointed son-in-law and White House advisor Jared Kushner as the point person for the Middle East peace process. Mr Kushner, Jewish by birth, and Mr Netanyahu have been family friends for several years and his parents have contributed money to Israeli settlements on land in dispute with Palestinians. Many criticised the nepotism, but also that Mr Kushner had no foreign policy experience prior to entering the White House. Mr Trump called on "all parties to maintain status quo...Above all our greatest hope is for peace." "Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach," said the President, adding a call for all "young, moderate voices across the middle east" to speak up. Out of fear of a violent reaction to Americans, the US State Department has limited suspended non-essential diplomatic staff travel to Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank until at least 20 December. TNVolunteer73 said: THE LAND IN The US was partitioned into STATES the land is the STATES not the federal government. Click to expand... In 1778, Maryland led a protest against states with vast western land claims. According to British charters, Virginia, for example, was granted territory west to the Mississippi River and north to Michigans Upper Peninsula. Maryland was blocked from westward expansion and threatened not to sign the Articles of Confederation until larger states surrendered their claims to the newly formed United States government. In 1802, these transfers to the federal government were complete and the now Federal government was the landowner of 233 million acres. A year later, the nation doubled in size when President Thomas Jefferson paid France $27 million for the Louisiana Territory (a vast swath of land that ranged from the Mississippi River to the base of the Rocky Mountains). Over the next 50 years, through diplomacy, war, purchase, and treaty the United States became the holder of 1.4 billion acres. The legal arguments of those who favor land transfer [ YOU ]are three-fold. First, they argue that the Property Clause of the United States Constitution (Art IV, Sec 3, Cl 2) limits the authority of the federal government to own land. Second, they argue that the Equal Footing Doctrine (Art IV, Sec 3 Cl 1) may be used to uphold state authority in the face of federal overreach. And third, that the Enclave Clause (Art I, Sec 8, Cl 17) acts as a geographic limit to the amount of land the federal government may own (10 mi. sq.). Each of these argument has been dealt with at length in the United States Supreme Court; each has been found lacking. The challenges to federal authority based the Property Clause is inconsistent with nearly 200 years of settled legal interpretation. Since 1840, the Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government has nearly limitless authority over public lands under the Property Clause. In U.S. v. Gratiot, the Court ruled that the federal government was under no obligation to give away public lands. In 1890, the Court further ruled that the federal government had authority over adjacent non-federal lands if activities on those lands would impact federal lands (Camfield v. U.S.). In 1911, the Court ruled that ranching on public lands without a permit was illegal despite the fact that such action was consistent with state law (Light v. U.S.). Six years later, the Court applied the same reasoning in deciding that a power company lacked authority to build a dam on federal lands (Utah Power and Light v. U.S.). Finally, in the 1976 decision in Kleppe v. New Mexico, the Court rejected New Mexicos claim that it could assert title to wild horses protected under a federal act. In all of the above cases, the Supreme Court described federal control of public lands and associated resources as without limit and rejected state claims to authorize private action inconsistent with federal rules. In short, federal authority under the Property Clause is as settled a principle as there is in the law. Claims that the Equal Footing Doctrine may be relied upon as an exemption from federal authority are equally baseless. In 1963, the Supreme Court limited the use of the equal footing doctrine by stating definitively that the only way, post-statehood, for states to receive title to federal lands not submerged was through an express grant by the federal government (Arizona v. California). Finally, the Enclave Clause of the Constitution is a favorite of land transfer militants. Supporters argue that the Clause limits the amount of land the federal government may own to the ten square miles of Washington D.C. As the Property Clause discussion clearly demonstrates, nothing could be further from the truth. The Enclave Clause is really more about governmental jurisdiction than ownership. The federal government can have an enclave in which much of the territory is titled to private partiesas is true of Washington, D.C. Its just that in an enclave, federal rather than state jurisdiction is supreme. Nationwide, the outdoor industry generates $646 billion in consumer spending each year, which generates 6.1 million jobs (Tay Wiles, Outdoor Rec Industry Defends Public Lands, High Country News Vol. 49, No. 3 (Feb. 20, 2017).). You're wrong, dead wrong.Federal ownership of land began in the time of the Articles of Confederation.Damn those socialistic Founding Fathers. Read on please:So are the states being robbed by the feds? For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A top Palestinian official who led negotiations with Israel said Donald Trumps move to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital disqualified America from participating in the peace process. Unfortunately, President Trump just destroyed any ability of a two-state solution, in which Palestinians would receive a sovereign state as part of a peace accord, Saeb Erekat told reporters. I think President Trump tonight disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process, Mr Erekat said. While many Israelis assert a right to the entirety of Jerusalem, the city is also home to Muslim holy sites and Palestinians have sought to lay claim to part of the city as part of a resolution of a long-running conflict with Israel. The United Nations and much of the international community believes Israels 1967 annexation of East Jerusalem to be unlawful. In a speech announcing the move, Mr Trump called recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital a long-overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement, noting that the city already hosts the main institutions of Israeli government. Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital, Mr Trump said. Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace. Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Show all 12 1 /12 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as Im still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17 But critics have warned that it could undermine efforts toward a peace deal by backing Israels claim to Jerusalem at the expense of Palestinian priorities. In remarks ahead of Mr Trumps expected announcement, the UNs special coordinator for Middle East peace said Jerusalems status must be determined in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians given the holy citys importance to both. For the Jewish people, Jerusalem is and always will be the center of their life, their culture, for thousands of years. It is and it will always be, Nickolay Mladenov said at a conference in Jerusalem, but It is also the center of life for the Palestinian people. It is and it will always be. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The expected announcement by President Trump that the US recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move the US embassy there could mark a critical stage in the reduction of US influence in the world. Seldom, if ever, has such an important US policy initiative been so universally criticised or condemned by almost every country in the world. President Trump has previously provoked anger in important countries allied to the US since the Second World War such as the UK, Japan, Australia and Germany, but they have tried to continue their past relationship and ignore or play down Mr Trumps explosive tweets and departure from international treaties. But this time round expressions of extreme disagreement are more than usually mixed with scorn and bemusement at a move which may help Mr Trump in US domestic politics but will seriously damage US political primacy in the region. Even steadfast US allies do not want to become collateral damage. The fury is greatest in Muslim states: the Turkish governments spokesman said on Wednesday said that the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will plunge the region and the world into endless conflict.Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Twitter that declaring Jerusalem a capital is disregarding history and the truths in the region, it is a big injustice/cruelty, short-sightedness, foolishness/madness, it is plunging the region and the world into a fire with no end in sight. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said President Trumps action would be a red line for Turkey and could lead to Ankara cutting diplomatic ties with Israel. Turkeys relations with the US have been in decline for several years, but even Saudi Arabia, which Mr Trump visited and has gone out of his way to praise and support, was very negative about his reversal of traditional US policy on Jerusalem. A Saudi official in Riyadh was quoted as saying that the recognition will have very serious implications and will be provocative to all Muslims. It went on to say that the US move would damage its ability of the US to reach a just solution for the Palestinian question and the status of Jerusalem should only be decided in a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia has cultivated the US as an ally against Iran, but the expected US action will make it impossible to even pretend that the peace process is going anywhere. This has been true for years, but the pretence that it was and that the US was a fair-minded arbitrator on Israel-Palestinian issues enabled Muslim states like Saudi Arabia to say that they were keeping close to the US in order to help the Palestinians. The US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital and the long term move of US embassy to Jerusalem affects little on the ground, But it may have a profound symbolic impact because many Muslims will see the US action as posing an increased threat to the Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, the Haram esh-Sharif, on which stands the Dome of the Rock, and al-Aqsa mosque. Their fate will concern and possibly mobilise many of the 1.5 billion Muslims who make up 22 per cent of the worlds population. Outside the Muslim world, the response to President Trumps proposed action has been less harsh, but relentlessly negative from Pope Francis in the Vatican to Bolivia and Beijing. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 and later annexed it, but its sovereignty over the whole of Jerusalem has not been recognised by other states. The Trump administration says that recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital simply accepts the reality that its seat of government is there in the shape of the prime ministers office, the Knesset and Israeli Supreme Court. But in practice Mr Trump is endorsing Israeli settlement policy in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. These have made the so-called two state solution for the Israel-Palestinian a fiction as the Palestinians are pushed into smaller and smaller enclaves separated from each other. Mr Trumps actions will be a serious blow to US influence in the Muslim world and particularly in the Middle East. They will persuade other states around the world that US foreign policy has imploded and will in future be determined by Mr Trumps policy of self-isolation and political priorities at home. The US ability to shape events internationally is becoming increasingly limited. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump would effectively be declaring war in the Middle East if he recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the Palestinians' chief representative to Britain has warned. Manuel Hassassian said it would be the "kiss of death" to the peace process. "If he says what he is intending to say about Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, it means a kiss of death to the two state solution," Mr Hassassian said in a BBC radio interview. "He is declaring war in the Middle East, he is declaring war against 1.5 billion Muslims [and] hundreds of millions of Christians that are not going to accept the holy shrines to be totally under the hegemony of Israel," he added. Turkish President Erdogan: 'Jerusalem, Mr. Trump, is a red line for Muslims' His comments were echoed by the adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said if Mr Trump was to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel it would amount to a "complete destruction of the peace process." Speaking in Mr Abbas' presence, Mahmoud Habash said "the world will pay the price" for any change in Jerusalem's status. 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 Mr Trump is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a speech on Wednesday, and set in motion the relocation of the American embassy to the holy city. Close Donald Trump officially recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A defiant Donald Trump abruptly broke decades of US foreign policy on Wednesday after officially recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in a move that sparked protests across the region and led to condemnation from around the globe. The President also instructed his State Department to begin the three-year process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, calling the twin move "a step to advance the peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians. While Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mr Trump's announcement as an "historic landmark", Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that with the move, the US was making a "declaration of withdrawal" from its mediation role during the peace process. Please allow the blog a moment to load. The leader of Hamas has now called for a new uprising against Israel in light of Mr Trump's decision. "We should call for and we should work on launching an intifada in the face of the Zionist enemy," Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech from Gaza on Thursday. There have been clashes between police in occupied Gaza, the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem. Mr Trump acted under a 1995 law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem. His predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama, had consistently put off that decision to avoid inflaming tensions in the Middle East. A Palestinian envoy said Mr Trump's decision was a declaration of war in the Middle East while Pope Francis called for Jerusalem's status quo to be respected, saying new tension would further inflame world conflicts. Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP China and Russia expressed concern that the plans could aggravate Middle East hostilities. The United States has never endorsed the Israel's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. Any US declaration on Jerusalem's status ahead of a peace deal "would harm peace negotiation process and escalate tension in the region," Saudi Arabia's King Salman told Mr Trump, according to a Saudi readout of their telephone conversation. Declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the King said, "would constitute a flagrant provocation to all Muslims, all over the world." In his calls to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II, Mr Trump delivered what appeared to be identical messages of intent. Both leaders warned him moving the embassy would threaten peace efforts and security and stability in the Middle East and the world, according to statements from their offices. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the head of the Arab League, urged the US to reconsider any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, warning of "repercussions." Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told his Parliament such recognition was a "red line" for Muslims and said Turkey could respond by cutting diplomatic ties with Israel. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, said he reminded Mr Trump in a phone call that Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations on setting up an independent Palestine alongside Israel. Meeting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said actions undermining peace efforts "must be absolutely avoided." Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Blood still stains the driveway of Medgar Everss home in Jackson, Mississippi. Its soaked into the flagstones where the 37-year-old civil rights campaigner who led efforts for desegregation and black voter registration in Americas South fell to the ground on 12 June 1963, shot in the back by a snipers bullet as he unloaded his car. The murder weapon is now displayed at the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, among other emotive exhibits that hold a mirror up to the states history of racism. Located five miles from Everss home, the museum opens on 9 December alongside the new Museum of Mississippi History, with which it shares a lobby. The joint launch is no coincidence the two museums overlapping topics of slavery, the American Civil War, Jim Crow segregation laws and the Delta blues provide a comprehensive and unflinching sweep of Mississippis history. Its not the first time the state has confronted its history of racism head on. From 2011, a series of Freedom Trail markers were placed at sites across Mississippi, including Everss home. But the trail has been blighted by controversy two markers associated with Emmett Till, whose lynching galvanised the civil rights movement, were vandalised, in an ugly reminder that racism is alive and well in the Southern state. Those behind the new Jackson museum, which is the countrys first state-funded institution dedicated to civil rights, are determined this history should no longer be ignored. Its a good thing for the state of Mississippi to show its darkness, says museum director Pamela Junior, who was born and bred in Jackson and describes Mississippi as ground zero for civil rights. If we can show, with authenticity and truthfulness, the history of the state, then we are making amends. The museum shares its premises with the state history museum (Mississippi Civil Rights Museum) Its a timely move. Against a backdrop of far-right rallies and accusations of police brutality, a recent poll showed 70 per cent of Americans believe race relations are poor in the US. The Confederate flag already removed from government buildings in Alabama and South Carolina because of its racist symbolism is still part of the Mississippi state flag. Racism is here and its alive, says Ms Junior. It is in most places. But there are also people who want change. In 2011, a team including lead designer Richard Woolacott interviewed Mississippians, both black and white, about what they wanted from the museum. Overwhelmingly, they responded that they wanted the truth no matter how harsh. There was a feeling that the state would whitewash events, says Mr Woolacott, who worked alongside architects Perkins+Will. It needs to be real, and it needs to be the voices of people who lived it. Abutting the history museums colonnades, the sepia facade of the civil rights museum is etched with overlapping lines forming an M shape, reflecting brutal clashes between activists and police. Inside, mugshots of Freedom Riders cover an entire wall in one gallery. Arriving into Jackson to protest against segregated bus depots in August 1961, they were rounded up and thrown in jail. Some of them died so people like me could vote, says Ms Junior. Throughout the museums eight large galleries, intimate objects jolt the past into the present. Theres a Freedom Riders faded flip-flops, and the remains of a charcoaled cross, torched on the lawn of a white family who dared to support the civil rights movement. The brutality is palpable, as is the scent of death. A single crumpled, sooty door of a pickup truck is the chilling remnant of the Ku Klux Klans deadly firebombing of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmers home in January 1966. Visiting the museum for a private viewing in November, Dahmers widow Ellie said the museum showed Mississippi had come a long way. We lived it. Some of them died with it. The rest of Mississippi needs to know about it, she told reporters. Mississippi was infamously the location for some of the greatest outrages of the civil rights and Jim Crow era. A pair of scuffed, whitewashed doors has been rescued from the crumbling Bryants Grocery Store in Money, 100 miles north of Jackson. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till walked through these doors in August 1955, when he was said to have whistled at white shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant (decades on, she admitted inventing the accusation). Medgar Everss home, where the civil rights campaigner was murdered, is now a museum (Ella Buchan) He was abducted from his great-uncles house a few nights later, and tortured, killed and dumped in the Tallahatchie River. The incident became a turning point in American history when Tills mother held an open-casket funeral and invited journalists to photograph the boys body. Its still so raw even Pamela Junior struggled to face the exhibit. I could feel it, that Emmett touched those doors. I couldnt go in. Vertiginous monoliths, listing the names and crimes of lynching victims, stab through each gallery. Its intense almost unbearable as its supposed to be. The galleries encircle a central room, This Little Light of Mine, which has photographs of civil rights heroes soaring to the ceiling. An installation sends tendrils of light into the other rooms, illuminating dark corners with a shimmer of hope as the civil rights anthem of the same name gets louder as people gather in the space. The museum is an unflinching look at Mississippis record of racism (Mississippi Civil Rights Museum) Inside Medgar Everss home which opened as a museum in 2013 curator Minnie Watson runs her fingertips over a deep hole outside the familys kitchen. The fatal bullet tore through Everss body, sliced through the window and pierced this wall, finishing on the kitchen counter. Yet many residents of Margaret Walker Alexander Drive stayed silent in the aftermath. People around here were afraid, Ms Watson says. They didnt talk about it. One woman told me, They would kill you or call you crazy. It took 31 years for white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith to be convicted of Everss murder. As current headlines coming from the US attest, theres still work to be done, but Pamela Junior believes facing history can help the state to heal. We have to choose how we represent ourselves, in Mississippi and all over the world, she adds. Now is our time. Travel essentials Getting there Virgin Atlantic and Delta codeshare, so you can fly from London to Atlanta on Virgin and on to Jackson on Delta from 748. Staying there The Fairview Inn has doubles from 150, B&B. More information The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum opens on 9 December. Entrance is $8 (6), or $12 (9) including the Museum of Mississippi History. mcrm.mdah.ms.gov Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A huge hole was left in the nose cone of an Aeroflot passenger plane after it hit a bird mid-flight. The flight from Sheremetyevo in Moscow was coming in to land at Pulkovo Interational Airport in St Petersburg, Russia, on 29 November when the incident took place it is believed the bird hit as the aircraft started its descent. No one was hurt and the plane landed safely, despite pictures depicting a large hole ripped through the front of the plane. Margarita Potekhina, a spokeswoman for Pulkovo International Airport, told the MailOnline that the incident had taken place but that there had been no issue with landing the plane. She said the aircraft would be taken out of service for repairs. The Independent recently reported on what happens when a bird strikes a plane. Although bird strikes are fairly rare they're not unheard of in 2016 there were 1,835 confirmed bird strikes in the UK, about eight every 10,000 flights. In October a Japan Airlines plane bound for New York had to make an emergency landing due to a bird strike, while another plane was forced to return to Cardiff airport in Wales after a bird hit an engine. Of confirmed strikes, only about 5 per cent result in damage to aircraft, but any plane thats been struck must be thoroughly checked over. As a precaution, aeroplanes that have been struck must land at the nearest airport, where passengers are asked to disembark and are booked onto other flights so that the aircraft can be fully examined. This can have a big impact on an airlines operations; Transport Canada estimates that the cost of strikes in North America is over $500m. Davide Crivelli, a lecturer in mechanical engineering at Cardiff University, said: A 2006 study reported that three-quarters of bird strikes occur below 150m, when the aeroplane would be in the initial phases of takeoff or in the final phases of landing. The aircrafts speed is slower at this point and the landing gear might be extended, so quick evasive manoeuvres are difficult. The outcome generally depends on the part of the aeroplane that is affected. Aeroplanes are designed to withstand incredible forces, so although engineers are cautious, there is often nothing to worry about. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man who had saved up for a holiday with his friends claims that he was left red-faced and out of pocket when he arrived at the airport to find he'd book a flight to San Jose in California instead of Costa Rica. Steven Roberts, 31, only realised his error when he arrived at Heathrow for his flight. Recommended This BA pilot is filming from the flight deck to demystify his job British Airways flies direct from London to both cities. San Jose Costa Rica, as the airline styles it, is the Costa Rican capital. The flight from Gatwick takes 11 hours, and the airport code is SJO. However, Roberts, from Leeds, mistakenly booked a BA flight from Heathrow to San Jose, the hub of California's Silicon Valley (SJC). He says he only realised his mistake when his friends texted him from Gatwick asking where he was. He then spent almost 1,000 rerouting to the correct San Jose, 3,900 miles from where he was flying to. Safely ensconced at Gatwick waiting for his new flight, as any millennial worth their salt would do, Roberts took to Facebook to share his woe with his followers. He was last seen on Facebook checking in for a flight from the correct San Jose to Panama City, and has not yet responded to The Independent's request for comment. Roberts is by no means the first person to book a flight to a similar sounding airport in a completely different destination. Last year, Birmingham couple Richella Heakin and Ben Marlow were left distraught when they booked flights to Las Vegas - from Birmingham, Alabama. Heakin had saved for two years to buy tickets for her boyfriend as a birthday present. But while anyone can book a flight to or from the wrong destination, there's a way around it. EU and US law means that within 24 hours of the time of booking, you can request a refund. Most airlines, however, are happy to simply change the ticket. Click here to compare flight options with Skyscanner Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman who allegedly slapped an Air India staff member on the morning of Tuesday 5 December was reportedly slapped back in retaliation. The 40-year-old female passenger starting arguing with airline staff after arriving late at Indias Indira Gandhi International Airport for her flight to Ahmedabad, reports The Hindu. Police confirmed that the woman, an inhabitant of Panchkula, Haryana, became angry when Air India staff refused to issue her boarding pass. She arrived at 4.20am for her 5am flight; Air India stipulates that passengers must get to the airport 75 minutes prior to departure. Staff advised her to talk to the duty manager, with whom she continued to argue. The altercation then became physical, with the passenger allegedly slapping the duty manager the manager responded by slapping her back. Local police received a call about the incident at 4.55am. Deputy commissioner of police (IGI Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said: When the police reached the spot, it was found that the passenger had reported for check-in at 4:18 a.m. and was denied entry to the flight. There was an argument between the passenger and Air India staffer and the former slapped the latter. The staffer then slapped her back. Both women were taken to Safdarjung Hospital to be examined according to Mr Bhatia. Neither one was seriously injured. Both of them were then taken back to the police station where they apologised to each other and stated in writing that they want no police action in the matter, he said. In a statement about the incident, Air India said: One passenger going to Ahmedabad arrived late at airport and missed her flight. There was an argument with the counter staff and the same has now been resolved. Air India hit headlines for more positive reasons earlier this year, when one of its pilots became the youngest female commander of a Boeing 777 aircraft in the world. Anny Divya, 30, said: "All women should pursue their dreams, especially right now." Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Passengers on Royal Caribbeans Ovation of the Seas cruise have been struck down with an outbreak of gastro-intestinal illness believed to be norovirus. Some 3 per cent of passengers 195 out of 5,800 have gone down with the sickness according to Royal Caribbean. The outbreak began after the liner left Singapore on 23 November. Passengers were treated with over-the-counter medicine on board before the ship docked in Hobart, Tasmania, on Tuesday 5 December. It is not unusual for gastroenteritis outbreaks to occur aboard cruise ships, just as it is within the normal population, a spokesman for The Tasmanian Health Service told ABC. Cruise ships have their own medical teams, medical surveillance systems, outbreak control measures and are well-trained in treating passengers. A video posted to facebook showed members of the crew in facemasks and industrial cleaning suits spraying hallways as part of the sanitisation process. Sam Hennessy Peters, a passenger on board the ship, didnt contract the virus but complimented Royal Caribbean staff. The crew are fantastic working so hard keeping everything washed down 24/7! Had a lovely day, back on board for lunch then the sun came out so enjoyed the afternoon sunbathing, she wrote on Facebook. We cannot fault the staff, they really are working hard to keep everywhere sanitised. Royal Caribbean has issued a statement saying that the ship will be comprehensively sanitised and cleansed when it docks in Sydney on Thursday 7 December before the next batch of passengers are welcomed on board. The company added: We're taking steps like intensive sanitary procedures to minimise the risk of any further issues." Norovirus symptoms include nausea, headaches, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. For otherwise healthy people, the symptoms last from 24 to 48 hours. The best way to avoid catching it is through good hand hygiene: washing thoroughly before touching food and after using the bathroom. There are currently around 325 British nationals on board the Ovation of the Seas. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} That David Davis has, for some weeks, been blustering over the non-existence of detailed sectoral assessments of the economic risks of Brexit by saying they might in fact exist, has drawn comparisons in some quarters to Schrodingers cat. David Daviss simultaneous claims that the work has both been done and not done has prompted a number of over-educated wags to imagine these assessments as existing in a simultaneous state of done and not done. But thats not quite right. If, in his famous thought experiment Erwin Schrodinger had decided he couldnt be arsed to feed his cat for more than year, then upon its certain death put the lifeless corpse in a box and gone around shouting ITS NOT DEAD ITS NOT DEAD YOU CANT PROVE ANYTHING then youd be halfway there. No, this is not some great epistemological conundrum. It is a bullshitter and a blagger trying and pyrotechnically failing to cover its arse. Finally, on Wednesday morning, David Davis was forced to open the box, the stench of dead cat already hanging heavy in the air, and reveal without even an ounce of ambiguity that guess what the cats dead. He even brought a box with him, to the Brexit Select Committee, that is. Two lever arch files, themselves not large enough to contain much more than a dead cat. In fact, we learned, they contained the totality of his departments assessments on the impact of Brexit on the UK economy, broken down across dozens of different sectors. In size, if nothing else, it bore every outward resemblance not to a comprehensive analysis of how this seismic decision will affect the country, but to a primary-school project on trains. Do the impact assessments exist? he was asked. Davis sucked on a cough sweet and removed and replaced his glasses with such frequency he could still be marketed as a novelty Chinese lucky-cat toy in good time for Christmas. There is a formal definition of impact assessments, he began, his words instantly and inescapably caught in the centrifugal force of the plughole of no. Had he, the Committee Chair Hilary Benn asked him, produced an impact assessment on, say, the automotive sector? No. The aerospace industry? No. The financial services sector? I think the answer to all of these is going to be no, he said. 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 On previous occasions, David Davis has claimed his department has been analysing the effects of Brexit in excruciating detail. That that excruciating detail appeared to be contained in two ring-binders which he did not deny had been produced in the last three weeks, after a House of Commons vote compelled him to publish it. What his department had been doing was apparently sectoral analyses not impact assessments. There was, apparently, no point in actually forecasting the risks of Brexit. David Davis was, he said, not a fan of economic models because theyre always wrong. Brexit would be a paradigm shift and yes, at this point, its most fervent cheerleader and now chief negotiator did liken it to the financial crash of 2008. There would be no point in seeking to predict the economic impact of Brexit, because no one saw the financial crash coming. No, they did not. But if youd told JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and the rest of them that the financial crash was coming, and not merely that but you were able to tell them the precise date more than two years in advance, its fair to imagine they would not have said: Well, theres not much point in planning for it. Well see how it goes. It doesnt matter much, this, in the grand scheme of things. That the nation is hopelessly underprepared for Brexit and that David Davis is utterly clueless is common knowledge to anyone even vaguely intimated with the process. In one of his final public utterances before deleting his Twitter account, the former Vote Leave director Dominic Cummings memorably described Davis as thick as mince, vain as narcissus and lazy as a toad. On this evidence, that was generous assessment, even if its impact on Davis has been zero. Most statistics tell us that nearly 50% of Americans have no church home. In the 1980s, membership in the church had dropped almost 10%; then, in the 1990s, it worsened by another 12% drop-some denominations reporting a 40% drop in their membership. And membership continues to drop. According to the U.S. Census, every year more than 4000 churches close their doors compared to just over 1000 new church starts! Every year, 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity. This translates into the realization that people are leaving the church. AND there are lots of reasons. For one thing, Christians are fed up with TV evangelical preachers who live lavish lifestyles. They are fully aware of the hypocrisy they preach and want nothing to do with that kind of hubris. Many Christians see our morally bankrupt political leaders who proclaim to be Christian and hate what they see. There's a huge disconnect between what the church is preaching and what they are doing....what the preachers are preaching and what they are doing.....what the politicians and leaders are saying and what they are doing. There's an arrogance within SOME Christian communities that smells more like hell than heaven. Churches FAIL because people place their own needs and desires over God's word. Selfishness is pervasive. Christians are called to a higher purpose, not to ourselves....and every single time a "Christian" considers him/herself to be privy to Gods inner workings, we want to walk away. So, many DO....walk away. Many. Each day. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Follow the money, the source known as Deep Throat told Bob Woodward as he was reporting the Watergate scandal. Today we learn that special counsel Robert S Mueller III is following President Trump's money. Reuters reports: US Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked Deutsche Bank for data on accounts held by President Donald Trump and his family, a person close to the matter said on Tuesday. Germany's largest bank received a subpoena from Mueller several weeks ago to provide information on certain money and credit transactions, the person said, without giving details, adding key documents had been handed over in the meantime. Deutsche Bank, which has loaned the Trump organisation hundreds of millions of dollars for real estate ventures, said it would not comment on any of its clients. This may turn out to be no big deal perhaps Mueller will find that all Trump's transactions with Deutsche Bank were above-board and free of any funny business, and also that nothing he discovers there will lead to evidence of any other misconduct on Trump's part. But the fact that Mueller is looking at Deutsche Bank means his probe is reaching the very heart of Trump's financial life. Why is Deutsche Bank so important? After a string of bankruptcies and broken promises, pretty much every other major bank stopped lending Trump money some years ago. The one exception was Deutsche Bank, to which Trump owed $364m as of the end of last year. By sheer coincidence, Deutsche Bank recently had to pay $670m in fines for its role in a Russian money laundering plot (though as Bloomberg reports, the bank's internal investigation found no link between Trump and that scheme). At this point, we don't know exactly what Mueller is looking for in the Deutsche Bank records. Law professor Ryan Goodman suggests that Mueller could be trying to determine if Trump's loans from the bank were guaranteed by Russian interests, which could mean he was indebted to them in ways that could compromise him. What we do know is that the Russia investigation has led Mueller to Trump's personal finances, which provide a target-rich environment if you suspect financial malfeasance. Trump has a long history of shady dealings outright scams such as Trump University, refusing to pay vendors who supplied him with goods and services, bankruptcies that allowed him to skate away from huge debts while others were left holding the bag. And he also has deep financial entanglements with alleged Russian oligarchs and mobsters. This latest news demonstrates that Mueller is proceeding on multiple tracks, all of which could come together in the end: There's the question of whether Trump or anyone else committed any financial crimes; former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has already been indicted on that score, and there could be more to come. There's the question of whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, for which we already have ample evidence. There's the question of whether obstruction of justice took place, for which evidence is growing by the day. In a recent tweet, Trump admitted that he knew then-national security adviser Michael Flynn lied to the FBI about his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak when he fired him, which means Trump knew Flynn had committed a crime when he asked then-FBI Director James Comey to lay off investigating Flynn. (Trump's lawyer denies he meant the tweet this way, and Trump denies Comey's account of their conservation). That last one was just one piece of a broad campaign Trump undertook to hinder the Russia investigation in general and the investigation of Flynn in particular, which reportedly included asking top officials in the intelligence community to pressure the FBI to shut it down and pressing Republican senators to end their own investigation. And that's not to mention the fact that Trump said on national television that he fired Comey to shut down the investigation, and told the same thing to the Russian ambassador and foreign minister. In that tweet about Flynn, Trump closes by saying, There was nothing to hide! That has indeed been a consistent line from Trump himself, the White House and the President's defenders: nobody did anything wrong, all the contacts with Russians were just routine, and there's nothing to hide. But if that's the case, why do so many Trump associates keep getting caught lying about Russia? Flynn lied to the FBI about the substance of his conversations with Kislyak. Jeff Sessions repeatedly told Congress that neither he nor anyone else on the Trump campaign had any contact with Russians, which we now know was false; not only did Sessions have multiple contacts with Kislyak, he was aware of contacts George Papadopoulos had with Russians. 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 On Tuesday The New York Times reported that while national security aide K.T. McFarland told Congress she was unaware of the nature of Flynn's dealings with Kislyak, newly released emails show she had detailed knowledge of those dealings, which strongly suggests she lied to Congress. Donald Trump Jr, in a statement personally dictated by President Trump, lied to the public about that notorious meeting with a group of Russians offering dirt on Hillary Clinton. That's a whole lot of people around Trump who are acting like they have something to hide. And nobody has more to hide than the president himself; he didn't withhold his tax returns because he's so modest about how wealthy he is. If Mueller is getting deep into Trump's finances, we may well find out just what he's been working so hard to keep the public from finding out. The Washington Post Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} With the DUP and Conservative deal appearing on the brink of collapse, an imminent general election cannot be ruled out, which would explain why Jeremy Corbyn has gone straight into expectation-lowering mode. Given this first phase of election planning tends to require around nineteen months, he knows there is no time to lose. Marked by general incompetence, a number of lengthy cabinet reshuffles and fatal undermining of core party policy, its function is to allow massive electoral defeat to the worst Prime Minister in living memory to be re-badged and sold on as victory. So when, at Prime Ministers questions the Labour leader returned to the stuttering, uncertain, open goal-missing Jeremy Corbyn of days not very long gone by, it absolutely should not be interpreted as him being even more hopelessly out of position on Brexit than Theresa May, but rather the start of the long march to Number 10. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty Some background. On Monday Theresa May had to come back from Brussels having not announced the deal she went there to announce, and not because anyone in Brussels had stopped her, but because the small, Northern Irish party she has already given 1.5bn to told her she couldnt. The small, Northern Irish party that campaigned for Brexit even when the Conservative and Unionist Prime Minister, David Cameron, campaigned against it. Now it appears to want a hard Brexit but wont tolerate a hard border with the republic of Ireland. This position can be best explained as the Willy Wonkas everlasting gobstopper of having ones cake and eating it. The more cake the DUP consume, the larger its collection of cake becomes, right up to the point where it can simultaneously feature in Too Fat To Leave The House style documentaries and Britains Biggest Hoarders. These are the open goals that, since June, Jeremy Corbyn has slotted with great ease. But they have been on altogether more straightforward shambles, like universal credit. He did his best to summon righteous anger over the one and a half billion reasons why she shouldnt havent forgotten to tell the DUP the details of her Brussels plans, but he sat down defeated before the answer had even begun, and not merely because he had inadvertently phrased his question so as to make no sense. He knows his own party is even more hopelessly without a credible plan for Brexit, even more hopelessly contorted. He knows his front bench has outlined at least ten different models for Brexit, he personally being responsible for at least three of them. He may also be aware that he and his Shadow Chancellor are two of Westminsters most dedicated eurosceptics of three decades standing, who lead a party for whom leaving the European Union is an unprecedented horror. Indeed, it is worth remembering that there was a point, at about half past one in the morning on 9 June when the precise arithmetic of the House of Commons moved briefly to a point at which Jeremy Corbyn became favourite to be the next Prime Minister. Jacob Rees Mogg says May's Brexit 'red lines looking pink' There were even murmurings that to Sinn Fein might take their seats at Westminster, for the first time in their history, and mumble allegiance to the Queen to make it happen. It is fair to imagine, in such a situation, Sinn Feins demands on Labours apparently IRA sympathising leader being rather more than some cash for broadband upgrades. They might, in fact, have born some similarity to their central demand of around a hundred years, namely the "liberation" of Northern Ireland itself. Still, Corbyn need not worry. Its Theresa Mays Conservatives. Therell be another disaster along soon enough, and Brexit can go back under the radar where its safe. It cant last forever though. At some point, be it at Prime Ministers Questions or elsewhere, it will become overwhelmingly clear he has the least answers of all. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theres no need to work out all the fine details now, Theresa May tells Brexiteer Cabinet ministers and Conservative MPs when they challenge her about the 64,000 question on Brexit: the long-term UK-EU relationship. It is the elephant in the Cabinet room. The Prime Minister knows her ministers are deeply divided, and so has prevented any real discussion of it during the 18 months since the referendum. But her strategy has been blown apart by this weeks row over the proposed deal on the Northern Ireland-Ireland border. It was a case of so near, so far for May when the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocked a deal she was ready to sign in Brussels on Monday, allowing the EU to open talks on a long-term trade deal at its summit next week. The DUP is now making May sweat, deploying the same weapon as the 27 EU countries time, namely the UKs lack of it. The problem is that both the DUP, on whose 10 MPs Mays minority administration depends, and the Irish Government have a veto. Finding language acceptable to both sides is tricky; too many concessions to the DUP and Ireland could pull the plug. Yet both the DUP and Dublin want a deal because the economies of their two countries need a post-Brexit trade agreement. So a deal is still possible next week. Theresa May says she will not explain how UK will prevent a hard Irish border until later in EU talks Mays biggest problem now is her own party the third audience she must satisfy in her increasingly complex game of multi-dimensional chess. The DUPs actions have lifted the lid on the simmering dispute between soft Brexiteers led by Philip Hammond, who want to stick close to EU regulations to cushion the economic impact, and hard Brexiteers led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who want a clean break so the UK is freer to strike trade agreements with non-EU nations. They have swallowed the May-Hammond medicine of a two-year transitional phase virtually on current EU terms, but fear the UK would be trapped there forever and so would never really leave. It is no coincidence that members of the hard Brexit brigade have long supported the UK becoming a low-tax, low-regulation economy a European version of Singapore. They claim they also want a free trade deal with the EU, the ultimate cake and eat it strategy (but would be happy if there is no deal). The EU27s nightmare scenario is being undercut by a more competitive neighbour with lower standards. So they will never allow the UK to enjoy the benefits of the single market and customs union without the regulatory responsibilities. Foolishly, May announced Britain would leave the single market and customs union and European Court of Justices remit a hard Brexit before the implications were worked through. They now dawn on ministers as they grapple with issues like the Irish border. David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, made clear the proposed regulatory alignment with Ireland would be UK-wide not just for Northern Ireland (unacceptable to the DUP and many Tory MPs). But in trying to allay DUP fears, Davis provoked a backlash from Brexiteer backbenchers and their Cabinet allies. They view regulatory alignment as soft Brexit, not the hard version promised by May. So they are renewing their dark threats to topple her if she goes down what they see as the soft Brexit route. Their support for May was always conditional. We thought we had a deal, one senior backbencher told me. She needs us onside to keep her job. But that means delivering the Brexit she promised. At Prime Ministers Questions today, May tried to reassure her Brexiteer MPs, repeatedly saying the UK will leave the single market and customs union. She expressed the hope that tricky stuff like the Irish border would be settled in phase two of the EU talks. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty But now she is struggling to clear the hurdle of phase one. The genie of the end state relationship is out of the bottle and will be impossible to put back. There was always going to come a time when May had to get off the fence and either back Hammonds version of Brexit or throw her lot in with the hardliners. I suspect the centre of gravity in the Cabinet leans more towards Hammonds softer version. As one member put it: Its about protecting the economy. Similarly, there would be a majority in the Commons for that, rather than no deal and/or a hard Brexit. Thats why the Brexiteers are panicking and threatening May again. The crunch was going to come at some point during trade talks next year but it is suddenly upon May. She can no longer put off a confrontation with the Brexiteers. She should ignore any threats to resign or bring her down and face them down. Via an unplanned detour on the Irish border, May has reached a fork in the road; there is no third way. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} On Monday 4 December, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Trumps third version of the Muslim ban was fully enforceable. The same day, in Jacksonville, Florida, a self-identified Christian was arrested for planning a mass shooting at a local Islamic centre. The suspect had previously shared a fake-news article about Muslims raping a woman on his Facebook page, which is also rife with photos of guns. At the time of his arrest, he had 2,500 rounds of ammo and 12 guns. The suspect faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and immigration consequences for his crime. Yes, immigration consequences, because hes a Filipino green-card holder yet theres no travel ban in effect for the Philippines. Youd think with Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric and his meltdowns about immigrants committing crimes that hed be all over this case, because it serves his anti-immigrant agenda; to be tough on crime because theres some bad hombres out there. 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 truth of the matter is that you likely wont hear Trump say a single solitary word about it because it doesnt fit his narrative or agenda. Muslims are not victims of hate crimes or terrorism in Trumps twisted and fact-avoidant mind theyre only the perpetrators. Which, factually, is wrong. The biggest terror threat in the United States isnt Muslims. Its far-right extremists, the majority of whom happen to be white males that dabble in fake news, who are obsessed with guns and gun culture. Not so fun fact: the US is home to 300 violent attacks inspired by far-right extremists each year. Just a few short days prior to the Supreme Court upholding the ban, Trump retweeted anti-Muslim tweets posted by the far-right criminal hate-group Britain Firsts deputy leader, who has a criminal conviction for a hate crime. Britain First is a leading manufacturer of fake news several of their videos have been debunked as being deliberately misleading or outright fake. Last year, one of their alleged supporters brutally murdered the Labour MP Jo Cox in what can only be described as a terror attack. Just yesterday, details emerged about a Britain First supporter who had driven a van into a curry house to kill a Muslim. Trump's impeachment 'closer than we think', says veteran Republican strategist The videos depicted various scenarios in which evil Muslims did evil Muslim things one of them was so false that the Dutch government promptly spoke up and set the record straight, saying that the Muslim migrant perpetrator actually wasnt a migrant. Nor was he Muslim, as Dutch police confirmed. The Netherlands Embassy corrected Trump on Twitter, stating 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. Once Trump was called out for spreading the fake news that he claims to hate so much, the White House responded that it didnt matter if the videos werent real, because the threat is real. But back to the travel ban. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has praised the verdict as a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people. Unfortunately, Sessions ideas about what keeps America safe and secure are factually and fundamentally flawed even experts on terrorism agree that the research, data, and statistics dont support the White Houses claims. As Muslim lawyer Qasim Rashid pointed out on Twitter: In America, youre more likely to be killed in a mass shooting carried out by a white male than by a Muslim immigrant. Hell, in America, youre more likely to be killed by a toddler with a gun than a Muslim immigrant. Newsflash: the White Houses justification for the travel ban is FAKE NEWS. Meanwhile, the consequences of anti-Muslim fake news and the White Houses state-sponsored Islamophobia are very real: since Trump took office, anti-Muslim hate crimes have increased astronomically. The safety and security of Muslim Americans is being threatened by far-right extremists, but because Trump has normalised and emboldened AmeriKKKas Nazis, Attorney General Sessions has the audacity to suggest that weve achieved a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people. Pray tell: the safety and security of what people? It becomes abundantly clear that Muslims arent being counted as Americans, and white Christian men will never be counted as terrorists. Instead, a six-year-old Muslim child with special needs is targeted and reported as a terrorist, by a teacher the very adult entrusted in educating him and providing a safe learning environment. I had a run-in with anti-Muslim fake news this week myself. A Twitter user tweeted a video that he purported to be Moslems in London, England protest to demand Sharia law across the UK. In actuality, the video was of Shia Muslims protesting terrorism and marching against Isis on the day of Ashura. Had any of the mans rabidly Islamophobic followers bothered to watch the video before they blindly shared, theyd have seen signs, in plain English, that said: No to terrorism, no to injustice, no to racism We stand united against terrorism A person is either your brother in faith or equal in humanity Terrorism has no religion Not in my name Hussain stood against the terrorism of his time Isis is not Islamic nor a state Confirmation bias prompted many to share the video, without even bothering to watch it, because the alleged description fit the ideas about the insidious evil Muslims with our creeping sharia that was already in their heads. I spent several minutes that afternoon taking screen shots of the video, circling the signs and typing out what they said. Yet people were still so hellbent on blindly hating Muslims that even then I had people in my Twitter mentions rambling about evil Muslims doing evil Muslim stuff. This behaviour is only emboldened further by the state-sanctioned hatred of Muslims. It has to stop immediately. Facts matter and we cannot continue to accept a government which demonstrably and wholeheartedly believes otherwise. Beyond endangering the safety of the American Muslim community by systematically dehumanising Muslims and normalising anti-Muslim hate and setting a precedent of upholding falsehoods over facts the Muslim ban is tearing apart families, even if the family hails from a Muslim-majority country thats not on the current ban-list. Yazen Abdin, an immigration attorney with NeJame Law in Orlando, Florida, said in a statement: Although the most recent travel-ban is narrower than its predecessors (it does not apply to those already in the US and it makes an exception for those with bona fide ties to the US), it still discriminates against Muslim majority countries. Many of our clients have been affected, including Syrians, Iraqis, and Iranians. He continued: Cases are being arbitrarily delayed and individuals from countries not included in the ban are deterred from applying for visas and other benefits because their country can be added to the list at any time. The biggest threat to America isnt Islamic terrorism, but rather the dangerous direction the country is heading a direction in which your identity as an American is assigned or discarded because of your faith; in which you can be legislated against because of your country of origin or your religion. I recall learning about another modern-day regime in which there was a state-sanctioned hatred of a religious group, and members of said religious group were turned away from seeking refuge in the United States because then-president Franklin D Roosevelt was concerned they could pose a threat to national security. We later realised we were on the wrong side of history and that was bad, but apparently we didnt learn. History will continue to repeat itself until we do learn. Fast-forward to today, where the current President is actively creating a safe space for Nazis and white supremacists to flourish, while endorsing a domestic terrorist group on Twitter, but banning people from Muslim-majority countries because terror. Donald Trump has proudly worn an anti-Muslim badge since day one, and continues to pursue his white-supremacist agenda at every opportunity, said Murad Awawdeh, vice-president of advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition. He continued: It is entirely un-American and unlawful to use the pretext of national security to discriminate against people based on race or religion. Nearly a year after we rallied at JFK airport and at Battery Park in response to the first attempted Muslim-ban, we will continue to fight against Trumps plan to turn bigotry into policy, while standing strong for human dignity. We must never allow falsehoods to outperform facts. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Perhaps appropriately, the first heavy rain after weeks of sunshine was splashing off the paving stones outside bookseller Imad Munas news and stationery shop in Saladin, the busy main shopping street of Arab East Jerusalem. Inside, the proprietor, his 27-year-old son Ahmad, and a 70-year-old customer Adnan Abdel Razeq were holding a well-informed debate on the probable meaning of President Donald Trumps speech they would be watching on television several hours later. Mr Abdel Razeq pointed out that the UN Security Council had in 1980 roundly declared null and void the law passed by the then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin declaring Jerusalem the complete and united capital of Israel. While agreeing with that, Ahmad disputed another of the old mans points namely that it would not be so bad if Mr Trump stressed he was specifying West Jerusalem as Israels capital which would have left open the possibility that East Jerusalem might still in future be that of the Palestinians. It was a distinction the US President would not make. Suggesting that Mr Trump might be attempting to provoke Hamas into breaking off reconciliation talks with its Fatah rivals, Ahmad said: Trump should not be talking about this at all. It is very dangerous. Im sure there will be big demonstrations. His father added that for the Palestinians an equal stake in Jerusalem was the last bottom line. If Mr Trump was to challenge that, thats it for the peace process. Given the rhetoric raging among Arab leaders in advance of Mr Trumps speech, the trio in Occupied East Jerusalem and it is worth remembering that is how every almost every Western government officially sees it sounded sober, even restrained. But this seemed bred from a weary but steely determination not to let one more betrayal bully them into acceptance of that 50-year-old occupation. Even were Riyadh and other Arab leaders tacitly to support Mr Trump, which they did not seem to be doing in the wake of the announcement, they will never part the Palestinian people from their national aspiration exclaimed Mr Abdel Razeq. From a rain sodden Jerusalem it was hard to figure out just what had possessed the pyromaniac to use the Arab Knesset member Ayman Odehs word Mr Trump to unravel at a stroke the delicate Western consensus on the most inflammatory of all the issues between Israel and the Palestinians. There was no doubt a complex of motives in the decision finally to move the US embassy to Jerusalem in defiance of international edicts dating back to 1948. But was one the influence of Sheldon Adelson, Mr Trumps most lavish funder in the 2016 campaign, a zealous supporter of right-wing Israeli nationalism, and the original bankroller of Israel Hayom, the free newspaper which has been Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus most unflinching cheerleader? What is clear is that if this was an attempt for Mr Trump to reconcile his dream of the ultimate deal with the search for a campaign promise to fulfil, at whatever cost, the latter won. 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 Some of this must have gathered momentum in the apparently cordial dialogue maintained according to some diplomats by WhatsApp between two fabulously rich young men, Mr Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It appears that this may have given birth to the idea first reported in The New York Times of an emerging Trump-planned peace deal. This would, among other things, have offered the Palestinians a capital away from the heart of East Jerusalem proper, in the suburb of Abu Dis. This was first mentioned after [the] Oslo accords [in the early nineties], Mr Abdel Razeq said of the reports, and we laughed about it then. If Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman really thought and it has not of course been confirmed that he could ignore the Palestinians last bottom line, then he may have seriously underestimated the extent to the place Jerusalem holds in the hearts of not only Palestinians but those throughout the Muslim world, including his own country. That may well be why the King of Saudi Arabia has appeared to reject the formula allegedly thrashed out with Mr Kushner, instead reinforcing the long held Arab Peace Initiative under which Israel would be recognised throughout the Arab world in return for a Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and based on June 1967 borders. Its hardly a secret that Saudi Arabia and Israel are seeking to nurture an alliance to challenge their common opponent Iran. Perhaps some in the Kingdom were prepared to forsake the Palestinians in pursuit of that cause. But Jerusalem is at the heart of why they dare not do that. Donald Trump officially recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital The heroically optimistic glosses on Trumps announcement on Wednesday afternoon pointed to his stated recommitment to a negotiated peace if the two sides agreed its terms rather ignoring the fact that almost every utterance by members of Israeli Prime Minister Mr Netanyahus coalition government including the Prime Minister himself has suggested that Israel is not prepared for any deal a Palestinian leader could literally let alone politically live with. It was true too that he did not repeat the phrase beloved of the Israeli right Jerusalem as the eternal and undivided capital of Israel, at least in theory opening the possibility of East Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital. But nor and this is a striking point did he simply specify, as all governments in the past including his own have assumed in the past it would be that West Jerusalem would be the site of a future of an Israel capital. It was hard in other words to escape the conclusion that his administration was indeed also open to Jerusalem as an undivided capital. The glaring fallacy in Trumps logic is that because not recognising Jerusalem as the capital or moving the US embassy there had not produced peace as if there were no other obstacles doing both things might. Does he think that the Palestinians will somehow agree to utterly humiliating terms in order to prevent the construction of the embassy being completed? If so, he simply doesnt understand the conflict. The immediate results of this lack of understanding remain to be seen. As Mr Abdel Razeq said, much will depend on how Israeli security forces, now being busily deployed in advance of Friday prayers, handle the promised Palestinian days of rage. One of the wisest Israelis in Jerusalem is Daniel Seidemann, the man who has advised successive US and other foreign governments on the hugely delicate issues the city presents for any peace process. He warned ahead of Mr Trumps announcement that it could spell the end of the USs role as a peace broker. Jerusalem is a kind and dignified place if its treated with respect, he told me. But those who ignore its complexities find it comes back to bite their sensitive parts. That may be what happed to the Saudi Crown Prince. But it doesnt seem to have bothered Mr Trump, even as the State Department warns its diplomats of the security risks to their missions in the Arab world from protests against his announcement. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Republicans had a problem as they edged towards passage last weekend of a tax re-write bill in the US Senate. The body they had themselves created to make sure Congress doesnt pass laws the country cant afford, the Joint Committee on Taxation, had announced that rather than paying for itself, the legislation would add about $1trillion to the federal budget deficit. This was inconvenient. It shone a bright light on what was already obvious to most of us: the contention that the considerable loss of government revenue from slashing taxes on the wealthy and big corporations would be offset by increased economic growth was dubious, if not a lie. The party of budget disciplinarians was in fact the party of deficit addicts. In the next couple of weeks, Senate negotiators must reconcile their bill with one passed by the House of Representatives in November, in hopes of getting a common version approved and ready for Donald Trumps signature by Christmas. They will probably succeed, even though the public at large is watching the exercise with deepening scepticism. 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 centre-piece of the reform is a steep cut in taxes on corporations from 35 per cent currently to about 20 per cent, not something that the average American considers a priority. While the sheer complexity of the legislation makes grasping its implications for individuals at every income-level less than easy, its abundantly clear its the wealthy who will benefit the most, not the middle class or the poor. Message to Trump voters in particular: youre about to be screwed. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, helped us understand what is really going on when he defended one of the most hard-to-swallow provisions of the Senate bill, a doubling of the threshold for the paying of estate taxes. Currently, a death tax is due if the deceased is transferring assets of more than $5.5m to their heirs. The Senate wants to raise that to $11.2m. The House version would eventually repeal estate taxes altogether. What? Why? Tapping inheritances of the rich at least provides one means of keeping the deficit in check. Well, heres Grassley. I think not having the estate tax recognises the people that are investing as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it's on booze or women or movies, he told the Des Moines Register a few days ago. Such vices! Well be fine with this plan so long as we lay off the eggnog this yuletide season. And mistletoe. Even today, estate taxes are levied on just two out of every 1,000 Americans. But Republicans are so resistant to upsetting the very well-off (their donors) they must find other ways to restore sanity to what they are proposing. And they have, each time robbing the rest of us. Lets review. The Senate bill would repeal the Obamacare requirement that all Americans buy health insurance, because that would mean huge savings in subsidies the government pays poorer folk to do so. That could eventually lead to Republicans finally achieving their dearest goal: extinguishing Obamacare entirely. Trump praises 'tremendous reform' after tax bill passes giving cuts to America's richest Meanwhile, fewer people buying insurance coverage would entail a sharp spike in premiums for those of us still doing so. By one estimate they would jump 10 per cent just in 2018. Not great for the middle class. Also for the chop: the deductions home owners can now take for the local and state taxes they pay on their properties. Already forecast: a 10 per cent drop in property prices in the New York City area alone as a consequence. Not great for the middle class. The Senate bill would end tax exemptions for municipal bonds issued by big cities like New York to build urgently needed affordable housing stock. Not good for the poor or middle class. Take everything together and the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan think tank, calculates that 87 million families making less than $200,000 nationally would experience a tax increase under the Senate tax plan by 2027. Not good for the middle class. But the pain will likely extend much further. The next steps in mitigating the damage the tax overhaul will do to the federal budget are likely to come in the form of Republicans taking a scythe to Americas welfare safety net. Several among them, Trump included, have already begun to say as much on the record. Welfare reform that implies cuts to programmes like Medicare, Medicaid, childrens health insurance and food stamps will take place right after taxes, very soon, very shortly after taxes, Trump said at a recent rally. Senator Orin Hatch of Utah has been putting it even more bluntly. I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of trillions of dollars to help people who wont help themselves, wont lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything, he said on the Senate floor shortly before the chambers tax bill passed. He said he was talking about people, who believe everything they are or ever hope to be depends on the federal government rather than the opportunities that this great country grants them. So the agenda of the GOP with Trump is now clear. Look after the rich and hammer the middle class and the poor. To which I say over to you, Democrats. If you cant make a case for a popular rebellion next year when the mid-term elections will give you the chance to retake control of not one but both chambers of Congress then you will deserve our support even less than they do. The mid-Willamette Valley will remain in an air stagnation advisory until next Monday as dry weather continues throughout the region, according to the National Weather Service. A temperature inversion, when a layer of cool air at the ground level is covered by a layer of warmer air, is trapping stagnant air in the area, said Andy Bryant, a hydrologist with the Weather Service office in Portland. Since little wind and no precipitation is expected this week, air pollution, including smoke particles from outdoor burning, may become trapped at the ground level, Bryant said. Its just kind of a matter of trying to reduce the rate at which things get worse, because it wont get better until we see a significant weather pattern change, Bryant said. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is asking residents to refrain from outdoor burning and to use alternatives to wood stoves. Young children, pregnant women, people with asthma, those with lung or heart conditions and adults age 65 and older should limit vigorous outdoor activity, according to the DEQ. Its going to be an increasingly unhealthy environment for those folks, Bryant said. Pollution levels tend to be highest during evening and morning hours, the DEQ said. Bryant said there is a large area of area of high pressure over much of the western United States right now, creating temperature inversions in many valley locations that arent receiving much wind. Until we have a storm situation come in or some more wind to mix up the atmosphere its not going to change, he said. No precipitation is expected through early next week, Bryant said. The temperature inversion is causing cooler than normal temperatures in the mid-valley and is producing night and morning fog and low clouds, according to the Weather Service. High temperatures through the end of the week will be in the low 40s with overnight temperatures in the mid-20s. The third edition of Tax, Accounting and Audit in India is updated for 2017, and provides an overview of the f... The agenda for visiting President Recep Tayyip Erdogans talks with President Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras include the migration crisis, energy issues, economic cooperation, EU-Turkey relations, regional developments, and security issues. Well-known businessman Evangelos Mytilineos, the head of the same-name international mining and metals group , will, by all accounts, be the next president of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), which represents industry and mid-to-large companies in Greece as a "social partner". A Lyons teen suffered serious injuries in a head-on collision Tuesday morning at milepost 21 on Highway 226 four miles west of Lyons. According to an Oregon State Police news release, James Ismael Escobar Gunn, 17, was driving westbound in a black 1998 Honda Civic when, for unknown reasons, he veered into the eastbound lane and struck an orange 2006 Kenworth log truck, operated by 52-year-old Orville Kenneth Tobey III of Stayton. Gunn suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Tobey was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Highway 226 was closed for about two-and-a-half hours until one alternating lane was opened for traffic. Oregon State Police was assisted at the scene by Lyons firefighters and medics, the Lebanon Police Department and Oregon Department of Transportation. The Disappointing Facts About US Plans to Shoot Down North Korean Weapons By Tim Fernholz December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - At a Nov. 6 press conference with US President Donald Trump, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was asked if Japan would respond to North Korean missile launches by shooting them down. I could just take a piece of the Prime Ministers answer, Trump interjected, He will shoot them out of the sky when he completes the purchase of lots of additional military equipment from the United States. He will easily shoot them out of the sky, just like we shot something out of the sky the other day in Saudi Arabia. But Trump was wrong: The US cant easily shoot down missiles like the one North Korea tested yesterday, which are designed to launch nuclear weapons. The Saudi military did intercept a missile using a US-made Patriot missile defense system, but it was a medium-range missile moving at far slower speeds than a nuclear warhead launched by an inter-continental ballistic missile . Stopping a nuclear ICBM is a much more difficult challenge, one that the US has struggled with since the Cold War, spending hundreds of billions of dollars to come up with a system of sensors and missiles called GMD, or Ground-based Midcourse Defense. The premise is simple: Once the US detects a missile launch with a variety of radar systems, it will shoot its own interceptor into the sky. After the enemy nuclear warhead separates from its rocket booster, a defensive interceptor, or kill vehicle, separates from its own booster and attempts to crash into the warhead. Executing this maneuver during a roughly twenty minute window against a warhead moving faster than the speed of sound is extremely difficult in practice. How the missile defense system works. (Union of Concerned Scientists) The US missile interceptors based in Alaska and California are assessed to have a 25 percent chance of a head-on collision with the attacking missile, but most experts believe the true performance to be much lower, Dr. Bruce Blair, a former nuclear launch control officer turned anti-proliferation activist, said in a statement. It is not a reliable defense under real-world conditions, echoed experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists in an extensive report published last year. By promoting [missile interception] as a solution to nuclear conflict, US officials complicate diplomatic efforts abroad, and perpetuate a false sense of security that could harm the US public. Even the militarys self-assessments arent convincing. The DOD noted in 2016 (pdf) that the reliability and availability of the operational [ground based interceptors] are low, and the [Missile Defense Agency] continues to discover new failure modes during testing. The system has been tested ten times since 2004, succeeding just five times. In one case, the Los Angeles Times caught the Missile Defense Agency promoting a successful test despite the fact that the interceptor malfunctioned and would not have stopped a nuclear attack. There was a successful missile defense test earlier this yearthe first attempt to intercept a target in three years, which some analysts say was an improvement . But it didnt satisfy critics. During the scripted daytime tests, teams operating the interceptors were aware of what kind of vehicle they were shooting at and roughly where it was coming from and going to. Furthermore, tests dont address the full range of counter-measures that experts expect enemy ICBMs will use to confuse and divert approaching kill vehicles. The best hope is that launching multiple interceptors at a single warhead will improve the odds. Some say the answer is throwing more money at the problem, noting that funding for missile defense has been spotty in recent years. Expensive wars against low-tech insurgencies in the Middle East have put investments in anti-nuclear missile technology lower on the priority list. But government auditors suggest that money spent on missile defense systems isnt being used all that well to begin with, noting that there is little transparency into what testing will cost or why. US lawmakers just earmarked $4 billion to find other ways to back-stop the system, using drones and fighter jets to go after the nuclear ICBMs earlier in their flight path. As worrisome as Americas lack of an effective missile defense is, the more pressing concern is whether Trumps trust in a flawed system is leading him to act belligerently when confronting North Korea. In October, the US president claimed the missile defense system was effective 97% of the time. As one expert put it, the confidence with which [Trump] made the statement indicates a lack of understanding of the complexities or perhaps a lack of interest in those complexities. This article was originally published by Quartz - ==== U.S. Patriot defense system likely failed to stop missile attack on Saudi: Report US missile defenses fired 5 shots at an incoming target and it looks as if they all missed Defense Fail in Saudi Arabia? : Shooting down Scud missiles is difficult, and governments have wrongly claimed success against them in the past. ==== Note regarding comments Trump to Fight Deep State With Secret, Private Spy Network Around the World? By Greg Price December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - President Donald Trump may have found his way to combat one of his worst enemies, the so-called Deep State. The Trump administration is reportedly weighing the creation of a private network of spies conjured up by former Blackwater founder Erik Prince, a former CIA officer, and famous Iran-Contra scandal figure Oliver North, that would gather intelligence for CIA Director Mike Pompeo and the White House and keep the rest of the U.S. intelligence community in the dark of what it discovers, according to a report by The Intercept on Tuesday. The purpose of the global spy network would be to circumvent the Deep State, a term widely used to describe long-time officials within the government who seemingly possess a political agenda meant to undermine an administration. Trump has repeatedly claimed, with no evidence, that such an underground group exists and has worked against him since he took office earlier this year. The proposal of a private clandestine network appeared rooted in distrust the current administration had for the intelligence community. Top political donors to Trump were reportedly asked to help finance operations before any agreement was reached. Pompeo cant trust the CIA bureaucracy, so we need to create this thing that reports just directly to him, a former senior U.S. intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of the proposal told The Intercept. It is a direct-action arm, totally off the books, the official also said. The whole point is this is supposed to report to the president and Pompeo directly. Princes involvement may represent problems for the proposal given both his past and links to the Trump-Russia scandal. Guards with his old private security firm, Blackwater, were accused and later convicted of killing civilians in Iraq. Prince, the brother to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, was also tasked to open a back-channel line of communication between then president-elect Trump and Russia in January, according to The Washington Post. The White House and National Security Council denied any such proposal had taken place and slammed the very notion of a private network. I can find no evidence that this ever came to the attention of anyone at the NSC or [White House] at all, a National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement to The Intercept. The White House does not and would not support such a proposal. Never Miss Another Story Get Your Free Daily Newsletter The report claims the private spies would attempt to gain intelligence in places like North Korea and Iran. Other extreme measures, like a global rendition program and a propaganda effort in the Middle East, are also reportedly under consideration. Pompeo, who was recently labeled a possible successor to current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , has reportedly urged the White House to go ahead with the private contract. However, the CIA said The Intercept had been fed inaccurate information by people peddling an agenda. This article was originally published by Newsweek - ==== Trump White House Weighing Plans for Private Spies to Counter Deep State Enemies ==== Join the Discussion Is Flynn's Defection a Death Blow? By Patrick Buchanan December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Why did Gen. Mike Flynn lie to the FBI about his December 2016 conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak? Why did he not tell the FBI the truth? As national security adviser to the president-elect, Flynn had called the ambassador. Message: Tell President Putin not to overreact to President Obamas expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. Trump will be president in three weeks, and we are committed to a new relationship. Not only was this initiative defensible, it proved successful. Putin accepted the loss of his diplomats and country houses on Long lsland and the Eastern Shore. Rather than expel U.S. diplomats in retaliation, he invited them and their families to the Kremlins New Years parties. "Great move(by V. Putin)," tweeted Trump, "I always knew he was very smart." This columnist concurred: "Among our Russophobes, one can hear the gnashing of teeth. "Clearly, Putin believes the Trump presidency offers Russia the prospect of a better relationship with the United States. He appears to want this, and most Americans seem to want the same. After all, Hillary Clinton, who accused Trump of being Putins puppet, lost." Flynn, it now appears, was not freelancing, but following instructions. His deputy, K. T. McFarland, sent an email to six Trump advisers saying that Obama, by expelling the Russians, was trying to "box Trump in diplomatically." "If there is a tit-for-tat escalation," warned McFarland, "Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia." Exactly. Flynn was trying to prevent Russian retaliation. Yet, as the ex-director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, he had to know his call to Kislyak was being monitored and recorded. So, again, why would he lie to the FBI about a conversation, the contents of which were surely known to the people who sent the FBI to question him? The other charge of lying about a call with Kislyak was Flynns request for Russian help in getting postponed or canceled a Security Council vote on a resolution denouncing Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Obamas White House was backing the anti-Israel resolution. And Bibi Netanyahu had asked Trump to weigh in to block the vote. Bottom line: Flynn, acting on instructions, tried to prevent a U.N. condemnation of Israel, and to dissuade Russia from a mass expulsion of U.S. diplomats, lest this poison the well against a rapprochement for which the American people had voted. In the court of public opinion, Flynns actions would find broad support. Rather than deny knowledge of them, Trump should have taken credit for them. Why the general would lie to the FBI about conversations he had to know U.S. intelligence had recorded is a puzzling question, but now also an irrelevant one, water over the dam. For Trumps general is now the newly conscripted collaborator of the media-Mueller-Democrat-deep state conspiracy to overturn the election of 2016 and bring down the Trump presidency. Remarkable. After 18 months, we have no evidence Trump colluded with Russia in hacking the emails of the DNC or John Podesta, which is what the FBI investigation was supposedly about. Never Miss Another Story Get Your Free Daily Newsletter There is no conclusive evidence Flynn committed a crime when, as national security adviser-designate, he tried to prevent Obama from sabotaging the policies Trump had run on and won on. Yet there is evidence Russian intelligence agents colluded with a British spy in the pay of the oppo research arm of the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign to find dirt on Donald Trump. And there is evidence James Comeys FBI wanted to hire the British spy who appeared to have access to the Russian agents who appeared to possess all that wonderful dirt on the Donald. It is hard to see how this ends well. This weekend, after Flynns admission he lied to the FBI, Beltway media were slavering like Pavlovs dogs at anticipated indictments and plea bargains by present and former White House aides, Trump family members, and perhaps Trump himself. The joy on the TV talk shows was transparent. Yet the media have already been badly damaged; first, by the relentless Trump attacks and the cheering for those attacks by a huge slice of the country; second, by their reflexive reaction. The media have behaved exactly like the "enemy" Trump said they were. In this us-versus-them country, the media now seem to relish the role of "them." The old proud journalistic boast to be objective and neutral reporters, observers and commentators is gone. We are all partisans now. As last Fridays sudden 300-point drop in the Dow reveals, if Trumps enemies bring him down, they will almost surely crash the markets and abort the recovery that took hold in Trumps first year. And if the establishment, repudiated by Trumps victory, thinks it will be restored to the nations good graces if they destroy Trump, they are whistling past the graveyard. When Caesar falls, the cheering for Brutus and Cassius tends to die down rather quickly. Then their turn comes. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of a new book, "Nixon's White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever." To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com. ==== Join the Discussion Washington Runs Amok While Kim Smiles By Eric Margolis December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Merry Christmas to one and all from North Korea. Glorious Leader Kim Jong-un unwrapped a wonderful new intercontinental missile, the Hwasong-15, which experts believe might be capable of reaching Los Angeles, New York and Washington, depending on the weight of its nuclear warhead. This was the big, earth-shaking story until Gen. Michael Flynns guilty plea in Washington seemed an even bigger bombshell than North Koreas nukes. As of now, the Flynn scandal looks like a tempest in a teapot unless FBI Inquisitors can produce real evidence that the wicked Russians were doing anything more in cahoots with Trump & Co. than all major powers, including the US, routinely do. As a former French prime minister so well put it, all government is permanent conspiracy. The best thing to come out of laffaire Flynn is that this loopy, wildly anti-Muslim general is out of government. But many more cranks and crazies still infest the Trump administration. After last weeks nasty exchange of tweets between British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Trump, and his posting of spurious anti-Muslim hate films made by Brit neo-Nazis, the depths of this administrations hatred of Muslims was on view to the world. Previously, it had been kept somewhat below the surface. Trump, a non-stop viewer of Fox TV `news, has clearly become a zombie-like follower of Foxs owner, Rupert Murdoch, who is a notorious hater of Islam and ardent supporter of Israels rightwing government. In the Fox view, any bad news about Muslims is good news for Israel a very foolish way of thinking since the anti-Islamic prejudice now being spread throughout the US, Russia, and Europe is just one step away from 1930s anti-Semitism. Back to Glorious Leader Kim. It is astounding that his Hwasong-series missiles work so well. One recalls all those embarrassing US tests of the 1960s, with missiles toppling over and blowing up or being destroyed right after launch. Somehow, North Koreas missiles have become so reliable that their launch is shown on TV, with you know who watching from a safe distance of course. A sure-fire way of gauging a missiles efficiency is studying its tails exhaust pattern. The Hwasong-14 and now 15 appear strong, steady and totally effective. How did a threadbare nation of only 25 million people develop such a powerful weapon? Of course, there were launch failures in the past, and even launch-pad explosions. But the new Hwasong series looks potent and reliable, and has caught Washingtons attention when it is not fussing about Donald Trump. South Koreas 50 million citizens must have growing admiration for the North while their own government dances to Washingtons tune. As a long-time military analyst, I suspect that North Korea has had a big helping hand from abroad in engine technology, electronics and systems integration. Who could have provided it? China, Russia, India or Israel. The first two nations are the logical suspects. Either could have supplied the necessary technology as a very clever way of diverting Washington from its own imperial plans, which are now in disarray. The Trump administration now has the choice of a total naval blockade of North Korea, mining its ports, and destroying the Yalu River bridges, over which flows oil, food and strategic materials. It sounds simple on paper but North Korea is quite capable of vigorous responses, like bombarding parts of Seoul or mining South Korean and Japanese ports. Its not the kind of spitting match in which any thoughtful American leaders ought to become engaged. Over 90% of Americans cannot name or locate the capital of North Korea or explain the reasons for a major war against this strategic but remote nation. But, of course, the US Imperium has been warring in remote Afghanistan for sixteen years for reasons few understand. Afghanistan cant shoot back. North Korea now can. Trump has put the US on a path to war in the Korean Peninsula that few want, neoconservatives and crazies aside, and that could poison the entire planet. Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune the Los Angeles Times, Times of London, the Gulf Times, the Khaleej Times, Nation Pakistan, Hurriyet, Turkey, Sun Times Malaysia and other news sites in Asia. https://ericmargolis.com ==== Join the Discussion The FBI's Perjury Trap Of The Century By David Stockman December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - If you were a Martian visitor just disembarked from of one of Elon Musks rocket ships and were therefore uninfected by earth-based fake news, the culprits in Washingtons witch-hunt de jure would be damn obvious. They include John Brennan, Jim Comey, Sally Yates, Peter Strzok and a passel of deep state operatives all of whom baldly abused their offices. After Brennan had concocted the whole Russian election meddling meme to sully the Donalds shocking election win, the latter three holdovers functioning as a political fifth column in the new Administration set a perjury trap designed to snare Mike Flynn as a first step in relitigating and reversing the voters verdict. The smoking gun on their guilt is so flamingly obvious that the ability of the Trump-hating media to ignore it is itself a wonder to behold. After all, anyone fresh off Elons rocket ship would learn upon even cursory investigation of the matter that the National Security Agency (NSA) intercepts electronically every single communication of the Russian Ambassador with any person on US soil whether by email, text or phone call. So the clear-minded visitors simple question would be: What do the transcripts say? In fact, a Martian visitor would also quickly understand that the entire world friend, rival, foe and enemy, alike already knows of NSAs giant digital spying operation owing to Snowdens leaks, and that therefore there are no "sources and methods" on the SIGINT (signals intelligence) front to protect. Accordingly, the disinterested Martian would undoubtedly insist: Declassify the NSA intercepts and publish them on Facebook (and, for old timers, on the front page of the New York Times) so that the truth would be known to all. Of course, that would punch a deep hole in the entire RussiaGate witchhunt because NSA, in fact, did record Flynns late December conversations with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. And there was not a single word in them that related to alleged campaign collusion or otherwise inappropriate communications by the incoming national security adviser to a newly-elected President who was three-weeks from inauguration. Indeed, as explained below, Mueller has effectively told us that Flynns communications with Kislyak were clean as a whistle. Accordingly, there was no reason whatsoever as in none, nichts, nada and nugatory, too for the FBIs January 24th interview of Flynn. Four days after the inauguration, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and the FBI were wasting the time of the new Presidents national security advisor for no earthly reason except to administer a "gotcha quiz" on what they knew from the transcripts to be completely innocent conversations with the Russian Ambassador. The content of the calls was entirely about pending policy matters. That is, the UN security council resolution condemning Israels settlements policy and Obamas belligerent new anti-Russia sanctions. With respect to both of these matters, the incoming President had a publicly known policy position different from the incumbents, and about which his team was completely entitled to communicate with official foreign ambassadors. So the January 24th interview itself was a Nixonesque abuse of the nations law enforcement machinery to strike at a political enemy albeit a mighty legitimate one who had just become occupant of the Oval Office by will of the American people. These new-style Deep State "plumbers" who openly broke into the White House that day, in fact, conducted a blatant entrapment exercise with malice aforethought. Its only possible purpose was to bait Flynn into contradicting the word-for-word transcripts in the FBIs possession intercepts which had been illegally "unmasked" by Brennans political witch-hunt for Russian election malefactors. And we use the "illegal" word purposefully to underscore that the only ultimate justice here is for Obamas rogue CIA director to be locked-up. Brennans post-election leakathon of phony Russian meddling accusations was so threadbare of valid national security evidence that it even included falsehoods from the completely discredited and ludicrous Steele dossier which was paid for by the DNC and Clinton campaign. And it culminated in the evidence-free screed of January 6th that was nosily presented to Obama as an intelligence communitys assessment but was actually a hatchet-job authored by Brennan and a hand-picked silo of anti-Trump analysts and fiction-writers like the now outed Peter Strzok of the FBI. Issued under cover of the CIA, FBI, NSA and Director of National Intelligence (the confirmed liar, James Clapper), this document amounted to a sweeping abuse of the national security apparatus in furtherance of purely political purposes and vengeance against Deep State critics. It capped a 5-month long, Brennan led campaign of naked political exploitation of the national security machinery that made the Nixon White House look like a Boy Scout Jamboree. As we will demonstrate below, Brennan never had hard proof of Trump campaign collusion with the Russians to influence the election because if it existed it would have leaked in full "smoking gun" splendor long ago. We are referring here, again, to NSA digital intercept evidence that Russian state actors used the internet to remotely hack the Podesta and DNC servers in order to steal and then disseminate their politically embarrassing contents and thereby "influence" the US election in Trumps favor. Yet aside from the asinine claims about Russian troll farms and trivial amounts of Facebook ads and other such social media monkey business, thats all she wrote. There has been no other tangible allegations of election "meddling" that rise to even minimal plausibility. And you dont have to be fresh off Musks Martian rocket ship to recognize it; you can google it yourself, but nothing we mean nothing comes up on the screen. Yet as to the DNC emails, there has already been a compelling demonstration by ex-NSA super SIGNET sleuth, William Binney, that the DNC emails were downloaded on a memory stick by a staff insider from his own computer, not remotely hacked by Russian trolls. Thats because the download speed of 22.7 megabytes per second embedded in the Guccifer publication of the DNC email trove was impossible to achieve from Russia or Romania or anywhere else outside of the DNC offices in July 2016 when the "hack" allegedly occurred. The highest average ISP speeds in the US during the first-half of 2016 were achieved by Xfinity and Cox Communications at 15.6 megabytes per second and 14.7 megabytes per second, respectively, while average speeds on US systems were in the order of 11 megabytes per second. In short, the embarrassing DNC emails about election-rigging against Bernie Sanders by the Democratic Party apparatus were almost surely sucked out of the DNCs servers by an insider with a thumb drive (which can download at the indicated speeds), not some nefarious Kremlin operative 3,000 miles away. And as for Podestas emails, the Donald was surely right all along: Any 400-pound slob on a couch could have hacked an email account protected by a password called, well, "password". Stated differently, if either of these email troves were "hacked" by remote Russian agents the digital footprint of that action is stored at one of the massive NSA server farms. Accordingly, it would have been unmasked at the get-go by Brennans hand-picked apparatchiks, thereby giving rise to another virtual certainty: Namely, such NSA intercepts, if they actually existed, would be such politically radioactive "proof" of Trump collusion that they would have been leaked from the endlessly porous US government long ago. Moreover, any such digital evidence which must exist or there was never a hack in the first place would have drastically foreshortened Muellers investigation, too. That is, Mueller would have gotten NSAs digital logs the day he opened up shop in May and would have had no other investigative task than to track down any digital evidence of Trump campaign involvement with such a Russian hacking operation. We say "digital evidence" because unless one of Trumps inner circle traveled to Moscow to secretly collude with the Kremlin in an off-the-grid manner on the DNC/Podesta hacks, NSA would also have the intercepts to prove it. To wit, the schedules, phone calls, text messages and emails of the Trump family and inner circle are all out there in the NSA server farms. Every one of them. Were there a shred of evidence on these digital logs proving or even hinting at Trump campaign complicity in the alleged DNC/Podesta hacks it would not have been overlooked by the Brennans inquisitors; and it would have been dispatched by Muellers gunslingers in no time at all. So lets be clear on the matter. The Donald is the ultimate seat-of-the-pants one man show who essentially relies upon his four family members (Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Jared Kushner) and a few trusted advisors. Yet none of them were sent to Russia during the relevant time frame and had they colluded in any other way Mueller would have nailed them for any untoward digitized interactions with the Russians in a heartbeat. Thats right. Anyone disembarking from Elons rocket ship could also google the fact that only two people Carter Page and George Papadopoulos even remotely involved with the Trump campaign went to Russia or tried to go there. But Carter Page was a no-count volunteer who went to Moscow on his own dime and who never even met Trump. Likewise, Baby George Papadopoulos was a 29-year old kid who got drafted onto Trumps foreign policy advisory panel from, apparently, the phone book when the GOP foreign policy establishment boycotted to nearly a man/women the Trump campaign prior to the convention. Accordingly, Baby Georges claim to fame is that he appeared in exactly one photo with the Donald on the day the foreign policy advisory committee was announced in order to appease an endlessly nagging gaggle in the press and among Trumps legions of opponents. If Papadopoulos had done anything more serious than sit for a photo op designed to prove Trump got his foreign policy advise other than from "watching TV", as the Donald had previously averred, his guilty plea would have hinted at it. But, no, what Muellers high priced legal gunslingers got him on was again technical perjury. So as we review Mike Flynns alleged crimes just recall that the Baby Georges sin was to say he meet some dufus UK professor who was also a phony expert on Russian affairs before Papadopoulos was announced as a foreign policy advisor on March 19, 2016. As it happened, he actually meet him about a week earlier and was therefore truthful with the FBI. But these modern-day, hairsplitting Torquemadas nailed him for the "crime" of not mentioning that he knew on March 10 that he was to be appointed to the Trump committee, and that knowledge somehow colored his March 15 meeting with this no-count English go-between. You cant make this stuff up! Never Miss Another Story Get Your Free Daily Newsletter In any event, how do we know that every word on the Flynn transcripts were perfectly legal and appropriate and did not in the slightest manner compromise so-called national security? Simple. Muellers "Statement Of The Offense" tells us so. In the case of the Russia sanctions conversation Flynn was trying to make peace, and in the case of the UN censure resolution against Israel he was trying to make trouble. But the latter is what presidents and their advisors do all the time, and the former is a wonderful idea that Washington should try far more often. In fact, just consider the words of Muellers charge: ".FLYNN falsely stated that he did not ask Russias Ambassador to the United States ("Russian Ambassador") to refrain from escalating in response to sanctions that the United States has imposed against Russia. FLYNN also falsely stated that he did not remember a follow-up conversation in which the Russian Ambassador stated that Russia had chosen to moderate its response to those sanctions as a result of FLYNNs request. In fact, this criminal charge actually narrates the actual tick-tock of a more peaceful world struggling to be born in real time. Accordingly, Mueller charges that on December 28th the Russian Ambassador first called Flynn after the Obama White House announced another spiteful round of petty sanctions against Putin associates. The incoming national security advisor, in turn, discussed "what if anything, to communicate to the Russian Ambassador" with a senior official of the Trump transition; and according to Muellers criminal complaint, the two agreed that "members of the Presidential Transition Team a Mar-a-Lago did not want Russia to escalate the situation". Good for them! There upon the very same day Flynn dialed-up Kislyak and, as the felony charging document contends, "requested that Russia not escalate the situation and only respond to the U.S. Sanctions in a reciprocal manner." Self-evidently, the wheels of peace began to turn because the complaint notes that on December 30 "Russian President Vladimir Putin released a statement indicating that Russia would not take retaliatory measures in response to the US Sanctions at the time". Indeed, Russia didnt merely take "reciprocal" actions, as Flynn requested, but did absolutely nothing at all. Even more progress! Then on the last day of the year, Kislyak called Flynn back and "informed him that Russia had chosen not to retaliate in response to FLYNNs request". And then there is just white space in the Russia-related section of the charging document. Not a single word or hint that the Kremlin was paying off the Trump Administration for nefarious promises it had made in return for Russias campaign help. For crying out loud, that white space itself proves there was not so much as a single clause or veiled code word in the transcripts about pre-election collusion or other untoward arrangements between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin or the FBI plumbers would have asked about it on January 24, Flynn would have lied, and it would be in the plea deal. Indeed, the possibility that there is something untoward in the Flynn intercepts which Mueller chose to keep under wraps and did not stipulate in the plea is preposterous in the extreme. After more than one year of investigation that has produced exactly zero hard evidence of pre-election collusion it is beyond impossible that at long last Mueller would have abjured. That is, refrained from putting a grain of content into what anyone getting off Musks Mars rocket can see is an utterly bogus Russia meddling case. At the end of the day, Muellers perjury did occur in the context of a crime. But the felony was the Brennan-led Russian meddling inquisition. Especially after the shocking result on November 8, the Deep State and its collaborators and shills in the Democratic Party, official Washington and the mainstream media were not about to be rebuked by the unwashed demos of Flyover America. Indeed, if you are not caught up in the RussiaGate hysteria and witch-hunt, its as plain as the noise on your face To be sure, the perjury trap sprung on Flynn was justified by Hillary partisan, Sally Yates, on the grounds that Flynns alleged "lie" to the Vice President left him vulnerable to "blackmail" by the Russians. What undiluted hogwash! The best poker player on todays international stage, Vlad Putin, finally gets a US President with a rational attitude about Russia, and he plans to burn him day one? Cmon. Whether she intended it or not or had gamed it out thoroughly, the history records will show that the sanctimonious Hillary partisan and politically ambitious, Sally Yates, then and there killed the best chance for peace on earth since the Soviet Union fell in 1991. Sally Yates, James Comey and John Brennan are the real criminals here. As Justin Raimondo so eloquently put it: Think about it, folks: both the US and the Russians possess enough nuclear firepower to destroy all life on earth several times over. This sword of Damocles is hanging over us by a thread, just as it loomed large during the last cold war with Moscow. Its a machinery of annihilation that is set on hair-trigger alert, and any number of events could unleash it: a miscalculation, a foolish bluff, a misunderstanding, a technical glitch, a showdown similar to the Cuban missile crisis. All that stands between us and utter extinction is the hope that this apparatus of death can be restrained by mutual agreement. Bravo to the Trump administration for making peace a priority. If this is now a crime, and even treason, as the mouth-breathers of #TheResistance would have it, well then let the Washington Inquisition make the most of it. The point was also underscored cogently by Andrew McCarthy of the National Review. As McCarthy argues below, differences on foreign policy are essentially now being criminalized; and the Donalds justified desire to shutdown the Brennan-inspired political witch-hunt called RussiaGate is being falsely characterized as obstruction of justice rather than what it actually is an effort to prevent the Deep States insidious assault on American democracy from going any further. While all that plays out, though, behold the frightening thing Muellers investigation has become: a criminalization of politics. In the new order of things, policy differences are the grist for investigation and prosecution. Nevertheless, Trumps victory caused consternation in the Obama administration for two reasons. First, and most obviously, Obama did not want his policies reversed. Second, neither Obama nor his party could abide a judgment of history holding that the election of Trump, the bane of their existence, was a result of the American peoples rejection of the Obama agenda and of Hillary Clinton, the hapless candidate nominated by Democrats to carry that agenda forward. .The ongoing Mueller probe is not a good-faith investigation of suspected espionage or other crime. It is the exploitation of the executives intelligence-gathering and law-enforcement powers in order to (a) criminalize Trump political policies with which the Obama administration disagreed and (b) frame Clintons electoral defeat as the product of a traitorous scheme rather than a rejection of Democratic-party priorities. Finally, we couldnt agree more with McCarthy that General Flynn is a very foolish man. He was not required to speak to the FBI when agents came to interview him on January 24. Moreover, as the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency he surely knew that the FBI would have been monitoring Kislyak and that the FBI had recordings of the conversations the agents wanted to ask him about. That he agreed to submit to the interview anyway, and then to lie, is surely one of the stupidest acts coming out of official Washington that we can recall from 47 years of observation. But perhaps it does explain why Americas legions of puffed-up generals have been such abysmal failures for onwards of a half-century now. So it is fair enough to say that Flynn has no one to blame but himself, and that a person of such poor judgment should never have been chosen to be the presidents principal national security adviser in the first place. Then again, the American people should also understand why Flynn has gone down and why the Donalds political scalp is fairly waiting to be lofted from the Washington Monument. To wit, the Deep State has turned its own crimes during and after the 2016 election into nothing less than a coup d etat against American democracy. David Alan Stockman is an author, former businessman and U.S. politician who served as a Republican U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan and as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. www.davidstockmanscontracorner.com ==== Join the Discussion Russiagate Becomes Israelgate Who was corrupting the American political system? By Philip Giraldi December 05, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Reading the mainstream media headlines relating to the flipping of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to provide evidence relating to the allegations about Russian interference in Americas last presidential election requires the suspension of ones cognitive processes. Ignoring completely what had actually occurred, the Russian story with its subset of getting Trump was on display all through the weekend, both in the print and on the live media. Flynns guilty plea is laconic, merely admitting that he had lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about what was said during two telephone conversations with then Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak, but there is considerable back story that emerged after the plea became public. The two phone calls in question include absolutely nothing about possible collusion with Russia to change the outcome of the U.S. election, which allegedly was the raison detre behind the creation of Robert Muellers Special Counsel office in the first place. Both took place more than a month after the election and both were initiated by the Americans involved. I am increasingly convinced that Mueller aint got nuthin but this process will grind out interminably and the press will be hot on the trail until there is nowhere else to go. Based on the information revealed regarding the two conversations, and, unlike the highly nuance-sensitive editors working for the mainstream media, this is the headline that I would have written for a featured article based on what I consider to be important: Israel Colluded with Incoming Trump Team to Subvert U.S. Foreign Policy, with a possible subheading FBI Entraps National Security Adviser. The first phone call to Kislyak, on December 22nd, was made by Flynn at the direction of Jared Kushner, who in turn had been approached by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu had learned that the Obama Administrating was going to abstain on a United Nations vote condemning the Israeli settlements policy, meaning that for the first time in years a U.N. resolution critical of Israel would pass without drawing a U.S. veto. Kushner, acting for Netanyahu, asked Flynn to contact each delegate from the various countries on the Security Council to delay or kill the resolution. Flynn agreed to do so, which included a call to the Russians. Kislyak took the call but did not agree to veto Security Council Resolution 2334, which passed unanimously on December 23rd. The second phone call, made by Flynn on December 29th from a beach in the Dominican Republic, where he was on vacation, may have been ordered by Trump himself. It was a response to an Obama move to expel Russian diplomats and close two Embassy buildings over allegations of Moscows interfering in the 2016 election. Flynn asked the Russians not to reciprocate, making the point that there would be a new administration in place in three weeks and the relationship between the two countries might change for the better. Kislyak apparently convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin not to go tit-for-tat. In taking the phone calls from a soon-to-be senior American official who would within weeks be part of a new administration in Washington, the Russians did nothing wrong. It would not be inappropriate to have some conversations with an incoming government team. Apart from holding off on retaliatory sanctions, Kislyak also did nothing that might be regarded as particularly responsive to Team Trump overtures. If it was an attempt to interfere in American politics, it certainly was low-keyed, and one might well describe it positively as a willingness to give the new Trump Administration a chance to improve relations. The first phone call about Israel was not as benign as the second one about sanctions. Son-in-law Jared Kushner is Trumps point man on the Middle East. He and his family have extensive ties both to Israel and to Netanyahu personally, to include Netanyahus staying at the Kushner family home in New York. The Kushner Family Foundation has funded some of Israels illegal settlements and also a number of conservative political groups in that country. Jared has served as a director of that foundation and it is reported that he failed to disclose the relationship when he filled out his background investigation sheet for a security clearance. All of which suggests that if you are looking for possible foreign government collusion with the incoming Trumpsters, look no further. And it should be observed that the Israelis were not exactly shy about their disapproval of Obama and their willingness to express their views to the incoming Trump. Netanyahu said that he would do so and Trump even responded with a tweet of his own expressing disagreement with the Obama decision to abstain on the vote, but the White House knew that the comment would be coming and there was no indication from the president-elect that he was actively trying to derail or undo it. Kushner, however, goes far beyond merely disagreeing over an aspect of foreign policy as he was trying to clandestinely reverse a decision made by his own legally constituted government. His closeness to Netanyahu makes him, in intelligence terms, a quite likely Israeli government agent of influence, even if he doesnt quite see himself that way. He is currently working on a new peace plan for the Middle East which starts out with permanently demilitarizing the Palestinians. It will no doubt continue in the tradition of former plans which aggrandized Jewish power while stiffing the Arabs. And not to worry about the team that will be allegedly representing American interests. It is already being reported that they consist of good, observant Jews and will not be a problem, even though Israeli-American mega-fundraiser Haim Saban apparently described them on Sunday as With all due respect, its a bunch of Orthodox Jews who have no idea about anything. Never Miss Another Story Get Your Free Daily Newsletter What exactly did Kushner seek from Flynn? He asked the soon-to-be National Security Adviser to get the Russians to undermine and subvert what was being done by the still-in-power American government in Washington headed by President Barack Obama. In legal terms this does not quite equate to the Constitutions definition of treason since Israel is not technically an enemy, but it most certainly would be covered by the Logan Act of 1799, which bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States and also could be construed as a conspiracy against the United States that the Mueller investigation has exploited against former Trump associate Paul Manafort. As Kushner is Jewish and certainly could be accused of dual loyalty in extremis, this part of the story obviously makes many in the U.S. Establishment and media uncomfortable, so it is being ignored and expunged from the record as quickly as possible. And dont expect Special Counsel Mueller to do anything about the Israel connection. As an experienced operator in the Washington swamp he knows full well that the Congressmen currently calling for blood in an investigation involving Russia will turn 180 degrees against him if he tries to go after Netanyahu. And just to demonstrate exactly how the story is shaped to protect Israel, here is a piece from the generally reliable The Hill written by Morgan Chalfant on 5 take-aways from Flynns guilty plea. Israel is not even identified and, if one reads the two mentions of the U.N. vote connected to the first call, it appears to be deliberately omitted. The first citation reads He also lied when he said he did not ask Kislyak to delay or defeat a vote on a pending U.N. Security Council resolution and the second is Prosecutors also say that a senior member of the transition team on Dec. 22 directed Flynn to contact officials from Russia and other governments about their stance on the U.N. resolution and to influence those governments to delay the vote or defeat the resolution. Does omitting Israel and emphasizing the Russian aspect of the story throughout the rest of the piece change what it says and how it is perceived? You betcha. For me, there was also a second take-away from the Flynn story apart from the collusion with Israel. It involves the use of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to set-up Flynn shortly after he had been installed as National Security Adviser. Insofar as I can determine, the FBI entrapment of Flynn has only been examined in a serious way in the media by Robert Parry at Consortium News. Michael Flynn was actually interviewed by the FBI regarding his two phone conversations on January 24th shortly after assumed office as National Security Adviser. During his interview, he was not made aware that the Bureau already had recordings and transcripts of his phone conversations, so, in a manner of speaking, he was being set-up to fail. Mis-remembering, forgetting or attempting to avoid implication of others in the administration would inevitably all be plausibly construed as lying since the FBI knew exactly what was said. To be sure, many would agree that the sleazy Flynn deserves everything he gets, but the logic used to set-up the possible Flynn entrapment by the FBI, i.e. that there was unauthorized contact with a foreign official, is in itself curious as Flynn was a private citizen at the time and such contact is not in itself illegal. And it also opens the door to the Bureaus investigating other individuals who have committed no crime but who find that they cannot recall details of phone calls they were parties to that were being recorded by the government six months or a year before. That can easily be construed as lying or perjury with consequences that include possible prison time. So there are two observations one might make about the Flynn saga as it currently stands. First, Israel, not Russia, was colluding with the Trump Administration prior to inauguration day to do something highly unethical and quite probably illegal, which should surprise no one. And second, record all your phone conversations with foreign government officials. The NSA and FBI will have a copy in any event, but you might want to retain your own records to make sure their transcript is accurate. Philip M. Giraldi, is a former CIA Operations officer who is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax exempt educational foundation that seeks a more interests based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is www.councilforthenationalinterest.org , address us P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville, VA 20132, and email address is inform@cnionline.org. This article was originally published by Unz Review ==== What were looking at is actually Israel-gate Join the Discussion LEBANON With only three weeks until Christmas, Santa Claus is asking for a little help for the Lebanon Area Christmas Toy Program based at the River Center. More than 600 children received toys last year, but so far, donations are down significantly, causing Santa to send out an S.O.S. message to the community. The man who picks up toys at our local drop-off locations says we are down about 50 percent, said River Center volunteer Becky Lang. Last year we gave out more than 1,200 toys to 211 households. Our goal is to have enough toys to provide at least one large and one small gift per child. Lang said toys for children ages 8 and older, especially those 12 or older, are needed. We seem to get a lot of toys for the younger kids, but its a little more difficult to buy for the older kids, Lang said. We have asked members of our church to focus on the older kids as well this year. Lang said she is always amazed by the outpouring of support from all facets of the community. We are so blessed to see how many community members step up for this program, Lang said. There are so many company employees and people who volunteer. It is truly wonderful and all of the toys stay here. Monday afternoon, members of Girl Scout Troop 21317 were busy sorting toys at the River Centers cavernous storage room. Its really fun, said Rayanna Morris, 11. We get to help give kids presents that will make them happy at Christmas. The Road Maggots motorcycle group will hold its annual toy run Sunday, starting at Walgreens Pharmacy. Last year, more than 200 motorcycles participated. Community members are invited to drop off new unwrapped toys at the pharmacys parking lot. The Road Maggots will ride uptown from Walgreens and then return to the River Center to unload the toys. There will be a chili feed for participants and the Road Maggots will also give out Christmas stockings to children. The public is invited to bring toys to the event as well. The Edward C. Allworth Veterans Home will provide dessert at the event. Lang said there are giving trees at Samaritan Health Services, Lowes and Santiam Lumber. Donation barrels also can be found at Go Wireless, Lebanon Animal Hospital, Les Schwab, Citizens Bank, Umpqua Bank, Key Bank, the Senior Center, SamFit, COMP-Northwest, Pennington Seed, The River Center, Linn Gear, Economy Supply, Lebanon Fire District, The Lobby, Wells Fargo Bank, Parkside Apartments, Mega Foods, Northwest Apparel and Graphics, Sugar Vibes, Hometown Furniture and Clearance Center, the Salvation Army and Operation Homefront. River Center pastor Warren Stroup said that since last year, family members are allowed to shop for toys at the River Center. We will have volunteers who will walk parents through the toy area, Stroup said. This seems to work out very well. Before, we didnt know what each child might want. The program has had many versions over the decades, but the River Center has sponsored it for the last eight years. Toy Program participants must live in the Lebanon School District and must bring identification showing current address, or a utility bill that shows name and address. Adults must be the childrens parents or legal guardians and they must live together. Toys will be distributed at the River Center, 3000 South Santiam Highway, from 9 a.m. until noon and 6-9 p.m. Dec. 13, 14 and 15. The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole has been removed from that position few days after Boko Haram insurgents carried out one of the deadliest attacks on Biu town in Borno where at least 18 people were killed. The Military High Command in Abuja has appointed a new theatre commander, Major General Rogers Nicholas, for Operation Lafiya Dole, the joint military force fighting to rid the North East of Boko Haram terrorists. The new Theater Commander was until his appointment, the Chief of Logistics at Army headquarters in Abuja. Earlier, he served as the Commander of the Special Security Task Force (STF) in Jos as well as Chief of Civil Military Affairs at Army headquarters. Nicholas is taking over from Major General Ibrahim Attahiru who is redeployed to Army headquarters as the Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans. Attahiru, who took over from Major general Leo Irabor, was at different times, Director of Administration, Defence Headquarters and General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division, Enugu. Recall that Major General Lucky Irabor is currently the Force Commander of the Multi-national Joint Taskforce fighting to clear Boko Haram, cross border bandits and other criminal elements in the Lake Chad Basin Commission countries. Two fighter aircraft an Alpha Jet and an EC 135 attack helicopter were sent to the troubled communities of Adamawa State,by the Nigerian Air Force to bomb what it called hideouts of miscreants in the villages. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, confirmed the deployment to The PUNCH, noting that the bombardment was warning shots rather than shooting to kill. It was reported on Tuesday that scores of people were killed in Dong and Lawura villages in the Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State when rampaging Fulani militia attacked some communities, burning down no fewer than five villages. Residents had confirmed the killing of a District Head and another village head by gunmen as the attackers reportedly set buildings on fire and damaged property. The police in the state had confirmed the violence, but had yet to come out with the casualty figure. The attacks on the villages, which entered its fifth day on Monday, reportedly witnessed air bombardment from the air force to stop the rampaging Fulani militia from entering into Numan. Earlier on Monday, the police had confirmed that six police officers were killed in the attack between herdsmen and farmers. We lost six policemen in an ambush by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The police were on their way to Dowaya village, outside Numan (district), with the intention of disarming Fulani herders, who reports said were carrying arms. No arrests had been made in connection with the ambush, Othman Abubakar, the Police Public Relations Officer, had said. Adesanya noted that the deployment of the aircraft was a continuous exercise. The NAF spokesman added, We launched an attack both with our Alpha jet and the EC 135 helicopter. We were able to keep touch with the activities in the area. The deployment is a continuous exercise. We have an oversight function over the whole area to provide security. Before now, we had actually been doing constant air surveillance. Our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms reported the bombing of villages and the rest. The two helicopters are both involved. When asked if the air force could not mistakenly bomb fleeing villagers, the NAF spokesman said, The air force exists to protect Nigerians, not to fight fellow Nigerians. How it is done is that we have a video recording of operations. It shows those who were actually attacked. There were more of warning shots not shots to kill. Immediately the shots were fired, the miscreants realised fire was coming and they actually fled the area. I do not, at this time, have any casualty figure; all I know is that there was a positive effect of the missions. Punch A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, insisted before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, his further testimony in his ongoing trial would be dependent on what former President Goodluck Jonathan would tell the court in respect of the case. Vanguard Governor Samuel Ortom in this interview speaks on why he is championing a second term re-election for President Buhari, the defection of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from APC, the alleged politicization of the open grazing prohibition law in the state among other issues. Thisday Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there are indications that the legislature is set to accede to the request by the executive for the passage of the 2018 budget before the end of 2017. The Sun Ahead Saturdays national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, to elect its national chairman, the Oyo State chapter of the party Tuesday endorsed former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, as its sole candidate. Daily Times The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the current industrial action embarked upon by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) which comprises the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) Guardian The Federal Government has met all the demands of the three non-academic staff unions in the universities, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige has said. Daily Trust A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, made his first appearance at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja with a crowd of supporters where he said this is the moment for the PDP. Tribune ANOTHER 144 Nigerian returnees were yesterday evening arrived Nigeria through the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport from Libya. Leadership The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said it was time for the President Moammed Buharis administration to move on and forget about criticising past administration.. The Nation The 32 Artillery Brigade of Owena Barracks in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has urged the militants in the states creeks to submit the remaining arms in their possession. Vice president of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo visited Dong village in Anambra State, one of the villages attacked and burnt on Monday by militant herdsmen where over 45 corpses. The Hama Batta, Alhamdu Teneke, told Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who was on a visit to the troubled communities on Tuesday that over 45 corpses had been given a mass burial in the community. Also, youths in Numan alleged that fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force killed over 50 residents through air bombardment of the community. It is believed that over 100 might have been killed in the invasion of about five villages in the Numan area of the state by herdsmen. The District Head of Dong and the village head of Lawuru, another village in the area, were also killed in the attacks. Osinbajo said his visit to the state was to find a lasting solution to the unending killings following the clashes between the locals and Fulani herdsmen in Numan and its environs. The VP, who held a closed-door meeting with the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Barkindo Mustapha, at the Presidential Lodge of the Yola International Airport, condemned leaders fuelling violent conflicts in the country. At Numan, Osinbajo met with the Hama Bachama, Col. Honest Stephen (retd.), saying leaders, who fail to ensure peace in the land have lost the right to leadership. The Vice-Presidents visit was nearly marred by youths who were protesting the alleged killing of over 50 residents by NAF fighter jets. The youths, who had gathered for the mass burial of the 50 corpses reportedly killed by the fighter jets, seized the visit of the VP to converge on the palace of the paramount ruler to protest the killing of the residents by the jets. Osinbajo said the government was particularly concerned about the casualties involving women and children. Every one of us, who is a leader, will know that something has gone wrong. Anybody can fight, anybody can kill, only true leaders can bring people together and make progress, he stated. While in Dong, one of the villages completely razed by the invaders, residents said the gunmen attacked the village in their hundreds. Osinbajo added, The reason why we are here is to see for ourselves. Your Excellency, what we have seen here, as you have said, is not the first time, is very sad, that lives have been lost and properties destroyed. The first thing of course is to find how we can compensate the loss and take immediate steps and make sure that NEMA immediately supplies relief materials and also restores some things destroyed to the state where they were before the destruction and that is the reason the President has sent me here. We must ensure perpetrators of violence are prevented with every power at our disposal. This is the time to come together to make progress as a people. There is no reason why we should allow so much poverty and all we are doing is fighting and killing each other. No reason. Our role is to provide security and resources so that everybody can enjoy their lives as citizens of this country. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The Igbosere Magistrates Court, Lagos Island arraigned a suspected car thief identified as Adediran Olaoluwa on Tuesday. The police accused the 37-year-old and others at large of stealing a KIA Rio with number plate, EPE 817 EV, on Keffi Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. The car was said to be the property of one Lanre Olomojobi and was valued at N1.8m. The case was said to have been reported to the police at the Ikoyi division and the suspect was apprehended on Monday. PUNCH Metro learnt that upon his arrest, he was taken into police custody. The police claimed that when he was given a form to write his statement, he reportedly went berserk and tore the form. He also allegedly rumpled the shirt of the Investigating Police Officer, Inspector Afolayan Babashola, who wanted to take his statement. The statement form was valued at N500. Olaoluwa was subsequently arraigned on five counts, bordering on stealing, conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, unlawful damage and assault. The police prosecutor, Inspector Abass Abayomi, told the court that the offences contravened sections 168, 174, 287, 350 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The charges read in part, That you, Adediran Olaoluwa, and others now at large, on September 19, 2017, on Keffi Road, Ikoyi, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal one KIA Rio with number plate, EPE 817 EV, valued at N1,800,000, property of one Lane Olomojobi. That you, Adediran Olaoluwa, on December 4, 2017, at about 7pm, at the Ikoyi Police Station, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by tearing the statement form in the police statement room. That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did assault Inspector Afolayan Babashola, who was performing his lawful duty, by holding and rumpling his shirt, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 174 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial. The presiding magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Komolafe, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum. She stated that the address of the surety must be verified and adjourned the case till January 16, 2017. Source: (Punch Newspaper ) A consortium of Linn County firefighters and their vehicles have deployed to California to help battle wildfires there, the Albany Fire Department reports. The deployment is part of an interstate mutual aid agreement called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which lets both Oregon and California send crews to each other when the need arises. Though the agreement, California Gov. Jerry Brown sent firefighters to Oregon in August. Oregon firefighters also deployed to California in October. The crews, from Albany, Lebanon, Sweet Home, and Tangent, will add 22 firefighters to efforts in Chino, Calif., where wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes. As of Wednesday, no deaths and a few injuries have been reported, but hundreds of thousands in the Los Angeles area are under evacuation orders. In addition to the Linn County deployment, Philomath Fire responded from Benton County with two engines and six firefighters. The Linn County contingent will comprise one of 10 strike teams requested from across the state. A strike team is a group of five vehicles of the same type, and two fire crews. The Albany Fire Department provided the five brush unit vehicles for the deployment. All of the firefighters who deployed volunteered, according to Albany Assistant Fire Chief Shane Wooton. The fire crews will remain deployed for an undetermined amount of time. The state of California will reimburse the various agencies for the deployment, and will also pay the overtime costs for the extra shifts required to fill the gaps during their deployment. Two friends, Muhammed Abubakar and Mubarak Muhammed, were on Tuesday, remanded in the prison custody by a Katsina States Senior Magistrate Court for alleged armed robbery. The court ordered that they would remain in custody till January 20, 2018. The duo, who are residents of Sabo Unguwar Quarters, Katsina, were accused of conspiring with two persons at large, to rob one Tukur Hassan. The police alleged that the defendants while armed with a hacksaw attacked Hassan on November 20 at the Filing Kannada area in Katsina. They were said to have dispossessed Hassan of his TECNO handset valued at N22,000. The police alleged that the accused sold the handset for N18,000 at Unguwar Alkali Market, Katsina. Hassan was said to have reported the incident at the Sabongari police station, leading to the arrest of the two friends. He said the offence was contrary to Section 1(2)(a)of the Robbery and Firearms Act,LFN,2014 as amended. The police prosecutor, Inspector Sani Ado, told the court that investigation was still ongoing towards the arrest of the two fleeing members of the gang. The magistrate, Hajiya Fadila Dikko, adjourned the case and ordered that the two friends should be remanded in the prison custody. Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje received President Muhammadu Buhari at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, on Wednesday for a two-day official visit to the state. Members of the State Executive Council, Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, traditional rulers as well as politicians, among others were all present to welcome the President. A mammoth crowd was also at the airport and along the major streets in the metropolis, giving the president a rousing welcome. The president is expected to inaugurate a number of projects executed by the Ganduje administration during the visit. Among the projects are the ultra-modern Specialist Hospital, Giginyu, named after him; a Paediatric Hospital located on Zoo Road, Kano; and the underpass bridge at Madobi/Panshekara Junction. On the second day, the President will inspect a rice mill, Fullmark Rice Mill Company at Kwanar Gunduwawa, and Gezawa Oil Mill, the largest oil mill in Africa at Tokarawa Industrial Estate both on Hadeja Road. Mr. Buhari is also expected to meet with Ulamas and hold an interactive session with community leaders and politicians before returning to Abuja. As part of his visit, the president on Wednesday afternoon visited the Kurmawa Central Prison in Kano where he freed 500 prisoners. Mr. Buhari said while granting the amnesty to the prisoners that it was part of his general prison decongestion exercise in the country; and to allow those inmates with minor cases who have stayed long in prison to go home. Scores of journalists covering the presidents visit were prevented from having access to the prison by the presidents security detail. Before the visit to the prison, the president visited the Kano emir at his palace. I am overwhelmed by the sea of people I see, Mr. Buhari said of the mammoth crowd that came to welcome him. And by what I see today, if elections are contested I will no doubt win it. Speaking further, Mr. Buhari said, I know Kano people are aware of the tremendous job we did on security and agriculture. He said he was at the emirs palace because the emirate council has been playing tremendous roles in his governments success. He explained that the stability of the north and Nigeria is paramount and he is determined to make Nigeria a peaceful country. Speaking on his actions while he was military Head of State, Mr. Buhari said, I did so with a lot of youthful exuberance. And myself I was arrested and detained for years. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The shocking story how Moses Motoni, a staff of BudgIT Nigeria was whisked away by policemen who disguised as delivery men has been revealed. Moses Motoni, a staff of BudgIT Nigeria, is currently in the detention of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for an offense not known to him. His arrest happened one day after the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotum, gave an order to reorganize SARS operations across Nigeria following social media outcry calling for a total abrogation of the controversial unit. Mr. Motoni, Project Tracking Officer of BudgIT, was arrested in Kaduna State by some unidentified SARS personnel who disguised as delivery men from DHL Nigeria. SaharaReporters learned that Mr. Motoni had been put under SARS radar under the instruction of Senator Mohamed Sani, representing Niger South Senatorial District of Niger State. Mr. Motoni was closely tracked after participating in a sensitization program in Bida, Niger State. Speaking to our correspondent, a friend of Mr. Motoni revealed that he had received an SMS from DHL Nigeria to pick up a parcel at Makarfi Plaza at Central Market, Kaduna State, but unknown to him, he was walking into a trap. Moses received an SMS from DHL Nigeria to pick up a parcel at Markafi. He went to pick it but when he got there, he was shocked to be apprehended by some SARS officers who forced him into a car and drove off. That was when he knew that the SARS officers were posing as the staff of DHL, he narrated. SaharaReporters gathered that Mr. Motoni was denied bail and the police barred anyone from seeing him by ordering officers at the security post to either send away or detain anybody who came looking for him. It was reported that Senator Sani had invited Mr. Motoni to his house for a meeting after the sensitization at Bida, but Mr. Motoni declined the invitation and headed to Kaduna State where he was eventually arrested. Mr. Motoni was initially detained at Metro Police Station, Enugu Road, Kaduna, but he is being transported to the SARS headquarters in Abuja where he will remain in detention. Shatta Wales bodyguard who was recently assaulted on camera has been gifted a motorcycle just as he makes peace with his musician boss. After several calls from the general public and industry critics for Shatta Wale to apologize to his bodyguard for landing a hefty slap on his face, the dancehall artiste, originally known as Charles Nii Armah Mensah has finally apologized by gifting his bodyguard with a motorbike. According to a close source, the Ghanaian dancehall king also added some thousands of Ghanaian Cedis to compensate him for the physical assault which was caught on camera. The bodyguard, Sparta Biggie according to the video was elated about the kind gesture being shown to him by his boss for just slapping him. Sparta Biggie earlier after the slapping incident indicated his willingness to serve his master even if he slaps him over and over again. He even admonished Ghanaians to shut their mouths about the incident saying, if I have been slapped, is it your ears? Nollywood actor, Bolanle Ninalowo disclosed in an interview with Genevieve magazine that he and the mother of his kids are now seperated after spending 12 years together. In his words; I am separated from the mother of my kids. I have an 11 year old girl and a nine year old boy from her and they live in Atlanta. We met here in Nigeria, when I visited 12 years ago. I took her, with me, to the States and filed for her (married her on paper) with the hope to someday get married officially, but things took the wrong turn. So, for now I am married to my hustle. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he agrees with those who said the present administration should focus on achieving its campaign promises and stop criticizing former President Goodluck Jonathans administration. The minister disclosed this in Abuja when the report of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Finalization of the Draft National Transport Policy (NTP) was submitted to him. The I9-member Committee was drawn from all the transport sectors and agencies in the country. The Minister also said there was need to invest more in the technological aspect of transportation. He said: I agree with those who said we should stop criticizing the last government and that we should do our own. We need to leverage on what we know. People are shouting intermodal transport; I went to the new airport in Singapore and I didnt find one person at the airport. As you walk in, technology takes over. They also said in the next few years, they would introduce driverless cars. We should also think outside the box about how to improve our transport sector and think less about how sun and moon affects the sector or building more bus stops. We should see how much investment we can put in the area of ICT. Intelligence transportation should not be ignored. He added: What we assure Nigerians is that under the Buhari administration; we would do everything possible to ensure that we maximize the resources that President by way of budget releases to each ministry. On the implementation of the policy, he said: I assure you that we would take the next step you want us to take. Usually, people take experts contribution for granted but the fact is, experts know better and if we dont come to you, who would we go to? We will go through it and I will direct the Permanent Secretary to give a copy to the Minister of State for Aviation while I read a copy. Once we are through and we share our views, we will take it to cabinet for approval. Also speaking, the chairperson of the Committee, Mfon Usoro explained that the adoption of the policy would make Nigerian economy stronger. She said: Adoption and implementation of the NTP by all tiers of government will lead to a stronger Nigerian Economy and a profitable future for the entire transportation service sector and for the many sectors that rely on transportation in a diversified economy. Source Today Following Bisi Alimis tweets calling Pastor Adeboye a vile, irresponsible amongst other names, Uche Maduagwu has come for the Gay rights activist. The self-acclaimed actor shared the above photo and wrote; If you say pastor Adeboye is irresponsible, then you are incredibly abominable too @bisialimi #Look at this cretin that thinks with his anus, so you too have joined your yoyo #friend to criticizing men of God abi? Wetin person no go see for #naija Its only in #Nigeria that people who #swim in the pool of adultery, and those who perpetually thinks with their colorful anus, boldly points accusing fingers at pastors. But can we really blame these #guys? If a mad person is #dancing on the street, and people ignore him, he would eventually stop, but when little #children are clapping, and singing for such a mad person, hell think everyday is #Christmas. Honestly, i never knew a day like this would come when someone like @bisialimi would also put on his Almighty diapers to shamelessly insulting an elderly #pastor, who is old enough to be his #father. It means the leakages on your buttocks has finally beclouded your sense of reasoning. You dont need counseling dear, you need deliverance with cane, rubbish. A mother who desperately wanted to sell her twin babies has been nabbed by men of the Nigeria police in Katsina state. A 30-year-old woman, Salima Lawal, of Marabar Kankara town in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State has been arrested by the state Police Command for allegedly attempting to sell her twins for N350,000. Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Been Gwana revealed at a press briefing in Katsina on Wednesday that Lawal had already negotiated and agreed to sell the twins for the said amount to a good Samaritan at Ruwan Godiya village in Faskari Local Government Area of the state on December 2, 2017 when Police arrested her. Details of the gender of the twins and their age were, however, not given. The Police Commissioner said the case was still under investigation, adding that Lawal would be arraigned in court soon. A womans family and friends have been stunned after she gave birth to a really massive baby boy that weighed a lot more than the average child. Diana Machacon, a new mum has revealed how she was truly surprised after giving birth to a record-breaking baby weighing a whopping 14.1 pounds. According to The Sun UK, exhausted Diana Machacon had to buy new baby clothes for Isaac David Guerra because nothing they had bought fitted him. The massive tot, who also measures a staggering 55 centimetres in length, is reported to require around seven feeds of breast milk per day and uses nappies meant for five-month-old infants. The average weight for a newborn baby is 7.7 pounds. Diana said: I really did not expect him to be this big. I mean, he looked big on the ultrasound scan, but I never imagined quite so large. I am over the moon and Isaac is so beautiful, but most of all I am happy because he is healthy. The baby boy was born at 10am on December 2 at the Cienaga Polyclinic in the northern department of Magdalena, Columbia. Gynaecologist Ana Maria Rivera Casas told local media that Isaac was born by caesarean section. She added that that there were no complications during the procedure, but doctors took him to the Intensive Care Nursery for monitoring. Rivera Casas said that a babys average weight is between 2.6 and 4 kilos, while Isaac was 6.38 kilos. The gynaecologist also revealed the normal length for a newborn is between 50 and 52cm. She said: At first the baby recorded a little breathing difficulty and we had to monitor his blood sugar levels as episodes of hypoglycaemia are not uncommon in larger infants. But everything is now normal and the baby is feeding well. The boys dad Jonathan Guerra also expressed his joy and called his son a blessing from God. A resident self-storage manager has been charged in the Dec. 1 fatal shooting of an alleged burglar at Storage @ Summerlin in Las Vegas. Martin Maycock, 60, told police he fired the .40-caliber rounds as the thief drove a Ford cargo van toward him. However, security footage from the property shows the victim, 25-year-old Jeffrey Pierre Paget, may have been trying to escape and veered away from the shooter, according to police. Maycock told detectives he was walking the property at 7441 W. Lake Mead Blvd. just before leaving for dinner when he spotted the van parked near stored motorhomes. When Maycock approached him, Paget said the motorhome belonged to his friend. After Maycock noticed Paget was holding a screwdriver, Paget told him to mind his own business and jumped in the van, the source stated. Maycock fired a single shot at the vans tires, but missed, police stated. He then fired again, striking Paget in the chest. Maycock called police at about 7:10 p.m. to report the incident, and then rendered aid to Paget. Responders found the victim slumped behind the wheel of the van, which is reportedly stolen. Police believe the fatal shot penetrated the drivers side window, the source reported. Paget died shortly after being transported to University Medical Center. Paget pleaded guilty in April 2014 to two counts of grand larceny and was sentenced to two to five years in prison, according to Clark County District Court records. Maycock, who has been employed at the self-storage facility for 17 years, recently obtained a concealed-weapon permit following several thefts at the property. Hes been charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon, and is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on a $25,000 bond. He was scheduled to have his initial court hearing yesterday. The California 1st District Court of Appeal has upheld a lower-court decision that awarded former self-storage employee Eva OBrien $1.325 million for wrongful termination and punitive damages. OBrien was awarded $325,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages in her case against Dennis E. Baca, owner of Airport Self Storage in Livermore, Calif. OBrien was also awarded the cost of her legal fees. Baca appealed the lower-court decision after a motion for a new trial was denied. The defendant argued there was insufficient evidence to support the jurys verdict. He also contended the awarded damages were excessive and that OBriens attorney committed misconduct during Phase II of the trial, according to court documents. OBrien was hired in November 2010 by Baca and self-storage facility manager Laura Read, who is described in court documents as Bacas longtime companion. OBrien was hired at $15 per hour as a relief clerk to spend three days per week at the self-storage facility and two days per week at Bacas business office. Airport Self Storage also does business as Baca Properties, which owns other commercial assets including office and retail properties, according to its website. In May or June 2011, OBrien learned she was pregnant and later told Read, despite being warned by a fellow employee that Baca wouldnt be happy about the news. During a meeting with Baca and Read on Oct. 7, Baca confronted OBrien, berating her and throwing a rental agreement at her. All you can think about is your family, and youre making so many mistakes. You dont pay attention, Baca said, according to court documents filed on Dec. 4. Youre four, five months pregnant now? In a few weeks, with your belly, youre not going to be able to do your work, and then youre going to be breast feeding; and its going to cause even more problems. Baca then apparently got in OBriens face and asked if she wanted to give notice. When OBrien said no, Baca told her to get back to work and Im going to take care of you. The self-storage owner didnt fire her in part because he didnt want her to collect unemployment. He told another employee that he was going to make OBrien quit, and instructed another staff member to confiscate her keys to the storage facility. On Oct. 10, OBrien was prohibited from answering the phone, collecting rental checks or using the computer, and instructed to clean, dust and mop the office, including the toilets and windowsduties she hadnt been assigned previously. Four days later, she was sent home after three hours of work and filed a claim with the Employment Development Department for a reduction of hours. She was also sent home early on Oct. 17. According to the court, Read began searching for OBriens replacement after the Oct. 7 meeting and had that person begin work on Oct. 19. When OBrien reported for work on Oct. 21, she was told Baca wanted her to go home. When OBrien called Read to inquire when she could return to work, Read told her, We see that you filed for unemployment. We no longer need your services. On OBriens final paycheck, Baca forged a note from OBrien to appear shed given notice. Baca admitted in court that he wrote the note to create the appearance of OBrien having quit. The court indicated this was an intent to create beneficial evidence if OBrien sought unemployment benefits for being fired. OBrien described Baca as a micromanager and was treated for anxiety and depression after her termination. The jury awarded her $25,000 for economic loss and $300,000 for emotional stress. After Phase II, the jury determined Baca had acted with malice, oppression or fraud, and awarded OBrien $1 million in punitive damages. Baca produced only one financial-related document during the trial, which included a list of properties he owned with a 2014-2015 assessed value of more than $57.7 million. Baca contends his conduct was not sufficiently reprehensible to warrant imposition of punitive damages. the court wrote in its opinion. He is wrong. September 5, 1927 December 1, 2017 James N. Corliss, 90, of Corvallis, died peacefully, Friday, December 1 at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House in Albany. He was born September 5, 1927 in Beach, North Dakota to Newel and Meda (Knudtson) Corliss. Jim married the love of his life, Beverly Pryor, in Eugene in 1948. Jim was owner operator of Benton Tractor Company and later on finished a career at Hewlett-Packard, where he served as a diesel mechanic at the Corvallis plant until his retirement. In retirement, Jim kept busy repairing Allis-Chalmer model G tractors, outfitting them with diesel conversion motors, a process he invented. Jim was a member of the Corvallis Elks Lodge. He loved Steelhead and salmon fishing, gambling at the casino and card parties with the family, but most of all, he loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. James was always raring to go and was often out in the car waiting (patiently) for his passengers to come. He is survived by his children, Larry Corliss (Sandy), Steven Corliss, Karal Holladay (Bill), Konnie Berger (Craig); and numerous grand and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife Bev; son James H. Corliss; and four brothers. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 9 at McHenry Funeral Home. Please leave your condolences for the family at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com Top News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Announces Funding to Close on ELMS Assets BREA, Calif. - November 17, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) ("Mullen" or the "Company"), an emerging electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, announces today receipt of $150 million on Nov. 16, 2022, which will be used in part to close on ELMS assets. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea 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 Top AI News - Investor Idea 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. Top Fashion News - Investor Idea 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 Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire ARE YOU A TOP COMPANY? What it Really Means to be a Top Company! To be a Top Company in Irish Construction Industry Magazines Top Companies listing means far more than just a rank and position in an ordered catalogue of names. To us, it means that your efforts to be the best you can be and to excel in your industry and sector have been effective and have paid dividends. To us, it means that your determination and commitment to develop and instil a positive work culture and environment have brought your business due success plus satisfaction. We see it as you being a supportive and inclusive place in which to work that strives to bring the best out of everyone across every level of the organisation. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE April 27, 1996 November 27, 2017 Tristan Lloyd Kern, born in Newberg on April 27, 1996, tragically perished on the slopes of Mt. Storm King in Olympic National Park on November 10, 2017. He was the only son of Kyle and Suzanne Kern of Newberg. Two sisters, Madeleine and Arianna Kern devotedly loved their brother and are heartbroken by his absence. The 21-year old was an honor student in Newberg High Schools class of 2015 and a junior at Seattle Pacific University studying Fashion Design & Merchandising, with honors. He will be awarded an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree by the university. A passionate outdoorsman, Tristan hiked, hunted, fished, bicycled, camped, climbed and skied his way across the Northwest throughout his youth. He was the namesake of adventurer and writer Tristan Jones and yearned to be surrounded by the beauty and grandeur of Gods natural wonders, a calling which his family lovingly supported and admired. In high school, Tristan lettered in Cross-Country and Rugby. He was an avid cyclist and president of SPUs Bike Club. His family knows that he is resting in the arms of his Savior and will forever be grateful for the faithfulness shown by his Christian roommates and SPU classmates in the aftermath of this tragedy. Tristan was preceded in death by a grandfather and uncle. Among those who treasured this young man are his grandparents, aunts, uncles and 12 cousins who dearly loved their Tristan. Twelve hundred mourners attended memorial services in Newberg and Seattle during the week of November 27. To honor Tristans memory, please donate to the SPU Bike Club, by going to give.spu.edu, tapping Give to SPU, and designating: SPU Bike Club, to BackcountryHunters.org/donate, or to OlympicMountainRescue.org. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire has reiterated a goal for the EU to have a digital tax on technology giants such Amazon, Facebook and Apple, within two years, as a meeting of finance ministers agreed for the commission to present proposals in the spring. Plans for a digital tax are opposed by the Government because its adoption is widely seen as potentially undermining the Irish corporate tax regime and weakening the attraction for multinationals to base operations here. At the meeting in Brussels, EU ministers adopted a common position on taxation on companies which have been accused of paying too little tax in the EU. Such firms reroute the booking of profits to low-tax countries where they have headquarters, such as Luxembourg and Ireland. Bomb disposal teams, military vehicles, helicopters and armed personnel will all be involved in a massive training exercise in Dublin today. The elite Army Ranger Wing and gardai are to simulate a major terror incident. By Ann O'Loughlin Former Ryanair pilot John Goss has told the High Court an email at the centre of a case which the airline is suing him and two others over was a reasonable document. On his second full day under cross examination, Captain Goss told the court he made his own enquiries about the information in the email before it was sent to Ryanair pilots. He was satisfied it was correct and stood over it. The airline is suing him and Evert Van Zwol and Ted Murphy, who are all members of the Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) interim council, over the September 2013 email circulated to 2,289 pilots. It was headed "Pilot Update: what the markets are saying about Ryanair". The airline says it falsely inferred, among other things, the company misled the market. It says it was published maliciously and was part of an ongoing RPG effort to trade unionise its pilots. The defendants deny defamation and say the words complained of do not mean what Ryanair says. The action is now in its fifth week before a jury and Mr Justice Bernard Barton. Under cross-examination by Martin Hyaden SC, for Ryanair, Captain Goss denied that because the RPG had been getting nowhere in relation to raising safety issues that the email was the "next stage" in mounting pressure on management to talk with the RPG. It would make no sense to do such a thing, Capt. Goss said. He denied it was about "outcasting management" in the eyes of pilots. There would be no point in doing that when it was about talking to them, he said. Counsel said having run into a "dead end" with the aviation authority over safety claims, the RPG moved target to see if it could get some traction out of accusing management of acting improperly when informing the market. He replied that was absolutely incorrect and he could see no evidence to suggest that. It was also put to him that leading up to the publication of the pilot update, he had a known hostility and ill-will towards the company given his history. He replied he felt disappointed and upset at the way he had been treated, but hostility would be the wrong word. Asked did his dismissal in 2013 make him angry, he said he had mixed feelings of shock at first, then disappointment and there was an element of anger as anyone would have when they are fired without due process. Being "dumped without the opportunity to defend yourself" left him extremely worried about what would happen and this was quickly followed by the serving of these defamation proceedings. He denied the purpose of the pilot update was to drive a wedge between management and pilots. That would stop any discourse between the two sides when the sole purpose was to organise pilots so they could deal directly with the management. "Putting a wedge between them would have been completely against the work we were doing". Cross examination of Capt. Goss has finished and he will be briefly re-examined by his own counsel tomorrow when the case resumes. The global food and drink industry is gigantic. It employs hundreds of thousands of people, is endlessly innovative and has especially strong momentum in fast growing regions such as Asia and Africa. As an industry to engage with there are few more interesting and that is why Cork, and UCC in particular, should be more energised about it in my opinion. We all know that Munster has deep roots in the global food and drink industry. It was Cork that established the first standards for butter in the British Empire during the 1700s. The dairy, meat, seafood and whiskey sectors have an extensive presence across the south of Ireland. Much of our international food and drink success is connected to owners and managers that emanate from the south. We know, too, that University College Cork has a fine track record in producing food scientists that have gone on to lead many companies and co-ops. The academic work taking place currently around dairy and gut science, just two examples, is noted and recognised in many circles. Yet, in business I do not encounter many references to Cork as a recognised centre of excellence or innovation in the area of food and beverage industry and strategy. That is where an enormous opportunity exists. Universities around Ireland are all hungry to grow and expand. In daily work I come across various approaches from academia about expansion plans, particularly by business schools. The problem is that all of these look too similar. Everyone wants a business school that gets a reputation worldwide in business. Id argue such an approach will not work because resources are too limited and fragmented in Ireland to secure global recognition under the broad banner of business. However, Ireland and Cork do have a unique heritage that is recognised in many quarters around food and beverage. It is that heritage which should be championed to create a business school that has a go-to reputation for undergraduates and post-graduates who have ambition to lead food and beverage corporates worldwide. To achieve that objective UCC and Cork City have to work hand in hand. There are a myriad of initiatives that could take place in pursuit of that goal, including; hosting an annual food and beverage business conference that attracts globally recognised leaders to debate and network about big themes in food and drink; a sequence of high profile position papers published by UCC students addressing groundbreaking topics in the sector, and; specialist courses designed for executives in food and drink companies worldwide. If that plan was pursued it could be augmented by joined-up programmes which expose students, academics and young executives to the large and small food and drink producers that exist around Munster. Creating an agri-food eating hub in the region that promotes and encourages high quality restaurants would help too. This would complement a vibe that makes Cork synonymous with leading edge thinking and research about the optimal business models and strategies needed to succeed in the decades ahead. If Cork and UCC could shape such a strategy it would attract students from across the world. Why not aim to have African, Asian and Latin American students and executives choosing UCC as the university of choice for undergraduate and postgraduate food and drink business study? Why not aim to have the agri-food companies in the Fortune 500 consider Cork as a worthy destination for executive training programmes? The subject matter that can be encapsulated within food and drink is very broad. Climate change, smart farming technology, commodity market analysis and nutraceuticals are just some of the subjects that need deep dive analysis and research. Not only do companies and co-ops need answers on these issues but so too do governments and financial investors. All of these can be brought to bear as supporters and funders of a Cork Food and Beverage Campus. Joe Gill is director of corporate broking with Goodbody Stockbrokers. His views are personal. With the negotiating clock ticking down, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hit out at Ms Fosters party, claiming in the Dail that most people in the North would back the deal rejected by the DUP. UK prime minister Theresa May now faces intense pressure to formulate a solution before the end of the week with Dublin and Belfast placing the responsibility firmly on her shoulders. Mr Varadkar said there is still time to piece a deal back together before a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels next week, but said that the ball is very much in Londons court. An optimistic note was sounded by the Taoiseachs spokesman last night who suggested it would not be unreasonable to change the wording of the agreement provided it did not undermine what had been achieved by the Irish side. However, there was little give from Ms Foster, who blamed Mr Varadkar for withholding the text of the agreement, which, when seen by the DUP on Monday resulted in a phone call to Ms May and the eventual stalling of the deal. We were told that the Irish government prevented it coming to us and we have to take that at face value, said Ms Foster. The text only came through to us late [Monday] morning. Once we saw the text we knew that it wasnt going to be acceptable. We had made it clear right throughout that our red line, and its the one thing that we have consistently talked about that we couldnt have a situation where Northern Ireland was different from the rest of the UK. That is something that obviously came as a big shock when we looked at the wording. However, the Government last night strongly denied claims that they were responsible for keeping unionists in the dark on the special Brexit deal. In a statement clearly laying the blame back on Downing Street, the Government said it rejected Ms Fosters claim and said it had no role whatsoever in the negotiations conducted by the British government. A Government statement said it had no involvement in any decision on which documents should go to the DUP. In the Dail the Taoiseach said he believed the majority of people living in the North would favour the deal rejected by the DUP, adding that no agreement could involve one political party to the exclusion of others. I believe, and this is the most important thing, that the majority of people in Northern Ireland, if they were so asked, would like to have this agreement, said Mr Varadkar. We will recognise the fact that the majority of people in Northern Ireland, and the majority of constituencies in Northern Ireland, did not vote to leave the European Union. Perhaps if the Northern Ireland Assembly was meeting today it might even pass a resolution in favour of what was agreed, as a majority of the people elected to that Assembly wanted to remain and the majority of the parties, including the Alliance Party, the Green Party, the SDLP and others, want to stay in the internal market and the customs union but, unfortunately, we have to deal with the situation as we find it. Mr Varadkar already said this week that a final deal could be done in January or even February. Another meeting in Brussels between Ms May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker is expected either today or over the next few days. The priority is to give plenty of time to resolve this, a spokesman said. The negotiating deadlock was yesterday described as a car crash by a former Northern Ireland secretary in the Lords. Labours Peter Hain suggestion was to apply that alignment across the UK then the problem is solved. The public is invited to attend the annual Pearl Harbor Memorial ceremony at 8 a.m. Thursday at the American Legion Post 10, 1215 Pacific Boulevard SE., in Albany. Capt. James A. Haggart, United States Navy retired, will be the guest speaker. The colors will be presented by the Post 10 Honor Guard and Glenn Hunter will play taps. A brunch will be served after the ceremony. At 7:55 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, 361 warplanes from the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On that day, 2,008 naval personnel including 1,177 on the USS Arizona alone 109 Marines, 218 Army members and 68 civilians died. Another 1,178 Americans were wounded in the 90-minute attack. The attack propelled the United States into World War II. International reading tests in which Irish fourth-class pupils took part last year have revealed that girls scores are still better than boys, just as they are in 47 of the other 49 countries that took part. But the gap between them on the Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) tests is just 12 points, compared to an international average of 19. The gap is down from the 15 points it was five years ago. The team of researchers at the Educational Research Centre (ERC), who oversaw testing at 148 primary schools, said both genders had improved, but a factor in boys closing the gap was their performance in reading literary texts. Pupils were tested in four main areas, to assess how well they read to learn things, rather than just their ability to read. Each child had to read two pieces of text of 800 words each, one a literary text and the other informational, and answer questions about what they had read. An element of the Department of Educations literacy and numeracy strategy (it was introduced in 2011) was to get primary schools using a broader range of texts in class, as well as devoting a suggested, extra half-hour a day to improving literacy and numeracy in primary schools. This widened use of texts was to be particularly aimed at boys, to address fears that they have traditionally tended not to do as well as girls in literacy tests. Boys have also had higher levels of literacy problems than girls, further prompting extra efforts to get them interested in reading. These initiatives by schools are believed to have played a role in closing the gender gap shown in PIRLS. Since the same testing was done in 2011, boys scores here increased by 17 points, compared to a 13-point improvement for girls. But on the literary text assessments, the gap has fallen from 23 to 17 points in five years. Its not because girls have done badly, but because boys have caught up, said Eemer Eivers, co-author, with ERC colleagues, Lorraine Gilleece and Emer Delaney, of the initial report on Irelands performance in PIRLS 2016. As well as testing more than 4,600 pupils in these paper-based tests, they oversaw online reading tests that were also taken by 2,500 of those children. The gap between boys and girls was slightly narrower on this ePIRLS test, because it only looks at informational texts, on which boys usually do better than girls. Other main elements of the literacy and numeracy strategy, at primary level, included significant investment in teacher-training, and making standardised tests for pupils in second, fourth, and sixth class compulsory. While many schools were already doing these, there is now also a requirement to communicate each childs scores to their parents and how they compare with peers nationally, Department of Education chief inspector, Harold Hislop, said this has helped to create more informed discussions about literacy at parent-teacher meetings. The revelation is contained at the end of the Commissions third interim report and comes as the Government has granted the inquiry a one-year extension to complete its work. The Commission will now publish its final reports in February 2019. In its latest interim report, the Commission notes that while there are detailed death records available in relation to mother and baby homes, there are also significant gaps in the information available about the burials of babies who died in a number of the institutions it is examining. The Commission is continuing to make inquiries about burials and burial records but it appears that this is an area in which it will be difficult to establish the facts, states the report. It also acknowledges that it has spent considerable time trying to establish the burial practices at Tuam Mother and Baby Home. The report states that the collection and analysis of information about entry and exit pathways for mothers and children; living conditions, mortality rates, post-mortem practices, and vaccine trials in the institutions; and practices in relation to placement for fostering and adoption has proven to be very time consuming. The commission has already collected a vast range of material relating to 11 of the 14 institutions under investigation and is electronically scanning or photocopying the relevant records. However, the report also reveals there is one institution for which records are probably not available and another whose records may be available but are very difficult to extract from a larger collection of records. Orders for discovery have been served on the relevant religious congregations and State authorities. Extensive material has been provided but this process is not yet complete. However, significant gaps exist in the material. The report states that the records of some of the various health authorities are proving difficult to find and it is not clear if they have been lost or destroyed or simply that no one knows where they are. Meanwhile, Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone announced her intention to establish a collaborative forum to support former residents in developing solutions to the issues of concern to them. This will run in tandem with the investigation. Ms Zappone also said that the Government has decided to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo deGreiff, to visit Ireland. Detectives suspect that the victim, a Chinese national, was targeted because of a personal grudge a woman held against her. They believe this woman may have organised, or perhaps paid for a man to attack the victim. The attacker, a large male, forced the victim to the ground, as she walked home from work last Friday night, and threw or poured a caustic soda mixture onto her face and hands. While caustic soda is not acid, it can cause significant corrosive injuries. The victim, aged 32, was walking near a pathway between Merrion Woods and Seamount Apartments in Blackrock, Co Dublin, at around 10pm. She tried to protect her face from the chemical being thrown onto her. She was subsequently taken to specialists in the Eye and Ear Hospital. Gardai in Blackrock have conducted a number of searches. Sources said they were satisfied they had established the motive for the attack and were following a definite line of inquiry. Detectives will try and establish who the female suspect was in contact with, either on her phone or any other digital device. They will also try and determine her movements in recent weeks and who she might have met. They will also gather any other evidence, before moving to arrest the woman. They have appealed to walkers, taxi drivers and delivery drivers, and anyone else who was in the area between 9.30pm and 10.30pm last Friday, and who saw something suspicious or who may have relevant dash camera footage, to contact them. The researchers at the Universitys Bernal Institute also discovered earlier this year how to generate electricity from human tears. Their latest research has found that mobile phone speakers and motion detectors in cars and video games may soon be powered by electricity generated from low cost and sustainable biomaterials. The researchers found that the biomolecule glycine, when tapped or squeezed, can generate enough electricity to power electrical devices in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable way. The research was published in leading international journal Nature Materials. Glycine, a simple amino acid, which occurs in practically all agri and forestry residues, can be produced at less than 1% of the cost of currently used piezoelectric materials. It is really exciting that such a tiny molecule can generate so much electricity, said Sarah Guerin, lead author and Science Foundation Ireland funded post-graduate researcher at the Department of Physics and the Bernal Institute, UL. We used computer models to predict the electrical response of a wide range of crystals and the glycine number was off the charts. We then grew long, narrow crystals of glycine in alcohol and we produced electricity just by tapping them, she said. PhD supervisor Damien Thompson said: The predictive models we are developing can save years of trial-and-error lab work. "The modelling data tells us what kinds of crystals to grow and where best to cut and press those crystals to generate electricity. Professor Tofail Syed, co-author and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Medical Devices (CURAM) investigator, said: We also have a patent pending that translates our findings to applications such as biodegradable power generation, devices detecting diseases inside of the body and physiologically controlled drug pumps. Previously, Bernal scientists discovered piezoelectricity in the globular protein lysozyme, found in tears, egg-white and saliva, and hydroxyapatite, a component of bone. The current finding extends the technology towards pragmatic, low-cost, renewable sources for electricity generation, said Professor Luuk van der Wielen, director of the Bernal Institute and Bernal Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Design. In its first annual review of the countrys efforts at tackling greenhouse gas emissions, the council says there is now no hope of meeting the 2020 targets for carbon reduction set by the EU. Longer-term targets for 2030 and 2050 also look unachievable unless there is radical and swift change in the way we get around, manufacture, produce food, generate and use power, and heat buildings. We are not going to meet our 2020 targets, no matter what policies we introduce, said John FitzGerald, chairman of the council, which was set up last year to advise the Government how to tackle climate change. The country now faces buying its way out of its commitments by purchasing carbon credits from other countries that meet their targets with capacity to spare, or pay fines to Europe. Either way, the cost will run to hundreds of millions of euro and the problem of getting control of and ultimately reducing carbon emissions still remains. Carbon emissions grew by 3.7% here in 2015 and provisional figures show another 3.5% growth last year. They need to fall by at least 2.4% a year to reach the 2050 target. The councils review says the Governments National Mitigation Plan, unveiled less than five months ago as the blueprint for carbon reduction, is not sufficient to meet any of the looming targets. It has a lot of bright ideas, but very few decisions, said Prof FitzGerald. Measures the council wants to see in the plan include a substantial increase in the carbon tax. No figure is given, but the tax is currently levied on fuels at 20 per tonne of carbon emitted and environmentalists have warned that that figure needs to at least treble over the next decade, adding at least eight cent to a litre of diesel or petrol. Also mooted is the phasing out of coal and peat for residential heating and power generation, starting by ending the subsidy for peat-fired electricity generation. The review notes that the subsidy costs 110m to produce 250 megawatts of power, while 3,334 megawatts of renewable power could be achieved with supports costing 351m, four times cheaper. It urges greater incentives for electric vehicles and says only public transport vehicles running on sustainable energy should be bought. Better planning is needed to end commuting, while agriculture should be steered away from beef and dairy and towards biomass production. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the review should act as a wake-up call. Once again, the Governments lack of ambition on tackling climate change and emissions is laid bare by this report, said Mr Ryan. The Stop Climate Chaos coalitions policy co-ordinator, Jerry MacEvilly, said Climate Action Minister Denis Naughten must now revise Irelands climate strategy on foot of the councils recommendations. Mr Naughten faces a grilling in the Dail tomorrow, when climate change is scheduled for discussion. Psychiatric nurses protested for 90 minutes yesterday afternoon at St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny and University Hospital Waterford to highlight ongoing overcrowding and a staffing crisis faced by patients at the two acute mental health admission units. Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are demanding the provision of new and expanded community services, a more rigorous management of beds, long-stay beds, and an end to understaffing to address the crisis in services in the Kilkenny and Waterford region. Michael Hayes, PNA industrial relations officer, said: Our message is clear nurses are not prepared to continue to struggle to deliver vital services in the care environment where they cannot treat patients in the manner that they expect and deserve to be treated. Nurses have been left with no option but to mount their protests to highlight the intolerable pressures that understaffing and under-resourcing in Kilkenny and Waterford are placing on staff. This is resulting in an unacceptable environment for patient care. The PNA has highlighted a number of instances this year when overcrowding led to patients, both children and adults, spending the night on chairs when there was no bed for them. Mr Hayes said: The common response from management when these episodes are highlighted is that changes will occur, but as these protests show, nurses have seen no changes and patients continue to encounter mental health services that cannot be delivered professionally while things remain as they are. The levels of understaffing are illustrated by the fact that PNA is currently negotiating with management in Waterford to avert a major staffing crisis over Christmas where the service is being expected to operate with no staff to cover 100 shifts over the holiday period. The acute unit in Kilkenny is currently seven staff short, and lack of long-term rehabilitation care and poor bed management is now creating overcrowding in St Lukes for the first time ever. Earlier this year, a 16-year-old was left to sleep on a chair at the adult psychiatric unit after she was admitted to University Hospital Waterford for treatment. The unit has had to deal with overcapacity levels at least 20 times this year alone, according to the PNA. In a statement, the HSE said it is continuing talks with the PNA and that the highest quality of care for patients is a top priority. Last December, a Mental Health Commission report found a critical level of non-compliance in the 44-bed unit in six areas and a high level of non-compliance in seven areas of operation. Currently, there are no Child and Adolescent Mental Health beds, no Community Mental Health services as envisaged under the Vision for Change report, or day hospital facilities available in the Waterford mental health services. A Dublin man jailed for life for murder nearly eight years ago must wait to hear the outcome of an appeal against his conviction. Peter Kenny, aged 35, of McCarthys Terrace, Rialto, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Carroll, aged 33, who was shot while socialising in Grumpy Jacks pub in the Coombe, Dublin, in February 2009. Kenny was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury and given a life sentence by Mr Justice Barry White on July 19, 2011. Opening an appeal against conviction, Kennys barrister, Sean Gillane, said the prosecution centred on the evidence of Joseph OBrien, a drug dealer, former suspect, and garda informant. Mr Gillane said the genesis of Mr OBriens evidence, and the manner it was brought about, must cause the Court of Appeal concern. Some aspects of how Mr OBrien was handled by the gardai were scandalous, counsel said. It led to an application that a fair trial could not be secured and that Mr OBriens evidence should have been excluded. He said Mr OBrien was arrested on suspicion of murder, brought to Pearse Street Garda Station and brought into a room for a meeting with Det Sgt Adrian Whitelaw and the late Superintendent PJ Browne. Neither Det Sgt Whitelaw nor Supt Browne took a note of anything that transpired over the course of two hours, Mr Gillane said. He said the deliberate and calculated way this was done made the fruits of the discussion almost impossible to subsequently analyse. Mr Gillane said the relationship between Det Sgt Whitelaw, Supt Browne, and Mr OBrien, which the defence did not know about until just before the trial, was never pinned down as none of the people responsible for managing it ever took a note or shared the existence of it with anybody. He alleged that almost every piece of material related to the meeting resulted in huge divergences in terms of Mr OBriens motivation for making the statement, who mentioned the witness protection programme, who mentioned immunity and whether immunity was applicable to this prosecution. Counsel said that, from 2005 on, Mr OBrien was an informer, a known drug dealer, who was giving information to Det Sgt Whitelaw in that capacity. What was worse, said Mr Gillane, was that guidelines on how informers were to be dealt with were not just inadvertently breached but knowingly breached. He said Det Sgt Whitelaw had received the guidelines, relating to the Covert Human Intelligence Source, and nonetheless continued to operate in the way that he did. Patrick Gageby, for the DPP, said lawyers had not demonstrated how opaqueness impacted the case as proved against Kenny. Mr Gageby said it was hard to see how any of the evidence might have been materially affected by anything that was or was not said in the meeting. He said the case against Kenny largely came down to telephone traffic and his attendance at the place where the gun was in the car. The court reserved judgment. DUP leader Arlene Foster hit out at Dublin, citing an aggressive Irish stance in the latest Brexit standoff. She claimed Taoiseach Leo Varadkars Government was responsible for withholding the deal. The Cabinet also discussed the impasse, as efforts continue to cobble together a pact ahead of an EU summit. There are questions on whether the whole deal is now salvageable. It had all been but agreed on Monday between the EU and Britain that the Norths and the Republics regulations would be aligned. However, the DUP torpedoed the deal to avoid a hard border, despite agreement by the Tories and British prime minister Theresa May in London. Yesterday, Ms Foster claimed the Government had stopped London showing her and the DUP the text of the deal. She reiterated there could be no border between the constituent parts of the UK, a scenario that could arise if the North gets a special status but trading across the Irish Sea does not. She said: The Irish Government wouldnt allow them [Brexit negotiators] to show the text. Once we saw the text, we knew that it would not fly. This argument was denied by the Government. In a statement, the Government said it rejected Ms Fosters claim and said it had no role whatsoever in the negotiations conducted by the British government. It said it had no involvement in any decision on which documents should go to the DUP. A spokesman later said Mr Varadkar would likely raise the issue with Ms May. Ms Foster said the DUP wanted to look at thetext, make it clear what it cannot agree with, and try to work through to phase two of talks. The Government is now waiting for movement from Ms May, with the Taoiseach clearly saying yesterday that the ball was in their court. Irish ministers privately told the Irish Examiner that scheduled meetings in Brussels this week, including a meeting of commissioners today, will go ahead even if there is no Brexit update. Senior sources are willing to accept that any resolution on the soft border option may be delayed until later this week or next, if needs be. Mr Varadkar said that a final deal could be done in January or even February. Another meeting in Brussels between Ms May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker is expected either today or in the next few days. The priority is to give plenty of time to resolve this, said a spokesman. Mr Varadkar will today discuss the latest Brexit impasse with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who visits Dublin. Mr Varadkar and Tanaiste Simon Coveney updated the Cabinet on Brexit yesterday. A Government spokesman said it would not be unreasonable to amend the text of the Brexit phase one deal as long as it did not undermine what had been achieved by the Irish side. When pushed, the spokesman said there was a possibility this could include new language concerning the UK. Results of tests in 50 countries last year further vindicate an increased focus on literacy that has seen most primary teachers undergo specific training to target improvements in this area. Only children in Russia and Singapore scored significantly better than the 4,607 Irish fourth-class pupils tested at 148 primary schools in April 2016 for the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. In the online reading test called ePIRLS, Irelands scores were only bettered by those of pupils in Singapore. Irish and Norwegian children did significantly better than those in the 11 other countries. The children taking part here started primary education at the same time as the Department of Educations literacy and numeracy strategy began to be implemented in the countrys 4,000 primary and second-level schools. While nearly half of the 41 countries that also took part in the international study in 2011 recorded higher average scores this time around, the improvement in Ireland was among the biggest. The average Irish pupils score increased by 15 points to 567, the latest data shows. This average score puts Ireland in what the Educational Research Centre in Dublin, which carried out the testing here, described as a statistical dead heat with Northern Ireland, Poland, Finland and Hong Kong. They had scores in a range from 565 to 569 but all 43 remaining countries got significantly lower average scores than our pupils. As well as being Europes best, Irish pupils average score beat all other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). More than one in five passed an advanced reading mark of 625 points or higher, compared to just 10% average elsewhere, and up from 16% in the 2011 international study. The 62% of high-scoring Irish pupils (scoring 550 or more) is up from 53% in five years, and compares to 47% internationally this time. Although their numbers are marginal, the 2% of Irish children who failed to reach the lowest score benchmark of 400 is half the international average. There was a huge improvement at the top end of the scale. But throughout the entire spectrum of achievement, weve gone up in all elements, said the Educational Research Centres lead researcher Eemer Eivers. Education Minister Richard Bruton paid tribute to principals and teachers for the improvements, which he said are consistent with findings in other national and international reports. The reforms introduced since 2011 include changes to how literacy is taught in pre-service training for teachers. The Irish National Teachers Organisation said unequal pay for those entering the profession since then is fuelling emigration and teacher shortages. Asked if the role of new teachers in the improvements justifies union claims for equal pay, Mr Bruton told the Irish Examiner the matter is being dealt in ongoing talks about recent entrants pay in the wider public service and that good progress is being made. They believe that four people arrested in relation to the haul, three of them Eastern Europeans, are just workers for a local gang. The size of the haul has been the subject of some confusion, with some sources initially placing the value at around 3.5m, most of it said to be cocaine. This would have suggested that some 45kg-50kg of cocaine was seized. However, gardai have downgraded the size of the consignment, in part due to suspicions that much of the powder was not cocaine, but may be a mixing agent to dilute the cocaine. Sources have since confirmed that a minimum of 12kg of cocaine was found, but this could rise. A substantial quantity of mixing agents was found in the haul. It is thought that the mixing agents were being stored inside Aldi supermarket bags. A quantity of ecstasy tablets was also found in the industrial unit. Gardai were yesterday afternoon still awaiting the results of forensic tests on a range of the items seized. Local gardai only made the discovery on Monday morning when they were called to fire at the unit in Mell, outside Drogheda, and searched a premises. Sources believe that a local gang, based in the Dundalk and Ardee area, was behind the facility. This outfit is thought to be supplying drugs across Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Kildare and beyond. It has been hit a number of times, but only small quantities of drugs have been seized off them. This is quite a significant seizure, said one source. The gang is known to be using vulnerable people to take the hands-on risk of handling, storing and mixing drugs. They use people who are down on their luck, said the source. In one case recently, a 15-year-old boy was used to store three pipe bombs. Gardai yesterday continued to question the four men arrested, two of them Polish and a third Latvian, under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act 1991. Meanwhile, gardai are continuing to question a man in relation to the discovery of a semi-automatic sawn-off shotgun and a stolen high-powered motorbike in west Dublin on Monday night. As part of an ongoing investigation targeting serious criminal activity in the area, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, assisted by the Special Crime Task Force, conducted a planned search of an address in Blanchardstown. A 37-year-old man was arrested. Dean Gilsenan had reserved his position, regarding a bail application, last week, when he and three other people appeared before Judge Mary Dorgan, at a special sitting of Bandon District Court. Mr Gilsenan, of 2 Kilmahuddrick Green, Clondalkin, in Dublin 22, was arrested and charged last week, in connection with the alleged cocaine-extraction laboratory. It was found during a garda operation at Seascape, Dromleigh, in Bantry, in West Cork, on November 26 last. He, alongside his father, William Gilsenan, of the same address in Clondalkin, Sean McManus, of 32 Burrowfield Road, in Baldoyle, Dublin 13, and Molly Sloyan, of 4B Buenosaires, Benidorm, in Alicante, Spain, each face two charges, under Section 3 and Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Officers from the West Cork and Cork City Drug Units and the Garda Regional Support Unit found bleached cocaine worth 70,000. At last weeks hearing, Judge Dorgan heard claims from gardai that packages were sent to Ireland from South America to the laboratory. At yesterdays hearing, Det Garda Andrew Manning and Insp Fergal Foley reiterated that gardai were opposing bail, citing the seriousness of the charges. Gardai said Mr Gilsenan is a possible flight risk, but his solicitor, Patrick Horan, challenged this. He said his client had said he was willing to stay at his mothers house, in Clondalkin, was willing to sign on twice daily at a Garda station, and was willing to observe a curfew. Mr Horan also said gardai had secured his passport. However, Det Garda Manning told the court gardai understood Mr Gilsenan had spent 10 months out of the past year overseas, stating: He has travelled extensively, particularly in the past year. Mr Horan said this was not illegal and Det Garda Manning accepted there had been no intimation from Mr Gilsenan that he wanted to leave the country. Det Garda Manning said, regarding bail conditions that could be acceptable to gardai: There are conditions, at this point [that would be acceptable]. The court heard that Mr Gilsenan had no record of work or social welfare in the past year. Insp Foley said: He seems to be able to live on fresh air. Mr Horan said definable issues needed to be raised in opposing bail, rather than assertions. Judge Dorgan said she had considered the evidence and was refusing bail under the Bail Act and the OCallaghan Rules, based on the seriousness of the offences. Gilsenan was remanded in custody to appear before Clonakilty District Court on December 19, for instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. William Gilsenan, Sean McManus, and Molly Sloyan were all remanded in custody, also to December 19, in Clonakilty, for DPP directions. A statement of means was handed into court, regarding Dean Gilsenan, and legal aid was granted to his father, to Mr McManus, and to Ms Sloyan. Judge Dorgan also told the court she had received a letter from Ms Sloyans mother. I want her to know I have read it, the judge said, adding that she would not be changing her position, taken on the last day in court, with regard to Molly Sloyan. The judge said: It is a very difficult situation. Hannah Cahill, junior counsel for Ms Sloyan and Mr McManus, indicated that a High Court application for bail for both was likely. Labours Peter Hain asked why anyone was surprised by Mondays negotiating car crash in Brussels after the Democratic Unionist Party refused to accept proposals on a customs border. Unionists were quite legitimately always going to insist that they could not be put in a status distinct from the rest of the UK, he said. To maintain the border as open as it has been alignment would be needed on trade, customs, and regulation. The answer, Mr Hain suggested, was to apply that alignment across the UK, then the problem is solved. Brexit minister Martin Callanan told him: We are leaving the customs union. We are leaving the single market and Northern Ireland will be leaving them with us. He said there was much agreement between the UK and EU on proposals to address the unique circumstances of the border in the light of Brexit. We remain firmly committed to avoiding any physical infrastructure on the land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. British prime minister Theresa Mays crunch withdrawal talks with the EU in Brussels on Monday ended without agreement after the DUP refused to accept proposals which would have shifted the Norths customs border to the Irish Sea, in order to maintain a soft border with the Republic of Ireland. Independent House of Lords member Hugh Dykes said to laughter: See how grateful the DUP are for the 1bn of taxpayers money to keep Mrs May in power without any real mandate. He warned that Brexit was becoming a total disaster and that Ms May must save our countrys future and the precious Anglo-Irish agreement. Mr Callanan said he did not agree and that the British government had to respect the referendum result. Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said a lot of the problems on Monday stemmed from people leaking inaccurate accounts of what was in the governments paper and not making clear that proposals for some form of regulatory alignment were heavily conditioned and of very limited application. If that information had become public earlier, things would have gone much more smoothly, he said. Meanwhile, a former Foreign Office chief has warned about the damaging impact on UK trade of leaving the EUs single market and customs union. Brian Kerr of Kinlochard, the architect of the Article 50 process for leaving the EU, said there was still time to step back from the cliff-edge. We havent crossed the Rubicon, he told the House of Lords. Its still up to us. He said the easiest way to solve the current problems over trade arrangements post-Brexit would be to re-interpret what Brexit means and avoid the damage to trade which would be incurred by leaving the single market and customs union. Notification under Article 50 that Britain wants to leave the EU was not an irrevocable act, he said in a debate on trade and customs policy. As more and more inconvenient facts emerge, as the costs of leaving the EU become clearer and clearer, its important people understand that the people of this country have the right to say we should take back the prime ministers March letter, said Mr Kerr. We are still free to choose not to move to a colonial status in 2019, not to move to stormy waters in 2021. Mr Hickey is currently self-suspended from his ordinary membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as he faces charges relating to alleged ticket-touting at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. However, if he decides to remain on as an ordinary member, it entitles him to sit on the board of the OCI, under the IOCs charter which applies to 206 countries. Yesterday, the OCI held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to bring in a raft of changes to its constitution and said it would separately consider the matter of Mr Hickey. The OCIs honorary general secretary, Sarah OShea, said it had consulted with a lawyer from the IOC on the issue. We met with the IOC lawyer and hes explained that hes very happy for us to proceed as is tonight with the EGM, she said. There are other changes that need to be brought through. Weve agreed with him that we will deal with the IOC specific change and a couple of other small tweaks, which are not contentious, at an EGM in January. So we are going to have to call an EGM at the end of January to deal with that matter. The executive committee of the OCI had already written to the IOC in an attempt to change the situation whereby an IOC member would automatically sit on the board of the Irish body. The IOC said the issue was bound by its charter and could not accept the OCIs proposal. The OCIs current president, Sarah Keane, said it will deal with the issue in due course. Depending on the outcome of Mr Hickeys trial for alleged ticket-touting, he could decide to leave his position with the IOC which would mean the matter on the Irish board may never arise. We will deal with the issue of an IOC member for Ireland in due course if thats what we need to do, said Ms Keane. Last night, the OCI voted in a string of new changes to its constitution, including term limits for board members. Other changes brought in by the OCI relate to elections and ticket selling. Weve advocated that the executive committee will not look after election procedures going forward. That will be done by an external firm of accountants who will be qualified auditors as well, said Ms Keane. So we will bring in an external firm to do all elections so its completely independent. In relation to tickets, the OCI has parted ways with its previous ticketing agent THG, even though there were contracts relating to the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2026. For the upcoming Winter Olympics, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February, the OCI is working with an in-house professional. We have engaged an individual to work with us who has an expertise and experience in ticketing, said Ms Keane. Regarding the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, she said: We intend, at this juncture, to engage another authorised ticket reseller. Planning for a no-deal Brexit needs to begin urgently, as it would cost tens of millions of pounds to secure the porous 483km frontier, says the Police Federation for Northern Ireland. All sides in the discussions between the EU and UK are united in opposition to a heavily militarised border. Federation chairman Mark Lindsay said his members would be sitting ducks for terrorists if they had to regularly and predictably protect other agencies such as customs officers at crossing points from the North into the Republic. Numbers are already painfully thin on the ground and, if hundreds were required along a porous border, the situation would inevitably become intolerable and unmanageable, he said. No one wants a hard border, but if the politicians fail to reach an accord or compromise, it seems something that is a lot less relaxed than what we currently enjoy will be the consequence. The meandering border encompasses largely remote areas and contains around 275 crossing points. Mr Lindsay claimed there would have to be a very significant increase in the number of officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland to secure it. Imagine, therefore, what would happen in communities all over Northern Ireland if officers were to be transferred to do border security duties alongside other agencies such as HM Customs & Excise? Cities and towns would see officer numbers decimated, he said. Contingency planning has to begin as a matter of urgency. Mr Lindsay said the present below-par total of fewer than 6,700 was already a few hundred below what Chief Constable George Hamilton said was required. Mr Lindsay said recruitment was unable to keep pace with the numbers leaving, and those figures do not include officers departing for alternative, less stressful employment. Its worth recalling that before the mid-90s [during the Troubles], the border was secured with double the current number of officers, backed by considerable military support, he said. The terrorist threat level posed by dissident republicans in the North is rated as severe. Mr Varadkar said he is confident that the stalled agreement, which had laid out regulatory alignment across the island of Ireland after Brexit, could still be rubber-stamped before a crunch European Council meeting next week. However, he warned that the DUP, who hold the balance of power in propping up Theresas Mays minority Conservative government, are not the only party in the North and said they do not represent the views of the majority of citizens in the North. I believe, and this is the most important thing, that the majority of people in Northern Ireland, if they were so asked, would like to have this agreement, said Mr Varadkar. We will recognise the fact that the majority of people in Northern Ireland, and the majority of constituencies in Northern Ireland, did not vote to leave the European Union. Perhaps if the Northern Ireland Assembly was meeting today, it might even pass a resolution in favour of what was agreed, as a majority of the people elected to that assembly wanted to remain and the majority of the parties, including the Alliance Party, the Green Party, the SDLP and others, want to stay in the internal market and the customs union but, unfortunately, we have to deal with the situation as we find it. Mr Varadkar told the Dail the Government wants to move to phase two of Brexit negotiations, but could not until given the assurance we need that there will be no hard border. As things stand, the ball is very much in Londons court, said Mr Varadkar during leaders questions. The Taoiseach agreed with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who said the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly has been very damaging, adding that these institutions now need to be restored as a matter of urgency, particularly in light of the continuing negotiations. Mr Martin said that Brexit should be separated from the unity question, and not conflated. For me, Brexit is about the economic well-being of all our communities on this island the bread and butter of daily lives and not, as others advocated, an opportunity to pursue a united Ireland through border polls or otherwise. he said. Sinn Feins Gerry Adams told the Dail that, from the very beginning, his party had called for a designated special status for the North within the EU. He said the agreement is about more than trade and asked the Taoiseach if citizens rights and access to the European Court of Justice, and other European Union institutions, would be included. Responding, Mr Varadkar said: The principles, and the basic outcome that we want, are shared by all parties in this House, and I am encouraged by, and grateful for, the support we have received from Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, and the other parties. We know what needs to be achieved and we are waiting to hear from London, as to how it wishes to proceed. There will be contacts in the coming days to see if there is a possibility of putting this agreement back on track, before the European Council meets on Thursday and Friday. Stephen Alexander, 49; his parents Lily Ryan-Alexander and Doug, both 75; and his brother Doug Jnr, 52, were all killed when their car collided with a lorry on the N25 at on the New Ross to Ballinaboule road at Begern at around 6.30pm on Monday. The family were in Ireland to attend the funeral of Ms Ryan-Alexanders sister. Stephen was a father of two girls, aged 11 and 10. His partner, Susan Verden Schulze, posted a short tribute to him online. I can never express the happiness Steve gave me. He showed me true love. I am so blessed to be a part of his life. I love you Steve and I will love you forever and a day, she said. A statement issued by the Bolingbrook Police Department in Illinois said Mr Alexander was a proud father whose daughters were his pride and joy. It said he was a 17-year veteran who graduated from the Cook County Police Academy in 2001 and was the class valedictorian, receiving the Top Marksmen award at the academy. Steve was a decorated officer who had received numerous department commendations, said Bolingbrook Police. Steve devoted his time to the community and taught self-defence classes and self-confidence skills to women and girl scouts at the Bolingbrook Park District. Steve was a member of Beat the Heat, a non-profit organisation which focused on community outreach to improve driver safety and police community relations. He also enjoyed racing his vintage Camaro drag racing car and talking to children about vehicle and driving safety. Steve recently hosted and organised a Squad Car Night at the Bolingbrook Promenade in partnership with the Illinois Special Olympics which attracted police vehicles from all over the state, read the statement. Steve was an exemplary officer who took great pride in his law enforcement career and who devoted himself to protecting and serving the citizens of Bolingbrook, said director Ken Teppel. Steve will be missed by all those who had the pleasure of knowing him and we will forever keep the Alexander family in our thoughts and our prayers, he added. Judge Patrick Durcan made his comment at Killaloe District Court after a Co Roscommon man pleaded guilty to hunting deer without a licence near the Co Clare village of Scarriff on January 21 last. Brian Dolan, a 42-year-old father of three of Cloonslanor, Strokestown, admitted shooting a male fallow deer at Gortnaderra. Judge Durcan said Mr Dolan is a decent man, had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and I am not going to criminalise him over this. He has done all the right things. Instead, Judge Durcan ordered that Mr Dolan pay 100 to the court discretionary fund or poor box and that would be the end of the matter. Solicitor for Brian Dolan, James Nash, said there was an epidemic of deer in east Clare and that his client was only 21 days outside the permitted season for shooting deer which goes from September 1 to December 31. Judge Durcan said that if the man was not three weeks late shooting the deer, he would not be guilty. At the court sitting at ODonovans bar in Ballina, Judge Durcan said certain roads in this country are a danger because deer are quite capable of jumping into your pathway. Judge Durcan said that of roads linking Ballinrobe to Tuam there is a huge danger at this time of year along that entire road of deer jumping into your path and onto the bonnet of your car. He said that this is the case because the state agency, the wildlife service really dont take adequate steps to undertake adequate culling or interact with sporting organisation to make sure that adequate culling takes place. Culling of deer is not properly looked after by the State, he said. Inspector Tom Kennedy said deer are very plentiful in east Clare as well and create havoc for farmers by eating all around them. However, Insp Kennedy said that people traversing parts of east Clare in large jeeps late at night shooting deer creates a huge anxiety to the local communities. Giving details about the case, Insp Kennedy said locals heard shots fired at Gortnaderra at around 10.30pm on January 21. He said Garda Hilda Moloney stopped a jeep with four occupants. He said that she was led to believe they were shooting foxes but then she saw the remains of the deer in the back of the jeep. Insp Kennedy said Mr Dolan admitted that he shot the deer and to his credit was very co-operative. Insp Kennedy said Mr Dolan had a license for his gun but no licence to shoot deer at that time of year. The inspector agreed with Mr Nash that Mr Dolan was absolutely forthright, gentlemanly and honourable on the night. The annual harvesting of ice started on Songhua River in Harbin, Northeast Chinas Heilongjiang province on Dec 3, in order to supply the country's biggest winter gala the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, which will take place around a month later. Nearly 1,000 men have been deployed to work a 16-hour day collecting the ice, with the workers carve out blocks of ice measuring 1.6 meters by 0.8 meters, with each weighing over 500 kilograms. The work involves over 10,000 cubic meters of ice a day. Around 180,000 cubic meters of ice will be cut and delivered to Harbin Ice and Snow World, where they will eventually be made into ice sculptures to entertain tourists during the festival. To guarantee the quality of the blocks of ice, four out of the 10 ice collection sites on Songhua River have been chosen due to the transparency and cleanliness of the ice in those areas, said Wang Zengyu, deputy manager of Harbin Ice and Snow World. Work on the ice sculptures has already begun with the collection of blocks of ice. Harbin Ice and Snow World is expected to open to the public in late December. Two workers use an electric saw to cut the ice into blocks on the frozen Songhua River, Dec 3.[Photo/Chinanews.com] A block of ice, measuring 1.6 m by 0.8 m and weighing around 700 kg, requires two workers to pull it out of the water.[Photo/China.com.cn] Workers pictured on the frozen Songhua River as they break blocks of ice on Dec 3.[Photo/China.com.cn] Workers deliver blocks of ice to vehicles by using a trolley.[Photo/China.com.cn] Work on ice sculpting starts at Harbin Ice and Snow World on Dec 3.[Photo/China.com.cn] Black, Jewish, Americanmy triple consciousness When I read the news about Kanye West, I didnt know whether to turn off my phone, or throw it. I knew it would only... Make your voice heard by voting in the Nov. 8 election The 2022 Election is fast approaching. Voting will be held on Nov. 8, less than one week from now. Nationally, control of the House and... ELKO The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, in conjunction with U.S. Forest Services International Visitor Program and IREX Community Solutions, recently sponsored a minerals and geology fellow from Guinea in West Africa. Joseph Dopavogui worked for a month with the forests mineral program staff on the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District in Elko. I was very excited when I received the request from the Forest Service Washington Offices Minerals and Geology Management Department to host Joseph, said Susan Elliott, Minerals Program Manager on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The minerals team rolled out the welcoming committee. They not only shared their professional knowledge, but also helped him enjoy living in Elko. Joseph quickly became a good friend to all of us and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. Dopavogui is the executive director of a nongovernmental organization called Association for Mining Without Poverty. The NGO was formed to promote sustainable mining in Dopavoguis home country. He has a bachelors degree in geological engineering and a masters degree in exploration geology. The CSP Fellowship is helping Dopavogui gain experience in minerals management, environmental permitting and the community engagement process. I was excited to gain more experience with the community involvement process and the National Environmental Policy Act, said Dopavogui. I want to use my experience here in America to help local people in Guinea become more involved. The community is not educated enough to understand mining impacts on the environment and local economy. CSP is a professional leadership development program for community leaders worldwide. CSP fellows complete a four-month fellowship from August to December with a U.S. nonprofit organization or local government agency. Dopavogui was in Elko from about Aug. 15-Sept. 16. Fellows return home to apply their new skills through a community action project. Forests Mineral Program staff on the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District in Elko also hosted an international intern from South Africa through the program several years ago, Elliott said. Dopavogui started his fellowship working with the Forest Services Minerals and Geology Management staff in Denver, Colorado, before coming to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which has the largest locatable minerals (such as gold, silver, barite, and lithium) program and hosts the largest gold mine on National Forest System lands. Dopavogui also participated in the International Mining Seminar in Tucson, Arizona, and spent time at the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona and Tonto National Forest in central Arizona. While working on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, he worked on reviewing mining and proposed groundwater regulations and inspecting exploration plans. He also worked closely with the minerals team to gain knowledge about locatable minerals and environmental compliance by attending meetings, reviewing documents, inspecting mine sites, and assisting in the field with a reclamation project. This program has helped me gain valuable experience and knowledge of regulations and how they are applicable back home, said Dopavogui. I will be able to take inspection protocols and the community involvement practices back to Guinea and implement them for the benefit of our communities. When he returns home, Dopavogui plans to implement a project that will train and employ Youth Community Leaders. The youth will learn about specific mining projects and will go into local communities, sharing the projects effects, and educating and engaging community members to better participate in the planning process. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA As worldwide interest in vanadium grows with the battery storage industry, Stina Resources Ltd. announced plans Dec. 4 to commence a comprehensive drilling and exploration program in early spring 2018 on the Bisoni McKay and Bisoni-Rio properties in central Nevada. Now that this preliminary work has been completed, an application for exploration permits will be submitted before the end of the year, so drilling and other work can begin as early as possible in 2018, said Stina President Brian Stecyk. Stina holds a total of 4,115 acres at Bisoni McKay and Bisoni-Rio. Stinas Bisoni McKay property is a high-grade, pure play vanadium project in the Vanadium Belt of Central Nevada, which hosts an important concentration of single-product vanadium deposits in North America. Past exploration drilling reveals the occurrence of high grade vanadium pentoxide in the primary (carbonaceous shale) mineralized material, which contains the largest vanadium resource on the property. Several drill holes completed in primary mineralization suggests the deposit is open at depth in some areas. A supergene enrichment zone of up to 35 feet in width has been identified immediately below the Redox zone. Stinas motivation for developing vanadium land assets in central Nevada stems from a growing world-wide interest in vanadium. Vanadium has been primarily used for steel production but now new uses such as an electricity storage media in vanadium redox flow batteries is accelerating demand for the metal. This trend is anticipated to continue as grid-scale energy storage becomes more and more prevalent as the new technology is adopted. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that there are 59 vanadium redox battery installations throughout the world. Vanadium most commonly occurs in association with other metals forming complex mineral deposits such as titaniferous magnetite and uranium-vanadium deposits where vanadium is mined as a co-product. This results in vanadium extraction being dependent on the economic value of other commodities. In June of this year, 164 new claims covering 3,361 acres (Bisoni-Rio) were registered. This consolidates ownership of the land along the Vanadium Belt between the north end of the Bisoni McKay Project and the southern boundary of the Gibellini property, owned by Prophecy Development Corp. The combined area under claim in Bisoni McKay and Bisoni-Rio is 4,115 acres. The objective is to determine the best location from which to drill to intercept the carbonaceous shale contact and extract representative samples of high-grade vanadium material to be processed at a pilot plant, said Tony Hammond, geologic consultant to Stina. Likewise, this exercise will assist in the design of the next round of exploration drilling aimed at expanding and consolidating the measured and indicated resources. The final activity of the summer season was reclamation of old surface disturbances requested by the Bureau of Land Management. If youve ever seen a persimmon in the grocery store (or in your backyard), you may have shied away from it, not quite sure what to do with it other than to make persimmon pudding. The most common variety in the United States is the fuyu persimmon, also called Japanese persimmon, and it looks similar to a slightly flatter orange tomato. The skin is thin and edible like the tomato, but texture is firmer, more like a cantaloupe. The flavor falls somewhere in between the two: not quite as acidic as a tomato and slightly less sweet than a melon. The persimmons sweetness means an average fruit is about 115 calories a bit higher than many other grab-and-go options like an apple but the high fiber content means that its a filling snack choice. In addition to the fiber, persimmons are excellent purveyors of antioxidant vitamins A and C, with a medium piece of fruit providing 50 percent and 20 percent of our daily requirements, respectively. Use the persimmon as a creative alternative to raw tomatoes or melon in your recipes. Dice persimmon into tiny cubes and add to a bruschetta, serve slices on a cheese platter, wrap persimmon wedges with salty prosciutto, or chop and toss in salad. Or, just polish a persimmon on your shirt and bite into it like an apple. In todays recipe for avocado and goat cheese toast, I replace the tomato slice on my avocado toast with a slice of persimmon, with its cheery orange color and star-shaped pattern etched into the flesh by nature. I took the liberty of swapping part of the avocado for herbed goat cheese which makes the persimmon truly sing, making this a perfect entry into loving this underappreciated fruit. Dolly Partons Imagination Library, which aims to inspire a love of reading in young children, started last Monday in Forsyth County. The Imagination Library mails free books to children from birth to age 5 in participating communities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Smart Start of Forsyth County Inc. was awarded funding to implement the program in the county. Our goal is to register all Forsyth County children ages birth to 5 in the program, said Jackie Lofton, deputy executive director for Smart Start of Forsyth County. The country music star started the Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tenn., in 1995. According to her website, more than 70 million books have been mailed to date. The North Carolina General Assembly provided funds for the expansion of Dolly Partons Imagination Library in North Carolina during its 2017 legislative session. Legislators included $3.5 million in the first year and $7 million in the second year of the state budget for Smart Start to offer free books through the Imagination Library to children across the state for fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19. Right now, about 49 percent of the counties in North Carolina already have Dolly Partons Imagination Library, Lofton said. So this initiative is an expansion and is going to expand those funds so that more of our counties will be able to implement Dolly Partons Imagination Library. Lofton said that there are about 24,000 children from birth to age 5 in Forsyth County to reach. The child would get a book in their home, Lofton said. The book would be mailed directly to the child with their name on it, which adds to a bit of excitement and anticipation of getting the book. They would get the books monthly. She said that once children are registered, their first books should arrive six to nine weeks later. The mailings will continue until the children reach the age of 5. So far, Smart Start of Forsyth County has received a base amount of $10,000 for program support and will receive additional funds of about $1.80 for each child who participates in the program. If we were to enroll all 24,000 children, it would be about a $50,000 program, Lofton said. She added that after 2019, Smart Start will need help sustaining the Imagination Library program. Were looking for partnerships or donations, community support to help pick up the books, volunteers, civic clubs who might want to hold book drives and things like that, she said. Lofton said that Dolly Partons Imagination Library will complement the Reach Out and Read program in Forsyth County by providing additional books to help build a childs home library. Both programs promote emergent literacy skills, she said. Reach Out and Read is a national program that supplies doctors with books that can be given to children. The program is administered by Smart Start of Forsyth County and has eight medical practices in the county: Downtown Health Plaza; Winston East Pediatrics; Westgate Pediatrics; Forsyth Pediatrics; Todays Woman; Ford, Simpson, Lively & Rice Pediatrics Kernersville; Ford, Simpson, Lively & Rice Pediatrics Winston-Salem; and Nurse Family Partnership. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. GOP Sen. Jeff Flake is showing his opposition to Republican Roy Moore's candidacy for Alabama Senate by donating to the campaign of Moore's Democratic opponent. Flake tweeted a picture of a $100 check from him to Doug Jones' campaign Tuesday. In the memo it said, "Country over Party." Other Republicans in Washington have also come out against Moore over accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior, but he has strong support from state Republicans. Two women have accused the 70-year-old Moore of sexually assaulting or molesting them decades ago, when they were 14 and 16 and he was in his 30s. At least five other women have said he pursued romantic relationships with them around the same time, when they were teenagers. He has denied the allegations and called the women liars. ELKO A man accused of making a bomb threat against the courthouse will have to wait for another judge to accept his plea. Casey D. Overacker, 34, of Spring Creek, appeared in Elko District Court before Judge Al Kacin Monday for arraignment on a charge of attempting to communicate a bomb threat, a category B felony. Kacin recused himself from Overackers case, telling the defendant his actions disrupted court proceedings, including his own schedule. Obviously that impacts court operations, Kacin said. [It] could have very well impacted what I was doing that day. After verifying that he had Adult Drug Court scheduled the day of the bomb threat, Kacin decided to remove himself as judge from the case. I dont think you want me to be the judge because that angers me greatly, Kacin said. And I dont think I can be fair and impartial in this case. Attorney Jeff Kump, who represented Overacker, said he understood. I think if it would have been a bomb threat on some other date, maybe I wasnt in session, thats something I could maybe look past, but having my drug court and having somebody screw around with it, makes me apoplectic, Kacin said. Ill go ahead and step off that case, Kacin said, deciding to remove himself from another arraignment hearing involving Overacker scheduled for the same day. I dont believe I would be able to set aside the anger I feel for that type of action, so Ill go ahead and step off the case, Kacin said. Ill let another judge handle your case. Overacker allegedly called in a bomb threat to the Elko County Clerks office on June 19, the day his girlfriend, Shawna Parker, was scheduled to appear in court. The building was evacuated and nothing suspicious was found, authorities said. Overacker was arrested Oct. 4 at his home on a warrant issued in September after an investigation traced the phone number back to Parker. Overacker remains in custody at the Elko County Jail. I dont believe I would be able to set aside the anger I feel for that type of action, so Ill go ahead and step off the case. District Judge Al Kacin One way to kill a predatory animal is to deny it sustenance. The tax-cut bill passed by the Senate, if it clears a conference with the House and President Trump signs it, may be the first step toward starving the big government beast. Reporting on the Senate vote early Saturday morning reflected the biases of various media outlets. Predictably, The New York Times and Washington Post characterized the cuts as favoring the rich, while doing nothing for the poor. Bulletin: Relatively few low-income people pay federal income taxes. They join the 46 percent of Americans who pay no taxes to Washington. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on eliminating waste and inefficiency in the federal government, expressed a view opposite that of the major media. CAGW president Thomas Schatz, said: This taxpayer-first bill lowers tax rates on American families; simplifies the tax code; reduces the tax burden on small businesses; and makes American companies more competitive globally. Two frustrating things about this: One is that too many people expect more from government than they expect from themselves. The Founders never intended government to be a nanny. That it has become one, egged-on by many politicians who preserve their careers by making people dependent on Washington, is why liberty shrinks and debt deepens. The second and perhaps biggest frustration is that solutions to growing debt exist, but are ignored by many of these same politicians. They fear attacks by liberals who claim conservatives dont care about children, the sick and elderly. One need only consider now-Speaker Paul Ryans proposal to reform Medicare and Social Security a few years ago. Rather than debate the merits of Ryans proposal, a liberal group hired an actor who was shown pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair over a cliff. Google cut federal spending and you will see dozens of suggestions. Mostly liberal and some Republican politicians dont want to embrace them because cutting spending would reduce their power over us. Two of these proposals deserve serious attention. One comes from Downsizing the Federal Government, a website designed to highlight where federal spending goes and how to reform each government department, which proposes shrinking every federal department by cutting the most harmful programs. This study proposes specific cuts that would reduce federal spending by almost one-quarter and balance the budget in less than a decade. The philosophy behind their proposal (which is too long to reprint, so look it up) is this: The federal government has expanded into many areas that should be left to state and local governments, businesses, charities, and individuals. That expansion is sucking the life out of the private economy and creating a top-down bureaucratic society that is alien to American traditions. So cutting federal spending would enhance civil liberties by dispersing power from Washington. A similar proposal comes from The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.,-based conservative think tank. Nothing has changed, except more debt, since senior fellow Brian Riedl wrote it seven years ago. It includes empowering state and local governments by transferring programs and power out of Washington to governments closer to the people, consolidating duplicative programs, of which there are many, privatizing the many programs that could be done better by the private sector, elimination of outdated and unnecessary programs and the familiar elimination of waste, fraud and abuse. I would add reform Social Security and Medicare, the main drivers of increased spending, which President Trump has hinted Republicans may try next year. Ignoring solutions and letting the debt increase is irresponsible. With this Congress, as with many before it, sexual harassment isnt the only example of irresponsibility. Two more lawsuits have been filed against opioid manufacturers and distributors by the state of Montana and a county in Kentucky alleging that the opioid epidemic was part of a business plan, alleging statutory negligence, civil conspiracy, fraud and other complaints. The Montana lawsuit [complaint, PDF], filed in the First Judicial District Court of Lewis and Clark County [official website], alleges that defendants, Purdue Pharma., used practices to promote opioids deceptively and illegally in order to significantly increase sales and generate billions of dollars in revenue. The complaint claims that the company misrepresents the risks and benefits of opioids, which has led to the rampant use, overuse, and abuse of opioids [that] is devastating Montana and its families. The Kentucky lawsuit [complaint, PDF], brought by the Rowan County Fiscal Court against 19 defendants was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky [official website]. The complaint alleges that the defendants knowingly traded in drugs that presented a high degree of danger if prescribed incorrectly or diverted to other than legitimate medical, scientific, or industrial channels. The complaint alleges that the companies chose profit over the public safety, leading to the high opioid addiction rates that are stifling the commonwealth. These are not the first lawsuits filed against opioid companies. In October a lawsuit was filed [JURIST report] in the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania accusing manufacturers and doctors of deceptive acts, fraud, and unjust enrichment. Similar suits have also been filed by Washington state, New Mexico and Missouri [JURIST reports] Ethiopian officials have renewed their campaign of collecting intelligence against government critics abroad through the use of commercial spyware, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] said [press release] Wednesday. According to Citizen Lab [website], an independent research group in Toronto, Ethiopia, along with other countries such as the US and UK, are spying [report] on government critics through a spyware company, Cyberbit [website], by attaching documents in emails disguised as Adobe Flash updates and PDF plugins. If successful, these attachments infect the receiving computer with spyware, which can enable the spywares operator to access virtually any information that is on the computer, take screenshots, enable the computers microphone, and activate the computers camera for heightened surveillance. Citizen Labs report specifically focused on Ethiopia, which identified several targets who received phishing emails, including several ethnic Oromo activists and scholars, one of Citizen Labs research fellows, and an Oromo activist and executive director of the US-based Oromia Media Network (OMN). The OMN is an independent media network that covers current events in Oromia, Ethiopia, and it played an important part in disseminating information during protests [JURIST report] that occurred in Ethiopia in 2015 and 2016. Citizen Labs report showed that the government has gone to great lengths to restrict OMN and other media outlets. HRW calls on the Ethiopian government, which has a history of using surveillance technologies to facilitate human rights violations, to cease digital attacks on its critics. The UN Human Rights Council [official website] on Tuesday approved a resolution [text, DOC] condemning systematic human rights violations against the Rohingya minority and the acts of violence committed by Myanmar security forces, calling instead for a peaceful resolution. Thirty-three member-states were in favor of the resolution [press release] while nine abstained. According to High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein [official profile], many Rohingya people are still fleeing their homes calling into question whether acts of genocide [JURIST report] are taking place. Since August 626,000 Rohingya have fled [UN report] Bangladesh despite an agreement [JURIST report] between Myanmar and Bangladesh to repatriate refugees. According to reports, acts of extreme violence against Rohingya people have taken place, including, murder, rape, and destruction of property. Zeid proposed that the Council recommend the UN General Assembly to establish a mechanism to assist in criminal investigations. At the session, Zeid discussed the consistent allegations of human rights violations by Myanmar security forces [JURIST database] as well as the lack of accountability for such violations. The Council requested the High Commissioner to track the process of human rights concerns of the Rohingya people and to provide updates for the next three years. Who is buying cannabis in Nevada now that its legal for anyone over 21? More than a quarter of the states adults, according to a survey taken late this summer. The figure comes from a survey of 1,000 cannabis consumers and potential users taken this August in five states that have legalized recreational marijuana, including 200 interviews from a representative sample in Nevada. It was presented at Novembers Marijuana Business Conference by Ana Hory of the cannabis business consulting firm Enlucem, and represents rare data on marijuana use that can be hard to measure because of its stigma and a ban at the federal level and in many states. The survey concluded that 28 percent of Nevada adults over the age of 21 have purchased cannabis within the past six months, and about 15 percent of the adult population is considered a potential user who plans to buy within the next six months. Of those buyers, 28 percent purchase cannabis a few times per month, 19 percent buy it once a week and 19 percent buy it a few times a week. Nevada ranks lower than other recreational marijuana states, such as Oregon, for the rate of cannabis use. The survey concluded that 36 percent of Oregonians had purchased a cannabis product in the past six months, and another 13 percent were potential users. The estimated 500,000 Nevada adults who have purchased a cannabis product in the last six months is nearly 20 times the number of people who hold an active Nevada medical marijuana card (there were 24,803 cardholders in October, according to state records). Riana Durrett, head of the Nevada Dispensary Association, couldnt provide exact statistics on how many individuals have purchased marijuana legally since sales began on July 1, although a handful of retail stores have estimated that theyve seen between 20,000 and 25,000 unique customers since legalization. Nevada has more than 50 dispensaries. These are often people who had been purchasing untested illegal marijuana from the illegal market, which is often connected to crime rings and violent crime, she said. Nevadas retail stores are appreciative there is a significant demand that exists for medical and adult use marijuana in Nevada, but caution that taxes, regulatory, and operational costs must be maintained at a level that allows them to compete with the illegal market that does not pay taxes on sales. Whos using? Across the five states, cannabis users are demographically similar and trend younger and male, the research found. About 61 percent of users are male, 61 percent are 40 years old or younger, 43 percent are married and 35 percent have underage children in the home. Three-quarters of users have an annual household income of $90,000 or less, and 51 percent have a full-time job. Female cannabis users tend to be younger than their male counterparts 37 percent range in age from 21 to 30, while 25 percent of male cannabis users are in that age bracket. The survey also shed light onto why people use cannabis. Asked to choose one or the other, 46 percent of respondents said they view it as medicine, and 43 percent said they view it as a way to relax, unwind and have fun. Among potential users, edible products such as marijuana gummies and candies are significantly more appealing than smoking a joint. Sixty-four percent of potential customers said they were interested in consuming edibles, while only 38 percent said they were interested in bud or flower. Will Adler, director of the Sierra Cannabis Coalition, said that finding illustrates the stigma of smoking in general. Users who smoke marijuana are typically those who embrace cannabis culture, while more discreet edible products are more appealing to those who want to avoid the odor and image of marijuana, he said. Nevada has struggled to predict how big its marijuana market would be, and state lawmakers ultimately decided to send recreational pot excise tax money to a rainy day reserve fund, in part because they didnt want state programs dependent on what could be a wildly off-base revenue prediction. The Nevada Department of Taxations revenue projections were based on data published by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, extrapolated across the state population in an effort to determine what percentage of Nevadans used marijuana in the past month and year. But the data is from 2015 and didnt reflect a post-recreational marijuana climate, according to spokeswoman Stephanie Klapstein. So far though, sales have outperformed projections. Nevada saw $88 million in recreational marijuana sales in the first three months, double the $43.6 million estimate for that time period (which assumed recreational sales would start a month later than they actually did). In the U.S. overall, marijuana users are still far in the minority. A nationwide Gallup poll conducted in 2016, before California and Nevada legalized recreational marijuana, found that 13 percent of Americans say they use pot and 43 percent say theyve tried it at some point in their life. Thats a far lower rate than the 62 percent of Americans who told Gallup this year that they drink alcohol. But Adler cautioned that its tough to accurately poll marijuana use. Younger men may be more comfortable talking about their marijuana use, but others, including older generations raised under strict pot prohibition, may be reticent to admit theyre using it, even when promised confidentiality by a pollster. Just because they go and buy it doesnt mean they tell their friends that or tell their country club that, he said. Special Representatives of theUN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten and for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba [official websites] on Monday urged [press release] the Iraqi government to reconsider proposed amendments in the Personal Status Law that do not set a minimum age for legal matrimony. Gamba explained that The boys and girls of Iraq, already victims of grave violations resulting from years of conflict, are now at risk of being deprived of their childhood. The Government of Iraq must take all necessary actions to protect every child by preventing the adoption of policies that can harm children already exposed to armed conflict. Patten and Gambo noted that Iraq has legally binding commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child which could be breached under the adoption of these new policies. Gamba contends that failing to place a minimum age on marriage would represent a significant step back from those commitments. In 2016, Iraq signed an agreement [press release] with the UN formally committing themselves to the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence. Patten noted that her office received repeated assurances that Iraq would continue to uphold these commitments from 2016. Gamba and Patten concluded with their own reassurance that they would fully support the Government and people of Iraq to ensure that the scourge of sexual violence is eliminated and that children affected by armed conflict are protected. French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Algeria on Wednesday for his first official visit, announcing that he came as a "friend" despite France's historically prickly relationship with its former colony. Ties between Paris and Algiers have defrosted in recent years, a half-century after French forces brutally cracked down on independence fighters in a 1954-1962 war that left some 1.5 million Algerians dead. Macron, the first French president to be born after the war, arrived in Algiers under bright sunshine, after stressing that he came as "a friend of Algeria, a constructive partner who wants to strengthen our links". "I know the history, but I am not a hostage of the past," he told Algerian newspapers El Watan and El Khabar by phone ahead of his visit. "But from now on, I hope... that we will turn together towards the future." Macron was welcomed at the airport by Senate speaker Abdelkader Bensalah, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel. He later laid a wreath at a monument in central Algiers to those killed in the war, and walked through the centre of the capital, talking with passers-by. "We have a special story, there must be no taboo, I want the youth of Algeria to prosper with the help of France," he told a young Algerian. "It's nice that a president speaks to us, we have never experienced this with ours," said Yassine, an onlooker in his thirties. Macron was scheduled to visit Algeria's ageing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 that has affected his speech and mobility. During his election campaign in May, the French leader called his country's colonial history a "crime against humanity", prompting criticism from some in France and praise from Bouteflika. But on a recent trip to west Africa, Macon called for "neither denial nor repentance", stressing that "we cannot remain trapped in the past". Many in Algeria hope he will announce France will hand back the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters, killed in the 1850s, which are held at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. - Security cooperation - Paris is keen to build ties with Algeria, a key player in the fight against armed groups in the Sahel, and the region's crises are likely to figure in meetings with officials. The Sahel, which stretches from Senegal to Sudan, has sunk into lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, Islamists overran northern Mali in 2012, and Boko Haram rose up in northern Nigeria. France has praised Algeria's "experience in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation", a reference to its decade-long civil war in the 1990s. Macron is due to host talks in Paris on December 13 on "speeding up deployment" of a five-nation anti-terrorism force in the region. He touched a nerve in Algiers by choosing its regional arch-rival, neighbouring Morocco, for his first visit to the Maghreb. But accompanied by artists and business executives on his Algiers mission, he hopes to boost economic ties. In his interview with Algerian newspapers, he said: "Algeria must open up more, there are still many obstacles to investment." But he also pointed to "promising fields of cooperation" between the two countries. France remains the largest foreign employer in Algeria although it is losing market share to other European countries and China. On a visit to Algiers in November, French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said it was "time to raise the bar". Macron is set to leave Algeria for Qatar on Wednesday evening. President Donald Trump cut two national monuments in Utah down to size Monday, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced Tuesday he will recommend trimming a sliver off the new Gold Butte monument in Nevada. Environmentalists and some Native Americans are crying foul hysterically and claiming that Trumps unprecedented actions are to benefit energy and mining companies. Instead, Trump and the local officials who support his moves consider the monumental designations by former presidents Clinton and Obama themselves to constitute a land grab under the Antiquities Act of 1906. A look at how Nevada representatives responded to Tuesdays news on Gold Butte illustrates how heavily politicized this issue has become. The Department of Interiors decision is welcome news for Nevada as it allows the Valley Water District to access their water rights that were lost under the previous administration, said Republican Sen. Dean Heller. I was proud to work with Secretary Zinke to prioritize local concerns over the opinion of Washington bureaucrats, and Im pleased with his recommendation to the White House. As this process moves forward, I remain committed to promoting the Nevada model of conservation. Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, on the other hand, labeled the administrations actions as downright immoral: President Trumps unprecedented decision undermines a century of precedent under President Theodore Roosevelts Antiquities Act and clearly demonstrates his continued inability to serve as a moral leader of our country, she declared. And Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen of Nevadas third congressional district said, Secretary Zinkes process to review our National Monuments has been a sham from the start, failing to listen to local advocates and tribal communities in Nevada who care deeply about preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Gold Butte. We dont know how big of a sliver Zinke is withdrawing from Gold Butte, but its not likely to put much of a dent in the 300,000-acre monument. This is land that somehow survived decades of cattle grazing by the Bundy family and is still in good enough shape to be admired for its natural beauty. Media reports on Mondays action by Trump also included a very public response from outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia, which Reuters says recently changed its website home page to read: The President Stole Your Land. You mean Patagonia, made in China? This is an example of a special interest, Zinke told reporters. I think it is shameful and appalling that they would blatantly lie in order to get money in their coffers. No land, not one square inch, has been transferred or sold, Zinke said. Patagonia must be confusing the monument issue with the federal land transfer movement. Opponents of the size reductions make no mention of the fact that many parts of the West including large chunks adjacent to new monuments like Basin and Range, are already designated as Wilderness Areas or Wilderness Study Areas making them even more off-limits than a national monument. The federal government still controls the 500-plus Wilderness Study Areas covering more than 12 million acres in the U.S. as well as the existing 200-plus Wilderness Areas that already seal off more than 8 million acres. Public lands are for public use, and I believe that communities that border public lands, like those in the Virgin Valley, deserve to have their voices heard in land management decisions, Zinke said on Tuesday. I believe that modest changes to Gold Butte will restore the public voice and will allow for critical public access for water rights and infrastructure. The only way to determine the public consensus with any certainty is to put such decisions before the voters, but then we would be in a situation where masses of people with no real knowledge of reality on the ground would control land they have never seen or cared about. With all of the angst over monument designations it might be better for Congress to make the decisions instead of the president. Cortez Masto, in fact, recommends Congress be in charge of any alterations. Why not leave the entire process to Congress, including the designations themselves? Getting Congress to agree on anything is a major undertaking, which is why so many Wilderness Study Areas remain in limbo decades after their fate was supposed to have been decided. The Antiquities Act has become so antiquated it is now being used to preserve nondescript landscapes like the Great Basin. Instead of firing off press releases, members of Congress could take charge by repealing the act and assuming the responsibility of designating any new monuments. 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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 KEARNEY George and Venetia Peterson immigrated to Kearney in the early 1900s with nothing but a third-grade education and the desire to work hard so their children would have better lives and the opportunity for education. Their son, Kearney native Peter G. Peterson, has honored his familys tenacity and Nebraska roots by establishing a scholarship for students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney who, like him, are the first in their family to attend college. I was lucky enough to live the American dream, and my story began in Kearney, Peterson said. This scholarship will help make it possible for more first-generation students to realize their own American dream by accessing the world-class education offered by the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Peter G. Peterson Scholarship Fund was created as a permanently endowed scholarship with a $50,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation. Annual net income from the fund will be awarded by the UNK office of financial aid as scholarships to first-generation students from Nebraska who are studying any major and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Throughout its history, UNK has been a welcoming school where many first-generation college students completed an education that was both affordable and of the highest quality, said Charles Bicak, senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at UNK. This remains true today, and because of Petes generosity, many more generations of students who otherwise would not be able to afford college will have an opportunity to realize their dreams at UNK. Peterson grew up in Kearney, graduated from Kearney High School in 1942 and then graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University in 1947 before earning an MBA at the University of Chicago. Peterson served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the early 1970s and as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2000-04. His business career includes serving as chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers and founding The Blackstone Group in 1985. In 2008, Peterson founded the Peter G. Peterson Foundation as a nonpartisan organization dedicated to addressing Americas long-term fiscal challenges. He is chairman emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, founding chairman of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., and founding president of the Concord Coalition. UNK conferred on Peterson an honorary doctorate degree in 2006. Peterson has five children and nine grandchildren. He lives in New York City with his wife, Joan Ganz Cooney, a director and co-founder of the Childrens Television Workshop. The gift from Peterson also provides support for Our Students, Our Future, the University of Nebraskas current initiative seeking broad support for students, which concludes this year. More information is at nufoundation.org/ourstudentsourfuture. COZAD The Central Nebraska Pony Express will make its seventh-annual Christmas Card Ride on Saturday. According to a press release from Wilson Public Library at Cozad, Christmas cards to friends and family that will be transported on the ride may be dropped off at the Cozad library, Brady Public Library or the Gothenburg Public Library through 5 p.m. Friday. The Nebraska Division Riders will deliver the cards with a Pony Express stamp from Cozad to Gothenburg. Riders will be available for photographs at 10 a.m. at Wilson Public Library before they leave for Gothenburg. HOLDREGE A leadership team from the University of Nebraska Medical Center headed by Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold will visit Holdrege on Thursday. According to a UNMC press release, the leaders will speak about the new programs at UNMC and how they benefit rural areas at the Holdrege Rotary luncheon from noon-1:30 p.m. at Taste of Texas BBQ in Holdrege. Other topics during community talks will include: Initiatives to address health care workforce shortages, including an occupational therapy program recently approved by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to begin on the Kearney campus in 2019 and a new nursing building to open in Lincoln so more nursing students can be accepted. The four new Simulation in Motion Nebraska trucks and their effect on rural health and emergency medical training. The new Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at UNMC and its effect on the state. The November 2018 opening of the $118.9 Dr. Edwin Davis & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center for Advanced Interprofessional Learning, which will house the latest technology, which will provide UNMC students and health practitioners statewide with hands-on simulated experiences using sophisticated technology. This includes an Interactive Digital iWall, 3D technology and augmented and virtual reality designed to make learning highly realistic. Collaborative efforts between UNMC and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The visits provide an opportunity for UNMC leaders to better understand the challenges communities face and ways to collaborate to better serve communities. This Nov. 8, 2017 photo released by NBC shows Matt Lauer on the set of the "Today" show in New York. On the week host Matt Lauer was fired because of sexual misconduct charges, NBCAos AuTodayAu show beat its rivals at ABC for the first time in three months. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via AP) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adjusts his glasses as he speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his NATO counterparts held talks on Georgia and counter-terrorism efforts on Wednesday, the final day of their two-day meeting in Brussels.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2017, file photo, a six-wheeled ground delivery robot, from Starship Technologies, shares the sidewalk with pedestrians at DuPont Circle in Washington, D.C. Delivery robots in San Francisco will need permits before they can roam city sidewalks under legislation approved by supervisors on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, file) Ted Wheeler, Mayor of Portland, Ore., participates in a news conference during a summit on climate change involving mayors from around the globe Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in Chicago. The conference comes after President Trump said the U.S. will pull out of the Paris agreement. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Neighborhoods, towns collaboration works best The development of the Willow Ridge/ Parkview draft action plan shows how active neighborhoods and municipalities, in this case, the towns of Amherst and Tonawanda,... Spindle Items .. UNCERTAINTY As we are approaching the Thanksgiving holiday, we prepare ourselves to give thanks for the many things we have. But how many... Out of the Past 25 Years AgoNov. 19, 1997 Maybe I have Downs syndrome and maybe I have disabilities but I have the ability to be your friend. Wearing... Erie County offering assistance with high heating costs The Erie County Department of Senior Services is working hard on behalf of senior citizens throughout Erie County by providing advice and guidance to address... 1 of 4 Paoli Dam ties the knot with her beau Arjun, see wedding pics Paoli Dam, who rose to fame with her Bollywood debut in Hate Story, finally got hitched. The actress, who has worked in various Bengali movies, tied the knot with businessman beau Arjun Deb in Kolkata on Monday. Later this week, a reception will be held in Arjun's hometown, Guwahati, where he runs a restaurant. The wedding nuptials took place at Taj Bengal in Paoli's hometown Kolkata in the presence of their parents and near and dear ones. Paoli looked dazzling as a Bengali bride. Dressed in a red silk sari and heavy gold jewellery Paoli looked every bit a Bengali bride, thanks to the Shakha Pola (white and red bangles) and mukut (ornament worn on the head). Arjun was dressed in white kurta and cream-coloured dhoti. In some pictures, he wears a topor (head gear worn by the bridegroom). Read More... SHANGHAI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance on Wednesday auctioned 26 billion yuan ($3.93 billion) of one-year bonds at an average yield of 3.6975 percent, and an additional 26 billion yuan of 10-year bonds at 3.8396 percent, traders said. For one-year bonds, market estimates for yields had centred around 3.62 percent and forecasts ranged from 3.55 percent to 3.70 percent. The auction yield came in above Tuesday's benchmark secondary market yield of 3.6342 percent for one-year government bonds . For the 10-year bonds, market forecasts had centred around 3.85 percent and ranged from 3.85 percent to 3.87 percent. The auction yield came in below Tuesday's benchmark secondary market yield of 3.8752 percent for 10-year government bonds . For stories on Chinese debt issues, click on . ($1 = 6.6160 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Sam Holmes) ANKARA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged Muslims on Tuesday to disrupt what he called a plot by unnamed countries in the region to build ties with Israel. He gave no more details on the states. But an Israeli cabinet minister said last month that his government had had covert contacts with Saudi Arabia linked to their common concerns over Tehran. "Some regional Islamic countries have shamelessly revealed their closeness to the Zionist regime (Israel)," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live by state TV. "I am sure that the Muslims around the world will not let this sinister plot bear fruit." Both Saudi Arabia and Israel view Iran as the main threat to the Middle East. Increased tension between Tehran and Riyadh has fueled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together. The Saudis have not publicly responded to the reports and Riyadh maintains that any relations with Israel hinge on Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war - territory Palestinians seek for a future state. Regional rivalry between Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran has overflowed into conflicts in Syria and Iraq. A Saudi-led military coalition has also been fighting in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country, Yemen, on behalf of a government based in the south against the Houthis, a Shi'ite movement backed by Iran. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Andrew Heavens) * Oct exports +18.9 pct y/y vs Reuters poll +18.5 pct * Oct imports +20.9 pct y/y vs poll forecast +20.4 pct * Trade surplus 10.6 bln rgt vs poll forecast of 10.4 bln rgt KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Malaysia's October exports rose 18.9 percent from a year earlier, snapping a two-month streak of slowing annual growth on the back of higher demand for manufactured and mining goods. Export growth was above the 18.5 percent rise forecast by a Reuters poll, and up from September' 14.8 percent growth. Malaysia has seen double-digit growth in exports for most of 2017 so far, peaking at 32.5 percent in May. Shipments of manufactured goods, which accounted for over 80 percent of Malaysia's total exports, were up 19.5 percent from a year earlier in October, data from the International Trade and Industry Ministry showed. Most of the manufactured goods were electrical and electronic products. Shipments of mining goods rose 27.3 percent from a year earlier, the data showed. Imports in October grew 20.9 percent from a year earlier, versus the 15.2 percent growth posted in September. October's trade surplus widened to 10.6 billion ringgit ($2.61 billion), up from 8.6 billion ringgit in September. Malaysia reports trade data in ringgit . The currency has been one of Asia's best performers, strengthening nearly 10 percent so far this year. Exports to China remained robust, rising 20.5 percent from a year earlier, led by higher demand for commodities products including liquefied natural gas, petroleum and rubber products. Shipments to the United States grew 13.8 percent, while exports to the European Union rose 9.3 percent. KEY DATA (Exports and imports in percent, trade in billions of ringgit) Oct Sept Aug July June May Apr Mar Exports 82.4 78.3 82.2 78.6 73.1 79.4 74.0 82.6 y/y% 18.9 14.8 21.5 30.9 10 32.5 20.6 24.1 Imports 71.9 69.7 72.4 70.6 63.2 73.9 65.2 77.2 y/y% 20.9 15.2 22.6 21.8 3.7 30.4 24.7 39.4 Balance 10.6 8.6 9.9 8.03 9.88 5.49 8.75 5.41 MAIN EXPORTS Oct 2017 % of % change (bln rgt) total vs year ago Electrical & 31.1 37.7 16.9 Electronic Products Petroleum products 6.2 7.5 21.4 Chemicals and 5.9 7.2 17.5 chemicals products Palm oil & Palm-based 5.0 6.1 7.9 products Manufactures of metal 3.4 4.1 38.0 Liquefied natural gas 2.9 3.5 6.3 Machinery 3.2 3.9 14.3 Optical and 3.1 3.8 20.3 scientific equipment Rubber products 2.2 2.7 30.6 Crude oil 2.9 3.5 62.9 EXPORT MARKETS Oct 2017 % of % change (bln rgt) total vs year ago China 11.5 14.0 20.5 Singapore 11.3 13.7 16.1 USA 8.0 9.7 13.8 Japan 5.9 7.2 20.4 Thailand 4.9 5.9 30.2 ($1 = 4.0660 ringgit) (Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Sunil Nair) (Refiles to add dropped text in final two paragraphs.) By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A Turkish gold trader testifying for U.S. prosecutors in the trial of an executive at Turkey's state-owned Halkbank, who is charged with helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions, said Tuesday that he and the banker never liked each other. Reza Zarrab, who has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in the case, also said he had complained about Halkbank deputy general manager Mehmet Hakan Atilla to Atilla's former superior on multiple occasions. The testimony came as Zarrab was cross-examined by one of Atilla's lawyers, Cathy Fleming. Prosecutors have charged nine people in the case, but only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, have been arrested by U.S. authorities. Zarrab previously testified under questioning by a prosecutor that he worked with Halkbank from 2012 to 2016 to help Iran spend its oil and gas revenue abroad using fraudulent gold and food transactions. He said Atilla helped structure those transactions. Halkbank said last week that it had not taken part in any illegal transactions. Under questioning by Fleming, Zarrab said he attended meetings with Atilla a "handful" of times during that period. He said he had a "close relationship" with Suleyman Aslan, who was Halkbank's general manager and Atilla's superior until 2013. Zarrab said he sometimes complained about Atilla to Aslan. Zarrab had testified earlier in the case that he complained to Aslan when Atilla refused to sign off on a transaction related to a sham sale of food to Iran. Zarrab said he paid bribes to Aslan, repeating his testimony in direct examination, but never to Atilla. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Aslan for comment. Fleming then asked about Zarrab's efforts to get out of U.S. jail after his March 2016 arrest. In his opening statement last week, Victor Rocco, another lawyer for Atilla, told jurors that Zarrab was motivated to lie in order to get out of jail. Zarrab said that after he pleaded guilty in October, he was released from MDC Brooklyn, a jail in New York. Zarrab also recounted hiring former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to negotiate his release through diplomacy between the United States and Turkey. "You are furious with people in Turkey that it did not work, isn't that true?" Fleming asked. "I don't have any anger toward anybody, ma'am," Zarrab said. Zarrab has accused Turkish politicians, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Erdogan on Sunday dismissed the case as a politically motivated attack on Turkey. CNN Turk on Thursday said Erdogan had said Turkey did not violate U.S. sanctions. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alden Bentley) HONG KONG, Dec 6 (IFR) - Shareholders of SG Holdings have raised 128bn (US$1.15bn) from an IPO after selling shares at the top of the indicative price range, according to an announcement from the Japanese delivery and logistics company. This is the largest Japanese IPO for the year. SG Holdings Group Employee Shareholdings Association and company director Nobuaki Kondo sold 78.8m shares, including an overallotment option of 7.1m shares, at the top of the 1,540-1,620 price range. Market capitalisation of the company, which operates well-known Japanese delivery brand Sagawa Express, will stand at 519bn on December 13, when the stock starts trading. The Japanese offering constituted 70% of the IPO and the international portion made up for 30%. There is a 180-day lock-up period on the company and selling shareholders. Daiwa and Morgan Stanley were joint global coordinators. (Reporting by Fiona Lau) 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. HANOI, Dec 6 (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 0439 GMT. December 6 USD/VND mid-point 22,443 USD/VND interbank 22,714/22,716 USD/VND unofficial 22,765/22,785 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.30/36.52 Interbank offered rates Overnight 1.0-1.6 1 week 1.2-1.8 1 month 2.2-2.7 3 months 4.5-5.0 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) SEOUL, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korea's KOSPI stock index weakened on Wednesday. The Korean won fell while bond yields were flat. ** At 01:53 GMT, the KOSPI was down 6.58 points or 0.26 percent at 2,503.54. ** The won was quoted at 1,091.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.5 percent weaker than its previous close at 1,085.8 as risk sentiment soured following a third straight session of decline in the S&P 500 index . ** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,091.39 per U.S. dollar, down 0.44 percent from the previous day, while in one-year non-deliverable forwards it was being transacted at 1,086.65 per dollar. ** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.26 percent, after U.S. stocks ended the previous session with mild losses . Japanese stocks weakened 0.73 percent. ** The KOSPI is up around 23.9 percent so far this year, and down by 0.79 percent in the previous 30 days. ** The current price-to-earnings ratio is 12.10, the dividend yield is 1.28 percent and the market capitalisation is 1,242.04 trillion won. ** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index was 224,395,000 shares, and of the total traded issues of 871, the number of advancing shares was 378. ** Foreigners were net sellers of 65,235 million won worth of shares. ** The U.S dollar has fallen 9.52 percent against the won this year. The won's high for the year is 1,075.71 per dollar on November 29 2017 and low is 1,211.8 on January 3 2017. ** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.04 points to 108.21. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Sam Holmes) 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. (Kitco News) - As bitcoin continues to break price records this week, one gold companys shares soared over 200% on the news that it is shifting its focus to cryptocurrencies. The stock of an Israeli gold company, Natural Resource Holdings (TLV:NLH), surged 212% this week after it announced on Sunday that it wants to purchase a 75% stake in Backbone Hosting Solutions Inc., a Canadian cryptocurrency mining farm also known as Bitfarms. Natural Resource Holdings shares rallied from 980 Israeli shekels (USD $280) on Sunday to 3,055 Israeli shekels (USD $872). Back in October, the Israeli company, which is known for its investment in North American metals mines, said it was planning to change its name to Blockchain Holdings. Meanwhile, Bitfarms founder Emiliano Grodzki told Bloomberg on Monday that the Canadian bitcoin mining farm has become the biggest operation of its kind in North America. Its hard to imagine that this operation began in our basement several years ago; by reinvesting our profits, holding on to our surplus coins, and running an entirely vertically integrated operation, Grodzki said. We believe in the future of the blockchain to positively impact society and take our role as miners in this ecosystem very seriously. Bitcoin prices breached the $12,000 level late on Tuesday, with the cryptocurrency last trading at $12,170, up 4.99% on the day, according to Kitcos aggregated charts. Bitcoin is known for its extreme volatility. Just a week ago, the popular digital currency plunged around $2,000, after soaring to $11,000 for the very first time a few days prior to that. Michelle Nichols, David Brunnstrom UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for a rare visit that some analysts and diplomats hope could spark a U.N.-led effort to defuse rising tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs. The former senior U.S. State Department official is the highest-level U.N. official to visit North Korea since 2012. During a four-day visit he is due to meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. This is broadly a policy dialogue with (North Korea). I think we have to wait and see what comes out, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. All key member states ... were informed and briefed of the visit. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Russia, Japan, the United States, China and North and South Korea in August he was available to help broker talks. So-called six-party talks on North Koreas nuclear program stalled in 2008. A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described expectations for Feltmans visit as modest and high at the same time, meaning that they depend on what our hosts are thinking as well. We need to find a way to scale back tensions, the official said. I dont think we will have a major breakthrough being announced at the end of this trip. But the visit could serve as a step to build a framework for engagement. Suzanne DiMaggio of the New America Foundation think tank, a participant in recent unofficial talks with North Korea, said Feltman could propose during his visit to Pyongyang that Guterres play a mediation role. I do think that the Trump administration would like to explore talks about talks at this stage. I think the North Koreans are assessing the timing of when to do that, she told a seminar in Washington on North Korea. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Feltman was not traveling on behalf of the U.S. government. And hes not traveling - I want to make this clear - with any kind of message from the U.S. government ... Hes going on behalf of the U.N., not the U.S. government, she told a regular news briefing. Nauert said Washington remained open to talks if North Korea showed it was serious about giving up its nuclear weapons, but added: The activities they have been engaged in recently have shown that they are not interested, they are not serious about sitting down and having conversations. North Korea has been working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States in defiance of U.N. sanctions. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September and last week tested a missile capable of reaching anywhere in America. Feltman told the 15-member Security Council last week that its unity creates an opportunity for sustained diplomatic engagement an opportunity that must be seized in these dangerous times to seek off-ramps and work to create conditions for negotiations. In September, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia urged a return to dialogue, including by leveraging mediation efforts by Guterres. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said on Tuesday that Pyongyang was seeking dialogue with Washington on its nuclear program, according to RIA news agency. Morgulov, at a conference in Berlin, was quoted as saying Russia had communication channels with North Korea open and was ready to exert its influence on Pyongyang. Swedens Deputy U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau told reporters he hoped Guterres could mediate in probably the largest threat to international peace and security at the moment. Britains Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Allen said Feltman had our backing and I think he goes to represent the U.N. family as a whole. Reporting by Michelle Nichols * Gulf Energy is Thailand's third-largest power company * Largest corporate listing since 2006 * Will use funds to finance new power plants, repay loans (Adds comments from statement, analyst) BANGKOK, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Gulf Energy Development PCL , Thailand's third-largest power producer, made its market debut on Wednesday with shares trading at 57.5 baht, 27.8 percent above an initial public offer (IPO) price of 45 baht. The IPO was Thailand's largest corporate listing in a decade, raising 24 billion baht ($736.20 million). The offering underscores a rebound in Thai listings after a slump last year, with investors taking heart from a pick-up in exports and tourism. The junta's setting of an election for November 2018 - its most precise date since taking power in a 2014 military coup - has also bolstered sentiment. The IPO's "timing was good," said Prinn Panitchpakdi, country head at CLSA Securities, citing strong investor demand for the utility segment and a turnaround in Thai markets. Gulf Energy is the third power company to list on the Thai bourse this year. "Gulf has one of the best growth profiles out of the utilities and power companies," Prinn said. Future challenges will be securing power-purchasing agreements from the government and ensuring continued growth, Prinn added. Gulf will use funds raised in the IPO as working capital, to repay loans and to finance gas-fired and biomass power plant construction, to increase total installed production capacity by 6,353.6 megawatts (MW) by 2024, it said in a statement. Gulf Energy is the largest company to float since 2006 when Rayong Refinery raised 27.2 billion baht. Gulf, which specialises in gas-fired power plants, reported third-quarter profit of 675.83 million baht in the three months through September, up 11.3 percent from the same period last year. ($1 = 32.6000 baht) (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Christopher Cushing) (Adds details and context) By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee advanced legislation Tuesday that would ease financial rules for banks for the first time since the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The Banking Committee advanced the legislative package by a vote of 16 to 7, where it now heads to the full Senate for consideration. The bill would ease regulatory requirements for banks with under $250 billion in assets, among other changes to rules imposed by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law. The bill is supported by nearly every Republican in the Senate and at least 12 Democrats, making its passage extremely likely. The high likelihood the changes may become law has led to intense lobbying by industry groups eager to see legal changes included in the measure that they view as beneficial. Over 100 amendments were proposed to the bill, primarily by Democrats looking to trim favorable provisions for banks and boosting consumer protections. But the four moderate Democrats on the committee joined with the panel's 12 Republicans to oppose any changes to the compromise package, which was first announced in November. While the bill seems likely to pass the Senate, its path forward remains unclear. Lawmakers are facing a busy December schedule, including efforts to finalize a tax cut package and the need to pass a funding bill to avert a government shutdown. "Financial regulation should promote safety and soundness while enabling a vibrant and growing economy," said committee Chairman Mike Crapo. "The bill we are marking up today is the product of a thorough, robust process, and honest, bipartisan negotiations." Proponents argue the bill would help spur the economy by encouraging lending. But critics argue it increases the risk of future crises while aiding banks that already enjoy record profits. "This bill is about helping the banks, including the largest of the largest," said Senator Sherrod Brown. The legislation makes a number of changes to heightened financial rules enacted as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law, with the relief aimed primarily at smaller banks and credit unions. However, there are a handful of provisions beneficial to larger banks, most notably exempting some larger banks from heightened regulatory scrutiny as "systemically important" financial institutions. The bill raises the threshold by which banks face those stricter rules from $50 billion in assets to $250 billion. Banks with assets between $50 billion and $100 billion would be exempt once the bill is enacted, while those with assets between $100 billion and $250 billion would be exempted 18 months later. The Federal Reserve would have flexibility to release banks from stricter rules sooner, or reinstate them for scrutiny under certain conditions as part of the legislation. The bill also exempts banks with less than $10 billion in assets from several regulatory requirements, including the "Volcker Rule" ban on proprietary trading. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Liana B. Baker and Andrew Berlin Dec 6 (Reuters) - Hong Kong-based buyout firm Baring Private Equity Asia is nearing a deal to acquire U.S. educational services company Prometric Inc for roughly $1 billion, including debt, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The deal would be the latest example of Asia-based investors stepping up their hunt for educational assets overseas, as more students, especially in China, seek access to Western educational resources at home and abroad. Baring, one of Asia's largest funds, would buy Prometric from a New Jersey-based nonprofit called Educational Testing Service (ETS). An agreement could come as early as this month, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential negotiations. Prometric declined to comment, while ETS and Baring Private Equity Asia could not be reached for comment. Private equity firms like education assets because of the stable cash flows they generate from income from prepaid tuitions and other fees. Prometric administers exams for organizations such as the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company manages an average of 7 million exams per year in 6,000 testing centers in more than 180 countries, according to its website. It also provides test development and data management services for its clients. ETS acquired Prometric for $435 million in 2007 from the Thomson Corporation, the predecessor of Thomson Reuters Corp . Baring Asia has been aiming to raise $6 billion in a new Asian fund, Reuters reported in November. It announced a deal to acquire language teaching business Wall Street English from Pearson last month for around $300 million, in a consortium with CITIC Capital Holdings. (Reporting by Liana B. Baker in San Francisco and Andrew Berlin in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) Dec 6 (Reuters) - Iraqi Kurdistan-focused oil producer Genel Energy plc said on Wednesday it is seeking to reduce its bond debt to $300 million from the currently outstanding $421.8 million. The company proposed refinancing some of its bonds through a partial early redemption and reducing its debt by replacing the existing bond agreement with a new $300 million deal. Genel, one of a handful of foreign oil companies in Iraqi Kurdistan, is also looking to extend maturity through amending and restating terms to a new 5 year bond with a coupon of 10 percent per annum. The company said a bondholders meeting will be held on Dec. 20 and that bondholders holding a significant proportion of the bonds have confirmed they will vote in favour of the proposal. (Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Louise Heavens) LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's call to the leader of the Northern Irish political party which props up her minority government has not changed much, the BBC's political editor said on Twitter, referring to the Brexit talks. "Doesn't sound like PM and Foster call has changed much - but saves May from embarrassment of saying at PMQs that she hasn't even spoken to her," Laura Kuenssberg said on Twitter. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton) 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. BEIJING, Dec 6 (Reuters) - China will "significantly" widen market access for foreign investors, state radio on Wednesday quoted vice premier Wang Yang as saying. China will speed up the drafting of a timetable and roadmap for opening up key sectors, Wang was quoted as saying. (Reporting by China monitoring desk and Kevin Yao; Editing by Nick Macfie) 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. COPENHAGEN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Negotiations over Denmark's budget have stalled, in another sign of the government's problems in convincing its populist ally Danish People's Party (DF) to back tax cuts. The government wants to pass tax reforms along with the budget, saying the two bills are intertwined. But DF now says negotiations should be separated so the budget can be passed soon. "It would give the parliament proper conditions to handle the budget so the Danes will get a budget on time and we can pay out salaries and other things," DF's leader, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, told broadcaster TV2 before a meeting with Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Wednesday. Dahl said tax negotiations then could continue after the turn of the year. That would give the government less leverage on the tax cuts, which it is much more eager than DF to pass. Rasmussen's Liberal Party suffered losses in local elections last month, a possible harbinger for the next national election, which is to be held no later than mid-2019 . (Reporting by Teis Jensen, editing by Larry King) BELFAST, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party Arlene Foster spoke to British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday but she has no plans to fly to London for talks, a party spokesman said. Foster, whose party props up May's government, on Monday effectively vetoed the text of a deal between Britain and the European Union on the future of Northern Ireland's border, blocking UK progress to the next stage of Brexit talks. The phone call lasted around 15 minutes, but Foster has no plans to travel to London for Brexit talks, the spokesman said. "There is still work to be done in London before she would go over," he said. (Reporting by Ian Graham; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alison Williams) MILAN, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Italian regional lender Banca Carige said on Wednesday it sold a portfolio of gross bad loans worth 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion) and its platform to manage bad debt to Credito Fondiario. The lender will pocket 265.7 million euros from sale of the portfolio, equal to around 22 percent of the nominal gross value of loans, and 31 million euros from sale of the platform. The bank added it would issue an addendum to the prospectus of its rights issue, which ends on Wednesday. ($1 = 0.8450 euros) (Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Steve Scherer) DUESSELDORF, Dec 6 (Reuters) - German retailer Metro has placed an employee on leave while prosecutors investigate multiple officials for possible insider trading and market manipulation, a spokesman for the company said on Wednesday. The person, who is not in a managerial role, has been placed on leave on full pay until suspicions of insider trading have been cleared up, the spokesman said, confirming a report in Handelsblatt. "The principle of innocent until proven guilty applies", the spokesman added. The investigation centres on the flow of information ahead of a Metro announcement on March 30, 2016, about plans to separate its wholesale and food business from its consumer electronics chain to speed growth, sending its shares 12 percent higher. The chief executives of Metro and Ceconomy , the consumer electronics business, are among those being investigated. The companies have denied the accusations. (Reporting by Matthias Inverardi; Writing by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Louise Heavens) MOSCOW, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The government of Iraq has no objections regarding operations by Russian oil companies in Iraq's Kurdistan region, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in comments posted on his Twitter page. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov) 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. Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Wednesday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour): DEBT SUPPLY Poland's finance ministry plans to hold a bond buyback tender for up to $700 million LOTOS , PKN ORLEN The Polish government is considering a merger between the state-run refiner Grupa Lotos and the largest state-run oil company PKN Orlen, the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reports without providing much detail. REQUIRED RESERVES RATE The central bank's decision on Tuesday to cut the required reserve rate to 0.5 percent for banks as of Jan. 1 will mean that the central bank will pay commercial banks around 360 million zlotys ($101.10 million) less in the whole year, the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reports, citing analysts from PKO BP. PRIME MINISTER Should ex-banker and Finance Minister Mateusz Morawiecki become the country's new prime minister, as it is broadly expected, he will have a greater say in enforcing his economic ideas and in giving entrepreneurs a bigger safety umbrella, the daily Puls Biznesu reports, citing economists. Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party may replace Prime Minister Beata Szydlo next week with Morawiecki sources told Reuters ALCOHOL The value of the Polish alcohol market increased 1.4 percent between October 2016 and September 2017 to around 33 billion zlotys, the daily Rzeczpospolita reports, citing a report by the research company Nielsen. ****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.**** For other related news, double click on: Polish equities E.Europe equities Polish money Polish debt Eastern Europe All emerging markets Hot stocks Stock markets Market debt news Forex news For real-time index quotes, double click on: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ($1 = 3.5607 zlotys) (Reporting by Warsaw Bureau) BUCHAREST, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Romania's government approved a 2018 budget on Wednesday, based on a fiscal deficit just under the European Union's threshold of 3 percent of gross domestic product, that earmarks the biggest increase in spending for social security. Bucharest said it estimated economic growth of 5.5 percent next year after the 6.1 percent expected this year and the third quarter's 8.8 percent - a record among EU states. Last month, the government approved a tax overhaul that was criticised by investors, trade unions and the centrist president. It cut income tax to 10 percent from 16 percent and lowered social security contributions while shifting their burden entirely onto employees . The changes will curb bureaucracy, tax evasion and boost revenue, the cabinet said. It had said the tax cuts would be covered by capping some spending for ministries, as well as reduced contributions to a mandatory private pension system. Brussels said lat month Romania's deficit might jump to 3.9 percent of GDP in 2018 and 4.1 percent in 2019, driven by increases in state employee wages and pensions as well as tax cuts. The ruling Social Democrats have wavered over their tax intentions this year, often announcing measures without prior assessment of their impact and then backing out, raising uncertainty among investors and weighing on asset values. The bill will be debated by parliament in the coming weeks and rubber-stamped by the end of the year in the assembly, where the government holds a majority. The bill estimates budget revenue will total 31.6 percent of GDP next year. It envisions an average leu exchange rate of 4.55 per euro and total expenditure at 314.5 billion lei, or 34.6 percent of GDP. Of that, social security spending and public sector personnel costs amounted to 10.9 percent and 8.9 percent respectively. Public investment is expected to be 4.2 percent of GDP. (Reporting by Radu Marinas, editing by Larry King) * For the midday report, please click SEOUL, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Round-up of South Korean financial markets: ** South Korea's KOSPI stock index weakened on Wednesday as foreign investors turned to net sellers of local equities after a selloff in technology stocks on Wall Street overnight. The Korean won and bond yields fell. ** At 06:30 GMT, the KOSPI was down 35.75 points or 1.42 percent at 2,474.37. ** The won closed at its two-week low of 1,093.7 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform , 0.72 percent weaker than its previous close at 1,085.8. ** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,092.8 per U.S. dollar, down 0.57 percent from the previous day, while in one-year non-deliverable forwards it was being transacted at 1,089.6 per dollar. ** MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.27 percent, after U.S. stocks ended the previous session with mild losses . Japanese stocks weakened 1.97 percent. ** The KOSPI is up around 23.9 percent so far this year, and down by 0.79 percent in the previous 30 days. ** The current price-to-earnings ratio is 12.10, the dividend yield is 1.28 percent and the market capitalisation is 1,242.04 trillion won. ** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index was 503,764,000 shares, and of the total traded issues of 874, the number of advancing shares was 250. ** Foreigners were net sellers of 336.2 billion won worth of shares. ** The U.S dollar has fallen 9.41 percent against the won this year. The won's high for the year is 1,075.71 per dollar on November 29 and low is 1,211.8 on January 3. ** In money and debt markets, December futures on three-year treasury bonds rose 0.11 points to108.28. ** The Korean 3-month Certificate of Deposit benchmark rate was quoted at 1.66 percent compared with a previous close of 1.66 percent, while the benchmark 3-year Korean treasury bond yielded 2.103 percent, lower than the previous day's 2.11 percent. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Richard Borsuk) LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Wednesday that the finance ministry could issue a special treasury bond to facilitate favourable terms for the repatriation of cash stashed abroad by wealthy Russians. "I cannot exclude it," Dvorkovich said on a visit to London, when asked about a Reuters story published on Tuesday. Wealthy Russians facing the prospect of targeted U.S. sanctions next year have floated the idea of a special treasury bond to facilitate favourable terms for bringing their cash home, three sources familiar with the scheme told Reuters. (Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva and Clara Denina; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber) OSLO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Norway's central bank sold the following government bond (NST-475) in a uniform price auction on Wednesday: Coupon: 2.00 pct Maturity: May 24, 2023 Settlement date: Dec 8, 2017 AUCTION DATE Dec 6, 2017 May 31, 2017 YIELD (pct) 1.10 1.13 ALLOTMENT PRICE (pct) 104.74 105.00 SCHEDULED OFFER (bln NOK) 3.00 3.00 TOTAL BIDS (bln NOK) 7.220 9.511 ALLOTED (bln NOK) 3.00 3.00 BID-TO-COVER RATIO 2.41 3.17 NOTE: The central bank said that there was about 1 percent allotment on lowest accepted bids. (Reporting by Oslo newsroom) 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. OSLO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Budget airline Norwegian Air Shuttle released the following traffic data for November on Wednesday: Nov 2017 Oct 2017 change(pct) Reuters poll*** Nov 2016 ASK (mln) 6,316 6,965 28 31.2 4,923 RPK (mln) 5,284 6,088 28 31.6 4,135 Passengers (mln) 2.520 3.149 11 N/A 2.265 Yield (NOK) 0.33 0.39 -4 0.32 0.34 Load factor (pct) 83.7 87.4 -0.3 p.p. 84.0 84.0 * Norwegian Air has entered into term contracts and options during the period. By the end of November, the Group estimates a quarter-to-date gain of NOK 237 million including gains of NOK 137 million related to unrealized hedge positions ** ASK: available seat kilometres. A measure of an airline flight's passenger carrying capacity RPK: revenue per passenger kilometres. A measure of traffic calculated by multiplying the number of revenue-paying passengers by the distance travelled Yield: average revenue per passenger carried and kilometre flown *** Reuters poll measures percentage change from November 2016 (Reporting by Oslo newsroom) 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. KAMPALA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The Ugandan shilling was stable on Wednesday and was expected to gain ground, helped by central bank mopping up excess liquidity in the money markets, traders said. At 0946 GMT commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,620/3,630, same level as Tuesday's close. The central bank planned to remove an unspecified amount of excess liquidity at 1100 GMT on Tuesday. UGX Spot Rate.................... Ugandan Shilling Money Guide.... Calculated Cross Rates.......... Deposits..................... Deposits & Forwards............. Uganda Equities Guide....... Uganda All Share Index........ Shilling background ..... Ugandan Debt Guide............ All Uganda Bonds............. Uganda T-Bills.............. Uganda Benchmark............. Central Bank ................ Ugandan Contributor Index.... Uganda Coffee Prices....... (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. (Adds details of release) OTTAWA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The labor productivity of Canadian businesses fell by 0.6 percent in the third quarter, the second consecutive decline, as the number of hours worked grew faster than business output, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday. The drop was the largest since the 1.2 percent decline in the second quarter of 2015, which also marked the last time that productivity fell for two quarters in a row. Real gross domestic product of businesses rose by 0.3 percent in the third quarter, sharply down from 1.2 percent in the second quarter. The number of hours worked on production in the business sector grew by 0.9 percent after rising by 1.3 percent in the second quarter. Overall labor costs per unit of production grew by 1.2 percent as the average pay per hour worked edged up by 0.6 percent on strength in both the goods- and service-producing industries. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Graphic - Canada economic snapshot ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) (Adds details, background) ACCRA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - MTN Ghana will sign a 510 million cedi ($112 million) syndicated loan facility arranged by Ecobank , sources close to the deal told Reuters on Wednesday. The medium-term facility, which will be signed on Thursday, has been raised from nine banks and was oversubscribed by 590 million cedis, the sources said. MTN Ghana in 2012 raised $300 million from a similar loan to finance network expansion, but this was repaid by the end of May this year. MTN is the leading mobile operator in Ghana with 17.8 million voice subscribers as of September. AirtelTigo, the second largest, serves around 10 million subscribers. Others include Vodafone , with about 9 million, and Nigeria's Globacom, with 781,022 subscribers by end-September. (Reporting by Christian Akorlie; Editing by Tim Cocks and Adrian Croft) * Steinhoff shares down more than 60 percent * Rand gives up some of recent gains (Updates levels) JOHANNESBURG, Dec 6 (Reuters) - South African stocks fell to their lowest in more than a month on Wednesday after Steinhoff shares plummeted when the company announced an investigation into accounting irregularities and its chief executive officer resigned. The rand retreated. The benchmark Top-40 index weakened 1.6 percent to 51,572 points while the All-Share index dropped 1.64 percent to 58,010 points. Steinhoff , which is listed in Johannesburg and Frankfurt, shocked investors when it said late on Tuesday that "new information has come to light today which relates to accounting irregularities requiring further investigation." The household goods retailer also said CEO Markus Jooste had quit as CEO after nearly 20 years in the job . Steinhoff's South African listed shares plunged 61.42 percent to 17.61 rand by its Tuesday close, after hitting more than eight year lows in intra-day trading. In the fallout Steinhoff African Retail (STAR) fell 22.76 percent to 19.00 rand, after its chief executive Ben la Grange resigned. "That's created more and more uncertainty - investors sell first and ask questions later," said Cratos Capital equities trader Greg Davies. The rand fell, giving up some of the recent gains triggered by data showing the economy was on the mend and hopes that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will win the race to become the next leader of the ruling party. At 1535 GMT the rand was 0.8 percent weaker at 13.5450 per dollar, compared with a close of 13.4375 overnight in New York. The currency gained in the previous session after the economy expanded by a surprise 2 percent quarter-on-quarter, but failed to breach the 13.40 technical resistance mark. The rand also got support from investor bets on a victory by Ramaphosa at the ruling African National Congress's leadership conference next week, where a successor to the current leader, President Jacob Zuma, will be crowned . "So far, Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to have the best prospects. The markets feel optimistic about that, which supports the rand further. But it remains very susceptible - a fact also reflected in the high implied volatility," Commerzbank analysts said in a note. In fixed income, the yield on the benchmark government paper due in 2026 was flat at 9.175 percent. (Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, editing by Larry King) (Adds details) ISTANBUL, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury has requested information on a Turkish bank, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Wednesday, referring to a U.S. court case against a Halkbank executive charged with helping Iran to evade sanctions. "The case in the United States is vague. As of today, the U.S. Treasury has not initiated a request of information for Turkish banks, except one," Simsek said at an event in Istanbul. He did not elaborate about the bank in question nor the information requested. A wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, has pleaded guilty to charges that he schemed to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions and is testifying in a U.S. court against the Halkbank executive, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, for related charges. Atilla has pleaded innocent and Halkbank has said all of its transactions have complied with international and domestic regulations. Ankara has said the case is politically motivated and an attempt to undermine Turkey's economy and government. Simsek also said that the banking sector's capital was strong and capable of enduring a shock. He said the government would give support to its banks if needed. International investors have expressed concern that banks could be drawn into the U.S. case. The investors are already wary about Turkey over the fall-out from President Tayyip Erdogan's widening crackdown. While international sanctions on Iran were eased last year, U.S. measures remain and penalties for any infringements can be devastating, as a $9 billion fine on French bank BNP Paribas last year attests. (Reporting by Ebru Tuncay; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Dominic Evans and Matthew Mpoke Bigg) (Adds company news and futures) Dec 6 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 41 points lower at 7,286.6 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures down 0.45 percent ahead of the cash market open. * MULBERRY: Britain's Mulberry , known for its classic leather handbags, posted a 2 percent rise in retail sales in the first half of its fiscal year and flat total revenues, at a time when it is making a greater push into Asia. * SABRE: British car insurance underwriter Sabre priced its London market debut at 230 pence per share, giving the company a market value of 575 million pounds ($771 million) at the start of conditional trading. * HAMMERSON: Britain-based shopping centre landlord Hammerson said it agreed to buy Intu Properties in a deal valuing the smaller rival at about 3.4 billion pounds ($4.56 billion). * LEGAL & GENERAL: Swiss Re has agreed to buy 1.1 million life insurance policies from Legal & General Group (L&G) for 650 million pounds ($872 million), the Swiss group said on Wednesday. * EASYJET: Britain's easyJet will start competing with Lufthansa on domestic German routes from Berlin next month, following its planned acquisition of parts of insolvent Air Berlin, it said on Wednesday. * BRITAIN-LABOUR: Britain should leave open the option remaining in the single market and customs union after a Brexit transition period, the Brexit spokesman for the opposition Labour Party said on Wednesday. * GLAXOSMITHKLINE: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Wednesday said it is taking local units of GlaxoSmithKline and Swiss healthcare company Novartis to court over false or misleading representations in the marketing of pain relief products. * OIL: Oil prices dipped on Wednesday, as refined product inventories in the United States rose in what the market interpreted as a sign of lacklustre demand. * GOLD: Gold prices nudged down early on Wednesday after touching a two-month low in the previous session, despite a slightly weaker dollar. * BRITAIN-PHARMACEUTICALS: Britain won a vote of confidence from its economically important life sciences sector on Wednesday as five drug companies committed to invest in the country under the government's industrial strategy plans after Brexit. * The UK blue chip index ended the session 0.2 percent lower at 7,327.50 points on Tuesday, as sterling picked itself up from a session low on the back of timid optimism about a Brexit deal. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit * For Top News : (Reporting by Harish Bhaskar) Editor's Note:World Gold Council corrected figures in its ETF report for year-to-date increase, which is in second paragraph. (Kitco News) - Gold held by global exchange-traded funds increased their holdings by 9.1 tonnes in November, said the World Gold Council in a monthly report Wednesday. This pushed total holdings to 2,357 tonnes, an increase of 191.8 for the year to date, said the industry-backed gold organization. This means an addition of $8.149 billion to assets under management, an increase of 8.3% since last December. Gold ETFs generally trade like a stock but track the price of the commodity, with metal put into storage to back the shares. The November inflows were concentrated in European ETFs, as investors added 15.8 tonnes through funds listed in the region, the Gold Council said. Meanwhile, North American ETFs collectively posted outflows of 5.4 tonnes, the second straight monthly decline. Asian ETFs lost 0.3 tonne, while holdings by ETFs in other regions lost 0.9 tonne. In North America, iShares Gold Trust added 7 tonnes, while SPDR Gold Shares led outflows worldwide, with 11.2 tonnes leaving the vaults, the Gold Council said. In Europe, three currency-hedged funds grew: db Physical Gold Euro Hedged ETC added 5.3 tonnes, UBS ETF CH-Gold CHF Hedged added 4.2 tonnes and db Physical Gold ETC EUR added 2.3 tonne. Also, ETFS Physical Gold added 2.3 tonnes. For the year to date, European funds have captured 75% of global inflows this year, adding 143 tonnes, the Gold Council said. German-based ETFs account for 34% of global growth, with Xetra-Gold alone accumulating 53.3 tonnes, a 49% increase year-to-date. North American ETFs have recorded year-to-date inflows totaling 62.3 tonnes, while Asian funds have posted outflows of 13.7 tonnes. UT Institute of Agriculture research shows drones could help crop management take off By Ginger Rowsey, gtrice@tennessee.edu JACKSON, TN Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, could help farmers determine if their crop is growing satisfactorily, according to a recent study conducted by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers. Shawn Butler, a graduate student at the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, analyzes cotton research plots from his laptop thanks to images obtained with an unmanned areial system (UAS), also called a drone. This research could help farmers improve crop monitoring. Photo by G. Rowsey, courtesy UTIA. The study evaluated the ability of a UAS to accurately and precisely determine plant populations of cotton. Producers routinely assess plant populations early in the growing season to determine the state of their crop and what management decisions are needed to ensure an optimal harvest. This is most often done by counting the number of plants within a selected distance and repeating those counts in different locations throughout the field to find an average. This traditional approach is reliant upon a highly uniform plant population across the entire field and can be influenced by human bias, says Shawn Butler, graduate student in the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Theoretically, an aerial approach could provide spatially dense information on plant populations across large areas quickly and remove human bias. For two years, researchers assessed plant stands of emerging cotton through manual counting and through images obtained from both digital and multi-spectral cameras mounted beneath a quad-copter. The quad-copter was flown at varying altitudes ranging from 30 to 120 meters. Of the two camera systems analyzed, the images produced from the multi-spectral camera proved to be more accurate in estimating plant populations, with a greater than 93 percent accuracy. However, researchers say the red, green, blue (RGB) images produced by the less-expensive digital camera still looked promising, with a greater than 85 percent accuracy using current methods and scripted programming. Based on initial results, the aerial imagery provided by either RGB or multi-spectral sensors may be a sufficient tool to improve accuracy and efficiency of plant stand assessment, says Butler. The most impactful difference to the end user in deciding a method to use will be the cost between the two camera systems. Crop monitoring is a big obstacle for many producers, says Tyson Raper, project leader and assistant professor with the UT Department of Plant Sciences. We want to continue to evaluate tools and methodologies that have the potential to help farmers overcome monitoring challenges, improve response time and increase profitability. Butler presented this research at the 2017 International ASA, CSSA and SSSA Annual Meeting, Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future, held in Tampa, Florida. The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America hosted the meeting. The study was conducted at three locations the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson and the UT AgResearch and Education centers at Milan and Ames Plantation. Other project team members include Mike Buschermohle, Interim Assistant Dean of UT Extension. Cotton Incorporated provided partial support for this project. Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu. Five boys playing the role of Billy in the upcoming musical "Billy Elliot" showcase "Electricity" during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Eric Taylor, Sung Ji-hwan, Chun Woo-jin, Sim Hyun-seo and Kim Hyun-jun. / Courtesy of Seensee Company By Kwon Mee-yoo "Billy Elliot" is about a boy from a mining community in North East England who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. A theatrical production of this modern-day fairytale resonated with over 11 million theatergoers around the globe since it premiered in London's West End in 2005. The show makes a triumphant comeback after seven years and will raise its curtain at D-Cube Arts Center in southern Seoul with previews starting Nov. 28. This time, the musical has a different production company, Seensee Company. Louise Withers, international executive producer of "Billy Elliot," welcomed Korea's second production of the musical. "Our mission to bring Billy back to Korea met Seensee's desire to bring this beautiful musical back. We couldn't be happier to be here and the standard of talent in Korea is absolutely world-class," Withers said during a press conference in Seoul Tuesday. The movie-turned-musical premiered in Korea in 2010 to rave responses, and the five boys who played the titular role jointly won the Rookie of the Year at the Korea Musical Awards. Despite enthusiastic fandom here, the musical went into a long seven-year hiatus. Korean producer Park Myung-sung said he is excited to stage "Billy" in Korea once again. "Billy Elliot has everything it has a boy's passion who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, love for family and solidarity in a community. I believe Billy will resonate with Korean audiences well," Park said. Simon Pollard, associate director of "Billy Elliot" in Korea, said he is glad to be part of staging the show in Seoul. Simon Pollard, international associate director of "Billy Elliot" / Courtesy of Lee Soo-jin Simon Pollard ushers audiences to share journey of aspiring dancer By Kwon Mee-yoo By Yoon Ja-young Koreans live longer than the average of other developed economies, but they are relatively unsure about their health. According to data released by Statistics Korea Tuesday, Korean babies born in 2016 are expected to live 82.4 years on average, up 0.3 years from those born the previous year. There was gap between genders: While the average baby boy can expect to live 79.3 years, the life expectancy for girls is 85.4 years. The gap, however, has been decreasing since 1985 when females were expected to live 8.6 years longer than males. The life expectancy of Koreans is more than the average of the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Korean females are expected to live 2.3 years longer than the OECD average and Korean males, 1.4 years. The biggest cause of death for Koreans is cancer. According to Statistics Korea, 21.3 percent of the Koreans born in 2016 will die of cancer, followed by heart disease at 11.8 percent, cerebrovascular diseases at 8.8 percent and pneumonia, 7.8 percent. Compared with a decade ago, the death risk from pneumonia has surged 5.1 percentage points, marking the steepest rise among all. Doctors explain that this is due to aging of the population. Unlike healthy adults, pneumonia can be detrimental to senior citizens. The risk of cerebrovascular disease as a death factor, meanwhile, dropped 4.3 percentage points. The long life expectancy, however, does not mean Koreans are healthy. Statistics Korea said that Koreans born in 2016 are expected to have 64.9 years of a healthy life. So of the entire life expectancy, 78.8 percent will be healthy years. The ratio of healthy life years fell 2.4 percentage points from 2012. A healthy life means not only not being sick but also not taking medicine for chronic diseases such as hypertension or diabetes. Koreans are not very confident about their health compared with those of other developed countries. According to Statistics Korea, those born in 2016 will evaluate themselves as healthy until they reach 68.5 years. Males will evaluate themselves as healthy for 86.7 percent of their life expectancy, while the ratio falls to 80.1 percent for females. This compares with men in EU countries who evaluate themselves to be healthy for 92.7 percent of their expected life, while 90.6 percent of women in the EU do the same. Among OECD member countries, Iceland had the longest life expectancy for men at 81.2 followed by Japan, Switzerland, and Norway. Korea ranked 15th. Korean women, meanwhile, are expected to enjoy the fourth longest life among OECD members. Japanese women topped the list with 87.1 years' life expectancy, followed by Spain and France. Financial Services Commission Chairman Choi Jong-ku, center, speaks during a National Assembly National Policy Committee meeting at the Assembly in Seoul, Nov. 27. / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) Chairman Hwang Young-key will not run for a second consecutive term as the chief of domestic capital market investors. Hwang's tenure at the office seemed certain until he told reporters Monday, "I found myself on a different page with the leaders of the current administration. Hence, I will quit pursuing another term as KOFIA chairman." Hwang continued: "The current policy direction seems to be different from my opinion and I often feel no one is listening to my suggestions." Quoting the Latin phrase "persona non grata," he likened himself to a foreigner who is banned from entering or remaining in a country by its government and found himself as an unwanted person in the current administration. At first, the abrupt remarks by Hwang, an avid advocate of the free market, appeared to be an explicit display of his discontent with the Moon Jae-in administration. In consideration of the circumstances, however, Hwang may be hinting that the government is "nudging" him to step aside. Last month, Financial Services Commission Chairman (FSC) Choi Jong-ku said in a press briefing, "There have been many undesirable cases in which someone became an association chairman after getting support from the member company from which they came." The comment seemed to be directed at Hwang because leaders from the private sector head only two finance-related associations _ one is KOFIA and the other is Korea Life Insurance Association headed by Lee Soo-chang, former Samsung Life CEO, who will be replaced by KB Life CEO Shin Yong-gil this week. Hwang has been described as Samsung Group's financial specialist. He was chief of the international financial team at Samsung group's control tower from 1989 to 1994 and CEO of Samsung Securities from 2001 to 2004. After serving top posts at Woori Bank and KB Financial Group, he became the third chairman of KOFIA in 2015. Analysts say the government's influence on financial leadership has changed its form from direct to indirect. In the past, the government swayed the financial industry by parachuting in former bureaucrats it liked. The current administration, though, has set up guidelines, as Choi remarked, to prevent people not to its liking from getting key posts. KOFIA is not the only organization where this has happened. On Nov. 29, the Korea Federation of Banks appointed Kim Tae-young, former chief of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation's credit business, as its new chairman. The appointment came as a surprise as he was an underdog compared to other candidates including former ranking bureaucrats. Kim even said he didn't expect to be appointed. Back then, Rep. Choi Woon-youl of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea remarked, "Old bureaucrats are coming back as financial association chiefs," during a National Assembly audit in October and FSC Chairman Choi said, "If there is concern about this, the government will take care of it." Then, Kim won the competition for the office. Ex-bureaucrats were ruled out from candidate lists of both bank and life insurance associations, and private sector figures were appointed. This is why market observers cite the "nudge theory" to describe the current administration's influence over the financial sector. Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler coined the term through his highly successful 2008 book "Nudge." Though the theory is typically about positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions to bring out better outcomes, it is uncertain whether the government's nudging will influence a desirable outcome. "The government controlled associations or financial firms through former bureaucrats or parachuted people in. But at the same time they played a crucial role of defending the associations and firms from the government's excessive influence," a bank official said. "Rather, the problem seems to be that the financial authority is still trying to sway private associations and large financial firms." By Yoon Ja-young The government plans to seriously protest the decision by the European Union (EU) to include Korea in its tax haven blacklist. "We sent an official letter (to the EU) yesterday," Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon told the media, Wednesday. "We plan to take appropriate measures since there is no problem at all in Korea's tax policies according to other international standards." The EU published its first list of "non-cooperative tax jurisdictions," Tuesday, as a part of steps to "raise the level of good tax governance globally and prevent large-scale tax abuse." Korea is included in the blacklist of 17 countries, along with American Samoa, Bahrain, Barbados, Grenada, Guam, Macao SAR, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Namibia, Palau, Panama, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. "Korea has harmful preferential tax regimes and did not commit to amending or abolishing them by 31 December 2018," the EU noted in its release. By Park Hyong-ki The political parties' last-minute agreement on a corporate tax hike for conglomerates is stirring up a debate in the private sector. Liberal and conservative lawmakers agreed to revise the tax code to raise corporate taxes on companies with annual earnings of more than 300 billion won from 22 percent to 25 percent. This is the first hike in nine years. The rate will be raised to the level it was before former President Lee Myung-bak's business-friendly policy was implemented. The rise has been part of liberal President Moon Jae-in's pledge for correcting the broken down system of wealth redistribution and social safety nets. Conglomerates represented by a local lobby group immediately expressed its discontent with this planned tax increase on wealthy companies. About 70 conglomerates including Samsung Electronics will have to pay more taxes to the government beginning next year, which in turn will use the money to further finance social spending. The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said the tax hike is clearly going against the global trend in tax cuts. It added the move will not only "decrease Korean companies' global competitiveness," but also "hinder investment and thus job creation." The United States has recently passed a tax reform bill that will slash its federal tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The world's No. 1 economy calls it the "Trump tax cuts." France is also moving to cut its corporate tax rate from 33.3 percent to 25 percent in phases over the next five years. Meanwhile, Korea's tax hike will burden the local conglomerates to pay an additional 2 trillion won in taxes starting in 2018. The FKI said the administration should reconsider it for the sake of its companies' competitiveness. But the government has been adamant about the tax hike from day one, reasoning that trickle-down economics did not work despite favorable tax cuts. Youth unemployment is at a record high, while the wage growth on average has been below the increase rate of consumer prices. Furthermore, the government said the agreement on the level of the corporate tax hike reached by politicians is weaker than it initially sought. The Moon administration wanted to apply the hike on companies with taxable incomes of more than 200 billion won a year. If it pushed for this original proposal, about 130 companies would face the hike. Some conservative lawmakers are also not satisfied with the results of the all-night negotiations. Analysts say the outright tax comparison between the U.S. and Korea may seem that Asia's fourth-largest economy will be imposing higher corporate taxes. But the tax rate includes a 10 percent regional tax here. In addition to the federal tax, the U.S. companies need to pay state and local taxes separately, depending on where they are based. "The top 10 U.S. companies face higher effective tax rates than the top 10 Korean conglomerates," said Choi Gi-ho, a professor at the University of Seoul. With high inequality and the elderly poverty rate, global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have been suggesting that Korea improve its finances to better take care of its middle- and low-income earners. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa says there is no concrete evidence North Korea has mastered the technology to put a nuclear device on a long-range missile. / Korea Times file By Chyung Eun-ju South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa questioned North Korea's nuclear capabilities, despite their "significant progress," in a CNN interview aired on Tuesday (local time). "Now they have declared after the latest launch the completion of their program," Kang said. "But as I said, there is no concrete evidence that they have mastered the technology that is required to be able to put a nuclear device on a long-range nuclear missile. "The declaration in their statement is one thing; have they really mastered the technology is another thing." Kang acknowledged that the North Koreans have developed their program at "a pace that's far faster than many of us have expected, but they have not reached the final completion stage yet." The foreign minister also urged the global community to "put pressure and implement sanctions in a concerted way" to "change the course of the North Korean regime." According to the Ministry of Unification on Dec. 1, North Korea had not crossed the "red line" that could trigger military action with the test firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week, since it failed to prove its capacity of reentry, terminal guidance and warhead activation. "It is also unclear whether the North has mastered the technology of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. Defense Minister Song Young-moo suggested that the North Korean regime intentionally exaggerated its nuclear capabilities to boost leader Kim Jong-un's achievements. Yeo Suk-joo, policy office chief at the defense ministry, told the South Korean parliament on Dec. 1 that the missile could travel over 13,000 kilometers, "including Washington, D.C., in its range," but it required further review to prove its development of necessary technologies. President Moon Jae-in, right, shakes hands with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Wednesday, in a meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae. / Yonhap By Jung Min-ho The government will send health inspectors to elementary and middle schools in response to an increasing number of suspected flu cases. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Monday, officials will visit three schools in Sejong, and Gangwon and North Chungcheong provinces Thursday to investigate the origins of the flu and the pattern of its spread. The infection rates in the schools are thought to be 200 times higher than the average of others across the country, which is 8.7 cases per 100,000 people. The flu season is off to an early start this year. The KCDC issued a flu warning Nov. 1, one week earlier than last year. It is the earliest since 2010, when the KCDC issued the warning on Oct. 10. The centers' sample study conducted in the fourth week of last month showed that the number of suspected flu cases was 7.7 per 1,000 people who visited hospitals during that period. Children are especially vulnerable. Among those aged from seven to 12, the rate is 15.1, compared with only 7.6 among people aged 19 to 49. Based on the investigation results, the KCDC said it will come up with measures to minimize flu damage, which is otherwise expected to be more serious than the past few years. The KCDC said a flu vaccine is the best form of defense against the virus, urging everyone to be vaccinated at nearby hospitals or health centers. It also advises people to wash their hands more frequently with soap, especially after touching shared objects. Flu viruses circulate in low numbers all year round, but they usually mount a major attack in the winter, triggering a spike in infections that generally lasts a few weeks or months. Often, activity peaks in January or February. By Choi Ha-young Hashima Island a northwest island off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan, is where an estimated 4,000 Koreans were forced to toil under extreme conditions in the 1940s during what Japan describes as its "modernization and industrialization." To put the brakes on Tokyo's bid to conceal the history of the "prison island," Kim Min-chul, a senior researcher of the Center for Historical Truth and Justice (CHTJ), published a guidebook to address the site. "When I visited the island, all Japanese tour guides were reluctant to explain about forced labor during Japanese imperialism," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul. "Some of them said workers from Korea and China voluntarily contributed to the development (of Japan)." The CHTJ is planning to distribute a 90-page handbook to travel agencies to expand public understanding on the issue. "Korean tour guides working in Japan told me that they are not familiar with the issue, saying their understanding on the forced labor is no more than what was featured in the movie Battleship Island,' directed by Ryoo Seung-hwan," Kim said. The guidebook in three languages Korean, English and Japanese also seeks to exert international pressure on Japan. The CHTJ mailed the booklets to Japanese government organizations as well as foreign embassies based in Tokyo, primarily UNESCO member states. Japanese activists from Network for Fact Finding on Wartime Mobilization and Forced Labor joined the campaign. Kaori Nogi, another senior researcher of the CHTJ, led the work to publish a Japanese version. "This is the fruit of grassroots activists in Japan who have made efforts to study and gather testimony about forced labor," Nogi said. "I hope the tourists learn about the workers, and the human rights abuses behind the development. Other than Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to enhance Japan's pride, the exploitation must be documented in a full history," Nogi added. Telling the "full history" is what UNESCO asked of Japan in 2015, when the country attempted to add 23 industrial sites to the UNESCO World Heritage list, including Hashima Island. In response, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO vowed to "take measures that allow an understanding that there were a large number of Koreans and others who were brought against their will and forced to work." However, the Japanese government virtually reneged on the agreement. In a report submitted to UNESCO recently, Japan said it would set up an information center in Tokyo, 1,000 kilometers away from the site. The CHTJ is calling for pan-governmental taskforce to generate a strategy to counter the Japanese move. "Japan is required to study the history of the site. The Korean government can offer a joint investigation," Kim said. "The CHTJ is also envisioning an international conference with Japanese civic groups, hopefully with Chinese groups as well." To download the guidebook, please visit . By Park Si-soo North Korea's tenacious pursuit of developing nuclear weapons continues to escalate fears of military conflict. Hawkish U.S. congressmen pitched the need to strike Pyongyang preemptively to derail the program, while dovish people, including South Korean President Moon Jae-in, try to thwart it with sanctions and diplomacy. North Korea claims nothing can stop the program, threatening military action should there be an attack. No matter how the situation unfolds, it seems that the raging geopolitical crisis is not holding back foreign travelers' desire to visit the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ), a demarcation line dividing the two Koreas. Perhaps the tension has strengthened their desire. According to tour agencies, the number of foreigners buying travel tickets to the DMZ showed double-digit growth in recent months. Cosmo.Jin Tour, a foreigner-only tour agency, said 2.8 times more foreigners than the same month last year visited the DMZ in November alone. The demand for DMZ tours peaked after U.S. President Donald Trump visited Seoul early last month, during which he wanted to inspect the DMZ but failed due to bad weather. "After the news (of Trump's visit) broke out, I received twice or triple more calls from foreigners seeking to visit the DMZ," a tour agency official said. "The DMZ has great value as a tourist attraction because it's the only living Cold War legacy in the world." By You Soo-sun KDI School Dean Chun Hong-tack / Courtesy of KDI School of Public Policy and Management Twenty years have passed since the KDI School of Public Policy and Management was established to meet the rapidly changing needs of the global economy. As the world has changed, so has the school no longer does it aim to foster leaders in Korea alone, but also in developing countries that may gain from the Korean experience. With 20 years already behind it, the school is now gearing up for the next 20 with three basic values in mind: innovative education, impactful research, and result-oriented knowledge sharing. But its primary goal is to establish itself as Asia's best public policy and management school, KDI School Dean Chun Hong-tack said in an interview with The Korea Times, Nov. 22. "And this certainly means we can become the best in Asia, if not the world," he said. Hidden champion among policy schools Although the school is relatively small in size, comprised only of graduate programs, Chun believes it has the potential to become the best in the field by focusing on and building upon its expertise. "Through excellent faculty and a breadth of experience, I believe we can become the hidden champion of public policy schools," Chun said. "We may be small in size, but because of this we can be more agile in adapting to the administrative and social changes around us. This allows us to play a leading role in the field by not only quickly accepting evolving trends, but also setting new ones ourselves." For example, when the G20 was established with Korea as a member country, one of the moves was to strengthen knowledge sharing as a means of promoting development. Accordingly, the KDI School began enrolling students from less developed countries to better disseminate Korea's experience, Chun said. But by far, its greatest achievement has been receiving the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) accreditation for its public policy and development policy master's programs the only school to do so in the country. There are around 180 NASPAA accredited graduate schools, most notably the Harvard Kennedy School. "Change does not come easily. But our school has an advantage when it comes to this," Chun said. "And this also laid the groundwork for us to become an international school with a diverse student body, with almost half of our students coming from abroad." Development as diversity Students dance with the school dean for the annual KDI Song & Dance Festival held at the KDI main conference room in Sejong City, July 7. / Courtesy of KDI School of Public Policy and Management Nowhere in Korea is a school more diverse than the KDI School. This year, half of the students, or 149, are foreigners from 78 countries. Half of them are from Asia, but close to 30 percent are from Africa, 17 percent from America, and about five percent from Europe and Oceania. It also boasts of a wide-ranging network across the world, including partnerships with 55 institutions in 24 countries. "A good international education institution should be equipped with not only excellent faculty and curriculum, but also diversity and openness," Chun said. "Diversity and openness are what Korean society lacks most. Comparatively, I would say we are far ahead." No more than five people come from the same country, except for few exceptions given to countries such as Myanmar, Chun explained. Most of its students are from the public sector who come with the aim of furthering development in their respective countries. By training them to become adept practitioners, many graduates have gone to fill top posts in Korea and abroad, including Ethiopia's Minister of Construction Ambachew Mekonnen. Since he assumed office in 2016, interactions between Ethiopia and Korea have also increased. Especially by sharing the experience of Korea moving from being a developing to a developed country, the school aims to promote sustainable development in other countries. For example, graduates from Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Uzbekistan and Mexico have participated in its Knowledge Sharing Program, through which it provides policy consultation drawn from the Korean experience. But meaningful interactions are not just one-sided. "Naturally, all our students learn about the various problems that arise in different countries and how vastly different they are perceived and combated," Chun said. "We have also added a new course in which students share important policy cases from their countries, whether or not it succeeded. When these cases are accumulated, this could become a great resource for the study of international development." The United States currently has no plan to move military dependents out of South Korea despite rising tensions with North Korea, the Pentagon said Tuesday. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to deter North Korean aggression after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Commenting on North Korea's latest launch of a long-range missile last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) argued Sunday that the U.S. should stop sending military dependents to South Korea and transfer those that are already there. "The Department of Defense currently has no intent to initiate departures for military dependents, whether on a voluntary or mandatory basis, and no intent to modify the policy authorizing military dependents to accompany military members being stationed in South Korea," Lt. Col. Chris Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said in emailed remarks to Yonhap. "The United States has many contingency plans in place all over the world to keep our military families safe." The readiness, safety, and welfare of U.S. service members, employees and family members are essential to the strength of the bilateral alliance, he added. The senator had told CBS that South Korea should be an unaccompanied tour. "It's crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea," he said. (Yonhap) By Yi Whan-woo The United States has no plans to pull out family members of American troops stationed in South Korea despite heightened tension on the peninsula, according to a Pentagon official. U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Logan also told Yonhap News in an email interview Tuesday that Washington will keep its policy of having families accompany military members. Logan virtually put aside U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) call for the U.S. to consider moving military dependents out of South Korea following North Korea's third intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, Nov. 29. "The Department of Defense currently has no intent to initiate departures for military dependents, whether on a voluntary or mandatory basis, and no intent to modify the policy authorizing military dependents to accompany military members being stationed in South Korea," Logan was quoted as saying. He added the U.S. has "many contingency plans in place all over the world to keep our military families safe." During a CBS interview, Sunday, Graham urged the Pentagon to "start moving American dependents out of South Korea." He said the defense department should not send military dependents to here anymore, either. The senator claimed South Korea should be an "unaccompanied tour" and it was "crazy" to send spouses and children. Graham's remarks further stirred up concerns over a possible military conflict on the peninsula, as he had previously warned of a pre-emptive strike in response to Pyongyang's ICBM provocations. Hours after the ICBM test, he told CNN that the U.S., if necessary, would "have to go to war to stop" North Korea and that the country is "headed toward a war if things don't change." Meanwhile, Logan said the readiness, safety, and welfare of U.S. service members, employees and family members are essential to the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. The U.S Forces Korea has regularly conducted mass evacuation drills of American civilians here. Up to 200,000 U.S. citizens including family members of 28,500 American troops reside in South Korea. Such drills were recently misunderstood by South Koreans as a sign of a U.S. attack on North Korea after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly hinted at using military options against the Kim Jong-un regime. By Chyung Eun-ju A shaman has been found guilty of sexual assault for undressing a young woman in public during an invocation rite as she wielded a knife. Busan District Court sentenced the female shaman, 53, to six months' jail, suspended for two years, and 40 hours of sexual harassment treatment. Although the shaman was performing a ritual, the court ruled the act was a sexual assault because it went against sexual ethics. According to the written judgment on Sunday, a woman, aged in her 20s, and her mother went to the shaman because the daughter was feeling pain. The shaman told the mother, "We have to remove the male spirit that is stuck on her body." The shaman told the daughter to lie down, removed the woman's undergarments, and then wielded a large knife around her. The ritual was performed in front of a crowd that included males, which humiliated the woman Before the ritual, the shaman asked the woman about her sex life and did not inform her about what would happen during the ritual. "The victim was humiliated and felt that her sexual freedom was violated," said judge Yoon Hee-chan. "The act falls under sexual crime law even though it was a shamanic ritual. "We did take into consideration that the shaman did not have a similar criminal record and that it happened during a ritual. By Kim Rahn Defense Minister Song Young-moo has continuously been making comments that are out of tune with Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling bloc. Now, officials at the presidential office and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are criticizing his remarks for causing confusion about government policies. The latest incident took place Dec. 1 when he was answering questions from lawmakers at a National Assembly session two days after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. He said the country should consider a naval blockade against the North if the United States makes this proposal as part of stronger sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime. The minister said the government had reviewed such a plan and concluded it would participate in the blockade if such a request was made, adding the review was conducted by the National Security Council (NSC). But on the same day, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters that the government was not considering a naval blockade, saying President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump did not discuss the issue during their phone conversation the day before. After Song's remarks were made public, the official said the NSC had never discussed the matter, adding, "They seem to be Song's personal view." Apparently considering the disharmony with Cheong Wa Dae, Song said in a forum Monday, "I'm telling you there is no gap between me and the President and other presidential aides." However, it was not the first time for Song and Cheong Wa Dae to show differences over policies. In August and September, Song said South Korea would consider redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to deter North Korea's nuclear threats _ a move the conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is pursuing, but the liberal Moon government opposes. As controversy grew, Cheong Wa Dae and the defense ministry reconfirmed the government was not considering nuclear armament, with the presidential office giving a warning to Song. But in the Dec. 1 Assembly session, when Rep. Kyeong Dae-soo of the LKP asked if South Korea needs its own nuclear capability, Song said, "You and I have the same direction." The ministry explained Song meant he agreed on the need to enhance the allies' deterrence capabilities against the North's threats, not on the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons. He received a "stern warning" from Cheong Wa Dae in September as well over defamatory remarks about the President's security and diplomacy adviser, Moon Chung-in, who proposed reducing the scale of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises in exchange for the North's suspension of its nuclear and missile programs. Song said in an Assembly session that it was "deplorable" for Moon Chung-in to speak to the media carelessly. After Cheong Wa Dae's warning, Song apologized to him for his "careless remarks." At another parliamentary session in November, he caused a stir by saying "it was a good thing" for former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin to be released after 11 days of custody over his alleged illegal involvement in political activities in favor of the then ruling bloc. He has been criticized for derogatory sexual remarks as well. During a visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) last week to boost the morale of South Korean soldiers after a North Korean soldier's defection, he said, "It's not fun to listen to someone haranguing before a food table. People say that the shorter speeches and miniskirts are the better." Officials at Cheong Wa Dae and the DPK say that they cannot defend the minister anymore. "Whenever Song comes to the Assembly, we feel uneasy about what remarks he would make," a DPK official said. Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the DPK said, "Song is a good soldier, but as a minister, he needs political sense. He has to consider whether his remarks may seem disharmonious with Cheong Wa Dae and may make people nervous about security." The National Assembly approved the government's budget for next year early Wednesday as the main opposition party boycotted the vote to express its objection to some contentious points in the bill, such as the creation of thousands of new government jobs. The 428.8 trillion won ($394.4 billion) budget, which passed in a 160-15 vote, centers on creating thousands of new government jobs, expanding welfare programs, and increasing the minimum wage. To fund the increased spending, it calls for raising the corporate and income tax rates for big businesses and top earners. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party stayed away from the vote in protest. The rival parties had haggled over key sticking points, such as the number of goverment jobs to be newly created, leading to the missing of the legal deadline for the budget's passage for the first time since the enactment of a law in 2014 aimed at minimizing partisan fighting. On Monday, the ruling Democratic Party, the main opposition LKP and minor opposition People's Party reached a compromise by trading concessions on major points of contention, but the deal was short-lived as LKP lawmakers rejected it the following day. Despite the objections, the deal passed through the Assembly as it is, as the ruling party and the minor opposition People's Party joined forces to approve the bill. Their combined strength in the 299-member legislature is 161 seats. Major bones of contention in the original budget bill were a proposal to use 534.9 billion won to support President Moon Jae-in's push to create 174,000 new public service jobs by 2022 and the 3 trillion-won "job stability" plan to bankroll next year's minimum wage increase. Opposition parties sought to reduce the number of public sector jobs to be created, arguing that such a sharp increase would put too much of a burden on future generations. They also demanded the job stability plan be applied for only one year. Under Monday's provisional deal, the parties agreed to set the number of new public service jobs at 9,475, down from the 12,221 initially proposed by the ruling party and the Moon administration as part of the government's key job creation plan. The agreement also calls for raising the highest corporate tax rate to 25 percent from the current 22 percent and subject big business with taxable profit of 300 billion won or more to the rate. The government had originally wanted to impose the hiked rate for companies with taxable profit of 200 billion won or over. The income tax rates for top earners has also been raised from 38 percent to 40 percent for those with annual taxable income of 300-500 million won, and from 40 percent to 42 percent for those earning more than 500 million won in taxable income. The budget bill also calls for spending 2.97 trillion won next year in the state subsidy for smaller businesses against the burden of the planned minimum wage hike, with the amount for the 2019 subsidy not to exceed the previous year's expenditure. The legal minimum hourly rate will increase 16.4 percent to 7,485 won. The proposed rise in basic pension to 250,000 won and provision of children's allowance of 100,000 won per household will come into effect starting next year in line with the government's plan, with the time of implementation and the scope of the beneficiaries to be slightly adjusted in the opposition parties' favor. (Yonhap) By Kim Rahn President Moon Jae-in will depart for China, Dec. 13, for a four-day state visit, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. It will be Moon's second state visit since his inauguration, May 10, following the first one to Indonesia. "Moon will visit China at Chinese President Xi Jinping's invitation," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. In Beijing, Moon will have a summit with Xi, a state dinner, and meetings with other ranking officials of the country including Prime Minister Li Keqiang. The bilateral talks with Xi will come about a month after their previous meeting which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Danang, Vietnam, Nov. 11. "Through the meetings, Moon, Xi and the Chinese officials will review the 25-year-old diplomatic relationship between the two countries and discuss ways to develop it," Park said. "They will also talk about how to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and bring peace to the Korean Peninsula." The relations between the two countries had turned sour after Beijing protested Seoul's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and took unofficial economic retaliation against South Korean businesses. The two governments made an agreement Oct. 31 to move forward by ending the diplomatic row over THAAD. However, pundits note that the THAAD issue could re-emerge at anytime as China wants the removal of the system while South Korea says it is necessary to deter North Korea's missile threats. Regarding the North Korea issue, Moon is expected to call on China, almost the North's only ally, to take more actions to stop Pyongyang's missile and nuclear provocations and urge it to come forward for negotiations. Pyongyang launched another intercontinental ballistic missile Nov. 29, which is believed to be capable of carrying a heavy warhead and striking anywhere on the U.S. mainland. After a two-day stay in Beijing, Moon will head for Chongqing, Dec. 15, which is a key region in the "One Road, One Belt" initiative which seeks to link China with Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Europe. Chongqing is also where Korea's provisional government was located from 1940 to 1945, when the peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945). "Moon's visit will be an opportunity to recover the two nations' exchanges and cooperation, an opportunity for another 25 years of relations," Park said. A large number of businesspeople are likely to accompany the President out of high expectations for the normalization of business activities in China which have been troubled because of the THAAD row. Many CEO- or chairperson-level officials are expected to participate in the tour, considering that it will be the first trip to China by businesspeople on the occasion of a president's visit since September 2015, and that Moon will visit the country as a state guest. Pyongyang needs to find exit from nuclear crisis U.N. Undersecretary-General Jeffrey Feltman's visit to North Korea appears to be a positive signal on global efforts to defuse tension over the country's nuclear and missile threats. Feltman, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state, began a four-day visit to the North, Tuesday. The rare trip to the isolated country by a senior United Nations official is drawing keen attention. It comes after the North test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-15, last week, which it claimed was capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Pyongyang declared it had completed the development of its nuclear weapons system through the successful launch of the ICBM. The launch followed its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. These provocations have escalated the tension, raising the possibility of the U.S. using military options to solve the nuclear crisis. Feltman's visit carries implications for the crisis as it may offer an opportunity to open dialogue between the reclusive country and international society. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Feltman will discuss "issues of mutual interest and concern" with North Korean officials. He is expected to meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and Vice Minister Pak Myong-guk as well as U.N. staff stationed in the North. It is unclear whether he will meet with the young North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. If such a meeting takes place, it may indicate that the Kim regime is interested in talks with the international body and probably with the U.S. Feltman is also likely to talk with his hosts about a potential visit by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the North. If Pyongyang allows his visit, the U.N. chief may broker talks to find a negotiated solution to the crisis. Guterres has already shown his willingness to play a mediating role to create peace on the Korean Peninsula. On the part of North Korea, the Kim regime may need to find an exit from the ever-rising confrontation with the U.S. and its allies. Speculation has it that the North will come back to negotiations after it completes its nuclear program. Pyongyang reportedly wants to have direct talks with Washington on the condition that the latter recognizes it as a nuclear state. But the U.S. and its allies cannot accept this condition. For now, it is unlikely there will be a major breakthrough from the U.N. official's mediating efforts because no one knows what the North really wants. Critics question the intention of Pyongyang's invitation to Feltman to the country. The North may try to use his visit as a ploy to prevent the world from taking harsher sanctions against it. Despite such skepticism, we hope that the U.N. will keep serving as a mediator to solve the North Korean issue peacefully. Feltman ought to deliver to the Kim leadership the international community's determination not to tolerate its nuclear blackmail. And Pyongyang should drop its hostility and return to dialogue to avoid self-destruction before it's too late. By Lee Hyon-soo To escape the cold, many Canadians take vacations in winter and flee south, mostly to Florida. They look on their annual trip to Florida as a basic survival rite, one that gets them through all the shoveling, scraping and sniffles. Retirees and those who do not have to work in winter farmers, for example pass the whole winter in Florida. Like migratory birds, they return to Canada in spring. Roughly half a million Canadians own winter homes in Florida. Although I came to Canada a long time ago, I did not get around to visiting Florida until recently, that is. My seeming lack of interest in Florida bewildered my Canadian friends who go there every year. Just because I had not been to Florida, they seemed to think that I was averse to travel. To them, my trips to other interesting places did not seem to count at all. Not wanting to be the odd man out, I finally decided to drive to Florida in July. My Canadian friends tried to talk me out of making my trip, pointing out that it is sizzling hot in Florida in July. But I did not heed their advice because I did not think much of the hot weather that might be waiting for me in Florida. After all, I had lived in Singapore for a couple of years, a tropical country which is incessantly hit by heat waves. It was in mid-July that my family and I set out on our long journey to Florida which bills itself as the "Sunshine State." Our destination was Orlando, about 2,400 km away from Toronto, or roughly five times the distance between Seoul and Busan. We drove and drove and drove, stopping only for gasoline, food and sleep. It took us two-and-a-half days to get to Orlando, having passed through as many as seven states, namely, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Since we traveled along inter-state highways, our journey was uneventful. Our boredom was broken only by the mountains and rolling hills that we encountered on the way. They proved welcome diversions for us. We arrived at Orlando at about noon on the third day and spent the afternoon at Universal Studios. During the next two days we toured Walt Disney World which includes the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Theme Park, among others. Of all things we saw there, we were most impressed by the ingenious ways in which various themes were explored and presented at Epcot. As all Canadian vacationers seemed to go to Florida in winter, I thought Orlando would be deserted in summer. How unprepared I was! Tourists swarmed all over the city. They all must have come from other places than Canada. Everywhere we went, we were swallowed by crowds. What's more, Orlando's hot weather proved unbearable, despite our earlier experience in Singapore. So we quit Orlando, skipping many tourist attractions which we had originally planned to visit, and moved to Daytona Beach just to relax on the beach for several days, basking in the sun. But the heat was so intense that we could not remain on the beach even for ten minutes. As there seemed to be no reason to linger one more day there, we repacked our suitcases and headed homeward. Disillusioned, we put in more driving hours and got home in two days. Although my trip to Florida turned out to be untimely (I definitely should have waited until the weather cooled off there), I took consolation in the thought that my pilgrimage to the Canadian Mecca of holidays might help me strengthen my camaraderie with my Canadian friends here. The writer is a retired international banker who lives in Toronto, Canada. His other writings are posted on his blog, http://blog.daum.net/tom_hslee. Two years ago, the National Pension Service came under fire for rubber-stamping the merger of two of Samsung Group's flagship units, incurring losses of about 300 billion won ($275 million). So the state pension fund operator's decision Friday to introduce the so-called stewardship code is welcome, if belated. The stewardship code refers to a set of principles aimed at influencing institutional investors who manage other people's money to be active and engage in corporate governance in the interests of their clients. As Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said, it is a global trend to adopt the system introduced in the United Kingdom in 2010 after the 2008 global financial crisis by state pension funds to protect their investments and boost their profitability over the medium to long term. As of Aug. 31, the NPS had stakes of 5 percent or more in 278 companies, including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Hyundai Motor. That means its adoption of the stewardship code will have an enormous impact on these companies' management. On the bright side, the NPS playing its role as a market watchdog will help enhance the businesses' management transparency, eventually leading to an increase in corporate value and revenue growth for pensioners. It will also dissolve the "Korea discount" caused by opaque governance and meager dividend payments. Business lobbies complain the new system will result in excessive interference in the decision-making of private companies by the state pension fund operator that is, the government which appoints its chairman of the board of directors. These opponents cite as its example the NPS voting in favor of a board member recommended by the labor union of KB Bank last month. "The vote marked the advent of pension socialism," the critics cried out. Such exaggerated concerns about just one director representing labor illustrate how closed and one-sided these corporate boardrooms are, filled with executives named by management to act as only "yes men." The participation of a union-recommended director may help prevent labor disputes and promote smoother communication. The time has long past for the NPS, one of the three biggest pension funds in the world, to introduce the stewardship code as more than 20 industrial countries have done so already. EU's listing of Korea as tax haven comes as big surprise By Park Jae-hyuk The European Union's latest publication of the list of 17 non-cooperative tax jurisdictions must come as a surprise to foreign enterprises that have complained about difficulties doing business in Korea. According to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Wednesday, the EU regarded Korea's tax benefits to foreign businesses investing in free economic zones and foreign investment zones as a kind of preferential tax regime, which means it is wrong to offer more benefits to foreign companies than Korean ones. The EU's claim is utterly opposed to what foreign businesspeople have long complained of the Korean government implementing discriminatory policies that give preferential treatment to domestic businesses. The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea's (ECCK) White Paper released last month also includes such complaints. The ECCK demanded the Korean government remove discriminatory policies in favor of homegrown businesses and amend laws not meeting business standards of foreign companies. For example, its logistics and transport committee requested the government to allow goods carried into the free trade zones to be re-imported to the country without value-added tax. Also, its taxation working group wants small foreign-invested companies to be exempt from the requirement of submitting a country-by-country report. Seen above is a scene from "Alice Through the Looking Glass," a 2016 U.S. fantasy adventure film based on Lewis Carroll's novel of the same title. Helena Bonham Carter acted as the Red Queen, which has become a famous business term noting the necessity to keep moving forward so as not to fall behind. / Korea Times file Asia's No. 4 economy struggles to compete with US, China By Park Jae-hyuk No matter how innovative a Korean firm is, it is rarely able to maintain the top spot in the global market, according to a chief executive of a domestic technology company. His company has provided local news outlets with articles written by a robot journalist over the past 10 years. Although his company obtained a patent on the artificial intelligence-based technology in Korea in 2008, the businessman could not apply for an international patent, due to a lack of money. Since then, foreign rivals have grown rapidly with mass investments. One of the competitors is Automated Insights, a U.S.-based technology company that has produced corporate earnings stories for the Associated Press since 2015. "We are now unable to catch up with the fast-growing foreign companies," the Korean entrepreneur said. "It is usual for domestic first movers to lag behind companies in China or the United States." The phenomenon is often called "The Red Queen effect." Its name is derived from a statement that the Red Queen made to Alice in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass" "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place." In his thesis, "A New Evolutionary Law," published in 1973, U.S. evolutionary biologist Leigh Van Valen coined the hypothesis that species have to run or evolve in order to stay in the same place or remain extant. The hypothesis was applied to business administration in a thesis, "The Red Queen in Organizational Evolution," published in 1996 by William Barnett and Morten Hansen at Stanford University. Barnett and Hansen claimed companies that achieved successes in the market find it difficult to depend on their achievements, because latecomers can swiftly enter the market without trial-and-errors, learning from the first movers. Many global enterprises have proved the argument. General Electric, which first commercialized light bulbs 125 years ago, recently liquidated its light bulb business. Toshiba, which released the world's first laptop, DynaBook, in 1989, is also pushing ahead with the disposal of its personal computer business. Sony, which commercialized the lithium-ion battery in 1991 for the first time in the world, sold its battery business last year to Murata Manufacturing, a Japanese electronic component manufacturer. Intel, which invented the world's first dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) in 1970, withdrew from the market in 1985. Motorola, IBM and Toshiba, all of which once took the top spot in mobile phones, smartphones and flash memory respectively, have small market shares for now. In Korea, SayClub and Cyworld pioneered the field of social media, but they collapsed after the emergence of U.S. social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Pandora TV also started video-sharing services earlier than YouTube to achieve success here, but eventually failed to make its presence felt in the global market against the global giants Facebook and Twitter. Currently, Pandora is struggling to stay afloat. Korean conglomerates that have led global semiconductor, display, battery and electronics industries are not exceptions, as Chinese technology firms are rapidly chasing them. Korean companies have already yielded the top spot in the global liquid crystal display market to a Chinese firm. Hyundai Motor is also struggling to come up with countermeasures against the growth of Chinese automakers. Based on their price competitiveness, Geely Automobile and Great Wall Motors are chasing the Korean carmaker in the world's most populous country. Models pose with the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid sedan during an auto event for the Hyundai-LUXI car pool joint venture, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Jhoo Dong-chan BMW Korea said Wednesday that the company's President and CEO Kim Hyo-joon will be promoted to chairman while BMW Malaysia Management Director and CEO Han Sang-yun will take over from Kim. According to the company, Kim will take up the chairman's post as of Jan. 1, while Han will succeed Kim as CEO from March 1. "I am pleased to announce that we appointed Kim as a representative director chairman, and Han as the new president for BMW Korea," BMW Group Asia, Pacific and South Africa Region Senior Vice President Hendrik von Kuenheim said. "Kim will continuously assume responsibility for representing the Korean subsidiary of BMW Group and Han will take charge of overall business operations. BMW Group Korea is now set to embark on its management succession process." "BMW Korea has enjoyed a significant sales growth under Kim's leadership for more than 15 years. He is a symbolic figure not only for BMW Korea but also for the nation's foreign auto brand market. The German headquarters' decision to promote Kim to chairman demonstrates their confidence in Kim's leadership," a BMW Korea official said. If Kim is promoted to chairman, he will be the first Korean chairman in the nation's foreign business circle. In September 2000, BMW Korea appointed Kim as its President and CEO, and he has since led the German auto brand's explosive growth in sales here. BMW Korea is said to have not only enjoyed a remarkable sales growth but also actively participated in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities under Kim's 17-year leadership. It invested a total of 77 billion won (62 million euro) to build the BMW Driving Center in Incheon, August 2014. BMW Korea said it created about 100 jobs and it has since received more than 500,000 visitors until August 2017. It is also the German premium automaker's third driving center in the world, and first one in the Asian region. BMW Korea sold 6,827 cars last month, outperforming its long-time rival Mercedes-Benz Korea in monthly sales for the first time in six months. Mercedes-Benz Korea sold 6,296 cars. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Amid allegations of sexual harassment, embattled freshman Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen vowed he will not resign from his post, despite calls from Democratic leaders that he step aside. Instead, Kihuen is digging in with a shocking allegation of his own, taking aim at the leaders of his own party. In an interview with ABC News, Kihuen, D-Nev., said party leaders knew last year about a former campaign staffers allegations of misconduct but stood by his campaign nonetheless. Kihuen questioned why they are calling for his resignation now, more than a year later. I do find it interesting that the DCCC, Leader [Nancy] Pelosi and Chairman Ben Ray Lujan -- they knew about these allegations last year, Kihuen said. They looked into them. They didn't find anything, and they continued investing millions of dollars in my campaign. They went out there and campaigned for me. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who are both demanding Kihuens resignation, adamantly deny knowing about the allegations against Kihuen before BuzzFeed published a report last week. Sadly, this is not the case. Leader Pelosi first learned of these allegations from BuzzFeed last week, Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said. Congressman Kihuens statement is not true, Meredith Kelly, DCCC communications director, said. We were presented with these disturbing facts for the first time last week, and the chair immediately called for his resignation. I've been abundantly clear that anyone that is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, that they don't deserve to hold public office at any level, and I continue to hold that position, Lujan, D-N.M., said. A former Kihuen campaign aide, known only as Samantha, told a mid-level aide at the DCCC she had quit her job because then-candidate Kihuen made her uncomfortable, BuzzFeed reported last week. Another DCCC aide later brought the matter to Kihuen campaign manager Dave Chase, who confronted Kihuen about the complaint, though Kihuen denied it, according to BuzzFeed. Chase told BuzzFeed that he thinks Kihuen lied to him and he believes the victim, who alleges Kihuen propositioned her for dates and sex. The DCCC did not launch an investigation at the time, sources indicate, because the victim initially did not provide the level of detail exposed in the BuzzFeed investigation. Campaign records show the DCCC spent at least $3.15 million in the race. Sources insist the campaign committee would not have proceeded with its financial support of Kihuens general election campaign if they had known the scope of the allegations, first detailed by BuzzFeed on Friday. I'm not resigning, Kihuen, 37, said outside his office on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. I plan on continuing the job that I was elected to do by the people of the 4th congressional district. A Kihuen spokesman did not respond to a request for documentation supporting Kihuens claims about the DCCC, Pelosi and Lujan. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. At the meeting (Photo: VGP) The information was announced during a meeting of the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service held on December 6to review the work in 2017 and give orientation for 2018. According to the steering committee, in 2017, visits to Vietnam by General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump; the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Year; and the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Year, have been highlighted. Additionally, information about the Vietnamese country, history, culture and people has been transferred to international friends and overseas Vietnam, not only through Vietnamese external channels, but also through regional and international press agencies. In 2018, the Central Steering Committee for External Information Service will reinforce its role, focusing on the implementation of external information tasks in accordance with the Conclusion of the Politburo dated February 14th, 2012, on the strategy on the development of external information in the 2011-2020 period, and the Governments action plan on external information in the 2013-2020 period./. Carl Ekstrom shows this reporter a photo of himself surfing taken from the deck at Dukes La Jolla, sometime in the 1960s. Thats me, doing a bottom turn on an asymmetrical, he says, beaming. Im going up into there. Ekstrom, 76, doesnt surf anymore, but his surfboard designs still will for decades to come. Working in his garage workshop in Rancho Santa Fe, this fiberglass Picasso shapes boards for top surfers and other clients. (Hes worked for Disney, Nissan and even for Andy Warhol, shaping two boards shot by the pop-art superstar for his 1968 art film San Diego Surf.) Im a prototyper, Ekstrom explains, speaking in the art gallery inside Misfit Pictures on Pearl Street in La Jolla, where hell have a showing on Dec. 16. I make the first version usually. Im always interested in new techniques, new designs to fit into the new riding styles. The 1960 La Jolla High graduate said he began surfing near his childhood home in WindanSea in 1948, when the sport was in its infancy. My brothers were riding before I was, he recalls. We have really good waves here. When Ekstrom made his first board at age 13 or 14, it wasnt a matter of art or craftsmanship. We didnt have any money, so we had to do something, he explains. We bought an old board with redwood rails. I blasted the paint off and I knocked out one of my teeth out immediately. But even La Jolla surfers with money built their own boards. There were no local surfboard shops, Ekstrom recalls. You couldnt just go down and buy your own board, unless you went up to L.A. to Velzy or Jacobs, or to Hobie in Dana Point and a lot of their shapers came from La Jolla. In 1967, Ekstrom developed the first asymmetrical boards, which he still holds the patent on. These boards differ on their left and right sides, enabling surfers to tailor their ride to their personal forehand and backhand surfing styles, rather than vice-versa. The toe side is for drive, the heel side for power, Ekstrom explains. Although they didnt start out with the intention, Ekstrom and his fellow surfboard-shapers including La Jollans Al Nelson and Pat Curren became so appreciated, they ended up inhabiting the art world. It is art, Ekstrom says, because everyones putting their own little design concepts into the board. (At Misfit, Ekstrom plans to display some of his favorite asymmetric models including a modern board, carbon-dated to 2,700 years old, from a Sequoia that fell in Northern California on its own in the 60s.) Ekstrom eventually branched into furniture, doors and other things often building them out of the same fiberglass and foam he made surfboards with. Its all connected, he says. I just want to get in and produce some unique whatever, so I just do it, he says. Ekstrom quit making boards in the late 70s, but was coaxed back by some surfer friends in 1999 for custom jobs. Those friends soon spread the word and hes been back in business since. Everyone in the surf industry knows that hes the underground legend, everyone, says Misfit Pictures co-owner Pierce Michael Kavanagh. Carls the type of guy that will think of an idea, and then will build whatever, and he would never be satisfied. And the fact that hes the nicest guy in the world, thats a rarity. IF YOU GO: Carl Ekstrom will show his surfboards at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 at Misfit Pictures Gallery, 565 Pearl St., Suite 100. Admission is free. misfitpictures.com GENOA CITY Despite a lower tax rate, village leaders have approved a $100,000 property tax increase for next year. On Nov. 30, the Genoa City Village Board approved a 2018 budget of a little more than $2 million, which is 4 percent less than the 2017 budget. The 2018 budget states property tax revenue is going up, from $1.49 million to $1.59 million. The state limits how much each municipality can collect in property taxes, based on new construction. Village President Bill Antti said there was considerable construction in Genoa City this year, with new businesses being built, such as Dollar General, Geneva Surgical Suites, and Genoa City Travel Center. He also believes this years revaluation in the village affected the budget. Village Clerk-Treasurer Claudia Jurewicz said the assessed value of Genoa City went up about $10 million, from $177.2 million to $187.7 million. The 2018 village tax rate will be $8.31 per $1,000 of equalized value. That means the owner of a $200,000 Genoa City home would pay the village $1,662. In 2017, the rate was $8.46. The 2018 budget shows the village collecting $280,001 more than what it expects to spend. Total revenue is down 3.8 percent, from $2.38 million to $2.29 million. Expenditures went from $2.09 million to $2 million. Antti said the excess revenue is to maintain a fund balance to cover at least three months worth of debt payments, in case of emergency expenses. Any unforeseen expense that we didnt necessarily put in the budget, we have to cover because we have to have some kind of buffer, he said. As of Jan. 1, the village is expected to have $125,669 in the bank, but the village does not receive all of its tax revenue at the start of 2018, said Antti. Nearly every expense category in the 2018 budget is less than it was last year, but the largest drop is for general government. Spending in the category is down almost 18 percent, from $291,044 to $238,819. Miscellaneous revenue is down 75 percent, from $288,448 to $71,941, because of closing the village tax increment finance district. The decade that followed the end of the Civil War in April 1865 was a particularly momentous decade in Lake Genevas history. A campaign to restore railroad service between Chicago and the village of Geneva was successful, resulting in the resumption of rail service in July 1871. Although the railroad line from Chicago had first reached Geneva in 1856, it was discontinued in 1859 because of bad track. If anyone today requires visible evidence of the significance of what happened in Geneva during the first decades following the Civil War, one need only look at the buildings in the 700 block of Main Street in Lake Genevas downtown business district. Most of these buildings were constructed during the decade that followed the Civil War. And it was in 1871 that the first wealthy Chicagoans the three Sturges brothers, George, Sheldon, and Buckingham Sturges began to acquire land on Geneva Lakes shores upon which to build their palatial summer cottages (i.e., mansions), a development that would have a profound impact on the village of Geneva. Indeed, it was during the years 1865 to 1886 that the tiny nondescript frontier village of Geneva would be transformed into what would eventually become the city of Lake Geneva. Much of what occurred in the village of Geneva during these years was due to the efforts of Civil War veterans who either returned to or moved to Geneva following the end of the war. In 2017, a century and a half after the transformation of the village into the city of Lake Geneva, it is fitting to remember these resourceful Civil War veterans. Accordingly, here are summaries of the lives of a sampling of the Civil War veterans who played important roles in Geneva during the formative years following the war. First among the Civil War veterans is Dwight Sidney Allen. His legacy stands today at the southeast corner of Main and Broad streets as the three-story Landmark building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by the famous architect William Le Baron Jenney and constructed in 1872, the Landmark building has served as one of Lake Genevas most iconic structures for almost a century and a half. Dwight Sidney Allen was born on Feb. 12, 1843, in Lebanon, Madison County, New York, the son of George and Harriet Buell Allen. He was nine when his parents moved from New York state to Linn Township. He was educated in Genoa Junction and at the Geneva Seminary. As a young man, he taught school. At the beginning of the Civil War, at the age of 19, he enlisted in Company C of the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry. In March 1862, part of the 22nd Wisconsin was captured in Tennessee south of Nashville by the Confederates under the command of Nathan Bedford Forest. The soldiers who were captured, including Dwight Sidney Allen, were taken by rail to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, from which they were exchanged for captured Confederate soldiers in May 1862. The 22nd Wisconsin was reorganized at Jefferson Barracks outside of St. Louis and was sent back to fight in Tennessee. The 22nd Wisconsin then fought in all of the major battles leading up to the capture of Atlanta, and then marched with William Tecumseh Sherman all the way across Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah and the sea. D.S. Allen was discharged in Milwaukee on the 29th of June 1865. He returned to Linn Township where he managed his fathers farm. Eventually he became a leading businessman in Geneva. He was the central founder of the Farmers National Bank and, with his partner, H. H. Curtis (the son of Geneva pioneer Lewis Curtis), he had the Metropolitan Block (todays Landmark Center) built. He was also a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature, a justice of the peace, the village assessor, the chairman of the village of Genevas Board of Trustees for 14 years, and the chairman of the Walworth County Board for 10 years. In 1906, Dwight Sidney Allen suffered a devastating stroke, which was followed two years later by another stroke. He died on Tuesday, May 5, 1908, at the age of 65. Another significant Civil War veteran in post-war Geneva was Charles Edwin Buell. He was born in Plymouth, Chenago County, New York, on Oct. 2, 1836, the son of Ira Buell, a veteran of the War of 1812. Shortly after his birth, his parents brought him to the brand new village of Geneva. In 1862, as a farm boy, he enlisted in the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry and became the regiments orderly sergeant. He served in the 22nd Wisconsin throughout the war, rising eventually to the rank of captain. After the end of the war, he returned to the family farm near Geneva. In 1868, he and his wife left the family farm and moved into Geneva where he became a cashier in the Bank of Geneva (located at the southwest corner of Main and Center streets), which was owned by his father-in-law, the Geneva pioneer E.D. Richardson. He served as the treasurer, clerk, and president of the village of Geneva. Beginning in 1871, he served for eight years as postmaster in Geneva. In 1893, following the death of his father-in-law and the closing of the Bank of Geneva, he moved to Elgin, Illinois, where he lived for a year before moving to Los Angeles, California, where he bought a 40-acre ranch. Fifteen years later, he sold the ranch and moved to Hollywood, where he died on Feb. 27, 1923, at the age of 86. He was an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic the post Civil War version of the American Legion, in both Wisconsin and California. John Cutteridge was born in Huntingtonshire, England on March 31, 1831. Growing up in England, he learned the shoemakers trade. In 1852, he immigrated to the United States, settling in Albany, New York. When the Civil War began he enlisted in Company H of the 91st New York Infantry. His regiment lost 240 men during the famous battle of Five Forks, Virginia. Fortunately, he survived and was present at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, when Robert E. Lee surrendered to U.S. Grant on April 9, 1865. After the war, he returned to Albany, New York, where he lived until the fall of 1865, when he and his family moved to Darien, Wisconsin. In 1873, they moved from Darien to Geneva. In Geneva, he was a member of the Free and Associated Masons Lodge #44. In 1882, he was a founding member of the James B. McPherson post #27 of the Grand Army of the Republic. He remained a leading member of the post for many years. In 1894 he became Lake Genevas postmaster, and in 1895 he founded the Geneva cornet band. In 1905 he suffered a devastating stroke, and two years later on Aug. 10, 1907 he died of another stroke in Linn Township. He was 76 years old. Louis Stauffer was born in Baden, Germany, on Feb. 5, 1842. His parents brought him to the United States, where in 1859 he became an employee of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad in Turner Junction, Illinois, at the age of 17. In September 1861, he enlisted in Company D of the 52nd Illinois Infantry regiment and took part in many Civil War battles, including the battles of Stone River, Tennessee, and Chickamauga, Georgia. With his regiment he made the famed march across Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah and the sea. Upon his discharge in 1865, he returned to his job on the Chicago and Northwestern railroad in Turner Junction, Illinois. In 1871, when rail service from Chicago to Geneva was restored, he was transferred to Geneva and was placed in charge of all train engines running out of Geneva. In 1886, he became the alderman of the third ward in Lake Geneva. He continued to work for the Chicago and Northwestern railroad in Lake Geneva until he retired on April 30, 1910, after having spent 50 years as an employee of the railroad. Eleven years later on April 17, 1921, he died at his home on Henry Street at the age of 79, following a paralyzing stroke. For 39 years, he was an active member of the James B. McPherson post #27 of the Grand Army of the Republic in Lake Geneva. Daniel Gross was born in Ellingham, New York, on May 30, 1829. When he was a child, his parents moved to Warren County, Pennsylvania. 1n 1854, at the age of 25, he moved to Geneva. In the spring of 1864, he enlisted in the 8th Wisconsin Infantry regiment. He returned to Geneva following his discharge from the army. A mason by trade, he lived in Geneva until his wife died on April 29, 1899. He then moved to Austin, Illinois (now a part of Chicago), to live with his daughter. Before Lake Geneva became a city in 1886, he had represented the second ward on the village of Genevas board of supervisors. He died in Chicago on October 18, 1904, following a fall. He was 75 years old. Many other Civil War veterans played important roles in Lake Geneva during the decades that followed the Civil War. Part II will recount the lives of more Civil War veterans in Geneva. Quinn is a Lake Geneva native who is the University Archivist Emeritus at Northwestern University. 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 PRESS RELEASE British and Saudis Use Their Yemen Butchery To Try To Launch War Against Iran Dec. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)The British Empire, through its Saudi asset and complicit elements in Washington, is trying to unleash a broader regional war against Iran throughout the Middle East. In Yemen, where the Saudi effort has gone into overdrive over the past three weeks, this is shown by the mantra followed by the Saudis and the Western media of constantly labeling the Houthi Ansarullah movement as "Iran aligned." For instance, the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, claimed that the so-called "crimes" committed by the Houthis are due in large part to their "Iranian education." Xinhua, in a Dec. 4 report, quotes a military commander loyal to the former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed yesterday, reporting that "overnight, the [Saudi] coalition planes airdropped weapons and different kinds of communications equipment to the commanders who are leading the anti-Houthi uprising in Sanaa." Xinhua also reported that United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash tweeted on Dec. 3 "that the uprising against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels needs support in order to protect the Arabian Peninsula from Iran. " Xinhua further reports that "pro-Saleh soldiers were also air-covered by Saudi-led warplanes during the overnight fighting with Houthis, who made progress and seized key neighborhoods in Sanaa." Tehran has left no doubt as to where its sympathies lie. "The people of Yemen will make their aggressors regret their actions," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech this morning, reported Agence France Presse. Tasnim quoted Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, hailing Salehs death as the latest episode in thwarting a series of plots, including in the Kurdistan region, in Syria and in Iraq, all of which they blame on the Saudis. Reports from sources on the ground in Yemen paint a grim picture of what would have happened if former president Ali Abdullah Saleh had managed to flee Sanaa and join the Saudi coalition. What they report is that a real civil war would have broken out in the capital and other areas that have been under control of the Houthi-Saleh coalition (i.e. the alliance between the Ansarullah movement/militia and Salehs General Popular Congress party, GPC). The situation in the capital is now under control, and the Houthis are calling on the remaining leaership of the GPC to rejoin the alliance. The Saudis have no capability to meet the irregular warfare launched by the Houthis in a mountainous country, where conventional armies and weapons are rendered obsolete, as in the case of Afghanistan. Without a force inside, like the failed Saleh coup, it is almost impossible to defeat such forces, as the case of Afghanistan shows. The only weapon that remains is mass starvation of the whole people. On a regional scale, the Saudis and their backers in Britain and the United States are moving now to escalate against Iran. This flight forward and charging ahead for a military confrontation with Iran, could lead once again to a the whole Gulf and Southwest Asia being set on fire. PRESS RELEASE China Raises Concerns about Rising Tensions on Korean Peninsula Dec. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)China is so concerned about the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula aggravated by the U.S.-South Korean Vigilant Ace air exercise that the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force is running its own drills over the waters of the Yellow and East Seas. A Chinese military expert told Britains Daily Telegraph that the Chinese drills are "a defiant warning" to Washington and Seoul that it will uphold a "balance of power." Chinese Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke announced Chinas drills on social media on Dec. 4, saying that military aircraft "arrived in air lanes and regions that we have never been to before." There were no details on when the drills took place, but Chen said the maneuvers involved "fighter jets, early warning aircraft and surface-to-air missile forces." The Chinese government also made clear Chinas unease about the U.S.-South Korean exercise. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula is highly sensitive. We hope all relevant parties take more actions that would help ease tensions and refrain from provoking each other," Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Shuang said in Dec. 4 media briefing, reported the Korea Herald. In Pyongyang, the rhetoric has reached high levels of shrillness. A commentary carried by state-run KCNA said Washington and Seoul are "hell-bent on the exercises simulating an all-out war against the D.P.R.K., including drills to strike the state leadership and nuclear and ballistic rocket bases, air fields, naval bases and other major objects of the D.P.R.K. and its command posts of front line units, armored equipment and personnel and long-range artillery units. "Particularly, the U.S. imperialists are staging an ultra-precision strike drill with high intensity just like in a real war focused on removing the D.P.R.K.s state leadership and core facilities by massively introducing the ultramodern stealth fighters," said the KCNA commentary. "Owing to the U.S. imperialist warmongers extremely reckless war hysteria, a grave situation is prevailing in the Korean Peninsula that a nuclear war may break out any moment," it added, after claiming that Washington has already issued orders for a simultaneous strike on at least 700 major military targets of the D.P.R.K. Its not likely that such an order has actually been issued, but the KCNA description of the Vigilant Ace exercise is coherent with what has been reported in the U.S. and South Korean news media. Nikkei Asian Review reports that the two air forces will likely show off preemptive strike capabilities by rehearsing responses to a hypothetical detection of a missile launch, such as infiltrating North Korean airspace and destroying mobile launchpads or bombarding troop concentrations deployed at the militarized border. Nikkei says that in addition to the U.S.-South Korean exercise, U.S. forces also conducted an exercise with Japanese air force, though on a much smaller scale, four aircraft from each side. PRESS RELEASE Japan To Participate in Chinas One Belt, One Road Initiative Dec. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)At a reception of the Dec. 4-5 Sino-Japanese Entrepreneurs and Former High-level Officials Dialogue in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stressing the need for open economic activity across Asia, gave his approval for Japans participation in Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative. He said: "I believe Japan will be able to cooperate well with China, which has been putting forward its One Belt, One Road initiative" in a free and open Indo-Pacific region. "Meeting robust infrastructure demand in Asia through cooperation between Japan and China will contribute greatly to the prosperity of Asian people, in addition to the economic development of the two countries," Kyodo News reported. Abes willingness to participate in the Belt and Road was expected, following the appearance on Nov. 28 of an article in Japans Yomiuri Shimbun that the Abe government is considering supporting Japanese companies to carry out joint projects with the Chinese companies along the China-formulated One Belt, One Road economic project, for "improving Japan-China relations and obtaining Chinas cooperation in hindering North Koreas nuclear and missile development." The article had also said that this emerged following a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the July G20 summit in Germany. "During the meeting, Abe described the project as an initiative with potential and expressed his willingness to cooperate," the article wrote. The third round of Sino-Japanese Entrepreneurs and Former High-level Officials dialogue, according to Xinhua, was attended by former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda along with 70 business leaders. PRESS RELEASE Media Confirm: The British Effort To Steal the Election Is Ongoing Dec. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)In the midst of uniform calls from conservative media calling for investigation of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller or his resignation based on demonstrated bias and conflicts of interest, new leaks emerged from Reuters today concerning the scope of Muellers investigation. Once again, the intervention comes directly from the British. Reuters reported about an alleged subpoena to Deutsche Bank for Trumps financial records with the bank. It turns out, according to a statement from the White House, that once again, the "story" which dominated the news cycle is completely false. According to the White House, Mueller denies that such a subpoena was issued. The background to this is fully exposed in a recent trash novel, disguised as a book, by MI6 publicist Luke Harding. Called Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win, Hardings book seeks to pump credibility into the acknowledged British bag of smoke known as the Steele dossier. The last chapter of the book is devoted to the Trump family and Deutsche Bank. Here is how the argument goes: Trump could not get any funding in 2008 as he had burnt every U.S. bank who lent to him. Deutsche Bank loaned him funds, even when Deutsche Bank had been stiffed by Trump and had an outstanding loan in litigation. Deutsche Banks Russian division had been heavily involved in money laundering and was also heavily involved with Russian banks tied to Putin and state interests. Ergo, Putin somehow covertly arranged the loans to Trump and this must be Putins actual hold on Trumpforget about the gaping holes in this evidentiary chain. It turns out that Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been chasing this ghost for many months, according to Harding. Harding also says that the former head of MI6, Richard Dearlove, says this is so and has published as fact that the Russians are somehow implicated in Deutsche Banks 2008 loans to Trump. Now Its Andrew Weissman Letting It All Hang Out Judicial Watch released today an email between Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and Andrew Weissman, the chief attack dog for Robert Mueller assigned to the Manafort case. The email occurred after Yates told the entire Department of Justice to stand down and not to enforce Donald Trumps travel ban. Weissmans email said, "I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects." It was issued right after Trump fired Yates for insubordination. Weissmans leadership of Muellers prosecutorial team has signaled to many familiar with his career that the Special Prosecutor is determined to take down the President of the United States by any means necessary. Weissman wrote the email to Yates while he was still chief of the Justice Departments Criminal Fraud section. Accused multiple times of prosecutorial misconduct during the Enron prosecution, including inventing crimes, Weissman was forced to resign from the Enron task force as judicial admonitions and reversals on appeal stacked up. The fact that his career remained intact after Enron is a testament to the corruption which permeates the Department of Justice. PRESS RELEASE Russias Points of Concern over U.S. Syria Policy Dec. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)In a dialogue with media during the Dec. 1 Mediterranean Dialogues international conference in Rome, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized two particular points of concern over current U.S. policy and actions in Syria which he said Russia is discussing with the United States directly. First, Washington may be veering away from the commitment made by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and others that the only U.S. goal in Syria is to defeat ISIS, with talk of staying militarily in Syria "for a year and a half or two years to see that ISIS does not return." In Russias view, "when the war against ISIS is over, all the foreign troops that have not been invited there by the legitimate government of a UN member state and those that have not been deployed in keeping with a UNSC resolution (because no resolution has been adopted to this effect), will be obliged to pull out of the country," Lavrov said. Second, the United Statess unilateral establishment of a 50-km safety zone around al-Tanf, near the Syrian border with Iraq and Jordan, is a possible attempt to split Syria. "The remaining ISIS terrorists regularly enter the Rukban refugee camp in this unilaterally established safety zone. We raise this matter in our contact with the United States," he said. "I hope that it will eventually accept the arguments, which we provided through our military experts, that there is no need for this zone, unless the Americans want to split Syria and create in some of its parts pro-American local governments that would be autonomous from the central government. If the United States has no such plans, I hope we will settle this problem." Overall, Lavrov bluntly reiterated that the current crisis of migration, arms trafficking and terrorism in this region is a result of the overthrow and killing of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi. "We have to be careful ... not to allow anyone to make similar mistakes in the future: destroy entire countries for the sake of dubious perspectives, impose ones own way of life on peoples who have their own cultures, their own traditions. I think this is irresponsible. We dont want to see another region turn into a china shop where all the china is broken." In discussing Russias goal of helping to restore "peace, stability, conditions for development and openness to the external world" in this region, Lavrov cited Russias hope of ensuring that "the age-old traditions of various ethnic and confessional groups living side by side" be restored. President Vladimir Putin also emphasized this concern in his meeting on Monday with heads of local Orthodox churches. He raised, among other matters, religious persecution such as the brutality of the terrorists against Christians in Syria. Russia will give assistance to Christians in rebuilding their churches, Putin added. "We will also help representatives of other religions, including Muslims, who, as we know, have also suffered at the hands of militants, terrorists and extremists. We will also help Judaists. Some Jewish organizations have already asked us to help restore the Judaist temples," he said. More people are expected to take to the skies during the Christmas holiday period, continuing the surge in travel demand that is projected to generate strong profits for U.S.-based airlines, according to industry forecasts. During the 21-day Christmas travel season, 51 million passengers are expected to fly on U.S.-based airlines, representing a 3.5% increase over the same period last year, according to a forecast by Airlines for America, the trade group for the countrys carriers. Travel demand has been growing steadily for the last four years, partly because of an improving economy and competition from low-cost carriers that has kept airfares relatively low, said John Heimlich, the chief economist for the trade group. Advertisement Intense competition within the airline industry is enabling passengers to choose the flights that most closely match their preferences and budget, he said in a statement. The busiest days for travel are expected to be Dec. 21, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26, the trade group said. Carriers in North America are expected to pocket $16.4 billion in profit next year, up 5% from 2017, according to a forecast issued Tuesday by the International Air Transport Assn., the trade group for the worlds airlines. North American airlines have been responsible for more than half the profit for the worlds airline industry over the last three years, the forecast said. Despite the healthy profit, the trade group warned, rising fuel and labor costs will put pressure on airlines in North America. The trade group also warned that airlines can face trouble if governments fail to adopt global security standards, reasonable levels of taxation and improvements to airports to accommodate the growing demand. hugo.martin@latimes.com To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. ALSO Why your Christmas tree costs more again See our Holiday Gift Guide Holiday Books Guide and the Best Books of 2017 Californias insurance regulator wants to suspend or revoke Wells Fargo & Co.s license to sell insurance in the state after accusing the bank of setting up more than 1,400 renters insurance and life insurance policies for customers who never asked for them. The move, announced late Tuesday, comes after the department launched an investigation last year into the San Francisco banks insurance brokerage business following the sham accounts scandal in response to allegations from former workers at New Jersey insurer Prudential that Wells Fargo had signed customers up for life insurance policies without their knowledge or consent. Its not clear what impact, if any, the departments action would have on the bank, which has been taking steps to exit the insurance business. Just this week, the bank finalized the sale of its commercial insurance brokerage and has also sold off its crop insurance business. And last month, the bank announced it was exiting the personal insurance business as well. Advertisement The bank does not offer personal insurance policies of its own but has long brokered policies from third-party carriers. The insurance policies in question were offered by Prudential, American Modern Insurance Group and other companies. Wells Fargo spokeswoman Catherine Pulley said the decision to leave the personal insurance business was not related to the departments investigation, but she offered an apology for the banks insurance sales practices. We are sorry for any harm this caused our customers and we are making things right for them as part of an ongoing remediation, she said. We will continue to make critical changes to our businesses and operations to better serve customers and build a stronger bank. The investigation found 1,469 cases in which customers had policies, mostly renters insurance, opened in their names between 2008 and last year. The department said bank workers were not supposed to help customers sign up. Instead, the policies were available for purchase at kiosks in Wells Fargo branches. However, a legal filing by the department outlining the alleged wrongdoing references language from an internal Wells Fargo report that noted bank workers did have incentives to sell insurance policies that were similar to those that led to the opening of unauthorized checking and savings accounts: incentive pay and sales goals. The filing said most customers would have had premiums for these policies which ranged from $12 to $37 a month taken directly from their Wells Fargo accounts. The department alleged that it would be against public interest to allow Wells Fargo to continue to participate in the insurance industry and that its licenses to act as an insurance broker should be suspended or revoked. Companies that are licensed to transact insurance have an obligation to act with integrity, comply with all state and insurance laws and represent the best interests of consumers, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement. When any producer violates consumer trust in the name of profit, it reflects poorly on the entire profession. Problems with the banks insurance sales practices first came to wide attention a year ago, when three former Prudential employees sued the insurer, claiming they had been fired for raising concerns about policies sold through Wells Fargo. They alleged that many Prudential policies sold through the bank appeared to be linked to bogus email addresses and that many customers canceled their policies after paying a single monthly premium. Pulley said the bank started an internal review of those products and has been cooperating with the state Insurance Departments investigation. It suspended offerings of renters and life insurance policies last year. The department said it has found 1,258 unauthorized renters insurance policies from American Modern; 187 life insurance policies from Great-West Financial; 18 life insurance policies from Prudential; and six renters insurance policies from Assurant. Wells Fargo can respond to the departments accusations. An administrative law judge will hold a hearing and make a recommendation to Jones on whether Wells Fargo should lose its license or face other penalties. Wells Fargo has had other insurance problems, though not related to its insurance referral program. The bank acknowledged earlier this year that it improperly charged hundreds of thousands of auto-loan customers for car insurance policies they did not need. The bank said it would pay $80 million in refunds and compensation to harmed borrowers, including some 20,000 customers who fell into default and had their cars repossessed because of the added cost of the unneeded policies. Insurance has been a small fraction of Wells Fargos overall business, generating revenue of $1.3 billion last year out of the banks total revenue of $88.3 billion. james.koren@latimes.com Follow me: @jrkoren When Forest Service meteorologist Tom Rolinski heard that a wildfire had broken out Monday evening in Ventura County, he knew it was going to be bad. The Thomas fire started in a known wind corridor on the first day of dry Santa Ana winds that are expected to buffet Southern California through the weekend. Whats more, it has been a good eight months since a decent rainfall soaked the chaparral hillsides. Fires will spread very rapidly in these conditions and basically will be uncontrollable, Rolinski said. Advertisement By Thursday morning, the Thomas fire had scorched nearly 100,000 acres and destroyed scores of homes in the Ventura area. It was yet another in the string of harrowing wildfires that are searing 2017 into the states record books. They all have had one thing in common fierce dry winds from the interior that quickly turn a fire into an inferno. More than drought or heat, winds can determine whether California burns or doesnt. Octobers devastating Northern California fire wildfires exploded on a night when Diablo winds raged across eight counties. The fire siege claimed 44 lives and incinerated 8,900 buildings. More than 5,600 of them burned in the Tubbs fire, which now tops the list of the states most destructive wildfires. Southern California managed to escape major wildfires during the final years of the states big drought because the Santa Anas didnt blow much. But this year is different. Fire meteorologists predict an above-average number of Santa Ana wind days this fall and winter. There were 14 Santa Ana days more than twice the norm in October, when the Canyon 2 fire in Orange County burned dozens of buildings. December typically brings 10 Santa Ana days. By the end of the week, the region will already have been hit by six of them. The fire danger was expected to peak Thursday, when the online Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index placed Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego County under extreme fire threat and Los Angeles and Ventura counties under high threat. Not since October 2007 when disastrous fires struck the region has so much of the Southland faced extreme conditions. Southern Californians need to be prepared, said Rolinski, who helped develop the index: Plan an escape route; know where family members are; make sure cellphones are charged. Weve seen this over and over again. When that [online map] lights up and we get a fire in a wind-prone area, its going to be very difficult to control. Indeed, when the winds are in full force, firefighters dont even try. They concentrate on defending structures and people. Its too dangerous to fly retardant- or water-dropping aircraft in high winds, which are also likely to blow any such drops off target. Though fire officials often say wildfires are tougher to fight in dense scrublands that havent burned in decades, wind-driven fires ignore the boundaries of old burns. Researchers who studied the 2007 fires found they blackened more than 50,000 acres that had burned a mere four years earlier during the regions hellish 2003 fire season. As for why this Santa Ana season is ramping up after several years of calm, Rolinski says the answer lies in sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In the last six months, that part of the sea has cooled, influencing weather patterns conducive to Santa Anas. The cooler sea temperatures can cause high-pressure systems that push storms to the north and then down into the Great Basin east of California. The air in the higher-elevation interior is colder than at the coast, creating a pressure gradient that pulls air masses west. As they blow downslope to the coastal areas, they pick up speed, dry out and sometimes heat up. This weeks winds have been relatively cool about the only good thing you can say about them. The current prolonged Santa Ana event is a function of the high-pressure ridge that is sitting over California, said atmospheric scientist Scott Capps, the principal of Atmospheric Data Solutions. The fact that the winds started in Ventura County and are working their way south is typical, he added. Wind strength can vary dramatically depending on the local topography. Tuesday morning, a weather station in the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, near Capps home, recorded gusts of 80 mph. They tore the roof off his backyard chicken coop but the chickens were safe. Wednesday there was a lull in the winds, allowing fire crews to make air drops and to begin to build containment lines around the Southland blazes that broke out this week. On Thursday afternoon, the 7,000-acre Rye fire near Valencia was 15% contained; the 12,605-acre Creek fire on the edge of the San Fernando Valley was 10%. The Thomas fire was 5% contained, and the Skirball fire, which gnawed at multimillion-dollar homes in Bel-Air, was 20%. As for whether climate change will diminish or strengthen Santa Ana seasons, there is conflicting research. Its a tough question, Capps said. I could see it going either way. Just ask UCLA atmospheric sciences professor Alex Hall, who participated in studies that arrived at contradictory conclusions. I would say theres not high confidence in any of these results because they do conflict, he said. What isnt controversial is that we expect [Santa Anas] to be hotter and drier. bettina.boxall@latimes.com Twitter: @boxall UPDATES: Dec. 7, 2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with new fire statistics and threat information. Dec. 6, 3:05 p.m.: This article was updated to include comment from UCLA atmospheric sciences professor Alex Hall. This article was originally published at 6 a.m on Dec. 6. Bel-Air was originally envisioned as a Community of Gentlemens Estates by oil tycoon and real estate magnate Alphonzo Edward Bell, who forbade celebrities to buy property in his exclusive neighborhood. But a wave of new money generated by a booming movie industry opened the gates for Hollywood elite. Tinseltown luminaries such as Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Alfred Hitchcock are among those to have called the area home. Bel-Air has remained the neighborhood of choice for many high-profile names seeking privacy and exclusivity, with residents including Jay-Z and Beyonce, Elon Musk and Jennifer Aniston. Advertisement But fire is the great leveler, even on the Westside. On Wednesday, a wind-driven wildfire erupted in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air, where homes are among the nations priciest. The blaze has consumed 150 acres and a handful of homes, according to Los Angeles fire officials, while prompting the closure of the 405 Freeway for part of the day. Among those directly affected by the Skirball fire is billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose 13-acre estate and working vineyard have been partially consumed by the blaze, according to reports. Murdoch, 86, paid $28.8 million for the property, named Moraga Estate, four years ago. Thats about 12 times the October median sales price $2.45 million for single-family homes in Bel-Air, according to CoreLogic. The tony Platinum Triangle pocket, long associated with money and Old Hollywood glamour, has a prominent place in wildfire history. In 1961, fires ravaged Bel-Air and Brentwood over a two-day period, destroying hundreds of homes. By the numbers 18%/82%: The percentage of Bel-Air renters versus homeowners. 81%: The percentage of white residents that make up the population of 7,317 in Bel-Air. 1,783: Number of households earning $125,000 or more in Bel-Air. 38,000: The square footage of a mega-mansion built on speculation in Bel-Air. Asking price: $250 million. 197,272: Bel-Airs median household income in 2008. $39,000,000: The price paid for a Paul McClean-designed mansion in Bel-Air, the most expensive home sale in the area in 2016. neal.leitereg@latimes.com Twitter: @LATHotProperty MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY: Sammy Hagar seeks $5.9 million for his grand chateau on Lake Arrowhead Artsy new townhome in Venice seeks $2.8 million All-Pro linebacker Ahmad Brooks gets above asking price for his San Jose home Covina mansion with a pirate-themed pool seeks a $5.6-million bounty Where do new musicals come from? For a while, the answer regularly seemed to be pop-music catalogs and movies guaranteed to put baby boomers in a nostalgic mood. Broadway became the great cultural recycle bin, a place where small imaginations could turn big profits. In recent years, however, some of the most memorable new shows have sprung from the most unlikely of places. Fun Home was adapted from Alison Bechdels extraordinary graphic novel about growing up as a lesbian with a closeted gay father. Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Mirandas game-changer, was inspired from, of all things, Ron Chernows biography of Alexander Hamilton. And Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was derived from a slice of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. Add The Bands Visit, the exquisite new musical by composer-lyricist David Yazbek and playwright Itamar Moses, to the list of shows spun from improbable sources. Although its based on the screenplay for writer-director Eran Kolirins 2007 Israeli film, the show is hardly another instance of a movie being redeployed on stage for commercial gain. Advertisement For one thing, The Bands Visit, which had its world premiere last year off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Companys Linda Gross Theater, isnt a title to lure in the tourist hordes. For another, the show is far too artisanal for the Broadway assembly line. The premise of the musical, set in 1996, doesnt exactly scream blockbuster. A group of Egyptian musicians representing the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra gets stranded in a sleepy Israeli town after a pronunciation mistake sends them to Bet Hatikva instead of Petah Tikva, where theyve been invited to perform at the Arab Cultural Center. One letter can apparently make all the difference. In the song Welcome to Nowhere, Dina (Katrina Lenk), a cafe proprietor with a slinky feline manner, explains in her charmingly rough-hewn English that everybody loves Petah Tikva lots of fun, lots of art, lots of culture. Bet Hativka, on the other hand, is boring, barren and bland. Dina feels a pang of sympathy for the nonplussed band members, who wont be able to catch a bus to their destination until the next day. She invites a couple of the men to say overnight at her apartment, offers the cafe as lodging to a few others and enjoins Itzik (John Cariani), a full-time idler, to take in the remainder. Col. Tewfiq (Tony Shalhoub), the solemnly dignified commander of the band, has no choice but to modestly accept her offer. He orders Haled (Ariel Stachel), the romantic trumpet player obsessed with Chet Baker, to accompany him so that he can keep a close eye on the moony young man whose imperfect English is what led to their depending on the hospitality of strangers. A sequence of titles projected during the overture sets the musicals languorously sportive tone: Once not long ago / A group of musicians came to Israel from Egypt. These introductory lines are detonated with a kicker: You probably didnt hear about it. / It wasnt very important. The Bands Visit could be said to lack eventfulness. But something significant does occur during the orchestras unplanned excursion to Bet Hatikva: life. The rhythm of the storytelling is cinematic, but the musical kept evoking for me Anton Chekhovs plays set in Russian backwaters, where an interruption in the boring, isolating routine of the characters suddenly opens a window onto their common humanity. Movement is stylized in David Cromers lyrical staging. The effect is to make us aware of time operating both lazily, as the band members while away the hours in a strange land, and momentously, as the larger chronology of the lives of these Egyptian visitors and their Israeli hosts is thrown into relief by the encounter. SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter Moses book hews closely to the film. Dina offers to show Tewfiq the town at night. Her flirtatious manner makes him wary, but hes too courteous to say no. She uses their outing to jealously antagonize a married man with whom shes been carrying on, but she also wants to connect with this reserved gentleman who appears to be stoically bearing some terrible burden. Their story unfolds alternately with Haleds humorous night out at a disco roller rink with awkward Israeli singles. The musical also cuts regularly to the goings-on at Itziks home, where Simon (Alok Tewari), a devoted clarinetist who would also like to conduct, has found himself at the birthday dinner of Itziks weary wife, Iris (Kristen Sieh). She has lost patience with her unemployed husband, whose easygoing nature may be too close to that of her father, Avrum (Andrew Polk), a good-natured musician who performs at weddings and bar mitzvahs. Politics are peripheral to what transpires in these cross-cultural interactions, but its not as if anyone needs reminders of Middle East history. Something else takes precedence: In the company of strangers, the characters begin to see themselves anew. The sacred honor of hospitality compels patience and presence, but its music that ultimately dismantles barriers. The score by Yazbek, whose Broadway work includes The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, is an insinuating mix of klezmer and American jazz, Egyptian folk and classical Arab strains, with a fleck or two of Kurt Weill. Nothing is lost in translation while instruments are played and voices take flight. When Dina discovers the sources of grief in Tewfiqs life, she asks him to sing to her the Arabic song he performed the night he met his wife. After Itzik and Iris have a heated argument, Simon comforts their child by playing the unfinished concerto he started as a budding musician before fatherhood imposed on him a new set of responsibilities. Haled dispenses romantic advice to Papi (Etai Benson) in song Romeo temporarily assuming the role of a selfless Cyrano de Bergerac in solidarity with love. Humor mingles freely with melancholy. The Telephone Guy (Adam Kantor) stands vigil at a pay phone, hurrying others away as he waits for his girl to call with the perseverance of Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot. When Iris apologizes to her guest for her series of emotional outbursts at Itzik, Simon reassuringly tells her, I am married 20 years. The Bands Visit is more music drama than splashy musical. Bells and whistles arent needed to rouse the audience. I was slightly resistant at first to the shows lackadaisical rhythm, but I succumbed in short order to the poetic delicacy. More compact than Fun Home, Hamilton and Great Comet, this 90-minute show is every bit as resonant and original. The ensemble brings fresh idiosyncrasy to the roles, with Lenk and Shalhoub making silence as potent as song and speech. When Dina asks Tewfiq to describe what it is like to be standing before his orchestra, he answers by conducting an invisible music that Dina begins to respond to with her own expressive gestures. The stage picture is worth more than a symphony of words. At a time when politics is dividing us not only from each other but also from ourselves, The Bands Visit, the best musical of 2017, offers balm for the breach in our souls. charles.mcnulty@latimes.com Follow me @charlesmcnulty MORE THEATER: Cornerstones nine-play cycle on hunger in America finds inspiration in Mozart Children of The Nutcracker work for their moment in the Music Center spotlight Denise Gough: Brilliant in People, Places & Things, and soon in Angels in America 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. Hedy Lamarr was, to use the old studio lingo, a bombshell, one of the most glamorous stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. But thats only part of her story. She was also a groundbreaking inventor whose work was used by the military and later led to the development of wireless technology used in cell phones and the internet. When she was dating Howard Hughes, the Austrian actress created designs to simplify his airplanes. And at the beginning of World War II, she and avant-garde composer George Antheil received a patent for a frequency hopping device that manipulated radio frequencies. Advertisement The U.S. Navy ignored the patent and Lamarr and Antheil never received any payment. After the patent ran out, it was used by the military during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. In 1997, Lamarr and Antheil, who died in 1959, received the Electronic Foundation Pioneer Award. The two were inducted posthumously into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. The technology they helped develop became the basis for such wireless operations as cell phones, GPS and fax machines. My mother was very bright minded, said her son, Anthony Loder. She always had solutions. Anytime someone complained about anything, boom, her mind came up with a solution. The actress, who died in 2000 at 85, is the subject of a new documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, which opens Friday. The documentary features interviews with Mel Brooks, the late Robert Osborne, director Peter Bogdanovich, actress Diane Kruger and author Richard Rhodes, who wrote the acclaimed book Hedys Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World. Rhodes book inspired writer-director Alexandra Dean and producer Adam Haggiag to make Bombshell. Dean, who covered innovation and technology for Bloomberg Television and Businessweek, was troubled that she profiled very few women. As Dean puts it, I was looking for a Hidden Figures character. Her colleague, producer Katherine, Drew was on a panel with Rhodes and then brought the book to the attention of Dean and Haggiag. Despite the book, A lot of scientists we were talking to at the beginning of researching this were saying Well, its really a nice rumor, but really, she did steal it, said Dean, who noted that they believed she got the idea from her first husband, Austrian munitions manufacturer Friedrich Mandl. So the filmmakers wanted further confirmation. Enter writer Fleming Meeks who interviewed Lamarr in 1990 for Forbes magazine. I got a call and the person on the line asked me if I have any memories from writing this article, if I had any notes or whatever, recalled Meeks. Well, I have the tapes of all of my interviews. A day or two later, I went down to their office and just handed them over. When I went in to first meet them, I said Ive been waiting 25 years for you to call me. This is what I wanted. I wanted someone who could use them. In those tapes, Lamarr talked about her inventions, though she often jumped around in the conversation from topic to topic. You had to construct these complete thoughts from these fragments, Dean explained. But when you did, that would get us something that was this whole portrait, which was really fascinating. It was like a mirror had been broken and you had to reassemble each piece. Scientific inventions were only part of Lamarrs complicated and often tragic life. She was born Hedwig Eva Marie Kiesler in Vienna in 1914 to Jewish parents. She became an actress and caused a scandal when she appeared naked in the 1933 film Ecstasy. She later married Mandl, who was connected with the Nazis and controlled her with an iron hand. She fled the marriage, eventually making her way to London where she met MGM head Louis B. Mayer. She signed a contract before making her American debut in the 1938 drama Algiers. She went on to star in many films including the 1949 Biblical story Samson and Delilah. But despite her success and remarkable beauty, Lamarr led an increasingly sad and lonely life, as the documentary portrays. She was married six times and denied her Jewish heritage. She became dependent on drugs, which turned her into a monster especially with her children. Loder recalls in the movie that Lamarr hit him in the face because he didnt pick up something she dropped. Lamarrs daughter Denise Loder DeLuca said her mother mentioned the patent to her, but it would just seem so bizarre to me that I just didnt get it, said DeLuca. It just seemed so out of the blue to me. DeLuca also didnt know she had Jewish roots. I would call Mom at the end of her life and say, People keep telling me were Jewish. And she would literally say Dont be ridiculous. Dean made four trips from New York to visit Loder in Los Angeles to peruse his mothers archives. Dean discovered evidence in documents and letters from Lamarr to her mother that the actress was indeed Jewish. As she got older, Lamarr became obsessed with plastic surgery to the point she no longer looked like herself. She became a recluse, only talking to her children on the phone and sending her grandchildren autographed pictures. DeLuca remembers the last time she saw her mother in New York. She was in her late 70s. I hadnt see her in forever and we took her out to dinner. She didnt look like Hedy Lamarr, but she looked so chic. She had presence. Somebody came up to her on the sidewalk and said, I dont know who you are, but you must be somebody. I loved that. calendar@latimes.com Amid concerns about displacement that at one point roped it into an ongoing battle over gentrification, a venerable Eastside art institution got closer to securing its future through a planned purchase of its longtime headquarters in Boyle Heights. The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to approve an $825,000 funding commitment proposed by Councilman Jose Huizar to help Self Help Graphics and Art purchase the property along East 1st Street. Self Help Graphics had secured $2.8 million, through a mixture of loans and grants, but the city funding will bring it to the full appraisal price of $3.625 million. Advertisement Self Help Graphics & Art is an arts organization that grew out of a real need in the 1970s to nurture Chicano expression in the arts at a time Chicano Art wasnt recognized as legitimate, Huizar said in a statement. These funds will allow them to continue being the great community asset that they are and to remain in Boyle Heights the neighborhood they were founded in for years to come. Self Help Graphics staff members joined Huizar at their headquarters ahead of the vote for the announcement of the funding commitment. In the early 1970s, Sister Karen Boccalero turned an East L.A. garage into Self Help Graphics, a thriving cultural center that gave rise to some of the citys most successful Latino artists. Its first official space was in Boyle Heights. It later moved to a 1920s-era building on Cesar Chavez Avenue in East L.A. After being displaced from that home, Self Help moved to its current location in Boyle Heights. Very few community-driven spaces like Self Help Graphics survive four decades, Betty Avila, co-director of advancement and administration, said in a statement. Securing a permanent home for Self Help Graphics greatly increases the social and cultural wellness of the Eastside and offers residents the opportunity to achieve wellness, lower barriers and build the skill sets needed to break through and thrive in the creative economy of Los Angeles and the world. Despite its own struggles with displacement, last year Self Help Graphics found itself accused of helping usher in gentrification. At the time, activists called for a moratorium on the organizations work with outside artists and galleries, saying those businesses could price people out of the neighborhood. Anti-gentrification groups have long been waging a battle against businesses from art galleries to a cafe that they believe could lead to increased rents and push out local business owners and working families. The funding Self Help is receiving is through the council district 14 CRA-LA excess bond proceeds. The City Council will vote on the sale of the city land to Self Help Graphics on Friday. brittny.mejia@latimes.com For more California news, follow @brittny_mejia Thomas fire victim loses her home but saves the most important thing -- her children Gabriela Gutierrez was at home in Santa Paula watching a childrens program and snuggling with her 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son Monday evening when she took a call from her babysitter Adriana. Hey, Gaby. Have they knocked on your door? Theres a fire. They are going to start evacuating. Get your important stuff and clothes, the babysitter told her. What fire? Gutierrez thought to herself. It was 9:01 p.m. The 32-year-old ran outside her mobile home on Wheeler Canyon Road into a wall of gray smoke. She panicked. Minutes later, a law enforcement official knocked on her door. He told her she had a few minutes to pack up and evacuate. Frantically, she packed diapers for 18-month-old Genesis, a pair of shoes for 3-year-old Osiel. She grabbed clothes for all of them, medical cards, her U.S. citizenship naturalization certificate. Gabriela Gutierrez, 32, and daughter Genesis take refuge from the Thomas fire after her home burned. (Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times) Her husband, Alex, froze, unwilling to accept that the fire was heading toward them. Dont worry. The wind is blowing in another direction, he told her. Still, she threw her belongings and blankets into the car. Thats when she saw flames approaching. She buckled in her two children in one car. Her husband jumped into another vehicle. They headed to Gutierrezs mothers home. On Tuesday morning, she returned to a steel shell of what appeared to be her mobile home. Everything was gone. The only way she could tell her two-bedroom home apart from the others that had burned were a pair of tire rims her husband planned to sell. Alex refused to believe their home was gone. Instead he headed to work as usual at a nearby ranch, where he irrigates strawberry fields. He finally accepted the news when Gutierrez texted him photos of their charred home. On Tuesday afternoon, Gutierrez wrangled her tots as she attempted to eat a tamale at the Santa Paula Senior Center, which served as an evacuation center for fire refugees. Her sister, Maricela Martinez, a landscaper, kept her company and helped her care for the kids. Oh, no, she said suddenly. Martinez had just gotten a text message from one of her clients. Hello, our house burned down today so we will not be needing yard service in the near future. I prepaid you through January, we can work it out later, the text message said. Martinez shook her head. So many people have lost their homes, she told her sister. Gutierrez, who was recently laid off from her job picking strawberries after the company went out of business, worried about finding a new home and paying upcoming bills. She doesnt have rental insurance. The $700 in cash shed saved up for Christmas presents and stored on a shelf in her home was gone. Framed pictures of her sons baptism and daughters birth were destroyed. Her eyes welled with tears as she thought of the photos. Still, she said shes thankful for her health and what she was able to salvage from her home. I saved the most important thing, she said. My kids. Gutierrez said she was thankful she didnt have to stay overnight at the evacuation center. She could stay with family, she said. Others werent as lucky. Just outside the center, homeowners in a neighborhood across the street hosed down their roofs. They watched as white and gray smoke billowed up as helicopters carrying fire retardant and water flew past. From just half a mile north, the Thomas fire headed their way. The last time a powerful Santa Ana wind event in Southern California lasted three days as the current one is expected to was in 2007, when wildfires destroyed thousands of homes and killed 10 people as they raked across the region, the National Weather Service said. Ten years later, potent winds are again whipping flames through foothill communities as crews race to keep up. Firefighters on Tuesday were battling at least five separate blazes across Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties that have burned more than 160 homes, displaced tens of thousands of residents and scorched more than 55,000 acres. Advertisement Winds on Tuesday were measured at up to 60 mph with gusts blasting over hill tops at nearly 70 mph, said National Weather Service forecaster Ryan Kittell. The winds are expected to remain fairly constant through Thursday, when they will peak at night. The winds will begin to subside Friday, he said. Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry, downslope winds They originate inland in desert regions in Southern California and northern Baja California and occur mainly in the fall and winter, but can arise during other seasons. Most Santa Ana wind events are caused by high pressure in the the Wests Great Basin and lower pressure off the coast. Air from areas of high pressure flows toward those of lower pressure, and the gradient, or difference, causes the intense winds. The Santa Ana winds that roared through the Southland a decade ago fueled such a devastating week of fires that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection commissioned a report, California Fire Siege 2007, to review how public agencies responded to the blazes. More than a million people were displaced and 10 people killed during the 2007 events, Cal Fire said. This weeks winds follow nine of the driest consecutive months in Southern California history, according to climatologist Bill Patzert of the Jet Propulsion Laboratoy. Pile that onto the long drought of the past decade and a half, we are in apocalyptic conditions, he said in an email. Two firefighters have been injured battling the Creek fire in Los Angeles County and more than 150 homes have burned in Ventura County in the Thomas fire. San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon held his first news conference Tuesday regarding a jurys acquittal last week of a man in the country illegally who had been accused of killing a woman in San Francisco. Kathryn Steinle was shot in the back in July 2015 as she walked with her father on Pier 14, in the heart of the citys tourist district. Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a seven-time felon who had been deported from the U.S. to Mexico numerous times, was arrested less than an hour later about a mile away. Gascon said he had intentionally refrained from commenting much about the verdict because he wanted the focus to be on the Steinle family. Advertisement From the day the murder happened, this case has been used as a political stunt, he said. It pained me to watch politicians and candidates use the tragedy of this event for political gain. Late Tuesday, federal authorities charged Garcia Zarate with immigration and gun violations. After four days of deliberation, a jury in San Francisco on Friday convicted Garcia Zarate on a single count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has not yet been sentenced. Gascon said that even though he disagrees with the jurys decision, he respects their work and the legal process. If there was any failure in the preparation and presentation of this case, the responsibility is mine and mine alone, he said. The homicide team in my office worked tirelessly on this case, and I hope that their hard work is appreciated even if they were not able to secure a guilty verdict. President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday and Friday to attack the jurys decision, calling it a disgraceful verdict. The Kate Steinle killer came back and back over the weakly protected Obama border, always committing crimes and being violent, and yet this info was not used in court. His exoneration is a complete travesty of justice. BUILD THE WALL! he wrote. During the presidential campaign, Trump often cited the case to show the need for a crackdown on illegal immigration. At one point, he referred to Garcia Zarate as this animal who shot that wonderful, that beautiful, woman in San Francisco. Regarding a social media campaign calling for people to boycott San Francisco, Gascon said he stands by the citys values. San Francisco is one of the safest cities in the country, he said, regardless of what those hatemongers are saying. It is important in times like this to remind ourselves that the vast majority of immigrants are law-abiding members of our community, he said. Some news outlets have indicated that the acquittal and Gascons initial restrained response could affect his 2019 bid for reelection. He said he wasnt ducking the media and that he doesnt think one loss will direct the outcome of the election. At the end of the day its going to be up to the electorate, he said. The people are much wiser and smarter than were giving them credit for. The trial hinged on whether jurors believed the killing was intentional or, as the defense asserted, accidental. Prosecutors anchored their case on implied malice. Prosecutors had given the jury the option to convict Garcia Zarate, 45, of first- or second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter. Judge Samuel Feng would not allow jurors to consider the defendants immigration status, his five deportations or his multiple drug convictions. They could decide only whether he intentionally shot Steinle on July 1, 2015, or at the least fired the gun with a willful disregard for life. His defense argued that the weapon went off accidentally in the defendants hands. A few days before the shooting, the gun had been stolen nearby from a federal rangers parked car, but Garcia Zarate who said he had found the gun was not charged with that crime. Legal experts said prosecutors had an uphill battle because there was no clear motive in the case. Further muddling the shooters intentions: evidence that the bullet hit the ground just 12 feet from the defendant before ricocheting those 78 feet into Steinle. The Associated Press contributed to this report. andrea.castillo@latimes.com @andreamcastillo The return of powerful winds Thursday pushed the destructive Ventura County fire closer to several communities, prompting new evacuations. Communities both on the coast and inland were under threat. At 4 a.m., officials closed the 101 Freeway between Routes 126 and 150. According to the California Highway Patrol, that left no open routes between Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The freeway was reopened around 7 a.m. A womans body was found in a burn area near Ojai. The Thomas fire has scorched about 96,000 acres and carved a path of destruction that stretches more than 10 miles from Santa Paula to the Pacific Ocean. Advertisement As flames raged toward neighborhoods in Ojai, Carpinteria and Fillmore, officials issued new evacuation orders in Ojai Valley, notifying residents with an emergency cellphone alert. Authorities said they were helping residents of five assisted-living facilities evacuate, while people at Ojai Hospital were advised to shelter in place. Its definitely moving, Ventura County Sheriffs Capt. Garo Kuredjian said of the fire. Forecasters were correct in terms of the wind forecast for tonight its much windier than it was yesterday. The fire is burning on the north and east side of Highway 150 and on the west side of Highway 33. Another section of the fire was burning along the coast into Santa Barbara County. Its a weird wind pattern, Kuredjian said. At daybreak Thursday, Ojai officials said it was a miracle that fierce Santa Ana winds had subsided on Thursday, as firefighters battled wildfires that have encircled the mountain community and continued to burn largely untamed on surrounding ridgelines. The fire burned hard overnight on slopes about four miles north of town, Rudy Livingston, Ojais finance director, said. But fire crews with bulldozers and fire engines worked were able to reduce fuel, calm the flames and keep them from coming downhill into town. Authorities had already expanded mandatory evacuation orders hours earlier in east Ojai after flames rolled down slopes about four miles north of downtown. Residents crowded street corners and gas stations downtown to watch the flames, wondering if they were going to be forced to leave. It looks pretty bad up there, but as of right now we have not lost any structures in the city of Ojai, said Rudy Livingston, the citys finance director. He said that officials have four 15-passenger vans and three vintage trolleys available to help evacuate residents. About half an hour after that, residents in Carpinteria east of Bailard Avenue along the west flank of the fire were advised to evacuate in an emergency cellphone alert. The intense and surreal fire activity up on along the 33, north of Ojai. Winds gusting, roads covered with rocks, embers flying around. #thomasfire https://t.co/8D7oA15GwQ pic.twitter.com/gF4NEysHsV Marcus Yam (@yamphoto) December 7, 2017 The Thomas fire was 5% contained, mostly along the southeast flank in the Santa Paula area. Forecasters say strong Santa Ana winds, coupled with low humidity, could offer a recipe for explosive fire growth. We stand a good chance of a challenging night and day tomorrow, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Tim Chavez said Wednesday, adding that theres potential for fire growth on the northwest side and a high probability of spot fires. Its going to be a difficult night and day. The focus Wednesday, officials said, was keeping the fire out of the Ojai Valley while assessing the devastation in the cities of Ventura and Santa Paula. The hot Santa Ana winds that drove the fire at remarkable speed on Tuesday had lessened greatly Wednesday. However, they were predicted to increase again on Thursday. We are in the beginning of a protracted wind event, said state fire chief Ken Pimlott. There will be no ability to fight fire in these kinds of winds, Pimlott said. At the end of the day, we need everyone in the public to listen and pay attention. This is not watch the news and go about your day. This is pay attention minute-by-minute keep your head on a swivel. Among those residents who took Pimlotts words to heart were Kristy Cantrall, who left a garden hose poised on the roof of her Santa Paula townhome, just in case. Only a day earlier, the Thomas fire was a half-mile away from her cul-de-sac neighborhood on Vela Court, prompting neighbors to climb up to their roofs and spray their homes with water. Helicopters hovered overhead, dropping buckets of fire retardant on eucalyptus trees that had caught fire just north of the neighborhood. Cantralls son Colin drove from Simi Valley to water down his mothers home Tuesday night. Once we saw copters come down, we knew we had to water, he said. He planned to do the same Wednesday if the fire flared up. Meanwhile, they just kept an eye on the news. The Salvation Army and Red Cross are among the organizations providing relief to victims of the Southern California wildfires. (Dec. 7, 2017) (Sign up for our free video newsletter here http://bit.ly/2n6VKPR) State fire officials say about 12,000 homes remain threatened by flames, while 50,000 people have been forced to flee. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, as approximately 1,100 personnel continued to battle the blaze. At least one firefighter has been injured. Fire officials said that the area theyve dubbed branch one, which includes Ojai, the bucolic mountain town known as a haven for spiritual seekers, health enthusiasts and celebrities, is one of their priorities. Firefighters are putting together a plan to protect Ojai and have expressed concern that winds could push the flames toward the city. The fire is here and wrapped around the community, said Shane Lauderdale, a Cal Fire branch director, as he huddled with other officials in a downtown parking lot. With a map of the Ojai Valley spread over the hood of a crew vehicle and ashes falling around him, Lauderdale said that more equipment and firefighters are being rushed to areas south and east of the town. Were taking advantage of the current calm to concentrate resources along a defensive line, he said. Firefighters are moving heavy equipment to meet the blaze on the edge of town, while hand crews are cutting fire breaks. Were going to get a lot more work done today, Lauderdale said. The fire threat is considered dire until Friday, when punishing Santa Ana winds are predicted to abate. However, Ojai city manager Steve McClary said, Until we have fog drifting in from the west and light rain, we wont feel like this thing is behind us. Officials said the southeast area of the Thomas fire was one of their highest priorities because of the tremendous volume of fire in that area. 1 / 73 John Bain and Brandon Baker try to stop a fire from burning a strangers home in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 73 A brush fire moving with the wind sends embers all over residential neighborhoods north of Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 73 A family packs up and evacuates as a brush fire gets closer to their home in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 73 John Bain and his friends, all from Camarillo, came to help as brush fires move quickly through residential neighborhoods in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 73 Strangers band together to help put out a palm tree on fire and stop it from burning homes. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 73 The Hawaiian Gardens apartments burn in Ventura. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 7 / 73 Residents help with the fire attack on Buena Vista Street in Ventura. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 8 / 73 Residents watch the Thomas fire on Prospect Street in Ventura. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 9 / 73 Firefighters are deployed to battle the fire in a Ventura neighborhood. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 73 A chimney is all that stands of a home as a brush fire continues to threaten other homes in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 73 Remnants of a home as a brush fire continues to threaten other homes in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 73 A home burns on a hillside overlooking Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 73 Palms are consumed in the Thomas fire. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 14 / 73 Emma Jacobson, 19, center, gets a hug from a neighbor after her family home was destroyed by fire in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 73 Olivia Jacobson, 16, wipes tears as she looks at her familys home, destroyed by the brush fire on Island View Drive in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 73 Aerial view of the Thomas fire in Ventura County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 73 Noah Alarcon carries a cage with the family cat while evacuating from Casitas Springs. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 18 / 73 Smoke from the Thomas fire crosses over Lake Casitas near Ojai. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 19 / 73 A Ventura County firefighter battles a blaze on Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 73 Ventura County Firefighter Aaron Cohen catches his breath after fighting to save homes along Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 73 Aerial view of homes burned to the ground in the Thomas fire in Ventura County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) 22 / 73 A home between Via Baja and Foothill Road burns in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 73 Amanda Leon and husband Johnny Leon watch as firefighters fight to save homes along Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 73 Chino Valley firefighters fight to save a home along Cobblestone Drive near Foothill Road in Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 73 Embers continue to burn at sunset Tuesday in a home on Ridgecrest Court at Scenic Way in the Clearpoint neighborhood of Ventura. (Al Seib / Los Angeles TImes) 26 / 73 A firefighter battles the Thomas fire along Highway 33 in Casitas Springs. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 73 Firefighters try to protect homes from the Thomas fire along Highway 33 in Casitas Springs. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 73 A firefighter battles the Thomas fire along Highway 33 in Casitas Springs. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 73 Edward Aguilar runs through the flames of the Thomas Fire to save his cats at his mobile home along Highway 33 in Casitas Springs in Ventura County. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 73 Jeff Lipscomb, left, Gabriel Lipscomb, 17, center, and Rachel Lipscomb, 11, look for items to recover from their burned home in Ventura. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 73 A traffic collision temporarily clogged lanes on the northbound 101 Freeway between Solimar and Faria Beaches as the Thomas fire burned in the hills. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 73 The Thomas fire burns towards the 101 Freeway and homes between Solimar and Faria Beaches. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 73 Fire personnel keep an eye on the Thomas fire on Toland Road near Santa Paula. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 34 / 73 A train on the Rincon coast passes a burning hillside from the Thomas fire. (Michael Owen Baker / For the Times) 35 / 73 The Thomas fire burns along the 101 Freeway north of Ventura on Wednesday evening. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 73 A firefighter battles the Thomas fire in the town of La Conchita early Thursday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 73 A resident cries as the Thomas fire approaches the town of La Conchita early Thursday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 73 Burned palm trees are left standing between the 101 Freeway and Faria Beach as the Thomas fire reaches the Pacific Ocean. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 73 Firefighters battle Thursday to protect the resort city of Ojai from encroaching flames. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 73 Casey Rodriquez helps a friend move belongings after the Thomas Fire destroyed most of an apartment building on North Kalarama in Ventura. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 73 A burnt-out bus near Maripoca Highway. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 73 The Thomas fire burns in the Los Padres National Forest, near Ojai. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 73 A huge plume of smoke rises north of Ventura as seen Sunday afternoon from the Ventura pier, as the Thomas fire threatens parts of Carpenteria and Montecito. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 73 The Thomas Fire burns in the Los Padres National Forest, near Ojai, Calif. on Friday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 73 Residents react as they watch the Thomas Fire burn in the hills above La Conchita at 5 am Thursday moning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 73 Mary McEwen and husband Dan Bellaart prepare to evacuate their home on Toro Canyon Road in Montecito as the Thomas fire burns. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 73 Carpenteria resident Chris Gayner, right, photographs a plane in the hills of Carpenteria. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 73 From left, residents Michael Desjardins, his neighbor Patty Rodriguez, daughter Mikayla, wife Veronica, mother in law Amanda Buzin, and son Mikey keep an eye on the Thomas fire in Carpenteria. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 73 Mary McEwen cheers as she sees fire crews make their way up a hill past her home on Toro Canyon Rd. in Montecito. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 73 Dan Bellaart and wife Mary McEwen comfort each other in the backyard of their home that includes an avocado ranch on 9 acres of land on Toro Canyon Road in Montecito, as the Thomas fire burns in the background. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 73 Carpinteria resident Jay Molnar, 55, mouth and nose protected against the smoke, views flames glowing in the hills above the city on Dec. 11, 2017. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 73 Sacramento firefighters battle a blaze in Toro Canyon in Carpenteria at dusk Tuesday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 73 Josh Acosta, superintendent with Fulton Hotshots looks for ways to fight fire consuming a structure threatening two homes high up Toro Canyon in Carpenteria at dusk Tuesday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 73 A motorcade passes on tHighway 126 carrying the body of a Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson, who died Thursday morning while battling the Thomas Fire. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 73 Santa Paula City officials, Police and Firefighters salute from a bridge as a motorcade passes on the Santa Paula Freeway 126 carrying the body of a Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 73 Forest Service crews cut and clear dense brush for contingency lines off of East Camino Cielo in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Montecito and Santa Barbara to help stop the Thomas fire from advancing. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 73 A hotshot crew from Ojai marches towards their assignment to protect structures on East Mountain Drive in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 73 Firefighters monitor the flames Saturday from a staging area near Parma Park in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 73 Flames slowly make their way down a valley behind a home in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 73 Flames whip around power lines as they move through Sycamore Canyon on Saturday, threatening structures in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 73 Smoke billows over Santa Barbara as the Thomas Fire continues to threaten the area on Saturday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 73 Bill Shubin, deputy fire chief of the Santa Rosa Fire Department checks on flames burning near homes north of East Mountain Drive in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 73 A fire truck pulls responds to fires burning near homes on East Mountain Drive in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 64 / 73 Brian Good, from US Forest Service, leans forward against the wind, and holds up a Kestrel to measure wind speeds up to 50 mph on Gibraltar Road in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 73 A plume of smoke moves south as winds as high as 50 mph blow down Gibraltar Road on the west fork of Cold Spring Trail in Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 73 Flames and a big plume of smoke threaten homes on Gibraltar Road near Gibraltar Rock, outside Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 73 The sun rises as fire crews prepare for another day of fighting the Thomas Fire, in Montecito, Calif., on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 73 An aircraft makes a water drop over a hot spot up in the mountain range at Gibraltar Rock near Montecito, Calif. on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 73 Humboldt County firefighters Bobby Gray, left, hoses down smoldering flames inside a destroyed home, as Kellee Stoehr, right looks on, after the Thomas Fire burned in Montecito, Calif. on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 73 A home on Park Hill Lane was destroyed by the Thomas fire in Montecito, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) 71 / 73 Humboldt County firefighters Lonnie Risling, left, and Jimmy McHaffie, right, spray down smoldering fire underneath the rubble of a home that was destroyed by the Thomas Fire, in Montecito, Calif., Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 73 Fire crews help the Behrman family retrieve their familys personal belongings out of their burned home, in Montecito, Calif., on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 73 In the foreground of the ridges that were burned by the Thomas Fire, Rusty Smith stands outside his home that survived the flames that were kicked up by Saturdays wind event and threatened his home in Flores Flats on Gibraltar Road, near Montecito. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) They reiterated a message spread this morning to put out even small bushes on fire along roads and extinguish the smallest embers on the way to bigger blazes because thats how its spreading from house to house. The fire was the worst of several major blazes across Southern California, including one in Bel-Air that closed the 405 Freeway on Wednesday, one in the Angeles National Forest near Sylmar and another in the Santa Clarita Valley. At least 150 structures including one large apartment complex and the Vista Del Mar Hospital, a psychiatric facility were consumed by flames. But Cal Fire suspects the true number is hundreds more; firefighters just havent been able to get into some areas to know for sure. An aerial view shows homes that burned in the Thomas fire in Ventura County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times ) Geoff Marcus walked past the charred remains of his Dodge Ram in the driveway of his Ventura home and surveyed the rubble that was left behind. The raging Thomas fire chewed through the five-bedroom house he grew up in and his family has owned for 60 years. Im looking to see what we can salvage, Marcus, 58, said. He spent the morning rummaging through the ashes with his two sons, Steven and Daniel. Together, they were able to scrounge a few ceramic plates and mugs. Geoff Marcus home burned down in the #ThomasFire. He and his sons are searching through the rubble salvage anything they can. pic.twitter.com/0lJ9B0nc9Y Sarah Parvini () (@sarahparvini) December 6, 2017 Marcus said he and his mother evacuated Monday and had no more than 10 minutes to leave. He saw the flames an orange glow like the earth was angry and knew it was time to evacuate. It was enough time to grab the family and that was it. That was all I had, he said. Both his neighbors homes also burned, along with one house across from his and the homes along a nearby ridge. On Wednesday, smoke rose from the ground, which was still radiating heat. I feel loss but my family is safe, and, well, thats all I care about. These are all possessions that can be replaced, he said, walking through piles of burned wood and appliances. Behind him, a blackened shower stood perfectly intact. This was a happy place where we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everything my mom has collected and cherished is gone, he said. As his sons looked through the property, Marcus searched for one particular artifact a portion of the driveway where he and his father had carved their names in 1984. I was hoping to find some jewelry, but it all melted, he said. The home was renovated in 2008, he said. Marcus and his mother are staying at his nephews house nearby until his insurance company provides him with temporary housing. I kept hoping wed come back and there would be a house, he said. Now we rebuild and start over. Theres not much you can do otherwise. His son Steven popped his head up where the fireplace once stood. Hey! he shouted. I found an angel! He waved a small Precious Moments figurine with a halo atop its head, then tossed it to his brother with a laugh. They found an assortment of ceramics, including an angel figurine and a plate that read Little things mean a lot from Mothers Day 1982. pic.twitter.com/OwaHPzGtFM Sarah Parvini () (@sarahparvini) December 6, 2017 At a briefing Wednesday morning, Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told crews that Santa Ana winds would pick up again on Thursday. Officials noted that the wind has overwhelmed everything. ... Its driven the fire across all kinds of terrain. You hear the winds are going to be slacking a little, but keep in mind by slacking we mean gusts of 80 go down to 35, said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Tim Chavez. If you notice the air gets still and quiet for a little while, stay there. Crews were warned of firefighter deaths that occurred in this area in the past during a similar situation to today, a weakening Santa Ana. Ventura County Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann said 50,000 residents had been evacuated from their homes and many dont know the fate of their properties. A lot of those folks havent seen the state of their homes since they left, and we do have a number of homes destroyed, he said. I plead with you, please do not post any pictures of destroyed homes or structures. We dont want to be the one who shows them their home is destroyed for the first time. He added: The folks here dont differentiate based on the patch on your shoulder. Please go out and do good work on behalf of our citizens. The fire hopscotched through Ventura on Tuesday, burning hillside homes, reaching into subdivisions and also consuming a hospital and a large apartment building. The fire swept through blocks, taking some homes and sparing others. The blaze started about 6:25 p.m. Monday in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, a popular hiking destination. It grew wildly to more than 15 square miles in the hours that followed consuming vegetation that hasnt burned in decades, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said. Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report. UPDATES: 10:45 a.m.: Updated with body of woman found. 7:10 a.m.: Updated with 101 reopened. 5:45 a.m. Updated with new fire directions. 4:20 a.m. Dec. 7: Updated with 101 closure. 11:30 p.m.: This article was updated with new evacuations in Ojai Valley. 10:55 p.m.: This article was updated with a quote from a Ventura County sheriffs official. 9:30 p.m.: This article was updated with new mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders. 7:25 p.m.: This article was updated with a containment figure. 6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with new acreage burned and quotes from fire officials. 2:45 p.m.: This article was updated with Thursdays forecast and comments from residents. 10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from state fire officials. 10:05 a.m.: This article was updated with new estimates on homes threatened and residents evacuated. This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m. Dec. 6. Fresh anger poured in from across the Muslim world Wednesday as President Trump said the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israels capital, a move that Arab and European leaders have warned could spark violence and destroy any hopes of reviving the Mideast peace process. Israel responded with satisfaction to the presidents announcement, in which Trump also said he was setting in motion the process of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv. In a show of appreciation, the Jerusalem municipality projected the American and Israeli flags onto the walls of the Old City, home to important Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites. Yet even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the presidents declaration as courageous and just, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas slammed the destruction of all the efforts to achieve peace. Advertisement Ahead of the announcement, U.S. allies in the Middle East and Europe had urged Trump to refrain from taking steps they fear could ignite unrest across the region. Jerusalems status is one of the most sensitive and inflammatory issues fueling the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israel claims the city in entirety as its capital; Palestinians want the eastern sector to be the seat of government for a future state. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking from New York moments after the president finished his address, said Jerusalems status was an issue to be decided through negotiations. In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear there is no alternative to the two-state solution, he said, referring to a broad international consensus supporting side-by-side Israeli and Palestinian states. At the Vatican, Pope Francis prayed that Jerusalems status quo would be preserved to avoid adding new tension to a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts. Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims who venerate the holy places of their respective religions, and has a special vocation to peace, Francis said at his weekly audience. Leaders from Britain, France, Germany and Italy joined in the chorus of opprobrium for Trumps decision. Frances President Emmanuel Macron called the U.S. move regrettable. British Prime Minister Theresa May said she intended to speak with Trump and express concerns. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meeting in the Turkish capital with Jordans King Abdullah II, said the U.S. presidents stance would provide a boost for terrorist groups. The leaders plan to convene extraordinary meetings of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League in the coming days to discuss the regions response to the U.S. moves. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab Leagues secretary-general, said he was surprised that the U.S. administration would get involved in an unjustified provocation of the feelings of 360 million Arabs and 1.5 billion Muslims to please Israel. The status of Israel is one of the few issues that unites leaders in a part of the world riven by war and sectarian divides. Archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are engaged in deadly proxy conflicts in Yemen and Syria, have offered some of the harshest commentary about Trumps plan in recent days. The Islamic Republics supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told a gathering of Iranian officials Wednesday that without a doubt, the Islamic world will resist this conspiracy and beloved Palestine will finally be freed, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported. Yet officials could not pass up the opportunity to take digs at their rivals. If half the funds spent by some rulers in the region to encourage terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and incitement against neighbors was spent on liberating Palestine, we wouldnt be facing today this American egotism, Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said in a tweet. Palestinians, already discouraged over what they describe as a consistently pro-Israel stance by the United States, said Trumps decision essentially killed any remaining peace hopes. Leaders called for three days of rage culminating after Friday prayers. Although protests in the West Bank were muted Wednesday, in part because of the cold weather and rain, hundreds took to the streets in the Gaza Strip, chanting angry slogans against the U.S. and Israel, and burning the flags of both countries. Trump has just declared the end of the two-state solution, said Tahrir Aloumor, 36, who joined a demonstration in the Jabaliya refugee camp. Shame on you, Trump. As darkness fell, the walled Old City focus of many outbreaks of violence was largely quiet. A visiting Palestinian American, Jamal Abu Sneineh, 53, called Trumps move shortsighted and said it would harm the already moribund peace process. It feels surreal to be back in Jerusalem during this time, he said. Look at the stones, and you can feel the history and the hands that built them. International backing for Trumps plan was almost nonexistent, but Israeli media reports on Wednesday cited at least one leader who is on board with the presidents move: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is denounced by human rights groups and many Western governments for a deadly anti-drug campaign.Israels Channel One reported that Duterte expressed interest in moving his countrys embassy, as Trump plans to do, from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Special correspondent Samir Zedan reported from Jerusalem and staff writers Zavis and King from Beirut and Washington, respectively. Special correspondents Rushdi Abualouf in Gaza, Omar Medhat in Cairo and Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran contributed to this report. alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Twitter: @alexzavis UPDATES: 4:25 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Pope Francis, more protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and other details. 10:58 a.m.: This article was updated with Trumps speech and reaction from Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinians, and the U.N. secretary-general. This article was originally published at 9:40 a.m. In a runoff election that drew into relief questions of race and political party allegiance, a black Democrat held a 759-vote lead over a white independent after the initial vote count early Wednesday to be the next mayor of Atlanta. Keisha Lance Bottoms, an attorney and city councilwoman representing a predominantly black southwest district of the city, declared victory in a speech to supporters. Dreams do come true, she said. But Mary Norwood, a longtime City Council member from the affluent neighborhood of Buckhead, asked for recount, saying absentee ballots from the military had not been counted and that the number of provisional ballots was still not known. Advertisement The vote totals were 46,464 for Bottoms and 45,705 for Norwood. Atlanta has long promoted itself as a cradle of the civil rights movement and a mecca of black opportunity, and it has elected African American mayors since 1973. Rapid gentrification in this Democratic stronghold, where African Americans make up a slight but shrinking majority, threatened to change that in this election. Bottoms, 47, won the highest number of votes in the November election. But she drew fierce criticism for her ties to current Mayor Kasim Reed, whose administration is embroiled in a federal investigation into city contracting. She has also been rebuked for drawing two city salaries as a city councilwoman and head of the Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority and failing for years to pay her water bills in full. Norwood, 65, has earned a reputation for tirelessly attending neighborhood meetings and forums across the city and pushing a message of neighborhood inclusion and government transparency. Mary Norwood makes a statement as she arrives for her election night party at the Park Tavern on Tuesday. (ccompton@ajc.com / AP ) In some ways, the contest was a rerun of 2009, when Reed faced Norwood and won by just 714 votes. His supporters, like those of Bottoms, spread the rumor that Norwood is a closet Republican. She portrays herself as an independent voice, but her brand of independence sure looks like that of a Republican, states a website set up by the states Democratic Party, MarytheRepublican.com. It notes that Norwoods campaign is staffed by Republicans and funded by GOP donors and reminds voters that Norwood declined to endorse moderate Democrat Jon Ossoff in his Georgia congressional race this year. Critics of the state Democratic Party pushed back, insisting the nonpartisan election was a referendum on Reed, whom they dismiss as corrupt and too aligned with developers and big business. As Atlanta has become more affluent and more white African Americans fell from 61% of the population in 2000 to 54% in 2010 some accuse Democratic leaders here of taking black voters for granted and ignoring key economic and criminal justice issues across the poorer, predominantly African American south of the city. While Democratic U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris and Corey Booker and other prominent African Americans have backed Bottoms, other black leaders, including former Mayor Shirley Franklin and City Council President Ceasar Mitchell have endorsed Norwood. Some people say that endorsement may hurt my legacy, because Ive endorsed a white woman over a black woman, Franklin said in an ad for Norwood broadcast on black radio stations. This election is about character, transparency and integrity. Not race. Last week, Cathy Woolard, a white former City Council president and one of the leading leftist candidates in the first round of voting, added her support for Norwood. I feel like the lack of transparency at City Hall has crushed the spirit of our city, and I feel like we need a clean break with this administration and a new start here with a fresh set of players, Woolard said. The runoff has been neck and neck, with some surveys showing Bottoms leading by a small margin and a poll conducted last week by WSB-TV and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution showing Norwood with a 6-percentage-point lead. For George Chidi, a community activist and former reporter for the Journal-Constitution, much of the election debate had focused on surface-level nonsense about partisanship and skin color rather than pressing issues of gentrification, affordable housing and homelessness. The black political elite of the city have more or less counted on the citys demography to carry them across the finish line for a generation, Chidi wrote in A Black Voters Case for Mary Norwood, a blog post on www.GeorgiaPol.com. Meanwhile, he argued, we have a city that has the Gini coefficient of Caracas, nearly the widest gap in racial income in the country, and the lowest income mobility in America. Another critic of Bottoms, Democratic state Rep. LaDawn Jones, the former director of the states Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, said she has admitted that she was at first reluctant to support Norwood until it struck her that voting for Bottoms simply because she is a black Democrat was little different than a Republican voting for contentious Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore just because hes a conservative. If I am a person who puts ethics in government before all other factors, why hesitate about Norwood? Jones wrote in a blog post for www.GeorgiaPol.com. Could I not support Mary Norwood because shes being pegged as Republican? Is party politics more important to me than good ethics and good judgment? Still, many black voters are wary of Norwood, saying she is not progressive enough on issues such as racial profiling. When asked in a September forum if police target or racially profile black and brown males in the community, Norwood hesitated to answer while a row of candidates raised Yes signs. In a statement the next day, Norwood said she paused only out of showing deference and support for our [Atlanta Police Department] officers who, to my knowledge, have not had reportedly high incidents of profiling. Jarvie is a special correspondent. President Trumps first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, texted a former business associate on Inauguration Day that Obama-era sanctions against Russia would be ripped up and that a lucrative proposal to build nuclear reactors with Russian partners in the Middle East was good to go, a witness has told Congress. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, made a letter public Wednesday that described the unidentified persons account. Cummings said he had spoken to the witness and called the account a credible allegation that Flynn sought to manipulate the course of international nuclear policy for the financial gain of his former business partners. Advertisement Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador about sanctions during the transition. Its unclear if the new claim puts him in additional legal jeopardy. The retired three-star Army general is cooperating with prosecutors as part of his plea agreement with Robert S. Mueller III, who is heading the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the election. Flynns lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on the latest claims. Flynn had worked as a consultant for ACU Strategic Partners, the group pushing the proposed nuclear deal, in 2015 and 2016. He didnt divulge the relationship until the third version of his financial disclosure report, required of White House employees, which he filed in August. The new details suggest that Flynn sought to help the nuclear deal proceed after he joined the White House. He was ousted as national security advisor after only 24 days on the job. The administration has not lifted sanctions on Russia. Alex Copson, the managing partner of ACU Strategic Partners, received texts from Flynn during Trumps inauguration Jan. 20 saying the deal was good to go, according to Cummings. Michael Flynn pleads guilty: Charges in the Russia investigation so far Mr. Copson explained that Gen. Flynn was making sure the sanctions would be ripped up as one of his first orders of business and this would allow money to start flowing into the project, Cummings said, quoting the witness. After getting the texts, Copson said, Mike has been putting everything in place for us, and, This is going to make a lot of very wealthy people, Cummings said, quoting the witness. Cummings said the individual contacted his office and authorized him to make his account, but not his name, public. He said the witness said Copson showed him texts on his phone that Copson said were from Flynn, but that the witness didnt read them and later took notes on their conversation. ACU Strategic Partners paid for Flynn to travel to Israel and Egypt in 2015 to promote the nuclear project, paying him a fee of $25,000, according to a letter Copson sent the committee. He said Flynn did not cash the check, however. The company did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told reporters that he wanted the witness claims about Flynn to be investigated by the House Intelligence Committee, which also is examining Russias role in the election. Gowdy sits on both panels. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT ALSO Michael Flynn grew up breaking the rules. It caught up to him as Trumps national security advisor Trump says there was no collusion with Russia and cites a new reason for why he fired Flynn Editorial: Could this be the beginning of the end of the Trump administration? UPDATES: 3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Rep. Trey Gowdy. This article was originally published at 2:40 p.m. Saying that old challenges demand new approaches, President Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will begin a process to transfer the U.S. Embassy to the ancient city, reversing decades of American policy and defying widespread international criticism. Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israels capital, Trump declared in a speech at the White House. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. Trump acknowledged that his announcement, which he followed with a signed proclamation, would generate disagreement and dissent. It sparked protests in Palestinian territories and a fresh round of denunciations in foreign capitals worried about a new outbreak of violence in the volatile region. Advertisement But Trump said his administration would not follow the failed policies of the past. And he took a swipe at previous presidents who failed to officially recognize Jerusalem or move the embassy. Some say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time, he said. Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. And it would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital, and until now, neither claim was widely recognized. Instead, the international consensus, backed by United Nations resolutions and all U.S. presidents, was to negotiate the citys status as part of a peace deal to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. No other country has established an embassy in Jerusalem, and the White House said it would take several years to select a site and build the facility. But Trumps 11-minute speech fulfilled a core campaign pledge, one crucial to some conservative Jews and evangelical Christians in his base who believe the U.S. must do more to support Israel. Trump insisted that his decision would not derail his administrations so-far unsuccessful efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Trump said he is not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or resolution of contested borders, for any future negotiations. He also said he would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides, the long-sought formula for a peace deal. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides, he said. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement. Many Israelis were ecstatic, praising Trump for recognizing the reality on the ground. The government of Israel has controlled all of Jerusalem since the 1967 war, and its parliament, Supreme Court and most government departments are based there. But Palestinians, who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their eventual independent state, were furious, as were U.S. allies throughout Europe and the Arab world. Heads and patriarchs of Christian churches in Jerusalem also bemoaned the decision. They represent various branches of the Christian faith, including Greek, Syrian and Armenian Orthodox churches; Episcopalians; Catholics; and Lutherans. We are certain that such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the 13 leaders said in a letter to Trump, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division. Many Middle East experts in Washington also were dismayed by Trumps plan to change U.S. recognition of a city revered as holy by all three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. There is no upside to this. What does he gain? asked Daniel Kurtzer, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel under President George W. Bush. And for them to say this could jump-start the peace process, it shows they dont have a clue about peace in the Middle East. Its really all pain and no gain, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, an American group that lobbies on Israel from a liberal Jewish perspective. The situation on the ground for the state of Israel and the Jewish people doesnt change for the better. Martin Indyk, who served twice as U.S. ambassador to Israel and was a special Middle East envoy under President Obama, said Trumps decision to declare Jerusalem the capital but delay moving the embassy was an attempt to have it both ways. It will please nobody, Indyk said on CNN, and it could well generate violence. Scattered violence was reported early Wednesday in Palestinian territories, including the burning of U.S. and Israeli flags in the Gaza Strip. U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the region were put on alert in anticipation of potential protests. Palestinians declared three days of rage, pegged to peak after Friday prayers. U.S. officials also prepared for demonstrations outside the State Department headquarters in Washington. Several world leaders argued that the move makes plain U.S. bias in favor of Israel and the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has offered fulsome praise for Trump. Previous U.S. administrations have cast themselves as honest brokers in the Middle East, toiling endlessly to resolve one of historys most intractable conflicts. The appearance now, at least in the Arab world, is that Trump has taken one side. Trumps critics said the Jerusalem move further isolates America in the global community. He also has vowed to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, making the United States the only country in the world not to back the international effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In his announcement Wednesday, Trump said he is instructing the State Department to begin a multiyear process for building an embassy in Jerusalem, asking for money from Congress, choosing a site and hiring architects, engineers and planners. For now, as previous presidents have done, Trump will sign a six-month waiver to a 1995 law that required the State Department to move the embassy from its current site in Tel Aviv. Administration officials would not commit to a timetable, but one senior official said that opening a new U.S. embassy routinely takes three to four years. Condemnation and concern poured in from foreign leaders as news emerged of Trumps plan. The status of Jerusalem should be determined as a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should be a shared capital, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO ally with Washington, declared that Jerusalem was a red line for the Muslim world and threatened to cut Ankaras diplomatic ties with Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the decision was a grave mistake. It will not bring any stability [or] peace but rather chaos and instability, he told reporters after meeting with Tillerson on the margins of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting in Brussels. The whole world is against this. Tillerson defended the move in a statement, pushing back against the swelling criticism. He said the State Department would immediately begin the process to prepare to move the embassy. We have consulted with many friends, partners and allies, he said. We firmly believe there is an opportunity for a lasting peace. Trump made his case forcefully at a National Security Council meeting last week at the White House, officials said. Vice President Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, argued for recognizing Jerusalem, and Tillerson was among those who spoke against it, a White House official said. Times staff writer Noah Bierman contributed to this report. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter UPDATES: 11:35 a.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes from Trumps speech. This article was originally published at 10:40 a.m. Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Wednesday, Dec. 6, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES Fire, fire everywhere A series of Santa Ana-wind-driven wildfires burned out of control in Southern California, destroying more than a hundred homes, forcing thousands to flee, and smothering the region with smoke, in what officials predicted would be a pitched battle through Thursday. In Ventura, flames drove deep into suburbia, consuming dozens of stucco and tile homes along tidy streets and cul-de-sacs. Propane tanks exploded and fan palms became ragged torches lofting fiery debris hundreds of yards. By morning, an estimated 150 structures were destroyed in scenes reminiscent of the deadly October firestorm that tore through Santa Rosa, and officials say the damage may be much greater. Los Angeles Times Advertisement Heres what we know: The Thomas fire in Ventura County has burned more than 55,000 acres, destroyed at least 150 structures and forced 27,000 people to evacuate. Los Angeles Times Some fire hydrants in Ventura didnt work because of power outages or other problems, firefighters say. Los Angeles Times The Creek fire prompted evacuations in parts of Sylmar and Lake View Terrace. Los Angeles Times A fire that broke out in San Bernardino County on Tuesday afternoon burned three people and triggered mandatory evacuations, authorities said. Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had a strong message for residents living near the fast-moving Creek fire: Be ready to go. We expect this weather for the next five days, though today may be the most intense of days, Garcetti said at a news conference Tuesday morning. Los Angeles Times Smoke from the Creek fire has caused poor air quality, prompting Los Angeles County officials to urge residents in neighboring communities to avoid going outdoors and to limit exercise. The unhealthy air quality has been declared in portions of the San Fernando Valley, Lake View Terrace, Sylmar, Malibu and Santa Monica. Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer Jeffrey Gunzenhauser urged residents living in those communities, especially children and the elderly, to be especially cautious. Los Angeles Times L.A. STORIES What happened? L.A. asked for $3 million for community policing. The Department of Justice said no. Some fear its a sign of whats ahead. Los Angeles Times Go to class! Heres how L.A. Unified could reduce absenteeism, if it listens to outside advisers. Los Angeles Times Bye, bye, Ball: LiAngelo Ball leaving UCLA is the best news the Bruins could have gotten, writes Times columnist Bill Plaschke. Los Angeles Times POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT And the winner is...: Democratic labor activist Wendy Carrillo won a special election in Los Angeles on Tuesday to serve out the term of former Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, who was elected to Congress earlier this year. Tuesdays vote was the last in a series of four special elections that have reshuffled the political landscape in a section of Los Angeles stretching from Silver Lake to Eagle Rock and East Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times Dababneh fallout: The allegations of sexual misconduct against Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) reverberated in the California gubernatorial race on Tuesday, with one candidate calling on Dababneh to resign and another donating political contributions he received from the San Fernando Valley lawmaker. Los Angeles Times More DACA support from the GOP: Orange County U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters on Tuesday joined Central Valley congressmen David Valadao and Jeff Denham in urging House Speaker Paul D. Ryan to address by the end of the year the legal status of people brought to the country illegally as children. Los Angeles Times CRIME AND COURTS Interesting stats: Between 2010 and 2016, crime in Los Angeles County including property and violent crime rose by 5%, even as overall crime in the rest of the state fell by the same rate, according to a report released Tuesday. Los Angeles Times Literacy lawsuit: Too many California children cant read, and the state doesnt have an adequate plan to fix the problem, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Los Angeles Times Trying to stop California: More than a dozen states banded together Monday to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to block a California law requiring any eggs sold there to come from hens that have space to stretch out in their cages. Associated Press THE ENVIRONMENT On the horizon: A California lawmaker wants to put the state alongside China, France and the U.K. and have its legislature consider a ban on vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Bloomberg CALIFORNIA CULTURE Its back: The Art Deco-style daybed removed seven weeks ago from an important Hollywood public artwork in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal has been returned to view. Los Angeles Times Great idea! The Museum of Failure, a traveling pop-culture show presenting commercial products and services that rank as epic fails beef lasagna frozen dinner from toothpaste maker Colgate, anyone? has opened at downtown L.A.s A+D Architecture and Design Museum. Los Angeles Times Off the hook: USC defensive lineman Liam Jimmons wont be charged after video captured the redshirt freshman knocking over a Washington State supporter after the Cougars upset the Trojans in Pullman, Wash., on Sept. 29. Los Angeles Times Oooof: The chief digital officer at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business is out of a job days after campus officials revealed that the school had failed to disclose a huge data breach of personal information that came to light only after a student made it known. San Francisco Chronicle Fire impact: The CBS reboot of S.W.A.T and HBOs Westworld have shut down production in response to wildfires in Southern California. Variety Hmmm: Influencers are the new Vogue, says Ilse Metchek, head of the California Fashion Association. NPR CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Los Angeles area: sunny, 76, Wednesday; sunny, 77, Thursday. San Diego: sunny, 74, Wednesday and Thursday. San Francisco area: sunny, 62, Wednesday; partly cloudy, 65, Thursday. Sacramento: sunny, 60, Wednesday; sunny, 62, Thursday. More weather is here. AND FINALLY Todays California memory comes from Sasha Reynolds: In 1968, the Russian army suddenly occupied the Czech Republic. I had just completed nursing school and decided it was time to leave the country. While at the refugee camp, the officials asked me where I would like to live. I put my finger on Salinas. Why?? Because I love the Steinbeck book East of Eden. Eventually I made it to California, where I live, and each time I visit Salinas I am grateful to be American. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad. If you have or ever want to have a bank account, credit card, debit card, car loan, student loan, home loan, payday loan, credit report or any other financial product of any type, or if you were harmed in any way by the 2008 financial crisis, then you have a personal stake in the success of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. At the moment, the watchdog agency is under threat. Its caught in a power struggle between its Obama-era holdovers and the Trump administration, which is moving to strip the bureau of its regulatory power. The drama culminated last week when the CFPB briefly had two would-be acting directors Leandra English, installed by the former director, and President Trumps pick, Mick Mulvaney, a longtime critic of the agency. (Mulvaney has said he would like to see the agency abolished.) Although a federal judge ruled in Mulvaneys favor on Nov. 28, English is expected to file for a preliminary injunction and to continue her legal battle to oust Mulvaney. Advertisement Consumers should hope for her success. The CFPB was created in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms, for two reasons: to protect consumers of financial products virtually every American from being ripped off by financial predators and to help avert large-scale crashes and bailouts. The financial services industry simply does not want an independent, effective consumer protection cop on the Wall Street beat. Before the bureau was established, responsibility for protecting financial consumers was divided among six different federal agencies. None of those agencies have consumer protection as part of their primary mission, and as a result, no one was really looking out for consumers. There wasnt a single entity that had the responsibility or authority to look at all financial products, let alone at the activities of banks or other financial institutions, such as mortgage companies and payday lenders. The CFPB was created to do just that, and it quickly established itself as one of the most effective consumer protection agencies in American history. It enacted rules requiring mortgage providers to clearly disclose all their key terms in plain English, and prohibited a slew of predatory provisions and practices, such as teaser rates. Many of the tricks and traps that ensnared so many borrowers in the subprime bubble are now outlawed. The CFPB passed similar rules for student loan providers, payday lenders and debt collection companies. The bureau has returned almost $12 billion to more than 27 million ripped-off Americans and imposed significant penalties on wrongdoers, including a $100-million fine on Wells Fargo for creating millions of fake savings and checking accounts. It required Bank of America to pay consumers $727 million for deceptive marketing; Citigroup to pay $700 million for illegal credit card practices; and JPMorgan Chase to pay $309 million for unfair billing and an additional $50 million for illegal debt collection practices. The CFPB is able to take on the largest, most powerful and most politically connected financial institutions in the country because of its autonomy. It has independent funding, its own legal department and a director with a five-year term who can be fired only for cause. This has insulated the CFPB from Wall Street, its lobbyists and its political allies, who have tried to kill the agency from the moment it was first proposed. Thats what the battle over the CFPB is really about: The industry simply does not want an independent, effective consumer protection cop on the Wall Street beat. It wants to keep the $12 billion it was ordered to repay Americans. It doesnt want rules that protect consumers more than their profits. Protection of individual consumers isnt the only reason Americans should care about a strong, independent CFPB. Writ large, predatory conduct sows instability throughout the financial system, leading to crashes and bailouts. This is what happened in the years before the 2008 financial crisis. Financial predators ripped off unsuspecting and unprotected mortgage consumers, and the consumers became victims of egregious fraud. The various federal regulators did nothing. Some even stopped state regulators from enforcing their states consumer protection laws. The result was rampant predatory lending, the collapse of underwriting standards and the packaging, sale and distribution of fraudulent derivatives and products, all of which inflated the subprime bubble, causing the entire financial system to crash and almost leading to a second Great Depression. The chance of this happening again in a new and different form, undoubtedly is virtually assured as the Trump administration appears committed to crippling the CFPB and leaving consumers unprotected once again. The CFPB isnt a perfect agency, but it has been amazingly effective in protecting consumers, stopping predatory conduct and reducing the risk of another catastrophic financial crash. Every American should want the CFPB to continue its crucial work. Dennis M. Kelleher is president and CEO of Better Markets, a Washington-based, independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes the public interest in financial reform, financial markets and the economy. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook In Alabama next week, and across the United States next November, voters even voters who are old hands at voting, whove cast ballots for years may find themselves standing at a polling place being told that this time, they dont have the right identification to vote. Over the last several years, voter ID laws have been enacted as a kind of solution in search of a problem. Voter fraud is one of President Trumps favorite hobbyhorses, his claim that he lost the popular vote because of millions of illegally cast votes. Three years ago, a Loyola Law School professors study confirmed again what every other serious study has shown: that voter fraud is a political chimera. He found that of the billion or so ballots cast between 2000 and 2014, only 31 were fraudulently cast at a polling place. Kathleen Ungers group works above that particular fray. She founded VoteRiders in 2012, and while legislatures and lawmakers and lawyers do battle over this supposed specter of voter fraud, her Santa Monica-based national nonprofit is skipping all that and going right to saying, You need a particular ID to vote? Fine, well help you get it. VoteRiders goal is that no one whos eligible to vote gets turned away for want of the required ID, which can differ from one state to the next and even one election to the next. Whatever your states ID rules, Unger wants you to have it in the bag meaning, right in your pocket. Click here for the full archive of "Patt Morrison Asks" podcasts The name VoteRiders evokes the Freedom Riders of the 1960s, who went to the South to register black people to vote. Was it the Freedom Riders who gave you the name and the idea? It was the initial inspiration. And then VoteRiders also includes within it voter ID, so its actually VoteRiders equals voter IDers. Whether voter ID should be required at all, and what kind of ID, is still being hashed out through the courts. But a lot of people might think, Well, Ive got a drivers license whats so hard about that? Youre right, a majority of people have a current drivers license in their state in their current name. However, there are tens of millions of American citizens who dont have that kind of drivers license. They dont have a current drivers license in their state in their current name. These are older adults who are no longer driving, if they ever did. They are young adults going to school in another state, or who are riding bicycles and taking public transportation. They are people of color. They are people with disabilities. They are people with low incomes. And then a number of states require an exact match between the name on your voter ID and the name in which youre registered to vote, and that impacts women especially, since up to 90% of women who marry change their names. It is very difficult to wend your way through the maze of bureaucracies to acquire all the various kinds of documentation you need in order to get an ID. So youre right that the polls show that a majority of the public think that voter ID is a good idea. But they dont think about the people who dont have a drivers license, people whose paperwork including any kind of ID was destroyed in a natural disaster. Many people tens of thousands of American citizens dont have an official birth certificate, especially African Americans who are, at this point, as young as in their latter 50s, whose mother was not allowed to give birth in the local white hospital. And so they were born at home and delivered by a midwife. So there are many difficulties that people encounter in trying to get an ID. Its like an ID merry-go-round. Once youre on the merry-go-round, you dont have any problem staying on you get into the system and ID begets more ID. But trying to get on a moving merry-go-round: pretty hard. Thats a great analogy. And it is very difficult to wend your way through the maze of bureaucracies to acquire all the various kinds of documentation you need in order to get a government-issued photo ID. Most states require, when you apply to get a certified copy of your birth certificate, that you submit a copy of your photo ID, which, considering this situation, is something of a Catch-22. How does VoteRiders work for an individual voter who doesnt have the ID necessary to meet his or her states requirements? If the voter doesnt have any of those IDs, then we review with that voter the kinds of documentation that the state requires in order to get the [states] free voter ID. And if the individual doesnt have any of those documents, then we help them to secure the documents. With regard to an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, if an individual doesnt have that, we will work with them to apply to the appropriate state. We will pay for the cost of that document if this is a low-income voter. Since you started this, in April 2012, how many voters have you obtained IDs for? Weve obtained IDs for several hundred voters. We have confirmed that people have the correct ID for tens of thousands of voters. We have found that there are two kinds of voters when it comes to voter ID: those who dont have the requisite ID in their state, and then, broadly, theres everyone else. Because these laws are very confusing, and theyre constantly changing, people dont know whether it applies to them, and if so, what do they need? They are oftentimes leery of delving into the various bureaucracies. What we have found on the ground is that numbers of voters are so intimidated by these laws that they will not vote, even though they have an acceptable ID. You also have something people can download, state by state, that says what the states ID requirements are, and they can take that to a polling place so that if anyone challenges their ID, they can say, Nope, heres the law. We have created a voter ID wallet-sized card for all 50 states and D.C., in English and in Spanish. And these cards highlight precisely the kinds of IDs that are acceptable in that state, along with some of the nuances. Our partner, Mi Familia Vota Texas, distributed our Texas voter ID information wallet cards as part of their canvasing effort in six majority Latino precincts in Houston for last Novembers election. While overall Houston voter turnout decreased by 1% compared with the 2012 presidential election, turnout in those six precincts increased by an average of almost 9% per precinct. So these cards enable people to confirm that they have the right ID. If they dont, then they can call our toll-free help line number or email us and we go into action to help them. People actually put them in their wallets, and if theyre dealing with a misinformed poll worker, they can extract the card, and say, But it says here that this kind of ID is OK, and thats what I have. It gives people the courage to stand up and to speak up to the authority in the polling place, who frankly may not be as well-versed in the voter ID law as one would hope. How is it that poll workers dont know the rules? In a number of states, training is not required, and in any event, it can be inconsistent. And frankly, being a poll worker is a difficult job, and voter ID is very complicated in and of itself. So its not surprising that voters and poll workers themselves are confused. I have read of people who were in their 80s or 90s who had voted in every election being suddenly turned away because of new laws that created this hurdle to voting that was not there before. Oh, absolutely. There are many, many stories like that, and it just breaks my heart. Thats why I founded VoteRiders because I was just frankly outraged that people were losing their right to vote. Ive read a couple of cases of people whove gotten their ID thanks to you. Is there one that stands out? Dennis Hatten, an African American veteran of the Marines, in Wisconsin. When we initially found him, he was living at a veterans shelter, and we worked with Dennis for six months seeking documents. Finally, they found what they thought might be his birth certificate, but the first name wasnt Dennis it was Denet. As it turns out, this is what the [French-speaking] midwife had written. Fortunately, he was able to get his voter ID only because when he had initially applied for his Social Security number, the name Denet also was used. So there was that corroboration between the two. Six months with the lawyers and our Wisconsin statewide coordinator, working constantly to get his ID. You are nonpartisan, but Im sure you hear accusations that you are not. Yes, we do. But we never ask anyone how they plan to vote. As a matter of fact, wed been on the ground in Virginia all this year, through the Nov. 7 election Virginia being a strict voter ID state and a gentleman called us at our help line. He said, You know, Im a Republican, and I voted for Trump, and I said, Well, that doesnt matter. If you want to vote, we want to make sure that youre going to be able to vote. So what can we do to help you? I just am deeply concerned about the very foundation of our Constitution, the right to vote, the first three words of the Constitution We the People. If we, the people cannot voice our opinion about our government and whos running it, then the whole thing just crumbles. Its that essential. Subscribe to Patt Morrison Asks and never miss a podcast. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook MORE PATT MORRISON ASKS Ken Burns on making his Vietnam War documentary: 'I was humiliated by what I didn't know' Jimmy Webb on Auto-Tune, lying to keep John Lennon from being deported and how cocaine changed music Caitlyn Jenner talks Trump, being a transgender Republican and missing Bruce To the editor: Jack Phillips, owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colo., who refused to serve same-sex couples, is in the wrong line of business. (The gay wedding cake case isnt about religious freedom or free speech, Opinion, Dec. 4) He should have worked as a preacher serving his God, or as a bona fide artist creating masterpieces while exercising his artistic license not a baker in the guise of both professions. Dienyih Chen, Redondo Beach Advertisement .. To the editor: I wonder if op-ed article author Louise Melling of the American Civil Liberties Union would be in favor of using the force of law to require Muslim bakers to prepare and sell wedding cakes with Christian symbols, Jewish bakers to bake cakes with swastikas (neo-Nazis get married too) or black bakers to bake cakes for plantation weddings. In short, she would have government require businesses to express sentiments hateful or at odds to the business owner, provided the sentiment is one that the right sort of people approve. But remember: No ones viewpoint stays on top forever. Alternatively, we could allow the horrifying possibility of gay people having to find another baker. David Hendershot, Fullerton .. To the editor: Its people like Phillips who make it it difficult to explain my Christian faith. We are told that only God can judge whats in a mans heart, yet Phillips judges every sinner who enters his shop (by the way, we are all sinners) and decides who gets his business. Its not a sin to bake a cake, no matter the customer. Using Christianity to justify discrimination is not what God intended. Philip Guiral, Laguna Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: What President Trump could do for Israel is to reiterate [the United States] strong support for a two-state resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and to insist that both Israel and the Palestinian leadership make territorial compromises rather than remain captive by their most ideological constituents. (The best thing Trump could do for Israel is grow up, Opinion, Dec. 4) What Trump could do is override his unfortunate choice as ambassador to Israel and strongly oppose new settlements in the occupied territories. This has been the policy of every administration Republican and Democratic since 1967. What Trump should not do is move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem ahead of an Israel-Palestine settlement. This adds not an iota of security to Israel and will needlessly alienate Arab supporters of a settlement (see the current reactions to this proposal from Jordan and Egypt). What Trump should not do is enmesh the U.S. in the civil war in Syria where there is no effective good side. Advertisement Fortunately, Dan Schnur and the American Jewish Committee do not speak for many American Jews. David Perel, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Why all the fuss about moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? The western part of Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since the Jewish state was established in 1948. In 1967, East Jerusalem was won and occupied by Israel and is the only part of Jerusalem that is disputed by Palestinians and most of the international community. So even if there were a peace agreement and that area was returned to the Palestinian Authority, having an embassy in West Jerusalem wouldnt make any difference. The United States should just be clear that it will locate its embassy in West Jerusalem. Any country or entity that opposes this is not being fair and reasonable. Jeanette Shelburne, West Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. To the editor: A decade before he ran for president, Donald Trump revealed the pleasure he took in groping and kissing women without consent in the infamous Access Hollywood tape. Sixteen women have accused the president of some sort of sexual harassment or assault. (Trump fully endorses Roy Moore after urging from Bannon, amid tight polls in Alabama race, Dec. 4) Now in the White House, Trump is a public servant. What if the presidents past dalliances are not properly addressed and instead ignored? Lets say Trumps endorsed candidate Roy Moore, who is accused of child molestation, wins in Alabama and is seated in the Senate. That would appear to give permission for the other lawmakers accused of harassment to keep their seats. Advertisement If alleged sexual harassment is overlooked from the highest office in the land and by our public servants, what is the big deal over Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and whoever else comes along? Ken Johnson, Pinon Hills .. To the editor: Trumps endorsement of Roy Moore, an accused serial child sexual predator, along with the backtracking now of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on whether he may seek to deny such a person a seat in the Senate if he is elected, reminds me of the movie Chinatown and screenwriter Robert Townes brilliant script. Foreshadowing the ultimate revelation of incest, Noah Cross (played by John Huston) tells Jake Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson), You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, theyre capable of anything. Kevin Patrick, Del Mar .. To the editor: I was thinking of running for elected office, but since Im not a habitual liar or an accused sexual harasser, I figured I dont have much of a chance. Maybe Ill spend the next couple of years polishing my resume. Any women out there care to be subject to unwanted advances or worse? Does anyone want to watch me lie through my teeth on a daily basis? Otherwise, how can I get my qualifications for public office up to snuff? Richard Spring, Redondo Beach Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Republican Roy Moores Democratic rival in Alabamas U.S. Senate race said Tuesday that he worked as a prosecutor to ensure that men who hurt little girls should go to jail and not to Congress. Democrat Doug Jones attack came as Moore, who denies accusations that he sexually abused teenage girls, sought to capitalize on President Trumps renewed embrace of his candidacy. Jones stressed his experience as a former U.S. attorney as he attacked Moore on Tuesday at a campaign stop in Birmingham. Advertisement I had one of the toughest child protection units in the country, prosecuting predators who would sexually exploit our children, he said. Hours later at a rally outside Mobile, Moore and Trumps former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon attacked Republicans who continue to shun the GOP candidate in next weeks election. They would rather have a Democrat than me, Moore, Alabamas former chief justice, told the crowd. Bannon was more pointed, castigating Mitt Romney, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona for rejecting their own partys candidate for the Senate seat vacated by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Bannon portrayed them as elitists who have resisted Trumps agenda on trade and immigration. Noting Moores service as a military police commander in the Vietnam War, Bannon faulted Romney for getting draft deferments (which Trump also did). You hid behind your religion, Bannon said of Romney, who is Mormon. You went to France to be a missionary when guys were dying in [the] rice paddies of Vietnam. Do not talk to me about honor and integrity. And now Im going to get personal, he went on. When you ran for commander in chief, you had five sons. Not one day of service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Where were the Romneys during those wars? Judge Roy Moore has more honor and integrity in that pinkie finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA, Bannon said to a roar of cheers. He accused Republicans in Congress of joining Democrats in trying to nullify the 2016 presidential election by investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to tilt the vote to Trump. After Trump affirmed his support for Moore on Monday, Romney said on Twitter that he would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity, Romney wrote. Flake, another longtime Trump critic in the GOP, broke with his party and sent a $100 campaign contribution to Jones on Tuesday. Country over party, he wrote on the check. McConnell reiterated Tuesday that Moore would probably face a Senate Ethics Committee investigation of his alleged sexual misconduct if he wins the election. While the Republican National Committee resumed supporting Moore after Trumps remarks on Monday, two Senate campaign committees controlled by McConnell declined Tuesday to follow suit. michael.finnegan@latimes.com Twitter: @finneganLAT Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. ALSO: The White House press briefing, always a spin zone, is now approaching uselessness Immigration enforcement under Trump: Fewer people caught at border, more arrested in U.S. interior Rep. John Conyers, most senior member of House, resigns amid accusations of sexual harassment 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 If it walks like a duck and swims like a duck, it might be a dinosaur. Scientists have discovered a flippered theropod dinosaur that appears to have spent much of its life in water. The fossil of Halszkaraptor escuilliei, described in the journal Nature, reveals a strange dinosaur that defies paleontologists expectations: one that mixes the traits of theropod dinosaurs with those of aquatic or semi-aquatic birds and reptiles today. The first time I saw the fossil I was shocked, said lead author Andrea Cau, a paleontologist at the Geological and Palaeontological Museum Giovanni Capellini in Italy. It was so unexpected and bizarre. H. escuilliei lived some 75 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. It was a theropod, a largely carnivorous group of dinosaurs whose members included Tyrannosaurus rex and the ancestors of all living birds. H. escuilliei, called Halszka for short, was part of the dromaeosauridae, a group of feathered theropods that included velociraptor and that were not birds or bird ancestors, but closely related to them. While no feathers survived on this specimen, Halszka probably sported plumage and it had a somewhat bird-like bill that was still not a true beak (in part because it housed several teeth). Halszka had a long, swan-like neck, was the size of a goose, and it probably spent much of its time in lakes and rivers eating small fish, crustaceans and small animals such as lizards, Cau said. In this dino-eat-dino world, its predators may have included fellow theropods like velociraptor. (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) This fossil, which is still partly embedded in rock, was originally poached from Mongolia, passing through several private collections before a French fossil dealer acquired it in 2015 and donated it to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. It quickly struck researchers as an oddball. Were used to thinking of dromaeosaurs in the context of the classic raptors velociraptor and Deinonychus and Utahraptor, because we now know theyre totally feathered and so forth as sort of knife-footed murder-birds, said Thomas Holtz Jr., a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Maryland in College Park who was not involved with the study. But this new fossil, he said, is one weird looking dromaeosaur. This dinosaur did have a curved sickle-like claw on the second toe of the foot that is typical of dinosaurs like velociraptor, but it was not especially long and probably wasnt used that much for hunting, Holtz said. Meanwhile, its arms were small and appeared to have been modified for use as flippers, which could have helped it paddle through the water. Unlike penguins and other aquatic birds today, Halszka would not have been a diver, Holtz said. Instead, it probably would have used its long neck to dart out and grab prey close to the waters surface. The overall result was a sort of pseudo-goose something that could wade out into the water and dab around for some small-bodied prey, Holtz said. The animals hind legs, meanwhile, appear to have been modified for standing in a more upright position modifications that can be found in birds today such as ostriches and ducks, Cau said. Because this fossil had been stolen from its original resting site in Mongolia, the researchers had to make sure that their fossil was authentic. The scientists subjected Halszka to synchrotron multi-resolution X-ray microtomography, producing a high-resolution digital scan of the whole fossil. This allowed them to see that the structure of the rock around different parts of the specimen remained the same, confirming that the fossil had not been cobbled together from different parts. This technique also allowed them to see the bones that were still embedded in the rock, the teeth within the bill and even a neurovascular mesh in its snout thats similar to whats found in aquatic reptiles like crocodiles today. Halszkaraptor shows aquatic and swimming adaptations not seen in other dinosaurs, Cau said. Halszka wasnt the only dinosaur with this weird mix of traits, as it turns out: Two other Mongolian fossils one found in 1970, the other in 1992 may represent two other species that together with Halszka define a new group of amphibious or semi-aquatic dinosaurs. The next step, Cau said, is to keep analyzing the six terabytes of scan data the scientists pulled form this single fossil. Once their study of this particular fossil is done, it will be returned to Mongolia. amina.khan@latimes.com Follow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and "like" Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. MORE IN SCIENCE Fires, droughts and hurricanes: Whats the link between climate change and natural disasters? Eating for your health is also better for the environment, study shows These 215 fossil pterosaur eggs are revealing new clues about these flying reptiles Hollywood Burbank Airport officials addressed this week some of the recent concerns they have received from Burbank residents regarding noise. Patrick Lammerding, the airports new deputy executive director of planning and development, briefed members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday about airfield operations and procedures, as well as talked about the questions raised by the public. Residents expressed concerns about the Federal Aviation Administrations Next Generation Air Transportation System, known as NextGen, before it was fully implemented in Southern California earlier this year. Since NextGen was launched around March, residents have contacted both city and airport officials, claiming that the new satellite-based radar system has been the cause of increased noise, especially during takeoffs. NextGen was developed to increase safety when airplanes depart and arrive at airports, as well as make flight paths more fuel and time efficient. Lammerding, who recently worked for the FAA as an assistant manager and an airport certification safety inspector for the federal agencys Los Angeles district office, said NextGen has not changed the procedures of how airplanes depart or fly into Hollywood Burbank. He added that flight paths have changed because of the new system, but the changes occur about 20 miles away from the airport. The noise could be due to several factors, including the weight of the aircraft, air temperature and wind, Lammerding said. An airplane will be able to ascend sooner and at a steeper grade if there is less weight in it. On the other hand, a plane will use more of the runway and climb up at a flatter angle if it is heavier with more passengers and cargo, Lammerding said. Additionally, aircraft can ascend more quickly if the air temperature is cooler because the air is more dense in cooler weather, which is more ideal for pilots and planes, Lammerding said. You will tend to have a lower altitude [of departure] on average during the summer as you would during the winter, Lammerding said. Same thing goes over the course of a day. If youre on an early morning flight, the early morning flight will have a better rate of climb. The speed and direction of the wind also factors in during takeoffs. Lammerding said it is preferable to depart into a headwind, in which the wind helps the rate of climb and allows the pilot to ascend faster. He added that a tailwind results in a shallower takeoff. When asked about the voluntary curfew at Hollywood Burbank, Lammerding said airlines are not to schedule any flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. However, general aviation carriers, which include corporate and charter companies Atlantic Aviation and JetSuiteX, can leave or arrive at the airport at any time of day. anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio A sculpture at the new IKEA in Burbank that was recently placed near the entrance of the Swedish retailers store has many residents questioning the art piece. The tall object, which is wrapped in a white material and located just off South San Fernando Boulevard, has caught interest of some passersby since last week because of its phallic appearance. It is part of an art installation project that IKEA needs to fulfill per the citys Art in Public Places ordinance, wrote Leticia Bradley, an IKEA spokeswoman, in an email on Tuesday. The city regulation requires that 1% of the costs for a major project, such as the retailers new store or the transportation center at Hollywood Burbank Airport, must go toward an art piece on-site or be put into the citys Public Art Fund, according to Burbanks website. Bradley said officials with the Burbank store have been working with the citys Art in Public Places Committee to select an artist and commission them to work on the artwork. The project is currently covered until the official unveiling later this month, Bradley stated in the email. Members of the Arts in Public Places Commission could not be reached for comment. anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club is raising the sails to start celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Corona del Mar club was founded in 1958 and will mark its diamond jubilee with its Denim and Diamonds New Years Eve party and continue with festivities throughout 2018. The diamond theme will grace all club holiday and special events next year, including the traditional opening day in May at its headquarters at 1601 Bayside Drive and a Jubilee Birthday Bash in August. Bahia Corinthian has been named Club of the Year by the Southern California Yachting Assn. seven times in the past 23 years. hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Michael Vo was named Fountain Valleys mayor Tuesday night, but not without drama, as his outspoken City Council colleague Mark McCurdy was skipped in the mayoral rotation process for the second year in a row. It was a repeat of last year, when McCurdy was passed over for mayor pro term, although he was due to take that post based on the citys rotation process. That would have made him the presumptive mayor for 2018. But last year, Vo was promoted to mayor pro tem, skipping past McCurdy. According to a Fountain Valley ordinance, council members choose the mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves, based on seniority, for the one-year, largely ceremonial posts. McCurdy and Vo have been on the council since 2010, but McCurdy received more votes in that election. Last year, council members Steve Nagel and Cheryl Brothers cited McCurdys absences and opposition to attending meetings on the citys strategic plan. The plan encompasses goals to help the city increase economic stability, promote business and maintain facilities. McCurdy told the council at the time that he wasnt elected to go along to get along. He stuck to his guns Tuesday, as did Nagel. Nagel asked McCurdy if he would still not attend strategic planning meetings. McCurdy said he would not, citing their lack of detailed minutes. He also noted that they are not televised and are held early in the morning away from City Hall. Nagel called these ideological reasons. McCurdy said it was a matter of conscience. McCurdy said last years leadership vote went against the city ordinance and that he was targeted, dampening his morale. I feel that this happened because I simply have a different opinion, he said. We were not elected to be a club of like-minded people, but in fact as a deliberative body. We are here to discuss things, not to all agree. So having a different philosophy, opinion or vote should not be a crime. You should not be penalized. McCurdy said he attended all meetings in 2013, when he was last mayor. I received nothing but praise and recognition for that year and there wasnt a thing that I missed, and I want an opportunity to do that again without being passed over, he said. About a half-dozen people spoke in his defense Tuesday. In making Mr. Vo the mayor, this city will be disenfranchising all the city residents who voted to elect Mr. McCurdy to represent them, said Fountain Valley resident Tom Gergen. Thats an insult to those people, and you will be tainting Mr. Vos term as the mayor. Patrick Tucker said installing McCurdy is the moral and ethical and, Ill even say, kind thing to do. We could use a little more kindness in this world, dont you think? Outgoing Mayor John Collins reminded the audience that he voted last year to keep McCurdy in his place in the rotation. I will do the same this year, he said. The rotation system is something that we should do so we wont have three people who then take over this council and just vote for each (other) every year. Nagel told McCurdy that he also skipped other city events, including a round of interviews with city manager candidates. This doesnt have anything to do with your voting record, Mr. McCurdy, Nagel said. This has to be with your behavior and showing up for events. Its not in here, McCurdy replied, holding up a copy of the ordinance. Its not. Colin Burns, the citys attorney, said the ordinance allows the council discretion in installing mayors and mayors pro tem. Tuesdays leadership votes were 4-1 for Vo as mayor, with McCurdy dissenting, and 3-2 for Nagel as mayor pro tem, with McCurdy and Collins voting no. This is Vos second term as mayor. He made Fountain Valley history with his first term in 2013, when he was named the citys first Vietnamese-American mayor. A crowd of his supporters packed the council chamber Tuesday, spilling into City Halls lobby and into an overflow room, where the meeting was being shown on television. I am extremely honored to be entrusted with this responsibility to represent this great city, Vo said. We have a strong work force, a prime geographic location, very low crime rate and some of the best-performing schools in the state of California. We have the best weather and a great community spirit. Later in the meeting, McCurdy thanked Collins for his service and congratulated Vo. hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Good morning. Its Wednesday, Dec. 6. Heres whats been happening around O.C. Top story Little Saigons restaurant scene revives as a second generation mixes it up Little Saigon has transformed itself from a place where choices definitely were limited to mom-and-pop Vietnamese eateries into what one entrepreneur calls a food mecca for Southern California. The area now bustles with shops serving cutting-edge desserts and beverages. Fusion restaurants thrive with the help of social media, from customized churros and ice cream-stuffed doughnuts to cotton candy-topped tea and Asian-inspired tacos. TimesOC Around the county Homeless Persons Memorial Day will commemorate those whove died On Dec. 21, a group will hold events to commemorate the more than 200 homeless people who died this year in the county as part of the national Homeless Persons Memorial Day, also termed the Longest Night. TimesOC Politics GOPs Royce and Walters are more vulnerable, election handicapper says Two Orange County congressional seats are now considered more vulnerable by one of the countrys top campaign handicappers. Analysts for Larry J. Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics moved the 39th Congressional District held by Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and the 45th District held by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) from the likely Republican category to the leans Republican category, signaling they think Democrats have a better chance of winning them. Los Angeles Times Milo Yiannopoulos crusade fizzles in California, so he heads to Australia Cal State Fullerton was supposed to be just one stop in what Milo Yiannopoulos billed as a major national tour in which he would bring hard-right attitude to liberal campuses and other venues. But the tour has largely fizzled. Los Angeles Times Business & real estate Former Angel Garret Anderson sells his Irvine home base for $9.6 million Garret Anderson, the former slugging outfielder for the Angels and Dodgers, has parted ways with his personal dugout in Irvines Shady Canyon. Los Angeles Times Anaheim janitorial company paid workers below minimum wage, lawsuit alleges 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. Los Angeles Times Media LA Weekly reveals its secret owners: mostly men with Orange County ties After weeks of mystery, LA Weeklys new owners were revealed in a short online message from the publications new operations manager. The lineup is heavy with men who have strong Orange County ties. Los Angeles Times Arts & entertainment Real Housewives star Vicki Gunvalson will lead Newport boat parades opening night A Real Housewife is going to be a real grand marshal. Vicki Gunvalson, a star of the reality TV series The Real Housewives of Orange County, will be grand marshal of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parades opening night on Dec. 13. Daily Pilot Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to dailypilot@latimes.com. The critters of Fountain Valleys Reptile Zoo are getting more space to slither. The family-run educational and amusement facility long a destination for birthday parties, field trips and all-around appreciation of reptiles will soon open a new wing that will allow more and bigger enclosures, plus an exhibit that shows the life cycle of a reticulated python from egg to adulthood. Thats not something you can get anywhere else, said brand manager Laura Brewer. The indoor zoo at 18822 Brookhurst St. is moving into adjoining suites, growing from about 8,500 square feet to close to 12,000. The expansion is expected to be open in about a month. The Reptile Zoo has about 600 animals on display representing more than 100 species, mostly of the scaly variety. Many are tame enough for hands-on interaction. Frank, a 7-foot-long Asian water monitor, may be known to Disney Channel viewers as a star of the sitcom Jessie and its spin-off, Bunkd. When hes not shooting in Hollywood, hes at his Reptile Zoo home base, where he calmly sits for selfies. Hes familiar with cameras. Franks neighbor, Darthgator the American alligator, sometimes gets out of his tank and waddles around on land, assuming he has his three handlers present and bands around his jaws. His kind is common along the Gulf Coast but not in Southern California. A little less intimidating is Pancake, a bearded dragon. Shes about a foot long and has what looks like a wide, playful smile. In addition to being home to Frank, Darth and Pancake, the Reptile Zoo houses chameleons and caimans, turtles and tortoises (terrapins too), dragons (bearded and water) and monsters (Gila). Frogs, toads, iguanas, skinks, geckos and anoles also live in its wall-to-wall cubbies and tanks, as do tarantulas, scorpions and millipedes. Among the legless residents are plenty of kingsnakes, rat snakes, boas and pythons. Reptile Zoo founder Jay Brewer, Laura Brewers father, is a breeder of reticulated pythons known for his morphs, or color and pattern variations. The Reptile Zoo has been around since 1988, first as a traditional and exotic pet shop. Over time, it came to focus on reptiles. It also has a retail area named Prehistoric Pets. The business reopened last week after being closed to the public for more than three weeks until its expansion-related city permits were in order. That led to some disappointed devotees. But Jay Brewer said hes excited to welcome them back and show them something new. Im a little kid, so Im looking forward to playing with the people who come, he said. hillary.davis@latimes.com Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD Clutching a small plush pig, Zoe Morrison Walker stood in the toy aisle at the Target store in the Glendale Galleria Friday evening trying to decide what else to put into a nearby shopping cart. The shopping trip came as a surprise to the 6-year-old and her 10-year-old brother, Wyatt. The pair thought they were just going for some routine shopping with their mother. She told us we were going to Anthropologie, but she tricked us, Zoe said. The trick was actually the Glendale Police Officers Assn.s annual Shop with a Cop event. Forty Glendale youths were handed $150, and it was up to them to decide how to spend it. Amy Tate, chairwoman for the associations Cops for Kids program, said each child was handpicked to participate in the event. Every child thats here has a story; a recent death in the family, mental illness, almost homeless each struggling and trying to do good in school, she said. They were selected as a thank you for being a great kid. Tate said the event was funded by Target and was originally slated for a group of 10 children. However, the retail store then expanded it to include an additional 30. Ryan Sebesta, who works in the stores assets protection department, said this years Shop with a Cop is the biggest the company has done at the Glendale Galleria. Elsewhere in the store, 10-year-old Jazmin Alavez and 9-year-old Jacqueline Perez are filling up their cart with various school supplies and clothing. Jazmin said she was excited about the event because they could choose whatever we want. She singled out her favorite item in the cart, a sweatshirt adorned with Believe in Yourself in shiny letters. Officer Diana Valencia, who helped the two girls with their shopping, said she was impressed by their choices and with the event as a whole. You think little kids just want toys [but] they want school supplies and clothes, she said. Getting to know these kids and seeing they want socks, things they need, its awesome. Back in the toy aisle, Zoe was still figuring out with her brother what else to put in their cart, which had at least one new item a small plush pig. Oh yeah, its fluffy, she said. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Forget stars homes. These tours visit pot growers and bong makers By Hugo Martin In Napa and Sonoma, tour bus operators ferry oenophiles between tasting rooms and vineyards. In Hollywood and environs, they shepherd the starstruck past the homes of the rich and famous. Now theyre giving customers a mind-expanding look at one of Los Angeles burgeoning industries: pot. Since recreational use of marijuana became legal a year ago, a pot tourism business has emerged, taking visitors behind the scenes of Californias estimated $7-billion cannabis industry. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Plans for a state-backed pot bank arent feasible, a study says By Sam Dean Hopes that California might create a public bank to serve the states legal marijuana industry are nothing but a pipe dream, the authors of a new feasibility study told state officials Thursday. In the end we were not able to find any approach to doing this that makes any sense whatsoever, said William Roetzheim, founder and chief executive of Level 4 Ventures, the consulting firm hired to carry out the study for the State Treasurers Cannabis Banking Working Group. California voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016 to legalize growing, possessing and selling marijuana for recreational use. But since cannabis remains illegal under federal law, most banks which are federally chartered and insured by the FDIC refuse to hold weed money. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Santa Cruz marijuana company fined $50,000 for explosion that badly burned employee By Hannah Fry A Santa Cruz-based marijuana manufacturing company is being fined more than $50,000 by state regulators for safety violations after an employee was severely burned in a propane explosion, officials have announced. An employee at Future2 Labs Health Services was working alone inside a 128-square-foot portable storage container in Watsonville on June 19, extracting oil from cannabis leaves with propane, when a spark ignited the tank and it exploded. The worker was hospitalized with severe burns, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The process of using a highly flammable gas to extract oil from cannabis leaves is dangerous, Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum said Thursday in a prepared statement. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print FDA casts shadow on hemp win, calling CBD products illegal By Associated Press The hemp industry still has work ahead to win legal status for hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD oil, as an ingredient in food or dietary supplements despite the big farm bill President Trump signed this week designating hemp as an agricultural crop. CBD oils have become increasingly popular in lotions, tinctures and foods, but their legal status has been murky and the Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to some companies making health claims for CBD. In a statement following Thursdays bill signing in Washington, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb restated his agencys stance that CBD is a drug ingredient and therefore illegal to add to food or health products without approval from his agency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement One year of legal pot sales and California doesnt have the bustling industry it expected. Heres why By Patrick McGreevy When Californians voted in 2016 to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, advocates of the move envisioned thousands of pot shops and cannabis farms obtaining state licenses, making the drug easily available to all adults within a short drive. But as the first year of licensed sales comes to a close, Californias legal market hasnt performed as state officials and the cannabis industry had hoped. Retailers and growers say theyve been stunted by complex regulations, high taxes and decisions by most cities to ban cannabis shops. At the same time, many residents are going to city halls and courts to fight pot businesses they see as nuisances, and police chiefs are raising concerns about crime triggered by the marijuana trade. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, who played a large role in the legalization of cannabis, will inherit the numerous challenges when he takes office in January as legislators hope to send him a raft of bills next year to provide banking for the pot industry, ease the tax burden on retailers and crack down on sales to minors. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hemp is about to be legal under the 2018 farm bill. You cant get high from it but you can wear it By Kurtis Lee Hemp a close relative of marijuana that can be used to make textiles and other products has long been classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government. Thats set to change. President Trump is soon expected to sign a farm bill that includes a section that legalizes the commercial cultivation of hemp nationwide. The bill, years in the making, comes as public support for cannabis legalization has increased over the years, offering a cover of sorts to politicians who see the potential for boosting state tax revenue. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Students sent home after Marysville middle schooler brings pot brownies for class to eat By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Several students at a middle school in Marysville, Calif., were sent home this week after eating marijuana-laced brownies, officials said. Staff at Anna McKenney Intermediate School called police Wednesday morning after learning that a 13-year-old girl had passed out the brownies to her classmates, said Marysville Police Sgt. Jason Garringer. Nine students were sent home, Garringer said, but no one who ate the brownies showed obvious signs of being under the influence. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mistletoke, luxe vape cases and other gift suggestions for the cannabis enthusiast on your nice list By Adam Tschorn Now that some form of cannabis use is legal in 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and Californias era of legal adult-use weed is almost a year old (though it remains illegal under federal law), its easier than ever to find a little something special for the cannabis consumer on your nice list. Below are a few items that with the exception of the first item which is available in L.A. only are legal, widely available and, if ordered soon, can still be under the tree in the U.S. by Christmas Day. For those who want to do good while feeling good and score a little holiday decor at the same time L.A.-based Zoma Cannabis is prepared to send some lucky L.A. residents a limited-edition floral-meets-cannabis Mistletoke arrangement that intertwines sprigs of mistletoe with three trimmed buds (roughly five grams total) of its Santa Cruz-grown True OG and/or Gelato strain cannabis flower all tied up in a big red Santa-worthy bow. No purchase is necessary, but recipients are highly encouraged to make a donation to the charity reforestation group One Tree Planted to aid in the recovery efforts from the 2017 and 2018 California fires. Zoma will match donations dollar for dollar. Each dollar donated means one tree gets planted, and that means the green you donate for its green means a greener Golden State moving forward. Zoma is set to deliver the decor right to your door if you live in L.A., are over the age of 21 and are one of the first 50 folks to fire off an email to info@zomacannabis.com with the word Mistletoke in the subject line. Supplies willing, orders placed as late as Dec. 20 will arrive in time to make your Christmas very merry indeed. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 3 marijuana businesses win OK in Costa Mesa as another is put on hold By Bradley Zint The Costa Mesa Planning Commission this week approved three new marijuana facilities but postponed a decision on a fourth due to the absence of one commissioner, whose vote likely will decide the fate of the business. After two commissioners expressed support and two expressed opposition for Triiads proposal for a marijuana distribution facility, the panel voted 3-1 on Monday night, with Commissioner Jeffrey Harlan absent, to hold a special meeting Monday to reexamine the matter. Commissioner Carla Navarro Woods dissented. The proposed location at 3525 Hyland Ave., Suite 265, is in Hyland Plaza, north of South Coast Collection in an area identified under city law as permissible for marijuana uses. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marlboro cigarette maker places a $2.4-billion bet on marijuana By Associated Press Altria Group Inc., one of the worlds biggest tobacco companies, is diving into the cannabis market with a $2.4 billion buy-in. The Marlboro cigarette maker is taking a 45% stake in Cronos Group Inc., the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider said Friday. Altria will pay an additional $1.4 billion for warrants that, if exercised, would give Altria a 55% ownership stake in the Toronto company. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Utah voters approved medical marijuana in November. State lawmakers just passed big changes to the ballot measure By Associated Press Lawmakers in Utah passed sweeping changes Monday to a voter-approved medical marijuana ballot measure under a planned compromise that secured the support of the influential Mormon Church but sparked a backlash from pot advocates. Supporters of the compromise cheered the vote, saying it would help suffering patients while creating safeguards against broader recreational use. I believe this agreement was a landmark day for our state, and we are helping people, said outgoing Republican House Speaker Greg Hughes, who sponsored the legislation and helped bring together the players for talks. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy, two others arrested on drug charges after heist at pot warehouse By Maya Lau The Los Angeles sheriffs deputy pulled up to the pot-filled warehouse just after three in the morning. He held up an official-looking document to a guard, who promptly unlocked a gate. The deputy and two other men, each of them armed and dressed in sheriffs jackets, got out. After locking the guard and two other employees in the back of the deputys SUV, the men went to work lugging bags of marijuana from the warehouse. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cannary West dispensary to host Higher Standards pop-up shop Saturday through Feb. 28 By Adam Tschorn Following its successful (and still running) pop-up space inside the Pottery dispensary in L.A.s Mid-City, purveyor of luxury-level cannabis accoutrements Higher Standards has announced plans to take up temporary residence inside the Cannary West dispensary in the Rancho Park neighborhood just in time for the holidays. On track to pop-up on Saturday (with a 20% opening day discount) and run through the end of February, itll serve up a similar curated mix of high-end smoking tools and accessories from brands like Marley Naturals, Grav Labs, Dr. Dabber and Puffco (makers of the futuristic-looking Peak dab rig) as well as home goods for the discerning head by Jonathan Adler, Malin+Goetz and Forestry Wool. Higher Standards X Cannary West Where: 2435 Military Ave., Los Angeles. Entry is restricted to those 21 and older. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from Saturday through Feb. 28. Info: cannarywest.com, higherstandards.com Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print I fell off the way. A charismatic pastor-turned-marijuana smuggler heads to prison By Kristina Davis On Easter Sunday 2007, Pastor John Lee Bishop drew about 15,000 worshipers to a sports arena in Portland, Ore. With a flair for showmanship, Bishop a jeans-clad minister sporting a youthful, moppish haircut relished building buzz around his Living Hope Church, based in Vancouver, Wash., on the north bank of the Columbia River. One time, it was bringing a Bengal tiger onstage. Another, according to an account in the Columbian newspaper, it was advertising a sermon series with the word sex prominently facing a busy street. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For all your weed needs, theres now a pot superstore in Las Vegas By David Montero The employee in the red shirt counseled the two men on what or what not to buy. Now, if you start thinking dolphins are talking to you, that might be too much, she explained. The two young men nodded slowly. One stroked his beard. Neither had ever talked to dolphins before. Or even yelled at them on Sundays when they play against the New England Patriots. Above them, the continuous light show on the ceiling was like an electric lava lamp orbs expanding and dividing in an endless trip. Then it was gone and replaced by flowers and a Saturn-like planet floating in the sky. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 4 more marijuana permit applications await Costa Mesa Planning Commission review By Luke Money The recent parade of permit applications from marijuana manufacturing and distribution businesses looking to open in Costa Mesa will continue next week, when the city Planning Commission is scheduled to review four more. All the requests on Mondays agenda are for conditional use permits, which are among several approvals required to open a cannabis company in the city. Here is the latest lineup of applicants: Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print With Jeff Sessions out at the Justice Dept., the marijuana movement exhales By Kurtis Lee He described marijuana as a very real danger and has said its effects are only slightly less awful than those of heroin. Once, during a drug hearing when he was a Senator, he said he wanted to send a clear message: Good people dont smoke marijuana. So when Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions was ousted recently, a collective sigh of relief rose up from proponents of legalized pot activists, politicians, investors who felt targeted by the nations top law enforcement officer. Sessionss departure has translated into spiking stocks for cannabis companies and a reset of sorts for the legalization movement which, since 2012, has seen nearly a dozen states pass recreational pot measures. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This is what a cannabis executives party pad looks like By Kavita Daswani Dont expect to find bongs, water pipes and empty packets of Funyuns at the Los Angeles-area home of Will Htun. When we asked to look inside the home of the CEO of cannabis brand Sherbinskis, we found a sleek and minimal space where he could host chef-catered, cannabis-paired dinners on the rooftop and take meetings in a high-ceilinged front room. Htun, 34, moved into the 2,700-square-foot townhouse in July 2016, after he and brand founder Mario Sherbinski, who is based in San Francisco, decided it would make an ideal live/work space. With its three en-suite bedrooms, Htun opens up the home to associates in town for business instead of housing them in a serviced apartment. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print First recreational pot shops in Eastern U.S. to open in Massachusetts By Associated Press Two marijuana stores in Massachusetts have been given the green light to begin selling to recreational customers, making them the first commercial pot shops in the eastern United States. Both stores, one located in Northampton and the other in Leicester, said they would open Tuesday morning after the Cannabis Control Commission, the states marijuana regulatory agency, on Friday authorized them to begin operations. The announcement ended a long wait for commercial sales to begin in Massachusetts. The states voters legalized the use of recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older in 2016, but its taken more than two years for state legislators and regulators to reach the point where the first stores can finally open. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Heres whats behind Mexicos radical move toward legalizing marijuana during its war on drugs By Kate Linthicum Mexico may soon legalize marijuana, a radical shift for a country whose prohibition on narcotics has been at the heart of its long and violent war against drug traffickers. Legislation submitted to Congress last week by the party of leftist President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would regulate cannabis, allowing it to be grown, sold and consumed for recreational use. Proponents of legalization say it would reduce bloodshed in Mexico by weakening drug cartels and freeing up police officers and prosecutors to focus on more serious crimes. But the proposal has critics, including the Catholic Church, which holds significant sway in Mexican politics. A poll in Mexico last year showed a majority of respondents opposed legalizing marijuana. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Curious about all the CBD-infused products you see? By Kavita Daswani Some chew it, or place a few drops under the tongue or let it soak in through the skin. There are numerous ways to consume cannabidiol better known as CBD. Its touted for its therapeutic effects, but, unlike its better-known cousin THC, does not get you high. Hemp-derived CBD is increasingly in the limelight these days, at natural products stores and even fashion boutiques, catering to widening demand from consumers who find it helps them with pain, anxiety and insomnia. Despite Californias marijuana-friendly laws, however, the state announced earlier this year it is waiting for the federal government to rule on the use of CBD oils and products before giving the green light to sales. Critics, meanwhile, have been asking for clarity, to help consumers who want options. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 6 cannabis cookbooks with recipes from basic to gourmet By Amy Scattergood As cannabis is legalized although it remains illegal under federal law and goes mainstream in California and other states, the cookbook industry has churned into high gear with books on what ways to use jazz cabbage beyond the bong. What to look for? A lot depends on your level of expertise not just in the kitchen but with cannabis itself. If youve been making batches of pot brownies and want to expand your repertoire to, say, French macarons, there are cookbooks to help you out. Many books have lengthy introductions that outline the specifics of cooking with cannabis, so find one that fits with what you know or dont know. Bong Appetit: Mastering the Art of Cooking With Weed by the editors of Munchies (Ten Speed Press, $30) This book, based on the Munchies and Viceland television series Bong Appetit, was published in October by Ten Speed Press. (This is in itself notable, as Ten Speed is one of the best cookbook publishers around, and continues the legitimate trajectory of the cannabis cooking genre.) The book has a comprehensive introduction that includes topics such as dosing, techniques, methods of decarboxylation and infusion, cannabis pairing tips, questions to ask your dispensary, tips on equipment and more. The recipes are sourced from the Munchies test kitchen and from many well-known chefs, whose recipes are recalibrated to add cannabis. Thus: Korean fried chicken from Deuki Hong of San Franciscos Sunday Bird; fried soft-shell crab with shishito pepper mole from Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme and Atla; and (my favorite) Joan Nathans preserved lemons. The Munchies test kitchen also has some fun ones, including herb focaccia with, well, herb; and confit octopus, in which a whole octopus is poached in cannabis-infused olive oil. If that sounds too aspirational, there are instructions for making an apple bong a hollowed-out apple filled with weed-infused mezcal at the end of the drinks chapter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sativa or indica? CBD or THC? What to know before cooking with cannabis By Brette Warshaw Dont know the difference between MSG and THC? Heres a guide to the terminology youll encounter. Cannabis sativa and cannabis indica are two of the three species of cannabis. (The third species, cannabis ruderalis, is less attractive due to its smaller stature and low concentration of THC.) Sativa is a warm-weather species characterized by tall plants and thin leaves. The plant takes 10 to 15 weeks to mature and is known for a cerebral, energetic and invigorating high thats particularly suited for daytime use. Medically, it can be used to help people with depression and chronic pain. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California pot tax revenue improves but is still short of projections (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) The amount of money collected by the state from taxes on cannabis grown and sold legally in California continues to increase but is still falling short of budget estimates, according to figures released Wednesday. Tax revenue reported from the cannabis industry totaled $93.1 million for the three months ending Sept. 30, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. That is an increase from the $80.2 million collected during the second quarter of the year. If revenue continues to grow by the same 16% per quarter, pot taxes will bring in $471 million during the fiscal year that began July 1, while the budget approved by the governor and Legislature estimates the taxes would bring in $630 million during the fiscal year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Eaze launches (nearly) nationwide delivery of hemp-derived CBD products By Adam Tschorn Eaze, the San Francisco-based technology platform thats been coordinating dispensary-to-consumer home deliveries of cannabis in Los Angeles since April, has expanded its reach for CBD-containing products, that is to most of the United States. (CBD, a.k.a cannabidiol, is a cannabis compound said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties but none of the high associated with THC. These claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.) Through the just-launched Eaze Wellness website, consumers over the age of 21 in 41 states and the District of Columbia can order a range of hemp-derived CBD tinctures, tablets, balms, bath bombs, patches, vape pens and pet products for delivery within four to six days. (Shipping is free for orders $50 and up; otherwise, itll cost you $5.) Much like its in-state marijuana-delivery service, which coordinates deliveries with local dispensaries, Eaze isnt doing the shipping itself, but rather working with a third-party partner to get goods from brands such as Plant People, Cannuka, BeTru Wellness and Vital Leaf from point A to point B. Although the laws surrounding the legality of CBD are murky at best (a loophole in federal law has been widely interpreted as making CBD derived from hemp grown for research purposes legal), one point B that Eaze Wellness wont be coordinating shipping to is its home state of California. (The company cites state regulations as the reason.) Yes, California, where cannabis even the kind that gets you high has been legal under state law since the beginning of the year. Additional information is available at www.eazewellness.com. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print What THC-infused edibles are most popular? Fruit-flavored gummies and chocolate-covered coffee beans for starters By Adam Tschorn Nearly a year in to the state-legal cannabis scene, theres no shortage of THC-infused items on the market for 21-and-older consumers, from sachets of herbal tea and cans of citrus-flavored soda to honey mustard pretzels, with analysts and dispensary owners seeing it as a growing side of the business. Since recreational use was legalized in January, edibles have seen a 20%-30% hike in sales, said Nick Danias, managing partner of the Pottery and Cannary West dispensaries in Los Angeles, who added that edibles have proved particularly popular with new cannabis users who might be reluctant to start experimenting by smoking cannabis flower. Edibles companies have been able to offer consumers micro dosing that allows for a controlled amount of THC to be ingested, he said. (State law requires that edibles be portioned or scored into servings that contain no more than 10 milligrams of THC per piece and no more than 100 milligrams of THC per package.) Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 5 more marijuana permit applications await Costa Mesa Planning Commission By Luke Money The torrent of applications from marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities looking to open in Costa Mesa continues Thursday, when city planning commissioners will review five more during a special meeting. Should the commission grant all the requested conditional use permits, it would bring the total number of marijuana facilities with such approvals to 22 including nine in the past month. The applications up for review this time are: Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Two shot and killed in Koreatown marijuana dispensary By James Queally Two people were shot and killed early Monday morning after gunfire erupted inside a Koreatown marijuana dispensary, authorities said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 400 block of Western Avenue in Koreatown around 4:20 a.m. Monday, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles Police Department. There, they found a locked and sealed marijuana dispensary, according to the statement. A female employee told police she and several customers were inside the dispensary when they heard gunshots in the waiting room. They fled through the back of the building, and when officers gained entry, they found two people who were pronounced dead at the scene. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Party of Mexicos president-elect wants to legalize marijuana By Associated Press The party of Mexicos president-elect submitted legislation Thursday that would legalize marijuana possession, public use, growing and sales. Sen. Olga Sanchez Cordero presented the measure, saying that everyone should have the right to carry up to 30 grams [1 ounce] of cannabis. People could carry more than an ounce if they obtained a permit to do so under the proposal. From the point of view of negative effects, there is no reason why marijuana should not be legal, if alcohol and tobacco are, according to the bill. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Want to grow your own marijuana? This class will show you how By Jeanette Marantos California law lets anyone over 21 grow up to six marijuana plants in their yard or home, as long as the plants are not accessible to the public. (Check your City Hall for any additional local rules.) Unsure how to start? Check out Fig Earth Supplys two-hour workshops, Cannabis Cultivation for the Home Grower, on Nov. 10 or Nov. 17, taught by professional cannabis growers. Attendees must be at least 21. No plants or seeds will be sold. Workshops cost $95 and start at 5 p.m. at 3577 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. More info: figearthsupply.com Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Whats that smell? Survey asks Venice Beach denizens if theyre vexed by odor of marijuana By Joseph Serna They descended on free-wheeling Venice Beach with clipboards and questions in hand. Their goal: to gauge humanitys tolerance for the smell and sight of public pot smoking. Akbar Karriem considered them ridiculous. Everybody be smoking, Karriem said as he sat on the boardwalk and lit a marijuana pipe. Its part of the culture here. Its like a religion. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Las Vegas newest and biggest pot shop aims to entertain By Jay Jones Prepare to be entertained at Las Vegas newest and biggest cannabis store a mile west of the Strip. Planet 13 combines light shows and fog-making fountains to wow visitors at the shop, which sells recreational pot, cannabis extracts and cannabis-infused products. The idea is to meld a cannabis shop with an entertainment complex. Visitors, who must be at least 21, can change the colors of 13 giant LED-lighted lotus flowers blooming on the roof of the building. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CBD-infused products are being sold everywhere in California but are they legal? By Laura Newberry Greg and Gary Avetisyan make no secret of it: They proudly sell all manner of products infused with CBD, from essential oils to bath bombs to fruity tea-like beverages that promise calming relief in a frantic world. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a molecule derived from cannabis. But unlike its chemical cousin THC, it wont get you high. What it might do, according to some research, is alleviate anxiety, seizures, chronic pain and dozens of other ailments. The Avetisyan brothers belief in the alleged benefits of the extract is so steadfast that they opened Californias first CBD-only store, Topikal, in Tarzana last year and opened a second along the Venice Beach boardwalk in April. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Review: Documentary Weed the People looks at cannabis and pediatric cancer By Kimber Myers An urgent cry for help, Weed the People explores the effects of cannabis on pediatric cancer, as well as the establishments disinterest in researching its efficacy. With the lack of scientific studies available, Abby Epsteins moving documentary primarily devotes its time to five children and their families who are trying to survive using the alternative treatment. Weed the People doesnt ease into its multi-story narrative, wasting no time in sharing the stories of these kids with cancer. With parents desperate for their children to feel better, they turn to medical marijuana to ease the pain, as well as directly addressing the cancer cells. Without studies and lack of nationwide legalization, there is little regulation in the industry. Enter Mara Gordon, a former process engineer who brings precision and rigor to her medical cannabis company, offering the families hope for healing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Denver verdict on pot odor and property values could discourage homeowners from filing RICO lawsuits By Associated Press A Colorado jury likely threw cold water on future legal challenges against cannabis companies by homeowners who consider filing racketeering lawsuits alleging that proximity to pot operations hurts their property values, analysts and industry lawyers said Thursday. A federal jury in Denver on Wednesday rejected claims involving the odor from a pot farm made in a case that was closely watched by the marijuana industry. It was the first such lawsuit to reach a jury. Three others are pending in California, Massachusetts and Oregon. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office makes its largest seizure of illegal marijuana plants By Joseph Serna An estimated 400,000 marijuana plants were destroyed by Santa Barbara County sheriffs investigators this week in what authorities are calling the countys largest seizure of pot plants at one site. The plants were hidden among farmland in Santa Maria and discovered by sheriffs investigators on Monday, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The crop belonged to a resident who, authorities said, had applied for a temporary state cannabis license using false information and did not have a valid cannabis license. Investigators found the 400,000 plants in various levels of maturity and tapped state Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel to help in the case. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Is Rohrabacher trying to lose Republican voters by caving on marijuana policy? To the editor: I was disappointed to read in a column on voters trying to flip an Orange County congressional district that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) wants to weaken federal laws against marijuana. Recently-approved state laws legalizing marijuana have not been beneficial. In Colorado, following the legalization of recreational marijuana, the number of traffic fatalities involving marijuana-impaired drivers more than doubled. Surveys have found a majority of marijuana users in Colorado do not believe driving high is dangerous, leading some to get behind the wheel impaired. As a retired law enforcement officer who has had the opportunity to work with people impacted by drug addiction, and as a lifelong Republican, I feel Rohrabacher is making a mistake. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Berners Melrose birthday bash celebrates a new dispensary and a collaboration with the G Pen Gio By Adam Tschorn On Saturday morning, the lines were stretching around the corner and down the block outside the bright blue Beverly Grove storefront with the word Cookies above the door. The enthusiastic members of the crowd werent queued up for baked goods, though. They were waiting to get into a new cannabis dispensary and to help celebrate the birthday of its founding partner, Bay Area rapper and entrepreneur Berner (born Gilbert Millam Jr.). Minimalist, awash in natural light and appointed in the brands blue and white color scheme and emblazoned with the cookie-with-a-bite-missing logo, it marks the second Cookies dispensary in Los Angeles County; the first, Cookies Los Angeles, is located in Maywood. Like that one, its stocked with a wide variety of cannabis flower, oils, edibles and the like, with a particular emphasis on the proprietary strains from the Cookie Family collective (the growers who originated the strain formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies as well as other dessert-named strains such as Gelato and Sunset Sherbet). It also stocks three different Cookies-logoed colors (blue, white and black) of the new G Pen Gio ($29.95), a vaporizer pen that uses cannabis concentrate cartridges for a super-simple, draw-activated plug-and-puff experience. The Cookies G Pen Gio from Grenco Science x Berner collaboration officially launched at the Saturday Berner bash, and includes Gio cannabis-oil cartridges filled with Gelato, London Poundcake, Sunset Sherbet or Snowman strains ($60 for 500 mg, which Tim Patenaude, Grencos vice president of marketing, says marks the first time those Cookie strains have been commercially available as concentrates. (Gio pod cartridges are now available at 500 dispensaries across 12 states, according to Patenaude, including MedMen, BARC and the Pottery locally, as well as through the Eaze delivery service.) Patenaude says the partnership with Berner has its roots in Grencos 2014 partnership with another rapper Wiz Khalifa (Wiz Khalifas weed guy was Berner, Patenaude said, and thats how we first met him.). He calls Berner the most important person in cannabis today, citing not only Berner and his partners wildly successful strains, but the rapper/entrepreneurs brand-building abilities outside of the cannabis space. His Cookies clothing label is sold in every Zumiez in every mall in America, Patenaude said. In a chat with the Los Angeles Times Rolling Paper, Berner said that the Cookies SF streetwear label he launched out of his garage less than a decade ago saw $12.8 million in revenue in 2017 and that hes aiming to open a store next door to the dispensary hopefully in time for the Black Friday shopping season. (Theres currently a single flagship store in San Francisco.) He also said the dispensary opening bash was a good way to usher in his 35th year on the planet. Man, I couldnt be happier, he said. Were turning [over] customers left and right, theres no holdup anywhere, everyone is super-juiced and there was a line down the block and wrapped around [the corner] at 6 a.m. You cant ask for anything else. Cookies Melrose, 8360 Melrose Ave. (at North Kings Road), Los Angeles. Additional information on the G Pen Gio (including local availability) is at gpen.com. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 2 Chainz wants to put a THC tiger in your tank with his new cannabis brand Gas By Adam Tschorn Rapper 2 Chainz attends the launch party for Gas, his fuel-themed cannabis line now available in flower and pre-rolled joints. (Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times) Rolling into the Friday launch party for his new cannabis brand Gas, the first thing Grammy-winning rapper 2 Chainz did was brandish a joint in one hand and a smartphone in the other to record the rows of boldly packaged cannabis flower and pre-rolled joints in a video to share with his 5.7 million Instagram followers. The second thing he did was stand back and take in the moment. I cant believe it, thats why I was over here just trying to take it all in, 2 Chainz said about seeing all the green, yellow and black plastic pouches filled with marijuana, and a jerrycan converted into a display tray overflowing with green buds. Ive been told for over a year that we were doing this line, so now Im just trying to live in the moment. I dont do that a lot. The launch party took place at the Mid-Wilshire offices of Green Street Agency, a cannabis-focused branding and licensing company that is one of the rappers two Southern California partners in the venture. The other is L.A.-based Mazel Management Group (owners of the Westside Station dispensary in Van Nuys). Before joining the throng of well-wishers, industry friends and employees dressed in logo-emblazoned overalls, 2 Chainz (born Tauheed Epps), chatted with the Los Angeles Times Rolling Paper about his new project, how cannabis branding is like music and what took so long for the project to come to fruition. (Hint: There was lots of taste-testing). The Rolling Paper: Where does the name of your line Gas come from and what does it mean? 2 Chainz: Its Atlanta lingo that we use that basically signifies that this is a stronger type of flower a stronger cannabis. Ive been saying it since I came into the rap game and Ive used it in a few verses of a few songs. At first people were like: What do you mean by [the line] gas in the ashtray? After it caught on and basically went mainstream, I figured why veer off from what got me here? So we started a legal line of cannabis called Gas. TRP: Ive heard that you were pretty picky in the development process. 2C: It took months and months and about 30 different kinds of [cannabis] flower. I think I was looking for that first impression that first pull how it made me feel. Were there fireworks or no fireworks? What kind of memory did it create? Thats what I was looking for. TRP: The three different types of flower youre launching with dont have names but numbers 87, 89 and 93 are those supposed to be kind of like octane ratings but for marijuana? 2C: Thats a great way of describing it. The 87, for example [a Petrol OG hybrid, with a THC content of 14%] is for functioning throughout the day, [and for] people who are on the go [or] at work and cant get that whole indica sleepy feeling during the middle of the day. I think 87 will be sufficient. The 89 [a Sour Gas hybrid, 17% THC] is for when people go out for cocktails after work, when they want to get ready for the wind-down it signifies the medium [strength]. And the 93 [an indica called Gods Fuel No. 2 with a THC level of 20%] Id definitely say is the strongest. Thats for night-night. TRP: How did the fuel theme and octane ratings and all that evolve from the name? 2C: I approached this the way I do in my music which was come up with the concept and follow all the way through with it. So, when you have Gas, you have to have the gas cans and the imagery that actually represents the gas pumps and things that tie in to the brand itself. I think that gives it legs gives it a little more substance and sustainability. And I used these colors because I knew they would be very catching and appealing to the eye and I know that I will kind of have to muscle my way in as far as getting where I need to be on [dispensary] shelves these days. I figure I could be on the back of the shelf and you could still see this green, this yellow and this black packaging. Gas prices range from $12 to $14 (for 1-gram pre-rolled joints) and $36 to $48 for 3.5 gram packages of flower. Currently available at Westside Station, 7022 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A chemical found in liverwort has surprising similarities to the THC in marijuana By Noga Tarnopolsky Its an amazing plant that produces hypnotic effects, according to online testimonials. Some people who have ingested it or inhaled its smoke say it gave them a mild, marijuana-like high. Now scientists have weighed in. In experiments with more than 100 mice, they found that chemicals in the liverwort plant produced four of the same key effects as THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. An hour after being injected with the experimental chemicals, the mice entered a trance-like state, lost some of their ability to move, became less responsive to pain and experienced a drop in body temperature, according to a study published this week in the journal Science Advances. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hours-long standoff at Tarzana weed dispensary ends after police learn building is empty By Hailey Branson-Potts The police standoff lasted more than six hours, shutting down a busy six-lane stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana for most of the evening. An armed robbery suspect, authorities said, had barricaded himself inside an illegal marijuana dispensary in a strip mall in the 18300 block of Ventura Boulevard. He was believed to be one of four suspects and was thought to have a female hostage. But when officers searched the building after 8:20 p.m., there was no one inside, said Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State officials decline to drop plan to allow home deliveries of pot in California cities that ban marijuana stores Cities and law enforcement leaders say a state proposal to allow pot delivery to homes would increase crime. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) Despite objections from cities and police chiefs, state officials on Friday declined to drop a proposal allowing marijuana firms to deliver to homes everywhere in California, including in areas that have banned pot shops. The proposed rule, which was made public in July, was opposed by the League of California Cities, which represents the states 482 municipalities, and the California Police Chiefs Assn., which said it would jeopardize public safety. But the state Bureau of Cannabis Control announced Friday that it is moving forward with the proposed rule after a series of public hearings and after weighing hundreds of comments from residents and interested parties. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print San Diego plans to crack down on marijuana ads, especially billboards By David Garrick San Diego officials say they plan to crack down on marijuana advertising, particularly the billboard ads that have become increasingly common with recreational use of the drug now legal in California. Legislation proposed by City Councilman Chris Cate aims to keep marijuana billboard ads out of areas where young people congregate and to prevent illegal marijuana businesses from advertising anywhere. The proposal, which would go beyond relatively new state laws that govern marijuana advertising, will be included in a series of city code updates that Mayor Kevin Faulconers staff plans to present to the City Council next year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Drinking before a flight is common. Now some fliers are turning to pot before takeoff By Hugo Martin Commercial flights can be so stressful cramped seats, delays, turbulence, loud seatmates that more than 60% of travelers in a recent survey said they down a drink or two before heading to the airport. But the survey by a drug treatment organization found that nearly as many fliers are now turning to marijuana to relax before getting on a plane. The online survey of 1,137 people who have flown in the past year was taken by Florida-based Delphi Behavioral Health Group. It found that nearly 30% of respondents said they had smoked marijuana and another 25% had consumed pot-infused snacks before arriving at an airport. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marijuana issues dominate Costa Mesa Planning Commission agenda By Luke Money Cannabis-related companies will be front and center in Costa Mesa again Monday, when city planning commissioners will consider four applications for proposed marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities. Should the Planning Commission OK all the requests, it would bring the number of marijuana businesses with city-approved conditional use permits to 17. First up will be Aureus LLC, which is looking to open in a 5,556-square-foot industrial space at 3505 Cadillac Ave., Building A. The company proposes to manufacture cannabis concentrates, particularly oils intended for use in vaporizer cartridges, according to city planning documents. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Canada is now the worlds largest legal marijuana marketplace By Associated Press Ian Power was among the first to buy legal recreational marijuana in Canada but he has no plans to smoke it. He plans to frame it. Canada became the largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace as sales began early Wednesday in Newfoundland. Power was first in line at a store in St. Johns, Newfoundland. I am going to frame it and hang it on my wall. Im not even going to smoke it. Im just going to save it forever, Power said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Bloom Farms doubles its meal donations on Oct. 16 in observance of World Food Day By Adam Tschorn In recognition of the United Nations designation of Oct. 16 as World Food Day 2018, Oakland-based cannabis company Bloom Farms is doubling its usual meal-donation-per-sale for purchase made through the Eaze delivery service (which is doing its part by offering a day-long 20% discount on all Bloom Farms products) as well as participating dispensaries statewide (including Buds & Roses, Urban Treez and Green Dot locally). The company says that since 2014 it has donated about 1.4 million meals to food banks statewide through its one-for-one program, with a goal of donating 5 million meals. World Harvest Food Bank in Los Angeles and the San Diego Food Bank are among the SoCal beneficiaries of the Bloom Farm donations. Although the double-down on meal donations lasts only one day, Bloom Farms has a couple of slightly less time-sensitive promotions to raise awareness and drive donations in furtherance of the U.N.s mission of a zero-hunger world by 2030. One is a partnership with vaporizer maker Pax which has pledged $10,000 to fund meal donations that includes a free Pax Era vape pen (custom-engraved on-site) with the purchase of two Bloom Farms Pax pods at special dispensary events throughout the month, the second is an exclusive, October-only Pineapple Single Origin vape cartridge that, after the purchase of any two Bloom Farms products can be purchased for just a penny. Additional information and a calendar of dispensary events and demonstrations can be found at getbloomfarms.com/events. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Screened at U.S. border, Canadians who are honest about using marijuana could be banned from the U.S. By Kurtis Lee Bill Powers flipped through the sworn statement he gave to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the printed pages taking him back to that August afternoon back to the border checkpoint into Washington state where agents asked if he had ever smoked marijuana. Yes, he answered, not initially thinking much of the question. The 57-year-old Canadian has a license for medical marijuana, and pot had been legal in Washington for six years. Like that, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents turned him away with an extreme decree: He had been banned from the United States. Its absolutely out of control. Here I am being honest with the United States and I get the boot, Powers said on a recent afternoon as he stood in his driveway in this farming town an hour east of Vancouver. I have a license yet theyre turning people away for pot? It makes not a single bit of sense. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newport mayor says he wants to sell his boat factory site, not grow marijuana on it By Hillary Davis Despite having local and state approvals to cultivate or distribute medical marijuana on the site of his boat factory in San Bernardino County, Newport Beach Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield says he isnt a pot farmer. Rather, he says, he sought the entitlements to make the property more attractive to buyers so he can move his factory to Utah. Duffield said in a statement emailed to the Daily Pilot on Sunday that he split his 4.7-acre property in Adelanto into thirds and sought a cannabis distribution permit from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control to take advantage of increased property values that followed Adelantos passage of a medicinal cultivation ordinance in 2015 and creation of a cultivation zone in 2016 that later expanded to include the factory site. As a property owner, I am trying to maximize the value to sell the land, not grow pot, Duffield said. I am actively manufacturing electric boats at the plant and there is no room to be growing pot. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print NHL: Legal pot in Canada wont affect league policy By Associated Press Now a handful of years into retirement from more than a decade of junior and pro hockey, former enforcer Riley Cote is a proponent of cannabis and its oils as an alternative to more addictive drugs commonly used by athletes to play through pain. Marijuana can be detected in a persons system for more than 30 days, is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency without a specific therapeutic use exemption and is illegal in much of the United States. Canada on Wednesday will become the largest country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana. That means it will be available under the law in seven more NHL cities (its been legal to adults in Denver since 2012). The move is a step forward for those who, like Cote, believe marijuana has been stigmatized and should be accepted as a form of treatment. It was so tainted for a long time, Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene said. And now people are starting to learn a little bit more about it and there is definitely some positive uses to different elements of it. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Costa Mesa council to review marijuana permit decision By Luke Money Costa Mesas review process for marijuana-related businesses will enter uncharted territory Tuesday when the City Council takes a second look at an earlier decision to award a required permit. So far, whats separated this particular application by Pivot Naturals LLC from the dozen other marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities that previously sailed through City Hall isnt so much the question of whether the business should be allowed to open, but when. City planning commissioners decided last month to grant the business a conditional use permit to operate within a 5,283-square-foot industrial space in Suite 101 at 3595 Cadillac Ave. However, they added a new wrinkle by restricting hours to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Business linked to Newport mayor paid councilman to help create marijuana facility in Inland Empire, records show By Hillary Davis A business linked to Newport Beach Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield paid his City Council colleague Scott Peotter to help convert part of Duffields boat manufacturing facility in San Bernardino County to a medical marijuana cultivation or distribution hub, records show. Peotter made at least $10,000 from DC Developments, a Duffield-associated company, according to Peotters state-required statement of economic interest forms. A string of corporations that financially tie the two together appears to answer a question has Peotter ever worked for Duffield? that has dogged them for weeks as they seek reelection in November. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Following California, pot legalization campaigns across the U.S. aim to throw out old convictions By Kurtis Lee Rob Jenkins tried for four years to find a job, scouring the internet for anything that seemed at all appealing a maintenance position at a Chevron refinery, a counselor for foster kids, a clerk at Hertz. Some employers seemed interested, until they found out about his 2008 misdemeanor conviction for growing marijuana. I was stuck, recalled the 37-year-old college graduate. No job opportunities were coming in. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Canada is about to legalize marijuana. How did that happen? Justin Trudeau, for starters By Kurtis Lee Politicians herald it as transformative. Residents offer resounding support in the polls. Investors see billions of dollars on the horizon. When Canada legalizes marijuana on Oct. 17, it will join Uruguay as the only countries to allow recreational cannabis nationwide. The South American country became the first in 2013. The effort, years in the making, is unlike the piecemeal approaches to marijuana legalization that have been passed in the United States and the Netherlands. For pot proponents around the world, Canadas implementation of legal marijuana is being closely watched. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Can you carry marijuana in LAX? Yes, but its more complicated than that By Chris Erskine LAX wants you to know this about the marijuana you may be taking with you on your trip: Whats legal on the street is also legal in the terminals. Up to a point. Travelers can carry the legal amount of marijuana in California up to 28.5 grams through the airport areas that are under city supervision, that is up to pre-security checkpoints. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Dont you dare light up at Las Vegas new cannabis museum By Jay Jones Inhale we mean through your nose in the new marijuana museum in Las Vegas. You wont smell a thing, even though recreational pot is legal in Nevada. Signs in the elevators at Neonopolis, the downtown entertainment, dining and retail center thats home to the immersive Cannabition museum, make it clear that consumption in public is still against the law. Just steps away, a colorful mural covering the museums exterior depicts the changing attitudes toward marijuana, from the scare tactics of the 1930s to strict law enforcement in the 80s to growing tolerance today. That history is depicted in greater detail once youre inside. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Costa Mesa Planning Commission awards permit to 13th marijuana business By Luke Money A 13th marijuana manufacturing and distribution facility took a step closer to opening in Costa Mesa after the city Planning Commission decided Monday to grant it a required permit. The 3-2 vote, with Chairman Stephan Andranian and Vice Chairman Byron de Arakal opposed, awards a conditional use permit to Pivot Naturals LLC to operate in an existing 5,283-square-foot industrial space in Suite 101 at 3595 Cadillac Ave. Pivot Naturals intends to process cannabis oils into a powder for use in a variety of products, including tablets, food and beverages. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Kindergartner can take cannabis drug to school, judge says By Associated Press A kindergartner can keep bringing a cannabis-based drug used for emergency treatment of a rare form of epilepsy to her public school, a judge ruled Friday. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that a judge sided with the family of 5-year-old Brooke Adams. The Rincon Valley Union School District in Santa Rosa sought to ban the ointment from school grounds because it contains the active ingredient in marijuana. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Glendale police seize hundreds of marijuana plants after reportedly discovering elaborate grow operation By Andy Nguyen What started as a routine wellness check by Glendale police officers on Monday led to the alleged discovery of an illegal marijuana grow operation and the seizure of more than 600 plants. Officers with the Glendale Police Department were in the 100 block of Wonderview Drive at around 12:40 a.m. after receiving a call about a person yelling for help from one of the homes in the neighborhood. After speaking with the homes occupant, 38-year-old Rui Yun Guan, officers entered the residence and discovered it had been converted into an elaborate marijuana grow operation, according to Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Tilrays wild ride shows how hyped pot stocks are catching up to the crypto craze By Craig Giammona Tilray Inc. investors could probably use a bit of the companys products right now. The Canadian maker of medicinal cannabis extracts finished a whipsaw session Wednesday with its share price 38% higher. But Tilray was up as much as 94% earlier in the day, peaking at $300. Fifty-three minutes and four trading halts later, it was in negative territory. The closing flourish that added $63 to the share price it finished up $59.08 to $214.06 took just six minutes. It left a sea of bodies, both longs and shorts, behind in its wake, said Dave Lutz, managing director at JonesTrading. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marijuana industry fights stoner, pot and other words that stigmatizes people By Gary Robbins Theres a badge on her uniform, possibly a gun on her hip, and her arms are spread a little, suggesting shes ready for anything. You might think that youre looking at a police officer walking a beat. But what youve seen on billboards and, more recently, the internet is an effort by MedMen Enterprises of Culver City to remind you that marijuana users come from all walks of life. They can be cops, nurses, teachers, scientists, construction foremen and grandmothers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Police arrest eight people after searching illegal cannabis store in San Fernando Valley By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Los Angeles police arrested eight people at an illegal cannabis store in the San Fernando Valley after serving a search warrant, officials said Wednesday. About 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Departments Mission Area Narcotics Unit searched a cannabis retail shop in the 15400 block of Devonshire Street and confiscated several items of evidence and contraband, police said in a news release. The store was operating without proper permits and was considered a nuisance location, authorities said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students have vaped marijuana, study finds By Karen Kaplan Electronic cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product among U.S. teens, but tobacco isnt the only thing theyre vaping. A new report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 2 million middle and high school students have used an e-cigarette to vape marijuana. That figure is based on survey results from the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which polls a representative sample of American students in grades 6 through 12. Among the questions the 20,675 participants were asked in 2016 was, Have you ever used an e-cigarette device with a substance besides nicotine? One of the possible answers was this: Yes, I have used an e-cigarette device with marijuana, THC or hash oil, or THC wax. (THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the mind-altering chemical that produces marijuanas high.) Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Police chiefs warn of increased crime if California allows pot deliveries statewide By Patrick McGreevy The prospect of vans loaded with pot delivering to homes in quiet Morgan Hill makes Police Chief David Swing uneasy. Like most cities in the state, the upscale San Jose suburb has banned pot shops. But now, as California considers a proposal to allow marijuana businesses to send home-delivery vans into communities where retail stores are prohibited, Swing and others in law enforcement say they are preparing for the worst. This will make it easier and more lucrative to rob a delivery person than a liquor store, said Swing, who is president of the California Police Chiefs Assn. He notes drivers would be allowed to carry up to $10,000 in cash. Robberies are the tip of the iceberg. They can lead to other crimes, including aggravated assaults and homicides. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Tesla erupts in chaos after senior executives leave and Elon Musk tokes up By Dana Hull The turmoil at Tesla Inc. reached a fever pitch Friday, as news emerged that two senior executives will leave Elon Musks electric-car maker a matter of hours after he smoked marijuana during an hours-long interview with a comedian. Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton gave notice Tuesday that he was resigning less than a month into the job, according to a filing. Teslas stock plunged, then extended declines after Gabrielle Toledano, the head of human resources whos been on a leave of absence, told Bloomberg News that she wont rejoin the company. Morton, a former chief financial officer for computer-drive maker Seagate Technology Plc, joined Tesla the day before Chief Executive Musk tweeted that he was considering buying out some investors at $420 a share and taking the company private. Musk abandoned that take-private effort 17 days later, and in the process drew a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission and a series of lawsuits alleging market manipulation. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Elon Musk smokes a blunt live on YouTube with podcaster Joe Rogan By Russ Mitchell Elon Musk apparently smoked dope with comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan live on YouTube late Thursday night, then giggled about turning Mars into a big Jamaica. I mean, its legal, right? Musk said, accepting a lit blunt from Rogan in the Los Angeles studio, where The Joe Rogan Experience is webcast live. Rogan told Musk hed rolled marijuana in tobacco leaves. Musk took a single deep toke. If the pair were joking about what they were smoking, they didnt say so. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. launches crackdown on unlicensed marijuana businesses; more than 500 people are charged By Joseph Serna A police crackdown on local unlicensed marijuana businesses has ended with misdemeanor charges against more than 500 people in Los Angeles, the city attorneys office said. In 120 criminal cases filed since May, City Atty. Mike Feuer has charged 515 people in connection with 105 illegal marijuana businesses, grow sites, extraction labs and delivery companies located throughout the city, his office announced Friday. All of the defendants were charged with unlicensed commercial cannabis activity within the city, which carries a potential sentence of six months in jail and $1,000 in fines. Local judges have been hearing the cases since May with arraignments scheduled through the end of October, Feuers office said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 12th marijuana business wins permit approval in Costa Mesa By Luke Money Costa Mesa planning commissioners Monday evening gave their blessing to another local marijuana manufacturing and distribution facility, bringing the total number of approvals to 12. On a 4-0 vote with Chairman Stephan Andranian absent the commission awarded a conditional use permit to Pure Labs Inc., which is looking to open in a 2,025-square-foot space in Unit M-103 at 3505 Cadillac Ave. The decision is final unless appealed to the City Council within seven days. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former L.A. mayor Villaraigosa joins board of local cannabis firm MedMen By James Rufus Koren Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is joining the board of publicly traded cannabis company MedMen, marking his return to the business world following a resounding defeat in Junes Democratic gubernatorial primary. MedMen, a Culver City company that operates high-end cannabis shops in California, Nevada and New York and has aggressive expansion plans, announced Villaraigosas appointment Wednesday morning. Villaraigosa adds political and governmental experience to a board made up of branding, entertainment and accounting executives. Other recent additions to the companys board include Stacey Hallerman, a former executive at the conglomerate that owns luxury brands Montblanc and Cartier, and Jay Brown, the chief executive of of RocNation, the entertainment company co-founded by Shawn Jay Z Carter. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newport man accused of operating illegal marijuana dispensary in Costa Mesa By Luke Money A Newport Beach man is accused of operating an illegal marijuana dispensary in Costa Mesa, according to authorities. Omid Delkash, 47, was charged Monday with four misdemeanor counts of unlawful transportation, sale and furnishing of marijuana. He pleaded not guilty and is in custody at Orange County Jail, records show. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a pretrial hearing. Costa Mesa law prohibits the retail sale of marijuana or marijuana products anywhere in the city. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California lawmakers want the state to collect data on drivers under the influence of pot By Patrick McGreevy After she was injured in a car accident allegedly caused by a driver impaired by pot, state Controller Betty Yee is backing a bill approved Monday by the Legislature that aims to begin addressing the problem of drugged driving on California roads. The measure sent to Gov. Jerry Brown would require the California Highway Patrol to report on how many motorists stopped for impaired driving are allegedly under the influence of marijuana. Its what other states have done like Colorado and Washington to at least start collecting state-level data, Yee said. They just want to understand the extent of cannabis-impaired driving. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marijuana use is rising among pregnant patients. Not so fast, doctors warn By Jenny Gold Marijuana may be losing its image as a dangerous drug, but mounting research suggests women should steer clear of it if they are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The advice comes as more than half of the states, including California, have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. Growing acceptance of the drug has made it seem harmless, or even beneficial. As a result, doctors fret that more and more babies are being exposed to the drug. The march toward legalization has outpaced scientific research about marijuanas health effects. Because it is a Schedule 1 drug one with potential for abuse and no approved medical use studies have been limited by federal law. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Mormon Church ramps up opposition to medical marijuana effort in Utah, speaking out publicly By Kurtis Lee The Mormon Church has played a quiet role in the fight against an effort to legalize medical marijuana in Utah, releasing measured statements and helping to bankroll lawsuits. But on Thursday, leaders of the powerful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came out from behind the scenes. We are deeply concerned by the history of other states that have allowed medical and recreational use of this drug and have experienced serious consequences to the health of its citizens, Elder Jack N. Gerard, flanked by politicians, medical professionals and other church leaders, said at a news conference at the state Capitol. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers move to help expunge pot-related convictions California lawmakers voted Wednesday to ease the process for clearing the records of those convicted in the past of marijuana offenses. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) With recreational marijuana legalized by the states voters, Californians with past convictions for cannabis-related offenses would get state help in expunging their records under a bill sent by lawmakers to the governor on Wednesday. Proposition 64, which state voters approved in 2016, legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational use and permitted those with past convictions for the activity to petition the courts to clear their records. But state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told his colleagues Wednesday that the process is complicated, and many with pot convictions do not know about the opportunity. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement By next year, you can buy medical marijuana in Hawaii, but youll still have to jump through some hoops By Jay Jones Out-of-state medical marijuana users next year will be able to buy cannabis products at dispensaries in Hawaii. The only hitches: Visitors will need to apply online and pay $45 (plus a $4.50 processing fee) for a temporary Hawaii medical marijuana card thats valid for 60 days. Weve been fielding a lot of calls daily about reciprocity, said George Bullock, director of the Cure Oahu marijuana dispensary in Waikiki. We really look forward to being able to serve them in the future. The Hawaii Department of Health plans to allow medical marijuana cardholders from other states to make purchases at dispensaries on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. But state officials are not using the word reciprocity because those out-of-state cards wont work. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Teen sold weed from her bedroom, with her parents as suppliers, Merced County officials say By Joseph Serna A teenage girl who sold marijuana out of her bedroom was using her gun-toting parents as her suppliers, the Merced County Sheriffs Office said. On Friday, deputies served a search warrant on the home of Jose Reyes Martinez, 44, and his wife in Delhi, Calif., where they found 80 pounds of packaged marijuana and a dozen large plants along with two firearms, officials said on Facebook. The packaged weed was found in the master bedroom closet alongside a loaded AK-47, deputies said. A makeshift greenhouse in the backyard held a dozen large plants, authorities said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newport Beach sues to halt what city calls a marijuana dispensary at Church of the Holy Grail By Hannah Fry Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block an operation that identifies itself as a church but the city says is a marijuana dispensary violating local law. Brick-and-mortar marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in Newport Beach under municipal code. Cultivation, processing, distribution and delivery of cannabis have been banned in the city since 2016. A civil lawsuit Newport filed June 25 seeks an injunction to forbid the organization known as Church of the Holy Grail from operating at 2072 Bristol St. It isnt clear how long it has been operating, though the lawsuit states the location has been running without a business license since at least Jan. 24. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Proposal to create state-chartered banks for California marijuana industry fails to advance Virgil Grant arranges containers of various strains of medical marijuana in a display case at a dispensary he runs in Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images) California lawmakers on Thursday shelved a proposal to allow the state to license private banks to handle the billions of dollars expected to be generated by the states legal marijuana industry amid questions about the plans feasibility. Voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016 to legalize growing, possessing and selling marijuana for recreational use, but newly licensed pot shops and farms say they cannot put their money in federally chartered banks because cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) proposed that the state could license special privately financed banks that would issue checks to the businesses to pay rent and state and local taxes and fees, and to compensate vendors for goods and services provided to their businesses. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Parent of Corona beer bets $3.8 billion on U.S. love of marijuana By Bloomberg Constellation Brands Inc., which for seven decades has made its money off beer, wine and whiskey, sees its future in a marijuana leaf. In the biggest (legal) marijuana deal, the Victor, N.Y., beverage company will spend about $3.8 billion to boost its stake in Canadian grower Canopy Growth Corp., betting legalization will gain traction around the world and especially in the United States. This is rocket fuel, Canopy Chief Executive Bruce Linton said on the companys earnings call Wednesday. Were going to be way more global. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marijuana is not really legal in California if residents dont have a reasonable way to buy it By The Times Editorial Board California law allows adults to buy marijuana. It allows licensed businesses to deliver marijuana to customers, and it says specifically that cities and counties cannot prevent delivery services from traveling on public roads. Yet even though cities cant stop deliveries traveling through their jurisdiction, many cities currently ban deliveries to their jurisdiction. That means that unlike deliveries of virtually every other legal, adult-use product including alcohol and cigarettes, which can be ordered over the internet in California marijuana deliveries are barred. The practical effect is that residents in some places have little to no access to legal medical or recreational cannabis products because of local regulations which seems contrary to the intent of Proposition 64. Roughly half of Californians live in cities or counties that prohibit marijuana stores and delivery services form opening in their jurisdictions. An analysis by the Sacramento Bee earlier this year found residents in 40% of the state had to drive 60 miles or more to find a licensed dispensary to buy legal marijuana medical or recreational. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California cities oppose plan to allow pot delivery in areas where sales are banned California cities are objecting to changes in the states rules on marijuana that they say undermine local control. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) California cities on Monday objected to a state proposal that would allow marijuana delivery to homes in areas where storefront pot sales have been banned locally. The changes, which are being considered by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control, will undermine a citys ability to effectively regulate cannabis at the local level, Charles Harvey, a legislative representative for the League of California Cities, said in a letter to the bureau. The cities group, which represents the states 482 municipalities, supports other changes to clarify the rules of Proposition 64, which was approved by voters in 2016 and allows the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational use. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cypress Hills B-Real set to open a Sylmar dispensary, as Cannary West takes flight Saturday By Adam Tschorn Rapper and marijuana entrepreneur Louis Freese, better known as Cypress Hill frontman B-Real, plans to celebrate the grand opening of his flagship dispensary in Sylmar with a day-long bash next Wednesday. Called Dr. Greenthumbs a name music fans will recognize as the title of a 1998 Cypress Hill song the Foothill Boulevard dispensary will be heavy on strains from B-Reals Insane brand of cannabis as well his Phuncky Feel Tips product line (glass tips designed to fit the business end of a hand-rolled joint). It will also serve as the home base for the rappers online BReal.TV network. According to todays announcement, the Wednesday event will be open to the public (though youll need to be at least 21 or 18 with a medical marijuana card) and feature a line-up of BRealTVs DJs as well as a slew of surprise guests [making] appearances throughout the day. A second Dr. Greenthumbs is expected to open in Cathedral City later this year. Dr. Greenthumbs grand-opening party, Aug. 15 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 12751 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar (just west of the 210 freeway between Arroyo and Vaughn streets). Cannary West In other dispensary-opening news, a rebooted and relocated Cannary West (this version by the folks behind the stylish, upscale Venice Blvd. dispensary the Pottery), officially opens its doors Saturday. Although parts of the space in the Rancho Park neighborhood are still under construction, its only because plans include adding sustainable on-site cultivation (a process also underway at the Pottery), it does already have one of Los Angeles real estates most enviable features a dedicated off-street parking lot for customers around back. To mark the grand opening, the first 200 customers who spend $30 or more after the dispensary opens for business at 10 a.m. will receive a little something special for their efforts. Cannary West, grand opening, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 2435 Military Avenue, Los Angeles (just south of Pico and two blocks east of Sepulveda). Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement As budget remedies, Huntington Beach may explore marijuana-related revenue and boosting fines for illegal short-term rentals By Priscella Vega With general-fund revenue increases projected to taper off in coming years, the Huntington Beach Finance Commission this week recommended several potential budget-tightening and revenue-generating solutions. Among them are increasing fines for illegal short-term rentals, reducing city staff and exploring opportunities for marijuana-related revenue. Some recommendations will be unpopular with employees, but at the same time we hope they realize implementing some recommendations may make funding available for salary increases, Finance Commission Chairman Nouha Hreish told the City Council during a study session Monday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print High Times rolls out new online video network By Adam Tschorn Los Angeles-based cannabis media brand High Times, which launched as a print magazine in 1974, has added a streaming video service to its offerings. Announced Thursday, the ad-supported web channel High Times TV is both a showcase for the brands own content (behind-the-scenes videos from its Cannabis Cup events, for example, and how-to videos for ganja guacamole) as well as a platform for an assortment of independent cannabis-content creators like the Stoner Mom (a Colorado mother with a family of six who focuses on living a responsible cannabis lifestyle), StrainCentral (a strain review site founded by Joshua Young) and That High Couple (Hollywood-based couple Alice and Clark who chronicle their THC-infused life via social media). While High Times newest venture is hardly a unique move- there isnt a legacy media brand out there that isnt trying to capitalize on streaming video it could end up being a lifeline for the independents in the stoner space who have seen their traditional social media channels (particularly YouTube) threatened, restricted or suspended in a cannabis-content crackdown that began earlier this year. High Times TV is now available as an app on Android, Roku and Apple TV as well as online at tv.hightimes.com. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newport Beach lawsuit seeks to ban marijuana business that operated in residential neighborhoods By Hannah Fry Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block a marijuana business from operating in two homes in violation of city law. A civil lawsuit filed May 4 seeks an injunction to forbid the business known as OC Healing House, Bud Man OC and Bud Man Newport Beach from operating at a home on Drakes Bay Drive in Corona del Mar and a home on Promontory Drive in Newports Promontory Point community. The city attorneys office says the business was using the homes for marijuana delivery and distribution. The lawsuit calls the business a public nuisance. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Marijuana is a gift from God. A battle over pot pits the Mormon Church against an unlikely group: other Mormons By Kurtis Lee Brian Stoll faced a dilemma as his wedding day approached. For more than a year, he had been smoking marijuana to treat severe back pain, but to remain in good standing with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and get married in the temple, he had to stop using pot. Since marijuana was illegal under Utah law, church leaders told him, it was forbidden. Stoll turned to an opioid painkiller and has continued using it since his marriage three years ago, despite unpleasant side effects and its inability to match the soothing qualities of marijuana. This was devastating ... I had to choose between my health and my fiancee, Stoll said recently. It seemed asinine that if I lived in another state, I wouldnt have to make such a difficult decision. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Roommates were unaware of drug lab operation in Glendale home, police say By Andy Nguyen Authorities arrested a man on Friday suspected of operating an illegal butane honey-oil lab out of a Glendale home. John Kelly, 52, was taken into custody after the Glendale Police Department received a tip about the suspected manufacturing operation in the 1400 block of Randall Street. The information was derived from an ongoing narcotics investigation, according to Sgt. Dan Suttles, a spokesman for the department. Butane honey oil is a type of concentrated cannabis product made when marijuana is soaked in butane in order to extract the plants essential oils. The process can lead to explosions if the butane gas builds up in an enclosed area and ignites from a spark. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rams guard Jamon Brown says marijuana is reason for suspension By Gary Klein Rams starting right guard Jamon Brown, suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFLs substance-abuse policy, said Thursday that the suspension stemmed from a 2017 incident in Kentucky that involved marijuana. Brown still worked with the first-team offense Thursday as the Rams held their first training camp practice at UC Irvine. Brown, a fourth-year pro from Louisville, said that before last season he was pulled over for speeding and that police found marijuana in the car. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrats still havent figured out that legal weed is a winning issue By Tom Angell Every Democratic U.S. senator rumored to be considering a 2020 presidential run supports marijuana legalization. So do 77% of Democratic voters. The partys 2016 national platform backs states rights on cannabis and calls for a reasoned pathway for future legalization. So why is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee the entity charged with winning back control of the U.S. House attacking a Republican congressman over his support for marijuana reform? And why is it citing a right-wing magazine to make the case? Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has a cult-like fixation on marijuana, said a National Review article excerpt the Democratic committee highlighted in a tweet posted Monday. The party organ said the GOP congressmans cannabis advocacy is one reason why [Democratic nominee] @HarleyRouda needs your help flipping this seat...from #RedToBlue. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print They worked at Apple, Amazon and Lyft. Now theyre working to get you stoned By Tracey Lien For much of her career, Natasha Pecor followed a path well-worn by tech workers. She built her reputation with her first employer in the industry, earning the title head of platform at Yelp. Then she jumped to one of the giants, Amazon, where she worked as a product manager. Most recently she parlayed that experience into a leadership role at a smaller start-up a common move among techies willing to take a risk for a new challenge and perhaps a big payday. But this start-up wasnt exactly a tech company. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Fountain Valley man sentenced to life in prison in kidnapping and torture of marijuana dispensary owner By Hannah Fry A Fountain Valley man was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of his life behind bars for kidnapping a medical marijuana dispensary owner and his roommate in 2012 and torturing the dispensary owner as part of a plot to extort money. Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregg Prickett gave Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 39, the maximum sentence of life in state prison. A Superior Court jury in January swiftly found Handley guilty of of kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and torture, all felonies. Prosecutors contended that Handley, a marijuana grower who supplied the victims dispensary, and three other defendants kidnapped the man and his female roommate from their 25th Street home on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach on Oct. 2, 2012. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More California kids are having pot-related health scares, poison control officials warn By Patrick McGreevy State and local officials say they are alarmed by a spike in calls they have received to report children and teenagers ingesting marijuana products since California legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults in 2016. The number of calls to poison control centers involving people 19 and younger who were exposed to marijuana has steadily risen from 347 three years ago to 588 last year. In the first six months of this year, there have been 386 calls to poison control centers involving marijuana exposure by underage people. If that trend continues, there could be more than double the reports in 2018 as there were 2015. Nearly half of the calls received last year 256 involved children 5 and younger, including 38 children under 12 months old, and 64 toddlers who were a year old, according to Stuart E. Heard, executive director of the California Poison Control System. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print With marijuana legal, California flooded with dubious health claims about the drug By Gary Robbins Spend a few minutes surfing Twitter and youre likely to encounter a startling claim that comes without proof: Cannabis cures cancer. The online world is awash with such posts, startling scientists and physicians who are urging weeds proselytizers to tap the brakes. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gov. Jerry Brown appoints members to new cannabis permit appeals panel Marijuana on display at the Harborside dispensary in Oakland. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) Six months after California began licensing growing and selling marijuana, Gov. Jerry Brown on July 3 appointed the first members of a new Cannabis Control Appeals Panel to consider objections from those denied permits or those facing penalties for violating regulations. The governor gets to name three of the five members of the panel and appointed county prosecutor Sabrina D. Ashjian of Fresno, college lecturer Diandra Bremond of Los Angeles, and a staff attorney for the governor, Adrian Carpenter of Plumas Lake. The other two appointments will be made by the Senate Rules Committee and the speaker of the Assembly. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Federal law? State law? Which takes precedence when you want to travel with cannabis? By Catharine Hamm You cant take it with you. Actually, you can. But its not a good idea when youre traveling, especially for the risk-averse. We speak, of course, of cannabis; its use was approved by 57% of California voters in November 2016. Proposition 64, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, allows the recreational use of marijuana in the Golden State; medical marijuana had been legal for about a decade before that. Legal, it should be noted, in California. Not legal according to federal law, although President Trump has signaled his willingness to support legislation that, according to an L.A. Times article, would end the federal ban on marijuana. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newport Beach church accused of operating illegal marijuana dispensary By Hannah Fry Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block an operation that identifies itself as a church, but that the city says is a marijuana dispensary violating local law. Brick-and-mortar marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in Newport Beach under municipal code. Cultivation, processing, distribution and delivery of cannabis have been banned in the city since 2016. A civil lawsuit that Newport Beach filed June 25 seeks an injunction to forbid the organization known as Church of the Holy Grail from operating at 2072 Bristol St. It isnt clear how long it has been operating, though t Princess Cruises will celebrate its 50th year of cruising to Alaska in 2019. In that year, the line will sent its largest ship, the Royal Princess, and six other ships to sail to the 49th state from May to September. It will be the largest deployment of the lines fleet, a news release Tuesday said. With a nod to the upcoming milestone, Princess is offering 50% off deposits for 2019 cruises to Alaska when bookings start Dec. 14. Advertisement In the coming sailings, more than three-quarters will sail to Glacier Bay National Park and 23 land tours will visit the companys Wilderness Lodges and Denali National Park & Preserve. In 1969, Princess Italia was our first ship to bring 525 passengers to Alaska, President Jan Swartz said in a statement. In 2019, the Royal Princess alone will bring more than 3,500 guests to the region. Upcoming itineraries include: --Seven-day Voyage of the Glaciers, which will sail between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whittier, Alaska, to visit Glacier Bay; --Round-trip cruises of the Inside Passage from Seattle (seven days), San Francisco (10 days) and Los Angeles (12 days); and --Seven-day Inside Passage cruises and four-day Alaska Sampler sailings from Vancouver. Princess also brings back North to Alaska activities such as Cook My Catch, in which passengers go fishing and have chefs customize their catch, and Puppies in the Plaza, which brings sled-dog pups on board at Skagway. Info: Princess Cruises, (800) 774-6237 or contact a travel agent ALSO Its back! Carnival revives traditional Baked Alaska parade on all 25 cruise ships Offbeat holiday events: Dine in a gingerbread house, and behold a lighted beer keg tree Adventure travel is booming, with many expedition ships in the works, including a new Lindblad polar vessel travel@latimes.com Twitter: @latimestravel A World War II fighter plane called the Avenger joins the collection at Honolulus Pacific Aviation Museum this week. The prototype of the torpedo-carrying plane was unveiled at a Grumman Aircraft factory on Long Island, N.Y., on Dec. 7, 1941, the same day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Americas ensuing declaration of war accelerated flight testing, and, within a month, the plane was in production. Fittingly, the U.S. Navy called it the Avenger. The 76th commemoration of the attack will be marked 7:50 a.m. Thursday, at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Activities include music by the Pacific Fleet Band, wreath presentations, a rifle salute, a vintage aircraft flyover and playing of taps to honor the more than 2,300 service members and civilians killed. In addition, Honolulus Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade at 6 p.m. Thursday will feature a decorated Cobra helicopter from the museum. Two Avengers, fighter planes that took off from aircraft carriers, are seen in this undated photo from World War II. (U.S. Navy) But back to the newly arrived Avenger. She was the largest and heaviest single-engine aircraft built at that time, Kenneth DeHoff, the museums operations director, said in a prepared statement. But her size didnt affect her mobility. Pilots said she flew like a fighter and had the ability to sink battleships and keep flying. The planes remained in military service until the 1960s. One of fewer than 80 remaining Avengers was unloaded from a container at the Port of Honolulu on Saturday. (Pacific Aviation Museum) Fewer than 80 Avengers still exist. One arrived in Honolulu last Saturday following a journey from its previous home in British Colombia, Canada. The plane, in need of repairs and restoration, was moved to the restoration shop at the Pearl Harbor museum. Located on Ford Island, the museum is located amid historic airfields and hangars that were attacked by Japanese planes as they raced toward the U.S. ships anchored nearby. A World War II fighter pilot poses for a mid-air photo in the cockpit of a Grumman Avenger, a plane that was first unveiled the same day Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. (U.S. Navy) Once fully restored, the Avenger will be dedicated to President George H.W. Bush, an aviator who piloted Avengers with the Navys Third and Fifth fleets during World War II. The Boeing Stearman training plane in which George H.W. Bush learned to fly is displayed at the Pacific Aviation Museum. (Pacific Aviation Museum) The Boeing Stearman in which Bush trained is part of the museums collection. A visit to the restoration shop to view the Avenger and other planes is included in guided tours, which cost $35 for adults and $12 for children 4 to 12 years old. General admission costs $25 for adults and $12 for kids. Booking online can save up to 20% over prices at the door. Rates are lower for people who were born and still live in Hawaii and for members of the military and their children. The museum is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, 319 Lexington Blvd., Honolulu; (808) 441-1000 On May 25, 1986, over 5 million Americans joined hands for the 15-minute event Hands Across America. Organizers hoped to raise millions of dollars to fight hunger, homelessness and poverty. Staff writer Peter King reported in the May 26, 1986, Los Angeles Times: Millions of Americans celebrities and suburbanites, politicians and passers-by joined hands and sang songs for 15 minutes Sunday in a largely symbolic celebration of their concern for the nations impoverished. Advertisement Organizers of Hands Across America failed to realize their vision of an unbroken chain of humanity stretching from New York City to Long Beach, as there were reports of gaps throughout the 4,125-mile route not only, as predicted, in the blazing hot desert of the Southwest, but also in cities. Similarly, original goals of $100 million in donations had been scaled back by half even before the demonstration began at noon (PDT). Organizers refused to estimate how many people participated and how much money was raised. Five and a half million people were needed to create a perfect transcontinental chain, and the large, unfilled stretches indicated far fewer took part despite the waiving last week of an obligatory donation of $10 or more. The promoters nonetheless declared themselves satisfied, saying that Hands Across America the latest in a series of gala philanthropic events promoted around celebrities, sponsored by corporations and designed for widespread participation by common folk succeeded because of the attention it focused on Americas homeless and hungry. Over $30 million was raised, but expenses reduced the final distribution to about $15 million. Peter Kings full story is online: Millions Join Hands in Concern for Poor. May 25, 1986: Cynthia Gomez, 8 months, holds hands with her family in East Los Angeles during Hands Across America. ( Rick Corrales / Los Angeles Times ) May 25, 1986: President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan join in Hands Across America. ( Al Stephenson / Los Angeles Times ) May 25, 1986: Actor Sidney Poitier participates in a Hands Across America event on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. ( Marsha Traeger / Los Angeles Times ) May 25, 1986: Actor Gregory Peck joins a Hands Across America line on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. ( Marsha Traeger / Los Angeles Times ) May 25, 1986: Daniel Rias, a homeless man, holds hands with singer Maria Williams during a Hands Across America event. ( Rosemary Kaul / Los Angeles Times ) See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here A firefighter battles the Thomas fire in the town of La Conchita. Smoke blows out of burning palm trees as a brush fire threatens homes in Ventura. John Bain and Brandon Baker take cover from embers as they try to help stop the Thomas fire from burning a home. Residents react as the Thomas fire burns in the hills above La Conchita. A firefighter monitors the fire hazard in the Los Padres National Forest near Ojai. A family prepares to evacuate as the Thomas fire approaches their home in Ventura. A firefighter turns away from the heat as flames explode through the front windows of a home burning in the Lilac fire at Rancho Monserate Country Club in Pala Mesa. Ventura County firefighter Aaron Cohen rests while battling the Thomas fire. A home burns on a hillside overlooking Ventura. A huge pyrocumulus cloud of smoke rises to the north of downtown Ventura as the Thomas fire threatens Carpenteria and Montecito. Olivia Jacobson, 16, wipes away tears, as she looks at her family's home, destroyed by a brush fire on Island View Drive in Ventura. Emma Jacobson, 19, center, gets a hug from a neighbor after her family's home in Ventura was destroyed by the Thomas fire. Eva Smathers cries as the Thomas fire approaches the town of La Conchita. A chimney is all that stands after the Thomas fire burned down a home in Ventura. A Contra Costa County firefighter breaks down a wall while fighting a blaze in a home along Highway 29 north of Calistoga. The Tubbs fire is responsible for a scene of devastation in the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa. A burned-out bus stands abandoned after the Thomas fire swept through residential neighborhoods along Maricopa Highway near Ojai. A swimming pool remains after the Tubbs fire swept through the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa. Firefighters work on removing fuel as they battle the Calgary fire along Evans Road in Wofford Heights. Jeff Lipscomb assures daughter Rachel, 11, that everything will be OK as they survey the wreckage of their home, destroyed in the Thomas fire. From left, Georgia Crowley, 14; Grace Combs, 15; Muriel Rowley, 15; Olivia Jacobson, 16; Emma Jacobson, 19; Anna Niebergall, 20; and Sally Niebergall, 16, survey what's left of the Jacobson home after it was engulfed by the Thomas fire. Casey Rodriquez helps a friend move belongings after the Thomas fire destroyed most of an apartment. A home on Park Hill Lane in Montecito is in ruins after the Thomas fire. Arnulfo Basabe weeps after discovering that his mobile home is still standing in a neighborhood that was mostly destroyed by the Thomas fire. Destruction from the Thomas fire can be seen through a window in Ventura. It was almost dark when Almar Habibzai, clad in his blue-gray police uniform, returned from work Oct. 15 and pulled into the driveway of his familys house in east Kabul. As the 22-year-old sergeant stepped out of his Toyota Corolla, he did not notice the two men who had followed him up the narrow dirt road on a motorcycle. When Habibzais father heard gunfire, he raced out of the house barefoot. His lanky, mop-haired son had been shot three times in the back and was splayed on the ground, oozing blood. The killers had already disappeared over the hill on their motorcycle. Habibzai was a member of the Major Crimes Task Force, or MCTF, an Afghan police agency that investigates criminal networks and corruption cases involving high-level officials. After 16 years of U.S.-backed efforts to battle organized crime and establish the rule of law, corruption remains a national epidemic and almost anyone who fights it vulnerable to retribution. Habibzai was the fifth member of the 300-officer task force to be targeted and killed in the last two years, agency officials said. In April, two investigators were shot in their car in west Kabul while driving to work, a case that remains unsolved. Almar Habibzai, a junior officer with the Major Crimes Task Force, was shot and killed in October. (Seelab Habibzai) The task force was established by the Pentagon in 2009 with the goal of creating what U.S. officials called the Afghan FBI. Its investigators have been trained and supplied by Americans first FBI agents and now civilian contractors overseen by the U.S.-led NATO mission here. Five years ago, it was nearly shut down when then-President Hamid Karzai blocked investigations of his top aides. But the force has shown newfound aggressiveness under President Ashraf Ghani, opening 112 corruption investigations and arresting 148 suspects in 2016, according to the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, a U.S. watchdog. The MCTF investigators are the most professional investigators Ive worked with in counter-corruption, said Brig. Gen. Clayton W. Moushon, the former director of rule-of-law programs for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Theyre highly motivated, they never back down and theyve paid the price. The killings have ignited debate within the task force over whether its leadership has done enough to protect personnel. In September, the U.S. Embassy donated 300 antiballistic vests to the agency, but three Afghan officials said in interviews that most were never distributed, so Habibzai never got one. The special inspector generals office said in its most recent quarterly report that morale was at an all-time low among the investigators, who feel they do not receive the support and protection from senior Afghan government officials necessary to operate without reprisal. Habibzai grew up in a law enforcement family his father, Col. Haji Habib Rahman, is a 36-year veteran of the police force, specializing in counter-narcotics, and an older brother a prosecutor and had long dreamed of being a cop. He joined the anti-corruption force less than a year ago, straight out of the police academy, and was assigned to a surveillance team that tracked cellphone calls, said his supervisor, Lt. Col. Nangialay Toofan. It was not a high-profile position, but his uniform marked him as a target during his half-hour commute to and from the units offices on the outskirts of Kabul. Habibzai seemed concerned about his security, his father said. He never told us, but we knew he was worried, Rahman said. When he came home, he changed out of his uniform and stayed in the house. He never went out with friends to socialize. He stopped going to weddings. It was just home, work, home, work. He watched his back. Almar Habibzais brothers Sangar, left, and Seelab stand near where Almar was killed outside their home after he parked his Toyota Corolla when returning home from work in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) This year, the forces work was thrust into the spotlight when an affiliated anti-corruption court launched by Ghani began allowing the public to observe its proceedings in graft cases. A chief executive of a prominent oil company and the former army and police commanders in Helmand province were among those convicted and sentenced for embezzlement, misuse of power and other crimes. Those successes raised the threat to law enforcement officers, most of whom travel without security and in ordinary vehicles through a city increasingly beset by gangs, kidnappers and insurgent attacks. After the April shootings, Ghani ordered extra security personnel and armored vehicles to protect high-level staff of the task force and anti-corruption court. The government has promised to build a secure housing complex for officers, but the project has yet to receive funding, officials said. In interviews, several rank-and-file task force members accused the head of the force, Gen. Abdul Ghayor Andarabi, of mismanagement that has left officers more vulnerable. Col. Mohammad Nabi Majrooh, the forces deputy chief, said he didnt know why the bulletproof vests had not been distributed, but he blamed Andarabi. They are sitting in storage, he said. A U.S. official said that given the threats facing officers, any delay of delivery would be cause for concern that is why attempts were made to deliver the vests expeditiously. The official declined to be named, citing diplomatic protocol. Col. Mohammad Nabi Majrooh, the deputy head of the Major Crimes Task Force. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) In October, U.S. officials invited Majrooh to the embassy alone to discuss reports of discontent in the task force. When Andarabi found out about the meeting, he tried to fire Majrooh, alleging in a letter that U.S. civilian advisors had developed suspicions about him. In a written response, the Interior Ministrys chief of staff rejected the explanation and reinstated Majrooh. The Times has seen copies of the correspondence. Reached by phone, Andarabi declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of my position. The U.S. government has spent more than $4 billion on law enforcement and counter-narcotics programs in Afghanistan since 2002. But as its military presence has shrunk and security in Kabul has deteriorated, U.S. officials have less oversight over programs. Civilian trainers visit the task force weekly and summon top officials for regular meetings. Moushon, who recently completed a yearlong tour in Afghanistan, said Andarabi and his team had done a very good job. Brig. Gen. Clayton W. Moushon, former director of rule-of-law programs for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Three days after Habibzai was shot, he died in a hospital. His killers remain at large. After the shooting, Toofan visited the crime scene and took statements from witnesses who said they saw the men on the motorcycle. But two task force officials said the case has stalled, and Habibzais family members said investigators have not contacted them about the incident. Habibzais supervisors said that he lived in an unsafe neighborhood and that his killers appeared to have watched him. They struck during a week when the police officer who is normally posted outside Habibzais house part of his fathers security detail was on vacation. That area is controlled by mafias, said Toofan, Habibzais boss. They dont want anyone interfering in their work. Times staff photographer Marcus Yam and special correspondent Sultan Faizy contributed to this report. shashank.bengali@latimes.com Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia A fugitive Kentucky lawyer who disappeared six months ago before facing a prison sentence for his central role in a massive Social Security fraud case has been captured in Honduras and will be returned to the U.S., officials said. Eric Conn was captured by a SWAT team as he came out of a restaurant in the coastal city of La Ceiba, the Honduras public magistrates office said in a Monday news release. The office said the arrest was the product of arduous intelligence, surveillance and tailing by the agents. U.S. federal agents spent months tracking Conn, who cut off his electronic monitor and fled in June. Advertisement The flamboyant attorney had been on home detention while awaiting sentencing, but he disappeared while in Lexington, Ky., at the permission of federal authorities to meet with his attorney and prosecutors. Conn pleaded guilty in March to stealing from the federal government and bribing a judge in a more than $500-million Social Security fraud case. His sentencing went on without him last summer, when he was given a 12-year prison term the maximum possible. The FBI office in Louisville did not confirm the arrest Monday. Conns lawyer, Scott White, said he had not been given any official information regarding Conns capture. If in fact Eric has been lawfully captured and is legally returned, then ... this comes as no surprise. ... The FBI usually gets their man, White said in a statement. Conn is expected to be transferred to the U.S. on Tuesday, according to the Honduran public magistrates office. A photo of Conn distributed by the office shows him with close-cropped, reddish-gray hair and a blue polo shirt sitting at a table, with police agents wearing ballistic vests and carrying assault rifles behind him. Conn, who started his law practice in a trailer in 1993, had portrayed himself as Mr. Social Security. He fueled that persona with outlandish TV commercials and small-scale replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Lincoln Memorial at his office in eastern Kentucky. Conn represented thousands in successful claims for Social Security benefits. Most of his clients in the impoverished coalfields of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia had to fight to try to keep their disability checks. His empire crumbled when authorities discovered he had been bribing a doctor and judge to approve disability claims based on fake medical evidence. Ned Pillersdorf, an eastern Kentucky attorney who is representing hundreds of Conns former clients, said Conns scheme caused a true humanitarian crisis. With his capture, Im hoping we can get this ordeal behind us, put him in prison where he belongs and start to undo the damage he has done to his former clients, Pillersdorf said in a phone interview Monday night. As part of the fallout from Conns downfall, the Social Security Administration identified about 1,500 beneficiaries, mostly in eastern Kentucky, who could receive hearings to determine whether their benefits should be reinstated, he said. The agency decided not to cut off those payments during that process after Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers interceded. Now, those hearings are nearly complete, and so far, about 800 have lost their benefits, Pillersdorf said. In an email exchange months ago with the Lexington Herald-Leader, a person claiming to be Conn said he fled the U.S. using a fake passport. As the mystery of his whereabouts continued, the FBI released two photos that it said showed Conn buying food and water at a gas station in New Mexico and pushing a bike at a Wal-Mart, also in New Mexico. Federal authorities say Conn had help in carrying out the escape plot. An indictment unsealed in October alleged that one of Conns employees opened a bank account that Conn used to transfer money. It also claimed that the employee, Curtis Lee Wyatt, tested security at the U.S.-Mexico border at Conns direction, and that he purchased a pickup for use in Conns escape. The indictment charged Wyatt with aiding in Conns escape and abetting Conns failure to appear. Wyatt pleaded not guilty to charges. The indictment tacked on escape and failure to appear charges against Conn. It claims Conn hatched his escape plot around June 2016, two months after he was first indicted and a year before his disappearance. In his escape, Conn put his electronic ankle monitor inside a pouch with a metallic lining meant to suppress electronic signals, authorities said. Looking to stop investors from snatching up properties in Bethlehem's Historic District and listing them on Airbnb, Bethlehem City Council opted to make its proposed short-term rental rules more restrictive. The change means that a homeowner can only rent their entire home out for stays of at least one week or longer, up to maximum of 30 days in a year. This rules out weekend or one-night rentals of an entire home, which the majority of council was fine with. "Bethlehem is not the beach," Council President J. William Reynolds said. Councilman Eric Evans proposed amending the short-term lodging ordinance, which council passed 6-0 last month, based on feedback from residents. The amendment passed in a 5-2 vote Tuesday night with Councilmen Adam Waldron and Shawn Martell voting against it amid concerns it was too restrictive. Both Waldron and Martell agreed that the city needed to step in with rules to stop homes being bought for commercial uses and turned into illegal hotels. They felt the original ordinance solved that problems and enacts reasonable regulations. But they worried the amendment went too far and would lead to a loss of visitors, who would spend money shopping and dining in the city. And that is also could hurt city residents, who would be happy to comply with the new law. Bethlehem has 285 properties listed for rent on Airbnb and many rely on those rentals to make ends meet, Martell said. He'd wager the majority are one-or-two- night stays, not seven days. "That to me is a pretty rare use," Martell said. Ultimately, Martell and Waldron voted in favor of the revised short-term rental ordinance leading it to pass in a 7-0 vote Tuesday. It goes into effect in 20 days. To be eligible for the new short-term lodging licensing program, a property would have to be occupied by the owner, as opposed to one owner offering up stays in several properties. It restricts rentals to no more than two bedrooms in a home, to transient visitors for not less than 24 hours and not more than 30 days. The owner must be home during these rentals. The original proposal allowed entire homes to be rented to transient visitors for up to 30 days per year with the owner present or not. Evans' amendment tightened those rules. Residents like Roland Yoshida pointed out that meant property owners could end up having neighbors who book 30 one-night rentals over the course of a year, bringing strangers, noise and parties into residential areas. "I don't want you to forget the main reason for adopting this ordinance," Yoshida said. "Do you remember the catch phrase from the sitcom 'Cheers'? Where everybody knows your name. That's what creates neighborhoods and that's what creates communities." The original home- sharing intention of Airbnb has been subverted in favor of making money and buying homes to turn into investment properties, Wall Street resident Mary Rose Wilson said. "We are just awash now in illegal hotels," Wilson said. Councilman Bryan Callahan noted before the amendment passed that someone could rent their home out 15 weekends a year. "I don't think I'd like to live next to this," Callahan said. Waldron suggested enacting the original proposal and revisiting it if it becomes an issue. Council is unlikely to pass something and then make it less restrictive, Waldron said. While Reynolds ultimately supported the tighter rules, he cautioned against trying to eliminate every possible bad outcome. "We can't always look at the worst situation possible," he said. He noted that council had to consider the wishes of the city's restaurants and store owners, who want the shoppers and diners Airbnb stays generate, while protecting the character of its neighborhoods. The measure requires an annual $100 license and inspection, which council also approved Tuesday night. The ordinance follows friction between the city and Bethlehem residents Jay Brew and Dr. Mary Ellen Williams, who began buying up properties in the historic district, rehabbing them and then converting them into luxury rentals or listing them through the online-room rental company Airbnb. The city in June sent the couple cease-and-desist notices, saying their 258 E. Market St. property violated residential zoning restrictions. The regulations treat short-term rentals differently from bed and breakfast, rooming house and hotel uses. Those uses are permitted only in certain zoned areas of the city without special approval from the zoning hearing board. The short-term lodging measure is more like a regulated rental, in which three to five unrelated people share a home anywhere in the city -- not just in certain areas. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Hotel Bethlehem pulled its $37 million expansion plans, expected to bring 70,000 visitors to the Christmas City annually, when the board tasked with overseeing the city's special tax incentive zone did not approve the project Tuesday. The Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority members all expressed their support for the project, but said they had questions that needed to be resolved before they voted to include the project in the city's lucrative CRIZ. Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce A. Haines said after a year of delays the board should vote on including the massive expansion in the CRIZ at its Tuesday or Thursday meeting. Over the last year, the project's costs have grown while the market for the expansion is cooling, he said. "You are worrying about the little nits and lice when you have a transformational project here," Haines said. When it became clear such a vote would not happen, Haines announced he was pulling the project since, he said, the city was clearly not passionate about the project and the hotel partners have run out of patience. "I don't feel the love," Haines said. The historic hotel will continue its normal operations and look to grow its existing business, but it won't be expanding or adding a conference center, he said. After announcing he was pulling his plans, Haines left the meeting and the board voted 5-0 to table the matter. The project would've made Hotel Bethlehem the largest conference center in the Lehigh Valley by doubling its meeting and events space and adding 73 guest rooms and suites. Plans called for razing the existing, private 100-spot parking deck to make way for a new 460-space parking garage with a four-story addition atop it. The new building would connect to the third floor of the hotel via a skywalk. Mayor Bob Donchez has strongly backed the project, holding a press conference to announce his recommendation the hotel be added into the CRIZ, and speaking in favor of the expansion Tuesday. Members of the business community packed town hall Tuesday afternoon to speak in support of the project, which was expected to draw 70,000 new visitors and create 100 jobs. After Haines pulled the plans, Donchez reiterated his view that the project could be a boon for Main Street and the city's stores and restaurants. "This is good for the city and I hope we can find some common ground," he said following the meeting. The mayor emphasized that his administration has worked closely with Haines and would continue to do so if he came back to the table. "This is an independent board," Donchez said. "They have their questions." Last week, city Community and Economic Development Director Alicia Miller Karner sent Haines a letter outlining the board's collective concerns. Many centered upon parking, project financing and the fact that the project has not gone through the city land development process. Haines called them all "weak issues" and he tried to respond to them during his presentation Tuesday afternoon. Board Chairman James Broughal asked for Haines' response in writing, saying that he was not going to negotiate every issue in the meeting because he knows how Haines negotiates. "It is the Bruce Haines way or the highway," Broughal said. The hotel planned to handle all of its parking needs through its new parking garage and a continued lease of Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites-owned parking lot on Spring Street. Haines noted the overflow lots would largely only be needed during Christmas and the latter months of the year. The Bethlehem Parking Authority asked Haines to participate in an authority-funded parking study, which would have looked at the expansion's parking impacts, but Haines declined, Karner said. "We just want to understand what this is going to mean for parking," she said. "I hope he'd continue to want to work with the parties to come to the resolution." Haines accused the parking authority of opposing the project from the beginning and delaying it. He alleged that as parking authority solicitor Broughal has a conflict of interest. BRIA Board Solicitor Valentino DiGiorgio III, of Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young, LLP, said Broughal has no conflict. "The parking authority has no horse in this race," Broughal said, dismissing Haines' contention, noting he has no vote on any matter before the authority. The authority offered to build the garage and lease it to the hotel or to manage a hotel-funded parking deck, but Haines was not interested and that was the end of it, Broughal said. BRIA Member Joe Kelly expressed his own concerns about parking, especially the continued use of the Spring Street lots, which may be needed for other things in the future. Broughal said he 100 percent supports the project, but that does not mean he does not have concerns. CRIZ inclusion means putting a tremendous amount of public dollars towards the project over a long period of time and he does not think it currently offers enough public benefits. "I think it is going to make you and your partners a lot of money," Broughal said. The CRIZ designation isn't a grant, the hotel has to earn its increment, Haines said. "Quite frankly, if we don't earn it we go bankrupt," he said. All of the projects that the CRIZ board has already approved have gone through the city land development approval process, which Broughal said Hotel Bethlehem should do as well. Haines argued this desire was news to him and he did not want to spend $100,000 to get approvals without an affirmative vote from the board. "This project doesn't go without the CRIZ," Haines said. "...This project is too high of a risk." Kelly said having land development plans in hand would go a long way to easing his concerns about the hotel's potential future owner. For the expansion to make financial sense and tap into the full possibility of the CRIZ, Haines plans to find a new equity investor in the hotel. This would result in the creation of a new entity to own the hotel, which Kelly said makes him nervous. Land development approval commits the new owner to specific project parameters, Kelly said. Haines has not yet been courting potential investors because he's been awaiting the CRIZ designation. It's a major undertaking that Haines said he's not ready to take on without the enthusiastic backing of the city. The expansion is now roughly a $40 million project; $10 million would come from the new investor, the CRIZ would help fund about $20 million of debt and another $10 million would have to be funded through private debt or another equity owner, Haines said. The CRIZ allows allows property owners to use certain future state and local taxes -- including sales and liquor-- created by CRIZ projects to pay off construction loans. Last November, the city put out a call for developers to submit new projects for inclusion in the zone after the parking authority asked to remove the CRIZ status from 1.3 acres of land it owned because its plans were no longer feasible. The hotel expansion marked the third new project that Donchez backed for inclusion into the almost 130-acre zone. Two have been approved with time restrictions for project completion. Broughal told Haines on Tuesday that the other two projects have eaten up the available CRIZ acreage and that the parking authority would need to decertify more land, likely authority-owned land on Long Street. Donchez's administration has not officially asked the authority to do so, but Broughal imagines it would be amenable to doing so. The mayor wants Long Street decertified and there's been discussions about doing so, but no formal request has yet been made, Karner said. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. With no disqualifying criminal conviction on his record, Daniel Clary was able to buy the gun he's accused of using to shoot a Pennsylvania state trooper last month. The fate of Cpl. Seth Kelly might have changed dramatically if Stanley Davenport Belton had agreed to press charges against Clary after a 2014 fight, or if the owner of a car damaged in that Easton altercation had done the same. Daniel Clary, left, and Stanley Davenport Belton. (Courtesy photos | For lehighvalleylive.com) Had Clary been convicted of more serious crimes stemming from the event, it's possible he would have been denied the right to buy the gun he allegedly used Nov. 7. Clary, 22, is accused of shooting Kelly after a traffic stop on Route 33 in Plainfield Township. The trooper survived and has been released from the hospital. When you fill out the federal form to buy a gun in Pennsylvania, you need to indicate whether you have been convicted of a crime that carries the potential sentence of more than a year in prison. If you answer yes to that question, the sale is supposed be denied, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Clary truthfully answered no. But he's fortunate to have escaped those sort of charges after the events of June 9 and 10, 2014. The fight It was 8:36 p.m. the first night when Easton police Patrolman Timothy Wagner pulled onto St. Joseph Street on Easton's South Side and saw a "large group of males" outside the King Mart in the 100 block, according to a police report obtained by lehighvalleylive.com through a right-to-know request. "I heard loud yelling coming from that area and saw two black males fighting in the parking lot," Wagner wrote in the report. Clary, then 18 and living in the 200 block of West Nesquehoning Street on the South Side, and Belton, 22, and living in the 1000 block of Elm Street in the West Ward, were wrestling against a black 2005 Subaru Legacy that had a New Jersey tag, Wagner wrote. The officer ordered the two to stop, but they initially didn't, the report said. "I managed to separate the pair. Clary complied and stepped away," Wagner wrote. More force was required to take Belton into custody, Wagner added. When speaking with Clary afterward, the then-teenager said he came out of the store and saw Belton, whom he recognized, Wagner said. Belton was with a group of friends, Clary told Wagner. When they greeted each other, "Belton gripped his hand and began shaking it 'hard,'" Clary told Wagner. The handshake continued "vigorously" and Belton "refused to let go," Clary told the officer. Belton "looked back at his friends and let go of his (Clary's) hand by pushing it away," Wagner reported Clary said. "Belton took a fighting stance and threw a punch at him," Wagner related in Clary's view. Clary, who could box, slipped the punch and "began to defend himself," Wagner said. Several punches were exchanged before they fell to the ground, Wagner quoted Clary as saying. They both got up and wrestled, banging into and denting the car, Wagner said. Clary said he stopped fighting and stepped away once he saw police, Wagner wrote. The incident earned Clary a disorderly conduct non-traffic citation, in this case a summary violation. The charge could have been a third-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to a one-year prison sentence, if he persisted in the fight after he was told to stop, the law states. That conviction probably wouldn't have been enough to block the gun purchase since the crime carries a sentence of up to a year, not more than one year in prison. Clary, who had scrapes on his arms and one hand but declined further treatment, was released that night to his parents, police said. Charges declined Another reason there wasn't more than a summary offense citation was due to Belton's decision after the fight. Belton had injuries that required an EMS transport to Easton Hospital, Wagner said. It took several stitches to close a cut to Belton's upper lip and two of his teeth were pushed in, Wagner added. He told police that Clary threw the first punch and "he just reacted," Wagner said. As Belton and Wagner walked back to a treatment room after a CT scan was performed, "Belton informed me that he was not interested in pursuing charges against Clary," Wagner wrote. Later Belton and Wagner left the hospital and returned to the police station. Belton agreed to sign a waiver of prosecution, but only did it after he left the station and Wagner tracked him down blocks away. "Oh, yeah ... I forgot about that form ... Yeah ... I'm good ... It was what it was ... Do you have the form?" Wagner wrote of his exchange with Belton. What charge or charges Clary could have faced isn't clear in the paperwork, but when Wagner read the form to Belton, Belton signed it and left, the police report says. A current address or phone number for Belton wasn't immediately available to request a comment on the incident. There was a two-week delay between the incident and charges being filed due to trouble reaching out to the owner of a car damaged in the fight. The driver of the car told police the Subaru belonged to his son, Wagner wrote. The car's owner would need to get a damage estimate, Wagner said, and then determine if he wanted to pursue a charge of criminal mischief. That count can be a second-degree misdemeanor, carrying a sentence of up to two years in jail and a fine up to $5,000. In this case, since the damage was more likely reckless than intentional, it probably would have been a third-degree misdemeanor, with its lesser penalties, the law states. After days of back and forth, the car's owner decided not to pursue the charge because it could have resulted in his insurance rate rising, Wagner wrote. Clary would be found guilty on Aug. 28, 2014, in district court on the disorderly conduct/fighting citation and would pay a fine of $191 for the June 2014 incident. He paid off the fine by Jan. 2, 2015, records show. While he told the truth about not being convicted of a more serious crime, Clary appears to have lied on his gun purchase application when he was asked "Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to marijuana ...?" Clary was self-medicating with marijuana to deal with mental issues possibly stemming from a series of head injuries, his mother said recently. Clary was being cited with driving under the influence of marijuana just before the scuffle that led to him shooting Kelly, state police said. It was believed Clary was high on marijuana at the time, police said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. America is in a period of fundamental reinvention, and its future will be global, digital and sustainable, an entrepreneur told a Lehigh Valley symposium on Wednesday. "We're totally capable of making this transition," said Peter Leyden, former editor of "Wired" magazine and author of "What's Next" and "The Long Boom." Leyden was the keynote speaker Wednesday at an all-day symposium sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission titled "Move Into The Future Lehigh Valley," held at Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus. The commission is in the middle of developing a regional comprehensive plan, and on Wednesday unveiled DataLV, its new website for the public to access compiled data on the region. Every 50 years or so the country has faced a time of change and crisis that has affected technology, the economy, employment, wealth and politics, Leyden said. He noted he spent the night in a hotel near the Bethlehem Steel campus, which is now home to the Sands Casino, and he tweeted about how the city is "truly a place of reinvention." "America has gone through some very fundamental reinventions. We're in one of them today," he said. An example is how a person used to wait for a taxi to pass them to get a ride, as opposed to now they can call to get a taxi to come to them, a la Uber. "This is what's happening with every system," he said. The move to digital enterprises mean more information and data, and the evolution to AI and robotics, which Leyden said will augment humans not replace them. New technology and integration means easier connections between people and international markets, changing the audience and customers businesses want and need. "The globalization of everything," Leyden said. Leyden showed an excerpt of Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir, where he "conducts" videos that people uploaded of themselves singing. The project involved 185 people from 12 countries. "We've never organized on a planetary scale," he said. "We don't know how to organize, humans don't know how to organize on that level....It's a new era of complex collaboration." The digital revolution "has a lot more running room," and fully global enterprises will continue to grow. One of the challenges people face is climate change, and its effect on water, health and mass migration. The future should focus on the change from unsustainable energy to clean, renewable energy, a fundamental shift. "This is a classic situation where the old system isn't working and the new system hasn't been figured out," he said. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday he is investigating a data breach at a company acquired earlier this year by PayPal Holdings Inc. The breach occurred on TIO Networks, a platform PayPal acquired in July, and prior to PayPal buying the company, Shapiro's office says in a new release. TIO suspended operations last month after discovering data may have been stolen from 1.6 million users in the United States and Canada, the release states. TIO, formerly a Canadian-based payment firm, says it is working to contact its customers, as well as working with its billing partners to notify those potentially affected. "Any individuals whose information may have been affected will be notified if we have your contact information," the company says. "Affected customers will receive a notification explaining what has occurred and what steps to take to take advantage of free identity protection, which includes credit monitoring." TIO Networks makes digital bill payment tools for utilities and operated a network of kiosks in retail stores, according to the AG's Office; many of the consumers who use TIO's payment methods are lower-income consumers. The breach at the PayPal subsidiary comes on the heels of more massive hacking attacks, but there are two layers of good news here. First, PayPal says its platform used by 218 million active account-holders "is not impacted in any way, as the TIO systems are completely separate from the PayPal network, and PayPal's customers' data remains secure." Second, Shapiro lauded PayPal for voluntarily contacting the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection to reveal hackers may have obtained names, addresses, bank account information, Social Security numbers and login details of the affected TIO users. "PayPal did the right thing in alerting our office of the breach, and now is working with us to protect Pennsylvania consumers," Shapiro said in a statement. "I expect other businesses that experience hacks or breaches moving forward will do the same. We will remain vigilant." According to Shapiro's office, PayPal's actions in alerting the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the breach, and in offering free credit monitoring to consumers, contrasts with the behavior of another company after a major data breach earlier this year. Equifax, the credit monitoring service, experienced a massive breach impacting at least 145 million people, including 5.5 million Pennsylvanians. The AG's Office says: "They knew of a potential problem in March, and specifically learned of the breach in July - yet alerted no one until September." Similarly, Uber last month said the personal information of more than 57 million of its ride-hailing customers and drivers had been stolen in October 2016. Yahoo didn't make its first disclosure about hacks that hit 3 billion user accounts during 2013 and 2014 until September 2016. This is what appropriate company behavior looks like. Let @PayPal #BREACH and response serve as a lesson to others pic.twitter.com/eDl8RUUhiN AG Josh Shapiro (@PAAttorneyGen) December 6, 2017 On the Equifax breach, Shapiro -- leading a national investigation of 49 attorneys general -- says he has demanded that the company disclose exactly when it learned of the breach and what it did about it. Equifax resisted initial demands by Shapiro and his colleagues to offer free credit monitoring to impacted consumers, but eventually relented, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. In the PayPal case, the Bureau of Consumer Protection sent a letter demanding: The exact date PayPal discovered the hack. The number of affected users in Pennsylvania and nationwide. The specific kinds of information and data which were compromised. "We want Pennsylvanians who believe they've been affected by this latest breach or the other breaches to file complaints with us," Shapiro stated. "Our goal is to force change in corporate behavior, so companies entrusted with our most secure information take substantive steps and implement the best technology to safeguard it better in the future." The AG's Office invites consumers to contact its Bureau Consumer Protection at scams@attorneygeneral.gov or 800-441-2555, or consumers can visit attorneygeneral.gov to file a complaint. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. TRIBUTES have been paid to a Limerick family struck by a double tragedy, following the death of two sisters in separate incidents in the past week. Patrickswell native Lily Ryan-Alexander, aged 75, was killed in a horrific crash, in which the hired car she and her family was driving collided with a truck on the N25 in Wexford on Monday night. Lily, who lived in Illinois, had crossed the Atlantic to attend the funeral of her sister Winnie, a Patrickswell woman who had moved to Wexford. The tragic incident occurred when she, her husband Doug, 75, and two sons Stephen, 49, and Doug Jnr, 52, were on their way to Winnies wake in Cushinstown. All four were pronounced dead on Monday night. According to reports, as the family pulled into the hard shoulder on the N25, between New Ross and Ballinaboola and appeared to make a U-turn back towards New Ross, before colliding with an articulated lorry. This week has been a double tragedy for the Ryan family, including Lily and Winnies sister Rita and brother Matty, who resides in Patrickswell. Leading tributes, Deputy Niall Collins, from Patrickswell, said that it was a devastating tragedy for the Ryan family, and our thoughts are with the family at this time. It such a horrific tragedy. He added that the incident was beyond comprehension. Metropolitan Mayor Sean Lynch, who also lives in the parish, asked the public to stand in solidarity with the family of the four victims of this horrific road traffic accident. All we can say is that our heartfelt condolences go to Matty Ryan and his family and his wider friends. But words cannot express the sorrow of the whole thing. I am sure they will respect privacy at this time. He added: Any tragic accident, no matter if it is a road traffic incident or otherwise, it is sad. This whole episode is something you dont hear of to have it happen. Its hard to believe that something of this magnitude would happen, to wipe out a family. To hear this news is absolutely devastating. It would be nice to take a moment to say a prayer, light a candle, and stand in solidarity with the family of the four victims of this horrific road traffic accident. Winnie Keevey (nee Ryan), who died last Saturday, had been living with her family in Cushinstown, in Wexford. Parish priest Fr Sean Devereux told the Limerick Leader that the whole community are just shocked and stunned at what has unfolded. As of this Wednesday evening, no funeral arrangements have been made for the Alexander family, from Oak Lawn, in Illinois. On the Craanford-Monaseed parish Facebook page, the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Dennis Brennan stated: Thoughts, prayers and feeling of sadness and compassion are with those in Illinois, Limerick and Wexford and the many other places affected at this time. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to contact New Ross Garda station on 051 426030, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. A NEW Student Centre building looks to be on the way at the University of Limerick, as plans for the design were passed by the colleges Governing Authority. The centre will comprise of a three storey, 3,529 square metre building, and will be in a prime front-of-house location on campus, adjacent to the Stables Complex and the Library. The project will now be submitted to Limerick City and County Council for planning approval. The Student Centre is being funded on a partnership basis between the students and the university. In 2016, the UL student body voted by way of a referendum to support a new student centre, and have agreed to fund 80 percent of the estimated capital cost. The location of the centre will form a new destination for all the university students, incorporating a hang out space and outdoor gathering, relaxation and activity areas, a venue and student union offices, games areas and student services. The building has been designed to house a number of new activities as outlined in the desire list which resulted from a UL student survey. Speaking about the project, UL Student Union president Jack Shelly said: The existing student centre, located in the Stables Courtyard, dates back to 1999 to a time when the student population was half what it is now. In the intervening 18 years, there has been huge growth in the number and membership of student clubs and societies. There is a desperate need for space and facilities for these clubs and societies to operate well. Additionally, the increased services provided by the UL Students Union have outgrown the current student centre, added the ULSU president. UL president, Dr Des Fitzgerald, said: The students have chosen a wonderful design for the centre, which is badly needed to enhance and consolidate facilities for ULSU and for the very vibrant UL clubs and societies which add so much to the UL student experience. The students of UL know the value of excellent facilities and are to be commended for their support of this initiative. They have done this before with the construction of ULs boathouse, when pioneering members of the rowing club identified the need for such a facility and engaged in extensive planning and fundraising in partnership with the kayak, sub aqua club and mountain bike clubs. In 2003, the students voted to extend the student levy to pay for the facility and they have once again rowed in with support of this student centre in what will be a magnificent addition to the UL campus, added Dr Fitzgerald. Construction of the new student centre is planned for completion in 2020. The Governing Authority also approved the construction of an external passenger lift to the rear of the Foundation Building at UL, to provide greater access to the Foundation Building and the University Concert Hall, and to provide increased mobility access from the south campus to the main University Plaza. ONE of Limerick city centres prime retail spots has been honoured with a Limerick Tidy Towns award. Brown Thomas, located in the heart of the city, has won the monthly award for both November and December, for what the judges say is being an integral and positive part of local retail, particularly around Christmas time. Maura ONeill, Limerick City Tidy Towns, said: We usually focus our monthly awards on smaller businesses, but we felt this year that it was important to recognise the hugely positive impact Brown Thomas has had on Limerick city for many years, and how wonderfully their Christmas decorations enhance the heart of the citys retail centre. The impact their festive lights and window displays have at the hub of the city centre is clear for all to see, but throughout the year, the store also consistently maintains an impeccably clean exterior, with regular window cleanings and litter-picks outside all store entrances, and at the rear of the property. "As well as that, when the store acquired new Christmas decorations a couple of years ago, their previous decorations were recycled by way of donation to The Hunt Museum, something that is a vital element of the Tidy Towns ethos, she added. Brown Thomas is the eleventh and final Limerick City Tidy Towns winner for 2017. Other award winners for the year include Nellys Corner, OConnells butchers, Enzos, Billy Higgins Clothing and Narrative Four. All the monthly winners are in with a chance of winning the overall prize for 2017 at the annual Tidy Towns awards to be held early in 2018. If you wish to volunteer with Limerick City Tidy Towns they meet every Sunday morning at 11am at the corner of Thomas Street and OConnell Street, and on Wednesday evenings at 6pm outside the White House during summer months. All are welcome. LIMERICK is set to welcome another top food brand with Mexican food chain Boojum to open in the city, providing a jobs boost in the process. The company has this week sought job applications for a restaurant manager in Limerick. And it appears like the chain will open its doors at the former Danske Bank unit at the Patrick Street-Denmark Street junction, with a huge hoarding erected over the shop frontage. Cllr Vivienne Crowley, who chairs the councils economic committee, has welcomed this new opening, as well as the re-opening of a number of other bars on Catherine Street in the city. She said: We need to encourage people into the city, and that includes students in the university and LIT. Its good to see a focused plan in terms of the nightlife. Boojum already operates stores in Belfast, Dublin, Galway and Cork The Mexican burrito chain was founded by husband and wife team John and Karen Blisard in Belfast with their own savings in 2007. The firm had opened its second outlet in Dublin in 2010, and by 2014 had five locations across the island of Ireland - two in Belfast, two in Dublin and one in Galway. A MAN who is charged in connection with a violent attack in Limerick during which another man sustained serious injuries was granted bail despite garda fears of reprisals and further serious incidents taking place. Liam Higgins, aged 49, of no fixed abode, is accused of assaulting Anthony ODonovan causing him harm at Garryglass Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston on November 1, last. The 30-year-old victim sustained a number of serious stab wounds and is likely to lose one of his fingers as a result of the assault, which happened shortly before 12.30pm. It is alleged the incident was connected with a local dispute which has erupted in the locality. Opposing bail, Detective Garda Paul Crowley said it will be alleged the defendant was one of three men who got out of a car and set upon Mr ODonovan who had been walking with his girlfriend. He was subjected to a vicious attack, he said adding the victim was initially treated at University Hospital Limerick before being transferred to Cork University Hospital where he is under the care of a plastic surgeon. Judge Marian OLeary was told Mr ODonovan sustained significant lacerations to his scalp, lower back, thigh and to his abdomen, A number of tendons on his right hand were also badly injured and he may lose one finger and will never regain full use of the other three. Detective Garda Crowley said it will be alleged the incident is connected with a dispute between a number of families which has erupted in recent months. He said there have been a several tit for tat incidents and that he fears there could be a further escalation up to and including a loss of life. Solicitor John Herbert said his client had cooperated with gardai following his arrest last week and that he was willing to abide by any conditions imposed by the cour. Judge OLeary granted bail subject to an independent surety of 10,000 being approved by the court and the defendant providing an address outside of the city. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has decided to abolish the requirement to keep obligatory reserves which banks are to store in correspondent accounts in the central bank every day as of the beginning of the new operation day, according to a posting on the NBU's website. "Each bank had to keep 40% of the amount of funds subject to mandatory reservation and storage on the correspondent account of the central bank. According to the decision of the NBU Board, this figure will be reduced to 0%," the NBU said. Accordingly, the National Bank also abolished the requirement regarding the permitted number of cases of reducing the daily balances of mandatory reserves on the correspondent account in the central bank during three retention periods. The period of retention of required reserves remained from the 11th of the current month and to the 10th day of the following month. In the future, banks when meeting the requirements for mandatory reserves will be required to comply with the established reserve requirement only on average for the relevant period of retention. Mandatory reserve ratios are still 6.5% for deposits of companies and individuals in national and foreign currencies repayable on demand, as well as funds on current accounts, and 3% for fixed deposits of companies and individuals in national and foreign currencies. The amendments are approved in NBU Board decision No. 752-rsh dated November 23, 2017 and will take effect on December 25, 2017. - The moratorium on the sale of agricultural land, even after invalidation on January 1, 2018, will be extended automatically until the adoption of the land market law, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Maksym Martyniuk has said. "The ministry's position is that there is no need for a separate way to extend the moratorium. It acts automatically until the law on the land market is drafted. All these laws on extension of the moratorium are political games," he said at a press conference in Kyiv. According to him, the government intends to submit to the parliament the law on the land market when the document has support among the deputies. "The government will file the bill [on the land market] when it sees that it will be supported in the parliament. I hope very much that it will be next year," Martyniuk said. As reported, a number of political forces in the parliament advocated the extension of the moratorium on the sale of land. SigmaBleyzer could set up fund for investment in energy sector, gas production in Ukraine SigmaBleyzer Investment Company is studying the possibility of creating an investment fund in Ukraine that will be oriented to the energy sector, in particular gas production, Vice President of SigmaBleyzer Ukraine Vadym Bodayev has said. "SigmaBleyzer plans to involve in partnership a Texas-based operator company that owns more than 200 wells in the United States, uses a unique technology and has more than 50 years of production experience," he said after signing a memorandum of cooperation with the Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine in Kyiv. According to Bodayev, the Texan company, whose name he did not specify, estimates the Ukrainian gas production market as very promising and will act as an operator of the project, while SigmaBleyzer will be a financial investor. "At the initial stage, we plan an investment of $100 million," he said. Bodayev said SigmaBleyzer is currently negotiating with several companies that have a license to use subsoil for gas production in Ukraine for their purchase. The European Union has reiterated that the fight against corruption in Ukraine is a key element in the development of bilateral relations, and also emphasized the Ukrainian authorities have to ensure the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). "The fight against corruption is a key element in the development of EU-Ukraine relations, upon which the success of other reforms rests. The public disclosure of a corruption investigation by the General Prosecutor Office significantly weakens the capacity of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to effectively conduct investigations and undermines public trust in an effective fight against corruption," EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic said in a statement published by the EU Delegation to Ukraine on Tuesday. She recalled that Ukrainian authorities have to reinforce their efforts to ensure the independence, operational capacity and full effectiveness of the anti-corruption institutions. "The work of these institutions must not be undermined but reinforced," the statement reads. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The As plans to build a 35,000-seat ballpark in downtown Oakland near Lake Merritt derailed Wednesday when the community college district that owns the land halted talks with the baseball team. The abrupt move shocked the As, who hired a design team last month for the ballpark and had support from Peralta Community College District Chancellor Jowel Laguerre, who had touted the benefits of collaborating with the team. Now Playing: Many businesses in Oakland gathered at the Marriott Hotel on Monday to support the new Oakland A's stadium proposal to be built near Peralta Communnity College. Allie Rasmus reports. Video: KTVU But at a Tuesday night closed-door meeting, the college districts board of trustees ordered Laguerre to end his talks with the As, a decision Laguerre announced Wednesday morning that was immediately hailed as a victory by students and faculty who adamantly opposed the teams plans to move next door. Laguerre, however, later suggested to The Chronicle that theres still hope for a ballpark at Laney: I would never say the door is closed. The decision is to discontinue the engagement. Thats all it is. Who knows what the future may hold? ... Weve come to the realization that the best thing for us is to stop, look at our needs, and then look at potential partnerships that could be aligned with our mission. Nonetheless, the As, whose leaders have been working with neighborhood, business and religious groups in the area to build support for a ballpark they hoped to open in 2023, appeared to take the trustees decision as a defeat. We are shocked by Peraltas decision to not move forward, the As said in a statement. All we wanted to do was enter into a conversation about how to make this work for all of Oakland, Laney, and the Peralta Community College District. We are disappointed that we will not have that opportunity. Its unclear what the teams next step will be. As President Dave Kaval previously told The Chronicle there was no Plan B if the ballpark site near Laney College didnt work out. City officials, meanwhile, have been largely silent over the teams plans to build a ballpark at Laney. In a statement to The Chronicle, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he wants talks for an Oakland site to continue. We applaud the efforts by the Oakland As over the last year to engage the community in an open dialogue about their new ballpark, Manfred said. Todays news comes as a surprise, and we urge Oakland leaders to rejoin the conversation. Major League Baseball officials have long viewed the site of the As current home, the Coliseum, as an optimal one because of existing infrastructure and proximity to freeways and BART. They might be more inclined to support the team building a ballpark there now, especially with a shorter timeline for completing a stadium. In directing Laguerre to end talks with the As, the trustees told him to focus on whats best for the college and its students and faculty. Trustee Nicky Gonzalez Yuen said the board unambiguously told the chancellor to end discussions with the As. I came to the conclusion that, one, as a district it was really out of our scope, Yuen said, adding that he was speaking for himself. We didnt have the capacity to study this carefully. Two, the likelihood of it resulting in anything that would benefit Peralta was very minimal. ... And, three, there were so many outstanding questions about the impacts on the local community. The As plans to build a ballpark at a 15-acre property near Laney College faced steep opposition from some community groups and Laney College students and teachers. Counsel for the Peralta Federation of Teachers Local 1603 and members of the Associated Students of Laney College both voted against the ballpark. Chris Weidenbach, co-chair of the Laney College English Department, said if ballpark plans are indeed canceled, Were elated. A ballpark would massively disrupt all of our lives and the educational mission of our college, he said. On Wednesday, a coalition of faculty and students opposed to the ballpark demanded a firm commitment from the chancellor that the As plans are off the table completely. The Stay the Right Way coalition planned to march on the chancellors office in the afternoon. This is a victory for all of us who have been working to make Laney and Oakland places where working-class people of color can thrive, said Alvina Wong, who is with the coalition. The Peralta Board of Trustees did the right thing by putting the interests of Laney students and the surrounding communities first. We need to know that the chancellor is committed to doing the same, and that he wont try to revive this stadium plan again next year. Kaval had promised to work with students, teachers and residents on a community-benefits plan that would include workforce training, affordable housing and other deals. The team said the ballpark will be privately financed by its owners. Near Lake Merritt and Interstate 880, the site on which the team wants to build a ballpark is owned primarily by the Peralta Community College District. The city and Union Pacific Railroad own part of the land as well. Oakland politicians had given only lukewarm support to the teams preferred site. Mayor Libby Schaaf wanted the ballpark built at Howard Terminal along the Jack London Square waterfront. City Council President Larry Reid hoped it would stay at the Coliseum site in his East Oakland district land that he and other advocates described as shovel-ready because environmental-impact and other necessary plans were finalized years ago. On Wednesday, Schaaf reiterated her support for keeping the team in Oakland. Oakland remains fiercely determined to keep the As in Oakland, Schaaf said in a statement. It is unfortunate the discussion with Peralta ended so abruptly, yet we are committed, more than ever, to working with the As and our community to find the right spot in Oakland for a privately financed ballpark. By 2020, the As are likely to be the last remaining pro sports team in Oakland. The Raiders opted to move to Las Vegas after getting a lucrative public-financing stadium deal from Nevada, and the Warriors are moving to San Franciscos Mission Bay neighborhood, where an arena is under construction. Whether the As will pursue another site in Oakland, or try to continue working with the college district, remains to be seen. Last week, at a meeting of the Coliseum Authority board, Reid said Kaval told him that privately financing a ballpark at the Coliseum site wouldnt be feasible. The authoritys executive director, Scott McKibben, said Kaval told him that the team estimated $240 million in annual revenue if it stayed put, but $325 million if it moved downtown next to Laney College. After getting word of the college boards decision, some City Council members including Rebecca Kaplan said they should immediately start working with the team on a deal at the Coliseum. That site could house a new As ballpark, along with shops, bars, restaurants and hotels to create a vibrant and successful environment, Kaplan said in an email. Proponents of the site next to Laney College said it would be a boon to the Peralta College system, whose financial reserves are rapidly shrinking. Longtime As fan Steve Stevenson, who owns 1-2-3-4 Go! Records in Oakland and strongly supported either of the two downtown sites, said he was disappointed in the college districts decision, which he called short-sighted, but he didnt think it would force the team to leave the city. It seems like the Peralta system could use a deep-pocketed partner that has an incentive to help them thrive. (The As) were basically asking people, Tell us where to write checks, Stevenson said. The Coliseum is a bad choice. Maybe itll be at Howard Terminal. Hopefully theres a secret Plan C. Chronicle staff writer Susan Slusser contributed to this report. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov A special operation in a tent camp near the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday morning was conducted in connection with the search for Georgian ex-president and Ukrainian politician Mikheil Saakashvili on the orders of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, the communications department of Kyiv police reported. "In the morning, on the orders of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, the police and the Security Service of Ukraine carried out steps to search for and detain Saakashvili," the police said on Wednesday. Law enforcers stressed that during the search for Saakashvili in the camp, activists provoked the police. After the clashes, the number of police officers was increased. "The activists were explained the purpose of the police presence, but the former began to attack law enforcement officers. A squabble started, but nobody was detained as a result. Four law enforcers were injured. They have bruises and fractures. The information about other injured parties is upcoming. Some of the activists were in the tent camp, others in the lobby of the Kyiv Hotel with the MP," the police said. The 103 emergency hotline received no reports about injured activists. On Wednesday morning, MP Yehor Sobolev on his Facebook page published a live stream from the tent camp in which he said nine participants of the action were injured and were tended to by the camp's medical staff. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With 2017 winding down, CPS Energy is running low on money for residential solar rebates and could tap into funds set aside for commercial projects. Through Dec. 2, the city-owned utility had allocated more than $10 million of the $15 million it started using in April. Of that amount, $9 million was set aside for residential projects and $6 million for commercial. Nearly $8.2 million has been allocated for residential projects while only $2 million has been allocated for commercial. If the residential funds run out, CPS Energy is allowed to use the remaining commercial funds for both residential and commercial projects on a first-come, first serve basis, said Rick Luna, CPS Energys senior manager of product development. The current rebate is 60 cents a watt and gives up to a 10 cent additional rebate for projects that use locally-made modules and inverters. The previous rebate had been 80 cents a watt. CPS Energys board approved the $15 million fund of solar rebates in January after the previous $30 million fund, approved at the end of 2015 and expected to run through 2018, ran low. Luna said the $15 million started being used in April and was expected to last between 12 and 18 months. At this point Luna expects the $15 million fund will last, in total, for 12 months, though he said forecasting in solar is a tricky business. Were certainly cognizant that were probably several months away (from running out of funds) but at this point I cant really comment on future tranches or funding levels, Luna said. CPS Energy has been allocating money for solar rebates under the Save For Tomorrow Energy Plan, or STEP, which aims to save 771 megawatts of daily power use by 2020, enough to power 150,000 homes a day over a hot Texas summer. CPS Energy has saved 602 megawatts of daily power usage through STEP initiatives. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Lawyers for indicted state Sen. Carlos Uresti say steamy text messages sent between one of his co-defendants and Denise Cantu of Harlingen were wrongfully withheld and cast doubt on her credibility as the governments star witness in his upcoming criminal trial. Uresti contends that federal prosecutors failed to obey court rules by timely turning over the text messages, which he believes may help exonerate him. Urestis legal team led by Tab Turner filed a court motion Monday to force prosecutors to disclose any other information that might help to his case. READ ALSO: What we know about Sen. Uresti's connection to FourWinds Uresti, Stan Bates and Gary Cain were indicted in May on 22 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and other crimes for their roles in a now-defunct oil field services company called FourWinds Logistics. Uresti served as the companys outside legal counsel for a short time and recruited Cantu as an investor. She is slated to testify against Uresti, a San Antonio Democrat. Now Playing: State Sen. Carlos Uresti speaks after his hearing at the federal courthouse on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, following his indictment relating to a fraudulent scheme at now-defunct oil-field services company FourWinds Logistics. Video: Billy Calzada /Express-News Bates was the companys CEO and Cain was a consultant. The trios trial is scheduled to start Jan. 4. The "sext" messages between Cantu and Bates are relevant because they raise doubts about Cantus credibility, Turner says. Screen shots of the text messages submitted as an exhibit to the filing are laced with sexually explicit content in between discussions about the performance of Cantus investment in FourWinds. At one point, Bates tells Cantu that he misses her and she replies I miss you too.. I miss just being able to talk to you, and not about business, according to a copy of the messages. And (expletive) me, Bates responds. Cantu later says, Lets get this agreement over with and I wanna ride the (expletive) outta you. PHOTOS: FBI, IRS raid state Sen. Carlos Uresti's San Antonio law office Turner argues in the filing that the text messages clearly contradict the Governments ongoing efforts to create the impression that Ms. Cantu was an honest, unwitting, and innocent victim who placed great reliance on Defendant Uresti when in fact the truth shows that she was working quite closely, and obviously intimately, with Defendant Bates Urestis defense team received the texts in question last week, or nearly two years after the government obtained them, Turner says. He described them as exculpatory evidence that should have been turned over earlier. The defendant is concerned that the Government may be suppressing more evidence, whether due to the FBI or some other reason, Turner says. In one of their tamer exchanges, Bates told Cantu it was his birthday. Happy Birthday, she wrote back, adding some birthday cake, smiley face and other emojis I OWE YOU Birthday Sex. According to the filing, the FBI interviewed Cantu in January 2016, or less than a month after it received the texts from Bates bankruptcy lawyer. During that interview, the filing says, Cantu denied having any form of sexual relationship with either Bates or Uresti. Prosecutors then became concerned about her truthfulness, Turner says in the filing. The U.S attorneys office told Cantus lawyer, Oscar R. Alvarez, that it hurt the investigation and her credibility. She was misleading and we therefore need her to correct the statement as soon as possible so as to mitigate any damage to her credibility, prosecutors told Alvarez, according to Urestis filing. Prosecutors turned over their correspondences with Alvarez to Urestis legal team. Cantu met with the FBI again in April 2016 where she told agents that she previously lied about having a sexual relationship with Bates because she feared her children would find out and was both ashamed and embarrassed, Urestis filing says. Alvarez didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Alvarez told the San Antonio Express-News in June that Cantu and Uresti had an intimate relationship that went on for months, which Uresti has repeatedly denied. Turner reiterated Urestis position that he never had an intimate relationship with Cantu. And, subsequently, after being pressured by the U.S attorneys office, she changed her story, Turner said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Blackwell declined to comment. The six screen shots of text messages were included in an email that Bates sent to his bankruptcy lawyer in Dec. 16, 2015. The email had the subject line Cantus (sic) agrees on Uresti commission. Uresti earned a 3 percent commission, or $27,000, on Cantus $900,000 investment with FourWinds in 2014. Bates told Cantu in the text messages that she and FourWinds would each share 45 percent of any profits from her investment, while Uresti would get 10 percent. Thats great, Cantu replied with a smiley face emoji. Cantu knew all along that Uresti was getting a commission on her investment, Turner said. One of (prosecutors) primary claims is that (Uresti) had a duty to disclose that information to her, Turner said. Well, the evidence shows that he did disclose that to her. Prosecutors have argued that financial difficulties drove Uresti to exploit and defraud Cantu, a mentally and emotionally vulnerable client, who is identified in the indictment as Victim 1. Uresti was part of a legal team that won Cantu a settlement following in the deaths of two of her children in 2010. Cantu then invested $900,000, or the bulk of the settlement, with FourWinds, which bought and sold sand used in fracking to extract oil and gas from shale rock. She lost about $800,000 on her investment. In an unrelated matter, Cantu was arrested last month by Harlingen police and charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, both felonies. Its the second time this year that she was been charged with aggravated assault, court records show. pdanner@express-news.net The piece: "Hello, Trees" The artists:Daily tous les jours Where:Discovery Green's Brown Promenade, 1500 McKinney Why: We can't hear trees talking, but scientists know they communicate. Melissa Mongiat and Mouna Andraos, the tech artists commissioned to create this year's winter sound and light installation at Discovery Green, celebrate that while nudging people to communicate with each other in fascinating ways. After visitors speak or sing a message into recorders at either end of the Brown Promenade, custom, live-processing software transforms their voices into a progressive sound and light experience. At stops along the way, speakers play back the sound, altering it slightly. At the first stop, the playback sounds fairly natural. But at successive stops, it morphs into something more digital - you, too, can sound like Laurie Anderson! - and then evolves, built from your intonations, into contemporary piano chords. Overhead, colored lights capture the track of the sound, flowing through a series of arched tubes. It only takes one to play. But when there are multiple participants, who can speak simultaneously into the microphones from either end of the path, the conjoined sound can be quite the symphony - or cacophony. Mongiat called the piece "a fun experiment." She and Andraos famously created a swing set in Montreal several years ago that functioned as "a collaborative musical instrument," lighting up and playing as humans used it. "Hello, Trees" plays with a similar idea. The Discovery Green Conservancy has hired artists to create dazzling nocturnal experiences for several years, but previous projects were created elsewhere and adapted. "Hello, Trees" is the first installation the conservancy's art committee has commissioned from scratch. Daily tous les jours' work always starts with science, but the point is to draw people closer to each other and the environment. "Cities are becoming more populated. There are a lot of questions about sustainable development and how living in cities is more sustainable than living in suburbia," Mongiat said. "So the question of being closer to nature is important in this context; finding a new way to bring nature in." Until this year, perhaps the greatest piece of moviemaking about Dunkirk was only part of a movie: It was a breathtaking sequence of the massive World War II evacuation, filmed in one astonishing five-minute take that dramatically punctuated the movie "Atonement," directed by Joe Wright. Now Wright returns with a fully fledged Dunkirk film: "Darkest Hour" is already receiving awards chatter for Gary Oldman's deliciously crafty portrayal of the film's main subject, a newly minted British prime minister named Winston Churchill. But this isn't just film-as-backdrop for a towering central performance. Wright brings his signature good taste - including sumptuous, jewel-box sets and elegantly staged set pieces - to an enterprise in which Oldman's hugely enjoyable star turn is equaled by similarly well-judged performances from Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Mendelsohn. Handsomely filmed, intelligently written, accented with just a dash of outright hokum, "Darkest Hour" ends a year already laden with terrific films about the same subject - including the winsome comedy-drama "Their Finest" and Christopher Nolan's boldly visual interpretive history "Dunkirk" - and ties it up with a big, crowd-pleasing bow. "Darkest Hour" begins in May 1940, when the war is already underway in Europe, accommodationist forces still hold sway in Britain, and German troops have taken France, setting their sights on the island across the English Channel. When Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is forced to resign, the vagrant winds of fortune blow in Churchill's general direction: Although he has recently been in the "wilderness" after a disastrous political career, he's deemed the most acceptable choice among flawed contenders. "It's not a gift," he says grumpily when the PM position is dangled before him. "It's revenge." Following the template of the most riveting biopics, screenwriter Anthony McCarten eschews the soup-to-nuts Wikipedia approach, instead drilling down into the period that would shape Churchill into the iconic figure whose high-toned comportment and rhetoric seem like dimly remembered dreams today. "Darkest Hour" features many of the humorous Churchill-isms that make him enduringly beloved: the cigar, the long baths, the love of champagne, the cuddly-curmudgeon wit. But it also gets to the canny, self-aware operator beneath the avuncular surface: When he broadcasts his first big speech, his actorly instincts take over, and it's clear he's a natural who's best on his feet and under pressure. The evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk would be his first definitive act as prime minister, and "Darkest Hour" chronicles his decisions whether to capitulate or fight as the crisis of invasion grows more imminent. The filmmakers note that he's not above lying to the public, but his love for the country is never in doubt, an idea expressed in the film's most bogus but unapologetically entertaining scene, set on a crowded London subway car in which the aristocratic Churchill enjoys a fleeting connection with the everyday people he seeks to both serve and rally to his side. It's a classic movie-moment, but "Darkest Hour" is even better during interstitial encounters between Churchill and his wife, Clementine (Scott Thomas), and King George VI, portrayed by Mendelsohn with disarming delicacy and pathos. Working behind layers of makeup and prosthetics, Oldman proves why he's considered one of the greatest screen actors of his generation, delivering a fully inhabited characterization that rewards the audience's appetite for familiar speeches and gestures, but also takes into account Churchill's talent for self-invention and stagecraft, statesmanship and political survival. As a portrait of leadership at its most brilliant, thoughtful and morally courageous, "Darkest Hour" is the movie we need right now. --- Four stars. Rated PG-13. Contains some mature thematic material. 125 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. Winston Churchill lived a life that was long and not entirely uneventful, as he once put it, and so its only fitting that he should be the subject of movies. Hence, across the veil of years, we have seen tall Churchills, obese Churchills, sloppy Churchills, gross Churchills and scowling bulldog Churchills, and yet not one movie or TV Churchill has come close to giving us the man in full, both in look and spirit, until Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour. For viewers interested in history, the fascination of this performance the sense of actually seeing events we have only imagined has no comparison in impact besides that of Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln. There he is not tall, not especially fat. There he is, not just the voice, but the gestures, which combined an older mans stiffness with a boys enthusiasm and energy. Oldmans main accomplishment, however, is in the way he captures the many nuances of Churchills demeanor and personality. There was something rather cute about Churchill, something lovable about him, which is not to say that Oldman goes around trying to be cute and lovable. Rather, he is irascible and impossible and sentimental and romantic and frustrated. But in all ways, this Churchill is human and authentic, and fighting alone to save his country and the world from Nazi barbarism. Directed by Joe Wright, who visited this era to memorable effect in Atonement, Darkest Hour deals with the brief span between Churchills appointment as prime minister and the fall of France in World War II. It was the period in which Britain had to decide whether to fight on alone or to pursue some kind of negotiated peace on Adolf Hitlers terms. In Churchill, Britain had a fighting prime minister, but his government was split on the subject, and there loomed a real possibility that Churchill might swiftly be replaced. This is a story that is rarely told, and when told, rarely emphasized. Most Americans are familiar with the period that followed, Britains finest hour, in which the nation faced Hitler alone for a full year, resisting submarine attack and aerial bombardment. Darkest Hour tells the story that preceded it, in which an outgunned, peace-loving nation looked into the abyss and found the will to risk everything. Churchill was the key to that channeling of the national will. But whats especially effective about the film, and about Anthony McCartens screenplay, is that we get to see that this was no obvious decision. King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) looks upon Churchill as a dangerous old romantic, and whats more, we understand, through Oldmans performance, why anyone might feel that way. The movie puts very good arguments for peace essentially surrender into the mouth of Lord Halifax. If we know anything about history, of course, we know that Halifax was dangerously, horribly wrong, but Stephen Dillane, who plays Halifax, sounds like the voice of reason compared with Churchill, who was, after all, emotional and quixotic and drank almost enough liquor every day to drown a horse. So, as we watch, we agree with Churchill because we know how things turned out. But the movie makes us wonder: Would we agree if we were actually in that room? As was the case with Lincoln, all the idiosyncrasies that make Churchill human and beloved in retrospect made him a bit suspect in his own time. Wright, whose long, unbroken shot of Dunkirk in Atonement was breathtaking, finds moments to insert visual flair into a movie thats mostly about a man going from room to room, either arguing with people or trying to buck them up. In one scene, Wright shows a British officer in France as seen from above, then moves the camera through the roof and slowly upwards, high into the sky, until we arrive upon the sight of a German bomber, dropping its payload. Though Darkest Hour is about grand strategy and policy, much of it is about the personal. Lily James plays one of Churchills secretaries and effortlessly embodies the freshness of a new generation and Churchills responsibility to the future. We see Churchill in dark moments of doubt, coping with a degree of stress we can hardly imagine. He takes strength in the common people he meets and especially in the advice of his wife, Clementine, rightly played by Kristin Scott Thomas as indulgent yet sensible a stern corrector, when necessary. Darkest Hour is a persuasive window into history, and so arresting in its portrait of one of the 20th centurys most important leaders that every minute of it is absorbing. It runs for two hours, and its only flaw is that it doesnt go on for six or seven more. I could have easily watched Oldman as Churchill go through the Battle of Britain and past it, all the way up to his speech before a joint session of Congress, a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Some movies are just so good that they make you feel grateful to the people that made them. Darkest Hour is one of those movies. Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle Darkest Hour Drama. Starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Dillane and Lily James. Directed by Joe Wright. (PG-13. 125 minutes.) If there's one thing that all Texans love, it's a good ole-fashioned rivalry. Especially when grub is concerned. Last Sunday, the Bayou City and Lone Star State capital went head to head at the third annual Houston BBQ Throwdown, hosted by Saint Arnold Brewing Co. and the Houston Barbecue Festival. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Want a night out with some fine actors, inspired dancers or enlightening music? This guide gets you there. Theater "Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight" Pop-music-influenced holiday musical. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, through Dec. 24; $30-$108; Hobby Center, 800 Bagby; 713-558-8887, tuts.com. "Reckless" Craig Lucas' dark holiday comedy. Presented by 4th Wall Theatre Company. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 16; $17-$53; Studio 101, 1824 Spring; 832-786-1849, 4thwalltheatreco.com. "Rhinoceros" Eugene Ionesco's absurdist classic about people turning into animals. Presented by the Catastrophic Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; pay what you can, $35 suggested donation; MATCH, 3400 Main; catastrophictheatre.com. "A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas" Charles Dickens' classic tale returns. Presented by the Alley Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, through Dec. 30; $44-$80; 615 Texas; 713-220-5700, alleytheatre.org. "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley" Jane Austen spiritual sequel by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Presented by Main Street Theater. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 17; $39-$45; Rice Village, 2540 Times; 713-524-9196, mainstreettheater.com. "A Midnight Clear: A Musical Tale of Christmas" New holiday musical by David Nehls and Kenn McLaughlin. Presented by Stages Repertory Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, through Dec. 24; $25-$68. 3201 Allen Parkway; 713-527-0123, stagestheatre.com. "Panto Cinderella" Holiday comedy, with music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin. Presented by Stages Repertory Theatre. 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Wednesday, through Dec. 31. $25-$59; 3201 Allen Parkway; 713-527-0123, stagestheatre.com. Classical/Opera An Evening With Peter Sellers Famed "Nixon in China" director returns to Houston to discuss the impact the Dunhuang Buddhist cave sites have had on his creative expressions. 4 p.m. Thursday; free; Texas Asia Society, 1370 Southmore; 713-496-9901, asiasociety.org/texas "The House Without a Christmas Tree" Based on the beloved children's novel. Presented by Houston Grand Opera. 7 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 17; $25-$102; George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas; 713-228-6737, houstongrandopera.org. Dance "The Nutcracker" Choreographer Stanton Welch's lavish holiday spectacular for Houston Ballet is being adapted for two venues this year, on a "hometown tour" forced by Hurricane Harvey. 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 23 at Smart Financial Centre, 18111 Lexington, Sugar Land; at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 30-Jan. 6; 100 Bagby; $35-$165; 713-227-2787, houstonballet.org. "Unemojional" Group Acorde performs choreography and music by founders Roberta Paixao Cortes, Thomas Helton, Lindsey McGill and Seth Paynter; with guest Anat Grigorio of Israel. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Rec Room HTX, 100 Jackson; $15-$20; groupacorde.org. Saakashvili says he does not know Kurchenko Leader of New Forces Movement, ex-head of Odesa Regional Administration and former Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili has said he is not acquainted with disgraced fugitive Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, a business crony of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia in early 2014. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has accused Kurchenko of financing anti-government protests led by Saakashvili near the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. "That movie with Kurchenko I saw when Ukraine's Interior Ministry fabricated a video with Russian oligarch Mazepin. I am not personally acquainted with Kurchenko. I don't know much about him, but I do know [Russian President Vladimir] Putin quite well. They should have posted [my] conversation with him right away," Saakashvili said on his Facebook page on Tuesday. Saakashvili said, "For the last two weeks, participants in the tent protest allegedly financed by Kurchenko since September are blocking the oil pipeline stolen by Kurchenko-Medvedchuk and Poroshenko." "So this means Kurchenko is financing the protest camp that is blocking his oil pipeline!? The first parliament deputy who brought this up with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is Yuriy Derevianko," he added. Earlier on December 5, PGO chief Yuriy Lutsenko demonstrated more than 30 minutes of digital audio recordings in which men purported to be Saakashvili and Kurchenko discussed funding anti-government protests. Saakashvili has called the recordings "fake." Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said that non-combat losses in the Ukrainian Armed Forces have shrunk by five times. "The problem of non-combat losses exists in all armies around the world and in our country. If we compare it with previous years, the number of such losses has decreased by five times. This year, we have 90 such cases, and this is a progressive trend. However, not everything has yet been done by commanders and specialists in the selection of personnel," he said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and the 1+1 television channel. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 16-year-old boy has been detained in connection with the fatal shooting of a teen whose body was found in a brushy area of the Cheyenne Park over the weekend, authorities said. Late Monday, U.S. Border Patrol contacted Laredo police saying they had located the juvenile suspect near the border with a group of immigrants who had entered the country illegally, said Investigator Joe E. Baeza, LPD spokesman. Police took custody of the juvenile and charged him with murder. He is accused of shooting and killing Jesus Alberto Trevino, 15. READ MORE: Lawsuit filed in 14-year-old boy's death caused by downed power line Police said Trevino was shot several times throughout various parts of his body. The Laredo Fire Department had said he also had a gunshot wound to the head. "Detectives were working throughout the whole weekend once they identified the victim," Baeza said. "They were able to assess and collect several eyewitness accounts and other findings in the case, that are not being disclosed, about the ongoing feud between the suspect and the victim." He declined to comment on the motive. MORE ON LMTOnline.com: Suspect arrested in Zetas cartel auto theft ring investigation A woman jogging on a trail found Trevino's body and called police. First responders were dispatched at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday to an area about one block west of the Sioux Drive and Sitting Bull Lane, about half a block away from the bike trail. Investigators believe the shooting took place where Trevino was located, Baeza said. No gun or casings were recovered from the scene, according to police. The suspect was taken to the Webb County Youth Village. READ MORE: Two teens arrested after allegedly damaging vehicles The Webb County Attorney's Office is tasked with prosecuting juveniles. He could face the possibility of being certified as an adult and be prosecuted by the Webb County District Attorney's Office. "Currently, the Webb County Attorney's Office is waiting on additional evidence that will be submitted to this office by the Laredo Police Department. After reviewing all the evidence, we'll make a determination on how we're going to proceed on this homicide," First Assistant County Attorney Rolando Garza said in a statement. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, a longtime New York City Democrat who campaigned as a populist with little loyalty to the Republican Party, is increasingly choosing to govern as an unwavering conservative. His first major legislative victory probably will be a $1.5 trillion tax cut that primarily benefits corporations and the wealthy. He is filling the courts with deeply conservative judges who will shape the legal landscape for generations. And although Trump has struggled to chalk up wins on Capitol Hill, his Cabinet departments are rolling back scores of Obama-era policies on energy, education, the environment and law enforcement. Just this week, Trump cut two of Utah's national monuments established by Democratic presidents to a fraction of their original size and was preparing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a step long sought by hawks. At the same time, many of the more populist proposals that Trump championed as a presidential candidate - including promises to curb imports and spur $1 trillion in new spending on infrastructure projects - remain stalled. "For the past year, he's done pretty much everything conservatives could have wanted," said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union. "In the past, Republican presidents have done conservative things to appeal to the base and then done not-so-conservative things to try to broaden their appeal. They've kind of ping-ponged. Trump has really doubled down." The pattern has become so pronounced that even some of Trumps's Republican critics acknowledge that - beyond the inflammatory tweetstorms, name-calling and other antics - he is pushing an agenda friendly to their interests and has not aggressively pursued anti-trade moves and other actions that would alarm them. "As someone who's been critical of Trump, there's a lot that his administration is doing that I like," said Doug Heye, a Republican consultant and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, who said he was particularly pleased with Trump's judicial picks and other personnel choices. The conservative tilt is explained in part by Trump's staff and Cabinet picks, who have been given freer rein by the White House to pursue their own agendas than in past administrations. Those picks - and subsequent policy choices - were heavily influenced by Vice President Mike Pence who unlike Trump has a long history of championing conservative causes. At a Values Voter Summit in October, radio host and Republican pundit Bill Bennett declared that Trump's Cabinet was more conservative than that of President Ronald Reagan. Bennett served in that Cabinet as education secretary. Trump has installed the likes of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who hails from the oil-and-gas state of Oklahoma. Pruitt used his previous post as the state's attorney general to sue the EPA over its Clean Power Plan, the principal Obama-era policy aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. As EPA administrator, Pruitt is leading the charge to repeal the measure. Other conservative Republicans aggressively pursuing an agenda at their departments include Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Although the investigation of Russian meddling in last year's election has been the most visible aspect of Sessions's tenure, he has also been reshaping policies in his department. Those include a new charging and sentencing policy that calls for prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges possible and efforts to strip funding from cities with policies he considers too friendly toward undocumented immigrants. Trump's marquee efforts with Congress - the failed attempt to overhaul the Affordable Care Act and the ongoing push to cut taxes - are largely the work of Republican lawmakers cheered on by the president. "It's a White House that has largely ceded the ground on legislation to Capitol Hill," said a GOP consultant close to the White House, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly. "So any actions they take are likely to be conservative because of the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate." Just after taking office, Trump pulled out of the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership - one of many actions that he promised to take to crack down on what he saw as unfair trade deals. But he has not followed through on threats to label China a currency manipulator or impose tariffs on imported Chinese goods. Nor has Trump made sweeping changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. His campaign rallying cry to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure projects and to build a southern border wall also remain distant prospects. Although the likely success on a tax bill is leading some Republicans to be more enthusiastic about Trump, that is hardly a universal view among his GOP critics. "If the question is whether I'm willing to put up with Donald Trump and the poison he injects into the office for some judges, the answer is no," said Mac Stipanovich, a Florida-based GOP consultant. "We're engaged in a war about the truth and whether the truth matters. That's more important than taxes." Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard, said Trump is doing damage to the conservative cause, regardless of policy victories. He said the fact that both the GOP health-care bill and tax plan poll very badly with the public is a reflection of Trump's inability to explain conservative policy to the nation, which could have lasting consequences. "The failure to make an argument has been very damaging," Kristol said. More broadly, Kristol said, Trump has done little to advance key principles such as free markets, constitutionalism, limited government and American leadership in the world. "It looks more like he's doing favors for his buddies in the business world than doing something driven by conservative principles," Kristol said. Although Trump did not make energy and the environment a central focus in his campaign, he and his deputies have enacted more concrete policy changes in this arena than almost any other domestic priority. Some of them have been dramatic, including the president's decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement in June on the grounds that the deal did not advance American interests. During the first months of the administration, the president signed several bills passed under the Congressional Review Act that abolished some of the last rules issued while Obama was president. He also greenlighted construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, two controversial projects Obama had effectively halted while in office. Trump traveled to Utah on Monday to sign proclamations reducing two monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, by 85 percent and 46 percent, respectively. The monuments are just the first of about a dozen protected areas he plans to shrink or alter on the grounds that his predecessors failed to heed concerns raised by local residents or affected industries. But it is in the regulatory realm that Trump's election arguably has had the biggest impact. Both Pruitt and Zinke have begun to reverse dozens of Obama-era rules on issues ranging from greenhouse gas emissions to oil and gas drilling. These include the reversal of rules limiting carbon emissions from existing power plants and methane emissions from oil and gas operations on federal land, as well as restrictions on drilling in national parks and wildlife refuges. Trump's efforts to reshape the federal judiciary have also given conservative Republicans something to applaud. During the campaign, Trump sought to shore up the support of conservative voters by promising to pick Supreme Court justices from a list put together with the help of the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Trump's first pick, was among those on the list. Since approving Gorsuch, the Senate has confirmed nine of Trump's appellate judges and six district court judges, many with the backing of the same conservative groups. The courts are, for many Democrats, a vital backstop against many of the changes Trump has tried to bring about, especially by executive order. But some in the party are growing wary of the speed with which the GOP is insisting on confirming conservative judges over the objections of Democrats. Republican senators broke with long-running practice last week when they scheduled David Stras, a Minnesota Supreme Court justice, for a confirmation hearing to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing - the first step in the confirmation process - took place despite the fact that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., had not assented to Stras's nomination as a home-state senator. With no power to filibuster, Democrats are stuck watching as the GOP approves several relatively young and conservative judges to lifetime appointments on the federal and appellate courts - appointments that could over time dramatically swing the political direction of the federal bench. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, recently noted that in Trump's first year in office, the Senate has confirmed more of his circuit court nominees than for any president since Richard Nixon. --- The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report. An embattled federal consumer watchdog agency has agreed to suspend its investigation into a Virginia-based company accused of preying on detained immigrants. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - plunged into disarray last month by dueling directors - will pull back on its probe of Libre by Nexus until a federal judge rules on a lawsuit that the company filed against the agency. The agreement came not long after the bureau was gripped by chaos. On Nov. 24, the bureau's longtime director, Richard Cordray, resigned and named his chief of staff as acting director until the Senate could confirm a permanent replacement. A few hours later, however, President Donald Trump announced his own pick for the job: Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Last week, a federal judge sided with Mulvaney. Monday's agreement to suspend the investigation into Libre sparked fears that the bureau was shelving investigations under its new leadership. It was made the same day that Mulvaney told reporters he is reviewing the agency's ongoing investigations and lawsuits. But John Czwartacki, a spokesman for the OMB who is also a senior adviser at the bureau, said that suspending the inquiry into Libre was not a sign of a broader shift. "I know of no other changes along the lines of [this] case," he said. Mike Donovan, chief executive of Libre's parent company, Nexus Services, celebrated the suspension of the investigation as a "win." "It's about time," he said in a news release. "My company has already spent tens of thousands of dollars dealing with the CFPB just to get to this point." Libre by Nexus helps post bond for people being held in immigration detention centers while they wait for their cases to be heard in backlogged courts. In exchange for their freedom, immigrants sign contracts promising to pay Libre $420 per month while wearing the company's GPS ankle devices. Those contracts have been the subject of lawsuits and allegations of fraud by immigrants who said that they did not understand them. The company has denied wrongdoing. The CFPB was created by Congress, after the 2007 mortgage-lending crisis, to regulate banks, payday lenders and other financial institutions. In a civil investigative demand, or CID, that it sent to Libre on Aug. 22, the bureau sought records on Libre's more than 15,000 current and former clients to determine whether the company was acting as a lender without proper oversight and was engaged in "unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices." Libre filed a petition to block the demand, arguing that it was not a lender and so was "not subject to the demands of the CFPB." The company also argued that the bureau's demand was "excessively vague and overbroad" and would cost 8,060 hours of work and $204,160 to fulfill. In an Oct. 11 reply, Cordray insisted that the bureau was authorized to investigate if Libre had broken the law and demanded it produce the requested records within 10 calendar days. Libre instead sued the bureau in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Five days later, the bureau filed its own suit seeking the documents. Monday's agreement to suspend the investigation into Libre came as a surprise, said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg of the Virginia-based Legal Aid Justice Center, who has been a critic of Libre. "It's anything but regular," he said. "My concern is that this is the first of many important CFPB investigations that will be indefinitely put on ice." A video Libre released last month adds to the surprise surrounding the agreement. Titled "More powerful than the President," it accused the bureau of "corruption" and labeled its investigation a "witch hunt." WASHINGTON - Eight graduate students were arrested Tuesday protesting the Republican tax plan outside the Capitol Hill office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the latest demonstration against legislation that students fear will make their education less affordable. Graduate students say their taxes will skyrocket if a proposal to treat their tuition benefits as income makes it into the final version of the legislation. Universities waive tuition for graduate students willing to work as teaching and research assistants. Those waivers are exempt from taxation, but House Republicans want that to end. "I can't afford to complete my degree if the exemption goes away," said Bill Russell, who is pursuing a master's in cinema studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His tuition is nearly $37,000 a year, while his stipend is about $13,000. "There is no extra money to pay more taxes." Russell was one of two dozen graduate students, community organizers and adjunct professors who camped out in front of Ryan's office Tuesday to speak out against the provision and other proposals they say would harm working families. Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said officers arrested and charged nine people with crowding and obstructing. All were processed and released within hours of the incident. Benjamin Groebe, a doctoral candidate in astrophysics at Washington University in St. Louis, was among those arrested. Groebe said he had to stand up for classmates who fear they would have to leave school if the tax exemption were repealed, even though he is at a point in his program at which he no longer pays tuition. Tuition for the 2017-2018 academic year at the university's graduate school is $50,650. Groebe and other research assistants receive a stipend of about $21,000 a year, money that is taxed by the federal government. If the tuition exemption is repealed, those research assistants would see their taxable income rise to more than $71,000, despite only taking home a fraction of that amount. "I know a lot of people who just wouldn't be able to afford that, and they'd have to drop out," he said. "The Republican response to that would be, 'Go take out more loans.' Loading up on debt is not sustainable. I have colleagues with children, and it's already difficult for them to get by on their stipend. Adding this tax is just not feasible." Nearly 55 percent of graduate students had adjusted gross incomes of $20,000 or less, and nearly 87 percent had incomes below $50,000 in the 2011-2012 academic year, according to the most recent data from the Department of Education. During that same period, 145,000 people pursuing master's and doctoral degrees benefited from tuition waivers, the majority of which were awarded to students in science, technology, engineering and math fields. In a letter to House and Senate leaders Tuesday, Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, said the tuition exemption "is critical for developing the science and technology workforce pipeline that employers need to propel our nation's economy forward." Tuesday's demonstration, organized by the Service Employees International Union, arrives a week after thousands of graduate students staged walkouts in protest over the GOP tax plan. Aside from tuition waivers, students say they are concerned the House version of the tax overhaul would eliminate student loan interest deductions and curtail state and local tax deductions to the detriment of public higher education. They are also concerned that House Republicans want to consolidate higher education tax credits in a way that would largely cut them out of the benefit. The Senate bill that passed Saturday would not touch the interest deduction or tuition waivers, and several Senate Republicans have said they doubt those provisions would make it into the final tax legislation. Still, graduate students say they must remain vigilant. Even if the GOP hands President Trump a bill that excludes many higher education provisions, the impact that tax reforms could have on working families is of great concern, Groebe said. "There is a lot to be upset about in this bill," he said. "It's a bill that takes from a lot of people in order to give to people who already have a lot. That doesn't make any sense,especially now when it's increasingly difficult for people to improve their standard of living. This is the last thing we need." Leader of the Movement of New Forces party, former head of Odesa Regional Administration and former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is suspected of committing a crime falling within the scope of three Ukrainian Criminal Code Articles, Larysa Sarhan, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian prosecutor general, said on Wednesday. "Saakashvili has been declared wanted on suspicion of committing a crime under Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 15 Part 1, Article 28 Part 2, and Article 256 Part 2," Sarhan said on Twitter on Wednesday. The search for Saakashvili has been assigned to units of the National Police Service and the Security Service. The articles in question deal with a conspiracy to commit a crime (Article 15, Part 1), the commission of a crime by a group of people acting in collusion or by a criminal organization (Article 28, Part 2), and complicity with members of criminal organizations and concealment of their criminal activities (Article 256, Part 2). If found guilty, Saakashvili may face from five to ten years in prison. Saakashvili's lawyers have said that declaring their client wanted was unlawful, as he was not lawfully indicted and not lawfully detained. JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Israel's "irreplaceable" relationship with the United States in his first public remarks after the Trump administration said it would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, but he did not address the move directly and instead stressed the threat of Iran. Netanyahu lauded Israel's expanding relations with the world as he spoke at a diplomatic conference in Jerusalem, describing a "tsunami of diplomatic, economic, security and technology ties." However, he said relationships being built with the Arab world could not be fully realized until an agreement is reached on Palestinian territories, and he called on nations around the world to do more to counter expanding Iranian influence. A spokesman said he is waiting until after the official announcement to comment. On the sidelines of the conference, Netanyahu said that Israel's "historical and national identity is receiving recognition, especially today," the newspaper Haaretz reported. President Donald Trump is expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a speech later Wednesday and order the relocation of the embassy there, according to senior aides. Israel sees Jerusalem in its entirety as its undivided capital, while Palestinians hope that East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1967, will be the capital of their future state. While Trump's planned move has been publicly welcomed by many Israeli politicians, it has the potential to unsettle Israel's growing relations with Sunni Arab nations at a time when they share an interest in countering the perceived threat of Iranian expansion in the region - as well as spark protests and torpedo the White House's nascent peace efforts. Palestinian officials have reacted with anger, and Trump's plans have triggered bleak warnings from Middle Eastern nations that say the move would be detrimental to peace and the region's stability. The move would shift decades of U.S. policy, going against an international consensus that the status of the city should be decided in a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Other members of Netanyahu's coalition government at the event welcomed the move. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the right-wing Jewish Home party, called for other countries to follow suit. "The recognition by the U.S. and other countries will make clear to Palestinians that they must accept the existence of Israel and must conduct real negotiations of peace with Israel," said Intelligence Minister Israel Katz. "We expect the international community to accept Trump's decision." "Israel is duty bound to express its satisfaction and joy, and, yes, this is their capital and they want this recognition," said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at the Britain-based Chatham House. "But they also know it can cause some trouble and will create reaction, mostly negative. How negative? That's the question." While Arab nations have expressed public discontent, they may decide that their shared interests with the United States and Israel are too strategically important to genuinely jeopardize. Still, the moving of the embassy is not necessarily a priority for Israel, he said. "They can't say no, obviously, but I sense that quietly a few people are thinking, thanks but no thanks," Mekelberg said. Daniel Shapiro, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Israel for six years under President Barack Obama, said the issue was never "raised seriously as a high priority" by Israeli officials during his tenure. "They had many higher strategic priorities," said Shapiro, now a senior fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. "Today they think that about the relationship with the [Persian] Gulf states, and those aren't going to disappear because of this, but certainly it makes things more tense." In an attempt to lobby against the move, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called world leaders, including Pope Francis, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to one of his aides. But Trump appears set on fulfilling his campaign promise, regardless of the regional consequences. Palestinian factions have called for three "days of rage" beginning Wednesday if Trump makes the move. Reaction on the streets was limited in the run-up to Trump's speech. Citing "widespread calls for demonstrations" in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the State Department advised U.S. citizens to avoid crowds and restricted movement for government employees and their families. In the Turkish capital, Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jordan's King Abdullah II warned that the U.S. move plays into the hands of terrorists. Erdogan called for an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the Jerusalem issue on Dec. 13. Noting that "Jerusalem is protected by U.N. resolutions," Erdogan told a news conference after talks with Abdullah: "No one has the right to play with the lives of billions of people for personal gain, because such a move would only serve the purposes of terrorist organizations." Abdullah said: "There is no alternative to the two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement and . . . to the stability of the entire region. . . . Ignoring the Palestinian, Muslim and Christian rights in Jerusalem will only fuel further extremism and undermine the war against terrorism." Erdogan on Tuesday called Jerusalem a "red line" for the Muslim world and threatened to cut ties with Israel. In an open letter to Trump, Christian church leaders in Jerusalem urged him Wednesday not to change U.S. policy on the city. "We are certain that such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division," they said. "Our solemn advice and plea is for the United States to continue recognizing the present international status of Jerusalem. Any sudden changes would cause irreparable harm." Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday that the U.S. plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital is "unlawful" and could bring "irreversible consequences" in the region. Also Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, slammed the decision on Twitter, saying it was taken "out of despair and debility." "On the issue of Palestinian territories, their hands are tied & they can't achieve their goals," he said. "Palestinian territories will be free." Before meeting Wednesday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said it would be a "grave mistake" to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy. "It will not bring any stability or peace, but rather chaos and instability," he said. "Not only [in] the Muslim world. The whole world is reacting, and the whole world is against the possibility of this decision." Cavusoglu said he had already told Tillerson this, "and I will tell him again." "Jerusalem is a very delicate subject in the world of Islam," Yildirim said at a news conference in the South Korean capital, Seoul, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. "Wrong steps in this direction would bring irreversible consequences," he said, adding that such a move could "bring a new conflict between religions." The Egyptian, Saudi and Jordanian governments all released statements on Tuesday warning of the consequences of the decision after their leaders spoke with Trump. --- The Washington Post's Erin Cunningham in Istanbul and Carol Morello in Brussels contributed to this report. Washington The Supreme Court entered the latest battleground in the culture wars on Tuesday, hearing arguments in a hard-fought clash between gay rights and claims of religious freedom that was a sort of sequel to the court's 2015 decision establishing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The new case involves the refusal of a Colorado baker, Jack Phillips, to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, and it had some justices worried that a ruling in his favor would undermine the 2015 decision's promise of equality. But other justices said that a tolerant society must leave room for good-faith dissent based on religious principles. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who almost certainly holds the crucial vote, said both things. He asked whether a baker could put a sign in his window saying, "We do not bake cakes for gay weddings." A lawyer for the Trump administration, which supports Phillips, said yes, so long as the cakes were custom-made. Kennedy looked troubled. "You would not think that an affront to the gay community?" he asked. Later, though, Kennedy said a state civil rights commission that had ruled against the baker had been "neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips' religious beliefs." The case arose from a brief encounter in 2012, when David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Phillips' bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, in Lakewood, Colo. The couple were going to be married in Massachusetts, and they were looking for a wedding cake for a reception in Colorado. Phillips turned them down, saying he would not use his talents to convey a message of support for same-sex marriage as that would clash with his religious faith. The couple say they were humiliated by Phillips' refusal to serve them, and they filed a complaint with Colorado's civil rights commission. Kristen K. Waggoner, a lawyer for Phillips, said the state should not be able to force him to endorse same-sex marriage in violation of his religious principles. But she took a different position about whether a baker could refuse to create a cake for an interracial marriage. Solicitor General Noel J. Francisco, the Trump administration lawyer, also said it would be harder to justify discrimination against interracial couples than gay ones. "Race is particularly unique," Francisco said. That distinction did not seem to sit well with some justices. And David D. Cole, a lawyer for the couple, said it would relegate gay and lesbian couples to "second-class status." But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the court's 2015 decision had anticipated good-faith disagreements over gay unions. "It went out of its way to talk about the decent and honorable people who may have opposing views," Roberts said, referring to Kennedy's majority opinion. (The chief justice had dissented.) The remark was a sign of Kennedy's central role in the new case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, No. 16-111. He is the court's most prominent defender of gay rights and its most committed supporter of free speech. Libya, facing mounting pressure over the mistreatment of migrants seeking a path to Europe, will work to crack down on human smugglers, but European nations must do more to address illegal migration, the head of Libya's U.N.-backed government said this week. Fayez al-Serraj, prime minister of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), said he expects results soon from an investigative committee tasked with looking into reports that African migrants are being bought and sold at underground "slave markets" in western and southern Libya. The issue, brought into focus by a CNN report, has created difficult questions for Serraj even before his first official visit to Washington. Reports of migrants being auctioned off to perform manual labor have triggered protests in Western capitals and brought threats of retaliation, including sanctions, at the United Nations. In an interview, Serraj said his government was seeking to identify those who may be involved in such auctions, if they are taking place as depicted. "This will require joint intelligence efforts by all countries in order to pressure these organizations, if they exist," he said. "They need to be hit with an iron fist." But the prime minister also sought to highlight the responsibility of migrants' countries of origin, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, and of European nations, where migrants hope to end up. "We call on the international community, the European Union and African countries to work with us to end this humanitarian crisis. Libya cannot bear sole responsibility for this," Serraj said. The prime minister said European nations have been slow in responding to a phenomenon that had resulted in some 20,000 migrants being held in special detention centers across Libya. He urged increased European pressure on African authorities and expanded development activity that might reduce migration. Serraj noted some European nations were seeking to shut out migrants at the same time they criticize Libya for failing to care for those who make their way across its porous borders. Serraj arrived in Washington last week to meet with U.S. leaders, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The high-level visit underscores the Trump administration's interest in restoring stability to Libya, which has been gripped by violence and political feuds since the revolution that ousted Moammar Gaddafi in 2011. Serraj's GNA was established following a long U.N. mediation process designed to unify rival governments. While the GNA is recognized by Western powers, it wields limited authority outside the Libyan capital and must exert influence through allied militias. Hanan Salah, senior Libya researcher with Human Rights Watch, said Libyan authorities had taken little action to address years of migrant mistreatment, including forced labor. She said this abuse continues by forces aligned with the GNA, including the coast guard and those in charge of migrant detention centers. "Despite limited reach on the ground in western Libya, the GNA has failed to break the cycle of impunity and has been slow to proactively investigate, prosecute and hold perpetrators to account," Salah said. Serraj said no migrant auctioning like CNN depicted had occurred at government-affiliated detention centers, but the investigation would seek to determine whether it had taken place elsewhere. U.S. officials hope Serraj's government will succeed, in part because they see a viable counterterrorism partner. U.S. Special Operations forces provided support to GNA-aligned local fighters who last year cleared the Islamic State from Sirte, a major stronghold on Libya's coast. About 50 U.S. troops remain in Libya in an effort to ensure the Islamic State and other militant groups aren't able to threaten Europe or the United States. Serraj expressed hopes for continued security cooperation and said his government would work to address extremist groups. It's not clear what effect if any the criticism regarding Libya's handling of the crush of migrants might have on its partnership with the United States. The Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, is urging Libyans to set aside their differences and form a unified government that would end the country's de facto partition. Ben Fishman, a former White House official and associate fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the migrant situation could not be separated from the larger political crisis in Libya. "Without a longer-term political solution in Libya, and, more importantly, demobilizing the militias, the crisis of poor treatment of migrants stuck in Libya will almost certainly continue," he said. --- Sudarsan Raghavan contributed to this report. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, said Tuesday that he plans to introduce emergency legislation in January that calls for tougher sentencing for repeat offenders who commit a felony using a gun, part of a crime-fighting package to stem the violence in Baltimore and across the state. Hogan wants to double the minimum criminal penalty, increasing it from five years to 10 years without parole or probation. He also will propose "truth in sentencing" legislation that would require repeat violent offenders to serve their full sentences without suspension, parole or probation and stronger laws targeting gangs that would allow prosecutors to try cases across jurisdictional lines. The legislative package comes as Baltimore experiences a surge of violence, including a record number of homicides for the third straight year. "Truth in sentencing legislation is to get the worst violent offenders who repeatedly victimize our communities off our streets," Hogan said during a news conference in Baltimore, surrounded by local, state and federal law enforcement officials. "It is unacceptable where we have a system, particularly in Baltimore City, where repeat gun criminals are getting a slap on the wrist and then being released back onto the streets to commit yet another felony with a gun." Hogan also announced that he has instructed state law enforcement - including the Maryland State Police, the transit police and Capitol police - to increase their presence in Baltimore. State officers will not be policing city streets, Hogan said. "It will be more visibility, more coordination," he said. "This is still Baltimore City's responsibility; we're not going to step on anyone's toes. We're trying to provide as much backup and support as we possibly can." The State Police, along with 80 U.S. Marshals, will help with serving "high priority" warrants, and more than 200 state parole and probation officers will provide assistance to the city to locate offenders. Several Democratic candidates for governor slammed Hogan for waiting until a year before his reelection bid to address Baltimore's violence. "After three years of his 'War on Baltimore,' killing transportation projects, cutting education funding, and squashing projects to create jobs, it's a little late for recycled half-measures," Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz tweeted. Last week Hogan raised concerns about Mayor Catherine Pugh's crime-fighting strategy, saying he didn't know what it is. He repeated those concerns Tuesday. Asked whether his legislative package would include money for recreation centers, free community college tuition and other programs promoted by advocates and Pugh, Hogan said his strategy offered immediate steps to reduce violent crime, not long-term recommendations that "perhaps over decades would lower some crime." He said he doesn't consider Pugh's push for money for educational or housing programs to be "an immediate violent crime plan or strategy." Amanda Smith, a spokeswoman for Pugh, declined to comment. She said Pugh would respond to questions Wednesday during a previously scheduled news conference. This summer, as the murder rate continued to climb, Pugh met with Hogan to ask for state assistance to stem the violence. He said the state has provided financial help in those efforts. The governor then held a meeting with members of the Baltimore Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, where he raised concerns about the sentences handed down by judges. Thirteen people, including 11 policemen, injured in clash at tent camp near Rada in Kyiv Thirteen people, including 11 law enforcement officers, had been injured in clashes in a tent camp near the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada as of 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday. "It's been determined that eleven law enforcement officers and two civilians were injured in the incident," the Kyiv city police department said. It was reported earlier that, in pursuance of a Prosecutor General's Office instruction, police and Security Service officials conducted an operation to search for and detain Movement of New Forces party leader Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday morning. When the personnel appeared at the tent camp, activists provoked them into using force, the department said. As of 08:30, the police department said four law enforcement officers had been injured. Parliamentarian Yehor Sobolev, who streamed the events in the tent camp on his Facebook page on Wednesday morning, said that nine people involved in the protest had been injured. Washington Rep. John Conyers Jr., under intense pressure to resign amid allegations that he sexually harassed former employees, announced Tuesday that he would leave Congress immediately, and he endorsed his son, John Conyers III, to succeed him. Conyers, 88, the "dean" of the House and the longest-serving African-American in history, acquiesced to weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats, but by trying to keep his Detroit-area seat in the family, he touched off a family feud between his 27-year-old son and his great-nephew, Ian Conyers, a state senator from Michigan who also plans to run in a special House election. Ian Conyers said his great-uncle had encouraged him to run for the seat days before deciding to step down. Now the two younger Conyers will most likely face off in what may become a battle over the legacy of John Conyers, D-Mich. Conyers held out for weeks after BuzzFeed News published documents last month that showed he had settled a sexual harassment case with an employee who said she was fired after refusing his advances. But by Tuesday morning, he had given in. "I am retiring today," he told "The Mildred Gaddis Show," a local radio program, from a hospital in Michigan. "My legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we are going through now," he said during the interview. "This, too, shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children." John Conyers III, who has not held elected office, was cited on suspicion of speeding in his father's congressional vehicle in 2010, according to The Detroit Free Press. His father reimbursed the Treasury Department more than $5,600 for the commandeering of a government vehicle for personal use. The younger Conyers describes himself as "a partner at Detroit's first minority-run hedge fund." House Speaker Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House minority leader, had each said Conyers should resign. Washington President Donald Trump forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Trump told leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan in phone calls that he intends to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The president is to publicly address the question Wednesday. The United States has never endorsed the Jewish state's claim of sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem and has insisted its status be resolved through Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. The mere consideration of Trump changing the status quo sparked a U.S. security warning Tuesday. America's consulate in Jerusalem ordered U.S. personnel and their families to avoid visiting Jerusalem's Old City or the West Bank, and urged American citizens in general to avoid places with increased police or military presence. Trump, as a presidential candidate, repeatedly promised to move the U.S. embassy. However, U.S. leaders have routinely and unceremoniously delayed such a move since President Bill Clinton signed a law in 1995 stipulating that the United States must relocate its diplomatic presence to Jerusalem unless the commander in chief issues a waiver on national security grounds. Trump is likely to do the same, U.S. officials said, though less quietly. That's why he plans to couple the waiver with the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, according to the officials who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Key national security advisers including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have urged caution, according to the officials, who said Trump has been receptive to some of their concerns. The concerns are real: Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital could be viewed as America discarding its longstanding neutrality and siding with Israel at a time that the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been trying to midwife a new peace process into existence. U.S. officials, along with an outside adviser to the administration, said they expected a broad statement from Trump about Jerusalem's status as the "capital of Israel." The president isn't planning to use the phrase "undivided capital," according to the officials. Such terminology is favored by Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and would imply Israel's sovereignty over east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek for their own future capital. The Jerusalem declaration notwithstanding, one official said Trump would insist that issues of sovereignty and borders must be negotiated by Israel and the Palestinians. The official said Trump would call for Jordan to maintain its role as the legal guardian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy places, and reflect Israel and Palestinian wishes for a two-state peace solution. Still, any U.S. declaration on Jerusalem's status ahead of a peace deal "would harm peace negotiation process and escalate tension in the region," Saudi Arabia's King Salman told Trump Tuesday, according to a Saudi readout of their telephone conversation. Declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the king said, "would constitute a flagrant provocation to all Muslims, all over the world." In his calls to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II, Trump delivered what appeared to be identical messages of intent. Both leaders warned Trump that moving the embassy would threaten Mideast peace efforts and security and stability in the Middle East and the world, according to statements from their offices. Despite Trump's comments to world leaders, U.S. officials said an embassy announcement wasn't seen as imminent. Instead, they said Trump on Wednesday would likely sign a waiver pushing off any announcement of moving the embassy to Jerusalem for another six months. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump raised the possibility of a government shutdown ahead of a meeting with Democrats for a second consecutive week on Wednesday, even as tensions on Capitol Hill appeared to diminish after hard-line House conservatives backed off plans to oppose a short-term stopgap. "It could happen," Trump said about a potential shutdown before a White House Cabinet meeting, pointing to Democratic demands on immigration policy. "The Democrats are really looking at something that is very dangerous for our country." "They want to have illegal immigrants pouring into our country, bringing with them crime, tremendous amounts of crime," he added. "We don't want to have that. We want to have a great, beautiful, crime-free country." Top congressional leaders from both parties are set to meet with the president Thursday at the White House as they seek a deal on lifting spending caps that would allow more funding for the military and nondefense programs. Democrats are also expected to bring up a potential deal on immigration that would include protections for at least 790,000 "dreamers," immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children. Plans for a meeting between the president and leading Democrats scheduled last week fell apart after Trump tweeted, "I don't see a deal," hours beforehand. The issue cast then, as now, was immigration. "Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes," Trump wrote on Nov. 28. Responding to Trump's statement on Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in a statement did not indicate Democrats would be backing out of Thursday's meeting. "President Trump is the only person talking about a government shutdown," she wrote. "Democrats are hopeful the President will be open to an agreement to address the urgent needs of the American people and keep government open." This week, the bigger issue for Republicans seeking to avoid a shutdown has been fellow Republicans. Leaders of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus emerged from meetings Wednesday morning with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., saying they had not yet decided whether the group's three dozen members would back the two-week stopgap favored by the GOP leaders. But they said they had backed off pushing for a longer-term spending bill and were instead focused on setting up a more advantageous fight with Democrats shortly before Christmas. "We're hopeful that in the next few hours we'll be able to figure out a strategy where we don't have to rely on any Democrats to make this work, and I think that's what we're all about," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., meanwhile, made a trip across the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, meeting in McCarthy's office with several House members. Two aides familiar with the meeting but not authorized to discuss it publicly said the lawmakers discussed the legislative agenda for weeks ahead. After a monthslong detente during which they worked alongside House leaders to advance Republican health care and tax bills, the hard-liners in the Freedom Caucus have reasserted their presence this week as Friday's shutdown deadline looms. They want GOP leaders to take a firmer stance in negotiations with Democrats - including opposing efforts to link an increase in defense spending, supported by most Republicans, to an increase in nondefense spending, favored by Democrats. "They know that Republicans want to fund the military, Democrats know that," Meadows said. "And so what they do is they hold that hostage in trying to get things that are not in the best interest of the American taxpayer, and so it is truly trying to have a real plan to break that." Meadows and fellow Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said they are seeking to make it as difficult as possible for Democrats to oppose spending bills that hike spending on the military but not on other domestic programs. Democrats have the ability to demand changes in the spending bills because Republicans do not have enough Senate votes to block a Democratic filibuster in that chamber. And in the House, conservative Republicans have tended to oppose spending bills in recent years, forcing GOP leaders to solicit Democratic votes to keep government operating. House Republican leaders are hoping to make a show of strength this week by demonstrating they could pass an extension of funding till Dec. 22 with Republican votes alone, but the Freedom Caucus's demands have complicated that effort. Earlier this week, the group floated a Dec. 30 expiration date, claiming it would help the GOP's negotiating position. Meadows backed off that proposal Wednesday: "I don't know that the Dec. 30 deadline is as much the issue now as it is about breaking this defense and nondefense wall." The drama comes as House and Senate negotiators are seeking to finalize a Republican tax overhaul that would represent a crowning legislative achievement for the GOP in a year otherwise devoid of them. Different versions of the tax bill have passed the House and Senate and now must be reconciled. Conservative leaders say they are concerned that GOP leaders may use the hoopla surrounding a final vote on the tax bill to obscure a separate vote on spending legislation that could include numerous Democratic priorities. Earlier in the day, Meadows told reporters that conservatives were not keen on creating any "distractions" before the tax legislation becomes law. "We've got to get across the finish line on tax reform, any distraction from that is a problem, and so the general consensus of most of our members is we want to talk to leadership and make sure that we've got tax reform on the right track, and that may allow for greater flexibility on some of the spending issues." Asked if a shutdown would be a distraction, he said, "Of course." WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday plans to upend decades of U.S. policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to that city, senior aides said, a decision that could derail the White House's peace efforts and spark regional unrest. Trump will make his pronouncement in a midday speech after months of deliberation within his administration and consultations with governments in the Middle East. But in a sign of the complexities of such a shift, White House aides emphasized that Trump will sign another six-month waiver maintaining the embassy's current location in Tel Aviv because the process of moving it will take at least three or four years. Without the waiver, which has been signed by every U.S. president for more than two decades, crucial State Department funding to the embassy would be cut off. The president began informing his counterparts in the region of his decision Tuesday, prompting warnings from several countries that the move would inflame Muslims and disrupt progress toward a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. U.S. allies in Europe, including France, also have opposed such a change in policy, and the State Department sent a classified memo to embassies in the Middle East late last month warning of potential anti-American protests. "Our president said, 'You don't have anything that would make up for this on Jerusalem,' " said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who said Abbas had personally briefed him on the call. Abbas told Trump that he would "not accept it" and warned that the president was "playing into the hands of extremism." But Trump "just went on saying he had to do it," Shaath said. In Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem, said King Salman bin Abdul Aziz warned Trump "that such a dangerous step of relocation or recognition of Al-Quds as the capital of Israel would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world." The backlash from other Middle East nations mounted Tuesday. Speaking to the Turkish parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said American recognition of Jerusalem would be a "red line" for Muslims, possibly forcing Turkey to cut diplomatic ties with Israel that were recently renewed after a six-year hiatus. Senior White House officials described Trump's decision as the fulfillment of a key campaign promise that has broad bipartisan support in Congress. They emphasized that the move will not fundamentally change other aspects of U.S. policy. For example, they said, Trump remains supportive of a two-state solution, if that's what the parties agree to, and the administration is maintaining the status quo on Jerusalem's holy sites. The officials said Trump is simply recognizing the reality that Jerusalem has historically been Israel's capital and that most of the nation's government - including the prime minister's office, the Supreme Court and the legislature - is based there. "For a long time, the U.S. position held ambiguity or a lack of acknowledgment in hopes of advancing the process of peace," said one senior administration official, who along with two others spoke on the condition of anonymity at a briefing for reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "It might have been reasonable under certain circumstances and times. Certainly, it's been tried. But . . . it seems clear now that the physical location of the American embassy is not material to a peace deal." Another U.S. official said after the briefing that while Trump will reiterate his commitment to the peace process during his speech, the White House recognizes that "some parties" might react negatively. "We are still working on our plan, which is not yet ready," said this official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "We have time to get it right and see how people feel after this news is processed over the next period of time." Former CIA director John Brennan on Tuesday called recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv "reckless and a foreign policy blunder of historic proportion." In an email statement, he said the action "will damage U.S. interests in the Middle East for years to come and will make the region more volatile." No other countries have their embassies in Jerusalem, with a long-standing international consensus that the city's status should be decided in a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Palestinian factions jointly announced three "days of rage," beginning Wednesday, to protest the potential U.S. Embassy move and recognition of Jerusalem. In a statement, they called on supporters around the world to gather in city centers and at Israeli embassies and consulates to voice their anger. In a statement late Tuesday, the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem urged American citizens in Israel to avoid large crowds or areas where security had been increased, and ordered its staff members and their families to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank except for "essential" business. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which contains most of the important holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, after the 1967 war with Arab powers. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while many Israelis and some in the United States consider the city sector to be already and irrevocably under Israeli administration. Some of Trump's prominent Jewish backers appear to hold that view, although he has said he wants to honor Palestinian sovereignty through a mutual settlement. U.S. officials did not identify any prospective location for the new embassy, and said it will take years to plan and build to meet security concerns for the roughly 1,000 diplomats currently headquartered in Tel Aviv. But the officials emphasized that the move will not prejudice Palestinians' claims to East Jerusalem, strongly implying that only sites on the western side of the pre-1967 Green Line will be considered. "This doesn't speak to final-status issues," a third administration official said, referring to the thorniest disputes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - those that are assumed to be in limbo until completion of a final peace settlement. The officials said the decision was made with the support of Trump's envoys seeking a long-elusive peace deal, an assertion meant to counter warnings that the change would unleash fresh Arab violence. They offered no specifics to support the claim that the move would not spoil the peace initiative headed by presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The aides said, however, that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other State Department officials were closely involved in the deliberations. The White House said a call was also scheduled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesman for his office declined to comment. Other advocates of recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital have pointed to Russia as an example. Moscow declared West Jerusalem to be the Israeli capital earlier this year, and the announcement produced no wave of violence or diplomatic backlash. The U.S. position is more charged, however, because of Washington's historic role as a peace broker. Jordan's King Abdullah II said the move would undermine U.S. efforts to resume the peace process, according to news reports. The Egyptian government said President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in his conversation with Trump on Tuesday, "reiterated Egypt's unwavering position with regard to maintaining the legal status of Jerusalem within the framework of international references and relevant U.N. resolutions." - - - Morris and Ruth Eglash reported from Jerusalem. Gearan reported from Berlin. Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: President Trump is expected to give a speech Dec. 6 announcing a plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv, despite warnings from Arab leaders.(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) Embed code: The East-West Gateway Council of Governments recently honored a regional non-profit organization and Madison County. Madison County and HeartLands Conservancy received an Outstanding Local Government Achievement award for the Upper Silver Creek Watershed Plan. The Upper Silver Creek Watershed Plan is a road map that communities, agencies and landowners can follow to improve water quality, reduce flooding and support healthy wildlife habitats. Madison County Stormwater Coordinator Steve Brendel said the county is delighted to have the planning effort recognized. The county is committed to addressing stormwater and flooding issues and we worked hard with this plan to identify where and what the issues were, with lots of assistance from county residents and experts, Brendel said. The watershed plan became a flagship for countywide stormwater planning in the Metro East. Its success has spurred the creation of three more watershed plans in Madison County and a fourth in St. Clair County. HeartLands Conservancy Project Manager Janet Buchanan said planning on a large scale is important. Planning at a watershed scale is so important when were trying to address drainage and water quality issues, She said. With this plan we were able to use mapping and outreach science and conservation to understand how upstream landscapes are affecting areas downstream. The data, strategies and findings in the watershed plan are already translating into action with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agencys award of more than $570,000 to HeartLands Conservancy to fund projects that implement the plans recommendations. HeartLands works closely with landowners and municipalities in the watershed to install these projects, using the grant funds as a cost share. The watershed encompasses roughly 120,000 acres of land with an estimated population of more than 26,000 people. While most of the land located within the watershed is agricultural, portions of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Maryville are part of the Sliver Creek drainage. Madison County and HeartLands Conservancy thanked the many partners involved in the project including Midwest Streams, the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, the National Research and Education Center. Militants shell Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 24 hours on Tuesday Militants shelled Ukrainian army positions 24 times on Tuesday, the press service of the headquarters of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in Donbas reported. Militants fired grenade launchers, mortars, small arms, and weapons of infantry combat vehicles against Ukrainian army positions in Donetsk and Luhansk sectors, the headquarters said. According to it, the Ukrainian army sustained no casualties. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Pushed by high winds and extremely dry conditions, a wildfire that started Monday in Ventura County spread rapidly across 45,000 acres overnight, leveling at least 150 structures and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate. The Thomas Fire started north of Santa Paula in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College around 6:30 p.m. Monday. By Tuesday morning, the blaze burned into the city limits of Ventura, about 65 miles north of Los Angeles on Highway 101, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Ventura County Fire Department tweeted that at least 150 structures had burned as of 3:41 a.m., and that one firefighter had been been injured. At least 27,000 people were under mandatory evacuation as of 4 a.m. in the Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai areas. About 7,000 homes were evacuated from Santa Paula to Ventura, a distance of more than 12 miles. Now Playing: Strong winds were pushing the blaze in a southwest direction toward the cities of Santa Paula and Ventura, leading to new evacuations of homes north of Foothill Road in Ventura and reports of power outages. Video: Los Angeles Times The fire, pushed by ferocious Santa Ana winds and gusts of 50 to 60 mph, was zero percent contained at sunrise. The Ventura County Fire Department said aircraft and helicopters are expected to attack the fire Tuesday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The prospects for containment are not good, Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said at a news conference. Really, Mother Nature is going to decide. Cal Fire officials said at an 8 a.m. news conference that dry vegetation fueling the fire was as bad as it could get and caused the fire to spread at exponential growth overnight. Officials said they were anticipating strong winds of up to 50 mph as firefighters battled the blaze Tuesday. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a number of neighborhoods in the area. Some Bay Area fire crews, including those from Alameda County, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Palo Alto are being sent to help battle the blaze. The fire swept into Ventura, a city of more than 100,000 people, engulfing a large apartment complex and the Vista del Mar Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Ventura. Another fire, called the Creek Fire, has spread to 2,500 acres threatening Sylmar and Lakeview Terrace, in the San Fernando Valley near the Los Angeles city limits. Southern California Edison tweeted Monday night that approximately 260,000 people in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties were without power. It was not clear when electricity would be restored. Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney Ukraine's Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) has said that Germany's DHL, Adidas and Puma violate the legal regime for temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. "The operation of the above-mentioned foreign companies (DHL Express, Adidas AG, Puma SE) in Crimea contradicts the policy of non-recognition provided in the UN General Assembly resolution on territorial integrity of Ukraine No. 68/262 dated March 27, 2014, and violates the established European Union restrictive measures (sanctions) against the Russian Federation," the ministry said on December 6. The ministry said that these companies placed information on their website, according to which the address of their stores in Crimea have the Russian Federation in the section "country." According to the report, the ministry appealed to the relevant authorities in order to take measures and protect independence, state sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and inviolability of the state borders and national interests of Ukraine. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN - Senate leaders warned Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey could put a billion-dollar hole in Texas' budget, an ever-growing amount that could affect how much money is available for other state programs. Only $20 million remains in the state disaster-assistance fund, Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson said at a public hearing Tuesday on the status of hurricane recovery efforts. "Our state costs are escalating," said Nelson, R-Flower Mound. "We need to be judicious. ... If we, God forbid, had another disaster in the next 18 months, where would we get the money?" The Legislature will not convene in a regular session until January 2019. The state has spent more than $1.7 billion so far in state funds, along with billions in federal assistance, according to updated numbers provided to the committee on Tuesday. Legislative Budget Board officials said as much as $2 billion in additional state funds may be needed in 2019 to cover hurricane-related school costs. The committee also grilled Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who is in charge of housing relief programs, about growing complaints from storm victims about the slow pace of repairs and temporary housing. Their message: Speed things up. Bush said 8,702 households have immediate needs, out of 890,000 Texans overall who have applied for federal disaster relief - including housing assistance. Bush said that $5 billion in assistance approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may not arrive in Texas until the fall of 2018, a delay attributed to rules that must be written and approved in Washington. State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, whose district was hard hit by Harvey, acknowledged that the road to recovery from the nation's most destructive storm "will be a long, long road." Bush said that $1 billion in immediate state funding would allow temporary housing assistance to be speeded up. Those funds could be fully reimbursed later by the federal government, he said. State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, suggested those funds could be borrowed quickly from the state's Rainy Day Fund - a savings account - to expedite the housing recovery for thousands of Texans, some of whom are living in tents. "We'd need to have a special session" to approve that borrowing, West said, drawing silence from other committee members. Gov. Greg Abbott has said he does not want to call a special session and intends to allow state agencies to spend into their 2019 budgets to pay the storm bills, with repayment by the Legislature in 2019. Nelson said the state's costs from Harvey are going to climb. "This is going to be a long and costly recovery," she said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Brace yourself: Snowfall sprinkled parts of Texas on Tuesday, heralding the cold days of winter that are set to sweep across the Lone Star State this week. Texas Tech employee Melanie Tatum captured the small dusting of snowflakes in Lubbock, which she said lasted less than an hour. SNOW IN EAST TEXAS?: That time it snowed in Houston in 2008 and everyone was so excited "The snow lasted probably 10 minutes, not really long at all," Tatum told Chron.com. "When I was a kid, it used to snow a lot more than it did now." Joe Jurecka, a senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Lubbock, said the snow is expected to be light. Now Playing: Snow falls in Lubbock, Texas on Dec. 4, 2017. Video: Houston Chronicle "Snow is not terribly unusual here. Here on the high plain, the elevation is 3,000 feet (above sea level)," Jurecka said. YEAR IN REVIEW: The weirdest headlines of 2017 Snow may make it further down south, possibly hitting Central Texas by Wednesday. The Hill Country may experience a small amount of flakes mixed with rain, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service. In Houston, temperatures are expected to hit 51 degrees by 12 a.m. Wednesday. Thursday calls for 53-degree weather, with a 50 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service in Houston. Friday is expected to see 55 degrees, with 63 degrees on Saturday. Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter. An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for the man who San Marcos police say gunned down an officer attempting to arrest him Monday afternoon. Stewart Thomas Mettz, 51, is accused of fatally shooting San Marcos Police Department officer Kenneth Copeland, 58, according to a San Marcos news release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, on probation since March in a 2016 driving-while-intoxicated incident, will continue to be monitored after failing a court-ordered drug test. Wolff recalled being surprised when his probation officer informed him of the positive test during an October meeting. Ive done everything thats been asked of me, and I have not been drinking and wont, he said. Ill continue to do what is asked of me. In March, the Republican pleaded no contest to a driving-while-intoxicated charge and accepted a years probation and a breath monitor, which was required to be used for six months. RELATED: Video shows Kevin Wolff in underwear stumbling, falling over during Whataburger DWI arrest A supplemental report issued to the court Monday by Wolffs probation officer indicates that since his sentencing, Wolff has not had any blow violations, but has had 24 skipped tests between May 17 and June 17 of this year. He had been allowed by the court during that time to travel and had been told to take the portable alcohol monitoring device and continue compliance, though Wolff, at some point, said that the unit wouldnt function properly. Wolffs drug tests in April, May and June tested negative; however, he then tested positive for alcohol and benzodiazepine on his urinalysis in August, the report states. The defendant has prescribed medication for his benzodiazepine and is under psychiatric care, but denied alcohol use when CSO (community supervision officer) confronted him about it at his October visit, the report states. Because he had completed his DWI classes, community services and paid his fees, Wolff had been placed on reporting every other month at the August visit, but when his urinalysis came back positive, he was placed back on monthly reporting, and use of the mobile testing unit was extended until Jan. 2, the report states. Wolff said hes not sure what led to the result, but he has an idea of what might have happened. MORE: Kevin Wolff pleads 'no contest' to DWI charge During his urinalysis test in August, Wolff said he had not produced enough of a sample to match the required amount. Wolff offered to retake the test the next day, but the attendant told him his first sample might work. I tell the guy, I guess Ill come back tomorrow, Wolff said. And he goes, well, maybe this will test, lets see. And so he sends it off. I dont think anything of it. Two months later, Wolff said his probation officer informed him of the test result. She immediately tells me, you violated on your last urinalysis, Wolff said. And Im like, What are you talking about? She goes, Yeah, your last urinalysis came back positive. I said thats not possible. And she immediately got defensive and said, Well, the test doesnt lie. Wolff said he was not happy that it took two months to hear about the positive test, which hes never seen. Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas Nico LaHood said Wolff could face jail time if it is determined that the failed test is considered a parole violation. Any defendant who violates the terms of their probation could have their probation revoked and they would have to serve their jail sentence, LaHood stated in a text message. Alternatively, the court could continue the defendant on probation and impose a jail sanction as a condition of continued probation. J. Charles Bunk, Wolffs attorney, said if the allegation that his client was drinking is proven, it could be a violation. But he echoed Wolffs denial, saying the commissioner did not consume alcohol in August. Wolff said hes unsure whether he can challenge the test results, but might consider doing so if its an option. According to Wolff, he passed his breath monitor test around 6 a.m. the day of the urinalysis test, then took the test a few hours later a window during which it would make little sense to be drinking. The commissioner said hes never failed a breath monitoring test, which hes required to take during designated windows three times a day, seven days a week. Many of the skipped tests in May and June resulted from a trip to China, Wolff said, where he and his wife, Sandi, visited their daughter for her 20th birthday. Wolff said the monitor failed to transmit his results, noting he was in remote areas of the country. Wolffs DWI troubles began on July 31, 2016, when he was arrested around 3 a.m. after twice rear-ending a car in a Whataburger drive-thru. He told authorities at the time that he drank cocktails made of vodka with peach tea, and also took three prescription drugs, including the sleep aid Ambien. As part of the plea agreement, the DAs Office lessened the charge from a Class A misdemeanor. Wolff was sentenced by County Court-at-law Judge Jason Garrahan to a 180-day jail term, which was probated for a year, and fined $650. Serving as Precinct 3 commissioner since 2008, Wolff announced in early November he would not seek the U.S. District 21 seat being vacated by Rep. Lamar Smith, a seat he said hed had his eye on for years. ezavala@express-news.net | jscherer@express-news.net The Security Service of Ukraine has interrogated Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy as a witness in the case on using the map with the self-proclaimed "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics" on it at the Lviv Security Forum. "Investigators of the Ukrainian Security Service branch in Lviv region conducted an interrogation of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy under open criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 110 (infringement against the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," the Lviv regional office of the SBU wrote on its Facebook page on Tuesday evening. The report stresses that Sadovy was questioned in the presence of a lawyer in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure and the interrogation was videotaped. It is also reported that the video recording of the Lviv mayor's testimony will be attached to the materials of criminal proceedings. Lviv region's SBU office on December 1 opened a criminal investigation into the matter pursuant to Part 1 of Article 110 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (infringing on Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty). Lviv Mayor Sadovy was summoned for questioning in this case on Monday, December 4. Sadovy issued a following comment following his questioning: " There was a forum in Lviv on security from Wednesday through Friday that generated much interest During one of the panel discussions moderated by Myroslava Gongadze, a graphic from the European center of international affairs was demonstrated some people liked it, others did not. A criminal case was opened as a result. Today I spoke with the investigators five SBU agents who were tasked with investigating the incident." According to Sadovy, the case sets a precedent because it is based on a criminal investigation into "an illustration posted on a European website." Meeting his future wife in Saigon while serving in Vietnam in the early 1960s, Valdemar Camacho immediately fell in love with the young Vietnamese woman. After an informal wedding in 1965, the couple was separated after Camachos helicopter was shot down and he was sent to Japan for his injuries. At the time, my mother didnt know about this; she thought hed died, his daughter Irene Camacho said. And my father wasnt aware that she was pregnant. Because their marriage wasnt known to the Army, Camachos wife wasnt notified of what had happened to him. More Information Valdemar Camacho Born: Jan. 8, 1939, Harlingen Died: Nov. 24, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Vicente and Hortencia Camacho; four siblings Survived by: Wife Kim Camacho; daughters Cynthia Banuelos and Irene Camacho and son-in-law William Dorsey; two grandchildren; five siblings Services: Visitation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., celebration of life at 1 p.m. Sunday at Castillo Mission Funeral Home, 520 N. Gen. McMullen Drive; graveside service at 10:15 a.m. Monday at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery See More Collapse Back in the U.S., Camacho, who had by this time learned his wife had given birth to his daughter, signed up for another tour of duty to get back to Vietnam. He re-enlisted to go back to get me and my mom out, his daughter Cynthia Banuelos said. After being discharged in 1969 as a staff sergeant, Camacho began a career as an aircraft mechanic and, along with his wife, raised their two daughters during their 52-year marriage. Camacho, 78, died of cancer Nov. 24. The fourth of 10 children raised in Harlingen, Camacho and his family toiled in the fields every summer, traveling to Ohio and other northern states for work. He always had to leave school in April then show up in mid-September to go back to school, Banuelos said. He dropped out in the eighth grade, but later earned his GED diploma. Camacho enlisted in the Army in 1961. A helicopter mechanic with the 71st Assault Helicopter Company, Camacho served out of Bien Hoa and Chu Lai and was received a Purple Heart and a Silver Star. In 1979, Camacho was working as an aircraft mechanic contractor and living with his family in Iran when the revolution. The only reason we left is because the Ayatollah Khomeini took over, Banuelos said. We had to leave in the middle of the night. Camacho later worked for Boeing and Lear Siegler, from which he retired in 2003. Buying rental properties over the years, Camacho showed kindness to his tenants on a regular basis. If people needed a place to stay or needed help with the rent, he would help and not pester them, Irene Camacho said. He also taught his daughters to keep your head high, Banuelos said. He said the only limits you have in life are the limits you put on yourself. mheidbrink@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Nearly three dozen House Republicans, including three from California, fired off a warning shot to Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday, saying they have enough votes to join with Democrats to pass legislation to protect young immigrants before Congress adjourns this year. The 34 Republicans demanded that Ryan put legislation on the House floor that would legalize roughly 800,000 Dreamers, young immigrants who arrived illegally in the United States as children, who face deportation starting March 5 unless Congress acts. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, has at times seemed to support providing legal status for Dreamers but has not moved to advance current bills that address the issue. Our goal is to get a lot of new signatures to show the speaker that this is not only something weve got to resolve right now, but something that will have bipartisan support, said Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock (Stanislaus County), who for years has sponsored legislation to provide the young immigrants a path to legal status. The Dreamers, roughly a third of whom reside in California, are now caught in a frenzy of hardball negotiations over the federal budget and a big Republican tax bill. Acting on then-President Barack Obamas promise that they would not be deported if they made themselves known to federal immigration authorities, they now face potential expulsion after President Trump revoked the Obama administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA as the policy is known, on Sept. 5 and gave Congress six months to March 5 to devise a permanent solution. If the 34 Republicans who signed the letter, including Denham, David Valadao of Hanford (Kings County) and Mimi Walters of Irvine join the 193 current House Democrats they would have more than the 218-vote majority theyd need to pass a bill. The question is what the legislation would include in a Republican-dominated Congress. Trump in the past has insisted that any deal include funding for a border wall, but thats a nonstarter for Democrats. And while Democrats are united on providing legal status for Dreamers, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has rebelled at any notion of linking the young immigrants to increased border security or internal immigration enforcement, electronic border surveillance or similar measures. During a visit to her district in September, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, was shouted down by young immigrant protesters angry at her suggestion that border security would be part of a legislative solution for the Dreamers. We are not a bargaining chip, they chanted. The incident followed a White House dinner over Chinese food, during which Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said they had secured a promise from Trump to provide Dreamers permanent protection, along with a package of border security, excluding the wall, thats acceptable to both sides. But both Valadao and Denham said some form of border security would have to be part of a bill. My issue is making sure we can convince members from across the country that weve improved border security and they are able to sell that back to their districts, Denham said. Every district is different, but I think border security has to be a part of this. Valadao said both sides are going to have to compromise. Some sort of border security will ultimately be a component of it. He said Trump could help pull along some Republican immigration hardliners who acknowledge privately that the Dreamer problem needs to be solved. The president could play a role in that, Valadao said. Having the president be supportive would help them move to a yes. Trump has been a wild card in the debate. He has expressed support for Dreamers, but has reneged on the alleged deal with Pelosi and Schumer. With a government shutdown looming as early as Friday, Democrats have enormous leverage. Holding only a 52-48 majority in the Senate, Republicans will need them to reach the required 60-vote threshold to pass a spending bill to keep the government running. They may also need to find a way to pull in Democratic votes in the House because some hard-line conservatives may refuse to vote for any spending bill that increases government spending. Pelosi and Schumer have included protection for young immigrants among a host of issues they want as part of a spending deal. Among the items are disaster aid that would cover the recent Wine Country fires, funding for a childrens health insurance program, and increases in domestic spending to match any increases Republicans want for the military. Several Democrats, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, have vowed to oppose a spending bill that does not provide legal status for the young immigrants. In exchange for his yes vote on their massive tax overhaul bill Saturday, Senate Republicans promised Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., support for legislation to help young immigrants, although they offered no specifics or timeline. Some Republicans have argued that the Dreamer issue can wait until early next year, because the deportations would not begin until March 5. But Democrats by then would lose the leverage they have now with a government shutdown looming if no spending bill is approved, and election-year politics would probably harden positions on both sides. Denham said the main urgency is the uncertainty facing many young people now in college or holding jobs under their temporary protected immigration status. Theres so much disagreement among Republicans its hard to ferret out what their endgame is, said Pelosis second-in-command, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. He said hes told Republican leaders who object to putting Dreamer legislation into the spending bill, Fine ... put it on the floor freestanding, youll get 300 votes. Thats what I think ought to happen. Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Strengthening Ukraine's defense capability by providing lethal weapons should be an effective response to the growing security threat from Russia, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said. "We are confident that enhancing political support with practical assistance in strengthening Ukraine's defense capability through the provision of lethal weapons should be an effective response to the growing security threat from the Russian Federation. This will show the full devotion of the signatory states of the Budapest Memorandum to their commitments and will strengthen the European security architecture, an integral element of which is the Memorandum," the ministry said in a statement on December 5 on the occasion of the anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The ministry said that Ukraine continues to view the Budapest Memorandum as an important international political and legal instrument for ensuring Ukraine's security by the United States, Britain, as well as France and China, and demands that Russia fully comply with its obligations. The Lincoln-Boone Conference awards were voted on by coaches within the conference. Here are The ambassadors of the G7 countries to Ukraine expect that an investigation into the leader of the Movement of New Forces Party, ex-head of Odesa Regional State Administration, former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili will be conducted speedily and in compliance with law. "We are aware that Mr.Saakashvili was detained and that protests are ongoing. We are following developments closely," the ambassadors said in a statement posted on the website of the Italian embassy in Ukraine. The diplomats called on all "to fully respect and support the constitutional and legal order of Ukraine, adhere to the rights and responsibilities of peaceful protest, and refrain from attempts at destabilization." "We also expect that any investigation will be conducted expeditiously and in accordance with Ukraine's legal obligations," the statement reads. Lifestyle / Travel The 11th edition of the World Luxury Hotel Awards was held in St. Moritz, Switzerland over the weekend and Jumeirah Vittaveli resort in Maldives was awarded the Global Hotel of the Year 2017 as voted by global travellers. Check out some of the winners from the 99 categories at the 2017 World Luxury Hotel Awards. Dec 06, 2017 | By Andrea Sim Jumeirah Vittaveli in Maldives Named the 2017 Global Hotel of the Year Jumeirah Vittaveli villa and resort in Maldives is delighted to be named the 2017 Global Hotel of the Year, in the 11th edition of the World Luxury Hotel Awards, held in St. Moritz, Switzerland over the weekend. Voted by over 300,000 travellers to name their favorite luxury hotel over a four-week period, Jumeirah Vittaveli in Maldives stood out. Renowned for its tropical, paradise setting with suites that open up to the turquoise sea, open-air restaurants, an overwater bar, and coconut oil-based spa treatments, Jumeirah Vittaveli offers unmatched diversity, subtle luxury and personalised exploration. Whats interesting is that The Jumeirah Vittaveli will be upping the ante by opening the first ice rink in the Maldives, where the average temperature in December is about 27C. Guests will have something new to look forward to in addition to the extravagant amenities. A Sense of Luxury: Recharge & Rejuvenate For guests seeking another level of privacy and luxury, perhaps Jumeirah Vittaveli Resort in the Maldives might just offer that perfect place to refresh and revitalise. With 89 villas and suites, each with a dedicated swimming pool, will give guests a sense of private space to unwind and experience tranquility. Theres also the free-standing Ocean Suites, featuring king size beds, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, raised on underwater stilts and is only accessible by boat. Sprawling across two levels, the suites are designed to indulge guests in a well-crafted and welcoming ambience that reflect the beauty of the natural surrounding. Take a step out on the transparent glass floors and relish the view of the silent underwater world. And for those who travel with large entourages, the newly built Royal Residence has five bedroom guest house that can accommodate up to 14 guests. Equipped with all the facilities, guests can also enjoy a range of activities at the two private pools, spa, gym, and have an entertaining time at the private over-water bar and full-scale restaurant. Heres a selection of winners from the 99 categories at the 2017 World Luxury Hotel Awards: Luxury ski resort: Stock Resort, Finkenberg, Austria Luxury wellness hotel: Chenot Palace Health Wellness Hotel, Qabala, Azerbaijan Luxury adventure destination: Machaba Camp, Tarlton, Botswana Luxury gourmet hotel: La Grande Maison de Bernard Magrez, Bordeaux, France Luxury hotel: Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris Luxury romantic beach resort: Pimalai Resort and Spa, Krabi, Thailand Luxury honeymoon resort: Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali Properties / Interiors & Decor For discerning business and leisure travellers seeking long-term serviced accommodation, Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore is the unrivalled choice of luxury living, strategically located in the heart of the vibrant Central Business District. Dec 06, 2017 | By LUXUO Luxury Serviced Apartment: Oakwood Premier OUE If you want to make an impression, just have one of Fernando Boteros iconic, larger-than-life sculptures at your pickup/dropoff foyer, strategically positioned so its always the first thing they see upon arrival. At OUE Downtown 1 on 6 Shenton Way, the eye-catching Botero work of art is an 11-foot tall, unclothed bronze figure, Standing Woman that greets guests checking into Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore the latest long-term stay, luxury serviced residences to open in the Central Business District area. Every one of the propertys 268 units come in three layouts: studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that feature neutral colour schemes. Luxurious robes, velvety slippers, room service, designer toiletries and minibar amenities give the units a distinct hotel room feel, with the added bonus of being able to whip up your own meal in the fully-equipped kitchen, and getting the laundry done in the in-unit washer and dryer. Where Oakwood Premier OUE lays claim to upping the ante for luxury serviced residences is its in-house, lifestyle dining options and club benefits. We spoke to general manager, Roy Liang on the properties highlights, and his personal recommendations on what to do in the area. Luxuo: In the sphere of luxury serviced residences, how does Oakwood Premier OUE add to their guests experience? Roy Liang: Most serviced residences do not offer in-house dining. Typically, in the absence of an internally managed F&B restaurant/cafe, guests from other serviced residences would have to order a delivery which comes in a takeaway packaging. At Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore, our in-house culinary team from Se7enth restaurant would do an in-room dining set up on your dining table. The set up and presentation of the food would be exactly the same as when you dine at Se7enth. We also have a private poolside executive club lounge that is exclusive to guests who sign up for the club privileges. A quiet, professional environment for guests to work or relax, guests are invited to enjoy complimentary prosecco breakfast and free-flow evening cocktails and canapes daily from 6 8pm. A great sundowner spot! Lastly, we have a chic, intimate lobby bar that offers a smart-casual social setting in the heart of Singapores downtown but away from the crowds. It is a great place for our residents to conveniently entertain their business partners or friends over relaxing drinks in a comfortable setting. Its also ideal for a pre- or post- meeting beverage. Luxuo: Please share one personal recommendation on a lesser-known thing to do around the immediate area of Oakwood. RL: I would recommend Jigger and Pony, a fantastic neighbourhood craft cocktail bar that is just 10 minutes walk away from Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore. I also really like poke bowls and there are a few great poke outlets available here in Tanjong Pagar, especially Aloha Poke! Luxuo: Do you have any travel tips or travel hacks to share? RL: Dont be afraid to wander off the beaten track and explore the hidden gems that the city has to offer! Luxuo: How often do you travel and what are 1-2 of your favourite destinations? RL: I try to go on a trip every quarter and my favourite destinations have to be Australia, Indonesia and Thailand. Luxuo: When youre on personal travel, do you typically prefer a hotel room or serviced apartment? How might you decide between one or the other? RL: I would definitely stay at a serviced apartment if Im on a trip with more than 2 people. Its more spacious and conducive for families and groups, as it comes with many in-room amenities such as a kitchen and a washer that most hotel rooms are not equipped with. However, if its a beach holiday, I would opt for a hotel or resort. Luxuo: Do you have a ritual, or a first thing that you do when you first step into a hotel room/apartment? Is there a first thing that any guest should do when they first enter a hotel room? RL: As a general protocol since I was a student, the first thing that I usually do before entering the hotel room would be to ring the doorbell three times and knock on the door after each ring. After which, just put down your things and chill on the couch for 5 minutes and breathe. Luxuo: What are five highlights on what to expect when staying at Oakwood Premier OUE? RL: All-day dining at Se7enth restaurant, as well as in-room dining service; The Oakwood Executive Club lounge located poolside, for guests who sign up for club privileges; The al-fresco terrace and infinity pool with a lap pool, jacuzzi, cabanas and sun-loungers, where in-house guests can rejuvenate in a tropical urban oasis; Premium branded appliances and equipment in all rooms such as Samsung tablet and mobile phone, DeLonghi toaster and kettle; and the all-time favourite: plush bathrobe. Luxuo: Can non-residents visit the restaurant Se7enth, and the lobby bar? What are your personal recommendations from both? RL: Yes, they are welcome to visit. I would recommend executive chef Dickson Fungs signature dishes Sirloin Beef Hor Fun, Wagyu Beef Burger with Foie Gras, and Pan-Seared Salmon from Se7enth, and to have the Xpresso Martini or Downtown Mojito from our lobby bar. Luxuo: Tell us more about the design element of Oakwood Premier OUE, as well as one of the more notable art pieces around the property. RL: Each space is individually designed with intricate geometry, furniture and carpets to further accentuate the essence of the space. The mixture of materials creates a distinctive hospitality atmosphere and a feeling of home away from home. This design language was carried through from the common spaces to the intimate guestrooms, where colour schemes were kept consistent and furniture was specially customized to suit the overall design scheme. These unpretentious curated spaces allow guests to work, live and connect freely within the comfort and familiarity of a city. The main art piece youll see in the lobby is Mist. The light sculptures concept is inspired by a dreamy organic landscape. The natural opalescent white colour and character of glass elements and smooth curves of the glass plates resembles layering of misty cloud. An outline of the cloud is unfocused, since each segment is hanging at different levels and responds to air circulation. The glass elements of the sculptures have been hand-crafted by Czech glass-makers from blown glass. Luxuo: Please share a lesser known fact related to and/or service available at Oakwood Premier OUE. RL: At the pool deck, there is actually moonlight lighting integrated by the design team, a feature that evenly illuminates the pool deck during the evening. Luxuo: Every trade has their secrets. Please share one of yours. RL: We like to keep the team spirit going with a few fun in-house challenges but I cant reveal any more! Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore currently welcomes long-term guests planning to stay for a minimum of 7 days. Click here to find out more and book. Words by Shermian Lim The activities of anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine are under threat in the light of recent developments around the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), a statement of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom reads. "Following recent events which appear to threaten the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the UK has growing concerns that Ukraine's fight against corruption is being undermined," the statement posted on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom, reads. The Britain's Foreign Office notes that the "National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), in which the UK has invested significant resource, is a critical piece of the anti-corruption machinery in Ukraine, and has made great strides in its development and its investigations, the ministry's secretary said. "The UK has growing concerns that Ukraines fight against corruption is being undermined. Corruption remains a major threat to Ukraine's stability and national security and is cited by Ukraine's electorate as the number one issue facing the country. The fight against it is fundamental to Ukraines European choice and its aspiration to become a modern, prosperous and democratic state," the statement says. Germany and another ten NATO member states have expressed disagreement with Hungary's actions to block Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic initiatives because of the law on education, the European Truth e-magazine said with reference to the local press. "The countries made it clear in the letter that the conflict between Hungary and Ukraine should not be put on the NATO plane. And they said they do not quite understand what the problem is and do not consider it so complicated to put the strategic interests of the Alliance at threat," e-magazine said. The letter also says that the high-level contradictions in Ukraine in NATO are a signal for Moscow, since any disagreement in the Alliance is a success for the Russian Federation. As reported, the Ukrainian law on education came into force on September 28. Among other things, the law stipulates that the state language is a language of learning at educational institutions, but one or several subjects in two or more languages, namely, the state language, English and other European Union official languages can be taught in compliance with the educational program. "Hungary cannot support Ukraine's integration aspirations, so it vetoed the holding of the NATO-Ukraine summit in December," the ministry's press service quoted Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto as saying. The Minister recalled that after the Verkhovna Rada passed the bill "On Education," Hungary promised that its diplomacy will use all the tools available to impede Ukraine's European integration. Rashford: I feel everything the fans feel Article Marcus admits it took him around a year to deal with playing at our stadium, due to his lifelong support of the club. RIDGEWAY Some children couldnt see the instruments they were playing. Others couldnt stand with the choir. Others couldnt express their feelings through verbal communication. However, an estimated 85 students from kindergarten through 12th grade participated in the Da Capo Collaborative Concert at Magna Vista High School on Tuesday. Performing in front of family members, friends and community members, students demonstrated a variety of musical skills. Students showcased percussion work to the tunes of Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Cripple Creek while a live bluegrass band played accompaniment music. Using shakers and wooden blocks, students created rhythm and stayed in beat. The band also performed accompaniment to You Are My Sunshine, which children in the program sang. One crowd favorite, Kazoos and Shoes Blues, featured students playing the plastic instrument. Performer Michael James, a fifth grader at Mount Olivet Elementary School, said that the kazoo song was his favorite part of the show. They made noise, James said. Jamess mother and grandmother, Donna James and Winky Lawrence respectively, enjoyed the performance. I thought it was just wonderful, Lawrence said. I loved it and I love all that Tracee Prillaman and her husband do for our children, Donna said. Prillaman, the executive director of Da Capo Virginia, emceed and conducted the event. Our mission is to provide transforming music experiences that inspire and capture passion, equip through exceptional, dynamic instruction and champion sharing musics profound effect with ones community, Prillaman said. Acknowledging that the nonprofit organizations mission was rather broad, the executive director focused the purpose of the group into three areas. That condenses to love it, learn it, live it, Prillaman said. I dont have to convince them to love it; they love it. Because the students like the music, learning the pieces, movements and words comes naturally. Performing the selections at the end of each year gives students the opportunity to fulfill the final category. Today is our chance to live it with all of you, Prillaman said. A universal language, the executive director noted that music often touches people. Music transcends all kinds and types of people, Prillaman said. It speaks in ways that words cant. The executive director noted that not every child on stage could see, walk or talk, but their varied levels of ability did not inhibit their ability to play an instrument or sing a song. Theyre able in so many ways, Prillaman said. Music is one of them. Were able to reach students on many levels, said Susanne Travis, assistant VIVO instructor. We expect excellence. We know what theyre capable of. Whether theyre verbal or nonverbal, they can make movements and sounds. Theyre all capable of portraying their own excellence. Opportunities like the Collaborative Concert give kids the chance to show off their skills and shine. Its a huge impact. Being in this room, thats the proof, Travis said. Weve got some students who are nonverbal. They cant carry on a conversation, but theyll sing and hum the tunes. The blind are playing musical instruments. Theyre very capable in some areas. The collaborative effort shows all ability levels. For the final number, students performed a choreographed piece to Alabamas hit, Mountain Music, which they executed using a collection of colorful parachutes. We like to use lots of different materials, Prillaman said. We want to have an effective learning experience for each child. Several hundred supporters of the opposition party the United National Movement (UNM) are staging a "manifestation of honor" on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi in support of their informal leader, Georgia's ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili. "The oligarchs' rule in Georgia and in Ukraine [. . .] must stop. Misha [Saakashvili] is at the foremost edge of this fight against the oligarchs," Nika Melia, one of the UNM's leaders, told journalists on Wednesday. After a failed attempt to apprehend Saakashvili in Kyiv on Tuesday, the UNM released a statement announcing a switch into an "emergency mode of operation" and urged all of its supporters to rally in central Tbilisi on Wednesday. It has been raining in the Georgian capital since this morning, which has apparently decreased the number of demonstrators heading towards the building of the Georgian State Chancellery. The Tbilisi demonstration is taking place under the protection of police officers. STUART A Patrick County grand jury on Monday returned a total of 45 indictments against a total of 26 people, including an Ararat man charged with rape. An indictment is not an indication of guilt. It is a grand jurys determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. In one case, 53-year-old Maurice Chevelle Carter of Ararat stands accused of raping a female taxi driver on July 5 of this year, according to the indictment and other court records. A woman employed by Mayberry Taxi (of Mount Airy, North Carolina) was working when she picked up a man in the 200 block of Paynetown Road in the Flat Rock area in her taxi. The man requested to be driven to the 3000 block of Unity Church Road. During the transport, the man took a knife and held it to the womans throat, according to the complaint. The man then took more than $200 in cash and a Rossi firearm from the woman as well as cash that belonged to the taxi company. The woman stated she was forced out of the taxi and taken behind an abandoned house on Unity Church Road. At that point, she says the suspect raped her. According to the complaint, Investigator L.J. Martin of the Patrick County Sheriffs Office spoke with a man who stated Maurice Carter was at his residence in the 200 block of Paynetown Road that day, in the Flat Rock area. The witness told Martin he had called Mayberry Taxi from his cell phone and that Carter had been picked up by a Mayberry vehicle that day. In another case, the grand jury indicted Roger Lee Craig, 67, of Bassett, on a charge of aggravated sexual battery. The indictment is based on an alleged incident from June 15. An arrest warrant and criminal complaint by Investigator Terry Mikels of the Patrick County Sheriff's Office alleged that Craig grabbed and fondled a 47-year-old woman on June 15 while she was semi-conscious on medication from surgery. The woman's caretaker allegedly observed this. Craig and the alleged victim had been in a relationship until several weeks before this and lived together during the relationship. The assault allegedly occurred the same day the alleged victim was released from surgery. The others who were indicted this week include: Richard William Blankenship of Patrick Springs, who faces one count of strangulation and assault against a family member,-third or subsequent offense. The charges stem from an alleged incident on Aug. 13 Brenda Williams Floyd of Claudville, who faces one count of grand larceny of a motor vehicle. The charge stems from an alleged incident June 9. Sara Anne Scott (also known as Sara Anne Hutchens), of Stuart, who faces one count of driving a motor vehicle after having had her operators license revoked for driving under the influence, this being the third or subsequent offense within 10 years. The charge stems from an alleged incident July 13. Billy Joe Smith Jr. of Glade Hill, who faces one count of destroying, defacing, damaging or removing property. The charge stems from an alleged incident June 23. Wendy Baker of Stuart, who faces one count of statutory burglary and one count of destroying, defacing, damaging or removing property. The charges stem from an alleged incident on June 16. Alexander James Cipko of Ararat, who faces one count of assault on a law enforcement officer. The incident allegedly happened on June 21, involving Lt. Rob Coleman of the Patrick County Sheriffs Office. James Brian Farmer of Danbury, North Carolina, who faces one count of disregarding a police command to stop. The charge stems from an alleged incident on Sept. 7, 2016. Joseph Ray Walton of Stuart, who faces one count of possessing or transporting a firearm within 10 years of having been convicted of a nonviolent felony. The offense allegedly happened on April 13. John Benjamin Wolverton III of Graham, North Carolina, who faces one count each of burglary at night and grand larceny. The charges stem from a series of alleged incidents between Jan. 22 through Jan. 23. Jeremy Shane Bennett of Stuart, who faces one count of strangulation. The offense allegedly happened on Sept. 18. Candace Leeann Bowman of Spencer, who faces one count of a passenger failing to report an accident in which a person was injured and in which the driver failed to make the required report to law enforcement. The offense allegedly happened on Aug. 23, 2017. Tanya Leahann Branch of Patrick Springs, who faces one count of hit and run (as a driver failing to report an accident in which at least $1,000 damage was done). The offense allegedly happened on Aug. 23, 2017. Gary Wayne Tilley Jr. of Stuart, who faces one count of assault on a law enforcement officer. The assault allegedly happened on July 4, involving Deputy Matthew Holland. Justin Kent Hawks of Cana, who faces one count each of statutory burglary and possession of burglarious tools. The charges stem from an alleged incident on Sept. 19. Kelly Shane Marion of Yadkinville, North Carolina, who faces one count of grand larceny of a motor vehicle. The offense allegedly happened on Dec. 23, 2016. Christopher Joel Calcagni of Roanoke, who faces one count of selling or distributing a Schedule 1 or II drug (LSD); one count of manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, give or distribute a Schedule I or II controlled substance (LSD); and one count of selling, giving, distributing or possessing with intent to sell, give or distribute a Schedule III controlled substance (ketamine). The offenses allegedly happened on July 29, 2016. Holli Taylor Cox of Stuart, who faces one count of destroying, defacing, damaging or removing property. The offense allegedly happened on July 1. Roy Warner Keen of Roanoke, who faces one count each of grand larceny of a motor vehicle, statutory burglary and grand larceny. The offenses allegedly happened between Oct. 4 and Oct. 15, 2015, and between March 1 and March 17, 2016. Stevan Keys of Bassett, who faces two counts each of statutory burglary, larceny of a firearm and possessing or transporting a firearm after previously being convicted of a violent felony. The offenses allegedly happened on July 23 and July 30. Greta Annette McAdams of Stuart, who faces one count of child endangerment and one count of child abuse with serious injury. Those two offenses allegedly happened on Nov. 16. Kevin Wayne Woods of Stuart, who faces one count of child endangerment and one count of child abuse with serious injury. Those two offenses allegedly happened on Nov. 16, 2017. As Lenin wrote: "without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement." Theory is not a matter of merely academic interest: a mastery of Marxist ideas is necessary to understand the world in which we live and fight. Without understanding capitalism, we cannot hope to defeat it. To help develop this work of political education, the French-speaking sections of the IMT organized the first international Marxist school in French. It took place on 25-26 November in the mountains around Geneva and gathered almost 80 comrades from four national sections (Switzerland, France, Belgium and Canada). Comrades from Italy and Germany were also present, as well as Fred Weston, editor of the In Defence of Marxism website. It was the first time that such a school was organized jointly by these sections and it was a great success. The discussions and workshop were dedicated to various topics: news and current events, but also history and theory. The school began, after a welcome meal, with a plenary session on world perspectives. Comrade Fred described the unfolding of the capitalist crisis, underlining the weakness of the so-called recovery and the errors of the reformist and liberal analyses of the situation. He also talked about the deep impact of this crisis on bourgeois society's political stability, illustrated by the upsets in recent elections in the UK and Germany, and the rise of Melenchon during the French elections (and Macrons subsequent fall from favour). The discussion that followed stressed many key points of this process of global destabilisation of bourgeois order, marked by the growth of left-reformist parties (such as the Workers' Party of Belgium and British Labour Party under Corbyn). After this session, the collection raked in nearly 600 for the IMT, clear evidence for the comrades enthusiasm. Comrades at the Francophone school / Image: own work Then, two parallel workshops were dedicated to the topics of the economic crisis and the political situation in France. During the first one, we talked about the crisis arising organically from the inherent contradictions of capitalism, and also of the failure of liberals and reformists, who denied the very possibility of a crisis, and thereafter tried to solve it by drowning it under public subsidies or strangling it with cuts and austerity. The discussion on France was about the general crisis of French politics, illustrated by the fall of all the traditional parties of the bourgeoisie during last spring elections. It also addressed the issue of the current situation and the dead-end of the strategy adopted by the trade union leadership. During the evening (after another good meal), comrades were able to chat over a drink and a few songs, and also to share their experiences of political work. On Sunday morning, the first session was dedicated to the question of Intersectionality or Marxism? This is a very important topic in the left today, as decades of ideological pressure from the bourgeoisie since the 70s have favored the reemergence of idealism and post-Marxism (that is anti-Marxism) that tries to subordinate united class struggle to separate, identity-based struggles against oppression. Adherents to these trendy new ideas are unable to fight the issues they pretend to oppose (rooted as they are in capitalism and class exploitation), and only sow divisions in the workers movement on racial, sexual, gender or religious lines. Such division is promoted by the bourgeoisie as well as the reformist leaderships. Jela Alisa speaking on Marxism and Intersectionality / Image: own work During the afternoon, two separate workshops were dedicated to the subjects of Stalinism and Workers Control and the Planned Economy. The USSR is an important historical phenomenon for every revolutionary activist, and understanding the real history gives us the tools to confront reformist and conservative attacks on socialism that cite the crimes of the Stalinist dictatorship. Comrade Caspar led the discussion, which clearly showed the counter-revolutionary nature of Stalinism that hijacked the Russian revolution to the profit of the bureaucracy, and later wrecked revolutionary movements on a global scale (notably in China and Germany). The workshop on economic planning demonstrated the clear superiority of pulling together all the productive forces and running them democratically according to the needs of society, rather than leaving them to the anarchy of the market. It was also an opportunity to look back on the experiences of occupied factories in Venezuela and elsewhere, and glean lessons from them. The school was a triumph, thanks to the enthusiasm of all the comrades and the organizers. The excellent participation of many comrades in organizational tasks (cleaning, stewarding and so forth) should be highlighted, as well as the very high quality of the meals cooked by the German-speaking Swiss comrades danke schoen! Our achievements this year will be reproduced to build the forces of Marxism in the French-speaking countries! Everyone agreed the food was a highlight! / Image: own work In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com The Ukrainian authorities are repelling attempts to shake up the situation in the country, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said. "I thought hardly anything could surprise me, but what the whole country heard yesterday shocked everyone [...] Of course. I thank the Ukrainian Security Service [SBU] and the Prosecutor General's Office for their professional work to protect national interests and statehood," Poroshenko said at Wednesday's festivities marking the Day of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Lviv region. "The president and government respect the right of people to protest peacefully, of course. We have demonstrated that during the past few weeks. Even though the organizers of the protests were bloodthirsty and provoked law enforcement in every way. But it's very important that they [law enforcement] did not give in. And they [protesters], as it follows from intercepted conversations, even complained to Moscow about the tolerance of our law enforcement," Poroshenko said. "What's reassuring is that the Ukrainian people got the measure of this gang financed from Moscow even before law enforcement did, and therefore ignored the camp outside the Verkhovna Rada," he said. "Friends, the army doesn't hold the front so that the enemy can operate in the interior. We rebuff such things, and I feel public support on this matter," Poroshenko said. He said that Ukraine cannot be beaten by force, as Russia knows. "That's why the enemy is staking more on hitting us in the back and undermining from within, on destabilizing the situation in the country. I have told you many times that Moscow spares no effort [...] And they have plenty of money and there is no need to name anyone here," Poroshenko said. Supporters of the former governor of Odesa region and leader of the Movement of New Forces Mikheil Saakashvili are still protesting in Kyiv and demanding Poroshenko's impeachment. On Wednesday, they built barricades outside of the Verkhovna Rada and urged the city to support their protest. SPRINGFIELD -- Big Y Foods Inc. plans to open a 60,000-square-foot supermarket in Derby, Connecticut, sometime in 2019, according to a news release issued Thursday. The new store, the Springfield-based chain's eighth in New Haven County, represents a $5 million investment and will be part of a 177,000-square-foot shopping center being redeveloped at 656 New Haven Ave. The new location is 60 miles from Springfield, a 90-minute drive. Big Y already has nearby stores in Ansonia, Branford, Cheshire, Guilford, Meriden, North Branford, North Haven and Naugatuck. The new Big Y means 150 full- and part-time jobs, according to a news release. Big Y promises locally sourced fruits and vegetables, fresh sushi, numerous gluten-free and organic items along with other locally produced offerings. "We are excited to announce this addition to our Connecticut community of stores," Charles D'Amour, Big Y's president and chief operating officer, said in a news release. "We look forward to bringing Big Y's world class service, quality and selection closer to shoppers in Derby and surrounding communities." DLC Management Corp. of Elmsford, New York, is redeveloping the shopping center with new facades, lighting, parking lot repaving and restriping, sidewalk repairs, and streetscape and landscape enhancements. Our range includes a flat range from 10-100 yards as well as a 20 target walking course for more realistic simulation of hunting scenarios. Student demand has grown 30 percent in the last three years for classes in the industrial career and technical education department, School Board trustees learned Tuesday during their annual lunch visit to the high school. By Gail Schontzler Chronicle Staff Writer https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/education/career-classes-gain-popularity-at-bozeman-high/article_96264d83-2022-582c-a29e-8db1c5d8690f.html Local leaders gathered in East Helena Tuesday, to celebrate a grant that will pay for a program combining workforce development with arts and culture. The East Helena community received $500,000 from ArtPlace America, a national collaboration of public and private groups that promotes the arts as a contributing part of community planning. That money will be used to create the East Helena Food and Culture Hub. By Jonathon Ambarian http://www.ktvh.com/2017/12/east-helena-receives-500k-grant-to-launch-culinary-training-arts-program Researchers from the University of Washington have 3D-printed objects and sensors that are able to communicate with Wi-Fi devices such as smartphones or computers without needing to be powered by batteries or a wall socket. Examples include an attachment that can sense when laundry detergent is about to run out and place an online order for more, an anemometer and a connected test tube holder. Paul Ridden https://newatlas.com/3d-printed-sensor-object-mechanical-wifi/52502/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=fe5776de47-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-fe5776de47-92465361 Prospera Business Network is the lead non-profit organization advancing and supporting community-centered economic development in southwest Montana. 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Learn More http://t.printingforless.com/dc/CWtiRgeGqk_fEX-C-AkkZPdbIpTnshvODQjxgjg5BieSArVsLHlO_IJMkzOkrLFFqX2_aSlm-FRSBZYAhiEp6g==/CIK00a0sy0mV0rVe3k0LH02 T BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The fourth World Internet Conference concluded Tuesday in the east China town of Wuzhen after three days of discussions and exhibitions of cutting-edge internet products. During the conference, government representatives, heads of international organizations, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs attended 20 forums, displaying their achievements in innovation and discussing means of cooperation. At a forum on the internet and finance, Liu Zhengrong, vice president of Xinhua News Agency, said regulating the release of financial information on the internet is indispensable to ensuring financial security. "The internet does not change the rules of financial regulation, just attaches to it new connotations and requirements," Liu said. Well-known tech companies from around the world, including Apple, Alibaba, and Huawei, released their latest products at the conference. Two reports were also issued at the conference on Monday, covering the development of the internet around the world and in China respectively. According to the reports, China's digital economy reached 22.58 trillion yuan (about 3.4 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2016, ranking second globally and accounting for 30.3 percent of the national GDP. As of June 2017, there were 3.89 billion internet users around the world, of which 751 million were in China, the most of any country worldwide, said the reports. Public Survey Underway Audio Article Throughout the month of November, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is conducting an online survey to identify traffic safety concerns and obtain feedback about interactions with the agency. The 2022 Public Survey is anonymous and takes approximately five minutes to complete. The survey is designed to be used as... Purple Heart Placed on Memorial Audio Article At the second stop during the Veterans Parade Saturday, Jack Bonsell, a Purple Heart recipient, places a purple heart-shaped wreath at the memorial dedicated to all men and women wounded in all wars. This memorial sits on Main Street in front of the Riecker Building. Controlling Board Approves Funds for Multiple Projects in 20th Senate District Audio Article State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) announced Monday, Nov. 7, the approval of over $34 million for projects across the 20th Senate District by the states Controlling Board. Ensuring our infrastructure, universities, and parks are updated and well maintained is critical for the health of our area, Schaffer said. Im thankful... Morgan County Veterans Day Parade slated Nov. 11 Audio Article The Morgan County Veterans Day Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will form at the Commons, in McConnelsville, at 9:30 a.m. and set out at 10 a.m. The American Legion Post 24 will render honors at the monuments at the Commons, Riecker Building, the Square, at... A concert with two purposes Audio Article Wednesday, Nov. 30, a concert with dual purposes is being held at the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, Ohio. Its a thank-you to healthcare workers, who can attend for free, and its a benefit for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. In September 2021, Rick Shriver contracted COVID-19. He collapsed... BOE reminder of early voting hours and polling location change Audio Article Remaining early voting hours at the Morgan County Board of Elections are as follows: from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov, 2 through Friday, Nov. 4; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5; from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6; and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.... BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials presented by 11 new ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. The ambassadors are Geir Otto Pedersen from Norway, Noh Young Min from the Republic of Korea, Ali Al Dhaheri from the United Arab Emirates, Constantinescu Vasilica from Romania, Fye K. Ceesay from Gambia, Berhane Gebre-Christos from Ethiopia, Alberto Carnero from Spain, Milia Jabbour from Lebanon, Gautam H. Bambawale from India, Abdulkadir Emin Onen from Turkey, and Jose Augusto Duarte from Portugal. Xi welcomed the ambassadors to China and asked them to convey his sincere greetings and good wishes to the leaders and people of their countries. The Chinese government will provide convenience and support for the work of the ambassadors, Xi said, adding that he hopes they will actively contribute to bilateral relations between China and their countries. Xi said China will enhance mutual political trust, promote practical cooperation, deepen cooperation in international affairs, achieve common development with the countries and contribute to world peace, stability, and prosperity. The ambassadors offered congratulations on the successful conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and spoke highly of the significance of the congress to the world. They also conveyed greetings from their state leaders to Xi and congratulations on Xi's re-election as the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. They said they feel greatly honored to serve as ambassadors to China in the new era, and will devote their active efforts to deepening mutual understanding and friendship with China, as well as promote practical cooperation to a new high. (Xinhua) 07:38, December 06, 2017 Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingmeets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that China and Canada should explore new ideas and take measures to achieve substantial progress in bilateral ties. Xi made the remarks while meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is paying an official visit to China from Dec. 3 to 7. Welcoming Trudeau on his second China visit since taking office in November 2015, Xi said that frequent visits between Chinese and Canadian leaders play a leading role in the development of bilateral ties. Xi said that China and Canada complement each other with their respective advantages and enjoy great cooperation potential. "Enhancing political mutual trust is the prerequisite to the stable development of state-to-state relations," Xi said. He said that a country's development path could only be decided by its people, and that China and Canada, though having different political systems, could respect each other and seek common ground while reserving differences. Xi encouraged the two countries to strengthen cooperation and expand exchanges to bring more benefits to the people of both countries. "China and Canada need to fully tap potential and create more bright spots in cooperation in areas such as energy resources, science and innovation, aviation, finance, modern agriculture and clean technology," Xi said. "China will continue to support capable Chinese enterprises in investing in Canada and welcome Canadian enterprises to take an active part in Belt and Road Initiative." He also called on both sides to intensify exchanges and deepen relations on education, culture, tourism and sports, and strengthen cooperation on key areas such as climate change and coordination within multilateral frameworks. He said the two countries need to work together to hold a successful China-Canada Year of Tourism in 2018, adding that China is willing to learn from Canada on hosting Winter Olympic Games. Trudeau said he agrees with Xi's comments on Canada-China relations. Recent years have witnessed robust momentum in bilateral cooperation, which has brought benefits to both peoples and sent positive signals to the international community, he said. Canada is committed to deepening relations with China on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust, boosting cooperation on economy, trade and people-to-people exchanges and intensifying coordination on major global and regional issues, he said. Also on Tuesday, Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang met with Trudeau at the Great Hall of the People, calling on both sides to give full play to the regular parliamentary exchange mechanism between China and Canada and conduct exchanges on legislation and governance experience so as to promote the healthy development of bilateral ties. (Xinhua) 07:39, December 06, 2017 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (5th L front) attends the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's growing presence in the international arena to foster a community of shared future for mankind was further evidenced recently by two fruitful meetings of leaders of China, Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) and member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has just concluded a week-long visit to Budapest in Hungary and Sochi in Russia, where he reached important consensus and discussed concrete projects during meetings with his counterparts at the annual China-CEEC and SCO gatherings. Both of these cooperation mechanisms bear a strong Chinese imprint and have witnessed greater contributions over the years by China to promote win-win cooperation, a further testimony to China's readiness to foster a community of common destiny in the world. The 16+1 cooperation mechanism took root in the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest in 2011, a precursor to the first China-CEEC Leaders' Meeting in Warsaw in 2012, which marked the founding of the mechanism. Over the past five years, the 16+1 cooperation has become an influential trans-regional mechanism with substantial projects and cooperation results in such fields as trade, investment, infrastructure, industrial partnerships and tourism. At this year's meeting, the Chinese premier announced the establishment of the China-CEEC Inter-Bank Association and the second phase of the China-CEEC Investment Cooperation Fund, a further boost to investment and finance cooperation between the two sides. As an "incubator for pragmatic trans-regional cooperation," the 16+1 cooperation helps promote balanced development in Europe by enhancing economic performance in its central and eastern region. According to Liu Zuokui, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China's participation filled the gap while the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis limited the European Union's (EU) ability to support the development of CEE countries. Meanwhile, the SCO has just had its first major gathering of heads of government after a membership expansion in June to include India and Pakistan. The SCO now has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as its full members. Concluded on Friday, the meeting approved a joint communique that stresses efforts to enhance cooperation and coordination to address economic as well as security challenges, and push the construction of a community of shared future in the region. All SCO members are major countries in China's neighborhood and along the Belt and Road routes. China will continue to develop its friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and work with fellow SCO members to build a community of shared future in the region, said the Chinese premier. The eight-member bloc, which covers nearly half of the world's population and three-fifths of the Eurasian continent, is the world's largest regional cooperation organization in terms of area and population with tremendous potential for development. It was founded in the Chinese city of Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China, and has its secretariat in Beijing. The "Shanghai Spirit," the bedrock of the organization, features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development. It stands in sharp contrast with the Cold War-era confrontational mentality that is still found in many Western mechanisms. As the Chinese economy grows bigger, higher expectations are placed on China to shoulder more international responsibilities to contribute to world peace and development. China's answer to such calls is firm and confident. China is unswervingly pursuing reform and opening-up domestically while presenting to the world the win-win cooperation framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which features many flagship projects on infrastructure, finance and people-to-people exchanges. As Chinese President Xi Jinping put it, China welcomes all countries aboard the express train of its development. China is also ready to share with other countries its development experience, and play its part as a major country and take an active role in improving the global governance system. At the remarkable 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that wrapped up in late October, building "a community of shared future for mankind" was written into the CPC constitution, a symbol of its priority for China's leadership. Quite unlike what might have been feared, there are no strings attached to cooperation with China. Neither does China, the world's largest developing country, seek hegemony in global affairs. "No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion," Xi told the 19th CPC National Congress. From Southeast Asia to Africa, China's rapidly growing engagement overseas is committed to win-win cooperation based on equality and fairness. The peace-loving nation wants to create an international environment that is conducive to the development of itself and other nations, and set an example of a new type of international relations that highlights mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS EGPAF-DRC/03/P&L/1117 Limited Procedures Engagement to Assess Compliance with Local Laws in support of ELIZABETH GLASER PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION (EGPAF or Foundation) 63 Avenue Colonel Mondjiba, Concession COTEX Batiment N0 10 B1 Kinshasa Ngaliema, DR Congo Firm Deadline: December 15th, 2017. Time: 5:00 PM BACKGROUND EGPAF is seeking a qualified company or individual to perform a Limited Procedures Engagement to assess the Foundations compliance with local law in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Foundation is an international NGO operating in 19 countries that is registered as a nonprofit organization in the aforementioned country. PURPOSE/SCOPE OF WORK Please see Attachment 1 for a full detailed scope of work for the Limited Procedures Engagement. TIMEFRAME The engagement must be completed by January 31, 2018. Applicants unable to complete the engagement by this date will not be considered. DELIVERABLES The selected contractor will provide an assessment report of the Foundations compliance with local laws. The report will include all areas tested and a full description of the level of compliance of the Foundation in each area. For any non-compliant or partially non-compliant areas the contractor will provide detailed recommendations on how to correct the areas of non-compliance. FOUNDATION RESPONSIBILITIES: The Foundation will provide the selected company or individual with appropriate space within its offices for the assigned staff to work. In addition, all necessary files will be made available to the company/individual. Further, the company/individual will be provided with one primary point of contact for all enquiries during the assessment process. LOGISTICS: The audit will be conducted at the Foundations office located at: 63 Avenue Colonel Mondjiba Concession COTEX, Batiment N0 10 B1 Kinshasa Ngaliema, DR Congo as well as the company/individuals place of business. KEY CONTRACT TERMS: This contract will be a fixed price contract. No additional costs outside of the winning company or individuals fixed price will be considered. All deliverables provided to the Foundation must be furnished for the use of the Foundation without royalty or any additional fees. All Materials will be owned exclusively by the Foundation and will be for Foundation internal use only. Consultant will not use or allow the use of the Materials for any purpose other than Consultants performance of the Contract. EVALUATION CRITERIA & PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: All proposals will be evaluated by the Foundation against the following criteria and proposals must contain all of the elements in the Submission Requirement Column below: Evaluation Criteria Submission Requirements Criteria Weight Past performance in conducting similar assessments Provide at least 2 professional references (phone and email) of past non-governmental organizations for which you have completed similar assessments. 30% Proposed methodology and approach Maximum 5 page summary of the proposed approach and methodology for completing the assessment 20% Fixed price Fixed price for completing the assessment 20% Capacity of individuals CV/Resume of individual(s) who would be assigned to this project & 2 professional references for each individual 30% Confirmation that all work can be completed during the timeframe indicated in this RFP. All applicants are required to be registered and authorized to perform the scope of work in the place of performance. PROPOSED TIMELINE: December 1st, 2017 Release of RFP Release of RFP December 8, 2017 Submission of Contractual and Technical Inquiries: DRCprocurement@pedaids.org No phone calls please. December 12th, 2017 Question and Answer Response Document posted on EGPAF website at https://www.pedaids.org/pages/contracting-opportunities . Question and Answer Response Document posted on EGPAF website at . December 15th, 2017: - Completed proposals must be delivered electronically by the deadline mentioned on page one to: DRCprocurement@pedaids.org - Completed proposals must be delivered electronically by the deadline mentioned on page one to: January 15, 2018: Final decision announced and Offerors notified Final decision announced and Offerors notified January 22nd, 2017: Contract executed and Services begin. Please note it is our best intent to comply with the above timeline but unavoidable delays may occur. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All proposals and communications must be identified by the unique RFP# reflected on the first page of this document. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in non-consideration of your proposal. Any proposal not addressing each of the foregoing items could be considered non-responsive. Any exceptions to the requirements or terms of the RFP must be noted in the proposal. The Foundation reserves the right to consider any exceptions to the RFP to be non-responsive. Late proposals will be rejected without being considered. This RFP is not an offer to enter into agreement with any party, but rather a request to receive proposals from persons interested in providing the services outlined below. Such proposals shall be considered and treated by the Foundation as offers to enter into an agreement. The Foundation reserves the right to reject all proposals, in whole or in part, enter into negotiations with any party, and/or award multiple contracts. The Foundation shall not be obligated for the payment of any sums whatsoever to any recipient of this RFP until and unless a written contract between the parties is executed. Equal Opportunity Notice. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and represents that all qualified bidders will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. ETHICAL BEHAVIOR: As a core value to help achieve our mission, the Foundation embraces a culture of honesty, integrity, and ethical business practices and expects its business partners to do the same. Specifically, our procurement processes are fair and open and allow all vendors/consultants equal opportunity to win our business. We will not tolerate fraud or corruption, including kickbacks, bribes, undisclosed familial or close personal relationships between vendors and Foundation employees, or other unethical practices. If you experience of suspect unethical behavior by a Foundation employee, please contact fraud@pedaids.org or the Foundations Ethics Hotline at www.reportlineweb.com/PedAids/Any vendor/consultant who attempts to engage, or engages, in corrupt practices with the Foundation will have their proposal disqualified and will not be solicited for future work. Attachment 1: Detailed Scope of Work The Contractor will perform a detailed assessment of the Foundations compliance with applicable local laws within the country indicated in Background Section of this RFP. This assessment will include the following areas: Legal Registration The Contractor will assess whether the Foundation is registered correctly in the relevant country, assessing whether the Foundation is registered under the correct law and implementing regulations for international NGOs. In addition, the Contractor will assess the Foundation against all applicable requirements and laws of the correct registration type (e.g. reporting requirements, audited annual returns, document retention requirements, etc.) to ensure the Foundation is up-to-date and completely compliant with the relevant requirements and laws. Taxation The Contractor will assess whether the Foundation is compliant with all applicable and relevant taxation requirements applicable to the organization. This includes but is not limited to income tax (related to permanent employees, expatriate employees, temporary employees, interns, part-time employees, volunteers, local and international consultants, and any other relevant classifications within country law), and Value-Added Tax. Human Resources The Contractor will assess whether the Foundation is in compliance with all applicable human resource laws and regulations. This assessment includes a review of our fringe benefit package, overtime practices, paid leave practices, quotas or limitations on expatriate positions, employee labor categorization practices (core staff, seconded staff, consultants, temporary employees, etc.), requirements for displayed office notices, requirements for employees that are not citizens of the country in question, as well as any other relevant HR laws and requirements. MUMBAI December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - Actress Madhoo extends support to raise funds for Victoria Memorial School for the Blind - Radio City comes on board as official radio partners for the exhibition Mukesh Batra Padma Shri Bhutan Mukesh Batra Mukesh Batra Bhutan About Dr Batra's Foundation: Mercy Old Age Home Bryna Braganza Dr.recipient and avid photographer, along with Actress Madhoo, today inaugurated the 13th edition of 'Magic Moments', an annual charity photo exhibition organized under the aegis of Dr Batra's Foundation, to raise funds for Victoria Memorial School for the Blind. The photography exhibition will go on till 10th December, 2017 at Piramal Art gallery, NCPA, is themed on- The Kingdom of Happiness. Radio City has extended its support as the official radio partners for this exhibition.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150302/10117480 )(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/616230/Dr_Batra_with_Madhoo.jpg )Speaking on the photography exhibition, said, "With 50 exhibitions in the past 13 years, Dr Batra's Foundation has sought to make a difference to the lives of many orphans, differently-abled children and the elderly. Few people have the privilege to turn a hobby into a meaningful initiative that can touch the lives of people in need. I feel truly blessed that God has put me in a position to reach out to the underprivileged through my practice and service. All of us need to give a part of ourselves if we wish to see a positive change in our society.", "Dr Batra's Foundation has been doing tremendous work to make a profound difference to the lives of millions. I cannot express how happy I am to be here and I would like to thank Dr.and his foundation for making me a part of this wonderful initiative. I take this opportunity to urge each and every one to extend your wholehearted support and contribute to the cause."The annual charitable photography exhibition features a series of 60 photographs depicting the artistically designed monasteries and dzongs, the exotic flora and fauna and the rich the cultural diversity of. All proceeds of the 10-day photography exhibition will be donated to The Victoria Memorial School for the Blind.Dr Batra's Positive Health Foundation, a CSR arm of Dr Batra's Group of Companies, has been making a profound difference to the lives of many orphans, handicapped children and the elderly. The Foundation currently runs over 168 Free Clinics across the country and additionally provides free treatment to partner NGO's. It also conducts CSR activities in a number of institutions such as Victoria Memorial School for the blind, Shepherd Widow's Home,, Anurag Services (Old Age Home), Action India and People for Animals. It also grants scholarships to deserving students who wish to pursue studies in the Homeopathy but cannot afford the fees. Every year, it honors, with its Positive Health Awards, individuals who have created medical miracles through the demonstration of their instinct for survival, courage and will power, beaten the odds and recovered from seemingly irrecoverable conditions, to lead normal, healthy lives.bryna.braganza@drbatras.com +91 22 33671200 Manager - PR, Dr Batra's GENEVA Dec. 6, 2017 Sherwin Charles Kesete Admasu Ethiopia /PRNewswire/ -- The Private Sector Malaria Coalition (PSMC) announced today that it will collaborate with High Lantern Group to boost private sector engagement to end malaria. The partnership will provide an organized and neutral framework to enable businesses to collaborate and concretely contribute to malaria control and elimination"The private sector is deeply committed to malaria elimination and will continue work to help the international community achieve its targets. The new collaboration announced today is critical for guiding committed businesses through a new phase," said, co-chair of the PSMC.Since 2000, the world has made historic progress against malaria, saving nearly seven million lives. Still, this entirely preventable and treatable disease claims a child's life every two minutes and sucks the lifeblood out of economies, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Malaria Report 2017 released by the World Health Organization last week depicts malaria at a crossroads: funding for malaria has plateaued, the number of malaria cases in 2016 is similar to the number of cases in 2012, and there remain huge gaps in coverage of key malaria controls."Progress against the disease has stalled, and the World Health Organization has called for urgent and concerted action by all stakeholders. Our ambition is to rally the business community around the goal of a malaria-free world," said Caroline Desrousseaux, co-chair of the PSMC. "To achieve our mission, we will call other businesses to action to address this societal challenge, leveraging their skills, knowledge, and network."The PSMC engages with global and regional organizations such as the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the largest global platform bringing together over 500 partners united by a common vision of a world free from the burden of malaria."The private sector plays a critical role in our efforts to end malaria delivering essential commodities like bed nets, developing life-saving vaccines, and using technology to improve access to health services. We look forward to engaging with existing and new partners on making malaria elimination a part of business strategy," said Dr., CEO of RBM Partnership to End Malaria and former Minister of Health of. As part of its strategic plan for 2018-2020, the RBM Partnership is considering how to increase private sector engagement to achieve the WHO global targets to reduce malaria cases and deaths by 90% and eliminate the disease in 35 more countries by 2030.High Lantern Group is a positioning, public affairs and communications firm, active, among other areas, in global health. "We look forward to this partnership as innovation and success in global health relies on engagement across sectors" said Mario Ottiglio, Managing Director, High Lantern Group. "We are committed to promoting good health and working to empower stakeholders with the strategic vision, messaging, and research to drive change."The Private Sector Malaria Coalition (PSMC) is the world's only coalition of private sector voices on global malaria issues, engaging with key international and regional organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. Coalition members contribute their diversified business expertise, skills, and assets through both advocacy and partnerships, ultimately striving for disease elimination by 2030. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/private-sector-malaria-coalition-partners-with-high-lantern-group-to-boost-engagement-on-malaria-300567012.html SOURCE High Lantern Group (Global Times) 09:13, December 06, 2017 Probe to orbit, land and return from dark side in 2018 Scientists are mulling a robot moon station, Chinese space experts said on Tuesday. The base can conduct bigger, more complicated research and experiments, according to space officials who announced the plan at an international symposium in Shanghai at the end of November. Such a station could slash the costs of returning rock samples to Earth, Jiao Weixin, a Peking University space science professor, told the Global Times on Tuesday. A sustainable station would enhance lunar geography studies and "have better energy efficiency than lunar rovers as the station can deploy a much bigger solar power-generator," he said. In support of the lunar landing program, China will launch a carrier rocket with a 100-ton-plus payload for the first time by about 2030, according to a report of the symposium published on the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council website on Monday. The schedule for the heavy-lift rocket was revealed by Lu Yu, director of Science and Technology Committee of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a State-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation branch institute. China plans to land the Chang'e-4 lunar probe on the dark side of the moon in 2018, the report said. The Chang'e-5 probe will be launched next year, the last chapter in China's three-step - orbiti, land and return - lunar exploration program. Chang'e-5 will collect and return rock samples to Earth. After that, China will launch three more missions to study the moon's south pole. The country's first Mars probe is scheduled to be launched on a Long March 5 by 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, South China's Hainan Province. The probe will hopefully orbit, land and deploy a rover on the Red Planet. (Global Times) 09:16, December 06, 2017 The AG600, a large amphibious aircraft developed by China, has passed the official technical quality assessment for its maiden flight, the developer said. Designed to be the world's largest amphibious aircraft, the 37-meter-long AG600 has a wingspan of 38.8 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tons. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) held a technical evaluation meeting in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. The meeting was attended by experts and Ministry of Industry and Information Technologyofficials. The amphibious aircraft can be used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires, marine environmental monitoring and protection. It can collect 12 tons of water in 20 seconds and transport up to 370 tons of water on a single tank of fuel. Experts agreed that the plane is ready for flight. AVIC said earlier this year that it has already received orders for 17 AG600s. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited Chinese people to visit his country at a promotion event of the 2018 China-Canada Tourism Year in Beijing on Monday, Chinanews.com reported. Trudeau and Li Jinzao, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration, unveiled the tourism event. Sina President Cao Guowei and representatives of the tourism industry in both countries were also present at the ceremony. Trudeau said that Canadians, famous for their politeness, will go out of their way to welcome Chinese tourists. In 2016, the two countries jointly declared 2018 as the China-Canada Tourism Year, and agreed to expand cooperation on promoting two-way tourist exchange. Last year, over 600,000 visits were made from China to Canada, and almost an equal number of Canadians visited China. The increasing number of visits between the two countries signals deep bilateral friendship, Trudeau said. Official statistics have counted China as one of Canadas fastest-growing tourism markets and third largest source of tourism. Canadian tourism officials expressed the hope of receiving double the number of Chinese tourists by 2021. Trudeau started to use Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like service, in 2013. He now has more than 140,000 followers on the platform. Kuwaits Jazeera Airways Expressed Interest in Georgian Aviation Market (TBILISI) The largest private airline of oil-rich Persian Gulf nation Kuwait, Jazeera Airways, is currently in early discussions with Georgian officials about possibly entering the local aviation market, according to an announcement from TAV Georgia, the Turkish-owned company that operates the countrys Tbilisi and Batumi international airports.Jazeera Airways, which flies 17 different destinations and serves 1.2 million passengers per year, is the second Kuwaiti airline to express interest in the Georgian market.Wataniya Airways began flying to Tbilisi in July. The airline recently announced plans to increase the number of flights from two to three per week between Georgia and Kuwait City for the winter season. Chinese folk instruments have been included into the Western music education system for the first time ever, said Chinas Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) and Bard College Conservatory of Music, CCTV.com reported on Dec. 5. The American college is to enroll students in Chinese folk instruments performance starting from autumn 2018. The students will be taught how to play the Pipa (four-stringed plucked instrument), the Erhu, and the Guzheng (Chinese Zither), as well as Chinese traditional culture, according to an agreement signed by the two colleges. Education will be the best way to spread traditional Chinese music. After five years of study, the students will be given a bachelors degree and a chance to play in a large-scale performance, which will attract more colleges to set up Chinese folk music-related courses, Yu Feng, President of CCOM noted. (China Daily) 09:56, December 06, 2017 The C919, China's first home-developed large passenger plane, gained another 55 orders on Tuesday from ICBC Leasing Co Ltd, China's largest aircraft leasing company by assets, lifting its total orders to 785. China's homegrown large passenger plane C919 takes off from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, East China, Nov 10, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua] Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd, the manufacturer of the C919, signed an agreement with ICBC Leasing in Beijing. So far, C919 has netted orders from 27 Chinese and overseas customers. Back in 2011, ICBC Leasing, a subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, ordered 45 C919 aircraft. The latest deal makes the leasing company the single largest C919 customer with an order of 100 planes. As of October, ICBC Leasing managed total capital worth 300 billion yuan ($45 billion) and 555 aircraft, in addition to a large number of shipping assets and large-scale equipment. In November, the C919 passenger jet completed its first long-haul flight from Shanghai to Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and it will now start a series of test flights at the testing base in Yanliang, Shaanxi province. Last week, the second C919 test aircraft completed its first taxiing test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and it is expected to conduct its debut flight by the end of the year. Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst and columnist at Carnoc.com, one of China's largest civil aviation web portals, said the C919's entry to the market won't occur very soon. It is expected to go into operation between 2020 and 2022. (Xinhua) 10:13, December 06, 2017 UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is waiting for a formal announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump concerning the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and warns of consequences of doing so, said a UN spokesman on Tuesday. "As a matter of principle, the secretary-general has said he has consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution," Stephane Dujarric told a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. He said the UN chief is waiting for a formal statement from Washington. "We've always regarded Jerusalem as a final-status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties (of Israelis and Palestinians) based on relevant Security Council resolutions," said Dujarric. Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would potentially trigger unrest in the region. Palestinians regard East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as the capital of their future state and the status of Jerusalem as a whole remains an issue to be resolved. Trump is expected to announce his decision on Wednesday. (Xinhua) 11:04, December 06, 2017 WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump will declare Wednesday whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israelfrom Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Trump informed in a telephone call Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of his intention to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas warned of the dangerous impact such a decision may have on the peace process, security and stability in the region and the world, Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh said in a statement. He added that Abbas will continue his contact with world leaders to prevent such an unacceptable action. Trump would deliver a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision, Sanders told a press briefing on Tuesday. "The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point," she said, without giving more details. The White House said later via email that Trump had spoken separately on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and Saudi Arabian King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud about "potential decisions regarding Jerusalem." The decision, widely seen as an explicit gesture to formally recognize the city as the Israeli capital, sparked opposition from the Arab world amid growing worries that it may fuel unrest in the Middle East. Also on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mogherini reiterated the EU's stance that the bloc supports "the resumption of a meaningful peace process towards a two-state," warning that "any action that would undermine these efforts must absolutely be avoided." "A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states so that the aspiration of both parties can be fulfilled," said Mogherini. During his presidential campaign, Trump had pledged to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Although the U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 which required the relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation out of consideration for national security interests. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries base their embassies in the city. Since U.S. media reported last week that Trump could announce a decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Arab leaders have warned that unilateral U.S. move on Jerusalem could destroy efforts to broker peace in the Middle East. (Xinhua) 11:06, December 06, 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the IsraelMuseum in Jerusalem on May 23, 2017. In the final remarks that concluded his first visit to the region, U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that peace between Israel and the Palestinians is "possible". (Xinhua/JINI) WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The White Housesaid Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump will decide Wednesday on whether to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move, if materialized, would mean a recognition of the city as Israel's capital and is likely to fuel conflicts between Israel and Palestineand arouse global concerns. The White House also said Trump had talked separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. In phone talks with the leaders, Trump discussed potential decisions regarding Jerusalem, reaffirmed his commitment to and support for advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and underscored cooperation with each partner to advance the peace efforts throughout the region, said the White House. ANGRY BACKLASH FROM ARAB WORLD, IMPARTIALITY URGED Trump's intention to move U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which many analysts said would explicitly mean the U.S. formal recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, has provoked a backlash from the Arab world. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh said in an official statement that Abbas warned of the dangerous consequences of Trump's decision on the peace process, security and stability in the Middle East region and the world. He added that Abbas will continue his contact with world leaders to prevent such an unacceptable action. The Jordanian king stressed in the call with Trump the dangers of taking any measures that are not part of a comprehensive solution, saying Trump's decision will have serious consequences on the stability and security of the Middle East, undermine efforts by the U.S. administration to resume the peace process and provoke the feelings of Muslims and Christians alike. On Sunday, Saeed Abu-Ali, Arab Leagueassistant secretary general for the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, said that such U.S. recognition would give Israel the green light to continue its breaches of international resolutions, urging Washington to act as an "impartial broker" of the peace process. EUROPE'S WORRIES European Unionforeign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday warned that the status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mogherini reiterated that EU supports "the resumption of a meaningful peace process towards a two-state," warning that "any action that would undermine these efforts must absolutely be avoided." "A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states so that the aspiration of both parties can be fulfilled," said Mogherini. Russian President Vladimir Putinphoned Abbas, saying Moscow backs a resumption of talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities, including on the status of Jerusalem. PARTIALITY MAKES PALESTINE-ISRAEL PROBLEM HARDER TO SOLVE Daniel Serwer, director of conflict management at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, told Xinhua that Trump's main motive seems to "be satisfying a domestic political constituency that wants the administration to be as pro-Israel as possible." "It is likely the president also thinks that disruptive moves of this sort will reshuffle the deck and somehow make the Israel/Palestine problem easier to solve. That isn't likely to be the case however," he noted. "Any announcement changing existing U.S. policy without being even-handed will reduce the likelihood of an agreed peace," he said. "The U.S. has always been pro-Israel, but until now it has not necessarily been perceived as anti-Palestine. This will make it hard for many, including me, to believe that the administration supports a two-state solution, which many of us regard as the only outcome that will lead to stability," he added. During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Although the U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 which required the relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, former U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, consistently renewed a presidential waiver to delay the relocation out of consideration for national security interests. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries base their embassies in the city. To the editor, As we remember Dec. 7, may this day be forever etched in our minds as we remember Dec. 7, 1941. This is the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, killing more than 2,300 Americans with over 1,200 wounded. The attack by the Japanese would pull the United States into World War II, which would end up taking the lives of over 400,000 Americans. This day should be declared a national holiday as the significance of this day has affected more lives than any event in the history of the United States of America. Mark D. Zmierski Caro HURON COUNTY Thousands of Huron County residents lost power Tuesday due to high winds with gusts up to 50 mph. In DTE Energy's 13-county coverage area, 7,800 residences were without electricity late Tuesday afternoon, said Roneisha Mullen, spokesperson for DTE. "Most of those are up near the Thumb," she added. A large patch of outages appeared on DTE's outage map between North Branch and Imlay City late Tuesday afternoon, while the number of outages visible in Huron County had decreased significantly throughout the day. Crews working 16-hour shifts were expected to work after dark to restore power, with most residences expected to be restored by Tuesday night. Some individual customers may not get power back until Wednesday, Mullen said Since the outage had not reached catastrophic proportions, a county-by-county record of homes without power was not kept, she added. A wind advisory was in effect for Huron County until 7 p.m., and residents in a dozen municipalities were without power throughout the day. Portions of Caseville, Hume, Meade, Gore, Rubicon, Huron, McKinley and Pointe aux Barques townships were shown on the DTE outage map as still having outages late Tuesday afternoon. Southwest winds Tuesday were expected to increase to 25-35 mph with gusts 50 mph in the wake of a cold frontal passage that morning over Huron and Tuscola counties, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS warned of hazardous travel for high profile vehicles, and also noted that unsecured light outdoor objects will be blown around. High winds contributed to trees falling on power lines, wind knocking down power lines, and equipment problems, said Randi Berris, spokesperson for DTE. Extra crews were on standby, she added. Berris warned that if residents are in their yard clearing limbs, there may be live wires hiding under tree limbs. "If you see a live wire, report it DTE. Don't assume we already know," she said. Stay 20 feet away from the line and assume it's live, she added. DTE covers 13 counties in Southeast Michigan, and has 2.2 million customers, Berris said. About 4,500 customers total had no power Tuesday morning. By 1:45 p.m., that number had shrunk to 2,600. But by 4:30 p.m., the number jumped to 7,800. Anyone who is experiencing an outage or sees a downed power line should call DTE at 1-800-477-4747. Johnson & Johnson and Bayer are responsible for a woman's injuries tied to the blood-thinning drug Xarelto and must pay more than $29 million in damages, jurors concluded in the companies' first loss at a trial over the medicine. Lynn Hartman said she took Xarelto, sold by J&J's Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit, for more than a year before being hospitalized in 2014 with gastrointestinal bleeding she blamed on the drug. A Philadelphia jury on Tuesday ordered J&J and Bayer, which jointly developed the product, to pay $1.8 million in actual damages and $28 million in punitive damages, one of Hartman's lawyers said after the verdict. Johnson & Johnson and Bayer won the first three cases to come to trial in federal courts in Louisiana and Mississippi, after juries found the drug was safe and the companies properly warned about Xarelto's bleeding risks. Plaintiffs had pinned their hopes on winning in state court in Philadelphia, which is known for having plaintiff-friendly juries. "Xarelto is the worst in class of the new blood thinners," Michael Weinkowitz, a Philadelphia attorney who represents Hartman, said in an emailed statement. "The serious health complications suffered by thousands of patients could have been avoided if physicians were properly instructed about the risks." J&J and Bayer officials said Tuesday that they would appeal the jury's finding that Xarelto posed a health risk. Xarelto's labeling "has always warned of bleeding events" and provided information doctors need to make proper "treatment decisions," Sarah Freeman, a Janssen spokeswoman, said by email. "Bayer stands behind the safety and efficacy of Xarelto, believes there is no basis in fact or law for the verdict, including the punitive award," Chris Loder, a Bayer spokesman, said in an emailed statement. The companies still face more than 21,000 patent suits over Xarelto, which has been linked to at least 370 deaths, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports. Patients have said that Xarelto can cause uncontrollable bleeding and that Bayer and J&J failed to provide an antidote. Some also claim the companies failed to properly warn about the drug's risks. Bayer and J&J officials counter that Xarelto is safe and that its bleeding risks are fully outlined in the drug's warning label and are well-known by doctors. They also note that FDA officials found the drug to be safe and effective. The drug is Bayer's top-selling product, generating $3.24 billion in sales (3 billion euros) last year and $2.5 billion (2.3 billion euros) in 2015 for the Leverkusen, Germany-based pharmaceutical company. Xarelto is J&J's third-largest seller, bringing in $2.29 billion in 2016 as the New Brunswick, New Jersey, company seeks to replace revenue from its Remicade arthritis treatment, which lost patent protection a year ago. Xarelto belongs to a new class of drugs aimed at replacing Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Coumadin, which has thinned patients' blood since the 1960s. Other new thinners include Pradaxa made by Boehringer Ingelheim, a German company that paid $650 million in 2014 to settle thousands of suits claiming it hid the medicine's bleeding risks. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Contributed photo/Not for resale Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Contributed photo/Not for resale Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Contributed photo/Not for resale Show More Show Less 5 of 5 WATERBURY How we interact with technology and how it influences art-making is the focus of two new exhibitions opening on Sunday, Dec, 10 The Mattatuck Museum with a reception from 1-3 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Connected: Relationships with Machines presents sculptures and paintings by Andrzej Zielinski. Computers, cell phones, ATM machines, printers and other familiar devices serve as the subject matter of the exhibition. Sourced from a fascination with technology and with references to the art historical notion of the ready-made and history of abstract painting, Zielinski conveys a message that we, as consumers of these ubiquitous objects, are simultaneously experiencing the threatening shadow of technological advancement as well as a shared sense of humanity. Andrzej Zielinski was born in 1976 in Kansas City, Missouri. He received his BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2004 he earned an MFA in painting from Yale University. He currently splits his time between Berlin, Germany and Lawrence, Kansas. Guest curated by Jennifer Terzian. Connected will be on view through Feb. 11, 2018. Zielinskis works will also be the focus of a tour on Monday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. PORTLAND - The town is joining an effort to create a more sustainable community an effort that involves energy, food and water conservation. The program was developed by the Connecticut Council of Municipalities, the group that lobbies on behalf of the majority of the states cities and town. First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield is pushing for the town to commit to the program. Bransfield is the current president of CCM. In announcing the towns commitment, Bransfield said it could generate a myriad of positives outcomes. Those outcomes include reduced costs, better management of resources and increased livability of community, which will benefit residents while at the same time making the town more attractive to a wider range of potential new residents. In light of the dwindling resources that are available, were always looking for ways we can reduce costs, Bransfield said, pointing to the cutbacks in state aid as part of the budget stalemate this year. The effort is a follow-on to an earlier program, Energize CT, which the town also embraced, and which included working to find ways to reduce energy consumption - and the cost of paying for it. That effort involved, among other things, converting streetlights to the use of more efficient LED lights, which provide a clearer, more focused light. And that in turn worked to serve a goal established form former selectman Carl A. Chudzik Jr.: reducing light pollution as part of an effort to reclaim dark skies. That can help residents see more of the night sky which, in recent years, has largely been obliterated by rampant over-use of unregulated lights. In an outline of the sustainability program on CCMs website, sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In practice the effort reflects the intersection of three areas of concern for towns and cities: economy, environment and equity (the inclusion of social concerns), the CCM statements says. However, CCM while providing a range of options says it is up to towns and cities to determine what sustainability means to the citizens of their community. The sustainability project is relying on support from private organizations and involves cities and towns working with Eastern Connecticut State University. Eastern helped develop a 38-page report that addresses issues such as land-use and transportation, materials management, resilience and climate adaptation and clean energy generation. Among the towns and/or cities whose efforts are covered in the report are Guilford, New Britain, New London, Milford and West Hartford. One of the areas that has especially intrigued Bransfield is community food systems, which could involve a farm-to-schools program, one that would rely upon local farms to supply fresh foods for school lunches. She is also anxious to focus on management of the towns water supply and finding ways to reduce costs there as well, Bransfield said. Bransfield was scheduled to bring up the sustainability program during Wednesday evening meeting of the Board of Selectmen. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With a little luck, it could be a winter that birders mark in their journals with a star. Lemming populations are crashing in the Arctic tundra, while seed crops are abundant in Connecticut, meaning that snowy owls and winter finches are likely to be seen here in unusual numbers. Ive heard rumors of this happening, said Angela Dimmett of New Milford, leader of innumerable bird walks in the Northwest Corner. Word spreads. If theres an unusual bird around, we hear about it, said Margaret Robbins, owner of the Wild Bird Unlimited shop in Brookfield. Theres a whole family of birds, loosely called winter finches, that sometimes arrive in what ornithologists call irruptions. When food sources fail in one place, the birds fly off, in big flocks, to places where the larder is full. One of those finches the red crossbill has already moved from its normal wintering grounds in Alaska and western Canada eastward into the U.S., and in huge numbers. Its a pretty historic event, said Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society. Birders have already seen red crossbills in one town in the Farmington Valley. Red crossbills are described nicely by their name. The males are mostly red with darker wings, the females, olive-yellow. What sets them apart from other finches like the house finch, which breeds here and shows up every year at backyard feeders is that the ends of their bills cross to form a sharp little V at the end. Those bills make them expert at tearing apart pine cones. They use them to pry the cones open, like a wrench, Comins said. Theres also a chance that the red crossbills cousins the white-winged crossbills will show up in the state. Like red crossbills, theyre cone-eaters, but with a prominent white patch on their wings. The first year I started working here, there was a big flock of white-winged crossbills here, said Ken Elkins, the director of educational programs at the Audubon Connecticuts Bent of the River nature center in Southbury. What improves the chances of both crossbills showing up here is that its a really good year for evergreen cone crops. Thomas Philbrick, professor of biology at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, said many fruit-bearing trees, including those that bear nuts and cones, have an occasional big year as part of their survival strategies. The strategy is this, Philbrick said: The trees produce average or smaller-than-average crops for a few years in a row, creating a sort of equilibrium between the tree and the creatures that depend on it for food. Then it produces a really big crop and overwhelms them, Philbrick said. That increases the trees chances of reproduction. Crossbills hang out in evergreens. Unless you have hemlocks or white pines in your yard, you have to travel to see them. But common redpolls another winter finch that shows up in the state irregularly can be feeder birds. Theyre small, streaked sparrow-like birds with a bright red cap that stands out in the snow. Comins said it may be a good year for them as well. The grandest of the winter arrivals are snowy owls. A few show up in the state every year, usually along the coast or in big open fields. This year there may be more than a few; there may be a major irruption happening. Snowy owls live and breed in the Canadian tundra above the Arctic Circle and depend on lemmings for food. If the lemming population explodes, as it periodically does, well-fed snowy owls have lots of babies and there are a lot of snowy owls. The excess population pushes south in winter. Because theyre such beautiful birds, people rush to see them and end up harassing them. The owls fly off and get injured. Robbins said if its a good snowy owl year, people have to adapt, bring binoculars, and keep their distance. I always tell people, Dont get too close to them, she said. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com Photo taken on December 5, 2017, shows a beautiful view of Guangzhou in South Chinas Guangdong Province. The 2017 Fortune Global Forum kicked off in Guangzhou on Dec. 6. The three-day international event will create a valuable opportunity for the CEOs of the worlds biggest multinational companiesthe Fortune Global 500to actively engage with China and its leaders from both business and government. (Peoples Daily Online/ Weng Qiyu) By teaching himself and constantly improving his craft for years, 65-year-old Wang Huaimin in northeastern Chinas Jilin City has carved many Chinese opera figures on leather. He has carved Chinese woman warrior Mu Guiying and the Monkey King on leather, as well as animals, integrating creative calligraphy and handmade leather art. The retired soldier started to learn leather carving in 1976 with the painting knowledge he learned as a child. He was later inspired to integrate fine art, cutting, carving, and woodwork to innovate the technique. The Monkey King is 50 centimeters in height. It is Wangs first leather carving work, and he spent a lot of time and effort on the details. The leather has to be resilient so that the art work can remain visible and lustrous for a long time, Wang explained. Mu Guiying is one of the works that he takes most pride in. The work is 58 centimeters in height and 36 centimeters in width. The head part was very difficult to carve. Her hair is also made of leather, and they had to be fixed and made softer in color, Wang recalled. Born in a county of Manchu people, Wang said the time-honored craft is rare these days. He hopes to create a series of works to showcase the uniqueness of Manchu culture. BAY CITY, MI -- An Albion trucker who goes by the online monikers "NASCARguy" and "lonleytrucker69" is going to be in a federal prison for two decades for coaxing a little girl into sending him nude images of herself. Garret L. Hawkey, 60, on Monday, Dec. 4, appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris and pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. In exchange, prosecutors are dismissing counts of receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and transport of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Hawkey's sentencing guidelines run from 15 to 17.5 years. However, Hawkey has acknowledged his agreed upon sentence will exceed that range and that he'll serve 20 years in prison. In pleading, Hawkey admitted that on Oct. 2, 2016, he used the instant messaging app KIK Messenger to communicate with an 8-year-old Port Austin girl. He persuaded her to send photos and videos of herself engaging in sexual behavior. The next day, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating several users of KIK Interactive Inc. after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That organization had received a complaint from the father of Hawkey's victim, who reported numerous KIK users trying to entice his daughter into sending them lewd images. Investigators examined the girl's cellphone, finding nude images of herself and chats between herself and other KIK users, according to an affidavit authored by Arkin G. Fout, a special agent of the Department of Homeland Security currently assigned to the agency's Cyber Crimes and Child Exploitation Group in Detroit. One such chat featured the girl interacting with a Hawkey, his KIK user names being "lonleytrucker69" and "NASCAR lonely." Investigators determined the names belonged to Hawkey after subpoenaing Internet services providers and learning the names' IP addresses were registered to his home. HSI agents on May 17 executed a search warrant on Hawkey's home and interviewed his wife, who said she had once caught him looking at what appeared to be the nude image of a 10-year-old on the Internet. Authorities stopped Hawkey at a truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois. He admitted to them he had child porn on his Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cellphone and allowed investigators to examine the device, Fout wrote in his affidavit. Investigators found numerous images of nude prepubescent girls on the phone and arrested Hawkey. "Hawkey also admitted to having asked for nude pictures from underage girls in the past, but claimed that he was 'joking,'" Fout's affidavit states. Hawkey also said he had specifically chatted with the 8-year-old girl. U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is to sentence Hawkey at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 8. Daniel Olar beside attorney Keith Moir in court on Nov. 21, 2017. TAWAS, MI -- Testifying from the witness stand, a shackled Bay City man said his friend brutally killed a 72-year-old man in his presence, then together, they disposed of his body. His friend planned the whole ordeal, he testified, in hopes of making a quick buck. The alleged killer's defense attorney argues, however, the slaying was born of the victim, a convicted sex offender, who had sexually assaulted his client. Testimony Christopher R. Grinnell, 25, took to the stand in the courtroom of Iosco County District Judge Christopher P. Martin the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 5, during the preliminary examination of his 20-year-old codefendant, Daniel J. Olar. Olar is charged with open murder in the death of Roger L. Knickerbocker II, while Grinnell is charged with conspiracy to commit open murder. Questioned by Iosco County Prosecutor Gary Rapp, Grinnell said he was testifying as he's been offered a chance to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder in exchange for his truthful testimony. As he spoke, a mohawk-sporting Olar sat stoically beside defense counsel Keith E. Moir. Grinnell said he first met Knickerbocker in early August. At the time, Knickerbocker was living in a small house at 5851 Snyder Trail, located about 1.3 miles from Grinnell's step-brother's home. Olar had recently stayed at Knickerbocker's house, records indicate. According to Grinnell, Olar suggested they kill Knickerbocker for money, a deed Grinnell initially agreed to. "We talked about different ways, ideas," the soft-spoken Grinnell said. "A hammer, screwdriver, strangulation." On or about Aug. 3, the pair went to Knickerbocker's home, only for Grinnell to have second thoughts. "I said I didn't want to do it no more," he said. "We left and went back to my brother's house." There, Olar asked a woman for her help instead, but she refused, Grinnell testified. A short time later, Olar and Grinnell returned to Knickerbocker's house, with Grinnell eventually falling asleep inside, he said. He was awakened by the sound of Olar killing Knickerbocker, bludgeoning him with a hammer in another room, he said. Rapp asked Grinnell if he knew how many times Olar struck Knickerbocker. "If I had to guess, I'd say probably over 100," Grinnell replied. Daniel J. Olar (left) and Christopher R. Grinnell As the assault continued, Olar would take breaks to walk into the room Grinnell was in, laughing as he did so, Grinnell said. "Did he say anything?" Rapp asked. "That he enjoyed it," Grinnell replied. At one point, Olar asked Grinnell to hand him a knife. Grinnell grabbed a blade from a kitchen knife block and gave it to Olar, he said. He then saw Olar stab Knickerbocker as the victim tried getting out of the room he was in. Knickerbocker disappeared back into the room. The next night, Olar, Grinnell, and the woman who had been at Grinnell's stepbrother's house wrapped Knickerbocker's body in plastic and a blanket, dragged it outside with an extension cord, and stuck it in an outhouse, Grinnell said. A week later, they buried the body in a hole in Knickerbocker's backyard, along with cat litter bags, the hammer, the knife, dishwashing gloves, a blood-stained candleholder, and the extension cord. They took a doghouse from Grinnell's stepbrother's property and placed it over the shallow grave. Rapp asked Grinnell if the killing netted them a financial gain. "We bought a laptop," Grinnell said. "We bought a camera, countless items from smoke shops. Oh, and a car." The items were purchased with credit cards in Knickerbocker's name, he said. Under cross-examination from Moir, Grinnell said he did not actually see Olar striking Knickerbocker with a hammer. Moir also asked why he went back to Knickerbocker's house before the killing, knowing what Olar intended. He also asked how he could fall asleep in that situation. "'Cause I thought it was called off," Grinnell said. He added that he had consumed some artificial marijuana beforehand, but maintained he was sober when they arrived at Knickerbocker's. Roger L. Knickerbocker II Moir asked Grinnell if he had heard allegations that Knickerbocker had been sexually abusing Olar. Grinnell said he had not heard such things until after the pair's arrest and rumors began spreading in the county jail. Prior to Grinnell's testimony, forensic pathologist Dr. Kanu Virani testified via telephone that he performed an autopsy on Knickerbocker's remains on Aug. 11. Virani said Knickerbocker had suffered blunt force trauma to his head, adding he counted about 27 wounds. The skull fractures were so severe, the brain was exposed, he said. Knickerbocker also sustained one stab wound to the left side of his chest, which punctured his heart, Virani said. The body bore no defensive wounds. The body did have a plastic ring around the penis, prompting Moir to ask Virani if such an item could be used for sexual gratification. Rapp objected, with Moir countering that it could go to the theory that Knickerbocker had been sexually abusing Olar. The hearing ended with Judge Martin binding Olar's case over to Iosco County Circuit for trial. Case origins The case against Olar and Grinnell came to light the evening of Aug. 9, when Michigan State Police troopers responded to domestic violence situation at Grinnell's stepbrother's home. They arrested a woman at the residence and as they were taking her to the Bay County Jail on outstanding warrants, she bemoaned how she was getting locked up while others were getting away with murder. She proceeded to tell troopers a body was buried behind Knickerbocker's home. After lodging her in jail, troopers went to the home and found evidence that a violent crime had occurred there. Troopers summoned a cadaver dog and Crime Lab technicians to the scene. The cadaver dog located the grave, prompting Crime Lab personnel to dig. They unearthed Knickerbocker's body late on the night of Aug. 10. Police have said that Olar hails from Pontiac and that he and Knickerbocker "had known each other for a very long time." Parties' backgrounds Both Knickerbocker and Grinnell are registered sex offenders. In October 1999, a 13-year-old girl told Pontiac police officers Knickerbocker had been sexually assaulting her when she was about 4. Knickerbocker had been dating the girl's mother for about 10 years at that point. The girl's mother told police her daughter had told her of the abuse in 1996, but she didn't do anything about it, according to police reports obtained by The Bay City Times-MLive via a Freedom of Information Act request. Knickerbocker in June 2000 appeared in Oakland County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person 13 or younger. The following month, a judge sentenced Knickerbocker to 10 to 30 years in prison, with credit for 135 days already served. The Michigan Department of Corrections paroled Knickerbocker in May 2009. The agency discharged him from parole two years later. Knickerbocker still was to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. At the time, Knickerbocker was residing at 48 S. Merrimac St. in Pontiac, a 0.6-mile walk to a previous residence of Olar's in the 800 block of Stanley Avenue. Grinnell in December 2013 pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15 in Genesee County Circuit Court. The charge is a high-court misdemeanor punishable by up to two years' incarceration. The charge is limited to touching and does not involve penetration. Grinnell's crime occurred Aug. 2, 2013, at which time he would have been 21. In January 2014, a judge sentenced Grinnell to five years' probation, which was to last until Jan. 21, 2019. He is required to register as a sex offender until Feb. 4, 2039. GRAND BLANC, MI -- State Rep. Tim Sneller (D-Burton) will be hosting a free Health Insurance Enrollment Forum, along with the Genesee Health Plan, to help residents navigate through the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, the Genesee Health Plan, Healthy Michigan and Medicaid enrollment processes. The Health Insurance Enrollment Forum will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Grand Blanc Senior Center, located at 12632 Pagels Drive in Grand Blanc, and is open to Genesee County residents in need of help navigating enrollment. Open enrollment for the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace started Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15, with health care coverage beginning Jan. 1. Uninsured people will be able to apply for health coverage, compare all coverage options and enroll in a plan that best fits their needs. To learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, go to www.HealthCare.gov, call (800) 318-2596 or contact the Genesee Health Plan at (810) 232-7740. FLINT, MI -- A missing 70-year-old man that went missing Wednesday afternoon from a Flint Township health care facility has been found safe in downtown Flint, police said. Police in Flint Township began searching for Robert Hayes after staff at Heritage Manor Healthcare Center said he ran away from staff around 7 a.m. Dec. 6 from the Beecher Road facility near Ballenger Highway. Flint Township police Detective Sgt. Brad Wangler said Hayes was able to catch a ride from a person to the Mass Transportation Authority Transit Center on Harrison and 2nd streets. Hayes then attempted to get on a bus heading for metro Detroit, where's he originally from, but he did not have any money to pay for a ticket. Hayes is an Alzheimer's patient with a heart condition. Flint Township police and firefighters were able to track him down at the bus station where Hayes was found safe shortly after noon Wednesday. He's been taken back to the Flint Township facility. A group including Flint Township police, Michigan State Police, Flint police, University of Michigan-Flint police, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, and Flint Township firefighters assisted in the search. FLINT, MI -- A top advisor to Gov. Rick Snyder says the state wants to create a model program for water flushing and testing for lead in the Flint School District and has the money to at least help pay for it. Michigan Transformation Manager Rich Baird told members of the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee Friday, Dec. 1, that he's scheduled to meet with Flint Schools Superintendent Bilal Tawwab to discuss the proposal this week. "What we want to talk to him about -- the purpose of the meeting -- is to provide a data update and to ask for his support for an intense flushing and testing process now," Baird said. "We have secured some funding that we wish to talk to him about . ... [I]t will allow for Flint to create a best in class or best practice protocol for schools that we would like to use across the state," he said. MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Clare Liening, a spokeswoman for Flint schools, for comment on the scheduled meeting. Flint school officials were forced to deal with the fallout from the city's water crisis because several of its elementary school buildings had high lead levels when tested in 2015. State Department of Environmental Quality officials have said elevated lead levels in schools were the result of old plumbing fixtures that contained lead and that came in contact with corrosive water from the Flint River. Recent test results have shown less than 2 percent of sample sites tested above 15 parts per billion of lead, the federal threshold. Baird told FWICC members that there are more than 800 school districts in the state, all of which have obstacles to setting up water testing. There is currently no requirement that schools or child care centers have water tested for lead unless districts operate their own underground well system. Snyder's 2017 budget initially called for a $9 million investment to reimburse schools for voluntary testing, but that figure was ultimately lowered to $4 million by the state Legislature as part of the final budget agreement. Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, a FWICC member, said the school testing for lead is needed. "I'll be glad to see a flushing protocol that will reduce risk to an acceptable level -- not just a legal level," Reynolds said. Snyder signed an executive order creating FWICC and charged the committee with working on long-term solutions to the Flint water quality and public health concerns. Pamela Pugh, chief public health advisor for the city of Flint, also praised the effort -- particularly the potential for funding. School officials have told the city that they have concerns about whether they had the resources to take on extensive water testing requirements without financial help. Flint native and Hollywood actor Terry Crews is suing the agent he says sexually assaulted him at a party hosted by Adam Sandler in 2016, according to TMZ and others. Crews, the star of shows such as "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "Everybody Hates Chris," as well as "The Expendables" films series, has described the incident in several interviews over the last few months. Most prominent of these was with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America," in which the Michigan native said agent Adam Venit of the William Morris Endeavor (WME) made lewd mouth gestures toward him before grabbing his genitals. The Michigan actor also outlined the incident in a series of Tweets posted in October. At that time, Crews noted that a police report had been completed, but it appears a lawsuit has now been filed. According to TMZ, Crews says in the lawsuit that Venit stared at him "like a rabid dog, sticking his tongue in and out of his mouth provocatively." Venit, who represents A-list celebrities like Casey Affleck, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvester Stallone and Eddie Murphy, then inexplicably grabbed Crews, prompting the actor to yell out to Sandler: "Adam, come get your boy! He's grabbing my nuts." The lawsuit also says that Sandler, also Venit's client, called Crews after the party to check on him. Crews responded that he was surprised he got molested at age 48, TMZ reported. TMZ reports that the lawsuit says Crews told his then-agent Brad Slater, also of WME, about the incident, but nothing was done. Attorney Bryan Sullivan filed the complaint Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Crews is suing for assault, battery, sexual battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and negligent retention and supervision, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Crews has been widely praised for his candor and willingness to openly discuss the incident. Crews is one of a flurry of Hollywood stars who have come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against others in the industry. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A Kent County sheriff's deputy erred in shooting an unarmed drug suspect tied to a major West Michigan drug operation but will not face criminal charges, Prosecutor Chris Becker said Wednesday, Dec. 6. Becker said that Deputy Andrew Hinds, a member of the sheriff's Tactical Team, which was assisting federal drug agents during a search warrant of a drug stash house, shot Yusef Lateef Phillips, 40, in the chest with a rifle when Phillips crouched by cars in an apartment parking lot. Phillips survived the Sept. 3 shooting and is jailed. To convict Hinds of a crime, Becker said that he would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hinds was not in fear for his own safety or safety of others when he shot Phillips. "There is no evidence presented here that would support any conclusion other than Deputy Hinds fired because he feared for his safety. It was incorrect, but that does not change the analysis," Becker said in a statement he released during a press conference at his office. He also provided body-camera video. Philips was considered one of the leaders of the alleged drug-trafficking organization that brought large quantities of cocaine and heroin to Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids. Defense attorney, Paul Mitchell, had asked in mid-September that his client, who was in pain, be released from jail to receive care at home but a judge denied the request. Police have identified at least 18 suspects in West Michigan. The tactical team had been on call three weeks while U.S Drug Enforcement Administration agents planned multiple high-risk, nighttime raids, with suspects known to carry firearms, Becker said. Police were told that Phillips and another man were thought to be armed before they encountered them. Becker said Hinds had no way to know that the guns were left inside the apartment where the shooting occurred. "Given the facts presented in this case it is impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in self-defense," Becker wrote. Hinds was "clearly wrong in believing that Mr. Phillips' movements indicated a threat to him and other members of his team. Mr. Phillips had nothing more than a set of car keys in his hand. It is extremely fortunate that this mistake did not cost Mr. Phillips his life. However, it is not for us with the benefit of hindsight to state what could have been done, or what errors were made." Hinds has been on paid administrative leave after the incident. Kent County Undersheriff Michelle Young said the Sheriff's Department began reviewing the prosecutor's report this morning. ST. IGNACE, MI -- With the ink barely dry on a new agreement between the state and the company that owns the controversial Line 5 carrying oil under the Straits of Mackinac, a key aspect was triggered by this week's weather. For about five hours Tuesday, Dec. 5, Enbridge Energy suspended operation of the pipeline after forecasts called for wave heights of more than 9 feet. High winds seen across much of the state Tuesday resulted in huge waves in Northern Michigan and West Michigan. Enbridge notified state officials the flow of oil through the Line 5 pipeline crossing the Straits of Mackinac was stopped at 11:37 a.m. Tuesday, according to a press release from the Michigan Agency for Energy. Flow was reinstated at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, Enbridge spokesperson Ryan Duffy said. The temporary shutdown might be the first ever triggered by weather conditions, Duffy said, as it has not been the company's policy in the past to suspend operations for that reason. Flow has been stopped in the past to accommodate maintenance work and testing of the pipeline. But a Monday, Nov. 27, agreement with the state required, among other things, flow through the pipeline to be stopped during "sustained adverse weather conditions." Those are defined as at least an hour of average waves higher than 8 feet based on near-real-time data or forecast modeling. Duffy said Enbridge agreed to the stipulation to "go above and beyond." Halting the oil flow doesn't remove it from the straits, though. Enbridge officials said it would temporarily stop the flow by closing shut-off valves on either end of the pipeline. The reasoning behind the new "adverse weather" requirement is tied not to the structural integrity of the pipeline, but to the impact rough seas could have on emergency response to a spill in the straits. Liz Kirkwood, director of FLOW (For Love of Water), a Traverse City group that advocates for shutting down the pipeline, said Tuesday's closure underscores a need to stop operating the pipeline entirely. "The very fact that this agreement between Governor Snyder and Enbridge requires the pipeline to be shut down in adverse weather conditions is an admission that there is a genuine risk identified with the continued operation of this pipeline," Kirkwood said in a statement. Others, like Food and Water Watch Midwest Regional Director Jessica Fujan, have called the state's 8-foot rule an "arbitrary" line in the sand. "The state allowing Enbridge to continue to operate this pipeline in most conditions, while adding the arbitrary requirement that it be shut down when waves on the surface are greater than eight feet, is roughly the equivalent of the state allowing someone to operate a car without brakes or steering, as long as they don't drive in the fog," Fujan said in the statement. Although the Coast Guard has said even smaller waves make oil recovery all but impossible, Enbridge has claimed spill equipment that could operate in 8-foot conditions. U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, during testimony before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in November. Referencing "pipelines crossing the lakes" that coexist with drinking water intakes and drawing on the official Coast Guard motto, Zukunft suggested various factors could complicate efforts to clean up an oil spill in the Great Lakes. "I would go on the record to say that the Coast Guard is not 'semper paratus' (Latin, meaning "always ready") for a major pipeline oil spill in the greater lakes," Zukunft said. "More science needs to be done in that regard." The deal between Enbridge and the state followed the release of a hotly-debated contractor's analysis on alternatives to the existing pipeline and reports of widespread protective coating gaps and damage that Enbridge knew about three years ago but did not disclose until earlier this fall. The package of safeguards, which Gov. Rick Snyder's office said will help protect the Great Lakes from the threat of an oil spill, also included several other stipulations: Replace the portion of Line 5 that crosses beneath the St. Clair River with a new pipe in a tunnel under the river, a site where similar pipeline construction for Line 6B was successfully accomplished a few years ago. Undertake a study in conjunction with the state on the placement of a new pipeline or the existing dual pipelines in a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. Assess the possible installation of underwater technologies, including cameras, to better monitor the Line 5 under the straits. Implement technologies that improve the safety of Line 5 in the straits by allowing faster detection and a more immediate response in the event of a spill. Implement measures to mitigate a potential vessel anchor strike on Line 5. In partnership with the state, implement additional measures to minimize the likelihood of a spill at every Line 5 water crossing in Michigan. Meet regularly with the state to assess and discuss any changes to Line 5 operation. Terms of the deal would bring Enbridge and the state back together next August for a "potential further agreement" that state officials characterize as a decision date about the future of Line 5. State officials have said an ultimate shutdown of the pipline "is still on the table." A report completed by state contractor Dynamic Risk Systems Inc. analyzed possible alternatives to Line 5 crossing underneath the straits. Those included building a new pipeline in either a trench or a tunnel under the straits, operating the pipeline without change, shutting down the pipeline, building a new pipeline around the southern end of Lake Michigan and moving oil by railroad. The public comment period on the final version of that report, released last month, ends Dec. 19. Three public meetings are scheduled: Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Taylor, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, Wayne County Community College District, Downriver Campus, 21000 Northline Road. Tuesday, Dec. 12, in St. Ignace, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Little Bear Arena & Community Center, 275 Marquette St. Wednesday, Dec. 13, in Traverse City, beginning at 6 p.m., West Bay Beach Holiday Inn Resort, Leelanau Banquet Rooms, 615 E. Front St. Line 5 is a 645-mile pipeline built in 1953 that runs from Superior, Wisc., to Sarnia, Canada. It transports up to 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas liquids per day. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- As Kent County leaders get closer to naming a new administrator to oversee operations of the county government, the public has been invited to meet two finalists for the position. Residents can meet finalists Wayman Britt and Marc Ryan at a "meet the candidates" event set for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the Kent County Human Services Complex at 121 Franklin SE in Grand Rapids. It's an opportunity for citizens to both meet the two finalists for the important position and to provide feedback to county leaders responsible for making the decision. "The committee is proud to hold the community forum and ask for public feedback in the recruitment process for this important role," Sandi Steensma, chairwoman of the county's administrator/controller recruitment subcommittee, said in a statement. Steensma has stressed the importance of community input throughout the process, pointing out stakeholder input was sought early on to assist in the creation of the job posting and help inform the initial screening process. "The community's input in the process is critical to making the right decision for such an important leadership role," she said. "We hope residents will make their voices heard as we complete this process." A flyer distributed by Kent County advertising the forum was posted on its Twitter and Facebook pages: The Administrator/Controller Recruitment (ACR) Subcommittee finalized the remaining steps in the recruitment process and... Posted by Kent County, Michigan on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 Former Kent County Administrator Daryl Delabbio announced his intention to retire in September 2016, a decision which took effect on June 30. That date marked an end to 22 years of service within Kent County government and a career of public sector service that spanned four decades. Britt was was appointed to serve as interim county administrator upon Delabbio's departure, which also prompted the Board of Commissioners to form a subcommittee to oversee the search for and appointment of a permanent replacement. Steensma, a former county commissioner and Board of Commissioners chairwoman from 2010-12, was appointed to chair the subcommittee. Others serving on the subcommittee include current Board Chairman Jim Saalfeld, Commissioners Mandy Bolter, Carol Hennessy and Roger Morgan, Inclusive Performance Strategies Founder and CEO Paul T. Doyle and The Right Place President and CEO Birgit Klohs. The group met about a dozen times starting in February, first focusing on the selection of a search firm to assist in the process and ultimately contracting with GovHR USA. The county received 68 applications from candidates from 14 different states before the Oct. 20 deadline set by the job posting. GovHR screened the applications and provided a much smaller number of candidates, which the subcommittee then reduced to five interview candidates. One of the five withdrew prior to the interviews, and the remaining four candidates were interviewed by the subcommittee on Monday, Nov. 27. The group chose three finalists to return for a second round of interviews, but one -- Jennifer George -- later removed her name from consideration, leaving Britt and Ryan the remaining finalists for the position. Before taking over as Kent County's interim county administrator, Britt served as an assistant county administrator starting in 2004. Prior to his work for the county, Britt held management positions at Steelcase and Michigan National Bank. He holds a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Michigan. Ryan is chief strategy and compliance officer at healthcare software company MedHOK Inc. and Continuum Performance Systems. His resume shows he has worked in the healthcare industry since 2005, previously working for the State of Connecticut, first in the governor's office and later as secretary of the state's Office of Policy and Management. Kent County's administrator is appointed to manage the county government's day-to-day operations and oversee its more than $400-million budget. After the community forum on Jan. 10, Ryan and Britt and scheduled for interviews with the full Kent County Board of Commissioners. Those intervews, set to run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, are also open to the public. Later that afternoon, Steensma's subcommittee is expected to meet to review feedback from county commissioners and make a decision about which candidate it recommends the county hire. That final decision falls to the Board of Commissioners itself. LAFAYETTE, IN - A truck driver from Michigan was involved in a 5-vehicle crash that killed two people in Northern Indiana. According to the Indiana State Police, the crash occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5 when a semi-truck being driven by Ashraf M. Al-Rabba, 36, of Michigan, was one of several vehicles stopped for a separate crash on Interstate 65 near Lafayette in Tippecanoe County. Another semi-truck driven by Karl E. Klinge, 54 of Sherman, Ind. and a 2006 red Cadillac CTS were stopped behind Al-Rabba, police said, and a box truck driven by Joseph Gais, 62, of Florissant, Mo. was slowing down as he approached the stopped vehicles. Police said the crash occurred Anthony J. Dick, 31, of Plainfield, Ind., the driver of another semi-truck, apparently was distracted and did not see that traffic had come to a stop. This caused him to slam into the back of the box truck and set off a chain reaction of collisions. The impact of the two trucks pushed the CTS underneath Klinge's flatbed in front of it, killing both occupants. Marvin L. Rea, 49, and Kelli Nicole Bradley, 34, both from Gary, Ind. have been identified as the deceased. Gais and Dick were both transported to UI Arnett Hospital with minor injuries. Neither Al-Rabba nor Klinge were injured, police said. An investigation is ongoing. Assisting at the scene was troopers from the Lafayette Post, ISP Re-constructionist, the Lafayette Fire Department, Lafayette Police Department, Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department, Tippecanoe County Coroners' Office, Tippecanoe County EMS and Jim's Wrecker Service. The first Starbucks Reserve Roastery outside the United States opened in Shanghai on December 6, with the help from Chinese technology giant Alibaba Group, Shanghai-based news site ThePaper.cn reported. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot roastery will be the companys second roastery after Seattle, with the aim of creating a real-time, in-store, and online customer experience. The roastery is powered by Alibabas mobile Taobao app and the companys augmented reality (AR) technology. The technology allows customers to see a special webpage offering them a detailed map of both floors, menus of the different kinds of coffee, and the process of coffee making, in their smart phones. Schultz Howard, executive chairman of Starbucks, said at an opening ceremony on Tuesday that his company will team up with Alibaba for more technology cooperation. Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba Group, who was also present at the ceremony, said his group will expand cooperation with Starbucks in the future. He said Starbucks has introduced coffee to China, a tea-drinking country, and let so many people fall in love with coffee. Personally, Im not a fan of coffee, but I like Starbucks, he said. China is Starbucks fastest-growing market, according to the company. Starbucks currently has 3,000 stores in 136 cities, and 600 in Shanghai alone. Andy Levin, the son of sitting U.S. Rep. Sandy Levin and the former head of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, has announced his bid to replace his father in Washington, D.C. Andy Levin, a Democrat of Bloomfield Twp., is the founder of a clean energy business and directed worker training as part of his role with the state of Michigan under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He created the No Worker Left Behind program, which reportedly provided training to 152,000 Michigan residents. In a statement announcing his run, the younger Levin said it's time to end the politics of division in Congress. "After 60 years of Republican divide-and-conquer politics and 40 years of trickle-down economics where wealth has in fact rushed to the top, it is time to unite around policies that raise living standards for working people," Levin said. "We need a new movement focused on creating good jobs, education and training, protecting our air and water, and restoring faith in our government." Levin has also been active in the human rights movement around the world, working in countries such as South Africa, Tibet, Haiti and China. Andy Levin and his wife Mary Freeman live in Bloomfield Township and have four children. He plans to have two campaign events Sunday in Royal Oak and Clinton Township. Levin, D-Royal Oak and brother to longtime former Sen. Carl Levin, is retiring at the close of his 18th term representing the Detroit area in Washington and will not seek reelection next year. First elected to Congress in 1983, the 86-year-old will join the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in January 2019 as a teacher and mentor on the topics of leadership, international trade, poverty, and other issues, the school announced Saturday. Others in the district are looking closely at running for the seat and are likely to enter the race. (Xinhua) 15:50, December 06, 2017 A firefighter battles a wildfire in Santa Paula, Ventura, the United States, on Dec. 5, 2017. Fast moving brush fire exploded to more than 10,000 acres (40 square km) Monday night in Ventura County in the western U.S. state of California, threatening homes in nearby cities and leading to the death of one person. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong) LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- California's Governor Jerry Brown declared Tuesday a state of emergency in Ventura County in the western U.S. state as a fast moving brush fire exploded to around 45,500 acres, destroying hundreds of homes and prompting 27,000 people to evacuate. The blaze, dubbed the Thomas Fire, broke out Monday evening in the area of Thomas Aquinas College and Stekel Park, both in the city of Santa Paula, and then burnt along both sides of Highway 150, which was subsequently closed by the authorities. Pushed by powerful winds, the fire has grown dramatically in size within a few hours after it started, threatening the cities of Santa Paula and Ventura, 110 km northwest of Los Angeles downtown. "This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," said Governor Brown in a press release. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so." The brush fire has damaged and continues to threaten critical infrastructure, causing widespread power outages and has forced the closure of major highways and local roads. Extreme weather conditions including strong winds have further increased the spread of this fire, according to the press release. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted a fire management assistance to assist with the mitigation, management and control of the Thomas Fire. Several brush fires are burning in Southern California. Another dynamic brush fire, dubbed the Creek Fire, has exploded to at least 4,000 acres in Los Angeles County. [December 05, 2017] Loblaw expands its Click & Collect service to Atlantic provinces, opens 200th location in Canada Atlanticsuperstore.ca the first to provide full online grocery service in Atlantic Canada BRAMPTON, ON, Dec. 5, 2017 /CNW/ - Loblaw Companies Limited (TSX: L, "Loblaw") today announced the expansion of its popular Click & Collect service into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, opening its 200th location in Canada. The first of its kind in the Atlantic, customers can shop for all of their groceries online, then schedule a convenient time at their local Atlantic Superstore to pick up their order without ever having to leave their car. "We are dedicated to making our customers' lives easier and more convenient. Our online shopping allows them to order fresh and pantry items from their home, their work or wherever they are, and pick them up at a time that best fits with their schedule," said Jeremy Pee, Senior Vice President, eCommerce, Loblaw Digital. "This service has been extremely successful in other markets. As we bring it to our Atlantic Superstore customers, we've made our pick-up times faster and ensured our product offering reflects all the local favourites and best-selling brands our customers expect." Beginning today, the online grocery shopping service is available at seven Atlantic Superstore locations in the Halifax area. Customers in New Brunswick will have access to the new service through select stores starting December 12. The company plans to continue to roll out the service to other Atlantic markets throughout 2018. Shopping online at www.atlanticsuperstore.ca, customers can browse and add all their favourite products to their grocery cart, including a local assortment. Once their list is finalized, customers can pick up their order in as little as two hours. Each order is prepared by a dedicated personal shopper who will select the freshest items possible and make sure everything in the customer's order is exactly how they want it, keeping the customer's personal preferences in mind. Staff at Atlantic Superstore will deliver the customers' groceries directly to their cars upon arrival. Loblaw is expanding its online grocery platform in the Atlantic region following its success elsewhere in the country and a growing demand from consumers. The service was first rolled out in the Toronto area at the end of 2014, and has grown to become the largest network of Click & Collect locations, with more than 200 pickup sites across Canada expected by the end of 2017. To begin their online grocery shopping experience or to get more information about the new service, customers are invited to visit www.atlanticsuperstore.ca. About Loblaw Companies Limited Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader and the nation's largest retailer. With nearly 2,500 corporate, franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw and its franchisees and Associates employ nearly 200,000 full- and part-time employees. The company has a growing digital business, including Click & Collect supermarket orders picked up at stores, and online service or sales related to Loblaw's pharmacy, beauty, apparel and lifestyle offers. Loblaw's purpose Live Life Well is a commitment to the needs of all Canadians, including customers who make one billion transactions in the company's stores annually. The company offers convenient locations, the wellness services of food and drug stores, many of the nation's most-trusted brands, two of Canada's favourite loyalty programs, and a keen sense of corporate social responsibility. SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The 2017 Fortune Global Forum is held in Guangzhou on Dec. 6. (Peoples Daily Online/Wang Tianle) The 2017 Fortune Global Forum kicked off on Wednesday, attracting 388 enterprises participating in the event, 152 of which are from the Fortune Global 500. The three-day event marks the fifth Fortune Global Forum held in China, presenting a chance for heads of the worlds largest companiesthe Fortune Global 500to actively engage with world leaders on the forefront of international commerce. According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory letter to the event that China will create more opportunities and make a greater contribution for the world. The forum has also been hailed by many entrepreneurs, who believe that China is an ideal place for foreign investment. Jack Ma, the founder and executive chairman of the Internet giant Alibaba Group, encouraged more foreign companies to start their business in China. China needs foreign investment, but I hope that when foreign companies enter the Chinese market, they would not only bring capital, but also their talents and technology. China is a big market, but I hope our foreign counterparts can have more patience for it, said Ma. Timothy Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, accepted an interview at the Forum. Timothy Cook, the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., also praised China as an investment destination, who noted that China is now enjoying more openness, creativeness, and modernity compared to that in the 90s, and has become a leading global power. There is confusion about China. Some may think that foreign companies come to China because of the low labor cost, but I think the reason is because of the scale, said Cook, who added that Chinas technology development and talent education should be given credit for the countrys rise. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Notice is hereby given that the 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Members of the Company scheduled to be held on 'FRIDAY, 29th December 2017 at 11.00 AM at 'Bharatiya Bhasha Parisad' 36A, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata-700017 at 11.00 A.M.to transact the Ordinary and Special Businesses as set out in the notice convening the said AGM.Further pursuant to section 91 of Companies Act 2013 read with rule 10 of Companies (Management and Administration) Rules 2014 as amended from time to time and regulation 42 of SEBI (LODR) Regulations 2015 the register of members and share transfer book of the Company will remain closed from 'Friday, 22nd December 2017 to, 29th December 2017 (both days inclusive) for purpose of AGM.As per section 108 of the Companies Act 2013 read with rule 20 of the Companies (Management and Administration) rule 2014 as amended from time to time and regulation 44 of SEBI (LODR) Regulation 2015, the Company is pleased to provide its members the facility to cast their vote by electronic means on the all resolutions as set forth in the notice convening 30th Annual general Meeting.The company has engaged the service of CDSL to provide e-voting facility. The remote e-voting period commences on 25th December, 2017 (9:00 am) and ends on 28th December, 2017 (5:00 pm). During the period members of the Company holding shares either in physical form or in dematerialize forms as on cut-off date of 22ND December 2017 may cast their vote electronically. The remote e-voting shall be disable thereafter and shall not allow beyond the said date and time.Source : BSE Read More live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Pursuant to the provisions of regulation 29 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosures Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we hereby intimate that a meeting of Board of Directors of the Company will be held on Wednesday, the 13th day of December 2017 at 3.00 P.M (IST). at the Registered office of the Company situated at 312, Navjeevan Complex, 29, Station Road, Jaipur - 302 006 (Rajasthan), inter alia to transact the following businesses:1. To consider and approve the Un-audited financial results of the Company for the quarter and half year ended on September 30, 2017; and2. To consider and take on record the Limited Review Report for the quarter and half year ended on September 30, 2017;Source : BSE Read More The agitation by employees against the privatisation of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) is likely to intensify after one of the employees committed suicide. The employees, who are already carrying out relay hunger strikes since last week have made it clear that they continue the strike. N Venkatesh, who hails from Vizianagaram district ended his life to protest the government move to sell all its shares in the company, said a report in The Hindu Business Line. The body of the victim was discovered on Monday evening near the railway track in Vizianagaram. He had reportedly left a suicide note that stated that the step was taken in protest against the selling of government equities in the company. Also Read: DIPAM appoints committee to sell Dredging Corporation; employees to go on strike from Dec 6 In response to these developments, the staff of the company went on a mass casual leave on Tuesday. They have also made it clear that they will move forward with their decision to carry out indefinite strike unless the government backs away from its decision. In addition to this, a meeting convened by the CITU of all trade unions on Tuesday also decided to stage demonstrations in front of all industrial establishments in Visakhapatnam today. The crux of the matter lies in the decision by the central government to sell 73.47 percent shares in the Visakhapatnam-based company. The government had set a target to raise Rs 72,500 crore through divestment during 2017-18 financial year of which Rs 15,000 crore was to come through strategic sales. The sale of shares in DCI is part of this Rs 15,000 crore plan and is expected to generate approximately Rs 1400 crore. The government is withdrawing its 73.47 percent of shares They want to privatise it and go for the strategic sale The employees want to stop the privatisation, said B.H Nayak, President, Officers Association of DCI. While the main reason for the employees to oppose privatisation is the fear that many of them will be forced to take voluntary retirement, speculations that the companys headquarters may be shifted from Visakhapatnam too has increased the resentment. Kishore Biyani Retail conglomerate Future Group, which owns fashion chains like Big Bazaar, Brand Factory and Central, will be among the top 10 global fashion companies selling about 35 crore garments by FY2019, group CEO Kishore Biyani said today. The company, which has built an integrated warehouse with a capacity of over 30 crore garments in Nagpur, is betting big on the growing demand from fashion conscious customers and consumers' interest for lifestyle and fashion. Biyani said by next financial year the fashion units alone will clock total revenue of USD 3-3.5 billion (about Rs 20,000 crore). He, however, denied commenting on expected profit. "We will be among the top 10 fashion companies in the world by FY19 manufacturing about 35 crore garments and the notable factor is that the operations are only in India, while others have global presence," Biyani told PTI in an interview. The company sells other brands along with its own such as John Millers, DJ&C, Converse, Clarks, Urban Yoga, Bare, Indigo Nation and Scullers, among others. Its portfolio covers fashion categories including formal menswear, casual wear, active or sportswear, ethnic wear, denim wear, footwear and accessories for men and women. While many of the brands have been developed by the group over a decade, the company also has exclusive licensees and joint ventures with global brands. Without specifying any name, Biyani said the largest player in the world has a capacity of about 120 crore garments per year and the Future Group would be at 35 crore. "The company will be looking at a revenue of USD 3-3.5 billion from the fashion segment, once we roll out in full capacity," he added. The top 10 global fashion retailers include Zara, H&M, Nike, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Oysho, among others. The group's fashion outlets, including Fashion at Big Bazaar (FBB), are run by two operating listed companies -- Future Retail and Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd. Future Retail had reported a standalone net profit of Rs 153.16 crore for the second quarter ended September 2017. Future Lifestyle Fashions reported a consolidated net profit at Rs 30.28 crore during the same quarter. The retail chain last month unveiled a 30-year vision, Retail 3.0, by when it plans to become Asia's largest integrated consumer retailer by 2047 with revenue of in excess of USD 1 trillion. FILE PHOTO: A worker checks the valve of an oil pipe at the Lukoil owned Imilorskoye oil field near Kogalym, Russia, January 25, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More GAIL India Ltd, the country's biggest gas transporter, has deployed drones on pilot basis on its main trunk pipeline as it uses technology to secure its vast network, its director (pipelines) Ashutosh Karnatak said. In the aftermath of the June 2014 accident at its pipeline in Andhra Pradesh that killed at least 18 people, the state-owned firm has taken a number of initiatives to raise safety standards including replacing old pipelines and using advanced technology. "We have hired one drone on a pilot basis for aerial surveillance of the HBJ pipeline in the Chambal Ravines in Madhya Pradesh," he told reporters here. Based on the results, the company may decide to buy or hire more drones to monitor its 15,000-km pipeline network, he said. The drones will be used to patrol the pipeline to detect physical abnormal activity like encroachment or intrusion on the pipeline. For using drones, GAIL had to secure permissions from multiple agencies. Previously, the government had given permission to Indian Railways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for similar purposes. As line patrolling is extremely difficult for pipeline sections passing through forests, rivers, environmentally sensitive areas and other inaccessible areas, GAIL would use drones for aerial surveillance of 200 kilometres for the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur/Dahej-Vijaipur pipelines. GAIL has also started using satellite surveillance as well as PIDS or pipeline intrusion detection system to detect any breaches, he said adding the company has replaced old pipelines in the KG and Cauvery basin and Gujarat at a cost of about Rs 1,500 crore to prevent any accident. A government probe into the June 2014 accident had highlighted safety lapses at the firm and prompted sector regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to slap a penalty. Also, natural gas is being dehydrated and corrosion causing water, sulphur and carbon-di-oxide removed to prevent damage to pipelines and avert any repeat of the 2014 accident, he said. Karnatak said drones will be used to detect encroachments around pipelines as they are a big safety hazard. In the pilot, a drone will fly over the pipeline, capturing pictures and other data using smart technology. The data will be analysed to detect any potential hazard. GAIL, at present, uses foot patrolling to spot encroachments and seeks local administration's help in getting them cleared. Drones will however not be able to detect any leakage, for which the company will continue to reply on sensors and patrolling, he said. GAIL is using live satellite monitoring of the pipelines and is now integrating advance Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) with this system. Pipeline securities is a major issue across the world and with recent progress in satellite sensing technology, availability of new high resolution satellites and object oriented image analysis, there is a possibility to introduce space technology for pipeline monitoring applications. GAIL did pilot project on satellite monitoring on its 610 km Dahej-Vijaipur pipeline. For construction workers | Using Rs 31,000-crore fund available in Building and other Construction Workers Fund (BOCW) to aid 3.5 crore construction workers during the coronavirus pandemic. (Image: PTI) Gurgaon-based real estate company Tulip Infratech has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co (CCTEB), to undertake highway, high-rise and affordable housing projects. CCTEB is a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Cooperation, which is a Fortune Global 500 company. Parveen Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Tulip Infratech said that the partnership will leverage the Chinese companys track record in executing infrastructure and construction projects. It was important for us to get into this joint venture because we do not have expertise in the infrastructure sector, nor the kind of turnover required to get into projects of such magnitude. It is a win-win for both parties, he said. Jain added that the Tulip-CCTEB JV had applied for a few tenders floated by the National Highways Authority of India and that it was also in talks with private developers in the affordable housing space, with an aim to undertake construction work for them. "In the next three to four years, we are looking at Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 crore worth of work in these segments. We expect to garner a revenue of around Rs 3,000 crore from our projects. Our investments will be project based, Jain said. Speaking about the decision to join hands with Tulip and venture into the infrastructure sector in India, Cheng Chiming, chief representative of CCTEB's India branch said it was apparent that there was huge demand for infrastructure in the country. Going forward, infrastructure projects in India will be our major focus of our target in the next few years. We are also looking at super high rise building projects and affordable housing projects in India, Chiming said. CCTEB is currently undertaking projects in China and Algeria, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. It is also in the process of constructing the third tallest tower in the world and the longest ring road in Wuhan city. IT major Infosys on Wednesday said it has submitted a settlement application to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) with regard to issues surrounding the severance package of its former Chief Financial Officer. "The settlement application pertains to matters relating to severance agreement entered into with the former CFO in October 2015," Infosys said in a filing to the stock exchange. "Through the settlement process, the company wants to resolve allegations relating to the Company not seeking prior and separate approval of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the Audit Committee in relation to the severance agreement with the former CFO; and in relation to disclosures pertaining to the said severance agreement, cessation of payments and initiation of arbitration under the severance agreement." Former CFO Rajiv Bansal's high severance package was among the concerns that Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy had raised with the then Board and CEO Vishal Sikka earlier this year. Infosys in its application on Wednesday has said that the company will "neither admit nor deny the finding of fact or conclusion of law." SEBI had said in February that it was examining a letter from a whistleblower at Infosys complaining about the companys CEO Vishal Sikka and the board of directors. As part of the same investigation, it was also going to examine the issue of Bansal's severance pay. Sikka resigned as Infosys CEO in August this year, saying he was tired of being the subject of "false, baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks" surrounding Bansal's severance pay and other corporate governance issues. After returning to the company following Sikka's exit, Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder and Non-executive Chairman of Infosyss Board, said in October that he and the Board were fully persuaded about the clean chits given to the Panaya deal and Bansal's payout following independent investigations into allegations of wrongdoing. Bansal was reportedly not in favour of the acquisition of Israeli firm Panaya. When Bansal left in 2015, Infosys had agreed to pay him Rs 17.38 crore as severance, about two years of pay. But the company paid out only about Rs 5 crore before suspending the payments. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More State-run miner NMDC is likely to soon sign an MoU with Vietnam-based Masan Resources for a possible acquisition of a minority stake in a tungsten mine in the Southeast Asian nation, a top company official said today. "We have got clearance from the Ministry (of Steel) (for the MoU). We are going to have an MoU with Masan Resources very soon. "Then the due diligence will be done. After that we will take a call on whether to invest (in the mine) and if yes how much. We have a JV partnership with Midhani. DMRL will be supporting in the form of funding the due diligence," said P K Satpathy, NMDC Director (production), at a press conference. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), associated with the DRDO, is responsible for the development and manufacture of complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems. He said the JV with Midhani, a defence PSU, has also identified some resources in Tasmania, Australia, and one in the UK for exploration. Sources in the company said the MoU may be signed next month. Masan operates a mine that produces about 6,000 tonnes of ammonium para tungsten per annum. Currently, India mainly imports tungsten, a rare metal found naturally on earth, for its domestic requirements due to higher production cost. NMDC and Midhani signed an MoU in October last year to explore suitable tungsten assets in India and abroad for investment as well as development of technologies for converting tungsten ore into ammonium para tungsten. "Our country's requirement will be in the order of 250 -300 tonnes. It (the usage of tungsten) is confined to defence requirements," Satpathy said indicating NMDC may have interest in acquiring a minority stake only. N Baijendra Kumar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NMDC, said the company will be investing about Rs 3,500 crore this fiscal year towards capex, including for the steel plant that it is setting up in Nagarnar, Chhattisgarh. Kumar said NMDC will focus on gold exploration in the tenements they acquired a few years ago in Australia. Similarly, the company will participate in auction of gold mines in Madhya Pradesh, he said. On iron ore production outlook for the current fiscal, the CMD said they expect the output to cross 34 million tonnes. Meanwhile, NMDC is organising a function here on December 8 to celebrate its diamond jubilee. The celebrations would formally inaugurated by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, while Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh will preside over the function, Kumar said. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Union Ministers Vishnu Deo Sai and Y S Chowdary are also expected to participate in the programme, he added. ADS ADS For Hublot, this years theme is the Art of Fusion. Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of the watchmaking brand, therefore decided to celebrate this philosophy on Friday 1st December 2017, at Andreas Caminadas restaurant in the sumptuous Schauenstein Castle. Ricardo Guadalupe and Andreas Caminada Hublot The Castle is located in the village of Furstenau, the smallest village in the world, in Switzerlands Grisons canton. A place that gives the impression that time is standing still. It radiates the Swissness Attitude that is held dear by the watchmaker. Guests here understand who the triple Michelin-starred chef Andreas Caminada really is. Indeed, his castle in Furstenau reveals a great deal about his philosophy of life. This is a building that retains all the advantages of its history and comes to life in the form of a simple, modern and contemporary interior. A little like his dishesfinely tuned like the dial of a watchin which each of his ingredients has a specific function and fits meticulously together with all the others. His unique cuisine offers authenticity and innovation at the same time. Andreas Caminada follows his instinct and plays with textures as well as the senses, without ever changing the initial taste of the ingredients he uses. He preserves the original spirit of his profession while demonstrating limitless creativity in his dishes! Andreas Caminada at work Hublot This is how Andreas Caminada offered guests a unique gustative performance. Each dish was inspired by Hublots Art of Fusion. An explosion of colours, featuring contrasts of sweet & sour flavours, crunchy and soft textures, and even hot and cold temperatures. To accompany these delicate dishes, a mixologist offered cocktails that also found their inspiration in the Art of Fusion. After the dinner, the guests took part in a Kitchen Party with DJ Teddy-O on the turntables. As a souvenir and so as to immortalise this moment, the guests were able to pose in the photo booth created for the occasion, wearing one of Hublots latest creations on their wrist. Ricardo Guadalupe and DJ Teddy-O Hublot The Art of Fusion exhibition was installed in the Schauenstein Castle, highlighting Hublot innovations such as Magic Gold or the All Black concept. Pieces from the Big Bang Unico Sapphire, Big Bang Ferrari and Techframe collection as well as the Classic Fusion Italia Independent also accompanied this sparkling and exclusive exhibition. Talent, spirit, determination and passion are what distinguish the best from the good. It is this quest for perfection that brings together Hublot and its friends. Andreas Caminada was wearing jeans, trainers and a black chefs jacket when he met Ricardo Guadalupe in Furstenau. An exceptional talent whose global culinary art ensures enthusiasm. A lord of the manor who transforms regional produce, grows some of it, and pursues his culinary talents with absolute watchmaking precision. Ricardo Guadalupe and Andreas Caminada Hublot Andreas Caminada entered the fold of the Hublot family last March. In fact, Ricardo Guadalupe, an epicurean at heart, particularly appreciative of delicate and refined things, was charmed both by Chef Andreas Caminada himself and by his simultaneously simple and exquisite cuisine. Indeed, he has a penchant for simple and natural things. At the age of 33, he had 3 Michelin stars. He has since made a name for himself on the international scene thanks to his 19 Gault & Millau points. He combines virtuosity with audacity, innovation and tradition. In addition to which, he creates a relaxed atmosphere, meaning that a meal at his table is like a family meal. Private equity interest in the hospitality sector has seen a revival in the past 12-18 months but focus is majorly on those projects which are completed rather than under-construction projects. As per a report made by rating and research agency ICRA PE activity has picked up in the market over the past 12-18 months; however, unlike the interest during 2005-2008, PEs are cautious and now looking at operational hotels, to avoid project delays and cost overruns. With the industry having turned the tide, PEs now prefer ready hotels, as against going through the 3-5 year construction cycle. Further, PE interest in the midscale segment has been driving investments in small companies like Mint Stay in 2017. Typically, PE investments have been attracted to chains with multiple properties and a scalable model, which are also conducive to eventual listing through the IPO route. Example of such investments includes home-grown brands like Lemon Tree or asset-owning companies like SAMHI. Hotel PE/VC deals as a percentage of the total PE/VC unviverse in India had ai its peak accounted for a minuscule 3 percent of total value of deals. The largest PE deals in the hotel industry include SAMHI Hotels, Lemon Tree and the hospitality division of Panchshil Realty. According to reports 12 private equity deals worth around USD 91.69 million were closed till September 2017 in the year. While PE had shown interest banks pulled out from the segment. Banks have been averse to lending for hotel projects since the down-cycle of 2009 which triggered several delays and defaults. Traditional lenders of debt treat hotels as project finance investments with the hotel as tradable real estate asset. While debt structuring has improved in the recent past, with debt tenure extending to 15 years, hotels require longer loan amortization. Another area which has attracted high PE interest is the budget hotel aggregator space, with players like OYO rooms, Zo Rooms, Stayzilla, Rooms On Call, and Treebo, among others. Hotel aggregator platforms act as a connect between guests and hotel listings, in return for which they charge a commission per booking. Competition in this space has been intense leading to heavy discounting (borne by the aggregator) and cash burn. Some players like Stayzilla, Roomstonight have, as a result, burnt out. Compared to the situation in 2010-15, when several real estate developers like DLF exited the hotel business, few real estate developers like the Embassy Group and the Brigade Group have evinced strong interest in growing their hotel portfolio, said the report. Bengaluru-based Brigade Enterprises has hived off its hospitality business into a separate division and plans to grow it over the next couple of years. Embassy Group is planning to build business hotels at its existing and upcoming office parks, along with investor partner Blackstone Group LP. Canadian global PE Brookfield Asset management and GIC, Singapore are in discussions for acquiring Four Seasons, Mumbai. The Reserve Bank has allowed foreign investors to raise their stake in micro finance lender Bharat Financial Inclusion as the applicable limit has gone below the threshold limit. The aggregate foreign shareholding by foreign portfolios investors (FPIs) under Portfolio Investment Scheme in Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited has gone below the prescribed threshold caution limit, Reserve Bank (RBI) said in a notification. "Hence, the restrictions placed on the purchase of shares of the above company are withdrawn with immediate effect," the RBI said. Foreign portfolio investors held 68.83 per cent in the company as on September 30, 2017, the BSE data showed. Promoter shareholding in the company stands at 1.65 per cent. FIIs, NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) can invest in primary and secondary capital markets in India through PIS. RBI monitors ceilings on FII/NRI/PIO investments in Indian companies on a daily basis. It has fixed the cut-off points two percentage points lower than the actual ceiling. Bharat Financial Inclusion stock traded 0.20 per cent down at Rs 992.75 on BSE. tata sky Tata Sky today launched its interactive service in partnership with FTheCouch (FTC) Beauty Studio, a Suniel Shetty initiative, in Jaipur. The new service Tata Sky Beauty will bring make-up hacks, savvy fashion trends, delightful skin care tips, among others from industry to households across the country. Tata Sky Beauty will bring home beauty wizards who will share tips and tricks on makeup, skincare and the latest fashion trends in an easy to understand format at the touch of a butto, according to a release. A premature baby, who was delivered in Max Hospital and wrongly declared dead last week, has died during treatment, police said today. The baby, born on November 30, died last evening. "We just learnt of the sad demise of the 23-week preterm baby, who was on ventilator support," Max Healthcare authorities said in a statement. "Our deepest condolences are with the parents and other family members. While we understand that survival in extreme preterm births is rare, it is always painful for the parents and family. We wish them the strength to cope with their loss," it said. Aslam Khan, deputy commissioner of police (northwest), also confirmed the news. A panel formed by the Delhi government to look into the case yesterday found Max Hospital guilty of not following prescribed medical norms in dealing with newborn infants. The case relates to the birth of twins (a boy and a girl) on November 30. The parents alleged the babies were declared dead by the Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh but they later discovered that the boy was alive. The parents said they were told by the hospital that both the babies were stillborn. The infants were handed over to them in a polythene bag, they said. The family discovered that the baby boy was breathing just before the last rites, the police said. On December 2, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain had said the hospital's licence could be cancelled if a probe found it guilty of medical negligence. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi to attend Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers' meeting, the first high level visit of a Chinese official to the country after the Doklam standoff. The 15th RIC meeting will be held in New Delhi on December 11. Foreign Minister Wang will head the delegation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here today. During the meeting, the three foreign ministers will exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern and deepen trilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said. "We believe under the joint efforts of the three parties, this meeting will achieve expected outcomes," he said. This is the first visit by a top Chinese official to India after the Dokalam standoff and re-election of Chinese President Xi Jinping for a second-five year term as the head of the ruling Communist Party of China in October this year. The 73-day-long Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan. India and Japan held the first meeting under the newly established 'Act East Forum' set up to identify specific projects for economic development of the Northeastern region. During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India in September, both sides had signed an agreement to establish the India-Japan Act East Forum. The meeting of the forum today was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "The Act East Forum aims to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of India's 'Act East Policy' and Japan's 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy'," the MEA said in a statement. It said the forum will identify specific projects for economic modernisation of the Northeast region including those pertaining to connectivity, infrastructure, industrial linkages as well as people-to-people contacts. Participants at the meeting included representatives from Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Home Affairs and the States of Northeast region. The Japanese side included representatives of Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan External Trade Organization, Japan Foundation and Japan National Tourism Organization. India and New Zealand today reviewed their bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and resolved to deepen it further. Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Foreign Secretary of New Zealand Brook Barrington held extensive talks under the framework of Foreign Office Consultations, covering various key issues. "All aspects of bilateral relations were reviewed," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said. The bilateral talks took place around three weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a "very fruitful" meeting with his counterpart from New Zealand Jacinda Ardern on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Manila. The MEA said there had been a growing convergence of strategic perspectives of the two countries. The bilateral ties between the two countries have seen an upward trend in the last few years. India contributes the second largest number of tourists to New Zealand while more than 30,000 Indian students are studying in various academic institutions in that country. Barrington also met Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Commerce Secretary Rita A. Teotia. The Reserve Bank has again expressed concerns over customers being allured by fictitious offers in forms of lottery, business deals and credit cards and warned against falling prey to any such schemes. The RBI's Foreign Exchange Department (FED), Chandigarh organised a Conference "Forex for You" for Authorised Dealer (AD) Banks, their exporter/importer/FDI clients and full- fledged money changers (FFMCs) at Mcleodganj in Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh ) on December 5. Harish Khanna, AGM, FED, Chandigarh, stated, "The RBI has been conducting such programmes from time to time at various places in order to increase the level of awareness amongst the stakeholders on various forex matters. Nirmal Chand, Regional Director, RBI, Chandigarh, emphasised the role of Authorised Dealers in promoting/ facilitating trade transactions. He added, "This assumes greater significance in export/tourist intensive areas such as Dharamshala and its surroundings. RBI's vision is to reach the last mile in terms of raising customer awareness in respect of various regulations governing the financial sector." He also expressed concerns over the rising incidences of alluring fictitious offers in the form of lottery, business deals, credit cards etc and urged the participants to spread awareness among the general public not to fall prey to all these offers and lose money. Chief Guest of the Function, Sandeep Mittal, General Manager, FED, Central Office Mumbai, discussed the emerging challenges and opportunities for various stake holders in the forex market. He gave a detailed presentation on recent regulatory pronouncements on foreign trade, merchanting trade, EDPMS/IDPMS, NRO/NRE accounts, remittance facilities, etc. This was followed by a highly interactive 'Open House Session' in which all the dignitaries replied to the queries raised by the participants on varied issues. Sunil Soni, Circle Head, Punjab National Bank and other senior bankers/money changers and their customers from the region were present in the conference. Representative image Exporters welcomed Rs 8,450 crore increase in incentives announced as part of the Foreign Trade Policy review but demanded more measures to improve market access and cost competitiveness. "Exporters are pleased to find that the cutting cost and time of transactions form key priorities of the government with steps like better trade facilitation, including easing of customs procedures, but we would urge the finance ministry to ensure that the tax refunds are done at the earliest so that the tempo in export growth is maintained," Engineering Export Promotion Council of India Chairman T S Bhasin said. "The mid-term review of the FTP 2015-20 has made provisions which will boost trade facilitation and ease of doing business... However, the exporters were hoping for measures which improve market access and cost competitiveness," apparel exporters' body AEPC Chairman Ashok Rajani said. The government today announced Rs 8,450 crore incentives for exporters in sectors like leather and agriculture, as it looks to boost outward shipments, which have been disrupted by implementation of goods and services tax (GST). Unveiling the incentives in the 'Mid-Term Review of the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20)', Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said incentives have been increased by two per cent for merchandise as well as services exports in the labour-intensive and MSME sectors. The revised FTP provides for across the board increase of 2 per cent in existing Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for exports by MSMEs/labour intensive industries, involving additional outgo of Rs 4,567 crore. This will benefit sectors like, leather, agriculture, carpets, handicrafts and marine products. Further, to provide impetus to services trade, the policy has raised the Service Exports from India Scheme by 2 per cent, envisaging an additional outgo of Rs 1,140 crore. Exporters' body FIEO suggested that government should gradually extend the MEIS to other sectors of exports since they are also facing numerous challenges in exports. "A one-time relaxation to meet export obligation may be provided to industry so that it can escape penal provisions which will be disruptive and provide an opportunity to add to exports besides providing employment," it said. "Mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 contains several positive features. Ficci is happy to see across-the-board rise of 2 per cent in MEIS incentive for exports by MSMEs and labour intensive sectors. This step was much-needed," Ficci Secretary General Dr Sanjaya Baru said. The five-year FTP was announced on April 1, 2015, and set an ambitious target of India's goods and services exports at USD 900 billion by 2020. It also has a goal of increasing India's share of world exports to 3.5 per cent, from 2 per cent. "Foreign trade policy review, as expected, did not have any big bang announcements but increase in MEIS/ SEIS by 2 per cent, increased financial support to employment generating sectors, simplification and relaxation of import processes & licenses are step in right direction. "While exporters will be happy with the direction, they would look forward to some quick and long term solution to working capital blockage with respect to input GST," Pratik Jain, Leader- Indirect Tax, PwC India, said. "Increasing the validity period of duty credit scrips from 18 months to 24 months besides increase in the export incentives (both for MEIS and SEIS schemes) should benefit the export sector in general," Deloitte India Senior Director R Muralidharan said. ALLAHABAD, INDIA - 2015/02/14: Students jubilate after receiving degree and citations during 9th convocation of Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tondon open university. (Photo by Prabhat Kumar Verma/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) The placement season at the Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) across the country saw a dominance of large companies and multinational corporations among the top recruiters. While e-commerce wasnt shunned, the numbers remained low. Across IIT campuses, IT companies as well as core software firms recruited a large number of students. As per information from the placement committees of the institutes, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, ITC were among top companies visiting the campuses on the first day. There was also a significant increase in international offers. We have not taken too many startups considering their past history. Only the top four to five companies in the e-commerce space are being called so that students are not inconvenienced by offers revoked or delays in joining dates. Further, there has also been a crackdown on fake companies, said a senior placement official at one of the IITs. At IIT Bombay, on day three more than 100 offers were rolled out of which 7 were for International roles. Top recruiting firms on Day 3 (for domestic roles) were Cleanmax, Citi, Robert Bosch, SAP Labs. For the first 3 days, IIT-B got total 47 international offers and including the pre-placement offers (PPOs) the overall count is 60 as compared to the last year count of 50. According to the placement team at IIT-B, international offers (for Day 1-3) went up by almost 20 percent this year because of increase in the number of US offers while the rest of it can be associated with the increased participation of Japanese firms. Similarly, IIT Roorkee saw over 400 offers (including PPOs) handed out to students this year. The Institute received 274 offers on Day 1 and Day 2 taking the total tally this season to over 400 offers. The institute received 13 international offers from Microsoft Redmond, Webstaff and Mercari. A total of 274 offers have been made so far on the first 2 days of the placement season. Out of these, 92 were core sectors and 182 were non- core sectors offers. Some of the companies which have visited the campus for placements so far are Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Mercari, Uber, Tower Research, Schlumberger, ISRO, ONGC, Webstaff, Qualcomm, Oracle, Flipkart, Walmart, JP Morgan, Samsung, among others. NP Padhy, Placement In-charge, IIT Roorkee said, This is a tremendous start to the placement season. This is one of the best starts and we hope to capitalize on it and end on a new high. Their graveyard session saw participation of 9 companies and 315 students sat through the session for placements. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Uber, Tower Research, Schlumberger, ISRO, Webstaff, ONGC, and ITC were part of the graveyard session. Last year, IIT Bombay had blacklisted nine companies for one year including GPSK, IndusInsight Portea Medical and Peppertap for issues related to offer revoked, joining delayed and companies being fake. IITs as a whole had blacklisted about 31 companies in 2016 for similar reasons. Among others, IIT Madras received 195 offers on the first day. Last year (2016-17), IIT Madras saw 27 companies making 160 offers on day one. At IIT Madras, the total number of international offers have also increased. This year saw 11 international offers (9 offers in Session 1.1 & 2 offers in Session 1.2) on Day One as compared to 3 international offers received last year (2016-17). Here too, companies that made more than 10 offers this year (2017-18) are EXL Services, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Samsung Research Institute Bangalore. Startups and e-commerce companies plan their expansion and hiring strategies based on the funds received from their investors. Any delay or aberration in the same has resulted in sudden changes in the hiring plans in the last few years, due to which the institutes have remained cautious. In 2017 too, while no lists were officially released on banning some companies from IIT campuses, placement officials said that they have unofficial names of companies who haven't been invited to the institutes, including mid-size fintech and health startups. ADS ADS It was definitely a surprise. The construction work started a couple of months ago, right next to the new IWC boutique in Geneva. All we could see was a hidden facade with a big logo on it of a propeller and a mysterious inscription underneath: Les Aviateurs (The Aviators in French). At first glance, one might imagine a new store selling bomber jackets with shearling collars and accessories that would fit IWCs pilot look. A tempting idea but the brand managed to dazzle us even more: On Thursday 30th November in partnership with Globus, IWC unveiled its very first watch bar with an interior directly inspired by their aviation heritage. A grand premiere in Geneva. With fine aged wooden floors, high Parisian ceilings, subtle details of the interior recalling the Big Pilot and the new Mark XVIII and the metal bar counter that looks like the bow of a warship, this sophisticated retro-chic bar with Timothy Oulton signed furniture is a watch addicts dream come true. Open from 7am until late, it is the perfect place for a morning coffee, business or watch-related lunch and relaxed after-work drinks. Ports and shipping The International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), which will connect Mumbai and Saint Petersburg in Russia is set to be become operational by mid-January 2018, according to a report by The Economic Times. While the project, which has been 17 years in the making, will kick-start with the first consignment from India to Russia next month, it will only become fully operational in few months after its formal operationalisation. The report also states that all key stakeholders have undertaken hectic preparations to firm up all elements of the corridor including a Russian railway operator, which is expected to play key role in the project. What is the project about? The 7,200 kilometre multi-mode network comprising of of ships, railway and roads aimed at moving cargo, cuts through India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and eastern Europe. The project's objective is to improve trade connectivity between major centres of trade such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan and Bandar Anzali, by branching out the main route. A Kazakhstan - Turkmenistan - Iran rail link between stretching 677 km was operationalised in 2014 at a cost of USD 620 million. The project could boost trade According to a report by Russian news agency Sputnik News, the project will help India and Russia to increase bilateral trade to the targeted USD 30 billion over the next 10 years. In 2014, dry runs that were conducted on two segments of the route, according to which the transport costs were reduced by up to USD 2,500 per 15 tons of cargo. The project will let cargo from India travel to Chabahar Port in Iran and then to Russia and Eastern Europe via central Asian countries. Currently, a cargo is carried on freight ships via the Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel and then the Baltic Sea. The first phase of the Chabahar Port in Iran, which will play a vital role in the project, was opened earlier this month. The port, which is being developed by India, is also seen as a rival to the Chinese-built Gwadar port in Pakistan. The Gwadar port acts as one of the ends of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR). Power ministers of States and Union Territories will focus on the Saubhagya scheme to provide electricity to 4 crore families by 2018, when they meet for a two-day conference starting here tomorrow. As per the agenda of the meeting, the Centre is expected to ask states to submit their plans and funding requirements for the scheme. The biennial conference would be chaired by Minister of State for Power R K Singh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Saubhagya scheme (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) in September to achieve 100 per cent electrification of households by December 2018. It will provide electricity connections to over 4 crore families in rural and urban areas. The other areas to be covered at the meeting include promoting pre-paid meters, separation of power feeders, digital payment of bills and providing 24x7 power for all. The aim of the conference is to review implementation of various schemes and programmes and deliberate on a host of issues pertaining to the sector. The issues on reforms in the power and renewable energy sector are also listed for discussion at the meet. Other points on the agenda are how to mandate charges for cross subsidy and inter-state transmission, honouring of power purchase agreements and management of ash at thermal power plants. The ministers will also deliberate on the issues related to hydro power, wind energy, districts affected by left-wing extremists, rooftop solar systems and biomass programme. The conference of 'Ministers for Power and New & Renewable Energy of States & Union Territories' was earlier scheduled for November 10-11 Rajgir, Bihar. Answer: Google. Google India Wednesday launched a number of applications and services for Indian users at its annual "Google for India" event. Here are the updates from the event: > Google Maps update - The company launched a two-wheeler mode with voice navigation. The update will offer accurate travel times and show customised route, voice and landmark navigation for two-wheeler riders. The option for two-wheelers will appear next to the drive in Google Maps. > Google Tez - The company's digital payment mobile app, Tez, will soon add payments for merchants as well. The app currently allows users to send and receive payments from any bank. > Google also announced launch of bill payments on Tez. The users will now be able to pay bills to telecom operators like Airtel, DishTV, Tata Power and more. The app will also alert users of pending and unpaid bills. Tez already has over 12 million users and has witnessed 140 million transactions. > Google has launched Google Assistant for the JioPhone, a feature phone from Reliance Jio. Google Assitant would assist in seraches via text and voice-related searches. > Android Oreo Go - Google formally launched the Android Oreo Go Edition - an operating system for entry-level devices with less than 1GB of RAM in the country. Androin Go is a repackaged version of Android One, which is for premium devices. > Internet Saathi - Google plans to expand its 'Internet Saathi' programme, run in partnership with Tata Trusts. The programme aims at creating digital literacy among women in rural India. So far, Google has trained around 30,000 Internet Saathis, who in turn educate the women. > Google also launched a faster version of Google Go for search and Files Go for optimising data storage. Google Go is primarly for Android Go Edition devices and will make searches easier on slow connections. The app shows options for voice search, image and GIF search and video. Users can also search in two languages at once. (Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd) New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma addressing press as the ruling BJP-led Central government completes three years, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI Photo by Subhav Shukla (PTI5_25_2017_000056B) Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat of giving the upcoming state Assembly elections a communal colour. Campaigning for the elections coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. A final hearing in the Supreme Court in connection with the dispute began earlier this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi trained his guns on the Congress after party leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal asked the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi case till after the 2019 general elections. The Congress has said the views by Sibal, who represents the Sunni Waqf Board in the case in the Supreme Court, were his own. Sharma told Moneycontrol that the BJP is running out of time to convince voters and has thus resorted to giving the election a communal flavour. We want to raise issues about the state of the economy which is deteriorating," Sharma told Moneycontrol "If we take Human Development Index, Gujarat ranks 11th. If we take spending on education, the state is at 27th position. And in daily wages it ranks third from the bottom. These are the issues which want to highlight in this election." Gujarat will vote in two phases on December 9 and 14, while counting will take place on December 18. The Congress is looking to reap the benefits of anti-incumbency, given that the BJP has been in power for the better part of two decades. Anand Sharma feels that the state is facing major job crisis and unemployment is a big issue. The former Union minister added that the Congress and the people of Gujarat want an answer about the decline in GDP after GST and demonetisation. He said that people are struggling for basic amenities. The Congress has pitched for granting Gujarat farmers a loan waiver on the lines of similar sops in election-bound states. The Shiv Sena today said that the Gujarat Assembly poll campaign had transformed Rahul Gandhi into a leader and that the Congress vice-president's temple visits was a "win for Hindutva", which the BJP should welcome. Gandhi has been campaigning extensively in the election- bound state, where the first phase of polling will take place on Saturday. He has visited a number of temples in Gujarat, which his party believes would help counter the Hindutva platform of its rival. "The election, which is touted by the BJP to be a sure win, seems to have tired Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it has turned Rahul Gandhi into a leader," the Sena, a long-time but often bickering partner of the BJP, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' here. "The polls have proved that Rahul Gandhi is not a Pappu anymore. The BJP should have a big heart and accept this," the party said. The position of the Congress across the country is bad, the Sena noted, adding "Gandhi will have to carve a way out of the dense fog of vilification and political maze the BJP has created for the party." "The BJP is even angry with Rahul Gandhi for his visits to temples and offering prayers. On the contrary, it should be welcomed. Rahul Gandhi visiting temples is a win of Hindutva. If he is taking the party towards Hindutva from bogus secularism, the Sangh should welcome it," the Sena said. Taking a dig at Modi for dubbing Gandhi's expected elevation as Congress president as "Aurangzeb Raj", the Sena said, "Such comments prove that the prime minister considers Rahul Gandhi an opponent and that he has become an able leader. Brokerage houses have highlighted valuation concerns and limited upside in the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of Future Supply Chain. The Rs 650-crore initial public offer of Future Supply Chain Solutions is set to open for subscription on December 6, with a price band of Rs 660-664 per share. Bids can be made for a minimum lot of 22 equity shares and in multiples of 22 equity shares thereafter. Equity shares are proposed to be listed on the BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India. The global co-ordinators & book running lead managers to the offer are Edelweiss Financial Services, CLSA India and Nomura Financial Advisory & Securities (India). The book running lead managers are IDFC Bank, IIFL Holdings and YES Securities (India). Choice Broking | Subscribe with Caution The brokerage house said that at the higher price band of Rs 664, the share is available at P/E multiple of 58.2(x) and 39.9(x) based on FY17 and FY18E (annualised) EPS. The company is demanding valuation compared to its peer Mahindra Logistics, which is trading at P/E multiple of 59.4(x) and 54(x) on the basis of FY17 and FY18E (annualized) EPS), looks cheap, however its one fifth of peer business size. Thus, considering the above observations, we are of the view that at P/E(x) of 58.2, the issue is aggressively priced leaving limited room for further upside. Thus, we assign Subscribe with Caution rating to the issue, it said in its report. Angel Broking | Neutral Angel Broking said that in terms of valuations, the pre-issue P/E works out to 39.9x its 1HFY2018 annualised earnings (at the upper end of the issue price band), which is lower compared to its peers like Mahindra Logistics. However, Mahindra Logistics has lower promoter group business (internal business), which is 54% v/s. 70% of FSCSL. Further, Mahindra Logistics had reported non-promoter revenue CAGR of 46% v/s. de-growth of FSCSL over FY15-17, the brokerage said in its report. Despite the above favorable factors and lower valuations compared to Mahindra Logistics, the brokerage however, believes that all the positives are fully factored in the companys current valuations, which does not provide any further upside for investors. SMC Research | Expensive Valuation SMC Research also highlighted that the firm is heavily dependent on machinery and equipment for its operations. Any breakdown of its machinery or equipment will have a significant adverse effect on its business, the brokerage said in its report, adding that the issue is offer for sale and no amount would go to the company. Emkay Emkay said that given FSCSLs strong network in a fast-growing 3PL market, a diverse client base and experienced management team with strong domain expertise, the company is well positioned to capitalise on the upcoming opportunities in the Logistics sector. We believe that the valuation of 57x on its trailing 12-month EPS leaves a limited upside for investors. However, for investors with a long term time horizon (3-5 years), FSCSL would offer steady compounding returns due to Indias steadily improving fundamental macro underpinnings, the brokerage added. Indian firms mobilised nearly Rs 44,000 crore by issuing shares to institutional investors during the April-October period of the current fiscal, over 10-fold rise from the year-ago period. In comparison, they had mopped-up Rs 4,318 crore in the first seven month of the 2016-17 fiscal. As per the latest data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the capital garnered by the listed companies through the Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) route stood at Rs 43,934 crore in the first seven months of 2017-18. It was also more than five times the total amount raised in the entire 2016-17 -- Rs 8,464 crore. The funds have been mobilised for business expansion, refinancing of debt, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes. QIP is an alternative mode of resource raising available for listed companies to raise funds from domestic market. In terms of numbers, 22 issues were witnessed in the April-October period as compared to 12 a year ago. Air India Express live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Finally, there is some good news coming Air Indias way. After a series of losses and the governments growing reluctance to plough in fresh equity, it was decided to sell off the airline. The problem, however, was the high level of debt, which stood at nearly Rs 52,000 crore. The issue of high debt level has been handled by the government by keeping the working capital debt that stands at around Rs 33,000 crore out of the company which will be up for divestment. The remaining Rs 19,000 crore of debt are those taken to finance the purchase of aircraft and will continue to reside in the company, to be transferred to the successful bidder. While the government has done its bit to sweeten the divestment of Air-India, the question raised by many was: is this enough to make someone bid? Till date, InterGlobe Aviation, which runs the Indigo airline, has shown interest in bidding for Air-India. What seems to be working for the government in Air Indias divestment is the changing environment for the sector. For the month of October, Indias domestic air traffic grew at twice the rate of Chinas. This is the 38th straight month, as per International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has seen double-digit growth. Year-on-year growth touched 20.4 percent in domestic traffic, the highest in the last 10 months. For the month of October, domestic air traffic in China grew by 10 percent, Brazil 7.7 percent, Russia 6.1 percent, the United States 5.3 percent, Australia 2.8 percent and Japan 2.3 percent. As a result of the continual growth, foreign airlines have now started taking India seriously. Recently Air France-KLM signed an Enhanced Cooperation Agreement for the development of their operations between Europe and India. This alliance is over and above the arrangement that Jet Airways has with Etihad Airways, which is also an equity partner in the company. Foreign airlines are more interested in tapping Indian passengers on their way abroad. That being the case, Air India has a much wider reach as compared to Jet Airways. Air India operates to 44 foreign destinations and 72 domestic destinations. On the other hand, Jet Airways flies to a total of 65 destinations which include 45 domestic destinations and 20 international ones. Further, Air-India will be available to the bidder minus its subsidiaries which will be hived off into a special purpose vehicle (SPV). A recent report says that government is likely to approve the sale of Air India with only its core aviation assets packaged with low-cost subsidiary Air India Express and AI-SATS, a ground-handling joint venture with Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS). All non-core assets, like the Air India building in Mumbai and other offices, will not be part of the sale and become part of the special purpose vehicle (SPV). To add to the advantage is governments favourable policies for the sector, the stable foreign currency, and relatively stable oil prices. The stars are favourably aligned for Air-Indias divestment. The only issue that will need to be handled is the labour issue. The airline has a total of seven unions which are not known for their foresight in saving the airline but rather their selfish interests only. Government is likely to short-list EY as the sole transaction advisor for the divestment. The time is ripe for Air India to be divested rather than wasting any more tax-payer money. No one can run this airline without taking harsh decisions, and that is something beyond vote-conscious governments of any stripe. The sale, however, will not be good news for the listed players, unless one of them is the buyer. A healthier Air-India can strike them a lethal punch. One of the tenets of sound investing often stressed by legendary investors like Warren Buffett is investing in business, which requires very little cash for growth. Business which do not require cash needs no dilution in equity and stays away from debt. Promoted by Future Groups Kishore Biyani, Future Supply Chain (FSC), which has come out with an offer for sale, operates on similar philosophy. No wonder the entire proceeds from IPO (size of Rs 646-650 crore) will go to promoters and private equity investors rather than investing back in the business. The company does not need capital; in fact, it is sitting on cash of Rs 65 crore with negligible debt. An attractive model Future Supply Chain is into contract logistics or third-party logistics and is an end-to-end solution provider. Third-party logistics typically require low capex as most of the assets such as vehicles, warehouses are owned by others. While solving some of its parents (Future groups) in-house logistic requirements, it has gained and developed expertise in the retail sector, which is considered to be the most complex. Today, it is able to leverage this solution-based know how and provide services to other clients. Of the total revenue of Rs 561 crore earned in FY17, the group contributed 62.5 percent while the rest was accounted by external clients comprising marquee names like ITC, Amazon, Hindware, P&G, Honda, Philips, Cipla, Tupperware, Hitachi, Amway and many others. Growth drivers While it is growing its external clients, what is worth noting is that the group spends close to Rs 1300 crore annually on logistics, of which about Rs 350 crore comes to FSC. While the entire group spend may not come to FSC, what is changing is that it is gradually working on other segments like cold chain and others to get part of the groups basket which is largely tilted towards FMCG and food categories. Currently, fashion and apparels, engineering and automotive are the biggest segment of its client basket. The company follows a gradual approach; experimenting and building solutions around one particular segment largely with the help of the group companies and then take it to the market for the non-group companies. This essentially means that there is more potential for growth within the group and non-group companies as it develops new services and captures market share. Nevertheless, the company recently spent close to Rs 80 crore and expanded its apparel warehousing facility in Nagpur from 10 crore garments capacity by over three times to 35 crore garment capacity at a single location. This will help drive both revenues and profitability over the next two to three years. On top of that there will be a natural demand push from the group and non-group companies in terms of volumes as the economy picks up. Post GST, the importance of third party logistics will gain momentum as companies will look for more efficiencies and national solution providers. Technology will enable better inventory management and tracking thus allowing the users to rely on third-party logistics in future. In multi-location based logistic solutions like departmental stores the company has been able to strengthen its position delivering solutions to manage inventory efficiently. Valuations The recently listed Mahindra Group Company, Mahindra Logistics, in the similar space is trading below or at par its issue price. Moneycontrol Research had raised valuation concerns in our IPO note of Mahindra Logistics, which priced its issue at 43 times its annualised earnings of FY18. Unlike Mahindra, Future Supply Chain has priced its issue at reasonable 38 times its FY18 earnings. Moreover, valuations should also be assessed from the perspective of return ratios and growth. In case of Future Supply Chain the margins are far better and return ratios are similar. In terms of growth the recently expanded capacity will add to both sales and net profit apart from its efforts to grow non group clients. It is also experimenting in other segments like Cold Chain and others which could turn out to be growth drivers in the future. Follow @jitendra1929 For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research Page Babri Masjid was demolished on this day 25 years ago # Kotla Test match ends in draw, India win series 1-0 21:34 That's all for today, readers. Thanks for staying on with our coverage of the day's action. Your enthusiasm encourages us to better our coverage every day. Do come back tomorrow for more news, views and insights. 21:31 People evacuated their buildings after earthquake tremors were felt in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, reports ANI. 21:30 Bond yields not seen rising much despite RBI revising inflation forecast Yields of government bonds are unlikely to rise much in the short term, despite the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) keeping its policy rate unchanged and revising its inflation forecast upward, as the bond market is now likely to look for pointers from the country's fiscal policy, dealers said. The Indian rupee, on the other hand, took a bit of a hit because of the revision in the central bank's inflation forecast, and increased demand for the dollar from importers dragged it down further. The local currency on Wednesday depreciated 0.2 percent against the dollar after the RBI kept its key policy repo rate unchanged at 6 percent. Earthquake tremors with magnitude 5.5 hit Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, depth 30 km: IMD ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 21:25 RBI produces a no-action policy to end 2017, but what does 2018 hold in store? The Reserve Banks and the Monetary Policy Committees decision to do nothing at all to interest rates was widely anticipated and need no defence. The second quarter GDP growth at 6.3 percent was higher than the first quarters growth of 5.7 percent; consumer inflation at 3.58 percent in November was the highest in five months and is all set to rise beyond 4 percent this month and to 4.7 percent by March. For an MPC targeting a 4 percent inflation on a sustained basis, a pause on rate cuts was a logical decision. Any clarity on the governments borrowing programme for this year or the next will emerge only by the next policy. In that sense, this policy was more of the holding-fort kind. There were no other surprises either. Liquidity in the banking system is expected to come to neutral (which means on some days RBI absorbs; on some days it lends) only by mid-2018. That too is in line with what veteran bond markets had calculated. Understandably, bond yields hardly moved. 21:15 US FDA eases throttle on generics with highest-ever approvals in a single month The US drug regulator said it gave 26 first generic drug approvals in October, setting an all-time record for the most such approvals in a single month. The 26 first generic approvals represent 29.9 percent of 87 approvals issued in October. In the same month last year, US Food and Drug Administration approved 54 generic drugs. The regulator also gave 325 complete response letters against 151 in October last year. 21:14 Never represented Sunni Waqf Board in Supreme Court: Kapil Sibal On the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid a seismic event in India's history the matter is back in focus after the Supreme Court refused senior lawyer Kapil Sibal's plea to defer the hearing in the case. On Tuesday, Kapil Sibal requested the court to hear the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case after 2019 General Elections. Following which, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday trained his guns at Kapil Sibal and the Congress and blamed Sibal for politicising the issue. 21:11 PM Narendra Modi criticizes Kapil Sibal over Ayodhya case deferment plea Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticized senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal for seeking deferment of hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute till the 2019 general elections and wondered if such an issue should be kept unresolved for political gains and losses. On the campaign trail in Gujarat, Modi recalled how his government decided to oppose 'triple talaq' in the Supreme Court risking a possible backlash in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. 21:06 European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre: Tremors also felt in different parts of the country. The earthquake tremor was of the magnitude 5.0 and epicentre was 121 Km East of Dehradun, reports ANI. 20:59 Strong earthquake tremors felt in Delhi, reports ANI. Infosys SEBI Rajiv Bansal's IT major Infosys on Wednesday said it has submitted a settlement application to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) with regard to issues surrounding the severance package of its former Chief Financial Officer. "The settlement application pertains to matters relating to severance agreement entered into with the former CFO in October 2015," Infosys said in a filing to the stock exchange. 20:36 Recapitalisation to eradicate boom-and-bust lending cycles in PSBs: RBI Chief Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel said the planned Rs 2.11-trillion fund infusion for state-run banks is not only a recapitalisation package but to ensure that the seeds of the boom-and-bust-lending cycle are not sown in future. In October, the government had announced a Rs 2.11- trillion capital infusion into the NPA-hit public sector banks over the next two years. Of this, Rs 1.35 trillion will be through recapitalisation bonds a small portion of which will also come from capital markets, and the remainder Rs 76,000 crore will come from the budgetary support. 20:27 Trade setup for Thursday: Top 10 things you should know before Opening Bell The Nifty, which was reeling under pressure, extended the decline soon after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its key lending rate the repo rate unchanged at 6 percent on Wednesday, but warned about lurking inflation worries in the New Year. The index formed a bearish candle on Wednesday and breached its 100-day simple moving average placed at 10,071. The index took support at its 100-days exponential moving average placed around 10,038 which also forms a crucial support in days to come. 20:25 Sikkim set to become fully literate in 2018, says CM Pawan Kumar Chamling Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, who on Wednesday conferred Doctorate of Literature (Honoris Causa) by the private Shri Ramasamy Memorial (SRM) University, on Wednesday said the state is set to become a fully literate by 2018. Chamling said that his government has given utmost priority to the education since assuming power in 1994 in order to safeguard the future of the young generation. "It is because of our sustained efforts for more than two decades that Sikkim is set to become a fully literate state by 2018," he said at the first convocation of the university in Sikkim where Governor Shriniwas Patil conferred the D.Litt on Chamling. 20:13 Delhi smog: Air quality improves to 'poor' from 'very poor' Delhi's air quality on Wednesday improved to 'poor' from 'very poor', even as a toxic haze continued to envelop parts of the national capital with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other pollutants. The city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 282 on a scale of 500, classified as 'poor', marking an improvement from yesterday's 378, which fell under the 'very poor' category. 20:04 Future Supply Chain IPO subscribed 32% on Day 1 The initial public offer of Future Supply Chain Solutions, the logistics arm of the Future Group, was subscribed 32 percent on the first day of the bidding on Wednesday. The public issue, which targets to garner Rs 650 crore, received bids for 21.66 lakh shares against the issue size of over 68.49 lakh scrips, a subscription of 32 percent, latest update with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) showed. 19:54 Flipkart terms rumours of CEO's exit as baseless & 'malicious' Bangalore based online marketplace Flipkart has termed rumours of its CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy quitting as malicious and baseless. The rumours are false, malicious and baseless. Kalyan continues to be the CEO of Flipkart, a Flipkart spokesperson told Economic Times in this report. Flipkart brought in Krishnamurthy as its CEO in January 2017 after replacing co-founder Binny Bansal, who held the position almost for a year. Earlier, co-founder Sachin Bansal was the CEO of the company. 19:44 Iran will not tolerate Trump Jerusalem violation, says Hassan Rouhani Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his US counterpart Donald Trumps plan to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital on Wednesday, saying it would not be tolerated. Iran will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities, he said in a speech to officials in Tehran. Muslims must stand united against this major plot. 19:35 SEBI to auction 12 properties of Ramel Industries Regulator SEBI will auction 12 properties of Ramel Industries in January for a total reserve price of over Rs 16 crore in order to recover money raised by the company from the public through illicit schemes. As part of the recovery proceeding, SEBI on January 5 will e-auction immovable properties of Ramel Industries and its promoters or directors, the regulator said in a notice on Wednesday. 19:24 Foreign Trade Policy hits the right notes by playing to the exporters' gallery Under pressure from falling exports and the panic caused by the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) the government came out with a market-friendly Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). The move was announced after the 14-month positive growth streak was broken in October on account of confusions in the implementation of GST. Though the FTP was expected to be announced in July 2017 along with GST, it was wisely delayed to accommodate feedback from the exporters. 19:07 Xiaomi to focus on offline sales to boost India business Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Wednesday said it is drawing plans to boost its offline sales in India, a key market for the company. Currently, online sales account for 80 per cent of the company's mobile phone business. "At present, about 80 per cent of our business is from online sales of mobile phones, but now we want to increase penetration in the offline market to increase our business," Xiaomi India Head (Online Sales) Raghu Reddy told reporters. He said Xiaomi a will ramp up the number of exclusive stores and other retail sale centres in different cities of the country in the coming days. 18:44 TIME magazine names Silence Breakers as Person of the Year Time magazine named Wednesday The Silence Breakers who revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault across various industries that triggered a national reckoning in the United States as Person of the Year. The Silence Breakers designates a broad range of people, mostly women, from this years first public accusers of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein to those who shared their stories of abuse using the hashtag #MeToo and its foreign language equivalents. President Donald Trump was runner-up of the prestigious ranking, ahead of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. 18:30 Some reactions to the MPC policy review: Chanda Kochhar, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank The RBIs decision to keep the policy rate unchanged today is in line with expectations. It has displayed prudence in highlighting adverse risks to the inflation trajectory. It has also taken cognizance of further improvement in growth prospects on account of various structural reforms implemented by the Government including bank recapitalisation. It is heartening to note that the RBI has also communicated greater clarity on the liquidity framework indicating that it is ready to deploy both short term and durable tools to absorb or inject liquidity as the need arises. 17:57 RBI rationalises Merchant Discount Rate for debit cards The Reserve Bank of India has rationalised Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for debit cards with certain criteria, to be effective from January 1, 2018. Merchants will be categorised on the basis of turnover. Here are the key numbers: 17:22 India Inc raises Rs 44,000 cr via QIP in Apr-Oct Indian firms mobilised nearly Rs 44,000 crore by issuing shares to institutional investors during the April-October period of the current fiscal, over 10-fold rise from the year-ago period. In comparison, they had mopped-up Rs 4,318 crore in the first seven month of the 2016-17 fiscal. As per the latest data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the capital garnered by the listed companies through the Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) route stood at Rs 43,934 crore in the first seven months of 2017-18. It was also more than five times the total amount raised in the entire 2016-17 -- Rs 8,464 crore. 16:50 Tata Motors rolls out first electric-Tigor for EESL Homegrown auto major Tata Motors on Wednesday rolled out the first batch of the electric variant of its compact sedan Tigor from its Sanand facility in Gujarat. The first batch of e-Tigors are being produced for the Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), which had placed an order for 10,000 electric sedans in October, and are part of the first 350 orders that the company had won in the first phase. The first batch was flagged off in the presence of Tata group chairman N Chandrasekaran, group patriarch Ratan Tata, and Tata Motors managing director and chief executive Guenter Butschek. "As we work together to build the future of e-mobility, I am confident that our customers will respond very favourably to this electric model," Chandrasekaran, who flagged off the first batch of the vehicles, said. 16:25 Cryptocurrency Bitcoin crosses the $13,000 mark, rallies over 1,000 points in a day. Earlier today, Bitcoin had crossed the $12,000 mark. Chinas banking regulator on Wednesday issued draft rules on commercial banks liability risk management with an aim to improve lenders risk assessment framework and safeguard the banking system in the new market environment, reports Reuters. The draft rules introduced three new quantitative measures on banks liquidity risks, of different scales, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said in an online statement. Among the measures, the net stable funding ratio, which gauges lenders ability to use long-term stable funding to support business development, will apply to commercial banks with more than 200 billion yuan ($30.24 billion) in assets. The high-quality liquid assets adequacy ratio, which measures whether banks have sufficient high-quality assets to cover short-term liquidity gaps under stress scenarios, will apply to commercial lender with less than 200 billion yuan in assets. The liquidity matching ratio will apply to all commercial banks, the regulator said. The ratio will assess banks main asset-liability duration structures. 16:11 The India-Sri Lanka third test has ended in a draw. The host have won the three match series by 1-0. India now equals the record of Australia and England by winning nine successive test series. 16:07 The Haryana government has ordered lodging of an FIR (first information report) against Fortis Hospital Gurugram unit, report CNN-News18. The hospital had billed the family of a seven-year-old dengue victim around Rs 17 lakh for 660 syringes and 2,700 gloves. 16:02 About 50 people were rescued from 16 godowns in Sagar Compound in Bhiwandi's Mankoli where a fire broke out earlier today, reports ANI. Over 12 fire tenders at currently at the spot. Fire-fighting operations are underway. Fire Officer said massive fire and smoke is making operations tough and will take the entire day, it tweeted. Sena Rahul The Shiv Sena said that the Gujarat Assembly poll campaign had transformed Rahul Gandhi into a leader and that the Congress Vice-President's temple visits was a "win for Hindutva", which the BJP should welcome, reports PTI. Gandhi has been campaigning extensively in the election-bound state, where the first phase of polling will take place on Saturday. He has visited a number of temples in Gujarat, which his party believes would help counter the Hindutva platform of its rival. "The election, which is touted by the BJP to be a sure win, seems to have tired Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it has turned Rahul Gandhi into a leader," the Sena, a long-time but often bickering partner of the BJP, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' here. "The polls have proved that Rahul Gandhi is not a Pappu anymore. The BJP should have a big heart and accept this," the party said. GAIL India, the country's biggest gas transporter, has deployed a drone on pilot basis for surveillance of its main trunk pipeline as it uses technology to secure its vast network, its director (pipelines) Ashutosh Karnatak said. In the aftermath of the June 2014 accident at its pipeline in Andhra Pradesh that killed at least 18 people, the state-owned firm has taken a number of initiatives to raise safety standards including replacing old pipelines and using advanced technology. Brosnan 'James Bond' star Pierce Brosnan is being sued by an insurance company for carelessly starting a fire, an incident which took place in 2015, reports PTI. The fire had occurred in the actor's Malibu mansion and ended up spreading to his neighbour Alexander Haagen's house, partly burning his home. The incident could have been avoided had Brosnan properly disposed off the rags that were susceptible to spontaneous combustion. According to TMZ, Haagen got paid for the damage by his insurance agency, but in a turnaround, the same company has gone after the "GoldenEye" star, demanding damage claims. Brosnan's house was massively damaged in the fire. CIC The Central Information Commission, which had over 35,000 cases before it at the start of 2016-17, has cleared a large part of the backlog and by February 2018 will only have to deal with cases filed this year, Chief Information Commissioner RK Mathur said. He said from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017, 9,000 cases had been cleared. "We had a pendency of about 35,000 cases as on April 1, 2016. On March 31, 2017, we had a pendency of 26,000 cases. What is more important is we had about 6,000 cases pending from 2015, from 2009, from 2010 etc. We have managed to clear them," he said. Mathur said courts have been trying to tackle backlogs, but being a smaller organisation, the CIC has been able to deal with the problem of pending cases. 15:26 NMDC MoU State-run miner NMDC is likely to soon sign an MoU with Vietnam-based Masan Resources for a possible acquisition of a minority stake in a tungsten mine in the Southeast Asian nation, a top company official told PTI. "We have got clearance from the Ministry (of Steel) (for the MoU). We are going to have an MoU with Masan Resources very soon. Then the due diligence will be done. After that we will take a call on whether to invest (in the mine) and if yes how much. We have a JV partnership with Midhani. DMRL will be supporting in the form of funding the due diligence," said PK Satpathy, NMDC Director (production), said. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), associated with the DRDO, is responsible for the development and manufacture of complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems. He said the JV with Midhani, a defence PSU, has also identified some resources in Tasmania, Australia, and one in the UK for exploration. Sources in the company said the MoU may be signed next month. 15:17 Franchises can buy back a maximum of five players from their last year's squads, the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) said at its meeting today. Salary budgets for IPL teams have also been hiked from Rs 66 crore to Rs 80 crore for next year's edition. It has also cleared the path for MS Dhoni's return to Chennai Super Kings. 14:31 The Monetary Policy committee has left the benchmark repurchase rate unchanged at 6%. Likewise, it has left the reverse repo rate at 5.75%. The cash reserve ratio too has been left unchanged at 4%. The Reserve Bank of India has raised its Q3 and Q4 FY18 inflation forecast to 4.3-4.7%. It has left its FY18 economic growth forecast unchanged at 6.7%. The central bank said it had decided to rationalise charges on debit card transactions to give a further fillip to digital payments. Farm loan waiver, partial roll back of duty on fuel, cut in GST rates on several items may result in fiscal slippage, RBI Governor Urjit Patel has warned. 14:22 With the security of depositors being questioned post the proposed Financial Resolution & Deposit Insurance Act (FRDI), the employees union of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has written to the governor seeking security for depositors. The Reserve Bank of India has raised its Q3 and Q4 FY18 inflation forecast to 4.3% and 4.7%, respectively. It has left its economic growth forecast unchanged at 6.7%. 14:18 Air India has formed an internal panel to assess employee concerns ahead of its divestment, sources told CNBC-TV18 RERA The Bombay High Court upheld the validity of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), reports PTI. A bench of Justices Naresh Patil and Rajesh Ketkar pronounced its judgement on a bunch of petitions filed by real estate developers and individual plot owners, all challenging the constitutional validity of the Act that was brought into effect earlier this year. The Act, among other things, mandates that all developers register themselves under a common regulatory authority. It also allows buyers to claim compensation for delay in possession, and envisages cancellation of a developer's registration in case the developer fails to complete the project within stipulated deadline. The petitions claimed that the Act, and the constitution of a state-level authority for its implementation, were arbitrary, and therefore unconstitutional. The bench, however, allowed a significant leeway for developers in today's judgement by permitting the state-level RERA authority and the Appellate Tribunal to consider delays on a case-to-case basis, and not to cancel projects or developers' registration in cases where the delay was caused due to "exceptional and compelling circumstances." Ockhi The people of Gujarat and the state administration today heaved a sigh of relief as Cyclone Ockhi dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing the poll-bound state, reports PTI. The cyclone was on Tuesday headed towards Gujarat after leaving a trail of destruction on the southern Indian coast. The cyclone on Tuesday passed the Mumbai coast and much to the relief of the people in Maharashtra's capital, it just brought rains and there was no loss of life or damage to property. As per an early morning release by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm first turned into a 'deep depression', then into a 'depression' and finally into a 'low pressure' area after midnight. "The depression over east-central and adjoining north-east Arabian Sea weakened into a well-marked low pressure area over east central Arabian sea and adjoining areas of north-east Arabian Sea, north coastal Maharashtra and south coastal Gujarat at 23:30 hours on Tuesday," the release said. The cyclone dissipated over the sea before hitting the Gujarat coast, said Jayanta Sarkar, the director of the MeT Centre in Ahmedabad. "The cyclone did not reach Surat at all. It dissipated into the sea before making a landfall on the southern coast. From deep depression, it became a depression, then became a well-marked low pressure. Now, it is just low pressure. It may bring light to moderate rain in some parts of state today," said Sarkar. German industrial orders increased unexpectedly in October thanks to strong demand from outside the euro zone, data showed on Wednesday, suggesting this sector of Europes biggest economy is likely to gain steam in the coming months, reports Reuters. Factories registered a 0.5% rise in orders after contracts for Made in Germany goods climbed by an upwardly revised 1.2% in September, data from the Economy Ministry showed. A breakdown of the data showed foreign demand picked up by 0.5% as a 1.6% surge in contracts from outside the currency bloc offset a 1.2% drop in euro zone bookings. Domestic contracts were up by 0.4%. 12:50 TVS Motor Company launched today the much-awaited Apache RR 310 at Rs 2.05 lakh (ex-showroom), reports Moneycontrol. The bike will challenge the Japanese heavyweight Kawasaki Ninja 300 which bears near-similar specs but is priced at Rs 3.6 lakh compared to the TVS bike. The Apache RR 310 gets a 312cc, single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled engine that churns out 34 PS@9700 rpm and 27.3 NM@7700 rpm which are similar to those seen on the BMW 310 GS made by the Chennai-based company. 12:34 Retail conglomerate Future Group, which owns fashion chains like Big Bazaar, Brand Factory and Central, will be among the top 10 global fashion companies selling about 35 crore garments by FY2019, group CEO Kishore Biyani said today. The company, which has built an integrated warehouse with a capacity of over 30 crore garments in Nagpur, is betting big on the growing demand from fashion conscious customers and consumers' interest for lifestyle and fashion. B-1B A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, reports Reuters. The bomber flew from Guam and joined US F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters in the exercises with South Korea. The drills, which kicked off on Monday and will run until Friday, are being conducted at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula. Xiaomi Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has asked banks to pitch next Friday for an initial public offering in 2018, sources told Reuters. Xiaomi was valued at $46 billion in a 2014 funding round completed before its sales stagnated. More recently it has seen expectations of its value pick up following strong results this year. Its float could be the worlds largest technology IPO next year, sources said. 12:05 The Maharashtra government has issued a notification asking officials to use Marathi along with English and Hindi in central government offices, establishments, and other government offices in the state which provide banking, post, telephone, gas, petroleum, rail and insurance services, reports ANI. If you own a car, you might soon have to forgo the subsidy on your LPG cylinders, reports Business Standard. By eliminating 36 million fake connections through Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL), the government has saved nearly Rs 30,000 crore of cooking gas subsidy. Now, it is planning to strike car owners off the subsidy list. Sources in the government said the idea was in its initial stage. The government had collected registration details of cars from regional transport offices (RTO) in a few districts. If it worked out, there could be huge savings on subsidy. A lot of people who have two or three cars were also taking subsidy at present. The government had last year excluded those with an annual income of more than Rs 10 lakh from LPG subsidy. For deciding on the income cap, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had taken details of LPG customers from the Income Tax Department. This included PAN, residential address, and mobile number. Shares of direct-to-home operator Dish TV witnessed volatile trading on the bourses after the company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 17.87 crore for the September quarter. Shares of the company opened on a weak note at Rs 79.15 and touched an early low of Rs 78.30. Later the stock rallied to a high of Rs 81.35 amid volatile trade on BSE. On the NSE as well, the stock opened at Rs 79.40, then touched an intra-day high of Rs 81.50 and a low of Rs 78.20. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 68.96 crore in the July-September quarter a year ago. Its revenue from operations came down 3.93% to Rs 748.58 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 779.28 crore a year earlier. Total expenses were at Rs 783.47 crore, up 5.97%, as against Rs 739.31 crore. "Average revenue per user (ARPU) strengthened to Rs 149 while churn rate recovered to close at slightly less than 0.8% per month," the company said. 11:34 RCom Shares of Reliance Communications fell over 2% in trade today after credit rating agency Fitch said it has withdrawn ratings of the debt-ridden company for commercial reasons. Reliance Communications stock opened at Rs 11.10 and slumped 2.38% to touch an intra-day low of Rs 11.07 on the BSE. Similar movement was seen on the NSE as well, where the stock opened at Rs 11.35, then fell 2.64% to touch an intra-day low of Rs 11.05. "Fitch has chosen to withdraw the ratings on Rcom for commercial reasons. Accordingly, Fitch will no longer provide ratings or analytical coverage for RCom," it said in a statement on Tuesday. RCom also informed stock exchanges that Fitch "has withdrawn 'C' rating of the company's Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings and Bonds listed in Singapore Stock Exchange due to commercial reasons". RCom is estimated to be in debt of around Rs 45,000 crore. Various entities, including China Development Bank and publicity consultant Fortuna Public Relations have filed insolvency case against the company. petcoke Indian oil refiners are drawing up plans to use petroleum coke for power generation and to produce syngas after the government banned use of the heavily polluting fuel in and around New Delhi, reports Reuters. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and other refiners have invested billions of dollars in recent years to install delayed coker units to produce high-value added products such as gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas. The units produce petcoke as a byproduct, equivalent to 25-30% of a units capacity, which refiners sell to local industries. But after the Supreme Court imposed a ban on petcoke in New Delhi and three surrounding states from last month to fight pollution, refiners are having to rethink what they do with the fuel. IOC supplied petcoke from some of its plants, mainly in northern India, to industries in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - the states where it is now banned. It is still producing petcoke but diverting it to regions where it is not banned, its chairman Sanjiv Singh said. The Oil Ministry has also asked state refiners to consider setting up petcoke gasifiers, a government source said. Pyeongchang Russia has been banned from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics after the IOC found evidence of an unprecedented systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system that has led to a series of suspensions for the countrys athletes in recent months, reports Reuters. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not impose a blanket ban on Russia ahead of the Rio 2016 Summer Games but said on Tuesday that the evidence unearthed by the Schmid Commission made the doping situation impossible to dispute. It therefore suspended Russia, which finished top of the medals table at its own 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, from next years Games in South Korea that run from February 9-25. However, in a bid to protect innocent athletes the door has been left open for Russians to compete as an Olympic Athlete of Russia, as long as they satisfy strict conditions that show they have a doping-free background. 10:38 Ruias 000cr Essar The Ruias of Essar Steel will have to arrange at least Rs 7,000 crore in interest and principle which could be due to lenders, before they attempt to regain control of Essar Steel their trophy asset which is now run by a resolution professional, sources told The Economic Times. No formal conversation with the Ruias has started as yet, or a decision has been taken on the amount, one of the bankers said. Promoters will have to pay banks an estimated Rs 7,000 crore to regularise the loans if they wish to be eligible to bid. In cases where some of the lenders have recalled loans, the promoter will be required to clear the dues of the bank to regularise the loan. In the case of Ruias, since there is no recall, they may have to pay up only a part of the amount. We have not made any offer to the lenders as we are awaiting clarity from them like other promoters on the conditions to be met to qualify us to bid for the asset, sources said. 10:00 IDBI Federal Life Insurance has kick-started the process to sell 100% stake in the company, sources told CNBC-TV18. 09:51 BJP leader and Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha Subramanian Swamy's address titled, Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at 9:30 pm today has been cancelled by the university, reports CNN-News18. Nicknamed the "Detroit of India" for its auto industry, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is at risk of taking on another characteristic of the American city - the demise of a manufacturing powerhouse, reports Bloomberg. For India as a whole though, the ascent of less developed states could spell a future of more balanced, sustainable growth where regional rivalries fuel productivity gains, much as they have in the other giant economies of the US and China. Andhra Pradesh and the newly-formed state of Telangana are among the fiercest competitors for new industry. With huge tracts of rural land available, they can bid aggressively for new industry, said Venu Srinivasan, Chennai-based chairman of Sundaram Clayton, majority owner of TVS Motor Co. "The growth in Andhra and Telangana is amazing," Srinivasan said. Ockhi IMD Cyclone Ockhi is gradually weakening into a depression and may not hit the Gujarat coast near Surat as predicted earlier, the Meteorological Centre said. Cyclonic storm Ockhi has already turned into a "deep depression" and may hit south Gujarat only as a "depression" on Tuesday night, according to an official statement. The deep depression is located around 240 km south-southwest of Surat. "The deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea moved further north-northeastwards with a speed of 18 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred over east-central Arabian Sea near latitude 19.4N and longitude 71.5E, about 240 km south-southwest of Surat and 150 km west-northwest of Mumbai," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast said. "It is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken further and cross south Gujarat and adjoining north Maharashtra coasts near Surat as a depression by December 5," the bulletin read. However, there is also a probability of dissipation of the system over the sea before the landfall due to unfavourable environmental conditions, like high wind shear and colder sea surface temperatures near the coast, it added. Future Group's logistics arm Future Supply Chain Solutions has garnered Rs 195 crore ahead of its initial share offer that opens today. The company's IPO committee has finalised allocation of over 29.35 lakh equity shares to as many as 16 anchor investors at Rs 664 per scrip, also the upper end of the price band, Future Supply Chain informed the stock exchanges. At this price, the total amount works out to be Rs 194.90 crore, it added. Among the anchor investors are HDFC Trustee Company, Reliance Capital Trustee Company, L&T Mutual Fund and IDFC Mutual Fund. Future Supply's IPO will be open for public subscription during December 6-8, at a price band of Rs 660-664 per share. The issue is a mix of fresh issuance of shares by promoters Future Enterprises, which will lead to a dilution of 4.43% of their stake, as well as an offer-for-sale by private equity investor Griffin Partners aggregating to 20% of equity. Together, the issuer will sell 24.43% or 9,784,570 shares for up to Rs 650 crore. Bitcoin broke above the $12,000 mark on Wednesday morning, as the cryptocurrency continued its march higher. The cryptocurrency was trading at $12,269 at 8:12 am, according to industry site CoinDesk. The asset began 2017 at less than $1,000 per token, but it has been on an absolute tear in recent months: It crossed $5,000 in October and touched above $11,000 for the first time less than two months later, according to CoinDesk data. With Wednesday morning's spike, the cryptocurrency now has a total market value of about $203 billion more than twice Goldman Sachs' market cap. Babri Ayodhya Heavy security deployment was made in the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya as the VHP and the Bajrang Dal plan to observe 'Shaurya Diwas' (Day of Valour) while Muslim organisations plan 'Yaum e Gham' (Day of sorrow) to mark 25 years of Babri Masjid demolition, reports PTI. Taking note of the gravity of the situation and the advisory issued by the Centre, the Faizabad administration has made heavy security deployments in the two towns. Police along with the CRPF and RAF have been deployed on roads and sensitive localities of Ayodhya-Faizabad. Regular search operations of the vehicles, hotels and dharamshalas in Ayodhya are being conducted. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has given a call for grand celebrations on 6 December to commemorate the silver jubilee of the demolition. Its associated organisation, the Bajrang Dal, will celebrate December 6 as 'Shaurya Diwas' and 'Vijay Diwas' (Victory Day) and have also issued appeal to people of Ayodhya - Faizabad to light up their homes with lamps. Meanwhile, some Muslim organisations in Ayodhya-Faizabad will observe December 6 as "Yaum E Gham". A functionary of the Indian Union Muslim League said they will observe this day as Black Day. President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in West Asia, reports Reuters. Senior US officials said Trump is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital on Wednesday while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. A plot to assassinate UK Prime Minister Theresa May has been foiled, Sky News reported. Police believe that the plan was to launch some sort of improvised explosive device at the Prime Ministers residence at Downing Street and in the ensuing chaos to attack and kill Theresa May, it said. The channel said this was something which has been pursued over several weeks at least by Scotland Yard, MI5 and West Midlands Police. Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa Mays spokesman had said that Britain has thwarted nine plots in the last 12 months. A stronger than anticipated OPEC-led commitment to extend production cuts will support prices through 2018, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. In a research note, it lifted its Brent price forecast for next year to $62 a barrel and its WTI projection to $57.5/bbl, reports CNBC. The revisions were up from $58/bbl and $55/bbl respectively. The unavailability of the iPhone X during the three months ended October pulled down the market share for Apples iPhones in some key regions, while phones running on Googles Android recorded higher sales, data from a research firm showed. The market share for Apples iPhones, as measured by sales of its iOS mobile operating system, declined to 32.9% in the United States, from 40.6% a year ago, Kantar Worldpanel ComTechs data showed. The Japanese government plans to cooperate with China on its Belt and Road initiative by financially supporting private-sector partnerships, as Tokyo seeks to improve bilateral ties with its Asian neighbour, the Nikkei reported. Cooperation will centre on the environmental sector, industrial modernisation and logistics, according to guidelines compiled by the government, the Japanese business daily said. Assistance will include loans through government-backed financial institutions to promote cooperation among private Japanese and Chinese firms working on projects in third-party countries, it said. Chinese President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road initiative is an extensive infrastructure plan that will link Asia with West Asia and Europe, although critics say it is more about spreading Chinese influence. US B-1B Lancer bombers will fly over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill being staged with South Korea this week, the Souths Yonhap news agency reported. The bombers will take part in the drills at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and as United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman makes a rare visit to North Korea. The North has warned the drills would push the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. The annual joint exercise, called Vigilant Ace, has been designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, officials have said. Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight US and South Korean military installations. Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church and Al-Azhar issued statements warning of the serious potential consequences of US President Donald Trump's proposed plan to recognize Jersualem as Israel's capital and to relocate the US embassy there. President Trump is set to offically recognize the city as Israel's capital on Wednesday and to announce a plan to move the US embassy there from its current location in Tel Aviv. A senior administration official said Trump would make the controversial announcement at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. The spokesman of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church warned in a statement on Wednesday of "dangerous consequences" of the proposed shift as world leaders awaited the announcement from the White House. "The expected move contradicts international legitimacy and resolutions on Jerusalem," the statement on Wednesday added. The church also called for maintaining the legal status of Jerusalem within the framework of international law and relevant UN resolutions. The Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church administers seven Coptic churches in Jerusalem which minister to more than 10,000 Coptic Orthodox Christian Palestinians, according to figures from The Palestinian Information Center. The Coptic Church affirmed its support for the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, calling for negotiations to achieve a just resolution that preserves the historic status of the city. Meanwhile, Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest institution of Sunni Islamic learning in the world, also warned against the consequences of the proposed US plan. Al-Azhar said that the potential move would constitute a threat to world peace and fuel anger among Muslims all over the world." The Old City of Jerusalem is home to Islam's third holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine. Egypt's religious institutions were not alone in condemning the proposed move. On Tuesday evening, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi emphasized to Trump in a phone call Egypt's firm position "that Jerusalem should maintain its legal status," and urged against "complicating the situation in the region by introducing measures that would undermine chances for peace in the Middle East," according to a statement by the presidential office. Israel has occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. It later annexed East Jerusalem in a move that is considered illegal by the international community. Israel claims the entire city as its "undivided capital," while the Palestinians seek the eastern part of the city for the capital of their future state. The Arab League Council also passed a resolution on Tuesday warning that recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital or establishing any diplomatic mission in the city would be a "blatant assault" on Arab nations as well as both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. The council also called on the US and all nations to commit to existing international resolutions on Jerusalem, describing any move to recognise Jerusalem as a capital for Israel as a "dangerous violation" of UN Security Council resolutions. Trump's proposed move comes following promises made on the campaign trail. In March 2016, Trump promised in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, which he called the "eternal capital of the Jewish people." In recent years, Israel has intensified the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in an attempt to consolidate its control over the territories. Search Keywords: Short link: Representative Image Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said his party had been consistently saying that the government and political parties should take a decision on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court. He said the order of the apex court in this regard should be acceptable to all. His comments came soon after BJP chief Amit Shah asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party to clear their stand on the Ram Janmabhoomi case after (party leader and) lawyer Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that hearing in the matter should be held after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Surjewala also accused the ruling BJP of raking up the Ayodhya issue to escape from the "failed" development promises. "The BJP is running away from the main issues and in order to escape from failed development promises, Amit Shah is raking up the Ram Mandir issue," he alleged. "The truth is that the entire matter of Ram Janmbhoomi is under consideration of the Supreme Court. Congress has been saying since day one that the government and political parties should take a decision in the matter at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court and the order of the Supreme Court should be acceptable to all," he said. "And not just Congress, even the BJP's law minister has said the same thing," he said adding that Amit Shah was creating controversy to garner votes in the name of Lord Ram. The BJP is nervous and worried as it faces a defeat in the upcoming (Gujarat) Assembly elections and is evading questions posed by Rahul Gandhi about Gujarat's development, Surjewala alleged. "Congress has nothing to do with whose lawyer Kapil Sibal becomes as it is his personal decision. Our decision is clear: Whatever decision the Supreme Court takes on Ram Janmbhoomi should be accepted by all," he said. "The government and all the parties should take the decision on the matter at the earliest after consulting the Supreme Court," he added. The Congress leader further said that the matter was first taken to the court in December 1885 by Nirmohi Akhada and it has been pending ever since. Surjewala also alleged that as per some media reports, Rs 1,400 crore collected for the construction of Ram Mandir were embezzled by the organisations associated with the BJP. "The member of Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, Ramvilas Vedanti, also said that the BJP is using temple as a pretext to earn political points. Do you agree to this, and if you do not, then did you act against him?" the Congress leader asked the saffron party. "Are you not trying to divert the issue of Gujarat? You sometimes go to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mughal era, but people want to know when you will come back to 2017 and talk about the current issues affecting them? Patidar, Dalit agitations and the adverse impact of 'Gabbar Singh Tax' on Surat businesses are issues the affecting the people today," he said. "Why is BJP not giving right price for cotton or groundnut? Why are the Dalits and backward people agitating? People are seeking justice and change and want a prosperous Gujarat. You are resorting to low level politics after realising that your government is slipping out of your hand," he said. Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "India Cements is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 168 and target of Rs 155. Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 165 and target of Rs 152. PC Jeweller is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 390 and target of Rs 415." "Rupa & Company is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 470 and target of Rs 510. It is just emerging out of its 200-day moving average. So, you could have fair amount of upside." Trucks wait in a queue for the border customs control to cross into U.S. at the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, November 2, 2016. Picture taken November 2, 2016. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril - RTX2T319 live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More CLSA has retained its Buy call on Bharat Forge, the auto ancillary company, with a target price of Rs 905 per share, implying a potential upside of nearly 30 percent from Tuesday's closing price. Valuations at 30x one-year forward PE are not cheap but should sustain, the research house feels. The stock rallied nearly 2 percent intraday Wednesday, on top of 3.4 percent upside seen in previous session after strong trend continued in North American class 8 truck orders. At 11:09 hours IST, it was quoting at Rs 709.50, up Rs 11.40, or 1.63 percent on the BSE. The research house said outlook for exports has improved significantly and the demand is picking up in US trucks and key industrial export segments. CLSA sees a strong 34 percent EPS CAGR over FY17-20. The brokerage house said the tightening emission norms (BS-VI) is positive for the company but electrification is a long-term risk. The Bharat Forge stock has been outperforming off late, spurred by steady rise in North American Class 8 truck orders as well as a steady improvement in the oil & gas segment. On Tuesday, North America class 8 truck orders for the November month increased sharply by 68 percent to 32,387 units, compared with 19,285 units in year-ago. The reason for strong leap in truck and tractor sales was US economic growth that has been topping 3 percent for last two quarters. North American business contributes 40 percent to company's total revenue. The first half saw the company post 30 percent growth in revenue and 40 percent in EBITDA. Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge is confident of not only maintaining the growth rate but said they aim to do better than that going forward. The company also has big expansion plans for the domestic market, said Kalyani, adding that they would spend Rs 500 crore expanding capacity within their facilities outside Pune and also spend Rs 200 crore to set up facility in Andhra Pradesh for light weight components. The orderbook for oil and gas business is also pretty strong, it is almost 4-5 times last year, he said. He said North American economy is doing extremely well and so the company is benefiting from that. However, only 12 percent of companys revenues comes from North American Class 8 Trucks, he specified. So, no longer are highly dependent on that market, although their market share in that market has gone up, he said. On the defence business, Kalyani said the order pipeline is healthy and they are beginning to get export orders as well. Bharat Forge recently test-fired two artillery guns in Pokhran and will be going for winter-trial to Sikkim. He expects defence orders to come through in the next 24 months. Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Metal is having a particularly rough time today, so Hindustan Zinc is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 292 and target of Rs 276. Tata Steel is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 670 and target of Rs 645." "Jubilant Life Sciences is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 710 and target of Rs 735," he said. "TVS Motor is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 735 and target of Rs 760. Max Financial is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 543 and target of Rs 520." Representative image. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Suven Life Sciences added 5 percent intraday Wednesday as it has secured two product patents from Eurasia and Norway. The company has been granted one product patent from Eurasia and one product patent from Norway, corresponding to the new chemical entities (NCEs) for the treatment of disorders associated with Neurodegenerative diseases and these patents are valid through 2034 and 2026 respectively. The granted claims of the patents include the class of selective 5-HT6 compounds and are being developed as therapeutic agents and are useful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers disease, Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Huntingtons disease, Parkinson and Schizophrenia. Venkat Jasti, CEO of Suven said, We are very pleased by the grant of these patents to Suven for our pipeline of molecules in CNS arena that are being developed for cognitive disorders with high unmet medical need with huge market potential globally." At 11:22 hrs Suven Life Sciences was quoting at Rs 197.15, up Rs 6.60, or 3.46 percent on the BSE. Posted by Rakesh Patil live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Tata Communications was up more than 1 percent in the early trade Wednesday as it has been selected as global loT connectivity partner by International fleet management application provider. DRVR, international fleet management application provider, has selected Tata Communications as it global loT (Internet of Things) connectivity partner to help achieve its objective of making Asias vehicle fleets the smartest and most cost efficient in the world. Vehicles in fleets using DRVR technology have been fitted with Tata Communications MOVE-IOT Connect SIM technology. The sensors transmit data collected in real-time using Tata Communications MOVE, which seamlessly connects services using the best available local cellular network. Anthony Bartolo, Chief Product Officer, Collaboration, Mobility and IoT at Tata Communications said, "With Tata Communications MOVE, DRVR only needs to deal with one service provider that takes care of multiple deployments across international borders." "It is an intuitive solution for improving fleet management operations thereby enhancing business performance and success, he added. Recently Cloudera, Inc. and Tata Communications announced a strategic partnership that enables enterprises to unleash the power of their data to fuel business growth. At 09:17 hrs Tata Communications was quoting at Rs 674.70, up Rs 4.55, or 0.68 percent on the BSE. Posted by Rakesh Patil Kate Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, and Prince Harry (R) greet guests attending the Patron's Lunch, an event to mark Britain's Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, in London, June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Bruce Adams/Pool - RTX2FS4J A terror suspect in the UK was today charged with terrorist offences for allegedly sharing details of Britain's 4-year-old Prince George on an encrypted online messaging service, police said. Husnain Rashid, 31, who appeared today at a London court, shared a photo of the son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the address of his school in London via Telegram, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told. Prosecutors said that Rashid, arrested on November 22 by counter-terrorism officers in Lancashire, also planned to travel to Syria to join the ISIS terror group. "A post, which we in this country will find particularly worrying, was a photograph of the young Prince George at the beginning of his school term, next to a silhouette of a jihadi fighter," prosecutor Rebecca Mundy told the court. "Next to that was a caption, 'school starts early'. It provides an address in Battersea for a school which the young Prince attends," she said. Next to the photo of the third in line to Britain's throne was the caption: "Even the Royal Family will not be left alone". Rashid is accused of setting up a number of channels on which he broadcasts material to assist terrorists. "They actively provide practical assistance and the intention is the readers will go on to commit acts of terrorism," Mundy said. Rashid also provided a link to "all stadiums in the UK" and resources for the "lone mujahideen". He has been remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey court in London on December 20, the same day as two other terror suspects remanded earlier today at the same court. President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and start the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile Middle East. The controversial decision, which was promised by Trump during his 2016 campaign and appeals to his right-wing base, could lead to massive protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, Arab leaders warned. But senior administration officials said Trump will go ahead with the major announcement from the White House tonight. "The President would say that the US government recognises that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. He views this as recognition of historic reality," a senior administration official told reporters. "Jerusalem has been capital of Jewish people since ancient times and modern reality that it has been the seat of government, important ministries, its legislature, the Supreme court," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. In taking this action, Trump will fulfil a major campaign promise that has been made by a number of previous presidential candidates, another senior official said. In his remarks, Trump will also direct the State Department to initiate the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Noting that finding appropriate land and construction of a new embassy would take at least a couple of years, officials said Trump would continue to give waiver as required by the Congress - for not moving its diplomatic mission to Jerusalem. Trump's action enjoys broad bipartisan support in the Congress, the official said. The move, which is being opposed by the countries in the Middle East, is unlikely to have an impact on the two- state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the official said. "Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel, and is optimistic that peace can be achieved," the official said, adding that not recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel has done nothing to achieve peace for more than two decades. Trump recognises that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty are subject to final status negotiations, the official said. Trump has decided to go ahead with his plan, ignoring dire warnings from Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of his closest allies in the Middle East. Terming it a "dangerous step", Salman cautioned the move will "provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world". Sisi warned that the move will complicate the situation and "jeopardise the chances of peace in the Middle East". Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticised Trump's plan, saying it was "wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous". Jordan's King Abdullah II said Jerusalem key to stability of entire Middle East. Pope Francis voiced "profound concern" over the move, making a "heartfelt appeal to make everyone's commitment to respect the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions." Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today refrained from commenting on President Trump's plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in his first speech since the move was confirmed. Netanyahu, speaking at a diplomatic conference, instead focused on Israel's security and economic ties with countries globally during his speech. The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. Responding to questions, senior administration officials said the President believed that the move would have no impact on the peace process and the deal is within reach and can be achieved. Earlier, Trump spoke over phone with a number of leaders in the Middle East to share his decision on Jerusalem, the White House said. Meanwhile, the State Department warned US embassies around the world to prepare for possible protests and violence and banned travel by government employees and their families to Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. Kuwaiti authorities have arrested a Kuwaiti national who brutally assaulted an Egyptian man at his workplace in the Gulf state, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The victim, Wahid Mahmoud Refaie, who was initially admitted to the Intensive Care Unit but has since been released, is receiving treatment from "serious injuries" at a local hospital. Refaie, who works at a shop that sells motorcycle spare parts, said in a video clip posted on Facebook that the attacker was a Kuwaiti customer who asked for a motorcycle part that was on a high shelf. Refaie said the customer became combative when Refaie told him that there was no one available to retrieve the item because the employees on break. "There was something odd about that man, who looked like a body builder. He was acting as if he was under the influence of something," Refaie said. CCTV footage of the Kuwaiti customer severely beating Refaie was circulated online on Tuesday. The video shows the Kuwaiti man repeatedly punching the victim in the face, hitting him with an object and kicking him in the head. Kuwaiti authorities are currently hearing the victim's testimony about the incident, the Egyptian consulate said in a statement, adding that it is following up on developments in the investigation to ensure that Refaie's rights are preserved. This is not the first high-profile incident in recent years involving Kuwaiti citizens assaulting Egyptian expats. In May 2016, a video went viral online showing a Kuwaiti man beating his Egyptian employee with a stick as the victim cried and pleaded. Search Keywords: Short link: In a major move to further boost bilateral economic ties, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has operationalised a USD 75 billion sovereign fund for India of which USD one billion has already been transfered, the Gulf nation's envoy said. Diplomatic sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, in February to attend a global leadership summit. On the sovereign fund, UAE Ambassador to India Ahmed Albanna said operationalisation of the USD 75 billion sovereign fund for India reflects UAE's commitment to significantly improve trade and investment ties. He said USD one billion has already been transferred to India's National Infrastructure and Investment Fund. It was not clear when the entire amount will be transferred or the conditions related to the investment. Abu Dhabi has a sovereign wealth fund of about USD 800 billion. India has been eyeing the fund, parked with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, for its infrastructure sector. The issue was discussed during Modi's visit to UAE in August 2016. Albanna, during a media interaction, said India-UAE cooperation was moving fast in various areas including in containing terrorism and radicalisation. "We are working closely to defeat terrorism," he said. The envoy said UAE will soon open visa and consular services centres in Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Chennai. The UAE embassy has also launched a mobile app to help Indians living in the Gulf in dealing with visa and work related issues. The ties between India and the UAE are on an upswing. India is UAE's number one trading partner and the annual trade currently stands at around USD 53 billion. UAE, a major player in the Gulf region, is a strategically important country for India. The country is home to around 2.6 million Indians who constitute nearly 30 per cent of its population. The country contributes significantly to India's energy security and was the fifth-largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2016-17. A panel probing allegations of overcharging against a Gurgaon hospital regarding a case in which a 7-year-old girl died of dengue has found "several irregularities" following which the Haryana government is planning to lodge an FIR, state health minister Anil Vij said today. "In simple words, it was not a death, it was a murder," Vij alleged at crowded press conference in his office here. There were many irregularities, unethical practices and the protocol for diagnosis and medical duties was not followed, Vij, flanked by the committee members, alleged. The Haryana health department will file an FIR against the private hospital while the license of its blood bank will also be cancelled, he said. Its land lease may also be looked into, he added. The hospital made a hefty profit on medicines given, which works out to 108 percent and for some consumables it is as high as 1,737 percent, he claimed adding that costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available. Overcharging in giving platelets has also been found, he said. Platelets were given on 25 occasions, out of which Rs 400 per unit was charged on 17 occasions while eight times Rs 2,000 per unit was charged, Vij claimed. A costly injection was administered on most occasions, which cost Rs 3,112, whereas a substitute costing Rs 499 was available, Vij said citing the inquiry report. "The death of the girl happened due to not following the LAMA protocol, which is the Leave Against Medical Advice. The girl was on a ventilator, but she was put in an ordinary ambulance, ventilator was withdrawn and an ambu bag was not provided in that, which became the cause of her death, which is a very serious irregularity," the minister said. He said that the IMA protocol says that if a patient is discharged against medical advice, then proper arrangements should be made to transfer him or her to another hospital. This can be done by the hospital or it can advise the kin of the patient to do so, but the ambulance in which she was taken did not have the required facilities, he alleged releasing the contents of the inquiry report. She should have gone in an Advanced Life Support ambulance, but was provided a basic ambulance, Vij said. "Negligence, lapse, unethical, unlawful acts on the part of the team of doctors of Fortis hospital were found when the patient was shifted from the ICU to the ambulance," he added. The minister said that his department will be writing to the Medical Council of India (MCI) demanding action against the hospital. "When a child was on advanced life support system for so many days and when it is suddenly withdrawn, the patient does not know, her parents are not aware of what could be the consequences. But being doctors, they should have known that it will be a sudden death," Vij said. The committee, which submitted its report today, was set up by the Haryana government on November 21 under the chairmanship of Dr Rajiv Wadhera, Additional DG, Health, Haryana and also comprised of chief medical officer, Gurgaon. Besides, the help of two paediatric surgeons from PGIMS Rohtak and Medical College, Nuh, and district attorney, Gurgaon, as legal expert was also taken, Vij said. The case relates to the death in September of a 7-year- old girl who was admitted with dengue to the Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, a multi super-speciality care hospital. The Centre had asked the Haryana government to initiate an urgent inquiry into the case. Earlier, the hospital had refuted the charges, claiming the patient's family was informed about the bill on a daily basis and that there was no medical negligence. Replying to a question, Vij said that girl's parents also put their views before the committee. He said the girl was diagnosed with dengue and was first admitted to Delhi's Rockland hospital in Dwarka. "Later on the patient was diagnosed as suffering from Dengue Shock Syndrome. She was admitted to Fortis, Gurgaon on August 31," he said. Asked why the girl's parents wanted her to be discharged from Fortis, Vij said, "they wanted to take her back to Rockland, may be due to cost which they were incurring in Fortis." Asked about the sections under which an FIR would be lodged, Vij said that legal opinion would be sought. But we have decided that we will lodge an FIR against this Fortis hospital for medical negligence, he added. He said dengue was a notifiable disease, "but it was not notified by the FMRI to the local authorities, which is a lapse. Our CMO has given them notice for this. Concealment of this fact can invite punishment ranging from one month to six months and fine from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000", he said. The minister said that land was given to Fortis hospital under certain terms and conditions, which included 20 percent of free OPD, ten percent free beds and 70 percent discounted treatment to 20 percent IPD (In Patient Department), but prima facie these were violated. "We are writing to HUDA in this regard because they have violated MoU agreements and if lease has to be cancelled, the HUDA committee will look into it," he said. The girl's family have also alleged that their signatures are forged in some consent forms, Vij further alleged. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the Russia-India-China (RIC) foreign ministers' trilateral meeting next week in New Delhi where he will also hold talks with top Indian officials, the first high-level dialogue after President Xi Jinping commenced his second term. Wang will take part in the RIC Foreign Ministers' meeting on December 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing. During the RIC meeting, the three ministers will exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern and deepen trilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said. "We believe under the joint efforts of the three parties, this meeting will achieve expected outcomes," he said. Media reports previously said the RIC meeting was planned for April this year but Wang did not confirm dates in the backdrop of China's protests over the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh in the same month. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. On the sidelines of the RIC Foreign Ministers' meeting, Wang will hold talks with top Indian officials, Geng said. "According to our information, Wang will meet with the top officials of India and detailed information will be released in due course," Geng said. Wang's visit is regarded significant as it is first by a top Chinese official to India after the Doklam standoff which strained ties between the two neighbours. The 73-day-long Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang's visit to New Delhi is expected to be followed by China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks. Yang and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are the designated Special Representatives for the border talks later this month. Both the officials are also mandated to discuss the state of the entire gamut of bilateral ties. The two sides have not yet announced the dates for the meeting. Yang has been elevated under Xi's second tenure as he was elected to the CPC's highest policy body, the Politburo. Observers say Wang's meetings with Indian leaders followed by Yang-Doval talks were expected to throw light on China's policy approach to India in Xis second term, especially his policy towards neighbours, which he had outlined at the CPC Congress. Contentious issues like China's repeated blocking of the listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar, Chinese military continuing to keep large troops presence near the site of Doklam standoff even during winter as well as USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were expected to figure in the talks. Chinese officials in off the record conversations said differences over Azhar's issue may be resolved. From India to Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and the South China Sea, China is recalibrating neighbourhood policy during Xis second tenure, Wang Xiangwei, former Chief-Editor of Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, said. In the Doklam Standoff and relations with Japan, Chinese propaganda machine has fanned a new round of nationalistic fervour against, the two countries, Wang wrote in an article in the Post recently, referring to India and Japan. "Such tactics do not reflect well on Chinas international image. To the credit of the Chinese leadership, Beijing has taken note and started to adjust its diplomatic approach in recent months," he said. The first "seemingly abrupt change" occurred on August 28 when China and India suddenly ended their stand-off, he said. The second abrupt change occurred in September when China gave an unusually warm reception to the unheralded visit of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, he added. Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi case A quarter of a century ago, the medieval structure of Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya was torn down by Kar Sevaks demanding the building of a Ram temple at the disputed site and setting off a chain of events that changed the course of Indian politics. On December 6, 1992, Babri Masjid was demolished by a crowd of hindu activists in the city of Ayodhya. The incident gained a lot of electoral significance, and the state saw significant changes in its political landscape. The Hindu nationalist forces raised their demand for building of a Ram temple on the claim that the 16th century Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babars commander Mir Baqi, was standing on the birthplace of Lord Ram. Meanwhile, LK Advani took up the leadership of BJP after the 1984 general elections. The newly-formed party, as a political front of the Rashtriya Sawyamsevak Sangh, allied with Sangh-outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which was aggressively pushing the Ram Janmabhoomi issue. The VHP garnered support from the whole corpus of the Sangh family including strong backing from the BJP and RSS. Geeta Puri, author of books on the BJP and Hindutva politics, said in a lecture that the support and empathy from large sections located in lower middle and middle classes, as also the rich and wealthy in both rural and urban areas, were harnessed to realise the VHPs do or die demand, first for the relocation of the Babri Masjid, and now for the reconstruction of the Ram temple on the ruins of the Babri Masjid. Against this background, LK Advani led his phenomenal Rath Yatra that had started in Somnath to end at Ayodhya with the Ram temple demand. It was by and large an attempt at Hindu consolidation because the then Prime Minister VP Singhs push for the reservation bill post Mandal Commission report on inclusion of Other Backward Castes in quota, was threatening the Hindu upper-caste support of the BJP. Thousands of Ram devotees and Sangh supporters joined the Ratha Yatra, which was supposed to culminate at Ayodhya to start the Ram Temple construction in October, 1990. The procession was halted by the police and Advani and his aides were arrested. After Advanis arrest in Bihar by the Lalu Yadav-government while the yatra was rolling to Ayodhya from Somnath, Bihar, BJP withdrew its support from the Centre that led to the fall of VP Singh-government. As the end note to the Ratha Yatra that gave way to the demolition of the Masjid, Advani had underlined that he was a not a religious leader but a political one, and the same distinction applied to the BJP. The demand of the Ram temple at the disputed Babri site soon became a fervent political issue in the Hindi heartland. BJP won 85 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections. The party, which started off in 1980 and won only two seats in the subsequent general elections, was able to create considerable public support as it spearheaded the Ram janmabhoomi movement. In 1991, BJP became the second largest party in Lok Sabha, and formed government in Uttar Pradesh with Kalyan Singh as the Chief Minister. Singh later resigned in the aftermath of the masjid demolition as the state went under Presidents rule. The Delhi Dharma Sansad, an initiative of the VHP, held a convention in April 1991 and acknowledged the support of BJP to the Ayodhya cause, said Puri. Its October convention in the same year was attended by 600 sants who agreed to start kar seva for construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. In the 1991 general elections, BJP finished second with 120 seats. It was the first time that the party crossed the three-digit mark while its vote-share rose to 20 percent. The Congress popularity was diminishing as it formed a minority government that year with PV Narasimha Rao as the prime minister. Under Raos watch, the demolition of Babri Masjid took place and he remained infamous for his governments inaction on the incident. The demolition became a historical landmark in Indian polity, triggering a number of communal riots between Hindu and Muslims, of which Bombay Riots were the worst with around 900 deaths. Meanwhile, the BJP, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, emerged as the largest party in the 1996 elections with 161 seats but failed to prove majority in the Lok Sabha. Congress, which came second, too failed to form a government, resulting in a hung Parliament. After two years of political uncertainty, general elections were again held in 1998. These elections saw BJP rise again as the largest party with 182 seats and the NDA alliance formed government with Vajpayee as PM. But the following year, the government fell as its ally AIADMK pulled out during vote of confidence. But NDA again came to power with Vajpayee at the helm in the general elections of 1999. The hindu nationalist sentiment was strong then and BJP also gained support at the back of the Kargil War. Advani along with other BJP stalwarts Uma Bharti, MM Joshi and VHP leader Sadhvi Ritambhara were accused of instigating the Kar Sevaks to demolish the mosque. A CBI court dropped the conspiracy charges against them in 2001 and the Allahabad high court also upheld the judgment in 2010. However, the Supreme Court on April 19 this year ordered prosecution of Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti and others for criminal conspiracy in the 25-year old case. They were granted bail by the special CBI court in May this year. Meanwhile, BJP refutes the conspiracy charges and claims that the demolition was a result of spontaneous action that frenzied Kar Sevaks carried out. In the latest state elections in 2017, BJP named Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after three-fourth winning majority in the assembly polls. London Mayor Sadiq Khan visits the holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar, India, December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer - RC14FFE875B0 The British government should apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday, calling it a tragedy one "must never forget". Khan, whose grandparents were born in India and parents migrated from Pakistan to the UK, arrived in Amritsar yesterday. He paid a rich tribute to those who died in the Jallianwala Bagh incident. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Our thoughts are with all those who died. "It is time for the British government to finally apologise. The tragedy in 1919 on the eve of Vaisakhi is one we must never forget," Khan wrote in the visitors' book at the Jallianwala Bagh here. The massacre took place on April 13, 1919 when British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, opened fire at a crowd of unarmed people, on the harvest festival of Baisakhi. A large number of people were killed in the incident. "It was important for me also to come to the Jallianwala Bagh. We all know the history here," Khan said during a media interaction. "My view is that British Government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh shooting. Some people used the word massacre," the Mayor said. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed his suggestion. The chief minister said he heard Khan's remarks on the Jallianwala incident and was happy to know about his feelings on the matter. "The suggestion, coming from a British government functionary, was good and, if implemented, would go a long way in strengthening ties between India and UK, and perhaps, to some extent, assuaging the wounds of Indians who suffered the pain of the independence struggle," he said. Wrapping up his first official tour to India, the London Mayor, earlier today, also paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Golden Temple. During his visit, he participated in 'langar' at the Golden Temple complex and showed keen interest in knowing how the food is prepared. Khan was also presented with a 'Siropa' (robe of honour) by the officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). "It has been a privilege for me to be in Amritsar for the last 24 hours. The Golden Temple is a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Londoners of the Sikh faith and millions of Sikhs around the world come to Amritsar to pay their respects to worship," he said while talking to the reporters. Also, sharing the same sentiments on the visitors' book of the Golden Temple, he wrote: " The warmth, hospitality, spirituality are a lesson to us all. Thank you for providing me with memories that will stay with me forever". Khan, who was on a three-city tour to India, visited New Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to strengthen the UK's capital trade ties with India. Representative Image The Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students in Gujarat free of cost by abolishing GST if voted to power, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev announced on Wednesday. Dev also attacked Narendra Modi government for imposing "12 percent" GST on sanitary napkins, which she said "runs contrary" to the government's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign for girls. "Imposition of 12 percent GST on sanitary napkins is a big shocker for poor girls and women. The Modi government did not slash the tax (on sanitary napkins) despite demands raised by various NGOs and women's group though it reduced the tax on other items," Dev said while addressing reporters. The campaigning for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, will end on Thursday. If voted to power, Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students of schools and colleges in the state free of cost, she said. Dec said not reducing the GST on sanitary napkins is "contradictory" to the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign of the Centre government. "At one end, the government is promoting healthier menstrual hygiene practices among girls and women while on the other hand, they are increasing the cost of sanitary napkins," said Dev, who represents Silchar seat in Assam. She said the imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary pads is a "regressive move in the menstrual health discourse", which will take a toll on health of poor girls and women who lack the access to sanitary napkins. Dev sought to link the "rising girls school dropout ratio in Gujarat" with costlier sanitary pads. "I am afraid that higher price (of sanitary pads) on account of GST might push girls back to adopting unhygienic menstrual practices," the Congress leader said. Dev also attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for "not filling up" posts of women in the state police department. Former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had in 2014 announced 33 per cent quota for women in Gujarat police force. Dev also claimed that the Gujarat Police have been refusing to register complaints of rape sought to be lodged by affected women. "Congress will set up a committee in each district of Gujarat to extend help to the victims of rape," she said. Speaking after Dev, Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi termed as an "eyewash" the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign. "When it comes to female sex ratio in Gujarat, the state is ranked at 24th position in the country. Rate of literacy in women is also low in Gujarat," she said. Chaturvedi accused the prime minister of "remaining silent" on the Naliya gangrape issue while addressing public rallies in the poll-bound state. "Modi didn't say a word about the gangrape because some BJP office-bearers are allegedly involved in the crime," she said, adding that no progress is made in the case despite the chief minister ordering a judicial inquiry. People scatter rose petals in front of a portrait of Dr. Ambedkar, the author of the Indian constitution, in Allahabad The nation on Wednesday is paying homage to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on the occasion of his 61st death anniversary which is observed as Mahaparinirvan Din. People across Maharashtra and various parts of the country congregate at Chaitya Bhoomi in Dadar to pay tributes to their national hero. Dr Ambedkar was an economist, politician, and social reformer who was known for his campaigns against social discrimination against Dalits, women and labour. Here are some of the interesting lesser-known facts about Dr Ambedkar. He was the first untouchable to pass matriculation and become first Indian to pursue an Economic doctorate degree abroad. The Reserve Bank of India was conceptualised in accordance with the guidelines presented by Dr Ambedkar to the Hilton Young Commission (also known as Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance) based on his book, The Problem of the Rupee Its Origin and Its Solution. He is known to champion several reforms in labour such as changing working hours from 12 hours to 8 hours and introduced measures like dearness allowance, leave benefit, employee insurance, medical leave, equal pay equal work, minimum wages and timely revision of scale of pay. Dr Ambedkar founded Independent Labour Party in 1936, which was changed to All India Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942 and later renamed as Republican Party of India by his followers after his death. He was first to suggest splitting the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In a poll conducted by History TV and CNN-News18 (formerly CNN IBN) in 2012 Dr Ambedkar was voted as the Greatest Indian. File image of Haryana minister and BJP leader Anil Vij A panel probing the allegations of overcharging against Gurgaon's Fortis hospital found "several irregularities" including protocols not being followed in a case related to the death of a 7-year-old girl who died of dengue. Following the indictment by the panel, Haryana Health minister Anil Vij said an FIR will be lodged against the private hospital while the license of its blood bank will be cancelled. In addition, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) will be asked to explore the possibilities for cancellation of lease of land given to the hospital, he said. "The hospital made a hefty profit on medicines given, which works out to 108 percent, and for some consumables, it is as high as 1737 percent," he alleged, pointing out that the bill for Adya Singh's treatment shot up to Rs 15 lakh. "Put in simple words, it is not a death, it is a murder," Vij alleged at a crowded press conference at his office here. The Fortis group, meanwhile, said that all documents, statements and details required by the probe team of the Haryana government were provided. A statement released by the group added that they were "yet to receive a copy of the report". At the press conference, Vij, flanked by the probe committee members, claimed there were many irregularities, unethical practices and protocol of diagnosis and medical duties were not adopted. "The death of the girl has happened due to Leave Against Medical Advice (LAMA) protocol not being followed. The girl was on a ventilator, but she was put in an ordinary ambulance, the ventilator was withdrawn and an Ambu bag was not provided in that, which became the cause of her death, which is a very serious irregularity," Vij said. Releasing the contents of the inquiry report, the minister said the child should have gone in an Advanced Life Support ambulance. But she was provided with a basic ambulance, he added. "Negligence, lapse, unethical, unlawful acts on the part of the team of doctors of Fortis hospital has been found when the patient was shifted from the ICU to the ambulance," he alleged. The Minister further said that his department will write to the Medical Council of India demanding action against the hospital. As far as this death due to negligence goes, we are going to register an FIR against the Fortis hospital because the child's death has occurred due to negligence, he said. "Put in simple words, it is not a death, it is a murder. When a child was on advanced life support system for so many days and when it is suddenly withdrawn, the patient does not know, her parents are not aware of what could be the consequences but being doctors they should have known that it will be a sudden death," Vij said. A committee headed by Dr Rajiv Wadhera, Additional DG, Health, Haryana, which submitted its report today, was set up by Haryana government on November 21 to probe allegations that the private hospital overcharged the girl's family. The Centre had asked the Haryana government to initiate an urgent inquiry into the case that relates to the death in September of a 7-year-old girl. The hospital had earlier refuted the charges, claiming the patient's family was informed about the bill on a daily basis and that there was no medical negligence. Vij said the girl's parents also put their views before the committee. He said she was diagnosed with dengue and admitted to Rockland hospital in Delhi's Dwarka. "Later on the patient was diagnosed as suffering from Dengue Shock Syndrome. She was admitted to Fortis, Gurgaon on August 31," he said. Asked why the girl's parents wanted her to be discharged from Fortis, Vij said, "they wanted to take her back to Rockland, may be due to the cost which they were incurring in Fortis." Vij said that legal opinion will be sought on filing an FIR. "But we have decided that we will lodge FIR against this Fortis hospital for medical negligence," he said. He said dengue is a notifiable disease "but it was not notified by the FMRI to the local authorities, which is a lapse". Our CMO has given them notice for this, he said. He claimed that costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available. "Overcharging in transfusion of platelets was also found. Platelets were given on 25 occasions, out of which Rs 400 per unit was charged on 17 occasions and on eight occasions these were charged at Rs 2,000 per unit. We are going to cancel the license of their blood bank and have already given them a notice in this regard," he said. A costly injection was administered on most occasions, which cost Rs 3,112 whereas a substitute costing Rs 499 was available, Vij claimed. The land was given by HUDA to Fortis hospital in Gurgaon in 2004 under certain terms and conditions, which included 20 percent of free OPD, ten percent free beds and 70 percent discounted treatment to 20 percent IPD (In Patient Department), but prima facie these terms were violated, Vij alleged. "We are writing to HUDA in this regard because they have violated MoU agreements and if the lease has to be cancelled, the HUDA committee will look into it," he said. Vij also claimed that the girl's family had alleged that their signatures were forged on some of the consent forms. A young woman in Bengaluru was allegedly harassed by the driver of the Ola cab in which she was travelling. The horrifying event that took place in the cosmopolitan city has again raised questions about the safety of women in the country and how safe app-based transportation system really is. The incident took place on Sunday night when the 23-year-old woman, who as per The New Indian Express report works as a fashion stylist took the cab to travel from Indiranagar to BTM layout. But according to the woman, when the vehicle reached the Intermediate Ring Road near Koramangala her driver Rajashekhar Reddy suddenly stopped the vehicle. #BREAKING -- @Olacabs driver allegedly harassed a woman in Bengaluru and tried holding her hostage inside the cab by activating child lock pic.twitter.com/yybImjBvdJ News18 (@CNNnews18) December 6, 2017 The woman was trapped by the driver by activating the child lock system inside the car. The driver then tried to touch the woman inappropriately on her legs by reaching over to the back seat. There were no vehicles moving around the spot. I tried to exit the vehicle but he had engaged the child lock so that the doors would not open, she was quoted saying in the report. To make matters worse, the woman's mobile phone too had run out of battery. It was only after she started to bang on the car and started screaming that the driver let her out. She immediately fled the spot and escaped towards a nearby traffic signal. Even after that, the man continued to call and threaten the woman until she finally blocked his number. While the woman approached the police, she is yet to file any complaint against the driver with the police department. She, however, reported the incident to Ola but claimed that no response has been received so far. "I reported the incident to Ola on Sunday night itself but even on Monday, when the police asked, they had not taken any action. Even now they haven't told me what action has been taken. He was rated 4.9 on the app. What is the company doing to ensure women who use the service are safe?" she was quoted saying in an NDTV report. The company on its part has claimed that it has taken necessary actions and the driver has been off-roaded. "We regret the unfortunate experience the customer had during their ride. We have zero tolerance to such incidents and the driver has been suspended from the platform as an immediate action upon receiving the complaint," said the companys spokesperson adding that Ola has urged the victim to lodge a formal police complaint and ensured full support from its part. 6, 2017 15:51 PM Narendra Modi attacks Kapil Sibal, Congress for 'linking Ram mandir with politics' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday trained guns on the Congress after party leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal asked the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi case till after the 2019 general elections, according to a report CNN-News18. Kapil Sibal, a Congress MP, argued in Supreme Court yesterday in the Babri Masjid case. He can argue in court but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019? Why is he linking elections with Ram Mandir. Now, the Congress is linking Ram Mandir with politics, PM Modi said while addressing an election rally in Gujarat. 15:39 22 #__ -8 : 39% 1000 33 '' 99 ? Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 6, 2017 15:25 The prime minister's rally in Dahod has ended. Addressed a rally in Dhandhuka. Here are some pictures. pic.twitter.com/Q1dISq98vR Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2017 15:05 Prime Minister Modi is currently addressing a rally in Dahod. 14:33 The prime minister's next rally is in Dahod. It is expected to begin shortly. 14:25 Modi talks about Congress as he has no future plans for Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he mostly talked about the Congress in his speeches as he had no plans for poll-bound Gujarat's future. Gandhi also promised a "golden future" for the people of Gujarat, and said if the Congress forms government in the western state, it will not take decisions like the (GST) "Gabbar Singh Tax" and demonetisation. Read the full story here. 14:12 Survey predicts close fight between BJP and Congress The latest survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS for ABP News predicted a neck and neck race for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) in the upcoming Gujarat State assembly election 2017. Each party is likely to garner 43 percent voter share. The opinion poll released on Monday showed the BJP may win 91 and 99 seats in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, while the Congress would get seats in the range of 78 and 86. The poll showed the BJP, which has been in power since 1995, as being able to retain Gujarat. (PTI) Read the full story here. 13:55 A look at the education details of Gujarat's election candidates 13:48 Congress promises farm loan waiver, special quota, free education The Congress on Monday unveiled its manifesto for the Gujarat Assembly polls, which it hopes will bring it back to the power after a gap of 22 years. The manifesto was released by party leaders Ashok Gehlot and Bharatsinh Solanki in Ahmedabad. The party has promised that it will bring a special bill to provide special category quota to weaker communities without impacting the OBC, SC and ST quota by setting up an Economically Backward Class Commission. (PTI) Read the full story here. 13:12 Gujarat polls: 'Unhappy' caste groups, small businessmen may opt for NOTA With the NOTA option becoming available to voters in Gujarat assembly polls for the first time, political analysts feel that some caste groups and also sections of small and medium entrepreneurs, who seem to be unhappy with the BJP over the GST, may make use of that. The BJP, however, dismissed the suggestion that NOTA could prove to be a spoiler as the party is confident of the popular appeal of its policies as reflected by the outcome of the recent panchayat polls. (PTI) Read the full report here. 12:56 PM Modi on Triple Talaq, 'I will not be silent; elections come later, humanity comes first' Talking about the Triple Talaq issue, the prime minister said, "When Triple Talaq matter was in SC, Government had to put their affidavit, newspapers commented that Modi will remain silent because of UP polls. People told me not to speak on the matter else there will be losses in elections." "I am clear that on Triple Talaq I will not be silent. Everything is not about elections. This issue is for the rights of women...elections come later humanity comes first," he added. 12:51 PM Modi questions Kapil Sibal for asking SC to delay the Ayodhya case With reference to what happened at the Supreme Court's hearing of appeals in the Ayodhya case on Tuesday, the prime minister said, "No objection that Kapil Sibal is fighting on behalf of Muslim community but how can he say do not find a solution to this (Ayodhya issue) until next election? How is it connected to Lok Sabha elections?". 12:46 PM Modi has ended his address at the Dhandhuka rally. 12:31 Prime Minister talks about giving youngsters access to technology and educational institutions "BJP efforts ensured that youngsters in Gujarat got access to technology and there are more educational institutions to study," he said. "Law and order situation has improved tremendously under the BJP governments over the last two decades," he added. 12:17 The prime minister has said that the BJP has ended the 'Tanker Raj' in Gujarat. "Tanker business was firmly in the hands of Congress leaders and their families," he said. 12:09 PM Modi attacks Congress for 'greatest injustice to Dr Ambedkar' Speaking at the Dhandhuka rally, PM Modi said, "One family has done greatest injustice to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Sardar Patel. When Pandit Nehru's influence on the Congress was complete, the Congress ensured that Dr Ambedkar found it tough to join the Constituent Assembly". 12:03 Speaking at the rally in Dhandhuka, PM Modi invoked Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. "I paid tributes to him in Parliament this morning, before coming to Gujarat," he said. 12:00 For all my BJP friends: unlike Narendrabhai, I am human. We do make the odd mistake and thats what makes life interesting. Thanks for pointing it out and please do keep it coming, it really helps me improve. Love you all. Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 6, 2017 11:50 Prime Minister Modi is now addressing a public meeting in Dhandhuka. 11:37 PM Modi is set to address the day's first rally in Dhandhuka, Gujarat. 11:27 'Is Modi government only for the rich?,' asks Rahul Gandhi Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether his government was only for the rich as he targeted him over rising prices which has made life difficult for the poor. Taking to Twitter in his 'A question a day' series, he hit out at Modi over his repeated "jumlas" (rhetoric), and said demonetisation and GST hit the common man's earnings while the rest was taken away by rising prices. (PTI) Read the full story here. 11:20 Multiple rallies and public engagement in Surat and surrounding areas had to be cancelled yesterday due to Cyclone Ockhi. Both, PM Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had urged their party workers to assist people in coastal Gujarat. Will be in Gujarat today, where I would address rallies in Dhandhuka, Dahod and Netrang. @BJP4Gujarat Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2017 10:59 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address three rallies in Gujarat today. The rallies will take place in Dhandhuka, Dahod and Netrang. We'll bring you the latest news and updates from the election campaign from the poll-bound state of Gujarat. Thomas Cook live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More A Thomas Cook flight from Holguin airport in Cuba to Manchester had to be aborted just before taking to the skies on November 27 due to its engine catching fire. As the plane departed from the Frank Pais Airport in Cuba, en route to Manchester, England, passengers claim that the engine exploded just as the aircraft was about to take off. An Independent UK report stated passengers had a traumatising experience, many were refusing to get up on the rescheduled flight and having panic attacks. The flight was scheduled to depart at 22:05 local time on Monday 27 November. Passenger Brian Kennedy from Chorley, Lancashire, told The Sun: You saw the engine exploding, then the plane went down suddenly, and the engine was on fire, with sparks flying down towards the back of the plane. He also added that the aircraft was jerking before take-off and later there was a loud bang and followed by a flash when the engine exploded. "If it had happened a little bit later we there would have been an explosion, we would have all been killed, a 64-year-old passenger was quoted as saying. As per the accounts of passengers, the plane began to lurch as it increased speed down the tarmac, culminating in a loud bang as the engine combusted when the aircrafts front wheel lifted off the runway. One of the passengers, Chris Best, said that they were big orange flames coming out of the engine. The pilot dropped the plane straight down and hit the brakes as the aircraft skidded across the runway, as per The Independent report. The flight crew was also said to be visibly distressed as the pilot made an emergency announcement to his 300-plus passengers. The crew was also heard telling passengers that they were 'lucky to be alive'. The pilot was verbally shaken to a point where his voice cracked and he sounded like he was going to burst into tears. At that point, I realized it was very serious, Swan said, a 41-year-old passenger who was returning from Cuba. As per EU Law, the passengers affected will receive 600 euro, or over USD 700 but many feel it doesnt cut it. With less than two weeks until Thanksgiving, its time to talk turkey literally. Rising costs due to inflation, coupled with the spread of a contagious avian flu, could make it tougher for families planning large gatherings and holiday meals. While increases to food prices have slowed after nearly a year of steady inflation, almost [] MPs also said that Arab parliaments should hold emergency meetings to discuss Trump's policies in the Middle East Egyptian MPs said on Wednesday that Egypt should boycott American products if US President Donald Trump goes through with his expected move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A group of leftist MPs affiliated with parliament's 25-30 bloc said in a statement that Trump's anticipated decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would constitute a "historic crime." "Any attempt to take hold of Jerusalem or change its identity as an Arab city and the capital of Palestine would be a very dangerous and historic crime that would badly affect security and stability in the Middle East," the bloc said, adding that the move would be a violation of international resolutions. "We should take a united position in the form of imposing a comprehensive boycott of all American products, as well as stopping the import of any goods from the United States," said the statement. "Since America only knows the language of interests, boycotting American products would be very effective, not to mention that we can take other measures that can badly affect America's strategic interests in the Arab world." In a press conference held in parliament's Pharaonic Hall, MP Ahmed El-Sharkawi said that "Egypt's parliament should pass a [proposed] legislation aimed at imposing a boycott on American products and goods." "This legislation was drafted by the bloc and aims to be an effective response to America's aggressive policies in the Arab world," said El-Sharkawi. Diaaeddin Dawoud, another leftist MP, said that Egyptian and Arab parliaments should hold emergency meetings to rally Arab peoples against Trump's irrational policies in the Middle East. "Arab parliaments should give a voice to Arab peoples in response to America's anti-Palestinian policies," said Dawoud, adding that "the reaction to Trump's follies should not be confined to Arab officials and the voice of peoples in this respect should be stronger and louder than Arab presidents and kings." Dawoud said the boycott of American products should include Arab imports of US weapons. "I say to Arab governments, please stop injecting billions of dollars into the US economy by buying American weapons," said Dawoud. Mostafa Bakri, an independent MP and a journalist, also told journalists that an emergency parliamentary meeting should be held as soon as possible to respond to Trump's pro-Israel policies. "This meeting should be attended by the prime minister and foreign minister to explain what Egypt and Arab countries can do in response to Trump's dangerous policies," said Bakri. Shadia Thabet, an independent female MP, said that "Trump bets that Arabs will not stand united against aggressive policies." "We do not place much hope on Arab leaders, but we hope that Arab peoples and parliaments will show a strong reaction to America's anti-Palestinian policies," said Thabet, adding that "while many thought that Trump would focus on fighting terrorist groups, they found that he opted to inflame extremists and terrorists by adopting his anti-Arab and anti-Muslim policies." Search Keywords: Short link: Community Life as seen on social media State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland Thanks to Nigel the Nutcracker from The Warehouse, we are granting wishes across the country! Egypt said on Wednesday it predicts that an upcoming hearing on the human rights situation in Egypt by a US Congressional commission will be "biased." The hearing by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, which is titled 'Egypt: Human Rights Seven Years After the Revolution,' is set for Wednesday 9:30pm Cairo Local Time. Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement that it expects the gathering to be a "new episode in deliberate distortion of the situation in Egypt." The ministry added that the commission is deviating from the usual pattern of organising such meetings by failing to involve figures from diverse camps and restricting invitations to a list of American activists and analysts known for their "absolute bias" against the Egyptian government. The US commission has said that expert witnesses will present testimony on the human rights situation in Egypt, and will offer recommendations on how the US administration can more effectively engage the Egyptian government on these issues. The ministry said that the Egyptian embassy in Washington has urged Congress over the past weeks to invite a list of diverse speakers, and has been attempting to correct "misconceptions" about Egypt's human rights record. Egypt has also urged balance in evaluations of its internal affairs and said that the security, economic and social challenges faced by the country should be taken into account. The ministry also called on the US to work towards "rejuvenating Egyptian-US relations at a time when stronger relations are needed to bolster security, stability and strengthen the international fight against terrorism in the Middle East." Search Keywords: Short link: A Connelly Springs man will spend at least 13 years in prison after he pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attempted first-degree murder. Jimmy Daniel Raybon, 31, also pleaded guilty to possession of firearm by a convicted felon during Catawba County Superior Court, according to a release from District Attorney David Learners office. Superior Court Judge Julia Lynn Gullett, from Iredell County, sentenced Raybon to 13 to 17 years in prison. Officers from Hickory Police Department responded in May 2016 to a report of shots fired at a convenience store on Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard in Hickory. Three people sitting in a car at the gas pumps were approached by Raybon and after a brief verbal exchange with the driver, Raybon pulled out a shotgun and fired a round into the drivers side window of the vehicle, the release said. Raybon previously was convicted of common law robbery in Alexander County in June 2008, leading to the charge of possession of a firearm by felon, according to the District Attorneys Office. Hickory Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division handled the case and Assistant District Attorney Kyle Smith prosecuted the case. Egypt's foreign ministry condemned on Wednesday US President Donald Trump's announcement that the US will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In a statement issued shortly following the US president's speech in Washington, the Egyptian foreign ministry said that such unilateral decisions violate international resolutions. "Egypt is extremely concerned about the possible impact of [Trump's] decision on the stability of the region," the ministry said, adding that the US decision inflames anger in the Arab and Muslim world considering the spiritual, cultural and historical status of Jerusalem. The statement said that Trump's decision would not change the legal status of Jerusalem as an occupied city, referring to a number of UN Security Council resolutions regarding this issue, including resolution No.242/1967, which demands that Israel withdraw from the territories it occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem. The ministry also referred to UN Security Council resolution No.478/1980, which rejects the decision by the Israeli government to annex Jerusalem and declare the city its official capital. The statement also mentioned resolution No.2334/2016, which states that the council does not recognise changes made to Israel's borders post-1967, other than those agreed by the two sides through negotiations. The statement said that the decision by the US will have a "highly negative" impact on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, given that the status of Jerusalem is an issue to be addressed in the final stages of the peace process, with its fate to be determined by the concerned parties. The ministry also warned of the danger Trump's move poses to the current efforts to resume peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians to set up a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Search Keywords: Short link: The Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb announced on Wednesday that Al-Azhar rejects US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "The US president's decision denies the rights of Palestinians and Arabs to their holy city; it ignores the feelings of one-and-a-half-billion Muslims as well as millions of Arab Christians who have a connection to Jerusalem's churches and monasteries," El-Tayeb said in a statement issued following Trump's announcement on Wednesday. El-Tayeb also called for an urgent meeting of Al-Azhar's Council of Senior Scholars as well as the international Muslim Council of Elders to discuss the implications of Trump's decision. He also called for an urgent international meeting of Muslim and Christian clerics to discuss the issue. East Jerusalem, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, hosts Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third holiest site for Muslims. Al-Azhar is considered the world's highest institution of Sunni Islamic learning. Search Keywords: Short link: Statoil ASA gave the final go-ahead to a flagship Arctic oil project after slashing costs by half. While expected, the move by Norway's biggest oil company is a boost to a region seen as key to arresting a decline in the country's production. In a striking illustration of how oil companies have adapted to lower prices, Statoil cut estimated investments at the Johan Castberg project to about 49 billion kroner ($6 billion) from an initial forecast of more than 100 billion kroner, it said on Tuesday, reiterating a figure given in June. The field in the Barents Sea is due to start production in 2022. Castberg is the world's biggest offshore oil project to get the go-ahead this year, with resources of 450 million to 650 million barrels, according to Statoil. The decision comes at a critical time for the industry's Arctic ambitions. The Barents is thought to hold about half of Norway's undiscovered oil and gas, yet Norwegians are increasingly debating whether further exploration makes moral or financial sense amid efforts to fight climate change. Castberg, made up of deposits discovered from 2011, is only the second oil project approved in the region. The first, Eni SpA's Goliat field that started production last year, has come under intense scrutiny following delays, cost overruns and safety mishaps. The government is also facing a lawsuit from environmental groups challenging Barents license awards. 'Robust Profitability' Like Goliat, Castberg has been delayed several times, in part because of the collapse in oil prices. Statoil and partners Eni and Petoro AS have since shelved plans for an onshore terminal at North Cape. With a simpler concept and declining supplier prices, the operator cut the price needed to break even from more than $80 a barrel to below $35. "Even if this is the Arctic and everyone thought this would be extremely complex, with high costs, we're showing that we're getting robust profitability," Margareth Ovrum, Statoil's executive vice president for technology, projects and drilling, said in an interview in Oslo. "I'm proud of that." Statoil on Tuesday also signed contracts with Aker Solutions ASA, totaling about 4 billion kroner, for Castberg's subsea system and for engineering and procurement management. Showcasing Castberg As politicians debate the economics of Goliat, Statoil and the government will be keen to showcase Castberg as a profitable project that will add infrastructure to the underdeveloped area. Norway's crude output has dropped by half since 2000, and successive governments have pushed the Barents to make up for the decline of North Sea fields. Yet explorers have failed to come up with discoveries similar to the giant fields of the North Sea that made the country's fortune. In a sign that oil companies may be less interested in the area after a record campaign yielded disappointing results this year, Norway received only 11 applications in the Barents-focused 24th licensing round, down from 26 in the previous one. Basin oil and gas producers are just a few years into work understanding and developing residual oil zones the zones of oil left behind millions of years ago when what ROZ experts call Mother Natures waterfloods swept hydrocarbons to the east. Speakers at Tuesdays CO2 and ROZ conference updated attendees on the latest in data analysis, downhole equipment and activity related to ROZ development, with a focus on the horizontal San Andres formation. In this age of horizontal drilling, our industry is learning things about our reservoirs we could only speculate about before, said Steve Melzer, director of the annual conference at the Horseshoe Pavilion. He said producers oilfield experience is providing information about ROZ, from coring and mud logging to drill stem testing and open-hole wireline logging. John Allison, president of Firethorn Petroleum LLC, said, Weve learned a lot about the rock. He said ROZ porosity has different, and usually better, log characteristics and rock properties than main pay zones and that carbon dioxide is a great fluid to use in flooding the zones, with tremendous production response. Like Melzer, he said oilfield experience is providing key data about ROZs, from modern open-hole logs to cores and core photos. ROZ resources are very large in the Permian Basin, and potentially elsewhere, Allison said. The following are more takeaways from the conference: Oil in ROZs: Bob Trentham, senior lecturer in geology at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and director of the universitys Center for Energy and Economic Diversification, cited estimates that 56 fields in five major Permian Basin oil plays hold about 30.7 billion barrels of original oil in place in transition and residual oil zones. Tools at hand: Robert Laronga with Schlumberger Well Services detailed the characterization tools needed to exploit ROZs, tools that are challenged to evaluate geology, petrophysics, geomechanics and reservoir monitoring. The use of efficient logging methods -- especially horizontal logging methods such as advanced acoustic logging, which provides essential information if a well was completed with multistage fracs -- and microelectric imaging that identifies thief zones and helps with the understanding of diagenetic trends, are important. Laronga also cited development of downhole tools slim memory tools conveyed through bottomhole assemblies and bits and slim memory advanced dipole sonic tools help provide advanced measurements. Cleaning up: Lance Taylor, president and CEO of Steward Energy, said his company focuses on unconventional development of conventional oil fields as it focuses on plays in Yoakum, Cochran and Gaines counties in Texas and Lea County in New Mexico. However, the company has run into a bit of an unconventional or, at least, an unanticipated problem: scaling. Steward purchased Bronco Prospect wells from Roswell, New Mexico-based Manzano Energy, located in western Yoakum County. The company encountered significant calcium sulfate scaling that required a major cleanout. Twenty-four wells were identified as having limited production because of scale buildup. To curb scaling issues with other wells, Steward treats frac fluid with chlorine dioxide before going to downhole to eliminate sulfate-producing bacteria. Danny Ratliff of Cudd Energy Services echoed these sentiments in his presentation. Ratliff said its best practice to tackle calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate scaling, as well as paraffin inhibition, when fracturing, not afterward. The cleanout cost Steward about $250,000 per well but paid for itself because well production greatly improved. Best direction: Steward also discovered that the direction drilled in the Bronco Prospect matters. Taylor said during his presentation that drilling south to north yielded a higher estimated ultimate recovery (EUR). Seven north-to-south wells had an average EUR of 509,000 barrels of oil. Nine south-to-north wells had an average 656,000 barrels of oil. Evolving practices: While slickwater fracs have largely replaced gelled and crosslinked frac fluids, Ratliff said gelled and crosslinked fracs are making a comeback when delivering proppant. Also, Ratliff said companies should put more effort into frac stage placement and design because not all frac stages yield oil and gas recovery. A Saudi-led coalition intensified air strikes on Yemen early on Wednesday as the armed Houthi movement tightened its grip on the capital after it killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who switched sides in the civil war. Saudi Arabia and its allies struck a day after Saleh's son vowed to lead a campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis. The intervention by Ahmed Ali, a former leader of the elite Republican Guard once seen as a likely successor to his father, gives the anti-Houthi movement a potential figurehead after a week of fighting that saw the Houthis rout Saleh's supporters in the capital. Yemen's war, pitting the Iran-allied Houthis who control Sanaa against a Saudi-led military alliance backing a government based in the south, has brought what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Saleh had helped the Houthis win control of much of the country's north, including Sanaa, and his decision to switch allegiances and abandon the Houthis in the past week was the most dramatic change on the battlefield in years. But the Houthis swiftly crushed the pro-Saleh uprising in the capital and killed him. Coalition fighter jets carried out dozens of air strikes, both sides said, bombing Houthi positions inside Sanaa and in other northern provinces. Yemen's pro-Houthi Al Masirah television station said the coalition bombed Saleh's residence and other houses of his family members. Residents told Reuters loud explosions were heard in downtown Sanaa. Masirah said air strikes also hit northern provinces including Taiz, Haja, Midi and Saada. There was no immediate word on casualties. In a sign of support and defiance, tens of thousands of Houthi supporters staged a rally in Sanaa on Tuesday to celebrate the death of Saleh. They chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia and its allies. The war has already killed more than 10,000 people, with more than two million displaced. Nearly a million have been hit by a cholera outbreak and famine threatens much of the country. The United Nations says millions of people may die in one of the worst famines of modern times, caused by warring parties blocking food supplies. The UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called on all parties to show restraint in a briefing to the Security Council. "Increased hostilities will further threaten civilian lives and exacerbate their suffering," he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the killing of Saleh would, in the short term, likely worsen an already dire humanitarian situation in the country. Mattis, speaking with reporters on a military aircraft en route to Washington after a brief trip to parts of the Middle East and South Asia, said it was too early to say what impact the killing would have on the war. He said it could either push the conflict towards U.N. peace negotiations or make it an "even more vicious war." The commander of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said Yemens enemies had been behind Saleh's armed uprising and praised what he called the Houthis' swift quashing of the "coup against the holy warriors", the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The death of Saleh, who once compared ruling Yemen to dancing on the heads of snakes, deepens the complexity of the multi-sided war. Much is likely to depend on the future allegiances of his loyalists, who had previously helped the armed Houthi group, which hails from the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam that ruled a thousand-year kingdom in northern Yemen until 1962. In a statement sent to Reuters by an aide, his son said his father was killed at "the hands of the enemies of God and the country". Ahmed Ali said he would "confront the enemies of the homeland and humanity, who are trying to obliterate its identity and its gains and to humiliate Yemen and Yemenis". *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Pope Francis, speaking hours before U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Jerusalem, called on Wednesday for the city's "status quo" to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts. Trump is due on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and set in motion the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to the ancient city, senior U.S. officials said, a decision that upends decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling further violence in the Middle East. In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis called for all to honour United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. "I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations," he said. The Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with both sides agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its "united and eternal" capital. The pope told thousands of people at his general audience: "I cannot keep quiet about my deep worry about the situation that has been created in the last few days." He said he hoped "wisdom and prudence prevail, in order to avoid adding new elements of tension to a global panorama that is already convulsed and marked by so many and cruel conflicts." In 2012, the Vatican called for "an internationally guaranteed special statute" for Jerusalem, aimed at "safeguarding the freedom of religion and of conscience, the identity and sacred character of Jerusalem as a Holy City, (and) respect for, and freedom of, access to its holy places." Before making his public comments, Francis met privately with a group of Palestinians involved in inter-religious dialogue with the Vatican. "The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind," he said. He spoke of dialogue between religions "and also in civil society". "The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognising the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be," he said to the group. The pope spoke by telephone to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the crisis on Tuesday. The Vatican and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1994. Francis, former Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II all visited Israel and Palestinian territories. When Francis visited the Holy Land in 2014, he flew directly by helicopter from Jordan to what the Vatican programme called the "State of Palestine" and visited Israel last. This irked Israel because his predecessor had always gone first to Israel and entered the territories from Israel. The Vatican signed its first treaty with the "State of Palestine" the following year. Search Keywords: Short link: Palestinians seethed with anger and a sense of betrayal over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many heard the death knell for the long-moribund U.S.-sponsored talks aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel. They also said more violence could erupt. "Trump wants to help Israel take over the entire city. Some people may do nothing, but others are ready to fight for Jerusalem," said Hamad Abu Sbeih, 28, an unemployed resident of the walled Old City. "This decision will ignite a fire in the region. Pressure leads to explosions," he said. Jerusalem -- specifically its eastern Old City, home to important shrines of Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israeli captured Arab East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War then later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians want it to be the capital of a future independent state and resolution of its status is fundamental to any peace-making. Trump is due to announce later on Wednesday that the United States recognises the city as Israel's capital and will move its embassy there from Tel Aviv, breaking with longtime US policy. "This is insane. You are speaking about something fateful. Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine and neither the world nor our people will accept it," said Samir Al-Asmar, 58, a merchant from the Old City who was a child when it fell to Israel. "It will not change what Jerusalem is. Jerusalem will remain Arab. Such a decision will sabotage things and people will not accept it." Palestinian newspapers also decried the move. "Trump Defies the World," thundered Al-Ayyam. Another, Al-Hayat, roared "Jerusalem is the Symbol of Palestinian Endurance" in a red-letter headline over an image of the city's mosque compound flanked by Palestinian flags. Palestinian leaders have also warned the move could have dangerous consquences. Although winter rains dampened protests called for East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip, few doubted fresh bloodshed now loomed. Israeli security forces braced for possible unrest but police said the situation in Jerusalem was calm for now. That could quickly change, given the religious passions that swirl around the Old City, where Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, abuts the Western Wall prayer plaza, a vestige of two ancient Jewish temples. Palestinians mounted two uprisings, or intifadas, against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993 then from 2000 to 2005, the latter ignited by a visit by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the shrine area, known to Jews as Temple Mount. In 2015, mass Palestinian protests in the occupied east Jerusalem and West Bank against repeated storming by Israeli settlers of Al-Aqsa Mosque and building of illegal settlements left more than 100 Palestinians killed and hundreds injured. In July of this year, after Israel installed metal detectors at the entrance to the Al Aqsa compound, Four Palestinians and three Israelis were killed, as well as two policemen shot dead by gunmen. ANGRY IN GAZA In the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza, demonstrators chanted "Death to America", "Death to Israel" and "Down with Trump". They also burned posters depicting the U.S., British and Israeli flags. Youssef Mohammad, a 70-year-old resident of a refugee camp, said Trump's move would be a test for Arab leadership at a time of regional chaos and shifting alliances. The Jerusalem uproar could affect Egyptian-brokered efforts to bring Gaza, which has been under Islamist Hamas control for a decade, back under the authority of U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who favours negotiation with Israel. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Trump's planned moved showed the United States was biased. "The United States was never a neutral mediator in any cause of our people. It has always stood with the occupation (Israel)," he said. He said Abbas' administration should "rid itself of the illusion that rights can be achieved through an American-backed deal". *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. In a speech at the White House, Trump said his administration would also begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem President Donald Trump reversed decades of US policy on Wednesday and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite warnings from around the world that the gesture further drives a wedge between Israel and the Palestinians. In a speech at the White House, Trump said his administration would also begin a process of moving the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. Trump called his decision a "a long overdue" step to advance the peace process. "I have determined that it is time to officially recognixe Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said. "While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering." Trump acted under a 1995 law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. His predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, had consistently put off that decision to avoid inflaming tensions in the Middle East. Warnings and anger before the storm The news earlier this week that Trump would announce on Wednesday a decision to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem had sparked concerns and widespread criticism in the region and among the international community. Palestinians, who have hoped for more than four decades that east Jerusalem would be the capital of their state in any political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, denounced Trump's decision, charging that his move reflects US biased against them in favour of Israel. Over the past few days, Palestinians held angry demonstrations in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, with protesters burning both the US and Israeli flags and pictures of the American president. Trump's decision ends a 37-year-old US foreign policy position of not recognising along with the international community Israel's 1980 decision to annex occupied East Jerusalem and designate a "unified Jerusalem" as an eternal capital for Israel. The US president's decision comes as a fulfilment of a promise he made in 2016 while a candidate on the presidential campaign trail. There are an estimated 325,000 Palestinians who live in occupied East Jerusalem under increasing occupation pressures. In the past several years, Israel has been accelerating the pace of building illegal Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to consolidate its hold over the occupied territories. Israeli settlers have also repeatedly stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, to lay claim on its grounds. Earlier on Wednesday, Pope Francis called for the city's "status quo" to be respected, saying that new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts. On Tuesday evening, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Trump in a phone conversation that Cairo believes the legal status of Jerusalem should be maintained. Both Egypt's Coptic Church and Al-Azhar issued statements warning of "dangerous consequences" of the US recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. China said on Wednesday that the move could cause an "escalation" of tensions, while Russia's President Vladimir Putin told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a phone call that the "situation is complex" and "expressed concern" about "possible exacerbation." The Arab League announced in the afternoon that Arab foreign ministers would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday over the US' move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Later in the day, EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini warned about the situation at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was visiting Brussels for talks with the EU and NATO. "We believe that any action that would undermine [the Palestinian-Israeli peace process] must absolutely be avoided," Mogherini said. The PLO and Hamas, the two leading Palestinian factions, condemned Trump's decision to move the embassy. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya sent a letter to Arab and Muslim leaders on Wednesday warning that "moving the American embassy to Jerusalem is a dangerous escalation and provides cover for the extremist government of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to carry out its plan to Judaise the city of Jerusalem." Search Keywords: Short link: Hamas said President Donald Trump's decision on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital would "open the gates of hell" on US interests in the region. "This decision will open the gates of hell on US interests in the region," Ismail Radwan, an official with the Palestinian Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, told journalists after Trump's announcement. He called on Arab and Islamic states to "cut off economic and political ties with the US embassy and expel American ambassadors to cripple" this decision. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas' favorite ice cream is making its way back to New Mexico, after it was pulled in 2015 after the Listeria outbreak. Blue Bell announced in a press release Wednesday that the company would be re-opening it's distribution facility in Albuquerque on March 12, 2018. NAILED IT: Texas man writes hilarious review of new Blue Bell ice cream flavor "It has always been our goal to return to the Albuquerque area," said Wayne Hugo, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Bell said in the release. "Blue Bell has been available in parts of southeastern New Mexico since 2016. And now, with the addition of Albuquerque and its surrounding area, we are able to offer our products to even more stores across the state. We can't thank our customers enough for their patience." Now Playing: Youre in luck, Louisiana! Video: SLivingTime Some of the cities that can expect to be served by the ice cream company include Albuqueque, Belen, Bernalillo, Grants, Los Lunas, Milan, Placitas, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe and Socorro. The company also announced that we can expect more expansions for 2018 to be announced later on. Take a look through the gallery above to see some of Blue Bell's most popular flovors ranked. 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. San Antonios manufacturing direct employment rose only slightly in the five-year period ending in 2016 but the sectors overall economic impact grew 28 percent, mostly due to technology advances and higher skills, a new report stated Tuesday. The San Antonios Manufacturing Industry: Economic Impact in 2016 report was presented Tuesday during a luncheon event of the San Antonio Manufacturers Association attended by more than 200 people. The 2016 impact in 2016 was $40.5 billion, making manufacturing one of the largest sectors of the San Antonio economy, according to the report compiled by Trinity University professor Mary Stefl and retired Trinity professor Richard Butler for the association and the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. The report updates Butler and Stefls previous manufacturing-sector report last released in 2012, which said manufacturing companies contributed $22.5 billion into the local economy in 2011. The economic impact includes so-called multiplier effects for products produced in the San Antonio metropolitan area and sold to customers outside the state. The areas workforce at 1,544 manufacturing companies rose only to 51,904 in 2016 from 51,026 in 2011, but the total payroll increased to $2.99 billion in 2016 from $2.42 billion in 2011, a 24 percent increase. Manufacturing employees in 2016 made an average of $57,507, including benefits, compared to the $46,891 for all workers in the San Antonio area last year, according to the report. The gap between manufacturing compensation and average wages in the San Antonio area is 23 percent. In 2001, the gap was smaller, 13 percent. The difference is not new. The average salary in manufacturing has been consistently higher than the regional average over the past two decades, the report stated. Wage gains stem from manufacturings shift to high-technology, high-skilled job categories, according to the report. The best-paying manufacturing jobs are in the transportation sector, including aerospace companies and the Toyota assembly plant. Average annual transportation wages in 2016 were $68,175. The transportation sector also was the fastest-growing in employment. The sector shedding the most jobs was the diversified products category, 80 percent of which is food and beverage manufacturing, Butler and Stefl said. Butler and Stefl said it is difficult to determine San Antonios largest economic sector because they study the sectors in different years. For 2015, the health care and biosciences sectors economic impact was reported at $37 billion, but it now might be about the same as manufacturing as the areas two largest sectors. Health care has twice as many employees, but the salaries are not as high, Stefl said. Butler added: The military is pretty big, too, but no one has measured it recently. San Antonio Manufacturing Association CEO and President Rey Chavez said the reports main message to area manufacturers is they are being noticed, and how much manufacturing is here. Its not just Toyota. This study will be a recruitment and retention tool. The future of manufacturing, Chavez said, will be increased production and increased skills required to operate more complex machinery. My personal goal to see a $10 billion increase in economic impact, to $50 billion in the area over the next five years, Chavez said. Manufacturing is the fabric of our nation. Theres nothing we use that isnt manufactured, he said. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said that exporting manufacturing goods is critical to the areas economic health. We know that if we dont export goods and services more than we bring in goods and services, we will be a poor city, Wolff said. dhendricks@express-news.net The defanging of a federal consumer watchdog agency began last week in a federal courthouse in San Francisco. After a nearly three-year legal skirmish, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appeared to have been victorious. A judge agreed in September with the bureau that a financial company had misled more than 100,000 mortgage customers. As punishment, the judge ordered the Ohio company, Nationwide Biweekly Administration, to pay nearly $8 million in penalties. All that was left was to collect the cash. Last week, lawyers from the consumer bureau filed an 11-page brief asking the judge to force Nationwide to post an $8 million bond while the proceedings wrapped up. Then Mick Mulvaney was named the consumer bureaus acting director. Barely 48 hours later, the same lawyers filed a new two-sentence brief. Their request: to withdraw their earlier submission and no longer take a position on whether Nationwide should put up the cash. It was a subtle but unmistakable sign that the consumer bureau under Mulvaney is headed in a new direction one that takes a lighter touch to regulating the financial industry. The reversal is part of a broad push by the Trump administration to unfetter companies from Obama-era regulations. Inside the agency, change has been swift. Mulvaney briefly stopped approval of payments to some victims of financial crime, halted hiring, froze all new rule-making and ordered a review of active investigations and lawsuits. Some, he has indicated, will be abandoned. This place will be different, under my leadership and under whoever follows me, Mulvaney said Monday about an agency that he previously denounced as a sad, sick example of bureaucracy gone amok. Mulvaney took over leadership of the bureau, created in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, less than two weeks ago. The abrupt resignation of Richard Cordray, the bureaus longtime director who had been appointed by President Barack Obama, set off an extraordinary public fight for control of the agency. The battle pitted Mulvaney, who was named acting director by President Donald Trump, against Leandra English, the bureaus deputy director under Cordray. While Trump can appoint his own director, confirmation could take months. Until then, the acting director is in charge. Last week, a federal judge ruled in Mulvaneys favor, denying an emergency motion that English had filed to stop the White House from selecting a temporary director. The lawsuit is ongoing. The bureau has been investigating Santander, the giant Spanish bank, for overcharging auto loan customers. Given the tenor of recent conversations inside the bureau, agency lawyers suspect the investigation could be shelved under Mulvaney, according to four people with knowledge of the case who requested anonymity to discuss an investigation. Raschelle Burton, a spokeswoman for Santander, said the company was not aware of any planned lawsuit from the CFPB. Agency employees said they were scrutinizing every comment and memo from their new leader for hints about their future. Some employees, including a few of the bureaus top officials, have welcomed their new leader. Others, pointing to Mulvaneys earlier hostility toward the agency and its mission, are quietly resisting. One small group calls itself Dumbledores Army, according to two of the people who were familiar with their discussions. The name is a reference to a secret resistance force in the Harry Potter books. An atmosphere of intense anxiety has taken hold, several employees said. In some cases, conversations between staff that used to take place by phone or text now happen almost exclusively in person or through encrypted messaging apps. Mulvaney has begun examining ongoing lawsuits filed by the agency and its process of gathering information from companies under investigation. The bureaus so-called demand letters an investigative tool used in the early stages of investigations are fairly broad and fairly burdensome, he told reporters on Monday. That same day, the bureau suspended an inquiry into a company that had objected to the regulators demands for information. In that case, the bureau sent an information request in August to Nexus Services, a Verona, Virginia, company that provides bail bonds for detained immigrants. Nexus objected to the agencys overly broad and unduly burdensome request and refused to comply. In October, the company sued the bureau in U.S. District Court in Washington, seeking to stop the bureaus investigators from contacting its customers and business partners. At a court appearance on Monday, the bureaus lawyers agreed to halt the investigation until Nexus lawsuit is resolved, according to court records. A senior adviser to Mulvaney, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly, said the decision had been made after discussions with Nexus and the judge. Remaking the agency, which has unusual authority and independence, has been a priority for Republicans since it was created in 2010. Until Cordray left, they had gotten very little traction. The agency often took an aggressive stance toward regulating and punishing businesses. It extracted nearly $12 billion in refunds and canceled debts for 29 million consumers. After Trump took office, Cordray seemed to double down on the aggressive approach. He unleashed a fusillade of rules and enforcement actions, including new restrictions on the payday lending industry. Mulvaney said he thought Congress should strike down those rules, just as they recently did with a rule that would have allowed borrowers to band together in class-action lawsuits against financial institutions over unfair and deceptive business practices. But as the Nationwide case shows, congressional action isnt the only way to change the consumer bureaus strategy. Nationwide described itself as a provider of services to help customers reduce interest payments on their mortgages. Two years ago, shortly after it was sued by the consumer bureau, the company suspended its operations. Now, it wants to get back into business but it cannot afford to do so if it must immediately pay the $8 million fine. It is too broke to even afford a bond, the companys owner, Daniel S. Lipsky, said in a court filing. If the court doesnt require the bond, Nationwide Biweekly can begin operating again, Lipsky said. Early last week, Lipskys lawyer overnighted a personal appeal to Mulvaney, pleading her clients case. Mulvaney said he was aware of the letter but had not read it. He was so far only taking internal meetings with bureau employees, he said at the meeting with reporters, and has not yet responded to the messages he has received from consumer groups, bankers and lobbyists. I dont want anybody to say Mulvaney was swayed one way or another by somebody who sent him a FedEx package, he said. The bureaus withdrawal of its request for Nationwide to post a bond had come at Mulvaneys direction, according to two of the people. The adviser to Mulvaney disputed the idea that the decision represented a significant change in the bureaus stance. The agency was simply taking a more agnostic role in the case, Mulvaneys adviser said. Nationwides lawyer, Helen Mac Murray, said the shift was a promising sign. Her client is eager to resume operations. This week, a judge granted the companys request to proceed without a bond. As weve said for years, this is a law-abiding business that helps consumers save money, Mac Murray said. Were hopeful that the new leadership at CFPB will follow the law and stop using unchecked and unreasonable bureaucratic tyranny to shut down a business that helps consumers. A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of a Livermore man for raping and murdering a woman he met at a bar in Contra Costa County in 1986. The court said it wouldnt second-guess state court findings that jurors hadnt been tainted when a prosecutor reminded them that California voters had overwhelmingly approved capital punishment. The trial of Guy Rowland was marred by defense attorneys errors in addition to the prosecutors improper comments, but a mistake-free trial would probably have reached the same result in light of Rowlands monstrous criminal history, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The court said it was required by federal law to be highly deferential to the state Supreme Court ruling that upheld Rowlands death sentence. Rowland was 24 when he met Marion Geri Richardson, 31, at a bar in Byron in March 1986. An off-duty bartender testified that Richardson brushed off Rowlands advances, stayed in the bar after he left and later headed for home in her car. ALSO Former Oakland fire captain pleads guilty to child porn charges According to medical testimony, Rowland beat Richardson, raped her, then choked her to death after forcing her to swallow a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine. He then drove her body to Half Moon Bay and dumped it in the ocean. He later asked his girlfriend to help him clean the victims blood and hair from his truck, but she called the police, the court said. Rowland had recently served a prison sentence for kidnapping two 13-year-old girls and raping one of them in 1980, the court said. Prosecutors also presented evidence of uncharged beatings and rapes, including assaults of his stepsister and another woman less than a week before the murder. According to defense evidence, Rowlands family was abusive, his mother twice attempted to drown him in the bathtub as a baby, and he had been diagnosed with several mental disorders. One witness, psychiatrist Hugh Ridlehuber, conducted a brief evaluation and testified that Rowland was still suffering the effects of his traumatic childhood, but said after the trial that he probably would have presented evidence of brain damage if he had been given time for a more thorough analysis. In Wednesdays ruling, the court said Rowlands trial lawyers had been ineffective by failing to contact Ridlehuber earlier or prepare him adequately. But under the deferential standard of federal law, the states high court could have reasonably concluded that the verdict would have been the same because of the brutality of the crime and Rowlands record, Judge John Owens said in the 3-0 ruling. The court had a similar assessment of the prosecutors comments to the jury in closing arguments at the penalty phase that Californias voters had overwhelmingly approved the death penalty and had removed three state Supreme Court justices from office in 1986 for overturning death sentences. We disapprove of the prosecutors comments, Owens said, but they did not minimize the jurys responsibility to reach is own conclusions. Michael Levine, one of Rowlands appellate lawyers, said he was disappointed by the ruling and would probably ask the full appeals court for a rehearing. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko A Napa woman was arrested on suspicion of setting multiple arson fires in forest land, police said Wednesday. Debra Ann Windholz, 59, was booked Tuesday into Napa County Jail on 11 counts of arson to forest land and is being held on $500,000 bail. Police said they suspect Windholz of deliberately setting the wildland fires near the north end of Lake Berryessa in Napa County. We will not tolerate arson of any type and will track down those suspected of causing harm to our communities, said Chief Shana Jones of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Napa County Sheriff Sgt. Doug Wilkinson said he did not know exactly when the 11 fires were set, but that the incidents were spread out over a couple of years. Cal Fire said that Windholz was not responsible for any of the fires that ignited overnight on Oct. 8 and devastated the North Bay. The cause of those fires is still under investigation. Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15 Stages Repertory Theatre plans to build a $30.5 million theater complex to bolster its position as the city's largest performing arts nonprofit outside of the downtown Theater District a move to improve not only the company's artistic freedom, but also provide an amenity for the surrounding north Montrose neighborhood. The company wants the 66,850-square-foot proposed building, which features three stages and a two-story parking garage, to be more than a theater. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT The veteran city police officer who was found dead Monday in Seaside Park from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head has brought the seriousness of the loss of first responders back to the forefront. In September, Danbury police officer Drew Carlson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In November, Naugatuck police officer Robert Byrne died unexpectedly in his Seymour home. There was no clear report on his manner or cause of death. Bridgeport Police officer Thomas Lattanzio, who was on the force 17 years, was found Monday morning in the park. Police did not discuss a motive in his death, which the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled a suicide. Policing is a highly stressful job, said Police Chief Armando Perez. This is a challenging time and place to be a police officer. At the end of the day, our officers are tough, dedicated and well-trained, but we are also human beings. More Information Other options The state hotline - 211- is always available for someone in crisis to call. There is also the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, and the national Crisis Text Line, 741741. The Fairfield County Trauma Recovery Network - which was formed in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting that killed 20 children and six adults - is a nearby option for officers. Recovery network services allows first responders to submit a request for therapy form online (https://fctrn.com/form/). The evaluations are in-person and free of charge for "critical incident/tragedy or community man-made or natural disaster." Those looking to speak with other first responders about their experiences and feelings can reach out to The Lenape Valley Foundation crisis center in Bucks County, Pa. The foundation has a 24-hour hotline staffed with police, firefighters and EMTs who will take calls from Bridgeport, or anywhere else, organizers told Hearst Connecticut Media. Police officers can call 267-893-5200; all other first responders can call 267-893-5400. See More Collapse Lattanzio, who was named in two civil rights cases one in 2011 and one from late October was on paid administrative leave at the time of his death, in part because of the most recent lawsuit. As a general rule, officers surrender their badge, service weapon and ID when they are placed on administrative status, Perez said. News of the suicide rocked the police department, with more than 20 patrol cars and unmarked vehicles responding to the scene after the call that confirmed it was a Bridgeport police officer. Perez said he could not comment on the details of the death, including who found Lattanzio, since there was still an open investigation. Police officers, firefighters, correctional officers and others employed in protective services were ranked sixth on a list of the top 20 professions with the most suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protections 2016 occupational suicide list. Police Union President Chuck Paris said counseling was available, beginning Monday, to officers through the employee assistance program. He said there were also peer counselors provided from different departments. New Haven, Norwalk, Newtown and Stamford police departments volunteered their resources Monday, Perez said. We are grieving as a family with support from our friends and our community, Perez said. We are providing peer support teams from (the Bridgeport Police) Department, neighbors departments and outside resources. But the police department is working to do more proactively, administrators said. I know the department is working on setting up a peer counseling program, Paris said. Those within the department who need to speak about their concerns and feelings to professionals always have that option, he said. The EAP is readily available at any time, Paris said. If they reach out to the EAP themselves, the department ... doesnt get notice that theyve spoken with them. Thats the main available procedure provided. Perez said the EAP provides ongoing mental health check-ins for the department. He said the department encourages officers needing help to speak to someone. Our entire leadership team has been clear with all of our officers: Talk to someone if you are having trouble coping with anything, Perez said. Do not bottle this up. We are here for you. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Its that holly, maybe too jolly, time of year for a 24-hour booze ban on Metro-North trains this weekend. The Metropolitan Transit Authority has banned alcohol from trains and stations because of the annual SantaCon bar crawl in New York City on Saturday. The annual event combines a costume parade and a drinking-drenched pub crawl that has sometimes resulted in raucous incidents involving way too merry Santas. To maintain orderly travel and safe station and terminal operations during this weekends SantaCon event, alcohol will not be permitted on MTA Long Island Rail Road and MTA Metro-North Railroad trains and in stations from noon on Saturday through noon on Sunday, the MTA says. Any alcoholic beverages found by MTA police on trains, stations and platforms will be confiscated. Violators could also be issued a summons. Public drinking is also illegal in New York City and police will confiscate alcohol. SantaCon NYC 2017 starts at 10 a.m. As always, the starting locations will be revealed the night before the event, organizers posted on the SantaCon website. It advised Santas not to be naughty, but nice. Be merry, be safe and be responsible for your own actions. Respect the city, don't litter, don't scare children, listen to the cops and in general have a jolly good time. SantaCon day, held annually in early December, is one of three times a year the MTA bans alcohol. The other times are New Years Eve and St. Patricks Day. The first SantaCon was held in San Francisco in 1994 as a protest against the rampant consumerism that has become associated with Christmas. It has since spread to hundreds of cities, including Stamford, which held its SantaCon last week Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump's Jerusalem decision was dangerous and threatened the credibility of the United States as a broker of the peace process in the region. The decision has put back the peace process by decades, and threatens regional stability and perhaps global stability, Aoun said in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: STAMFORD The U.S. Attorneys Office Heroin Education and Action Team is hosting a presentation for Academy of Information Technology & Engineering students from 8:45 to 10 a.m. on Dec. 12 at Rippowan Auditorium, 381 High Ridge Road, in Stamford to address the growing threat heroin poses on the Stamford community and its families. The mission of the U.S. Attorneys Heroin Education Action Team is to reduce the growing harm to Connecticut families and communities caused by heroin and opioid abuse by increasing community understanding of this epidemic. ORANGE A shopping plaza was closed Wednesday morning while firefighters put out the fire that started inside one of the businesses. Firefighters responded to Liberty Square Plaza, 501 Boston Post Road, on the report of a fire inside a wig boutique shop. Within 15 minutes, firefighters were able to control the blaze, according to Fire Marshal Timothy Smith. Laptop computers will be delivered to Ecuador, thanks to a recent donation from the Klein Independent School District. Juan Gavino Guerrero, a Klein ISD substitute teacher, helped to facilitate the district donating a surplus of 20 laptops, worth $2,000, to a small library in Ecuador. Guerrero works with the Investigation and Support for Social Development Foundation which is an organization that focuses on an education innovation initiative for children. "The experience and training acquired in education, other areas, and the execution of projects and activities implemented jointly with the communities in Ecuador, is our best contribution for community benefit," Guerrero said. The foundation was founded in 1993 and aims to help less-fortunate communities in various ways. Approximately 1,000 children will benefit from the donation of the laptops that were donated. "This donation is important because Klein ISD has one of the best technology and computer experience in the field of education," Guerrero said. "We support community development services, facilitating access to the Internet, promoting success, and generating better knowledge, so students can look into better shaping global reality in technology, education, business, culture etc. in the globalized environment in which we live today." Guerrero submitted two requests to the Klein District to donate the surplus laptops for a small educational library to benefit students in Ecuador from low-income families. Klein ISD officials agreed that the surplus of laptops could positively impact low-income children in Ecuador. "Both the Klein ISD Teaching and Learning Center and the finance department received those requests and banded together to make this donation a reality for a neighboring country," Judy Rimato said, Klein ISD associate superintendent. "In Klein ISD, we encourage all to think, we not me. This gift speaks directly to our district's vision thinking globally, building community, and being culturally responsive." Courtesy photo Seven Riverwood Middle School students were surprised with a WorldStrides trip to Washington, D.C. WorldStrides is a travel organization that helps create and arrange educational trips for students in over 85 countries. WorldStrides recognized that students in the area had been through a lot recently. Students affected by Hurricane Harvey were nominated to join WorldStrides on a Hurricane Healing trip to Washington, D.C., in February. Their hope is to allow the students to experience a special trip away from home and to ignite a passion for learning. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate If Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Officer Ryan Holets had his way, this story would have never gone viral. CNN would not have learned that Holets while on duty had agreed to adopt a baby from a homeless drug addict about to shoot up heroin in broad daylight. And CNN would have never had the chance to chronicle that encounter, drawing the attention of millions of people around the world to the story of how Holets's family grew by one on Oct. 12. Holets, a religious man who values his privacy, didn't do it for the attention. He did it because he felt a calling from God. He knew it was the right thing to do. "We didn't do this to have a story," Holets said in a phone interview Tuesday. "That is entirely not why we did it, but after talking to some close friends whom I trust, we realized this was a way to put a face on the drug problem and maybe encourage other people to adopt." On Sept. 23, Holets responded to a call about a possible theft from a convenience store in Albuquerque. By the time Holets and his recruit arrived at the scene, the suspect was no longer there, but Holets noticed some commotion on the grassy area behind the store. Holets spotted a woman about to inject a needle into her companion's arm. The woman, 35-year-old Crystal Champ, was eight-months pregnant. With his body camera on, Holets approached the couple and confronted them, "Why are you doing this stuff? It's going to ruin your baby. You're going to kill your baby." Champ began to sob. "How dare you judge me? You have no idea how hard this is," Champ told CNN about how she felt. "I know what a horrible person I am. I know what a horrible situation I'm in." In an interview with the Post, Holets admitted that he initially judged Champ and her partner, Tom. But he said he soon learned how badly Champ longed for her child to go a good family. He realized Champ wanted someone to adopt her baby. Holets offered to do just that. "His entire being changed," Champ said to CNN. "He just became a human being instead of a police officer." Holets took about six weeks off from work and he and his wife, Rebecca, were at the University of New Mexico Hospital when Champ gave birth to a baby girl, Hope, on Oct. 12 - one month earlier than her due date. Doctors needed to give Hope treatments and medication to help her through withdrawals - "It was very difficult to watch," Holets said - but she was able to leave the hospital after a week and a half. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overall incidence of such withdrawal, known as neo-natal abstinence syndrome, has increased almost 300 percent between 1999 and 2013 in the 28 states that the 2016 study included. "She's gaining weight, eating well, sleeping well," Holets said of Hope. "We're just praying and hoping for the best for her. As far as development goes, we won't know the effects until she's older." When Sgt. Jim Edison learned what Holets did, he was floored. In his 10 years as a police officer, he has seen many "heroic acts," but none like what Holets did, Edison said. "This guy wasn't just taking a call, he was changing everybody's life around him," he said. "It's so unselfish. I was just humbled." Edison wrote a memo nominating Holets for outstanding service for the city of Albuquerque, but felt that didn't suffice. It's his job to reward and encourage his men for doing the right thing and so Edison signed Holets up to do an interview for CNN's "Beyond the Call of Duty" series without telling Holets. "Everyday he calls me to ask for forgiveness," Holets said with a chuckle. "And I keep assuring him that we're fine. We didn't quite realize it would get this response, and neither did he. . . .But we all realize it's a really good thing, and some really good things can come of it." Holets, 27, was born and raised in Albuquerque and joined the city's police department six years ago. He and his wife already had four young children of their own before bringing Hope into their lives. The couple had wanted to adopt a year or two down the road, and so when Holets approached his wife while on duty that day in September to break the news to her, Rebecca's jaw dropped. "I was shocked and surprised but just super, super excited," she said. One of Holets's conditions when he agreed to CNN's interview was that his superiors would not set up a GoFundMe page for the family. He instead urges those who want to offer support to find a local drug rehabilitation center or adoption organization and donate to them. Holets has also been helping Champ and her partner find the right rehabilitation center and gave them a tablet computer so they can receive photos of Hope over email. To Holets's knowledge, the pair, who have not responded to a Post interview request conducted through Holets, are not clean. It was his ultimate goal from the beginning to help them through rehab. Holets is hopeful it will happen. It seems to him meant to be. Shortly after Holets named his baby, Champ informed him of something he didn't know. Her middle name is Hope. Tunisia's powerful labour union UGTT said U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and decision to move the U.S. embassy to the city was a declaration of war, a statement said on Wednesday. "We call...for mass protests," the labour union said in a statement. Tunisia's foreign ministry said in a separate statement Trump's move "seriously threatens to undermine the foundations of the (Israeli-Palestinian) peace process." Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Jae C. Hong/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jae C. Hong/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 As a raging conflagration now called the Skirball Fire engulfed the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, Dec. 6, the nearby Getty Center and its fabled J. Paul Getty Museum appeared to be safe for the time being. The Center was preparing to celebrate it 20th anniversary, having opened to the public in December 1997. It was built to exacting art conservation standards at an estimated cost in the billions of dollars. OJAI, Ventura County The sky glowed orange in Ojai, an angry red sun occasionally peeking through the smoke that filled the sky. The Thomas Fire, which had already burned through more than 50,000 acres, was close. Many residents in the town of 7,500 had already fled by Tuesday afternoon, worried that the few highways out would be choked with traffic if the flames got closer. Some who stayed were preparing for the worst. At Pats Liquor, one of few businesses still open, co-owner Hekmat Hanna wasnt worried. Im not scared, he said. Everyone else may be scared, not me. Business was good, he added, with people stocking up on water and soda and beer. People need beer when the news is bad, he said. They need something to forget the fire. The downtown area lost power overnight, but it came back on before morning, so Hanna decided to open up. One man bought two $10 lottery tickets, saying it looked like the luck in Ojai was so bad, the only luck left might be in one of those tickets. Nearby, a couple dozen cars lined up at the Shell gas station. Hansel Balayans truck was nearly empty, so he had no choice but to spend an hour in line to fill up just in case he had to evacuate. Its the longest Ive ever waited for gas, he said. Inside the Vons supermarket, Landis Kepler stood in line with about 100 bottles of water. He uses well water on his ranch outside town, but because of the fire, he was advised to boil it. To be on the safe side, Kepler opted for bottled. Some of it was Arrowhead, and some Evian. The Arrowhead is for cooking and the Evian for drinking, he said. There was a voluntary evacuation advisory for Ojai, but Kepler said he didnt plan on leaving. This doesnt scare me, he said. Jill Tucker and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com and srubenstein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @jilltucker and @steverubesf This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump cast his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday as an acceptance of reality that could shake up the stagnant Middle East peace process by establishing him as an honest-broker who brings "fresh thinking" to old problems. But even as Trump sought to convince Middle East partners that the move would not derail his commitment to peace, his remarks at the White House revealed an important subtext that helps explain why the president was willing to buck warnings from U.S. allies and take a risk over the contested Holy City. "While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver," Trump said in a midday speech in the Diplomatic Reception Room. "Today, I am delivering." As Trump nears the end of his first year in office, his eagerness to show progress on his agenda extends beyond his push to secure a tax bill on Capitol Hill this month. He heralded his pronouncement on Jerusalem as a "long-overdue step" and suggested his predecessors might have "lacked courage" to make such a decision. Yet in ordering the State Department to begin planning to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem over the next several years, Trump risked inflaming tensions in the region and making it more difficult to forge what he once called the "ultimate deal" - to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians. A White House team led by senior adviser Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, continues to work on a peace plan that is expected to be unveiled next year. But despite concerns from some top aides, Trump chose to isolate the United States from much of the international community on another high-stakes diplomatic issue. The pronouncement comes after Trump chose earlier this year to withdraw the United States from a global climate pact and to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, forcing Congress to determine whether to hit Tehran with new sanctions. No other country maintains an embassy in Jerusalem, and U.S. allies Germany, Britain and France objected to the move. "We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past," Trump said, noting that a lasting peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians has remained elusive even as the U.S. Embassy has remained in Tel Aviv. Though Trump won plaudits from congressional lawmakers who have pushed for a stronger pro-Israel policy, his announcement was met with widespread skepticism among Arab nations. Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated on the streets in Gaza City in protest, while the militant group Hamas predicted the move would "open the doors of hell" on U.S. interests in the region. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke with Trump by phone on Tuesday, slammed the announcement as "reprehensible and called it a "declaration of withdraw" by the United States from the peace process. The move "would lead us into wars that will never end," Abbas said. In Brussels, international officials chided U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a NATO gathering. "We think it's an unwise step and a counterproductive step," Dutch Foreign Minister Halbe Zijlstra said. "If we want to solve at some moment the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, we need a two-state solution, and a one-sided step is not going to help." Inside the West Wing, Trump was said to be frustrated by the slow pace of the peace process and anxious to move forward on a declaration on Jerusalem as the deadline approached for him to sign another six-month national security waiver to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv as required under a 1995 law. Though aides said Trump will sign the waiver for a second time to ensure that funding for construction and maintenance is not cut off, he expects the State Department to begin hiring architects and engineers to design a new building in Jerusalem for the 1,000 employees now serving in Tel Aviv. In his remarks, Trump insisted he is not putting his thumb on the scale for Israel, emphasizing that Jerusalem has long served as the headquarters for Israel's parliament, supreme court and prime minister's government offices. "I want to make one point very clear: this decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement," Trump said. The decision, he said, does not change U.S. policy on any "final status issues" such as the resolution of contested borders. "Those questions are up to the parties involved," Trump said. In Israel, officials illuminated the ancient walls of Jerusalem Old City with Israeli and American flags, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a historic day." He said his nation is "profoundly grateful to the president for his courageous and just decision." In an act of protest, Palestinians turned off the Christmas lights on a tree outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity and on another tree in Ramallah. Trump campaigned on a promise to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem, a move popular among evangelical leaders who offered him crucial support. A slew of them, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist megachurch in Dallas, released statements of praise on Wednesday. Trump also drew bipartisan support on Capitol Hill from Republicans and some Democrats. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called the announcement "an important step in the right direction" and added that "unequivocal recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will be complete when the U.S. embassy is officially relocated there." Rep. Eliot Engel, N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the decision "helps correct a decades-long indignity." But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Trump's move premature and warned of "mass protests" as other Democrats also criticized the announcement. "President Trump's decision to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital today appears to be driven more by his desire to fulfill a campaign pledge than to generate progress towards direct peace talks," said Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Late last month, the State Department sent a memo to embassies in the Middle East warning of potential unrest. Robert Richer, a former head of the CIA's Middle Eastern division during the 2000s, warned that the move will encourage extremists and other U.S. opponents in the region, while driving despairing young Palestinians into the streets. "This unilateral decision, without real consultation with the involved countries outside of Israel, will take away the hope of a Palestinian state and will again reinforce the notion that U.S. interests in the region rest solely with Israel," said Richer, who consults regularly with Arab leaders in region. Among the likely beneficiaries, Richer said, is Iran, which has seen its reputation tarnished in the Arab world in recent years because of the Syria conflict. White House aides emphasized that Trump's decision would make clear to Middle East countries that the president keeps his word, noting he is fulfilling what he promised to do during the campaign. One administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the Palestinians would likely threaten to reject peace talks. But this person said the White House recognized that peace deals often are not linear in how they are negotiated and that they are often presumed dead more than once before they reach the finish line. "A president who keeps his word actually has the ability to walk to other parties in the region and say, 'Hey, I kept my word to Israel, and I will keep my word to you," said Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to Washington. "That is the most important currency one has in the Middle East." - - - The Washington Post's Joby Warrick in Washington, Rick Noack in Berlin, Loveday Morris and Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem and Carol Morello in Brussels contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: President Trump said Dec. 6 that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. Embassy there. Here are key moments from that speech.(The Washington Post) Embed code: Jordan rejected on Wednesday the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel saying it was "legally null" because it consolidated Israel's occupation of the eastern sector of the contested city in the 1967 war. The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump violated past U.N. Security Council resolutions that "stipulated the non recognition of the Israeli occupation" of the West Bank and the eastern sector of the city, government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani told state news agency Petra. The kingdom also considered "all unilateral moves that sought to create new facts on the ground as null and void", the government spokesman added. Search Keywords: Short link: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, said Tuesday his state has done its part for Metro by urging board reforms and pledging to provide dedicated funding, and he called on Maryland and the District to join the effort. McAuliffe spoke at a news conference marking the official release of a report on fixing Metro prepared by former U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood. The event lost its element of surprise when The Washington Post obtained a copy of the report and published it last month. That didn't stop McAuliffe from proclaiming that the time for studying Metro was over, and the time for action has arrived. "We have got enough reports," McAuliffe said. "We don't need any more planning. We know what we need to do." The outgoing governor said he has completed his final budget, to be released Dec. 18, and it will include guaranteed, long-term funding for Metro as LaHood recommended. He declined to say what form the financing will take, but suggested it would not involve a tax increase. "Virginia today has done their part. We are putting up our money," McAuliffe said. "It is dedicated, sustainable and it will go on perpetually into the future. I am asking the other jurisdictions to do it." But McAuliffe's claim of success was premature insofar as there is no guarantee that the Virginia General Assembly will approve dedicated funding. McAuliffe also will not be around to see his proposal through; he steps down as governor next month at the end of a four-year term. McAuliffe's air of confidence also is, in some respects, at odds with the reality of the reaction to LaHood's report from some of the region's leaders. The proposal has drawn objections from Maryland and, to a lesser extent, from the District of Columbia, and in a sign of the lack of consensus around the recommendations, neither Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, nor District Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, attended the news conference. McAuliffe recruited LaHood in March to conduct the study in hope of forging a regional consensus about Metro's governance and funding. Hogan and Bowser were wary of the project from the start. The U.S. Department of Transportation has not commented on LaHood's recommendations. Bowser strongly supports dedicated funding, but wants it to take the form of a regionwide sales tax, which McAuliffe has rejected it on grounds it would disproportionately burden Virginia. Hogan has declined to support dedicated funding, partly because of concern that it would involve tax increases. He instead has proposed that Maryland, Virginia, the District and the federal government each contribute an additional $500 million to the transit agency over four years. McAuliffe said he expects Hogan to change his mind, because the Maryland plan is inadequate. "I assume that Maryland will come along" with dedicated funding, McAuliffe said. "The plan that [Maryland] offered was short term, four years," he said. McAuliffe said Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, who was present at the news conference, "can't do any long-term, dedicated financing under what was proposed by Maryland, so that does not solve the problem." He added that without dedicated funding, Metro would eventually have to reduce service. "When you begin to cut service, it is a death spiral for Metro," McAuliffe said. McAuliffe urged Maryland and the District to support LaHood's call to replace the 16-member Metro board with a five-member, temporary "reform board" to accelerate efforts to address the agency's challenges in governance, finances and operational efficiency. "We need a reform board, and Mayor Bowser and Gov. Hogan need to get on board to do that," McAuliffe said. Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., also proposed a five-member, temporary reform board in legislation she filed Monday. Hogan has said that he likes the idea of a reform board, but that it would be illegal without going through the difficult, time-consuming process of amending the Metro compact, which spells out how the agency is governed and financed. McAuliffe and LaHood say a reform board could be set up on a voluntary basis without changing the compact. LaHood released an eight-page legal memorandum Tuesday, prepared by his law firm DLA Piper, describing how the reform board could be created in that way. Hogan was in Baltimore Tuesday announcing initiatives to curb violent crime. "In general, the governor doesn't attend other people's press conferences about reports that were leaked to the media weeks ahead of time," Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said. At the time of the news conference, Bowser was speaking at a meeting of the Federal City Council, but her office said she met with LaHood two weeks ago to discuss the report. Bowser has expressed support for a reform board in principle, and agrees it can be done without amending the Metro compact. But she has said she can only support a reform board on the condition that all parties commit to dedicated funding. As Seth Abramson tells it, Donald Trump's alleged collusion with the Russian government is not in doubt, not hard to understand and happens to read like a crime thriller. The University of New Hampshire professor has become virally popular by reframing a complex tangle of public reporting on the Russia scandal into a story so simple it can be laid out in daily tweets - and so dramatic his fans can't stop reading, even if critics point out the plot holes. It goes, in short, like this: After trying for many years to expand his business empire into Russia, Abramson asserts, Trump visited Moscow in 2013 to personally meet agents of Russian President Vladmir Putin, using his beauty pageant as cover. There, Abramson writes, a secret deal was struck: Putin agreed to open up his country's rich real estate market to Trump, and Trump agreed to campaign for president while promoting pro-Russian policies. Simple as that. And everything that has happened since - the election hacking, Trump's improbable win and a special counsel's investigation into his campaign and administration - follows from that deal, in Abramson's telling. There are, to be sure, many leaps in his analysis. Abramson's tweets link copiously to sources, but they range in quality from investigative news articles to off-the-wall Facebook posts and tweets from Tom Arnold. The New Republic and Atlantic have both dismissed the professor as a conspiracy theorist. Yet Abramson's popularity is growing, and not just on Twitter. He has been invited on CNN to talk about the scandal several times. After Trump's former national security adviser admitted to lying about a phone call with Russia's ambassador last week, Twitter promoted Abramson's tweets to a news "moment" with the impressive headline: "Legal expert explains why Mike Flynn news is a huge deal." That night, the professor appeared on "BBC Newsnight" to tell the world why he is sure Flynn's plea deal will lead to the indictment of Vice President Mike Pence, Trump or both. Abramson will be the first to tell you he has no special knowledge of the investigation. Much of his analysis is based on his experience as a criminal defense lawyer in the 2000s. But sound or not, his theory of the Trump Russia scandal has won thousands of devotees and appears to be breaking into the mainstream. "I don't like conspiracy theorists," Abramson told The Washington Post. "Their answer to every situation is some dramatic explanation." That said, he acknowledged his explanation for the Trump campaign's many ties to Russia is as dramatic as possible: that the president of the United States has been corrupted by a foreign power. And he's often conflated with the cranks he despises. "Yes, I have a dramatic reading from what did happen here and what's going to happen here. And that's because I consider this to be an extraordinary criminal investigation and prosecution," Abramson said. "It's a singular event." So singular that he repeatedly warns his readers they need to prepare for a political scandal the likes of which the United States has never seen. Part of his appeal is that he purports to boil the special prosecutor's opaque investigation - and the confusing web of Trump businesses, Kremlin associates and conflicting explanations that intersect with it - down to a few key names and dates and a simple motive: greed. "The CORE NARRATIVE is simple," as Abramson wrote in a typically styled Twitter thread over the weekend. "America was SOLD OUT by men who wanted POWER and were willing to trade U.S. POLICY to get it." Citing news reports that date back to the late 20th century, Abramson argues that Trump has long wanted to expand his real estate holdings into Russia's lucrative markets. On this point, at least, he's in good company. Many mainstream writers have argued the same, including David Ignatius in The Washington Post. But Abramson departs from those writers in his description of a weekend trip Trump took to Moscow in 2013, when he brought his Miss Universe pageant to the Russian capital. Trump ended up spending part of the weekend with Russians associated with the Crocus Group. While Ignatius describes the company as a "shopping mall developer,"Abramson calls it "essentially the Kremlin's no-bid real estate developer." Interpreting liberally from news reports, Abramson details the scandalous things he believes Trump got up to on that visit in a nearly 100-part Twitter thread (one of many on his feed). The thread is topped with a photo of Trump and several Russians gathered around a laptop in Moscow. Abramson speculates that they may be on a speakerphone with Putin, noting that Trump had publicly expressed a desire to meet the president. Ignatius and others have noted that Trump returned from the trip crowing about his plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and The Post has reported on his company's pursuit of the hotel deal two years later, when he was running for president. Abramson's theory squares the circle: He argues that Trump signed a real estate contract with Putin's agents on the 2013 visit and "used his run for the presidency as a chit - a valuable asset to be offered to Putin - to ensure Putin's assistance with the multibillion-dollar Trump Tower Moscow deal." The fact that Trump Tower Moscow was never actually built Abramson blames on an accident of history: Trump never expected to win the election and conflict himself out of the deal. His evidence isn't so clear cut. Abramson cites a 2014 tweet from a Russian lifestyle blogger ("I'm sure @realDonaldTrump will be great president! We'll support you from Russia!") as "proof" that Trump's companions on the Moscow trip knew he'd run for president long before he announced it. But this ignores that Trump was openly flirting with a presidential run for years. Indeed, his own Twitter feed at the time was filled with people hoping and assuming he'd run. Other parts of Abramson's analysis may be better grounded. A Forbes article supports his contention that Putin-connected developers talked about a real estate deal with Trump during the Moscow trip. And Abramson notes that one of Trump's hosts in 2013, Emin Agalarov, was later implicated in arranging a meeting in which Trump campaign officials sought to obtain politically helpful information from Russia. But these facts are sprinkled into his threads with more fantastic sounding claims. Read deep down into Abramson's Twitter feed and you'll find what he describes as a "confession" from a "Kremlin agent," who detailed a five-year plot to help Trump win the election in a public Facebook post. It's dramatic stuff. But would those involved in a Kremlin-orchestrated plot to put Trump in the White House really spill the beans unprompted on Facebook? Absolutely, says Abramson - and tried to explain the difference between a conspiracy theory, which he deplores, and the "criminal conspiracy" he asserts Trump involved himself in during the campaign. "This was very unsophisticated and the people involved were largely moronic," he told The Post. "I've represented thousands of criminal defendants and what they have in common is they were very unsophisticated, and we might say stupid. Watergate was stupid. The people involved were stupid. President (Richard) Nixon was very stupid, and that's how he got caught." Abramson worked for years as a criminal investigator and in the New Hampshire Public Defender's office before getting a PhD in literature, he said. He now teaches at the University of New Hampshire, where his subjects range from legal advocacy to creative writing. His political writing started to get attention in 2015 through a series of HuffPost articles in which he argued that Sen. Bernie Sanders had a shot at the Democratic nomination long after many analysts had given up on the idea. Sanders did not win, but some of Abramson's articles went viral. He later turned to the subject of Trump and left HuffPost behind for his Twitter threads, which have so far proved popular beyond all expectations. Now his fans post popcorn memes when he starts a new explanatory thread (which he does almost daily). Quartz writes explainers based on his analysis, and CNN has been bringing him in as an expert since the summer. Meanwhile, the New Republic cites Abramson as an example of "the conspiracy mind-set" that has infected many Democrats, where "even the most mundane logistical details reveal a deeper, preordained plot." But as the special counsel's Russia investigation progresses, alleging some sort of plot among at least some of Trump's associates, Abramson's writing keeps getting read. After Mike Flynn's guilty plea on Friday, he began tantalizing his followers with predictions of more drama to come - as always, packaged in highly readable tweets. "The Kushner Situation, in three easy steps," for instance, explains why he thinks Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is about to be indicted. Critics will still argue that there's nothing easy about the Trump-Russia story, of course, but Abramson makes for easy reading, in any case. JERUSALEM - President Donald Trump on Wednesday will officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that could spark protests in Palestinian areas and across the Muslim world. He's also expected to reiterate a campaign pledge to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. For decades, most of the international community, including the United States, has declined to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital until a peace deal could be reached between Israelis and Palestinians, since both sides claim the city as a capital. The newest debates threaten to revive decades of controversy over international borders, possible peace deals and land claims. But the conversation about Jerusalem is also, inevitably, a conversation about faith - and, specifically, about control of some of the holiest sites to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The geography is stark. At the center of Jerusalem, in an area about twice the size of the Mall in Washington, D.C., sit three major holy sites: the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in the world for Muslims; the Western Wall, part of the holiest site in the world for Jews; and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the place where many Christians believe that Jesus was crucified, entombed and resurrected. To understand what's going on in Jerusalem right now, it's essential to understand why the city feels so crucial at this moment to Muslims, Jews and many Christians. Q: How did all of these holy sites end up in one place? A: It depends on whom you ask. Jerusalem is central to the geography and events of the Hebrew Bible, and the Hebrew Bible has, in various ways, exerted profound influence on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Between 587 BCE and 70CE, Jews built - and then saw destroyed - two temples in Jerusalem that were the center of their religious and communal life. Nearly 2,000 years later, Jerusalem and the Temple remain central to traditional Jewish thought and prayer. Around the world, Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Many Jews believe that the Messiah will come, and the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. And today, one of the old retaining walls of the Temple - called the Western Wall - is the principal worship site for Jews. For Christians, Jerusalem is also the place where Jesus preached, died and was resurrected. Many also see the city as central to an imminent Second Coming of Jesus. Jerusalem is now a major pilgrimage site for Christians from around the world. For Muslims, Jerusalem is a site of key events in the life of Jesus and other important figures. It's also the spot where, according to traditional interpretations of the Koran and other texts, the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Mohammed was carried from Mecca to Jerusalem, and then from Jerusalem into the heavens, where he conversed with prophets before returning to earth. For more than 1,300 years, there have been Muslim shrines in Jerusalem. Q: Who actually controls the holy sites? A: It's complicated. Over the years, Muslims and Christians have fought for control of the city. Most recently, Jordan controlled the land. In 1967, after a war with Jordan, Egypt, Syria and other Arab states, Israel captured the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Old City that encompasses the major holy sites. Israel quickly razed the buildings in front of the Western Wall and reestablished it as a holy site. The international community does not recognize Israel's jurisdiction over this territory, and much of the Old City's population is Palestinian. But the entire Old City, including its Muslim holy sites, is now within the broader area where Israel exercises final control. However, the Al-Aqsa mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the entire area that Muslims call Haram al-Sharif (many English speakers may know it as the Temple Mount) are administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf - a Muslim religious organization, overseen by the Jordanian government, that handles security and exercises considerable sovereignty over the area. Israeli attempts to exercise additional authority in the area are interpreted by many Muslims as a threat. For example, when, earlier this year, Israel tried to install metal detectors at the entrances to Haram al-Sharif, there were mass protests, and the government eventually backed off. The Israeli government and a group of powerful Orthodox rabbis - who are themselves controversial within the Jewish world - exercise direct control over the Western Wall, which sits at the foot of the Temple Mount. And a complicated coalition of Christian groups exercise day-to-day authority over the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Q: Does Trump's announcement change any of these arrangements? A: In the short term, it shouldn't. But the larger question is about who will control Jerusalem in the future - and about how the city could be partitioned in a peace deal. Will it be split up? Will one side get all the city, or most of the city? Will it be an international zone? For many people, those are questions with deep religious implications. To some ears, Trump's decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital offers support for one Israeli vision of Jerusalem as the "eternal and united" capital of Israel. That may sound like a peaceful, hopeful vision of the future. But it could also sound like an outcome in which a future Palestinian state does not have jurisdiction over any part of Jerusalem, or in which Israel exercises much more control over the city and its Muslim holy sites - which, for many devout Muslims, is unacceptable. Q: Will the change make some religious Jews and Christians happy? A: Yes. Many - but not all - Jews have expressed support for Trump's decision. So have many evangelicals, the religious group in the United States that is most likely to be supportive of Israel. In the summer, Vice President Mike Pence told the annual conference of Christians United for Israel, the country's largest Christian pro-Israel group, that "this president stands with you. And I promise you that the day will come when President Donald Trump moves the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is not a question of if, it is only when." For some evangelicals, the return of large numbers of Jews to Israel in the past 150 years is evidence of divine action in history, and even a sign of the impending Second Coming of Jesus. Other evangelicals, often drawing on specific verses from the Bible, cite a religious obligation to support the Jewish people. The outcome is that many evangelicals support more hawkish policies on Israel. Not all Christian leaders are happy, though: Pope Francis voiced "deep concern" over Trump's decision. Q: Why can't everyone just share the holy sites? A: The geography is extraordinarily difficult. The starkest illustration of just how complicated it gets involves the site of the Temple: Many Jews dream of one day seeing the Temple rebuilt. But the land where it would go is precisely where the Dome of the Rock stands today. Still, while Jerusalem's history is a test-case in religious violence, it's also a laboratory of pluralism. For better or for worse, few cities can boast such religious diversity. The question now is whether Trump's announcement will tip whatever pluralistic balance exists today. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts. The nine-member court, with two liberal justices dissenting, granted his administrations request to lift two injunctions imposed by lower courts that had partially blocked the ban, which is the third version of a contentious policy that Trump first sought to implement a week after taking office in January. The high courts action means that the ban will now go fully into effect for people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen seeking to enter the United States. The Republican president has said the travel ban is needed to protect the United States from terrorism by Islamic militants. In a statement, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the Supreme Courts action a substantial victory for the safety and security of the American people. Sessions said the Trump administration was heartened that a clear majority of the justices allowed the presidents lawful proclamation protecting our countrys national security to go into full effect. The ban was challenged in separate lawsuits by the state of Hawaii and the American Civil Liberties Union. Both sets of challengers said the latest ban, like the earlier ones, discriminates against Muslims in violation of the U.S. Constitution and is not permissible under immigration laws. Trump had promised as a candidate to impose a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Last week he shared on Twitter anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British party leader. President Trumps anti-Muslim prejudice is no secret - he has repeatedly confirmed it, including just last week on Twitter, ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat said. Its unfortunate that the full ban can move forward for now, but this order does not address the merits of our claims. We continue to stand for freedom, equality and for those who are unfairly being separated from their loved ones, Jadwat added. Lower courts had previously limited the scope of the ban to people without either certain family connections to the United States or formal relationships with U.S.-based entities such as universities and resettlement agencies. Trumps ban also covers people from North Korea and certain government officials from Venezuela, but the lower courts had already allowed those provisions to go into effect. The high court said in two similar one-page orders that lower court rulings that partly blocked the latest ban should be put on hold while federal appeals courts in San Francisco and Richmond, Virginia weigh the cases. Both courts are due to hear arguments in those cases this week. The Supreme Court said the ban will remain in effect regardless of what the appeals courts rule, at least until the justices ultimately decide whether to take up the issue on the merits, which they are highly likely to do. The courts order said the appeals courts should decide the cases with appropriate dispatch. We agree a speedy resolution is needed for the sake of our universities, our businesses and most of all, for people marginalized by this unlawful order, Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have denied the administrations request. STRONG SIGNAL Mondays action sent a strong signal that the court is likely to uphold the ban on the merits when the case likely returns to the justices in the coming months. There are some exceptions to the ban. Certain people from each targeted country can still apply for a visa for tourism, business or education purposes, and any applicant can ask for an individual waiver. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on the merits of Hawaiis challenge on Wednesday in Seattle. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will arguments on the merits of case spearheaded by the ACLU on Friday in Richmond. Trump issued his first travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries in January, then issued a revised one in March after the first was blocked by federal courts. The second one expired in September after a long court fight and was replaced with the present version. The Trump administration said the president put the latest restrictions in place after a worldwide review of the ability of each country in the world to issue reliable passports and share data with the United States. The administration argues that a president has broad authority to decide who can come into the United States, but detractors say the expanded ban violates a law forbidding the government from discriminating based on nationality when issuing immigrant visas. The administration has said the ban is not discriminatory and pointed out that many Muslim-majority countries are unaffected by it. Search Keywords: Short link: BRUSSELS - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday there is a chance for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as President Donald Trump prepared to make an announcement on the status of Jerusalem. Speaking to reporters at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's headquarters about six hours ahead of Trump's speech on Jerusalem, Tillerson brushed off criticisms that the Jerusalem decision is more likely to doom prospects for peace than advance them. "We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved," he said, urging people to listen to Trump's full speech and its context before passing judgment. "The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process," he said. "He has a team he put into place. That team has been working very diligently." Tillerson's message was one he has delivered repeatedly - with little success in convincing anyone - during two days of meetings at NATO as the anticipated U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was criticized from the Kremlin to the Vatican. Since arriving in Brussels on Monday night, virtually every diplomat who has met with Tillerson has raised objections to Trump's move, though Tillerson said they did not spend much time discussing it. But the issue at times pushed Tillerson to the sidelines as a silent bystander while his counterparts aired their unhappiness. "Clearly, this is a decision that makes it more important than ever that the long-awaited American proposals on the Middle East peace process are now brought forward, and I would say that that should happen as a matter of priority," British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said after posing for photos with Tillerson, who stood a few feet away as Johnson spoke to reporters. Before heading in for his own meeting with Tillerson, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters the decision is a "grave mistake" that will have dire consequences. "It will not bring any stability or peace, but rather chaos and instability," he said. "Not only [in] the Muslim world. The whole world is reacting, and the whole world is against the possibility of this decision." Asked if he had conveyed that message to Tillerson, Cavusoglu replied, "I already told him, and I will tell him again." Tillerson also has met resistance over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The Trump administration wants to enlist European allies to work together in pushing back against Iran's support for proxy groups, terrorism, ballistic missiles and cyberattacks. But the Europeans all consider the deal, which lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, to be working. They say they will only discuss the other concerns outside the framework of the nuclear deal. At his news conference, Tillerson was asked about reports last week that he is about to be replaced. He answered with an abrupt dismissal of the reports. "This is a narrative that keeps coming up about every six weeks, and I would say you need to get some new sources because your story keeps being wrong," he said. Tillerson also said the United States believes that the Cuban government knows who has conducted targeted attacks on U.S. Embassy employees in Havana and could stop them. U.S. investigators have shared with the Cubans only limited information gleaned about mysterious symptoms that have been exhibited by at least 24 embassy employees since late 2016, with new cases reported as recently as August. The United States has yanked some of its diplomats out of Havana and expelled some Cuban diplomats in response. Tillerson said he has directed the State Department not to share any personal information about the affected employees or their medical conditions, and "not to provide whoever was orchestrating these attacks with information that is useful to how effective they were." "What we've said to the Cubans is: Small island, you got a sophisticated security apparatus, you probably know who's doing it, you can stop it. It's as simple as that," he said. "We understand the Cubans don't like the actions we've taken. We don't like our diplomats being targeted." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On the night of the fatal fire at Ghost Ship, party organizers blocked a passageway on the second floor of the Oakland warehouse with a giant tent like inflatable projection screen, the first witness in a preliminary hearing in the criminal case said Wednesday. I made a comment saying, What the hell is this thing, recalled Oregon musician Aaron Marin about the inflatable screen that he said he had to push his way around to get to a window to escape during the fire. Marin had been visiting the collective on Dec. 2, 2016, when fire broke out in the middle of an electronic music concert on the warehouses second floor, where dozens of people were gathered. Initially, Marin testified that the screen was blocking one of the stairways, but then backed off that statement. Marin described the interior of Ghost Ship during a hearing in the courtroom of Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Horner, who will decide if there is enough evidence to try Derick Almena, 47, and Max Harris, 27, on involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fire that claimed 36 lives. Almena was the master tenant of the unsanctioned artist space that doubled as a residency and electronic music venue, despite lacking permits for either. Harris was creative director for the Ghost Ship. Prosecutors allege Harris rented the second floor of the warehouse to the promoter on the night of the fire. Now Playing: One year after the fatal Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, former residents still face severe housing problems leaving them wonderingAwhether they can stay in the Bay Area. Video: Los Angeles Times It was a beautiful space that was created, Marin said as Assistant District Attorney Autrey James showed him photos of the warehouse. Spectators in the courtroom included relatives of the victims. It was a place where artists and specific members of the community would play music, get together. Itd be like going to Disneyland. Its very large. I didnt get to see all of it. Marin said the afternoon before the party, artists set up a bouncy thing that was an elaborate screen projector that blocked some access to one of the stairways connecting the second floor to the first. He later said it did not block the stairway but a passageway to a kitchen area on the second floor that had a window, from which he jumped to escape the fire. Marin, who had slept on a loft on the second floor, said the screen was so bulky he had trouble getting to and from his loft. He described it as a giant tent like structure for slides and visuals. At one point, James read testimony from an interview Marin had with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the weeks after the fire. Marin told ATF investigators that the back stairway had been blocked with amplifiers so that no one could enter Almenas room, James said. Marin said he didnt remember saying that. I could have said a lot of things, Marin said. I just barely survived. James took Marin through the timeline of events that started when Marin smelled smoke the night of the party. Marin did not take part in the party but was in a music studio on the first floor of the warehouse during the fire. I immediately screamed fire and ran upstairs, he said, adding that he pushed amps out of the way so he could get to the party. Flames appeared to be coming from behind a turntable and also appeared to be coming up through a floorboard, he said. Someone tried to pass him a plastic water bottle but Marin said when he saw how big the flames were he realized it wouldnt help. My heart dropped, Marin told the court. At that time everything was sheer panic and chaos. He said about 20 people were screaming, heading for the front stairs. Instead of going toward the stairs, he remembered the bouncy thing, and pushed past it to enter an area where there was a window. The thick smoke irritated his eyes and he could hardly breathe as he closed his eyes and reached out for a window that he pushed open. He called outside for help saying, theres people dying and asked for a ladder, but it did not come. He eventually jumped out the second-story window, unharmed, Marin told the court. Jose Avalos, a woodworker who lived at the Ghost Ship, was the second witness called to testify. He appeared visually shaken on the stand, often stopping to reach for tissues to wipe his eyes, and occasionally sniffling. Avalos described fleeing the building with his dogs after smelling smoke in his room around 11:15 p.m. Somebody yelled out, Fire. Get an extinguisher, Avalos recalled. He said he grabbed an extinguisher but before he made it downstairs the voice cried out a second time to just get out of the building instead. Flames just pushed through the hallway. I could feel them as I was running out on top of me, Avalos said. Drops of fire kept raining from the ceiling. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy OMalley has said Almena and Harris knowingly created a firetrap. Almena, who became the propertys leaseholder in 2013, moved his family into the warehouse, violating city and state safety codes. He soon sublet areas of the space for $350 to $1,400, according to the declaration. His responsibility as the leaseholder, under the California Fire Code, included installing fire-suppression systems, smoke alarms, exit signs and sprinklers. He did not take the proper safety measures, prosecutors said. Prosecutors accuse Almena of encouraging the use of unconventional, flammable building materials such as dry recycled wood, which in turn created an extremely dangerous fire load. Harris, who moved to the warehouse in 2014, helped Almena remodel the building by adding a makeshift restroom, cutting a doorway in the wall, and cutting a hole in the roof without going through proper inspection and permitting procedures, according to prosecutors. Most fire victims were trapped on the second floor, prosecutors said. They allege Almena made the staircase narrow and unsafe using wooden planks. The stairs could only be descended in single file. Harris is accused of blocking off a second stairwell during preparations for the event, leaving only one exit which his defense attorneys deny. The men have been labeled by prosecutors as the proximate cause of the deaths of the 36 fire victims. The exact cause of the fire has been deemed undetermined due to the extent of the fires damage, prosecutors said. Investigators had tracked the origin of the fire to a shared kitchen in the back of the buildings first floor. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno AUBURN, Ala. - On Monday, when President Donald Trump finally endorsed Roy Moore for Senate, Mac Watson threw up his hands and fired up his grill. Watson, the co-owner of a family patio supply store, was the very first Republican to announce a write-in campaign for the seat, back when national Republicans said they'd wanted one. He'd taken a risk. They hadn't. "So very many people with 'R' behind their name put party before principle, and that's disgusting to me," Watson said, slicing through pork and vegetables he'd just taken off a display grill. "Trump is definitely one of them. He could have made a difference two months ago, and he did nothing." For three agonizing weeks, since The Washington Post revealed that Moore had once made unwanted advances toward teenage girls, Senate Republicans and conservative pundits called for a write-in candidate to bail them out. Six Alabamians stepped forward; retired Col. Lee Busby, a former aide to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, made the biggest headlines. "I didn't feel like either of the candidates the parties offered represented the majority of us," Busby said in a Web ad released Tuesday. Even before Trump and the Republican National Committee swung in to back Moore again, the write-in campaigns were falling short. In an echo of the 2016 campaign, when some center-right Republicans scrambled for an alternative to Trump, most Republican voters have found reasons to return to the fold. Public polls, which have found everything from a single-digit lead for Moore to a single-digit lead for Democrat Doug Jones, find just a single-digit percentage of voters open to a write-in campaign. "When I hand out flyers, I hear everything from 'OK, thanks,' and see people toss 'em in the garbage, to 'you're part of George Soros' liberal conspiracy,' " Watson said. "Just tell me if you get some of that Soros money," joked Watson's brother and business partner, Art. On Tuesday, Moore courted controversy again when he told the religious conservative radio host Bryan Fischer that the billionaire liberal donor had intervened in the race against him to promote an agenda "sexual in nature" and alien to Alabama. "No matter how much money he's got, he's still going to the same place that people who don't recognize God and morality and accept his salvation are going," Moore said of Soros. "And it's not a good place." Critics of Moore said that the description of Soros, who is Jewish, veered into anti-Semitism. Like the 2016 effort to find an alternative to Trump, the write-in hopes for Alabama had started with dream candidates and settled for much less. In the week after Moore's scandal broke, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., suggested that Attorney General Jeff Sessions - "totally well-known and extremely popular in Alabama," he told CEOs at a Wall Street Journal roundtable - could win back his old seat. Other Republicans suggested that Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., who lost the Sept. 26 primary to Moore, could get voters to write him in. In private polling, both options quickly tanked, and they soon vanished from the conversation. The strongest national endorsement, for Busby, came Nov. 28, when anti-Trump conservative pundit Bill Kristol tweeted that Kelly "went out of his way to offer praise" for his former aide. "How great would it be if Busby's write-in effort takes off and he gets a ton of Republican votes in Alabama two weeks from now?" Kristol asked. "It would be the single most encouraging thing I could imagine happening in the short term in American politics." But no elected Republican ever endorsed a specific write-in candidate. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who said he would write in the name of a "distinguished" Republican candidate, did so this week - but did not tell reporters whose name he wrote. Moore's opponents made the most of it. In a new TV ad, Jones informs voters of Shelby's vote, with a narrator saying Moore's "disturbing" conduct forced the senator's hand. In an interview, Busby said that the Shelby decision, which has gotten considerable coverage in Alabama, would help his moonshot campaign. "If Richard C. Shelby is voting for a write-in, that says more succinctly than I ever could how unrepresented the majority of Alabama voters feel in this election," Busby said, adding that he would have voted for the tax cut that passed the Senate last week. Busby, however, is the only write-in candidate who still talks about winning the race. Ron Bishop, the Libertarian Party's official write-in candidate, said that he got a flurry of calls after the Moore scandal broke and that a few days later, the calls stopped. "It's easy to get discouraged," Bishop said. "People have been indoctrinated to think that there's only two options out there." Eulas Kirtdoll Sr., a write-in candidate who organized a Tuesday night forum for his peers, said that all of the non-Moore, non-Jones candidates have struggled to be heard. "I'm not even polling well in my area," Kirtdoll said. "I'm just being frank with you." To get more attention, he was walking from Marion, where the forum would be held, to Montgomery as a tribute to murdered civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson, with short updates on Facebook. "My goal was walking 10 miles a day, and I did eight the first day," Kirtdoll said. "That's not bad. If you get eight out of 10 on a test, you get a B." Busby, who was unlikely to attend Tuesday's forum, had attracted significant national attention; an Emerson poll, which gave voters his name, found 5 percent of Alabamians ready to write him in. But a source familiar with a call between Busby and potential donors said he made little headway. Asked about the call, Busby said it "didn't ring a bell," but that his bid would not depend on donors. "Clearly this is not a movement that depends on big money or big players," he said. One week before the election, the rest of the write-in candidates looked at the race as a lost and misbegotten opportunity. Watson, who supported Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in the 2016 primary, said that he'd lost confidence in his party altogether. He'd watched with horror when Cruz did a Fox News interview that seesawed between questions about scandalized Democrats and questions about Moore. "In a minute and 20 seconds, he said how horrible Al Franken was, and how if the people of Alabama want Roy Moore they should have him," Watson said. "Whoa! I was like: Man, you're not being intellectually honest." It was hard, Watson said, to imagine sticking with the Republican Party after the experience of 2017. But putting up a website and 250 signs with his name and face on them had some impact. Some voters, he said, had suggested that he run for another office, perhaps locally. He had not ruled it out, depending on how his life and business were doing. "If I did it again," Watson said. "I'd remember to tell my wife first." Following a Palestinian and Jordanian request, the Arab League will hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers on Saturday in Cairo to discuss the potential Arab response toward US President Donald Trump's proposed plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to relocate the US embassy there, state-run MENA news agency reported. President Trump is set to make the controversial announcement at 1pm (1800 GMT) from the White House, according to a senior administration official. A memo presented by the member state of Palestine to the Arab League council described the US move as a "blatant violation" of international rules and relevant UN resolutions on Jerusalem, as well as the resolutions of the United Nations' Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits occupying authorities from making any geographic or demographic change in the territories under occupation. The Arab League Council also passed a resolution on Tuesday warning that recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital or establishing any diplomatic mission in the city would be a "blatant assault" on Arab nations as well as upon both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. The council also called on the US and all nations to commit to existing international resolutions on Jerusalem, describing any move to recognise Jerusalem as a capital for Israel as a "dangerous violation" of UN Security Council resolutions. Israel has occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. It later annexed East Jerusalem in a move that is considered illegal by the international community. On Tuesday evening, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi emphasized to Trump in a phone call Egypt's firm position "that Jerusalem should maintain its legal status," and urged against "complicating the situation in the region by introducing measures that would undermine chances for peace in the Middle East," according to a statement by the presidential office. Trump's proposed move comes following promises made on the campaign trail. In March 2016, Trump promised in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, which he called the "eternal capital of the Jewish people." In recent years, Israel has intensified the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in an attempt to consolidate its control over the territories. Search Keywords: Short link: Harris County deputies were involved in a bizarre sequence of events Monday night after a hit-and-run suspect was accidently shot in the face and transported to a hospital. There, a second man stole a cruiser parked at the hospital by officers waiting to transport the wounded suspect to jail, officials confirmed. The events began when an off-duty deputy working an extra security job called in a wreck, in which the driver responsible allegedly failed to stop and give information, said Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jason Spencer. Spencer said a second deputy in a marked HCSO vehicle located the suspect and pursued him in a brief chase, which ended at a residence in the 500 block of Connorvale in Aldine. Before the suspect could even show his license and registration, the deputy said he accidentally shot him through the window. He had approached the man's car with his gun drawn, given it was directly after a pursuit, Spencer said. The deputy said he fired his gun because he tripped in a ditch. "When the deputy approached the vehicle with his weapon in hand," Sgt. Cedrick Collier said at the scene, "the deputy slipped in some water and mud in the driveway, and his weapon discharged, grazing the suspect across the forehead." The suspect was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where HCSO later said he was in stable condition. Spencer said deputies had parked their vehicles outside the hospital as they waited for the suspect to be discharged so he could be taken to jail. But when one of the deputies left his cruiser unattended, a man who appears to be unconnected to the shooting incident saw an opportunity. So the suspect hopped inside and later told deputies he just wanted to take the cruiser "for a joy ride." The deputy had left his keys in the ignition, Spencer said. It was unknown how far the suspect had gotten before deputies were able to find the car and take him into custody. Later Tuesday, the man was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest. The man shot in the face by the deputy was charged with failure to stop and give information and evading arrest. As for the deputy who fired the shot, Spencer said "the investigation will determine whether the officer's actions were appropriate and justified." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez turned from her law-enforcement job to the Democratic race for governor Wednesday, saying her life has prepared her to be a voice for everyday Texans as she looks to secure the daunting challenge of taking on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Like so many Texans, I have lived the life where your day starts way before the sun rises. I was born the eighth child of migrant farmworkers. I grew up between San Antonio and distant fields in the north, Valdez said. I know what it is to have to decide if food or rent will get the funds But I also know the joy of sharing the little that we have with others, she said. Im stepping up estoy obligada for Texas, for everybodys fair shot to get ahead. Valdezs announcement, coming days ahead of Mondays filing deadline, was a fairly low-key event. Rather than being celebrated by a huge crowd on her home turf, she was applauded by a smaller group at Texas Democratic Party headquarters near the Texas Capitol. She spoke in a soft, measured tone while describing the personal story that brought her to this point, sprinkling Spanish in her remarks and answering questions in Spanish as well as English. She ended questions from reporters by saying she had to catch a flight. Even though she said she had resigned as Dallas County sheriff, she explained that until an appropriate person that has good management takes over, Im still there. Her Wednesday announcement came a week after a confusing episode in which she denied news reports that she already had submitted her resignation. In a statement Wednesday, she said she was notifying the Dallas County Commissioners Court that morning of her decision to step down, paving the way for an interim sheriff and the election of a successor. The run by Valdez will set up a high-profile contested Democratic primary for governor marked by the face-off with Houston businessman Andrew White, son of the late Democratic former Gov. Mark White. He is scheduled to formally announce Thursday in Houston. Reacting to Valdezs announcement, Whites campaign said he believes it will bring more attention to the governor's race, to the benefit of the Democratic Party and Texas. The two embody the different messages pushed by Democrats. Some say Valdez is perfectly positioned to carry an unflinching progressive message. She is openly gay and, according to her website, the only female Hispanic sheriff in the United States. She already has tangled with Abbott over so-called sanctuary city policies. White, by contrast, has said he doesnt care if hes described as a moderate Republican or a conservative Democrat, contending that extremes on either side of the political spectrum dont fit Texas voters views. There also are several lesser-known hopefuls. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will face an uphill battle against Abbott, who has more than $40 million in his campaign war chest by last count and trounced Democrat Wendy Davis in 2014. A Democrat hasnt won election for statewide office in Texas in more than two decades. Valdez was born in San Antonio and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, her campaign said, but her parents were migrant farmworkers so the family traveled for their work. She emphasizes that background, and presents her positions as a contrast to those espoused by Abbott. In 2015, she said she wouldnt comply with all federal requests to detain unauthorized immigrants past their release date if the immigrants only were accused of minor offenses. She said later that year that she hadnt yet refused any detainer requests, but Abbott still slammed the policy as dangerous. Abbott senior adviser Dave Carney reacted with Twitter snark to word of the announcement by Valdez. He re-tweeted a story about it with the comment, Never doubt the power of prayer! #BarrelScrapingWorks. The Abbott campaign also released a video poking fun at Democrats quest for a serious candidate, comparing it to an online dating search filled with rejection and saying theyve fielded a team of far-left liberals. Regardless of who Texas Democrats ultimately nominate for governor, our campaign will be prepared to run on Governor Abbotts record and policies that have led to more jobs created in Texas in the past year than any other state, the best business climate in America and record low unemployment, said Abbott campaign spokesman John Wittman. Abbotts campaign also took more serious note of the new challenge, touting an endorsement by the Dallas Police Association political action committee. I am committed to working alongside our law enforcement officers over the next four years to improve public safety and to make sure that the men and women in law enforcement have the support and protection that they need to carry out their duties, Abbott said in a statement, citing his deep respect for law enforcement officers. Valdez said the Dallas endorsement doesnt mean that rank-and-file association members all support the action. Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said its good for Democrats to have a choice in their primary. Certainly it is uphill, Turner said of the looming campaign against Abbott by the winner of the Democratic nomination, given that the governor starts out with a $40 million head start, among other reasons. That said, 13 months ago, I would not have predicted that Donald Trump would be elected president of the United States. Anyone who tries to make an ironclad prediction on politics probably shouldnt be talking. David Crockett, chair of the political science department at Trinity University, said of the prospects of a Democrat ousting Abbott, Hopeless might be strong, but pretty close. Its still a red state, and he (Abbott) has still been pretty popular. It looks like some of the craziness of the last year hasnt really hurt him, Crockett said. Still, he said, the Democrats need to make the effort, even without the top names that some had hoped would lead the charge, such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio. Its better to run someone than no one at all, Crockett said. That looks just utterly pathetic. ... If you dont run anyone at all, what happens is you cede ground to third parties in Texas. pfikac@express-news.net | Twitter: @pfikac The ancient gate of King Amenemhat I is being transported to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) from its original location to join other artefacts in preparation for the new museum's scheduled opening next year. Tarek Tawfik, supervisor-general of the GEM, told Al-Ahram Online Wednesday that the gate would be put on display at the museums grand staircase along with the colossus of King Ramses II and other gigantic monuments. 1991 1962 BC and was the first ruler of ancient Egypt's Twelfth Dynasty, which is considered by scholars to be the golden age of the Middle Kingdom. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that the gate was carved from red granite and engraved with hieroglyphic inscriptions, among them the official cartouche of King Amenemhat I and his different titles. The gate was uncovered by an Austrian mission in the Ezbet Helmi area of Tel Al-Dabaa in Egypt's Nile Delta. It weighs six tonnes and is supported by a vertical stone lintel which is inscribed with hieroglyphic text.Eissa Zidan, the director of first-aid restoration at the GEM, said that prior to the move, the gate was subjected to essential restoration work, using scientific methods to pack and transport the items. He said the artefact would undergo further restoration at the GEM.King Amenemhat I reigned from Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A San Antonio man is on trial, accused of killing a neighbor after a confrontation over parking. Franklin Martinez was 74 when he was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault in the shooting of Manuel Lopez, 44, after the men argued when Martinez told Lopez to tell his friends not to park in front of his house. Authorities responded around 3 p.m. Nov. 29, 2015, to a house in the 300 block of Elvira Street. A San Antonio police sergeant at the scene said Lopez was returning from a convenience store when Martinez confronted Lopez about his friends parking in front of Martinezs home. The trial opened Tuesday morning. Testifying for the state, Albert Contreras, known by the nickname Flaco, told the jury through tears that Martinez, whom Contreras knows as Chico, took a gun from his jacket and shot his friend after Lopez told the man he didnt own the street and threw a can at Martinezs pickup. He shot him, and Manuel stayed there for a couple of seconds, an emotional Contreras told the jury. I told him (Martinez), You shot him, and he just looked at me. Contreras said he went to Lopez's side when he fell down, while Martinez went to his pickup and drove off after the incident. Through sobs, Contreras said Lopez looked at him and said, Flaco, help me, help me Shot in the head, Lopez died from his injuries Dec. 2, 2015. Shortly after, Martinez was arrested on a murder warrant. The case is being heard in the 437th state District Court, presided by Judge Lori Valenzuela. If convicted of murder, Martinez, now 76, faces up to life in prison. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The former San Antonio Police Department Special Victim's Unit detective who was fired last month after officials said he mishandled dozens of cases has appealed his termination, records obtained by mySA.com show. Det. Kenneth Valdez, the 17-year veteran who handled mainly sex abuse and injury to a child cases, claims in a letter to the Firefighters' and Police Officers' Civil Service Commission that the allegations against him are untrue. RELATED: Records reveal details of cases disgraced SAPD sex crimes detective mishandled "Officer Valdez, specifically and generally, singularly and plurally, denies the truth of the charges and allegations against him," reads the letter from Valdez's lawyer, Morris Munoz, to the commission. The letter requests an arbitration hearing so Valdez and his legal representation can officially plead his case and see the evidence against him. He also requests lost pay and benefits. "Additionally," concludes the letter, "Officer Valdez asserts herein that the punishment is clearly excessive considering all the mitigating circumstances." Valdez was suspended on Nov. 2 after an internal investigation revealed he had mishandled in excess of 130 cases. According to records obtained by mySA, Valdez is accused of deliberately concealing certain information pertinent to cases he was assigned, failing to perform required tasks before closing cases and not submitting forensic evidence to the crime lab for a year. RELATED: Records: Fired SAPD detective failed to disclose DNA evidence in sex crimes "There simply is no excuse for such improper behavior, and Detective Valdez is not representative of the thousands of men and women in our Police Department who are passionately committed to protecting the most vulnerable among us," said City Manager Sheryl Sculley in a written statement announcing Valdez's firing. Police Chief William McManus has previously said some of the cases mishandled by Valdez may be past the statute of limitations. "SAPD's responsibility to investigate reported crimes and assist victims is one of our core missions," McManus said. "This investigation will continue until we are certain that all cases have been properly investigated." Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns A San Antonio man couldn't exactly speed away as he led police on a very slow chase down Interstate 35 Monday night, police said. Lorena police noticed a SkyTrak telehandler, a piece of construction equipment, traveling down the highway south of Waco shortly before 10 p.m. without any reflective markings or lights, authorities said. When it came time for an 11-year-old boy to face his abuser, Christopher Snyder, he couldn't bring himself to talk about what he suffered. The boy pushed the microphone away and began to cry with his head buried in his hands, according to the Comal County District Attorney's Office. The victim was called to the stand Tuesday after Snyder, 54, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child. The jury sentenced him to 50 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. A man was hospitalized in serious condition after his son shot him at their East Side home Wednesday morning. Police said the 21-year-old son opened fire on his father, who is in his 50s, around 3:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of Montana Street. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A San Antonio firefighter was suspended indefinitely after he failed to disclose his June DWI arrest, according to records provided by the department. Lt. Abel Gomez, 43, was suspended without pay indefinitely starting Oct. 25, according to the records. RELATED: Fired SAPD sex crimes detective files appeal, claims punishment was 'excessive' Gomez allegedly violated fire department rules when he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on June 11 around 2 a.m., the document shows. Gomez admitted to being under the influence of alcohol during the arrest, telling troopers he drank four or five 16 ounce beers before he tried driving, according to the records. His blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.15 - or nearly two times the legal limit to drive - at the time of his arrest. The lieutenant also did not provide a proper written notice of the incident until the arrest was made public after a television news outlet published a story about it, according to the records. According to court records, Gomez was granted deferred adjudication on Nov. 28 for the charge and ordered to pay roughly $1,000 in fines and court costs. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday plans to upend decades of U.S. policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to that city, senior aides said, a decision that could derail the White House's peace efforts and spark regional unrest. Trump will make his pronouncement in a midday speech after months of deliberation within his administration and consultations with governments in the Middle East. But in a sign of the complexities of such a shift, White House aides emphasized that Trump will sign another six-month waiver maintaining the embassy's current location in Tel Aviv because the process of moving it will take at least three or four years. Without the waiver, which has been signed by every U.S. president for more than two decades, crucial State Department funding to the embassy would be cut off. The president began informing his counterparts in the region of his decision Tuesday, prompting warnings from several countries that the move would inflame Muslims and disrupt progress toward a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. U.S. allies in Europe, including France, also have opposed such a change in policy, and the State Department sent a classified memo to embassies in the Middle East late last month warning of potential anti-American protests. "Our president said, 'You don't have anything that would make up for this on Jerusalem,' " said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who said Abbas had personally briefed him on the call. Abbas told Trump that he would "not accept it" and warned that the president was "playing into the hands of extremism." But Trump "just went on saying he had to do it," Shaath said. In Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem, said King Salman bin Abdul Aziz warned Trump "that such a dangerous step of relocation or recognition of Al-Quds as the capital of Israel would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world." The backlash from other Middle East nations mounted Tuesday. Speaking to the Turkish parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said American recognition of Jerusalem would be a "red line" for Muslims, possibly forcing Turkey to cut diplomatic ties with Israel that were recently renewed after a six-year hiatus. Recognizing reality Senior White House officials described Trump's decision as the fulfillment of a key campaign promise that has broad bipartisan support in Congress. They emphasized that the move will not fundamentally change other aspects of U.S. policy. For example, they said, Trump remains supportive of a two-state solution, if that's what the parties agree to, and the administration is maintaining the status quo on Jerusalem's holy sites. The officials said Trump is simply recognizing the reality that Jerusalem has historically been Israel's capital and that most of the nation's government - including the prime minister's office, the Supreme Court and the legislature - is based there. "For a long time, the U.S. position held ambiguity or a lack of acknowledgment in hopes of advancing the process of peace," said one senior administration official, who along with two others spoke on the condition of anonymity at a briefing for reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "It might have been reasonable under certain circumstances and times. Certainly, it's been tried. But it seems clear now that the physical location of the American embassy is not material to a peace deal." Another U.S. official said after the briefing that while Trump will reiterate his commitment to the peace process during his speech, the White House recognizes that "some parties" might react negatively. "We are still working on our plan, which is not yet ready," said the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "We have time to get it right and see how people feel after this news is processed over the next period of time." No other countries have their embassies in Jerusalem, with a long-standing international consensus that the city's status should be decided in a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Palestinian factions jointly announced three "days of rage," beginning Wednesday, to protest the potential U.S. Embassy move and recognition of Jerusalem. In a statement, they called on supporters around the world to gather in city centers and at Israeli embassies and consulates to voice their anger. Worry for Americans' safety In a statement late Tuesday, the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem urged American citizens in Israel to avoid large crowds or areas where security had been increased, and ordered its staff members and their families to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank except for "essential" business. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which contains most of the important holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, after the 1967 war with Arab powers. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while many Israelis and some in the U.S. consider the city sector to be already and irrevocably under Israeli administration. Some of Trump's prominent Jewish backers appear to hold that view, although he has said he wants to honor Palestinian sovereignty through a mutual settlement. U.S. officials did not identify any prospective location for the new embassy, and said it will take years to plan and build to meet security concerns for the roughly 1,000 diplomats currently headquartered in Tel Aviv. But the officials emphasized that the move will not prejudice Palestinians' claims to East Jerusalem, strongly implying that only sites on the western side of the pre-1967 Green Line will be considered. "This doesn't speak to final-status issues," a third administration official said, referring to the thorniest disputes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - those that are assumed to be in limbo until completion of a final peace settlement. The aides said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other State Department officials were closely involved in the deliberations. WASHINGTON - Rep. John Conyers Jr., under intense pressure to resign amid multiplying allegations that he sexually harassed former employees, announced Tuesday that he would leave Congress immediately, and he endorsed his son, John Conyers III, to succeed him. Conyers, 88, the "dean" of the House and the longest-serving African-American in history, acquiesced to weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats, but by trying to keep his Detroit-area seat in the family, he touched off a family feud between his 27-year-old son and his great-nephew, Ian Conyers, a state senator from Michigan who also plans to run in a special House election. In a phone interview, Ian Conyers said his great-uncle had encouraged him to run for the seat days before deciding to step down. Now the two younger Conyers will most likely face off in what may become a battle over the legacy of John Conyers, D-Mich., considered an icon to many black people. "I said, 'Sir, if you decide that you're going to retire, give me a heads-up because I'm going to run for your seat and keep doing the work that you have been up to,'" Ian Conyers said. "He said, 'Absolutely. You go for it. Run.'" Conyers held out for weeks after BuzzFeed News published documents last month that showed he had settled a sexual harassment case with an employee who said she was fired after refusing his advances. But by Tuesday morning, he had given in. "I am retiring today," he told "The Mildred Gaddis Show," a local radio program, from a hospital in Michigan. "I am in the process of putting together my retirement plans." He continued to deny that he had harassed former employees and said he did not know where those allegations came from. On Tuesday morning, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, also announced Conyers' retirement on the House floor, saying Conyers had informed the House speaker, Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the minority leader. "I think the legacy of John Conyers will speak for itself," Lee said later in an interview. "His last words were that he didn't want to be a distraction and that he will continue to fight for jobs, justice and peace." She added that Conyers' years of working on issues like voting rights and mass incarceration "cannot be erased." Conyers tried to make the same case as he endorsed his son."My legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we are going through now," he said during the radio interview. "This, too, shall pass. My legacy will continue through my children." John Conyers III, who has not held elected office before, was cited on suspicion of speeding in his father's congressional vehicle in 2010, according to The Detroit Free Press. His father reimbursed the Treasury Department more than $5,600 for the commandeering of a government vehicle for personal use. The younger Conyers also released a rap song, "Rich Glorious," and describes himself as "a partner at Detroit's first minority-run hedge fund." The prince spent an oriental night among the Islamic treasures of Old Cairo Prince Sultan Bin Salman, head of the Saudi Arabia Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, embarked last night with Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany on a tour of the Museum of Islamic Art in Bab El-Khalq and Al-Muiz Street in Old Cairo. The prince expressed his fondness for the museums treasured collection which he recorded with photos. Mamdouh Osman, the museums general director, guided the prince and the minister on the tour and explained the efforts of Egyptian workers to restore the artefacts, which were damaged in a 2014 bomb explosion at the Security Directorate. Osman also described the achievements in restoration work in collaboration with the United Arab of Emirates since the museum's reopening last year. At Al-Muizz Street, the delegation visited several monuments such as the Al-Hakim Mosque, the Wikalet Bazaraa market, the Sultan Qalawoun complex, the Al-Saleh Nagm Al-Din Dome and the Textile Museum. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK- The top editor for the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other major gossip publications openly described his sexual partners in the newsroom, discussed female employees' sex lives and forced women to watch or listen to pornographic material, former employees told the Associated Press. The behavior by Dylan Howard, currently the chief content officer of American Media Inc., occurred while he was running the company's Los Angeles office, according to men and women who worked there. Howard's self-proclaimed nickname was "Dildo," a phallus-shaped sex toy, the former employees said. His conduct led to an internal inquiry in 2012 by an outside consultant, and former employees said he stopped working out of the L.A. office after the inquiry. Howard quit soon after the report was completed. The company rehired him one year later with a promotion that landed him in the company's main office in New York. It was not clear whether Howard faced any discipline over the accusations. The AP is not aware of any sexual harassment allegations involving Howard since he was rehired. The AP spoke with 12 former employees who knew about the investigation into Howard's behavior, though not all were aware of every detail. The outside investigator hired to examine complaints about Howard's behavior also confirmed to the AP that he completed a report. In a brief phone interview with the AP, Howard characterized the ex-employees' claims as "baseless." A lawyer for American Media confirmed Tuesday that an outside investigator was hired to look into two employees' claims about Howard's behavior. He said the investigation did not show serious wrongdoing. "It was determined that there was some, what you would call as, horsing around outside the office, going to bars and things that are not uncommon in the media business," Cam Stracher said, "but none of it rose to the level of harassment that would require termination." American Media publishes the National Enquirer, RadarOnline, Star and other gossip publications and websites. In March the company purchased the glossy Us Weekly magazine for a reported $100 million, significantly boosting its readership among women. Most of the former employees spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they had signed nondisclosure agreements, sometimes as part of severance packages. Two former employees, one a senior manager and another a reporter in the L.A. office, agreed to be publicly identified to discuss Howard's behavior. "The behavior that Dylan displayed and the way he was and the way the company dealt with it - I just think that it has to be made public because it's completely unacceptable," said Maxine "Max" Page, a former senior editor at RadarOnline. She complained to the human resources department about Howard's behavior on behalf of two female reporters. Howard made inappropriate comments to and about one of those women, Page and six other ex-employees said. Howard told employees in the newsroom he wanted to create a Facebook account on behalf of the woman's vagina, commented on her sex life and forced her and other female employees to either watch or listen to graphic recordings of sex involving celebrities despite there being no professional rationale for doing so, they said. A former senior editor said Howard wrongly claimed during a newsroom meeting that the woman had had sex with a journalism source and praised her for it, saying she needed to "do what you need" to get a story. The editor said, "He encouraged her to have sex with people for information." The woman Howard was discussing confirmed these and other incidents to the AP but declined to be identified. Stracher, the company lawyer, said no one interviewed by the outside investigator complained about Howard's handling of pornographic material. Stracher said there was nothing inherently inappropriate about that in the celebrity news business. Stracher also said no one complained to the investigator about Howard's alleged encouragement of a reporter to sleep with news sources. Another former reporter, Liz Crokin, said she was also harassed by Howard, including once when he asked whether she was "going to be walking the streets tonight" on a day she wore heels to work. Many of the former employees who described Howard's behavior said they decided to do so after The New Yorker and other news organizations published emails in recent weeks showing that Howard had worked with movie producer Harvey Weinstein to undermine allegations of sexual misconduct by Weinstein. For his 30th birthday party, Howard invited a dozen employees to Las Vegas in January 2012 for an all-expenses-paid, three-day party he dubbed "Dildo's Dirty 30," according to a copy of the professionally designed invitation obtained by the AP. A week later, ex-employees said, the outside consultant hired to review the allegations against Howard began conducting interviews. Meeting his future wife in Saigon while serving in Vietnam in the early 1960s, Valdemar Camacho immediately fell in love with the young Vietnamese woman. After an informal wedding in 1965, the couple was separated after Camachos helicopter was shot down and he was sent to Japan for his injuries. At the time, my mother didnt know about this; she thought hed died, his daughter Irene Camacho said. And my father wasnt aware that she was pregnant. Because their marriage wasnt known to the Army, Camachos wife wasnt notified of what had happened to him. Back in the U.S., Camacho, who had by this time learned his wife had given birth to his daughter, signed up for another tour of duty to get back to Vietnam. He re-enlisted to go back to get me and my mom out, his daughter Cynthia Banuelos said. After being discharged in 1969 as a staff sergeant, Camacho began a career as an aircraft mechanic and, along with his wife, raised their two daughters during their 52-year marriage. Camacho, 78, died of cancer Nov. 24. The fourth of 10 children raised in Harlingen, Camacho and his family toiled in the fields every summer, traveling to Ohio and other northern states for work. More Information Valdemar Camacho Born: Jan. 8, 1939, Harlingen Died: Nov. 24, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Parents Vicente and Hortencia Camacho; four siblings Survived by: Wife Kim Camacho; daughters Cynthia Banuelos and Irene Camacho and son-in-law William Dorsey; two grandchildren; five siblings Services: Visitation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., celebration of life at 1 p.m. Sunday at Castillo Mission Funeral Home, 520 N. Gen. McMullen Drive; graveside service at 10:15 a.m. Monday at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery See More Collapse He always had to leave school in April then show up in mid-September to go back to school, Banuelos said. He dropped out in the eighth grade, but later earned his GED diploma. Camacho enlisted in the Army in 1961. A helicopter mechanic with the 71st Assault Helicopter Company, Camacho served out of Bien Hoa and Chu Lai and was received a Purple Heart and a Silver Star. In 1979, Camacho was working as an aircraft mechanic contractor and living with his family in Iran when the revolution. The only reason we left is because the Ayatollah Khomeini took over, Banuelos said. We had to leave in the middle of the night. Camacho later worked for Boeing and Lear Siegler, from which he retired in 2003. Buying rental properties over the years, Camacho showed kindness to his tenants on a regular basis. If people needed a place to stay or needed help with the rent, he would help and not pester them, Irene Camacho said. He also taught his daughters to keep your head high, Banuelos said. He said the only limits you have in life are the limits you put on yourself. mheidbrink@express-news.net If you have been injured in an auto accident in Texas, we strongly advise that you reach out to a reputable, experienced personal injury attorney for legal counsel. Whether you decide to hire an attorney is ultimately up to you, but in most cases it is in your best interest to, at a minimum, seek professional advice about your unique situation from a lawyer. Oftentimes, auto accident victims will attempt to negotiate a settlement with the at-fault partys insurance adjuster on their own. Insurance adjusters are trained to pay out the smallest amount possible to the injured party and will attempt to settle the claim with lowball offers as quickly as possible. A savvy accident attorney in your corner will prevent this from happening and fight for a fair amount of compensation, ensuring that you are not misled or taken advantage of. Following an automobile accident resulting in an injury, insurance companies move quickly to try and resolve the claim before an injured victim has sought out an attorney by sending a check right away. In many cases, this first settlement offer is very small and likely much less than the true value. An early settlement offer may not take into account all of the damages that the injured party has incurred. If you hire an injury attorney to represent you, they can take a full and accurate account of the damages, including medical costs and lost wages, and determine what you should be owed from the insurance company. There are certain situations when you should absolutely speak with an injury attorney and strongly consider hiring them to represent you. After an auto accident, seek legal counsel if you have: Suffered a catastrophic injury (spinal cord injury, brain injury, broken bones or fractures, burns) Incurred extensive medical bills Missed significant time at work Been injured by a large corporation or business Been hit by a drunk or distracted driver Lost a loved one in the accident When the amount of damages is extensive, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you get the maximum amount of compensation you deserve. It is simply not worth the risk of trying to negotiate with an insurance adjuster by yourself with so much on the table. In the above cases, injured victims need to be fully compensated for what they have experienced in the accident to cover the massive amount of costs associated with their injuries. You may also consider hiring an attorney if the insurance company ignores you, denies your claim, contests liability in the accident, or fails to offer a settlement amount that you believe is fair. When You Can't Reach a Settlement Although many auto accident claims are resolved prior to litigation, it is beneficial to have legal counsel if you do not receive a fair settlement offer from the insurance company. A personal injury attorney with trial experience will not be afraid to take your case to court to fight for the compensation you need. When insurance adjusters see that an injured victim does not have a legal representative on their side, settlement offers will be low and insufficient because there is no fear of litigation. Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our personal injury attorneys are available 24/7 nights and weekends to take your call and provide you with a free legal consultation. We want to ensure that your rights as an injured victim are protected and that you receive the maximum amount of compensation available to you. Before taking on the insurance company by yourself, give us a call and let us fight on your behalf. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. THE FOLLOWING REPORT FIRST APPEARED ONLINE AND WAS SCRATCHED ON AS IS BASIS. Every country with Dictatorship keeps a certain amount of money in the Central Bank in case of a coup. This money is not touched or used by anybody except on the Directive of the President. With Zimbabwe only two days before the coup Mugabe had talked with the Israelites (Mosad) that his Military would like to make a coup. They discussed about the cost of hiring Snipers and a Battalion to counter this. The Israelites sent in a Forward Team to Zimbabwe two days before the coup for Reconnaissance purposes, negotiating and signing of the Contract. The main aim was to eliminate all the Commanders of the ZDF before the implication of the coup. On the day before the coup Robert Mugabe summoned Chombo (Minister of Finance) and Mangudya (Reserve Bank Governor). They discussed with Mosad about the Costs. The deposit which was charged was 10 Million. Mangudya was ordered to release the money and give it to Chombo so that they would pay Mosad. Hence the statement by Grace Kana imi muchiti munogona kupfura nesuwo tinogona kupfura. She was confident their plan to eliminate Chiwenga, Shiri, Chihuri etc was going to work. Kudzai Chipanga also knew about the Mosad deal. Like Amai he had all the hopes in it and never thought the coup would succeed particularly with the help of Mosad. That is why he was so dare to read his Communique at ZANU PF Headquarters. He was sure Chiwenga and his guys would not withstand Mosad and particularly with the assistance of Lungu who had agreed to use Zambia as Launch pad for Mosad. Mosad had already set up an office and Drone Lounge Pad in Zambia. Mugabe, Amai, Chombo, Chipanga and Lungu never thought their plan would fail. Thats why Chipanga was even dare enough to challenge the Generals. Back to our story. 10 Million deposit amount was collected and put at Chombo,s residence before the night of the coup. At the house were Mosad Elite snipers. But everything went suddenly wrong for Mugabe and his team. [NAME WITHHELD] sold out their deal to the Generals. He told them about Mosad and the 10 Million deal. The coup went on before the 10 million was expatriated out of Zimbabwe by Mosad. Mosad and the 10 million were still at Chombos residence. The Generals particularly knew the Mosad deal and the 10 million hence the need to raid armed to the tooth. The ZRP body guards at Chombos residence exchanged fire with the army. In fact they started firing. They were now under command of Mosad. They thought no one would beat them particularly with the help of the Israelites. At Chombos residence 4 ZRP body guards and 10 Mosad Snipers were shot dead. Only one ZNA soldier died. That is why the entry at Chombos residence was forceful. When the resistance was crushed the second phase was to find the 10 million. During the exchange of fire between the coup soldiers and Mosad Chombo had hidden the bags containing the money in the ceiling. Iye pachake Chombo had no personal money of this magnitude at his house. So when confronted Chombo refused any knowledge of this money. So came the thorough beating. The soldiers knew it was there and Chombo was refusing. Chombo thought they would give him a minor beating and later leave him to enjoy his loot. He was totally wrong. It was not even Chombo who told them that the money was in the ceiling. The Gunmen wren-sacked the whole house on their own until they found the money. This denial of knowledge of the money warranted more beatings to Chombo according to the Gunmen. Also take note of events. Mugabe refused to resign at the first instance claiming We have friends meaning Mosad and Zambian Lungu. After the Coop Lungu had decided to go on with the Plan but Chiwenga threatened to take every inch of Zambia within 1 hour. Lungu sat down with his Generals who confirmed it as true. They admitted they would not stand Zimbabwean fire power. He tried to ask for assistance from Botswana and Botswana also refused citing the same shortfalls. When Mugabe was refusing to sign he didnt know about all these outside happenings. When Mugabe was finally shown the battered Chombo and the dead Mosad Snippers he knew totally well that their plan had flopped. CONCLUSSION. The battle between the Generals and Chombo is not stealing Money but hiring Mosad to kill them. The battle between Chipanga and the Gunmen is not about Corruption! No no no! But his knowledge about Mosad and the planned elimination of Generals. Source Online Breaking News via Email My Zimbabwe News has finally sourced the full text resignation letter of former President Robert Gabriel Mugabe in which he claimed that his decision to step down was solely voluntary and that he had come to the idea of resigning because he was concerned about the welfare of Zimbabweans Whatever that means (considering he had clung onto power for over 37 years). 21st November, 2017 The Honourable Jacob Mudenda, NOTICE OF RESIGNATION AS PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE IN TERMS OF THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 96 (1) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE, AMENDMENT (NO. 20) 2013. Following my verbal communication with the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocates Jacob Mudenda, at 1353 Hrs, 21s November, 2017, intimating my intention to resign as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in terms of Section 96 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, hereby formally tender my resignation as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe with immediate effect. My decision to resign is voluntarily on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire to ensure a smooth, peaceful and non-violent transfer of power that underpins national security, peace and stability. Kindly give public notice of my resignation as soon as possible, as required by Section 96 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Yours faithfully, ROBERT GABRIEL MUGABE President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Breaking News via Email A brigadier and four other soldiers in Lesotho have been charged with attempted murder for the 2016 shooting of a Zimbabwean editor whose newspaper was seen as critical of the military commander at the time. The five suspects were charged last week and are due in court again on Dec. 13 for the attack on Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri, whose jaw was shattered in the shooting and required reconstructive surgery. The case reflects efforts by the government of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to investigate unresolved crimes in the southern African country, which has a history of political turmoil. Tlali Kamoli, who was military commander at the time of Mutungamiris shooting, has been charged with crimes including the murder of a police official during an alleged coup attempt in 2014. Breaking News via Email Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People. One of the most remarkable volunteers and community activists in Clonmel has been honoured as an unsung hero. Amanda Quigley, who is involved in a huge range of activities in the town designed to help those in need of services, was announced as the winner of the Eileen Anderson Unsung Hero Award in Clonmel Town Hall on Wednesday evening. A stunned Amanda said she likes to do her work under cover - but added "I'm not under cover anymore but I just love doing the work I do". In a message of congratulations to Amanda, one of the many groups she's involved with has paid her a glowing tribute. Recovery College South East, dealing with education in mental health and addiction, says she's a huge part of their programme. They say - "We, here at the Recovery College South East are delighted that Amanda Quigley, our peer educator, had received this prestigious award. The Recovery College South East is a new innovative education initiative, covering the areas of Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford. "The primary goal of the College is to develop and deliver educational workshops in Recovery and Wellness in Mental Health and Addiction. All our workshops are co-produced and co-delivered in partnership with the person with the lived experience, their family and supporters and the professionals working in the sector of Mental Health and Addiction. "Courses are designed to help develop and build skills and understanding. We believe that education offers new hope and opportunity for us all to learn more about Mental Health and Addiction challenges, personal recovery journeys, coping skills, practical skills and how to get the best from living every day. "Amanda is the Principal Peer Educator in The Recovery College South East. She has a unique combination of energy, enthusiasm and innate kindness towards others along with a larger than life personality. It is no surprise to us in the Recovery College that Amanda has received this award. She is a worthy winner". Amanda received her award from Mayor Catherine Carey who paid tribute to Amanda's diverse range of community activities. Mayor Carey said the award honours the memory of Eileen Anderson, a generous woman who devoted her life to the welfare of others, and remarked that Amanda was a fitting winner to carry on that message. The award is organised by Clonmel Borough Council in association with Clonmel Rotary Club and the committee is chaired by Darren Ryan. All the nominees pictured at the ceremony. Mr Ryan listed the volume of activity that Amanda is involved in and that won over the votes of the judges. She began her volunteering with community youth projects in the town; then became involved in a local drugs initiative and a drop-in service for substance abuse. She became an advocate for the Irish Foster Care Association and a member of the Irish First Mothers support group and gave evidence to the commission for reform into Mother and Baby Homes. More recently she has been a volunteer counsellor with Clonmel Cancer CARE centre and Circle of Friends of Tipp town. She is also active with Clonmel Soup Kitchen and initiated a Food Cloud programme to collect and disperse food to those most in need. A friend said of her - "On Christmas Eve when everywhere is shut and people are at home with their families, you will find Amanda driving around town to make sure food is delivered to those who need it most". Clonmel Town Hall contained a who's who of some of the top volunteers in the community and speaker after speaker said they were all winners on the night. Also nominated for the award were Pearl Sheehan, for her work on behalf of the Red Cross; Jennie Kiely, a founder member of Ballingeary ICA; former Mayor and the driving force in town twinning, Vera Hewitt; June Looby from the River Suir Suicide Patrol Group; Ena Doyle, a Vincent de Paul worker and also involved in the soup kitchen; Ardfinnan community activist TJ O'Brien; and Tino Castineiro, the founder of Suir Dragon Paddlers for women recovering from breast cancer. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) has brought relief to exporters, especially in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and labour intensive sectors. The annual cumulative incentives have been increased by Rs 8,540 crore most of it funneled to sectors with a preponderance of MSMEs. As the RBIs Monetary Policy Committee began its closed-door, two-day review on Tuesday, market opinion is divided on whether the central bank will cut or hold policy rates on Wednesday. Economists say the MPC has its task cut out: cut or hold rates or soften its tone to accommodative from its current neutral stance. READ HERE | Hopes up for rate cuts as RBIs Monetary Policy Committee begins its review meeting Making the announcement on FTP, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu said the review is aimed at promoting exports by simplification of processes, enhancing support to high employment sectors, leveraging benefits of GST, promoting services exports and monitoring exports performance through state-of-the-art analytics. Emphasis will be on exports of agriculture products to increase farmers income, Prabhu added. FTP will focus on exports from the labour intensive and MSME sectors by way of increased incentives in order to increase employment opportunities. Emphasis will be given to exports of agri products to increase farmers incomes, Prabhu added. The incentives announced include increasing the scope of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) and Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS). The MEIS incentive for exports by MSMEs and labour-intensive industries have been hiked by 2 per cent across the board. The measure will see annual incentives to the segment rise by Rs 4,567 crore. In textiles, the MEIS incentive has been raised for ready-made garments and made-ups by 2 per cent at an additional annual outgo of Rs 2,743 crore. For services, the SEIS incentives have been hiked by another 2 per cent, involving an extra Rs 1,140 crore addition to annual incentives to the segment. The result of the FTP mid-term review measures will provide the leather sector with extra annual incentives to the tune of Rs 749 crore, Rs 921 crore for hand-made carpets of silk, handloom, coir, jute products, Rs 1,354 crore for agri products, Rs 759 crore for marine products, Rs 369 crore for telecom, electronic components and Rs 193 crore for medical equipment. Focus on improving agri-sector exports is also part of the slew of measures. A new Agricultural Exports Policy is being drafted and it will include critical elements such as creating a cold chain and transport logistics network, promoting organic exports and setting up up-to-date organic export certification and accreditation programmes. To increase ease of accessing markets, both old and new, professional teams will be be set up to handhold, assist and support exporters in meeting regulatory norms. New logistics and services divisions are to be set up -- the former to promote integrated development and the latter to examine Exim policies and procedures to push services exports. Meanwhile, the ministry also announced certain measures to ease exporters issues with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system. With upfront payment of GST on inputs clogging the flow of working capital, the review has extended the benefit of sourcing inputs from abroad as well as domestic suppliers without the need to pay GST upfront. An e-wallet is set to be launched on April 1, 2018, to make these schemes operational. Merchant exporters have also been allowed a nominal GST of 0.1 per cent on procuring goods from the domestic market for exports. Services activity shrinks A day after Fitch Ratings lowered its growth estimate for Indian economy, saying the rebound in economy appears to be weak, the widely tracked Nikkei purchasing managers index (PMI) on Tuesday showed that the services sector slipped to 48.5 points in November from 51.7 in October well below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. The decline signals that the Indian economy may take time to pick up. NEW DELHI: The mid-term review of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) has brought relief to exporters, especially in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and labour intensive sectors. The annual cumulative incentives have been increased by Rs 8,540 crore most of it funneled to sectors with a preponderance of MSMEs. As the RBIs Monetary Policy Committee began its closed-door, two-day review on Tuesday, market opinion is divided on whether the central bank will cut or hold policy rates on Wednesday. Economists say the MPC has its task cut out: cut or hold rates or soften its tone to accommodative from its current neutral stance. READ HERE | Hopes up for rate cuts as RBIs Monetary Policy Committee begins its review meeting Making the announcement on FTP, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu said the review is aimed at promoting exports by simplification of processes, enhancing support to high employment sectors, leveraging benefits of GST, promoting services exports and monitoring exports performance through state-of-the-art analytics. Emphasis will be on exports of agriculture products to increase farmers income, Prabhu added. FTP will focus on exports from the labour intensive and MSME sectors by way of increased incentives in order to increase employment opportunities. Emphasis will be given to exports of agri products to increase farmers incomes, Prabhu added. The incentives announced include increasing the scope of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) and Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS). The MEIS incentive for exports by MSMEs and labour-intensive industries have been hiked by 2 per cent across the board. The measure will see annual incentives to the segment rise by Rs 4,567 crore. In textiles, the MEIS incentive has been raised for ready-made garments and made-ups by 2 per cent at an additional annual outgo of Rs 2,743 crore. For services, the SEIS incentives have been hiked by another 2 per cent, involving an extra Rs 1,140 crore addition to annual incentives to the segment. The result of the FTP mid-term review measures will provide the leather sector with extra annual incentives to the tune of Rs 749 crore, Rs 921 crore for hand-made carpets of silk, handloom, coir, jute products, Rs 1,354 crore for agri products, Rs 759 crore for marine products, Rs 369 crore for telecom, electronic components and Rs 193 crore for medical equipment. Focus on improving agri-sector exports is also part of the slew of measures. A new Agricultural Exports Policy is being drafted and it will include critical elements such as creating a cold chain and transport logistics network, promoting organic exports and setting up up-to-date organic export certification and accreditation programmes. To increase ease of accessing markets, both old and new, professional teams will be be set up to handhold, assist and support exporters in meeting regulatory norms. New logistics and services divisions are to be set up -- the former to promote integrated development and the latter to examine Exim policies and procedures to push services exports. Meanwhile, the ministry also announced certain measures to ease exporters issues with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system. With upfront payment of GST on inputs clogging the flow of working capital, the review has extended the benefit of sourcing inputs from abroad as well as domestic suppliers without the need to pay GST upfront. An e-wallet is set to be launched on April 1, 2018, to make these schemes operational. Merchant exporters have also been allowed a nominal GST of 0.1 per cent on procuring goods from the domestic market for exports. Services activity shrinks A day after Fitch Ratings lowered its growth estimate for Indian economy, saying the rebound in economy appears to be weak, the widely tracked Nikkei purchasing managers index (PMI) on Tuesday showed that the services sector slipped to 48.5 points in November from 51.7 in October well below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. The decline signals that the Indian economy may take time to pick up. By Express News Service BENGALURU: She then complained to Ola, the executives of which told her that the driver had been banned from the platform. But relief was nowhere in sight. On Monday, the young woman received six calls from Reddy, who not only berated her for complaining to Ola about his behaviour, but also threatened to cause her harm, saying that he knew where she stayed. Fearing an attack by Reddy, the woman approached the Madivala police and informed them about the incident. A police officer is said to have spoken to Reddy, who defended himself saying that he had only tried to reach back to help her open the door which was child-locked. The police are said to have warned him not to call or threaten the young woman again. No complaint, however, has been filed by the woman. Also Read: Bengaluru driver child-locks woman in Ola cab, behaves indecently Interestingly, the woman told the New Indian Express that she had availed the Ola Select service on her mobile app, which helped customers get only the higher rated drivers to ply them. And Rajashekar Reddy had a 4.9/5 rating, which is considered very good. Though the woman had complained to Ola via customer care, after which action was taken too, Ola representatives claimed they did not have any record of the complaint. Driver suspended, confirms Ola An Ola representative confirmed that after the incident was brought to their attention, and after they spoke to the woman concerned, they temporarily suspended Reddy. He cannot accept any more trips via the Ola app, until the company representatives probe the issue thoroughly. BENGALURU: She then complained to Ola, the executives of which told her that the driver had been banned from the platform. But relief was nowhere in sight. On Monday, the young woman received six calls from Reddy, who not only berated her for complaining to Ola about his behaviour, but also threatened to cause her harm, saying that he knew where she stayed. Fearing an attack by Reddy, the woman approached the Madivala police and informed them about the incident. A police officer is said to have spoken to Reddy, who defended himself saying that he had only tried to reach back to help her open the door which was child-locked. The police are said to have warned him not to call or threaten the young woman again. No complaint, however, has been filed by the woman. Also Read: Bengaluru driver child-locks woman in Ola cab, behaves indecently Interestingly, the woman told the New Indian Express that she had availed the Ola Select service on her mobile app, which helped customers get only the higher rated drivers to ply them. And Rajashekar Reddy had a 4.9/5 rating, which is considered very good. Though the woman had complained to Ola via customer care, after which action was taken too, Ola representatives claimed they did not have any record of the complaint. Driver suspended, confirms Ola An Ola representative confirmed that after the incident was brought to their attention, and after they spoke to the woman concerned, they temporarily suspended Reddy. He cannot accept any more trips via the Ola app, until the company representatives probe the issue thoroughly. By PTI NEW DELHI: In January 2013, Rahul Gandhi was named Congress vice president the day after his mother told him that "power is like poison". Five years after that emotional acceptance speech in Jaipur, Rahul Gandhi is ready to pick up that poison chalice. With no other claimants to the post, he will step into his mother Sonia Gandhi's shoes as Congress president next week. Shehzada, princeling and Pappu, the Gandhi scion, who saw his grandmother and father being assassinated, has been called many a derogatory name through the years as he appeared to shy away from the responsibility of leading the Congress. The young bespectacled boy who clung to his father Rajiv Gandhi's waist as his grandmother Indira Gandhi's body was consigned to flames is now 47. There has been no getting away from the spotlight since for the man poised to take over as president of the party, the sixth from the Gandhi-Nehru 'dynasty' to do so, continuing a chain beginning with Motilal Nehru. The easy elevation is unsurprising, given the tacit understanding within the party that the mantle must pass from Gandhi to Gandhi. Politics may or may not have been his calling but it was certainly in his blood. So, as he moved from a home education to Delhi University's St Stephen's College and then to Harvard and Rollins College in Florida and Trinity College, Cambridge, the final goal was always clear. He also joined the Monitor Group, a consulting group in London, where he worked for three years. But it had to be back home, to a political role carved out for him, after that. Often dismissed for practising the politics of "fits and starts", Rahul Gandhi became an MP in 2004 when he won the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. He has taken a surprisingly long time to learn the ropes, coming across as earnest and well meaning but also uncertain and disinterested. He took up emotive issues like the agrarian crisis in Vidarbha, did the unusual by staying the night at a Dalit home in Uttar Pradesh with then British foreign secretary David Milliband, but squandered much of the goodwill by seeming to lose interest and disappearing from view. In 2015, for instance, he took a 56-day sabbatical. And there are also two annual sojourns timed around his June birthday and New Year's Eve. He may no longer have that luxury. His first litmus test is only days away with elections in Gujarat on December 9 and 14. The results for both the polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will be out on December 18. Top Congress leaders say Rahul Gandhis leadership of the party would be established if he delivers a victory in Gujarat or at least substantially improves the Congress tally. Gandhis past electoral record has not been too good. Since he became Congress vice president in 2013, the party has lost power in state after state and is left with only Punjab, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. But Rahul Gandhi looks more confident than he has for a while, having worked on his image and outreach. Armed with a refurbished social media team mostly managed by his hand-picked people, he is trying to shed his reticence and appear more accessible. Hes now more relaxed and confident, targets Modi regularly with snappy one liners (Gabbar Singh Tax, for instance), takes selfies with people and has improved his Twitter following to 4.71 million. In a dose perhaps of some realpolitik, Rahul Gandhi is also openly declaring his Hindu credentials. "I am a Lord Shiva worshipper," he said recently to counter the BJPs efforts to win the Hindu vote. He has been visiting temples routinely -- and does not necessarily visit mosques at the same time. In doing so, he seems to be correcting the Congress' pro-minority image. Rahul Gandhi has also been speaking out on his life outside the spotlight. "I believe in destiny," he said when asked why he is not getting married. He recently also revealed that he is a black belt in the Japanese martial art form Aikido. It may have made a difference. Of late, the BJP seems to be taking Rahul Gandhi more seriously, often fielding a host of ministers to counter the Congress charge against demonetisation and GST. Congress leaders say he has come of age and cite his address at the University of California, Berkley, where he boldly took questions, even on dynastic politics. There was the Rahul Gandhi who walked into the Press Club of India and tore off an ordinance by the then Congress-led UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh to overturn an apex court order barring convicted MPs from contesting elections. And then there is this one readying to be president of the grand old party. Maybe not so impetuous or naive, but reasoned and rational. The normally taciturn Manmohan Singh yesterday called Rahul Gandhi the "darling of the Congress" after he filed his nomination. It is now up to Rahul Gandhi to prove he is indeed one. NEW DELHI: In January 2013, Rahul Gandhi was named Congress vice president the day after his mother told him that "power is like poison". Five years after that emotional acceptance speech in Jaipur, Rahul Gandhi is ready to pick up that poison chalice. With no other claimants to the post, he will step into his mother Sonia Gandhi's shoes as Congress president next week. Shehzada, princeling and Pappu, the Gandhi scion, who saw his grandmother and father being assassinated, has been called many a derogatory name through the years as he appeared to shy away from the responsibility of leading the Congress. The young bespectacled boy who clung to his father Rajiv Gandhi's waist as his grandmother Indira Gandhi's body was consigned to flames is now 47. There has been no getting away from the spotlight since for the man poised to take over as president of the party, the sixth from the Gandhi-Nehru 'dynasty' to do so, continuing a chain beginning with Motilal Nehru. The easy elevation is unsurprising, given the tacit understanding within the party that the mantle must pass from Gandhi to Gandhi. Politics may or may not have been his calling but it was certainly in his blood. So, as he moved from a home education to Delhi University's St Stephen's College and then to Harvard and Rollins College in Florida and Trinity College, Cambridge, the final goal was always clear. He also joined the Monitor Group, a consulting group in London, where he worked for three years. But it had to be back home, to a political role carved out for him, after that. Often dismissed for practising the politics of "fits and starts", Rahul Gandhi became an MP in 2004 when he won the Amethi Lok Sabha seat. He has taken a surprisingly long time to learn the ropes, coming across as earnest and well meaning but also uncertain and disinterested. He took up emotive issues like the agrarian crisis in Vidarbha, did the unusual by staying the night at a Dalit home in Uttar Pradesh with then British foreign secretary David Milliband, but squandered much of the goodwill by seeming to lose interest and disappearing from view. In 2015, for instance, he took a 56-day sabbatical. And there are also two annual sojourns timed around his June birthday and New Year's Eve. He may no longer have that luxury. His first litmus test is only days away with elections in Gujarat on December 9 and 14. The results for both the polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will be out on December 18. Top Congress leaders say Rahul Gandhis leadership of the party would be established if he delivers a victory in Gujarat or at least substantially improves the Congress tally. Gandhis past electoral record has not been too good. Since he became Congress vice president in 2013, the party has lost power in state after state and is left with only Punjab, Puducherry, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. But Rahul Gandhi looks more confident than he has for a while, having worked on his image and outreach. Armed with a refurbished social media team mostly managed by his hand-picked people, he is trying to shed his reticence and appear more accessible. Hes now more relaxed and confident, targets Modi regularly with snappy one liners (Gabbar Singh Tax, for instance), takes selfies with people and has improved his Twitter following to 4.71 million. In a dose perhaps of some realpolitik, Rahul Gandhi is also openly declaring his Hindu credentials. "I am a Lord Shiva worshipper," he said recently to counter the BJPs efforts to win the Hindu vote. He has been visiting temples routinely -- and does not necessarily visit mosques at the same time. In doing so, he seems to be correcting the Congress' pro-minority image. Rahul Gandhi has also been speaking out on his life outside the spotlight. "I believe in destiny," he said when asked why he is not getting married. He recently also revealed that he is a black belt in the Japanese martial art form Aikido. It may have made a difference. Of late, the BJP seems to be taking Rahul Gandhi more seriously, often fielding a host of ministers to counter the Congress charge against demonetisation and GST. Congress leaders say he has come of age and cite his address at the University of California, Berkley, where he boldly took questions, even on dynastic politics. There was the Rahul Gandhi who walked into the Press Club of India and tore off an ordinance by the then Congress-led UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh to overturn an apex court order barring convicted MPs from contesting elections. And then there is this one readying to be president of the grand old party. Maybe not so impetuous or naive, but reasoned and rational. The normally taciturn Manmohan Singh yesterday called Rahul Gandhi the "darling of the Congress" after he filed his nomination. It is now up to Rahul Gandhi to prove he is indeed one. By ANI NEW DELHI: Senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday clarified he never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the ongoing long-standing Ayodhya matter in the Supreme Court. This clarification of his has come in the wake of the board distancing itself from his yesterday's statement in the court wherein he demanded for the next hearing to be held only in July 2019 after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls, citing political ramifications Sibal also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making statements against him and his stand on the matter in a rally in Gujarat, ahead of the assembly polls in the state. The prime minister did not check the fact that actually I never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court. And yet he thanked Sunni Waqf Board for a statement on the basis that I represented them. I request the prime minister to be a little more careful, Sibal told ANI. ALSO READ: Ayodhya dispute: PM Modi lauds Sunni Waqf Board for distancing from Kapil Sibal's statement Sibal is the lawyer for Iqbal Ansari, a co-petitioner in the lawsuit over the title to the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site. Will a discussion on my going to the court and representing someone solve serious problems in the country? If yes, then the prime minister should say so. Issuing statements won't help India in any way. It'll just take the nation towards controversies. Don't divide the people of our country like this. You may win, perhaps in your mind, but you will lose badly and India will lose if you only care about yourself not India, he added. He further said, We believe in the Lord, we don't believe in you Modi ji. You (PM Modi) are not going to build that temple; it will be done when God wants it. The court will decide. Prime Minister Modi had earlier congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for dissociating themselves from Sibal's statement in connection with the matter. ALSO READ: Ayodhya dispute: Not in favour of shifting hearing to 2019, says Sunni Waqf Board The Supreme Court deferred the hearing in the case for February 8, 2018, following which, a controversy erupted wherein the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the Congress Party and Sibal of adopting a double standard on the issue and politicising it. Babri Masjid demolition 25th anniversary: Here is a timeline of the Ayodhya dispute The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528. The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque. Citing this, Hindu zealots demolished the mosque on December 6, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, today, a Delhi court will deliver its verdict in connection with the terrorist attack on the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2005. NEW DELHI: Senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday clarified he never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the ongoing long-standing Ayodhya matter in the Supreme Court. This clarification of his has come in the wake of the board distancing itself from his yesterday's statement in the court wherein he demanded for the next hearing to be held only in July 2019 after the completion of the next Lok Sabha polls, citing political ramifications Sibal also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making statements against him and his stand on the matter in a rally in Gujarat, ahead of the assembly polls in the state. The prime minister did not check the fact that actually I never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court. And yet he thanked Sunni Waqf Board for a statement on the basis that I represented them. I request the prime minister to be a little more careful, Sibal told ANI. ALSO READ: Ayodhya dispute: PM Modi lauds Sunni Waqf Board for distancing from Kapil Sibal's statement Sibal is the lawyer for Iqbal Ansari, a co-petitioner in the lawsuit over the title to the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site. Will a discussion on my going to the court and representing someone solve serious problems in the country? If yes, then the prime minister should say so. Issuing statements won't help India in any way. It'll just take the nation towards controversies. Don't divide the people of our country like this. You may win, perhaps in your mind, but you will lose badly and India will lose if you only care about yourself not India, he added. He further said, We believe in the Lord, we don't believe in you Modi ji. You (PM Modi) are not going to build that temple; it will be done when God wants it. The court will decide. Prime Minister Modi had earlier congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for dissociating themselves from Sibal's statement in connection with the matter. ALSO READ: Ayodhya dispute: Not in favour of shifting hearing to 2019, says Sunni Waqf Board The Supreme Court deferred the hearing in the case for February 8, 2018, following which, a controversy erupted wherein the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the Congress Party and Sibal of adopting a double standard on the issue and politicising it. Babri Masjid demolition 25th anniversary: Here is a timeline of the Ayodhya dispute The Babri Masjid was built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1528. The Hindus, however, claim that a Ram temple that originally stood there was demolished to construct the mosque. Citing this, Hindu zealots demolished the mosque on December 6, 1992, triggering communal riots in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, today, a Delhi court will deliver its verdict in connection with the terrorist attack on the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2005. By Online Desk Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi today visited some places hit by the Cyclone Ochki in southern Kerala that has claimed 63 lives in the state, most of them fishermen, and pitched for a better warning system to prevent recurrence of such tragedies. Thousands of fishermen and their families in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are continuously holding mass protests, demanding for search operations to continue and for relief to be provided faster. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi continued for the 12th day today. As many as 433 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 186 from Kerala are yet to be traced. The cyclone, earlier this week, had finally dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing Gujarat from destruction. ALSO READ | No tsunami says IMD as false WhatsApp alerts create panic Here are all the latest updates: The Union Home Ministry is constituting an inter ministerial central committee for the spot assessment of damage and admissibility of claims of the states hit by Cyclone Ockhi. House-to-house verification process is going on and a final figure of the missing fishermen would be known once the process was over, say officials. [READ FULL REPORT] "The farmers have a ministry that looks after their interests and I think it is time that we create a ministry for the fishermen to look after their interests and make sure they are protected," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after visiting fishermen families in affected areas in Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT] TN government hikes compensation for non-fisherman families from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. ( READ ) The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone that hit the Kerala coast mounted to 65 with more bodies being recovered. DMK petitions TN governor Banwarilal Purohit to expedite rescue work post-Ockhi. Efforts are on to identify the recovered bodies through DNA test. In a bid to set up a mechanism to ensure the safety of fishermen, Kerala CM Vijayan said a system was being planned in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation. Kerala State control room officials said three bodies were found off the coast of Kozhikode and three from Kochi. [READ FULL REPORT] The financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for families of Kerala fishermen killed in the cyclone would be given in one go. An amount of Rs five lakh would be given to those who are seriously injured and are not able to go to work in future as an "alternative livelihood" initiative. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Centre has agreed to continue search operations for the missing fishermen in Cyclone Ockhi that hit the state's coast on November 29 and 30. The death toll due to Ockhi cyclone, which hit the Kerala coast, rose to 52 on Tuesday as more bodies were recovered and the search for the missing fishermen in the high seas continued. The Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of fishermen who died in the cyclone that devastated the coastal areas of the state recently. Pope Francis has enquired about the hardships and sufferings caused to Kerala's fishermen community in the Ockhi cyclone that ravaged the coastal belt on November 30. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced 'livelihood assistance' ranging from Rs 48,500 to Rs 63,500 per hectare for horticulture farmers of cyclone Ockhi-battered Kanyakumari district. Kerala fishermen protestors took to the street by waving black flags and photos of the dead and missing fishermen walked about two km from Palayam to Raj Bhavan raising slogans, bringing the traffic to a standstill on the busy stretch. The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone in Kerala rose to 40 on Monday with the recovery of two more bodies even as the search operations to trace the missing fishermen entered the 10th day. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of Ockhi cyclone continued for 10th day today even as 67 persons caught in the storm, returned to Kochi coast. The Goa government would provide compensation to shacks having legal validity, for the damages suffered during the Cyclone Ockhi last week. [FULL REPORT] The Indian naval ships engaged in search and rescue mission in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi today continued their operations in the high seas, searching area till the Maldives. No stranded boats , fishermen or floating bodies have been found in the sea by the naval search team during the last 72 hours, the official said. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will contribute a month's salary to the special fund being raised for the victims of cyclone Ockhi. The Kerala government has asked the Indian Armed Forces and the Coast Guard to continue search operations for fishermen missing in high seas post-Cyclone Ockhi for 10 more days. #HADR #CycloneOckhi #OpSahayam #SAR Based on reports by IN Boeing P8 i aircraft, INS Kalpeni was sent to Off Sesostris Bank/Bassas de Pedro (a traditional fishing area off Lakshadweep island).About 17 boats with 180 plus fishermen have been located.@DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 8, 2017 Fishing vessel as seen from the aircraft. This video captures the essence of what Navy Boeing P-8i is doing - systematic search of every inch of possible/ probable area & providing hope to the stranded till they are rescued by our ships @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/1sY0VXul42 SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 6, 2017 People receive essential commodities at a relief camp following cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) Given orders to Maharashtra Maritime Board and Collector, Sindhudurg Dist. to make all arrangements for the stranded fishermen. Local authorities are already with them and taking care of all arrangements, tweets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. In all 68 fishing boats have reached, out of which 66 are from Kerala and 2 from Tamil Nadu with total 952 fisherman on board. All are safe. Maharashtra will completely look after everyone till weather permits them to go back. @nsitharaman @BJP4Keralam Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 2, 2017 A fresh spell of heavy rain is in store in some areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry with a low pressure area forming over south Andaman sea, which is "very likely" to become a depression over Bay of Bengal . It is very likely to become a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 36 hours. It is also very likely to intensify further and move towards north Tamil Nadu south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 3-4 days. (IMD) Though many fishermen from Kerala were brought ashore safely and admitted to hospitals, many are yet to recover from the shock of wrestling the lashing waves and seeing death face-to-face. Stephan, a fisherman hailing from nearby Poonthura, said: "It was the first time we were experiencing such huge waves and a rough sea. Luckily, the rescue boat came back and saved us." Most of the rescued fishermen had bruises all over their bodies and were seen shivering and begging for hot water and food when brought ashore. (PTI) Stranded fisherman being brought to Kerala coast by Indain Navy personnel in Kochi on Saturday. (PTI) Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami today requested the Centre to deploy the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the search and rescue of fishermen who have not returned so far, and that helicopters of Coast Guard and Navy should be deployed for this purpose. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the AIADMK leader that the Centre would provide the assistance required to rescue the fishermen. (PTI) Several roads that connect Kanyakumari with many interior parts have got cut or were fully damaged due to heavy rainfall following the impact of cyclone Ockhi in the district on Saturday. (PTI) A Coast Guard advisory here said the status of weather and sea conditions should be checked on television, radio, newspapers and smartphone applications before venturing out into the sea. The merchant ships should also be alert and avoid the path of Cyclone Ockhi, it said. Fishing boats should remain in groups and during distress all the crew should remain together, it said. DMK working president M K Stalin urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in his letter to direct the Coast Guard to search and rescue "thousands of fishermen fighting for their lives in the mid sea, so as to prevent further loss of lives due to the Ockhi cyclone". Steps have been taken to prevent any possible outbreak of epidemic in rain-hit areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Health minister C Vijayabhaskar said today. A relief worker places sand bags on the banks of a beach in Kochi in wake of cyclone Ockhi on Saturday. (PTI) Leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare cyclone Ockhi as a national disaster. He also urged the Kerala government to increase the financial aid for the injured at least up to Rs 50,000 from the present Rs 15,000. Lack of coordination had affected the government's relief and rescue operations, launched post Ockhi, he alleged. (PTI) The Southern Railway announced partial and full cancellation of some trains in the Kaniyakumari-Nagercoil section. One train service was also rescheduled. (PTI Meanwhile, relatives of missing fishermen from Kaniyakumari staged a road blockade demanding the fishermen be rescued at the earliest. Scores of women also staged protest at Chinnathurai in that district. There has been a huge demand for generator sets following the devastation caused by cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari region on Saturday. (PTI) In Kanyakumari, power supply had been restored even as efforts are on to resume power supply in neighbouring areas like Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai. Officials expressed confidence that the power supply would be restored in the entire district by tomorrow. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced Rs 25 crore for expediting relief and restoration work in the district . ( PTI) 261 persons rescued by @IndiaCoastGuard @adgpi and @IAF_MCC in #CycloneOckhi @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/ywhzBQLJnP Kiran_TNIE (@tniekiran1) December 2, 2017 The Coast Guard informed in a press release that on November 30, the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Kerala was informed that around 70-80 fishermen were stranded at sea due to the storm. The Coast Guard immediately sailed as many as nine ships towards Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. Further, ships based at New Mangalore were also sailed towards Kerala coast to undertake the rescue of stranded fishermen. As the cyclone intensified, coordinated search by Coast Guard ships and aircraft continued in extremely rough weather with wind speed gusting up to 150 kmph. Ships at Mumbai and Goa were also placed on maximum alert to augment efforts as required, the press release read. (PTI) As per the last report, a total of 79 stranded fishermen have been saved by the Coast Guard in coordination with other agencies. Also, the fisheries department has intimated that about 25 boats with 250 personnel are still in distress at sea. A man watches a road that has been cut off due to floods following the heavy rainfall caused by the cyclone Ockhi which left heavy damage in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) 138 fishermen have been rescued from the Lakshadweep islands. (PTI) So far 393 people from Kerala have been rescued, Kerala CM Vijayan said, as the state government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of those who died in the storm, in addition to the financial assistance of Rs four lakh being given by the fisheries department.Of the rescued, 132 fishermen were from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 66 from Kozhikode, 55 from Kollam, 40 from Thrissur, and 100 from Kanyakumari. (PTI) In Lakshadweep, 31 relief camps have been opened in the10 inhabited islands. So far, 1,047 people have been evacuated to the relief camps, official sources said. No casualties have been reported, with the worst-affected islands being Minicoy and Kalpeni. Seven people have lost their lives in Kerala in rain-related incidents over the past two days, official sources said. (PTI) Cyclone Ockhi has so far claimed 13 lives in Sri Lanka . Power supply, essential services and air traffic was disrupted in the stormy weather that left several buildings damaged and trees uprooted in its wake. READ FULL REPORT HERE #CycloneOckhi update @IndiaCoastGuard ship rescued 15 fishermen at sea off Vizhinjam/Quilon (Kerala) Coast and heading towards shore for safe disembarkation of fisher-folks @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/39gJrfI20Z Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 2, 2017 Authorities including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Coast Guard and Navy have rescued about 223 fishermen and evacuated thousands of people from cyclone hit areas, officials said, as they continued their operations on Saturday. While INS Nireekshak, INS Jamuna and INS Sagardhwani are continuing search and rescue operations in their designated areas along the coast off Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, two ships INS Shardul and INS Sharda are heading towards Lakshadweep, a defence spokesman said. (PTI) The naval ships, which left from the Southern Naval Command here yesterday, are likely to reach Lakshadweep this evening. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Lanba briefed me on the on-going rescue operations #CycloneOchki . More fishermen rescued this morning. Rescue work to continue.Some rescued fishermen waiting in Lakshadweep Isle to get back. Details @indiannavy @DefenceMinIndia @IndiaCoastGuard Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 2, 2017 The Kerala state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the families of the deceased. #Kerala Locals have blocked National Highway for last five hours in Trivandrum's Thumba, demand better relief measures & rescue of 6 fishermen missing from the area #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/rcTY0gyDty ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Six boats and 73 fishermen that went missing in the sea have been brought back, the Fisheries Minister of Tamil Nadu, D Jayakumar, informed on Saturday. (ANI) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed rumour mongers on Saturday after it came to light that Friday's reports of a Japanese merchant ship rescuing 60 Kerala fishermen caught in the deep seas, was "fake". It was Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S.Vasuki who told the media, on Friday evening, that she wished to thank the Japanese government as one of their ships had rescued 60 fishermen and said they would arrive at the Vizhinjam coast. (IANS.) [READ FULL REPORT] Locals in Thiruvananthapuram's Poonthura came out in protest alleging rescue operations have been inadequate. (ANI) According to Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S Vasuki, 102 fishermen from the city who had gone into the sea have not been able to contact their relatives. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala: Locals evacuated to rehabilitation centre in Kochi's Chellanam. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/iAwj7Q7g94 Several houses suffered damage, trees got uprooted and communication lines were disrupted as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep Islands under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi. [ READ FULL REPORT] INS Nireekshak rescued two fishermen off Alappuzha coast. INS Sagardhwani fished out one cadaver, 30 km off Thiruvananthapuram coast. The ship had earlier found another cadaver. (PTI) PM Modi dialled Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami and enquired about the damage caused by the cyclone, which also battered parts of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] The Tamil Nadu government has said it will soon seek central funds for the damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi in the southern parts of the state, with Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts being the worst hit. As many as 218 fishermen from various parts of southern Kerala who were missing at sea since Thursday have been rescued and brought back so far, even as Cyclone Ockhi continued its menacing north-westward path along the Arabian Sea. [READ REPORT HERE] A rescued fisherman rushed to the ambulance from the technical area of the Thiruvananthpuram airport on Friday afternoon. Express Photo | Kaviyoor Santhosh According to a CWC advisory, the west-flowing rivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam in Kerala are likely to rise over the next 24 hours and then, slowly fall as the rains reduced. Three deaths were reported in Kerala and one in the worst-hit Kannyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, taking the toll to 12, reports UNI. A report from Lakshadweep said a red alert had been sounded as high waves posed a major threat to most of the islands in the region. (UNI) WATCH: Navy rescue fishermen off Thiruvananthapuram coast About 150 fishermen, who put out to sea from various southern districts, were rescued, Thiruvananthapuram District Commissioner K Vasuki said, adding that efforts were on to bring the rest of the stranded fishermen to the shore. The rescued fishermen included those who were saved by a Japanese cargo vessel. Kerala: Rescued fishermen brought to Trivandrim Air Force Station, later admitted to hospital for treatment #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lB10HNPqsE ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Heavy to extremely heavy rains are likely over Lakshadweep Islands, while light to moderate rains with a few heavy spells are expected over Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to Skymetweather's latest weather update. Two fishing boats Arokia Mary and Hermen Mary from Kanyakumari reported missing due #CycloneOckhi since 30 Nov 2017 with 08 crew each rescued by Coast Guard Ship C-427 off Vizhinjam #Kerala pic.twitter.com/nyLuxkoonk ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Search and rescue effort progressing off Vizhinjam where approximately 40 people were stranded at sea. Indian Navy ships Sharda and Shardul sailed out to augment search effort, in final stages of embarking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief items for assistance at Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands , reports ANI. 130 families from Chellanam, 17 families from Kumbalangi and 18 families from Edavanakad rehabilitated from the coastal areas, reports ANI. [Read Report] Cyclone Ockhi is moving to the Arabian Sea. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says steps are initiated to rescue fishermen stranded in the rough sea, reports PTI. #WATCH: High tides seen at Lakshadweep coast #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/sxUBC4geku ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 24 people stranded at sea sighted by IN assets. Efforts underway to rescue all 24:- 07 picked up by MV ENERGY ORPHEUS,04 being rescued by INS JAMUNA ,03 rescued by trawler in area,02 rescued by ALH (progressing further rescue of 06 more),02 under Rescue by MV KUN LUN SHAN SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 1, 2017 READ FULL STORY: Navy, Coast Guard save 39 Kerala fishermen ALSO READ | Cyclone Ockhi tales #Kerala: Relatives of missing fishermen mourn in Thiruvananthapuram, say they received no warnings of #CycloneOckhi from the government pic.twitter.com/gewQlJZvPI ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 - One person was killed when a tree fell on his autorickshaw at Kulathupuzha in Kollam - A couple at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram was electrocuted when power cables fell over them - Trees and hoardings collapsed in the strong wind, which also blew away thatched roofs and roofing sheets of houses - The State Disaster Management Authority has issued alert to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam districts Satellite image of Cyclone Ockhi across South India. (Image Courtesy: skymetweather.com) Southern Naval Command deployed 3 ships & 2 aircraft following request by District Collector, Trivandrum for assistance in search of 6 fishing boats with fisherman & 1 Marine Engineering vessel missing near Vizhinjam, due to cyclonic storm developed in Indian Ocean off Kerala. pic.twitter.com/2fShFmu1NS ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017 SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) November 30, 2017 With a speed of 38 kmph at 8:30 Thursday morning, the cyclone lay centred about 340 km west-northwest of Galle in Sri Lanka, 60 Km south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and 120 km southwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and 480 km eastsoutheast of Minicoy in Lakshadweep. It has moved west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands in the southeast Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks lying 200 to 400 km to the West of the South-West coast (Kerala) of India. Cyclone Ockhi is approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago, a top official at the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in Delhi today. Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry, said the archipelago 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. (PTI) Earlier today, the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) had put out an alert saying that the system could intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm. It further said the storm could re-curve towards the Mumbai-Gujarat region on the West Coast, after being influenced by an incoming western disturbance from the opposite direction. Heavy rainfall and storms in Tamil Nadu in the first week of November this year killed at least 12 people and thousands took shelter in relief camps, triggering fears of the 2015 floods repeat. It had killed more than 400 people, displaced lakhs and damaged property worth thousands of crores. What is a tropical depression The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea into seven categories. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface wind speeds between 31 and 61 kmph are called tropical depressions. Once the winds around the low pressure area reach at least 62 kmph, it is called a tropical cyclone and is assigned a name. The current system is intensifying rapidly. As per the IMD wind warning, squally winds would reach 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph along and off south Tamil Nadu during the next 48 hours. Another depression kicking-in The trough of low pressure over the Malay Peninsula and neighbourhood is persisting and is likely to develop into a low-pressure area over Malay Peninsula and adjoining south Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours. This system is likely to trigger a wet spell for the north coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, around December 4. (With inputs from Express News Service and agencies) Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi today visited some places hit by the Cyclone Ochki in southern Kerala that has claimed 63 lives in the state, most of them fishermen, and pitched for a better warning system to prevent recurrence of such tragedies. Thousands of fishermen and their families in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are continuously holding mass protests, demanding for search operations to continue and for relief to be provided faster. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi continued for the 12th day today. As many as 433 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 186 from Kerala are yet to be traced. The cyclone, earlier this week, had finally dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing Gujarat from destruction. ALSO READ | No tsunami says IMD as false WhatsApp alerts create panic Here are all the latest updates: The Union Home Ministry is constituting an inter ministerial central committee for the spot assessment of damage and admissibility of claims of the states hit by Cyclone Ockhi. Today's #OpSahayam #CycloneOckhi Deployment of IN & ICG assets for #SAR of missing fishermen off Kerala & Tamil Nadu coast. @CMOKerala @CMOTamilNadu @OfficeOfOPS @ShashiTharoor @PonnaarrBJP @pibchennai @PIB_India @PIBTvpm @BJP4TamilNadu @BJP4Keralam pic.twitter.com/oTeP5QI2XP Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 14, 2017 House-to-house verification process is going on and a final figure of the missing fishermen would be known once the process was over, say officials. [READ FULL REPORT] "The farmers have a ministry that looks after their interests and I think it is time that we create a ministry for the fishermen to look after their interests and make sure they are protected," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after visiting fishermen families in affected areas in Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT] TN government hikes compensation for non-fisherman families from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. (READ) The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone that hit the Kerala coast mounted to 65 with more bodies being recovered. DMK petitions TN governor Banwarilal Purohit to expedite rescue work post-Ockhi. Efforts are on to identify the recovered bodies through DNA test. In a bid to set up a mechanism to ensure the safety of fishermen, Kerala CM Vijayan said a system was being planned in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation. Kerala State control room officials said three bodies were found off the coast of Kozhikode and three from Kochi. [READ FULL REPORT] The financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh for families of Kerala fishermen killed in the cyclone would be given in one go. An amount of Rs five lakh would be given to those who are seriously injured and are not able to go to work in future as an "alternative livelihood" initiative. Today's deployment on #SAR #CycloneOckhi .@CMOTamilNadu @CMOKerala @OfficeOfOPS @PonnaarrBJP @ShashiTharoor @PIB_India @pibchennai @PIBTvpm @BJP4Keralam @BJP4TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/LQedhf51eA Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 13, 2017 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Centre has agreed to continue search operations for the missing fishermen in Cyclone Ockhi that hit the state's coast on November 29 and 30. The death toll due to Ockhi cyclone, which hit the Kerala coast, rose to 52 on Tuesday as more bodies were recovered and the search for the missing fishermen in the high seas continued. The Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami on Tuesday announced Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of fishermen who died in the cyclone that devastated the coastal areas of the state recently. Pope Francis has enquired about the hardships and sufferings caused to Kerala's fishermen community in the Ockhi cyclone that ravaged the coastal belt on November 30. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced 'livelihood assistance' ranging from Rs 48,500 to Rs 63,500 per hectare for horticulture farmers of cyclone Ockhi-battered Kanyakumari district. Kerala fishermen protestors took to the street by waving black flags and photos of the dead and missing fishermen walked about two km from Palayam to Raj Bhavan raising slogans, bringing the traffic to a standstill on the busy stretch. The death toll in the Ockhi cyclone in Kerala rose to 40 on Monday with the recovery of two more bodies even as the search operations to trace the missing fishermen entered the 10th day. Search and rescue operations to trace the fishermen missing in the aftermath of Ockhi cyclone continued for 10th day today even as 67 persons caught in the storm, returned to Kochi coast. The Goa government would provide compensation to shacks having legal validity, for the damages suffered during the Cyclone Ockhi last week. [FULL REPORT] The Indian naval ships engaged in search and rescue mission in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi today continued their operations in the high seas, searching area till the Maldives. No stranded boats, fishermen or floating bodies have been found in the sea by the naval search team during the last 72 hours, the official said. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will contribute a month's salary to the special fund being raised for the victims of cyclone Ockhi. The Kerala government has asked the Indian Armed Forces and the Coast Guard to continue search operations for fishermen missing in high seas post-Cyclone Ockhi for 10 more days. #HADR #CycloneOckhi #OpSahayam #SAR Based on reports by IN Boeing P8 i aircraft, INS Kalpeni was sent to Off Sesostris Bank/Bassas de Pedro (a traditional fishing area off Lakshadweep island).About 17 boats with 180 plus fishermen have been located.@DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 8, 2017 A decision in this regard was taken at an all-party meeting in Kerala on Friday to discuss the steps taken by the state for rescue of fishermen stranded at sea and situation in the aftermath of the cyclone that hit the coast on November 29 and 30. READ | Cyclone Ockhi: 200 people from Kerala's fisher community to be recruited to coastal police Sixty-six boats from this district were yet to be traced, while 713 fishermen were still to be rescued, in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, a top district official said. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan on Friday said all steps were being taken to trace and rescue missing fishermen in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi. A "false image" is being created against the central and state governments though they were taking up rescue, relief and rehabilitation works, Radhakrishnan told reporters in Kanyakumari. READ FULL STORY HERE | Tension at Adimalathura as Finance Minister meets protesting fishermen Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of fishermen who died in Cyclone Ockhi. Palaniswami also announced setting up of a high-level committee to go into the matter of missing fishermen and submit a report. He also announced Rs five lakh solatium to those fishermen who were affected by the cyclone and unable to pursue their profession. ALSO READ | Fishermen meet CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, seek intensive search operations The Tamil Nadu government said on Thursday (08-12-2017) that nearly 2,000 fishermen who had ventured into deep sea before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast of Kanyakumari were rescued and safely accommodated in coastal districts of various states. Principal Secretary (Information Technology) T K Ramachandran said that 1,969 fishermen on 284 boats ventured into the sea just a day before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast last week. READ | After Cyclone Ockhi, now its a sea of protest for 2000 fishermen families in Nagercoil Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today assured the families of missing fishermen in the district that steps would be taken to trace all those missing after cyclone 'Ockhi' hit the state coast. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said prime minister Narendra Modi had called the Tamil Nadu chief minister and enquired about the situation, but did not call the Kerala CM. Three bodies were recovered today off the Kerala coast, taking the death toll due to Cyclone Ockhi to 36, even as defence sources said search and rescue operations will be extended to International waters around Maldives. Family members of 19 fishermen from Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, reported missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, today met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and sought help to trace them. "It was an unprecedented calamity, which claimed several lives and caused a widespread damage to properties. The Centre should declare Cyclone Ockhi a national disaster and announce a special package for the rehabilitation of the victims," Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Tamil Nadu government today said a total of 4,501 houses in cyclone Ockhi-hit Kanyakumari have suffered partial and full damage and relief to the tune of Rs 41 lakh has been provided in this regard so far. [READ REPORT] Nuns take out a candlelight procession for the victims of Cyclone Ockhi at the National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom at Vallarpadam in Kochi on Wednesday night. (Albin Mathew | EPS) The Kerala state cabinet on Wednesday cleared a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the victims of Cyclone Ockhi, which includes Rs 20 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased fishermen and Rs 5 lakh each for fishermen who were grievously injured. [READ FULL REPORT] Boeing P8i of Indian Navy detected a fishing vessel near Kavaratti, close to Mangalore, yesterday evening. While INS Chennai has diverted for rescue, search areas are being expanded due to drift and currents in the area, said Navy spokesperson. Fishing vessel as seen from the aircraft. This video captures the essence of what Navy Boeing P-8i is doing - systematic search of every inch of possible/ probable area & providing hope to the stranded till they are rescued by our ships @nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/1sY0VXul42 SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 6, 2017 The government on Tuesday issued an advisory in view of Cyclone 'Ockhi', warning of a "rapid" rise in the water level of rivers in parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Union Health Minister J P Nadda today spoke to health ministers of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, assuring them of all help from the Centre for dealing with the possible damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi. A Coast Guard ship today located 15 boats off Lakshadweep and provided assistance to 184 fishermen on board, as part of its Cyclone Ockhi relief operations. Local fishermen will join Naval teams with INS Kabra, presently involved in search and rescue operations off Kollam port and their inputs will be taken to carry out the mission. The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide adequate basic amenities to those affected by cyclone Ockhi in Kanyakumari district. The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday said that Cyclone Ockhi was not expected to have high impact in Gujarat which is geared for the worst situation. As many as 39 people have perished and 167 fishermen were still missing after cyclone Ockhi hit Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts while 809 others were swept away to Maharashtra, the Union Home Ministry said today. Narendra Modi today said he is constantly monitoring the situation in various states arising out of cyclone Ockhi battering parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep islands and now heading towards Gujarat. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE] Light rains were expected at one or two places in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next two days. Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Gujarat's Morbi, Dhrangadhra and Surendranagar cancelled due to bad weather, reports ANI. The Kerala government today said intensified search and rescue operations are on to trace the 92 fishermen missing in high seas after Cyclone Ockhi hit the state's coast on November 29. The National Disaster Management Authority today asked fishermen in both eastern and western coasts not to venture out in the sea for the next three days as heavy rainfall is expected in many areas due to Cyclone Ockhi. The North Goa district has done a preliminary assessment of the damage caused due to Cyclone Ockhi in the coastal state. Cyclone Ockhi today moved closer to the southern coast near Surat in Gujarat and is expected to make a landfall in the state around midnight, said officials. PM Modi and Amit Shah have directed party workers to stop campaigning and instead help people in coastal regions of Gujarat move to safer places. Amit Shahs cancelled rallies were to be held in Rajula, Mahua and Shihor. (TV reports) It's likely to rain today, there will be strong winds. People have been advised not to go out at night. Those living in kachha houses will be given shelter. NDRF is on alert. Municipality & local bodies are working on their level.: Mahendra Patel, Surat DM #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lUuIpOiauW ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017 Kerala fishermen demand stringent action against erring disaster management officers. [READ FULL STORY HERE] UP CM Yogi Adityanath hands over a cheque worth Rs. 5 Cr to PM Modi from CM Distress Relief Fund towards PM's National Relief Fund, for the cyclone affected people in Lakshadweep and other States #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/vPxxQaE43A ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017 The recent cyclone has brought to the fore the lack of proper mechanism to urgently communicate with fishermen at sea about an impending natural disaster. The situation is set to change once a mechanism to improve the communication with fishermen at sea is put in place by the state government in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). [Kerala government to better offshore communication of fishermen | READ HERE] Rs 600 per hour to use a motor generator to fill water tank? Impossible, you might think. But the power-less Nagercoil is seeing this and more, as desperate residents look at help from all quarters to bring life back to normal. They shell out the extra charges to get drinking water and to charge their already-dead mobile phone batteries. [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE] With #CycloneOckhi expected to make a landfall in Gujarat, I appeal to @BJP4Gujarat Karyakartas to focus on helping people across the state. Our Karyakartas should devote themselves to providing all possible assistance and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow citizens. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2017 In Mumbai, the Western Railways has deployed extra personnel for crowd management in case of any emergency due to the cyclone. [FULL REPORT] According to the IMD, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held an urgent meeting with senior officials to take stock of the preparedness in the state ahead of the expected landfall of the cyclone today. THE STORM OCKHI OVER ARABIAN SEA MOVED FURTHER NNE WARDS & IS NOW 480 KM SSW OF SURAT LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO MOVE NNE WARDS, WEAKEN GRADUALLY & CROSS S GUJ & N MAHA AS A DEEP DEPRESSION BY TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG WINDS ALREADY STARTED. BE CAREFUL & TAKE PRECAUTIONS. pic.twitter.com/M5YymjDD7W Dr. Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) December 5, 2017 Some parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway experienced a hailstorm early today, police said. The traffic on Eastern and Western Express Highways in Mumbai has slowed down. There are traffic curbs in some places in view of the rush of followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary tomorrow. Five days after #CycloneOchki made landfall @IndiaCoastGuard continues to be at sea off #TamilNadu #Kerala & #Lakshadweep Island for Search & Rescue . Coast Guard Ship rescued 19 fishermen on board 02 stranded vessels 96 Nautical Miles off Bitra (L&M ) Islands @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/PKFBHiUkjh Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 5, 2017 All exams for Mumbai University taking place as scheduled, announced the administration. (TV reports) Mumbai police have been putting up barricades near Dadar chowpatty and Juhu chowpatty to stop people from going near the beaches, say TV reports. Cyclone Ockhi is expected to make landfall in Mumbai and coastal Gujarat on Tuesday midnight with squally winds, which may cause heavy rains in several parts of the state during the next two days. The Maharashtra government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Mumbai and adjoining districts. An official at the Mumbai office of India Meteorological Department said on account of the cyclone, the megapolis has started receiving rainfall due to spread of clouds. The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said a total of 2,604 fishermen out of the 2,864 caught in the cyclone Ockhi have been rescued. Women with all hopes of the return of their dear ones at the St Mary'schurch at Vizhinjam (EPS | Kaviyoor Santhosh) Several dozen shacks have reportedly been affected by Sunday night's swelling of waters along the coastline. The Central government has assured all help to cyclone-battered Lakshadweep, where there was no loss of lives, but extensive property damage in some islands: Lakshadweep Administrator Farooq Khan. Shibi, whose husband went missing Cyclone Ockhi, in all tears inside the St Mary's church at Vizhinjam. ( EPS | Kaviyoor Santhosh) The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday rescued another 19 fishermen from the Arabian Sea, top officials said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today donated Rs two crore from the CM's relief fund to the PMNRF to provide relief to the victims of Cyclone Ockhi. A well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to become a depression and move towards Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by December 6, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said today. The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, has reviewed rescue and relief operations being carried out in high seas and coastal areas hit by cyclone Ockhi. Women members of the fisher folk community on Monday held a protest in Kanyakumari district demanding that authorities intensify rescue operations to trace fishermen caught in the deep sea in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi. Hundreds of women held protest on the roads in Neerodi village demanding the authorities trace their loved ones who are still missing. [READ FULL STORY] In a thatched house on Poonthura beach in Kerala, 21-year-old Bobby, his 42-year-old mother Jacintha and his 17-year-old sister Nimmy are hopeless about the future. Their sole breadwinner Christy, 51, a fisherman, died in the Ockhi cyclone in high seas when he ventured out into the sea last Wednesday. [READ THE FULL STORY HERE] Four days after Ockhi hit Chellanam in Kerala, Annamma Pouly, 67, is yet to recover from the troubles she went through to shift her 74-year-old immobile husband from their house as sea water gushed in during the middle of the night. [READ HER ACCOUNT HERE] Cyclone Ockhi and the frantic scramble for organising rescue efforts down south have yet again underscored the need for permanently stationing Naval and Coast Guard ships in Thiruvananthapuram. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday sent two crore rupees from the Chief Minister Fund to the Prime Minister Fund for the relief of victims. (ANI) Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with the families of fishermen affected by the cyclone at Vizhinam in Thiruvananthapuram. She pointed out that the boats that had gone out well before the cyclone warning was issued had been found 15 days after their departure with the fishermen alive. ''If boats which went 15 days ago can come back with fishermen alive, we will make every attempt to get everybody back,'' she said. (Express News Service) [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Previously, Cyclone Ockhi had moved north-northwestwards during the past six hours and lay centered over southeast and east-central Arabian Sea , about 390 km west-northwest of Amini Divi island of Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep islands, which was hit by Cyclone Ochki, has suffered a loss of over Rs 500 crore, Lakshadweep MP Mohammad Faizal said today. Nirmala Sitharaman taking stock of Cyclone Ochki affected Kanyakumari and interacting with the locals. Very severe Cyclone Ockhi to recurve towards Gujarat, weaken gradually: Skymet Weather Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 28 more boats, carrying 321 fishermen, which were caught in rough seas due to Cyclone Ockhi, have safely reached Maharashtra's Ratnagiri coast today. [READ FULL REPORT] A total of 357 fishermen, including 71 from Tamil Nadu, stranded in sea due to Cyclone Ockhi , were rescued this morning, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today. What looked like an aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, three houses were damaged while the compound wall of a private resort collapsed as surging waves lashed the coast of Ullal in Dakshina Kannada in the last two days. According to official sources, damage to the property by huge waves has occurred in most of the coastal areas. KJ Alphons on Sunday also said that Cyclone Ockhi will not be termed a national disaster. [READ HERE] Even as the blame game over the lack of warning before cyclone Ockhi continues, Union Minister of State for Tourism and IT Alphons Kannanthanam said that the state had not received any warning until November 30. However, he later clarified that a warning had been issued on November 28 and 29 about a deep depression in the sea. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Four men three from Thiruvananthapuram and one from Tamil Nadu were rescued by the IAF and admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. They were identified as Zacharias (55), Seva Kurishu (35), and Kristudas (48) of Adimalathura, Thiruvananthapuram; and Anthony Adima (30) of Kollencode, Tamil Nadu. Another fisherman was brought dead to the hospital. A Coastguard vessel carrying 19 rescued fishermen was expected to arrive in Kochi. Moderate rain is expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry during the next 24 hours, according to IMD. [READ FULL REPORT] Indian Coast Guard ship Sarthi rescued a fisherman in rough seas during Cyclone Ockhi off Kerala coast. [WATCH VIDEO] Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will visit Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari today. She will arrive at the technical area of the IAF at Shangumugham by 3 pm and leave for Kanyakumari. Fishermen community in Thiruvananthapuram have decided to launch their own rescue operations on Sunday as 55 boats ventured into the sea to search for the missing fishermen. (IANS) TN SDMA has also warned that strong winds from North-easterly direction with speeds reaching 40-55 Kmph is likely along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast. The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TN SDMA) has issued a 24-hour warning to fishermen not to go for fishing to the Arabian sea. 68 fishing boats, out of which 66 are from Kerala and two from Tamil Nadu, have reached Maharashtra's Sindhudurg coast with total 952 fishermen on board. All are safe: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. (READ FULL REPORT HERE) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to ask the Centre to declare the Ockhi cyclone as a national calamity. (ANI) Claims of thousand fishermen stranded are false. Correct figures- 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from Tamil Nadu have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (ANI) People receive essential commodities at a relief camp following cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) Given orders to Maharashtra Maritime Board and Collector, Sindhudurg Dist. to make all arrangements for the stranded fishermen. Local authorities are already with them and taking care of all arrangements, tweets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. In all 68 fishing boats have reached, out of which 66 are from Kerala and 2 from Tamil Nadu with total 952 fisherman on board. All are safe. Maharashtra will completely look after everyone till weather permits them to go back. @nsitharaman @BJP4Keralam Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 2, 2017 A fresh spell of heavy rain is in store in some areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry with a low pressure area forming over south Andaman sea, which is "very likely" to become a depression over Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to become a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 36 hours. It is also very likely to intensify further and move towards north Tamil Nadu south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 3-4 days. (IMD) Though many fishermen from Kerala were brought ashore safely and admitted to hospitals, many are yet to recover from the shock of wrestling the lashing waves and seeing death face-to-face. Stephan, a fisherman hailing from nearby Poonthura, said: "It was the first time we were experiencing such huge waves and a rough sea. Luckily, the rescue boat came back and saved us." Most of the rescued fishermen had bruises all over their bodies and were seen shivering and begging for hot water and food when brought ashore. (PTI) Stranded fisherman being brought to Kerala coast by Indain Navy personnel in Kochi on Saturday. (PTI) Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami today requested the Centre to deploy the Indian Navy and Coast Guard for the search and rescue of fishermen who have not returned so far, and that helicopters of Coast Guard and Navy should be deployed for this purpose. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the AIADMK leader that the Centre would provide the assistance required to rescue the fishermen. (PTI) Several roads that connect Kanyakumari with many interior parts have got cut or were fully damaged due to heavy rainfall following the impact of cyclone Ockhi in the district on Saturday. (PTI) A Coast Guard advisory here said the status of weather and sea conditions should be checked on television, radio, newspapers and smartphone applications before venturing out into the sea. The merchant ships should also be alert and avoid the path of Cyclone Ockhi, it said. Fishing boats should remain in groups and during distress all the crew should remain together, it said. DMK working president M K Stalin urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in his letter to direct the Coast Guard to search and rescue "thousands of fishermen fighting for their lives in the mid sea, so as to prevent further loss of lives due to the Ockhi cyclone". Steps have been taken to prevent any possible outbreak of epidemic in rain-hit areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu Health minister C Vijayabhaskar said today. A relief worker places sand bags on the banks of a beach in Kochi in wake of cyclone Ockhi on Saturday. (PTI) Leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare cyclone Ockhi as a national disaster. He also urged the Kerala government to increase the financial aid for the injured at least up to Rs 50,000 from the present Rs 15,000. Lack of coordination had affected the government's relief and rescue operations, launched post Ockhi, he alleged. (PTI) The Southern Railway announced partial and full cancellation of some trains in the Kaniyakumari-Nagercoil section. One train service was also rescheduled. (PTI Meanwhile, relatives of missing fishermen from Kaniyakumari staged a road blockade demanding the fishermen be rescued at the earliest. Scores of women also staged protest at Chinnathurai in that district. There has been a huge demand for generator sets following the devastation caused by cyclone Ockhi in the Kanyakumari region on Saturday. (PTI) In Kanyakumari, power supply had been restored even as efforts are on to resume power supply in neighbouring areas like Nagercoil and Kuzhithurai. Officials expressed confidence that the power supply would be restored in the entire district by tomorrow. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced Rs 25 crore for expediting relief and restoration work in the district. (PTI) 261 persons rescued by @IndiaCoastGuard @adgpi and @IAF_MCC in #CycloneOckhi @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/ywhzBQLJnP Kiran_TNIE (@tniekiran1) December 2, 2017 The Coast Guard informed in a press release that on November 30, the Coast Guard District Headquarters in Kerala was informed that around 70-80 fishermen were stranded at sea due to the storm. The Coast Guard immediately sailed as many as nine ships towards Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. Further, ships based at New Mangalore were also sailed towards Kerala coast to undertake the rescue of stranded fishermen. As the cyclone intensified, coordinated search by Coast Guard ships and aircraft continued in extremely rough weather with wind speed gusting up to 150 kmph. Ships at Mumbai and Goa were also placed on maximum alert to augment efforts as required, the press release read. (PTI) As per the last report, a total of 79 stranded fishermen have been saved by the Coast Guard in coordination with other agencies. Also, the fisheries department has intimated that about 25 boats with 250 personnel are still in distress at sea. A man watches a road that has been cut off due to floods following the heavy rainfall caused by the cyclone Ockhi which left heavy damage in the Kanyakumari district on Saturday. (PTI) 138 fishermen have been rescued from the Lakshadweep islands. (PTI) So far 393 people from Kerala have been rescued, Kerala CM Vijayan said, as the state government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of those who died in the storm, in addition to the financial assistance of Rs four lakh being given by the fisheries department.Of the rescued, 132 fishermen were from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 66 from Kozhikode, 55 from Kollam, 40 from Thrissur, and 100 from Kanyakumari. (PTI) In Lakshadweep, 31 relief camps have been opened in the10 inhabited islands. So far, 1,047 people have been evacuated to the relief camps, official sources said. No casualties have been reported, with the worst-affected islands being Minicoy and Kalpeni. Seven people have lost their lives in Kerala in rain-related incidents over the past two days, official sources said. (PTI) Cyclone Ockhi has so far claimed 13 lives in Sri Lanka. Power supply, essential services and air traffic was disrupted in the stormy weather that left several buildings damaged and trees uprooted in its wake. READ FULL REPORT HERE #CycloneOckhi update @IndiaCoastGuard ship rescued 15 fishermen at sea off Vizhinjam/Quilon (Kerala) Coast and heading towards shore for safe disembarkation of fisher-folks @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/39gJrfI20Z Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) December 2, 2017 Authorities including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Coast Guard and Navy have rescued about 223 fishermen and evacuated thousands of people from cyclone hit areas, officials said, as they continued their operations on Saturday. While INS Nireekshak, INS Jamuna and INS Sagardhwani are continuing search and rescue operations in their designated areas along the coast off Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, two ships INS Shardul and INS Sharda are heading towards Lakshadweep, a defence spokesman said. (PTI) The naval ships, which left from the Southern Naval Command here yesterday, are likely to reach Lakshadweep this evening. The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Lanba briefed me on the on-going rescue operations #CycloneOchki . More fishermen rescued this morning. Rescue work to continue.Some rescued fishermen waiting in Lakshadweep Isle to get back. Details @indiannavy @DefenceMinIndia @IndiaCoastGuard Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 2, 2017 The Kerala state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the families of the deceased. #Kerala Locals have blocked National Highway for last five hours in Trivandrum's Thumba, demand better relief measures & rescue of 6 fishermen missing from the area #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/rcTY0gyDty ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Six boats and 73 fishermen that went missing in the sea have been brought back, the Fisheries Minister of Tamil Nadu, D Jayakumar, informed on Saturday. (ANI) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed rumour mongers on Saturday after it came to light that Friday's reports of a Japanese merchant ship rescuing 60 Kerala fishermen caught in the deep seas, was "fake". It was Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S.Vasuki who told the media, on Friday evening, that she wished to thank the Japanese government as one of their ships had rescued 60 fishermen and said they would arrive at the Vizhinjam coast. (IANS.) [READ FULL REPORT] Locals in Thiruvananthapuram's Poonthura came out in protest alleging rescue operations have been inadequate. (ANI) According to Thiruvananthapuram district Collector S Vasuki, 102 fishermen from the city who had gone into the sea have not been able to contact their relatives. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala: Locals evacuated to rehabilitation centre in Kochi's Chellanam. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/iAwj7Q7g94 ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 Several houses suffered damage, trees got uprooted and communication lines were disrupted as rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the Lakshadweep Islands under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi. [READ FULL REPORT] INS Nireekshak rescued two fishermen off Alappuzha coast. INS Sagardhwani fished out one cadaver, 30 km off Thiruvananthapuram coast. The ship had earlier found another cadaver. (PTI) PM Modi dialled Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami and enquired about the damage caused by the cyclone, which also battered parts of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] The Tamil Nadu government has said it will soon seek central funds for the damage caused by Cyclone Ockhi in the southern parts of the state, with Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts being the worst hit. As many as 218 fishermen from various parts of southern Kerala who were missing at sea since Thursday have been rescued and brought back so far, even as Cyclone Ockhi continued its menacing north-westward path along the Arabian Sea. [READ REPORT HERE] A rescued fisherman rushed to the ambulance from the technical area of the Thiruvananthpuram airport on Friday afternoon. Express Photo | Kaviyoor Santhosh According to a CWC advisory, the west-flowing rivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam in Kerala are likely to rise over the next 24 hours and then, slowly fall as the rains reduced. Three deaths were reported in Kerala and one in the worst-hit Kannyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, taking the toll to 12, reports UNI. A report from Lakshadweep said a red alert had been sounded as high waves posed a major threat to most of the islands in the region. (UNI) WATCH: Navy rescue fishermen off Thiruvananthapuram coast About 150 fishermen, who put out to sea from various southern districts, were rescued, Thiruvananthapuram District Commissioner K Vasuki said, adding that efforts were on to bring the rest of the stranded fishermen to the shore. The rescued fishermen included those who were saved by a Japanese cargo vessel. Kerala: Rescued fishermen brought to Trivandrim Air Force Station, later admitted to hospital for treatment #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/lB10HNPqsE ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Heavy to extremely heavy rains are likely over Lakshadweep Islands, while light to moderate rains with a few heavy spells are expected over Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to Skymetweather's latest weather update. Two fishing boats Arokia Mary and Hermen Mary from Kanyakumari reported missing due #CycloneOckhi since 30 Nov 2017 with 08 crew each rescued by Coast Guard Ship C-427 off Vizhinjam #Kerala pic.twitter.com/nyLuxkoonk ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Search and rescue effort progressing off Vizhinjam where approximately 40 people were stranded at sea. Indian Navy ships Sharda and Shardul sailed out to augment search effort, in final stages of embarking humanitarian assistance and disaster relief items for assistance at Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands , reports ANI. 130 families from Chellanam, 17 families from Kumbalangi and 18 families from Edavanakad rehabilitated from the coastal areas, reports ANI. [Read Report] Cyclone Ockhi is moving to the Arabian Sea. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says steps are initiated to rescue fishermen stranded in the rough sea, reports PTI. #WATCH: High tides seen at Lakshadweep coast #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/sxUBC4geku ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 24 people stranded at sea sighted by IN assets. Efforts underway to rescue all 24:- 07 picked up by MV ENERGY ORPHEUS,04 being rescued by INS JAMUNA ,03 rescued by trawler in area,02 rescued by ALH (progressing further rescue of 06 more),02 under Rescue by MV KUN LUN SHAN SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) December 1, 2017 READ FULL STORY: Navy, Coast Guard save 39 Kerala fishermen ALSO READ | Cyclone Ockhi tales #Kerala: Relatives of missing fishermen mourn in Thiruvananthapuram, say they received no warnings of #CycloneOckhi from the government pic.twitter.com/gewQlJZvPI ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 - One person was killed when a tree fell on his autorickshaw at Kulathupuzha in Kollam - A couple at Kattakkada in Thiruvananthapuram was electrocuted when power cables fell over them - Trees and hoardings collapsed in the strong wind, which also blew away thatched roofs and roofing sheets of houses - The State Disaster Management Authority has issued alert to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam districts Satellite image of Cyclone Ockhi across South India. (Image Courtesy: skymetweather.com) Southern Naval Command deployed 3 ships & 2 aircraft following request by District Collector, Trivandrum for assistance in search of 6 fishing boats with fisherman & 1 Marine Engineering vessel missing near Vizhinjam, due to cyclonic storm developed in Indian Ocean off Kerala. pic.twitter.com/2fShFmu1NS ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017 SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) November 30, 2017 Five people dead, 22 fishermen missing, 62 houses fully damaged, 240 houses partly damaged due to heavy rains, in Kanyakumari district. 16 rehabilitation centres established by government in which 1044 people are being given shelter. (ANI) Ockhi can lead to cloudy weather coupled with light rain for some parts along Maharashtra coast and Mumbai next week, reports said. The IMD has issued warning to all ports. Skymet predicted that there will be light rains in Saurashtra and Kutch region of Gujarat as well. Thiruvananthapuram saw a respite from incessant rains Friday morning. Several trains to and from Thiruvananthapuram were either delayed, cancelled or re-scheduled, say TV reports. #WATCH: Water logging in Sthanumalayan Temple in Kanyakumari's Suchindram #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/nDSjmpfXoz ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami announces Rs 5 lakh compensation to kin of the five deceased in Kanyakumari district due to rain-related incidents. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there were serious lapses from the side of state disaster management department. The alert from Hyderabad was not sent to the Government on time, reports ANI. [READ FULL REPORT] Indian Navys Advanced Light Helicopter has dropped a life a liferaft for 8 survivors at sea 20nm off Trivandrum and is picking up two critically injured survivors from MV Energy Orpheus. Naval Seaking helicopter being launched shortly to recover 8 survivors & additional SAR. Boeing P8I Aircraft deployed at first light from INS Rajali this morning sights 7 survivors hanging on to a capsized boat ~25 miles West of Tivandrum. A/c drops life raft in the vicinity and reported the exact position. Ships in area are being diverted to render assistance: Indian Navy Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to the DG of NDRF and reviewed the situation in areas affected by Cyclone Ockhi. NDRF teams have already been moved to the affected areas. More teams are on standby to respond to any further emergencies. The Home Affairs ministry is closely monitoring the situation, according to a the HMO, reports ANI. #Kerala: 59 people stranded due to heavy rains rescued by Navy and coastal guards in Trivandrum #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/8YziNQeaeH ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2017 A cyclone alert has been issued across the coastal regions in north Kerala as MET has predicted cyclone Ockhi will reach this part of the state also. Nearly 200 fishing boats, which left Kochi coast in the last couple of days, are yet to return. Joseph Xavier, general secretary, All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association, said, Usually, we used to receive advance warnings on the weather. But this time, there was no such notification." This is a matter of concern, given there were reports about the arrival of the cyclone at least two days ago, he said. Since most of the boats are co-owned by people belonging to Tamil Nadu and most of the workers are also from that state, it is also possible that the fishermen might have taken the boats to Colachel, Muttom and Thengapattanam, said Xavier. Kerala: Fishermen in Trivandrum go missing. Relatives say they received no warnings of Cyclone Ockhi from the government. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an emergency meeting of top officials to take stock of the situation and has asked police and revenue officials to be on high alert, reports IANS. Balakrishnan Nair, scientist at INCOIS, said that the storm surge of about one metre above astronomical tides are very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Lakshadweep Islands from Thursday night and 0.5 metre surge will inundate low-lying areas of coastal districts of south Kerala (Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts), and adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu (Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts). Four people were killed in Kerala on Thursday as heavy rains and strong winds lashed southern part of the state after cyclonic storm Ockhi hit the Kerala coast. (READ MORE) Four people died today in Kanyakumari as heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees, snapped power lines and damaged settlements close to the sea in Kanyakumari-Nagercoil-Thoothukudi region in south Tamil Nadu. Schools in seven districts of the state including Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Virudhunagar were closed today. [READ MORE] Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with 60 personnel have been sent to Kanyakumari. Another team of 47 will be on standby in Kochi in Kerala to help out in Lakshadweep if the need arises. [READ: TN CM Palaniswami: Taking precautionary steps for Cyclone Ockhi] Heavy rains have caused chaos and destruction in districts of Kerala since Wednesday. Thiruvananthapuram woke up this morning to a sustained heavy drizzle and heavily overcast skies, which hit rush hour traffic in the state's capital city. One death has been reported in the state so far. An autorickshaw driver on the outskirts of Kollam was killed today after a tree fell on his vehicle. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] Severe rainstorm &winds in Thiruvananthapuram. Here I'm struggling with my umbrella at Shankumukham Beach where #Padayorukkam is scheduled to conclude tomorrow w/ mass rally by Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/qxXvugMqHV The Southern Naval Command is also gearing up for any Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief that may be required due to the effects of the storm in the southern part of Kerala. [READ FULL REPORT HERE] S Balachandran, Director, Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, said southern districts in Tamil Nadu such as Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar will get heavy to very heavy rainfall till December 1. Cyclone Ockhi is not expected to make a landfall in Tamil Nadu. ALSO READ | High wave warning sounded for south Tamil Nadu For north coastal Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, the skies would be generally cloudy and light to moderate spells of rain can be expected. Chennai received up to 6 cm of rain between 8:30 last night and 8:30 this morning. As far as fishermen are concerned, those in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, have been asked not to venture out into sea till December 1, Thursday as the wind speed will be 65-70 kmph, meaning the sea will be rough along and off south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala coasts and Lakshadweep Islands. #cyclonealert: Check out the progress of the #CycloneOckhi #Cyclone #Ockhi #Weather #cyclone1 #Chennai #Chennairains #Kerala #TamilNadu @tnsdma @kerala_kaumudi @archvivekh @karthickselvaa pic.twitter.com/A0RNw8wJ90 The weather office has also predicted dense fog in places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. Cyclone 'Ockhi' (meaning: eye) was a name contributed by Bangladesh. With a speed of 38 kmph at 8:30 Thursday morning, the cyclone lay centred about 340 km west-northwest of Galle in Sri Lanka, 60 Km south of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and 120 km southwest of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and 480 km eastsoutheast of Minicoy in Lakshadweep. It has moved west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands in the southeast Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks lying 200 to 400 km to the West of the South-West coast (Kerala) of India. Cyclone Ockhi is approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago, a top official at the Ministry of Earth Sciences said in Delhi today. Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry, said the archipelago 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. (PTI) Earlier today, the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) had put out an alert saying that the system could intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm. It further said the storm could re-curve towards the Mumbai-Gujarat region on the West Coast, after being influenced by an incoming western disturbance from the opposite direction. Heavy rainfall and storms in Tamil Nadu in the first week of November this year killed at least 12 people and thousands took shelter in relief camps, triggering fears of the 2015 floods repeat. It had killed more than 400 people, displaced lakhs and damaged property worth thousands of crores. What is a tropical depression The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea into seven categories. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface wind speeds between 31 and 61 kmph are called tropical depressions. Once the winds around the low pressure area reach at least 62 kmph, it is called a tropical cyclone and is assigned a name. The current system is intensifying rapidly. As per the IMD wind warning, squally winds would reach 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph along and off south Tamil Nadu during the next 48 hours. Another depression kicking-in The trough of low pressure over the Malay Peninsula and neighbourhood is persisting and is likely to develop into a low-pressure area over Malay Peninsula and adjoining south Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours. This system is likely to trigger a wet spell for the north coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, around December 4. (With inputs from Express News Service and agencies) By IANS CHENNAI: After twists and turns, actor Vishal's nomination to contest the December 21 by-election to the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency here was finally rejected on late Tuesday by the Returning Officer. Initially, the poll body had rejected the actor's nomination, with Velusamy, the returning officer, stating that two of the nominees mentioned in his affidavit have claimed not to have signed the papers. The poll body said a candidate has to be proposed by 10 persons but in the case of Vishal, only eight valid proposers have endorsed his candidature. Following the initial rejection of his nomination, Vishal had a heated argument with the returning officer and staged a road-roko in front of the election office in Tondiarpet. The actor alleged that he has video evidence that the two nominees were threatened and chased from election office and that it was a ploy to prevent him from contesting the elections. Subsequently, Vishal submitted a recorded conversation with a person named Velu, said to be relative of a woman who had proposed his candidature. As per the phone recording, Velu told Vishal that the woman was threatened to give a letter to the poll body stating that she did not sign the nomination form. Later, Vishal announced that the Election Commission had, in fact, accepted his nomination. But, his joy was to be short-lived as the returning officer finally rejected the actor's nomination. Referring to the audio clip furnished by Vishal, the Returning Officer said the veracity of the person speaking therein could not be ascertained. The actor, soon after, took to Twitter and termed the rejection of his nomination as 'democracy being at its lowest low'. Democracy at its lowest low !! Disheartening to hear that the nomination made by me was initially accepted & later when I left, has been announced as invalid.#PoliticalGame Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 5, 2017 "I will not leave this here. I will choose a youngster who has been nominated as an independent candidate. I will try my best to support him and make him win to serve the people of RK Nagar," the actor had told reporters. The poll body has also rejected the nomination form filed by late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar, while accepting the nomination papers filed by candidates belonging to the ruling AIADMK (E Madhusudhanan), DMK (N Marudhu Ganesh), the Bharatiya Janata Party (K Nagarajan) and over 50 independents. Deepa's nomination papers were rejected as several columns were left blank. A total of 145 persons had filed their nomination papers of that 72 nominations have been accepted and 73 have been rejected. The last date for the withdrawal of the candidature is December 7. The Radhakrishnan Nagar seat fell vacant following the death of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016. (With inputs from Online Desk) CHENNAI: After twists and turns, actor Vishal's nomination to contest the December 21 by-election to the Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency here was finally rejected on late Tuesday by the Returning Officer. Initially, the poll body had rejected the actor's nomination, with Velusamy, the returning officer, stating that two of the nominees mentioned in his affidavit have claimed not to have signed the papers. The poll body said a candidate has to be proposed by 10 persons but in the case of Vishal, only eight valid proposers have endorsed his candidature. Following the initial rejection of his nomination, Vishal had a heated argument with the returning officer and staged a road-roko in front of the election office in Tondiarpet. The actor alleged that he has video evidence that the two nominees were threatened and chased from election office and that it was a ploy to prevent him from contesting the elections. Subsequently, Vishal submitted a recorded conversation with a person named Velu, said to be relative of a woman who had proposed his candidature. As per the phone recording, Velu told Vishal that the woman was threatened to give a letter to the poll body stating that she did not sign the nomination form. Later, Vishal announced that the Election Commission had, in fact, accepted his nomination. But, his joy was to be short-lived as the returning officer finally rejected the actor's nomination. Referring to the audio clip furnished by Vishal, the Returning Officer said the veracity of the person speaking therein could not be ascertained. The actor, soon after, took to Twitter and termed the rejection of his nomination as 'democracy being at its lowest low'. Democracy at its lowest low !! Disheartening to hear that the nomination made by me was initially accepted & later when I left, has been announced as invalid.#PoliticalGame Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 5, 2017 5th Dec 2016, #Amma died, 5th Dec, 2017, #Democracy died....#SadReality#RIPDemocracy Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 5, 2017 "I will not leave this here. I will choose a youngster who has been nominated as an independent candidate. I will try my best to support him and make him win to serve the people of RK Nagar," the actor had told reporters. The poll body has also rejected the nomination form filed by late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar, while accepting the nomination papers filed by candidates belonging to the ruling AIADMK (E Madhusudhanan), DMK (N Marudhu Ganesh), the Bharatiya Janata Party (K Nagarajan) and over 50 independents. Deepa's nomination papers were rejected as several columns were left blank. A total of 145 persons had filed their nomination papers of that 72 nominations have been accepted and 73 have been rejected. The last date for the withdrawal of the candidature is December 7. The Radhakrishnan Nagar seat fell vacant following the death of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016. (With inputs from Online Desk) By Online Desk Daswant, the accused in the murder and rape of Hasini, a seven-year-old in Chennai and the suspected killing of his mother was arrested in Mumbai. According to a Newsminute report, Daswant was arrested by a special force in Mumbai and is currently waiting for a transit warrant to bring him to Chennai. 23-year old Daswant was out on bail in the Hasini case when his father moved the court claiming that the Chennai police cannot implicate him in Goondas Act. Daswant went missing while on bail and his mother, 45- year old Sarala was found bludgeoned to death, with her jewellery missing. Daswant is the suspect in the murder. According to various reports, it was Daswant's father who accused him of the murder. Hasini, a seven-year-old was found murdered in her apartment complex in Chennai's Mugalivakkam in February. The girl was allegedly lured and sexually assaulted by the (then) 22-year old mechanical engineer, Daswant who resided in the same complex. The accused then allegedly murdered and burnt her body. The Mahila Court framed charges against Daswant and the trial in the case was set to begin on December 5. The case was adjourned as Daswant went missing. Daswant, the accused in the murder and rape of Hasini, a seven-year-old in Chennai and the suspected killing of his mother was arrested in Mumbai. According to a Newsminute report, Daswant was arrested by a special force in Mumbai and is currently waiting for a transit warrant to bring him to Chennai. 23-year old Daswant was out on bail in the Hasini case when his father moved the court claiming that the Chennai police cannot implicate him in Goondas Act. Daswant went missing while on bail and his mother, 45- year old Sarala was found bludgeoned to death, with her jewellery missing. Daswant is the suspect in the murder. According to various reports, it was Daswant's father who accused him of the murder. Hasini, a seven-year-old was found murdered in her apartment complex in Chennai's Mugalivakkam in February. The girl was allegedly lured and sexually assaulted by the (then) 22-year old mechanical engineer, Daswant who resided in the same complex. The accused then allegedly murdered and burnt her body. The Mahila Court framed charges against Daswant and the trial in the case was set to begin on December 5. The case was adjourned as Daswant went missing. 'The Gilded Age' hires an army of RI locals to bring show to life Hundreds of people from greater Rhode Island help keep the set of HBO's 'The Gilded Age' running during filming. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Mostly cloudy skies. High 38F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be chairing a meeting on Wednesday to take a call on the controversial order to put a cap on educational expenses paid to the children of martyrs and disabled personnel. The controversial order is expected to save the government a mere Rs 5 crore and is being seen as a move that is penny wise, pound foolish. Speaking to reporters in Ahmedabad, Sitharaman said that the decision was taken by the Cabinet going by the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission and that she would have a 'relook' at it. "It is a sentimental issue and I respect martyrs and their families and I know that the order is hurting them. I will take a relook at the issue." As the armed forces and 3,200 families of martyrs still await the Ministry of Defences decision, the forces already have a plan B in the works. According to Army sources, if the MoD refuses to scrap the Rs 10,000 cap or delays it, the forces will take it upon themselves to fund the education of the wards of these officers and soldiers. "We are very clear. We will not let the martyrs' children suffer. They are our responsibility," said a senior Army officer. The armed forces have written not once but twice to Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting her to reverse the cap decision. On November 24, Chairman Chief of Staff, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba wrote to the RM requesting her to personally intervene in the issue. "These personnel have made the supreme sacrifice for the country and the provision of educational concession to their wards is a small gesture to recognise their commitment. The service HQ had taken up the matter with the MoD on October 10, 2017. However, the ministry is yet to accept the services proposal citing recommendations of the 7th CPC," Lanba said. Lanba also spoke on behalf of the Air Force, Navy and Army, requesting Sitharamans personal intervention in the matter. I would request your personal intervention for the removal of the ceiling. This is a small gesture that would assure the families of our brave men and women that the nation cares for them. The scheme under which the government bears the educational expenses of children of martyrs and disabled soldiers was announced in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 1971 two days after Pakistani forces surrendered to India at Dhaka. Meanwhile, far away from the political corridors of the South Block, an officer serving in the hills say the old adage of a nation forgetting soldiers in times of peace is heartbreaking. I don't understand politics. I am a soldier. But first they took away the rations then there are restrictions on canteen facilities and now a cap on the fee for martyrs children. If I am hit by a bullet today, will my family be taken care of? I am not sure anymore." New Delhi: On the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, Al-Qaedas Kashmir faction, Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, released an audio clip calling all Muslims in India to join jihad. In an audio clip that was released on Wednesday on one of the outfits groups on a messaging application, it said that the Babri Masjid demolition was an unforgettable crime of Hindu extremists. The voice in the audio clip is that of a person who has been named as Sultan Zabul Al-Hindi. Not much is known about Sultan. However, it might be safe to consider the possibility of him being from Afghanistan with reference to the use of the word Zabul in is name. Zabul is one of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan located on the south side. In the audio clip, Sultan talks about the mujahideen being the prime purpose of life, and that every Indian Muslim must leave his house for jihad because the enemy is preparing for war. Mujahideen is aware of all attacks on Muslims in India and we think of ways to protect them from it, Sultan is heard saying. He cements the argument by saying that the only solution is the rule of shariyat, which is what Allah wants. Sultan also talks about the Babri Masjid demolition and says that the enemy is not going to just stop at Babri but that its eyes are set on other mosques as well. He further says that jihad will protect the communitys identity and character. The audio clip further says that the enemy wants to ensure that there is an Akhlaq, Junaid in a Muslim household for it to attack which is why it is important for us to unite. Jihad is life. The outfit also calls out political parties in India, Be it BJP, Congress, DMK, TMC or BSP, all are faces of tyranny, not democracy. They only talk about rights of Muslims for votes and power. Ansar Ghazwatul Hinds clip also makes references to Pakistan, where Sultan hints at former President General Pervez Musharrafs attack on Lal Masjid. Both Babri Masjid and Lal Masjid were homes to the Gods and were one. Those who destroyed it were worshippers of the same deity. This is the second audio clip that has been released by Ansar Ghazwatul Hind in the last two months. In October this year, the outfit had released an audio clip on a conversation between the outfits leader Zakir Musa and slain militant Abu Dujana. Interestingly, the clip also comes a day after Al Qaeda leader Omar Mansour was killed in Afghanistan, along with 80 other militants, in a joint operation by US and Afghan forces. Amritsar: The British government should apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday, calling it a tragedy one "must never forget". Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday, paid a rich tribute to those who died in Jallianwala Bagh incident. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Our thoughts are with all those who died. "It is time for the British government to finally apologise. The tragedy in 1919 on the eve of Vaisakhi is one we must never forget," Khan wrote in the visitors' book at the Jallianwala Bagh here. The massacre took place on April 13, 1919 when British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, opened fire at a crowd of unarmed people, on the harvest festival of Baisakhi. A large number of people died in the incident. The former British Prime Minister David Cameron, during his 2013 visit to Jallianwala Bagh, also condemned the tragedy and described it as a "deeply shameful incident" in British history. However, he stopped short of making any official apology. Wrapping up his first official tour to India, the London Mayor, earlier today, also paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Golden Temple. During his visit, he participated in langar at the Golden Temple complex and showed keen interest in knowing how the food is prepared. Khan was also presented with a Siropa (robe of honour) by officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). "It has been a privilege for me to be in Amritsar for the last 24 hours. The Golden Temple is a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Londoners of the Sikh faith and millions of Sikhs around the world come to Amritsar to pay their respects to worship," he said while talking to the reporters. Also, sharing the same sentiments on the visitors' book of the Golden Temple, he wrote: " The warmth, hospitality, spirituality are a lesson to us all. Thank you for providing me with memories that will stay with me forever". On Tuesday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh hosted a dinner for the London Mayor in Amritsar. Khan, who was on a three-city tour to India, visited New Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to strengthen the UK's capital trade ties with India. Patna: Bihar's Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Wednesday ordered an inquiry after dogs were found sleeping on beds meant for human patients in Muzaffarpur District Hospital. Ever since pictures emerged of stray dogs sleeping on beds in the surgical ward of the district hospital, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has targeted the Nitish Kumar-led government of sheer negligence in day-to-day governance. Stung by the reports, Health Minister Mangal Pandey directed civil surgeon Lalita Singh to constitute a four-member team to look into the incident. Talking to News18, the BJP leader said, I am expecting a complete report within three to four days. We will not spare anyone found guilty of such negligence. Meanwhile, civil surgeon Lalita Singh tried to deflect the issue and blamed inadequate security guards for the incident and said, Every gate in the hospital is not guarded and these dogs enter during the night. I have directed the warden to keep only one gate open from now onwards." When asked about the dilapidated conditions of doors and windows in the hospital premises, Dr Lalita said that a letter had been sent to the building construction department to improve the infrastructure. The work will begin soon, said the surgeon. New Delhi: Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has asked the Urban Development Authority to cancel the Gurugram's Fortis Hospital's lease after News18 reported how the healthcare center charged Rs 16 Lakh from a young patient who was being treated for dengue. The Haryana government has also sought an FIR to be registered against the hospital. "We are going to lodge an FIR against Fortis for criminal negligence. We will also write to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to cancel their license. Moreover, we have also given a notice for cancellation of blood bank in that hospital," said Vij. The parents of a seven-year-old dengue patient, Adya, were billed Rs 16 lakh for a 15-day stay by Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, at the end of which, the girl died. The itemised bill, which ran 19 pages long, shows how Fortis charged the parents for 661 syringes and 2,700 gloves, among other things, that were supposedly used during the treatment. The father, Jayant Singh, who lives in Dwarka, had paid the amount upfront but accused the hospital of inflating the bill and imposing arbitrary costs. Despite the high cost, he said, the doctors paid little attention to Adyas health. Union Health Minister JP Nadda had taken note of the incident and tweeted to offer his support to the family. Please provide me details on hfwminister@gov.in. We will take all the necessary action, he tweeted. Fortis denied any wrongdoing and said it had followed the standard medical procedure. In a statement, it said that the girl was brought in a critical condition and all clinical guidelines were adhered to while treating the patient. Agartala: Hunger forced a father to sell his eight-month-old daughter for Rs 200 to another couple in Tripuras remote Peliamora village. The incident sent ripples across the state administration, who immediately sent a team of officials to the village, which falls under Khowai district, to look into the matter. The hungry tribal family, who sold their daughter, were given food and clothes by the local authorities, who further assured them of future assistance. The newborn was returned to the family. The father, who already has four children apart from the newborn, told local administration officials that he was forced to sell his daughter due to hunger and poverty. He also alleged that government schemes for poor hardly reached his village. Speaking to the News18, Khowai District Magistrate, Dr S Mahatame said, Our team is present in the village and are providing all kind of assistance to the tribal family. We are looking into the matter and will send a report to the government by tonight. There are various angles in the matter and we are inquiring under what circumstances the incident took place. No doubt that this is an unfortunate incident," said the DM. Locals allege that although Dr Mahatame is engaged in a lot of tribal welfare programs, the lower ranking officers are neck deep in corruption and prevent aid, relief from reaching the tribals. Meanwhile, opposition leaders are demanding a high-level inquiry on how the hunger-stricken familys names were not included in the BPL list. Tripura BJP President, Biplab Das said, It is a matter of shame. The Manik Sarkar government had done nothing for the poor and as a result, you can see how the poor are now resorting to selling their children. We want stern action against the local leaders. This is not the first time such an incident took place in Tripura. In May 2017, a tribal mother sold her daughter for Rs 200 to an auto-rickshaw driver, added Das. New Delhi: India is getting ready to host the 15th RIC (Russia, India, China) foreign ministerial meeting next week. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov will also be holding bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines. While, India is projecting the meeting as one that reflects its strategic autonomy, the perception that the RIC engagement also became necessary after talks of containing China through the Quad between India, Japan, US and Australia is also apparent. Last month, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit and East Asia Summit in Manila, diplomats of the four countries revived the decade old idea of a quadrilateral, largely to take on China. The growing aggression of China in the region and more specifically in the Indo-Pacific has got India, Japan, Australia and US together. though the grouping did not issue any joint statement and continued to stress that it is not an exercise at targeting China. The US issued a statement saying the grouping discussed their shared vision for increased prosperity and security in a free and open Indo-Pacific region. A day later, the Chinese foreign ministry warned that the Quad should not target a third party. With the RIC meeting on 11th December in New Delhi, India believes it will send out a message that while it is part of the Quad it does not mean it will neglect the other fora that it is part of and will continue to engage with various countries on different platforms in its interest. CNN-News18 has also learnt that New Delhi wants to convey a message to Beijing that both sides should set a forward looking agenda after Doklam. There is also a clear message for Russia. New Delhis growing proximity to the US and Russias perceived inclination towards Pakistan of late has seen the two cold war allies appear to be in different zones. India wants to allay Russias concerns as well. In a glimpse of what will be communicated to Sergey Lavrov, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Gokhale said yesterday at a think tank that there was need to nurture and foster the special and privileged strategic partnership amidst the fast unfolding global changes. Issues like terrorism and Masood Azhar, regional connectivity and Indias NSG bid are all expected to come up for discussion. News 18 has learnt that India is prepared for some amount of jostling on tricky subjects especially where China has shown no change of position - like designating Masood Azhar a UN proscribed terrorist and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. But India is prepared to put it points firmly again. A joint communique will be issued after the one and a half hour meeting and working lunch. New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has cancelled BJP MP Subramanian Swamys talk on Ram Mandir, while another event with CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat was given a go-ahead only to be called off later. In a note, warden of Koyna Hostel where Subramanians talk on Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was scheduled said that competent authority has decided that no talk will take place in the hostel. Hence the event has been cancelled. Reacting on the development, the BJP MP told CNN-News18, "I am not surprised. JNU is fearful that my ideas will influence the youth. The Left is threatened by my arguments. My arguments on Ram Mandir are so powerful that they won't be able to stand it." While the event had been planned by the students of the School of Languages and Sanskrit Centre, another faction of student leaders welcomed the move saying the Ayodhya dispute is subjudice and thus it should not be discussed and debated upon. Facing flak for letting Karat's event on the same issue to go on and cancelling the Swamy's event, the university authorities later cancelled all events that were scheduled on the Babri Masjid dispute. The student organizers, who identify themselves as Hindu samarthak, had sent out an invitation for Swamy event on December 6, to mark the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, to salute the martyrs of Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Mishra, who is known also known as the Yogi of JNU because of his saffron attire, told News 18, There was no such problem earlier, we had sent out the invite and it was all finalized. Suddenly, the administration showed its anti-Ram and anti-Hindu face. He added, If it was Nivedita Menon, they would have let it happen. If there would be a meet on anti-Indian forces that shout Bharat tere tukde honge, they would have not cancelled it. Is Ram not part of India? An invite for the Subramanian Swamy event that was sent out by the organizers. (Image: News18) Moreover, Mishra is fuming over the fact that while his event was, another event of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union on "Reclaiming the Republic: In Defence of Our Syncretic Culture, Constitutional Morality and Secularism" at Sabarmati Hostel is still on. The speakers for the second event were Prakash Karat, Prof Jayati Ghosh from JNU, Kavita Krishnan Secretary (AIPWA) and Albeena Shakil, former JNUSU President. The Subramaniam Swamy event was being organized by motley of independent students affiliated with the ABVP. We identify ourselves as JNUs Hindu samarthak students and it was our initiative to talk about Ram, who is part of Indian culture. I am planning to bring together students with similar affiliations under a Sangh, in order to work together and better. Mishra, who had also contested for the recent JNUSU elections, calls himself, Ambedakrite Yogi" and a "Hindu leader of JNU. He has written a chalisa for BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. Shabana Ali, a student leader from BAPSA and Centre for Arts and Aesthetic said, "There is no question of this talk as the Ayodhya dispute is subjudice. We cannot forget the violence that followed after the mosque demolition. It is a sensitive issue. The administration has taken the right decision." Patna: A retired Armyman in Bihars Bhojpur district was jailed on Wednesday after his son dialled the local police from Delhi and complained about his inebriated father creating a ruckus in the house. Consuming liquor is a non-bailable offence in Bihar ever since the Nitish Kumar government imposed a complete ban on alcohol. Ex-Armyman Rambihari Singh of Babhniyav village under Jagdishpur police station would often beat up family members after consuming liquor. He did the same on Tuesday night and started thrashing his relatives. His wife called up her son Bittu Singh, who works for a private company in Delhi and informed him about his father. Bittu in turn called up the Jagdishpur Police station and complained about Rambihari. The police acted swiftly and arrested Rambihari from his village and a local court in Arrah sent him to jail on Wednesday after conducting medical tests. The tests confirmed that he had indeed consumed liquor. Assistant Sub Inspector Baidyanath Chaudhary told News18 that this was a first in the district since the state-wide ban on alcohol. Now mobile numbers are written on the electric transformers in every village, which makes it easier for the villagers to inform the police about liquor consumption or liquor trade, Chaudhary said. New Delhi: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that the "norm in the good old days" was to never discuss women, politics in the forces and that it should be avoided. "The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity," he said. Rawat was speaking at an event organised by the United Service Institution. In the "good old days", the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces, he said. However, these subjects were gradually "inching" their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added. "Whenever (any) issue (of) linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then... that is best avoided," he said. The army chief declined to elaborate on the statement. The defence forces, he asserted, do best when they don't meddle in the political affairs of the nation. Responding to criticism over the Army being asked to build foot overbridges following the stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone railway station in October, Rawat said there is a charter of aid to civilians under which the armed forces help out in times of crises like floods and earthquakes. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is also chairman of the powerful chiefs of staff committee (CoSC), has taken up the issue of capping educational assistance with the defence ministry, he said. There has been some resentment in the three services of the armed forces over the defence ministry's decision to cap the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 per month. Rawat added that there was a "misunderstanding" on the issue and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured that addressing the problem was a priority, Rawat added. The Army chief also noted that there was radicalisation among the youth by terror outfits and the issue was being addressed. Lingerie vending machines will be launched at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here in February next year. Radhika Goenka, the heiress to the Welspun Group, took the first step and started her own line of women's innerwear -- Lingerie Shop in Mumbai. And now she is getting it to Delhi. "We have just launched our first vending machine at VAMA Departmental Store on Peddar Road, Mumbai, and are planning to launch the next one at the Delhi international airport by February 2018," Goenka told IANS. The vending machine will offer bras and underwears from the first all-black collection Be Mine. "There is a stereotype attached with buying lingerie in public or even talking about it for that matter. The vending machine has been launched to change that perception. "The Lingerie Shop vending machine is a small step towards revolutionizing the Indian lingerie industry with intelligent innovation," Goenka added. Commuters and desk jockeys with daily Starbucks habits, take note: The coffee giant has launched another Starbucks for Life promotion this holiday season. For the third consecutive year, loyal customers can try their hand at winning 30 years' worth of free food and beverages. Consolation prizes include Starbucks for a Year, Starbucks for a Month and Starbucks for a Week. Starbucks Rewards members can increase their odds of winning by making a purchase on their registered Starbucks Card or on their mobile app between Dec. 5 and Jan. 8 and earn bonus points and extra game plays at www.starbucksforlife.com in the US or www.starbucksforlife.ca. In total, five players from the US and one in Canada will win the grand prize of Starbucks for Life. New this year, the contest will also be open to non-Starbucks Rewards members. Non-members will have the option of selecting "Not a Member" and enter their email address to enter. The coffee chain is feeling particularly generous this year, as it will also be handing out 50,000 $20 gift cards for free at community celebrations like tree lighting ceremonies and caroling events across the US this month. That's equal to $1 million. Starbucks is about to open what they're calling their most ambitious project ever, with a massive new interactive Reserve Roastery store in Shanghai that will feature everything from augmented reality experiences to a 3D printed tea bar and coffee theater. On Wednesday, the coffee company's second ever Reserve Roastery store -- originally described as a "Willy Wonka" coffee theater for the Seattle opening in 2014 -- will open its doors in Shanghai as the biggest Starbucks store in the world. The coffee giant has not been shy about singling out China as one of its top priority markets: Shanghai boasts the largest number of Starbucks stores in the world with 600 locations, and China is the company's fastest-growing market with more than 3,000 stores across 136 cities. Put another way, a new store opens in China every 15 hours. Last year, the company unveiled its five-year plan which involves doubling the number of Starbucks stores in China to 5,000 by 2021, and one day making China the chain's largest market, ahead of the US. One of the biggest centerpieces for the new 2,700 square-meter (30,000 square-foot) space is a soaring two-story copper cask, hand-engraved with 1,000 traditional Chinese stamps to tell the story of Starbucks coffee history. For the first time, Starbucks will serve Chinese coffee made from beans grown in Pu'er in Yunnan Province and roasted at the store by a team of eight Chinese coffee roasters trained by Starbucks specialists. The Yunnan Reserve coffee, which is described as a rare, yellow, honey-processed coffee, will be available exclusively at the Roastery store in Shanghai, and marks a new step for China as a coffee-growing country and bean-to-cup producer. In a statement, executive chairman Howard Schultz called the store "our boldest, most premium store ever." Augmented reality The Shanghai Roastery will also be one of the most advanced digital locations for Starbucks with augmented reality technology. After downloading related apps, visitos can point their smartphones at key features around the space that will call up educational videos and graphics on the bean-to-cup story. Not unlike a wine bar, the Shanghai Roastery will also feature three coffee bars where visitors can sip and swirl a selection of rare, small-lot reserve coffees prepared in a variety of brewing methods. Wooden bars, one of which spans 27 meters (88 feet), are handcrafted by Chinese artisans, and inspired by the roasting curve of individual coffee beans. Finally, the Shanghai Roastery will also feature a modernized tea experience at a Teavana bar, which pays tribute to China's ancient tea traditions with handcrafted tea creations and tea "mixology." The tea bar is also created from recycled materials, and 3D printing technology. More Roastery stores are planned for Tokyo, Milan and Chicago. Feeling lucky? JetBlue has launched a unique contest that will reward three US travellers with an all-you-can-fly pass for one year. Modeled after their original All You Can Jet pass first launched in 2009 which granted unlimited travel for one month for $599, the contest will give away three similar passes, equal to a free pass on the carrier's network. There are no blackout dates, and passes also entitle the winner to flying with a travel companion. Travellers who book non-refundable flights or a JetBlue Vacations package until December 15 will be automatically entered into the contest. But consumers can also enter without making a big ticket purchase, by simply sending in their personal information -- name, address and contact info -- the old-fashioned way via snail mail. Want to up your odds of winning? Consumers can submit one entry a day until the contest closing date. The All You Can Jet pass is good for travel between February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019 and applies to the 100 destinations and flight routes within the JetBlue network. The winners will be announced December 27. Buffet-style flying, meanwhile, does exist as an option for frequent flyers. Surf Air, for example, is a subscription-style service that offers unlimited flights in California for a monthly fee. Boutique airline La Compagnie also launched all you can fly passes for travel between New York and Paris for $40,000 good for one year. And OneGo generated much media hype last year for launching as a subscription-based air travel service for domestic travel within the US. Details on the JetBlue contest can be found on the JetBlue site. On Monday, December 4, the baby panda born earlier this year at France's ZooParc de Beauval was officially named Yuan Meng. The naming marks a new milestone in the life of the cub, now four months old, who is also celebrated on a postage stamp. And "pandamania" shows no sign of waning. Here's a look at some of the world's other star giant pandas and, in particular, at zoos that have recently welcomed baby pandas. Europe Berlin, Germany The German capital has been a top destination for panda lovers for many years. The city's zoo was previously home to Bao Bao, who died in summer 2012, originally gifted to the country by the Chinese communist leader in November 1980. In fact, Bao Bao lived to be the world's oldest male captive panda. Now, pandas are back on the bill with the arrival of two new additions in 2017, a female named Meng Meng and a male named Jiao Qing. German zookeepers are hoping to echo Beauval Zoo's happy event, with the arrival of a baby panda in the next three years. Brugelette, Belgium Pairi Daiza is one of 21 zoos in the world that are on the "pandamania" map. The Belgian zoo is home to no less than three individuals, including a cub born in the country on June 2, 2016. Tian Bao is a young male born to Xingh Hui and Hao Hao, who arrived in February 2014. Vienna, Austria Tiergarten Schonbrunn, or Vienna Zoo, was in the limelight in 2016 with the arrival of two baby pandas. In November 2016, some 12,000 web users submitted suggested names for non-identical twins Fu Ban (male) and Fu Feng (female). Mother panda Yang Yang's two offspring are now a top attraction at the zoo. Madrid, Spain Madrid is one of four European zoos that can boast being home to three pandas. Its latest addition is a female called "Chulina," a name meaning "Cutey" and paying homage to Chulin, the first panda born in captivity in Europe 34 years ago. The Spanish capital's zoo is, in fact, something of a specialist when it comes to baby pandas, with four previous births: Chulin in 1982, twins Po and De De in 2010, and Xing Bao in 2013. All were males. North America Toronto, Canada Several million visitors have already met baby pandas Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, born in 2015. Panda parents Da Mao and Er Shun are on loan from China for a period of 10 years. The giant pandas arrived in Canada in 2013. The whole family can currently be admired at Toronto Zoo. Atlanta, USA At Zoo Atlanta, twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun celebrated their first birthday in September. Although giant pandas can be seen at other American zoos, this is the only place in the USA to catch sight of twin baby pandas. Those who can't make it to Atlanta can check out the animals via a webcam, with footage broadcast on the official Zoo Atlanta website. Asia Tokyo, Japan Ueno Zoo in Tokyo saw the birth of its first baby panda for five years on June 12. Like Yuan Meng at ZooParc de Beauval, the female cub was in the spotlight as soon she arrived in Japan's oldest zoo. The panda was named Xiang Xiang at the end of September. Pandas can also be seen in zoos in the region of Kobe and in Shirahama. France is the fourth European country to see the birth of a baby panda, after Austria, Belgium and Spain. In total, 22 countries worldwide have received pandas on loan from China, including seven European countries. Chennai: The flip-flop over Actor Vishal Krishna's nomination papers for the December 21 RK Nagar bypoll continued as he sought to raise the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind's office through Twitter. The actor also met the chief electoral officer and urged him to reconsider the rejection. The vacancy was caused following the death of then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on December 5, last year. "To the people, I look upto, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn... I am Vishal,I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails (sic)," he said in the tweet. To the people, I look upto, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn I am Vishal,I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails. Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 6, 2017 The combative actor also said he planned to meet Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit to lodge a "complaint," on the matter. The actor-producer met Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni at the Secretariat here and later said he had submitted a written complaint detailing Tuesday's events that led to the ultimate rejection of his nomination papers. "People know what happened on Tuesday. They know how a rejected application was reconsidered before being rejected again. I have submitted a complaint to him (Lakhoni) on all that happened," Vishal told reporters. Democracy at its lowest low !!Disheartening to hear that the nomination made by me was initially accepted & later when I left, has been announced as invalid.#PoliticalGame Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 5, 2017 On Tuesday, the office of the Returning Officer (RO) for RK Nagar bypoll witnessed drama when RO K Velusamy rejected Vishal's nomination, prompting the actor to stage a dharna. Vishal had later claimed his nomination was accepted, and "thanked" the EC for the same. However, the RO, late in the night, said Vishal's nomination had been rejected after a summary enquiry. In his order, he said only eight valid proposals had been received for the actor as against the required ten. Two among the 10 proposers - Sumathy and Deepan- appeared before him in person and claimed it was not their valid signatures (in the nomination papers), the RO said. "Sumathy and Deepan appeared before me in person and submitted a written representation stating that they had not proposed the nomination of Vishal Krishna," Velusamy said. They submitted that their signatures had been forged, the order read. The veracity of an audio clip submitted by Vishal that Sumathy appeared before the RO on "coercion" by some persons and not on her own volition could not be ascertained, the election official said. Vishal said even if there were any discrepancies, the candidate should be given 24 hours, apparently indicating time should have been given for his response. The electoral officials "should reconsider rejection of nomination," he added. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters at his residence, Vishal denied he was being 'propped' up by DMK, Kamal Haasan or sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. The 40-year-old actor said he wanted to contest as a 'representative' of the people. (With PTI Inputs) Ahmedabad: Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting as an Independent candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections, alleged on Tuesday that his convoy was attacked by BJP supporters. The ruling party has denied the charges. The 34-year-old is contesting from Vadagam in Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with outside support from the Congress, who havent put up a candidate here. The constituency, around 200km from Ahmedabad, is reserved for SC candidates. Police said one of the vehicles in his convoy was hit by a stone, damaging its window, but no one was injured. "A vehicle in Mevani's convoy was hit by a stone but nobody was injured. Mevani was in another vehicle. We will initiate whatever legal proceedings are required in the matter," said Banaskantha SP Niraj Badgujar. Mevani said the BJP was scared of him and that's why it was resorting to such acts. "Friends, supporters of the BJP today attacked me at Takarwada village. The BJP is scared and therefore it is resorting to such acts. But I am a revolutionary, will not get scared," Mevani wrote on Twitter in Hindi. In another tweet, he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if it was "your idea or (BJP chief) Amit Shah's to attack those who are winning election, because this is not Gujarat's tradition". However, the BJP denied Mevani's allegations. Gujarat BJP spokesperson Jagdish Bhavsar said his party had nothing to do with the attack on Mevani's convoy. "These are false allegations. Even our Chief Minister (Vijay Rupani) has said we should celebrate this festival of democracy (elections) in right spirit and not indulge in violence," Bhavsar said. Mevani is pitted against Vijay Chakravarthi of the BJP. The seat is currently held by Manibhai Vaghela of the Congress. The Congress had asked Vaghela not to contest from the seat "as part of an agreement" with the Dalit leader. (With PTI inputs) Bhavnagar: Nitinbhai Ghelani and Kuldeepsinh Gohil were sitting together and having tea at a makeshift office for Congress candidate Dilipsinh Gohil. Neither is a Congress worker, nor are others in the gathering. Ghelani is the Bhavnagar district convener of Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and Gohil is a local Kshatriya activist. Both have decided to throw their support behind Dilipsinh Gohil, who is challenging BJPs Gujarat President Jitu Vaghani. Strange as it may sound, but new faultlines have emerged this election season in Gujarats caste-conundrum. Patels and Kshtriyas the two dominant social groups in the states socio-economic landscape have been traditional rivals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Palitana in Bhavnagar and in his speech he brought up an issue that is emotive for both Patidars and Kshatriyas. In 1983, some clashes took place in Mangarh village of Bhavnagar district. Three Kshatriyas were killed by some Patidars and then about a dozen Patidars were killed in retaliation. Those were one of the deadliest clashes that took place in the district. Today, Kshatriyas and Patidars of Bhavnagar are more united than ever, says Ghelani. That sharp division in the society led to the mobilisation of KHAM (Khshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) communities under Madhavsinh Solanki in 1985 when Congress won 148 seats in the state assembly. The counter polarisation, thereafter, led by Patel resuscitated BJP not only in Gujarat, but also gave the party a strong toehold to expand its political footprint in other parts of the country as well. Gohil leader claims the two communities have healed old wounds in recent times. The massacre happened 34 years ago. It was much before any of us were born. We dont identify as much with the riots of the past, but with events which we are witness to, he says. The recent events Gohil referred to was a land dispute between BJP state President Jitu Vaghani, the sitting MLA from Bhavnagar East, and local Karadiya Rajputs. Ghelani, who hails from Budhel village in Bhavnagar, says In my village, there was a land dispute between Vaghani and the village sarpanch. Vaghani used his might to initiate action against our sarpanch, which angered locals greatly. He had to face protests in his own constituency. The seven assembly constituencies of Bhavnagar district have around 16.26 lakh voters, with 7.77 lakh women and 8.48 lakh women. The largest caste group in Bhavnagar is the Koli Patels, an OBC community with nearly 3.91 lakh voters. Patidars form the second largest caste group, with 1.61 lakh voters, followed by non-Rajput Kshatriyas with 1.05 lakh voters. Karadiya Rajputs, the community that head earlier expressed displeasure with Vaghani, has 45,000 voters. Together, Patidars, Kshatriyas and Karadiya Rajputs form 3.11 lakh voters, nearly as much as Koli voters. BJP is confident of retaining the Koli vote. The party is hoping its popular Koli leader and state cabinet minister Purshottam Solanki, who is contesting from Bhavnagar Rural, will keep the community with the BJP. New Delhi: Shiv ji ki baraat, is how Arvind Kejriwal often describes the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) an amorphous political outfit where people from divergent ideological streams are welcome, be it the political Left or the Right. Kumar Vishwas by his own admission is a tad Right of the Centre. The poet became an activist during the Anna Hazare movement. He donned the political hat to contest against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Now Kumar Vishwas is a rebel within voicing his disaffection with the party openly, in party platforms and in the presence of AAPs top leadership. But is the party listening in to one of its top crowd pullers after Kejriwal? Last month, AAP revoked suspension of known Vishwas baiter Amanatullah Khan. The Okhla MLA had accused Vishwas of being an agent of the RSS. Khans return to the party was strategically timed, just ahead of the AAPs National Council meet. Vishwas, though rankled, chose to attend the party conclave. His name was not among the top speakers at the meet, and though he was invited twice to speak, he chose not to. Not even on Rajasthan a state of which Vishwas is in charge. Recently, at the AAPs fifth foundation day celebrations at Delhis Ramlila Maidan, Vishwas was the only leader (there were delegates from 22 states) to strike a discordant note. The surest way to extinguish a movement is to turn it about faces, Vishwas said in a thinly veiled attack on Arvind Kejriwal. Vishwas also remembered friends and colleagues who had been alienated, ek saathi aur bhi tha, due to lack of communication, miscommunication, ego. Visibly uneasy, AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia, Ashutosh and Pankaj Gupta sat with their heads bowed as Vishwas continued his tirade lashing out against the growing personality cult in AAP. All eyes were on Kejriwal as he walked onto the stage but he did not betray even a single sign of unease, in fact, he sat right next to Vishwas. It was Gopal Rai who took a dig at some Mir Jafars who are amongst us donning the trademark AAP cap. With the rift out in the open, Vishwas on Sunday called a meeting of disaffected party volunteers at party office. At the AAP office, it was an uncommon sight the party had not only opened its doors for the rebel leader but also treated the disaffected workers to endless cups of tea. Sandeep Narwani, volunteer who has been with AAP right from the beginning and was with Vishwas during 2014 campaign in Amethi, says, I am not able to live with this infighting, best of friends have gone to different camps. And then there was Zahiruddin from Mustafabad who was concerned with the organisation becoming weak. He feels it is evident that our leaders are not united and this is causing pain, the more united our leaders are, the more motivated we will beparivaar mein tod nahi hona chahiye Most of the workers who had gathered complained that Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister had become inaccessible which was not the case during the Anna movement. Mehendar Prasad Vishwakarma, a party worker from Tughlakabad, said, When the party was formed Kejriwal had time for us. After coming to power, there is no time. Party workers are not given weightage. Later in the afternoon, Vishwas addressed the press and proclaimed it was time for AAP 2.0. He also gave a call to all those who had been thrown out of AAP or moved out to make a return specifically, Anjali Damania, Subhas Ware, Mayank Gandhi, Dharamveer Gandhi, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. Vishwas added for good measure that talks with all these individuals, were already on! AAP leader and close Kejriwal aide Sanjay Singh, however, was quick to nip any talks of rapprochement with Yogendra Yadav and others. Ashutosh, another close aide of Kejriwal, played down the challenge thrown by Vishwas at the party office remarking that it was a sign of internal democracy. Meanwhile, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India, said There is not an iota of truth in news reports about our talks with AAP or with Kumar Vishwas. Nor do we see anything like this on the horizon. As for Kumar Vishwas statements about AAP, I see no reason to comment on it. Prashant Bhushan also tweeted that the report was absurd. There are no talks or possibility of our returning to AAP which has betrayed all the ideals of the anti-corruption movement. However, that was not the only point of conflict between Vishwas and AAP. Two months ago, the AAP Rajasthan in-charge took a stand to that of the party and things got even more messier as he attempted a clarification that he was not against BR Ambedkar, and that VP Singhs implementation of the Mandal Commission report had widened the caste divide. AAP leaders said these were personal views of Vishwas, while he claimed he was misinterpreted. It was MLA Rakhi Bidlan statement that did not go unnoticed, This can be someones personal opinion but the party doesnt stand with him. Nor will the party ever do so in the future. One year ago, as Kejriwal was trying to find his feet outside Delhi, Vishwas had accompanied the AAP convener to Somnath Temple in Gujarat. But twelve months in politics is a long time. Today, Vishwas is his most vociferous critic. Vishwass recent avatar, a party source allege, it triggered by his desire for a Rajya Sabha seat. AAP is set to send three members to Rajya Sabha early next year and Vishwas is unlikely to be one of them. Vishwas suggestion that AAPs Rajya Sabha nominees should be decided through Swaraj in the National Council and National Executive is an idea the party may not entertain. Vishwas isolation was formalised at the AAPs National Executive meet in June. At this closed door meeting 25 of the 26 members of the NE, grilled Vishwas on his public statements against the Chief Minister just three days ahead of municipal elections and his defence found no takers. Bhopal: Opposition parties in the state are turning the heat up on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government after a state cabinet minister faces an arrest warrant in the 2013 murder case of a Congress MLA. The opposition had earlier as well raked up the issue in the assembly, seeking removal of tainted legislators. Lal Singh Arya, the General Administration Department Minister, has an arrest warrant against him by the Bhind court in connection with the murder of former Gohad Congress MLA Makhan Singh Jatav. The MLA had earlier, on six occasions, not turned up at the court in response to bailable warrants but this time, the court issued a warrant. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dodged media queries on Aryas case during a function. During hearings, the court had included Aryas name as an accused but the minister received a reprieve from the High Court. The matter landed in Supreme Court thereafter. On Wednesday, Congress workers staged a protest against Arya and the state government for sheltering the minister. I am a law-abiding citizen and there is no question of contempt of court, said Arya while talking to News18, adding that the Congress was not able to digest the success of a Dalit politician. Jatav, a former Congress MLA from Gohad in Bhind district, was shot during an election campaign on April 13, 2013. Despite allegations raised against him, Arya was not named by the Police in the case and later, CBI too did not mention him in the probe. However, this year on May 19, the court of Judge Yogesh Kumar Gupta, responding to a petition from Jatavs family, added Aryas name as an accused. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday trained guns on the Congress after party leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal asked the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi case till after the 2019 general elections. Kapil Sibal, a Congress MP, argued in Supreme Court yesterday in the Babri Masjid case. He can argue in court but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019? Why is he linking elections with Ram Mandir. Now, the Congress is linking Ram Mandir with politics, PM Modi said while addressing an election rally in Gujarat. Anand Sharma, deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, hit back at the PM and said the party has nothing to do with Sibals stand in the SC. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley represented Dow Chemical who were guilty in the Bhopal gas tragedy. Is Modi asking Jaitley why he represented them? BJP has so many legal eagles. All of them have represented all kind of corrupt people. Is Modi asking them why they represented them? Congress has nothing to do with what he (Sibal) said in court. Congress stand is clear that SC must decide on Ayodhya, Sharma said. On Tuesday, BJP national president Amit Shah had also attacked the Congress to make its stand clear on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue after Sibals arguments in court. Shah said that on one hand, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is on "election tour of temples" in Gujarat, while on the other his party wants the hearing on the title dispute to be deferred. Sibal, while arguing for the Sunni Waqf Board told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that since the court's decision in the case would have "very serious ramifications", hearing be deferred till July 2019 by which time the general election would be over. "Please fix the matter in July 2019 and we assure that we will not seek any adjournments... justice should not only be done, it should seem to be done," Sibal told the court. The special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also "prima facie" rejected the demand by a battery of lawyers including Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan that the appeals against the Allahabad High Court order be either referred to a five or seven-judge bench keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the case. The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ordered a three-way division of the disputed land which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court decided to hear the matter on February 8 next year. New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday stepped up its attack on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, with party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao taking to Twitter, calling him a Babar Bhakt and kin of Khilji. Rao also accused him of opposing the movement to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Rahul Gandhi has teamed up with Owaisis, Jilanis to oppose Ram temple in Ayodhya. Rahul Gandhi is certainly a "Babar Bhakt" & a "Kin of Khilji". Babar destroyed Ram temple & Khilji plundered Somnath. Nehru dynasty sided with both Islamic invaders.Travesty & Perversity of dynasty! GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) December 6, 2017 This comes a day after lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked the Supreme Court to defer its judgment in the Ayodhya Babri Masjid Ram Janambhoomi case. Gandhi had recently 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. This was in response to a controversy that broke out after Gandhis name was found written on the entry register meant for non- Hindus after a visit to Somnath temple. Bihar Congress president Qaukab Qadri went further and claimed that Rahul Gandhi was a devout 'Sanatan' Hindu who wears the Janeu (sacred thread) all the time. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also hit out at Gandhi, likening him to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Sibal, while arguing for the Sunni Waqf Board told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that since the court's decision in the case would have "very serious ramifications", hearing be deferred till July 2019 by which time the general election would be over. "Please fix the matter in July 2019 and we assure that we will not seek any adjournments... justice should not only be done, it should seem to be done," Sibal told the court. The special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra "prima facie" rejected the demand and decided to hear the matter on February 8 next year. The BJP immediately went on the offensive against the Congress on the issue, with party president Amit Shah asking it to come clear on its stand on the issue. Hitting out at the Congress for "double standards", Shah said that on one hand, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is on "election tour of temples" in Gujarat, while on the other his party wants the hearing on the title dispute to be deferred. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too jumped on to the bandwagon on Wednesday. Kapil Sibal, a Congress MP, argued in Supreme Court yesterday in the Babri Masjid case. He can argue in court but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019? Why is he linking elections with Ram Mandir. Now, the Congress is linking Ram Mandir with politics, Modi said while addressing an election rally in Gujarat. Anand Sharma, deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, hit back at the PM and said the party has nothing to do with Sibals stand in the SC. Gandhi has been visiting several temples in Gujarat while on the campaign trail in the election bound state, irking the BJP who have accused him of flaunting religion for votes. Top executives at Apple Inc and Facebook Inc managed to find something to praise Beijing for at an internet conference in China this week, even as its Communist Party rulers ban Western social media and stamp on online dissent. China's World Internet Conference attracted the heads of Google and Apple for the first time to hear China vow to open up its internet - just as long as it can guard cyberspace in the same way it guards its borders. The tacit endorsement of the event by top U.S. tech executives comes as China introduces strict new rules on censorship and data storage, causing headaches for foreign tech firms permitted to do business in China and signalling that restriction banning others are unlikely to be lifted any time soon. "I'd compliment the Chinese government in terms of leadership on using data," Facebook Vice President Vaughan Smith said on Tuesday, citing government bodies such as the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). "The Chinese government, the CAC and MIIT are doing a fabulous job on that." Facebook and Google aren't accessible in China behind the country's Great Firewall, along with major Western news outlets and social media sites, while Apple is subject to strict censorship. The U.S firm removed dozens of popular messaging and virtual private network (VPN) apps from its China App Store this year to comply with government requests. "The theme of this conference, developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits, is a vision we at Apple share," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said on Sunday. The audience cheered him twice once when he reached the podium, and again when he bowed. His comments, however, drew criticism in the United States from Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who has previously condemned Apple for removing VPN apps from its China App Store. "Global leaders in innovation, like Apple, have both an opportunity and a moral obligation to promote free expression and other basic human rights in countries that routinely deny these rights," Leahy said in a statement to CNBC on Tuesday. "It and other tech companies must continue to push back on Chinese suppression of free expression." PERCEIVED PROPAGANDA China cracks down on any sign of online criticism of the government which it sees as a threat to social stability and one-party rule. Some embassies, business groups and foreign firms steer clear of the highly choreographed internet event, analysts say, because of the perceived propaganda. But diplomacy seemed to rule the day at the conference, held in the ancient scenic city of Wuzhen in the eastern province of Zhejiang, and neither Smith nor Cook addressed issues of censorship or cyber-regulation. Cook has made frequent trips to China over the past year, as the firm has looked to revive sales in the market and make a push into services that require working with local partners on data storage. "Companies that have sent high-level delegations to this conference in Wuzhen in the past have often done so because there is some type of significant issue with their access to the market," said an industry source familiar with the event who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. At the event itself, conference guests were treated to a bubble of the uncensored internet in hotels, including access to Google, Facebook and foreign news outlets with specialized codes handed out to guests. In discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence and tech innovation, overseas executives generally skirted the topic of regulation, though it surfaced at times. "More people come to Facebook that is in China," said Facebook's Smith at a talk on the digital economy on Tuesday. "(But) I realise not everyone in the room is familiar with Facebook." Jack Ma, chairman of China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd which owns Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, said that foreign tech firms wishing to enter the China market should abide by its laws. "(Foreign companies) are determined to come. Follow the rules and laws and if you're unhappy, leave," said Ma. "This is not a market (where) you can come and go." Watch: Honor 7X First Impressions Review | Honor Has an Ace up Its Sleeve Firming up its commitment to connect the next billion Indians, Google on Tuesday announced several India-first products and features that will be rolled out in other developing countries in the coming months. Currently, there are nearly 400 million Internet users in India along with over 300 million smartphone users. "On average, a connected mobile Internet user in India today is consuming over 4GB of data per month. At the current growth rate and given the connectivity environment, we expect this number to reach 11GB per user per month in the next four years and Google is here to help connect all," Rajan Anandan, Vice President, South East Asia and India at Google, told reporters at the company's third annual "Google for India" event here. "There are 230 million Indian language users online on Google today and 170 million of them are using our messaging service. Yet, we have over 900 million Indians who aren't connected to the Internet. Our mission is the Internet for every Indian. We'll stay focused until every single Indian is connected," Anandan stressed. At the event, Google announced Android Oreo (Go edition) that will be available for entry-level smartphones, for which India is a huge market. Android Oreo (Go edition) is available for the Android ecosystem of developers, partners and carriers as part of Android 8.1 Oreo release on Tuesday. "Oreo devices with 512MB to 1GB of RAM will get all the optimisations that come with Android Oreo (Go edition), including a better performing OS with built-in data management features and security benefits," said Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Next Billion Users Team at Google. The company also announced a new set of pre-installed lighter Google apps, including Google Go (a new app from Google Search) and Google Assistant for Android Oreo (Go edition). Google Go is light on storage and data and works efficiently on patchy connections. "It's less than 5MB to download, and search results in Google Go are optimized to save up to 40 percent data," Sengupta added. Google also announced "Files Go," an app that will help free up space, find files faster and share files offline on smartphones that come with less internal storage. The company also brought bill payment facilities on its digital payment app "Tez". "More than 70 billers will be supported, including utilities and direct-to-home service providers, on Tez," Sengupta told reporters here. "Tez" will support bill payments for Tata Power, MTNL, DishTV, CPDCL and other utility providers that will include national and state electricity providers, water, DTH and gas recharges. Tez has processed over 140 million transactions from nearly 12 million active users. There are more than 525,000 merchants already on Tez. To help bikers find the most suitable route in India, Google incorporated navigation routes for two-wheelers with Voice Assistant capabilities in its Maps feature. "The India-first feature is the new "two-wheeler mode" in Google Maps. India is the largest two-wheeler market in the world, and the millions of motorcycle and scooter riders have different navigation needs than drivers of automobiles," said Sengupta. Two-wheeler mode in Maps shows trip routes that use "shortcuts" not accessible to cars and trucks. The two-wheeler mode will arrive in more countries later. In a move to empower feature phone users in the country, Google announced to bring its Voice Assistant on Reliance Jio Phone. The Google Assistant for Jio Phone will be available in English and Hindi. This is the first time Voice Assistant will be available on any feature phone. Watch: Honor 7X First Impressions Review | Honor Has an Ace up Its Sleeve Honor unveiled the latest addition to its Honor X series at a launch event in London on Tuesday. The Honor 7X, successor to the much-hyped budget offering Honor 6X by the Huawei sub-brand, boasts of a FullView display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, the smartphone also carries a dual-lens camera setup, a feat rarely seen at its price point. Set to go on sale starting Thursday as an Amazon exclusive, the Honor 7X will take on the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Lenovo K8 Note and many other budget offerings by the other OEMs in the market. To find out the best buy around the budget of Rs 12,000, let us have a look at what the top performing smartphones in the category have to offer and how the Honor 7X competes with them. Display Honor played along to the current industry trend and embedded a neat 5.93-inch near bezel-less Full HD display on the Honor 7X. With a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, an 18:9 aspect ratio and a Corning Gorilla Glass protection, the Honor 7X offers the largest display in this comparison list. Lenovo K8 Note and Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, both sport a 5.5-inch Full HD display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. The K8 Note display is further topped by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection which the Redmi Note 4 misses out on. Watch: Honor 7X First Impressions Review | Honor Has an Ace up Its Sleeve Processor The Honor 7X is powered by Huaweis in-house production - HiSilicon Kirin 659 octa-core SoC. The Redmi Note 4, meanwhile, is powered by Qualcomms tried and tested Snapdragon 625 SoC with eight cores. The Lenovo K8 Note, gains an inch here with its deca-core Mediatek Helio X23 processor. Coupled to these processors, the software running on these devices also vary. The Honor 7X runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 on top right out-of-the-box. The K8 Note runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is expected to get the Oreo update by next summer. Redmi Note 4 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow topped with MIUI 8.0 out-of-the-box. Users can now update the device to Android 7.0 Nougat though since the updates OTA release. Memory At the price point at which the smartphones are being compared, the Honor 7X carries a 4GB RAM coupled with a 32GB internal storage, which is further expandable up to 256GB using an external microSD. The K8 Note on the contrary, comes with a 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, expandable up to 128GB. Xiaomi is able to offer a larger memory variant at this price point (even lower) and hence the Redmi Note 4 comes with a 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, again expandable up to 256GB. Watch: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Black) Review | The Perfect Phone for Rs 12,999 Camera A strong highlight of the Honor 7X is its dual camera setup at the back which carries a 16-megapixel lens coupled to a 2-megapixel secondary lens. Combined, the camera setup is able to deliver depth effect. In addition to this, Honor claims that the 8-megapixel front snapper is also able to add depth effect to the images. The K8 Note matches equally to these claims with its 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup at the back. At the front, the smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel shooter with LED flash. Probably the only point of criticism for the Redmi Note 4, the device carries a 13-megapixel camera at the back and a 5-megapixel selfie shooter at the front. Battery At 165 grams of weight, the Honor 7X runs on a 3340 mAh battery, while the Redmi Note 4 carries a much larger, 4100 mAh battery at the same weight class. In comparison, the Lenovo K8 Note is a heavier device at 180 grams and carries a proportionately larger battery of 4000 mAh capacity. Price The variants in comparison here carry a price tag of Rs 12,999 for the Honor 7X as well as the Lenovo K8 Note. Xiaomi is able to beat this price tag hands down with its Redmi Note 4 as it offers a larger memory variant at Rs 1000 less, pricing the Redmi Note 4 at Rs 11,999. But then the smartphone misses out on a lot of features that the other two devices have to offer. An overall comparison of the features offered by these smartphones certainly puts the Honor 7X on the top, just edging over the Lenovo K8 Note, thanks to its near bezel-less display. Yet for those who would need a larger battery life for their daily use and can compromise on the screen size, the K8 Note or the Redmi Note 4 are the sure choices. Specifications Comparison - Honor 7X, Lenovo K8 Note, Redmi Note 4. Beijing: The official state-run newspaper in northeastern China's Jilin city, near the border with North Korea, on Wednesday published a page of "common sense" advice on how readers can protect themselves from a nuclear weapons attack or explosion. China has voiced grave concern over North Korea's nuclear and missiles programme, as well as calling on the United States and South Korea to stop provoking Pyongyang. US bombers will fly over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday as part of a large-scale joint military drills with South Korea. The North has warned the drills would push the Korean Peninsula to the "brink of war". The full page article in the Jilin Daily, which does not mention possible attacks by North Korea or any other country, explains how nuclear weapons differ from traditional arms and instructs people how to protect themselves in the event of an attack. Nuclear weapons have five means of causing destruction: light radiation, blast waves, early-stage nuclear radiation, nuclear electro-magnetic pulses and radioactive pollution, the article explained. It said the first four kill instantly. People who find themselves outside during a nuclear attack should try to lie in a ditch, cover exposed skin in light coloured clothing or dive into a river or lake to try and minimise the possibility of instantaneous death, it said. Cartoon illustrations of ways to dispel radioactive contamination were also provided, such as using water to wash off shoes and using cotton buds to clean ears, as well as a picture of a vomiting child to show how medical help can be sought to speed the expulsion of radiation through stomach pumping and induced urination. The paper also provided historical context, saying that when the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, light radiation and the blast wave caused fires and storm winds that destroyed 81 percent of buildings in the city, killing over 70,000 people. North Korea last week tested what it called its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the United States. US President Donald Trump has warned he would destroy the North Korean regime if it threatened the United States with nuclear weapons. China has rejected military intervention and called for an end to the war of words between Washington and Pyongyang. Beijing fears an outbreak of conflict or a chaotic collapse of the North Korean regime, which might see fighting or waves of refugees cross the 1,400 km (870 miles) border into China. Berlin: Germany's Social Democrats, the country's second-largest party, plans to decide Thursday whether or not to help Chancellor Angela Merkel end months of political paralysis in Europe's biggest economy. Party leader Martin Schulz has asked his deeply divided SPD to give him the green light for exploratory talks on joining Merkel in another coalition government starting in early 2018. "For us, nothing is pre-determined, nothing is automatic," Schulz said this week, while also noting that another option would be to allow Merkel to run a minority government, an idea she has so far opposed as too unstable. Schulz, a main loser of September's elections who now may be kingmaker, has vowed to extract maximum concessions for his 150-year-old labour party, including social welfare gains and steps toward greater "solidarity" in Europe. He also supports French President Emmanuel Macron's sweeping vision for EU reform as well as a departure from Berlin's insistence on austerity in crisis-hit economies. If the tough coalition poker indeed kicks off next week, Schulz will have to prove he can drive a hard bargain with Merkel, having backflipped on his repeated vows to take the SPD into the opposition. For now, it is still a long and rocky road toward a new "grand coalition" government of Merkel's conservative bloc and the SPD -- and new elections loom if they fail to reach a deal. Wounded morale For Schulz, a former European Parliament president, it is the next phase in a roller-coaster ride since he splashed onto the German political scene only a year ago, tasked with defeating veteran leader Merkel. He was initially celebrated within his party as a messiah, winning 100 percent party support in January and seeing SPD poll ratings briefly shoot up some 10 percentage points. But over the following months Schulz met the fate of Merkel's previous challengers, with his campaign, built on fighting social inequality, losing steam amid a string of regional poll defeats. In the September 24 general election, in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) protest party siphoned millions of votes from all mainstream parties, the SPD scored just under 21 percent, its worst showing since World War II. Minutes after the dismal outcome was announced, Schulz pledged to rebuild the SPD on the opposition benches, a move widely cheered by the party's rank and file. Most members felt that the past four years -- in which the SPD was Merkel's junior partner in an unhappy "grand coalition", or "GroKo" in German political shorthand -- had badly wounded party support and morale. Thousands of members had already defected from the historical working-class champions when former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder slashed back the welfare state in the early 2000s. Members decide Schulz was forced to take back his repeated snubs to Merkel in recent weeks after her talks aimed at forming a coalition with two smaller parties unexpectedly collapsed last month. With the main parties wanting to avoid the risk of new elections that might give an even bigger boost to the AfD, pressure has grown on the SPD, from within Germany and elsewhere in Europe, to avert a political crisis. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier -- an SPD veteran who, as head of state, is supposed to operate above party politics -- has since been brokering talks between party chiefs. At the three-day SPD congress starting Thursday in Berlin, Schulz will have to convince sceptical members, including a passionately anti-GroKo youth wing, to allow him to at least sound out another pact with Merkel. Schulz will seek to convince the party that the SPD, back in power, would be better positioned to improve the lives of ordinary Germans. A committed European who speaks six languages, he has also vowed to promote a more united Europe, with Berlin assuming "a progressive, a more social, a more dynamic policy". In Merkel's CDU camp, meanwhile, deputy leader Thomas Strobl has warned the SPD that "a 21-percent party can't force through 100 percent of its campaign pledges". Whatever the outcome of the eventual talks, it will have to satisfy the SPD party base, because members will ultimately vote to approve or scrap any coalition agreement. Convincing them will be a struggle, according to a new Spiegel Online poll, which found that less than 28 percent of SPD voters support another grand coalition. Tehran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his US counterpart Donald Trump's plan to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital on Wednesday, saying it would not be tolerated. Rouhani also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone, describing Trump's announcement as "wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous", according to an account posted on the Iranian government's website. He also agreed to attend a special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on December 13, which Erdogan called to discuss the issue. Rouhani had earlier been speaking at an international conference in Tehran promoting Islamic unity and marking the anniversary of the birth of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. Iran "will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities," he said in reference to Trump's Jerusalem announcement. "Muslims must stand united against this major plot." Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke at the event, saying the US move was the result of "paralysis and incompetence". "The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated," Khamenei said. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinian cause has been central to its foreign policy. The issue has again come to the fore in recent weeks amid rumours that regional rival Saudi Arabia has sought to build ties with Israel in order to better face down Iran's growing influence. Iran was dedicated to building unity among Islamic countries, Khamenei said, but "unfortunately there are rulers and elites in this region that dance to the tune of the US: they do whatever the US desires against Islam." His official Twitter account in English, which exists despite the messaging service being banned in Iran, later added: "We advise them: the outcome of what some states, in region, are doing will be as Quran says, 'their own destruction'". The Iranian account of Rouhani's conversation with Erdogan quoted the Turkish president as saying: "Trump's insolence is a result of internal differences in the Islamic world". "Now the Islamic world must demonstrate its unity and oppose this move," Erdogan reportedly said. Riyadh: Most of those detained in a sweeping anti-corruption purge of the Saudi elite have struck monetary settlements in exchange for their freedom, the attorney general said Tuesday, a month after they were locked up in a 5-star hotel. Dozens of high-profile figures including princes, ministers and tycoons are being held in Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel, now a makeshift luxury prison, in the biggest sweep of the kingdom's elite in its recent history. Some 320 people were called in for questioning and 159 people are currently being detained, many of whom have agreed to a "settlement", or handing over allegedly ill-gotten gains to the Saudi state treasury, attorney general Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said. "The necessary arrangements are being finalised to conclude such agreements," Mojeb said in a statement. The attorney general has previously said he estimates at least $100 billion has been lost in embezzlement or corruption over several decades. His latest statement comes after Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the former National Guard chief once seen as a contender to the throne, was released last week following a settlement reportedly exceeding $1 billion. Some analysts saw Prince Miteb's removal as an attempt by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 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 a recent interview to The New York Times, Prince Mohammed described as "ludicrous" reports equating the crackdown to a power grab, saying that many of those detained at the opulent Ritz-Carlton had already pledged allegiance to him. The attorney general said the bank accounts of 376 people have been frozen, all of whom are detained or linked to corruption allegations. Saudi forces also grounded private jets at airports, possibly to prevent high-profile figures from leaving the country, an aviation source 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. The government has not commented on his current status. The crackdown has exposed the kingdom's once-untouchable elite to rare public scrutiny -- Saudis on social media have quipped that the Ritz-Carlton was not the worst place to be trapped. Vatican City: Pope Francis, speaking hours before U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Jerusalem, called on Wednesday for the city's "status quo" to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts. Trump is due on Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and set in motion the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to the ancient city, senior U.S. officials said, a decision that upends decades of U.S. policy and risks fuelling further violence in the Middle East. In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis called for all to honour United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. "I make a heartfelt appeal so that all commit themselves to respecting the status quo of the city, in conformity with the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations," he said. The Vatican backs a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with both sides agreeing on the status of Jerusalem as part of the peace process. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, whereas Israel has declared the whole city to be its "united and eternal" capital. The pope told thousands of people at his general audience: "I cannot keep quiet about my deep worry about the situation that has been created in the last few days." He said he hoped "wisdom and prudence prevail, in order to avoid adding new elements of tension to a global panorama that is already convulsed and marked by so many and cruel conflicts." In 2012, the Vatican called for "an internationally guaranteed special statute" for Jerusalem, aimed at "safeguarding the freedom of religion and of conscience, the identity and sacred character of Jerusalem as a Holy City, (and) respect for, and freedom of, access to its holy places." Before making his public comments, Francis met privately with a group of Palestinians involved in inter-religious dialogue with the Vatican. "The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind," he said. He spoke of dialogue between religions "and also in civil society". "The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognising the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be," he said to the group. The pope spoke by telephone to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the crisis on Tuesday. The Vatican and Israel established full diplomatic relations in 1994. Francis, former Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II all visited Israel and Palestinian territories. When Francis visited the Holy Land in 2014, he flew directly by helicopter from Jordan to what the Vatican programme called the "State of Palestine" and visited Israel last. This irked Israel because his predecessor had always gone first to Israel and entered the territories from Israel. The Vatican signed its first treaty with the "State of Palestine" the following year. A 27-year-old man has been charged with trafficking his wife and two-month-old daughter from Sydney to India. Pardeep Lohan, an Australian citizen and a resident of Lidcombe city, appeared before Downing Center local court on Tuesday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Lohan is charged with trafficking for which the maximum penalty is 12 years jail. He has also been charged with dishonesty (maximum 5 year imprisonment) and using a forged document (10 years imprisonment). He was first targeted by detectives from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in May, The anti-human trafficking team of AFP received a tip-off about the crime in May this year. Police said Lohan used coercion, threats and deception to force his wife to go India in March. Lohan, police sources say, contacted the Immigration Department of Australia to cancel his wifes visa after she reached India. He also removed the two-month-olds passport. Both of the victims are now in Australia and being taken care of by the government. Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped down warnings of widespread Middle East unrest as he told anxious Arab leaders he still intends to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, on the eve of a much-anticipated policy speech. Amid a frantic round of telephone diplomacy, Trump told Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah that the deeply controversial move was coming, but crucially did not give a timeframe. Trump informed the president (Abbas) on his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Palestinian leader's office said in a statement that was echoed from Amman. Trump missed a Monday deadline to decide whether to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv or fulfill a campaign promise and move it to Jerusalem -- de facto recognizing Israel's claim on the disputed city. Such a move would delight both Trumps donors and the conservative and evangelical base that is so vital for the embattled president's survival.But it could also extinguish Trump's much-vaunted efforts to broker Middle East peace and ignite the flames of conflict in a region already reeling from crises in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar. The 71-year-old president will give a speech on his decision Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Anticipating widespread demonstrations, US government officials have already been ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. 'Threading the needle'? US officials talk of "threading the needle" -- fulfilling Trump's pledge, while keeping the peace process on the rails -- but critics say Trump's approach is more like "splitting the baby." Officials say he will hold off on moving the embassy right away, largely for logistical reasons, but may present a timetable for that to go ahead on Wednesday. Equally controversially, he is also expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while leaving open questions about control of the predominantly Palestinian eastern part of the city. The White House argues that such a move would not prejudge final talks and would represent the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. But it could upend a decades-old western policy -- observed by both Republican and Democratic presidents -- that stated Jerusalem's status can only be decided by negotiation. Saudi Arabia's King Salman warned his close ally that moving the US embassy was a "dangerous step" that could rile Muslims around the world. "Mr Trump! Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a raucous televised speech, echoing alarm expressed by Palestinian and Arab leaders. In his address, Erdogan warned that any move to back Israel's claim to the city would mobilize "the entire Islamic world" and even prompt Ankara to sever its recently renewed diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. Israel's government has largely been silent. It earlier left the Trump administration with the impression that moving the embassy was a "no go," leading to Trump signing the waiver the first time around. The armed Islamist Hamas movement has threatened to launch a new "intifada" or uprising. Most of the international community, including the United States, does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 'A way must be found' Following talks in Brussels with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini warned that any move which risked undermining efforts to jumpstart moribund peace talks "must absolutely be avoided." "A way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, so that the aspiration of both parties can be fulfilled," she said. In Cairo, Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit warned it would be viewed as an act of "clear aggression" against the Arab and Muslim world. The Palestinians said it would shatter any illusion about Trump's ability to fairly mediate in any talks. "That totally destroys any chance that he will play a role as an honest broker," said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Abbas. The Jerusalem Embassy Act In Israel, however, hardline Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman hailed the moment as a "historic opportunity" for Trump, expressing hope he would see the US embassy in Jerusalem "next week or next month." The US Congress has already made its aim clear in the so-called Jerusalem Embassy Act, which was passed in 1995 and which stated that the city "should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel" and that the US embassy should be moved there. But an inbuilt waiver, which allows the president to temporarily postpone the move on grounds of "national security," has been repeatedly invoked by successive US presidents, meaning the law has never taken effect. Israel seized the largely-Arab eastern sector of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, claiming both sides of the city as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of their future state and fiercely oppose any Israeli attempt to extend sovereignty there. Several peace plans have unravelled over the issue of how to divide sovereignty or oversee sites in the city that are holy for Christians, Jews and Muslims. Seoul: A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. The bomber flew from Guam and joined US F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters in the exercises with South Korea. The drills, which kicked off on Monday and will run until Friday, are being conducted at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula. They also come after North Korea tested last week what it called its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the United States. North Korea regularly threatens South Korea, the United States and their allies, and its official KCNA state news agency said at the weekend US President Donald Trump's administration was "begging for nuclear war" by staging the drills. It also labelled Trump as "insane". The drills also coincided with a rare visit to the isolated North by United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman. Some analysts and diplomats hope Feltman's visit to North Korea could spark a UN-led effort to defuse rising international tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. North Korea's state media confirmed the arrival of Feltman and his entourage late on Tuesday without offering more details, later issuing a photograph of him and two members of his team. Feltman, a former senior US State Department official, is the highest-level UN official to visit North Korea since 2012. The US State Department said on Tuesday he was not carrying any message from Washington during his visit. CHINA VISIT South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit China next Wednesday for a summit with his counterpart Xi Jinping, Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Wednesday. North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile capability would top the agenda, it said. Moon will also meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his four-day trip and visit Chongqing, Blue House spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a news briefing. Chongqing was home to Korea's government-in-exile during Japanese rule from 1910-45 and is now an industrial hub of Xi's "One Belt, One Road" initiative for infrastructure development. Moon has described the North's latest ICBM as their most capable yet, although it has several critical points to prove, such as re-entry technology and terminal stage guidance. The annual exercise, called "Vigilant Ace", is designed to enhance joint readiness and operational capability of US extended deterrence, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Around 12,000 US service members, including from the Marines and Navy, are joining South Korean troops, while aircraft are flying from eight US and South Korean military installations, officials have said. The US Air Force has said the size of this year's drill is "comparable" to previous years. North Korea has vehemently criticised the drills since the weekend, saying the exercise precipitates US and South Korean "self-destruction". China and Russia had proposed that the United States and South Korea stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes. Beijing formally calls the idea the "dual suspension" proposal. Russia also has communication channels open with North Korea and Moscow is ready to exert its influence on Pyongyang, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov as saying on Tuesday. Washington: The US House of Representatives has condemned "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims and called on Myanmar's leadership to end attacks on minorities in the northern Rakhine state, in the stiffest congressional criticism of the government in the Buddhist-majority country. The House passed a resolution on Monday, urging immediate restoration of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state where unrest has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "This slaughter must end, and our resolution ought to send a strong message to Burmese leaders that their commitment to restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedoms of all people living within Burma's borders, no matter their faith or ethnicity," House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement. Introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel, the resolution condemns the "horrific actions" of the military and security forces and calls for an immediate cessation of violence. The resolution also urges the restoration of humanitarian access to the restive Rakhine state where unrest has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar's de facto leader) to exercise moral leadership, something that's needed now more than ever," Engel said in his remarks on the House floor yesterday. "We reject the Army's claims that what's taking place in Burma is a so-called counterterrorism measure that's nonsense. It's a textbook ethnic cleansing, that's what it is," Engel said. "We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees' needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved," he said. Clashes erupted after the August 25 deadly attacks by militants on security forces in the Rakhine State, sparking a major army crackdown on the community. According to the UN estimates, more than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group have fled across the border into Bangladesh since then, triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the country. "Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut," Engel said. "The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it's not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now," he said. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, said that as Congressional fact-finding mission has noted their visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State is a "severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust" American leadership. "This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against Rohingyas. As our delegation saw, there is a path forward. The Burmese government and military must fully implement the recommendations of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's advisory commission," McCollum said. Meanwhile in Geneva, at a special session on Myanmar by United Nations Human Rights Council, the US called for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation and hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. "The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the US stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma, she said in a statement. Congressman Steve Chabot said Rohingyas had long been at the fringe of Burmese society and it is no secret that the Burmese military regards them as outsiders who don't belong in Burma at all. "That is why they used attacks in August, by a rogue group of Rohingya, as a pretext to terrorise the entire Rohingya population," he alleged. "This campaign of terror and violence has worked over 600,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for Bangladesh. At least 250,000 of these are children. Further, credible human rights organisations and the media have documented numerous horrors and abuses. "Together, these atrocities amount to what has been called a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'," Chabot alleged on the House floor. Beirut: The U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem is a sign of its incompetence and failure, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday, according to his personal website. US President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Wednesday that the United States recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy there, breaking with longtime US policy and potentially stirring unrest. "That they claim they want to announce Quds as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure," Khamenei said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Washington: The White House on Tuesday denied that President Donald Trump's financial records had been subpoenaed from Deutsche Bank by the special prosecutor examining allegations of Russian election meddling. A source close to the matter said to AFP that Germany's biggest bank had received a subpoena for documents related to its business dealings with the US president, after Bloomberg News and the German business daily Handelsblatt first reported a summons by special counsel Robert Mueller. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rejected reports of a subpoena for Trump-related financial records as "completely false," as did Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow. "We have confirmed that the news reports that the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false," Sekulow said in a statement. "No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources." Bloomberg News and Handelsblatt reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed the German lender to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family. Handelsblatt reported that the subpoena arrived "a few weeks ago," and that the most important files relevant to the request have already been sent to Mueller's team. Investigators were looking for "information about specific financial and credit transactions with the Trump family," Handelsblatt reported. After the White House denial, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, reiterated to AFP that Deutsche Bank had received the request several weeks ago. A spokeswoman for the German bank declined to comment on the reports when contacted by AFP, saying only that "Deutsche Bank takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations into this matter." Trump has a history of dealings with Deutsche Bank during his career as a New York property mogul, and his businesses owed it around $300 million in July 2016, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The president's wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are all customers of Deutsche Bank's wealth management arm, according to Handelsblatt. The news came days after Mueller unveiled his fourth indictment in the sprawling Russia probe, which is examining possible collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and what US intelligence believes was an effort by Moscow to tilt the election in his favor. One key indictment has been of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was accused of laundering $75 million in relation to work he did for the former Moscow-backed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. On Friday Mueller charged Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with lying to investigators about his contacts with Russian officials. Flynn pleaded guilty to the charge in a deal under which he agreed to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. A truck drives along the 101 Freeway as a wildfire continues to burn in Ventura, California. Raked by ferocious Santa Ana winds, explosive wildfires northwest of Los Angeles and in the city's foothills burned a psychiatric hospital and scores of homes and other structures Tuesday and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. (Image: AP) Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Zimbabwe today experienced internet service disruption and challenges with landline phone calls due to faults on the main links in South Africa and Harare. The situation returned to normalcy after 5pm after the TelOne back-up link was restored. The disruption was attributed to the Liquid Telecom cables that were cut by a tractor, 17 kilometers into South Africa from Beitbridge and a TelOne cable cut by city council employees working in Kuwadzana. Our back up link through Botswana has since been restored and together with the link through Mozambique we are operating at 50 percent capacity, said TelOne. Our partners in South Africa and TelOne engineers here in Zimbabwe are on the ground working to restore full service on the said major link, said TelOne. TelOne director general, Dr Gift Machengete said the two service providers had back up. Liquid Telecom had two cables but the problem is that they were going in the same direction. We should talk to them about it so we do not have the active cable and redundancy cable going in the same direction because now the two have been cut. For TelOne, the one that links them with Telecom South Africa has also been cut in South Africa and they had one that links through Plumtree which was cut by a City Council employee in Kuwadzana. They still have one that goes through Nyamapanda to Mozambique and the capacity that is left is very little hence the problem we have, he said. Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Cyber Security, Supa Mandiwanzira dismissed allegations that Government had cut internet service and said the State did not have any interest in shutting down the service. We are upset that internet connectivity is not available or has not been available for most of the day. Government is concerned about the situation. We expect that the operators must have redundancy so that if one aspect or connection is down they can activate a different connection. Its a requirement of their licensing that they must always have redundancy. How that redundancy has not kicked in for the nation to notice that there is no internet, we cannot understand why, he said. Presidential adviser Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa yesterday hit back at suggestions by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai that he was never approached to form a coalition Cabinet. Cde Mutsvangwa reiterated that Mr Tsvangirai blocked his deputies and Mr Tendai Biti from joining the Cabinet because of their disloyalty to the embattled opposition leader. He was responding to Mr Tsvangirais spokesman Mr Luke Tamborinyokas outburst, denying assertions his boss was approached to allow his legislators take up Cabinet posts in the new dispensation. One cannot run away from the fact that the fate that befell Tendai Biti and a clutch of MDC deputies is a salutary reminder to the peril of disloyalty to Morgan Tsvangirai, said Cde Mutsvangwa. Only a public disowning of this menacing sword of Damocles by MT himself would have helped the process of inclusivity forward. Cde Mutsvangwa said a golden opportunity availed itself at the two million march when the war veterans invited him (Tsvangirai) at the Zimbabwe Grounds which he attended. For political safety of prospective Cabinet candidates from the opposition, President Mnangagwa had to be prudent in testing the waters of inclusivity in an atmosphere where opposition stalwarts sought a national unity government instead, said Cde Mutsvangwa. After all enough deputies of the Eighth Parliament had paid the high prices of breaching the draconian provisions that militate against perceived party discipline. You can also count myself and the spiteful loss of the Norton constituency seat. That is why it was that much easier for the new President to reach out to the politically unencumbered figures from academia and business. Mr Tamborinyoka was quoted in privately owned media scoffing at Cde Mutsvangwas claims that the MDC-T leader turned down an offer to form a coalition Cabinet, demanding that he be included in the presidium. He described Cde Mutsvangwas statement as dales and typical of a government used to misrepresent facts. Install the Newser News app in two easy steps: 1. Tap in your navigation bar. 2. Tap to Add to Home Screen. A federal judge has ruled in favor of bikini baristas in Everett, Washington, who sued the city over new dress code ordinances that ban bare skin. US District Court Judge Marsha Pechman extended an injunction that prevents the city from enforcing the two laws, reports the AP. That means the coffee stands can continue to operate while the lawsuit filed by seven baristas and the owner of a chain of coffee stands called "Hillbilly Hotties" makes its way through court. "This is just another step in the progress of women's rights," plaintiff Jovanna Edge said in a statement. Pechman wrote that the ordinancesone that attempted to impose a dress code and another that redefined lewd conduct in the cityare likely void for vagueness under the 14th Amendment. The ordinances "fail to provide clear guidance and raise risks of arbitrary enforcement," she wrote. Pechman also found the dress code ordinance likely violated First Amendment protections of freedom of expression. One of the laws requires workers to wear a minimum of tank tops and shorts. It specifically applies to employees at "quick service" restaurants, which also include fast food and food trucks. The other redefined the city's lewd conduct ordinance and created a new crime of facilitating lewd conduct. Everett and Snohomish County, north of Seattle, have had a troubled history with the shops, which in some cases have operated as drive-thru strip clubs or brothels. The city cited a number of sex offenses at bikini barista stands while adopting the measures. (Read more baristas stories.) So must a baker make a cake for a gay couple even if he opposes same-sex marriage? The answer, it seems, lies solely with Anthony Kennedy. That's the gist of coverage from Tuesday's closely watched arguments in the Supreme Court. The Washington Post reports that the four more liberal justices seemed to side with the gay couple, while the four more conservative justices leaned toward the baker. That leaves Kennedy in the familiar position of casting the deciding vote, but he didn't seem particularly happy with either side on Tuesday. He sent "sharply contradictory" messages with his questions, per Adam Liptak in the New York Times. In an analysis at SCOTUSblog, however, Amy Howe suggests that when all was said and done, the edge seemed to go to the baker. Kennedy "initially seemed sympathetic to the same-sex couple but later expressed real concern that Colorado had not been sufficiently tolerant of the bakers religious freedom," she writes. Along those lines, the Wall Street Journal calls attention to one of Kennedy's comments in which he declared, It seems to me the state has been neither tolerant or respectful of the bakers views. However, the story then quickly noted that Kennedy's comments "cut in opposite directions." One possible outcome being floated: Given concerns voiced by Kennedy and others that the state's civil rights commission treated baker Jack Phillips unfairly, the court could send the case back to the commission with orders for an unbiased hearing. A decision is expected this summer. (Read more US Supreme Court stories.) A modest $100 donation to Democrat Doug Jones is drawing attention in his Senate race against Roy Moore in Alabama. The reason? It's from Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, who is backing the opposite-party candidate in the crucial race. The Arizona senator tweeted an image of his check, and the Hill calls attention to the subject line of "Country over Party." It's a rebuke to the Republican National Committee and to President Trump for their recent support of Moore despite allegations of sexual misconduct. The election is a week away, and Moore is getting help Tuesday with a rally co-hosted by Steve Bannon, per Al.com. (Flake isn't running for re-election, but promises that he won't go quietly.) Quebec is all about preserving its French heritage. Unlike other provinces of Canadawhich recognizes English and French as its official languagesQuebec has a watchdog agency dedicated to that goal, as well as strict laws making French the sole language of government, commerce, the judiciary, and the dominant language on street signs. Even children of immigrants must attend French schools, reports the New York Times. But it's Quebecs latest, symbolic move to protect the French language that some say goes a step too far. With a 111-0 vote last week, Quebec lawmakers passed an unenforceable resolution asking shopkeepers to greet customers with "Bonjour," the French word for hello, rather than "Bonjour hi," seen as respectful of native French and English speakers. "It's absurd," one French-speaking shopkeeper tells the Times. "I am a proud Quebecer, but we are in a free country" and "we should be allowed to greet people how we like." Adds Global News columnist Tasha Kheiriddin, "To hear politicians and pundits talk, you'd think 'Bonjour, hi' is the linguistic equivalent of a North Korean nuke." But Quebec's minister of Anglophone affairs thinks the backlash is overblown since a reference to "Bonjour hi" as an "irritant," included in an early draft of the resolution proposed by the Quebec nationalist Parti Quebecois, was removed before the measure was passed. "If you say that it's shocking to hear English, that's unacceptable," Kathleen Weil tells CTV News. "Once all that was removed, what was the negative message in it? There was no negative message." (Read more Quebec stories.) Shanghai now boasts the biggest Starbucks in the worldan upmarket "Reserve Roastery" that, at 30,000 square feet, is more than 40 times bigger than the average apartment in the city. The establishment is the first Reserve Roastery outside the US, and it's almost twice as big as the previous record holder, a Roastery that opened in Seattle in 2014, CNN reports. China is now Starbucks' second-biggest market, with around 3,000 outlets across the country, about 10% of the world's total. Howard Schultz, the chain's executive chairman, says the new store will blend Starbucks' expertise with China's "rich, diverse culture." The massive new Shanghai Starbucks includes numerous Chinese design touches, including a 90-foot coffee bar designed by a Chinese artist, Quartz reports. Engadget reports that the outlet also has high-tech features including an augmented-reality app that will animate and explain equipment like roasters and casks when smartphones are pointed at them. Starbuckswhich opens a new store in China every 15 hours and expects the country to become its biggest market with a decadeplans to expand the Roastery concept to cities including New York and Tokyo, Bloomberg reports. A Roastery set to open in Chicago in 2019 is expected to be even bigger than the Shanghai store. (Read more Starbucks stories.) President Trump is expected to announce Wednesday that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capitaland Israeli security forces expect massive protests to follow. Israeli forces are braced for violence in the West Bank, where Palestinian protesters burned photos of Trump Tuesday night, the Times of Israel reports. Trump is also expected to announce that the US will be the first country to have its Israel embassy in Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv. Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian envoy to Britain, tells the BBC that the moves are a "declaration of war" in the Middle East and will be the "kiss of death" to hopes of a two-state peace plan. Moving the embassy to the disputed city of Jerusalem is required by a law brought in under Bill Clinton in 1995, the AP notes, but it has been waived on national security grounds under six-month waivers ever since. Officials say Trump is likely to sign another waiver delaying the move and will keep doing so until preparations for the move to Jerusalem are complete, which could take as long as four years. The Trump announcement is expected at 1pm EST, and US embassies around the world, especially in the Middle East, have been advised to step up security, the Guardian reports. American government employees have been told to steer clear of the West Bank and Jerusalem's Old City until further notice. (Read more Jerusalem stories.) / First There'd Be a Bomb. Next They'd Go After the PM Theresa May assassination plot foiled in the UK We've all been there: Needing to "go really bad," without a toilet in sight. The situation got a little more uncomfortable for passengers on a typically 6-hour Delta flight from New York City to Seattle Saturday night, who were forced to make an unscheduled pit stopor "potty break," as the Billings Gazette puts itin Billings, Montana. The Boeing 757 had to divert roughly 200 miles after its toilets stopped working and passengers basically couldn't hold it the rest of the way. They apparently had to go so badly, per a Delta incident report, that when they found no gate available at Billings Logan International Airport the plane taxied to a cargo area. A rolling staircase was used to allow fliers in need to deplane quickly and "find relief of built-up pressures," per the Delta report. The Aviation Herald reports the flight landed in Billings about 30 minutes after the decision was made to head there, and the plane didn't resume its journey for another three hours, making for a total delay of 3.5 hours. (Read about another unfortunate bathroom incident.) Steve Bannon isn't in the White House anymore, but he's still popping up on the political landscape. On Tuesday, he made a showing in Alabama to rally for Roy Moore, the GOP Senate candidate who's been hit with multiple sexual misconduct allegations. But as HuffPost reports, Bannon turned his sights on another high-profile Republican politician during his speech: former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Romney had tweeted Monday, calling Moore "a stain on the GOP and on the nation," adding: "No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity." Bannon apparently took umbrage with this post, and so took his opportunity in Fairhope to go after Romney's lack of military service. After pointing out Moore was a West Point graduate and Vietnam vet, Bannon addressed his words to Romney: "You avoided service, brother. You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies in Vietnam." (Romney received a deferment to do his missionary work; HuffPost also notes the deferment of President Trump, whom Bannon stumps for.) Bannon also attacked Romney's sons for not serving, then said Moore "has more honor and integrity in a pinkie finger" than Romney's family has "in its whole DNA." New York thinks Bannon's move was an ill-fated one, as it could foil his plan to keep Romney from winning a possible Senate run in Utah in 2018. The majority-Mormon state isn't filled with Trump supporters, and residents likely won't take kindly to a perceived diss of Romney's Mormonism. (Read more Steve Bannon stories.) Violeta Ortolani was eight months pregnant when she was detained by Argentina's military in 1976 during the country's "Dirty War." Following the January 1977 birth of her daughter, the 23-year-old wasn't seen again, nor was her 21-year-old partner, Edgardo Garnier, following his detention in February of that year as he searched for the two. The child, now 40 and identified only as Adriana, was raised by another couple, believing they were her biological parentsbut after their recent deaths, someone told her that wasn't the case, reports the BBC. "I found out on a Saturday and on the Monday I had already gone to the Grandmothers." That's the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group devoted to tracking the children taken from parents who were among 30,000 Argentinians imprisoned or killed under a brutal dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, per the AP. Adriana took a DNA test and then heard nothing for four months. On Monday, she learned she was the 126th child "found" by the Grandmothers and the daughter of Ortolani and Garnier. The BBC notes Garnier's mother was herself involved with the Grandmothers and continually searched for her own lost grandchild. Though Adriana hasn't yet met her in person, they have spoken via phone. She is "beautiful inside and out," says Adriana, adding "love is stronger than hate, always." The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo notes Ortolani and Garnier had been members of a left-wing student group while studying engineering in La Plata. (The group's founder previously located her grandson.) Sydney Loofe sent friends a selfie on Snapchat on Nov. 15 with the caption, "Ready for my date." It was the last time friends would hear from Loofe, who went on a date with a woman she'd met on Tinder but didn't turn up for work the next day, police say, per the Washington Post. On Tuesday, their three-week search for the 24-year-old Nebraska woman came to a close with the discovery of a body in Clay County, about 90 miles from Loofe's Lincoln Home, per the Kansas City Star. Foul play is suspected, Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister tells USA Today. Bailey Boswell, 23, who posted a video online in which she said she dropped Loofe off at a friend's house after their date, and her male roommate, 51-year-old Aubrey Trail, are considered persons of interest in the case, police add. Both were jailed last week on unrelated charges. Police haven't commented on how Loofe is believed to have died, or on a possible motive for her killing, but they say "digital evidence" led them to the body. They also say data from Loofe's cellphone indicated she had been in the area of Boswell and Trail's Wilber home, 40 miles from her own. But though Boswell says Loofe smoked marijuana there on Nov. 15, she denied any wrongdoing in a nine-minute video posted online on Nov. 29, showing Boswell and Trail together in a car, per the Omaha World-Herald. A day later, Boswell and Trail were arrested near Branson, Mo. "By their own statements on social media, we believe that Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell were two of the last people to see [Loofe] before her disappearance," Bliemeister says. "Thus they remain persons of interest." (Police say a teen murder suspect in Colorado had a kill list.) During Barack Obama's presidency, Harvey Weinstein liked to boast, "I know the president of the United States. Who do you know?" In a lengthy story, the New York Times reports it was a connection used to "enhance his reputation as well as his power to intimidate." As was Weinstein's connection to Hillary Clinton, whom he assisted through fundraising, apparently despite warnings. Lena Dunham tells the Times she warned the Clinton campaign to distance itself from Weinstein in March 2016. "Harvey's a rapist and this is going to come out at some point," Dunham recalls telling Clinton's deputy communications director Kristina Schake, whom Dunham says promised to inform campaign manager Robby Mook. Dunham says she also expressed concerns to campaign spokesperson Adrienne Elrod but saw no response. However, both Schake and Elrod say Dunham never mentioned rape. Despite former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown claiming she also warned Clinton's team about Weinstein as early as 2008, Mook adds he never heard any warning. "That's something staff wouldn't forget," Clinton's communications director, Nick Merrill, tells the Times. The report also describes how Weinstein used allies in Hollywood and the media to silence accusers, something he apparently tried to do even when he knew he would be the subject of an expose. Noting that their accounts are backed up by text messages, the Times reports two women say Weinstein invited them to his hotel room at the Toronto Film Festival in September, made "massage requests, other unwelcome advances and offers of career help," then told them not to speak of the encounter. The full story is here. (Read more Harvey Weinstein stories.) A memoir by Japanese Emperor Hirohito that offers his recollections of World War II is predicted to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000 at an auction in New York. The 173-page document was dictated to his aides soon after the end of the war. It was created at the request of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, whose administration controlled Japan at the time. The memoir, also known as the imperial monologue, covers events from the Japanese assassination of Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin in 1928 to the emperor's surrender broadcast recorded on Aug. 14, 1945. The document's contents caused a sensation when they were first published in Japan in 1990, just after the emperor's death, reports the AP. The two volumes being auctioned are each bound with strings, the contents written vertically in pencil. It was transcribed by Hidenari Terasaki, an imperial aide and former diplomat who served as a translator when Hirohito met with MacArthur. The monologue is believed among historians to be a carefully crafted text intended to defend Hirohito's responsibility in case he was prosecuted after the war. A 1997 documentary on Japan's NHK television found an English translation of the memoir that supports that view. The transcript was kept by Terasaki's American wife, Gwen Terasaki, after his death in 1951 and then handed over to their daughter Mariko Terasaki Miller and her family. It's scheduled to be auctioned at Bonhams on Wednesday. (Read more WWII stories.) / After Franken Accuser No. 7, Democrats Tell Him to Go More than a dozen Democratic senators have called for Franken to step down It's an unusually busy time on Capitol Hill. GOP lawmakers are trying to get a tax bill to President Trump before the end of the year, but first they must contend with a Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown. On Wednesday, President Trump raised the possibility that the shutdown will indeed take effect on Saturday, reports the Hill. "It could happen," he told reporters at the White House, blaming Democrats for an impasse over immigration. "The Democrats are really looking at something that is very dangerous to our country. They are looking at shutting down." Trump was referring to Democratic demands that any stopgap legislation also address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals issue, referring to young, undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, however, downplayed the risk of a shutdown, per the AP. Pelosi said Trump is the "only person talking about a government shutdown." She and Sen. Charles Schumer meet with the president and top congressional Republicans on Thursday. Previously, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated categorically that no shutdown would take place. House conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, meanwhile, were raising their own fiscal demands in regard to the shutdown, notes Politico. House Speaker Paul Ryan met with them Wednesday, though no deal was reached. (Read more tax reform stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Gadchiroli: Seven Maoists, including five women, were gunned down in an encounter with the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district this morning, an official said. The skirmish took place around 7 am at a forest in Kalled village, about 15 kms north of Zinganoor outpost in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli, when a squad of C-60 commandos (Maharashtra police's special anti-Maoist unit) was out on anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official told PTI. The patrolling team was cordoning-off the forest patch near Kalled, which borders neighbouring Chhattisgarh, when the exchange of fire took place between the two sides, he said. "Seven Maoists, including five women, were killed in the encounter while some weapons were also recovered from the spot," the official said. The bodies of Naxals were being retrieved from the forest, he said adding the rebels were yet to be identified. A search operation was underway in the area, police said. New Delhi: After Kapil Sibalas statement in Supreme Court on Ram temple, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday targeted the Congress leader, terming it as aunfair and irresponsible.a Sibal had sought deferment of the hearing on the Ayodhya dispute till the conclusion of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While talking to ANI, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Sibal should not forget that he was the law minister in the past. He said Sibal must aware that what impact his statement would make outside. aAs a lawyer Kapil Sibal can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past. What does he mean, when he says don't hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside? It is unfair and in many ways irresponsible, aPrasad said. As a lawyer #KapilSibal can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past. What does he mean, when he says don't hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside? It is unfair and in many ways irresponsible: RS Prasad #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/KfDBz8fRxI a ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 Reacting to Sibalas statement, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Haji Mehboob of Sunni Waqf Board has already declined Kapil Sibal's statement, saying that it was his personal view. Haji Mehboob of Sunni Waqf Board has said that Kapil Sibal's statement yesterday in Supreme Court was his personal view and that he was speaking as a politician: Sambit Patra, BJP #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/DT5SvKOGvv a ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also questioned Congress, saying why the grand old party is linking Ram temple with the Lok Sabha polls. A For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ayodhya: Heavy security deployment was made in the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya as the VHP and the Bajrang Dal plan to observe 'Shaurya Diwas' (Day of Valour) while Muslim organisations plan 'Yaum e Gham' (Day of sorrow) to mark 25 years of Babri Masjid demolition. Taking note of the gravity of the situation and the advisory issued by the Centre, the Faizabad administration has made heavy security deployments in the two towns. Police along with the CRPF and RAF have been deployed on roads and sensitive localities of Ayodhya Faizabad. Regular search operations of the vehicles, hotels and dharamshalas in Ayodhya are being conducted. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has given a call for grand celebrations on 6 December to commemorate the silver jubilee of the demolition. Its associated organisation, the Bajrang Dal, will celebrate December 6 as 'Shaurya Diwas' and 'Vijay Diwas' (Victory Day) and have also issued an appeal to people of Ayodhya - Faizabad to lit up their homes with lamps. Talking to PTI, VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma said that not only homes but also temples in the temple town of Ayodhya and adjoining city Faizabad would be decorated and the day would be celebrated with much fanfare. As per our tradition, we will organize a 'Shaurya Diwas' and 'Vijay Diwas' in Karsewakpuram, the VHP headquarters in Ayodhya, he said. Meanwhile, some Muslim organisations in Ayodhya - Faizabad will observe December 6 as "Yaum E Gham". A functionary of the Indian Union Muslim League said they will observe this day as Black Day. Talking to PTI, Afaq Ahmad Khan, Chairman of Babri Masjid Action Committee, said, we are in waiting for the last 25 years for justice, we wish that the Government of India must fulfil its promise of reconstruction of Babri Masjid. Faizabad SSP Subhash Singh Baghel said heavy security deployment had been made in the twin towns of Faizabad Ayodhya. The police along with CRPF and RAF have been deployed on roads and sensitive localities of Ayodhya Faizabad, he said. "Regular search operations of the vehicles, hotels and Dharamshalas in Ayodhya are being conducted. We have maintained all necessary security arrangements and have allowed only traditional programmes to be held by both the communities," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Scientists at the Brown University in the United States have claimed that Jupiter's moon Europa has raised possibility of alien life. The movement of tectonic plates produces the energy needed for life, and Europa has an ice surface, but researchers say this point cannot deny the fact that subduction or movement of the plates can happen. Recent conspiracy theories have claimed that aliens created the moon and lived in it. Last month, a UFO was spotted on both Google Maps and Google Earth. To try communicating with extra-terrestrial (ET) beings, the Messaging to Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (METI) Organisation sent a signal to outer space. Brandon Johnson, an assistant professor at the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at the Brown University said, If indeed theres life in that ocean, subduction offers a way to supply the nutrients it would need. Adding salt to an ice slab would be like adding little weights to it because salt is denser than ice. So, rather than temperature, we show that differences in the salt content of the ice could enable subduction to happen on Europa. Its fascinating to think that we might have plate tectonics somewhere other than Earth. Thinking from the standpoint of comparative planetology, if we can now study plate tectonics in this very different place, it might be able to help us understand how plate tectonics got started on the Earth, Johnson added. Meanwhile, Goddard Space Flight Centre of NASA in Maryland reportedly found evidence that Pluto could also support life. Also Read: War on Mars? Mysterious cannonball proves 'alien' civility annihilated by decade-old war These objects need to be considered as potential reservoirs of water and life. If our study is correct, we now may have more places in our solar system that possess some of the critical elements for extra-terrestrial life, said Prabal Saxena, lead author at the Goddard Space Flight Centre. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi to attend the meeting of RIC Foreign Ministers on December 10 and hold talks with top Indian officials, his office announced on Wednesday. Wang's visit would be the first high-level trip by a Chinese official to India after the Dokalam standoff. The 73-day-long Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan. On sidelines of Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting, he will hold talks with top Indian officials, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media. The 15th RIC meeting will be held in New Delhi India on December 11. "According to our information, Wang will meet with the top officials of India and detailed information will be released in due course," Geng said. During the RIC meeting, the three foreign ministers will exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern and deepen trilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said. "We believe under the joint efforts of the three parties, this meeting will achieve expected outcomes," he said. Media reports previously said the RIC meeting was planned for April 2017 but Wang did not confirm dates in the backdrop of China's protests over the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh in the same month. Also Read: Chinas Wang Yi calls Russias Sergei Lavrov to help cool N Korea situation China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. Wang's visit to Delhi is regarded significant as it would set tone for President Xi Jinping's policy approach to India in his second term as the head of the ruling Communist Party of China. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In the hardest congressional criticism of the Myanmar government, the US House of Representatives has heavily slammed "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims and called for an immediate cessation of attacks on the minorities in the northern Rakhine state of the Buddhist-majority country.A The resolution, passed by the House on Tuesday, urged instant restitution of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state where conflict has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. "This slaughter must end, and our resolution ought to send a strong message to Burmese leaders that their commitment to restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedoms of all people living within Burma's borders, no matter their faith or ethnicity," House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement. The resolution was introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel and condemned, what it called the "horrific actions" of the military and security forces, asking for an immediate termination of violence. "It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar's de facto leader) to exercise moral leadership, something that's needed now more than ever," Engel said in his remarks on the House floor. "We reject the Army's claims that what's taking place in Burma is a so-called counterterrorism measure -- that's nonsense. It's a textbook ethnic cleansing, that's what it is," Engel said. "We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees' needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved," he said. "Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut," Engel said. "The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it's not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now," he said. Betty McCollum, the Congresswoman who visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh in November said that as Congressional fact-finding mission has noted their visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State is a "severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust" American leadership. "This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against Rohingyas. As our delegation saw, there is a path forward. The Burmese government and military must fully implement the recommendations of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's advisory commission," McCollum said. My visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors demonstrated that the persecution of the #Rohingya is a severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust American leadership. H. Con. Res. 90 is an important first step. Learn more a https://t.co/3KUnSWe2tj pic.twitter.com/6kIk5FeeNG a Rep. Betty McCollum (@BettyMcCollum04) December 5, 2017 Meanwhile in Geneva, at a special session on Myanmar by United Nations Human Rights Council, the US called for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation and hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. "The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the US stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma, she said in a statement.A (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Ahead of his plans to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, US President Donald Trump held discussions with Israeli and Arab leaders in this regard, the White House said. Trump spoke separately with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. They discussed potential decisions regarding Jerusalem, the White House said. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump will announce his decision on Wednesday. Tomorrow, the president will deliver remarks regarding this action, Sanders said. ALSO READ: Trump delays Jerusalem verdict as pressure mounts Im not going to get ahead of the presidents remarks that hell make tomorrow. He did speak with a number of leaders this morning, and hes going to continue to have conversations with relevant stakeholders, but ultimately, hell make what he feels is the best decision for the US, Sanders said. When asked about the opposition to Trumps potential move on Jerusalem, Sanders said the president spoke with five leaders. Thats hardly indicative of everybody across the globe, but certainly, hes going to continue to have conversations with different leaders from across the world, and well keep you posted as those calls take place, and well let you know when the presidents made a decision, she said. ALSO READ: US Supreme Court allows Trump's travel ban to go into full effect For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: The US House of Representatives has condemned ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims and called on Myanmars leadership to end attacks on minorities in the northern Rakhine state, in the stiffest congressional criticism of the government in the Buddhist-majority country. The House passed a resolution on Tuesday, urging immediate restoration of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state where unrest has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. This slaughter must end, and our resolution ought to send a strong message to Burmese leaders that their commitment to restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedoms of all people living within Burmas borders, no matter their faith or ethnicity, House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement. Introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel, the resolution condemns the horrific actions of the military and security forces and calls for an immediate cessation of violence. The resolution also urges the restoration of humanitarian access to the restive Rakhine state where unrest has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmars de facto leader) to exercise moral leadership, something thats needed now more than ever, Engel said in his remarks on the House floor on Tuesday. We reject the Armys claims that whats taking place in Burma is a so-called counterterrorism measure, thats nonsense. Its a textbook ethnic cleansing, thats what it is, Engel said. We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved, he said. ALSO READ | Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis to visit Bangladesh, will take stock of refugees living in filthy camps Clashes erupted after the August 25 deadly attacks by militants on security forces in the Rakhine State, sparking a major army crackdown on the community. According to the UN estimates, more than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group have fled across the border into Bangladesh since then, triggered a grave humanitarian crisis in the country. Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut, Engel said. The governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but its not yet clear that anyone is interested in returning right now, he said. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, said that as Congressional fact-finding mission has noted their visits to refugee camps and conversations with survivors made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burmas Rakhine State is a severe humanitarian crisis that demands robust American leadership. This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against Rohingyas. As our delegation saw, there is a path forward. The Burmese government and military must fully implement the recommendations of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annans advisory commission, McCollum said. Meanwhile in Geneva, at a special session on Myanmar by United Nations Human Rights Council, the US called for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation and hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the US stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma, she said in a statement. Congressman Steve Chabot said Rohingyas had long been at the fringe of Burmese society and it is no secret that the Burmese military regards them as outsiders who dont belong in Burma at all. That is why they used attacks in August, by a rogue group of Rohingya, as a pretext to terrorise the entire Rohingya population, he alleged. This campaign of terror and violence has worked over 600,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for Bangladesh. At least 250,000 of these are children. Further, credible human rights organisations and the media have documented numerous horrors and abuses. Together, these atrocities amount to what has been called a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, Chabot alleged on the House floor. ALSO READ: India sends relief material for displaced persons in Myanmar's Rakhine state For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. China could pull out all Chinese students studying in North Korea and terminate an exchange program dating back two decades if tensions mount further after Pyongyang's latest missile launch, according to the South China Morning Post on Friday. Li Gang, who oversees the student exchange program at the China Scholarship Council, told the newspaper that some 60 Chinese students who are studying languages in North Korea are returning home either this or next month. But Li added the students are leaving because they have completed their seven-month exchange program and the move is not directly related to the latest missile test. "We have been informed about the missile test, and we are concerned," he said. "If the intelligence assessment suggests a high risk of military conflict, we will immediately contact the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang and ask them to get our students out of the country as fast as they can." The student exchange program has never yet been affected by tensions along the border. Both countries send around 60 students to the other around March and April every year, and the host country pays for their upkeep. The SCMP said China has had a tough time filling up its quota of students for the 2018 program and has so far recruited only a single student. One official at Nanjing University said, "I have a stack of application forms over my desk, none going to North Korea." The Japanese government is weighing a plan to equip fighter jets with long-range cruise missiles amid the North Korean nuclear and missile threat, starting with earmarking research costs in its fiscal 2018 budget plan, government sources said Tuesday. But the move may stir controversy in Japan that upholds an exclusively defense-oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution, as the missiles would be capable of striking enemy bases. The sources said the government is especially interested in Lockheed Martin Corp's JASSM-ER long-range, air-to-ground missile that has a range of over 900 kilometers. "The thinking about introducing missiles nowadays is that the longer the range the better. Our main target will be ships at sea," a Japanese Defense Ministry source said. The government maintains the position that possessing the ability to strike enemy bases is possible under the postwar Constitution if it can be considered a self-defense measure. But Japan has so far opted not to equip its defense forces with cruise missiles and other armaments capable of attacking the territory of another country, leaving the role to its key ally, the United States. Dec 06 (ANNnewsCH) - aaaaaesaeeaaaSaaaaeeeaeaYaaaaaZaaaeaaaaaaYaaeaSaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeaaSaSaYaaaaaaaSaaa Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday that he did not discuss who will lead the central bank after his term expires in April. Kuroda said he briefed Abe on current economic conditions during the lunch meeting at the Prime Minister's Office. Asked by a reporter whether he would be open to serving another five years in the role, the 73-year-old governor said it would be "presumptuous" of him to answer. It was the first meeting between the BOJ chief and Abe since May 17. Kuroda is thought to be the forerunner among several candidates to head the bank, though his age could be a sticking point for a demanding job that requires frequent overseas trips. "Manhole cards," an increasingly popular item for collectors and featuring pictures of manholes with unique local designs, are set to cover all 47 prefectures of Japan. Currently, 222 kinds of cards from communities in 46 prefectures, excluding Kagoshima, are available. Distribution will start on Saturday for a manhole card from the city of Hioki and another from the town of China, both in the southwestern prefecture, as part of the sixth batch of new releases, also including 64 other types. The cards, which are 8.8 centimeters long and 6.3 centimeters wide, are provided for free at local sewage treatment facilities and tourist information centers, with one copy given to each person in principle. Japanese professional shogi player Yoshiharu Habu has become the first person ever to win lifetime titles in all 7 major title matches. On Tuesday, Habu defeated Akira Watanabe 4 to 1 in the best-of-seven final of the prestigious Ryuo Tournament. This was the 7th victory in which Habu has become a lifetime title holder. Watanabe had won the Ryuo title 11 times previously, and was the only qualifier for the Lifetime Ryuo title. Players that have won the same title a certain number of times are qualified to receive the lifetime title. Habu had already won 6 other lifetime titles. He now has a total of 99 shogi titles and tops the all-time title-winners' list. Tokyo prosecutors on Tuesday arrested the president of a tech venture known as one of the developers of the world's fourth-fastest supercomputer on suspicion of defrauding a governmental institution of 431 million yen in subsidies. The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office also arrested another official connected with the case and raided the Tokyo headquarters of PEZY Computing, which was part of the team that developed the "Gyoukou" supercomputer. According to the prosecutors, President Motoaki Saito, 49, and Daisuke Suzuki, 47, are suspected of illegally receiving the subsidies from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization after padding expenses for the venture firm's technological development. In November, Gyoukou was ranked fourth in the world's supercomputer ranking after achieving 19.14 petaflops, or calculating 19,000 trillion times per second. Saito advocated the need for the technological advancement of supercomputers and earned fame both at home and abroad. He is known as a pioneer of miniaturizing energy-saving supercomputers, and had expressed eagerness to develop technology, saying he aimed to be the best, not second best. Japan's public broadcaster NHK said it was planning to air a program featuring Saito next Monday but had cancelled it, citing the ongoing investigation by the prosecutors. Dec 06 (ANNnewsCH) - aaaaaaaaaaaaecaZaaaaaaaaaaea2aaacc cecaaaaSe4a3000aaaaSaa aaaaaYcaaaaaceaeaaaaaYa Police in Chiba have arrested an unemployed 42-year-old woman for the second time in a month on suspicion of stalking the same man. According to police, Hiromi Nakamura, who lives in Abiko City, was first arrested last month after she stalked a man whom she dated by sending more than 80 messages to his smartphone between Nov 5 and Nov 7, Fuji TV reported. The man, who is in his 20s, filed a complaint with police and Nakamura was arrested but released with a warning to make no further contact with the man and stay away from him. However, on Monday, Nakamura was arrested again for violating the Stalker Control Law after she showed up at the man's place of work. Ireland has struck a deal with Apple to collect up to 13 billion euros ($15 billion) in back taxes and hold it in an escrow account pending an appeal before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The government said in a statement Monday that an agreement had been reached "in relation to the framework of the principles that will govern the escrow arrangements." The European Commission had ordered Ireland to collect the money after concluding that two Irish tax rulings allowed Apple to pay less tax than other businesses -- thus giving them an unfair advantage. The Commission ordered Ireland to collect back taxes for the years 2003-2014, which it estimated to be as much 13 billion euros plus interest. Ireland disagreed with the Commission's analysis and appealed the decision. Hillary Clinton is returning to New Hampshire for the first time since just before the 2016 presidential election. The former Democratic presidential candidate is signing copies of her new book, "What Happened" on Tuesday in Concord. Clinton won New Hampshire's four electoral college votes in last year's election, though President Donald Trump -- without offering evidence -- blames voter fraud for his loss in the state. For Fairfield County to avoid getting left behind, community leaders need to embrace technology, diversity and the needs of the baby boomer generation, Christopher Bruhl, President and CEO of The Business Council of Fairfield County, told Greenwich Chamber members Wednesday morning. In an overview of the countys economic climate, Bruhl emphasized that the slow pace of change is no excuse to grow complacent. Just as a frog doesnt notice its boiling when the temperature is increased gradually, Bruhl said, the water is changing in Fairfield County and when were not aware of change, we get cooked. Its the responsibility of business leaders and community members, such as the local chambers of commerce, to orient the region in the right direction, Bruhl told attendees. If we dont take care of this place, if we dont make our bed here, no one will, he said. The chamber connects you to this place so youre owners, not guests. Citing data collected and analyzed by the business councils staff, Bruhl referenced how few college-educated Connecticut residents earned their degrees in the state. Also, many students raised in Fairfield County leave for college and never return. Were exporting our generational continuity and exporting our sense of place, he said. The obligations of ownership that typically result from our sense place, Bruhl said, are crucial to readying Fairfield County for future success. In large part, Fairfield County identifies itself more closely with New York City than with Hartford, Bruhl said, adding it might be time for southwestern Connecticut to re-engage with Hartford. Through posing a series of questions to attendees, such as whether growth is a threat or necessity, to Fairfield Countys success, Bruhl encouraged them to accept changes likely to happen and begin preparing the region for them now through community planning. Despite a legacy of bad decisions, in Fairfield County, Bruhl expressed optimism about its future. Were not dumb, he said. Weve thrived and changed for centuries; were going to keep changing. Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_ This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD About 113,000 elderly Connecticut residents will retain their current levels of benefits from the Medicare Savings Program for at least an additional two months, legislators announced. Income thresholds for participation in the program had been scheduled to drop by about 50 percent on Jan. 1, but now the benefits will continue through February. Estimated cost to the state was $25 million. "Since the passage of the budget in October, we have heard from many seniors and family members with questions and concerns about these changes," DSS Commissioner Roderick L. Bremby said in a Wednesday morning statement. "Members of the General Assembly and health care advocates have also expressed concerns about this part of the budget legislation. We want them to know that we are listening, Bremby said. While most are not likely to qualify for other coverage, we hope this effort will alleviate the financial loss for some." The state Department of Social Services on Wednesday said that a review of the program will take two months and then a new termination date will be announced. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said the DSS announcement was helpful in the short term. Obviously we would like to get a permanent resolution of that rather than a temporary postponement, he said. Leaders of the House and Senate said Wednesday, after a half-hour meeting with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, that they will continue to monitor the need for legislative action to retain benefits that include payments for Medicare Part B premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Time will be spent doing reviews of individual cases, so that we can understand implications and what programs folks might otherwise qualify for, Malloy said. In light of the statements that members of the legislature, particularly the leadership, were making, we felt that was the right thing to do. Malloy, speaking with reporters outside his office after the meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders, said they told him they expect to hold a special session before the end of the month, but Republican and Democratic caucuses said that is less likely. Lingering budget issues include the states $207 million deficit in the first year of the $41.3 billion spending plan, plus the additional $25 million for Medicare, along with the desire for lawmakers to raise certain levels of municipal aid. Malloy has until the end of the month to announce a deficit-mitigation plan, most likely reducing spending to deal with the deficit. I think the new reality ...is that there is going to be constant conversation in this building and the sharing of ideas, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said, referring to the bipartisan approach to the new state budget. Were having discussions but there is no plan for a special session at this time. Its good that people will not suffer that loss as of Jan. 1, but we believe policy-wise that that money should be put back, said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. Were going to continue those conversations to get to that point. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday that time has come to start moving dependents of U.S. military personnel out of South Korea. "It's crazy to send spouses and children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea," Graham said on CBS News's Face the Nation. "And I think it's now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea." Last week, North Korea shattered months of relative quiet by firing off an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers say showed the reclusive country's ability to strike the U.S. It was North Korea's most powerful weapons test yet. Graham's comments followed those by national security adviser H.R. McMaster who said Saturday that the chances of war with North Korea are "increasing every day." "There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict," McMaster said, "but it is a race because he's getting closer and closer and there's not much time left," in a reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Media reports say the Pentagon is looking at U.S. west coast sites where additional defense systems can be installed, following the North Korean threat of a strike on the U.S. The Reuters news agency says the defenses would likely include Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missiles, similar to those deployed in South Korea. "The newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-15 has been successfully test-launched according to the political decision and strategic judgement of the Workers' Party of Korea," read an announcer Wednesday on North Korea's state-run KRT television. Egg Farmers of Canada has been supporting Food Banks Canada for more than two decades, helping to deliver fresh, nutritious food items that help the issue of hunger in Canada. "Every year, egg farmers donate more than a million eggs to community food banks," says Roger Pelissero, Chairman of Egg Farmers of Canada. "We're proud to partner with Food Banks Canada and Chef Lynn Crawford and are happy to celebrate the people who, by volunteering their time, contribute to the fabric of our communities." Along with its affiliates, Food Banks Canada assists over 860,000 Canadians who turn to food banks each month. Throughout the holiday season there is an increased demand for food banks services, creating a greater need for volunteers, support and donations. "Sometimes an action as simple as making a cherished recipe or a meal can bring a lot of joy in someone's life," adds Tania Little, Director of Development and Partnerships at Food Banks Canada. "We're very touched by the wonderful breakfast Egg Farmers of Canada and Chef Lynn Crawford prepared for our volunteers." In the spirit of the holiday season, Egg Farmers of Canada and Food Banks Canada is calling on all Canadians to set aside some time for friends and neighbours who need them. Bring joy to someone's life by sharing a cherished recipe or a meal on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #RecipesThatGive, or by supporting your local food bank. About Egg Farmers of Canada Now in its fifth decade as one of Canada's leading agriculture organizations, Egg Farmers of Canada manages the national egg supply and promotes egg consumption while representing the interests of regulated egg producers from coast to coast. Visit eggfarmers.ca for more information. About Food Banks Canada Food Banks Canada is the only national charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians living with hunger. We do this by supporting a network of 10 Provincial Associations and more than 500 food banks, sharing food and funds and delivering programs and services. While we are focused on helping food banks meet the need of food insecure Canadians today, we are also dedicated to finding ways to reduce and eliminate hunger tomorrow by influencing policy through research, awareness raising, and advocacy. SOURCE Egg Farmers of Canada For further information: Lex Pearce, Citizen Relations, 416-967-8115, [email protected] Related Links http://www.eggfarmers.ca SAP, Paysafe Group and Shopify Take Top Spots Among Canadian Employers MILL VALLEY, Calif., Dec. 6, 2017 /CNW/ -- Glassdoor, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing job sites, has announced the winners of its tenth annual Employees' Choice Awards, honoring the Best Places to Work in 2018 across North America and parts of Europe. Unlike any other workplace awards, the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards are based on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback, by completing a company review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year. This year, the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards feature six distinct categories, honoring the Best Places to Work across the U.S., Canada, UK, France and Germany. In Canada, Glassdoor has revealed the 25 Best Places to Work (honoring employers with 1,000 or more employees). Winners are ranked based on their overall rating achieved during the past year. (Ratings based on a 5-point scale: 1.0=very dissatisfied, 3.0=OK, 5.0=very satisfied; Actual calculations extend beyond the thousandth decimal place): The top ten Canadian Best Places to Work in 2018 are: The top ten U.S. Best Places to Work in 2018 are: "We know today's job seekers are more informed than ever about where they go to work, researching everything from company culture to career opportunities to pay philosophy and more. To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards recognize employers that are truly Best Places to Work because they're determined by those who really know best - the employees," said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder. "Employers where employees love to work continue to prove that they have a recruiting and business performance advantage. We're proud to celebrate the 2018 winners as we mark our tenth anniversary of the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards." Glassdoor's 25 Best Places to Work in 2018 in Canada list features winning employers across diverse industries spanning technology, energy, consulting, travel and tourism, finance, consumer goods, retail, food services and more. In the past three years, eight companies have ranked among the Best Places to Work in Canada: Accenture (No. 23, 4.3 rating), Apple (No. 7, 4.4 rating), Ceridian (No. 4, 4.4 rating), Earl's Kitchen + Bar (No. 13, 4.4 rating), Manulife (No. 21, 4.3 rating), Salesforce (No. 4, 4.4 rating), Starbucks (No. 10, 4.4 rating) and Ubisoft (No. 12, 4.3 rating). Eleven employers are new to the list, including Paysafe Group (No. 2, 4.5 rating), Brookfield Renewable (No.25, 4.3 rating), Costco Wholesale (No. 20, 4.3 rating), Hydro One (No. 9, 4.4 rating), KPMG (No. 19, 4.3 rating), Ledcor (No. 14, 4.3 rating), Marriott International (No. 7, 4.3 rating), PointClickCare (No. 15, 4.3 rating), RBC (No. 18, 4.3 rating), Reliant Home Comfort (No. 22, 4.3 rating) and Stemcell Technologies (No. 11, 4.4 rating). This year, only two employers, Microsoft and SAP, appear on five lists (U.S. Large, Canada, UK, France, Germany). When employees submit reviews about their employer on Glassdoor, they are asked to share their opinion on some of the best reasons to work for their employer (pros), any downsides (cons), and are encouraged to provide advice to management. In addition, employees are asked to rate how satisfied they are with their employer overall, rate their CEO, as well as rate key workplace attributes like career opportunities, compensation & benefits, culture & values, senior management and work-life balance. Employees are also asked whether they would recommend their employer to a friend and whether they believe their employer's six month business outlook is positive, negative or if they have no opinion. Among the more than 700,000 employers reviewed on Glassdoor, the average company rating is 3.3. Employees' Choice Award winners for the 2018 Best Places to Work in Canada are determined using Glassdoor's proprietary awards algorithm, and each employer's rating determined based on the quantity, quality and consistency of Glassdoor-approved company reviews submitted by Canadian-based employees between November 1, 2016 and October 22, 2017. During the year-long eligibility period, employers considered for the Canadian list must have received at least 25 ratings for each of the eight workplace attributes (overall company rating, career opportunities, compensation & benefits, culture & values, senior management, work/life balance, recommend to a friend and business outlook) taken into account as part of the awards algorithm. For reporting simplicity, ratings are displayed to the nearest tenth, though calculations extend beyond the thousandth decimal place to determine final rank order. Complete awards methodology can be found and downloaded here: https://www.glassdoor.ca/List/about-employees-choice-awards.htm SEE THE 2018 WINNERS: All winning employers across this year's six categories can be found by visiting: 100 Best Places to Work U.S. 50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work For U.S. 25 Best Places to Work Canada 50 Best Places to Work UK 25 Best Places to Work France 25 Best Places to Work Germany WORKPLACE PHOTOS + EMPLOYEE COMMENTARY: Workplace/office photos and employee commentary about winning employers are also available upon request. Please email: [email protected]. About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for more than 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms. Glassdoor is a registered trademark of Glassdoor, Inc. SOURCE Glassdoor For further information: Laura Lowery, Scott Dobroski or Sarah Stoddard; [email protected]; Europe: Joe Wiggins or Mark Di-Toro; [email protected], http://www.glassdoor.com Related Links http://www.glassdoor.com MILAN, Dec. 6, 2017 /CNW/ - The King of Morocco Mohammed VI, as Chairman of the Committee Al Qods, sent a message to the President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, expressing his "deep concern as well as the inquietude of the people of the Arab and Muslim States" following the information about the decision of President Trump to "recognize Al-Qods as capital of Israel and to move there the Embassy of the United States." Al Qods is the Arabic name of the city of Jerusalem and the Pan-Arab Al Qods Committee is the Organization of Islamic cooperation, which aims to protect the Arab-Muslim character of the city, that is sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians. "As President of the Al-Qods Committee organization of Islamic cooperation, which has 57 States representing more than one billion citizens, I am pleased to address you," says Mohammed VI, warning that any sudden initiative by the United States could jeopardize the peace process in the Middle East. "Since the beginning of your mandate - wrote the King Mohammed VI to Mr. Trump - you have demonstrated a strong will and a firm determination to renew the peace process between the Palestinian and Israeli parties and have undertaken promising steps in this direction, with the continued support of the international community, including the Kingdom of Morocco, but the current decision might have a negative impact on the peace progress in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." "The Near East area lives at the rate of deep crises which need to be avoided - writes the King of Morocco to Mr. Trump - as well as all the matters that can enhance feelings of frustration and disappointment that are the basis for extremism and terrorism." King Mohamed VI recalls in his message the importance of the city of Jerusalem for the three religions, underlining that "for its unique religious specificities the city of Al-Qods has to remain a cohabitation land and a symbol of coexistence and tolerance for all." He then concludes stating that he does not doubt Mr. Trump's "administration perspicacity vision," nor "of its commitment to peace and to the stability of the region" nor of "its firm determination to facilitate the relaunch of the peace process and avoid everything that can hinder or even stop it." SOURCE LaPresse This free prize draw has now closed. The winner will be contacted by telephone by 25 June 2018. The prize draw offered entrants the chance to win a trip for two to Zambia and Botswana. The winner will enjoy an unforgettable seven-day African adventure, courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent and Sanctuary Retreats. The trip will offer the chance to explore the dramatic beauty of Victoria Falls, go canoeing on the Zambezi River and walk through the African bush in Zambia before travelling to Botswana, home to the worlds largest remaining elephant population. The prize This winner and their guest will fly via Johannesburg to Zambia to spend their first three nights at Sanctuary Sussi & Chumba Lodge, before moving up the Chobe river to Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero in Botswana. The prize includes full-board accommodation with park fees, flights and transfers included. The stay at Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma Lodge includes a tour of Victoria Falls (Zambian side), game drives, walking and river safaris, canoeing, a tour of the local Nakatindi village and a bike shop visit, while the stay at Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero includes game drives, river safaris, and bike shop visit. The prize is valued at approximately 5,500. The prize must be booked by 31 July 2018 and is subject to travel date exclusions. Entries are now closed The prize draw closed on 28 May 2018 at 23.59 BST. The winner will be contacted by telephone by 25 June 2018. Please note that you must be a UK resident aged 18 or over to enter. HAMDEN A Quinnipiac professor from Israel called the Trump administrations announcement officially recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital a terrible decision. I think its a terrible decision, said Anat Biletzki, the Albert Schweitzer professor of philosophy at Quinnipiac University and a retired professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University. The presidents decision makes it explicit that America is on one side rather than being an objective broker for peace. It makes it look as if America is at Israels beck and call and ignoring the Palestinian side of things. The Palestinians have already announced that they will declare three days of outrage over the decision and I am worried about what will happen during those three days. NEW HAVEN A beauty bar has replaced a coffee bar on Wooster Street as a third-generation descendent of Italian immigrants opens her business in the neighborhood where her relatives lived after the turn of the last century. I love this community, Andrea DiLieto Zola, grandniece of former Mayor Biagio DiLieto, said. She has been running MBDBeauty LLC, a business that provides makeup and hair styling for brides-to-be, since she was 22. That business is located at 151 East St., where brides come for a consultation. She and her freelance staff then go to the homes or other locations for the bride and her attendants to fix their hair and apply makeup on the day of the wedding, with some 300 customers a year. Now she has opened BarBeauty at 208 Wooster St., where women can come to get a quick wash and blow-dry, including hot-tool hair styling, or makeup application, five days a week. Zola said her staff does lash tabbing, which is similar to lash extensions but they are not put on with surgical grade adhesive, although she also does extensions. You cannot get a haircut or coloring at BarBeauty. Hot-tool styling is used to straighten or curl hair, she patiently explained to a male reporter. At age 30, married and the mother of 10-month-old Isabella Zola, she considers the shop her first real brick-and-mortar business, where she hopes those brides will come back for this service in between work or just for fun. She also officially now has six employees. I say we are stimulating the economy, Zola said, with Mayor Toni Harp attending a press conference and talking up the small-business angle. To me it was a goal, Zola said of having people work for her by her 30th birthday. Blow-dry bars have been a phenomenon across the country for several years, but Zola thinks she is the first one in New Haven. Zola had to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals for a use variance, but before that she said she had to translate the terms of her services for Zoning Officer Tom Talbot. What this is, is a blow-out and beauty bar, Zola explained. It is for everyday people. Men can come, too, if they want. She will continue to run MBDBeauty for brides, a business she won a top award from The Knot and Wedding Wire for six years in a row. She said some of the BZA members kind of laughed at first and they were really confused. I had to explain it in detail. Lucky there was a woman on the panel and she paused and spoke to the men and explained exactly what we were doing. The shop featured champagne on Tuesday and some other snacks as friends gathered to wish her well. HARTFORD - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is directing U.S. and state flags to be lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday in recognition of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The national observation honors the lives lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags - including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise - should also be lowered during this same duration of time, according to a release from the governors office. US State Department(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faced stern feedback from some of his European counterparts over the Trump administrations controversial foreign policies like recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and decertifying the Iran nuclear deal. Tillerson told reporters Wednesday at a NATO summit in Brussels that he saw a very good opportunity for Middle East peace. But many of his counterparts expressed concern over the U.S.s position on Israel. The harshest language came from Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who before stepping into a bilateral meeting with Tillerson, called the impending decision a grave mistake. Following that meeting, U.K.s foreign minister Boris Johnson stepped in front of the Secretary of State at a grip-and-grin photo-opportunity to tell reporters that the U.S. must present its plan for Middle East peace now if theyre going to move the U.S. embassy to Israel. Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the decision as well, calling it a violation of international resolutions and expressed concern that it could fuel frustrations of much of the Arab and Muslim world. Prince Hamzah bin AlHussein, half-brother of King Abdullah of Jordan, called Trump's announcement "exceptionally irresponsible and dangerous" on Twitter. He also warned that the move "will destroy any remaining US credibility as a broker in the Middle East Peace Process." Also on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron called the decision "unfortunate," and reiterated that France "does not approve it." Macron called the status of Jerusalem "a security issue for the entire international community" that "must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations." UK Prime Minister Theresa May also voiced disagreement with the decision on Wednesday, while also encouraging the United State to "bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement." The European Unions chief diplomat Federica Mogherini warned on Tuesday that any action to move the capital by the U.S. would undermine the peace process between Israel and Palestine. While standing next to Tillerson at the European Council, Mogherini also openly disagreed with the U.S.s decision to decertify the Iran Nuclear deal. "Dismantling an agreement on nuclear issues that is working - as the International Atomic Energy Agency has certified nine times - would not put us in a better position to discuss all the rest on the country," she said. We believe that any action that would undermine this effort must absolutely be avoided." Tillerson dismissed reports that he would soon be ousted from his position by the White House telling reporters, This is a narrative that keeps coming up about every 6 weeks. You all need to get some new sources, because your story keeps being wrong. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he isnt concerned about rumors that Tillerson may not be in the job when they meet again. "NATO ministers are able to focus on the core tasks of the job we have to do despite any speculation and rumors," Stoltenberg said a press conference, adding that Tillerson has a strong commitment to NATO. Tillerson arrived at NATO carrying on Trumps unpopular message that all alliance members must pay their share of defense spending or two percent of their GDP. One of his missions was to push European allies to apply trade pressure on China that would incentivize them to contain the situation in North Korea. Calling Russias aggression in Ukraine the biggest threat to European security, Tillerson also sought a more aggressive strategy for dealing with Russia. But he was met at the summit by defiant allies who were already disappointed in the U.S. for pulling out of the Paris Climate accord and failing to certify the Iran deal. Before arriving at the NATO summit, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel made a sweeping condemnation of Trumps America First policy. Gabriel warned that the U.S. will never be the same post-Trumps presidency, and added that Germany should put its own priorities first when setting foreign policy. "The US no longer sees the world as a global community, but as a fighting arena where everyone has to seek their own advantage," Gabriel said at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum on Monday. Russian aggression in Ukraine will be top of the agenda at Tillersons next stop on his European tour at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna on Thursday. He will also meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergie Lavrov at the event. But before touching down in Vienna, he started preparing for his next diplomatic jaunt to Africa, stopping off at a air force base in Germany to receive a briefing from EURCOM and AFRICOM. Tillerson is planning a trip to Africa in the first quarter of 2018, according to a State Department spokesperson. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. China and Russia have staged massive military drills in airspace and waters near the Korean Peninsula to counter a big U.S.-South Korea aerial exercise here this week. In a statement from an air base in northern China on Monday, Chinese Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke said fighter jets and early warning aircraft conducted multiple drills in the West Sea and East China Sea recently, according to CCTV on Tuesday. Shen said reconnaissance aircraft "took a flight path not previously flown to regions they had never previously operated in." Chinese military affairs specialist Song Zhongping speculated that they were gathering intelligence on the ongoing joint South-U.S. exercise, which mobilized some 230 aircraft including stealth fighter jets and strategic bombers. Some 1,000 marines from Russia's Pacific Fleet have been conducting a live-fire drill with tanks in in Siberia, including the border areas with North Korea, Newsweek reported Monday quoting a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. NORTH HAVENJust before Thanksgiving, several families lost everything when a fire broke out in the early morning in an abandoned house and damaged the neighboring homes. The building on Howard Avenue in New Haven was so severely engulfed in flames that people from surrounding houses were also evacuated. While nobody affected by the fire suffered any injuries, the families whose houses were damaged needed to leave their homes with nothing and be temporarily relocated. Several of the people affected were employees at the Millwood, Inc., pallet repair facility who have young children. So, when the story of these families reached Millwoods corporate team in Ohio the next week, the company decided to step in and help. NORTH HAVEN The Planning and Zoning Commission denied an application during its December meeting for a proposed trucking terminal to be built near the highway, and neighbors couldnt be happier. Old Dominion Freight Line submitted a site plan for a shipping-and-freight facility in an industrial zone near 300 Elm St. and Sackett Point Road. Its a pure sigh of relief they didnt approve it, Sackett Point resident Stephen Blasiak said. We feel the trucks as it is driving by, so adding another 70 trucks a day we would definitely feel that, so its a huge relief. The application was heard over several meetings, with a public hearing held in November. Residents came out against the plan, saying the terminal would bring more traffic, noise, pollution and flooding to the area. Over the course of the meetings, the commission held similar concerns. The plan proposed an 86-truck bay in the area of Sackett Point Road near Interstate 91. The facility would have operated behind residential homes near the highway, with an entrance on Sackett Point Road close to the bridge. The plan also proposed lowering the road under the I-91 bridge by one foot to allow trucks to pass under it. However, the area is in a flood plain so the commission expressed concerns about more flooding underneath it. P&Z Chairman Vern Carlson expressed concern that the opening of Sackett Point would encourage many more trucks to use the passageway under the bridge, increasing truck traffic in the area and that trucks would not be able to make the turn under the bridge safely onto Sackett Point Road and into the terminal driveway. The property is zoned as light industrial use with permitted use for trucking facilities under the consideration of health and public safety. Blasiak, whose home would have been abutting the proposed site, said during the public hearing that adding tractor-trailers to the area is unsafe. We hear nothing but noise from 91 and to add tractor-trailers in our backyard is unacceptable, he said. Its a growing community and will be incredibly unsafe because of the road under the bridge. For the sake of the town, its just not safe for this area. Mansfield Road resident Lana Claire Ives said during the hearing the application with trucks in someones backyard running in the middle of the night is polar opposite of what the community really wants. The approval of the site would have seen trucks operating from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. Linsday Suhr, who lives on Sackett Point Road, said during the public hearing the terminal was not a good idea because of its potential impact on the quality of life for residents by creating an unhealthy living condition. You cant put enough safeguards for the effects on our health and safety, she said. It does not make sense to add more trucks on this road. Prior to the commissions decision, First Selectman Michael Freda said he had heard from about 200 people opposing the application. ODFL is a shipping and freighting company with a facility in Orange, but is looking to expand its business, project engineer John Plante of Langan Engineering said. If the site plan had been approved, the company would have relocated operations to the larger North Haven facility. Attorney Bernard Pellegrino, who represented ODFL, could not be reached for comment on whether he will appeal the commissions decision. mdignan@hearstmediact.com There are the rich, and then there are the filthy rich. That difference came to mind as I was reading a Bloomberg report about Ray Dalio, founder of the worlds largest hedge fund in Westport. Bridgewater Associates manages about $150 billion in assets. Yes, thats a billion with a b, a letter that makes all the difference between the rich and the filthy rich. Anything the sage of Wall Street says tends to be newsworthy. On this occasion, Dalio was criticizing the Republican plan in Congress to nix deductions for state and local taxes (SALT) in their push to lower rates for corporations and for very rich people like Dalio. According to Bloomberg, the billionaire wrote on LinkedIn Tuesday that eliminating SALT deductions will take a toll on high-tax areas due to lower revenues as high-income earners move out of state. He added: To the extent they do move, it would increasingly lead to more prosperous states that are occupied by, and cater to, more rich people and more depressed states that are occupied by, and cater to, more poor people, and increased polarity between them. This is in keeping with a previous Bloomberg report in which strategists said the Republican tax overhaul bill would end up extracting wealth from the wealthy blue states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and in doing so, punish Democrats. The people who are going get the most whacked by this are wealthy and upper-middle class people who live in big cities, said John Feehery, a Republican lobbyist and former communicator for House Republican leadership. In other words, Democrats. Grim-sounding, all of it. If the Republicans in Congress succeed, the new law might spark an exodus of affluence taxpayers , thus weakening Connecticut and other states financially and politically. But theres reason to be skeptical. First, Democrats do not constitute Connecticuts entire population. Republicans live here, obviously, and any Republican earning more than $200,000 a year is going to feel pain from the elimination of SALT deductions. The tax plan isnt going to affect Democrats alone. It will give affluent Republicans reason to seek political revenge. With respect to Dalios argument, lets wait and see. Im sure some of Connecticuts richest will take flight, but Im also sure the tax-flight theory is controversial. Despite what you may have heard from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, or the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, tax-flight is not a given but rather a debate often leveraged by those who do not wish to pay higher taxes. I have in my hand a book on that called The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight: How Place Still Matters for the Rich. It was published by Stanford University, a place that knows a thing about finance. The author, Cristobal Young, teaches sociology there. Contrary to popular belief, he says, tax-flight is relatively rare. The reason? Place matters. If you are a Wall Street insider, you dont live in Florida. You live in or near New York. You must, but not for reasons you might think. Some insiders do live in Florida, or some insiders in Florida do make billions. But Ray Dalio isnt a sage of Wall Street only because of his billions. His every word is newsworthy because other rich people think his every word is newsworthy, and those other rich people do not live in Florida. They live in or near New York City. And so does Dalio. If tax-flight is rare, and if Connecticut Republicans who are rich but not filthy rich want to seek revenge on the party raising their taxes (as they should), there may be a solution to our potential problem. Sure, the Republicans in Washington might eliminate SALT deductions, and they might, in doing so, extract wealth from our state, thus weakening Connecticut financially as well as politically. But we can do something here that would at least mitigate both. We can raise taxes. Not on the merely rich, but on the filthy rich. After all, they're not going anywhere. John Stoehr is a fellow at the Yale Journalism Initiative and a New Haven resident. Rescue workers on Tuesday found the bodies of two people who were missing after a fishing boat capsized off the coast of Incheon on Sunday. The bodies of the boat's captain and one fisherman were found bringing the total death toll to 15. Seven survivors are either still in hospital or were sent home after treatment. On this Pearl Harbor Day, the story of my father, now deceased, provides a link between two ships, the USS Maine and the USS Arizona, which suffered a similar fate in different wars. My father, Ed Burns, was born in 1898, the same year that the USS Maine was blown up in Havana harbor, taking 266 sailors to a watery grave in the most epic event of the Spanish-American War. My father served in WW I on the replacement ship, the USS Maine II, which also saw war-time service in Cuban waters. A man named Howard Keniston also served in WW I and, like my father, got married after the war and had two sons. Both my father and Keniston grew up in Cincinnati but never knew each other until, by chance, my father bought our first house from Howard, a small brick house on Clio Avenue in the Cincinnati suburb of Mt. Washington. I was only 2-years-old when the USS Arizona had its hull ripped open by a massive explosion, the ship sinking in a mere nine minutes. The 1,177 sailors and marines who died accounted for nearly half of those who perished at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Many years later, I began having a haunting distant memory of one of my parents saying that we bought our first house from a man who lost both his sons on the USS Arizona. But by then, my parents were both deceased, and no other family member had ever heard such a thing. But the memory persisted, popping back up like clockwork every Dec. 7 until, aided by todays technology, I finally decided to put the rumor to rest. A computer list of Arizona victims had only two sets of brothers from Ohio and one of the addresses did match ours on Clio Avenue. But I wanted further proof. The boys father was a Howard Keniston, a name new to me. But the computer even provided a photo of Howards tombstone in the Mt. Washington Cemetery, the names of sons Donald and Kenneth engraved on the same stone with identical dates of death Dec. 7 , 1941. Their actual cemetery is the USS Arizona. And some survivors have requested that their ashes be interred with their band of brothers in the waters below the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu. I have been enriched by several touching stories that emerged from my research. A retired Navy man contacted me to say that his ship passed over the site of the USS Arizonas wreckage in the 1950s (before the Memorial was constructed), oil seeping upward as it still does today. A command came for all hands on deck and a salute. The salute lasted nearly 3 full minutes and not one sailor brought his hand down until word was passed from the bridge. The powerful reverence accorded the USS Arizona is an enduring measure of sacrifice and sacred memory. Equally moving was the story of the other Ohio family who lost two sons on the Arizona. The Millers were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on Dec. 7 , 1941, when word reached them of the Pearl Harbor attack. They were devastated. Every Dec. 7thereafter, Mrs. Miller took a bouquet of flowers and placed them in a small stream on their farm, hoping that her thoughts and prayers if not the flowers would reach her sons. Say a silent prayer for her sons, Howard Kenistons sons, and all who perished that day that indeed shall live in infamy. James F. Burns is a retired professor at the University of Florida. Despite efforts by the Federal Government to provide electricity in the country, the World Bank, yesterday, disclosed that over 80 milli... Despite efforts by the Federal Government to provide electricity in the country, the World Bank, yesterday, disclosed that over 80 million Nigerians have no access to electricity.World Bank Country Director, Nigeria, Mr. Rachid Benmessaoud, revealed this at the 4th Action Learning event on Upscaling Mini Grids for low-cost and timely access to electricity, organised by the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, in Abuja. Benmessaoud, however, said the World Bank had provided a $350m loan for the development of rural electrification projects in Nigeria. He said the $350m loan was given to government, but noted that a lot of the fund would go to the private sector.He said: With regards to the question on the loan, yes, indeed, this is a loan to government. That said, the Rural Electrification Agency will be the implementing agency for the loan and much of the funds will actually be going to the private sector. A lot of the funds that go from the World Bank to the government will be provided to the private sector.In his speech earlier, during the opening session of the conference, the lead speaker, Cosgrove-Davies, noted that globally, more than one billion people lacked access to electricity. He said: Sub Saharan Africa is home to about 600 million of these. In Nigeria, 80 million people are without access and millions more suffer from poor service. REA expects mini grids to fill a substantial portion of that gap, covering up to 8,000 villages nationwide. This is not a job for any one of us alone.As mentioned, the government of Nigeria is pushing hard toward universal electrification. The Nigerian government has asked the World Banks support for a National Electrification Project that focuses on off-grid opportunities, including mini grids and the World Bank is delighted to respond to this request. We know that our development partners, many in this room, are also standing shoulder-to-shoulder with government on this effort. For the World Banks part, the National Electrification Project fits well into a broader energy portfolio in Nigeria, which aims to holistically support sector development.Together with all of you, we are seeking to help our Nigerian colleagues make the most of international expertise and experience as it fits the Nigerian setting. On how the $350m loan will be managed, the Managing Director, REA, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, said $100m of it would be dedicated to mini grid development. Ogunbiyi said: The total loan amount for the electrification programme is $350m, of which $100m is going to be dedicated to mini grid development. As for the total quantum of electricity being targeted with the 10,000 mini grids, we are trying to achieve 3,000MW.Some sites could be 150 kilowatts, some others 20KW, etc, but 10,000 (mini grids) is just a guide because people always need figures when we need to drive something home.So it could be less than that, but if we can achieve 3,000MW on off-grid, which will be close to the power generated on-grid, we will be very happy. One of Atiku Abubakars daughters has said she has not followed the former vice president to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. One of Atiku Abubakars daughters has said she has not followed the former vice president to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Fatima Atiku-Abubakar, a medical doctor and Adamawa State commissioner for health, said she is currently preoccupied with the duties of the state. I have not resigned and I am performing my duties as the representative of H.E the Governor on all health matters in the state, Ms. Atiku-Abubakar said. Fatima Atiku-Abubakar, 45, is the first child of Mr. Abubakar. She was appointed commissioner in August 2015. Her rebuttal comes a day after The Sun Newspaper reported that Ms. Atiku-Abubakar had stepped down from Governor Jibrilla Bindows cabinet with seven other commissioners. The paper further reported that the officials resigned because of their loyalty to the former vice president. But at least two out of the eight commissioners mentioned said they have not resigned. Yayaji Mijinyawa, the commissioner for land and survey who was listed amongst those that purportedly resigned, also said he hasnt resigned. Its not true, the official said in a text Tuesday afternoon. On Sunday, Mr. Abubakar returned to the PDP for the third time since 2007 when he left the party after serving eight years on its platform as a vice-president. The move came a little over a week after he resigned from the All Progressives Congress. He is expected to slug it out with President Buhari in 2019, if the incumbents recent signals of a possible re-election bid take hold. The development has triggered speculation of a looming mass defection from APC, especially amongst Mr. Abubakars loyalists. The APC has, however, said no such mass defection will occur. Mr. Abubakar himself had stated that many political heavyweights in the APC are already laying the groundwork for their resignation from the party, saying most are disillusioned with the Buhari administration. Mr. Bindow, widely seen as Mr. Abubakars political protege, has said that he has no immediate plans to follow the former vice president to the PDP. But some of his commissioners may quit and decamp to the major opposition party. Some of them have already told Mr. Abubakar of their intentions to resign, but the former vice-president advised them to remain in cabinet and keep earning their salaries, according to a source close to both the former vice president and the Adamawa cabinet. He pointedly told them that theres no need to be in a hurry to resign since campaign has not even started, the source said. They currently earn more than N400,000 per month and thats not something they should forfeit when they dont have something immediate to start doing. Culled: Premium Times Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are in the running for TIME magazine's "Person of the Year." U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed he refused the nomination, also remains in the running. TIME unveiled the 10 candidates on the shortlist for on NBC's Today Show on Monday. Trump, who was last year's person, is apparently peeved because he was not assured the title again, but his name has not been pulled. Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, on Wednesday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of protecting Fulani herdsmen killing Chris... Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, on Wednesday, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of protecting Fulani herdsmen killing Christians in the North. The former Minister said Buhari sent the Nigerian Air Force to bomb Christians defending themselves against Fulani herdsmen oppressors in Numan, Adamawa State. Fani-Kayode, a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made the allegation in a tweet Wednesday morning. Hundreds of indigenous Numan Christians in Adamawa state were attacked and killed by jihadist Fulani herdsmen. An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has set aside its order made on May 30, freezing 16 accounts belonging to wife of former Pre... An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has set aside its order made on May 30, freezing 16 accounts belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.Justice Binta Nyako withdrew the order on Tuesday on the grounds that EFCC which secured the freezing order failed to conduct its investigation into the alleged infractions involving the 16 accounts.The courts decision followed an application by the counsel to Mrs. Jonathan asking the court to set aside an ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC for continued control of the accounts.The lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, described EFCCs motion as an abuse of court process. Ozekhome revealed that the court had ordered the EFCC to conduct its investigation within 90 days of freezing the accounts in May, but the commission failed to carry out the said investigation. Boko Haram kid victim Ali Ahmadu is walking again, after he suffered from an attack in Nigeria. Boko Haram kid victim Ali Ahmadu is walking again, after he suffered from an attack in Nigeria.All eyes were fixed on him. His face was wreathed in smiles as he flashed the victory sign, walking briskly. The excitement was electrifying.The boy, who was wheeled onto the plane three months ago on his way to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, for the life-changing surgery, disembarked from an Ethiopian Airline flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday without assistance.His treatment cost $63,000.Ali, who was dressed in a grey blazer, a white shirt and a pair of blue jeans thrilled the crowd by walking briskly.It was hectic controlling those who trooped out to catch a glimpse of the boy. He simply told reporters who asked him how he was feeling: I am fine.When asked in Hausa about his experience in Dubai, Ali said lafiya lao (fine, thank you).He arrived in Abuja with his aunt Hannatu Madu, the Coordinator of Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC), Nuhu Kwajafa and representatives of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, sponsors of the medical trip.Reporters asked him what he wanted to be in future, he replied in Hausa: I want to be a policeman. I want to save people from harm.The Taleveras Foundation announced a scholarship up to the university level for Ali.Chairman of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, who doubles as Chairman of Taleveras Group, Mr. Igho Sanomi, said: About three months ago, we all witnessed at the same airport Ali Ahmadu been taken away on a wheel chair. Today, to the glory of God, we are here to receive Ali Ahmadu, walking handsomely into our arms.What started as a painful journey for little Ali after his Boko Haram attack in Chibok, four years ago that confined him to a wheel chair, has transformed into a journey of hope, love and care.Dickens Sanomi Foundation is backed by the principle of love and care, one that was practised and preached by the late Assistant Inspector-General of Police Mr. Dickens Sanomi. Today, we demonstrate these principles by being our neighbours keepers and teaching love by showing it.Dickens Sanomi Foundation will be working with Alis family through GIPLC and will be supporting Alis post-surgery life as we help him settle into Abuja, to grow as a child with love and care.I am authorised to announce that an educational scholarship will be provided for Ali, until he gets to university by the Taleveras Foundation. May God bless you all.Coordinator of Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) Mr. Nuhu Kwajafa said: About four years ago, in a small village at Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, a toddler named Ali Ahmadu Chibok fell victim to one of Boko Harams murderous invasions.That fateful night, he suffered excruciating pains all over his body, brought upon him by the senseless marauders. They crushed everything/everyone in their path, severely damaging his still forming vertebral column in the process, but the hand of God preserved Ali. So we may give glory to His name.Since that incident, the little boy never accessed any form of orthodox medication. He was at the mercy of traditionalist, in highly unpredictable and perilous times. Obviously, during this period, access to education, nutrition, psychosocial tuning, water, sanitation or hygiene, was very limited, if not non-existent.He was immobile and fast deteriorating, physically and mentally, from that period till the 1st quarter of this year,2017, when GIPLC(Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care) made contact with him. The organisation facilitated the relevant examinations and digital/lab tests, for assessment and proper medical attention.The results revealed that he couldnt access the quality care required, to literally realign him towards a better quality of life, hence the decision to make prerequisite travel arrangements, to travel abroad. After duly assessing the various options open to us, from all over the world, we resolved to take him to the UAE. He was treated in Zulekha Hospital at Sharjah in Dubai. The medical bill was initially $48,000 but after the surgery, there were some complications and there was an additional $15,000 bill.We left Nigeria on the 10th of September and we arrived Dubai on the 11th. He was wheeled into the hospital on the 12th and after proper medical examination, they agreed that Ali needed to go for surgery as soon as possible.After almost six hours of extremely delicate surgery, about a week in ICU and a month in recovery, Ali took his first steps into a brighter future. After the surgery, the doctor predicted that Ali would walk after six or seven weeks, but by the grace of God, he was on his feet after seven days. The healing process was so fast and it was difficult to believe.Next week is Alis birthday, Ali has never celebrated his birthday because of his predicament. He had been lying down for three years but on the 10th of December, he would be celebrating his birthday with over 2000.We run a charity organisation for the past 11 years where we reach out to kids who cant pay medical bills and we have so far been able to raise over $4 million for children. Mrs Ogechi Ololo, Imo State Commissioner for Happiness and Couples Fulfillment, on Tuesday, advised those critical of her appointment, t... I am truly surprised by the outbursts of young Nigerians on his excellency; Dr Rochas Okorocha. If you don't understand something, keep quite, read and research. Make good use of your senses Commissioner for Happiness (@MrsOgechiOlolo) December 5, 2017 Mrs Ogechi Ololo, Imo State Commissioner for Happiness and Couples Fulfillment, on Tuesday, advised those critical of her appointment, to `keep quiet.Ololo, who is also Gov Rochas Okorochas sister, was among the 28 commissioners sworn in on Monday.Ololo, on her twitter handle @MrsOgechiOlolo which she joined in December, in response to series of criticism on her appointment expressed surprised at the `outbusts of young Nigerians on Okorocha for such an appointment.Let me educate Nigerians on this, for those lacking ignorance. United Arab Emirates has ministers of happiness and they are ahead of us.I am truly surprised by the outbursts of young Nigerians on his excellency; Dr Rochas Okorocha. If you dont understand something, keep quiet, read and research. Make good use of your senses. Suspected gunmen on Tuesday night stormed a popular viewing centre, Kaneworld Resort in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, and shot dead a final year studen... Suspected gunmen on Tuesday night stormed a popular viewing centre, Kaneworld Resort in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, and shot dead a final year student of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) while watching the UEFA Champions League matches.NE gathered that a three-man gang, stormed the viewing centre located at 17, Idak Okpo lane, few minutes to the end of the matches involving Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich and shot the victim.The heavily armed gunmen reportedly ordered viewers to lie face down while they searched for their target.When they (the criminals) ordered everyone to lie down, the deceased struggled with his Infinix phone and was shot at close range, Effiong Akpan, a Manchester United fan told newsmen.According to him, the deceased, Dominic Ubiat, a final year Microbiology student from Ibiono Ibom local government area of the state was shot on his groin at close range.He ran with patches of blood from the viewing centre and was chased by the hoodlums to his house located about 500 metres and died before help could reach him, another fan added.NE gathered that youths from the area arrived a little too late to take him to the hospital where medics confirmed he died from excessive loss of blood.His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ubiat, who visited the scene of the incident on Wednesday, lamented that all the years of their son in the university was in vain and vowed to go the extra mile to avenge his death.Look at the blood of my son, Mr. Ubiat lamented, vowing that the blood of my son shall haunt those behind this dastardly act of cowardice.The deceaseds mother, accompanied by other family members and school mates, wondered why her son could be left to die after being shot.From every indication here, help did not come early enough, otherwise my son would have survived if he had been rushed to the hospital at the right time, she lamented.Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Elkana Bala, described the incident as a pure robbery attack. President Buhari will be starting a 2-day visit to Kano state today to commission the projects the state government has completed. President Buhari will be starting a 2-day visit to Kano state today to commission the projects the state government has completed. According to a resident of the state, Ministers and state government officials chose to rock this Agbada with the coat of arm design as their welcome back Aso Ebi. See more photos below: The House of Representatives on Tuesday celebrated a former physically-challenged Lagos beggar, Mr. Abdulsalam Kamaldeen, and Miss Aarinola Olaiya, for their academic feats.While Kamaldeen overcame his physical challenge as a crippled beggar to graduate as a lawyer, Olaiya was honoured by the House for the rare academic feat of being the first medical student to graduate with distinction in Surgery at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, since 1989.Kamaldeen, 38, whose story was first published some years back, and Olaiya, 24, received a standing ovation from lawmakers during the plenary of the House in Abuja.This came after members had debated a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, to celebrate the two young Nigerians.The Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, left his chair at the enclosed section of the chambers to meet Kamaldeen and Olaiya where they were seated to shake hands with them.Other lawmakers joined Dogara in clapping for the two in appreciation of their excellence.Speaking earlier, Gbajabiamila recalled Kamaldeens pathetic story, including how he became afflicted with poliomyelitis at the tender age of three.He added, Kamaldeen, 38, lost his two legs to polio at the tender age of three; lost his mother at the age of four; and started primary school at eight. He started street begging to raise money to buy school uniforms, books and to feed.Kamaldeen begged for alms from primary through secondary schools; known on the streets of Lagos as a beggar, and slept under the Idumota Bridge for several years before saving money he gathered from commuters to rent a room.From street begging, he bought a GCE form in 2002; passed his GCE and JAMB examinations and was subsequently admitted to study Political Science at the University of Lagos.He sat for another WAEC and JAMB examinations while preparing for completion of his first degree in Political Science. In his determination to become a lawyer, Kamaldeen gained admission to study Law at the University of Lagos in 2010. He went to the Nigerian Law School in 2015 and was called to the Nigerian Bar on 30 November, 2016.For Olaiya, the House leader said she produced a unique result.He stated, Miss Aarinola Olaiya, 24, was admitted into the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, to study Medicine and Surgery in 2011; she scored an excellent Cumulative Grade Point (CGPA) of 4.74 in her first year.Subsequently, in her second through sixth year, scored: Distinctions in Anatomy, Medical Biochemistry and Physiology (200 Level); Distinctions in Medical Biochemistry and Pharmacology (300L); Distinctions in Pathology and Pharmacology (400L); Distinctions in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mental Health and Dermatology (500L); and Distinction in Surgery (600L).The achievement was elusive for a period of 28 years in OAU/Nigerian medicine and community health.Gbajabiamila described Kamaldeen and Olaiya as Nigerians of humble background, who fought all odds to achieve greatness.The leader noted that Kamaldeens case struck him deeply when he first heard his story.He added, His story is amazing, sad, as it is also inspiring. Going through Law School for able-bodied men is tough, let alone for a cripple.Despite the circumstances of his life, he chose to work hard to make a name for himself.He did not attempt to go into crime or opt to cross the Mediterranean in the hope to go to Europe.Contributing to the debate, a member from Plateau State, Mr. Edward Pwajok, SAN, said he prayed for Kamaldeen to rise beyond the Nigerian Bar to the Nigerian Bench.Pwajok stated, I celebrate these young Nigerians. Despite suffering from polio, today, Kamaldeen is called to the Nigerian Bar.I see him rising beyond the Bar to the Nigerian Bench one day. I challenge young, able-bodied Nigerians to learn from these two graduates, especially Kamaldeen.On his part, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Yussuff Lasun, said the lesson to all young Nigerians was that the best way to go is to be hard-working.Summing up the debate, Dogara asked Kamaldeen and Olaiya to do more.You still have to do more through dedication and discipline. This recognition by the House should spur you on for more achievements, he added.Both Olaiya and Kamaldeen were elated and thankful as they reacted to the gesture of the House.Olaiya said she was so happy because while in school, she never knew she would be this celebrated.She stated, I am happy, very happy. While I was in Medical School, I was just working hard but I didnt know that a day like this would come.I appreciate the House and the Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, for what has happened today.I like the lawmakers and I hope to be like one of them one day. I will still have to go for further studies.Kamaldeen also said disability should not be allowed to become a hindrance to success.The reality of life is that life itself is a competition. No matter your condition, you must compete and compete favourably, he said.Olaiyas mother, Felicia, gave a piece of advice to parents, Send your girls to school. They must go to school. Hackensack City Council members agreed late Tuesday to settle a lawsuit filed by a former longtime city clerk for $775,000 rather than face trial in federal court. Debra Heck, who worked for the city for 28 years until she was fired in 2013, claimed in court papers that city officials retaliated against her for dating and living with former city attorney Richard Salkin, a political adversary of the mayor and council. In addition to the city, Heck sued Mayor John Labrosse, Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, Councilmen David Sims and Leonardo Battaglia, Councilwoman Rose Greenman and City Manager Anthony Rottino. Heck's lawyers asked for $2 million. In a 3-2 vote Tuesday night, the council approved a settlement of $475,000 from the city and $300,000 to be paid by the city's insurance carrier. In settling the case, the city admits no wrongdoing. "Taking this case to trial in federal court would have exposed the city to several millions of dollars in legal fees, even if a jury awarded Mrs. Heck only a minor sum," said City Attorney Steven Kleinman. "Accepting this settlement is the most responsible decision the city can make to protect Hackensack taxpayers." According to the lawsuit, Salkin was a former city and board of education attorney and former municipal prosecutor who was an outspoken critic of the mayor and council. After Salkin and Heck began living together in September 2013, the governing body allegedly "created an intolerable and unconscionable working environment for (Heck)," according to the suit. The suit states officials encouraged Heck to take approved vacation time, then criticized her for taking time off. Greenman allegedly screamed at Heck for taking approved time off, the suit states. At a later meeting, officials implied Heck was working a "no-show" job, the suit states. On Nov. 25, 2013, the council passed a resolution to suspend and terminate Heck. The 17-count lawsuit accused the city of attempting to unlawfully change the terms of Heck's compensation, ignoring her complaints about working conditions, blaming Heck for mishandling OPRA requests when they knew it was a two-person job, blaming Heck for mistakes made in city resolutions when it was others who made mistakes, accusing her of theft and other wrongdoing. Kleinman did not address the allegations against the city when he issued a statement Tuesday night. The settlement "is purely a financial decision that has been made to protect taxpayers from a legal system that too often encourages public employees to file costly lawsuits and puts municipalities in impossible positions," Kleinman said. "The administration spent a significant amount of time considering this settlement, which was strongly recommended by our legal counsel," Kleinman said. Reached by phone Wednesday, Deputy Mayor Canestrino declined to discuss the settlement. "I really have no comment," she said. "Anything that's litigation we really don't discuss." Others named or mentioned in the suit were not immediately available for comment. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported Furlong's salary. A West New York teacher faces drug distribution charges after police were called to an incident at his home, authorities said. Kenneth Furlong, 24, was charged with possessing cocaine and marijuana and intending to distribute it, East Rutherford Police Chief Dennis Rivelli said in a news release. Kenneth Furlong, 24 Police responded to Furlong's East Rutherford apartment for "an incident" on Nov. 29, Rivelli said. Rivelli would not provide details about the incident or answer additional questions, citing an ongoing investigation. Furlong is employed as a teacher at Memorial High School in the West New York School District, Rivelli said. School records show that a Kenneth Andrew Furlong was approved to be a substitute teacher this school year. A woman who answered the phone in the district superintendent's office said the district had no comment, refused multiple times to give her name and hung up. The superintendent of the district and the high school principal didn't return requests for comment. Furlong turned himself in to East Rutherford police with his attorney, John Lynch, and was transported to Bergen County Jail for a Central Judicial Processing hearing. Lynch also did not return requests for comment. Furlong made news last year when he was able to donate his kidney to a stranger after being unable to give one to his father. The husband of the stranger to whom Furlong donated his kidney was not a match with his wife, but did match with Furlong's father. The successful kidney-swap at Hackensack University Medical Center was thought at the time to be the first of its kind at the facility. Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde. Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips The search for a missing man is underway in Cumberland County. Millville Police spokesman Ross Hoffman said officials are looking for Donald Gronczewski, a 49-year-old man from Millville. Gronczewski has been missing since Sunday, Dec. 3. Gronczewski's white Ford Mustang was found near the Silver Run Road Bluffs parking area. His sister-in-law Suzanne McMorrow Tavolacci posted on Facebook saying Gronczewski was a photographer who " is known for traveling to various locations and State Parks to take photos." "He left his cell phone at home so we are completely unable to reach him," she wrote. "A missing persons report was filed with local police this morning. I am asking all friends to please be on the look out for Don and/or his white Mustang. We are all worried sick about him and are praying for his safe return." Mulitple area agencies, including the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, the New Jersey State Police Marine and Aviation Unit and Atlantic County Sheriff's K-9 unit began searching the area of the Silver Run Road Bluffs Preserve Maurice River for Gronczewski. However, he was not found. Police are still searching for Gronczewski and continuing their investigation of his disappearance. Hoffman said that there are no signs of foul play at this time. If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Gronczewski, they are asked to contact police immediately. Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook Korea has been included on a European Union blacklist of offshore tax havens. EU finance ministers met in Brussels and put 17 countries, including Korea, on the blacklist. Korea keeps company with Bahrain, Barbados, Mongolia, Namibia, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Tobago, Trinidad and the UAE. Late last year, the EU placed 92 countries on its blacklist of offshore tax havens and asked them to provide detailed data for assessments. It apparently took issue with Korea's lack of transparency in offering tax breaks to foreign companies who invest in the certain economic zones. The blacklisting came after the massive corruption scandal that brought down ex-President Park Geun-hye exposed intimate collusion between government and big business here. The list covers countries that either have problems with tax regulations and are not willing to comply with EU requirements. Reuters said the 47 countries that promised to revise their tax laws were placed on a "gray list." It is unclear what sanctions the EU will impose on the blacklisted ones. Korea rejected the decision. "The EU's decision is unacceptable as giving tax benefits to lure foreign investment is a common practice and is also being implemented by EU member countries," an official at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said. Countries that charge unusually low or no taxes are hotbeds of corporate tax evasion and hidden assets, but they are mainly small islands in the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Atlantic, or in the Third World. An Irvington man employed by a contractor at Newark Liberty International Airport was arrested Saturday after allegedly assaulting a customs officer, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement. Thomas Hodge, 22, who works for Air Serve, was trying to leave a jetway at an airport gate in Terminal C around 7 p.m. when he was stopped by the officer, who asked for identification. Hodge allegedly cursed the officer and then punched him, cutting open his cheek. The officer required eight stitches, the Port Authority said. Hodge has been charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and obstruction of the administration of law. Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- A West New York man and woman face numerous drug counts after search warrants led to the seizure of a kilo of cocaine, as well as heroin and marijuana last week. The items were found during a search of the 52nd Street home of Tomas Ortega, 32, and Evelyn Duran, 30, by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Task Force on Nov. 27, according to a criminal complaint. In addition to the cocaine, authorities seized 69 grams of suspected heroin and 5 1/2 ounces of suspected marijuana during the search. Ortega and Duran are charged with numerous drug offenses including maintaining a drug production facility -- a first-degree crime carrying a possible sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison upon conviction. Among the additional charges filed, Ortega and Duran are charged with possession of suspected heroin, cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of School 3, located at 600 55th Street, according to the criminal complaint. The pair is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and Duran is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Her 14-year-old child also lives at the residence, the complaint states. A search of Ortiz's person and vehicle resulted in the seizure of a small amount of suspected marijuana. The vehicle and about $10,000 were also seized during the investigation, according to the court document. Ortega made his first appearance on the charges last week in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, he was ordered released with conditions of supervision pending trial. His next court date is Jan. 30. Duran was charged on a summons and released. She is to make her first appearance on her charges on Dec. 18 in Central Judicial Processing court. The Hudson County Sheriff's Office Canine Unit assisted in the investigation. JERSEY CITY -- The murder trial of Froylan Lopez -- the man accused of fatally stabbing 26-year-old Troy Brandon in 2015 -- began in earnest today with opening statements from both the state and defense teams. While the state argues Brandon was fatally stabbed on Dec. 5, 2015 while coming to the aid of a man who had been assaulted in the street, the defense contends that Lopez thought he was protecting his friend from Brandon, whom he perceived to be the aggressor. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Lanzot told jurors today that Brandon, watched as a large man knocked out a smaller man with a single punch to the head at Monticello and Storms avenues on the night of the incident. It had previously been incorrectly reported that the victim was a woman. "Brandon could have just walked away, like many people do nowadays, and you will see in the video, many people actually did," Lanzot continued, saying that Brandon checked the man's condition, stood near him, dialed 911 and tried to flag down an police car. Lanzot told the jury they will see security video showing that rather than assist, Lopez "took a knife and plunged it into the side of Troy Brandon, puncturing his lung and ultimately his heart." He said the video shows Brandon run a short distance before collapsing. The prosecutor said Lopez, 30, fled. But defense attorney Hope Mitchell told jurors "You are probably saying 'There's a video. This is going to be easy.' This is not going to be easy." "I submit to you that when Froylan approached the scene, he saw his good friend on the ground in the street, bleeding and helpless and he perceived that," Mitchell said. "He approached Troy Brandon with that perception. In his mind, he was protecting his friend." The prosecution's first witness, Jersey City Police Sgt. John Barone, said he was the first officer on the scene. He said he saw one man standing up and bleeding from the head. He said Brandon was on his back on the ground in pool of blood and he was unresponsive. Barone called an ambulance. Barone said EMTs cut Brandon's clothing off and he saw a "pretty big puncture wound" below Brandon's left armpit. Officials said the incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. and Brandon was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later at the Jersey City Medical Center. Lopez was arrested the next day after fleeing through a window and descending a fire escape, officials said. He is charged with murder and weapons offenses related to a knife, and faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. Lanzot said Lopez gave a statement to police putting himself at the scene of the crime that night. The defendant has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection began Tuesday and nine women and five men were impaneled by about 12:15 p.m. today. Opening statements were heard after the lunch break. After Barone, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office homicide detective who recovered the security video was called. While on the stand, the jury was shown a portion of the video. The trial will resume tomorrow morning with the detective still on the stand. _________________________________________________________________ BAYONNE -- Domenico Lillo, the former city police officer who admitted beating a man during an arrest in 2013, is testifying this afternoon against the police officer accused of helping him cover up the assault. Bayonne Police Officer Francis Styles is accused of one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation and one count of "misprision of a felony" -- or acting to conceal a federal offense -- in relation to the same instance almost four years ago. On Dec. 27, 2013, three police officers, Styles, Lillo and James Wade, arrived separately at Brandon Walsh's home near the corner of Avenue C and West 53rd Street. Walsh, 25 at the time, had an arrest warrant out of Sussex County for failing to appear in court. The officers said there was a scuffle near the front door and pepper spray was used to subdue Walsh. Surveillance video captured by a nearby bar -- which will be shown to the jury during Lillo's testimony -- captured Styles and Lillo bringing Walsh toward West 53rd Street while Wade remained in the house. The video captures Lillo hitting Walsh with a flashlight while Styles watched. After the incident, Styles said in a police report that Walsh violently struggled with cops and was injured when he hit a wall and the ground outside Walsh's home, according to federal prosecutors. There was no mention of a flashlight being used in the police report Styles filed. Styles' defense team is expected to argue that he did not mention the use of a flashlight in the incident because he believed Walsh's injuries were sustained in the fall. Lillo pleaded guilty in September 2015 to using excessive force during the arrest; and in unrelated legal trouble he pleaded guilty to assisting in the filing of a false report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help a relative fraudulently obtain a federally funded home rehabilitation loan. Lillo is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 25. His sentencing had been delayed numerous times so he could testify in Styles' trial first. He was also one of several Bayonne police officers named in a brutality lawsuit that resulted in a $100,000 settlement for the two men who brought the lawsuit, The Jersey Journal reported in 2011. As part of his plea deal, Lillo is testifying on behalf of the prosecution team. Styles, if convicted, faces up to 30 years in prison. A lawsuit against Bayonne and the police department filed by Walsh and his family was settled earlier this year. The Jersey Journal has filed a lawsuit to force the city to release the settlement agreement. A previous version of this story said that Brandon Walsh was 20 years old at the time of the incident. He was 25. Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- The results of today's four council runoffs are mixed news for Mayor Steve Fulop, whose team defeated one of his council critics on the West Side while another potential political adversary won a closely watched contest in the Downtown. Still, Fulop will retain control of the nine-member body when his new term begins in January and there was a celebratory mood tonight at Zeppelin Hall tonight, where his team gathered. "We ran a good campaign," said Fulop, who was re-elected last month. "I'm looking forward to working with those that ran with us and those than ran against us." In Ward A, Ridley, 34, won 1,639 votes to opponent Joe Conte's 808 in the race to succeed Fulop ally Councilman Frank Gajewski. Prinz-Arey, 45, nabbed 1,555 votes, defeating incumbent Ward B Councilman Chris Gadsden, a Fulop critic who received 986 votes, early results show. The councilwomen-elect are both first-time candidates. Ridley will be the first black council person for Ward A. In Ward C, Councilman Rich Boggiano won a second term, grabbing 1,675 votes to challenger (and Fulop ally) John Hanussak's 1,104, according to preliminary results. Boggiano, 74, is friendly with Fulop but has opposed many of the mayor's major initiatives. In the heated and expensive Ward E council race to succeed Fulop ally Councilwoman Candice Osborne, James Solomon stunned everyone by defeating Rebecca Symes 2,178 to 1,929. On Election Day, Solomon, 33, came in more than 700 votes behind Symes, who had most of the Hudson County political machine and a well-funded pro-labor group behind her for the runoff. The mood at Solomon's victory party at Gia Gelato & Cafe on Newark Avenue was joyous, with some of his supporters still shocked an hour after Symes conceded. "The rebel alliance won!" one supporter said. Though Solomon, another first-time candidate, was often sharply critical of Fulop on the campaign trail, he said he doesn't envision that he will be a mayoral rival the way Fulop was during his own two terms on the council representing Ward E. "What I commit to is to do two things simultaneously: to be a productive, constructive council person, and that requires working with the full council and the mayor," he said. "And the other commitment is to remain independent, to not become part of the sort of machine." James Solomon poses for a selfie with friends outside his victory party on Newark Avenue. At Fulop's party, Ridley said she is going to create a committee of Ward A residents to help guide her during her first term. "I'm excited," she said. "I'm just ready to get to work." Prinz-Arey echoed Ridley. "I'm very excited to just get to work and continue some of the stuff I've been doing and build on that," she said. In a statement from Boggiano's campaign that is missing the councilman's customary brusqueness, he said, "Today the people of Ward C showed that they wanted a strong independent on the City Council. I look forward to working with the mayor and plan to keep fighting for affordability, clean government and basic quality-of-life improvements throughout the city. " Fulop, 40, won a first-ballot victory last month, nabbing 77 percent of the vote against one challenger, Bill Matsikoudis. No other mayor in the last half-century won re-election with a larger share of the vote. Four council members also won outright on Election Day: all three at-large members, Rolando Lavarro, Daniel Rivera and Joyce Watterman; Ward D Councilman Michael Yun and Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson. It's a second full term for all of them except Robinson, who was appointed to the council in January. Today's runoffs, the first the city has held in December instead of May, attracted far fewer voters than the first round on Nov. 7. One voter, Mary, 55, who lives near Saint Peter's University and votes at School 11, said she forgot about the election until she was walking home from work and a car blasting a message to vote for Boggiano drove by her. Mary, who declined to give her last name, confessed she was not very knowledgeable about the local election. She could not name the person she voted for -- it was Gadsden -- but called her vote a protest against Fulop. "I think it's just too much development here in Jersey City. There's not enough room," she said. "It's just too much. There's no parking, there's space on the trains." Fulop and all nine council members begin their new terms on Jan. 1. Council terms run four years. An earlier version of this story should have said no Jersey City mayor in the last 50 years has won re-election with a larger share of the vote than Fulop did this year. Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. The man shot by Jersey City cops yesterday at an outpatient psychiatric facility faces a string of charges, including aggravated assault, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said tonight. The 41-year-old man, described yesterday as emotionally disturbed, lunged at police with a shard of glass when they arrived at the Nunda Avenue home a little after 4 p.m. on a report of a man trying to harm workers, officials said. Inside the building, two officers found the man threatening to hurt himself and others, the Prosecutor's Office said. They attempted to de-escalate the situation and tried to disarm him with pepper spray, the Prosecutor's Office said, but the attempt was unsuccessful. "Ultimately, one police officer discharged his service weapon,'' Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in the statement released tonight. The man was struck in the torso, treated at the scene and then taken by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center, where he is being treated for his injuries. Yesterday, his injuries were described as non-life threatening. The two police officers were also taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. The officer who shot the man had shortness of breath and ringing in the ears, officials said yesterday. The shot man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; terroristic threats; possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; and unlawful possession of a weapon, he Prosecutor's Office said. JERSEY CITY -- Negotiations for a plea deal for two men charged with a 2016 fatal in Jersey City shooting appear to be dead in the water, the prosecution said in court today. "At this point judge, it does not look like this is going to be a resolvable case," Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Adam Salzer told Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young of the charges against Arron Enix and Davon Cooper, both 23. The pair were originally charged with the attempted murder of Rashay Washington, 24, but the charges were upgraded to murder when the victim died just over two weeks after the Nov. 27, 2016 shooting. In the current offer on the table for Enix and Cooper, they would serve 25-year sentences. After Salzer said negotiations have stalled, Young set Jan. 12 for an evidentiary hearing as the case now moves toward a trial. Salzer also said that Cooper is attempting to withdraw his guilty plea in another case. The judge also set Jan. 12 as the deadline for Cooper's lawyer to file a brief on withdrawing the plea and Jan. 26 for Salzer to respond to the brief. During today's hearing, Cooper and Enix stood at the defense table beside their attorneys, wearing handcuffs and the green garb of the Hudson County jail. The defendant's said nothing at the hearing. A trial date has not yet been set. Authorities previously said that Washington was shot between 16 and 19 times on Claremont Avenue. According to court documents, Washington made a "dying declaration" identifying the shooters. Korea's tourism industry has been forced to wake up and improve by the shock of a Chinese boycott. A key example is Nami Island in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, which was the background for memorable scenes in the hit Korean soap "Winter Sonata." Before China banned so-called zero-dollar group tours to Korea in protest against the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery, the island saw about 350,000 Chinese tourists a year. But Southeast Asian tourists are comfortably replacing them because facilities are of high quality and they can experience more than being herded around shopping venues and identikit mass accommodation. The island has made active promotion efforts, and now the number of tourists from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam is estimated to have surged more than 50 percent from 368,000 in 2012 to around 568,000 this year. That means the total number of visitors to the island this year could drop only 16 percent on-year, even though the number of Chinese visitors has fallen 78 percent. Prof. Lee Ki-jong at Kyunghee University, said, "Nami Island offers hands-on tourism experiences catering to the needs of visitors, which is setting a great example for others to follow." 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. CVS Health wants to do much more than fill your prescription or jab your arm with an annual flu shot. The second-largest U.S. drugstore chain is buying Aetna, the third-largest health insurer, in order to push much deeper into customer care. The evolution wont happen overnight, but in time, shoppers may find more clinics in CVS stores and more services they can receive through the network of nearly 10,000 locations that the company has built. Theyll be pretty much a soup-to-nuts health company ... except for the hospital part of it, said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consulting and research firm. Patients also may find the CVS-Aetna combination much more involved in managing their care, especially for those with expensive chronic conditions like diabetes. The bulked-up company also may gain more negotiating leverage over prescription drug prices, but its far too early to say how much or whether that benefit will trickle down to customers. The $69 billion deal announced Sunday evening will push the drugstore chain more forcefully in a direction it has been heading for years, according to Wall Street analysts. The company, which stopped selling tobacco products in 2014 to further burnish its image as a care provider, already runs about 1,100 clinics and has been steadily expanding the health care it offers. The clinics started off as a place to treat basic health care needs like sinus infections or strep throat. Gradually, CVS added services like blood draws or monitoring of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Expect that trend to continue as the drugstore switches more from selling products in its stores to services that cant be bought online, where retailers face formidable competition from the likes of Amazon. I think, over time, youre going to see less of that front-store retail and more health care services in their stores, said Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager for Gabelli Funds who follows drugstores. The mammoth acquisition pairs a company that runs more than 9,700 drugstores with an insurer covering around 22 million people. CVS Health Corp. is also one of the nations biggest pharmacy benefit managers, processing more than a billion prescriptions a year for clients like large employers and insurers including Aetna Inc. Analysts say the combined company could add more clinics and expand in-store services to include eye care or maybe centers for hearing aids. That could gradually turn CVS into a one-stop-shop for health care, a place where patients can get a hearing aid checked, then see a nurse practitioner and pick up prescriptions. If you think about it, we actually dont have anything like that, said Jefferies analyst Brian Tanquilut said. Clinics arent especially profitable, but they are important because they draw people into the stores and help build deeper customer relationships, analysts say. The clinics have become an attractive option for customers in need of basic health care because they are usually open longer than the family doctors office. A clinic visit also can be cheaper than a $100 doctor visit for someone who doesnt have insurance, but they have drawbacks. Family doctors say they know their patients better and can check on their overall health during a visit rather than dealing with just the one issue that brought that person in. CVS isnt the only health care giant delving into clinical care. The deal will help it compete with others like UnitedHealth Group Inc. The nations largest health insurer also runs clinics and doctors offices. Like CVS, it also has one of the nations largest pharmacy benefit management businesses. CVS and Aetna also want to go beyond just clinic visits to help patients and customers. Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini has talked frequently about how most of a persons life expectancy is determined by genetics and location and not by clinical care, which is where health care spending is focused. Our conventional operating model is not effective, Bertolini said earlier this year. People are angry at this model. It doesnt work effectively in controlling costs. He has talked about the need to get into patients homes to gauge what they need, like whether they have enough food or may need transportation. CVS can help through its home infusion business, which sends nurses to patients homes to deliver complex drugs for people with hemophilia among other conditions. The clinic and drugstore locations could also give patients with chronic conditions like diabetes more convenient options to get their blood monitored or counseling on their condition. Over time, health care experts say that can help keep these conditions from growing worse and stave off expensive hospital stays. CVS will pay about $207 in cash and stock for each share of Aetna. The boards of both companies have approved the deal, and the companies expect the deal to close in the second half of next year. But ant-trust regulators still need to evaluate it. The Justice Department said last month that it is suing AT&T to stop its $85 billion purchase of Time Warner. Regulators also sued to stop the Aetnas approximately $34 billion purchase of rival Humana Inc. a deal that fell apart earlier this year. Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna and Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based CVS both manage Medicare prescription drug coverage. Some of that business may have to be sold to address antitrust concerns. But otherwise, Leerink analyst David Larsen thinks a CVS-Aetna combination has decent odds of getting past regulators, in part because the businesses have little overlap. An electrical fire at St. Albert Catholic School resulted in one man being injured and activities being canceled Wednesday night. School officials announced in a Facebook post Wednesday night that Thursday and Friday classes were canceled. School President David Schweitzer said routine maintenance on electrical equipment was being done around 4:30 p.m. when the fire began. Council Bluffs Fire Department Assistant Chief Jim Wheat said the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction or accident. He said the injured worker was with Bluffs Electric, Inc. and had suffered burns. He was conscious and talking to us while being transported, Wheat said. The man was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The extent of his injuries is unknown. The fire did not spread and stayed to the electrical equipment, Wheat added. Smoke had to be cleared out. Doors were propped open around the school to vent smoke out of the building. Students and staff had been evacuated for about 15 minutes before given the all-clear to return inside. Crews concentrated at the back of the school where the fire originated, Schweitzer said. The nights CCD classes and after-school activities were canceled, as was KidsCare. Parents were asked to come pick their kids up. Christmas at the Codys is celebrating its 20th year with a special lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The popular Scouts Rest Ranch and historic home of Buffalo Bill Cody will be doused in lights to help celebrate Christmas. Area nonprofits have taken on the task of decorating each of the rooms in the Cody house, as well as the horse stalls in the barn. Weve added more lights throughout the park to make it more special, said Jason Tonsfeldt, superintendent at the Nebraska state park. It is just a wonderful night. There are over 10,000 lights over the whole park. Cody and his wife Louisa decorated with ferns and red carnations during the times they lived at the home. The couple would host parties at the mansion when Cody was home from traveling with his Wild West Show. Ten Christmas trees have been decorated by nonprofits in North Platte, and they are beautiful decorations, Tonsfeldt said. Visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the mansion and get a look at the displays. Cost for the event is $7 for adults, $5 for kids under 12 years of age and free admission for kids ages three and younger. We will have a horse-drawn wagon, and Buffalo Bill will be on the wagon being a good host, Tonsfeldt said. After the wagon ride, the barn is opened and we have more decorations. Tonsfeldt said there is also a Kids Zone in the barn with crafts for the kids to do. In previous years, we would have the park lit up already, Tonsfeldt said. But because this is the 20th anniversary, we want it to be a surprise. There will be lots of goodies offered each night of the event. There will be free cider and cookies, roasted chestnuts and candied almonds, Tonsfeldt said. Christmas at the Codys will be open from 5:30-8 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 24. Each spring, Nebraska farmers head to their fields to plant and prepare for their fall harvest. Their individual success depends on many factors and is a key part of our states overall economic success. Our farm and ranch families are the foundation of our states No. 1 industry. To grow Nebraska, we have to continue to grow opportunities for those families. In 2017, Ive continued to make growing agriculture a top priority for my administration by expanding trade, encouraging livestock development and promoting the biofuels industry. Growing demand for Nebraskas quality ag commodities through trade generates over $6 billion annually for Nebraskas ag economy. Our efforts to expand trade led our trade delegation to Canada this year. Our neighbors to the north have been one of our best export customers over the years, and its important for us to thank them for their business so the relationship can continue to expand. On the trade mission, I met with Agri-Plastics to encourage them to choose Nebraska. This fall, Agri-Plastics announced they will be expanding their calf-housing line by opening a production facility in Sidney their first in the United States. In September, we had a similar opportunity to maintain and build trade relations with Japan. Japan is already our largest source of direct foreign investment, and were eager to grow that relationship. During that trip, the Sagami restaurant chain signed a letter of intent with Smithfield to source more of their pork from Nebraska farmers. Weve been able to open new markets as well as expand opportunities with current partners. This year, China agreed to open its beef market to the United States for the first time since 2003. Federal trade agreements can have a big impact on growing Nebraska agriculture. This year, I led a coalition that urged the Trump administration to continue to focus on growing market access as they negotiate NAFTA. I have also advocated for immediate negotiations on bilateral agreements with some of our key trading partners such as Japan. One of the best ways to grow our industry here at home is through livestock development. Livestock development provides a way to add value to the billions of bushels of feedstocks our farmers produce each year. Our work this year included breaking ground on the $300 million Costco chicken processing project near Fremont and the opening of Hendrix-ISAs chick hatchery in Grand Island and turkey hatchery in Beatrice. When you consider additional investments from Cargill, Novozymes and Evonik this year, Nebraska has seen over $650 million invested in value-added ag and biofuels operations just from these projects. Were also expanding programs that make investment and growth in the agriculture industry accessible and easy. The Livestock Friendly County program and the livestock siting assessment matrix are both administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. In 2017, the Livestock Friendly County program added Thurston and Hall counties. This brings the total number of Livestock Friendly Counties in Nebraska to 43. The program provides the counties a tool to let the livestock industry know they are open for business. Additionally, Dodge and Merrick became the first two counties in the state to voluntarily adopt the livestock siting assessment matrix to bring greater predictability to decisions on livestock siting applications. Biofuels also play a critical role in the states agriculture industry. Nebraska is the second largest producer of ethanol in the country. In the past two years, ethanol plants in Jackson, Fairmont and Adams have invested approximately $190 million in new technology. These investments have increased the capacity and product diversification of their operations. In 2017, I have had the privilege of serving as chairman of the Governors Biofuels Coalition. Serving as chairman gave me the opportunity to encourage the EPA for a timely release of the 2018 proposed targets under the Renewable Fuel Standards. Last week, the Trump administration announced the final volume levels in a timely manner with minimal changes. Their decision provides much-needed predictability, which helps ethanol producers plan for their businesses and spur growth in the biofuels industry. More work lies ahead as we rise up to seize the opportunities and face the challenges our farm and ranch families work through to feed a growing world. We will continue to build on the momentum weve experienced in 2017. If you have any suggestions on how we can do more to grow Nebraskas agriculture industry, call my office at 402-471-2244 or email me at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov. The Gold Coast Titans are waiting to see if Michael Gordon can be released from the final year of his Sydney Roosters deal so they can sign the veteran fullback. It is believed the Titans will sign the 34-year-old custodian to a two-year deal if the Roosters allow him to walk away from his contract for next season. Gordon was set to be moved from his favoured fullback position to the wing next season due to the arrival of NSW star James Tedesco at the Roosters. Gold Cost are in the market for a fullback following Jarryd Hayne's well-documented switch last Friday to his former club, the Parramatta Eels. Gordon made his NRL debut in 2006 and played seven seasons for Penrith, before a three-year stint at the Cronulla Sharks and a one-year stay at the Parramatta Eels. He took over as Roosters fullback last season, enabling Latrell Mitchell to switch to centre. Gordon scored 172 points in 22 matches last season for the Roosters to bring his career tally to 1532 from 225 appearances. Titans have 'no regrets' over Hayne Hayne 'didn't fit in' at Titans: Friend Titans confirm Leilani Latu signing Brenton Lawrence announces retirement HAMMOND When Jeff Strack looks back at his pursuit to buy back the company his family co-launched decades ago, in the end he says he did it for the employees and to ensure a Region-born brand would continue serving the community. "One thing I learned, I'm passionate about Strack & Van Til," Strack said Tuesday in his address during the December Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Dynasty Banquet Hall. "(Buying the company) was about the people and preserving jobs." The Indiana Grocery Group, led by Strack, whose family co-launched the regional grocer in 1959, was the winning bidder for the Strack & Van Til stores. The Strack-led group in late July submitted a bid for $91.3 million, which included 17 Strack & Van Til stores; two Town & Country Market stores, one in Portage and the other in Valparaiso; an Ultra Foods in Merrilville; the Strack & Van Til headquarters in Highland and a commissary in Valparaiso. The Indiana Grocery Group's bid also included spending up to $30 million to buy inventory from now former Strack & Van Til parent, Joliet-based Central Grocers, which filed for bankruptcy in May. Central Grocers has since sold its 930,000-square-foot Joliet warehouse to Minnesota-based food distributor Supervalu. Illinois-based Jewel-Osco was the other bidder for Stracks. Its $100 million bid was for 19 Strack & Van Til grocery stores, including inventory. Strack said there was nothing easy about going through bankruptcy. In the months leading up the auction, stores closed and jobs were lost. "A lot of people's lives were affected the past 12 months," he said. "Bankruptcy is a slimy place to be. It was not fun and unfortunately some people got hurt along the way." The bankruptcy process also meant the original company launched by Strack's family and the Van Tils also would disappear, Strack said. "That company was heading down a different path, which is coming to an end," he said. On the upside, IGG has an opportunity to rebuild, Strack said. "That's the exciting part," he said. "Indiana Grocery Group is a new company on a new path, but it will continue the same principals and values that have held true for over 60 years and will endure even longer." About 3,000 people work for IGG today, which includes employees at the grocery stores as well as support and corporate operations. Strack said loyalty to the Strack and Van Til brand, by its employees and the community, also kept the company going until the sale concluded. He said prior to submitting the final bids, the stores which continued operating were turning profits. "Our employees kept it going and kept coming to work and providing great service to our customers," Strack said. "Northwest Indiana truly supports its own." New partnerships and approaches will ensure Strack and Van Til will succeed. Strack said its new supplier, AWG out of Kansas City, Kansas, offers more private label brands, which will help his company's stores compete. Its connection with AWG also gives it access to more than 4,000 products, where its previous supplier and former majority owner Central Grocers of Joliet, Illinois, had between 700 and 800 private label items. Strack said while he was working to buy back his family's company, internet giant Amazon acquired Whole Foods. He wondered how that would impact future business but believes IGG will adapt. He pointed to Strack's partnership with Instacart, which provides grocery delivery services as another example of how his company is staying competitive. "The pace of change will get even faster," Strack said. "We just have to keep challenging our team to think of ways we can make our customers' lives easier, whether that's through more conveniences or better technology." MERRILLVILLE More than a dozen local youth workers learned the proper names to use and how to make teens who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender more comfortable. The program was sponsored by the Indiana Youth Institute and featured Natalie Lukich, a mental health therapist and the LGBTQ program coordinator with Crown Point-based Crown Counseling. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning. IYI Northwest Indiana Outreach Manager Melanie Walker said a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Hoosier students who identify as LGBTQ are five times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. "They also are more than twice as likely to be bullied at school and more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use," she said. "With the ever-evolving landscape surrounding sexual- and gender-minority youth, the adults who work with these young people need to understand the cultural context in which they live," Walker said. Lukich, who hosts a weekly group meeting with LGBTQ teens and adults, said it's important to acknowledge the differences among them. She said it's important for school counselors and other youth workers to have this kind of training, so they are more sensitive to these youth and gain awareness of their cultural issues. Lukich's presentation included information on best practices. "Best practices say you should allow gender expression with clothing, hairstyles and activities," she said. "Also, do not assume that just because a teen told you something, that they have shared that information with others. Sometimes, they have not told their parents. Honor the pronouns that they use when referring to themselves." She told youth workers to look for ways to make teens feel supported and included. Lukich said sometimes young people know what gender they are as young as 3. "The little things that you do helps," she said. "You can assume that 10 percent of the people you talk to may be LGBTQ." Regional Mental Health workers Lydia Hardin and Jonae King said they learned many things from the presentation which will, in turn, help their clients. Hardin said the training will help her with the knowledge of terms and basic information to help teens. Therapist King said she doesn't work with teens but has LGBTQ clients. "My client told me the Q stands for queer but some people use the term negatively," she said. "My client said he prefers that term that he proudly uses the term 'queer.' I also learned a lot about resources in the community. I can go back and tell my clients about different resources they can find in the community to further assist them." LAPORTE The county's Drug Task Force announced the arrest of six people over the last week for various drug- and firearms-related offenses. Shane D. Inghels, 35, of Mishawaka, was arrested by the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department after a vehicle pursuit spilled over into St. Joseph County with a crash Nov. 28. About 60 grams of methamphetamine, two handguns and U.S. currency were seized with the help of a K-9, police said. Inghels has been charged with dealing in methamphetamine and being serious violent felon in possession of a firearm. Antoni C. Martin, 27, of Harvey, Illinois, was arrested Nov. 29 after being stopped by a Michigan City police officer in his vehicle. Martin allegedly fled on foot and discarded a handgun as he fled, police said. Martin has been charged with being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm and resisting law enforcement. Danielle Faulkenburg, 28, of LaPorte, was arrested Saturday after allegedly being located in LaPorte in a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Marshal County. Faulkenburg was charged with two counts of dealing methamphetamine and auto theft. Joseph A. Peters, 43, of Michigan City, was arrested Monday during a traffic stop near Springland and Carroll Avenue, according to police. A K-9 detected 129 grams of cocaine on Peters, according to police, resulting in charges of dealing in cocaine. Michael D. Perry, 43, of Gary, was arrested Monday by the LaPorte County Drug Task Force near Michigan Boulevard and Leeds Avenue after he fled from a vehicle and into a nearby wooded area. Police executed a search warrant on his vehicle, which turned up about 230 grams of cocaine, police said. Perry was charged with dealing cocaine and resisting law enforcement. The LaPorte County Drug Task Force was assisted in these cases by the patrol divisions from the LaPorte County Sheriffs Department, LaPorte City Police Department, Michigan City Police Department, and LaPorte County Sheriffs Department's K-9 Division, according to the news release. The LaPorte County Prosecutors Office, Indiana HIDTA Intel unit and St. Joseph County Sheriffs Department also assisted, according to the release. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP A head-on collision between a semi and a vehicle Monday on U.S. 30 resulted in one person being airlifted to South Bend Memorial for treatment. Porter County sheriff's deputies were dispatched about 2:30 p.m. Monday to a crash involving a semi and Ford F-150 pickup truck on U.S. 30 about a 1/4-mile east of County Road 575 East, according to a department news release. An initial investigation revealed James Sperry, 73, of Hebron, the driver of the F-150, was weaving in and out of traffic along westbound U.S. 30 before he crossed the median into eastbound traffic twice, police said. Upon his second crossing of the median, Sperry allegedly struck a semi head on in the left lane. The semi truck driver, Fred Hundt, 66, of Knox, told police he was in the right lane right before the crash when he observed another semi in front of him "suddenly switch lanes" and begin to slow down. Hundt said he was struck head-on by Sperry's Ford F-150 shortly after Hundt switched to the left lane to avoid a rear-end collision with the semi in front of him, police said. Sperry was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital for "incapacitating injuries." Porter County Sheriff spokeswoman Sgt. Jamie Erow did not have a condition update as of Tuesday afternoon. No citations have been issued. Standard toxicology results are pending, police said. LANSING A person with a history of public indecency arrests was released from jail on bond after a Nov. 27 incident. Tarik Davis, 42, of Sauk Village, Illinois, was arrested last week for an alleged public indecency incident in Lansing, but "the appropriate charge allows him to be out on bond and able to do it again," Lansing police said in a news release. A female juvenile told police she was walking home from school Nov. 27 near the Family Dollar, 17829 Burnham Ave., when a person, later identified as Davis, yelled out to her from inside a red van parked there, police said in a news release. "The juvenile stated that when she looked over, she observed the male masturbating in the vehicle in plain sight," police said. The juvenile ran away from the area and notified police what happened and that she observed the same person in the parking lot several weeks ago, according to the news release. The van was gone upon officers' arrival, police said. Police learned Davis, who has a history of public indecency arrests, was the owner of the vehicle, Lansing police said. He was arrested at his home Saturday, charged with public indecency and released on bond. His initial court appearance is Jan. 18 at the 6th District Cook County Courthouse in Markham, Illinois. Porter County Auditor Vicki Urbanik will host a year-end Coffee with the Clerks on Friday. "Coffee with the Clerks" is an outreach effort between the Porter County auditors office and local clerk-treasurers, school and library fiscal officers, and other local government leaders. Discussion will include the upcoming tax distribution, changes to the tax abstract and an auditors office year in review. Urbanik, who serves on the board of the Indiana Auditors' Association, will also give a report on legislative proposals endorsed by county auditors. This will be the sixth session of its type Urbanik has hosted with local officials. These meetings are a great way for my office and local government leaders to share information and resources that can help us provide the best service possible for the taxpayers, Urbanik said. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in Room 102A (lower level classroom) of the County Administration Building, Valparaiso. Stating that no university is above the norms of the University Grants Commission, the HC found Priya lacking the required teaching experience to be considered for the post of associate professor. Lake Area United Way (LAUW) participated in a volunteer project with BP Asian Network Whiting. BP employees created 150 activity kits for kids to be donated to a local hospital. These kits were donated to Methodist Hospitals Pediatric Unit at the Gary Campus and the emergency room departments at both the Gary and Merrillville campuses. Six-year-old Christian Williams was being discharged on the day the activity kits were being delivered by Megan Sikes, Community Engagement Manager at the LAUW. Williams accepted his activity kit and asked if he could have one for his sister. The big smile on his face said it all. Thanks to the gift from BP and the LAUW, kids treated at Methodist Hospitals will be able to smile during a time when they need it most. HAMMOND Calumet College of St. Joseph is still planning on building a residence hall at its Robertsdale campus, but it may be a couple of years away. Initially, the college had anticipated opening a residence hall this year, but it is still getting its finances in order for the project. President Amy McCormack said ideally the college would like to have the residence building in place by fall of 2019. "We are in the process of developing our finance plan," McCormack said. The Hammond Redevelopment Commission Tuesday approved amended agreements with the college regarding the project. In 2015, the college submitted to the redevelopment board a bid of $308,500 for a 5.61-acre site at 2500 New York Ave., next to the college's campus, which was to be used for the 96-bed residence hall. The college put up $5,000 in earnest money for the site, with the rest of the $303,500 coming in the way of a promissory note that the commission was to forgive over a five-year period if the college follows through with the project. The original purchase agreement called for the closing on the site to take place no later than Sept. 15, 2016, and the development agreement called for the project to be substantially completed by Sept. 15. Under two new amended agreements, the college will be given until Sept. 1, 2019, to close on the site and until Sept. 15, 2020, to build a new residence hall. McCormack, however, said she is hoping to have one ready for fall 2019. McCormack said in July the first priority is one residence hall. Officials will look at different options for dining, but there will be no separate dining facility initially. She also said the college will make sure there is a footprint for a second residence hall, although it has not been determined when that might be constructed. McCormack said a residence hall will be "transformative" for the college and the community. She said earlier this year the college needs to have "residential components and options for students." She said it would give the college more of a campus feel and make it a stronger institution. GARY The City Council is likely to move forward with providing the necessary funding to continue operating the Genesis Convention Center for the time being, but questions remain about its future. The City Council on Tuesday moved the ordinance for the 2018 salary and operating budgets to the Dec. 12 Finance Committee for consideration prior to a public hearing at the Dec. 19 council meeting. The budget for the Genesis Center for next year is $848,190 and a $207,165 transfer from the city's casino revenue needs to be made to help fund salaries there. Council President Ron Brewer, D-at large, said he expects the funding to be approved by the council, but also thinks it is time for the city to look at a different direction for the center. He said that direction could involve some kind of public-private partnership or perhaps a sale of the facility. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said recently that she intends to form a working group, which could include representatives of the council, the convention center board and the administration, to look into options for the center. NEW BUSINESS IN GARY The City Council on Tuesday took action on the zoning of land at 2277 E. 15th Ave., which will allow Tony Savchuk, of Westmont, Illinois, to operate a semitractor-trailer repair facility there. Under the provisions of the ordinance he will not be allowed to have more than 10 trucks on the property at one time. Trucks are also only to be kept overnight at the facility if they are in the process of being repaired. Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections While some already are household names like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Val Demings in Florida, and Anthony Brown in Maryland, others like Natalie James in Arkansas, Will Boyd in Alabama,... Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action One of the great joys of my life is teaching. Im fortunate to teach classes on social justice at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the most respected schools in... Editor's note: To submit an event for this list, email the information to Carla Nelson at cnelson@oanow.com. __________________________________ Get ready for holiday cheer with the following list of events sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. AUBURN Dec. 15 31 Downtown Ice Skating Rink open The city of Auburn will host a skating rink in the Gay Street parking lot from Dec. 15 to Dec. 31. Times will vary. OPELIKA Through Dec. 31 Christmas in Camelot A drive-through event located in the Camelot Subdivision off of Rocky Brook Road featuring large Christmas cards, painted by Opelika High art students, along with Christmas lights and more. Uganda has been advised to increase the value and volume of its exports to China if it wants to benefit from the trade between the two countries. China is Ugandas second-largest trading partner but with the latters exports standing at a mere $57.7m and imports at $886.2m, there seems to be one beneficially, China. According to the state minister for Cooperatives, Fredrick Ngobi, this statistic must improve at the earliest possible time. Uganda mainly imports electrical and mechanical appliances and their spare parts, clothes, nuclear reactors, among others from China. On the other hand, we export raw hides and skins, oil seeds, fruits and vegetables, coffee, tea and spices. State minister for Cooperatives, Fredrick Ngobi (L) with Chinese ambassador Zheng ZhuQiang (C) at dinner last week We need a balanced trade, where we export and import at the same rate. The balance of trade will be possible by increasing our exports to Asian countries like China which provide a bigger market, Ngobi said last week during a dinner for participants in the 2017 China-aid training program. This program involves taking Ugandans to China for skills training in technology and other areas that can spur development. Ngobi also advised traders to add value to their exports by processing products such as oil and powdered milk to attract a higher price. The government is trying to improve the infrastructure to access the market. I advise farmers to move to modern farming and form firm groups which will help them market their products together. Like in China or Saudi Arabia, they might want an order of supplying them with 100 tonnes of meat every day, this can only be possible if you formed a firm group since one person cant meet that demand, Ngobi said. He advised farmers to have attractive packaging of their products to ably compete on the international market. He also invited more Chinese investors in the energy sector because the current 2,000 megawatts of power Uganda has is not enough. We want a lot of power [for] industries, produce more and be competitive on the international market. We want wind power. We encourage each region to have industrial parks where people form partnerships and share investments. Some people can bring land and others bring capital and make an investment, he said. He also advised Ugandans to avoid importing very cheap and substandard products and then start blaming China. The Chinese ambassador Zheng ZhuQiang noted that his country remained the number one source of foreign direct investment for Uganda. He added that Uganda Investment Authority has reserved 10 acres of land at Namanve industrial park for development of small and medium enterprise work spaces. Its our hope that we shall develop this project with support from the Chinese government, Zheng said. zurah@observer.ug Uganda plans to import at least 320,000 tonnes of coal from Tanzania each year in order to support its iron and steel industry, according to the National Planning Authority. Coal is a crucial commodity for the processing of iron ore into quality finished goods. In order to transport this coal easily, technocrats at the National Planning Authority plan to push for the need of a swifter water transportation system over Lake Victoria. Figures from the National Planning Authority show that Uganda imports 440,000 tonnes of iron and steel products a year, reflecting a value of $280 million. While iron and steel exports stand at 200,000 tonnes or $87 million in value. While Uganda is witnessing an infrastructure boom, project owners usually point to the standards of iron and steel bars as to why they prefer imported stuff. At least four companies are expected to be producing sponge iron by 2020. Uganda is to undertake a feasibility study for the set-up of an iron and still mill in Kigezi region in the south western part of the country with forecasts showing demand for the mineral set to shoot through the roof. The government is currently sourcing for a consultant to undertake the study. An Inter Ministerial Technical Working Group has already been set up to fast-track the completion of the study. Still, the establishment of an iron and steel industry will require substantial increase in energy production, while a railway network is a more preferred mode of transport than water. Governments plan of dealing with the energy and transport challenges in order to ramp up its iron and steel industry remains unclear. Nakamera mining field Blackmountain Resources has finalized its withdrawal from the United States market, where it sold offs its interest in two assets exploring for silver, in order to fully concentrate on the vermiculite project at Namekara in eastern Uganda. The Australian company bought the Namekara vermiculite and Busumbu phosphate exploration targets in 2016, and went on a debt-raising campaign to turn around the projects. The company recently announced that it sold off its silver assets in Montana and Idaho to Texas Energy Advisors in September for a total sum of AU$70,000 ($53,600) as part of the focus on Namekara. Blackmountain did not undertake any exploration or technical work at the silver projects. Blackmountain retains high expectations for the vermiculite in Namekara. In less than two years since it took over the mines, the company says it has made sales to 14 customers in five continents. Of these 14, 10 have made repeat orders, according to the company. The company also said its sale of Ugandas vermiculite to a client in Southern Africa is a strong entry point into a market where South African mining companies remain dominant. The company, in its annual report that it released in October, said: Namekara is potentially the only vermiculite producer in the world that can significantly expand production and supply these grades. The company is exploring other uses of vermiculite, beyond the product being a key fertilizer, to boost its sales. However, with vermiculite being a new source of income for Blackmountain Resources, the company is bound to face a number of challenges in the pricing of its product in order to grow its clientele, and an erratic commodity market, all of which could hit its bottom line. The company, nevertheless, says it has the potential to beef up its balance sheet to withstand any financial shocks. The space for artisanal miners in Uganda is slowly shrinking. As the country tries to strike a deal between artisanal miners and a developer of a gold mine in Mubende, a similar problem is playing out in Buhweju district. A Chinese company, Hubei Jiu Zhou Geological Exploration Company Limited, has sued artisanal miners for encroaching on its gold site. In a suit that Hubei has filed, the company says nearly 10,000 artisanal gold miners are operating illegally on its site, and, therefore wants them evicted. The suit, filed at the High court in Mbarara in July, is filed as Jiu Zhou Geological Exploration Company Limited Vs the Attorney General, John Muyambi Mururi, Rwamwojo Willy, Butongirize Richard, Buhweju Small Scale Miners Association and Buhweju District Local Government. Hubei also wants court to fine the miners Shs 400 million for mining, prospecting and exploring minerals without a license, on top of the damages and costs of the suit. The Chinese firm says government granted it an exploration license in December, 2016. Peter Lokeris (L) feels the strength of the lift which carries workers down the pit at John Murulis gold exploration site at Mashonga, Buhweju district Shortly afterwards, John Muyambi, Rwamwojo Willy, Butongirize Richard (artisanal miners and Buhweju Small Scale Miners Association started carrying out prospecting, exploration, and mining activities in the license area. The miners do not have any license authorizing them to carrying out the mining in an area, the company states in its plaint. Hubei argues that artisanal miners entered into the exploration camps the company had built, hurled stones at its employees and threatened to kill them if they didnt back off. They [artisanal miners] threatened to cut off the heads of the camp supervisor if he did not abandon the mining sites, the Chinese firm claims. POISONOUS MINING Hubei further claims that the artisanal miners use mercury and cyanide while mining. the use of mercury in illegal mining activities leads to mercury poisoning and exposes the fertile soils, water sources, livestock and the defendants themselves to poisoning, the plaint reads in part. The country is also losing money since the artisanal miners do not pay tax or royalties, the Chinese firm noted. Hubei officials feel the security officers have let the company down for not reining in the artisanal miners. Also, its complaints to the directorate of Geological Survey and Mines about the activities of artisanal miners were not adequately addressed, the company said. ENTER ARTISANAL MINERS In their defense, through their lawyers, Godfrey Ojok, the artisanal miners deny the allegation that they are processing for minerals and mining without a license. The artisanal miners argue that on January 30, 2017, Buhweju Small Scale Miners Association obtained a prospecting licence to the area and consequently applied for an exploration licence on July 3, 2017 but the same remains pending. The artisanal miners argue that the Chinese firm found them when they were already prospecting for mineral activities in the same area. They claim they conducted a search and found that the Chinese firms application was not endorsed by the chief administrative officer (CAO) of Buhweju. Therefore, they say, the Chinese companys license is fraudulent. Instead, the artisanal miners want court to cancel the investors exploration license for alleged fraud. EXPORTING HERBS The miners further intend to rely on the report of the directorate of Geological Survey and Mines of March 2017 that pins Hubei Jiu Zhou Geological Exploration Company Limited for operating under false pretence. The report, according to the miners, notes that the Chinese company is instead harvesting a local aphrodisiac herb for export, locally known as mulondo, for export and not engaging in any mineral operations. The report is said to have recommended that 10 square kilometers of the disputed land be left out to artisanal miners. The artisanal miners also deny they use mercury and cyanide in processing gold. ssekika@gmail.com A state agency has developed a guide, which it says will help journalists do their job better. This is a result of collaboration between Uganda Media Council (UMC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the theme; Quality media and public voice for better lives. The tool looks at training in evidence-based reporting, conflict-sensitive and development journalism, with a focus on rule of law, constitutional democracy and human rights. It targets reporters with editors and senior media managers as secondary users. Disc jockeys and radio presenters will also benefit. At the launch last week, Vincent Bagiire, permanent secretary ministry of ICT, said the guide is only a reminder, and in line with life-long learning. Journalism is unique to the extent that there are people who are practicing when they did not get any training, Bagiire said at Sheraton Kampala hotel on November 30. I have been quoted wrongly a number of times and I have not complained. I am sure that this facilitators guide, if properly utilised, will resolve that matter where people know how to quote and cite without necessarily putting words in other peoples mouths, he said. He added that the guide will address misinformation arising out of failure to gather evidence. Peter Okello Jabweri, a member of the UMC, said that during their field visits in the build-up to the manual last year, they found that more than 70 per cent of journalists have never had any journalism training. This implies that there is a deep problem in the media industry. We are going to use this guide to train senior journalists to go and train colleagues. This will improve professionalism, conflict with the state will go down and journalists will no longer be brutalised, Okello said. UMC and UNDP interacted with at least 700 journalists countrywide. Army spokesman Brig Richard Karemire told The Observer that the guide should maintain professionalism. I really feel bad when someone writes wrong information about an institution like UPDF when we are readily available to give our side of the story. At the end, you are misleading the country because you dont endeavour to crosscheck your information, Karemire said. nangonzi@observer.ug Legislators on Wednesday punched holes in the Climate Change Bill despite several months of demanding for it, to protect the ecosystems threatened by population pressures and erosion that affect dependents on natural space. At a meeting convened by ministry of Water and Environment to authenticate the draft bill held at Ridar hotel-Mukono, MPs and members from the civil society expressed dissatisfaction that despite their proposals in the previous meetings, no action had been taken to improve the draft bill. MPs through the Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change (PFCC) have since last year been demanding that government expedites the enactment of a law to regulate activities on natural resources to avert the dangerous effects of climate change in the country. Water waves on Lake Victoria. The bill is meant to protect the ecosystems Members however said the draft bill by the directorate of first Parliamentary counsel in the ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs has left out almost all their contributions yet they are key for a good law intended to protect the ecosystems threatened by population. The legal framework is intended to help the country mainstream climate change in the countrys development processes. The first money must come from Uganda when it comes to budgeting and then development partners. There are many funding opportunities but the bill is totally silent on climate change fund, Forum chairperson Lawrence Biyika Songa said. Who is going to manage, who is in-charge? It will be useless to tarmac our roads and all of a sudden floods come and destroy them. Its important stakeholders come to give priority to climate change, Songa also Ora MP added. The members also noted that the enforcement clause other than offences and penalties in the bill was silent, which leaves the law wanting. Joanita Nakachwa, from the Directorate of first parliamentary counsel and Benard Namanya, a law consultant in their justification of the bill noted that they had consulted at least 27% of the women of the 700 persons consulted to come up with that draft. However, Kaberamaido Woman MP Maria Gorett Ajilo said 27% was a small number given that women are majority in Uganda and are most affected with climate change effects like floods, drought and mudslides among others. We want this law which takes gender seriously. There are a lot of cries that our issues were not captured. Climate change affects a woman more when it comes to famine and drought because she is looked at as the one to cook and provide food for people to eat in a home or water to drink, Ajilo said. James Okwi from Civil Society noted that it was useless for the department to keep inviting them to such meetings yet they disregard their views on important issues when it came to laws for the country. Commissioner Climate Change Department in Water and Environment Ministry, Chebet Maikut also admitted there were gaps in the draft bill where the country can respond to climate changes effects. We need a strong institutional arrangement to coordinate the countrys responses to climate change. The climate change department is not sufficient enough to handle that and that is why a semi-autonomous authority is necessary to enable that in terms of financial resources and technology to deal with climate change, but its not in the bill, Maikut said. PFCC coordinator Christine Kaaya however expressed optimism the bill, in its third stage would be finalized early next year. Its [bill] coming quite late because we expected it in parliament by October this year. I think the delay for its approval is because of the international conferences since key people had to participate, Kaaya said. Cabinet directed the ministry of Water and Environment in 2015 to initiate the legal framework on climate change. namuloki16@gmail.com University of Cambridge academic, Dr Ha-Joon Chang, left our economists and policymakers food for thought with his no-holds-barred presentation at the Bank of Uganda-organised Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture last week. Dr Chang, a respected South Korean economist, told his audience at Kampala Serena hotel on Friday there is no country that has ever broken out of the poverty cycle without having strict policies for the growth of their own industries. He cited Asian economies Japan, China and South Korea among those which exercised protectionism against the advice of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and have had the last laugh. Dr Chang didnt say anything new that some of our own economists havent said, albeit without getting the ear of those running our economy. However, this coming from a foreign economist of repute who hails from a country that Uganda aims to emulate, maybe its time for our own to listen. Notwithstanding all the hopeful talk about attaining middle-income status in a few years, its obvious that the economy has stagnated over the last couple of years, and yet those in charge dont seem to have an idea how to revive it. They are looking to oil production but this wont be the magic bullet because we have an idea what happened to Nigeria, Angola and South Sudan, among others, once the price of oil plunged to record levels. Therefore, the most ideal route for Uganda out of the poverty trap is industrialisation. But how will this be possible when we are importing virtually everything and killing any hope for local industry in the process? How can a Ugandan manufacturer compete with his Chinese counterpart on the same footing when the former has to contend with higher taxes and costs of production? A few African countries such as Ethiopia have learnt from the Asian experience and opted to protect their industries until such a time when they can stand on their own. And they are beginning to reap dividends. Uganda has no choice but walk this path. Dont say Dr Chang didnt tell you. The smouldering fire from the fallout in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) may not burn out anytime soon. But its unlikely the party will catch fire. FDC is Ugandas main opposition party even though it has been around for just over a decade. It had elections for its president recently. Open competition and contestation for FDC leadership has become routine, in stark contrast to the ruling NRM where the chairman has a huge phobia for being challenged. There was competition in choosing the partys secretary general and treasurer. This ended. To bring all authority under his full control, two years ago, the chairman secured the power to appoint those officials to serve at his pleasure. In effect then, one can conclude that the NRM chairman effectively abolished democratic procedure in choosing party leaders to run the secretariat. This was done with a convenient excuse the need to maintain cohesion and unity in the party. The resolve to continue suspending competition is inexorably strengthened when Museveni and those around him observe the turbulence that rocks FDC after interparty elections. In all fairness, though, the NRM is hardly a political party. Its an entity that feeds off the state, parasitically, and lacks independent existence. And the reason is simple. The one-man life-presidency that defines the current rule in Uganda is inherently at odds with an independent and functional political party. As the main opposition party, the FDC had to demonstrate that it can depart from the anti-democratic tendencies of the ruling party. Credit goes to the two protagonists who have been the leading players in the FDC, Mugisha Muntu and Kizza Besigye, the former for the willingness to challenge for leadership and the latter for the openness to being challenged. Competition can be decidedly destabilizing. It can create rifts and wrangles, animosity and antagonism. But a serious nascent political party must subject itself to these uncomfortable pangs of institution-building. If FDC can survive through its cycles of instability, it may well have a very long lifespan. Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the new FDC president, deserves to be saluted. When he first expressed interest in competing for the partys topmost job, not many thought of him as a serious contender, let alone a possible eventual winner. Amuriats victory surprised many. For one, on the balance of things, Muntu has a bigger and better CV than Amuriat. Second, the power of incumbency would ordinarily advantage Muntu. Amuriat takes credit for positioning himself as totally different from Muntu in approach and orientation, giving delegates clear-cut choices. As to whether he will come through with the grand promises and effect a radically different and consequential leadership remains to be seen. A lot has been said and much speculation has gone around about Muntus next move and future political fate. Perhaps the most palpable suggestion is a possible departure from the FDC and the formation of a third force. I will be happy to eat humble pie, but let me stake out this. I can claim to know Muntu a little bit having interacted with him, closely, countless times over the last few years. Its unlikely that he will walk out of FDC despite the pressures and demands of his supporters and sympathisers. At any rate, if he and others go on to form the so-called third force, it will be a most unwise move, one that Mr Museveni and his handlers will be very pleased with. They will, in fact, encourage it because it serves them perfectly in the desperation to maintain a grip on power. There might be some good reasons to think of an alternative political vehicle in the quest to free Uganda of the Museveni misrule. Unfortunately, in the current political terrain, there is little room for a third vehicle and path. There is no genuine multiparty politics where ideas can contend and different programs can be showcased. Instead, we have a sharp divide between those struggling to end the current system of rule and those fighting to keep it in place. Every election is a referendum on change or no change. Amuriat deserves the chance to lead FDC. To lead effectively, he needs the goodwill of all FDC leaders and supporters. Muntu and those close to him may feel he was denied precisely that goodwill and support by sections of the party that rallied behind Amuriat. But Muntu has always underlined his firm belief in democratic values and principles, among which is his consistent stance that after losing an election, you fall behind whoever has carried the day. Notwithstanding the gratuitous ridicule and denigration thrown at him over the years, Muntu would best serve his name and track-record by sticking to his values, and not giving in to those urging him to hang his FDC boots. The author is an assistant professor of political science at North Carolina State University. Its the stuff fairy tales are made off: parents are parted from their child, years or decades pass, and then chance or fate reunites them. This, however, is no fairy tale but a very real one and involves a Chinese couple and the daughter they had to give up to ensure her survival. And as it happens in real life, things dont always go smoothly. Qian Fenxiang and her husband Xu Lida finally met their daughter Jingzhi, 22 years after they left her as a newborn baby in a vegetable market. The girl was adopted by an American family and grew up as Catherine Su Pohler, or Kati for short. The Kodak moment reunion was made possible by the note Qian left with her baby girl. Katis adoptive parents, Ken and Ruth Pohler of Hudsonville, Michigan, were deeply moved by the contents and decided they would tell the girl one day if she wanted to know. When the day of the revelation came in 2016, Kati was 21 and a college student. It took another year before she got to meet her birth parents on the famed Broken Bridge in Hangzhou. Photo: video screengrab This parting of parents and child was yet another of countless family tragedies brought about by Chinas brutal one-child policy. It was enforced in 1979 and its formal phase-out began only in 2015. Kati was born in 1995 and was the second child of Qian and Xu. The mother, 24 years old at the time, hid for a while before it was time to give birth. Five days after the delivery, she took the child to the market and left it there along with the following note: Our daughter, Jingzhi, was born at 10am on the 24th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, 1995. We have been forced by poverty and affairs of the world to abandon her. Oh, pity the hearts of fathers and mothers far and near! Thank you for saving our little daughter and taking her into your care. If the heavens have feelings, if we are brought together by fate, then let us meet again on the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou on the morning of the Qixi Festival in 10 or 20 years from now. The infant ended up with the childrens welfare institute in Suzhou city. This was also the time Ken and Ruth Pohler decided to adopt. They already had two boys but wanted another child and got Jingzhi in 1996. The American family also collected the birth mothers note and asked a translator what it said. She was so moved by it, she was in tears while she read it out to us. It was such a heartfelt message, as Ken recalls. However, the adoptive parents decided the girl would not know the truth until she was 18 and they wouldnt reveal anything unless she wanted to know about her past. In 2005, when Kati was 10, Qian and Xu kept their promise and arrived at the Broken Bridge on the Qixi Festival. We got there early, and we carried a big sign with our daughters name and words similar to those we used in the original note. We felt like running up to every girl we saw on the bridge, it was awful, Xu recalls. Photo: Kati Pohler/YouTube The Pohlers were not there, but they had asked an acquaintance to visit the bridge and see if she could find the birth parents. The woman, Wu, arrived shortly after Qian and Xu had left, but just as she was about to leave as well, she saw someone with a camera and asked if she could check the footage. She saw the sign that clearly said Jingzhi and immediately let the Pohlers know. Alas, the subsequent involvement of Chinese media, which broadcast the story on a national level, caused the Pohlers to reconsider and sever all ties with both Wu and the parents. But not before sending a letter and some photos of Kati to Qian and Xu, assuring them that they would be in touch again. This only made things harder for the Chinese couple, but the Pohlers just thought their daughter was too young for the media circus and wanted her to grow up before deciding if she even wanted to meet her birth parents. Devastated by the Pohlers sudden severing of communications, Qian and Xu continued visiting the Broken Bridge every Qixi Festival. They would have probably continued until the end of their days if not for documentary filmmaker Chang Changfu, who, upon hearing their tragic story one day, decided to contact them. Impressed by their desire to meet Jingzhi, he focused his efforts on tracking down the Pohlers and managed to do just that after checking an online message board for parents who had adopted children from Suzhous only orphanage. Unfortunately, the girls adoptive parents told Chang that they had resisted stirring up the past and would not make contact with Katis parents when she turned 20. But fate had other plans and last year, just as 21-year-old Kati Pohler was preparing to leave for Spain as an exchange student, she asked her parents about her past again. Considering that she was old enough to know the truth, Ruth told the girl that she knew her birth parents. Photo: video screengrab I thought people there would have questions about me being Chinese and American. So I asked my mother to tell me about my past again, and she said, Well, we should tell you that we actually know who your biological parents are. I was so shocked, Kati/Jinghzhi said. Kati then met Chang and agreed to be part of his documentary on this miraculous reunion. They even set the place and time of the big event the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou, on Qixi FestivalQixi Festival 2017. For the sake of dramatic effect, Qian and Xu were prevented from meeting their long-lost daughter before the festival, which was in August, although the 22-year-old insists it was actually because she was feeling overwhelmed by the experience. The reunion occurred as per the set schedule, and while heartwarming and emotional, it was also a bit awkward for both parties. It was really nice to see them. I was surprised by how emotional my Chinese mom was, Kati said. I want some sort of relationship. I want to see them again. But the big question is, what are they to me? I dont even know what to call them. Its also difficult for her biological parents, who have endured many hardships over the years and lived with the remorse. We still feel so much guilt. If we hadnt abandoned her, she wouldnt have to suffer so, Qian told Post Magazine. Perfect happiness is highly unlikely for either side, but its probably worse for the birth parents because they wont be able to see as much of Kati as they want. There are also language and cultural barriers to cross. We were disappointed that she wouldnt call us mama and baba. We asked her to, but she said they didnt do that in America, that they called their parents by their first names, Xu said. Qian added: We couldnt communicate meaningfully since we dont speak English and she doesnt speak Mandarin, but we could tell shes a really nice girl. But now that we have met her, we miss her even more than before. The BBC will be airing this week a documentary on this incredible story. The press faces growing pressure for their stories to make a splash across social media channels, and more reporters are now required to juggle various multimedia requirements and utilize this content in the stories they produce, according to a worldwide media survey by global PR network PRGN. The survey, which asked members of the press to assess how their reporting responsibilities have changed over the last several years and to break down how their stories are distributed across print, social, digital and visual channels, revealed that social media requirements for reporters have witnessed a sharp uptick. Namely, the survey found that 55.5 percent of reporters are now required to post content to Facebook (up from 37.8 percent in 2015); 47.3 percent are required to Tweet (up from 35.4 percent); 20 percent now post content to LinkedIn (up from 14.4 percent); and 14.6 percent are now straddled with blogging requirements (up from 10.8 percent). Reporters are also required to provide far more visual content compared to years prior: 49 percent said their jobs now demand video (compared to 36 percent two years ago) and 29.1 percent said they need to provide photos (versus 22 percent two years ago). Overall, an overwhelming majority 89 percent of reporters are now required to provide basic online content. By comparison, only about 57 percent said theyre required to produce content for print. This represents a decrease of more than a 10 percent from the surveys findings two years ago (about 68 percent). The survey also uncovered some interesting insights regarding reporters favored vetting processes, their preferred methods for conducting interviews and how they handle fact-checking duties. When it comes to how reporters determine whether a CEO is a qualified or credible source, the survey found 85 percent of reporters assess the CEOs industry or market knowledge, 53 percent analyze their professional track record and 41 percent consider past news coverage. A clear majority 86.7 percent said past media coverage of the CEO is a primary consideration in determining that executives credibility. More than 75 percent of reporters refer to the companys website when writing a story. Interestingly, only 63 percent said they rely on information supplied by a PR agency, and less than 11 percent said they consider these materials their first source. On the subject of interviews, more than a third 33 percent said they never offer email interviews, though 62.5 percent said theyll conduct an email interview via this method in certain situations. The survey also found that more than two-thirds of reporters will allow their sources or PR agencies to review quotes before publication at least in some cases, with 24 percent claiming they often allow quote reviews and 34 percent claiming they occasionally allow such reviews. Nearly a third 29.7 percent said they never allow this. PRGNs survey was designed and vetted by the network and conducted through a point person in each of PRGNs partner offices to gather results from the media they work with in their markets. The survey polled reporters from around the globe between July and September. Dylan Howard American Media, which publishes titles including the National Enquirer, Mens Journal and Us Weekly, says that chief content officer Dylan Howard has the companys full support following what it calls baseless allegations of sexual misconduct. An Associated Press report details a string of charges made against Howard by several former employees of the company. Included in the report are allegations that he forced women to watch or listen to pornographic material, encouraged employees to call him Dildo, openly discussed his sexual partners in the newsroom and suggested that one employee create a Facebook page for her vagina. The behavior, which is said to have occurred while Howard was at the helm of the company's Los Angeles office, led to a 2012 inquiry by an outside consultant, after which former employees said he stopped working out of that office. Cam Stracher, a lawyer for American Media, told AP that the inquiry found no evidence of wrongdoing serious enough to justify disciplinary action or firing. AMI spokesman Jon Hammond said that the investigation described an environment where employees mixed socially outside the office sometimes at bars but found no direct support for the allegations of harassment made by the two complainants." While Howard resigned from the company in 2012, he was rehired and promoted one year later to a spot in American Medias New York office. As CCO, he currently is the top editor at titles including the National Enquirer and Us Weekly. American Medias website says that the companys publications have a combined total circulation of more than 2.3 million, reaching over 51 million consumers each month. The company acquired Us Weekly from Wenner Media in March, and has been suggested as a potential buyer for Time magazine. Tech, healthcare and public affairs agency Racepoint Global has launched a thought leadership practice, titled Viewpoint, which aims to provide clients solutions for some of todays most pressing business and social issues. The practice will be led by Jeff Grogan, Racepoint special advisor and EVP of thought leadership. Hell be joined by the agency's leadership team and other professionals from offices across the United States, China and Europe. The core concept behind the new practice is to provide strategic context for client campaigns focusing on several current issues, including the role of ethics in healthcare and life sciences, the recapitalization of the U.S. economy by leading technology companies and the responsibility of technology and media firms in the information era. A fourth area, which the agency calls China Gateway, addresses topics of interest concerning the international expansion efforts of both Chinese and U.S. companies. Our industry often uses the word strategy to discuss the work we do but we believe it is important to think beyond the traditional definition of what that means for a communications firm, Grogan told O'Dwyer's. Increasingly, our clients are looking for the broader definition of strategy not just as it relates to communications, but how to make their businesses better, how to help them sell more products and services, and how to engage with their various constituencies. This is about adding a strategic context to Racepoint Globals keen understanding of our clients information consumption and expression needs, and it is also about providing thought leadership with them along the way on the key business and social issues of the day. Boston-based Racepoint, which maintains additional offices in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Raleigh and Ann Arbor, MI, as well as outposts in London, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing and Hong Kong, accounted for more than $29 million in net fees last year. Steve Warren Steve Warren, 28-year Army veteran who handled communications and PA duties for the Pentagon before being pushed out this summer, has joined Aerojet Rocketdyne as chief communications officer. He will handle internal/external communications, stakeholder outreach and serve as the top spokesperson for the El Segundo-based missile defense and aerospace company. In his six-year run as Pentagon spokesperson, Warren served as coalition spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, director of defense press operations and senior military advisor to the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. Known for his blunt speaking style, Warren was bounced by the Pentagon in August and re-emerged in the media eye as an analyst at CNN. Ellen Drake, AR CEO, said Warren is a veteran warfighter and expert communicator who will help the company enhance its partnership with its customers and employees. Joanne Lipman Joanne Lipman is stepping down as chief content officer/editor-in-chief of USA Today at the end of the year to focus on her upcoming book, That's What She Said, which focuses on closing the workplace gender gap. She said the increased focus on sexual harassment has led to a flood of interest and opportunities to promote her book to be published by William Morrow in early 2018. Before joining USATs Gannett in 2015, Lipman served as deputy managing editor of the Wall Street Journal and editor-in-chief of the now defunct Conde Nast Portfolio magazine. At Gannett, Lipman rebranded its media sites as the USA Today Network, and linked the newsrooms of its 110 lmedia outlets. She become USATs e-i-c this year. Global Strategy Group has launched GSG Viewfinder, an offering that utilizes advanced social media listening and analysis to give clients up-to-the-minute information to help them track and understand their audiences. The suite of services includes real-time tracking of trends and events, audience sentiment analysis, voter-file matching and targeting to the individual level. Todays fast-paced environment demands that organizations have a real-time understanding of what their most important and influential audiences are saying on the issues that matter, said GSG Partner and Head of Research and Analytics Nick Gourevitch. GSG Viewfinder provides fast, actionable insights into what audiences are saying allowing organizations to make vital communications decisions as events take shape. Weber Shandwick and The LAGRANT Foundation hosted two multi-city Career & Professional Development Workshops in San Francisco and St. Louis. The workshops were designed to give insight into Webers company culture and internship opportunities. In addition to getting career guidance from Weber Shandwick team members, the students were informed about the company's various client services and internships. A workshop in San Francisco showed examples of Webers integrated media work and elaborated on the firms integrated media internship. In addition to examining the ins and outs of internships, the St. Louis workshop gave attendees a look at agency life at Weber Shandwick and the work the organization conducts worldwide. TLF's Career & Professional Development Workshops are meant to provide students and industry professionals with information about the communications industry. For more information on TLF, visit http://www.lagrantfoundation.org/. Ronald Wong Imprenta Communications Group's founder and CEO Ronald Wong received the PR Professional of the Year award from the Public Relations Society of AmericaLos Angeles Chapter at the PRism Award event on Nov. 29. Founded in 2001, Imprenta specializes in public affairs, campaign and ethnic marketing, with a focus on reaching diverse, hard-to-reach culturally and linguistically isolated communities. Ive known Ron for more than 20 years and not only is he a phenomenal political strategist, he is also a tremendous PR professional, said L.A. City Councilmember David Ryu, who introduced Wong at the ceremony, His firm, Imprenta, is leading Los Angeles and the state in outreach and communications to communities that need a voice." Legendary PR man Harold Burson, founder of Burson-Marsteller, will discuss his new memoir, The Business of Persuasion at a Dec. 11 event sponsored by Corporate Communication International. Moderated by B-M vice chair Pat Ford, the program will also feature interviews conducted by Dick Martin, former CCO of AT&T. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be held at Baruch College, 151 East 25th Street, Room 750 (7th floor). For more information, go to CCIs website. Also coming up at CCI is the 2018 Corporate Communication Leaders Conference, which will run from Jan. 8-12, 2018. Intended for corporate communication practitioners who have moved into leadership roles, the conference offers attendees what CCI calls an intensive professional and academic experience in the current theory and practice of corporate communication. In addition to site visits to CNN, the New York Times, the United Nations and Ogilvy Public Relations, the conference will consist of presentations, case studies and interaction with leading professionals and scholars. Sessions will be conducted at the William & Anita Newman Vertical Campus at 55 Lexington Avenue on the Baruch College campus. Attendees who register for the conference before Dec. 8 will receive a discount. To register for the conference, click here. While the cause of a deadly collision between two vintage military aircraft at a Dallas air show to commemorate Veterans Day remains unknown, experts say the accident will likely renew discussion over whether additional safety rules are needed for such events. Safety recommendations made following aircraft accidents at similar events have focused on protecting spectators, pilot medical fitness and aircraft maintenance. The Commemorative Air Force on Monday identified the victims as: Terry Barker, Craig Hutain, Kevin K5 Michels, Dan Ragan, Leonard Len Root, and Curt Rowe. All six were experienced aviators with years of flight training. Officials have not publicly identified which of them was piloting the aircrafts. LINCOLN A federal judge has ruled that a Nebraska State Patrol trooper can proceed with a lawsuit filed over alleged sexually invasive examinations required of female trooper candidates. U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon said in a Tuesday order that Trooper Brienne Splittgerbers allegations are more than sufficient to meet the standards for proceeding with claims based on federal law. However, he dismissed the claims that she filed under state law against two former patrol superintendents and the doctor who performed the exams. He said the state law cited did not apply to public officials acting in their official capacity. He also dismissed federal gender discrimination claims filed against the superintendents as individuals. Splittgerber alleged, in an August lawsuit, that she had been subjected to gender discrimination and a hostile work environment in the patrol. She said that Dr. Stephen Haudrich, working under contract with the patrol, had required her to remove her pants and display her genitals and anus for a medically unnecessary exam. The exam was part of a mandatory physical she underwent as a recruit in 2014. Splittgerber alleges that she reported the incident to her superior and was told it would be investigated. She heard nothing until after she hired an attorney a couple of years later. The suit claims that the patrol failed to adequately investigate her complaint and then worked to cover it up, actions which she alleges created a hostile work environment. The suit names the state, the patrol, Haudrich and two former superintendents, Col. Brad Rice and Col. David Sankey. Attorneys for the three men and for the state had asked for the suit to be dismissed. They asserted that the case had been filed too late and that her claims did not amount to violations of the law. Bataillon rejected those arguments as far as they involved federal laws. He disagreed particularly with the states claim that Splittgerbers allegations did not amount to extremely offensive conduct. On the contrary, the plaintiff has alleged conduct that seems invasive and severe for purposes of the motion to dismiss, he said. Splittgerbers attorney, Tom White of Omaha, said he was pleased with the ruling, noting that the damages possible under state law would have been much more limited. In response to the ruling, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Doug Peterson said the office will proceed to defend the state against the suit. Rices attorney, Robert Creager of Lincoln, said he expects that his client will continue trying to get the case dismissed. Splittgerber was sworn in as a state trooper in May 2015 and was one of four troopers awarded their badges by their fathers. Her father is retired Sgt. Morry Abshier. WASHINGTON Farm state lawmakers continue to urge President Donald Trump not to completely abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement. Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, joined several GOP colleagues at the White House on Tuesday for a lunchtime NAFTA discussion with the president and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Both senators said they stressed the benefits the trade agreement provides to farmers and ranchers. I have concerns that it would be fairly easy for Mexico to find new markets if there would be a break in our trade with them, Fischer told The World-Herald after the meeting. In addition to farming interests, Fischer said she also emphasized the impact on manufacturing companies. She specifically cited Case New Hollands Grand Island operations, saying much of the companys agricultural equipment gets shipped to customers in Canada. Fischer said the president indicated that he wants to get the same group of senators together again so they can continue to provide input about the administrations trade policy. NAFTA was one of candidate Trumps favorite punching bags on the campaign trail last year and he continues to complain that it represents a raw deal for the United States. We have tremendous losses with Mexico and losses with Canada, and covered by NAFTA, Trump said at the start of Tuesdays meeting, when reporters were briefly allowed into the room. Last year, we lost approximately $71 billion in trade deficit; we have a trade deficit with Mexico of $71 billion. With Canada, it was about $17 billion. That kind of talk has certainly resonated with those in the countrys rust belt, where many workers believe trade agreements have hurt the domestic manufacturing industry. In a press release following the meeting, Ernst said she stressed to Trump and Lighthizer the duty-free access the agreement grants agricultural products. Trade plays a critical role in Iowas economy, and I reiterated to the administration the importance of ensuring Iowans remain competitive in the global market provided our trading partners are operating on a level playing field, Ernst said. I will continue working to ensure that any changes made to NAFTA do not hurt our crop and livestock producers. Also among those urging the administration to modernize but not tear up NAFTA Omaha-based Union Pacific. The railroad says totally withdrawing from the agreement would raise prices for consumers and hurt the 14 million American workers whose jobs are tied to trade with Canada and Mexico. In a letter to the administration earlier this year, Lance M. Fritz, U.P. chairman, president and CEO, wrote that the railroad has the largest trade-related volumes in North America and is the only one with access to all six rail gateways to Mexico. U.P. shipment volumes moving north and south across the continent are virtually balanced, he wrote. The products Union Pacific ships to and from Mexico are part of larger supply chains, which support a range of U.S. jobs and workers across multiple sectors, from the Illinois auto worker who molds plastic into dashboards that are shipped to Mexico to be installed in a finished vehicle and sent back to the United States for sale in American showrooms, to the Iowa farmer whose soybeans travel along our rail lines to a Mexican factory, where they are crushed and sent back across the border in the form of vegetable oil to be sold in U.S. groceries. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Jerusalem Post 07 Nov 2021 The opening is seen as a partial victory for Israel's campaign to push the international community to recognize Jerusalem as.. The Wrap 26 Aug 2021 Tina Tchen, the CEO and president of Times Up, has resigned from the organization amid the backlash that followed after it was.. President Aleksander Vucic appeared somewhat taken aback when the US President declared that Serbia had agreed to move its Israeli.. euronews 07 Sep 2020 By Amy Wang and Jessica Floum/Staff After public backlash to a Portland Art Museum plan to construct a three-story glass structure between its two buildings in the South Park Blocks, the museum has revised its plan to emphasize public accessibility and keep a $50 million capital campaign viable. At a 2 p.m. Portland City Council hearing Thursday, the museum will ask the council to amend an ordinance to allow construction of the structure, which has been the target of objections from neighbors, bicyclists and advocates for people with disabilities who feared reduced access to a heavily used shortcut. The museum announced last fall the campaign to fund the structure, called the Rothko Pavilion, named for the abstract artist Mark Rothko, which would serve as a new museum entrance. But conceptual designs showed that the structure, which has a ground-floor footprint of 5,323 square feet, would enclose 75 feet of an 8-foot-wide pedestrian easement that runs between the museum's two buildings - a public right-of-way that's been in place since 1968. Under the proposed amendment, the easement will be open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Under the museum's original proposal, the easement would have been open only during museum hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. That schedule would have complicated access to the nearby Portland Streetcar line. The backlash was swift, igniting a community discussion about accessibility. "I cannot stress enough how important the ... walkway is to my life and independence," a museum neighbor, Judith Marks, told City Council at an April hearing on the museum's plan. Marks, one of more than 20 people who testified against the plan, said she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which makes breathing difficult, and said restricted access to the walkway could limit her outings. Matthew Denney, a staff attorney for Disability Rights Oregon who has spoken with museum officials on disability issues, said, "I'm not opposed to a structure in principle." But initial Rothko Pavilion designs "looked like they were cutting off public access to the area" without taking into consideration its connection to the nearby Portland Streetcar line for seniors and low-income residents in the neighborhood. Rithy Khut, chairman of the city's Bicycle Advisory Committee, said that while he understands why the museum wants to build the Rothko Pavilion, enclosing the easement would make it look as if it's not public space and could set the wrong precedent: "At what point does PAM come back and say, 'In reality, we just want the whole space, we want to just make it ours?'" Khut also said his committee is concerned about "who gets to make the decisions on who gets to be in that space," saying that a proposal to have the museum handle security for the area will result in security guards who are more concerned about museum property than about public access. Even some longtime museum donors criticized the plan, and others may have held back on donating because of the kerfuffle. The museum has collected about $30.5 million in pledges so far toward its capital campaign. Museum director Brian Ferriso said he takes all the concerns seriously. Since the April hearing, "we've spent some time listening to the community," he said. "And one of the things we heard was, access throughout and expanded hours was really important." In addition to the revised hours, the museum plans to bear the responsibility of securing and maintaining the area and to put up signs "clearly inviting the community to pass through the pavilion," said museum spokesman Ian Gillingham. Bicyclists and those with pets will be allowed to walk through the space, Ferriso said. Commissioners Chloe Eudaly, Nick Fish and Dan Saltzman have all signaled support for the revised plan. "That was a big concession on the museum's part," Saltzman said. "I sponsored (the proposal) and am bringing it forward because I think we have a great art museum and we shouldn't stand in the way of a $50 million investment designed to connect the two buildings in a way that I think will really enhance the experience for residents and visitors alike." Fish said he had "real concerns" about accessibility, but the museum's decision to keep the easement open daily inspired his support. He also noted that the Rothko Pavilion will increase access to museum exhibits. Currently, museumgoers must find their way to an underground gallery to move between the museum buildings. "The fact that this very awkward marriage between these two buildings could be transformed to arguably one of the most accessible museums on the West Coast was huge," Fish said. Commissioner Amanda Fritz said she will wait until Thursday's hearing before she decides whether to support the proposed amendment. Portland Disability Coordinator Nickole Cheron said she was impressed by Ferriso's openness in discussing how to increase access not just to the museum but also to the arts. "I found him amazingly committed to creating a museum that was accessible to people at many different levels," Cheron said. Museum officials are scheduled to meet with the Portland Commission on Disability on Friday, the day after the council votes on the easement amendment. A yes vote from the council would give the museum permission to enclose the easement but would be only the first step for the Rothko Pavilion project. The project designs will undergo a months-long review by the city's building permit bureau, transportation bureau, parks department and utilities. The public will have the opportunity to weigh in on design during this process. Eudaly has also asked the Portland Commission on Disability to review the project design. The easement's history dates to 1968, when the city council agreed to vacate part of Southwest Madison Street, ceding it to the two adjacent property owners: what was then known as the Portland Art Association, and the Portland Masonic Temple. The museum was embarking at the time on a two-year expansion that was to include an outdoor sculpture court. The council approved an ordinance vacating Southwest Madison between Southwest 10th and Park avenues, with conditions including that the museum and temple maintain "a permanent 8-foot wide pedestrian easement," that "said easement not be blocked in any manner" and that the vacated area "not be used for any purpose other than an open mall." It became home to the sculpture court. Vandalism to sculptures prompted the museum to ask in 1984 for an amended ordinance allowing closure of the area between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The council agreed, saying the closure "would not adversely affect the public interest." In 1994, the museum purchased the Masonic Temple and over the next decade converted it into the Mark Building, making it home to the six-floor Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. Now the museum stretched over two blocks, but much of the public continued defining it primarily by its 1932 Pietro Belluschi building. Museum studies have shown that half of museum visitors never enter the Mark Building. The disconnect frustrated museum officials. In 2015, Ferriso asked Chicago architecture firm Vinci Hamp, which he'd worked with at three previous museums, to create a design linking the buildings, said architect Phil Hamp. Hamp said it was logical for the museum to proceed with a conceptual design and fundraising before receiving official city approval. "We knew that the hours of access and so forth needed to be ironed out before a final green light," he said. "You would want the green light from the planning authority and also obviously for donors. And for the whole idea to go ahead, you want to have a good idea that's sound and works. You need both." Regarding accessibility concerns, Hamp said, "I think the building will be accessible and I know there's concessions or at least accommodation for bicycles and people coming through with animals. It all has to be balanced with the needs of the museum and curatorial security. I think it can be done." Cheron emphasized the need for the city council to solidify any accessibility commitments and decisions into policy and code. "I want to make sure this commitment ... stands the test of time," Cheron said. An earlier version of this post gave an inaccurate description of the proposed Rothko Pavilion structure. Oregon once again posted the third-worst high school graduation rate in the nation, new federal figures show. Oregon's No. 48 ranking is unchanged from the previous year. It ranked No. 47 for two years before that, but sank a notch when Alaska raised its success rate. The only states that still have lower rates than Oregon -- Nevada and New Mexico -- both registered more year over year improvement at getting students to earn diplomas than Oregon did. The new rates are for the class of 2016. Oregon got 74.8 percent of students in its class of 2016 to earn diplomas within four years of starting high school. Oregon's rate inched up just 1 percentage point from the class of 2015. New Mexico and Nevada both improved about 2.5 percentage points during the same period. Oregon posted the second-worst graduation rate for white students behind New Mexico and the third-worst graduation rate for Latinos, behind New York and Minnesota. All told, 8,358 students in Oregon's class of 2016 dropped out. Another 3,307 returned for a fifth year of high school. Historically, many fifth-year seniors quit without earning diplomas. Gov. Kate Brown has said improving Oregon's graduation rate is a high priority for her. Her hand-picked "education innovation officer," whose No. 1 job is to improve graduation rates, is temporarily acting as state schools chief at her behest. In October, Brown asked the previous schools chief, Salam Noor, to step down. Oregon plans to release graduation rates for the class of 2017 in late January. Those rates will show how many students in the class of 2017 graduated in four years and will also reveal how many fifth-year seniors in the class of 2016 earned diplomas. -- Betsy Hammond A. Morrie Craig A veteran Oregon State University professor fired over allegations of sexual harassment and bullying has appealed his dismissal to the school's board of trustees, according to board documents. Oregon State trustees on Dec. 11 will determine the fate of A. Morrie Craig, a toxicology professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He was first hired by the university in 1976. Craig's attorney did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The appeal is a rare example of a faculty member fighting for his or her employment by seeking intervention from a school's independent governing board. The university board formed in 2014 following the dissolution of the State Board of Higher Education. "Usually, matters such as these are settled by a university and the faculty member," said Steve Clark, a university spokesman. He said he was not aware of any appeal made to the now-defunct higher education board. Clark declined to provide any specifics surrounding the alleged harassment that led to Craig's termination. "The university does take complaints of bullying and sexual harassment very seriously," he said. Craig is still working at the Corvallis campus pending the outcome of Monday's board meeting. According to university documents shared with the board of trustees, Craig on May 16 was accused of "engaging in bullying and sexual harassment," a violation of school policies punishable by dismissal. Oregon State defines bullying as "conduct of any sort directed at another that is severe, pervasive, or persistent." The behavior must be something that would cause someone in the victim's shoes "substantial emotional distress and undermine his or her ability to work, study or participate in his or her regular life activities." A special committee of the school's Faculty Senate held a two-day hearing and heard testimony from 18 witnesses. Craig also testified on his own behalf at the hearing, according to the documents. The faculty committee recommended firing Craig on Oct. 23, and Ray sent the letter a week later. University President Ed Ray sent Craig a letter terminating his employment on Oct. 30. Craig petitioned the Benton County Circuit Court on Nov. 6 to review the decision. But Judge Matthew Donohue wrote back the same day to say the court had no jurisdiction. The court documents, which included emails sent by concerned faculty and students, shed some light on the case. One veterinary student wrote to veterinary school dean Dr. Susan Tornquist in May to say she was "sickened" by his instruction and demeanor in the classroom. Denise Apperson, the student, listed her concerns: "The outright falsehoods, the misinterpretation of fundamental science, the misstatements of fact, the manufactured dramatics, all overlain with an overt creepiness." "I hope that you understand where my strong words are coming from. I hope that there is a resolution to this." Apperson, in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive, said she could not comment on the case. On Monday, the university's trustees will have a chance to review and discuss the case. The board's 13 members are a mix of prominent business leaders, alumni and educators who are appointed by the governor. Clark said the trustees could vote to: support the university's decision to fire Craig with cause; return the case to the school for additional testimony and review; create a committee of the trustees' board to investigate the issue; or opt for an independent hearings officer to determine Craig's fate. Clark said it's unclear who would make the next move, the Faculty Senate or the school administration, if the board sends the issue back to Oregon State. Monday's meeting is by teleconference, and the public won't be able to call in or stream the meeting online, Clark said. An in-person listening station is available in Room 208 of the Memorial Union. Dr. Linda Blythe, a retired Oregon State veterinary professor who worked closely with Craig for decades, said she did not witness him bully or sexually harass students or researchers. She described the allegations against him as a "sad end" to a research career that brought millions of dollars in grants and funding to Oregon State. "We have had a large number of graduate students come through that lab, and never one complaint in 40 years," Blythe said, referring to the decades prior to the university's investigation. Craig's ties to Oregon State are deep. He spent his entire career at the university after earning his doctorate there in 1970. He was granted tenure in 1982 and was recently paid $147,252, according to university records. His parents were also alumni, according to his mother's obituary. Craig founded a lab that tests for toxins in grass and other types of feed, Blythe said. The toxins pose a lethal threat to animals. Detecting them is crucial to farmers in Benton and Linn counties, the hub of Oregon's grass seed industry. The lab also tests for toxins in a variety of samples sent by veterinarians from all over the world, Blythe said. -- Andrew Theen and Molly Young Lynne Palombo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report Portland Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero met fierce blowback Tuesday for his decision to oust a special education program so a program for gifted students could use its space. At the first school board meeting since news of his controversial call broke last week, parents and teachers told Portland's new superintendent in stark terms they felt he'd wronged them. Guerrero struggled to get through his opening remarks, which were aimed at addressing concerns about the move, because some people interrupted him to criticize his characterizations of the special education program. His decision is intended to help the district solve a priority problem: The district's experiment with K-8 schools translated into sub-par middle-grades offerings at many of them. The solution, decided before Guerrero got to Portland, is to open two new middle schools. But that has now required shaking up which students go where. The district's program for highly gifted students, Access Academy, must move as a result. Guerrero in October proposed disbanding that program in favor of spreading it throughout the district. In the face of intense opposition, Guerrero apologized and the plan became to find Access Academy a new home. A facilities evaluation made clear: The special education Pioneer Program couldn't stay where it was, Guerrero told The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday. Its 123 students didn't make sense in the space, especially with 350 Access students in need of a building, he said. Guerrero's apology to Access families about a proposal to disband their program centered on the concept that it was wrong for him to not include parents and teachers in the conversation. But now he's under fire for again doing to Pioneer families and staff exactly what he apologized for. At the meeting, Portland Association of Teachers President Suzanne Cohen lambasted the district for failing to talk to educators. "I went out there and I met with the staff and the students when this was announced and I heard directly from them about their concerns, and their needs, and their program," Cohen said. "And that is the first misstep that has been made. When decisions get made behind closed doors, without input from those who know best, then that decision is not going to be successful." Asked why the district didn't consult families and parents, Guerrero told The Oregonian/OregonLive the district felt it was clear from a facilities perspective that the program must move and they didn't want to wait to start planning the move. Additionally, Guerrero said a tour of the school left him unimpressed. "It's not the most therapeutic environment," he said. "You see the closets without doors and kids being secluded and, I don't know, there is just something about that." Guerrero said he wanted special education students to be included with non-disabled same-age peers as much as possible and not "in a segregated school." This line of thinking has drawn sharp rebuke from some Pioneer parents, who said the program is a place where their children feel included. One Pioneer educator told Guerrero that solving one vexing inequity issue by creating another was "short-sighted to say the least." The critique drew applause. The use of the phrase "vexing inequity problem" harkens back to Guerrero's apology to Access families. At that time, he characterized the need to find space to open the two new middle schools a "vexing inequity problem." The phrase was also called out by a senior Atticus Carson Wysong Crane, who attended Pioneer. "In your apologies for families you said there was a 'vexing inequity problem,' but did you ever consider that your plan would exacerbate an already severe problem of discrimination toward the disabled and mentally handicapped?" he asked. Portland Federation of School Professionals President Belinda Reagan lambasted the district's decision and begged the district to treat Pioneer students with the same care and consideration they are treat the district's highly gifted students. As for whether failing to involve Pioneer families and teachers undermines the sincerity of his apology for similar actions regarding Access, Guerrero said hindsight is rampant right now given how much the district must do quickly. "There's a lot of hindsight, given the pace of change right now," he said. "I have to own the way we are perceived." Guerrero told the crowd at Tuesday's board meeting he understood Oregon's largest school district is in transition. Right now, he conceded, it may often look like it's "one step forward, two steps back" while he learns and addresses urgent problems. Bethany Barnes Got a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.com This time of year, Ira "Ike" Schab's thoughts turn to his bandmates. From his home in Hillsboro, Schab pulled out a photo of Navy Band Unit 13, taken at Honolulu's Army and Navy YMCA in the 1940s. Seventy-six years ago, he served with them aboard the USS Dobbin, 500 yards from Battleship Row, as the first Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. In the decades since, those men have all died, leaving Schab alone with his war stories and his memories. He shares an apartment with his youngest daughter and her family, but it's a different kind of solitude to be without peers. The last of his 22 bandmates, Lee Ousley of Birmingham, Alabama, died in 2015 at age 95. This makes Schab, now 97, the sole survivor of Band 13 and one of a dwindling number of Pearl Harbor veterans still alive to share his story. "My gang, they've died, they're gone," he said, holding another photo taken during a band reunion in 2004. "And I sure tell ya, when I think about it, I miss them." Schab doesn't get around like he used to, using a walker to maneuver slowly through the apartment. His hands shake, so he can no longer play the big band music he loves. But his mind is sharp. On his desk lies a book he's been reading, just for fun, on matrix algebra. "I'm shooting for 110 now," he said. "I'm lucky, real lucky. But I think the secret, besides the good genes, is I kept busy, kept occupied." Schab grew up in Southern California. In the years of the Depression, he couldn't find work after high school, so he enlisted in 1939 after a successful tuba audition with the U.S. Navy Band. He shipped out to Washington, D.C., for music training, then joined Band 13 aboard the USS Raleigh in Hawaii. "We hit Pearl Harbor in December 1940 and it was quite a novelty because the weather is so fantastic," Schab said. "We went to the beach on the weekends and it was the middle of December." Each large ship boasted a Navy band that played as the morning colors were raised and for dance hall concerts. The night before the attack, the musicians had gathered at Bloch Arena for another round of the battle of the bands. Band 22 of the USS Arizona had already won the first round. Dec. 7, 1941 was a Sunday, and Schab was getting ready to play for a morning church service on the USS Dobbin, where they stayed while in port. Just before 8 a.m., the alarms sounded as the first Japanese planes attacked: General quarters, general quarters, this is not a drill, away the fire and rescue party. "I wanted to see what was going on, so I went up topside," Schab said. "They were definitely coming in strafing and starting to torpedo the battleships. ... I saw the Utah going over and I saw the Raleigh start to go." He ran down to his station, where he spent the duration of the attack below a manhole passing up ammunition boxes for the Dobbin's two three-inch anti-aircraft guns. "I only weighed 145 pounds and I was pushing 255 pounds with one hand," he said. "That's adrenaline." The Dobbin largely avoided damage, receiving only shrapnel hits, thanks to the five destroyers moored alongside it, but three men lost their lives. Of the 2,403 killed Dec. 7, 1941 on the island of Oahu, 1,177 were aboard the USS Arizona. The ship's entire band, which was passing ammunition up to Turret No. 2, died together in the explosion as a bomb ripped through the Arizona's armor plating. "I knew every one of them," Schab said. "And they're still there." Over the years, when health and finances allowed, Schab has returned to Pearl Harbor for the anniversary of the attack. "I lost an awful lot of buddies there," he said. "I feel I have a duty to go back. At least to, you know, talk to the guys. I go back to that memorial and I'll sit there and I'm having conversations with them. I see these different names and I remember what we were doing and all that kind of thing. So, I'll have these mental conversations with the guys. We were all very close, we were extremely close. Brothers, really. Maybe even tighter than brothers." After the U.S. entered World War II, Schab served aboard the USS Dixie in the South Pacific. He was discharged in 1947 and, in 1951, took advantage of the G.I. Bill by enrolling in California Polytechnic State University to study electronics engineering and mathematics. He became an actual rocket scientist, working at General Dynamics' Pomona division in research and development of rocket-launched and jet-propelled missiles. Later, Schab worked on systems for the tracking ships serving the Apollo space mission. "I was really fortunate because I was there at the right time, that's what it amounts to," he said. Schab married twice and had five children with his second wife, Pat, who died in 1990. Since moving to Oregon in 2014 to live with his youngest daughter, he hasn't found any other Pearl Harbor survivors in the Portland area. The nonprofit Pearl Harbor Survivors Association of Oregon disbanded in 2007, according to Secretary of State business records. The last posted president of the Portland chapter died in 2010. The vice president died in 2011. The secretary died the year after that. Even the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association dissolved in 2011, as membership dwindled to 2,700 out of an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 survivors at the time. Jay Blount, spokesperson with the National Parks Service World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, said there's likely fewer than 2,000 survivors of the attack on Oahu Island alive today, and maybe just a few hundred soldiers who were aboard the ships in Pearl Harbor. It's humbling, overwhelming, bittersweet, Schab said, to still be alive when so many have passed. When he wears his hat and jacket that read "Pearl Harbor Survivor," strangers come up to thank him for his service. "I feel sorry for them in a way because they really can't picture it like I do," he said. "I know they wouldn't mind picturing it like I do without having to go through the fright and the riskiness and all that." They give Schab a hug or a handshake. He's a man who makes history tangible for them. When so few survivors can still share their memories, we should take every precious opportunity to thank them and to listen. -- Samantha Swindler @editorswindler / 503-294-4031 sswindler@oregonian.com 4:52 p.m.: This story has been updated with additional comments from Rodger Voelker, the lab director of OG Analytical. An owner of a state-licensed cannabis testing business in Eugene said she has taken steps to sever ties to her company after local activists alleged she participates in neo-Nazi activites. Bethany Sherman, listed in state records as managing member and CEO of OG Analytical, said Wednesday she is stepping down from the company she founded in 2013 and plans to sell the lab. In a lengthy written response to Eugene Antifa's claims that she is associated with white power groups, the Eugene resident denied being a neo-Nazi and said her only "crime is a thought crime." "I find it extremely disconcerting that it is admired and revered to have 'gay pride,' 'black pride,' 'Asian pride, or pride in any other cultural heritage, but if you have 'white pride' it automatically makes you a Nazi, and you are ostracized, attacked, and lynched by your community," she wrote in a statement issued to The Oregonian/OregonLive. "I admit, I am proud that I am white, and I'm not ashamed of my heritage. And I admit that I have been so conditioned to feel shame about this pride that I discreetly sought community where I could. "Knowing the potential ramifications of my actions, I did my best to keep them incredibly discreet," she said, adding that she did not disclose her views to her coworkers. She said the online community she discovered "was not the right community for me" and has withdrawn "all communication" from it. Eugene Antifa alleged in a report this week that Sherman and Matthew L. Combs, also listed on state records as an owner of OG Analytical, are neo-Nazis and that Combs is an organizer for the American Patriots Brigade, which it said serves as a support group for the neo-Nazi gang American Front. It also alleges that Sherman has supplied food and support for neo-Nazi gatherings and operated a Twitter account under the handle, @14th_word. That account was inactive Wednesday morning, but activists with Eugene Antifa archived the tweets. According to a screenshot Eugene Antifa took of the Twitter account, the bio says it belongs to a "#nationalist mommy. Our children deserve to be raised in a wholesome environment free of oppression against whites." The Anti-Defamation League says "14 words" is a white supremacist slogan, meaning, "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." Sherman did not respond to a text asking if she managed that Twitter account. Eugene Antifa said it obtained access to a server for a chat app called Discord, which it mined for information about Sherman and Combs' connections to white power groups. The group said it reviewed messages detailing activities and interactions of various organizations with neo-Nazi beliefs. Sherman has been active in the cannabis industry and served on a state subcommittee for marijuana lab rules. According to the company's website, she founded OG Analytical in 2013. Sherman on Wednesday said Combs has not been active in the company since 2013. The two have a child but their relationship status was unclear Wednesday; Sherman declined to respond to multiple text messages asking about the couple's status. Combs did not respond to multiple text messages about antifa's claims. Rodger Voelker, lab director for OG Analytical, said Wednesday employees decided Tuesday that the company could not continue with Sherman as owner. Voelker said he learned of the allegations for the first time this week, calling them "horrific" and "disgusting." He said he does not have a personal relationship with the couple outside of work and said he was flabbergasted by the claims. "It blindsided all of us," he said. "It's unbelievable that you can work with people -- our relationship is purely professional. We don't share personal beliefs, religious, political or anything else. This is just unbelievable." He said he wants to distance himself and the company, which has a dozen employees, from the explosive allegations. "We were literally drug into this ugly, ugly swamp through no actions of our own," he said. "It's just by association. It's a really horrific situation." He said he asked the couple directly about the claims. He declined to say how they responded. The company experienced a swift backlash to the antifa report, said Voelker, who said business has come to a halt since the allegations were made public. The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2015 hired OG Analytical to test hash oils for pesticide residue. "We have already seen a 100 percent decline in our business," he said. "Nobody likes Nazis." HiFi Farms on Wednesday announced it would stop doing business with OG Analytical in light of the information reported by Eugene Antifa. Voelker said Sherman came to the lab Wednesday "in a moment of extreme distress" and blamed the staff for failing to support her when antifa's allegations became public. "She came in and went off on us for not supporting her," said Voelker. "She was shocked we didn't stand up and support her and we said we can't support these beliefs." Voelker said other employees angrily confronted Sherman about her views. "She doesn't seem to get that those views are repugnant to most people," Voelker said. Voelker said he's meeting with lawyers on Thursday to discuss his options. He said he plans to come into work to finish testing the samples the company agreed to test, but the company's future is grim. "The brand is dead," he said. "It's over." Here is Sherman's full response to the allegations: December 6, 2017 An article was recently put out about me, my family, and my company by Eugene Antifa, a local chapter of an extremist, domestic terrorist organization. I would like to address these claims head-on. I am not, nor have I ever been, a "Neo-Nazi" or affiliated with any "Neo-Nazi" group or any other extremist organization. The accusations made against me and my family are very upsetting to me, and I want to make it clear that this is not who we are. The contents of this article are very twisted in their portrayal of events. My only crime is a thought crime, akin to 1984. I believe that the world is tapestry of beautiful colors, each one full of a wealth of cultural heritage, and that each culture has a right to be proud of their heritage, and an obligation to protect and preserve that culture. I believe that this tapestry is not exclusive of European Americans, and I find it extremely disconcerting that it is admired and revered to have "Gay Pride," "Black Pride," "Asian Pride," or pride in any other cultural heritage, but if you have "White Pride," it automatically makes you a Nazi, and you are ostracized, attacked, and lynched by your community. I admit, I am proud that I am white, and I'm not ashamed of my heritage. And I admit that I have been so conditioned to feel shame about this pride that I discreetly sought community where I could. Knowing the potential ramifications of my actions, I did my best to keep them incredibly discreet. I did not share this activity or my believes with anyone in my professional community. I further admit that I also quickly realized that this was not the supportive online community I had found was not the right community for me, and somewhere near half a year ago I withdrew all communication with that community. To be clear, this community was NOT any faction of ANY "Neo-Nazi" organization. The community I'm referring to is comprised of hard working, good-hearted people like you and like me, who are forced into secrecy because they share similar beliefs, which Eugene Antifa is now proving to be true: that being White and having pride in your cultural heritage will make you the victim of hate crimes. I learned a great deal from this experience, and have learned even more in the last 24 hours since this article was published. My hiring practices, my business partnerships, and my friendships should say enough about the fact that neither myself, nor my company has in any way acted in a discriminatory fashion against anyone for their race, religion, politics, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, disability, or other. We just hosted our Company Christmas party and I gladly welcomed a wealth of diversity into the joyous occasion. I have donated thousands of dollars to support organizations like the Human Rights Foundation, Planned Parenthood, Red Cross, and The MS Society. I have created jobs for 15 people, I've volunteered hundreds of hours to organizations like Good Will, CALC, and The State of Oregon to help build and establish regulations. I have founded organizations whose aim to bring people together for the betterment of our communities. I am a human being, just like you, and I've worked very hard to give back and to create a safe and accessible industry for ALL Oregonians. I am the victim of a hate crime, perpetrated by an anonymous organization whose primary aim is to ruin other peoples' lives. I have never made any such attempts at hurting any other human being, in any way (including via defamatory articles or social media posts) for any reason, nor have I EVER made any discriminatory overtures. Let's be clear about this: Neither myself, nor my company, have ever, EVER practiced, preached, or recruited anyone to practice or preach hate or hateful rhetoric in ANY way. I hope that my community can find it within themselves to see beyond these hurtful claims at who I really am, at the work I've done in this community to help build it, and trust that these claims don't fit me; that I am a good, loving person, committed to my community, and that this commitment has no shred of hate or discrimination in it. The remarks made in this article have had a devastating effect on not only me, but on each of my 14 hardworking employees who are completely unrelated to the contents of the aforementioned article. To be clear, I still have yet to receive a single dollar in profit from OG Analytical, instead diverting the company earnings to better support my employees for 4 years in a row. I am proud that we launched a full benefits program this year, including health, vision, dental, and vacation time, and have elected to payout employee bonuses each year instead of paying out profits to owners. My employees have been dedicated to our mission of building a sustainable cannabis testing industry, which, in odd contrast, requires that we remove all bias from the work we do. By boycotting OGA, you're not hurting me, you're hurting the 14 hardworking people unrelated to this accusation who rely on OGA for their living. This being said, the devastating impacts of this article are clear, regardless of any statement I could possibly make about them. Abhorrent racial epithets have covered our social media pages to the point that I took them down to save my employees and clients from further harassment. I find it difficult for me to find a path forward with the company while salvaging the hard work each of my employees has put into OG Analytical. Without these people, I could not have accomplished all the successes this company has seen in the last 4 years. In effort to save my team from further harm, I am resigning as CEO of OG Analytical effective immediately, and offering up the company for sale. -- Noelle Crombie ncrombie@oregonian.com 503-276-7184 @noellecrombie By Kevin Gorman On a busy weekend, the one-mile drive from Wahkeena Falls along the Historic Columbia River Highway to Multnomah Falls can take up to one hour. Places like Oneonta Gorge, an otherworldly botanical canyon, can fill up with hundreds of people eager to cool off during the summer. And lines of cars headed to Vista House can cause troublesome traffic back-ups for Gorge residents and visitors alike. The Eagle Creek fire may have halted the crushing crowds for the time being, yet recently parts of the Historic Columbia River Highway were recently reopened to the public. Without thoughtful planning on next steps, congestion will only get worse when the roads and trails fully reopen. Now is the perfect time to talk about moving people through the Columbia Gorge in an entirely new way. As the Oregon Department of Transportation undertakes a congestion planning process, it should consider options such as making the highway one way during the busy season, running shuttle buses to various trailheads and eliminating cars other than local residents on the historic highway. The state could launch a pilot project when the highway is entirely reopened and, based on its success, the project could be tweaked and modified. This is the perfect time to explore and innovate as there's no way to launch such a project if the highway is operating in business-as-usual mode. This is also the time to rethink natural areas like Oneonta Gorge. One of the gems of the Columbia Gorge, this narrow canyon simply cannot take all of the love Gorge visitors thrust upon it. With this natural attraction currently shut down, the U.S. Forest Service has the opportunity to consider limited entry moving forward. We also have the opportunity to rethink Gorge trail systems. The forest trails, or what remains of them, need time to heal. However, a trail vision launched six years ago to relieve congestion in the waterfall corridor can be undertaken right now. Gorge Towns to Trails is an initiative by Friends of the Columbia Gorge to create a 200-mile loop trail around the Gorge, connecting communities to wild places, farms and vineyards. A diverse coalition of local private and public partners pledged their support for this effort to create a trail system that's nearly in place to connect the communities of Washougal to Stevenson and Hood River to The Dalles. All of these solutions will take planning and funding directed to federal and state agencies. Normally, in a climate of shrinking budgets this would be a non-starter. But these are not normal times. The Eagle Creek fire reminded all of us of the very deep connection that Oregonians have for the Gorge -- and what it would mean to lose that connection. The Columbia Gorge is worth the extra effort and worth the extra funding, because it represents the best of what we believe Oregon to be. Kevin Gorman is the executive director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. He lives in Portland. Share your opinion Submit your 500-word essay on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. By Nicholas Bryner, Eric Biber, Mark Squillace and Sean B. Hecht (AP/THE CONVERSATION): On Dec. 4, President Trump traveled to Utah to sign proclamations downsizing Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by nearly 50 percent. "[S]ome people think that the natural resources of Utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington," Trump said. "And guess what? They're wrong." Native American tribes and environmental organizations have already filed lawsuits challenging Trump's action. In our analysis as environmental and natural resources law scholars, the president's action is illegal and will likely be overturned in court. Contests over land use Since 1906 the Antiquities Act has given presidents the authority to set aside federal lands in order to protect "historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest." When a president creates a national monument, the area is "reserved" for the protection of sites and objects there, and may also be "withdrawn," or exempted, from laws that would allow for mining, logging or oil and gas development. Frequently, monument designations grandfather in existing uses of the land, but prohibit new activities such as mineral leases or mining claims. Because monument designations reorient land use away from resource extraction and toward conservation, some monuments have faced opposition from local officials and members of Congress. In the past two decades, Utah has been a flashpoint for this debate. In 1996 President Clinton designated the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a region of incredible slot canyons and remote plateaus. Twenty years later, President Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument, an area of scenic rock formations and sites sacred to Native American tribes. Utah's governor and congressional delegation have long argued that these monuments are larger than necessary and that presidents should defer to the state about whether to use the Antiquities Act. Zinke's review In April President Trump ordered a review of national monuments designated in the past two decades. Trump directed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to recommend steps to eliminate or shrink these monuments or realign their management with Trump administration priorities. Secretary Zinke's review was an arbitrary and opaque process. During a rushed four-month period, Zinke visited only eight of the 27 monuments under review. At the end of the review, the Interior Department released to the public only a two-page summary of Zinke's report. In September the Washington Post published a leaked copy of Zinke's detailed recommendations. They included downsizing, changing management plans or loosening restrictions at a total of 10 monuments, including three ocean monuments. Trump's proclamations Trump's proclamations on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante note the long list of objects that the monuments were created to protect, but claim that many of these objects are "not unique," "not of significant scientific or historic interest," or "not under threat of damage or destruction." As a result, Trump's orders split each monument into smaller units, excluding large tracts that are deemed "unnecessary." Areas cut from the monuments, including coal-rich portions of the Kaiparowits Plateau, will be reopened to mineral leasing, mining and other uses. In our view, Trump's justification for these changes mischaracterizes the law and the history of national monument designations. What the law says The key question at issue is whether the Antiquities Act empowers presidents to alter or revoke decisions by past administrations. The Property Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the power to decide what happens on "territory or other property belonging to the United States." When Congress passed the Antiquities Act, it delegated a portion of that authority to the president so that administrations could act quickly to protect resources or sites that are threatened. Critics of recent national monuments argue that if a president can create a national monument, the next one can undo it. However, the Antiquities Act speaks only of designating monuments. It says nothing about abolishing or shrinking them. Two other early land management statutes - the Pickett Act of 1910 and the Forest Service Organic Act of 1897 - authorized the president to withdraw other types of land, and specifically stated that the president could modify or revoke those actions. In contrast, the Antiquities Act is silent on reversing past decisions. In 1938, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt considered abolishing the Castle-Pinckney National Monument - a deteriorating fort in Charleston, South Carolina - Attorney General Homer Cummingsadvised that the president did not have the power to take this step. (Congress abolished the monument in 1951.) Congress enacted a major overhaul of public lands law in 1976, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, repealing many earlier laws. However, it did not repeal the Antiquities Act. The House Committee that drafted the 1976 law also made clear in legislative reports that it intended to prohibit the president from modifying or abolishing a national monument, stating that the law would "specifically reserve to the Congress the authority to modify and revoke withdrawals for national monuments created under the Antiquities Act." Since that time, no president until Trump has attempted to revoke or downsize any national monument. Trump's changes to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante depend on an argument that presidential declarations about what a national monument protects are subject to second-guessing by subsequent presidents. These claims run counter to every court decision that has examined the Antiquities Act. Courts have always been deferential to presidents' use of the law, and no court has ever struck down a monument based on its size or the types of objects it is designed to protect. Congress, rather than the President, has the authority to alter monuments, should it decide that changes are appropriate. The value of preservation This summer 118 other law professors, as well as California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and a number of conservation organizations, cited our analysis in letters to Secretary Zinke concluding that the president does not have authority to downsize or revoke national monuments. Although many national monuments faced vociferous local opposition when they were declared, including Jackson Hole National Monument (now part of Grand Teton National Park), over time, Americans have come to appreciate them. Indeed, Congress has converted many into national parks, including Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Arches and Joshua Tree. These four parks alone attracted over 13 million visitors in 2016. The aesthetic, cultural, scientific, spiritual and economic value of preserving them has long exceeded whatever short-term benefit could have been derived without legal protection. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are home to many natural and archaeological wonders, including scenic bluffs, petroglyphs, burial grounds and other sacred sites and a rich diversity of plant and animal life. The five Native American tribes that supported protecting Bears Ears, led by the Navajo Nation, have vowed to defend the monuments in court. President Trump's effort to scale back these monuments oversteps his authority and is unlikely to stand. -- Nicholas Bryner, University of California, Los Angeles; Eric Biber, University of California, Berkeley; Mark Squillace, University of Colorado, and Sean B. Hecht, University of California, Los Angeles. Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article originally published on April 27, 2017. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Defense lawyers in the Bunkerville standoff case were stunned last month to receive recorded phone calls between co-defendant Blaine Cooper and his Oregon defense lawyer from federal prosecutors who had previously denied possessing any attorney-client privileged jailhouse calls. Prosecutors shared 12 recorded jail phone calls between Cooper and Portland lawyer Krista Shipsey with defense lawyers for co-defendants Cliven Bundy, his two sons and Ryan Payne, who are now on trial in federal court in Las Vegas. Cooper has pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in both the 2014 standoff with federal agents near Bunkerville, Nevada, and in the 2016 Oregon armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He is cooperating with the government and was a government witness in this year's Oregon trial. The recordings captured calls Cooper made to his lawyer while in custody at the Las Vegas City jail between Jan. 22 and Feb. 17, 2017. The conversations related to the Bunkerville case, including discussions about preparation, the criminal allegations and strategy, according to court documents. "I didn't know, nor did Blaine,'' Shipsey said in a recent interview. "It's extremely concerning. We were assured those conversations would be confidential.'' Assistant federal public defenders Brenda Weksler and Ryan Norwood, who represent Payne in Nevada, have called for the dismissal of the case, alleging the prosecution has acted with "flagrant misconduct,'' based on the "government's misrepresentations regarding the most sacrosanct of client communications.'' Shipsey also last week asked to review copies of the recorded calls with her client that were shared. "It is negligence at its best and deliberate indifference to a defendant's substantive rights at its worst,'' Weksler and Norwood wrote in motions to the court. Payne's lawyers cited the sharing of Cooper's privileged calls to his attorney with co-defendants as just one in a series of discovery blunders by prosecutors in the Bunkerville case. In the days leading up to trial and even once trial started, prosecutors have been ordered to turn over emails and other evidence -- regarding the FBI's use of a camera outside the Bundy Ranch, FBI surveillance of the residence and threat assessments made before the 2014 standoff -- that they previously did not share or said didn't exist. Prosecutors this week countered that even were the defense to show the government violated an attorney-client privilege by sharing Cooper's calls, Payne's lawyers have failed to show that Payne or any other defendant on trial has been prejudiced in any way by the sharing of the calls or that their ability to defend themselves has been impaired. A so-called taint team of FBI agents, set up to act separately and apart from the FBI agents on the prosecution team, reviewed all recorded jail calls and identified relevant nonprivileged calls. They then provided to the prosecution team a summary of the content of those calls, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Ahmed. The taint team further identified privileged calls between defendants and their lawyers. Once they determined a call was between a defendant and their lawyer, the agents on the team "did no further review, did not listen to the call and therefore did not summarize the contents,'' Ahmed wrote in a response. Those privileged calls were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and characterized as "minimized,'' meaning the agents did not further review the call's contents, Ahmed wrote. The FBI agent on the taint team classified Cooper's calls with his lawyer under the name "Christa,'' presumably referring to defense lawyer Krista Shipsey. Yet the prosecution team shared Cooper's privileged calls with his co-defendants and their lawyers in September. Last month, Payne's lawyers discovered them among hundreds of phone calls the government turned over relating to potential trial witnesses. Federal prosecutors say they haven't listened to the Cooper calls. "To date, no one on the prosecution team has listened to Mr. Cooper's privileged attorney-client calls or was aware of such calls,'' Ahmed wrote in her response filed late Monday night. "No one on the prosecution team intends to listen to the attorney-client calls. The prosecution cannot direct the jail not to record such calls or force the jail to review them and weed such calls out before providing them to the government.'' Payne's defense lawyers continue to question if the government has obtained recorded phone calls between Payne and his lawyers. They had initially asked prosecutors if they had any recorded attorney-client phone calls involving Payne in October 2016 after learning of another attorney's calls with an inmate at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump, Nevada, that prosecutors had obtained in an unrelated federal criminal case. By mid-November 2016, federal prosecutors in the Bunkerville case responded to Payne's lawyers that the government had "no recordings of conversations between Payne and his counsel or between Payne's co-defendants and their counsel.'' "It has become abundantly clear that the government and the agents who they are supervising concerning these matters, are not taking the necessary precautions to ensure that attorney-client phone calls are not recorded or disbursed to co-defendants or government counsel,'' Weksler wrote in a court filing. Nevada's U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro has yet to rule on Payne's motion to dismiss stemming from the sharing of privileged attorney-client jail calls. The recording of attorney-client jail calls is a violation and a big deal, according to Oregon prosecutors and defense lawyers. Cooper, whose calls were recorded with his attorney and shared, would have standing to allege his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel was violated, Portland criminal defense lawyer Lisa Ludwig said. Kevin Sali, a Portland criminal defense lawyer not involved in either the Oregon or Nevada cases, said he believes it will be harder for the rest of the Nevada defense team to show Payne or the others on trial now have been harmed. The government's use of a special taint team to review calls is a common practice. And it will be hard to show how Payne or Cliven Bundy or his two sons were prejudiced by having recorded jail calls involving Cooper, who is not on trial and is cooperating with the government. The federal government's possession of attorney-client jail calls arose in the high-profile federal prosecution in Oregon of Joey Pedersen in a quadruple murder case and led to a stinging rebuke by a federal judge in 2014, but in that case the investigating detective kept recordings of the privileged attorney-client calls. A similar misstep occurred in a federal case in Las Vegas in October 2016, where a federal prosecutor admitted she inadvertently obtained recordings of confidential jailhouse phone conversations between a bank robbery defendant and his lawyer. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian What drives or hinders the commercialisation of research is there more we can do to help scientists bring ideas to market? Research is changing, and translating core research into usage in the marketplace and in society is increasingly important. Scientists are therefore becoming more entrepreneurial and moving up the innovation chain; they not only have to shape initial research ideas, but they also act as research strategists who source research funds, manage people, resources, and labs, create new products and markets, and network with end users. Effectively, many are becoming scientific entrepreneurs, like CEOs of small start-ups. These high performing researchers are known as publicly funded principal investigators. So how are scientists adapting to these new expectations, and how do we harness the changing trend to support economic growth? University of Otago Business School researcher Conor OKane is part of an investigation into the strategic behaviors of publicly funded principal investigators (PIs) - the lead researchers on successful programme and project grant applications, who take primary responsibility for shaping the collaboration and delivering the research. In knowledge driven economies PIs occupy increasingly visible and influential positions that extend far beyond traditional scientific and research endeavours. Dr OKane is suggesting assistance to strengthen networks and relationships for this category of scientists may be key components. There is much emphasis on building innovation and developing technical capability to improve New Zealands economy, but building relationships and social capital that links science, business and end users are equally important skills for developing new products and new markets. Learning how to collaborate effectively to better develop and exploit knowledge is now fundamental to building New Zealands economy, he said. What the University of Otago is doing Dr OKane is collaborating with colleagues in France and Ireland to study the role of publicly funded principal investigators in this changing research environment. They aim to understand and share insights on the strategic behaviours of principal investigators, how they initiate and manage their collaborations, and shape their knowledge outcomes. Its expected that the findings will lead to practical ways of supporting principal investigators to become better research managers, and to develop effective business models around their research and knowledge transfer activities. Hes also looking at the key interactive processes between business, academia and university-based technology transfer officers. People in technology transfer roles have the difficult task of both understanding the science, and communicating market requirements back to researchers. In essence they have a dual identity, one scientific the other business. Pinpointing how technology transfer agents can add value in this process will help to foster innovative and commercial activities that are hugely important, for universities and for regional economies. How does New Zealand capture more value from increased tourism numbers? One solution is matching what we have to offer with what the visitor understands; by improving the experience of the tourist, they are then encouraged to lengthen their stay. The key to understanding is research according to Professor Juergen Gnoth who has been studying productivity in the tourism sector for many years. The University of Otago Business School is conducting a broad range of research covering tourists consumption behavior, as well as destination branding and tourism destination marketing. Professor Gnoth has already produced Tourist Profiles on Australian, American, Japanese and German markets. They show the more tourism and hospitality operators understand, the better equipped they are at amplifying the visitor experience and helping visitors to enjoy what New Zealand has to offer. Having derived more meaning from their experience, the visitor is more satisfied and gains greater well-being, and that is translated to more visitor nights. But Professor Gnoth explains that doesnt mean changing the New Zealand experience. Visitors come here to immerse themselves in our country, so we need to make that unique experience accessible. To make a brand more productive for business it has to be authentic and of interest to the customer which could be as simple as having signs and pamphlets in Mandarin, or even understanding the culture enough to communicate effectively in sign language. About the research Professor Gnoth has identified some of the core cultural factors influencing tourism behaviour, including well-being, physical activity and purchasing decisions. He has built up basic knowledge, such as the importance of dignity or Face in the consumption behaviour of Chinese people. He has measured how international tourists get involved with local culture, with activities, and the benefits they derive. This research is informing how company brands can help build and leverage destinations, and helps managers build stronger relationships that enhance destination sustainability, competitiveness and productivity. He is keen to see the country take advantage of the research and consolidate the New Zealand experience, with a comprehensive approach to making use of the knowledge. We need to help New Zealand tourism and hospitality operators understand why cultural understanding is important, and to detail what they can do to enhance the experience of their clients with a consistent product so they come back for more. Society may have to rethink ways of encouraging children into enjoying the outdoors. Participation in some forms of outdoor recreation is declining and University of Otago Business School, Centre for Recreation Research Co-Director Associate Professor Brent Lovelock believes an increasingly risk-adverse society may be limiting nature-based leisure. Research suggests children and young people now lead more urban, sedentary, and technologically driven lives away from the outdoors; they may even consider traditional forms of outdoor recreation uncool. At the same time, parents limit access to the outdoors, concerned about risk. Assoc. Prof Lovelock and his colleagues conducted in-depth interviews with adults who had retained a strong involvement in tramping, mountaineering, hunting, or freshwater fishing throughout their lives. From this, they identified facilitators and constraints that influenced their participation. The key to children, adolescents and young adults taking part in outdoor activities now, is early exposure when they are young. Conditioning children in their pre-school and pre-teen years to be active is fundamentally important because it establishes positive attitudes to nature and the outdoors. The traditional pathway into outdoor experiences when young has been in a supportive family environment, such as a Sunday walk or a family fishing trip. Schools are also important for providing skills in outdoor recreation. However, Assoc. Prof Lovelock warns that both pathways are being challenged. Traditional family channels are limited by changing population dynamics such as changes to traditional family structures and increased mobility for employment. At the same time schools and other child/youth organisations appear to be cautious about the risk of outdoor pursuits, with greater focus on safety and the perceived burden of responsibility increasingly affecting the experiences they are willing to offer. Assoc. Prof Lovelocks research found parents who are more lenient and gave their children some freedom to explore their neighbourhood environs, encouraged later involvement in formal nature-based recreation. Even in urban areas, non-outdoorsy families who encouraged their young people to explore and engage with the little pieces of nature that were available, instilled a sense of confidence. He also identified the importance of on-going support in the teenage years, where there is opportunity for social organisations such as child/youth groups to take more of a lead. He would like to see society discussing how best to manage risk and encourage outdoor activities. While young people now may not be able to enjoy the freedoms free range children from previous generations had, we need to continue to offer opportunities for them to engage with the great outdoors, particularly given what New Zealand has to offer. Ironically this may involve new technology, as witnessed currently by the Pokemon-Go craze. Assoc. Prof Lovelock and his research team are keen to explore how technology may be used to help foster outdoor pursuits for kids. His message? Take your children on outdoor experiences when they are young, allow them unstructured outdoor play, and encourage the organisations that support outdoor pursuits. Do New Zealanders prefer to support charities with a local or global focus? And what reasons do people give for supporting different types of charity? University of Otago Business School Professor Stephen Knowles is interested in the landscape of New Zealand donations what affects peoples decision to donate, and what underpins donor preferences. He and Dr Trudy Sullivans field experiment on charitable giving has found that charity in New Zealand really does begin at home. A group of New Zealanders invited to take part in a survey on charitable giving were rewarded for completing the survey, with money to be donated on their behalf to a charity with a local focus (the Salvation Army) or with a global focus (World Vision). Professor Knowles said this particular research method more accurately gauges peoples underlying donation preferences than simply calculating and comparing annual totals donated by New Zealanders to all charities. This is because of the number of charities effect where charities with a local focus may receive more donations, simply because there are more charities with a local focus. Most of the study participants chose to donate to the Salvation Army. The most common reason was that they thought that charity begins at home; another reason being that they had seen the good work done locally by the Salvation Army. The most common reason for donating to World Vision was that there was less help available, and therefore greater need, in poor countries overseas. Some donated to World Vision because they had donated to them before. Knowles was surprised that so many (77 percent) supported the local charity, given there is a growing trend known as the effective altruism movement. This argues that because there is much more need in developing countries overseas, donations spent there can achieve more good than the same amount of money spent in a rich country like New Zealand. Professor Knowles results are not particularly good news for the effective altruism movement. While many New Zealanders do care about need in a developing country, how do they decide which developing countries would they prefer donations were spent in? Another Otago research project (conducted by Professor Knowles, along with Associate Professor Paul Hansen, Nicole Kergozou and Dr Paul Thorsnes) identified some key characteristics that influence New Zealanders donations to charities like World Vision. This study found that most participants would prefer that aid money goes to countries with high rates of hunger and malnutrition and to countries where children mortality is high. Average income, and quality of infrastructure such as schools, roads and electricity supply, were less important factors. Ties to New Zealand was considered the least significant issue. Professor Knowles has found in other research (with Maros Servatka and Dr Sullivan) that donors are more likely to give to charities when there is no deadline specified by which they need to donate. These studies will all help inform charities, particularly those with an overseas focus, of how best to engage with and appeal to their supporters. http://www.otago.ac.nz/economics/otago565604.pdf http://www.otago.ac.nz/economics/news/otago075028.pdf Entrepreneurial skills may be just as important for restaurant owners as serving good food. A study by University of Otago Business School tourism researcher Dr Craig Lee has pinpointed success factors that have shaped some of the top-performing, independent restaurants in Australia. What drives businesses to success in the restaurant industry is more than just the quality of its chef the business owners level of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and the firms innovation activities (service, process, and management innovation) are discriminating characteristics for high performance. Dr Lee said while governments encourage business owners to be creative to survive, understanding exactly what it takes to be successful helps to plan a course of action. The two most important drivers of successful restaurants are the ability to develop new products and services, and a clear vision of what the business owners want to achieve, which needs to be translated successfully to their employees. Also crucial are investor relationships, and innovations across the enterprise, such as in marketing and branding, and technology such as smart phone apps and websites. Human resource development is vital in this industry because of high turnover, so staff management and recruitment is imperative. The other most important success factor is the ability to meet unexpected challenges. Barriers to innovation are staff resistance to change, marketing and getting customers to understand new processes, and the costs in what is a low profit margin industry. So where do restaurant owners get their ideas? Dr Lee has identified that successful restaurant owners look to their competitors, are in tune with what their customers ask for, and talk to their staff. These new insights should help restaurant owners to benchmark themselves against the high performers, and to prioritise the entrepreneurial skills and innovations to develop to achieve business success. It also presents a challenge to the hospitality industry to have education specific to developing entrepreneurial and business expertise as well as culinary skills. Many people passionate about their food skills often dream of owning their own business; however, this study shows that it takes more than that to develop a successful enterprise and make money. Training in managing finances or marketing may be a good place to start for those considering entering the industry. Dr Lee is keen to look at ways to use the findings from this Australian study to develop the New Zealand restaurant sector. How important is a culture of teamwork and development to hospital performance and patient care? Organisational culture has long been regarded as an important factor affecting performance in healthcare organisations, yet there is a lack of local information about its effectiveness. A research study in the UK reported a preferred culture that emphasises a team- and developmental-oriented culture rather than the more traditional hierarchical culture. This is echoed by other studies suggesting that a culture profile emphasising flexibility allows healthcare organisations to react to their dynamic external environment better. Culture profiles that target flexibility while emphasising goal fulfilment are associated with greater efficiency. Some research suggests a positive link between a culture that focuses on teamwork and desirable outcomes including patient satisfaction, job satisfaction and higher levels of safety, compared to a culture that emphasises control and compliance through rules and regulations. University of Otago researchers have been investigating this within the New Zealand healthcare environment, specifically looking at how organisation culture is perceived by District Health Boards (DHBs) members and their senior executive teams. Dr. Evelyn Suk Yi Looi (now at Monash University), Dr Richard Greatbanks and Professor Andre Everett examined the organisational culture profiles and key cultural characteristics of eight New Zealand DHBs, evaluating them against one of the six government-designated critical aspects of healthcare performance shorter stays in Emergency Departments. Given the importance of DHB governance and leadership in shaping the culture of healthcare organisations, we think it is important to better understand how organisational culture is aligned between board members and their respective senior executives alongside healthcare performance, Dr Looi explained. The ground-breaking study has just earned the researchers an international accolade, gaining the Outstanding Paper Award in the 2017 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence for the Journal of Health Organization and Management. This prestigious award is presented annually to authors who have contributed the most impressive work published in the previous year. http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/authors/literati/awards.htm?year=2017&journal=jhom About the research Seven of the DHBs emphasised cultures that gave them control and stability rather than focusing on prioritising teamwork and flexibility. This was analysed using an organisational culture framework developed in the field of management - the Competing Values Framework. Although these findings are not surprising, they confirm that most New Zealand top-tier healthcare organisations are hierarchical. If this represents the health sector generally, it implies that cultural dominance may be constraining healthcare performance, and refocusing on building culture profiles that prioritise teamwork and flexibility may potentially improve healthcare performance. There are substantial similarities between New Zealands public healthcare system and the UKs NHS which indicate that the Competing Values Framework should provide a valid benchmark locally. However, the current organisational culture profiles adopted here may not be the most appropriate for producing high performance. This knowledge will help healthcare organisations to better understand their current operating model, and to recognise the characteristics on which they would like to model the culture of their organisations, particularly for those looking to change their culture. The research has helped to establish some benchmarks for both measuring and improving the culture of New Zealand healthcare organisations. While we only focused on one metric of performance of DHBs, it would be interesting to analyse other performance measures to better understand whether there is a link between high performance and the preferred organisational culture profile, Dr Looi added. The use of global virtual teams (GVTs) is an everyday practice within international business, thanks to digital options that connect people in real time. However, virtuality can be complex when a team is highly culturally diverse, geographically dispersed, working in different time zones and, as is often the case, working to deadlines. Add to that the fact that people have varying levels of competency in the ever-growing range of digital platforms available, and it is easy to see that members collective communication skills can either make or break the team. One person who knows this well is University of Otago Business School management lecturer Virginia Cathro, who has managed global teams of university students with diverse cultural backgrounds competing in two international business competitions: Global Enterprise Experience (GEE), where students work in international virtual teams, developing a business plan proposal for an entrepreneurial venture that benefits society. Virtual Teams in International Business (VIBU), which is a global on-line business simulation, where teams operate their own simulated companies in real time. Team members learn to collaborate across cultures, time zones, world views, and levels of wealth and poverty but their success relies heavily on virtual communication competencies, which are the communication skills required by those working in a virtual team. These experiences are embedded in Management papers. In Ms Cathros experience, communication competency is particularly relevant in the current environment of fast and furious technological change, which offers many choices of ways to connect team members and to support group decision-making. We are in constant change for instance, WhatsApp is my students preferred conferencing software over Skype now, and who knows what it will be next year. While the students she works with are undoubtedly tech-savvy, they tend to assume that each of their fellow team members, who are spread around the world, is competent across all of the various communication platforms that are available and coming on-stream. This is often not the case skills vary, and it can be difficult to communicate technical detail across multiple languages and imperfect communication platforms. I therefore have to quickly and effectively assess what each person brings to the table, and what competencies they need to develop so the team can perform. I know from experience that improving this measurement process is key. The research While it is already well established that GVTs need good intercultural and virtual competencies to succeed, in reality, understanding of this issue is challenged by an abundance of models and measures. Ms Cathro is studying Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) in GVTs, focusing on whether interculturally competent team members and team leaders generate better results, understanding the nature of intercultural competence on virtual processes, and investigating how intercultural competence can be enhanced in a GVT. She has bought together valuable data from her student teams over time, including surveys and participants reflections on their experiences, to identify specific competencies that are important for virtual teams. This is already helping to better understand and develop the skills that members of virtual teams need to perform effectively, which can equally be applied to business and learning both for students and for the increasing number of academics working from virtual settings in global collaborations. Good leadership is crucial for business success, but just what makes a good leader, and what does evolution have to do with it? Dr Brian Spisak from the University of Otago's Department of Management researches how and why leadership develops in large-scale social networks, blending social and organisational psychology with the study of biological and cultural evolution. He incorporates this into his teaching of management for performance and responsible leadership at the University of Otago Business School. Dr Spisak explains we share a common biological heritage, no matter what we do or where we are from. Evolutional and human behaviour helps to explain why we think and act the way we do. This is based on the consistent pressures faced across the whole of our evolutionary history, such as the need to manage issues surrounding competition and cooperation within and between groups. The biological sciences, for instance, provide insights into fundamental human tendencies, which help to clarify what adaptive responses are likely to occur under different organisational pressures, while the social sciences provide information about specific organisational and cultural environments. He believes this blend of social and natural sciences represents the future of group dynamics research and is the foundation of a modern interpretation of organisational leadership. From this perspective, Dr. Spisak argues that we can better describe issues like why society has difficulty transitioning to renewable resources, or why organisations tend to opt for short-term low road strategies. Using an understanding of evolutionary dynamics, he develops models to solve problems like these. Evolutional and human behavior in organisations Dr Spisak has already applied this evolutionary perspective to understand intergroup conflict for the United States Office of Naval Research and NATO, analysing ways to build co-operative ties between peacekeeping troops on the ground and the local population. That work can be extrapolated to commerce and is being applied to group processes such as innovation, sustainability, and intergroup dynamics to make modern organisations more effective. For instance, greater understanding of group dynamics and conflict could better guide mergers and acquisitions, which have 50 to 70 percent failure rate. There is a balancing act in organisations between self-interests and group interests, and leadership needs to regulate this tension to maintain organizational fitness these studies help to identify what leadership qualities are needed. Dr Spisak has contributed to Evolutionary Psychology in the Business Sciences, one of the first academic books on how to apply evolutionary psychology in the business sciences. He examined evolutionary behavioral sciences alongside specific business contexts including marketing, consumer behavior, negotiations, executive leadership and business ethics. He has also been studying niche constructionthe process where individuals modify their own and each other's environments, through their activities, interactions and choices. The output of this research has led to one of the first publications on this topic in the Academy of Management Review a leading academic journal in the field of management. In addition, Dr Spisaks work has also appeared in leading psychological journals as well as multidisciplinary outlets. He finds that the true value in studying evolution and human behaviour is the ability to connect academics from various fields to think about big questions and to provide novel ways of looking at society to better engage the academic curiosity of students. Why is there disparity between what consumers say they would like to do and what they actually do when it comes to sustainable consumption? While 30 percent want to act more sustainably when they are shopping, only three percent of people are putting their money where their mouth is and making purchasing decisions based on the sustainability of the product. University of Otago Business School researchers have been looking at the barriers to sustainable behaviours, to find what role information plays in sustainable consumption. Professor Robert Aitken from the Marketing Department explains purchasing decisions are made on a number of considerations including price, quality, access and knowledge of issues. We focused on knowledge, looking at the distinction between abstract macro information that creates awareness, and more detailed micro information that helps consumers be confident they are choosing a product consistent with their values. The researchers looked at the link between labelling information and the intention to buy organic products. A significant 70 percent of people made it clear that they wanted more product specific information at point-of-purchase to convert attitudes into actual purchase decisions. Professor Aitken said while an increasing number of consumers are aware they need to be more environmentally sustainable, it seemed they lack practical action information to make informed choices. This lack of such information is a barrier to consumers wishing to consume more sustainably. Consumers are questioning if some products are as environmentally sensitive as their producers portray them. They want genuine, credible information on the label; they dont want a company to give them greenwash sustainability messages. People wanting to buy sustainably want to know about the ingredients, the packaging and what efforts the producers and suppliers have gone to make their product sustainable. They want to know if the product is sourced locally and ethically. They also want producers to actively help consumers to be more sustainable such as what to do with the product packaging. Given the government is reluctant to regulate for more product information, there is an important element of corporate social responsibility for producers and suppliers to convey meaningful information. If consumers ask for information on the quality of their product, surely the company has a duty to provide it. He suggests companies need to consider a sustainability framework and incorporating sustainability as part of their overall service. Chemical Process Operator Fast Start info session is planned at 1 p.m. Thursday at Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! in Saginaw. Meet with The Dow Chemical Co., Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! and Delta College to learn how 13 weeks of job training could lead to employment as a chemical process operator. Delta College Corporate Services is offering a Chemical Process Operator Fast Start training program to meet the needs of Great Lakes Bay Region employers. Of those that have completed the Chemical Processing Fast Start program, 96% of individuals received full-time job offers. Minimum starting pay rates are $16.15-$23.95 per hour. Financial support for training may be available through Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! The info session will take place at the Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! building in Saginaw at 312 E. Genesee Ave. Two H.H. Dow High School seniors on Tuesday tied for third place in the nation's most prestigious science competition for high school students. On Tuesday, Brandon Zhu and Daniel Zhang, both of Midland, were awarded a $25,000 scholarship at the finals of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. They were among four teams to win $25,000 prizes. The top prize was a $100,000 scholarship, and the second-place award was a $50,000 scholarship. Scholarship prizes of the same amounts also were given to individual winners. The Dow High students made it to the finals after winning a regional phase of the competition (and a $6,000 scholarship} at the University of Notre Dame in November. The two initially were reluctant to enter the Siemens Competition -- and waited until almost the last minute -- but were encouraged to enter during a summer internship at Michigan State University's STEM center on St. Andrews Road in Midland, also known as MSU-St. Andrews. "We were a little reluctant," Daniel said. "We decided to do the medical field platform because there would be tangible results that could be applied to humans in the future. "We turned it in with only six minutes to spare." Brandon and Daniel worked together on "Release of Active Pharmaceuticals Using Capped Hyperbranched Polyesters," a project aimed at developing controlled-release drug therapies. Such therapies could increase the effectiveness and reduce the side effects of pharmaceuticals. While at the finals in Washington, which included presenting their work to a panel of judges, the students had promising informal conversations about the project's possibilities. "We talked to a couple of industry professionals. ... They were impressed," Brandon said. "I'm thinking that this is a very viable method in the future." The students' research involves an early-stage method using "polymer drug conjugates" to regulate the release of certain pharmaceutical compounds. Brandon and Daniel are interested in how this method "could be applied using common medications such as: naproxen for pain relief; salicylic acid, a common acne treatment; and hydrocortisone, used to treat a variety of skin conditions," according to the Siemens Competition website. In the awards ceremony webcast live on Tuesday, Brandon and Daniel were the first team featured in video descriptions of each project. In addition to discussing their project and how they felt when they learned they were finalists, the students also praised their mentor, Patrick Smith of MSU-St. Andrews. Smith had words of praise for the team Tuesday, noting that they will share more than $30,000 in scholarship money from the regional and national competitions. "They did just a phenomenal job," he said. He also noted the high caliber of all students in the finals. "These are some of the brightest high school kids in the country," he said. Brandon and Daniel both had summer internships last year at Michigan State University's STEM center on St. Andrews Road in Midland. Neither Brandon nor Daniel has decided where to attend college, but Brandon is interested in studying biochemistry while Daniel is considering a possible double major in computer engineering and biology. The competition started with more than 2,500 students and 1,800 research project submissions, and involved more than two months and five rounds of judging by scientific experts. Twenty-one high school students were selected as national finalists. "All of the competitors' depth of knowledge and ability to grasp complex concepts gives us hope for the next generation of scientists," said Emilia Entcheva, lead judge at the finals competition and professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at George Washington University, during the awards ceremony. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame. Monday, Dec. 4 12:35 a.m. -- A Lee Township man, 31, was arrested in that township for driving while his license was suspended. 1:15 a.m. -- A motorist was arrested at North Saginaw Road and Hillcrest Drive for improper plate and driving without insurance. 4:22 a.m. -- A Sanford man, 35, was arrested in Midland for driving while his license was suspended. 2:17 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to South Poseyville and West Gordonville roads for a report of a steel water main cap in the center of the road. The hazard was found and removed. 2:38 p.m. -- A Midland Township man, 50, reported someone tried to file for unemployment benefits using his Social Security number. 4:22 p.m. -- A Coleman man, 38, was arrested in Homer Township for driving while his license was suspended. He also was arrested on three warrants. 10:16 p.m. -- A Lee Township man, 22, was arrested in that township for driving while his license was suspended. He was given verbal warnings for three traffic violations. Sunday, Dec. 3 12:10 a.m. -- Property in the 400 block of Hawthorne Hollow was damaged. 12:31 a.m. -- A motorist was arrested at Washington Street and Eastlawn Drive for drunken driving. 12:34 a.m. -- A Midland woman, 23, was arrested for drunken driving after a crash in Lincoln Township. She was cited for no proof of insurance. 3:20 p.m. -- Police were sent to a Jefferson Avenue address for a report of a drug overdose and family abuse or neglect. 12:15 p.m. -- A deputy investigated a hit and run traffic crash that occurred on North Coleman Road near West Burns Road. 5:17 p.m. -- Police investigated a hit and run crash at West Wackerly Street and Dublin Avenue, and made arrests for drunken driving and driving while license suspended. 5:27 p.m. -- A caller reported seeing a man trying to open a window at the Windover School in Homer Township. A deputy checked the area and the man was gone. The building was secure. 9:11 p.m. -- A Lee Township man, 30, was arrested in Lee Township for driving without a license. A charge of driving while license suspended is being requested against a 29-year-old man who drove to the site to help. Saturday, Dec. 2 8:11 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to a Lincoln Township business for a report of the theft of scrap metal in progress. The people collecting the scrap had permission. 12:20 p.m. -- Police responded to a hit and run crash at Adams Drive and McKinley Street. 9:52 p.m. -- Police investigated a hit and run crash at Jerome and West Indian streets. 10:43 p.m. -- A deputy was called to Geneva Township for a report of neighbors shooting after dark. The noise was caused by fireworks, and the neighbor agreed to stop for the night. 10:50 p.m. -- Police were sent to a domestic assault at a North Saginaw Road address. Friday, Dec. 1 12:29 a.m. -- A motorist was arrested after a crash in the 3600 block of Alpine Drive for drunken driving with a high blood alcohol content and marijuana possession. 9:30 a.m. -- Police assisted probation and parole agents in the 200 block of West Ellsworth Street. 1:22 p.m. -- Police were sent to a retail fraud in the 6800 block of Eastman Avenue. 2:08 p.m. -- Police assisted Child Protective Services at an Edgewood Street address. 6:38 p.m. -- A deputy was sent to Greendale Township for a report of a man sleeping in a vehicle that was pulled over. The vehicle was gone when the deputy reached the area. 8:03 p.m. -- A Jerome Township man, 24, reported someone used his banking account information to make a purchase of $40 without his permission. 8:52 p.m. -- A deputy helped Midland Police search a vehicle after a traffic stop. The search resulted in charges of drug possession. A report of a man entering Mount Pleasant apartments and shining flashlights on the women who live inside has led to an arrest and felony charges. Mount Pleasant Police report the case began with a 6:53 a.m. Monday report of the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Charles Joseph Henry, entering an unlocked apartment in the 1100 block of West Camps Drive. Once inside, the suspect entered a bedroom and shined a flashlight on the sleeping female resident. She awoke and confronted the suspect, who then fled the scene, a media release states. When officers reached the scene they saw a man matching the description of the suspect running down nearby railroad tracks. They attempted to stop the suspect but he continued to run for several more blocks. He was taken into custody after a brief struggle. During the investigation, officers learned of a second incident that took place earlier in the morning in the same area. In that incident, the suspect let himself into a residence, pulled the covers off a woman while she was sleeping and shined a flashlight on her body. The victim sat up in bed when the suspect fled the scene, the release states. Henry was arraigned on charges of first-degree home invasion, failing to comply with the sex offender registration act, two counts of resisting and obstructing police, lying to a peace officer, and two counts of illegal entry. He is being held in the Isabella County Jail on a $70,000, 10 percent bond, meaning he needs $7,000 to be released. According to the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry, Henry was convicted of one count of aggravated indecent exposure on Sept. 17, 2007. No other convictions are listed. BLOOMINGTON Police closed an east-side intersection for about two hours Wednesday morning because a motorist indicated that he may have been exposed to anthrax. Bloomington police responded to a report of a motorist needing assistance around 6:47 a.m. at East Empire Street and CIRA Drive near Central Illinois Regional Airport. They found a vehicle that had pulled over in a lane of traffic and may have run out of gas, said Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner. When officers approached the vehicle, the driver said he may have been exposed to anthrax. We had to secure the area in order for the fire departments hazmat team to investigate it, Heffner added. During the course of the investigation, it was determined it was not anthrax. "However, when these things take place, our protocols dictate that were going to have to shut down traffic," the chief said. "We do all of these things to ensure public safety. The response was appropriate today for what was alleged. Were going to err on the side of caution. Nearby Central Catholic High School and businesses were not placed on lockdown, said police. Anytime a harmful substance is brought up, be it that or ricin or something of that nature, that initiates protocols, both by law enforcement and with the fire department with whom we had an excellent collaboration in the response today, Heffner said. The driver was transported to a local hospital for unrelated medical concerns. Witnesses said they saw a vehicle towed away from the scene and broken glass on the roadway. The intersection of Empire Street and CIRA Drive was immediately closed along with both directions of traffic on Empire. All lanes were reopened about 8:45 a.m. We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding as we felt the need to shut down both east- and westbound lanes of Empire to keep our first responders safe in the working area of the call, Bloomington Fire Department spokesman Stuart Blade said. There was never a threat to the general public, said authorities. Anita Owens of Peoria said she was concerned when she saw the road to the airport closed, fearing she might miss her 10:15 a.m. flight to Chicago. There is a reason you are supposed to arrive at the airport two hours early, and I always do to avoid any unforeseen hassles, she said. We got to the road to take us to the airport and it was closed and I started to freak out. But I told that officer I had a flight and if I didnt get on it, he was going to be taking me to Chicago. All flights at the airport were on time throughout the day. Davis voted for the tax reform legislation last month, despite the bill containing components that will negatively impact students, including the graduate student tuition waiver repeal. Graduate school education is notoriously expensive; without this provision, students who rely on this support to get their post-graduate degrees will have to somehow find the means to increase their income while already attending classes and working on campus or else drop out of school. Last night COS and Studio Swine kicked off Design Miami and, unofficially, Art Basel Miami Beach, which begins later this week, with a party celebrating the second iteration of their New Spring series. The series centers on an installation held at Temple House in Miami Beach comprised of whimsical white tubes in the shape of a willow tree that emit scent-filled bubbles that evaporate into mist upon skin contact. Guests of the party could try on a pair of fabric gloves that, when reacting to the bubbles, would prolong their shape and allow you to play around with the fragile orbs. The installation also features a COS pop-up shop with pieces inspired by the installation and selected by the brand's creative director Karin Gustafsson. The Temple House additionally has an upstairs space with a small lap pool, at the center of which is a giant inflatable bubble inspired by the ones in the main installation. COS' installation remains on view through Sunday, December 10th and, in the meantime, take a look at photos from the opening party, below. Temple House, 1415 Euclid Ave., Miami Beach Photos via Angela Pham/BFA If you haven't heard of IDK, you're about to. The badass rapper from Prince George's County, Maryland has been on the fast track to success since the release of projects Subtrap and Empty Bank, but it's his recently released album IWASVERYBAD that has his name in the mix of hip-hop's impending elite. But it hasn't always been easy. From being incarcerated at the age of 17, to the loss of his mother, IDK has fought adversity every step to live the life he envisioned. Originally born in London but raised in the DMV area, IDK (born Jason Mills) grew up in a middle-class household to parents who were both college graduatesa more-traditional path IDK was intent on avoiding. The rapper puts the ultraviolence and missteps of his youth on full display IWASVERYBAD, which was released in episode format via Adult Swim. We caught up with IDK to talk directing, trying to make it in hip-hop and why artists need to look out for one another. Congratulations on your insane year! Tell me about directinghow did you get into it? I just got started in videos before I ever tried recording my raps. I was into photography at first. When I got out of jail the first time I got final cut and I started messing around with it. I got a decent camera so I was trying to shoot people's music videos for free and then I would edit them. They sucked really bad. Theirs one that I looked at the other day and I couldn't believe I did that. That's how I started and then when I got into music I just naturally had the ability to do certain things. You teamed up with Adult Swim for the release of this project. How did that come about? With Adult Swim I just thought that it would be smarter to release my music in pieces instead of all at one. It would be like they see it, the album comes out more than one time, but it's a story that you follow along with. I wanted it to also release on TV because I was calling each of the songs episodes. That's how the Adult Swim thing happened. Your videos are really unique. They're very artistic but at the same time you leave your fans wondering what you're going to do next. One hundred percent. That's one of the most important things, not only the visuals but the music, kind of doing the less is more thing and leaving cliffhangers whenever I can. Do you feel pressure as an artist to get political? If you look at my timeline it's very rare that I talk about politics. I don't pay attention to all that shit because it just makes you have a bad day. Every day is some bullshit. Every day it's like North Korea has declared war. I'm not trying to be worried about. I just live my life and if it happens it happens. You might catch me here and there tweeting my thoughts about it but for the most part I don't think about that stuff. As a quote, "socially aware rapper," they may expect me to do that, but I'm not a socially aware rapper. I really think about that a lot now because I'm just a rapper who says the truth. You recently defended Lil Pump, which is interesting because not many artists come out vocally to support one another. Why did you feel it necessary to do that? I used to be one of those dudes. I used to think that if a song wasn't lyrical it was just trash. I started realizing that I would say something was trash, then I'll keep hearing it and I started to like it, next thing you know I'm on the bandwagon. I just started realizing that I had more of an open mind when I would hear newer stuff. So that's why I said you really need to see that just because somebody isn't lyrical doesn't necessarily mean you can't enjoy the music. [Pump's] whole aesthetic is cool and I fuck with it. Also hip-hop purists look at someone new like an Offset or a Lil Uzi Vert and say they're not real rappers, but these artists are just talking about things this generation can relate to. Exactly. That's why I said Offset is one of the greatest rappers of our generation. I was listening to Met Gala when he said something about how a girl was in his DM's and it started from the likes. The way he flowed it was really cool but that's what our generation knows. That's why I said that. I said that and I mean that he's one of the best. One thing people need to stop doing is acting like niggas always been lyrical. That's not true. I'm a big fan of Wu-Tang, but it was something they would say that's not necessarily lyrical or cleaver, it just sounded really dope and the way that they flowed it was perfect. Right. It's cyclical. Even with fashion. Busta Rhymes wore this ensemble on a red carpet back in the 90's which resembled a geisha garb, similarly to Young Thug on the cover of Jeffery. Everyone was quick to drag him for wearing a dress, but it's literally the same thing as Busta but no one talks about it. If you make fun of Young Thug then you have to make fun of Andre 3000. You feel what I'm saying? He was wearing some stuff that was worse than Thug back then but people want to act like this is the new headline. People just be talking. It's crazy. Talk to me about the making of IWASVERYBAD. The last half of Black Sheep, White Dove, I was just randomly thinking about my mom. I think I was maybe listening to the beat. I was about to go to the studio from home that morning and do something totally different, but I was in the shower kind of sad thinking about it and said to myself this is an important emotion. I sat down in my room and I started tearing up. I wrote the verse and then I told my engineer to make sure this was set up when I got there because I couldn't wait. I had to go straight into the booth. When I got to the studio I went in the booth and did it with the same emotion. You can hear it in the song. A lot of that was just trying to capture moments which I never did before. I always created a moment but I never captured it. Did you go into IWASVERYBAD wanting to make those songs that would pop off in the clubs? At first I was making records but I knew that I wanted to have a big record. After that I sat down with No I.D. and I played him the album, it wasn't even done yet, and I told him my rollout plan so he asked me why did I need that. He told me that my music was dope and I might have a single there already. He said you might record a record thinking it's the single and that's not the single. You never know. He told me to just make dope music and all of that will come. Do girls ever think a song that you wrote is about them? Girls do that all the time. It was a girl that hit me the other day and said she felt some type of way talking about this, that, and the third. I told her the record wasn't about her because it was from an experience that I had when I was in high school. I definitely wasn't talking about her. A lot of my thoughts are a bunch of experiences mixed in one. It's not always just one thing. What do you want people to take away from this project? I want you to know who I am. I want you to listen to thirty minutes of this. You listen to this song for thirty, thirty-five minutes and you know who I am. Listen to IWASVERYBAD, below. Image via Anthony Cabaero Adam Lashinsky Interviewed Apple's CEO at Fortune's Global Forum and the general theme was about Cook's keynote at China's Internet Conference on Sunday. Cook has been harshly criticized for appearing to endorse the Chinese government's Internet policy, which tightly controls the flow of information in the communist nation. Cook said that what is missing from society is that there aren't enough people willing to listen, understand, and participate. "I'll get criticized for going to any meeting. I get criticized for going to meetings in the the United Statesand I don't really care at the end of the day." Much more of Cook's thinking about China is presented in the video below. During Sunday's keynote in China, Cook told the those attending the event that "the theme of this conference developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits is a vision we at Apple share" adding that Apple "is proud to have worked alongside many of our partners in China to help build a community that will join a common future in cyberspace." Cook has been quick to criticize the U.S. President for anything Cook is against quite openly and publicly and yet for China, it's all smiles and roses for the Communist President Xi Jinping because Apple can't afford to lose business in China if they were to criticize the government. It's highly hypocritical. Yet as CEO he feels that he has to support and work with China or face a crashing stock price. It's a tough position to be in. What are some of Cook's critics saying? Senator Leahy, who probed Apple's ties to China, told CNBC yesterday that "Apple has a 'moral obligation' to push back in China." Earlier this year when Cook was asked to provide a statement condemning the Chinese government's censorship, Apple told the senators that "actions are our most powerful statement." "Apple is clearly a force for good in China, but I also believe it and other tech companies must continue to push back on Chinese suppression of free expression," Leahy said. The Washington Post wrote a report on this titled "Apple CEO backs China's vision of an 'open' Internet as censorship reaches new heights." The Washington Post wrote that "The World Internet Conference held in the eastern Chinese city of Wuzhen is meant to promote China's vision of 'cyber-sovereignty' the idea that governments all over the world should have the right to control what appears on the Internet in their countries. In practice, in China, that amounts to the largest system of censorship and digital surveillance in the world, where criticism of the Communist Party is sharply curtailed and can even land you in jail. But that wasn't mentioned when Cook delivered a keynote speech on the opening day of the gathering Sunday." Of course keep in mind that the Washington Post is owned by Amazon who isn't doing well in China. The chart below shows that in 2016 Amazon had 1% of online sales in China. Hence the easy criticism of Apple's CEO for keeping Apple viable in China. Bloomberg wrote a stinging report against Apple on Sunday titled "Cook Kisses the Ring." The report noted that "Tim Cook is desperate to hold onto any remaining scraps of the China market. That's a boon for the country's model for the internet, and the local players who dominate." In the end, these are just some of what the critics are saying about Apple's keynote and endorsement of China's internet "vision." If the U.S. held China's vision of the internet, most would think of it as a nightmare. Yet the changeover from pure communism to capitalism isn't an easy one and China's form of capitalism will never look like our version of it in my lifetime. Staying engaged with China will lead to more change. What's the alternative? As Alibaba's Jack Ma put it: When trade stops, peace stops." Blunt and to the point. Sitting on the sidelines and criticizing isn't always the solution and this is why Apple's CEO has decided to stay engaged. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Lavrov Says 'Key Issues' Regarding Caspian Sea Legal Status Solved 12/06/17 Source: RFE/RL Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the five Caspian states have agreed on "all the outstanding key issues" regarding the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Lavrov made the announcement in Moscow on December 5 after meeting with his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Foreign Ministers of Caspian Sea countries at the Moscow meeting (photos by Ahmad Moeinijam, Islamic Republic News Agency) Russia's top diplomat said the draft text of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was "practically ready" to be signed by the presidents of the Caspian states at their summit in Kazakhstan next year. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that there is "a need for maximum efforts to reach a consensus" on all remaining issues before the summit. The foreign ministers did not say what the remaining sticking points were. The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world, with huge hydrocarbon resources. Its legal regime has been under discussion since 1991, when Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Caspian Sea Countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Turkmenistan If the Caspian is legally declared a sea, all five littoral countries would map out their territorial waters and exploit the resources as they see fit. If it is designated as a lake, all the resources of the Caspian, and profits from those resources, would be split equally among the five countries. Based on reporting by apa.az, Interfax, and TASS The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has awarded a total of 21 foreign-owned firms and two expatriate business personalities operating in the country for their immense contributions towards the economic development of Ghana. The awards were presented to the businesses by the President, ministers, former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, on Monday in Accra during the maiden edition of the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) 2017 held at the Movempick Ambassador Hotel. GEBA is an award scheme instituted by the Government of Ghana under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry to acknowledge the immense contributions of expatriate businesses towards the economic development of Ghana. The award scheme is believed to be the first of its kind on the African continent. It is also aimed at deepening ties between the government of Ghana and foreign investors. The top three winners went to Unilever Ghana Limited, Best Expatriate Business Firm of the Year; Abiola Bawuah, Managing Director of UBA Ghana Limited, Top Woman Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Expatriate of the Year; Saied Fakhry, Chairman of Interplast Group Limited, Top Man CEO Expatriate of the Year. Wienco Ghana Limited emerged as Agriculture and Agri-business Firm of the year; KLM, Aviation Firm of the Year; Coral Paint, Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Firm of the year; B5 Plus Ghana Limited, Metals and Steel Firm of the year; Geodrill, Mining Firm of the year; Nexans KabelMetal, Electricals and Electronics Firm of the year; Unilever, Overall Best Expatriate Firm as well as best personal care and cosmetics firm of the year; De Simone, Building and Construction Firm of the year. The rest are Standard Chartered Bank, which won the expatriate banking and finance award; Zenith Bank, co-winner of the banking and finance award; Nestle Ghana, Food and Beverages Firm of the Year; Interplast, Rubber and Plastics Firm of the year; Maersk, Transport, Road and Shipping Firm of the year; Tigo Ghana, Information, Communication and Technology Firm of the year; PolyGroup, Printing and Stationary and Packaging Firm of the year, Melcom Group, Retail Firm of the year, Movempick Hotel, Tourism and Hospitality Firm of the year; Japan Motors, Automotive firm; Sonan Asogli Plant, Energy and Power Firm of the year; Printex, Garment, textiles and leather firm of the year, Blue Skies, Exports Firm of the year and Aviance Ghana, Best Service Firm of the year. In a keynote address at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo congratulated the awardees for their immense contributions to Ghanas economic development over the last 60 years. According to the President, the government and people of Ghana were appreciative of the immense contributions of the expatriates. He explained that over the last 60 years, the Ghanas economy has faced major challenges which could have compelled foreign businesses in Ghana to migrate to neighbouring countries to do business but they stayed on. He said the government would work hard to make Ghana the most business friendly destination in Africa. President Akufo-Addo gave assurance that government would provide a level-playing field for both expatriate and local businesses, saying government was in the process of setting up a special commission to oversee fair trade practices in Ghana. Chairman of B5 Plus Ghana Limited, one of the awardees, Mukesk Thakwani, told BUSINESS GUIDE in an interview on the sidelines of the ceremony that the awards would go a long way to boost the morale of expatriates doing business in Ghana and encourage them to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video THE IMMENSE contributions of leading steel and iron rods manufacturer, B5 Plus Company Limited, to the socio-economic development of Ghana has been recognized and rewarded by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. B5 Plus Company Limited was adjudged the best foreign-owned Metals and Steel firm in Ghana in the maiden edition of the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) 2017. GEBA is an award scheme instituted by the Government of Ghana under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF) to acknowledge the contributions of expatriates and naturalized expatriates to the country's economic development. B5 Plus Ghana Limited beat Mantrac, Zamil Steel, R. Rauh, Pasico Ghana, Royal Aluminium, Rafi Aluminium, Wire Weaving Limited, and Lion Aluminium, to clinch the coveted award. Chairman of B5 Plus Ghana Limited, Mukesh Thakwani and his entourage made up of senior officials of the company, received the award on behalf of the steel giant at the ceremony held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Accra on Monday, December 4, 2017. Commenting on the award on the sidelines of the event, Mr Thakwani praised the Akufo-Addo government for recognizing and rewarding the contributions of foreign businesses to the development of Ghana. He was optimistic that the awards will go a long way to boost the morale of expatriates in Ghana and inspire them to contribute more to the socio-economic development of the country. Asked what set B5 Plus apart from other steel companies in Ghana, Mr. Thakwani observed that the company has over the years constantly paid attention to quality service delivery through the use of cutting-edge technology and as well as making it a point to help the needy within the communities in which it operates through its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Earlier in a keynote address, President Akufo-Addo commended the 23 awardees including Unilever Ghana Limited, which was adjudged the Best Expatriate Firm, for their contributions to Ghana's development over the last 60 years. He said the government and people of Ghana were highly appreciative of the immense contributions of the expatriates. According to him, over the 60 years, the Ghanaian economy had faced major challenges which could have compelled foreign businesses in Ghana to migrate to neighboring countries to do business but noted that they stayed on believing in the potentials of the country and for that they deserve to be honoured. Attendance In attendance at the ceremony were ex-President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, Minister of Business Development, Mohammed Awal, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Djaba, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yofi Grant, members of the Diplomatic Corps, captains of industry, among others. About B5 Plus B5 Plus Ghana Limited was established about 15 years ago and headquartered in Tema. It was initially importing steel and iron from Cote d' Ivoire and South Africa but has grown to the stage where it now exports to other countries. The multiple award-winning company operates in all the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations. The company's principal product is steel products which come in seven major categories: Mild Steel, High Tensile & Iron Rods, Galvanized Products, Stainless Steel, Marine & Mining, Roofing & Nails and Concrete & Fencing. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A renowned Islamic Cleric wants the family of the late Asempa FMs presenter, Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong (KABA) and the Multimedia group to investigate his death spiritually. Mallam Shamuna Ustarz Jibril believes the ace broadcast journalist did not die a natural death saying its possible he [KABA] was killed. KABA was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he had been rushed to after he suddenly fell sick early Saturday, November 18. He was 37 years old and left behind a wife and seven month old baby. While the unfortunate news of the sudden demise of popular radio presenter has sent shockwaves down the spine of most Ghanaians, the family of the late broadcaster has rubbished any foul play in his death. But the acclaimed Islamic Numerologist and Spiritualist, who predicted the loss of President Mahama by comparing his political life to Nigerias former president, Goodluck Jonathan, noted in an interview with Peacefmonline.com that Kaba knew he wasn't safe. I met KABA but I cant disclose what we discussed to the public. He knew he wasnt safe but somehow refused to heed to my advice, he disclosed. Mallam Shamuna Ustarz Jibril however urged the family to be prayerful and seek spiritual intervention to avert similar occurrence. I therefore advice his family, sympathizers and the Multimedia group to conduct a spiritual investigation of his death. Media personnel must also fortify themselves spiritually (through prayers), he added. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video One more student of the Kumasi Academy died on Tuesday, while two others collapsed, heightening fear and causing panic among the staff, the students and their parents. The death of the female student brings to 11 the number of students who have died under mysterious circumstances since April this year, while the number on admission has increased to 44. The two students collapsed during a visit to the school by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, on Tuesday. Their names were not given by the school authorities. Parents who read about the development online and heard it on radio stormed the school and virtually whisked their children away, while those students who could muster courage packed some few belongings and went home. Read also: CHRAJ clears Asenso-Boakye, Jinapor of corruption allegations A team of medical experts from the Disease Surveillance Department of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has begun full-scale investigations into the mysterious death of the students. Already, blood samples of some of the students who died in mysterious circumstances have been sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to ascertain the cause of death. Officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited the school to distribute Azithromycin, an antibiotic, to contain the situation. In the school yesterday, some agitated and worried parents could be seen asking for the whereabouts of their children, while a large number of them grouped in clusters with their children and some teachers to discuss the disaster. Read also: Seventh student dies in 4 months at KUMACA Collapse The pandemonium reached a high pitch when two students, in a spate of about 10 minutes, collapsed in their dormitories and were rushed out when the Ashanti Regional Minister was having a crunch meeting with some students, teaching and non-teaching staff and some agitated parents on the way forward in the school. Parents again started running helter-skelter to look for their children, while some students took their baggage and headed towards the school gate, where some passenger vehicles were waiting to take them home. Other students were seen weeping uncontrollably, with many more praying fervently for the Almighty God to intervene. Meningitis Addressing the students, parents and staff after calm had been restored, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang, said after painstaking tests, it became clear that the deceased tested negative for the viral haemorrhagic fever and that meant that there was no case of meningitis. He said from the pathologists reports, it was suspected the death could have been caused by a bacterial infection. He said the health authorities suspected that the deaths could have been caused by atypical bacterial, hence the use of the broad spectrum antibiotic called Azithromycin. He said the drug, which would be taken for three days by all the staff and students on the school compound, would most likely cut the infection, adding that after that we will embark on an intensive scanning of the entire school environment to determine if any infection is hiding somewhere. Regional Minister Addressing the parents, Mr Osei-Mensah said because the health experts could not pinpoint the exact cause of the recent deaths, it would not be advisable to allow the students to go home. He said allowing the students to go home without taking the full dosage of the drugs could lead to the spread of the infection in various homes, a situation that could lead to a national disaster, with national security and health threats. He assured the parents that after the students and their teachers had completed the dosage and been monitored by the health specialists currently based in the school, a decision would be taken on whether or not the students should go home. Mr Osei-Mensah said the school authorities and the government would take a decision on those students who had left for home because it would not be advisable for them to rejoin those who had taken the medication. Parents Some parents pleaded with the regional minister to allow them to take their children home. Others also pleaded to be given the opportunity to commence all-night prayers and fasting to bring a closure to the inexplicable deaths which they believed were spiritually induced. Some day students the Daily Graphic spoke to said they would not enter the school until they heard there were no more deaths. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video HIV and AIDS have become the leading cause of death in Africa, with a total of 15,116 Ghanaians killed by the disease in 2016, while 20,418 new infections were recorded, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has said. Of the new HIV infections, 17,375 representing 85 percent were made up of adults above 15 years and 3,043 consisting of children under 14. In the same year, Ghana had an HIV prevalence rate of 1.62 percent, however, the prevalence rate among pregnant women was 2.4 percent. This was made known by William Kwaku Yeboah, Central Regional Technical Coordinator of GAC, during an HIV and AIDS awareness walk organised by Central Regional Ghana Red Cross Society to commemorate this years World AIDS Day on Saturday. The celebration was on the global theme: the right to health and a national theme: the right to health: know your status, seek early treatment. The three hour walk, which brought together more than 500 schoolchildren, volunteers and staff of the Red Cross Society and the GAC, was to help raise awareness to combat HIV and AIDS in the region. The participants displayed placards with the inscription: protect your dream, protect yourself and your partner, it is your HIV status, seek early treatment, let us join hands to end AIDS by 2030, youth, sex abstinence is the best, say no to stigma and discrimination, among others. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Yeboah disclosed that a total of 2,339 new HIV infections were recorded in the Central Region in the year under review. He was concerned that despite the high level of awareness on the disease among Ghanaians, personal risk perception was still low. Mr Yeboah added that majority of the youth did not perceive themselves of being at risk and continued to engage in negative activities that put them at risk. He admonished all HIV and AIDS working partners to maximise their efforts to facilitate faster positive behavioural change to reduce the rate of its infection and to ultimately reduce it to the barest minimum by 2030. Mr Yeboah said HIV and AIDS remained an important obstacle to the socio-economic progress of the country and all must contribute towards achieving the long term goal to end AIDS by 2030. John Aidoo, the Central Regional Manager of the Ghana Red Cross Society, stated that there was the need for Ghana to completely wipe out discrimination and stigmatisation of persons living with HIV because it is preventing people from getting tested or disclosing their status to relatives and partners. He explained that the AIDS walk was to remind Ghanaians that the disease is still prevalent, and stressed the need to have an attitudinal change towards indulging in things that are likely to get people infected with the virus. He said the Red Cross would continue to educate communities on the disease and encouraged Ghanaians to be bold to test to know their status. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 51-year-old farmer at Tanokwaem in the Offinso North District was adjudged the overall district best farmer at the 33rd National Farmers Day Celebration in the district at Afrancho. The winner, Mr Jean Kwame Appiah, is the Offinso North Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He received motor-king, a spraying machine, eight bags of fertilisers, twenty machetes, Cassette Radio, two pieces of wax print and certificate of recognition. He grows plantain, cassava, pepper, tomatoes, maize, groundnuts, rice, cashew and yam. He also rears pigs, goats, sheep, fowls and guinea fowls. Twenty-three other farmers also received awards for their interest in agriculture that has made significant impact in their lives and others in the district. The Best Farmer, Mr Appiah, advised politicians to desist from politicising agriculture and encourage the youth to go into farming to increase food and cash crop production. Addressing the gathering, the District Chief Executive, Mr David Asare, noted that the assembly recognised the significant contributions of the farmers in the area and would continue to provide the needed impetus to enable farmers to increase their production capacity. Cashew production He announced that the district had selected cashew production as the sustainable crop for the planting for jobs and investment policy. In pursuant of that Mr Asare said the assembly would from next year supply free seedlings to at least 1,500 farmers on an average of three hectares per farmer to Afrancho and Mankranso zone, Akomadan and Sraneso No.1, Nkekaasu and Seseko zone. The rest are Darso and Nkwakwaa zone, Nsenoa zone as well as Nyamebekyere No. 1. Bobra, Konkon and Dwendabi. Mr Asare said 1,441 farmers in the district benefitted from the planting for food and jobs programme and advised those beneficiary farmers to redeem their indebtedness for the inputs supplied them for the expansion of the programme. The District Agriculture Director, Mr Anthony Amoako, earlier in his welcome address, assured the farmers of extension officers preparedness to provide them with the necessary technical know-how to increase food production. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Audio Attachment: Listen to Allotey Jacobs on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' Bernard Allotey Jacobs has issued a caustic warning to Alfred Agbesi Woyome to stop sending him menacing messages in an attempt to intimidate him for commenting on his judgement debt scandal. The Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress on Wednesday poured out his anger during a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo after hinting that Woyome and some beneficiaries of his scandalous judgment debt have been threatening him. This was after he (Allotey Jacobs) asked the business mogul to pay back his debt to the State, he disclosed. Allotey Jacobs, on Friday November 29, 2017, sent a clear message to Woyome to stop wasting everyone's time and refund his judgement debt as the Supreme Court has ordered. He added that it is very glaring that Mr. Woyome's resort to the African Court on Human and People's Rights in Tanzania is only a delay tactic by him to stall the enforcement of the court's ruling after he (Woyome) has fraudulently squandered GHC 51.2 million as judgement debt. "If he has squandered the monies, he must pay up as simple as ABCD. He should also mention names if he disbursed some to other people, Chairman Allotey said last week on Kokrokoo. But it appears Allotey's submissions didn't go down well with Mr. Woyome and some of his cohorts. He revealed thst some NDC functionaries who deem Woyome as a party financier have been attacking him with threatening messages. He therefore exposed their sheer sycophancy on Wednesday edition of Kokrokoo on Peace FM saying the Woyome issue was even an albatross around the neck of the late President John Evans Atta Mills. According to him, even the late President, Prof John Evans Atta Mills was unhappy with the judgement debt scandal and so supported justice to be served on the Woyome case. Even some NDC executives from Volta Region could call as if the Woyome issue is a Volta Region vrs Central Region. How can we behave like this? Look, there is integrity in politics. People should understand. I dont understand this that because the Woyome issue occurred during NDC time; so NDC should go to his defence?" he quizzed. Allotey further told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the NDC doesn't harbour criminals, charging Alfred Agbesi Woyome to tread cautiously. NDC is not a criminal partyYou know youre belonging to a party that will not harbour criminals...i will tell Woyome to be very careful. You dont threaten meEither him or his goons, they should know. So far as God lives, that God is my shield... I dont fear any human being. I will fear only God and Christbut he should be very careful. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Former White House political strategist Stephen Bannon rallied for Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore by picking another fight with a figure from the so-called "Republican establishment" - 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. "Judge Roy Moore has more honor and integrity in that pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA," Bannon said in his 30-minute speech at Oak Hollow Farm. "You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies in Vietnam. Do not talk to me about honor and integrity," he said, referencing Romney's Mormon faith. Romney, one of many Republicans who called on Moore to quit the race last month, had taken another swing at the candidate after President Donald Trump officially endorsed him. Like all but one of those Republicans - Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., - Romney criticized Moore without urging voters to support his Democratic rival. On Monday, Romney tweeted: 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. Bannon's attacks on Romney lit up the crowded room - an example of just how much the president has brought the Republican base into his own crusades and feuds. In 2012, according to the national exit poll, Romney won 98 percent of Alabama's Republican voters, and 90 percent of self-identified white born-again Christians. But during the 2016 primaries, Trump mocked Romney as a "choker" who had bungled a winnable election, an attack Bannon resurrected on Tuesday night. Bannon, who has urged a number of insurgent candidates to run Moore-like bids for House and Senate next year, has also been trying to block Romney's path to Washington. He has reportedly toyed with the idea of endorsing Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, for reelection, fearful that a Hatch retirement would allow Romney to walk into the Senate in 2018, and become a conservative thorn in Trump's side. (c) 2017, The Washington Post. David Weigel wrote this story. A fire officials are calling accidental resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to a rehab facility in West Manchester Township. York Dispatch reports the fire was reported at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Colonial House, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Officials said the fire started in a janitor's closet on the first floor, and then spread throughout the floor. West Manchester Township Fire Chief Clif Laughman told York Dispatch the fire has been ruled accidental, and that the cause might be from a malfunctioning fan. He estimated between $600,000 and $700,000 in damages to the first floor of the facility, according to the report. Between 35 and 40 residents of the facility were displaced. BY WALLACE McKELVEY | wmckelvey@pennlive.com Don't Edit TONY Ardos life was unraveling last May when he showed up at his mothers Northampton County farm with a firework wrapped around his neck. Jean Monaghan told a grand jury that shed allowed her 47-year-old son to stay with her. She paid him $10 an hour to work the farm as he went to a nearby methadone clinic to wean himself off opioids. But his drug use continued and his behavior was becoming increasingly erratic. The day before Ardo died in a hail of state police gunfire, she filed a protection-from-abuse order against him. When he is high, he gets very violent and abusive, she told the authorities. Im afraid of him. Ardo repeatedly threatened to hurt himself, per a grand jury report, and hed taken to blackmailing his mother for money she believed he planned to use to feed his addiction. The familys private tragedy would soon become a very public one, sparking an intense court battle over a grand jurys review of how trooper-involved shootings are investigated and whether the findings should be made public. Don't Edit Anthony P. Ardo is seen in an undated photo provided by his family. The 47-year-old was fatally shot May 20, 2017, by Pennsylvania State Police. (Provided photo via LehighValleyLive) Don't Edit Just before dawn on May 20, Ardo returned to the house in Lower Mount Bethel Township and picked up some clothes without speaking to his mother. Later that morning, he texted and called Monaghan and other family members with threats to her and himself. When the police called Ardo, he "refused to provide his location and threatened suicide by cutting his throat, shooting antifreeze in [his] veins and blowing his head off by taping a quarter stick around his neck." He was referring to a quarter-stick firework, which resembles a quarter-stick of dynamite but is less powerful. Two troopers, Eddie Pagan and Jay Splain, arrived at the farm that morning. They listened as Monaghan spoke with her son on speakerphone. It was all her fault, Ardo reportedly said. The threats continued, with Ardo telling his mother that hed get a gun and blow his head off. The troopers also reported that he threatened to set off an improvised explosive device, or IED, loaded with nails. Such a blast could kill himself and any bystanders in the immediate vicinity. There were several other workers at the farm that morning, the troopers noted. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit At 10:09 a.m., after some four hours of dire phone calls and text messages, Ardo pulled into his mothers drive. According to the grand jury report, he tried to back up but troopers blocked his exit. Pagan told the grand jury that Ardo smiled and made a maniacal type of laugh. Then he lifted a lighter to a fuse wrapped around his neck. Moments later, after two bursts of gunfire, Ardo was dead. An EMS technician dispatched to the scene couldnt detect a pulse. He removed the firework attached just below Ardos shirt collar and the unlit fuse and began CPR. Eleven rounds were fired into Ardos car. The county coroner reported that six found their target. Ardos death is yet another story of Americas opioid epidemic. But the aftermath of his suicidal confrontation with police raises important questions about how authorities respond to officer-involved shootings. Don't Edit A 1978 dedication ceremony for the Pennsylvania State Police headquarters in Harrisburg. The agency has a longstanding policy of investigating shootings involving troopers via its Major Case Team. (Norman Arnold, Allied Pix for The Patriot-News) Don't Edit THE Pennsylvania State Police has a longstanding policy of investigating shootings involving troopers via its Major Case Team. In recent years, however, an increasing number of county district attorneys asserted their authority to take the lead in such cases. Last year, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association issued guidelines advising just that. That policy isnt a requirement, more an outline of best practices, but it set the stage for a showdown in Northampton County. Within an hour of Ardos death, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli was on the phone with State Police Lt. Joseph Sokolofski. The pair initially agreed to let the DAs office lead the investigation. An hour after that first contact, however, Sokolofski had a different message: the Pennsylvania State Police would not yield. The exchange, Morganelli said, forced him to make a tough decision on the fly. Could I have sent my guys up there and had a fight at the crime scene? He said, six months later. I guess I could have but I didnt feel it was in anyones best interest when theres a deceased person there with family members at the scene. Don't Edit Don't Edit Crime scenes are already chaotic places that draw a variety of onlookers, each with their own priorities and tasks to perform. In this case, there were the original troopers, the officers who respond after the fact, the EMTs working to save a life, the DAs office officials, the county coroner, other witnesses and family members who arrived after hearing about the shooting second-hand. As with any officer-involved shooting, there would also be scrutiny from the media and the larger community. Rather than cause disorder, Morganelli said, I decided it would be best for us to pick up the pieces. State Police spokesman Ryan Tarkowski declined to comment on the specifics of the Ardo investigation but said the agency is confident in the protocols it has in place to ensure each trooper-involved shooting is investigated thoroughly and transparently. According to state police data, its members caused 23 shooting deaths between 2012 and 2016, all of which were found to be justified. Over the same period, eight were disciplined for inappropriate use of force and three were disciplined for inappropriate shootings that did not result in any injuries. Morganelli, an outspoken prosecutor who ran in last years Democratic primary to become attorney general, announced two days later that his office would conduct a separate investigation. Over the summer, he brought the case to a grand jury to determine if the troopers were justified in using lethal force. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Monaghan, who was on the phone with her son when he died, told LehighValleyLive that she thought the officers "rushed too quickly" and that she had a problem with troopers "having a license to kill." She didn't respond to a request for comment by PennLive. The grand jury, which saw dash cam footage of the incident and heard testimony from witnesses, voted unanimously that the troopers were justified. But thats not all. The panel also wanted to weigh in on how the state police conducted the investigation and its policies for responding to officer-involved shootings. Don't Edit Don't Edit THERE'S precedent for grand juries casting their gaze farther afield than a single incident. In the past, grand juries offered recommendations about prison overcrowding, school funding and, most poignantly, the opioid crisis. During the Kathleen Kane investigation, there was talk of the grand jury scrutinizing the media's involvement but a report never materialized. But word of the Northampton grand jurys intention to scrutinize the state police sent shock waves through law enforcement. It's not clear precisely what the grand jury has to say on the matter. Morganelli said his office will draft the report but the grand jury itself has the final authority to determine whats in it. Well draft it, give it to them and they mark it up, cross things out, add things, he said. Then we take it back, redo it, print it out, bring it back to them. We go through the process until theyre satisfied that whatevers in the report is what they want to say. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Prosecutors have a great deal of leeway in presenting a case to a grand jury. Jurors, however, can bring forth their own questions or ask to hear from certain witnesses. Ultimately, their final report must be approved by most of the jurors. Another reason the content of the second report is still a wild card: the grand jurys actual deliberations remain secret until the report is released. In Pennsylvania, witnesses can speak about their involvement in grand jury investigations, unless otherwise directed by a judge, but other participants are generally bound to secrecy. The Northampton grand jurys second report became public when it issued its first somewhat ominously titled Part One. Afterward, State Police Commissioner Tyree Blocker filed a public motion asking the supervising judge to discharge the grand jury or, failing that, to deny the second report on the state polices handling of the investigation. Tarkowski told PennLive that Blocker and other agency leaders would not be available to answer questions. In its court filings, the state police argued that the grand jury didnt have the authority to issue a second report and that the agencys policies for trooper-involved shootings cannot be based merely on the existence of another organizations [i.e. the DA associations] policy preferences or upon an unfounded perceived bias. Don't Edit State Police Commissioner Colonel Tyree C. Blocker swearing in cadets in 2016. (Daniel Zampogna file photo) Don't Edit Morganelli responded by asking the court to make the hearing public, a move opposed by the state police. The Associated Press, The Morning Call and PA Media Group, PennLive's parent company, filed a joint motion to make the proceedings public. As a public police agency, they should be as open and transparent as possible without undermining the investigative process, said Craig Staudenmaier, the attorney who authored the media filing and has handled many of PennLives Right-to-Know Law battles. Judge Stephen Baratta ultimately sided with Morganelli and the media, issuing a harsh rebuke of the state police for trying to silence the citizens who are on that grand jury. Youre afraid theyre going to make recommendations that youre not going to like, the judge said. Staudenmaier said the judges subsequent opinion means that the grand jury will file its second report. If the court finds that the report is supported by evidence presented to the jurors, it will release those findings publicly. Morganelli said the report will probably come later this month or early next year. Don't Edit Don't Edit THE death of Tony Ardo is the first major case to draw attention to a rift between the state police and district attorneys over how trooper-involved shootings should be investigated. It's unlikely to be the last. District attorneys have final jurisdiction, and an increasing number of them are taking charge of officer-involved shootings, but the state police dont appear to be willing to back down. If for some reason, a trooper shoots and kills someone tomorrow, theres going to be a dispute about whos doing what, Morganelli said. Tarkowski said DAs offices take an active role in the Major Case Teams investigations and are able to assign county detectives and members of other law enforcement agencies to the investigation and . . . makes the final prosecutorial determination. He repeatedly said the agency is confident in its ability to investigate its own troopers. Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan was one of the key architects of the association's policy calling for independent investigations of officer-involved shootings. His office enacted a similar policy four years ago. Since then, his investigators scrutinized such shootings involving local agencies but haven't yet had to investigate one involving a trooper. Don't Edit Don't Edit The scene of the Ardo shooting off Good Road in Lower Mount Bethel Township on May 20, 2017. (Steve Novak via LehighValleyLive) Don't Edit District attorneys must make their own decisions about what to do when confronted with a trooper-involved shooting, Hogan said, but he knows what hed do. The Pennsylvania State Police, as a matter of law, cannot pull rank on me, he said. Well simply move them out of the way and we would do it. Of course, theres a question of resources at play, since district attorneys who hew to the policy of independent investigations would have to duplicate the effort being expended by the state police within their offices. There are counties that dont have county detectives or big police departments, Hogan said. What weve offered is to have other counties who do have the resources to come in and do it for them. Hogan said the advantage of independent investigations is twofold: First, the public is not going to trust the conclusions of an agency investigating itself. Second, every law enforcement agency has a lot of internal politics that could potentially taint an investigation. Somebody got promoted over somebody, somebody had a personal falling out or got in a fistfight 20 years ago, he said. Somebody stole somebodys girlfriend 20 years ago. Whatever it is, that will rear its ugly head. Don't Edit Don't Edit And, at least from Hogans perspective, the state polices policy of bringing troopers from outside the troop involved in the incident isnt enough. They are still troopers. They may have attended the academy together and, if not, they have areas of common interest and many opportunities to build relationships outside the academy. When the policy was instituted at the county level, Hogan said he received some pushback from local agencies. But he had a simple response: Im the chief law enforcement officer and this is the way its going to happen. Hogan said no district attorney wants to take these kinds of investigations. They're difficult and unpopular with everyone. Unless the Legislature follows New York's example and gives such cases to the attorney general, he said, district attorneys are the best qualified to make the call. The Legislature, for its part, hasnt had much appetite for criminal justice reform in recent years. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Joe Grace, a spokesman for Attorney General Josh Shapiro, declined to comment on the Northampton case, the state police conflict or to offer a position on whether Shapiro would want to take over officer-involved shooting investigations. Instead, he cited state law. State law vests that responsibility in Pennsylvanias 67 district attorneys, Grace said, in a written statement. When a conflict arises, the law also allows district attorneys to refer cases to the Attorney Generals Office. J.J. Abbott, a spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf, said the administration supports the ongoing discussions between district attorneys and the state police. Its not clear whether Wolf supports changing state police policy, for example, or if he or his staff has tried to intervene. It would be extremely helpful if the governor would step up and say this is law enforcement reform and he supports it, Hogan said. It would help if the attorney general would as well. Don't Edit The Associated Press contributed to this report. Don't Edit Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook and YouTube. Don't Edit Read more from Wallace McKelvey Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Read more about criminal justice Don't Edit Don't Edit What happened inside that Super 8 hotel room on the morning of March 21 would shock an entire community, already brought low by decades of economic decline and, most recently, the ravages of the opioid epidemic. Continue reading. Police in Lancaster County are searching for a registered sex offender from Harrisburg who they say had inappropriate sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl earlier this year. On Tuesday, an arrest warrant was issued for Justin Michael Mayfield, 36, formerly of the 2300 block of North 5th Street, according to the East Earl Township Police Department. Township police said Mayfield befriended the victim after he began attending her church in June. According to the Pa. Megan's Law Website, Mayfield has been registered since 2014 following a convention on charges of aggravated indecent assault. State police say he has not updated his registration information since July and is currently listed as non-complaint. Township police said Mayfield may have fled to California in an attempt to avoid prosecution on the most recent charges. Anyone with information about Mayfield is asked to contact police at 717-355-5302 or submit a tip here. Police in Lebanon are looking for a man accused in a domestic violence case. They said Wednesday that Elmer Medina-Irizarry, 21, choked a 26-year-old woman and threw her to the floor at a home in the 1400 block of Lafayette Street just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. He also picked up a couch while the woman and their infant were on it, posing a danger to the child, who was in a car seat, investigators said. Medina-Irizarry, who fled before officers arrived, is wanted on charges of simple assault, strangulation and reckless endangerment, police said. Tom Ridge has been discharged from Seton Medical Center Austin, the Texas hospital where he has been recovering since suffering a heart attack on November 16. Ridge, 72, was transferred Tuesday to a nearby rehabilitation facility where he will focus on regaining his strength, a spokesman said. "I am making great progress, feeling much better and am looking forward to the rehab which will be an important part of my recovery," Ridge said in a statement. "I so admire and respect my new Texas friends, but I'm ready to head back north. And they are probably ready to get rid of me!," Ridge's statement continued. "The many medical professionals at Ascension's Seton Healthcare Family, who looked after me with such care and compassion, will never truly know what they have meant to me and my family. We will be forever grateful." Ridge, who served as governor from 1995 through October 2001, when he joined then President George W. Bush's administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, was stricken in his Austin hotel room while attending a fall meeting of the Republican Governors Association. Spokesman Steve Aaron could not say Tuesday how long Ridge is expected to be in the rehabilitation facility. Authorities have released the identity of a woman killed in a house fire in southern Franklin County on Tuesday. Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey R. Conner identified the woman as Louise F. Auvil, 77, of Waynesboro. Conner said Auvil died at 5:58 a.m. at Waynesboro Hospital due to complications of smoke inhalation. The fire was reported at about 5 a.m. Tuesday along the 1100 block of Airport Road in Washington Township. 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 Bethany Edwards (left) and Anna Simpson demonstrate how the Lia pregnancy test is biodegradable by breaking up in water at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin Tuesday. Lia Diagnostics were the overall winner of the competition. Read more What a week for Lia Diagnostics, the Philly-based start-up behind the first flushable, biodegradable home pregnancy test. On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration blessed the Lia test with 510(k) class 2 clearance, approving it for over-the-counter sales. Just hours later, lead developers won first place at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin, beating out 15 other companies in a Startup Battlefield pitch competition and claiming a check for 42,000 euros close to $50,000. Also on Tuesday, Lia launched a "giving back" campaign a fund- and publicity-raising program encouraging supporters to donate Lia tests (at $10 a piece) to women's health organizations including Planned Parenthood, Washington, DC.'s Whitman-Walker Health community health center, Quebec-based SOS Grossesse, and Philadelphia-founded PreserveFertility.org. This twofold pitch for early sales is geared to "help us support reproductive health" and "allow us to invest in manufacturing, further reducing the cost and allowing us to get Lia in the hands of women everywhere, including you," touted company postings at meetlia.com. Lia was spawned in 2015 by Bethany Edwards and Anna Simpson as grad students in the University of Pennsylvania's cross-disciplinary (engineering and applied science, business, design) Integrated Product Design program, with their cause boosted by early seed funding from Dreamit Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. It now has eight employees and expects sales to begin in earnest by mid-2018. With good reason, Edwards hailed the FDA clearance Tuesday as "a milestone, achieved in less than two years from concept to efficacious product." And with 30 patents secured. Designed to be far more discreet and eco-friendly than the average at-home pregnancy test, the paper-based Lia is ultra thin and lightweight, dispersing in water and biodegrading in soil. Yet it offers the same test for hCG the presence of pregnancy-marking Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in urine with the same success level as current market competitors. "So the standard is over 99 percent accurate," said Anna Simpson during a TechCrunch Berlin Q&A session. "To date in our testing we've had 100 percent sensitivity and 100 percent specificity. So there's no false positives, no false negatives, in the lab and in our user studies." Edwards then cautioned that "the FDA does not allow you to state that, because it's possible, you could eventually get one" a false positive. Plastic-packaged home tests "add two million pounds of plastic every year to landfills," she said. The discreet use and disposing of a paper-based, flushable wipe test has proven a "really big factor" with product beta testers, Edwards added, with "92 percent telling us they would purchase it again, and 79 percent saying they would purchase it over others. . . . For woman who are testing frequently, who're trying to get pregnant, they have trouble hiding the pile-up of tests in the trash. There's a stigma for women who are struggling with getting pregnant," which becomes even more of an issue "when [tests are] used at work." The global market for at-home pregnancy and ovulation tests is currently "over $900 million and expected to exceed $1 billion by 2020," said Edwards. "There are three big legacy devices, three main players in the U.S. in terms of brands" First Response, ClearBlue, and Ept "plus a large number of generic tests, made in China." Lia's game plan is to first offer the test for purchase online, then use its success there "for leverage when going into national distribution, with retail in the mix for a second-year strategy and Series A" (first round) "funding to get it to commercialization." Also on the agenda "using Lia as a brand to leverage other diagnostic tests," including for ovulation and urinary tract infections. Like the Meek Mill probation drama, the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign has shed bright light on all that is wrong with the American criminal justice system. For some, the flaws are illustrated by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's unfathomable decision, reported this week, to ghostwrite an op-ed with Russians while out on bail in connection with money-laundering and foreign lobbying charges stemming from the Russian collusion investigation. For others, the flaws are best seen in Common Pleas Court Judge Genece Brinkley's decision to deny bail to Philadelphia-based rapper Meek Mill after she sentenced Mill to two to four years in prison for probation violations, citing her belief that Mill represents a danger to himself and others. For me, both men's cases tell us that American criminal justice, whether at the state or federal level, treats offenders differently based on race and class. Let's start with Mill, whose entry into the criminal justice system was a petty gun and drug charge in 2008. While the arrests that led to his latest imprisonment were for a fight at the St. Louis airport, and popping wheelies on a motorbike in New York, Mill also failed drug tests and ignored travel restrictions. In my view, that means Mill made his bed and must now lie in it. Unlike Mill, Manafort has not been convicted of a crime. But when I look at the men's transgressions side by side, I'm thoroughly convinced that Manafort, not Mill, is the dangerous one. It's Manafort, after all, who worked for dictators around the world before chairing a campaign that allegedly partnered with Russia to deliver Trump the presidency. Yet Manafort is under house arrest, and not in prison as Mill is. That's not the worst part. While on house arrest, Manafort was able to use four properties worth $11 million to secure a federal bail agreement that could have freed him from house arrest. Then, while he was awaiting court approval of that agreement, Manafort was arrogant enough to ghostwrite an op-ed with someone connected to Russian intelligence. I can't blame Manafort for believing he could get away with something as bizarre as that. In a criminal justice system in which the danger one poses is largely determined by race and class, Manafort is at the top of the food chain and Mill is at the bottom. If that were not the case, a man with penny-ante probation violations would be free on bail, and a man accused of laundering money he earned through years of working with bloodthirsty foreign despots would be awaiting trial in prison. But Mill is a black man from a poverty-stricken background whose road to celebrity took him from the streets of North Philly to the heights of hip-hop. Manafort is a white man whose wealth was garnered from his grandfather's construction company, his father's political connections, and his own work for dangerous foreign governments and dictators. Their backgrounds make the two men fundamentally different, and they cause America to view them through two distinct lenses. Mill is viewed as inherently dangerous, not because of what he's done, but because of who he is. It's the same reason a police officer is seen as credible when he claims he had to shoot because an unarmed, 50-year-old black man was running away from him. It's the same reason another police officer, surrounded by several colleagues, can claim she feared for her life when an unarmed black man stood next to an SUV with his hands in the air. And no, it doesn't matter that the judge who claimed Mill was dangerous is a black woman. We've all been conditioned to believe that black men are more dangerous than other people. Society reinforces that message at every turn, while working to convince us that men like Manafort pose no threat to the rest of us. Until that message is challenged and changed, black men will continue to receive longer sentences than their white counterparts, even when their crimes and backgrounds are similar. Police officers will still be seen as justified in shooting unarmed black men. Until that message is challenged and changed, men like Meek Mill will continue to get prison for petty probation violations, and men like Manafort will continue to get house arrest while facing charges of international crimes that change the world. Tarana Burke ( center ) originated the Me Too movement a decade ago. The Silence Breakers of the #MeToo movement have been named Times person of the year. Tarana Burke, center, joins participants marching against sexual assault and harassment, Los Angeles, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 Read more The "Silence Breakers" of the #MeToo movement, which onetime Philly activist Tarana Burke started a decade ago, have been named Time magazine's Person of the Year, NBC's Today show announced this morning. Time's so-called Silence Breakers refueled Burke's #MeToo movement, which she first started as a campaign from an organization called Just Be Inc. Burke founded the organization in 2003, as she told Inquirer columnist Elizabeth Wellington earlier this year. The Me Too campaign began in 2007. However, the campaign picked up popularity in October in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Around that time, actress Alyssa Milano asked followers to write "me too" as a reply to a now-viral tweet on Twitter if they had ever been sexually assaulted or harassed. The tweet resulted in a number of women sharing via social media stories of sexual assault and harassment. According to CBS, the #MeToo hashtag generating 1.7 million tweets as of last month. Milano later acknowledged that Burke originated the #MeToo movement, calling its origins "equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring." Burke is a three-time survivor of sexual violence. "I want the women I work with to find the entry point to where their healing is," Burke told the Inquirer in October. "Violence is violence. Trauma is trauma. And we are taught to downplay it, even think about it as child's play." Time also spoke with Burke for the magazine's story on the Silence Breakers, asking her what she thought of the movement going viral a decade after she created it. "Sexual harassment does bring shame," she told the magazine. "And I think it's really powerful that this transfer is happening, that these women are able not just to share their shame, but to put the shame where it belongs: On the perpetrator." Among the women on the cover representing the movement is Taylor Swift, who won a symbolic $1 in a civil court case after a jury found that a DJ had groped her. Actress Ashley Judd, who came forward with allegations about Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein's sexual harassment, is also on the cover. Susan Fowler, Adama Iwu and Isabel Pascual also represent the movement on the cover. "For giving voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable, the Silence Breakers are the 2017 Person of the Year," Time's Editor-in-Chief, Edward Felsenthal, wrote of the decision. Time has chosen a group rather than a person for the title in years past. In 2014 it was the Ebola fighters. NBC's Today show, which recently fired longtime host Matt Lauer (who hosted a show in Philly in the 1980s) following allegations of sexual misconduct, announced Time's pick, with host Savannah Guthrie noting that the choice is "close to home." Other finalists for Time's Person of the Year included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and President Trump. Trump earlier had claimed that he "took a pass" on the honor this year, which Time later denied, saying that the magazine's doesn't comment on its choice until its announcement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jigsaw arrives Friday, the eighth entry in the franchise that began in 2004 with Saw, a movie whose enduring popularity was not foreseen at the time. And yet here we are, 13 Halloweens (and seven movies) later, a display of endurance that suggests something in the movie has burrowed into our subconscious, the way horror movies sometimes do. The Exorcist, for example, was a superb movie, but its biblical demon, beyond the reach of science, also played effectively on the guilt of an increasingly secular audience. Saw is a less refined piece of filmmaking, certainly, but there is also something iconic and resonant about its central, gotcha image and premise: Two random strangers awake in a dungeon and slowly come to realize that one will have to kill the other in order to survive. One critic called it "not realistic," but, looking back, I'm not so sure. Around the time Saw was released, a friend called me and said, "Have you noticed how much this new millennium stinks?" He had a point. We started off with 9/11, continued with the war in Iraq, and worried about our paychecks though the economy was being inflated by a debt binge that would collapse a few years later, and the discontent that surfaced during the last election was already at work. After decades of flat wages, folks were losing faith in the idea of America as a place of ever-increasing prosperity. Globalism was producing winners and losers instead of a rising tide that lifted all boats. In fact, you might not get a boat. Maybe all you get is a bathtub, like Cary Elwes in Saw, waking up in a pool of fetid water, in leg irons, looking at another guy in the same predicament with hacksaws nearby. Between them is a gun, and it dawns on both of them that the way to survive is by sawing off a leg, grabbing the gun, and killing the other fellow. I once asked Saw screenwriter Leigh Whannell if his scenario might have found a receptive audience among Americans acclimating to a grim, zero-sum, him-or-me economy. He's Australian, and had no idea what I was talking about, but he cheerfully noted Whannell is a hilariously upbeat writer of downbeat movies that in a world of winners and losers, he (and director James Wan) were definitely winners. "I dreamed my whole life about getting to where Saw put me. For me, it was just a very happy time in my life." If I were to interview Whannell today, I'd run a new theory by him that Jigsaw has grown even more creepily relevant over the years. Let's call it Jigsawism: A malicious and manipulative intelligence engaging in creepy psychological gamesmanship, pitting one faction against another is now a grim fact of life. Put it another way: Jigsaw is real, and he's running a troll farm. I couldn't help but think of Jigsaw when I read recent stories of a foreign troll farm magnifying rage on both sides of divisive issues, funding "wholly fabricated" social media accounts, such as Blacktivist, United Muslims of America, Secured Borders, and LGBT United. These sites showed their largely white audiences videos of a black woman firing a rifle. Or, in one case, actually hiring an MMA fighter to provide self-defense training under the banner of a fake group called Black Fist. Attention has focused on election results, but what these trolls really want to do is divide Americans, to set us against each other, to destroy our faith in our institutions. And Jigsawism, it should be noted, has plenty of domestic advocates. When post-election stories blamed Russian intelligence services for social media campaigns designed to affect election outcomes, one angry American troll living in Utah and calling himself MicroChip angrily denounced the reports, and said that it was he, and not some Russian hacker, who built the most effective online rage forums, malgorithms, and B.S. bots on Twitter. Did he regret spreading false information? "I can make whatever claims I want to make," he said. "That's how this game works." Jigsaw, who liked to frame his sadistic enterprise as a game, couldn't have said it better. Facebook has recently promised to do a better job policing MicroChip and other trolls, foreign or domestic, but it's easy to doubt the company's sincerity. Facebook, after all, designed and conducted very Jigsaw-like experiments on users, magnifying negative News Feed content to measure the effects, and finding "the first experimental evidence for massive-scale emotional contagion via social networks." Massive-scale emotional contagion you may have noticed it. A protest about policing becomes a vitriolic back-and-forth about flags and anthems and patriotism. Green Berets are killed in Niger, but any discussion of U.S. deployments in Africa is supplanted by ping-ponging partisan "debate" about who conducted the most inaccurate news conference. As somebody said: That's how the game works. Or, as Jigsaw himself said as he walked triumphantly away from a self-annihilating cast, "Game over." Just months after Congress failed to repeal Obamacare, local advocates are now scrambling to decipher what the GOP tax overhaul plans could mean for the health care of seniors, children and the disabled. The verdict of the (overwhelmingly Democratic) advocates is grim. The Senate tax bill, which dumps the penalty for those who don't buy health insurance, will swell the ranks of the uninsured. So much so that more than 1,000 Pennsylvania residents a year could die unnecessarily, they declared Tuesday. Nearly 387,000 tax filers in New Jersey could be in dire straits under the House version, which eliminates the itemized deduction for medical expenses. "The impact of these cuts would be incredible on older Pennsylvanians," Ray Landis, advocacy manager for the state AARP, said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. While most Americans do not itemize deductions on their tax returns, people with higher medical expenses, such as seniors, are more likely to do so. An AARP analysis of IRS data found that 311,000 Pennsylvania households deducted an average of $11,000 in 2014. (In New Jersey, 387,000 households deducted an average $8,800.) The analysis did not examine the impact of a GOP plan to change deductions for state and local taxes, which disproportionately affects high-tax states like New Jersey. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week projected that elimination of the mandate that most people carry health insurance would lead to an additional 13 million uninsured by 2025, and would drive premiums up another 10 percent in 2019 in the exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Most people who buy insurance on the exchange are eligible for subsidies that increase with premium price. But perhaps 20 percent and everyone who purchases individual coverage off the exchange would pay more. Marc Stier, director of the Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center, another group on the conference call, pointed to state-by-state impacts of the Senate bill from the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning policy institute. It says that 505,000 more Pennsylvanians would be uninsured in 2025 and average annual premiums for an unsubsidized family of four would rise $2,300 in 2019, not counting other market trends. (Uninsured New Jersey residents would increase by 325,000, with annual premiums up $1,650.) The biggest worry for health care advocates, however, is what could be coming in later years, especially for Medicaid, the government program for the poorest Americans, including seniors in long-term care. The CBO estimated last week that the Senate bill would add nearly $1.5 trillion to the deficit by 2027, and Republicans have made no secret of their desire to reduce that by cutting entitlement programs. They came close to a historic reduction in Medicaid over the summer in one of several ill-fated versions of Obamacare repeal. "We're really concerned about what the Senate bill will [mean] when it comes to health care," Maura Collinsgru, health care policy director at New Jersey Citizen Action, said in an interview. The ACA's Medicaid expansion has vastly increased the availability of treatment for opioid addiction, and the presidential task force that was headed by Gov. Christie said much more is needed. Medicaid also provides health insurance to poor people whose myriad medical problems make them more vulnerable to addiction. In Pennsylvania alone, 124,000 people have received treatment for a substance use disorder since Medicaid was expanded in 2015, said Shelby Kehoe, a youth advocate at Mental Health Partnerships, formerly the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Cutting Medicaid also would harm seniors. New Jersey spends a higher proportion of its Medicaid dollars on the elderly mainly paying nursing home fees for residents who spent all their savings on medical care than all but two other states. Pennsylvania, by contrast, is No. 2 among the states for the proportion of Medicaid that it spends on people with disabilities. Yet thousands of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities are unable to get coverage, an Inquirer series this week has shown. Neither state could make up for much lost federal funding, so needy groups the disabled, elderly, children would compete for whatever is available. "Eventually, states are going to have to figure out how to cut Medicaid when there is less money," said Antoinette Kraus, director of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. A previous version of this story included enrollment numbers released by the Trump administration on Dec. 6 and how they compared with a similar point during the open enrollment season last year. However, last year's numbers included people who had been automatically re-enrolled; this year's did not. If you speak to someone who has suffered from insomnia at all as an adult, chances are good that person has either tried using marijuana, or cannabis, for sleep or has thought about it. This is reflected in the many variations of cannabinoid or cannabis-based medicines available to improve sleep like Nabilone, Dronabinol and Marinol. It's also a common reason why many cannabis users seek medical marijuana cards. I am a sleep psychologist who has treated hundreds of patients with insomnia, and it seems to me the success of cannabis as a sleep aid is highly individual. What makes cannabis effective for one person's sleep and not another's? While there are still many questions to be answered, existing research suggests that the effects of cannabis on sleep may depend on many factors, including individual differences, cannabis concentrations and frequency of use. Cannabis and sleep Access to cannabis is increasing. As of last November, 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia had legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes. Research on the effects of cannabis on sleep in humans has largely been compiled of somewhat inconsistent studies conducted in the 1970s. Researchers seeking to learn how cannabis affects the sleeping brain have studied volunteers in the sleep laboratory and measured sleep stages and sleep continuity. Some studies showed that users' ability to fall and stay asleep improved. A small number of subjects also had a slight increase in slow wave sleep, the deepest stage of sleep. However, once nightly cannabis use stops, sleep clearly worsens across the withdrawal period. Over the past decade, research has focused more on the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Individuals with insomnia tend to use medical cannabis for sleep at a high rate. Up to 65 percent of former cannabis users identified poor sleep as a reason for relapsing. Use for sleep is particularly common in individuals with PTSD and pain. This research suggests that, while motivation to use cannabis for sleep is high, and might initially be beneficial to sleep, these improvements might wane with chronic use over time. Does frequency matter? We were interested in how sleep quality differs between daily cannabis users, occasional users who smoked at least once in the last month and people who don't smoke at all. We asked 98 mostly young and healthy male volunteers to answer surveys, keep daily sleep diaries and wear accelerometers for one week. Accelerometers, or actigraphs, measure activity patterns across multiple days. Throughout the study, subjects used cannabis as they typically would. Our results show that the frequency of use seems to be an important factor as it relates to the effects on sleep. Thirty-nine percent of daily users complained of clinically significant insomnia. Meanwhile, only 10 percent of occasional users had insomnia complaints. There were no differences in sleep complaints between nonusers and nondaily users. Interestingly, when controlling for the presence of anxiety and depression, the differences disappeared. This suggests that cannabis's effect on sleep may differ depending on whether you have depression or anxiety. In order words, if you have depression, cannabis may help you sleep but if you don't, cannabis may hurt. Future directions Cannabis is still a schedule I substance, meaning that the government does not consider cannabis to be medically therapeutic due to lack of research to support its benefits. This creates a barrier to research, as only one university in the country, University of Mississippi, is permitted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse to grow marijuana for research. New areas for exploration in the field of cannabis research might examine how various cannabis subspecies influence sleep and how this may differ between individuals. One research group has been exploring cannabis types or cannabinoid concentrations that are preferable depending on one's sleep disturbance. For example, one strain might relieve insomnia, while another can affect nightmares. Other studies suggest that medical cannabis users with insomnia tend to prefer higher concentrations of cannabidiol, a nonintoxicating ingredient in cannabis. This raises an important question. Should the medical community communicate these findings to patients with insomnia who inquire about medical cannabis? Some health professionals may not feel comfortable due to the fluctuating legal status, a lack of confidence in the state of the science or their personal opinions. Deirdre Conroy is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Brooke Dolan II traveled 1,500 miles over Himalayan mountains and steppe by caravan and 1,700 miles by river to explore China and Tibet in a 1930s expedition. He was granted an audience 10 years later with the Dalai Lama on another trip. Some of his expeditions were funded by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Now, as part of that legacy, his Philadelphia-area relatives will donate $3 million to the institution, since renamed the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, to fund research into the Delaware River watershed, which provides drinking water to 15 million people. The Academy announced this week that the Dolan family will start by contributing $50,000 per year, an amount the Academy will match through 2027. At that point, the family will fund the final $2.5 million of the endowment, to be known as the Dolan Fund for Innovative Water Research. The fund is designed to "encourage innovative research on water ecology" and pay for a postdoctoral fellowship. The Delaware River runs through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The watershed is a network of waterways, including the Schuylkill, Cooper, Rancocas, and other rivers and streams that drain into it. David Velinsky, a vice president at the Academy and head of Drexel's Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science, said it's important that scientists study the watershed and educate people about it because it is so vital to the region. Initially, the money will go toward hiring a staffer with a science background who can conduct research and also act as a "communicator." The goal, Velinsky said, is for the new hire to reach out to landowners, farmers, and others whose work and properties affect the watershed. Education topics might include how nutrients pollute waterways, how to restore habitats, and ways to protect land around streams that feed the Delaware. The Dolan family came to prominence in the local scientific community through Brooke Dolan. Said to be independently wealthy, Dolan studied zoology at Princeton and Harvard. He began exploring the world in his early 20s. In 1931, he traveled Sichuan, other parts of China, and Tibet on an expedition he organized for the Academy. He launched a second, similar expedition in 1934 to collect specimens, bringing back 310 mammals, 2,615 birds, and 2,600 mollusks, and made return trips later. His specimens are still displayed in dioramas at the Academy. Dolan died abroad in 1945, but his family's connections to the Academy continued. In the 1950s, his nephew, Thomas Dolan IV, who still lives in Lafayette Hill, worked as an aquatic entomologist for the Academy under Ruth Patrick. The Academy's Patrick Center for Environmental Research is named after her. "When the family gathered together to talk about what we wanted to do for the Academy, we decided that water will be the enduring issue facing our country and the world," said Thomas Dolan. Also contributing to the fund: Brooke Dolan (Brooke Dolan II's grandnephew) of Chester Springs; Thomas Dolan V of Oakland, Calif.; and Sarah Dolan Price and Margaret Chew Dolan, both of Philadelphia. A woman holds up a sign outside the Capitol in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program Tuesday on Capitol Hill in Washington. Read more A statewide pro-immigration coalition stepped into existence on Wednesday morning, announcing itself hours before thousands of protesters prepared to converge on Washington to demand a permanent solution for young people whose DACA protection is ending. Congress has until March to find a solution, after President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects 790,000 undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as children. The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, a nonprofit advocate based in Center City, joined business, literacy, and community organizations to argue that immigrants refugees, asylum-seekers, legal and illegal residents make significant contributions to the state economy. Pennsylvania needs more immigrants, not fewer, they argued, given the state's stagnant population growth and the difficulties some employers encounter in finding workers. In Pennsylvania in 2014, immigrant-led households paid $5 billion in federal taxes and $2.1 billion in state and local taxes, according to the American Immigration Council. The 5,889 DACA recipients in the state contributed an estimated $20.8 million in state and local taxes in 2016. "Immigration affects every sector," said Nicole Pumphrey, director of strategic partnerships for the Welcoming Center, which was founded in 2003 and has served more than 15,000 people from 140 countries. "Ending the DACA program is not only devastating for thousands of young Pennsylvanians, who know this country as their only home, but will have devastating consequences for the economy." To allow the end of DACA is irresponsible, she said. Pennsylvania becomes the 14th state to form a coalition under the auspices of the New American Economy, a group of 500 Republican, Democratic, and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms to help create jobs. NEA leaders say immigration brings in entrepreneurs and young workers who help offset the large-scale retirements in the baby boom generation. Immigration opponents say newcomers are a drain on the economy, putting outsize demands on local and national social-service and education budgets. The Welcoming Center works to speed the integration and economic advancement of immigrants through education and employment. It contends that by making Pennsylvania a magnet for immigrants, the state will become a more dynamic competitor in the global economy. "We really want to work to reset the narrative on immigration," said Brandon Mendoza, government affairs manager of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, a coalition member. "Immigration is a good thing, and we need to make sure we're supporting immigration reform, starting with the Dream Act." Cheryl Hiester, executive director of the Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon, said an estimated 10,000 jobs across employment sectors are unfilled in Lancaster County. Immigrants can help close that gap and are striving to do so. About 65 percent of council clients sign up to learn English as a second language, and 40 percent of those are immigrants and refugees. They come from all over the world, including Nepal, Congo, Egypt, Ecuador, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Many need to learn English to reclaim the positions they held as doctors and dentists in their home countries. "Immigrants have powered economic growth for a very long time in the United States," she said. "Opposing immigration now doesn't make a lot of sense economically." Derrick Moffett is a Philadelphia Firefighter and is assigned to Engine 33 in the Bridesburg section of the city. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in Sept. 2016. Read more When Mike Polek and Joe Olsen, both big, gregarious Philly firefighters, bumped into each other over the summer, they discovered what they thought was an astonishing coincidence. Olsen said he had just been diagnosed with what his doctor called a rare cancer, and showed off the large red splotches on his arms. "I looked at his arms," Polek said. "And the cancer on his arms looked just like the cancer on my legs." Both men have mycosis fungoides, a form of T-cell lymphoma in which white blood cells become malignant and attack the skin. Neither man had ever heard of it before being diagnosed. They wondered whether their cancers might be job-related. The men had never been assigned to the same station. But Polek often gets called to help other stations, so there's a good chance they had worked together over the years. For years, researchers have been connecting firefighters' exposure to burning materials with a higher risk of cancer. The largest study of its kind, released last year by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), examined data on 30,000 firefighters from Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco. It found "modestly increased all-cancer risk compared with the general population." "These findings contribute to the evidence of a causal association between firefighting exposures and cancer," the study said. There are about 1.1 million volunteer and career firefighters in the U.S. They encounter a complex mix of chemical vapors from burning fuel and various synthetic materials. Known carcinogenics such as asbestos, arsenic, benzene, chromium, diesel fumes, carbon monoxide, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls are all common at fire scenes, especially in areas with old buildings and heavy industry. But new materials may also add to risks. "When I came on the job in 1974, we dealt with a lot of older construction," said Ed Marks, president of Philadelphia Fire Fighter and Paramedic Union Local 22. "Now, you have sofas that are sprayed with synthetics, you have PVC pipes. They burn at a higher temperature. And we're learning now that the smoke and toxins they give off are a problem." Polek, 43, has been burned while fighting a fire. He has suffered other job-related injuries like a torn rotator cuff and is on sick leave as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Now, he is faced with cancer of uncertain origins. But he says the cancer won't stop him from working. "I love my job," said Polek, of Engine 63 in East Oak Lane. "It's my second family." Olsen, 49, said that he, too is able to continue working at Engine 18 in the Northeast. Patients with mycosis fungoides have a good prognosis with the proper care. But for now, cancer treatments leave Olsen exhausted. Firefighters "really want to go to work," Olsen said. "It's a strange but true fact of a firehouse." Robert Daniels, the lead author of the NIOSH study, said that the findings "suggest firefighters are at higher risk of cancers of the digestive, oral, respiratory, and urinary systems when compared to the general population." But the connection is far from a slam-dunk he said, explaining that more studies are needed. "The effects we observed were small and therefore should be cautiously interpreted," he said. Connecting cancers to specific environmental exposures is extremely difficult for many reasons. There are hundreds of different kinds of cancer. And there are at least that many potential toxins in the environment. Timothy Rebbeck, an epidemiologist at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said studies suggest cancer clusters can occur with firefighters. But is it the job that prompted the cancer? Or did the firefighters smoke, or have chemical exposures completely unconnected with the job? And, he said, it's almost impossible to link a single event, such as a fire, to a specific cancer, because it can take years for cancer to develop. "There's a latency in the time from an exposure to when a cancer gets diagnosed," Rebbeck said. "And that can be very long." Tony Sneidar, deputy commissioner of logistics for the Philadelphia Fire Department, said he believes there is "a significant [cancer risk] increase to firefighters compared to the civilian population." "My take on the way the [NIOSH] study was written is that it gave the facts, but it minimized the cancer risk," said Sneidar, who suspects the risks actually are greater. The fire department already requires use of self-contained breathing apparatus to reduce exposure to fumes, and is installing exhaust systems in firehouses to remove diesel fumes. It is also buying $10,000 washing machines that remove chemicals, particulates and gases from clothing. "We have a huge task to educate, train and provide equipment," Sneidar said. One of the biggest safety initiatives includes buying second suits for all firefighters. In the past, firefighters would walk around in their suits long after a fire and reuse gloves and hoods that could be contaminated with chemical residue or asbestos fibers. Some firefighters would go home without showering first. Pennsylvania law says firefighters can receive workers compensation if they can prove their cancer was caused by job exposures, but such claims routinely get rejected because it's so difficult to make that connection. Meanwhile, firefighters like Derrick Moffett, 36, are left to wonder if the work they love is compromising their health. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016. "When the doctor told me, I jokingly asked for a second opinion," Moffett said. "The doctor said, 'You don't have time for a second opinion.'" He had to have a testicle removed. The father of seven served on a special crew for Engine 33 in Bridesburg that responded to chemical fires. As part of that, he was assigned to a foam unit, which uses a chemical blanket to suppress fire. "It's physical and emotional," Moffett said of his cancer. "It's a big war to fight." Two overnight shootings in Philadelphia have left a 32-year-old man dead and two others hospitalized. Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 700 block of East Madison Street in Kensington, where they found a 32-year-old man suffering from gunshots to his head and hand. The man was pronounced dead at Temple University Hospital a half hour later. Police did not release the victim's name because his family had not been notified. No suspect has been identified and the investigation into the killing is ongoing. Earlier, police responded to a shooting on 5700 block of North Camac Street in Fern Rock around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday and found a 29-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds to his left side, arm and stomach. The man was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center in critical condition. At the hospital, he gave a description of his alleged shooter. Another man fitting that description then arrived at Temple University Hospital within the hour, suffering from gunshot wounds to the back, according to police. That man was in stable condition. Police said a suspect was in custody but didn't specify whether that suspect was the second shooting victim or provide further details. What on earth is Trump thinking? That's a question one asks all too often about the president. But the contradiction between Trump's expected announcement that he will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the very same time his son-in-law is trying to concoct the "ultimate" deal between Israelis and Palestinians is downright schizoid. On the one hand, First Son-in-law Jared Kushner, paired with Trump's real estate lawyer Jason Greenblatt, have been traversing the Mideast for the last several months trying to come up with a peace plan whose details still remain a secret. But the plan will reportedly emerge early in the new year. On the other hand, the future of Jerusalem which would contain both the Palestinian and Israeli Jewish capitals in any plausible solution is one of the most sensitive topics in any negotiation. And the issue of sovereignty over Jerusalem's holy places sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims is of concern globally. That's why none of the 160 countries that has diplomatic relations with Israel recognizes Jerusalem as its capital. No U.S. president has ever recognized Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem because they all knew it would block any prospect of an "ultimate peace deal" the kind of deal that Trump insists that he alone can produce. "The Israelis and Palestinians have agreed that no side should take actions which preempt a final status agreement," I was told last week by the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who has met with Kushner and Greenblatt 11 times since September (while he has been recovering from a lung transplant in Virginia). "The United States can't dictate the outcome of Jerusalem, which should be negotiated by the two sides." In 1995 Congress did call for the U.S. embassy to be moved to Jerusalem from its current location in Tel Aviv. But, because the issue was so sensitive, it permitted the president to issue a waiver every six months on moving the embassy, and every president since has done so including Trump earlier this year. Yet now the president seems willing to make a move not just recognition, but setting in process an embassy move that could spark a surge of anti-American violence in the Muslim world. It could fuel post-ISIS terrorism and strengthen Iran. Trump seems oblivious to pleas this week by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and by close Arab allies such as King Abdullah II of Jordan and Saudi King Salman, whom Trump considers his new best bud in battling Tehran. Most strange, Trump seems determined to abort any Kushner peace deal before it is born. Perhaps the president in his determination to please his Christian evangelical backers just doesn't understand Jerusalem geography. I'm sure he's been shown maps of the city, but perhaps he was too impatient to study them. So here's a little background on why this issue is so explosive and why Trump's heedless behavior is so bizarre. Jerusalem has always been holy to the Jewish people. But when the United Nations approved a plan to divide Mandate Palestine into one Palestinian and one Jewish state, it called for the internationalization of Jerusalem because of its holiness to three billion of people of three faiths. Arab nations rejected the U.N. plan and invaded mandate Palestine, but Israel triumphed, occupying the west side of the city, where it established its capital. Jordan occupied East Jerusalem and the Old City, including the Western Wall, holy to Jews, and the Temple Mount holy to both Jews and Muslims. During the 1967 war, Israel won control of all Jerusalem. But here's the key since 1967, Israel has annexed the Arab areas of Eastern Jerusalem as well as the Old City with its holy sites. It has also annexed chunks of adjacent West Bank Palestinian areas, all of which are now included into the Jewish capital. Yet, if there ever is to be an Israel-Palestine peace, the Palestinians will want their capital to be in the Arab parts of Jerusalem. And some arrangement will have to be made about control of Jerusalem's holy sites that satisfies both Jews and Arabs. If Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital even if he doesn't use the word undivided he is effectively endorsing the position of the current Israeli government, which insists that none of its capital city should revert to Palestinian control. And if, as Trump has indicated, he states that the embassy will be moving, that would preclude any future negotiations full stop. "It will be over the whole process," Erekat said emphatically. "This is an issue for Arabs, and Muslims, and the world not just Israelis." Yet, to feed his domestic base, Trump seems willing to kill the peace process his son-in-law is promoting. Go figure. Unless the president changes his mind, we can presume evangelical votes mean more to him than Kushner, fighting terror, or closing the ultimate peace deal. Trudy Rubin will be reporting from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, beginning Sunday. The principal of Wallingford Elementary School in Delaware County has resigned from his position following an alleged "inappropriate action on his part that in no way endangered or involved children," the school district superintendent wrote to parents on Tuesday. Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Superintendent Lisa A. Palmer said that Joshua Peterkin's resignation was effective immediately and that Joseph Buecheler, vice principal at Strath Haven Middle School, would assume the position of acting principal on Wednesday at the elementary school, which is located in Nether Providence Township. Palmer did not elaborate on Peterkin's alleged inappropriate action. "Our school district respects the privacy of personnel, while upholding high standards for employee behavior," she wrote. A man who answered the phone at Peterkin's Springfield home said Peterkin was unavailable to comment. The search for a new principal would begin shortly, Palmer said. "Certainly, this news is unsettling, but we are fully committed to ensuring a very smooth transition to a new principal and a great rest of the school year for the students," Palmer said. A 13-year-old seventh-grader at a nationally recognized Society Hill public school was arrested Wednesday morning after he was found to have a loaded handgun, authorities said. The incident took place at Gen. George A. McCall Elementary School, a K-8 school on South Seventh Street near Delancey. Police said another student notified the principal that a male student had brought a gun into the school in the morning. The school was placed on lockdown from 9:28 a.m. to 10:04 a.m. The teen was arrested without incident and a loaded semiautomatic handgun was recovered from the student's backpack, authorities said. No one was injured. A call to the school's principal, Stephanie McKenna, was directed to school district spokesman Lee Whack. "It is completely unacceptable any time a student brings a weapon to school," Whack said in an emailed statement. "The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. The gun was removed from the school without incident. The lockdown was lifted after it was determined that there was no further threat and all students and staff were safe. The School District is fully cooperating with the Philadelphia Police Department as they investigate this matter." Because the student is a minor, Whack said he could not say what action the district might take. The student remained in police custody Wednesday afternoon and was expected to face charges. It was not immediately known where he got the gun or why he had it. Some parents in a McCall Facebook group expressed anxiety and concern that they were not immediately alerted that a student had a gun in school. The school sent a letter, signed by the principal, home with students Wednesday, saying that a weapon was found on school property and that police were immediately contacted and the school placed on lockdown. Paige Wolf, 38, who has a son in second grade at McCall, was at a school meeting with other parents in the library when the lockdown occurred. In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, she said police responded immediately. After the lockdown was lifted, she went to her son's class. His teacher told her that "the kids dealt with it really well," Wolf said. Because Wolf was already at the school, she said, she decided to take him home. "When I left, everyone seemed calm," she said, adding that although she was upset, she applauded the school for its actions. McCall Elementary was awarded a 2017 National Blue Ribbon for its high academic achievements from the U.S. Department of Education in September. The school, which educates 700 students, takes in a range of students, from Society Hill to Chinatown. Nearly 20 percent of its students are English-language learners, and it serves homeless shelters. It was named the top-performing K-8 in Philadelphia by the School District last year. Staff writer Patricia Madej contributed to this article. Lt. Brian Lewis escorts the casket before the Mass of remembrance for Chaplain Aloysius Schmitt on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, at St. Lukes Church in St. Lucas, Iowa. Schmitt is scheduled to be honored with the Silver Star medal Thursday. Read more Seventy -six years after he died at Pearl Harbor, a Navy chaplain who helped sailors escape from a sinking battleship is scheduled to be honored with the Silver Star medal Thursday in a ceremony at his alma mater in Iowa. Lt. j.g. Aloysius Schmitt, a Catholic priest from St. Lucas, Iowa, will posthumously receive the third-highest decoration for valor in combat during a ceremony at Loras College, in Dubuque. Navy Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben will present the medal to family members during a ceremony on the campus. Schmitt was buried in a special crypt there after his remains were identified last year by experts with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). He had been aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was torpedoed and capsized during the attack on Dec. 7, 1941. His remains were not accounted for at first, because the bodies of most of the sailors and Marines recovered from the ship were too jumbled and decomposed to be identified. Father Schmitt, 32, had just said Mass that Sunday morning when the Oklahoma was hit by at least nine Japanese torpedoes. The battleship, with its complement of 1,300, quickly rolled over in 50 feet of water, trapping hundreds of men below decks. Thirty-two were saved by rescue crews who heard them banging for help, cut into the hull, and made their way through a maze of darkened, flooded compartments to reach them. Others managed to escape by swimming underwater to find their way out. Some trapped sailors tried to stem the rushing water with rags and even the board from a game. One distraught man tried to drown himself. A few managed to escape through portholes saved by brave comrades such as Schmitt, who is said to have helped as many as 12 sailors get out of a small compartment. In 1942, he was honored with the noncombat Navy and Marine Corps Medal. But after recent appeals by supporters and Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), the Navy conducted a review and in October upgraded the medal to the combat award. The citation details his bravery. When the ship capsized, he and "other members of the crew, became trapped in a compartment where only a small porthole provided outlet for escape. "With unselfish disregard for his own plight, he assisted his shipmates through the aperture. When they in turn were in the process of rescuing him, his body became tightly wedged in the narrow opening. "Realizing that other men had come into the compartment seeking a way out, (he) insisted he be pushed back into the ship so the others might escape. Calmly urging them on with his blessing, he remained behind while his shipmates crawled out to safety. In so doing, he gallantly gave up his life for his country." The Oklahoma's loss of life at Pearl Harbor a total of 429 sailors and Marines was second only to the 1,100 lost on the USS Arizona. The attack at Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II. Most of the Oklahoma's dead were found in the wreckage during the monthslong salvage operation and were buried as "unknowns" in a cemetery in Hawaii. In 2015, the Pentagon exhumed the remains of what are believed to be 388 of them. With the help of enhanced technology and techniques, experts have been gradually making identifications. Schmitt was identified with the help of DNA retrieved from a skull bone and matched with that of a relative. Last week, the DPAA announced that it had identified its 100th person from the Oklahoma. "It's been 76 years," Steve Sloan, a great-nephew of Schmitt's, said Wednesday from Dubuque. "It's pretty overwhelming." As for "Father Al," Sloan said, "I suspect he wouldn't want any of this attention. He was a common guy an eastern Iowa farm boy." Home surveillance cameras have caught several people in the act of stealing packages this season, including the above, unidentified suspects. Read more They slithered and slunked, with smiles most unpleasant, around the whole city they took every present. Go to any neighborhood or any neighborhood Facebook page especially in this holiday season and you'll find Philly residents whose packages have been stolen from their front steps and porches. "Hey neighbors! Did anyone happen to find 75 pounds of cat litter? Looks like someone swiped it upon delivery yesterday," one woman wrote on a South Philly Facebook page Sunday. Neighbors post surveillance camera footage online, trying to armchair-detective their way to possible suspects, and they kvetch about how the problem only seems to be getting worse. Are package thefts up in Philly, as many suspect? There's no way to tell. Neither the Philadelphia police nor the U.S. Postal Inspection Service could provide statistics on package thefts. In the absence of concrete information, Philadelphians are combating the perceived epidemic the best way they know how with kindness and, in at least one case, beer. Last week, the surveillance camera at Anthony Ricci's Roxborough home caught a man stealing a package from his porch. Luckily, the box contained only Christmas decorations. But the theft got Ricci, 26, thinking: Could he obtain additional footage to catch the thief? "We were just sitting around the house with some friends and figured we'd throw out a dummy package to see if someone would grab it," he said. Ricci took an empty box and strung a fishing line through it. He put the box on the front porch, ran the fishing line under his front door, and connected the other end to the "most accessible thing I had that makes noise" a beer can. On Monday when Ricci returned home from work, the package was on its side. He checked the footage and, sure enough, it appears the same man who stole his package tried to swipe the decoy. "It was pretty brazen of the guy to do it in broad daylight, back to back at the same house," Ricci said. Jennifer Nelson, 50, has lived in Fishtown for five years and had heard little about package thefts until last year, when "the neighborhood got insane." This year, "it's gotten worse," she said. On Friday, a delivery driver left on Nelson's porch a package that was supposed to require a signature. Thanks to an observant neighbor, the thief was nabbed. "He told me he saw the package, saw it missing, and then saw the suspicious guy dragging a trash can on wheels," Nelson said. "The package was too heavy to carry on his own, so he found a can with wheels to carry it. That's a big thing around here." To combat the thefts, some business owners and people who work from home are offering to serve as free delivery spots for neighbors' packages. Sheehan Kovall, owner of Pit Stop HQ, a pet supply and doggy day-care business in the Italian Market, said he's always offered the service to clients and direct neighbors and wanted to expand the option to anyone this year. "I felt compelled after seeing so many videos online of packages being stolen," he said. "And I guess I thought it'd be a nice way to meet people I wouldn't ordinarily get to meet." Majdi Utqi's Robola Pizza in Wynnefield has been a UPS drop-off location for more than two years. Utiqi said he gets paid by UPS to have 400 to 500 packages delivered to his pizza shop per month and more during the holiday season. "This way, we get to know everybody who lives around here by their names and not just how they look," he said. "It becomes like family then. We're helping the community and we're helping ourselves." For those who don't have such an option, businesses like Fishbox will, for a fee, serve as a drop-off location for packages, and then deliver them to your door between 7 and 10 p.m. Authorities recommend having packages delivered to a neighbor's house, office, or the post office, where they can be held for pickup. If you are the victim of a package theft, police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommend these steps: 1. Check with the delivery company and carrier to see if the item has been delivered. 2. Alert your local police by calling the district or 911 to file a theft report. 3. Call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 and report the theft. 4. If you have surveillance video, register with the Philadelphia Police Department's SafeCam program. How package thefts are investigated Thefts of mail and packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service automatically fall under the purview of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Unless someone is accused of stealing so much that the case can be prosecuted in federal court, package theft cases are typically handed over to Philly police, said Reggie Wade, U.S. postal inspector for the Philadelphia division. He said stolen packages delivered by other companies are also investigated by Philly police. If Philadelphia police arrest a suspect, the individual is charged with theft, police spokesman Sgt. Eric Gripp said. "With every incident involving the United States Postal Service, whether it's their employees or packages under their care, we will always confer with the postal inspector to see if they wish to handle the job," Gripp said. "If not, we'll start the investigation." FAIRHOPE, Ala. Former White House political strategist Stephen Bannon rallied for Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore by picking another fight with a figure from the so-called "Republican establishment" 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. "Judge Roy Moore has more honor and integrity in that pinky finger than your entire family has in its whole DNA," Bannon said in his 30-minute speech at Oak Hollow Farm. "You hid behind your religion. You went to France to be a missionary while guys were dying in rice paddies in Vietnam. Do not talk to me about honor and integrity," he said, referencing Romney's Mormon faith. Romney, one of many Republicans who called on Moore to quit the race last month, had taken another swing at the candidate after President Trump officially endorsed him. Like all but one of those Republicans Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) Romney criticized Moore without urging voters to support his Democratic rival. On Monday, Romney tweeted: "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." Bannon's attacks on Romney lit up the crowded room an example of just how much the president has brought the Republican base into his own crusades and feuds. In 2012, according to the national exit poll, Romney won 98 percent of Alabama's Republican voters, and 90 percent of self-identified white born-again Christians. But during the 2016 primaries, Trump mocked Romney as a "choker" who had bungled a winnable election, an attack Bannon resurrected on Tuesday night. Bannon, who has urged a number of insurgent candidates to run Moore-like bids for House and Senate next year, has also been trying to block Romney's path to Washington. He has reportedly toyed with the idea of endorsing Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) for reelection, fearful that a Hatch retirement would allow Romney to walk into the Senate in 2018, and become a conservative thorn in Trump's side. Phillip Garcia, a Temple graduate student and new judge of election for Ward 21 poses for a photo at the Bell Tower on Temple University's main campus on Monday afternoon, December 4, 2017. Read more Phillip Garcia showed up on Election Day to vote for Larry Krasner. Then the Manayunk grad student noticed that the space for judge of election was blank. Which is how the name Phillip Garcia was written in as an election overseer in Philadelphia's Ward 21, Div. 10. In a tweet that has gone viral on social media, Garcia shared, in a state of disbelief, the lesson learned last week about election math in Philadelphia, particularly when it comes to smaller offices: One write-in vote can equal victory. Nobody had filed a petition for the seat or written in the name for a candidate other than Garcia, who is 30 and a nonbinary trans person who uses the pronouns they and them. The tweet included a photo of the winning certificate that they'd received in the mail Friday. It's since been retweeted 17,000 times, and favorited by 58,000 users. On Monday at Temple University, Garcia sat across from the Bell Tower in the heart of the school, receiving well wishers. A couple stopped to congratulate the Ph.D candidate, having heard the news. With some greeters, Garcia laughed at the luck. Other times Garcia seemed somewhat uneasy that the story had blown up so quickly, or even had happened at all. "I think I'm still trying to figure good thing or a bad thing," Garcia said. "It's good that one vote can do something concrete. [Still,] I didn't have to know anything to get it. That's frightening. You don't have to be qualified in any way or know what you're doing." These one-shot victories aren't unusual at the election-board level. In November, Garcia was one of 71 judges of election to win uncontested. In the last election for that position, in 2013, the total was 55. Philadelphia has 1,686 voting divisions; each might cover only hundreds of residents. The division where Garcia won is a thin strip, just a little more than seven blocks. Judges of election are expected to work twice a year, with additional days added to the calendar in case of a special election. For each Election Day, the pay is $100. "Winning the election is the easy part," said City Commissioner Al Schmidt. "Working 14 hours on an Election Day, that's when people have to be serious about it." Garcia, who is working toward a doctorate in English, is a teaching fellow and editor-at-large for The Rumpus, and goes by @avantgarcia on Twitter, which includes this profile message: "I'm a they & a kid of an immigrant." Garcia moved to Philly for their graduate program, focusing on educating native Spanish speakers in ESL composition. The Razorback has an Arkansas tattoo on their forearm, but appreciates being able to blend in better in Philly than in Little Rock. Back home, Garcia was actively involved as a community organizer as a fellow at the University of Arkansas' Clinton School of Public Service. In Philly, Garcia's life has pretty much been consumed by teaching and coursework. The graduate student described being disappointed with Trump's win, and had attended a few protests in the last year, but hadn't engaged deeply with local politics here, until now. Garcia recalls the rhetoric from Trump's presidential campaign, labeling Hispanics drug traffickers and rapists, calling for poll watchers to keep an eye on alleged fraud. "I was the type of the person he didn't want to vote in the first place with that mode of intimidation," said Garcia, whose father was an undocumented immigrant. "I guess I just feel I've stuck Donald Trump in the eye a little bit." This might be why Garcia tweeted Saturday that their first official act is to call for the impeachment of the president. The second pronouncement is that henceforth, every Tuesday in Manayunk is now Taco Tuesday. The online backlash has distressed Garcia, particularly given that the tweet was tongue in cheek. "The amount [of hate] I've received over a short period of time a little intense," the new elected said. "I think what's odd about the reaction is that a lot of people feel more strongly about it than I did when I did it. I didn't think about it." Garcia cares about sanctuary cities, health care and student debt. But none of that came to mind when Garcia completed the write-in. "I wish I had a strong moral reason to do it." Former FBI director Robert Mueller attends the ceremonial swearing-in of FBI Director James Comey at the FBI Headquarters Oct. 28, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Abaca Press/TNS) Read more WASHINGTON A conservative watchdog group said internal Justice Department emails show a senior prosecutor assigned to special counsel Robert Mueller III is biased against President Trump. Judicial Watch, a group that has been seeking government records about senior members of the Justice Department during the Obama administration, released emails Tuesday showing officials praised then-acting attorney general Sally Yates when she ordered staff not to defend Trump's first travel ban in court. One of those emails came from Andrew Weissmann, now a senior adviser to Mueller's ongoing probe into whether Trump associates may have conspired with Russian agents to interfere with the 2016 election. At the time, Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, had just sent a memo to staff in late January instructing them not to defend the travel ban in court. The travel ban executive order was just a few days old when she made that decision, and there was a great deal of uncertainty about whether courts would rule it discriminated against Muslims. Some federal judges blocked key parts of early versions of the ban before the Supreme Court ruled that the third iteration of it could be enforced. At the time of Yates' action, she was running the Justice Department until a Trump appointee could be confirmed. Within hours of her decision not to defend the ban, she was fired by Trump. Weissmann then sent her an email saying: "I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much." He signed it, "all my deepest respects." Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said the email was further evidence of political bias on Mueller's team, and he called for the entire investigation to be shut down. "This is an astonishing and disturbing find," Fitton said. "A key prosecutor on Robert Mueller's team praised Obama DOJ holdover Sally Yates after she lawlessly thwarted President Trump." A spokesman for the special counsel's office declined to comment. Emily Pierce, a former Justice Department spokeswoman, said: "Agreeing with Sally Yates on her handling of a complex legal matter does not indicate bias against the president, and it certainly doesn't have anything to do with how Andrew conducts himself as a prosecutor which in my experience is thoughtfully and with a fair and impartial examination of facts." Judicial Watch has filed Freedom of Information Act requests and lawsuits seeking to get access to internal deliberations involving the FBI's probe of Hillary Clinton's private email server, as well as the airport tarmac meeting of then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former president Bill Clinton in 2016 when Hillary Clinton was under investigation. In those matters, Judicial Watch has said the documents it has received show political bias inside the Justice Department and FBI in favor of Clinton and Democrats, and against Trump and Republicans. Weissmann was far from the only Justice Department official who praised Yates in private emails over her travel ban stance, but he is the only one working on the Mueller probe. Thomas Delahanty, then the U.S. attorney for Maine, wrote to Yates, "You are my hero." On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Read more When President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday the first American president ever to do so he claimed he was abandoning the "failed strategies of the past" that were unable to deliver peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Yet the president outlined no new strategy for peace that would include his new position on Jerusalem. Indeed, his move along with his directive to the State Department to begin preparations to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv seemed more oriented toward pleasing his evangelical base (and key Republican donor Sheldon Adelson) than achieving peace. Moreover, it undermines any slim chance First-Son-in-Law Jared Kushner, along with Trump lawyer David Greenblatt who have been traversing the Mideast for months in order to devise a new peace plan will produce the "ultimate" deal Trump has requested. To understand why, let's take a look at what the speech did and didn't say. The president claimed he was only recognizing reality "that Jerusalem is Israel's capital." And indeed, western Jerusalem was the Jewish state's capital from the time of its inception, just as ancient Jerusalem was the capital of the Jewish people in the biblical era (something many Palestinians deny). But what the president didn't say and one reason why no country that recognizes Israel also recognizes Jerusalem as its capital is that the city's eastern sector consists mainly of Arab areas that were annexed after the 1967 war between Israel and the Arabs. Indeed, an estimated 40 percent of Jerusalem's residents do not have Israeli citizenship because they are Palestinians. The Palestinians also want Jerusalem to be the capital of their state meaning if there ever were peace, Jerusalem would have to be divided. What the president also didn't say is that the Old City of Jerusalem (which Israel also regained after the 1967 war) is territory that is hotly contested, because it contains sites holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. That is why the issue of who controls Jerusalem's sovereignty is so sensitive, and must be negotiated in any peace talks. It is also why any hint that Trump supports permanent Israeli sovereignty over Muslim holy places can set off violence in the Islamic world. No wonder Trump's CIA director and secretaries of state and defense all opposed Trump's making this speech now. True, the president stated near the end of his speech that he was "not taking a position" on the specific Jerusalem boundaries that Israel would retain if peace were negotiated. He said "the resolution of contested borders" was up to the parties involved. And he added that "the United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides." But those last comments must be taken with more than a grain of salt. Israel is constructing settlements in Palestinian areas around the edges of Jerusalem that have almost sealed the city off from the Palestinian population of the West Bank. This will make it nearly impossible to imagine any two-state solution that would permit Palestinians to establish their capital within the city's boundaries. Those Jewish settlements and their clear purpose have been a source of friction with previous Democratic and Republican administrations. But the word settlement never appeared in Trump's speech. Indeed, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Trump's lawyer friend David Friedman (the third member of the Kushner-Greenblatt team), is avidly pro-settlement. Friedman says West Bank settlements "are a part of Israel." So to endorse Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while ignoring the complex question of its Arab population, or the settlement ring around the city, is disingenuous. Israeli officials have already made clear they see Trump's speech as vindicating their positions. The speech eliminated any minimal prospect, if such still existed, that Trump or Kushner could be seen as impartial negotiators. Full stop. Already rumors are circulating in the Israeli and Arab press that the Kushner plan will tilt heavily toward Israel, proposing a Palestinian state with limited sovereignty over noncontiguous parts of the West Bank without East Jerusalem as its capital. This is a proposal that has little meaning and will never fly. It may be that in an era of Mideast chaos there is no strategy that can deliver a two-state solution. And it may be that there are no Israeli or Arab leaders able or willing to deal at this time. In that case, the best option for the United States would be to promote a strategy that left open a chance for two states after the Mideast calms down. But Trump's Jerusalem speech far from delivering a new approach closes the door to negotiations in the near term or the long term. It advances a one-state "solution" something Trump has said he wouldn't mind where Palestinians will outnumber Jews in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. At that point, Israel will have to decide whether to give them citizenship or rule over a disenfranchised majority. Trump called his speech "very fresh thinking." That it is not. Trudy Rubin will be reporting from Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, beginning Sunday. HARRISBURG Years after he went to federal prison for corruption, the longtime Democratic leader of the state Senate will get his $245,000 annual pension back, a state board has narrowly decided. It's the only time in at least 11 years that the board of the State Employees' Retirement System has returned someone's pension to them after it was taken away for a criminal conviction. Former State Sen. Robert Mellow had appealed that initial decision. It was a close matter, the board voting 6-5, with some members arguing that it would set a bad precedent to give the perk back to the former Scranton-area lawmaker. "The board struggled with this decision as evidenced by the split nature of the vote, including the filing of dissenting opinions, which does not happen often," board spokeswoman Pamela Hile said in an email. At the center of the case was a question about whether Mellow's federal conviction for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to defraud the U.S. closely enough resembled any of a number of state crimes that require state employees to automatically forfeit their pensions. Board members either declined comment or did not respond to calls all 11 were contacted. Written opinions filed in the case offer some hints as to why they voted the way they did. Mellow, who served as a senator for 40 years and was for many years the highest-ranking Democrat there, pleaded guilty in 2012 after prosecutors charged him with using taxpayer-funded staff to raise money and work on political campaigns. Staff at the State Employees' Retirement System determined that Mellow's conviction required him to lose his pension, and he appealed twice, resulting in the latest ruling. State law requires employees to forfeit their pensions if they are convicted of or plead guilty to certain state crimes or federal crimes that are "substantially the same as" state crimes on the list. Mellow contended nothing was comparable to his crime. The majority opinion, attached to an order signed by chairman David Fillman, compares Mellow's conviction to the state crime of theft by deception. The majority wrote that a theft by deception conviction would have required Mellow to "actually obtain money and property of the Senate" and that was not an element of the federal conspiracy charge to which he pleaded. The five dissenting members, in an opinion written by state treasurer Joe Torsella, said that the majority's opinion was "an abrupt departure" from one of the board's previous decisions. They cited a case in which a district judge who had been charged with federal mail fraud lost his pension. The majority's conclusion allows Mellow "to avoid the financial consequences of criminal conduct to which he pled guilty, creates a record of inconsistent determinations by the Board and undermines the deterrent effect of the Forfeiture Law," according to the dissenting opinion. A board order dated Nov. 6, after all members had cast their ballots, calls for Mellow to receive his $20,510 monthly pension (more than $245,000 a year), plus payments and interest for the time it was forfeited. A portion of that will go to his ex-wife, Diane Mellow, as part of the couple's divorce settlement. Diane Mellow had also appealed the decision to strip Robert Mellow of his pension. Sal Cognetti, the attorney representing Robert Mellow, said he believes the board's ruling is consistent with what he learned in continuing legal education classes. "I am pleased that the law was followed, and I'm sure he is too," Cognetti said. Diane Mellow's attorney, Terry McDonald, said she was similarly pleased with the board's decision. The ruling, he said, allowed her to keep her home. Voting to restore Mellow's pension were Fillman, Glenn E. Becker, Rep. Robert Godshall (R., Montgomery), Sen. Vincent Hughes (D, Philadelphia), Sen. Charles McIlhinney (R., Bucks) and Michael Puppio. Voting against that were Torsella, Rep. Dan Frankel (D., Allegheny), T. Terrance Reese, Mary Soderberg and Stephen Aichele, who wrote a second dissenting opinion saying he would have liked to have seen the courts provide "further clarity on these important issues." A bill sponsored by Rep. Scott Petri (R., Bucks) would expand the list of crimes that require state employees to lose their pensions. That bill passed through the House in May and is in a Senate committee. HARRISBURG Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday urged Republican House leaders to consider ousting a conservative representative as chairman of a key committee based on "offensive and discriminatory" statements he made about homosexuality the day before. "Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of behavior," the Democratic governor said in a statement. "In light of this documented history of discriminatory statements, I urge House leadership to reexamine whether it is appropriate for Rep. Metcalfe to continue controlling the committee that oversees civil rights legislation." The governor was referring to Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican from Butler County, who chairs the House state government committee. Comments Metcalfe made during a committee meeting Tuesday went viral after they were captured on video and posted to the internet. In the video, the committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Matt Bradford, touches Metcalfe on the forearm for a split-second and Metcalfe asks him to stop touching him and emphasizes that he is heterosexual. "I don't like men as you might," Metcalfe says. He tells Bradford at one point, "Like, if you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't." Metcalfe, a social conservative opposed to civil rights protections based on sexual orientation, has made statements construed as antigay in the past. Metcalfe said Wednesday that he does not think House leaders will seek to remove him from his post as committee chairman, saying he feels he has been efficient and effective in that role. He called Wolf's remarks a "partisan attack" motivated partly by his past vocal criticisms of the governor. Metcalfe said of the governor's remarks, "I think it should be offensive to everyone in this state, and they should really question whether or not this governor has any principles at all that he would stand on the side of a perpetrator." Wolf and Metcalfe often take different stances on social issues, especially when it comes to sexual orientation. The governor has expressed frustration that a bill that would expand nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender expression or identity has not left Metcalfe's committee. Metcalfe said Wednesday that he does not think the bill has enough votes to pass out of his committee. Wolf's remarks came after the state Democratic Party on Tuesday branded Metcalfe a "walking, talking embarrassment to Pennsylvanians" and called for him to resign. Told of the party's call for his resignation, Metcalfe said Tuesday that he would not step down. He also noted that the party had called for his resignation before. He said: "To try and label people as being sexist, homophobic, or racist, or whatever they want to use as their label the fact is the majority of men in our culture will not want a man who they don't know touching them." Metcalfe said that he has asked Bradford to stop touching him before. Bradford who is married to a woman and has four children said Tuesday that he was trying to "restrain him so I could finish my thought" and that he was not making a pass at Metcalfe. "I have no idea what goes on in his head," Bradford said Tuesday of Metcalfe, "and some days I'm glad for that." Staff writer Angela Couloumbis contributed to this report. The Pennsylvania House is set to vote another abortion bill. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Read more The Pennsylvania Legislature, basically a man cave along the Susquehanna, isn't known for championing women's rights. That might well be because of its makeup. It's the manliest (if only in the numerical sense) of legislatures in the Northeastern states. It's 39th among all states in percentage of women lawmakers (18.6 percent), lower than neighbors Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, according to 2017 data from the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics. It's right down there with Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, and such. So, no real surprise that even at a time when politics seems to favor women, the Pennsylvania Legislature, run by Republicans, is moving to restrict women's rights. The House Health Committee Monday evening, on short notice, voted to send a strict anti-abortion bill to the full House for passage. The bill bans abortions at 20 weeks (current law is 24) and criminalizes physicians performing a second-trimester abortion procedure, "dilation and evacuation," which the bill calls "dismemberment abortions." The committee vote was 16-10. No Republican voted against it. No Democrat voted for it. Opponents made a few observations. Rep. Kevin Boyle (D., Phila.) said it's "striking" there's no exemption for rape, especially given current national attention to sexual assault against women. There are no exemptions for fetal anomaly or incest, either. Rep. Pam DeLissio (D., Phila.) said, "We're tying the hands of health-care practitioners." Unless they're saving the mother's life. Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D., Montgomery) said, "I'm always just appalled at how easily we make these votes." Yet, so it goes. The House easily passed a similar bill last year, 132-65, but the Senate did not take it up. This year is different. The Senate passed the bill now in question (S.B. 3) back in February by a 32-18 margin. The full House is expected to vote "within the next week," says Health Committee Chairman Rep. Matt Baker (R., Tioga). It's likely to pass. This is despite Democratic Gov. Wolf vowing to veto any such legislation. In a statement, Wolf called the bill "the most extreme anti-choice legislation in the country," adding, "Women's health care decisions should be left up to women and their doctors, not politicians in Harrisburg." A view clearly not shared by the GOP-controlled Legislature. In fact, said Legislature works hard to pass such measures. For example, after the Senate acted earlier this year, the House Health Committee, let's just say, upgraded its anti-abortion cred. Two of its GOP members who voted against passage of last year's bill Rep. Frank Farry (R., Bucks); Rep. Todd Stephens (R., Montgomery) "resigned" (or were tossed) from the committee. They were replaced by Rep. Jim Cox (R., Berks) and Rep. John Lawrence (R., Chester), who voted for last year's bill. This, according to a report from the House Committee on Committees (yes, there is such a thing) in this year's April 5 Legislative Journal. Coincidental? I suppose it's possible. But I also suppose the committee wanted to pad anti-abortion votes just in case. And I suppose GOP leadership wants to give its anti-abortion members a win headed into the 2018 Primary Election season for most, the only season that counts. And I suppose two top Republican lawmakers, Sen. Scott Wagner of York County and House Speaker Mike Turzai of Pittsburgh, want polished pro-life badges headed into their primary fight for the GOP nomination for governor. The immediate question is whether there are enough votes in both chambers to override a Wolf veto. Opponents of the bill say probably not. Baker says "time will tell." It will indeed. And it will tell whether women, who are standing up in droves to men in power on a range of issues related to women's bodies, look kindly on people in power (or seeking power) when it comes to this issue in 2018 elections. Louis J. Esposito, 95, of South Philadelphia and later Overbrook, a longtime purveyor of fine meats in the Italian Market and an honored civic leader, died Saturday, Dec. 2, of old age at his home. Mr. Esposito was the second-generation owner of Esposito Meats, a fixture at Ninth and Carpenter Streets. His father, Attilio, had emigrated from Italy to open a butcher shop in Philadelphia in 1911, according to a family history. The business survived the Great Depression and two world wars. As its fortunes rose, Attilio Esposito bought the corner property where the shop is still located. Mr. Esposito was born and reared in a roomy home above the butcher shop in South Philadelphia. He graduated from St. Joseph's Preparatory School, and earned a bachelor's degree from Villanova University. He had aspired to become a lawyer, but wound up following his father into the meat business. He and his father traveled the nation, buying cattle to send back to Philadelphia for slaughter. While initially promoting fresh beef, the family also made a reputation later as a high-quality butcher willing to handle special orders, such as heart-shaped chicken breasts for Valentine's Day, according to an Inquirer article. By the 1960s, Mr. Esposito had expanded the product line to include lamb, pork, and poultry. He deftly steered the business through downturns in the economy, as well as a devastating arson fire in March 2002 that almost put it out of business. With help from customers and vendors, the shop was fully operational again in six months. Mr. Esposito's two sons, Lee and Louis A., joined him behind the counter as children, and as adults in the 1970s. Under their influence, the business built a thriving wholesale trade selling its products to high-end restaurants and hotel eateries. Lee Esposito said that in addition to being an entrepreneur, Mr. Esposito was "a good dad." "He gave us a great education," Lee Esposito said. "He took us on great vacations. He taught [my brother and me] a strong work ethic." Mr. Esposito was admired and honored by many in the Philadelphia volunteer community for his civic contributions, his family said. He served as president of the Board of Directors of City Trusts and chairman of the board of the Wills Eye Hospital Committee, which bestowed the Louis J. Esposito Research Professor of Ophthalmology Award on leading eye specialists in his honor. He also served as president of the Philadelphia Opera Company and on the Temple University Board of Trustees. The institution gave him an honorary doctorate in the humanities and named the Louis J. Esposito Dining Center after him. He was named an honorary life trustee. Other awards included: the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Gold Medallion Humanitarian Award; the Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Award, the highest honor from the Order Sons of Italy; and the Commendatore Award, a high-ranking honor from Italy. He served in World War II in Army intelligence and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant, according to his discharge paper. Mr. Esposito "was not just known for the things he did, but more for the person he was," said son Louis. His daughter, Stephanie, said Mr. Esposito was a bit shy, but loved people. "He was a mild-mannered man, very humble and kind, and a fabulous storyteller," she said. "So even though he was quiet and soft-spoken, his mild but dynamic nature commanded an entire room." He was married for 67 years to Anne J. Esposito, who died in 2014. Besides his sons and daughter, he is survived by daughter Pam; four grandchildren; and a brother and sister. A 9 a.m. viewing Wednesday, Dec. 6, will be followed by an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Paul Church, 923 Christian St. Entombment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon. Memorial donations may be made to the Comprehensive Learning Center, 150 James Way, Southampton, Pa. 18966. The center serves those with autism and other disabilities. Jesus Pagan Torres (left) and Moriama Cortes (right) are part of a team of faculty and staff of Escuela Delia Davila de Caban who continue to distribute water and emergency relief in neighborhoods still without power and water. Escuela Delia Davila de Caban has served as a distribution point for the Puerto Rico Recovery Funds emergency relief efforts since it was established days after the storm. Read more I could see it from the sky above Puerto Rico. The island was no longer a rolling blanket of lowland and highland forests. A rare Category 5 hurricane, Maria, had ripped nearly every leaf from every kapok, tree fern, palm, and courbaril. But when I got on the ground, underneath the brown tangles of trunks and branches, I spotted bright new shoots of green. I crisscrossed the island over five days, photographing hurricane relief carried out by people, communities, and nongovernmental organizations. In the small town of Punta Santiago, every home and business sustained damage. Houses that did stand up to 155 mile-per-hour winds were soaked in up to five feet of brackish water. But the hurricane didn't end just because the rain and wind had moved on. Floodwaters had contaminated most of the food and stored water. Cut off from rescue and help, the 5,000 residents of Punta Santiago knew what they had to do. They gathered salvageable food, collected water and medicines, and shared what they had collected with their neighbors in greatest need. For 10 days they cooked communal meals with help from a nonprofit named Programa de Educacion Comunal de Entrega y Servicio (PECES), which for two decades has provided programs in three core areas: education, prevention services for at-risk populations, and entrepreneurship and development training. The nonprofit reopened its campus as soon as it cleared debris from its front gate, offering shelter and whatever supplies had been spared by the storm. Twelve days after the storm, help came to them from the skies. A nonprofit named the Center for a New Economy, with partner Espacios Abiertos, dispatched helicopters to drop food and supplies. A think tank with deep connections to stateside nonprofits and Puerto Ricans everywhere, CNE had quickly established the Puerto Rico Recovery Fund. Because of its reputation, CNE raised more than a million dollars in the week after the storm. They not only provided food and relief items, but also developed a multitiered distribution network of community-focused organizations. When the communities were unreachable by truck, CNE found helicopters to fly relief to them. Schools, community centers, and nongovernmental organizations quickly activated volunteers and staff to save lives in the days after the storm. The immediate emergency has passed, but many Puerto Ricans now realize how vulnerable they are. As Juan Jose Gonzalez Colon in Salinas considered the previous two months of living with his family in one small leaky room without electricity and water, he said: "We never knew how poor we were until Maria." As I traveled, I heard people say they don't simply want to recover but intend to rethink issues of energy independence, sustainability, and transparent governance. Toward that end, CNE, PECES, and many other nonprofits will continue to provide relief while also pursuing a new mission rebuilding Puerto Rico as a stronger and more prosperous place. Lori Waselchuk is a visual artist in Philadelphia who coordinates special projects, community programs, and exhibitions at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. She traveled to Puerto Rico on a commission from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. loriwaselchuk@gmail.com The statue of William Penn atop City Hall is silhouetted by the solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Read more In this year's 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther's proclamation that liberty of conscience is the proper basis for religious life holds special meaning here in Pennsylvania. Not only did the commonwealth's founder, William Penn, suffer persecution for his Quaker beliefs, but he expanded the meaning of liberty of conscience to include political life and established a colony dedicated to it. According to legend, on Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian scholar and priest, nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. He was protesting the selling of indulgences, or payments to the Catholic Church to reduce punishment for sins, the buying and selling of clerical privileges, and the accumulation of substantial wealth by the Church while many Germans were starving. Luther believed that such practices interfered with genuine repentance and discouraged people from giving to the poor. He also challenged the Catholic doctrine that salvation can only be achieved by following the sacraments and rituals of the Church. Instead, Luther, inspired by Romans 1:17, insisted that the individual could achieve salvation simply by having faith in a loving and merciful God. After being excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521, Luther stood trial, and stated publicly that he "could not accept the authority of the Pope" because his "conscience was captive only to the Word of God." It was wrong, he believed, to act against one's conscience in religious matters. With unconditional obedience to religious and political authority the norm, Luther's proclamation that liberty of conscience was the proper basis for religious life was considered subversive. But that belief laid the foundations of Protestantism, and the many religious denominations that evolved from it, including the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Quakers believe that each person possesses a divine spark, or Inner Light, which allows direct communication with God, eliminating the need for clergy. Friends also challenged the doctrines of the Anglican Church, as well as the social conventions of 17th-century England, by refusing to doff their broad-brimmed hats in the presence of royalty, to swear oaths in a court of law, or to join the military. Charged with treason or blasphemy, nearly one-third of Britain's 50,000 Quakers were persecuted for their beliefs. Penn sought to provide a refuge for Quakers and the other persecuted peoples of Europe when he established his New World colony of Pennsylvania. He made liberty of conscience the cornerstone of his "Holy Experiment," a society based on the Quaker principles of religious toleration, participatory government, and pacifism. Like Luther, Penn suffered for his fierce convictions, serving a two-year prison sentence for preaching his Quaker beliefs. During his incarceration, Penn wrote "The Great Case of Liberty of Conscience" (1670), which argues that "liberty of conscience" is not "a mere liberty of mind" but the freedom to "exercise" religion. Penn insisted that civil restraint and religious persecution carry an "evident claim of [civil] infallibility" and "enthrones man as king of conscience." Unlike Luther, who limited liberty of conscience to the Christian religion, Penn included it in the political realm. Blending religious principle with contemporary political theory, he drafted a "Charter of Liberties" for his colony that guaranteed "a voice in government, the right of trial by jury, and the liberty of conscience." Pennsylvania's first constitution of 1682 organized the government into three parts: a governor, a provincial council, and a bicameral legislature, elected by freemen, in which the upper house drafted legislation and the lower house approved or rejected it. Thus, Penn not only established the principle of popular sovereignty, but also the separation of powers and the right to worship. These innovations were adopted by the Framers of the U.S. Constitution a century later. Penn and Luther were less concerned about changing history than addressing a desperate need. Luther wanted to reform the Catholic Church from within and Penn, to provide a sanctuary for religiously and politically persecuted people. Each was a man of faith confronted by the same spiritual dilemma: how to establish a personal relationship with God that was consistent with their convictions, morals, and needs. What truly distinguished their examples, however, was an unyielding search for truth and the moral courage to act on that truth once they discovered it. Who says that history can't be inspirational? William C. Kashatus is a historian and writer. bill@historylive.net WPT Eyes Another Record Field at Five Diamond with Help of Qualifiers December 06, 2017 Valerie Cross In this 16th year of the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, the event has kicked off with a bang, on pace to surpass last year's 791 record number of entries for the event, which is still tied for the largest WPT $10,000 buyin field. With registration open until rather late on Day 2 (beginning of Level 9), PokerNews asked what it would mean to the WPT for the event to break last year's record number of entries. In the words of Angelica Hael, VP of Global Tour Management, "It would be absolutely incredible. Bellagio is a tremendous partner of the WPT, it is clear that WPT Five Diamond at Bellagio is a can't-miss event for players from all across the world." The hefty buyin, coupled with the reputation as one of the most prestigious events on the tournament circuit, means a tough, elite field. Adding to the excitement are the various opportunities available for players to qualify into the event for much less than the buyin suggests. According to Hael, these opportunities, along with some other factors, are paramount to the event's continued success. "Bellagio is an iconic, world-class venue, and Craig Lumpp and his entire team provide a great schedule of events and cash games that players love. It's also a great time to be in Las Vegas, and the poker community is in very healthy economic state right now. Those factors, in combination with Bellagio's live satellites and online qualifiers from ClubWPT and playMGMpoker, are all contributing greatly to the success of WPT Five Diamond." In addition to around 100 players who won their $10,400 Main Event seats before Day 1 for a smaller fee through one of several satellites running at the Bellagio, there are four lucky WPT qualifiers and five playMGMpoker qualifiers from New Jersey who got in for even cheaper. Four ClubWPT qualifiers have taken their seats with the world's best at the Bellagio. Two of them Bill Mynatt and Michael Evans won their seats by outlasting large fields in online qualifiers, while Rob Hearon and Jan Garner were the two winners of the King of the Club promotion earlier this year. ClubWPT Qualifiers Evans, owner of Evans Estate in Hawaii, beat out a field of 2,406 in five hours to win his seat, while long-time WPT fan Mynatt took down a 2,401-strong field after 5.5 hours of play to secure his seat. Mynatt (pictured above) talked with PokerNews during a break in the action. "I played 2,401 people, and I was the one." Mynatt said he got his seat in an online qualifier with ten-minute levels, and compared that with the 90-minute blinds in the WPT Main Event. "It's like speed poker compared to turtle poker." His goal for the trip? "To win this thing," because honestly, "If you're not there to win it, why are you there?" For starters, he was looking to be chip leader on one day of the tournament, gunning for the $5,000 bonus that comes with it. A computer tech by trade, Mynatt has been playing on ClubWPT.com for about 2.5 years and has had a "really good" last six months. In the qualifiers for this event, he got 11th, 9th, 7th and of course, first, proving quite the track record. According to Mynatt, "The trip has been wonderful." He and his wife drove from Wyoming, turning 1,000 miles into 1,400 miles with side trips, including one to see the Great Salt Lake in Utah. He had never seen it, but now he has. A trip of firsts for Mynatt, he is now getting to play alongside some of the biggest names in poker. "It's awesome. They're all really nice. Every one of them that I've asked for an autograph is like, 'yeah, yeah, not a problem.'" He was happy to get autographs from Gus Hansen and one of his favorites, Doyle Brunson the night before the event started, and is looking forward to meeting his other two favorites Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari. Getting to bust one of them or, less ideally, getting knocked out by one of them, would be the cherry on top for Mynatt. King of the Club Promotion The ClubWPT King of the Club promotion took place during January and February. Sixteen players had to win an online qualifier into one of two live King of the Club TV Finals, held at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida back in April. The two winners of those tables got their entries into the $10,400 WPT Five Diamond in Las Vegas. One of those Kings of the Club is Jan Garner. Originally from Chicago, Garner now resides in Venice, California and hosts a weekly home game. Rob Hearon is a union electrician out of Trenton, New Jersey whose foray into poker, like that of many others, can be attributed to the "Moneymaker effect," as he and his friends started playing for fun after amateur player Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event. From there, he started playing online at ClubWPT and then started playing more live events, mostly at nearby Parx Casino. For Hearon, qualifying for the WPT Five Diamond was "just an amazing run," which started on his couch at home. He played tournaments daily on ClubWPT. He qualified for the King of the Club end of the month tournament and then qualified to the live final table from there. Then, it was to Florida for the finals, where he shipped the King of the Club title. He's looking forward to seeing the final table air on FS1 pretty soon. "Just being a normal average person that just plays poker, to go on TV for the first time and win something is just amazing. It was really cool." All of these ClubWPT qualifiers are hoping to parlay their qualifying wins into a deep run in the WPT Main Event at the Bellagio. For Hearon, continued poker success that could allow him to turn his hobby into a full-time job is appealing. "I mean, you know. I'm getting older now. I'm getting tired of climbing ladders," he said with a heartfelt chuckle. On Day 1, he was playing it cool, staying patient and just trying to play his game. But his plan, first and foremost, was "to have fun, enjoy the experience, and no matter what happens, build from this." Hearon unfortunately did not make it through Day 1, but we can bet he has plenty to build on from the experience. Among the five players who won a $12,000 package to the event in one of the qualifiers on playMGMpoker in New Jersey is WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gagliano, who has five career WPT Main Event cashes including a fifth-place finish at King's Casino in the partypoker WPT Prague in 2012 for just shy of $100K. Gagliano will be looking to improve upon that finish here this week on his discounted bullet. Check back often at PokerNews for continued coverage of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. You can also follow the WPT Live Updates to keep tabs on the remaining qualifiers' progress in the event. Photos courtesy of WPT Four people suspected of firing guns from a vehicle during a funeral procession were taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Hillside, IL, after the Chicago suburbs police chief ran his SUV into the suspects vehicle following a brief chase. A 911 caller said gunfire was coming from a vehicle in the funeral procession, said Chief Joseph Lukaszek of the Hillside Police Department. Lukaszek and other responding officers attempted to pull the car over, but the chief eventually made a decision to ram his SUV into the vehicle to force it to stop. Police believe the incident was gang-related. Lukaszek said there have been previous gang problems related to funerals. At Oak Ridge Cemetery, theres a lot of gang funerals that are completely out of control, the chief told the Chicago Tribune. The four suspects have a total of more than 160 arrests among them and they remained in custody, awaiting charges, on Tuesday night. Hillsboro, OR, K-9 Billy died late Monday evening after a crash at Tualatin Valley Highway and Century Boulevard, reports the Statesman Journal. K-9 Billy (Photo: Hillsboro PD) K-9 handler Officer Cory Zaugg was westbound on TV Highway when an eastbound vehicle made a left turn onto Century, striking the patrol car, police spokesman Lt. Henry Reimann said. Zaugg had minor injuries but Billy "suffered massive trauma" and died, he said. Aeryon Labs SkyRanger sUAS Aeryon Labs SkyRanger sUAS (Photo: Aeryon Labs) The Aeryon SkyRanger sUAS airframe and integrated platform can be transported and deployed by a single operator and offers integrated payloads and software solutions with up to 50-minute flight time. This Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) sUAS enables continuous eyes-on-target, operations in confined or hard-to-reach environments, and low-risk launch and retrieval without peripheral equipment. The SkyRanger is suited for both land and maritime applications and is ideal for public safety applications. www.aeryon.com Covert Track/GPS Intel GPS Tracking and Surveillance CovertTrack Group Inc. is a surveillance solutions company specializing in GPS tracking and covert surveillance technology for law enforcement, government, and commercial applications. Surveillance systems from CovertTrack are designed for optimal concealment, while enabling investigators to covertly monitor suspect activity day and night. Devices incorporate a variety of surveillance technologies including video, audio, and GPS tracking to provide the ideal solution for every surveillance operation. www.gpsintel.com Crime Point Covert Surveillance Vehicle Camera Crime Point Covert Surveillance Vehicle Camera (Photo: Crime Point) Crime Point, a U.S.-based manufacturer of LE-exclusive surveillance technology since 2000, has engineered a new IP camera: the AntennaCam Roof-Mounted Video System, designed specifically for police surveillance vehicles. Discreet and low-profile, the 2.1MP, 1080P, low-light covert camera comes with an optional adapter for replacement of existing periscope installations. Crime Point is showcasing the AntennaCam in its 2018 Premier Surveillance Platform line, along with innovative construction, layout, and fully-integrated IP Complete Technology for manned and unmanned deployments. www.crimepoint.net The Ear Phone Connection Combi Combo Kit The Ear Phone Connection Combi Combo Kit (Photo: The Ear Phone Connection) The Combi Combo kit combines the new Combi Wireless Quick Release Adapter Receiver and Wireless PTT Button Transmitter and two of Ear Phone Connection's best-selling earpieces. The stealthy iBlend covert surveillance kit is designed for low-profile or plainclothes operations, while the company's Hawk Lapel microphone is popular for patrol. A small wireless push-to-talk button with Velcro strap can be attached where you need it: to your finger in your pocket, a pistol grip, or handlebar. The Combi Combo is versatile, serving a variety of law enforcement and security sectors. www.earphoneconnect.com FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS 233 FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS 233 (Photo: FLIR) Available with a 19mm lens, 4X digital zoom, and 12-degree field-of-view, the new FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS 233 is powered by the FLIR Boson thermal camera core for a smaller, lighter optic with increased image performance and range. Featuring on-chip video processing and an uncompressed video signal fed directly to a high-definition 1280x960 display, the FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS 233 offers improved object detection and classification in the field and clean thermal imagery in any light or through smoke, haze, and light fog. The FLIR ThermoSight Pro PTS 233 is equipped with 320x256 thermal resolution, Bluetooth 4.0 and USB-C connectivity, and user-controlled imaging palettes and image enhancement filters. Onboard recording allows for the internal storage of up to two hours of video or 1,000 JPEG images. www.flir.com Night Vision Devices BNVD-SG UL Night Vision Devices BNVD-SG UL (Photo: Night Vision Devices) The Night Vision Devices BNVD-SG UL has a "Tactical Monocular Cutoff" that turns off power to each channel of the monocular whenever a channel is rotated up out of the user's line of sight. This eliminates stray light flashing the user's helmet, which could reveal the user to anyone else in the area. The BNVD-SG UL is available with an optional battery pack, which holds 3 "AA" Alkaline batteries for runtimes exceeding 50 hours. Like all other NVD products, the BNVD-SG UL also features the company's 10-year warranty. http://nvdevices.com Sirchie LowCam VI110 Video UVIS System Sirchie LowCam VI110 Video UVIS System (Photo: Sirchie) Sirchie's LowCam VI110 UVIS is a lightweight, portable solution for under-vehicle inspection. Its undercarriage imaging combines the benefits of multi-camera view images and real-time video playback. The system also features embedded front and rear license plate recognition and is available with Foreign object Detection (FoD), like largest and more expensive UVIS systems. The VI110 is ideal for high-security installations with frequent repeat traffic. Armed with LPR and database integration, it identifies a returning vehicle, accesses its most-recent inspection, presents a side-by-side comparison view, and silently alerts personnel to a potential threatall in real time and from a safe standoff position. www.sirchie.com Tactical Electronics Core Pole Camera Tactical Electronics Core Pole Camera (Photo: Tactical Electronics) The Core Pole Camera is part of Tactical Electronics' Core product line for tactical inspections. The system is completely modular and allows you to attach four different camera necks to a Core grip or Pole grip. Video from all Core cameras is streamed wirelessly (5 GHz) to any Core monitor over an AES encrypted channel. This telescoping HD pole camera combines extreme lowlight sensitivity with thermal fusion technology to provide enhanced detail and definition. The camera is attached to a telescoping Pole Grip, available in both 10-foot and 17-foot lengths. Poles are constructed of high-density graphite, feature locking extensions, and collapse to under 4 feet for easy deployment and stowing. An omni-directional microphone gives you the option to record audio and video onto a 32 GB micro SD card. The Core Pole Camera is powered by three CR123 batteries and delivers a runtime of 2.5 hours. www.tacticalelectronics.com Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Rachel Maddow explains why the Deutsche Bank subpoena is the great investigative leap forward that should terrify Trump. Video: Maddow said, You know what? That said, Handelsblatt isnt changing reporters and routers was the first to pick up on the story. Reuters updated the headline, neither them nor Bloomberg changed the reporting despite the White House lawyers young about it. If the money laundering money, Deutsche Bank is handing over records of the president and people near him, this is the next great leap in this scandal. This is where you get to when you follow the money. Which is how these things always get sold. And the presidents lawyers are being a little nutty about this. Like they have been a number of things since the Flynn scandal broke. Are they just being nutty? Are they only correcting part of this? Are we sure these subpoenas have happened? Why are some news outlets changing their stories about this today and others sticking with it, sticking with their original reporting? This is really, really, really important and stuff is getting weird just as fast as its getting interesting. The Deutsche Bank subpoena is huge because it shows that the investigation is broader than collusion or Russian interference in the election. The investigation is about potential illegal acts committed by Trump, his campaign, and his administration. In all investigations, it is important to follow the money, but with Donald Trump, his entire life has revolved around money and a perception of wealth, so the financial records will reveal all to Robert Mueller. From the refusal to release his tax returns to the Presidents threat to fire Mueller if he investigates his finances, Trump has planted big red flags around his financial dealings. Maddow was right. This is a giant leap forward, and it is another sign that the investigation is increasingly focused on Donald Trump. The White House was already paranoid and scared, but Trump will likely take to Twitter to reveal the depth of his terror. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print MSNBCs Ari Melber highlighted the case of Summer Zervos who is suing Trump for defamation after he called her a liar when accused him of sexual assault. Video: A former contestent The Apprentice, Summer Zervos accused Trump of kissing her and grabbing her breast. After Trump called Zervos a liar, she sued him, and her lawyers subpoenaed the Trump campaign for all documents about any woman who accused Trump of touching them inappropriately. Russia is rightly dominating the Trump scandal headlines, but the scandal flying under the radar involves the accusations of sexual assault against the President. There is a reason why Trump is floating a conspiracy theory that it is not really his voice on the Access Hollywood tape. Trump sees other men like himself losing everything each day because of their behavior towards women. Trump has a lot of skeletons buried in his closet, but the one that could do the swiftest and most immediate damage to him is a defamation lawsuit that very few are discussing. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print With new polls showing that accused sexual predator Judge Roy Moore has regained the lead in the Alabama senatorial race, some Republicans are scrambling to avoid having their party remembered as the one who put an alleged pedophile in office. One of them is Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, who tweeted a photo of a $100 check made out to the campaign of Moores opponent, Democrat Doug Jones. Country over party, he wrote in the tweet accompanying the picture; the same phrase could be seen in the memo section of his donation check. Country over Party pic.twitter.com/JZMTaEYdxQ Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) December 5, 2017 On Monday, Flake agreed with a tweet by former Republican Governor Mitt Romney saying an election win for Moore would be a huge blow to the GOPs reputation. 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, Romney wrote. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity. .@MittRomney is right, Flake tweeted in response. A Roy Moore victory is no victory for the GOP and the nation. While many Republicans condemned Moore after the Washington Post published a report of the numerous allegations of sexual assault against him in early November, Flake has refused to support Moore from the beginning. A guy who says that a Muslim member of Congress shouldnt be able to serve? Thats not right, Flake said in October, referencing an op-ed titled Muslim Ellison Should Not Sit In Congress Moore wrote in 2006 about Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison. Trump, on the other hand, decided to explicitly endorse Moore on Monday in a set of morning tweets. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print K.T. McFarland, Trumps nominee for the Singapore ambassador position, lied when she testified to having no knowledge of Mike Flynns communication with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. In July, McFarlands nomination was put in jeopardy after legislators questioned how much information she had of the December 29 phone conversation the two men had. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker asked McFarland in writing about the matter. McFarlands response was, I am not aware of any of the issues or events described above. However, the New York Times published a report on Saturday describing emails written by McFarland that the paper obtained proving that she had indeed known about the call: As part of the outreach, Ms. McFarland wrote, Mr. Flynn would be speaking with the Russian ambassador, Mr. Kislyak, hours after Mr. Obamas sanctions were announced. Key will be Russias response over the next few days, Ms. McFarland wrote in an email to another transition official, Thomas P. Bossert, now the presidents homeland security adviser. The message quoted in the report was part of a conversation on how to maintain a good rapport with Russia after former President Obama implemented new sanctions in retaliation for their interference in the 2016 election, which the FBI, CIA, and NSA have all concluded took place. McFarland has yet to respond to reporters questions on the new revelation. Image: Fox Business Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Deutsche Bank didnt just get subpoenaed by Robert Mueller. Theyve been sending records of Trumps financial dealings to the Special Counsel for weeks. The Financial Times reported: A person with direct knowledge of the German banks actions told the Financial Times the production of Trump-related documents had begun several weeks ago. Deutsche could not hand over client information without a subpoena, said a second person with direct knowledge of the subpoena. Its helpful to be ordered to do so. Trump has done everything possible to hide his financial records. During Tuesdays White House briefing, Press Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that Trump has no plans to release his tax returns: Sarah Sanders says that she's "not aware of any plan" for Trump to release his tax returns to show how the GOP tax bill would affect him personally, despite Trump claiming he wouldn't benefit from it. (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/KaMtCllaBa Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 5, 2017 Trumps days of hiding his financial information are just about over. Between the Mueller investigation and the possibility of a Democratically controlled Congress, the walls are quickly closing in on the President. Whatever Trump and his family have been trying to hide, Mueller is going to get, and what those records could show is the depth, scope, and potentially illegal dealings that characterize the Trump/Russia relationship. This is Donald Trumps worst nightmare, and it all unfolding because he fired James Comey. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Sen. Al Frankens office has scheduled an announcement for Thursday with all signs pointing toward the Minnesota Senator announcing his resignation. After a seventh accuser came forward, support for Franken among his Democratic colleagues collapsed. The current number of Senators who have called on him to resign is 18 and growing. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, I just learned of the latest, disturbing allegation against Senator Franken. While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Frankens situation has become untenable. I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. He has to step aside. I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systemic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said, Today, I am calling on my colleague Al Franken to step aside. Ive struggled with this decision because hes been a good Senator and I consider him a friend. But that cannot excuse his behavior and his mistreatment of women. TIME Magazine, by naming The Silence Breakers as their Person of the Year, is recognizing what women have always known: there are men among us who use their positions of power and influence to manipulate, harass, and assault women. What is new here is the women. We are, all of us, speaking out, naming names and demanding that the harassers take responsibility for their behavior. I am proud of each of the women who has come forward, and heartened by the changing climate that has received their stories with acceptance and compassion. My hope is that this moment for a cultural change will result in women no longer being viewed as objects or toys, but recognized for their abilities and achievements. As regular human beings. Women have endured this behavior, which for too long has been ignored and tolerated. But no longer. We can only create a culture where women are respected as equals if we all step forward and be part of the change by holding everyone, especially our leaders, accountable. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said it best, I am deeply disappointed by Senator Frankens behavior. He must step aside. To all those across America who have come forward to share their stories over the past few months: thank you. Your courage and strength in driving this long-overdue national conversation is awe-inspiring. As national leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standardand we must lead by example to ensure every person is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. This isnt about Democrats or Republicans, its about our society. Its about who we are as a people and the kind of country we want our daughtersand our sonsto grow up in. Just because you may politically agree with someone, does not mean that you really know them. Politicians all cultivate false faces and images. Sen. Franken has apologized, taken responsibility, but never really denied the allegations. Democrats need to look no further than the Republican Party to see what happens when a party turns a blind eye to morals and principles. Republicans are destroying their party by keeping Trump and Roy Moore. Whether you believe that Franken should resign or not, Democrats arent sacrificing their principles for partisanship. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The question of what Russia was supposed to get in return for helping Trump win the election was answered today as a bombshell text from Mike Flynn to a business partner promised to rip up the Obama sanctions on Russia as one of Flynns first orders of business. The New York Times reported that Flynn texted a business partner who he had a deal with to build nuclear power plants in Russia: The letter went on to say that Mr. Copson explained that General Flynn was making sure that sanctions would be ripped up as one of his first orders of business and that this would allow money to start flowing into the project. Now we know what Russia was supposed to get from Trump in return for putting him in the White House. Trump was supposed to lift the sanctions which start the graft and cash flowing to Trumps deeply Russia connected inner circle. The big question of why did Russia help Trump has an answer. Russia got Trump elected so that he could lift the sanctions and everyone could make oodles of money. Money is why Trump doesnt want Special Counsel Mueller looking at his finances. Cold hard cash was the motivator behind the greatest crime ever committed against democracy. If Trump made a deal with Russia to lift the sanctions in exchange for the White House, his presidency is over. It doesnt matter if he rattles around in the Oval Office until 2020, Trumps presidency will be effectively finished. The end is getting closer to Trump, as Mike Flynn is filling in all the blanks that will lead to this presidents downfall. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Richard Blumenthal, the senator of Connecticut, says that there is a credible case against Donald Trump for obstruction of justice. In an interview with CNNs Wolf Blitzer, Blumenthal laid out the numerous reasons special counsel Robert Mueller could charge the president for attempting to put an end to the investigation into whether he colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election: Theres a credible case of obstruction of justice, and his acknowledgement in a tweet over the weekend that he knew Michael Flynn had lied when he fired Jim Comey, when he asked Comey to go lightly on Flynn, when he fired Sally Yates, when he reached out to Dan Coats and and asked the intelligence community to, in effect, dispense with its investigation. There is mounting available publicly evidence that, in fact, Donald Trump should be investigated for obstruction of justice and that there is a credible case against him. And so, its the principle of follow the money. The subpoena for Deutsche Bank today is extremely important from the special counsel, because it indicates that he is pursuing the possibility that those loans from Deutsche Bank to Donald Trump $364 million from Deutsche Bank to Donald Trump some of it involved in building that hotel and renovating it in Washington, may be involved in this issue. Though Trumps legal team has denied that Deutsche Bank received a subpoena from Mueller, Blumenthal argued that if it hasnt happened yet, it will inevitably happen eventually. There are reliable reports of a subpoena, the senator said. If it isnt today, its likely to be forthcoming because of that principle: follow the money. Deutsche Bank itself is involved in an investigation by the Department of Justice about $10 billion of possible money laundering, some of it involving Russian assets. So there are various connections involving Russian assets, loans to Donald Trump, an investigation by the Department of Justice of Deutsche Bank that connect these threads and thats very important. Sen. Blumenthal: There is a credible case of obstruction of justice against Donald Trump https://t.co/va0XeycziY https://t.co/757w4PPEPx The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) December 5, 2017 Trumps legal team is reportedly in disarray after former national security advisor Mike Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his talks with Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to D.C., during the campaign. After Trump reacted to the news by publishing a tweet that implicated him for obstruction of justice by admitting that he knew about Flynns lies, his lawyer John Dowd claimed to have been the one who wrote the tweet. Things got worse after Dowd argued that a president cant be guilty of obstruction of justice. As Mueller continues to dig, its clear that the walls are closing in on the president and his cohorts. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print At least six female Democratic senators have asked Minnesota Senator Al Franken to step down following a new POLITICO report of a congressional aide alleging that he once tried to forcibly kiss her. Accusations of sexual misconduct against Franken first came to light in mid-November after radio broadcaster and TV host Leeann Tweeden wrote about Franken groping and forcibly kissing her in 2006. Franken has responded to the allegations by apologizing and insisting that hell learn from his mistakes, but has repeatedly said he has no intentions of resigning. In a lengthy Facebook post, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged Franken to renounce his position. While Senator Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isnt acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve, she wrote. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill simply tweeted, Al Franken should resign. In a series of tweets, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, California Senator Kamala Harris, New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan, and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin also took to Twitter to call for his resignation. Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere, Harris said. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down. Today, I am calling on my colleague Al Franken to step aside, Hirono wrote. Ive struggled with this decision because hes been a good Senator and I consider him a friend. But that cannot excuse his behavior and his mistreatment of women. She went on to discuss the importance of holding sexual assaulters and harassers accountable for their actions and making them face consequences. Like McCaskill, Baldwins message was short and to the point: I believe it is best for Senator Franken to resign. Hassan said, It is clear that Al Franken has engaged in a pattern of egregious and unacceptable behavior toward women. He should resign. We are experiencing a change in our culture that is long overdue, and we must continue working to empower all women and do everything we can to prevent sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault. In addition to the six women, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey was part of the list of Democrats asking him to get out of Congress. I agree with my colleagues who have stepped forward today and called on Senator Franken to resign, he said. We cant just believe women when its convenient. The cold temps might be slowing things down a bit in the Med City, but real estate is still moving. Here are a couple of the latest deals: Dentist Dr. Ryan Henrichsen made a commercial real estate investment in an industry that he knows well. Henrichsen, who works at Gentling Dental Care, purchased the building that houses Rochester Dental Health at 5039 W. Frontage Road US 52 NW for $1.1 million. He purchased it from retired Dentist Dr. Charlie Smith. Henrichsen explained his choice to become a landlord by saying, "It's a good location. Dr. Smith built a great practice there. It's a good investment." ADVERTISEMENT A collection of condominiums in northwest Rochester sold for $950,000 on Tuesday. The Guider Group Northern Valley LLC of Minnetonka purchased the Crown Apartments at 2850 59th St. NW from the top owner of Rochester apartments, Investors Real Estate Trust of North Dakota. The apartment community was built in 2001 and has 50 units. While IRET was the seller in this deal, it remains one of the top owners of Rochester apartments, with 13 properties with more than 1,700 units. Its holdings include Quarry Ridge, Avalon Cove, Cascade Shores, Olympik Village and Sunset Trail. --- Biz buzz Lumen Coffee turned on the lights this week and started pouring coffee for first time at 3550 55th St. N.W., the former Snappy Stop drive-thru burger booth. Owner Bryce Fogelson launched the new business with a menu featuring espresso and a variety of coffee drinks and basic breakfast items. ADVERTISEMENT He is leasing the space in the compact 480-square-foot building, tucked between Discount Tire and Affinity Credit Union in front of the Northwest Plaza shopping complex. ALBERT LEA An independent health-care consultant from Tennessee may have just dumped a can of kerosene on the fiery debate that's surrounded Mayo Clinic's plan to consolidate services in Albert Lea since it was announced in June. John Maher, executive vice president of Quorum Health Services, told a crowd of more than 200 people that he believes a full-service, acute-care hospital is feasible in Albert Lea, which runs contrary to what Mayo officials have argued for months. That determination was made following two months of crunching numbers after being hired for $75,000 by the city, county and Save Our Hospital. He laid out his data and findings for more than an hour Tuesday night at Albert Lea High School. No questions were allowed, but the Albert Lea City Council and Freeborn County Board which both sat in the front row are expected to discuss Maher's findings next week at their regular meetings. Another community forum has tentatively been scheduled for Dec. 14 after elected officials have been able to digest Maher's 70-page report, which is expected to be posted on the city's website Wednesday morning. "We do think a (full-service, acute-care) hospital can be successful here, but it requires flawless execution of these other pieces," said Maher, whose national company has been operating for more than 40 years while currently managing 80 hospitals in 36 states. "It can be done." ADVERTISEMENT Maher's declaration prompted cheers from the partisan crowd, but his final recommendations were tempered by a number of significant caveats. Perhaps most significantly, the community will need to find a capital partner or second provider willing to lay out up to $80 million to either acquire the hospital or build a new one; four providers have currently shown interest. If that hurdle is cleared, it would then need to take a "significant market share" away from Mayo's current service territory to be economically viable. Additionally, Freeborn County qualifies as a Federally Qualified Health Center, which could help recruit physicians to the rural community; Mayo says recruitment and retention have been an ongoing issue at the rural facility. Mayo reaffirms commitment to Albert Lea Mayo has routinely said lack of providers, reduced demand for inpatient services, and financial losses among other things are the main drivers of its consolidation plan to move most inpatient services to its Austin campus. However, officials have always maintained that the move is necessary to remain viable in the changing health-care landscape. Ginger Plumbo affirmed Mayo's commitment to the Albert Lea and Austin communities almost immediately after Maher's presentation was finished. "Over the past several months, we have heard the concerns from our community, and the questions that we continue to receive and respond to are important," Plumbo said via email. "The facts are that we remain committed to our patients, our employees, and the people of Albert Lea and Austin. We are honored to be this community's longtime health-care provider, and we intend to be here to care for future generations. "While it is not Mayo Clinic's decision as to whether other providers come to Albert Lea, we are not interested in leaving Albert Lea, and therefore the medical center is not for sale." The Minnesota Corn Growers Association will again provide grants for farmers who propose innovative conservation ideas on how to reduce nitrate loss, improve soil health and protect water quality. "We allocated $75,000 to the program two years ago, and we funded $39,000 out of that," said Paul Meints, senior research director for the MCGA. "Last year, we allocated $255,000, and actually funded $223,000, funding 23 projects." This year, $300,000 will be available for the MCGA's Innovation Grant Program. Requests for proposals continue through Dec. 15, Meints said. Those proposals will then be evaluated by the team to weed out any that don't meet the standards set by the program. Projects will then be selected by March 1 and funded on April 1, he said. Projects are funded at $7,000 per proposal. Meints said the priority of the program is to focus on improved methods of nitrogen management. ADVERTISEMENT "Nitrogen is constantly in front of the public as an issue," he said. "Cover crops have been part of this from the beginning." Farmers who submit test plans for nitrogen management are trying options such as mid-season cover crops, split nitrogen application, and techniques for holding water longer in the field such as tillage and tiling management. And programs run the gamut from types of nitrogen including synthetic fertilizers in all forms and natural fertilizers. "In some cases we are repeating these proposals," Meints said. The idea is to get multiple years of data from the same test, allowing for a more academic-type analysis. Brian Ryberg is in his second year in the program. The owner of Ryberg Farms near Buffalo Lake plans to plant about 1,250 acres in corn this spring using the nitrogen control method he tried on about 500 acres this summer. "We use a mix of cereal rye, annual rye, turnips, radish and brassica," Ryberg said. "We think the job of the cover crop is to scavenge the excess nitrogen the corn is not using. It's not taking anything from the corn plant, but it's taking what's left." Ryberg tested his theory this year and compared the yield in the test acres against control acres. The results were the highest corn yields he's seen, and better yields than the acres not in the cover crop test. The cover crops grow to about a foot, he said, and stop once the sunlight gets blocked by the taller corn. After harvest, the cover crops are left in the field, the the nitrogen in them is held in the soil for next year, he said. Meints said that the main purpose of the program is to conduct experiments in nitrogen management, but the hope is those experiments also lead to lower costs of doing business and better yields. ADVERTISEMENT "This is going to be, as much as a commodity group can say perpetual, a working program for us," Meints said. "Our production stewardship team is invested in this going forward." In six short years since it was founded by 18-year-old Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA has become a powerful force on Americas college campuses, with over 1,200 chapters across the country. Turning Point promotes free market, limited government policies in a fun, aggressive manner that is attuned to young people. Tonight Charlie Kirk gave a speech at the University of Minnesota, sponsored by the TPUSA chapter there. My wife and I attended, along with our youngest daughter and a couple of her friends. Security was tight, apparently because of threats from liberals. There were at least eight or ten police officers guarding the venue, and you had to register in advance to be admitted. Needless to say, whatever violence had been threatened failed to materialize, and there were not even any protesters. It takes commitment to protest outdoors on a December night in Minnesota. Despite the limitations imposed by security requirements, the crowd was good. Kirk covered some of the basic points of TPUSAs philosophypro-free enterprise, pro-America, anti-socialismand then threw the program open for an extensive questions and answer session. Sitting directly in front of us were a pair of Communists: The guy on the right wore a t-shirt that said Marxist.com. It turns out that there is such a web site. During the Q and A, Kirk, who loves to debate Communists, engaged in an extensive colloquy with this guy. It was not a fair fight, as Mr. Marxist.com was a sad specimen even by Socialist standards. He turned out to be an exponent of a rare form of Communism that starts from the premise that Lenin was murdered. Apparently there was a brief shining moment during the Russian Civil War when real Communism existed, but it was quickly snuffed out. By the time this guy was done, I felt sorry for him. As the evening went on, I tried to put myself in the place of the Minneapolis and University of Minnesota police officers in attendance. Here was a speaker who thinks America is a great country; who believes in individual freedom and the Bill of Rights; who argues that our free enterprise system is good, while Communism is bad. And he is so controversial that he must be protected from violence by armed guards. I can only assume that the officers in attendance found this mystifying. The college students, on the other hand, know how the deck is stacked. A footnote: when the event was concluded, quite a few kids lined up to have their pictures taken with Charlie Kirk. One of them told Charlie that he had put up a poster promoting the event in his dorm, and in response someone sent out an email to the effect that displaying the poster was a racist hate crime. The punch line, of course, is that the kid who put up the poster is African-American. This is a snapshot, one of countless such vignettes, of the battle that is being fought every day in our colleges and universities. The situation is, as we all know, grim. But Turning Point is worth keeping your eye on. It offers a beacon of sanity to our college kids. Andrew Weissmann is Robert Muellers top assistant in the Russia probe. He is also a member of the anti-Trump resistance. This is no longer a suspicion. We know its true because Judicial Watch obtained an email Weissmann sent to fellow resistance member Sally Yates after she refused to comply with President Trumps order to issue a travel ban. Weissmann gushed: I am so proud. And in awe. Thank you so much. All my deepest respects. Of course Weissmann was proud. Refusal by a government functionary to carry out a presidential order is a quintessential act of resistance. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton calls Weissmanns email an astonishing and disturbing finding. Well, disturbing anyway. Im not astonished. Weissmanns praise reflects the view of many liberal lawyers in Washington, D.C. I bet its shared widely within Muellers team. In any case, its clear that Muellers right hand man is a blatant anti-Trump partisan. His presence on Muellers team compromises the integrity, if any, of that operation. To make matters worse, Sally Yates, the resistance member Weissmann holds in awe, figures in the investigation Muellers team has conducted. Shes the one who, according to her testimony to Congress, informed White House Counsel Don McGahn that Michael Flynn had made untrue statements about his talks with the Russian ambassador, and discussed with McGahn possible criminal prosecution of Flynn. Yates alleged statement was relevant to Muellers investigation of Flynn. He was, after all, prosecuted for making what Yates deemed false statements, just as Yates says she warned he might be. More importantly, Yates alleged report to the White House Counsel might be relevant to an investigation of President Trump. Andy McCarthy has written: The day after firing Flynn, Trump had the White House meeting at which according to the testimony of former FBI director James Comey Trump pressured Comey to drop the Flynn investigation. . . .Thus, if Trump knew that Flynn had lied to the FBI, he was asking Comey to drop a case against someone he knew had committed a crime. But if Trump didnt know at that time that Flynn had lied (or that he might have lied) to the FBI, then he wasnt asking Comey to drop a case against someone he knew (or believed) had committed a crime. Big difference. Yates, then, might become an important witness in an investigation for alleged obstruction of justice by the president. Her veracity might be pivotal. It might also be contested. Major Garrett of CBS News reports that sources with direct knowledge say that Yates never told the White House Counsel what she testified she told him regarding Flynns legal jeopardy. Yates can take comfort that her veracity will be judged by a team whose number 2 guy (and likely other members) holds her in awe. Late last week on a whirlwind visit to Washington DC I sat down with Jonah Goldberg to tape an episode of his new podcast, The Remnant, which title was inspired by Albert Jay Nocks classic essay Isaiahs Job. Nock was a wonderful stylist, and an early libertarian (William F. Buckleys earliest informal tutor in many ways), and if youve never read his Memoirs of a Superfluous Man, add it to your reading pile and prepare for an enjoyable time. Our conversation ranges widely from the problems with universities today, to the problems with Trump, and finally to a little bit of decoding of Leo Strauss, though I did not reveal the secret handshake to Jonah, because who knows if it is actually a handshake at all? It only occurred to me afterward that there is a parallel of sorts between Nocks idea of the Remnant and the Strausss insight into esoteric writing and the controversies about Straussian dispositions toward democracy. The libertarian Nock thinks of the Remnant as a self-conscious prophetic elite, as opposed to the masses. Like this: The line of differentiation between the masses and the Remnant is set inevitably by quality, not by circumstance. The Remnant are those who by force of intellect are able to comprehend these principles [of the humane life], and by force of character are able, at least measurably, to cleave to them; the masses are those who are unable to do either. Well this argument could be played out a long way, but thats enough for now. Heres a link to the Ricochet posting of the podcast, which I encourage you to download and play backwards, where all the secrets are revealed: Behind Enemy Lines. In simultaneously published articles on December 2, the New York Times and the Washington Post each reported that former top FBI official Peter Strzok had been removed from Special Counsel Robert Muellers team. The Times and the Post attributed their stories to usual unnamed people briefed on the matter. Here I want to offer a few notes on a big story whose relevant facts continue to remain almost entirely out of view. 1. The simultaneous publication of anonymously sourced stories by the Times and the Post suggests the management of a big scandal. It reminds me of nothing so much as Lois Lerners management of the May 2013 admission that the IRS had been targeting Tea Party groups. Lerners extraordinarily misleading admission had the object of exculpating IRS management from misconduct that could no longer be denied. By the same token, one can see scandal management on the face of the Timess Strzok story (Immediately upon learning of the allegations, the special counsels office removed Peter Strzok from the investigation, said a spokesman for the special counsels office). 2. Strzok served as Muellers lead investigator until his departure from Muellers team in August. ABC News originally reported Strzoks departure on August 16. No reason was given for his exit. Why was the story leaked now? 3. The story appears to have been leaked now because the FBI has been cornered by Rep. Devin Nuenes and his colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee into producing the text messages in which Strzok expressed his partisanship in favor of Hillary Clinton and his animus against then candidate Donald Trump. The FBI has been stonewalling Congress like a perpetrator concealing evidence of his guilt. What is the FBI hiding? 4. Strzok had served as a senior FBI counterintelligence official and a trusted lieutenant of former FBI Director James Comey. He worked on the investigation of Hillary Clinton in which Comey seized control of the prosecutorial decisions and rendered his get-out-of-jail free passes in July 2016. 5. The current stories report that Strzok has been reassigned to the FBIs human resources department. This must be something like removal to one of the FBIs Alaska field offices. I take it that he is in the FBI doghouse, big league. 6. Strzoks removal and reassignment are attributed to his text messages to FBI lawyer Lisa Page. Page also worked on Muellers team. ABC News reported Page left Muellers team a few weeks before Strzoks departure. 7. Strzok and Page were extramarital lovers. Strzok is married. The Post refers to their relationship as problematic. The texting apparently took place in the context of their intimate relationship. 8. At the FBI, all roads lead to Strzok. Strzok had served as a trusted lieutenant of former FBI Director James Comey. He had a big hand in the FBIs investigation of Hillary Clinton and came up with the characterization of Clintons use of a private server as extraordinarily careless rather than grossly negligent. (I think these phrases are synonymous.) He had a hand in the FBIs questioning of Michael Flynn. He moved on to Muellers team. He is a key figure in every matter roiling the agency. Paul Sperry takes up the intersecting stories in which Strzok appears as a principal in his New York Post column today. See also Gregg Jarretts excellent Fox News column covering much the same ground. 9. Strzoks text messages are the reason given for his removal from Muellers team. Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz brought the text messages to light in the course of an investigation that the Times vaguely describes: The inspector generals office at the Justice Department said that as part of a larger inquiry it was conducting into how the F.B.I. had handled investigations related to the 2016 election, the office was reviewing allegations involving communications between certain individuals, and will report its findings regarding those allegations promptly upon completion of the review of them. 10. None of the stories pause to ask why the Inspector General have sought Strzoks text messages in the first place. What is going on here? As the Times notes, FBI regulations allow an agent to express his opinions as an individual privately and publicly on political subjects and candidates. 11. A law enforcement source writes to observe that the Inspector General would not be able to access the private text message communications of an FBI official as senior and prominent as Strzok unless he had good cause to do so. What was this cause? 12. He adds: Reviewing an agents private text messages is not an investigative action which is entered into lightly unless the situation is serious. I cannot think of a situation where you would find the IGs office looking at your private text messages unless you, or someone you were communicating with, is in big, big trouble. There is something very, very shady going on here with the IGs investigation of Strzok.why the IG was investigating him in the first place is much more interesting. Todays New York Post cover story (Fix Be In) focusing on Strzok quotes Rep. Peter King saying that the House had been tipped off to Strzok. One wonders if we will ever get to the bottom of what looks like a bottomless story. Democratic support for the tenure of Minnesota Senator Al Franken in office died on the vine today. First Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stepped forward to call for Frankens resignation. Her call was followed by other Democratic women senators with the exception of his colleague Amy Klobuchar, whose help was unnecessary to the task at hand. However, she had been among the first Senators to call for Frankens case to be remitted to the Senate Ethics Committee. It wouldnt be Minnesota nice for her to pile on now. Some two dozen Democratic Senators have called for Frankens resignation. Frankens response is to be announced tomorrow. The dam broke this morning with Heather Caygles Politico report of the latest accusation against Franken, this one courtesy of a former congressional aide who had the misfortune of crossing paths with him in 2006. When Franken sought to perfect his involuntary French kiss technique, she ducked. She quoted Franken telling her: Its my right as an entertainer. Politico has protected the identity of the accuser. I wonder if they found the quote self-authenticating. Who could make that up? On the other hand, for Franken that is an uncharacteristically funny comment. Franken categorically denies the story, but Frankens colleagues have had enough. He didnt have much in the way of personal capital with them to begin with; he is a jerk. They have come to realize that he is expendable. At this points his costs vastly outweigh his benefits. Indeed, he has become all cost and no benefit. Governor Mark Dayton will appoint a reliable Democratic replacement without Frankens baggage. Democrats have prepared the battle space to contest Roy Moore and President Trump. As far as the Democrats are concerned, its time for Franken to go. UPDATE: Yet another victim of Franken has stepped forward, this one speaking at the Atlantic under her own name Tina Dupuy: I believe Frankens accusers because he groped me, too. Tomorrow, President Trump will speak publicly about the status of Jerusalem. During the campaign, he promised to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israels capital, which is required by law unless the president issues a waiver on national security groundsas every president has done since the law was passed. Apparently U.S. officials are telling reporters that Trump will say Jerusalem is Israels capital, a much more modest step that nevertheless is causing consternation. The Associated Press, for example, headlines: Trump forges ahead on Jerusalem-as-capital despite warnings. Is that a classic AP headline, or what? There is no doubt about whose side the AP is on! As always, it isnt Trumps. President Donald Trump forged ahead Tuesday with plans to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. Trump also told the leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan in phone calls that he intends to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It remains unclear, however, when he might take that physical step, which is required by U.S. law but has been waived on national security grounds for more than two decades. *** U.S. officials familiar with his planning said he would declare Jerusalem as Israels capital, a rhetorical volley that could have its own dangerous consequences. The hand-wringing continues for another 18 paragraphs. The Associated Press apparently considers leaders of the Arab world the definitive authorities on the location of Israels capital: Any U.S. declaration on Jerusalems status, ahead of a peace deal, would harm peace negotiation process and escalate tension in the region, Saudi Arabias King Salman told Trump Tuesday, according to a Saudi readout of their telephone conversation. Declaring Jerusalem as Israels capital, the king said, would constitute a flagrant provocation to all Muslims, all over the world. *** Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, the head of the Arab League, urged the U.S. to reconsider any recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, warning of repercussions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Parliament such recognition was a red line and that Turkey could respond by cutting diplomatic ties with Israel. One is tempted to say that the Arabs are entitled to their opinions, but even that isnt correct. The location of Israels capital is a question of fact, not opinion, and it is up to Israel. The Arabs may not like it, but Jerusalem is Israels capital: the Knesset is in Jerusalem, the Supreme Court is in Jerusalem, the Prime Ministers office and official residence are in Jerusalem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and most other government offices are in Jerusalem. To deny that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel is as silly as denying that Paris is the capital of France. The Arabs have been indulged in their demands, even when those demands are delusional, for far too long. The least President Trump can do is to acknowledge the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It would help, too, if the Associated Press and other news outlets would do the same. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Executive Assistant with Norwegian wygaso z dniem 2018-02-03 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Devire Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia ogoszenia to: oferta zozona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszych zasobow rekruter zakonczy proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc pracownikow zleceniodawca zmodyfikowa tresc ogoszenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych bedny adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Administracja biurowa, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Administracja biurowa Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Executive Assistant with Norwegian, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Executive Assistant with Norwegian Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Poznan, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Poznan Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: A rally with dozens of Democratic leaders and hundreds of police officers and firefighters from around the state was aimed at stopping passage of new legislation that has yet to even be introduced. The rally was to let GOP lawmakers, who control the Michigan House and Senate, know that reducing their health care benefits, which were collectively bargained, is not the way to fix the roughly $17.6 billion shortfall in retiree health care and pension plans across communities in the state. After more than a decade of underfunded revenue sharing, its no wonder Michigans local governments are struggling, state Rep. Erika Geiss (D-12th District) said. But to propose that these municipalities should make up for that shortfall by taking away the health care benefits that our police and firefighters have earned is simply unconscionable. Our first responders deserve a secure and dignified retirement, and the way to make our local governments whole is to fully fund revenue sharing, not attacking benefits for municipal employees like our police officers and firefighters. Echoing her thoughts is state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn). Over the last 17 years, Michigan has taken away almost $9 billion in revenue sharing from local governments, Hammoud said. Now, communities across the state are struggling to meet their obligations to the first responders that have kept them safe. Instead of helping local governments recover that lost money, Republicans are suggesting that we slash police and firefighter retiree benefits. Such attempts are disrespectful to their service and go against the commitments the state made to them. It is both very disturbing and hypocritical for some legislators to utilize every opportunity they can to take their photo with our first responders, but then attempt to gut their retirement benefits behind their backs in closed-door meetings. We must provide the ability for police, firefighters and municipal employees to retire with the freedom and dignity that they have earned. Gov. Rick Snyder has talked recently about the $10.1 billion in retiree health care and the $7.5 billion in unfunded pensions across municipalities in Michigan. While the police and fire unions agree that something needs to be done, they say taking away negotiated rights isnt the correct path. The expected legislation is thought to be similar to a bill package that failed last year. After that failure, Snyder called for a task force to look into the issue and report back. (The rally) emphasizes how important it will be for employees, retirees, local governments and the entire public to have input on legislation going forward, state Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Twp.) said. We already know that our state government has been underfunding local governments for years. It is time for the state to bear its responsibility for billions of dollars in shortfalls. A transparent and accessible process that accepts the recommendations of the governors task force must be a part of any conversation about retirees health care and pensions. I will oppose any legislation that falls short of these expectations and jeopardizes the secure retirement first responders deserve. That task force estimates that most cities spend about 20 percent of revenue paying for retired workers. How to fix that issue is the crux of the fight between the state and public safety workers at the moment. LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP As the school district continues to grapple with a roofing project gone awry, Pinelands Regional Superintendent Maryann Banks has submitted her letter of resignation. The Pinelands Board of Education at its Monday meeting accepted Banks resignation effective Dec. 15, according to school board President Susan Ernst, of Little Egg Harbor. Banks declined to comment Wednesday. Speaking for herself only, Ernst said the news of Banks departure has taken a toll on her. I am saddened by the resignation. I am angry that it has come to this and feel that she is, as I stated in public, the best weve had in a decade, Ernst said. Banks, of Toms River, was hired for the 2016-17 school year as the interim superintendent, replacing Robert Blake, who resigned in 2016. Banks also has served as interim superintendent in Hamilton Township and Little Egg Harbor. From 2009 until her retirement in 2012, she was the school superintendent in Vineland and, according to state data, earned a salary of $165,444. Per her interim contract, now in its second year, Banks earns a daily rate of $670 not to exceed $174,689. Banks contract was set to expire in June 2018, and state law mandates she cannot serve for more than two years in any interim position. Meanwhile, the district has been undergoing a permanent superintendent search with help from the New Jersey School Boards Association. Ernst said district Director of Curriculum Cheryl Stevenson will serve as acting superintendent until June 30, 2018, as per her contract. The Pinelands Regional Board of Education serves students in grades seventh through 12th from Little Egg Harbor Township, Bass River Township, Tuckerton and Eagleswood Township with a junior high and high school. The approximately 1,580 students are currently in split sessions as repairs continue on the high school roof. Stevenson was serving as acting superintendent earlier this year when the first concerns about asbestos from the roofing project were announced at an early October school board meeting. At the time, Banks was out of the district for unknown reasons and Stevenson ordered the district closed for air quality testing. The high school was closed indefinitely a week later after a screw fell on a student. Since then, more tests have shown asbestos contamination at the nearby playground and around the perimeter of the high school from the roofing project. Concerned parents have organized in a private Facebook group to discuss issues related to the project. Most recently, the parents have sent out a letter to parents from other school districts warning them of possible exposure to asbestos if they had visited the school earlier this year. The spokesman of the parent group, Dane Apgar, of Little Egg Harbor, said Banks resignation caught him off guard. He said is unsure whether Banks resignation will rectify the problems in the district. Its hard to say with all the things that happened at the school. You dont know who to believe, Apgar said, adding he will take a wait-and-see attitude. In the past two weeks, the parent group has sent out letters to local, state, county and federal agencies, as well as the sending-district school boards, requesting an investigation into the district and the roofing project, Apgar said. He said the school board approved a resolution at its Monday meeting requesting an investigation of the matter by the New Jersey Department of Education. School Business Administrator Stephen Brennan was unavailable Wednesday morning for comment. GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP Seven local veterans sat down with students from Absegami High School on Monday to give a first-hand history lesson as part of the schools Veterans Day observations. Most veterans out there, we appreciate the love and support from adults, but it means a lot more when it comes from the kids, said Mike Sears, 41, of Galloway, a senior master sergeant in the Air National Guard. This year, school was not in session on Veterans Day, which fell on a Saturday, so districts around the region are holding events to honor veterans throughout the week. At small tables in the Absegami library, conversations between the veterans and students ranged from accounts of battle, treatment of veterans, post traumatic stress and current events such as the national anthem protest. Before he joined the 177th Fighter Wing, Sears was a corporal in the U.S. Marines serving in the Middle East and western Pacific, where he earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Sears said he enjoys attending events with the community to not only show his appreciation for their support but to bring awareness about veterans issues. As someone who struggled with his mental health after his service ended, Sears said, speaking in public helped him. Absegami Principal Jeri-Lynn Vernon said she wanted to make history real for her students and that Veterans Day is not the only day people can honor veterans. We are in the business of education, so if were teaching about history, we have an obligation to make it as relevant as possible, she said. Who knows, maybe we inspire a student to participate. For Ernest DiOdoaro, 69, of Egg Harbor City, this was his first time sharing his experiences serving in Vietnam in public. Because of the situation way back, we didnt talk about it, DiOdoardo said. He said if you dont know your history, youre doomed to repeat it. DiOdoardo said he joined the military as a way to give back to the country to which he had immigrated from Italy just two years before. He was 18 when he signed up for the Marines and within six months was in combat. You grow up overnight, he said. DiOdoardo told the students about the post-war reaction to veterans by the general public that was not at all supportive of the military like it is today. When we came home, people didnt like us, said DiOdoardo. It was a time of protests. The students asked questions about what it was like to be overseas, what DiOdoardo missed the most about America when he was serving and how realistic war movies are. Were there World War II veterans doing the same thing youre doing now? asked student Ryan Malone, 15, of Egg Harbor City. DiOdoardo said he never encountered any veterans attending schools, talking about their war experiences when he was younger. As part of Mondays event, six of the veterans, Sears, DiOdoardo, Robert Ford, Thomas Kuhar, Isaac Rucker and Jerry Callahan, were presented with handmade quilts from the South Jersey Quilts of Valor chapter. In addition, Absegami wood shop teacher Donald Matousch and his students presented the honorees with canes they had made. I remember meeting two survivors of Pearl Harbor, and they specifically said to me, War is hell, Matousch said, adding that was something that always stuck with him, so each year he tries to do something to give back to veterans with his students. The remainder of the canes will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. The schools history classes, including its military history class and and its law and criminal-justice class, were also involved in Mondays event. Other schools are also taking the time this week to honor veterans, including in Mullica Township, where on Thursday, more than 60 veterans from the area, many with children or grandchildren in the school system, will be celebrated. Principal Matt Mazzoni, said the event began many years ago, before he came to the district. Its a part of our history and the kids are learning it in text books. But theres nothing like it if they get to see everyday people in their community that have served in a war, Mazzoni 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. The state Department of Environmental Protection has awarded an $18.4 million contract for beach and dune replenishment for southern Long Beach Island, replacing sand eroded since a $128 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach fill project last year. The new project will use material dredged from Little Egg Inlet, improving boating safety there, DEP said. The plan was met with criticism by the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club. With over-development and sea level rise, we question whether these dunes will even last, said NJ Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel. Rebuilding dunes and beach replenishment will help in the short term, but is not a long-term approach to dealing with climate change. The inlet is a major thoroughfare for boat traffic between southern LBI and Brigantine that has experienced serious shoaling, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. This important project will provide additional protections to the southern LBI area (and) greatly improve boating safety in the heavily used Little Egg Inlet, which has become virtually impassable for most boating traffic due to shoaling, Martin said. The dredging will clear a navigable boat channel a mile long and 24 feet below mean sea level, DEP said. The contract was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. of Oak Brook, Illinois. It will dredge 700,000 cubic yards of sand, with an option to dredge an additional 300,000 cubic yards if needed. The DEP is using funds from its Shore Protection Program. The sand will be placed along beaches and on dunes from Ocean Street in Beach Haven south through Long Beach Township. They have eroded heavily due to storms in the past year. The goal is to complete the project by March 1, 2018, DEP said. In March of this year, the Coast Guard pulled buoys marking the channel due to concerns buildup of sand in the channel had become too severe for safe passage of boats. The Coast Guard warned boaters use of the inlet would be at their own risk, according to DEP. The DEP said it has designed the project to have little to no impact on the nearby Holgate section of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge or migrations of fish. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP Joe Kasmark and John Sherman were just teenagers when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 and killed more than 2,300 Americans. A few years later, the two men, who now live in Cape May County, would both be aboard U.S. Navy ships aiding in the fight in the Pacific during World War II. This week, Sherman and Kasmark met for the first time. They were brought together by Shermans daughter, Debbie Robson, who stumbled upon Kasmark with her granddaughter at the Acme in North Wildwood. Dobson nominated Kasmark and her father to receive quilts from the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a group that makes quilts to comfort combat veterans. Atlantic City native recalls brother's time at Pearl Harbor ATLANTIC CITY Local World War II veteran Jim Thomas can still vividly remember going to a Sherman and Kasmark received their quilts Tuesday morning over breakfast at Glicks Corner Cafe in Middle Township. The two WWII veterans talked about their experiences in battle, movies they watched on the ships and the quality of the mess hall food. Kasmark, 92, of North Wildwood, remembers hearing news of the Pearl Harbor attack Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941. He was a 16-year-old high school student living in Philadelphia. As a teenage kid, I didnt know much about war, he said. I didnt realize how serious things were getting. Sherman was a few years younger than Kasmark and living in Maryland when he heard the news. I had just went out to get the paper, and I came back, said Sherman, 89, of Cape May Court House. (My mother) just told me the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Students get history lesson from local veterans GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP Seven local veterans sat down with students from Absegami High School on Kasmark was drafted in 1943 right after graduating high school. He asked the draft board if he could join the Navy. I just didnt like the thought of them shooting at me personally, he said. Sherman tried enlisting when he was 16 but was told to come back when he turned 17. He said he was eager to serve his country and get revenge on the Japanese. He did come back when he was 17, and the Navy assigned him to the USS Niobrara in 1945. We refueled ships striking in Japan aircraft carriers, battlewagons, cruisers, all those big ships, Sherman said, adding the ship was a floating time bomb because of the highly flammable fuel on board. Kasmark, meanwhile, was sent to electrician school for 16 weeks before being put on the USS Connolly, a destroyer escort. The ship sailed into the Pacific and took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima as one of its first missions, he said. Veterans Day ceremony in Cape May County honors all who served MIDDLE TOWNSHIP For the nearly 8,000 veterans in Cape May County, Saturday was a day to ho Near the end of the war, the Connolly was operating out of Okinawa and conducting anti-aircraft operations, Kasmark said. They were the first line of defense against Japanese kamikaze planes. On April 13, 1945 a Friday the Thirteenth, Kasmark was quick to add a kamikaze pilot flew directly toward his ship. He dove in on us, and our gunners got him before he got to us, Kasmark said. The war ended Aug. 15, 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. Sherman and others aboard the Niobrara were watching a movie called Something for the Boys when they heard whistles and horns coming from nearby ships. So we run out on the deck and theres an officer out there, he said. He was a little guy from Georgia. He said, My word, Sherman, the war is over. After returning to the United States, Kasmark became a firefighter in Philadelphia while Sherman worked on electrical power lines. Both men said their experience in the war impacted the rest of their lives. When youre through the war, you take things a little more seriously as a young guy, Kasmark said. At that time (when I came back), it never really dawned on me, but the older you get, the more it comes back to you, Sherman said. The Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved a resolution Tuesday that will add extra security cameras at the Harborfields Youth Detention Center following the escape of four inmates last month. They also are demanding a full explanation of what happened and how it can be prevented in the future. At its first meeting since the Nov. 15 escape, the freeholders allotted $27,580 for the installation of more cameras at the Egg Harbor City facility. They also said they will consider a resolution next week inviting representatives from the Juvenile Justice Commission to come and explain to the public what happened and what is going to be done to prevent future breakouts. Harborfields and its upkeep are paid for by the county and run by the state under the Juvenile Justice Commission. About $2 million in Atlantic County taxpayer dollars is spent each year on Harborfields, Freeholder Chairman Frank Formica said Tuesday. If the representatives decline the invitation to speak, Formica said the board will use its subpoena power to get answers. Freeholder boards in the state are granted subpoena power under New Jersey law. (The escape) was certainly a threat to the area, Freeholder Ernest Coursey said during the meeting. Its in the best interest of the county that we bring them in and ask for clarification, especially considering we pump $2 million into it. Just after midnight Nov. 15, four prisoners overwhelmed a lone security guard, took keys, escaped the building and stole a car in under two minutes, according to 911 tapes obtained by The Press of Atlantic City. One of the escapees, Michael Huggins, is charged with murder in a 2016 killing in Bridgeton. Huggins, who is 18, was arrested and charged with murder while he was still a minor. By law, he was sent to Harborfields. A recent amendment to state law kept Huggins in Harborfields even after he turned 18. The inmates in the youth detention center are supervised with unarmed security guards who do not get the same training as corrections officers in prisons across the state. The security guard who was overwhelmed did not follow rules about when to open locked cells and when to have backup, according to previous reports. A full investigation into what happened is being conducted by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office and the state. The escape prompted the shutdown of several area schools. When Democrats Ashley Bennett and Caren Fitzpatrick are sworn in as freeholders in January, they will join a record 41 women from both parties serving on freeholder boards across the state. In 2018, the nine-member Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders will have, for the first time in its history, four women members. And across local politics, more women are getting into the race, particularly Democrats, who have cited the 2016 presidential election as the impetus for running, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Obviously the 2016 election was the big thing, the big giant moment, said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the center. We noticed it immediately after the election. Sinzdak said the number of women who attended the 2017 Ready to Run program at Rutgers in the spring skyrocketed from the normal 150 attendees to 270. The center ended up having to cap the number of attendees, although there was a wait list. Was it Hillary Clintons loss or Donald Trumps win that prompted these women to run? Sinzdak said political scientists are studying that question. Its hard to completely disentangle peoples disappointment at Hillary Clintons loss to their disappointment at Donald Trumps win, she said. Sinzdak said most of the energy among new women candidates is on the Democratic side, with few new women candidates emerging on the Republican said. Many of them were challengers, she said. Bennett and Fitzpatrick were joined in the freeholder campaign by Democrat Thelma Witherspoon, who was defeated by incumbent Republican John Risley. On the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders, where Republican E. Marie Hayes is the lone woman on the five-person board, Democratic challenger Danielle Davies lost her first bid against two male Republican incumbents, Jeffrey Pierson and Will Morey. Both Fitzpatrick and Bennett said they decided to run after the 2016 election and in response to a meme Atlantic County Freeholder John Carman posted to Facebook about the Womens March in January that questioned whether the women would be home in time to make dinner. Fitzpatrick, 58, grew up in Somers Point and now lives in Linwood. She is the director of finance and administration at Meet AC, Atlantic Citys convention marketing bureau. This was her first run for political office. I never ever considered running or being part of government myself until I was very unhappy when Hillary Clinton lost the election last year, she said. Then John Carman put his meme (on Facebook) and I sent in my resume the next day. Egg Harbor Township native Bennett, 32, had never considered a political run before the 2016 election. The psychiatric emergency screener at Cape Regional Medical Center said the election made her want to become involved in the Atlantic County Democratic Party. After the Womens March, she received an email from the local party informing her of Carmans Facebook post. Bennett ran for and won Carmans seat. I was not even 100 percent sure of how this would turn out, but I made a point that I wanted to stand for something, Bennett said. She hopes her run will show other young people they can stand up for what they believe in. On the Republican side this year, Mary Gruccio was the lone female candidate running in New Jerseys 1st Legislative District race for state Senate. Gruccio, a Republican from Vineland, faced incumbent Democrat Sen. Jeff Van Drew. As a Cumberland County freeholder from 2002 to 2008, and again in 2012, this wasnt Gruccios first or even her second race. Gruccio, 64, also superintendent of the Vineland School District, said politics, especially in South Jersey, is a male-dominated field. I think we need more women, and hopefully women can bring a different kind of change, she said. Sometimes women have a different perspective on things. Sinzdak said this moment could be considered a spike in womens political participation. And although there might be a dip in future years, she believes there will continue to be increased female participation. Once you get people involved, they tend to stay involved, she said. People are recognizing that the democratic process is for all of us and the way you make a difference is by participating. Fitzpatrick was the top vote-getter Nov. 8, which she said is a vote of confidence. Im not the first one, but the ice was broken in such a big way that people want to know that theres a chance theyll be successful, Fitzpatrick said. I think people will see that yes, if you can connect, you can be successful. Bennett said her win speaks to a pushback against this divisive rhetoric coming out of our White House. Were fighting for the future that we want to see, not only for ourselves, but for generations behind us, she said. Looking ahead to 2018, Sinzdak said, interest is high, already four times that of two years ago. We have to wait and see how many of these people who have expressed interest actually run, but certainly the numbers are trending to be pretty dramatic, she said. Already one woman is seeking the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd. Democrat Tanzie Youngblood, of Woolwich Township, Gloucester County, will face off in the primary against the favorite, state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, who has the backing of New Jersey Democratic political boss George Norcross. If elected, Youngblood would become the first woman representative from New Jerseys 2nd Congressional District, which covers most of South Jersey. We need more women because they actually will change the policy-making process by bringing all of their life experience to bear on the process. And any time you dont have a segment of the population represented in government, youre missing a whole set of issues and perspectives you need to have, Sinzdak said. Women make up more than 50 percent of New Jerseys population but just 24 percent of local governing bodies, New Jersey State League of Municipalities Executive Director Michael Darcy said. The league created a Women in Municipal Government Committee several years ago to address impediments to women becoming local elected officials. The Women in Government Committee is designed to connect those women who are interested in advancing in local government with the women who have already found the path forward, Darcy said. It creates a place to have the conversations that are most important to women in local government and give them tools to advance those priorities. Darcy said the committee provides networking and analysis for the women who want to get involved and acts as a mentorship program. Inspired by Trump, 2017 found more Democratic women running for office When Democrats Ashley Bennett and Caren Fitzpatrick are sworn in as freeholders in January, they will join a record 41 women from both parties Women sometimes are simply not brought in at the (local) party level on How do I participate in politics? Darcy said. Women have to find a way to get into positions of authority at the most basic levels. That requires a lot of time and commitment. League First Vice President Colleen Mahr, who is in her fourth term as the mayor of Fanwood, Union County, said the committee is one of many resources available to potential women candidates who may not consider themselves able to run. Because politics traditionally has been male-dominated and women tend to take on the caregiver role in a family, Mahr said, women sometimes need a push to get involved. It can be met with Can I do it? Am I able to do it? she said. Im the fourth elected official thats a woman (in Fanwood). There are some communities that have never had a woman thats been elected in their communities. Mahr said over the years, women have been seeing issues that affect them become politicized, so it has pushed more of them to get involved. She said women candidates are finding their voice and no longer thinking that they cant do it. What weve seen in the last couple of years nationally has definitely filtered down and has motivated women like Ive never seen before, Mahr said. She said no credentials are needed to run, and women shouldnt be afraid to take on the challenge. When I first started, I would always get asked by women, Do you need a special degree, or are you an attorney? Mahr said. Ive always told them what you really need. I said, You need to communicate effectively. You need to be able to speak and be passionate and identify to people why youre stepping forward and why they should vote for you. #banks-interest income Banks log record interest income through Sept. on rising rates Banks in South Korea earned record net interest income in the first three quarters of the year, helped by sharp rate hikes by the central bank, data showed Thursday. Their intere... #BTS BTS' Jin to release photo book before joining military Jin, a member of the K-pop megastar BTS, will put out his individual book of photography next month before joining the military, the group's management agency said Thursday. The... (Announces essential tools for Supply Partners at ASAP this week in London) RESTON, Virginia, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, ASAP (the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers) will host Sean Worker (BridgeStreet CEO), Steve Burns (Managing Director, EMEA & APAC) and Aaron Turner (CTO) to share new supporting technology that will enhance the simple journey of connecting the Forbes Global 2000 companies to world-class serviced apartments, homes and extended-stay hotels. It's clear, serviced apartments, homes, and extended-stay brands are seeking new channels to connect with qualified clients. 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Do Enquiry for Sample Report@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4485 The consumers business segment contributed the highest share in 2016. This segment accounted for $1,461 million in 2016, and is projected to grow at the CAGR of 18.5% during the forecast period. However, the serious games market for enterprises segment is projected to grow at the highest rate of 19.9%. Simulation and training application segment generated maximum share of revenue in 2016 and is expected to dominate the market throughput the forecast period at the CAGR of 19.4%. Among industry verticals, education industry is expected to witness highest CAGR of 20.2% during the forecast period, followed by retail. The report features a competitive scenario of the global serious games industry and provides a comprehensive analysis of key growth strategies adopted by major players. The key players profiled in the study are BreakAway, Ltd., Designing Digitally, Inc., DIGINEXT, IBM Corporation, Intuition, Learning Nexus Ltd, Nintendo Co., Ltd., Promotion Software GmbH, Revelian, and Tata Interactive Systems. These players have adopted competitive strategies, such as geographical expansions, mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, and partnerships & collaborations, to augment the growth of the serious games market. Do Enquiry before purchasing Report@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4485 KEY FINDINGS OF SERIOUS GAMES MARKET STUDY The consumers segment accounted for the highest share of the global serious games industry by user type in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 18.5% from 2017 to 2023. The others segment serious games market by industry vertical generated the highest revenue share in 2016, and is projected to grow at a rate of 19.1%. The Asia-Pacific serious games market generated the highest share, valued at $953 million , in terms of revenue in 2016. serious games market generated the highest share, valued at , in terms of revenue in 2016. The serious games market is education sector is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Ask for discount before buying@ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/get-discount/4485 About Us: Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Dhananjay Potle 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1855550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research Investigation by USAID Inspector General Leads to Joint Law Enforcement Action WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, authorities in Zambia arrested and held six individuals, including two pharmacy owners, involved in the illicit sale of HIV and malaria test kits in Lusaka, the country's capital. The arrests took place using evidence gathered during a 5 month-long investigation by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Inspector General (OIG). In the weeks prior to the arrests, OIG carried out joint investigative work with the Zambia National Task Force (ZNTF). The task force consists of the Zambia Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), Zambia Medical Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA), Ministry of Health (MOH) and Zambia police. "We coordinate closely with international partners to thwart the work of criminals who prey upon the U.S. Government-supported global health supply chain," said Jonathan Schofield, OIG's Special Agent in Charge overseeing global health investigations. "Our recent work with partners in the U.S. Embassy in Zambia and ZNTF has stopped several offenders who exploited international aid for personal gain. We continue to obtain additional information on ways the supply chain was compromised, allowing it to be repaired, strengthened, and better positioned to serve the people of Zambia in the future." The U.S. Government provides HIV and malaria test kits, along with other health commodities, under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President's Malaria Initiative, and through contributions to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The commodities, provided in Zambia and around the world, are intended to be distributed to beneficiaries without charge. Last week's arrests stem from a proactive initiative that OIG began in Lusaka in June 2017. OIG visited pharmacies across the city to determine if U.S. Government-funded products were being sold for profit. During these visits, OIG quickly identified individuals involved in the illegal sale of stolen HIV and malaria test kits, which were later confirmed to have been provided through U.S. Government and The Global Fund programs. OIG shared evidence from its investigation with members of the ZNTF, triggering joint investigative efforts that led the ZNTF, assisted by OIG, to detain 13 individuals involved in illegally selling the test kits. Following the arrests, six individuals are considered the main targets of the investigation and remain in jail. Zambian authorities released an additional seven individuals after they secured bail on the condition that they return for further questioning. OIG conducts independent investigations and audits to make U.S. foreign assistance programs more efficient, effective, and accountable. Promoting integrity in the global health supply chain stands among OIG's top investigative priorities and OIG operates worldwide to investigate complaints of fraud and misconduct in global health programs. This work includes its "Make A Difference" (MAD) campaign and hotline to protect the integrity of antimalarial programs overseas. The campaign operates in Malawi, Benin, and Nigeria and publicly calls for citizens to oppose theft and counterfeiting of antimalarial commodities and to recognize the dangers they present. More information can be found on OIG's web site, which also provides instructions for using the office's hotlines to report fraud, waste, and abuse. Related Links https://oig.usaid.gov/ SOURCE USAID OIG If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Seoul, Dec 4 : Protests broke out here on Monday as South Korea and the US began a major joint air combat exercise, in what appears to be another show of strength following North Korea's latest missile test conducted in late November. Dozens of people gathered outside the US embassy in Seoul to protest against these biannual war games and demand all parties choose dialogue to resolve the current crisis peacefully, reports Efe news. The drills, named "Vigilant Ace", seek to improve the all-weather, day and night combined operational capacity of the two countries, according to the South Korean Defence Ministry. However, a ministry spokesperson insisted that such types of manoeuvers are of the defensive type. Although the Ministry did not confirm whether it was the largest air combat manoeuvers ever carried out between Washington and Seoul, local media suggested that this year's operation marks the two countries' largest joint air drills ever recorded, with more than 230 aircraft and some 12,000 troops in participation. The US deployed over two dozen stealth fighter jets, including F-22s and F-35s, and two strategic B-1B bombers in the manoeuvers, which will conclude on Saturday. The joint drills were set to simulate precision attacks on mock nuclear facilities and self-propelled missile launch vehicles similar to those used by Pyongyang. The operation is part of an agreement endorsed in October between Washington and Seoul, which aims at expanding "rotational deployment" of US strategic assets on the Korean peninsula and pressuring North Korea to drop its nuclear programme. The North Korean regime, which usually considers such military exercises as an attempt to invade its territory, condemned the Vigilant Ace drills on Sunday. On November 29, North Korea launched the Hwasong-15 rocket, its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile to date which has put Pyongyang closer to striking the US with nuclear weapons. New Delhi, Dec 4 : Indian naval personnel observed the 46th Navy Day on Monday as President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman greeted them and lauded their role in securing the country's borders. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Army chief General Bipin Rawat and Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa paid homage to martyrs at the Amar Jawan Jyoti here to commemorate the day. "On Navy Day, my good wishes to all officers and men and women of the Indian Navy. Nation is proud of your commitment in protecting our maritime frontiers, securing our trade routes, and providing assistance in times of civil emergencies," President Kovind tweeted. Prime Minister Modi also extended greetings to all Navy personnel and their families, in a tweet, attaching a video of the Indian Navy showing its prowess in the sea. The Defence Minister, meanwhile, shared a graphic on Operation Trident, under which the Indian Navy attacked the Karachi harbour on December 4 during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. "Let's salute the bravery, sacrifice and courage of our Naval heroes on 46th Navy Day," the Minister said. Navy Day in India is celebrated to commemorate the attack on the Karachi harbour during the 1971 war by Indian Naval Missile boats. Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region. The day also commemorate the sacrifices made by the personnel of Indian Navy. Agartala/New Delhi, Dec 4 : A nine-member delegation of Tripura journalists met Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Monday to demand a CBI probe into the murder of two journalists from the state. The team also plans to hold a demonstration in Delhi on Tuesday in front of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) office, Forum for Protection of Journalists (FFPJ) Convener Pranab Sarkar told IANS over phone from Delhi. The FFPJ delegation - led by veteran editor Subal Kumar Dey - would also try to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Press Council of India Chairman Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad to press for their demand. "After a series of agitations in Tripura we came to the national capital to press for our demand to protect the media persons in Tripura," Sarkar added. A local newspaper journalist Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, 50, was shot dead inside the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) 2nd battalion headquarters at Ramchandra Nagar in West Tripura district on November 21. Young television journalist Santanu Bhowmik, 28, was hacked to death while he was covering protests of a tribal based political party at Mandai, 25 km from Agartala, on September 20. PCI chairman, who is likely to visit the state to study both the incidents, took suo-moto cognizance of the journalists murder cases. To probe the sensational killings, the state government had earlier constituted two separate Special Investigation Teams (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Arindam Nath and Inspector General of Police (IGP) G.S. Rao. The SIT, led by Nath, has so far arrested four TSR personnel, including TSR second battalion Commandant Tapan Debbarma, who is a senior Tripura Police Service (TPS) officer (1998 batch) and waiting for IPS nomination. In the Bhowmik murder case too, the SIT led by IGP Rao also arrested four youths. The Congress has demanded a high-level inquiry into the murder. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a CBI probe and resignation of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who also holds the Home portfolio. Both parties observed a state-wide shutdown on November 23 to protest the killings. The ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has criticised the BJP for politicising the journalist's killing. "State government is on the right track in probing the unfortunate killings," CPI-M central committee member Gautam Das told the media. Mumbai, Dec 4 : A Singapore Airlines flight on Monday was about to land on the small Juhu airport, mistaking it for the international airport, before the error was detected in the nick of time for it to land at the scheduled airstrip, officials said. The Singapore-Mumbai flight SQ422, an Airbus A-350, was cleared to land on Runway 9 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 10.35 a.m. but due to poor visibility, the pilots discontinued approach to Runway 9 at around 1,000 feet in accordance with the standard operating procedures, the airlines said later. "The Air Traffic Control, Mumbai, then vectored the flight for a subsequent approach onto the same runway and the flight landed uneventfully at 10.48 a.m," it added. "At no time did the pilots of SQ422 mistake Juhu airport for the international airport," the airline statement said. Airport sources, however, said after it was noticed that the aircraft was about to land on the wrong airstrip, it was made to go around while landing clearance was awaited, which was granted by the ATC. The plane finally landed safely on Runway 9 a few minutes later. Both the airports are about 1.5 km apart, regarding which a caution is issued to all pilots. The Juhu airport, built in 1928, is used for general aviation activities and training purposes. New Delhi, Dec 4 : The ladies club of the Pakistan High Commission here participated in an International charity bazaar organized by the Delhi Commonwealth Women's Association (DCWA) that saw a wide range of Pakistani textile products, including some well-known brands, exhibited at the stall. A large number of people, including foreigners, visited the Pakistan stall on Sunday along with their families, and evinced keen interest and purchased various items, a press release from the Pakistan High Commission said. Students of the Pakistan High commission School rendered an impressive performance, singing national songs and presented a tableau highlighting Pakistani culture at the event held at a hotel here. Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood and his wife Mahwish Sohail Mahmood lauded the contribution of the ladies club and the school students for their participation. Kathmandu, Dec 5 : Hundreds of experts, including scientists and environmentalists, gathered here over building resilience to tackle climate change in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region have evolved a consensus. At a time when climate change is posing a serious threat to socio-economic aspects and environment in the region, this agreement holds the key to unlock policy and research-based intervention. "Resilience can only be built with good science and knowledge is the basis for resilience," Sir Partha Das Gupta of the University of Cambridge said during the deliberations at an international conference here. More than 400 experts from 26 countries are attending the event. Gupta said factoring multiple economic externalities was critical to build resilience. "Integrated and inclusive measures should be the way forward. This includes factoring in all forms of capital -- natural, social and religious." "Resilience could mean different things to different people. But regardless of these variations in understanding, learning from past disasters, designing local solutions and transferring knowledge would be necessary to enhance community resilience in any situation," said Rene Van Berkel of the UN Industrial Development Organisations. Yanfen Wang of the Chinese Academy of Science said the focus should be on preparedness and not just recovery. "This preparation means building capacities of government institutions and local civic bodies." Hans Hurni of University of Bern, Switzerland, called for a plurality of ideas, perspectives and thoughts for building resilience to tackle climate change. "Our lives are increasingly integrated and this means policies and institutions cannot remain in silos," said Arjumand Nizami of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation. Stefan Schneiderbauer of Eurac Research said: "We have to act very soon. Actions on the ground, supported by policy, in the region at various levels is important to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in sustainable development goals to save life and livelihood of vulnerable people in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region." Experts also spoke in one voice on the importance of protecting women's rights to own property, cultivating talent in the younger generation and collaboration with multiple agencies. David Molden, Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said: "Only through this encompassing approach can resilience building be effective and durable." The Hindu Kush Himalayan sources 10 major river systems in Asia that provide water, ecosystem services and livelihood to more than 210 million people. The region holds and distributes water for more than 1.3 billion people living in the downstream river basins. Mountain communities in the region have a long history dealing with natural hazards like floods and landslides but climate change is increasing weather-related events, making these disasters more challenging to maintaining livelihood. Ang Tshering Sherpa of Climate Alliance of Himalyan Communities said scientific research needed to be integrated with local and indigenous knowledge. At a panel discussion, scientists said people living in the region faced an existential dilemma. Its glaciers were shrinking and the region was seeing increasing floods and droughts while springs and major sources of water were drying up. (Imran Khan is in Kathmandu at the invitation of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development - ICIMOD. He can be reached at imran.k@ians.in) Moscow, Dec 6 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an amendment to the law on communications, allowing the block of calls from suspected "telephone terrorists." The amendment was published on the official portal of legal information on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The amendment requires communications operators to stop service for suspected telephone hoaxers at the request of law enforcement agencies "to prevent and suppress crimes using communications networks." Since September, Russia has been hit by a wave of hoax calls about planted bombs, which led to the evacuation of various public buildings and caused significant financial losses. So far, nobody has claimed responsibility for these calls and law enforcement agencies complained that it was difficult to find the perpetrators, who operated from abroad using complicated equipment and schemes. Russia's State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, is mulling a bill to impose heavy fines and prison terms on telephone hoaxers. Jammu, Dec 6 : Indian and Pakistan Army have traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, police said on Wednesday. The Pakistani Army on Tuesday evening resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in the Nowshera sector using mortars, automatics and small arms, a police officer said. They resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing at Indian positions, who also retaliated strongly and effectively, the officer said, adding that the exchanges continued for over an hour. "There was no casualty or damage on our side," he said. Washington, Dec 6 : US President Donald Trump will make remarks on Wednesday on whether to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday. Earlier on the day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a telephone call from Trump, who informed Abbas of his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Xinhua news agency reported. Abbas warned of the dangers of such a decision on the peace process, security and stability in the region and the world, Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rdineh was quoted as saying. He added that Abbas will continue his contacts with world leaders to prevent such an unacceptable action. Washington, Dec 6 : US Senate Committee on Banking on Tuesday approved the nomination of Jerome Powell as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, sending his nomination to the full Senate for a vote. The committee approved Powell's nomination by a vote of 22-1. All but one member in the committee voted for Powell's nomination, Xinhua news agency reported. Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed her concern that Powell might loosen financial regulations once he takes the job as Fed chair. There is no date set yet for a vote on his nomination at the full Senate, where he might easily win enough support as Tuesday's vote suggested. Powell, who is currently a member of the Fed's Board of Governors, was nominated by President Donald Trump in November to replace current Chair Janet Yellen, whose term as chair expires in February 2018. At his confirmation hearing, Powell said that he would support the central bank to gradually tighten monetary policy, while ease regulatory burdens on some financial institutions. San Francisco, Dec 6 : Google has announced blocking YouTube on Amazon's Fire TV and its Echo Show amid growing rivalry between the two tech giants as their businesses continue to overlap. "We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services. But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products," The Verge quoted a YouTube spokesperson as saying late on Tuesday. "Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, Amazon responded, pointing towards the unfair nature of Google effectively blocking access to the YouTube web site based on the type of device being used to access it, Engadget reported. "Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website. We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible," Amazon was quoted as saying. The tech titans have been battling around the implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show since last past few months. Earlier in September, YouTube was blocked over Google's concerns about how the app looked on Amazon's device. It reinstated at the end of November. Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker that is part of the Amazon Echo line of products. It is designed around the company's virtual assistant Alexa but additionally features a 7-inch touchscreen display. Amazon Fire TV is digital media player and its microconsole remote developed by Amazon. Los Angeles, Dec 6 : Former "Glee" actress Naya Rivera has again filed for divorce from her husband Ryan Dorsey. According to court documents filed on Tuesday, Rivera, 30, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their separation, reports aceshowbiz.com. She has asked for joint legal and physical custody of their two-year-old son, Josey, and she has also asked the judge to block either side from getting spousal support. Rivera listed November 24 as the date of separation. The divorce filing comes more than a week after Rivera was arrested in West Virginia for allegedly hitting Dorsey. On November 25, the couple was taking their child for a walk down the street when they got into an argument over the toddler. Dorsey told the police that Rivera struck his head and bottom lip. He had a cellphone video to support his account. The actress was taken into custody and released on a $1,000 bail. The couple first dated in 2010 when she still starred in "Glee". She was pregnant with his baby after their breakup. She decided to get an abortion because her career was taking off. In April 2013, she began dating Big Sean. They got engaged, but called it quits in April 2014. Three months later, Rivera and Dorsey married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They welcomed their first child, Josey, in September 2015. In November 2016 after two years of marriage, Rivera filed for divorce from Dorsey. However, they called off their divorce in October. Srinagar, Dec 6 : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday detained a dozen Shiv Sena activists in the city centre Lal Chowk. The Sena workers were trying to hoist the national flag. They shouted slogans against National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah. "If Farooq Abdullah wants to come to power in Jammu and Kashmir he should shun speaking the language of the separatists," they said. The Shiv Sena workers had come from Jammu to hoist the flag in response to Abdullah's challenge. The NC chief had said a few days back that it was "not possible to retrieve Pakistan administered part of the state". He had said that those speaking of liberating the Pakistan administered part should "first try and hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk". Seoul, Dec 6 : The US Air Force flew a B-1B supersonic bomber over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday as part of a massive joint aerial drill with South Korea in another show of strength against the weapons challenge posed by Pyongyang. Several F-35 stealth jets and F-16 fighters of the US, as well as F-15Ks and KF-16s of the South, joined the exercise at the Pilsung Firing Range in Gangwon Province, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). It was part of the annual Vigilant ACE air combat drills, which started on Monday for a five-day run, Yonhap news agency reported. Two dozen F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters of the US are taking part in the exercise, the largest joint air drills ever recorded on the Korean peninsula, with 230 aircraft and some 12,000 troops mobilized. "Through the exercise, the South Korean and US Air Forces have demonstrated the alliance's strong will and capability for strong retaliation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," the JCS said. It is increasingly common for the US to deploy B-1B bombers over South Korea to underline military superiority against North Korea. Last time it was done in November shortly before the US President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea as part of his Asia tour. The drill is taking place as the UN's political chief Jeffrey Feltman is in North Korea for dialogue in a rare visit by a senior UN official. Although the annual Vigilant Ace exercise was planned ahead of Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch on November 29, it serves as a strong response to the test. The North Korean Army's test firing of the Hwasong-15, its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to date has put the regime closer to striking the US with nuclear weapons. South Korea's military also plans to launch a combat unit of weaponised drones called "dronebots" next year, Yonhap reported quoting an unnamed official. The "dronebots" would conduct reconnaissance on core North Korean targets such as nuclear and missile sites, and could also launch attacks, though the report did not give further details on how this could be done. Ahmedabad, Dec 6 : Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who played a major role in social engineering by roping in Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mewani on the side of Congress in Gujarat, wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attack the party and Rahul Gandhi even more so that it will "ensure a Congress victory". As the campaign in the state reaches feverish pitch, Gehlot accused Modi of speaking "only untruths" and making "false promises". Modi has now been "exposed" and people are not going to believe him or come under his "illusion", says the former Rajasthan Chief Minister. He maintains the Prime Minister is becoming "furious" as he senses defeat in the Assembly polls, which is the reason for his "disgraceful" attacks on Congress and its legends like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. "We want him to attack us more. We want him to abuse our legendary leaders. We will be benefiting as much as he attacks us," Gehlot told IANS in an interview. Claiming that the party will win the Gujarat polls with a clear majority, he also attacked the Prime Minister for describing Rahul Gandhi's impending elevation as party chief as "Aurangzeb raj". "We will win this election with a comfortable majority. There is an undercurrent in favour of Congress. See how Modiji is attacking Congress and even its internal elections. A figure like the Prime Minister is attacking Rahul's elevation, and that too by taking the name of a person who is not a Congress member," Gehlot said, referring to Shehzad Poonawala. He said it goes to show how the Prime Minister and the entire BJP is "scared". "In fear of defeat he is saying anything in order to get the election agenda diverted from his model of development. He is mocking Congress' internal democracy, but everyone knows that in the BJP the RSS decides who will be Prime Minister, President and Chief Minister. And you are talking about Congress," he said. Gehlot was referring to Modi's charge that Nehru was not in favour of reconstructing the Somnath temple and his accusation that Indira Gandhi covered her nose with a handkerchief to avoid the stench when she visited Morbi in 1979 after the Machhu dam flood tragedy. "It was under Indira Gandhi's leadership that Pakistan was divided. It was one of the world's historic events. There are many more such events with which the new generation is not familiar. They (BJP) are in the habit of misguiding people," he said. "They (PM and BJP) are raising these issues as they have become furious (baukhla gaye hai). Who cares about all this? They may hatch conspiracies to win elections but we don't care. This is all because defeat is at their doorsteps. People of Gujarat are with us. Rahulji (Gandhi) is getting people's love, affection and blessings." Continuing his attack on Modi, he said the Prime Minister has "lost his charisma" and this is seen during his election rallies too. "Modiji has fooled people in the name of Vibrant Gujarat. Go to the villages of Gujarat and you will find the reality of development called 'Modi model'. He has been exposed. Which class of society is happy with him? From farmers to labourers and from youths to business class, all are unhappy. Now people of Gujarat are not going to believe him. They are not going to come under his fake claims. "You can see this on the ground. Earlier crowds used to chant 'Modi, Modi' in his rallies. Now what is happening? Chairs remain vacant. Where have they gone - those who used to chant his name?" he asked. "His graph is shrinking. Now people have acknowledged their (BJP) lie. They speak only untruth and make false promises. People still remember the promises of bringing back black money, two crore employment every year and getting Rs 15 lakh into their bank accounts." The Congress General Secretary in charge of Gujarat said that Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the party President's post will impact the country's politics a lot and youth would come forward under his leadership. "I believe the young generation will come forward under his leadership. We were also youth. I became MP at an age of 28 and then became PCC President, General Secretary, Union Minister and Chief Minister. Today there are four General Secretaries in AICC, who were youths during Indira Gandhi's regime. This is the speciality of the Congress that it gives opportunities to the new generation. "Rahulji will do the same. He will take benefit from the experience of senior leaders and will move ahead with the youth," he said. Describing BJP as a party of "hypocrites" he said that they are "embracing Gandhiji, whom they killed". "Sardar Patel banned RSS and now they are claiming their birth right on him. After being humiliated by public throughout their journey from Jan Sangh to Janata Party and now BJP, they are doing divisive politics in the name of Congress. "In the early years they did politics in the name of cow and its protection. They then raked up the issue of Ram temple. And now when they are in power they are again doing politics in the name of cow and trying to divide the country," he said. On Rahul Gandhi's temple visits, he said that there was nothing new in this as Sonia Gandhi also began her election campaign in 2007 from Ambaji temple. "She used to campaign by helicopter and temples don't exist in air. Rahulji is travelling through roads and he goes to temples on the way," he said. (Brajendra Nath Singh can be contacted at brajendra.n@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 6 : A 22-week premature baby, who was wrongly declared dead by the city's Max Super Specialty Hospital on November 30, died here on Wednesday. The family is demanding doctors of Max Hospital be arrested for negligence. The baby was undergoing treatment at North Delhi's Agarwal nursing home, where he died, his father, Ashish Kumar, confirmed. "Doctors declared our baby dead at 12 p.m. However, we will not receive the body as we want the doctors of Max Hospital to be arrested first as they had declared our baby dead earlier," he told IANS. He said the family members will hold a protest till their demand is met. In the preliminary investigation by the Delhi government, north Delhi's Shalimar Bagh-located Max hospital was found guilty of not following the prescribed medical norms in dealing with a 22-week premature newborn, due to which he was declared dead on November 30 while he was still alive. Beijing, Dec 6 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet "top Indian officials" during his visit to New Delhi to attend the foreign ministerial meeting of Russia, India and China next week. Asked who Wang will meet besides his Indian and Russian counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: "Wang will meet the top officials of India and detailed information will be released in due course." The foreign ministerial meet will be held in New Delhi on December 11. Geng added: "The three foreign ministers will proceed from the current international situation to have an exchange of views on major international and regional issues of common concern and deepen trilateral pragmatic cooperation." Wang's visit assumes significance as this is his first trip to India after the 73-day military stand-off between Beijing and New Delhi at Doklam. The foreign ministerial meet was originally scheduled in April. But China did not confirm its presence, apparently in protest against the visit of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims is its territory. Chennai, Dec 6 : Two- and three-wheeler maker TVS Motor Co hopes to sell 10,000 units of its 312cc super premium motorbike TVS Apache RR 310 in the first year and also launch the vehicle overseas. "We plan to sell 10,000 units during the first year. The model will be available at our dealerships by the end of December. We will launch the model overseas in a phased manner," Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, told reporters here on Wednesday. He said the company's facility at Hosur in Tamil Nadu had enough capacity to cater to the domestic and the overseas demand. The company unveiled its super premium bike TVS Apache RR 310. Venu said the model was made after the company had signed an agreement with German company BMW Motorsport some years back. According to K.N. Radhakrishnan, President and Chief Executive Officer, the ex-showroom price of the new bike was Rs 2,05,000 and the price would vary from state to state. Company officials said the premium motorbike segment was classified into three categories - Sport, Touring and Heritage - and Apache RR 310 would be in the Sport segment. Nairobi, Dec 6 : As part of a 30 million euro intervention, the EU has signed a 17.2 million euro agreement with three UN institutions working jointly to reduce the illegal killing of wildlife and trafficking of wildlife products throughout eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. The new 'cross-regional wildlife programme' will focus its activities in the region's most important protected areas, national transit points, and in some of Africa's most important trans-boundary ecosystems. After signing the agreement on Tuesday at the UN Headquarters here on the sidelines of the UN Environment Assembly, Stefano A. Dejak, European Union ambassador to Kenya, said: "Illegal killing and trafficking of wildlife now runs into billions of dollars. To combat it, we need to find new ways to work together more effectively." "This new initiative brings together the European Union and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). "The aim is to build on our various strengths and experiences in protecting wildlife across borders." The new project aims at tackling the illegal killing of wildlife and the trafficking of wildlife products at three levels. These include Cites, through its Mike Programme, which will lead the implementation of activities to reduce the illegal killing of wildlife at a number of priority protected areas located in critical trans-boundary ecosystems throughout eastern and southern Africa. At the national and regional level, UNODC will lead activities focused on reducing the international trafficking of wildlife products by strengthening and expanding their highly successful Container Control Programme, improving criminal justice responses and enhancing capacities through the criminal justice chain under the Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime. Director-General of the UN Office Sahle-Work Zewde said: "As we move rapidly towards 2030, providing technical assistance to member states as they strive to achieve the bold targets of the sustainable development goals is a challenge of scale." "Goal 15 is no exception, and the European Union, with its generous financial contribution, is helping ensure that the children of Africa will be able to witness the magnificent diversity its land has to offer." After the signing of the agreement, UNODC's Regional Coordinator for the Wildlife and Forest Crime programme Javier Montano said: "The comprehensive approach of this programme will certainly go a long way to bringing systemic change as well as enhancing the criminal justice responses to wildlife crime in the regions." Interestingly, a startling report by the UN Environment in November said the Carpathian forests, home to the largest remaining populations of brown bears, wolves and lynx across 15 countries in central and eastern Europe, are frequently exposed to poaching. The forests spread over the Danube-Carpathian region, located in central and eastern Europe, are facing illegal logging and wildlife trade that threaten the region's biodiversity and people's livelihoods despite European and international environmental legislation. The EU single market adds additional challenges to control the illegal wildlife trade that moves freely between 28 member countries. The report "Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime in the Danube-Carpathian Region" that was presented in the European Parliament in Brussels was prepared by the UN Environment together with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Eurac Research and supported by experts from across Europe. Up to 36 million birds are being stolen or killed in the Mediterranean annually, the report says, with many ending up on plates in Italian and Maltese restaurants. (Vishal Gulati is in Nairobi at the invitation of UN Environment to cover its third annual session. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) Lucknow, Dec 6 : Their demands stonewalled for a long time by the state government, Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh have devised a new way to put pressure on the powers that be. Amid chanting of hymns and drum beating, an Aanganwadi worker from Sitapur symbolically "married" a picture of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The mock wedding, solemnised in the presence of fellow Aanganwadi workers in Sitapur late on Tuesday, saw a picture of the monk-turned-Chief Minister being garlanded by the coy bride. Mahila Aanganbadi Karmachari Sangh's District President, Neetu Singh, who got "married" said that for them this was a novel way of attracting the attention of the state government. "Through this marriage we thought around 4 lakh sisters will be benefited," she said, while informing that the Chief Minister was coming to Sitapur on Friday and that she plans to go to Lucknow with him. If our demands are still not met, I will go to meet Yogiji on a horse, she said. The woman who put a picture of Adityanath on her face and acted as the groom said she was happy to be part of the "novel nuptial". The Anganwadi workers had given a four-month ultimatum to the new Bharatiya Janata Party government to address the issues raised by them but rue that even after the passage of eight months, the state government has done nothing for them. In fact, an Anganwadi leader said that they were cane-charged brutally in the state capital once when then went to protest. Mumbai, Dec 6 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday morning left for Thailand to shoot "Thugs Of Hindostan". Amitabh on Wednesday morning tweeted: "Travel beckons early morning for 'TOH' across seas and land. More later." According to a source close to the actor, he has flown to Thailand. "Thugs of Hindostan", which also stars Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif, will release during Diwali 2018. A previous schedule of the film was shot in Malta, Europe. The Yash Raj Films production is being helmed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who directed Katrina and Aamir in "Dhoom: 3". It is an adaptation of the 1839 novel "Confessions of a Thug". Jerusalem, Dec 6 : Israeli security forces were preparing for clashes with Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of US President Donald Trump's announcement recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A military official said the Israeli Army was "preparing for possible escalation", including violent rallies, Xinhua news agency reported. In the city of Bethlehem on Tuesday night, posters of Trump were burnt at a rally that began after a senior White House official confirmed that the US leader will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday. Trump is also expected to announce that the US embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but the move will not be carried out immediately, according to the official. The announcement will mark a change in the US policy which has never recognised the annexed city as part of Israel. Palestinian officials have warned that the move will "kill" any chance for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who consider East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. East Jerusalem is a predominantly Palestinian territory, which Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it shortly later. The annexation was never recognised by the international community. Trump's announcement is expected to trigger an angry response from the Palestinians as well as by Jordan and other Muslim countries, which have already warned such a move would be unacceptable. Jerusalem is a site holy to both Muslims and Jews. The Old City in eastern Jerusalem is home to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, a site known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif ("the Nobel Sanctuary") and to Jews as the Temple Mount. Jordan is the custodian of the compound. Chandigarh, Dec 6 : Ruling Congress and opposition Shiromani Akali Dal supporters clashed openly in the presence of the Punjab Police in Ferozepur district on Wednesday in the run-up to the municipal elections in the state. Police sources said that supporters from both sides indulged in firing at each other and attacked each other with stones, bricks and sticks. Though no casualty was reported, a few vehicles were damaged in the clash. The clash took place in the Makhu and Mallanwala area of Ferozepur. Tension prevailed in the area following the clash. The Punjab Police was present in full strength at the spot where the clash took place but did not intervene immediately. Senior police officials said later that a case had been registered and efforts were being made to arrest the accused involved in the clash. Municipal elections in Punjab are to be held on December 17. The last date for filing of nominations was on December 6. The Akali Dal had complained to the state election commission on Tuesday, that its candidates were not being issued no-dues certificates by concerned police and administrative officials. Agartala, Dec 6 : Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad, who earlier took suo motu cognizance of the killings of Tripura journalists, is now on a visit to the state to take stock of the ground realities, an official said here on Wednesday. Justice Prasad, who is accompanied by two other associates, arrived here on a three-day visit on Tuesday night, and the next day he visited the homes of the victims and talked to the grieving families. "The PCI Chairman also talked to various media bodies, including the Agartala Press Club and individuals, on the issue. He also met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and is scheduled to meet Chief Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan, Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla and other senior police officials," an Information Department official said. A local newspaper journalist, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, 50, was shot dead inside the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) 2nd Battalion headquarters at Ramchandra Nagar in West Tripura district on November 21. Young television journalist Santanu Bhowmik, 28, was hacked to death while covering a demonstration of a tribal-based political party at Mandai, 25 km from Agartala, on September 20. To probe the killings, the Tripura government had earlier constituted two separate Special Investigation Teams (SIT) headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Arindam Nath and Inspector General of Police (IGP) G.S. Rao. The SIT led by Nath has so far arrested four TSR personnel, including TSR 2nd Battalion Commandant Tapan Debbarma, who is a senior Tripura Police Service (TPS) officer (1998 batch) and waiting for IPS nomination. In the Bhowmik murder case, too, the IGP Rao-led SIT arrested four youths. State police chief Akhil Kumar Sukhla told IANS that investigations by both SITs were progressing well. "The SITs would submit their charge-sheets well ahead of the stipulated 90 days. The investigators are waiting for some information about the two murders from the state forensic laboratory," Sukhla said. Hyderabad, Dec 6 : The 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully here on Wednesday amid tight security. Police said no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city as security personnel kept a tight vigil, especially in the communally sensitive old city area. The shutdown called by various Muslim groups evoked a mixed response in Muslim-majority parts of the old city. Many shops and business establishments were closed in markets around the historic Charminar. Police arrested activists of Darasgah Jihad-o-Shadat (DJS) when they tried to take out a rally in Darulshifa in violation of ban orders. Holding black flags and raising slogans to demand reconstruction of the Babri Masjid, DJS workers tried to take out a march but were arrested. The afternoon prayers at the historic Makkah Masjid passed off peacefully. As attempts to take out a rally from the mosque in the past had led to violence, police and paramilitary forces kept a close watch on the situation this time. Though private schools had not declared a holiday, many parents did not send their wards as a precautionary measure. In response to a call by various organisations to observe the anniversary as a "black day", people in some areas put up black flags. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) and other Muslim parties had called for the shutdown to demand reconstruction of the Babri Masjid at its original site in Ayodhya. Police had imposed prohibitory orders across the city, banning meetings and rallies. Police also conducted a flag march in the old city to instil confidence among its residents. A delegation of MBT leaders met Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and submitted a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking reconstruction of the Babri Masjid. MBT leader Amjadullah Khan said they demanded a special Supreme Court bench to complete the hearing in the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case within a stipulated time frame. Beijing, Dec 6 : China on Wednesday expressed concern over US President Donald Trump's intended move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city, saying it can cause new confrontation. Trump was expected to make the announcement in a speech later in the day, according to White House sources. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press conference that the status of Jerusalem was very complicated and sensitive. So Beijing was concerned that Washington's decision could "sharpen regional conflict", Efe news reported. "All relevant parties should bear regional peace in mind... avoid impacting the foundation for the settlement of the issue of Palestine and causing new confrontation in the region," Geng said. He said China had always supported the Middle East peace process and was in favour of an independent state of Palestine based on the internationally approved 1967 borders, with its capital city in East Jerusalem. "We call on relevant parties to follow the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and stay committed to resolving differences through negotiation," he added. Moscow, Dec 6 : All nuclear power plants being developed by Russia, including the one at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, meet all post-Fukushima safety standards and would be able to withstand external influence like an earthquake or a tsunami, an official of Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp said on Wednesday. Vladimir Asmolov, Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Council number 1 of Rosatom in the field of nuclear power plants, told IANS that had Japan followed the principles based on global experience of nuclear power development, the accident at Fukushima plant in Japan on March 11, 2011 could have been avoided. Asmolov, who was sent by the Russian government to assist the Japanese in dealing with the situation five days after the Fukushima accident, said nuclear power was a safe energy source. He said Kudankulam plant would be able to withstand a Fukushima-like accident and that active and passive safety systems were in place there. The plant is protected from natural and technological disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and even plane crash. Asmolov, an Adviser to the General Director of ROSATOM, said the Fukushima disaster could have been avoided had all such safety precautions were in place. "The prevention and mitigation principle was used in case of Japan. Here, the Japanese focused on the prevention principle without paying due attention to the mitigation principle as if it was sure that an accident was impossible," he told IANS. He said the power unit of Fukushima plant was built on the basis of a design developed in 1960 and, therefore, the station was not ready for a crisis situation of the 21st century. "Emergency generators were not ready for autonomous operation after interruption of external power supply to the station," he added. Asmolov said the main conclusion to be drawn from Fukushima is that all safety levels must be provided and hence stress-testing is performed at all nuclear power plants built by Russia. Not only that, seismicity level is checked at all power plant sites and additional diesel generators are installed to withstand any contingency, he added. (Vishav can be contacted at vishav@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 6 : Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara on Wednesday said India will bank on fast bowlers to do the damage during the South Africa tour next month. India will tour South Africa for three Tests, six One-day Internationals (ODI) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20I), starting with the first Test from January 5 in Cape Town. "I think we (India) will be very well prepared before heading to South Africa," the Saurashtra batsman told reporters during the post-match press conference. "We are already talking about the things that we want before heading to South Africa, some of the guys have enough time to prepare for the tour. We have enough experience being in South Africa, that will help us. "The fast bowling unit has been much better now and I think our fast bowlers will do the damage," Pujara added. India have picked five fast bowlers -- Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and preferred Jasprit Bumrah over chinaman Kuldeep Yadav for the tour. The 29-year-old also heaped praise on spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja saying they can put any opposition under pressure. "I won't say they are just spinners, if you look at their wickets they have done a remarkable job. They are the most difficult bowlers for any opposition to face," Pujara added. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has promised to resolve the issue of a cap of Rs 10,000 on educational expenses paid to the children of defence forces martyrs. General Rawat said Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, has informed her of the issue, and she has said the issue will be addressed on priority. Defence Ministry sources said the Minister had held a meeting on the issue on Wednesday and a decision is likely soon. General Rawat said: "For our martyrs, children are entitled (to) free education. It is a very good thing that the government has done. What has happened is possibly because of some misunderstanding-- they have now capped it at Rs 10,000 because somebody must have calculated as to how much a person spends per month on child education," . "In our case, we have written to the government. I think the Defence Minister is completely seized of the problem. She is aware of it, and after we explained the reason to her... she said she is certainly concerned about it and will address the issue on priority," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. According to informed sources, Admiral Lanba, the most senior among the three service chiefs, wrote to the Minister to urge her to resolve the problem. A letter dated September 13 by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare capped fee for tuitions and hostel expenses at Rs 10,000 per month. The demand to a rollback on the decision was also raised by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, and Union Minister of State for External Affairs General V.K. Singh, who is himself an Army ex-chief. Islamabad, Dec 6 : A Pakistani engineer who had been abducted in Afghanistan earlier this year has been rescued by the country's army, the media reported on Wednesday. Malik Faiz Ahmed, a resident of Rawalpindi, had been abducted on August 21. The engineer had been working on the Torkham-Jalalabad road project in Afghanistan when he was kidnapped. He returned home on Wednesday after 105 days, his son told Dawn News. "My father has returned in good health," Farhan Malik said. It is not clear under what terms and circumstances his release was secured. Ahmedabad, Dec 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a jibe at the Congress party on its claim of winning the Gujarat elections, referring to the "big hullabaloo" about Cyclone Ockhi that was set to hit the state in a big way, but did not. Disregarding the 'Ockhi' alert and continuing his scheduled programme of three days' campaigning, the Prime Minister was here in Dhandhuka, a southern part of Ahmedabad district. Once again he began his speech mentioning the Congress, after reminiscing on his relationship with the place. Mentioning the alerts about Cyclone Ockhi, he said, "Whatever that makes a big hullabaloo and is said that it is coming, never does", hinting at the Congress, which has been campaigning in the state and claiming it is going to win the elections. The Cyclone was on Tuesday headed towards Gujarat but on Wednesday it weakened while over the Arabian Sea, sparing the poll-bound state. The Dhandhuka crowd, many of them comprising children who were made to sit in chairs in order to show a packed crowd, was totally unresponsive to any of Modi's interactive questions. Some were even seen laughing. Modi's style of questioning the audience and then getting affirmative answers from them, did not seem to be working on them. Addressing the crowd, Modi said, "We think that the Congress meted out injustice to Sardar Patel, but let me tell you, he was not the only one. Their one family which rules meted out injustice to the maker of the Constitution, Bhimrao Ambedkar and all those who were getting significance in politics. Ambedkar had to go all the way to Bengal to fetch a membership in the constitutional body elections. Congress could not even afford to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. Baba Saheb was never remembered during the entire Congress regime in central government." He continued, "We bow to such great leaders. By continuing with the development works in Gujarat, the people of Gujarat should pay respect to the great leader." On the Triple Talaq issue, Modi said, "During the oncoming Uttar Pradesh elections, the central government was asked by the Supreme Court to file an affidavit regarding the issue. Many warned me that as the UP elections are coming we cannot risk doing so and many even expected that Modi would buy time from the apex court. But I said, why should I, when the question about thousands of our Muslim women is at stake. I don't care about the elections. The country does not run merely on elections. That issue, which was hanging in the air since the time of Rajiv Gandhi, was cleared by the apex court." On the Sunni Waqf Board's counsel Kapil Sibal asking the court to delay the hearing till the 2019 general elections, Modi said: "When Sibal asked that, the Congress says it is Sibal's personal and individual issue. I ask you how does the 2019 general elections affect Kapil Sibal personally or the Waqf Board? Is Sunni Waqf Board contesting the elections?" The Prime Minister also informed the audience about the central government's drive to make practical solution of solar pump and how the works were in progress, which could make a farmer's life easy. He informed them about plans on Dholera, a bustling port in an ancient civilization, and how that would make the entire region heavily laden with richness and prosperity. He said, "I requested umpteen times to the then UPA government for the development of Dholera, but they weren't interested. Now through our efforts, within 10 years, Dholera would be as prosperous as Mumbai or Rajkot." Rabat, Dec 6 : Morocco has expressed its deep concern and strongly condemned the intended move of US President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transfer its embassy to the disputed holy city, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement. King Mohammed VI, the chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Al Quds Committee, slammed the decision and expressed the kingdom's "strong and unwavering support for the brotherly Palestinian people in defending their just cause and legitimate rights, mainly concerning the status of Jerusalem". The Kingdom underlined that such a decision was "contrary to resolutions of international law as well as to the agreements and understandings between the Palestinian and Israeli sides", the statement said. "This decision may have a negative effect on the intensive efforts that the US administration has been making to revive the political process and may destroy all remaining prospects of peace in the region." "Israel may take this step as an excuse to carry on the judaization of the holy city and to change its religious and spiritual aspects. This step, given its exceptional gravity, could undermine the security and the stability of an already tense region and fuel anger, frustration, hostility, violence and extremism," the statement added. Morocco stressed on the need to preserve the historical, legal and political status of Jerusalem. It called on the UN, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to shoulder their responsibilities in order to avoid anything that might affect this status and hinder international efforts to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6 : Denying that Kerala had got advance warning about Cyclone Ockhi, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the kin of those who died and Rs 5 lakh to the permanently disabled. Under flak over the way rescue operations were handled, Vijayan also unveiled at a cabinet meeting here fresh measures to tackle similar calamities so that destruction can be minimized. Addressing reporters later, Vijayan said the first information the state government got about the cyclone was on November 30 noon. "There was no advance information about Cyclone Ockhi at all. On November 30, at 8.30 a.m. the India Meteorological Department told us about a very deep deep depression about 170 km off Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) coast. "Even at that time, there was no mention of cyclone. And by that time, fishermen had already ventured into the sea. "Even the union ministers who came here said there was no fault on the part of the state government and in an hour's time the defence personnel began rescue work." Vijayan said this was one of the biggest ever rescue operations done. It was ongoing and would continue till the last fisherman was brought back. Officials have put the death toll in the cyclone at 33. The injured number many more. "About 2,600 fishermen, including 1,130 Malayalees, were rescued and as per the records with us 92 are still missing," said Vijayan. He said Rs 20 lakh had been announced for the kin of each person who died in the cyclone. Those who have been permanently disabled will get Rs 5 lakh each. In the next one week, all the adults engaged in fishing will get Rs 60 per day while their children will be paid Rs 45 a day as allowance. Free ration will be given to the coastal villages for a month, the Chief Minister said. "All those who lost their fishing craft and gears will be compensated. The children of those killed and those missing will get free education and job training." The meeting also decided that from now on all those who go for fishing will have to register with the Fisheries Department every day. "All the boats that go into the sea should be fitted with GPS facility where two-way communication regarding the weather will be available. "Two hundred people will be recruited to the Coastal Police and preference will be given to the children of fishermen who lost their lives or are missing," said Vijayan. Three different committees will be formed to look into the various issues being faced by the fishing community while the Disaster Management Authority will be reconstituted. "We wish to thank the Centre and all those who helped us when the worst disaster struck. By and large the media did a good job but some sections of the media have to seriously introspect if they did the right job," added Vijayan. He said a request will be made to the Centre to declare this as a national disaster. A special package to mitigate the loss and destruction that took place will be submitted to the Centre. Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), Dec 6 : At least seven suspected Maoists, including five women, were killed and two others injured in a fierce gunfight in the forests near Zinganur in Maharashtra early on Wednesday, an official said. A patrol team of the elite C-60 commandos of the Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) overcame "the brutal firepower" of the Maoists in the deep jungles and eliminated seven of the attackers in what was billed as one of the biggest successes in recent times. The fighting took place on the outskirts of the small Kalled village, around 15 km from the Zinganur outpost, around 970 km east of Mumbai. Officials said this was the first time so many women rebels had been gunned down in a single incident. Another two injured Maoists managed to escape. The commandos recovered weapons from the Maoists, including two SLRs, two rifles, three muzzle-loading guns and assorted ammunition. The security forces have stepped up security against possible retaliation by the Maoists in all parts of the district especially since it happens to be a transit point for the insurgents who move between Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Details of the slain Maoists, including their identity, Dalams or platoons to which they belonged and their ranks, were awaited even as the security forces launched combing operations to find others who may be lurking in the forests in Sironcha sub-district. The hit on the Maoists came as all the Maoist groups are currently observing their annual 'Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA)' week from December 2 to 8 when they seek support of locals, distribute pamphlets and try to enlist volunteers for their cause. Since the last week of November, Maoists have struck on several occasions and killed at least five civilians suspecting them to be police spies. They also gunned down two security personnel. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned Shailesh Kumar, the husband of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs daughter Misa Bharti, for over eight hours in its ongoing probe into a money laundering case of over Rs 8,000 crore. Shailesh Kumar arrived at the agency's office in south Delhi's Khan Market around 12.30 p.m. The agency has also issued notice to Misa Bharti, who is a Rajya Sabha parliamentarian, for questioning. The agency also questioned both Misa and Shailesh in July. An ED official requesting anonymity told IANS: "The agency officials confronted Shailesh with the documents that they have seized earlier." "He was also confronted with the replies of his wife Bharti and others given in this case till date," the official said. Shailesh was also asked to share the password of the electronic devices that were seized during the raids. The agency official said that it wants to access the laptops and mobile phones for data. The official said that Palam Farms in Delhi's Bijwasan area was bought from the money raised through shell companies owned by Bharti and her husband. Palam Farms was allegedly bought from the money raised through M/s Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd, owned by Bharti and her husband, he said. In September, the agency had attached the property. The Income Tax department is also probing how shell companies were used by Lalu Prasad and his family to buy expensive properties in Delhi and Patna. In July, the ED had chargesheeted around 35 people, including Chartered Accountant Rajesh Agrawal and businessmen brothers Surendra Jain and Virendra Jain. Agrawal was accused of helping Shailesh's company with some transactions. Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd was registered at 25, Tughlaq Road, New Delhi, which was then the official address of Lalu Prasad, till the shares were bought by Bharti. It was only during 2009-10, that the address was changed to Farm Number 26, Palam Farms, Bijwasan, New Delhi. Hyderabad, Dec 6 : All households in Telangana will have broadband internet connection by December next year. Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday directed officials to speed up the work to achieve the target. At a review meeting with the officials, he said as the Mission Bhageeratha work, aimed at providing drinking water connection to every household, is scheduled to be completed on time there is a need to speed up the work to provide internet connection as well. Under the Digital Telangana project, fibre cables are being laid along water pipelines to ensure broadband internet connectivity to every household. The minister discussed the issue related to funds required for the project, the financial assistance being provided by the central government under Bharat Net and also the money required from the state government. On this occasion, Vijaya Bank officials handed over to the minister documents relating to the Rs 561 crore loan to the Telangana Fibre Grid Corporation for the project. The minister said with internet connection to every house, healthcare and education in rural areas will undergo revolutionary changes. To showcase these changes before the world, a technology demonstration network in four villages of Maheswaram 'mandal' near Hyderabad will be completed in the first week of January, said a statement from the minister's office. The pilot project, in which 10 leading companies are participating, will highlight the benefits people will get from the Fibre Grid. London, Dec 6 : A 20-year-old man accused of a plot to bomb Downing Street's security gates and then kill British Prime Minister Theresa May was on Wednesday remanded in custody after he appeared at a court here. Naa'imur Zakariyah Rahman from north London was charged with preparing acts of terrorism and was remanded in custody during a hearing at the Westminster Magistrates' Court, the BBC reported. He appeared alongside 21-year-old Mohammed Aqib Imran, who was accused of trying to join the Islamic State (IS) and preparing acts of terror. Rahman was also charged with assisting Imran in terror planning. Both men will appear at London's Old Bailey on December 20. They were arrested in raids by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command in London and Birmingham on November 28. Police believe their plan was to detonate some sort of improvised explosive device (IED) at Downing Street and attack and kill the Prime Minister in the ensuing chaos, Sky News reported. During the hearing, Rahman gave his nationality as Bangladeshi-British while Imran from Birmingham gave his as Pakistani-British. The plot was revealed to the British Cabinet on Tuesday by Andrew Parker, the head of the security service MI5, who also told the ministers that security services had foiled nine terrorist attacks in Britain in the past year. Addressing the Cabinet, Parker reportedly said the IS had been defeated in Syria and Iraq but was continuing to orchestrate attacks on Britain. After the meeting, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister led thanks to the tireless work of staff at MI5 to combat the unprecedented terrorist threat." "Cabinet ministers heard that while IS suffered major defeats in Iraq and Syria, this did not mean the threat is over. Rather it is spreading to new areas, including trying to encourage attacks in the UK and elsewhere via propaganda on social media," the spokesman added. Downing Street is protected by armed police officers and separated from the public by fortified gates. Security measures were introduced in the 1970s but were increased in the 1980s as the threat from Irish republican groups grew. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The police announced on Wednesday the arrest of five men for the brutal killings here of an elderly woman and her three daughters besides their security guard, who was an accomplice in the crime but ended up getting murdered too. The guard, Rakesh, 42, had helped the five who have been arrested and two others to get into the residence of Urmila Jindal, 82, and her daughters, Nupur, 48, Sangeeta, 56, Anjali, 38, in east Delhi's Mansarovar Park. Once they had killed all the women and looted the house of cash and jewellery, the killers feared the guard might crack under police interrogation and ended up killing him too. His own son, Anuj, pounced on the father and slit his throat. This left the police without any solid clues to work on since there was no CCTV in the house either. Police finally managed to arrest the five criminals, including Anuj, Vikas, Sunny, Neeraj and Vickey. They were taken into custody late on Tuesday with Rs 50,000 and some of the jewellery they had looted. The arrests were made in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. Two more accomplices, Nitin and Deepak, are on the run. The gory crime took place on the night of October 6-7. "During investigation, we found that the accused had intimate knowledge of the human body. All the bodies were found with their throat slit," Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar said. Kumar said guard Rakesh's son-in-law Vikas worked as a sweeper in Delhi's GTB Hospital. On sustained interrogation, Vikas confessed to committing the crime along with the others. On September 25, the accused conducted a recce of Jindal Oil Mills in Mansarovar Park where the house was located. On the night of the crime, they switched off their mobile phones, hired two auto-rickshaws from Ghaziabad's Loni border and reached the house where Rakesh worked. "Rakesh got them inside the house and took them all to the first floor. He knocked at the door and told Urmila Jindal about the arrival of his son-in-law and other relatives. "Nupur opened the door and told him to take them to the guard's room. As she turned to go back inside, Vikas held her from behind and slit her throat with a knife. They then stabbed and slit the throats of the mother and her two other daughters," the officer added. Within an hour, they ransacked the house of jewellery and cash. Before fleeing, Anuj decided also to kill Rakesh, his own father. He slit his throat on the ground floor, Kumar added. Another officer said the accused later met in a park near GTB Hospital and divided the booty among themselves. With no CCTV camera installed in the huge house, police found it difficult to crack the case. "If the family had installed CCTV cameras, the accused would not have dared to commit the crime," the officer said. Anuj was previously involved in a robbery at a liquor godown in Faridabad while Neeraj had been charged under the Arms Act in 2014 in Ghaziabad. The police are also suspecting the role of Rakesh's wife in the crime. The crime came to light on October 7 when neighbours and a nephew of Urmila Jindal found guard Rakesh in a pool of blood in the parking area. Over 40 persons of the same family stay in the two-storey building of Jindal Oil Mills. Bhubaneswar, Dec 6 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday informed the Centre that no forest clearance is necessary for the construction of a second bridge over the Brahmani River near Rourkela in Sundergarh district. In a letter to Union Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Chief Minister said there is no impediment for the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to start construction work. The missive of the Chief Minister came after Gadkari held the Odisha government responsible for the delay in the project saying it is delaying the forest clearance and land acquisition process. "No forest clearance is necessary for the construction of the said bridge as the proposed site is non-forest in nature," said Patnaik. He said while the forest authority has also confirmed this, the project director of NHAI at Rourkela has stated that the land where the second bridge has to be constructed is non-forest. Earlier on December 4, the Chief Minister had informed that his government will construct the second bridge over the river itself if the Centre did not show seriousness in carrying out the construction. The issue also resonated in the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday with the ruling BJD and the BJP blaming each other for the inordinate delay in the construction of the bridge. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a plea by Barun Thakur, father of Pradyuman Thakur who was found dead in his school washroom, challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to the Pinto family which owns the Ryan school chain. Seven-year-old Pradyuman, a Class 2 student of Ryan International School's Gurugram branch, was found dead with his throat slit in September. The Pintos -- Augustine F. Pinto, his wife Grace and their son Ryan -- were granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 21. Reserving the order on the plea, the bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre said that the verdict would be pronounced on Monday (December 11). The High Court, while granting the anticipatory bail, had asked the Pintos to join investigations in the case. The court had barred them from leaving the country without permission. Initially, the Haryana Police was investigating the case and had arrested bus conductor Ashok as the main accused in the murder of Pradyuman. However, later the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which arrested a Class 11 student of the same school as the prime accused. Chandigarh, Dec 6 : A committee set up by the Haryana government to investigate the death of a seven-year-old child in a Gurugram hospital has found it guilty on various counts and a case would be registered against it, a Minister said on Wednesday. The high-level probe panel had found Fortis Hospital in Gurugram guilty of "grave negligence, lapse, unethical and unlawful acts in the death of Adya Singh in September", Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij told the media here. He said the government will get a case registered against the leading private hospital, adding that legal opinion was being sought on how it could be done. "A notice has been issued for the cancellation of the licence of the hospital's blood bank. The Haryana Urban Development Authority will also be requested to explore the possibility of cancellation of the lease of land given to the hospital," Vij said. "The action has been taken in view of the committee report which found irregularities in the hospital functioning. The girl's parents have also recorded their statements before the committee," Vij said. The Health Department had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Additional Director General Dr Rajiv Wadhera. The case made national headlines in November after revelations that Fortis issued a bill of nearly Rs 16 lakh to the bereaved family even though she had died due to dengue-related complications. Vij said the report said the minor girl was admitted in the paediatrics intensive care unit of Fortis Hospital from August 31 to September 14. "During this period, the hospital not only violated diagnosis protocol, but also ignored rules and regulations of the Indian Medical Association. In this direction, a letter has been written to the Medical Council of India for taking appropriate action. He said hospital administration deliberately used expensive medicines rather than generic and affordable ones to treat the girl in violation of IMA norms." Vij said the rules provided for informing the local Civil Hospital about any dengue patient, which Fortis Hospital did not do. "The Gurugram Civil Surgeon has issued a notice to Fortis Hospital. Its doctors also carried out transfusion of platelets 25 times and there was overcharging on this count. So, orders have been issued to cancel the hospital's blood bank licence," the Minister said. "Serious irregularities vis-a-vis the shifting of the child to some other hospital have also come to the fore. As per IMA guidelines, advance life support ambulance should have been provided but hospital only provided her with a basic life support ambulance that lacked oxygen and other basic facilities. The parents told the probe committee that hospital authorities forged their signatures on the consent letter," Vij added. The Minister said the government will write to the Medical Council of India to act against the erring doctors. Vij said costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available in the Fortis pharmacy, adding that the hospital overcharged on every count of treatment. He said the hospital made hefty profits on the medicines given, which worked out between 108 per cent and as high as 1,737 per cent in certain cases. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday said that his Ministry will give awards to the best performing districts and states who have achieved 90 per cent full immunisation coverage under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush. "The Health Ministry will give the awards to the best performing districts and states based on the performance in Intensified Mission Indradhanush evaluated through the reported coverage and monitoring findings. "The states and the districts should achieve 90 per cent full immunisation coverage for getting rewarded," said Nadda, as he reviewed the progress of the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) with the Health Ministers and Principal Secretaries of 24 states. Stressing that immunisation is recognized as the most cost-effective intervention for protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases, the Minister said: "The gains made under IMI have to be integrated into routine immunisation for sustainability." Dhandhuka/New Delhi, Dec 6 : Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal's demand that the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute should be heard after the 2019 general elections triggered a major political storm on Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking the Congress and congratulating the Sunni Waqf Board for distancing itself from Sibal's plea. However, Sibal clarified that he did not represent the Sunni Waqf Board, but one of the individuals in the case. It all started with Modi repeatedly citing the statement made by Sibal in the apex court that the hearing in the Babri Masjid case be deferred till after 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "Yesterday in the Supreme Court, a Congress MP, Kapil Sibal, was arguing which is his right for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that, but is it right for him to say postpone the hearing till 2019?" Modi said. "Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir with elections? Is such thinking proper?" Modi asked, accusing the Congress of linking the Ram temple issue with the elections. "Now Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation." The Congress on Tuesday night distanced itself from Sibal's stand saying it does not represent the party's view. Throughout the day there were statements made by leading activists of the Muslim community. Haji Mehboob, one of the litigants, said Muslims want resolution of the dispute at the earliest, differing from Sibal's stand. But some of the petitioners in the case said they support Sibal's plea. They also emphasised that Mehboob is neither a member of the Sunni Waqf Board nor does he represent the Board in any capacity. "Whatever Kapil Sibal said in the Supreme Court yesterday was said after thorough consideration and after taking us into confidence. We totally support his stand," said Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, who is actively involved in the case since the beginning. He said it could be Mehboob's personal opinion but not the official stand of any of the parties involved. Advocate Shakil Ahmed, one of the lawyers representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the case, said Mehboob has "no connection" with his client and was "just another plaintiff". Ahmed said they have got no communication from the Sunni Waqf Board to the effect that they have any objection to the stand taken by the lawyers in the apex court. Iqbal Ansari, the son of the late Hashim Ansari who was the first litigant in the case, too said he had no objection to Sibal's arguments. "Our lawyers told us that some documents have to be prepared and a lot of documents are to be scrutinised to prepare the arguments and hence they need adjournment. I have no objection to it," Ansari said. In all this confusion, Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board Chairman Zufar Ahmed Farooqui, distanced himself from Sibal's statement. "The UP Sunni Waqf Board's case is being handled by two advocates, Shahid Rizvi and Shakeel Ahmed Saeed, in the apex court," Farooqui said. According to him, Sibal isn't the waqf board's counsel but representing one of the private parties in the case. Latching on to this, Modi congratulated the board "for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Sibalji". He was addressing another poll rally in Gujarat. "When Sibal asked that, the Congress says it is Sibal's personal and individual issue. I ask you how does the 2019 general elections affect Kapil Sibal personally or the Waqf Board? Is Sunni Waqf Board contesting the elections?" Sibal also clarified that he didn't represent the waqf board in the Supreme Court and was only appearing on behalf of Ansari. "Our PM comments without knowing things sometimes. Amit Shah and the Prime Minister said I represented Sunni Waqf Board. I was never a Sunni Waqf Board lawyer. I can understand your President (Shah) saying such a thing because I don't expect anything better from him. "The PM did not check the fact that actually I never represented the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court and yet he thanked them. I request the PM to be a little more careful before making such public comments." New Delhi, Dec 6 : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed the Central government to bear 70 per cent of the cost for constructing 14 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the first phase of the Yamuna river revival project which has been delayed by over eight months due to lack of cooperation among agencies and a fund crunch. The bench, headed by NGT Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar, also directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to bear the remaining 30 per cent of the cost. "For sewage management in Yamuna at Delhi, NMCG and DJB will share 70-30 per cent of the cost. "If the cost exceeds 30 per cent, then the Delhi government will provide financial assistance to the DJB," Kumar said. Currently only active on papers, the "Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna" plan aims at treating the sewage and waste water reaching Yamuna through drains. Under the first phase, supposed to have been completed by March 31 this year, 14 STPs are to be made at Najafgarh drain and Delhi Gate -- the most polluting. More STPs are to be constructed at other drains along the Yamuna under Phase-II that will include drains along Shahdara, Barapullah and others. The DJB had earlier said that it will construct seven out of 14 STPs, and expected the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to extend financial support -- the major cause of delay. At present, DJB has started working on five STPs while a survey is being done for the other two. The estimation of Phase-I of the project, under which 14 STPs are to be built, is still unclear. The tribunal, in a January 2015 judgment, ordered to deal with all components of controlling and preventing pollution in the Yamuna. The green panel had noticed that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants reaching the Yamuna would be treated by the two sewage treatment plants at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh in Phase-I. The Yamuna traverses a distance of about 46 km along Delhi. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, while the river's stretch between Wazirabad barrage to downstream Okhla barrage is less than two per cent of the entire river stretch, it receives around 70 per cent of the total pollution load there. Agra, Dec 6 : Socialists and activists associated with the JP movement of the 1970s on Wednesday condoled the death of veteran socialist leader Shyam Dutt Paliwal, who died in a Noida hospital earlier in the day. He was 87. Paliwal was arrested during the 1975 Emergency and was an accused in the Baroda Dynamite Case in which George Fernandes was accused of trying to overthrow the Indira Gandhi government. Paliwal was elected in 1977 to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Agra Rural (Dayalbagh constituency) on a Janata Party ticket. Akola (Maharashtra), Dec 6 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday "suspended" his three-day-long farmers agitation after the Maharashtra government conceded all the seven major demands here. "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to us today. We had a fruitful discussion. He has assured that all the demands of the farmers would be fulfilled. Accordingly, the agitation has been called off for now," Sinha told mediapersons late on Wednesday evening. However, the 80-year old former Union Finance Minister made it clear that this should not be viewed as a "victory or defeat" for anybody, but in the interests of the entire farming community of Maharashtra and the rest of the country. The Shetkar Jagran Manch's demands include compensation to cotton farmers for damage by pink bollworm attack, action against companies manufacturing and selling fake biotech seeds, full compensation to farmers for losses suffered in moong, urad and soyabean cultivation, not disconnecting power supply to agriculture pumps, striking off unjust conditions from the gold mortgage waiver sheme of the state government for farmers, purchase of all farm produce at the MSP declared by NAFED, and clearing the waiver of loans to eligible farmers by January 15 Sinha urged the farmers of the state not to resort to suicides, remain courageous and if they have issues, to connect with the SJM which would attempt to resolve them. The three-day action, which elicited the support of all political parties in the state - barring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - besides Arvind Kejriwal and Mamta Banerjee and others, is likely to be taken forward at the national level to espouse the farmers cause soon. In the past three days, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and other smaller state parties extended support to Sinha, while Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi personally met him (Sinha) in Akola on Tuesday to buttress the farmers cause. The agitation included farmers laying siege to the Akola Police Headquarters since Monday night till Wednesday morning which was finally resolved amicably later in the day. Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), Dec 6 : At least seven Maoists, including five women, were killed and two others injured in a fierce gunfight in the forests near Zinganur in Maharashtra early on Wednesday, an official said. A patrol team of the elite C-60 commandos of the Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) overcame "the brutal firepower" of the Maoists in the deep jungles and eliminated seven of the attackers in what was billed as one of the biggest successes in recent times. This is the biggest blow to Maoists after 2013 when the ANO commandos had gunned down six Maoists. The insurgents eliminated on Wednesday were on the police 'wanted' list for several years and collectively carried a reward of Rs 28 lakh on their heads. The fighting took place around dawn when the Maoists opened indiscriminate fire on the ANO commandoes in the forested outskirts of the small Kalled village, around 15 km from the Zinganur outpost, around 970 km east of Mumbai. Officials said this was the first time so many women rebels had been gunned down in a single incident. Another two injured Maoists managed to escape. The Maoists have been identified as Sunita Kodape (reward Rs 6 lakh), Akhila Kulmethe (Rs 4 lakh), Shaila and Sarita (each Rs 2 lakh), Chandu (Rs 6 lakh) and Aiytu (Rs 8 lakh) while one woman has yet to be identified, officials said late at night. While Sarita hailed from Chhattisgarh, the other five identified are from Maharashtra. The weapons seized from the Maoists included two SLRs, two 8 mm rifles, two 12 mm rifles, three muzzle-loading guns and assorted ammunition. The security forces have stepped up security against possible retaliation by the Maoists in all parts of the district especially since it happens to be a transit point for the insurgents who move between Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The security forces have also launched combing operations to find others who may be lurking in the forests in Sironcha sub-district. The hit on the Maoists came as all the Maoist groups are currently observing their annual 'Peoples Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA)' week from December 2 to 8 when they seek support of locals, distribute pamphlets and try to enlist volunteers for their cause. Since the last week of November, Maoists have struck on several occasions and killed at least five civilians suspecting them to be police spies. They also gunned down two security personnel. Nairobi, Dec 6 : Moving towards a pollution-free planet, 193 nations on Wednesday unanimously asked the United Nations Environment to submit a plan linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for execution by its next assembly in 2019. The nations, including India, resolved to encourage sustainable lifestyles and move forward to ensure more sustainable consumption and production patterns by providing reliable sustainability information to the consumers. After three days' hectic negotiations in the third United Nations Environment Assembly that culminated in this Kenyan capital, the countries asked to make it easier to rethink, reuse, recycle, recover and remake any products, materials and prevent and reduce waste generation. "This type of political declaration is first of the kind. It has been an astonishing success," UN Environment head Erik Solheim told IANS. He said the nations needed a three-pronged strategy to deal with the litter. "The plastic material needs to be recycled. The air pollution sources need to be minimized through electrical mobility and promoting public transportation. And (there's) a need to stop the processing of chemicals like mercury, a major pollutant," an optimistic Solheim said. Stressing the important role India and China need to play in fighting pollution, he said: "The United Nations can bring people together and inspire them. I'm very optimistic with India's approach. During my meeting with China's Environment Minister Li Ganjie, we see huge progress in China." "In the most polluted areas in China, Beijing and Shanghai you see a substantial reduction in pollution. The government of China is taking determined action. The number of coal burning has gone down drastically. This doesn't mean that all problems are solved. "There are a number of agreements with India and the United Nations Environment can work together in the days to come. Pollution was one of the key issues discussed during the meeting with the minister (India's Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan)," he said. "The World Environment Day in going to take place in India in June next year. That's their platform for setting aside environment practices. I see the same shift in the environment policy of India as China," Solheim added. "We will promote fiscal measures such as incentives to stimulate positive changes, taking into account the importance of minimizing pollution and making every effort to invest in more sustainable, environmentally sound solutions," said the three-page declaration. "We will strengthen and enforce more integrated policies, laws and regulations. We will continue to develop and expand partnerships between governments, the private sector, academia, relevant United Nations agencies and programmes, indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society and individuals." Asking the United Nations Environment Executive Director to submit a plan for implementation for their consideration, the ministers pledged to advocate for this declaration in all relevant fora, including at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. (Vishal Gulati is in Nairobi at the invitation of United Nations Environment to cover its third annual session. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the issue of who -- whether the Centre or the Delhi government -- has the powers to administer the national capital. A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra heard for 15 days the Delhi government's plea against a Delhi High Court verdict that held the primacy of the Delhi Lt Governor over an elected government to administer the national capital. The bench also comprises Justices A.K. Sikri, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan. The Delhi government contended that it has the executive powers as per which it can aid and advise the Lt Governor on all matters. The Delhi government, in the course of the hearing, contended that an elected government can't be subservient to the overriding authority of the Lt Governor. The Aam Aadmi Party government said it was only in an emergency situation that the Lt Governor can refer a matter -- on which there are differences of opinion between him and the elected government -- to the President of India. The state government said constitutional provisions can be interpreted only to advance the goals of the Constitution and people's democratic aspirations. On the other hand, the Centre contended that all executive powers to administer Delhi were vested in the Union government which acted through the Lt Governor. The Centre told the court that the "aid and advice" by the elected government was not binding on the Lt Governor, as was the case in other States. As the Centre insisted that the Lt Governor has the power to decide on the correctness or otherwise of Delhi government decisions, the apex court observed that he should show "constitutional statesmanship" in dealing with an elected government. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Tremors were felt in Delhi and NCR at around 8.45 p.m. on Wednesday that lasted for a few seconds following a moderate earthquake in Uttarakhand. According to the Centre for Seismology, an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude was reported in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. "The epicentre is in Uttarakhand, the tremors felt in Delhi and NCR are the impulses," an official at Centre for Seismology, India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS. The epicentre of the quake was at 30 km depth, and the tremor is considered moderate. This is the second earthquake in Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, a 3.3 magnitude quake was reported in the state. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Delhi High Court was informed by the Indian Navy on Wednesday that it had offered a private job to a sailor sacked for undergoing sex change surgery. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain and the central government's standing counsel Anil Soni, appearing for the Navy, told a division bench of Justice G.S. Sistani and Justice V.K. Rao that it could facilitate for the ex-sailor a job as data entry operator in a private company, which works for the government. After Senior Advocate Anand Grover, appearing for the ex-sailor, told the bench that the job offered paid much less compared with his naval job and sought time to talk to his client, the court posted the matter for further hearing on December 15. Manish Kumar Giri, 25, who has since changed his name to Sabi Giri, was discharged from service in October. The court was hearing Giri's plea for court directions for reinstatement in the same rank and pay in the Navy. Calling for a "change in mindset", the bench had called for a lenient view due to the nature of the issue involved and asked the Navy to consider if it can accommodate her on a clerical post. The plea had also challenged Section 9 of The Navy Act that allows for the enrolment of only male sailors and limited entry for women sailors in specific departments, but has no provision for enrolment of transgender sailors. In October 2016, Giri took three weeks leave to undergo sex realignment surgery in Delhi. The petitioner rejoined the naval job on the stipulated date but pretended nothing had changed. It was only when the sailor suffered a urinary tract infection that the Navy doctors found out about the surgery at a civil hospital. The plea said the petitioner was suffering from gender identity issues since 2011 and his parents forced him to marry a woman when he told them of the problem. The couple had a child. Jaipur, Dec 6 : Rajasthan Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari on Wednesday said all vacant posts in the state's higher education department will be filled by 2018. "We have got approval from the authorities concerned. The final consent, hence, will be sent to RPSC (Rajasthan Public Service Commission) soon," she said, addressing a press conference in Jaipur to highlight the achievements of the BJP government in the education sector in the last four years. The Minister said a teacher-students dialogue programme will be started in colleges. In every district, one college will be declared as the nodal centre where lecturers and students can communicate on different subjects. Counting the achievements, the Minister said that in the last four years, 45 new colleges were started in the state. She said that funds to the tune of Rs 20 crore were distributed to five universities respectively. These universities were also renovated in a three-phased programme. She added that industries and colleges have been linked in the state to encourage employment. A central placement cell has been made where 450 students have been provided with jobs. "We are also taking efforts to make students fluent in English speaking skills. In this reference, we have introduced Hello English App. We have also started geo-tagging for colleges. Grading process has started in colleges and new subjects and divisions are being started here, she added. Washington/Gaza, Dec 6 : Hundreds of Palestinians protested in Gaza city on Wednesday against a possible move by the US to change the status quo of Jerusalem. The move by the US President also faced criticism from many countries, including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and Qatar. The Palestinians shouted slogans against Donald Trump's potential move to declare Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or move the US embassy to the city, raising Palestinian flags and slogans saying "To Trump: Jerusalem is a Red Line" and "We shall protect Jerusalem with our souls and bodies". Islamic Hamas movement senior figure Salah Al-Bardaweel told Xinhua during the march that this angry demonstration "is one step in a series of steps that we will launch alongside Arab and Islamic states against the US decision regarding Jerusalem." He described the American moves on Jerusalem as "very dangerous on the Palestinian issue and an attack on our holy Quran, history, heart and soul". The Arab League also decided to hold an emergency meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers on Saturday to discuss the Arab action, MENA news agency reported. The decision was made in response to Palestine's request that has been supported by Jordan too. Meanwhile, the US intended move also faced criticism from various countries. China expressed concern and said it can lead to new confrontation. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press conference that the status of Jerusalem was very complicated and sensitive. Beijing was concerned that Washington's decision could "sharpen regional conflict", Efe news reported. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud told US President Donald Trump that an embassy relocation to Jerusalem is a "dangerous step" that would negatively affect and offend Muslims around the world. The king said this during a phone call from President Trump, in which they discussed Jerusalem developments, Al Arabiya reported. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his US counterpart's plan, saying it would not be tolerated. Rouhani also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone, describing Trump's announcement as "wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous", according to an account posted on the Iranian government's website. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on leaders of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) to convene in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the matter. Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said that Erdogan has invited leaders of IOC, an international organisation of 57 Muslim countries, to come together to take joint action and increase coordination among Muslim states. Morocco slammed the decision and expressed the kingdom's "strong support for the Palestinian people in defending their just cause and legitimate rights, mainly concerning the status of Jerusalem". Qatar's emir said his country would reject the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Qatar News Agency reported on Wednesday. Pakistan termed the move as illegal and a clear violation of the international law and UN Security Council resolutions. "The step would constitute a clear violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions and it would also sidestep decades of global consensus on this issue," a statement from the Prime Minister's House said. Tension has been mounting in Palestine amid the intended move. Israeli security forces were preparing for clashes with Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. A military official said the Israeli Army was "preparing for possible escalation", including violent rallies, Xinhua news agency reported. In the city of Bethlehem on Tuesday night, posters of Trump were burnt at a rally that began after a senior White House official confirmed that the US leader will recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday. Trump is also expected to announce that the US embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but the move will not be carried out immediately, according to the official. The announcement will mark a change in the US policy which has never recognised the annexed city as part of Israel. Palestinian officials have warned that the move will "kill" any chance for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who consider East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. New Delhi, Dec 6 : As many as 10 Indian cities have figured in the 20 most polluted cities across the world leaving over eight million children in the country exposed to toxic air and potentially putting their brain development at risk, said Yasmin Ali Haque, Unicef Representative in India. Creating awareness among all stakeholders to move toward green practices will help reducing pollution levels, Haque told IANS in an interview on Wednesday, against the backdrop of the release of a new global Unicef paper. The paper said almost 17 million babies under the age of one live in areas where air pollution is at least six times higher than international limits. "It is a global problem. Field burning happens in South Asia and Africa. Coal power plants are all over the world. As per the reports we have on climate change, action might be taken in a country but the reaction is (felt) in another country," Haque said. There is need for action by all countries so children are born and grow up in an environment that is healthy, she said. The paper -- Danger in the Air: How air pollution can affect brain development in young children -- noted that breathing in particulate air pollution can damage brain tissue and undermine cognitive development, with lifelong implications and setbacks. Even if a pregnant woman inhales toxic air, it might have an impact on her baby, she added. Haque said there was hope, citing the global momentum on climate change, but added the bigger hope comes from children themselves. "In India, we have seen children are raising their voices, educating others. As future citizens of the country, they are raising the issues they are concerned about. That is very important," she said. Haque said government regulations would work but the more important aspect was involvement of all stakeholders such as agriculture groups and industries. "There can be regulation but beyond that you need change in your behaviour. This is where industries have role to play. Cooperative groups, agriculture bodies can get farmers agreed on a code of conduct (field burning)," she said. "Conglomeration of various industries can come together and see how their practices can be greener. We need to invest time in educating people." Haque said the country could prompt hybrid, electric-operated vehicles especially public transport. However, it needs action from not just government but by all stakeholders in society, she concluded. Palghar (Maharashtra), Dec 6 : The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday said it has detected and arrested 11 Bangladesh nationals living illegally in Nala Sopara town of Palghar district, around 40 km north of Mumbai. Following a local intelligence tip-off, the ATS swooped on their homes in the Ghaas Road area of Nala Sopara and rounded up the 11 persons on Tuesday. They are all males aged between 18-57, working and living inconspicuously with the local population since an unspecified time period, the ATS said. All the accused, whose names have not been disclosed, were produced before the district court on Wednesday which has remanded them to police custody for three days (till Friday). The ATS investigations revealed that 10 of them hailed from Bangladesh's Satkhira district, which has a border with the Indian state of West Bengal, while one is from the adjoining (to Satkhira) Jessore district. During interrogation, they confessed to having sneaked into India and none of them could produce any valid travel or immigration documents. "They had taken the help of some unscrupulous local agents and managed to acquire Indian PAN, Aadhaar cards by submitting false documents, which is now being investigated," an official from Palghar said. The ATS is now ascertaining how so many people from a single region in Bangladesh managed to sneak in here undetected, who and where their other connections here are, and what were their motives in living on the outskirts of the country's commercial capital. Also, how they entered the country and how many more illegal Bangladeshis are still around in Palghar and other parts of the state. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Defence Ministry is looking into the issue of a cap of Rs 10,000 on educational expenses paid to the children of armed forces martyrs, and Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assured that the issue will be addressed on priority, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said here on Wednesday. According to Ministry sources, Sitharaman also held a meeting on Wednesday over the issue, after all three forces approached her requesting a rollback of the order. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, General Bipin Rawat said Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, has written to the Defence Minister of the issue. "For our martyrs, children are entitled (to) free education. It is a very good thing that the government has done. "What has happened is possibly because of some misunderstanding they have now capped it at Rs 10,000 because somebody must have calculated as to how much a person spends per month on a child's education. "In our case, we have written to the government. I think the Defence Minister is completely seized of the problem. She is aware of it, and after we explained the reason to her... she said she is certainly concerned about it and will address the issue on priority," General Rawat said. As per estimates, around 3,400 children of armed forces personnel have been impacted by the decision. According to informed sources, Admiral Lanba, the senior most among the three service chiefs, in his letter to the minister requested the order be withdrawn. "...this small gesture would assure the families of our brave women and men that the nation cares for them and their sacrifices are truly appreciated by the government," the Navy chief said in his letter. "These personnel have made the supreme sacrifice for the country and the provision of educational concessions to their wards is a small gesture to recognise their commitment to the defence of the country." An order dated September 13 by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare of the Defence Ministry said the fee for tuition and hostel expenses for children of martyrs would be capped at Rs 10,000 per month, as per the recommendations by the 7th Pay Commission. The order came into effect from July 1. The demand for a rollback on the decision was also raised by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Union Minister of State for External Affairs General V.K. Singh, who is himself an Army ex-chief. On Tuesday, Sitharaman had said that the matter was under consideration. "I know it is a very sentimental issue I am fully seized of it. I respect martyrs, their families, and the sentiments that is tied to it, we all respect that," Sitharaman told reporters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. She said the decision came out of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. "I am not trying to give you (an) excuse, 7th Pay Commission made some recommendations, recommendation was accepted, the Cabinet took a call on it... Therefore there is some process that has taken place. It is hurting us, we will go back to consider it." New Delhi/Dehradun, Dec 6 : A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Uttarakhand on Wednesday night, at around 8.45 p.m., causing tremors in the hill state and adjoining areas, including Delhi and NCR. No loss of life or property was, however, reported from anywhere. Although the earthquake lasted for only a few seconds, it triggered panic at many places, especially Dehradun -- the state capital of Uttarakhand -- and people rushed out of their houses. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said the epicentre of the earth quake was 121 km away from Dehradun, in Rudraprayag, and at a depth of 30 km. "The epicentre was in Rudraprayag of Uttarakhand and the tremors felt in Delhi and NCR were the impulses," he told IANS. This is the second earthquake in Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, a 3.3 magnitude quake was reported in the state. Lucknow, Dec 6 : Stray protests and black flag marches on Wednesday marked the observance in Uttar Pradesh of the 25th anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya amid high security across the state, including 27 more companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. Protests or marches by both Hindu and Muslim organisations were held to mark the day. The disputed 16th-century structure at the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a large crowd of Hindu kar sevaks. While the Hindus, led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), took out victory processions to mark the day as 'Shaurya Diwas', the Muslims observed the day as 'Black Day'. Muslim traders kept their shops closed in some parts of Faizabad for what they called the "shahadat of the Babri mosque". In Meerut, youngsters wearing saffron headgear and carrying symbolic swords took out a procession under VHP and Bajrang Dal aegis. They raised slogans in favour of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and shouted slogans on how very soon this dream would become a reality. Some provocative posters were put up by Muslims in Shamli district of western UP, but were soon taken down by the district administration. At many mosques in Faizabad and other Muslim dominated areas in the state, black flags could be seen fixed on rooftops. Some Muslims also sported black armbands to register their protest over the razing of the structure. Members of the All-India Raza Action Committee took out a protest march in Bareilly that ended outside the District Magistrate's office. In Aligarh, VHP activists celebrated at their Achal Taal office and performed religious rituals for a grand Ram temple. Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha volunteers at its Beads office in Naurangabad in Aligarh wrote a letter with their blood addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding an early start to temple construction at Ayodhya. Students at the Aligarh Muslim University protested with black armbands while 'Quran Khani' was performed by Muslims in Ayodhya for the mosque's construction. A protest march was also taken out at Madhugadhi locality here. Slogan-shouting Bajrang Dal activists took out a march in Gorakhpur, the hometown of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It is for the first time in 25 years that such visible protests marked the day. Six PAC companies each were deployed in Lucknow and Faizabad districts, including the temple town of Ayodhya which was divided into four zones and 10 sectors. Prohibitory orders were issued to ban the assembly of four or more persons. A Hindu mob had torn down the 16th-century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, triggering widespread communal riots across the country. While the VHP -- which claims the mosque was built at the birthplace of Lord Rama -- has been celebrating the day as 'Shaurya Diwas', some Muslim groups observe December 6 as 'Black Day'. Kolkata, Dec 6 : Amid massive protests by guardians of students over the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl in the school, the G.D. Birla Centre for Education here on Wednesday "relieved the school's principal of her duties" and announced that the classes would resume from Thursday, a guardians' forum member said. The announcement came after a long meeting between the school authorities, the guardians' forum, senior officers of Kolkata Police, members of the state Child Rights Commission and other stakeholders on Wednesday evening. "The school authorities informed the guardians that the present Principal of the school has been relieved of her duties and responsibilities with immediate effect. The existing Vice Principals would run the schools from now on," the member read out from a written document. "They (school authority) informed that the 'removal' is a legal term and requires due process. The school will reopen from December 7," she said. A section of the guardians were demanding ouster of the Principal for allegedly trying to cover up the issue of sexual assault and indirectly supporting the accused instead of taking action against them. The members of guardians' forum also said that the school had agreed to form a body of the guardians with representatives from all the classes. The forum said it would hold regular meetings with the school authorities to discuss the betterment of the school. "Several of our suggested measures, including no male teachers in the senior and junior sections, installation of CCTV cameras, posting of female attendants in the school and its buses and separate toilets for boys and girls have been taken note of by the school management," it said. Terming the outcome of the meeting as a "moral victory", Chairman of West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBSCPCR) Ananya Chakraborty said it could be achieved through sheer dedication of the guardians. The south Kolkata-based high-profile school has seen continuous protests since the alleged sexual assault on the small girl inside a school washroom by two physical training teachers on December 1. The two accused have already been arrested and remanded to police custody till December 15, while the Principal and four other teaching and non-teaching stuff have been interrogated by the Kolkata Police's women grievance cell till now. Bengaluru, Dec 6 : Indian software major Wipro on Wednesday said it was opening its third office in London to offer digital print on demand (pod) services to its regional customers. "The new office near the Broadgate Circle will be in addition to our two offices on City Road and Sheldon Square in London, with 1,800 employees," said Wipro Digital Vice-President Rajan Kohli at a trade event here. Pod is a digital printing technology used for printing books and other publications for online sales worldwide. "The additional presence in London will allow us to work for our digital clients in collaboration with designers and software engineers and to incubate innovative and disruptive ideas," said Kohli at a meeting with a visiting trade delegation from Britain. Terming the opening of the third office a milestone in the IT major's growth journey, Kohli said the latest digital pod in London would attract design and engineering talent to serve its clients in Britain and Europe. The meeting was organised by the Mayor of London's office and the British Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru to mark the six-day visit of London Mayor Sadiq Khan to India and Pakistan since Monday for improving trade ties between the two South Asian nations and the city of London. Wipro's announcement coincided with Khan's promotional agency London & Partners opening its overseas office in Bengaluru. "Indian tech firms are set to create 400 more jobs in London this year," said the agency in the statement. The new office is part of London's drive to strengthen trade and investment links with India and ease the process for Indian firms in setting up or expanding in the British capital. "As London and Bengaluru are hotbeds for innovation and creativity, we see a great opportunity for British and Indian tech firms to do business across both markets," said London & Partners' International Trade and Investment Director David Slater on the occasion. India is the second biggest foreign investor in London, with Indian firms creating over 4,500 jobs in the city London during the last 10 years. New Delhi, Dec 6 : After 25 years of Babri Masjid demolition, journalists here on Wednesday recalled their experiences of reporting on the watershed moment in the Indian politics,concluding that the act of vandalism which brought down the mosque was not a spontaneous act of passion of the people but outcome of a meticulous conspiracy hatched at the top. They discussed the event, which divided Hindus and Muslims in its wake quarter of a century back, at the Press Club of India at the invitation of news website The Wire. Referring to a "classic" news footage of the episode, Senior journalist Saeed Naqvi said none of those featuring in it spoke for Lord Ram or what the agitation was about, but the whole exercise was "choreographed" and was in fact directed against Pakistan. "I was one of those stupid converts who thought that 'Babri Masjid' was negotiable. I thought the Hindu 'aastha' was for the Ram Mandir," said Naqvi who was a reporter for The World Report in 1992 -- the year of Masjid demolition. "After Babri Masjid, Indian communalism reached a pitch from where it could never retreat ... and it's going to be extremely difficult for it to make a retreat," he said. He added that the Babri Masjid episode was but one aspect of the race between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress for the "consolidation of Hindu votes" against "minority extremism". Another journalist who worked as a Special Correspondent for Business India recalled her ordeal of getting molested and fatally attacked at the hands of vandals when she went inside the mosque during the demolition to see what was going on. "It was packed with saffron-clad karsevaks... Someone heard someone say 'Musalmaan' and they tried to smother me thinking I was a Muslim. Some of them even molested me and tore my clothes, until I was rescued by one of them who recognised me as I had interviewed him a day before," Ruchira Gupta, now an independent journalist, said. "When I approached Advani (L.K Advani) who was at the 'terrace' and told him to ask people to stop attacking journalists, he said 'apne sath jo hua wo bhool jao, itna aitihaasic din hai uski khushi me kuchh meetha khao (Forget what happened with you, have some sweets, it's such a historic day)," she recounted. Advani concluded his every "Rath Yatra", Gupta said, with an exhortation to the crowd to build the temple where Babri Masjid once stood. "The misogyny, the sexism has become part of the ruling party (BJP)'s framework," she added. Praveen Jain, a photojournalist with The Pioneer then, recounted how he came across a group of people doing a proper "rehearsal" of the moves which felled the mosque a day later. "I was taken to a site near the 'masjid' by a BJP MP, who gave me a saffron scarf and Vishwa Hindu Parishad i-card also... I saw several men practising there with spades and ropes upon a mound made for the purpose. The methods were used the next day in bringing down the mosque," Jain, with Indian Express now, said. Mark Tully, Chief of Bureau at BBC then, said: "What was completely disgraceful was that the authority of the government completely collapsed. There was no government in Ayodhya that day. Security forces remained parked in nearby areas and offered no resistance... 'Karsevaks' had complete control over things. Obscene slogans were shouted against Muslims." The Supreme Court on Monday began final hearing on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue after 2010, the year when a high court judgement had divided the site between three parties -- Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Lord Ram Lalla. Nairobi, Dec 6 : Indian actress-producer Dia Mirza on Wednesday said she has replaced a large amount of plastic from her life. She's using toothbrush that is not made of plastic but a bamboo one. And she believes in refilling bottles for quenching her thirst, even in plush hotels. "The basic things which you can do in your life can go a big distance," Mirza told IANS here. "My toothbrush is a bamboo one. I have stopped using plastic packaged water. I carry my metal bottle from home," Mirza said in a candid conversation. "I ensure the vehicles I move around are on the highest emissions standards. I would love to use an electric car. I wish the government of India will reduce the taxes on sustainable alternatives." She was categorically even admitting to IANS that: "I have switched from using normal sanitary napkins to biogradable ones." Mirza, who is also the Wildlife Trust of India brand ambassador, took up the role as the United Nations brand ambassador to her work on raising awareness and seeking solutions for environmental issues that the world, and India in particular, faces. As a Goodwill Ambassador, the Bollywood actress 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 Mirza's influence can help to turn the situation around and create a healthy future for Indians and their environment," said UN Environment head Erik Solheim. After three-day hectic negotiations in the third United Nations Environment Assembly that culminated in this Kenyan capital, 193 countries members to the UN Environment pledged to make it easier to rethink, reuse, recycle, recover and remake any products, materials and prevent and reduce waste generation. "This type of political declaration is first of the kind. It has been an astonishing success," Solheim told IANS. He said the nations need three-pronged strategy to deal with the litter. "The plastic material needs to be recycled. The air pollution sources need to minimized through electrical mobility and promoting public transportation. And need to stop the processing of chemicals like mercury, a major pollutant," an optimistic Solheim added. (Vishal Gulati is in Nairobi at the invitation of United Nations Environment to cover its third annual session. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 6 : Delhi Environment Department Secretary will sound an alarm on Whatsapp if Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses a particular mark, asking authorities to carry out pollution control measures, official sources said on Wednesday. "On the basis of AQI, an alarm will be triggered by the Secretary (Environment), GNCTD on Whatsapp. The follow-up action by authorities concerned is expected without delay," an Environment Department communique said. The SOP (standard operating procedure) for controlling severe air pollution in Delhi asks city Municipal Corporations, Public Works Department, Delhi Development Authority and others to carry out different measures like sprinkling of water, checking of biomass burning, diesel generator sets, and polluting vehicles. The heads of authorities concerned will work out an internal mechanism to carry out the task and communicate the name and mobile number of their nodal officers, the order said. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Underlining the importance of having a law like the Right to Information (RTI) in a democratic set-up, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said the access to credible information makes a democracy more "progressive, participatory and meaningful". "Indeed, the adoption of the citizens' Right to Information has enabled each citizen to be better informed and more actively participate in the governance of the country. Citizens now have confirmation that the information is authentic. This can be potential ammunition to fight injustice and cleanse the polity," Naidu said. Inaugurating the 12th annual convention of the Central Information Commission, he said: "It is significant to note that even those countries which are not formally democratic in structure have come up with some form of Right to Information. For a nation which has adopted democracy as a political system, the Right to Information is even more of an imperative." He said Kautilya's "Arthashastra" advocates a free flow of communication between the king and his subjects and in modern times the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises Right to Information as a human right. The Vice President said that the RTI enables greater government accountability, facilitates citizens' participation and lends transparency to government functioning. "In India, a sea change can be seen in the systems of governance and the attitude of government agencies since adoption of the RTI Act. Also, a clear attitudinal change is visible in public authorities dealing with matters concerning public services and citizens' expectations," he said. He observed that over the past decade, citizens' expectations have changed and from a once-in-five-years exercise of electoral choice, they now expect to be regularly consulted in matters directly concerning them. The Vice President hoped that the discussions at the convention will lead to "substantive recommendations" which will help further advance "the cause of RTI in our country". Shillong, Dec 6 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday dared rebel Congress legislators to resign from the assembly ahead of next year's elections. "We know all who will resign. We will be happy to see if they resign as MLAs. That is why we have given enough time. If somebody has the courage, let them resign as MLAs," he told the media here. The Chief Minister was reacting to veteran Congress legislator Coming One Ymbon from the Cabinet. Ymbon, who tendered his resignation on Monday, along with Congress legislators Rowel Lyngdoh, Prestone Tynsong, Sniawbhalang Dhar, and Ngaitlang Dhar are expected to contest the assembly elections on National People's Party (NPP) ticket. Reacting to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the NPP dubbing him the "most corrupt politician", the Chief Minister said he would take legal recourse against making such allegations. "It is not my job to clarify. My job is to drag them to court. People who do not have issues to raise are demonstrating their frustration and anger," Sangma said. Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held in February-March 2018. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a plea alleging deliberate variations in the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) of pilots resulting in fatigue. The court asked the central government and the DGCA to file their response and posted the matter for further hearing on March 20, 2018. "This is very dangerous. These are matters where you (Centre and DGCA) need to take steps," the bench said. The court asked the aviation regulator to place before it the flight timings and duty timings of pilots. It asked the DGCA whether there was any law which allowed pilots to fly more than eight hours. The plea filed by Kerala resident Yeshwanth Shenoy alleged that the DGCA's norm on the FDTL was violative of rules, as it allowed air operators to stretch the duty hours of pilots resulting into fatigue to them. The prescribed norm for pilots was maximum eight hours flight time and six landings per day, but it was being flouted under the regulator's watch, Shenoy told the court. Many airline-related accident had occurred due to "pilot fatigue", the plea said, adding: "One of the contributing factors to the Mangalore Air Crash (of May 2010 that killed 152 people) was pilot fatigue." In July 2007, India prepared a draft FDTL, but it never saw the light of the day as the airline operators opposed it on grounds of commercial loss, said the plea. A watered-down version was notified and implemented in 2012-14, it added. The petition sought direction to the DGCA to reframe the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on FDTL for flight crew by involving the stakeholders and taking into consideration international best practices. Washington, Dec 7 : President Trump on Wednesday announced that the US now recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump described the move as "a long overdue step" to advance the Middle East peace process, the BBC reported. The President said his country would support the two-state solution if both Israel and Palestine approved. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman had warned that the development would hold dangerous consequences for the region. Earlier in the day, Palestinians declared three days of rage, starting on Wednesday, after the Trump informed Abbas in a telephone call of his plans regarding Jerusalem. Chief of the Islamic Hamas movement Ismail Haniyeh said if the US decision on Jerusalem is taken, "it means ending the peace process," reported Qatari-based news channel Al-Jazeera. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly warned the US against the move saying it would trigger new clashes in the region and help terrorist organisations. The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, summoned envoys of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) permanent members over mounting tensions on Jerusalem issue. Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would be a "dangerous" precedent. New York, Dec 7 : United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in the face of international criticism while asserting that he was "not taking a position of any final status" of the ancient city that is also claimed by Palestine. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking immediately after Trump's announcement, delivered criticism couched in diplomatic terms, saying he was "against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians." "Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides," Guterres added. Trump invoked the a 1995 law passed by US Congress calling for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to justify fulfilling his campaign promise. As he pointed out, his three predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, issued waivers putting the law on hold but he was now following the intent of the Congress. While nations and leaders, from China to Pope Francis criticised Trump's decision and even US allies have refused to follow Washington's lead on moving embassies to Jerusalem, there was no noticeable political opposition in the US from even the Democrats. In the US, politicians are loath to be seen as anti-Israel and Trump's move was a challenge to his domestic critics to make it a major politically issue. Trump's announcement muddies the diplomatic waters in the Middle East where his son-in-law Jared Kushner is engaged in a so-far unsuccessful peace effort to bring Israel and Palestinians together for a solution to the contentious issue. "The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides," Trump said. "I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement." While declaring that he would ask the State Department to move the embassy to Jerusalem, he added, "This decision is not intended, in any way, to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement." "We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders," he added. "Those questions are up to the parties involved." That leaves the room for Israel to have West Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestine has its capital in East Jerusalem, a territory that Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East War, if there is an eventual peace agreement between the two sides. Trump's announcement is directed towards his domestic base, rather than the world. Almost a year into power, he has failed to fulfill most of his campaign promises ranging from building a wall along the Mexican border to abolishing his Obama's health insurance programme. The only high-profile promise he was able to achieve was a tax reform. Now he can add Jerusalem to that without his opposition turning it into a divisive issue. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) My goal is to serve Habitat the best I can by supporting our core goal of bringing shelter to those who need it most. Director of Marketing for Zco Corporation, Kyle Mallinger, has been named President of the Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors. Throughout his career Mallinger has led company growth for multiple organizations through strategic planning and focused marketing tactics. As the Director of Marketing at Zco Corporation, he is responsible for implementing strategic vision for marketing and sales, fostering employee growth, and driving company profitability. Mallinger brings extensive experience in leveraging detailed data and analytic insights to pinpoint growth opportunities. A New York native, Mallinger now lives in Goffstown along with his wife Courtney. The Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity is a 501(C)(3) non-profit that works closely with businesses and organizations in the community to provide affordable housing and shelter to people and families in need. In recent years, GMHFH has constructed/reconstructed 9 homes in the Greater Manchester area using virtually a 100 percent volunteer force as well helped dozens of low-income families with critical home repairs. In June, 2016, GMHFH completed construction on a triplex property located at 50 Hosley Street in Manchester, having placed two families there (and is in the final stages of placing a third family) and is presently reconstructing/converting a duplex into a single family home located at 262 Lowell Street in Manchester for a Somali refugee family with nine children - all, who currently share a cramped 4-bedroom 1-bathroom apartment. The Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity serves the municipalities of Manchester, Hooksett, Candia, Auburn, Derry, Londonderry, Litchfield, Bedford, and Goffstown in New Hampshire. Mallinger was selected to head the organization by its Board of Directors, who elected him to the position in November of this year. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity of helping build a better community," says Kyle Mallinger. "My goal is to serve Habitat the best I can by supporting our core goal of bringing shelter to those who need it most." As part of its core principles, Zco Corporation supports the Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity as well as other non-profits and charitable organizations throughout the community. About Zco Corporation Zco is one of the largest custom software developers in the world. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, Zco serves Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and entrepreneurs alike. Its services include mobile and enterprise app development, 3D animation, games, augmented and virtual reality, and mobility solutions. To learn more, visit http://www.zco.com. About Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity Through donations of money and materials and volunteer labor, Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity is able to build homes and sell them at an affordable price. Partner families purchase the home with a no-profit loan, and their monthly mortgage payments will be used to build more Habitat houses. Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity is completely volunteer run and has built and renovated homes and helped many low income homeowners with much needed repairs since 1993. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, visit http://www.habitatmanchester.org. #### If you are interested in more information, please contact Jon Lynch at Jonathan.Lynch(at)zco(dot)com. FirstService Residential, Floridas leading residential property management company, has been selected to provide management services for Midblock Miami Condominium Association. Located in the heart of Miami along the Biscayne corridor, Midblock is surrounded by a thriving culture and arts scene. The boutique residential condominium is minutes away from the Miami Design District, Wynwood Arts District, Performing Arts Center, the beach and Biscayne Bay. Midblock was uniquely designed by world-renowned architect John R. Nichols and features open floorplans with breathtaking bay and city views. Residents of the 173-unit building enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness center, rooftop swimming pool with outdoor barbeque grills, ground-level retail and restaurants, 24-hour concierge and more. Midblock Miami is a fashionable residence with great appeal, which we welcome to the FirstService Residential family, said Edwin Lugo, vice president of FirstService Residentials High-Rise division. As their property management partner of choice, we are confident that our best-in-class service and management solutions will enhance the property and lifestyle of every resident. About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North America's largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential's managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties. With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com. Middle South Platte River Alliance joins Rocky Posting the bid for an entire regional community of vendors to see will help us reach more variety of qualified local suppliers. We like that with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System we can quantifiably track the level of diversity. Today the Middle South Platte River Alliance has officially joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System to help simplify their bid and RFP distribution process. The Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System is one of BidNets 21 regional purchasing groups throughout the country which offers participating local government agencies an e-procurement solution. Middle South Platte River Alliance invites all vendors to register online with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System to access its upcoming solicitations by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado. With the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, vendors register to access one centralized location with opportunities from over 200 participating agencies throughout Colorado and Wyoming. By posting upcoming solicitations to the regional purchasing group, in addition to their website, Middle South Platte River Alliance hopes to make it easier for more vendors to access their documents. They also hope to expand the reach of their solicitations to a more diverse vendor pool. Unlike the prior process of only publishing bids to a webpage, the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System provides a method to track all bid activity, including the details of vendors who have received or downloaded a bid. Sometimes distributing a bid on our site just isnt enough, says Glen Werning Chairperson of Middle South Platte River Alliance. Posting the bid for an entire regional community of vendors to see will help us reach more variety of qualified local suppliers. We like that with the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System we can quantifiably track the level of diversity. Middle South Platte River Alliance encourages 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 202 other public agencies participating on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Registered vendors also gain access to a team of experienced customer service support representatives and can upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, advanced notice of term contract expiration, and notification of a recently posted addendum. About the Middle South Platte River Alliance: In response to the September 2013 flooding of the South Platte River in northern Colorado, a group of individuals and organizations came together to speak for the restoration of the river system and determine ways to make the South Platte more resilient in the face of future flooding events. With the goals of protecting property, preserving natural habitat, restoring portions of the floodplain, and rehabilitating infrastructure along the river, the Alliance guided the drafting of a Master Restoration Plan for the South Platte River between the confluence of the St.Vrain Creek and the Cache La Poudre River. Now complete, the Alliance will be working to implement this important plan. The Alliance strives to promote and implement projects that restore the rivers natural systems and help protect property from future flood events. These projects may include flood debris clean-up, river bank restoration, land conservation, removal of sediment from bridges and diversion structures and other projects deemed necessary to support a healthy and resilient river system. 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 The future of housing is being created through inspired innovation, said Peter Goldstone, CEO of Hanley Wood. Hanley Wood, the premier information, media, event, and strategic marketing services company serving the residential, commercial design and construction industries, is pleased to announce this years HIVE 50 Honorees, who will be celebrated at the second annual HIVE Conference in Los Angeles this week. The future of housing is being created through inspired innovation, said Peter Goldstone, CEO of Hanley Wood. The HIVE 50 honorees are examples of true innovation that comes from collaboration and a connection to the best of thought leadership in other industries. We are honored to highlight the contributions of these innovators at HIVE and look forward to seeing what they create in the future. The HIVE 50 are drawn from the top people, products and processes that are leading the charge to inspire creativity, higher performance, and innovation in housing. This years honorees are separated into five categories building technology, capital, design, intel and strategy. Honorees by category include: BUILDING TECHNOLOGY: Magued Eldaief, CEO, Prescient BMCs Ready-Frame System Marc Bovet, Founder and President, BONE Structure John Brooks, President BRINC Building Products Eric Clifton, Founder and CEO, Orison GO Logics GO Lab IrisVRs Prospect System Nitin Kulkarni, President, Smart Energy, Honeywell Home and Building Technologies Joe Lstiburek, Founding Principal, Building Science Corp. Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, Founder and CEO, Orbital Systems Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla Michael Niemann, President and Founder, HercuTech Richard Riman, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering William Rose, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana Aaron Salow, CEO and co-founder, XOi Technologies Christian Sanz, CEO and Founder, Skycatch Sajiv Singh, Developer, Aerial Robotic Infrastructure Analyst (ARIA) University of Colorado Boulders Glass Polymer Metamaterial Cooling Film CAPITAL: Eve Picker, Founder and CEO, Small Change Brian Bair and Jerry Coleman, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, OfferPad Nicolay Boyadjiev, Designer, Strelka Institute for Media Architecture and Design Shamayim Harris, Founder and CEO, Avalon Village Kenneth Holt, Secretary, Maryland SmartBuy, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Alex Lintner, President of Consumer Information Services, Experian Ben Miller, CEO and Co-Founder, Fundrise Puyin Blockchain Group, Sendera Ranch, Texas Keith Rabois, Eric Wu, Ian Wong and JD Ross, Co-Founders, Opendoor DESIGN: Brian Lee, Design Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) Carlo Ratti, Founder, MIT Senseable City Lab, Carlo Ratti Associati Angela Brooks and Larry Scarpa, Principals, Brooks & Scarpa Dave Everson, Owner and CEO, Mandalay Homes Mimi Hoang and Eric Bunge, Principal nARCHITECTS Florian Idenburg, Founding Partner, SO-IL Korte Co.s 5D Macro BIM Lennar Corp. Wi-Fi Certified Homes Alexis Rivas, Co-Founder and CEO, Cover Technologies Al Tozer, Architectural Designer, Tozer Design INTEL: Eric Potter, Director of Applied Innovation, Waterton Rohit Arnand, Principal, KTGY Architecture + Planning David Auld, President and CEO, D.R. Horton John Cohlan, CEO, Margaritaville Holdings Will Coleman, CEO, Lucid NEXTadventure Home, Taylor Morrison STRATEGY: Fritz Wolff, Co-Founder, Katerra Jeff Blau, CEO, The Related Cos. Barbara and Mike Feigin, Founders and Owners, Design Tech Homes Emile Haddad, Chairman and CEO, FivePoint Holdings Dana Pillai, Executive Director, Well Living Lab and President, Delos Labs Isami Wada, Chairman and CEO, Sekisui House Information about each of the honorees and their innovations can be found at http://www.hiveforhousing.com/hive-50/. HIVE, which will take place at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown from December 6-7, 2017, is an unparalleled opportunity to connect and network with an exclusive lineup of C-suite, thought-leaders, policy makers and game-changers from an array of industries. HIVE 2017 is supported by title and underwriting sponsor, Ply Gem, and founding sponsors, Electrolux, Kohler, Louisiana-Pacific and Samsung. To register or for more information about the conference, please visit the website. ABOUT HIVE HIVE is the premier event that concentrates on every aspect of housing: Innovation, Vision and Economics. Founded in 2016, HIVE brings together the best and brightest construction and design professionals, academics and thought leaders from an array of industries passionate about design, business strategies and innovation to stimulate new ideas and shape the future of how people live, work and play. HIVE 2017 is supported by title and underwriting sponsor, Ply Gem, and founding sponsors Electrolux, Kohler, Louisiana-Pacific and Samsung. ABOUT HANLEY WOOD Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design, and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics- and editorial-driven construction industry database, the company provides business intelligence and data-driven services. The company produces award-winning media, high-profile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. Our success is rooted in never losing sight of the customers needs and in building a team that believes in, and acts upon, the companys vision... Kabbage, Inc., a global financial services, technology and data platform serving small businesses, has extended over $4 billion to more than 130,000 small businesses, serving the largest customer base than any online small business lender. These landmarks represent an approximate 30-percent increase in total funding and total customers served since the companys last milestone announcement in April 2017. With over 1.5 million live data connections with its customers, Kabbages high growth is attributed to its fully-automated lending technology as it continues to be a trusted lending partner to tens of thousands of small businesses across all industries in all 50 U.S. states. Robert Sharpe also joined the company as its chief operating officer. Sharpe has more than 20 years of executive leadership in North America, Europe and Asia. He has successfully held various C-level positions, including president, chief executive officer and chief operating officer with multiple global consumer goods companies, each serving tens of thousands of customers and generating billions of dollars in revenue. With an additional ten years of commercial banking and corporate finance experience, Sharpe will be responsible for Kabbages continued growth and operational oversight as the company expands internationally and scales its services to serve more and larger small businesses. Having focused on delighting customers, product innovation, operational excellence and global expansion throughout my career, I am excited to contribute the benefits of these experiences to Kabbages mission of driving small business success, said Sharpe. Kabbage is a well-established leader thanks to the vision and leadership of co-founders, Rob Frohwein and Kathryn Petralia, and its unrelenting focus on customer experience, technology innovation and creating an unmatched culture. Our success is rooted in never losing sight of the customers needs and in building a team that believes in, and acts upon, the companys vision, said Kabbage co-founder and president, Kathryn Petralia. With Bob as COO, we have a seasoned leader with a shared dedication to our vision and a proven record of successfully leading rapidly scaling companies. During 2017, Kabbage reached major milestones, including: About Kabbage Kabbage Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, has pioneered a financial services technology and data platform to provide automated funding to small businesses in minutes. Kabbage leverages data generated through business activity such as accounting data, online sales, shipping and dozens of other sources to understand performance and deliver fast, flexible funding in real time. Kabbage is funded and backed by leading investors, including SoftBank Group Corp., BlueRun Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Thomvest Ventures, SoftBank Capital, Reverence Capital Partners, the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund, ING, Santander InnoVentures, Scotiabank and TCW/Craton. All Kabbage U.S.-based loans are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. For more information, please visit http://www.kabbage.com. US DOE acting head of nuclear energy Ed McGinnis flanked by Indonesia delegation and ThorCon representatives Mr. Zulnahar Usman, the chairman of the delegation, summarized the trip as an unqualified success... I am going to strongly recommend to President Widodo that the Government add the Thorium MSR technology to the countrys energy mix." 1. The Argonne National Lab has teamed up with ThorCon to apply for DOE grants that would support the development of ThorCons advanced MSR technology. One of the proposed projects would have Argonne apply its new high-fidelity simulation tools to ThorCons reactor design. 2. ThorCons first round of funding has been achieved. The lead investor, Dr. Gary Bergstrom, the founder of Acadian Asset Management, states I was impressed by the extraordinary engineering abilities of the team as well as the projects potential to make a dent in the climate change problem. Over my career I have been extensively involved with investing in emerging economies and I believe that many are promising markets for ThorCon's clean, non-intermittent, and low cost (under 7 cents/kWh) electric power. It also offers dramatic benefits in facility placement options and safety versus other alternatives." 3. In early November, a delegation from Indonesian President Widodos special advisory Council on the National Economy and Industry (KEIN), made a visit to the United States to carry out due diligence on molten salt reactor (MSR) technology and on the ThorCon design. The delegation was escorted by ThorCon on visits to the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station, the Argonne National Lab, the Oak Ridge National Lab, and the Office of Nuclear Energy of the Department of Energy in Washington, DC. Mr. Zulnahar Usman, the chairman of the delegation, summarized the trip as an unqualified success. Our meetings and discussions with various nuclear and molten salt reactor experts in the United States have confirmed the safety and viability of the MSR technology. The ThorCon power plant has also been confirmed as an excellent design whose stated schedule and costs are doable. I am going to strongly recommend to President Widodo that the Government add the Thorium MSR technology to the countrys energy mix. 4. One of the highlights of the delegations US trip was a meeting the DOEs acting head of nuclear energy, Mr. Ed McGinnis, who showed strong interest in Indonesias progress towards nuclear power. Mr. McGinnis and Mr. Usman agreed that the two countries would take steps to increase cooperation in support of Indonesias nuclear plans with the understanding that a ThorCon demonstration power plant would most likely be Indonesias first step. 5. At a recent meeting hosted by the Deputy Minister of Energy in Indonesia, a day long review was undertaken by the various stakeholders in the Government and private industry regarding adding nuclear power to the countrys energy system. A comparison of all offered sources of nuclear found ThorCons power to be 4 to 5 cents per kWh lower than the competition and the only clean source of non-intermittent power that was competitive with coal. PLN, the national utility company, expressed its willingness to buy nuclear power if it was under 7 cents per kWh. ThorCons willingness to provide power at this level was made clear to the Deputy Minister who expressed a preference for this low-cost option while at the same time acknowledging its unproven nature at commercial scale. Hub Pen Company adds Best Promotions and Cooler Graphics Building on the 2016 addition of Beacon Promotions and its broad portfolio of quality products, joining forces with Best Promotions USA and Cooler Graphics enables us to apply that same passion for excellence to the drinkware category. - Joe Fleming, President of Hub Pen Company The U.S. second largest designer and supplier of promotional writing instruments, Hub Pen Company (http://www.hubpen.com), has made significant additions to its product portfolio with the acquisition of Balch Springs, Texass Best Promotions USA (http://www.bestpromotionsusa.com) and Channelview, Texass Cooler Graphics (http://www.coolergraphics.com) in deals that were finalized on November 15th, 2017. The companies share a common foundation, rooted in best-in-class service, quick turnaround times and forging long-lasting partnerships with their respective customer bases. As a combined business, this commitment to satisfying customers will continue to be the companys top priority. Best Promotions and Cooler Graphics add distinctly different product lines and separate production facilities to Hubs current offerings, so the integration is expected to be seamless for employees and customers of all firms, while expanding offerings for customers. For more than 60 years, Hub Pen has focused solely on writing instruments and in doing so we have been able to deliver the highest quality pens at a better value than anyone in the market, said Joe Fleming, President of Hub Pen. Building on the 2016 addition of Beacon Promotions and its broad portfolio of quality products, joining forces with Best Promotions USA and Cooler Graphics enables us to apply that same passion for excellence to the drinkware category. Best Promotions USA president, Mike Hicks, sees similar value for his company in the wake of the merger. We started by bringing things together with Cooler Graphics. We jumped at the opportunity to add the world famous Slap, Wrap and Go beverage holder, along with a full line of neoprene-based promotional products to the Best portfolio. And then, to have an opportunity to partner with an industry leader like Hub and gain access to the great product lines they have, that was a complete win-win for us, Hicks said. Adding, We are really looking forward to adding all of these new drinkware offerings to the Hub/Beacon portfolio of promotional products. Both Fleming and Hicks will remain in leadership roles for the combined team going forward. Cooler Graphics will roll up into a brand within Best Promotions, with Jeromy Turner remaining in the general manager role at Cooler Graphics Channelview, TX facility. Hub Pen and Best Promotions USA will continue to attend industry events; appearing for the first time with a shared strategy for the ASI and PPAI Expos in January 2018. -- About Hub Pen Company Hub Pen Company is a second generation, family-owned business headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts. Its 300+ employees service more than 12,000 promotional products distributors and the company decorates more than 215 million pens each year making it the second largest designer and supplier of promotional writing instruments in the United States. About Beacon Promotions Beacon Promotions is an award-winning promotional products supplier with a great reputation for service and customer satisfaction. Beacon offers a wide selection of products, such as: calendars, table covers, housewares, tools, technology solutions, automotive accessories, highlighters and name badges. Beacon also provides premium leather products in its Canyon Outback Leather line and countless name brand products for executive gifts and incentives. About Best Promotions USA Best Promotions USA is a leading provider of imprinted drinkware promotional products headquartered in Balch Springs, Texas. Founded in 2007, the company is comprised of 90 employees committed to answering the phone and saying yes to all of its customers. Best is especially well-known for the millions of coolies produced on state-of-the-art equipment enabling industry leading delivery times. About Cooler Graphics Cooler Graphics is a second generation, family-owned business headquartered in Channelview, Texas. Founded in 2001 by Gerald Tuner, Cooler Graphics specializes in neoprene-based promotional products. Known for its Slap, Wrap and Go beverage insulator bracelet, Cooler Graphics also sells coolies, bottle hoodies, lunch bags, and other outdoor sportsmen products. ### WebMechanix Co-Founders Arsham Mirshah (left) and Chris Mechanic (right) This recognition is a sign to me that our commitment to move needles faster and more sustainably than any other agency is working. Clients are really seeing the value. Props to HubSpot for its awesome recipe and all the support. WebMechanix, a performance-based digital marketing firm headquartered in the Baltimore-Washington region, announced today that it achieved a new milestone with HubSpot as a Platinum Certified Agency Partner. HubSpot, the worlds leading inbound marketing and sales platform, works hand-in-hand with Agency Partners to grow their businesses through inbound software, services, and support. Though WebMechanix has been a long-time Gold Certified Agency Partner, the promotion to HubSpots Platinum level recognizes a deepening commitment to ensuring clients have the best tools and skills available to surpass business goals. Of the announcement, HubSpot Agency Partner Consultant Manager Ashley Cox said, We are especially thrilled to grow our partnership with WebMechanix as a Platinum Certified Agency Partner. Their savvy, innovative, and unusually humble approach to producing results for their clients makes them a company that businesses everywhere can learn from! WebMechanix co-founder Chris Mechanic said, This recognition is a sign to me that our commitment to move needles faster and more sustainably than any other agency is working. Clients are really seeing the value. Props to HubSpot for its awesome recipe and all the support. WebMechanix owes its growth to taking a client-centric approach that prioritizes measurable results first and foremost. According to WebMechanix co-founder Arsham Mirshah, We didnt start the company to gain recognition, though its certainly come along the way. At the end of the day, doing whatever helps our clients win is whats most important. In addition to becoming a HubSpot Diamond Certified Agency Partner, other noteworthy accomplishments to date include: SmartCEO Future 50 Award (2014, 2016, 2017) Inc. 5000 (2014, 2015, 2016) Google Premier Partner To learn more about WebMechanix, please visit http://www.webmechanix.com or call 1.888.932.6861. About WebMechanix WebMechanix is a performance-based digital marketing firm on a mission to help middle-market companies move needles faster, more meaningfully and more sustainably than any comparable solution on the market. Founded in 2009 by Chris Mechanic and Arsham Mirshah, the company is headquartered in the Baltimore-Washington region. Today, WebMechanix is one of the fastest-growing digital forces on the scene. This exponential growth is fueled by its Partner & Promise approach, where WebMechanix focuses on deeply understanding and exceeding unique client needs to measurably impact business results. Earlier this year, the company earned the top spot regionally on clutch.co for digital marketing. WebMechanix is also a Google Premier Partner, HubSpot Platinum Certified Agency Partner and consistently ranked on the Inc. 5000 list. About HubSpot HubSpot ($HUBS) is the worlds leading inbound marketing and sales platform. Since 2006, HubSpot has been on a mission to make the world more inbound. Today, over 15,000 customers in more than 90 countries use HubSpots software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight customers. HubSpots inbound marketing software, ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by VentureBeat and G2Crowd, includes social media publishing and monitoring, blogging, SEO, website content management, email marketing, marketing automation, and reporting and analytics, all in one integrated platform. Sidekick, HubSpots award-winning sales application, enables sales and service teams to have more effective conversations with leads, prospects, and customers. Recognized by Inc., Forbes, and Deloitte as one of the worlds fastest-growing companies, HubSpot is headquartered in Cambridge, MA with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Sydney, Australia, and Portsmouth, NH. Learn more at http://www.hubspot.com NJ Top Dentists is proud to present Dr. Sylvia Awadalla of Smiley Teeth Dental as a Top Dentist for 2017. At Smiley Teeth Dental she offers patient-centered, comprehensive dental care for the entire family. Her goal is to promote optimal dental and oral health by emphasizing preventive methods. Its better to prevent dental diseases than to treat them, so at Smiley Teeth Dental, its Dr. Awadallas responsibility to guide her patients and teach them how to prevent potential dental problems and eliminate risk factors. Dr. Awadalla is a graduate of the New York University School of Dentistry, a highly acclaimed and prestigious school of highest quality dental education. Upon completion of dental school, Dr. Awadalla attended the general residency program at St. Josephs Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. There she excelled in providing comprehensive care of all her patients with a focus on oral surgery, molar root canal treatments, fixed prosthesis, implant placement, and implant supported restorations. Not all dentists are created equal and Dr. Awadalla has the experience, the training, the gentle touch, and the kind and compassionate spirit that comforts all her patients. Dr. Sylvia Awadalla also always strives to further her knowledge through continuing education courses and seminars. She is dedicated to staying up to date with the most advanced technologies and techniques in dentistry to allow her procedures to be more precise, less painful, and more efficient. Her continual training in dental emergencies, implants, sleep apnea, and oral surgery has earned her the trust of Bergen County Residents for all their dental needs. To learn more about NJ Top Dentist, Dr. Sylvia Awadalla and her practice, Smiley Teeth Dental, please visit https://njtopdocs.com/nj-dentists/dr-sylvia-awadalla/ or contact her office at (201) 843-1848. About Us NJ Top Dentists is a division of NJ Top Docs. NJ Top Docs is a comprehensive, trusted and exclusive healthcare resource featuring reviewed and approved Top Doctors and Dentists in New Jersey online in an easy to use format. NJ Top Docs only reviews and approves providers based on merit after they have been extensively vetted. NJ Top Docs is a division of USA Top Docs which allows patients to meet providers online before making their appointment. For more information, please click here to contact us or visit http://www.NJTopDocs.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter Raspberry Pi Zero Docking Hub The Raspberry Pi Zero Docking Hub is to solve the spacing issue and at the same time pack more features into the hub for Pi Zero MakerSpot - a leading online store making and selling popular Raspberry Pi accessories and electronics - released the worlds first stackable USB hub for Raspberry Pi Zero back in 2016. Since then the company has sold more than 10,000 units worldwide through their web store and Amazon online outlet. Today, MakerSpot is proud to announce the 2nd generation and also the worlds first - Raspberry Pi Zero Docking Hub - with a Kickstarter campaign. The Raspberry Pi Zero Docking Hub comes with five USB host ports and adequate spacing between each port to accommodate USB devices with wide base width and height. Like the 1st generation, the new docking hub takes main power from one single micro USB port and supplies regulated power to the USB hosts and the docked Pi Zero. The new docking hub also come with a built-in 10/100BaseT Ethernet port and a 3.5mm bi-directional audio jack. Installation would takes only seconds and no soldering is required. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/makerspot/raspberry-pi-zero-docking-hub We launched the 1st generation stackable USB hub for Raspberry Pi Zero back in early 2016, said Ming Leung, cofounder of MakerSpot. It is quite well received within the Pi community. However, some customers have told us a general Pi problem that their USB devices cant fit into the port due to tight spacing. We come up an idea to solve the spacing issue and at the same time pack more features into the hub. Thats how the docking hub is born. Early Bird supporters can receive one Pi Zero USB Docking Hub for CA$20 ($15.51 USD). Kickstarter exclusive price after that will be CA$25 ($19.39 USD). For a pledge of CA$33 ($25.60 USD) supporters will receive a complete package which includes one Pi Zero USB Docking Hub, one Clear Case Protector, one 5v2.4A USB Power Adapter (with plug options UL / EU / UK / AU) and one 5-ft Micro USB Cable with On-Off Switch. Kickstarter exclusive price after that will be CA$38 ($29.48 USD). DETAILS: 5 x USB 2.0 host and charging ports with independent circuit protection one 10/100BaseT Ethernet port one 3.5mm bi-directional audio jack supporting recording and playback one micro USB power input port taking up to 2.3A current compatible with Raspberry Pi Zero v1.3 and Raspberry Pi Zero W About MakerSpot.com Founded in 2013, MakerSpot.com is a leading online store making and selling Raspberry Pi accessories and electronics. Based in Hong Kong with design center in Canada, the company delivers maker products to enthusiasts around the world with fast shipping. Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney William L. Rosin has joined the firms Troy office as a Member. Mr. Rosin has extensive experience in representing national and multi-national corporations in their business transactions. The representation includes counseling clients in the buying and selling of businesses as well as routinely providing legal advice in many other areas of corporate business law including: selecting and creating the appropriate corporate entity, buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, financing transactions, employment agreements, management agreements, supply and distribution agreements, non-compete and confidentiality agreements, purchase orders, and joint ventures. Many of Mr. Rosins clients are in the automotive industry and his years of experience with them makes him uniquely qualified to assist clients in dealing with the issues specific to the automotive industry. His non-automotive experience includes the representation of clients engaged in consulting, sales, investing, manufacturing, lending, among others. Mr. Rosin is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar Association. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and Dbusiness Top Lawyers. Mr. Rosin received his B.A. from James Madison College of Michigan State University and his J.D. from Wayne State University. About Dickinson Wright PLLC Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 450 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has 18 offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and 11 other domestic offices in Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto. Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations. David Thompson - SVP & Chief Operating Officer at GlobalHealth, Inc We continue to make enhancements to our medical management programs with the help of VitreosHealth. By leveraging their predictive technology, we are currently experiencing an 8% reduction in emergent admissions for our Medicare Advantage population GlobalHealth, an industry-leading health maintenance organization in Oklahoma and longstanding VitreosHealth client, is investing heavily in their predictive analytics driven medical management programs. GlobalHealth is changing health insurance in all 77 counties of Oklahoma. GlobalHealths care managers work proactively with each member to design a personalized care plan to address their specific needs and ensure the best possible health outcomes. The organization utilizes cutting edge, predictive data analytics technology to deliver improved healthcare as part of its commitment to making health insurance more affordable. Its membership includes state and education employees, federal employees, municipal employees and Medicare Advantage members. We continue to make enhancements to our medical management programs with the help of VitreosHealth. By leveraging their predictive technology, we are currently experiencing an 8% reduction in emergent admissions for our Medicare Advantage population, says GlobalHealths Chief Operating Officer, David Thompson. These improved outcomes are significant for the members we serve. We are able to share this success with our providers by improving reimbursement and with our members by offering zero dollar primary care physician visits and strong benefits. VitreosHealth is the leading source for AI-driven insights for population health management. Vitreos leverages varied data sources including EHR, claims, Health Risk Assessments (HRAs), social determinants, and well-being data for predictive risk and prescriptive care management. The company offers the solution through the first healthcare Insights-as-a-Service (IaaS) delivery model. VitreosHealth is changing the economics of healthcare for their clients. With the new enhancements for GlobalHealth, VitreosHealth will deliver two new proprietary predictive models. The first new model will utilize member-reported data captured in HRAs to lessen the information gap that occurs for every new enrollee. Using this HRA data and the CMS MOD file data, Vitreos can accurately predict even a brand-new members risk and immediately assign them to a care manager should the need arise. The second new model leverages historical mental health claims from third party vendors for pertinent behavioral health insights that can provide a more complete picture of a member for a care management team. About GlobalHealth GlobalHealth is changing health insurance in Oklahoma. As an industry leader, GlobalHealth is an Oklahoma-based health maintenance organization covering more than 44,000 individuals in all 77 Oklahoma counties. Working proactively with each member, GlobalHealth engages a personalized management plan to address their specific needs and ensure the best possible health outcomes. GlobalHealth utilizes cutting edge, predictive data technology as a foundation to deliver improved healthcare as part of its commitment to making health insurance more affordable. Its membership includes state and education employees, federal employees, municipal employees and Medicare Advantage members. GlobalHealth employs more than 250 associates throughout Oklahoma. To learn more, visit http://www.GlobalHealth.com. About VitreosHealth VitreosHealth offers the first Insights-as-a-Service delivery model for advanced population health analytics. They leverage Big Data and predictive and prescriptive health insights for population risk models that provide a complete view into the healthcare continuum. Their adaptive insights achieve a patient-centric focus for each perspective within a healthcare organization that leads to quality health outcomes and improves financial performance for a measurable return on investment. VitreosHealth was recently awarded Frost & Sullivans 2016 North America Award for New Product Innovation for Advanced Population Health Analytics Solutions. To learn more, visit http://www.vitreoshealth.com Press Contact Aash Bansal VitreosHealth (972) 954-9992 abansal(at)vitreoshealth(dot)com Certainty Home Loans Certainty Home Loans has donated more than $250,000 year to date to 157 local and national charities. Certainty Home Loans, an independent mortgage banker, announced today its Community Connection program has donated more than $250,000 year to date to 157 local and national charities. These charities include the Fisher House Foundation, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society and more. In addition to financial support, Certainty Home Loans team members also volunteer time to many of these same organizations as part of the companys Charity Challenge program. In December, Certainty Home Loan team members will participate in the 9th annual Reindeer Games Toy Drive. Each Certainty Home Loan office selects a local charity to donate games and toys to children in need. Certainty Home Loans is proud of our commitment to the communities where we work and live. On any given Saturday you can find one of our team members or a whole office volunteering their time to help someone in need, said Jim Clapp, president and CFO of Certainty Home Loans. Additionally, we participate in our communities by donating funds to local and national nonprofit organizations through our Community Connection program. Giving is part of our company culture and we look forward to doing even more in the years to come. Certainty Home Loans Community Connection program provides a way for the company to contribute to charitable organizations in the communities it serves. All non-profit and not-for-profit groups that have a current 501(c)(3) status are eligible. These groups can be local, national or international and can include youth, school, education, health, environmental and animal programs. Certainty Home Loans previously known as WR Starkey Mortgage launched a complete rebrand and name change as of October 2, 2017. With the rebrand, Certainty Home Loans puts the companys core strength front and center, ensuring confidence, delivering on time closings and supporting the communities where they do business. About Certainty Home Loans Certainty Home Loans, LLC NMLSR# 2146 f/k/a WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP, is the independent mortgage banker that delivers a confident closing, with the terms agreed upon, and the timing promised. With offices in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, (http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), Certainty Home Loan strives to simplify the mortgage process through expertise, transparency and personal relationships with borrowers, Realtors, and builders. Founded in March 2000 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, Certainty Home Loans offers home purchase, refinance, renovation and reverse mortgage loans. Continuing a reputation for quality and excellence in the mortgage industry, the company has been recognized by National Professional Mortgage Magazine as a Top Mortgage Employer: 2016, Mortgage Executive Magazine as a Top 100 Mortgage Company: 2011-2016 and as a Top 50 Company to Work For in America: 2014 2015. CertaintyHomeLoans.com ThreatAdvice is pleased to be part of the UCF Business Incubator Soft Landing Program in the Central Florida Research Park and excited to expand to the Orlando area, said David Brasfield, chief executive officer of ThreatAdvice. ThreatAdvice (threatadvice.com) a Birmingham, Ala.-based provider of cybersecurity education and awareness is expanding to open a new location in Orlando, Fla. ThreatAdvice was accepted into the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Soft Landing Program at the Central Florida Research Park and opened its first office there December 1st. Initially ThreatAdvice plans to hire developers from the University of Central Florida population with both artificial intelligence and blockchain experience as it pertains to the cybersecurity space. These new hires will supplement ThreatAdvices current development efforts in those areas. ThreatAdvice also plans to staff the Orlando office with inside sales representatives who will expand sales into the local defense industry as well as other Central Florida industry sectors that need to implement an offensive strategy against cyberattacks. ThreatAdvice is the type of company that our program seeks to support to help create a more vibrant economic base with a greater number of high impact jobs in the community, said Dr. Tom ONeal, executive director of the UCF Incubation Program. In addition to providing cyber security education, ThreatAdvice assists in the creation of a cyber risk profile using tools that include an external network scan, an email exposure scan, and a phishing simulator. ThreatAdvice members receive customizable sample policies and awareness campaigns that can be utilized to further educate employees and shared with clients. ThreatAdvice also provides a cybersecurity hot line to support members, staffed by experienced telephone professionals that provide cybersecurity consulting support skills. ThreatAdvice is pleased to be part of the UCF Business Incubator Soft Landing Program in the Central Florida Research Park and excited to expand to the Orlando area, said David Brasfield, chief executive officer of ThreatAdvice. Central Florida is a low-cost location and operations area with a large concentration of technology companies. Adding in the benefits of the UCF Business Incubation program made this a natural fit for ThreatAdvices initial expansion outside of Alabama, he said. About ThreatAdvice ThreatAdvice was founded in 2016 to provide companies of all types with comprehensive cybersecurity protection by offering tools to educate employees on good cyber practices, help identify and respond to an attack, simulate cyberattacks, and insure against potential attacks. For more information visit threatadvice.com, email info(at)threatadvice.com or contact the company at 1.800.915.3381. About the UCF Business Incubation Program The University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program is a community resource that provides early-stage companies with the tools, training and infrastructure to become financially stable, high growth/impact enterprises. Since 1999, this award-winning program has helped more than 390 local startup companies reach their potential faster by providing vital business development resources. With seven facilities throughout the region, the UCF Business Incubation Program is an economic development partnership between the University of Central Florida, the Corridor, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties, and the cities of Apopka, Kissimmee, Orlando and Winter Springs. For the 2014/15 and 2015/16 fiscal years, the activities of these participating firms have helped sustain more than 4,710 local jobs and have had a cumulative impact of more than $725 million on regional GDP and more than $1.3 billion on regional sales. During the same period, the program has returned $7.41 for every $1 invested in the program. For more information, visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu. Both our organizations are dedicated to supporting and empowering policyholders and MagMutual will continue this mission MagMutual Insurance Company, one of the leading providers of medical professional liability insurance, has acquired TPA Incorporated Protective Cell, which was owned by a series of multi-specialty Georgia physicians. The former Thomasville physician policyholders will benefit from accomplished claims defense, patient safety resources, industry-leading dividends, Owners Circle benefits and access to UpToDate, the leading evidence-based clinical decision support resource. We are pleased this group is joining the MagMutual family, said MagMutual President and CEO Neil Morrell. Both our organizations are dedicated to supporting and empowering policyholders and MagMutual will continue this mission. Recognizing the efficiency and support of the captive-insured physicians, Morrell adds that the deal proceeded smoothly. The acquisition of Thomasville Area Captive makes MagMutual a stronger company, and allows us to further our strategy of providing greater value to our PolicyOwners as we grow. It also establishes our continued commitment to protecting and supporting physicians, said MagMutual Executive Chairman Joseph Wilson, MD. The proposed transaction received final corporate approval and regulatory approval by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in November 2017. This recent merger is one of several captive insurance company acquisitions by the MagMutual family in the past few years. About MagMutual For nearly four decades, MagMutual has served as a trusted advisor and strategic ally to thousands of physicians and healthcare organizations. We continuously evolve to meet the changing needs of our PolicyOwners and drive advancements in healthcare. Today we offer meaningful resources in patient safety, expert defense and a range of professional liability coverage. Our comprehensive solutions, combined with our outstanding service, extraordinary financial strength, plus dividends and rewards, provide our PolicyOwners with an exceptional customer experience. For more information, visit http://www.MagMutual.com. About TPA Incorporated Protective Cell Thomas Area Incorporated Protected Cell was owned by its Georgia physician shareholders. Media contact information: Ed Lynch, EVP, Chief Business Operations, MagMutual elynch(at)magmutual.com, 404-842-5536 CSGs PMO services combine our experienced teams with advanced methodologies to assure the States objectives are achieved. CSG Government Solutions, a national leader in government program modernization, today announced it has been selected by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Support Services (DWSS), Child Support Enforcement Program to provide Project Management Office (PMO) services for the Nevada Child Support Enforcement Automated System (NCSEAS) implementation. NCSEAS will provide DWSS with a flexible system to adapt to changing business needs, upgrade aging legacy system architectures, increase cost efficiency, support federal performance measures, and improve overall child support service delivery. CSG is establishing a full-service PMO supporting integrated project management, governance, requirements validation, organizational change, training, and other aspects of the project. DWSS launched the NCSEAS project to provide the highest quality services to Nevada families, says Patti Garofalo, Director of CSGs Child Support practice. CSGs PMO services combine our experienced teams with advanced methodologies to assure the States objectives are achieved. CSG Government Solutions deploys highly experienced teams and innovative methods, knowledge, and tools to help governments modernize complex program enterprises. CSG clients include 44 state governments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and large municipal governments. CONTACT: Patti Garofalo Director, Child Support Practice CSG Government Solutions 180 N. Stetson Ave Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601 312.444.2760 Fax: 312.938.2191 pgarofalo(at)csgdelivers(dot)com About CSG Government Solutions: CSG Government Solutions is a leading government operations consulting firm helping states modernize critical program enterprises. We help governments leverage innovative technology and processes to meet the challenges of administering complex programs. Founded in 1997, CSG has established itself as a trusted adviser to government agencies across the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.csgdelivers.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. The RELEX team addressed our challenges head-on, and with their flexible system they were able to offer us a solution that fits elegantly to our business needs, said Ole Christian Remen, Senior Director Supply Chain Europe, Convenience at Circle K Circle K Europe, the European branch of one of the worlds leading convenience retailers, has chosen RELEX Solutions to optimize inventory levels and increase automation at the store level. With RELEX best-in-class replenishment solution, Circle K will optimize and automate replenishment to their 450+ Scandinavian company-owned and operated convenience stores. Circle K has more than 15,000 service stations globally, offering fueling services, food on the go, groceries and car care. Following a successful pilot, the company selected RELEX as their partner for introducing stock control and automating replenishment to their company-owned and company-operated convenience stores in Scandinavia. In addition to RELEX modern state-of-the-art technology and its unprecedented track record of fast, timely and successful implementation projects, it was the intuitive RELEX Mobile App and the systems capabilities for calculating and storing inventory balances, a task normally handled by the ERP, that sealed the deal for Circle K. Following a quick technical integration where RELEX built interfaces to two of Circle Ks internal IT systems as well as one of Circle Ks suppliers IT systems, the solution was ready to be piloted. The RELEX team addressed our challenges head-on, and with their flexible system they were able to offer us a solution that fits elegantly to our business needs, says Ole Christian Remen, Senior Director Supply Chain Europe, Convenience at Circle K. However, there was still a need to validate that the system would work in practice. During the pilot, we saw on-shelf-availability increasing up to 99%, while inventory levels fell significantly across the pilot categories, so I think it is fair to say we accomplished that, adds Remen. Circle K now have a better overview and real-time visibility to store inventory levels and KPIs. However, it was not only the central team who were happy. A store manager from one of the first 13 pilot stores had the following feedback: Absolutely marvelous. The system ensures the right amount of each product at the right time not to mention how much easier it is when a colleague is absent. Orders are placed, and the goods come anyway. I recommend that it be rolled out to all stores. The solid results and the unanimous recommendation from the pilot store managers to roll out RELEX to more stores and categories led to a go ahead from the management team to expand the scope to all company-owned and operated convenience stores across Scandinavia. RELEXs replenishment solution has proven to be just what we searched for a powerful, lean replenishment machine, Remen continues. RELEX and Circle K are now entering an exciting phase of the project as the solution is being rolled out to all 450+ stores in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. By upholding the high level of automation used in the pilot and ensuring success at the store level, we will continue building on the results we have seen so far and ensure that minimal time is spent in ordering, says Ida Myran, Business Manager at RELEX. It has been extremely rewarding to work with the passionate and highly professional Circle K team, and we look forward to achieving more great things with them in the months to come. About Circle K Circle K AS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. In Europe Couche-Tard operates 2,754 stores, comprising a broad retail network across nine countries. Including employees at its branded franchise stations, about 25,000 people work in its retail network, terminals and service offices across Europe. More information: http://www.circlek.com About RELEX RELEX Solutions is dedicated to helping retail businesses improve their competitiveness through localized assortments, profitable use of retail space, accurate forecasting and replenishment, and optimized workforce planning. Our SaaS solutions deliver quick return on investment and can be used independently or jointly for unified retail planning, enabling cross-functional optimization of retails core processes: merchandising, supply chain and store operations. RELEX Solutions is trusted by leading brands including WHSmith, Morrisons, AO.com, Coop Denmark and Rossmann, and has offices across North America and Europe. More information: http://www.relexsolutions.com There is always excitement around the Discovery Conferences ... But this year, the presentations dug a little deeper to help attendees understand not only how their organizations could overcome the challenges they were facing but also thrive in the midst of them. Advanced Solutions International (ASI), a leading global provider of software and services for associations and not-for-profits, was a Founding Sponsor of NiUG Internationals Discovery Conferences in Toronto, Ontario on August 17-18, 2017, and in Arlington, Virginia, on October 2-4, 2017. Headquartered in Tobyhanna, PA, NiUG International is the largest independent, international users group in the not-for-profit software industry. Learn more at http://www.advsol.com/primis. ASI is the provider of the iMIS 20 Engagement Management System (EMS) and has more than 4,000 clients, 100 partners and millions of users worldwide. US-based NiUG International is the largest independent, international users group in the not-for-profit software industry. The 2017 NiUG Discovery Conference was held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA; the 2017 NiUG Canada Discovery Conference was held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto, ON. Both events included iMIS users, solution providers, consultants and vendors who participated in educational sessions, training classes, demonstrations, exhibitor showcases, and networking events. At the 12th annual US event in Arlington, attendees were invited to a welcome reception on Monday, October 2, sponsored by ASI and 24 iMIS partners. Both events focused on connecting iMIS users with solutions; the conferences offered a full schedule of presentations on the newest/enhanced features of the iMIS 20 Engagement Management System (EMS), including process automation, data security, dashboards, and email/communications, as well as emerging technology trends. It is our organizations goal to connect iMIS users with solutions and Im proud to say we continue to do just that, said Michele Morgan, NiUGs Executive Director. There is always excitement around the Discovery Conferences our attendees look forward to the presentations from their peers and iMIS solution providers, as well as the networking opportunities. But this year, the presentations dug a little deeper to help attendees understand not only how their organizations could overcome the challenges they were facing but also thrive in the midst of them. GREAT THINGS AWARD ASI annually recognizes clients who are using iMIS to help further their missions and accomplish great things. The following 2017 winners achieved this through their outstanding iMIS RiSE websites: USA National Recreation and Park Association (nrpa.org) Telecom Pioneers (pioneersvolunteer.org) International Association of Assessing Officers (iaao.org) Texas Bankers Association (texasbankers.com/convention) American Society of Travel Agents (travelsense.org) Canada AdvantAge Ontario: Advancing Senior Care (advantageontario.ca/) The Advocates Society (advocates.ca/) Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (cada.ca/web/cada/) JOHN HOWARTH MEMORIAL AWARD (JHMA) Annually NiUG recognizes two individuals who, through their passion, persistence, optimism, and grace under pressure, have dedicated their time and talents to the iMIS community while representing the mission of NiUG and mirroring the quality of John Howarths character. The 2017 recipients of the JHMA are: Authorized iMIS Solution Provider (AiSP): Robert Lane, Lane Services (lane-services.com) iMIS user: Keith Williams, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (aami.org) ABOUT NiUG INTERNATIONAL NiUG International, the largest independent, not-for-profit, iMIS user's group is dedicated to creating and maintaining a platform where the iMIS community can: share information, easily connect with one another, and continuously gain knowledge through easily accessible educational tools and networking experiences. It is NiUGs mission to provide a forum to advocate for, educate, and connect users and vendors in the iMIS community. To learn more, visit http://www.NiUG.org. ABOUT ASI Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is a global software company and recognized industry thought leader that focuses on helping associations and nonprofits increase operational and financial performance through the use of best practices, proven solutions, and ongoing client advisement. Since 1991, ASI has served nearly 4,000 clients and millions of users worldwide, both directly and indirectly through a network of more than 100 partners, and currently maintains corporate offices in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Learn more at http://www.advsol.com/primis. Cover America - Gold is truly the gold standard in travel insurance for travelers to the United States International travelers to the United States now have an exclusive travel insurance product from VisitorsCoverage to protect their health while traveling to the US. The groundbreaking plan, called Cover America - Gold, is ideal for international travelers, especially senior travelers or family members visiting the US from abroad. Designed to fill a gap in the travel insurance industry, Cover America - Gold offers travelers all the benefits they may need in one single plan. The only insurance of its kind, Cover America - Gold is a comprehensive plan that offers a wide variety of unique benefits such as theme park injury coverage, border entry protection, coverage for acute onset of pre-existing conditions and emergency dental and eye coverage. Most notably, the plan pays 100% of medical expenses within the PPO network after the deductible is satisfied. This means that visitors to America can always travel with peace of mind knowing that they are well prepared for the unexpected. In partnership with innovative and well-known travel insurance company Seven Corners Inc., VisitorsCoverage created Cover America - Gold to address a need within the industry: comprehensive coverage with features that appeal specifically to visitors to the US. Because of the exorbitantly high cost of healthcare in the United States, VisitorsCoverage saw the need to hand-pick benefits and create an insurance plan that addresses the needs of travelers from abroad searching for appropriate coverage in the US. Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage Inc. said, Cover America - Gold is truly the gold standard in travel insurance for travelers to the United States. We have hand-picked benefits and created a plan which meets the needs of foreign visitors to the US. No other insurance policy on the market offers comprehensive coverage coupled with the above listed features, making Cover America - Gold second to none in the insurance marketplace. We are excited to partner with VisitorsCoverage to offer this new and progressive insurance plan to travelers to the United States, said David Fischer, Chief Revenue Officer of Seven Corners. Cover America - Gold combines great benefits and travel assistance services to ensure travelers have the protection they need. About VisitorsCoverage Inc. VisitorsCoverage Inc. a technology company in Santa Clara, CA, is revolutionizing the global travel insurance industry by leveraging technology to consistently improve customer experience. With more than 10 years experience in the industry, VisitorsCoverage Inc. provides a service that resides entirely online, so buying travel insurance has never been easier or more hassle-free. To learn more, to go http://www.visitorscoverage.com. About Seven Corners, Inc. Founded in 1993, Seven Corners, Inc. is an innovative and service-focused international travel insurance and specialty benefit management company. Based in Carmel, Ind. and serving a global market, Seven Corners offers a wide variety of customized trip protection solutions to international travelers, agencies of the U.S. government, corporations, foreign governments and various types of insurance companies. For more information on its products, visit http://www.sevencorners.com New Home Star celebrated selling 548 homes in one month with a Sales Rally for top producers in Cancun, Mexico. New Home Star, the largest private seller of new homes in America has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees Choice Award, recognizing the Best Places to Work in 2018. The Employees Choice Awards program, now in its 10th year, relies solely on the feedback of employees via Glassdoor. New Home Stars number two position makes it the highest ranked real estate company since the inception of the list. We are continuously inspired and encouraged by the positive feedback we receive from our employees through Glassdoor, said David Rice, founder and CEO of New Home Star. We celebrate our top two position on this list, but our vision is to build the best sales team in the world and we still have work to do. Rice noted that annually, the Glassdoor list of best places to work is dominated by tech companies, so its quite the exception for a service company to be ranked so high. Were a traditional service company that has the privilege of selling the American Dream of new-home ownership, while using exciting and progressive technology to engage our people and drive a world-class culture that rivals some of the most innovative tech brands in the nation, said Rice. Ten years ago, the housing crash changed the trajectory of the real estate industry and drove many potential job applicants away, but things have changed for this Chicago-based firm. We see upwards of 2,500 applicants a month interested in a career with us, and most of our millennial candidates research our culture and workplace extensively before ever making contact, explained Rice. On Glassdoor, current and former employees of companies worldwide can share insights and opinions about their work environments by sharing a company review, designed to capture a genuine and authentic inside look at what its like to work at particular jobs and companies. When sharing a company review on Glassdoor, employees are asked to rate their satisfaction with the company overall, and key workplace factors like career opportunities, compensation, benefits, work/life balance, senior management, as well as culture and values. In addition, employees are asked to describe the best reasons to work at their companies as well as any downsides. We know todays job seekers are more informed than ever about where they go to work, researching everything from company culture to career opportunities to pay philosophy and more. To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees Choice Awards recognizes employers that are truly Best Places to Work because theyre determined by those who really know best - the employees, said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder. Employers where employees love to work continue to prove that they have a recruiting and business performance advantage. Were proud to celebrate the 2018 winners as we mark our 10th anniversary of the Glassdoor Employees Choice Awards. The Best Places to Work are determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between Nov. 1, 2016 and Oct. 22, 2017. To be considered for the small and medium category, a company must have less than 1,000 employees and have received at least 25 ratings across eight workplace attributes from U.S.-based employees during the period of eligibility. The final list is compiled based on Glassdoors proprietary algorithm, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2018, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Small-and-Medium-Companies-to-Work-For-LST_KQ0,43.htm About New Home Star Founded in 2008, New Home Star is the largest private seller of new homes in the U.S. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology to channel decades of experience into engaging sales training and operational tools, New Home Star rapidly transforms newly hired sales professionals into competitive advantages for builder partners. Working with a builder base that includes some of the largest homebuilders in the U.S. and Canada, New Home Star recruits, selects and develops sales teams with a full-time focus on new home sales delivering new home sales strategies with a national perspective and a local presence. The business goal is simple: To Sell More Homes, More Profitably. For more information visit http://www.newhomestar.com. About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms. Media Contact: Alison Sullivan, pr@glassdoor.com. Editors For more information or to schedule an interview with David Rice, contact Robin Plous at (312) 267-4512 or rplous@taylorjohnson.com. LunchboxWax chooses Idaho Falls for 5th California location. LunchboxWax has allowed Nathan and I to combine our love for business and the beauty industry, and we are so excited to be expanding in the Idaho Falls community. We cant wait for Idaho Falls to meet our amazing team of waxologists! LunchboxWax, known for its expertly trained waxologists, chic vibe and emotive brand that happily encourages all to Bare Your Beauty, is now open in Idaho Falls, to serve men and women who are mindful about the places they go and people they choose for personal services. Franchisees Nathan and Megan Shaw operate the salon located in Ammon (2680 E. Sunnyside Road). Idaho Falls marks the body-waxing franchises fifth Idaho location and 32rd location nationwide. The Shaws also own and operate the LunchboxWax salon in Twin Falls, Idaho. We are thrilled to be opening up our second salon in Idaho Falls, Megan Shaw said. LunchboxWax has allowed Nathan and I to combine our love for business and the beauty industry, and we are so excited to be expanding in the Idaho Falls community. We cant wait for Idaho Falls to meet our amazing team of waxologists! In addition to Idaho, LunchboxWax also operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Utah. Were as intentional about the locations we choose as we are the teams we build, the products and salons we design, and the franchisees we bring on board to grow our business and support our culture of community empowerment, LunchboxWax Founder + CEO Debi Lane said. Were excited to watch our LunchboxWax franchise family continue to grow, and were eager, too, to become part of the Idaho Falls community. Named in Entrepreneur Magazines top 10 categories in franchising since December 2013, LunchboxWax launched its national franchise program in late 2013 to answer growing consumer demand for expertly trained estheticians trained for the sole purpose of speed waxing in an environment that is dedicated to each guests comfort. For more on LunchboxWax services, products and locations, visit http://www.lunchboxwax.com. For franchise information, including investment details and application information, visit http://www.lunchboxfranchise.com. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy. Offers are only made in states where we have complied with applicable law and an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy a franchise shall be made solely by a Franchise Disclosure Document. DMSMS is a gathering of experts who are dedicated to the evolution of the global aerospace and defense supply chain. We are glad for the opportunity to learn from some of the industrys leading minds and share how Smith can also contribute to this goal. Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, is exhibiting this week at DMSMS 2017, a conference addressing dynamics in the aerospace and defense industry. This year, the conferences theme addresses obsolescence risk across global supply chains. Smith has representatives on-hand at the companys booth, 1035, to address how the distributor can uniquely support OEMs, ODMs, and EMS providers in the aerospace and defense spheres with procurement and service that guard against supply chain instability. These aerospace and defense consultants are also showcasing the companys vigorous quality program and vendor verification process. DMSMS is a gathering of experts who are dedicated to the evolution of the global aerospace and defense supply chain, said Timothy McQuade, Smiths trading manager of its A&D business. We are glad for the opportunity to learn from some of the industrys leading minds and share how Smith can also contribute to this goal. WHAT: DMSMS 2017 WHEN: Monday, December 4, 2017 Thursday, December 7, 2017 WHERE: Booth 1035 Tampa Convention Center Tampa Marriot & Embassy Suites 513 S Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602 About Smith Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 16 cities around the world, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 36 different languages and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, with global annual sales in excess of $1 billion. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. With testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam, Smiths processes focus on critical issues, from quality management to counterfeit prevention and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time inventory and logistics visibility anywhere in the world. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number 11 among all global distributors. Smiths Intelligent Distribution model adapts to ever-changing demands by providing reliable global electronics sourcing and logistics, regardless of distribution channel or locale. For more information, please visit https://www.smithweb.com, or, to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call +1 713.430.3000. For more information, contact: Margo Evans Smith, VP of Marketing +1 713.430.3966 mevans(at)nfsmith(dot)com Embry-Riddle safety leaders (L-R): Jack Haun, Lyle Sunderland, Alan Stolzer, Jeremy Mammen, Dan McCune, Giri Pratomo, Ivan Grau and Ken Byrnes. Photograph: Daryl LaBello Our graduates leave Embry-Riddle with a profound respect for the importance of aviation safety. -- Flight Chair Ken Byrnes The worlds oldest, largest and most comprehensive aviation-focused institution, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has done something no other university flight operation has done passing the second stage of a famously intense international safety registration process. Already known for its exemplary safety record, Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach, Fla., flight operation, including a fleet of 69 aircraft, achieved Stage II International Standard Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registration on Nov. 14. Awarded by the International Aviation Business Council of Montreal, Canada, IS-BAO registration means Embry-Riddle has put in place yet another layer of accountability for its flight operation above and beyond U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Safety remains our top priority, and weve set a very high bar for ourselves, said Ken Byrnes, chair of Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach Flight Department and an associate professor of aeronautical science. Although our safety culture is exceptional, were always looking for ways to keep improving. This new registration requirement will make us even stronger. The IS-BAO audit was extremely robust, evaluating the flight operations entire safety management system, explained Jeremy Mammen, Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach-based director of aviation safety, who led the universitys large team effort to achieve Stage II registration. Of course, Embry-Riddle complies with all FAA requirements, and we maintain our FAA airworthy registration and conduct annual audits, but there is currently no objective way to evaluate a flight operations safety management system in the United States, Mammen explained. We went with IS-BAO because they come into your organization and review significant amounts of data as well as policies and procedures to pinpoint exactly how you can achieve the highest possible standards. The IS-BAO review process looked at Embry-Riddles safety reporting, safety management system, emergency response plan, safety reporting culture, fleet maintenance, safety protocol checklists and many other aspects of safety, Mammen said. More than 700 U.S. and international operators are IS-BAO certified, but Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach flight operation is believed to be the only university with Stage II registration, he added. Over the past 15 years, Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach flight operation has seen more than 1 million flight hours and nearly 1.8 million aircraft takeoffs and landings. With 22,000 pilot certificates and ratings issued during that time, the departments accident rate stands at 0.0008% with no injuries. Our graduates leave Embry-Riddle with a profound respect for the importance of aviation safety, Byrnes said. The departments fleet currently includes 47 Cessna 172/S aircraft; three Cessna 150s; eight Piper Arrow PA28R; 10 Diamond DA42; and one Decathlon. Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach Flight Department earned Stage I IS-BAO registration in May 2015. In May 2019, the university will set its sights on an even higher goal: Stage III. Mammen commended the entire Embry-Riddle team that worked to achieve Stage II registration, particularly graduate student Giri Pratomo. Media Contact: Ginger Pinholster, Assistant Vice President, News & Research Communications, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; 386-226-4811; pinholsv(at)erau(dot)edu About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the worlds largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, masters and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv Cybereason is looking forward to working closely Crayon as we enable their community of 3,500 global partners to deliver new cybersecurity software and services offerings to their customers, said Gregg Henebry, Vice President of Channels, Cybereason. Cybereason, creators of the leading cybersecurity data analytics platform including endpoint detection and response, next-generation antivirus, and active monitoring services, and Crayon, the global leader in software asset management (SAM), cloud and volume licensing, today announced a strategic partnership. The agreement enables Crayon to begin distributing Cybereasons award-winning cybersecurity data analytics platform to its distribution network of 3,500 global partners. Today, Global 2,000 enterprises are facing increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. By working with Crayons extensive partner network across the globe, enterprises can build a security roadmap utilizing the companys SAM expertise, underpinned with Cybereasons world-class cybersecurity data analytics platform to stop threats in real time. Cybereasons proprietary technology gives enterprises unprecedented visibility into their environment and the power to stop the most advanced cyber threats. We are delighted to be partnering with Cybereason because they are one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world, and their cybersecurity data analytics platform is a world class,natural fit for Crayon's fast-growing partner community, said Richard Lockey, Crayon UK CEO. "Crayon has proven to be a true leader in the enterprise software community. We look forward to working closely together as we enable their community of 3,500 global partners to deliver new cybersecurity software and services offerings to their customers, said Gregg Henebry, Vice President of Channels, Cybereason. Crayon Middle East & Africa has been growing fast and a key area of focus is cybersecurity. Cybersecurity addresses the urgent market requirements for solid foolproof solutions that solve, remediate or mitigate the current wave of data breaches, ransomware and other advanced cyber threats. After extensive research, Crayon chose Cybereason as the primary solution for EDR for their channel offerings in Middle East & Africa, not only for its advanced analytics in detecting threats but also, its best-in-class prevention and response capabilities. Cybereason enables Crayons resellers to better serve their customers and offer a comprehensive solution stack that integrates EDR at its core, said Karim Kalaawi, General Manager Cloud & Distribution Crayon MEA About Crayon Crayon Group Holding ASA is a leading IT advisory firm in software and digital transformation services. Crayon optimizes its clients' ROI from complex software technology investments by combining long experience within volume software licensing optimization, digital engineering and predictive analytics. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the company has approximately 1,100 employees in 43 offices worldwide. About Cybereason Cybereason, creators of the leading cybersecurity data analytics platform, gives the advantage back to the defender through a completely new approach to cybersecurity. Cybereason offers endpoint detection and response (EDR), next-generation antivirus (NGAV), and active monitoring services, all powered by its proprietary data analytics platform. The Cybereason suite of products provides unmatched visibility, increases analyst efficiency and effectiveness, and reduces security risk. Cybereason is privately held, having raised $189 million from top-tier VCs, and is headquartered in Boston, with offices in London, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/ Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook Media Contact: Bill Keeler Director, Public Relations Cybereason bill.keeler(at)cybereason(dot)com (929) 259-3261 A new, comprehensive white paper dealing with this topic is now available from Carter Validus Advisors II LLC. The executive team of a national healthcare system wanted to sell a medical office building portfolio in central Florida, but the executives were wary of the process because of challenges with some of their previous asset sales. What should they do, they wondered, to avoid the mistakes of the past and ensure they have a successful closing on the Florida properties? A new, comprehensive white paper dealing with this topic is now available from Carter Validus Advisors II LLC (Carter Validus), the external advisor to Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II Inc., entitled How to Bulletproof Your Asset Sale Keys to Success. The white paper includes important issues to consider for any sale of healthcare assets, along with proven processes for managing those issues that Carter Validus experts have learned from four decades of working with sellers and buyers. Following is a summary of the white paper, which was written by Alex Stacy, Chief Acquisition Officer, Healthcare, Carter Validus. Focus on important initial strategies For major transactions, it is most important to carefully plan and implement the initial strategies. First, the seller, the prospective buyer and their intermediaries should understand all parties interests and expectations and have a clear vision for how the transaction will play out. Second, each party should determine the value it brings to the transaction. Finally, the parties should determine what resources and expertise theyre missing and be open to bringing in others with the needed resources to close the gaps, add value and build the relationship. Honest, up-front communication is key It is essential for all parties to identify potentially serious issues early and to have honest, open conversations about those issues and how they will be resolved. Thorough property and tenant due diligence are a must It is important for the buyer to conduct extensive due diligence on the properties they are considering to acquire so there are no misunderstandings or surprises that delay the process. In fact, many buyers and sellers find it helpful to prepare a comprehensive checklist of all important issues they need to discuss and/or examine, and check off each item when they have completed the review. Bring in the experts The healthcare sector has changed rapidly during the past few years and become increasingly complex, and so have healthcare providers real estate and acquisition needs. Thats why it is more important than ever to consider working with a professional real estate firm that can provide specialized knowledge and expertise in the acquisition process. To select an appropriate firm, there are certain key questions that should be asked (which are detailed in the white paper). Summary: Dont lose sight of the ultimate goal a successful close Nobody wants to experience delays in their closing. However, inevitably, most extensions are the result of the seller and buyer not communicating openly and honestly and having candid conversations up front. Sometimes the seller and buyer come to an impasse and get trapped in a win-lose scenario because they lost sight of the ultimate goal: to close. They should try to understand and solve complex issues before they become true deal breakers and be creative with solutions that will help them reach the best alternative or common vision. This will ensure that each closing is efficient, on time and successful. Want to know more? To obtain a copy of How to Bulletproof Your Asset Sale by Alex Stacy, which includes a detailed discussion of these issues along with brief transaction case studies, please contact Stacy Sheedy, Marketing Manager, Carter Validus at ssheedy(at)cvreit(dot)com or 813-316-4292. About Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc.: Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc. is a public, non-traded company headquartered in Tampa, Florida that has elected to be taxed, and believes it qualifies, as a real estate investment trust. Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc. intends to acquire mission critical real estate assets located throughout the United States and abroad. Mission critical real estate assets are purpose-built facilities designed to support the most essential operations of tenants. Carter Validus Mission Critical REIT II, Inc. intends to continue to focus its acquisitions on mission critical assets in the data center and healthcare property sectors. See http://www.cvmissioncriticalreit2.com for more information. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will" and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. Although CV Mission Critical REIT II believes the expectations reflected in such forward looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. CV Mission Critical REIT II undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained herein to conform the statement to actual results or changes in CV Mission Critical REIT IIs expectations. Media Contact: Stacy Sheedy Marketing Manager, Carter Validus ssheedy(at)cvreit(dot)com 813-316-4292 Raw Material Requirements (Health Canada/USP/EP) in a cGMP Environment - Issues and Solutions ComplianceOnline today announced a seminar on Raw Material Requirements (Health Canada/USP/EP) in a cGMP Environment - Issues and Solutions. The two day seminar led by industry expert Barry A. Friedman will be held on February 12-13, 2018 in San Francisco, CA, May 7-8, 2018 in Boston, MA and September 21-22, 2018 in Chicago, IL. This interactive seminar will cover issues surrounding raw material requirements in a cGMP environment to ensure compliance with Health Canada, FDA, USP and EP regulations. Dr. Friedman will also host discussions on topics such as compendial vs. non-compendial testing, impact of raw materials in the timely production of a product, use of additional testing and much more. Case studies will be discussed to illustrate regulatory raw material issues. For more information or to register for the seminar, please visit the event website: http://www.complianceonline.com/raw-material-requirements-health-canada-usp-ep-in-a-cgmp-environment-issues-and-solutions-seminar-training-80218SEM-prdsm?channel=PRWEB_12062017 Seminar Instructor Dr. Barry Friedman is a Consultant in the Biotechnology, Regulatory Compliance and Aseptic Processing Arena. Dr. Friedman possesses over 30 years of industrial managerial experience in various aspects of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices to include regulatory compliance, expert witness testimony, GLP/GMP, quality control, auditing, sterility assurance, microbiological/analytical validations and fermentation technology. This course will be beneficial for quality, regulatory and compliance professionals, manufacturing engineers, quality engineers and auditors. Personnel in research and development, microbiology and documentation will also benefit from this training. One of my colleagues referred me to this seminar. The subjects are well chosen and presenter is very knowledgeable. I liked the session on "ASQ Sampling, Supplier Change Notifications", said QC Sr. Specialist, Raw Material Support, Bayer HealthCare LLC, a seminar past attendee. I like the info provided about "Vendor Qualification Requirements", said Senior Associate, Quality Assurance, Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, a seminar past attendee. Dates: Monday, February 12, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) and Tuesday, February 12, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) Monday, May 7, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) and Tuesday, May 8, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) Thursday, September 20, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) and Friday, September 21, 2018 (8.30 AM- 4.30 PM) Location 1: San Francisco, CA Location 2: Boston, MA Location 2: Chicago, IL Registration Cost: $1,699.00 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@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 Tech in the Craft Beer Industry We were looking to offer participants in the Business of Craft Beer Program a view of technology that aids in the efficient operation of small breweries The Business of Craft Beer Program at The University of Vermont and Ekos Brewmaster, a brewery management software, have announced a collaboration incorporating Ekos into UVMs Certificate program. UVMs program provides individuals seeking to launch a brewery, and those seeking employment in the craft beer sector, online courses focused exclusively on the business-side of the industry. Participants are guided by 28 craft beer industry professionals, all aimed at developing either business plans for future breweries or building their knowledge of marketing, sales, and operations in the craft beer sector. Ekos Brewmaster is a cloud-based brewery management system that brings all of the different functions of the brewery from operations, beer production, sales and accounting into one easily accessible platform. Ekos also integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks and automatically generates a brewerys TTB reports, excise and tax reports. Before Ekos, too many breweries were resorting to using over-priced and overly-complicated brewery management software packages or worse, resorting to a simple spreadsheet," said Greg Forehand, founder and CTO of Ekos. "We were certain there had to be a better way to manage the entire business of brewing, that allowed the brewers to get back to brewing. So we set out to do just that." Ekos Brewmaster is designed for ease of use, yet still provides all the tools that are essential for efficient brewery management and rapid growth in once place. From managing raw ingredients to production efficiency to brewery finances to creating invoices - your brewery info is at the tip of your fingers with just a few clicks or swipes. "To run an efficient and profitable brewery, you must consistently be aware of what you have in inventory for both raw materials and packaged beer," added Greg Forehand. "While keeping a careful eye on the bottom line." We were looking to offer participants in the Business of Craft Beer Program a view of technology that aids in the efficient operation of small breweries, stated program director, Gregory Dunkling. In Ekos, we discovered an excellent, scalable, and affordable solution for breweries of any size. Given the number of breweries already using their software, we also felt this was the best option for our program participants. Learn more about the program - http://learn.uvm.edu/program/business-of-craft-beer/ About University of Vermont As the craft beer industry becomes increasingly competitive, our faculty and instructors know the key to successfully launching and running a brewery is to build from a solid business and operational foundation. Weve designed the program to provide essential industry knowledge in production, finance, sales, social media promotion, marketing, branding, and distribution. About Ekos Brewmaster Ekos Brewmaster is the industry leader in providing management software to independent craft manufacturing businesses currently focusing on craft beverages! While they are small in size, they partner with over 1000 craft beverage producers to manage their day to day operations in production, operations, sales, and accounting. With just a few clicks of a mouse or swipes of a mobile device, they have made it easy for customers to organize, manage, and integrate information from every area of their operation into one easily accessible location. Winstons Hudson Valley Magret Duck Breast moroccan spice honey glaze, gruyere potato dumpling, asparagus, blood orange port reduction. Winston, a tri-level restaurant located in the heart of Mount Kisco offering modern American fare, is celebrating New Years Eve with two seatings and a festive three-course prix fixe menu for guests. The evening will offer up acclaimed chef Michael Williams signature interplay of meat and seafood classics like Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre, Hudson Valley Magret Duck Breast, and New England Halibut. A long-standing hit with Winston regulars, New Years Eve amps up the wow factor for first-timers alike with the perfect blend of gourmet food, unique wine varietals, cocktails, and live music. People want to treat themselves on New Years Eve, and they expect something really special, says Jimmy Branigan, general manager for Winston restaurant. We deliver the top-notch food, warm and inviting atmosphere and festive ambiance they deserve. The evening includes an early and late seating with separate prix fixe menus. The late seating offers a complimentary champagne toast and live music starting at 9pm by Westchesters own Drew Bordeaux Band. Amongst the dishes Winston guests will be able to select from: Herb Crusted Salmon, Asian Hanger Steak, Mushroom Pasta, Pan Seared Diver Scallops, New England Halibut, Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre, and Hudson Valley Magret Duck Breast, to name a few. Reservations are being accepted now. To view full menu options and to make a reservation, visit http://www.winstonrestaurant.com or call 914-244-9780. Winston is located at 130 East Main St., Mount Kisco, NY. About Winston Winston is a restaurant offering New American fare located in the heart of Mount Kisco, New York. Dubbed a touch of TriBeCa with a rooftop bonus by the New York Times, the 81-seat restaurant was opened in 2014 out of a desire to offer a dining experience that was sophisticated and approachable. Featuring a gastropub ground floor, an intimate dining experience on the second floor, and Mount Kiscos only open-air rooftop dining, bar and lounge on the third floor, Winston offers a multitude of ambiances and dining experiences perfect for any occasion. With a menu crafted by Executive Chef Michael Williams offering familiar favorite and new dishes and a wine list of over 275 bottles, Winston has something suitable for every palate. Winston offers a private dining room and rooftop lounge for event rentals. CallRail, the most popular call tracking and analytics provider, today announced its deep integration with Facebooks Offline Conversion API. CallRail users can now view calls, texts and form completions driven by Facebook ads natively in Facebook Ads Manager, alongside existing impressions and clicks. CallRails Facebook integration allows businesses to pinpoint exactly which ads are driving calls and, for the first time, texts and form completions. This builds a holistic view of ad performance and leads to smarter ad optimization and data-driven ad spend. With this update, CallRail users no longer have to hop between Facebook and the CallRail platform to manage social campaigns. As companies embrace advertising and marketing accountability, attribution is more important than ever, said Kevin Mann, chief product officer and co-founder at CallRail. As more and more ad dollars are funneled into Facebooks increasing options, marketers and advertisers are demanding airtight solutions for attributing their results, and rightfully so. Solid attribution plays a huge role in a companys ability to grow and develop, especially in increasingly competitive markets. The strength of this update is evident in the details too. Many features of Facebook Business have been improved for CallRail users, especially Custom Audiences. Now, CallRail users can retarget prospects who have called and generate a lookalike audience with similar demographics to those who engaged with the ad. CallRail users can also determine if consumers texted a business or completed a form via a Facebook ad. Furthermore, with CallRails data, Facebook can match individual phone numbers to their accounts, allowing for more accurate attribution. Previously, if a user saw a Facebook ad, never clicked on it, yet visited the website through a downstream marketing source, CallRail would give attribution to that source -- unaware that it was influenced by Facebook. Now, CallRail can identify prospects whove visited a website shortly after viewing a Facebook ad and properly attribute the clicks to social. Conversations in marketing far too often center around the click and never the call, said Mann. While both are promising steps forward in the conversion process, calls are known to convert better than web clicks. By adding call analytics to Facebook, were giving businesses the metrics they need to successfully attribute and optimize their advertising efforts. CallRails Facebook integration follows two energizing product launches in June. Keyword Spotting, the first of the two, identifies and categorizes keywords and phrases within call transcriptions for automated, detailed analysis of conversations. International Numbers, the second, expanded CallRails call tracking to Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, New Zealand and the U.K. To learn more about CallRails recent Facebook initiative, please visit http://www.callrail.com About CallRail CallRail provides call tracking and analytics to more than 65,000 companies and marketing agencies globally. CallRails intuitive software helps data-driven marketers optimize the performance of their advertising campaigns, increase sales effectiveness, and improve customer retention. From call tracking, routing, recording, and analytics, CallRail provides valuable data about your leads and customers to help grow your business. Tony Romas unprecedented growth has established it as a leader in the Spanish casual dining space, and we are thrilled to see that growth accelerate over the next few years Romacorp, Inc., the parent company of Tony Romas, announces the opening of its newest restaurant, located on the Gran Via of Madrid, Spain, an area known as the Spanish Broadway. This is the newest restaurant for Romacorps franchisee, Compania Dallas Ribs, S.A., and is the first new Tony Romas restaurant in Spain since the April 2017 signing of a landmark development agreement for 15 additional restaurants in Spain. The new Gran Via location is the 24th Tony Romas in Spain and the 14th in the capital city of Madrid. Tony Romas unprecedented growth has established it as a leader in the Spanish casual dining space, and we are thrilled to see that growth accelerate over the next few years, said Bradley Scher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Romacorp, Inc. Tony Romas has been a guest favorite in Spain for more than two decades, and we are proud to work with such a dedicated team as they continue to bring the Tony Romas brand experience and our world-famous Baby Back Ribs to new fans throughout the country. The new Tony Romas restaurant is located in the heart of Madrid on the Gran Via, a major center for tourists and residents in the heart of Madrid, surrounded by theaters, cinemas, hotels, and shops. The restaurant is 5,400 square feet, seats more than 150 guests and spans three levels. The new restaurant is located inside the Phoenix Building, an iconic structure built in 1944 and designed by the prestigious architect Jose Maria Diaz Plaja for the European Society of the Phoenix. The restaurant is located at 68 Gran Via, on the corner of Garcia Molinas and Gran Via. "With this opening, we are proud to reinforce our presence in Madrid and continue to serve many locals and tourists alike, said Alfredo Heredia, General Director of Tony Romas Spain. Today, Tony Roma's is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and we are thrilled to serve the brands legendary Baby Back Ribs, signature Onion Loaf, and world-class food and beverages. About Romacorp, Inc. Romacorp, Inc., is the parent company of Tony Roma's restaurants, the world's largest casual dining concept specializing in ribs. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Romacorp, Inc. has nearly 150 restaurant locations in more than 30 countries and is one of the most globally recognizable names in the industry. The first Tony Roma's restaurant opened 45 years ago in North Miami, Florida. Tony Roma's is also proud to partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation (http://www.cnfl.wish.org), one of the world's leading children's charities, in an effort to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses across Central and Northern Florida. For more information about Romacorp, Inc. and Tony Roma's, visit http://www.tonyromas.com. Please visit http://www.tonyromasfranchise.com or call (866) 981-0586 for information about Tony Roma's franchising opportunities. For information about retail sales licensing opportunities with the Tony Romas brand, contact Bill Cross, SVP, Broad Street Licensing Group at (973) 655-0598. Terence P. McCourt, managing shareholder of the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP and chairman of the offices Labor & Employment Practice, will be a featured speaker at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Educations (MCLE) 20th Annual Employment Law Conference, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Boston, MA. From 4:15 5:00 p.m., McCourt will serve as a speaker on the panel, The Law Partners Departure: How to Protect the Partner and the Firm. He and fellow panelists will discuss the effect of recent case law, and ethics opinions and guidelines that may impact the departure of a law firm partner. McCourt represents a broad range of organizations in all facets of management-side labor and employment law. During more than two decades of practice, he has gained a national reputation for his practical, solution-oriented approach to employment law issues. With wide-ranging litigation experience, McCourt handles diverse employment matters, including employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases in state and federal courts, wage and hour compliance, labor arbitration cases, non-competition cases, internal corporate investigations, and National Labor Relations Board proceedings. He also counsels employers concerning day-to-day human resources issues as well as myriad legal requirements in the workplace, particularly related to significant operational changes such as mergers, acquisitions, business relocations, or reductions in force. About Greenberg Traurigs Boston Office Established in 1999, Greenberg Traurigs Boston office is home to over 70 attorneys practicing in the areas of corporate, emerging technology, governmental affairs, intellectual property, labor and employment, life sciences and medical technology, litigation, public finance, and real estate. An important contributor to the firm's international platform, the Boston office includes a team of nationally recognized attorneys with both public and private sector experience. The team offers clients the value of decades of legal experience and hands-on knowledge of the local business community, supported by the firm's vast network of global resources. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP 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. GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. These projects are exciting, including HABRIs first two cat studies, and we look forward to seeing the results, added Vetere. Each year, HABRI receives an increasing number of research proposals, which is why we need even more support from within and outside the pet care community." The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced funding for four new research grants focused on the effects of human-animal interaction on human health, including social skills outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder; the physical and developmental health of children living with family pets; and the mental health and well-being of seniors living alone. These four grant projects raise HABRIs total research funding to more than $2 million. The companies and organizations that make HABRIs research program possible deserve the credit for hitting the $2 million dollar milestone, said Bob Vetere, HABRI President and Chair of the Board of Trustees. With their support, HABRI is building a strong pipeline of high-quality research projects that are showing how pet ownership is essential for human health and wellness. Since HABRIs founding in 2010, HABRI has funded 21 competitive research projects from institutions across the globe, and has supported the creation of the worlds most comprehensive online library of human-animal interaction research, bringing its research funding to more than $2 million. In 2017, HABRI awarded a total of approximately $200,000 to the following four research projects, identified by the expert HABRI Scientific Advisory Board out of a total of 48 proposals received: Heidi Ewen, PhD (University of Georgia Research Foundation): Healthy Aging: Human Companionship Through Fostering Felines Gretchen Carlisle, PhD (University of Missouri): Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children with Autism: Impact On Childrens Social Skills and Anxiety as Well as Cat Stress Alexandra Protopopova, PhD (Texas Tech University): Integration of AAI and Applied Behavior Analysis to Improve Academic Performance in Children with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability Hayley Christian, PhD (The University of Western Australia): The Health and Developmental Benefits of Companion Animals for Young Children: Advancing The Evidence Base These projects are exciting, including HABRIs first two cat studies, and we look forward to seeing the results, added Vetere. Each year, HABRI receives an increasing number of research proposals, which is why we need even more support from within and outside the pet care community. Together, we will deliver the scientific research needed to strengthen the role of pets in the lives of children, families and the communities where they live. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) maintains the worlds largest online library of human-animal bond research and information; funds innovative research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals; and informs the public about human-animal bond research and the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information about HABRI, visit http://www.habri.org. ### The NAS report calls for a closely-coordinated program that, if thoughtfully implemented, can span the continuum from basic research to critical application needs. A report published by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines the steps the United States must take to regain global leadership in intense ultrafast laser technologies. SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, congratulates the committee on its work and will participate in a briefing sponsored by the National Photonics Initiative on its findings on 14 December in Washington DC. Opportunities in the Science, Applications, and Technology of Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light evaluates the current state and future opportunities of high intensity ultrafast lasers and laser technologies, and assesses the value of future high intensity laser science programs and facilities to the nations scientific research, its national security, and the economy. The authoring committee, consisting of over a dozen experts in laser science, from industry, academia, and government, produced a lengthy and detailed document that includes seven high level conclusions and five actionable recommendations for policy makers and funders to consider. The report highlights the science enabled by high-intensity lasers is vast and important with a broad application base ranging from fundamental sciences to nuclear weapons stewardship as well as medicine and industry. Despite this, the work currently being done in the United States has been fragmented and lacks cross-agency stewardship, which has resulted in the United States losing its position of a leader in this field. The report points to recent investments in Europe and Asia to support this claim. SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs, who will be speaking at the 14 December event had this to say on the report, This report echoes concerns of SPIE over the lack of support for laser development in the U.S. in the last two decades. The U.S. should be a major contributor in advancing the understanding and application of extreme light, in partnership with the strong investments in Europe and Asia. Investment and collaboration are key to humanity most propitiously realizing the power of light. Committee member and CEO and founder of KMLabs, Henry Kapteyn on the committees findings, The laser was the product of American innovation, and its existence has profoundly changed our lives in ways previously-unimagined, contributing substantially to our creativity, health and standard of living. Both compact and large-scale high intensity lasers are at the leading-edge of research in this field, taking advantage of the lasers unique ability to deliver focused energy. The outcomes from past work have been adopted for a variety of applications in medicine and manufacturing, and will play an enabling role for next-generation nanoelectronics. The NAS report calls for a closely-coordinated program that, if thoughtfully implemented, can span the continuum from basic research to critical application needs. This can help to recapture US competitiveness and jump-start American innovation in this critical technology area for future advances in medicine, nanoelectronics and defense. The briefing on 14 December will begin at 4pm (EST) at the National Academies of Sciences Keck Center in Washington DC and will include a panel discussion on the study with presentations by committee members and scientists working in the field. More information about the event can be found at the National Photonics Initiative website, http://bit.ly/NPIEvent About SPIE SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves nearly 264,000 constituents from approximately 166 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2016, SPIE provided more than $4 million in support of education and outreach programs. http://www.spie.org Aladtec, Inc. announces they have surpassed 2,000 customers. Founded over a decade ago, this Wisconsin based company develops online employee scheduling and workforce management software for the Public Safety sector. Each year more organizations recognize the value of moving staff scheduling, and various office oriented tasks, online. Internet software reduces human error, improves efficiencies, saves time, and often saves money. The company developed the software in 2002 to help a Wisconsin EMS agency move from an error prone, and inaccessible, paper schedule to an online schedule which would be available 24/7 from any computer with an Internet connection. That request launched a software system which is now a powerful tool for Public Safety agencies across North America. Due to the companys continued growth, Aladtec has landed on Inc. magazines prestigious annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for three years in a row. Only one in five businesses on the Inc 5000 list achieve the accolade of appearing on it three consecutive times. Potential customers are encouraged to try an Aladtec free 14-day try it demo, or request a free customized demo configured to their particular requirements. Customers appreciate continuous free training, free technical support, and free upgrades. Supporting Quotes: "Our overtime has been cut by 50% since we started using Aladtec. Our overtime went from 4,000 hours last year to 2,000 this year. That is a huge financial savings for our agency. -Anthony Tucci, Deputy Chief, Western Berks EMS, Reading, Pennsylvania. Aladtec has reduced the scheduling demands on our Command Staff by at least 30% on average. I am very pleased with Aladtec - it absolutely beats the competition. -Donald C. Cudmore, Chief, Georgetown Police Department, Georgetown, Massachusetts We save between 60 and 90 hours a month. Probably half of that time is saved by not having to fill overtime slots by calling, texting or emailing. We can see when they last worked overtime, so we can quickly and easily choose who gets the OT shift. Now, we have almost gone completely paperless in our daily work...and, we are saving a lot of trees! -Chad Williams, Lieutenant, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, Woodstock, Illinois Our Aladtec system saves me time and saves me many steps compared to my old way of scheduling - which was on paper. Weve also found fewer errors in payroll since all hours are tracked within the system. -Diane Morgan, Supervising PST, Gloucester County Emergency Response Center, Clayton, New Jersey About Aladtec: The company proudly provides online employee scheduling and workforce management software to over 2,000 organizations, primarily within the Public Safety Sector. These customers count on Aladtec every day to help them save time and improve efficiency. Founded over a decade ago, Aladtec has been on the Inc5000 list of fastest growing companies in the US for the past three years in a row. For information about the affordable industry-specific software options, or to try a free demo, please visit http://www.aladtec.com. CONTACT INFORMATION: Aladtec, Inc. 387 Arrow Court River Falls, WI 54022 (888) 749-5550 Toll-Free (715) 690-2300 Phone (801) 406-5550 Fax mellissa@aladtec.com BBB Alert: Chicago Company Targeting Businesses and Consumers Nationwide Fake invoices for print advertisements are landing in mailboxes of businesses and consumers nationwide. The Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois is alerting the public about this alarming trend which includes an operation that is sending out invoices from Chicago. Complainants allege they are being requested to pay for print advertising they never ordered. They also claim at no time did they engage with the companies prior to receiving the invoice. The amounts due range from $400 - $500 with the balance for most being $495.00. Steve Bernas, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois advises, Companies should proceed with caution and double check any unidentified or questionable invoices. Avoid sending out payment or giving out confidential information like account numbers until you verify the money is actually owed, and its a real company sending the invoice. BBB recommends following these tips: Become trained on this topic. Make sure that the people processing invoices or answering phone calls are aware of this con. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts and other details. Create a process for inspecting invoices. Always check that goods or services were both ordered and delivered before paying an invoice. Designate a small group of people with authority to approve purchases, receive shipments, and pay the bills. Its also a good idea to consolidate your domain registrations with a single registrar, and make sure the domain is registered in your companys name, not your vendors. Review your local United States Postal Inspection Services website for tips. BBB always recommends that you visit bbb.org before doing business with any company. Remember to always report scammers. If you've been the target of a scam or suspect scam activity, report it to authorities and the BBB Scam Tracker to warn others. With the Christmas shopping season in full swing again, people can feel compelled to buy gifts for various friends and family members, frantically spending much of December looking for the right gift for each person. As a result, and along with the preparation for and participating in various holiday parties, many will greet the arrival of December 25 as a relief, and promptly kick the Christmas tree to the curb the following morningand even though the real Christmas Season will have just begun. Consequently, we need to slow down and take time for ourselves, emphasizes Tom Nash, acclaimed author of the new book What DID Jesus Do?: The Biblical Roots of the Catholic Church. Embrace your finitude, or it will embrace you and those whom you loveand painfully so. We need to become childlike and renew our wonderor experience it the first timefor the one who became a Child, so that we may have life, and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10), and so that we can help give that life to others, says Nash. On that very first Christmas, Jesus clues us in on the special way hell provide that life through the place hes born: Bethlehem, which means house of bread. Jesus goes on to proclaim hes the bread of life, astonishingly adding that he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (Jn. 6:51, 54), says Nash. Jesus provides this living bread at every Catholic Mass in the Holy Eucharist, in which the faithful profoundly remember Christs one atoning Sacrifice of Calvary. I realize thats a mouthful if youre hearing it for the first time, figuratively and literally, says Nash with a laugh, or if you havent heard it for awhile. But thats what Jesus comes to do. To bring us all together by becoming redemptive New Covenant Passover food on our behalf! (1 Cor. 10:16-17). And while receiving the Eucharist is normally reserved for Catholics, anyone can powerfully encounter Jesus by simply visiting a nearby Catholic churchand spiritually commune with him in intimacy. Its true that God is omnipresent and thus everywhere, says Nash. But similar to how God manifested himself most intimately in the tabernacle of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, he now makes himself present anew at every Mass under the appearances of bread and wine, as Jesus says at the Last Supper Jesus he would continue to do; and he remains with us in that special way in his Eucharistic Presencein every Catholic churchs tabernacle (Mt. 26:26-28; 28:18-20). As always, Jesus words about the Eucharist are a hard saying (Jn. 6:60), Nash acknowledges, but the price is worth paying, because Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6). Indeed, the real Reason for the Christmas Season is becoming childlike to encounter or encounter anewJesus Christ, especially in his Eucharistic Presence, and thereby radically entrusting our entire lives to him (Mt. 18:1-4). You wont be disappointed, concludes Nash. Because youll receive the Greatest Gift that keeps on giving, now and forever. +++++ Nash is a Research Associate at Ave Maria Radio, a Contributing Apologist for Catholic Answers and a Contributing Blogger for the National Catholic Register. He is also the author of The Biblical Roots of the Mass Nash has an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. He has served the Catholic Church professionally for more than 30 years, including as a Theology Advisor for the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). BloomReach and Elastic Path launch global strategic partnership Our combined BloomReach and Elastic Path customers will benefit from an incredibly flexible system that allows them to express their unique brand, and quickly experiment with new ways of reaching customers. We are very pleased to bring this unique combination to market. BloomReach, Inc., a Leader in the 2017 Gartner Web Content Management (WCM) Magic Quadrant, today launched a strategic global partnership with Elastic Path Software Inc., a Visionary in the 2017 Gartner Digital Commerce Magic Quadrant. The partnership will bring significant competitive advantage to enterprise businesses pursuing a best-of-breed approach to customer experience and commerce. When you combine a leader with a visionary, youve got a special combination. Elastic Paths vision for modern commerce reflects our own vision in a remarkable way, says Chris Gardner, Director of Strategic Partnerships at BloomReach. Their best of breed enterprise commerce platform combines perfectly with BloomReachs best of breed DXP platform. Customers select Elastic Path because they are looking for business agility and ways to innovate. The world is changing and digital transformation requires businesses to be disruptive, staying ahead of the market - exactly the same reasons why brands choose BloomReach DXP. An increasing number of top brands are abandoning siloed, single-stacks for more flexible, headless content and commerce solutions that provides agility and can easily scale with their business needs. Being able to combine and integrate solutions that rank amongst the top performers in their own space enables brands to optimize and re-invent customer experiences. BloomReachs machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities, combined with Elastic Paths advanced commerce capabilities, gives customers a head start in client engagement and brand-awareness. As early adopters, they will leapfrog industry laggards. The BloomReach digital experience platform is a next generation customer experience platform agile, open, adaptive, and intelligent, says Peter Ford, Vice President EMEA and APAC at Elastic Path. Our combined BloomReach and Elastic Path customers will benefit from an incredibly flexible system that allows them to express their unique brand, and quickly experiment with new ways of reaching customers. We are very pleased to bring this unique combination to market. About BloomReach BloomReach brings businesses the first open and intelligent Digital Experience Platform (DXP). BloomReach drives customer experience to accelerate the path to conversion, increase revenue, and generate customer loyalty. In 2016, BloomReach acquired the Amsterdam-based content management software company Hippo. With applications for content management, site search, page management, SEO optimization and role-based analytics, BloomReach is a central location for all players who manage customer experience to come together and intelligently drive business outcomes. BloomReachs Web Relevance Engine (WRE) algorithmically understands content and users, matching demand and intent data from across the web. BloomReach's industry-leading tools unlock the powerful creativity of humans to improve omnichannel customer experiences at scale. Together, our users and our intelligent tools generate millions of dollars of proven incremental sales. BloomReach's portfolio of customers include: Neiman Marcus, Staples, REI, Mailchimp, and NHS. Created in 2009, BloomReach is headquartered in Mountain View, CA with offices worldwide and is backed by investment firms Bain Capital Ventures, Battery Ventures, NEA, Salesforce Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures. About Elastic Path Defining the future of commerce, Elastic Path develops the worlds most sophisticated API-first enterprise commerce platform. The companys flagship product, Elastic Path Commerce, has helped the worlds top brands generate over $60 billion in over 170 countries. Customers from industries as diverse as travel, telecoms, publishing, software, and retail enjoy the benefits of a flexible, open architecture that drives brand-defining customer experiences, facilitates business agility, and eliminates sales channel silos. Elastic Path is a private company based in Vancouver, Canada with sales offices in the UK and US. News World news Greece, Italy, Israel and Cyprus back natural gas pipeline EastMed Intergovernmental agreement on the project is expected to be signed 2018 AUTHOR: publics.bg Edison Greece, Italy, Israel and Cyprus agreed on Tuesday to back the construction of a gas pipeline from newly discovered fields in the eastern Mediterranean to Europe, Reuters reported. The project, known as East Med, involves a 2,000 km long pipeline to channel offshore reserves in the Levantine Basin to Greece and Italy, at a cost of up to 6 billion euros. The eastern Mediterranean has produced some of the worlds biggest gas finds in the past decade, and much of it is still thought to be untapped at a time Europe is looking to diversify its gas resources for reasons of energy security. Today we have concluded a very significant milestone, which is the signing of a memorandum of understanding which outlines the political commitment of the four countries to pursue this project, Cypriot Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis said. The pipeline, he said, was a very important pillar in the eastern Mediterranean natural gas corridor. The four countries also said they would cooperate to facilitate studies, permits, construction and operation of the project, with a view to signing an Intergovernmental Agreement on the project within 2018, a joint statement said. Israel has discovered more than 900 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas offshore. Cyprus Aphrodite gas field holds an additional 128 bcm and Cypriot waters are expected to hold more reserves, Reuters reminded. It is estimated the pipeline could transport up to 16 bcm of gas per year. The project owners are IGI Poseidon, a joint venture between Greeces natural gas firm DEPA and Italian energy group Edison. News From Bulgaria The analysis on the possibility of a derogation for coal power plants is expected in January AUTHOR: publics.bg AES Bulgaria reported the companys activities in 2017 and its plans for 2018. AES Bulgaria The analysis which would show whether coal power plants would be able to apply for a derogation from the new ecological rules (as set out in the document for best available techniques for large combustion plants), CEO of AES Bulgaria Ivan Tzankov announced. The analysis was assigned jointly by TPP AES Galabovo, TPP ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3, TPP Maritsa East 2 and TPP Brikel to Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure UK LTD. It will include a cost-benefit analysis which would compare benefits to society with required investment for compliance with the new ecological rules. A derogation could be granted if the analysis shows that the compliance costs are significantly higher than the benefits for the environment. Ivan Tzankov explained that they are working with companies experienced in measuring mercury and that mercury emission have not been measured so far so there is no measurement data. This is one of the reasons TPPs asked the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) for an extension of the deadline for submitting applications for a derogation. Tzankov said that they have not received an answer, but power plants are hoping that they would get the extension. The current 6-month deadline started on 17 August. On another note, nothing is happening in relation to the full market liberalisation and the contracts for difference (CFDs). It is all about discussions with the government on the mechanism for entering the free market, said the CEO of AES Bulgaria. He said that the last communication on this matter was in June, when World Bank experts presented their model for full market liberalisation. AES Bulgaria President Olivier Marquette added that the company supports governments effort to fully liberalise the electricity market. He announced that they company is ready to adapt to a fully free market. As for AES Buglarias activities Ivan Tzankov stated that 2017 was a successful year. TPP AES Galabovo produced 2.5 TWh until the end of October, which is an increase of 7% on an annual basis. The plants working capacity is almost 99% and there have been no major incidents related to safety, he underlined. Production from Saint Nikola Wind Farm near Kavarna reached almost 283 GWh as the reduction in CO2 emissions are 220 thousand tonnes. In his words coal reserves of the power plant as of today are around 400 thousand tonnes with regulatory requirement of 280 thousand tonnes, which is sufficient to ensure 15-day production with full use of the plant. When asked to comment on a new nuclear power plant opposing TPPs, Olivier Marquette said that AES could not comment on the issue since it is not part of the companys business. He underlined that Bulgaria is highly reliant on coal power plants (as it was evident last winter) and that they play a crucial role in the stability of the electricity system and renewables development. He expressed the belief that they will continue to play an important role in the following 5-10 years. He reminded that decision on the deployment of new capacities should be based on the basic principles of guaranteeing security of supply, compliance with environmental standards and affordable electricity prices for Bulgarian citizens. In a recent interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), Mr Masiyiwa stated many of Africas youth perish in their quest of crossing to Europe. This journey is usually made through the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea on the coast of Libya. He, thus, called on African youth to stop this dangerous journey and stay on the continent. "You don't have to cross the Sahara. We can create solutions," he said. This message by Masiyiwa is considered timely as many youths are perishing and risking their lives on this perilous journey. An exclusive investigation by CNN discovered that many of these potential migrants usually fell into the hands of kidnappers who sold them into slavery in Libya for as low as $400. This discovery has led to a global outcry to find a solution to the Libyan problem. His solution to the migration crisis "I believe sharing ideas with each other is so important to the future of the African continent," Masiyiwa says. "I realized that if we don't do something to help young people create jobs in the African economy... that Africa's progress would be reversed. I understand we face the problem of corruption, bribery, bad policies. But it doesn't mean you should take to crossing the Sahara or the Mediterranean." "We see the drownings... in the Mediterranean, young people trying to get to Europe," he adds. President Donald Trump announced that he would be moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing the holy city as the capital of Israel on Wednesday, changing a position the US has held on the city's status for decades. The president also made clear that one of the most important aspect of US policy on the future of Jerusalem will remain the same, as it has under previous administrations. In his announcement, Trump noted that despite the change in America's official position on Jerusalem's status, the US is not taking any position on how the city should be divided between Israel and Palestine. Notably, Trump did not say the phrase "united Jerusalem" in his speech, which may have been an acknowledgement of the separate East and West parts of the city. "We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders," Trump said. "Those questions are up to the parties involved." Jerusalem is currently divided between East and West West Jerusalem has been part of Israel since 1948, while East Jerusalem, which includes the historic Old City, was captured from Jordan in 1967. East Jerusalem is legally considered to be under occupation by Israel, just like the Palestinian-majority West Bank. While Israel considers Jerusalem in its entirety to be its capital, Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the site of their future state. A final status agreement of the city has long been considered to be determined by negotiations. By stressing that the issue of the city's division between Israel and Palestine remains up for negotiation between the two parties the US will remain committed to its policy of resolving Jerusalem's divisions according to the result of future negotiations. "The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides," Trump said. "In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalems holy sites including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif." Recognition of Jerusalem, coupled with the embassy move, would be consistent with the stated wishes of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The change now makes the US the only country with an embassy in the contested holy city. Despite the tension that characterises our politics sometimes, there is some level of humour that helps release the tension. Politicians themselves find a hilarious ways of addressing each other. General Mosquito The General Secretary of the opposition NDC Asiedu Nketia is arguably one of Ghanas interesting politicians. He is popularly called General Mosquito perhaps because of his small stature and venomous responses during interviews. Opana In the build up to last Decembers election, then President, John Mahama carved a political name for his opponent, Nana Akufo-Addo and referred to him several times with that name hoping to disguise the identity but it was so clear who this Opana was. Commissioner General Ghanas ex-president, John Mahama was nicknamed the Commissioner General when he went on a project-commissioning spree few months to the general election last year. Alan Cash Alan Kyeremateng: The businessman and politician is considered to be one of the richest people in Ghanas political space and is rightly called, Alan Cash to associate his riches to him. Mr. Comfortable Lead Koku Anyidoho; The deputy general secretary of NDC is known for his bold declaration that the NDC were in a comfortable lead. The words became a household ridiculing term when it turned out the lead wasnt comfortable after all Jack where are you? H.E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur who served as Vice President faced a lot of public ridicule for his constant absenteeism in the public life which left Ghanaian to always be asking of his where about. Adwumawura Paa Kwesi Nduom is popularly know as Adwumawura; a job creator. He earned that name for single handedly creating lots of businesses in Ghana and beyond. Gentle giant The former president of Ghana John Agyekum Kuffour got this names out of his slow but assertive nature. WASHINGTON After Senate Democrats calling for Sen. Al Franken to resign over sexual misconduct allegations snowballed on Wednesday, Republicans across the aisle gave mixed responses on what to do, as an incoming colleague is facing a massive scandal of surrounding similar accusations himself. When yet another woman came forward accusing Franken of misconduct on Wednesday, several Democratic women in the Senate demanded he resign. The move prompted more senators to call for the Minnesota Democrat's resignation, leading Franken to announce a press conference for Thursday morning, during which he is expected to address his political future. Senate Republicans have been hesitant to join Democrats in demands that Franken step down "The women in the Senate have sent a pretty clear message," Sen. Steve Daines of Montana told Business Insider, who when pressed further said, "I respect their position and it seems to be a pretty strong message and pretty unified." Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley dodged questions on Franken. "I think I ought to give [Franken] the courtesy of listening to what he has to say tomorrow," he said. "I think I'll do that." Ohio Sen. Rob Portman suggested the process should play itself out regarding Franken, noting the investigation underway by the Senate Ethics Committee. "My understanding is they've started an ethics investigation and I strongly support that," Portman said. "And we should see what the ethics investigation finds out but if it finds out that he's engaged in this behavior, then yes [Franken should resign]." Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina echoed Portman's take on Franken in wanting a complete and thorough ethics investigation before any decision is made. "I think we need to be consistent and I think that the allegations against Mr. Franken are pretty significant," Tillis said. "The fact that we had 10 Democrat members call for his resignation today suggests that they even have information that weve not yet seen. That needs to be a subject of the Senate investigation and if the allegations are true, he should go." However, some Republicans agreed with the avalanche of Democrats that Franken should resign outright. John Thune, one of the top Republicans in the Senate, said, "That's a decision obviously that Senator Franken has to make between him and his constituents" adding, "I think that's the right call given kind of what we know." South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott echoed what he said about Roy Moore, the GOP's embattled Senate candidate in Alabama who is facing accusations of sexual misconduct himself. "I would say the same thing about Senator Franken that I said about Roy Moore, which is both need to find something else to do," he said. While President Donald Trump endorsed Moore this week and the Republican National Committee reinstated financial support for him, he will immediately hit a wall in the Senate, as many Republicans noted. Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said that while Republicans would have no choice but to seat Moore if he wins, "it probably doesn't bode well" for his future to be faced with so many allegations of sexual misconduct. Tillis said "if the election in Alabama produces a win for Mr. Moore it too needs to be subject to an ethics investigation and we go from there," echoing the same hesitancy he has with the case with Franken. "I think each case should be determined on its own facts," Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said. Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said commenting on Moore "would be speculation." "I don't want to speculate until the voters get done," he said. "When it comes to Roy Moore and me, I didn't endorse him so I didn't have to withdraw my endorsement." "I don't support his candidacy," Sen. Lindsey Graham said. "I don't like the RNC doing it, but that's their decision to make." Graham noted that Moore will not just face his own problems in the Senate, but will be a stain on Republicans up and down the ballot in the coming election cycle next year. Last May, Oracle suffered a well-publicized loss in its years-long lawsuit against Google over Android. Oracle appealed the verdict and the first hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The trial was watched closely by the computer industry and included testimony from a who's who in Silicon Valley, including Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt, and Oracle CEO Safra Catz. At once point Oracle's Larry Ellison even called Page "evil" over the situation. While each side has won various stages of the legal fight, the upshot is: Google has yet to be told it is on the hook to pay Oracle for Java, much less the massive, multi-billion dollar fine Oracle has been hoping for. If the appeals court upholds the last jury verdict, which found in favor of Google, that would likely severely hamper Oracle's attempts to keep going on this case. Google had attempted to get the Supreme Court to jump into the case in 2015 and issue a definitive ruling, but the Supreme Court declined to do so at that time, leaving it to wind its way through the lower courts first. The trial was so technical that the judge overseeing the trial, Judge William Alsup Oracle and Google have been battling it out for years in two separate court cases over whether Google must pay Oracle billions of dollars for bits of code copied from Java (a programming language Oracle owns) and used in Android (the language Google controls). At issue were parts of the code called application programming interfaces (APIs), the technology that allows different computer programs to talk to each other. In May 2016, a jury ruled that Google's use of the disputed code was "fair use." These lawsuits caused a lot of hand-wringing in the software industry, with pro-Google sides worrying that if Oracle won the suit, it would be awful for the software industry. Those folks worried that an Oracle win would make APIs the subject of more lawsuits and make APIs more difficult to create and share. For those in search of more details on Oracle's potential next moves, a policy blog from the Computer & Communications Industry Association called The Project-Disco blog has posted an interesting analysis of the case. A photo series by the Associated Press shows what life is like for the area's retail clerks, plumbers, janitors even teachers who go to work and sleep where they can. Silicon Valley has the highest median income in the nation. But a worsening wealth gap has caused homelessness to surge. More than 10,000 people were living without shelter across San Jose and Santa Clara Counties on any given night in 2016, though that figure is probably low. These photos give a glimpse of life on the streets in Silicon Valley. The area's tech boom has created a new economic class: the working homeless. In the same affluent, suburban cities where Google, Apple, Facebook, and Tesla built their headquarters, thousands of people work regular jobs and come home to cars and RVs. Source: "We still need to eat," said Tes Saldana, who works in the restaurants of two hotels in Palo Alto. She lives with her three adult sons in a camper she parks on the street. An influx of tech workers along with decades of under-building has created a historic housing shortage in the Bay Area. The cost of living is sky high. In 2016, nearly one-third of people living in California put more than half their total income toward rent and utilities, according to a report by the California Budget and Policy Center. Source: Working-class wages don't stretch far in a city like San Jose, where the median rent is $3,500 a month. Food service workers make a median wage of $12 an hour there. Source: Living in a vehicle allows people to save up money that they would lose in rent. Benito Hernandez, who works as a landscaper and roofer, pays $1,000 a month to rent an RV that he shares with his pregnant wife and children. They live in Mountain View. The family was kicked out of their apartment two years ago, after the rent increased to nearly $3,000 a month. "After that I lost everything," Hernandez, 33, told the AP. Source: Despite her full-time job teaching English classes at San Jose State University, Ellen Tara James-Penney sleeps in a car she parks at a church that shelters homeless people. She eats her meals at the school's dining hall and the church. At night, she grades papers and prepares lessons in her car by the light of a headlamp. She sleeps in her station wagon. During a lesson on John Steinbeck, a students said that she was tired of hearing about the homeless. "I said, 'Watch your mouth. You're looking at one.' Then you could have heard a pin drop," James-Penney told the AP. "It's quite easy to judge when you have a house." Source: Albert Brown III, a security officer, said his feet have been hurting him but he can't afford to miss a shift. He recently signed a lease that he can barely afford on his $16-an-hour salary. "It's a sad choice. I have to decide whether to be homeless or penniless, right?" Brown told the AP. He previously lived in his car and is working overtime to pay for its pricey repair. Source: Tom Myers, executive director of Community Services Agency, a nonprofit based in Mountain View, told the AP that a "crisis of unemployment" is not to blame for the homelessness epidemic in Silicon Valley. "People are working," he said. Source: Mutawakilu Adam believes that the number of students in the school has increased and hence there is a spread of illnesses which eventually leads to death. Eight students have died so far in the school. Four died earlier this year, whilst the other four died in just one week. READ ALSO: Angry parents besiege Kumasi Academy as student death increase to 8 This has left parents worried. The parents have called on the school authorities to allow them to take their children back home or hold intensified prayers as they suspect the happenings could have spiritual undertones. Health officials in the Ashanti Region have ruled out Meningitis as the cause of the recent deaths at the school. The officials, however, suspect a bacterial infection in the school. Speaking on the issue on TV3s New Day on Wednesday, the MP for Damongo said: The overcrowding [in the school] might have caused the deaths. It is an epidemic and it is a cause for worry and by now, the Ghana Health Service should have set up an emergency unit in the school. We needed to have an emergency unit there for quick response. He added: In the state of panic and fearyou dont know whether it is as a result of congestion. So it is good parents went in to take their wards. If you have your ward under your care, you can take him to any proper hospital for treatments. 11 students have died in since April 2017. The reason for the death is still not known leaving most parents and students to believe the cause of deaths is spiritual. The recent deaths were originally attributed to the outbreak of meningitis. However, tests conducted by health officials ruled out meningitis and pointed to a bacterial infection as the cause. But some parents were convinced the deaths were spiritual. The Baptist pastors were in the school to pray for the students and anoint them with oil in a move to exorcise the demon in the school. Head Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church at Kyeyaase, a suburb of Kumasi, Rev Steven Paintsil told Accra-based 3FM that the session was organised with the approval of the school. READ ALSO: 3 more Kumasi Academy students confirmed dead Tuesday morning He added that they are doing this to complement efforts of health professionals. Meanwhile, students were taken through the second day of vaccination on Wednesday. Teachers and some parents were also vaccinated. In a post on her Instagram page, she narrated that the said movie producer rejected her from playing a movie role not because she didnt have the qualities to play that role but because the producer felt she didnt fit his idea of what a beautiful woman looks like. Africa. I was rejected NOT because I wasnt good enough for the role, but because I didnt fit into the producers idea of what a beautiful woman looks like. (mind you I know Im fcking hot) But guess what? This big ass and tits won me an Africa Movie Academy Award, Africa Int. Film Festival Award, Ghana Movie Award, Super Woman Award, City People Award, Fashion Icon Award, she added. The handsome musician was this weeks guest on Celebrity Ride with Zionfelix . He made it clear that the amount he takes for shows in Accra is different from what he charges for concerts organized out of the countrys capital. READ ALSO : Article Wan narrates how security men whipped him at S Concert He disclosed that he takes at least Gh12,000 for shows in Accra because he does not incur any financial cost when he performs in Accra. Album sales in Ghana is not the best considering everything has moved online. Musicians make most of their money from playing concerts and Youtube video views. In 2017 Dance Hall artiste Shatta Wale was the top earning musician on Youtube in Ghana. The Koko Sakora hitmaker further revealed that he charges over Gh20, 000 for shows outside Accra. READ MORE: Burglar breaks into store only to make away with nothing but sex doll Africanspotlight.com reported that the controversial songs lyrics say, You must retire now. It further asks, Those who refused to go peacefully, where are they? The musician continued by asserting that The doctors are striking over poor pay, the government says there is no money, but government never fails to get money to buy teargas. The Ugandan prosecutors claim the song in question attacked and disturbed the peace of the 73-year-old president. Eventhough there was no mention of President Museveni in the song, it became a matter of controversy because his government had introduced a bill in the countrys parliament in September, seeking to remove the limit on presidential terms, a move some analysts believe was a desperate attempt by Museveni who has bee in power since 1986 to contest the countrys 2021 elections again. The Ugandan constitution in its current form disallows persons above 75 years running for the presidency. The actual course of death has still not been made known to the public but the news was confirmed by the Models Union Of Ghana (MODUGA) yesterday in the official MODUGA Whatsapp group by the P.R.O, Nana Bonsu. Prior to the unfortunate incident, the Model Union Of Ghana was soliciting for funds to assist the model's Magnetic resonance imaging's scan (MRI). He was believed to have some problem with his Spine but that has not been confirmed as the cause of death. Social media his heightened with grief for photo lovers and models because of his demise. Many are pouring out their condolences and to some, they still cant fathom the sad news. READ ALSO:2 doctors sacked for mistakenly declaring newborn dead READ ALSO: Parliament approves budget without minority The various banks will start crediting individual accounts from the dates indicated. Any change in the above dates will be communicated to the Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Assemblies and respective banks, it added. Many Ghanaians are hoping that the difficulties that develop due to ghost names in the country do not come up again to delay salaries. In August 2017 for instance the Controller and Accountant Generals Department has suspended salaries of 7,000 workers in the public sector. This follows the failure of their heads of department to validate them as workers in their respective institutions. According to the court presided over by Justice Iddirsu Abdulai, Aisha and her four other Chinese counterparts failed to demonstrate that the bail conditions imposed on them have brought any hardship on them. The court ruling follows a plea by lawyers of Aisha for a variation of bail conditions to enable the suspects to report themselves to the Ashanti regional police command twice a week instead of coming to Accra, which they claimed was having a financial toll on them. They also cited financial constraints of traveling from Accra to Kumasi every week to report to the police. Their application was opposed to by the prosecution, who insisted the suspects continue to report themselves to the police in Accra. The five Chinese were granted bail in June to the tune of GHs500,000 with two sureties who were all to be Ghanaians residing in Ghana. They were also ordered to report themselves twice each week to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Director General of the Immigration Service or any assigns of theirs. Aisha Huan and the other Chinese nationals also handed over their passports to officials of the court. Aisha has been charged with undertaking small-scale mining operations, contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, (Act 703), and providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act. She has also been charged with the illegal employment of foreign nationals, contrary to Section 24 of the Immigration Act, 200 (Act 573) and Regulation 18(1) of the Ghana Immigration Regulations, 2001 (L.I.1691). 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! After five years of the passing of Atta Mills, I know that I wont [blow up]. There have been attempts to cut one off; not because you are lazy or inefficient, but only because you were loyal to the President, he said. In an interview with Accra-based Joy FM, the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said many thought that he then prevented Mr John Mahama from having access to the president. An eighth round of peace talks aimed at ending Syria's nearly seven-year war began in Geneva last week. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura announced shortly after the talks began that they would be extended by two weeks. Negotiations were paused over the weekend, but both sides had been expected to return to Geneva to resume discussions on Tuesday. But only the opposition delegation showed up. The Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government, reported that the regime's delegation was in Damascus and was not expected to leave either Tuesday or Wednesday. It said the invitation to return to the talks "is still being studied by the Syrian leadership". When asked about the delay, UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci said the government delegation had "been invited back in Geneva as of today (Tuesday). The Special Envoy stands ready to engage them when they return." "We expect and we hope they will be here very soon," she added. Following the opposition's meeting with de Mistura Tuesday afternoon, delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri said it was time the UN clearly stated which party was sabotaging the peace process. "Now it is the responsibility of the international community, of the UN and the Special Envoy to announce to the world who is the party who is rejecting the negotiations," he told reporters. 'Big problems' The government delegation left Geneva last Saturday, after its chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said there were "big problems in this round of talks". He was referring to a communique published by the opposition last month in Riyadh signalling that it was maintaining its insistence on President Bashar al-Assad's removal. The opposition, united in one delegation for the first time, has defied calls to give up on its demand that Assad must step down before any peace deal can be reached. Jaafari described that position as "provocative" and "irresponsible", warning that "there will be no progress" if the opposition maintained that position. De Mistura has tried to maintain an upbeat note on the talks, and on Friday he published a document suggesting 12 principles for a future Syria that he suggested the two sides could agree, including that the country "shall be democratic and non-sectarian". He asked the parties to discuss the points and add their thoughts before the talks resumed. Trump "informed the president (Abbas) on his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," a statement from the Palestinian presidency said. There have been reports that he will decline to move the embassy for now, but will recognise the disputed city as Israel's capital. Moving the embassy and recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would mark a major shift in US policy and upturn decades of precedent in contrast with international consensus. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Monday that Trump "has been clear on this issue from the get-go: it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when." He said a declaration on the move would be made "in the coming days." In Tuesday's call, Abbas in turn "warned of the dangerous consequences of such a decision on the peace process, security and stability in the region and the world," his office said. "The president reaffirms our firm position that there can be no Palestinian state without east Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with the resolutions of international law and the Arab peace initiative," it said, referring to a 2002 Saudi-backed plan. Abbas "will continue his communications with world leaders to prevent such an unacceptable and rejected step." A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, gave AFP further details on what he said was discussed during the call. "Trump told president Abbas there was a decision taken in Congress a long time ago, and there has been pressure from Congress to implement the decision and move the embassy," the official said. "Trump said he made electoral promises to the American people to move the embassy and wants to keep them." The official added that Trump told Abbas he had "important ideas" he will introduce after the decision, but the Palestinian leader informed him he rejected moving the embassy, which would "totally change the equation." Trump has been seeking ways to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Palestinian leaders say recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital will ruin any effort to do so. There was no comment from Israeli leaders. Israeli media reported that ministers were instructed not to speak on the issue at the White House's request. Her death -- her vehicle was reduced to a shell of twisted, burned metal in the fatal blast -- led to an outpouring of grief on Malta and an international outcry. The three men charged with her murder -- brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, aged 55 and 53 respectively, and Vincent Muscat, 55 -- pleaded not guilty in court in Valletta. They were charged with manufacturing the bomb, with killing the journalist, with taking part in organised crime, as well as possession of explosives. All three are Maltese and they sat motionless in the dock with their heads lowered before Magistrate Neville Camilleri. They will be kept in jail. The three suspects were among 10 people arrested in an operation on Monday. The other seven have been released on police bail pending a probe of other evidence. Much of Caruana Galizia's recent work had been centred on what the huge Panama Papers data leak revealed about corruption at the highest levels in Malta. 'There are crooks everywhere' Her most explosive reports included allegations that members of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle benefited from kickbacks on business deals and a controversial passports-for-investment scheme. But she also focused on alleged dubious behaviour by prominent opposition and business figures, fuelling speculation she could have been the victim of mobsters. During Monday's announcement of the arrests, Muscat said a joint team of police, military and security services swooped following a nearly seven-week investigation carried out with help from the FBI, Europol and Finnish intelligence. Muscat's Labour Party government had offered a one million euro ($1.2 million) reward for information leading to a conviction of Caruana Galizia's killers. But her sons denounced the reward as a publicity stunt and called on Muscat to resign over the state's failure to protect their mother and his attempts to silence her through legal suits when she was alive. In her final post on Running Commentary, the blog she had written since 2008, Caruana Galizia voiced despair over the cronyism and sleaze she saw engulfing Malta. "There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate," she posted minutes before the fatal blast. The future of luggage may be delayed, as airlines are set to ban smart luggage that includes non-removable lithium-ion batteries. American Airlines announced its ban on December 1, and other airlines have followed, including Alaska Airlines and Delta. United and Southwest are also expected to announce similar policies, according to CNN. The first bans are set to go into effect on January 15. A series of wildfires last week scorched more than 260,000 acres in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego counties in Southern California. The first and largest blaze, dubbed the Thomas Fire, started December 4 in Ventura County and has moved North, becoming a threat to Santa Barbara County. Here are the numbers as of Tuesday morning, according to Los Angeles Countyofficials and Cal Fire, a state fire-safety agency: Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties: Skirball Fire in Bel Air: Lilac Fire in San Diego County: Rye Fire in Santa Clarita: Creek Fire in Sylmar: The Thomas Fire had grown to more than 65,000 acres in two days and destroyed at least 150 structures out of at least 12,000 threatened in Ventura and Ojai. The fire grew by 50,000 acres on Sunday as dry Santa Ana winds continued, triggering evacuation orders throughout Santa Barbara County. One death has been blamed on the Thomas Fire: the body of 70-year-old Virginia Pesola was discovered at a car crash site on an evacuation route in Ventura County on Wednesday night, according to NBC. As many as 200,000 people had been displaced in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and authorities closed and then reopened parts of the 405 Freeway on Wednesday last week, causing gridlock throughout the region. More than 50 schools were closed in the Los Angeles area through the end of the week. Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency, freeing up state funds to help tackle the wildfires. "This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to tackle it with all we've got," Brown said. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so." Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen told reporters that the fires' growth had been "absolutely exponential." Here are a few ways you can help: Thomas Fire Fund United Way of Ventura County's website The Salvation Army visiting the website The Red Cross The Red Cross of Los Angeles its social media accounts redcrossla.org The Humane Society of Ventura County The Humane Society of Ventura County on HSVC's website Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation Noah's Legacy Fund through the LACACF website GoFundMe campaigns a list of all the verified campaigns Direct Relief Many reasons have been given for why the appointment of Ogechi Ololo, the biological sister of governor Okorocha is a mistake but a deeper look at the prevailing situation shows that there might be need for such a role. More so, countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Venezuela and Colombia have similar departments to oversee the fulfillment of citizens goals. Hence, having one in Nigeria should not be a bad idea. Taking a cue from the UAE, Nigeria's Minister of Happiness would help align and drive government policies to create a social good and satisfaction. Also, the minister is expected to engage in more social work and welfare activities. World Happiness Report 2017 highlighted that Nigerians are now becoming less happy. A situation partly due to low dividends of democratic rule and deteriorating social welfare. Nigeria ranked 103rd of the 157 countries across the globe, thus, putting the country among the least happy countries in the world. 69% of Nigerian respondents stated they aspired to a better standard of living, while 60% worried that they might not achieve a decent standard of living," the report reads. Going by this, here are reasons having a ministry of happiness in Nigeria would be a great idea. 1. Rising cases of suicide in Nigeria One thing that makes a call for a minister of happiness in Nigeria is the rising cases of suicide in Nigeria. The situation is so worrisome that psychiatrists and other physicians have stated that there is a high index of symptoms of depression among their patients. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria has a chance of 15.1 suicides per 100,000 population per year. This ranks the country the 30th and 10th most suicide-prone out of 183 nations in the world and Africa respectively. 2. Help coordinate national orientation One thing that a Minister of Happiness will help address is the ineffective national orientation in the country. Although, there is a National Orientation Agency (NOA) it is as ineffective as many public institutions established to serve a national purpose. At present, there is an absence of national discussion of issues and policies of the government that affect the welfare of the people. Hence, having one public officer with this responsibility will help address high-level dis-orientation in the country. 3. Problem of social inclusion Having a minister of Happiness with wide public acceptance would further strengthen drive for social inclusion in the country. The minister or ministry would be saddled with responsibilities of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) among others. Addressing issues of tribalism, state of origins and residence and other social problems. 4. Need to promote religious tolerance in the country Need to promote religious tolerance makes the need for a Minister of Happiness more imperative, and germane in Nigeria. With this post created, the personnel in charge is expected to coordinate all activities that would reduce ethnic or religious tension in the country. A minister with such responsibility would have continuously pushed for definite government positions on Herdsmen problems in the Middle belt, South East and North-Central Nigeria, Militancy in Niger Delta, Kidnapping in South West & East and Boko Haram problems in the country. 5. Need to close the gap between the government and the governed The unclosed gap between government and citizens in Nigeria makes having a Minister whose role is to actively engage the public as the most needed thing the country needs now. The Senate Judiciary and House Intelligence Committees, two of the three major congressional panels investigating Russia's election interference, appear to have resigned themselves to the reality that their probes will be conducted according to the partisan interests of their members. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has recently begun sending out a flurry of letters to witnesses requesting new documents and interviews related to potential collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia. The committee's Republican chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, has not signed off on the letters, all of which have been made public by the panel's Democrats. Nor did Feinstein sign off on 13 letters Grassley sent in October seeking more information about FBI agent "We have decided that each side is going to take a course," she said, referring to the committee's Democrats and Republicans. "Our focus is obstruction of justice and whether there was cooperation/collusion between the Trump administration and Russia," she said. Feinstein reiterated her interest in pursuing an obstruction inquiry on Sunday. " The tension has not waned: Following a recent flurry of letters to witnesses ranging from Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner to Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina, Feinstein said on Monday that she thinks there's a "subtle" effort on Grassley's part "not to go deeply." Committee Republicans, meanwhile, have signaled a desire to leave the more aggressive investigative work to special counsel Robert Mueller. Following Mueller's indictments of Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates, Sen. John Cornyn said the "special counsel's got his own responsibilities and it doesn't involve us." "The Judiciary Committee conducts government oversight, not criminal investigations," a committee spokesperson said on Tuesday. "And that's very unfortunate," he added. "I was old enough to understand and watch Watergate. This is so much more important. Because I believe that if you had seen what I have seen, you'd want me to go full throttle. Anything that makes the analysis of this by Congress, or any other investigators, inconsistent in any way ... reduces how important this is." Much, but not all, of the House panel's infighting has stemmed from the behavior of its chairman, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes. Democrats feel like Nunes has "gone rogue" with his subpoenas, according to several committee sources. They say he has antagonized the Justice Department and intelligence community at a moment when cooperation should be prioritized. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell told MSNBC on Sunday that voluntary interviews, absent a subpoena, were not helpful to the committee because witnesses who haven't been compelled to testify have generally opted to end their sessions early. He said in October that the committee's final report could "have an asterisk on it" if House Speaker Paul Ryan does not "intervene" to ensure Nunes' "fingerprints are not on our report." A spokesman for Nunes did not return a request for comment. Quigley said Nunes was "not the only" Republican on the committee mounting "obstacles" to the investigation. "I'm there as we're questioning witnesses and someday these transcripts will be made public," he said. "Many of you are going to say, 'What the hell are they doing?' They seem to be taking over the role of a second attorney for the witness testifying before us. And it's conflicting, and it's difficult. It's difficult enough as it is to do this job when you're running into all of these obstacles." The committee's ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, told CNN on Tuesday that Republicans had refused to subpoena Deutsche Bank for the Trump Organization's financial records. A Chinese newspaper based right next to North Korea has published a full-page guide on how to cope with a nuclear attack in case bombs start falling. In its Wednesday edition, Jilin Daily newspaper ran a full-page manual explaining the different types of nuclear weapons, its dangers, and how to cope when an attack happens. The paper also published eight cartoons on what to do when one is exposed to nuclear radiation, like wearing masks in public, cleaning out one's ears with cotton buds, and vomiting out any radioactive substances in the body. The publication is run by the Chinese government, but officials have said the guide was not published in light of a particular heightened threat at the present time. Take a look at the manual below. Jilin Daily spent an entire... @ Jinghan Zeng The manual doesn't mention North Korea, but it's worth noting that Jilin shares an approximately 200-kilometre (124-mile) border with the country, and is about 90 kilometres (56 miles) from Pyunggye-ri, the country's only known nuclear test site. China, however, has denied that the editorial was about North Korea's nuclear threat. According to the Global Times, another state-run Chinese newspaper, the manual was simply an educational guide on nuclear weapons, and shouldn't be read as a precaution against North Korea. "Many countries and regions, such as South Korea and Japan, have made introducing nuclear knowledge part of their national education and sometimes even conduct exercises. "Hence Jilin's practice doesn't necessarily mean the province faces the risk of nuclear attack. The Jilin office of civil air defense should have explained the background for the publicity to avert public misunderstanding." Besides, it said, North Korea has no big reason to target China South Korea, Japan, and US military bases in the Asia-Pacific are more likely to be "priority targets." And if it does target China, Beijing will strike back. It said: "There is a slim chance that the US or North Korea will intentionally launch military attacks at China as they have no grounds. Meanwhile, as a powerful nuclear state, China will resolutely return like for like." A flood of Democratic senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, publicly called on Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, to resign on Wednesday as he faced new accusations of sexual misconduct. The first senators to release statements included a group of female Democratic senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Patty Murray of Washington, Kamala Harris of California, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. "I have been shocked and disappointed to learn over the last few weeks that a colleague I am fond of personally has engaged in behavior towards women that is unacceptable," Gillibrand, a prominent advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, wrote in a statement on Facebook. "I consider Senator Franken to be a friend and have enjoyed working with him in the Senate in our shared fight to help American families." She continued: "We have to rise to the occasion, and not shrink away from it, even when it's hard, especially when it's hard ... I have spent a lot of time reflecting on Senator Franken's behavior. Enough is enough. The women who have come forward are brave and I believe them. By Wednesday afternoon, dozens of members of the Senate Democratic caucus had called on Franken to step down. A representative for Franken said the senator would make an announcement on Thursday, with speculation suggesting that he would bow to calls to resign. Hassan wrote that Franken had "engaged in a pattern of egregious and unacceptable behavior toward women." "He should resign," the New Hampshire lawmaker wrote. The senators called for zero tolerance for any form of sexual harassment or abuse. "Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere," Harris wrote in a tweet. They were soon followed by their male colleagues, including Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. "I agree with my colleagues who have stepped forward today and called on Senator Franken to resign," Casey tweeted. "We can't just believe women when it's convenient." Brown added that Franken was "entitled" to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into his past conduct and that it would help determine how Congress should deal with future complaints. Franken has repeatedly promised to "cooperate completely." Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also released a statement on Twitter calling on Franken to step aside. Sens. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Dick Durbin of Illinois joined the calls within hours. 7 women have accused Franken of sexual misconduct Earlier Wednesday, a seventh woman accused Franken of sexual misconduct. The woman, a former Democratic congressional aide, says Franken attempted to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006, three years before he became a senator. Franken insists he doesn't remember meeting the five women who have accused him of groping them during photo ops, and he says he has a different recollection of a 2006 incident with Leeann Tweeden, a California TV and radio host who says Franken groped and forcibly kissed her. Franken has said he is "ashamed" by the allegations and apologized to the women who have felt disrespected by his behavior. Actress and writer Lena Dunham and former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown both say they warned members of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign against associating with Harvey Weinstein. In a massive New York Times investigation, titled "Weinstein's Complicity Machine," over 200 interviews weave together the story of how Weinstein managed to live as a high profile Hollywood producer amid swirling rumors of sexual misconduct. The article demonstrates how Weinstein allegedly used his money, power, and connections to silence anyone who would dare to out him. It also shows how the Clintons were linked to Weinstein's network. Weinstein gave money to Bill Clinton's 1998 legal defense during his impeachment trial, and had been working on a documentary about Hillary Clinton's 2016 election loss up until his scandal broke, according to the Times. Though Clinton said she was "shocked and appalled" by the revelations about Weinstein, who she had known for decades, Dunham and Brown both said they told her campaign to distance herself from the producer. This was strongly denied by the Clinton campaign. "We were shocked when we learned what hed done. Its despicable behavior, and the women that have come forward have shown enormous courage. As to claims about a warning, thats something staff wouldnt forget," said communications director Nick Merrill. The Times report included an excerpt from an email Brown sent to a member of "Clintons inner circle." It said: "I was hearing that Harveys sleaziness with women had escalated since I left Talk in 2002 and she was unwise to be so closely associated with him." Brown worked with Weinstein on Talk magazine between 1999 and 2002. Dunham's warning was verbal, the Times reported. "I just want you to let you know that Harveys a rapist and this is going to come out at some point," Dunham reportedly told Kristina Schake, the Clinton campaigns deputy communications director. "I think it's a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because its an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault," she reportedly added. Dunham has faced her own backlash in recent weeks after she came to the defense of Murray Miller (a writer and executive producer for her show "Girls") after actress Aurora Perrineau filed a police report alleging that Miller raped her. John Conyers III, the son of embattled Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, was arrested under suspicion of domestic abuse in Los Angeles but was not charged, NBC News reported on Wednesday. The younger Conyers was arrested in February after his girlfriend called the police and said he "body slammed her on the bed and then on the floor where he pinned her down and spit on her," NBC News reported, citing a police report. She said Conyers became aggressive after going through her computer and accusing her of cheating. The girlfriend added that when she attempted to call the police, Conyers took her phone and "chased" her to the kitchen. After she grabbed a knife and told him to leave, she said he took the knife and swung it at her, cutting her arm in the process. Conyers' account differed from his girlfriend's, according to NBC News. He alleged that his girlfriend tried to throw him out of their house after consuming alcohol and marijuana. He said they started becoming aggressive with each other, and that she threatened him with the knife. Conyers, a Detroit hedge fund manager, was later arrested and released on a $50,000 bond that day, authorities told NBC News. Rep. Conyers announced his retirement from Congress Tuesday after several women accused him of varying degrees of sexual misconduct. After declaring that he would be leaving the House of Representatives, effective immediately, Conyers endorsed his son to succeed him. Conyers, the longest serving member of Congress, has denied allegations that he settled a 2015 sexual-harassment complaint with a former staffer who claimed she was fired after rebuffing his advances. He also said he could not explain where the allegations against him came from. On Tuesday, the elder Conyers dismissed such reports as politically motivated said they would not impact his reputation. The former national security adviser Michael Flynn suggested to a business associate that sanctions on Russia imposed by the Obama administration in December would be "ripped up" under President Donald Trump, a whistleblower told a Democratic congressman. The congressman, Rep. Elijah Cummings, outlined the whistleblower's allegations in a letter to the House Oversight Committee's chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy, earlier this week. "I do not bring this whistleblower to your attention lightly," Cummings said. "I have attempted to advance this investigation without exposing individuals to personal or professional risk. But the exceptionally troubling allegations in this case combined with ongoing obstruction from the White House and others have made this step necessary." Cummings said the whistleblower contacted his office in June to describe a conversation at an event in Washington, DC, on the day of Trump's inauguration. "At this event, the whistleblower met Alex Copson," Cummings wrote. Copson was working at the time with Flynn to promote a project to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, and Flynn reported in August that he served as an adviser to Copson's company between 2015 and 2016. Copson described the project to the whistleblower as "involving a joint partnership between the United States and Russia relating to the energy sector in the Middle East," the letter said. It continued: "During their conversation, Mr. Copson informed the whistleblower that he 'just got this text message' from General Flynn saying that the project was 'good to go.'" Copson told the whistleblower that "Mike has been putting everything in place for us," adding, "This is going to make a lot of very wealthy people," according to Cummings' letter. "Mr. Copson explained that General Flynn was making sure that sanctions would be 'ripped up,'" the letter said, adding that Copson told the whistleblower that President Barack Obama had "f---ed everything up in my nuclear deal with the sanctions." A lawyer for ACU Strategies, where Copson is a managing director, said in a statement that "no member of ACU received any communication in any form from General Flynn during the presidential campaign, the presidential transition, the Inauguration, the period following the Inauguration when General Flynn served as national security adviser or subsequent to General Flynn's resignation." Giving Russia exactly what they wanted in exchange for absolutely nothing The revelations in the letter may shed new light on Flynn's conversations last December with the Russian ambassador at the time, Sergey Kislyak. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about those conversations in an interview one month later. On December 29, the day the Obama administration imposed new sanctions and expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the US in retaliation for Moscow's election meddling, Flynn called Kislyak and asked that Russia not escalate the situation, according to court documents filed by the special counsel Robert Mueller's office. In return, Flynn told Kislyak, the incoming administration would review the sanctions. Flynn had told the FBI that the issue of sanctions did not come up in his conversation. Mueller is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian officials. The Trump administration reportedly looked into lifting US sanctions on Russia just days after the president's inauguration. Tom Malinowski, a former State Department official, previously told Business Insider that if those efforts had been successful, it would have given the Russians "exactly what they wanted in exchange for absolutely nothing." He and Daniel Fried, who was the chief US coordinator for sanctions policy until he retired in late February, lobbied Congress to halt the development of the sanctions-lifting package after government officials began ringing "alarm bells about possible concessions being made" to Russia, Malinowski said. Fried told Yahoo News that US government officials called him in a panic after receiving the White House's request. He recalled them saying, "Please, my God, can't you stop this?" Nuclear ambitions Cummings has long been ringing the alarm about Flynn's involvement in the nuclear project. He sent a letter to Mueller in September accusing Flynn of failing to disclose a trip he took to Egypt and Israel in 2015 to pursue "a joint US-Russian, Saudi-financed program to build nuclear reactors in the Arab world." Gowdy did not sign onto that letter because he did "not want to interfere with the special counsel's investigation," an aide said at the time. Cummings said in the letter, which he wrote with the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, that "it appears that General Flynn violated federal law by omitting this trip and these foreign contacts from his security clearance renewal application in 2016 and concealing them from security clearance investigators who interviewed him as part of the background check process." Copson told the Democrats at the time that his company covered Flynn's travel expenses to Egypt and Israel. Flynn accepted the payment but did not disclose that on his initial security filings, Cummings' letter said. Flynn's attorneys, meanwhile, said they would respond to requests for more information about the trip only in response to "compulsory process," which would require the Republicans on the committee to sign off. The letter ended with a request for "all documents and communications referring or relating" to Flynn's contacts with foreign persons during the presidential campaign, the transition period, and his tenure as national security adviser, and after he resigned in February. The White House has yet to provide those documents. Thanks to the premium Facebook places on its employees' happiness, the tech giant has proven itself to be the gold standard for employers. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Facebook just topped Glassdoor's Employees' Choice Awards With a company rating of 4.6 out of 5, To find the companies with the most satisfied workers, Glassdoor scanned its massive database of company reviews and ratings from current and former employees. Reviews include employees' "Every morning when I go in, I feel like the luckiest guy on earth for ever landing a job here,"writes a Facebook data scientist in Menlo Park, California, on Glassdoor. "From its openness to its diversity, Facebook has truly surpassed all tech companies in terms of culture, perks, and employee lifestyle," a software engineer at Facebook in Menlo Park writes. Here's a breakdown of why Facebook was rated the best company to work for in America for its more than 20,000 employees: Employees say they feel valued and trusted "The most important thing is the people who work at Facebook," Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's Chief Operating Officer, told Glassdoor. "The best thing about working at Facebook is that we encourage people to bring their full selves to the work," she said. "We all believe in what we are doing and and we value our relationships with others. We're a strengths-based culture and are looking for people who are excellent at what they do best. If you've got the skills, we'll give you the shot." Employees report on Glassdoor that there is a lot of autonomy and trust at Facebook. Don Faul, a former Facebook executive,told The Wall Street Journalthat, compared to other tech companies that place more importance on "manager" titles and hierarchy, Facebook employees are often placed in roles that cater to their strengths and are encouraged to question and criticize their managers. And this kind of freedom is perhaps one of the best drivers for employee engagement. "You get zero credit for your title," he said. "It's all about the quality of the work, the power of your conviction, and the ability to influence people." Facebookers are driven by the company's mission Facebookers have responded well to the company's mission to "Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together" saying on Glassdoor that meaningful and challenging work that impacts billions of people is what attracted them to and keeps them at the company. "I love the people who I work with and impact I get to have with my work. I learn something new every day and grow every day from new challenges. I look forward to going to work every day. I can't imagine a better company to work for," one employee writes. "Our mission here at Facebook is to give people the power to build communities and to bring the world closer. This is something we live by in the workplace as well. No idea is a dumb one, and you are encouraged to make an impact," a site logistics analyst writes. The senior leadership at Facebook is transparent In keeping with the company's mission to build community, Facebook's leadership works hard to keep their employees connected. Every week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other senior leaders host a Q&A to update Facebookers and address questions and concerns. During these meetings, Zuckerberg routinely entrusts his employees with company secrets including news of not-yet-released products and company goals. And, for the most part, employees keep this trust. "It's an important part of Facebook's culture," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. "People ask thoughtful questions about why our company is going in certain directions, what I think about things happening in the world, and how we can continue improving our services for everyone. I learn a lot from these Q&As, and the questions people ask help us build better services." "That level of transparency is alarming when you see it at first," a former employee told Recode's Kurt Wagner. "But there's something [special] about knowing you're getting an unfettered response." Being surrounded by smart colleagues keeps Facebookers motivated Employees report on Glassdoor that they are are especially appreciative of working with smart and innovative colleagues. "I There are plenty of opportunities for advancement When it comes to moving up the ladder, Facebook employees report to Glassdoor that they have great opportunities for growth.Facebookers report that they are very satisfied with the career opportunities at Facebook. Facebook offers competitive compensation We know money isn't everything when it comes to job satisfaction but it certainly helps. In fact, while a higher salary won't necessarily boost your happiness,researchers from the University of British Columbia and Michigan State University foundthat people with higher incomes reported feeling less sad, something Facebook employees surely know well. According to data gathered by Glassdoor, a software engineer at Facebook makes about $126,780 per year, while, on the lower end of the spectrum, a software engineering intern at Facebook makes about $7,080 a month. Not to mention standout perks and benefits Facebook offers great perks including free food, a vibrant office environment, easy transportation to and from work, on-site health and dental centers, and laundry services. "Facebook tends to take simple life stressors away so that you can concentrate on what's important; bringing the world closer," a site logistics analyst writes. The company especially stands out in the parenthood department. Facebook is one of the first companies to offer coverage of up to $20,000 for egg-freezing, it provides $4,000 in "Baby Cash" to employees with a newborn, and its employees love that they can enjoy parenthood on their terms, giving the tech company's maternity and paternity leave policies an almost perfect scoreon Glassdoor. Current employees are particularly excited to report that Facebook makes its17 weeks-paid-leave policyavailable to women and men, whereas Google offers 18 weeks of paid maternity leave but between seven and 12 weeks of paternity leave. Facebook also offers a compelling case study for how companies can make parental-leave policies work. Even the company's CEO takes advantage of the parental leave policy. Overall, Facebookers report on Glassdoor beingextremely happy with their benefits. Rent and home prices in the Bay Area are so high that one Houston-based law firm is using an alternative to hiring expensive local talent: a private jet. Patterson and Sheridan, an intellectual-property law firm headquartered in Houston, bought a nine-seat plane to shuttle its patent lawyers to clients in the Bay Area once a month. Though the jet cost $3 million, the Houston Chronicle's L.M. Sixel reports, it's cheaper than hiring local lawyers, and even less expensive than relocating the Texas lawyers with business in Silicon Valley to the area. "The young people that we want to hire out there have high expectations that are hard to meet," Bruce Patterson, a partner at the firm, told The New York Times. "Rent is so high they can't even afford a car." According to Zillow, the median rent in San Francisco is $4,450, while the median home price is just under $1.2 million. Rent in San Jose, a suburb popular among Silicon Valley workers, while lower, is still more than double the median rent in Houston. Each flight for the firm costs about $1,900 a passenger adding up to $2,500 an hour in operating costs but since the lawyers are working in-flight, the three-to-four-hour ride is billable, the Chronicle described Todd Patterson, a managing partner, as saying. Plus, private flights protect any confidential work and save the firm's lawyers about 36 collective hours they would spend arriving early, waiting in security, and checking bags on a commercial flight. The firm says it's "still able to offer companies and inventors lower costs because most of the patent work is done in Houston, where commercial real estate is 43% cheaper, salaries 52% lower, and competition for technical talent far less fierce," according to Sixel, who rode on the jet last summer while reporting the story. "We fly it full," Patterson said. "It's not a luxury item." It's also "a selling point to recruit young lawyers" who want to work with top tech companies but can't afford Silicon Valley's cost of living, Sixel reported. The firm's frequent visits to California have also brought in new clients including Intuit, Western Digital, and Cavendish Kinetics. Perhaps some companies looking for talent in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley's neighbor to the south, could benefit from this strategy. A report from the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Business Council published earlier this year found that exorbitant housing costs in Los Angeles were inhibiting employers from attracting "high performers" or top talent to their companies. 2. Wall Street analysts at Nomura predicts Apple will launch a supersized 6.5 inch iPhone X next year, along with a successor to the iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen.These devices are expected to be similar to the current iPhone X, according to the analysts. 3. Amazon's application for a pharmaceutical wholesaler license in the US state of Maine has been cancelled. The cancellation occurred on December 1 and could have big implications for Amazon's potential ambitions in healthcare. 5. Apple is continuing to hire away designers and engineers from one of its most important suppliers, British chip firm Dialog Semiconductor. Dialog is currently fighting to persuade investors that its agreement with Apple is safe. 6. Bitcoin broke above $12,000 in a record high.Price moves have been less pronounced among the other major cryptocurrencies. 7. JD.com, one of China's biggest online retailers, is planning to build 185 drone airports in Southwest China in a bid to increase services to rural areas. JD.com hopes the new drone airports would allow agricultural products from Sichuan to be delivered anywhere in China within 24 hours, and cut certain costs by up to 70%. 8. Microsoft has begun a renovation of its 32-acre Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, California. The renovation project will focus on sustainability and improving employee access to outdoors spaces. Six women filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, The Weinstein Company, Miramax, and others, alleging that their coordinated efforts to cover up his sexual abuse amounted to racketeering. The suit, filed in a federal court in New York, alleges that Weinstein and multiple "complicit" individuals and companies conspired to lure women under the guise of career advancement so that Weinstein could sexually harass or assault them, then silence any accusations of wrongdoing. The women are seeking class-action status to represent the "dozens, if not hundreds" of women who say Weinstein harassed or assaulted them. The suit alleges that the defendants' actions constitute a violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations act. "This coalition of firms and individuals became part of the growing 'Weinstein Sexual Enterprise,' a RICO enterprise," the suit alleged. "The Weinstein Sexual Enterprise had many participants grew over time as the obfuscation of Weinstein's conduct became more difficult to conceal." The suit alleges that Weinstein and his co-conspirators lured victims to hotel rooms, office casting couches, or Weinstein's homes under the pretense of professional development opportunities. It goes on to allege that Weinstein would then pursue unwanted sexual conduct, including flashing, groping, fondling, harassing, battering, false imprisonment, sexual assault, attempted rape, and rape. The women said in the suit that Weinstein and his allies engaged in a pattern of "isolating and blacklisting" victims to cover up Weinstein's "predatory tactics." They added that the defendants' behavior harmed the victims' business and career prospects and reputations, and caused severe emotional and physical distress. Weinstein's victims "were aware of Weinstein's ability to make or break their careers, as well as to continue to inflict emotional distress," the suit said. "Moreover, Weinstein wielded and was outspoken about his power and ability to either launch their careers or ruin their personal and professional reputations forever." The Weinstein Sexual Enterprise The suit also names as defendants each member of The Weinstein Company's board of directors, including Weinstein's brother Robert Weinstein. The plaintiffs include the actresses Sarah Ann Thomas, Zoe Brock, Katherine Kendall, Nannette Klatt, Melissa Sagemiller, and the scriptwriter and actress Louisette Geiss. Most of the women publicly shared their allegations against Weinstein with news outlets in recent months. Allegations against Weinstein first came to light in several bombshell reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker, which documented multiple women's experiences with Weinstein going back decades. Dozens of women have now stepped forward in news outlets or on social media to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct to varying degrees. Most of the alleged encounters detail "business meetings" that occurred in Weinstein's hotel suites that turned into scenes of sexual harassment or assault. These accusations stretch back as far as the 1980s and include a variety of film industry figures, including actresses, assistants, and other employees. In the hours before sunrise, wildfire embers fueled by strong Santa Ana winds shot up into the air above traffic, creating a fiery hellscape that heated drivers' windows and temporarily shut down the interstate. Early Wednesday morning, both sides of the freeway had to be shut down, but the southbound 405 was later re-opened. Strong Santa Ana winds and unusually dry, hot weather are fueling the fires, which started Monday in Ventura County. The National Weather Service and local firefighters say conditions could worsen before things get better, since the windy days are expected to last until at least Saturday. A roughly 300-mile stretch of California, from the Mexican border up to Santa Maria, is on alert. The southern California fires come just two months after northern California was hit with its deadliest spate of wildfires on record. The governor has yet again declared a state of emergency as nearly 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate. Here's what people were sharing. After flames shot over cars, northbound lanes of the 405 freeway were shut down between the 101 and the 10 "for an unknown duration due to a brush fire," the California Highway Patrol tweeted. BOTH SIDES of the #405Freew... @ Lisa Remillard Freeway slopes near Beverly Hills were lighting up the sky in bright orange just before dawn. The Getty Museum in the nearby hilltops was shuttered, tweeting "air filtration systems are protecting the galleries from smoke." Not the typical morning com... @ A. Mutzabaugh CMT Twitter user Bethany Ellis posted a video, shouting "something is wrong!" and "I can feel the heat!" Source: Before the 405 was closed, people were tweeting out warnings about areas to avoid. Avoid the 405 freeway near ... @ Eric Smith-Gunn Schools in Santa Monica and Malibu were closed on Wednesday, and there's a mandatory evacuation in effect for Bel Air. From the carpool to the rig... @ ooysterr Strong Santa Ana winds are fueling the fire's spread. The conditions are expected to continue through "at least Saturday," according to Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service in San Diego. The #SkirballFire in Bel-Ai... @ Los Angeles Times Tardy said it's not unusual to have these powerful winds in December and January, but LA's very dry, warm fall made conditions ripe for ravenous fires. Vanity Fair correspondent Rebecca Keegan tweeted that her car windows were hot to the touch. The fires, which started in Ventura County on Monday, have already burned an area four times the size of Manhattan, CNN reports. Driving to LAX just as they... @ Rebecca Keegan Source: And the winds aren't letting up. Firefighters are expecting 80-mph gusts on Thursday. Cal Fire is urging people along a 300-mile stretch of land north of the Mexican border to pack emergency kits in case the fire spreads even more. Jacob Davis a Nevada tailor sent a letter to Levi Strauss in 1872. Davis had been purchasing fabric from Levi Strauss & Co. And using it to create riveted clothing for miners in the Reno area. The rivets held the pockets to the clothing. As miners were using them to carry nuggets, tools, and other items that were too heavy for just a seam, as the seams would rip under too much weight. As Nigerians, we all heard of the scary last months of the year, from September to December, where the Devil apparently works extra hard. The belief is that these months come with accidents, sorrow, terrifying incidents, increase in deaths and so on. It is important to note that experts say otherwise. They believe that the high rate of crime and accidents recorded during this period is because of all the celebrations during the end of the year. How do Christians react to these? Believers respond to these scary months by praying and fasting extra hard. Churches hold midnight prayers, urging their members to intensify their efforts. Christians are told to increase their prayers and fasting in order to combat the devilish activities that occur during this period. Coincidentally, the ember months and the eleven-hour miracles are in the same period. ALSO READ: 7 things Bible says about facing your fears Should this apply to Christians? As children of God, we should know better than to be afraid of a certain period. The Bible tells us that Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ( 1 Peter 5:8) From this verse, we can see the Devil is always up to no good, ember months or not. However, we should not be afraid because we know who we serve and who we are in Him. 1 John 4:4 says, You, little children, are from God and have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The University authority had initially instructed the candidates to who had been contacted by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB to report to the Multipurpose Hall A for screening. However, the protesting workers shut down the school gate and rendered the admission seekers stranded at the university entrance. The workers said they were protesting the disparity in the sharing formula of the N23bn recently released by the Federal Government meant to settle earned allowances and arrears. They said that the FG was treating them as unimportant elements in the nations education sector. ALSO READ: They, however, vowed not to return to work until the government address their grievances. UNILAG admission crisis Recall that the UNILAG 2017/2018 admission process has been fraught with irregularities as the university management has thought it wise to withdraw the first admission list to protect the integrity of the institution. The University authorities also expunged the names of those candidates found to have bribed their way into the list, pasted their names and vowed that the school will never admit them again, Let's look at it from this angle, for instance, the moment the news broke about the huge slave trade market in Libya which till date still shocks everyone, the outrage on social media and all over was massive. Everyone was talking about it, the message was clear that it was inhumane to carry out such acts even in modern times Now it didn't take long before a lot of celebrities started talking about, some were either tweeting about it or posting pictures on their Instagram pages. The moment the celebrities got involved it became a big deal because they actually made a big deal out of it. When veteran rapper, eLDeewent on a couple of rants about the issue on Twitter, he sure did get a lot of people reading and listening. ALSO READ:10 celebrities who have spoken against SARS Same goes for the most recent trending topic the #ENDSARS protest against a unit of the Nigeria Police Force which has gathered so much buzz and outrage too. Even though the topic was already trending, celebrities saw it as an opportunity to speak out about it. It sometimes feels like these guys just join in on the trends just to make it look like they actually care or this insinuation might be wrong. One of such admirers of Tinubu is Sofowora Oladapo, a journalist, who in this tribute, traced his humble beginning to the very peak of his career and his winning streaks in spite of many obstacles. Read the tribute here: 'If was to pen down an epistle on his most disturbing moment as the head honcho of Oando Oil and Gas, it would definitely be reached its crescendo months ago. The high flying up and downstream oil and gas firm was rocked with several petitions and alleged negative media campaign by two of its major shareholders, and Italian born of Ansbury Incorporated, over alleged mismanagement of funds by the board headed by the trained lawyer. The Security Exchange Commission [SEC], issued an order to the Nigeria Stock Exchange [NSE], to put every stock exchange activities of Oando on a halt to enable them to carry out a forensic audit of the alleged mismanagement of funds levelled on the management by its major shareholders. The NSE immediately placed an embargo on all stock activities while the sanction was also extended to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange [JSE]. However, the Lagos-born businessman understands the oil and gas business terrain, little wonder he is known as King of African Oil. Instead, he adopted the tactic of a Chinese military strategist, Taoist philosopher and General in the 6th century BCE, who said; 'The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting'. The oil mogul remained unperturbed. Instead, he faced his business squarely, not falling for the gimmick those detractors employed to bring him down. However, for his sterling leadership qualities, other shareholders stood by him and gave him their backing to keep the flag of the company flying high. He vowed to make the company remain flying high among its major contenders in Africa and that is exactly what he is doing! Under his watch, Oando broke impeccable records, to its investors after their Annual General Meeting [AGM] in Akwa Ibom State. Interestingly, it is often said that to succeed in the African oil and gas sector, you must have the heart of Hercules, the fearlessness of Achilles, the grace of Terpsichore, the memory of Macaulay, and the hide of a rhinoceros. Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Oando bounced back to it usual winning ways. Tinubus success story may not come as a surprise to those close to him because he has, over the years, shown evidence that he is well versed in the oil and gas business. #EndSARS which started as an outcry on Twitter from mostly young people snowballed into a movement involving Nigerian celebrities. Even former VP Abubakar Atiku reacted to the horror stories about SARSon Twitter. The agitation led the Inspector General of Police to call for a restructuring of SARS on Monday, December 4, 2017. It might take a while for the reforms to take place. We havent gotten to the promise land yet. Please if you find yourself in trouble with SARS, please know these ten things. ALSO READ: Yomi SARS, flashy police officer who is into music These facts have been made public by Legal Naija, a blog that aims to educate Nigerians on the legal rights, duties and obligations. Here are the ten things you should know; 1) Bail is free This is a fact. Its a shame that most Nigerians dont know this. If you have been arrested by the police do not be swindled into paying for your bail. 2) You are liable to remain silent if arrested If you are ever arrested by SARS or other police officers, please know you can choose to remain silent. This is backed up by the Nigerian constitution. 3) Lawyer During interrogation, your lawyer must be present. According to Section 6(2)(a) Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015); your legal counsel must be present when questioned by law enforcement officials. 4) Torture is illegal Forget what youve seen in the movies, the Nigerian police has no right to torture anyone including suspects. This also includes unlawful treatment. 5) Searching of phones It is illegal for any police officer to search your phone(s). SARS operatives are fond of going through phones. This is illegal and they dont have the right to do so. 6) Innocent till proven guilty This is a universal principle but somehow a few of our police officers do not know this. No one is guilty until a court of law delivers such a verdict. Till then, a suspect is innocent and should be treated as such. 7) Reason of arrest A policeman must state the reason why you are under arrest before putting you in the cuffs. 8) Compensation for unlawful arrest If you have ever been unlawfully arrested before, you have a right to be compensated by the authorities. This is according to Section 35(6) of the 1999 constitution. 9) Charged to court immediately A suspect is meant to be charged to court immediately. Staying days, weeks and months in jail is unlawful. 10) No can be arrested in lieu of another person This is a wrongful and normal practice by the police authorities. If they cannot arrest a suspect, the next step is to arrest someone close to the suspect. 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! From Zanzibar to Ghana and all the places in between, where will your Wanderlust finally take you in 2017? 1. Visit Ghana Journey to the countrys southern Ashanti region. Visit Elmina Castle, go canopy walking in Kakum National Park and try sailing to Nzulezo stilt village. Meet a whole host of artisans, cocoa farmers and fishermen. 2. Check out Namibia Go on a Wildlife and Culture Kaokoveld Safari. As well as rhino tracking at night, camping under the stars and likely encounters with desert elephants, lion, oryx and more, youll sit around campfires with local people. Visit members of the striking Himba tribe to learn how they live with their unique landscape and how sensitive tourism is helping them to survive. 3. Seychelles Sitting on the east coast of Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is a tropical paradise. Nigerians can visit Seychelles without obtaining a Visa as Visa's are given on arrival. Visit world heritage nature reserves, quaint island communities and breathtakingly beautiful beaches, including the magnificent Anse Source DArgent on La Dique, consistently rated as one of the best beaches in the world. Take a boat that comes fully equipped with kayaks and snorkelling equipment, allowing you to make the most of the Seychelles crystal clear waters. 4. Comoros Comoros is a living history of secluded beaches and magic. Named after the Arabic word for moon, Qamar, this poetically named little island is located between Madagascar and Mozambique. For a swim, the sheltered beaches around Trou du Prophete (Prophets Hole) cant be beaten. Legend has it that the Prophet Mohammed hid from marauding pirates behind the tall rocks in the bay. You could certainly hide there all afternoon: the light is exquisite and the water translucent. ALSO READ: 5 tips for those planning to travel by road this Christmas 5. Calabar, Nigeria Not in Nigeria? Why not explore one of Africa's largest carnival in Calabar. For those of you who are just joining the show, well then say hello to the top 6 contestants who have been able to survive the board room sessions with the judges and escape getting evicted, but how long will they stay in the show till the next person gets evicted? The man has been a mainstay in political reportage over the past two months for what most would consider to be the wrong reasons. His controversial streak hit a new high when he unveiled a bronze-cast statue of South African president, Jacob Zuma, in October, earning scorn home and abroad. When he announced the list of new commissioners to his cabinet on Monday, December 4, 2017, the governor made one bizarre appointment that's had Nigerians raising their eyebrows in bemusement. The governor appointed his sister, Ogechi Ololo, as the commissioner for a newly-created Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment. This one has had a lot of Nigerians scratching their heads as Mrs Ololo's roles have not been clearly defined by the state government. In the absence of any concrete outlining of the role of the Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment, here are a few suggestions on what we believe she should do to make Imo State the happiest place in the world. 1. Create bogus public holidays Despite the groans about the economic implications of excessive public holidays in the country, the average Nigerian enjoys the occasional work-free day. To make Imo residents happy, the Commissioner should find every avenue to create extra public holidays for whatever reasons she can make up. Here are a few helpful suggestions: I Want You to be Happy Day, Festival of Sleep Day, Sweetest Day, Abundant Electricity Day, Make Your Dreams Come True Day, Compliment Day, Statue Day, Say Something Nice Day, Holiday Day. 2. Make her brother pay workers' salary on time While Governor Okorocha enjoys the spectacle of giant Christmas trees and statues that cost quite a fortune, paying workers in the state isn't as prompt as it should be. A little bit of research has indicated that people can be extremely happy when they're paid wages that they've worked for at the appropriate time. So, in her new position as Commissioner for Happiness, the bar is so low that Mrs Ololo doesn't even have to do that much to make Imo residents happy; just make sure her brother pays salaries on time. 3. Distribute laughing gas to residents Nigeria is generally a hard place to live in, so maybe all of these would still not be enough to make Imo residents be the most cheerful people on earth. If all else fails, the commissioner should deploy laughing gas statewide so that everyone can wear a cheery face regardless of whatever rot they're going through. After all, Nigeria is the home of cosmetic fixes. The presidential jet touched down on the Aminu Kano international airport at about 10am local time. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, members of the State Executive Council, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, traditional rulers, politicians, among others, were on hand to receive the president in a State where hes manically adored. Working visit On the presidents itinerary in Kano are the commissioning of an ultra-modern Specialist Hospital, Giginyu, named after him; a Paediatric Hospital located on Zoo Road, Kano; and the underpass bridge at Madobi/Panshekara Junction. On his second day in Kano, Buhari will inspect the Kano State fertilizer blending plant, Fullmark Rice Mill Company at Kwanar Gunduwawa, and Gezawa Oil Mill, the largest oil mill in Africa at Tokarawa Industrial Estate both on Hadeja Road. ALSO READ: All the pictures as president visits Kano Premium Times reports that the president will meet with Ulamas and hold an interactive session with community leaders and politicians before returning to Abuja. Here are four notable things Buhari has said in Kano thus far: 1. Buhari says his administration has done tremendous work I know Kano people are aware of the tremendous job we've done on security and agriculture", the president said. 2. President reminds crowd that he was once arrested and jailed. After Buhari set free 500 inmatesat the Kurmawa Central Prison in Kano, he reminded the world that he was once in the prisoners' shoes. I was arrested and detained for years, the president said. 3. Buhari says youthful exuberance dictated his actions as military president. Buhari ran an iron-fisted junta as military president alongside his number two man, Tunde Idiagbon, back in the 80s. The administrations War Against Indiscipline (WAI) which whipped the recalcitrant into line, drove fear down many spines. I did so with a lot of youthful exuberance, Buhari said of that era in the nations history. 4. If elections are held today, Ill win I am overwhelmed by the sea of people I see, Buhari said of the mammoth crowd that thronged the streets to welcome him with feral chants of Sai Buhari. Kano handed the APC backed Muhammadu Buhari more than a million votes in the March 2015 presidential contest. It was a poll return that meant Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP wouldnt retain his crown. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 144 Nigerians voluntarily returned home aboard a chartered Buraq Airlines aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG. The aircraft landed at about 6.45pm at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. NAN reports that the Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, who represented the Wife of the President, Haija Aisha Buhari, was also present at the Hajj Camp area of the airport as the Nigerians returned. The South West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, who gave a break down of the returnees, said they were made up of 97 males, 39 females, two children and six infants. Addressing newsmen, Dabiri-Erewa, commended the IOM for facilitating the return of the Nigerians. She, however, noted that there was need to keep the tempo of awareness high in order to stop Nigerians from embarking on the perilous journey in search of greener pastures in Europe. One of the returnees, Mr Godsent Jatto, from Edo State, told NAN that he had a harrowing experience in Libya after being sold into slavery by fellow Nigerians. He said :I am so happy coming back to Nigeria. I will never dream in my life to pass through Kano to Libya again. Jatto said it was sad that some Nigerians also lured their fellow brothers to Libya only to get them into human trafficking. He said some were sold to the Arabs who will now start calling the Nigerians families in the village demanding for money for them to be released. According to him, traffickers usually lie to people back in Nigeria that their relatives have crossed to Europe whereas some of them have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. My advice to Nigerians that still want to embark on this journey is that they should not try it. Keep doing anything you are doing here because your country is your country, he said. Another returnee, Ms Caroline Ishola, an aspiring actress from Ekiti State, described her journey to Libya as a misadventure. Ishola said: My experience was bad. It is a very dangerous country. I was an actress before embarking on this journey and I paid the person who took me N400, 000 at first and paid more when I got to Libya. I was sold in Libya but thank God it was not into a connection house and at the end of the day the place was raided by the Police and we were arrested and that was how I got back. The fresh returnees came back days after a batch of 150 Nigerians voluntarily returned on Nov. 30 from the volatile North African country where they had been stranded enroute Europe. Before then, many had also been assisted back home in batches. Buhari, who made the remark when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, said the Federal Government was also committed to the fight against corruption. NAN reports that Buhari was on a two-day official visit to Kano state. According to him, Kano was the commercial hub of the northern Nigeria, adding that commercial activities in the state has been paralysed by the Boko Haram insurgency. Before the insurgency, dozens of articulated vehicles,from different states in the north trooped into Kano to buy goods. The activities of the insurgents have really paralyse the socio-economic activities of the state, he said. Buhari, however, said that with the steps taken of his administration towards decimating Boko Haram insurgency, the state would soon restore its commercial glory. Our administration is committed to pursuing the three-point agenda: the fight against corruption, insurgency and restoring the economy. Security is one of my top priorities. We cant measure the loss caused by Boko Haram to the northeast region and by extension to Kano State. But we are now on top of the situation. As you can witness that peace is being restored in the northeastern region and other areas in the north, he said. In his remarks, the Emir commended Buhari for the visit and assured him of the Emirates continuous support to his administration. Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), urged the committee to ensure that the late Ekwueme gets a befitting state burial. Mustapha, who is also the Chairman of the committee, said that it was open to new ideas, stressing however that the work plan to be used was in tandem with previous state burial committees. He described late Ekwueme (85) as an `all rounder who earned different levels of degrees in various fields; ranging from Architecture to Sociology, History, Philosophy and Law. Owing to the top public office he once held in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari thought it befitting to organise a state burial for him. This is also in keeping with the tradition in that regard as was done to the late Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, former Chief of General staff that died in 201. Same for the late Admiral Mike Akhigbe, former Chief of General staff who died in 2013. The only difference now is the absence of the Nigerian Navy in the burial committee. The Nigerian Navy had played prominent roles in the burial activities of former chiefs of general staff, who incidentally were both at different time, Chiefs of Naval Staff, he said. The SGF, however, said that the Nigeria Police would effectively play some of the roles that the Nigerian Navy had played previously. Mustapha pledged that the committee would work assiduously to ensure Ekwueme got a befitting state burial. ALSO READ:7 quotes by deceased Alex Ekwueme He said the late Ekwueme rendered valuable services and was a strong voice to ensuring unity and stability of Nigeria. Other members of the committee are: Dr Roy Ugo, Secretary of the committee, Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment. This is coming as Nigerians on social media have beencalling for the scrapping of the police team. Wike also said that the reported review of SARS is just aimed at shifting the focus of Nigerians from their atrocities. According to Tribune, he said this while hosting the Board of Editors of Sun Publishing Limited at the Government House in Rivers. He said SARS is being prepared for the rigging of elections in 2019. Time has come for people to resist these criminals in uniform because they cannot kill everyone. SARS has not helped in Rivers State. Rather, they perpetrate criminal activities. With the sustained activities of SARS, Nigeria is heading for disaster. Senate investigates SARS Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday, December 6, 2017, mandated its Ad Hoc Committee on Security to investigate allegations of human rights abuses against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on the Nigeria Police Force. Mrs Jonathan's accounts were unfrozen after an Abuja federal high court presided by Justice Binta Nyako ruled in her favour on the account of a suit filed by the anti-graft agency. Justice Nyako gave the order on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, six months after the accounts were frozen on May 30, 2017. Before now, the anti-graft agency was given 90 days to carry out its investigation on the said accounts but following the interim forfeiture of the accounts, Jonathan's counsel, Mike Ozekhome, filed an application for the accounts to be unfrozen stating that the 90days period had lapsed. EFCC lawyer, Richard Dauda, had in reaction to the application, prayed the court for an extension of the forfeiture order against funds in the 16 bank accounts. ALSO READ: Senate orders banks to unfreeze Patience Jonathans accounts Nyako, having heard both applications, ruled that the forfeiture order could not be extended and asked for the accounts to be unfrozen in favour of Ozekhome. Patience Jonathan's controversial bank accounts Here is a list of the banks accommodating the 16 bank accounts currently been battled for by the ex-First Lady in court. Skye Bank Plc - Five accounts Diamond Bank Plc - Seven accounts Union Bank Plc - one account First Bank Plc - one account Ecobank - one account The move was sequel to a Point-of-Order raised by Sen. Isa Misau (APC-Bauchi) during plenary. Misau said that under the Police Act and regulation, the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (Force CID) was the highest investigative arm of the Nigerian police. For effective and efficient administration, the department is divided into 14 sections for which the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is one of them. The squad is supposed to be a section in each state command, with sole responsibility of handling armed robbery cases and answerable to the commissioner for police. I have in the last few months received petitions from my constituency, both online and physically, against SARS on violence from extra-judicial killing, brutality, torture, arrest, bribery and other menacing conduct by the men of the unit. The lawmaker said that findings had shown that the incidents were not isolated as many people had been sharing their experienceson social media. We are a civilised society. The majority of the Nigerian Police is manned by men and women of great integrity, discipline and commitment. However, this unit is not one of them. It is dangerous for us to have a unit of the police force to act as if it is above the law and empowered to so behave, Misau said. He urged his colleagues to take a major decision to end SARS to make way for a more civilised unit that would be built around the rule of law and human rights observance. Im aware that in 2015, the then IG of Police, Solomon Arase, had due to incessant reports of abuses by the force, split SARS into two units with a view to check human rights abuses. This indeed was by ensuring that officers cannot make arrest and investigate the same case. Misau, however, said the abuses had continued irrespective of that. He said the Nigeria Police had a major obligation to ensure protection of human rights in all the states of the federation. It therefore ought to prevent and investigate corruption as well as misconduct by law enforcement officers and provide accountability for the exercise of their powers. I call on this chamber to mandate the ad hoc committee on security to investigate this issue of human rights abuses by SARS and make relevant recommendations. ALSO READ: Atiku backs scrapping of SARS The motion was seconded by Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi). In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said it was appropriate for the matter to be sent to the committee for consideration. It is clear that something wrong is going on and needs urgent attention. It is happening in all our constituents, and we must be seen to be responsive to some of these needs, Saraki said. Osinbajo made this known in few tweets after returning from his visit to Numan village in Adamawa to represent President Muhammadu Buhari. He wrote, "What our people want is to be led to progress. As leaders, our duty is to lead the people towards prosperity and development. "That is the kind of leadership we must provide. If we don't provide that, then we have lost our rights to be leaders." Osinbajo, who was received by the Adamawa state governor, Gov Bindow, the Lamido Adamawa & chiefs said President Buhari wants a first hand report of what happened in Numan and Mubi. The VP also highlighted that a permanent solution would be worked out as he condoles victims & adds that impunity would not be condoned anymore regarding this conflicts. ALSO READ: Over 30 Fulani women, children killed in attack by ethnic militia group He also said he listened to members of the communities narrate their experiences in Numan and Dong, Adamawa State, where citizens were killed in recent communal clashes. Ethic clashes claim 30 women in Numan village At least 30 women and children in Fulani communities were killed allegedly by a Bachama militia group in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Monday, November 20, 2017. He gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja when the Association of Former Chairmen, Councillors and Ward Leaders paid him a visit in Abuja. The APC national chairman further assured that Atikus exit from the party would not lead to massive defection from APC as being insinuated in some quarters in the country. Let nobody fear that the defection of the former Vice President is going to lead to any deluge. Dont ever be afraid that there is going to be any massive defection. "As a matter of fact, the contrary is the case, APC is growing in strength on a daily basis, he said. Odigie-Oyegun called on members of the association not to be deceived by; the screaming and opposition rhetoric, adding that everybody that mattered in the country, politically, was a member of APC. He maintained that there was no other party that was truly settled outside APC, adding that even the Peoples` Democratic Party (PDP) was not stable because it was still fighting to get a chairman. He further said that though the country might have its challenges, it was making steady progress and APC growing daily. Odigie-Oyegun, who thanked the association for the investiture, said the visit was at the right time, adding that the party had begun preparations for the 2019 elections. He stressed that as former chairman, councillors and ward leaders, members of the association still had influence in their constituencies that could never be over looked. You represent a group that will be easily available at the 774 local government areas and of course all the wards in the country, which is a major outreach for the APC. ALSO READ:Atiku Abubakar says APC is a dying party Odigie-Oyegun urged members of the association to position as key drivers of positive change in the country shun unwholesome practices and remain credible in their activities. The national chairman also urged them to remain faithful, not just to their inspiration, but also to the party`s leadership. He assured them of the light at the end of the tunnel, adding that the country had been traveling on the wrong direction before now. Odigie-Oyegun, however, said there was need for change of value, if Nigerians must experience true change and development in the country. If we get are values right that is the real fundamental change. Earlier, Mr Mike Omohimua, the Coordinator of the association, described the APC national chairman as a man of high intellect and political pedigree. He said the visit was to honour Odigie-Oyegun as National Life Grand Patron of the association. The choice of Odigie-Oyegun, as the national life grand patron and Chairman, board of trustees of our association is for us to tap from his wealth of experience, he said. Omohimua said the association had database of registered members across the 774 local government areas and 8,810 electoral wards in the country. He said the association was proposing a national project tagged: Operation Recover Nigeria in line with APCs ongoing effort to rebuild the country. The APC chairman had earlier said that Atikus exit will not affect the APC in any way. According to Vanguard, Frank said One should have expected our national chairman to focus on how to rebuild the APC now instead of concentrating his energy on Atiku Abubakar who is no more with us. I hope Chief Oyegun will learn from the history of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the PDP when some of us were leaving the party. The party later paid the price and if care is not taken APC too will pay the price of Oyeguns incompetency in 2019. Our national chairman ought to know that politics is a game of numbers, so we expect him to take responsibility for everyone leaving the ruling party to the opposition party under his watch. If Oyegun thinks that Atikus exit wont create any impact, time will tell but I will still advice the party to relieve Chief Oyegun of his office before he anger more people to leave the APC. Atiku actually left APC because of such national chairman who could not ensure internal democracy. Under Chief Oyegun, aspirants alleged that primary elections were won by higher bidders, party constitution suspended, display of impunity were the order of the day, inability to put BoT in place, lack of capacity to organise convention and other necessary meetings. So, Nigerians will expect our chairman to tell the world the value he has added to the ruling party? This is a national chairman who has never won election for APC even in his ward, how can he challenge a former vice president of Nigeria who has added values to democracy and even to the ruling party before he left. Oyegun made APC go broke Timi Frank had earlier alleged that the APC chairman, John Oyegun mismanaged the partys funds and caused it to go broke. He also warned that aggrieved APC governors and lawmakers will decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2019 general elections. Abubakar made the appeal during his first appearance at the partys National Secretariat, Abuja, with a crowd of supporters, three days after declaring his return to the party. Abubakar, who arrived at the secretariat at about noon, went to the office of the partys National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, before he was received at the National Executive Committee (NEC) hall. He addressed party leaders and members and restated that he had returned home like the PDP, and that no government had done 50 per cent of what PDP achieved in government. Let me pay tribute to past leadership of this great party; wherever they may be and to call on them to please return home as I have done. It is only by their returning home that we will build a stronger, more united party that can again return to government and continue to deliver the dividends of democracy, he said The former vice president disclosed that his return was to help continue with the reform and re-branding of the party which the national caretaker committee had started. We should remember that those of us, who founded this party, founded it on the principles of democracy, good governance, unity of this country and prosperity of its people. Over the years, like any or every human organisation, it has faced its challenges but I want to pay tribute to those who have stayed steadfast through thick and thin to see us through to this point. Now that we have learnt our lessons, I hope that we will be guided by the lessons we have learnt. And, that is to make sure that we build an all-inclusive party, where every part of this country will have a sense of belonging and sense of participation. To achieve all these, there must be sacrifices, understanding and compromises in the process, and that is what I speak to members to imbibe. He said that one thing he would never compromise was the internal democracy process in a political party. Welcoming Abubakar back to the PDP, Makarfi said he had returned in good time, adding that PDP would continue to consult with him. He urged him to continue to contribute in reinventing and remodeling of the party so that it could reclaim Aso Rock in 2019. We are not just targeting Aso Rock, we are targeting the federal legislature, the states, both executive and legislature. We are targeting the local governments. We want to sweep elections all across the party. As a united party we have the capacity and we have the ability to do so. Makarfi added that the return of Abubakar had opened the flood gates and we expect many more high profile returnees and new entrants into the PDP. So, PDP must be prepared for this, and be ready to reconcile and reiterate in such a way and manner that everybody will be treated and given a level-playing field to purse his or her personal aspiration. The meeting started at 11am, as usual, at the Council Chambers and was attended by the president's Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Eyo-Ita and cabinet ministers excluding Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau. He said this while speaking to members of the Abia state chapter of the PDP The AIT chairman also added that the Nigerians are weeping because APC has destroyed the fabric of the nations unity and growth. According to Vanguard, he said Any mistake we make in 2019 not to take PDP back to power will be a total disaster. We have to collectively come together to solve the problems of our party. PDP Governor are performing Dokpesi also said that PDP Governors are performing better than their APC counterparts. He said the summit meeting would take place on December 13. There was no immediate confirmation from Muslim leaders if they would come. Turkey currently holds the chairmanship of the OIC. The recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -- expected to be announced by President Donald Trump later Wednesday -- would be a "grave mistake" against international agreements, Kalin warned. "Jerusalem is our honour, Jerusalem is our common cause, Jerusalem is our red line," he added, urging the Trump administration to "return from this grave mistake immediately". Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the expected US move risked igniting a "fire" in the Middle East and will prove a "great disaster". The recognition will "throw the region and the world into a fire and it's not known when it will end", Bozdag, also government spokesman, wrote on Twitter. Bozdag said such a step which showed "great intolerance and mindlessness" would "destroy the peace process". 'Chaos and instability' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Brussels ahead of meeting US counterpart Rex Tillerson that the move is a "mistake" that "will not bring stability and peace but rather chaos and instability." Asked whether he would bring the issue up with Tillerson, the minister said: "I have already told him and I will tell him again." Erdogan had warned Tuesday that the status of Jerusalem is a "red line" for Muslims and could even prompt Turkey to cut ties with Israel. The Turkish leader -- who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause -- is due to hold talks later in Ankara with Jordanian King Abdullah II who is also a strong opponent of the move. Last year, Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's deadly storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties. The two sides have since stepped up cooperation in particular in energy but Erdogan is still often bitterly critical of Israeli policy. He also agreed to attend a special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on December 13, which Erdogan called to discuss the issue. Rouhani had earlier been speaking at an international conference in Tehran promoting Islamic unity and marking the anniversary of the birth of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. Iran "will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities," he said in reference to Trump's Jerusalem announcement. "Muslims must stand united against this major plot." Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke at the event, saying the US move was the result of "paralysis and incompetence". "The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated," Khamenei said. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinian cause has been central to its foreign policy. The issue has again come to the fore in recent weeks amid rumours that regional rival Saudi Arabia has sought to build ties with Israel in order to better face down Iran's growing influence. Iran was dedicated to building unity among Islamic countries, Khamenei said, but "unfortunately there are rulers and elites in this region that dance to the tune of the US: they do whatever the US desires against Islam." His official Twitter account in English, which exists despite the messaging service being banned in Iran, later added: "We advise them: the outcome of what some states, in region, are doing will be as Quran says, 'their own destruction'". The Iranian account of Rouhani's conversation with Erdogan quoted the Turkish president as saying: "Trump's insolence is a result of internal differences in the Islamic world". "Both leaders are responsible for the deaths of many innocent Afghans, and their removal will both disrupt the terrorist operations of their respective organisations and improve overall security of the country," the US command said in a statement. According to Afghan intelligence services, and a spokesman for US forces in Kabul, "Omar Khetab, number two in the al-Qaeda network for the Indian subcontinent" was killed on Monday. "He was directly involved in fighting against the Afghan government and foreign troops and had a role in advising in the use of heavy weapons such as rockets, mortars and training for Taliban night attacks," the US command's statement added. "This operation is a testament to the real growth the Afghan forces have achieved over the past year," said General John Nicholson, commander of US forces and Operation Resolute Support NATO, quoted in the statement. The US also announced the death of the leader of the "Red Unit" -- the Taliban's "special forces" in Helmand, a southern province where insurgents control ten of its 14 districts. "Mullah Shah Wali, aka Haji Nasir, commander of the Red Unit in Helmand, was killed on 1 December by a strike, with one of his deputies and three of his men". According to the spokesman, "Wali and his 'Red Unit' are responsible for planning numerous suicide bombings, IED attacks, and coordinated assaults against civilians, Afghan and coalition forces." The statement noted: "The Taliban in Helmand province are responsible for poppy cultivation and opium trade that funds their activities." At the end of November, the Americans began a series of raids against heroin laboratories in Helmand. US Forces began identifying drug labs to hit after President Donald Trump's strategy announcement in August made it easier for American air power to proactively target the Taliban and its sources of revenue and infrastructure. They join the estimated 12.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs) living in African countries at the end of 2016. That number does not include those who have fled across borders to seek refuge, with UN figures showing there were more than 5.6 million refugees in Africa by end of last year. Internal displacement has soared in a number of countries where conflicts have worsened, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and South Sudan Wednesday's report showed. Nearly one million people were displaced inside DR Congo in the first half of the year -- more than the total for 2016. And more than 200,000 people fled their homes in Central African Republic -- four times as many as a year earlier. "Behind the numbers lie the blighted lives of people forced to leave their homes, often at a moment's notice and in the most traumatic of circumstances," said the two organisations. 'A worsening situation' People who flee inside their own country often receive "little protection and assistance from their governments," it said. And in poor countries and places with weak governance, most IDPs "live in conditions of extreme vulnerability, and are often at risk of further upheaval and long-term impoverishment." The report said conflict and violence spurred 75 percent of all new displacement across Africa, up from 70 percent in the same period a year earlier. "This dire and clearly worsening situation demands a new approach that goes beyond humanitarian action to address the causes and long-term implications of internal displacement," IDMC chief Alexandra Bilak said in the statement. Reversing this trend would require "early action on conflict prevention and peace-building, and overall economic and political development," she said. And reducing risk could also help slash the number of people displaced by natural disasters. The bill would have to clear the US Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump in order to become law. But it highlights the outrage in Congress towards the Palestinian Authority's continued use of payments to convicted attackers' relatives, and to the attackers themselves while they are in prison. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has called for an end to the payments, which total several million dollars annually. Republican and Democratic US lawmakers alike have warned that the payments incentivize violence and serve as a sticking point in the Middle East peace process. "The Palestinian Authority should be forced to choose between its despicable practice of paying terrorists' salaries and receiving foreign aid funded by the American taxpayer," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement after the vote. The Taylor Force Act is named after a US military veteran and graduate student, age 28, who was killed in a 2016 attack while he was visiting Israel. The attacker, a Palestinian, was killed by police. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce called the Palestinian policy a "perverse pay-to-slay system." "The Palestinian Authority gives salaries to Palestinians who attack innocent people like Taylor. If the attacker dies, their family is compensated," he said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in June that the Palestinians were preparing to end the payments, but they remain in place. The House vote came at a crucial juncture. Trump told Arab leaders on Tuesday that he will likely order a move of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The announcement could come as early as Wednesday, when Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech on the issue. Such a move could trigger widespread protests and unrest, and imperil the president's efforts at crafting a viable Middle East peace plan. The accusations are punishable by up to four years in prison. In the complaint shared by Aydin on Twitter, the lawyer quoted extracts from a speech by Kilicdaroglu in which he said Erdogan had not left Turkey "in peace". "If you are searching for a traitor to the people, that person at the top is sitting in the palace," Kilicdaroglu said in the speech in Ankara. The CHP chief accused Erdogan of "ignoring corruption" and said he would be brought to account for his mistakes, remarks which were also quoted by Aydin in his complaint. He said that Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) had in April 2013 warned Erdogan that Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab was breaking US law and this could damage Turkey. Zarrab, once close to the government and Erdogan, is now testifying as a star witness in a potentially explosive New York trial against a Turkish banker. Zarrab implicated the president in a scheme to subvert US sanctions against Iran. Thousands prosecuted The complaint against Kilicdaroglu comes after Erdogan last month sued him over claims that members of the president's family, including his brother, transferred around $15 million to Bellway Limited, based in the low-tax British Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man. Waving documents in parliament, Kilicdaroglu said he had evidence of alleged transfers made by five individuals including Erdogan's son, Ahmet Burak Erdogan, between 2011 and 2012 to the company. But Erdogan was quick to denounce the allegations as "lies" and has repeatedly railed against the CHP as no longer the main opposition but "the party of treason". The same prosecutor launched a probe into Kilicdaroglu for insulting Erdogan after he called him a "fascist dictator" in October. A similar investigation came about in 2016 against Kilicdaroglu after he repeatedly called Erdogan a "tinpot dictator". Thousands of Turks have been prosecuted in recent years for allegedly insulting Erdogan but most of the complaints have not seen people jailed. But the former oilman was working with one eye looking back over his shoulder to Washington, after leaked reports last week from Trump's White House suggested his own job was on the line. European leaders were already frustrated that Trump has undermined the hard-fought Iran nuclear deal, which they see as key to preventing a Middle East arms race. Now they are concerned that Trump is considering declaring Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, a move that would provoke Arab protest and undermine hopes of a revived peace process. Tillerson put a brave face on the criticism in his first meeting of the day -- one with his own US staff from the Brussels missions to the EU, NATO and Belgium. He promised "quick wins" from his efforts to streamline State Department decision-making and cut costs, but acknowledged that diplomatic successes have been slow in coming. "The State Department is not missing a beat," he said, lavishing praise on the "acting" officials running the department as he struggles to recruit new leadership. "While we don't have any wins on the board yet, I can tell you we're in a much better position to advance America's interests around the world than we were 10 months ago." But after he left the US mission and arrived at the EU and then the NATO headquarters for talks with his counterparts, he faced a sterner reception. Appearing with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini after talks, Tillerson made only a brief statement and refused to acknowledge questions. Mogherini, meanwhile, made Europe's position clear. Jerusalem, she said, should be the "future capital" to two Israeli and Palestinian states and its status must be decided by peace negotiations between the parties. "We believe that any action that would undermine this effort must absolutely be avoided," she said. 'Very frank discussion' And she was just as firm on Trump's hopes of reopening the Iran nuclear deal to include measures to contain Tehran's other provocative activities in the Middle East. Europe's willingness to discuss measures against Iran's missile program and support for militia groups relies on Washington's "continued implementation of the nuclear deal", she said. After what she called a "very frank discussion" with Tillerson, Mogherini indicated she felt the EU was getting through to the Americans on the deal. "I think that today we're in a better place when it comes to the commitments to stay compliant with the agreement and work together to keep Iran compliant with the agreement," she told reporters after talks at NATO. Asked whether the meeting had been frosty, senior Tillerson aide RC Hammond told reporters: "Allies have been very frank in sharing some of their views. Dialogues only work if they go two ways." Tillerson has other issues to discuss with the allies, in particular the US desire to see them do more to force North Korea to negotiate an end to its nuclear arms build-up. US officials are full of praise for Europe's support for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang, but want Europe to step up efforts to get China to rein in its neighbour. Tillerson will also press the allies on Trump's main issue with NATO: Washington wants member states to pay for more of the burden of mutual defence themselves. The US is also frustrated by the slow pace of Brexit talks, as it wants London and Brussels to finalise their own trade arrangements before trans-Atlantic talks can advance. And Tillerson wants to rally the allies against Russia's intervention in Ukraine, pushing them to maintain sanctions and to reconsider European pipeline deals with Moscow. Ally or 'competitor'? But the diplomat's efforts on all these fronts are hampered by deep European distrust of his unpredictable boss. Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking in Berlin before setting off for Brussels, painted a picture of a widening rift in the formerly solid alliance. Gabriel said Trump's administration had taken an "extraordinary distance" from its traditionally close relationship with Europe, which it now increasingly views as a "competitor or economic rival" rather than an ally. On Wednesday, Trump overturned decades of US policy by announcing that Washington recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and setting in motion plans to move the embassy there from Tel Aviv. Here is a look at some of the hot button issues in the Middle East and the new course being steered by Trump: Israel and the Palestinians Trump has instituted a policy of unwavering support for Israel after a period of strained relations between Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The last days of the Obama administration included an extraordinary US refusal at the United Nations to block a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction. Netanyahu welcomed Trump's November 2016 election saying he was a "true friend of the State of Israel." Since then, Trump has appointed a US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, known for his support for settlement activity, and ordered the withdrawal of US support for UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias. Trump has tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a senior adviser, with relaunching moribund peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. But he has been lukewarm about a Palestinian state and angered Palestinian leaders earlier this year with a threat -- since withdrawn -- to close the Palestine Liberation Organization mission in Washington. Iran Trump considers Iran to be the principal threat to US interests in the Middle East and has frequently condemned the Islamic Republic for what he sees as its "destabilizing" influence in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Trump has been a relentless critic of the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 and has repeatedly threatened to scrap the agreement intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The president's tough stance on Iran has earned praise from Netanyahu and from Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic's chief regional rival. Saudi Arabia, Egypt Trump has strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia and his first official visit abroad as president was to the oil-rich monarchy, where he was received with pomp and circumstance. Trump threw his support behind the anti-corruption crackdown launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi actions against Qatar, which Riyadh accuses of cooperating with Tehran. Relations with another Middle East powerhouse -- Egypt -- have also entered a new era under Trump. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was persona non grata under Obama and the United States cut off some military aid because of the bloody crackdown on supporters of the former president. But Trump welcomed Sisi to the White House in April and proclaimed his "strong backing" for the Egyptian leader. Syria Trump frequently accused Obama of failing to stand up to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and in April he ordered the first US military strike on Syrian troops since the civil war began in that country. Dozens of US missiles were fired at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on a rebel town which left 87 people dead. The United States has deployed some 2,000 troops in Syria and the Pentagon said Tuesday that they will stay "as long as we need" to prevent a return of the Islamic State group. However, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders rejected reports of a subpoena for Trump-related financial records as "completely false," as did Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow. "We have confirmed that the news reports that the special counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the president are false," Sekulow said in a statement. "No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources." Bloomberg News and Handelsblatt reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed the German lender to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family. Handelsblatt reported that the subpoena arrived "a few weeks ago," and that the most important files relevant to the request have already been sent to Mueller's team. Investigators were looking for "information about specific financial and credit transactions with the Trump family," Handelsblatt reported. After the White House denial, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, reiterated to AFP that Deutsche Bank had received the request several weeks ago. A spokeswoman for the German bank declined to comment on the reports when contacted by AFP, saying only that "Deutsche Bank takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations into this matter." Trump has a history of dealings with Deutsche Bank during his career as a New York property mogul, and his businesses owed it around $300 million in July 2016, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The president's wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are all customers of Deutsche Bank's wealth management arm, according to Handelsblatt. The news came days after Mueller unveiled his fourth indictment in the sprawling Russia probe, which is examining possible collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and what US intelligence believes was an effort by Moscow to tilt the election in his favor. One key indictment has been of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was accused of laundering $75 million in relation to work he did for the former Moscow-backed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. On Friday Mueller charged Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn with lying to investigators about his contacts with Russian officials. Strive For Unity So We Can Thrive Once the dust settles (in our minds at least) after the Midterm Election, with some new people in office, a few being members of different... Letters To The Editor Lessons From Ukraine To The Editor: After occupying the Crimea in 2014 without any pushback by world powers, Russian President Putin decided to invade Ukraine... ACTN comprises Alstom, Compagnie Internationale de Maintenance (CIM), and the NGE Group including its TSO track subsidiary. The consortium will complete the construction of the new line, lay the track, electrify it using Alstom catenary-free APS system, and build a workshop and yard. This is the second time that Alstom has been involved in the project, as it was the leader of the GME Cita consortium including CIM, Ineo, and TSO, which was awarded a $US 142.6m contract in June 2013 to supply an integrated light rail system. Alstom completed the first of 14 33m-long Citadis LRVs for Cuenca in 2015. However, the project came to a halt when the contract with the Cuatro Rios de Cuenca Consortium (CCRC), which was also involved in the project, was terminated unilaterally by the Mayors Office of Cuenca for non-compliance. We are aware that the errors with which the project started led to a series of difficulties and paralysis that led to the unilateral termination of the contract, mayor Mr Marcelo Cabrera said on September 18. The mayor said that the new contract will correct the biggest mistake the project had since the beginning, which was the division of activities between two contractors, which required coordination between the CCRC Consortium and Cita. The coordinator of municipal companies, Mr Santiago Lopez, says that to make the selection process for a new contractor transparent and to guarantee the participation of a company qualified for this type of work, a call for expressions of interest was made. Out of 10 companies which expressed an interest, only the ACTN consortium and China Railway No 9 submitted bids. ACTNs original bid was for $US 60m while the Chinese company bid $US 33m. The first review of the offers was presented on August 14 with revised bids of $US 49m for ACTN and $US 41m for China Railway No 9. On September 8, after a second review of the offers, ACTN submitted a revised final bid of $US 43.9m and China Railway No 9 $US 40.5m. The mayor of Cuenca says that the process was thorough and resulted in a reduction of appropriately $US 16m from the initial proposal by the ACTN consortium. For 54 weeks beginning in 2003, Roger Nober was the lone member of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), tormented that if he discussed cases with himself he would violate the Government in Sunshine Act, which prohibits a quorum from discussing anything of substance outside a properly noticed public meeting. Nobers legal counsel concluded the law permitted a body of one to decide cases. Nonetheless, those decisions bind parties for decades, and surely corrupt the spirit of the law and the purpose of a multi-member independent regulatory agency. It may be deja vu again. Although the 2015 Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act increased the number of STB voting members from three to five, the two new seats have yet to be filled. In September, STB Chairman Dan Elliott, a Democrat, resigned, creating a vacancy; and the term of Democrat Deb Miller expires Dec. 31. While the statute permits her to remain for a holdover year while awaiting her own or anothers White House renomination and Senate reconfirmation, there are indications she may depart ahead of new members being Senate confirmed. That would leave the STB in the same position as in 2003this time with Republican Ann Begeman the lone voting member. Perhaps President Obama, expecting a Hillary Clinton victory in 2016, permitted the two new seats created in 2015 to remain vacant for Clinton to fill. While President Trumps attention may be diverted by events domestic, international and personal, the identification and selection of qualified nominees is a task for the Senate leadership and White House advisers. The reason may well be that in official Washington, STB name recognition ranks even below that of the Jamaican National Bobsleigh Team. Yet to paraphrase Daniel Websters celebrated Supreme Court oration, It is a small agency, but there are those of us who love itand surely that includes the detachment of commerce attorneys covetous of the interminable fee-churning case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce found on the pages of Charles Dickens Bleak House. Thomas Jeffersons notion that merchants will manage the commerce the better the more they are left free to manage for themselves, has few fellow travelers among commerce attorneys and their shipper clients lacking effective transportation alternatives. They are beseeching the White House and Senate Commerce Committee to get-on with the task of filling the STBs vacant seats. Here is what CAN happen: As Republicans control the Executive Branch, the now five-member authorized STB is entitled to a three-person Republican majority. As Republican Begemans term does not expire until Dec. 31, 2020, two other Republicans can claim STB seats. As Democrat Miller may remain into her 2018 holdover year, one other Democrat can now claim an STB seat. Miller also could be changed out for a second Democrat. It has been evident that Miller is frustrated with the Boards inattention to policy issues, such as a congressional directive to pursue alternatives and improvements to the problematic stand-alone cost (SAC) test that determines the reasonableness of shipper-challenged rail rates. Also lying dormant within the STB are efforts to redefine the tools and methods for determining railroad revenue adequacy, plus the standards and procedures for determining rate reasonableness when railroads achieve revenue adequacy, and whether shippers lacking effective transportation alternatives to a single railroad should be permitted access to a competing railroad within a to-be-defined distance (competitive switching, alternatively called forced access by railroads). Miller hints she would seek a second term only if convinced that still-to-be named nominees reflect a commitment to engage on policy rather than barely nibbling around the edges. Actually, the choice to remain may not be Millers. As railroads are content with the status quo, they have the means, motive and opportunity to lobby for a preferred Democratic successor. STB observers also should take heed that in Washingtons currently toxic political environment, with Republicans controlling the Executive and Legislative Branches, there could result an STB of just three Republicanspossible and lawful, but improbable. There is chatter among insiders of at least one Republican nomination before months end, with the expectation the Senate Commerce Committee would delay a confirmation hearing pending a Democratic nomination early in 2018. Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) is not one to pick a political fight unnecessarily. Successful passage of this initiated 2015 Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act required and received bipartisan support. Moreover, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has the ability to place a hold on nominees from receiving a Senate floor confirmation voteno matter the recommendation of a Senate committeeas Schumer has done with Ron Batorys nomination to the Federal Railroad Administration. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) possesses what is called the nuclear optiona parliamentary means to unblock a blocked nomination, which McConnell used to confirm Derek Kan as Undersecretary of Transportation for Policyhe has not used it to unblock Batory, and is seen as unlikely to use it for an STB nominee. Of course, there is the ability of President Trump to make a constitutionally permitted recess appointment, presumably of a Republican to the STBand even of Batory to the FRA. Such a decision by the President presumably would not be stymied by McConnell. This is something to consider when the Senate goes into its year-end recess later this month. So, who is waiting in the wings for an STB nomination? The list of those reportedly under consideration is approaching the population of Tuna, Texasand never be surprised that an unidentified probable is reading this list, gleeful they have managed a stealth profile, so far. THE REPUBLICANS PATRICK FUCHS, age 30, rouses constant chatter among railroad and shipper lobbyistsas much over expectations he will be nominated to the STB as his Senate Commerce Committee staff work under Sen. Thunes tutelage Fuchs was a co-author of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act; the rail title of the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which included language pertaining to Amtrak, federal loan programs and rail safety; and legislation affecting Positive Train Control and hazmat safety. Fuchs has demonstrated a technical interest in policy issues before the STB, such as alternatives to the long-maligned SAC test, and data quality of the Uniform Rail Costing System (URCS) and the STBs waybill sample. He has held positions in the Executive Branch Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education, and was a Presidential Management Fellow with the State Department. He is active with the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, for which he has written research papers. If nominated and confirmed, Fuchs would be the second youngest member of the 130-year old STB and its Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) predecessor. Heather Gradison was 29 when confirmed and named chairman by President Reagan in 1982. William Clyburn was 32 when given a recess appointment to the STB by President Clinton in 1998. Fuchs earned from the University of Wisconsin an undergraduate degree in economics and political science, and a masters in public policy with an emphasis on quantitative analysis. KEITH HARTWELL, age 68, is chairman emeritus and a founder in 1972 of the government affairs consultancy Chambers, Conlon and Hartwell, which specializes in regional and short line railroad creation, development and finance. On behalf of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, he organized the first Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, and led initial legislative efforts to obtain for short line railroads an investment tax credit whose periodic reauthorizations have had record numbers of co-sponsors. Hartwells recurring message to lawmakers is that short line railroads are small businesses that work in the real world. He is a self-described specialist in the writing and processing of transportation grant and loan applications funded by the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program, created by Congress in 1976 as a self-perpetuating source of loans for capital improvements and acquisitions. Hartwell is steeped in the economics and mechanics of rail mergers, having advised Canadian National Railway during its acquisition of Illinois Central, and Norfolk Southern during its joint acquisition with CSX of Conrail. Early in his career, Hartwell was a legislative staff director for the Michigan State Senate and an administrative assistant to the late U.S. House member Marvin L. Esch (R-Mich.). He earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Michigan. MARK L. BURTON, age 58, is a career academic heavily focused on research into railroad economic issues. Since 2004, he has been director of transportation economics at the University of Tennessees Center for Transportation Research, and an associate professor of economics. Burton was a consultant to the Ohio Attorney General on the competitive effects of the CSX-Norfolk Southern acquisition of Conrail; to the Association of American Railroads and Norfolk Southern on theoretical and applied economics; and was employed in the Burlington Northern Railroad Law Department during the early and mid-1980s prior to pursuing doctoral studies in economics. His published research has included analysis of railroad deregulation, capital investment, tax policy, network pricing, intermodal efficiency, public-private partnerships, and methods of revenue adequacy determination. Burton is a member of the Rail Freight Transportation Committee and the Agricultural Transportation Committee of the National Academies of Sciences Transportation Research Board. His presentations at an annual Georgetown University transportation seminar have been attended by members of the STB and its Office of Economics. Burton earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Missouri, and a Ph.D in economics from the University of Tennessee. His doctoral dissertation in 1991 focused on the interaction of railroad economic deregulation and rail rates. DANIEL (DAN) GURLEY, age 53, has long been involved in Republican politics in his native North Carolina as a state field director, political director and executive director, and was chief of staff to the late Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-N.C.). Gurley later was deputy political director and national field director for the Republican National Committee. He currently serves on the board of the North Carolina State Ports Authority. Gurley has long held an interest in railroad policy and safety, and since 2007 has served as regional director for GoRail, which advocates a variety of pro-rail freight and passenger policies. He was employed as director of industry relations by the Association of American Railroads information technology subsidiary, Railinc, based in Cary, N.C. In that capacity, Gurley provided training to CSX, Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific and short lines in the use of Railinc products. He later was a founding partner of a government affairs consultancy in Raleigh, which includes a transportation practice. Gurley earned undergraduate degrees in political science and public relations from Appalachian State University. THE DEMOCRATS MARTIN J. (MARTY) OBERMAN, age 72, is an attorney, former Chicago alderman and former board chairman of Chicago Metra. Metra operates seven commuter routes (through its subsidiary, Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corp.) and contracts with BNSF and Union Pacific for operation of four othersservice that, combined, serves 241 stations in Chicagoland and carries the fourth largest commuter ridership in the nation. Oberman was first named to the Metra board, whose members represent Chicago and surrounding counties, in 2013 by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Following a financial scandal involving Metra full-time officers, Oberman was elevated by fellow board members to chairman in early 2014, with a mandate to guide the repair of Metras reputation and improve transparency, which the Chicago Tribune said he accomplished. He voluntarily stepped down in mid-2017 with accolades for his consensus building skills. Earlier in his career, as general counsel to the Illinois Racing Board, Oberman won acclaim for successfully investigating and prosecuting corruption. Upon his retirement, the Metra board cited his long career as a leader of the reform effort in politics. Oberman practiced law with a firm later merged into Sidley & Austin; the latter with a significant railroad practice, but Oberman never represented railroad clients. He later opened his own private practice. Oberman was a U.S. House of Representatives Page at age 13, attended military school, earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Yale, and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1969. MARGARET REAMY ANCARROW, age 66, was an attorney adviser and chief counsel to former STB Chairman and Democrat Dan Elliott from November 2009 to February 2014. Elliott recruited her from outside the STB. She had extensive experience in legal matters involving energy, environmental, transportation and postal issues. She had wanted to work in the federal government. The Journal of Commerce reported in 2009 that prior to being hired by Elliott, Ancarrow participated in administrative trials, hearings and rulemakings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Interstate Commerce Commission, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies. Earlier in her career, she was special assistant to the Department of Energys general counsel. After departing the STB in late 2014, Ancarrow returned to private practice, focusing, she says, on transportation matters related to the Surface Transportation Board and Department of Transportation. She was renting office space from a law firm that represents self-described captive shippers, but vacated that rented space shortly before Elliott resigned from the STB in September, then creating a Democratic-seat vacancy at the STB. Ancarrow earned an undergraduate degree in political science and government, and a law degree, both from the University of Virginia. DAVID MATSUDA, age 45, is a familiar name in Washington and among those focused on transportation policy and regulation. For four years beginning in 1998, he was a Federal Railroad Administration attorney engaged in writing and enforcing safety regulations. He later was a Senate Commerce Committee staff member, and from 2004-2009 was senior counsel and primary transportation adviser to the late five-term Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), best known for his passenger rail advocacy. Beginning in 2009, Matsuda was acting assistant secretary for transportation policy at the DOT; deputy maritime administrator; and from 2010-2014, administrator of the Maritime Administration. Matsuda earned an undergraduate degree in engineering from Harvey Mudd College, and a law degree from the University of San Diego. Recently, he has operated a consultancy in Washington, D.C. Politico magazine reported that the ringtone of his cellphone is a train horn. CLYDE J. HART JR., age 71, spent most of his career immersed in rail regulatory and legislative issues. Following private law practice specializing in antitrust and transportation issues, Hart was a trial attorney and senior counsel for STB predecessor Interstate Commerce Commission. In 1994, he was recruited by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.) as the committees senior Democratic counsel, where he helped to draft the 1995 Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act that created the STB and its revised mission to focus almost exclusively on rail economic regulation. Hart subsequently was Senate-confirmed as Maritime Administrator, with a mandate to promote seamless integration of waterborne transportation with other modes; and then was Senate-confirmed as the first administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates trucking safety. For nine years, Hart served on the board of directors of Operation Lifesaver, the highway-rail grade-crossing safety organization In 2015, Hart retired after 14 years as senior vice president for government affairs and policy at the American Bus Association, where he earned a Lobbyist of the Year award from The Hill newspaper, which reports on Congress and federal agencies. Hart earned an undergraduate degree in history and political science from St. Peters College, a masters in public policy from George Washington University, and a law degree from Catholic University of America. ANTHONY (TONY) HATCH, age 57, is a career surface freight transportation analyst and consultant, whose past clients have included the Association of American Railroads. His more than 25-year Wall Street career included posts with Salomon Brothers, Argus, PaineWebber and NatWest Markets. Since 1999, he has worked independently. Recently, Hatch expanded his services to provide due diligence to new forms of transport investment such as public/private partnerships and hedge funds in areas of rail maintenance and construction. Hatch has taken strenuous stands against what he terms reregulation, saying, for example, Regulations, whether coming by law or regulatory body, even on the bulk commodities, cap railway return-on-investment and offer the strongest possible incentive to disinvest. In an opinion article published by the Washington Post, Hatch wrote, The industry is under threat from U.S. regulators At issue is a proposal from a small group of rail customers seeking to lower the price they pay for freight rail service under the guise of competition. Should Hatch be nominated and confirmed, he likely would be pressured to recuse himself from many, if not most, STB rulemakings and rate cases as he has expressed pro-railroad opinions on virtually all issues before the STB. Hatch earned an undergraduate degree in American history from Harvard College. JENNIFER L. ESPOSITO HOMENDY, age 46, is Democratic staff director for the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. She is said to be seeking a nomination to the National Transportation Safety Board, but insiders say an STB nomination is not to be ruled out. Her professional career includes a post-college internship with Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), and almost a decade in government affairs posts with the Federation of Independent Business, the Iron & Steel Institute, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the Teamsters Union. In 2004, Homendy moved to her senior House staff position where she interacts with lobbyists representing railroads, pipelines, rail suppliers and rail shippers. She advises subcommittee Democrats on issues of railroad and pipeline economics and safety, as well as funding for Amtrak and higher-speed rail passenger service. She was a primary co-author of the 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act when Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) chaired the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Homendy earned an undergraduate degree in humanities from Penn State University. WILLIAM CLYBURN JR., age 51, is a former Democratic member of STB, having received from President Clinton a recess appointment in December 1998 after the Senate Republican leadership blocked a confirmation vote on his earlier nomination because it wasnt paired with a Republican nominee. It was only the fourth recess appointment in the 130-year history of the STB and its ICC predecessor. While Clyburns recess appointment to the STB was effective through December 1999, President Clinton renominated him in January 1998, along with Republican Wayne O. Burkes, and the two were subsequently jointly confirmed by the SenateClyburn for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2000. He remained into a statutory holdover year, departing at year-end 2001. While at the STB, Clyburn participated in decisions authorizing the partitioning of Conrail between CSX and Norfolk Southern, the acquisition by Canadian National Railway of Illinois Central, and participated in creating new railroad merger rules drafted by the late STB Chairman Linda Morgan. In recent years, Clyburn has been a Washington lobbyist, whose clients have included Norfolk Southern, although the main focus of his practice is education and fund raising. Early in his career, he served as a law clerk to federal appellate court Judge Rodney A. Peeples, as a legislative aide to former Sen. Chuck Robb (D-Va.), and as an attorney with the Senate Commerce Committee when chaired by Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.). Clyburn earned an undergraduate degree in ceramic engineering from Georgia Tech, and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. If nominated and confirmed, Clyburn would be only the third STB/ICC member to return following a break in servicethe other two having been Democrats Jacob J. (Jake) Simmons and Dan Elliott. SARAH FEINBERG, age 40, was named by President Obama as Acting Federal Railroad Administrator in January 2015, following the hasty departure of Joseph Szabo during a period of internal turmoil at the agency made more difficult by a series of rail accidents involving crude oil hauled in rail tank cars. She was Senate-confirmed in October 2015, and departed upon the inauguration of President Trump in January 2017. Occasionally, her lack of knowledge of railroad operations and technologyher strength is in policy formulationcaused her to stumble. In supporting mandatory implementation of electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes, Feinberg mistakenly intimated that conventional air braking technology is unsafe, terming it a Civil War-era braking system. On Dec. 4, following a National Academy of Sciences report that DOTs approach in mandating ECP brakes over other technologies was incomplete and unconvincing, the DOT repealed an implementation mandate rulemaking. A former chief of staff to Democratic Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, and previously a senior adviser to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Feinberg is considered a rising Democratic star more suited to, and desirous of, higher profile positions. At present, she is a new mother with an emerging public policy consulting practice. The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 2 for its $1.5-billion Foothill Gold Line light-rail extension from Glendora to Montclair at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif. The construction authority said elected representatives from all levels of government, as well as transportation officials and community stakeholders, joined to celebrate the beginning of construction for the six-station, 12.3-mile extension. The ceremony also marked the first Measure M-funded rail project to begin construction, officials noted. Glendora Mayor Gary Boyer wrapped up the ceremony by proclaiming that Dec. 2, 2017, will be designated as Foothill Gold Line Day in the city of Glendora going forward. When L.A County voters passed Measure M last year, they gave us an unprecedented mandate to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and build one of the most robust public transit systems in the world, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who also serves as chair of the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board. Now, its our turn to deliver, and that work starts [now], with this promising new phase of the LACMTA Gold Line. Funding the second phase of the Gold Line extension is the perfect example of what were trying to achieve through our agencys comprehensive transportation plan, said LACMTA CEO Phillip A. Washington. As we make transit more available in new communities, we are changing the face of Southern California and creating an infrastructure inheritance for our children and grandchildren. During the first three years of construction, crews are expected to relocate strategic utilities and carry out pre-construction activities. A design-build contractor is also expected to be hired, and the chosen contractor will finalize the project design. Major construction will launch in 2020 and include two construction phases. The first phase will entail relocating and rebuilding the Metrolink systems. Phase Two will include building the Gold Line light-rail system. Officials said the work is expected to be complete in 2026. The construction authoritys team has been working tirelessly over the last few years to ready the Glendora to Montclair segment for construction, Foothill Gold Line CEO Habib F. Balian said. Today is a celebration of that tremendous effort, as well as the partnership that the construction authority has with our corridor cities and Metro that allowed this project to be the first Measure M funded project to move forward. We are ready for the work ahead on this transformative project for the San Gabriel Valley. The construction work is expected to bring in $2.6 billion in economic output, create 17,000 jobs, add more than $1 billion in labor income and provide nearly $40 million in tax revenues for Los Angeles County, officials said. The Glendora to Montclair project will extend the LACMTA Gold Line light-rail line from its eastern terminus in Azusa through the San Gabriel Valley and into San Bernardino County, adding new light-rail stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair when completed. The project is receiving funds from both the Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The portion of the project within Los Angeles CountyGlendora to Claremontis being funded in majority by the Measure M half-cent sales tax, as well as residual Measure R funds from the previous Pasadena to Azusa segment, officials said. The portion of the extension reaching from Claremont to Montclair is funded by San Bernardino County. Ukraine puts Saakashvili on wanted list MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI) - Ex-Odessa governor Mikheil Saakashvili was put on the wanted list, the spokesperson of Ukraines Prosecutor General Larisa Sargan wrote on her Twitter account on Wednesday. According to Sargan, Saakashvili is suspected of crimes committed under three articles of the countrys Criminal Code including Attempted crime, Crime committed by a group of people, and Assistance to criminal gangs and cover-up of their criminal activity. Moreover, Kiev prosecutors opened probe into obstruction of law enforcement officers actions during arrest of Saakashvili. On Tuesday, searches were conducted in the apartment of Georgias ex-President in Kiev. He was arrested on the roof of his house. Later, his supporters freed Saakashvili by force. On December 3, a protest march of the Movement of New Forces party led by Saakashvili was held in Kiev. Protesters called for impeachment of Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko. In July 2017, Poroshenko stripped Saakashvili, who was appointed the Odessa region governor in May 2015, of his Ukrainian citizenship. However, Saakashvili said in August that he is going to come back to Ukraine from Poland on September 10, 2017. A criminal case over illegal border crossing was opened in Ukraine after Saakashvili broke through the countrys border, the Ukrainian police reported on September 11. Eleven police officers were injured during the security operation near a border crossing checkpoint, according to police. On September 22, a court in Ukraine found ex-Odessa governor guilty of illegal border crossing and fined him 3,400 hryvnia (about $130). Seizure of Gogol Center theater directors assets upheld MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld the seizure of property and bank accounts of the Gogol Center theater director Kirill Serebrennikov, who stands charged with large-scale embezzlement, the courts press office told RAPSI. Earlier, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow seized assets belonging to Serebrennikov including a car, apartment, and money in the amount of more than 360,000 rubles ($6,000), over 60,000, and $4,000. Moreover, the court ordered forfeiture of $80,000, 5,000 and gold jewelry owned by former head of the Seventh Studio stage company Yury Itin. Serebrennikov was arrested in late August and then placed under house arrest. In early November, Moscows Basmanny District Court seized assets belonging to Serebrennikov including apartment, car, and money in the amount of more than 360,000 rubles ($6,000), over 60,000, and $4,000. Investigators believe that he was an organizer of the budget money embezzlement. The defendant denied wrongdoing. He allegedly created Seventh Studio stage company to actualize the Platforma project for promotion of art and invited Itin, ex- companys general producer Alexey Malobrodsky, and former companys chief accountant Nina Maslyayeva, among others, into the organization. Investigators believe that Itin, Malobrodsky, and Maslyayeva were falsifying data for the Platforma projects plans in 2011-2014 on request of the theater director. This data was provided to the Ministry of Culture as the rationale for financing from the state budget. Earlier, Maslyayeva has testified against Serebrennikov. She said that Serebrennikov, Malobrodsky and Itin organized embezzlement of money allocated for a cultural event. Serebrennikov and Malobrodsky cashed the money with the assistance of Maslyayeva. The woman also said that she entered falsified data in financial reports. Former official of Russias Culture Ministry and current director of the Russian Academic Youth Theater Sophia Apfelbaum has been also arrested and put under house arrest on embezzlement charges. According to investigators, from 2011 to 2014, Apfelbaum signed contracts on state grants in the amount of more than 214 million rubles ($3.7 million) with Serebrennikovs Seventh Studio stage company on behalf of the Russian Culture Ministry, and provided further agreement of received reporting documents, which contained overstated information on quantity and cost of the held events. Thus, she has abetted the embezzlement of about 68 million rubles ($1.2 million) by Serebrennikov and his alleged accomplices, investigators claim. Apfelbaum admitted that she controlled the movement of cash but pleaded not guilty to embezzlement. One more defendant, producer Yekaterina Voronova, has been arrested in absentia and put on the international wanted list. Trial of Komi Republics ex-head Gaizer to begin on December 11 MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI) Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Court will hold preliminary hearing of a bribery case against former head of Russias Komi Republic Vyacheslav Gaizer on December 11, lawyer Vyacheslav Leontyev has told RAPSI. Investigators believe that a criminal gang involving Gaizer, another Komi Republics ex-head Vladimir Torlopov, ex-deputy head Alexander Chernov, ex-Chairman of the Republican State Council Igor Kovzel and 10 other people, was organized in 2006. Depending of their involvement and role in crimes, they are charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and money laundering. According to investigation, the gang leaders and members committed crimes aimed at occupation of the regions highly profitable enterprises or instituting control over them for the purposes of unlawful enrichment. They allegedly caused a 3.5-billion-ruble (about $60 million) damage to the republic. Investigators also accuse the gang members of taking bribes totaling to 160 million rubles in 2013. Moreover, Gaizer himself received 37.5 million rubles in bribes for assignment of a person identified by investigators to the post of the Syktyvkar liquor producers director. In August 2016, one of the defendants, businessman Anton Faershtein died in a Moscow detention center. Former FSB officer appeals sentence in bribery case MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI) Former officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Vlad Novikov, who had received 4.5 years in prison for taking a 5-million-ruble bribe (about $85,000) from the Turkish firm Esta Construction, filed an appeal against the sentence, his lawyer Dagir Khasavov told RAPSI on Wednesday. On December 1, the Moscow District Military Court sentenced Novikov and acting FSB officer Karen Krayukhin to 4.5 and 5 years in prison respectively. The men were also ordered to pay 5 million rubles in compensation for moral harm to victims in the case, the attorney added. Initially, the victims demanded 10 million rubles from the defendants. As previously reported, Novikov and Krayukhin have been arrested on suspicion of taking a bribe from the Turkish construction firm Esta Construction. Later, they have been charged with a large-scale fraud against foreign legal entity. Investigators claim that Esta Construction has been fined over 37 million rubles ($626,000) for violation of migration legislation. The companys lawyer in order to avoid payment of the fine asked the defendants for help in the termination of the case for 5 million rubles ($85,000). Khasavov, however, told RAPSI that the money was transferred from Kochergin to Krayukhin as return of a debt. Esta Construction is a contracting company established by Bahattin Demirbilek in Moscow in 2006 and operating as a general contractor and project designer in international construction market, the firms website says. Reporters of U.S. foreign agent media outlets banned from Russia's Duma MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI) Russias State Duma has barred access to its premises for employees of US media outlets designated as foreign agents, a decision adopted by the body reads on Wednesday. According to the document, the lower house of Russias parliament calls on all regional legislatures to follow in its tracks and adopt similar decisions. The State Duma deems any attack on the fundamental civil rights and freedoms, among them the freedom to receive and impart information and ideas, unacceptable, and the lawmakers reserve the right to adopt symmetrical measures with respect to the decision to bar access to the U.S. Congress for a number of Russian journalists, the document reads. This week, Russias Ministry of Justice designated nine media outlets, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) as foreign agents; other media included in the list are Current Time TV, Tatar-Bashkir service of RFE/RL and several projects of Radio Liberty, among them Factograf, Sibir.Realii, IdeLRealia, Kavkaz.Realii, and Krym.Realii. On November 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill on foreign agent label for foreign media into law. On December 4, he ordered the Ministry of Justice to maintain registry of foreign media designated as foreign agents. The law is also to establish regulations such as what markers are going to be used for this kind of media or whether there is a need for a special registry in this case. In November, the U.S. Ministry of Justice ordered Russia Today TV channel to register as a foreign agent. The channel implemented the requirement on November 10. Head of RT Margarita Simonyan said that it was a forced choice between registration and a criminal case. The President called this situation an attack on freedom of speech and members of the State Duma initiated preparation of symmetrical response measures. Only attorneys will be authorized to provide legal aid Russian Justice Ministry MOSCOW, December 6 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev) Russias Justice Ministry has drafted a conception envisaging that only persons, who have the status of lawyer, will be authorized to provide legal aid including representation in court, the Federal Chamber of Lawyers has announced on its website. The concept of regulating the market of professional legal assistance proposed by the Justice Ministry is aimed to protect citizens from unscrupulous individuals providing legal support services, according to Vice President of the Federal Chamber of Lawyers Gennady Sharov. He believes that the adoption of the conception will weed out nonprofessionals from the legal market and improve the quality of delivered legal services. Attorneys, as opposed to other persons providing legal services, are obliged to regularly confirm their qualification and abide by norms of the Code of Professional Conduct that regulates relationships with clients and stipulates disciplinary liability of lawyers and disciplinary measures up to disbarment, Sharov stated. Property details: Awesome Cul-de-sac lot w/ very low yearly taxes. Build on your time. Awesome Christmas gift! Fun for the whole family with all the things to do in memphis http://www.memphistravel.com/attractions . This is your chance to get a piece of land in the historic memphis. OWNER FINANCING OPTIONS : 1. $200 Down and $200 a month no interest until paid. Low taxes and maintenance not included2. $200 down and $100 a month With no interest. Low taxes and maintenance not included. 3. You Chose an option other... 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A couple of weeks ago Hillary Clintons publisher, Simon & Schuster, sent me her latest book. It is called What Happened. It tells us, well, what happened with her election campaign against US President Donald Trump. It is not very pleasant reading. But if, for Rs 700, you want to understand something about whats happening to and in America, it is well worth reading. But skip the chapters on her emails. Theres a lot of avoidable mea culpa there that doesnt cut much ice. On the whole, however, it is a cleverly written book, if a little on the fat side. That book has made me wonder. Much as I love politicians telling us about themselves, I do hanker for economists to tell us about their lives, which had perhaps just one epiphany. Nearly four decades ago, Fontana Books had started a series of biographies of the Wests Great Minds called Fontana Modern Masters. They were the equivalent of the great L Mukherjee who enabled so many young men -- women shunned them -- to enter the IAS, IPS, and Allied Services etc. You could buy the Fontana Modern Masters books for Rs 2 each on pavement bookshops in Delhi. One day, in a fit of fleeting flamboyance designed to impress a highly intellectual female friend, I bought all 15 that were on sale. The bookseller, clearly relieved at meeting such a mug, sold them to me for Re 1 each. I had them with me till about 10 years ago when I threw them away. Google had stepped into the breach. Last week, I found one that had escaped the purge. It was about John Maynard Keynes by someone called D E Moggridge. Compared to Robert Skidelskys three-volume masterpiece that came much later it was a mere noodle. But it did make me Google for Keyness autobiography in case I had missed it. The man had not written one. Then I looked to see if the other great economists had written theirs. Only a handful had. The shortest on Google was Pranab Bardhans autobiography -- a five-page note! E S Phelps wrote a 24-page thing. Both are there as PDFs. Charles Kindleberger, however, did manage to write a full book, but a thin one -- 200 pages only. John Kenneth Galbraith also wrote his memoirs which are longer. Other than that I have not managed to locate any. Hence the question: Why have so many economists written so little about their lives? For a bunch that fancies itself so greatly and does not hesitate to express an opinion on everything, this is very odd behaviour. All other disciplines fare much better in contrast. Indian academic economists are no better. To the best of my knowledge none of them has written an autobiography. One would have thought it would be the most natural curtain call for Amartya Sen. Or that at some point P C Mahalanobis, Sukhamoy Chakravarty, Avinash Dixit et al would have written at least as much as Pranab Bardhan. But no such luck. They all are as silent as Sam Wellers drum which had a hole in it. Economic administrators -- I G Patel, Y V Reddy et al -- have done better. Montek Singh Ahluwalia should also unburden himself soon. After all, he was at the centre of Indias economics for 30 years. Three explanations Reticence, I was told, has three basic explanations. First, because there is nothing to say; second, discretion; and the third is low self-esteem. The last, I think, can be ruled out ab initio. An economist with low self esteem is an oxymoron. The second, too, is a non-starter. What would an economist have to be discreet about? Its not as if they work for intelligence agencies. That leaves the first, namely, that they have nothing to say, possibly because they have said it all in their professional work. But it would be nice to know how they figured it all out. Did it come in a flash or was it worked out slowly? When I asked my highly intellectual female friend -- now an irascible grandmother -- she grumpily said, Maybe its because the b*****s have been faking it all along. She is a great believer in the Occams razor principle which says that when all else fails the simplest explanation is the best. Should she have the last word on the subject? Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways have combined hired more than 100 Indian pilots in the last six months. Plagued by a shortage of commanders, airlines in India are trying to lure back pilots who were poached by Middle Eastern carriers. SpiceJet and Vistara have held roadshows in the major Gulf cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai for recruitment of captains and first officers. Indians sometime find the working conditions in the Gulf tough and monotonous, the system is very process-driven there. "You may earn the cash but you may not get the desired respect. That is the lot the Indian airlines are trying to lure back, says a former IndiGo pilot who is now employed with the Dubai-based Emirates. India has been a favourite hunting ground for cash-rich Middle Eastern carriers. Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways have combined hired more than 100 Indian pilots in the last six months. The shortage is so alarming that the airline lobby group the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) persuaded the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to increase the notice period for commanders from six months to one year. I do not think we are offering the same pay, perks that the Gulf carriers provide. We are trying to attract pilots who are eager to come back home, said a SpiceJet executive. The shortage of commanders is also caused by the additional training and flying hours required for a first officer to be promoted as a commander. Holders of commercial pilot licences with a rating on a particular aircraft need to undergo three to six months of training before being selected as first officer. The licence examination for the post of commander requires a minimum 1,500 hours of flying. A first officer can be upgraded to a commanders post at any time between three and six years depending upon the airlines training requirements and will have flown at least 2,500 hours before taking up the post. According to aviation consultancy firm CAPA, Indian airlines have an order book of 923 aircraft. SpiceJet, which is planning to hire commanders for its existing Boeing 737NG and 737max, fleet has more than 200 aircraft on order that will be delivered from June next year. Vistara is likely to place an order for 100 aircraft as it becomes ready to fly abroad from the middle of 2018. However, pilots say it will not be easy for airlines to woo back aviators from the Gulf. The DGCA notice period of one year discourages many pilots from returning to India. Additionally, there is wider career scope in the Gulf for pilots. Working in the Gulf allows flying wide-bodied aircraft, which always is very attractive. Job stability is another major driver. Except IndiGo and Vistara, growth of the other carriers remains limited, said an Indian commander who works for Qatar Airways. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters A little over 80 per cent of the orders placed on domestic stock markets are generated by algorithms. Samie Modak reports on the whats and whys of algos. Technological advancement has made available newer tools for transacting in the financial markets. Algorithm trading (algo) is one. It uses software-programmed trading strategies for benefiting from stock price movements. Nearly half of trades in the domestic market come from algos. However, this new trading technique is still out of bounds for retail (small) investors. Entities in the sector say the regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), should introduce a framework for retail-focused brokers and their clients on algo trading, to increase accessibility. What is it? Algo trading is a software programme designed to execute automatic trades on fulfillment of certain criteria. These are typically trading strategies that make use of complex mathematical models. The most common is arbitrage, which tries to profit from differential pricing of the same security at the same time on different exchanges. For instance, if stock A is trading at Rs 1,000 on the BSE and at Rs 990 on the NSE, the algo will sell the security on BSE and buy it in the same quantity on the NSE. As the price anomaly could be there only for a fraction of second, to execute such algos once needs access to high frequency trading (HFT). This can be achieved using high-speed networks or a co-location facility, involving the renting of space for servers inside the exchange premises. Does Sebi allow algo trading? Sebi does allow algo trading and HFT. However, at present, it is mostly institutional investors or sophisticated traders who use this extensively. "For retail, there is a grey area. There are no broad or structured guidelines in place. That's why it is important that the guidelines are issued," says Prakarsh Gagdani, chief executive officer at 5paisa.com. Last year, in a discussion paper, Sebi proposed measures to blunt some of the advantage for those using HFT, to provide more equitable access to all. Some of the proposals were for a minimum rest time between HFT orders, "speed bumps" to delay order processing and a minimum trade-to-order ratio. Sebi is yet to implement any of these. Contribution of algo trading to overall volumes? From Sebi data a year before, a little over 80 per cent of the orders placed are generated by algorithms. Such orders contribute to approximately 40 per cent of the trades on exchanges (not all orders result in trades). How could a broker enable algo for retail investors? Globally, what is popular is a broker allowing so-called application programming interface, or API, linkage to their trading system. API allows one software programme to interact with other software. At one end, there will be an algo devised by a retail client or a service provider, which, using API, would connect to the trading software or website of the broker. Due to lack of such a provision currently, an investor has to manually punch the order. Sector players say API-linking -- also called as 'execution algo' -- has become popular globally, which has enabled a lot of tech-savvy investors to deal in algo. India lags in this. "If a retail investor wants to use algo trading by linking his API to a broker terminal, that platform is not available. Whether or not this is allowed is a grey area," says Gagdani. Why has algo not caught up with retail investors? Some brokers have started allowing their retail clients to deal in algo. However, lack of explicit guidelines from Sebi has prevented many big players from providing algo trading platforms to retail investors, say sector players. The latter say Sebi should spell out whether or not API-linkage is allowed; the stocks and segments an investor may deal in by using algo. Additional checks and balances for both investors and brokers. Misuse? Some warn that once algos start becoming popular, there is a possibility that some service providers might start marketing algos with 'guaranteed returns'. This could draw in gullible investors and pose risks to the market, and Sebi would have to intervene. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters. 'The mainstream media is alive with discussion of the rights and wrongs of the situation.' 'Mass immolation is being rediscovered as a worthy goal for young women, and we have also consoled ourselves at length with the reflection that Muslims Are Bad while Rajputs Are Good,' says Mihir S Sharma. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com This is where we stand in the India of 2017: You could either choose to know more about the mysterious death of a judge presiding over an investigation into the acts of India's second most powerful man, or you could outrage about a movie made by a film-maker of middling talent and featuring an entirely imaginary character in medieval India. We have become so detached from reality that the overwhelming majority of public attention is fixed on the latter; the former, if it is covered at all, is pushed into a few scant column inches on the inside pages of the more courageous newspapers. Last month Caravan magazine published the products of a year-long investigation into the death of Judge Loya, which featured testimony from the deceased judge's family questioning the official explanation of the judge's death in 2014, as well as allegations that another senior member of the bench had attempted to bribe the judge to pass a favourable verdict in the case dealing with the possible murder in 2004 of accused terrorist Sohrabuddin Sheikh. Most of these accusations were made on video; medical questions about the judge's death were raised among others by his sister, a doctor. It is an unquestioned fact that Judge Loya's successor in trying Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit A Shah, Judge Gosavi, discharged the defendant remarkably quickly -- in the words of Prashant Bhushan 'in a 15-minute hearing on a 10,000-page chargesheet'. Justice A P Shah, a former judge of the Delhi high court and one of the consciences of the legal profession in India, has called for an inquiry into these accusations. We do not know the truth of the matter, but certainly these allegations are serious enough that they should be discussed in the media and in India's public discourse, and pressure should be built on the judiciary and the executive to appoint an independent inquiry. But this is not what most of us have been led, by elements in the national media and by our own proclivities, to talk about. Instead we are discussing a movie. A movie about a medieval Hindu princess created by a Sufi poet -- a movie that distorts what we know about the court of the Khiljis and the siege of Chittor, sure, but one that has every right to invent a story in order to make it more appealing to the audience. Alauddin Khilji seems to have been depicted as a fur-wearing barbarian, and his Rajput opponents as brave one-dimensional freedom fighters. That's fine. I fully intended to protest this sort of Hindutva-isation of history by bravely not watching Padmavati. This principled act of non-co-operation would also indicate my disapproval of the cult of jauhar that claims Padmavati as its heroine, and of absurdly high ticket prices in south Delhi multiplexes. I did not, however, intend to express my disapproval by threatening to behead the movie's director. If I did so, I would expect to be laughed at, and perhaps committed to an asylum by my next of kin. I would not expect to be feted on national television. Yet such fine upstanding individuals and groups as the Rajput Karni Sena and Haryana BJP officeholder Suraj Pal Amu (he has since resigned his party post) have not in fact been ushered gently into padded cells by their near and dear ones, but have instead been allowed ample space on the media to outbid each other on the rewards they would offer to those who harmed the movie's star and its director. The bidding currently stands at Rs 10 crore/Rs 100 million, a tidy sum that might well attract some of India's millions of young unemployed men into the fast-growing beheading and nose-cutting sector of the economy. Various chief ministers have been silent on the question of whether a murder case allegedly involving the president of India's largest political party has been tampered with, but have expressed themselves fully on the matter of whether a movie about an imaginary medieval India is offensive and should be banned. The mainstream media is alive with discussion of the rights and wrongs of the situation -- and, most importantly, how it is all liberals' fault. (And probably Nehru's as well.) Mass immolation is being rediscovered as a worthy goal for young women, and we have also consoled ourselves at length with the reflection that Muslims Are Bad while Rajputs Are Good. Perhaps it is also worth noting that Amu and his cohorts have not found themselves in any great trouble, while Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen, was arrested while shopping in Jalandhar with the woman he had just married -- according to the Punjab government, for fomenting terrorism, but apparently actually because he was posting on Facebook and ran the Web site NeverForget84.com. We could perhaps outrage about that when we are done defending the honour of an imaginary princess. Or perhaps about the murder of a journalist in Tripura investigating police corruption, or even the concerns about the multi-billion-dollar Rafale deal. No, forget it, I'm wrong: Medieval fantasy is far more important. A panel probing the allegations of overcharging against Gurugram's Fortis hospital found 'several irregularities' including protocols not being followed in a case related to the death of a 7-year-old girl who died of dengue. Following the indictment by the panel, Haryana Health minister Anil Vij said a first information report will be lodged against the private hospital while the licence of its blood bank will be cancelled. In addition, the Haryana Urban Development Authority will be asked to explore the possibilities for cancellation of lease of land given to the hospital, he said. Father accuses hospital officials of offering bribe Hours after the Haryana government probe panel submitted its report, the seven-year-old girl's father has accused senior officials of the Fortis group of attempting to bribe him. "Senior members of Fortis met me, offered me a cheque worth Rs 10,37,889 refunding the entire amount," Jayant Singh, father of the deceased girl, told ANI. "They also said they will be offering me Rs 25 lakh cash on top of this, said that I will have to sign, enter into a legal agreement assuring to stop my social media campaign, or going to court and taking legal action against them," Singh said. "The hospital made a hefty profit on medicines given, which works out to 108 per cent, and for some consumables it is as high as 1,737 per cent," he alleged, pointing out that the bill for Adya Singh's treatment shot up to Rs 15 lakh. "Put in simple words, it is not a death, it is a murder," Vij alleged at a crowded press conference at his office in Chandigarh. The Fortis group, meanwhile, said that all documents, statements and details required by the probe team of the Haryana government were provided. A statement released by the group added that they were 'yet to receive a copy of the report'. At the press conference, Vij, flanked by the probe committee members, claimed there were many irregularities, unethical practices and protocol of diagnosis and medical duties was not adopted. "The death of the girl has happened due to Leave Against Medical Advice (LAMA) protocol not being followed. The girl was on a ventilator, but she was put in an ordinary ambulance, ventilator was withdrawn and an ambu bag was not provided in that, which became the cause of her death, which is a very serious irregularity," Vij said. Releasing the contents of the inquiry report, the minister said the child should have gone in an Advanced Life Support ambulance. But she was provided a basic ambulance, he added. "Negligence, lapse, unethical, unlawful acts on the part of the team of doctors of Fortis hospital has been found when the patient was shifted from the ICU to the ambulance," he alleged. The minister further said that his department will write to the Medical Council of India demanding action against the hospital. As far as this death due to negligence goes, we are going to register a FIR against the Fortis hospital because the child's death has occurred due to negligence, he said. "Put in simple words, it is not a death, it is a murder. When a child was on advanced life support system for so many days and when it is suddenly withdrawn, the patient does not know, her parents are not aware of what could be the consequences but being doctors they should have known that it will be a sudden death," Vij said. A committee headed by Dr Rajiv Wadhera, Additional DG, Health, Haryana, which submitted its report today, was set up by Haryana government on November 21 to probe allegations that the private hospital overcharged the girl's family. The Centre had asked the Haryana government to initiate an urgent inquiry into the case that relates to the death in September of a 7-year-old girl. The hospital had earlier refuted the charges, claiming the patient's family was informed about the bill on a daily basis and that there was no medical negligence. Vij said the girl's parents also put their views before the committee. He said she was diagnosed with dengue and admitted to Rockland hospital in Delhi's Dwarka. "Later on the patient was diagnosed as suffering from Dengue Shock Syndrome. She was admitted to Fortis, Gurgaon on August 31," he said. Asked why the girl's parents wanted her to be discharged from Fortis, Vij said, "They wanted to take her back to Rockland, may be due to cost which they were incurring in Fortis." Vij said that legal opinion will be sought on filing an FIR. "But we have decided that we will lodge FIR against this Fortis hospital for medical negligence," he said. He said dengue is a notifiable disease 'but it was not notified by the FMRI to the local authorities, which is a lapse'. Our CMO has given them notice for this, he said. He claimed that costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available. "Overcharging in transfusion of platelets was also found. Platelets were given on 25 occasions, out of which Rs 400 per unit was charged on 17 occasions and on eight occasions these were charged at Rs 2,000 per unit. We are going to cancel the license of their blood bank and have already given them a notice in this regard," he said. A costly injection was administered on most occasions, which cost Rs 3,112 whereas a substitute costing Rs 499 was available, Vij claimed. "The hospital made a hefty profit on medicines given, which works out to 108 per cent, and for some consumables it is as high as 1,737 per cent," he said, citing the report. Land was given by HUDA to Fortis hopsital in Gurugram in 2004 under certain terms and conditions, which included 20 per cent of free OPD, 10 per cent free beds and 70 per cent discounted treatment to 20 per cent IPD (In Patient Department), but prima facie these terms were violated, Vij alleged. "We are writing to HUDA in this regard because they have violated MoU agreements and if lease has to be cancelled, the HUDA committee will look into it," he said. Vij also claimed that the girl's family had alleged that their signatures were forged on some of the consent forms. Offered complete co-operation to government probe panel: Fortis All documents, statements and details required by the probe panel of the Haryana government regarding the case were provided to them, the Fortis group said. After the inquiry committee submitted its report, the Fortis group, in a statement said that they were 'yet to receive a copy of the report'. The inquiry panel, set up by the state government, was led by Dr Rajiv Wadhera Additional DG, Health. The private hospital had denied the charge, saying the patient's kin was informed about the bill on a daily basis. The hospital group, in a statement, said, 'In reference to the recent media reports on a four-member government inquiry committee pertaining to the unfortunate death of baby Adya, we are yet to receive a copy of the said report.' 'Fortis extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of baby Adya and stands with them in their hour of grief. Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, offered complete co-operation to the committee and family of Adya. All documents, statements and facts as required by them to conduct a detailed inquiry, were provided,' it said. Seven-year-old Adya was referred to the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, as a case of 'dengue shock syndrome in a critical condition and our medical team provided the best possible care in the given circumstances', the statement said. Photograph: Reuters The people of Gujarat and the state administration on Wednesday heaved a sigh of relief as Cyclone Ockhi dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing the poll-bound state. The cyclone was on Tuesday headed towards Gujarat after leaving a trail of destruction on the southern Indian coast. As per an early morning release by the India Meteorological Department, the cyclonic storm first turned into a deep depression, then into a depression and finally into a low pressure area after midnight. The depression over east-central and adjoining north-east Arabian Sea weakened into a well-marked low pressure area over east central Arabian sea and adjoining areas of north-east Arabian Sea, north coastal Maharashtra and south coastal Gujarat at 23:30 hours yesterday, the release said. The cyclone dissipated over the sea before hitting the Gujarat coast, said Jayanta Sarkar, the director of the MeT Centre. The cyclone did not reach Surat at all. It dissipated into the sea before making a landfall on the southern coast. From deep depression, it became a depression, then became a well marked low pressure. Now, it is just low pressure. It may bring light to moderate rain in some parts of state today, said Sarkar. As per the IMD release, the sea condition would be rough along and off south Gujarat and adjoining north Maharashtra coasts during the next 12 hours. Fishermen along and off north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts are advised not to venture into sea during the next 12 hours, the release said. Till Tuesday evening, there was a fear that Cyclone Ockhi may hit Gujarat coast by midnight. However, the cyclone lost its strength and turned into a deep depression when it was around 240 km away from Surat. The cyclone later turned into a depression when it was still away from the coast and gradually weakened into a well marked low pressure by Wednesday morning. To face the eventuality in view of the cyclonic storm, the state government deployed teams of the National Disaster Response Force in several parts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra. The government also alerted the air force, coast guard and the navy. Amid his busy poll campaign schedule, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and state chief secretary J N Singh rushed to Surat on Tuesday to oversee the relief operations. Around 1,600 people were also shifted to safer locations, as a precautionary measure. Image: The cyclone has left a trail of destruction on the southern Indian coast. Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters The signals were clear. December 6 would not witness another show of Hindu strength staged periodically in Ayodhya. Something grave was afoot. Radhika Ramaseshans personal recollection of the events of December 6, 1992. Image: Temple work in progress at Karsewakpuram, the biggest replica of the proposed Ram temple at the Ayodhya site. Photograph: Sondeep Shankar/Getty Images. Thank the trustees of Ayodhyas Hanuman Garhi temple for allowing journalists, albeit after a thorough scrutiny, to their spacious terrace from where we got a vantage view of every event leading to the denouement on December 6, 1992. Uttar Pradesh had a BJP government and the security ecosystem was not as impregnable as the apparatuses that were put in place by the previous chief minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in October-November 1990 before the first concerted attack on the Babri mosque happened. Even that cast-iron cover was breached by the determined volunteers or kar sevaks of the RSS family, forcing the state police to open fire and kill some of them. Curfew and police werent required two years later. The atmosphere crackled with so much tension that we spoke little but exchanged nervous glances as the kar sevaks milled around, saffron bandanas emblazoned with Jai Shri Ram wrapped around their necks and heads. Those from Faizabad-Ayodhya recognised the journalists from Lucknow frequenting the pilgrim town and darted hostile looks on those they perhaps slotted as ideological foes. Names became important. I remember a couple of Muslim colleagues had quickly identified themselves as Hindus, even as the others prayed they wouldnt be asked to display their identity cards. I was camping in Faizabad for days and visited the Babri-Ramjanambhoomi complex every day to suss out the mood on the ground. Every square inch of vacant land was occupied by the kar sevaks. They were disciplined and kept the precincts spotlessly clean. They were scary. In twos and threes, they went to the Muslim homes near the disputed site and met the residents. A couple of houses were burnt down and a few mausoleums were desecrated. The Muslims vacated their homes soon thereafter. The signals were clear. December 6 would not witness another show of Hindu strength staged periodically in Ayodhya. Something grave was afoot. The masterminds and their executors lost no time in carrying out the demolition. The complex was cleared of the journalists and hangers-on who went inside the structure. After a symbolic prayer by the leaders of the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the BJP, the assault began. A kar sevak climbed atop one of the three domes, shouted Jai Shri Ram and the rest clambered on. Although the inside was not visible from where I watched, it was obviously packed with an equal number or more kar sevaks to rip apart the solid insides, in conjunction with those working on the exteriors. The demolition of the first dome ended with an exhortation to tear asunder the middle and the widest one. The state and paramilitary forces watched motionless. The Parivar elders, like Ashok Singhal and L K Advani, attempted to rein in the volunteers. But the appeal was perfunctory. After the middle dome collapsed in a mountain of debris, it was time to distribute sweets. Sugar because the mithai shops were shut. The kar sevaks pointedly offered them to the journalists, ostensibly to do a quick check on who would accept and who not. Nobody dared reject at peril of being assaulted. The assault on journalists started before the last dome fell. A spunky girl from Faizabad, known as a free thinker, was dumped inside a pit. Uma Bhartis dulcet voice acquired a menacing edge as she egged on the kar sevaks with her Ek dhakka aur do, Babri masjid ko tod do (Give one more push, demolish the Babri mosque), not that prodding was needed. By late evening, the place was a wreck. The voyeurs for whom December 6 was a spectacle collected memorabilia from the detritus. For the others, the day signified a fundamental and profound shift in Indias polity. Radhika Ramaseshan was with The Pioneer and based in Lucknow during the course of this event. United States President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will direct the State Department to initiate the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, according to senior administration officials. According to senior administration officials, Trump is expected to make the announcement along with his policy at about 1 pm (local time) on Wednesday (11.30 pm IST). The President would say that the US government recognises that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. He views this as recognition of historic reality. Jerusalem has been capital of Jewish people since ancient times and modern reality that it has been the seat of government, important ministries, its legislature, the Supreme court, a senior administration official told reporters on the eve of Trumps much anticipated announcement on Jerusalem. In his remarks, Trump will also direct the State Department to initiate the process of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Noting that finding appropriate land and construction of a new embassy would take at least a couple of years, officials said Trump would continue to give waiver -- as required by the Congress -- for not moving its diplomatic mission to Jerusalem. In taking this action, another senior administration official said, Trump will fulfil a major campaign promise that has been made by a number of previous presidential candidates. Trumps action enjoys broad bipartisan support in the Congress. Such a move which is being opposed by the countries in the Middle East, is unlikely to have an impact on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the official said. Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel, and is optimistic that peace can be achieved, the official said, adding that not recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel has done nothing to achieve peace for more than two decades. Trump, the official said, recognises that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty are subject to final status negotiations. Responding to questions, senior administration officials said the president believes that this would have no impact on the peace process. He believes that the deal is within reach and can be achieved. Earlier, Trump spoke over phone with a number of world leaders in the Middle East to share his decision on Jerusalem, the White House said. Trump spoke separately with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt, and King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. This announcement does not change US policy over these specific borders, the senior administration official said, while another official asserting that the president is not taking a decision that affects any of the boundaries and sovereignty. Trumps anticipated announcement received mixed message from lawmakers. Senator Ted Cruz described this as a historical announcement. I strongly encourage and would unequivocally support President Trump formally recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital and beginning the important process of moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he said. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders said he is extremely concerned by reports that Trump plans to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Theres a reason why all past US administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it. It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the US ability to broker that peace, Sanders said. What the US should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region, he said. Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development, University of Maryland told PBS newspaper that it is a historic development. Its huge historically, because not only has the US not recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but really historically the international community has seen Jerusalem as very different. In fact, even West Jerusalem wasnt recognised by the US, in part because there was some international status and vision for Jerusalem historically, Telhami said. Meanwhile, the State Department warned US embassies around the world to prepare for possible protests and violence and banned travel by government employees and their families to Jerusalems Old City and the West Bank. Image: Trump's decision of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem will break years of precedent. Photograph: Ammar Awad/Reuters President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered to start the process of moving the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile Middle East. The controversial decision, which was promised by Trump during his 2016 campaign and appeals to his right-wing base, could lead to massive protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, Arab leaders warned. "I have determined it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said. Trump made the major announcement from the White House. In taking this action, Trump fulfils a major campaign promise. The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. "Jerusalem has been capital of Jewish people since ancient times and modern reality that it has been the seat of government, important ministries, its legislature, the Supreme court," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Noting that finding appropriate land and construction of a new embassy would take at least a couple of years, officials said Trump would continue to give waiver -- as required by the Congress -- for not moving its diplomatic mission to Jerusalem. Trump's action enjoys broad bipartisan support in the Congress, the official said. The move, which is being opposed by the countries in the Middle East, is unlikely to have an impact on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the official said. Trump decided to go ahead with his plan, ignoring dire warnings from Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of his closest allies in the Middle East. Terming it a 'dangerous step', Salman cautioned the move will 'provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world'. Sisi warned that the move will complicate the situation and 'jeopardise the chances of peace in the Middle East'. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticised Trump's plan, saying it was 'wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous'. Jordan's King Abdullah II said Jerusalem key to stability of entire Middle East. Pope Francis voiced 'profound concern' over the move, making a 'heartfelt appeal to make everyone's commitment to respect the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions'. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refrained from commenting on it in his first speech since the move was confirmed. Netanyahu, speaking at a diplomatic conference, instead focused on Israel's security and economic ties with countries globally during his speech. The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. Responding to questions, senior administration officials said the President believed that the move would have no impact on the peace process and the deal is within reach and can be achieved. Earlier, Trump spoke over phone with a number of leaders in the Middle East to share his decision on Jerusalem, the White House said. Meanwhile, the State Department warned US embassies around the world to prepare for possible protests and violence and banned travel by government employees and their families to Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. A generation has passed and the demolition appears to be a story of an era gone by, says Sharat Pradhan, who shares his experience as a witness in court in the Babri Masjid demolition case. On the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, we republish this 2011 special. IMAGE: Hindu worshippers walk past carved stone blocks for the proposed Ram temple in the holy city of Ayodhya. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/Reuters How far were you standing from the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992, and what was your position viz a viz the mosque." Two decades after the fateful day, the question was fired at me by none other than former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani's legal counsel Mahipal Aluwalia, during the course of my cross-examination in a dingy Rae Bareli court, holding trial of Advani and others charged of criminal conspiracy behind demolition of the 16th century mosque. My reply was plain and simple -- "Well, if I knew that you would pose this question to me 19 years later; I would have carried a measuring tape and a compass to know the exact distance and the direction." Not amused by my reply, the lawyer threw a fresh volley of questions -- "What was the name of the building from where I watched the entire demolition scene?; whether the building was a single-storeyed one or double-storeyed; whether there was a Vishva Hindu Parishad office in the building; what route did I take to reach the Babri Mosque on that day; the names of buildings that I passed; how many security gates did I have to pass; whether the karsewakswore some identification badges... so on and so forth." IMAGE: A Hindu activist walks past a temple wall, where devotees have written the name of Lord Ram, in Ayodhya. Photograph: Roy Madhur/Reuters The cross-examination that ran for days (and the recorded text running into as many as 88 pages) seemed more like a test of my memory rather than any confirmation of how the mosque was pulled down. But when I embarked upon spelling this out by drawing the court's attention to the fact that the lawyer and his team were only testing my memory, he screamed his lungs out -- "now this is contempt of court." All I had done was to raise a pertinent question -- where was the equity in law when lawyers on both sides remained armed with documents, files and anything else under the sun, while the witness was expected to have a super-human memory to remember every distinct detail of whatever he had seen two decades ago. Unmindful of the threat, I declared that I was ready to face the music if speaking the truth was seen as contempt. What I could not understand was why every witness was seen as a liar and the whole idea behind his cross-examination was to prove him as one. I could not resist telling the open court that from the proceedings it was quite apparent that lawyers were probably more used to dealing with tutored and fake witnesses. No wonder, therefore, they found it difficult to come to terms with a true "chashmadeed gawah" (eye-witness). Later, I was advised not only by the lawyers but even by the presiding officer to bear with the way things were as that was how the practice had been for decades and decades. And since law does not discriminate, the legal procedures and practices remained the same irrespective of the nature of the crime -- be it a theft in the neighbourhood, a murder on the street, a trespass into the property of a neighbour or the demolition of a historic mosque that had changed the communal destiny of the world's largest democracy. IMAGE: The Babri Masjid. About the pace of the process, less said the better. Nineteen years after the demolition of the mosque, the trail court was far from nailing down the culprits to book. In fact, trial was yet to commence against some of the key accused persons including then Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Kalyan Singh, who was otherwise known as the prime culprit. His matter was pending before the country's apex court which is to decide whether Kalyan Singh should be tried for conspiracy or for inciting communal hatred. Even the cases against 49 key accused persons was going on in two separate special courts -- one in Rae Bareli and the other in Lucknow, hackneyed procedures and processes had eaten up all the time and no one knows how many more years it would take the courts to take the case to its logical conclusion. The court in Rae Bareli was holding the trial against Advani and seven others prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders -- Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, Sadhvi Rithambara, Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Vishnu Hari Dalmia -- for "inciting communal hatred in the name of the Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid issue." The Lucknow special court was hearing cases against smaller fries of the saffron brigade, who were charged of hatching the conspiracy for demolition. But even as the court in Lucknow appeared more firm and stern, yet there could be no denying that the slow pace of judicial process was equally visible in both places. The lethargic procedures and the hackneyed approach of lawyers who take professional pride lingering the judicial process see no need for expeditious disposal of the case that has clearly lost the appeal it once commanded on the masses of this country. IMAGE: A model of a proposed Ram temple. Photograph: Mukesh Gupta/Reuters I have spent hours standing in both the courts answering mundane and irrelevant queries raised by the counsels who seemed to be more interested in displaying and proving their professional skills rather than in taking the case to an expeditious logical end. The queries have never gone beyond memory test with the sole intent of establishing that my story was just a concoction. What was worse that even the courts do not apparently believe in looking out of the box. When I reacted sharply to what is described as "suggestion" by the lawyer fraternity, I was advised by the court to simply remain cool and take it in the stride something any forthright person would find it difficult to do. After all, how can you remain quiet and docile when you are told that whatever you have stated under oath before the court was simply all bunk? No matter how much I controlled my emotions on being publicly labeled as a liar, I could not help retorting, "How would you react if I were to tell you that even though you had grabbed a black coat, your law degree was fake." The advocates looks horrified and were ready to get me sent to the gallows for what they termed as a big "contempt of court". To me, the whole court exercise looked like a ritual for the benefit of counsels. I never could see any other purpose being served. When the special court was set up for taking up the demolition case, no one had in his wildest of dreams imagined that the exercise would go on and on endlessly. In the beginning, when prominent political personalities were summoned to court, they were swarmed by thousands of people who were clearly passionate about the Ayodhya issue. As years went by, their numbers started falling. Today, when I go to the courts, I find no one other than the battery of lawyers engaged in the case to be present. The crowds have lost interest, a generation has passed and demolition appears to be story of a era gone by. The BJP and its allies have seen the faded electoral futility of the Ayodhya issue. All it continues to spin is perhaps to hold BJP's hardcore Hindutva vote bank together, just as it continues to incite anger and vengeance among a section of Muslims, who use it as fodder for arousing Islamic militancy. Considering that I was just the 12th witness out of Central Bureau of Investigation's long list of nearly 100, the judicial exercise was bound to take very many years to complete - even if CBI chose to limit its witnesses by avoiding testimony of the entire lot. The face of the Ayodhya site where Babri Masjid stood until this day 19 years ago is already transformed beyond recognition. The finalisation of the trial proceedings alone may see yet another generation. After all, the trial court was just the first step in the judicial process. 'At last, things have started changing in Ayodhya,' says Hazaari Lal, one of the many kar sevaks who pulled down the Babri masjid on December 6, 1992. IMAGE: Kar sevaks storm the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. Photograph: Sunil Malhotra/Reuters Hazaari Lal, a man in his 50s with a strong hand and a cataract in his right eye, is still on duty at Karsewakpuram, the Vishwa Hindu Parishads base camp in Ayodhya. He is now entrusted with showing visitors to Karsewakpuram, the biggest replica of the proposed Ram temple at the site, where he, along with others, had climbed the Babri masjid's dome 25 years ago to bring it down. Almost half-blind, Hazaari Lal also sells Ayurveda products, cow urine, herbal medicines and accessories like spiritual bracelets and other paraphernalia from the same compound that houses the replica. In his early 20s, he was one of the thousands of kar sevaks mobilised by the war cries of some of the tallest Bharatiya Janata Party leaders with the mission to pull down the mosque. Here he recounts the events and the day that shook India. I arrived in Ayodhya on the night October 2, 1992, from my village in Shajaanabad district. My father had brought me here for the first time when the locks were opened. I, along with others, had already started the kar seva. Many of us who had come here were angered by Mulayam Singhs statement daring anyone to set foot in Ayodhya (Ayodhya mein koi pair bhi nahin maar sakta). I came walking to Ayodhya from my village. On December 6, 1992, many big leaders were shouting not to cause damage to the mosque. But none of us gathered there listened to them. We had come with the objective of demolishing the Babri mosque. Only if the mosque were to be demolished could a new Ram temple be built there. And we were going to achieve that at any cost. IMAGE: Temple work in progress at Karsewakpuram, the biggest replica of the proposed Ram temple at the Ayodhya site. Photograph: Sondeep Shankar/Getty Images. Somehow, I managed to climb on top of the dome. We started breaking the dome. I fell when a portion of the dome collapsed; I remember lying there in the rubble. I had broken my back, jaw, arm and shoulder, and had injuries across my face. I was trapped for almost 10-15 minutes in the rubble before being pulled out. After about two hours, I was taken to a hospital in Ayodhya. The following day, I was shifted to a hospital in Faizabad where I was kept for a week before being arrested. I spent four days in Faizabad jail. Then, I was moved to Lucknow medical centre for treatment. After I was discharged, I was moved to the Lucknow central jail. WIn a proper investigation, they should have asked us how we broke our limbs or suffered the kind of injuries they saw. But there was none of it. My case still lies buried somewhere. We were visited by officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation in jail and hospital. Many others and I were told by a senior legislator (name withheld) not give our names as those who demolished the mosque. There were other much elderly leaders of the organisation who gave their names instead. And that is how they, instead of me and many others, were listed as accused by the CBI. The CBI officers failed to even visit many of us after we were discharged from hospital and released from jail. In a proper investigation, they should have asked us how we broke our limbs or suffered the kind of injuries they saw. But there was none of it. My case still lies buried somewhere. I had once got a notice from the police station but after that nothing happened. I have asked for my case file many times but no one knows where it is. I had come in the service of Lord Ram and believe that I should have also been listed as an accused by the CBI. I cant sleep at night sometimes. I broke the mosque with my own hands but still could not become a part of the case. What objective will remain in my life if I am not included as an accused in the case for the service I have done for Lord Ram? I will also give my testimony in court. I will speak for Lord Ram. The site where the mosque stood was the birthplace of Ram and will continue to be. I did not partake in demolishing the mosque for my household. I did it for Ram, for the nation, and for Ayodhya. After securing bail, I came back to Ayodhya. When I went back to my village after a week, I was given a heros welcome. I spent six months in my village and decided to move back to Ayodhya where I have been since. I have no family and have kept my house in the village locked. When the temple is constructed, I will go back home. At last, things have started changing in Ayodhya. The biggest parikrama in years happened recently in Ayodhya. During Mulayam Singhs time, people were scared to come to Ayodhya. People feared they would be shot at any time. Now the time has come for a temple to be constructed. Everyone is losing strength in fighting this case over Lord Ram. The inside page of the "Shaanxi History Museum Calendar". [Photo/Official Weibo account of Shaanxi History Museum] The Shaanxi History Museum released the first calendar of cultural relics in Shaanxi province on Tuesday, showcasing 365 pieces of exquisite collections from ancient China. The 2018 "Shaanxi History Museum Calendar", themed on "Glamour of Chang'an, the Tang Treasures", is a collaboration between experts from Shaanxi History Museum and the design team of "Palace Museum Calendar", which was a hot seller. Turning the calendar, the left side reveals pictures and Chinese-English bilingual introductions of fine selected 365 pieces of cultural relics, while the right side has dates and space for note taking, and the dates and festivals are collection of words from ancient masters' inscriptions. Afghanistan: The Maternity Hospital Delivering Hope Publisher Article 19 Author Ahmad Shah Publication Date 5 December 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 583 Cite as Article 19, Afghanistan: The Maternity Hospital Delivering Hope, 5 December 2017, ARR 583, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a279f044.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. Resident of Khost say that cultural sensitivity and high numbers of local staff have been key to the success of a maternity hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the southeastern province. MSF opened the maternity hospital more than six years ago in an effort to address high rates of maternal mortality. Despite serious security issues - the hospital was forced to close for eight months following an attack in April 2012 - the unit has gone on to prove hugely successful, now delivering an average of 60 babies a day. Mothers who have recently given birth at the NGO's hospital said that they had received superb care free of charge. "The recent birth of my baby girl went so well," said Gul Rahima (not her real name), a 37-year-old mother-of-seven. "There are experienced doctors working at the hospital and everything was free of charge. Their work is a huge help to poor families." Her husband Akhtar Mohammad, 41, added, "Not only is the treatment free but the hospital also allows families to stay for one night and provides a free meal as well. "If we had gone to a private hospital we'd have been charged too much for medicine. You can be asked to pay 100 Afghani (1.5 US dollars) for medicine that should cost 10 Afghani, and no one questions this." MSF set up its hospital in the city of Khost in March 2012. Staff hoped to raise the level of healthcare in the province without duplicating existing services provided by Khost's public hospital located just outside the city. Initial confidence in the plan faltered when seven people were injured in an explosion within the hospital compound just six weeks after it opened. The attack forced the facility's closure until December that year, with MSF using the time to strengthen its support from political and religious leaders in the city in the hope of preventing a repeat of the incident. The hospital - with more than 400 national staff and around a dozen international workers - now has 68 maternity beds and 22 neonatal beds, as well as a surgical team dealing with more complicated deliveries. In addition, MSF staff this year began supporting health centres in five other locations within the province. Staff at clinics in the districts of Gurbuz, Nadir Shah Kot, Sabari, Tani and Lakan aim to reduce the number of patients heading to Khost city for normal deliveries, thereby allowing hospital colleagues to focus on assisting with more complicated births. Khost's director of public health, Gul Mohmmaddin Mohammadi, said, "Though there are no official figures, in previous years our department was informed about the deaths of many children and mothers in childbirth each month. For many months now, we have received no such reports." Zahra Jalal, head of the provincial women's department, said, "MSF have been careful to observe Afghan culture and values and this has been much appreciated. "For instance, some people in the province used to think that only foreigners worked at the hospital and avoided using it because of this. But now they realise MSF has addressed this and almost all the workers are Afghans." She added, "Many women who have graduated in nursing and midwifery are now working at the hospital. Even illiterate housewives have found jobs there. The reputation of the staff is known to be so good that patients are sometimes brought from Paktia province for treatment." MSF figures show the number of deliveries at the hospital has increased by 40 per cent in just two years, from 15,204 in 2014 to 21,335 in 2016. In December last year, the number of deliveries reached 1,905, an average of more than 60 per day. A marked increase has also been seen in the numbers of newborns admitted to the neonatology unit. Some 1,746 babies were admitted in 2016, a 15 per cent increase on 2015. Speaking to IWPR, Qudratulllah, a tribal elder from Lakno village in Khost city, said he believed MSF's satellite clinics had proved more successful than many of the bigger, multi-million dollar reconstruction projects in the province. His remote area had lacked the infrastructure to allow women in labour to always access the medical help they needed, he explained. "Sometimes heavy rains and flooding blocked roads meaning some women were forced to give birth in cars while they waited for the route to clear," he said. "Now though we have a clinic right in the center of Lakno so we don't have these difficulties anymore." Khost activist Jamal Tani also praised the work of MSF's more remote clinics. "We're really pleased with the quality of the healthcare and local people support these services as they're sensitive to the cultural values of Afghanistan," he said. "We have consulted and monitored their activities and offered advice where needed." There are still serious healthcare deficiencies in Khost, particularly in the more mountainous regions. Musakhel district in the far north of Khost is one such area that medics still struggle to reach. Snow, flooding, poor roads and armed robbers has made access very difficult. Haidar Gul, a tribal elder from the area, said, "We've asked public health officials and MSF to open clinics in two remote areas of the district. "They promised us they would but it hasn't happened yet. We're hoping they're able to as soon as possible." Ahmadullah Safi, a spokesman for MSF in Afghanistan, said, "Maternity care in the province remains our top priority." This report was produced under IWPR's Supporting Investigative Reporting in Local Media and Strengthening Civil Society across Afghanistan initiative, funded by the British Embassy Kabul. Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19 Afghanistan: Few Jobs for Educated Women Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Khan Wali Ahmadzai Publication Date 5 December 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 583 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghanistan: Few Jobs for Educated Women, 5 December 2017, ARR 583, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a279f624.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. Although 25-year-old Nazia has a university degree and is desperate to find work, she spends her days at home raising chickens and tending cattle. The mother-of-three, who lives in the village of Taqi Shah in Logar's Pul-e Alam district, said that after completing her high school education in Afghanistan she went on to graduate in Dari literature from a university in Iran. But Nazia has been unable to find work suitable for someone with her qualifications. "I have been looking for a government job for the last six years, but not a single department has yet given me a chance," she said. More than half the educated women she knew - having overcome numerous obstacles to pursue their education - had also failed to find work, she continued. "The problem is getting worse and the government needs to takes steps to provide women with employment," she said. Women in Logar are calling for job creation schemes to correct a massive imbalance in the work market, warning that without affirmative action little is likely to change. Social activists said that hundreds of people with bachelors and even masters degrees have found it impossible to find work. One of the problems they raise is that widespread administrative corruption means that candidates are selected on the basis of connections rather than personal achievement. The situation is particularly discouraging given the difficulties many women and girls have in accessing education. Raqiba, a 22-year old from the village of Taqi Shah, said that women and girls were interested in learning to read and write but were denied the opportunity. "Many women in Logar province are illiterate and uneducated; many families don't let their daughters go to school and women suffer very much from a lack of available work," she said. Armed insurgents have reportedly banned girls from continuing their education beyond the sixth grade in schools in the districts of Pul-e Alam, Baraki Barak, Muhammad Aghah and Khoshi. Local activist Karima said that many girls schools in these areas had been shut down altogether. Local officials say that they are busy creating a variety of routes for women to find work, including internships and referrals to government departments. Shaima Zargar, the director of Logar's women's affairs department, told IWPR that hundreds of women would be recruited in this way. "We have had some major achievements for women in the past few years," she said. "Now opportunities have been created for 100 girls and women to work and gain experience in foundations, others organisations and government departments. I can say the rate of women's unemployment has decreased from what it was in the past." Shah Khan Walizoy, director of Logar's department of labour, social affairs, martyrs and the disabled, said that his department had not only created job opportunities for hundreds of women but had also provided a range of practical trainings. In addition, he continued, the office of the Logar governor had joined the women's affairs department to provide internships for many female graduates with little work experience. "What has been done for Logar's women so far hasn't been enough, but many efforts have nevertheless been made to improve their lives in recent years," he continued. "We plan to increase these efforts too." Women's rights activist Anita Ghazanfari said that there had been significant gains in gender equality over the years. "Compared to the past, action is being taken to combat unemployment across the country. Many women have been appointed to roles within government and both girls and boys study in order to find jobs in this area," she said, although she also acknowledged that developments had not gone far enough. Some local women argue that rather than chasing an office job, their contemporaries would be better off turning to more practical ways of earning a living. Fatima, 20, said women shouldn't bother pursuing an education to get a government job, arguing that many in her village made good money through agricultural projects and through running small businesses. "I work with livestock and have done well out of it," she continued, adding that she had never depended on government-run schemes. "I started off by buying 15 chickens and then doubled this number, and now I sell the eggs and support my family. I've received trainings in raising the chickens and if women want to [follow this path], they will never lack work." This report was produced under IWPR's Supporting Investigative Reporting in Local Media and Strengthening Civil Society across Afghanistan initiative, funded by the British Embassy Kabul. Copyright notice: Institute for War & Peace Reporting Senegal: Video of Chad Ex-Dictator's Trial Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 December 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Senegal: Video of Chad Ex-Dictator's Trial, 6 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a56e4.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. Human Rights Watch today released a new video "The Trial of Hissene Habre," about the trial in Senegal of the former Chadian dictator. The video is being released as Habre's victims step up their campaign to receive the reparations they have been awarded. Habre was convicted on May 30, 2016, of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture, including sexual violence, by the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC) in Senegal and sentenced to life in prison. On April 27, 2017, the EAC appeals court confirmed the verdict and ordered Habre to pay approximately US$150 million in victim compensation. "It took 25 years of relentless campaigning by Hissene Habre's victims before he was finally brought to trial," said Reed Brody, counsel at Human Rights Watch who has worked with the survivors since 1999. "Habre's victims should not have to wait any longer to be compensated for the suffering they endured." The Human Rights Watch video highlights some of the key moments of the trial, including the testimony of survivors of rape and sexual slavery. It was the first trial in the world in which the courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for human rights crimes. On December 7, the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, the Redress Trust, Africa Legal Aid, and Switzerland will hold a side event at the meeting in New York of the Assembly of State Parties of the International Criminal Court to highlight the victims' campaign for reparations. Also on December 7, Brody will address the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights to talk about the lessons of the Habre case and the need for reparations. The EAC appeals court mandated an African Union (AU) trust fund to seek voluntary contributions and search for and seize Habre's assets, but the fund will not be formally established until the next AU Summit, in January 2018. Less than US$1 million of Habre's assets - a fraction of what Habre is believed to have stolen from Chad - has been recovered so far. Human Rights Watch said the new fund would need to engage professionals to trace and recover assets and to actively seek contributions from willing countries, including countries like the United States and France that supported Habre's rule. In addition, in March 2015, a court in Chad convicted 20 Habre-era security agents for murder and torture and awarded approximately US$125 million in compensation to 7,000 victims, half to be paid by the Chadian government and the other half by those convicted. More than two years later, that money has not been paid. In November, the victims, supported by the Redress Trust and other rights groups, filed a complaint against Chad's government before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Africa's premier human rights institution. Habre's one-party rule was marked by widespread atrocities, including waves of ethnic cleansing. Files of Habre's political police, the Direction de la Documentation et de la Securite (DDS), which Human Rights Watch recovered in 2001, reveal the names of 1,208 people who were killed or died in detention, and 12,321 victims of human rights violations. "The Habre case shows that it is possible for a coalition of victims, with perseverance and imagination, to bring their dictator to justice," Brody said. "We hope that other survivors, other activists will be inspired by what Habre's victims have been able to do." To read "Victims bring a Dictator to Justice" - Reed Brody's account of the Habre case, please visit: https://www.brot-fuer-die-welt.de/fileadmin/mediapool/2_Downloads/Fachinformationen/Analyse/Analysis70-The_Habre_Case.pdf Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Ethiopia: New Spate of Abusive Surveillance Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 December 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Ethiopia: New Spate of Abusive Surveillance, 6 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a5e84.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. Ethiopian authorities have carried out a renewed campaign of malware attacks, abusing commercial spyware to monitor government critics abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should immediately cease digital attacks on activists and independent voices, while spyware companies should be far more closely regulated. On December 6, 2017, independent researchers at the Toronto-based research center Citizen Lab published a technical analysis showing the renewed government malware campaign aimed at Ethiopian activists and political opponents. These attacks follow a long, documented history of similar government efforts to monitor critics, inside and outside of Ethiopia. "The Ethiopian government has doubled down on its efforts to spy on its critics, no matter where they are in the world," said Cynthia Wong, senior internet researcher at Human Rights Watch. "These attacks threaten freedom of expression and the privacy and the digital security of the people targeted." Based on analysis of attacks starting in 2016, the Citizen Lab report identified several targets who received phishing emails, including several ethnic Oromo activists and scholars, one of Citizen Lab's own research fellows, and Jawar Mohammed, an Oromo activist and executive director of the US-based Oromia Media Network (OMN). During the period of the infections described in the report, there were widespread protests in Ethiopia, beginning with Oromo protests over development plans around the capital, Addis Ababa, which culminated in a 10-month state of emergency that was lifted in August 2017. Security forces responded to those largely peaceful protests with lethal force, killing over one thousand protesters and detaining tens of thousands more since November 2015. The government has gone to various lengths to restrict OMN - an independent media network that covers current events in Oromia, Ethiopia - and other diaspora media outlets. Given Ethiopia's stranglehold on independent media and access to information, diaspora media outlets provide an important source of information that is independent from government, albeit often heavily politicized. OMN played a key role in disseminating information during protests in 2015 and 2016. The government has routinely jammed satellite television programs, arrested informants, pressured satellite companies to drop OMN, arrested people who show OMN in their places of businesses, and charged OMN under the antiterrorism law in October 2016. Identified targets in the most recent round of malware attacks were commentators on Ethiopian affairs, who received emails that were tailored to their interests. The emails invited the targets to download and install a software update, which contained malware, to view the content. The phishing attacks, if successful, would have infected their personal computers with spyware. The Citizen Lab report also uncovered dozens of successfully infected devices belonging to other targets in 20 countries, including in the US, UK, Eritrea, Canada, and Germany. Citizen Lab's analysis of the attacks and logfiles places the operator inside Ethiopia and links the software to Cyberbit, an Israel-based cybersecurity company. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defense company. The analysis suggests that the spyware in use is Cyberbit's PC Surveillance System (PSS), which the company may have recently rebranded as PC 360. Cyberbit's marketing materials describes PSS as a "comprehensive solution for monitoring and extracting information from remote [personal computers]." Once a computer is infected, the spyware's operator would gain access to virtually any information available on the device, including files, browsing history, passwords, emails, and what the target types into the computer. The spyware can also take screen shots and activate a computer's microphone and camera for live surveillance. The marketing materials indicate that PSS was created for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to "reduce crime" and "prevent terrorism." Citizen Lab's report also identifies potential Cyberbit product demonstrations to possible clients in several other countries, including Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. This is the third known spyware vendor that the Ethiopian government has engaged since 2013. Human Rights Watch and Citizen Lab previously wrote about the government's use of malware sold by UK/Germany-based Gamma International (reorganized as FinFisher) and Italy-based Hacking Team to target journalists and activists in the Ethiopian diaspora. Authorities continued to misuse Hacking Team's product through at least 2015, when a widely covered breach of the company's corporate data confirmed its business in the country. The government also has a history of abusing other surveillance technologies, which has facilitated a range of human rights violations. Inside the country, Ethiopian authorities have frequently used mobile surveillance to target independent voices. Human Rights Watch has documented how security agencies would play intercepted phone calls during abusive interrogations in an effort to intimidate critics and political opponents into silence. Spyware companies often market their products to government agencies tasked with fighting crime or preventing terrorism. However, the Ethiopian government has a documented history of abusing its counterterrorism laws to target journalists, bloggers, protesters, and government critics. At least 85 journalists have fled into exile since 2010 as a result of the government's ongoing crackdown on independent media. Ethiopia's laws lack meaningful protections for the right to privacy, and the country's broad security and law enforcement powers are not adequately regulated to prevent arbitrary, unlawful, or disproportionate surveillance. Human Rights Watch wrote to Cyberbit to request comment on Citizen Lab's findings, the company's approach to assessing the human rights impact of spyware sales to government customers, and what steps the company would take if it uncovered government abuses linked to their product. In a December 5 response, the company stated that it is "a vendor and it does not operate any of its products. Cyberbit Solutions customers are the sole operators of the products at their sole responsibility and they are obliged to do so according to all applicable laws and regulations" in their jurisdictions. The company also stated that it offers its products only to government authorities, and any sales of "lawful interception and intelligence products are subject to export control due to their nature and they were sold only after obtaining all relevant authorizations," including specific approval of a designated government end user. Finally, the company stated that while it cannot confirm or deny any specific transaction or client, the company appreciates the concerns raised and is "addressing it subject to the legal and contractual confidentiality obligations Cyberbit Solutions is bound by." Cyberbit should immediately investigate misuse of its products by Ethiopian authorities, publicly disclose its findings, and end any plans for future sales and any ongoing support it may be providing, Human Rights Watch said. Despite some progress in recent years, the sale of commercial spyware remains poorly regulated at the national and international level, as Ethiopia's repeated purchase of such tools demonstrates. Since 2014, the European Union and 41 member countries to the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies have begun to introduce regulations to control the sale of systems like those sold by Cyberbit. However, even where they exist, national implementation of such export controls has been uneven. Some governments do not adequately consider the risk to human rights when evaluating a company's application to export spyware to repressive regimes. While Israel does not formally participate in the Wassenaar Arrangement, it nonetheless incorporates the Wassenaar control lists into its national regulations. Exports of spyware systems from Israel's thriving cybersecurity industry to foreign governments for security purposes require approval from Israel's Defense Export Control Agency. Though the agency consults with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is unclear whether the government requires an examination of the end-user's or destination country's human rights record and whether the sale might facilitate violations of rights. According to 2016 media reports, the agency had previously approved the sale of similar spyware by the Israeli technology company NSO Group to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite its record of surveillance abuses. The UAE later used this technology to target a prominent human rights activist, Ahmed Mansoor. In October, the export agency announced that it will loosen some export restrictions, though how the changes will apply to spyware systems remains unclear. The latest Ethiopian malware campaign raises significant questions about whether Israel's export controls are adequate to prevent human rights abuses linked to spyware sales, Human Rights Watch said. Israel and other governments should ensure that such sales are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and evaluate the end-use and human rights record of the end user. "It is troubling if Israeli authorities allowed the sale of Cyberbit's spyware to Ethiopian security agencies, given their established record of using malware to violate rights," Wong said. "Spyware should be kept far from known human rights abusers." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Thailand: Prominent Scholar Faces 15-Year Term Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 December 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Thailand: Prominent Scholar Faces 15-Year Term, 6 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a61a4.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. Thailand's military prosecutor should drop the case against a leading scholar for "insulting the monarchy" for his analysis of a 16th-century battle, Human Rights Watch said today. On December 7, 2017, the military prosecutor will determine whether to proceed with the indictment of Sulak Sivaraksa, 85, for violating the Penal Code article 112 on lese majeste, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) junta initiated legal actions against Sulak in response to his remarks on October 5, 2014, at Thammasat University in Bangkok. Sulak questioned the historical accuracy of a 16th-century elephant battle between the Thai King Naresuan and the Burmese Crown Prince Mingyi Swa, which is commemorated annually as the Thai Armed Forces Day. Sulak reportedly told a seminar "not to easily believe in anything, otherwise they will fall prey to propaganda." "The junta's abusive use of the lese majeste law has reached a new height of absurdity when a prominent scholar is charged with a criminal offense for questioning the occurrence of a 16th-century battle," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Academic freedom and free speech in Thailand will suffer devastating blows if the trial against Sulak proceeds." Article 112 of Thailand's Penal Code states, "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, Heir-Apparent or Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years." Nothing in the law indicates that it can be used to encompass other figures, including past monarchs or historical narratives connected to past reigns. In recent years, however, Thai authorities have interpreted the law increasingly broadly without apparent support in the text of the law. In May 2013, the Supreme Court handed down a guilty verdict against Natchakrit Jungruengrit, ruling that he had committed lese majeste because of his comments about King Mongkut, who reigned from 1851 to 1868. The court held that "defaming the former king can affect the current king" and that "King Mongkut was the great grandfather of the current king." In December 2015, Thai authorities arrested factory worker Thanakorn Siripaiboon on lese majeste charges for satirical Facebook commentary about a pet dog of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. His case is currently on trial in the Bangkok Military Court. Since the May 2014 military coup in Thailand, at least 105 people have been arrested on lese majeste charges, mostly for posting or sharing critical commentary online. Military courts have imposed harsher sentences for lese majeste offenses than civilian courts did prior to the coup. Some have been convicted and sentenced to decades of imprisonment. For example, in August 2015, the Bangkok Military Court sentenced Pongsak Sriboonpeng to 60 years in prison for making a number of Facebook postings that the court ruled constitute lese majeste, the longest recorded sentence for lese majeste in Thailand's history. Per standard Thai sentencing rules, the court reduced the sentence by half, to 30 years, when Pongsak agreed to plead guilty to the charges. The junta has further tightened its chokehold on free expression by claiming an imperative to protect the monarchy. This is despite various pledges by Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha and other senior officials, including at the United Nations Human Rights Committee in March 2017, that the government values and will respect the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Frank La Rue, the then UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression stated in October 2011 that: "The threat of a long prison sentence and vagueness of what kinds of expression constitute defamation, insult, or threat to the monarchy, encourage self-censorship and stifle important debates on matters of public interest, thus putting in jeopardy the right to freedom of opinion and expression." The junta's increased use of the lese majeste law has made it more difficult for the police, prosecutors, judges, and other authorities to question the merits of lese majeste allegations - even when those allegations do not conform to the law's wording - out of concern that they might be accused of disloyalty to the monarchy themselves. "Governments should make it clear to the Thai junta that prosecuting a renowned scholar for his historical analysis will have an enormously detrimental impact on Thailand's reputation as a center for learning and academic freedom," Adams said. "The case against Sulak Sivaraksa should be immediately and unconditionally dropped." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch UN: China fails to scupper resolution on Myanmar's persecution of Rohingya Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, UN: China fails to scupper resolution on Myanmar's persecution of Rohingya, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a73c4.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 failed attempt by China, Philippines and Burundi to vote down a UN Human Rights Council resolution on the situation of the Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar, Nicholas Bequelin, East Asia Director at Amnesty International, said: "The adoption of today's resolution demonstrates the broad international concern about the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people so brutally impacted by the ongoing crimes against humanity in Myanmar's Rakhine State. By voting against it, China and others showed how woefully out of step they are with world opinion on the crisis. "China has the diplomatic, humanitarian and economic resources to make a real difference in the lives of the Rohingya. But its current maneuvering simply seeks to intervene only to preserve impunity for horrific crimes. "Thankfully, the resolution passed despite its detractors, and states across all regions of the world engaged positively on it. The international community must now redouble efforts to urge Myanmar's authorities, and in particular its military leadership, to immediately stop the violence and discrimination against Rohingya and other minorities, and allow unfettered access to the UN Fact-Finding Mission, humanitarian aid and independent human rights monitors. "This is crucial to lay the groundwork for accountability for atrocities against Rohingya women, men and children, as well as to ensure the voluntary, safe and dignified return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees." Background In today's resolution, the UN Human Rights Council condemned the systematic and gross violations of human rights in Myanmar, in particular against the Rohingya in Rakhine State. In addition to the three votes against, nine states abstained from today's vote and 33 voted in favour. More than 620,000 people have fled into Bangladesh in a matter of months as security forces unleashed a targeted campaign of violence against the Rohingya: killing an unknown number of women, men and children; raping women and girls; laying landmines; and burning entire Rohingya villages. Rohingya people who remain in the country are trapped in a dehumanizing state-sponsored system of apartheid, where virtually every aspect of their lives is severely restricted. Dismantling this system of apartheid is essential to ensure the safe, voluntary and dignified return of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who have fled Myanmar. Amnesty International has also documented how Myanmar's security forces are committing wide-ranging violations against other ethnic minorities, in particular in Kachin and northern Shan States. These include extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture and forced labour. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Nigeria: Government must act in response to fresh allegations of police abuses Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Nigeria: Government must act in response to fresh allegations of police abuses, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a7cb4.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 recent video circulating on social media, apparently showing the aftermath of an alleged killing of a young man by the country's Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said: "The scale of the reaction to this incident shows that the concerns of the Nigerian people are reaching boiling point. All incidents of violence meted out by this notorious police unit must be independently investigated, and those found to be responsible must be prosecuted in fair trials." "The #EndSARS hashtag is rightly gaining the attention of the police and Nigerian government and now officials must do more to end these horrendous abuses of power. Amnesty International highlighted such abuses more than a year ago and yet these shocking incidents still continue. Restructuring SARS is not enough, the government must take concrete steps to protect Nigerians." Background Amnesty International's September 2016 report Nigeria: You have signed your death warrant showed how the SARS police unit has been systematically torturing detainees as a means of extracting confessions and bribes. Nigeria has obligations under international and regional human rights law to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. The Nigerian government should take all necessary steps to ensure that police officers do not commit human rights violations. In August 2015 the police authorities announced that, in a bid to address complaints of human rights violations by SARS officers, it would introduce reforms by splitting the command into two units: Operation and Investigation. Positive developments as a result of the reforms are yet to be seen. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Philippines: Police reinstatement in "drug war" threatens catastrophic return to mass killing Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Philippines: Police reinstatement in "drug war" threatens catastrophic return to mass killing, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27a8e84.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 President Duterte has ordered the police to resume their role in supporting his administration's so-called "war on drugs," James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said: "In returning police to his anti-drug operations yet again, President Duterte has consigned the poorest and most marginalised people in the Philippines to another catastrophic wave of violence, misery and bloodshed. "Since the police were withdrawn from anti-drug operations in October, there has been a marked decline in the number of deaths resulting from these operations. We can only expect that to reverse, as the police have the opportunity to pick up where they left off and resume their indiscriminate killing with impunity. "It is now time for international justice mechanisms including the International Criminal Court to step in where the Philippines' criminal justice system has failed. The ICC should open a preliminary examination into the thousands of unlawful killings that have taken place, which may constitute crimes against humanity. Those responsible, including those who ordered the killings, must be brought to justice." Background On 12 October 2017, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte reduced the police's role in drug-related operations in favour of the Drug Enforcement Agency. On 22 November however, President Duterte said in a national speech that he was considering revising that decision. This is the second time the police have been removed, then reinstated to the anti-drug operations. The last time the police were removed from operations was in January 2017, before their re-involvement in March 2017. The Drug Enforcement Agency is mandated under the law to enforce all legal provisions on prohibited drugs. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International RSF urges Niger to enforce media freedom laws Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 4 December 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF urges Niger to enforce media freedom laws, 4 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27b1098.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) was able to meet with Prime Minister Brigi Rafini and communication minister Sani Hadiza Koubra Abdoulaye during a visit to Niger last week, using the meeting to urge respect for legislation that protects media freedom. The head of RSF's Africa desk, Clea Kahn-Sriber, visited Niger from 27 November to 30 November at the invitation of the House of the Press in Niamey for Niger's National Press Freedom Day on 30 November, participating in a panel on media responsibility and giving a presentation on the World Press Freedom Index. When Kahn-Sriber met the prime minister and communication minister, they objected to Niger's current ranking in the Index. Niger staged a spectacular 75-place jump (from 104th to 29th) in 2011, at the start of Issoufou Mahamadou's presidency, but has fallen steadily since then, and is now ranked 61st out of 180 countries. The prime minister assured RSF that his government was committed to media freedom and was working to improve the situation, but he said the measures adopted were taking time to have an effect. In RSF's view, Niger's fall in the Index is due above all to the fact that, although progressive, its laws are poorly or only partially implemented. Journalists continue to be imprisoned for media offences and attacks on media personnel go unpunished. "Niger is teeming with media outlets but their freedom is limited by their economic fragility, undue political influence on their staff and circumvention of media laws by the authorities," Kahn-Sriber said. "At the same time, some journalists need to make an effort to respect journalistic rules on covering the news. The frequent mutual mistrust between the authorities and the media undermines freedom of the press, which should above all serve the country's population." RSF made several recommendations to Niger's government, above all stressing the need to implement certain laws including the 2010 Law on Access to Information, so that journalists can work with verified official information. RSF asked the communication minister to quickly examine draft laws and opinions submitted by the High Council for Communication. In RSF's view, the priorities are those on the status of the media, which would enable them to provide a real public service, and on access to advertising, which would allow the privately-owned media to improve their financial situation. Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017 Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27b1844.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. 04.12.2017 - Website editor released on bail Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Mohammad Hossien Hidari, the editor of the Dolat e Bahar news website, was released on bail of 100 million toman (90,000 euros) on 29 November pending trial. --------- 29.11.2017 - Pro-Ahmadinejad website editor detained Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns last week's arrest of Mohammad Hossien Hidari, the editor of Dolat e Bahar, a news website that supports former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's political faction. Arrested on 21 November after being summoned by the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media, Hidari is accused inter alia of covering a speech by the controversial former president that was very critical of the judicial system. The Tehran prosecutor blocked Hidari's proposed release on 100 million toman (90,000 euros) in bail. Access to the website has meanwhile been blocked since the start of November as a power struggle intensifies between the Ahmadinejad faction and those allied with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Several former Ahmadinejad administration officials are currently the targets of judicial proceedings on corruption charges. --------- 27.11.2017 - Ex-prosecutor jailed, but not for his crimes against journalists Former Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi has been given a two-year jail sentence but not in connection with his many crimes against journalists. Mortazavi has been jailed for complicity in the murder of Mohsen Roholamini, one of three people who died as a result of mistreatment in Kahrizak detention centre following their arrest on 12 June 2009 for their role in protests against then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection. Roholamini was the son of a government dignitary. The other two were Amir Javadifar and Mohammad Kamarani. Acquitted at the original trial, Mortazavi was convicted when the case came before a Tehran appeal court. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been denouncing Mortazavi's role in crimes against journalists and citizen-journalists for the past 17 years. He still needs to be tried for his involvement in the deaths of two journalists in Tehran's Evin prison. One was Zahra Kazemi, a photographer with Iranian and Canadian dual citizenship who died in July 2003. The other was Omidreza Mirsayafi, a blogger who died in suspicious circumstances in March 2009. RSF believes that Mortazavi also shares responsibility for the arrests and convictions of hundreds of journalists and citizen-journalists, for the mistreatment and even torture they underwent while detained, and for the closure of around 100 newspapers while he was prosecutor. --------- 02.11.207 - Editor freed on completing two-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani, the editor of the daily newspaper Farhikhteghan, was released on 31 October on completing a two-year jail sentence, during which he was hospitalized several times with heart and lung problems after going on hunger strike for more than three weeks. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was originally given a seven- year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal. RSF has also learned that Mokeryan news website journalist Bakhtyar Khoshnam was released yesterday on bail of 137 million toman (110,000 euros). He was arrested on 28 September. Read the 13.10.2017 report: Kurdish journalist returned to prison ----------------- 19.10.2017 - Former editor banned from travelling abroad Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the international travel ban that has been imposed on Issa Saharkhiz, a journalist who used to edit several now-closed reformist newspapers. Officials stopped him on the tarmac of Tehran international airport as he was about to board a flight to Berlin on 17 October and confiscated his passport under article 16 of the passport law. Saharkhiz accuses the authorities of harassing him. Article 16 allows the judicial authorities to withdraw the passports of "persons whose travel would be contrary to the Islamic Republic's interests." One of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015, Saharkhiz had obtained a passport without any difficulty shortly after his release from prison in April of this year. RSF has also learned that Hamzeh Zargani, Saleh Torfi and Adel Sadoni, three citizen-journalists based in Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan, have been released conditionally. Torfi and Sadoni were freed on completing half of their jail terms. Zargani had to pay bail of 50 million toman (40,000 euros) because he faces further prosecution in connection with his political activities. All three were arrested on 9 April 2013, incarcerated in the city's Karon prison, and were given three-year jail terms on a charge of creating Facebook pages for the purpose of "anti-government propaganda." ---------- 18.10.2017 - Journalist convicted a second time for same "crime" Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the one-year prison sentence that a Tehran revolutionary court passed on 30 September on Souroush Farhadian, a contributor to several pro-reform newspapers and editor of the bimonthly Ro Beh Ro (Opposite). His lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said it was the second time he has been tried and convicted for the same articles. He has appealed. Farhadian's ordeal began on 15 May 2016, when he arrested in the central city of Arak on charges of anti-government publicity and "activities threatening national security" as a result of a complaint by the local military. After being freed on bail the next day, he was sentenced on 23 September 2016 to seven years in prison but an Arak appeal court later reduced the sentence to a fine. In both cases, he was convicted over the same articles denouncing the illegality of the detention of Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister and owner of the now closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, Zahra Rahnavard, a writer who is his wife, and Mehdi Karoubi, a former parliamentary speaker and owner of the now closed newspaper Etemad Melli. ---------- 13.10.2017 - Kurdish journalist returned to prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Mokeryan news website journalist Bakhtyar Khoshnam's arrest on 28 September in Saghez (in Iran's Kurdistan province) to serve a three months jail term for being in contact with media based abroad, above all Radio Farda (Radio Free Europe). He was taken directly to the city's main prison to start serving the sentence. Initially arrested in June, he was freed on bail a month later. A Saghez revolutionary court imposed the sentence on 18 July after convicting him of "contact with media opposed to the Islamic Republic." ---------- 09.10.2017 - Prosecutors shut down reformist daily Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the suspension of the reformist daily newspaper Mostaghel (Independent) by the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media since 5 October. According to Mostaghel's editor, Ali Nazari, it was suspended for publishing former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi's photo. This apparently violated an order by the High Council for National Security and Justice banning any information in the media about the leaders of the protests against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection in June 2009. On 4 October, the newspaper published the photos of Iran's five prime ministers from 1979 to 1989 (including Mousavi's) to illustrate an article about the possibility of a return to a parliamentary system. The owner of the now closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, Mousavi was prime minister from 1981 to 1989 and ran against Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential election. He, his wife (the writer Zahra Rahnavard), and Mehdi Karoubi, a former parliamentary speaker and owner of the now closed newspaper Etemad Melli, have been kept illegally under house arrest and deprived of all their rights since 24 February 2011. ---------- 03.10.2017 - Mehdi Khazali freed Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Mehdi Khazali, an outspoken blogger who was arrested on a Tehran street by plainclothesmen on 12 August, was freed on 28 September. The editor of the Baran blog, he had been openly critical of the head of the judicial authority in the months prior to his arrest. Arrested many times in the past, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2011. The conditions of his latest release have not been revealed. He is the son of Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali, an influential conservative cleric and regime member for 37 years. ---------- 14.09.2017 - Detention of two journalists extended by another month Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a judicial decision to extend the provisional detention of two journalists - Sasan Aghai, the deputy editor of the newspaper Etemad and Yaghma Fashkhami, a reporter for the news website Dideban e Iran - by another month in violation of both Iranian law and international standards. They are also being denied the right to see a lawyer and to be visited by their families. Both were arrested last month at their workplace by plainclothesmen from the justice department's intelligence protection section - Aghai on 11 August and Fashkhami on 21 August. The authorities have still not said why they were arrested or where they are being held. ---------- 11.09.2017 - Kurdish journalist freed on completing jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to learn that Khosro Kurdpour, a Kurdish journalist who edited the Mokeryan news website in the northwestern city of Mahabad, was released on 8 September on completing a sentence of five-year in prison. Ministry of intelligence officials arrested him at his home in Mahabad on 7 March 2013, one day before summoning and then arresting his brother, Masoud Kurdpour, who contributed to the website. The Mahabad revolutionary court that sentenced them both on 9 November 2013 gave Masoud Kurdpour a three and a half years jail term. ---------- 30.08.2017 - Two women journalists freed provisionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is relieved to learn that Hengameh Shahidi, a woman journalist who edited the Paineveste blog, and Zeniab Karimian, a woman journalist who hosted a programme on Iran's 3rd TV channel, were both released provisionally yesterday on bail of 900 million toman (810,000 euros). Arrested on 9 March, Shahidi staged several hunger strikes in protest against her detention and prison conditions, despite being very ill. Karimian was arrested at her home on 23 January 2017 by intelligence ministry plainclothesmen. Both were held in isolation in different security sections of Tehran's Evin prison, initially under the intelligence ministry's control and then under the control of the justice department's intelligence section. When Shahidi emerged from the prison, she appeared weak and had clearly lost a lot of weight. ---------- 07.08.2017 - Imprisoned citizen-journalist's wife arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the arrest of Nastaran Naimi, the wife of the imprisoned citizen-journalist Soheil Arabi. Plainclothesmen arrested her at her home on 31 July after searching it. Her family has still not been told why she was arrested or where she is being held. Arabi has been detained for the past three and a half years. Arrested by Revolutionary Guards in December 2013, he was incarcerated in Security Section 2a of Tehran's Evin prison, where he was isolated and mistreated for two months to get him to confess to helping to create a Facebook network that blasphemed Islam and criticized the government. The confession led to the imposition of a death sentence in August 2014, which - following protests by his lawyer and the intercession of UN special rapporteurs - was eventually overturned. At a retrial in September 2015, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison starting with two years under observation, during which time he must prove he has repented to avoid reimposition of the death sentence. ---------- 02.08.2017 - A journalist and four Telegram group administrators bailed Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that four administrators of a group that used the instant messaging service Telegram to circulate information - Seid Mojtaba Bagheri, Said Naghdi, Javad Jamshidi and Nima Keshvari - were freed on bail of 500 million toman (410,000 euros) on 30 and 31 July. Held in Tehran's Evin prison after their arrest by Revolutionary Guards on 16 March, they are due to be tried on 12 August. Two other members of the group who were arrested at the same time, Sobhan Jafari Tash and Ali Ahmadinia, will be freed as soon as their bail is paid, their lawyer, Ali Mojtahad Zadeh, said. RSF has also learned that the journalist and photographer Assal Esmaeilzadeh was freed on bail of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) on 13 July pending trial. She was arrested without charge at the behest of the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media on 20 June. ---------- 30.06.2017 - Two months after release, journalist sentenced again Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month jail sentence that was imposed on Issa Saharkhiz, the former editor of several, now-closed reformist newspapers, on 19 June, just two months after his release. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he was convicted of insulting the head of the judicial system. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His lawyer reported at the time that two other charges against Saharkhiz - publishing false news and insulting the head of the judicial system - would be tried separately as political crimes before a court of assizes. After the latest sentence was passed on 19 June, Alizadeh-Tabatabaie pointed out that the court had accepted that his client's criticism of the head of the judicial system had been personal in nature. It therefore could not be regarded as a political crime meriting a six-month jail sentence, he added, announcing that they planned to appeal. Saharkhiz was released on 15 April after being deemed to have completed the first sentence. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been serving his sentence in a Tehran hospital since March 2016. ---------- 26.06.2017 - Newspaper journalist freed provisionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that, after payment of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) in bail, Borna News social affairs editor Tahereh Riahai was released provisionally on 24 June pending trial. Arrested by plainclothes intelligence officers on 27 December 2016, she had been kept in isolation in Section 209 of Tehran's Evin prison for months. ---------- 23.06.2017 - Ahmadinejad's former press adviser arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Abdol Reza Davari, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's onetime press adviser, who also once ran the newspaper Shahrvand and the government news agency Irna, was arrested on 31 May in order to serve a three-year jail sentence. Davari was convicted in September 2013 of "insulting" Supreme Leader AliKhamenei in three comments posted on Facebook and was given a six-year jail sentence that was reduced to three years on appeal. He was arrested two days after posting an open letter criticizing Ebrahim Raisi and Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, two members of a commission that passed death sentences in 1988 on thousands of political prisoners who refused to renounce their beliefs. ---------- 01.06.2017 - Narges Mohammadi back in prison two days after operation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is very concerned about the health of Narges Mohammadi, an imprisoned journalist and human rights defender who has been returned to prison just two days after undergoing an operation. Rushed to hospital with severe uterine bleeding on 28 May, Mohammadi was operated on the next day and was taken back to prison yesterday. Held since May 2015, Mohammadi was deemed to have completed an initial six-year sentence on 17 March and immediately began a second, ten-year one. She has several ailments including muscular paralysis but is being denied the medical care she needs. Her health is in danger and she should not be in prison. We call for her immediate release. ---------- 24.05.2017 - Magazine editor Morad Saghafi released on bail Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu (Dialogue in Persian), was released on payment of bail on 20 May pending trial. He had been arrested at his Tehran home on 16 March. ---------- 18.05.2017 - Hengameh Shahidi suspends hunger strike Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was relieved to learn today that imprisoned journalist Hengameh Shahidi decided to suspend her hunger strike after receiving a visit from her family in 16 May and a promise from the Tehran prosecutor's office that her appalling prison conditions will be improved and that she will be given complete medical examinations. According to her family, she is suffering from several heart and respiratory ailments, along with other conditions. She had not been eating any food since 10 May. --------- 12.05.2017 - Journalist freed after ten years in prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to learn that Mohammad Sedegh Kabodvand, the editor of Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan (a regional newspaper closed by the authorities in 2004), was granted a conditional release today on completing ten years in prison. Held since July 2007 in Tehran's Evin prison, Kabodvand was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison in connection with his journalistic activities and his creation of a human rights organization in Iranian Kurdistan, the northern region where he lived. He has been freed provisionally pending a judicial decision on the application of article 134 for the new Islamic criminal code to the rest of his sentence. Under a 2013 amendment to the code, a person convicted on several charges should serve only the most important sentence. By this token, he should have been freed four years ago. -------- 27.04.2017 - Two journalists freed conditionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that two imprisoned journalists, Kaivan Karimi and Issa Saharkhiz, have been released conditionally in the past week. Karimi, a young documentary filmmaker, was freed on 20 April after completing half of the one-year sentence he received in November 2016 . Saharkhiz, the editor of several reformist newspapers was released on 25 April. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he had completed his sentence. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been hospitalized since March 2016. The sentence was reduced last September. Ranked 165th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Iran is one of the world's five biggest prisons for media personnel, with a total of 28 journalists and citizen journalists detained. ---------- 19.04.2017 - Narges Mohammadi begins serving second jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by the continuing persecution of journalist and leading human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who has just started serving a ten-year prison sentence on completing a six-year one. She received the ten-year sentence a year after her most recent arrest, on 5 May 2015. Mohammadi has a long history of persecution by the judicial authorities and has been arrested several times. During her spells out of prison, she has worked closely with Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi at the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. The six-year sentence followed her arrest at her home on the evening of 10 June 2010. She was convicted two months later on charges of "meeting and plotting against the Islamic Republic," "anti-government publicity:" and "collaborating with the Centre for Human Rights Defenders" and was given an 11-year jail term that was reduced to six years on appeal in March 2011. Mohammadi suffered muscular paralysis as a consequence of the heavy-handed interrogation sessions to which she was subjected after her arrest in 2010. As a result, she was paroled in July 2012. ---------- 17.03.2017 - More journalists arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yet again condemns the persecution of journalists in Iran after at least three more were arrested in the past week. The latest victims include Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu ("Dialogue" in Persian), who was arrested at his Tehran home yesterday and was taken to an unknown location. His lawyer, Hamed Zargar, said neither he nor Saghafi's family have been told why he was arrested. Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, yesterday asked the minister of intelligence to explain why a military unit recently arrested 12 editors of pro-reform information pages on the instant messaging service Telegram. Motahari also criticized the detention of Ehssan Mazandarani, the former editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan, on 12 March (see RSF's 13 March release). His wife, Malieh Hossieni, a journalist with the newspaper Farhikhteghana, was fired the day after his arrest. Although banned, apps and social networks such as Telegram, Facebook and Twitter nowadays play an important role in providing Iranians with news and information. Telegram says it has more than 15 million users in Iran. According to the Kalameh news website, Ali Ahmadinia, the administrator of the Eslahat News (Reform News) channel on Telegram, was arrested on 14 March and was taken to an unknown location. RSF is currently very concerned about the health of two journalists who have been on hunger strike since their arrest. One is Mazandarani, who was arrested on 12 March (see above). The other Henghameh Shahidi, who was arrested on 9 March. ---------- 15.03.2017 - Former editor gets six-month jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month prison sentence that has been passed on Hossein Karoubi, the former editor of Etemad Meli (a newspaper closed since August 2009) for circulating the open letter that his father, Mehdi Karoubi, wrote to President Hassan Rohani. In the April 2016 letter, published in mostly foreign-based media outlets and on social networks, Mehdi Karoubi asks to be tried before a public court "in order to present the evidence I possess about massive fraud during the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections and to show what has happened to young Iranians in the country's legal and illegal detention centres." Etemad Melli's owner and a former parliamentary speaker, Mehdi Karoubi has been under house arrest since February 2011, a fate he has shared with former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi (the owner of the closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz) and Mousavi's wife, the writer Zahra Rahnavard. Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who are both former presidential candidates, are being held illegally and are being denied their rights. Their state of health is very worrying. RSF has meanwhile learned that Samna Safari, a journalist with the monthly Andisher Poya, was released on 11 March after the authorities determined that he had served his two-year jail sentence. Detained along with three other journalists in a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was sentenced by a revolutionary court in March 2016 to five years in prison for "anti-government propaganda activities." This was reduced to two years on appeal. ---------- 28.02.2017 - City of Qom suspends newspaper Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by the city of Qom's public prosecutor to suspend the newspaper Shakheh Sabz on 26 February, a day after it ran a story criticizing the level of violence in one of its poorest districts, which it likened to a "jungle." The suspension was ordered after 136 parliamentarians supported a resolution accusing the daily of "insulting the population of the Holy City of Qom." The newspaper's name means "Green Branch." ---------- 22.02.2017 - Ahmad Montazeri returned to prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) firmly condemns progressive cleric Ahmad Montazeri's arrest yesterday. The editor of the website of his late father, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, he was returned to prison after being summoned before a special court for clerics. Tried behind closed doors and without a defence lawyer on 20 October, Montazeri was sentenced on 27 November to ten years in prison for endangering state security, ten years for publishing a "classified audio recording" and another year for anti-government "propaganda." He was prosecuted for posting an old recording on the website on 9 August 2016 in which his father could be heard criticizing the wave of executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. For more information: Ahmad Montazeri gets 21-year jail term as part of bid to suppress history ---------- 17.02.2017 - Editor freed on completing jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani - the editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan and one of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015 - was released on 9 February. He had been given a seven-year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal, His lawyer said he was freed as a result of a decision that he had completed his sentence. While in prison, he was hospitalized several times with heart and chest problems after a three-week hunger strike. ---------- 10.01.2017 - Website reporter flogged for getting facts wrong Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that Hossien Movahedi, a local news website reporter, was flogged last week in Najafabad, a city 450 km south of Tehran, for getting one of his facts wrong in a story about the confiscation of mopeds from female students at a technological secondary school in the city. Movahedi reported on the Najafabad News website on 14 June 2016 that the police seized 35 mopeds when, according to the police, it was only eight. Although he apologized for his mistake and although the police were allowed to publish their version on the website, the police pressed charges against him and a Najafabad court sentenced him to 40 lashes for "publishing false information." This inhuman and medieval sentence was carried out on 4 January. Iran has yet to ratify the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. ---------- 06.01.2016 - Woman journalist freed on completing one-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Rihaneh Tabatabai, a journalist who has worked for several reformist newspapers, was released yesterday on completing a one-year jail term on charges of endangering national security and anti-government publicity. She was arrested on 12 January 2016 to begin serving the sentence, which was originally imposed in November 2014 and was confirmed by a Tehran appeal court a year later. The sentence also includes two-year ban on political and journalistic activity in the media and online following her release. In all, Tabatabai has been jailed four times since 2010 in connection with her journalistic activities. ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2016) -------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2015) ------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2014) ---------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2013) ---------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2012) ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2011) ----- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (July-December 2010) -------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-July 2010) --------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (June-December 2009) More forced displacement of journalists seen in Mexico Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, More forced displacement of journalists seen in Mexico, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27b1d04.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. 04.12.2017 - Website editor released on bail Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Mohammad Hossien Hidari, the editor of the Dolat e Bahar news website, was released on bail of 100 million toman (90,000 euros) on 29 November pending trial. --------- 29.11.2017 - Pro-Ahmadinejad website editor detained Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns last week's arrest of Mohammad Hossien Hidari, the editor of Dolat e Bahar, a news website that supports former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's political faction. Arrested on 21 November after being summoned by the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media, Hidari is accused inter alia of covering a speech by the controversial former president that was very critical of the judicial system. The Tehran prosecutor blocked Hidari's proposed release on 100 million toman (90,000 euros) in bail. Access to the website has meanwhile been blocked since the start of November as a power struggle intensifies between the Ahmadinejad faction and those allied with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Several former Ahmadinejad administration officials are currently the targets of judicial proceedings on corruption charges. --------- 27.11.2017 - Ex-prosecutor jailed, but not for his crimes against journalists Former Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi has been given a two-year jail sentence but not in connection with his many crimes against journalists. Mortazavi has been jailed for complicity in the murder of Mohsen Roholamini, one of three people who died as a result of mistreatment in Kahrizak detention centre following their arrest on 12 June 2009 for their role in protests against then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection. Roholamini was the son of a government dignitary. The other two were Amir Javadifar and Mohammad Kamarani. Acquitted at the original trial, Mortazavi was convicted when the case came before a Tehran appeal court. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been denouncing Mortazavi's role in crimes against journalists and citizen-journalists for the past 17 years. He still needs to be tried for his involvement in the deaths of two journalists in Tehran's Evin prison. One was Zahra Kazemi, a photographer with Iranian and Canadian dual citizenship who died in July 2003. The other was Omidreza Mirsayafi, a blogger who died in suspicious circumstances in March 2009. RSF believes that Mortazavi also shares responsibility for the arrests and convictions of hundreds of journalists and citizen-journalists, for the mistreatment and even torture they underwent while detained, and for the closure of around 100 newspapers while he was prosecutor. --------- 02.11.207 - Editor freed on completing two-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani, the editor of the daily newspaper Farhikhteghan, was released on 31 October on completing a two-year jail sentence, during which he was hospitalized several times with heart and lung problems after going on hunger strike for more than three weeks. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was originally given a seven- year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal. RSF has also learned that Mokeryan news website journalist Bakhtyar Khoshnam was released yesterday on bail of 137 million toman (110,000 euros). He was arrested on 28 September. Read the 13.10.2017 report: Kurdish journalist returned to prison ----------------- 19.10.2017 - Former editor banned from travelling abroad Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the international travel ban that has been imposed on Issa Saharkhiz, a journalist who used to edit several now-closed reformist newspapers. Officials stopped him on the tarmac of Tehran international airport as he was about to board a flight to Berlin on 17 October and confiscated his passport under article 16 of the passport law. Saharkhiz accuses the authorities of harassing him. Article 16 allows the judicial authorities to withdraw the passports of "persons whose travel would be contrary to the Islamic Republic's interests." One of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015, Saharkhiz had obtained a passport without any difficulty shortly after his release from prison in April of this year. RSF has also learned that Hamzeh Zargani, Saleh Torfi and Adel Sadoni, three citizen-journalists based in Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern province of Khuzestan, have been released conditionally. Torfi and Sadoni were freed on completing half of their jail terms. Zargani had to pay bail of 50 million toman (40,000 euros) because he faces further prosecution in connection with his political activities. All three were arrested on 9 April 2013, incarcerated in the city's Karon prison, and were given three-year jail terms on a charge of creating Facebook pages for the purpose of "anti-government propaganda." ---------- 18.10.2017 - Journalist convicted a second time for same "crime" Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the one-year prison sentence that a Tehran revolutionary court passed on 30 September on Souroush Farhadian, a contributor to several pro-reform newspapers and editor of the bimonthly Ro Beh Ro (Opposite). His lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, said it was the second time he has been tried and convicted for the same articles. He has appealed. Farhadian's ordeal began on 15 May 2016, when he arrested in the central city of Arak on charges of anti-government publicity and "activities threatening national security" as a result of a complaint by the local military. After being freed on bail the next day, he was sentenced on 23 September 2016 to seven years in prison but an Arak appeal court later reduced the sentence to a fine. In both cases, he was convicted over the same articles denouncing the illegality of the detention of Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister and owner of the now closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, Zahra Rahnavard, a writer who is his wife, and Mehdi Karoubi, a former parliamentary speaker and owner of the now closed newspaper Etemad Melli. ---------- 13.10.2017 - Kurdish journalist returned to prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns Mokeryan news website journalist Bakhtyar Khoshnam's arrest on 28 September in Saghez (in Iran's Kurdistan province) to serve a three months jail term for being in contact with media based abroad, above all Radio Farda (Radio Free Europe). He was taken directly to the city's main prison to start serving the sentence. Initially arrested in June, he was freed on bail a month later. A Saghez revolutionary court imposed the sentence on 18 July after convicting him of "contact with media opposed to the Islamic Republic." ---------- 09.10.2017 - Prosecutors shut down reformist daily Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the suspension of the reformist daily newspaper Mostaghel (Independent) by the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media since 5 October. According to Mostaghel's editor, Ali Nazari, it was suspended for publishing former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi's photo. This apparently violated an order by the High Council for National Security and Justice banning any information in the media about the leaders of the protests against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection in June 2009. On 4 October, the newspaper published the photos of Iran's five prime ministers from 1979 to 1989 (including Mousavi's) to illustrate an article about the possibility of a return to a parliamentary system. The owner of the now closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, Mousavi was prime minister from 1981 to 1989 and ran against Ahmadinejad in the 2009 presidential election. He, his wife (the writer Zahra Rahnavard), and Mehdi Karoubi, a former parliamentary speaker and owner of the now closed newspaper Etemad Melli, have been kept illegally under house arrest and deprived of all their rights since 24 February 2011. ---------- 03.10.2017 - Mehdi Khazali freed Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Mehdi Khazali, an outspoken blogger who was arrested on a Tehran street by plainclothesmen on 12 August, was freed on 28 September. The editor of the Baran blog, he had been openly critical of the head of the judicial authority in the months prior to his arrest. Arrested many times in the past, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2011. The conditions of his latest release have not been revealed. He is the son of Ayatollah Abolghasem Khazali, an influential conservative cleric and regime member for 37 years. ---------- 14.09.2017 - Detention of two journalists extended by another month Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns a judicial decision to extend the provisional detention of two journalists - Sasan Aghai, the deputy editor of the newspaper Etemad and Yaghma Fashkhami, a reporter for the news website Dideban e Iran - by another month in violation of both Iranian law and international standards. They are also being denied the right to see a lawyer and to be visited by their families. Both were arrested last month at their workplace by plainclothesmen from the justice department's intelligence protection section - Aghai on 11 August and Fashkhami on 21 August. The authorities have still not said why they were arrested or where they are being held. ---------- 11.09.2017 - Kurdish journalist freed on completing jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to learn that Khosro Kurdpour, a Kurdish journalist who edited the Mokeryan news website in the northwestern city of Mahabad, was released on 8 September on completing a sentence of five-year in prison. Ministry of intelligence officials arrested him at his home in Mahabad on 7 March 2013, one day before summoning and then arresting his brother, Masoud Kurdpour, who contributed to the website. The Mahabad revolutionary court that sentenced them both on 9 November 2013 gave Masoud Kurdpour a three and a half years jail term. ---------- 30.08.2017 - Two women journalists freed provisionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is relieved to learn that Hengameh Shahidi, a woman journalist who edited the Paineveste blog, and Zeniab Karimian, a woman journalist who hosted a programme on Iran's 3rd TV channel, were both released provisionally yesterday on bail of 900 million toman (810,000 euros). Arrested on 9 March, Shahidi staged several hunger strikes in protest against her detention and prison conditions, despite being very ill. Karimian was arrested at her home on 23 January 2017 by intelligence ministry plainclothesmen. Both were held in isolation in different security sections of Tehran's Evin prison, initially under the intelligence ministry's control and then under the control of the justice department's intelligence section. When Shahidi emerged from the prison, she appeared weak and had clearly lost a lot of weight. ---------- 07.08.2017 - Imprisoned citizen-journalist's wife arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the arrest of Nastaran Naimi, the wife of the imprisoned citizen-journalist Soheil Arabi. Plainclothesmen arrested her at her home on 31 July after searching it. Her family has still not been told why she was arrested or where she is being held. Arabi has been detained for the past three and a half years. Arrested by Revolutionary Guards in December 2013, he was incarcerated in Security Section 2a of Tehran's Evin prison, where he was isolated and mistreated for two months to get him to confess to helping to create a Facebook network that blasphemed Islam and criticized the government. The confession led to the imposition of a death sentence in August 2014, which - following protests by his lawyer and the intercession of UN special rapporteurs - was eventually overturned. At a retrial in September 2015, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison starting with two years under observation, during which time he must prove he has repented to avoid reimposition of the death sentence. ---------- 02.08.2017 - A journalist and four Telegram group administrators bailed Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that four administrators of a group that used the instant messaging service Telegram to circulate information - Seid Mojtaba Bagheri, Said Naghdi, Javad Jamshidi and Nima Keshvari - were freed on bail of 500 million toman (410,000 euros) on 30 and 31 July. Held in Tehran's Evin prison after their arrest by Revolutionary Guards on 16 March, they are due to be tried on 12 August. Two other members of the group who were arrested at the same time, Sobhan Jafari Tash and Ali Ahmadinia, will be freed as soon as their bail is paid, their lawyer, Ali Mojtahad Zadeh, said. RSF has also learned that the journalist and photographer Assal Esmaeilzadeh was freed on bail of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) on 13 July pending trial. She was arrested without charge at the behest of the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media on 20 June. ---------- 30.06.2017 - Two months after release, journalist sentenced again Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month jail sentence that was imposed on Issa Saharkhiz, the former editor of several, now-closed reformist newspapers, on 19 June, just two months after his release. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he was convicted of insulting the head of the judicial system. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His lawyer reported at the time that two other charges against Saharkhiz - publishing false news and insulting the head of the judicial system - would be tried separately as political crimes before a court of assizes. After the latest sentence was passed on 19 June, Alizadeh-Tabatabaie pointed out that the court had accepted that his client's criticism of the head of the judicial system had been personal in nature. It therefore could not be regarded as a political crime meriting a six-month jail sentence, he added, announcing that they planned to appeal. Saharkhiz was released on 15 April after being deemed to have completed the first sentence. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been serving his sentence in a Tehran hospital since March 2016. ---------- 26.06.2017 - Newspaper journalist freed provisionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that, after payment of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) in bail, Borna News social affairs editor Tahereh Riahai was released provisionally on 24 June pending trial. Arrested by plainclothes intelligence officers on 27 December 2016, she had been kept in isolation in Section 209 of Tehran's Evin prison for months. ---------- 23.06.2017 - Ahmadinejad's former press adviser arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Abdol Reza Davari, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's onetime press adviser, who also once ran the newspaper Shahrvand and the government news agency Irna, was arrested on 31 May in order to serve a three-year jail sentence. Davari was convicted in September 2013 of "insulting" Supreme Leader AliKhamenei in three comments posted on Facebook and was given a six-year jail sentence that was reduced to three years on appeal. He was arrested two days after posting an open letter criticizing Ebrahim Raisi and Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, two members of a commission that passed death sentences in 1988 on thousands of political prisoners who refused to renounce their beliefs. ---------- 01.06.2017 - Narges Mohammadi back in prison two days after operation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is very concerned about the health of Narges Mohammadi, an imprisoned journalist and human rights defender who has been returned to prison just two days after undergoing an operation. Rushed to hospital with severe uterine bleeding on 28 May, Mohammadi was operated on the next day and was taken back to prison yesterday. Held since May 2015, Mohammadi was deemed to have completed an initial six-year sentence on 17 March and immediately began a second, ten-year one. She has several ailments including muscular paralysis but is being denied the medical care she needs. Her health is in danger and she should not be in prison. We call for her immediate release. ---------- 24.05.2017 - Magazine editor Morad Saghafi released on bail Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu (Dialogue in Persian), was released on payment of bail on 20 May pending trial. He had been arrested at his Tehran home on 16 March. ---------- 18.05.2017 - Hengameh Shahidi suspends hunger strike Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was relieved to learn today that imprisoned journalist Hengameh Shahidi decided to suspend her hunger strike after receiving a visit from her family in 16 May and a promise from the Tehran prosecutor's office that her appalling prison conditions will be improved and that she will be given complete medical examinations. According to her family, she is suffering from several heart and respiratory ailments, along with other conditions. She had not been eating any food since 10 May. --------- 12.05.2017 - Journalist freed after ten years in prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to learn that Mohammad Sedegh Kabodvand, the editor of Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan (a regional newspaper closed by the authorities in 2004), was granted a conditional release today on completing ten years in prison. Held since July 2007 in Tehran's Evin prison, Kabodvand was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison in connection with his journalistic activities and his creation of a human rights organization in Iranian Kurdistan, the northern region where he lived. He has been freed provisionally pending a judicial decision on the application of article 134 for the new Islamic criminal code to the rest of his sentence. Under a 2013 amendment to the code, a person convicted on several charges should serve only the most important sentence. By this token, he should have been freed four years ago. -------- 27.04.2017 - Two journalists freed conditionally Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that two imprisoned journalists, Kaivan Karimi and Issa Saharkhiz, have been released conditionally in the past week. Karimi, a young documentary filmmaker, was freed on 20 April after completing half of the one-year sentence he received in November 2016 . Saharkhiz, the editor of several reformist newspapers was released on 25 April. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he had completed his sentence. One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been hospitalized since March 2016. The sentence was reduced last September. Ranked 165th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, Iran is one of the world's five biggest prisons for media personnel, with a total of 28 journalists and citizen journalists detained. ---------- 19.04.2017 - Narges Mohammadi begins serving second jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by the continuing persecution of journalist and leading human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who has just started serving a ten-year prison sentence on completing a six-year one. She received the ten-year sentence a year after her most recent arrest, on 5 May 2015. Mohammadi has a long history of persecution by the judicial authorities and has been arrested several times. During her spells out of prison, she has worked closely with Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi at the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. The six-year sentence followed her arrest at her home on the evening of 10 June 2010. She was convicted two months later on charges of "meeting and plotting against the Islamic Republic," "anti-government publicity:" and "collaborating with the Centre for Human Rights Defenders" and was given an 11-year jail term that was reduced to six years on appeal in March 2011. Mohammadi suffered muscular paralysis as a consequence of the heavy-handed interrogation sessions to which she was subjected after her arrest in 2010. As a result, she was paroled in July 2012. ---------- 17.03.2017 - More journalists arrested Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yet again condemns the persecution of journalists in Iran after at least three more were arrested in the past week. The latest victims include Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu ("Dialogue" in Persian), who was arrested at his Tehran home yesterday and was taken to an unknown location. His lawyer, Hamed Zargar, said neither he nor Saghafi's family have been told why he was arrested. Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, yesterday asked the minister of intelligence to explain why a military unit recently arrested 12 editors of pro-reform information pages on the instant messaging service Telegram. Motahari also criticized the detention of Ehssan Mazandarani, the former editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan, on 12 March (see RSF's 13 March release). His wife, Malieh Hossieni, a journalist with the newspaper Farhikhteghana, was fired the day after his arrest. Although banned, apps and social networks such as Telegram, Facebook and Twitter nowadays play an important role in providing Iranians with news and information. Telegram says it has more than 15 million users in Iran. According to the Kalameh news website, Ali Ahmadinia, the administrator of the Eslahat News (Reform News) channel on Telegram, was arrested on 14 March and was taken to an unknown location. RSF is currently very concerned about the health of two journalists who have been on hunger strike since their arrest. One is Mazandarani, who was arrested on 12 March (see above). The other Henghameh Shahidi, who was arrested on 9 March. ---------- 15.03.2017 - Former editor gets six-month jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month prison sentence that has been passed on Hossein Karoubi, the former editor of Etemad Meli (a newspaper closed since August 2009) for circulating the open letter that his father, Mehdi Karoubi, wrote to President Hassan Rohani. In the April 2016 letter, published in mostly foreign-based media outlets and on social networks, Mehdi Karoubi asks to be tried before a public court "in order to present the evidence I possess about massive fraud during the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections and to show what has happened to young Iranians in the country's legal and illegal detention centres." Etemad Melli's owner and a former parliamentary speaker, Mehdi Karoubi has been under house arrest since February 2011, a fate he has shared with former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi (the owner of the closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz) and Mousavi's wife, the writer Zahra Rahnavard. Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who are both former presidential candidates, are being held illegally and are being denied their rights. Their state of health is very worrying. RSF has meanwhile learned that Samna Safari, a journalist with the monthly Andisher Poya, was released on 11 March after the authorities determined that he had served his two-year jail sentence. Detained along with three other journalists in a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was sentenced by a revolutionary court in March 2016 to five years in prison for "anti-government propaganda activities." This was reduced to two years on appeal. ---------- 28.02.2017 - City of Qom suspends newspaper Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by the city of Qom's public prosecutor to suspend the newspaper Shakheh Sabz on 26 February, a day after it ran a story criticizing the level of violence in one of its poorest districts, which it likened to a "jungle." The suspension was ordered after 136 parliamentarians supported a resolution accusing the daily of "insulting the population of the Holy City of Qom." The newspaper's name means "Green Branch." ---------- 22.02.2017 - Ahmad Montazeri returned to prison Reporters Without Borders (RSF) firmly condemns progressive cleric Ahmad Montazeri's arrest yesterday. The editor of the website of his late father, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, he was returned to prison after being summoned before a special court for clerics. Tried behind closed doors and without a defence lawyer on 20 October, Montazeri was sentenced on 27 November to ten years in prison for endangering state security, ten years for publishing a "classified audio recording" and another year for anti-government "propaganda." He was prosecuted for posting an old recording on the website on 9 August 2016 in which his father could be heard criticizing the wave of executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. For more information: Ahmad Montazeri gets 21-year jail term as part of bid to suppress history ---------- 17.02.2017 - Editor freed on completing jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani - the editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan and one of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015 - was released on 9 February. He had been given a seven-year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal, His lawyer said he was freed as a result of a decision that he had completed his sentence. While in prison, he was hospitalized several times with heart and chest problems after a three-week hunger strike. ---------- 10.01.2017 - Website reporter flogged for getting facts wrong Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that Hossien Movahedi, a local news website reporter, was flogged last week in Najafabad, a city 450 km south of Tehran, for getting one of his facts wrong in a story about the confiscation of mopeds from female students at a technological secondary school in the city. Movahedi reported on the Najafabad News website on 14 June 2016 that the police seized 35 mopeds when, according to the police, it was only eight. Although he apologized for his mistake and although the police were allowed to publish their version on the website, the police pressed charges against him and a Najafabad court sentenced him to 40 lashes for "publishing false information." This inhuman and medieval sentence was carried out on 4 January. Iran has yet to ratify the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. ---------- 06.01.2016 - Woman journalist freed on completing one-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Rihaneh Tabatabai, a journalist who has worked for several reformist newspapers, was released yesterday on completing a one-year jail term on charges of endangering national security and anti-government publicity. She was arrested on 12 January 2016 to begin serving the sentence, which was originally imposed in November 2014 and was confirmed by a Tehran appeal court a year later. The sentence also includes two-year ban on political and journalistic activity in the media and online following her release. In all, Tabatabai has been jailed four times since 2010 in connection with her journalistic activities. ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2016) -------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2015) ------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2014) ---------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2013) ---------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2012) ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2011) ----- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (July-December 2010) -------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-July 2010) --------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (June-December 2009) Houthis holding 41 journalists hostage inside Yemeni TV station Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Houthis holding 41 journalists hostage inside Yemeni TV station, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27b22d4.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) calls for the immediate release of 41 journalists who have been held hostage by Houthi rebels inside the headquarters of the Yemen Al Youm TV channel in Sanaa for the past three days. RSF meanwhile holds the Houthis responsible for their safety. Houthi forces fired on the TV channel's building with rocket grenades before taking complete control of it on 2 December. According to the sources consultes by RSF, three guards were injured during the attack. Yemen Al Youm TV is affiliated to the General People's Congress, the party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed on 4 December. "We condemn the violent actions towards journalists by the Houthis, which constitute serious violations of the Geneva Conventions," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of RSF's Middle East desk. "This hostage-taking is typical of the climate of hostility in Yemen towards journalists, who are often targeted in this conflict. We call on the Houthi rebels to immediately release the TV channel's journalists and employees, as well as the 11 other media professionals and workers they are currently holding in their prisons." The journalists held hostage inside Yemen Al Youm TV are being denied any contact with the outside world and RSF has no information about the conditions in which they are being held. RSF's sources say the journalists were forced to surrender the TV channel's access codes, thereby enabling the Houthis to broadcast their own content, including a speech by their leader, until broadcasting was stopped again. The websites of other media outlets that support former President Saleh's rival rebel faction, such as Al Methaq, have been blocked. Al Methaq's mobile service is also blocked. The Houthis are now holding the largest number of journalists hostage in Yemen. Yahya Abdelraqib al-Jubaihi, a journalist who was abducted from his home in September 2016, was sentenced to death by a Houthi-controlled court in April 2017 before being released this past September. At least 13 other journalists and media workers are currently held hostage in Yemen by armed groups, including the Houthis and Al-Qaeda. Yemen is ranked 166th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Russia: Investigative reporter must be acquitted on appeal, RSF says Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 5 December 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Russia: Investigative reporter must be acquitted on appeal, RSF says, 5 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a27b2964.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 acquittal and immediate release of Alexander Sokolov, an investigative journalist whose appeal against his conviction on an extremism charge will receive further examination by a Moscow municipal court tomorrow. Like two of his three co-defendants, Sokolov will not be in court for tomorrow's hearing, which he will follow by video connection from his prison camp. After two years of provisional detention, he was sentenced in August to three and a half years in prison for "perpetuating the activities of a banned extremist organization." In RSF's view, he was jailed on the flimsiest of cases, and his journalistic activities were the real reason for his arrest. His last story was about the embezzlement of a large amount of public funds in the construction of the high-profile Vostochny Cosmodrome. "Justice must finally be rendered to Alexander Sokolov, who has been deprived of his freedom for two and a half years on the flimsiest of pretexts," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "The limitations on Sokolov's participation in the appeal hearing violate his right to defence. He should either be allowed to attend in person or he should have a better video conference connection and should be able to exchange confidential comments with his lawyer during the hearing." Sokolov, whose Moscow apartment caught fire in suspicious circumstances in August, was one of the seven journalists nominated for this year's RSF-TV5 Monde Press Freedom Prize. His appeal began being heard on 30 November. RSF urges as many journalists as possible to attend tomorrow's hearing in Moscow. Russia is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index. For more details about the case, see RSF's previous press releases. Have a story idea or tip about something happening in the East Village? Or maybe a photo? Or several photos? Or video! We'd love to hear about it. Or see it. Or something. Please go here to submit a tip. Apart from hosting and possible maintenance costs, there are not exactly downsides to having your own website. Even if its just a personal blog it can always become more useful down the line, if you utilize it in the right manner. In other words, more American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker is investing more than $1 billion to mend tattered labor relations at the world's largest carrier. A recent spat with pilots is prompting some analysts to question whether he's getting his money's worth. The aviators' union warned last week that more than 15,000 flights were at risk of being scrubbed during the busy holiday season after a scheduling snag left many trips without crews. American promised extra pay for pilots willing to fly. As customer angst about potential cancellations mounted, the company further sweetened its offer before finally reaching a union staffing deal. The high-profile dispute underscored the lingering challenge for Parker as he seeks to reverse years of labor tensions at the world's largest airline. Earlier this year, American paid out a profit-sharing plan after Parker reversed his earlier opposition. He also approved unusual mid-contract pay increases to pilots and flight attendants, spooking shareholders worried about rising costs. "Management refers to it as an investment, that they need to invest in their employees," said Joe DeNardi, a Stifel Financial Corp. analyst. "Investors are struggling to see what the return on that investment is going to be, or where it's going to show up." American's Dec. 1 deal with the union will cover about 1,500 flights and will increase wage costs by about $10 million this quarter, said Jamie Baker, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase. Helane Becker, an analyst at Cowen & Co., said Parker's earlier decisions on profit sharing and pay "created no goodwill for American as, in our view, the union continues to take advantage of" the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier. "We do not believe the pilot groups at Delta, United or Southwest would have handled it this way," Becker said in a note to investors. Elise Eberwein, American's executive vice president for people and communications, said such comments were "short-sighted," given the work and time it takes to rebuild trust among employees. "We'd go back and make all those decisions a thousand times over," she said. The mid-contract raises, announced in April, will add $930 million to the company's costs through 2019. Separately, American last year provided interim increases averaging 22 percent to mechanics, bag handlers and others because talks on a new accord were taking longer than expected. Despite the higher fourth-quarter costs from pilot pay, JPMorgan's Baker raised his forecast for American's earnings, citing stronger demand. But beyond the short term, Parker is trying to forge improvement after years of sour relations between American's managers and employees. Workers embittered by $1.6 billion in concessions in 2003 to stave off bankruptcy endured more cuts when American filed for Chapter 11 in 2011. Months later, tensions were so high that the airline's unions fought the company's plan to emerge from bankruptcy under its existing executive team, opting instead to support Parker's plan to merge American with US Airways, where he was CEO at the time. Since then, Parker has vowed to make sure new labor contracts at American top industry pay scales. Workers invested in the success of their company take better care of customers, who, in turn, reward shareholders by providing repeat business, he has said, espousing a philosophy championed by Southwest Airlines Co. co-founder Herb Kelleher. Having the best employee relations is key to competing with Delta Air Lines and United Continental, Parker has said. In the latest spat with pilots, Eberwein and David Seymour, American's senior vice president for integrated operations, acknowledged that the airline erred by not seeking input from the Allied Pilots Association as soon as it discovered a clerical mistake Nov. 24 that let too many aviators take time off in December. Union leaders were notified of a problem that day, but didn't learn details or American's proposed solution until a Nov. 28 email to pilots, APA said. Seymour declined to specify how many flights were potentially affected, saying only that "we saw numbers a lot higher than where we would like to see them." A telephone call between American President Robert Isom and APA President Dan Carey led to a Dec. 1 meeting among leaders from both sides. A resolution was announced hours later and finalized over the weekend. "The biggest evidence of culture change is the fact you did get really senior people at APA and the company involved quickly, instead of of everybody getting into a corner and getting ready to go to battle," Eberwein said. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the pilots' union, agreed, saying the speedy deal "was a sign that things are different." But the dust-up shows Parker still has a ways to go in his efforts to win over employees, said Samuel Engel, vice president of consultant ICF. A company with better labor relations probably would have been able to resolve a similar dilemma with less trouble. "Since it takes so long to change and repair a history of strained labor relations, it is absolutely normal that these situations would be in negotiation today," Engel said. "In the future, what Parker can hope for is more give-and-take and goodwill." An anonymous author wrote: The miracle is thisthe more we share, the more we have. How true especially during this holiday season. Please use these gifts frequently and often with the hopes that you experience positive results. Enjoy! Action: We are acting on your behalf to support business working together! Board of Directors: We all are lucky to have the leadership of Steve, Carolyn, Brian, Paul, Lydia, Kathy, Sabrina, John, Peter, Pat, Bob, Matt, Tim, Lance, Joyce, Tony, Mike, Maria, Paul, Steve, Craig, Lisa, Kevin, Jacque, Peter, Alan, Karen, Tim, Tim and Margret. Conversation: Please call, email or better yet, stop to see us on Kennedy Drive because we do listen to you and your ideas. Dedication: Our mission is to promote economic growth while enhancing the quality of life in NW Connecticut. We are committed to fulfilling this charge. Economic development: Were working with the leaders representing the public and private sector determined to enhance the economic climate. Friendship: We continue to make friends and introduce you to new friends. Gaiety: Laughter is the best medicine! Hopefulness: Despite the challenges, we continue to highlight the hidden treasures of the region while dealing with some troublesome issues. Ingenuity: With pleasure and pride, we promote your business so that it succeeds because of your inventiveness and resourcefulness. Jubilation: We prefer to look at the bright side and the good things that are happening while tackling the tough issues. Kindness: Your support of toy drives, food collections and the needs of the non-profit community is proof of your goodness of heart. Leadership: Congratulations to the class of leaders and their companies who believe in the potential of Leadership NW. Meaningfulness: Each program has a significance that has far-reaching effects and positive economic results. Negotiation: Bringing the business community together allows us to deal with demanding matters. Organization: Since Business Working Together is vital, the Chamber needs your participation and input. Participation: This is an inclusive organization. You are encouraged to take part in the many worthwhile projects and events. Quality: The Chamber strives for excellence in planning and carrying out all of the initiatives geared toward your success. Realization: We will thrive if we realize that there is room for positive discussion on differing viewpoints. Service: If we can answer your questions and find the resources that help your business grow, we have given you the best gift. Tenacity: We are steadfast in our goal to support you and promote this region. Unanimity: While we may not agree on all subjects, it is a universal belief that we live in a beautiful region and together great things can be accomplished. Vision: We continue to look ahead to create jobs and improve the economic climate. Watchfulness: Have no fearwe are keeping an eye on the issues pertinent to the success of our business community. X-traordinary: Yes- wonderful people surround us! Well gladly introduce you. Yearning: We will not rest until we have achieved our goal to improve the economic conditions. Zest: With passion, renewed enthusiasm and optimism, we encourage you to use these gifts to ensure a bright season of good health, happiness and peace for all. JoAnn Ryan is President of the NW CT Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her by email: joann@nwctchamberofcommerce.org or phone: 860-482-6586. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Before running for Connecticut attorney general, those with designs on becoming the next Richard Blumenthal or George Jepsen should perhaps hire a lawyer other than themselves. Just ask former Secretary of the State and attorney Susan Bysiewicz who was ruled ineligible for the office in 2010 because she hadnt practiced law for at least 10 years. Now, a similar litmus test is being applied to Chris Mattei, the former assistant U.S. attorney who is best known for sending ex-Gov. John Rowland back to prison for campaign fraud. No sooner did the Democrat declare his candidacy Monday for state attorney general than did questions arise about whether the young lawyer is eligible to hold the post, which is the only constitutional office in the state with a specific set of standards. Some asked whether Matteis eight years as a federal prosecutor in Connecticut count toward the requirement. The eligibility rule is spelled out in a 120-year-old state law that says, The attorney-general shall be an elector of this state, and an attorney-at-law of at least 10 years active practice at the bar of this state. Legal experts say the law is ambiguous at best and subject to conflicting interpretations. With the federal system we have, you can make the case that federal experience is not (applicable), but I think that is an overly narrow reading, said C. Ian McLachlan, a retired state Supreme Court Justice who ruled against Bysiewicz in 2010. I think it clearly implies litigation experience. Mattei, who was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 2005 and joined the Bridgeport office of Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder as a trial lawyer in late 2015, said hes confident he meets the qualifications of the job. Ive been actively litigating cases in courtrooms across Connecticut for more than 10 years, he said. Theres been very little interpretation of that statute. We have not sought any ruling on that. State Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, who is co-chairman of the Legislatures Judiciary Committee and exploring a run for attorney general said state court experience shouldnt be discounted though he declined to comment specifically about Mattei. I think state court practice is an incredibly important function of the attorney general and attorney generals office because the attorney generals office has such a wide civil jurisdiction, he said. Every day on the Judiciary Committee, I deal with the day-to-day responsibilities that the attorney general shares, for example, child protection, consumer protection claims. But Daniel Klau, a Hartford attorney and adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut Law School, said it boils down to the wording of the law versus the State Supreme Court opinion in the Bysiewicz case. In the latter, the majority of the justices concluded that attorney-at-law means an attorney with at least some experience litigating cases in court. Theres no question (Mattei) has been an active litigator for the bulk, if not all, of those 10 years, Klau said. The way the court construes the statute, hes qualified. Now, I agree a person can make a contrary argument looking at only the language. Peter Zarella, another retired Supreme Court justice who ruled against Bysiewicz, said its a matter of semantics. I think theres a difference between the state bar and the bar of this state, he said. It would seem to me that would include the U.S. District Court in Connecticut. Republican John Shaban, a former state legislator from Redding who is an attorney general candidate, said its no slam dunk case for Mattei. I think he may have a little bit of difficulty, Shaban said. Ill let a judge figure that out. I dont know if (the law is) an anachronism or if its more relevant than ever. Former House GOP Leader Larry Cafero, a Norwalk attorney, said its hard to make a case that Mattei is not qualified. Every big political corruption case youve ever seen has a Chris Mattei type on one side and a William Dow on the other, Cafero said. To say that theyre not qualified is a stretch. When you start excluding federal experience, gosh who are you down to? McLachlan, the retired justice, said hes surprised the Legislature hasnt modernized the language to make the law clearer. We thought that the statute would have been amended and maybe it should have been amended, he said. http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TRUMBULL A change in the towns top position came with a change in party leadership in Town Council, with Democrats taking over the majority for the first time in a decade. New First Selectman and Democrat Vicki Tesoro was sworn in as the clock struck midnight on Dec. 4. Members of the Town Council and other town government officials were officially installed and Tesoro sworn in in front of community members at Trumbull High School Monday night. Elections by nature are a divisive thing. You want your team to win, you work for that result, and there is elation if you win and disappointment if you dont, Tesoro said to the packed auditorium. Now the election is over, we have to put aside our elation or disappointment and come together as neighbors, working for the common good. That is how Trumbull will prosper. Tesoro is following Republican Tim Herbst, who did not run for re-election to focus on his gubernatorial campaign after serving eight years as Trumbulls first selectman. Herbst was present with other former first selectmen Monday night, applauding his successor as she was sworn in. Town Council went through a shift as well, with Democrats taking the majority for the first time since 2007, according to Democratic Town Committee chairman Tom Kelly. The previous Town Council had six Democrats and 15 Republicans, while the newly sworn-in Town Council has 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Democrat Jason Marsh is the new majority leader and Tom Whitmoyer is the new deputy majority leader. Republican former Town Council Chairman Carl Massaro Jr. is the minority leader and Lori Rosasco-Schwartz is the deputy minority leader. Democrat Mary Beth Thornton was elected new Town Council chairman and Democrat Dawn Cantafio was elected vice chairman. Ten members of the newly-installed Town Council nearly half are new additions. Republicans David Pia, Paul Verbitsky, Michele Rutigliano, Ted Chase and JC Cinelli, and Democrats Keith Klain, Kevin Shively, Cynthia Katske, Bruce Elstein and Ashley Gaudiano, join veteran Republican Town Council members Donna Seidell, Edna Colucci, Ann Marie Evangelista, Massaro and Rosasco-Schwartz and Democrat veterans Dawn Cantafio, Bill Mecca, Lisa Valenti, Thornton, Whitmoyer, Marsh. Now that state budget has been approved and Trumbull not receiving cuts as large as feared by town leaders, Tesoro said her goal is to control town spending, not increase revenue. The first way to reel in spending: reducing attorneys fees and consulting fees, Tesoro said, before turning attention to department budgets. We also need to control spending throughout the budget... (we are) looking to our department heads to hold their budget lines steady or reduce them, Tesoro said. They actually already had to do that this last year when we reduced the budget lines by 3 1/2 percent, every budget. Some of those lines have been restored, others have not. Around mid-February, Tesoro will issue the town budget, which will be voted on by the Board of Finance in March. From there, it will move to Town Council. HARTFORD U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that any sexual harassment complaints involving senators and House members in which taxpayer money was secretly paid out should be disclosed as long as the victim wants them to be made public. Blumenthal addressed the issue Monday at a press conference at the Legislative Office Building. If taxpayer funds are used, then yes, I believe these settlements should be made public, Blumenthal said. He added that he also believes that any politician who uses taxpayer funds to pay a settlement should be required to reimburse those funds. Rep. Jackie Speier of California and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, both Democrats, recently unveiled companion bills in the House and Senate to reform the sexual harassment complaint process on the Hill and boost transparency around the sensitive issue. It will also require members and staff to go through mandatory sexual harassment training every year, and seek to give victims and whistleblowers more support. In recent weeks a bevy of news stories have been broken about sexual harassment claims involving politicians. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said Monday: Everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace, and those who work for members of Congress are no different. The deck is too often stacked against the victims of office harassment. Im supporting Senator Gillibrands bill to fix this and make sure we stop protecting bad actors in Congress who have cases of sexual harassment brought against them, Murphy said. No one who has experienced sexual harassment by their boss should have the government ban them from speaking out if they choose to. Read more at CTNewsJunkie.com. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong on Wednesday denied entry to a Taiwanese author who voiced public support for the 2014 pro-democracy movement in the former British colony. Chang Tieh-chih, former editor of Hong Kong's City magazine, was turned back by immigration officers after he arrived at the city's international airport, en route to a literary conference, according to his Twitter account. "So in the end, I was refused entry to Hong Kong at the airport," Chang tweeted. Chang, 45, isn't the first non-resident to be turned away from the city for supporting the 79-day Occupy Central campaign for fully democratic elections in Hong Kong. Chen Wei-ting, a former leader of the Sunflower student protest movement that occupied the democratic island's parliament in protest at closer ties with China earlier in 2014, said he was also denied entry to the city after he tried to support the Occupy movement in person. While Hong Kong has until recently made its immigration decisions entirely separately from the ruling Chinese Communist Party, it has begun barring political figures from outside the city in recent years. "They have banned political figures like us from Taiwan from entering Hong Kong in the past; the excuse they gave was that we were en route to attend a political and social movement," Chen told RFA on Wednesday. "It seems they want to further control ties between residents of Taiwan and Hong Kong now," he said. "They are basically now operating on the same principles as mainland China." He said the decision to bar him from the city didn't originate in Hong Kong. "The immigration officer who denied me entry at the time was very clear about that; he said that Hong Kong officials had no power in the matter, because of the political factors," Chen said. An official with Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said the government has requested clarification of the decision to bar Chang from the Hong Kong authorities. "I wish the Hong Kong government would embrace non-government exchanges between our people, to avoid damaging the current good relationship or bilateral ties," the official said. In Hong Kong, Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said Chang was likely denied entry because some of his writings hadn't gone down well in Beijing. "Things have gotten to the point where an ordinary guy from Taiwan gets into trouble, probably because of some articles he wrote," Kwok said. "I have reason to believe that other influences are at work here, including mainland government ones, behind the decision not to allow Chang into Hong Kong." UK activist In October, immigration authorities in Hong Kong denied entry to a U.K. ruling Conservative Party human rights activist amid apparent concerns that he would visit three jailed Occupy Central student leaders in the former British colony. Benedict Rogers, deputy chair of the party's human rights commission, was escorted onto a plane back to Thailand, where he had come from, according to his lawyer. Rogers said he had been warned informally by Chinese officials that he wouldn't be allowed to enter the former British colony, which has maintained its own immigration controls since its handover to China in 1997. Rogers told the SCMP that he had had a number of indirect warnings from the Chinese embassy in London, amid official fears that he intended to visit the jailed student leaders of the 2014 democracy movement, Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow. Chang's refusal of entry came after the legal head of Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong warned the city that its laws are subordinate to those of the People's Republic. "Since July 1, 1997, Hong Kongs political color undoubtedly became red, meaning it has become part of red China," Wang Zhenmin told a conference in the city on Monday. "So there is no question of whether Hong Kong is becoming red because Hong Kong has already been red since 1997, when it came under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party," Wang said. Under the terms of the 1997 handover, Hong Kong was promised the continuation of its existing freedoms and way of life for 50 years under Chinese rule. But U.S. and U.K. officials have warned that Beijing's increasingly hands-on approach is eroding the city's promised autonomy, known as the "one country, two systems" framework. The cross-border detentions of five Hong Kong booksellers, and the barring of six directly elected pro-democracy lawmakers after Beijing intervened to rule their oaths of allegiance invalid have also thrown up doubts about the city's judicial independence. Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Cheng Hai (L) and Lin Qilei (R), attorneys representing prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, are prevented from visiting their client at the No. 1 Detention Center in the northern port city of Tianjin, Dec. 4, 2017. More than two years after his "disappearance" amid a nationwide police operation targeting Chinese human rights lawyers in 2015, detained lawyer Wang Quanzhang continues to be denied access to a defense attorney. Defense attorneys Lin Qilei and Cheng Hai, who were hired by Wang's family to represent him, were once more denied entry to the No. 1 Detention Center in the northern port city of Tianjin after they tried to visit him there this week. "We went to the armed police sentry station [at the gates of the detention center] and they just kept telling us to wait," Lin told RFA. "We heard nothing." "Then they told us we could leave or keep waiting there, but that they were shutting up for the day, and that we wouldn't be allowed to see [Wang]," he said. Wang was initially detained amid a wave of police raids launched in July 2015 on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power." Lawyers have made some 50 attempts to visit him in detention since then. His case was passed over the prosecution last February, but no trial date has been forthcoming. Wang's wife Li Wenzu has also been targeted for repeated harassment by police, who have forced her to leave rented accommodation several times since his detention, by putting pressure on her landlords. Li told RFA that she believes her husband will refuse to "confess" to the charges against him, a course of action that has led to many other lawyers being released on bail, with continuing restrictions on themselves and their families. "He is a very strong-minded person, who believes that all of his actions have been within the law, and that he hasn't broken the law in any way," she said. "I'm pretty sure he has refused to confess throughout the two years that they have had him locked up in there." Fellow defense attorney Cheng Hai said Wang's defense team will continue to lodge complaints about being denied access to their client. "All we can do is complain to the relevant departments, and to a higher court and a higher level of prosecutor, and to the Law Association," Cheng said. "The judiciary won't do anything, but we don't have a better plan." "The problem in China right now is that we have laws, but they are not followed," he said. Wang once worked for the now-shuttered Fengrui law firm that was the first target of police raids and detentions in July 2015 that broadened into a nationwide operation targeting more than 300 lawyers, law firm staff and associated rights activists for detention, professional sanctions, house arrest, and travel bans, including for family members. The couple's elderly parents have also been targeted by local officials for "ideological work" that generally consists of attempts to stop people from speaking up for their rights and those of loved ones. Li and Wang Qiaoling, wife of detained rights lawyer Li Heping, have been repeatedly hounded from several apartments they rented together after their husbands' detention. Each time, their landlords issued an eviction notice after a visit from state security police, they have previously told RFA. At risk of torture Meanwhile, concerns are growing over the health and welfare of detained rights lawyer Li Yuhan, who is being subjected to ongoing mistreatment in a detention center in the northeastern city of Shenyang, rights activists say. Li's defense attorney Li Boguang, who met with her on Monday, said fellow inmates recently threw food she bought on the latrine floor and urinated on it, while the authorities are refusing to supply medication, saying the family must bring it. Li went missing on Oct. 9, and is "at risk of torture and other ill-treatment" in the police-run No. 1 Detention Center in the northeastern city of Shenyang, London-based Amnesty International has said. Patrick Poon, China researcher for Amnesty International, said he is very concerned about Li Yuhan. "She is already quite elderly, and there has been no sign of improvement in her situation since the last lawyer's visit," Poon said. "We are very angry and concerned." "The guards in the detention center treat her awfully, and put her under huge physical and psychological pressure, which is torture for a woman in her sixties with a number of different illnesses," he said. Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. .Authorities in Myanmars violence-wracked Maungdaw township have determined that materials found by a group of girls near a deserted Muslim village were intended for making explosive devices, a local official said on Wednesday. The materials, including auto pistons and nearly 100 iron pipes, were discovered on Tuesday near Maungdaws Kyaut Pandu village in northern Rakhine state, though no gunpowder was found, said village administrator Maung Than Wai. The Rohingya Muslim village has stood empty since its residents fled a brutal military crackdown in response to deadly attacks on police outposts by the Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on Aug. 25, he said. Some girls found these materials while they were searching for vegetables outside the village, Maung Than Wai said. They found a suspicious hole in the ground first, then they dug it out and found those materials. In a similar incident in late November, an eight-year-old child found an improvised explosive device (IED) near a gutted area in Maungdaws Myoma Kanyintan ward, The Myanmar Times reported, citing local police. The device was attached to two wires and packed in blue cellphone. When police searched the area where the IED was found, they discovered a second homemade mine, the report said. The governments Information Committee said soldiers from the Myanmar army found a manmade cave on Nov. 13 near Kyaut Pandu village which they believed had housed terrorists. More than 620,000 Rohingya fled Maungdaw and nearby Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships during the military campaign to escape killings, arson, torture, and rape, with most heading across the border to neighboring Bangladesh. Thousands of ethnic Rakhine, Hindus, Mro, and other ethnic minority groups also fled the area, fearing attacks by the Muslim militants who exploded improvised bombs, set fire to villages, and launched additional attacks on police outposts in Maungdaw after the Aug. 25 ambush. The Myanmar government and Hindus have said that Muslim militants carried out attacks on Hindu villages, killing inhabitants and dumping their bodies in mass graves. The militants also forced young Hindu women to convert to Islam and took them to a Muslim refugee camp in Bangladesh. Kyaw Thein Aye, Rakhine states finance minister, said in November that a hotel zone would be built in Kyaut Pandu village and a tourism site would be created in another village as part of a greater effort to rebuild the devastated region. The Myanmar governments newly created Union Enterprises for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Development (UEHRD) has urged local and foreign businessmen to invest in developing Rakhine state while it arranges for refugees to return to the area. The UEHRD is building homes for the first group of Hindu refugees in Maungdaws Ohtein village. In the meantime, hundreds of Hindu refugees who fled to Rakhines state capital Sittwe amid the ethnic violence have started returning to Maungdaw where some are staying temporarily in a building near the district administration office because their homes were burned during the violence. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a bilateral agreement on Nov. 23 that calls for the voluntary repatriation of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who escaped to Bangladesh as they fled outbreaks of violence and two brutal military crackdowns in Rakhine state since October 2016. The agreement does not cover another roughly 300,000 refugees who fled earlier cycles of violence. Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Members of Chesterfield Countys Board of Supervisors and School Board gathered Tuesday to meet with the countys delegation in the General Assembly to lobby for its priorities in the upcoming session. The joint meeting at the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center lasted about an hour as officials agreed on the need for more education funding and better teacher pay. The meeting comes about a month before the General Assembly begins its 2018 session. Joe Casey, the county administrator, started the meeting with a condensed version of his State of the County address, which will be delivered next week. His remarks focused on the countys business environment. Big and small together, we have to be mindful of all of them, he said. Any time theres an opportunity for a job ... were going to be looking for it. Once the General Assembly discussion started, though, the talk soon turned to education. James Lane, the countys schools superintendent, said he would like to see reduced focus on mandates, with more local control of education policy. We feel like as a school division we make great decisions for our students, Lane said. The School Board lists local flexibility and control over the public school calendar among its 2018 legislative goals. Another goal is improved state education funding, which has dropped about 10 percent since 2009, according to The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a research organization based in Richmond that focuses on economics and policy. Since 2009, the countys share of education funding has risen, along with the federal governments, while the state share has decreased, according to the analysis, which was published this summer. Sen. Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., R-Richmond, is a member of Chesterfields delegation and said he would like to see an increase in teacher pay. Im hopeful that now that were out of the Great Recession and its a period of strong economic growth, we can make up for the years where teacher pay remained stagnant, he said. Jim Holland, who represents the countys Dale District on the Board of Supervisors, concurred, saying its an area of concern for him. The Board of Supervisors also lists K-12 funding as an issue it would like to see addressed in the upcoming session. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. A political scandal burgeons in New York City, not far from Trump Tower. And theres great fear that if wind of it gets out, political careers will be derailed or ruined. The deputy mayor and his wife had planned a swanky wedding anniversary party and invited members of the society set. But when guests begin arriving, the hostess and cook are nowhere to be found. The politician is zonked on tranquilizers and bleeding profusely from a gunshot to the ear. Frantically, his friends invent progressively bizarre and ridiculous excuses in an effort to keep a lid on the news. Those reach a peak when the police arrive. I was one of those cops Officer Pudney in Saturday nights performance of Neil Simons Tony Award-winning farce, Rumors. The Showtimers Community Theatre production runs through Dec. 10; there are five more shows in the run. (Tickets are $14.) The troupe has invited 10 different local celebrities (ahem) to play the tiny role of Pudney, a non-nonsense patrolman who has only two lines, but spends a fair portion of the second act onstage. If the crowd Saturday night was any indication, this production is a hit. That audience laughed hard and wildly through both acts, and the applause at the end was sustained. Last summer, director Stevie Holcomb came up with the idea of reaching out to various nonactors to play the part of Officer Pudney, which can be difficult to cast because the roles so minor. Among others she roped in were Pedro Szalay, artistic director of the Southwest Virginia Ballet; Natalie Faunce, a host on WSLS Channel 10s Daytime Blue Ridge, and Monica Brooks, a radio show host on K92s Mornin Thang. Their performances preceded yours truly; Salem-based comedian Melissa Douty did the honors at Sundays matinee. Five more performances remain. This Thursdays show was supposed to feature Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea in the role. But he had to drop out for another commitment, Holcomb told me. Stepping in is Jean Jadhon, the veteran news anchor on WDBJ Channel 7. Thankfully, Holcomb called me last week with a reminder. I had neglected to make it to any of the rehearsals and didnt yet have the slacks and shoes I needed for my costume. Friday night I reviewed my lines and Saturday afternoon I dashed to the store for some black pants and footwear. The Saturday night performance started at 7:30; Donna and I pulled into the Showtimers parking lot a bit more than an hour before. Have you got a pen in your purse? I asked her. Why? she asked. I think Im going to rewrite one of my lines, make a joke about Donald Trump, I said. Dont you DARE! she gasped. (Donna ended up winning that one.) The cast includes Simon Adkins (who plays Ken); Kat Binney (Cassie); Anne Cooney (Cookie); Doug Dressler (Glenn); Heather OBryan (Chris); Greg Payne (Lenny); Betsy Quillen (Claire); Gary Reid (Ernie); and Jeremy Ratliff (Officer Welch). Take it from me, their stage talents are considerable. They also couldnt have been nicer or more accommodating. When I walked into the dressing room around 6:30 p.m., they were drinking and playing Cards Against Humanity, a card game described thusly: As despicable and awkward as you and your friends. Would you like a beer? someone offered. There were a bunch on a small table. Wow, I thought, these thespians are my kind of people. They were so gracious I gave up on the idea to prank their show with an injection of politics. We went upstairs to the stage and did a quick walk-through of Officer Pudneys scene, cues, blocking and lines. Someone had marked an X on the floor where Pudney stands, and Holcomb had helpfully transcribed Pudneys lines on a prop pad he carries and consults. Good thing for that. Donna and I watched the first act in the audience. At intermission, I reported back to the dressing room. The Showtimers building on McVitty Road in Roanoke County used to be a church, and its quite small. Thus the dressing rooms and actors lounge are in the basement. Its crammed with shoes, hats and literally hundreds of costumes, hanging on long racks, divided into mens and womens wear, and categorized by period, such as 1920s, 1940s, etc. Jeremy Ratliff (Officer Welch) outfitted me with police jacket and badge, a radio mic and a knit cap labeled NYPD. He reminded me of my cues. And then we waited to go onstage, about two-thirds of the way through the second act. Pudney makes three entrances and exits from the stage. Both lines are after the second entrance. Otherwise hes not talking. Hes looking around and mugging in reaction to other characters. Before the third entrance, I was offstage with Kat Binney, who expertly played the role of Cassie, a snobby and jealous wife who morphs into a seductive vamp. You seem confident, she told me. Really? I asked. Yeah, she said. Have you done theater before? I played the rear end of the dancing cow in Gypsy 40 years ago, I said. It was true. Onstage, when Pudney wasnt talking which was most of the time I tried my best with different facial expressions: Suspicion, incredulity, shock, amazement. Christina Koomen, one of my colleagues here at the paper, was in the audience. She later told me I had delivered one of her favorite lines, a triumphantly intoned IN-vestigate! Otherwise, Pudney was a serious kind of fellow; the phrase hammed it DOWN comes to mind, Koomen said. Hmm. Another friend, Jeff Krasnow, was in the audience with his wife, Rita. The cast was outstanding, he said.Their comedic timing was spot on and the set was superb. And, Your facial expressions were interesting. Sometimes you looked like a deer in the headlights . . .wondering which direction the first tomato might come from. Krasnow compared my expressions of disbelief to a fly on the wall listening to President Trump compose his tweets. Score! After the show I caught up with Donna in the lobby. She also loved the play. Yeah? And? You were great, she said. Just dont quit your day job. Virginia researchers won a $1 million grant to determine if beginning medication-assisted treatment in emergency rooms within hours of an overdose will help people control their addictions. Despite all the attention, programs and funding centered on the opioid epidemic in Virginia, the overdose rates arent budging. Opioids are on pace to claim the lives of nearly 1,200 Virginians this year, according to the states chief medical examiners office, and the number of overdose cases in emergency rooms has not abated. If anything, the number is going up, unfortunately. So far we have not had an impact with the other efforts taking place, said Dr. Gerald Moeller, director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies. Moeller is the lead researcher in the collaboration with Virginia Tech, Carilion Clinic and Inova Fairfax Hospital. Starting in March, emergency room patients treated for opioid overdoses will be asked if they want to participate in the project, and before they are discharged they will receive an injection of Sublocade, an extended-release form of a drug known to quell opioid cravings. The researchers expect to show that immediate enrollment in a medication-assisted therapy will lead to long-term recovery. The funding is coming from Virginia Catalyst, which awards grants to commercial bioscience projects for the state, and pharmaceutical company Indivior, which recently won FDA approval of Sublocade, whose effects are expected to last a month. The research project aims to reduce the lag between overdose and addiction treatment. Treatment as usual, as we are aware, is sub-optimal. People go to the emergency room, they have a crisis, they may get naloxone and they may be referred to a treatment program that will see them if they are lucky in a month or two, said Warren Bickel, director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. But they have to shoot up like four to six times a day. So whats the likelihood they are going to end up in the emergency room again? Substantial. Thats why Moeller took the lead in developing the research project. I was talking with my colleagues in the emergency room who were very frustrated because they kept seeing patients come in after opioid overdoses, and for those who survived they didnt have a good place to send them, Moeller said. They had difficulty getting them into treatment. Moeller said VCU looked at the 400 opioid patients seen in the emergency room in 2015. Of those who survived, one in 10, within six months, either had a repeat overdose or had died, he said. When someone overdoses on an opioid, the standard treatment is naloxone, which negates the effects of opioids. Its a quick but short-lived remedy. The longer-term strategy proven most effective is to receive regular doses of methadone or buprenorphine along with counseling. Those programs can be expensive and scarce. Plus, the medication needs to be taken often. Since patients sever their relationship with emergency room doctors upon discharge, ER physicians generally arent certified to prescribe buprenorphine because they cannot comply with the oversight and counseling requirements. What we continue to see as a problem on the emergency medicine side is when patients come in with an overdose, we dont have a successful program to get them right into treatment, said Dr. John Burton, chair of emergency medicine for Carilion. Relapse rates are very high, he said. If you could get some long-term, medication-assisted therapy right after their initial point of contact in the emergency department, then it would be a tremendous opportunity to leverage a multi-day or multi-week treatment to get them into recovery. Once the trial designs are approved by the FDA, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital ER physicians will be able to ask patients who were revived from overdoses if they want to enroll in the program. If so, they will be given an injection of long-lasting buprenorphine and a quick handoff to Carilions psychiatric staff. Bickel will look at whether the rapid treatment allows people with opioid addictions to think beyond the few hours between highs. Were not testing the medicine, per se. Were testing the speed and access to treatment and hoping that proves to be a key determiner of people succeeding and improving their life circumstances, and avoiding these overdose deaths and emergency room visits, he said. The trial is expected to begin in March. Partner Inova Fairfax Hospital is also enrolling patients and will explore whether there is a genetic component that makes a person more susceptible to addiction and overdoses. Moeller expects that about 100 people will be enrolled and that it will take about a year to demonstrate a reduction in recidivism. We believe it will develop a new paradigm that reduces overdose and death rates, he said. Bickel thinks the results will be evident quickly. I have a feeling its not going to take long to find out there is a different outcome, and I would like to be able to tell the world to start doing something that will stop the large number of mortalities that we are seeing with opioids, he said. Charlottesville officials are focusing on reconciliation following a series of white nationalist rallies and demonstrations in the city this year, but there is consternation about whether the police chief and city manager soon could lose their jobs. After former U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy described Monday night how city and state officials poorly managed the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally, but did a better job handling the July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally, City Manager Maurice Jones detailed the citys plans to proceed with recommendations from Heaphy and his colleagues at the law firm Hunton & Williams. The work plan Im discussing tonight certainly doesnt include all of those items, but many of those will be put in a dashboard that includes those recommendations, what weve done already and things we need to do in the future, Jones said Monday after a public hearing on the report. Though Heaphy said Monday that the scope of work for the report did not include making judgments about future personnel decisions, scathing assertions about Police Chief Al Thomas actions on Aug. 12 have led to calls for his resignation. At a news conference last week, Thomas, who appeared with a personal attorney, denied several of the claims in the report, including an allegation that he permitted the violence during the Aug. 12 rally so that an unlawful assembly could be declared. Speaking to the council toward the end of the meeting Monday, Councilor-elect Nikuyah Walker lamented the rumors about Thomas and Jones possible termination, adding that state officials who were resistant to participating in Heaphys review should also be held accountable. Walker said she thinks it would be wrong to hold two black city leaders accountable for a white nationalist rally that Heaphy said was mishandled at both the state and local level. A few other community members who spoke at the hearing raised similar concerns about the prospect of Thomas being dismissed from his position. That should be unacceptable, Walker said. When we talk about holding people accountable, our governor is accountable. The Virginia State Police was not communicating with the police chief here [during the rally]? Thats an issue. The report from Hunton & Williams, which was made public Friday, asserts that local and state police were not on the same page during the two downtown rallies this summer, which resulted in operational failures on both days. It also describes how authorities failed to keep watch over a closed street, where counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed and dozens were injured in a car attack Aug. 12. Last week, Heaphy said Thomas alleged decision to not disrupt the street violence on Aug. 12 was misguided, but declined to characterize it as misconduct. In an email Tuesday, Darrel Stephens, a former police chief who served the cities of Charlotte, North Carolina; St. Petersburg, Florida; and Newport News, agreed with Heaphys assessment about whether there was misconduct. He noted that the Heaphy report also says that state police troopers were slow to get in position before the unlawful assembly was declared. I do not believe that Chief Thomas delay in declaring an unlawful assembly would be misconduct, Stephens said. Poor decisions, slow decisions or decisions that turn out later to not be the best choice (with the benefit of hindsight) do not rise to the level of misconduct. One has to live with those decisions and be accountable for them. A spokesperson for the state police did not respond directly to questions about the report, but shared a statement from Col. W. Steven Flaherty, state police superintendent, that said he is awaiting the release of a third-party report, which was submitted to Gov. Terry McAuliffe last week, as well as an internal review. The report to the Governors Task Force on Public Safety Preparedness and Response to Civil Unrest will be made available to the public at some point after McAuliffe reviews it. The state police appreciates the time and effort put forth by Mr. Tim Heaphy and his team to produce such a detailed report. Thorough reviews and evaluations of public safety planning, response and management of significant incidents are invaluable in helping a law enforcement agency assess what has happened and successfully prepare for the future, Flaherty said. Though Heaphy said his report isnt meant to recommend whether any city or state officials should be terminated for the operational failures on Aug. 12 or July 8, several high-level city police officers have contacted Jones to say that there are multiple inaccuracies and misquotes in the report. After sharing an email and memo from Capt. Victor Mitchell on Monday, Councilor Bob Fenwick on Tuesday released emails from Capt. David Shifflett and Deputy Chief Maj. Gary Pleasants. Both officers raised concerns about the report to Jones. In his email to the city manager, Shifflett specifically denied assertions that he was directed to pre-date certain documents to mislead investigators. He added that several other alleged mischaracterizations and errors will negatively impact the police department for a long time. Responding to questions about those concerns Monday, Heaphy said its possible that some parts of his teams report may include mischaracterizations and minor errors. However, he said he believes the overall big-picture judgments in the report are correct. Nothing makes me question the overall conclusions, he said. Jones said Monday evening that the city soon will consider allocating additional resources to the police department in the upcoming fiscal year to improve training. He said the city will also confer with state officials to reassess how large-scale events and protests should be handled. You see this type of thing in New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. But in a city of 47,000 people, theres simply not this type of training that happens on a regular basis, Jones said. Itd be helpful to have expertise at the state level that we could tap into on a regular basis to make sure were getting the type of training we need for this. In addition to improving large-event and interagency training for local and state police, Jones said the city is advocating for state legislative changes regarding firearms in public places and is working to change its event-permitting and open-flame regulations. Jones said city staff will give a presentation about the proposed changes to the event-permitting regulations at the next council meeting on Dec. 18. April 13, 1938 December 4, 2017 Leslie L.M. "Pete" Brillhart, 79, of Newport died, Monday, December 4, 2017, at his home. He was born in Virginia on April 13, 1938 to the late Roy Marshall and Iva Lee Alls Brillhart. Also preceded in death by a brother, Ralph Brillhart and special friend Rador Vaden. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He attended Slusser Chapel Church of God. He is survived by his wife, Lula M. Brillhart; daughters, Wanda Brillhart, Leslie Booth, Lisa Gusler; stepson, Tony Thompson; step daughter, Donna Katz; brothers and sister-in-law, Marshall and Mary Margaret Brillhart, Carl Brillhart and partner, Jean; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; special great grandson, Dakota Brillhart; special niece, Diana Albert, numerous family members, neighbors, and friends. The family would like to thank Dr. Harry McCoy and his staff for their care. Funeral services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 7, 2017 in the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Richard Gilbert and Rev. Gary McCoy officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. at the McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Dr. S.W. Blacksburg, VA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Newport Fire Department, 716 Blue Grass Trail, Newport, VA 24128 or the Newport Rescue Squad, 418 Blue Grass Trail, Newport, VA 24128. Our last gubernatorial election has firmly clarified that Virginia is now controlled by four counties which neither represent the majority of counties and incorporated cities, nor the heritage, culture, values and character of Virginia. Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William counties have grown to be populated by political undesirables in the form of lobbyists and companies seeking to get a share of the federal budget for their own enrichment. The military industrial complex, which President Dwight Eisenhower tried to warn us of, is well represented outside of the D.C. beltway in towns such as Reston and Tyson's Corner. So, is it now time to throw off the yoke of control by a select rich and corrupt few? I believe it is! Virginia has not been afraid to divest itself of counties that no longer represent the character of Virginia. We let Kentucky take its own place. West Virginia duly separated from Virginia during the Civil War. If it could be arranged, I'm sure no one in the remaining 94 counties would mind at all that Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William counties be annexed by the District of Columbia. While it would be a smaller budget, at least Virginia could spend the majority of its road and infrastructure in Virginia rather than these four counties. So, the likelihood that D.C. will voluntarily take the burden of these four counties on is slim. With that in mind, I am now asking that the rest of we Virginians call upon our House of Delegates to once more divest our great commonwealth of counties that no longer represent the heritage, culture, values and character of Virginia. As Kentucky was created out of Virginia through Article IV section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, I would ask that the delegates vote for the divestiture of Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William counties from Virginia. They may call themselves anything they want (probably what they are already called, "Northern Virginia"). If they refuse, we may leave them, and found a new Commonwealth (maybe Heritage Virginia?). It is! ILLIE CSORBA Former Salem resident PLANO, TX BLACKSBURG She-Sha Cafe and Hookah Lounge continues to allow smoking in its dining room, more than two years after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the business is not exempt from a statewide restaurant smoking ban. The 2015 decision set a precedent for hookah bars across the state, but Virginia Department of Health official Gary Coggins says the business at the heart of the case has become flagrant and obstinate. The apparent violations are the latest for a business that has been at odds with code enforcers since at least 2010. Thats when the state health department received its first complaint that She-Sha was allowing patrons to smoke inside the establishment. The health department determined the smoking ban applied to hookah bars, but She-Sha petitioned Montgomery County Circuit Court in August 2011 for an appeal of the decision. When the circuit court upheld the ruling, She-Sha took the case to the state Court of Appeals. Initially a panel of three judges ruled against She-Sha in April 2013. However, after the business filed a petition asking that the full Court of Appeals hear the case, the court ruled in its favor. Finally, the Virginia Supreme Court settled the matter in January 2015. Justice William Mims wrote the decision, concluding that even though She-Sha primarily sells tobacco and related products, it also sells food and alcohol. Therefore, it qualifies as a restaurant under the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act. The decision received widespread attention at the time, as it set a precedent that Virginia hookah bars would not be allowed to permit smoking in dining rooms where prepared food is served. But when health inspectors visited She-Sha more than a year after the verdict in October 2016, they noted smoking in nonsmoking areas, according to online records. Inspectors noted the same issue in June 2017, prompting the department to issue a formal notice of alleged violation in order to begin enforcement proceedings. The letter, which was also sent to local law enforcement, building and ABC officials, informed She-Sha owner Joann Santos, of KEPA Inc., that inspectors had observed potential threats to public health and the environment. The letter recommended the business immediately stop allowing patrons to smoke inside, remove smoking devices from the dining area and post no-smoking signs. She-Shas owners have not taken any of these steps. Alternatively, the letter said She-Sha could submit building plans to the town of Blacksburg to begin remodeling that would create a separate smoking area that would be legal under the indoor clean air act. The business has not applied for permits for that kind of remodel, according to a Blacksburg spokeswoman. The letter adds the health department will continue monitoring for compliance and future violations could result in civil penalties up to $25 and loss of the businesss alcohol license. Up until now, Coggins, environment health manager for the New River health district, said his team has held out hope for compliance while telling She-Shas managers that the issue had been settled by the courts. More than ample time has passed since the decision was made by the Supreme Court, Coggins said. We havent seen any progress toward coming into compliance. Thats why we decided we need to formalize this notice of alleged violation and look at what the next steps will be. The situation highlights differences between the Virginia Clean Air Act and other restaurant inspection laws. If a restaurant owner is repeatedly found in violation of food handling rules, Coggins said his office could eventually take steps to revoke the businesss ability to serve food at all. But the portion of the Virginia Clean Air Act that bans smoking in restaurants belongs to a different part of the law. While health inspectors are tasked with monitoring for violations, they dont have the enforcement authority to revoke a food permit. Instead, inspectors check for compliance, as they did for She-Sha. The health department can issue a notice of alleged violation so the establishment owners have a chance to request a hearing to fight the allegations. Eventually, health officials pass their evidence along to local law enforcement, which has the power to issue a summons to begin civil proceedings and fines. Coggins added that its not immediately clear how often She-Sha could be fined up to $25. Often, businesses can be fined for each individual offense, but he said local law enforcement will have to interpret the law in this case. A spokesman for the Blacksburg Police Department, which was copied on the July health department letter, said he was unaware of anyone at the department involved with the issue. In the meantime, She-Sha has continued to operate as it did before the 2015 court ruling without any fines for more than two years. If the restaurant had been violating other food service regulations, such as failing to maintain proper ranch dressing temperature, the health department could have revoked its food permit by now. That enforcement tool is not available to us for violations of the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act, Coggins said. They still havent been out and out adversarial about it, he added of his inspectors interactions with the She-Sha. The word obstinate might be appropriate. To my knowledge, theyve never indicated to us that they have an intention to eventually comply. Staff writer Robby Korth contributed to this report. Tommy Ward TWO people have been arrested this morning (Wednesday) over the murder of Maltby pensioner Tommy Ward. The man and woman, both 29, have both been arrested on suspicion of robbery and murder. A spokesman said they remained in police custody and were currently being questioned by detectives. Mr Ward (80) was brutally attacked in his Salisbury Road home in October 2015. His life savings of 30,000 were stolen and his injuries included a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and a broken jaw, while his left index finger was so badly damaged it had to be amputated. The granddad also had a footprint-like mark on his chest and severe bruises across his body. Mr Ward died in hospital on February 23 last year almost five months after he was attacked. A safety deposit box with his life savings in were stolen from his home the night of the attack. An identical box was recovered from a canal in the Kilnhurst area around two weeks later, but it was empty. More to follow see the Advertiser for updates on this story. POLICE urge anyone expecting a scooter as a gift to protect it from thieves and avoid a nightmare after Christmas. Crime reduction officer Dene Tinker issued several top tips to ensure that bikers enjoy their rides well into the new year. These include buying a sold secure kitemarked chain, for fixing the scooter to an immovable object, as well as a disc lock. These locks should be used even when the bike is secured in a garage. Other tips include fitting an alarm and immobiliser, or removing spark plugs or fuses to immobilise the scooter. Leaving the vehicle in view of a security camera and motion sensor light is also recommended, when parked outside. Keeping the bike out of sight is wise, perhaps by covering it or parking behind other vehicles. And a GPS tracking device which can transmit the bikes location is also highly recommended. Dene added: We hope you enjoy your first steps into motoring, but please dont be tempted or persuaded by your friends to let them have a go. If theyre not insured on the bike and theyre caught, your new pride and joy can be seized and impounded. Other tips include: When riding home, make sure you are not being followed. Stay alert for suspicious vans or trucks driving around late at night. These can be used to transport stolen motorcycles. When riding in a group, park your bikes together. Consider marking your bike in a unique way that could dissuade thieves if it is then stolen, it can make tracing you slightly easier as well. Anyone with concerns about vehicle crime, or with information about people committing vehicle crimes, can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Edison International (EIX) sank sharply during the first half hour of trade Tuesday, but settled into a range for the rest of the session. Shares finished with a loss of 10.26 at $70.00 on the highest volume of the year. The stock plunged to over an 11-month low. Edison International sold off due to the wildfire that is spreading through southern California. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but utilities can be held responsible for property damage in the state if they are found liable. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News (Agencia CMA Latam) - Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, traded down 0.42% at 1,440.31 points Tuesday, weighed by the perception that the tax reform in the United States would lure investors to the country, with a detrimental effect on emerging , according to Erika Baquero, an analyst at Alianza Valores. Avianca shares ended stable after the company announced that it signed a code-share agreement with Air China. Grupo Energia Bogota (GEB) (-0.72%) reported that the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia, authorized an External Loan Agreement with a group of banks of up to US$ 749 million. The shares of Canacol (+0.40%), and Exito (+0.24%) are rising, while Cemex (-2.55%), ISA (-1.43%), Sura (-1.21%), and Ecopetrol (-0.56%) are falling. The locally traded U.S. dollar closed at 2,996.50 Colombian pesos, marking a 0.15% rise, due to the expectation of a rate hike by the United States Federal Reserve Bank in 2018. Daniel Escobar, an analyst at Alianza Valores, noted that the market expects three rate adjustments in 2018, from two, which would have favored the greenback rebound. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) announced Tuesday that its subsidiaries have signed a definitive agreement to sell 120-bed Bayfront Health Dade City in Dade City, Florida, and its associated assets to subsidiaries of Adventist Health System. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. The company noted that the hospital included in the deal is one of the additional planned divestitures discussed on the Company's third quarter 2017 earnings call. Kaufman, Hall & Associates, LLC is acting as the exclusive financial advisor to Adventist Health System on the deal For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The European got off to a weak start Wednesday. Technology stocks added to their recent losses and mining stocks struggled. Weakness in commodity prices and concerns over the possibility of a possible U.S. government shutdown also contributed to the negative mood. However, the markets pared their losses over the course of the trading day and ended the session with mixed results. Markets on Wall Street struggled in early trade Wednesday, but investors were encouraged by the release of the better than expected U.S. private employment data. Investors are looking forward to the release of the U.S. jobs report on Friday. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 0.10 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone blue chip stocks decreased 0.25 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, added 0.14 percent. The DAX of Germany dropped 0.38 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell 0.02 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. gained 0.28 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished higher by 0.23 percent. In Frankfurt, furniture retailer Steinhoff plunged 63.26 percent after its CEO Markus Jooste resigned with immediate effect on allegations of irregularities in the company's accounts that require further investigation. Thyssenkrupp lost 0.29 percent after its labor union gave the company until December 22 to agree to demands. In Paris, Elior sank 7.05 percent. The catering group said it expects organic sales growth of 3 percent in the 2017/18 fiscal year. In London, Legal & General Group lost 0.87 percent after it agreed to sell its Mature Savings to the ReAssure division of Swiss Re Ltd for 650 million pounds. Smith & Nephew rose 0.15 percent. The medical equipment group said it has completed the acquisition of Rotation Medical Inc., the developer of a novel tissue regeneration for shoulder rotator cuff repair. Shopping center investment firm Hammerson tumbled 6.17 percent after making a recommended 3.4bn offer for rival Intu Properties. Shares of Intu surged 13.77 percent. Insurance and travel specialist Saga plunged 21.40 percent after a profit warning. EasyJet gained 1.26 percent after reporting an 8 percent growth in passenger traffic for November. Nestle rose 1.24 percent in Zurich after it agreed to buy privately-held Atrium Innovations from a group of investors led by Permira Funds for US$2.3 billion in cash. Novo Nordisk rallied 3.36 percent in Copenhagen after receiving for a diabetes drug. Anheuser-Busch InBev weakened by 1.44 percent in Brussels after JP Morgan downgraded its rating on the stock to Underweight" from "Neutral." Germany's factory orders increased unexpectedly in October helped by demand from domestic market and non-euro area economies. New orders in manufacturing climbed 0.5 percent month-on-month in October, but slower than the revised 1.2 percent rise in September, figures from Destatis revealed Wednesday. Orders were forecast to fall 0.2 percent. Germany's construction activity expanded at the weakest pace in ten months in November, survey data from IHS Markit showed Wednesday. The headline Purchasing Managers' Index dropped to 53.1 in November from 53.3 in October. Employment in the U.S. private sector increased by slightly more than expected in the month of November, payroll processor ADP revealed in a report released on Wednesday. ADP said private sector employment climbed by 190,000 jobs in November after surging up by 235,000 jobs in October. Economists had expected an increase of about 185,000 jobs. Labor productivity in the U.S. saw a notable increase in the third quarter, according to a revised report released by the Labor Department on Wednesday. The report said labor productivity jumped by 3.0 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the preliminary estimate. Economists had expected the increase in productivity to be upwardly revised to 3.3 percent. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said unit labor costs fell by a revised 0.2 percent in the third quarter compared to the previously reported 0.5 percent increase. Costs had been expected to rise by a revised 0.2 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Heavy security has been deployed across Uttar Pradesh, including Faizabad and Ayodhya, on the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the disputed Babri Masjid structure, police said. Twenty seven additional companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) have been deployed across the state. Of these, six companies each have been deployed in the state capital and in Faizabad district, specially to keep vigil on the temple town of Ayodhya. Ayodhya has been divided into four zones and ten sectors and prohibitory orders under section 144 have been clamped. Any form of protests, demonstrations have been completely banned. While the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been celebrating the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque as 'Shaurya Diwas', some Muslim organisations observe it as a black day. All fire cracker shops have been asked to shut down and vigil has been stepped up around liquor vends as well. Orders have also been issued to check roof tops, which in Uttar Pradesh are often used to stockpile stones and bricks to be used during communal clashes. Director General of Police (DGP) Sulkhan Singh has asked the district police chiefs to step up vigil and keep a tab on elements who could try to foment trouble. He also directed officials to clamp prohibitory orders if situation arises. There were intelligence inputs that some mischievous elements and various terrorist outfits might try to disrupt peace on the day. Police deployed on duty has been asked to carry with them riot gears including helmets, body protectors, tear gas shells, rubber bullet guns for any emergency. In a significant diplomatic development after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers' trilateral meeting here next week. The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Wang, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would attend the meeting on December 11 to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. "The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interests well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-to-face situation near the Sikkim sector of the international border after the Chinese People's Liberation Army tried to build a road in Doklam in mid-June. While India and Bhutan said that it violated the status quo along the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, Beijing claimed that it was China's territory. New Delhi and Beijing eventually agreed to pull back their troops towards the end of August ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China for the G20 Summit. Samoa has told the Western Central Pacific Commission (W.C.P.F.C.) it will continue to work closely with the Commission and development partners to bring about real progress in the sustainable management and conservation of fisheries resources. Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua, said this is line with Pacific leaders Roadmap for sustainable Pacific Fisheries. Our domestic fleet has struggled to survive the poor economic conditions, as a result of prolonged reduction of catch rates, for its targeted species, which is South Pacific Albacore, he said. This deteriorating situation had resulted in the need to change the norms of operation for our tuna industry to mitigate the poor economic conditions or otherwise risk a shutdown altogether of our domestic tuna fishery. We have seen both a general decline in catch rates and vulnerable levels of spawning biomass for this stock over the years. Lopaoo said Samoa noted with great concern that scientific analysis, of South Pacific Albacore suggests that stocks are declining and that there is a 17 Per cent chance they will drop below the critical level of 20 per cent of pre-fishing levels by 2018. The deteriorating status of the South Pacific Albacore must not be allowed to continue and the Commission is obligated to implement management measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of this resource, Lopaoo told the W.C.P.F.C. plenary in Manila. The Minister asked Commission and its fishing partners interested in South Pacific Albacore, to urgently develop an agreed, robust management arrangement, for South Pacific Albacore, including progressing agreement on various elements of a harvest strategy, such as an interim target reference point. He said the issue of disproportionate burden suffered by small states, such as Samoa, continues to surface. The one size fits all concept can never be applied and so too countries need to develop specific development plans and strategies suited to its own position. In addition, the serious issue of I.U.U. fishing in the region requires cooperation at the international level to combat. As a Small Island Developing State with limited resources, provisions need to be made for adequate capacity building to enhance the ability of states like ours, to develop and manage our fisheries, including participation in scientific meetings, fisheries data collection and implementation of monitoring, conservation and surveillance measures, he said. The contribution of our own domestic fleet and fishing industry to the wellbeing of our people, food security and our island economies is very important, he said. It is our intention that we will continue to develop our small scale domestic fishing fleet and we will implement measures to ensure emerging challenges will not threaten its survival. Our failure as a Commission to undertake robust management, through difficult decisions of imposing appropriate harvest strategies in some fisheries, like the South Pacific Albacore continues to impact on the stock, as well as its economic viability With technological advances in this day and age, we should be vigilant and seriously consider effective monitoring, control and surveillance measures to support management frameworks and to combat IUU in W.C.P.F.C waters , the Minister explained. Sitting with her book by the poolside at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel yesterday was Karen Stevenson. Dear Tourist learned that the 61-year-old is the President of the Pacific Arts Association (P.A.A.) and she was in the country for the Pacific Arts Association Conference that concluded at the National University of Samoa last week. This is Karens second visit to Samoa. She was here 21 years ago also for the P.A.A. conference. Unfortunately, this time around, Karen hasnt done a lot of sightseeing compared to her first visit, despite being here for 11 nights. I havent really done any sightseeing, I mean because its rainy season and when I take time off, it was raining, so I just went a little to Beach Road, heading that direction and pass where the cave pools are, so thats about all Ive done, she said. I have been here before, so I didnt really feel the need to do some sightseeing. In her opinion, the Samoa 21 years ago has changed considerably. Comparing the last time and now, the development of Samoa has been huge. Apia is now a town, a city I must say, Karen said. When I came the last time, it was also for the Pacific Arts meeting and it was held at the Government Building, so there was this huge green grass area and now its not. I have no idea if the changes are good or bad. But everyone has always wanted to develop. I think if Samoa has to come into this 21st Century, it has to develop; it needs to have a town. Karen knows that the wave of change, in terms of development, is inevitable and in order to prosper as a nation, people need to accept change and advance more. Karen is Tahitian but she lives in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her passion for Pacific arts and culture started at a very young age and it had to do with the environment she was exposed to during her childhood days. Im Tahitian, I grew up in Los Angeles but I grew up with Tahitian things around me all the time and I didnt take them for granted, I went to school and I said oh, this is art. I think its the idea of living in that culture, I dont know why, but I have really been passionate about art, especially Pacific Arts. So I have taught Pacific arts for 30 years. Being a Pacific arts teacher, she is well aware of Pacific arts and culture. My profession is to study the arts and culture of the Pacific, I am aware of the culture that exists here honestly, for over a week, I woke up, I had breakfast here, I went to the university, I was at the conference all day long, I came back I had dinner, I went to bed. So really I havent really done any sightseeing. Our conference dinner was more traditional food, so thats the only traditional food I have had here. I have been to other Pacific Islands. I have lived in Tahiti and Fiji, Ive been to the Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and I have also lived Hawaii. Karen also acknowledged the success of the P.A.A. conference. I think the Pacific Arts conference was really successful. The last conference we had two years ago in Tonga there was only 50 people attending and about 120 people at least attended this conference. There were 11 white academics from overseas, whereas there were more than 50 Samoan participants, Tonga participants, Maori participants, Pacific islanders, by far 80 percent of the participants were Pacific Islanders, so to me that is successful. Karen says the staff members at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel have also been really helpful and friendly. With the festive season just around the corner, she looks forward to spending Christmas with her daughter for the first time in four years. Other than that, returning to her homeland is all about relaxing and enjoying the summer. The Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, has set the record straight in relation to taxing Church Ministers. Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, he clarified that Church Ministers will only be taxed for their alofa (money they earn from church members). He said they would not be taxed on envelopes and gifts they receive from weddings, funerals and other occasions. Although its in the law that it extends to other income received from performing services in their role as church ministers, from weddings, funerals, birthdays, functions or blessing ceremonies, we will only tax the church ministers based on their alofa, he said. So we are taxing only the salaries. Its in the law, but we will only tax them on their alofa, nothing more. The clarification will come as music to the ears of pastors who have been outraged by the decision to tax their envelopes. Many church Ministers accused the government of deceiving them. They made the claim when they discovered that the Bill was not limited to the alofa. I feel deceived by the Samoa Government, said one Pastor. The amendment to the law extends to other income received from performing services in our roles as church ministers. I am sad because we were not informed about this during the public meetings. Under Income Tax Act 2012 3. Section 61 amended clearly indicates that it is not limited to the contributions from the churches. The law extends to income received from performing services in their role as church ministers. During the consultations, all the Ministry of Revenue went after was the alofa but to my surprise, someone came across the new amendment and pointed it out to me. Why were the Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt and his Associate Minister, Sooalo Mene, not honest from the beginning about this hidden amendment? So aside from the alofa, they now want to tax us on our other incomes that we receive when conducting service prayers for functions, weddings and funerals, said the furious Church Minister. The Church Minister said the unfairness of the decision by the government was keeping them in the dark about taxing all income they receive from their roles as church ministers. All right thats fine but I think the government should also look at taxing the cash envelopes the Cabinet Ministers receive from any event they attend. It is only fair that if they desperately need money as indicated by their measures put in place to obtain more funding, they too should also be taxed when they receive their cash envelopes. INCOME TAX AMENDMENT BILL 2017 3. Section 61 amended In section 61 of the principal Act: (a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (f), substitute full stop with semi colon and insert (g) income of minister of religion.; (b) after subsection (9), insert: (10) For the purposes of this section, the income of a minister of religion whose sole occupation is the spiritual guidance of a specific congregation in Samoa is comprised of: (a) contributions made by members of the congregation, and (b) income received from performing services in their role as church ministers. Pregnant women from Samoa with valid entry permits into American Samoa, who travel over on MV Lady Naomi, are not allowed to disembark. Instead they are simply asked to take a return trip of the ship to Samoa. The treatment surfaced during the recent inter-Samoa talks held in Apia where the Samoan government raised concerns about the treatment of Samoan residents by American Samoa. Official documents obtained by the Samoa Observer does not say how many women were subjected to the treatment. But Samoan officials were disturbed and they raised the issue about the violation of human rights. Samoa also raised the concern relating to pregnant women from Samoa not being able to disembark the vessel upon arrival but simply asked to take the return trip of the ship even with the issuance of a valid entry permit, the document says. American Samoa noted that this may be related to an immigration issue to prevent foreign women from exploiting medical care in American Samoa. The document goes on to say that both Samoa and American Samoa agreed that this situation is in breach of human rights and American Samoa agreed to look in alleviating this issue. Questions sent to American Samoa Attorney General, Talauega Eleasalo Ale, remain unanswered as of press time yesterday. Another concern for Samoa was with regards to the time it takes for American Samoa officials to clear the M.V. Lady Naomi when it arrives in Pago. According to the document, Samoa requested American Samoa to consider clearing the vessel at time of arrival. American Samoa responded that their opening hours are from sun-up to dusk, but do provide services after-hours, with applied fees, the document reads. The two Samoa noted there have been steps taken by American Samoa to address the situation with the details, to be clarified at a late date. Another issue discussed was the utilization of Samoa Airways by the American Samoa Government for their patients off island referral programme. Overseas transfer of American Samoa patients - the authorities explored the possibility of using Samoa Airways to transport patients from Pago Pago to New Zealand which requires consultations with the airline. On the option of transmitting in Samoa, there would need to be an assessment of the fees and costs that would be involved. This option would include the use of Faleolo hospital at cost for patients in transit, says the document. Other pertinent issues that were discussed were the lifting of the ban on taro from Samoa. According to official meeting record of the talks, Samoa has acknowledged efforts to comply with requirements set forth by the American Samoa Government to lift its taro ban imports from Samoa; the Department of Agriculture currently awaits written communication from M.A.F. on the result of its taro virus tests. American Samoa noted the possibility to lift the ban of taro exports from Samoa by March 2018. The concerns by Samoa relating to American Samoas inspection fees have been resolved. American Samoa conrmed that they only charge excise fees as set forth by statute, and duties are only levied against commercial goods, not legitimate personal goods, says the official meeting record. Regarding quarantine, its encouraged by recent developments ensuring quality assurance through the provision of mobile slaughter units and the adoption of new legislation. Another longstanding issue is Samoas seeking U.S.D.A. approval from the Federal Government to enable exports of meat and meat products to American Samoa. American Samoa stands ready to assist upon request from Samoa who also conrmed receipt of an invitation from U.S. to meet on the matter. On the issue of transportation, the relevant authorities involved will continue to collaborate on resolving the situation around the late clearance of the M.V. Lady Naomi; restrictions and concerns regarding the treatment of pregnant women passengers returned upon arrival in American Samoa and disallowing disembarkation to prepare for the returned trip. American Samoa will look into the matter so that immigration and public health policies are not compromised, and to ascertain that basic human rights are not neglected. Another issue is the waiver for U.S. Coast Guard requirements in relation to emergency charter requests to Samoa. On the use of the two Samoa slipway facilities, American Samoa informed of the availability of its shipyard facility to maintain large vessels; likewise Samoa offered its slipway for small vessels. American Samoas Department of Port Administration discussed opportunities with its Samoa counterparts as the Federal Aviation Administration approved disaster training facility that can be made available to train Samoas airport emergency responders. The D.P.A. would also like to discuss sending a trainer to assess Samoas Maritime Academy to evaluate compliance with U.S. regulations as an initial step in establishing consistent professional training opportunities and exchange programs for both seafarers and reghters from both countries. Another issue pertains to Banking Money Transfer Operators (M.T.O.s) from Samoa who has requested to set-up bank accounts in American Samoa, but are unable to do so at this time because of global anti-money laundering policies and regulations practised by A.N.Z. Bank in American Samoa. The M.T.Os from Samoa proposed the possibility to set-up local bank accounts in American Samoa through its proposed new territorial bank. American Samoa also requested the Central Bank of Samoa to assist with ensuring appropriate policies and regulations are in place to address money laundering, says the meeting record. The governments efforts to promote Samoa as a tourism destination has been dealt a major blow with Survivor Australia pulling the plug on a third season of filming in Samoa. Instead, they have opted to film the next season in Fiji. The Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, confirmed the decision yesterday but disputed reports that Survivor's exit is over the governments failure to pay tax rebate worth millions of tala. It is their decision and although we offered to increase the rebate to 50 percent they still opted for Fiji, said Tialavea. Just to be clear, we dont have a standard contract with the Survivor crew where Samoa is the only destination for filming. Our contract is done on a yearly basis when they come for their filming which has expired. But there is no third year contract because they did not want to film the third season here. Its up to them, what they want to do. The only obligation there is for the Samoa Government is to pay the rebate of 30 percent of the total funds they spend in Samoa. The last time they filmed here, their expenses amounted to $11 million and under the law we are obligated to pay back $3 million and we did. I already signed the cheque. Their decision to film in Fiji is their prerogative, Fijis rebate is 45 percent and so we proposed an increase to 50 percent but that did not change anything. Its fair enough, when you think about it from a business perspective. According to the Minister, this is a loss for Samoa. There will be no more global exposure carried by Survivor and also the money they spent here, on hotels, rental cars, the local employment, food but at the same time, whatever money they spent we pay them back through the 30 percent rebate. Its good that Australia Survivor filmed two series here, so its good for us. The rebate law will be up for discussion when Parliament is in session, he added. As this law applies to any filming company that wants to film here, the same principle will apply however the percentage of the rebate is negotiable, he said. Minister of Tourism, Sala Fata Pinati opted not to comment on the matter noting the need to await the C.E.O., Papalii Sonja Hunter. She is in Fiji for the Miss Pacific Islands (see story) At the launching of the second season of survivor in May last year, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said in many ways, it was the perfect decision, with existing infrastructure that we could build on from previous seasons and having staff on the ground with solid experience to guarantee a smooth and efficient production. But despite having hosted such a global television phenomenon, we have managed to preserve the beauty and untouched nature of our surroundings which is testament to our commitment and love for our country and its pristine environment, said Tuilaepa. The film is being shot in top secret locations throughout Upolu and Savaii. It was not possible to get a comment from Survivor Australia yesterday. A students dedication and hard work comes into fruition at the end of every academic year. For Grace Ah Kee, being announced the 2017 Dux of Ah Mu Academy yesterday during the schools prize giving ceremony, is a clear indication of her sacrifice and commitment. She was joined by her families and friends at the Pesega College Hall to witness and celebrate her achievement. Also by her side were her parents Magele Leagiagi Ah Kee and Tofale Paletaoga Ah Kee. Grace, 13, is from the Village of Vaitele Uta. Like any parents, yesterday was a proud moment for Graces parents, whereas for Grace, it was a humbling experience and a happy moment that she wanted to share with her family. I am very happy that my hard work and commitment throughout this whole year has been paid off. I give glory to our Heavenly Father for his love and guidance throughout my journey, she said. She said she hoped to attend Samoa College next year and also to become a doctor in the future. Grace scored the second highest marks in Mathematics and Social Science and third highest in Basic Science. Second to Dux was awarded to Feagaimaleata Tanielu who was placed third for English and Visual Studies and second in Samoan Studies and Health and Physical Education Studies. Oscar Meredith came third in the Year 8 level. He came second in Basic Science and first in Social Studies. AWARDS English 1st - Adrian Reid 2nd - Leilana Tapuai 3rd- Feagaimaleata Tanielu Mathematics 1st - Metuisela Kepa 2nd - Grace Ah Kee 3rd- Hailey Ulberg Basic Science 1st- Metuisela Kepa 2nd- Oscar Meredith 3rd- Grace Ah Kee Social Studies 1st- Oscar Meredith 2nd-Grace Ah Kee 3rd-Adrian Reid Gagana Samoa 1st - Afaitulagi Mapu 2nd-Feagaimaleata Tanielu 3rd-Danielemuti Pili Visual Arts 1st-Leilana Tapuai 2nd -Lakeisha Lomalasi 3rd-Feagaimaleata Tanielu Health & Physical Education 1st- Oscar Meredith 2nd-Feagaimaleata Tanielu 3rd-Dannyroles Vaepule Most Improved - Leilana Tapuai Citizenship Award - Roite Tinei. Leading biomedical hubs such as Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego have long been the envy of the nation. Aspiring biotech centers elsewhere, such as those in Texas and Florida, seek to duplicate their success. Los Angeles has also caught biotech fever, with leaders there looking enviously at what San Diego has accomplished on Torrey Pines Mesa. Biotechs well-paying jobs and mission of curing diseases makes it both an engine of economic growth and an industry with broad public appeal. Advertisement However, building a biotech cluster is harder than it looks. Top biotech hubs like San Diegos possess several defining characteristics, all of which must be present. Money and science are certainly two necessities, but theyre not enough. The biotech industry emerged in San Diego with patient planning, a long-range view of payoffs, a supportive culture, talented entrepreneurs, opportunity-seeking venture capitalists and good luck. Much the same story can be told of other top biotech clusters. Theres no shortcut to biotech excellence. The experiences of Texas and Florida in trying to jump-start their biotech industries during the past decade bear this out. In Texas, a state agency called CPRIT, with $3 billion in state and local money to fight cancer, fell into a distracting scandal. In Florida, $1.5 billion in state and local money invested at the behest of former Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist have so far yielded disappointing returns. Los Angeles has experienced its own biotech stumbles. Last year, the University of Southern California tried and failed to acquire The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. USCs attempts to gain partnerships or control of other San Diego research entities fell flat. In June, the private university took the unusual step of establishing a research center in San Diego, this one focused on Alzheimers disease. While USC gained a top Alzheimers expert Dr. Paul Aisen, who left UC San Diego to join USC in June he remains part of San Diegos biotech community. To build biotech at home, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors commissioned a feasibility report from biotechnology consultant Battelle Memorial Institute. The report, delivered last year, said Los Angeles could become a first-rate biotech hub if it takes steps such as encouraging development of lab space and attracting talent with seed funding. Actions like those are just the beginning, said people involved in cultivating and maintaining life science clusters in San Diego and elsewhere. Here are their perspectives: Start with land Geography and land-use decisions are the pillars of a successful biotech hub, said Mary Lindenstein Walshok, dean of UC San Diego Extension and author of a book on San Diegos innovation economy. The city of San Diego made the biotech hub on Torrey Pines Mesa possible by zoning that area for research and development and light industry, Walshok said. So instead of allowing the usual commercial development on prime coastal land, it was kept open for science. These decisions were made in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before there was any idea of a University of California, by the way, Walshok said. That was because John Jay Hopkins, founder of General Dynamics, and Roger Revelle, the head of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, convinced the City Council that we would not be devastated by the post-World War II downturn if we focused on science and technology, particularly (projects) important to national security and the military. Those plans received a major boost when Dr. Jonas Salk, who led development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine, decided to establish his institute on Torrey Pines Mesa. In 1960, San Diego voters agreed to give a 27-acre site to the Salk Institute. A large part of the credit goes to then-mayor Charles Dail, a polio survivor who had campaigned to bring Salk to San Diego. By reserving the land in advance, San Diego made it possible for research institutes and technology companies to cluster together, Walshok said. That proximity encourages collaboration and makes it easy for new companies to arise from a large talent pool. World-class entities such as UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, West Health and the J. Craig Venter Institutes La Jolla campus are spread along roughly two miles of North Torrey Pines Road, along with research facilities for major pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis, Pfizer, Celgene and Vertex. Walshok calls it the $3 billion drive. We have professors in our medical school who say one of the nicest things about being here is, I have colleagues at Salk and Sanford Burnham Prebys who are doing work that is complementary and additive to the work that Im doing, she said. Its a community of science. And thats Boston, and thats Seattle, and thats Austin. Its not L.A. More a pastiche of communities than a unified city, Los Angeles doesnt offer that biotech core, she said, citing a book about the citys development titled, The Fragmented Metropolis. And that citys universities didnt keep pace with UC San Diego in terms of biomedical research. UCSD by the 70s was overtaking even UCLA, much less USC, Walshok said. While all of this is happening, USC is building dental schools, medical schools, business schools. USC chose a different path to greatness, and now theyre shifting. But I would argue they dont have the critical mass within the institution or within the community. Get the people Major research institutions provide the core strength for a biotech economy, said Abigail Barrow, founding director of the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center. Created by Massachusetts in 2003, the center guides commercialization of technology from the commonwealths research institutions. Barrow did similar work in San Diego, where she was managing director of UC San Diegos von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and program director for UCSD Connect, which is now an independent nonprofit. If you dont have those core institutions, you dont have core regional capabilities and you dont have the people, Barrow said. So its hard to build a cluster if you dont have great employees around and particularly if youre moving into new technologies, you dont get people who are trained in new techniques. The Boston region offers these pillars, notably the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard and Boston universities, along with research-oriented medical centers such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Womens Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The clinical research hospitals provide a bridge from lab discoveries to commercialization because experimental therapies can be tested there. Access to capital in San Diego and Massachusetts comes from local venture capital investors and individual angel investors who help startups get off the ground. While San Diego didnt have much venture capital at first, Barrow said venture firms in the Bay Area, a short flight away, filled that gap. Luck also comes into play, Barrow said. When new biotech entrepreneurs score successes, they tend to stay in that industry. Over time, a pool of experienced company-builders takes root in a particular geographic area, skilled in the art of turning research into companies. This layer of business expertise complements the research and financial components. Service providers specializing in the life sciences including law, accounting and real estate firms flock to the area, adding still more depth. The end result is a region with a full spectrum of biomedical specialists. Experience and money Harry Gruber is one of those seasoned entrepreneurs Barrow referred to. Hes the chief executive of Tocagen, a San Diego business testing gene therapy for brain tumors. His story, and the story of Tocagen, illustrate the power of a deep pool of biotech company-builders in attracting still more biotech companies. Much of Tocagens technology came from Viagene, a San Diego biotech that Novartis purchased a number of years ago. The technology eventually became packaged with other technologies from USC and UCLA, and the combined approach was reborn as Tocagen. Gruber said Tocagen was created in San Diego mainly out of convenience because he and the other founders live in San Diego. All things being equal, he added, San Diego would have been the preferred location anyway due to the experienced biotech leaders here who know what pitfalls to avoid. Before Tocagen, Gruber invented the technology for several San Diego biotechs, including Gensia, Metabasis and Viagene. On the technology side, his companies include Intervu, a video streaming company, and Kintera, a fundraising platform for nonprofits. Access to local capital is essential to keeping new companies in a region, and Gruber said thats where USC should focus its attention. Doing so benefited the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his medical degree. I was on the board of the University of Pennsylvania, and they had a similar problem of how to commercialize their technology, he explained. My recommendation was that they set up a venture fund. And they did, and now theyre in the business of setting up companies in Philadelphia. Joining forces Los Angeles offers some attractive characteristics for biotech, including a strong transportation infrastructure, said Joe Panetta, president and CEO of the San Diego-based life-science trade group Biocom. The Los Angeles International Airport offers many more nonstop overseas flights than does San Diegos Lindbergh Field. That may not seem like a big deal, but when we travel internationally and talk about coming to do business in San Diego, its something that comes up, Panetta said. Los Angeles also has a reputation as an international city. In addition, Los Angeles has a much larger base of capital for investment than San Diego. These investors could be cultivated and encouraged to place their money in the life sciences, Panetta said. He advocates an alliance between biomedical regions throughout Southern California to make a bigger biotech region that can support each of its subregions. Biocom already plays that role to a large extent, he said. The groups membership extends all the way to Amgen, north of Los Angeles in Thousand Oaks. We consider ourselves to be the Southern California biotech association, Panetta said. Ahmed Enany, president and chief executive of the Southern California Biomedical Council in Los Angeles, also expressed a broader view of the Los Angeles biomedical community. He said in terms of territory, the region extends into Orange County. Its roots go back to the 1930s with biomedical companies such as Baxter, founded in Glendale in 1932. The technology for separating blood into its components, called blood fractionation, was commercialized in the Los Angeles area during the 1940s, Enany said. The geographic dispersal of companies hinders unifying them as a sector, and they also span a wide range of medical technologies, he explained. In the regions six-county area excluding San Diego County there are more than 200 cities. This decentralization has hampered efforts to adopt a regionwide set of policies. We have just in L.A. County over 450 companies, Enany said. Some make medical devices, others diagnostics, generic pharma and some biotech. So were not really a biotech town. Were not going to compete in biotech for the foreseeable future. Bring them close Currently, theres a lack of physical space for biotech companies to take root near universities in the Los Angeles area in contrast to what has arisen on Torrey Pines Mesa. Thats a great asset, particularly in the startup phase where youre relying on academic research to build technological know-how for the company, youre hiring graduate students and you attract venture capitalists. That hasnt happened in L.A. because of history, Enany said. A biotech plan commissioned by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recommends ways to change that history. One proposal is to buy land for setting up a research park around USC Medical Center in east Los Angeles. The USC Biotechnology Parks first phase would create about 3,000 construction jobs and nearly 4,000 permanent biomedical jobs, USC President C.L. Max Nikias wrote in a Feb. 25 opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times. But that would be just the start, Nikias wrote. The entire corridor could be of similar size and scope to San Franciscos Mission Bay project, which will employ an estimated 30,000 people once completed. Enany said there are many hurdles to such a project, including fragmented land ownership. It requires a lot of assets, resources and collaboration between the city, the county, USC and other stakeholders, he said. But its a project that has potential. Several homes were destroyed by a wildfire in Bel-Air on Wednesday, and authorities warned of potentially catastrophic winds continuing through at least Thursday. Authorities said high winds which could top 50 mph in some areas create an extreme fire danger. The forecast is disturbing enough that the Los Angeles school system has canceled classes at many San Fernando Valley campuses and officials are bracing for more fires across the region. Powerful winds can worsen existing fires but also help fan new ones. Advertisement About midnight, UCLA canceled Thursday classes given the array of uncertainties caused by the fire near campus, according to an alert posted on the universitys website. This is a difficult decision, since final exams begin on Saturday. The universitys medical centers and clinics will remain open. Los Angeles police warned Brentwood residents to prepare to evacuate in case a wind shift sends embers westward. If we ask you to leave, LEAVE, authorities wrote in a letter to residents. There is no property worth the safety of you or your family. Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, echoed that warning. There will be no ability to fight fire in these kinds of winds, he said. At the end of the day, we need everyone in the public to listen and pay attention. This is not watch the news and go about your day. This is pay attention minute by minute keep your head on a swivel. The warning came as firefighters were trying to contain the Bel-Air fire, which prompted evacuations in a large swath of the hillside enclave. After several tense hours, firefighters appeared to be getting a handle on the fire, which burned in the same area as the destructive 1961 Bel-Air fire. That blaze destroyed more than 500 homes and prompted some of the citys toughest fire safety regulations. Wednesdays fire erupted about 4:50 a.m. in the brush next to the northbound 405 Freeway, near Mulholland Drive. Flames fanned by 25-mph winds quickly traveled east into Bel-Air, scorching 475 acres and destroying four homes by the afternoon, officials said. Another 11 homes were damaged, and the fire was 5% contained by 3 p.m., officials said. Its been years since anything here has burned at all, said Los Angeles Fire Capt. Cody Weireter. Youve got heavy, heavy brush, youve got the dryness obviously, we havent had any rain at all. A lot of the fire is topography-driven, which already becomes dangerous. The wind is going to increase that twofold. More than 350 firefighters, 52 engines and six fixed-wing aircraft had low temperatures and humidity on their side as they battled the blaze from the north, west and east in high winds. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a state of emergency Wednesday morning. These are days that break your heart, Garcetti said. These are also days that show the resilience of our city. After the fire erupted, authorities completely shut down the 405 Freeway between the 10 and the 101 freeways, even as they ordered evacuations in a 3.2-square-mile zone stretching from Mulholland Drive to Sunset Boulevard, and from Roscomare Road on the east to the 405 Freeway on the west. 1 / 29 A scorched pot is among the few remnants of a homeless site where investigators believe the Skirball blaze, which destroyed more than 400 acres, started. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 29 Firefighter Ken Williams puts out a hot spot on a fire-ravaged home along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times ) 3 / 29 Firefighter Steve Barrett hits a hot spot on a fire-ravaged home on Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 29 Firefighters work a hot spot next to a vineyard charred by the Skirball fire in Bel-Air on Thursday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times ) 5 / 29 The downtown Los Angeles skyline is visible through the smoke from the Skirball fire as seen from Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times ) 6 / 29 A firefighter carries a hose up stairs at a home destroyed by the Skirball fire along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 29 Firefighter Bobby DAmico looks out over the Getty Center while monitoring the scene over Bel-Air, where the Skirball fire has destroyed several homes. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 29 A helicopter scouts for hot spots from the Skirball fire in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 29 Firefighter Ray Schiller puts out a hot spot on a home destroyed by the Skirball fire on Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 29 A firefighter monitors the scene over Bel-Air, where the Skirball fire has destroyed several homes. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 29 The Getty Center seen through the smoke of the Skirball fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 29 A mansion is framed by trees charred in the Skirball fire in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 29 A Los Angeles City firefighter makes his way toward a home on Casiano Road that was destroyed by the Skirball fire. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 29 Los Angeles City firefighters Florin Sarbu, left, Dan Smithers and Robert Caropino monitor the Skirball fire from the backyard of a home on Casiano Road. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 29 Fredi Seraydarian, left, her husband, Paul, and son Mark wave to a helicopter pilot after he filled up with water at the Stone Canyon Reservoir. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 29 A Bel-Air home home on Linda Flora Drive burns in the Skirball fire. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 29 The bedroom of a home is engulfed in flames from the Skirball fire along Linda Flora Drive in Bel Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 29 Firefighters battle a blaze at a home along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 29 Firefighters work to save a home along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 29 A car lies among the ruins caused by the Skirball fire at the end of Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 29 Firefighters try to save a home along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air, where the Skirball fire prompted closure of the 405 Freeway as well as mandatory evacuations. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 29 A helicopter makes a water drop on the Skirball fire in Bel Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 29 Firefighters try to save a home along Linda Flora Drive. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 29 A helicopter makes a water drop on the Skirball fire that threatened several homes along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 29 Firefighters try to save a home along Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 29 Firefighters near Linda Flora Drive in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 29 A plume of smoke from the Skirball fire looms over a home in Bel Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 29 Firefighters in Bel-Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 29 Smoke and fire from the Skirball fire threatens homes in Bel Air. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The freeway has since reopened, though the Moraga Drive, Getty Center Drive and Skirball Center Drive offramps from the northbound 405 remained closed, the California Highway Patrol said about 5 p.m. Jackson Rogow, 24, woke up at 6 a.m. to the smell of smoke and the wail of sirens. He ran outside in his boxer shorts and saw his neighbors on Bellagio Road standing in the street and packing their cars. The moon was blood red, he said. He prepared to leave with his girlfriend, the couples cat, Zeppelin, and a bag of kitty litter. His girlfriend found a stack of photographs of her late father. Rogow waved to a truck as it whizzed by around 7 a.m. He shouted, Should I leave? A firefighter gave him a thumbs-up, he said, but he wasnt sure what that meant. By 8:30 a.m., Rogow received a phone alert to evacuate. But as those in the evacuation zone tried to flee, some were trapped in a traffic on narrow, winding roads. Drivers seeking alternate routes between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside are getting stuck in traffic on winding, hilly streets in the fire area, which could pose a danger to themselves and to firefighters, LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said. Its getting all jammed up in there, he said. Theyre deep into the evacuation area. Rubenstein urged drivers to stay away from the area bounded by the mandatory evacuation order. Elementary school and college students alike in Santa Monica, Malibu and parts of West L.A. were told to stay home Wednesday. UCLA canceled classes as the campus and parts of Westwood lost power, forcing the university to rely on its backup sources for about an hour until power was restored. Among the properties threatened was publishing billionaire Rupert Murdochs 16-acre Moraga Vineyards estate, which is on Moraga Drive. A pocket of the vineyard on top of a hill in the estate was smoking and burning, firefighters said Wednesday afternoon. At 1:45 p.m., helicopters were dropping water onto the vineyard. No structure on Murdochs property was on fire, authorities said. Murdoch released a statement Wednesday saying television footage showed there may be damage to some buildings in the upper vineyard area, but the house and the winery appear to be intact. The situation at Moraga Bel-Air is very fluid at the moment, he said in the statement. We are monitoring the situation as closely as we can and are grateful to the efforts of all the first responders. Some of our neighbors have suffered heavy losses and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. Firetrucks having to navigate the narrow lanes on the block focused their efforts up the street earlier in the day, where thick brush was being quickly consumed by flames. In the 1200 block of Moraga Drive around 10:45 a.m., a firefighter helped a woman place her black suitcase inside her Bentley. She drove away quickly, leaving her yellow Spanish-style house surrounded by flames. Thick, green brush sizzled about 100 feet away on the hill behind the yellow house, as the flames grew larger. Our greatest threat is, and will always continue to be, the wind, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said during a 9:30 a.m. news conference. Other fires in Southern California have stretched resources thin. The LAFD has scaled back the number of employees and engines responding to 911 calls in other areas of the city, Terrazas said. National Weather Service forecasts call for continued windy conditions through Thursday at least. Sweet said winds are expected to gust to 40 to 45 mph in coastal areas, 50 to 60 mph in the valleys, and as high as 70 mph in the mountains Wednesday night and Thursday morning, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Sweet. Officials also urged residents west of the fire bounded by Mulholland, Sunset, the 405 and Mandeville Canyon Road to be ready to leave, although that area is not under an evacuation order. As of 11 a.m., the fire remained east of the 405 Freeway. We are losing some property and that is tragic, but the most important thing is peoples lives, said City Councilman Paul Koretz, whose district includes the area that is burning. No injuries or deaths were reported as of 11 a.m. A charred car lies in the ruins of a home destroyed by the Skirball fire in Bel Air. pic.twitter.com/T7EsmtyC2r Genaro Molina (@GenaroMolina47) December 6, 2017 The following recreation centers have been opened as evacuation sites: Delano, Balboa, Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks, Westwood and Cheviot Hills. Residents near Bel Terrace and North Sepulveda Boulevard raced outside Wednesday morning as flames encroached on their homes. Beverly Freeman, 83, pulled out of her driveway ahead of the flames just before 7 a.m. She didnt take any belongings with her. As Freeman drove away from the two-story gray house that her husband built for her three decades ago, she was not sure whether she would have a home to return to. I was going to die in this house, she said as tears came to her eyes, ash and smoke swirling in the air. The flames have never come so close. Before Rogow left his home, he remembered a conversation hed had with his neighbor, who had temporarily left the state for cancer treatment. Before she left, Rogow asked her: If your house is burning down, what do I grab? Her medals, she said. She had more than three dozen, from marathons, half-marathons and 5-kilometer races at Disney World. So Rogow broke a window, jumped inside and grabbed them. Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian, Doug Smith and Kate Mather contributed to this report. laura.nelson@latimes.com melissa.etehad@latimes.com Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com UPDATES: 1 a.m. Dec. 7: This article was updated with a statement from UCLA and Los Angeles police. 9:05 p.m. This article was updated with forecast information. 5:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information from the California Highway Patrol. 4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Rupert Murdoch. 3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with the fires new acreage, containment and homes destroyed. 2:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the fire and road closures 12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information about firefighting efforts, power outages, affected homes and evacuation efforts. 10:55 a.m.: This article was updated with information from authorities, weather conditions and comments from Jackson Rogow. 9:40 a.m.: This article was updated with new acreage and damage. 9 a.m.: This article was updated with freeway closure information and a statement from UCLA. 8:20 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Weireter. 7:45 a.m.: This article was updated with new evacuation orders and school closures. 7:20 a.m.: This article was updated with residents evacuating. 6:55 a.m.: This article was updated with the full closure of the 405 Freeway. 6:10 a.m.: This article was updated with details on evacuation orders. 5:50 a.m.: This article was updated with acreage burned and freeway closure. This article was originally published at 5:35 a.m. Dec. 6. More than 100,000 residents in the San Fernando Valley remained under evacuation Wednesday as a brush fire that started in the foothills above Sylmar continued to grow. By late Wednesday, the fire had scorched 12,605 acres and destroyed at least 30 homes. Firefighters were bracing for heavy winds, with forecasters predicting gusts in some areas of up to 80 mph. Its critically important for people that live in wildland areas that you sleep with one eye open tonight, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said. Advertisement Were expecting some extreme wind Wednesday night, Osby said. Were expecting wind gusts in some areas up to 80 miles per hour. As crews continue to fight the blaze, some residents are beginning to assess the damage to their foothill properties. Among the charred landscape off Little Tujunga Canyon Road in Sylmar stood what remained of Rancho Padilla, where nearly 30 horses died in the fire. All I could think about was the horses, the horses, the horses. And they were like, Get out, get out, get out, said Patricia Padilla, whose family owns a ranch there. The structures can get rebuilt, but the lives of the horses cant.... Thats my biggest heartbreak. The ranch, which boards horses, had more than 60 housed there, said Virginia Padilla, Patricias older sister. That morning, they put the count of dead horses at 29. One of Virginias horses is in the hospital, and another, along with her sisters horse, Scar, is doing fine. Still, they felt for their boarders and the horses theyd lost. Honestly, it feels like we lost a big part of our family, Patricia said. To see it all gone ... its heartbreaking. The Creek fire started about 4 a.m. Tuesday and quickly raced out of control as powerful Santa Ana winds pushed it toward houses below. Martine Colette, founder of the Wildlife Waystation animal sanctuary, woke up at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to the fire blazing nearby. She and her staff immediately began preparing for an evacuation, working to ensure their animals which include lions and tigers didnt burn in their enclosures. They separated the different types of caging the ones suitable for hyenas, others for Siberian tigers, another for a chimpanzee. They had to figure out what to do about the buffalo roaming loose in the fire zone, as well as what theyd do with the small-lunged animals who wouldnt be able to survive the smoke. The smoke was very thick, Colette said. It was very, very scary. The power went out, so staff worked by flashlight. Youre now working in the dark, and youre working with very dangerous animals, she said. Youre working with lions and tigers and leopards and hyenas and mountain lions, things like that. By Wednesday, they were running on no sleep. Colette kept her walkie-talkie close to her while she worked as fire trucks rolled in and out of the parking lot. Smoke billowed out from the mountains nearby, sending ash floating through the air. Some of the animals were evacuated to a zoo and others to motion picture compounds facilities capable of dealing with these types of animals. There are about 350 to 400 animals housed at the sanctuary, and 100 stayed behind at the facility. Early Wednesday, the fire kicked off again. Out of nowhere, this huge inferno exploded, Colette said. It felt like you were in the middle of hell with everything burning around you. The fire burned a portion of the property, but Colette doesnt believe any animals have been lost. As of Wednesday evening, the Creek blaze was 5% contained, and residents had been evacuated from an area covering more than 20 square miles. The fire jumped the 210 Freeway and burned in Shadow Hills to the south, where residents scrambled to evacuate hundreds of horses, alpacas and other animals. About 20 of the 30 homes that have burned were in Little Tujunga, Kagel and Lopez canyons, officials said. Several exits along the 210 Freeway leading into Sylmar, Pacoima, Shadow Hills and Sunland remain closed, the California Highway Patrol said. About 2,500 homes are still under threat, and nearly 1,700 personnel are battling the blaze. Farther north, in Santa Clarita, firefighters were making significant gains against the Rye fire that had burned toward Magic Mountain on Tuesday afternoon. The fire briefly shut down access to the 5 Freeway from Highway 126 and triggered mandatory evacuations. Roy DeFilippis, 69, and his wife, Yolanda, 66, had only recently arrived home from a vacation and were excited to spend a nice, relaxing afternoon at a campground west of Santa Clarita when the Rye fire started. The couple have been on a road trip for weeks, starting out at their home in Nova Scotia and traveling to Simi Valley to spend Thanksgiving with their daughter and her family. Driving thousands of miles, they faced several challenges. The RV broke down in Kingman, Ariz., and then again as they were traveling in California toward Simi Valley. Roy DeFilippis almost lost control going down a mountain. On Tuesday afternoon, he was watching TV, considering whether to drink more coffee or switch to cold beer. And all of a sudden, we hear sirens and sirens, and police came out and told us we had to evacuate, he said. Walking out of their RV, the couple saw flames as tall as their motor home. They ditched the Honda Civic theyd been hauling. There was no time. They ensured their most precious cargo their eight Yorkies, Spike, Zoey, Lacey, Madison, Spencer, Mickey, Sammy and Snickers were in the RV, and they rushed onto Highway 126. Late Wednesday morning, they were parked on a gravel lot between Santa Clarita and Fillmore, waiting until the campground was reopened at noon. They werent sure whether their car survived. But DeFilippis, a retiree from Florida, said that because they were safe from the fires, it just made for a good story to tell his friends. Life is a true adventure, isnt it? he said. The Rye fire had burned 7,000 acres and was 5% contained Wednesday. All evacuations and road closures have been lifted. After five years of drought, California was inundated with one of its wettest winters on record last year, followed by the hottest summer on record. That created a bountiful crop of light grass and vegetation that then shriveled and is now primed to burn. The Santa Ana winds that have driven the flames are expected to subside by Friday, the National Weather Service said. For breaking California news, follow @LANow on Twitter. Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Joseph Serna contributed to this report. UPDATES: 9:25 p.m.: This article was updated with new figures and an interview. 3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details of the Rye fire. 11:55 a.m.: This article was updated with reports of animal fatalities. This article was originally published at 11 a.m. A fire that broke out in San Bernardino County on Tuesday afternoon burned three people and triggered mandatory evacuations, authorities said. The wind-driven Little Mountain fire has burned at least 100 acres, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. By Tuesday night, all evacuations were lifted, but Little Mountain was still closed to traffic, authorities said. #LittleMountainFire: Per @SanBernardinoPD, all evacuations have been lifted. Please be careful when returning to the area. Firefighters will be working throughout the night. ^eas SB County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) December 6, 2017 Advertisement The blaze was initially reported as a vegetation fire near University Parkway and Varsity Avenue about 12:30 p.m. Three people were taken to a hospital with burns, officials said. Mandatory evacuations were ordered about 1:45 p.m. for residents east of Little Mountain Drive and north of West Edgehill Road, the department said. An evacuation center was set up at Marshall Elementary School in San Bernardino. The fire forced an eight-mile stretch of the 215 Freeway between the 210 and 15 freeways to close Tuesday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol said. The blaze is among several that burned across Southern California on Tuesday amid powerful Santa Ana winds. Times staff writer Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report. joseph.serna@latimes.com Twitter: @JosephSerna UPDATES: 7:55 p.m.: This article was updated to note evacuations have been lifted. This article was originally published at 3:05 p.m. Los Angeles lawmakers backed a host of new regulations for the marijuana industry Wednesday, paving the way for the hotly anticipated business of recreational pot. The unanimous vote was a landmark step for the biggest city in California as the state prepares to start issuing permits to grow, sell, test and distribute recreational marijuana. Despite a slew of concerns about the exact details of the plan, the City Council voted 12 to 0 for the regulations, which now go to the mayor for his approval. For the record: This article previously stated that Ricardo Mendoza manages a marijuana shop in Culver City. The dispensary, which is not currently open, was located in Los Angeles near Culver City. The elaborate rules reflect a tug of war at City Hall over the hopes and fears for the soon-to-be-legalized industry. They have been a prime focus of Council President Herb Wesson, who said Wednesday that cities across the country will be looking to Los Angeles as an example. Advertisement We are L.A. We are leaders. We take on the tough issues, Wesson said. Before the vote, he urged lawmakers, Lets make history. The City Council has been eager to pull in new revenue from the marijuana business, which is expected to generate more than $50 million in tax revenue for the city next year. California will start licensing the recreational pot industry in January, aiming to bring an illicit market out of the shadows. The council also has vowed to make sure that disadvantaged communities that were hit hardest by the war on drugs can now cash in, a quest near and dear to political progressives. At the Wednesday meeting, Councilman Curren Price lamented that the criminalization of cannabis unfairly targeted communities of color like the one I represent. Im ready to level the playing field so that everyone has a fair shot at reaping the rewards of this booming industry, Price said. Because we shouldnt just be rolling out the red carpet to those individuals with deep pockets or powerful corporations. Under its social equity program, the city will give priority processing and other assistance to marijuana business applicants who are poor and were previously convicted of some marijuana crimes or who have lived in areas that were heavily affected by cannabis arrests. Before the vote, Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson declared that we will shut down one of the major fronts of the war on drugs. While other cities have shied away from marijuana, this is a city that is ready to make the jump and not just put their toe in the water, said Brad Rowe, an adjunct professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and chief executive of the research and consulting firm Botec Analysis. But L.A. lawmakers have also imposed a long list of restrictions on where marijuana shops and other businesses can open their doors, amid concerns that the pot industry could be a new source of nuisance or blight. Marijuana industry groups have bristled at some of those rules, which were tightened as the city regulations were drafted, while some neighborhood groups had pressed for much stricter requirements. We need to ensure that our communities, and particularly communities of color ... are not negatively impacted by this industry, Councilwoman Nury Martinez said. Under the new regulations, pot shops can open their doors only in specific commercial and industrial zones and must operate at least 700 feet from schools, public parks and libraries, child care centers, alcohol and drug treatment centers and other sensitive sites, as well as from other pot retailers. Other kinds of marijuana businesses, including growers and manufacturers, would be confined to industrial zones and banned within 600 feet of schools. And marijuana manufacturers that use volatile solvents would also be prohibited within 200 feet of residential areas. To prevent an undue concentration in neighborhoods, city leaders also decided to cap the number of pot shops, growers, manufacturers and marijuana micro-businesses, which do a combination of things, allowed in each community. Martinez argued that they were crucial to preventing marijuana businesses from clustering in poor and minority neighborhoods, recounting her frustrations with illegal pot shops flocking to Van Nuys. The limits are based on population and zoning ratios. City officials have calculated that under those restrictions, no more than 390 pot shops, 336 growers and 520 marijuana manufacturers could currently be licensed across the city. Micro-businesses, which could also count toward the limits on pot shops or growers if they cultivate or sell marijuana, would be limited to a maximum of 520. However, planning officials say that in many neighborhoods, zoning restrictions may prevent the number of marijuana businesses from ever reaching those maximum numbers. Virgil Grant, president of the industry group Southern California Coalition, argued that there was no need for such caps because the required buffers from sensitive sites would create an organic cap. Sarah Armstrong, who serves as policy chair of the coalition, said she was worried about whether growers would be able to find enough space. The great beating heart of the industry is the cultivators, Armstrong said. Without that, there is no industry. But cannabis entrepreneurs nonetheless heralded the new regulations as a victory, allowing business to move forward in what is expected to be one of the hottest marijuana markets in the country. Ricardo Mendoza, who has managed a marijuana shop near Culver City, said his dispensary was planning to set up shop in the San Fernando Valley. It sounds like they really want to do this the right way, Mendoza said. It is unclear exactly how many pot shops and other marijuana businesses already exist in Los Angeles. Fewer than 140 shops were expected to be allowed to avoid local prosecution under Proposition D, which voters approved four years ago, but tax records revealed that hundreds more had continued to operate. Under the new regulations, existing shops operating in line with Proposition D will be first in line for city licenses. The complex regulations also lay out how marijuana businesses will be vetted and inspected, set goals for local hiring, require security and video surveillance, and bar marijuana or alcohol from being consumed at shops, among a host of other rules. And even as the city provides a helping hand to pot entrepreneurs once jailed for marijuana crimes, it is blocking people who committed other kinds of violent or serious offenses from getting marijuana licenses for years after their convictions, a sign that the pot business is still seen as especially sensitive. At Wednesdays meeting, lawmakers suggested a handful of changes to the regulations, including extending how long people convicted of violent crimes are barred from getting licenses. Those ideas and other disputed proposals including barring cash for marijuana purchases remain to be debated. It really does feel like were building the plane in midair, Councilman Paul Krekorian said during the discussion. After Californians voted to legalize recreational marijuana, its been kind of left to us to figure it out. And figure it out we are doing. emily.alpert@latimes.com Twitter: @AlpertReyes UPDATES: 3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the ordinance, and reaction. This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m. Mayor Kevin Faulconers office is expected to unveil Thursday a new strategy for choosing which neighborhoods in San Diego will be the focus of increased job and housing density a move aimed at satisfying the citys legally binding pledge to reduce greenhouse gases. Urban planning experts around the country have been nearly unanimous in their belief that dense, walkable neighborhoods are crucial for cutting down on tailpipe emissions. However, putting such policies into practice has been difficult for elected officials, who routinely face resistance from homeowners fearing urbanization and traffic congestion. Advertisement Now, a new mapping tool, still under development by engineering firm Fehr & Peers, could give environmental and housing advocates leverage in the push for centralized growth in certain areas. The analysis being developed would assign communities individual targets for increasing residential and commercial densities in an effort to located new development as near as possible to public transit and job centers. As an example, if two communities are primarily housing focused, but one is closer to an employment center, it makes sense for growth to occur in the community that is closer to the employment center and would result in less (vehicle miles traveled), according to a recently released staff report outlining the new strategy. Staff are scheduled to share more details with members of the City Councils Environment Committee at 1 p.m. on Thursday on the 12th floor of City Hall, located at 202 C St. This tool in and of itself will not persuade homeowners to accept more density. David Moty, chair of the Community Planners Committee Community leaders working closely with the city on housing and planning issues expressed some skepticism that assigning such targets would actually result in more urban, walkable communities. This tool in and of itself will not persuade homeowners to accept more density, said David Moty, chair of the Community Planners Committee, which oversees the citys network of planning groups. The city has an infrastructure problem that needs to be addressed. Thats something that would spur community acceptance and actually incentivize new housing. The mayors office and city staff declined multiple requests for interviews on the new mapping tool, which would focus specifically on reducing vehicle miles traveled throughout the city. A recent analysis by the San Diego Union-Tribune uncovered a significant flaw in the way the city has calculated trends in vehicle traffic under its Climate Action Plan. Between 2010 and 2016, the city found that vehicle miles traveled had dramatically decrease when in fact it had increased, a statistical anomaly that has led the city to claim reductions in greenhouse gases that didnt occur. Its unclear whether the citys new density targets will be impacted by this flawed analysis. This data-driven approach to promoting growth, comes in response to criticism last year from transit and environmental advocates that the city wasnt doing enough to promote density during contentious zoning-plan updates for North Park, Uptown and Golden Hill. At the time, many residents in those neighborhoods pushed back against up-zoning high-traffic corridors to allow for taller residential buildings and more businesses. At the request of the San Diego Planning Commission and members of the City Council, the mayors office contracted in late 2016 with Fehr & Peers to analyze to what extent the proposed community blueprints would encourage people to ditch their car commutes. To reduce greenhouse emissions, the citys Climate Action Plan calls for about 22 percent of people who live within a half-mile of a major transit stop to bike, walk or take public transportation to work by 2020, and 50 percent by 2035. According to the most recent Census data, about 8 percent of commuters used such forms of transportation in 2015. By far, the largest strategy is based on encouraging commuters to embrace mass transit.The climate plan calls for at least 51,977 people take the bus or trolley to work by 2020, up from about 26,854 today. Faulconers team hasnt been tracking citywide progress on the issue. At the same time, the citys contracted analysis from last year found that none of the communities in question were on track to meet the the transportation goals. Vicki Granowitz, a planning commissioner and former chair of the North Park Planning Committee, said she was cautiously optimistic about the citys new targeted approach to density. Ultimately, you can say It would have been nice to have this information, although, I dont know how much impact this would have had for North Park, she said. Homeowners want to protect what they see as their dream home, and we need to do more to talk to them about what might motivate them if anything to accept more density. According to the citys website, the neighborhoods currently undergoing community plan updates include Barrio Logan, Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley and Old Town San Diego. The new tool is expected to be completed by winter of 2018 and applied to all plans going forward. Twitter: @jemersmith Phone: (619) 293-2234 Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition will celebrate three decades advocating on behalf of cyclists at its annual Holiday Joy Ride on Thursday. The event starts at restaurant Panama 66 in Balboa Park (1450 El Prado) at 5:30 p.m. Riders will loop around the park into Uptown and return back to the starting point by 7 p.m. The ride is 80s themed in honor of the decade in which the coalition was founded. Participants are encouraged to trick out their bikes with lights, as well as don their brightest fluorescent shirts, acid-wash jeans and mullets. Advertisement Executive Director Andy Hanshaw said the coalition has much to celebrate as well as to prepare for, including supporting the installation of new bikes lanes being proposed throughout the county. The coalition long before I was here is credited with getting so much done in regards to safer streets, bike lanes, providing education and programs. he said. We want to celebrate all that weve done in the past, but were even more excited about whats going to happen in the future. The joy ride, now in its seventh year, will end with the groups annual Golden Gear awards ceremony. Among the winners, advocate of the year will go to Hillcrest resident Michael Brennan, who as a former member of the citys Bicycle Advisory Committee helped advocate for a controversial bike lane along University Avenue. Bicycle-friendly business of the year will be awarded to Mission Brewery for encouraging patrons to bike to the establishment by offering secure bike parking, as well as hosting coalition events. Educator of the year will be presented to Francisco Contreras, an elementary school teacher at the King-Chavez Academy of Excellence in Logan Heights who started an after-school program that teaches students how to fix and ride bikes. Tickets can be purchased at sdbikecoalition.org at $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Profits benefit the coalition, which advocates on beyond of cyclists countywide. Twitter: @jemersmith Phone: (619) 293-2234 Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com Mindful of a concerning development in the Midwest, county supervisors decided Tuesday to continue calling San Diegos hepatitis A outbreak a public health emergency even though the level of intensity has been falling for weeks. After hearing a presentation that included a note that a similar outbreak underway in Southeast Michigan saw a resurgence in early November, county board chair Dianne Jacob said maintaining the current emergency status, first declared on Sept. 1, is a worthy precaution. We dont want a resurgence like theyre having in Detroit, so we need to continue this emergency, Jacob said, drawing unanimous votes of support from her colleagues. Advertisement The county and the City of San Diego have used the emergency as justification to spend millions on vaccination and sanitation efforts including hand-washing stations, street cleaning and public toilets to stop a rising tide of deaths largely among homeless and drug-using residents. Cash has also been spent on overtime for public health nurses and others who have administered more than 109,000 vaccination doses during the outbreak. While it might seem like the county would be eager to end the emergency and declare the outbreak over, Dr. Eric McDonald, chief of the health departments Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch, said after Tuesdays presentation that deciding when a public health crisis like this is over is no easy feat. The county has always recorded a few hepatitis A cases per month in non-outbreak years, and now that every health care provider in the area is hyper-vigilant for signs and symptoms of the disease, its not clear what the new normal will look like. Is it back to the baseline we had before the outbreak, or is it maybe a new baseline that may just continue on into the future, McDonald said, adding that his department is discussing this question with public health experts at the California Department of Public Health and at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once the epidemiologists reach agreement on what a normal number of cases should be, he added, they will have to agree on how long the region must sustain those levels before the outbreak can be considered over. Given that the hepatitis A virus has a maximum incubation period of 50 days, the wait will probably be a long one. I would say it would take four to six months to really know if were at a new baseline or back to the original pre-outbreak levels, McDonald said. Meanwhile, hepatitis numbers continue to grow. On Tuesday, the county bumped the outbreak case total to 567, six more than the previous week. Three of those were reported to the public health department last week while the other three had been previously identified but only recently confirmed. For another week, the outbreaks death total held steady at 20. We have no current deaths that are under investigation, McDonald said. He added that, last week, the county received less than one new-case report per day. While thats much lower than the peak, when 28 cases came in during a seven-day span in September, its still larger than the previous non-outbreak of a few cases per month. Hepatitis A spreads through fecal contamination and can also be transmitted by sharing drug paraphernalia. In addition to vaccination, experts recommend regular hand washing with soapy water as an effective way to keep infections from spreading. Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1850 Twitter: @paulsisson Immigration officials celebrated rising arrests inside the U.S. and lower apprehensions at the border as a sign that President Donald Trumps policies are working. The officials, who lead the three main government agencies concerned with immigration, said they see encouraging trends in fiscal 2017 statistics relating to immigration enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which generally targets people already living in the U.S., arrested 143,470 people in fiscal 2017, up 30 percent from the previous year. Advertisement Thomas Homan, head of ICE, called the agencys execution of Trumps immigration policy changes pretty much perfection. Eight percent of the arrests were collateral arrests, meaning officers hadnt targeted the person. The other 92 percent of arrests fit into one of the categories that ICE officers focus on under Trump. Some have criminal convictions, others were arrested on criminal charges, and some have already been ordered deported. Apprehensions by Border Patrol along the southwest border, at 303,916, are down about 26 percent nationwide. In San Diegos sector, apprehensions dropped about 18 percent to 26,086 from 31,891. Lower apprehensions, said Ronald Vitiello, who leads Customs and Border Protection, mean that fewer people are trying to cross without authorization. Deportations were down about six percent nationally, which officials attributed to declining apprehensions at the border. Removals of people arrested inside the U.S. rose about 25 percent. Officials used Tuesdays data release as an opportunity to call on Congress to fund Trumps request to expand their staff and build a border wall. We made great strides this year, but we need more to get this thing done, Homan said. This president, like him or love him, is doing the right thing, he added. The announcement comes the same week that dreamers, unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, are pushing Congress for legislation protecting them as part of the spending bill that must pass by Friday to prevent a government shutdown. Dreamers have campaigned for a clean DREAM Act, meaning that it would not contain any increased enforcement measures as a compromise with immigration restrictionists. Shortly after ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program in September, the Trump administration sent a letter to Congress detailing a number of enforcement requests it hoped would be included in a deal for dreamers. Heads of the three agencies involved in immigration enforcement said Tuesday that Trumps list of demands, which include moving to a merit-based immigration system, making E-verify mandatory and changing processes for asylum, came from them. Consequences matter, Vitiello said. Recognizing that when people come here and theyre successful into making it into the economy and society, they are more likely to come here wed like to see those things shored up. Vitiello said he is concerned about an upward trend of unaccompanied minors and Central American families coming to the U.S. in the second half of fiscal 2017. He would like to see legislative changes so that children can be held longer in detention, he said. He also wants Congress to change the law so that trafficking victims who come forward can be deported. Vitiello reiterated his desire for a border wall. He confirmed that part of the plan for the wall is to repair and replace at least some of the fencing in San Diego. It will make the border much safer, and well see numbers much lower than what were reporting today, Vitiello said. Homan railed against sanctuary cities, jurisdictions whose local police dont cooperate with federal immigration officials. Weve got 52 names on that wall down the street, Homan said, referring to a memorial for fallen officers. I dont want to add one more name to that wall because some jurisdiction wanted to pick politics over safety. Its protection of my officers, protection of the community. Francis Cissna, director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, also called for tighter restrictions on the asylum process and an end to family-sponsored visas. The officials also said that employers could expect to see more action taken against businesses that hire unauthorized workers in fiscal 2018. Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter Juvenile crime rates are at historic lows pretty much everywhere, but no one really seems to know why. Part of the answer may be that fewer teenagers have idle hands or thumbs, to be more precise. Theres a growing belief among experts in juvenile behavior criminal and otherwise that social media preoccupation helps to keep a lot of young people on the straight and narrow simply because their extensive use of cellphones crowds out time that otherwise might lead to troublesome activity. Advertisement This comes as parents and social scientists worry that excessive time online deprives young people of in-person social contact and, despite being in touch electronically, keeps them more isolated. Sandra McBrayer is one of those who agree that because of such focus on cellphones and other online devises, kids are losing some basic human skills. But the CEO of The Childrens Initiative in San Diego also believes that the growth of social media involvement and the concurrent drop in juvenile crime is no coincidence. Theres less free time for those risky behaviors, she said. McBrayer and others are quick to note the scientific evidence is not there to back this up, even as they seem convinced theres something to it. Correlation doesnt prove causation, she cautioned. There are a lot of other things going on that are aimed at reducing crime among the young: pre-emptive, diversion and intervention programs; changes in laws; different approaches in policing; increased coordination between law enforcement and nonprofits that seek to improve kids lives and keep them out of trouble. The reduction in lead exposure which could affect the brain and behavior also has been cited as a possible factor. But while a combination of those factors and more are often cited, some experts say that still cant account for what has become a long-term trend. Such a large, widespread youth crime decline cannot be explained by local programs, state laws, or other initiatives, since these varied widely in number and kind, from intensive and liberal in some jurisdictions to harsh crackdowns in others, to non-existent in others, Mike A. Males, senior research fellow at the San Francisco-based Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, said in an email. It is standard for experts, program officials, and media reporters to shower credit on, say, local anti-violence campaigns or curfews or after-school programs, but there is scant evidence these explain huge youth crime declines in San Diego and Humboldt, L.A. and Redding, California, and Texas, Connecticut and Idaho, Washington and West Virginia To buttress his point, he attached the centers study comparing San Diegos intense curfew enforcement with essentially no curfew enforcement in San Jose. There was no appreciable difference; juvenile crime dropped in both cities. We have to look for larger, generational influences, continued Males, who has researched the subject extensively. The proliferation of social media since 1990 is certainly one such influence. Social media might reduce violence by occupying more time; by allowing users to sublimate violence through, say, gaming; or by fostering greater communication and access to help. These are plausible theories, and there is some evidence of some positive psychological influences from gaming, but so far, no comprehensive evidence of the contribution of social media to such a large crime drop. Something is certainly happening, everyone agrees. Theres a lot of things to attribute it to, said San Diego County Public Defender Randy Mize, who led the agencys juvenile office for years and has keen observations on teen behavior. ...But you have to wonder: Social medias got to play a part in it. In an in-depth article in August on juvenile crime, the Union-Tribunes Greg Moran noted that incarcerations in San Diego County were down dramatically. San Diegos juvenile hall population plummeted 48 percent since 2012. Thats a trend echoed across the state, he wrote in August. That surprised policy makers who had built more jail space much of it now vacant for the young and bulked-up policies preparing for an anticipated generation of superpredators that never materialized. Its a state and nationwide phenomenon, and its been going on longer than just a handful of years: From 1990 to 2016, Males said, juvenile arrest rates declined by 73 percent nationally. The drop has been seen in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. He warned that glomming onto convenient explanations is counterproductive. Giving credit where credit is not warranted, and seeking answers in easily sensationalized causes like video game violence, hampers badly needed, rigorous and challenging analysis. He said that the most salient accompanying trend with the reduction in youth crime has been the decrease in school dropouts and increase in college enrollment since 1990. Males did have another theory, with the requisite caveat. It could be that Millennials are reacting against the manifest troubles of Boomers and Xers by taking more responsibility and moderating behaviors, but that, too, is speculative. So, kids, the when your folks tell you to put down that cellphone, it may be time for a little youthful rebellion. A willingness to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement was a big driver in determining which local law enforcement agencies would get a slice of $98 million in federal funding to hire additional officers. It is a move that aligns federal dollars with the Trump administrations tough immigration agenda. The Escondido Police Department was the only local agency on the list of 179 nationwide to make the cut this year with an award of $250,000 enough to pay for two additional full-time officers for three years. A police spokesman said the city has not officially accepted the award and it would be premature to discuss details. Advertisement In its announcement last week, the U.S. Department of Justice said 80 percent of the recipients of the Community Oriented Policing Services grant have agreed to cooperate with federal authorities in detention facilities when it comes to immigration enforcement including providing access to immigration officers to interview non-citizen inmates and advance notice of an immigrants release from local custody. Cities and states that cooperate with federal law enforcement make all of us safer by helping remove dangerous criminals from our communities, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. DOJ officials in Washington, D.C., said Escondidos willingness to cooperate gave the Police Department extra points in its bid for the grant, although Escondido police do not run detention facilities in San Diego County; that is the purview of the Sheriffs Department. Like all local police departments in the county, Escondido does have a few holding cells at its police station to keep arrestees temporarily for interviews or to complete paperwork before they are transferred to the county-run jails. The federal COPS program, started in 1994, encourages law enforcement to adopt community policing strategies, work with the public and come up with innovative methods to prevent crime and address trends. The grant nominations didnt completely shut out jurisdictions with so-called sanctuary policies, including Chicago, which received one of the largest awards of $3.125 million to hire 25 police officers, and Sacramento, which was among the handful of California agencies. Escondido has earned a reputation for being tough on unauthorized immigrants. But Police Chief Craig Carter has stressed in recent interviews that he has no interest in turning his cops into immigration officers, saying they are busy enough enforcing state and local law and that it would have a chilling effect on the departments relationship with community members. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @kristinadavis A lost hiker set a signal fire near Japatul Tuesday and told rescuers he had been wandering rugged trails for three days after his car ran out of gas. U.S. Forest Service crews found him lying about 10 feet from the blaze, which spread to about a quarter-acre of grass before it was doused, a firefighter said. The hikers name and condition were not released. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Advertisement Starting a signal fire could get yourself entrapped by fire or possibly killed, said Cindy Petrich, of the Forest Service fire patrol. The hiker was rescued near the Horsethief and Espinosa trailheads off Lyons Valley Road about 10 miles from his car, which he left along Corral Canyon, near Lake Morena. The area lies within the Cleveland National Forest south of Interstate 8. Petrich said he told crews that after being lost for three days, he came across some other hikers and asked for help. They went to a fire station and described where they had left him. A sheriffs helicopter crew started looking for him southeast of Lyons Valley Road and Japatul Road about 4 p.m. About the same time, he started a signal fire in the dry grass of a ravine. Forest Service firefighters got there quickly. They requested air support from Cal Fire, but had the blaze largely under control within 20 minutes and canceled the air tankers and helicopters, Forest Service spokeswoman Olivia Walker said. Temperatures in the region have been around 40 degrees at night, according to the National Weather Service. Petrich said the lost hiker was wearing a jacket, but needed medical attention. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard A brush fire has been reported in Mexico, in northeastern Tijuana, and CalFire officials say they are monitoring it. CBS8 showed video taken from a helicopter of a large plume of smoke south of the border. A CalFire spokesman said a crew was sent to monitor the situation after getting reports of smoke. He said the fire appears to be in a canyon near Otay Mountain. Advertisement The fire is near the entrance to the toll road to Tecate, said a Tecate fire official. Tijuana firefighters have brought it under control, the official said. San Diego County remains under a red-flag warning and forecasters expect Santa Ana winds to worsen late Wednesday and early Thursday. Forecasters say winds could hit 80 to 90 mph on the mountain peaks in East County, and gust 35 to 45 mph, with occasional blasts of 55 mph, in places like Pine Valley, San Diego Estates, Julian, Campo and Alpine. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com An 18-year-old Riverside County man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to illegally smuggling a tiger cub from Mexico into San Diego in August. Luis Valencia, from Perris, admitted trying to hide the 6-week-old Bengal tiger at his car passengers feet when he drove to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, federal officials said. He initially claimed he wanted the cub as a pet, but federal officials said Valencia has now admitted in court that he was bringing the tiger into the U.S. for commercial purposes. Advertisement He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced Feb. 20 by U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia. Co-defendent Eriberto Paniagua is scheduled to be tried in the case on Jan. 9. The tiger cub, weighing about 10 pounds at the time, was turned over to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. He has been given the name Moka. The cubs arrival prompted the park to take in a companion Sumatran tiger cub from the Smithsonians National Zoo, named Rakan. All tigers are listed on the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to import them into the United States without a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit. Valencia told authorities that hed seen a man walking a full-sized tiger in Tijuana and made arrangements through him to acquire a cub. Federal officials said Valencia received a message on Aug. 22 that a tiger cub would arrive at the Tijuana airport the next day. Valencia picked up the cub and drove it, and his passenger, to San Diego. They did not declare the cub at the border crossing, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer spotted it on the front seat floor, authorities said. pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard Roberto Padovani, a former Qualcomm executive who helped the chipmaker place the Internet on mobile devices, has donated $1 million to UC San Diegos Jacobs School of Engineering. Padovani and his wife Colleen gave the money to endow scholarships in Jacobs of electrical and computer engineering program. The gift arose from the gratitude that Padovani says he feels for the financial backing he received while he was earning a doctorate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Advertisement Theres a broad range of opportunities to do philanthropic work, but we both felt that helping students succeed was at the top of our list, Padovani said in a statement. Kids should not be blocked from succeeding because they dont have the financial means, and if we can help with that, it would be great. Padovani previously donated an undisclosed amount of money to UC San Diego to help endow a chair and to endow scholarships in the name of his mentor, Jack Wolf, who convinced him to move from Amherst to La Jolla. Padovani initially worked for Linkabit, Qualcomms predecessor. Then he joined Qualcomm, where he later served as chief technology officer and executive vice president. The $1 million gift is the latest to come with a Qualcomm connection. In November, Qualcomm co-founder Franklin Antonio gave the campus $30 million to help underwrite a huge engineering complex. The building will be part of the engineering school, which is named after Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs, who gave the program $110 million in 2003. Science Playlist On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com Most of us detest change. Why? Over time, we settle into our comfort zone, by the choices we make or the way we handle issues that affect us. Obviously government, through legislation, eventually rolls down and often upon the average citizen, whether it be in Americas Finest City or somewhere else. At this moment, Congress is taking some long, slow, outside the box views about retirement specifically, the most popular plan in America, the 401(k). Related: What you can do for a better retirement Advertisement Currently, about a third of the nations adult population have put money in their individual 401(k) contributions. The limit this year is $18,000. Those over 50, can use a catch-up of an additional $6,000, for an annual total of $24,000. All of this now could be up in the air. Change is in the wind, and the people weve voted for (or not) have their axes out, talking about slashing those limits as well as taxing contributions that employers make to their employees 401(k), known as the company match. Another curveball coming our way. For those of us right here working away in San Diego, at first blush, we ask ourselves How can this be? Then next, What monumental impact is this now going to have on my future retirement? Great questions. The answers are both logical and absolutely needed build yourself a financial plan. A blueprint. Establish specific needs into your retirement now. Its time to do something you probably havent done with sincerity and repetition regarding your finances in a long time (procrastination?). This 401(k) issue is our alarm clock going off. Its time to wake up and act. Of course having your 401(k) dramatically reduced or even realizing your employer might scrap it altogether is and should be a major concern. But even bigger than that is the solemn fact that too often the last thing we do with our paycheck is earmark some of it for our future. Americans are not savers. We spend. We abuse our credit cards. Student loans have surpassed credit cards and car loans combined. We dont pay down or pay off mortgages anymore, we refinance, over and over again to repackage our debt. We dont reduce it, we grow it. Whoever said that the 401(k) was the only way to put money away for our later years? I remember when I stopped for gas and the attendant came out, checked my oil, took the air pressure on my tires, cleaned my windshield and filled up my tank. Guess what, its now self-serve, baby! Why wouldnt my retirement, and yours, as well, go through a transformation? Roll with it. Its not the end of the world. Sadly, many Americans work two to three jobs just to get by. They dont even have a retirement, or plan beyond paying this months rent and groceries. Believe me, well survive. Sadly, America is broke. Our infrastructure is in decay. Cities and states are drowning in their pension debt. Its easy to blame everyone else. So now its time to complain about Congress screwing us over about our 401(k)s blah, blah, blah. Ill tell you what time it is, its time for all of us to begin planning for our future. Paying ourselves first, spending less, investing more. If you dont have the means to pay for it, dont! Create a budget. Have your kids go out and get a job if they need money (you save yours!) Bank CDs (certificates of deposit), life insurance, stocks, real estate, bonds, mutual funds, REITs (real estate investment trusts), annuities, trust deeds, saving accounts, money markets when has the government told us we cannot sock away our money into the myriad of choices this country offers? Sure, it becomes inconvenient to not have that 401(k) contribution taken out of your check. I get it. So make the adjustments. Just like the next time you fill up. Self-serve style. Remember, when you do it yourself, you have no limits to what you can contribute. Our reality is this: Blaming others who impact our lifestyles, our comfort zone, will not change the absolute truth about our retirement well either have the money, or the reasons we dont. Build a plan, adjust along the way, but do it! If there is any take away in this 401(k) scenario its this: Dont ever expect our government to be your solution to a solid, you-can-count-on retirement. The security has left the social. Chilton is founder and CEO of The Society for Financial Awareness, which has its national headquarters in San Diego. In a commentary in The San Diego Union-Tribune last month, San Diego businessman Jon C. Jacobson made a persuasive case that repeated sewage spills at the California-Mexican border should be addressed as the Trump administration tries to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Jacobson cited the worst spill in recent years the dumping of more than 140 million gallons of raw sewage into the Tijuana River in February and noted how often such spills had fouled California beaches from the border to Coronado. But a report in The New York Times this week shows that another suggestion from Jacobson that the United States and Mexico need to initiate high-level bilateral negotiations to resolve pollution issues is a better approach. The Times analysis said U.S. attempts to renegotiate NAFTA were at an impasse over Trump administration demands that Mexico sees as worse than having no deal at all. Meanwhile, the number of Border Patrol agents apparently sickened by exposure to sewage has nearly tripled since June, with at least 83 who work out of the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station reporting headaches, rashes, infections and breathing problems. This is an unacceptable burden for one nation to put on another and for the Trump administration to tolerate. It shouldnt take the lawsuit recently filed by local government agencies against the federal government to get federal officials to protect our beaches and the Border Patrol. Advertisement Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion In 1977, three years after resigning amid scandal, former President Richard Nixon made a startling assertion in an interview with British journalist David Frost. Nixon was asked about one of his aides proposals to allow the intelligence community to use break-ins, wiretapping, mail-opening and surreptitious infiltration to hinder anti-war groups without getting any approval from the courts. As president, he approved the initiative even though he was told parts of it were illegal, only to change his mind after FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover objected. Frost asked Nixon if the president can do something illegal if he thought it was in the best interests of the nation. Well, when the president does it, that means it is not illegal, Nixon famously responded. Forty years later, this is the same argument being made by John Dowd, President Donald Trumps lawyer, in response to allegations Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey after allegedly urging Comey to go easy on his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his dealings with Russia. The president cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer, Dowd told Axios. As Bloomberg View columnist and Harvard law professor Noah Feldman has explained, this isnt completely off the wall. Since the attorney general reports to the president, an argument can be made that he is the prosecutor in chief and can decide what the Justice Department considers legal. If Congress doesnt agree, it has the power to impeach the president. Advertisement But setting aside the legal arcana, there are deep reasons to worry about Dowds argument. Combining Trumps impulsive, at times vindictive, temperament with his attorney telling him he is above the law is a recipe for not just disaster but chaos. That he could ultimately be held accountable through a lengthy impeachment process matters little when the Republicans who control Congress and would control that process have mostly given up on trying to rein him in. Trump denies wrongdoing. But what if his weekend tweets hammering the FBI arent just expressions of frustration or attempts to change the subject but a foreshadowing of whats to come? If that happens, history will recall John Dowd not as a shrewd lawyer but as the enabler of a president who strong-armed democracy into submission. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion The next step in determining how voters will select members of the Poway Unified School District Board of Education will begin on Dec. 13 and will include at least one more public hearing later on. The San Diego County Office of Educations board has the final say on how the five trustee areas will be drawn. That board will acknowledge receipt of the PUSDs preferred map during its Dec. 13 meeting. After that, the county board will decide when and where to hold its own public hearing. No timetable has been set for the public hearing, but it will be held within the boundaries of the PUSD, according to a county spokeswoman. Following the public hearing, the county board can then choose to either hold more public hearings, if the members feel they need more public feedback, or vote on the map at their next board meeting. Unlike the district, which faced a deadline for approving a map under threat of a lawsuit, there is no time limit for the board to give its final approval to a map, according to Kristin Armatis, a consultant for the SDCOEs business services. The board tries to complete the process quickly to allow districts to move forward, she said. The county board has recently handled three other trustee maps for school districts in Oceanside, Carlsbad and San Marcos. The committee approved the maps for Carlsbad and San Marcos, but did not approve the map for the Oceanside school district. A different map submitted was eventually selected. The county board can similarly decide to approve the map selected by the PUSD or it can reject it and either choose a different map submitted to the district during its selection process or create a new map. The PUSD Board of Education made a final vote of 3 to 2 on Map 131 as its final selection on Nov. 9, with Board President Michelle OConnor-Ratcliff, Board Vice President T.J. Zane and Board Member Darshana Patel in favor of the map and Board Members Kimberley Beatty and Charles Sellers voting against it. The map drew a divided response from both board members and the public, with some public speakers praising how it gave most of the board members the ability to run again in future elections (Zane and Sellers, if they choose to run again, will face each other in the 2018 election) while others decried it as gerrymandering and spoke against how it split Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Mountain Ranch and Sabre Springs into different voting districts. Email: news@pomeradonews.com We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join For more about Gay Haubners life in the North Country, read the other chapters in her serialized memoir. The Post will publish a new segment each week. My first date with Michael Vlasdic had a few glitches. Duluth teen culture was car culture. With your friends a car was a party on wheels. With a boy a car was a bubble of privacy, a place to make out, WEBC on low, heater on high, the windows opaque with steam. I, however, had only a learners permit; to get that required just a multiple-choice test on road rules, the kind of test I aced every time. I had barely squeaked through drivers ed, the instructor constantly taking over control and slamming on his brakes because I was unable to gauge distances between the car I was driving and everything else, other cars, pedestrians, curbs. I also had difficulties telling the brake pedal from the gas pedal. My sweating, pale instructor assured me that all I needed was more practice, but every time my mother let me take the wheel it ended quickly in shouts and tears. I was idiotically optimistic that when I took the road test in December, when I turned sixteen, I would magically pass, but for now taking the family car was verboten. Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today Michael Vlasdic lacked both a car and a father. His mother was originally from Latvia (a country I knew only from volume L of my old World Book encyclopedia, which identified it as one of the Soviet Socialist Republics) and had moved to Duluth to teach German at the university. She was stately and Old World polite, with a solid-looking helmet of dark hair, and always in a boxy wooly suit, thick beige nylons, and sensible shoes. The missing deadbeat dad was in Mitchell, South Dakota; Michael once proudly showed me a postcard of a large yellow structure that proclaimed Greetings from the Corn Palace! that his dad had sent him. In lieu of money, I guess. I had met a few kids without fathers, but a family without a car? Where could Michael and I go on our first date? You could not enter the London Inn parking lot on foot. Youd be a laughingstock. On the phone Michael said, Why dont you come over here and well listen to records? I did not have a better idea, so that Saturday I walked the twenty minutes over to Michaels house. His mother was out for the night. His mother was out a lot. Michael and his mother lived in a small up-and-down duplex filled with books and cracked oil paintings in gilded frames, dark heavy furniture, more books, jewel-toned oriental rugs, potted plants, and more books. There was also the standard big cabinet hi-fi in the living room. Since there was no parent in the house, Michael and I went to his room to listen to music and so Michael could smoke a joint, which he did leaning precariously out the window. He offered me a hit, but I was afraid if I had my usual pot-induced coughing fit while straddling the windowsill I would plummet to the ground and that would be a hell of a first date. We started talking, about music (we liked the same bands! Of course in 1969 every kid was devoted to Steppenwolf, Cream, Jimi Hendrix) then books (Michael had read The Lord of the Rings three times to my twice). A current of tingly magnetism drew us closer and closer together, and then there was a lot of kissing. Seated kissing, with our arms propped straight as crutches on Michaels narrow, neatly-made bed, then lying down kissing, with arms wrapped around each other, bodies close enough together that I could feel him harden. Michael reddened with embarrassment, got up to take off his glasses, and we kissed some more. Time played its elastic tricks: it stopped while we were kissing, then hurried forward, the clock rushing to eleven, my curfew, and I had to leave, with still the twenty minutes to walk home. Michael and I untangled, he found his glasses, but it was impossible for us to part. He walked me back to my house, through the still and silent streets, a thousand stars on a moonless Minnesota night twinkling down at the new lovers. Michael was bookish and shy, a proto-hippie like me, and charmingly unaware of how good-looking he was. On that walk we shared what secrets and history sixteen- and fifteen-year-olds could have accumulated. We marveled that the universe had contrived to bring us together, two pieces fitting into place in the cosmic jigsaw. We kissed as long as possible in front of my house; I was just beginning to put the horrors of July 21st behind me. If my mother should have appeared in the doorway and started yelling, I felt I would die. I pushed Michael away, slipped into my sleeping house and floated up the stairs. In bed, I wrapped my arms around myself, imagining it was Michael who held me, I thought of the dirty books hidden away underneath me; the pages I had carefully dog-eared didnt begin to describe the sweet ache I felt, a longing I knew Michael felt too. I wondered how long it would take us to go all the way. It took a week. The following Saturday, up in his room, his mother attending another university faculty beanfest, our clothes half off and Whole Lotta Love urging us on, Michael told me he loved me. I love you too, I said, and it turned out those really were magic words, words that made it imperative that we get rid of the rest of our clothing immediately. It was Michaels first time and I wished it were mine too. Making love and having sex, are such awful phrases for what we did. We were two young animals, playful, tender, funny, considerate, with wildly responsive teen-age bodies we smashed together as closely as possible. It was as if the two of us had invented sex, sex that was as transcendent and addictive as any drug.\ Adorable, innocent Michael did not have a condom, since he was even more unwilling than I was to go into a drugstore and ask for a package of rubbers, which in those days were kept locked up on a high shelf in the back of the storage room to extend the embarrassment of the foot-shuffling, eye-averting teenage boy waiting at the counter. (One particular wisenheimer druggist liked to yell out, What size, buddy?) After our first time, I called an emergency sex consultation with my girlfriends, held in Linda Laurences basement. While taking sips from Lindas parents collection of Bols after-dinner drinks (creme de menthe, creme de cocao, peach brandy, cherry kirsch, and other stomach-churning flavors) and everyone but me smoking cigarettes, we discussed how I could have as much sex as possible without getting pregnant. Alternative methods were suggested and met with peals of laughter, some real, some forced; these ideas were quickly discarded. Some of my gang did have boyfriends who braved the druggists stink-eye and the wait of shame at the Tru-Value Pharmacy, but you dont ask your boyfriend if he can spare a rubber so some other guy can get laid. We pooled our collective knowledge and misinformation about the female reproductive system. Linda plucked a calendar off the wall and we huddled over it, guessing at those days that might be safe and days I should definitely keep my panties on. Pregnancy was the dark looming cloud that hung over rapturous teenage sex: everyone knew of the senior girl who had been sent off to a home for unwed mothers, returning after six months thin and wan and without a baby or a boyfriend. But despite regular scares, no one in our gang got pregnant or had any tragedy befall us. While we had scrapes and accidents, heartaches and breakups, for the three years of high school we lived in a teen fairyland, where we could have sex and not get pregnant, drive drunk in cars with no seatbelts without going through the windshield, and hop on and off moving freight trains without losing a leg. Besides being considerate enough to go out almost every Saturday night, Mrs. Vlasdic thoughtfully taught class two afternoons a week. If it were the right day of the month Michael and I would dash from school to his house for the worlds quickest quickie. When Mrs. Vlasdic walked through the door at four oclock, shed find Michael and me at the dining table, fully clothed, surrounded by homework, and drinking tea. She had to have known what was going on. My own parents had briefly met Michael and felt no reason to be alarmed: his mother was a university professor and Michael seemed too painfully shy and nerdish to be any threat to my already sullied honor. And at that point, my family was spinning apart. After buying the big, impressive Hawthorne Road house, my dad spent less and less time there. My mom was taking a full-course load at the university, her youthful dreams of being an actress whittled down to a prospective career as a speech therapist. My younger sisters Heidi and Lani would have been latchkey kids, except we never locked our doors in Duluth; after school they walked the three blocks home together, let themselves in, and headed straight for the TV. But even at its emptiest, my house was firmly off-limits for sex. I was haunted by the horrifying memory of Doug Figge trying to cover his balls with his hands, like Adam suddenly aware and ashamed of his nakedness. I wouldnt feel safe having sex in my own home if both my parents were in Idaho. On the Saturday nights Mrs. Vlasdic selfishly stayed home, we hopped in a car driven by Roger or Needle, Michael and I clutched together smooching in the back seat. Wed drive around Duluth for hours, the guys smoking pot or searching for someone to sell them pot. I luxuriated in my membership in two high school groups: my gang of loyal, funny, raucous girlfriends, and the druggies of East High, whose numbers increased daily. We proclaimed our allegiance to the counterculture with long hair, fringed jackets, wire-rimmed glasses, beads, and bellbottoms. My pal Wendi Carlson became a fervent pot smoker and made it her lifes mission to teach me to inhale. She was even more disappointed than I was that I was still unable to draw the tiniest puff inside my lungs. A member of the druggies was cute Stan Lewis, a year behind me, who showed up at all the parties with weed. Stan and I would find each other at these parties and swap what little we knew about psychedelics. Could you really get high from morning glory seeds or nutmeg? What was the difference between LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin? When youre tripping, do you need someone straight around in case you freak out? How much did these drugs cost and where could we get them? I thought of Joe Sloan, who would soon be back in Duluth for Christmas, which reminded me of Doug Figge and the astronaut, so I lied and told Stan I didnt know anyone who had those kind of drugs. Stan, a determined guy, went out and found someone who did, and for my sixteenth birthday he gave me a small blue pill that he said was mescaline, supposedly not as mind-blowing as LSD. He handed it to me in the parking lot of the London Inn. I immediately popped that pill in my mouth, washed it down with watery Coke, and thanked Stan with a friendly kiss on the cheek, which I now suspect was not what he was hoping for. I jumped into the White Delight on to Wendi Carlsons lap and whispered in her ear what I had just done. There were no empty houses that night so my sixteenth birthday celebration was a three-hour auto tour of residential Duluth with six of my best friends. It was early December, pre-broomball season, but there were frequent stops for peeing in the snow and return visits to the London Inn to see if any cute boys were around. Wendi kept pinching me hard and asking, Are you tripping yet? How about now? and I kept shaking my head no. I was somewhere around Hawthorne Road, on the edge of my front lawn, when the drugs began to take hold. I was sober as Judge Erman when I climbed out of the White Delight and headed into my house; I had not a single drink on my birthday, waiting for the mescaline to kick in and transport my mind to Peter Max world. Just as I was thinking that poor Stan had been swindled, I opened the door to my house and was blinded by the hot-as-the-sun kitchen lights. I stumbled and braced myself up on the wall, which was wildly tilting, while a galaxy of neon geometric shapes swirled around me. It took me a minute to realize that the low frequency rumble I was hearing was my mother asking me how my birthday was. I slid into the living room doorway and made small talk to the elongated monster with snakes for hands that was sitting on the TV couch. I finally escaped and made my way up to my room and tripped for hours, staring out into the night, where twinkling snowflakes and yellow streetlights and the deep blue of winter created a hypnotic tapestry. I twirled the dial of my melting bedside radio, WEBC having signed off for the night, searching for music and unfortunately hit on a horrible station out of Chicago that chose to play D.O.A. by Bloodrock at 2 a.m. I listened to the whole thing, perched on the edge of madness, switched the radio off, and hid under my blanket until I stopped hallucinating horrible, bloody car wrecks and finally fell asleep. I couldnt wait to trip again. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/06/2017 -- Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Australia lime market in its latest report titled, "Lime Market: Australia Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024". The lime market in Australia is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value over the forecast period, 20162024. The market has been segmented by product type and application. The application segmentation consists of mining & metallurgy, building materials, agriculture, water treatment and others of which the mining & metallurgy segment is expected to account for the highest share of the lime market in Australia throughout the forecast period, to account for 31.4% by 2024. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11503 Demand for energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions is expected to be a priority for lime manufacturers in the country over the forecast period. By product type, slaked/hydrated lime segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of both value and volume throughout the forecast period. The segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 146.7 Mn and account for volume share of 68% in 2016. By application, mining & metallurgy and building materials, segments in the Australia lime market are expected to account for significant volume shares of 38% and 35%, respectively. New South Wales is expected to be the largest market for lime in Australia throughout the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 59.1 Mn by 2016 end. In terms of production, Western Australia is expected to be a major producer, contributing over 65% to the total lime production in the country, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 0.8% over the forecast period. Key players in the Australia lime market include Adelaide Brighton Ltd., Boral Limited, Sibelco Australia, Omya Australia Pty. Ltd, Wagners, and Lime Group Australia. Key players in the Australia lime market are focusing on enhancing their product portfolios. They are focusing not only on basic lime products but also on importing quicklime from ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries such as China to minimize a cost of raw materials involved in a lime production. Manufacturers are focusing on capitalizing on economies of scale to increase production, profitability, and offer cost-effective products in order to target cost-sensitive population in the region. Joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic collaborations in terms of production and distribution of lime have been the common strategies employed by these companies to achieve their production objectives. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/australia-lime-market/toc Long-term Outlook: The long-term outlook on the Australia lime market remains on the conservative side, with the market expected to expand at a modest CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value during the forecast period. The revival of the mining sector in the country, increasing demand from the construction sector, particularly in the country's east coast region, and demand from the water treatment industry are some of the factors expected to sustain a growth of the lime market in Australia. About Persistence Market Research 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. Carlisle, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/06/2017 -- Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet is pleased to announce a unique opportunity for potential dance students called the #CPYBsummer Experience Tour that is set to begin in January of 2018. The #CPYBsummer Experience Tour will give potential students and their families a chance to learn more about its 5-Week Summer Ballet Program. Those interested should also note that this is not an audition tour, but designed to provide potential students access to try an exclusive Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet summer technique class. The #CPYBsummer Experience Tour will be traveling to four major cities: New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Kansas City. While it's very commonplace in the dance industry to hold auditions, the #CPYBsummer Experience Tour is much different. Not only will prospective students have the chance to participate in a technique class taught by one of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's world-renowned faculty members, but they and their families will also have the opportunity to have their questions answered about its 5-Week Summer Ballet Program. The tour schedule is as follows: - Saturday, January 6th, Ballet Academy East in New York City - Sunday, January 7th, Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia - Friday, January 12th, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle - Monday, January 15th, Kansas City Ballet in Kansas City Classes are open to both male and female students, and they must be 11 years of age by June 23, 2018. Students are encouraged to pre-register at CPYB.org. Each location has a different registration and class time, and that information can be accessed here. At the conclusion of each class, students and their families will attend an informative question and answer session to gain further information on Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's 5-Week Summer Ballet Program. To learn more about the #CPYBsummer Experience Tour, please contact Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet directly at 717-524-1280. About Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet is a celebrated leader in the world of dance education. Embracing an attitude of lifelong learning more than 60 years ago, Founding Artistic Director Marcia Dale Weary envisioned a school where children would have the opportunity to receive exceptional ballet training. Today CPYB is the nationally recognized school of classical ballet with an international reputation for training young men and women. The school's renowned teaching methodology couples performance opportunities with innovative educational initiatives, an esteemed faculty, and a proven syllabus all in an environment that promotes the acquisition of the life skills crucial to a child's development. To learn more about the school and their programs please visit them on the web at https://cpyb.org/. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/06/2017 -- In real terms, the Saudi Arabian construction industry's output contracted by 1.9% in 2016, following average annual growth of 6.2% during the preceding four years. This decline was mainly due to low oil prices and the country's high fiscal deficits; both reduced the government's spending power. GET SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1286505-construction-in-saudi-arabia-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 The country's construction industry is expected to contract further in real terms in 2017 by 0.2%, before regaining growth momentum. Growth over the forecast period (20172021) is expected to be supported by government focus on developing transport infrastructure, energy and utilities facilities, and affordable housing across the country. Under the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the government plans to develop sea ports, railway lines, airports and manufacturing facilities, with an aim to reduce the country's dependency on the oil sector and reduce unemployment. The industry's output value in real terms is expected to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.44% over the forecast period, compared to 4.48% during the review period. Summary Construction in Saudi Arabia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Saudi Arabian construction industry, including: - Saudi Arabia construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity - Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in Saudi Arabia - Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Saudi Arabian construction industry - Profiles of the leading operators in the Saudi Arabian construction industry - Data highlights of the largest construction projects in Saudi Arabia Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. It provides: - Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in Saudi Arabia using construction output and value-add methods - Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project type - Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost (materials, equipment and services) - Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing - Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in Saudi Arabia Reasons to Buy - Identify and evaluate market opportunities using standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. - Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. - Understand the latest industry and market trends. - Formulate and validate strategy using critical and actionable insight. - Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. - Evaluate competitive risk and success factors. Key Highlights - Saudi Arabia is currently facing a shortage of affordable housing as a result of its growing population and urbanization. According to the Saudi Arabia's Housing Ministry, 3.3 million new housing units are required to be built by 2025, in order to address the country's chronic housing shortage. Consequently, the government is taking help from foreign countries to build residential buildings in the country. In September 2016, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to build 100,000 new homes in Al-Ahsa province. - In 2016, the government launched NTP 2020 with an investment of SAR268.0 billion (US$71.5 billion), in order to increase revenue from non-oil sectors and reduce its reliance on oil products. Under this program, it plans to increase the revenue of non-oil sectors from SAR163.5 billion (US$43.6 billion) in 2016 to SAR530.0 billion (US$141.0 billion) by 2020, while increasing non-oil products' export value from SAR185.0 billion (US$49.3 billion) to SAR330.0 billion (US$88.0 billion). - The government plans to increase the productivity and efficiency of the country's aviation industry. Accordingly, it is focusing on the expansion of airports under the public-private partnership (PPP) and build, operate and transfer (BOT) models, with an aim to handle 100 million air passengers by 2020. - The government is focusing on the development of renewable energy infrastructure with an aim to reduce their dependency on natural oil and gas. Under the National Renewable Energy Program, the government plans to install 54.0GW of new renewable energy power plants across the region, with an investment of SAR408.8 billion (US$109.0 billion) by 2040. - The government's commitment to pursuing quality development and increasing expenditure on educational infrastructure is expected to support the institutional construction market over the forecast period. Under the school construction project of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Saudi Arabian government plans to build 44,411 new schools across the country by 2020. Table of Content: Key Points 1 Executive Summary 2 Industry Outlook 2.1 Commercial Construction 2.2 Industrial Construction 2.3 Infrastructure Construction 2.4 Energy and Utilities Construction 2.5 Institutional Construction 2.6 Residential Construction 3 Key Issues and Developments 4 Market Data Analysis 4.1 Construction Output and Value Add 4.1.1 Construction output by project type 4.1.2 Construction output by cost type 4.1.3 Construction output by activity type 4.1.4 Construction value add by project type 4.2 Commercial Construction 4.2.1 Commercial construction output by project type 4.2.2 Commercial construction output by cost type 4.2.3 Commercial construction output by activity type Continued ACCESS REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1286505-construction-in-saudi-arabia-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 Get in touch: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/4828928 Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/06/2017 -- Synopsis: 'Non-Life Insurance in Lithuania Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021' report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment, and a comparison of the Lithuanian insurance industry with its regional counterparts. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20122016) and forecast period (20162021). GET SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2529460-non-life-insurance-in-lithuania-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Lithuanian economy and demographics, explains the various types of natural hazard and their impact on the Lithuanian insurance industry, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. The report brings together research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations and recent changes in the regulatory structure. Summary 'Non-Life Insurance in Lithuania Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment, including: - The Lithuanian non-life segment's detailed outlook by product category - A comprehensive overview of the Lithuanian economy and demographics - A comparison of the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment with its regional counterparts - The various distribution channels in the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment - Detailed analysis of natural hazards and their impact on the Lithuanian insurance industry - Details of the competitive landscape in the non-life insurance segment in Lithuania - Details of regulatory policy applicable to the Lithuanian insurance industry Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the non-life insurance segment in Lithuania: - It provides historical values for the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment for the report's 20122016 review period, and projected figures for the 20162021 forecast period. - It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2021. - It provides a comparison of the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment with its regional counterparts. - It analyzes the various distribution channels for non-life insurance products in Lithuania. - It analyzes various natural hazards and their impact on the Lithuanian insurance industry - It profiles the top non-life insurance companies in Lithuania, and outlines the key regulations affecting them. Reasons to Buy - Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment, and each category within it. - Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Lithuanian non-life insurance segment. - Assess the competitive dynamics in the non-life insurance segment. - Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. - Gain insights into key regulations governing the Lithuanian insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future. Key Highlights - The Lithuanian non-life segment is highly competitive and dominated by foreign-owned insurers. In 2016, five insurance companies with a head office in Lithuania operated in the non-life segment. - As of March 2017, according to the Bank of Lithuania, the solvency ratio of non-life insurance companies in Lithuania stood at 1.6, in line with the Solvency II stipulation. - From May 24, 2018, EU data protection reforms will become applicable. According to the law, the data processor will be held liable for any liability arising due to data breach incidents. - Motor insurance was the largest non-life category, accounting for 62.6% of the segment's direct written premium in 2016. Table of Content: Key Points 1 Key Facts and Highlights 2 Executive Summary 3 Economy and Demographics 4 Segment Outlook 4.1 Segment Indicators 4.1.1 Gross written premium and penetration 4.1.2 Active policies 4.1.3 Claims 4.1.4 Profitability 4.1.5 Assets and investments 5 Outlook by Category 5.1 Property Insurance 5.1.1 Product overview Continued ACCESS REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2529460-non-life-insurance-in-lithuania-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 Get in touch: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/4828928 Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/06/2017 -- Synopsis: 'Reinsurance in Lithuania Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021' report provides detailed analysis of the market trends, drivers and challenges in the Lithuanian reinsurance segment. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, reinsurance ceded and reinsurance accepted during the review period (20122016) and forecast period (20162021). GET SAMPLE REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2529462-reinsurance-in-lithuania-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 The report also analyzes information pertaining to the competitive landscape in the country, gives a comprehensive overview of the Lithuanian economy and demographics, and provides detailed analysis of natural hazards and their impact on the Lithuanian insurance industry. The report brings together research, modeling and analysis expertise to enable reinsurers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and access profiles of reinsurers operating in the country. Summary 'Reinsurance in Lithuania Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Lithuanian reinsurance segment, including: - An outlook of the Lithuanian reinsurance segment - A comprehensive overview of the Lithuanian economy and demographics - Detailed analysis of natural hazards and their impact on the Lithuanian insurance industry - The competitive landscape in the Lithuanian reinsurance segment Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the reinsurance segment in Lithuania: - It provides historical values for the Lithuanian reinsurance segment for the report's 20122016 review period, and projected figures for the 20162021 forecast period. - It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Lithuanian reinsurance segment, and market forecasts to 2021. - It provides a detailed analysis of the reinsurance ceded from various direct insurance segments in Lithuania, and the reinsurance segment's growth prospects. - It analyzes various natural hazards and their impact on the Lithuania insurance industry Reasons to Buy - Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Lithuanian reinsurance segment, and each category within it. - Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Lithuanian reinsurance segment. - Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. - Gain insights into key regulations governing the Lithuanian insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future. Key Highlights - On May 29, 2017, the EC authorized the signing of a bilateral agreement regarding prudential measures of insurance and reinsurance between the US and the EU, which was agreed on January 13, 2017. - On March 31, 2017, the Insurance Block Exemption Regulation (Regulation 267/2010) (IBER) expired. The IBER exempts insurers and reinsurers from certain applicable competition rules, subject to conditions and agreements between companies. - Solvency II came into effect on January 1, 2016. It is based on three pillars: risk-based quantitative requirements; governance and supervision; and disclosure and transparency. Table of Content: Key Points 1 Key Facts and Highlights 2 Executive Summary 3 Economy and Demographics 4 Reinsurance outlook 4.1 Reinsurance by Premium Ceded 5 Natural and Man-Made Hazards 5.1 Flooding 5.2 Droughts 5.3 Landslide 5.4 Exposure 6 Competitive Landscape 7 Definition and Methodology 7.1 Definitions 7.2 Methodology Continued ACCESS REPORT @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2529462-reinsurance-in-lithuania-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2021 Get in touch: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/4828928 Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiseGuyReports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wiseguyreports-1009007869213183/?fref=ts WASP-18b, a hot-Jupiter exoplanet located approximately 325 light-years from Earth, has a stratosphere thats loaded with carbon monoxide, but has no signs of water, according to a team of astronomers led by Dr. Kyle Sheppard at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center. The composition of WASP-18b defies all expectations. We dont know of any other exoplanet where carbon monoxide so completely dominates the upper atmosphere, said Dr. Sheppard, lead author of the paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters (arXiv.org preprint). 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 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 astronomers explained. WASP-18b has an unusual composition, and the formation of this alien world might have been quite different from that of Jupiter as well as gas giants in other planetary systems. They looked at data collected for WASP-18b, which has the mass of 10 Jupiters, as part of a survey to find exoplanets with stratospheres. The planet has been observed repeatedly, allowing the team to accumulate a relatively large trove of data. The 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 researchers 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 co-author Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan, 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. In theory, another possible fit for the observations is carbon dioxide, which has a similar fingerprint. The authors 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 planets 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. _____ Kyle B. Sheppard et al. 2017. Evidence for a Dayside Thermal Inversion and High Metallicity for the Hot Jupiter WASP-18b. ApJL 850, L32; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/aa9ae9 This article was supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). Every morning and afternoon, Douglas Adjei receives a phone call giving the weather forecasts at his farm in southern Ghana. Its thanks to an app called Farmerline, which gives smallholder farmers daily voice-based information in their local language, providing access to critical information on prices, the use of insecticides, and weather information to help with planting crops at the right time. There were a lot of things we were missing in our farming, says Adjei. Now we can do those things. Ghana-based Farmerline, which runs its services in 11 African countries, is just one out of hundreds of tech-based services that have been developed for agriculture in the last five to 10 years. As well as providing valuable weather data, Farmerline has helped Adjei receive seeds and fertiliser on credit, and get access to crucial knowledge on market prices. After two years of use, he sees the service as a key resource for his farming business. Now we know prices better, we know better how to negotiate prices for our products, he told SciDev.Net. Services like this are crucial. Ghana has just one agricultural extension officer to help provide agricultural information and advice for roughly every 3,000 farmers. Funding to support [extension] services has been cut down over the years, so theres a huge challenge for these officers to go to the communities to engage with farmers, explains Worlali Senyo, director of growth, research and development at Farmerline. Getting the right information, getting access to inputs, to finance, in order to increase production: you cant underestimate the importance of that, he says. The worlds population is set to hit 9.8 billion by 2050. And as climate change takes hold, it is becoming harder for smallholder farmers to keep raising production to the level needed to feed that population. Thats critical, as smallholder farmers produce up to 80 per cent of the food supply in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the African Smallholder Farmers Group. This is helping bring African farmers into the digital revolution and improve their farming Mary Joseph, FarmDrive Solutions such as mobile applications make perfect sense especially given the growing ubiquity of this technology. Ghana now has more than 1.3 mobile phone subscriptions per person, with mobile industry association GSMA estimating that two-thirds of people have a subscription, and almost a quarter own a smartphone. Farmerline reports that it has seen revenues for some farmers increase by 50 per cent as a result of using its tools. Its mobile application supports about 100,000 farmers in Ghana and sends out 15,000 voice-based messages there daily. Wave of entrepreneurs Farmerlines story is by no means unique. There is a wave of IT entrepreneurs all over Africa and other regions, often with extensive farming experience, who are rolling out software and applications from cattle-information services such as the Kenya-based iCow, to weather and soil analysis tools such as Bangladesh-based Mrittika, and others that help provide loans to farmers, such as FarmDrive, also based in Kenya. Farmers are now able to access resources they never could even just five years ago, says Mary Joseph, director of partnerships and external relations at FarmDrive, which uses data to build credit scores for farmers and aid lending from financial institutions. This is helping bring African farmers into the digital revolution and improve their farming. But applications need proper backing and funding to succeed if they are to avoid perishing as simply great ideas and for that, they first need people to be aware that they exist. A tool that seeks to deal with this issue is the Apps4Ag database developed by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), a joint institution established between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Union. In development since 2014, the database pulls together a range of farming information and communication technologies (ICTs) and mobile applications from around the world in one place, to offer easy insight into whats available. The main audience is not farmers, but entities such as software developers, development organisations and those that want to invest in integrating ICT into agricultural projects. CTAs hope is that increased recognition by investors such as financial institutions or telecoms companies will help developers attract more investment once they reach the stage where their app is on the market, but the initial funding has been used up. Lets say you have millions of farmers subscribing to your system as a result of a push by a project, says Benjamin Addom, programme coordinator at CTA. Then you have something for others to be interested in so that farmers can use the application for free. There are more than 400 applications currently on the Apps4Ag database, including Farmerline and FarmDrive, and the project has an open approach to others joining. The database has a fairly simple interface where people can see which apps are available, basic information about what they do, and their rating on a five-star scale, as well as link through to the developer websites. However, Addom says the goal is to improve the service to enable better search by category and add features such as visualisation, allowing users to easily pull up a map of how apps are distributed in a region. Apps4Ag also wants to add value by providing ratings from app users themselves, rather than anybody as is currently the case. We want the actual users to give testimony, says Addom. Connecting to farmers There are many challenges that application developers must overcome aside from getting funding. One issue is the high levels of illiteracy that are common among many farming communities, for example. This is something that Farmerline has tackled by using a voice-based service. Another is getting sufficient connectivity in rural areas. Esoko, which runs an app targeting African smallholders thats featured in the Apps4Ag database, counters this with a feature that enables it to work in offline mode: it stores data locally, which can then be uploaded once an internet connection is established. As more technologies begin to overcome these challenges, Apps4Ag may well provide a good starting point for the crucial step of growing awareness, according to Van Jones, co-founder of Hello Tractor, an Africa-based service included in the database that enables farmers to hire low-cost tractors via SMS. For us, having a place where someone with a business mind-set can go and look at our app is super-important to give visibility with the right audience, Jones says. This article was supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). HEMINGWAY, S.C. Haselden Brothers Ford of Hemingway has won the 2016 President's Award by Ford Motor Company. The President's Award was established in 1998, and dealers become eligible through survey responses from customers related to their sales and service satisfaction. "We are an 11-time recipient of this prestigious award, the only dealer in South Carolina to have achieved that record, said Bubba Haselden, owner of Haselden Brothers Ford. Haselden said earning this award is a reflection on his entire staff and their commitment to delivering the best customer experience possible. "I appreciate this award even more since it comes from the people we value most, our customers," he said. To achieve the President's Award, dealers must exceed customer expectations in every department every day. "The pursuit of excellence is not for the faint of heart," Haselden said. "It requires passion, tenacity and, of course, hard work." Haselden Brothers Ford has always been family owned. It was established in 1938 by brothers Willis Sr., Clarence and Ed Haselden. Now that Bubba and Marion Haseldens son, Mitchell, have joined the staff, they have now moved into a third generation family-owned operation. 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Megan King becomes SVP strategic communications and research, a position with the added research aspect. Salerno is tasked with consulting CLIA members and industry experts to develop, present, negotiate and implement industry positions on regulatory and policy matters involving shipboard operations. This covers a wide range of areas, including safety, security, disabled access, environmental stewardship, accident investigation, emergency response plans and exercises, medical facilities, public health, labor affairs and legal affairs. Salerno served 36 years in the US Coast Guard, retiring in 2012 at the rank of vice admiral. After that he was appointed by President Obama to direct the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, a federal agency that oversees offshore oil and gas safety. During his USCG career Salerno worked in a variety of operational missions, with a particular focus on maritime safety. He commanded field units in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Boston, serving concurrently as captain of the port, officer in charge of marine Inspection, federal on-scene coordinator for environmental responses and, after the 9/11 attacks, as federal maritime security coordinator. Overseas assignments included a tour as the maritime safety adviser to the Panama Canal Authority. As a flag officer, Salerno was responsible for establishing program policy for all prevention and response missions. He also led the US delegation to the International Maritime Organizations Maritime Safety Committee. His most senior position was that of deputy commandant for operations, which he held from 2010 to 2012. In her new CLIA job Megan King is responsible for managing and integrating research, global strategic communications, digital strategy, branding, public relations and coordination of global and member communications departments. She'll develop and implement strategic communication strategies on behalf of the global cruise industry, with the goal of building cruising's reputation, influence and support among key stakeholder audiences. King brings more than 20 years of integrated marketing and brand management experience across many sectors. During the past 13 years with Porter Novelli, a public relations firm that's part of the giant Omnicom Group, she advanced to her most recent role as EVP and global director of creative. That entailed responsibility for the strategic vision, growth and integration of creative, content and editorial services, including paid media, across the globe. Before Porter Novelli, King was a VP at Arnold Worldwide and managed major advertising accounts in the Washington, DC area. The contract carries a total value for the 50/50 joint venture with Belgium-based DEME of approximately $130.43m and signing is expected to take place in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement. The Martin Garcia channel is the main access channel to Uruguay's second largest port, Nueva Palmira, as well as to the Rio Uruguay. The dredging programme consists in deepening the canal and subsequently maintaining a depth of 34 feet over the contract period. The capital dredging work will be performed in 2018, when approximately 6m cum of mainly sand and silt will be removed with two trailing suction hopper dredgers as well as approximately 500,000 cu m of clay and rock with a large backhoe. The maintenance contract requires the annual removal of approximately 5m cum of mainly sand and silt, over a subsequent period of four years and will be carried out with a trailing suction hopper dredger. The Boskalis strategy is designed to benefit from the key macro-economic drivers that fuel global demand in our selected markets: global trade, increasing energy consumption, population growth and the challenges of changing climate conditions. This project is driven by the growth in global trade, the company said. It is the first time a shipowner, a cargo owner and shipbuilder have received joint AiP approval in Japan for an LNG powered vessel. The three companies recently conducted a Hazard Identification Study (HAZID) of the deisgn. The design ensures sufficient capacity for the LNG tank without taking up space in the hull by installing the tank on the stern of the vessel. In addition, the study is pursued based on installation of the tank cover with an eye toward preventing an onboard fire from spreading to the LNG fuel tank while streamlining inspection work, MOL said. MOL set up a bunker business office in April this year to accelerate the study of the use of alternative fuels on the companys vessels including LNG. Well done.Wynne inks $1B in business deals for Ontario as China mission startsPremier Kathleen Wynne is touting $1 billion in new contracts with China that will create more than 1,100 jobs in Ontario.Wynne, on a two-week trade mission to China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, announced in Nanjing that some 33 separate business agreements had been reached since she arrived Friday.The partnerships weve created today reinforce our shared commitment to collaboration, ensuring our businesses can continue to innovate and grow in a rapidly changing global economy, Wynne said in a statement Monday.Xinyi Glass Holdings has chosen Ontario to locate its first factory in North America, a $450-million commitment that will create 400 jobs here.International Trade Minister Michael Chan noted another 700 jobs will come from 32 other deals inked so far on the trip.Todays signings in Jiangsu build on the success of previous missions and are a testament to the strength of our economic and cultural partnership over the past 30 years, said Chan, hailing the fact that Ontario has created the right conditions for businesses to succeed at home, while helping them start or scale up their export capacity.Ontario firm, Ownace International Group, signed a $10-million agreement with Shanghai Golden Wing Industrial to market their Ontario-grown premium food ingredients.As well, Hamiltons McMaster University reached a $5-million agreement with Dajiang Environmental Corporation on clean water technology.Toronto-based Geneseeq, a health company specializing in personalized cancer care that has facilities in China, announced there that it is investing $15 million to expand its headquarters in Torontos MaRS Discovery District to create 50 jobs.More than 100 corporate and academic delegates from Ontario are travelling with Wynne to boost trade.Its the premiers third mission to China since she took office in February 2013. On the 2015 trip. there were $1.7 billion in contracts signed. while in 2014 there were $966 million worth of deals inked. Welcome to A2Z Homeschooling! Homeschooling is more than just education at home. Homeschool parents, children, tutors, and anyone interested in learning online, a structured home classroom or unstructured unschooling will find A2Z Home's Cool an "cool" home school blog. Press Release December 5, 2017 SEN. PACQUIAO URGES PROBE OF P8.7 BILLION ANOMALOUS RROW FUND RELEASES BY DPWH SENATE - Senator Manny Pacquiao wanted the Senate Committee on Public Works to get to the bottom of the P8.7 billion fund anomaly released by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as payments for the road right-of-way claims in General Santos City. The fund controversy involved a series of releases by the DPWH under the tutelage of Hermogenes Ebdane and Rogelio Singson. Sen. Pacquiao on Tuesday authored Senate Resolution no. 561, titled "A resolution directing the Senate Committee on Public Works to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the reported faults in the system, if any, resulting to the misuse of government funds for its road right-of-way project covered by alleged spurious land titles in General Santos City." "Mr. President, I'm very disappointed with these public officials, who are nothing more than mere scammers, magnanakaw, kurakot...," Sen. Pacquiao said. The senator from Mindanao claimed the funds should have been used for the development of the country and upliftment of the people's lives. "Hindi ko maintindihan paano nakakatulog ng mahimbing sa gabi ang mga taong ito gayong alam nila ang kalokohang ginagawa nila. These actions were done by humans with no conscience," Sen. Pacquiao added. The boxer-lawmaker said there is a need to investigate the anomalous fund releases to curb corruption in the agency involved and to correct whatever flaws present in the current system. "I believe that it is our duty as legislators to solve the faults in our system," Sen. Pacquiao declared. Sen. Pacquiao was hoping that the Senate investigation would expose a labyrinth of conspiracy involving officials in the Register of Deeds, Courts of Law, DPWH, Department of Environment & Natural Resources, including some influential private individuals who fabricate spurious land titles to defraud the government of billions of pesos. Whistleblower Roberto Catapang Jr. mentioned in his affidavit Wilma Mamburam, a certain Colonel Chino Mamburan, Merceditas Dumlao and Nelson Ti as among those involved in the P8.7 billion scam. Catapang claimed to be a member of a syndicate involved in the fund scam but turned state witness due to fear for his life. He was placed under the Witness Protection Program of the DOJ. Catapang bared that Ti, the group's alleged financier, is a "close friend" of former President Aquino. Catapang further bared he has documents that could prove former budget secretary Florencio Abad had approved the release of funds for right-of-way claims totaling P500 million in just four days in late 2013. Singson allegedly made the request on December 23, 2013 and was approved by Abad on December 27, 2013. Abad, Singson and 41 other individuals had already been placed on the Department of Justice's immigration lookout bulletin order. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had already directed the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a deeper investigation on the anomalous fund releases. It can be recalled that sometime in 2005, Ebdane, then the DPWH secretary, released P135 million as payment for the road right-of-way claim of a certain Vicente Lagpang Torres in General Santos City through the help of Col. Mamburam. Mamburam allegedly was a former official pilot of Ebdane. Mamburam used an anomalous order of Judge Cader P. Indar to secure the release of P135 million from DPWH. Indar issued an order directing DPWH-Manila to pay P135 million to Torres as RROW compensation despite the absence of an original certificate of title. Indar was dismissed as judge when Lucia Olarte Magtibay, one of the heirs of Don Jose Olarte, owner of Hacienda Olarte in General Santos City, filed a complaint against him before the Supreme Court. Press Release December 6, 2017 De Lima vows to push for bills for OFWs and families WASHINGTON, D.C. - Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has vowed to continue pushing for legislative measures that would protect and promote the rights and benefits of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and families in the Philippines. In her short message read before a group of Filipino immigrants here last Dec. 2, De Lima lauded and thanked them for demonstrating to the whole world the good qualities of Filipino people in various fields of expertise. "We cannot thank you enough for your sacrifices and for being examples of strength and fortitude of Filipinos to achieve the dreams and hopes of your families. Despite the sorrow of being away from your loved ones and the many challenges you face abroad, you continue to persevere and show your resiliency to succeed," she said. "As a Senator, I will continue to push for legislative measures that will protect the welfare of our overseas workers, and institute reforms in the Philippines to ensure a just and more inclusive future for our countrymen," she added. In her message, De Lima also thanked the OFWs, including Filipino Americans, for their invaluable contributions not only to the country's economy through their annual remittances but also through their charitable and social projects. "Sa inyong sipag, determinasyon at pagpupunyagi para itaguyod ang inyong pamilya, kasamang umaangat ang ekonomiya ng bansa, na nagpapataas din sa kakayahan ng gobyernong magkaloob ng serbisyo-publiko," she said. Despite her unjust detention over obviously trumped-up charges, De Lima, who is a known staunch defender of human rights, promised to strive hard in promoting a just and humane society for the benefit not only of the OFWs but also of all her countrymen. "Simple lang po ang hangad ko: Maimulat ang marami nating kababayan, sa loob at labas ng ating bansa, sa katotohanan, sa marapat na pananagutan ng mga lingkod bayan, sa pangingibabaw ng batas, at paglalatag ng pagkakataon sa sariling bayan. Alam ko pong kaisa ko kayo, at ang bawat marangal na Pilipino, sa laban na ito tungo sa mas maganda at mapayapang kinabukasan," she said. The former justice secretary said it is a challenge for her and her fellow lawmakers to push for more legislative measures that would ensure that Filipinos will have more job and economic opportunities in the country to prevent them from going abroad. "It is also my dream for Filipinos to leave the country not because they are forced to given the lack of opportunities, but because they willingly want to enrich their careers," she noted. A strong defender of migrant workers' rights, De Lima has filed Senate Resolution No. 406 calling for a Senate investigation to assess the adverse impact of Qatar diplomatic crisis to OFWs residing or working in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Last August, she also called for a Senate investigation into the implementation of the newly-launched OFW identification card which many fear will be used as a cash cow for some corrupt government and private entities. Press Release December 6, 2017 Transcript of Interview with Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon Q: Sir, magtatanong lang kami doon sa mandatory retirement sa miltary, kasi di ba 56 y/o ang mandatory retirement? SFMD: The reason why it's 56 y/o is that they include the four years of PMA as part of the service. I could not remember kung ano yung number of years of service for a compulsory retirement. Q: Year of service, hindi yung edad? SFMD: Hindi, year of service iyan kaya nagiging 56. If I'm not mistaken, 30 years of service gives rise to a compulsory retirement. Isama mo yung years sa PMA (4 years) so 26 years of active service kaya nagkaganoon. I'm not sure pero parang ganoon. Yung 56 years, wala naman iyan sa batas. It's the year of service. Q: Yung observation kasi kanina sa CA, masyadong naka-cut short yung capacity yung capability to serve. SFMD: I have not reviewed the law but the remedy is to not consider as part of the service in the miltary service the years of schooling in the PMA. Again, I'm giving an opinion on the basis of my stock knowledge. I have not seen the law but I think that's the law. Q: Yung sa atin, 70 y/o, 60 y/o, still capable to serve? SFMD: I think 60 y/o. Q: You will leave it up to the discretion of the president whether to extend the term? SFMD: I think only for chief of staff. Three years ang term ng chief of staff, so you can extend it to the extent of completing the term of three years, kahit lumagpas sa 56 years. But it's not possible for the other positions. (Note: Sen. Drilon is referring to P.D. 1650, which states that a military person shall be compulsorily retired upon attaining fifty-six (56) years of age or upon accumulation of thirty (30) years of satisfactory active service, whichever is later, unless his continued service is, in the opinion of the President, required for the good of the service: Provided, That the compulsory retirement of an officer serving in a statutory position shall be deferred until completion of the prescribed tour of duty. (This does not violate Art. XVI, Section 5 (7) of the Constitution which states that "the tour of duty of the Chief of Staff of the armed forces shall not exceed three years. However, in times of war or other national emergency declared by the Congress, the President may extend such tour of duty." This is because he has not even completed the three-year tour of duty. In fact, it has just started. The President would not, in effect, be extending the term, because his tour of duty has not expired, but merely waiving or deferring the compulsory retirement.) Q: Presidential pregorative lang ito, wala siyang pre-requisite? SFMD: Wala, but it can be done only for the chief of staff, and the reason being is that the term of the chief of staff is fixed at three years, so you can serve the term of a chief of staff even beyond age 56, if it is within the three-year period and the president extends it. Q: Hindi na kailangan na may emergency situation para ma-extend? SFMD: No, hindi na kailangan. Q: Yung PNP chief, sir? SFMD: No, because PNP is part of the civilian force. Q: Going back doon sa cosmetic tax, ano na po ang status ngayon? SFMD: Wala pa. The bicam has not come to an agreement. I stand on the basis that we should impose a cosmetic tax as a matter of principle. Q: Sir, malaka po ba ang opposition from the house? SFMD: The house has taken a position that a cosmetic tax should not be imposed. Q: Meron ding strong opposiition on the coal tax? SFMD: There is also opposition there because that is a ,3000-percent increase. Many provinces are served solely and source their power soley on coal-fired power plants. The national average would show that 48% of the power source is from coal and bunker fuel. That is the national average. However, there are certain areas where this is not the proportion because there is no renewable source of energy that is sufficient enough. For example, in the case of Mindanao, the whole of Minadanao, if I'm not mistaken, there are 60% dependent on coal-fired power plant and bunker fuel as source of energy. The effect of a 3,000-percent increase on coal tax would be tremendous. Similarly, in 2,700,000 households allover the Philippines are dependent solely on coal-fired power plants. No renewables are available. So this increase will have tremendous effects on the consumers. In my province of Iloilo, it's coal and bunker fuel. I agree on the concept that we should encourage renewable energy. In fact we have an FIT (fit-in- tariff) which provides subsidy to renewable energy and the subsidy is borne by the consumers. I'm endorsing a continued encouragement of renewable energy, but we must see to it that we will not unduly burden the consumers. Not only the consumers but also our industries will be burdened by the increase in the coal tax. It could shelve expansions of industries that can generate jobs. There must be a balance. Anyway, the Philippines is less than one-half of one percent of the carbon footprint all over the world. We are such an insignificant contributor. Talk about China, Indian and United States - these are the advanced econcomies and therefore, they contribute a lot to the carbon footprint. Ang Pilipinas, it's 0.03%. Q: Sa cosmetic tax ulit, since wala pang agreement, may mga nag-lobby po ba? SFMD: Certainly, yes, mag nagla-lobby. There's a very strong lobby. Q: From the affected sectors? SFMD: Yes, I assume. Q: May kumausap na po sa inyo? SFMD: Yes, may kausap, pero ang sai ko ay as a matter of principle, we should impose the cosmetic tax, because we are increasing the excise tax on fuel, which affects everybody. Yung pangunahing bilihin, tataas dahil dito. Yung mga magsasaka, yung mga mangingsida. The poorer sector of the society will be affected, so why can we not impose a tax on an activitit, which is purely luxury? CLAY CENTER Dozens of investigators continued searching in cornfields near several dirt roads southeast of town for evidence in the death of Sydney Loofe Tuesday, a day after her body was discovered in the rural area 60 miles from where she was last seen three weeks ago. A Nebraska State Patrol helicopter circled above the area where investigators closed several country roads in the area as they marked off several crime scenes. An analysis of Loofes digital records led them to the area where they searched for answers for how Loofes body ended up in rural Clay County, more than 100 miles from her home in Lincoln. We are indeed conducting a very thorough investigation to ensure we can provide an accurate account of what happened to Sydney, FBI Special Agent in Charge Randy Thysse said at a news conference Tuesday. Investigators found evidence of foul play upon discovering the 24-year-olds body Monday afternoon, Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said at the news conference. George Loofe told the Neligh News and Leader that the family was notified of the discovery of remains believed to be his daughter shortly after 5 p.m. Monday. The Loofes announced that their daughters body had been found Monday night. An autopsy has been ordered in the case, and authorities declined to provide further details about her death Tuesday because of the pending forensic testing thats underway. Two people identified by law enforcement as persons of interest in the case Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell remained in custody Tuesday at the Saline County jail in Wilber. Neither had been charged with a crime related to Loofes disappearance or death. Loofe, 24, was reported missing Nov. 16 after she missed work at Menards in north Lincoln. Police have said she was last seen the night before in Wilber, after apparently going on a date with Boswell, whom she met through the online dating app Tinder. Trail, 51, and Boswell, 23, live in Wilber but left the state after Loofe went missing. They were arrested last week in the Branson, Missouri area. Were continuing to speak with Aubrey Trail, and well continue to do so as long as hes willing to do that, said Bliemeister, who declined to say whether Boswell was also cooperating with investigators. Trail and Boswell have denied their involvement in Loofes disappearance through a bizarre trio of videos posted last week on social media. While both had active arrest warrants for unrelated charges, Trail said he isnt just a criminal, and deals antiques throughout southeast Nebraska. Not saying Im a nice guy. Im a crook, Im a thief have been all my life. OK? But Im not what youre trying to make me out to be, Trail said in one video. In that same video, Boswell said she and Loofe drove around Lincoln, smoked marijuana at her apartment in Wilber and then she dropped Loofe off at a friends house and hadnt heard from Loofe since. Bliemiester on Tuesday said investigators have explored the claims in the video extensively. The investigative efforts have not been able to confirm those particular details, he said. Well still work toward that end, but again, the analysis of the (digital records) was what led us to the discovery of who we believe to be Sydney. The Lincoln Police along with the FBI are leading the investigation, and FBI officials ask that anyone with information related to the case call the dedicated tipline 402-493-8688 and select Option 1. Loofe, a Neligh native, moved to Lincoln after graduating high school in 2011 as part of a transfer in her employment with Menards, her mother, Susie, said. Her coworkers and family said it was out of character for Loofe when she didnt arrive for her shift as a cashier Nov. 16. When her family couldnt get ahold of her, they reported her missing to police. The Loofe family took to social media the following days to raise awareness about her disappearance in hopes of aiding the search. Billboards along the interstate in Omaha and in central and downtown Lincoln broadcasted her case, which led the evening news for several area television stations. In an interview with the Neligh News and Leader Monday night, George Loofe expressed gratitude to those who prayed for their daughter, posted flyers, spread word on social media and everyone that had anything to do with the search for Sydney. The entire state and beyond tried to help, and, in our minds, a lot of good people exist in this world, Sydneys father told the newspaper. Sydney just happened to run into someone that wasnt. Press Release December 6, 2017 Legarda Encourages Energy Conservation Practices In observance of Energy Consciousness Month, Senator Loren Legarda encouraged Filipinos to practise energy conservation measures to save on energy resources and as a way to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle. "Energy conservation must be a way of life. It is economical and also environment-friendly. By practising energy conservation measures, we also contribute to reducing our carbon footprint, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation," said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change. "Traditional energy conservation measures remain relevant-use of low-wattage appliances, unplug electronics when not in use, turn off lights when leaving a room, open curtains for natural lighting, do all the ironing at one time, avoid frequent opening of the refrigerator door and defrost it once a week. These are simple and practical measures that all of us can do," she added. Legarda also filed a bill to promote energy conservation by providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to private firms implementing energy-saving practices and by requiring manufacturers and dealers to comply with the energy efficiency rating of the Department of Energy (DOE). "This bill provides for incentives in the form of tax breaks, duty-free imports to support suppliers of renewable technology as well as non-fiscal incentives such as awards or recognition for energy efficiency and conservation and technical assistance from government agencies in the development and promotion of energy-efficient technologies," she explained. Under the bill, companies must conduct regular energy audits on establishments where energy consumption and costs will be assessed. Meanwhile, all government agencies and local government units shall ensure the efficient use of energy in their respective offices, facilities and transportation units by incorporating energy saving methods in their local development plans. "Energy efficiency is the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Legarda said, stressing the need to broaden the coverage of existing energy conservation policies if we want to attain our energy efficiency roadmap goals. The DOE, in addition to its existing mandate, shall develop a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan and a system of monitoring the targets that are established. Moreover, it is tasked to maintain collaborative efforts with the business sector and require manufacturers, importers and dealers to comply with the standards and make sure that their packages are labeled accordingly. The DOE shall also conduct a fuel economy performance test for motor vehicles to ensure that vehicle manufacturers, importers and dealers comply with fuel economy performance requirements. New buildings shall also comply with the minimum requirements as specified in the Guidelines on Energy Conserving Design on Buildings issued by the DOE, in consultation with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). "We need to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation as a national way of life. We must work towards the efficient and judicious utilization of energy by developing and implementing energy efficiency and conservation plans and programs. This will help us secure sufficiency and stability of energy supply in the country," Legarda concluded. Homelessness has shot up in California and elsewhere on the West Coast over the past two years, a federal report said Wednesday, as rising rents and other housing pressures forced more people from the margins onto the street. Californias homeless population went up 14 percent, to 134,278 the most by far of any state, and representing 31 percent of all the individual homeless people in the U.S., according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. New York had the second-largest homeless population, at 89,503, a 4 percent increase. Homelessness also went up significantly in Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle and Los Angeles, according to HUDs annual snapshot assessment of street populations nationwide. San Francisco was an exception its homeless population has stayed virtually flat at about 7,499. The federal counts were based on one-night tallies done since 2015. HUDs totals for 2016 included counts done that year and the year before. Now Playing: Like so many displaced people, Ronald Weeks has lost everything he owns more than once. He is one of about 50 people living in a homeless encampment along Wood St. in Oakland. Recently, he has dedicated his time to building homes for the people in his community. His first one, which he built for himself, is nearly complete. Unfortunately, Weeks may lose it before he has the chance to move in. A developer has purchased the land on which it sits and has given him, and others, two weeks notice to vacate the property. Despite the setback Weeks remains hopeful. "I'm not going to give up", he says, "I'm not giving up on any of these people." He hopes to continue his mission of helping himself and others by building homes elsewhere. Video: San Francisco Chronicle HUD said that throughout the United States, 553,742 people were homeless this year a 1 percent increase over 2016, and the first time the national count has risen since 2010. Officials caution that such counts are rough estimates at best, but that absent a more comprehensive system, they at least give indications of where work is needed. And that work, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said Wednesday, should be aimed at building more housing especially along the West Coast and in big cities elsewhere. Overall, 30 states showed declines in homelessness and 20 showed increases. If you eliminated those places (the large cities with increases), youd see a downward trend, Carson said in announcing the new tallies. But the commonality in those places is rising rents. Were going to have to really concentrate on, how do we answer the problem of affordable housing? The most troublesome areas along the West Coast included Oakland, where homelessness has gone up 39 percent since 2015, and Los Angeles, where the street count increased 26 percent, to 55,188, since 2016. The biggest driver in the increase in homelessness across the nation was in the unsheltered population, meaning those who are not in shelters, rehabilitation programs or other emergency beds. That went up 9 percent nationally, offsetting improvements in the sheltered counts. A Chronicle examination of homeless counts throughout California in the summer found that surging housing prices and rents, and stagnant wages, were driving indigence up not just in most urban areas, but in rural communities as well. Matthew Doherty, head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said Wednesday that the rising rents and other housing pressures are the big contributors to homelessness in the most troubled regions, such as California. Limited supply and skyrocketing rents are impacting our ability to see such progress in some parts of the country, Doherty said as he announced the new numbers with Carson. He told The Chronicle that San Franciscos more encouraging count could be attributed to the citys consolidation of efforts on supportive housing and services over the past year, through the creation of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. The head of that department, Jeff Kositsky, said it was a relief not to be singled out as a problem area. In particular, he noted that the citys unsheltered proportion of the homeless population is at 58 percent, compared with the states overall proportion of 68 percent. San Francisco has often been pointed out as the city thats struggling with various issues, and Im glad that now were not showing up on the lists as having the biggest increases, Kositsky said. This isnt cause for celebration. Well celebrate when the number is zero. But its an indication that our work is working, and that Mayor (Ed) Lees vision of creating a single department to better amplify the citys previous efforts is showing results. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com A four-car crash shut down two westbound lanes on the Bay Bridge Tuesday, causing traffic delays at the start of the afternoon commute, officials said. The crash was reported about 2 p.m. on the west side of the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, said Officer Vu Williams of the California Highway Patrol. San Franciscos already behind-schedule Central Subway wont be completed until 2021, more than a year later than the city insists the line will be ready, according to a new report by the big digs main contractor. Construction giant Tutor Perini Corp. also says the $1.6 billion project is running tens of millions of dollars over budget. Tutor Perini laid out the delay troubles in an inch-thick binder that company representatives began circulating last week to San Francisco supervisors in the hope of enlisting their intervention in a contentious contract dispute with the Municipal Transportation Agency. The company blames a string of infrastructure delays for the construction problem including having to relocate Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines near the Chinatown station at Stockton and Washington streets and encountering harder-than-expected rock while excavating the tunnels. Tutor Perini says those delays have added 15 months or so to the job, and that testing by another contractor once construction is finished will also take longer than planned. If the firm is right, the first Metro trains wont be running up to Chinatown until spring 2021 well after both December 2018, which is what the city advertised when construction began six years ago, and the most recent target of late 2019. It would also mean the rail line almost certainly wont be ready for the scheduled fall 2019 debut of the Golden State Warriors new home in Mission Bay leaving the 18,500-seat arena without a vital link to downtown for the teams first two seasons in San Francisco. The 1.7-mile subway, a crosstown extension of the T-Third Street line, will dive underground near the Caltrain depot at Fourth and King streets. Besides Chinatown, it will include subway stations at the Moscone Center and Union Square. In October, an independent monitor concluded that the subway would be done in December 2019. Thats the estimate the city is sticking to. We are making great progress, and we are on track, said Municipal Transportation Agency spokesman Paul Rose. As for why he believes the monitors assessment is right? Rose said his agency works closely with the (Tutor Perini) construction team on site, and they predict their portion will be completed by mid-2019, and that the line will go into revenue service by December 2019. Privately, other city officials think the company is trying to buttress its request for tens of millions of dollars extra that it says are needed to finish the job. Tutor Perini, which has about half the projects $1.6 billion contract, has submitted $112 million in change orders. Those are common in big projects, but the companys request far exceeds the $79 million that the MTA set aside to cover them. The two sides have established a special review board to consider each of the companys 80-plus claims. Meanwhile, Rose says Tutor Perini is on the hook for $50,000 a day in penalties if it doesnt meet the December 2019 finish date. The company has put workers on the job around the clock six days a week to try to make deadline. Tutor Perini also takes exception to the city withholding $24 million of its payments for the roughly 60 percent of the job thats been completed. While company officials did not respond to our request to be interviewed, in their report to the Board of Supervisors they branded the citys action as punitive and a violation of contract terms. Not so, countered Rose. He said withholding some payments is standard practice in large construction contracts and is intended only to assure the project is completed as designed. Its not the first time the city has fought with Tutor Perini. In 2002, City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued the firm for artificially inflated bills on the makeover of San Francisco International Airport, which ran more than $300 million over budget. Tutor eventually paid $19 million to settle the case, which cost the city $10 million in legal fees. In an added twist, Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, who was ousted last year as head of the agency overseeing construction of the Transbay Transit Center, was seen walking the corridors of City Hall last week on Tutor Perinis behalf in the contract dispute. It was on her watch that the transit center went so far over budget that the Transbay Joint Powers Authority had to run to the city for a $260 million bailout loan. One of Ayerdi-Kaplans ex-bosses on the agency board was none other than MTA boss Ed Reiskin, who has been pushing Tutor Perini to get the Central Subway built and opened on time and on budget. Ayerdi-Kaplan did not return our call seeking comment. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOS ANGELES The onslaught of fire tearing through real estate in Southern California raged for a third day Wednesday as a new blaze erupted near the Getty Center in Los Angeles, igniting mansions in posh Bel-Air, forcing more evacuations and shutting down a major freeway. The fast-moving blaze was one of five conflagrations that have laid waste to neighborhoods and businesses and forced thousands to flee as harsh Santa Ana winds continue to blow arid inland air downhill toward the ocean into flatland communities. State fire officials say the worst is yet to come. Offshore winds were expected to continue to fan the flames with gusts of 30-50 mph. These are the kind of conditions that keep public safety officials up at night, said Janet Upton, deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. This is that worst-case scenario that we prepare for but hope doesnt happen. Now Playing: Southern California Fires Video: San Francisco Chronicle The latest fire, dubbed the Skirball Fire, broke out just before 5 a.m. Wednesday and, driven by 25 mph winds, crackled uphill in a southerly direction next to Interstate 405 where it intersects with Mulholland Drive in Bel-Air. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local state of emergency after the blaze nearly tripled in size to 125 acres, destroying at least four homes. Several other homes were in jeopardy and flames surrounded the Getty Center, a museum campus atop a hill featuring art, architecture and gardens. These are days that break your heart, but they are also days that show the resilience of our city, Garcetti said. Helicopters dropped water as 350 firefighters attempted to beat back the flames, which initially shut down all lanes of Interstate 405 between Highway 101 to the north and Interstate 10 to the south. The southbound lanes of I-405 were reopened about 9 a.m., but the northbound lanes remained closed. We are losing some property and that is tragic, but the most important thing is peoples lives, said Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz. Any home that could be saved by our wonderful first responders will be saved. The Skirball Fire named after the nearby Skirball Cultural Center, which features Jewish artifacts, art exhibits, music and theater forced evacuations of residents in neighborhoods bordered by Mulholland Drive, I-405, Sunset Boulevard and Roscomare Road. It joined a cluster of fires that began Sunday night when extreme offshore gusts, also known as sundowner winds, blew in and lit up the sky, much like the fires that raced through Northern California in October. At least 4,000 firefighters from around the state and 74 aircraft, including dozens of helicopters, were battling flames in Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday. The biggest inferno, the Thomas Fire, has consumed 90,000 acres across a massive swath of land from Santa Paula to the Pacific Ocean. It jumped Highway 101 and was burning Wednesday in and around the city of Ventura, forcing the evacuations of 50,000 people, Cal Fire officials said. The fire, which had 5 percent containment, has destroyed at least 150 structures and was threatening 12,000 others. The other big one, the Creek Fire, turned as many as 50 buildings to ash after it broke out near Sylmar and Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles. ByWednesday night, it had scorched 12,605 acres and forced the evacuation of 110,000 people. It, too, had 5 percent containment. No humans have died in the fires, but the Creek Fire caused a grievous tragedy, killing as many as 30 horses that were trapped in their stalls Tuesday as the flames marched through a wooded canyon in the San Fernando Valley. The bloated carcasses lay sprawled on the ground Wednesday amid the savaged buildings at Rancho Padilla, a family ranch in the town of Sylmar. Nearby, Bob Booher returned from a business trip Tuesday morning just in time to pull out a hose and save his house on Little Tujunga Canyon Road, but the fire destroyed 10 trucks used for his telecommunications business in a fenced yard across the street. When he reached his house, embers were blowing all over the place. They looked like flying, glowing red softballs. Dozens of them. A hundred at a time, said Booher, as he hosed down the smoldering chassis of one truck Wednesday afternoon. I saved my house and lost everything else. Two houses, one on either side of his, were destroyed. It helped that he had recently cleared brush around his house, but Booher said luck also played a part. Its amazing what fire does to stuff, he said, as he stood next to a tree that miraculously escaped the flames. I lost all my trucks. I lost my 18-foot fishing boat. But this tree is just fine. Meanwhile, the 7,000-acre Rye Fire spread from Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, to the edge of Ventura County andwas 10 percent contained Wednesday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the path of Californias wildfires, President Trump tweeted Wednesday. I encourage everyone to heed the advice and orders of local and state officials. THANK YOU to all First Responders for your incredible work! Upton of Cal Fire said she cannot remember any time when so many wind-driven fires were burning at the same time this late in the fire season. The Santa Ana winds, she said, are now expected to last into next week, with gusts reaching 65 to 80 mph Thursday, a potentially catastrophic condition. Its not our goal to create panic, Upton said, but when the predicted situation is so dire that it makes you lose sleep at night, you have to impress upon the public the severity of the situation. It is so bad that the National Weather Service which normally uses yellow, orange and red to gauge how severe the wind will be on its graphs created a whole new color, purple, to depict the extreme conditions expected Thursday. As fire engines rushed from fire to fire and exhausted crews attempted to gain control over the increasingly volatile situation, Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said vegetation in the region is drier than Ive ever seen it in his 31 years in the department. No significant rain has fallen in Southern California since July. Any area that has brush in the city of Los Angeles is threatened, Terrazas said. We are stretched thin. As the Bel-Air hillside burned, Kristina Keefe waited at a gas station with her pit bull Gunnar to see if she would be allowed to return to her Bellagio Road home. I was very scared, said Keefe, who was awakened by sirens at 6 a.m. I threw a lot of expensive things and some photographs in a bag and prepared to evacuate to our Palm Springs house. Later in the day, she said police officers indicated they would be reopening her street, but by then she had decided her Palm Springs domicile was the better option. Its a nice house, and its better to be safe, she said. Terrazas likened the blaze to the 1961 Bel-Air Fire, which destroyed nearly 500 homes, including several belonging to Hollywood celebrities. The difference is, that one hit in November and lasted only two days. These wind-driven fires are not expected to let up for a few days, he said. The greatest threat is and continues to be the wind, he said, noting that the Santa Ana winds are expected to keep blowing through Friday. As fire swirled around them Wednesday, employees at the Getty Center, which is currently featuring masterpieces by the Italian painter Caravaggio, announced on Twitter that the art galleries would be closed. Air filtration systems are protecting the galleries from smoke, the museum tweeted. UCLA, about 3 miles from the Skirball Fire, canceled classes Wednesday afternoon. More than 50 public schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District were also shuttered. At its peak, 43,000 homes lost power as a result of the fires, but by Wednesday afternoon, fewer than 9,000 customers were still without electricity , according to Southern California Edison. Edison representatives sought Wednesday to tamp down suspicion that its equipment may have started the fires in Southern California. Based on the location of the blazes, there is no indication that the companys facilities were a source of these fires, the utility said in a statement. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers David R. Baker and Jill Tucker contributed to this report. Steve Rubenstein, Lizzie Johnson, Peter Fimrite and Sophie Haigney are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email:srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com and sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @LizzieJohnsonnn, @pfimrite and @SophieHaigney While Fremont Streets Superintendent Mark Vyhlidals daily job consists of making sure the citys roads are in good condition, his true passion is making music of all kinds for people to enjoy. Vyhlidal, a self-taught musician, was born in Morse Bluffs and started playing drums professionally with polka bands at the age of 8 years old in 1969. Vyhlidal has his own band, the Mark Vyhlidal Orchestra, which has performed extensively all throughout the Midwest, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and Canada. Already a member of the Sokol Omaha Polka Hall of Fame, Vyhlidal learned in late October that was being inducted to the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame. On Nov. 25, he and four others were honored and inducted at Ag Park in Columbus. I was actually surprised, surprised and humbled, he said during a Tuesday afternoon interview with the Tribune. Ive been doing this for years, basically as a hobby, I cant make it as a living doing this, you know? Throughout the years, Vyhlidal learned how to play a wide assortment of instruments, including: the accordion, trumpet, valve baritone, tuba, keyboard and drums. In addition, he arranges most of the music that the Mark Vyhlidal Orchestra plays, and also has arranged musical charts for other bands. Released information shows that Vyhlidal composed several tunes including the Maryann Polka, which was selected as the No. 1 song in the country in May 2000 on Chuck Stastnys National Polka Countdown radio show. In May 1991, the Mark Vyhlidal Orchestra was selected to perform on the Garrison Keillor Prairie Home Companion show, playing for a live broadcast with more than one million listeners on National Public Radio. This, he said, is one of his fonder memories throughout his long music career. Vyhlidals philosophy has always been to play a wide range of music. Polka is what first immersed him in music, but he was also molded by rock music from the 50s, 60s and 70s, which resulted in his band playing a mixture of tunes. Its great when people support all types of music, and we dont just play one type of music like the polkas and waltzes, we play country, rock n roll and all sorts of stuff, he said. I mean, we can be a completely different band, and weve done that several times. We try to cover all of our bases to get people involved with different types of music. Music enabled Vyhlidal to travel the country and meet all sorts of people. Its also a great way to relax. Ive just always liked music, its just a way to get away for a while, he said. Supporting the local music scene is vital, he said, without local and community support he never would have made it this far in the music scene. You have to support the local talent, because if they dont have that local support the dances and live music will not continue, he said. Its as simple as that. His advice to other local musicians? You just have to keep on going, keep on playing and keep doing what you enjoy, he said. Live the experience, dont give up and keep up the good work. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mozilla on Tuesday sued Yahoo for breaching a 2014 contract, seeking a payout that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. The dispute centers around a deal in which Yahoo agreed to pay Mozilla, a Mountain View company best known for its Firefox Web browser, to provide searches within Firefox. Yahoos websites were acquired by Verizon in June, which prompted Mozilla to terminate its agreement with Yahoo and make Google its default search engine instead. The agreement required Yahoo to continue paying Mozilla $375 million a year through 2019 even if it dropped it as a search partner, according to tech news site Recode, which obtained a copy of the contract. The terms of our contract are clear and our post-termination rights under our contract with Yahoo should continue to be enforced, Mozilla said in a statement. A copy of the lawsuit filed with the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County did not include the financial details of the agreement. A spokesman for Oath, a division of Verizon that now includes Yahoo, did not return a request for comment. Oath is also listed as a defendant in Mozillas lawsuit. Attorneys representing Mozilla also did not respond to inquiries. Mozillas move is a countersuit against Yahoo, which sued Mozilla on Friday for breach of contract and said it had fulfilled all the material obligations in the agreement. Yahoo is seeking damages for the loss of Mozillas search business. The Mozilla deal was a bold move by then-Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who sought to restore the companys competitive edge in a search market it had all but ceded to Google. Web browsers, where most Internet users start their online visits, are a lucrative source of search traffic against which companies like Yahoo and Google sell ads. Though Yahoo had been losing market share to Google for years by the time Mayer struck the Mozilla deal, search ads still made up a significant part of its revenue. Mayer was directly involved in the contract discussions with Mozilla, according to the browser makers complaint. Despite Yahoos assurances that it was investing in improving its search engine, Mozilla said it did not live up to its expectations. The ads were not as relevant to users and the search results were sub-par, Mozilla said in court documents, causing Firefoxs browser market share to drop by 25 percent. Though Yahoo was set as the default, Firefox users retained the ability to switch search engines, and many did, Mozilla said. Reports of widespread security breaches at Yahoo hurt its reputation, according to Mozilla. After Verizon purchased Yahoos Internet properties, including its search technology, Mozilla was dissatisfied with its commitment to improving search. Verizon executives even encouraged Mozilla to find other search providers, Mozilla said in court documents. Despite Yahoos representations and contractual obligations under the Strategic Agreement, Yahoo failed to deliver what it promised, Mozilla said in its lawsuit. Mozilla introduced a new version of its Web browser, Firefox Quantum, last month. In its announcement, it noted that Google was now the default search provider in the United States and Canada. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Mayer left Yahoo at the closure of the Verizon deal in June. Altaba, which retained the parts of Yahoos business Verizon didnt buy, chiefly holdings in other Internet companies, is not involved in the dispute. Yahoo said in its lawsuit that it has suffered and will continue to suffer competitive injury to its business and reputation, among other harm, and Mozillas material breaches and bad-faith conduct are a substantial factor in causing such harm. A hearing is scheduled for February. The case is Yahoo Holdings Inc. et al. vs. Mozilla Corporation, No. 17CV319921. Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee Two suspects, including one from San Francisco, were arrested in connection to the fatal shooting in November of a man who went to a San Leandro gas station to sell his cell phone to a buyer who answered his online ad, officials said Tuesday. Jordan Patton, 18, of San Francisco, and Marcus Fortune, 18, of San Leandro, were charged with the murder of a 32-year-old father, said Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriffs Office. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The chief digital officer at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business is out of a job days after campus officials revealed that the school had failed to disclose a huge data breach of personal information that came to light only after a student made it known. Ranga Jayaraman, who also served as associate dean of the business school, sent a deeply contrite email to colleagues on Saturday morning and said he was leaving Stanford after six years on the job. I take full responsibility for the failure to recognize the scope and nature of the ... data exposure and report it in a timely manner to the dean and the University Information Security and Privacy Office, Jayaraman wrote. I would like to express my most sincere apologies ... to anyone whose personal information might potentially have been compromised. Stanford officials said Friday they have no evidence that personally identifiable information had been accessed. A student in the business school discovered the massive glitch in February. Adam Allcock, an MBA student, alerted technology officials when he asked them questions about the data. Thousands of confidential student financial aid records were visible within the business school, as was employee information from 2008 Social Security numbers, birth dates and salaries of nearly 10,000 employees and former employees from mid-2016 through early March, when the tech team patched it. Meanwhile, Allcock downloaded the financial-aid data and analyzed how the business school awarded scholarship money. As The Chronicle reported last week, Allcocks study showed that despite the business schools claim that it awarded tuition discounts only on the basis of student need, and never on the basis of merit, for years the school actually handed out deep discounts to non-needy applicants it hoped to attract: those with backgrounds in finance, for example, and women. In October, Allcock presented his 378-page analysis to Jonathan Levin, the business schools dean, alerting officials of the data breach for a second time. This time, no one sat on the information. Stanford officials looked into the matter and did not dispute Allcocks analysis. They also confirmed a separate data breach revealed last month by student reporters at the Stanford Daily who found that confidential files of more than 200 employees and alumni including anonymous information from personal counseling sessions had been visible to users at dozens of other college campuses. On Friday, Stanford officials apologized for their poor handling of confidential information and sent thousands of notification letters to those affected. A day earlier, Levin, the business school dean, announced that the school will be significantly more transparent about how tuition discounts are awarded. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Allcock declined to comment Tuesday on the fallout of his discovery. Jayaraman told The Chronicle that he never intended to deceive anyone by not telling the business school dean or campus officials about the data breach. A decision like that is always a judgment call, he said. After the problem was patched in March, I thought wed done a detailed enough evaluation, and we didnt hear there was super-sensitive information (disclosed), so I decided to let it go. Today, he said, he would make a different decision. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The wine community was not kind to Robert Mark Kamen when he wrote A Walk in the Clouds, a 1995 period romance starring Keanu Reeves. As the movie filmed on location in Napa, fellow winemakers, including Kamens own viticulturist Phil Coturri, took issue with the screenwriters decision to torch a family vineyard to the ground in the final act. Grapevines, they said, simply dont burn. My response to them was, Eight-foot furry creatures dont fly spaceships. Guys in red capes dont fly over buildings in a single bound, Kamen recalls. This is a movie, Im earning a living, f off. One year later, Coturri had to call his boss in Italy to inform him that Kamen Estate Wines indeed had burned during a 1996 fire in Sonomas Wine Country. And it nearly happened again in arguably more dramatic fashion during the recent North Bay fires. The Sonoma winemaker has a 35-year (and counting) writing career that includes some of the most quotable movies of the past two generations. Taps, the original The Karate Kid and the Taken series were all filmed from Kamen screenplays. He has worked as a script doctor as well, for movies like The Fugitive, fixing screenplays in the 11th hour for a big paycheck. But the most gripping story may be in his real life, where the tight-knit vineyard crew in Sonoma keeps encountering life-imitating-art obstacles. And they continue to emerge through them in a stubborn compulsion to try to make the best bottle of wine that the property will allow. Everything in my life led up to being in this place, Kamen says of his vineyard. I dont think I was put on Earth to write The Karate Kid. I really dont. But I think I was put on this Earth to do this. Kamen literally stumbled into winemaking in 1979, taking a hike up a steep hill north of downtown Sonoma with a friend, getting stoned and drunk, and falling in love with the land surrounding him, including a clear view of the San Francisco Bay. I said to the guy, I could stay here forever, and he said, You can; its for sale, Kamen remembers. I bought 300 acres of land, with no road, no electricity and no water. And the next thing I knew I had a 22-acre organic vineyard on the side of a mountain. Kamen used his first screenwriting check to buy the vineyard, and hired Coturri, a vanguard figure in Bay Area organic grape-growing, who lives on the property. Kamen kept writing screenplays The Fifth Element and Lethal Weapon 3 and The Transporter among them to feed his Sonoma winemaking passion while practicing martial arts on the property. He was in Italy, where the Harrison Ford/Brad Pitt thriller The Devils Own was filming, when the first fire hit Wine Country in 1996. Coturris theory that grapevines dont burn was technically sound. It wasnt the vegetation that torched half the vineyard and burned the screenwriters small home. The drip hoses ignited, and then throughout the night you could just see the hoses going off like wicks, Coturri says. Thats what destroyed the vineyard and killed the plants. They got griddled by the drip hose. It was an enormous setback. But the vineyard made huge breakthroughs coming out of the costly fire. New winemaker Mark Herold added a third strong-willed personality to the team, and Kamen Estate shifted from growing grapes to producing bottles of wine, including a centerpiece Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah and a special red wine grown on the propertys 15-acre lava block. After three and a half decades of losing money, Kamen Estate recently made it in the black. Which made the stakes even higher when fire returned in October. On a drive up a winding Sonoma road toward the vineyard, it seems like a coin flip decided whether Kamen Estate made it through the North Bay fires. A fence near the entrance of the property is torched. Some greenery by the lava rock formations is untouched. A tree line is burned to ash. Near the top of the hill, where Kamen has a one-bedroom house and is building a second one, the mountains surround the vineyard in a half-halo blackened from fire. But almost all of the vines survived. Kamen goes into storyteller mode when he talks about the latest fire, which started spreading on Oct. 8, the night before his 70th birthday. I was planning on taking 250 micrograms of LSD, and walking around my vineyard and seeing what that was like, Kamen says. Instead, I woke up and the hallucination was all around me in the form of a fire. It was really a weird birthday. What Kamen mistook as the sunrise was a corona of flames in the mountains north of the vineyard. He drove to San Francisco that Monday, and was forced to evacuate on Tuesday. The only reports after that were from Coturris son Max, who was able to sneak on the property. Kamen says the experience waiting in San Francisco was a bizarre terror, watching people go about their routine, while the antechamber to hell was happening 45 minutes away. As Im driving down Highway 101 to go to the city I said, I dont think I have it in me to replant the vineyard, Kamen says. It would take 10 years to get it to that place again. I dont have it in me. A Walk in the Clouds ends with Reeves character saving a few plants during the fire, which were then used to replant the vineyard and make it better than ever. Kamen also followed loss with a happy ending. From the vantage of a recently installed wine-tasting deck which almost perfectly replicates what Kamen saw on that first hike in 79 it looks as if the recent fires purposely avoided everything that produced wine. On the subject of gratitude, Kamen has no humorous asides or roguish stories. Hes in a romantic drama again, staring out at his true love. Every day when I come back here, I have that same exact feeling, Kamen says. My heart quickens and my throat catches. And when I come in the morning and Im standing on the porch and Im doing my martial arts stuff, I look out at this and I say, This is insane. I just cant believe how blessed I am to be here. Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicle pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub Kamen Estate Wines: The winery has a tasting room at 111B E. Napa St. in Sonoma, and offers vineyard tours and tastings. http://kamenwines.com To listen to a podcast about Robert Mark Kamen and his vineyard, go to www.sfchronicle.com/podcasts or subscribe to Peter Hartlaubs The Big Event podcast on iTunes. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Last March, Dorothy DeBose was given 10 minutes to clear her belongings out of the home she lived in for most of her life. The 76-year-old retired phone company employee was evicted from the East Oakland house her mother had left her after she fell behind on loan payments, a victim of predatory lending. I wrote several columns about DeBose and her attempts to buy back her house from the property management firm that had acquired it in a foreclosure auction. Things werent looking good a few months ago until a generous Chronicle reader stepped in to help DeBose get her home back. The reader gave DeBose and her nephew, Omar Taylor, the downpayment they needed to buy back the home: $120,000. Yes, you read that amount correctly. Yes, someone gave DeBose and Taylor a $120,000 gift to buy back the house in which DeBose spent four decades of her life. Merry Christmas. The donor, who asked to remain anonymous because she did not want to draw attention to herself, told me she read about DeBose in one of my columns not long after shed read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, a book by author Matthew Desmond that follows eight families struggling to pay rent in Milwaukee around the 2008 financial crisis. Its going to make me feel good to put this one little Band-Aid on the world, she told me during a phone interview. The donor said shed also been struck by a September New York Times piece titled What the Rich Wont Tell You that described affluent people going out of their way to hide their wealth and trying to act normal. I think it prevents us people who have resources from thinking honestly about whether were doing what we think we should be doing with that wealth, she said. People who dont have money dont have the luxury of hiding that theyre on one side of this divide. I do have the luxury of hiding, and that seems unfair and a way to perpetuate inequality. Heres another thing we talked about that isnt discussed enough: Are well-meaning wealthy people stopped from helping because they dont want to be seen as the white savior. Thats something the woman, who is white, has considered and moved past. DeBose and Taylor are black. The married mother of four children, who grew up on the Peninsula and earned an engineering degree from UC Berkeley, gets it: If the problems we face in society race, gender, education and income inequality, for starters are to be alleviated, rich people need to help more by digging into their pockets. Shes an example of a woman whose gift kept two people from being displaced. Taylor said he and DeBose were shocked when they first learned about the donor. Its an incredible feeling, because when you go through something like this, it can be very isolating, Taylor said when I asked about the gift. Its incredible to know that there are people willing to support people in need. Its just very humbling. Lets recap how DeBoses eviction saga began. Her mother, Bessie DeBose, died in 2009 and bequeathed the house to her daughter, Dorothy. Dorothy DeBose continued making loan payments on a perilous pick-a-pay loan her mother had taken out that allowed borrowers to choose among four payment options. Most borrowers paid just the minimum, which didnt cover even the interest. After a set time period, the mandatory payment would jump. Dorothy DeBose owed $128,000 to Wells Fargo when the bank foreclosed on the property after she fell behind on the payments following her sisters death. In October 2016, Community Fund LLC, a San Leandro property-management company, bought the house for $347,100 at a foreclosure auction. Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle Taylor, who rented the attached unit as he traveled between Oakland and Seattle for work, said he didnt learn Wells Fargo had foreclosed and sold the house at auction until the eviction process began a year ago. DeBose was evicted and moved into the back unit with her nephew. In April, DeBose and Taylor struck an agreement with Community Fund to allow DeBose to move back into her home in May, but the deal hinged on securing a mortgage by Aug. 20. The plan was to use money from the foreclosure sale, because when a house is sold at auction, the foreclosed owner is entitled to the sale surplus above the amount the homeowner owed the bank. In DeBoses case, that was $219,000. But the plan was shredded, because a woman in San Bernardino made a claim on the money. The woman, whose middle name is DeBose, claimed that Dorothy DeBose was dead. The case is in probate court. Without the donation, DeBose and Taylor might be looking for another place to live right now. If we had relied solely on that to repurchase the house, that would not have happened, said Taylor, 45, a union organizer for the International Federation of Professional Technical Engineers, Local 21. Community Fund extended deadlines, including pushing back the cutoff to buy the house for three months. Taylor and DeBose agreed to pay Community Fund $420,000 to buy the house back. We did everything we could to make sure that they had plenty of time and whatever they needed to get it done, Jessica Marr, Community Funds property manager, told me. We never wanted to see her displaced from her home. Thats obviously not our goal, but the property we ended up purchasing it, and those were the circumstances. The circumstances include a purchase price that was three times what DeBose owed Wells Fargo before the foreclosure. According to Taylor, the mortgage payment is $2,100 per month, about double what DeBose paid before the foreclosure. The closing paperwork was signed Nov. 15, but the sale didnt go through for another week because the mortgage company found a previously undetected lien on the property. The anonymous donor wrote a check $8,000 for that, too. We still have headaches, but at least were addressing the headaches within the sanctity of our own home, Taylor said. And DeBose, who prefers to sleep on her living room couch, can rest easy for the first time in months. Shes been through an emotional roller coaster ride, Taylor said. She was incredibly emotional in a good way when this was solidified. She was just incredibly thankful. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr California has broken its promise to millions of schoolchildren with an education system that is failing to teach students to read or write, advocates charged Tuesday in a lawsuit seeking a statewide right of access to literacy. The suit was filed on behalf of current and former elementary school students and their families in two districts in Los Angeles and Stockton, and a charter school in Los Angeles County. The lead plaintiff is a 7-year-old second-grader who cant spell words like need and help, lawyers said. They said students in one charter school class couldnt read their social studies lesson and had to listen to an audio version. Some Stockton students start crying when asked to read out loud in class, the lawsuit said. And one student said his brother didnt learn to read until he was held in juvenile hall at age 16. Statewide, the picture is equally grim, the suit said: Among the nations largest school districts, California has 11 of the 26 lowest-performing districts in literacy and basic education. California is dragging down the nation, said attorney Mark Rosenbaum of the nonprofit Public Counsel, which filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court along with the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster. In response, the state Department of Education, a defendant in the suit, said California has one of the most ambitious programs in the nation to serve low-income students. The state spends more than $10 billion a year on programs for English learners, students from low-income families and foster youths, said the department, headed by Superintendent Tom Torlakson. It said it will provide further support next year to 228 school districts, including those of the three schools in the suit. The California Constitution guarantees students the right to a public school education. But in another suit, a state appeals court in San Francisco ruled last year that the Constitution does not give students the right to an education at any particular level of quality. The court refused to order an increase in school funding levels that are among the nations lowest. The state Supreme Court denied review of an appeal by the plaintiffs who included the California Teachers Association and the state PTA on a 4-3 vote. Rosenbaum said the new suit is different. That case was about seeking a certain quantum of money, he said. Were about seeking a quantum of education, so that all children learn how to read. Specifically, the suit accused state education officials of ignoring a 2012 report by experts they had brought in to assess literacy in the schools. The report found an urgent need to address the language and literacy development of Californias underserved populations, particularly minorities and the poor, and called for new approaches to reading instruction, early screening and remedial help. It also recommended steps to create a welcoming environment for parents who speak a language other than English at home. None of those recommendations has been implemented, and students in California continue to suffer from illiteracy, the suit said. It seeks court orders requiring appropriate literacy instruction at all grade levels along with periodic screening of students to detect problems. California, with more than 6 million public school students, plunged from the top to the bottom of national rankings in both school spending and test scores after passage of the Proposition 13 property tax cut in 1978. But Rosenbaum argued that improving student literacy would cost less than the current system. Once we have a system of literacy instruction, he said, you dont have to repeat kids (in their grade levels), suspensions and expulsions will go way down, and you will not have teacher turnover and staff instability. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko WASHINGTON - As President Donald Trump delivered his inaugural address on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in January, his new national security adviser, Michael Flynn, sent a text to a former business associate telling him that a plan to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East in partnership with Russian interests was "good to go," according to a witness who spoke with congressional investigators. Flynn had assured his former associate that U.S. sanctions against Russia would immediately be "ripped up" by the Trump administration, a move that would help facilitate the deal, the associate told the witness. The witness provided the account to Rep. Elijah Cummings, Md., the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who detailed the allegations in a letter Wednesday to the panel's chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. Cummings did not identify the witness, whom he described as a whistleblower. But he asked Gowdy to issue a subpoena to the White House for documents related to Flynn, saying the committee has "credible allegations" that Flynn "sought to manipulate the course of international nuclear policy for the financial gain of his former business partners." Robert Kelner, an attorney representing Flynn, declined to comment. White House lawyer Ty Cobb said, "I respectfully decline to comment on anonymous information which impacts the Special Counsel investigation." He was referring to the ongoing inquiry on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. Gowdy said Wednesday afternoon that "criminal matters are investigated by the special counsel," adding that he had pledged to Robert Mueller that he would not do anything to interfere with his probe. "Congress doesn't investigate a crime, and I've had that conversation with Mr. Cummings, and we had it privately," he added. "And if he wants to write me letters so you can ask me about it, and write a story, that's his prerogative, but the answer won't change." The episode indicates that Trump officials had planned to jettison sanctions that the Obama administration had imposed on Russia. Congress later passed a bipartisan measure that placed new sanctions on Russia, a bill that Trump reluctantly signed in August. On Friday, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about conversations he had in December 2016 with the Russian ambassador to the United States about the sanctions, among other topics. According to Cummings' letter, the witness said he met Alex Copson, Flynn's former business associate, at an inaugural event. Copson is the managing director of ACU Strategic Partners, a Washington-based company that Flynn said he advised from April 2015 through June 2016, according to a financial disclosure he filed this August. The witness told Cummings and committee investigators that Copson shared a text message he had just received from Flynn, who was on stage at the Capitol during Trump's speech. As the president spoke, Flynn reportedly texted Copson that the nuclear project was "good to go," the witness said Copson told him. "Mike has been putting everything in place for us," Copson said, according to the witness, adding: "This is going to make a lot of very wealthy people." Copson showed the witness the text on his phone. The witness could not read the text, but he saw that the time stamp was 12:11 p.m., according to Cummings' letter. "Mr. Copson explained that General Flynn was making sure that sanctions would be 'ripped up' as one of his first orders of business and that this would allow money to start flowing into the project," Cummings wrote. The witness told congressional investigators that he was "extremely uncomfortable" with the conversation, Cummings wrote, and took brief notes about the discussion during the inaugural event. Neither Copson nor an attorney for ACU responded to a request for comment. Cummings told Gowdy in his letter that he found the witness "authentic, credible and reliable." 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. "Although this individual was extremely hesitant to come forward - and still fears retaliation - the whistleblower has decided to do so now because this individual feels duty bound as a citizen to make this disclosure," he wrote. Mueller's office was aware of the witness's account and asked Cummings not to release the information until the special counsel had taken "certain investigative steps," which are now complete, Cummings wrote. Flynn was involved in the Middle Eastern nuclear project from spring 2015 to the end of 2016, according to recent financial disclosure filings, a period that overlapped with his role as a prominent adviser to Trump's campaign and transition. Flynn had served as an adviser to two Washington-based companies pursuing efforts to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East: Copson's company, ACU Strategic Partners, which proposed a partnership with Russian interests, and IP3/IronBridge, which later began a separate endeavor that initially proposed working with China to build the infrastructure, according to federal documents and company officials. In various filings in 2016 and 2017, Flynn did not initially disclose his connection to ACU and foreign contacts he made while advising the firm. After joining the White House, Flynn forwarded a memo written by a co-founder of IP3 to develop a "Marshall Plan" of investment in the Middle East and told his staff to fashion it into a policy for Trump's approval, The Washington Post reported last month. --- The Washington Post's Carol D. Leonnig and Michael Kranish contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - A majority of Senate Democrats on Wednesday called for the resignation of Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., after determining that they could no longer tolerate his presence in their midst as a growing number of women accused him of sexual harassment. They turned on one of their party's most popular figures with stunning swiftness, led by the Senate's Democratic women, who were joined in short order by more than half of the Democratic caucus. "Enough is enough," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said at a news conference. "We need to draw a line in the sand and say none of it is okay, none of it is acceptable. We as elected leaders should absolutely be held to a higher standard, not a lower standard, and we should fundamentally be valuing women. That is where this debate has to go." Franken's office said he would make an announcement about his future on Thursday. Minnesota Public Radio reported Wednesday afternoon that Franken planned to resign, but Franken's office quickly denied it on Twitter. "Not accurate," the tweet stated. "No final decision has been made and the Senator is still talking with his family." If he steps down soon, a replacement would be appointed by Minnesota's Democratic governor to serve until the 2018 election. The drive to purge Franken, coming a day after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resigned under pressure in the House, was a dramatic indication of the political toxicity that has grown around the issue of sexual harassment in recent months. It also stood as a stark - and deliberate - contrast with how the Republicans are handling a parallel situation in Alabama, where Roy Moore, their candidate for U.S. Senate in next week's special election, is accused by women of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. Although most of the alleged actions took place before he was a senator, Franken was becoming a growing liability to his party, and Republicans had seized upon the allegations against him. At Moore's Tuesday night rally, conservative pundit Gina Loudon declared that Republicans did not need lectures on morality from Democrats who had struggled with their own sex scandals, and cited both Conyers and Franken. President Trump. himself the target of multiple allegations of sexual assault, has enthusiastically endorsed Moore, and the Republican Party is once again pouring money into the race after pulling back. Leading Senate Republicans have also toned down their negative comments about Moore, saying his fate should be up to the voters of Alabama and - if he is elected - the Senate Ethics Committee. "I'm looking for where are the Republican voices? Where is their outrage?" Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said on CNN. Republican leaders remained quiet amid the developments. Asked about Franken, Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn, Texas, said he would "leave it up to [Democrats] to deal with members of their own party." The move by Senate Democrats to oust Franken marked a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of the onetime "Saturday Night Live" star. The Minnesota senator had emerged as one of the Trump administration's sharpest foils on Capitol Hill - and as a potential 2020 presidential contender. Over the past three weeks, more than a half-dozen women have accused Franken of unwanted advances and touching. He apologized, saying in some cases that he had not intended to give offense and in others that he did not recall events as the women did. The latest allegation against Franken came in a report published Wednesday by Politico. A former congressional aide whose name was withheld by the publication claimed that Franken had tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006, two years before his election to the Senate. The woman claimed that Franken had told her, "It's my right as an entertainer." Franken's alleged offenses were arguably less serious than those attributed to Moore, or to Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, who was accused of demanding sexual favors from the women who worked for him. Until late last week, it appeared that Franken's fellow Democrats would allow his case to work its way through the Senate Ethics Committee, a process that would take months and perhaps years to reach a resolution. As recently as Nov. 26, Sen Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, had argued on CNN: "Al Franken has acknowledged what he did was wrong, and it was wrong. He has also submitted his whole case to the Senate Ethics Committee. I think that was the right thing to do. Let's have a hearing, an investigation. Let's let this really reach whatever conclusion it is going to reach, but through a due process." But on Wednesday, Durbin expressed no such forbearance. "Senator Franken's conduct was wrong. He has admitted to it. And he should resign from the Senate." Even as Senate Democrats expressed support publicly for leaving Franken's fate in the hands of the Ethics Committee, his female colleagues were increasingly unsettled as new accusers went public. "People were at the edge of their patience with this. They'd had enough. One more allegation was going to be it," said one senior aide, who was granted anonymity to describe private deliberations. Another said the Democratic women senators had been discussing it among themselves "on the Senate floor, even in the ladies' room." "Many people have been talking about this for some time," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said. "It wasn't coordinated. It just happened." Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who has served in the Senate longer than most of her female colleagues, said it was "significant that the women on his side of the aisle led the way," and added that she believed the latest allegation was "in some ways the final straw for people." Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who had stood by his friend in the wake of the allegations, called Franken after the Politico story broke early Wednesday and told him directly he had to resign, according to a person familiar with the call, who added that this came before other senators began calling for him to step down. Schumer also met with Franken and his wife at the leader's apartment early afternoon to discuss resigning. The session ended without a firm commitment from Franken to do so, said the source, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about the private exchange. In recent days - before Wednesday's report - Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has known Franken for nearly two decades, had also told Franken he needed to step down, aides familiar with their discussions said. On Wednesday, Warren issued a short public statement, saying, "I think he should resign." Franken had staved off public calls for his ouster last week, according to a person who has been in touch with the senator and his staff in recent days. There was a "mad rush" last week to call on Franken to resign when more allegations surfaced, said the person, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly about private discussions. "I think that people were talked off the ledge at that point and wanted to recollect and figure out if the Senate Ethics investigation should just move forward." But, "I'm pretty sure that Al should have known that if there was another story that came out that there'd be a mass exodus away from him." Outside the chamber, growing numbers of Democrats had been making the case that it was untenable for Franken to remain in the Senate if their party hoped to maintain the high ground on the issue. Among those calling for Franken to step down was Doug Jones, Moore's Democratic opponent in Alabama. And though she did not mention Franken by name, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had declared a policy of "zero tolerance" when she called last week for Conyers to leave the House. On Wednesday, Pelosi declared that she was "very proud of the fact that people are taking this matter head on and are trusting women who come forward, what they have to say." More and more lawmakers are saying their concern over sexual harassment allegations should not be overridden by politics, or by the respect they have for each other's records and their shared positions on important policy matters. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., noted on Tuesday that her own efforts as a civil rights and immigration rights activist could not have succeeded without the early work of Conyers. Despite that legacy, "I also hope that we can be clear about what our standard is for sexual harassment and make it very, very clear to every woman who is out there that you do not have to put up with this. It is not right, and most of us as women - I can tell you - know exactly what this has all been about," she said. "We've all been through various forms of this and I think it's essential that if people come to work in this body that they know that they have a safe environment. We have to be clear about that, whether it's a Republican, a Democrat, someone we love or someone we find distasteful." Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., seen as a future caucus leader in the House, said this week's actions should serve as a warning to those who have been or may be accused of sexual wrongdoing. "If you are a sexual harasser, go away. We don't want you, we don't want you as our colleague," she said Wednesday. "Our interns don't deserve that, our staff doesn't deserve it. The women members of Congress don't deserve it." "Everybody's got to speak for themselves," she added later, "but this is not a place to be a sexual harasser." --- The Washington Post's David Weigel in Mobile, Alabama, and Sean Sullivan in Washington contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: A majority of Senate Democrats on Dec. 6 called on Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to resign as he faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment. (Bastien Inzaurralde, Jordan Frasier/ The Washington Post) Embed code: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday plans to upend decades of U.S. policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and ordering the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to that city, senior aides said, a decision that could derail the White House's peace efforts and spark regional unrest. Trump will make his pronouncement in a midday speech after months of deliberation within his administration and consultations with governments in the Middle East. But in a sign of the complexities of such a shift, White House aides emphasized that Trump will sign another six-month waiver maintaining the embassy's current location in Tel Aviv because the process of moving it will take at least three or four years. Without the waiver, which has been signed by every U.S. president for more than two decades, crucial State Department funding to the embassy would be cut off. The president began informing his counterparts in the region of his decision Tuesday, prompting warnings from several countries that the move would inflame Muslims and disrupt progress toward a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. U.S. allies in Europe, including France, also have opposed such a change in policy, and the State Department sent a classified memo to embassies in the Middle East late last month warning of potential anti-American protests. "Our president said, 'You don't have anything that would make up for this on Jerusalem,' " said Nabil Shaath, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who said Abbas had personally briefed him on the call. Abbas told Trump that he would "not accept it" and warned that the president was "playing into the hands of extremism." But Trump "just went on saying he had to do it," Shaath said. In Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem, said King Salman bin Abdul Aziz warned Trump "that such a dangerous step of relocation or recognition of Al-Quds as the capital of Israel would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world." The backlash from other Middle East nations mounted Tuesday. Speaking to the Turkish parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said American recognition of Jerusalem would be a "red line" for Muslims, possibly forcing Turkey to cut diplomatic ties with Israel that were recently renewed after a six-year hiatus. Senior White House officials described Trump's decision as the fulfillment of a key campaign promise that has broad bipartisan support in Congress. They emphasized that the move will not fundamentally change other aspects of U.S. policy. For example, they said, Trump remains supportive of a two-state solution, if that's what the parties agree to, and the administration is maintaining the status quo on Jerusalem's holy sites. The officials said Trump is simply recognizing the reality that Jerusalem has historically been Israel's capital and that most of the nation's government - including the prime minister's office, the Supreme Court and the legislature - is based there. "For a long time, the U.S. position held ambiguity or a lack of acknowledgment in hopes of advancing the process of peace," said one senior administration official, who along with two others spoke on the condition of anonymity at a briefing for reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "It might have been reasonable under certain circumstances and times. Certainly, it's been tried. But . . . it seems clear now that the physical location of the American embassy is not material to a peace deal." Another U.S. official said after the briefing that while Trump will reiterate his commitment to the peace process during his speech, the White House recognizes that "some parties" might react negatively. "We are still working on our plan, which is not yet ready," said this official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "We have time to get it right and see how people feel after this news is processed over the next period of time." Former CIA director John Brennan on Tuesday called recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv "reckless and a foreign policy blunder of historic proportion." In an email statement, he said the action "will damage U.S. interests in the Middle East for years to come and will make the region more volatile." No other countries have their embassies in Jerusalem, with a long-standing international consensus that the city's status should be decided in a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Palestinian factions jointly announced three "days of rage," beginning Wednesday, to protest the potential U.S. Embassy move and recognition of Jerusalem. In a statement, they called on supporters around the world to gather in city centers and at Israeli embassies and consulates to voice their anger. In a statement late Tuesday, the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem urged American citizens in Israel to avoid large crowds or areas where security had been increased, and ordered its staff members and their families to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank except for "essential" business. Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which contains most of the important holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, after the 1967 war with Arab powers. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while many Israelis and some in the United States consider the city sector to be already and irrevocably under Israeli administration. Some of Trump's prominent Jewish backers appear to hold that view, although he has said he wants to honor Palestinian sovereignty through a mutual settlement. U.S. officials did not identify any prospective location for the new embassy, and said it will take years to plan and build to meet security concerns for the roughly 1,000 diplomats currently headquartered in Tel Aviv. But the officials emphasized that the move will not prejudice Palestinians' claims to East Jerusalem, strongly implying that only sites on the western side of the pre-1967 Green Line will be considered. "This doesn't speak to final-status issues," a third administration official said, referring to the thorniest disputes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - those that are assumed to be in limbo until completion of a final peace settlement. The officials said the decision was made with the support of Trump's envoys seeking a long-elusive peace deal, an assertion meant to counter warnings that the change would unleash fresh Arab violence. They offered no specifics to support the claim that the move would not spoil the peace initiative headed by presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The aides said, however, that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other State Department officials were closely involved in the deliberations. 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 White House said a call was also scheduled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesman for his office declined to comment. Other advocates of recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital have pointed to Russia as an example. Moscow declared West Jerusalem to be the Israeli capital earlier this year, and the announcement produced no wave of violence or diplomatic backlash. The U.S. position is more charged, however, because of Washington's historic role as a peace broker. Jordan's King Abdullah II said the move would undermine U.S. efforts to resume the peace process, according to news reports. The Egyptian government said President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in his conversation with Trump on Tuesday, "reiterated Egypt's unwavering position with regard to maintaining the legal status of Jerusalem within the framework of international references and relevant U.N. resolutions." - - - Morris and Ruth Eglash reported from Jerusalem. Gearan reported from Berlin. Heba Farouk Mahfouz in Cairo contributed to this report. --- Video Embed Code Video: President Trump is expected to give a speech Dec. 6 announcing a plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv, despite warnings from Arab leaders.(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) Embed code: The message pinged on cell phones across Ventura County shortly before midnight. Emergency Alert, it read, followed by a warning in all capital letters about a fast-moving brushfire threatening Ventura, Santa Paula and Ojai, and a link to Ventura Countys emergency website. As Santa Ana winds whipped across the dry, mountainous backbone of Ventura County, fanning a brushfire to 50,000 acres in a matter of hours, officials deployed an emergency notification system to help evacuate residents living in the blazes path. It went out to all landline telephones serviced by AT&T and Verizon, to residents who had opted in to receive text alerts on their cell phones, and to many peoplewho had not opted in. The incident warranted the use of every notification tool we had, said Kevin McGowan, assistant director of Ventura Countys Office of Emergency Services. This fire has been moving at speeds no one in our professional services has ever seen before. When evaluating the ability to save lives in a fire like this, the No. 1 way is to get people out of its way. Everyone who was in a potential evacuation area about half the countys 850,000 residents got a text message similar to an Amber alert, McGowan said. Noah Berger/Associated Press The decision to issue a widespread notification was in contrast to what happened during a similar emergency two months ago in Sonoma County. Then, officials opted against the strategy as fires in the North Bay raced toward populated areas in the middle of the night. Instead, Sonoma County issued text and email alerts only to people who had opted in, and issued robo-call warnings only to landlines in unincorporated parts of the county. It also issued broadcast warnings. Some people said that by the time they were told of the danger often by neighbors or police going door to door it was too late to flee with anything but what they were Despite Ventura Countys decision, not everyone who received the warning thought it came in time. Luke Nispel, 23, fled Ventura for Santa Barbara after a police officer went through his neighborhood with sirens blaring. Flames were already visible over a nearby ridge. The power was out, so Nispel had to manually open the garage to get his car out. At about 11:20 p.m., half an hour after he had gotten on the road, his phone beeped with the alert. He hadnt opted in to the warning system. Honestly, it felt like we should have gotten it sooner, Nispel said. Like, logistically, with just all the factors present, they should have known this was possible and evacuated us sooner. ... What made us really aware was actually the police car. In October, Sonoma County officials defended their decision against issuing a mass alert, saying they feared it would have led to widespread panic and caused escape routes to become gridlocked. They noted that it was difficult to target alerts to affected areas. There is no statewide guideline for deciding whether to issue mass alerts the decision is left to local officials. The experience in the North Bay fires, which killed 24 people in Sonoma County alone, has prompted suggestions on the state level that some sort of uniform system is necessary. The federal government, after a nearly yearlong delay by the Trump administration, moved after the North Bay fires to require wireless carriers to upgrade the alert system to target areas more specifically. The Ventura County wildfire and others that broke out Tuesday in Southern California drew crews of firefighters from around the state, depleting resources that have been stressed by one of the worst fire seasons in history. So far, 505,391 acres have burned this year, up from 244,297 acres at this time in 2016. While all of our partners continue to step up to the plate and provide resources, the workload for all of us, to meet that many fires, continues to be an increasing challenge, said Ken Pimlott, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Fire conditions are now seemingly year-round in California. Requests for mutual-aid assistance have increased from 4,000 in 2012 to more than 13,000 this year, Cal Fire officials say. On Tuesday, crews from departments in San Francisco, Fremont, Hayward and Oakland, as well as Marin and Alameda counties, were on their way south. Ventura County fire Capt. Stan Ziegler said he didnt have an exact number yet of mutual aid requests, but that we do have assisting agencies from all over the state. Chronicle staff writer Sophie Haigney contributed to this report. Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com President Trump signed two executive orders on Monday to diminish the scale of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah in the case of Bears Ears, by 85 percent. On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended shrinking two more monuments, including one that straddles the California-Oregon border, and changing the management of six others to allow more logging, mining and grazing and hunting. Its not surprising that the Trump administration is taking yet another action to roll back directives of President Barack Obama this one clearly in keeping with the viewpoint of the real estate developer that President Trump is. It is profoundly disappointing, however, that the president does not appreciate the value of our public lands to Americans today. Presidents since Teddy Roosevelt have used the Antiquities Act to expand the National Park System with the exceptions of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Zinke said lands protected under the Antiquities Act had been reduced 18 times, so Trumps move is not unprecedented. But it is unusual. Roosevelt, both a conservationist and a hunter, understood the aspirational power of our lands, and in that spirit moved to protect them. That need for access to the restorative power of the lands, in a nation whose population has tripled since Congress created the law, only has become more acute in the past 100 years. Trumps orders reflect the past. The 20th century economy that depended on logging and mining is disappearing. Most Americans live in urban areas rather than in smaller communities that offer work until the mines play out or the mills close once the local resource is exhausted. Rural community economies necessarily are shifting toward recreation, and away from extractive industries. By shrinking an already small part of protected lands, the presidents orders also offer a false perception of how our public lands are used. About 30 percent of the U.S. land mass is under federal control, and the National Park System, which offers the most complete protections and includes the monuments, occupies about 5 percent. The rest of the public lands are under U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction working for the American people under logging, mining, grazing and fishing contracts. The shrinking of Bears Ears National Monument, in particular, is disturbing because the Obama proclamation included an unusual arrangement: It gave a management role to the five Native American tribes who have lived on these lands for millennia. The Zinke decision to create a management council with a tribal representative appears a token, rather than substantive, gesture. The tribes, and a block of environmental groups, have already sued. The decision gave Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, his No. 1 request to reduce the size of federal parklands in Utah to allow for more oil and gas development. This is no way to treat our nations natural treasures. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. Noah Berger/Associated Press Within hours of a legislative hearing on Californias haphazard emergency alert system, a scorching wildfire raced out of control in Ventura County, sending 27,000 fleeing. This fire-prone state needs a reliable way to tell residents when its time to run, but, as the Wine Country fires demonstrated, the standards are missing. Thats why Sacramento lawmakers are duty bound to address a patchwork system. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate President Trump appears to be inching closer to announcing he is beginning the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declaring it Israels capital, making good on a campaign pledge key supporters have demanded he fulfill and setting off worldwide warnings that the presidents decision will trigger unrest. Trump has equivocated on the matter over the past 11 months. Hes already once postponed the relocation by signing a waiver to a 1995 law mandating the move. But he reportedly told aides he didnt want to sign it again when a semi-annual deadline came again on Monday. As of Sunday, his son-in-law and Middle East negotiator Jared Kushner said Trump still hadnt decided what to do. Hes still looking at a lot of different facts and when he makes his decision hell be the one who wants to tell you, Kushner said at the Brookings Institution in Washington. So hell make sure he does that at the right time. Now is not the right time. Jerusalem is the weightiest and most fraught of what are known as the final status issues to be resolved between Israel and the Palestinians along with borders, security and Palestinian refugees. Even if Trump was a brilliant negotiator, unilaterally altering U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem to accord with the Israeli position would unnecessarily antagonize a billion Muslims and undercut the United States ability to broker a future peace deal. It is also exceptionally unwise to risk another conflagration in the Middle East when it is already engulfed in bloody conflict and instability from Syria to Yemen and tensions are rising between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Those clamoring for Trump to make good on his promise to relocate the embassy are the presidents Christian evangelical supporters and mega-donors such as Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who has reportedly been furious at the delay. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing, nationalist coalition are pressing Trump, too. I encourage you to do the right thing: recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and bring the U.S. Embassy home to Jerusalem, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat of Netanyahus Likud party said in a video outside the White House on Monday. Some experts see a possible upside. If done wisely/without bombast, moving US embassy to #Jerusalem could repair historic injustice to #Israel wo/harming peace prospects, Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, tweeted. But on Tuesday, a cascade of warnings came in from around the globe from Germany to France to the Arab states. Turkey threatened to sever ties with Israel if Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The State Department ordered U.S. embassies to heighten security. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned in a letter to Trump that he would spark violence, further alienate the United States and undermine the prospects of a two-state solution. President Barack Obama before leaving office warned Trump that unilateral action on Jerusalem by the United States would have enormous consequences and ramifications. If youre going to make big shifts in policy, just make sure youve thought it through, Obama said. You want to be intentional about it. You dont want to do things off the cuff. Kushner said Sunday he has a peace plan so maybe Trump will reveal some of it during his Jerusalem declaration, which reportedly could happen as soon as Wednesday. Saudi Arabias reaction could be critical. Kushner flew to Riyadh for an unannounced meeting with Mohammad bin Salman, just days before the Saudi Crown Prince detained hundreds of his cousins and rivals and took control of their assets in a risky power play. Shortly afterward, Bin Salman summoned the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Riyadh and if reports are true gave him two months to accept an impossible peace agreement or resign: a Palestinian state with only moral sovereignty and noncontiguous territory and without East Jerusalem as the capital; no Israeli settlement evacuation; and no right of return for Palestinian refugees. Taken together, it appears Kushner may have promised that the United States would bless Bin Salmans power grab (Trump tweeted his support) in return for Bin Salmans help pushing a U.S. peace plan that negotiators knew Abbas would find unpalatable. The secrecy of the talks makes it hard to know for sure if such a quid pro quo occurred. Whats not hard to see is the risk in singling out Jerusalem for a major American policy shift. The smallest changes to the status quo of this holy city can trigger violence. In July, Israel installed metal detectors on the route to the Muslim holy sites, sparking clashes. Israel removed them within days. Israel took control of the eastern part of Jerusalem in the 1967 war. Its parliament and other major institutions are in the western part of the city and Netanyahu has pledged to keep the city united under Israeli sovereignty. The Old City is in the eastern half, which Palestinians demand as a capital of any future state. So as not to be perceived as taking a side, countries keep their embassies 42 miles away in Tel Aviv. Other presidents have faced domestic pressure to move the embassy but refused because of the risks. Trump may backtrack in the end. He may hedge by acknowledging Jerusalem as Israels capital and slow-tracking the actual embassy move. Or he may plow ahead to please his supporters without any care of consequences. Dont underestimate Trumps desire to disrupt the status quo on Jerusalem on the theory that out of crisis can come an opportunity, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk tweeted. He should beware: Jerusalem is a dangerous place to test that theory. Janine Zacharia, who teaches journalism at Stanford University, is the former Washington Post Jerusalem bureau chief. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Franciscos Sunset District is on track to get its first cannabis dispensary, after the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to quash two appeals from irate neighbors. The 10-1 vote was viewed by many as a test for David Ho, a City Hall power broker who became a partner in the Barbary Coast cannabis shop that applied to open at 2161 Irving St. Ho served as an emissary to a skeptical community of mostly older Chinese residents who blocked another Sunset dispensary from opening in October. The five-hour double-appeal hearing for Barbary Coast came on the same day that the board passed new regulations designed to spread cannabis more evenly throughout the city. The laws, which were approved 10-1, signaled a remarkable shift from last month, when several supervisors tried to push the pot trade out of their districts. Supervisor Katy Tang, who represents the Sunset, was the lone dissenter. She made a motion to reduce the shops hours for its first year of operation, then voted against it anyway. Its not because I dont personally support the project, said Tang, who for months has had to confront constituents fears that the Barbary Coast store will lure tourists and transients, create traffic problems on Irving Street and send pungent smells wafting over to an urgent care facility thats expected to open next door. The (tourist) guide books would highlight this as the only cannabis store just a short stroll from (Golden Gate) park, Sunset resident Harold Silk said. At one point during the hearing, anti-cannabis activist Teresa Duque held up photos of Ho partying with several supervisors in late November. The crowd jeered. But the dispensary appeared to have strong support from city officials, and drew unanimous approval from the Planning Commission in October. Barbary Coast Executive Director Jesse Henry promised to keep the business discreet, and said that the groups flagship store on Mission Street has helped reduce crime in the area because it has a doorman and security cameras. Also Tuesday, San Franciscos June ballot started to take shape when two supervisors introduced tax measures that would boost public transit and ease the cost of child care for low-income families. One measure by Supervisors Jane Kim and Norman Yee would fund scholarships for child care, which for many families is more expensive than tuition at a public university and for some is comparable to a mortgage. The other, by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, would pay for transportation improvements to Muni and Caltrain, as well as street resurfacing and fare discounts for youth and seniors. Both measures would raise the receipts tax on commercial landlords, which would require two-thirds approval from San Francisco voters. Peskin pointed out that voters overwhelmingly supported a proposition to boost transportation infrastructure last year, but defeated the regressive tax measure that was supposed to fund the improvements. Also on Tuesday, Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced an ordinance to require that single-stall restrooms in hotels and single-room occupancy buildings be gender-neutral. The proposed law dovetails with a similar all-gender bathroom rule sponsored last year by Ronens predecessor, David Campos, which applied to public restrooms throughout the city. It inspired Assemblyman Phil Ting to write a restroom law for businesses, government agencies and public facilities throughout California that was passed. Additionally, the supervisors voted unanimously to approve a permitting process Yee proposed for tech companies that want to test delivery robots. The bill started out as an outright robot ban and went through a tortuous round of amendments after several companies opposed it. The Chamber of Commerce also raised concerns about the original version, saying it would stifle innovation in a city that prides itself as a tech hub. The measure that passed on the first reading Tuesday establishes a speed limit for robots, requires a human to be nearby and confines them to manufacturing zones that are mostly in the Bayview. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The cap that restricts the amount of new office space that can be approved in San Francisco would be temporarily relaxed to allow a wave of office development South of Market, under a ballot measure the affordable housing group Todco and the urban think tank SPUR submitted Wednesday. Called the Central SoMa affordable housing and balanced neighborhood initiative, the measure would loosen the office space approval cap that was established in 1986, when San Francisco voters passed Proposition M, which capped new office space approvals at 875,000 square feet a year. Though the cap has not been an issue most years the bank of space accumulates during periods of slow development it is a potential stumbling block to the citys efforts to upzone Central SoMa, a 17-block area that stretches from Folsom Street on the north to Townsend Street on the south and from Second Street west to Sixth Street. With the Central SoMa plan expected to be approved by the Board of Supervisors next year, property owners in the area have proposed 5.5 million square feet of new office construction. Thats more than double the current space about 2 million square feet available under Prop. M. Todco Executive Director John Elberling said allowing those large office projects to go forward would fast-track the community benefits and fees that add up to to about $2 billion, including $900 million in affordable housing, $500 million in transit improvements, $180 million in subsidized industrial space, $160 million in park and recreational facilities, and $130 million in street improvements. The ballot measure also would require all development fees to be paid when a project is approved, not when the building permit is pulled, which can be years later. With the current restraints of the Prop. M space cap it could take eight years for all of the proposed office projects to win approval, according to Elberling, delaying an extraordinary combination of community assets and benefits. The bottom line is we are making an unprecedented compromise with the developers that resolves the consequences of Prop. M that would delay Central SoMa for many years in exchange for an unprecedented array of community benefits, he said. All the increased office space that would be borrowed from the Prop. M bank would be paid back over the next 10 years, so there will be no overall increase in the citys office development, Elberling said. Its the borrow-and-pay-back scenario. Though the progressive Elberling and the business-friendly SPUR are often on the opposite sides of land-use fights, SPUR Executive Director Gabriel Metcalf called the measure a good opportunity for the city. This is a big opportunity to do something meaningful both for jobs and for housing, Metcalf said. The various Central SoMa benefits include three affordable housing sites, a new public swimming pool, two new public parks and the $25 million renovation of the Gene Friend Recreation Center on Sixth Street. In addition, the ballot measure seeks to ensure that development in Central SoMa has a balance of housing and office space. Beyond an initial 6 million square feet of office space in the plan, the city could not approve any more office space until 15,000 housing units are approved. The proposed measure was submitted to the city attorney on Wednesday for a 15-day review. After that is completed, proponents have until Feb. 5 to gather the 18,970 signatures needed to place the measure on the June 5 ballot. A spokesperson for Mayor Ed Lee said he has not taken a position on the Prop. M initiative but is always encouraged by any measure that accelerates the building of more affordable housing and incentivizes smart economic growth. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When at least three dozen Democratic senators called on fellow Democrat Sen. Al Franken to resign Wednesday, the #MeToo movement hit a powerful milestone by showing that politicians like people in other walks of life are able to follow their conscience and call out friends and allies for inappropriate sexual behavior. Its clear the American people dont look lightly on these kinds of actions, no matter who theyre committed by, and the number of complaints against Sen. Franken is a concern. I think resignation is the right thing for him to do, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein tweeted Wednesday, joining the states other senator, Kamala Harris, in calling for him to leave. Franken, who has been accused of inappropriate touching by six women, has scheduled a major announcement for Thursday. That said, the Senate Democrats move has a politically expedient dimension, too. It is monumental that so many Democrats, and so many Democratic women in the Senate, came forward, said Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University and a leading researcher on gender and politics. Without the national outcry and all of these other industries calling out their own, it might not have happened. But it is also the politically right thing to do, too, said Lawless, co-author of Women on the Run: Gender, Media and Political Campaigns in a Polarized Era. They will have a far stronger leg to stand on if Roy Moore wins and theyre going to call on him to not be seated, she said of the Senate candidate from Alabama who has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight women when he was in his 30s. That election is Tuesday. But Wednesdays game-changer seems to be largely confined to Democrats. President Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by 16 women, has endorsed Moore, largely because the president doesnt want an additional Democrat in the Senate. This week, the Republican National Committee reversed its decision not to support Moore. Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, I believe the women who accused Moore of misconduct. But in recent days, McConnell has toned down his comments. He now says he would let the people of Alabama make the call, as to whether Moore should become a senator. And even though Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, has admitted using $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment case, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., hasnt asked Farenthold to resign, noting that the independent Office of Congressional Ethics investigated the claim against Farenthold and dismissed it. Until Wednesday, politicians typically called for a colleague accused of sexual impropriety to step down only if he were a member of the opposite party. Democrat and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was widely criticized for calling Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., an icon when asked about allegations of his sexual impropriety. Days later, Pelosi called for him to resign, and on Tuesday, Conyers said he was retiring. The Franken situation accelerates the dynamic of holding fellow party members accountable. The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating allegations by six women that Franken touched them inappropriately. Franken, D-Minn., has apologized while denying that his actions were intentional. Frankens repeated apologies werent enough for his fellow Democrats, even those he was close to, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. In a detailed statement on her Facebook page Wednesday, Gillibrand wrote that she was shocked and disappointed to learn over the last few weeks that a colleague I am fond of personally has engaged in behavior toward women that is unacceptable. Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press However, even though she said she has enjoyed working with him in our shared fights, Gillibrand wrote: This moment of reckoning about our friends and colleagues who have been accused of sexual misconduct is necessary and it is painful. We must not lose sight that this watershed moment is bigger than any one industry, any one party, or any one person. Gillibrand said she has spent a lot of time reflecting on Frankens behavior. Enough is enough, she wrote. The women who have come forward are brave, and I believe them. While its true that his behavior is not the same as the criminal conduct alleged against Roy Moore or (movie producer) Harvey Weinstein or President Trump, it is still unquestionably wrong and should not be tolerated by those of us who are privileged to work in public service. Hearing words like that is important for women who aspire to public office, said Maimuna Syed, executive director of Emerge California, which trains Democratic women to run for office. The organization has seen an 87 percent increase in the number of applications it has received this year; Syed attributes that increase to frustration and anger toward Trump. If we, as a Democratic Party, are going to lead on this issue, we have to be comfortable calling out our own, in addition to calling out the Roy Moores of the world, Syed said. Weve allowed men who harass women to police themselves, and the media has provided cover for them. None of that encourages women to come forward and tell their stories. Wednesdays actions show that the issue has reached a critical mass of Americans at least on one side of the spectrum, said Kim Nalder, director of Project for an Informed Electorate at Sacramento State University, where she is a political science professor. But, she added, Im concerned about whether it lasts or not. Im concerned with a backlash coming. At the current moment we dont have a sense of proportionality, even though Harvey Weinsteins actions are far worse than Al Frankens. All we have is this zero-tolerance reaction. Theres not a scale established where at 100 on the scale you lose your job and at 10, you get scolded. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Podcasts: sfchronicle.com/podcasts/ Planning Commissioner Christine Johnson said Tuesday she is strongly considering a bid to succeed Supervisor Jane Kim next year, a move that could edge out pro-development candidate Sonja Trauss and test progressive Matt Haney . Johnson has long been seen as a moderate contender to represent District Six, which spreads from the Tenderloin to Mission Bay, and includes rapidly developing South of Market. She deflected questions about her candidacy during an interview in July, but has since taken steps to position herself for a run. In the past few months, Johnson has met several times with Kim and other supervisors. She left her job as director of the urban think tank SPUR on Dec. 1. Although the election is almost a year away, the race to represent District Six has already drawn heavy-hitting endorsements from U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, who supports Haney, and state Sen. Scott Wiener, who backs Trauss. The district has gone to progressives in the past five elections, but its demographics changed as new condos sprouted and tech companies moved in. Trauss, who has connections in the tech and real estate world, and Johnson, viewed by some as a classic downtown candidate, may have a shot at beating the left-leaning coalitions that have thrown their support behind Haney. He and Trauss campaign consultant, Maggie Muir, both welcomed Johnson into the race on Tuesday. I look forward to hearing her ideas to address the serious challenges facing our district, including housing affordability, homelessness and crime, Haney said. Rachel Swan Brown Act violation: San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon has found that the citys Ethics Commission violated the states Brown Act, which governs open meetings of government bodies, when its members voted to tell Planning Commissioner Christine Johnson to recuse herself from a key affordable housing vote in April. But Gascon isnt doing anything to punish the ethics body for its misstep. We request that the commission cease and desist from taking any similar action in the future, the district attorney wrote in an Oct. 18 letter to LeeAnn Pelham, the commissions executive director, who is not a voting member of the body. The violation occurred on April 24, when the Ethics Commission voted unanimously to send Johnson a letter telling her to step out for the housing vote three days later. Johnson had recently taken a job as director of the think tank SPUR, which often takes positions that favor developers. The motion to send the letter wasnt on the April 24 agenda, so it violated the Brown Acts public noticing requirements, Gascon said. Johnson defied the commission and voted on the affordable housing measure. Laura Foote Clark, who runs the pro-development S.F. YIMBY group, filed a complaint against the commission for breaking the state law. I was right, Clark said on Tuesday. She accused the commission of being strewn with politicos, some of whom appear to disagree with Johnson on affordable housing. Ethics Commission chair Peter Keane wasnt immediately available for comment. Rachel Swan Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @rachelswan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In his Between Meals column, Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer writes about the restaurants he visits each week as he searches for the next Top 100 Restaurants. His main dining reviews, written after three or more visits, appear in the Sunday Food + Wine section. December is a busy but fun time as I return to restaurants I reviewed earlier in the year, whittling down the options for the 10 best new restaurants of the year (coming Dec. 31), and to update next years Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants guide. Im always curious to see how places I reviewed in the first few months of 2017 have evolved after they have developed a following and settled in. Some places such as Onsen, the beautifully appointed 24-seat Japanese restaurant in a Tenderloin bathhouse, have maintained consistency and a similar menu. When I reviewed it in February, I was impressed with the gyoza, skewers, pickles and noodle dishes; Im still equally impressed. I also returned to Saratoga and Tartine Manufactory, both reviewed in January. Michael Bauer/The Chronicle Saratoga: At The Saratoga, I initially applauded what the Bacchus group (which also owns the Village Pub in Woodside and Spruce in San Francisco) had done to create this new Tenderloin bar and restaurant. The menu featured a combination of bar food (Toga Tots, Cubano hot dog) and supper-club fare (New York steak with peppercorn sauce). It could have been cliched, but the selections were so artfully executed and refined that it deserved a three-star review. On my return visit the menu seemed to have slipped in quality and selection, which might be a reaction to what the owners have found diners want. Still, the menu that once seemed fresh now did feel cliched. The pickle brined on a pork chop ($29) made the whole piece of meat taste like bread-and-butter pickles topped with an IPA mustard; it came with a fried pickle alongside. Mole fried chicken with pickled slaw ($21) was greasy, and the sauce soon turned the coating unappetizingly gooey. The Toga Tots ($9) tasted like something that might be found in a Costco snack bar. The worst offender was the old-fashioned doughnut ($7) with a chartreuse glaze and bright, multicolor sprinkles. It was dense and stale; a packaged supermarket brand would have won in a taste-off. It was disappointing, and it was clear that cocktails superseded the food as a reason to stop by Saratoga. John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2017 Tartine Manufactory: At Tartine Manufactory, the menu continues to evolve. Opening chef Sam Goinsalvos has been replaced by Christa Chase and Bill Niles. The menu doesnt seem as rustic as it did originally, and has a more bakery/cafe feel. Bread continues to be at the center of the experience, with an entire section of the menu featuring smorrebrod. Also in that section is a tartine of cauliflower with green apple and ricotta spooned over toast ($13). Bread is also a component in many other dishes: steak tartare ($16), studded with pickled celery root and cured egg, is thickly mounded on country bread. Toast accompanies bone marrow ($18) with herbs and bits of burnt ends. The most noticeable change is the increase in dishes that feature pickling and fermentation, including spicy cabbage pickles ($4) and pickled winter squash that had a melon-like taste, tossed with sunflower seeds and mint. When I asked the waiter about the emphasis on pickling, he said the sous chef was an expert, so it makes sense they would utilize that expertise. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. As expected, desserts remained strong especially an intricately layered Opera cake, a classic pastry now rarely seen. Many restaurants forgo real baking, but at Tartine Manufactory it remains a priority. So while the menu has changed, under its new chefs the restaurant is as good as I remember. Onsen , 466 Eddy St., San Francisco; (415) 441-4987. www.onsensf.com. Dinner Wednesday-Monday. The Saratoga , 1000 Larkin St., San Francisco; (415) 932-6464 or www.thesaratogasf.com. Dinner Monday-Saturday. Tartine Manufactory , 595 Alabama St., San Francisco; (415) 757-0007 or www.tartinemanufactory.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Michael Bauer is The San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic and editor at large. Email: mbauer@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaelbauer1 Instagram: @michaelbauer1 As the second season of Peter Morgans The Crown becomes available on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 8, we may look back to the series first year and think of how very young and in many ways naive Elizabeth II was when she ascended the British throne. There are traces of that young woman in the new season, of course, but she is now seasoned, tougher, wary and more strategic in both her personal and professional lives. Thats just one of the reasons that the new season is even more engaging that the first. The other reasons include Morgans writing, spot-on direction from Stephen Daldry, Philip Martin, Benjamin Caron and others, and superb performances at almost every level. Elizabeth (Claire Foy) frets about being middle-aged, and in fact, this is Foys last go-round as Elizabeth Olivia Colman assumes the role, and the crown, next season. Foy may not look middle-aged, but she convincingly projects both age and experience playing the monarch during an especially turbulent part of her very long reign. There are challenges in domestic politics, international relations and in Elizabeths marriage all testing her resolve, and all contributing to making her an even more determined monarch and wife. The Cold War is in full swing, and Britain, like other nations, is adjusting to an evolving role on the world stage. The politics and policies of the past will no longer do in the 1950s. By extension, the traditional role of the monarch is also shown to be out of date, but Elizabeth is initially reluctant to make changes in her largely ceremonial office. Elizabeth visits a factory in 1957 and gives a speech that unintentionally belittles the average people by referring dismissively to their tiresome little lives. The speech rouses the ire of a lesser peer, Lord Altrincham (John Heffernan), who vents his frustration with the queen in the pages of a previously little-known journal he publishes, saying that she sounded like a priggish schoolgirl and that her speaking voice was a pain in the neck. The attack causes an uproar, but over time, it leads to the first steps toward modernization of the monarchy, through a greater effort by Elizabeth to welcome those average people to Buckingham Palace. On a personal level, we see Elizabeth and Philip (Matt Smith) disagreeing over their son Charles education, with the duke insisting that the boy attend his own alma mater, Gordonstoun School in Scotland, known for imposing rigorous physical demands on its charges. Charles is awkward and shy at this point in his life and doesnt take well to the school. But neither did his father years before when he was a boy. In one of the many remarkable scenes of the second season, Philip is shown as a youth (played with extraordinary depth by Finn Elliot), sent from school in Germany to Gordonstoun. In 1937, his sister, Cecilie (Lucy Appleton), and four other members of his extended family are killed in a plane crash. Philip erupts in anger and grief, and the event becomes formative for the man he will become, a man who learns to contain his own emotions and tough things out and expects his son to do the same. In the first two seasons of the project, Morgan has not only balanced both the personal and political sides of the story, hes also shown how they relate to each other. How Elizabeth deals with her marriage is one example. Her approach is just as forthright as it is when she decides to insert herself into foreign affairs. When President John Kennedy (Michael C. Hall) and his glamorous and very savvy wife, Jacqueline (Jodi Balfour), visit London after Jackie wowed Paris, Elizabeth is on her guard, and for good reason. At first, we see a flash of Elizabeths relative youth and personal insecurity. Shes jealous, awkward at being outshone by Jacqueline. In time, though, the moment of perceived weakness becomes instrumental in shoring up Elizabeths resolve and triggers her strategic move to travel to Ghana, where, in a calculated effort to show Jackie Kennedy that she is more than an uninterested woman with thick ankles, she is photographed dancing with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Danny Sapani). Its just a photograph, but Nkrumah has been flirting with both the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and Elizabeths boldness in going to Ghana is to remind Nkrumah that Ghana is still part of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth, in a way, protected Britain for decades, but times are changing, especially on the world stage. After living in the shadow of Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) for years, Anthony Eden (Jeremy Northam) finally has his chance to be prime minister, but makes a career-killing miscalculation in response to Egypts Gamal Abdel Nasser seizing control of the Suez Canal. Edens reactive decision, which diminished Britains standing in the world community and had reverberations for the domestic economy, was urged by his underling Harold MacMillan (Anton Lesser), who abandons Eden after the decision backfires. Public confidence in the government hits bottom, and although the monarchs power is limited, Elizabeths status takes a hit as well. The Suez crisis is about much more than Britain preserving access to oil through the canal: It is one of several pawns in the Cold War influence game played by the worlds superpowers. Smaller nations, like Ghana and Nassers Egypt, understand their value to the various superpowers like Britain, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and skillfully play their would-be suitors against each other. The new season covers other significant moments for the royal family, including Margarets (Vanessa Kirby) romance with Antony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode), the ambisexual photographer who would become her husband, and the Duke of Windsors (Alex Jennings) attempt to return to England and assume some position in British society. While there may be those who defend Uncle David, we can assume Peter Morgan is not one of them. The dukes dressing-down by the niece he derisively called Shirley Temple is delicious, wicked and welcome. The performances are mostly spot-on. Foy especially stands out, which we would expect anyway, but her skill in balancing the queens transition from a shy, relatively awkward former schoolgirl to a woman developing survival skills is simply breathtaking. Smith is equally good, displaying the conflicts he feels about his personal and professional roles in the marriage. Kirby, Goode, Northam, Balfour, Sapani and Lesser bring each of their characters to three-dimensional life. Chloe Pirrie is especially impressive as Eileen Scott, the long-suffering wife of Philips private secretary and close friend, Mike Parker (Daniel Ings). Parker accompanies Philip on his five-month world tour, which included a lot of philandering, at least on the part of Parker, and perhaps by Philip as well. Back at home, Eileen has endured her husbands indifference and infidelity long enough and decides to file for divorce, which would set off a PR disaster enveloping the monarchy. Pirrie invests Eileen with backbone and determination, and, in so doing, provides an example for Elizabeth to consider when it comes to her own marriage. The only minor fault among the performers is Hall as JFK. Its one of the hardest roles to play because the real thing, even after all these years, is ingrained in our minds and ears. Hall kind of looks like Kennedy, but his Boston accent is all over the place and only occasionally in the vicinity of Boston itself. No matter. The Crown has plenty of other reasons to hook you once again. Two seasons in, it is decisively clear that The Crown is on track to be an important work of historical literature. The fact that its one of the best shows in town is just the jewel in The Crown. David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV The Crown: Season two available for streaming Friday, Dec. 8, on Netflix At least 160,000 people have been evacuated in two of the five blazes raging Wednesday in Southern California, officials said. The Creek Fire, ripping through the densely populated communities of Sylmar and Lake View Terrace in the San Fernando Valley, had forced at least 110,000 people to leave their homes, Gustavo Medina, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department told The Chronicle. Between 30 and 50 structures have been destroyed, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. The Creek Fire had burned at least 14,000 acres by noon on Wednesday and remained zero percent contained. The Thomas Fire, a 65,000-acre blaze in Ventura County, has forced 50,000 people to evacuate, said firefighter Jason Hodge of the Ventura County Fire Department. The blaze was also zero percent contained. ALSO Fire official warns worst is yet to come for LA area Across all four fires, 20,000 structures were threatened, Cal Fire officials said. Wind conditions were slightly better for firefighting Wednesday. The Santa Ana gusts, which initially fueled the rapid spread of the multiple fires, calmed down, but are forecast to return. Winds of unpurified air are expected to kick up again later this evening and tomorrow, Medina said. Many more have been evacuated in the city of Los Angeles, were the Skirball Fire that started just before 5 a.m. Wednesday near the Getty Center off Interstate 405 continued to burn in the afternoon through the populous area around Bel-Air and forced mandatory evacuations. Medina said he did not know how many had been evacuated in the Skirball Fire. The evacuations in the Rye Fire in Santa Clarita, in Los Angeles County which has reached 5 percent containment were lifted allowing people to return to their homes. Medina said he did not know how many had evacuated. Ivan Chermayeff, a graphic designer who forged some of the most recognizable corporate logos of the second half of the 20th century including those of the cable channel Showtime, the publisher HarperCollins, the Smithsonian Institution and Pan Am died Saturday at his home in Manhattan. He was 85. His family confirmed the death. Esteemed as one of the foremost graphic artists of his era, Chermayeff was at his death a partner of the New York design concern now known as Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, which he founded in 1957 with Tom Geismar and Robert Brownjohn. The firm, known for its sleek Modernist designs featuring bold primary colors, was among the first to convey corporate identity by means of abstraction, streamlining the fussier logos that had dominated the commercial landscape in the first half of the century. Designs by the firms other members have included the segmented white octagon of what was then Chase Manhattan Bank; the blue sans serif logo, with its piquant red o, for Mobil Oil, as Exxon Mobil was then known; the flaming purple torch of New York University; and the blue-and-white open book of the Library of Congress. Working in three dimensions, Chermayeff designed the sidewalk sculpture an immense number 9 in red steel that marks the entrance to 9 West 57th Street in Manhattan. The building, by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, is noted for its convex facade that glides down to street level. Installed in 1974, Chermayeffs 9 has been beloved of passers-by and pigeons ever since. Chermayeff, whose work garnered a string of laurels, also designed posters, created museum and gallery displays and illustrated childrens books. Away from the office, he was known for making collages in which he cheerfully married strange bedfellows (buttons and boot jacks, work gloves and pebbles, airline luggage tags and canceled stamps) as if to counter the cool minimalism of his 9-to-5 life. His art in a variety of mediums has been exhibited around the world. Chermayeffs philosophy of corporate design was as simple as the design itself: A logo, he often said, should be clean, crisp and instantly comprehensible. It is usually a two-month process to get to that point, he explained in a 2015 interview, but it should look like it took five minutes. For Chermayeff, the results included the Showtime logo, with Sho in white on a red circle; HarperCollins stylized red flame atop a stylized blue sea; the Smithsonians vivid yellow sun, encircled by blue; and the cool blue globe of Pan Am, with its slender lines of latitude and longitude, which replaced an earlier, more rococo globe. He loved lettering in all its myriad forms, and one of his most arresting graphic works is one in which he tore a letter asunder. For its Sept. 16, 2001, issue, The New York Times commissioned an illustration from Chermayeff to accompany an Op-Ed article about the Sept. 11 attacks. The design he created is as simple as an illustration can get: just two letters, U.S., in bold black type. But in the finished image, Chermayeff has wrenched the U from its moorings, leaving two jagged stumps where the letter once was. The result is wrenching to see. To the end of his career, Chermayeff worked at the drawing board, shunning the siren call of electronic design. I dont touch computers, he said in 2015. I have no buttons at all. Designing by hand was in his blood. The son of Serge Chermayeff, a distinguished Russian-born architect, and the former Barbara Maitland May, he was born in London on June 6, 1932. The elder Chermayeffs deep affinity for Russian history, combined with a constitutional waggishness, led him to name his children Ivan (for Ivan the Terrible) and Peter (for Peter the Great). The family moved to the United States when Ivan was about 8 and lived wherever his fathers work took them: By the time he graduated from high school Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. Ivan had attended some two dozen educational institutions in the United States and Canada. He knew from an early age that he wanted to make art. He also knew, just as early, that he did not want to be an architect. Architects work on things that take a long time and often fail because of lack of funding or whatever reason, Chermayeff said in a 2007 interview. With graphic design there is the advantage that 99 percent of what we do is produced. After studying at Harvard and what is now the IIT Institute of Design in Chicago, he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Yale. By then he had gravitated toward graphics, which scarcely existed as a profession distinct from advertising. When Tom and I started, there was no such expression as graphic design, Chermayeff said in 2014. When a cabdriver asked what you did, if you said graphic design, youd have to explain it for an hour. Instead, wed just say, Im a commercial artist. Chermayeff worked as an assistant to Alvin Lustig, a noted designer of book jackets, and as a designer of album covers for Columbia Records before starting his firm. Originally named Brownjohn, Chermayeff & Geismar, it was later known as Chermayeff & Geismar. For Chermayeff and his colleagues, modernizing timeworn logos was as vital a job as creating new ones. In 1986, he took NBCs venerable peacock first deployed in 1956 to highlight the wonders of color television and smartened it up. First he plucked five feathers, reducing the total to six. Then he flipped the image, reorienting its profile from left to right. A past president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Chermayeff was the recipient of gold medals from the institute and from the Society of Illustrators. He was named to the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1981. His childrens books include Sun, Moon, Star, a Nativity story, with text by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1980. A review of that book in The Boston Globe called it a smasheroo for the nursery. Chermayeffs first marriage, to Sara Anne Duffy, ended in divorce. His second wife, the former Jane Clark, died in 2014. A resident of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, he is survived by his brother, Peter, a prominent architect; three daughters from his first marriage, Catherine Chermayeff, a photo curator; Sasha Chermayeff, a painter; and Maro Chermayeff, a filmmaker; a son from his second marriage, Sam, an architect; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson. A longtime faculty member of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, Chermayeff also taught over the years at Brooklyn College, Cooper Union, the Parsons School of Design and elsewhere. Two weighty endorsements of Chermayeffs work resulted from his designs for the Big Apple Circus, the one-ring company founded in 1977 by Paul Binder and Michael Christensen. Creating its logo, Chermayeff made a paper collage featuring a sweet gray elephant, balanced atop a ball, juggling letters spelling out the circus name. Binder was so captivated by his design, The Times reported in 2003, that he went out and bought an elephant. For a later season, the circus adopted the theme of a Wild West show. Designing an advertising poster, Chermayeff put his elephant, lariat in hand, atop a barreling buffalo. Binder was so captivated that he went out and bought a buffalo. Margalit Fox is a New York Times writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Firefighters from the wildfire-torn Wine Country left on their first mutual aid assignment, less than two months after their own counties burned. On Tuesday, Santa Rosa firefighters were dispatched to the Creek Fire now raging in Los Angeles County, SRFD spokesperson Paul Lowenthal confirmed. Four other fire engines from Sonoma County will join the Santa Rosa engine in a "strike team," he said. Other crews have been called in from all across the state, Ventura County fire Capt. Stan Ziegler told The Chronicle. Now Playing: Santa Rosa firefighters departing Tuesday on their first mutual aid call since the Wine Country blazes. Video: San Francisco Chronicle A video clip posted to the Santa Rosa Fire Department's Facebook page Tuesday shows a fire engine driving off. It's only 21 seconds long, but despite its brevity, the video attracted thousands of views and more than 100 comments. Many were from North Bay residents expressing their thanks. "Our turn to be on the helping end, thanks SRFD! #SonomaStrong meets #VenturaStrong," wrote one commenter. On Oct. 8, the first of what would become a brutal wave of wildfires erupted in the North Bay region. Before the last embers were extinguished, the fires had scorched almost a quarter of a million acres, destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and claimed 43 lives. The disaster was heavily documented, both by traditional media outlets like The Chronicle and by residents via their social media accounts. Some regions, like Santa Rosa's Coffey Park, became synonymous with the devastation. WINE COUNTRY FIRES: In sad aftermath, for-sale signs go up on burned-out lots The Southern California wildfires, now burning in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, are similar to the Wine Country fires in that both were fanned by high winds. The Santa Rosa firefighters could stay south as long as two weeks, Lowenthal said, at which point a new fire crew would be brought in. "(We) are dealing with the post-fire effects and concerns regarding runoff and mudslides," he said. "But six, seven hours south of us, they are experiencing summer-like conditions." A ukulele with sentimental value to its owner is now missing, after it was stolen from a truck over the weekend at Jack London Square. The orange ukulele, with a Hawaiian sunset painted on its front, is special to Edward Hunnicutt of Sunnyvale. The instrument helped his wife Elizabeth Hunnicutt during treatment for a rare form of cancer. In a few recordings and photos Edward Hunnicutt shared with KTVU, Elizabeth Hunnicutt plays the ukulele and sings along from her hospital bed. "It was an outlet for her," Edward Hunnicutt told the station. "She had no control over the chemotherapy or radiation that was going on, no control over what her body was doing." "It's not just something that makes sound," said Hunnicutt of the ukulele. "It's a whole lot more to it." SOMERVILLE STORIES: BART riders work together to help woman whose wheelchair rolled across car Elizabeth Hunnicutt died of cancer last year, and the plan was for Edward Hunnicutt to go on a cross-country trip to spread his wife's ashes, and play the ukulele at each spot. He acknowledged that perhaps he won't get the instrument back, saying that he at least wants the thieves to know the story behind the ukulele. The instrument was stolen Saturday night from Hunnicutt's car, while he was having dinner at the Fat Lady in Jack London Square. Hunnicutt's hope is that someone will return the item to a police or fire station, if found. The victim of a car theft in Northern California helped police in the arrest of the alleged thief, after a whirlwind turn of events that included chasing down his own vehicle and fighting the suspect before officers arrived. The car was reported stolen early Monday morning to police in Anderson (Shasta County), where the victim told officers that his 1991 Honda sedan was taken sometime at night. After speaking with police, the victim wrote a Facebook post about the car theft and shared a photo of the sedan. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jen Fedrizzi/Special to the Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Every Wednesday morning, SFGATE finds the biggest headlines in local (and sometimes national) beer. Check back here weekly for news, events, and information about special releases from your favorite local breweries. Monk's Kettle, a beloved gastropub in the Mission, is counting down to its tenth anniversary this year with ten days of celebrating, beginning Saturday, December 9. As owner Christian Albertson tells SFGATE, the events "are designed to highlight and celebrate different aspects of the Monk's Kettle including our relationship with (and gratefulness to) the breweries and suppliers with whom we work, our expertise in craft beer & food pairing and our deep collection of craft beer rarities in our cellar." They certainly meet those objectives and more, with events showcasing Cantillon ("Day of a Hundred 'Loons"), Trappist breweries, and local companies alike. Plus, there will be plenty of occasions for popping nearly decade-old vintage brews. Social media company Facebook has been named the best tech company to work for in 2018 by career listing and employee review site Glassdoor. Facebook earned a similar honor in 2017, when it ranked as the top tech company, but landed second overall to Bain and Company in Boston. Its place atop this year's list is the result of numerous current and former employees' reviews of the company across eight categories, including overall company rating, career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, senior management, work/life balance, recommendation worthiness, and six-month business outlook. Nebraska Air National Guard Col. James "Bob" Stevenson Jr., has been promoted to the rank of brigadier general and will serve as assistant adjutant general for air of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Stevenson will succeed Brig. Gen. Keith Schell, who is due to retire from the Nebraska Air National Guard in February. Schell had held the command since 2016. As assistant adjutant general for air, Stevenson will be responsible for the organization, training and equipage of the Nebraska Air National Guard, which includes the 155th Air Refueling Wing in Lincoln and the 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. Stevenson joined the Guard in 1997 following eight years in the U.S. Air Force. He has flown more than 4,000 hours and is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. YouTube is hiring more people to help curb videos that violate its policies. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said some bad actors are exploiting the Google-owned service to mislead, manipulate, harass or even harm. Google will have more than 10,000 workers address the problem by next year. Spokeswoman Michelle Slavich said Tuesday that some have already been hired, and the team will be a combination of employees and contractors. Wojcicki said the company will apply lessons learned from combatting violent and extremist videos to other problematic content. YouTube will expand the use of machine-learning technology to flag videos or comments that show hate speech or harm to children. Several advertisers have reportedly pulled ads from YouTube after stories about videos showing harm to children, hate speech and other topics they dont want their ads next to. About 250 advertisers earlier said they would boycott YouTube because of videos that promoted hate and violence. Federal Reserve Powell wins panel approval The Senate Banking Committee has approved President Trumps selection of Jerome Powell to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. The Tuesday vote was 22-1, with all Republicans and every Democrat except Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts supporting the nomination. The committee vote indicated that Powell will have no trouble winning approval from the full Senate. That vote has not yet been scheduled. Warren said she could not support Powell because of her concerns that he would join in efforts by the Trump administration to unravel the Dodd-Frank Act. Investments Lyfts funding round grows Lyfts recent funding round is growing by 50 percent to $1.5 billion, helping the ride-hailing startup to better compete with Uber, its larger, troubled rival. The round, led by Alphabets CapitalG investment unit, brings Lyfts valuation to $11.5 billion, the San Francisco startup said Tuesday in an email. Fidelity Investments, an Uber backer, and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan took part in the latest round, along with existing investors including AllianceBernstein, Baillie Gifford, KKR, Janus Henderson and Rakuten, Lyft said. Lyft has gained significant market share this year after a string of scandals at Uber that culminated with the resignation of its CEO. Executives Dish chief goes to wireless unit Charlie Ergen, the founder of satellite TV company Dish, is stepping aside as CEO to focus on the companys wireless business. He will remain chairman. The new CEO, Dish Network president Erik Carlson, will report to him. Dish has substantial rights to spectrum, or airwaves that transmit wireless signals, and has said it wants to build a network for everyday products that have Internet connections, known broadly as the Internet of Things. Jefferies analyst Scott Goldman said Tuesdays announcement may be a sign that Dish will build that wireless network. The company could also sell or lease its spectrum rights. People spend more time watching video on their phones and less time viewing traditional live TV. AT&T and Verizon are investing in video, with AT&T buying DirecTV and trying to buy HBO and CNN owner Time Warner. Cable company Comcast has started a wireless business, selling mobile service to its Internet customers. Charter plans to do the same. Disney is bypassing the traditional cable system and plans a subscription streaming service for its video. Dishs cheaper, online alternative for live TV, Sling, is one of the most popular of its kind and is estimated to have close to 2 million customers. Pharmaceuticals FDA approves diabetes drug Federal regulators have approved a new diabetes drug that reduces blood sugar levels and also helps people lose weight. The Food and Drug Administration voted Tuesday in favor of the once-a-week shot for people with Type 2 diabetes. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk says its Ozempic will cost about the same as similar drugs at $676 for a four- to six-week supply without insurance. Supplied in injector pens, it stimulates insulin production and was also found to reduce appetite. Chronicle News Services Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Prominent Silicon Valley investor Shervin Pishevar, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, said he is taking a leave of absence from his duties at his venture capital firm Sherpa Capital and transportation startup Virgin Hyperloop One. Pishevar, known for an early investment in Uber, said hes taking time off to pursue a legal case against people who he says have embarked on a smear campaign against him. Last month, he sued a corporate research firm founded by Republican campaign veterans, claiming it was trying to spread false allegations about him. The firm, Definers Public Affairs, denied the allegations and said it had never done work regarding Pishevar. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate More than 2,800 Oakland school employees had their most recent paychecks pulled out of their checking accounts this week, a snafu that district officials initially blamed on a bank error before offering a mea culpa a few hours later. It was not the banks fault, said John Sasaki, a district spokesman. We have apologized to Union Bank for making that assessment earlier. A district staff member made a mistake, Sasaki explained, saying, It was human error. District officials, though, could not explain how an employee could reverse payroll deposits for nearly 3,000 employees, something they agreed would likely take more than a push of a button. That said, officials believe it was an accident. Theres no reason to believe this was sabotage, Sasaki said, adding the problem had nothing to do with a shortage of district funds. The staff member was not identified, nor was the persons department. It was unclear whether the employee would face disciplinary action. The matter is under investigation, Sasaki said. Teachers, administrators and other district employees received their paychecks a week ago through direct deposit funneled through Union Bank. For those affected, that deposit was reversed Tuesday, leaving an untold number of accounts drained or in overdraft. People were upset and in a panic Wednesday morning, said Trish Gorham, president of the Oakland Education Association, the teachers union. I can attest to that based on my emails, texts and phone calls, she said. Teacher Barbara Buswell was among those infuriated by the situation. My mortgage payment is attached to my account, said Buswell, a second-grade teacher at Hillcrest Elementary. Im overdrawn. I have $10 in my wallet. The error came as the district faces a $15.1 million budget deficit, with schools required to make up to $5 million in mid-year cuts to address the shortfall. As we address this unfortunate error, I want to be clear that this is not related to the current budget crisis, said Superintendent Kyla Johnson Trammell. I am deeply sorry for any inconvenience and stress this may have caused. District officials said the problem affected workers who are paid monthly and was widespread among employees, including the payroll manager. The money was sent again Wednesday to employees accounts, and district officials were contacting banks used by employees to explain the situation, with the hope that any overdraft fees would be reversed. The district will make sure all employees are made whole in terms of any penalties they incur, Sasaki said. As district officials attempted to correct the error, however, they inadvertently reinstated funds even for some employees who did not lose money, meaning they received a double payment which would have to be returned to the district. Union Bank officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker In the last few years, San Francisco has overtaken New York City as America's premier restaurant town, but the city has always had a love affair with eating out. When San Francisco's population boomed in the 1850s, it became a distinctly hotel-based city. Because the city's housing construction couldn't keep up with its population growth, hotels quickly became the go-to living situation for thousands. And unlike most other American cities at the time, San Franciscans valued living in hotels and used them as a status symbol. Well-off city dwellers lived in the nicest hotels, eating in their fancy restaurants each evening. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Gordon Ramsay gave a Sacramento soul food restaurant a major makeover this weekend, but the owners and management of Sandra Dee's Barbeque & Seafood aren't pleased with the celebrity chef's revamp. Emmy-nominated Ramsay spent Friday and Saturday at the 19-year-old restaurant to film an episode of his new unscripted Fox show, "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell & Back," an eight-episode series that features "Ramsay going through hell in order to bring failing restaurants back from the brink of disaster," according to a press release. Family owned and operated Sandra Dee's has been serving up Creole and Southern mainstays slow-cooked tri-tip, spicy fried catfish, crispy hush puppies on the corner of 15th and F streets for almost two decades. It had been approached by numerous television networks over the years, hoping to give the neighborhood joint an update, said manager Tatiana Johnson, the daughter of owners Sandra Dee and Jeffrey Johnson. Tatiana Johnson said her family agreed to participate in the Fox special without fully "understanding the whole concept." "We agreed to allow some contractors to renovate our space," she said. "We didn't know Gordon Ramsay was a part of it until he walked in." The premise of "Hell & Back" involves a disguised Ramsay surprising restaurant owners and diners mid-service. On Saturday night, the chef arrived in a construction worker uniform and fake beard, said Steve Walker, a Sacramento-based real estate agent who witnessed the charade. "He pulled off his beard and started ranting about everything that was terrible," Walker recalled. Said Johnson: "He was arrogant and an ashole." Over the next 24 hours, Ramsay and a large crew of production assistants redecorated the restaurant and changed up its extensive menu. Story continues below. Now Playing: The new series is essentially a revamped version of 'Kitchen Nightmares.' Video: Food & Wine On Saturday, Ramsay invited the previous night's diners to revisit the restaurant and share their thoughts with the cameras. The food options that night were "surprisingly limited" but "pretty good," Walker recalled. He said Ramsay's new menu included three entrees (pulled pork, seared trout, and smoked chicken), a single dessert of banana pudding and a handful of sides and appetizers, including baked mac n' cheese, potatoes and seasoned fries. Johnson said the restaurant has decided not to retain any of Ramsay's menu recommendations. "The owner decided to stay with what she knows best," Johnson said of her mother, who was born in Louisiana and cooks with recipes handed down over generations. "I definitely think he misunderstood this type of food," Johnson said. "He was saying everything used too much spice. I don't think he has that type of taste palate." Creole food originated in Louisiana and is known for its liberal use of Cayenne, paprika and pepper sauces. Ramsay also took a hammer to much of the restaurant's decor. The dated furniture was replaced with new wooden tables and chairs, and the walls were painted a subtle navy blue accented with wood panels. Portraits of African-American musicians on the facade of the restaurant were left untouched. The construction crew also removed a wall hung with framed photos of celebrity visitors. Signed head shots of Lil Wayne and Faith Evans were replaced with shutters. "We plan to put them back up," Johnson said, by digitally projecting the photos onto a wall. Fox Television did not immediately respond to SFGATE's request for comment. Community members have mixed reviews about the makeover for the neighborhood institution, Johnson said. "Some like it, some don't," she said of Sandra Dee's new look. In a Facebook post, Sandra Dee's regular Paul Imagine feared that Ramsay had turned the spot into "another overpriced hipster d-bag restaurant." Others welcomed the new look and hoped the makeover would breathe of fresh air into the longstanding restaurant. Local food blogger Darrel Ng told the Sacramento Bee that Sandra Dee's had begun facing some serious competition "as Sacramento's food scene matured." "In recent years, while their food remained excellent, their service had suffered," local food blogger Darrel Ng told the Sacrmento Bee. He said Sandra Dee's had begun facing some serious competition "as Sacramento's food scene matured." "They need Gordon Ramsay as a catalyst to change things up and help them modernize their cuisine without losing what so many of their regulars love about the restaurant," he added. Business has lagged in recent years, according to the Sacramento Business Journal, and catering and special events have kept the business going. Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Francisco ate a lot of Greek food in 2017, according to Lyft. As in previous years, the rideshare company crunched regional and national destination data to find out the most popular restaurants, coffee shops, museums and bars. Their findings mean good news for Souvla; based on this year's rides, more people traveled to the restaurant's original Hayes Valley location using Lyft than any other eatery in San Francisco, unseating two-year champion, North Beach's Tacolicious. In fact, Souvla took the top restaurant title nationwide, as the survey notes. Souvla wins the national honor, dubbed the "Lyftie," alongside regional winners, including Zeitgeist (most visited bar); AT&T Park (most visited event space); UCSF (most visited university); Mission Dolores Park ("Only In..."); and the SFMOMA (trending destination). RELATED: Souvla, S.F.: Greek meats, eats and sweets in Hayes Valley San Franciscans' affinity for Souvla should not come as a surprise. The fast and casual Hayes Valley restaurant, founded by Charles Bililies in April 2014, is the company's original location, but in 2016, the company expanded to open a second on Divisadero Street and a third on Valencia Street in the Mission. It's a favorite with the food critics, too in 2014, The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer named it as one of his favorite restaurants around Civic Center. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. Therapy dogs are nice, George "Geo" Caldwell thinks, but there is something fundamentally different about llamas. "There's something about when you're at the same eye level," he said. "You get this sense that there's this communication and form of energy going between the two of you." Cadwell is responsible for the newest quirky Cal tradition: the biannual appearance of fluffy, dewy-eyed llamas on campus grounds. During the class-free week before finals (officially called "De-Stress Week" but long known as "Dead Week" by students), anxious co-eds can stop by the campus' central Memorial Glade to pet and feed the llamas. There are plenty of other purportedly stress-reducing events around finals season, many of which change from year to year, but the llamas have become an institution. Mention of them can be found in the Daily Californian as far back as 2014. Even now, though, they never fail to raise a few eyebrows. Cadwell is paid by the UC Berkeley student government for his quadruped friends' seasonal visits, but he's brought them to other events pro-bono, like the yearly suicide prevention walk. They're important, he said, and he wishes the school could have its own in-house llama herd. The llamas, for their part, are trained and comfortable around people. Students can hug them, feed them alfalfa pellets and carrots, and pose with the expressive animals for the obligatory selfie. The phenomenon of therapy animals has swelled in popularity in recent years. San Francisco International Airport has a therapy pig, and worried office workers can pay to snuggle adoptable kittens and puppies at the O'Farrell St. Macy's. Therapy-animal proponents believe that even brief contact with animals provides mental health benefits. Of course, there is room for skepticism. One recent literature review failed to find much conclusive evidence of their effectiveness. But Cadwell can attest to the smiles his llamas bring. "It just brings happiness to people," he said. "It's a magical thing." The Shape of Water is writer-director Guillermo del Toros first real attempt at a masterpiece since Pans Labyrinth in 2006, and he comes closer this time than last. It is, frame by frame, a beautiful-looking film, and not only beautiful, but of a piece. Del Toro imagines a whole world, one that has never existed before, and then creates it with a meticulousness and fidelity that can inspire awe. As in Pans Labyrinth, it is a world of pretty surfaces and underlying evil, an evil that hates innocence and purity. It wants to destroy the good, the pure and the defenseless, and although del Toro is emphatically on the side of the angels, there is something in his artistic impulse that is irresistibly drawn to scenes of violence against the weak. How you see those scenes will determine how you ultimately feel about The Shape of Water. To some, the film will seem like a modern myth, a brand-new fairy tale, with Sally Hawkins as a cleaning woman in a government laboratory its heroine. I see it as something darker, as a cruel fantasy given a veneer of wholesomeness through its unrelenting pathos. The poignancy, the little smiles and gentleness are a cover for the movies aggression, so that even if del Toros mind is with Hawkins, his heart is somewhere else and cant be controlled. This lack of control, this sense of our watching a wildly unconscious document that has been, at the same time, committed to film with precision and planning, makes The Shape of Water a movie to be reckoned with. Even if you see it as a film with an ugly spirit as ugly as its filmmaker believes it to be pure and even if you see it as phony and not on to itself, its a fascinating look inside its creators mind. It takes place in the early 1960s. John F. Kennedy is president, and the Cold War is at its most lethal. Elisa (Hawkins) is mute and lives in a small apartment on top of a movie theater with green seats. In fact, everything is green in The Shape of Water. Elisa wears a green hat. Men wear green suits. The city buses are green, and all the interiors are green. Del Toro expects us to notice. At one point, Michael Shannon, as a government security expert, tries to buy a green Cadillac, only to be told by the dealer that the car isnt green. Its teal. One day at work, Elisa and her friend and co-worker (Octavia Spencer) are brought in to clean a secret lab, where they discover that an amphibian man (Doug Jones) is being held captive. He is going to be studied by the government and then destroyed. In the meantime, he is being tortured by Strickland (Shannon), just for fun. Slowly, but inevitably, Elisa strikes up a friendship with the big-eyed, soulful-looking amphibian fellow. Both cant speak, but they communicate a shared dislocation and goodwill. For Hawkins, Elisa is an almost entirely silent role, but within those limits, she is able to convey profound depths of feeling. Mawkishness may be the strategy of The Shape of Water, but Hawkins occasionally finds her way into something real and moving. Here and there, del Toro locks into a perfect, poetic moment, as when Elisa sits at a table, in her humble apartment, and fantasizes being able to speak, and then being able to sing. The movie lifts into a black-and-white dance number a brief re-creation of the set and choreography of Lets Face the Music and Dance (from the Astaire-Rogers film Follow the Fleet). And then the scene settles back into mundane reality, except that now we know: This reality is not really mundane, because its elevated by love and longing. Yet as in Pans Labyrinth, del Toro cant contain an impulse toward cruelty, though at least he does a better job of hiding it this time. Theres a core creepiness here, an unwholesomeness that cant be disguised by the filmmakers unconvincing assertion of loves eternal power. The Shape of Water is brilliant, but sick or maybe its sick, but brilliant. In any case, its something to see. Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicles movie critic. Email: mlasalle@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MickLaSalle The Shape of Water Fantasy drama. Starring Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. (R. 123 minutes.) Yes, A Christmas Story and Its a Wonderful Life are screening in Bay Area theaters this holiday season, but so are Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 and Christmas Evil. And who could have a better time than watching Home Alone with live accompaniment from the San Francisco Symphony and three childrens choruses? Heres a roundup of holiday fare in cinemas by venue, more or less in chronological order: Rialto Cinemas Cerrito: No one saw this coming from the director of the raunchy teenage comedy Porkys one of the most beloved Christmas movies ever: 1983s A Christmas Story (7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7). Set in 1940s small-town Indiana, Jean Shepherds memoir In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash is turned into a loving, silly and warm family film by director Bob Clark. It is centered on a boy (Peter Billingsley) whose mission in life is to obtain a Red Ryder BB rifle. There will be a live version of the story telecast on Fox on Dec. 17, but theres nothing like the original on a big screen. 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. (510) 273-9102. www.rialtocinemas.com Roxie Theater: Who knew the French made Christmas-themed noir films? Don Malcolm, the curator of the popular annual French noir series at the Roxie, has found a pair. Beginning with Who Killed Santa Claus? a 1941 film made during Nazi occupation. The film is an allegory for resistance. Actor Harry Baur, who plays Santa, was later arrested and tortured by the Nazis, and was the first French actor to lose his life in the war. Next up is Paris Pickup (1962), which has Robert Hossein as a criminal just sprung from jail who spends Christmas Eve with an alluring lady (Lea Massari) and gets way more than he bargained for. The double feature starts at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13. Also at the Roxie: The rarely screened 1980 low-budget thriller Christmas Evil (9:15 p.m. Dec. 23), a.k.a. You Better Watch Out, has a killer disguised as Santa. Lewis Jacksons film has undergone a 4K restoration, and cult director John Waters has called it his favorite Christmas movie. 3117 16th St., S.F. (415) 863-1087. www.roxie.com Castro Theatre: Theyre not Christmas movies, but somehow it seems right that The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory are playing during the holidays. The double feature screens twice on Sunday, Dec. 10. On Dec. 20, Eddie Mullers Noir City Xmas, the annual double feature of Christmas-themed classics, screens Manhandled (7:30 p.m.), a 1949 thriller with Dan Duryea as a crooked detective trying to pin a murder rap on Dorothy Lamour; and Alias Boston Blackie (9:30 p.m.), a Christmas entry in Chester Morris B-movie series. With the Stanford Theatre undergoing renovation, the Castro is the only place in the Bay Area screening Frank Capras Its a Wonderful Life, which plays three times on Dec. 22. 429 Castro St., S.F. (415) 621-6120. www.castrotheatre.com Alamo Drafthouses New Mission: The Gremlins movie party at the Mission District theater/restaurant has special edition T-shirts and a message from director Joe Dante; the show on Saturday, Dec. 9, is sold out, but tickets remain for the 10:05 p.m. show on Sunday, Dec. 10. Also, the theaters Terror Tuesday series features the 1987 splatter-fest Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12); and theres a Home Alone movie party (7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13), after which science enthusiasts Kishore Hari and Jeffrey Silverman lay out the case for 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) as a psychopath. 2550 Mission St., S.F. (415) 549-5959. www.drafthouse.com/sf San Francisco Symphony: The best way to see Home Alone, though, is at the symphony, where John Williams score will be performed live as the movie plays, with carols sung by three childrens choruses. 7 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17; and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20. 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F. (415) 864-6000. www.sfsymphony.org Smith Rafael Film Center: Choreographer Peter Wrights version of Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker, a filmed stage performance by the Royal Ballet, is perfect for the whole family. It screens at noon Dec. 17. 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. (415) 454-1222. www.cafilm.org G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BRfilmsAllen A group of conservative students at UC Berkeley, frustrated that administrators have so far denied them the privileges of a recognized student organization, has asked a federal judge to intervene in the campus dispute. The students want the judge to force the campus to rescind its decision that the Young Americans for Liberty, a local chapter of a national group, is so similar to the Cal Libertarians, an existing student group, that the newcomers cant be formally recognized until both of them discuss the possibility of merging. On Monday, the students responded by suing UC President Janet Napolitano, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and other campus officials in U.S. District Court in Oakland. The students lawyers, based in Washington, D.C., argue in their lawsuit that without formal recognition for Young Americans for Liberty, the students will lose campus fees that recognized groups receive, wont be able to meet on campus, and will be barred from sponsoring guest speakers. The suit says UC Berkeley has about 1,000 recognized student groups and that the decision to deny or delay recognition for Young Americans for Liberty violates the students constitutional rights to free speech, association and equal protection. The suit accuses UC Berkeley of favoring liberal groups over conservative ones and says many of those appear to overlap: Cal Berkeley Democrats and Students for Hillary, for example, and the Queer Student Union and the Queer Alliance & Resource Center. UC Berkeley categorically rejects the idea that it considers any groups political beliefs when deciding its status, according to a statement released by the campus in response to the lawsuit. It has never happened in the past, and will never happen in the future, said the statement from spokesman Dan Mogulof. As an example, he said, the campus recently recognized the Berkeley Conservative Society. As for the status of Young Americans for Liberty, no final decision has been made, as the process is not yet complete, the statement said. Because the groups application was very similar to the other groups, all they need to do is confer with the Libertarian organization and decide if they want to combine or remain separate. Attorneys for the students did not respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit comes as free speech on campus has emerged as a divisive issue across the country, particularly in the era of President Trump. Conservative students say they are being sidelined on the nations campuses, a claim championed in September by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. At UC Berkeley, the dispute had explosive and expensive consequences this year. In February, masked rioters caused $100,000 in damage on campus when they stopped Milo Yiannopoulos, a right-wing provocateur, from delivering his planned speech at the invitation of the Berkeley College Republicans. The group sued the university in April, claiming the UC Berkeley administration was biased against conservative students after it restricted when and where another right-wing pundit, Ann Coulter, could speak on campus. She never showed. A judge sidelined that lawsuit in September, days after Yiannopoulos returned to campus for 15 minutes and prompted UC Berkeley to spend $800,000 on security. In their suit, Young Americans for Liberty claims they have suffered irreparable harm and are asking for unspecified monetary damages, including attorneys fees. The suit asks the judge to halt the practice of denying recognition to student groups that are too similar to existing groups, and prevent the campus from collecting student fees until it produces an exhaustive list of criteria for distributing such fees. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Time magazine has named The Silence Breakers as its 2017 Person of the Year, recognizing the women (and some men) who came forward with stories of sexual harassment and assault and helped force a nationwide reckoning. The magazine calls them the voices that launched a movement. Among them Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, the actresses whose stunning accusations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein helped lead to his downfall; and activist Tarana Burke, creator of the #MeToo movement, along with the Hollywood star who amplified it on social media, Alyssa Milano. The galvanizing actions of the women on our cover along with those of hundreds of others, and of many men as well, have unleashed one of the highest-velocity shifts in our culture since the 1960s, Times editor in chief, Edward Felsenthal, told NBCs Today show Wednesday. These silence breakers have forced a national reckoning on sexual harassment. The medias endless stream of sexual harassment investigations and the countless #MeToo accounts of harassment, sexual abuse and worse have ensnared an ever-growing list of public figures-celebrities, executives, politicians and business leaders, whose lives and careers have come crashing down, or are dangerously close to doing so, amid all the accusations. Like Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer and Mark Halperin and former NPR news chief Michael Oreskes. Like Russell Simmons and Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey and James Levine and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. Like John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., the erstwhile dean of the House who resigned Tuesday amid mounting allegations of sexual harassment. The barrage of sexual misconduct accusations, from Hollywood to Capitol Hill, came after the Weinstein scandal exploded in public view with claims from numerous women who said he sexually harassed them, assaulted them and even raped them. And a social media movement emerged with the hashtag #MeToo, which has been used more than 3 million times on Twitter, according to company data. As Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote in The Washington Post: More women are emboldened to talk, and more are being heard. The risks for abusers particularly public figures are rising. We know the roots of this extraordinary moment; where the moment leads remains to be seen. In its Person of the Year 2017 cover story, Time noted that this moment is borne of a very real and potent sense of unrest. Yet it doesnt have a leader, or a single, unifying tenet. The hashtag #metoo (swiftly adapted into #BalanceTonPorc, #YoTambien, #Anakaman and many others), which to date has provided an umbrella of solidarity for millions of people to come forward with their stories, is part of the picture, but not all of it. In 2015, Time chose German Chancellor Angela Merkel; in 2014, it was The Ebola Fighters, and in 2013, Pope Francis The Peoples Pope. Last years choice was President Trump. Lindsey Bever and Abby Ohlheiser are Washington Post writers. They are eerie sensations, more common than one might think: A man describes feeling a shadowy figure standing behind him, then turning around to find no one there. A woman feels herself leaving her body and floating in space, looking down on her corporeal self. Such experiences are often attributed by those who have them to paranormal forces. But, according to recent work by neuroscientists, delivering mild electric current to specific spots in the brain can induce them. In one woman, for example, a zap to a brain region called the angular gyrus resulted in a sensation that she was hanging from the ceiling, looking down at her body. In another woman, electrical current delivered to the angular gyrus produced an uncanny feeling that someone was behind her, intent on interfering with her actions. The two women were being evaluated for epilepsy surgery at University Hospital in Geneva, where doctors implanted dozens of electrodes into their brains to pinpoint the abnormal tissue causing the seizures and to identify adjacent areas involved in language, hearing or other essential functions that should be avoided in the surgery. As each electrode was activated, stimulating a different patch of brain tissue, the patient was asked to say what she was experiencing. Dr. Olaf Blanke, a neurologist at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland who carried out the procedures, said that the women had normal psychiatric histories and that they were stunned by the bizarre nature of their experiences. The Sept. 21 issue of Nature magazine includes an account by Blanke and his colleagues of the woman who sensed a shadow person behind her. They described the out-of-body experiences in the February 2004 issue of the journal Brain. There is nothing mystical about these ghostly experiences, said Peter Brugger, a neuroscientist at University Hospital in Zurich, who was not involved in the experiments but is an expert on phantom limbs, the sensation of still feeling a limb that has been amputated, and other mind-bending phenomena. "The research shows that the self can be detached from the body and can live a phantom existence on its own, as in an out-of-body experience, or it can be felt outside of personal space, as in a sense of a presence," Brugger said. Scientists have gained new understanding of these odd bodily sensations as they have learned more about how the brain works, Blanke said. For example, researchers have discovered that some areas of the brain combine information from several senses. Vision, hearing and touch are initially processed in the primary sensory regions. But then they flow together, like tributaries into a river, to create the wholeness of a person's perceptions. A dog is visually recognized far more quickly if it is simultaneously accompanied by the sound of its bark. These multisensory processing regions also build up perceptions of the body as it moves through the world, Blanke said. Sensors in the skin provide information about pressure, pain, heat, cold and similar sensations. Sensors in the joints, tendons and bones tell the brain where the body is positioned in space. Sensors in the ears track the sense of balance. And sensors in the internal organs, including the heart, liver and intestines, provide a readout of a person's emotional state. Real-time information from the body, the space around the body and the subjective feelings from the body are also represented in multisensory regions, Blanke said. And if an electric current directly simulates these regions, as in the cases of the two women he studied, the integrity of the sense of body can be altered. As an example, Blanke described the case of a 22-year-old student who had electrodes implanted into the left side of her brain in 2004. "We were checking language areas," Blanke said, when the woman turned her head to the right. That made no sense, he said, because the electrode was nowhere near the area involved in the control of movement. Instead, the current was stimulating a multisensory area called the angular gyrus. Blanke applied the current again. Again, the woman turned her head to the right. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. The woman replied that she had a weird sensation that another person was lying beneath her on the bed. The figure, she said, felt like a "shadow" that did not speak or move; it was young, more like a man than a woman, and it wanted to interfere with her. When Blanke turned off the current, the woman stopped looking to the right, and said the strange presence had gone away. Each time he reapplied the current, she once again turned her head to try to see the shadow figure. When the woman sat up, leaned forward and hugged her knees, she said that she felt as if the shadow man was also sitting and that he was clasping her in his arms. She said it felt unpleasant. When she held a card in her right hand, she reported that the shadow figure tried to take it from her. "He doesn't want me to read," she said. Because the presence closely mimicked the patient's body posture and position, Blanke concluded that the patient was experiencing an unusual perception of her own body, as a double. But for reasons that scientists have not been able to explain, he said, she did not recognize that it was her own body she was sensing. The feeling of a shadowy presence can occur without electrical stimulation to the brain, Brugger said. It has been described by people who undergo sensory deprivation, as in mountaineers trekking at high altitude or sailors crossing the ocean alone, and by people who have suffered minor strokes or other disruptions in blood flow to the brain. Six years ago, another of Blanke's patients underwent brain stimulation to a different multisensory area, the angular gyrus, which blends vision with the body sense. The patient experienced a complete out-of-body experience. When the current flowed, she said: "I am at the ceiling. I am looking down at my legs." When the current ceased, she said: "I'm back on the table now. What happened?" Further applications of the current returned the woman to the ceiling, causing her to feel as if she were outside of her body, floating, her legs dangling below her. When she closed her eyes, she had the sensation of doing sit-ups, with her upper body approaching her legs. Because the woman's felt position in space and her actual position in space did not match, her mind cast about for the best way to turn her confusion into a coherent experience, Blanke said. She concluded that she must be floating up and away while looking downward. Some schizophrenics, Blanke said, experience paranoid delusions and the sense that someone is following them. They also sometimes confuse their own actions with the actions of other people. While the cause of these symptoms is not known, he said, multisensory processing areas may be involved. When otherwise normal people experience bodily delusions, Blanke said, they are often flummoxed. The felt sensation of the body is so seamless, so familiar, that people do not realize it is a creation of the brain, even when something goes wrong and the brain is perturbed. Yet the sense of body integrity is rather easily duped, Blanke said. And while it may be tempting to invoke the supernatural when this body sense goes awry, he said the true explanation is a very natural one, the brain's attempt to make sense of conflicting information. A fire that has already claimed a handful of homes in Los Angeles County and threatens hundreds of others is stirring up memories of a massive 1961 blaze that burned 16,090 acres and destroyed the homes of some of America's biggest celebrities of the day. The Skirball Fire burning in Los Angeles County near the Getty Center off Interstate 405 is threatening the upscale Bel-Air neighborhood the site of a fire 56 years ago that destroyed 484 homes, including those of Burt Lancaster, Joan Fontaine and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Tom Hanks said he wasn't surprised to hear about the accusations of sexual misconduct against film producer Harvey Weinstein, but added, "I can't say I witnessed it." The Hollywood actor opened up about the scandal gripping Hollywood when he paid a visit to San Francisco for the City Arts & Lectures program at the Nourse Theater this fall. (The talk aired for the first time on KQED on Dec. 3.) At the end of his conversation with Bay Area author Dave Eggers, a member of the audience brought up the topic that has made headlines for weeks. The Academy Awardwinning actor had a lot to say. He said it's the people who want to hold power and influence who cause trouble, and these sorts of people are found in all lines of work, whether Hollywood or Wall Street. RELATED GALLERY: 13 facts about Tom Hanks "And the people who do that are kind of obvious they demonstrate it in more than one way in the course of doing businesses with them," he said. "It doesn't matter if you do good work or bad work, the end result, the main purchase that they're trying to get is influence over you. "There are plenty of people of every type, in every line of work, who say, 'Here's how power works. When I am in a position of power over you, I can reward you or I can punish you by whatever whim I choose. And that whim is sexual favors that I am going to demand of you. And if you don't like those rules, get out of business, too bad, because this is the way it works. I have earned this position in order to hold sway over you.'" Hanks added that there are no excuses for this sort of behavior, saying it's "predatory," "illegal" and "cause for dismissal." He asked how many women in the audience have experienced "some form of predatory sexual behavior," and the audience erupted with clapping. "That's a lot of people," he responded. "And it's illegal." The talk ended on a hopeful note with Hanks recognizing that there are plenty of people who would never sexually harass a woman "in a million years." He added: "I think there's going to be a sea change, and a type of discussion that's going to be based on a code of ethics that is not an option to participate in, but is going to be a requirement." CEDAR FALLS | A Cedar Falls man has been sentenced to prison after his daughters were found malnourished and with fractured bones in 2013. Jason Leroy Olomon, 29, pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment causing bodily injury and one count of misdemeanor child endangerment, and on Monday was sentenced to up to seven years in prison. The sentence included a five-year term for the felony charge added to a two-year term for the misdemeanor charge. There is no mandatory minimum. According to court records, Olomon was the father of 3-month-old twins in September 2013 when hospital officials called police because the children were underweight. One of the children was in pain when being moved, and doctors found a week-old femur fracture and an ankle fracture, court records state. The other child had rib fractures that were 3 or 4 weeks old and ankle injuries that were about 2 weeks old. Hospital staff told police that the parents hadnt been following through with recommendations that nurses had made earlier regarding feeding, records state. The children began to rapidly gain weight after being admitted. Olomon was arrested in February 2016. The girls mother, Lucy Ann Schnieders, was arrested on similar charges in 2013 in connection with the injuries, and she was sentenced to prison in 2014 after entering Alford pleas, not admitting guilt but contending she would likely be convicted if the case went to trial. CEDAR FALLS One person has been arrested in connection with the death of a Cedar Falls hunter whose body was found near Lake Rathbun. According to court records, authorities have filed first-degree murder charges against Ethan Landon Davis, 27, of Promise City, in the death of 31-year-old Curtis Ross. Ross had traveled to Appanoose County on Nov. 23 to retrieve hunting equipment he had previously set out, and he was reported missing on Nov. 25 after he failed to return to a home where he had been staying. His truck was discovered near the entrance to the Rathbun Lake hunting area, and his body was found later that day. An autopsy determined he had been shot and stabbed numerous times. Investigators found ammunition and ammo magazines in the area of Ross body as well as spent shell casings from a rifle and a large area of blood. Fingerprints on some of the items pointed to Davis, according to court records, and authorities searched his Promise City mobile home, which sat on more than 400 acres of property belonging to his parents. Authorities also found Davis vehicle hidden, and tests found traces of blood, records state. They also found a rifle hidden under farm equipment on a remote area of the property, and the weapon had blood and Daviss fingerprints, records state. Ballistics tests showed casings from the scene matched the rifle, records state. Davis was arrested on unrelated charges on Nov. 25 and has been in jail since then. A brief list of things that talky, period drawing-room dramas can do well: They can make our political and intellectual debates sparkle with life, poetry and urgency. And they can envision complicated minds and hearts, spinning webs of relationships so rich as to reveal ourselves, our families and our societies in a new light. When a show of this genre has neither of these virtues, whats left? If Berkeley Reps Watch on the Rhine, which opened Monday, Dec. 4, is any indication, not much more than storyboard. Lillian Hellmans 1941 drama, directed by Lisa Peterson, is the kind of play in which characters spend an incomprehensible amount of time idly riffling through the bills and advertisements that come in the mail or obsessing about when breakfast will be served. Worse still, in the opening moments, moneyed matriarch Fanny Farrelly (Caitlin OConnell) spends so much time counting down the minutes till her long-lost daughter Sara (Sarah Agnew) returns from Europe that you cant help comparing the plays internal clock to your own Have 13 minutes really passed? which is never a good sign for a work of theater. Youve seen this sort of play before where everyone is required, by law, to walk around with a dour expression, as if a cloud of permanent indigestion hangs over the Farrellys Washington, D.C., mansion, afflicting all who cross its threshold. Or where the staging merely groups and regroups the multigenerational clan into various holiday-card-ready portraits the women with their sewing perched just so, the men with their books displayed for best effect. And it really does look great: Neil Patels magisterial set whose living room has not merely a tray ceiling and intricate crown molding, but ornamental medallions in the corners of its intricate crown molding is so handsome it should be illegal in an insane real estate market like the Bay Areas. But its a dark, imposing living room, one meant to intimidate rather than comfort, one where even the palettes of wall paintings seem starved for light. The shows politics are just as musty. In Watch on the Rhine, you can tell that everything will be all right when the family can once again rest its hopes on the prettiness of a young girl, or when it can finally let its milquetoast of a scion out from under the shadow of his dead father. Supposedly, the characters have politics, too. Saras German husband, Kurt (Elijah Alexander), is an antifascist, whereas Teck (Jonathan Walker) a Romanian houseguest of Fannys whos long overstayed his welcome has opposite sympathies. But rather than let the characters spar over their beliefs, which might have been interesting, the play has to spend most of its time constructing the elaborate scaffolding necessary to make it possible for these improbable housemates to find their way into the same room and then keep them there long enough for them to come to blows. When the play stirs real emotion (and mostly, the acting is only as serviceable as the writing), its atavistic, like youre responding to an archetype prodigal daughter returns home to mothers arms; idealistic man makes speech sacrificing self to ideals rather than anything specific to the play. The shows bid for contemporary relevance makes sense. Teck, once a nobleman but now penniless and jobless, whose favorite hobby is to gaslight his wife, Marthe (Kate Guentzel), might have worn a MAGA hat today. And the drama makes a timelessly worthy point about how in a just society, no one, not even the most privileged, ought to be insulated from the cost of freedom, the fight for American ideals. We cant continuously hope that someone else will do the work of resisting. But parallels alone do not relevance make. For that, we also need characters and stakes we can care about. Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak Watch on the Rhine: Written by Lillian Hellman. Directed by Lisa Peterson. Through Jan. 14. Two hours 30 minutes. $30-$97, subject to change. Berkeley Repertory Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org Lisa Harding Sarah Bush Dance Project celebrates its 10th anniversary season with Homeward, a one-hour performance that considers the idea of home both emotional and physical with a multigenerational cast of dancers. Homeward is derived from Home, an earlier work Sarah Bush created in response to Hurricane Katrinas destruction in New Orleans in 2005 and the political climate in which the rebuilding process took place. This new piece revives that perspective. SIOUX CITY | A North High School student has been arrested in connection with a bomb threat made to the school Tuesday. Sioux City police arrested the student, who has not been named, on a charge of felony false reporting. The investigation is ongoing, according to a Sioux City Police Department news release. Police responded to the bomb threat just before 10 a.m. at the school, 4200 Cheyenne Blvd. The message, which said a bomb would detonate at 1:28 p.m., was displayed on an electronic message board on an online video game. Approximately 1,500 students were evacuated from the school and transported to the North Middle School gymnasium nearby. After police conducted two searches of the interior and exterior of the high school and found nothing suspicious, the students were allowed back into the building at about 2 p.m. In addition to the criminal charges, the student could face punishment, including expulsion, from the school district. WASHINGTON Nearly three dozen House Republicans, including three from California, fired off a warning shot to Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday, saying they have enough votes to join with Democrats to pass legislation to protect young immigrants before Congress adjourns this year. The 34 Republicans demanded that Ryan put legislation on the House floor that would legalize roughly 800,000 Dreamers, young immigrants who arrived illegally in the United States as children, who face deportation starting March 5 unless Congress acts. Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, has at times seemed to support providing legal status for Dreamers but has not moved to advance current bills that address the issue. Our goal is to get a lot of new signatures to show the speaker that this is not only something weve got to resolve right now, but something that will have bipartisan support, said Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock (Stanislaus County), who for years has sponsored legislation to provide the young immigrants a path to legal status. The Dreamers, roughly a third of whom reside in California, are now caught in a frenzy of hardball negotiations over the federal budget and a big Republican tax bill. Acting on then-President Barack Obamas promise that they would not be deported if they made themselves known to federal immigration authorities, they now face potential expulsion after President Trump revoked the Obama administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA as the policy is known, on Sept. 5 and gave Congress six months to March 5 to devise a permanent solution. If the 34 Republicans who signed the letter, including Denham, David Valadao of Hanford (Kings County) and Mimi Walters of Irvine join the 193 current House Democrats they would have more than the 218-vote majority theyd need to pass a bill. The question is what the legislation would include in a Republican-dominated Congress. Trump in the past has insisted that any deal include funding for a border wall, but thats a nonstarter for Democrats. And while Democrats are united on providing legal status for Dreamers, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has rebelled at any notion of linking the young immigrants to increased border security or internal immigration enforcement, electronic border surveillance or similar measures. During a visit to her district in September, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, was shouted down by young immigrant protesters angry at her suggestion that border security would be part of a legislative solution for the Dreamers. We are not a bargaining chip, they chanted. The incident followed a White House dinner over Chinese food, during which Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said they had secured a promise from Trump to provide Dreamers permanent protection, along with a package of border security, excluding the wall, thats acceptable to both sides. But both Valadao and Denham said some form of border security would have to be part of a bill. My issue is making sure we can convince members from across the country that weve improved border security and they are able to sell that back to their districts, Denham said. Every district is different, but I think border security has to be a part of this. Valadao said both sides are going to have to compromise. Some sort of border security will ultimately be a component of it. He said Trump could help pull along some Republican immigration hardliners who acknowledge privately that the Dreamer problem needs to be solved. The president could play a role in that, Valadao said. Having the president be supportive would help them move to a yes. Trump has been a wild card in the debate. He has expressed support for Dreamers, but has reneged on the alleged deal with Pelosi and Schumer. With a government shutdown looming as early as Friday, Democrats have enormous leverage. Holding only a 52-48 majority in the Senate, Republicans will need them to reach the required 60-vote threshold to pass a spending bill to keep the government running. They may also need to find a way to pull in Democratic votes in the House because some hard-line conservatives may refuse to vote for any spending bill that increases government spending. Pelosi and Schumer have included protection for young immigrants among a host of issues they want as part of a spending deal. Among the items are disaster aid that would cover the recent Wine Country fires, funding for a childrens health insurance program, and increases in domestic spending to match any increases Republicans want for the military. Several Democrats, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, have vowed to oppose a spending bill that does not provide legal status for the young immigrants. In exchange for his yes vote on their massive tax overhaul bill Saturday, Senate Republicans promised Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., support for legislation to help young immigrants, although they offered no specifics or timeline. Some Republicans have argued that the Dreamer issue can wait until early next year, because the deportations would not begin until March 5. But Democrats by then would lose the leverage they have now with a government shutdown looming if no spending bill is approved, and election-year politics would probably harden positions on both sides. Denham said the main urgency is the uncertainty facing many young people now in college or holding jobs under their temporary protected immigration status. Theres so much disagreement among Republicans its hard to ferret out what their endgame is, said Pelosis second-in-command, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. He said hes told Republican leaders who object to putting Dreamer legislation into the spending bill, Fine ... put it on the floor freestanding, youll get 300 votes. Thats what I think ought to happen. Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead JALALABAD, Afghanistan As U.S. warplanes flew above a cluster of villages where Islamic State militants were holed up in eastern Afghanistan, 11 people piled into a truck and drove off along an empty dirt track to escape what they feared was imminent bombing. They did not get far. An explosion blasted the white Suzuki truck off the road, opening a large crater in the earth and flipping the vehicle on its side in a ditch. A teenage girl survived. The 10 dead included three children, one an infant in his mothers arms. The lone survivor of the Aug. 10 blast in Nangarhar province, and Afghan officials who visited the site, said the truck was hit by an American air strike shortly before 5 p.m. Relatives expressed horror that U.S. ground forces and surveillance aircraft could have mistaken the passengers, who included women and children riding in the open truck bed in daylight with no buildings or other vehicles around for Islamic State fighters. How could they not see there were women and children in the truck? said Zafar Khan, 23, who lost six family members, including his mother and three siblings, in the blast. In a statement after the incident, the U.S. military acknowledged carrying out a strike but said it killed militants who were observed loading weapons into a vehicle and there was zero chance of civilian casualties. Pockets of Nangarhar remain inaccessible to outsiders because of fighting, making it impossible to independently determine the cause of the fatal explosion. What is not in question is that in the 17th year of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, American air strikes are escalating again, along with civilian casualties. Operating under looser restrictions on air power that commanders hope will break a stalemate in the war, U.S. fighter planes this year dropped 3,554 explosives in Afghanistan through Oct. 31, the most since 2012. American officials say the firepower has curtailed the growth of Islamic States South Asia affiliate known as ISIS-Khorasan, which they believe numbers about 900 fighters, most of them in Nangarhar and enabled struggling government forces to regain ground against Taliban insurgents in other provinces, such as Helmand, where a Marine-led task force has helped coordinate a months-long offensive. But innocent Afghans are asking: At what cost? The United Nations mission in Afghanistan documented 205 civilian deaths and 261 injuries from air strikes in the first nine months this year, a 52 percent increase in casualties compared with the same period in 2016. Shashank Bengali is a Los Angeles Times writer. BENI, Congo Faida Mwenges baby boy is nearly 3 months old but she and her son are still not allowed to leave the hospital not until their bill is paid. The 20-year-old in eastern Congo has been detained since giving birth via an emergency cesarean section and owes hospital authorities $190 before she and little Jospin will be released. Mwenge is one of hundreds of thousands of people estimated to be illegally detained every year by hospitals in poor countries worldwide, according to a new study attempting to quantify the problem, which experts describe as a major violation of human rights. The Associated Press found about a dozen other people detained at the same hospital because they are unable to settle their bills. Veritas Investments expects annual profit to fall as much as 17 percent in the 2018 financial year, issuing the earnings downgrade in a notice to the stock exchange following today's annual meeting. The food and beverage investor is operating under the close watch of lender ANZ Bank New Zealand, which wants Veritas to sell assets to repay debts. The company today said it expects net profit from continuing operations of between $3.5 million and $4 million in the 12 months ending June 30, down from $4.2 million in 2017. It expects to generate revenue of $26-to-$29 million in the 2018 year, down from $30.8 million. "As disclosed in our annual financial statements for FY17, the board is considering a number of restructuring options for the group," chair Tim Cook said in a statement. "Accordingly, this guidance is subject to any write-offs and restructuring costs, if any, that are incurred with the implementation of these initiatives." Veritas was granted a lifeline by its lender ANZ in November, with the bank choosing to extend the maturity on $28.5 million of debt, giving the food investor space to complete any potential asset sale. Director Sharon Hunter retired by rotation at today's annual meeting in Auckland, and didn't seek re-election. Shareholders approved the firm's sole resolution authorising the board to fix the fees and expenses of PwC as Veritas's auditor. The shares recently traded at 6.4 cents, valuing Veritas at $2.8 million. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Cambridge-based start-up Nyriad has joined forces with Spark New Zealand's cloud service provider Revera to pilot a programme for Kiwi organisations to manage sensitive data using blockchain technology. "We have partnered exclusively in New Zealand with Revera to drive adoption of next-generation 'real-time' secure and auditable data storage solutions for use in New Zealand government and industry sectors," Nyriad chief executive Matthew Simmons told BusinessDesk. Nyriad was founded three years ago as the first commercial spin-out of the Square Kilometre Array, a large multi-radio telescope project. Blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions where each transaction - or block - is permanently recorded. They cannot be deleted and they are added through cryptography, ensuring they remain secure. Its security, efficiency and speed made it attractive to the public sector, in particular given its potential to simplify the management of confidential information. "Nyriad's solutions have been designed from the ground up to meet the explosive demands of modern data growth. Our customers deal with petabytes and exabytes, not megabytes. Our technology means it is now possible to achieve the security and resilience offered by blockchains at dramatically higher performance and lower cost while also real-time, making it practical for general purpose data storage," Simmons said. Revera chief executive Robin Cockayne told BusinessDesk the pilot programme is open to any organisation, government or non-government. The pilot will provide organisations with access to Nyriads real-time blockchain software platform delivered from Reveras All-of-Government-certified Homeland Cloud. While the government is not driving the initiative it is being consulted throughout its development and activity, he said. Revera's major customers include government agencies, public healthcare providers and corporates. According to Cockayne, organisations face growing risks as they deliver more data-rich services. While encryption had largely closed the door on criminal activity such as identity fraud and manipulation, blockchain technology made breaches from within or without the system all but impossible. Nyriad's Simmons said his company's real-time blockchain storage technology was the first platform in the world that enabled public organisations to prove they were handling information in a way that satisfied strict security standards and facilitated real-time data sharing, openness, and collaboration. The real-time blockchain pilot programme is a world first and Revera is the first customer to adopt the solution for a cloud service, he said. The two companies have been engaged in proof of concept projects since 2016 "to demonstrate the benefits of the architecture for secure data storage, which has been very well received," said Simmons. Revera's Cockayne said the biggest obstacle "as with any paradigm shift in tech capability is the market's ability to embrace and adopt it safely. Old-fashioned process, compliance measures and all the history gone before form habits and a way of thinking and its paradigm shifts that challenge those," he said. The programme has the challenge of providing the education, resources, experience and capability to help the market with this shift, he said. The two companies are now "moving to now bring real-life business scenarios into the programme to qualify, support and develop into viable services," he said and "as with every 'new' wave, interest is always strong." (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Fonterra Cooperative Group cut its forecast farmgate milk price citing weaker global dairy prices and increased production and skim milk stockpiles in Europe. The dairy company cut the payout forecast to $6.40 per kilogram of milk solids, within the range expected by economists, from the $6.75/kgMS forecast in September. The GlobalDairyTrade price index rose 0.4 percent in this week's auction, snapping four consecutive declines, although the gain came on lower volumes sold. Fonterra paid its farmer suppliers $6.15/kgMS for the 2016/17 season and $3.90/kgMS for the 2015/16 season. Chairman John Wilson said the cut reflects ongoing volatility in global dairy prices and cited a 10 percent drop in the price of whole milk powder since Aug. 1. "What is driving this forecast is that despite demand for dairy remaining strong, particularly in China, other parts of Asia and Latin America, we are seeing strong production out of Europe and continued high levels of EU intervention stockpiles of skim milk powder," he said in a statement to the ASX. The impact on Fonterra was being partly offset by a weaker New Zealand dollar, he said. Fonterra also cut its forecast New Zealand milk collection for this season, by 1 percent to 1,525 million kilograms of milk solids from the 1,540 million kilograms it projected in October, which itself was a downgrade.The cut reflected "ongoing challenging weather conditions." Revenue in the first quarter rose 4 percent to $4 billion although sales volumes dropped 20 percent to 3.9 billion liquid milk equivalent and said its gross margin fell to 16.7 percent. Chief executive Theo Spierings said Fonterra started the year with record low inventory after the second straight year of low spring milk collections from New Zealand "due to wet weather." "This has challenged our ingredients business where we had lower volumes to sell," he said. "As a result, sales were down 19 percent to 3.6 billion LMEs." The gross margin from ingredients fell to 8.1 percent from 12.1 percent. Consumer and food service recorded "strong sales volumes in our key markets across both Greater China and Asia with, overall, just a 3 percent decline to 1.3 million LMEs in total volume compared to the record levels at the same time last year," Spierings said. The gross margin in consumer and food service fell to 24 percent in the first quarter from 31 percent a year earlier. Spierings said Fonterra is confident of meeting its full-year forecasts following revisions after the recent Danone announcement. Last week Fonterra cut its forecast for 2018 earnings per share to a range of 35 to 45 cents, from 45 to 55 cents after an arbitration tribunal in Singapore ruled it must pay 105 million euros to Danone in the wake of 2013's whey protein recall. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders Syft Technologies, which makes high-tech chemical sniffer devices to test air quality, reported a first-half loss partly due to fundraising costs but said it expects the rest of the year to be "significantly stronger" as it continues to ramp up spending in key areas like sales and marketing. Christchurch-based Syft, which trades on the Unlisted market, reported a loss of $40,000 in the six months to Sept. 30 versus a profit of $779,000 in the same period a year earlier. Total operating revenue rose to $4.8 million from $4.4 million, but expenses jumped to $3.1 million from $1.9 million. Of that, capital raising costs were $271,000 while sales and development costs increased to $2.1 million from $1.4 million. "The major event in our business over the last six months was the $7.5 million capital raise of new equity which was strongly supported by both existing and new shareholders," said chief executive Doug Hastie in a statement. The funds would result in a "step change" as "we configure our business for the rapid growth we expect." Hastie said the company has been managed conservatively but "this cautious mode of operation has had a large opportunity cost give the size of the potential pie." Syft has the potential to be a large and very profitable company, "but to be truly successful, we need to make greater investment in sales, marketing and customer driven development," he said. One of its main constraints is finding talented people, he said. While staff numbers have increased "we are still severely under-resourced," said Hastie. "We have more opportunities than we can service, more profitable development opportunities that we cant complete, and instrument orders that pressure our manufacturing process." The increased funding has allowed it to be more aggressive on recruiting but there is still a lag as it takes time to recruit and train, he said. The company's core product uses sensors to sniff out contaminants in the air, even in minuscule amounts. It also has technology for the environmental industry to monitor potentially harmful gases, and rapid trace analysis for high-precision technology manufacturing equipment, which can be damaged by contaminants in the air. Hastie said the company's gross margin was higher than a year earlier but less than projected due to higher production costs and fewer direct sales. Syft's gross profit of $2.8 million was at a gross margin of 58.8 percent of total revenue, up from 57.1 percent a year earlier. "These issues are now being addressed as fundraising has given us access to greater resources," Hastie said. Syft recently finalised the opening of its European office and is in the process of opening US and Asian offices over the next 12 months. "My expectation that in three years time, Syft will employ more people outside New Zealand, than within," he said. Looking ahead, Hastie said the second half would be stronger as "we already have a full order book from both repeat and new customers. Our biggest issue at present is producing the instruments we have orders for." The shares last traded at $1.20 on the Unlisted market. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: CHI - 2023 Guidance Update TRA - Weblink for Turners Half Year FY23 Results Presentation General Capital (GEN:NZ) Concludes Goodwill Discussions General Capital (GEN:NZ) Announces Discussions on Goodwill KMD - Trading Update NZME updates investors on strategic progress IPL - Interim Results HY23 NPH - 2022 Full Year Results November 17th Morning Report GWC - WasteCo Reverse Listing - Special Meeting of Shareholders MASON CITY | A man who allegedly killed his two grandparents in Mason City last month is asking for a psychiatric evaluation, because he may suffer from mental illness. Codie Matz, 25, is accused of killing his grandparents, Kenneth Hackbart, 61, and Kathleen Hackbart, 64, in their southwestern Mason City home on Nov. 7. According to court documents filed by Matz' attorneys, Parker Thirnbeck and Steven Kloberdanz, this week, Matz might be suffering from a mental illness that is preventing him from understanding that he is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, what the court proceedings are and related matters. "...the Defendant appears to be suffering from visual hallucinations, paranoid delusions and is very confused at this time," the court document says. Thirnbeck and Kloberdanz, both public defenders in Mason City, have asked Matz be evaluated by a psychiatrist at the state's cost. They added all court proceedings would stop until it is determined whether Matz is competent to stand trial. Thirnbeck, the lead attorney in the case, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday afternoon. According to police, Matz allegedly stabbed the Hackbarts at their home on Nov. 7. He was last seen in Mason City around 8 a.m. that morning, and apparently fled town. He was taken into custody about 2:30 p.m. that day, when an Iowa State trooper saw Matz in the Hackbarts' vehicle in rural Bondurant, a suburb of Des Moines. Matz requested a speedy trial, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 23, 2018, in Cerro Gordo County District Court. BELFIELD, N.D., Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridian Energy Group, Inc., the leading developer of innovative and environmentally-compliant oil refining facilities, announced today that the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) Air Quality Division has issued, for public comment, its Draft Permit to Construct for the Davis Refinery. This Draft Permit is the last step toward an award of a Permit to Construct (PTC) by the NDDoH, and is based on the thorough review of the Davis Refinery application documents, engineering designs, and related equipment specifications, by the NDDoH. Issuance of the draft PTC begins a 45-day public comment period, during which NDDoH will receive and consider comments and analysis from interested parties and the public. A public meeting will be scheduled within the 45-day period by the Air Quality Division of the NDDoH to facilitate participation in the process. Both during and upon conclusion of the comment period, the NDDoH will review and address all relevant input received, and then move forward with issuance of the final PTC. Meridian is hopeful that the issuance of the final PTC will take place in time to complete site grading and other work in 2017, and to launch fabrication of the refinery components by the end of the year. Meridians PTC application as a Synthetic Minor Source was filed in October 2016, and amended in April 2017, to further reduce emission results for the Davis Refinery. The draft PTC issued by the NDDoH is in accordance with all applicable Synthetic Minor Source requirements. This marks the first time that a refinery of this size and complexity has been reviewed and approved (on a draft basis) as a Synthetic Minor Source. Meridian believes this demonstrates that the application documents, and the extensive underlying engineering effort, supports its contention that the Davis Refinery will be able to attain the Lowest Achievable Emission Rates (LAER) possible. Meridian CEO William Prentice on the Issued Draft Permit: We are extremely proud to have achieved this milestone in the permitting process. Publication of this Draft Permit acknowledges the tireless work performed by the entire team Meridian, SEH, Vepica, ZIA and many others, and the efforts of the NDDoH staff. We continued to push the limits of technical innovation throughout this process, and never stopped seeking opportunities to make the Davis Refinery as clean as it could possibly be. Prentice then added on the review process and path ahead: We fully appreciate the thorough and meticulous review performed by the NDDoH, which held us accountable at every phase of the review process. We look forward to the next step in the process as administered by NDDoH, since it will allow the community and interested parties to learn how Meridians design efforts, which included modifications made as a result of the rigorous review by the Department of Health, have ensured that the Davis Refinery will operate in full compliance with the law and in a manner that is responsive to the concerns of the local community. The Davis Refinery will indeed be the cleanest refinery on the planet when completed. Andreina Pena, Environmental Manager at Vepica USA on the overall permit to construct process: From the beginning, Meridian focused the engineering for the Davis Refinery on demonstrating that the sustainable development of a project of this magnitude is feasible near the source of the feedstock, in the heart of the Bakken. Meridian firmly believes that doing what is environmentally responsible does not need to be mandated by regulatory requirements, and that environmental and commercial viability are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, the selection of the proper control technology, whether or not mandated by current regulations, makes sense from an operations, community, environmental and investor point of view. With the issuance of a Draft Permit to Construct, the NDDoH has further validated that current, proven control technologies, when sensibly implemented, can ensure a project of this scope can be classified as a synthetic minor source. Eddie Martinez, CEO Zia Engineering & Environmental Consultants LLC. on the review process: This is a major step towards issuance of the Permit to Construct for the proposed project. With this action, the NDDoH is indicating that it is finished with the initial review of the application documents, has found the documents to be administratively complete and accurate and that they intend to proceed with consideration of permit issuance. This culminates more than a year of effort in design, detailed analysis and modeling of the facility to get to this point, and this establishes a new benchmark in the industry related to how a project of this nature can be compatible and environmentally responsible. Martinez added: We are excited to take this step and look forward to proceeding with the public and outside agency comment process. We also wish to compliment the NDDoH in working proactively with Meridian and our staff throughout the review process. Based on our work on projects of similar magnitude, we can say that the Departments review has been extremely thorough to this point, and that NDDoH has been very professional in its request for follow up data and questions. We are confident that the overall process will very soon result in the formal issuance of the Permit to Construct and the start of actual facility construction. About Meridian Energy Group, Inc. The Mission of Meridian Energy Group, Inc. is to provide long-term shareholder value through the development and operation of the cleanest, most efficient and environmentally-compliant crude oil refineries in the world, benefiting the community and its investors. Established in 2013, Meridian is led by industry experts with a combined 500 years of world-class expertise in energy & hydrocarbon processing, project development, finance, and large capital project management. Meridian Energy Group, Inc. current headquarters is in Belfield, ND. For more information, visit: http://www.meridianenergygroupinc.com. Media Contact: Mark Hanes TallGrass Public Relations Email: mark.hanes@tallgrasspr.com Mobile: (917) 359-0697 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier Health Group Inc. (Premier, PHGI or the Company) (CSE:PHGI) is pleased to announce it is engaging legal counsel and a capital market advisory firm to prepare an application to list on the OTCQB in the US and to obtain DTC eligibility. The Company feels this will complement its profile in the USA where it is expected to draw more patients to its clinic in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Premier is a Canadian company that is strategically poised to take advantage of business opportunities in the global health care industry. We are developing innovative health care approaches that combine human skill based expertise with emerging technologies, and will set the gold standard for services in locations of interest worldwide. The first phase of PHGs international growth strategy has focused on the Dominican Republic. This country has a highly developed infrastructure as well as the largest and fastest growing economy in the Caribbean and Latin American region. For further information, please contact: Donald Gordon, CFO (604) 617-7221 Dagcorp123@gmail.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brenda Rasmussen Director, CEO Statements in this news release may be viewed as forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. There are no assurances the company can fulfill such forward-looking statements and the company undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Such forward-looking statements are only predictions; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing the company, some of which are beyond the companys control. No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- "I love you." Dantey Moore, the repeat offender accused of brutally knifing a 63-year-old grandmother to death in West Brighton last week, turned to the back of Justice Wayne Ozzi's courtroom where his ex-girlfriend and brother were sitting and said those words on Wednesday as court officers escorted him out a side door to a holding cell. It was one of the few things Moore said at his arraignment in state Supreme Court, St. George, on second-degree murder and other charges lodged against him in a six-count indictment for allegedly killing Geetha Howie on Nov. 27. The bearded defendant, who was garbed in a brown jacket and tan pants, stated his name for the record and confirmed Maria Guastella is his lawyer. He said nothing else. Guastella pleaded not guilty to the charges on the West Brighton resident's behalf. Ozzi adjourned the case to Jan. 4 for a conference; Moore, 27, remains held without bail. Besides second-degree murder, Moore is charged with three counts of assault and two counts of criminal weapon possession. The assault charges pertain to an attack on Mark Long, 56, a Good Samaritan who Moore allegedly slashed when Long came to Howie's aid. Guastella declined comment outside court. "The senseless killing of Geetha Howie is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time," said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon in a statement. "The prosecutors on this case will work tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable for these violent attacks against two innocent people." Authorities said the defendant and victim did not know each other. Prosecutors allege Moore walked up to Howie, a lab technician, around 2:14 p.m. on the corner of Bement Avenue and Bement Court and, without provocation, stabbed her multiple times in the face and torso. The victim was returning home from the bank, her husband said. When Long approached him, Moore slashed Long on the arm, dropped the knife and cradled Howie, according to witnesses. "He said something about, 'She cheated, she cheated on me,'" Long told the Advance. "I didn't know what he meant by that." Police described Moore, a West Brighton resident, as "emotionally disturbed" at the time of the incident. Family members said Howie immigrated to Staten Island from Sri Lanka 30 years ago with her husband, David. They had planned to return to Sri Lanka for an upcoming wedding where they would reunite with family she hadn't seen in years. Moore was well-known to authorities. He has 15 criminal convictions on his record, all but one for misdemeanors, said a law enforcement source. Most of Moore's recent convictions were for criminal contempt for violating orders of protection, instructing him to stay away from his girlfriend and her mother. President Donald Trump's White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner speaks during the Saban Forum 2017 in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In their thirst for easy money, a Staten Island man and four others illegally raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars by inflating the number of recyclable bottles and cans their company actually brought to redemption centers for reimbursement, authorities allege. Borough resident Vladimir Zabrodin, 32, was arrested Tuesday and charged in the alleged scheme along with Brooklyn residents Ruslan Kadirov, 32, Eldar and Nasim Rakhamimov, both 46, and Bay Shore, Long Island resident Joseph Finneran, 64, said officials. The scam ran for more than a year from September 2016 through Monday, authorities said. The defendants established a company to receive recyclable bottles and cans from the public to whom they paid a five-cent deposit fee under the state's Returnable Container Act, said a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court. The company then transported the materials for redemption mainly to two bottling companies. They were reimbursed the five-cent deposit fee, plus a $.035-cent handling fee per container, the complaint said. Working with a co-conspirator at the redemption center, the defendants inflated the number of empty beverage containers they supplied to illegally boost their reimbursement for bottle deposits and handling fees, the complaint said. On at least two occasions, the number of 12-ounce cans they claimed for reimbursement had been increased by more than 50 percent of the actual total, said the complaint. The defendants doctored invoices, "redeemed" the same bottles twice, and also impermissibly collected bottles from New Jersey, said authorities. They also payed and received kickbacks, officials said. The defendants were each charged with one count of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, said authorities. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Public records indicate Zabrodin lives on Lighthouse Hill. Attempts to obtain his telephone listing were unsuccessful. His lawyer's name wasn't immediately available. The arrests were announced by Manhattan federal prosecutors, the FBI, the NYPD, and the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Signatures Inc. (TSX-V:DXD) (OTCQB:TDSGF) (FSE:3D0) (the "Company" or "3DS") is pleased to announce that its previously disclosed non-brokered private placement (the Private Placement) has been fully subscribed for and has closed for aggregate gross proceeds to 3DS of $1,622,673. The Private Placement involved the sale of 8,113,365 units (the Units) at a price of $0.20 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant exercisable at $0.35 until December 5, 2022. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid certain finders a cash commission totalling $91,704, equal to 6% of the gross proceeds raised under the Private Placement by these finders, and issued such finders a total of 458,520 non-transferrable warrants (each, a Finders Warrant), equal to 6% of the number of Units issued by the Company to investors introduced to the Company by these finders. Each Finders Warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share until December 5, 2019 at an exercise price of $0.35. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement to fund clinical trials, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Company expects that approximately $750,000 of the Private Placement will be used to fund clinical expenses, including the Companys test for Hodgkins lymphoma, Telo-HL, which requires validation of the scoring model as well as analytical validation prior to expected commercial launch as a laboratory developed test (LDT) in the first quarter of 2018. The balance of the Private Placement is expected to be used to fund general working capital expenses. "We greatly appreciate the confidence shown in 3DS by the investors who participated in this financing, commented Jason Flowerday, CEO of 3DS. This financing has provided us with resources to continue implementing our strategic plan, which includes the anticipated commercial launch of our Hodgkins lymphoma test as an LDT in Q1 2018. Certain insiders of the Company participated in the Private Placement by purchasing an aggregate of 230,000 Units. Accordingly, the Private Placement constitutes, to that extent, a "related party transaction" under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements found in sections 5.5(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than the 25% of the Companys market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Private Placement as the details of the Private Placement and the participation therein by related parties of the Company were not settled until shortly prior to closing and the Company wished to close on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About 3DS 3DS (TSX-V:DXD; OTCQB:TDSGF; FSE:3D0) is a personalized medicine company with a proprietary software platform based on the three-dimensional analysis of chromosomal signatures. The technology is well developed and supported by 22 clinical studies on over 2,000 patients on 13 different cancers and Alzheimers disease. Depending on the desired application, this platform technology can measure the stage of disease, rate of progression of disease, drug efficacy, and drug toxicity. The technology is designed to predict the course of disease and to personalize treatment for the individual patient. For more information, visit the Companys website at: http://www.3dsignatures.com. For further information, please contact: Jason Flowerday CEO & Director 604-428-8842 investors@3dsignatures.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (Forward Looking Statements). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward Looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward Looking Statements. The Forward Looking Statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements about the use of proceeds of the Private Placement, 3DS expected clinical trial and research and development initiatives and the development and commercialization of the Telo-HLTM test as an LDT by the first quarter of 2018. Often, but not always, these Forward Looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimates", "potential", "open", "future", "assumes", "projects", anticipates, believes, may, continues, expects, "plans", "will", "to be", or statements that events "could" or "should" occur or be achieved, and similar expressions, including negative variations. Such Forward Looking Statements reflect the Companys current views with respect to future events, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by 3DS as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant medical, scientific, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many risk factors could cause the Companys actual results, performance, achievements, prospects or opportunities to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such Forward Looking Statements, including risks related to 3DS managements discretion over the actual application of the net proceeds and ability to allocate proceeds differently from what is described herein; the risk that the Telo-HLTM test may not be commercially launched as an LDT by the first quarter of 2018, or at all; uncertainties related to 3DS clinical trials and test development; risks related to the volatility of the price of 3DS common shares; risks related to the possibility that 3DS shareholders may experience dilution; risks related to 3DS requirements for additional financing and future access to capital, including the risk that the proceeds raised under the Private Placement may be insufficient to finance 3DS business objectives; the risk that a positive return on an investment in 3DS common shares is not guaranteed; risks related to 3DS intention to retain earnings and not pay cash dividends on its common shares in the foreseeable future; risks related to 3DS early stage of development; the risk that 3DS tests will not be successfully deployed; risks related to 3DS dependence on third parties, including collaborative partners, licensors and others; risks related to 3DS clinical trial recruitment; that there is currently no market for 3DS products and that such market may be slow to develop if at all; risks related to 3DS reliance on key personnel; risks related to the competitive nature of the biotechnology industry; risks related to 3DS limited operating history, lack of revenue, history of losses and inability to assure that it will earn profits in the future or that profitability will be sustained; risks related to government regulation; risks related to rapid technological change; risks related to the fact that 3DS software may now or in the future contain undetected errors, bugs or vulnerabilities; the risk that 3DS or its directors and officers may be subject to a variety of civil or other legal proceedings, with or without merit, including product liability claims; risks related to the protection of 3DS intellectual property rights; risks related to 3DS limited sales, marketing and distribution experience; risks related to the possibility that 3DS directors and officers may be placed in a conflict of interest as a result of their employment or affiliation with third parties, risks related to 3DS use and storage of personal information and compliance with applicable privacy laws, as well as those risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's managements discussion and analysis dated October 23, 2017 and filed on SEDAR. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in the Forward Looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. In making the Forward Looking Statements, the Company has made various material assumptions including, but not limited to, obtaining positive results from 3DS current and planned clinical trials and research and development initiatives; that the Telo-HLTM test will be commercially launched as an LDT by the first quarter of 2018; obtaining regulatory approvals with respect to 3DS clinical trials which are now ongoing or may in the future be commenced; 3DS ability to successfully develop its tests; assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions; that 3DS current positive relationship with third parties will be maintained; the availability of future financing on reasonable terms; 3DS ability to attract and retain skilled staff; assumptions regarding market competition and the products and technology offered by 3DS competitors; and 3DS ability to protect patents and proprietary rights. 3DS believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the Forward Looking Statements in this press release are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Forward Looking Statements should not be unduly relied upon. This information speaks only as of the date of this press release, and 3DS will not necessarily update this information, unless required to do so by securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Essential Energy Services Ltd. (TSX:ESN) (Essential or the Company) updates disclosure provided in its Managements Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) filed on November 8, 2017. On November 3, 2017, the Federal Court of Canada (the Court) rendered a decision in Essentials favor with regard to a patent infringement proceeding commenced by Packers Plus Energy Services Inc. (Packers Plus), ruling that the Packers Plus patent was not valid and that Essential did not infringe the patent. The MD&A stated that Packers Plus has up to 30 days from the date of the Courts decision to appeal the Courts rulings on validity and infringement. In order to have any claim of damages against Essential, Packers Plus would have to appeal each of the validity and infringement decisions and win both appeals. On November 29, 2017, Packers Plus wrote to the Court and asked whether the Court agreed with Packers Plus position that the 30-day timeline to file an appeal does not start until the date the Judge finalizes and releases the judgment (the Request). In other words, Packers Plus is taking the position that the date of the Courts decision for the purpose of the deadline to appeal should be treated as the date that the Courts decision is publicly released. The Court has not yet responded to the Request and the Judge has not released the final judgment. As such, the timeframe available for Packers Plus to appeal the Courts decision, if they choose to do so, has not been conclusively determined. Essential will communicate when it has further clarity in respect of such appeal timeframe. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION This news release contains certain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. 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 are events or conditions that will, would, may, could or should occur or be achieved. This news release contains forward-looking statements, pertaining to, among other things, the following: whether Packers Plus will appeal the Courts decision; the Request and the Companys communication in respect thereof; and clarity in respect of the decisions appeal timeframe. Although Essential believes that the material factors, expectations and assumptions informing such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date such statements were made, no assurances can be given as to future results and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Essentials actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue importance or reliance on the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements including, without limitation: the possible outcomes of the Courts determination of the Request; the potential impact on the Companys business of an adverse decision on appeal of the decision; and laws applicable to the decision, the Request and to Essential generally; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Essential's public disclosure documents including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release, and in Essential's annual information form, copies of which are available on Essential's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Statements including forward-looking statements are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, Essential disclaims any intention or obligation to publically update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. ABOUT ESSENTIAL Essential provides oilfield services to oil and natural gas producers, primarily in western Canada. Essential offers completion, production and abandonment services to a diverse customer base. Services are offered with coil tubing, fluid and nitrogen pumping and the sale and rental of downhole tools and equipment. Essential offers the largest coil tubing fleet in Canada. Further information can be found at www.essentialenergy.ca. The TSX has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree SAN DIEGO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Injury Law Group, a personal injury law firm in San Diego, announced today that it is expanding its federal practice in response to the increasing frequency of multi-state companies moving cases to federal court to gain a tactical advantage. The firm realized the importance of expanding its federal court practice department in order to give plaintiffs the best chance to win their slip and fall personal injury cases in federal court. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0e2f9185-a4b7-48ae-ae4e-b26ae867871b In many San Diego slip and fall cases, large companies with offices outside of California move the case to federal court on the ground of diversity of citizenship. Diversity means that the plaintiff is a California resident, and the company is a multi-state or out-of-state defendant since it has its main offices outside of California. Moving a case to federal court gives the defendant a huge tactical advantage because it makes it more difficult for the plaintiffs personal injury attorney in San Diego to prove their case. Federal courts require a unanimous jury verdict to win, as opposed to California courts which only require the votes of 9 out of 12 jurors. A spokesman for the firm explained, A plaintiff can win his or her case in California state court by gaining the votes of only 9 jurors and losing the votes of 3 jurors. In federal court, if the vote of a single juror is lost, the entire case is lost. Thus, federal court is a huge tactical advantage for defendants. The firm expects that the expansion of its federal court practice department will enable the firm to more effectively handle slip and fall cases against large companies and minimize the tactical advantage they attempt to gain by moving cases to federal court. This expansion is also expected to foster settlements with large company defendants whose perceived tactical advantage by moving a case to federal court will be significantly diminished. As the firm specializes in federal court practice it will in turn gain a tactical advantage in federal court and welcome the move of cases from state to federal court. Injury Law Group is a Personal Injury firm in San Diego, California. Injury Law Group 101 W Broadway Suite 300 San Diego, California 92101 1 619-255-3900 https://www.injurylawyersandiegoca.com TOKYO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE:6857) will present the industrys most advanced and innovative test solutions for measuring the connected world at SEMICON Japan 2017 on December 13-15 at Tokyo Big Site in Tokyo, Japan. This year, we are showcasing our industry-leading array of advanced IC test solutions, emerging technologies and wafer-metrology systems, all designed to deliver high-end performance while reducing the cost of test for our customers around the world, said Judy Davies, vice president of global marketing communications for Advantest. As the semiconductor industry works to bring IoT into our everyday lives, our broad end-to-end product portfolio has been critical in enabling electronics for a digital experience. Product Displays Booth #2045 in Hall 2 will house exhibits of Advantests newest test systems including the T2000 test modules MMXHE and MFHPE for high-power devices used in the power trains of electric vehicles and the M4171 automated IC handler featuring active thermal control (ATC) and remote operating capability. Also on display will be the EVA100 measurement system for production-volume testing of analog, digital and mixed-signal devices; the compact T2000 AiR system, featuring a test cell for high-mix, low-volume system-level testing of IoT devices; the flexible MPT3000 series of testers for solid-state drives (SSD) and the companys innovative CloudTesting Services. Other advanced IC test solutions in this years exhibit will include the V93000 Wave Scale platform with its enabling MX-HR and RF modules, the T5503HS tester for next-generation memory ICs used in mobile applications and servers, the T5830 and T5833 systems designed to serve the booming market for 3D NAND Flash memories and the T6391 system for testing display driver ICs (DDI). Wafer-metrology solutions to be displayed include the F7000 e-beam lithography tool, capable of meeting resolution requirements for 1X-nm technology nodes, and the TS9000 series of terahertz analysis systems for measuring IC mold thickness and the wiring quality of IC packages and printed circuit boards. Additional exhibits will highlight probe cards, field-service capabilities and financing and leasing services. Technology Forum In addition to its booth exhibit, Advantest will sponsor and take part in an IoT technology forum on The Dawn of the Smart Automotive Era on December 14 beginning at 3:10 p.m. in Reception Hall A in the Conference Tower. Participants in the forum will include Kotaro Hasegawa of Advantests ADS Business Group as well as executives from Hitachi Automotive Systems, Nissan Motor Company and nVidia. Connect on Social Media To keep up to date on all of Advantests activities, follow the industry leader on Twitter @Advantest_ATE. About Advantest Corporation A world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at www.advantest.com. ADVANTEST CORPORATION 3061 Zanker Road San Jose, CA 95134, USA Judy Davies Judy.davies@advantest.com All information supplied in this release is correct at the time of publication, but may be subject to change. Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. The Proper Procedure Poor Richard's Retirement Polar Bear Facts & Myths Polar Bears: Outstanding Survivors of Climate Change. Pilgrim's Progress Trump The Establishment Weather Shop Click to inquire about rates. Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Adam Shirley will next year replace Genevieve Jacobs presenting Mornings on ABC Radio Canberra - and also give Dan Bourchier a hand co-hosting Breakfast. It comes as the ABC also confirmed it is cutting its flagship current affairs programs The World Today and PM from hour-long shows to 30 minutes in 2018. Adam Shirley moves from Drive to Mornings on ABC Radio Canberra in 2018. He will also co-host Breakfast with Dan Bourchier from 8.30am to 9am. This makes way for a nationally syndicated music and talk show hosted by Myf Warhurst (12.30pm-2pm) and a longer Drive program (4pm-6.30pm), which in Canberra will be filled by Laura Tchilinguirian. Canberra media analyst, Coordinate director Warren Apps, said he was concerned the halving of airtime given to PM and The World Today would dumb down the ABC content. The Senate has voted to refer ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher to the High Court over her dual British citizenship. Labor's manager of opposition business in the Senate asked to be referred on Wednesday, saying she believed she had taken all reasonable steps to renounce British citizenship by descent from her father but delays in processing her case by the UK Home Office meant she was a dual citizen at the time of nomination for the 2016 election. Documents showed she was "at the date of her nomination for the 2016 election, a British citizen by descent" and that her moves to renounce in April 2016 took until August 16 to be completed by UK officials. Canberra man arrested over huge drug haul Bangor, Maine, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to help keep higher education affordable for the many students who start their academic careers at community colleges, Husson University is more than doubling the amount of money available to transfer students through new scholarship and award programs. Beginning in 2018, Husson will now offer the Maine Community College Award. Students who enroll at Husson immediately after they complete their two-year college degree are now guaranteed to receive a $2,000 award toward tuition at the university. Husson will also be offering an additional $1,500 scholarship to students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa at their community colleges and have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for all of the institutions they previously attended. Similar to the Maine Community College Award, these students must enroll at Husson immediately after they complete their two-year college degree. The current Transfer Academic Scholarship program provides $3,000 ($1,500/semester) to students who have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher; $2,000 ($1,000/semester) to students who have a grade point average of 3.0 to 3.49; and $1,000 ($500/semester) to students who have a grade point average of 2.5 to 2.99[*] The combination of these two new programs gives community college graduates the opportunity to receive an additional $3,500 in tuition assistance from Husson University. When added to the existing Transfer Academic Scholarship program, students can receive up to $6,500 in scholarships and awards. Husson University is a proud partner of community colleges in Maine, says John Champoli, vice president for enrollment management at Husson University. Many of the students who attend community colleges are from modest means and among the first in their family to earn a degree. At Husson, we believe that these students deserve a chance to get a great education at an affordable price. Thats part of the reason why Husson University has so many articulation agreements with community colleges. More than 85 community colleges in Maine and Massachusetts have agreements in place with Husson that smooth the recognition and transfer of credits from their institutions to Husson University. In addition, Husson has also entered into an agreement with the Diploma-to-Degree program with the Canadian Public Community College system and the University of Fredericton. The University also has approximately 35 transfer agreements with technical centers throughout Maine and New Hampshire. Even though most of our merit aid program still goes to first-year students, Husson wants to do more to help transfer students, continued Champoli. Last year, we were able to provide nearly $12 million in institutional funded grants and scholarships to students who qualified. This year, we are hoping to do more to get financial aid into the hands of students who need it. For more than 100 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies, science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu. # # # [*] Qualifying incoming transfer students will receive one of the three listed scholarships. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 to keep the $1,000 scholarship and a minimum GPA of 3.0 to keep the $2,000 or $3,000 scholarships. They must also continue to carry a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. The Transfer Academic Scholarship is applicable to day-division enrollment in undergraduate programs of study and is stackable with the Maine Community College Award and the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8f40dcf9-bef5-49ee-852b-b9b01b4cc599 Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27f2e86a-13a9-4236-8bf6-e832b176c829 Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/824739a6-cc09-47b0-8c55-053fc116093f The government's health and justice bosses have signed a ceasefire after damning revelations came to light about deep-seated staff tensions within Canberra's prison. Late last year an internal government audit was launched following reports of an internal struggle between justice and health officials at the Alexander Maconochie Centre. ACT's health and justice bosses have agreed to work together on improving mental health services at the AMC prison. Credit:Jay Cronan A confidential briefing from 2015 had previously concluded that the tensions had resulted in psychiatric experts at the prison being undermined, marginalised and ignored. The government audit, delivered in June this year, recommended improvements to governance, information sharing and clinical practice among other changes at the prison. On a public Facebook photo of Yiannopoulos at Parliament House, Mrs Kikkert wrote "He is pretty cool and very refreshing". The self-described "internet supervillain" attended a Q&A session at Parliament House at the invitation of Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm. Milo Yiannopoulos during the function "A conversation with Milo Yiannopoulos" hosted by Senator David Leyonhjelm at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The incendiary British commentator visited Canberra on Tuesday as part of a whistlestop tour of Australia. The Canberra Liberals' spokeswoman for multicultural affairs Elizabeth Kikkert called alt-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos "very refreshing" in a since deleted Facebook comment. Canberra Liberals multicultural affairs spokeswoman Elizabeth Kikkert said Milo Yiannopoulos was "pretty cool". Credit:Screenshot/Facebook Her comment was later removed. While in Australia, Yiannopoulos has taken aim at both Islam - saying Walkley Award-winning journalist and social commentator Waleed Aly was "dedicated to the destruction of Western civilisation" - and Aboriginal Australians - describing their art as "shit". In a video posted on his Facebook page last Tuesday, he told a Muslim woman anyone who identifies as Muslim should be sent back to the Middle East. "If you believe in the precepts of Islam and all of the things Islam seems to produce in this country I think you should go," Yiannopoulos said. From a rubber plantation in Vietnam to the white walls of the Australian War Memorial, the Long Tan cross has found a new home. Almost 50 years after it was dedicated as a commemorative cross by members of the 6RAR on the site of the 1966 battle against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army force, the cross has been given to Australia permanently. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the unveiling of the Long Tan Cross at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull thanked his Vietnamese counterpart for a "great act of generosity" that followed behind-the-scenes negotiations. "It is remarkable that older men who fought against each other during that war bear no grudges against each other now," Mr Turnbull said at the war memorial in Canberra on Wednesday. Since announcing it is moving into blockchain in October, the value of the company has shot up from around $5.3m two months ago to $138m. Credit:Bloomberg Natural Resource Holdings, a small Israeli outfit that has invested in a group of precious metals mines, has seen its share price jump from 105 shekels ($39.38) to 2,615 shekels ($980.80)- a 2,400 per cent rise - since it announced it was moving into cryptocurrencies. The digital currency bitcoin is often hailed by its supporters as a new version of gold, but the claim has been taken literally by one company, with spectacular results. In October, the company announced it was switching to working on blockchain - the database technology -behind bitcoin - and on Sunday it confirmed it was planning to buy a 75 per cent stake in Bitfarms, a Canadian company that "mines" cryptocurrency. The news has seen the company's value shoot up from around $5.3m two months ago to $138m on Tuesday. Mining operations have become big business amid the stratospheric rise in cryptocurrency values. Instead of being run by financial -institutions, the bitcoin network is maintained by computers solving cryptographic puzzles and creating new "blocks", records of transactions, for which they are rewarded in fees and newly minted bitcoins. The growth of the network means that mining now requires supercomputers and enormous energy bills, turning what was once an amateur hobby into a professional endeavour, carried out at companies like Bitfarms. The company is North America's largest cryptocurrency mining operation, according to Natural Resource Holdings' stock exchange announcement. The hedge fund that will soon have a controlling stake in endangered law firm Slater & Gordon has bluntly told retail shareholders not to expect it to protect their interests in the boardroom. At a sometimes fiery annual general meeting, Slater & Gordon gathered enough support on Wednesday to pass a bailout plan that will see Anchorage Capital Group take a 95 per cent ownership stake in the company in exchange for forgiving some of the listed law firm's massive debts. Law firm Slater & Gordon has been hit with a discrimination claim by one of its former employees. Existing shareholders' will be reduced to 5 per cent of the share registry, and their shares will be consolidated on a 1 for 100 basis under the plan. That will see the stock devalued from Tuesday's price of 4 to between 0.3 and 1.1. The company had warned it risked insolvency if the recapitalisation was not approved. Investors in David Teoh's TPG Telecom have mounted a rebellion against the company's poor disclosure on pay delivering a first strike at its annual general meeting. Mr Teoh and Washington H Soul Pattinson control about 60 per cent of the company's shares. Mr Teoh was ineligible to vote on the remuneration report. Despite Robert Millner sitting on the board of directors of both Washington H Soul Pattinson and TPG, Soul Patts was still able to vote. TPG has copped a strike against its remuneration report Credit:Rob Homer Of the remaining free float about three-quarters of the votes cast were against the adoption of the pay report meaning TPG copped an almost 30 per cent no vote. This is the company's first strike under the 'two strike' rule, which requires a spill resolution to be held determine whether board members will stand for re-election if there are two consecutive AGMs where shareholders vote in excess of 25 per cent against the remuneration report. The Webb Dock picket line is being widely supported by the broader Victorian union movement. Credit:Jason South The MUA claims workers are being underpaid, but VICT disputes this saying typical earnings range from $140,000 to $160,000, topping out at $180,000. "We reject the implication that making an agreement with the only employees we had at the time was somehow unfair or otherwise unacceptable," a company spokesman said. More than 1000 shipping containers carrying retail goods, Christmas decorations, fresh food and medicine remain stranded on Mebourne's waterfront, as a picket line blockading a major container terminal enters its second week. Credit:Jason South In the meantime, people like Mr Tullio are caught in the middle of the dispute and they stand to lose a lot of money while it continues. "It is a bit nerve-racking when it's our money sitting there," Mr Tullio said. It is a bit nerve-racking when it's our money sitting there Joe Tullio "The pears weren't put on the boat because of the union dispute. We can't even go in and retrieve [our container]." Dominic Jenkin, chief executive officer of the Australian Horticultural Exporters' Association said he knew of several other containers of fresh produce being held up on the dock for more than 10 days. If and when Mr Tullio's pears finally arrive in Indonesia, their value will be degraded. "You can't hold perishable products indefinitely," Mr Jenkin said. "This disrupts the trading relationship and our reputation as Australian exporters" Russell Zimmerman, of the Australian Retailers Association, said the wharf dispute was threatening the delivery of retail products during the busy Christmas trading period. "Our concern is that there are retailers who will be waiting for product," he said. "This will disrupt commerce particularly at this time of the year. "Coming this close to Christmas, our concern is that there could be gifts or other products that people would be expecting to have in time. "There could be some very disappointed people." A spokesman for VICT said the stranded imports included EpiPens, frozen prawns and other seafood, toys, Christmas decorations and machinery parts. Stranded exports included frozen meat, chilled cheese, wine, fruit, cotton, clay, timber, lead, zinc and aluminium, hay, grain, wheat and milk products destined for China. The company has threatened to seek damages of up to $100 million it says it stands to lose because of the union blockade. Container Transport Alliance Australia, representing trucking and logistics companies, said many of its members had taken a financial hit after having their trucks turned away at the gates. "It's affecting big and small logistics companies, and family businesses who have sent their trucks down there to pick up a container," spokesman Gerard Langes said. "The cost of the round trip will never be able to be recouped from the customer ... we call them futile trips." Mr Langes urged the waterside protesters to comply with orders to break the picket line, and stop hurting businesses that were caught in the middle. "If this is a legitimate protest, why don't they protest the government authority who said they wouldn't issue the security card?" he said. MUA Deputy National Secretary Will Tracey has said there were 22 workers at the site who did not have a Maritime Security Identification Card to work in a restricted zone and were awaiting processing. Mr Tracey said the MUA was seeking minimum standards for wages and conditions, but the company refused to negotiate with the union. "VICT is continuing a disturbing recent trend by employers who want to engage in a race to the bottom by accepting a workplace agreement voted on by five staff chosen by the company that slashes penalty rates and casual loading," he said. "The Port Melbourne community has decided to take a stand against a company with an atrocious labour record around the globe that should not be allowed to operate in this country." Thousands of unionists and supporters in the wider community are expected to converge on the Port of Melbourne from 10 am on Friday to "take a stand" against VICT. Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union Victorian secretary John Setka posted on social media for union members to join the "Webb Dock peaceful assembly" on Friday, comparing it to Patrick's historic 1998 waterfront dispute. Union leaders this week launched a fierce attack on former Labor Party veteran Linsday Tanner who is a director of Victoria International Container Terminal, and Mick O'Leary, a former MUA official, who is now the company's HR manager. "We are furious at the former Labor has-beens that are dabbling with this company," Victorian Trade Hall secretary Luke Hilakari said. "They earned their careers off the backs of working people, now they are earning their dime at the expense of working people. "If they have a conscience, the right thing they would do right now would be to resign from that company." Fairfax Media contacted Mr Tanner for comment but its calls were not returned. The Webb Dock picket line is being widely supported by the broader Victorian union movement, with officials saying they stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the MUA. Loading Dan van Velthuizen was determined to increase the "occupational aspirations" of students at Warialda Public School and he did just that. Last year van Velthuizen, principal of the school, created the Middle Years Initiative: Wider than Gwydir, to show the students some real-life examples of grown-ups with great jobs. The program invites successful men and women to speak to students via video link-up about their careers and professional pathways. Dan Van Velthuizen (right) with Rebecca Langdon, director of Public Schools NSW. "Having taught for over a decade at Moree Public School, I had seen so many students at the school who were from families where education wasn't necessarily a priority," van Velthuizen says. "Students didn't have role models showcasing an extensive range of career options. Similarly, I had graduated from Nudgee College in Brisbane with a limited view of what career options were available to me." Speakers have included Peter Baines OAM, founder of charity Hands Across the Water, Lewis Holland, an Australian Rugby Union 7s representative player, and entomologist Kirsty Abbott. "The concept hasn't been simply to encourage or push students in a particular direction but rather to provide a platform upon which they can see the incredible opportunities that are available to them beyond their school years," van Velthuizen says. The concept for the speakers' program developed from data highlighting the importance of the middle years (years 5 to 8) in terms of engaging students and enabling them to realise the relevance of their schooling opportunities. Warialda Public School is located between Moree and Inverell, in a prime agricultural region of North West NSW. Van Velthuizen says that before the program began, 92 per cent of students at the school were interested in jobs that required no further education. Now, aspirations have broadened from an expectation of working as roo shooters and farm hands, to a diverse range of professions. Students listen via fortnightly videoconferences to the stories of the guest speakers who are asked to outline their own time at school, what they wanted to be growing up, where they grew up and how they went at school. They then talk about how they got to where they are today. Speakers are asked to offer words of advice and to leave the audience with some messages about what they think is important. While second guessing US president Donald Trump's often impulsive decisions can be fraught with difficulty, the test of self-interest usually serves as a handy guide. Wednesday's announcement America will reverse decades of foreign policy by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City makes sense when viewed through the prism of American domestic politics. The Trump administration, which will celebrate a year in office next month, has been taking a battering. The president, whose approval rating is approaching near record lows at just 37.9 per cent, has moved significantly further down the long and winding road towards possible impeachment over the last few weeks. Albany, New York, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A multitude of companies of varying sizes operate in the global pallet display market. TMR observes that a number of market players are concentrating on increasing their product portfolio and bring innovation in product design. Xinapse Systems Ltd., DS Smith Plc, Georgia-Pacific LLC, FFR Merchandising Company, Marketing Alliance Group, Pratt Industries Inc., Sciencesoft USA Corporation, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Sonoco Products Company, Smurfit Kappa Group PLC, WestRock Company, U.S. Corrugated, Inc., Creative Displays Now, Mirada Medical Limited, and Siemens Healthineers rank among the top companies functioning in the industry. Many of these player are expected to further expand operation in emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India in order to tap into the imminent growth opportunities present in these countries. The latest report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR) reveals that the global market for pallet display will stand at over US$ 1,600 Mn by 2026-end. Application of pallet display is expected to increase at a sound pace over the next couple of years. This is primarily due to growing urbanization in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middles East & Africa (MEA), which implicates construction of hypermarkets and supermarkets in these regions. Rapid development of the retail sector in emerging markets is expected to influence of the demand for pallet displays. Request a PDF Brochure at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=35264 Corrugated Board a Leading Segment Increasing use of corrugated board based pallet displays for showcasing various types of products is driving the growth of the segment. The corrugated board pallet segment is estimated to reach a valuation in excess of US$ 1,000 Mn by 2026-end. This segment is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. The segment currently commands for a considerable market share in terms of revenue. Demand for corrugated pallet displays will remain strong owing to their growing use in large retail outlets. Moreover, brands are using corrugated cardboard pallet displays showcasing of larger volumes of products. North America to Lead the Global Market for Pallet Displays In terms of revenue, market in North America is expected to remain highly lucrative over the next couple of years. The regions market is likely to surge at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. Meanwhile, regions such as Europe, MEA, Latin America and APEJ are also expected to present market opportunities in the forthcoming years. Factors such as increasing brand penetration and robust development of the commercial infrastructure is anticipated to support the growth of the market in these regions. Full Pallet Display a Top Selling Product Type On the basis of product type, the full pallet display segment is expected to retain it top position over 2026. Currently, the segment represent for more than 46% revenue share of the market and is expected to surpass a valuation of US$ 745 Mn by 2026-end, expanding at a CAGR of 3.7%. Browse Press Release at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/pallet-displays-market.htm Convenience Store Will Continue to be One of the Largest End User of Pallet Displays Based on end user, the convenience store segment will a dominant position in the market during the projection period. The segment currently accounts for over one-fourth market share and is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 533.7 Mn towards the end of 2026, representing an above-average growth rate. About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge. Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Every country in the democratic world is grappling with the challenges posed by China's wide-ranging influence operations and Australia is blazing a trail for others to follow. The challenge is to effectively define and counter illegitimate foreign influence without falling victim to the McCarthyist witch hunts that occurred across the West when Soviet infiltration was exposed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull drew a firm and appropriate line in the sand when he said: "We will not tolerate foreign influence activities that are in any way covert, coercive, or corrupt. That's the line that separates legitimate influence from unacceptable interference." The Chinese Communist Party exploits free speech to dominate and undermine its adversaries. Credit:AP The new legislation will necessarily leave plenty of grey areas. Democratic values demand the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and the greatest possible individual freedom.The freedoms of speech and association we value in democratic society assume that citizens and residents afforded these protections are speaking on their own behalf. It is one thing for a citizen to share the opinions of a foreign government and voice them, but something else entirely to speak at the behest of that government. Two Greens MPs have been arrested in central Queensland and charged with trespass, following a protest against the Adani mine. NSW state MPs Jeremy Buckingham and Dawn Walker were taking part in a blockade of the Carmichael coal mine rail construction site at Belyando when they were arrested on Wednesday morning. Protesters chanted "Stop Adani" while police asked them all for identification. The protest started about 4.30am Queensland time, and the upper house MPs were arrested two hours later. When Malcolm Turnbull said "I have never had more fun in my life," it betrayed a certain truth for leaders in these turbulent times - merely holding on to the job, is some kind of victory. On paper however, it should be Bill Shorten who is the happier of the two men, given his side's commanding lead. But 2017 has become a little rocky towards the end and Labor's cooler heads know the most recent polls hint at a narrowing. What's worrying them and encouraging Turnbull are the troubles that could yet bring Labor back to the field in the early part of 2018. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has known for more than a week that his close factional ally David Feeney was struggling to prove he renounced his British dual citizenship, as Labor continues to resist government demands to refer more of its MPs to the High Court. The Senate on Wednesday referred Labor senator Katy Gallagher's eligibility to the court, despite the ALP's continued insistence she's in the clear. She is the first Labor figure to be referred but the government believes four lower house Labor MPs should join her: Mr Feeney, Justine Keay, Susan Lamb and Josh Wilson. Labor believes at least four Coalition MPs have further questions to answer: frontbencher Josh Frydenberg and backbenchers Jason Falinski, Nola Marino and Julia Banks. All claim to be in the clear but have so far produced incomplete documentary evidence. Labor's confidence in federal MP David Feeney collapsed on Wednesday after the member for Batman was caught up in the citizenship fiasco sweeping Federal Parliament. As Labor strategists discussed replacing MP David Feeney with a new candidate if the High Court orders a byelection in Batman, the Greens were circling the seat, saying it is now within their grasp. Fairfax Media has been told that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is "absolutely furious" with Mr Feeney and that Clare Burns, the defeated Labor candidate in the recent state byelection for the seat of Northcote, which is within the seat of Batman, has been discussed as an alternative to Mr Feeney. Neither Ms Burns nor Mr Feeney responded before deadline on Wednesday to attempts to contact them for comment. Environment groups have welcomed the Turnbull government's retreat from plans to curb environmental advocacy but concerns remain about other proposals to restrict the charity sector. Kelly O'Dwyer, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, announced the government would drop its intention to require environmental charities spend at least 50 per cent of donation income on "environmental remediation work" to retain their tax-deductible status. Attorney-General Georg Brandis and Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls with anti-Adani coal mine protesters during the recent state elections. Credit:AAP "The government will not mandate a level of remediation by environmental organisations," Ms O'Dwyer said. The push for a required level of environmental work lost traction after BHP indicated it would oppose such curbs. It's raining pork chops in Canberra. The citizenship declaration process that in theory, was supposed to clear up the section 44 mess once and for all, has simply ushered in a new round of fighting and uncertainty. Of both major parties trying to out outrage each other, even though they both have MPs with citizenship question marks. Amid this, the only truly fresh name to emerge from the piles of paperwork MPs submitted to the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, was Labor's David Feeney. Feeney who has enjoyed only brief and junior stints on the frontbench will not necessarily be a household name. But he is well known in Canberra and exquisitely well known within Labor circles. Before he was elected to Parliament, Feeney held various ALP positions, including assistant national secretary and was a high-profile factional dude. Although they aren't quite as tight these days, he rose through the ranks with Bill Shorten and has been "thick as thieves" with the Labor leader. Feeney was also one of the faceless men right in the middle of it all when Julia Gillard toppled Kevin Rudd. Angelina Jolie has opened up about a range of topics in a new podcast from the Hollywood Reporter. The 43 year old is currently promoting First They Killed My Father, the film she directed in Cambodia. Word is it's a strong contender for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. So, Jolie is doing what most actors and directors do when they have a movie they wish to sell to the academy: spilling the beans on her private life. Jolie spoke at length about her upbringing, and her early acting but let's skip the entree and get right to the main meal: Brad Pitt. Jolie, who filed for divorce from Pitt in September last year, said she wrote and directed By the Sea, (about a husband who drinks too much, and a wife lost in her own grief) in order to try to communicate with Pitt. "We had met working together and we worked together well...I wanted us to do some serious work together...I thought it would be a good way for us to communicate. In some ways it was, and in some ways we learned some things." Jolie is being her usual winning combination of candid-yet-vague-on-details here, so let's dissect this a little. Pitt has admitted that he was "boozing too much" in front of Jolie and the kids for years. He gave up drugs once the kid situation happened, but he didn't give up drinking. The incident that immediately preceded the divorce announcement involved an intoxicated Pitt and their son, Maddox, on a plane. Pitt has since committed himself to sobriety. There is a scene in an old episode of The Simpsons when Homer buys Marge a bowling ball for Christmas with the finger holes cut to his size. While we all laughed, the truth is this piece of cutting social commentary about the genderfication of gift buying is as relevant in 2017 as when it originally aired in 1990 (and replayed 10,000 times hence). A Pandora advertisement targeting Christmas shoppers in Italy. The text says 'An iron, pyjamas, an apron, a Pandora bracelet. What do you think would make her happy?'. December 2017.? Credit:Twitter Jewellery company Pandora found itself on the wrong side of history by about 60 years when its Christmas campaign, launched in Milan last weekend, asked whether a woman would be happiest receiving an iron, pyjamas, an apron or a Pandora bracelet for Christmas. Excuse me, are we in 1957? Surely society has moved past the point when women are expected to cherish a Christmas present that only serves to reinforce stereotypes about the role each member of the household is expected to play. Breast cancer deaths have declined markedly in the Netherlands since a nationwide screening program began in 1989, but mammograms deserve little - if any - of the credit, a new study suggests. In fact, the main effect of inviting Dutch women between the ages of 50 and 74 to get a mammogram every other year has been a steady increase in cases of early-stage breast cancers. More than half of these cancers were harmless and would have gone totally unnoticed if women hadn't had mammograms in the first place, the study authors report. Researchers calculated that for every woman whose life was saved by a screening mammogram, 16 others were unnecessarily diagnosed. Credit:Stocksy As more women were invited to join the screening program and the screenings became more high-tech, the overall benefit of those mammograms fell. In what they called the "best case scenario," the researchers calculated that for every woman whose life was saved by a screening mammogram, 16 others were unnecessarily diagnosed with - and probably treated for - breast cancer. In their other scenario, none of that wasted treatment was offset by saved lives. The results were published Tuesday in the BMJ, formerly known as the British Medical Journal. LEBANON, N.H., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Appcast, the leading developer of programmatic job advertising technology, has been named a Bronze winner in Enterprise Product of the Year - HR Software category by 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. Launched in 2014, Appcast created the new category of programmatic job advertising technology, transforming the sourcing and recruiting process. With its namesake product for employers, Appcast Exchange, Appcast revolutionized the way companies promote job openings online, helping reach more than 120 million job seekers across over 10,000 job sites. In addition to Appcast Exchange, its solution suite includes Clickcast, designed to improve the ROI of performance job ad spend; Brand, which helps attract candidates who have previously engaged with a company career site, applicant tracking system or job board; and Inventory, a supply-side platform that allows job sites to optimize performance advertising inventory. 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. Appcast CEO Chris Forman said, Appcast is powering how companies source talent by powering the recruitment marketing needs of employers, agencies and job sites. Being recognized by the industry press and analysts at the Best in Biz Awards is a terrific honor. It rounds out a very exciting year for our team during which weve enhanced our product offerings, expanded our global footprint and welcomed strategic hires. 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. For a full list of the 2017 winners, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2017-winners. 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. About Appcast Appcast is using data and programmatic targeting to revolutionize the global recruitment advertising industry. From its namesake pay-per-applicant job ad exchange to its market-leading recruitment media optimization platform, Appcast is changing how leading employers, ad agencies, and job boards attract high quality job seekers. To learn more, visit: http://www.appcast.io. Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners. Female researchers are "ghost writing" grant applications and submitting them under the names of male colleagues, because funding grants are skewed against women, new research suggests. "That's not an uncommon strategy and it's simply an attempt to maximise chances to get your research underway," said Professor Deb Verhoeven, a social science researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney. Men continue to receive research grants more often than women. Credit:Shutterstock.com Professor Verhoeven, who had previously analysed data on gender inequality in the film industry, led a team in examining the gender of researchers who received program grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). They found that 89 per cent of those grants were given to male-led teams over the last 15 years. This year it was 100 per cent. Six years ago Thursday, Brisbane mother Heidi Mules went to hospital, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her daughter. But that all changed when the midwife called in the doctor. Her unborn daughter, Sophie, had no heartbeat. Heidi and Ned Mules with their three surviving children, Amelie (7), Max (4) and Zara (2). Every week, an average of 42 women experience stillbirth in Australia, a situation that has prompted calls for the Australian government to implement national guidelines for investigating stillbirths. Women's health in NSW is improving overall, but there are still many communities and age groups suffering disproportionately. The Health and Wellbeing report released by the NSW government provides a snapshot of the physical and mental health of women across the state. Women need to get moving - even a small weight loss can make a big difference. The report also included a summary of government policy being implemented in response to the state's health issues. "We need more of a focus on how we can change the conditions to make it easier for people to eat healthy food and be active," said Jo Mitchell, the executive director at the NSW government's Centre for Population Health. Catholic and other non-government school systems are short-changing some of their neediest schools by hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, a scathing audit has found. The government funds many non-government schools directly, but those which are part of a network such as Catholic schools receive money from a lump sum delivered to that network's central authority. Credit:Phil Carrick The Australian National Audit Office found those central authorities were redistributing the federal funding as they saw fit, short-changing some schools and boosting funds to others. In Victoria, the disadvantaged St Patrick's School in St Arnaud was meant to receive $1.23 million, but instead received $727,143 from the Victorian Catholic Education Commission. One was once convicted of murder before being acquitted on appeal. Another is responsible for supervising recently released jailbirds on work release. And the third is an Uber driver. Now, the trio are alleged to be "the three major players" in a conspiracy to flood Sydney's streets with more than $250 million worth of ice and cocaine. Scott Alan May, 37, was arrested at his Coogee home on Tuesday just minutes after his alleged co-conspirators Trevor Alfred Derley, 64, and Robert Albert Piras, 60, were taken into custody after visiting a warehouse in Alexandria. It followed a year-long investigation involving NSW and Australian Federal Police, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), the NSW Crime Commission and the United States' Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Archbishop Philip Wilson allegedly told a boy he "should be ashamed of himself for lying" and ordered him to "say 10 Hail Marys" after the child allegedly disclosed he had been sexually abused by Hunter priest Jim Fletcher, a landmark trial has heard. Archbishop Wilson, then a junior Maitland-Newcastle priest, allegedly asked the boy "where he got the story from" and told him he did not believe him after the boy protested he was not making it up. Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson arrives at Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday. Credit:AAP The court heard the boy allegedly told the then Father Philip Wilson during confession in 1976 that Father Fletcher "asked me to put my mouth on his penis, where you go to the toilet" while helping as an altar boy at an East Maitland Catholic church. The boy was one of two alleged to have told Father Wilson in 1976 that they had been sexually abused by Fletcher. Facing Glebe Point Road is a Victorian villa, Bidura House, 160 years old and preserved, as far as these things can be, on the State Heritage Register. Behind Bidura House, in an unusually discreet location for a public building, sits a former Children's Court and remand centre. Unlike the Victorian villa, the Children's Court and Metropolitan Remand Centre (MRC) may not be long for this world. The brutalist Bidura Remand Centre was designed by the NSW Government Architects Office and opened in 1983 Credit:Ben Rushton But the City of Sydney and local architects are fighting a rearguard battle to preserve the former remand centre, built in the early 1980s and designed by the then NSW Government Architects Office in a style commonly known as brutalist. The MRC was sold by the government three years ago, and the children's court sat for the last time in July. First there was the argument, possibly over a mobile phone, between a father and son. Then there was the violent struggle that spilled out into a Maryland street, ending with the father in "deep trouble" suffering from multiple stab wounds, and the son on the run. Police have charged a man over the stabbing murder of his father, who on Wednesday night was found lying in a driveway in a pool of blood, suffering from at least five stab wounds. A crime scene was established outside a Maryland home where a 52-year-old man died after being stabbed multiple times on Wednesday night. Credit:Simone De Peak The son, who cannot be identified due to a non-publication order, was refused bail in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday to undergo a mental health assessment. As the man ran off into the dark shortly after 9pm, two John Hunter Hospital nurses rushed to the older man's aid, after earlier hearing an "angry" argument between the two men as they got ready for their night shift. The woman at the centre of a 60 Minutes Sydney defamation case has broken down while describing how she was forced to take a virginity test at a Jordan hospital when she was 13. Nadia Tabbaa testified that despite telling the doctor she had not been with a man, the test purported to find she was not a virgin, leading to her being beaten by her father and brother Omar. Nadia Tabbaa on the 2014 episode of 60 Minutes. Credit:Channel 9 When she asked her brother to repeat her denial to their father, she said he replied: "He believes you because if he didn't you'd be dead". The 29-year-old was giving evidence on Wednesday for the Nine Network, which is being sued by her parents, Mouhammad Tabbaa and his former wife Pamela Tabbaa, over a 60 Minutes program broadcast in 2014. Professional boxer Lauryn Eagle has "been punished enough" for testing positive to drug-driving and its impact on her image, her lawyer has told a Sydney court. Eagle, 29, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday, dressed in a cobalt blue blazer, black pants and stilettos, charged with driving with an illicit drug present in her blood after being stopped for a random test in Peakhurst in mid-July. Lauryn Eagle tested positive for drug-driving in July. Credit:Kate Geraghty Her lawyer Adam Houda argued the methamphetamine detected in Eagle's system, Desoxyn, is not available in Australia and was prescribed to the athlete and swimsuit model in the US to treat her ADHD. She also suffers from persistent depressive disorder, he said, stressing that reports from an Australian doctor and another in Los Angeles confirming the drug was prescribed to Eagle are part of the police brief of evidence. CHICAGO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Family Office Exchange (FOX), a global membership community of enterprise families and their key advisors, will be offering a 2018 FOX Private Family Trust Company Workshop on February 21-22 in Ft. Lauderdale Beach. This workshop will provide updates on how private family trust companies (PFTCs) can be used as smart, durable solutions for managing increasing complexity within family enterprises. The workshop, entitled Elevating the Benefits of the PFTC to a Higher Calling will focus on the ways a PFTC can help develop beneficiaries and provide an adaptive governance structure for family assets. PFTC Executives and industry veterans will describe how families and executives are achieving the highest calling of the PFTC to build stronger, sustainable families. They will also discuss industry risks on the horizon and calls to action. Families with PFTCs or those considering creating one come to this workshop to learn from leading experts and from each other. There is a strong sense of community among the families that attend because this is the only place where it is possible to meet exclusively with others who are governing or operating PFTCs, says Ruth Easterling, Managing Director of Member Services at FOX and PFTC Workshop leader. The last time FOX offered the PFTC workshop in 2016, it completely sold out. Session highlights include: The Highest and Best Use of the PFTC Sara Hamilton, Founder & CEO of FOX, will discuss the roles the PFTC might play in support of the family and the family enterprise, along with how to ensure that strategic planning is done across the enterprise. Sara Hamilton, Founder & CEO of FOX, will discuss the roles the PFTC might play in support of the family and the family enterprise, along with how to ensure that strategic planning is done across the enterprise. A Family Case Study: The PFTC A presentation about the evolution of the Houghton Familys PFTC by Marianne Young, President of Market Street Trust Company, will feature a candid conversation about aligning the familys values to the services provided, adapting service strategies as the family generations evolve, and keeping the PFTC relevant as the hub of the family enterprise. A presentation about the evolution of the Houghton Familys PFTC by Marianne Young, President of Market Street Trust Company, will feature a candid conversation about aligning the familys values to the services provided, adapting service strategies as the family generations evolve, and keeping the PFTC relevant as the hub of the family enterprise. PFTCs that Preserve Family and Preserve Trust The highest calling of the PFTCor any trusteeis to develop flourishing beneficiaries. Hartley Goldstone, Research Fellow for Wise Counsel Research, identifies the risks when this calling is ignored, and the challenges faced in establishing healthy trustee and beneficiary relationships. The highest calling of the PFTCor any trusteeis to develop flourishing beneficiaries. Hartley Goldstone, Research Fellow for Wise Counsel Research, identifies the risks when this calling is ignored, and the challenges faced in establishing healthy trustee and beneficiary relationships. PFTCs at Risk: A Call to Maintain Standards A panel of industry experts will share insights on how PFTCs using unsound practices are putting the entire industry at risk. Key legal, regulatory, and organizational standards that are necessary to ensure sustained operation will be reinforced. The 2018 PFTC Workshop will offer two tracksone for families thinking about creating a PFTC and another for families that currently have one, allowing families of differing experience levels to most productively use their time. For more information on the FOX Private Family Trust Company Workshop, please visit https://www.familyoffice.com/learning-programs/workshops/2018-fox-private-family-trust-company-workshop. About Family Office Exchange To learn more about Family Office Exchange (FOX), please email us at info@familyoffice.com or visit www.familyoffice.com/media-kit. Media contact Marvin Pollack press@familyoffice.com 1-312-327-1200 Pru Goward has "driven past" the landmark Sirius building at the Rocks for 35 years but the NSW social housing minister only relatively recently got to take a look inside. "My breath was taken away by the incredible views," she said. Those sweeping views, taking in the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, are what the NSW government hopes will deliver revenue of $100 million, or possibly more, from a developer when Sirius - home to public housing tenants since 1980 - officially goes on sale on Thursday. Ms Goward's controversial announcement three years ago that Sirius would be sold - with the proceeds used to build new social housing - has been met with fierce opposition from tenants, community members, architects, the Labor opposition and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. One man has died after three workers were trapped in an ink vat in a workplace accident in Sydney's west on Thursday morning. Emergency services were called to DIC Australia, an ink factory in Chisholm Road, Auburn, about 8.50am, following reports three men aged between 30 and 40 were trapped. By 11.30am two men had been rescued, but the third man died at the scene. The body remains trapped in the vat. "The third patient trapped is now deceased," NSW Ambulance Superintendent Paul Turner said. A grandmother has been found dead at a home in Sydney's west on Wednesday, prompting a search for her missing vehicle. NSW Police said the 67-year-old woman's body was found at a home on Chesterfield Road in South Penrith about 10.45am, after concerns were raised for the woman's welfare. The death of the woman is being treated as murder although police have not disclosed how she died. NSW Police have also set up a strike force to find her killer and retrace her movements since last Friday. Concern was raised when the woman failed to turn up to the Penrith RSL to play bingo earlier this week, according to 7News. A neighbour Barbara Dorbon said: "She didn't turn up at bingo so they knew something was up. But I suppose nobody went down, sort of, to knock on the door." An 18-year-old charged over the abduction of a Gold Coast nurse last week will remain in custody. Nicholas Dines, 18, did not appear at Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday after being charged with multiple offences including torture, deprivation of liberty and armed robbery. The nurse's car crashed into a residential fence in Ashmore, with the owner still inside. Credit:Nine News Queensland - Twitter Mr Dines is accused of being part of a group of balaclava-wearing teenagers who assaulted and abducted nurse Joe Brooker, 25, during a meal break outside Pindara Private Hospital on December 1. Mr Dines made no application for bail with his lawyer Ross Oden telling the court his client was already scheduled to appear on unrelated charges on Friday. Award-winning comedian Jeff Green is heading to Queensland next year as part of the Brisbane Comedy Festival but dont expect any political jokes. He says our MPs have got it covered. Sometimes Australia is guilty of not having a lot going on ... then there are times when ... we have Bob Katter and the issues with the citizenship saga and then it is an embarrassment of riches, he said. Comedian Jeff Green said he loved Australian audiences, especially in Brisbane. The British-born Melbourne resident said he didnt often dabble in a lot of political content, especially given it was hard to ridicule the ridiculous. How do you add a twist of silliness ... when the joke has already been made by them, he said. The ABC has announced a major shake-up to its Brisbane radio line-up, switching up not just presenters but the entire programming schedule. A woman will earn a hosting guernsey on breakfast for the first time in years as weekends presenter Rebecca Levingston joins Craig Zonca at the start of the day. Craig Zonca and Rebecca Levingston. Credit:ABC. But the change to the breakfast show itself is arguably more dramatic, doing away with Steve Austins morning program entirely, to run from 6am all the way through until 10am. ABC director of radio Michael Mason said the co-hosting change came after positive responses in other cities. Australia Post's smart mailbox Receva sits on your porch and only opens for authorised parties. Australia Post recently unveiled its Receva "smart mailbox", which it has been trialling in south-east Melbourne. Dubbed a "secure and convenient place" for your home deliveries, it came about from one of the organisation's internal startups and involves placing a physical cabinet-like device outside your home for posties to put goods securely inside. Customers can currently pre-order one for $249. But there's one big problem: it only accepts parcels from Australia Post at present. Authorised third-party companies, such as couriers, are being encouraged to express interest in accessing the proprietary mailbox's key. It's understood no third-party access agreements exist at present but it's feared by some in the industry that Australia Post will seek payment for access like it has with its PO and parcel lockers. Australia Post is yet to reveal what commercial arrangements, if any, will apply to Receva when it launches more widely. Founder Steve Orenstein of Zoom2u, an Uber-like on-demand service. The system is anti-competitive, the owner of an upcoming rival Australian-made product called Chester told Fairfax. When launched next year, Chester will be a Wi-Fi enabled outdoor storage chest that messages you to let you know the time of delivery and weight of a parcel once delivered. Malcolm Lewis, its founder, said he approached Australia Post before it launched Receva but that the company decided to go down its own path of locking people into using its own ecosystem. Chester is another smart mailbox, but will allow deliveries from anybody. Once locked it will only open on its owners command. The idea behind Chester, Mr Lewis said, was that any courier or postman could leave parcels in it before it locked, preventing others from stealing your parcels, traditionally left near front doors. Steve Orenstein, the founder of another Australian start-up, Zoom2U, is tackling the problem from another angle. His courier business enables deliveries at times which he says are more convenient than that of Australia Post, ensuring packages get delivered on the first try most of the time. James Moody, founder of Sendle, says customer choice is key. He said this was one of the biggest problems with incumbent Australia Post's delivery method. "Australia Post always delivers during business hours," Mr Orenstein said. "It's never when people are actually at home and you never know when someone is going to turn up. Their delivery service was always designed around delivery to businesses. But with e-commerce, this changed things. "It's a fundamental flaw as to why parcels are stolen," he said, adding that of the close to half a million parcels Zoom2U has delivered to date, none of his customers had reported parcel theft. Mr Orenstein said the main problem with traditional postal companies was a lack of communications with consumers and not offering them a choice of when to receive a parcel. "If you solve that, then the need for these smart mailboxes is less," Mr Orenstein, whose company has been operating for three years and has over 700 contracted drivers, said. His company conquers this parcel theft problem by giving consumers the choice to receive a parcel from 8 am until 10 pm at night, 7-days a week. It is also one of the only companies in Australia that offer live GPS tracking, lets recipients contact drivers directly, and enables consumers to rate their delivery driver. Like Uber but for parcels, one might say. "When you have had a bad experience with Australia Post, if you don't pick up the phone to complain then nothing ends up happening," Mr Orenstein added. "On our platform, consumers give drivers a rating, meaning we very quickly know if a driver has done the wrong thing." Currently, Zoom2U typically delivers 40,000 parcels a month and is focused on same-day deliveries within three hours in metropolitan areas. However, it has a partnership with bus company Greyhound to deliver interstate, although Mr Orenstein concedes there's "some gaps". James Moody, founder of Sendle, said his company did not see a big incidence of parcel theft, adding that "the most important thing you can do is give the receiver a choice" of whether to leave a parcel behind or not. Moody, whose company offers consumers complimentary parcel insurance, also complained that Australia Post "do not let anyone else in Australia deliver parcels to PO boxes" unless they sign an agreement with Australia Post. He said the consumer regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, should investigate this. A murder investigation is under way after a man was found dead in Melbourne's east on Thursday morning. Homicide Squad detectives set up a crime scene in Cochrane Street, Mitcham, after police were called to a house at about 3.40am and found the 37-year-old man dead. The property was the scene of another violent crime in May last year when 76-year-old convicted killer Manfred Ulrich Kobert shot and seriously injured his 38-year-old housemate Matthew Lovitt. A 46-year-old woman was at the house on Thursday assisting police as they tried to establish how the man died. Canadian police have suspended their search for Alison Raspa as they revealed the missing Australian woman texted friends to say she was lost 90 minutes after she was last seen. Police also said they believe she took public transport from the bar where she was last seen. Alison Raspa went missing in Whistler. The 25-year-old from Perth left the Three Below bar, near Whistler Village's gondolas, about 11.30pm on November 22. Her phone was found about 6.30am the following morning in Alpha Lake Park, some five kilometres away. Ms Raspa's jacket, wallet and backpack were found a short walk away by a member of the public last week. The Chinese government has swiftly rejected claims it interferes in Australian politics, with the foreign ministry, state media and Chinese embassy accusing Australia of bias. The Turnbull government's foreign interference laws prompted the strong response. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China has no intention of exerting influence with political donations. Credit:AP China had "no intention to interfere in Australia's internal affairs or exert influence through political donations", said foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, in Beijing. The backlash to the foreign interference legislation, unveiled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday, is far tougher than China's response to the foreign policy white paper last month. Toronto, ON, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) announced today the following three Canadian credit unions now offer their members Interac Debit on Apple Pay: Affinity Credit Union (Saskatchewan), Conexus Credit Union (Saskatchewan) and Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union (British Columbia). Members of these credit unions using iPhone and Apple Watch will be able to make purchases directly from their chequing or savings accounts at retailers displaying the Interac Flash logo. Apple Pay is transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay thats fast and convenient. Apple Pay provides another great digital payment option for Canadian credit union members, allowing them to shop in a way that is easy, convenient and secure, said Martha Durdin, president and CEO, CCUA. It is a great example of how credit unions work together to provide their members choice in payments. The Canadian credit union sector is continuously looking at ways to provide mobile payment options in response to the continuously evolving member needs. Apple Pay for credit unions is a collaborative development on behalf of some of Canadas largest credit unions. CCUA works with Interac Association/ Acxsys Corporation, Central 1 Credit Union and Everlink to deliver Apple Pay for credit unions. Canadian consumers expect convenience, security and choice when it comes to using Interac Debit and digital payments products, said Mark OConnell, president and CEO, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation. Extending the reach of Interac Debit on Apple Pay to more financial institutions is an important part of our strategy to offer Canadians even more ways to pay. Security and privacy is at the core of Apple Pay. When members use a debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on your device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the convenience and benets offered by debit cards. In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, and Apple Watch. Apple Pay is simple to use with Touch ID, or just double-click the side button and a user can glance at iPhone X to authenticate with Face ID. Other Canadian credit unions involved in the development of Apple Pay for credit unions include: For more information on Apple Pay, visit: http://www.apple.com/ca/apple-pay/. - 30 - About Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) Canadian Credit Union Association is the national trade association for Canadas credit unions and caisses populaires outside Quebec. These financial institutions offer a full-range of retail banking services to over 5.6 million Canadians. Collectively Canadas 274 credit unions and caisses populaires generate over $6.5 billion in economic impact, are leaders in small business lending, and have assets of over $213.4 billion. For more information, visit www.ccua.com. About Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation Interac is Canadas leading payment brand. Together, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation operate an economical, world-class debit system with broad-based acceptance, 24/7 reliability, security and efficiency. The brand is chosen an average of 13 million times daily to pay and exchange money. Interac products and services securely connect people to their money at the ABM through Interac Cash, at retailers across Canada through Interac Debit and the US, and online through web based services Interac Online for online purchases, Interac e-Transfer for money movement, and Interac e-Transfer bulk disbursement for commercial payments. In addition, Interac Flash, the secure contactless enhancement of Interac Debit, is in widespread use at retailers across Canada and provides the service for mobile NFC proximity payments. The organization is also a leader in the prevention and detection of fraud. Media contacts: Canadian Credit Union Association Media Contact: Janet Gibson Eichner 416-232-3458 Jgibson-eichner@ccua.com Interac Media Contact: media@interac.ca 416-869-2017 *Interac, the Interac logo, Interac Flash, Interac Debit, Interac Online and Interac e-Transfer are trade-marks of Interac Inc. Used under license. * All Interac cardholders are protected from losses resulting from circumstances beyond their control under the Interac Zero Liability Policy. See your financial institution for details. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a38baf5-5485-4baa-8ec3-ff9a8999eb57 London: Christine Keeler was the woman at the heart of the notorious Profumo affair in 1963 which rocked the Establishment, convulsed Westminster and ultimately contributed to the downfall of the beleaguered Tory government the following year. She was the central and seductive figure in a searing story of sex, intrigue and espionage which led to the shaming of John Profumo, who was forced to quit his job as war secretary, and to leave Parliament altogether. Christine Keeler, the model at the centre of the Profumo affair, a scandal that rocked the political establishment and forced the cabinet minister to resign, has died. Credit:AP It was a scandal which was both seedy and sinister, uncovering a hitherto secret world of sex, horse-play, drinking orgies and spying, in high places, in which Keeler shared her favours with Profumo, and Commander Eugene Ivanov, a Russian intelligence officer and the Soviet assistant naval attache in London. The security implications - and indeed the security consequences - of a British call girl sleeping both with the war secretary and a Soviet spy were breathtaking. Washington: Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, told a former business associate that economic sanctions against Russia would be "ripped up" as one of the Trump administration's first acts, according to an account by a whistleblower made public on Wednesday. Flynn believed that ending the sanctions could allow a business project he had once participated in to move forward, according to the whistleblower. The account is the strongest evidence to date that the Trump administration wanted to end the sanctions immediately, and suggests that Flynn had a possible economic incentive for the United States to forge a closer relationship with Russia. Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. Credit:AP Flynn had worked on a business venture to partner with Russia to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East until June 2016, but remained close with the people involved afterward. On Inauguration Day, according to the whistleblower, Flynn texted the former business associate to say that the project was "good to go." The account is detailed in a letter written by RepresentativeElijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. In the letter, Cummings said that the whistleblower contacted his office in June and has authorised him to go public with the details. He did not name the whistleblower. Rome: Pope Francis has added his voice to the chorus of world leaders denouncing President Donald Trump's plan to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy there, warning it could ignite unnecessary conflict and threaten the city's status as a holy place for Jews, Christians and Muslims. "I cannot remain silent about my deep concern for the situation that has developed in recent days and, at the same time, I wish to make a heartfelt appeal to ensure that everyone is committed to respecting the status quo of the city, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations," Pope Francis said during his weekly general audience at the Vatican. "Jerusalem is a unique city, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, where the Holy Places for the respective religions are venerated, and it has a special vocation to peace," he said. In especially strong language, the pope added, "I pray to the Lord that such identity be preserved and strengthened for the benefit of the Holy Land, the Middle East and the entire world, and that wisdom and prudence prevail, to avoid adding new elements of tension in a world already shaken and scarred by many cruel conflicts." Los Angeles: At least six homes in one of Los Angeles wealthiest suburbs - the iconic Bel Air - have been destroyed and a winery owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch is under threat as a firestorm in California burns out of control. Part of Murdoch's Moraga Bel Air vineyard, where the 86-year-old Australian has a home, has been destroyed by fire, and it is one of a number of properties affected by a mandatory evacuation order, issued by emergency services today. The fires have also closed one of America's busiest freeways - the traffic-choked 405 - with video emerging of one of the four fires reaching the edge of the freeway. The pre-dawn sky of Los Angeles was lit bright orange with fire as traffic moved at a slow, silent crawl past the inferno until police made the decision to close a 15km stretch of the freeway because of the risk. The tweet is poetic and whimsical, a world away from the dry, jargon-laden announcements typical of PR flacks from government departments. "Nature is telling its story: the mountain, full moon and human beings. There is harmony between humans and nature. Bali is safe," posted Sutopo, the head of public relations at Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency. At 4.52am on Wednesday, Dr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho tweeted a dramatic black and white photo of Bali's erupting Mt Agung volcano bathed in the light of a full moon. But Sutopo is no ordinary media spokesperson. A professor, whose PhD was on carbon in the main rivers of Java, he was seconded as spokesman of the agency after the devastating eruption of Mt Merapi volcano in Central Java in 2010, that killed more than 300 people. Clouds of ash from the Mount Agung volcano on November 30. Credit:AP Sutopo refused three times, believing he was unsuited to the role given he had no experience in communications. "The head of the agency at the time said, 'You hold a PhD so people will believe you'. Those words convinced me." Sutopo has his work cut out for him. Indonesia is notoriously prone to natural disasters floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis. This year alone there have been 2175 natural disasters that have claimed 335 lives and left behind 3.2 million refugees. Sutopo is prolific on social media; providing 24/7 updates on emergencies on Twitter and Facebook and press releases via messaging app Whatsapp, since 2014, the most popular form of social media in Indonesia. In the first hour after a crisis hits, he says, disaster information spreads via social media and SMS. If there is no quick official statement, the vacuum is filled with rumour, gossip, false information, myths and hoaxes. The review also confirmed that the leader of the June London Bridge and Borough Market attack had been identified as wanting to attack the UK, and was under investigation at the time. He was the main target of a police operation which had been suspended twice because of a lack of resources, and had resumed just before the terror attack. David Anderson, QC, at the request of home secretary Amber Rudd, assessed nine classified internal reviews conducted by MI5 and Counter-Terrorism Policing. He said the "fundamentals are sound" at the police counter-terror command and MI5, and "in a free society and against a worsening threat background, it is not realistic to expect everything to be stopped". However, three of the six attackers had been on MI5's radar, either as an active subject of interest (Khuram Butt, who led the London Bridge attack) or as closed subjects of interest (Khalid Masood on Westminster Bridge and Salman Abedi in Manchester). "It is conceivable that the Manchester attack in particular might have been averted had the cards fallen differently," Anderson said. He endorsed the 126 recommendations that emerged from the internal reviews, which included wider sharing of information from MI5 intelligence, including with neighbourhood police. In response to his 61-page report, Amber Rudd said the blame for the attacks "lies squarely" with the terrorists. This year saw four terror attacks in England: In March, Khalid Masood, 52, drove a 4WD into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge then fatally stabbed a police officer guarding parliament, leaving 6 dead including the attacker.In May, 22-year-old British-born Salman Abedi set off a home-made bomb in the foyer of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people as well as himself.In early June, three men led by 27-year-old Khuram Butt drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge, killing two people, then ran through Borough Market killing six more people before armed police shot them down. 45 people required hospital treatment. Later in June, 47-year-old Darren Osborne drove a van into a crowd of worshippers outside the Finsbury Park mosque. One man died, and Osborne has been charged with murder. The report found that Masood was known to police for violent offences and to MI5 for association with extremists. However his file was closed at the time of the attack, no intelligence was being gathered on him and neither MI5 nor the police had any reason to anticipate the attack. He came onto MI5's radar through links to a terror group that had been planning to make home-made bombs, and another group who had sought to travel to Pakistan to train with al-Qaida. However the links were tenuous and no information suggested he was planning an attack. In 2013, he was known to have said he was happy that the September 11 attack had attracted people to Islam, however it wasn't thought enough to reopen his file. There was no clue that he was planning an attack himself until a few minutes before the attack, when he shared his jihad document with his WhatsApp contacts. Salman Abedi, too, had been under MI5 investigation due to suspected contact with a Islamic State figure in Libya, but after investigation his file was then closed. However twice in the months prior to the attack, the report said, MI5 received intelligence that "can be seen to have been highly relevant to the planned attack". Unfortunately the significance was not fully appreciated at the time, and was assessed as non-terror related. A computer "data-washing" system had also identified Abedi as one of a small number of individuals meriting further examination, but MI5 did not get round to discussing the case before he attacked Manchester Arena. In their review, the intelligence service concluded it was unlikely they would have been able to pre-empt the plot, however they did miss an opportunity to set a 'ports alert' so he could have been questioned and searched when he returned from Libya just before the attack. Khuram Butt was the subject of a live MI5 investigation dubbed Operation Hawthorn, opened in mid-2015 following information suggesting he wanted to conduct a terror attack in the UK. MI5 graded him "high risk" and he was under surveillance but it did not reveal his plans, the report said, and he was downgraded to "medium risk" in late 2015. Operation Hawthorn was put on hold for a time in early 2016, because of resourcing limitations in the wake of the Bataclan attack in Paris. It was suspended again in March 2017, and MI5 were uncertain whether he posed a threat. They reopened the operation in May, to assess whether it should be closed altogether. The report said Butt "displayed strong operational security" and even today much remains unknown about he and his co-conspirators' plans. Home secretary Amber Rudd presented the report to parliament, and said it was essential to examine what happened to maximise the chance it would not happen again. "Taken as a whole, MI5 and CT Policing conclude they could not find any key moments where different decisions would have made it likely that they could have stopped any of the attacks," she said. However there needed to be a concerted effort to improve MI5 and the police's ability to use data to detect activity of concern. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for 11.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. Students of the University of St. Martin will be present for this meeting. The agenda point is: Discussion on challenges with the University of St. Martin and experiences and concerns as it relates to tertiary education in St. Maarten 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 SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.com and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent plenary public session on December 6, 2017. The Minister of Justice will be present. This meeting which was requested by MP F.A. Meyers, MP F.G. Richardson, MP drs. R.E. Samuel and MP P.F.M. Geerlings, is a continuation of the meeting that started on Monday, May 22, 2017 with a continuation on May 23 and July 31, 2017. The urgent plenary public meeting will be reconvened on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 14.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda point is: Recent developments within the Justice Ministry including the installation of an Asset Recovery Team by the Minister of Justice and Public Prosecutor. 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:--- Over the next week, the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) holds a recovery photo contest. By means of collecting pictures of the rebuilding of Sint Maarten, SHTA wants to break the vicious circle of international media still portraying pictures of the devastation directly after hurricane Irma. The continued use of those pictures spread the image of the island not being ready to receive visitors even though many tours and restaurants are already open for business. As the association sees progress being made on many fronts, SHTA wants to share images of the island getting ready for visitors in a recovery image collection. Its international partners will assist in distributing the images towards media outlets. Providing pictures of ongoing recovery and reopenings prevents international media reusing pictures of the devastation right after Irma. As many media visited the country to see the damage done by the hurricane, these pictures are often used for Sint Maarten stories as more recent ones regarding recovery are not at hand. SHTA calls on both professional as well as amateur photographers to assist in providing pictures that show recovery is in full swing. Be it showing the nature coming back to its full glory or reconstruction efforts going on, any picture is welcome. All pictures will be shared on the SHTA Facebook channels. The best picture will be rewarded by a day trip to Anguilla on one of Aquamanias Awesome Catamaran Cruises for two passengers. The deadline is set for Monday, December 11th. Photographers can send in their pictures to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . All pictures must be high resolution. SHTA will share the pictures with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Sint Maarten representative for the United States MMGY, and any media outlet wanting to do a story about Sint Maarten. The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace. For more information please contact our offices via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit our website at www.shta.com. SHTA Press Release PANAMA CITY, Panama:--- Managing Director of the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation Tadzio Bervoets this week attended the United Nations Environment Program/ Caribbean Environment Programs meeting on Ecosystem-Based Management in Panama City, Panama. The United Nations Caribbean Environment Program (CEP) and Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) to the Cartagena Convention, have been aiming to promote and integrate the principles of ecosystem-based management approach throughout the insular Caribbean. Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is an environmental management approach that recognizes the variety of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering sonly ingle issues, species, or ecosystem services. An ecosystem-based management approach is key to maintaining viable healthy ecosystems and their associated goods and services to enhance livelihoods of vulnerable coastal populations across the Wider Caribbean Region. With the information gained at the workshop, the Nature Foundation will be better equipped to manage the islands natural resources and to communicate the importance of environmental protection to decision-makers. Given our experience managing the environment and trying to communicate the importance of an effective management of our natural resources to our decision makers, we were especially grateful to be invited to attend this workshop. It is important to include all factors that contribute to the effective protection of our resources, including the importance the ecosystem has in protecting our infrastructure and supporting our economy. Especially since we have experienced a very difficult hurricane season and now realize that we must holistically protect our resources to recover from Hurricanes in the future, both in terms of the Environment and our Economy, it is important that we approach the protection of our resources in terms of their importance to the ecosystem and to the economy of our country commented Bervoets. The Project "Biodiversity for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean through Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM-DSS)" currently being implemented by CEP is promoting the practice of EBM in the Caribbean with the support of the Government of Italy, Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (AICS). Nature Foundation Press Release TEMECULA, Calif., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airbus DS Communications, North Americas leading Public Safety communications provider, has teamed with the Medina County Sheriffs Office in Texas, to expand the companys efforts to improve location accuracy for 9-1-1 systems. This collaboration will demonstrate the capabilities of the new VESTA Map Local solution to help Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of any size better locate 9-1-1 callers, especially those using wireless devices. With more people using mobile devices to call 9-1-1, PSAPs must ask a number of questions to identify callers locations. This takes valuable time delaying emergency response and putting lives at risk, said Jeff Robertson, CEO, Airbus DS Communications. With the VESTA Map Local solution, Calltakers now have contextual information to more quickly locate their callers and ask better-informed questions for improved response time. We are proud to work side-by-side with our long-time customer, Medina County, to bring this solution to PSAPs. An Airbus customer for more than 25 years, the Medina County Sheriffs Office hosts a three-position PSAP to manage the emergency communications needs of nearly 49,000 residents. Like many agencies its size, the Medina County communications team must contend with limited resources, while delivering flawless service. The VESTA Map Local solution seamlessly integrates with the companys VESTA 9-1-1 Call Handling solution, easing the burden of adopting a new platform and minimizing downtown during the transition. The VESTA Map Local solution incorporates the latest technologies and is among the first of its kind to utilize the innovative Esri ArcGIS Runtime platform. This opens Medina County to the power of ArcGIS online maps and extends Calltakers views outside county lines, where no map or GIS data previously existed. Whether a wireless call originates inside or outside the county, 9-1-1 Calltakers now have contextual data including streets or common points of interest such as lakes or streams to help them locate callers. Our Calltakers feel that the new mapping system is clearer and more precise when looking for a residence or key points, said Medina County Sheriff, Randy Brown. Its now easier to look up addresses since the quality of the county map has been enhanced. If a caller does not know their exact address or location, our new mapping system will update the location on the Calltakers screens which decreases response times and provides a more accurate location. This insight is invaluable when handling calls of neighboring Bandera County, for which Medina County Sheriffs Office serves as backup. Calltakers can now access a seamless, borderless map to view locations within Bandera County and surrounding counties in the San Antonio metro area and beyond. Plus, PSAP and county officials can be confident about its use as the Airbus cyber security team took thorough measures to implement a secure Internet connection and mitigate security risks. The Medina County Sheriffs Office joins the Collier County Sheriffs Office in Naples, Florida, as the second beta partner of Airbus VESTA Map Local solution. Collier County currently serves more than 35 positions, demonstrating the solutions flexibility to address the 9-1-1 mapping needs of any size PSAP. For information on the Collier County project, click here. For information on Airbus DS Communications and its portfolio of Public Safety communications solutions, visit www.airbus-dscomm.com. Airbus Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europes number one space enterprise and the worlds second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide. Airbus DS Communications (www.airbus-dscomm.com) Airbus DS Communications, Inc. is a global leader and trusted source for mission-critical communications technologies. The VESTA product suite provides Next Generation 9-1-1 call processing systems, land mobile radio solutions and emergency notification applications, creating smarter ways to keep all our communities safe. Airbus DS Communications was awarded the Frost and Sullivan's 2016 Best Practices Award as the NG9-1-1 Company of the Year. www.airbus-dscomm.com Media contacts Flynn Nogueira Airbus DS Communications, Director of Marketing flynn.nogueira@Airbus-DSComm.com +1 951.216.9699 Minh Le DVL Seigenthaler minh.le@dvlseigenthaler.com +1 615.610.0310 In the first three months, relief supplies distributed to over 26,700 hurricane survivors ST. MAARTEN:--- In the first three months after the devastating Hurricane Irma, the Red Cross has distributed relief supplies to more than 26,700 people on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. However, the heavily damaged island still needs support as families rebuild their lives. The focus of the Red Cross relief effort is now shifting towards helping the vulnerable towards reconstruction. Many families in St. Maarten remain in a desperate situation after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc across the island on 6 September of this year. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, people were in immediate need of basic items such as clean drinking water, food, and tarpaulins. Up until early November, the Red Cross focussed its efforts on distributing these emergency supplies, providing 117,000 liters of clean drinking water, 27,000 jerrycans, 8,000 food packages, almost 12,000 tarpaulins, 140 shelter kits, and 1,300 hygiene kits. Missing persons However, the population needed more than just relief supplies. The severe hurricane paralyzed the islands communications network. Many people were in a state of panic, as family members could not contact each other, and many of them asking themselves: are my loved ones still alive? A total of 481 people from 30 countries were reported as missing. Specialist Red Cross teams based in both The Hague and on St. Maarten worked to identify those who were missing and many families were reunited. There are currently 15 requests for people to get in touch again that are unresolved. In the coming months Slowly but surely, daily life is returning to normal on St. Maarten. However, damage from the hurricane remains evident and, the tourism industry - the islands major source of income - has not yet rebounded. Aid is still needed urgently. The Red Cross is currently working with the Dutch festival organizer Open House to provide breakfasts and hot lunches on school days to approximately 4,000 children at 18 state primary schools. More than 21,000 vulnerable people, such as the elderly and people with an impairment, are receiving Red Cross food vouchers that allow them to purchase groceries in certain supermarkets. This month, the Red Cross is also launching its shelter repair programme which will provide technical expertise and materials to those most vulnerable whose homes are damaged, yet repairable. The Red Cross will advise people on the best way to rebuild their homes so that they are better able to withstand severe weather conditions in the future. This approach allows homeowners to choose for themselves which materials they need the most and provides a boost to the local economy. This relief effort by the Red Cross is made possible by donations. The VNG association of Dutch municipalities has mobilized its municipalities to donate, and the Association of Funds for the Caribbean region of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has also made a significant contribution to our activities. A quarter of the 17.8 million euros for aid that has been donated has already been utilized on providing aid or has been committed to ongoing projects. The Netherlands Red Cross Press Release PHILIPSBURG:--- The latest book by author Loekie Morales, beautifully illustrated by the realistic artist-painter Penka Petkova, named Chella and the Weird Woman/Chella en het Vreemde Vrouwtje, is being baptized on Friday coming, December 8th during its book launch at OBA OBA, Lapa Lapa Center, Simson Bay from 6.00 to 7.00 pm. Rita Aikman, the treasurer of Beyond Kultura Events Foundation (BKE) stated: It is with great pride, that Beyond Kultura is announcing that the book launch of this bilingual (Dutch and English), full colored THRILLER for 8 years and older is published, thanks to the donations of the Windward Island Bank, Henderson Insurance Risk-Management Investment Consultants, the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund and the Representative of Holland in Philipsburg. We are so happy to be able to donate a box of 27 books to each elementary school on Sint Maarten, to be used as comprehensive reading material. Reading is fundamental and is part of BKEs Reading and Storytelling program. Because of using hardcover, the books can be used in our education system for at least the coming 8 years. In this manner, thousands of children can enjoy the reading of such full colored books, with the Caribbean oriented stories. Especially now, post-hurricane Irma, we are happy to be able to contribute to our society in this way. The story is about a little girl of 7, Chella, who is spending her Christmas Holidays with her Grandmother. Granny loves to prepare all kinds of snacks and tasty drinks, especially during Christmas. She sends Chella to her aunt, who lives in the next neighborhood, to get olives and plums. When dusk falls and Chela has not returned home as yet, the whole family is in panic. Where is Chella? Will she ever return safely back home? And what rumors are there about a weird woman doing strange things in her scary house? Penka Petkova, the realistic artist, stated: For me, it is the first time illustrating a book. I feel much honored to contribute to a story that teaches children to distinguish the good and bad in people. It took me some time to get into the painting of the story, but Loekie Morales served as a good guide to push me through it. Once I got it and while painting, I felt the emotions of the little brave heroine, Chella, rushing from the brush to the paper, Penka says. For Morales, Chella and the Weird Woman is the 9th book in her writing career to be published. This story is a particular one. To teach children the distinction between what feels right and what is not, is an art in itself. Morales stated. Morales has published several books like: Zonnesproetjes, Overseas Bloodline (translated in English and Papiamento), Papito and the Story Telling Tree, Bonte Boel, Tropisch Nestje (Tropical Nest), Mina Marina (A Clean Sea), The Magic Wedding Cake/La Tarta Magica Nupcial and Freedom Salsa. The general public is hereby being invited to be at the horror scene of the Weird Woman to celebrate with us! Ms. Aikman stated. When? Friday coming 8th December, Time: from 6.00-7-00 pm, Where? @ OBA OBA in the La Palapa Center at Simson Bay. Snacks will be available and the books at a nice price of $15,00. Beyond Kultura Events Foundation Press Release California Politicians who enacted a "Sanctuary State" misjudged the public mood The shooting that would elect the next US President occurred on Pier 14, San Francisco The Kate Steinle case was always about more than just the Kate Steinle case. The 32-year-old was shot in the back while walking with her father along San Francisco's Pier 14. She collapsed and died in her father's arms. It was July 1, 2015. The bullet came from a gun stolen four days earlier from a federal ranger's official vehicle, where it had been left unsecured and loaded. But the story wasn't about carelessness. The gun was fired by a man who was living on the street, but the story wasn't about homelessness. And it wasn't about gun violence. The story was about illegal immigration and sanctuary cities, because of what had happened two weeks earlier. Donald J. Trump announced on June 16, 2015, that he was running for president. Illegal immigration was not a central part of Trump's announcement speech in New York. His brief remarks about Mexico "not sending their best" people, and characterizing some of the immigrants as criminals and rapists, received intense news coverage, but most of the speech was about trade. Then Kate Steinle was shot to death. The revelation that the suspect arrested for firing the bullet that killed Steinle was a Mexican citizen who had been deported five times already, and who would have been deported a sixth time if not for San Francisco's sanctuary policy protecting him from being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release from a local jail, changed American politics. Trump seized on the story and pounded the message that the nation needed a wall on its southern border. On Aug. 31 he gave a major policy address in Phoenix to outline what he called "one of the greatest challenges facing our country today, illegal immigration." Breitbart Kate Steinle and Juan Francisco Zarate Trump told the crowd, "Today, on a very complicated and very difficult subject, you will get the truth. The fundamental problem with the immigration system in our country is that it serves the needs of wealthy donors, political activists and powerful, powerful politicians. Let me tell you who it does not serve. It does not serve you, the American people." As Trump rose in the polls, no other candidate in the race co-opted the issue and ran with it, which, if it doesn't confirm Trump's assessment of "the fundamental problem," certainly doesn't contradict it. Now he's president of the United States, and that's probably why. rest: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/12/01/the-kate-steinle-tragedy-changed-history/ Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wipfli, one of the top 20 accounting and consulting firms in the United States, announced that Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co. (SJA) merged with the firm effective December 1. This is the fifth firm to join Wipfli this year and the second Milwaukee-based firm to join Wipfli in the last 12 months. We are pleased to be joining forces with Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co., a well-respected firm with a long history of serving businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in the Milwaukee area, said Rick Dreher, Wipflis managing partner. This combination will benefit Wipfli by further strengthening our resources and market presence in Southeastern Wisconsin, which has always been a key market for us. The combination presents Wipfli with opportunities to further add to our talented team of professionals and build on our already strong client base of privately held businesses, nonprofit organizations, and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1954, SJA is an accounting, audit and tax firm headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The firm provides accounting, audit, tax and financial planning services with a strong focus on serving privately held businesses, nonprofit organizations and high-net-worth individuals. As part of this combination, 33 SJA professionals, including three shareholders, have joined Wipfli. When we were presented with the opportunity to merge with a national firm with such a rich history in Wisconsin very similar to ours, as well as a firm with consistent values and a similar commitment to excellence, we were excited to move forward and combine with Wipfli, said Barry Sattell, chief executive officer of Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co. This combination will greatly benefit our clients by enhancing our ability to provide them with increased technical specialization and expertise as needed to meet increasing demands in the marketplace. This combination will also provide our employees with enhanced career opportunities. The combined firm will have approximately 1,900 associates and 48 office locations across the United States and two offices in India. About Wipfli LLP Wipfli ranks among the top 20 accounting and business consulting firms in the nation. For over 87 years, Wipfli has provided private and publicly held companies with industry-focused assurance, accounting, tax and consulting services to help clients overcome their business challenges today and plan for tomorrow. The firms clients include agricultural businesses, manufacturing companies, construction companies, real estate companies, health care organizations, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, private equity firms, units of government, dealerships and individuals. Through the firms membership in Allinial Global, Wipfli can draw upon the resources of firms from around the world, helping businesses whenever and wherever they need it. For more information, visit wipfli.com. ### Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34363d8e-fdd8-446c-b1f5-33a9c07feebb The State of Punjab in India is seeking 10 Indo-Canadians and wants them extradited back to their homeland to help unravel the operations of drug cartels. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urged the central government to push for the extradition of the 10 Canadian Indians and has written to Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to seek the extradition. The cases, according to Indian media have been pending for between three to four years. The state government is aggressively pursuing the extradition of these suspects as their custodial interrogation is important to reveal the drug cartel and its patrons in the state, a State government spokesperson was reported as saying by PTI. The Chief Ministers office identified the 10 as Sarabjit Singh Sandhar, alias Nik, a resident of village Balioun in Samrala, who is now living in Vancouver, Ranjit Singh Aujla, a resident of village Muthada Kalan in Jalandhar district, Nirankar Singh Dhillon of village Apra Mandi in Jalandhar, Gursewak Singh Dhillon, Amarjit Singh Kooner, Lamer Singh Daleh, Pardeep Singh Dhaliwal, Amarinder Singh Cheema, Parminder Singh Deo and Ranjit Kaur Kahlon. Drug trafficking and rampant drug abuse have become one of Punjabs most significant socio-political challenges, even threatening the entire countrys national security in many ways, reported the Observer Research Foundation based in New Delhi. The drug problem has only gotten worse over the years, and was a major issue in the State assembly elections that concluded in early 2017 that saw Amarinder Singh seize power from the Badal clan. A study conducted by the department of psychiatry at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, found that one in six Punjabis are addicted to substance abuse. According to the study, 3.1 million people in the state have substance abuse problems while 2.97 million are dependent on it. People are most addicted to alcohol, followed by tobacco and then opioids heroin, smack, brown sugar, opium, poppy husk, etc. Punjabs proximity to the heroin-producing Golden CrescentPakistan, Afghanistan and Iran makes it extremely vulnerable. Located on a long-standing smuggling route that sees heroin transported from Afghanistan via neighbouring Pakistan and on to markets elsewhere in the region, Punjab, once regarded as Indias bread basket has emerged as a final destination for various illegal drugs. Observer Research Foundation said politics and drugs are inextricably linked in Punjab. It concluded that while drug addicts are being caught, the big suppliers have virtually remained untouched. The Amarinder Singh government has not spelt out clearly how the new strategy to target the suppliers would be different from that pursued by the previous government. Except for public statements, there is no blueprint on how the government proposes to tackle the enduring police-politician-peddler nexus, it said. By Beatrice Britneff New Canadian Media Canadas oldest media union is renewing calls on the federal government to intervene and help the countrys struggling news media outlets, after Postmedia Network Inc. and Torstar Corp. announced today they will collectively shutter more than 30 community and daily newspapers and eliminate 291 jobs. In response to the closures which came about through a publication swap between the two companies CWA Canada is urging the Liberal government to inject more money into local news coverage; to beef up the federal Competition Act to prevent concentration of ownership in the news industry; and to allow non-profit news organizations to qualify as charities so they can be supported by philanthropic funding. In a statement, the union which represents approximately 6,000 media workers cross Canada called the Postmedia-Torstar deal a deathblow to local newspaper coverage. Its a dark day for local journalism and for local democracy, Martin OHanlon, president of CWA Canada, wrote in a statement. This means fewer journalists reporting on the stories that matter to communities and leaves almost no one to hold local politicians and powerful interests to account in many places. Last year, Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly conducted consultations on how to revamp Canadas cultural policies and strategies. During that time, many groups suggested a variety of lifelines the government could throw to ailing media outlets particularly newspapers, which are struggling with steep declines in print circulation and advertising revenues. In a major speech in September outlining Canadas revamped cultural strategies, Joly said the government does not intend to to provide that level of assistance to the news industry. Joly said the government will not bail out industry models that are no longer viable but will instead support innovation, experimentation and transition to digital. The minister said last week she is sorry to hear about the Postmedia and Torstar closures and that the government values the importance of journalism. When asked whether the Postmedia-Torstar deal has caused her to rethink her largely hands-off approach to the news industrys fate, Joly reiterated that the government is looking to support local media while they transition to the internet. But Pierre Nantel, the NDPs culture and heritage critic, argued the government is not doing that. Its absolutely terrible (Minister Joly) has been asked by so many stakeholders, so many interveners she didnt pay attention at all, and this is what you get, Nantel said. You get job losses and you get a voice diversity situation thats going to be lacking. Conservative MP Peter Van Loan, who serves as the Tories Canadian heritage critic, called the Postmedia-Torstar deal disappointing but contrary to Nantel, argued that the government has no place in giving newspapers a leg up. He said he also does not support philanthropic financing of journalism because he believes journalism has to be truly independent. The closures many of which are effective immediately will largely affect communities in eastern and southern Ontario. Through the deal, Postmedia acquired 22 local newspapers and two Metro dailies from two Torstar subsidiaries. Postmedia said in a press release it plans to close all of those publications, except the Exeter Times-Advocate and the Exeter Weekender, by mid-January. The local papers that Postmedia will fold include Metro Ottawa, Metro Winnipeg, Belleville News, Kingston Heritage, St. Marys Journal-Argus as well as a number of Ottawa-area publications. Meanwhile, Torstar acquired a total of 17 publications from Postmedia: seven daily Ontario newspapers, eight community newspapers and free dailies 24Hours Toronto and 24Hours Vancouver. The two dailies and the eight community papers are being shut down immediately, as well as three of the daily newspapers the Barrie Examiner, Orillia Packet & Times andNorthumberland Today. Torstar will continue to operate and publish the St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review, Welland Tribune and Peterborough Examiner. Four free dailies and 32 daily and community papers are being shuttered in total. The Postmedia closures will result in 244 layoffs, while Torstars will eliminate 47 full-time and part-time employees. Postmedia and Torstar both claim the papers they are folding are located in communities that are served by other publications. We were not creating any news deserts, Bob Hepburn, the Toronto Stars director of community relations and communications, said of Torstars 13 closures. (The communities affected) will continue to be served by Metroland publications. In a company statement, Torstars President and CEO John Boynton said the deal will allow the company to operate more efficiently through increased geographic synergies in a number of our primary regions. Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey acknowledged in his companys press release that closures involve letting go of many dedicated newspaper people. However, the continuing costs of producing dozens of small community newspapers in these regions in the face of significantly declining advertising revenues means that most of these operations no longer have viable business models, Godfrey wrote. Postmedia and Torstar said their deal is effectively a non-cash transaction as the publications exchanged have approximately similar fair values. Their statements also noted the exchange is not subject to the merger notification provisions of the Competition Act and no regulatory clearance from the Competition Bureau was required. In an email to iPolitics, a spokesperson for the Competition Bureau said the Bureau is aware of the Postmedia-Torstar transaction and will be undertaking a review of the deal. While I cannot speak to the specifics of a Bureau review for reasons of confidentiality, under the Competition Act transactions of all sizes and in all sectors of the economy are subject to review by the Commissioner of Competition to determine whether they will likely result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition in any market in Canada, Jayme Albert, senior communications advisor, wrote in an email adding that the commissioner has up to one year after a transaction has taken place to challenge it in the Competition Tribunal. Here is a list of the publications Postmedia acquired from Torstar and has decided to close: Belleville News Brant News Central Hastings News Frontenac Gazette Kanata Kourier-Standard Kingston Heritage Meaford Express Metro Ottawa Metro Winnipeg Nepean/Barrhaven News Norfolk News Orleans News Ottawa East News Ottawa South News Ottawa West News Our London Quinte West News St. Lawrence News St. Marys Journal-Argus (and the St. Marys Weekender) St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News Stittsville News Stratford City Gazette West Carleton Review Here is a list of the publications Torstar acquired from Postmedia and has decided to close: 24 Hours Toronto 24 Hours Vancouver Barrie Examiner Bradford Times Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin Fort Erie Times Innisfil Examiner Inport News (Port Colborne) Niagara Advance Northumberland Today Orillia Packet & Times Pelham News Thorold Niagara News This piece was originally appeared in New Canadian Media. See http://newcanadianmedia.ca/component/k2/42838-union-urges-feds-to-help-news-media-after-postmedia-torstar-shutter-local-papers By Catherine A. Sas Q.C., Special to The Post Canadas high-tech sector is booming and both the federal and B.C. provincial governments are welcoming workers with new fast track programs: The Global Talent Stream and the BC Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Tech Pilot. These programs offer strategic opportunities for existing businesses who need highly skilled tech workers or for new companies looking to establish a Canadian branch office for their global tech operations. The department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced the Global Talent Stream (GTS) which provides two categories for bringing highly skilled specialized workers to Canada on an expedited basis. Employers may be eligible for Category A if they have been referred to the GTS by one of IRCCs designated partners and if they are hiring unique and specialized talent. Workers with unique and specialized talent must possess: Advanced knowledge of the industry; Have an advanced degree in an area of specialization of interest to the employer and/or; Minimum of five years of experience in the field of specialized experience; and A highly paid position with a salary of usually $80,000 or more Category B of the GTS features a list of 11 highly skilled hi-tech occupations identified by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) which have been determined to be in demand and for which there are insufficient Canadian workers (LINK: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-...) Employers will need to demonstrate the legitimacy of their business operations and their financial ability to employ the proposed foreign workers. They will also need to work with ESDC to develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan that demonstrates the companys commitment to business activities that will have a lasting, positive impact on the Canadian labour market. In addition, there is a $1000 GTS application fee per worker. The benefit to employers is an expedited processing timeline of 10 business days allowing companies to bring their workers to Canada much faster than standard processing times for work permit applications. BCs Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology has implemented the BC PNP Tech pilot recognizing that The BC technology sector is a major driver of economic growth in the province with tech employment at its highest level ever recorded.The demand for talent in BCs tech sector is increasing faster than supply. The BC PNP Tech Pilot has been introduced to support employers to attract and retain needed talent by providing an expedited immigration pathway for both workers and international students. Employers must offer a full time permanent position to workers or students from a list of 32 eligible occupations: (LINK: https://www.welcomebc.ca/getmedia/0c9acee2-06ea-471b-bc9e-c7547d60d092/BC-PNP-Tech-Pilot_Key-Technology-Occupations.pdf.aspx) Workers must demonstrate that they have the critical skills, experience and qualifications to fill the position. International students must have completed their education in BC or elsewhere in Canada and have the necessary tech skills to meet the employers needs but do not need to have previous work experience. The BC PNP Tech pilot offers employers the following features: Dedicated concierge service to provide program information; Weekly invitations for tech applicant registrants; Priority processing of applications for permanent residence; Outreach and engagement with tailored employer presentations, networking opportunities, and one-on-one employer support; Work permit support letter to facilitate work permit applications; and No need for a Labour Market Impact assessment. The BC PNP Tech pilot offers both temporary and permanent immigration pathways for applicants which provides an opportunity to bring workers to employers on a speedy basis while an applicants permanent residence application is in process. The tech sector in Canada is booming and both the GTS and BC PNP Tech pilot reflect our federal and provincial governments recognition of this reality. These programs offer employers, foreign workers and Canadian international students an excellent opportunity to find secure employment as well as permanent residence in Canada. Catherine Sas, Q.C. has over 25 years of legal experience. She provides a full range of immigration services and is a leading immigration practitioner (Lexpert, Whos Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada). Go to www.canadian-visa-lawyer.com or email [email protected]. TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V:MON) has received positive mineralogical results from surface samples taken during an initial grab sampling program on its Soris Lithium Project in central Namibia. Results confirm that spodumene is the dominant lithium mineral. The mineralogical samples were collected from three main workings from the Soris pegmatites. Three hand specimen samples were submitted for mineralogical analysis, which included XRD and petrography, to SGS Laboratories in Johannesburg, South Africa. The mineralogical results confirm spodumene (LiAl (SiO 3 ) 2 ) is the main lithium bearing mineral in the samples provided. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that lithium is dominantly hosted in primary spodumene and possibly some minor lepidolite (K(Li,Al) 3 (Al,Si,Rb) 4 O 10 (F,OH) 2 ). Alteration minerals such as amblygonite (Li,Na)AlPO 4 (F,OH), cookeite LiAl 5 Si 3 O 10 (OH) 8 and eucryptite (LiAlSiO 4 ) also occur in minor to trace amounts. The tin mineral cassiterite (SnO 2 ) is also observed in one of the samples but no tantalum is observed. The pegmatite samples also show dominant quartz, albite feldspar and mica as the major minerals followed by spodumene. The samples may not necessarily be representative of the overall mineralization hosted in the pegmatites on the property. According to the report spodumene is the dominant Li-bearing mineral and the coarse nature of the spodumene should allow for pre-concentration of this mineral by Densimetric Mineral Separation (DMS) prior to possible further concentration by other gravity separation methods such as spirals and then flotation. The partial alteration of the spodumene in places may affect efficient recoveries of the mineral. Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montero commented, Monteros mineralogical testing has confirmed that spodumene is the main lithium bearing mineral in the pegmatites at the Soris Lithium Project. Spodumene is the most desirable target mineral for beneficiation, concentrate production and sale of lithium from hard rock lithium deposits. Montero has submitted the remainder of spodumene bearing RC chips from prior operators drill program where lithium was not analyzed. The ratio of the element rubidium (Rb as ppm) against lithium (Li as ppm) has been used as a vector to differentiate between spodumene and lithium alteration and lithium micas in pegmatites. This method has been used globally as a vector towards high-grade spodumene mineralisation. In Figure 1 below a graphical representation of this ratio shows the predominance of spodumene from the channel samples geochemical analysis obtained to date. As the number of samples is limited, this data may not be representative of the overall mineralization. The pegmatites of the Soris Lithium Project show evidence of being highly differentiated and zoned, which is similar to the Tanco (Canada) and Bikita (Zimbabwe) pegmatites. The Tanco and Bikita pegmatites show considerable internal variation in mineralogy and chemistry, which is also apparent in the Soris Project Pegmatites. This style of zoned pegmatite has produced zones of high grades at both Tanco and Bikita. Figure 1: An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/11545fbb-7601-45e7-a1fe-c2e94db8c14f The Soris Lithium Project is located in central Namibia, north west of the town Uis which is 220km north of Walvis Bay, Namibias largest commercial deep-water port. The project is in the Erongo Region and is connected by dirt and asphalt road to the port of Walvis Bay. On October 24, 2017, Montero announced entering into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Frovio Investment, a Namibian company, to acquire up to an 80% interest in its wholly owned Soris Lithium Project in the De Rust pegmatite field in Namibia. Montero is currently in a 3-month legal and technical due diligence period. Under the terms of the LOI, Montero immediately earns an 80% interest in the Property by committing to spend C$1 million and completing a feasibility study in 3 years. The De Rust pegmatite field is hosted in the metasedimentary units of the Damara Mobile Belt of the Pan African Damara Orogen in Namibia. The zoned pegmatites at the Soris Lithium Project belong to a group of highly fractionated, tantalite-cassiterite, lithium-rich rare metal pegmatites known as Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites. Lithium mineralization occurs in the form of spodumene crystals developed virtually over the whole length of the pegmatite, although the relative abundance of spodumene varies from one location to another, the spodumene crystals are quite coarse and vary in size with crystals up to 80cm long being observed. The Soris Lithium Project pegmatites encompass several outcrops, varying in length between 100m up to 470m over 2.4km and measured in places to be more than 30m wide. The pegmatites were previously mined on a small scale for tin and tantalum (Diehl, 1992). Recent exploration for tantalum and tin includes reverse circulation (RC) drilling. The pegmatites have not been mined or systematically assayed for lithium. Qualified Person's Statement This press release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Mike Evans, M.Sc. Pr.Sci.Nat., who is a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 and a Consulting Geologist to Montero. A review was also undertaken by Nico Scholtz, Pr.Sci.Nat., a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101 and is a Namibian based geologist with more than 10 years experience. He has extensive experience in rare metal pegmatite exploration in Namibia, having worked on many Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatite intrusions. About Montero Montero is a mineral exploration and development company engaged in the identification, acquisition, evaluation and exploration of mineral properties in Africa. Currently these include Lithium, Tantalum and Tin in Namibia, Phosphates in South Africa and Rare Earth Elements (REE) in Tanzania. Montero is reviewing and evaluating other opportunities from its operating base in South Africa. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON. For more information, contact: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: ir@monteromining.com Tel: +1 416 840 9197 | Fax: +1 866 688 4671 www.monteromining.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Share Consolidation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. COLUMBUS, OH, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellinetics, Inc. (OTCQB: INLX), a cloud-based content services provider, announced it has closed the final tranche of a convertible promissory notes financing and raised a total of $2,000,000 of new money. As part of this financing, the senior secured debt with the Development Services Agency of the State of Ohio (Development Authority) was retired on November 17, 2017, with a cash payment of $525,000. As agreed with the Development Authority, this cash payment satisfied in full the obligations under the existing loans, which totaled $943,216, including aggregate outstanding principal, interest, and accrued fees. Additionally, the funds raised from the offering will be used for operations and investments in a revamped marketing strategy, with the foundations already laid following the September 2017 start of Intellinetics new CEO. James F. DeSocio, President & CEO of Intellinetics, stated, Its great that we reached an agreement with the Development Authority to satisfy their loans. I am even more pleased to see the investor community strongly support our new marketing initiatives and strategies to grow both our direct and reseller channels. The financing will enable us to ensure the right programs and resources are deployed to sustainably grow our cloud revenue, with us able to control our own destiny more than ever before. Taglich Brothers, Inc. served as placement agent for the transaction. The securities being sold in the private placement have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. Intellinetics has agreed to file a registration statement with the SEC covering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes issued in the private placement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. IntelliCloudTM Powered by the Intel NUC IntelliCloud is a cloud-based content services platform that is optimized for work teams within organizations of any size with business-critical document processes. Thousands and thousands of people at any given moment depend upon IntelliCloud to perform their work. IntelliCloud, which is strategically packaged with Intel technology, provides Law Enforcement Grade security and compliance tools and is supported by a growing network of market-leading reseller partners. Resellers often attach IntelliCloud to the software, hardware, and/or services they already sell, without the sales or technical complexity of other less effective options in the market. About Intellinetics, Inc. Intellinetics IntelliCloud platform provides easy-to-use, affordable, secure document management to organizations that have critical document requirements and must always be audit-ready, including health and human services, education and law enforcement. Our customers save valuable time by immediately locating any form, file, record or document, and our superhuman customer service ensures users can remain focused on their mission. For additional information, please visit: www.intellinetics.com. Cautionary Statement Statements in this press release which are not purely historical, including statements regarding future business and new revenues associated with any channel partner, distribution partner, reseller, or other relationship; Intellinetics future revenues and growth; market penetration; execution of Intellinetics business and marketing plan; use of proceeds of the financing; and other intentions, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or strategies regarding future growth, financial results, and other future events are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in Intellinetics cash flow or adequacy of capital resources, market acceptance risks, the success of Intellinetics channel partners and distribution partners, technical development risks, and other risks and uncertainties discussed in Intellinetics most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks. Intellinetics cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Intellinetics disclaims any obligation and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release. Expanded and historical information is made available to the public by Intellinetics on its website at www.intellinetics.com or at www.sec.gov. English French Villepinte (France), December 6, 2017 (6pm CET) - Guerbet (FR0000032526 GBT), a global specialist in contrast agents and solutions for medical imaging, takes note of the decision issued on November 28 by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), regarding the mandatory revision of the precautions section in the package insert of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), with immediate effect. In parallel to the European Commission's decision to suspend the use of non-specific linear gadolinium agents in body scans, the MHLW has decided to restrict the use of non-specific linear GBCAs only in cases where there is no alternative, based on the "higher Gadolinium accumulation in brain reported with these linear agents". For all GBCAs, "the necessity of MRI scan using gadolinium-based contrast agents should be determined carefully" as stated in the Japanese new package insert. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used diagnostic procedure which is critical to patient health and contrast enhanced MRI exams are vital to give physicians a sharper, more accurate picture of tissue than they would otherwise be able to have. There are two kinds of gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCAs), linear and macrocyclic. Although there are many similarities amongst these agents, they differ in their kinetic and thermodynamic stability. Linear GBCAs are generally less stable, and for this reason, more likely than macrocyclic agents to deposit gadolinium in tissue. Guerbet's GBCA, Dotarem, distributed under the brand name Magnescope (Meglumine gadoterate) in Japan, is a macrocyclic agent. Revision of precautions for Linear GdCAs:* "1. It has been reported that high signal intensity was observed in the cerebellar dentate nucleus and globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images and that gadolinium was detected in autopsied brain tissues in patients who received a gadolinium-based contrast agent several times. The necessity of MRI scan using gadolinium-based contrast agents should be determined carefully. 2. It has been reported that more gadolinium remained in the brain with linear gadolinium-based contrast agents containing this drug than with macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents. This drug should be administered when macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents are not appropriate." Revision of precautions for Macrocyclic GdCAs:* "It has been reported that high signal intensity was observed in the cerebellar dentate nucleus and globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images and that gadolinium was detected in autopsied brain tissues in patients who received a gadolinium-based contrast agent several times. The necessity of MRI scan using gadolinium-based contrast agents should be determined carefully." "Following the European and Japanese Health Agencies decisions regarding the evolution of label changes for linear and for macrocyclic GBCAs, other important regulatory positions are expected soon" said Pierre Desche, Development, Medical & Regulatory Affairs Vice President. In the meantime, Guerbet has immediately proceeded to the requested revision of precautions for Magnescope and will continue to work with Health Authorities to further understand the mechanisms and consequences of gadolinium deposition in tissue. * English version on the Revision of precautions for Linear GBCAS and for Macrocyclic GBCAs are published in PMDA-HP http://www.pmda.go.jp/english/safety/info-services/drugs/revision-of-precautions/0005.html. About Guerbet Guerbet is a pioneer in the contrast-agent field, with more than 90 years' experience, and is a leader in medical imaging worldwide. It offers a comprehensive range of pharmaceutical products, medical devices and services for x-ray scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and interventional radiology and theranostics (IRT), to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients. With 7% of revenue dedicated to R&D and more than 200 employees distributed amongst its three centers in France and the United States, Guerbet is a substantial investor in research and innovation. Guerbet (GBT) is listed on Euronext Paris (segment B - mid caps) and generated 776 million in revenue in 2016. For more information about Guerbet, visit www.guerbet.com Media relations The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transwestern today announces it has earned an unprecedented back-to-back No. 1 ranking on the Best Places to Work in New York City list by Crains New York Business, marking the fourth time for the firm to be recognized. Transwestern was chosen out of hundreds of companies from various industries across all five boroughs. The honor follows a series of triumphs for Transwestern, including being named a Best Workplace for Women" and a Best Workplace for Millennials by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine. The commercial real estate firm drew special attention for its unique compensation program for brokers, including salary and bonuses; a formal mentorship program; paid time off for community service; a wellness program including massage therapy six times a year; and a young professionals program providing quarterly networking, charitable and educational events. Its a true honor to be recognized once again as the No. 1 Best Place to Work in New York City, said Steve Purpura, Executive Managing Partner and Northeast Market Leader. This award is particularly meaningful as its a reflection of our continued dedication to empowering our team members, collaboration, and excellent service. Weve had an incredibly productive year, and I couldnt think of a better way to highlight that success than recognizing the people who made it happen. Companies from across all five boroughs participated in the two-part survey process conducted by Best Companies Group. Each companys workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics were evaluated, accounting for 25 percent of the ranking. An employee survey accounted for 75 percent. The combined scores determined the final rankings. ABOUT TRANSWESTERN Transwestern is a privately held real estate firm of collaborative entrepreneurs who deliver a higher level of personalized service the Transwestern Experience. Specializing in Agency Leasing, Tenant Advisory, Capital Markets, Asset Services and Research, our fully integrated global enterprise adds value for investors, owners and occupiers of all commercial property types. We leverage market insights and operational expertise from members of the Transwestern family of companies specializing in development, real estate investment management and research. Based in Houston, Transwestern has 35 U.S. offices and assists clients through more than 180 offices in 37 countries as part of a strategic alliance with BNP Paribas Real Estate. Experience Extraordinary at transwestern.com and @Transwestern. For updates from the New York office, follow @TranswesternNYC. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0711eec3-82e6-4782-bd28-831da6d8b5a4 Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/638de212-43f5-4361-936c-4bb8ab461b02 A better way for governments to acquire the latest in satellite technologies McLean VA (SPX) Dec 05, 2017 New technology such as high-throughput satellites (HTS) have transformed space architecture and invigorated what had been a predictable global market. Countries of all sizes want to leverage the capabilities and connectivity that space can provide. These assets use high-power spot beams and frequency reuse to maximize the signal sent down from the satellite and, at the same time, enable smaller terminals to transmit at higher data rates back to the satellite. This kind of performance is a ga ... read more BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 5G Americas, the industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, today announced the publication of LTE Progress Leading to the 5G Massive Internet of Things to outline the technological advancements that will support the growing markets for wearables, health care, connected vehicles, and more Internet of Things (IoT). This market is predicted to be a key business driver of the telecom industry and its upcoming next generation. IoT will require new technology requirements for its varied use cases. More recently, the industry has created the term Massive IoT (MIoT), referring to the connection for potentially tens of billions of devices and machines, that will require further definition in the standards for LTE and later for 5G. Some cellular service providers in the U.S. are already adding more IoT connections than mobile phone connections, and the efforts at 3GPP in defining standards for the successful deployment of a wide variety of services across multiple industries will contribute to the growing success for consumers and the enterprise, noted Jean Au, Staff Manager, Technical Marketing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and co-leader of 5G Americas whitepaper LTE Progress Leading to the 5G Massive Internet of Things. Today, Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) is already gaining attention and it is anticipated that cellular-based technologies such as LTE-M (Machine) and Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) will become the leading LPWA standards by 2020. Operators can choose from several Cellular IoT (CIoT) technologies based on their spectrum portfolio, legacy networks, and requirements of their offered services. LTE-M is the commercial term for enhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) LPWA technology published in the 3GPP Release 13 specification along with NB-IoT. Both technologies will continue to evolve in subsequent releases. They are supported by the vast majority of all major mobile manufacturers and can co-exist with 2G, 3G, and 4G cellular networks. As they are 3GPP-standardized and run on licensed spectrum, they offer clear advantages over non-cellular IoT technologies with technical features such as carrier-grade security. The generic requirements for IoT are low cost, energy efficiency, ubiquitous coverage, and scalability (ability to support a large number of connected machines in a network). In the 3GPP Release 13 standard, eMTC and NB-IoT meet the generic IoT requirements: they support in-band or guard band operations; device cost and complexity are reduced; a large quantity of IoT devices can be supported in a network; and battery life is extended. 3GPP Release 14 in 2017 introduces enhanced mobility, Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE), support of higher data rates, broadcast (enhanced Multicast Downlink transmission) and improved positioning capabilities, among other innovations for CIoT. Whereas 4G has been driven by device proliferation, bandwidth hungry mobile services, and dynamic information access, 5G will also be driven by IoT applications, remarked Vicki Livingston, Head of Communications, 5G Americas. There will be a wide range of IoT use cases in the future, and the market is now expanding toward both Massive IoT deployment as well as more advanced solutions that may be categorized as Critical IoT. To reach massive scale, which is defined by 3GPP as at least 1 million devices per square kilometer, mobile networks must more efficiently support the simplest devices that communicate infrequently, and are ultra-energy efficient so they can deliver an extremely long ten-year battery life. The requirement would be for low-cost devices with low energy consumption and good coverage. Alternatively, Critical IoT applications will have very high demands for reliability, availability, and low latency which could be enabled by LTE or 5G capabilities. Declining modem costs, evolving LTE functionality and 5G capabilities are all expected to extend the range of applications for critical IoT deployments. However, many use cases exist between these two extremes, which today rely on 2G, 3G or 4G connectivity. Network connectivity is essential for the IoT and there are many wireless access technologies currently in use. However, given the wide variety of use cases, environments and requirements, no single connectivity technology or standard can adequately serve all use cases, so this is where development of multiple 3GPP cellular technology standards can cater to the future. 3GPP is keeping up with the growth of IoT to address the market demand, confirmed Chris Pearson, President, 5G Americas. LTE Progress Leading to the 5G Massive Internet of Things was written by co-leaders Betsy Covell, Nokia Bell Labs Senior Standards Manager and Jean Au, Staff Manager, Technical Marketing, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. as well as Vicki Livingston of 5G Americas and representatives from member companies on 5G Americas Board of Governors who participated in the development of this white paper. The whitepaper is available for free download. About 5G Americas: The Voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas 5G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to advocate for and foster the advancement and full capabilities of LTE wireless technology and its evolution beyond to 5G, throughout the ecosystem's networks, services, applications and wirelessly connected devices in the Americas. 5G Americas is invested in developing a connected wireless community while leading 5G development for all the Americas. 5G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. More information is available at www.5gamericas.org. Follow our news on Twitter at @5GAmericas and Facebook at www.facebook.com/5gamericas. 5G Americas' Board of Governors members include: America Movil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Cisco, CommScope, Entel, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Intel, Kathrein, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc. and Telefonica. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Contact: 5G Americas Vicki Livingston Vicki.Livingston@5gamericas.org +1 414 688 9000 STAMFORD Leandro Rizzuto, co-founder and board chairman of health and beauty multinational Conair Corp., which has major offices in Stamford, died Sunday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, company officials announced Tuesday. Rizzuto founded Conair with his parents in 1959. Since then, he and his family have grown the firm from a small hair appliance and haircare business into an international company. In the announcement of Rizzutos death, the company did not give his age. The company would grieve the loss of Rizzuto, but honor him by developing innovative new products, said Conair President Ronald Diamond. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our leader; Mr. Rizzuto was a man who loved life and people and deeply loved our company, Diamond said in a statement. He was our leader, mentor and teacher, encouraging those around him to always strive to do more than we thought we could do, and be greater than we thought we could be. Rizzuto's funeral is expected to be private; his family will announce arrangements as they are made. Memorial Masses will be held for Conair's thousands of employees to honor Rizzuto, company officials said. The Rizzuto family is committed to continuing the business and gives thanks for the over- whelming number of heartfelt condolences extended from around the world, company officials added. Company officials did not say who would succeed Rizzuto as board chairman. Today, Conair comprises a $2+ billion global company, according to its website. The companys products are sold in more than 125 countries, with its merchandise spanning professional-salon products, personal-care products, consumer and commercial kitchen appliances and cookware. Its roster of brands that includes BaByliss, Cuisinart, Waring. Conair bases sales and marketing staff in offices at 1 Cummings Point Road, in the citys Waterside section. It lists East Windsor, N.J., near Trenton, as the site of its corporate headquarters. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Hours before MGM Resorts International CEO James Murren was set to make a keynote address at the Bridgeport Regional Business Councils annual dinner, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nations threw a jab at the Las Vegas companys local plans. The tribes, whose partnership is MMCT, posted a video Tuesday afternoon, disputing MGMs plans to open a casino and resort in Bridgeport. The 30-second video cited previous soundbites of Murren discussing the companys plans for the city, starting with a September address where he talked about the projects benefit to the city and the state. The video may be found at by clicking here. The video also included part of Murrens Nov. 8 quarterly conference call with investors and financial analysts during which he said MGM Springfield would be the companys last major development projected here in the United States. The video concluded with the tagline Connecticut isnt getting an MGM Casino, Connecticut is getting played, driving home the tribes thoughts about the Bridgeport-based project. Following his keynote address Tuesday evening, Murren debunked the videos message, saying it was in sad taste. While he did not discuss his Novemeber conference call during his speech, Murren said not mentioning Bridgeport was not indicative of MGM When youre a multi-billion-dollar company, and you have 18 minutes to talk about your company globally and you dont mention Bridgeport, Connecticut or Atlanta, Georgia or specifically what Im doing in the Middle East or in China, and then try to connect some dots that dont exist. Murren continued by putting the conference call into context. I think Im pretty clear on what I say and believe, Murren said. Im not allowed to operate in Connecticut. Im not allowed to operate in Georgia either. Im spending a lot of time in Atlanta. I didnt mention Atlanta, Georgia on my conference call, and I didnt Bridgeport, Connecticut. I view them very similarly. I announced a year and half ago, in Atlanta, that should Georgia pass a gaming law, I would be very interested in building an integrated resort in Atlanta, but they havent, and thats why I didnt mention Atlanta on my conference call and thats why I didnt mention Bridgeport. French English Bureau Veritas Investor Days 2020 Ambition reaffirmed Paris, France, December 6, 2017 - Bureau Veritas is hosting on December 7 and 8 its Investor Days. The morning of December 7 will be broadcast live via the Group's website. Key Highlights: 2017 Outlook confirmed and BV 2020 Ambition reaffirmed Strategy execution well underway, already delivering positive results c.40% of 2020 external growth ambition achieved Digital transformation accelerating Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The execution of the 2020 Strategic Plan is now well underway and delivering tangible benefits. The 5 Growth Initiatives launched to boost the development of the Group in Building & Infrastructure, OPEX, Agri-Food, Automotive and SmartWorld are posting high single-digit growth and the base business is now on its way of stabilizing after challenging market downturns. Bureau Veritas' mission to support its clients in building trust, ensuring compliance and transparency now takes a new dimension to deal with the new risks and opportunities of the digitalization of the economy. We are leading the way in the digital TIC transformation to bring to our clients cutting edge technologies in many areas such as inspection, predictive maintenance, data privacy, and cybersecurity. Our accelerating growth momentum reinforces our confidence in our ability to achieve BV 2017 guidance and 2020 Ambition: reaching 5% to 7% of organic growth by 2020, increasing the adjusted operating margin to over 17% and generating strong cash flow". 2017 Outlook confirmed and BV 2020 Ambition reaffirmed The Group confirms its Outlook for 2017, in light of the recent improving trends, with: A slightly positive organic growth for the full year, with acceleration in the second half confirmed A full-year adjusted operating margin of around 16% An improvement in cash flow generation compared to 2016 Bureau Veritas reaffirms its 2020 Ambition: Adding 1.5 billion of incremental revenue based on the 2015 initial plan exchange rate, half organic and half through external growth Reaching 5% to 7% of organic growth by 2020 Achieving above 17% adjusted operating margin in 2020 Generating continuous high free cash-flow Acceleration in the Execution of the Strategy During the Investor Days, the Group will update on its progress to enhance growth, strengthen resilience and reduce cyclicality. To deliver these goals, the Group aims to: Keep growing its Growth Initiatives (a third of Group revenue) at a high single-digit organic growth pace, reached in the first 9 months of 2017 Grow its Base Business (two-thirds of Group revenue) in line with TIC market. The base business is now on its way of stabilizing Bureau Veritas management will present the progress of each of the 5 Growth Initiatives, and the focus on the two priority countries - USA and China. The Group's digital strategy will be presented in detail. With presentations, case studies, videos and site visits (shipyard visit and Commodities lab tour in Rotterdam on December 8, 2017), the Group will showcase its know-how. Some key achievements to date: Portfolio diversification accelerating with Growth Initiatives representing 33% of revenues, 5 points higher than in 2015 Major expansion of Building & Infrastructure and Agri-Food footprint Leveraging on connectivity know-how to expand the Group's expertise in Automotive Increased penetration in OPEX markets illustrated by major new client accounts notably in Power & Utilities China became the number one country for Bureau Veritas with new leadership position in Building & Infrastructure Bureau Veritas positioned as a major partner of "Grand Paris", the largest infrastructure project in Europe M&A: c40% of the ambition already achieved M&A is critical to the achievement of the 2020 Strategic Plan. Over the period 2015-2020, Bureau Veritas has the ambition to add around 750 million of revenue through acquisitions. The aim is to target primarly bolt-on acquisitions that will drive Bureau Veritas' 5 Growth Initiatives forward and reinforce its footprint in its two priority countries - USA and China. The Group is on track with the plan, having added more than 280 million of incremental revenue. This is based on 21 acquisitions of which 17 are supporting the Group's 5 Growth Initiatives. Since the beginning of 2017, 9 companies have joined the BV Group. In the last few weeks, the Group has announced the 4 following acquisitions, all focused on the Strategic Growth Initiatives: Building & Infrastructure : Ingenieria, Control y Administracion, S.A. de C.V. ("INCA"), a leader in technical supervision of building and infrastructure projects in Mexico. The company operates primarily in the fields of public transportation and highways, energy and utilities projects with revenues of around 12 million in 2016. McKenzie Group Pty Ltd is the Australian leader in mandatory property compliance services. McKenzie Group offers a suite of integrated compliance based services including building certification, compliance audits and consulting, and accessibility assessment to key building construction companies and project developers in the public and private sectors. It employs 71 people and posted 10 million of revenues in 2016. SmartWorld : ICTK Co , one of the key global players in smart payment testing and certification services for mobile devices, payment cards and point of sale terminals. ICTK employs 20 people and generated around 3 million revenues in 2016. Automotive: IPS Tokai Corporation is one of the key testing players in automotive electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing in Japan which generated around 2 million revenues in 2016. With this acquisition, Bureau Veritas expands its footprint in Asia, and add testing capabilities to their portfolio. Digital Transformation @BV / Partnership with Avitas Systems, a GE Venture Digital is at the forefront of Bureau Veritas' strategy to answer its clients growing needs to manage performance and deal with new types of risks and opportunities. The two main focuses here are: Supporting clients' digital moves with new digital-related TIC services Improving the Group's core services with more efficiency and new operating models During the Investor Days, Bureau Veritas will illustrate this strategy with concrete solutions and capabilities, as well as highlighting partnerships with Tier-one digital companies such as Avitas Systems - a GE Venture - to build the next generation of Inspection Services based on Advanced Analytics. Investor Days- Agenda Schedule (CET Time): Thursday December 7, 2017 - 8.30 am to 3.30 pm: plenary sessions (Strategy, Growth Initiatives, Priority countries, Digital@BV), Paris (France) Friday December 8, 2017 - 8.30 am to 3:15 pm: site visits and presentations on Marine & Offshore and Commodities, Rotterdam (Netherlands) The morning of the first day will be broadcast live on Group's website: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/5nyt996j The presentation materials will also be available on the Group's website: http://finance.bureauveritas.com About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 74,000 employees located in 1,400 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com Contact Analysts/Investors : Laurent Brunelle: +33 (0)1 55 24 76 09 laurent.brunelle@bureauveritas.com Florent Chaix: +33 (0)1 55 24 77 80 florent.chaix@bureauveritas.com Press : Veronique Gielec: +33 (0)1 55 24 76 01 veronique.gielec@bureauveritas.com Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (the Company) (CSE:BNKR) is pleased to announce it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced private placement led by Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc. and including Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the Agents) to raise gross proceeds of C$9,667,900 (the Offering). Pursuant to the Offering, the Company issued 7,734,320 units (the "Units") at a price of C$1.25 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half of one transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$2.00 until December 5, 2020. In connection with the Offering, the Agents received a cash fee in an amount equal to 8.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering (excluding proceeds from certain president's list subscribers) and were granted common share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants") entitling them to subscribe for that number of Common Shares equal to 4.0% of the aggregate number of Units sold in the Offering (excluding Units sold to certain president's list subscribers). Each Broker Warrant is exercisable at a price equal to C$2.00 until December 5, 2020. The proceeds from the Offering are being used primarily for lease payments, acquisition payments, exploration and development at the Bunker Hill Mine and for general corporate and working capital purposes. All of the Units, including all underlying securities thereof, and the Broker Warrants issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a hold period under applicable securities law until June 5, 2018. Securities of the Company sold in the Offering constitute restricted securities under U.S. securities laws and, accordingly, are also subject to additional resale restrictions. The Offering is subject to final acceptance of the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE). This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. About Bunker Hill Mining Corp. Bunker Hill Mining Corp. has an option to acquire 100% of the Bunker Hill Mine. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or in the SEDAR and EDGAR databases. For additional information contact: Bruce Reid Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Konkin Marketing and Communications (647) 500-4495 (416) 567-9087 br@bunkerhillmining.com nk@bunkerhillmining.com Cautionary Statements Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase forward-looking information in the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations. The forward looking statements made herein are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations or assumptions with respect to, among other things, the ability of the Company to successfully complete the acquisition of the Bunker Hill Mine Complex on the terms as announced or other satisfactory terms or at all, and fund the initial payments for which the Company does not have funds at this time, the Companys present and future financial condition, the Companys ability to secure financing, and the state of financial markets. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan, and may include statements regarding, among other things, the terms of the Bunker Hill Mine Complex acquisition and funding of the acquisition. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, and the Companys financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: the inability of the Company to successfully acquire the Bunker Hill Mine Complex on the terms as announced or other satisfactory terms or at all, and fund the payments for which the Company does not have funds at this time; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing; the inability of the Company to develop or sustain an active public market for its securities; development of changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for precious metals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements. These and other factors made in public disclosures and filings by the Company should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Companys forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Kisqali plus an oral endocrine partner demonstrated significant efficacy with sustained benefit of nearly two years (median PFS 23.8 vs 13.0 months for endocrine therapy alone) and an early response with separation of the PFS curves as early as eight weeks[1] MONALEESA-7 evaluated Kisqali in combination with oral hormonal therapies (tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor) and goserelin vs endocrine therapy and goserelin alone in this patient population[1] Kisqali is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor to show efficacy in combination with tamoxifen (median PFS 22.1 vs 11.0 months); Kisqali plus aromatase inhibitor demonstrated additional 14 month PFS compared to aromatase inhibitor alone (median PFS 27.5 vs 13.8 months)[1] Women taking Kisqali experienced a clinically meaningful improvement in pain, as early as eight weeks, that was sustained and maintained their health-related QoL for a longer time compared to those taking endocrine therapy alone[1] Pending approval in this indication, the clinical benefit demonstrated in the MONALEESA-7 trial expected to support the use of Kisqali as a standard of care for premenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer Basel, December 6, 2017 - Novartis today announced results from the Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial in premenopausal or perimenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer demonstrating Kisqali (ribociclib) in combination with an aromatase inhibitor or tamoxifen and goserelin as initial endocrine-based therapy significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared to endocrine therapy and goserelin alone[1]. These data will be presented today as a late-breaker oral presentation at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) (Abstract #S2-05). Kisqali in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor plus goserelin demonstrated a median PFS of 23.8 months (95% CI: 19.2 months-not reached) compared to 13.0 months (95% CI: 11.0-16.4 months) for tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor plus goserelin (HR=0.553; 95% CI: 0.441-0.694; p<0.0001)[1]. Premenopausal women treated with Kisqali combination therapy saw a response as early as eight weeks as demonstrated by separation of the PFS curves compared to endocrine therapy alone[1]. "The strength of the MONALEESA-7 data is impressive and will give oncologists an important option if ribociclib is approved as treatment for this patient population as well as greater flexibility in the choice of endocrine therapy given with this agent," said Dr. Debu Tripathy, chair of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Women who are premenopausal at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis tend to have more aggressive disease with poorer prognosis along with unique needs and experiences, so it is critical we determine which treatments will be most effective while also well tolerated." MONALEESA-7 trial evaluated Kisqali in combination with tamoxifen and an aromatase inhibitor. This is the only Phase III study to evaluate a CDK4/6 inhibitor in combination with tamoxifen and establishes the safety and efficacy of Kisqali in this combination as first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer (median PFS of 22.1 vs 11.0 months; HR=0.585; 95% CI: 0.387-0.884)[1]. Kisqali in combination with an aromatase inhibitor demonstrated an additional 14 months progression-free survival over endocrine therapy alone (median PFS of 27.5 vs 13.8 months; HR=0.569; 95% CI: 0.436-0.743)[1]. Premenopausal women taking Kisqali benefited for a longer time until health-related quality of life (QoL) deterioration compared to those taking endocrine therapy alone[1]. Women taking Kisqali also had a clinically meaningful improvement in pain symptoms as early as eight weeks; this improvement was sustained[1]. No new safety signals were observed in the MONALEESA-7 trial; adverse events were generally consistent with those observed in MONALEESA-2, identified early and mostly managed through dose interruptions or reductions[1]. Combination treatment with Kisqali was well tolerated with a discontinuation rate due to adverse events of 3.6% compared to 3.0% in patients who received endocrine therapy alone[1]. The most common (>=5%) grade 3/4 adverse events in patients receiving Kisqali combination therapy compared to endocrine therapy alone were neutropenia (60.6% vs 3.6%) and leukopenia (14.3% vs 1.2%)[1]. "We are pleased to see Kisqali combination therapy provide strong efficacy and prolonged quality of life with pain reduction in younger women, and look forward to working with health authorities to bring a new treatment option to premenopausal or perimenopausal women," said Samit Hirawat, MD, Head, Novartis Oncology Global Drug Development. "Research in premenopausal advanced breast cancer is extremely limited as these women traditionally have been excluded from clinical trials or reduced to a subgroup in trials designed for their postmenopausal counterparts. We designed the robust MONALEESA clinical trial program to be inclusive of all women and men with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer." Premenopausal breast cancer is a biologically distinct and more aggressive disease than postmenopausal breast cancer, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in women 20-59 years old[3],[4]. Novartis plans to discuss MONALEESA-7 data with global health authorities worldwide. About MONALEESA-7 MONALEESA-7 is a Phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy and safety of Kisqali in combination with tamoxifen or a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor plus goserelin versus tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor plus goserelin, in premenopausal or perimenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who had not previously received endocrine therapy for advanced disease. More than 670 women ranging from 23-58 years in age were randomized in the MONALEESA-7 trial. The first patient assessment occurred at eight weeks; separation of the PFS curves at this time was not a pre-specified endpoint of the study. About Kisqali (ribociclib) Kisqali is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, a class of drugs that help slow the progression of cancer by inhibiting two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). These proteins, when over-activated, can enable cancer cells to grow and divide too quickly. Targeting CDK4/6 with enhanced precision may play a role in ensuring that cancer cells do not continue to replicate uncontrollably. Kisqali was approved by the European Commission in August 2017, as initial endocrine-based therapy for postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor based on findings from the pivotal MONALEESA-2 trial. Kisqali is not currently approved for use in premenopausal patients. Kisqali is approved for use in 44 countries around the world, including the United States and European Union member states. Kisqali was developed by the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals. About the Kisqali Clinical Trial Program With more than 2,000 patients, the MONALEESA program is the largest Phase III clinical program researching use of a CDK4/6 inhibitor in advanced breast cancer[1]. The MONALEESA-7 findings add to the body of evidence from MONALEESA-2 supporting the benefit of Kisqali plus hormone therapy in first-line treatment of HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Novartis is continuing to evaluate Kisqali in combination with multiple hormonal therapies across a broad range of patients, including in the adjuvant setting. MONALEESA-2 is a Phase III global registration trial evaluating Kisqali in combination with letrozole compared to letrozole alone in postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who received no prior therapy for their advanced breast cancer. MONALEESA-3 is a Phase III study evaluating Kisqali in combination with fulvestrant compared to fulvestrant alone in postmenopausal women or men with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who have received no or a maximum of one prior endocrine therapy. MONALEESA-3 is fully enrolled. CompLEEment-1 is an open-label, multicenter, Phase IIIb study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Kisqali plus letrozole in men and pre- or postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who have not received prior hormonal therapy for advanced disease. CompLEEment-1 is enrolling. The safety and efficacy of Kisqali with endocrine therapy as adjuvant therapy in premenopausal and postmenopausal women who have not previously received treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor is also being evaluated in the EarLEE-1 study, which is enrolling. More information about these studies can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov. About Novartis in Advanced Breast Cancer For more than 25 years, Novartis has been at the forefront of driving scientific advancements for breast cancer patients and improving clinical practice in collaboration with the global community. With one of the most diverse breast cancer pipelines and the largest number of breast cancer compounds in development, Novartis leads the industry in discovery of new therapies and combinations, especially in HR+ advanced breast cancer, the most common form of the disease. Important Safety Information from the Kisqali EU SmPC The most common ADRs and the most common grade 3/4 ADRs (reported at a frequency >=20% and >=2% respectively) for which the frequency for Kisqali plus letrozole exceeds the frequency for placebo plus letrozole were blood and lymphatic system disorders (including abnormally low neutrophil and white blood cell count), headache, back pain, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, hair loss and rash and abnormally low levels of neutrophils or white blood cells, abnormal liver function tests (increased alanine and aspartate aminotransferase), abnormally low lymphocyte count, low levels of phosphate, vomiting, nausea, fatigue and back pain, respectively. Low levels of neutrophils was the most commonly seen severe adverse event; fever in addition to a low neutrophil count was reported in 1.5% of patients. Kisqali can cause serious side effects such as a significant decrease in neutrophil count, abnormal liver function tests and may have an effect on the electrical activity of the heart known as QT/QTc interval prolongation, which could lead to disturbances in heart rhythm. As a precaution, patients should have complete blood counts, liver function, and serum electrolyte levels measured prior to starting treatment as well as during treatment with Kisqali. Patients should also have their heart activity checked before and monitored during treatment. The efficacy and safety of ribociclib have not been studied in patients with critical visceral disease. The use of Kisqali with medicinal products known to prolong QTc interval or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors should be avoided as this may lead to prolongation of the QT/QTc interval. If treatment with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor cannot be avoided, the Kisqali dose should be reduced. Concomitant administration with other medicines that could affect cardiac repolarization or prolong the QT/QTc interval should be taken into account prior to and during treatment with Kisqali. Patients taking sensitive CYP3A4 substrates with narrow therapeutic index should use caution because of the increased risk of adverse events that may occur if these medications are co-administered with Kisqali. Kisqali contains soya lecithin and therefore it should not be taken by patients who are allergic to peanut or soya. Animal studies suggest that Kisqali may cause fetal harm in pregnant women. Therefore, as a precaution, women of childbearing potential should use effective contraception while receiving Kisqali during treatment and up to 21 days after stopping treatment. Women should not breast feed for at least 21 days after the last dose of Kisqali. Kisqali may affect fertility in males. Please see full Prescribing Information for Kisqali, available at www.kisqali.com. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; general economic and industry conditions, including the effects of the persistently weak economic and financial environment in many countries; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Novartis Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 121,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com. Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis and @NovartisCancer at https://twitter.com/novartiscancer For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com References [1] Tripathy D, Sohn J, Im S, et al. First-line ribociclib or placebo combined with goserelin and tamoxifen or a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: results from the randomized Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial. Presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), December 6, 2017, San Antonio, Texas (abstract#S2-05). [2] Kisqali (ribociclib) Prescribing information. East Hanover, New Jersey, USA: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; March 2017. [3] Benz CC. Impact of aging on the biology of breast cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2008;66:65-74 [4] World Health Organization. Women's health fact sheet. September 2013. Available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs334/en/. Accessed October 2017. # # # Novartis Media Relations Central media line: +41 61 324 2200 E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com Eric Althoff Novartis Global Media Relations +41 61 324 7999 (direct) +41 79 593 4202 (mobile) eric.althoff@novartis.com Rosemarie Yancosek Novartis Oncology Communications +1 862 778 9043 (direct) +1 862 505 9021 (mobile) rosemarie.yancosek@novartis.com Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com SCOTTSBLUFF Bailey OConnor and Kyle Upp are Republicans. Theyve seen the schism occurring in the country since the 2016 election. And theyre reaching out to help others, Republican and Democrats, to make Nebraska a little bit nicer place to be. The significant divide in politics is evident to anyone with a TV or smartphone, Upp said. College campuses are not immune to the split." The two attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and are working to expand chapters of the College Republicans to western Nebraska. OConnor was named the president of the UNL Chapter this year, taking over from Upp and is making it her mission to make all people feel welcome on campus, no matter their groups affiliation. People still have different or aggressive feelings toward each other since the 2016 election, OConnor said. For our direction, I want to make it a campus where everyone can be who they want to be and to be able to work with everyone. They also belong to the Nebraska Federation of College Republicans, which oversees all chapters in the state. The group is already planning bipartisan events and Upp has been reaching out to others who may have been hesitant to speak with Republicans solely because they are Republicans. As a registered student organization, we have the unique opportunity to partner with many groups with different backgrounds to promote a nonpartisan issue, he said. Some examples the group hopes to plan are voter registration drives and charity events. We are always looking for ways to partner with groups to promote these events, he said. Upp and OConnor have also seen how western Nebraska tends to be left out, with the focus often remaining on Omaha and Lincoln. They are hoping to expand the group to Western Nebraska Community College and Chadron State College. I know even in terms of sports, the Panhandle is overlooked a lot, she said. People just arent as concerned about them as Lincoln or Omaha. Upp hopes to get college students from the western part of the state to share their perspective with the organization as a whole and to provide networking opportunities back within the organization. Your GPA is such a small part of the college experience, he said. The connections and networking that you partake in while in school is incredibly important as well. OConnor said it is important to support each other and work together. That also means, even if Democrats want to form a group, she can help. At a sustainability roundtable, she found herself the sole Republican in the room. Someone mentioned how they felt it was hard to reach out to Republicans and she spoke up. You dont get things done by being one-sided all the time, OConnor said. Were not getting anywhere if were not accepting of others. Though OConnor grew up in Alliance and Upp in Gering, they never really knew each other. After high school, OConnor went to WNCC. When she transferred to UNL, she was nervous about finding clubs where she would fit in. Upp reached out to her and asked her to join. As a freshman, Upp became involved with the UNL chapter after seeing their booth on campus. He met friends on the executive board who encouraged him to run for communications director of the chapter. I was fortunate enough to win and learn how the organization functioned as a freshman, which was very beneficial, he said. Having a chapter in western Nebraska is essential because networking opportunities should not just be available to students in Lincoln or Omaha, he said. The state does not end in Grand Island, Upp said. There are plenty of College Republicans all across the state that share the same beliefs as us, and it is our job as the NFCR to reach out to them and build our network. OConnors experiences at UNL have been humbling. She has found that everyone she meets knows something she doesnt and is willing to sit down and listen to what they think. I was unaware of how big the world was until I came here and started working with individuals, she said. It opened my eyes that people are going to be different than you and you need to understand how and why. Though Upp has had fewer negative interactions on campus than OConnor, he still sees room for improvement. I think everyone can go back to the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated, he said. I think, for the most part, students exemplify that. Upp said even though he may have different political views than the person he sits next to in accounting, they can still be friends and respect one another. Youre going to have to work with people you do not get along with, OConnor said. Thats how we can connect to get over that and make the group, as a whole, better. ATLANTA, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vacation Express is introducing new, four-night rotations to Punta Cana from three U.S. cities. Travelers from Atlanta, Charlotte and New Orleans will be able to enjoy the perks of a luxurious vacation over the course of a long weekend. Atlanta (ATL): 4 Nights | Departing every Thursday [5/24/18-8/9/18] Charlotte (CLT): 4 Nights | Departing every Thursday [5/24/18-8/9/18] New Orleans (MSY): 4 Nights | Departing every Thursday [5/24/18-7/5/18] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33c3acd9-bcec-4e74-add4-122ab370ec75 The Dominican Republic is one of the hottest destinations in the Caribbean and Vacation Express already offers exclusive, non-stop flights to Punta Cana from 20 cities across the U.S. for six-night programs. The popularity of Punta Cana is indisputable, and there has been strong feedback to offer a shorter program for those who may not be able to take a full weeks vacation. The additional flights to Punta Cana will be operated by Swift Air, LLC. on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The value-packed flights will enable travelers to sit back and relax while enjoying a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage and snack. Each traveler will be permitted one free carry-on bag and the option to purchase add-ons like Preferred Seating starting at $25 or First Class upgrades at $99 each way which includes two by two seating, extra legroom, two alcoholic beverages, a snack pack and a checked bag weighing up to 50lbs. Travelers can purchase roundtrip airfare, but most travelers are booking 4-night packages with air and staying at all-inclusive resorts. Vacation packages can be booked online at VACATIONEXPRESS.com, by calling 1-800-309-4717 or through a local travel agent. About Vacation Express: Based in Atlanta, Vacation Express, part of Sunwing Travel Group, is a tour operator specializing in quality, affordable vacation packages to over 30 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica. Now in business for over 25 years, Vacation Express is one of the countrys largest and most trusted tour operators. Travelers looking for the most affordable, all-inclusive vacations may book Vacation Express exclusive, non-stop packages through their travel agent, directly by phone seven days a week at 1-800-309-4717 or online at VACATIONEXPRESS.com. Exclusive charter flights are operated by Sunwing Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier, Swift Air, LLC., VivaAerobus, Miami Air and Volaris. See operator/participant agreement for details. Additional Notes: Small service fee of $10 applies when booking through Vacation Express Call Center. For full terms and conditions, hotel and description of all services, please refer to the Vacation Express 2018 Brochure, www.vacationexpress.com or call 1.800.309.4717. Vacation Express now accepts debit cards that offer the same consumer protection as credit cards. See operator/participant agreement for details. Public charter flights are operated by Sunwing Airlines, Allegiant Air, Frontier, Swift Air, LLC., VivaAerobus, Miami Air and Volaris. All flights subject to DOT approval. Packages are limited and subject to change without prior notice. Airfares are per person, reflect lowest available airfare at time of printing, are subject to change and based upon availability of class of service. Mandatory $10 Tourist Card must be purchased upon arrival to Punta Cana and is not included in above package prices. Not responsible for errors or omissions. Registered Florida seller of travel no. St 38441. State of California Seller of Travel Certificate of Registration #2107538-40. Facebook: www.facebook.com/vacationexpress Twitter: www.twitter.com/vacationexpress Instagram: www.instagram.com/vacationexpress MEDIA CONTACT Pamela Caltabiano | Public Relations Manager pcaltabiano@vacationexpress.com | 800.309.4717 x3098 KEARNEY Nebraska Farm Bureau leaders unveiled a report on Monday they hope will help convince President Trump and members of his administration that the North American Free Trade Agreement is critical to the economic future of U.S. farmers and ranchers. The report written by Nebraska Farm Bureau Senior Economist Jay Rempe says the value of the states ag exports to NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada Nebraskas two largest customers for ag goods exceeded $2.9 billion in 2016. Exports to those neighboring countries accounted for 45 percent of Nebraskas total 2016 ag exports. While we understand the president wants to get the best trade deal possible, the idea of withdrawing from NAFTA is unfathomable. That would be a disaster for Nebraska and American agriculture. The same could be said of any renegotiations that would weaken agricultures trade position in the agreement, Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson of Axtell said, especially as farmers and ranchers struggle with low commodity prices. Rempe explained during a Monday afternoon press conference at Nebraska Farm Bureaus annual convention in Kearney, that his North American Free Trade Agreement and Nebraska Agriculture report looks at NAFTAs effect on prices for five major commodities, soybeans, corn, beef, pork and wheat. He also broke down the numbers for overall NAFTA value per county, per farm and per commodity in each county. Rempe found that Phelps County has the most at stake on a per-farm-ranch basis, with the trade agreement estimated to be worth $55,468 to the average ag operation there. Custer is one of four counties that had NAFTA-related exports valued at more than $30 million in 2016. In his State of Nebraska Agriculture report to convention participants earlier Monday, Nelson said all international trade is important because nearly one-third of U.S. gross net farm income comes from trade and almost 96 percent of the worlds population lives outside the United States. So its vital to develop new markets, lower trade barriers, encourage trade agreements and cultivate personal relationships with overseas customers. Nelson said Nebraskas success in using trade missions to grow relationships and export sales illustrates the need for President Trump and his administration to be extremely careful in how they handle relations with our trade partners. Taxes top state issues Nelson also talked Monday about the top state-level issue, fixing a tax system last overhauled 50 years ago that puts a huge property tax burden on farmers and ranchers. No matter where I go and who I talk to, thats what I hear the most about, sometimes almost exclusively, Nelson told the Hub. Our members have talked about this for a long time, and weve waited a long time. He said the goal of work with legislators, leaders in education and other interests is to find ways to alleviate the pressure on property taxes to fund schools while still providing quality education. Legal action remains an option. I want you to know weve looked at that angle, and weve yet to find a legal option that gets us where we need to be, Nelson said. A third option is a ballot issue that could be initiated by the Legislature or a petition drive. Nelson said the proposal would be a refundable income tax credit for half of the property taxes paid for K-12 education. He challenged Farm Bureau members to get more involved in local and state issues, noting that 28 of the 49 legislative seats and more than half of Nebraskas population now are in Douglas and Sarpy counties. That means there are more people today making decisions that affect our well-being who are less likely to understand what we do on our farms and ranches, Nelson said, adding that term limits also make it more challenging to fill in information gaps and tear down barriers with elected leaders in Lincoln. Celebrating a centennial During his opening remarks at the convention, Nelson also acknowledged Nebraska Farm Bureaus 100th anniversary. He said that without knowing anything about the founders or their first meeting, he believes they had some things in common with todays members. I see (today) the same thing those individuals who started our organization saw in 1917, Nelson said. A room full of hardworking people who make their living on the land ... People who understand that we can get more done working together than we can by working alone. Cherie Dawn Schukei Knaub of Scottsbluff, Nebraska passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Funeral services will be held at Bethel Baptist Church, 19812 Avenue I in Scottsbluff on Saturday, December 9 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Cherie Knaub Memorial Fund at the Sugar Valley Credit Union in Scottsbluff. Cherie was born in Torrington, Wyoming on May 30, 1976. She lived in Bayard most of her life. She graduated from Bayard High School in 1994 and attended Eastern Wyoming College, graduating in 1996 with a degree in cosmetology. She was employed at Western Sugar then spent most of her career with Home Depot in Scottsbluff. Cheri loved spending time with her daughters and family. She enjoyed her tattoos, her friends, and all life had to offer. She is survived by her parents Karen and Gerald Schukei, her daughters Zoe, Abby and Madison, her brother Garrett (Kari Taylor and Maxx), grandmother Pat Motsick, in-laws Glen and Laura Bailey, brothers-in-law Ian Knaub (Crystal and Ethan), and Jeremy Knaub, best friend Tari Phifer, and many other beloved relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband Ryan and brother Gerald Jr. The family would like to offer special thanks and gratitude to the EMTs who assisted at the accident site, Regional West Medical Center, and especially to the staff at UNMC in Omaha. We are at peace knowing Cheri is in heaven. Though she is always in our hearts, she will be greatly missed. LOS ANGELES, CA , Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aragon Holdings (www. AragonUSA. com) announced the closing of over 400 apartment units in two properties located in Denver, Colorado. These acquisitions increase Aragon Holdings national multi-family portfolio to over 15,000 apartment units. Aragons Denver portfolio has now increased to 8 properties (2,500 units), valued at over $400 million. The newly acquired properties have recently undergone extensive interior and exterior renovations including common area amenities. Each asset was purchased using Aragons private equity fund, Aragon Multi-Family Fund VII. Dan Guy, President of Aragon Holdings, stated, Aragons existing Denver properties have performed extremely well. We are pleased to expand our Denver portfolio, which has a track record of outperforming the national economy in terms of both job and population growth. We continue to pursue multi-family acquisition opportunities nationwide, using the same standards. Aragon Holdings is a Private Real Estate Investment and Fund Management Company based in Los Angeles, California, that forms multi-family funds to provide monthly tax deferred income to high net worth and family office investors. Aragon Multi-Family Fund VIII is being formed now to purchase properties in 2018. The company currently owns and manages properties in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, and St. Louis. Patrick LaJoice Patrick James LaJoice, 83, of Jacksonville, Florida, formerly of Eaton Rapids, died peacefully October 25, 2022, at his Florida home. He was born in St. Ignace April 5, 1939, to... Roberta McPhee Roberta Kay McPhee (Paquin) age 81 from St. Ignace, Michigan went to the Lord peacefully on November 8th, 2022. Born on April 15th, 1941 in St. Ignace, Michigan to Norman... John Jack Francis Bentgen John Jack Francis Bentgen passed away peacefully in his home on November 7, 2022, at the age of 94 years with his loving wife, Barbara, by his side. Jack leaves... Margery Painter Margery Marge Painter, 80, of Curtis, died suddenly Sunday, November 6, 2022, at home, surrounded by her husband and children. She was born January 1, 1942, in Fairbury, Illinois, to... Wanda Johnson Wanda Dee Dee Marleah (nee Grew) Johnson, 77, of Mackinaw City, died at home with family Saturday, November 5, 2022, after a brief battle with gastric cancer. She was born... Updated at 5 a.m. Thursday. SEATTLE The investigative arm of the Congress plans to investigate the safety of increasingly long freight trains being operated by CSX, Union Pacific and other major U.S. railroads. The Government Accountability Office will launch its study on longer trains in February, GAO spokesman Chuck Young told Reuters on Tuesday. The action was prompted by a Nov. 7 letter from U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Michael Capuano, both Democratic members of the House Transportation Committee. DeFazio said his office has received complaints over safety and traffic jams at rail crossings. In addition to the GAO probe, the Federal Railroad Administration has beefed up its presence at CSX rail yards, according to CSX employees and SMART Union Chairman Dale Barnett, citing conversations with FRA inspectors. Marc Willis, a spokesman for the FRA, declined to characterize concerns over CSX train length but said any appearance of increased inspections is due partly to safety complaints and a spike in railroad accidents or incidents. "In recent months, there have been accidents involving long trains which are currently under investigation by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the FRA," Willis said. Train length is currently unregulated. Any push to add rules would likely face stiff industry opposition because railroads use longer trains to boost margins through the better use of fuel, locomotive power, and rail cars without having to add extra crew. CSX, the No. 3 U.S. railroad by revenue, told investors in October its freight trains have increased more than 400 feet to 6,833 feet on average since March, when newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Hunter Harrison launched his plan to boost profits and streamline operations. CSX's eastern rival Norfolk Southern Corp.'s trains average longer than 5,500 feet, a year-to-date record, the company said in the third quarter. Western railroad Union Pacific said it posted record third quarter "train size performance" after hitting a record in 2016. "Longer trains maximize crews, locomotives, fuel and other resources," said Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza. FRA data show CSX's train accidents and incidents as a portion of miles traveled at the highest level in a decade after climbing in each of the last five years. SMART Union transportation division spokesman John Risch told top rail regulator the Surface Transportation Board (STB) at an October hearing on CSX service problems the average U.S. train is up to 1.5 miles long, but CSX has routinely operated trains two or even three miles long since Harrison took over. The STB declined interview requests. CSX spokesman Bryan Tucker said the industry trend toward longer trains is a "tried and proven way to increase efficiency." The latest concerns follow the fiery derailment of a 178-car CSX freight train in Hyndman, Pa., in August, and the Nov. 27 derailment of a CSX train with 192 cars nearly 2 miles long excluding locomotives in Lakeland, Fla., spilling hazardous molten sulfur. The FRA told Reuters it is also investigating the June derailment of a 13,147-foot CSX train in Crestline, Ohio. National Transportation Safety Board rail division head David Bucher said train length and build were "an important part of the investigation" into the Hyndman crash, adding he was hesitant to draw conclusions about an ongoing investigation. "Train lengths are increasing across the country," Bucher said. "It is becoming more and more common, not just with CSX." The NTSB, FRA, and STB do not collect data on train length, except for specific accidents or mediations. The American Association of Railroads (AAR) declined to comment. CSX employees and union officials said many conductors lack experience to run long trains. CSX's Tucker said the railroad's crews are fully qualified to operate longer trains and CSX uses computer modeling before running longer trains on a new route. One CSX manager told Reuters FRA inspectors have showed up almost daily in recent weeks looking for long trains and conducting inspections at terminals in Cincinnati, Waycross, Ga., and elsewhere. "They (FRA inspectors) do more blitzes than they used to, where several inspectors will show up in a place and stay for a couple days," the manager added. VANCOUVER, B.C., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbus Gold Corp. (TSX:CGT) (OTCQX:CBGDF) provides an update on the anticipated date of the Share Distribution Record Date, which determines the date upon which shareholders of record will be entitled to receive 1 (one) share of Allegiant Gold Ltd., for every 5 (five) shares they own of Columbus Gold. Columbus reported in its press release of November 7, 2017 that the Share Distribution Record Date, was anticipated to be December 11, 2017, but may be later depending upon the timing of regulatory approvals. Columbus has satisfied the majority of conditions which would enable it to set the Share Distribution Record Date, including shareholder approval and Supreme Court approval of the ALLEGIANT spin-out Arrangement. The principal outstanding conditions are the closing of the ALLEGIANT private placement anticipated for Friday December 8th, conditional acceptance of the TSX to the Arrangement and conditional approval of the TSX-V to list ALLEGIANT. Columbus will provide an update next week on the status of the outstanding regulatory approvals and conditions. Only shareholders of record as at the Share Distribution Record Date will be entitled to receive shares of ALLEGIANT in the spin-out. Shareholders who sell their shares prior to the Share Distribution Record Date will not be entitled to receive shares of ALLEGIANT. About Columbus Gold Columbus is a leading gold exploration and development company operating in French Guiana, France, and in Nevada. Columbus holds a major interest in the world-class Montagne d'Or gold project in French Guiana for which a Feasibility Study was completed in May 2017, and which is currently in the permitting stage. In Nevada, Columbus is advancing its Eastside gold project. Eastside has outstanding infrastructure for mining and processing, and preliminary metallurgical testing indicates that gold and silver at Eastside are amenable to cyanide leaching. Columbus has received shareholder and Supreme Court approvals to spin-out its US property portfolio, which includes Eastside and 13 other properties, into a new company called Allegiant Gold Ltd. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Robert F. Giustra Chairman & CEO For more information contact: Investor Relations 604-634-0970 1-888-818-1364 info@columbusgold.com This release contains forward-looking information and statements as defined by law including, without limitation, Canadian securities laws and the "safe harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("forward--looking statements"), respecting Columbus' plans to spin-out its subsidiary Allegiant Gold Ltd. which is intended to be listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, Columbus intention to set a record date to receive a share of Allegiant Gold Ltd., for every five shares of Columbus, and Columbus plans to complete a private placement. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements including that the spin-out may not be completed as planned or at all due to failure to obtain regulatory approval to the spin-out, or the inability to raise sufficient capital to adequately fund Allegiant. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including, without limitation, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the timing and receipt of required approval and continued availability of capital and financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and Columbus undertakes no obligation to update any of the foregoing except as required by law. Chad Klahs openly documented his troubled life for all of his Facebook friends to see. He posted about breakups, prison time, and meetings with a parole officer. He referenced a drug overdose and white supremacy. On Nov. 3, his final word on one account, he posted an animated image that shows him breaking up into tiny pieces and dissolving. This is hour I feel, he wrote, with a typo. Two friends replied, asking if he was OK. No response. Klahs, arrested Tuesday for burglary, killed himself in the back of a police SUV after shooting and critically wounding an Arnold police officer. He had been searched and police had found one gun he had taken in a burglary, but he apparently had a second weapon he was able to use to shoot the officer and then himself as the officer pulled up to the police department. Officer Ryan OConnor remained in critical but stable condition Wednesday. Klahs, 29, of Arnold has a lengthy criminal record. He was in and out of Missouri prisons four times since March 2011. The Missouri Department of Corrections says the convictions, all out of Jefferson County, were for drugs and burglary. It wasnt clear Wednesday whether he was in trouble as a juvenile, but public records show Klahs tied to burglaries as early as 2009, when he was 21. When Klahs was out on bail in one burglary case, he was caught stealing tools and medication from a home in Arnold. In 2012, deputies found meth-making products in his bedroom in a single-family home on Klahs Lane. A cousin had turned him in for getting high and burglarizing a home. Klahs also had been accused of threatening to kill a witness who identified him in a stealing case. Sometimes, Klahs was freed early from prison, only to violate parole and end up behind bars again. He was ordered to undergo a 120-day drug treatment program. His longest stretch in prison lasted more than 26 months. That ended with his most recent parole, on March 31. Free, he wrote on Facebook, marking his release. Then a week later, First trip to the po, referring to his parole officer. His parole officer, Amanda Alerbino, works in the states Probation and Parole Board office in Hillsboro. Contacted Wednesday, she declined comment. So did her supervisor. All the state would say about his time on parole is that he hadnt accrued any violations since early 2015. It appeared he did construction work. He posted several selfies, bare-chested in front of a bathroom mirror, to social media accounts. Friends would joke about him gaining weight, that food in a free society was much better than the prison grub. On April 15, Klahs wrote: My life is so boring but Im free. This month, he posted photos of items he was trying to sell on the website OfferUp, including a used reciprocating saw, a drill set, an Xbox, a hair straightener, knives and a ball cap. Dont want to let I go but have bills to oay, he wrote about the saw. Again in October, on Halloween, he wrote: Last day of my life. Three friends stepped up, saying he needed to get help. Friends who have commented on his actions since Tuesday say he was seemingly depressed and fighting addiction. Two of those friends contacted by the Post-Dispatch declined to comment. People who have found his social media accounts since the shooting have left vitriolic comments. Caleb Oates, who befriended Klahs several years ago in prison, learned of his friends death through those comments. Oates, who lives in California, said he couldnt believe what happened Tuesday. The Chad I know would never have done what he did, Oates said. He just wasnt that person. But he said Klahs was addicted to meth and had started hearing voices in past months. Oates couldnt recall the exact year he was in prison with Klahs but said they met while serving food to other inmates at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. Klahs was in prison for drug possession but stayed sober while behind bars that year, Oates said. He seemed to have his head about him, Oates said. He was always respectful and outgoing he cheered people up. Theres good people in prison, good people do mess up. Unfortunately, some people cant get their head right and do the right thing afterward and I think thats what Chads situation was. Klahs never discussed his upbringing, but swore to stay on the straight path after getting out of prison, Oates said. He was saying that he was going to get out and do good, Oates said. He said his dad had a business he could work at and that he was going to get out and keep his nose clean. Oates was released on parole from prison a year after Klahs but chose to go to his family in California to get a fresh start, he said. He had also battled drug addiction but is now sober, he said. Oates stayed in contact with Klahs over the past years but stopped trying to contact him when he learned that Klahs was physically abusing a girlfriend. A girlfriend and family members tried to get Klahs into rehab several times but couldnt afford to pay to keep him there long enough to recover, Oates said. Its sad they couldnt take a person who is desperate and trying to get help, Oates said. The support for him just wasnt there. Amanda Cochran, who said she was engaged to Klahs, told KTVI (Channel 2) that she was heartbroken to hear what happened. She could not be reached by the Post-Dispatch. I was crushed, she told KTVI. I just want to know why he did it, what caused him to do it, what he was thinking, why he was thinking it. Cochran said the couple had been together since 2014. Cochran said Klahs was impulsive and had a troubled past, but she still doesnt understand what happened. He has a criminal history ... but to shoot a cop? That is unimaginable. I could never imagine him doing anything like that. He would regret what he did, she said. He would be mad at himself for what he did, he would beat himself up so bad, she said. I know right now he is up there crying. Nassim Benchaabane of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. ST. LOUIS A 20-year-old Wellston man pleaded guilty to federal charges Wednesday and admitted a role in a 2016 carjacking and two more attempts two days later. Travion J. Brown also admitted shooting and wounding one driver and intending to cause death or serious injury to the others if they didnt give up their cars. Both prosecutors and Browns attorney Nanci McCarthy, agreed to recommend a 25-year prison sentence as part of the plea deal. The U.S. attorneys office agreed to drop two charges that could have meant 50 more years in prison. Brown and a 17-year-old approached a 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada about 11 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2016, at a traffic light at North 11th and St. Charles streets, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming said in court. Brown pulled a gun and ordered the driver out, and the pair stole the SUV and drove away, she said. Two days later, about 7:15 p.m., Brown, the teen and another person tried to carjack the driver of a 2006 Nissan Altima stopped for a light at 10th and Market streets, Fleming said. The teen tapped on the window with a gun, but the driver drove away. They then began following a St. Louis University student near the downtown law school, but the student got scared and headed for a guard shack, Fleming said. They tried to carjack a man driving a 2002 Mercedes SUV at Olive and 11th streets, but the man waved them away and began driving off, Fleming said. Brown shot him, and the three fled. Police at the time of the shooting said that the driver, 29, was struck in the forehead, and then crashed into a flower planter and another car at Olive and Ninth streets. The driver was able to help himself into an ambulance and was stable later at a hospital, police said at the time. Brown is scheduled to be sentenced March 7. The teen, Asean R. Mitchell, was charged in St. Louis Circuit Court on Dec. 7, 2016, with robbery and armed criminal action. Mitchell, now 18, of Wellston, has pleaded not guilty. His attorney could not be immediately reached for comment. TROY, Mich., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dart Appraisal, a nationwide, independent appraisal management company (AMC), has named Christie Visconti to its executive team as Vice President of Finance. In this role, she will oversee finance, accounting and human resources for Dart Appraisal. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92ea4ac1-1564-420b-bc67-a38046f378cb Visconti has more than ten years of experience in both finance and human resources, and most recently served as Finance Manager/Controller for MB Technologies' US division. Prior to her time at MB Technologies, she worked at Magna Powertrain. "Christies demonstrated ability in accounting, finance and human resources, combined with her positive leadership style, make her an incredible asset to Dart Appraisal, said Michael Dresden, President of Dart Appraisal. Strong financial leadership is a key element of any company, and Im confident Christies expertise and experience will be a true benefit to Dart as we continue to grow. Im thrilled to welcome her to the team. Visconti obtained her Bachelors and Masters of Business Administration from Walsh College. While at Walsh, she won the 2007 Financial Executives International Award. Dart Appraisal.com is an independently-owned, nationwide Appraisal Management Company (AMC) founded in 1993. For more than two decades, the company has built a reputation of superior customer service combined with innovative technology to deliver accurate and timely residential appraisals. Thousands of orders are tracked in real time using a proprietary order management platform designed and maintained by Dart Appraisal. With a singular focus on appraisal management, Dart Appraisal has developed a direct relationship with both appraisers and clients. The company manages a nationwide appraiser panel that requires appraisers to meet stringent quality standards to ensure local competence and reliable appraisals. www.dartappraisal.com. CONTACT: Michelle Gimbutis, Marketing Manager Ph: 248.244.1013 If every man, woman and child in Illinois sent me $250 today, I still would not be as rich as J.B. Pritzker, whose TV ads for governor seem to play about once an hour on the shows I watch. Oh, at $3.2 billion Id have more money than President Donald Trump. And more than any member of the U.S. Senate or House. But not as much as Forbes estimate of the $3.5 billion held by that affable fellow whose face visits my home so regularly. Pritzkers wealth is the main reason so many know his face. Please understand that I have nothing against people with big money. At times, I wish I were among them. I realized from the outset that I chose a career based on pursuit of interesting experiences and moral freedom rather than profit. No regrets. I know that according to the platform of this newspaper, which dates to founder Joseph Pulitzers retirement in 1907, one of the wrongs Im supposed to oppose is predatory plutocracy. Ill bet I wasnt the only new hire to rush to a dictionary on that one. Plutocracy means government by the wealthy, in case youre not smarter than I was. Just what might make it predatory is a key issue of the national debate right now over who would really benefit from federal tax cuts. The modern political lexicon also includes the term oligarch, which sounds more exotic than it is. It refers to a rich person in todays context a business owner in Russia who carries great political influence in government. From my perch, an American equivalent of oligarchs has grown stronger since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2010 Citizens United decision that the likes of corporations and unions have a free-speech right to spend their money on political advocacy. The Koch brothers come to mind. No less an observer than Wilma Bubbles Gauen, my late mother, used to preach to me about the evils of rich people spending fortunes for selfish political advantage, drowning out the fewer dollars and softer voices of the common people. But, perhaps surprisingly, my mom was a strong advocate of electing wealthy people to office. They dont have to worry about lining their pockets with cash, she would explain. I think the first time I heard her say it was about President John F. Kennedy. To her, he was no plutocrat but a real, skin-in-the-game candidate. Now, Kennedys nephew, Chris Kennedy, is a relatively rich candidate in pursuit of the Democratic nomination to run for Illinois governor next year. I say relatively rich because he is not in the financial league with Pritzker, his main competitor, or even Bruce Rauner, the Republican governor both seek to depose. According to U.S. News & World Report, Kennedy manages real estate for a family trust of $1.2 billion spread across 30 relatives. That family total is only a little more than one-third of the $3.4 billion in personal holdings the publication attributed to Pritzker, a financier and Hyatt hotel scion. The difference might explain why Kennedy hasnt been visiting my TV. The report put Rauner, a first-term governor who earned his fortune in venture capital, at almost $1 billion, by the way. There are others running, but it is difficult to imagine folks of comparatively modest means raising enough to overcome the money disparity. Among the other Democrats is Robert Daiber, a respected Metro East figure and longtime Madison County regional school superintendent. With the primary election more than three months distant, its way early for polling. But the Capital Fax/We Ask America Poll of 1,154 people, taken Oct. 17-18, provides a weak peek. Among Democrats, it put Pritzker at 39 percent, Kennedy at 15 percent and state Sen. Daniel Biss at 6 percent. Daiber and community organizer Tio Hardiman each had 1 percent. The margin for error was 3 percent either way. There were a lot of undecideds 36 percent but a lot of dollars yet to be spent on persuading them. Illinois has never seen the likes of what may be shaping up. We have had rich candidates before. Republicans Al Salvi and Al Hofeld both lost U.S. Senate bids. Peter Fitzgerald won a Senate seat, then fell out of GOP favor and didnt seek re-election. But we have not seen tycoon versus tycoon, in a race the candidates could finance with their pin money. Some published observers think the 2018 gubernatorial campaigns might spend as much as $300 million three times the total of the 2014 contest and the most ever for a U.S. statewide election. So are we nearing a day when only the rich can win high office? Might self-financed plutocrats have purer hearts than poorer candidates who may have to make quiet promises for money from American oligarchs? Or is a candidates dependency upon others money a hallmark of democracy? Mom? A woman shot Saturday night while driving on Interstate 270 died Tuesday, prompting police to officially declare the shooting a homicide. Brandi D. Zamora, 31, of Riverview, was shot while driving west on I-270 between Highway 367 and Halls Ferry Road about 8 p.m. Saturday. She died of her injuries at a hospital Tuesday evening, police said. Police said a silver passenger vehicle was seen in the area at the time of the shooting. Westbound lanes of the highway were closed after the shooting as Bellefontaine Neighbors Police searched for evidence. The Major Case Squad was called in to help. Hazelwood Police Lieutenant Andy Eagan was assigned to lead the investigation. Authorities ask anyone with information about the shooting to call Bellefontaine Neighbors Police at 314-581-4536 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Zamora lived in the 10000 block of Toelle Lane, police said. Washington, D.C., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chemonics International announced this week that the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project, has reached an on-time delivery rate of 71 percent for the month of October. Further, the project has delivered 97 percent of all deliveries in full. GHSC-PSM, launched in 2016, faced some critical challenges in early 2017, including with on-time and in-full delivery; Chemonics has worked closely with USAID to address these issues while laying the foundation for the projects success. To date, the GHSC-PSM project has procured and delivered health commodities to 59 countries worldwide to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria, promote maternal and child health, provide reproductive health supplies, and help countries respond to emerging threats such as Zika. The project also provides technical assistance to strengthen national health systems in more than 30 countries. Chemonics Executive Vice President James Butcher, who also serves as GHSC-PSMs acting director, said, We are pleased with the progress the project has made in reaching an on-time delivery rate of 71 percent in October. We recognize that we have to continue to build on and sustain this level of performance as we move forward. The people in the communities we serve worldwide deserve a 21st century global supply chain that provides the health commodities they need when they need them. A centerpiece of GHSC-PSM is the creation of a modern supply chain that brings the best of commercial supply chains to low-resource settings to increase efficiency and save money. By competing products, shipping lanes, and warehousing at every opportunity, for instance, GHSC-PSM obtains the best value in capability and drives down costs. The project also drives greater efficiency by seeking the best possible pricing terms for the supplies it delivers. One key factor is leveraging GHSC-PSMs market influence around the globe to understand market trends, and doing in-depth analyses of the market dynamics that go into manufacturing medicines to better understand price points. Using this production economics analysis as well as in-country optimization plans, the project is generating significant cost savings and will continue to do so in the coming months and years. These cost savings, achieved at every level, add up to allow the project to procure more health commodities for more people. Chemonics President and CEO Susanna Mudge said, We are honored to partner with USAID on GHSC-PSM. We see the project as a natural extension of our development mission, and we embrace the challenge to continually improve the global health supply chain, not just to save money, but to ensure more people receive the health commodities they need when and where they need them. For more information on this project and details from the quarter four report, read this story. ### Chemonics is an international development consulting firm dedicated to helping people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. Its projects span 70 countries and all facets of international development, from health care to financial inclusion. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85c433a4-79b6-404e-a0a3-441c185c7a88 In a rush like last-minute holiday shopping, Republicans are preparing to give Americans a sweeping new tax plan. However, as we all have learned after those frenzied trips to the mall, when you don't take time to choose a gift wisely, it might not be appreciated. Republican legislators need to remember this in the coming days. Substantially reducing taxes to stimulate the job market failed miserably in both the Bush-Cheney and Kansas attempts. At a meeting recently, the president's economic adviser, Gary Cohn, was unable to extract a pledge from the vast majority of CEOs to reinvest corporate tax savings in their companies. It would be prudent to add safeguards such as windfall profit penalties in any new bill to ensure the tax savings are used as intended for better wages, expansion, modernization, etc. Similarly, the proposed pass through tax savings for non-corporate businesses is also vulnerable to major abuse. If the GOP's intent is to encourage small-business growth, it must tighten restrictions to keep wealthy individuals from bleeding the Treasury dry, perhaps using their own tax situations as a guide to prevent people like the well-off members of Congress or the administration from qualifying. John McDonald Ferguson Yesterday, Jose Orlando Padron, scion of the Padron family of cigar makers, passed away at the age of 91 surrounded by his family. In many ways, his life was the quintessential Cuban-American cigar success story. Born into a Cuban family with long ties to tobacco, Padron left Cuba after his familys farms were taken following the Castro revolution. He eventually ended up in Miami where he worked as a carpenter (using a now famous hammer given to him by a friend) to raise $600, which he used to start making cigars in 1964. From those modest beginnings he founded a cigar company, now run by his descendants, that is known worldwide for its classic, handmade Nicaraguan cigars. The company moved into Nicaragua long before the country became a powerhouse for cigar making, and weathered the political upheaval of the Sandinista Revolution along the way. Ive met his son Jorge, who has run the day-to-day operations of the company for awhile now, but, if I ever met Jose Orlando Padron, I dont remember it. If I did, it was at a cigar trade show where I briefly would have shaken his hand and told him how much Ive enjoyed his cigars over the years. (Then I probably would have stepped away so the next person in line could shake his hand and tell him the same thing.) But whats great about cigars is you neednt have met a cigar maker to have a personal connection with him/her. My connection with Jose Orlando Padron goes back nearly two decades to when I first started smoking cigars. I dont remember exactly what my first cigar was, but Im certain it was either a Padron or a CAO, probably based on either the recommendation of a cigar shop owner or a rating in Cigar Aficionado. And I can say with confidence Ive smoked at least one Padron every year since then, thanks to Jose Orlando Padron. Padron Cigars makes excellent cigars at all price points. I frequently recommend their classic, affordable regular line to new cigar smokers. Many times, Ive turned to their more premium cigars (particularly the 1926 line) to celebrate a special occasion. Over the years, guided by Jose Orlando Padrons leadership, Padron Cigars has cut its own path. While many companies pushed new releases every year, Padron focused on its core offerings, often going many years without anything new. The result has been a core offering that hasnt declined in quality or importance despite minimal changes in over a decade. Leaders set the tone for the success or failures that follow. Jose Orlando Padron undoubtedly set Padron on its course for success and, in many ways, the successes of the cigar industry as a whole. For that we all owe Jose Orlando Padron a debt of gratitude. Patrick S photo credit: Padron Cigars Honolulu, Hawaii, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope, Flickr, Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest.) (To download photos and b-roll, go to http://bit.ly/2A3vY9k. Photo credit: Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. Identification for b-roll interviews: Kenneth DeHoff, Executive Director of Operations, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor; and Jacqueline Ashwell, Superintendent of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument) For the past 26 years, Dr. Hiroya Sugano, Director General of the Zero Fighter Admirers Club in Japan, has traveled to Pearl Harbor, Oahu to conduct a ceremony of peace and reconciliation aboard the USS Arizona Memorial. This morning, on the eve of the 76th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and with the assistance of the National Park Service and Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Dr. Sugano offered prayers and poured bourbon whisky from a WWII-blackened canteen into the water from the USS Arizona Memorial as an offering to the spirits of the fallen. Blackened Canteen Serves As Inspiration For Peace On the night of June 20, 1945, during a bombing raid over Shizuoka, Japan, two Army Air Force B-29s from the 314th Bomb Wing out of Guam collided and crashed, killing 23 crewmen. The raid also claimed the lives of more than 2,000 Shizuoka citizens. A local Shizuoka businessman and farmer, Fukumatsu Ito, was at the scene of the crash, pulling U.S. airmen from the wreckage who were fatally injured. He also retrieved a blackened canteen, distorted from the heat and bearing what appears to be, a handprint of its late owner seared onto the canteen. A devout Buddhist, Ito believed all life is precious and bore no hatred or ill will towards America for the loss of civilian life in Shizuoka. Shortly after the raid, Ito started the tradition of conducting an annual ceremony, honoring those who had paid the ultimate price as a result of war. During the ceremony, a silent prayer was said and bourbon whiskey was poured from the blackened canteen onto the crash site as an offering to the spirits of the fallen, both Japanese and American. Eventually, two monuments were erected atop Mount Shizutaka in memory of these men, where Itos ceremony was held each year, thereafter. At the time of the crash, Dr. Sugano was a young boy living with his family in Shizuoka. He experienced the horrors of that night and later visited the crash site with local townspeople. He never forgot the death and destruction that lay before him. He also witnessed Itos display of courage and devotion to peace even as Ito was shunned by Shizuoka residents for honoring the U.S. airmen who lost their lives in the crash. Before his death, Ito gave the blackened canteen to Dr. Sugano, who promised to carry on the tradition. Since 1972, Dr. Sugano has personally hosted the annual ceremony at the Mount Shizutaka monuments on the Saturday closest to June 20th, the day of the crash. In 1991, Dr. Sugano traveled to Oahu to attend the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, conducting his Blackened Canteen Ceremony aboard the USS Arizona Memorial. Since 1991, he has attended the Pearl Harbor attack commemoration every year, presiding over the Blackened Canteen Ceremony aboard the USS Arizona Memorial with the assistance of the National Park Service and Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. "Through Mr. Itos unwavering compassion and courage, the Blackened Canteen Ceremony has become an important symbol of peace and reconciliation, said Kenneth DeHoff, Executive Director at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. The canteen serves as a reminder that good can come from tragedy and we are grateful for Dr. Suganos dedication to continue this ceremonial tradition. Pacific Aviation Museum is honored to have the opportunity to co-host the Blackened Canteen Ceremony with Dr. Sugano and the National Park Service. The Ceremony was followed by a youth symposium hosted by the Museum to commemorate this story of forgiveness, reconciliation, and friendship borne out of the horror of World War II. Dr. Sugano and several WWII veterans shared their experiences with students from Honolulu, Japan, Australia, who then participated in a symposium discussion. Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is located on Historic Ford Island, where bombs fell during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Visitors to the Museum can see remnants from that day of infamy, including the 158-foot tall, red and white iconic Ford Island Control Tower, Hangars 37 and 79, and bullet holes in Hangar 79. Through its preservation and restoration of World War II fighter planes and accompanying artifacts in the Museums historic hangars, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor shares the story of the vital role aviation played in the winning of World War II, and its continuing role in maintaining Americas freedom. Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to develop and maintain an internationally recognized aviation museum on Historic Ford Island that educates young and old alike, honors aviators and their support personnel who defended freedom in The Pacific Region, and to preserve Pacific aviation history. Contact: 808-441-1000; Marketing@PacificAviationMuseum.org ### Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7fcbdfa-8c14-4e17-9bbb-4e6524c67d7f Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5fc62360-77a2-4eaf-9806-ab2b69137b36 Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6eb874c8-57e5-4aaa-b6fd-e558f42c5e23 Kara Tointon in Twelfth Night at the RSC KARA Tointon stars as an elegant Olivia in the Royal Shakespeare Companys festively Victorian Twelfth Night, which runs until 24th February. Here she tells Gill Sutherland about acting in Shakespeare for the first time I AM a Shakespeare novice. I have never performed one of his plays professionally, but I like a new challenge and its certainly been that! My experience with Shakespeare was school and doing LAMDA [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art] exams. I had the most fantastic English and drama teacher, we remain friends to this day. Shes coming to see me in this and is incredibly excited. I indulgently dreamed of doing Shakespeare. I loved it at school; I went to St Hildas in Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex. We had a Shakespeare cup at school, which was competitive. I always wanted to play the male parts, and loved playing Puck. I also loved the role of Viola in Twelfth Night! Director Chris Luscombe asked me to audition for Olivia after seeing me in Gaslight [the psychological thriller stage play which toured last year]. At first I wasnt sure if it was a good idea, then I quickly turned around and thought, actually this would be the perfect thing for me right now, and Im so pleased I did. The RSC is the Rolls-Royce of theatre companies. When you join the RSC its like entering a completely different world. It isnt just about actors coming and having an incredible experience, and the people coming to watch the plays, its a machine! Everything is in-house, so all around Stratford there are factory-like departments making the sets, wigs and wardrobe it is so exciting for everyone involved. Ive been swept up in the brilliance of it. For any actor its daunting coming to the RSC, its such a new challenge, but Im enjoying it so much I dont know if I ever want to leave Stratford now. It has been lovely to get out of north London and relax here in wonderful Stratford. Everyone has been warm and welcoming, and the cast are so supportive of each other, its such a lovely long rehearsal period that by the time you get here from London you are ready for it. Doing theatre has been a revelation. I have done a lot of TV [EastEnders, and she was the winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2010] but actually the last six years it has mainly been theatre. I feel more comfortable in theatre than ever, and I think voice and strength wise it has taught me so much; and then when Ive gone back to filming thats been easier because of the stage work in a way that I wasnt expecting. If you always remember your theatre basics it will always hold you in good stead in every aspect of the industry. Olivia has been a fantastic part to delve into, shes got a lot of depths and craziness going on, so its quite exciting. She goes through every single emotion possible, shes very up and down. We dont have much in common: Im quite an open book whereas she puts up a facade, quite closed. At the beginning we meet her and shes absolutely fantastic at being the leading lady of her household; shes the boss for sure. But she uses being in mourning [for her brother] as a bubble. Then out of the blue she meets someone who breathes oxygen into her lungs again. She cant really believe it and doesnt know what to do with it. Cesario does not feel the same so shes trapped once more in unrequited love which is sad! She has all this passion but she never quite gets to use it; even at the end does she get what she wants? The play is called Twelfth Night or What You Will and through discussion in rehearsals we thought that was significant. I think Shakespeare was trying to tell us that we fall in love with the person, its not about their gender. We fall in love with a soul, so it does get us asking questions at the end because Olivia gets a twin of the person she fell for. Is that the person she fell in love with though? Theres a lot of questions left up in the air at the end of the play. The audience will love the music. It is beautifully written and toe-tapping. Because we set it in Victorian Britain it kind of lends itself to that Gilbert and Sullivan show tune style, and the variety of music is wonderful. I first went very posh with the voice for Olivia, but then toned it down. I guess I am channeling Queen Victoria at the start. She lives in the countryside, where shes queen of the household and Orsino is a flamboyant artist living in the city. Weirdly, Chris had decided to give the play a Victorian setting with the Indian influences way before Victoria & Abdul came out [the recent Judi Dench film that saw her playing the monarch who befriends a young Indian clerk]. We did a cast group trip to see it, and Chris kept saying I came up with the idea first! Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeares greatest comedies and so clever, Ive worked hard to understand everything, and my aim is that my family will understand 80 per cent of what is going on! Ive seen so many productions of Shakespeare where I wanted to chop my arm off. I think he is the ultimate genius, but he would surely be turning in his grave if he knew people were watching his plays and not understanding it. Weirdly as an actor doing it, once you get to grips with the language it is just incredible, you really dont have to do anything, its just all in there. Ive been looking on YouTube at great actors, such as Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, and when it is done well you absolutely understand it, and thats the point and its how you give it to the audience. Im talking nonsense! I havent been interviewed for so long I forgotten what to say Im waffling! I am not a party person, Im really boring so wont be partying on Twelfth Night itself, no. My drink of choice at the moment is a Bloody Mary, Im obsessed and Ive been trying to track down the best version in London. As you would expect they do a good one at the Savoy, and also at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill. A reduction in the number of beds at Shipston's Ellen Badger Hospital has been ordered following a recent inspection by the Warwickshire fire and Rescue Service identified minor safety vulnerabilities. The fire service recently reviewed Ellen Badger Hospital and identified an area of concern in a compartment under a section of flooring. This prompted them to serve a notice which gives the Trust until the end of March 2018 to resolve the issue. A plan has been developed to carry out this maintenance following the advice of the fire service. A spokesperson for South Warwickshire NHS Trust said: "This will result in the reconfiguration of some spaces and a small reduction in beds. We will also need to move the Day Hospital to another area at Ellen Badger, this will not result in a change to services but will mean a slightly restricted space during the essential maintenance. "The Trust views Ellen Badger Hospital as a key part of future healthcare delivery and whilst we are investing a small amount now to resolve this issue there are future plans that will look to develop the site further. This plan will be worked up next year with key stakeholders including our primary care colleagues to ensure we deliver the best possible care for local people." We apologise for any inconvenience this work causes and ask for your patience whilst it is completed. Plans are being finalised for work to start as soon as possible and is due to be completed by the end of March 2018. WASHINGTON, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An estimated $4.2 million boost is coming to the Washington, DC economy when more than 2,000 community-development professionals from around the country convene in the city for the NeighborWorks Training Institute Dec. 11-15. The week-long event is hosted by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, dba NeighborWorks America, a national, congressionally chartered nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives and strengthen their communities. Included in the more than 100 affordable housing, community development and nonprofit management classes and workshops at the NeighborWorks Training Institute is the course So You Think You Want to Start a Social Enterprise (ED255), which highlights the role social enterprises play in addressing todays economic challenges and the steps to creating one. Just last month, Stanford Social Innovation Review profiled NeighborWorks America regarding how it has partnered with NeighborWorks network organizations to leverage social enterprise. "NeighborWorks Training Institutes give community-development professionals the knowledge to share best practices and excel as leaders in their field," said Jeff Bryson, acting chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. NeighborWorks America is increasing its emphasis on new business modelsapproaches to the mission work that are also economically sustainableand the recognition that these nonprofits need to engage in cross sector collaborations to have a bigger impact on the lives of the people and communities they serve. Were pleased that this course gives participants the tools to create new business models. A Dec. 13 symposium, Pathways Out of Poverty: Investing In Independence, Keeping the Pathways Open (ML928), will explore how community developers play a critical role in keeping pathways out of poverty open and equitably accessible to the communities and individuals who need them. Among the confirmed speakers at the symposium are: Jeffrey Bryson, interim president and CEO, NeighborWorks America Rip Rapson, president and CEO, The Kresge Foundation Nela Richardson, chief economist, Redfin Corporation Erika Poethig, institute fellow and director of urban policy initiatives, Urban Institute Maurice Jones, president and CEO, LISC The NeighborWorks Training Institute in Washington, DC is supported by a variety of partners, including JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, Bank of America, HUD, Citi, BB&T, and Capital One. Our Wednesday symposium is supported by E*TRADE Financial. In addition to the training institute, NeighborWorks organizations work every day to serve Washington, DC and the region. In fiscal year 2016, NeighborWorks organizations in Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland generated more than $510 million in total direct investment, served nearly 29,000 individuals and families, and created and maintained more than 3,200 jobs. To read more about NeighborWorks organizations impact, view the NeighborWorks America interactive map. For more information about NeighborWorks America, visit neighborworks.org. About NeighborWorks America For nearly 40 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. (d/b/a NeighborWorks America), a national, nonpartisan nonprofit, has created opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $27.2 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks America is the nation's leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. Contact: Douglas Robinson drobinson@nw.org 202-760-4062 @neighborworkspr TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mint Corporation (TSX Venture:MIT) (" Mint " or the " Company ") makes reference to its news releases of February 2, 2017 and April 28, 2017 relating to the proposed purchase of a particular UAE Central Bank licensed finance company (the Purchase Transaction) and its news release of September 15, 2017. Mint announces that its majority owned subsidiary, Hafed Holding LLC (Hafed), is actively engaged in preliminary due diligence and discussions for the purchase of an alternative, well-respected UAE Central Bank licensed finance company (the Finance Company) that management believes is a better strategic fit. Any purchase of the Finance Company will depend, among other things, on Hafed entering into a definitive purchase agreement on satisfactory terms and the completion of due diligence satisfactory to Hafed. Therefore, Mint announces that the original Purchase Transaction has been terminated. Mint, through its majority owned subsidiaries (the Mint Group), offers payroll cards for unbanked employees in the UAE. The Mint Group intends to launch a lending program to those payroll card holders. A suitable arrangement with a UAE Central Bank licensed finance company is required for that purpose, either through acquisition, a joint venture or partnership or a service arrangement. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information includes statements with respect to the intention of the Mint Group to launch a lending program to its payroll card holders. The forward-looking statements are based on certain expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that those expectations and assumptions are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Among other things, the Mint Groups proposed lending program to its payroll card holder is dependent on obtaining the services of a UAE Central Bank licensed finance company. There is no assurance that the acquisition of the Finance Company described above will occur. Completion of that transaction is dependent on, among other things, satisfactory due diligence, the execution and closing of a definitive agreement, UAE Central Bank approval and financing of the acquisition. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof. 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 required under applicable securities laws. About The Mint Corporation Mint, through its majority owned subsidiaries (the Mint Group), is a globally certified payments company focused on offering financial services to the unbanked salaried worker in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Mint Group provides employers with payroll cards for their unbanked employees. These employees earn regular salaries and have long-term work permits. The Mint card effectively becomes a cardholders bank account. The Mint Group is in the process of creating a comprehensive suite of value added services for its corporate clients and their employees. Mint is proud that the Mint Group is the only end-to-end, globally certified payments platform in the UAE. The Mint Group network covers the entire spectrum from issuing, processing and acquiring, all through its in-house platform. 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. The Mint Corporation Kym No Email: kno@gravitasfinancial.com Tel. 647-252-1664 www.themintcorp.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) is pleased to announce its 2017 award recipients. AME will salute its leaders at the AME Awards Celebration of Excellence Gala on January 24 during the AME Roundup 2018 conference. Tickets are available through registration at www.amebc.ca/roundup. It is an honour to congratulate the industry leaders who are receiving AMEs 2017 awards, said Diane Nicolson, Chair of the AME Board of Directors. Each has made a significant contribution to our industry, setting the stage for its future success. The theme of AMEs 2018 Roundup conference is a New Generation of Discovery, and these individuals and teams, through their efforts in exploration, development and outreach are representative of that theme, having made or facilitated the discovery and creation of new mines which will bring benefits to communities throughout British Columbia and Canada. The Awards Gala at Roundup is an opportunity for us all to acknowledge and celebrate their accomplishments. This years award winners are: Ron Burk, Ken Konkin and Ken McNaughton, recipients of the H. H. Spud Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in B.C. and/or Yukon. They are being honoured for their pivotal roles in discovering the Valley of the Kings (VOK) deposit at Pretium Resources Inc.s Brucejack mine in northwest B.C. Joseph Ovsenek, David Prins and Kevin Torpy, recipients of the E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development in B.C. and/or Yukon. They are honoured for commitment and leadership in advancing the Brucejack mine to production. Ron Netolitzky, recipient of the Murray Pezim Award for perseverance and success in financing mineral exploration in B.C. and/or Yukon. He is honoured for an illustrious career spanning five decades as a company builder and financier, and also as a geologist, prospector, consultant, entrepreneur, developer, advisor, mentor and outspoken advocate on behalf of independents and Canadian junior resource companies. Patrick Evans, Jonathan Comerford and Carl Verley, presented with the Hugo Dummett award for excellence in diamond exploration and development. They are recognized for advancing Mountain Province Diamonds from a junior exploration company to a partner with De Beers Canada, co-launching the Gahcho Kue mine in the Northwest Territories. Robert Sibthorpe, recipient of the Colin Spence Award for excellence in global mineral exploration, for his role in a mineral exploration program at Roxgold Inc.s Yaramoko property in Burkina Faso that led to the discovery of high-grade gold-bearing quartz veins and commercial production by 2016. Brent Murphy and Elizabeth Miller, recipients of the Robert R. Hedley Award for excellence in social and environmental responsibility for their significant contributions and advances in the realm of social and environmental responsibility related to Seabridge Gold Inc.s KSM project in northwest B.C. Janice Fingler, honoured with the David Barr Award for excellence in leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety for her dedication in leading AMEs Environment, Health & Safety Committee as a strong voice for health and safety in the mineral exploration community. Mona Forster and Royanna Wild, recognized with the Gold Pan Award for their exceptional meritorious service to the mineral exploration community through AME. Maureen Lipkewich, Gary Nordin and Sheila Stenzel, honoured with the Frank Woodside Past Presidents and Past Chairs Award for their distinguished service to the association and/or contribution to the mineral industry. The two recipients of AMEs Outreach Education Fund are Britannia Mine Museum for its education programs and MineralsEd for its Kids & Rocks classroom workshop. A backgrounder follows. ABOUT AME AME is the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry based in British Columbia. Established in 1912, AME represents, advocates, protects and promotes the interests of thousands of members who are engaged in mineral exploration and development in British Columbia and throughout the world. AME encourages a safe, economically strong and environmentally responsible industry by providing clear initiatives, policies, events and tools to support its membership. For further information, please contact Jonathan Buchanan, Director, Corporate Affairs, AME, at 604.630.3923 or jbuchanan@amebc.ca. BACKGROUNDER AME ANNOUNCES 2017 Award Recipients Leaders in Mineral Exploration and Mine Development to be Recognized at January 24 Gala The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) is pleased to announce its 2017 award recipients. AME will salute its leaders at the AME Awards Celebration of Excellence Gala on January 24 during the AME Roundup 2018 conference. Tickets are available through registration at www.amebc.ca/roundup. H.H. SPUD HUESTIS AWARD RON BURK, KEN KONKIN AND KEN MCNAUGHTON Ron Burk, Ken Konkin and Ken McNaughton are the recipients of the 2017 H. H. Spud Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in British Columbia and/or Yukon. They are being honoured for their pivotal roles in discovering the Valley of the Kings (VOK) deposit at the Brucejack mine in northwestern British Columbia. The Brucejack mine entered commercial production for Pretium Resources Inc. in July 2017 and is expected to produce more than seven million ounces of gold over the next 18 years. Ron Burk completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and his masters degree at Queens University before working for many years as an exploration geologist for Teck, focused on target generation and property evaluations in Canada, Mexico and South America. In 2004, he joined Silver Standard Resources Inc. as Chief Geologist. Ken Konkin, graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1984, and worked as a consulting geologist, including on numerous projects in the Golden Triangle, prior to joining Silver Standard in 1995. Ken was the project manager for all of the Snowfield and Brucejack surface exploration programs completed by Silver Standard and Pretium. Ken McNaughton is a geological engineer who completed his bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Windsor in 1981 and 1983, and began working at Silver Standard in 1991 as the Exploration Manager, ultimately becoming its Senior Vice-President, Exploration. He moved over to Pretium shortly after its listing as a public company where he is currently the Chief Exploration Officer. In their time together at Silver Standard from 2004 until 2011, the three recipients achieved great success making significant new discoveries in Argentina, Peru, Mexico and British Columbia. They formed an efficient team who had a common passion for exploration, but with each also bringing his own unique perspective and talents to the table. Silver Standards exploration activities on the property began at the Snowfield project in 2006. For the first three seasons, the company drilled off a large low-grade resource of copper-gold porphyry mineralization. In 2008, a review was started covering the Brucejack portion of the property which was known to host a small silver/gold resource at West Zone and a number of precious metal showings. The compilation of the historic database was completed in 2009 and contained a large number of high-grade gold samples spread over the length of the property. This study included the documentation of about 16,000 surface samples and a limited amount of historic drilling outside of West Zone. Remarkably there were over 100 chip samples with assays exceeding one ounce per ton gold, only one of which was directly associated with what would become VOK. In the summer of 2009, an initial drill program was completed to test for bulk tonnage gold mineralization drilling several zones located over the length of the property with holes spaced at 100- and 200-metre centres. That program intersected extreme grade gold values almost immediately, including hole SU-012 which ran 16,948.5 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 meters, and would later become known as the discovery hole for VOK. However, the discovery came not in any single drill hole, but in the early recognition of the potential of the high-grade mineralization being intersected by the widely spaced drilling. Extreme grade gold intervals became an instant hallmark of the deposit. Understanding how they related to the system would take several more years of intense study to achieve. That first program totalled 37 drill holes and was followed up in 2010 with a 73-hole program that was designed in part to test the continuity of the mineralization at VOK. In late 2010, Pretium was formed to acquire and advance the Brucejack project. Ken McNaughton and Ken Konkin moved over to Pretium in January 2011. Over the next few years, Pretium would complete almost 600 more surface drill holes and 800 underground drill holes, numerous academic studies, and a bulk sample program to define the existing resource and reserves. Amazingly, fewer than eight years elapsed from the recognition of the deposit in 2009 until the first gold was poured in June 2017. For their roles in discovering the VOK deposit, Ron Burk, Ken Konkin and Ken McNaughton are worthy recipients of the H. H. Spud Huestis Award for 2017. E.A. SCHOLZ AWARD JOSEPH OVSENEK, DAVID PRINS AND KEVIN TORPY Joseph Ovsenek, David Prins and Kevin Torpy are the recipients of the 2017 E.A. Scholz Award. This award is given to those who have made a significant contribution towards the development of a mining operation in British Columbia and/or Yukon. The Brucejack mine is a 2,700 tonne-per-day high-grade underground gold mine located in northwestern British Columbia, approximately 65 kilometers north of Stewart. With life-of-mine gold grade of 14.1 g/t, a total gold reserve of 8.7 million ounces, a discounted (5%) post-tax net present Value of US$1.53 billion and a projected all-in sustaining cash cost of US$446 per ounce gold, Brucejack is truly one of the top Canadian mining development success stories of the past decade. The Brucejack area had been a focus for exploration by various operators since the 1960s, with extensive drilling and underground development completed at the propertys West Zone, near the area of the current mine. Following intersections of bonanza grade gold mineralization from step-out drilling in 2009 and 2010, Pretium was formed to acquire and advance the project in late 2010. Aggressive drilling programs in 2011 and 2012 continued to demonstrate the presence of high-grade visible gold, so existing underground workings were rehabilitated to facilitate excavation of an underground ramp leading from the historic West Zone area to the new VOK deposit. By 2014 the accelerated exploration program had delivered enough data for completion of a final feasibility study, and project engineering began along with mine permitting activities. In 2015, as the permitting process was concluding, a competitive and flexible construction financing package was assembled. In March of that year, Pretium received its provincial environmental assessment certificate, and a positive federal environmental assessment decision followed in July. With the receipt of the major project permits, a production decision, and a substantial portion of the construction financing completed, development activity ramped up in September 2015. Construction of the mine, access road and a 57-kilometre transmission line was completed by early 2017, and the first gold was poured in June. Pretium has advanced the Brucejack project from exploration to commercial production in an impressive timeline through a period of exploration and development financing difficulties, in a logistically challenging location, while demonstrating positive and respectful engagement with First Nations, all levels of government, stakeholders, contractors and employees. This is a testament to the high level of coordination and the unwavering dedication of the management team. The success of the project reflects the commitment and leadership of Pretium President and CEO Joseph Ovsenek, VP Operations David Prins and General Manager, Brucejack Mine, Kevin Torpy. They are very deserving recipients of the 2017 E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development. MURRAY PEZIM AWARD RON NETOLITZKY Ron Netolitzky is the recipient of the 2017 Murray Pezim Award for perseverance and success in financing mineral exploration in British Columbia and/or Yukon. He is being honoured for an illustrious career spanning five decades, not only as a company builder and financier, but also as a geologist, prospector, consultant, entrepreneur, developer, advisor, mentor and outspoken advocate on behalf of independents and Canadian junior resource companies. He remains actively engaged in the exploration industry as a Director of several publicly listed companies and is the Board Chairman of Skeena Resources Limited, which is currently advancing three significant projects in the Golden Triangle area of northwest B.C. Ron is a highly accomplished Canadian and international geologist who has always remained an independent-minded prospector at heart. But he has excelled, and continues to excel, at sourcing funds to take projects to more advanced stages. In the 1980s, with Delaware Resources and later Consolidated Stikine Resources, he recognized and helped realize the potential of the Snip and Eskay Creek properties which became two of Canadas most successful high-grade precious metal mines. He has also contributed to the growth of many other junior companies, and has been instrumental in multiple significant merger-and-acquisition events. Under his leadership of Loki Gold (later Viceroy Resources) during the 1990s, the Brewery Creek project in Yukon was transformed into a successful open-pit heap-leach gold mine. This was no small feat, considering the sub-Arctic climate at this location. Ron graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. in geology in 1964 and a M.Sc. from University of Calgary in 1967. He founded Taiga Consultants Ltd. in 1970 and was active as a consultant during the Saskatchewan uranium rush before venturing into junior mining exploration and development from 1985 onward. Most of Rons financings over the past 32 years have been non-brokered private placements in which he has participated substantially as an investor, in many cases becoming a controlling shareholder. Previous recognition for Rons many achievements include his receipt of PDACs Bill Dennis Prospector of the Year Award in 1990, AMEs E.A. Scholz Award for excellence in mine development in 1996 and induction into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2015. AME is pleased to add to these accolades by presenting him with the 2017 Murray Pezim Award. HUGO DUMMETT AWARD PATRICK EVANS, JONATHAN COMERFORD AND CARL VERLEY Patrick Evans, Jonathan Comerford and Carl Verley, key individuals at Mountain Province Diamonds (MPV), are presented with the Hugo Dummett Award for Excellence in Diamond Exploration and Development for 2017. They have all played direct roles in advancing MPV from a junior exploration company to a partner with De Beers Canada, co-launching the large new diamond mine, Gahcho Kue, a remote fly-in/fly-out operation located 280 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Carl Verley was a founding member of MPV and has been a director of the company since 1986. Carl was responsible for getting the company to explore for diamonds in 1992, just after the discovery of Ekati. Canamera Geological was contracted to do the exploration on behalf of MPV. By 1994 Carl and Canamera geologists reviewed the sampling and geophysics completed to date and selected anomaly 5034 for drilling. Drilling of this anomaly led to the discovery of the first kimberlite that would become part of the Gahcho Kue mine. As the project advanced, expenses escalated and raising money became difficult. In 1997, MPV formed a joint venture with De Beers with the latter as operator. After MPV amalgamated with Glenmore Highlands in 2001, Jonathan Comerford joined the board and has been Chair of the Board of Directors of MPV since 2006. In representing the major shareholders of MPV, Jonathan was successful in winning their support for financing MPVs share in advancing the project through numerous equity infusions needed before financing was put in place for the mine build. Jonathan was also decisive in determining what was needed to move the project forward a new CEO with more experience. In 2005, Patrick Evans was appointed CEO of the company, a position he held until 2017. Patrick was well connected in the mining and investment community and a consummate professional, a quality likely developed during his time in the South African Foreign Service. Previously holding the position of CEO at Southern Era, he also had experience managing joint venture relationships with De Beers. During his tenure with MPV Patrick successfully guided the Company through consolidations resulting in a 49 per cent position in the JV with De Beers as the only other partner; renegotiating the JV agreement with De Beers to establish an effective 50/50 joint venture; and pushing the project operator to advance the project through feasibility, the mine permitting and construction and ultimately commercial production. The Mountain Province team members of Patrick Evans, Jonathan Comerford and Carl Verley are deserving recipients of the Hugo Dummett Award. Hugo Dummett was quick to recognize talents within individuals and to nurture those talents by building a strong loyalty in his team, particularly in keeping eyes on the goal. This is Patrick Evanss strong suit. Hugo also appreciated individuals who could make hard decisions quickly for the best interests of the company, an attribute clearly demonstrated by Jonathan Comerford. Finally, Hugo always recognized the efforts of those in the trenches or in this case at the drill rig. Carl Verley identified the diamond opportunity, confirmed its success, and saw the company through many years to culminate in a new diamond mine for Canada. The combination of these attributes of Patrick, Jonathan and Carl directly contributed to the development of the Gahcho Kue Mine in the Northwest Territories. COLIN SPENCE AWARD ROBERT SIBTHORPE The Colin Spence Award for excellence in global mineral exploration is presented to Robert Sibthorpe. Rarely does an exploration geologist have a hand in all aspects of exploration from selecting the project, designing the exploration program, raising the funding, negotiating land access with local communities and governments to personally managing the exploration activities until a NI 43-101 mineral resource has been completed. Yet Robert Sibthorpe provided major leadership on all of these tasks resulting in the discovery of high-grade gold-bearing quartz veins in the 55 Zone on the Yaramoko property in Burkina Faso. The project was acquired in late 2010 and, remarkably, commercial production was declared in October 2016, which is a testament to the role Bob played and the team that followed his tenure at Roxgold Inc. Bob and his financial partner Al Fabbro acquired the Yaramoko project and two other projects from Riverstone Resources Inc. for their venture shell company. Bob was attracted to the high-grade gold Riverstone had discovered at the Bagassi South prospect because gold deposits in Burkina Faso were generally characterized as low-grade bulk tonnage deposits. Bob initiated property-wide airborne geophysical and soil geochemical surveys. His structural interpretation combined with anomalous gold-in-soil results led to his decision to test the 55 Zone even though conventional wisdom suggested a granite-hosted anomaly like the 55 Zone should not be a priority target in the Hounde greenstone belt. The soil anomaly was first tested by rotary air blast (RAB) drilling, and then reverse circulation drilling was utilized to test anomalous areas delineated by RAB drilling yielding 24.62 g/t gold over 6 metres in hole YMR-10-RC036. When drilling started, the area had a large number of artisanal miners providing Bob and his exploration team valuable mapping exposure to the quartz veins hosting the gold. By aggressively targeting its discovery, Roxgold was able to announce their first resource estimate by August 2012, with current (December 2016) proven and probable reserves sitting at 662,000 ounces at 11.46 g/t gold following mine depletion of 91,000 ounces. Bob received his B.Sc. degree in geology in 1972 and an MBA degree in 1979 from the University of Toronto. He has had extensive experience in the mineral exploration sector, working in geology and business development with senior mining companies including Noranda, Falconbridge and Ivanhoe Mines. He also served as a research and corporate finance analyst in the securities industry for Midland Doherty Ltd., Yorkton Securities Inc. and Canaccord Capital Corp. He has been involved in the discovery or financing of numerous important mineral deposits, including Eskay Creek, Petaquilla, Oyu Tolgoi and Fire Creek. ROBERT R. HEDLEY AWARD BRENT MURPHY AND ELIZABETH MILLER Brent Murphy and Elizabeth Miller are the 2017 recipients of the Robert R. Hedley Award for their significant contributions and advances in the realm of social and environmental responsibility related to Seabridge Golds KSM project in northern British Columbia. Brent and Elizabeth have demonstrated a dedication to the integration of environmental and social design, balancing the financial viability of the proposed mine with the needs of the environment and surrounding society and cultures. They set a new standard for environmental stewardship and leadership in social engagement, going well beyond the parameters of the environmental assessment requirements. Located in the upper Nass Valley, the proposed KSM mine is surrounded by the traditional territories of four First Nations and the Nisga'a Nation, and is near the Alaskan border. That setting presents unique challenges for environmental protection and gaining social licence to operate. Benefits agreements were negotiated with Gitanyow First Nation and Nisgaa Treaty Nation, and the project was accepted by Tahltan, Gitxsan and Skii km Lax Ha Nations. Tribal Nations and communities in Alaska were engaged to ensure their opinions were accounted for. The surrounding communities of Smithers, Terrace, Stewart, Dease Lake, Iskut and Telegraph Creek were consulted, and all of these parties continue to be openly consulted. The result of the engagement with stakeholders led to $500 million in design changes and training opportunities with the KSM project. Brent Murphy as Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Elizabeth Miller as Manager of Environmental Affairs for Seabridge Gold have acted as a powerful team, dedicated to move their project forward in a sustainable way to the benefit of their neighbors as well as their shareholders. Through their achievements Brent and Elizabeth set a new standard for environmental stewardship and leadership in social engagement while protecting the project's economic feasibility. They truly understand that balance is not only achievable, but required. DAVID BARR AWARD JANICE FINGLER Janice Fingler is the recipient of the David Barr Award for excellence in leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety. Her strong leadership since joining the AME Environment, Health & Safety Committee in 2013 and chairing it since 2014 has enabled the committee to grow and be a strong voice for health and safety in the mineral exploration community, in B.C. and across the country. With fellow committee member Dave Thompson, she worked tirelessly to reorganize the Exploration Safety for Project Managers workshop to create dialogue with government officials to create a truly interactive workshop for participants. By strategically recruiting new members to the committees and harnessing the talents of existing members, AME in collaboration with the PDAC was able to deliver new initiatives such as the helicopter slinging training presentation developed by committee members Maria Gabriel and Kim Bilquist and delivered at AME Roundup 2017. Her true and honest dedication to advancing health and safety was also recently demonstrated by her leading an alert to all AME members ensuring that members were aware of online resources regarding forest fires so that they could make decisions to keep their people safe during the height of the wildfires this past summer. Widely recognized by her peers as a leader who has instilled a corporate commitment to health and safety through her own practice and role and AME, Janice is stepping down as chair of the committee, but her actions over the past few years will inspire new leadership in continuing to build a true culture of safety in the industry. GOLD PAN AWARD MONA FORSTER AND ROYANNA WILD Mona Forster has volunteered at AME for more than 20 years and continues to support AME as a Past Board Chair and active advisor. Monas involvement in AME was focused on her being a Director from 2005 to 2012 and Board Chair from 2011 to 2012. Mona was also Chair of AME's Nominating Committee in 2012 and 2013 and a member of the Nominating Committee in 2016. Mona has also been actively involved in planning and supporting AMEs Roundup conference, and more recently her involvement has been focused on the Tax, Securities and Investment and the Communications and Marketing Committees. Mona's career in the mineral exploration industry started with Echo Bay Mines where she worked on site and in the exploration office. She then worked at URS, an engineering and environmental consulting office. Most recently she worked with Entree Gold Inc., a mineral resource exploration company with development and exploration projects in Mongolia, United States, Peru and Australia. Currently, Mona is providing consulting services in strategic planning, budget development and business operations to a variety of clients. Royanna Wild is an active member of AMEs Land Access and Use Committee and volunteers with the Kamloops Exploration Group (KEG). Her volunteer activities for KEG have led to the successful creation of its Outreach Program. She instituted the student delegate program at the annual KEG Conference. Royanna was a member of the team that started the popular annual KEG Lecture Series which brings together an audience of both industry and the public, and she spearheaded the popular Ask a Geo events in Kamloops. She was also involved with starting Mining Day in Kamloops. She is a tireless volunteer, often working in the background helping out where needed, on AMEs initiatives, for example, Discovery Day at Roundup. Royanna is a great ambassador of the industry, working with and encouraging an interest in geology in young people. She is currently the Corporate Lands Administrator at KGHM International, Ajax Project. FRANK WOODSIDE PAST PRESIDENTS AND PAST CHAIRS AWARD MAUREEN LIPKEWICH, GARY NORDIN AND SHEILA STENZEL The Frank Woodside Past Presidents and Past Chairs Award is presented to three individuals for their distinguished service to AME and/or the mineral exploration industry. Maureen Lipkewich co-founded the Mineral Resources Education Program of B.C., now known as MineralsEd, with Coquitlam school teacher Bruce Kiloh in 1991. She served as Director from its inception in 1991 until 2003, and continues to be involved as an honourary member of its Board of Trustees. Maureen is a lifelong member of B.C.s mining community. She grew up in Merritt, married a miner and moved with her family to Kamloops, then Tumbler Ridge and Vancouver. Maureen was working as a volunteer with the Mining Association of B.C. in the late 1980s when she began to cross paths with teachers at career fairs who informed her that they did not have up-to-date and useful materials to teach about mining. She began to search for solutions that led her to the B.C. Ministry of Education, the B.C. Teachers Federation and the Social Studies Provincial Specialist Association, where she met Bruce Kiloh. They drafted a formal teacher-industry partnership dedicated to supporting teachers in their development of resources to teach about earth science, mineral resources and mining in school at all grade levels where there was opportunity in the curriculum. Gary Nordin graduated with a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Alberta, and has worked in the mining industry for more than 50 years. He is a founder, Director and Senior Geologist with Orestone Mining Corp. Prior to this, he co-founded and served as a Director of Polaris Materials Corporation from 2000 to 2009. Earlier in his career, Gary was a founding Director and Executive Vice President and Chief Geologist of Eldorado Gold Corporation. He has served on the Board of Directors of several publicly listed exploration and mining companies. Gary has been an ardent member and supporter of AME and has mentored and assisted many aspiring mineral explorers in their studies, exploration activities and most importantly nurtured their enthusiasm and passion for natural resource exploration in all its many facets. Sheila Stenzel obtained undergraduate degrees in biology and earth sciences from St. Cloud State University, an M.Sc. in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a PhD in geology from Memorial University. Her industry and field geoscience experience includes working on a national uranium resource assessment project in South Dakota; working for the United States Geological Survey water resources division in Colorado; and working with Teck on a summer drilling program at the Daniels Harbour Zinc mine in Newfoundland while completing her PhD. Sheila first became involved with MineralsEd in 1999 as a volunteer workshop presenter and later became the program coordinator. She became the MineralsEd director in 2003. Sheila works directly with classroom teachers to develop curriculum and resources for the school program. She oversees the daily operations of the program, working throughout the year with a program coordinator and a team of teacher-partners and volunteers from industry to organize mining and geoscience workshops and field trips, as well as student and teacher programs at industry conferences throughout British Columbia. OUTREACH EDUCATION FUND BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM AND MINERALSED Britannia Mine Museum is granted $10,000 to support the 2018 continuation of its well-established Education Program. The program annually reaches more than 10,000 Kindergarten to Grade 12 students through earth science focused exhibits and events. The goals are to inspire students to learn more about minerals, local geology and tectonic history and, in particular, the geological origins of the Britannia copper deposit, and to raise student awareness of earth science career opportunities. Support is also given to teachers in the appreciation and education of earth science where it appears in the B.C. curriculum. Program focus and additions for 2018 include conversion of the historic Assay Building on the museum site to accommodate public programming about modern mining and the completion of an exhibit that explores the legacy of the Britannia Mine, the remediation of Howe Sound and ongoing research and innovation in the Canadian mining industry. In addition, the museum will develop a summer kids day camp program themed around minerals and mining exploration, and plans to enhance Delving into Geoscience (DIG) Day during spring break by offering a variety of additional earth science related activities. MineralsEd is granted $10,000 to fund the Kids & Rocks Classroom Workshop for 2018. This half-day classroom program introduces Lower Mainland students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 to the basic properties of natural materials. They are provided with a bag of about 25 rocks and minerals, a hand lens, hardness kit, streak plate, magnet and flashlight to experience and learn the basic physical properties of their specimens. During the course of the workshop, the students are introduced to how important non-renewable resources are in our daily lives. Early introduction and understanding of rocks and minerals are the foundation for young peoples appreciation of our dependence on non-renewable resources. The Kids & Rocks project is an important stepping stone in public awareness of the value of our mineral exploration industry. During his five-nation tour of Asia, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly employed a phrase that some observers have taken as a glimpse into his administrations approach to the region. Whereas his predecessor labeled the region the Asia-Pacific, Trump has made the subtle but noticeable shift to calling it the Indo-Pacific. In many ways, however, U.S. strategy in the region hasnt changed. Consistent with Barack Obamas pivot to Asia, it still focuses heavily on freedom of navigation and overflight, cementing a rules-based economic order, and the need to help regional states deter coercion from expansionist powers (read: China). Some aspects of the U.S. approach certainly have shifted. As could have been expected, Trump explicitly denounced multilateral trade pacts a major component of past U.S. strategy and hinted at a somewhat more hands-off approach to managing flashpoints like the South China Sea. But the underlying message in Trumps broad strategy for the region was that the U.S. is not withdrawing from Southeast Asia, despite regionwide uncertainties about future U.S. engagement; its just not going to entangle itself in commitments that stray from core U.S. interests. Leaders from Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, the United States, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Indonesia and Cambodia pose for a photo during the ASEAN-U.S. 40th anniversary commemorative summit on the sideline of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Manila on Nov. 13, 2017. MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images The U.S. as a Mediator The underlying drivers of the U.S. strategy were reflected in an offer Trump reportedly made to mediate disputes between China and Southeast Asian states over the South China Sea. The U.S. cannot be the peacemaker in the South China Sea dispute, primarily because Chinas moves in the waters are largely motivated by the U.S. position in the Western Pacific. So long as the U.S. maintains a significant military presence along whats known as the First Island Chain Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia it is a threat to block sea lanes that are critical to Chinas export-dependent economy. Chinas only viable strategy to ensure its access to the Pacific is to reach a political accommodation with a country in this chain that China can be certain wouldnt side with an outside naval power during a major conflict. Its assertiveness in the South China Sea is thus a means toward that end, but also a contingency, in case that strategy fails. In other words, Beijing is betting that its overwhelming superiority compared to weaker Southeast Asian states will diminish the appetite for confrontation among its southern neighbors and turn their attention toward the tangible benefits of cooperation, particularly on the economic front. But even if such an arrangement proves elusive, this strategy still enables China to build up its maritime defenses in an effort to raise the costs of an attack on the Chinese mainland. Although this strategy risks driving these states toward the U.S. and its allies, China has little choice but to pursue it. Trumps offer to mediate should not be taken at face value and should instead be seen as an expression of two things. The first is that the U.S. capability and willingness to secure core strategic interests in the Western Pacific is permanent and China cant challenge that effectively making it the arbiter of maritime issues that it decides merit its involvement. The second is that Chinas goals in the South China Sea shouldnt be automatically at odds with those of the United States, meaning China should fear containment only if it gives the U.S. and its allies little choice but to contain it. The main U.S. interest in the South China Sea dispute is preventing a conflict or an erosion of maritime law that threatens to disrupt seaborne trade. Some 30 percent of global maritime trade and about half of global oil tanker shipments pass through the waters each year. The U.S. is signaling to Beijing that its willing to help shape a settlement between China and other claimants in the region that both eases Chinese anxieties and complies with international law and maritime norms. But for China, this would amount to ceding its claims in the disputed waters, undermining its overriding strategy. The U.S., therefore, is also indicating that continued Chinese expansion will come at a cost. For example, this weekend saw the first meeting in 10 years of the so-called Quadrilateral Security Dialogue a loose coalition involving Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. intended to prepare for the possibility of future Chinese aggression. The U.S. is also leaning on its allies Japan, in particular to offer security assistance to Southeast Asian states. Drawbacks The drawback for the U.S. is that if it appears to be washing its hands of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea altogether, it will heighten the sense among claimant states like the Philippines and Vietnam that the U.S. is unreliable. This plays into the Chinese narrative that Southeast Asian states would be wise to accept as a fait accompli its ascension as regional hegemon. Notably, the leaders of both Vietnam and the Philippines appeared to dismiss Trumps offer out of hand. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte rejected potential U.S. military involvement on the issue, while Vietnam moved forward with bilateral negotiations with Beijing. Both countries will cautiously boost military cooperation with the U.S. and rest on assurances that a major crisis would threaten the U.S. interests and thus compel an intervention. But the fact that they dont want to antagonize Beijing by involving the Americans in negotiations with China underscores the limits of U.S. influence and leverage over how the disputes play out. The current U.S. position on trade is also difficult to square with broader U.S. goals in the region. The strategic impetus for the original Trans-Pacific Partnership, which fell victim to domestic politics in the U.S., was to deter Chinese economic coercion in Asia, solidify U.S. partnerships in a trade-focused region, and cement an open, rules-based and U.S.-centric economic system. Trump wants to replace it with a series of bilateral trade deals. In addition to security cooperation, the Quad is expected to focus heavily on coordinating infrastructure investments to balance Chinas One Belt, One Road investments . To an extent, Japan is filling the void on the economic front as well by balancing the surge in Chinese investment in Asia and spearheading efforts among the 11 remaining TPP members to revive the trade pact. Indeed, TPP-11 countries struck a broad agreement in principle on reviving the deal this weekend, leaving the door open for Washington to return if the political environment in the U.S. reverts to the broadly pro-trade orientation it has maintained since World War II. But all these alternatives are works in progress, at best. Trump spent much of the past week pressuring regional states, including close allies, to narrow their trade imbalances with the United States. At this point, theres not much political or economic logic driving a multipronged trade push. Overall, however, Trumps trip to Southeast Asia has underscored the reality that the new Indo-Pacific strategy isnt really that much of a departure from what the U.S. was already doing in the region. The U.S. has always been loath to risk getting dragged into a war not of its choosing by entangling itself in the South China Sea dispute. As a result, it has limited itself largely to symbolic moves like so-called freedom of navigation operations (where a U.S. warship discredits Beijings territorial claims by sailing near Chinese-occupied islands), while quietly bolstering its military footholds along the First Island Chain and around the Malacca Strait. Shifting security burdens to allies has been the U.S. strategy for a decade now. Whats different is that the U.S. is more openly narrowing its focus to the core interests that were the main drivers of its regional strategy in the first place. A car hitting a power pole and sparking a scrub fire is one of two crashes Western Bay of Plenty Police are investigating. Another crash involved a motorcyclist and van on Rangiuru Road. The second of the two crashes the car hitting a power pole was called into police at 4.22pm and was on Wilson Road North. A police spokesperson says the driver of the car sustained moderate injuries in the crash. The crash resulted in nearby scrub and the vehicle catching on fire. The fire was quickly extinguished before it had a chance to spread too far. There was disruption to traffic, which was managed by contractors, says a police spokesperson. The lines company was advised, a tow truck was called for the vehicle, and the driver was reported to have moderate injuries. The driver of the car was pulled to safety by members of the public that came across the accident. Prior to this crash, police were also alerted to another involving a motorcyclist and a van on Rangiuru Road. The crash happened at about 4.15pm. No major injury injuries were reported and no cars were blocking the road. Minor injuries were received by the motorbike rider, including a sore shoulder and skin lacerations. What does a Tauranga barber, his four legged companion and the open road have in common? A mission to get men to open up about mental health. Sam Dowdall, aka, the Barter Barber and his canine co-pilot Bobo are travelling the country in a bid to help raise awareness and challenge current perceptions about mens health. He says the mission started early this year, after years of planning. Its a journey which completely relies on the kindness of others, he says. I swap goods and services for haircuts. We just kind of pull up in our mobile caravan which is a barber shop and we have an awning we can pull out to use or we can go into peoples businesses and we just trade. People usually bring us petrol vouchers or food, which helps us on our way. Homemade preserves are big at the moment, Ive got so many preserves. When we started off we were given so many cans of spaghetti and baked beans that I never want to see one again, but now its switched to preserves, which Im not mad about. Sam says his travels were a way of escaping a lifestyle, which he had become tired of. I dont really agree with the fiscal system, I dont think its made for everyone so with the bartering I saw there was a way to get out of that. Originally I wanted to do this by travelling around talking to other barbers to find out what was uniquely kiwi about the trade. Then I ended up losing quite a few friends to suicide over the last year and quite a few clients as well, all being male. The more I delved into the issue the more I saw a problem. It was about putting my best foot forward to give some education around mental health, communication and masculinity, things which as men we havent really addressed as a gender. Were getting out to factories, farms and anywhere thats male dominated, just having conversations like hey, how do we talk about our friends, how do we talk about our feelings. Hes currently visited areas in the greater Bay of Plenty, provinces of Rotorua, Kawerau alongside a stop to Edgecumbe just after the flooding. He hopes to hit every town in the country A lot of places where were going, especially rural communities where there has been a lot of suicides already, they know things need to change. When I first went out there like hey guys its actually okay to talk, some of the guys who I thought would be the most stoic were actually the first to open up and engage because they can see the issue. It almost seems as if they need someone to remind them that its not emasculating to talk about their health. A lot of the barriers men face when it comes to having these kinds of conversation is that man up and shell be right attitude, which we have here in New Zealand. Its really important to give your guys a call, give your brother and your dad a call and ask really how theyre going. Sam says it can be really hard, especially when someone doesnt want to talk. But its when they dont want to talk that it can be most effective. He hopes to enable men with the tools to be able to communicate and understand more about mental health. In New Zealand we see mental health as a binary thing, its on or off, youre either well or unwell. The message were trying to put out is its a spectrum, some days youre 15 per cent some days youre 100 per cent, but when you are at 15 per cent thats normal and its okay. Joining him for the ride is Bo, a poodle-cross and trained service dog. Hes a rescue dog, but hes also a trained emotional support animal, says Sam. He actually helps me with a lot of the work I do, hes super well trained. When guys talk, they need to use their hands, and their hands need to be busy before they open up. Thats where Bo comes in. Photo: James Stanbridge. Hes really good for that. If were talking about suicide or anything like that, it helps to take the edge off, just having someone sitting on your lap thats so loving. Sam works with a diverse range of groups, which he can be either invited out to or happen to stumble across in his travels. I work with homeless people to bank owners, so the diversity I see is not only socio-economical but geographical too. Through experience in constantly working with these completely different groups of guys, Ive learnt to tailor my message. I do a lot of work with men in Wellington who are quite self-aware and I can really delve into issues like social gender norms whereas if I was working with a group of gang members I wouldnt use those words, Id focus on whanau. We have quite a few people who stay in contact with us through Facebook. I might see a guy in Hamilton and hell message us like hey! Theres a guy in Huntly who you need to see. We use those referrals to try to touch a lot of likeminded and exciting people to come across. Were actually trying to film a documentary, so its really good to have those eccentric characters that are doing positive things and trying to show guys whats positive instead of what were doing wrong. Sam says a lot of his work depends on mutual trust with his clients. Heterosexual men dont touch each others faces, its a really challenging thing, so as soon as you get into someones personal space usually tell you something about themselves, which they wouldnt tell anyone else. Its a vulnerability thing, to get vulnerability you have to give it. I put as much of myself into it as I expect to get back. In order to continue his travels Sam says he is now asking for an investor to come on board. Weve been trying to find a campervan at the moment. Our home on wheels/mobile barber shop is having massive engine issues, but we were lucky enough that an investor came along and offered to restore the engine. The campervan is now having crucial work done on it through until February, says Sam. Photo: The Barter Barber/Facebook. At the moment were living out the back of a car, and Im about to go pick up a scooter to use around here. Wed be really keen for someone to help us out with a campervan, he says. I need it to be able to sleep three people, preferably as soon as humanly possible, through to mid-February. We understand the difficulty in the fact that this is the one time of year that people actually take their campervans out. Despite the predicament, he remains positive. We are so lucky in that there are worse times of year to be living like this, says Sam. And we are so lucky in that we have so much support and we hope to continue giving that back. A German tourist has admitted to causing the death of his companion in a crash while on a journey up the Coromandel. Felix Eisele, 19, appeared in Thames District Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to careless use of a motor vehicle causing the death of Melanie Dangel. Melanie was a passenger in a car driven by Eisele who pulled out into the path of a truck on State Highway 25 on November 24. The court heard how the 19-year-old obtained his licence in Germany in January and had limited driving experience, driving only one or two times a month until he came to New Zealand. In Germany they drive on the right side of the road. The pair arrived in New Zealand on September 26 and a week before the crash hired a rental car. On the morning of the crash, the pair left Hamilton at 10.55am heading for Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel. It was a sunny hot day and both were wearing seatbelts. Eisele driving, while Melanie read a book. Near the intersection of State Highway 25 Eisele came to a stop. Meanwhile, a truck and trailer was heading west towards Auckland going 80kmh in the 100kmh zone. As the truck neared the intersection, Eisele pulled out into the path of the truck. The truck braked hard but struck the vehicle on the drivers side, shunting both vehicles along SH25, ending up in the westbound lane. Firefighters had to cut the pair from the mangled silver Nissan sedan. They were both flown to Auckland City Hospital in separate rescue helicopters. Melanie suffered serious head injuries and was in a critical condition. She died in hospital last Friday. Eisele, who has no memory of the crash, was supported by family members including his sister when he appeared in court and pleaded guilty. He was convicted of the careless driving causing death. The charge carries a maximum of three months jail and a $4500 fine. His acting lawyer Roddie Sim made an application for name suppression, which was denied by Judge Burnett. He was remanded on bail to reappear for sentencing in January. Conditions of bail include that he not to drive a motor vehicle and surrender his passport. - Stuff/Phillipa Yalden. Tauranga law firm Lyon ONeale Arnold is championing a new women-led seed capital fund that aims to raise half-a-million dollars to support female entrepreneurs. SheEO is a leading global innovation, providing a platform for women to finance, support and celebrate female entrepreneurs. It has been launched in New Zealand by businesswoman, former Telecom CEO and co-founder of My Food Bag Theresa Gattung. Based on a scheme already in operation in Canada and the United States, the aim is to bring together 500 women who each contribute $1,100 to create a funding pool of $500,000 (the additional $100 per contribution covers formation, administration and management costs). This funding pool will initially support five female-led ventures in New Zealand, in the form of interest-free loans that are paid back over five years. Lyon ONeale Arnold will host an information event at the Tauranga Club on December 7, at which SheEO founder Vicki Saunders will beam in from Canada. The law firms co-director Denise Arnold met Vicki at the inaugural World Women conference in Auckland earlier this year, at which they were both speakers. World Women was organised by Theresa, who is also patron of the Cambodia Charitable Trust, which was founded by Denise 10 years ago to help transform childrens lives through education. I think its really important that women support each other both in their personal and business lives, says Denise, who founded Wonder Women, a free speaker series that is held quarterly in Tauranga to bring women together to share ideas. Women in business face different challenges to men and are often motivated by different reasons, she says. Whether they are wanting to invest or apply for a loan, this event will give women the opportunity to find out more about this exciting new initiative and how it serves women and their unique business needs. The SheEO information evening will be held at Tauranga Club, Devonport Road, at 5.30pm on Thursday, December 7. Email: caro@loalaw.nz or phone: 07 928 4422 to reserve a seat. It was a busy Tuesday for the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter this week with three medical flights in one day. Starting at daybreak at 5.30am the rescue helicopter made an emergency transfer of a 63 year old Rotorua man to Waikato hospital. The rescue helicopter was later dispatched to Opotiki where 42-year-old male local was suffering from a serious medical event. He was airlifted directly to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition. On the return from Waikato, the rescue helicopter was dispatched to the remote settlement of Ruatahuna where a young local girl was also suffering a medical event. An Air New Zealand aircraft made an unscheduled landing last night after circling Tauranga and an area of ocean east of the Coromandel. Flight NZ30 left Auckland for Buenos Aires at 8.21pm, but returned an hour and a half later as a precaution due to a possible engineering issue, according to an airline spokesperson. The aircraft, which was less than an hour into its journey, circled for a short time to reduce fuel weight before landing without incident at around 9.50pm, she says. Customers on this service are now booked to travel on an alternative service today. Earlier this week, another Air New Zealand flight, this time bound for Japan, was forced to return to Auckland after experiencing engine issues. The pilot elected to shut down one of the planes engines as a precaution during flight NZ99 to Narita, Tokyo. However, an Air New Zealand spokesperson says these were two different aircraft. The $14,000 per night house-on-the-water is located some 1,000ft from the nearest neighbouring villa, offering guests tranquillity and privacy. The villa, which is spread over 15,000sq ft, includes an array of lavish features like a glass infinity pool and split-level bathing deck. There are a total of four bedrooms, two of which are part of a master suite. The Private Reserve is built around a central living area that includes two circular sofas that are right above the water. The villa is practically a hotel in itself, with amenities including a library, dining room, private cinema and bar, spa, sauna, steam room and gym. Outside youll find sun loungers, ocean views and poolside vibes. Throughout the villa there are striking panels of glass floor, a perpetual reminder that you are in an overwater villa. A personal butler remains on hand throughout your stay to ensure that all your needs are taken care of. One of the baths attached to the master suite is a 1000sq ft. space with its own outdoor oversized bathtub, a glass-walled shower, and a sectioned-off swimming area. The whole concept of Gili Lankanfushi is more Robinson Crusoe style we are very low-profile, said Bahauddeen, Gili Lankanfushis director of rooms. Though we try to cater to all of the luxuries, we want to cater in harmony of nature and in harmony of our Maldivian culture. Thats why we dont have remote-controlled window curtains or big plasma TVs everywhere. Gili Lankanfushi has previously hosted renowned celebrities including Richard Branson and Novak Djokovic. Christmas lives behind the doors at Highlands Ballet. Though aged more than 170 years, revived characters including Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim along with Christmas Past, Present and Future rise again a testament to the creative minds of the venerable ballet company. Oh, said Deanna Cole-Roberts, Highlands Ballet founder and co-artistic director, Christmas is underway. As a result, Highlands Ballet Company presents Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Slated to stage for three shows at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, on Dec. 9 and 10, the ballet offers Dickens beloved timeless tale intact and mostly as written. Pretty faithful, said Deirdre Cole, Highlands Ballet co-artistic director. We havent taken a lot of artistic liberties. Patrons will witness miserly Scrooge at his crotchety best. Scrooges verbally beaten and underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit remains eternally optimistic despite his seemingly dire circumstances. Spying ghosts and hopeful citizens of Victorian-era England appear in the midst of the bustling Christmas day to come. Youll also hear the advanced choral students of Patrick Henry High School. They will appear in several scenes while singing such carols as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Carol of the Bells and Deck the Halls. Very charming, Cole said. Its eye candy. The phantoms, the fog, Jacob Marley flying out onto the stage its eye candy. Its life. There are no dull moments. Theres humor woven into the show. And we definitely put our stamp on it. Like Geppetto witnessing the gradual coming to life of Pinocchio from his workbench, the mother-daughter tandem of Cole-Roberts and Cole observe daily the lifeblood of their A Christmas Carol flow once again. The story revives well and is ever-timely. Thats its essence, a story of joy and hope. The Cratchit family is a poor family yet still a loving family, Cole-Roberts said. Money, yes, we do need money, but money doesnt give us love. They have love. Thats what Scrooge sees when Christmas Present brings him into the Cratchit home. Its a poignant feeling that we all desire. Therein lies the story thats central to A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is too caught up in the grind of making money and performing work to pause even for a moment to enjoy what life has to offer. I think its completely relevant, Cole said. Were so inundated with social media. Were exposed to everything coming and going. Our values and what we focus on become skewed. There is hope for redemption; there is hope for turning a corner in your life. If Scrooge can change, anyone can change. Though late in life and committed to his own habits, when shown the error and consequences of his ways, Scrooge finds redemption. Its never too late, Cole-Roberts said. Its never too late. The characters of Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and Scrooges nephew embody that sentiment. Despite Scrooges abundantly apparent shortcomings, they never give up on him. Cratchits wife does. Townsfolk do. But they see the potential for reclamation in a man who seems far too gone. Not only that. To be forgiven one must be willing and have the capacity to forgive. Its how forgiveness works in our lives, Cole said. Forgiveness not only works in the lives of the person who needs it. Scrooges entire community forgives him in spite of how boorish and mean he was. That change ripples through us. Its a feel-good ballet. Check the bahs and banish the humbugs. Cross the threshold to enter the grand McGlothlin Center for the Arts. Enter a world of make believe thats not so fantastical at all. Its Christmas, circa 1843. Inside, love overcomes hate. Youll walk out of the ballet with graciousness, good will, and feel the Christmas spirit, Cole said. Henceforth, take a little Tiny Tim with you. Yes, Cole-Roberts said, God bless us every one and dont forget to say merry Christmas! Friday, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, Hawaiians heard the sound of warning sirens, blaring out to warn them of an impending strike. Fridays sirens were a drill that officials plan on repeating every month in light of North Koreas threats of attack. Some Hawaiians remember a day 76 years ago when the attack was all too real. On Dec. 7, 1941, the first official notice of Japans attack on Pearl Harbor came from Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel, commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, to all major Navy commands and fleet units. It said: AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL. Earlier this year, Smyth County Public Library staff discovered that the Marion branch had three newspapers from Honolulu, Hawaii, that were published on Dec. 7, 1941 and the following day. Two of the newspapers were extra editions published by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the third was the Dec. 8, 1941, edition of The Honolulu Advertiser. The newspapers accounts bring history to life with their firsthand accounts of the attack and its aftermath. The Star-Bulletins first extra, which is an edition published outside of the newspapers normal schedule to share important news, carried an unmistakable headline: WAR! OAHU BOMBED BY JAPANESE PLANES. A story by the United Press began Text of a White House announcement detailing the attack on the Hawaiian islands is: The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor from the air and all naval and military activities the island of Oahu, principal American base in the Hawaiian islands. The article continued, Oahu was attacked at 7:55 this morning by Japanese planes. The Rising Sun, emblem of Japan, was seen on plane wing tips. Wave after wave of bombers streamed through the clouded morning sky from the southwest and flung their missiles on a city resting in peaceful Sabbath calm. CIVILIANS ORDERED OFF STREETS. Under that headline read: The army has ordered that all civilians stay off the streets and highways and not use telephones. Evidence that the Japanese attack has registered some hits was shown by three billowing pillars of smoke in the Pearl Harbor and Hickam field areas. All navy personnel and civilian defense workers, with the exception of women, have been ordered to duty at Pearl Harbor. The Pearl Harbor highway was immediately a mass of racing cars. Obviously printed early in the hours after the attack a headline reports SIX KNOWN DEAD, 21 INJURED, AT EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. The second extra edition, which carried a price of five cents and published later that day, declared: DEATHS OVER 400 ON OAHU, LATEST REPORT. When the count was finally known, the toll reached 2,403 service members and civilians killed with another 1,178 people injured. Two U.S. Navy battleships, the USS Arizona and the USS Utah, were sunk and 188 aircraft were destroyed. An Associated Press article in the second edition read: Honolulu and Oahu came through a baptism of fire today with calm and determination as wave after wave of Japanese bombers rained missiles all over the island. The papers included those announcements that often are lost to history schools were to be closed indefinitely, an urgent call for blood donors by a local hospital and an appeal for an emergency water supply. On Monday, The Honolulu Advertiser reported: RAIDERS RETURN IN DAWN ATTACK. The story began: Renewed Japanese bombing attacks on Oahu were reported as Honolulu woke to the sound of antiaircraft fire in a cold, drizzling dawn today. Patrons were warned to be on the watch for parachutists reported in Kalihi. As powerful as the war-declaration headlines was the list of civilian casualties that told where bodies were taken and the injured could be found. Among many others, the list included CHASHI, Frank, age 29, male, ad. 2705 Kamaniki St., dead on arrival to morgue; NO NAME, Oriental baby, female, 8 months; ARAKAKI, Miss (no further identification). The attack on Hawaii propelled the United States into World War II. That Monday, in an address to a joint session of Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt called Dec. 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy. Congress then declared war on Japan. Within days, Japans allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States. Before the war would end, the United States undertook military campaigns in the Pacific, North Africa and Europe. In its second extra, the Star-Bulletin published a rare front-page editorial titled HAWAII MEETS THE CRISIS. In part it read: Honolulu and Hawaii will meet the emergency of war today as Honolulu and Hawaii have met emergencies in the past coolly, calmly and with immediate and complete support of the officials, officers and troops who are in charge. Hawaii will do its part as a loyal American territory. In this crisis, every difference of race, creed and color will be submerged in the one desire and determination to play the part that Americans always play in crisis. That declaration in these historic newspapers, pieces of national history, found their way to the Marion library for preservation. Were grateful as we remember, especially Thursday, Dec. 7, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. DEWITT, N.Y. -- The former CEO of a company pitched as the Facebook of the business world has been charged with holding a woman against her will in a Central New York motel. Glen T. Zinszer, 47, of 5710 Boulia Drive, Clay, was arrested Tuesday by the New York State Police. He was charged with refusing to let a woman leave the Red Roof Inn near Carrier Circle in DeWitt, said Trooper Jack Keller, a state police spokesman. Zinszer is the founder and former CEO of Brazzlebox, a Syracuse tech company he started in 2012 to serve as a social network for businesses. The founder was fired from Brazzlebox by his company's board of shareholders in August 2016. The company's shareholders have sued Zinszer -- claiming he stole $990,000 from Brazzlebox and spent the money on his girlfriend. Troopers responded to the Red Roof Inn at 6614 Thompson Road on Monday after a possible abduction was reported, Keller said. The possible abduction was reported at 9:52 p.m., according to state police records. After an investigation, troopers determined Zinszer refused to let a 36-year-old woman leave the Red Roof Inn, Keller said. When she tried to leave the motel, Zinszer would threaten to use a knife on her, Keller said. Zinszer was arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment and first-degree criminal contempt, both felonies. He was arraigned in Lysander Town Court. It is not the first time Zinszer has been charged with attacking a woman. Zinszer was arrested by state police in September 2016 and charged with beating a woman at his lakeside camp in Fair Haven. North Syracuse police also responded to a domestic violence call at his then-girlfriend's home in September 2015, according to a police report. As of Wednesday morning, Zinszer remained in the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $20,000 cash or a $40,000 bail bond. Update: John C. Frazier's body was found March 19 near the Onondaga Creekwalk in Syracuse. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Police are searching for a Syracuse man who has been missing for nearly three weeks. John C. Frazier was last seen at Destiny USA around 5 p.m. on November 18, said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a Syracuse Police Department spokesman. Since then, the 25-year-old man has not reached out to his family, he said. Frazier's family is concerned about his safety, Helterline said. Police have investigated reported sightings of Frazier throughout the city since he disappeared, Helterline said. None of the reports have been confirmed. Detectives have asked the public for help finding Frazier. Frazier is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds, Helterline said. When he was last seen, Frazier was wearing a green Champion hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and maroon/red work boots, he said. Frazier has been to known to visit the West Side of Syracuse, Helterline said. Police asked anyone with information who spots Frazier or has information about his whereabouts to call (315) 442-5222 or 911. SYRACUSE, N.Y. - An energetic crowd of nearly 200 people packed Syracuse City Hall tonight to denounce the Republican federal tax plan and those who voted for it, including U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus. The crowd cheered every time a speaker urged the host of the meeting, Democratic Mayor Stephanie Miner, to run against Katko next year. After the 90-minute session, Miner said she is still thinking about challenging Katko but has not decided. "I want to make sure I'm in the right space, in my heart and in my mind, to make that kind of decision going forward,'' she told media representatives at the event, including reporters from Albany and Auburn. Miner welcomed about a dozen local elected officials who attended the event, all Democrats. Common Councilor-elect Joe Driscoll, who served as emcee, set the tone for the meeting early when he described the GOP plan as a "tax scam.'' Speaker after speaker - roughly 30 in all - went to the microphone to rail against the tax package. "This tax scam - not a tax plan - is an abomination, and we all need to raise our voices,'' Driscoll said. "Everyone can say their piece about this horrible legislation.'' For nearly 90 minutes, they did just that. Spectators who could not get seats lined the walls of the chamber. Some stood out in the hallway, unable to squeeze into the room. Opposition to the GOP tax plan clearly energized the crowd, which cheered loudly every time a speaker urged them to take action. Several speakers pointed out the importance of directing that energy toward electoral participation. Dan Kolinski, who managed the unsuccessful Democratic mayoral campaign of Juanita Perez Williams, said New York state should make it easier for people to vote to improve participation. "I love seeing all the rallies that are happening,'' Kolinski said. "But if that doesn't translate into a vote at the ballot box, it doesn't matter.'' The speakers found lots to dislike in the GOP tax plan, including the elimination of a tax credit for teachers who buy supplies, and a tax on graduate student tuition waivers. They objected to repealing the health insurance mandate. Spectators watch from the hallway during a town hall meeting on the GOP federal tax plan at Syracuse City Hall. But the overriding concern was that the tax plan gives the biggest relief to rich people while threatening funding for programs like Medicare and Medicaid that help the poor and middle class. Several speakers said they would advocate raising taxes if the money were used to support things like education, infrastructure and affordable health care. "It's the people who are going to be hurt,'' said Susan Fahey Glisson. "It looks to me like the transfer of wealth will be going directly to the 1 percent.'' Syracuse University professor Dana Balter, a Democrat who hopes to run against Katko in 2018, said the GOP tax plan would cause thousands of Onondaga County residents to lose health care, including many people on Medicaid. Balter said the tax package is based on discredited "trickle down'' economics. "The idea that giving tax cuts to the wealthiest people in this nation, and to corporations, benefits all of us - we know that is not true,'' Balter said. Balter earned applause, but it didn't take long for someone to urge Miner to run for Congress, too. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner chats with a supporter tonight after a town hall meeting at Syracuse City Hall. "I came here for one simple reason,'' said the second speaker, Peggy Tatum. "And that was because I wanted to know, Ms. Miner, are you going to run against Katko? I wish you would.'' In a brief conference with reporters after the session, Miner repeatedly criticized Katko for supporting the tax plan and for declining her invitation to the town hall. "When you have an elected representative who won't face his or her constituents, what you have by definition is somebody who needs to be voted out of office,'' Miner said. Katko's office said the congressman was in Washington, D.C. today, taking part in committee meetings and votes in the House of Representatives. Last week, Katko responded to news that Miner might challenge him with this statement: "If Stephanie Miner wants to run against me because I want to cut taxes for the vast majority of my constituents, then her priorities are even more out of place than I suspected." Contact reporter Tim Knauss | email | Twitter | 315-470-3023 To the Editor: I join my constituents, fellow public officials and community leaders in strong opposition to the tax bills being debated in Congress. Both the House and Senate bills will hurt, if not immediately, eventually, working and middle-class families and endanger the quality of services provided by our federal, state and local governments. This legislation is a clear attempt to pass massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and either make everyone else pay for them, or simply do away with programs that benefit working people. The proponents of this legislation are being disingenuous calling it a "middle-class tax cut." The purported benefits for the middle class are small and temporary. It will also directly impact the New York state budget and the budgets of our local governments, creating the potential for large cuts to education, infrastructure and health care. Additionally, this legislation would add $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit. How is this going to be accounted for going forward? Republicans want us to believe it will spur enough of an economic upturn to cover the increased deficit. Not only do the vast majority of economists say it will not, but also recent history does not support this view. If this upturn does not occur, the next step will be steep cuts to federal programs and entitlements. Under the federal "Pay as You Go" law, Congress would be required to reduce federal spending by $100 billion to $150 billion per year to cover the impact to the deficit. This will mean real cuts to programs like Medicare. If this bill passes, our most vulnerable -- children, seniors, the disabled and the poor -- will all be the targets of Republican cuts. Finally, in the long term, these bills actually phase out any middle class tax cuts, while keeping corporate tax cuts and tax cuts benefiting the wealthy permanent. I want to emphasize again the potential impact of these bills on our state and local governments. We are talking billions of dollars that could mean significant cuts to our state and local budgets that will harm our most vulnerable. In the end, this tax giveaway will be paid for by the middle class. I call on our federal representatives to reject this legislation and work across the aisle to enact meaningful tax relief for working people. William B. Magnarelli Member, NYS Assembly 129th District Syracuse Katelyn Wright is executive director of the Greater Syracuse Land Bank. By Katelyn Wright | Special to Syracuse.com Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Land Bank Act into law in 2011, empowering local communities to use land banks to proactively address blighted and abandoned properties that affect their residents. This bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli and state Sen. David Valesky. There are now 23 land banks throughout New York. Land banks are a proven solution for strengthening communities, revitalizing neighborhoods, supporting local economic development, creating more affordable housing and protecting the environment. The Greater Syracuse Land Bank generates approximately $7.66 in return for every $1 of operating funds received from the city of Syracuse ($2.90 in incentivized private renovation investment, $2.10 in other grant funds, and $2.66 in assessed property value returned to taxable status). The 500 properties sold to date are leveraging over $17 million in private investment and have returned over $17.6 million of assessed property value to productive use and tax-paying status. Statewide, land banks have leveraged over $75 million in private investment, renovated over 400 structures, sold over 650 properties and demolished over 480 blighted structures. However, New York's land banks have no committed state funding beyond the end of 2018. The scale of the problems they seek to address - vacant and abandoned properties - is immense and has been decades in the making. Lack of recurring, predictable funding forces land banks to limit the number of problem properties they can address, incentivizes short-term planning and projects over longer-term (and more impactful) strategic planning (including "land banking"), curtailing the potential of land banks intended under state law. Land banks' effectiveness and ability to make mid- to long-range plans to bank land is significantly impacted by unreliable funding. In Ohio, land banks have secured recurring, predictable public funding and are recognized nationwide as the most effective at achieving their mission - eliminating blight and returning abandoned properties to productive use. Land banks across New York agree that they cannot address the scale of the abandoned property problem in our state without similar public financial support. With a comparable funding model, New York state could reverse decades of decline, restore communities and become the national model for combating blight and improving neighborhoods from Buffalo to Long Island. Financial support for land banks is consistent with the governor's focus on revitalization of Upstate New York's urban cores and complements other innovative state programs such as the Restore New York Communities Initiative, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. While these programs provide "last-in" funds for gap financing, land banks are typically the first-in, proactively intervening with abandoned properties to buy time needed to develop a plan for their redevelopment - plans that later leverage other state programs. New York state has the opportunity to become a national leader in one of the most effective approaches to combating blight. Abandoned and blighted properties prevent new homebuyers and businesses from moving into and investing in older neighborhoods, depress property values, prevent existing homeowners from growing wealth through home equity, limit the ability of investors to finance new businesses or improvements in these areas, and limit the ability of local governments to generate vital property taxes. The cost of doing nothing is too high a price for New York residents to pay. Washington -- A Texas Democrat plans to force an impeachment vote against President Donald Trump on the floor of the House of Representatives today. Rep. Al Green's plan is not supported by Democratic leaders, according to CNN. NPR reported it is not expected to succeed. Lawmakers are allowed under House rules to offer "privileged" motions on impeachment. The motions must be considered by the House and so Democrats will be forced to go on record about whether to impeach the president, CNN said. Green argued that Trump should be impeached for his rhetoric against certain racial and ethnic groups, including Latinos, Muslims and blacks. Although his speech is not criminal, it divides and damages the country, Green wrote in a letter to his colleagues, according to CNN. Democratic leaders have urged Green to drop the idea, CNN said. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, are both expected to vote to table the motion. That means the actual question of impeachment wouldn't get a vote, according to NPR. "The question isn't whether we have a bigot as president," Green wrote in his letter, according to NPR. "The question is: What are we going to do about it?" A White House spokesman called the effort disappointing and urged the House to focus on funding the government and passing the Republican tax plan, according to CNN. Pelosi and Hoyer said in a statement that while legitimate questions exist about Trump's fitness to lead, now is not the time for impeachment. The leaders said Congressional inquiries and Robert Mueller's investigation into connections between Trump's campaign and Russia should be allowed to continue. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112 Android Oreo Go Edition, which is essentially a 'lite' version of the world's most popular mobile operating system that's meant to run on entry level smartphones with modest internal hardware and specifications Made to run on Android smartphones with 1GB of RAM or less, Android Oreo Go Edition has three key features or qualities that entry level mobile users will surely appreciate. So why should Filipinos care about the existence of Android Oreo Go Edition? we can say that a large chunk of our population is exactly the target market of Android Oreo Go Edition Today - December 6, 2017, Google officially launchedIf you remember, Google has done something like this in the past in the form of, which had a great concept but failed to fully take off due to several reasons -- one of which was inconsistent software updates, according to users.First, it takes up two times less space than previous full versions of the Android OS. This means that you can enjoy more on-board storage for your other content like photos and videos.Second, Android Oreo Go Edition has pre-installed Google apps that are 50% smaller or lighter than those made for the full version of the OS. Also, Android's 'Data Saver' feature is turned on by default on Go Edition to ensure that the user will get the most of his or her mobile data allocation in running applications and background services.And finally, in Android Oreo Go Edition's Google Play Store, there's a separate section which contains recommended lite version of apps that are made to run well on devices with moderately powerful innards. One of these applications is, which only weighs around 5MB versus the more than 20MB heft of the regular version.Well, the Philippines is what many call an 'emerging market' or 'a developing economy'. The truth is, many mobile users here are still using feature-phones with an alpha-numberic keyboards -- and when these users finally decide to upgrade to a smartphone, the device will most likely be an entry-level Android handset. As such,-- and I'm sure phone companies, especially local ones like Cherry Mobile, have taken note of this. In fact, Cherry Mobile was the most enthusiastic Pinoy company in supporting Google's Android One initiative in previous years. If the company's interest in the concept hasn't waned, then I guess we can expect to see CM branded smartphones running Android Oreo Go Edition in the coming months. As a social networking website that focuses on photo sharing among members, Instagram has developed some very strict guidelines when it comes to images it deems offensive or inappropriate. Any form of nudity, whether real or digital is also prohibited to be posted. Instagram has added another layer of restriction for photos to be shared within the site. The website now bans images related to animal cruelty and abuse, as well as images that aim to sell endangered species through the social media website. Protect Wildlife on Instagram According to a press statement, Instagram signifies its intention to promote the "protection and safety of the natural world" by restricting images that show exploitation of animals. In case any photo containing animal abuse gets through, Instagram encourages its users to report it right away. "We are committed to fostering a safer, kinder world both on Instagram and beyond the app," Instagram said in the statement. A large number of Instagram users upload and share pictures of themselves taken with their pets. Social media users call this trend "Wildlife Selfie." However, in some cases, there are photos and clips that show animals being forced into doing certain acts, which are condemned by animal rights groups. Instagram Users Who Learned their Lesson In October, a Ukranian Instagram user sparked outrage among animal lovers when she posted her cat while it was getting a tattoo. Comments on her post described her act as torture to the cat. The Instagram user, Elena Ivanickaya, who is a model, was undeterred by the comments and claimed the cat lived better than what some users are saying. She soon deleted her Instagram account. In November, Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore drew the ire of netizens when she posted a photo of herself holding a live starfish. The actress said in an interview that she was deeply hurt by the cruel and ugly Instagram comments she received. Searching for Animal Abuse Images? Not Allowed In relation to the new addition to Instagram's community guidelines, users will also be prohibited to access any photo that Instagram has tagged as showing animal abuse. If users search for particular hashtags that are related to animal cruelty, they will see a pop-up box informing them that images containing animal abuse are not allowed on the site. Simply put, for people looking for animal cruelty images and clips, whether they consider them funny, entertaining or interesting, Instagram asks them to look elsewhere. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A planet in the distant K2-18 star system could be Earths scaled up version or Super Earth, according to a new study. The exoplanet, referred to as K2-18b, is located in a potentially habitable zone from its host star, which makes it a probable candidate for holding surface liquid water. Surface liquid water is an important element required for hosting any form of life. Based on the discoveries related K2-18b so far, it could be an exoplanet that may possibly host extraterrestrial life. That is not all, the team of researchers, from the University of Montreal in Canada and the University of Texas in the United States, who conducted the study with data from the European Southern Observatory, also discovered that the planet has a neighbor. Both exoplanets orbit K2-18, a red-dwarf star in the constellation Leo around 111 light years away. Exoplanet K2-18b Next, the research team wanted to understand whether K2-18b was a rocky planet like Earth or a gassy one like Neptune. To do this, the scientists had to first analyze the exoplanets mass with the help of radial velocity measurements taken with the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher. The Harps tool measures the radial velocity of stars that is impacted by a planets presence. "If you can get the mass and radius, you can measure the bulk density of the planet and that can tell you what the bulk of the planet is made of," study lead author Ryan Cloutier said. The experts were able to understand that K2-18b is either primarily a planet, which is rocky and has a small gaseous atmosphere or watery with a thick top layer of ice. At present, the scientists are not able to distinguish between the two options; however, they feel more data can be collected with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope. James Webb Space Telescope The JWST, which is lined up for a tentative 2019 spring launch, will help the team observe the atmosphere of the planet and find whether it is covered in water or has a substantial atmosphere. The space telescope is geared toward obtaining a range of data to help scientists study the solar system, exoplanets, and the early universe. Rene Doyon, the paper co-author, feels that there is a high demand to use JWST so one has to be careful while selecting which exoplanets to study. K2-18b, however, is now among the most exciting bets for atmospheric study. Therefore, it is going to be near the top of the JWST target list, according to Doyon. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This week, a woman who underwent a uterus transplant in 2016 successfully gave birth to a baby boy at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The success has given new hope to many women who are unable to conceive, but at the same time, has also sparked an intense debate about the ethics behind the risky surgery. The First Successful Birth Of Baby From Transplanted Uterus In US The woman who recently gave birth at the Baylor University Medical Center was one of eight women who underwent uterine transplants in clinical trials. The uterus that the baby boy was delivered from was donated by a Dallas nurse named Taylor Siler who already had two children. Siler wanted to share the gift of motherhood to someone else. The delivery is considered to be the first successful birth from a transplanted uterus in the United States. However, not everybody is celebrating the success as the procedure raises some ethical questions. The Procedure Raises Ethical Questions Swedish surgeons were the first to transplant a uterus successfully and since then, many people believe that uterine transplants are too risky and just very expensive to consider. According to Dr. Liza Johannesson, who joined Dr. Giuliano Testa and his team at the Baylor University Medical Center, surgeons are very aware of the risk uterine transplants can pose not only for the patient but also for the baby. Dr. Johannesson said they have a good knowledge of the risk for the baby because, for many years now, women have been giving birth after kidney and liver transplants on immunosuppressive drugs. She added that they are very aware of the effect of immunosuppressive drugs on pregnancies, babies, and recipients, and they know which drugs women should not take. Those who argue against uterine transplants say there are other options available such as adoption or surrogacy that are much safer for the fetus and the would-be mother. In response, Dr. Johannesson said that uterine transplants do not exclude adoption or surrogacy, they are only being offered as a complementary treatment. First Successful Pregnancy In October 2014, a healthy baby boy was born to a uterine transplant recipient at an undisclosed location in Sweden. The baby boy was born in September, weighing 1.8 kg, and had been delivered prematurely at around 32 weeks. There are now at least 16 uterus transplants all over the world and since 2014, there have been a total of nine babies born from a transplanted uterus. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Comcast xFi Advanced Gateway is now officially available nationwide to all xFinity broadband markets, aiming to enable Gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi. The largest U.S. internet provider announced the xFi Advanced Gateway back in May, promising to reinvent the Wi-Fi experience and deliver faster speeds, greater control and management, and easier customization. The company promised amazing Wi-Fi and simplicity, and now it's ready to deliver. Comcast xFi Advanced Gateway Release Back in May, upon announcing the xFi Advanced Gateway, Comcast's Chief Product Officer, Chris Satchell, highlighted that the world is now more connected than ever. Smartphones, smart gadgets, smart appliances, and all sorts of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices have been readily available everywhere, but Wi-Fi has been lagging. Satchell noted that this needs to get smarter and better as well. That's where Xfinity xFi comes into place. In a new corporate blog post announcing the market release of the xFi Advanced Gateway, Comcast's Fraser Sterling, SVP of Hardware Development, says that great Wi-Fi is essential to today's digital experience. When it started designing the xFi Advanced Gateway, Comcast aimed to build the smartest, fastest, and most powerful Wi-Fi device ever, according to Sterling. That device, the xFi Advanced Gateway, is now available in every market where Comcast's Xfinity Gigabit Internet is available, and it aims to support gigabit speeds Wi-Fi. Gigabit Internet Over Wi-Fi While the Comcast xFi Advanced Gateway is designed to push Wi-Fi to reach Gigabit speeds, that won't happen just yet. For now, no Wi-Fi connected devices currently available on the market can achieve Gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi. So, the xFi Advanced Gateway is just laying the groundwork at this point. More capable devices will hit the market in the future and will maximize the potential of the xFi Advanced Gateway, but we're not there yet. Until then, the xFi Advanced Gateway will make the most of the connected home. In lab tests, the xFi Advanced Gateway managed to achieve whopping Wi-Fi speeds faster than 1.5 Gbps and could go even faster, as Wi-Fi devices become more powerful and Internet speeds increase. The xFi Advanced Gateway boasts advanced Wi-Fi technology including an 8x8 antenna array capable of 160 MHz, Multi-user, Multi-input, and Multi-output (Mu-MiMo) technology, and a set of dedicated radios for IoT. Comcast xFi Advanced Gateway: Power And Simplicity With the xFi Advanced Gateway, Comcast also wanted to simplify everything so that even less tech-savvy users would be able to work their way around setting up the home Wi-Fi network, troubleshooting various issues, finding their password, seeing what devices are on the network, and setting parental controls. While setting up a router can be tricky in many cases, all it takes to set up an xFi Advanced Gateway is to plug the device in, scan a QR code with the xFi app, and go through simple steps that appear as prompts on the screen. From there, users will have more control than ever over their Wi-Fi network. Customers will even be able to set individual profiles for each member of the household, assign devices, and control which devices can connect to the network and at what times. For instance, kids could only be allowed on the network until 9 p.m. Comcast's xFi service has reached more than 10 million homes since its launch in May and it's available for free to all Xfinity Internet customers with an xFi Advanced Gateway or compatible xFi Wireless Gateway. The xFi Advanced Gateway also looks sleek and modern, which allows it blend in any environment without standing out like traditional routers often do. The Comcast xFi Advanced Gateway is now available for the company's fastest speed tiers of at least 300 Mbps and up to 1 Gigabit, depending on the market. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Logging in roadless areas, restrictions on mountain biking and the appropriateness of mixing fire mitigation with trail development highlighted objections to a proposed forestry project south and west of Helena. On Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service held an official objection meeting for the Ten Mile-South Helena Project. The project area encompasses more than 60,000 acres and includes timber harvest and prescribed burning focused on wildfire protection, along with trail maintenance and construction. The Forest Service released a draft decision in August, which gave those who commented on it the opportunity to object as part of the project analysis. The project received about 30 objections. About half of the people and organizations that objected appeared in Helena, and one testified by phone. Deputy Regional Forester Dave Schmid told about 35 people in attendance that a panel reviewed written objections, and he was interested in hearing potential remedies that would make the project palatable. The project has seen significant support but also criticism from wildlife advocates, as well as concern about mechanized logging in inventoried roadless areas. Some commenting on the project have also felt it does not go far enough in addressing wildfire concerns. John Gatchell with the Montana Wilderness Association told officials he is concerned that work along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail could degrade the area, and he suggested scaling back plans. He also noted that a new proposed trail to Colorado Mountain cut through the heart of the Lazy Man roadless area. Gatchell suggested an alternative route that uses on old railroad bed to Rimini as part of a connector trail from the Helena South Hills to the Continental Divide. The proposed Colorado Mountain trail has emerged as a point of contention for the project. Several objectors said that a new trail deserves its own analysis and should not be lumped in with the stated purpose of the project. This trail segment has nothing to do with fire severity or firefighter safety, said Steve Platt, representing Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He continued, saying that while they support the need of the project, there is some heartburn over proposed work in inventoried roadless areas that includes the use of machinery. Several other speakers echoed Platt about what was perceived as a late inclusion of the trail in the project proposal. Eric Sivers with Montana Bicycle Guild was among several who objected to proposed restrictions on bicycles in portions of the project area. He and others felt the project unfairly singles out bikers as creating illegal trails or causing disturbances to wildlife. Helena bike advocate Eric Grove agreed, saying the project seemed more concerned with vilifying mountain bikers than dealing with the very real problem of user created trails. Targeting one group distracts from that problem. Several speakers advocated for using hand crews rather than machinery to complete work in roadless areas. But Forest Supervisor Bill Avey questioned whether hand crews could safely work in an area with extensive swaths of dead trees prone to falling. Doug Powell suggested using hand crews in areas with fewer hazardous trees and moving into other areas as more trees naturally fall. The project is expected to take up to 15 years to complete. Security for wildlife with a focus on elk was also a major theme from objectors concerned that logging even dead trees could ultimately pressure big game onto neighboring private lands. The city of Helena convened a collaborative to comment on the project. Brad Langsather with the city weighed in, suggesting to Forest Service officials that they prioritize work near private land and also noting that the committee reached consensus against using mechanical logging in roadless areas, with the exception of buffers near private land. Some landowners in the Travis Creek area near Clancy spoke out against the Forest Services management on neighboring land and objected to the Colorado Mountain trail due to increased public traffic on a private road that leads to the trailhead. One area landowner implored the agency not to lock out motorized users. Several fire officials spoke on the project, with none more emphatic than Tri-Lakes Fire Chief Bob Drake. The project has waited too long to begin already, he said, and he favors any measure that expedites the work. Weve got to do something and its got to be bold, he said, referencing reducing fuel loads in the area. A half measure isnt going to do any good. Several objectors and Forest Service officials praised the civility of the meeting as well as the public process, singling out Helena District Ranger Heather DeGeests thoroughness in bringing the project forward. Forest Supervisor Bill Avey said the agency expects to wrap up the objection process and reach a final decision after the first of the year. A $500,000 grant will provide a culinary arts program, job training and community events over the next three years in East Helena. East Helena Mayor Jamie Schell on Tuesday announced the grant from ArtPlace America, an organization that aims to put arts and culture at the center of community planning. The grant is intended to help East Helena continue transitioning from an industry-dominated town since the ASARCO Smelter closed in 2001. The project, called the East Helena Food and Culture Hub, will invite the entire East Helena community to participate in a culinary program hosted in the East Helena schools. It will also seek to train employees, particularly in the food industry, with a goal of bringing new food-related businesses to town. Local artists will be invited to join in community planning conversations, and there will be events to gather storytellers, culinary artists and musicians. Schell said East Helena held community picnics for decades when the ASARCO Smelter was around. He said he hopes the Food and Culture Hub will bring back East Helenas tradition of community feasts. It has an identity to celebrate, he said. The Food and Culture Hub will mostly be influenced by community feedback, but leaders suggested possible outcomes such as new businesses, a summer music festival with storytelling or a community feast at JFK Park. The East Helena Food and Culture Hub will be supervised by five partners in addition to the city. The school district's superintendent Ron Whitmoyer will provide kitchen space for culinary training and events. Moe Wosepka of the Helena Community Offender Re-Entry Program will advocate for the underserved to make sure there are opportunities for everyone to participate in the project. Krys Holmes of the Myrna Loy Center will administer the grant and hire local artists. Betsy Burns with the Environmental Protection Agency will continue the smelter remediation effort started in 1984 to redevelop the town. The final partner is Shalon Hastings, owner of the combined Hub Coffee and Taco Del Sol location that closed in East Helena last year. Hastings closed her East Helena location after staff turnover made it impossible to make ends meet. Hastings couldnt attend on Tuesday because she was covering for an employee who couldnt make a shift. Hastings will provide culinary and job training to provide food-related businesses with a reliable workforce. Holmes said ArtPlace America was charmed by East Helena this summer. They saw this little town in the shadow of the slag pile re-envisioning its future, she said. Its an incredibly difficult challenge for a town to transform from an industrial town. This terrific mildly spiced loaf cake, loaded with dried fruits and toasted nuts, gets its special taste and texture from a very thick homemade apple puree. Because it keeps really well at room temperature, this loaf is something youll want to have on hand for the holidays to eat/serve just about anytime at breakfast, brunch, as a pick-me-up with afternoon tea or coffee, or even yes! as a midnight snack. Youll actually be making two recipes, the apple puree, which can be made way ahead and refrigerated for a week or two, and the cake itself. For the puree you can use just about any fall crop apple. When I first came up with this recipe I used firm-textured apples such as Braeburn, Granny Smith and Jonamacs. But this fall our Macintosh tree blessed us with a gorgeous crop of big, juicy and crisp fruit, so I thought, what the heck, Ill see if theyll cook down and thicken enough to work in the recipe. And they did! So any fall apple variety will work. My advice is to make the puree when youve got a couple of hours to spare for some meditative cooking. It takes awhile to prep the 5 pounds of apples peeling, quartering, coring and cutting into chunks. And once thats done, the apples will need about an hour to cook down to about 4 cups of heavenly thickness. The puree, flavored with vanilla, Applejack (or cider), cinnamon and butter, is so thick and smooth it will stand at attention. The firm-textured cake takes only minutes to make, and it bakes up in less than 90 minutes, perfuming your kitchen with the aroma of apples and cinnamon. Youll probably want to slice into it as soon as its cool. But dont. Instead, wrap the completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature overnight. The texture and flavor need that extra time to be at their best. Oh, and when you do eat this cake, please serve portions with a generous spreading of cream cheese. Thick Apple Puree Makes about 4 cups Five pounds of apples are cooked down to a thick, concentrated puree that proclaims "apple." It will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for up to three months. You can use any fall crop apple. Ingredients: 5 pounds crisp cooking apples 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons Calvados or Applejack or apple cider 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions: Peel, quarter and core the apples. Cut the apples into 1-inch chunks and place them in a heavy nonreactive 8-quart pot. Cover the pan and cook slowly over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula, until the apples are tender. Keep stirring the apples to break them up. Add the remaining ingredients, increase the heat to high, and cook at the boil stirring constantly, until the apples cook down to a thick puree that holds its shape on the tip of the spatula, about 20 minutes. Just when to stop cooking can be a bit tricky, but as you stir, keep your eye on the bottom of the pan. If you swipe the spatula quickly across the pan bottom and the puree immediately runs together, it is not ready. But when the bottom of the pan remains visible after swiping, and the puree stays put, its ready. Here are a couple of other tests: When the puree wants to stick to the pan bottom as a thin film, and you no longer see obvious bubbles even though the puree boiling hot, it is probably ready. If you spoon some of the puree in a mound on the tip of the wooden spatula and quickly turn the spatula upside down, the puree should stay put. Remove the pan from heat and stir occasionally until cool. Use a potato masher, if necessary, to make a smooth puree. You will have about 4 cups. When completely cool, transfer to an airtight container; cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage. Bring the puree to room temperature before use. Christmas Apple Loaf Makes 1 large loaf, almost 3 pounds This is a moist cake loaded with the taste of apple from Thick Apple Puree (see recipe above) and tart dried cherries or cranberries and blueberries or huckleberries. It's great for breakfast, a snack, or to serve with tea or coffee. The cake is wonderful cut into thickish slices and slathered with cream cheese. Let the loaf stand overnight before serving. You'll need an 8-cup capacity loaf pan. A 9-by-5-by-3-inch pan is standard no smaller!, but if you have one that measures 10-by-4-by-1/2-by-3-inches, the loaf will have a higher, more appealing shape. To measure pan volume, fill to the brim with water and see how many cups that comes to. To toast pecans, spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until fragrant and toasted. Cool completely before using. Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups (8 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/3 cup vegetable shortening 1 1/3 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1 1/3 cups Thick Apple Puree (see recipe above) 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) dried sour cherries 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) dried blueberries 1 cup (4 ounces) toasted pecans, broken into pieces. Directions: Adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the loaf pan, or coat it with vegetable cooking spray, and dust it lightly with fine dry breadcrumbs. Tap out excess crumbs and set the pan aside. To measure the flour, scoop dry measuring cups into the flour container to overflowing; sweep off excess with a metal spatula. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and set aside. Beat the butter and shortening together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat several minutes on medium speed, until fluffy and almost white. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stop to scrape the bowl as necessary. Beat in the apple puree. On lowest speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Stir in the dried fruits and pecans. The batter will be very thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it level the pan will be almost full and place it in the oven. Bake for 75 to 85 minutes, or until the loaf is well-browned and a wooden skewer comes out clean and dry. The internal temperature of the loaf will be about 205 degrees. Cool the loaf in its pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and cool it completely on a wire rack right side up. Wrap the loaf airtight and store it at room temperature for 3 or 4 days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 3 months. VARIATIONS: You can use any dried, tart fruits you like. Apricots and cranberries are a nice combo; use 1/2 cup of each. Some chopped walnuts, instead of pecans (about 1 cup), are a good addition. You also can play around with spices. But do try it this way first. The Montana Department of Corrections has about a month to get 60 to 70 people out of county jails, or it loses $2 million. Were sure going to make our best effort at it, said Kevin Olson, administrator of the Probation and Parole Division. But if we fall short, we fall short. Olson said the department would not make hasty release decisions and compromise public safety in its efforts to reduce jail crowding. The provisional $2 million owes to a footnote lawmakers added to the budget bill late this spring trying to force quick action on a problem counties have complained about for years. The footnote requires the department to reduce its county jail hold number to 250 by the end of the year, from a high of 410 this summer. County jail holds refer to people in state custody who are being held in jail for a variety of reasons, including pending parole violation hearings or placement at a prison, treatment or prerelease center. (The DOC does not have a precise number for the current daily jail hold population, saying an estimate of 310 to 320 is the only figure immediately available.) DOC finances are already strained after two rounds of budget cuts shaved off $9.4 million of the departments $414.5 million biennial allotment. And although jail holds have been well above the stated 250 goal so far this year, lawmakers only funded the department for the 250. Lawmakers did approve an additional $6 million to help reduce jail crowding. Jails across the state have been packed for years, many beyond capacity. The Yellowstone County Detention Facility, designed for 286 people, has 460 inmates. Of those, 46 are DOC jail holds. The states efforts to reduce jail holds dont solve the crowding problem, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said, but they help tremendously. We still have quite a few more than what we were designed to hold, but its manageable now, Linder said. Yellowstone County is building a new, 148-bed housing unit for women inmates and expanding kitchen and laundry facilities. The work is scheduled to be complete in April. Sheriffs and other county officials had pressured the DOC to reduce its jail hold numbers, not only to ease crowding but also to reduce the drain on county coffers. In Yellowstone County, it costs around $97 per day to house a state inmate, but the state pays the county only $69 per day. "We heard the sheriffs and the counties loud and clear," Olson said. "Theyre housing people by putting bedding on the floor, and thats not an acceptable solution." To cut jail hold numbers, the state has a variety of methods. Its creating more space at the Montana Womens Prison and Montana State Prison by adding bunks. The department has stacked bunks in single bed cells at MSP, adding 48 beds. MSP is already operating about 50 people over capacity. An underutilized boot camp on the state prison campus, the Treasure State Correctional Training Center, is being converted to a treatment center and should be up and running by late December or early January. The space will eventually be able to accommodate 90 people. At Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility in Miles City, the state is using vacant buildings to house more adults, separate from the youth, as youth detention rates continue to decline. And the state is sending more people who violate parole to private community-based services like prerelease centers for sanctions, instead of to jail. The department is also implementing a new law that allows for early release from supervision if offenders are deemed low-risk under a new assessment. The law requires the DOC to document and exhaust certain alternatives before revoking an offenders deferred or suspended sentence. The new law is part of a criminal justice reform package the Legislature passed this spring to curb corrections spending. It includes efforts to make parole decisions more objective and to expand access to drug courts and to treatment, particularly in rural areas. The reforms are designed to reduce jail and prison populations, but they will likely take four to six years to show results, DOC spokeswoman Judy Beck said. In the meantime, crime rates are increasing. District court case filings increased by 25 percent between 2010 and 2016, according to data provided by the Court Administrators Office of the Montana Supreme Court. And probation and parole officers are swamped, Olson said. They recently hit an all-time high of 10,025 probationers or parolees. Probation and Parole employs 144 officers, some with caseloads as high as 100. DOC officials say they can do their part, but increasing crime could continue to strain their resources, even as reforms are implemented. And until we can get a pulse on whats driving this, which we believe anecdotally is drugs, we dont get to put the no vacancy sign out, Olson said. Sorry, Congress. Two weeks isn't going to cut it. With the National Flood Insurance Program set to expire Friday and lawmakers diverted by a host of crises of their own making, there's now talk that lawmakers could issue a second short-term extension this year, this one even shorter than the last. The problem is that, while the House has passed a bill and both Louisiana senators are working on their own, Congress is nowhere near consensus on how to balance protecting homeowners' investments and the government's bottom line. Even Louisiana's mostly Republican House delegation is divided, with half the members having voted for a bill crafted with lots of input from Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and half having opposed it. If Congress lets the program expire, real estate transactions in flood-prone areas like south Louisiana could grind to a halt. True lapses in the program will literally shut down the markets in flood-prone regions, said Rick Haase, president of the New Orleans-based real estate company Latter & Blum. Buyers dont want to buy in the unknown, sellers dont want to sell at prices based on the worst-case scenario and lenders dont want to lend. But two weeks is hardly enough to come up with well-thought-out policy. Certainly not when the government could shut down during that period, when House and Senate Republicans are trying to reconcile different versions of the tax bill they just passed, and when the CHIP children's health insurance program is in limbo and about to start running short in some states. A longer extension would give lawmakers the opportunity to have a constructive, serious debate on a topic that, thanks to the rise of extreme weather, is affecting more and more states around the country. It would also give them a chance to prove, against all evidence, that they're still capable of actually deliberating. All New Orleans businesses that sell alcohol, including bars, convenience stores, restaurants and grocery stores, would be required to have exterior cameras tied into a citywide surveillance system under proposed rules headed to the City Council for debate. The proposal, a long-discussed part of the security plan Mayor Mitch Landrieu rolled out at the beginning of the year, would add at least 1,500 cameras to the network of 200 city-owned cameras already being put in place. The suggested requirement has raised the ire of some bar owners and council members, who have said implementing such a program would simply extend the reach of an already suspect surveillance system and further entrench the notion that bars are responsible for crime in the city. There isnt any really specific correlation between bars and crime, said Cole Newton, owner of the bar Twelve Mile Limit in Mid-City. Theyre using the theoretical association between drinking and criminal activity to help bolster a citywide surveillance state which is deeply uncomfortable. Thats not a way to engender trust between law enforcement and the community. New Orleans $40 million security plan: cameras in 20 neighborhoods, tamping down on street parties in the early morning An unprecedented number of electronic eyes will soon be deployed throughout New Orleans, watching over 20 different neighborhoods, tracking ve The ordinance is being introduced nearly a year after the idea of requiring cameras at businesses that sell alcohol was first floated as part of the Landrieu administrations $40 million security plan. Officials late last month celebrated the opening of a key element of that plan a Real Time Crime Monitoring Center staffed by city employees watching feeds from a network of cameras in 20 locations throughout the city. New Orleans crime, watched 24/7: High-tech monitoring center unveiled near French Quarter Standing in front of a wall of video surveillance feeds, Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Tuesday unveiled the crime monitoring center that is a key co The ordinance would require all alcoholic beverage outlets to add exterior cameras that feed into the security hub and to keep their video for at least two weeks. There are nuisance bars, stores and venues that are creating quality of life issues and public safety issues in their neighborhoods, Deputy Mayor Ryan Berni said. Far too often theres an incident where we wish we had camera footage from outside. The ordinance was introduced by Councilwoman Stacy Head but was drafted by the Landrieu administration and put forward at its request. Head said that for her, the most important part of the legislation is not the camera requirement but a provision that would shift permitting for establishments that sell alcohol from the citys Finance Department to its Safety and Permits Department. That change, she said, would prevent frequent errors in the issuing of licenses and problems getting information from the Finance Department. It also would consolidate permitting under the citys One Stop Shop. Head said she needs to review the other elements of the proposal, including the camera requirement, before committing to them. She said she agreed to introduce the full ordinance so that it can be vetted publicly and we can have further discussions about moving it into law. The surveillance plan has drawn criticism from some other members of the council and was criticized last week by the citys Office of Independent Police Monitor, which said that more policies and procedures need to be put in place to prevent abuse of the cameras. N.O. security plan offers little crime impact, but raises bias, privacy concerns, monitor says The independent police monitor in New Orleans is raising alarms about Mayor Mitch Landrieu's strategy for improving public safety in the city, Councilman Jason Williams said the current political climate raised concerns about how surveillance could be used by federal authorities. I think we need to step back and look at unintended implications of this endeavor that were not a part of the first conversations that were had before Donald Trump became president, he said. And, Williams said, there has been little evidence to show cameras reduce crime. I still, since those early conversations, have not seen any data that show these extreme measures would make the public any safer, he said. The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, which has led opposition to much of the security plan, said musicians and artists have often been targeted by law enforcement and would now be watched as they went to and from their jobs. And the range of businesses that sell alcohol would essentially put wide swaths of the city under constant surveillance. Youre now up to at least 1,600 cameras, so you cant get a prescription without being surveilled, said Ethan Ellestad, the group's executive director. Every tourist that wants to get a drink, they have to subject themselves to potential federal surveillance. Is that the message we want to send? Berni said potential problems would be worked out as the ordinance moves forward. Obviously, were cognizant of peoples privacy concerns, he said. We need strong policies and procedures in place, and we will have those. At least one group of bar and restaurant owners appears to be on board with the proposed camera requirement, though it remains leery of other potential changes to the citys alcohol regulations. Alex Fein, with the French Quarter Business League, said his group of more than 70 businesses on or around Bourbon Street had few complaints about the exterior camera requirement. All the businesses in our group have cameras anyway, he said. They said they wouldnt have a problem as long as it wasnt too expensive. Exactly how other portions of the ordinance would impact bars and restaurants in the city are less clear. The ordinance would give the board that oversees enforcement of the citys alcohol rules the power to force businesses that violate the rules to install interior cameras. As drafted, those cameras would also have to be tied into the citys surveillance network, though Berni said that was an error and would be taken out of the ordinance. Berni said that provision codifies a practice that already has been used when the board reaches agreement with problematic businesses. Berni cast most of the measure as essentially "clean-up" legislation to make the citys rules governing businesses that sell alcohol comply with changes to the comprehensive zoning ordinance. But some of those elements are also raising concerns. One, which would allow a business to be brought before the alcohol board if five residents within a half-mile sign complaints against it, appears to be ripe for abuse, Ellestad said. What if you wanted to buy property and to get rid of a (bar)? he said. This strikes me as sort of a backdoor approach to make it easier to shut down businesses. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester joined a small group of Democrats in partnering with Senate Banking Committee Republicans to soften regulations supporters said hurt small banks. Opponents called the changes a giveaway for large banks. The bill, dubbed the Economic Growth and Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, put red state Democrats like Tester and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota at odds with liberal senators like Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, and Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, who expected little economic benefit for consumers. Tester told the committee that community banks have struggled under banking reforms passed after the 2008 financial disaster, which triggered the Great Recession. Softening the rules, Tester said, would encourage community lending. Brown, the senior-most Democrat on the committee, said the real spoils of the bill would flow to big banks. He likened the bill to last weeks Senate Republican tax bill, which delivered its biggest perks to the wealthiest Americans. Deregulating banks, theres no evidence this grows the economy any more than giving tax cuts to corporations and cutting their taxes 40 percent, from 35 to 20, is going to mean higher growth, Brown said. It doesnt mean higher wages. We know, what will happen with bank deregulation is executives and shareholders get bonuses and families get stuck with the tab when increased risk taking catches up with Wall Street. This is again, just like the tax bill. However, Tester said small charter banks were the winners. He said in Montana those banks need help. The millionaire bank CEOs Brown alluded to dont exist in Montanas community banking environment. I dont know what goes on in your zip code, but I do know what goes on in my state, Tester said. And when you have 72 banks that were chartered there and now we have 49, and youve got different credit unions. I should get the head of Bear Paw Credit Union to come in and talk to us, or the head of Glacier Bank to come in and talk to us about him making millions of dollars because neither of them do. Bank consolidation, technology and population migration are reasons behind Montanas charter bank trends, but regulation is also part of the equation, Tester said. The number of bank charters in Montana has declined, the state Division of Banking and Financial Institutions, confirmed for The Gazette on Tuesday. That doesnt mean Montana community banks arent doing well. In 2008, there were 68 bank charters. This month charters numbered 46. The biggest reason for the change was a reorganizing of Glacier Bank, which went from several charters to just one. The change made complying with reporting requirements easier. Total assets for Montanas community banks have increased from $18 billion in 2008 to $30 billion. Tester said softening the regulations would allow community banks to lend more easily. I can tell you this is going to allow working families to be able to get loans to be able to buy homes, Tester said. Where now they can buy a pickup with no documentation, but they cant buy a home. This is going to allow small businesses to be able to expand, and this is going to allow entrepreneurs the money to start up businesses. That is the reason were doing this, and I can tell you for no other reason. The Economic Growth and Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act would allow banks with less than $10 billion in assets to sell minimum-standard mortgages, in some cases without an appraisal. The bill would also allow banks with assets of $10 billion or less to make riskier investments. The benefit to large banks, decried by Warren and others, was a change in the definition of which banks were systematically important, or "too big to fail," to use a term coined in 2008 as Congress turned to taxpayers to bail out large failing banks the government feared would destroy the economy if they were allowed to crash. Tester reminded the committee that he voted against the 2008 bank bailout. Banks considered systematically important currently have $50 billion or more in assets. The distinction places them in the most tightly regulated category. The Economic Growth and Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act would change that asset threshold to $250 billion. For banks in the $100 billion to $250 billion range, the now-mandatory stress tests used to determine the financial health of large banks would be done at the discretion of regulators. Sen. Warren took to Twitter, accusing Tester and other Democrats siding with Republicans of exposing Democrats to rollback regulations on big banks. Thats right: Both GOP AND Democratic Senators are trying to roll back rules for banks that took nearly $50B in taxpayer-funded bailouts. Its insane. #BankLobbyistsAct, Warren tweeted. In committee, Warren and other Democrats proposed the kind of amendments typically used to give opposing lawmakers an unflattering voting record on social issues, such as protecting below-poverty-level college graduates with student loan debt from wage garnishment, or keeping predatory lenders from repossessing soldiers' cars during military deployment. Tester stuck to his guns, voting no to a few dozen amendments proposed by fellow Democrats. His staff prepared a list of the fact checks to the claims by Warren and others that the bill was ruinous. All told, there are nine Democrats and Independent Angus King supporting a change to banking regulations. Republicans will need all nine, plus their entire caucus to pass the proposal by years end. Five of the Democrats, including Tester, face re-election next year. The ACT's Auditor-General has urged another audit into WorkSafe ACT's oversight of the Mr Fluffy asbestos eradication scheme, to ensure action was taken on recommendations on a previous audit. Auditor-General Dr Maxine Cooper told a Legislative Assembly committee on Wednesday a government internal audit committee should examine the issue again, to help ensure WorkSafe ACT had taken on her recommendations. One of many Canberra homes demolished as part of the Mr Fluffy asbestos taskforce's demolition program. Credit:Rohan Thomson The hearing on Wednesday examined the second of two audits into the Mr Fluffy scheme, released early this year, which had focussed on WorkSafe ACT's management of the demolition of 1022 affected by the loose-fill asbestos. It found the scheme marked by poor-record keeping, a lack of an overarching regulatory strategy and "considerable variability" in how the asbestos team actually completed inspections and oversaw demolitions. Crowd-funding has helped lock in some outdoor performances of Shakespeare over summer in both Tuggeranong and in the centre of Canberra. As of Wednesday afternoon, close to $6000 had been raised. "There is no problem in human society that can't be eased at least a little by having Shakespeare thrown at it." The performances of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing will be on February 14 - Valentine's Day - and February 15 on the community stage in Tuggeranong Town Park Community Stage. There will also be performances on February 16 and February 17 in Glebe Park in the city. ABC Radio Canberra is losing its now most experienced presenter, with respected announcer Genevieve Jacobs being made redundant by the broadcaster - against her wishes. A "very sad" Ms Jacobs, 50, made the shock announcement that she would be leaving the ABC during her Mornings program on Wednesday. ABC Radio Canberra announcer Genevieve Jacobs leaving ABC headquarters in Wakefield Avenue, Dickson on Wednesday after announcing on-air the ABC no longer required her services. Credit:Karleen Minney She made it clear it had not been her decision to leave the position, saying ABC management had told her her "services were no longer required on air". Her last shift will be December 15. She will be replaced in 2018 by current Drive presenter Adam Shirley. Bill shock or the fear of it shut wallets across the country in the three months to September as alarm about rising energy prices drove people away from shops, healthcare, hotels and cafes. Spending on almost every discretionary purchase was down in the September quarter, as spending on almost every unavoidable expense increased, led by electricity and rent. The outcome was a net increase in household final consumption of just 0.1 per cent, the weakest result since the 2008 global financial crisis. Household saving climbed for the first time in five quarters. "This isn't surprising given the cost of living pressures on essentials," Treasurer Scott Morrison told a Canberra press conference. Although by all accounts, Christine Keeler slept with John Profumo no more than four or five times, the circumstances of their affair continued to dominate her life. "It's been a misery for me, living with Christine Keeler," she once complained. "Even a criminal has the right to a new life, but they made sure I did not have that. They just didn't stop calling me a prostitute for ever and ever and ever and ever." The scandal somehow defined a generation. A devastating, leggy beauty, Christine Keeler became an icon of the times in her own right through a famous (and much parodied) Lewis Morley photograph in which she sits, naked and pouting, astride a Jacobson butterfly chair. Christine Keeler, who has died aged 75, became infamous for her brief affair with the Conservative Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, which she conducted in 1961 while carrying on a relationship with a Soviet agent; bound up as it was with espionage and political intrigue, the "Profumo Affair" resulted in a political crisis and contributed to a climate of opinion that led ultimately to the downfall of the Macmillan Government. Yet while she often complained of media harassment, at the same time she was determined to retain her monopoly on the story as the only person who "really knew" what had happened. Over the next four decades, in addition to vigorous exploitation of the media, she wrote, or rather had written for her, no fewer than four autobiographies, each one more sensational and fantastical than the last. By her fourth book, The Truth at Last, My Story (2001: marketed as "the never before told true story") the familiar and tawdry saga of lust, disgrace and cover-up had grown into an elaborate and totally unbelievable tale of international espionage which took in the Bay of Pigs, Anthony Blunt, Lord Astor and the Krays. Christine Keeler's books, along with her earnings from Michael Caton-Jones' Scandal, a film about the Profumo affair made in 1989, kept her after a fashion, since apart from some charity work she never properly had a job. Yet her purpose in keeping the story alive was motivated by more than a desire for personal gain. Christine Keeler had to believe the Profumo affair was important because her fragile personality would never have coped with the realisation that she had wasted her life for a scandal that was fundamentally completely trivial. Christine Keeler was born on February 22 1942 in a converted railway carriage on the edge of a gravel pit at Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire. In the absence of her real father, who was away in the Army, her mother took up with a man whom Christine was told to call "Dad", and who, she later sometimes claimed, molested her. Dark, slim and precociously beautiful from her early teens, Christine Keeler was soon aware of her effect on the opposite sex. When she was 15 or 16, she became pregnant to a boy she met locally. Sometimes she claimed to have aborted the fetus herself; at other times she claimed the baby was born naturally though prematurely and died later in hospital. Whatever the truth, she left home shortly afterwards, moving first to Slough and then to a flat in St John's Wood with some reps she had met in a factory where she had worked. The head of the University of Montana's Central and Southwest Asian Studies program is demanding UM publicly post documents related to its process to set program priorities that will influence the future of the flagship. Tuesday, Professor Mehrdad Kia and lawyer Quentin Rhoades also said that errors in the public process may void recommendations from a task force that evaluated UM programs. An expert in Montana's open meetings law said they may have a point. Mike Meloy, who just won a separate public records case against the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, said the open meetings law authorizes a member of the public to ask a court to set aside any decision made in a meeting that was closed or for which public notice wasn't given. Rhoades, who joined with Kia in a letter to UM, said the university's priority recommendations "are derived from a process that didn't involve the public and weren't transparent." On behalf of other senior faculty and concerned citizens, Kia and Rhoades asked UM to disclose and "IMMEDIATELY" post online more information about how it set priorities for what programs to invest in and which to potentially eliminate or consolidate, including the names of program reviewers, agendas, minutes, and records of votes. The letter is dated Dec. 1, and Kia and Rhoades held a news conference Tuesday to discuss the request. UM has had a history of making decisions in secrecy, Kia said, and the call for records and full transparency is designed to alert the new administration of the standards a taxpayer-funded institution must follow. "It sends a message to the new president and to the new provost that this is a new day at the University of Montana," Kia said. Incoming President Seth Bodnar takes the helm at UM in January, and a search is underway for a permanent provost. Currently, the president and provost are serving in interim capacities. In its own report, the task force that made recommendations for campus priorities acknowledged flaws in public participation and also noted its recommendations should be considered a "rough cut" rather than a "blueprint." In an email, though, UM legal counsel Lucy France said she believes the campus held a legal process and has complied with open meeting requirements. "We will certainly take a close look at the concerns Mr. Rhoades and Professor Kia seem to be raising and will respond to them when we have had an opportunity to fully consider them. "From my relatively quick look, I do not see any concerns that would compromise the integrity of the process," France said. *** In its report, the task force noted transparency was one of its key values. But UM also didn't make critical information available to the public until news outlets, including the Missoulian and Montana Kaimin, made requests for them. Tuesday, Kia said important data used to inform the recommendations still remains shrouded. For example, he said his program recently received glowing reports from external reviewers, including one report approved by the Montana Board of Regents. Yet a couple of UM reviewers gave him different grades, one a four, and one an eight, he said. So far, Kia doesn't know the identities of those reviewers, so neither he nor anyone else can ascertain their qualifications: "I would like to know, like many of my colleagues, who reviewed my program? Who actually selected these reviewers?" *** Last week, the task force reported its recommendations, and the president will make decisions based on them. The public will have other opportunities to comment on them, but it's possible UM also might have to start the process over again, according to Meloy, who is not involved in this dispute. "Failure to give notice of its meetings can serve as a basis for a court order setting aside any decision made in the closed session," Meloy wrote in an email. "Although the Supreme Court has not addressed the issue, I would expect it would affirm a court order setting aside a series of decisions if the plaintiff could show a continuous pattern of failure to give proper notice of meetings. "The result, of course, would be to require the government to start over and have all of its meetings properly noticed and open to the public." Meloy said he believes the UM president does have the authority to make decisions absent any prioritization process. "But if the plaintiff could establish that those decisions were based on recommendations formulated in closed meetings, the president's decisions could be set aside, as well." The lawyer noted the Legislature hasn't required meeting notices, but "the Montana Supreme Court recognized early on that Article II, Section 9 of the Constitution and the open meetings law require government meetings to be open." "Absent notice, government has effectively closed a meeting and violates open meeting and right to participate requirements," Meloy said. *** In its own report, the task force acknowledged it "failed to meet benchmarks" of its own, such as "not posting agendas 48 hours in advance, limiting the ability of those outside the task force to fully participate." UM's France, though, argues the university is still in compliance with Montana's open meeting requirements. She said the president has the authority to make decisions about which programs are fiscally sustainable, but has chosen to seek input from a task force. And she said the task force didn't make significant decisions at meetings that weren't noticed in advance. "I believe that the task force report noted that it did not fully adhere to its own framework that it set out for itself in every respect. The example it noted was that it did not post every agenda 48 hours in advance. I do not believe that it failed to post agendas. "Open meeting laws do not contain any explicit notice requirements. The notice requirement as it pertains to open meetings is derived from Montanas public participation laws. The notice requirement attaches only when an issue of significant public interest is going to be discussed. The term 'significant public interest' is not defined in the context of open meeting laws. "Generally, a 'ministerial' decision or action is not required to be noticed. Also, the amount of notice is tied to the relative significance of the decision to be made,'' France said. *** In the letter to France, though, Rhoades notes that the record online documenting the process is incomplete, with many missing meeting minutes, evidence of unnoticed meetings, and anonymous voting. For example, "the records online start on May 18, 2017, but on April 17, 2017, the Provost wrote that 'the task force has met twice in the past 10 days' and it presumably met several times in the next month prior to May 18, 2017, so there are other agendas and minutes missing from the UM website," the letter said. Task force members used clickers to vote, and the letter also raised a concern about that method: "Anonymous voting on programs appears clearly inconsistent with the public's right to observe the deliberations of public bodies. "If no record of these votes is available, the decisions of the ... task force would likely be void for violation of open meetings and public participation law." American film director Judd Apatow once confessed to Stephen Colbert that hed been mispronouncing his wife Leslie Manns name for nearly two decades. Hed been saying Lez-lee, while she pronounces it as Less-lee. When he asked her why she hadnt corrected his mistake, she said she thought he wouldnt be able to make the adjustment. Barbra Streisand, unlike Mann, is reportedly insistent that her name be pronounced correctly by everyone, even Apples voice assistant Siri. In Australia, mispronunciation is often said as mispronounciation. Although it is a noun, theres no noun in it. In 1987, Harold Scruby, who later functioned as Deputy Mayor of the Mosman City Council, published a quirky compendium of instances of mispronunciation by Australians. He labelled these Waynespeak. Prior to the publication of Scrubys book, his friend Leo Schofield had run some of the expressions in his Sydney Morning Herald column and been drowned in a Niagara of correspondence. I want to be effluent: malapropisms and mispronounced words were a regular gag in the TV comedy Kath and Kim and continue to peeve many people today. Hordes of respondents regarded these expressions to be at least non-standard, or just plain wrong. Despite this, many of Scrubys examples remain current today: anythink and its companions everythink, nothink, and somethink; arks (ask); astericks (asterisk); bought (brought); could of (couldve); deteriate (deteriorate); ecksetra (et cetera); expresso (espresso); haitch (aitch); hone in (home in); and so on through to the end of the alphabet with youse. For those of us who wince we hear youse, it might be a surprise to find the term in a dictionary. The Macquarie Dictionary feels compelled to explain that the dictionary is a complete record of Australian English. The criterion for inclusion in it is thus evidence of currency in the language community. The Senate has voted to refer ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher to the High Court over her dual British citizenship. Labor's manager of opposition business in the Senate asked to be referred on Wednesday, saying she believed she had taken all reasonable steps to renounce British citizenship by descent from her father but delays in processing her case by the UK Home Office meant she was a dual citizen at the time of nomination for the 2016 election. Documents provided to the Senate this week showed she was "at the date of her nomination for the 2016 election, a British citizen by descent" and that her moves to renounce in April 2016 took until August 16 to be completed by UK officials. Senator Gallagher, the former ACT chief minister, told the Senate on Wednesday she would stand aside from her responsibilities on Labor's frontbench until her case was resolved by the High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns. If Parliament was a suburb, it would be among the least diverse in the country. The forced citizenship declarations of MPs this week has not only revealed those with dual-allegiances but has also allowed us to see for the first time if the diversity of Parliament reflects a multicultural Australia. In short: no, it does not. It is not only overwhelmingly white and male, but chronically under-represents a growing Asian population, while overemphasising the proportion of Australians born with British and European heritage. Two Labor MPs have been sent to the High Court over their citizenship status but the Turnbull government's plan to unilaterally refer three others has been blocked, giving Bill Shorten some reprieve after a horror fortnight that has left many in his team dismayed. ALP senator Katy Gallagher's case will now serve as a test case that will determine the future of backbenchers Justine Keay, Susan Lamb and Josh Wilson. If Senator Gallagher is disqualified, the trio of lower house MPs will likely be forced to resign sparking three byelections in 2018. Labor is already bracing for a tough byelection, after agreeing to refer Victorian MP David Feeney to the court because he could not produce proof he renounced his British citizenship. Party hardheads are weighing whether to dump Mr Feeney as candidate in a bid to fend off the Greens. Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said it is still the government's view that the other MPs should be referred to the High Court but he conceded the Coalition was unlikely to get the numbers to make it happen, after the crossbench sided with Labor. "The High Court will rule on the status of Katy Gallagher," Mr Pyne said. "If Katy Gallagher is disqualified those three members should resign, the same way that Barnaby Joyce resigned after he went to the High Court and was found to be ineligible." Greens MP Adam Bandt, a member of the crossbench, says he would rather be debating same-sex marriage and points out the House of Representatives could have dealt with this last week only its sitting was cancelled. "It's not our fault this is all crashing down at once," he says. Coalition MPs interject. "The noise from nuff nuff corner is getting a bit much," Mr Bandt says in exasperation. Mr Bandt says the House of Representatives should keep sitting until both matters - citizenship and same-sex marriage - are resolved. He does not support picking off MPs one by one; there should be an agreed list to bring consensus to the process. Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has predicted a "very large" round of referrals to the High Court over the worsening dual citizenship fiasco, with up to 13 MPs at risk of becoming fresh casualties. While Mr Burke promised to refer embattled Labor MP David Feeney if he can't stump up the relevant documents, Attorney-General George Brandis said all opposition MPs in doubt must face the court to preserve the integrity of Parliament. The fresh doubts raised following the finalisation of the Parliament's citizenship disclosure process on Tuesday could lead to a series of byelections in early 2018, including Mr Feeney's electorate of Batman, which could fall to the Greens. Labor has remained largely unscathed in the citizenship fiasco, but the cases of lower house MPs Josh Wilson, Justine Keay, Anne Aly and Susan Lamb are now under intense scrutiny. Each Labor MP appears to have tried to renounce their citizenship prior to the 2016 election, but failed to receive confirmation until after the close of nominations. Liberal senator Dean Smith is speaking: "This is a great win for Australian values.The survey said a lot about people's attitudes to same-sex marriage, it said a lot about their attitudes about Australian values and how they should be applied in a contemporary way. I am proud to be a parliamentarian, I have always wanted to be a parliamentarian. Even when I was that nerdy kid at school." "People can be proud that over the last few weeks, they have seen the best of their Parliament, the best of their parliamentarians, as I said before, the real challenge going forward is to think about how we can do this more often, how we can do this more often, how we can put the politics of partisanship aside." "I would like to dedicate the day's win to a special group of people, and that is to those young LGBTQI Australians, who in their workplace or in their school yard, find life a little tough. Let me tell you, 'you are OK, it will all be OK, and this is a great country to grow up and be an LGBTQI Australian'." Former Channel Nine reporter Ben McCormack has been abused and drenched with a cup of water as he left court, where he was ordered to pay $1000 and be on good behaviour for three years over sexually explicit conversations he had about children online. As news cameras surrounded McCormack at the Downing Centre District Court following his sentencing on Wednesday, a man approached and shouted "you f---ing filthy maggot". McCormack fled, breaking through the media pack and making his way to a waiting car. The man followed, drenching McCormack with what appeared to be a cup of water. Journalists earlier saw the man spitting into the cup. The City of Sydney will be dragged into the 21st century and forced to webcast its council meetings under new meeting requirements proposed by the state government. Lord mayor Clover Moore and her independent team of four councillors have fiercely resisted calls to record or livestream council meetings, even as other councils across the state have increasingly embraced the technology. The City of Sydney will be forced to webcast its council meetings after the state government made it a mandatory requirement in the new draft meeting code. Lord mayor Clover Moore has, until now, refused calls to adopt the practice. Credit:Louise Kennerley However, ratepayers may be able to watch council meetings online as early as next year, after webcasting was made a mandatory requirement in a new draft model code of meeting practice, which will apply to all NSW councils. Announcing the new code on Wednesday, local government minister Gabrielle Upton said webcasting would improve transparency and public involvement in council processes. Labor has claimed victory in 47 seats, giving it the magic number it needs to form a majority government. But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has yet to officially declare the win or deliver a victory speech. Overnight, Labor claimed a win in the Gold Coast seat of Gaven for candidate Meaghan Scanlon, which would oust sitting LNP member Sid Cramp. Labor claims it has the seats to form government but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk isn't visiting the Governor yet. Credit:AAP Labor was narrowly ahead in the seat of Townsville, with a clearer result possible as early as Wednesday afternoon. Be careful what you wish for! Your wishes have come true if you have ever voted for a legislator that supports less government. Less government looks like closed state offices, delay in processing claims and paperwork, difficulty in getting services, bad roads, poorly administered wildlife, crumbling bridges, no help for the low income, outlandish tuition, no food for the hungry, and no responses to your questions because state employees were furloughed or laid off. Less government means less access to public services. The problem is simple you get what you pay for. If the public is not willing to pay for services and programs that we need, we simply wont have those services and programs. If you elect legislators that wont fund services, you wont have those services. If you want access to a state office in your county; if you want social services for those of us that need some help; if you want all our children fed, warm, and educated; if you want to get a person on the phone when you need help; if you want the Montana lifestyle that we love, then don't support less government. Valerie Clague Helena The first of Queensland's New Generation Rollingstock trains will finally take passengers from Monday - a year-and-a-half after they were supposed to be operational. But the move has been slammed by disability advocates as "appalling", because the Australian Human Rights Commission is yet to decide on an application for a temporary exemption for disability access issues. The first three New Generation Rollingstock trains will be rolled out, with the first two hitting the tracks on Monday. Ordered under the previous LNP government, the first NGR trains were due to be operational in mid-2016, but after the discovery of significant issues, including problems with braking, air-conditioning, sight lines for drivers and disability access, delivery was halted in March 2017. Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy said the first two NGR trains would start passenger services from Monday, December 11 on the Gold Coast and Airport lines, with a third would be in reserve. Former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns died earlier this year. St Patrick's College in Ballarat said on Wednesday that Archbishop Little's name would be immediately taken off a building that had been named in his honour. The school will also revoke his status as an inducted Legend of the College. Paul Levey aged 11. One survivor of clerical abuse, Paul Levey, said the commission's findings were a long-awaited acknowledgement of the church's denials of his family's suffering. Mr Levey was raped daily when he was 14 and living with Australia's most notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale at a presbytery in Mortlake in 1982. Paul Levey with Gerald Ridsdale in 1982. The commissioners found then Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns repeatedly ignored Mr Levy's mother's pleas to have him released from Ridsdale's care, despite knowing the priest had a history of sexually abusing children. "This was an extraordinary and inexcusable failure by Bishop Mulkearns," the commissioners found. Helen Watson lost her son to suicide years after he was raped by a Catholic priest. Credit:Ballarat Courier "The most likely explanation ... was that they were trying to minimise the risk of scandal and protect the reputation of the Catholic Church." "The church tried to silence my mum and I for so long, but the royal commission has taken that privilege away from them," Mr Levey said. Paul Levey in Rome in 2016. Credit:Melissa Cunningham "This has always been our truth and now it is out there in black and white for the world to see." For some, the findings come too late. Peter Watson, killed himself in 1999. The night Peter Watson told his mum Helen he'd been sexually abused by disgraced Ballarat diocese priest Paul David Ryan she later found him in bed clutching a shotgun. It would be the first of many attempts Peter would make to end his own life. Peter was 15 when he was raped and the abuse set him on a path of self-destruction that ended with him taking his life at 24. He killed himself in a boat shed in Aspendale late in 1999, but it was six years before his body was formally identified after a check of fingerprint records. "I just feel the church has raped my soul," Ms Watson said. "It's a bittersweet day for me, but after Peter died, I never thought I'd see a royal commission." She praised the commissioners for shining the light on the child sexual abuse scandal, but said she felt the inquiry didn't delve deeply enough into Victoria Police's role in the cover-up. "There are two things that need to happen," Ms Watson said. "Firstly, a redress system must be implemented which provides support to victims through the tough parts of their lives and counselling to their families if they need it. "But they also need to make sure not just the Catholic Church but Victoria Police are held accountable for this entire sad history because there were police officers who knew what was happening, they minimised it, they didn't investigate it fully, the commission has only skirted the surface of this." Priests were moved to another parish if allegations emerged where they often offended again, the commissioners found. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Christian Brothers operated six primary and secondary schools in Ballarat and Warrnambool, staffed by some of the country's most notorious paedophiles. Among them were convicted paedophiles Robert Best, Stephen Francis Farrell, Edward Dowlan, Gerald Fitzgerald and Ridsdale who worked at St Patrick's College and St Alipius Boys' School. The report described the Christian Brothers' response to allegations of sexual abuse as "grossly inadequate", and said brothers were regularly shifted to a new location after an allegation had been made. Another Christian Brother, Gerald Leo Fitzgerald, died in 1987, before any charges were laid against him despite mounting allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims he regularly kissed and swam naked with boys. Despite senior Christian Brothers figures knowing of allegations, he was shifted into retirement at the Brothers' residence at St Patrick's, where he continued to have access to children. Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird said the mishandling of complaints to clergy led to unnecessary suffering for victims and their families and added the diocese now has the policies required to provide a safe environment for children. "Where the failures of my predecessors allowed abuse to occur, I offer my heartfelt apology," he said. Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart offered a similar apology on Tuesday, saying: "Where this abuse occurred resulting from the passivity or inactivity of predecessors of mine, I sincerely apologise and accept responsibility," A former teacher at a well-known Melbourne independent school has appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting seven people, including students. Trevor Spurritt, who taught at Camberwell Grammar School, is charged with 14 counts of indecent assault relating to offences allegedly committed against seven males. The allegations date back 40 years at Camberwell Grammar School. Credit:Michael Clayton Jones Charge sheets released by Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday allege Mr Spurritt offended between 1969 and 1972, and in 1991. The locations of the alleged offending were redacted by the court. Tziporah Malkah, the former model and actress previously known as Kate Fischer, has accused Victorian police of being "bullies" as she considers fighting drink-driving charges. The 44-year-old, who recently appeared on reality show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!, is accused of driving while intoxicated in Toorak on January 3. Tziporah Malkah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, on I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! Credit:Nigel Wright It's also alleged she refused a breath test after an accident, drove carelessly, reversed in an unsafe manner, and stopped on a nature strip. Ms Malkah appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday facing seven charges, and indicated she may contest some or all of them. Mackenzie Dean had to learn to walk twice, all before her third birthday. The toddler was scooting around the house one morning when she suddenly collapsed, her left side limp and her face sagging. Aimee and Matt Dean with daughter Mackenzie, 5, who suffered a stroke at the age of two. Credit:Jason South As her parents laid her on the bed, the little girl lifted up her weak left arm with the other stronger one, and declared that she needed a doctor. Her father, Matt Dean, suspected his daughter had experienced a stroke. A oman was doused with flammable liquid believed to be petrol during a robbery aT an adult store on Wednesday. Two men attended the Club X store on Scoresby Road in Bayswater just after midnight and sprayed the 45-year-old attendant with the substance before demanding cash. Police have released CCTV of the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and his promoters will be slapped with a bill of at least $50,000 to cover the cost of the police numbers required to handle violent protests outside his shows in Melbourne. Hundreds of left and right-wing protesters gathered in front of the Melbourne Pavilion on Racecourse Road and Stubbs Street, Kensington on Monday night where they faced off and fought with sticks. Riot police stormed the protest and used pepper spray to subdue the crowd, which included members of left-wing group Campaign Against Racism and Fascism and right-wing groups Reclaim Australia and The Freedom Party. Police and protesters also clashed at Mr Yiannopoulos' events in Sydney on Tuesday night, resulting in charges against several protesters. The event was heavily guarded with mounted police, officers on bicycles, riot squad, marine police and police vans barricading the event after several arrests were made at his Melbourne show. Accused Bourke Street killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas has appeared before a court, sitting quietly as he was told his unrelated charges would be adjourned until after his six murder counts are dealt with. With his beard clipped and his black hair neatly cut, Mr Gargasoulas appeared briefly before Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link from custody on Wednesday, to answer charges laid before he allegedly drove a car through central Melbourne at lunchtime on January 20 and hit dozens of pedestrians. Dimitrious "Jimmy" Gargasoulas is facing six charges of murder and 28 counts of attempted murder. Credit:Facebook Six people were fatally injured that day, including a three-month-old baby boy and a 10-year-old girl. Dozens more were injured. Mr Gargasoulas, 27, faces six counts of murder and 28 of attempted murder. EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict. A "catastrophic institutional failure" by the Ballarat Catholic Church to take action on cases of sexual abuse led to more children being abused by its clergy, a royal commission has found. Convicted paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale gives evidence to the royal commission. The response within the diocese of Ballarat to abuse complaints spanning at least three decades was driven by a desire to avoid scandal and protect the church's reputation, the report by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found. The findings, which come a day after a similarly damning report about the Melbourne archdiocese was released, said "commissioners heard that there was a tendency by clergy in the Diocese to treat complaints or allegations of child sexual abuse dismissively and in favour of the priest who was the subject of the allegation". 'The Disaster Artist' To be a cultural phenomenon, you have to form an active and engaged fan base and have a strong duration in your appeal. Above all, you need the bandwagon effect, making people like your creation largely because others do. In movie terms, this means either making a movie very good or remarkably, frighteningly, awesomely bad. Like Tommy Wiseaus legendary so-bad-its-almost-good-but-its-still-deeply-irrevocably-bad film The Room. It is a complicated, plotless romance where things just happen randomly, and the main character, played by star/director/screenwriter/producer Wiseau, shoots himself in the head instead of living happily ever after. So, sort of a comedy. Like it or not, The Room has lived on through midnight screenings since 2003. Now it achieves a second life as the basis for The Disaster Artist. The new film, doing a two-step between homage and satire, ironically comments on the making of its shabby inspiration. While its no gem, it works out better than the first. The film is presented as a creepy bromance inspired by real life. At the center are two friends who move from San Francisco to Hollywood in pursuit of their dreams. Young Greg Sestero, played with babe in the woods naivete by Dave Franco, wants to be on the stage or screen. Rehearsing at a local acting studio, he meets a prop-throwing, dialogue-chewing, Euro-sounding scene burglar named Tommy Wiseau (brother James Franco), whose self-confidence more than equals his skill, to put it kindly. James Franco plays Wiseau in full Brando method acting style. Not only does he look and sound uncannily like the real-life Wiseau, he did the starring, producing and directing balancing act in this film, as well. The pair develop what appears to be a childish, platonic best friend bond, but its any viewers call as to whats going on. Wiseau throws fits of petty resentment when Sestero discusses moving out of the apartment they share and hooking up with a nice girl he met. In the film as in real life, Wiseau is a secretive man of mystery. He has a bottomless pit of money, never mind why or how. He denies being from anywhere other than New Orleans though he speaks in an accent that says Warsaw. The movie offers a guided tour of Los Angeles landmarks and film world institutions that played a part in the projects production. The cast is packed with extended cameo appearances by Seth Rogan, Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson, Sharon Stone and other surprise guests as the cast and crew of the maddening, endlessly ongoing shoot. They are topped by Judd Apatow and Bryan Cranston, playing themselves to the hilt. The Disaster Artist is technically very competent. Like The Room, this also feels and looks like it was made for cable access on a shoestring budget, but this time the cheesy ambience is deliberate. (R, 2 1/2 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 45 min.) -- Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune As the Anzacs left for Gallipoli in 1915 the last piece of Australia they saw were the islands and headlands protecting Albany's Princess Royal Harbour. More than 100 years on, Albany has become synonymous with the Anzac legend through its iconic National Anzac Centre, which overlooks the same waters the soldiers farewelled. Thousands of lights will be planted on Albany's Mt Clarence. Credit:Mark Pickthall/Bruce Munro Studio Now with the century anniversary of the Great War's Armistice approaching, an immersive art installation made famous at Uluru will grace Albany's Avenue of Honour at Mt Clarence to honour the sacrifice of the Anzacs and bring thousands of tourists to the region. Field of Light: Avenue of Honour by UK artist Bruce Munro will place 13,000 shining glass spheres on slender stems along the road approaching the Anzac Centre to make an ephemeral landscape of whites, yellows and golds; the colours of the national flowers of Australia and New Zealand - the wattle and kowhai. Cashless welfare cards won't be rolled out across the WA Goldfields after Labor knocked back plans to expand the scheme. The cards quarantine a large chunk of welfare payments from being spent on booze and gambling, and the roll-out of the scheme has been controversial. The cashless welfare card was almost expanded to the Kalgoorlie. Credit:Michel O'Sullivan When the Opposition revealed it wouldn't back the expansion, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge unleashed on the party. Mr Tudge accused Labor of turning its back on desperate communities plagued by drug, alcohol and gambling abuse. Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has indicated she may soon resume her duties as it appears likely she will face a hearing early next year to determine a revised penalty over her failure to disclose travel and accommodation. After the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) found Ms Scaffidi seriously breached the Local Government Act 45 times by not disclosing third party-funded travel and accommodation, she was disqualified from office for 18 months. Lisa Scaffidi. Credit:Jessica Hromas She temporarily stood down from her duties on September 7, when the disqualification was to take effect, and last week the WA Court of Appeal overturned 26 of the adverse findings. A differently constituted SAT will now determine a new penalty for 19 of the breaches that she did not appeal against. He grew up in the Pilbara and his father was heavily involved with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union. He finished school and took up an apprenticeship, and slowly moved up the ranks to work into a senior role. He was the direct supervisor of around 14 to 15 people for a WA mining contractor, enjoyed the challenge of his job, was well-respected by his employees and was seen as a serious problem-solver with a lot of potential to continue moving up the ranks. But for nearly nine months now, Nathan has been on stress leave from the Wheatstone LNG gas plant site with severe anxiety, depression and insomnia. When Nathan explains how he got to the point of relying on anti-depressants to get through the day, the struggle to get out of bed every morning and his inability to get work, his situation sounds familiar. We heard stories of guys who would not take their anti-depressants or hiding them, because they were worried they could be caught with them. When he started in October 2015 on a two weeks on, two weeks off roster, Nathan said it was "great, fantastic". He said he had gotten all his training done, and he was hand-picked to go to a site early to oversee phase five of the operation. Aside from a couple of bumps along the way - "Just a couple of run ins, not very nice stuff" - Nathan was well-liked and was working well with his team. But one day, he said something popped up in his inbox that he immediately realised wasn't meant for him. "I was accidentally CC'd into an email that contained three sensitive documents," he said. "I shouldn't have been CC'd in, and I was worried about what to do. IT told me I should report it, as it would supposedly get me into a lot of trouble if I didn't." Nathan reported the incident as a grievance, and sent it to his IRM & Document Control officials as a possible breach of the company's IRM policy. The few who had been privy to the incident, Nathan says, told him he had done the right thing. The window seat fear is real for WA FIFO workers. But it wasn't long before Nathan was hauled into a coordinator's office to talk about the "anonymous" report. And, Nathan says, sitting in the corner of the room was the man who he believed had accidentally sent the email. "The colleague happened to be in the office too. There was only three people on my team and I'd been CC'd into the email, so I knew they were going to know it was me," he said. "They asked me if I'd made the IT report, and I said no, and he just goes [in an aggressive tone] 'don't fucking lie to me, I know.' So I said 'yeah, I did report you mate'," "I was called a f--king dog c--t, and I thought he was going to jump the table and come after me. "I copped it for 10 minutes from him, but eventually it just got too much and I got up and walked out." It wasn't the first or the last time Nathan had sat back as a supervisor or management official hurled abuse at him, but it was the first time Nathan decided he wasn't going to sit back and take it. Nathan lodged a complaint with his company's employee relations professional about the incident, but said the process didn't get him very far. "My shift coordinator [name retracted]... was very helpful and supportive... [but] I feel it [was] unprofessional to be reprimanded for following company policy." He said he struggled to prove what had happened due to the seniority of his supervisor, and he alleges despite making a written complaint and speaking with the professional in person, the "investigation" into the incident was concluded to be "a heated incident between parties" and nothing more. Nathan contends he wasn't heated - just scared. In a statement submitted to the AMWU, Nathan explained how he had been feeling: "I [felt] very nervous around [name retracted], and other team members had also mentioned that he had a short fuse," he said. "I normally looked forward to going to site for each trip, but this time around, not so much." Ultimately, Nathan says he continued his private battle with the coordinator - and there was even what he describes as a "depressing" running joke with one of his team members. "We used to say, if it wasn't him it was me. If it wasn't me, it was him. There was always something to have a go at us about. It was mentally exhausting, and I'm not an idiot. I do my job and I know how to do it well. "I've lost a lot of faith in their policies it seems like they talk the talk but don't walk the walk. "It was soon after I reported the IT breach that [I think] people started to treat me differently. "People would not invite me out for drinks, I started to feel alienated and that people were giving me the cold shoulder. "If I approached a group of people talking they would stop and disband. [Name redacted] told me that [name redacted] had told him that I had 'dobbed' him in for the IT breach. This... made me anxious." He told his superiors about his perceived exclusion and isolation, and he was told he needed to "build relationships" in order to improve his time on site. As his depression, feelings of isolation and constant job anxiety took hold, Nathan confesses his work performance suffered. He said he had become reclusive and snappy, and according to a company disciplinary write-up provided by Nathan himself, swearing at the same supervisor who had had a crack at him previously. The isolation got worse. One of the outcomes of the 2015 inquiry was an understanding FIFO workers were more at risk of developing mental health issues than the general public. His partner bore the brunt of his issues when he was on his off-swing, and after receiving a formal performance improvement plan from his employer, Nathan was at breaking point. He went to the on-site Aspen Medical Centre about his depression and anxiety in March this year. This was after months of not sleeping, constant anxiety and an inability to sleep. Only then did he go for help. He was pulled off two days into a swing citing a medical evacuation for "stress leave" and he was sent home from site. "My low point would have to be... when I was sent from site by medical [personnel] for stress, which had culminated from the bullying," he said. He attempted to stay on in a Perth role in order to pay his bills but after some time on stress leave, Nathan officially quit. One of his reasons was to pursue a workers compensation claim for "psychological injury". In Nathan's opinion, there is no question his mental health suffered as a result of the bullying and exclusion. He has since made complaints to the Fairwork Commission and the Australian Metal Workers Union about his treatment, and subsequent breakdown. He argues the bullying and isolation triggered his mental health issues, and he isn't the only fly-in, fly-out worker to contend the same thing. "I've lost all confidence in my abilities. I'm on a high dose of depression medications, and I used to wake up five to six times a night for months and months so I was on Stillnox. I used to break down to my partner and tell her I just needed one night's sleep. The stress and anxiety wasn't letting me sleep," he said. "The situation is deteriorating. People don't come up here to be treated like that." Nathan says there is a fear ingrained in fly-in, fly-out workers to talk about their mental health issues, and he was no different. "They talked to me like I was rubbish. One of his comments that stuck with me was 'I have serious concerns about your ability to do the job, and I've lost all faith in our HR hiring process if they hired you to do this'," he said. "When the guys causing you problems are the ones you're supposed to go to for help, you don't know what to do." Despite crumbling after months and months of alleged sustained bullying and harassment, Nathan hadn't told people he was struggling until it got to be too much. Nathan was tough enough, until he wasn't. Perth Airport is filled with hundreds of fly in and fly out miners heading to various miners in Western Australia on any given day. Credit:Jacky Ghossein JGZ The window-seat fear Overwhelmingly, the response to FIFO workers who speak up about problems they're experiencing at work and how it's impacting their mental health isn't a positive one. Australian Miners Workers Union state secretary Steve McCartney said it wasn't hard to see why workers refused to report their problems if they were having trouble. "We've heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that people who have been found to be complaining consistently to management go missing," he said. "If they've complained about anxiety, not sleeping, or needing a day off due to anxiety or stress, they'll go missing. They'll be told they're no longer required on the job and sent home." Despite extensive employee-based assistance programs, frameworks, studies, and statistics - there is still a fear that shadows those who engage with company services. It's the fear they could find on a plane the minute they suggest something could be off about their own mental health - or as it's known in the industry, "the window seat". On Nathan's site, employee assistance programs were an option. "All employees are given free and confidential access to our independent Employee Assistance Program for support and management of mental health concerns," a statement from the company said. "Chevron is fully committed to providing an inclusive work environment which is free from unlawful discrimination and has a strong safety culture and zero tolerance towards inappropriate behaviour at work. This commitment is reflected in all Chevron policies and training." But when he contends the bullying he endured was aimed at him from different levels of management, it is not hard to guess why he didn't feel comfortable going through an employee assistance program for help. "I'll give you a scenario," Mr McCartney said. "You're on a four and one roster. You're on site for a week and you're feeling bad. You go talk to your mental health advisor, or you go talk to your EAP so you can ask for time off. How do you do that anonymously?" 'Bullying on site is rife' says Steve McCartney, AMWU state secretary. Credit:Fairfax Media The nature of 'going missing' "We had a survey and guys wrote, without a question even being asked, in the comments section about how there was an absolute concern of "going missing" after reporting an issue with their mental health," Mr McCartney said. "We heard stories of guys who would not take their anti-depressants or hide them, because they were worried they could be caught with them. "When they make a decision to come forward, they fear they're going to lose the one thing they have left - their job." Nathan's employer, Chevron, detailed its approach to bullying, harassment and mental health. "Chevron does not tolerate bullying, harassment and discrimination in the workplace. All allegations of workplace bullying and harassment are taken seriously and investigated by Chevron," a spokesperson said. "Chevron places the highest priority on the health and safety of our workforce and we have a range of measures in place to protect employee wellbeing, including fitness for duty processes, an employee assistance program, supervisor training and mental health resilience training." The company was unable to comment on Nathan's allegations, due to its policy regarding employee privacy. 'They brush their hands of you' While Chevron has often led the way when it comes to its own mental health policy, the mining giant still falls victim to a number of problems outlined by the Education and Health Standing Committee's 2015 report. Across the industry there is no enforced minimum standard requirement to ensure companies do everything they can to support their workers through mental health issues - which only helps to reinforce the "window seat" fear. Often, individual companies must engage third party providers to perform their liable duty. For example there is no enforced code regarding mental health evacuations. Worksafe WA said while it worked with companies to ensure workplace safety and health, they did not have any oversight of mental health evacuations on mine sites. "Such cases in our jurisdiction are only rarely reported to us. If a case was in our jurisdiction and a complaint was made, we could make enquiries about whether there was a safe system of work." And when asked if any action had ever been taken against companies who failed to complete a correct mental health evacuation - by either forcing employees off site without a correct doctor evaluation, failing to facilitate a return-to-work plan or without sending them home without supervision while being apparently "vulnerable" - Worksafe said to their knowledge, they had never "taken enforcement action in such a case". In a nutshell, this means companies have the ability to send employees off site with little to no supervision from an industry regulator. The 2015 report itself said: Loading "The Committee notes concerns from unions and individuals that mental health evacuations have sometimes been used as a means to remove a worker from site, and then prevent their return. This was not an area the Committee was able to investigate in any depth," it said. Washington: President Donald Trump reversed decades of US policy on Wednesday and recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite warnings from around the world that the gesture further drives a wedge between Israel and the Palestinians. In a speech at the White House, Trump called his decision a "a long overdue" step to advance the peace process, saying that: "While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering." The president also said his administration begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years. Trump aides contend the move reflects the reality of Jerusalem as the centre of Jewish faith and the fact that the city is the seat of the Israeli government. Moscow: As president of Georgia, he survived a disastrous war with Russia. As a regional governor in Ukraine committed to fighting corruption, he clashed with just about everybody, including his estranged former ally, Ukraine's president, Petro O. Poroshenko. On Tuesday Mikhail Saakashvili, a onetime darling of the West, took his high-wire political career to bizarre new heights when he climbed onto the roof of his five-storey apartment building in the center of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, with law enforcement officers in hot pursuit. As a crowd of hundreds of supporters gathered below, he shouted insults at Ukraine's leaders and, according to several local news outlets, threatened to jump if security agents tried to grab him. Dragged from the roof after denouncing Poroshenko as a traitor and a thief, the former Georgian leader was detained but then freed by his supporters, who, amid raucous scenes on the street, blocked a security service van before it could take Saakashvili to a Kiev detention centre and allowed him to escape. With a Ukrainian flag draped across his shoulders and a pair of handcuffs still attached to one of his wrists, Saakashvili then led hundreds of supporters in a march across Kiev toward Parliament. Speaking through a bullhorn, he called for "peaceful protests" to remove Poroshenko from office, just as protests had toppled the former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, in February 2014. A little foreknowledge, plus about $US50, and my daughter would have lived to see 13. The amount keeps me awake. Many of us spend more each month at Starbucks. Not pocket change, it's not enough to change your life. Or so I thought. A kid at home with an unsecured medication might just as well be left with a loaded gun. Like every parent, I'd received a dumpster full of child-rearing warnings. The warnings started with pregnancy. They continue to the present day. Why then is my daughter not in her room texting friends, but in the cemetery? It was the warning never given. To begin near the end, one morning last May while I was showering, my wife burst into the bathroom. Our daughter, then 12, wouldn't wake up. Ventura, California: Ferocious fires tore through Southern California on Tuesday, local time, burning massive stretches of land in a matter of hours and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes. As firefighters in Ventura County grappled with an explosive blaze northwest of downtown Los Angeles, others across the region confronted additional fires that burned during the day and forced more evacuations. Authorities issued ominous warnings of more dangers to come during a "multiday event" across the area, as weather forecasters said the region faces "extreme fire danger" until at least Thursday, due to intense Santa Ana winds and low humidity. A firefighter pulls a water hose as a wildfires continue to burn in Santa Paula, California. Credit:AP The wildfires are the latest grim chapter in a brutal year for California, coming just months after deadly blazes in the state's wine country killed dozens of people and razed thousands of buildings. The biggest fire Tuesday was in Ventura County, where a small blaze quickly went out of control and spread across more than 50,000 acres by the afternoon. The fire - which burned an area nearly as large as Seattle - stretched into the city of Ventura, home to more than 100,000 people. Ramallah, West Bank: Palestinians switched off Christmas lights at Jesus' traditional birthplace in Bethlehem on Wednesday night in protest at US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A Christmas tree adorned with lights outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born, and another in Ramallah, next to the burial site of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, were plunged into darkness. "The Christmas tree was switched off on the order of the mayor today in protest at Trump's decision," said Fady Ghattas, Bethlehem's municipal media officer. He said it was unclear whether the illuminations would be turned on again before the main Christmas festivities. DECATUR The search for a murder suspect continues even as an accomplice who never fired a shot appeared in court Wednesday facing five counts of first-degree murder. Keirsean M. Bond, 26, entered a plea of not guilty in Macon County Circuit Court in the Nov. 18 shooting death of Todd Daniel Feldkamp of Effingham. Prosecutors said Feldkamp, 48, came to Decatur bringing cannabis to sell in a drug deal and was instead robbed and shot dead. Another Effingham man who came with him was also shot and wounded. Bond is accused of taking part in the crime, but he was not the triggerman, prosecutors and police acknowledged, and the search to find the shooter hasnt let up. We still have witnesses to speak to and individuals that may have information that will lead to another arrest; the investigation is ongoing, detective Sgt. Steve Carroll said when asked later about the search. He said the police had received little help from the public and few tips. Anyone with information can call police at (217) 424-2734 or Crime Stoppers at (217) 423-8477. During Wednesdays arraignment hearing for Bond, police detective Jason Kuchelmeister said Bonds unknown accomplice did the shooting, although both men grabbed the cannabis afterwards and fled. Bond is also denying two counts of armed robbery. Is there any question Mr. Bond was not identified as the shooter? asked defense attorney Monroe McWard. He was not identified as the shooter, correct, replied Kuchelmeister. Macon Assistant States Attorney Nichole Kroncke said the theory of the states case in charging Bond with murder is taken from Illinois Supreme Court rulings that say those who work together to commit crime are responsible for the act of any fellow individuals involved. Bond may not have shot anyone, she said, but he is just as guilty as the suspect who did. Police learned of Bonds involvement from the surviving Effingham man who accompanied Feldkamp. He managed to escape the backyard shooting scene in the 1600 block of North Edward Street with an arm wound. Kuchelmeister said the survivor told police the drug deal for a felony amount of cannabis had been set up via a Snapchat conversation and later identified Bond from a Facebook account. Kuchelmeister also told the court that Bond helped set up the drug deal. He escorted both victims to the rear of this house and was present while both were shot, he added. Judge Phoebe S. Bowers found probable cause to arraign Bond on the charges. Bond, who is in the Macon County Jail on $5 million bond, had a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 18. The permit for the Charlottesville, Virginia rally claimed 'free speech.' People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalists in August. Credit:AP Yet, co-opting words like "freedom" and "justice", which stand for ideas central to democracy only increases divisions within political society. This trend has infected a number of debates in Australia most notably the same sex marriage debate, which former Prime Minister Tony Abbott tried to make about "free speech" and "political correctness", and the debate about the "right to be a bigot" in the right's attack on discrimination law through section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. The linguistic judo moves by far-right and alt-right trolls are made much easier to pull off with the proliferation of the internet and social media. One tactic of globalised extremist movements is to coordinate efforts while using more mainstream language to draw in more would-be followers. A recent report by UK-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue on nationalist movements concluded: "White supremacist movements managed to penetrate the mainstream by strategically framing their fringe narratives through [the] socially more acceptable lens of freedom of speech and criticism of multiculturalism, the globalist elites and political correctness." This effort is aided tremendously by bots, trolls, and rapidly created websites. In fact, this technology can significantly boost the voice of a smaller number of people, using it in a coordinated effort. Tools and tactics applied to social media and the internet have uncoupled the noise made by an online crowd from its actual size, or location. Consequently, smaller numbers of people, using social media can make events appear bigger than they are. As destabilising as this battle for influence is, there is a precedent for rejecting the "free speech" argument as a defence for divisive tactics meant to corrode broader political discourse. In the 1950s, American philosopher Sidney Hook wrote that the concept of free speech carried with it the expectation that the competition in the free market of ideas will be honestly conducted. Hook made a distinction between heresy arguing radically different and controversial ideas and conspiracy which involved speech and actions to undermine the entire political system. "The failure to recognise the distinction between heresy and conspiracy is fatal to a liberal civilisation, for the inescapable consequence of their identification is either self-destruction, when heresies are punished as conspiracies, or destruction at the hands of their enemies, when conspiracies are tolerated as heresies." Applied to the "free speech" claim today, one could ask: are alt-right and ethno-nationalists simply arguing for an "radical" political position such as banning Muslims or equating feminism with nazism? Or, are they taking actions to orchestrate scenes and events to create polarising violence and imagery? Loading People are free to argue whatever idea they please that's free speech. But if they're using the idea of free speech as a shield for actions to divide and drive wedges into society overall, it's conspiracy. It was this basis that US liberals used to take on communist infiltrators in the union movement in the 1950s. And while Hook's heresy/conspiracy dichotomy had implications for real-life events, the place where it should be applied today is the internet. That's because civil libertarians still look back to the 20th Century when the remedy for so-called "bad speech" was simply "more speech". Such a remedy doesn't take into account technological changes which mean there is now no economic scarcity to the published word. Today, much of the problem isn't the ability to speak but the ability to be heard, which itself can be gamed online. The alt-right is highly motivated in part because of the failure of mainstream political parties to articulate a meaningful view of the world for swaths of the public. Most members of the Decatur City Council said they have not decided how to vote on rezoning of U.S. Business 51 and West Ash Avenue. Developers revealed Wednesday they plan for a Chipotle Mexican Grill to anchor a new shopping development at the site. It's time again for the largest Brazos Valley Food Drive fundraiser of the year. KBTX's Food for Families drive kicks off at 5 a.m. today at the Brazos Center, and at 6 a.m. at the Kimbro Center, the Navasota Valley Electric Co-op office in Franklin, St. Mary's parish gym in Caldwell and the Mid-South Synergy office in Navasota. Food will be collected through 7 p.m. tonight. The drive has raked in more than $150,000 and 200,000 pounds of food for the bank last year. Beyond last year's donations, Theresa Mangapora, executive director at the Brazos Valley Food Bank, said the drive consistently gives the bank a critical boost. "It brings a whole lot of food in at once -- at a time of need," she says. In the years the food bank has been hosted, Mangapora said, it's become a staple volunteer event in the area. "I also think that the community looks forward to it," she said. "It's like a tradition for a lot of businesses and a lot of groups in town -- they are going to volunteer at this event. This is what they know they are going to do during the holiday season." But for those who can't make it out for donations, Mangapora says, there is always the option of online monetary donations. She said one dollar given to the food bank translates to six pounds of food. "That's the equivalent of six meals," she said. "That's really not something any of us can do on our own, so it's really a good bang for the buck." Among the nonperishable items suggested for donations are canned or dried beans, canned meats, macaroni and cheese, juice boxes, coffee, granola bars, flour, oatmeal, cereal, pasta, soup, tuna, bottled water, peanut butter and canned fruits and vegetables. Child and adult diapers, paper towels and toilet paper also will be accepted at the donation drive. According to Feeding Texas, about one in five residents in Brazos County face food insecurity, which means they may have to skip meals or choose between food and other necessities. Both the Attorney Generals Office and Wallis lawyers asked for a summary judgement in November and canceled a hearing set for Thursday. Now, both sides will wait for Austin-based judge Tim Sulak to rule on the matter. The court operator for Sulak said that the judge just began a five-day trial, but if history is any indicator, there will probably be a ruling on the Wallis case sometime in the next two weeks. The ruling will decide whether documents related to Wallis departure from the district can be released. Wallis resigned from the position of superintendent in September 2016, but not before securing a confidentiality agreement, a $83,047 payout and a letter of recommendation. The confidentiality agreement, signed by Wallis and then-school board president Doug Wunneburger, stipulated that Wallis, the board and top administrators could not discuss details surrounding Wallis exit with anyone, including their spouses. Multiple media outlets, including The Eagle, began requesting information through open-records requests. The Texas Attorney Generals Office stated the documents were public record, but Wallis fought the release of the documents in court. His lawyers have argued the documents relate to the evaluation of Wallis as an employee, and is thus protected from release. After a wait of more than a year, a decision on the possible release of documents related to former Superintendent Tommy Wallis' abrupt resignation from Bryan schools is expected to come in the next few weeks. Both the Attorney General's Office and Wallis' lawyers asked for a summary judgment in November and canceled a hearing set for Thursday. Now, both sides will wait for Austin-based judge Tim Sulak to rule on the matter. The court operator for Sulak said that the judge just began a five-day trial, but if history is any indicator, there will probably be a ruling on the Wallis case sometime in the next two weeks. The ruling will decide whether documents related to Wallis' departure from the district can be released. Wallis resigned from the position of superintendent in September 2016, but not before securing a confidentiality agreement, a $83,047 payout and a letter of recommendation. The confidentiality agreement, signed by Wallis and then-school board president Doug Wunneburger, stipulated that Wallis, the board and top administrators could not discuss details surrounding Wallis' exit with anyone, including their spouses. Multiple media outlets, including The Eagle, began requesting information through open-records requests. The Texas Attorney General's Office stated the documents were public record, but Wallis fought the release of the documents in court. His lawyers have argued the documents relate to the evaluation of Wallis as an employee and thus are protected from release. Since then, The Eagle and KBTX obtained copies of a report presented to the school board by upper administration that outlined a series of allegations against Wallis. The 10 1/2-page report included accusations Wallis violated several school board policies, including giving preferential treatment to a vendor competing for district business, misusing tax dollars, giving a raise without trustees' approval and verbally abusing employees. Wallis took the district to court after the media outlets obtained the documents. Administrators and school board members took the stand in Austin courtroom, where many described a feeling of sickness when they found out about the news reports. Everyone who took the stand said they did not know how the media outlets obtained the report. The judge ruled that neither the district nor the individuals were responsible for the leak. However, in the second day in court, the judge said, "My concern is how do we find out? Because I do want to hold someone in contempt." While the report is now public, there is still a question of whether the school district can officially release the accusations, as well as other relevant documents. In the meantime, Wallis has gone on to become a superintendent of the small East Texas school district of Kirbyville, where he is paid around $108,000 less than the $238,000 he made annually in Bryan. The Democratic Partys worst problem raised its ugly head once again during its mishandling of the Rep. John Conyers saga. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appeared on television a week ago Sunday and called for calm and due process for Conyers, the dean of Congress, while the House completed an ethics probe. She seemed to question the credibility of some women accusing him of sexual harassment, saying she didnt know them and that it was up to the House Ethics Committee to judge them. She called Conyers an icon who had earned due process. Meanwhile, behind closed doors, negotiations with Conyers and his family had been nearing a compromise, according to sources familiar with the process: That he would enter the hospital, step down for health reasons and hopefully, take the Conyers story off the front pages of the nations newspapers. Conyers announced on the radio Tuesday that he would retire, ending a 53-year career and endorsing his son, John Conyers III, to run for his seat. Rep. Conyers could protect his legacy, leaving at least two House Dems jockeying to replace him as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (By the way, no one campaigning for a committee seat on the backs of alleged sexual assault victims should get it.) But sadly, all hell broke loose. Pelosi was skewered for her remarks, so she did an abrupt about-face and called on Conyers to resign. And some Democrats and Republicans piled on. Four members of the Michigan delegation Democratic Reps. Dan Kildee of Flint, Debbie Dingell of Dearborn, Sandy Levin of Royal Oak and Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga of Zeeland were among them. Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone, Pelosi said. No matter how great, the legacy is no license to harass or discriminate. No one ever said it was, Nancy. And the problem she ignored in her 180-degree spin was that Conyers has not admitted to wrongdoing. But you know who has? Democratic Sen. Al Franken. And President Donald Trump. And while Franken has apologized numerous times and Trump did once Pelosi has called on neither to resign. So zero tolerance didnt apply. Pelosi, in an effort to govern by Instagram poll, missed an opportunity to show real leadership. She missed it again when Rep. Joe Crowley of New York, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, became the highest-ranking Democrat to call for Frankens resignation, and she remained silent. When the spotlight turned to Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold, who used $84,000 in taxpayer funds to pay off a woman who accused him of sexual assault, Pelosi missed another opportunity to call for zero tolerance. She missed another one when she didnt join Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia in calling for the confidentiality agreement in the Farenthold case to be set aside so America could learn what happened. But it is the Democratic Party that has the bigger problem again because it begs three questions: Are the party, Pelosi, and Democratic leaders, treating the cases of Conyers and Franken differently because of race? Where is Democratic resolve when it comes to Donald Trump and sexual harassment? Is it time for Pelosi to step aside, making way for bolder, stronger leader rather than reactionary leadership? If the Democratic Party thinks that people arent upset about this, it is not spending enough time talking with black and women voters, an apparent misstep that helped cost the party the presidential election last year. And if the party thinks that black and female voters wont remember this period during the 2018 and 2020 elections, they are wrong. It will play. It will play big. Dont believe me? Just watch. Rochelle Riley is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Email rriley99@freepress.com. December 14, 1949 - December 3, 2017 The House Becky and Dan built stands as a testament to true love and the deep friendship they shared. Becky Daniels, 68, of College Station, went to be with her Lord on Sunday, December 3, 2017. A time for family to receive friends will be from 5:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 6th at Hillier Funeral Home of College Station. Becky's Life Celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 7th 2017 at A & M United Methodist Church, 417 University Drive in College Station with Preston Greenwaldt officiating. Interment will follow at Aggie Field Of Honor. Becky was born on December 14, 1949 to James L. Morris and Mary Ann (Johnson) Morris in Refugio, Texas. Becky graduated from Refugio High School in Refugio, Texas, she received her Associate's Degree from the University of Houston and was a Registered Nurse, attending Nursing School in Corpus Christi. Becky was an energetic member of A & M United Methodist Church. She was active in Methodist Women, led the Board of the Weekday School and could be seen every week serving Wednesday night dinner. She also enjoyed her Nantucket Card Group. She loved nature; her backyard sanctuary brought her such joy. Becky and Dan traveled the world together but she loved traveling most to visit her granddaughters. They loved Grandma's visits with all of their hearts! Becky always surrounded herself with friends and never wanted to be the center of attention. Quietly and lovingly she cared for every one she met, putting their needs first. She is preceded in death by her parents, James and Mary Ann Morris. Becky leaves behind her favorite husband of 47 years, Dan; children, Ginny Blackley and Gavin Daniels; sisters, Janice Tanson and Mary Lee Keracofe; and granddaughters, Samantha, Emily, Natalie, Ella and Everly; niece, Brooke Pearson; and nephew, Doug Haley. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to Twin City Mission. Please visit Becky's tribute page at www.hillierfuneralhome.com to share memories and stories. 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 Volunteers are collecting toys for this years A Childs Christmas program that provides gifts for local families in need. The annual program has grown each year and now enlists the help of several local businesses, nonprofits and community events to assure families have something on Christmas morning. The program started more than 20 years ago by Lake Christian Ministries. Over the years the program has grown to include angel trees at local businesses and churches. Parents assisted by Lake Christian Ministries fill out the cards for their children. In addition to toys, the cards include information on clothes needed as well. The angel trees are placed in mid-November, program organizer Lynda Imirie said. Those who participate in picking a card from the angel tree turn in their donation by mid-December. Once everything is collected, volunteers shop for families who were missed on the angel trees. Virginia Dare Cruises and Marinas Flotilla for Toys has helped collect toys for the program, and Sea Tow Smith Mountain Lake has held toy collection events for the past few years. Lyrics on the Lake also joined in on the giving with concerts to collect toys. It has become a wonderful community effort, Imirie said. More than 100 volunteers spend two weeks before Christmas sorting through donated toys, Imirie said. The toys are tagged and sorted according to the appropriate age for each toy. Each childs gifts are placed into bags that are collected by families a week before Christmas. The program provides Christmas gifts to more than 150 families and as many as 400 children, Imirie said. It is just one of those things that makes you feel good, Imire said about those who volunteer time or provide gifts. We just want to see every kid happy on Christmas morning. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering to A Childs Christmas program can contact Lynda Imirie at 493-2117. Dunovant is editor of Laker Weekly. HARTFORD About 113,000 elderly Connecticut residents will retain their current levels of benefits from the Medicare Savings Program for at least an additional two months, legislators announced. Income thresholds for participation in the program had been scheduled to drop by about 50 percent on Jan. 1, but now the benefits will continue through February. Estimated cost to the state was $25 million. "Since the passage of the budget in October, we have heard from many seniors and family members with questions and concerns about these changes," DSS Commissioner Roderick L. Bremby said in a Wednesday morning statement. "Members of the General Assembly and health care advocates have also expressed concerns about this part of the budget legislation. We want them to know that we are listening, Bremby said. While most are not likely to qualify for other coverage, we hope this effort will alleviate the financial loss for some." The state Department of Social Services on Wednesday said that a review of the program will take two months and then a new termination date will be announced. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, said the DSS announcement was helpful in the short term. Obviously we would like to get a permanent resolution of that rather than a temporary postponement, he said. Leaders of the House and Senate said Wednesday, after a half-hour meeting with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, that they will continue to monitor the need for legislative action to retain benefits that include payments for Medicare Part B premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Time will be spent doing reviews of individual cases, so that we can understand implications and what programs folks might otherwise qualify for, Malloy said. In light of the statements that members of the legislature, particularly the leadership, were making, we felt that was the right thing to do. Malloy, speaking with reporters outside his office after the meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders, said they told him they expect to hold a special session before the end of the month, but Republican and Democratic caucuses said that is less likely. Lingering budget issues include the states $207 million deficit in the first year of the $41.3 billion spending plan, plus the additional $25 million for Medicare, along with the desire for lawmakers to raise certain levels of municipal aid. Malloy has until the end of the month to announce a deficit-mitigation plan, most likely reducing spending to deal with the deficit. I think the new reality ...is that there is going to be constant conversation in this building and the sharing of ideas, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said, referring to the bipartisan approach to the new state budget. Were having discussions but there is no plan for a special session at this time. Its good that people will not suffer that loss as of Jan. 1, but we believe policy-wise that that money should be put back, said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. Were going to continue those conversations to get to that point. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Working professionals can take a lot for granted about a job: the hours, the steady paycheck, the retirement plan. But serial entrepreneurs don't enjoy such guarantees: They're busy trading stability for the chance to build something new and valuable. Related: Business Owners Need a 'Plan B' for Retirement In my work running an investments/401(K) company, I've met many entrepreneurs who know this fact all too well. They wonder not only how to prepare for retirement, themselves, but how to make sure their employees are saving for the future, too. If you're in the business of building a business and thinking about your financial future, here are some ways to assure retirement readiness for you and your employees. 1. Understand your retirement income sources. A friend of mine who is a serial entrepreneur in the tech space recently told me that he wasn't saving anything for retirement, and sheepishly asked what I thought about that. I told him that saving for the future is always sage advice, but that he is not alone. According to a recent survey by Manta, 34 percent of entrepreneurs polled said they did not have a retirement savings plan. So, where is their retirement money going to come from? A Gallup poll suggests that the majority of small business owners will delay retirement but will still need to retire eventually. The top "major sources" of retirement income among entrepreneurs are retirement accounts (see tips 2 and 3, below), social security and the sale of their business. Related: 3 Retirement Pitfalls and How to Address Them So, if this sounds like you, and you plan on selling your business to fund retirement, you will want to estimate how much retirement income it might produce. Start by determining an accurate valuation for your company, then subtract any taxes and transaction costs and estimate about how much of that money you'd put into long-term investments like stocks and bonds. Multiply this final figure by 4 percent, and that's about how much you might expect to withdraw per year. 2. Offer your employees a quality retirement plan. As a serial entrepreneur, helping your employees save for retirement isn't just the right thing to do; it's critical to your success. You need to attract and retain talented staff who can help implement your vision, freeing you to execute on your next idea. And those employees will want retirement benefits. According to our Fisher 401(k) Wellness in the Workplace study, nearly four out of five Americans surveyed claimed that companies which provide 401(k) plans with plenty of support are their preferred places to work. That makes sense: Finances are a huge cause of stress, and I believe the problem lies not necessarily in the lack of money, but the lack of education and tools to help American workers manage their money smartly. Only about 52 percent of employers with fewer than 100 employees offer retirement plans, according to the Social Security Administration; and only 28 percent of employers with fewer than 10 employees do, versus 87 percent for larger employees with teams of over 100. That gives any serial entrepreneur who chooses to offer a quality retirement plan a distinct advantage in the market for talent -- with little cost to the employer (not to mention the tax advantages). There are many types of retirement plans to consider should you decide to offer one. For businesses with fewer than 10 employees, I'd suggest looking at a SEP IRA or SIMPLE IRA first, as those are the easiest to set up and administer. For employers with more than 10 employees, I would consider a traditional 401(k) plan for its flexible plan options and high value to employees. For 2018, a traditional 401(k) plan allows you to save $18,500 annually ($24,500 for those 50 or older), so you might consider adding additional plans, including: Profit sharing: A profit-sharing plan offers increased contributions to key employees, allowing them to save up to $55,000 per year, or $61,000 for those 50 or older. A profit-sharing plan offers increased contributions to key employees, allowing them to save up to $55,000 per year, or $61,000 for those 50 or older. Cash balance: Employers with stable revenues and lots of high-income earners might add a cash balance plan on top of 401(k) and profit sharing for enhanced tax benefits; these allow higher contributions on behalf of key employees in exchange for lower wages. Employers with stable revenues and lots of high-income earners might add a cash balance plan on top of 401(k) and profit sharing for enhanced tax benefits; these allow higher contributions on behalf of key employees in exchange for lower wages. Non-qualified deferred compensation: NQDC plans allow executives of a fiscally-sound business to defer compensation until retirement, reducing their current tax burden and providing a strong incentive for executives to run the business prudently. 3. Encourage a culture of savings. Once you have a retirement plan for your company (or companies), that accomplishment means little if you don't encourage your employees to make the most of it. That starts with your leading by example. It's important to save more than you think you'll need, and to encourage your employees to do the same. I recommend that people early in their careers save at least 5 percent of their pre-tax income, that those in the middle of their careers save 10 percent, and later in their careers, that people save 15 percent or more. Unfortunately, not enough workers are saving at these levels. A study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that one-third and two-thirds of workers surveyed at risk of a lower standard of living in retirement. Half of households have no retirement savings whatsoever, and the median savings that the rest have would would pay out only $600 per month, which is simply not enough to live on. While there are many valid reasons not to save -- including the rising costs of child care, I believe we should strive to develop a culture of savings within our workforce. Businesses fail for any number of reasons, but you don't want your retirement (or your employees') to fail for any reason. As is the case with many aspects of entrepreneurship, retirement security comes down to proper planning. First, entrepreneurs need a focus on understanding where retirement income will come from. Second, they need to offer the right retirement plan for each of their companies. Related: Just Listen: The IRS Is Telling You How to Have a Tax-Free Retirement By cultivating a corporate culture of savings, entrepreneurs can help ensure a bright financial future for themselves and their employees even as they work on the cutting edge today. Related: 3 Tips for Serial Entrepreneurs to Safeguard Their Own and Their Employees' Retirement Security Preparing to Exit Your Small Business Seniors in Emerging Markets Represent Huge Opportunity for Innovative Entrepreneurs Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com NORWALK Seven students have been disenrolled from the Norwalk Public School District so far this year after officials discovered they no longer reside in Norwalk. Thats more than the total number of students removed in all of last year for illegally attending Norwalk schools, said Director of School Improvement Patricia Foley in a presentation to the Board of Education Tuesday. We wrote a new policy last year which really tried to firm up the process a bit, Foley said. So right now, our kindergarten students and any new student entering Norwalk has to prove residency. But thats the only place that we do it. Otherwise, we have to rely on the schools notifying us if they think that someone moved ... and we investigate. The district revamped the residency policy at the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year after it was suspected many students were taking advantage of Norwalk taxpayer dollars without actually living in the district. Principals, secretaries and school counselors now receive training to help them identify potential students who attend school here but live outside the district. Such students are then reported to the operations staff, who then may hire a retained private investigator to dig further. There were 25 investigations conducted by the districts central office and three conducted by a private investigator last year. A total of 117 residencies were approved in 2016-17, most of whom were immigrants moving to Norwalk. The district has approved 45 new residencies since August and conducted 14 investigations of students suspected of being nonresidents. The investigations this year have been conducted by Foley and one other district employee. The district has yet to rely on a private investigator this year, as all 14 investigations have been successfully conducted by the central office staff, Foley said. Were learning the process better, so weve really been able to make contact with parents and schools to determine residency, Foley said. Foley said the district has received leads from various people within the district, including school administrators who have contacted Foley when they suspected a student no longer lived in Norwalk. Theres about six or seven instances where we did get leads and after following up, they did still live in Norwalk, just at a different address, Foley said. They did move, but we found them, so theyre still in Norwalk. They might have had to move high schools. Foley said one high school student who has been disenrolled tried to appeal the investigation, but was denied. A high school student appealed and it was denied, so hes no longer with us, Foley said. He admitted they moved. Sometimes the decisions are hard, but we do have a whole process where they can appeal. A few months ago, Mediakix ran an experiment by creating two new Instagram profiles, one using photos of a local model and one using stock photos. The company then filled both accounts with purchased followers, likes and comments. Before long, each account had secured paid influencer deals with brands, despite reaching a grand total of zero real people. Related: Forget Hacks -- Here Are the 2 Things You Need to Do to Grow Your Following on Social Media On the one hand, this shows how easy it is to grow your numbers rapidly if you're willing to resort to fake traffic. But on the other hand, it shows just how big the problem of bot accounts and illegitimate traffic has become for everyone involved -- marketers, brands and social media platforms. While marketers might feel good to see their follower count rise, those who rely on empty traffic will inevitably suffer the consequences. By relying on the automation of inauthentic engagement, including automatic likes, comments, follows and unfollows, the only thing you'll gain in the long term is frustration. Here's why. The new social media standard Although sniffing out bot accounts remains challenging, Instagram closely monitors services that claim to help users game the system, and it punishes all those involved, users and third-party services alike. Brands that rely on spam accounts to boost followers, or even "like" other content pages to strengthen their own followings, are at risk of being shadowbanned (a Instagram penalty that makes your hashtags undiscoverable). If that happens, targeted companies have to rebuild their pages from scratch, setting back any new engagement and potentially losing genuine legacy followers while their pages remain hidden. Social platforms are cracking down -- and they aren't alone. Companies such as Fohr Card are moving to take the initiative. Fohr Card identifies which influencer followers are bot accounts, then reduces its fees to ensure that companies pay only for engagement with real followers. Related: 5 Tactics To Build Your Social Media Following This type of monitoring isn't new. Instagram did a major spam purge in 2014 that impacted even major brands such as Nike, National Geographic and Forever 21. That's not to say these accounts paid for followers, only that fake followers make up a larger proportion of the Instagram population than you might expect -- about 8 percent, according to a Fohr Card press release. Some social platforms have in place plans to shut down your account f they detect fake followers. While there aren't currently any legal regulations on this issue, things could move in that direction as social platforms feel increased pressure to prove their credibility. Even President Donald Trump, who uses his controversial Twitter account to rally political support, fell under scrutiny this summer for suspected fake followers. According to Newsweek, @realDonaldTrump received a suspicious spike in followers in May 2017, which may explain why nearly half of the president's followers appear to be bot accounts. Three organic tactics that are tried and true Despite the obvious drawbacks, some brands continue to drink from the well of fake engagement and continue to suffer blows for that decision. Only real followers help brands build long-lasting engagement -- not to mention the fact that only real people will spend real money with your company. So, if you want to avoid this quagmire, there's hope; You don't have to buy followers from Russian vending machines. Thankfully, you can employ the following strategies to inspire organic engagement. 1. Send influential followers free products. Daniel Wellington, a watch-making brand, relies exclusively on influencer marketing. It began by sending watches -- no strings attached -- to select influencers with smaller, qualified followings. The watchmaker netted a profit of more than $220 million by sticking to its influencer strategy, even when new paid options were made available by Instagram. Nothing gets people excited like free swag. You can promote your product, grow your social accounts and inspire followers to talk about your company all at once, just by sending free products to influencers and other people with relevant (real) followings. Related: 15 Steps to Building Your Online Tribe 2. Promote seeded hashtags. Herschel Supply Co. created the #WellTraveled hashtag to inspire users around the world to share photos of cool places. Although the company doesn't provide any consumer travel services, people love the opportunity to share their experiences with others, naturally growing a hashtag that traces back to the brand's backpacks and luggage. So, develop a hashtag, associate it with the brand and get people talking -- even if the hashtag doesn't strictly refer to your product. Keep branded hashtags simple and catchy -- short, creative and easy-to-spell phrases work best. Once you've landed on a hashtag, apply it to a careful curation of posts so that as new followers discover it, they are exposed to a consistent style or aesthetic and start to get a sense of your brand identity. If you already have a branded hashtag established when you send swag to influential followers, you can encourage them to use it when they post about your product. This will help your branded hashtag spread among the right circles. Related: 13 Expert Tips to Help You Build Your Instagram Following 3. Create Instagram Stories. Chipotle recently achieved an astonishing 70 to 75 percent completion rate on a 100-post Instagram Story, according to AdWeek. With the promise of free queso for a year for five lucky viewers, the burrito restaurant chain incentivized viewers to work through all 100 posts, combining reach and engagement to form a highly successful campaign. Like Snapchat Stories, Instagram Stories streamline content delivery to users, making it easy to put relevant content in front of people who are actually eager to consume it. And now that it's possible to link back to your website within Stories, they're a great tool to drive people directly to your ecommerce store. By optimizing Stories to get featured on Instagram's Explore page, you can gain even more exposure and more followers. Growing a social media following through authentic engagement is harder than buying fake followers, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Don't take the easy way out. Not only could you get burned by platform policies, but you might also end up torching all of your past marketing efforts into dust. Use these strategies to build a sustainable following that will drive your brand's social reach to new heights. Related: Beware of Relying on Fake Social Media Followers. Ever Heard of 'Shadowbanning'? 21 Things Science Says Your Facebook and Instagram Feeds Reveal About You This Is the Content Strategy I Use to Dominate Your Facebook Feed Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com In 1900, Jean Sibelius revised his patriotic tone-poem, Finlandia, and its popularity grew in leaps and bounds. Suddenly the world knew about Sibelius, Finlandia, and Finnish national pride. Jean Sibelius tone-poem, Finlandia, wasnt supposed to be the program headliner that Saturday night at the San Francisco Symphony. The main draw was the Sibelius Violin Concerto, gracefully and sensitively rendered by Latvian violinist Baiba Skride, with Finnish guest conductor Osmo Vanska leading the orchestra. Mr. Vanska, the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, literally staked his position on turning said orchestra into one of the countrys finest, and he continues there to excel and produce world-class music. Particularly impressive are Vanskas Sibelius interpretations. No surprise, perhaps, as both hail from Finland and both have captured, in the music, the nuance, proud spirit and dignity of this Nordic country. And no piece conjures a sense of Finnish national pride more so than Sibelius Finlandia, a patriotic tone-poem, the seventh of seven tableaux written in 1899 and revised a year later. Coming in at eight-ish minutes (can be up to nine), its short. The first part delivers a brooding fanfare of horns, rumbling timpani, depicting menace, oppression that, indeed, was part of Finlands history, through occupations by Sweden and then Russia, into the early twentieth century. The middle part of Finlandia calls in strings and woodwinds, a gentler but no less affecting sound, before the piece really ramps into high gear. It becomes propulsive and spirited, with plenty of crashing cymbals and an increase in speed and intensity from the entire orchestra. And now, at its peak, comes the melody, slow and majestic, instantly timeless and memorable. Im going to use the words of my character, Rebecca, from Outside the Limelight to describe it, because she does a better job with it than I. At a party shes attending, she mentions to a group that shed recently analyzed a classical music excerpt by Emily Howell in a college aesthetics class. (Hint: Emily Howell is not a female composer but a computer program that composes original classical music.) So, you listened to some of the music? the man asked. I did, she said. We compared it to two other excerpts, traditional compositions. Composed by? Bach. Jean Sibelius. Good, good. The man nodded. So, what was your verdict? The Emily Howell composition had pleasantly surprised her, a flood of arpeggiated piano notes hovering around a melodic theme, like something Chopin or Scriabin might have composed. The Bach had been lovely and precise, like music meets mathematics. It was the Sibelius, however, that had stirred her with its rich textures and sonorities and, paradoxically, its simplicity. There were far less notes. The melody was not complex. But the horns mournful call, the way they sustained one of their notes against the melody, clinging, holding on, had been the most vivid aural depiction of love, fealty and longing shed ever heard. It had made her throat contract, her eyes sting. I preferred the Sibelius, she told the man. Why? Well, it had humanity. It was art and evoked true emotion. Next to it, the Howell seemed like just a clever, agreeable arrangements of notes. What kind of emotion did it evoke? Across the room, she saw Anders, smiling, engrossed in what the beautiful woman across from him was saying. Her heart gave a twist. Longing, she said. But how was this longing portrayed in the music? the man persisted. Im guessing a minor key, dissonance of two notes, followed by resolution. A solo violin, or maybe a clarinet, a French horn. Am I right? You are, she admitted. So. You teach this rule to the program, which will go on to analyze the scores of any music that is considered soul-stirring, and it will find patterns. It learns to add that dissonance, a little rubato to stretch it out, or the call of a horn, and voila, youve got longing. She hated this thought. Hated it. No, she protested, that doesnt cover it. Longing didnt come from the instruments or the notes, it came from the man, the human composing it. Im sure of it. Longing fills a human, it permeates their world. How could a computer experience longing or shortcomings of any type? Nothing is unattainable for a computer. You can just feed it more data. The thoughts and words tumbled out. Creating art requires feeling pain, having a soul thats crammed with complex emotions that have nowhere to go but into your art. A computer can cleverly simulate art. Nothing more. Otherwise, whats the point of being human, of harboring all that pain? This new thought hit her, cut into her so sharply, it made her want to cry, for a half-dozen reasons, most of them hazy and undefined, but so real, so painfully real. She knew, beyond a doubt, that Sibelius had reached from deep within his own heart, his soul, to produce this work. The simple melody was anything but simple. It evoked, in a mere handful of notes, the patriotic cry of a countrys freedom. Sibelius had written the piece, initially entitled Finland Awakes, part of his Press Celebration Music suite, for an event, a covert political rally of sorts to protest Russias increasing censorship and other punitive measures against Finland, an autonomous region of the Empire. It was an instant hit. In 1900 he revised, making the seventh piece stand alone and renaming it Finlandia. Its popularity grew in leaps and bounds, particularly when the fledgling Helsinki Philharmonic, eighteen months old, took it with them on their first European tour. Suddenly the world knew about Sibelius, Finlandia, and Finnish national pride. The Russians, of course, hated this, and did their best to censor performances of Finlandia. Story has it, the Finns got sneaky and gave the piece alternative names at future performances, like, Happy Feelings at the Awakening of Finnish Spring, and A Scandinavian Choral March. The correlating hymn, too, had become a big deal. Huge. Sibelius had taken the pieces slower melody and made it a choral hymnalthough the more popular words were written in 1941 by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi. It became the patriotic cry of a nation. It defined the voice of Finland that emerged in December, 1917, when the Finnish parliament finally declared independence from Russia. It is second in importance in Finland only to the countrys national anthem, Maamme. (Some still would like to see it become the national anthem.) December 6, 2017, marks Finlands centennial. I can think of no better way to honor such an event than to share Finlandia with the world. This is my favorite version of the choral hymn. It makes tears rise in my throat every time I watch it (and Im going on a dozen times at this point). That nationalism can be expressed with such beautiful song, is just one more reason why Finland impresses me to no end. (Second: tied for highest literacy rate in the world at one hundred percent. Third: most engaged, informed, prolific classical music audience in the world. Fourth: one of the highest functioning welfare systems and lowest infant mortality rates in the world. Fifth: the best front-row seat for viewing the Northern Lights.) Want to know the words? Here you go! Oi Suomi, katso, sinun paivas koittaa Yon uhka karkoitettu on jo pois Ja aamun kiuru kirkkaudessa soittaa Kuin itse taivahan kansi sois Yon vallat aamun valkeus jo voittaa Sun paivas koittaa, Oi synnyinmaa Oi nouse Suomi, nosta korkealle Paas seppeloima suurten muistojen Oi nouse Suomi, naytit maailmalle Sa etta karkoitit orjuuden Ja ettet taipunut sa sorron alle On aamus alkanut Oi Synnyinmaa Here is the English translation, although a translation never gets quite to the heart of the piece, so Id recommend you master the Finnish language and read it that manner. Because, hey, the Finnish language looks so intuitive and translatable, doesnt it? Kinda like Basque. Easy-peasy! Finland, behold, thy daylight now is dawning, the threat of night has now been driven away. The skylark calls across the light of morning, the blue of heaven lets it have its way, and now the day the powers of night is scorning: thy daylight dawns, O Finland of ours! Finland, arise, and raise towards the highest thy head now crowned with mighty memory. Finland, arise, for to the world thou criest that thou hast thrown off thy slavery, beneath oppressions yoke thou never liest. Thy mornings come, O Finland of ours! And now, I offer to you the full version (coming in at nine minutes, so a little more deliberate pacing), which also provides a film tour of Finland and its staggering natural beauty. (But warning, the cute little animals and birds kind of kill the mood of we, the oppressed, must struggle or die trying patriotic fervor. Now its more like a Nature episode. But a gorgeous one, I might add!) PS: Happy Centennial, Finland! PPS: Want to hear the original Press Celebration Music suite? In truth, its pretty cool, because, for you Sibelius fans such as myself, theres some new music in there that hints at what he will produce further down the road. And theres a pretty nifty slide show that depicts different historical scenes for each tableau, which are, themselves, intended as historical episodes. Further, you can hear the original 1899 first ending. Preludium: Andante ma non troppo (00:00) Tableau 1: The Song of Vainamoinen (02:50) Tableau 2: The Finns are Baptized by Bishop Henry (06:10) Tableau 3: Scene from Duke Johans Court (11:09) Tableau 4: The Finns in the Thirty Years War (17:54) Tableau 5: The Great Hostility (22:57) Tableau 6: Finland Awakes (Finlandia) (27:08) Republished with gracious permission from The Classical Girl (November 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. The image of The Attack and the image of Jean Sibelius in 1940 are in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The three main characters in My Three Angels are convicts. Jeremy Johnson, who plays one of them, says only two of the men are real criminals. Johnson points out that his character, Joseph, is just a con man. The other two are murderers, he said. The men in striped shirts are hired to repair a familys roof in the play, set in French Guiana in 1900. A 1955 film version, called Were No Angels, starred Humphrey Bogart. In the Grand Island Little Theatre production, which opens tonight, the other convicts are played by Tyler Jacobs and Jim Bartlett. Although he doesnt play a convict, Steve Stein points out that his role is important. Stein, who works at KRGI, plays a character named Henri, a businessman with questionable ethics. If Stein doesnt make Henri less likeable than the three convicts, the play wont work. The kind-hearted prisoners come to the familys aid. And being criminals, they do so the best way they know how, Bartlett said. It is an extremely funny comedy, says Ron Jelinek, one of the shows directors. My Three Angels is cleverly written, he said. Some things come down the pike that you dont see coming. Its also endearing in that the characters are very sweet to each other, Jelinek said. The action takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But its not really a Christmas show. The play doesnt have many And thats the real meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown moments, Jelinek says. Rather than walking out singing Christmas carols, people will just have a really good laugh, I think. Johnson agrees that My Three Angels is full of laughs. I think its hilarious, he says. The prisoners dont care about much, but they do care about the family, he said. The first word that comes to mind is witty, co-director Brendan Nierman says of the play. My Three Angels, he said, is not your normal slapstick comedy. If audience members arent paying attention, they might miss something, said Nierman, who works as a FedEx driver. Because of the busy holiday season, he sometimes shows up late for rehearsal. Several people pointed out that the cast works well together. The directors did a good job of putting the right people in the right places, Stein said. Dana Jelinek is the set designer. But Bartlett did much of the construction. His set building is an asset to this organization, said Cariena Birchard, one of the producers. Making her first appearance in a play, Jesse Owens plays Marie Louise, part of the family that needs help. Owens, who lives in Hastings, has done a lot of singing, but no acting. She decided to try out when she saw the GILT float in the Harvest of Harmony parade. Seeing the float made her think, I really want to be in one of their costumes. Owens is glad she came aboard. Im having a blast, she says. Her character is very dramatic and lovestruck, she said, which is nothing like her real personality. Owens thinks as many people should attend tonights show as possible. Make us extra nervous for our opening night, she said. Residents of the Armenian-populated village of Tzghaltbila, in Georgias Samtskhe-Javakheti Region, have petitioned the Georgian General Prosecutors Office to investigate the conduct of Father Anatoly Ivanyuk, whos been serving the local Catholic community for the past 27 years. Local Armenians have written that the clergyman is suspected of improper sexual conduct with male minors. Another complaint raised is that Father Ivanyuk has desecrated a picture in the village church. Hetq has written about Father Ivanyuk before and his alleged sexual proclivities. The 2015 Hetq article Vatican to Investigate Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Catholic Priest in Javakhk Armenian Village includes testimony by several village boys that the clergyman molested them. Dispatches sent to the Prosecutors Office allege that ten boys have been molested by Father Ivanyuk over the years. The sixty Tzghaltbila residents have signed a separate letter about the Mother of God picture in the church that went missing five years and was later returned with the precious adornments missing and replete with color disparities. Residents want a panel of art experts to be convened that will be able to verify whether the new painting is in fact a copy of the original or not. Victor Hovhannisyan, a native of the village and a member of The Painters Union of Armenia, has also signed the letter. Ive raised the matter since 2012. I written to the Catholic Center in Gyumri and raised the issue on the internet. The Vatican is also aware of the problem. I think that the Catholic Center in Gyumri is convinced of the new painting being a fraud and that they believe remaining silent is the best way to cover it up, Hovhannisyan told Hetq. The grievances raised by Tzghaltbila residents are being investigated and officials from the Georgian Prosecutors Office have visited the village. The unveiling of Boone Central Public Schools newly renovated high school in Albion just before Thanksgiving emphasized an important message about the value of local taxpayers support in keeping schools up to date through building projects. It took three bond issue votes for the school district to get enough votes to embark on a renovation of its facilities, but in 2015 the district passed a $13 million bond issue. Eighteen months later, they have a new kitchen and commons area, a wrestling deck, weight room, locker rooms, science rooms, concession stand, administration offices and restrooms and a new gym at the high school. A new fire sprinkler system was installed throughout and the HVAC system was replaced in a portion of the school that was from 1996. The 1953 and 1972 portions of the school were completely remodeled. All this work was sorely needed and this is a very exciting time for the students and staff alike. The kitchen staff had been preparing meals in a 64-year-old facility. A multipurpose gym was used to serve breakfast and lunch to the students and then the tables had to be put away each day in order for physical education classes to meet there. Now, a modern kitchen will meet the schools needs for many years to come and there is a commons area that provides space for the students to eat as well as for other activities throughout the school day. The building project also expanded both the schools art room and its science rooms, as well as transforming the old gym into a space for performing arts programs. Because the Boone Central districts voters were willing to pass the 2015 bond issue, the educators they employ to teach their children will be providing students more educational and extracurricular opportunities. In Grand Island we are seeing the importance of bond issue support as well, and on a much larger scale. Students have moved into a new Starr Elementary School and others are looking forward to what is yet to come with the Stolley Park and Jefferson school projects. Renovations are also making big differences at the elementary, middle school and high school levels with the help of the $69.9 million 2014 bond issue. When school boards and administrators work to come up with building projects that hold costs down as much as possible, but also ensure that school facilities and programs are meeting the needs of children well into the future, it is important that taxpayers embrace the responsibility to support our schools. The Nebraska Legislature will continue to debate the issue of state government financial support for public schools. The states property taxpayers have a legitimate concern about the burden of educating children being placed so heavily on them. But for now, property taxes are the main funding source for Nebraskas public schools, and our children need our continued support. On October 17, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced to the Senate U.S. Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs a bill titled BASIC Research Act. This apparent innocent title covers the real intention of this legislation an attempt to defund basic research and make it subject to partisan politics. This legislation would change the way grant proposals are evaluated by all federal agencies, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). These and other federal agencies are the main funders of scholarly work in higher education in this country. How does Paul intend to do that? According to the bill he introduced, these agencies will be mandated to include in their peer-review panels an expert in a field unrelated to the research proposed in the grant application in question who could not have worked at or been affiliated with a college or university for 10 years prior to the grant review. In other words, someone who is not really connected to higher education. How an expert who has no affiliation to a scholarly institution is to be located is not explained. The bill will also mandate the inclusion of a taxpayer advocate to the peer-review panels who would consider the likely returns on the research fTo understand the absurdity of this bill, consider just two examples. In 1866, an obscure monk named Gregor Mendel, working in a monastery in what is today the Czech Republic, published a paper on plant hybridization that established the fundamental laws of genetics, a science that revolutionized agriculture, animal breeding, medicine, and many other fields which fundamentally changed for the best the way we live today. The importance of his research was not recognized until the year 1900. In 1905, an obscure patent officer in Switzerland named Albert Einstein published four papers that fundamentally changed the way we understand the universe, from the conversion of matter into energy to the law of relativity. It also took years for the scientific community to recognize the significance of his work. Now imagine an expert without an affiliation to higher education and a tax advocate evaluating grant proposals in areas that are so specialized that only a handful of real scholars can really understand the significance of the grant proposal even by reading its title. So why is a conservative senator the type who usually rejects government regulations is proposing adding even more? Is it because the funding of scholarly work is getting out of control? Not really. Take the example of the National Science Foundation. That agency has an office of the Inspector General, which investigates waste, fraud, and abuse of NSF funds, as well as examining allegations of research misconduct. This is on top of a very thorough peer-review process in which scores of real experts weigh in the quality of the proposal, its impact to society, adequateness of its budget, and many other factors. In fact, last year only 24 percent of the proposals to that agency were funded and virtually all of them were asked to make important changes in order not only to improve the studies scientific merits, but also their requested budgets. All of us who have ever served on an NSF panel know how thorough the process is, and that only a small fraction of proposals submitted for the first time are funded. Not only that, but larger, multi-million dollar proposals are even more thoroughly vetted by several panels and include site inspection visits. Yet, Pauls bill intends to eliminate the office of the Inspector General at the NSF and transfer its authority (as well as its budget and staff) to a new Office of the Inspector General and Taxpayer Advocate for Research. The mission of this new office? To comb through NSFs portfolio of top-rated proposals and chose a random sample to determine if the research will deliver value to the taxpayer. The office would also have veto power. That is, no proposal that it finds wanting could be funded by NSF. The arguments used by Paul to push his proposed bill are phony. In a hearing on the legislation last month titled, Broken Beakers: Federal Support for Research, Paul cited studies previously identified by Republican colleagues as silly science, such as shrimp on a treadmill. Actually, the shrimp study in question is part of a study that looks at how the immune systems of shrimp respond to global warming and pollution, two ideas that many conservative politicians are allergic to. Given that a good portion of what we eat comes from aquatic organisms, this research would benefit food consumption and human health. Further, the cost of the treadmill is only $50. Paul asked during the hearing, How does this happen? More accurately, how does it continue to happen? He blamed a publish or perish mind-set in academe. He also blamed NSF policies that allow the investigators submitting the grant proposals to recommend reviewers. Yet, the agency can (and does) reject many of these recommendations. Not only that, but the NIH does not even offer that option to the researchers submitting a grant proposal while having a second peer-review tier, known as the advisory committee review, determining the value of a proposal to the mission of NIH. The advisory committee includes both scientific experts and members of the public. So far, Pauls bill has been referred to committee but has not advanced further. Sen. James Lankford (ROK), chairman of the full Senate committee on government oversight, used a more restrained tone in critiquing current practices at federal research agencies. He acknowledged that the government has a role to play in supporting science, yet voiced concerns about whether there is a level playing field. On the other hand, the ranking Democrat on the panel, Sen. Gary Peters (DMI), defended both the way government funds research and the value of that research. The problem is that given what has been going on in this the country for the last year, anything seems possible. There is no question that this is a clear attempt to inject partisan politics into the main venue by which scholarly work is supported in this country, a country what used to be the model for the world on how research in higher education was supported and how it benefitted society. Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr. is a writer and college professor with leadership experience in higher education. He can be contacted through his website at: http://www.aromerojr.net. Members of the Edwardsville Fire Department gathered in the Council Chambers at City Hall Tuesday night to support Captain James Whiteford swearing in as Deputy Fire Chief. Following a delayed ceremony that was to occur two weeks ago at the last City Council meeting, Edwardsville Fire Chief Rick Welle took to the podium and said both the city and the department is officially ready for Whitefords transition. This was scheduled for two weeks ago. Unfortunately, there was a tragedy along I-55 that delayed this. Beyond that, this is something that has been awhile coming its something weve talked about and planned for, Welle said. I can think of no person that better fits the need currently for this department other than Deputy Chief Whiteford. I congratulate him for the hard work that he has done over the past several years working with me and with the department and bettering himself in his training. He finished the National Fire Academy Executive Officer Fire Program its a four-year program. The deputy fire chief will act as second in command to the fire chief, and will assume all responsibilities in the chiefs absence. In addition, the deputy fire chief will also take on administrative chores, assist in budget preparation and oversight, manage training, safety, and supervise probationary firefighters. The position was created in 2016 and filed in 2017 following an increased workload within the department. Whiteford first joined the department in September of 1996 as a firefighter/paramedic before moving up as a shift captain, a day captain and now a deputy fire chief. Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton said both he and the City Council offer their congratulations to Whiteford and the department. I think the Council would also like to echo the congratulations, but for the general public, to really know the additional things that our department does beyond fighting fires. (Theyre) reviewing plans, inspecting buildings, helping and assisting our residents in fire safety, child safety seats in the car just so many things above and beyond, Patton said. City Clerk Dennis McCracken conducted the ceremony, having Whiteford approach the Council, raise his right hand, and repeat the following: I, James Whiteford, having been appointed to the position of deputy fire chief in the city of Edwardsville do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the position of deputy fire chief to the best of my ability, Whiteford said. Before the ceremony concluded, Whiteford also took to the podium and said going forward, he is eager to take on his new role within the fire department. As of this past September, Ive had the privilege of serving on the Edwardsville Fire Department for 21 years. In the past 21 years, Ive seen the city grow and the fire department nearly double in size. This holds true for the number of calls for service, the number of employees in the department and now the square footage of buildings we work out of with the addition of the (SIUE) campus station and the new public safety facility we opened this past weekend, Whiteford said. Adding a deputy chiefs position to the fire department will help to clarify the chain of command, it will provide support for the fire chief and most importantly it will provide support for the firefighters that work to care for the community. It is with a certain amount of humility and respect that I step into this position. After all, I would not be here today without the support of the firefighters who have placed their trust in me, he added. Whiteford also offered his thanks to his family members, the fire department staff and city staff in attendance before the ceremony concluded. For more information about the Edwardsville Fire Department, visit the citys website at www.cityofedwardsville.com or search for the department on Facebook. Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton issued a proclamation to celebrate Illinois bicentennial at Tuesdays City Council meeting. With Sunday, Dec. 3rd marking the state of Illinois 199th birthday, the bicentennial campaign aims to celebrate for 365 days until Dec. 3rd of 2018, which will mark the states 200th birthday. Patton addressed Council members and read aloud the following proclamation: Whereas Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 marked Illinois 199thbirthday, as Illinois became the 21st state in the union December 3rd, 1818. Whereas Illinois bicentennial will be a year-long celebration between December 3rd, 2017 and December 3rd 2018, which will be our states 200th birthday. Whereas the Illinois bicentennial will remind us that every day in Illinois, amazing things are born, built and grown. Whereas Illinois bicentennial will honor the many ways that Illinois has influenced American history, achievement, culture, innovation and more. Whereas Illinois bicentennial is a once in a lifetime invitation to fall in love with Illinois all over again. Whereas together, we can inspire pride in Illinois and show the world what makes this state so great and whereas our community should encourage citizens, organizations, businesses, congregations, and cultural and educational institutions to participate in the year-long celebration by submitting applications for endorsement of their events and projects by Illinois' bicentennial on the participate page at Illinois200.com. Therefore, be it resolved that the city of Edwardsville endorses the efforts of the Illinois bicentennial and encourages all citizens to participate and celebrate in the upcoming year by visiting Illinois200.com and using the hashtag #Illinoisproud. The year-long campaign for Illinois bicentennial is called Born, Built & Grown, according to the Illinois200.com website. Madison County did raise the Illinois Bicentennial flag Sunday, Dec. 3 and Patton said the city does currently have an initiative commemorating this occasion in the works. Were working on a special program to acquire 200 acres as a gift for future generations to celebrate our 200th birthday here in Edwardsville, Patton said. As discussed at a previous Council meeting, the city aims to incorporate 200 acres of green space into the city over the course of the year to reserve for future generations to enjoy. The idea was first brought forward by alderman SJ Morrison before approaching Council. Pattons proclamation received unanimous approval by all seven Council members. For more information about the proclamation, visit the citys website at www.cityofedwardsville.com. To learn more about Illinois bicentennial, visit its website at www.illinois200.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kominfo (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Thu, December 7, 2017 From 1909 to 1974, Indonesias cement market was 100 percent controlled by Semen Padang, Semen Gresik and Semen Tonasa, three cement-producing state-owned companies. The arrival of the private sector in the national cement market changed the playing field. Starting in 1974, the three state-owned enterprises (SOE) were no longer the only players. In fact, from 1984 to 1989, the three enterprises held only 31.4 percent of the domestic market. The government has made a move to save the three companies: by merging them into one holding company. The concept of an SOE holding company is nothing new from a global perspective, and we do not need to look far to see evidence of this. Singapore has had a SOE holding company, Temasek, since 1974. Overseeing a collection of SOEs, Temasek now owns assets worth around S$275 billion, or Rp 2,750 trillion. The same goes with Malaysia, which has an SOE holding company called Khazanah Nasional. What about Indonesia? SOE holding enterprises are also nothing new to the archipelago. The legal basis for establishing one lies with State-Owned Enterprises Law No.19/2003. Meanwhile, the latest regulation on the matter is Government Regulation (PP) No. 72/2016 on the revision of PP No. 44/2005 on the procedures of state equity participation and administration of SOEs and limited liability companies. . (./.) One of the first state-owned holding companies was PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. The company became the parent of Semen Gresik, Semen Padang and Semen Tonasa. According to Semen Indonesia corporate secretary Agung Wiharto, the process of establishing the holding company started in 1995, after which the organization gradually strengthened. "By merging, we didnt need to found independent plants. Moreover, we could bring in the best human resources to the holding company," said Agung at an FMB9 gathering, themed Why is an SOE Holding Company Needed?, on Dec. 12 in Jakarta. A few years after its establishment, the cement holding company recorded a positive performance. In 2014, total and regional domestic sales were 28.5 million tons, while in 2016, it increased to 29.1 million tons. He added that, after the merger, Semen Indonesia was able to expand its marketing to reach all parts of the country. "The challenges in the cement business were in distribution and logistics. Now, we have all those as one," said Agung. The improvement is reflected in Semen Indonesias performance today. The corporation is a dominant seller of cement in the domestic market, holding the market share of 47.1 percent. With such strong sales, Semen Indonesia managed to book revenue of Rp 26,134 trillion in 2016. Given the success of Semen Indonesia as a holding company, the government has established other SOE holding companies, including PT Indonesia Asahan Alumunium (Inalum) in the minerals sector. PT Inalum is the holding enterprise for PT Aneka Tambang (Persero) Tbk, PT Timah (Persero) Tbk and PT Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk. Special staffer to the state-owned enterprises minister, Wianda Pusponegoro, said the company brought a positive impact to the country. For instance, the government can carry out the downstream process of the minerals sector. "In principle, SOEs are the agent of national development; hence, the management of natural resources must benefit all people," she said. With the holding company, Wianda added, the government can accelerate the performance of SOEs, with efficiency achieved in terms of strategic decision-making or budgeting. The merging of similar business entities leads to the joint utilization of operational tools. This can cut expenditures as each SOE need not invest in the tools. "In the future, we expect to establish SOE holding companies in other sectorsbanking, food, housing, oil and gas, and construction and toll roads," Wianda said. Major contribution . (./.) Due to its strategic role, SOEs must be efficient. With 118 SOEs engaged in 13 sectors, they are supposed to promote welfare to all people. The strength of SOEs are reflected in their total assets, which reached Rp 6,694 trillion in the first quarter of 2017, while the revenue reached Rp 936 trillion. Tax and dividend contributions from the SOEs to the state budget has also been relatively stable. In 2014, the contribution was Rp 211 trillion. Then, in 2016, the contribution reached Rp 203 trillion. According to the director general of state assets, Isa Rachmatarwata, SOE holding companies can help to improve the investment climate, resulting in more capital for SOEs without relying on the state budget. "So we can reallocate the money from the APBN [state budget] to other social needs, like developing the fringe regions," said Isa. He ensured that the establishment of the holding company did not make SOEs contribute less to the state, including in taxes and dividends. SOEs resilience aligns with the spirit of Nawacita championed by the administration of President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. The aim is to create economic independence by mobilizing strategic domestic sectors and boosting peoples productivity and the countrys level of competitiveness. Based on the 2017-18 Global Competitiveness Index report issued by the World Economic Forum, Indonesias level of competitiveness has continued to improve. Today, Indonesia ranks 36 out of 137 countries, rising five spots from the previous years 41st position. As SOEs play a vital role in the countrys development, we should continue to be hopeful and strive for providing welfare to all people in Indonesia. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 15:09 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c51a2a 1 Art & Culture gamelan,#gamelan,traditional-dance,concert,#concert,Russia Free A concert showcasing gamelan and traditional dances was held at the Vladimir and Suzdal Museum in Suzdal, Russia, on Saturday. Similar to the Charming Sounds of Indonesia concert on Oct. 17 at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the Russian capital, the show featured Russian performers who had joined the art team at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow and were trained under the watchful eyes of choreographer Elisabeth Nur Nilasari and gamelan teacher Tri Koyo. The two-hour long concert showcased gamelan compositions from Java as well as various traditional dances from North Sumatra, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java and South Sulawesi. Antara news agency reported that the audience members were glued to their seats throughout the concert. As Gemu Fa Mi Re, a dance song from East Nusa Tenggara, was performed at the end of the event, audience members enthusiastically danced some of the moves. Read also: Russians perform gamelan, jaipong dance in Moscow The museum's director general, Igor Konyshev, said that the art performance left a strong impression on the residents of Suzdal, as it was a rare opportunity for them to see Indonesia's cultural diversity. The event was part of Indonesian Cultural Day in Suzdal, which kicked off with a workshop featuring traditional Indonesian dance and gamelan. Helmed by Darmawan Suparno, a coordinator for the social and culture department at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow, the workshop was attended by students from dance and music schools in Suzdal. Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and the Republic of Belarus M. Wahid Supriyadi said that Indonesian Cultural Day, which was held in several areas in Russia, including Suzdal, was part of a greater effort to introduce Indonesia to Russians. He mentioned that the two countries had a good relationship politically, economically and socioculturally and that, as Russians get to know Indonesia better, the number of Russian tourists visiting Indonesia would increase. Over 81,000 tourists from Russia reportedly visited Indonesia in September, a 52 percent increase from a similar period last year. (jes/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Paris Wed, December 6, 2017 12:33 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c4b1ac 2 Lifestyle gay,#gay,gay-marriage Free Gay marriage, authorized on Tuesday by Austria's top court by 2019 at the latest, is now recognized in more than 20 countries, of which 16 are in Europe. Here is a breakdown. European pioneers In April 2001 the Netherlands became the first country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in a civil ceremony. Fifteen European countries have followed: Belgium, Britain (but not Northern Ireland), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and finally Austria. Some European countries only allow same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships including Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland. In October 2014, Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to authorize this type of civil union. Many eastern European countries -- including Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia -- deny homosexuals the right to marry or enter into unions. In December 2015, Slovenians rejected in a referendum a proposal by their parliament to legalize gay marriage. About 15 western European countries allow same-sex couples to adopt children, whether within marriage or civil partnerships. They include Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Finland and Slovenia allow gay people to adopt their partner's children. Read also: Australia MP proposes to gay partner in parliament Progress in the Americas Canada led the way in North America, authorizing same-sex marriage and adoptions in June 2005. In the United States, a Supreme Court decision in June 2015 legalized gay marriage nationwide, at a time when it was illegal in 14 states. Mexico's federal capital was the pioneer in Latin America, authorizing civil unions in 2007 and marriages in 2009 as well as adoption. Same-sex marriages and adoptions are also legal in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. Chile's socialist President Michelle Bachelet in August sent to congress a bill to authorize gay marriages and adoptions, after having legalized same-sex civil unions in 2015. In Haiti, the Senate voted that same month to ban gay marriage. - Rare in Africa, Asia, Middle East - On the African continent, where around 30 countries ban homosexuality, gays can only legally marry and adopt children in South Africa. In the Middle East, Israel leads in terms of respect for homosexual rights, recognizing gay marriages performed elsewhere although such unions are not allowed in the country itself. Gay couples can adopt children. In the Asia-Pacific region, New Zealand passed a law in April 2013 legalizing gay marriage and adoptions. Australia is set to follow with a same-sex marriage bill expected to comfortably pass through the lower house before the end of the year after the upper house in November overwhelmingly voted in its favor. Taiwan is set to legalize same-sex unions after its highest court in May ordered parliament to amend relevant laws within two years. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kusumasari Ayuningtyas (The Jakarta Post) Rembang Wed, December 6, 2017 08:50 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c40ea0 4 Lifestyle Pesantren,Islam,boarding-schools,Chinese,Chinese-descents,tolerance,Harmony Free A small structure painted red and yellow at an intersection in Kampung Karangturi looks like a shrine for followers of Confucianism. Karangturi in the district town of Lasem, Rembang regency, Central Java, is indeed known as a settlement of ethnic Chinese people. Various typically Chinese trivial ornaments also decorate all parts of the building, while in fact, this attractive construction is a security guard station and at the same time serves as the entry gate of Ponpes Kauman, Lasems Islamic boarding school. The school has an old mushola (prayer house) made from carved wood, which still functions as the students place of worship and Koran recitation. The front part of this mushola is adorned with red lanterns, which can also be found in all corners of the school. The schools main building, which includes a sitting room and the residence of its owner, KH Zaim Achmad Gus Zaim Mashoem and his family, is also steeped in Chinese ambience, with lanterns and old Chinese characters on both entrance doors, translating as May your life be as high as Mount Himalaya and May your fortune be as deep as the Indian Ocean. Helping the community: Kauman Islamic Boarding School students work together to clean up the surrounding neighborhood, which is predominantly ethnic Chinese. (JP/Kusumasari Ayuningtyas) These words were already there when Gus Zaim bought the building from all Chinese resident. He has chosen to retain the characters written in golden ink as they are unique, because all his neighbors of Chinese descent wiped out such wise words on their doors during the New Order regime, which banned everything related to Chinese culture. Around 400 youths are studying at the school managed by Gus Zaim. Dressed in clothing that makes them identifiable as Muslims, the santri (students) are amiable and friendly toward local residents. One afternoon, over a dozen of them halted in front of houses on one roadside of the settlement, removing weeds and sweeping the sidewalk. Its a kind of social devotion work as our routine activity and also a form of sanction for santri who play truant from school or fail to do their homework, Gus Zaim told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview. The entire population in Kampung Karangturi is ethnic Chinese, mostly embracing the Catholic and Confucianist faiths. Neighborhood unit chief Kristianto heads the Chinese neighborhood in which Kauman Islamic Boarding School operates. (JP/Kusumasari Ayuningtyas) Blending in: A security guard station that looks like a shrine to Confucianism at the Kauman Islamic Boarding School in Rembang, Central Java. (JP/Kusumasari Ayuningtyas) According to Gus Zaim, since his school was set up there has been no friction between ethnic Chinese residents and school students and custodians. There are those trying to light a fire of conflict but I guarantee theres no fuse here, he said. The house of neighborhood unit chief Kristianto shares a wall with part of the school building. As an ethnic Chinese Catholic, Kristianto claims he is never disturbed in the least by the presence of the Islamic school. He gave an example as the noon adzan (call to prayer) was heard. Its a low tone. My house is very close to it but it isnt loud at all, nobodys disturbed, Kristianto said. The soft adzan tone is one of the schools attempts to preserve good relations with the surrounding community. The school students and management are also actively involved in various social events and eagerly participate in local peoples traditional ceremonies or celebrations. Similarly, in some important school programs or occasions, residents readily offer their assistance. When the school has fast-breaking gatherings, for instance, local people prepare food. If the school personnel cannot come, they will send their students to help us deliver the cooking, Kristianto said. Kristianto added that the shrine-like security station at the school entrance used to be unattractive and improperly maintained, just serving as a neighborhood guard post. Later the Islamic school management renovated the structure and Kristianto designed its model with the approval of the school. Best of both worlds: A student enters the gate of the Kauman Islamic Boarding School which features Chinese traditional lanterns. (JP/Kusumasari Ayuningtyas) As a symbol of acculturation and tolerance, both its doors bear hadiths as recounted by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, written in Arabic and Chinese characters. The sayings more or less mean that those whose neighbors do not feel secure because of their malevolence are devoid of faith. The close association with the adjacent community has caused the school owner to be frequently called a kafir (unbeliever) by his ulema peers. They often quote a hadith story by Abdullah bin Umar that says Whoever behaves like a certain group belongs to the group. Actually this is only part of the dialectics of social life, and it is sharia [Islamic law], it is our teaching that we understand and consider a truth for us in the context of social interaction, social existence, explained Gus Zaim. Theres no excessive fanaticism in any teachings imparted by the school to its santri. According to Gus Zaim, fanaticism will just make somebody a closed individual, unwilling to accept differences. Islam in Indonesia cannot be likened to Islam in Saudi Arabia; its different. Professing a religion in Indonesia shouldnt be fanatical because differences should be tolerated, nothing should be uniform, Gus Zaim said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 08:33 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c40474 4 Food poso,peace-and-conflict-resolution,food-and-beverage,coffee,central-sulawesi Free Years have passed since the sectarian conflict in Poso, Central Sulawesi, which took place between 1998 and 2001. Many people in the region, however, are still haunted by the conflict. I witnessed a lot of homes being burned, saw people abducted [by militant religious groups] and heard bombs exploding, Nengah Susilawasi, a 41-year-old Balinese Hindu, said at a recent discussion at the ke:kini co-working space in Cikini, Central Jakarta. Nengah and her family migrated to Poso in 1988 as part of the New Order regimes transmigration policy. The memory of explosions still terrifies Nengah today. I am easily startled whenever I hear loud noises, she said. Meanwhile, 24-year old Reflin Mandala, said her Christian family survived three major clashes during the conflict between 1998 and 2000. During another major clash in 1999, a house where her family stayed in Tentena was set alight, forcing her family to return to Pantende village. According to Reflin, many Christians today still harbor resentment toward Muslims, particularly when reading news on religious conflict across Indonesia. When my mother saw the news on how a man violently disrupted a Sunday service in East Jakarta, she yelled at the television screen, Reflin said. The collective wounds among Christians and Muslims from the conflict had broken friendships and relationships. For some, it took many years to recover and rebuild trust. Sri Ratna Mbaresi, 37, said it took her six years to recover friendships with her Muslim peers, who had been avoiding her. As well as destroying social relations in Poso, the conflict had also destroyed livelihoods. Our agricultural fields were left untended and have turned into forests. We have been able to recover our land only in the last five years, Nengah said. During the conflict, the military also prohibited people from tending to their land after 3 p.m., reducing their output, social activist Lian Gogali from the Mosintuwu Institute said. They said if we were shot because we ignored their warnings, they wouldnt be responsible, she explained. Even vegetables and fish had religious affiliations back then. Tomatoes are Christian, while fish are Muslim. The majority of farmers here are Christian and most of the fishermen are Muslim, Lian added, drawing ironic laughter from the audience. Lians organization has an effective method to heal the wounds of resentment, called Dodoha Mosintuwu. Situated in a bamboo house, the restaurant not only serves local culinary delights and coffee, but has also become a space for people from different religious backgrounds to engage with one another. The best place to talk about peace is at the dinner table. Food is universal. All humans, regardless of religious or ethnic backgrounds, need food, Lian said. Aside from serving delicious Poso traditional food, such as mouth-watering chicken with sambal roa (fish chili paste), the restaurant also offers single origin coffee called Kopi Kojo, which is harvested by local women from Bancea Village in Poso. The robusta coffee has a tasty, chocolaty flavor with a delicate texture, suitable to keep conversations alive for hours. The coffee, in addition to the food, has been successful in uniting communities from different religious backgrounds, while empowering the women economically, she said. Lian added that she had chosen women to be the key agents of peace since local tradition put women on a spiritual pedestal, a cultural practice that was displaced after Christianity was introduced. In the old days, women were high priestesses in Poso and were the only ones allowed to mediate between humans and their creator. Furthermore, as women were close to nature, they were the only ones allowed to determine harvest time. Christianity turned that upside down by prioritizing education for men and teaching women how to serve their husbands, she lamented. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 18:07 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c61354 1 Science & Tech selfie,animals,wildlife,Instagram Free Instagram is beginning to crack down on the trend of posting selfies with exotic wild animals. On Monday, the company announced that it is adding content warnings to selfies that include wild animals. The animals of main concern are lions, koalas and tigers. These selfies are typically taken at tourist attractions around the world such as zoos, which present domesticated wild animals as "props." Wildlife conservation groups say that these centers often mistreat animals, and human contact can be traumatic. In a statement, the Facebook-owned company said: To better educate our community members about creating content that exploits wildlife and nature, today we are launching new in-app products to encourage everyone to be thoughtful about interactions with wild animals and the environment. According to CNN, if you search for hashtags like #lionselfie, #koalaselfie, #koalahugs or #tigerpet either by clicking on it or directly typing it in a warning will pop up. The warning reads: You are searching for a hashtag that may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behavior to animals or the environment. Read also: 'Monkey selfie' copyright lawsuit ends in settlement You can still carry on with your search and view the photos, cancel your search or learn more from a help page. This is not the first time a social media platform has warned against tiger selfies. In July, dating app Tinder at the behest of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged users not to post selfies with tigers on their profiles. Posing next to a king of the jungle doesnt make you one, they said in a post. Tinder and Instagram do not ban or remove these selfies. However, Instagram says it does remove images that depict animal abuse or the sale of endangered animals, and is working with organizations including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC on enforcement. Instagram has policed content before. It has warnings for other topics including self-harm and eating disorders. For example, searches for hashtags such as #thinspiration will launch a warning about the dangers of eating disorders. (afr/kes) Topics : selfie animals wildlife Instagram Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 08:00 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c3f60e 1 City South-Tangerang,murder Free The South Tangerang Police arrested on Tuesday two men suspected of killing a woman in her own home. The suspects, Ridwan Setiadi, 23, and Ardi Setiadi, 20, were caught by police in Subang, West Java, two days after the alleged murder. Police said the pair had planned to steal the 22-year-old victims ATM card. Ridwan, who was also the victims boyfriend, reportedly knew the latters ATM personal identification number (PIN) and how much money she kept in the bank account, said South Tangerang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Fadli Widiyanto. The two suspects allegedly approached the victim on Sunday evening at her home in Kademangan sub-district, South Tangerang, Banten, where Ridwan goaded her into an argument. Ardi then allegedly strangled the victim, while Ridwan stabbed her. Fadli said that Ridwan was on the polices most wanted list (DPO) for a robbery committed in Cisauk, Tangerang, in 2014. Both suspects have been charged under Article 340 and 365 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on premeditated murder and aggravated robbery. (rdi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 12:49 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c4c49a 4 Business Bitcoins,transaction,prohibition,bank-indonesia Free Bank Indonesia plans to issue a regulation prohibiting transactions using Bitcoin, a digital currency created in 2009 by an unknown person or group under the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. The regulation would take effect starting next year, an official has said. Bank Indonesia head of transformation Onny Widjanarko said the regulation on e-money would be issued in the near future. Currently, there is no single regulation for those who carry out transactions using Bitcoin, Onny said in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com. He said the central bank was currently carrying out an in-depth study to determine whether the central bank would include a ruling on Bitcoin in the prevailing e-money regulation or in a separate regulation on cryptocurrency. Therefore, BI called on merchants not to accept Bitcoin as an official payment instrument as the bank would not be responsible for any losses incurred through transactions, Onny said. He said that Bitcoin could potentially be used to violate prevailing regulations on terrorism, money laundering, prostitution and drug trafficking. Countries hold different stances on Bitcoin, with China and Russia rejecting it while Japan accepts it as a payment instrument. Bitcoin transactions are made with neither middle men nor banks. There are no transaction fees and transactions can be made anonymously. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 17:56 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c5f352 1 City jakarta,tourism,China Free Tourists from China have topped the list of international visitors to Jakarta in October, a survey has shown. According to the study, 28,416 Chinese tourists visited the capital city in October this year, Jakarta Central Statistics Agency (BPS) distribution head Dewi Kundalini said in a statement on Wednesday. Trailing behind China are Malaysia with 28,141 visitors, Japan with 18,902 tourists, Singapore with 17,188 and South Korea with 10,991 visitors. Combined, they made up 46.88 percent of total tourist visits to Jakarta. "This shows that those five countries play a very important role in improving [Indonesias] foreign tourism," Dewi said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com She also stated that the number of international tourist visits in October declined to 9.03 percent compared the same period last year. However, Jakarta BPS data shows that the number of total international tourist visits from January to October increased to 7.47 percent, or 2.212.493 tourists, compared to the same period in 2016. (dpk) Topics : jakarta tourism China Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 19:44 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c64aab 1 Politics Arief-Hidayat,Constitutional-Court,MK,Lawmakers Free Constitutional Court (MK) chief justice Arief Hidayat has denied allegations that he has committed an ethics violation by reportedly lobbying the House of Representatives for an extension of his term in office. Media reports suggested Arief had tried to influence several members of the House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, regarding his bid to keep his position at the MK. Arief, whose tenure ends in April next year, was the sole candidate to undergo a fit and proper test for the post at the commission on Wednesday. Arief admitted that he had met several lawmakers of the commission at a hotel in Jakarta in what he said was an official meeting. The lawmakers had invited him to arrange the schedule for the test for his nomination, Arief claimed, adding that he had also acquired a permit for the meeting from the MKs ethics council. The ethics council knew the entire process [and] that I was nominated again as the courts justice. So everything is clear. I didnt do any lobbying, he said at the House complex on Wednesday. "The meeting was only to match my schedule with the agenda arranged by Commission III." Arief and Commission III have come under fire over his sole nomination, which was deemed insufficiently transparent. There has also been speculation about backroom deal-making relating to the Houses controversial inquiry into the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the 2014 Legislative Institutions Law (MD3), a judicial review of which is currently being conducted by the court. The ethics council has announced it will question Arief on Thursday over the alleged ethics violations. (rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 17:14 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c5ac10 1 Politics Constitutional-Court,Arief-Hidayat,house-of-representatives,fit-and-proper-test Free The chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Arief Hidayat, went through a fit and proper test at the House of Representatives Commission III on Wednesday as he seeks to keep his position until 2023. Ariefs screening has raised suspicions of a conflict of interest, given that he currently presides over a hearing on a judicial review against the Houses right to launch an inquiry into the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Commission III member Arsul Sani denied that there was any political lobbying going on between the commission and Arief, regarding either the extension of the latters term in office or the judicial review against the Houses inquiry rights. He admitted, however, that Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, had invited Arief to an internal meeting at a hotel in Jakarta to discuss the extension of Ariefs term. "Pak Arief said he was willing [to continue his duty as a Constitutional Court judge]," Arsul said. Democratic Party House faction member Benny K. Harman suggested that Commission III also consider other candidates. "We are trying to dispel claims of a conflict of interest by forming a panel of experts to evaluate Arief's professionalism. (kmt/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 18:00 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c60eb5 1 City diphtheria,Tangerang,outbreak,health,bacterial-infection,bacteria Free The Tangerang Health Agency reported on Wednesday that the diphtheria outbreak in the regency had claimed four lives, all of them children aged between four and six years old. The agencys chairwoman Desiriana Dinardianti said since April, 23 residents in Tangerang had been infected by the deadly bacterial infection. Two of them are still undergoing medical treatment at Tangerang Regional General Hospital [RSUD], she said as reported by Tempo. RSUD Tangerang has treated 30 patients infected with diphteria. Most of them are from Depok, Jakarta, Lebak and Serang. (Read also: Govt. strives to contain spread of diphtheria) RSUD Tangerang public relations officer Ade Yudi Firmansyah said the hospital had been mandated a center of reference in treating diphtheria cases in Banten province. Many of the patients are getting better and will be allowed to go home sometime soon, he said. Tangerang regent Ahmed Zaki had declared a health emergency (KLB) for a diphtheria outbreak in the regency last October after dozens of people were taken to hospitals for diphtheria infections. Diphteria is a bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose and can lead to death. The bacteria clogs the patients airways, affecting respiration. (vla/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 16:22 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c56b66 4 Business fuel-price,increase,2018 Free The government is considering increasing the prices of subsidized fuel next year because of the rising global oil prices. Previously, the government had said it would keep fuel prices unchanged until December 2018. The government increased the Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) to US$59 per barrel in November from $54.02 per barrel in the previous month. If the price of crude oil reaches $60 per barrel, we may adjust [fuel prices], said the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys Oil and Gas Director General Ego Syahrial in Jakarta, as reported by kontan.co.id on Wednesday. Previously, the government had stated there would be no fuel price hike until late 2018, despite calls from state-owned energy firm Pertamina for an increase. Ego said the government might, for example, be compelled to increase the price of Premium-branded gasoline to Rp 6,750 per liter from currently Rp 6,450 per liter. Subsidized diesel is currently priced at Rp 5,150 per liter. The current price is $58 or $59 per barrel. If the price exceeds $60 per barrel, we need to react. The price of Premium may be increased to Rp 6,750 per liter, Ego added. Ego explained, however, that the government would try to maintain the current price by, for example, increasing cost efficiency at Pertamina. But if we have to increase the fuel prices based on the formula, the government will not hesitate to increase the prices, he added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 18:30 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c6271f 1 Politics house-of-representatives,Constitutional-Court,Arief-Hidayat,fit-and-proper-test,Gerindra-Party Free The House of Representatives has extended Arief Hidayat's term in office as Constitutional Court (MK) judge following a fit and proper test held on Wednesday at the House's Commission III, which oversees human rights, security and legal affairs. Arief's term, which will end in April 2018, has been extended to 2023. Nine out of the 10 factions on the Committee agreed to the extension, while the Gerindra Party faction abstained. "We will bring the recommendation to the plenary meeting to make it official," said Commission III deputy chairman Trimedya Panjaitan. (Read also: Constitutional Court chief justice undergoes fit and proper test) Arief is currently presiding over a hearing on a judicial review request on the House's inquiry rights against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), raising the issue of a conflict of interest. Arief was the sole candidate in the fit and proper test, which involved a panel of constitutional law experts. Gerindra Party faction deputy head Desmond Junaidi Mahesa had voiced his strong objections to the test, saying that it should be delayed to allow other candidates to apply for the position. "What is the point of a panel if there is only one candidate?" he said. Despite the criticism, the test went on after the nine remaining factions all agreed on Arief as the sole candidate. After the test, Arief expressed his gratitude for the extension. "Alhamdulillah [God willing], I am once again entrusted with the position of constitutional judge," he said. "I will fully guard Indonesia's constitution to the best of my ability." (kmt/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 18:17 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c61875 1 Politics house-of-representatives,ICJR,human-rights,Prolegnas,counterterrorism,terrorism Free The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) has called on the House of Representatives to focus its attention on protecting human rights and reducing excessive criminalization during the deliberation of draft laws in the upcoming legislative program. The House held a plenary meeting on Tuesday to finalize the 2018 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). Eight out of the 50 bills on the program are related to criminal laws, including a bill to revise the Criminal Code and another bill on terrorism. The House must ensure that human rights are protected, especially in the use of criminal punishments, ICJR executive director Supriyadi Eddyono said in a statement on Wednesday. He further said the House should address the problem of excessive criminalization, which he said had reached "a worrying level." Pasal karet [catchall articles] should be repealed, Supriyadi said. "Alternative criminal punishments should also be considered, not just prison sentences," he added, citing fines, social work and suspended sentences as examples. Supriyadi also urged the House to make the deliberation process of the bills more transparent and open to the public. The ICJR noted that out of the eight criminal-law related bills, four were still being deliberated. They are the Criminal Code bill, the sexual assault bill, the alcoholic beverages bill and the terrorism bill. The deliberation process is taking much longer than it needs to," Eddyono said. "The House should manage its time and energy so that it can hold serious discussions and fulfil the Prolegnas target." (kmt/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 08:33 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c40d08 4 Business decorative-fish,exports,Susi-Pujiastuti Free Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti says Indonesia has huge potential to overtake Singapore in the export of decorative fish, taking into account of the countrys large maritime territory. Data from 2016 shows that Indonesia is the fifth-biggest decorative fish-exporting country with [global] market share of 7.13 percent, lower than Singapores market share of 12.44 percent, Susi said in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com. She said Singapores decorative fish exports from 2007 to 2016 had declined by about 4.47 percent annually, while Indonesian decorative fish exports had grown by 15.17 percent annually. Susi said her ministry was ready to cooperate with businesses and other relevant government institutions to boost decorative fish exports. How come a country 100 times larger than Singapore depends on the smaller country for marketing [decorative fish]? We, in the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, are ready to help other institutions [to boost decorative fish exports], she added. Susi said the government could facilitate decorative fish businesses in increasing their exports through various programs like establishing a decorative fish business forum, helping display decorative fish at various events and marketing them abroad. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 17:40 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c5ba80 1 Business Indonesia,OPEC,membership,ArcandraTahar Free The government is sticking with its decision not to be a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), turning down requests by some Middle East countries for Indonesia to reactivate its membership. In November 2016, Indonesia decided to temporarily withdraw from OPEC following the groups decision to cut production by 1.2 million barrels of oil per day (bopd) in 2017 in a bid to rebalance what had become an oversupplied market. In line with President [Joko Widodos] instruction, we will keep the membership freeze, Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar said on Tuesday evening, adding that the government had officially informed OPEC several months ago. Read also: Indonesia may be active again in OPEC, official says In June, however, the government stated it was ready to reactivate Indonesias OPEC membership following requests from major oil exporters, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but on the condition that the country not be subject to oil production cuts. Under OPECs initial production reduction plans, Indonesia was obliged to reduce its output by 5 percent, or around 37,000 bopd, from this years target of 815,000 bopd. That figure was much higher than the 5,000 bopd it was willing to accept. Indonesias oil production amounted to 785,000 bopd in mid-October, forcing the country to import more than half of its oil needs of 1.6 million bopd. We would not necessarily have to import oil from OPEC member states. As long as the price is economical, we can import it from anywhere, Arcandra said. (bbn) Topics : Indonesia OPEC membership ArcandraTahar Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 12:14 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c4b124 1 City jakarta,cashless-transaction Free The capital city is one step ahead of other provinces in the country, marking itself as the pioneer in the implementation of cashless technology. The head of Bank Indonesia's Jakarta branch, Donni P. Joewono, said that Jakarta had set a good example in cashless technology through its social assistance program and public transportation payment system. The Jakarta administration has fully implemented the non-cash technology. Furthermore, the Home Affairs Ministry will enforce the use of cashless technology in all provincial administrations across Indonesia starting on Jan. 1, 2018, Donni said at the Bank Indonesia annual gathering in Jakarta on Tuesday. He said that, by year-end, the target was to reach 40 to 50 percent in cashless transactions, including those made through the transportation payment system and the Jakarta Smart Card (KJP), which went cashless in 2015. Jakarta has also enforced non-cash payments at all toll gates. According to Bank Indonesia, the implementation of cashless technology in payment systems contributes to economic efficiency and transparency and increases Jakarta's domestic revenue. For example, the parking area in Sabang [in Central Jakarta] can now earn Rp 10 million [US$740] to Rp 15 million a day through non-cash payments. It increased significantly from only Rp 300,000 to Rp 500,000 a day in the past when there were cash payments, Donni said. (roi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 18:48 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c6317b 1 City parking,contract-revocation Free Jakartas parking system, which made a shift to using parking meters three years ago, has reverted back to its old, manual method of collecting parking fees, as the cooperation between the Jakarta administration and parking machine operator has come to an end. "The parking meters belong to PT Mata Elang Biru. As our contract finished [on Monday], the company will take back its parking meters, Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Sigit Widjatmoko said on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com. The administration began working with Mata Elang Biru in 2014, which installed the machines in several locations around the capital, including Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta, Jl. Falatehan in South Jakarta, and Jl. Boulevard in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. Sigit said the administration could not directly extend the contract because the deal must be based on a tender process. A tender would be conducted shortly and Jakarta should have a new parking operator by January next year, he added. In the meantime, the above-mentioned locations will go back to using a manual parking systems, in which motorists receive a ticket and pay cash to parking attendants. "Hopefully, by January, [the city will] have a new operator that is better in sharing profit and providing [parking] services, Sigit said. (agn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 15:49 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c53196 1 Politics Gatot-Nurmantyo,TNI-commander-Gatot-Nurmantyo,TNI,Jokowi,Joko-Widodo,rotation Free Military expert Mufti Makarim said the process to rotate 85 Indonesian Military (TNI) senior officers revealed in a letter dated Dec. 4 might have started several months ago. Its a long process. So, there is nothing political about this, he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. However, Mufti said, the timing of the rotation of the high-ranking military officials did raise questions. The commander must clearly explain the reassignment so that the public will not make certain assumptions, Mufti said, referring to TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo. It is also particularly important for Gatot to clarify the process he had taken to reassign officers who would hold strategic command positions, he went on. Otherwise there might be a sense that Gatot aims to put 'his people' on important posts, making it harder for Hadi to deal with them, Mufti said. (Read also: TNI Commander orders massive reshuffle ahead of April retirement) As reported earlier, Gatot signed a letter on Monday on the reassignment of 85 senior military officers, only a few months before his retirement in March. The 85 officers comprise 46 Army officers, 28 Navy officers and 11 others from the Air Force. The reassignment comes on the heels of the announcement of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto as Gatot's possible successor. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo submitted a letter to the House of Representatives on Monday, informing his plan for Gatots replacement with the Air Force Chief of Staff. Gatot said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday that he had signed the rotation letter before he learned about Jokowi's letter. (kmt/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara Wed, December 6, 2017 19:53 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c65757 1 National NTB,tourism,tourists,West-Nusa-Tenggara,North-Lombok,Christmas,New-Year Free The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Police have arrested two Lombok residents allegedly caught in possession of marijuana and magic mushrooms during a raid in Gili Trawangan, North Lombok. The raid was part of increased security precautions taken in tourist destinations across the regency ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations, said the NTB Police's vital object security director Adj.Sr.Comr. Gatut Kurniadin. "We will continue to improve security for the comfort and safety of tourists visiting Gili," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. "We will keep doing these types of raids." The arrests were made on Tuesday evening when the police swept boarding houses and hotels in Gili Trawangan. The two suspects were identified as SN, 40, and SA, 25. SN was caught holding one packet of marijuana, while SA had 40 bags of magic mushrooms and one packet of marijuana. They are now being detained at the North Lombok Police. Besides the two suspects, police also arrested several people who lacked ID cards. They were later sent back to their hometowns. Gatut said the raids would continue until the end of the year, as per the instructions of North Lombok authorities. Visitors will also be searched upon arriving on the island, he added. "There will be inspections at ports and docks," he said. "Everyone, including foreign tourists, will be searched. (kmt/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 17:57 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c60287 4 Business oil-and-gas,holding-company,pertamina,pertagas,pgn Free The planned acquisition of state-owned energy firm Pertamina subsidiary PT Pertagas by state-owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) will be an initial step toward the establishment of an oil and gas holding, PGN corporate secretary Rachmat Hutama said in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to a plan devised by the State-owned Enterprises Ministry, the state will transfer its stake in PGN to Pertamina, after 100 percent of Pertagas shares are acquired by PGN. Rahmat said his company would acquire Pertagas before it joined Pertamina to establish an oil and gas holding company. PGN will acquire Pertagas, and then PGN will become a subsidiary of Pertamina [in the holding firm], Rachmat said, as reported by tribunnews.com. Read also: Indonesia pushes for establishment of oil and gas holding company He said PGN supported the governments plan to establish an oil and gas holding, because it was part of the efforts to improve the management of the countrys oil and gas industry. Establishing the holding will accelerate the construction of gas infrastructure and help expand gas distribution, he said. Meanwhile, public policy expert and oil and gas industry observer Agus Pambagio disagreed with the governments plan, saying the government only needed to assign Pertamina to concentrate on the upstream oil and gas businesses and PGN to concentrate on the downstream gas business. He said PGN, as a public company, was already managed transparently, as its shares were owned by many people. He said the holding plan had pushed down the price of PGN shares. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Wed, December 6, 2017 17:52 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c5e6fe 1 National elephant,tiger,tiger-attack,Jambi,protected-animals Free Residents of Sarolangun and Kerinci regencies in Jambi have complained about wild animals entering their villages and wreaking havoc on their plantations. Muslim, a resident of Sipintum village in Pauh district, Sarolangun regency said a herd of wild elephants had often wandered into the village's plantation in the past month, damaging the plants and huts there. "We ask the authorities to take the elephants back to their habitat, so they don't keep coming into our village," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The herd of seven elephants has damaged 9 hectares of plantation land and one hut, Pauh district military commander, Capt. Sutego said. He urged residents to restrain themselves from harming the protected species. "We ask the residents not to act rashly. We can find a mutually beneficial solution, he said. Meanwhile, residents of Semurup village in Kerinci regency face a similar problem. They have been reluctant to go to their fields in recent days, fearing attack by a tiger that has been spotted nearby. "We hope that the authorities take action soon. If nothing is done, the tiger might come into the village," a resident named Uwo told the Post. Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI) Warsi head, Nur Kholis, said in the past seven years 14 people had fallen victim to tiger attacks, while two people died after confrontations with elephants. On the other hand, 18 tigers and seven elephants had been killed by poachers. "These incidents tell us that there is an imbalance in nature," he said. "A damaged ecosystem causes conflicts between humans and animals. (kmt/rin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 14:41 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c50dd7 1 City Satpol-PP,Home-Ministry,award Free The Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) received an award from the Home Affairs Ministry on Tuesday for its Orderly Sidewalk Month program, which began in August. "The awards were given to several innovative public order agencies from all over Indonesia, one of which was the Jakarta [Public Order Agency]," the agency's head, Yani Wahyu, said as quoted by beritajakarta.id. "The recognition was given to us for organizing the orderly sidewalk program," he said on Tuesday. The program was launched to prevent vendors and motorists from encroaching sidewalks intended for use by pedestrians only. By the end of August, the program was extended as regular violations were occurring on the sidewalks. In addition to Jakarta, Yani said, there were seven other cities and provinces that received the award, including Yogyakarta, Bangka Belitung, Palembang in South Sumatra, Aceh and Bandung in West Java. Last month, the Ombudsman revealed that some Jakarta Public Order Agency officers had allowed street vendors to conduct activities on the city's sidewalks in return for illegal levies. Yani said he would rotate around 5,000 agency officers to tackle the problem. They have worked in the same place for eight to 10 years, [] that can cause something to go wrong, he said. (dis) Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, December 6, 2017 15:25 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c51cd6 1 Politics Gatot-Nurmantyo,TNI-commander-Gatot-Nurmantyo,TNI,Hadi-Tjahjanto,rotation,promotion Free Eighty-five high ranking Indonesian Military (TNI) officers are set to be rotated or promoted, a statement released on Tuesday by the TNI headquarters has confirmed. The rotation and promotion is conducted based on an ordered by TNI commander Gen.Gatot Nurmantyo through a decree dated on Dec.4. The decree was issued on the heels of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjantos sole candidacy as Gatots successor. Among the rotated officers include Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) commander Lt.Gen.Edy Rahmayadi, who will be replaced by the Army Chief of Staffs operation assistant Maj.Gen. Sudirman. Edy, who will be assigned as officer at the Army headquarters, is given an early retirement because he is set to run for a governor in North Sumatra in next years election. He has secured political supports from the Gerindra Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Sudirman will be replaced by Maj.Gen. AM Putranto, the commander of the Sriwijaya Military Area Command. The latters position will be filled by Maj.Gen.Subiyanto, who currently serves as the Army Chief of Staffs personnel assistant. The TNI commander decree stipulates 85 senior officers, comprising 46 officers from the Army, 28 from the Navy and 11 from the Air Force, will be rotated. The reshuffle came in less than two months after Gatot rotated 91 TNI senior officers in a decree dated on Oct.27. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has supported Hadis sole candidacy to take over the TNIs top post from Gatot, who will retire in April next year, until his retirement in 2020. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andrew Beatty (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Wed, December 6, 2017 09:27 1807 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c41a62 2 World Israel,US,Jerusalem,capital-city-relocation,trump Free President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital Wednesday, upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East. A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America's allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. "He will say that that the United States government recognizes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel," a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He views this as a recognition of reality, both historic reality," the source added, "and modern reality." Plunging further into a bitter centuries-old argument between Jews, Muslims and Christians, Trump will also order planning to begin on moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "It will take some time to find a site, to address security concerns, design a new facility, fund a new facility and build it," the official said, indicating that the move will not be immediate. "It will be a matter of some years, it won't be months, it's going to take time." The status of Jerusalem is a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming the city as their capital, and expectations of Trump's announcement have roiled the combustible region. In a frantic series of calls on its eve, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the EU, France, Germany and Turkey all warned Trump against the move. Anticipating widespread demonstrations, US government officials have been ordered to avoid Jerusalem's Old City and the West Bank. But Trump's move comes close to fulfilling a campaign promise and will delight his political donors and the conservative and evangelical base that is so vital for the embattled president. Most of the international community does not formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, insisting the issue can only be resolved in final status negotiations. US officials talk of "threading the needle" -- fulfilling Trump's campaign pledge, while keeping the peace process on the rails. The White House argues that such a move would not prejudge final talks and would represent the reality that west Jerusalem is and will continue to be part of Israel under any settlement. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (AFP) United Nations Thu, December 7, 2017 06:12 1806 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2c683a7 2 World Jerusalem-resolution,Israel,Palestine-Israel-talks,trump,Security-Council Free Eight countries called Wednesday for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after the United States said it recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Uruguay want a meeting by the end of the week, the Swedish mission to the 15-member body said. Japan, which currently holds the council's rotating presidency, had not set a time for the meeting by Wednesday afternoon. Jerusalem's status can only be resolved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said following Trump's announcement. Guterres added that he had "consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures." "There is no alternative to the two-state solution." Bolivian Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorenty Soliz called Trump's move "a reckless and a dangerous decision which goes against international law, the resolutions of the Security Council." "It's a threat not just to the peace process, but also it's a threat to international peace and security," said the envoy. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Thu, December 7 2017 Residents of Sarolangun and Kerinci regencies in Jambi have complained about wild animals entering their villages and wreaking havoc on their plantations. Muslim, a resident of Sipintum village in Pauh district, Sarolangun regency, said on Wednesday that this past month a herd of wild elephants had often wandered onto the villages plantation, damaging the plants and huts there. We asked the authorities to take the elephants back to their habitat, so they dont keep coming into our village, he said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Tens of thousands of young people leave the UK every year to travel to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). We visited Darwin, capital city of Australias Northern Territory, to find out why so many people go. Nourlangie, Kakadu National Park // Peter Eve/Tourism NT An Australian WHV is available to UK nationals aged 18-30 and allows them to stay in the country for up to a year, moving around at leisure, stopping for paid work along the way as much or as little as they please. A survey conducted by Tourism Australia found that some 57,000 people from the UK entered Australia on a WHV in 2016. Its one of backpacking website Gapyear.coms most sought-after products. So why is it so popular? Theres the weather, of course, with most of the country enjoying better weather than the UK year-round, the Northern Territory in particular basking in uninterrupted sunshine during its dry season between May and October. I dont even own a coat anymore, says Clare Dazeley, 26, who is now in the fourth month of her stay in Australia and works in a bar on Darwins waterfront. Its a bit different to back home. One of the most daunting things about travelling and working abroad is the prospect of a language barrier, something that isnt a concern in Australia. We all speak the same language mostly, says Dazeley, before offering a few examples of her favourite Aussie slang. It makes it so much easier to settle in. Beyond the promise of sunshine and no language barrier, working holidays in Australia are so established that, for many, friends and family have travelled on WHV before them, making it less daunting to take the leap. Both my older brothers did working holiday visas and said it was amazing, says Beth Morrison, 24, who has worked in a waterside bar in Darwin for the last six months. When one of them moved here for good I decided to just do it. Plenty of young people yearn to travel but dont know how to go about it. The strong word-of-mouth around WHVs, an option which provides loose structure to travelling, offers a clear path. I wanted to go somewhere, and all my friends told me it was awesome here. I started thinking Id be an idiot not to try it for myself, says Harry Reeves, 21, who has worked in construction during his trip. Knowing youll be able to work and save if you want makes the whole idea seem more real than travelling without any kind of plan. A WHV can also offer the opportunity to test a future career path in a different, somewhat more flexible environment. I had just finished college, doing hospitality management, says Niamh Redmond, 23, who splits her working hours between a hostel bar and a hotel. I thought the best thing to do was to experience a different country and get a feel for hospitality around the world. [Coming here] was a way of seeing if I really enjoyed it, if I did the right course or not. Expanding her working experience soon offered fresh perspective. Coming to Australia, I realised I really did like hospitality, she says. It helps, of course, that jobs in Australia pay significantly more than their counterparts in the UK. Im getting paid more here for working in a bar than I was back home as a graphic designer, says Morrison. Its ridiculous. Still, its something a little less practical that proves to be a recurring theme in the people we meet: the desire to be as far away from home as possible. You certainly cant get much further from the UK than Australia, and by living in Darwin, surrounded by the stunning Australian Outback, travellers are certainly a long way from home. In the second part of this article well discover why so many working holiday makers end up in Darwin and the Northern Territory, and why as soon as they arrive they become so reluctant to leave. Find out more about the Northern Territory here. Writer credit: Dave Owen Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. 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Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini. Erin Whittenberg, senior elementary education major from Longview, dances in the Irish halftime show the LMB performed to announce their Ireland trip. "I stand up and announce that his best mate's got to sit down and shut up or bugger off. JUNEAU A retired correctional officer at Fox Lake Correctional appeared in a Dodge County courtroom on Monday, charged with delivering pornographic magazines and cellphones to inmates. Peggy S. Noll, 58, Watertown, is charged with a felony count of delivering illegal articles to an inmate. She could face up to 3 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the charge. Noll appeared for her initial appearance before Dodge County Court Commissioner Steven Seim. Noll was released on a $1,000 signature bond. As conditions of her bond, she may not have contact or communications with any inmate or correctional facility. According to the criminal complaint, a staff member at the prison notified the Dodge County Sheriffs Office in the fall of 2016 that a staff member had been bringing cellphones into the prison and giving them to inmates. Two confidential informants told the prison staff that Noll allegedly was bringing cellphones and magazines to an inmate. A search was done that December and a white Samsung Galaxy III smartphone was found in the bottom bunk in another inmates cell. They found texts on the phone about the inmate needing $200 to pay back the inmate that was being supplied the phones. There was also a message saying that the prison would be on lockdown on Nov. 15 and 16 and the inmates would not have been aware of the search unless a staff member had told them. The inmate Noll was allegedly supplying had his room searched, and prison officials found several things that he would not had been able to get on the property: two pork chops, seven pairs of polyester underwear, a smartphone, charger and ear buds. The prison staff kept monitoring the inmate and found that he made calls to Noll as well and noticed hundreds of dollars deposited in the inmates account from people both on and off of his visiting list. According to the criminal complaint, the prison staff also monitored a call the inmate made to Noll, where they told each other that they loved each other. In July, Noll was scheduled to be placed on administrative leave while the case was investigated. They made contact with her on July 5. Noll denied having a relationship with the inmate and when hearing a recording of one of the calls, she denied it was her voice on the phone. Eventually Noll allegedly admitted that she was very good friends with the inmate, but it was not a sexual relationship. Noll also admitted to the investigators that she removed the phones from the facility when she found out it would be put on lockdown. Noll was placed on administrative leave on July 5 and retired on July 6 from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 25. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has not only been strengthening its dominance in the domestic market but has also been steadily increasing its contribution to the Japanese parents overall volumes, which as of September-end jumped to 32 percent. Honda India overtook Honda Indonesia to become the largest volume contributor to Honda Motor Corporation in June 2016. And since then, it has not looked back. In May 2015, its Activa scooter became the largest selling two-wheeler in the country, overtaking the nearly two-decades of dominance of the Splendor from the Hero MotorCorp stable, its estranged partner. Between FY14 and the second quarter of FY18, our contribution to Honda Corporations overall volume rose by a whopping 11 percentage points from 21 to 32, HMSIs senior vice president (sales & marketing), Y S Guleria, told PTI. In fact, this has been on a steady climb in FY15 it rose to 24 per cent from the previous year and further to 25 per cent in FY16 and continued its upward move to touch 27 per cent in FY17. Just in the past six months alone, its contribution to the global volume has jumped by 500 bps to 32 per cent, according to the data shared by the company. Commenting on the achievement, Guleria, said, India is a very important market for Honda Corporation. We are not only driving the domestic industry momentum but also leading Hondas global two-wheeler business that is present in over 120 markets. India is the number 1 market for Hondas two wheeler business worldwide. This year, in the first half, our contribution to global Honda sales has reached 32, he added. On the rising domestic contribution, Guleria said HMSI alone has been adding as much as 47 per cent of the incremental volume in the country, which has helped it scale its market by 200 bps to 28 per cent overall domestic two- wheeler industry as of the September quarter. Honda is the highest volume gainer alone adding nearly 47 percent of the new volumes to the industry and the highest market share gainer wherein our pie increased by two percentage point to 28 in the year, he said. For large part of the current fiscal, Honda has been leading the export market segment as well with its shipment surging 30 per cent to 2,39,219 units in the first eight months of fiscal 2018. Homegrown Bajaj Auto for long has been the market leader in exports. Honda sold 41 per cent more units at 4,60,017 in November. It was mainly driven by a 44 per cent spike in domestic sales at 4,32,350 units. Motorcycle sales grew 56 per cent to 1,50,606 units in the month, while scooter sales surged 39 per cent to 2,81,744 units, and exports 6 per cent to 27,667 units in the month. Guleria admitted that the higher numbers in the month were primarily due to the low base last November following the note-ban move. But, he also said higher numbers were to the increasing demand for the its bread and butter Activa scooters and the latest urban scooter, Grazia. During April-November Hondas sales breached the 40- lakh-mark on which Guleria said while it took us nearly eight years to achieve this mark, the latest 40 lakh customers have joined us in just eight months. According to Guleria, the 4 million mark was driven by flagship Activa which also is the only two-wheeler in the country to cross 20 lakh volume in seven months. The company, which has 11 assembly lines at four plants has an installed capacity of 6.4 million and has set a 20 per cent sales spurt to 6 million units for the year. It has already grown 17 percent so far. The Defence Ministry is likely to take a decision on capping the educational expenses paid to the children of ex-servicemen in line with the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, informed sources said on Tuesday. Amid demands not to go ahead with the decision, a letter dated September 13, issued by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, capped the fee for tuition and hostel at Rs 10,000 per month, as per the recommendations. The sources said the ministry was apprised of the matter, indicating that a decision on the issue could be taken soon. On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging her not to cap the total expenditure towards tuition fee and hostel charge at Rs 10,000. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former army chief and Minister of State for External Affairs General V.K. Singh have also urged the minister to review the move. The scheme for government bearing the cost of education of ex-servicemens children was announced in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 1971 two days after the Pakistani forces surrendered in Dhaka after the India-Pakistan war that led to liberation of Bangladesh. Chandrasekhar in his letter to the minister said capping the fund goes against the very principal by which this scheme was implemented. Two Nekoosa men are charged with endangering safety and disorderly conduct after allegedly firing a shotgun multiple times after a failed drug deal. Jacob Meyer, 18, and Alex Frick, 19, both of Nekoosa, are charged with second degree recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct. They face up to 10 years imprisonment for the first charge. According to the criminal complaint: On Nov. 28, a Juneau County detective was dispatched to a disturbance involving gunfire by two individuals on 24th Avenue in the town of Armenia. The reporting party identified the subjects as Meyer and Frick. Sheriffs Department officials established a perimeter around the 24th Avenue address. The victims in the incident had since left to a 2nd Street address, and the detective met them there. The individuals stated that they gone to the 24th Avenue residence to sell two electronic tablets to Meyer and Frick, but Meyer took the tablets and went into the house without offering any money in return. It was at that point one of the individuals stated she heard gunshots. She stated she then observed Frick point a shotgun at one individuals head. As they fled in their car, Meyer and Frick tried to hit their car head on. It was later revealed that in addition to the shotguns, there was a pellet gun fired at the individuals as well. Two individuals said they had been pelted in the back. Meyer and Frick were reported to be at a 3rd Street address. Law enforcement officials were informed that they may be armed. A perimeter was established around the residence. Dispatch spoke with Meyer on the phone and advised him and Frick to come out of the residence with their hands up. Both Meyer and Frick came out and were detained. From the backseat of a Deputys squad car, Meyer revealed he had hid the shotguns under the mattress in his sisters bedroom. During a search of the 24th Street residence, deputies found an Ithica 12 gage, a Westernfield 12 gage, a Remington 20 gage, and a Richland Arms 16 gage. The 16 gage shotgun was taken as evidence based on the shell casings found outside the residence. Sheriffs deputies also found that a window at the residence had been smashed. Based on the distribution of the glass shards, it looked to have been smashed from the outside. Once at the Sheriffs Office, Meyer and Frick were interviewed separately by law enforcement officials. During his interview, Frick stated that he and Meyer had been sitting in the living room when all of a sudden the window by the front door shattered. When asked about the pellet gun he became defensive and suggested that maybe the subjects shot themselves with a pellet gun. When the detective who was interviewing Frick said he would be going to jail, Frick became very upset and started crying. It was at this point that he stated he was afraid of Meyer and didnt want to snitch on him. Frick revealed that the incident had not been over the sale of electronic tablets, but marijuana. Frick said he was there for back up but didnt even know it. During his interview, Meyer stated he had previously given one of the subjects $40 worth of marijuana but had never been paid. The individual was supposed to bring Meyer a 60 bag (1/8 ounce) of marijuana but only brought a third that amount, which made him pissed. He said he then went into the house with the marijuana without paying and locked the door, and then the window was broken and he and Frick fired the shotguns back out the window and into the air. Meyer admitted that he knew (the individual) was coming to his residence and planned on ripping (him) off. Meyer said Frick may have had the pellet gun, and that he and Frick had thrown the marijuana into the yard of the 3rd Street residence once they saw law enforcement in the area. Frick is not currently in Juneau County Jail. Meyers actions violated the bond conditions of a previous offense. He is currently in Juneau County Jail. Both men are due for initial appearances in court on Jan. 10 and Dec. 20 respectively. To cater to the rising number of middle class population, The Haryana government plans to come out with a liberal retail policy next month which would contain various provisions, including opening of 24X7 stores in the state. Disclosing this in Dubai, Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar said given the rising number of middle class population and the standards of living of people heading north, Haryana has great potential for such stores. While interacting with Dubai-based business tycoons and leaders of various groups in Dubai on Tuesday, Khattar said Haryana has vast opportunities of investment and the land bank available in the state for the industry to set up projects. Any enterprise coming to Haryana would be accorded all approvals within 45 days for setting up projects through the Haryana Enterprises Promotion Centre (HEPC), he said. The CM is leading a high-level delegation to Dubai to woo investors. At his meeting with Landmark Group, Khattar offered help to skill its employees, and said the state could also supply staff to the group through a training programme. The Haryana government also offered to organize a buyer-supplier meet for the Landmark Group in January where smaller suppliers can exhibit their products. Additionally, one-on-one meeting with major suppliers can be arranged with help of the state government, CM said. The Landmark Group, the second largest non-food retail company in UAE, operates major retail brands in India such as Lifestyle, Max and Splash, It has already opened sourcing office in Gurgaon, and has hospitality division christened Home Centre. At his meeting with NMC, a healthcare giant, the CM said the state government would explore the option of setting up a medi-city in Panchkula. New hospital projects can be explored in the districts of Rewari, Mahendergarh, Fatehabad, Dadri, Sirsa, Panipat, Kaithal. NMC operates 40 healthcare facilities in the UAE and seven hospitals in India, five of which are acquired and two are greenfield. The NMC plans for the possible acquisition of existing Goldfield College and SRS Hospital. Prospects of HAFED exploring the possibility of establishing brand Haryana Fresh for various products and market these through the super markets of the Al Maya Group were assessed at the meeting. Later addressing a gathering of about 70 top investors from the UAE, he urged them to invest in Haryana and assured them full support of the state government. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh has welcomed the reported suggestion of the Mayor of London that the UK government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Amritsar, the CM said he had heard about Mayor of London Sadiq Khans remarks on the Jallianwala incident and was happy to know about the Mayors feelings in the matter. The suggestion, coming from a British government functionary, was good and, if implemented, would go a long way in further strengthening ties between India and UK, and perhaps, to some extent, assuaging the wounds of Indians who suffered the pain of the independence struggle, Amarinder added. Earlier, the two leaders met here on Tuesday night at a dinner hosted by the CM for the visiting dignitary. Various issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting, during which Sadiq Khan underscored the close and emotional ties between London and Punjab. Pointing out that there was a large Punjabi diaspora in London, Amarinder said the two sides shared a strong connect, which they were continuously striving to further strengthen. Meanwhile, members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from Amritsar district submitted a memorandum to the Mayor of London, seeking direct British Airways flights between the holy city of Punjab and London, to facilitate personal and business travel. With more than 35 million pilgrims visiting Amritsar every year to obeisance at the famous Golden Temple, Amritsar had emerged as the preferred destination for the Punjabi diaspora and foreign tourists, the MLAs said in the memorandum. Amritsar Airport, and the overall Punjab region, account for large international traffic to and from North America, Europe (including UK, Germany and Milan) and Australia but at present the airport lacks any non-stop flights to these destinations. As a result, thousands of people travel by road to take direct non-stop flights between Delhi-London or Delhi-Birmingham. All this traffic can travel direct with a non-stop British Airways flight between London-Amritsar, said the memorandum. In the memorandum, the MLAs further pointed out that more than 6 million Punjabis settled in North America, Europe, Australia, South East Asia and Middle East countries are from the cities served by Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar (ATQ), which is North Indias second largest airport after the Delhi airport. Three men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing of an NRI in southeast Delhis New Friends Colony in July, police said on tuesday. On July 5, Hemant Chawla was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his friends house, they said. Five months after his death, the Crime Branch arrested two men in connection with the case, the police said. A third man, Chawlas friend, in whose house his body was found, was also arrested, they said. Chawla had returned to India from the US last year to look after his mother. On the morning of July 5, his friend Nitin Sabharwal informed his driver that his employer had died, they said. The family claimed that there was foul play and on July 19 the police registered a murder case, they said. In August, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch so that the case was probed properly. In October, Chawlas postmortem report signed by doctors from the AIIMS mentioned strangulation as the cause of his death. This month, the Crime Branch arrested Tasim and Pritam Pal in connection with the case, the police said. Sabharwal was admitted to a hospital and was later arrested, they said. The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained, the police said. A day ahead of the Raising day celebration of the Himachal Police, three under trials lodged in Model Central Jail in Kanda near Shimla, escaped in the wee hours on Wednesday morning. The under-trials had escaped by jumping the compounding wall of the jail around 4.00 am. All Nepali nationals, they were charged with murder and rape in separate cases. The three accused include Pratap Singh (27) from RakkamRaptiAnchal district, PremBhadur (22) from RakkamAnchal, Revati district and LeelaDhar (22) from SattyamAnchalRapti district.Pratap Singh and PremBhadur are facing rape charges, while LeelaDhar is an under trail in a murder case. Prima facie, the jail authorities have held the security personnel responsible for negligence and have suspended two police personnel for dereliction of duty. A case has been registered in Boileuganj Police Station and three search teams have been constituted to launch a manhunt to nab the three accused and their photos have also been released. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city government and civic agencies to apprise it about the programmes they have undertaken or intend to take on spreading of education about menstrual hygiene to adolescent girls here in schools. The court, while hearing a PIL seeking direction to provide access and education about menstrual hygiene to adolescent girls and free sanitary pads, also sought to know budgetary allocation for the purpose by the Central and Delhi governments. It also asked civic agencies to inform it about the status of separate toilets for girls and boys in government and aided schools under their jurisdiction. The courts direction came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a practicing advocates Setu Niket and Esha Mazumdar who contended that considering the increasing number of girl child dropouts from school, there was a need of a mechanism to educate school children on menstrual hygiene and providing free and compulsory sanitary pads under the Right to Education Act, 2009. It is imperative that children of the age group of 10-14 years are sensitised about menstrual hygiene and every possible effort to help the girl child in continuing her education be made by the government, Mazumdar added. During the hearing, the Central government told the court that without any demand, it has granted Rs 27 lakh to the Delhi government for the year 2017-18 for procurement of sanitary napkins. The court asked Delhi government to examine the need of civic bodies to provide the funds for the purpose. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said that in schools the sanitary napkin is provided to needy in an emergency situation from Boys Fund at present. No funds in this regard have been allocated by the Delhi government to the municipalities so far, adding it has already written a letter to director of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (Universalization of Elementary Education Mission) to provide funds. The PIL sought formulating a National Level Policy to establish a mechanism to provide education, sensitization and ensure availability of menstrual hygiene products to adolescent girls. The court now posted the matter for January 23. Actor Varun Sharma, who is fondly called Choocha, will be reprising his role in the sequel, feels that there is no better job than to entertain people. In an interview to thestatesman.com, Varun shares about his character in Fukrey Returns, his experience working with veteran actor Govinda and why he loves to make people laugh. Known for his hilarious punch lines and comic timing, Varun believes comedy is not an easy genre but anyhow he loves to make people laugh. Comedy is not at all easy. It is a tough genre, to be honest it has a lot to do with the timing and situation. It is tough to make people laugh, of course the genre is tough. It has not been easy for me as well. But yes, this is one genre that I really love, and I think if I can make people laugh or put a smile on their face then there is nothing better than that feeling, Varun says. Varun aka Choocha believes that both reel and real hold importance for an actors equation with his co-stars. We have always been a gang. It has been five years of our friendship. And I think that our real friendship can also be seen in the film, which will be enjoyed by the fans. Its like real life has an impact in reel life and vice versa, Varun on his friendship with his Fukrey co-stars. As per Varun, Choocha still has the same feelings for Bholi Punjaban and fans will further explore the characters love story in Fukrey Returns. Bholi Punjaban is back with a revenge for what we did in the first part. She is back for her money and she will not stop until she gets what she wants. But despite all this Choocha still has those feelings for her. Choocha and Bholi has their own angle in the film, where that childish behaviour of Choocha still exists. The one sided love story is still there and itll be interesting to see how their story further unfolds, Varun says. Varun, who will be also seen alongside Govinda in Fry Day, had a great experience working with the actor. It has been a great experience. The film is still in the filming process and we have wrapped the first schedule so far. The experience of working with Govinda sir, who is a legend in the genre, was great and full of learnings. We all have grown up seeing his films and Im a big fan personally. I think he is one of the most hard working actors and theres a lot to learn from him. I have learnt a few things from sir and Im looking forward to use that style of comedy in my films, Varun concludes. It took many centuries for men to comprehend that the good society in which we possessed secured rights was conditioned on the inhibition of power holders, whatever the legitimacy factual, religious, or legal of their social control. Later, this purpose appeared to be served best by articulating the restraints society wished to place on the power holders in the form of a set of fixed rules -the constitution limiting the exercise of governmental power. So, the telos of any constitution in the ontological sense must be seen in articulation of devices to control the governmental power. The desire to eloquently formalise the basic ordering of state society in a written document i.e. a constitution, arose as late in the Puritan revolution against the claim of absolute and unlimited authority of Parliament. It was, however, in the 17th century and more tenaciously, the 18th centuries that, under the powerful stimulation of the social-contract concept, the term constitution assumed its modern connotation. It came to signify a single document, containing the fundamentals of a state society and designed to curb the arbitrariness of a single power holder at that time usually, though not invariably, an individual, the absolute monarch, and to subject him to restraints and controls. For this purpose, to use the verbal metaphors of the period, the Leviathan was tamed by splitting his heretofore monolithic sovereignty into different segments or departments, to each of which a specific state activity was assigned. This was the principle of the differentiation or specialisation of state functions. To this was added a second correlative; each department should exercise the function assigned to it independently from the others; this was the principle of functional independence. The organic unity of the state then was achieved by combining these specialised and autonomous power holders in joint action for the formation of the will of the state. All these arrangements, cautiously planned in advance, were then integrated in a single document, enacted with specific solemnity, and called the fundamental law the instrument of government or the constitution and this idea of limited power was called constitutionalism. Normative, Nominal and Semantic Constitution With the drastically changed role of the written constitution, a new approach to the classification of constitutions was required. This approach instead of analysing substance and content focuses on concordance of actuality of the power process. It proposes segregation of constitutions as to their normative, nominal and semantic character. A constitution is what power holders and power addresses make of it in practical application. To a large extent, the paramount issue of whether the specific power arrangement of a constitution becomes effective depends on the socio-political environment it is destined to serve. To be a living constitution, a constitution requires a climate conducive to its comprehension. It is not enough that a constitution be valid in the legal sense; to be real and effective, it must be devotedly followed by all; it must have integrated itself into the society. If this is so, a constitution may be called a normative one, i.e. it provides norms and its norms govern the political process, or the power process adjusts itself to the norms. Normativity cannot be taken for granted; it requires practical corroboration. Even though legally valid, a constitution that is not lived up to in practice lacks existential reality. What a nominal constitution implied is that existing socio-economic conditions such as lack of political education and training, absence of an independent middle class and other factors are for the time being against the complete concordance of the constitutional norms with the exigencies of the power process. The factual state of affairs does not, or not yet, permit the complete integration of constitutional norms into the dynamics of political life. Perhaps the adoption of a constitution is untimely, but the hope exists, supported by the will of power holders and power addressees, that sooner or later the reality of the power process will conform to the blueprint. When the power configuration is frozen in the interests of the powers, be it an individual person (dictator), a committee, an assembly, or a party, it may be described as a semantic constitution. Instead of serving to limit political power, the constitution becomes the tool for the stabilisation and perpetuation of the grip of the factual power holders on the community. Whether a constitution is to be characterised as normative, nominal, or semantic cannot be decided, as a rule, from its text alone, particularly since constitutions are usually silent on some of the crucial aspects of the power process, such as political parties and plural groups. In each case insight into the realities of the power process is required. The nominal and the semantic always pretend to be normative. The Constitution of India, drafted in the background of a long nationalist movement, incorporated the fundamental policy and value choices of a normative constitution; the most significant was the idea of constitutionalism. However, the working of the Constitution in these seven decades has proved that many power controlling devices are either loose or ineffective which provides the government in power the opportunity to turn it into a semantic constitution. Semantic Tendencies of Indian Constitution The proclamation of Emergency (1975) witnessed an extraordinary phase that not only threatened the existence of constitutionalism in India but also its legal and judicial system. The power of the executive was enhanced overnight and eventually turned into an authoritarian regime, which not only curtailed the freedom of citizens but also paralysed the independent judiciary. Supersession of judges, arrests and detentions of political leaders, student union leaders and eminent personalities without trial shocked the entire nation. Enactment of Maintenance of Internal Security Act and Defense of India Rules silenced every possible opposition. Imposition of family planning programmes, execution of birth control methods like forced sterilisation and vasectomy witnessed the invasion of governmental power into the personal lives of common people. The censorship of the press to curb the democratic voices was another feature which our government possibly learnt from its alien predecessor. The other tendency to disregard constitutionalism was reflected in the exercise of power under Article 356 popularly known as Presidents Rule. Being in nature an emergency and extraordinary power meant to be exercised only as a last resort, the power had more often been misused to distract the democratic and federal fabric of the constitution. A survey of use of Article 356 shows that as of now, Presidents Rule has been imposed more than 100 times. The Sarkaria Commission which analysed 75 cases of Presidents Rule from June 1951 to May 1987 (1950-1954 3 times, 1955-1959 3 times, 1960-1964 twice, 1965-1969 9 times, 1970-1974 19 times, 1975-1979 21 times, 1980-1987 18 times) found in more than 52 cases out of 75, Article 356 has been used for political rather than constitutional purposes. On three occasions, assemblies had been dissolved en masse and purely for political reasons (in 1977, Janata Party Government dissolved nine Congress-ruled assemblies, in 1980 after regaining power, Congress government in retaliation dissolved nine assemblies and in 1992, four assemblies were dissolved after demolition of Babari Mosque). This tendency continues. Contemporary India has also witnessed the prevalence of draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) both in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir, to protect the state against terrorism and other anti-state activities. The Indian police still functions under the colonial Police Act, 1861 which was enacted in the aftermath of the Mutiny of 1857 in order to establish a police force that would suppress dissent and any movement for self government. The constitutional sentiments are not reflected in the legislation governing the police and hence the police remained outside the loop of prevailing democratic values. It was more known for illegal detentions, custodial tortures, extra-judicial liquidations and being perceived by many as the handmaiden of the political superior rather than as an organisation that is mandated for ensuring peace and security to the people. It apparently demonstrates that the Indian state has prioritised issues of national security, political interests and development over and above justice, human rights, freedom of speech and right to dissent the very foundations of a democracy. The application of colonial sedition law in post-independent India has proved to be repressive and an insolent evasion of constitutional conscience. The possibility of criminal prosecution for open criticism of the government is at odds with a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, vigorous and wide-open. The sedition law does not fit in under the present constitutional scheme. In England itself, sedition law was confined as a dead letter and was formally repealed in 2009, declaring that sedition and seditious and defamatory libel are arcane offences from a bygone era when freedom of expression wasnt seen as the right it is today. There are many other areas where the executive has demonstrated semantic tendencies viz. Ordinance making power that has been used arbitrarily and to bypass the legislature, inspite of repeated verdicts that it is a serious constitutional infraction and abuse of the constitutional process. Controversial Bills were transformed into money bills to bypass the scrutiny of upper house. The communal equilibrium of the country has been seriously disturbed by creating hype around issues like cow, temple or movies. It is encouraged to keep the electoral theology in circulation to deliver for the ruling party success in 2019. Conclusion The democratic constitution of our country was founded on a delicate balance of power between the three wings of the state. A constitution is expected to endure for a long time and therefore successful working of democratic institutions requires in those who have to work a readiness to learn from failures of the past, respect viewpoints of others, capacity for developing conventions and accommodation. Many things which cannot be written in a constitution are done by convention, an aspect where we perhaps failed and failed miserably. Apprehensions were voiced in the constituent assembly about the semantic tendencies, but it was observed then that our constitution has provision in it which appear to some to be objectionable from one point or another. We must admit that the defects are inherent in the situation in the country and the people at large. If the people who are elected are capable and men of character and integrity, they would be able to make the best even of a defective constitution. If they are lacking in these, the constitution cannot help the country. After all, a constitution like a machine is a lifeless thing. It acquires life because of the men who control it and operate it and India needs today nothing more than a set of honest men who will have the interest of the country before them. (The writer is Associate Professor of Law at NLU Odisha and Deputy Registrar, Research Supreme Court of India.) When Singapores Ministry of Communications and Information and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) asked for views in their Public Consultation Paper on the draft Cybersecurity Bill earlier this year, they received so much feedback that they extended the consultation period. Much of this feedback was positive, including support from industry experts, cyber security professionals and academics, for the comprehensiveness of the Bill in dealing with protection of critical information infrastructure (CII). CII refers to the provision of key services such as telecommunications, transport, healthcare, banking and energy. Others, including regional law firms, raised concerns about the powers granted to the CSA to take information when responding to cyber breach incidents, which they feared would conflict with banking secrecy and data privacy requirements, and could in turn harm the competitiveness of businesses here. The CSA has since taken pains to clarify that it intends to focus on technical information, not personal data. More significantly, the report on the public consultation states that CSA will appoint assistant commissioners for each sector, to take into account existing sector-specific requirements, including international ones. The public consultation resulted in several other significant changes and clarification. The report clarified that only systems that have been officially designated as CIIs will be subject to the legal duties of compliance, thus excluding suppliers and third-party vendors. The fact that a company has been officially designated as a CII will no longer be subject to the Official Secrets Act. Finally, the proposed licensing regime for individuals and companies in the provision of cyber security services will be also modified to allow the Bill to be more future-proof and to enable it to stay relevant even as cyber security services continue to evolve. It is from this last development that we can draw useful lessons for policy development in this field. The public and private sectors are united in the desire for the law to be dynamic and evolve to meet the changing threats. This is in line with the global quest for future-proof legislation that can adapt to rapid developments in the scientific, technical and technological field. One of the keys to future-proof legislation is to build in flexibility. For example, the report has recognised that it would be unwieldy to legislate a distinction between investigative and non-investigative types of licensable services. Future-proofing sometimes requires stepping away from the very natural tendency to try to define every possible scenario in detail, because new situations will emerge that defy prediction. Instead, it can be more effective to be flexible and to review the landscape on a regular basis. Most recently the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act was amended to respond to the further evolution of cybercrime. The amendments create new offences for obtaining stolen personal information, hacking tools and more actions which were not significant at the time of the original legislation. Legislation can be considered future-proof if it is proactive, provides legal clarity and certainty, and if citizens see it as legitimate, because of participation in bringing outcomes or solutions to collective problems. Public consultation is, therefore, a good way to help make legislation future-proof, especially in fields like cyber security where the issues affect every aspect of society. Consultation on legislation is not new: Ministries and statutory boards have a long history of informal consultation with experts and major stakeholders. Today, many agencies post their requests for public consultation on the Governments Reach portal. One example is the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which has shared that despite its drawbacks it lengthens the policymaking process and requires resources public consultation improves the policymaking process by tapping practitioners market knowledge to validate and refine policies, identifying implementation issues in advance, providing an avenue to explain and garner support for policies, and providing greater certainty for affected parties. These are all benefits that are deeply relevant to cyber security policy. A healthy level of public-private partnership and participation by industry, civil society, experts, academics and business owners can provide the Government with the breadth and depth of up-to-date expertise that is required for policymaking in this field, especially in response to developments in international regulations, quantum computing, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence. For example, businesses here may accept the CSAs powers for incident response for now, because of a high level of trust in the authorities. However, if international regulations like the European Unions GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) impose more requirements on Singapore companies dealing with European customers, the private sector may then have to step forward to form an independent industry body for oversight and to safeguard businesses. A successful public-private partnership will require the active participation of all parties. Since the report mentions further public consultation, it should follow the best practices of this round, which include allowing the public contributions to influence decisions, recognising and communicating the needs and interests of all participants, and communicating to participants how their input affected the decisions. It would be unrealistic to expect the authority to implement every input, but every input should be recognised, to encourage participation in future processes. On the other hand, industry, civil society, experts, academics and business owners should continue to contribute frankly and vigorously to the discussion. The healthy dialogue that has arisen from this public consultation is a good start, and will be essential in the years to come as cyber security develops in ways we cannot imagine today. (The writer is Senior Fellow/ Head of Cyber and Homeland Defence, Centre of Excellence for National Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.) The 25th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. No untoward incident was reported from any where in the state. Heavy police force had been deployed in all the sensitive places in the state with stern directives given by the Uttar Pradesh government to prevent incidents of communal violence. Directives for maintaining peace and harmony to all the SSPs and SPs had also been issued by the UP police chief Sulkhan Singh. Security was exceptionally tight in Ayodhya, which was divided into four sectors, and the neighbouring Faizabad town. Twenty seven additional companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) had been deployed in the state with Faizabad and Lucknow getting the maximum deployment of six additional companies each. It was on December 6, 1992 that the Mughal era Babri mosque located in Ayodhya was demolished by kar sevaks. To prevent any untoward incident on Babri demolition anniversary by terrorist organizations, security was tightened in shopping malls, multiplexes, cinema halls and other public places in the state. Surprise inspections were carried out by the police in hotels and rest houses Ayodhya and Faizabad last night. While section 144 was promulgated in mostly all the sensitive districts, including Faizabad, the advisory sent to the district police chiefs by the UP DGP asked them to ensure the availability of officials of different departments in the districts from December 5 to December 7. The government departments covered in the advisory were health, power, revenue, excise, transport and Home Guard. The sector and zone scheme was introduced in the cities with each sector and zone under the supervision of sector, or zonal magistrate. While all the liquor and crackers shops were closed on Wednesday, it was made obligatory on the law enforcing agencies that the measures taken by the administration and the police were visible to the people. An important aspect for maintaining peace was the role of the peace committees in different towns and cities. The peace committees have played a crucial role on ensuring that there was no infringement peace and harmony. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday the British government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday, paid tributes to martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre here on Wednesday. The British government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh shootings. Some people use the word massacre, Khan told the media after visiting the Jallianwala Bagh complex. Hundreds of innocent Indians, including women, children and old people, were shot dead by the British troops led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer on April 13, 1919. The victims had no place to escape as the only narrow entrance was blocked by the troops. Colonial era records had put the death toll at around 400, while leaders of the countrys freedom movement had put it at over 1,000. Though British monarch, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip, had visited the Jallianwala Bagh in October 1997, no apology for the massacre was offered. British Prime Minister David Cameroon visited Jallianwala Bagh in February 2013 and offered regrets over the killings, stopping short of a formal apology. Khan, later on Wednesday, visited the Golden Temple complex, where the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, is located and offered prayers. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) gave Khan a siropa (robe of honour) during the visit. Khan also visited the Langar hall, the largest community kitchen in the world, of the shrine complex and partook langar while sitting on the floor. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and others met Khan at a dinner hosted for him. Khan, who was on a three-city tour of India, visiting Mumbai, New Delhi and Amritsar, later crossed over into Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah joint check post land border between India and Pakistan, about 30 km from here. The London Mayor, who is of Pakistani-origin, will also visit Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad in Pakistan. ELROY A child accidentally shot on Monday is the child of Elroy Police Chief Tony Green, according to a press release from Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson. The release states the the 3-year-old accidentally shot himself with his fathers firearm. Juneau County Sheriffs deputies responded to a residence in the town of Plymouth after a report of an accidental gunshot wound at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. The boy was transported to Mile Bluff Medical Center by Elroy Ambulance and is reported to be in stable condition. In a press release, Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson said the child is recovering well and is expected to be released from the hospital today. It was not clear whether the firearm in the incident was Greens service firearm or a personal gun. The case is currently being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Green was previously suspended without pay from April 2 to June 7 in 2015 for being at a party where alcohol was served to underage girls. A portion of the report from the Sauk County investigators included a statement from a female who reportedly was younger than 21 who said Tony (Green) was involved in a drinking game while the other girls who were underage were drinking as well. The incident is the second recent shooting involving youth in the region. In August, a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by his 10-year-old brother in Loganville while playing a game of cops and robbers. The boy said he did not believe the weapon was loaded. Loganville is in Sauk County, about 30 miles southeast of Elroy. The gruesome gangrape and murder case of 16-year-old girl in Kotkhai area of Shimla district and alleged cover-up by cops, nine of whom have been arrested by the CBI, had left everyone shocked in Himachal Pradesh. But there are more revelations that might shake everyone to the core. The CBI chargesheet brings to light that Suraj, one of the accused arrested in Gudia case, was given severe thrashing for asking for one more chapati in dinner. The thrashing had caused severe trauma and resulted in Surajs death, although it was also established that all five accused, namely Rajinder Singh alias Raju, Suraj, Subhash Singh Bisht, Lokjan alias Chhotu and Deepak were tortured to get their confessional statement. As per CBI chargesheet, a copy of which is with The Statesman, the facts were revealed during the narco-test of Raju. The narco test of Raju and other accused, Subhash, Lokjan and Deepak has also revealed that they were not involved in Gudia case. The SIT, which was constituted to probe the case, had on 10 July made attempts to extract confession from Raju, Suraj and Subhash but were stopped by a local in whose presence they were being questioned. The SIT chief, Zaidi along with Director General of Police, SomeshGoyal had announced breakthrough in the case at 4.30 pm on 13 July while the five accused were arrested at around 10.30 pm. The SIT members including DSP Theog, Manoj Joshi, SHO Rajinder Singh and ASP BhajanNegi had made video recordings of the confessional statements of Subhash and Lokjan. But they never put these on record with evidence pertaining to the case. The CBI officials had recovered working copies of these from the mobile phones of the cops and also from the computer of Zaidi. The video recordings have revealed that both the accused were under duress at the time of purported confession and in one such video, it was observed that Lokjan was not even able to walk properly. After Surajs death, the cops had allegedly tried to hush-up the case and had tried to put blame on Raju but the postmortem report had indicated otherwise. The postmortem report had concluded that Suraj had died due to blunt injuries, and not because of scuffle. In addition, there were beating marks all over his body.Dinesh, one of the Constables posted at Kotkhai Police Station on the intervening night of 18-19 July, had refused to toe senior officials line in the custodial death and he did not even sign the statement, prepared by police officials. He had allegedly recorded the conversation between him and the then SHO KotkhaiRajinder Singh in which he was pressurizing Dinesh to sign the statement as was being directed by Joshi and Zaidi. The CBI chargesheet states that Dinesh had also narrated the entire sequence to Zaidi but the latter didnt take action against the erring cops and instead submitted false report to DGP that Raju had killed Suraj. Zaidi and Joshi had allegedly tried to pressurize authorities to hand over Surajs body to his family members for cremation to destroy evidence, though CBI had asked the police to preserve the body for second postmortem. In a significant boost to New Delhis Act East Policy, India and Japan set up the Act East Forum on Tuesday as agreed during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit to India this year for the annual bilateral meeting. In pursuance of the memorandum of cooperation to establish the India-Japan Act East Forum signed on September 14 during the visit of Prime Minister Abe to India, Ministry of External Affairs and Embassy of Japan held the first joint meeting of the Forum on December 5, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu co-chaired the meeting. The Act East Forum aims to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of Indias Act East Policy and Japans Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, the statement said. The Forum will identify specific projects for economic modernisation of Indias Northeast region including those pertaining to connectivity, developmental infrastructure, industrial linkages as well as people-to-people contacts through tourism, culture and sports-related activities. According to a joint statement issued following the bilateral summit in September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abe appreciated the cooperation between Japan and northeastern India, ranging from key infrastructure projects such as road connectivity, electricity, water supply and sewage, to social and environmental sustainability such as afforestation and community empowerment, as well as people-to-people exchanges, including inviting youth from the Northeast to Japan. We agreed to work in a much more focused and substantive way in the Northeast, Jaishankar said after the summit. To that end, we agreed on an India-Japan Act East Forum which will essentially explore the possibilities of involving Japan in northeastern infrastructure, Jaishankar said. He said that development of infrastructure in the northeastern region would help India open out much more to Myanmar, Bangladesh and beyond. So it would in a practical way it really give legs to our Act East Policy, the Foreign Secretary said. He said that though Japan has been assisting northeastern India in road infrastructure, the intent this time was to take it to a much higher level. Apart from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Japanese Embassy, Tuesdays meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Home Affairs and the northeastern states from the Indian side, and Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan External Trade Organisation, Japan Foundation and Japan National Tourism Organization from the Japanese side. The Look East Policy enunciated in the early 1990s for Indias enhanced engagements with Southeast Asia for boosting economic ties, was turned into the Act Policy after the present NDA government assumed power giving a strategic dimension to it. Indian and Pakistan armies traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district late on Monday. Police said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in the area by using mortars, automatics and small arms. Pakistan army resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing in Nowshera sector yesterday evening. Indian positions retaliated strongly and effectively. Firing exchange between the two sides continued for over one hour. There was no casualty or damage on our side, police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 62nd death anniversary and shared pictures from his 2015 visit to Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai. Observed as Mahaparinirvan Din, PM Modi had visited the Ambedkar memorial in Dadar and had paid floral tributes to the architect of the Indian constitution. He had also lit a candle in front of his portrait and prayed for a few moments with folded hands. I bow to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas, Modi tweeted along with a short video crediting Ambedkar for laying the foundations of an inclusive India. I bow to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas. pic.twitter.com/wRqZH5ggny Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2017 Felt extremely blessed when I prayed at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai. Sharing some pictures from that visit, he said in another tweet. Felt extremely blessed when I prayed at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai. Sharing some pictures from that visit. pic.twitter.com/mR3cz3JMtY Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2017 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had accompanied Modi on his visit. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who died on 6 December, 1956, was a jurist, economist, politician and a social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination of Dalits, women and labourers. He was independent Indias first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India. In 1990, Ambedkar was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India. In a significant diplomatic development after the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers trilateral meeting here next week. The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Wang, along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would attend the meeting on December 11 to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The meeting is expected to review global and regional issues of mutual interests well as discuss trilateral exchanges and activities. Indian and Chinese troops were in a face-to-face situation near the Sikkim sector of the international border after the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army tried to build a road in Doklam in mid-June. While India and Bhutan said that it violated the status quo along the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, Beijing claimed that it was Chinas territory. New Delhi and Beijing eventually agreed to pull back their troops towards the end of August ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to China for the G20 Summit. Giving a new twist to the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, the Sunni Waqf Board on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ayodhya title suit till July 2019 when the next Lok Sabha elections will be over, but the top court brushed aside the plea and fixed February 8, 2018 for commencing final hearing in the case. As the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer began hearing the matter on Tuesday, senior counsel Kapil Sibal, Rajiv Dhavan and Dushyant Dave urged the court not to go ahead with the hearing which would have repercussions for the countrys polity. The court should not hear the matter which has repercussions on the polity of the country, Sibal, who appeared for the Waqf Board, urged the court to have the hearing in July 2019, suggesting that it would have a bearing on 2019 general elections. Senior counsel Harish Salve countered Sibal. He told the bench that whatever the repercussion outside the court was not the courts lookout. As far as the court was concerned, it was just a case like any other case before it, he stressed. Urging the bench to commence hearings in December itself, Salve took exception that it is being presumed which way the verdict will go You have it (hearing) in December. Salve appeared for one of the petitioners seeking an early hearing on the petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, which was stayed by the top court on May 9, 2011, which had described the High Court verdict that had divided the disputed Babri Masjid site between the Nirmohi Akhara, Lord Ram deity and the Sunni Waqf Board as strange and surprising. Referring to a statement by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader that the matter would be listed and decided in three months, Sibal said that justice should not only be done but also appear to have been done. Dave, also seeking that the hearing takes place after the 2019 elections, wondered what was the hurry. He told the bench that the government was keen that the Supreme Court heard the appeals early because Ram temple was part of the ruling partys manifesto. He urged the court not to fall into their trap, a point also reiterated by Sibal. According to Dave, the issue tears into the secular, democratic fabric of the country. He joined senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan in urging the bench that the matter should be heard by a five-judge constitution bench. Sibal also raised the issue of paucity of time in preparing the case that involves relying on more than 19,000 documents, a position also supported by Dhavan, who said the hearing would involve making their submissions and also honestly responding to the queries from the bench. Telling the bench that hearing would take long and would not be completed till October next year when Chief Justice Misra retires, Dhavan along with Sibal pushed for deferring the hearing till July 2019. Sibal wanted to know what was the urgency to hear the matter now. As Justice Bhushan did not appreciate the submission that hearing would not be completed within the tenure of the Chief Justice Misra, Dhavan regretted his submission. Having ordered that the hearing would commence on February 8, the court on Tuesday directed its registry to inform the bench by mid-January whether all the requirements of filing of pleading and documents had been completed for appropriate orders on the administrative side. After rejecting the submission on postponing the hearing till 2019, including hearing by a constitution bench, the court asked senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan, appearing for deity Ram Lala, to give introduction of the dispute before the court. At this point of time when Sibal, Dhavan and Dave sought to withdraw from the hearing, Salve took a dig at them while the court described the approach of three senior lawyers as shocking and surprising. Describing as novel the prayer that the matter be heard in 2019, the order rejected Dhavans submission that he would require four months to read, prepare and argue, saying it was advanced with medieval passion and sans reason. The court noted that the Advocates-on-Record appearing for the parties have assured that they will sit together, work in harmony and will see to it that the documents are filed within a time frame, if not already filed. If the Registry finds that the matter is incomplete for some reason or the other, it shall place the matter before Chief Justice Misra for fixing a date for completion of the record, it said. Ten ships continue to be deployed for search and rescue operations in the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi, the Indian Navy said on Tuesday. So far, Indian Naval Ships have so far saved 148 lives since the search and rescue operations started, and provided lifesaving material assistance to 174 fishermen at sea, it said. Even as the cyclone rapidly weakened and moved farther away from the Kavaratti island of Lakshadweep and Minicoy, the Southern Naval Command (SNC) continued search and rescue operations for the sixth day on Tuesday, a statement said. Ten naval ships, including frontline ships from Western Naval Command including INS Chennai, Kolkata and Trikand as well as four types of aircraft, including long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I, Dornier, and SeaKing and Chetak helicopters continue to be deployed over an extended search and rescue area of 250 nautical miles west of the Lakshwadeep islands and 400 nautical miles off Kerala coast. Based on request received from local administration of Lakshadweep islands, Disaster Relief material was disembarked at Minicoy by INS Shardul, at Kavaratti by INS Chennai, at Kalpeni by INS Sharda and at Bitra by INS Trikand with assistance also provided by naval SeaKing helicopters. In addition, technical and diving teams of INS Shardul disembarked at Minicoy island to render assistance in salvage, repair and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. A technical team, capable of undertaking electrical and mechanical repairs deployed at Bitra Island by INS Trikand has already repaired and reconstructed four badly damaged fishing vessels and made them seaworthy. INS Kabra, presently involved in search and rescue operations off Kollam, will embark local fishermen on December 6 at Kollam Port for carrying out guided search operations, based on specific inputs provided by these fishermen. Similarly, INS Kalpeni will also embark local fishermen from Kochi in an effort to further boost the ongoing rescue efforts. Both ships will embark fishermen in the morning and disembark them in the evening on completion of the guided search. In addition, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief material has been provided to all Lakshwadeep islands and all efforts are bring back normalcy to them most expeditiously. Relentless efforts are on by all other ships at the disposal of Indian Navy to provide relief and support to the last person needing it, either at sea or at the Lakshadweep islands, Indian Navy said in its statement. According to the Home Ministry, a total of 39 people from Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been killed and 167 are still missing after Cyclone Ockhi hit both the states on December 30. A terrorist involved in the recent killing of an Army soldier Irfan Dar has been arrested and a lookout notice has been issued for three other militants identified by the police. Dar, who was a sepoy in the engineering wing of the 175 battalion of Territorial Army, was shot dead in village Wuthmula of Shopian in South Kashmir on 25 November. The arrested terrorist has been identified as Muzamil of Shirmal village. Police said on Wednesday that the investigation conducted so far has revealed that terrorists involving Saddam Padder, Bilal Mohand and one newly recruited unidentified militant along with arrested Muzamil hatched a crminal conspiracy to kill the Irfan Dar. The bullet ridden body of the jawan was recovered from village Wuthmula on 25 November and consequently a case was registered by the police. In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, on 24th November, Muzamil went to the native village of Irfan and took him to Wuthmula were the other terrorists were already present in a nearby orchard. They came out from the orchard and fired at the SepoyIrfan, resulting instant death of the victim on the spot. After executing the gruesome murder all of them fled from the spot. Police on the basis of evidence available could unearth the entire chain of conspiracy and finally nabbed accused Muzammil who is presently in custody. The lookout for the other three militants is on and necessary legal proceedings are in progress to complete the investigation of the instant case, police said. I was stumped a bit the other day when my elderly aunt buttonholed me with a strange query: What are the chances of the government selling the postal services to some private company? Taken aback, I retorted, Why do you ask? I saw on TV that the government is bringing in some new law to make sick government-controlled banks loaded with bad loans bankrupt and the depositors might not get their money back. All my savings are in bank and I was just wondering whether to move the money to postal savings and whether it would be safe there, she explained. I realised that she might have seen some TV chat show on the proposed Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill 2017, tabled in Parliament and under consideration of a joint parliamentary committee and which might well get passed in the Winter Session itself once the committee submits its report. I started musing over the perplexing contradictions: While enrolling tens of millions of poor people as bank account holders, why is the government simultaneously preparing to force some crisis-ridden banks to go under insolvency, depriving millions of their existing accountholders who would be left in the lurch? What is the government really up to in first forcing millions of people to deposit all their money in banks under forced demonetisation and later arming itself to push the banks into bankruptcy depriving all of them and many millions more not only of their deposits but even their legal entitlement to receive a minimum of Rs. 1 lakh as compensation under a 1961 law? After allocating a huge amount of money for recapitalisation of the financially sick banks and after arming themselves with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016 to push for maximum recovery of overdue loans to bring down stressed assets of banks, why instead of taking the process to the logical end and nursing stressed PSBs back to health is the government rushing to prepare for killing some of them with this proposed law? Why this bankruptcy law now for banks and financial institutions which is seemingly antithetical to the IBC? It is true that the IBC doesnt cover banks and other companies providing financial services in view of provisions of the Government Savings Bank Act 1873 and the Reserve Bank Act 1934 and hence though they are also listed companies, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) cannot decide upon and execute their liquidation. So the government needs an overriding law no doubt. But what is the urgency now? In fact, an RBI report succinctly summarises the history of preparing the legal basis for liquidating sick banks and financial firms but despite the recommendations of a working group and then a task force the matter remained in cold storage [See https://rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationReportDetails.aspx?ID=849] Does it indicate a change in strategy or at least a two-track approach by the Modi Government in tackling the burden of NPAs in public sector banks? Will the government use this bill only as a scarecrow to pressurise the corrupt and recalcitrant banking bureaucracy to act for swift recovery to improve their financial health so that some public sector banks could be privatised either through strategic sale or through leveraged purchase of shares by big private corporates in staggered disinvestment? But then there is a hitch. In view of provisions of the Indian Contract Act 1872 and the Transfer of Property Act 1882, as the GoI had taken a $2 billion loan in 2009 for banking support and signed a deal for a further $4.3 billion-dollar recapitalisation loan from the World Bank, it would be difficult to transfer the ownership of the PSBs to private corporates in the absence of an overriding law. In fact, reversal of Indira Gandhis bank nationalisation and privatisation of Indian banking has already advanced considerably. Today, three of the four largest banks in India are private, namely HDFC, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank and the only PSB to figure among the top four is the ailing State Bank of India. The executives of all these and other private banks have indicated that they are eying takeover of some relatively viable PSBs. Ironically enough, foreign institutions control 49 per cent of the stakes in HDFC, 62 per cent in Axis Bank and 38 per cent in ICICI Bank and 55 per cent in the fourth largest private bank, the Kotak Mahindra Bank (the government had allowed up to 74 per cent FDI in banks in 2016) and those who are supposedly ardent nationalists are offering Indian PSBs to foreign-controlled Indian banks! Some activists of the All India Bank Employees Association I talked to have expressed other reservations. They are pointing out that asset reconstruction buying up of NPAs and bad assets, to either forcibly recover the loans or to liquidate the collaterals and the assets and recovering the investment is a booming business evoking tremendous interest among foreign financial institutions who want to buy bad assets of Indian banks. Indias No.1 asset reconstruction company ARCIL, controlled by ICICI Bank, has already purchased bad loans worth US$12.6 billion and Reliance Asset Reconstruction Company of Ambanis, Aditya Birla and Kotak Mahindra are jumping into the fray and are planning to rise more than $100 billion for purchasing bad assets. In fact, Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra has described the purchase of bad assets for restructuring as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! What is at stake is Rs. 1618 lakh crore worth of NPAs and other stressed assets. Properties of the defaulting corporates referred to the NCLT would also end up with the ARCs when they are liquidated or even restructured. Though the government itself has declared that there are more than 2,000 wilful defaulters, it has brought less than 100 companies under the NCLT so far in three instalments and that too after criticism in the media. There is absolute lack of transparency on why only a select few are brought under the NCLT and numerous others have been left out. Though the Acts and the Rules are in place, there is no transparency about the procedure that would be followed and there is still a large measure of discretionary powers with individual authorities. The bank authorities also adopt indiscriminate steps toward SMEs. The government brings only listed companies for liquidation under NCLT and in the case of SMEs and private limited MSMEs the banks themselves have already started selling the NPAs to ARCs after the due process of declaring them as NPAs and defaulters is supposedly over. Many SME owners are not fully aware of what this due process is and bank officials are acting as Shylocks. A small-scale industrialist named Varadarajan in Ambattur Industrial Estate, Chennai summed up the scenario to this writer as follows: Earlier the bank managers used to run after us for loan recovery. Now we businessmen are running after the bank managers to somehow avoid referring of our sick firms to the ARCs. The Government has not come up with a viable policy of generous bank assistance for the revival of sick small firms but is instead planning for a law for liquidating the crisis-ridden banks themselves, he lamented. Bank employees apprehend that under the threat of liquidation, the government is perhaps planning to force the PSBs to offload their bad debts to a select few ARCs. Even otherwise, takeover of the PSBs by private banks means takeover of all their bad assets as well and instead of continuing as huge liabilities they might prove to be money-spinners. To support this contention, they point to a provision in the recent amendment to the IBC, which prohibits the promoters from buying their own bad assets in auctions, which he argued was to favour some crony ARCs. The number of bank defaulters might be running into several tens of thousands. As the saying goes: the crisis of many is an opportunity for a few! My aunts apprehension sounded ominous. It is quite likely that my aunt is not alone in having such fears. At stake is the credibility of the government and its financial management. Greater transparency is the urgent need of the hour. (The author is a freelance journalist and former Polit Bureau member of the CPI(ML) Liberation) Ali Abdullah Saleh survived several assassination attempts during his decades at the helm in Yemen, but the former presidents luck ran out on Monday. It remains unclear whether he was killed in a firefight or summarily executed by his, until very recently, Houthi allies as he fled Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. It remains to be seen precisely what effect his sudden excision from the scene will have on the devastating war in the country he led for more than 30 years. Saleh was no stranger to switching sides. In fact, it was something of a habit with him. He allied himself firmly with Saddam Hussein in the 1990s, only to succumb to the lure of American largesse following the USS Cole attack by Al Qaeda affiliates in 2000 and even more notably post-9/11, with US agencies allowed free rein to pursue their prey via drones. Perhaps its no coincidence that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was subsequently designated as the deadliest arm of Osama bin Ladens outfit. As a young soldier, Saleh fought on the side of the Yemeni republican forces backed by Egypts Gamal Abdel Nasser against the Saudi-supported forces of regression in the 1960s, but as president he slipped in and out of Saudi favour. The kingdom expelled 800,000 Yemeni workers in retaliation against Salehs support for Saddam, but it did not want him gone when the Arab Spring reached Sanaa in 2011. Saleh was eventually persuaded to make way for his vice-president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi who in recent years has been based mainly in Riyadh. During Salehs extended tenure as president, his energies were frequently devoted to combating Houthi rebels, so it was something of a surprise when he aligned his forces with theirs in the fight against Hadi and, latterly, the Saudi-led military coalition spearheading Operation Decisive Storm. But at the same time he tentatively kept open channels to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and UAE diplomats are believed to have been instrumental in persuading Saleh to reconsider his allegiances yet again. Saudi media had lately begun referring to him as the former president rather than the deposed dictator, and it is rumoured that the offer involved either his return to the presidency or his sons induction as the new leader. On the other hand, it has also been suggested that the all-powerful Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, holds a grudge against Salehs son, Ahmed Ali, after the two of them almost came to blows a couple of years ago. So, who knows? Whats clearer is that last weeks volte-face immediately spawned a battle for the control of Sanaa, which had hitherto jointly been held by the Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh. The latter lost out, and their chief sought to escape. He didnt get very far. Analysts fear that the removal from the scene of a perennial player will intensify the conflict, with both Saleh loyalists and the Saudis, who had hailed the ex-presidents betrayal of his latest allies as a breakthrough, hungry for revenge. The short-term consequences may indeed conform to that scenario. But the bigger picture of the regions richest nation devoting a substantial proportion of the firepower it readily obtains from the US, Britain and France to punishing its poorest neighbour remains unaltered. Saudi media routinely refers to the Houthis as Iranian militias, which is plainly inaccurate. The extent of Iranian involvement in the conflict is likely to have increased since the Saudi onslaught, but citing it as the main reason for pursuing the aggression was always fallacious. And lets not forget that the Saudis and Emiratis expected Pakistan to jump at the chance of providing human fodder for the war. Pakistan demurred, much to their dismay. But it provided a chief, in the shape of Raheel Sharif, for the so-called Muslim Nato that Bin Salman subsequently drummed up, which could only be intended, in the medium term, to serve as a force dedicated to the obstruction or destruction of Iranian influence in the region. And, however deleterious one might assume Irans role and ambitions to be, could they conceivably be worse than Saudi designs which lately have been closely aligned with the Trump-Netanyahu playbook, not least in respect of Palestinian fortunes? What role, if any, the Muslim Nato might be playing in Yemen is, conveniently, unknown. What is well known, on the other hand, is the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe the conflict has spawned, including the worst cholera epidemic of modern times, and famine on a scale that puts Syria in the shade. A considerable proportion of the blame for these crimes against humanity can only be attached to the future custodian of the holy shrines and his blinkered allies. Salehs departure from the scene may not turn out to be an immediate boon for Yemen, but his considerable responsibility for its horrendous fate can hardly be denied. The almost relentless ferment in the Arab world has had simultaneous tremors across three nations ~ Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, the last a nuclear power. And given the intensity of the crisis that has erupted since Monday, the convulsion is seemingly intertwined. The civil war in Yemen has taken a dramatic turn with the killing of the former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by the Houthi rebels backed by Iran. He has been done to death for switching sides and seeking peace with Saudi Arabia. The desert kingdom, contending with palace intrigues, now confronts a formidable challenge as the Houthis have conveyed an awesome message across the sands, so to speak. The ruler of Yemen for more than 30 years and who was forced to resign in 2011 in the wake of the Arab Spring, has met his nemesis in the hands of an ethnic group that has been at the receiving end of Saudi Arabias brutal offensive. This must rank as the cruel paradox barely two months ahead of the seventh anniversary of the Arab Spring. The recent Saudi bombing was part of a desperate ~ if ultimately doomed ~ attempt to prevent the Houthis taking complete control of Sanaa, the capital. The outcome has been quite the contrary, and mortally so. Salehs death may prompt a furious reaction from Saudi Arabia, which is determined to push back Iranian influence in the country. As his corpse flitted across the screens of the television channels run by the Houthis, it was pretty obvious that the former Head of State had met his nemesis for his flirtation with the palace in Riyadh. By any reckoning, it has been a studious offensive by the Houthis, almost a war-like operation. Saleh is said to have been followed by the rebels in 20 armoured vehicles. The ultimate action of the persecuted has thus been greeted with a sense of shock and awe by the persecuted ~ a testament to the in-house conspiracies, reprisals and the resultant civil war within the Arab world, most importantly in Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Egypt. The violence between the Houthis and Salehs forces has led to the death of at least 125 civilians in clashes over the past five days, according to the International Red Cross. The fresh confrontation comes after the sudden collapse of the political and military alliance between the Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Saleh. The two groups had held Sanaa for the past three years in an uneasy alliance, whose inherent fragility has now turned out to be dangerously real. In the aftermath of Salehs killing, the region seems headed for a phase that could be as bloody as messy. Saudi Arabia and Iran are locked in a power struggle in the Middle East, one that has the potential to envelop the whole region in a war. Fears that Salehs killing could ignite the powder-keg are substantial. President Donald Trump will recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital and start the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city, a move against the long-held American principles which many Arab leaders warned could trigger more violence in the Middle East. According to senior administration officials, Trump will make the major announcement along with his policy from the White House tonight. The President would say that the US government recognises that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. He views this as recognition of historic reality, a senior administration official told reporters. Jerusalem has been capital of Jewish people since ancient times and modern reality that it has been the seat of government, important ministries, its legislature, the Supreme court, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. In taking this action, Trump will fulfil a major campaign promise that has been made by a number of previous presidential candidates, another senior official said. In his remarks, Trump will also direct the State Department to initiate the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Noting that finding appropriate land and construction of a new embassy would take at least a couple of years, officials said Trump would continue to give waiver as required by the Congress for not moving its diplomatic mission to Jerusalem. Trumps action enjoys broad bipartisan support in the Congress, the official said. The move, which is being opposed by the countries in the Middle East, is unlikely to have an impact on the two- state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the official said. Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel, and is optimistic that peace can be achieved, the official said, adding that not recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel has done nothing to achieve peace for more than two decades. Trump recognises that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty are subject to final status negotiations, the official said. Trump has decided to go ahead with his plan, ignoring dire warnings from Saudi Arabias King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, one of his closest allies in the Middle East. Terming it a dangerous step, Salman cautioned the move will provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world. Sisi warned that the move will complicate the situation and jeopardise the chances of peace in the Middle East. The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. Responding to questions, senior administration officials said the President believed that the move would have no impact on the peace process and the deal is within reach and can be achieved. Earlier, Trump spoke over phone with a number of leaders in the Middle East to share his decision on Jerusalem, the White House said. Trump spoke separately with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Sisi and King Salman. This announcement does not change US policy over these specific borders, the senior administration official said, while another official asserted that the President is not taking a decision that affects any of the boundaries and sovereignty. Trumps anticipated announcement received mixed message from lawmakers. Senator Ted Cruz described this as a historical announcement. I strongly encourage and would unequivocally support President Trump formally recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital and beginning the important process of moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he said. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders said he was extremely concerned over Trumps plan. Theres a reason why all past US administrations have avoided making this move, and why leaders from all over the world, including a group of former Israeli ambassadors, have warned Trump against doing it. It would dramatically undermine the prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and severely, perhaps irreparably, damage the US ability to broker that peace, Sanders said. What the US should be doing now is bringing adversaries in the Middle East together to seek common solutions, not exacerbating tensions in this highly volatile region, he said. Meanwhile, the State Department warned US embassies around the world to prepare for possible protests and violence and banned travel by government employees and their families to Jerusalems Old City and the West Bank. British intelligence have reportedly foiled a plot by Islamic extremists to assassinate Prime Minister Theresa May, a media report said. The disrupted plot against May included an explosive device that terrorists planned to detonate in front of Mays residence on 10 Downing Street, a Sky News report said. It is in essence an extreme Islamist suicide plot against Downing Street, it said. Essentially police believe that the plan was to launch some sort of improvised explosive device at Downing Street and in the ensuing chaos attack and kill Theresa May, the Prime Minister, the news report said. The plot was just one in a number of planned attacks in 2017 that cops and British security services have been able to prevent, Sky said. It was not clear on Tuesday night what stage the plot was in or if any suspects have been arrested. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Snow showers. High 31F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Some clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low around 20F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Job Title: Financial Tax Accountant Organisation: Zoe Recruitment Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: Financial Controller About US: Zoe Recruitment is an HR consultancy company that exists to contribute to the transformation of productivity and work ethic, by linking talent to business/organizations, and placing people right. At Zoe we believe this then forms the foundation for sustainable business and on a larger scale, economic growth. Zoe would like to recruit for a valuable client in the Oil and Gas industry. Job Summary: The Financial Tax Accountant will be charged with the accountability to deliver the countrys Convenience Retail and Other Non-Fuels Retailing plan. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Producing the group financial statements on a monthly basis, and on a quarterly and annual basis, Tasked with the management accounts Producing the local statutory financial statements Running the external audit All tax returns and payments as required by the local tax authority. This includes all form of taxes: Income tax, WHT, PAYE, Excise duty Dimensions: Turnover : US$ 82M Net Assets : US$ 79M Annual Tax : US$ 2M Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The Financial Tax Accountant must hold a Bachelors degree in commerce, statistics, Bus. Administration and or any other Accounting professional qualifications (ACCA, CPA) Previous experience with the local tax Authority is a desirable. Tax Knowledge Good knowledge on the Uganda and or international Tax Law How to Apply: updated CVs to with subject line indicated as Financial Tax Accountant. All suitably qualified and interested candidates should E-mail theirupdated CVs to jobs@zoerecruitmentug.com with subject line indicated as Financial Tax Accountant. Deadline: 14th December 2017 If you got a pay raise this year, you are not alone. More than three-fourths of employers in the Madison area who responded to a poll said they paid their employees more money than last year, and about as many said theyll increase wages again in 2018. The annual First Business Economic Survey of Dane County shows a majority of employers who responded to the poll said they plan to add staff and boost paychecks next year, and they think their businesses will be more profitable at the same time. Our 15th annual First Business Economic Survey shows widespread optimism for 2018 among Dane County business leaders, said Mark Meloy, First Business Bank CEO. We are also encouraged to see that Dane County business leaders plan new investments in their workforce in 2018. Nearly half of the business leaders surveyed 48 percent said they added jobs this year, while 11 percent cut staff. For 2018, even more employers, 53 percent, said they expect to do more hiring. Thats the highest percentage in 15 years. Only 2 percent said they expect to reduce staff. Meanwhile, 78 percent of those polled said they gave their staff wage hikes this year, and 76 percent said theyll offer higher pay in 2018. The survey did not ask how much employers pay their workers, on average. At the same time, sales and profitability were up. Just over half of the employers, 52 percent, said their earnings rose this year, and 59 percent said they anticipate higher profits in 2018. Nearly two-thirds of the executives 65 percent saw their sales climb in 2017, and 75 percent think the increase will continue into 2018. In manufacturing, optimism is running high, the poll shows. Ninety percent of the manufacturing business leaders who replied project higher sales in 2018. Thats the highest percentage since the survey began 15 years ago. Manufacturers said they plan to boost staffing and wages, as well. Seventy-one percent of manufacturers expect to raise their employee count in 2018 and as many as 95 percent said they will raise employee pay also the highest figure since the survey started. Overall, by a 4-to-1 margin, business leaders said their companies performance in 2017 lived up to or exceeded their expectations; only 20 percent said its been a worse year for their businesses than they had anticipated. Higher operating costs were the biggest problem for those who were disappointed in this years outcome; a shortage of skilled job applicants was second. Those who saw improved performance by their companies credited increased marketing, internal efficiencies and a boost in sales effort. The executives polled said that for next year, they plan to diversify their client base, create a process for generating innovative business ideas, and create or expand a leadership training curriculum for their companies. In Dane County, 214 company leaders completed the survey during a six-week period from late September through early November. The survey was conducted by Altsech Consulting for First Business Bank. Job Title: Driver Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Position No.: 10026769 Vacancy Notice: 032/2017 Reports to: Administrative/Finance Associate Duty Station: Uganda Post Grade: GL2 About UNHCR: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Job Summary: The Driver is mainly responsible for up keep and maintenance of the assigned UNHCR vehicle(s) as per technical guidance and specifications established by the organisation. The incumbent will be required to follow strict instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor. While the basic function of a driver is to drive the official vehicles of UNHCR, he/she may be called upon to perform minor maintenance and repair of UNHCR vehicles. The incumbent has regular contacts with staff within UNHCR office and with service providers outside UNHCR involving a limited exchange of information. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Drive UNHCR vehicles for the transport of authorized passengers and delivery and collection of mail, documents, UNHCR pouch and other items. Meet official personnel at the airport and facilitate immigration and customs formalities as required. Carry out the day-to-day maintenance of the assigned vehicles; check oil, water, battery, brakes, tyres, etc. and ensure that the assigned UNHCR vehicles are road worthy and maintained up to the established security standards. Conduct minor repairs and arrange for other repairs and ensure that the vehicle is kept clean. Ensure that the steps required by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement in accident. Log official trips, daily mileage, gas consumption, oil changes, greasing, etc. Perform any other related duties as required by the Administrative/Finance Associate Key Performance Indicators: Assigned UNHCR vehicles are properly maintained and equipped as per technical guidance and specifications established by the Organisation. Local traffic rules and regulations are strictly observed. Instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor and security focal point are strictly followed by the Driver and the passengers during the journey Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNHCR Driver job vacancy should have completed Primary Education or equivalent technical or commercial school. At least two years of previous job experience relevant to the function. Driving licence, knowledge of driving rules and regulations and skills in minor vehicle repair. Good knowledge of English, Aringa and Lugbara Good mechanical skills are desired Ability to work in remote areas. How to Apply: All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions after reviewing the job details. th December 2017 Deadline: 18December 2017 find us on our facebook page For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat Vijay Mallya's defence team on Tuesday argued the Indian government was "clutching at straws" to implicate the liquor baron in an alleged fraud case as there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations. The extradition trial of Mallya, wanted in India for financial irregularities involving a total amount of Rs 9,000 crore as well as money laundering, began at the London's Westminster court on Tuesday, wherein Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) outlined the Indian government's case against him. On the opening day of the trial, CPS had claimed Mallya had a "case of fraud" to answer. The CPS had also questioned why Mallya continued to provide personal guarantees for the loan applications when he, a senior executive at now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and United Breweries Group, knew that the airline would fail. Responding to this, Mallya's defence counsel, Clare Montgomery, in another detailed session, argued that a false argument was made by CPS at the behest of the Indian government. Refuting the government's claim that the representations made by Kingfisher Airlines and Mallya about "profit projections" for the airline in 2009 were false, the defence counsel said that the profitability of the airline was out of his control as it depended on uncertain economic factors. "How can it contend that that it is false when the profitability of an airline depends on economic factors that are cyclical and out of the control of Vijay Mallya and Kingfisher Airlines. For instance, fuel costs, competition, strength or weakness of the Rupee and the global economic climate. This is a false premise advanced by the Crown Prosecution Service at the behest of the Indian government," Montgomery said. The defence counsel further stated that there was no evidence to support the Indian government's claim that the securities pledged by Mallya against the loans were worthless. Brushing aside government's claim that Mallya made misrepresentations to various banks to acquire loans, the lead barrister for the defence argued, "The Kingfisher Airlines had a good liquidity in that it was a business where there was regular cash flow, by way of the sale of tickets. The idea that there was a set group of people that had to receive payments is unreal. The airline had cashflow and the funds were diverted where it was needed. The list of creditors does not stand still. The reason that the money needs to be borrowed is because there's a shortfall." Outlining the issue of dishonesty as alleged by the government, the defense counsel said, "The year 2012 led to a massive falling out between banks and Kingfisher Airlines. Banks were leaking information that they would not continue to support the airline. Even when the government opened up the aviation market, the banks were already declaring that they had no intention of continuing support for Kingfisher. Despite this, Mallya pledged to work with the banks and offered further personal guarantees to make Kingfisher Airlines work." Montgomery also refuted the government's claim that Kingfisher Airlines had lied about receiving compensation from International Aero Engines, an engine supplier, for faulty engines which had led the company to incur major losses. "The government claimed this was a lie and that Kingfisher Airlines would not receive any compensation in the future which would go towards liquidity in the company. But a number of contracts were signed between Kingfisher Airlines and International Aero Engines that showed the latter was in talks to honour its commitments in relation to the engines and compensation with the airline," she said. She also rubbished the government's claim that Mallya inflated his net worth by inflating the values of his assets in April 2009 to acquire loans. "The government alleged that Mallya had understated the value of his assets. If this was the case then what happened to the money and the adequacy of the securities?" she questioned. Refuting Indian government's allegation that corporate guarantee by United Breweries Group was worthless and therefore, Mallya attempted to fraudulently obtain loans, the defence counsel questioned on what basis the government was making such claims. "United Breweries and United Spirits were 'fabulously successful' companies. So on what basis does the government say this?" she said. On Tuesday, the defence also introduced its first expert witness, Barry Humphries PhD, one of the United Kingdom's foremost experts on the aviation industry. Humphries spoke at length about the aviation industry in India and the circumstances that could have led to Kingfisher Airlines' demise. "In fact, there was interest in Kingfisher in the years before the Indian government relaxed rules on overseas investment in the Indian aviation sector. I believe Kingfisher would have benefited enormously by the changes to the laws as it was a very attractive target for an international airline," Humphries added. Commenting on the concerns about Kingfisher's sponsorship of the Force India Formula 1 team and its impact on Kingfisher's bottom line, Humphries said that the commercial aviation and motorsport was a "perfect fit" as evident by similar tie-ups elsewhere in the world and said such sponsorship was a "very effective" marketing tool. The most animated moment of the day came when Montgomery brought up the issue of jail conditions in India and what she termed the "political motivation" behind the Indian government's case. "We will provide expert testimony that the CBI has a long and inglorious history of bringing politically motivated prosecutionswe will show that there is a direct correlation between its prosecutions and elections," Montgomery said. "There are very few external factors that can be controlled by an airline or its management. Things like the price of fuel, disease, political issues and economic factors impact on a given airline's performance. In India, these are exacerbated by the factors such as excessive bureaucracy and the restrictive Indian regulatory regime," she said. "All political partiesthe ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress Party and the Shiv Senahave looked into the Vijay Mallya case to make political capital," she added. Responding to judge Emma Arbuthnot's comparison between jail conditions in Russia and IndiaJudge Arbuthnot had recently presided over an extradition case involving a Russian political dissidentMontgomery said that conditions in Indian jails were "infinitely worse than in Russia". At least in Russia, they provide access to experts to assess conditions, she said. Montgomery also cited conditions at the Arthur Road jail in Mumbai and the recent incident at the city's Byculla jail. He stated that at the time of Kingfisher's demise, there was serious "excess capacity" in the aviation sector and that it was there would be some market correction but it was "not inevitable" that Kingfisher would collapse as it did. The courtroom was again packed with press and intrigued members of the public. Mallya's wife, Pinky Lalvani, was seen sitting in the press gallery, even as the liquor baron sat in the glass-enclosed dock. The hearing was thereafter adjourned for Thursday (December 7) wherein the arguments will continue in and against Mallya's favour. The trial is expected to further continue on 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th of December. -ANI Actor Gajendra Chauhan termed his controversy-filled stint as the chairman of Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune as his "biggest contribution to the film industry". "When I joined this institute on January 1, 2016, it was almost non-functional. The student batch of 2007-8 for three years diploma course were awaiting for their certificates despite remaining in the institutes for eight years. No admission were conducted in 2014-15 session. The 49 students could complete their diploma in 2016 after I joined and cleared the stagnation," he said at a meet the press programme here. Chauhan, whose appointment was bitterly opposed by the students, said he had invited top academicians to the institute, improved syllabus, created a choice based credit system and upgraded three years diploma course in to Masters degree in all six streams acting, direction, editing, graphics, cinematography and post-production editing. "In the earlier period, the students were unable to understand cinema in total. They could study cinema in parts, I think this was my most important contribution to students in this field.." he said. He also he had cleared the construction of two new studios, which would enable funds to flow from their rental for shootings. About the controversy over his appointment, Chauhan said it was political since the chairman's posting is a political appointment. Paying tribute to Shashi Kapoor, who had passed away on Monday, Chauhan said that once he was advised by the veteran actor to maintain good behavior so that work could continue and said he was still following the instructions which helped him "survive in this tough world". On the Padmavati controversy, he said its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali should keep his options open and improve in the areas where there are objections. "If I had been the producer, I would have contacted the royal family first with the script," he said. Congress leader Kapil Sibal's plea to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to defer hearing the Ram Janmabhoomi case till after the next Lok Sabha election in 2019 was just the opportunity the BJP was waiting for. Coming as it did in the middle of election season in Gujarat, the Supreme Court's hearing of the Ayodhya title suit case has provided the saffron party with new ammunition to attack Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi as he has been pursuing a 'soft Hindutva' campaign in the western state. Sibal, in his capacity as lawyer representing the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board, asked a three-judge bench of the Supreme Courtwhich has been looking into appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court's verdict in the caseto defer hearing the matter till July 15, 2019. The rationale offered by Sibal as he sought deferment of hearing from the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was that the issue has political ramifications, and that the Supreme Court should not fall into the trap of the ruling BJP, which had kept the Ram Mandir issue in its election manifesto. It did not take BJP president Amit Shah long to realise the political import of Sibal's arguments in court. No sooner had the hearing in court ended, the BJP sent out a message saying that Shah would give a media byte at the party office in Ahmedabad. The BJP chief lost no time in asking the Congress to clarify its stand on the Ram Temple. Referring to Gandhi's frequent visits to temples in Gujarat as he campaigned for the Assembly elections, Shah said the Congress vice president should make it clear if he supports the stand taken by Sibal in court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in Gujarat on Wednesday, raked up Sibal's argument made in court. (There is) no objection that Kapil Sibal is fighting on behalf of Muslim community, but how can he say do not find a solution to this until next election? How is it connected to Lok Sabha elections? Modi asked at a rally in Dhandhuka. The Congress has been walking a thin line in Gujarat as it tries to limit the election discourse to issues other than religion. It has been completely silent on the communal riots of 2002. It realises that once the election gets communalised, the BJP stands to gain from the polarisation that would follow. And this strategy has frustrated BJP strategists. The Ayodhya case may give the BJP the window it needed to appeal to Hindutva sentiments. The party has been quick to latch on to Sibal's submissions before court, and attack Rahul and the Congress over the temple issue. In the fag end of campaigning in Gujarat, the BJP may look to use the opportunity. After he refused to respond to court warrants six times, a special court in Bhind, in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh, has issued an arrest warrant against minister of state for general administration Lal Singh Arya for his role in the murder of a Congress MLA in 2009. A special judge in Bhind, Yogesh Kumar Gupta, issued the arrest warrant against the minister after he refused to accept warrants from the local police who tried to serve it to the minister. The minister did not present himself before the court even after a bailable warrant of Rs 25,000 was issued against him. The police told the court that minister refused to accept the warrant even as he was served it six times earlier. A court warrant was issued against Arya in May this year for the first time when a special plea of the family of the victim was entertained. Hearing the plea, the court ordered to include the name of the minister as one of the accused under Section 302 of the IPC. The case was reopened after a previous accused was found murdered two years back after spending three years in jail. Arya, who is the MLA from Gohad Assembly constituency, lost to Makhanlal Jatav of the Congress in the 2008 December polls. In April 2009, Jatav was killed while he was canvassing for a Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha polls. Later in a bypoll, Ranveer Jatav, son of Makhanlal, was elected. In 2013, Arya won from the Gohad Assembly seat by defeating Ranveer. Earlier, the police had arrested 13 people including a senior advocate in Bhind, Tejnarayan Shukla. Shukla was also president of the district bar association. As an accused in the case, he had spent 39 months in jail. He was released two years back but was found murdered at his farmhouse. Jatav's family had filed a review petition under Section 319 of the CrPC. Special judge Gupta on Wednesday ordered the inclusion of Arya as an accused under Section 302 of the IPC. Congress leader and former minister Govind Singh, who is the MLA from Lahar in Bhind district, asked the chief minister to drop Arya from the state cabinet. State Congress president Arun Yadav too demanded Arya's resignation. Leader of opposition Ajay Singh asked the chief minister to drop the accused minister from the cabinet owing to moral responsibility. He said the people sitting in high offices should set an example. He reminded the BJP that Uma Bharati resigned under similar circumstances when a court in Hubli, Karnataka, issued a arrest warrant against her. The Haryana government on Wednesday said a three-member committee that was formed to probe the case of overcharging at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram had found several irregularities. The minister said that the state government would ask Haryana Urban Development Authority to cancel the hospital's land operating lease. Fortis Hospital had charged the family of a seven-year-old child who died of dengue nearly Rs 16 lakh for being treated there in September. State Health Minister Anil Vij said that the hospital had not followed the standard protocols and several irregularities were found in the matter. The hospital had overcharged the parents of the seven-year-old victim, Adya Singh, he said. For instance, the probe found that the platelets that were administered to Singh were billed differentlyin 25 instances, they were billed at Rs 400 per unit, and in eight instances, they were charged Rs 2,000 per unit. The hospital's blood bank licence will be revoked because of overcharging for platelets, Vij announced at a press conference in Chandigarh. The minister also said that the Haryana government would be writing to the Medical Council of India to probe the matter, and an FIR would be registered. Fortis also failed to report the dengue case to the state Health Department, for which they have been served a notice. The case of Adya Singh, whose family was charged a whopping Rs 15.79 lakh for the treatmentthe final bill included 660 syringes and 1,600 gloveshad come to light when Singh's father's batchmate had tweeted about the medical negligence and overcharging on part of the hospital. The ensuing outrage in the media led the Centre to take note of the incident. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda sought a report on the incident and said that necessary action would be taken in the matter. Following Nadda's comments, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan also asked the state Health Department in Chandigarh to initiate an inquiry in the case. In a letter to the principal secretary of department, Sudan, citing media reports about the case, asked for an 'urgent inquiry' and promised 'exemplary action' in case any 'overcharging, negligence or malfeasance' was found on part of the hospital. After hours of drama, twists and turns of acceptance and rejection, actor Vishal Krishnas nomination papers to the RK Nagar constituency were rejected. Vishal is officially out of the fray now. In a statement issued late night, Returning Officer Velusamy said Vishals papers have been rejected. Explaining the reasons for rejection, Velusamy said, The papers were scrutinised after objections were raised over the authenticity of the proposers. Two of the proposersSumathy and Deepanappeared in person and gave a written representation saying that they had not proposed the nomination of Thiru Vishal Krishna and that their signatures were forged. After the ECI informed that his papers were rejected, Velusamy said that Vishal came in person and produced an audio clip which claimed that the proposer Sumathy was coerced by people who were supporting Madhusoodhanan to give the representation of false signature. He further states, Upon the summary hearing, it is clear that the two proposers, namely Smt Sumathy and Thiru Deepan have appeared in person and staked claim that it was not their valid signatures and the representative of the nominee of Thiru Vishal Krishna only brought a telephonic audio clip, the veracity of the person speaking therein cannot be ascertained and hence I conclude that the required number of the proposers have not validly proposed the candidature of Thiru Vishal Krishna and that he has been proposed by only eight valid proposers and hence he has not fulfilled the conditions for valid nomination. Therefore, I conclude that the nomination for Thiru Vishal Krishna filed in SL No. 72 is rejected upon my summary enquiry. More than the rejection, it was the drama and protests in front of the RO's office that caught everyone's attention. The drama began in the evening at around 5.30pm when Vishal reached there as his nomination papers were rejected. He sat in protest in front of the Velusamy's office. As if in a movie, Vishal shouted for justice when the police surrounded his team. At around 8pm, news spread that his papers were accepted as Vishal produced an audio clip saying the proposers were coerced. But late in the night again after all the dust settled, his papers were rejected. The drama continued for several hours till midnight. While Vishal was protesting at RK Nagar, his cinema colleagues sat in protest at the Tamil Nadu film producers council office. Director Cheran, who has been protesting for the past two days, had more voices to support him in the form of Radhika Sarathkumar and T. Rajender. Meanwhile, one of the office bearers of the producers council K. Gnanavel Raja, resigned from the post of general secretary citing personal reasons. Sources say he stepped down as he had filed nominations to contest for the post of president of the Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur District Film Distributors Association. It is said that the council has been suffering a setback, as most of the producers are still awaiting subsidy reimbursement from the state government for years now. At least 148 producers, say sources are waiting for the reimbursement, for which the office bearers had taken responsibility. One of the prominent producers told THE WEEK, We dont have any objections to him contesting the bypolls. He can get into politics anytime as he wishes. But as the president of the association he has to work in tandem with the government to fulfill the pending requirements. This is his duty. However, the buzz in RK Nagar is that Vishals papers have been rejected, out of fear. RK Nagar, with just over 2,40,000 voteshas just three community votes with one being the Telugu population. Sources say Vishal was targeting these votes and splitting these votes will e a major setback for AIADMKs Madhusoodhanan. Vishal is one of the 54 candidates whose nomination has been rejected. Along with Vishal, Jayalaithaas neice Deepa Jayakumars papers were also rejected, as some of the columns in her Form 26 were left blank. Unlike previous years, the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition on December 6 will be different in Ayodhya this year, mainly for two reasons: The Supreme Court has taken up the case for hearing and Uttar Pradesh, after 17 years, is ruled by a BJP government with a huge majority under Hindutva mascot Yogi Adityanath. The apex court is taking up the case seven years after the Allahabad High Court delivered its verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute in 2010. The top court has decided to commence the final hearing from February 8, 2018. Hindus, especially those from the saffron camp, are elated over the fact that both the Centre and the state are ruled by the governments of BJP, a party which strongly advocates construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Their enthusiasm is palpable. The saffron brigade has grand plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Babri demolition on December 6, the day which it terms as Shaurya Diwas(day of valour). The VHP, Bajrang Dal and other allied bodies have urged locals of Ayodhya to light up not only their homes but all the major temples in the town with Diyas(earthen lamps). Thy have also planned a Mashal Joloos (torch procession). VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma told THE WEEK, This time it is a different scenario; Wednesday will be celebrated in a grand way with ample scintilla. There will be a meeting of seers at Karsevakpuram (VHP headquarters in Ayodhya) among other activities. Bajrang Dal national convenor Manoj Verma said: We will take out a torch procession in entire Ayodhya and there will be meetings at many places to celebrate the occasion. Surely, this December 6 will be a different day for residents of Ayodhya. Muslims observe December 6 as Yaum-e-Gham (day of sorrow). Muslim outfits have plans to gather at the house of Iqbal Ansari, the son of the oldest litigant in the disputed case, Hashim Ansari, to take stock of the legal situation. Haji Mehboob Ali, a Muslim leader, said, We observe it as a black day. Men from our community will tie black ribbon and will assemble at my place to mark the occasion. Meanwhile, there is a stoic clam in this sacred city. All activities are going on at its usual pace. Locals are not much bothered about the hype being created by the saffron brigade or the Muslim outfits. Pawan Sharma, a local resident, said, Locals of Ayodhya are not much bothered about the political ramifications of this case because it has been dragged on for a vary long period and people virtually have no interest in it now. Faizabad SSP Subhash Singh Baghel said all the necessary arrangements had been made to ensure security in Ayodhya and that additional forces would be deployed to prevent any untoward incidents. Meanwhile, various parties associated with the temple dispute are camping in Delhi as the top court is set to hear the case. They include Mahant Dhram Das of Nirvani Ani and Nirmohi Akharas Raja Ramachandracharya. Haji Mehboob Ali, who represents Muslims, too, is in Delhi. However, Iqbal Ansari could not reach the national capital allegedly because of financial crunch. All the parties have unanimously said that they will abide by the courts verdict and that in no circumstances they will allow communal harmony to be disturbed in Ayodhya. Mahant Dinendra Das said, A solution acceptable to both the parties should be found. Here is a timeline of the coming few days that will determine whether Britain avoids further costly delays in giving business assurances of a smooth exit from the European Union and of free trade with its biggest market in the future: Phase time May wants the EU to open the second phase of Brexit negotiations concerning relations after Britains withdrawal on March 30, 2019. The EU will only do that if there is sufficient progress in agreeing divorce terms, notably on three key issues: a financial settlement, guaranteed rights for EU citizens in Britain and a soft border with Ireland. One, two three...progress A deal on money is effectively done, EU officials said last week. There are indications of agreement on citizens rights. But opposition from British Prime Minister Theresa Mays key allies in Northern Ireland to treating the province differently from the mainland in a bid to maintain an open EU land border with EU-member Ireland scuppered a deal on Monday. Brexit dance steps As part of the choreography for a political deal, the EU set May an absolute deadline of Monday to provide new offers in time for the other EU leaders to approve a move to Phase 2 at a summit of the EU-27 on December 15. That is now pushed back till the end of the week, EU officials say. May is pushing for a simultaneous, reciprocal guarantee from the EU of a soft transition and future trade deal, which she may use to show Britons what her compromises have secured. The EU wants to have firm British offers which the 27 can discuss before leaders commit. The result is some complex dance steps: Read more: May fails to strike Brexit border deal with Ireland Wednesday, December 6 May is expected to return to Brussels as soon as Wednesday. If European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier emerge from the meeting to pronounce that sufficient progress has been made, summit chair Donald Tusk will then distribute draft guidelines for the EU negotiating position in trade talks to the other 27 governments. Monday, December 11 EU-27 sherpas meet to prepare the summit - a key moment for national leaders advisers to seek changes to guidelines. Tuesday, December 12 EU affairs ministers of EU-27 meet to prepare summit. Thursday, December 14 May attends routine EU summit in Brussels. Defence, social affairs, foreign affairs and migration are on the agenda. Friday, December 15 After May has left, EU-27 leaders hold Brexit summit. If they have had enough time, they could acknowledge sufficient progress and endorse the trade negotiating guidelines, including proposed terms for a two-year, status-quo transition period. January Outline of EU transition offer, to be included in the 2019 withdrawal treaty may be ready. Under it, Britain is likely to retain most rights except voting in the bloc, and meet all its obligations until the end of 2020. February After fine-tuning their negotiating position, EU-27 may be ready to open talks with London on a free trade pact that Brussels likens to one it has with Canada. Financial settlement The EU estimated at some 60 billion euros ($71 billion) what Britain should pay to cover outstanding obligations on leaving. EU officials say there is now agreement after Britain offered to pay an agreed share of most of the items Brussels wanted, especially for committed spending that will go on after 2020. Both sides say there is no precise figure as much depends on future developments. British newspaper reports that it would cost up to 55 billion euros sparked only muted criticism from Mays hardline pro-Brexit allies who once rejected big payments. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Saturday that London would be paying the EU 60 billion euros on Brexit. Citizen's rights Barnier is still seeking a commitment that the rights of 3 million EU citizens who stay on in Britain after Brexit will be guaranteed by the European Court of Justice, not just by British judges. May has said the ECJ should play no more role in Britain. But the issue could be vital to ensure ratification of the withdrawal treaty by the European Parliament. EU officials say a compromise may be to let the Luxembourg-based ECJ oversee cases on citizens rights for only a few years after Brexit. Irish border Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said London agreed on Monday that Northern Ireland, a British province, would remain in regulatory alignment with the EU, and hence the Irish Republic, to ensure there was no hard border with police and customs checks that could disrupt peace. However, a hostile reaction from Mays pro-Brexit and pro-London allies in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), on whom she depends for her slim parliamentary majority, caused her to hold off agreeing the package deal with Juncker. The DUP and many in Mays own party fear that means separating the province from the British mainland - or forcing EU rules onto the whole of the UK. Leaders of mainland regions Scotland, Wales and London leapt on the deal to demand similar freedom to perhaps remain in the EU customs union or single market, giving May a new headache. Varadkar said he is willing to see changes in the text but not something that would change its actual meaning. President Donald Trump told Israeli and Arab leaders on Tuesday that he intends to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a decision that breaks with decades of US policy and risks fuelling violence in the Middle East. Senior US officials said Trump on Wednesday is expected to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital while delaying relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv for another six months, though he plans to order his aides to immediately begin planning such a move. US endorsement of Israels claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital would reverse long-standing US policy that the citys status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordans King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabias King Salman, who all received telephone calls from Trump, joined a mounting chorus of voices warning that unilateral US steps on Jerusalem would derail a fledgling US-led peace effort and unleash turmoil in the region. The White House said that Trump had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime proponent of a US embassy move to Jerusalem. Netanyahus office did not respond to a request for comment, but a senior Israeli minister welcomed Trumps decision while vowing that Israel would be prepared for any outbreak of violence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Trump, who promised during the presidential campaign to move the embassy in Israel, would give a speech on Wednesday about his Jerusalem decision. The president I would say is pretty solid in his thinking at this point, she said, declining to provide details. Trump notified Abbas of his intention to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Abbas, in response, warned of the dangerous consequences such a decision would have to the peace process and to the peace, security and stability of the region and of the world and also appealed to the Pope and the leaders of Russia, France and Jordan to intervene. The Jordanian monarch, whose dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, told Trump that moving the embassy would have dangerous repercussions for the region and would obstruct US efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to a palace statement. King Salman stressed to Trump that any US announcement on the status of Jerusalem would inflame Muslim feelings all over the world, the Saudi Press Agency said. None of the leaders statements said whether Trump specified the timing of an embassy move, a notion supported by successive governments in Israel, a close US ally. But US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was expected to sign a national security waiver - as have his predecessors - keeping the embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but would commit to setting the move in motion. However, he was not planning to set a specific timetable, the officials said. The Trump administration would need time to overcome logistical issues such as lack of a secure embassy building and staff housing in Jerusalem, according to one US official. Trump appears intent on satisfying the pro-Israel, right-wing base, including evangelical Christians, that helped him win the presidency but was disappointed when he delayed the embassy move in June. No other country has its embassy in Jerusalem. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, an action not recognised internationally. A big mistake Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who met last week with US officials in Washington, told Israels Army Radio: My impression is that the president will recognise Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years, as the capital of the state of Israel. Asked whether Israel was preparing for a wave of violence if Trump recognises Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, he said: We are preparing for every option. Anything like that can always erupt. If Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) will lead it in that direction then he will be making a big mistake. Islamist militant groups such as al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah have in the past tried to exploit Muslim sensitivities over Jerusalem to stoke anti-Israel and anti-US sentiment. Asked whether Trump recognised that his Jerusalem decision could spark violence, Sanders said: A number of things have been looked at that have been weighed into the presidents decision. Senior US officials told Reuters some officers in the State Department were also deeply concerned and the European Union, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League all warned that any such declaration would have repercussions across the region. Turkey threatened on Tuesday to cut diplomatic ties with Israel if Trump recognises Jerusalem. Katz took to Twitter to reject Turkeys threat and reiterate Israels position on the city, which is one of a long list of stumbling blocks in years of failed peace talks with the Palestinians. A US official said the consensus US intelligence estimate on US recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital was that it would risk triggering a backlash against Israel, and also potentially against US interests in the Middle East. It is also likely to upset an Israeli-Palestinian peace push led by Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, in pursuit of what the US president has called the ultimate deal. The initiative has made little progress. The White House said in a statement that in calls with Israeli and Arab leaders, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation with each partner. Arab criticism of Trumps plan contrasted sharply with the praise Washingtons traditional Arab allies heaped on him at the beginning of his administration. They saw Trump as re-engaging in the region after what they perceived as former President Barack Obamas distancing of himself from them, as well as taking a tougher stand against Iran. The European Unions top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said on Tuesday that any action that would undermine peace efforts to create two separate states for the Israelis and the Palestinians must absolutely be avoided. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently warned against any unilateral action that would have the potential to undermine the two-state solution, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York. -Reuters From 1988 to 1989, Kadir Pirzada of the Congress was mayor of Surat, the city known for its diamond and textile trade. Since 1990, the BJP has held sway over the mayors post. Considered close to Sonia Gandhis political secretary Ahmed Patel, Pirzada was one of the few Muslim mayors the city had before the BJP swooped in. And the number of Muslim MLAs has been dwindling. The outgoing Gujarat assembly had only two Muslim members, down from 12 in 1980. Pirzada had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly election, and was eyeing the Surat East seat this time but lost the ticket to a Hindu Khatri candidate. The Congress, like the BJP, has been strategically keeping away from Muslim issues. No one has spoken to us, he told THE WEEK. The Muslim community is feeling ignored. The community is committed to the Congress. Yet, something is going on, the community feels so. If a large community is being sidelined, everyone should be worried, including the BJP. The Muslim voter appears to have gone missing from the election narrative. While the BJP has never shied away from its hindutva ideology, the Congress also wants to be seen as a pro-Hindu party this time. This was evident from its engagement with caste leaders like Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, and also from Rahul Gandhis temple visits (20 in two months). Muslims account for 9.67 per cent of the states population. Though the community had traditionally supported the Congress, a section of Muslims had started veering towards the BJP owing to the Congresss poor electoral show. The last time the Congress had a winning formula was in 1985 when it won 149 seats after making the KHAM (Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims) alliance. It is trying to do the same this election by bringing together Patidars, dalits and Other Backward Classes, hoping the Muslims will stay by its side. But, the party has fielded only six Muslim candidates. Former state Congress secretary Feroz Malek, who, too, had been angling for the Surat East seat (with 84,000 Muslims of 2 lakh voters), quit the party after the ticket was denied to his community. I have no problem if Rahul Gandhi goes to a temple. But why ignore the Muslims? he asked. I think the party is moving away from its core ideology. That is why, I quit. I have been told by many people that Muslims are now asked to stay away from rallies, so that the Congress can shake off its pro-Muslim tag. Muslims have a significant presence in 25 of 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly. Currently, 17 are held by the BJP. When Narendra Modi was the chief minister, Gujarat had aggressively projected a governance model where minorities were not seen differently from the rest of the populationone reason why the state does not have a separate minority affairs department. The Congress, on the other hand, portrayed itself as a pro-minority party, which eventually benefited the BJP. Despite the support of Patidars, dalits and OBCs, the Congress would still need the Muslim vote to ensure it doesnt lose its edge over the BJP. But who will the Muslims vote for? Sociology professor Parvez Abbasi, who retired from the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, described them as silent voters. They are keeping mum, he said. Gujarat is totally Hinduised. That explains why the Congress wants a pie of that. Muslims are a microscopic minority. Even they are divided. In every election, many dummy Muslim candidates are put up to divide the votes. So, they never come up. Abdul Hafiz Lakhani, editor of Gujarat Siyasat, a Gujarati newspaper, said the Congresss change of strategy had an effect on the BJP. The BJP has been wooing Bohra and Shia Muslims, and its campaign trail now includes Muslim majority areas. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, for the first time, had a rally in Jamalpur. Lakhani said some sections of the community felt that it was better to engage with the BJP as it was near impossible to defeat it. But what plagues the community is its lack of strong leadership. Muslims say they have been pushed to the margins after the 2002 riots, and though there have been no riots since then, they are under constant pressure to adhere to the nationalistic narrative. It is a constant pressure that I feel here. I am always aware of my identity, which is not the case in other cities, said a restaurant owner in Surat. The Patidar, dalit and OBC movements have forced a rethink within the community. The Muslims are not organised in that manner to participate in the democratic process, said Zakia Soman, cofounder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan that was one of petitioners in the triple talaq case. It is also because the community has only looked up to religious leaders, and not social leaders. Though there is no evidence, she said a few Muslim women could support the BJP owing to its stand on the triple talaq issue. Vadodara-based social activist Zuber Gopalani, however, said the Muslims had a strategy up their sleeves. He said they were keeping quiet so as to counter allegations that Muslims being favoured often led to polarisation. This change has been pushed by new voters and youngsters within the community. Through our network of NGOs and other bodies, they have been talking about losing out on major opportunities. This is the first election where we are not talking about roti-kapda-makaan for Muslims, or about 2002 [riots]. We are talking about issues that any common man would debate on. We have told this both to the BJP and the Congress. Muslims, for the first time, are showing that they, too, can keep their cards close to the chest, said Gopalani, who is part of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat. In the end, Muslims will have to choose the party that will cause less damage to them, said Ahmedabad-based social activist Afzal Memon. Muslims make up 9.67 % of Gujarats population For a proportionate representation, Muslims need at least 18 members in the assembly, which has never been achieved Their best performance was in 1980 when they secured 12 seats Muslim candidates only managed 2.37 per cent of the total votes polled in 2012 Muslims have a significant presence in 25 of 182 constituencies. These constituencies are located in the districts of Kutch, Ahmedabad and Bharuch An elderly man of about 80 was arrested after he was suspected of having robbed a 77-year-old female acquaintance at knifepoint and then fleeing with the money. An Israeli woman complained that a few days ago an acquaintance of hers, an 80-year-old resident of Haifa, came to visit her for a social visit, which soon developed into threats and robbery of NIS 4,500. Police opened an investigation and found the identity of the suspect, a resident of Haifa, aged 80, and they arrived at his home one evening this week and arrested him for questioning at the Lev HaBira station on suspicion of armed robbery under aggravated circumstances. According to the investigation, the suspect came to visit the victim, who is an acquaintance who lives in Jerusalem, and after a short time demanded a large sum of money from her. When the elderly woman pressed a panic button in her house, the suspect threatened to use the knife. As a result, she told the emergency operator that she pressed the panic button by mistake. At this stage the elderly woman responded to the suspects demands and gave him a large sum of money, NIS 4,500, and he fled the scene. The woman turned to another acquaintance of hers who volunteered in the police force and immediately went with her to the station to file a complaint. The suspect was arraigned, and his detention extended by the court. The police said that the suspect who exploited his acquaintance with the elderly woman to enter her home, rob her with threats and escape, constitutes a serious offense. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) State Street eaters looking to sip on a beer with their Crunchwrap Supreme are in luck after the Madison City Council approved a liquor license Tuesday for Taco Bell. Council members voted to allow a Taco Bell Cantina, which is expected to open this month, to sell wine and beer at 534 State St. But the approval did not come without concerns being raised about the quantity of liquor licenses in the Downtown and the problems it creates. I have no issue with this application or this applicant, said Ald. Paul Skidmore, 9th District. Its the location and the situation surrounding it, the alcohol-fueled problems. While the Taco Bell Cantina which has a different decor than regular Taco Bells, is located in urban business districts and serves alcohol will cook up burritos and tacos into the early morning hours, beer and wine sales will stop at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Pat Eulberg, a Taco Bell representative, said he believes the company has done enough to address safety concerns by installing 17 security cameras and scanners for identification cards, as well as training employees. Eulberg said the State Street location will become the ninth Taco Bell Cantina in the United States. Mayor Paul Soglin, a staunch opponent to more establishments selling alcohol on State Street, was out of town for the meeting. But he expressed his concerns to the City Council in a memo. We have more than enough liquor outlets in our city, Soglin wrote. If we are concerned about public safety, if we are concerned about mounting law enforcement costs, issuing a license that brings no public value, but great public liability does not make sense. Some members said they want the broader policy conversation about alcohol Downtown, but saw no issues with Taco Bells application. Also on Tuesday, the council confirmed Kwasi Obeng, who works for Chicagos Office of Inspector General, to fill the new City Council chief of staff position with a five-year contract. Obeng will assist the 20 council members in program development and policy responsibilities and oversee the councils three current staff members. Even before his Jan. 8 start date, Obeng had his salary bumped up by $2,000 to $107,000 after receiving a counter offer from his current employer, according to a memo from council President Marsha Rummel. British luxury fashion brand Mulberry is upping efforts to grow in Japan and China as UK sales faltered in the six months to the end of September. Mulberry, which prides itself on making 50 per cent of all bags in Somerset, said sluggish sales were propped up by tourists spending more in London. Losses at Mulberry widened to 0.6million, up from 0.5million a year earlier, while sales came in flat at 74.5million. Luxury losses: Mulberry, which prides itself on making 50% of all its bags in Somerset, said sluggish sales were propped up by tourists spending more in London The group blamed the losses on higher marketing spend and IT systems costs. Mulberry recently struck a deal with Japanese company Onward Global Fashion to open five stores there. It is also increasing the number of stores in Hong Kong and China. Despite the slowdown, Thierry Andretta, chief executive at Mulberry, said the company would not compromise on price. 'Our focus on full-price sales growth has delivered good results with new designs proving popular with customers,' he said. 'We continue to see strong demand from tourists in London and, while the UK remains uncertain, the group remains in a strong position to invest in developing the customer experience in key international markets and enhancing its UK design and manufacturing base.' Madison's first Portillos hot dog restaurant, planned for a location next to East Towne Mall, is expected to be about 9,000 square feet with more than 200 seats inside and an additional 26 seats on a covered, outdoor patio. A drive-thru window is also part of the design. Construction is projected to start next spring, with a fall 2018 opening. The address will be 4505 East Towne Blvd. Those details were included in a memorandum or letter of intent from the construction and engineering firm JSD Professional Services to the city's urban design commission. A neighborhood meeting was held Sept. 28 to talk about the restaurant's conditional use proposal. The project will go before the Urban Design Commission on Dec. 20, according to city planner Janine Glaeser. CBL & Associates Properties and Portillos Hot Dogs are proposing a freestanding restaurant on an "outlot" or parking lot owned by JC Penney northwest of East Towne Mall. The memo said the restaurant's hours are typically 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The building's design "will include an upgraded brick structure with accents of clear stainless steel, creating an Art Deco-based diner building," JSD's Justin Frahm wrote in the memo. Access to the site will be limited to an interior ring road, he said. The fast-casual restaurant chain based in Oak Brook, Illinois, is known for its loaded Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, chopped salad and chocolate cake shake. Founder Dick Portillo invested $1,100 and opened his first Portillo's hot dog stand, "The Dog House," in 1963 in Villa Park, Illinois. After growing Portillo's to 38 locations, Dick Portillo sold the company to Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Now there are 50 Portillo's, with more on the way. In July 2016, Wisconsins first Portillo's opened at 17685 W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield. MBABANE Three great artists on one stage, its about to be a great festive season. Castle Milk Stout is ushering fun lovers into the festive season on a high note. The inaugural Castle Milk Stout Unplugged Sessions is bringing South Africas renowned artists, The Soil and Shekhinah who will be performing for the first time in Swaziland. The artist will share the stage with Swazilands very own King of Afro -soul Sandziso Sands Matsebula . Set The event is set for December 17 at House on Fire in Malkerns. Gino Silver, the events Marketing Manager, stated that Castle Milk Stout is undoubtedly heightening its authenticity as a brand that is distinctively African. As one of the most celebrated and established Stout brands in South Africa, Castle Milk Stout has set out to take the Unplugged Sessions across the border and to a whole new frontier at House on Fire, he said. He also mentioned that he was aware that it would be the first time that former IDOLS finalist Shekhinah performs in the country. Shekinah (23) is currently one of South Africas trending RnB and hip hop artists, topping radio charts and Channel O Music charts on TV alike. THE very least of what is expected of our government, or any government for that matter, is to trim down all impediments to economic growth, particularly those challenges met by the private sector that tend to increase the cost of doing business. The budgetary resources available should in fact be growth-enhancing, but also maintain a level of financial sustainability, and overall stability to the economy at large. Economic growth and overall economic stability depends on the status of the G-wallet, and unsustainable public expenditures inevitably lead to crisis. Fiscal sustainability, though an important concern for all governments, cannot be applied as a one size fits all notion. It tends to have unique implications for each respective country at its different stages of development. For developing countries like Swaziland, every Lilangeni counts, and so any additional spending needs to be prioritised to promote development, and stimulation of future economic growth and increases in government revenue. The challenge, however, is how to do this in light of an inadequate tax base, chronic financial imbalances, and the need to invest in human and physical resource given that in Swaziland 63 per cent of the population live below the poverty line? In order to raise the long-term economic growth potential of their economies, richer countries have the flexibility to unremittingly invest in human and physical capital in addition to increased savings. For us poorer countries, we have to carefully pick our investments, and our capacity to save is much more limited and thus inhibiting our long-term growth potential. Every decision made on how to spend every cent of the G-wallet must take into account whether that additional spending will lead to additional payment in the future. Swaziland continues to experience subdued growth levels owing to the 2015/16 drought, sharp decrease in SACU revenues, combined with increased spending generating higher fiscal deficits and a growing public debt. For instance, the current fiscal position could see the public debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio increase from 17.4 per cent in 2015 to 24 per cent in 2018, increasing risks of fiscal unsustainability. The African Economic Outlook points to the fact that the growth challenges experienced are not just unique to Swaziland, but to Africa as a whole. Africas economic performance is taking a hit from the perils of the global economy: the regions real GDP growth decelerated to 2.2 per cent in 2016 as a result of falling commodity prices and weak economic growth. The African Economic Outlook also indicates that East Africa and North Africa are the fastest growing regions with real GDP growth rates of 5.3 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. For the rest of Africa, growth is proving to be a thing of the past, with suppressed growth rates of 0.4 per cent in West Africa, and 0.3 per cent in Southern Africa. Again, the African Economic Outlook argues that unlocking Africas growth potential lies in increased investments in human capital such as health, education and skills, including developing stronger capacities to diversity financing and directing more efforts to structural transformations. It calls for the doubling of efforts to empower Africans with the necessary skills to promote development from the bottom up, driven by domestic innovation and investment. To overcome these chronic growth challenges and the disadvantage of being a small domestic economy, Swaziland can accelerate structural and institutional reforms that capitalise on its comparative advantages. The countrys strategic location near South Africa is a real benefit that gives Swazis access to Africas largest economy, on top of market access to regional blocs such as SADC and SACU. The onus is on both the private and public sector to maximise the use of local resources, increase local productivity and capacity building of domestic human resources and capital to deliver on the National Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 1 which seeks to eradicate all forms of poverty. Expansion of the manufacturing sector can create jobs and multipliers in the economy, particularly within the agriculture sector. This is because the main activities within the manufacturing sector are rooted in agriculture as they comprise commercial agro-processing of sugar, wood pulp, citrus fruit, pineapples and meat. Now given that smallholders in Swaziland constitute 70 per cent of the population in about 75 per cent of crop land, a boost in agriculture activities in Swaziland linked to the industrial sector can promote Swazi entrepreneurship, particularly in small and medium enterprises leading to enhanced GDP production and government revenue that is much needed. Sir, And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angels hand, (Rev 8:3, 4). In these two verses John sees an angel in the heavenly sanctuary standing at the altar of incense. The angel is carrying a golden censer that is mixed with the prayers of Gods people. After the incense was added, the prayers of the saints ascended up before God, and they were accepted because they were made fragrant with the incense. David also understood what was typified by the incense, and prayed; Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice, (Psalm 141:2). What we have in Rev 8:3, 4 is an explanation of what happened to the millions of prayers of the saints that cried out again and again to the Lord. Not one of these prayers, prayed in faith, was ignored. Not one was lost or forgotten. Not one has been ineffectual or pointless. You will note also that in verse 3, it is the prayers of all the saints that are on the altar before the throne. There is no distinction between the prayers that come from pastors or elders and those of others. There is no distinction between the prayers expressed in eloquent language and those consisting of simple words. There is no distinction between the prayers of mature saints and those of baby Christians. What it means is that regardless of your background, your heritage, your education, your social status, your position in life; if you have committed your life to Jesus, then your prayers are just as valuable to God as those of anyone else. Frequently many Christians today travel long distances to ask for pastors to pray for them. And many of those requests indicate that people think that prayers of some people are somehow more powerful or influential with God than their own prayers would be. This passage certainly shows that just isnt true. The Spirit cannot present the prayers of sinful mortals before a pure and holy God without adding the fragrant incense. Jesus said; Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you, (John 16:23). The name of the precious Redeemer is honored it is like the fragrant incense, and every petition presented in His name is granted because Jesus lived a sinless life. He knew no sin. The prince of this world had nothing in Jesus (John 14:30), for He was pure and holy, without one stain of sin. It is Christs righteousness that makes our prayers accepted before the Father. Dear reader, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6). Gwinyai Bopoto With Prof. Albee Messing retiring as director of the Waisman Center at UW-Madison in January, the university has named an interim director and four finalists to replace Messing. William MacLean, associate director of the Waisman Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, will serve at interim director when Messing steps down Jan. 2, according to a university news release. Qiang Chang, associate professor of genetics and neurology and associate director of the Waisman Center Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, will be principal investigator for the core grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and will be interim director of the IDDRC. Chang is also one of four finalists for the permanent director's position at the Waisman Center. The others are: Katherine Hustad, professor in the UW-Madison Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and chair of the department since 2016. Ruth Litovsky, professor in both the UW-Madison Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders and the Department of Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology. Steven Small, professor of neurology, neurobiology and behavior and cognitive sciences at the University of California-Irvine. The Waisman Center is one of the nation's top research centers in the field of developmental disabilities. The 10-member search and screen committee is expected to complete its work by April 1. John Carl D'Annibale New York farmers donated nine million pounds of food and farm products through November to a program that benefits food banks across the state. The donations translate to more than seven million meals for people in need. With a month still to go, donations are expected to rise. Attorney General Brad Schimel is supporting the position of state legislative leaders to keep records related to sexual harassment in the state Legislature private. Schimel, in a wide-ranging interview with the Wisconsin State Journal this week, said releasing records of complaints and investigations could make sexual harassment or misconduct victims relive the harm done to them a concern that outweighs taxpayers right to know whether public officials are engaging in harassing or even criminal behavior at work. When you get the leadership of both parties agreeing on something being the right thing to do, I think that speaks loudly because a lot of times they are just sniping at each other. And I think they hit the right balance here. You cannot disempower a victim. Then the system is just re-victimizing them, Schimel said. There are compelling interests on both sides but I think first that the survivor who came forward and said something they hold the trump card. But in 2016 at least, Schimels Department of Justice released records related to sexual harassment complaints filed in his department to The Associated Press. Republican leaders in the Senate and the Assembly have said they will not release records or information related to complaints of sexual harassment, misconduct or assault, saying doing so would have a chilling effect on victims feeling comfortable coming forward with their experiences. Democratic leaders say they support that stand. The position was taken after media outlets sought records of complaints and investigations after an avalanche of recent accusations of sexual harassment, misconduct and assault against powerful men in Hollywood, politics and media. Were seeing many individuals come forward now to report that persons in power have abused or harassed them and I think its great that they are coming forward, Schimel said. They are finding they are having the courage to start saying something but what I think is even better about all this is that America as a society is not starting by rejecting them they are starting by believing. When asked whether keeping private records of taxpayer-funded settlements to resolve sexual harassment complaints that can sometimes include non-disclosure agreements could prevent opportunities to encourage other victims to come forward, Schimel said victims benefit from non-disclosure agreements, too, though he acknowledged the accused are often the ones seeking them. Were going to grow as a nation now that were shedding the light on more of this ... but theres a benefit of the non-disclosure (agreement) for the survivor, too, because they get some accountability for the person committing the acts but they dont become an unwilling poster child, he said. Every time they relive it, its another catharsis its another tough moment. I dont think you can take that control away from them. Schimel, who would represent the Legislature in a lawsuit over releasing records of sexual harassment, said he believes the records law is on the Legislatures side. I do believe their position is on good legal grounds, he said. Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said he appreciates Schimels concern about victims, but believes it may be misplaced. He said if anonymity is a concern, it should be possible to redact victim information. But the substance of the complaint and the response should be released, he added. The public has a right to know who is being accused of misconduct and whether the Legislature has responded appropriately. My guess is that it hasnt, and that all of this talk about protecting victims is just a smokescreen for covering that up. Lawyers who represent workplace sexual harassment victims have made a similar argument. Ian Henderson, of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said privacy is a paramount concern for victims, as is their right to make decisions about what information about their situation is made public. However, that must be balanced by institutional transparency in responding to and preventing sexual harassment as well as accountability for those individuals who engage in sexual harassment and sexual assault, Henderson said. Perpetrators can manipulate systems and often cultivate secrecy as a means to avoid detection. He added that one-size-fits-all approaches are often ineffective as they fail to account for individual survivor needs. Chase Tarrier, public policy coordinator for End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, said his organization encourages Schimel and legislative leaders to continue examining both their internal and external policies for handling instances of misconduct to ensure that the process provides justice in a way that empowers victims to make these critical decisions about their lives. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Alex von Kleydorff / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Christopher Goodney / Bloomberg Show More Show Less 3 of 3 General Electric is cutting 80 jobs in Norwalk, its last major office center in southwestern Connecticut, affecting workers in its GE Digital unit that among other goals is attempting to link industrial systems to Internet-based controls. Last year, GE moved some 500 employees to Norwalk from its former headquarters in Fairfield, after moving 200 senior executives to Boston, where it is now based, also relocating Stamford workers to Norwalk. Schenectady Schenectady-based GE Power is cutting 4,500 jobs across Europe as it deals with serious expense and overcapacity issues that dragged down General Electric Co.'s earnings during the third quarter of the year. The news first appeared in the French language newspaper Les Echos and was subsequently reported by Reuters and The Telegraph in London. Many of the jobs being eliminated in Europe are former Alstom employees who joined GE when GE Power acquired the French energy giant several years ago in a $10 billion deal under former GE CEO Jeff Immelt. GE's new CEO, John Flannery, has said the Alstom deal has weighed down GE Power due to the costs involved. France especially has strong labor union rules covering job cuts and wages. The energy markets have also been hurt by overcapacity especially in the market for power plants and new power plant equipment. GE Power built up extra supply and capacity that dragged on its earnings during the third quarter. Falling demand for power plants and power plant expansions has hurt GE and others in the sector. A competitor, Siemens, has also been forced to cut thousands of jobs in Europe as a result. GE also confirmed recent job cuts in Schenectady where the company has 4,000 people, including its headquarters for GE Power. Those job cuts, which were not detailed but happened within the GE Power unit, were apparently small in terms of the number of people impacted, although GE has not broken down how many people were laid off or if certain job were just not refilled. The job cuts in Europe were done separately from the Schenectady job cuts, although they appear to be the extent of all of the GE Power job cuts for now on both sides of the Atlantic. "Based on the current challenges in the power industry and a significant decline in orders, GE Power continues to execute the transformation of its new, combined business to better meet the needs of our customers," GE said in a statement provided to the Times Union by GE spokesperson Katie Jackson in response to the local job cuts last week. "As we have previously said, we are working to reduce costs and simplify our structure to better align our product solutions, and these steps will include a reduction in our headcount." Fort Edward A Kansas company is looking at Warren County for the site of a plant that would make thermally treated "biochar" from municipal sewage sludge, paper manufacturing waste, and wood and food scraps. Representatives from Smart Terra Care, based in Independence, Kan., met earlier this month with officials from the Warren-Washington Counties Industrial Development Agency to pitch the $12 million project. Biochar is a kind of charcoal that can be used instead of chemical fertilizers to enrich soils. It's produced by heating carbon-based waste products by several hundred degrees. If production temperatures are sufficient, the process also can produce gases and liquids that can be used as synthetic fuels. Bijoy Thomas, vice president of business development for the three-year-old company, said such a facility would the company's first in the nation. He said that while Warren and Washington counties were in the running, "the location is not finalized." Thomas said the materials used to make biochar would be diverted from current disposal in regional landfills. The process involves dehydrating the organic waste streams, followed by controlled thermal treatment to transform them into the final product. The company is also exploring what kinds of permits such a project would require. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has not received any applications for permits related to biochar facility operations, according to a statement from the agency. Last week, company official John Dowd toured potential sites including the former General Electric PCB processing facility in Fort Edward, according to a report in the Glens Falls Post-Star. Biochar also locks carbon into the charcoal, which reduces the escape of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that occurs during normal decomposition of the wastes. The company said that biochar can be used to support environmentally sustainable farming while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that an international scientific consensus have identified as the cause of man-made climate change. Biochar also can be added to animal feed at farms to reduce the need for chemical antibiotics to prevent infectious outbreaks, the company said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany Farmers in upstate New York say a former Cargill employee's theft forced them to lower their prices to compete and cost them millions in lost revenue. Last week a federal judge sentenced Diane L. Backis, a former accounting manager at Cargill, to five years in prison for ripping off at least $3.5 million from the company over a decade. Backis, of Athens, was responsible for selling grain to customers and accounting for those sales, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Myers. She charged customers below cost, made false accounting records and tampered with payment procedures to personally benefit. "The defendant was trusted by Cargill to negotiate prices for grain worth millions of dollars," the prosecutor said in a pre-sentencing memo to the judge handling the case. "She betrayed that trust by selling grain at prices dramatically below Cargill's cost." In addition to Cargill's estimated losses of $25 million to $50 million, Backis' crime cost the company hours for manpower, attorneys and auditors, Claude J. Nebel said in a victim impact statement. Nebel is the vice president and director of global security for Cargill. More for you 'Piggish' $3.5M theft from Cargill in Albany nets 5 years in prison for Greene County woman Backis was fired by Cargill last year. Grain farmers say her actions forced them to lower their prices to compete with Cargill, which was offering the lowest prices in the region, resulting in the loss of millions in revenue between 2006 and 2016. Jim Czub, a grain, corn and soybean farmer in Schaghticoke, estimates that he lost at least a million dollars' worth of revenue during the decade Backis was stealing from the company. He is part of a group of farmers considering bringing a lawsuit against Cargill. "When Cargill says they lost millions, we lost that too," he said. "It significantly impacted the whole region." The global agriculture giant is based in Minnesota and is the largest privately held corporation in the United States. Cargill employs 120 people in Albany, where it receives, stores and sells grain products. Farmers said they wondered how Cargill was able to sell grain products so cheaply. Maybe it was corn that didn't meet specifications, they thought. Perhaps it was damaged. They were stymied, but "farmers are typical: you suck it up and you go with it," Czub said. Still, the financial losses meant farmers couldn't pay off their land debt as quickly, build new barns and other infrastructure or purchase new land, he said. During a bad crop year, some didn't have the monetary reserves to fall back on. "There's just so many opportunities that you lose," Czub said. "It's so frustrating to have watched this train wreck happening to us." Backis, who spent three decades working for Cargill, must pay $3.6 million in restitution and will be supervised for two years after her release from prison. In response to a question from a reporter about farmers' complaints, Cargill said "We believe the criminal justice process is complete. The courts confirmed that Cargill was the victim of this fraud and our company suffered substantial financial losses as a result." The losses affected farmers throughout New York State as well as farmers in at least five neighboring states who lost their business to Cargill, said Arend Tensen, a New Hampshire-based lawyer at Cullenberg & Tensen, P.L.L.C. and a farmer himself. Tensen is representing a group of farmers who say they were affected by Backis' theft. He declined to specify how many were in the group but said it includes farmers from multiple states. He estimates that the losses to the farmers he is representing "are well over $100 million." But beyond the lost revenue, Tensen said families and farmer' mental health also suffered. "This is a very big deal," he said. "This really had a drastic impact on grain farmers. It's caused a lot of harm." miszler@timesunion.com 518-454-5018 @madisoniszler This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bethlehem TerraSmart, a Fort Myers, Fla., solar installation contractor, is planning to make its new Selkirk facility its East Coast operations hub, replacing facilities in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. TerraSmart is planning to lease 30 acres and an existing 8,100-square-foot building owned by Finke Enterprises on River Road next to Thruway Exit 22 that had previously been used as a maintenance facility by the Thruway Authority. A TerraSmart spokeswoman said the facility would be home to 40 to 60 employees, most of whom would usually be out in the field doing work at project sites, although documents submitted to the town of Bethlehem planning board said 12 full-time employees would staff the office. The town planning board first reviewed TerraSmart's proposal at its meeting Tuesday night. Randy Smith, a field operations manager with TerraSmart, attended Tuesday's meeting and said that the Selkirk facility would house operations from two offices, one in Uxbridge, Mass., and one in Chambersburg, Pa., that are closing. "We'll run the company's Northeast region out of this facility," Smith told the town planning board. "It's a big move for us. It's a more concentrated location for us." The TerraSmart spokeswoman, Ashleigh Kent, said that the office is scheduled to open in January. It will be used not only for an operations hub but also for training and for displaying its solar module racking systems to customers and potential clients. "It's very satisfying to call Selkirk TerraSmart's construction home," TerraSmart CEO Ryan Reid said. "New York has been a great state for solar and we are looking forward to creating more solar jobs to support our expanding construction activities across the Northeast. The facilities' design and purpose will serve as the blueprint ... which TerraSmart will use to set up future construction hubs, thus supporting our continuous pursuit of enhancing the solar construction experience for our clients." TerraSmart has been extremely busy with projects in Massachusetts and New York. It has helped to build the Shoreham Solar Commons on Long Island, the state's second-largest solar farm. Friday When it comes to horror books, Grady Hendrix is the go-to guy. Hendrix is the author of "Paperbacks From Hell," which chronicles the history of the horror paperback publishing boom titles like "Rosemary's Baby," "The Exorcist" and "The Other" that ran strong for a few decades before falling off in the early 1990s. It Came From Schenectady brings Hendrix to town this week to talk about the phenomenon that spawned books about everything from Nazi leprechauns to killer jellyfish. A screening of Stephen King's "Creepshow" will follow Hendrix's talk. 7 p.m. Friday. $6-$9. Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. 518-346-6204; http://www.proctors.org Saturday In "Quest," filmmaker Jonathan Olshefski follows a working class North Philadelphia family over a 10-year period, chronicling their ups, downs and everyday lives. The independent film, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Festival, spotlights Christopher "Quest" Rainey, his wife, Christine, and their home music studio, which serves as a sanctuary of sorts from the outside world. This week, Olshefski and producer Sabrina Schmidt Gordon will take part in a discussion with the audience after a screening of the film. 7 p.m. Saturday. $10. The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 Sixth Ave., Troy. 518-272-2390; http://www.mediasanctuary.org Friday Savoy Brown guitarist Kim Simmonds just turned 70, and he's as busy as he's ever been. Simmonds, who lives in Oswego County, released not one, but two albums this year, a solo record ("Jazzin' On The Blues") and Savoy Brown's "Witchy Feeling." Speaking of Savoy Brown, the seminal British blues act is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and Simmonds the band's founder and only original member has reconfigured the band once again, this time as a power trio. Simmonds and company are working through a string of December dates, including two nights at New York City's Iridium Jazz Club and a gig at Daryl Hall's club, Daryl's House. The band is also coming to Albany; they'll be here this week. 7 p.m. Friday. $20-$150. The Upper Room, 59 N. Pearl St., Albany. 518-694-3100; http://theupperroomalbany.com Saturday, Sunday 1786 was a very good year for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He composed some of his most memorable music that year: the "Prague" Symphony, "The Marriage of Figaro", and three renowned piano concertos. David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony Orchestra will explore Mozart's 1786 compositions in a pair of concerts this weekend. On Saturday night, the orchestra will perform the overture and selections from "Marriage of Figaro"; Piano Concerto No. 23 and Piano Concerto No. 24. Four piecesthe overture and selections from Der Schauspieldirektor ("The Impresario"); Piano Concerto No. 25; Horn Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 38, "Prague"will be played Sunday afternoon. 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. $26-$67. Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 30 Second St., Troy. 518-273-0038; http://www.troymusichall.org Sunday You won't forget the Forgettable 4. The barbershop quartet, formed by four members of the Electric City Chorus, boast more than 80 years of combined a cappella singing experience. Led by vocalist Dave Iovinella, the group sings renditions of songs from the 1950s through the 1980s, all loaded with tight, intricate harmonies. If you've ever wondered how the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do is Dream" would sound sung barbershop quartet-style, the Forgettable 4 can and will deliver. 2 p.m. Sunday. $7.50-$15. Caffe Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs. 518-583-0022; http://www.caffelena.org This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Police have identified the man found dead in the driveway of a Pound Ridge home as Stamford real estate attorney Matthew Klein. Capt. Richard Conklin said that his family reported Klein, 62, missing at about 7:45 p.m. Friday after they hadnt seen him for most of the day. At about the same time the next day, Kleins body was discovered in the driveway of a mansion in Pound Ridge at 496 Long Ridge Road, about two miles above the New York state line, Conklin said. Property records indicate that the home is owned by Richard Kassis, a New York City restaurateur who owns the Sutton Place Restaurant and Bar. It is not clear if Kassis was home when the body was found. Klein was a North Stamford resident who lived on Jonathan Drive. A man at Kleins home Monday afternoon said the family was declining comment on his uncles death. It is a shocking situation, the nephew said. New York State police, who have taken over the investigation from Pound Ridge authorities, are being tight lipped about what they think happened in the driveway of the home. More for you Body of missing Stamford man found in New York But police say that there appears to be no signs of foul play. Klein was a real estate attorney in Stamford and worked for Benanti & Associates on Bedford Street in Stamford. A call to the law office for comment was not returned. Stamford attorney Melvin Bloomenthal said that he knew Klein for many years. I am beyond shocked, Bloomenthal said. I have always known Matthew to be the consummate family man. I know many of his family members and almost every conversation I had with him focused on his family. It is a terrible tragedy and it gives pause to all of us when we realize life it so short. Klein was a member of Temple Beth El and for the past year was a member of the temples Board of Trustees. Temple Beth Els Rabbi Joshua Hammerman said, Matthew was just tremendous and he was loved by all who knew him and the congregation. He was a wonderful man. COHOES The Remsen Street fire burned so intensely on Thursday that it melted the tires, electric system and hydraulic lines of the Watervliet-Green Island aerial ladder truck at the fire scene, officials said Tuesday. It was so hot that it melted the tires. Its fire resistant not fire proof, said Sean Ward, executive assistant to Green Island Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan. The aerial ladder was eventually able to be driven back to the Watervliet Fire House where its being assessed for damage, Mayor Michael Manning said. The extensive damage showed the pros and cons of mutual aid agreements uniting Cohoes, Green Island, Troy and Watervliet when it comes to fighting fires. The aerial ladder truck was dispatched to the Nov. 30 fire that destroyed or damaged 32 buildings. This eight-year-old apparatus was bought in Aug. 2009 for $859,000 by the city and village under a shared services agreement to curtail costs. It was on the fire scene in place of the Cohoes Fire Departments 13-year-old ladder truck that was pulled out of service a week earlier for maintenance and repairs after it began smoking. More for you Cohoes fire: The images seen around the world Even the best of engines have to be maintained, said Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse, a retired fire captain with 26 years of service with the city's fire Department. Cohoes ladder truck is expected to be returned to duty this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday. While it was out, Cohoes turned to Watervliet and Green Island to provide aerial ladder coverage. Now that these two cities and village dont have their own ladder trucks available, Troy Fire Chief Thomas Garrett said his department is backing them with its aerial ladder truck. The largest of the four communities, Troy has two aerial ladders one on duty and another as a backup. The Watervliet-Green Island aerial ladder arrived on Remsen Street within the time parameters outlined in a 2011 study that considered merging the Watervliet and Cohoes fire departments, Morse said. While the aerial ladder truck headed north from Watervliet, Morse said Cohoes deployed three pumpers one behind Remsen Street, two on Remsen Street to attack the inferno. The mayor said the third pumper, instead of a city ladder truck, helped prevent the fire from increasing its zone of destruction. Normally, he said, the third pumper would not be there. Mutual aid worked, Morse said. Its not uncommon to see firefighters and their equipment from adjoining communities at fire scenes in Cohoes, Green Island, Watervliet and Troy. How many departments respond depend on the severity of the fire. The Nov. 30 fire that was spread by blowing winds saw a higher than normal response. As Cohoes begins to recover, Watervliet and Green Island are waiting for a report on the intense heat damage to their aerial ladder truck, which affected the electronics and hydraulics, Manning said. A decision will be made on whether to repair the apparatus or buy a replacement, Manning and Ward said. Currently, they said, it has to be determined how much each communitys insurance coverage will be responsible for paying the costs of getting the repaired equipment back in service or whether it's worth buying a new one. The heavy damage to the equipment, they said, is offset by knowing that help will arrive when it's needed. Cohoes Councilman Randy Koniowka has written Morse and Common Council President Chris Briggs to ask for a resolution to have the city bond $1 million to purchase a new ladder truck and a new pumper. Koniowka said it took more than 10 minutes for the Watervliet-Green Island aerial ladder truck to respond. Morse said that the councilman didnt know what he was talking about, saying that it took six to seven minutes for the Watervliet-Green Island equipment to arrive. Mutual aid does work. We should drop 20 years of professional fighters planning because Mr. Koniokwa? Morse said. The mayor and the councilman often face off politically. Koniokwas said the city has delayed purchasing equipment, according to his letter. Morse said hes been working the Cohoes firefighters union to plan a five- to seven-year program for purchasing new equipment. He said the city intends to purchase a new ladder truck within two years and place the current one in reserve. The inferno that struck three blocks of downtown Cohoes on Nov. 30, 2017, started as a porch fire. Skip Dickstein, a veteran Times Union photographer, heard the initial call at 1:30 p.m. on the police scanner and dashed to the scene. When he arrived at 2 p.m., 30 mph winds had whipped that porch fire into a frenzy. The blaze had already swallowed two buildings and was quickly taking over swaths of downtown Remsen Street. "I've covered a lot of fires," Dickstein said. "This one was just amazing, with the wind, and the volume of smoke, and the number of fires." Skip Dickstein Dickstein was standing downwind of the blaze, cloaked in smoke and debris, when he sent out his first photos on Twitter at 2:35 p.m. It was most devastating blaze he'd ever witnessed in his 44 years photographing breaking news, he said, and he knew he needed to get a better angle to capture that. "I've worked as volunteer firefighter and knew I needed to get on the other side of the fire," he recalled. Dickstein walked a few blocks east, then south, to reach the origin of the blaze. He arrived just in time to capture fireballs barreling out the windows of 228 Remsen and down the street an image that would be seen around the world. Skip Dickstein As Dickstein traversed downtown Cohoes, he called city desk editor Mike Goodwin and dictated details for an online news story. Several times over the course of the afternoon, Dickstein called Goodwin back and handed his phone to a witness, who would tell the editor his or her story. One of those phone interviews was with the teenage son of the man who would later be charged with starting the fire. John Gomez, 16, got a call about the fire and rushed to his home, finding it destroyed. "My house is on fire. It was on fire - it's gone now," he said. READ MAYOR: AMATEUR BLADESMITH STARTED MASSIVE COHOES BLAZE At 4:30 p.m., as the scope of the fire was coming into focus, editors decided to send a second photographer, Lori Van Buren. "I knew it had to be real bad," she recalled. "I had no idea how bad." Van Buren arrived at the smoke-filled north end of the scene. "I would look up and see buildings and, seconds later, I would look into my lens and couldn't see anything," Van Buren recalled. "The wind was blowing so hard and the smoke was so thick." She found reporter Chris Churchill, who took her east and south the same route Dickstein discovered and showed her the fire through a gap in fences that led to Remsen Street. Van Buren emerged just across the street from the blaze and posted her first images at 6:30 p.m. As Van Buren and Churchill were circumventing the blaze, Dickstein was getting ready to leave. As he walked to his car, he saw distraught residents returning home to discover the damage. Skip Dickstein/Times Union "These people were just realizing they lost their homes," he said. Meanwhile, Van Buren was shooting the image that would be named one of the day's top pictures by the Associated Press and, like Dickstein's fireball photos, would be published worldwide. Lori Van Buren/AP "I had a friend call me to say he saw my photos on a foreign news site when he was vacationing in Ecuador," Dickstein said. BBC News in London messaged him on Twitter asking to use his photographs. Within six hours of when the fire started and while it was still burning John A. Gomes, 51, of Cohoes was charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson. Lori Van Buren Gomes is accused of starting a barrel fire in his backyard that quickly spread out of control. The fire is said to have started in the rear of a building near 228 Remsen St., where Gomes lives. "It is the worst disaster the city has ever seen," said Mayor Shawn Morse. The city was under a state of emergency. Skip Dickstein Weather conditions Thursday were dry and windy all day, with gusts up to 30 mph. At about 7 p.m., a welcome rain began to fall. It was the continuous work of the firefighters that stayed in the minds of both photographers that night. Both returned home smelling of smoke. Dickstein said his wife could smell his soot-covered car from inside their home. Strong winds had carried embers across city blocks, sparking fires where crews did not expect to battle flames. Thirty-two buildings sustained damages. "I was having a hard time breathing," Van Buren said. "All I could think of was how do firefighters do this all the time?" One firefighter was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries, but remarkably no other injuries were reported. Skip Dickstein "While everyone else runs away from fires, these guys go into the fires," Dickstein said of the first responders. "And we (journalists) are right behind them." Skip Dickstein READ MORE: City tries to comprehend impact of devastating downtown blaze Close calls amid downtown Cohoes devastation Churchill: Fire won't keep Cohoes down Massive blaze melts fire truck but not mutual aid pacts Cohoes fire suspect's court date moved Male, William J/Rotterdam Police Rotterdam police are searching for a man who stole an undisclosed amount of cash Tuesday afternoon from the Pioneer Savings Bank on Altamont Avenue. At about 4:47 p.m., a white man entered the bank, walked up to the counter and handed the teller an envelope, demanding money. Police said the man implied that he had a weapon but none was displayed. State Police said they are looking for a man who was caught with 30 pounds of marijuana at the Canadian border. The man, believed to be living in Quebec, had his case highlighted as part of the troopers' Warrant Wednesday initiative. Denis Shedrick, 71, is wanted by State Police in Ray Brook on a charge of marijuana possession. Troopers said Shedrick was arrested in 2003 with over 30 pounds of marijuana in the town of Champlain's port of entry. Shedrick is last known to live in Quebec, troopers said. A new Starbucks opens in China every 15 hours, but not all of them look like this. Starbucks announced Monday it will open a Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, making it the first of the company's high-end cafes to open outside the U.S. An Upperchurch man who departed for the UK in 1988 and who is now head of a company turning over in excess of 100m annually, was the toast of London recently with the Building Britain Awards 2017. Paddy Shanahan, Cappanavile, Upperchurch, son of the late John Shanahan (Parnell) and Kitty Callanan (orginally from Leugh), is a regular visitor back home where his brothers, step-brothers, sisters and extended family members are so prominent in the community - his brother Sean owns and runs Shanahans Topaz Centra in Borrisoleigh. Paddy worked in his father's machinery business in his younger days - a business which gave much needed, valuable employment in the local community. And, from the moment he moved to Barnet with his wife, Newport lady Helena Boland , Paddy used all his experience from home to carve out a great niche for himself. Ground Construction Ltd (GCL) was formed by Paddy and Trevor Diviney in 1998 some years after they met in the construction industry. Paddy and Helena now have three children, Shane, Hazel and Culainn. When Paddy took to the stage to be interviewed by Eamonn Holmes at the awards evening, he told the one thousand strong audience at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane London; I came from Upperchurch to London in 1988 and today our partnership company are turning over in excess of 100million per year. Over the past 19 years Ground Construction Limited (GCL) has developed into one of the fastest growing integrated construction companies within London and Home Counties. Now employing almost 1,000 people and along with its co-founder Trevor Diviney GCL, it continues to reinvent itself while having ongoing support links to worthwhile charities like GOAL, Isabel Hospice etc. Paddys words of pride were echoed by the other recipients in the various categories in the 40th Annual Irish Post Awards. Snow Patrols Johnny McDaid was being honoured with an Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry Award and he affirmed the numerous 2nd and 3rd generation Irish communities all over Britain. Bob Geldof was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award and on Brexit said Over 90 percent of the Irish in Britain the great Irish cities of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Derry and Belfast, voted to remain. It is in the interest of Britain to stay in Europe, as it is in the interest of Ireland to be allied with Britain in Europe, and this is very dangerous for our native country and it is very dangerous for here.We have a year and a half to prevent this catastrophe, he said. For the first time, with an estimated global audience of one million, the event was broadcast live on TG4 by Eamonn and from TG's Aoife Ni Thuairisg. Cork brothers Gary and Paul ODonovan were presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Sport and were very unassuming but gracious in the acceptance. Previous Irish Post award winners include broadcaster Terry Wogan, Daniel Day-Lewis, dancer Michael Flatley and Mo Mowlam. The Shanahan and Callanan families locally are very proud of Paddy's achievement and his success in business as indeed is the community in Upperchurch. One local told The Tipperary Star - A more down to earth individual you could not meet and it is always a pleasure to bump into Paddy when he comes home here to Upperchurch. He worked very hard when he was with his father John Parnell, as he called him, and it came as no surprise to anyone that he became a very successful businessman because it was in him from the start. It's great that Upperchurch is getting such positive comment thanks to Paddy, the local said. The Chairman of the Templemore Thurles Municipal District, Cllr Seamus Hanafin has extended his congratulations to Paddy on winning the award and wished him well for the future. [December 05, 2017] Singapore's University of Applied Learning Selects Echo360 as its New Video Platform to Increase Student Engagement with Course Content University announces partnership with Echo360 to support active learning and generate insights into student progress WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading academic video platform Echo360 announced a new, long-term partnership with Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore's university of applied learning, to launch a campus-wide initiative that leverages technology to increase students' participation and engagement. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/536452/Echo360_Logo.jpg Following a competitive evaluation process, SIT selected Echo360 to implement a cloud-based video capture platform that will act as a single solution for all of the university's current and future video capture needs. The platform includes features such as scheduled lecture capture and LMS integration that minimize barriers to staff participation, as well as the need for IT support and training, and ensure that the platform works with faculty and student workflows. Students will also have access to active learning tools that they can utilize to ask questions, bookmark important content, take time-synced notes during lectures, and engage with instructors and peers while viewing content on any device. "SIT has adoped the Echo360 platform for lecture recording to provide a more integrated learning experience for its students," said Associate Professor Foo Yong Lim, Assistant Provost (Applied Learning), SIT. Echo360's platform also includes an analytics dashboard, which analyzes data generated from students' usage of Echo360 and provides instructors with insights into how students are engaging with and understanding course content. With this data, faculty can easily identify what concepts their students are struggling with or not engaging with and make adjustments to their lectures, lesson plans, and teaching materials to better meet their students' needs. "SIT is a leader in providing industry-focused and relevant education. We are looking forward to working with such an innovative institution," said Jocasta Williams, Community Development Manager at Echo360. "Research shows promising outcomes for students engaged in active learning and we are proud to have built a platform that supports that pedagogy at scale." Use of the new solution, which will be fully integrated within 150 classrooms in six SIT campuses, will begin in January 2018. About Echo360: Echo360 believes that improved outcomes start with great moments in the classroom. Developed by educators, Echo360 helps instructors capture and extend those moments to improve student engagement before, during, and after class. Through our video and engagement platform, students and faculty have 24/7 access to classroom discussion, presentation materials, and the lecture itself. We generate data that helps instructors and institutions identify problems early and take action. Today, Echo360 technologies are used by over 3M students in 11,000 classrooms at 750 institutions across 30 countries. Echo360 is backed by Revolution Growth led by Steve Case, Ted Leonsis, and Donn Davis. About Singapore Institute of Technology: Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is Singapore's university of applied learning. It aims to be a leader in innovative university education by integrating learning, industry, and community as part of its unique pedagogy. Partnering with world-class universities, SIT offers applied degree programmes targeted at growth sectors of the economy. SIT also aims to cultivate in its students four distinctive traits, or the SIT-DNA, which will prepare them to be 'thinking tinkerers', who are 'able to learn, unlearn, and relearn', be 'catalysts for transformation' and finally, become 'grounded in the community'. SOURCE Echo360 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Michael Heifetz is resigning as state Medicaid director to pursue career opportunities in the private sector, the state Department of Health Services said Tuesday. Heifetz, who became Medicaid director in October 2016, previously served as state budget director starting in 2013 and worked before that in government affairs for Dean Clinic and SSM Health of Wisconsin. Medicaid "is strong and stable," said Heifetz, whose resignation is effective Dec. 13. "Four years in these (state government) leadership roles ... was a good run, and it's time for me to try some other things." He said he doesn't have a private sector job lined up. In a statement, Gov. Scott Walker and health department Secretary Linda Seemeyer praised Heifetzs work as Medicaid director. About 1.2 million people, or one in five residents, are on some form of Medicaid, the state-federal health program primarily for the poor, elderly and disabled. Heifetzs departure comes as the state has submitted a proposal to the federal government to drug-screen childless adults seeking Medicaid coverage. The plan would also impose a four-year time limit on coverage unless recipients work or train for a job, and require premiums and ER co-pays for many of the enrollees. "It is designed for moving folks from dependence to independence," Heifetz said early this year. [December 05, 2017] UiPath Provides its RPA Software to Dentsu and Supports Their Deployment Project to Achieve Their Technology-enabled Work Style Innovation NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UiPath K.K. (Headquarter: Chiyoda-ku Otemachi, CEO: Koichi Hasegawa), a Japanese subsidiary of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) global leading software company UiPath, announced provision of its RPA software to Dentsu Inc. and its support for their deployment of UiPath RPA to achieve Dentsu's technology-enabled work style innovation. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/562224/UiPath_Logo.jpg ) Dentsu is now working for various initiatives for their employee work environment innovation as one of their most important management issues. RPA deployment with UiPath is one of their action measures for their ongoing employee work environment innovation. Dentsu schedules to complete their 400 implementations of UiPath RPA software processes by the end of 2017. In addition to the RPA software, UiPath provides technical support along with advice of RPA governance, various standards documentation, RPA developer training. Among UiPath deployment cases there are automating analytical processing of various data or some partial processes of accounting operations. For instance, leveraging RPA for aggregating tasks of Excel sheets sent from media companies reduced the required time from three hours by person to several seconds. As a result, Dentsu achieved generating more than 10,000 hours on a monthly base. Dentsu needs RPA software that has flexibility to develop various tasks in a wide range of user departments to realize company-wide business automation. UiPath's RPA software meets Dentsu's diverse set of needs, providing an intuitive and versatle workflow automation engine, usage of 300 automation activities tools, and development tools that enable workflow generation through recording. Additionally, when deploying RPA software to each department, management of monitoring operation status in integrated and continuous manner is required. UiPath's RPA platform enables to comprehensively manage the robot's operation status and software updates through their software 'Orchestrator' which conducts each robot's schedules and monitoring. Also, this software enables flexible integration with Dentsu's software management system. Head of Streamlining Promotion, Dentsu Inc., Mr. Hajime Koyanagi, prompting work style innovation, says: "Our project's goal is to improve each employee's work life balance and enhance productivity. To achieve this goal, we must consistently automate our internal diverse businesses through RPA. UiPath RPA software's development support tools are very easy to use and fulfilling and they enable us to develop various tasks in a short term. Also, as we can start from responding to each user department's needs and in the future progress to an integrated robot management in an enterprise wide environment, we determined that this was the best software to popularize RPA utilization which is our goal. UiPath provides RPA's know-how as a global leading vendor as well as establishing strong support in Japan. Another reason that we have chosen UiPath is that currently Dentsu also invests to enable advanced business through AI and Cognitive usage and UiPath also has a wide range of APIs which address this initiative." UiPath will continuously support Dentsu's 'Technology-enabled Work Style' innovation. About UiPath Built for both business and IT, UiPath is the leading platform for Enterprise Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The company is at the forefront of the digital business revolution achieving over 500% yearly revenue growth since 2015. A global community exceeding 30,000 users and over 450 enterprise customers and government agencies use UiPath's Enterprise RPA platform to deploy attended and unattended software robots quickly and accurately resulting in better business outcomes, stronger security and compliance, and higher job satisfaction. Based in New York City, US, UiPath also maintains offices in Australia, France, India, Japan, Romania, and the United Kingdom with an employee base over 400 people. Japanese subsidiary was established in February 2017 and already has over 60 customer base and more than 70 companies are working on PoC (Proof of Concept). For more information, please access UiPath Website. (https://www.uipath.com/ja/) http://www.uipath.com facebook twitter LinkedIn SOURCE UiPath K.K. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2017] First Tracker Designed for Bifacial Module & Certified by CPP, SkySmart Made its Debut in Global Market SHANGHAI, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to its high energy yield advantage, bifacial modules are becoming widely accepted by the solar PV market. Responding to the trend, Arctech Solar recently launched its innovative SkySmart tracking system. SkySmart is the world's first tracker that is specially designed for bifacial modules, and it is also certified by CPP. Compared to standard tracking systems, there are six significant advantages of SkySmart. SkySmart owns the industrial record N-S slope 20%, equivalent to 11.3 degrees The number of foundations have been reduced SkySmart tracking system has a double pitch risk-free drive-through cleaning advantage SkySmart is compatible with all commercially available PV modules SkySmart is a self-powered system with Li-ion battery as a backup SkySmart is the world's first supplier to apply LoRa-wireless communicaton technology to trackers Including technical indicators mentioned above, when compared with standard tracking systems, what is particularly worth mentioning here is that SkySmart can maximize the value of bifacial modules with Artech Solar's patented 4 point/6 point bifacial module fast mounting fixing method. It is a key design that differentiates SkySmart from other manufacturers in the solar PV industry. The newly patented installation method will help clients effectively reduce the module backside shading, accelerates project installation and increases the energy yield. To know more about SkySmart datasheet at: http://www.arctechsolar.com/index.php/product/downloadcenter About Arctech Solar Arctech Solar is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solution providers of solar tracking and racking systems. Through 8 years of development, Arctech Solar has set up manufacturing bases in Kunshan and Changzhou in China and has also set up subsidiaries and service centers in many regional markets such as America, Japan, India and Europe other than China. As of January 2017, Arctech Solar has cumulatively installed 10GW and completed almost 600 projects in more than 10 countries. With a production capacity of 6GW and 3GW in fixed mounting structure and tracker fields respectively (a total annual capacity of 9GW), Arctech Solar has grown into a reliable partner in the Global PV Tracking and Racking market. For more information please visit: www.arctechsolar.com For product sales and other enquiries: [email protected] Press Contact: Sabrina Lyu +86-150-0085-3002 [email protected] Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171206/2007622-1 SOURCE Arctech Solar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2017] First Tracker Designed for Bifacial Module & Certified by CPP, SkySmart Makes its Debut in Global Market SHANGHAI, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to its high energy yield advantage, bifacial modules are becoming widely accepted by the solar PV market. To be responsive to this market trend, Arctech Solar recently launched its innovative SkySmart tracking system. SkySmart is the world's first tracker that is specially designed for bifacial modules, and it is also certified by CPP. Compared to standard tracking systems, there are six significant advantages of SkySmart. SkySmart owns the industrial record N-S slope 20% With the unique design of 2 rows of modules in portrait, SkySmart adapts to 20% S-N slope, equivalent to 11.3 degrees, which is the largest N-S slope ever in tracker industry. With the unique design of 2 rows of modules in portrait, SkySmart adapts to 20% S-N slope, equivalent to 11.3 degrees, which is the largest N-S slope ever in tracker industry. The number of foundations have been reduced If 385 modules are installed on a row, only 200 foundations will be used for 1MW. If 385 modules are installed on a row, only 200 foundations will be used for 1MW. SkySmart tracking system has a double pitch risk-free drive-through cleaning advantage With linked-row systems, pull pole is typically located between rows, which can lay difficulties for cleaning. Whereas, SkySmart by designing as 2 in portrait can provide double pitch drive-through module cleaning compared to 1 in portrait, it will prevent modules from damages caused by vehicles. With linked-row systems, pull pole is typically located between rows, which can lay difficulties for cleaning. Whereas, SkySmart by designing as 2 in portrait can provide double pitch drive-through module cleaning compared to 1 in portrait, it will prevent modules from caused by vehicles. SkySmart is compatible with all commercially available PV modules, and it is also the world's first t r acker specially designed for bifacial modules Thanks to its advantage of uncovered back-side, when combined with SkySmart, the performance of bifacial modules will be maximized. Thanks to its advantage of uncovered back-side, when combined with SkySmart, the performance of bifacial modules will be maximized. SkySmart is a self-powered system with Li-ion battery as a backup There is no need for cables and traditional power supply for SkySmart, as the motor is powered by a string ofmodules, the extra Li-ion battery is only used for backup to bring the tracker to the safety position when emergencies come up. As such, SkySmart further maximizes the performance of battery and extends battery service life. There is no need for cables and traditional power supply for SkySmart, as the motor is powered by a string ofmodules, the extra Li-ion battery is only used for backup to bring the tracker to the safety position when emergencies come up. As such, SkySmart further maximizes the performance of battery and extends battery service life. SkySmart is the world's first supplier to apply LoRa-wireless communication technology to trackers SkySmart applies the latest communication technology -- Lora Wireless, which has lower consumption but larger coverage range to keep the signal stable under various climate circumstances. Except for the excellent technical indicators mentioned above, when compared with standard tracking systems, what is particularly worth mentioning here is that SkySmart can maximize the value of bifacial modules with Artech Solar's patented 4 point/6 point bifacial module fast mounting fixing method. It is a key design that differentiates SkySmart from other manufacturers in the solar PV industry. The newly patented installation method will help users reduce the module backside shading effectively, accelerates project installation and increases the energy yield. Mr. Guy Rong, president of Arctech Solar's international business, commented that Arctech Solar has made quite an effort to meet any new demand from clients through innovation. SkySmart is a well-designed new generation tracking system which integrated technologies of bifacial module, cleaning equipment, wireless communication and so on. SkySmart will bring a satisfactory return of investment to the system investors. There is much to expect from SkySmart in the upcoming 2018. To know more about SkySmart datasheet at: http://www.arctechsolar.com/index.php/product/downloadcenter About Arctech Solar Arctech Solar is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solution providers of solar tracking and racking systems. Through 8 years of development, Arctech Solar has set up manufacturing bases in Kunshan and Changzhou in China and has also set up subsidiaries and service centers in many regional markets such as America, Japan, India and Europe other than China. As of January 2017, Arctech Solar has cumulatively installed 10GW and completed almost 600 projects in more than 10 countries. With a production capacity of 6GW and 3GW in fixed mounting structure and tracker fields respectively (a total annual capacity of 9GW), Arctech Solar has grown into a reliable partner in the Global PV Tracking and Racking market. For more information please visit: www.arctechsolar.com For product sales and other enquiries: [email protected] Press Contact: Sabrina Lyu Telephone: +86-15000853002 Email Address: [email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-tracker-designed-for-bifacial-module--certified-by-cpp-skysmart-makes-its-debut-in-global-market-300567327.html SOURCE Arctech Solar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2017] CohuHD Costar Awarded US$2.4 Million Surveillance Video Camera Contract for Major Critical Infrastructure Project in Saudi Arabia COPPELL, Texas, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CohuHD Costar, a Costar Technologies, Inc. company (OTC Markets Group: CSTI) announced today that it has been awarded a $2.4 million video surveillance camera contract for a major critical infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia. With the recent introduction of the RISE 4290HD series, CohuHD Costar expands the reach of its RISE series platform into long-range, day/night, thermal video surveillance applications. Working with one of the leading security solutions providers and systems integrators in the Middle East, the RISE 4290HD will provide 24/7 video surveillance for a major critical infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia. This large-scale deployment of RISE 4290HD cameras marks another important milestone for the RISE platform that requires the cameras to operate under extreme environmental conditions and at long distances. "We're seeing increased demand for rugged cameras that can provide long-range video 24/7 in a variety of environmental conditions. The RISE 4290HD does this, and does it at a price point we believe makes it very attractive for applications such as critical infrastructure and intelligent traffic systems. We expect this project to be the first of many major security monitoring projects for the 4290HD around the world," stated Doug Means, Senior VP and GM of CohuHD Costar. The RISE 4290HD Series dual-spectrum positioning system is the latest addition to CohuHD Costar's RISE family of products and has been awarded the 2017 GSN Airport, Seaport, Border Security Award for Best ong-Range/High-Res Camera by Government Security News. The RISE 4290HD Series combines crystal clear HD visible spectrum imaging along with standard resolution LWIR thermal night vision imaging. The RISE 4290HD is designed to operate in harsh weather with its purged and pressurized IP67 enclosure protection to eliminate the effects of water intrusion, pollutants and corrosives. The ultra-rugged design of all CohuHD RISE products allows the company to offer a lifetime warranty against water ingress. About Costar Technologies, Inc. Costar Technologies, Inc. develops, designs, manufactures and distributes a range of security solution products including surveillance cameras, lenses, digital video recorders and high-speed domes. The Company also develops, designs and distributes industrial vision products to observe repetitive production and assembly lines, thereby increasing efficiency by detecting faults in the production process. Headquartered in Coppell, Texas, the Company's shares currently trade on the OTC Markets Group under the ticker symbol "CSTI". Costar was ranked 41 in a&s magazine's Security 50 for 2016. Security 50 is an annual ranking of the world's largest security manufacturers in the areas of video surveillance, access control and intruder alarms, based on financial performance. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements related to the demand for our products and future projects, that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "expect," "predict," "potential," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations but they involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of the risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable laws. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cohuhd-costar-awarded-us24-million-surveillance-video-camera-contract-for-major-critical-infrastructure-project-in-saudi-arabia-300567289.html SOURCE Costar Technologies, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2017] RxPrism Launches an Alexa-powered Artificial Intelligence Solution for the Pharma and Healthcare Sectors BANGALORE, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As a part of its technology-driven innovations, RxPrism launches an Alexa-powered artificial intelligence (AI) solution for websites, platforms, and applications. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/456349/PRNE__RxPrism_Health_Systems_Pvt__Ltd_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/614014/Alexa_powered_Artificial_Intelligence_Solution.jpg ) The company claims that this solution can be easily integrated to the existing applications, platforms and websites run by a pharmaceutical or healthcare organization. Incorporating the latest technology in speech interaction, the solution enables an existing application to recognize its customers' intend merely through voice commands. With AI and automation catching up fast, RxPrism believes that this solution is truly futuristic with unimaginable potential. The solution literally replaces the mundane clicks and taps with just a SHOUT. The makers exalt that their solution convets an existing application to a smart application, thereby allowing physicians and patients to interact hands-free. They also claim that the solution, while wowing the audience initially, will bring in comfort, convenience, and the much-needed fun in all their interactions. To know more about the solution, feel free to write to [email protected]. About RxPrism RxPrism is an award-winning healthcare digital marketing expert offering innovative solutions across multiple technology platforms for pharmaceutical and life science companies to enhance their brand value and achieve commercial success. Recognized as the Company of the Year 2016 in Healthcare Digital Marketing by CIO Review, RxPrism is changing the way communication and engagement is done in healthcare. RxPrism is already a trusted partner to more than 30 pharma companies spread across 20 countries. The company's expertise lies in conceptualizing and executing transformational solutions in the areas of physician and patient engagement, which drive brand promotion and educational goals, by partnering with clients through their digital journey. RxPrism also specializes in building intuitive field force training and robust effectiveness solutions. The ability of the company to build customized cutting-edge solutions, backed by strong content, creative, technology, and project management capabilities, is helping global pharma achieve marketing goals that span multiple geographies, products, and therapies. A testimony to RxPrism's rapidly growing success is the 15+ international awards it has received, including RxClub 2016, MSD Innovation Factory 2017, MarCom 2017, and IE20 conferred by London & Partners in 2017 to recognize India's most innovative and high-growth companies with global aspirations. RxPrism is rapidly expanding and has offices across the USA, UK, UAE, India, Singapore, and Japan. For more information, log on to http://www.rxprism.com. Media Contact Arul Bala Sundaresan [email protected] +91-9886810792 Head - Administration RxPrism Health Systems Pvt. Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Glance Announces Completion of the Acquisition of Cryptocurrency Technology Blockimpact VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glance Technologies Inc. (CSE:GET.CN) is pleased to announce the completion of the purchase of the Blockimpact end-to-end cryptocurrency and blockchain solution from Ztudium Inc. In addition to acquiring the technology, Glance intends to leverage Ztudiums experience and expertise in the crypto space as consultants with Dinis Guarda, CEO of Ztudium, joining Glances board of advisors. On December 5, 2017 Glance entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the intellectual property comprising the Blockimpact platform in consideration for payment to Ztudium of US$1.1 million, 80% of which has already been paid and 20% of which shall be paid on completion of the integration of Blockimpact with the Glance Pay mobile payment platform. Glance is now initiating the integration of Blockimpact with Glance Pay. Blockimpact is a complete 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 (API) 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 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, social media marketing, customer feedback, in-merchant messaging and custom 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 and fitness and wellness industries through Active Pay Distribution Inc. and Cannapay Financial Inc. For more information about Glance, please go to www.glance.tech. For more information, contact: Christina Rao Vice President, Investor Relations (604) 723-7480 [email protected] 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: "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 www.sedar.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Eutelsat Satellite Connectivity Selected by Colombian Government Regulatory News: The Colombian Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement with Eutelsat (News - Alert) Communications (Paris:ETL) for capacity on the EUTELSAT 115 West B satellite. The multi-transponder contract, the first between Eutelsat and the Colombian Ministry of Defence, follows the signature of a government to government agreement between France and Colombia, designed to encourage cooperation in the context of the France-Colombia Year. The Colombian government will leverage EUTELSAT 115 West B's exceptional power levels over the Andean Region to host Ministry of Defence networks across the country, used by the General Command of the Colombian Military Forces, the Army and the Air Force. General Jose Javier Perez Mejia, Deputy Minister of Defence of Colombia, said: "In the interests of improved organisation of the satellite communications networks operated by our defence forces the Colombian Ministry of Defence decided to seek a single contractor to meet its diverse needs. Of the countries we invited to contend, France, through Eutelsat, presented the best economic and technical proposal, leading us to select EUTELSAT 115 West B." Michel Azibert, Chief Commercial and Development Officer at Eutelsat, added: "This first agreement with the Colombian Ministry of Defence reinforces our commitmentto working hand in hand with governments across the globe to deliver efficient solutions matching connectivity and security needs. We're delighted to enter into this new relationship in the context of the 2017 France-Colombia Year, and to strengthen relations between both countries." About Eutelsat Communications Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,700 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 44 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service. Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL). For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com www.eutelsat.com - @Eutelsat_SA and LinkedIn View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005496/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Prevoty Secures $13 Million in Series B Round Led by Trident Capital Cybersecurity LOS ANGELES, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prevoty, the leader in autonomous application protection, today announced that the company has secured $13 million in new financing from the venture capital firm Trident Capital Cybersecurity, naming Managing Director Sean Cunningham to its Board of Directors. Prior investors including USVP also participated in the funding round. This new round of funding from Trident Capital Cybersecurity and USVP will not only help us meet the exponential growth in demand for our autonomous application security solutions, but will also support continued investment in innovation, said Prevoty Co-Founder and CEO Julien Bellanger. Our team has developed unrivaled expertise in application security, as well as a customer base of partners who help guide our efforts toward solving their most critical application security challenges. Together, were changing application security. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6f17e71-e2b1-47d9-ba15-d2a526f6a066 Prevoty, the company behind the worlds first autonomous application protection technology that enables applications to self-defend from attacks in real-tie, is growing at a time of soaring demand for application security solutions. Applications are prime targets for cyberattacks because they handle troves of personally identifiable information, financial information and other critical data. Over the past decade, applications have become the number one attack vector in major breaches. The companys solutions are in use by some of the worlds leading companies across all industry verticals. Application security is critical in todays environment of high-growth, customer-facing applications, but it is often the weakest link in a security program, said Sean Cunningham, Managing Director at Trident Capital Cybersecurity. Prevoty integrates application security into agile software development practices, enabling developers to deploy applications with inherently more security, reduce risk, and minimize implementation impact. Customers and prospects are validating that Prevotys unique approach to application security succeeds at embedding security into DevOps, creating visibility into security weaknesses, allowing teams to remediate underlying issues in real-time production, and accelerating application time to market. We look forward to partnering with Prevoty during this next stage of growth. Prevoty has given us a higher degree of confidence in the security of our application deployments, said Brian Higdon, Information Security Officer at Freddie Mac. Prevotys Autonomous Application Protection solution has been instrumental in allowing us to implement our DevSecOps program by providing us with a higher degree of confidence in the security of our application deployments, he added. Over the past year, Prevoty has achieved major milestones including exponential year-over-year customer growth. The last 12 months were record breaking for the company across revenue, customer acquisition and new innovations delivered to the market. Prevoty is the recipient of many industry awards including the SINET 16 Innovator Award, the Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Award for Best Web Application Solution, the Most Innovative Security (Software) of the Year and a Companies with Tomorrows Technology Today award. Prevoty has identified and implemented a unique approach to protecting organizations against advanced application based attacks, said Steve Krausz, General Partner at USVP. The team at Prevoty has been redefining the way in which companies protect themselves, their customers and their data in an environment that is growing more challenging by the day. As organizations fight to deliver value to their customers through their applications, they can rest easy knowing that their software is secure by default and able to protect itself against attacks. This new round of funding from Trident Capital Cybersecurity and USVP will not only help us meet the exponential growth in demand for our autonomous application security solutions, but will also support continued investment in innovation, said Prevoty Co-Founder and CEO Julien Bellanger. Our team has developed unrivaled expertise in application security, as well as a customer base of partners who help guide our efforts toward solving their most critical application security challenges. Together, were changing application security. About Prevoty Prevoty is dedicated to securing enterprises and the users they serve by automating defense and intelligence in all applications and services. These capabilities enable Global enterprises to dramatically improve remediation of vulnerabilities, enabling security and development teams to work together more effectively, in sync with ever accelerating application release cycles. Prevoty was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information on the company's application security solutions, go to https://www.prevoty.com or follow @Prevoty on Twitter. Contact: Dan Chmielewski Madison Alexander PR Tel: +1-714-832-8716 M: +1-949-231-2965 www.madisonalexanderpr.com [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Silverline Ranks Number One on the List of Best Places to Work in 2018, a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award Winner New York, NY, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silverline has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees Choice Award, recognizing the Best Places to Work in 2018. The Employees Choice Awards program, now in its 10th year, relies solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments, and companies via Glassdoor. I am honored by the magnitude of this recognition, said Gireesh Sonnad, CEO & Co-Founder, Silverline. It is incredibly rewarding to know that the people I see and interact with everyday have taken the time to show this type of support for the company. This is truly an amazing accomplishment for all of Silverline. We know todays job seekers are more informed than ever about where they go to work, researching everything from company culture to career opportunities to pay philosophy and more. To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees Choice Awards recognize employers that are truly Best Places to Work because theyre determined by those who really know best - the employees, said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder. Employers where employees love to work continue to prove that they have a recruiting and business performance advantage. Were proud to celebrate the 2018 winners as we mark our tenth anniversary of the Glassdoor Employees Choice Awards. On Glassdoor, current and former employees of companies worldwide can share insights and opinions about their work environments by sharing a company review, designed to capture a genuine and authentic inside look at what its like to work at particular jobs and companies. When sharing a company review on Glassdoor, employees are asked to rate their satisfaction with the company overall, and keyworkplace factors like career opportunities, compensation, benefits, work/life balance, senior management, as well as culture and values. In addition, employees are asked to describe the best reasons to work at their companies as well as any downsides. The Best Places to Work are determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between November 1, 2016 and October 22, 2017. To be considered for the small & medium category, a company must have less than 1,000 employees and have received at least 25 ratings across eight workplace attributes from U.S.-based employees during the period of eligibility. The final list is compiled based on Glassdoors proprietary algorithm, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2018, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Small-and-Medium-Companies-to-Work-For-LST_KQ0,43.htm About Silverline Silverline is a Salesforce Platinum Cloud Alliance Partner headquartered in New York City with experienced, innovative consultants around the world. They are focused on developing powerful solutions, deployed on the Salesforce Platform, and robust third-party apps. Silverline's results-driven methodology leverages best practices acquired by over 1,100 implementations, with significant expertise in industry verticals such as Financial Services, Healthcare, and Force.com solutions. Additionally, Silverline offers popular AppExchange applications and industry-proven Fullforce Certified accelerators. About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms. Glassdoor Media Contact: Alison Sullivan, [email protected] Silverline Media Contact: Kathleen Ferrie, 646.589.0489, [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] London and Partners: London Steps Up Efforts to Attract Indian Tech Firms BANGALORE, India, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- London is increasing its efforts to attract Indian businesses and investors, with the opening of a new overseas office in India's tech capital, Bengaluru. The new office is part of London's continued drive to strengthen trade and investment links with India and will ease the process for Indian companies setting up, or expanding in London. Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company has revealed plans to expand its operations in London, with the news that it will open a new 13,000 square foot office in the capital. The new space in the City of London will be the company's third London office. Wipro has 1800 employees in London and is continuously investing and growing in the region. Wipro joins a host of Indian tech firms to make significant investments in London, with the Mayor of London's promotional agency, London & Partners, revealing that Indian tech businesses are set to create over 400 new jobs in London this year. The announcements have been made to coincide with the visit to Bengaluru of a trade delegation of London business leaders and tech entrepreneurs from the Mayor of London's International Business Programme, as they look to increase bilateral trade between London and India. The visit is part of the wider trade mission to India this week led by The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who also met with business leaders and politicians in Mumbai and Delhi earlier this week. India remains the second biggest foreign investor into London, with Indian firms creating over 4,500 jobs in London over the last 10 years - more than China, Japan and second only to the United States. According to London & Partners investment data, technology is the leading sector for investment from India into London, representing almost half (47%) of all investment projects in the past ten years.sup>[ 1] Rajan Kohli, Senior Vice President and Global Head, Wipro Digital said: "Our latest Wipro Digital pod in London is a significant milestone in our continued growth journey, helping attract great design and engineering talent to serve clients in the UK and Europe.? Together with Designit, we outgrew our first digital pod faster than we anticipated. This additional presence in London allows us to continue to bring our new ways of working to digital clients, with a special emphasis on collaboration and co-creation between designers and software engineers to incubate innovative and disruptive ideas alongside our clients." David Slater, Director of International Trade and Investment at London & Partners added: "London and Bengaluru are hotbeds for innovation and creativity and we see a fantastic opportunity for UK and Indian tech companies to do business across both markets. Our decision to open a new office in Bengaluru will help us reach key decision makers in India and support our continued drive to help Indian businesses expand and internationalise in London." "India is a market with a long history of trading links to the UK and London in particular. Wipro's expansion in the capital offers further proof that London remains an attractive destination for Indian businesses. The fundamental strengths that have made London a leading global destination for Indian businesses have not changed following the EU referendum vote and London remains open to talent and investment from all over the world." Eighteen of London's fastest growing technology businesses will join business leaders in Bengaluru to explore investment and export opportunities in India. Led by the Mayor's International Business programme, the companies will meet with leading Indian investors and entrepreneurs and will visit some of Bengaluru's most well-known technology firms such as Wipro and Infosys. Companies travelling on the trade mission include Baby2Body, an online platform which provides advice for new and expectant mothers, Spotify, a digital music streaming service, and Winnow, a tech company which helps chefs measure, monitor and reduce kitchen food waste. Winnow have today announced a partnership with Indian sustainability leader Diversey, to fight food waste in the Indian hospitality sector. Full list of London-based companies attending the trade mission: Baby2Body Boclips Car Quids Colwiz Contracts IT Equal Education Gamar HowNow Medical Realities Nurole Onfido Principle Spotify Thrive Partners Tido Treniq Winnow Zenkai Consulting [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] The 11th Edition of IFSEC India Secures its Position as South Asia's Largest Security & Surveillance Show NEW DELHI, December 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A signature expo by UBM India - 20 + participating countries and over 300 brands showcase smart security for emerging India - Launched a whitepaper on 'Maximizing benefits of Command Control Center' developed by Knowledge Partner -PwC India for IFSEC India - To witness the second IFSEC India Awards - One-day high impact conference focussing on Homeland Security UBM India today launched the 11th edition of International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) India, a three-day show, from December 6-8, 2017, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. IFSEC 2017 was inaugurated by Shri Gopal K Pillai, Chairman, Data Security Council of India & Former Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India; Shri Shiv Charan Yadav, President, Asian Professional Security Association (APSA), Mr. Anil Dhawan, Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM Homeland Security, Commander Deepak Uppal, Director, PwC, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India and Mr. Pankaj Jain, Group Director, UBM India amidst an august industry gathering. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/471349/UBM_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/616216/IFSEC_India_Lamp_Lighting.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/616217/IFSEC_PwC_Whitepaper_Unveiling.jpg ) The show was a convener of internationally renowned exhibitors, consultants, business experts and key government officials under one common platform, to discuss global best practices and seek solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in the security and fire domain. It provided high-impact informative demos and a wealth of opportunities for the visitors to network and learn about cutting-edge technologies, industry trends, challenges, market insights and discover the best solutions to keep their business and clients secured. This year, the expo saw participation from countries such as UK, USA, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Lithuania, South Africa, Russia and Turkey to name a few from the commercial security domain. It is well-supported in its endeavours by associations such as Asian Professional Security Association(APSA), American Society for Industrial Security(ASIS), Electronic Security Association of India(ESAI), Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and Overseas Security Advisory Council(OSAC), along with Assocham as Strategic Partner and PwC as knowledge Partner. The expo has over 300 participating brands which include - Aditya Infotech, Dahua, eSSL, Globus Infocom, Hanwha Techwin, Hikvision, Mark Electronics, Realtime, Roadpoint, Secureye, Techsmart, Tenda, TVT, Uniview, & Zkteco as Premier Plus partners. Premier partners include - Advik, Axestrack, Biomax, Delta, Dlink, Face ID, Hifocus, Idemia, Mantra Softech, Orbit, Panasonic, Seagate, Slingshot, Tansa, Timewatch, Unique Electrovision and Western Digital amongst others. Speaking at the inauguration of the 11th edition of the IFSEC India Expo, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, " The constantly evolving cities in this geographical region face higher criminal activities, and war and terrorism threats that are a source of critical concern for citizens in terms of disaster preparedness and prevention. With this, security and surveillance in our country requies rapid augmentation amidst industrial, commercial and residential establishments. UBM India's objective for IFSEC India 2017, an offshoot of IFSEC Global with a rich legacy of 40 years, is to continue bringing this need to the forefront and in response, the required solution offerings based on new technology to strengthen security in these establishments. Backed by the success of its past 10 editions, we are sure the 11th edition of IFSEC India, which has today undoubtedly become the pre-eminent authority on the global commercial security, will exceed industry expectations." This year, the expo also witnessed the launch of a whitepaper by PwC - knowledge partner for IFSEC India - on ' Maximising the benefits of a command and control centre (CCC)' that primarily talks about key challenges in today's CCCs, utilisation of the concept of operations and co-locating various command centres for integrated operations. Speaking on the launch of the whitepaper, Mr. Neel Ratan, India Government Leader and Regional Managing Partner - North, PwC India, said "Owing to the burgeoning population in cities and rapid digital penetration, there are unique challenges that need to be addressed using technologically advanced and robust systems. The need for shared situational awareness is increasing dramatically and the systems must ensure that during any emergency, the security networks remain healthy and security staff has access to the required information. The system must be designed to facilitate data into actionable information. This can be achieved by a state-of-the-art integrated command and control centre (IC3) with fused, interoperable capabilities that enable people and systems to work more effectively. As knowledge partner to the event - PwC, has explored the new and emerging technologies in the field of security and surveillance with an integrated approach by the launch of the whitepaper report that focuses on augmenting the benefits of the command and control centre." To this, Mr. Mudras further added, "The report on 'Maximizing benefits of Command Control Center', developed by our Knowledge Partner -PwC India for IFSEC India, will play an important role. The report holds latest industry insights that will be offered to industry decision makers in order to be leveraged across newer projects in the market. With PwC's collective understanding of the industry and technologies, the report will further help augment this ecosystem even further." With the increasing focus on Homeland security in India, IFSEC India, 2017 discussed relevant insights gained in the global security market by conducting a one day conference with the theme 'Secure Nation and Safer Environment' alongside the exhibition. The conference witnessed eminent personalities delivering special address and key note, to name a few - Shri G K Pillai - Members of the National Security Advisory Board, Ministry of Home Affairs and Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, Managing Director, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation. Some interesting topics that were discussed at the conference were - Smart Border Management - Comprehensive Strategies for Challenges and Threats to Land Borders, Coastal & Maritime Security Challenges. This year, IFSEC India is all set to bring back the 2nd edition of IFSEC India Awards on the night of 6th December at The Lalit, New Delhi. The Electronic Security Industry in India is proliferating and the awards are crafted to specially get the minds behind electronic security in various industry verticals like BFSI, Retail, Manufacturing, Energy, Healthcare, PSUs, IT & ITES and Infrastructure in the limelight. The awards will recognise the excellence and innovations of CSOs & Security officers who continuously work behind the scenes to ensure robust security. The process advisors for the IFSEC India Awards will be Ernst and Young. Industry Speak at IFSEC India 2017: Mr. Robin Shen, Managing Director, India & SAARC Region, Dahua Technology India Pvt Ltd, said, "The security industry landscape in India has been positive, promising and progressive. The recent initiatives taken by the Indian Government and the growing awareness among the Indians on the importance of security needs bode well for the industry. India is a huge market with immense potential and its size, geography, demographic dividend, diversity, and dynamism and this attracts us to cater to the growing security needs of the people. IFSEC India brings together many national and international brands in the security, safety, and fire industries under one roof to address the sector's growing needs and urges them to act in a concerted manner for the benefit of all stakeholders." Mr. Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd, said, "IFSEC is one of the most coveted exhibitions related to the security Industry in India. We are participating in it with unabated interest to showcase Hikvision's latest products and innovative technologies like Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI Cloud, Big Data & IoT. The Indian security market is currently moving towards a mature stage. In the next 10 years, India's security market will experience a boom like never before. The government's Smart City Mission and Digital India initiative are creating new opportunities for the security Industry." Mr. Jaidev Singh, National Sales Manager, TimeWatch, said, "The most important factor for security industry is to remain present, active and look for the business opportunities. At present, the security industry in India heavily relies on the imports and nearly 70 per cent of the securities forming equipment required in the country are imported. By bringing together product and solution providers with both channel partners and senior decision makers from government and private sectors, the IFSEC India provides the perfect platform for our clients to meet their objectives through thought leadership, product & solution showcases and year round networking." About UBM India: UBM India is India's leading exhibition organizer that provides the industry with platforms that bring together buyers and sellers from around the world, through a portfolio of exhibitions, content led conferences & seminars. UBM India hosts over 25 large scale exhibitions and 40 conferences across the country every year; thereby enabling trade across multiple industry verticals. A UBM Asia Company, UBM India has offices across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. UBM Asia is owned by UBM plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. UBM Asia is the leading exhibition organizer in Asia and the biggest commercial organizer in mainland China, India and Malaysia. For further details, please visit ubmindia.in. About UBM plc: UBM plc is the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world. In an increasingly digital world, the value of connecting on a meaningful, human level has never been more important. At UBM, our deep knowledge and passion for the industry sectors we serve allow us to create valuable experiences where people can succeed. At our events people build relationships, close deals and grow their businesses. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors - from fashion to pharmaceutical ingredients. These global networks, skilled, passionate people and market-leading events provide exciting opportunities for business people to achieve their ambitions. For more information, go to www.ubm.com; for UBM corporate news, follow us on Twitter at @UBM ,UBM Plc LinkedIn Media Contacts: Roshni Mitra UBM India [email protected] Mili Lalwani UBM India [email protected] +91-22-61727000 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Unifi Software Wins Frost & Sullivan's 2017 North American Customer Value Leadership Award for Big Data and Analytics The Unifi Data Platform Delivers Unrivaled Self-Service Access to Data SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Unifi Software, the leader in providing a seamlessly integrated suite of self-service data tools, today announced it has earned Frost & Sullivans prestigious 2017 North American Customer Value Leadership Award for the Big Data and Analytics Industry. Based on extensive and ongoing analysis across the entire value chain of vendors providing Big Data and Analytics Tools, Frost & Sullivan determined that Unifi provides the best approach to an integrated solution that manages the entire data acquisition and preparation continuum. The Award is in recognition of Unifis superior products and services along with the companys ability to deliver a clear, demonstrable return on investment (ROI) for customers. Over the past few years, the number of vendors providing self-service data tools has risen dramatically. Offerings include niche products for data preparation, data catalog, governance and even metadata management. Of those solutions, however, none have emerged that deliver the level of data transparency and business value, even when combined, as Unifis solution which offers a fully integrated, comprehensive data platform, said Mike Jude, Research Director for Stratecast | Frost & Sullivan. Weve been highly impressed with the companys ability to contribute immediate and extended value to customers and with the results that each in turn has realized. This award recognizes the achievement and meaningful impact Unifi is making to business users as well as to IT teams. Unifi has rapidly become the go-to business tool of choice for users at Global 2000 companies including AT Kearney, Boston Biomedical, Essentra, Havas, MoneyGram, Nike, OneAZ Credit Union, Sabre, United Benefit Advisors (UBA), Visa, West County Health Centers and many more. Its unique approach to delivering self-service data for analytics has been a game-changer to entire communities of people within these organizations. For example, at West County Health Centers self-serice access to data has become a compelling mechanism for better health care delivery to families and individuals across Northern California. OneAZ Credit Union, a $2 billion cooperative, is using Unifi to power its Member 360 view and has realized $2.5 million in incremental revenue in the past 12 months. Sabre, which processes over a billion customer transactions annually, is now able to easily and quickly combine all of its SLA information across legacy systems and in the cloud to serve its customers more effectively. Business users across every industry and market have turned to big data and analytics technologies to make sense of their data and extract meaningful insights. One of the biggest challenges though, is to find truth and value amid the torrent of data flooding into an enterpriseboth structured and unstructured, from a multitude of data sources. According to Frost & Sullivan, data preparation tools alone are insufficient, not scalable and still place an undue burden on IT resources. As Frost & Sullivan Stratecast surveys indicate, data preparation can often consume up to 80 percent of the time available to business analysts in the organization. The Unifi Data Platform provides a comprehensive solution that includes; governance and security, catalog and discovery, data preparation, workflow automation, and community collaborationall powered by AI and optimized for the cloud. The Unifi Data Platform breaks down the barriers of operational data silos and democratizes informationusing AI to find and personalize the data thats most relevant to a user across an ever-growing number of disparate data sets, and delivering those insights through an elegant, recommendations-based user experience. The Unifi data virtualization model makes all data easily discoverable and readily available to decision makers at all levels within an organization while still allowing IT to maintain security and compliance, which Frost & Sullivan notes, radically reduces the overhead on business analysts and IT. Achieving market leadership is never an easy task. It means always pushing the envelope of whats possible to deliver the best in customer value. At Unifi weve built a culture around innovation and engineering excellence to lead from the beginning, said Sean Keenan, Co-Founder and Vice President of Product at Unifi Software. Receiving Frost & Sullivans Customer Value Leadership Award for the Big Data and Analytics Industry is a great testament to all of the hard work on every front of our business. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers with a focus on improving the return on the investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes the company's unique focus on augmenting the value that its customers receive, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and customer base expansion. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Unifi Software Unifis Data Platform breaks down the barriers of operational data silos and democratizes information across the enterprise. At the heart of the platform is a comprehensive suite of self-service data tools to empower business users. Employing machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, governed by IT and cloud-optimized, Unifi predicts what the business user wants to visualize and then connects the resulting data natively to the BI tool for fast, accurate results. Unifi was founded by data and enterprise infrastructure experts from Greenplum (now part of Dell Technologies), Oracle, Microsoft, and Platfora (now part of Workday). Headquartered in San Mateo, CA Unifi operates regional offices across the U.S. and a development center in Bangalore, India. ### Deborah Mullan Unifi Software (925) 383-7765 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] iDonate signs OEM Agreement with LifeWay DALLAS, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iDonate, the leading provider of donor engagement solutions, and LifeWay Christian Resources, the worlds leading provider of church resources, today announced an agreement to develop, market and sell a new solution for LifeWays thousands of church customers that enables pastors and administrative staff to build a generous church. The agreement between the two companies is an exclusive five-year agreement to launch a new solution called LifeWay Generosity that will package custom content and training resources from LifeWay with iDonates solutions for online, digital, and noncash giving to provide both the purpose and means for church members to give more generously. The integrated offering is released today, and will become generally available through all of LifeWays online and retail outlets in February 2018. LifeWay Generosity will address an urgent, pervasive and high-impact problem for todays churches. Trends in giving have consistently shown declines in tithing as membership demographics shift from boomers to millennials. Having successfully addressed financial management issues of stewardship in the past decade, LifeWay is now engaging in providing its customers with the strategies, services, content and means to create a culture of generosity. iDonates donor engagement solutions provide giving systems that can extend giving beyond just the webpage, to more focused ministry initiatives and projects that evoke the passion of newer members seeking a cause to support or serve. With several digital giving channels, including a donor app, online, event, peer-to-peer, text to give, and noncash, LifeWay Generosity will now be powered by the exceptinal giving experiences from iDonate, increasing the reach and growth of donation opportunities. The church has historically been the single largest center of charitable giving, but due to changes in member demographics, and other factors impacting the church, giving has struggled to grow in many church communities, said Ray Gary, CEO of iDonate. Churches have expressed a strong desire to connect with new members through more modern giving channels that support projects, missions, ministries and causes, and most importantly allow their members to connect more fully to the impact of their giving. Our partnership with LifeWay will open those channels while at the same time providing the guidance and expertise that LifeWay delivers to pastors to nurture their membership. We are thrilled to have iDonate as a partner in our effort to ensure that every LifeWay customer has the tools and resources they need to build a thriving church, said Todd McMichen, Director of LifeWay Generosity and Digital Giving. At LifeWay, our business is all about equipping the church to grow through trustworthy content. The content we will make available through our partnership with iDonate will come alongside the church as it encourages effective stewardship of resources and expands the practice of discipleship through generosity. iDonate shares our purpose and values in this mission and we look forward to working with them to establish a new standard of giving in this industry. The LifeWay Generosity offering will be unique in the market, in that it combines the technology with the content and training to create a holistic generosity offering. There are many tools and comprehensive content in the market, yet no provider has fused the two together like the offering from LifeWay and iDonate. As a result, the church will not only have the best technology solution, theyll have the toolkit to implement, teach, and inspire their members on how to be a generous church. About iDonate iDonate provides donor engagement solutions that connect todays donors with the causes they care about, building relationships through great giving experiences that attract, retain and grow donor communities and donations. The iDonate Donor Engagement System combines cutting-edge SaaS technology, multi-channel fundraising systems and services to expand donor databases to provide actionable insights that optimize growth. Launched in 2014 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, iDonates mission is to transform charitable giving and drive growth for our partners so they can make bigger impacts on the world. For more information, please visit www.idonate.com. About LifeWay LifeWay Christian Resources is one of the world's largest providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, digital services, church music and supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. The company owns and operates more than 170 LifeWay Christian Stores across the nation, as well as Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.lifeway.com. CONTACT: Autumn Bitticks [email protected] 972.232.7295 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Dell EMC Networking Chosen for Eurofiber's DCspine to Enable IT Transformation HOPKINTON, Mass., Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dell EMC Networking solutions to act as high-performance switching backbone for Eurofiber's DCspine platform DCspine delivers a virtual "meet-me-room", interconnects data centers via software-defined networking Full story Dell EMC Networking is helping Eurofiber provide a new method for data center interconnectivity as customers transform IT environments using cloud-oriented operations. Eurofiber Group was founded in 2000 to create an intelligent, future-proof infrastructure, and has expanded ever since.?At this moment, the network of almost 30,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable and secure data centers covers the Netherlands and Belgium and stretches into Germany. Built upon Dell EMC Networking Z9100-ON open switches running Cumulus Linux, the Eurofiber DCspine delivers a fully-automated, scalable, high capacity data center interconnection platform based on the latest software defined network developments. DCspine helps customers connect to cloud services on demand. Emerging cloud-based services create a new technology ecosystem of interconnected data centers, networks and service providers offering new approaches to help customers to take full advantage of the cloud. With this architectural shift, data center interconnection services need to be faster, more scalable, agile and flexible than current offerings. "We developed DCspine to capitalize on the need for flexible datacenter connectivity required forcloud services," said Bart Oskam, CTO of the Eurofiber Group. "Dell EMC enables DCspine to fully benefit from the advantages of software-defined networking building a future proof connectivity platform" "Eurofiber is breaking new ground with its DCspine initiative, creating a digital meet-point for enterprise customers and cloud resources through a new and innovative on-demand service offering," said Tom Burns, senior vice president, Dell EMC Networking, Enterprise Infrastructure & Service Provider Solutions. "We're excited to be working with Eurofiber, providing the Open Networking foundation for the DCspine initiative and turning this vision of transformation into reality." DCspine makes it as easy to cross-connect between data centers as if they were within a single location. DCspine offers online services for enterprise and cloud service providers operating from data centers. DCspine is available 24/7 via its portal with the flexibility to change or delete services at any time. DCspine characteristics include: High capacity up to 100G per connection Flexible contract terms All products available on more than 30 datacenters in The Netherlands Cloud providers are available to connect with on pre-configured ports Additional resources Connect with Dell EMC via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and ECN Find out more about how Dell Technologies is collaboratively solving customers' biggest challenges by visiting Dell Technologies' Annual Report to Customers About Dell EMC Dell EMC, a part of Dell Technologies, enables organizations to modernize, automate and transform their data center using industry-leading converged infrastructure, servers, storage and data protection technologies. This provides a trusted foundation for businesses to transform IT, through the creation of a hybrid cloud, and transform their business through the creation of cloud-native applications and big data solutions. Dell EMC services customers across 180 countries including 98 percent of the Fortune 500 with the industry's most comprehensive and innovative portfolio from edge to core to cloud. Copyright 2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell EMC and the Dell EMC logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dell-emc-networking-chosen-for-eurofibers-dcspine-to-enable-it-transformation-300567091.html SOURCE Dell EMC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] McGraw-Hill Education Announces Notes Offering NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Education, Inc. ("McGraw-Hill") announced today that its wholly owned subsidiaries, MHGE Parent, LLC (the "Issuer") and MHGE Parent Finance, Inc. (together with the Issuer, the "Issuers") intend to offer $250 million aggregate principal amount of Senior PIK Toggle Notes due 2022 (the "Notes") in a private placement. The Issuers intend to use the proceeds from this private offering together with cash on hand and a distribution from its wholly owned subsidiary, McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings, LLC ("MHGE"), of a portion of the proceeds of an incremental $150 million term loan under MHGE's existing credit facility, to refinance the Issuers' Senior PIK Toggle Notes due 2019 and to pay related fees and expenses. The Notes are being offered in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act and, outside the United States, to non-U.S. investors pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from registration requirements or atransaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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. 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-notes-offering-300567672.html SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Aspen Appoints David Schick as Group Chief Operating Officer Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited ("Aspen" or the "Company") (NYSE:AHL) announced today that David Schick has been appointed Group Chief Operating Officer. David joins Aspen from Maybank where he was Executive Vice President, Group Strategy and Transformation and Director of Strategic Operational Excellence. At Maybank, he was responsible for driving effectiveness and efficiency Group-wide, including within the Insurance business. Prior to this, he was at Raiffeisen Bank International where he led transformational efforts from both a line and functional perspective. He has also worked at organizations such as Citigroup and Mercer Consulting driving transformation across multiple geographies, businesses and industries. Chris O'Kane, Group Chief Executive Officer, commented: "David brings with him a wealth of business and strategic leadership as well as extensive experience of large change and transformation programs internationally. He will be responsible for leading our operational strategy across the Group including the delivery of our recently-launched effectiveness and efficiency program. We are delighted to welcome him to Aspen and he will be a valuable addition to our executive team." David replaces Richard Thornton who is leaving the business after almost four years at Aspen. Chris O'Kane added: "I would like to thank Richard for the contribution he has made to the business during his time with us and to wish him every success in the future." NOTES TO EDITORS : About Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited Aspen provides reinsurance and insurance coverage to clients in various domestic and global markets through wholly-owned subsidiaries and offices in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Aspen reported $12.1 billion in total assets, $5.3 billion in gross reserves, $3.6 billion in total shareholders' equity and $3.1 billion in gross written premiums. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A" by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC ("S&P"), an "A" ("Excellent") by A.M. Best Company Inc. ("A.M. Best") and an "A2" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"). Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This press release may contain written "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "do not believe," "project," "anticipate," "seek," "will," "estimate," "may," "likely," "continue," "assume," "objective," "aim," "guidance," "outlook," "trends," "future," "could," "would," "should," "target," "on track" and similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature. All forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions, estimates and data concerning future results and events and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Aspen's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For a detailed description of uncertainties and other factors that could impact the forward-looking statements in this press release, please see the "Risk Factors" section in Aspen's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2017, June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017, each as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Aspen undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005639/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Showcase IDX Launches Real-Time Integration With Follow Up Boss ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Showcase IDX a provider of IDX search and consumer engagement tools for real estate agents and teams announced the launch of its new Premium Integrations today, with Follow Up Boss as its launch partner. The Premium Integrations let agents and teams connect their lead data with outside services in minutes without any technical knowledge. Concurrently, Showcase IDX also added an integration with Slack, the world's most popular messaging platform for connected teams. Scott Lockhart, CEO of Showcase IDX, stated, "This is just the first of many premium integrations. The team at Follow Up Boss has been great to work with as our first integration partner. We've put a lot of time and thought into integrating our two products and making this a reality. We wanted to make it really easy for our customers to connect all their lead activity with their Follow Up Boss account in real-time, and we couldn't be happier with the result." Showcase IDX customers can set up the integration in about two minutes, with the added flexibility of selecting exactly hat data they want to send to Follow Up Boss. Customers can choose whether to send IDX lead data from their entire account, a single website, or an individual user to a Follow Up Boss account. They can also choose which activity they want to send. They can choose any combination of new lead, message, viewed listing, saved listing, or search subscription data. Dan Corkill, CEO of Follow Up Boss, said, "Working with Showcase IDX has been great. It's exciting to see more and more real estate tech companies building integrations with other systems which give real estate agents more value and choice in the tech they use." Showcase IDX is offering a free 30-day trial with no credit card required or set-up fee, so agents and teams can use all the features of Showcase IDX on their site to see how it works for them before selecting the plan that best meets their needs. For a product demonstration and more information about Showcase IDX and its new Premium Integrations, email [email protected] or call 1-800-478-0181. About Showcase IDX Showcase IDX is a real estate consumer engagement and IDX search company based in Atlanta, GA. Founded in 2005, Showcase IDX builds innovative search and organizational tools that real estate agents and teams use to connect meaningfully with online consumers through their WordPress-powered websites. About Follow Up Boss Follow Up Boss provides simple sales software for real estate teams. It's designed to help sales agents follow up faster and more often, with the people most likely to turn into deals, and provides team leaders with the transparency and accountability tools to help make that happen. Media Contact Scott Lockhart CEO, Showcase IDX [email protected] 1-800-478-0181 Related Links: https://showcaseidx.com/introducing-premium-lead-api-integrations/ View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/showcase-idx-launches-real-time-integration-with-follow-up-boss-300567597.html SOURCE Showcase IDX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Acceleration Partners Honored as One of the Best Places to Work in 2018, a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award Winner Acceleration Partners has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees' Choice Award, recognizing the Best Places to Work in 2018. The Employees' Choice Awards program, now in its 10th year, relies solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments and companies via Glassdoor. Acceleration Partners will rank fourth out of 50 other companies on Glassdoor's Best Places to Work in the U.S. SMB list with an overall company rating of 4.9. As one of the few truly remote workplaces to secure Glassdoor's recognition this year, Acceleration Partners' overall success has led to partnerships with more than 300 of the world's leading brands, such as adidas, Warby Parker, Reebok, Target (News - Alert) and more to create customer acquisitions programs designed to deliver the best possible results and ROI. The company has also leveraged their award-winning workplace culture and performance to garner "Best Places to Work" accolades from Inc., AdAge, Entrepreneur and The Boston Globe, among others. "We're extremely excited about being recognized as one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work in 2018, especially being named in the top five," said Robert Glazer, Founder & Managing Director, Acceleration Partners. "This honor is a huge affirmation for the company culture we've created, and belongs to each and every member of our team that strives to make Acceleration Partners an amazing environment to work in. We couldn't have achieved this recognition without the collective talents and efforts to get us where we are today." "We know today's job seekers are more informed than ever about where they go to work, researching everything from company culture to career opportunities to pay philosophy and more. To help people find companies that stand out from the pack, the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards recognize employers that are truly Best Places to Work because they're determined by those who really know best - the employees," said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder. "Employers where employees love to work continue to prove that they have a recruiting and business performance advantage. We're proud to celebrate the 2018 winners as we mark our tenth anniversary of the Glassdoor Employees' Choice Awards." On Glassdoor, current and former employees of companies worldwide can share insights and opinions about their work environments by sharing a ompany review, designed to capture a genuine and authentic inside look at what it's like to work at particular jobs and companies. When sharing a company review on Glassdoor, employees are asked to rate their satisfaction with the company overall, and key workplace factors like career opportunities, compensation, benefits, work/life balance, senior management, as well as culture and values. In addition, employees are asked to describe the best reasons to work at their companies as well as any downsides. The Best Places to Work are determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between November 1, 2016 and October 22, 2017. To be considered for the small & medium category, a company must have less than 1,000 employees and have received at least 25 ratings across eight workplace attributes from U.S.-based employees during the period of eligibility. The final list is compiled based on Glassdoor's proprietary algorithm, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2018, please visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/Award/Best-Small-and-Medium-Companies-to-Work-For-LST_KQ0,43.htm. About Acceleration Partners Acceleration Partners is an award-winning affiliate marketing agency focused on delivering brand-aligned, customer acquisition programs for the world's largest brands. We work with clients to design strategies and execute transparent, high-value programs that bring more customers, incremental sales, and faster growth. Our Performance Partnerships approach is a powerful framework for standardizing partner relationships and managing them at scale. Acceleration Partners' growing global reach, deep industry expertise and relationships with performance-driven partners has led to a client roster that includes adidas, Gymboree, Modcloth, Reebok, Target, Warby Parker and many other brands. About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android (News - Alert) platforms. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005698/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Dialpad Declares Victory over Death of Desk Phone, Says It's Now Time to Kill the Phone Bill SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dialpad, the pure-cloud business communications provider, whose mission is to "Kill the Desk Phone," has upped the ante and is now aiming to "Kill the Phone Bill" for small businesses as well. Today the San Francisco-based company announced their intention to disrupt the traditional small business telephone market with the release of Dialpad FreeTM. The new service eliminates the monthly phone bill for small office/home office workers and small businesses with up to five employees just in time for the holiday season. "We started as three guys in a garage and didn't have a phone service other than our cell phones. When we thought back to that experience, we realized there are many small businesses out there which operate that way and wanted to do something about it. We decided to kill the phone bill," said Dialpad co-founder Craig Walker. "We're truly diminishing the need for businesses to use existing phone lines or to be limited to mobile phones, landlines or the need to list multiple phone numbers on their websites and business cards. Dialpad is pure-cloud communication that is available on any device, anywhere. We're thrilled to be offering this new service for Free - it's really the first time businesses have had this opportunity." The introduction of Dialpad Free marks the first time in the history of telephony that a company is offering a Free business phone system, without the need to upgrade after an initial trial period. Dialpad Free subscribers receive one office phone number and up to five employees who can be dialed by name or as extensions. The service offers nearly everything basic telephone service does, except for E911. The Dialpad Free service, which is a subset of the company's award-winning business phone service, includes the following features: 100 Outbound minutes per month Unlimited Inbound minutes 100 Inbound and Outbound SMS messages Free UberConference accounts for all 5 employees HD Calling Voicemail Call recording Call logs and analytics Internal call transfers Professional IVR with extension calling Video calling between Dialpad users Free chat between their staff Ability to connect an unlimited number of supported* IP-enabled devices (*Obihai 1032, 1022 and 1062 desk phone models are currently supported) Call recording Integration with LinkedIn Single sign-on using G Suite and G Suite Integration Two-way address book syncing with Google contacts Text/SMS via the company's main office number FAQ/Help Center support And more! downloads page of the Dialpad website. Dialpad subscribers then use the computer or mobile device's broadband internet connection to place and receive voice and video calls, send texts or perform any of the other functions offered by Dialpad Free. To further help small businesses Free themselves of their current phone service charges, for a limited time there is no charge to transfer an existing business phone number to Dialpad Free. A fee of $3.00 will apply for porting a number away from Dialpad Free. In addition to the Free business phone system, businesses receive five Free UberConference accounts. With UberConference, participants can either call in via their PC's web browser using WebRTC, taking advantage of their already built in speakers and microphone, call directly from the Dialpad app or dial in using their designated UberConference phone number. Dialpad, a Recommended Google G Suite partner, brings the power of G Suite's native Single-Sign-On integration to Dialpad Free users. Dialpad's G Suite sidebar on the Free app acts as a virtual assistant, showing upcoming calendar events, complete with 2-way directory syncing between the platforms to keep address books up to date. In addition the G Suite integration gives context for every call, showing relevant emails and Google Docs for that particular contact so information is always visible and accessible with just one click. "Workers within a company don't even need to be in the same location, as Dialpad's pure-cloud approach allows for employees to work from anywhere," said Walker. "With Dialpad apps available for laptops, desktops, mobile phones, and tablets, any app-enabled device immediately becomes an extension of the business' main number and can be using Dialpad Free within minutes. Organizations will see immediate value from shifting their communications to the cloud by better connecting offices and anywhere workers. By just logging into the personal computer or mobile application interface, employees are immediately empowered to connect and collaborate in whatever format they prefer, with unbeatable business applications and communications continuity." ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Learn more about Dialpad:http://www.dialpad.com Follow us on Twitter @DialpadHQ Like us on Facebook ABOUT DIALPAD: Dialpad is communications simplified for every business. Available on any device, anywhere, Dialpad includes voice, video, messaging and meetings; and is integrated with Microsoft Office 365 and Google's G Suite. Dialpad is also the only business communications system built on the Google Cloud Platform. Today, over 50,000 customers and more than 65 percent of the Fortune 500 have joined Dialpad's mission to kill the desk phone, including Uber, Motorola Solutions, Vivint Solar, Xero, Financial Times, Betterment, PagerDuty, Stripe, Quora, and others. Dialpad is funded by some of the world's best-recognized investors including Amasia, Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis Ventures, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Section 32, Softbank and Work-Bench. To learn more about our mission to kill the desk phone, visit dialpad.com and follow @DialpadHQ on Twitter or like us on Facebook. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dialpad-declares-victory-over-death-of-desk-phone-says-its-now-time-to-kill-the-phone-bill-300567364.html SOURCE Dialpad [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Expereo expands global Mobile Connectivity with public static IP addressing to 50 countries AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High speed mobile data networks deliver access to branch sites, remote workers, vehicles or kiosks using the latest 4G/LTE Mobile Connectivity technology, for businesses that require anywhere, anytime global connectivity. Expereo deliver this agility, bundled with dynamic or public static IP addressing, allowing mobile connectivity to be integrated into any network design, across the globe. Sander Barens, VP of Commercial Development, Expereo: Mobile Connectivity can play an essential role in SD-WAN and Internet of Things deployments, thanks to its quick deployment capability and technical diversity. With mobile connectivity, you can get connected fast with a robust solution that complements any network design or methodology. LTE-enabled hardware extends the range of traditional WAN and SD-WAN deployments to include remote offices, smaller sites, and to any device that relies on mobile data connectivity as a transport method. Expereo Global Mobile Connectivity delivers several benefits to business; fast deployment, flexibility, and is an effective last-mile access technology. 1. Fast Deployment: compared to terrestrial deployments, Mobile Connectivity can be in use far more quickly than other access methods. This allows business to deploy new access quickly, and to ensure business continuity when required. 2. Greater flexibility: with Mobile Connectivity, you avoid contract lock-in; use it for as long as you need it for temporary pop-up type implementations, use it for a few months until you install more permanent fixed network access, or for a project timeframe. 3. Last-mile access: without the restrictions of wired access you can provide connectivity to branches, kiosks, devices or vehicles virtually anywhere, with the reliability and redundancy of 4G/LTE technology. Expereo provides managed Mobile Connectivity services to the USA, Canada, 18 countries within Asia-Pacific and 30 countries within Europe. LTE access has established itself as a strong alternative to legacy connectivity services. Network coverage continues to expand and overall coverage is now well beyond wired access. In many cases, multiple cell towers serving a location ensure service resiliency. LTE network speeds also continue to increase and can be more cost-effective in many cases for remote locations or backup use, when compared to wired solutions or satellite. About Expereo Expereo is the pioneer and global leader in managed Internet network and cloud connectivity solutions, with a unique global portfolio of Internet Connectivity, SD-WAN Managed Services, Field & CPE Services, BGP Optimisation and Cloud Acceleration technology. For more information www.expereo.com Expereo 2017 Media contact Expereo: Hamish Haldane [email protected] Verona Road motorists are driving on a winner. The massive $107 million project to rebuild the traffic-laden thoroughfare, and its connection to the Beltline, won the top road project in North America for 2017, as determined by Roads and Bridges Magazine. The magazine said the design of the Verona Road project, by Strand Associates in Madison, "combined elements in ways not before seen in Wisconsin, and possibly the nation." The Wisconsin Department of Transportation oversaw the three-year project from the Beltline south to Raymond Road, and continues to manage the remaining work from Raymond Road to the existing four-lane highway south of McKee Road in Fitchburg. "With 110,000 vehicles that daily pass through the Beltline/Verona Road interchange, this unique design helps save travelers precious time and personal resources," the DOT said. The second phase of the Verona Road project is scheduled for completion in 2020. Roads and Bridges Magazine is a 111-year-old trade publication covering transportation construction and maintenance. [December 06, 2017] TetraGenetics and ModiQuest Collaborating for the Discovery of Therapeutic Antibodies Against KCa3.1 TetraGenetics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for autoimmune diseases, today announced a collaboration with ModiQuest Research, a Dutch biotechnology company with a suite of technologies for the discovery and optimization of monoclonal antibodies including those directed against difficult target antigens with low immunogenicity. The alliance is focused on the discovery of novel monoclonal antibodies against KCa3.1, a well-validated target for fibrosis, vasculoproliferative disorders and immunomodulation to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. "We are excited to work with ModiQuest, utilizing their ModiPhage library screening technology," said Doug Kahn, TetraGenetics Chairman and CEO. "We believe our unique ion channel screening tools will enable deep mining of ModiQuest's patient library repertoire to identify rare and functionally blocking KCa3.1 monoclonal antibodies that we can develop as therapeutics." This agreement will be complementary to TetraGenetics' existing antibody discovery partnerships and the first one in which antibody discovery occurs through screening of pre-existing human libraries rather than animal immunization. Furthermore, with KCa3.1 as a target it strengthens the company's focus on discovering and developing therapeutic antibodies against potassium efflux channels. "TetraGenetics' unique capability to produce high concentrations of difficult to produce ion channel proteins caught our attention," said Jos Raats, CEO of ModiQuest. "TetraGenetics will provide us with unique screening formulations including oriented solid support proteoliposome particles and biotinylated proteoliposomes which should be highly effective for antibody discovery with our proprietary libraries. We're look forward to a close collaboration with TetraGenetics' science team, and are excited by the potential of combining the two unique technologies." Ted Clark, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of TetraGenetics, added, "TetraGenetics and ModiQuest will combine their unique and proprietary technologies to discover novel theapeutic antibodies to previously intractable targets. This partnership could lead to the discovery of large molecules that functionally inhibit KCa3.1 and open the door to the development of new therapeutics for a variety of unmet medical needs." About TetraGenetics: TetraGenetics is an early stage drug discovery company that uses proprietary technology (TetraExpress) to discover large molecule drugs targeting ion channel membrane proteins associated with many human diseases. The company's drug discovery focus is on first-in-class biologics for autoimmune diseases and pain. For more information, please visit: www.tetragenetics.com. About ModiQuest: For over 10 years ModiQuest Research specializes in the generation of monoclonal antibodies against difficult targets for R&D, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Using their proprietary ModiVacc (hyper-immune stimulatory cell immunization), ModiFuse (electrofusion-based hybridoma generation), ModiSelect (antigen-specific B-cell selection) and ModiPhage (phage display) technologies, they can generate monoclonal antibodies from multiple species against virtually any target. Besides lead antibody generation, they also provide antibody engineering such as affinity maturation and humanization (ModiTune), and production in transient and stable mammalian cell systems (ModiXpress). For more information, please visit: www.modiquestresearch.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005628/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] DataPath Examines How New Technologies Can Revolutionize Benefits Administration for TPAs LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A new white paper released today by DataPath, entitled "How to Revolutionize CDH Account and COBRA Administration with New, Seamless Technology for TPAs," evaluates the evolution of computer technology and examines how current software solutions impact the work of third party administrators (TPAs). DataPath, a platform provider for consumer directed healthcare accounts, COBRA and billing administration, also highlights the importance of an all-inclusive approach to solutions development. "The world is changing, and along with it, so is technology. In order to keep up, TPAs need a solution that can improve their day-to-day operations," says Greg Licata, vice president of product development for DataPath. "A platform with seamless functionality for CDH account and COBRA administration can meet TPAs' demands infinitely better than separate or integrated systems." As computer systems and technology have progressed, TPAs need modern solutions to help them provide quicker, more efficient and more reliabe benefits administration. TPAs must either partner with multiple vendors to address all their needs or find a partner who can offer them a single, comprehensive solution. According to the white paper, some vendors tout a single system but actually offer an 'integrated' solution, two or more platforms bolted together to appear as one. These 'integrated' systems introduce many potential problems with data integrity, records keeping, cost control and other processes important to TPAs. In "How to Revolutionize CDH Account and COBRA Administration with New, Seamless Technology for TPAs," DataPath proposes that an all-inclusive approach offers a more efficient solution with better data reliability and greater overall value for TPAs. The full white paper is available for download at dpath.com/wp-platform. About the company: DataPath, Inc. is privately-owned technology company based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Since 1984, DataPath has been creating solutions for the administration of consumer-directed healthcare accounts, COBRA, billing and payments. The company is also an end-to-end card processor. Learn more at dpath.com. Contact: Morgan Phelps Marketing Works for DataPath 614.540.5520 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/datapath-examines-how-new-technologies-can-revolutionize-benefits-administration-for-tpas-300567403.html SOURCE DataPath, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Child Abuse Prevention Hackathon Launched in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HackerEarth, a leader in innovation management software, has been chosen to host a Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) hackathon in Los Angeles from 9th - 10th December 2017. Other partners include The National Association of Social Workers - CA, Technology Council (NASW-CA Tech Council) and various influential associations, such as Anita Borg - Los Angeles. The program was officially launched today during the Women Transform Tech - An Event For Child Safety held at City National Bank in association with Anita Borg Institute - LA. This unique hackathon is the brainchild of NASW-CA Technology Council who saw the need to address the fight against child abuse in the US through technology. The mission of CAP is to bring together child safety advocates and technology experts to create innovative solutions that will lead to reduction of child abuse and address the challenges of children when they are in imminent danger. According to a report by the Childrens Bureau, published in January 2017, the number of child abuse referrals has increased from 3.6 million to 4 million. The report also indicates an increase in child deaths from abuse and neglect to 1,670 in 2015, up from 1,580 in 2014. This hackathon aims to merge technology and child advocacy to prevent crimes against minors. The themes have been created to find solutions to the lack of technology-backed solutions which can improve response rates to abuse cases, link government agencies to maximize coordination and support nonprofit agencies for collaboration. The hackathon has been divided into three distinct themes/problem statements: Solutions to approach government agencies in times of crisis: Most government agencies are acive only during business hours, which poses a problem to those who want to report a crime at night or on weekends. Solutions for Nonprofit agencies to collaborate: Due to the lack of collaboration between nonprofit agencies, it has been difficult for them to pool in their efforts and resources to address the larger issues. Solutions for first responders: In case of emergencies, first responders (federal, state, county, and municipal) and nonprofits are not linked together. Thus, it is difficult to coordinate and provide necessary services when children are in crisis or facing imminent danger. Most of the time, a band-aid approach is used. Lack of funding and resources can further delay processes. More often than not, the response itself is limited at best and may place the child at further risk and harm. The Child Abuse Protection hackathon will be held in Los Angeles on December 9th to December 10th, 2017. Participation is open to coders as well as social workers. Mentors will be provided to the teams for guidance. Some of the transformational leaders who are supporting the event and will be giving feedback on the solutions are: Dr. Diane Adams, Executive Board Member and United States Representative for the United Nations. She is also the founder for the American Public Health Association Health Informatics Information Technology Section (APHA-HIIT) Dr. Michael Durfee, MD Chief Consultant, Los Angeles County Interagency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, ICAN Telle Whitney, CEO/Cofounder, Anita Borg To know more about the hackathon and register, please visit: https://www.hackerearth.com/sprints/child-abuse-prevention/ Supporting Quotes Sachin Gupta, CEO and Cofounder, HackerEarth We are extremely humbled to lend our expertise in conducting The Child Abuse Protection hackathon, along with other partners such as the NASW-CA Technology Council and the various associations that have united together to fight child abuse. Prevention of child abuse is no longer just the job of social workers and law enforcement agencies. Involving the tech community will help these agencies respond faster and quicker. This hackathon is the right platform for those individuals who are passionate about technology and would like to contribute to the society. Ruby Guillen Co-Chair, National Association of Social Workers - CA, Technology Council Chair of Member, American Public Health Association Health Informatics Information Technology Section (APHA-HIIT) HackerEarth has provided us a great platform to drive our hackathon. Reduction of fatal child abuse and severe violence is best addressed from a collaborative approach - social/human and health services, technology and data science. Together, we gain a stronger understanding of how to be the voice to the children in imminent danger. We hope to see a good participation from developers and are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas and solutions. About HackerEarth HackerEarth is the leading provider of innovation management software to some of the worlds foremost companies, including Pitney Bowes, Amazon, Walmart Labs, Honeywell, and more. HackerEarth has powered innovation and talent management for large enterprises across major industries such as financial services, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. HackerEarth empowers businesses to connect with the developer community to crowdsource ideas into real-life products and helps them assess technical talent for hiring. For more information about offerings from HackerEarth, visit https://www.hackerearth.com Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and on our blog at http://blog.hackerearth.com/ Contact [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Chevron Donates $1 Million to The BASIC Fund to Support Scholarships for Bay Area Students Chevron (News - Alert) Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today announced a $1 million donation to the Oakland-based BASIC Fund to aid scholarships for the children of San Francisco Bay Area low-income families. The contribution is in honor of Chevron Chairman and CEO John Watson who is retiring February 1 after 37 years of service with the company. The BASIC Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to broaden the educational opportunities for inner-city children by helping low-income families afford the cost of tuition at private schools in the Bay Area. "My mother was a teacher, and she taught me the importance of education at an early age," said Chairman and CEO John Watson. "My wife, Diane, was also a teacher and reinforced that message within our own family. A strong K-8 education sets the foundation for higher learning and a successful career. Unfortunately, not every family has access to this foundation." Chevron's contribution builds upon a long-term commitment to supporting education in the communities where the company operates, with a particular focus on improving instruction in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Working with local partners, Chevron takes a comprehensive approach to education investments. This includes supporting teacher training, providing classroom resources, funding out-of-school activities, and developing partnerships with universities designed to strengthen faculty, curricula and student development. "Like Chevron, the BASIC Fund believes that increasing access to quality education helps unlock potential and fosters prosperity in our communities," said Rachel Elginsmith, the BASIC Fund's executive director. "This is the single largest corporate donation in our organization's history. Through this support, together we will be able to provide scholarships to 100 children and launch a new business and financial literacy program to support students' long term-success." To learn more about the BASIC Fund's programs in the Bay Area, visit www.basicfund.org and for more information about Chevron's support to education: www.chevron.com/education. Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company's operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005931/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2017] Sarah Cannon to Present Latest in Blood Cancer Research at the 59th Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting & Exposition Today, Sarah Cannon announced that 28 abstracts authored by members of the Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network have been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for presentation at the upcoming 2017 Annual Meeting & Exposition. Hosted in Atlanta, Ga. from December 9-12, the ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition is the world's leading event in hematology research, bringing together more than 20,000 hematology and oncology professionals to discuss groundbreaking research in malignant and non-malignant blood cancer. "We look forward to sharing our insights, including the latest developments in CAR T-cell therapy, from clinical trials across the Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network," said Howard A. "Skip" Burris III, MD, President, Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer at Sarah Cannon. "CAR T-cell therapy continues to be an exciting advancement in the treatment of certain types of blood cancers, harnessing the body's immune system to detect and fight cancer." Jesus Berdeja, MD, Director of Myeloma Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, will chair an oral session on myeloma therapy during which his co-authored abstract, "Durable Clinical Responses in Heavily Pre-Treated Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Updated Results from a Multicenter Study of bb2121 Anti-Bcma CAR T-Cell Therapy" will be presented. The presetation will take place on December 11 in the Georgia World Congress Center, Hall C1 from 2:45-4:15pm. Other noteworthy studies include two oral presentations from Ian Flinn, MD, Director of Lymphoma Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, on safety and efficacy results from combination of venetoclax and obinutuzumab in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as well as Phase 3 results from the DUOTM trial comparing duvelisib and ofatumumab in patients with CLL or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Both presentations will take place on December 10 in the Georgia World Congress Center, Building B, Murphy 3-4. The 28 abstracts represent studies being conducted by investigators from Sarah Cannon in affiliation with Colorado Blood Cancer Institute, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Oklahoma University Medical Center, Tennessee Oncology, Texas Transplant Institute, and Tulane Medical Center. "The Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network brings researchers and experts from across the U.S. and UK together to collaborate and determine the best treatment options for patients facing blood cancer," said Fred LeMaistre, MD, Physician-in-Chief of Blood Cancers at Sarah Cannon. "Together, we are redefining cancer care through a commitment to clinical excellence and innovative research." The Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network is one of the largest providers of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). It conducts more than 1,000 transplants annually through seven FACT accredited transplant centers, and has completed over 14,000 transplants since the inception of its first program. About The Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network Sarah Cannon brings together physician-led blood cancer programs across the United States and United Kingdom to offer patients convenient access to care including hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and clinical trials. The Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Network programs include St. David's South Austin Medical Center in Austin, TX, Medical City Dallas Hospital in Dallas, TX, Colorado Blood Cancer Institute at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center- HealthONE in Denver, Colo., HCA Midwest Health- Research Medical Center, in Kansas City, Mo., Sarah Cannon Center for Blood Cancer at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, La., OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., Texas Transplant Institute at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, TX, Harley Street at UCH in London and The Christie Clinic in Manchester, England. For more information about the Network and Sarah Cannon's full suite of oncology services, visit sarahcannon.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171206005944/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Trend Pakistan will continue to extend its unequivocal support to Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in an exclusive interview with Trend. The minister noted that Pakistan has principled stand on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and has supported on this issue brotherly people of Azerbaijan at all forums. "The Senate of Pakistan passed a resolution in 2012 declaring the Khojaly massacre as a genocide, while the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Nagorno-Karabakh," the minister added. As for the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey trilateral format of cooperation, the minister said that the primary purpose of this format is of course to further augment the already existing cordial relations between the three countries. "Pakistan has commonality of views on many regional and international issues with both countries. We unequivocally support each other on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir Dispute and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the minister said. The minister also touched upon the military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. The two countries have excellent military cooperation and both countries have benefited from each others experiences and expertise, the minister said, further adding that Pakistan has offered training to officers of Azerbaijan armed forces. "Pakistan has a well-established and technically advanced military-industrial complex and we look forward to have meaningful cooperation with Azerbaijan in this area as well," the minister said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Phil Parhamovich is getting his $91,800 in cash back just hours after Vox broke the story of how the Wyoming Highway Patrol seized the money without charging him for a serious crime. [] Parhamovich was stopped in March this year while traveling on the I-80 in Wyoming during a concert tour with his band, the Dirt Brothers. Parhamovich, who has no criminal record, was not accused of or charged with a serious crime; he only got a $25 ticket for improperly wearing his seat belt and a warning for lane use. But Wyoming Highway Patrol officers found and eventually seized the $91,800 in cash, as it was hidden in a speaker cabinet by getting Parhamovich, under what he claims was duress, to sign away his interest in the money through a waiver. According to Parhamovich, police pushed him to sign the waiver after he said the money was not his, following aggressive questioning that he said made him fear that carrying that much cash is illegal. (It is not.) Parhamovich intends to use the money as a down payment to buy a music studio in Madison, Wisconsin, called Smart Studios, where Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins recorded songs. Without the cash, Parhamovich was worried that the deal for the studio could fall through after a nine-month lease expired. But now hes able to move forward with closing the deal. Parhamovich and Anya Bidwell, one of his attorneys with the Institute for Justice, showed up at a Friday court hearing not quite sure what to expect. They were met by legislators from Wyoming, who had read Voxs story and reached out to the Institute for Justice to see what they could do to help. According to Bidwell and one of the state legislators who was present, the judge agreed that if Parhamovich was willing to testify that the money was his, he would order the state to give the money back. When Parhamovich agreed to that, the judge ruled in his favor. [Vox] With both this annual report and a year-round website , our Judicial Hellholes program since 2002 has been documenting troubling developments in jurisdictions where civil court judges systematically apply laws and court procedures in an unfair and unbalanced manner, generally to the disadvantage of defendants, began American Tort Reform Association president Tiger Joyce . WASHINGTON, D.C. The American Tort Reform Foundation issued its 2017-2018 Judicial Hellholes report Tuesday, naming courts in Illinois, Florida, California, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Louisiana among the nations most unfair in their handling of civil litigation. Illinois Madison County and Cook County collectively comprise the #7 Judicial Hellhole this year, Joyce continued. They both attract disproportionate volumes of litigation and produce large verdicts. Plaintiff-friendly judges seem to dominate both jurisdictions. And since most local and state politicians seem comfortably in cahoots with the powerful plaintiffs bar, prospects for reforms remain remote, even as these jurisdictions hyper-litigiousness works against economic growth and job creation. The most litigious localities ranked as follows: Florida California City of St. Louis Circuit Court New York City's Asbestos Litigation Court Philadelphia New Jersey Illinois Louisiana Joyce said jurisdictions on the reports marginally less severe Watch List this year include state courts in Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, along with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The reports Dishonorable Mentions include singularly unsound decisions by Connecticuts high court and a Wisconsin appellate court, as well as three tort reform vetoes by Minnesotas Gov. Mark Dayton, a plaintiffs bar puppet. But also eager to emphasize good news, our reports Points of Light section this year spotlights actions taken by attorneys general in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, cracking down on often fraudulent disability-access lawsuits that target small businesses. Several sound state and federal court decisions and verdicts are also applauded, as are 17 positive tort reforms enacted in 13 states in 2017. Finally, this years three Closer Looks examine the U.S. Supreme Courts jurisdictional decisions in 2017 and their likely impact on forum-shopping, as well as trial lawyers growing influence on fast-spreading opioid litigation and the long-respected but suddenly changing American Law Institute, Joyce concluded. Read the executive summary below and the full text of the report here: 2017-2018 Judicial Hellholes. Updated, 12/7/2017, 7:00am PT: Bitcoin's value continued it's upwards momentum yesterday and through the night. As of this update, the digital currency is now trading for more than $16,000 per coin. That's 25% more value than it was 24 hours ago. Original, 12/6/2017, 10:30am PT: The price of Bitcoin continues to rise at an incredible rate. Following Black Friday, the price of one Bitcoin topped $10,000 for the first time. Today, less than two weeks later, Bitcoin is trading at a more than 25% higher price. Early this year, Bitcoin was trading for under $1000, but soon the cryptocurrency started crushing all time high values on a regular basis. In April, the price of one Bitcoin hit $1,300 for the first time, which eclipsed the previous all time high of $1,160 in late 2013. If you had bought in at $1,300, you would have doubled your money in a little more than a month. In mid-June, Bitcoin was changing hands for almost $3,000. On September 1, Bitcoin nearly hit $5,000 per unit, but the value crashed to $3,100 the following week after the government of China announced that it would impose regulations on cryptocurrencies. We speculated that the dip could be a good buying opportunity for people who have faith in Bitcoins future. We would have never guessed that the investment would triple in value in three months, but thats exactly what happened. In October, Bitcoin hit the $5,000 milestone, and in November the cryptocurrency soared past $7,500, then past $10,000. Today, Bitcoin is trading for upwards of $12,500. Will Bitcoin Crash? Experts Dont Seem To Think So. The value of Bitcoin has increased in value at a tremendous rate, and many people believe that the bottom will fall out sooner than later. Some people are calling it a bubble; others think its a Ponzi scheme. Still, many people have put their faith in cryptocurrency and its potential, including some of the wealthiest people in the world. Whatever your opinion of Bitcoin, theres no denying that its making a lot of money for the people who own it. Bitcoin is even producing some of the wealthiest people in the world. Last week, as Bitcoin rose past $11,000, the Winklevoss twins, who famously sued Mark Zuckerberg over the idea of Facebook, became the first Bitcoin billionaires because of their $11 million bet on the cryptocurrency when it was trading for a mere $120 per coin. The upwards trend cant last forever, but theres no telling where it might stop. In the short term, you should expect the price to crash back down to reality. The comments section of Tradingview.coms Bitcoin page is littered with technical analysis from users that suggests a correction is coming, and likely soon. The long-term outlook for Bitcoin is of course unknown, but it has great potential to reach heights far beyond what were seeing, and financial experts are saying that Bitcoin could quadruple by next year. Michael Novogratz, a former hedge fund manager who bet big on cryptocurrency recently said he believes Bitcoin could be at $40,000 at the end of 2018. Bitcoin has a finite supply. There will never be more than 21 million Bitcoins produced, and even with ASIC miners crunching away at the problem, it will take decades (and perhaps even a century) to uncover them all. As more people invest in Bitcoin and embrace its potential, the price of each coin should rise with the user base. Tom Lee, a Strategist from Fundstrat, recently told CNBC that over the next 10 years, Bitcoin could reach $100,000 per coin. That sounds like a stratospheric number, but as Lee put it, if Bitcoin is embraced as digital gold and captures just 10-15% of actual golds market cap, each coin would be worth $100,000. And believe it or not, $100,000 is far from the highest Bitcoin value prediction. James Altucher, a former hedge fund manager and current Managing Director at Formula Capital, recently said that he believed Bitcoin could top $1 million by 2020. John McAfee, the eccentric founder of McAfee Antivirus turned Bitcoin-mining-farm owner, also believes Bitcoin will hit $1 million in 2020, and he crudely put part of his anatomy on the line to prove his conviction in that belief. It appears that the wild ride Bitcoin has taken us on in 2017 isnt over yet. A Kansas City man has been arrested and charged after police say he engaged in multiple sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl. Michael Post, 22, is charged with felony statutory sodomy and felony statutory rape. Post was arrested Sunday after police say he slept with a girl he met on Facebook. WILL THIS THIRD GROUNDBREAKING ANNOUNCEMENT PROVE TO BE A CHARM FOR AN EMBATTLED PROJECT THAT HAS OFFERED MORE PROMISES THAN FINANCIAL DEETS?!?! - Bond companies tend to shy away from the kind of controversy that has surrounded this project. - Amid so many delays, there have been other more successful hotels built in and around Downtown so the need for space isn't as desperate as it was years ago . . . - Wayback Wednesday: Anybody Remember The Vista??? That didn't work out either . . . Downtown Council: The $322 venture will feature an upscale restaurant, bar and lounge areas as well as associated retail. There also will be a two-story meeting space above three levels of parking, with an elevated walkway over Wyandotte Street that connects the hotel with the Bartle Hall Convention Center. The City of Kansas City, Missouri, is committed to this investment since it is expected to significantly increase economic development, in turn benefiting the entire city. Developer Mike Burke & Company are hoping to get lucky on their announcement this time around despiteRemember . . .Consider . . .Either way, here's a collection of links on the topic of yet another real estate project dominating the discussion at City Hall at Kansas City still copes with an inordinately high murder count at the conclusion of this year . . .Developing . . . As more accusations of sexual abuse are revealed by mainstream media sources, it is proof this is far more common in the workplace, schools, and even Congress than thought. Many of the offenders are well-known names, which has been a factor as to why it is suddenly being widely exposed. While sexual harassment is not new, the recent amount of attention to this abuse is. Thus, it is an excellent time to explore the issue further and reach common sense solutions to help prevent occurrences from happening in the future. While women should be fully protected from sexual harassment and/or retribution from exposing such occurrences, so should men be against a false and/or mistaken accusation made against them. It is essential for American leaders to study and discuss facts and possible ways to prevent all types of abuses in the future by defining what rises to the level of the legal definition of sexual harassment. The accusation alone, even if proven false, can ruin a mans career and life. Obviously, this issue needs to have very specific rules developed which must be clearly defined to protect both victims and the accused, whether in the workplace, college campuses, or in a variety of other public places. Recent reports appear to reveal the more prominent and powerful a man, the more likely he is capable of this crime, and that absolutely includes politicians. We were aware of all the accusations from a variety of women about former President Bill Clinton. Yet, these womens serious allegations were largely dismissed and/or outright ignored by authorities and the media, until proof of Clintons behavior was provided by Monica Lewinskys blue dress. However, Kathleen Willey, one of several women who claimed she was attacked and fondled in the Oval Office while a White House volunteer, was largely ignored. Juanita Broadricks claim that Bill Clinton raped her during his 1978 campaign for Arkansas governor was also met with a yawn. These are just two of several women whose accusations against the former President were not given proper consideration. The growing evidence of sexual abuse by powerful politicians indicates this group can no longer be ignored or condoned. Consider the explosive information recently volunteered by Democrat leader Nancy Pelosis daughter, Christine Pelosi. Her recent bold speech on the subject shocked the public, as she made exceedingly strong allegations that there are numerous predators and sex offenders within the current California State Congress, at least one of whom has been accused of rape. Pelosi stated: We have a whisper network, you all know it. Because what everybody here knows is we have rapists in this building. We have molesters among us. Her allegations were affirmed by a letter she produced, signed by 100 fellow California politicians confirming her statement as accurate. Pelosi exposed what many, if not most, in Sacramento political circles knew: sexual harassment and abuse has been covered up far too long and she decided to expose it, even if most involved were fellow Democrats, who currently enjoy a super majority the Ca. Congress. Obviously, this governing body had a deficient system for reporting and dealing with sexual harassment. Assemblyman Vince Fong blamed this situation on California's Capitol Human Resources Department for not recording or reporting known accusations and complaints. With a secret society within the Capitol, women were easily preyed upon. This exposure cannot make Democrat Governor Jerry Brown happy, but kudos to Christine Pelosi for her honesty. How many other states have a similar ineffective system for protecting abused women? How many companies have not established a reliable, effective reporting system? Certainly, it is hard to ruin a politician's or any mans career by reporting or exposing a sexual predator who often is a very nice guy. This is a factor as to why some women decide not to report incidents. There is also concern their claim may not be believed, and if not they fear possible retaliation. However, it is fair to state that women have made false allegations and/or have mistaken what rises to the level of sexual harassment. A mere allegation of sexual abuse has ruined men's careers, if not their life. Some accusations were only proven false after the man was disgraced and his reputation ruined. One example of this is a fantasist who invented rape and sexual assault allegations against 15 men to get attention from her girlfriends. While that specific claim was rare, there are many others which at first seem credible and only after thorough investigation were proved false. Bob Rosner wrote a column regarding false accusations of sexual harassment and more than 3300 readers responded. indicating this is an issue the public finds important. Some were heartfelt confessions from women who had made such an accusation, which they later deeply regretted. Sadly, even when the facts and the truth finally surface and the accusation is proven false, the mans marriage, job, and reputation have been severely if not permanently damaged. There must be a way to protect both types of abuses. One pressing problem is many do not fully understand what specific conduct rises to the level of sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment. This is particularly true on college campuses when young students indulge in excessive drinking that dulls inhibitions as well as the memory of a specific event engaged in by both male and female. Each students' description of what actually occurred while intoxicated is a problem for authorities, especially if the woman later claims it was rape and the male refutes her allegation. Link The definitions must be clearly defined and provided to workers and/or students. Rules of conduct regarding the issue and its complexities should be provided so there are no opportunities for ignorance on this subject. These dictionary definitions might help in making the distinction as to what has been considered sexual harassment: 1. Unwelcome sexual advances made by an employer or superior, especially when compliance is made a condition of continued employment or advancement. 2. The persistent welcome directing of sexual remarks and looks and unnecessary physical contact with a person, usually a woman, especially in the workplace. It would be prudent for schools, businesses, and politicians to check with their local police authorities and lawyers regarding this issue to be informed of all the facts. Education helps protect everyone, whether that is the victim, the accused, the employer, or school. The recent string of allegations of misconduct by people in positions of authority, testifies to the absolute need for this conversation. "Jesus Garcia, 35, was convicted Monday of first-degree statutory rape of a person under the age of 12, first-degree attempted statutory rape of a person under the age of 14, first-degree statutory sodomy of a person under the age of 14 and first-degree child molestation. "Following its verdict, the jury recommended that Garcia serve three consecutive life sentences, plus 15 years." Jackson County jury recommends 3 life sentences for man convicted of 4 child-sex felonies A man has been convicted of committing four child-sex felonies by a Jackson County jury. Well deserved time for this convicted creeper . . . Paste Magazine - Walt the Quasi-Nazi: The Fascist History of Disney is Still Influencing American Life "Walt Disney is heralded as a utopian, but his personal record and the influence on the Disney Corporations tactics paint a picture that is much grimmer than the sunshine, cuddly animals, and quirky characters that are as sewn into the American fabric as hamburgers and apple pie. Simply put, the reality that one persons utopia is anothers dystopia is simply a part of the American story." Quick debate on a local point of pride despite the fact that the Internets has killed any semblance of historical context . . .The article actually takes a fair view of the. . . Money line on the dude's birthday and a message toYou decide . . . KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The growing popularity of the 39th Street strip has some longtime neighbors complaining about being priced out of the area. A laundromat that served the neighborhood for years is closing later this month. New restaurants and trendy shops are attracting bigger crowds to 39th Street. Ordinance #170951 - "Estimating revenue and appropriating $1,000,000.00 in the Police Grants Fund for the National Crime Gun Intelligence Initiative; and designating requisitioning authority." "The National Crime Gun Intelligence Center Initiative supports local multidisciplinary teams in their efforts to prevent violent crime by identifying perpetrators, linking criminal activities, and identifying sources of crime guns for immediate disruption, investigation, and prosecution." CITY HALL TARGETS GUNS AND PLANS CITYWIDE 2ND AMENDMENT KANSAS CITY CRACKDOWN AS MURDERS SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL!!! The latest spate of murders has inspired Mayor Sly & City Council to speed up their anti-crime efforts to conclude the year.Here's a bit of legislation soon to earn approval as Kansas City now counts #135 homicides so far this year . . .The goal of this group . . .Translation:There is debate both for and against this kind of approach butfor better or worse.Will it work???You decide . . . Jack Cashill: "Planned Parenthood stood to lose over $300 million in federal funding if Comprehensive Health had been successfully prosecuted. So a rump Supreme Court was assembled to see that Kline lost his license instead." Injustice Prevails, US Supreme Court Declines to Review Phill Kline Suspension - The Sentinel It was likely too particular a case for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up, so the suspension of the law license of former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has been allowed to stand. This alternative perspective from Kansas City's most prolific Conservative is certainly worth consideration and offers more financial deets than most MSM reports. Checkit:Read more: RECENT JACKSON COUNTY DEBATE OFFERS PUBLIC CONFIRMATION OF A LONGSTANDING FEUD BETWIXT THE JACKSON COUNTY PROSECUTOR VS. THE COUNTY EXEC!!! "The work of this task force goes well beyond the specifics of any one incident in our jail, or quite frankly, whether a new jail is ultimately needed. This task force has been asked to look at our criminal justice system and engage in an open and honest discussion about: "Who should be in the jail? Who is there now? Why are they there? Finally, are all defendants treated equally and fairly?" COURTHOUSE INSIDERS FEAR "TEAM FRANK" PLAYING THE RACE CARD WHILST OTHERS CELEBRATE THE SOCIAL JUSTICE SHOUT OUT!!! A recentdoesn't really solve anything but instead offers a brief respite in order to access the situation.Accordingly, and in the aftermath of a crisis tipping point . . .A quick refresher on the recent war of words and stories that broke first among our blog community . . .The money line and a look at how this thing might play out . . .To wit and because we want to try and be fair to both parties here . . .Either way, as we enter an election year . . . Look for this opposition to continue as one of the most powerful local ladies and an embattled Kansas City legend are likely to continue their quarrel.Developing . . . OLATHE, Kan. -- After pleading guilty in September to a violent Prairie Village home invasion of an elderly couple, Joseph Shultz, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to one count of aggravated burglary. For that, the judge ordered him to prison for three years and two months. 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 visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Greece on December 7 and 8 is of extremely high importance and meaning, State Minister and government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos noted during a briefing on Tuesday, as it is the first time in 65 years that a Turkish president is visiting Greece. "We will welcome him and place on the agenda all important issues preoccupying both countries," he said. "Obviously we will discuss the situation at the Aegean Sea, the migration issue, and the economic relations in terms of trade, transport and energy," he continued. "We expect a substantial upgrading of our relations, as such a thing at a time of wider instability in the region will play a catalytic role in economic growth and in the improvement of the special relationships - between Greece and Turkey and between Turkey and the EU," he stressed, adding that "we expect to have extremely constructive talks." Asked to comment on Erdogan's plans to visit Thrace, Tzanakopoulos pointed out "we are not facing the specific visit with any phobias; on the contrary, we believe that in the framework of exercising his religious beliefs, he will visit a region inhabited by people with the same religion as his." The spokesman added that "it is a logical visit" and reiterated that "the government has explained in all possible ways that the Treaty of Lausanne is still applicable and binds all signatory parties." Tzanakopoulos clarified that Erdogan's visit to Thrace will include "a pilgrimage and a private dinner - in other words, it will not include any other type of event." Among other things, the spokesman also said that the ministry of Migration has given specific clarifications about the government's plan to relieve the northern Aegean islands from the pressure of unprocessed migrants, by allowing the transfer of sensitive groups and unaccompanied children to the mainland. The process has begun, he said, and the government's goal is to accelerate the rate of transports so that living conditions on the island of the Aegean improve. 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 Neos Kosmos reports that each year Monemvasia attracts thousands of visitors; its a destination firmly on mass tourisms radar. The towering islet and its medieval village is one of the most popular attractions in the Peloponnese. Offering some fine boutique accommodation and eateries with serene views linked by a maze of alleyways, a trip here is always unforgettable. But, above all, it is its history that pulls us to this special place. While itis thought to have been an ancient Minoan trading post, its first recorded settlement (in the upper now ruined part of the town) was by residents of Sparta in the late 6th century. From the 10th century, it developed into a major maritime center and became a regular stop for traders plying the Mediterranean from Constantinople westwards. Having resisted Arab invasion and the Normans, Monemvasia was part of the Byzantine Empire until the Venetians arrived in the early 15th century. Ottoman rule held sway, through its population peak of 40,000 in the 17th century, until the island rock was liberated from the Turks in 1821. Today, exploring the medieval town to unveil its rich historical layers is one of the great Peloponnese experiences. Let the narrow cobbled alleyways draw you up through the ancient town and sooner or later youll find a terrace with one of the Aegeans most sublime views. From your eyrie high above the terracotta roofs and church domes, looking out across the silver blue Aegean, time will seem to stop for a while; the worlds stresses left behind. Read full report 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: Ingo Mehling License: CC-BY-SA Source: Michael Sweet/neoskosmos.com The trade balance between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland amounted to 3.2 billion Swiss Francs ($3.5 billion), with exports to the Kingdom that totalled 2.8 billion Swiss Francs and 440 million Swiss Francs of imports, a top official said. The main types of exports to Saudi Arabia are pharmaceuticals, precious stones, jewellery, machines, clocks and coffee, added Heinrich Schellenberg, Ambassador of Switzerland to Saudi Arabia. Schellenberg was speaking at a meeting of a delegation of Swiss Businesswomen with a number of Saudi businessmen and businesswomen in Jeddah to explore potential commercial and investment opportunities in the Kingdom. There are more than 100 Swiss companies already doing business in Saudi Arabia that employ and transfer knowledge to young Saudis, noted Schellenberg, stressing that his country looks forward to further cooperation and stronger ties between the two countries. Furthermore, the ambassador pointed out that the Swiss businesswomen delegations visit aims to explore ways and aspects of cooperation with companies in Saudi Arabia, currently Switzerland's second trading partner in the Mena region after the United Arab Emirates. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland in various fields. Sheikh Khaled Juffali, Honorary Consul of Switzerland in Jeddah, hailed the positive and fruitful meetings carried out by the Swiss Businesswomen delegation. He noted that both sides agreed on the importance of reinforcing the existing cooperation between them in light of the distinguished relations between the two countries leaderships. The Swiss Businesswomen delegation included representatives of key Swiss commercial and industrial sectors, notably, medical products, public relations, event management, tourism and others. TradeArabia News Service Illinois Democrats embraced the sanctuary idea earlier this year when they passed legislation to restrict local law enforcement from working with federal immigration authorities, as did the only elected Republican - Governor Bruce Rauner. SPRINGFIELD - Protecting persons in the U.S. illegally over natural U.S. citizens is a concept that Americans are not happy their lawmakers are embracing, a new Rasmussen poll says. The issue appears to be a touchy one Rauner's Republican Primary challenger Jeanne Ives will poke Thursday when she proposes a bill to repeal the state's new law, her campaign suggests. Few voters agree with a San Francisco jurys decision clearing an illegal immigrant repeat criminal of killing 32-year-old Kate Steinle, and theres sizable support for punishing lawmakers who protect criminal illegals from federal immigration authorities. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 20% of Likely U.S. Voters agree with the jurys decision that Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was not guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. Forty-nine percent (49%) disagree with that verdict, while 31% are undecided. Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and second globally to achieve the International Air Transport Associations (Iata) NDC Level 3 Certification, demonstrating its use of the latest technological standards in providing information about airfares and other services to customers and travel agents. NDC ensures that customers have fast access to full fare and travel product information, making for better decisions and easier transactions for travellers. Iata has led this industry-wide initiative to standardise the way that airlines and travel service providers communicate with one another and customers. This certification, the highest level to be achieved under Iatas New Distribution Capability (NDC) Certification Programme, provides increased transparency and speed of communication, allowing customers access to a wider choice of products and services, enabling them to make more informed buying decisions. Qatar Airways chief commercial officer, Ehab Amin, said: As a global business with a global presence, we want to make it easier for customers to access our growing global network and range of products and services. As choices become more complex, we have to provide ways to access them more simply. That is what NDC is all about for Qatar Airways: improving the experience for our passengers. Iata director NDC Program, Yanik Hoyles, said: Congratulations to Qatar Airways on achieving the first Level 3 Certification on NDC standard 17.2 in the Africa and Middle East Region. Beginning with their participation with the full trial and live deployment of NDC, Qatar Airways has been a leader in the region in supporting NDC. It is a standard that is modernising the way that airline products are presented through travel agents, helping to deliver a fuller and more transparent shopping experience to travelers. Technology provider TPConnects has been chosen to provide the technology link between airline, service providers and customers to a new global standard. TPConnects chief executive officer, Rajendran Vellapalath, said: "TPConnects is proud to work with Qatar Airways to facilitate the certification process and to be the first airline in the region to achieve the Level 3 Certification on the latest NDC standard. Travel Agents using TPConnects NDC Certified B2B Aggregator Platform and Booking Engine will be able to access Qatar Airways prices, inventory and fares directly, including ancillary and fare family content, using NDC Offers and Orders. TPConnects is committed to work with IATA to further implement NDC and to support the evolution of this new messaging standard." Qatar Airways was voted Skytrax Worlds Best Airline by travellers from around the world earlier this year. Qatars national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at this years ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, Worlds Best Business Class and Worlds Best First Class Airline Lounge.' Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft to a network of more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. The airline is launching a host of exciting new destinations planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Canberra, Australia; Chiang Mai, Thailand and Cardiff, UK to name just a few. - TradeArabia News Service The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) has announced the launch of the first tourist pearl diving trip from Ras Raya Port in the Muharraq Governorate of the kingdom. The announcement is in line with the national plan to revive the pearl industry, which was approved by the Government Executive Committee chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, said a statement from BTEA. The move is aimed at protecting the marine environment and support sustainable pearl diving activities. As per the rules laid out by the BTEA, pearl diving trips in the kingdom can only be undertaken through licenced diving centres. Also the only starting point for these tourist trips will be the Ras Raya Port in Muharraq. Unveiling the details, CEO Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa said pearl diving trips in the kingdom can only be undertaken through licenced diving centres in Bahrain. Also the only starting point for these tourist trips will be the Ras Raya Port in Muharraq. He pointed out that the interested parties can obtain a full list of licensed pearl diving centres through www.pearldiving.bh , a website dedicated to providing all the necessary information related to pearl diving activities in the kingdom. The BTEA said each participant must buy a ticket from either the website or the tourist office at Ras Raya Port before the start of any pearl diving trip. The BTEA stressed that, in the interest of environmental protection, pearl diving activities must be conducted according to regulatory procedures. Regulations allow participants to catch up to 60 oysters on each trip, it added. Lauding HRH Prince Salman for the implementation of the national plan to revive the pearl industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Shaikh Khaled said the initiatives of the Government Executive Committee were aimed at protecting the marine environment and the carefully constructed regulations were to ensure Bahrains rich natural heritage is safeguarded. "The national plan to revive the pearl industry in Bahrain, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Government Executive Committee, aims to protect the marine environment and strengthen the regulations around it," he added. This initiative is in line with the BTEAs long-term strategy to develop the tourism sector in conjunction with Bahrains newly instituted Tourism Identity (Bahrain, Ours, Yours), which focuses on the promotion of Bahraini tourism both regionally and globally in line with the Kingdom's Economic Vision 2030.-TradeArabia News Service - Royal Cliff Hotels Group recently honored several employees for their outstanding achievements, long service and excellent work performance in a special ceremony. Eight staff received the Long Service Award which marked their 20 years of continuous service and contribution to the company and one employee received the Star Care of the Year 2017 award, a special reward for work and service excellence. (TRAVPR.COM) THAILAND - December 6th, 2017 - Pattaya, Thailand - Royal Cliff Hotels Group recently honored several employees for their outstanding achievements, long service and excellent work performance in a special ceremony. Eight staff received the Long Service Award which marked their 20 years of continuous service and contribution to the company and one employee received the Star Care of the Year 2017 award, a special reward for work and service excellence. Commemorative tokens and certificates were presented by the management lead by Mr. Vitanart Vathanakul, the Executive Director of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group who thank the employees for their valuable and indispensable contributions to the company. Situated on a 64-acre private parkland estate overlooking the stunning Gulf of Thailand, the Royal Cliff Hotels Group operates four award-winning hotels providing guests from home and abroad with the ultimate experience. Book your stay directly and get the best price guaranteed along with value-added optional extras that will enhance your hotel experience by visiting www.royalcliff.com, contacting Reservations at (+66) 38 250 421 ext. 2824 or emailing: reservations@royalcliff.com. For more information on the Royal Cliff Hotels Group, please visit www.royalcliff.com. ### New Delhi, December 6 Corporate India today sought lower tax and more incentives for investments while exporters called for quicker GST refunds at a meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the run-up to the last full-year Budget of the NDA government before 2019 General Elections. The industry bodies suggested lowering the corporate tax to 18-25%, from up to 30% at present. The exporters, who are grappling with blockage of working capital, pressed for exemption from tax on export income or lower levies on forex earnings and faster clearance of GST refunds. The Finance Minister has promised 25% corporate tax rate long ago and we expect he will fulfil his promise in this Budget, Ficci president Pankaj Patel said. The industry body also sought support for innovation, employment generation through investment in the MSME and startup sector and specific incentives for new investments, highlighting the need to establish an export zone with manufacturing facilities but without any taxes or regulations. We have asked to reduce the corporate taxes. Across the world, people are reducing corporate taxes and India is among the highest. We do need to create more demand and capacities for private investment and if you see today, GST has increased the tax rates, CII president Shobana Kamineni said. The implementation (of GST) and refund delays are a cause of concern, so we have suggested that if they can give us the IGST refund also, along with the drawback. In the US, there is a differential tax rate for export earnings, so we have sought a lower rate of tax on export earnings than the normal corporate rates, EEPC India Working Committee Member PK Shah said. According to Shah, refunds of exporters to the tune of at least Rs 60,000-70,000 crore are stuck post- GST rollout in July. We have asked the FM to take the corporate tax to 25% comparing with developed and industrialised nations. This would help in investment and which, in turn, would increase employment opportunities. Dividend distribution tax, which is around 20%, should also be lesser, said Assocham president Sandeep Jajodia. PTI Pre-Budget meet with Finance Minister Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 5 The district court here today granted permission to Ashish Kumar, one of the accused in the Varnika Kundu stalking case, to appear in a law exam at Hisar in Haryana in police custody. Ashish was arrested along with Vikas Barala in August. The trial has begun in the case and Varnika has recorded her statement. Her cross-examination is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Ashish Kumar, a law student at Kurukshetra University, had moved an application in court to get permission to appear in the exam for the LLB fifth semester at Hisar. He has sought permission for two exams scheduled for December 6 and December 15. The court allowed his application and granted him permission to appear in the exam in police custody. Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish had allegedly followed Varnika, daughter of an IAS officer, in a Tata Safari and tried to abduct her post midnight. The girl called the Chandigarh Police and the boys were nabbed. Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Mohali, December 5 Huge profits in trading of illegal firearms led four youngsters, including a computer engineer and an employee of a Chandigarh Administration-run hotel, into the world of crime. The four youths Anwar (19) of Bapu Dham Colony in Chandigarh, Tabish (21) of Zirakpur and Akash (19) and Sagar Sharma (21) of Ram Darbar in Chandigarh were nabbed with firearms by the CIA staff near Chatt village a couple of days ago. They intended to supply arms in the area by setting up a gang. They purchased country-made pistols with cartridges from Kiratpur in UP and were intending to sell those to their clients here with a profit of around Rs 5,000 per weapon, said the police. To keep in touch with their clientele, the miscreants had also formed a WhatsApp group under the name Aatank, which had nearly 50 members. They had also placed a fresh order of three country-made pistols with the dealer in UP, said the police. Anwar, who is said to be a computer engineer, was the mastermind of the gang. The police said Akash and Tabish were Class XI dropouts while Sagar was working at Hotel Shivalik View in Chandigarh. Sandeep Sinha Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proved that transformational change is possible in rising from a humble tea seller to heading the country, said Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to India. Indeed, PM Modi himself harped time and again on his being a humble tea-seller and used it to his advantage when he launched an interactive public outreach programme, Chai Pe Charcha, which was relayed at numerous tea stalls across different cities in India. Earlier, his image of pouring tea for the visiting US President Barack Obama had brewed aroma for newshounds across the world. The constant emphasis on having started in life as a tea-seller even invited a retort from his predecessor Manmohan Singh who said he was not in competition with Narendra Modi over having a humble background. That set me thinking and I decided to meet some chaiwalas in the city to know what they thought of Narendra Modis humble origins of being a tea-seller and was privy to a contrasting set of views. Sudama, a roadside tea-seller adjacent to a park in Sector 30 in Chandigarh, thinks Narendra Modi is a big hoax. Hailing from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, Sudama lives in a temple in the locality, not surprising for a man whose namesake in an earlier era was Lord Krishnas bosom pal, and a man of humble origin. Since early in the morning till 5 in the evening, he attends to customers at his stall, selling them tea for Rs 7 per tumbler. In the city for 20 years, Sudama was categorical in his denunciation of Modiji. Bera gark kar ke rakha hai, mahangai kitni badh gai hai, he said. The only thing that has gone up during Modis reign are the prices and the LPG, essential commodities and the GST were some examples of the governments insensitivity towards the common people, he added and quipped, Phir bhi log pata nahin kyun pagal ho rahe hain? Sensing my accent, he tried to cheer me up saying, Kal Laluji ke bete ki shadi thi, maine TV par dekha tha. I told him it was the wedding of Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modis son and Laluji was there to bless the couple. He did a lot of good work as the Railway Minister, said Sudama, a point which I found it difficult to contest. And what did Sudama think of Modijis humble origin as a tea-seller? Sab bekar hai ji, he remarked, how does it affect us? Koi aaye, koi jaye, hamein kya fark parta hai. Hamein toh mehnat ki roti khani hai, he said in matter of fact way. Sri Lal also sells tea in the city for a livelihood. He has his stall in the Sector 20 market and is slightly upscale, in the sense that his is not quite a roadside stall, but at a vantage location, beside a wall inside the market, surrounded by shops. That assures him of a steady clientele in terms of orders for tea. He serves tea in neat cups and not tumblers and informed that what he charges for the tea depends on customers. Pahadiyon se Rs 10 le lete hain, bahar wale se bhi, he said. From others, like me, he charges Rs 7. Sri Lal hails from Madhubani in Bihar. He told me he was to leave for his home state the very next day, where he will stay for six months. His associates take care of the stall during this period. He has realized his lifes aim through this tea stall, which was of educating his children. He has married off his daughter and his son studies engineering in Bhopal. He has also acquired two bighas of land in his village, an acquisition which gives him both pride and satisfaction. He had not done too badly as a tea-seller and what did he think of Modijis humble origin as a tea-seller? Sri Lal was effusive in his praise for the PM. He said the rich were getting richer while the poor were getting poorer and Modi had ended that. Bahut achcha kam ho raha hai, he remarked. He cited the example of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim. Aadha Hindustan basa rakha tha ashram ke andar. Usko line par la diya, he added. No gain without pain, said Sri Lal, and was convinced that the Notebandi and GST hullabaloo were only a storm in a tea cup. By now, I had consumed tea in copious quantities. I was reminded of what a friend from Shimla had told me about a board at a tea shop, Khoob chai piyo, khoob saal jiyo. As Sri Lal added ginger in the parting cup of tea, I was reminded of raper Baba Sehgals song, Adrak wali chai; emotions ko jagaye; jab ser main pain ho; barish ya rain ho; samajh mein na aaye; aur mood insane ho; adrak wali chai Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 Encroachments in the catchment area of Sukhna Lake will be strictly dealt with as the Chandigarh Administration has started the process to declare the lake a wetland under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, notified by the Centre. The rules have strict provisions to protect the wetland. The decision to declare Sukhna Lake as a wetland is likely to be approved at the first meeting of the Chandigarh Wetland Authority, constituted recently by the Administration. The authority has been formed under the chairmanship of the UT Administrator. The committee has 15 members. The Adviser to the Administrator has been appointed the vice-chairman of the authority. An officer of the Administration said once Sukhna Lake was notified as a wetland, several activities would be prohibited within the wetland, including encroachment of any kind, setting up of any industry and expansion of the existing industries, manufacture or handling or storage or disposal of construction and demolition waste covered under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, and hazardous substances covered under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989, or the Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989, or the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Trans-Boundary Movement) Rules, 2008, electronic waste covered under the e-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated waste and effluents from industries, cities, towns, villages and other human settlements and any construction of a permanent nature within 50 metres of the wetland. Sukhna Lake is facing a threat to its existence from encroachments in its catchment area and pollution caused by discharge of sewage from nearby areas. An officer of the Administration said offenders would face action. The lake is a haven for migratory birds. Poaching in the wetland area will also invite strict action. The authority will also form technical and grievance committees. Tribune News Service Mohali, December 5 Traffic congestion due to the ongoing construction of the Kharar-Balongi flyover here is causing inconvenience to commuters and traders day in, day out. In the absence of traffic diversion or proper service roads, serpentine queues of vehicles are common on the stretch. Commuters face a harrowing time during rush hours. The worst-hit are office-goers. Avtar Singh, who travels from Kharar to Chandigarh daily, said, The traffic congestion is due to the slow pace of construction. The carriageway is narrow. The road should be widened for a smooth movement of vehicles. The traffic is exponential when office-goers travel to or return from their offices. In case a vehicle breaks down on the stretch, there is a mile-long traffic jam, said the owner of a shop on the highway. Due to bottlenecks and lack of a service road, certain vehicles flout the traffic norms by taking the wrong side, compounding the problem. The construction of the six-lane flyover began on June 9 last year and has since been redesigned as a combination of elevated and surface project, after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) shelved the earlier designs after protests by some area residents. The project undertaken by L&T is a 10.185-km stretch, including a 3.2-km elevated corridor and three underpasses. The elevated corridor will start from Sunny Enclave and end at the Khanpur T-point in Kharar on the NH-21. The three underpasses will be built at Balongi, Daon and near KFC outlet along the Airport road. The approach road for the underpasses will be 45-m wide. Over 40,000 vehicles are estimated to ply on the flyover daily. Project likely to jump Dec 2018 deadline Although the completion date of the Kharar-Balongi flyover project is December 2018, it is likely to jump the deadline. An official associated with the project said on the condition of anonymity, The project is expected to be delayed by at least six months. So far, 102 pillars have been completed out of the total 139. But precast work, girder erection and curing will take time. There is built-up area (shops) on both sides of the road. The land has been acquired by the NHAI but the process of demolition on the Balongi side is yet to be completed, the official added. Another official said, As far as the rehabilitation process is concerned, verification of documents is under way. So far, payment against 244 structures has been deposited though only 46 owners turned up to receive claims. The official added that some properties were disputed. Certain shop owners are living abroad, the official said. Heavy vehicles were impediment in the construction work. Traders grouse Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 6 The 12th edition of the five-day Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX) is likely to see signing of 25 MoUs worth Rs 2,000 crore. Over 300 stalls on 10,000 square meters of land have been established. The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, will inaugurate the exhibition here tomorrow. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the state government is organising the trade fair. The Deputy Commissioner, KS Sangha, while addressing the press conference said, during the last 11 years PITEX built its unique image not only in Punjab but also abroad. The people are eagerly waiting for this event. He also informed that apart from the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Micor Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) and National Jute Board, PITEX will also observe great contribution from PSIEC, GMADA, Punjab Agro Industry Corporation, PEDA, PUNSUP, Punjab Infotech, Milkfed, Markfed and PIDB. The chairman Punjab Committee, RS Sachdeva said, the PITEX will see exhibits from Afghanistan, Turkey, Thailand, Egypt and Czech Republic. He informed that Punjab Chapter of the PHD Chamber of Ccommerce recommended visas for 325 enterpreneurs of Pakistan. Of these, Indian Home Ministry approved visas to 160 Pakistanis and it is yet to be seen how many of them make it to the exhibition. Dr Ranjit Mehta, Principal Director of the PHD Chamber said, it was for the first time when all stalls have been booked prior to the start of event. SNM Abdi SNM Abdi Senior Kolkata-based journalist The forces which razed the Babri Masjid before my eyes on December 6, 1992, are in complete control of India today. They have gone from strength to strength in 25 years since the demolition of the Ayodhya mosque which, according to the CBI, was the outcome of a criminal conspiracy hatched by BJP-RSS-VHP-Bajrang Dal leaders. But nobody has been punished in a quarter of a century. On the contrary, the perpetrators have been handsomely rewarded and given charge of the country. There is, of course, a shade of divine justice in the comatose existence of Lal Krishna Advani the unquestioned leader of the Ram Janambhoomi movement doomed to die in the doghouse. Only Bhagwan Ram, who is a stickler for fair play, could have shrunk the Iron Man into a mouse, thank you. But the Hindutva big guns who got off scot-free might well cut a Babri Masjid-shaped cake today in Nagpur and Jhandewalan to celebrate the silver jubilee of the demolition. They could also break into a Jai Shri Ram jig just like those lawless kar sevaks of Ayodhya. Debabrata Thakur of the Anand Bazar Patrika, who witnessed the demolition alongside me, mastered the Jai Shri Ram dance number in the volatile days preceding that terrifying black Sunday when the mosque was reduced to rubble within a few hours in broad daylight. But Debabrata enjoys a special place in my Ayodhya memories for an entirely different reason. The VHP, which controlled Ayodhya in the run-up to the demolition, had made it mandatory for journalists to fill in forms for a 'press card' to cover the kar seva on December 6. The cards were issued by a VHP media centre where I was handed a form. I was filling it in when Debabrata pulled me aside and said that the kar sevaks wouldn't spare me if the card pinned to my chest had a Muslim name. "For God's sake, take a Hindu name, yaar," he whispered. I told myself that if I was going to assume a Hindu name, it had better be good. Ultimately, I wrote AK Ray on the form along with the name of the magazine I worked for in those days, The Illustrated Weekly of India. AK Ray is phonetically similar to the Bengali words 'E ke ray' or 'who is he'. The Bengali journalists gathered in Ayodhya complimented me for that touch of irony. Congress govts failure The Gujarat pogrom of 2002 was definitely a sequel to the mosque's destruction. Both were the outcome of a criminal conspiracy by the same forces. Although the Congress party scored two mega victories in 2004 and 2009, it did nothing to de-radicalise Indian society infected by the Hindu right or defang the killers of Gujarat, even as it denied justice to Muslims in Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra. Manmohan Singh's government miserably failed to harness the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to nail and jail ringleaders like Narendra Modi or Bal Thackeray. On the contrary, when the USA revoked Modi's visa, the Congress government cried foul and lodged a protest! The Congress branded Modi Khoon ka Saudagar but did nothing to bring him to justice. Some Supreme Court judges stepped in when they realised that a massive cover-up was under way in Gujarat. They appointed a SIT, but it didn't deliver. In The Fiction of Fact-Finding: Modi and Godhra, Manoj Mitta writes that "it seemed as if the SIT panel's brief was more to place Modi's defence on record rather than to ferret out any inconsistency or admission of wrongdoing." Summing up Modi's triumph over India's fact-finding capacity, Mitta wrote: "When the right questions are not put, there will be neither the right evidence nor the right conclusions." Shabnam Hashemi openly says that the Congress actually helped Modi to win the Gujarat elections of 2012 so that the BJP would field him as PM candidate in 2014 which would force Muslims across India to vote en masse for the Congress. I don't put such machinations past the Congress. Judiciarys handling of case No less worrisome is the higher judiciary's handling of the Babri Masjid cases. Earlier this year, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, JS Khehar, mooted an out-of-court settlement in the civil case (or the title suit to establish whether Hindus or Muslims are the legal owners of the land where the mosque stood) abdicating his responsibility to mete out justice to the aggrieved Muslims. And now the apex court wants to hear the title suit on a day-to-day basis from December 5. The tearing hurry makes no judicial sense. In fact, the criminal case, or the demolition suit, should be tried expeditiously to identify the criminals who razed the mosque. If the title suit is fast-tracked and Hindus win the case, then the demolition will be seen as "justified" to reclaim their own property. As Hindutva forces become stronger, there is an alarming new tendency among judges to stop the media from publishing court proceedings in cases where its leaders are in the dock, whether it is Amit Shah in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case or Yogi Adityanath in the 2008 Gorakhpur hate speech case. The courts clearly want to shield Shah and Adityanath from the public glare. This is a dangerous development with huge implications for the rule of law and freedom of the press in a democracy. The handling of the Hadiya case also shows which way the wind is blowing not only in the Supreme Court but also across India today. Hats off to former US President Barack Obama for telling us on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid's demolition that he had privately told Modi not to split India on Hindu-Muslim lines, particularly as the country's Muslims clearly identify themselves as Indians above everything else. This is welcome news at a time when Indian Muslims are under siege and are getting killed on any pretext. After helplessly watching the Babri Masjid's demolition, I was naturally worried about the safety of my 15-month-old son. The last para of my report, "Brick in the Wall", published in the Illustrated Weekly, read: "I left Ayodhya angry at my own impotence. The symbol of my own potency, my son, was in Calcutta hundreds of miles away. Where did he belong? And wherever that was, would he ever be safe?" After studying in Kolkatas St Xavier's School and Presidency College, he did his Masters from London's School of Oriental and Asian Studies. And according to the young man, it's easier to be a Muslim today in England than in India. Khoon ka saudagar Pramod Kumar Pramod Kumar Director, Institute for Development and Communication The outcome of Gujarat elections will be a precursor to the 2019 parliamentary elections. If this election goes the Congress way, a weak Modi will be in the fray in 2019. However, if it goes the BJP way, a weak Congress will have no choice but to transform its politics radically for its survival in the electoral game. Earlier elections in Gujarat have shown that ideologies are relevant to win elections. And, as such, an effortless anti-incumbency campaign may not, on its own, dislodge the incumbent government. For the present election, the same is true. The only difference is that there is widespread dissatisfaction amongst the voters. As the electoral scene is hotting up, the parties in fray are trying to outcompete each other on the same turf be it religiosity, caste based reservations, caste arithmetic and religious polarization, of-course garnished with development rhetoric and populist bluster. No signs of alternate political discourse. The expansion of the right wing politics coincided with the transformation of economy from command to market economy in the nineties. Modis emergence as a leader in Gujarat can be located in this transformation. Thus, the so-called Gujarat model of development in terms of economic reforms is no different from the model adopted in the country in the nineties. The difference lies in its implementation without moderating the negative impact on poor farmers, workers and people, and in its blending with the right wing ideology. Historically, political parties, be it the Congress or the BJP, are on the same side of the neo-liberal path of development, but the electoral discourse conveniently located crony capitalism, unemployment, poverty and inequalities in policy paralysis and/or incapacity of the leadership to carry forward the neo-liberal agenda. In other words, during the Congress regime, it was attributed to policy paralysis and now, on the incapacity of the incumbent leadership to address the crises. So, whatever consequences of growth Gujarat has experienced, the same can be seen as a precursor to the things to come in other parts of India. Gujarat has experienced faster economic growth. Has this growth been inclusive? Studies have shown that the workers received only 8.3 per cent of the value added, while the rest was pocketed by profiteers. In terms of the share of the workers' wages in other states, the value addition is better, for instance, in Kerala it is 22.47 per cent, West Bengal 21.90 per cent, Tamil Nadu 16.37 per cent and Punjab 15.27 per cent (The Hindu, September 27, 2012). Then what is the Gujarat model of development? It is growth without moderation of inequities, privatisation of health and education. Historically, the BJP in Gujarat has nurtured regional aspirations, patronised new aspirational class filtered through the regionalised version of Hindutva, particularly post liberalisation. The whole tenor of electoral mobilisation in Gujarat has been a clever blend of Gujarat ka gaurav and Hindutva identity. Electoral discourse in Gujarat has three dimensions. 1Firstly, it revolves around mobilisations on regionalised Hindutva identity leading to polarisation in 62 urban constituencies on religious lines, whereas, in rural areas on caste-cum-class lines. 2Secondly, to counter this, Mandal versus Kamandal politics of 1980s has been invoked by coopting Hardik Patel (reservation for the Patidar caste), Alpesh Thakur (reservation for OBCs) and Jignesh (reservation and welfare for the Dalits). The opposition is relying on simple arithmetic that is the sum total of Hardik Patel, Alpesh and Jignesh will ensure the defeat of the BJP. This is not the way electoral politics works. For instance, the Patidars' manifest protest is for seeking reservation in government jobs, but the crux of the unrest is in their relative deprivation: in short, the loss of political power. Similarly, the Dalits who constitute around seven per cent may find it difficult to go along with the Patidars with whom they have major contradictions at the village level. Further, the OBCs may see their share in reservations reduced if Patidars are included in the OBC list. Then, the Patels are divided into two groups: Leuva and Kadvas. Hardik has a major support base in the Kadva Patels while the BJP in Leuva Patels. To overcome heterogeneity amongst the Patidars, the authority of religious 'dhams' is being invoked. Both the BJP and Congress are making rounds of religious dhams to overcome these differentiations within the caste groups. It is nothing, but competitive communalism. 3The third issue is the use of gaurav of Gujarat as a universal category that appears to be purer and unadulterated through a clever underplaying of the structural inequalities of caste, religion and ethnicity. And, since the Opposition has made Modi the fulcrum of the elections, defeat of the BJP in Gujarat is being propagated as a precursor to Modi's defeat in the 2019 elections. That is not liked by many voters as they see Modi as the gaurav of Gujarat. No doubt, the voters are dissatisfied with the 22 years of anti-incumbency and the leadership's incompetence to manage the contradictions in society, economy, and politics. However, the electoral campaign could not converge the national and local issues like demonetisation and GST with local issues of unequal access to education, health, poverty, hunger, and employment. The election is being fought on the turf of religious identity, caste categories and personality of leaders rather than on the performance of the incumbent government-advantage the BJP. The electoral outcomes will be largely influenced by electoral arithmetic and electoral management. How Gujarat model fares Wage data from the Labour Bureau for 2015 suggests that the average daily wage of agricultural labour is Rs 169 in Gujarat compared to the national average of Rs 230. For the rural non-farm sector, wages in Gujarat are Rs 191 compared to Rs 241 for all India. Gujarat is among the five worst states in India on the Hunger Index, and ranks 11th in Human Development Index. The state slipped from rank 9 to 13 between 2008 and 2012 in health index, and from 7th in 1996 to 10th in 2012 in composite education index. These are the natural outcomes of the neo-liberal path of development being implemented in India. Washington, December 6 An Indian-American doctor has declared his candidacy to run for the US House of Representatives next year from a suburb of Chicago as a Republican. Sapan Shah, 37, the founder of Flagship Healthcare in Chicago, would run from the 10th Congressional District of Illinois which is currently being held by Democrat Brad Schneider. However, to earn a Republican ticket to fight against Schneider in the 2018 general elections, Shah would have to win the partys primary in March. Four other Republicans are already in the run. Shah said he was running for Congress because he believed the government should be run by citizen legislators. He wanted to bring his real world experience and common sense to Washington DC, serve for a maximum of six years, and then pass the torch on to the next citizen legislator, he said. We need to bring real change to Washington, which starts by electing citizen legislators with real-world experience instead of more career politicians, he said. Shah has raised more than USD 300,000 in the first few weeks after announcing his candidacy. He has made a personal contribution of USD 100,000 to the campaign. In recent months, there has been a surge of Indian Americans running for Congress. Currently there are four Indian Americans in the House of RepresentativesDr Ami Bera and Ro Khanna from California, Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois and Pramila Jayapal from Washington state. All of them are from the Democratic Party. PTI THE Supreme Court had no choice but to deny the Sunni Waqf Boards plea to postpone the hearing in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute/case till after the next Lok Sabha poll. The plea was ill-conceived and poorly put across. The court has fixed February 8, 2018, as the date for final hearing in appeals against a three-judge Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court; the Lucknow Bench had suggested a three-way partition of the disputed land. It was rather sad that the minority communitys three lawyers, all senior and respected counsels Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan and Dushyant Dave felt it necessary to give the impression of walking out of the court when their plea for postponement was turned down. Admitted, the courts decision would have a political impact. It is rather late in the day for anyone to argue that the Modi government was using the judiciary to advance its Ram Mandir agenda. All governments starting with the PV Narasima Rao regime have sought to ensnare the judiciary in political games in this Ayodhya business; and, it can be easily assumed that almost every single high court and Supreme Court judge has had thoughts about the matter, all its legal ramifications and political consequences. The entire judicial fraternity is intellectually seized of the case and its imponderables. And, not just Ayodhya, the politicians have cynically dumped dicey issues in the judiciarys lap; more often than not, the politicians want to postpone the day of reckoning or take shelter behind the courts authoritativeness. Still, it was ironic that the apex court got to fix the date of next hearing on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid; that demolition took place in defiance and contempt of the assurances and undertakings given to the highest judicial forum. The Chief Justice of India and his brother judges need not be reminded that the dispute is not just about a piece of real estate; just as they can be expected to be very consciously aware of their role as the guardians of the Constitution and its secular and democratic fabric. IF there is an upside to US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital, it is not easily apparent. The blowback has started: all major Arab countries have raised the flag and the US is scrambling to protect its citizens from harm. That may just be the beginning: the second Intifada was triggered by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharons visit to Mount Temple, an area sacred to both Jews and Muslims. If a mere visit was a provocation, the US decision will register higher up on the Richter scale of political upheavals. East Jerusalem, penciled in by the Palestinians as their future capital, is not just a contested parcel of land; it also has key religious sites of reverence to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. To be fair, Trump was fulfilling a campaign promise. Trumps decision is also rule-based: in 1995, US Congress had passed an Act requiring the shifting of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. A repeat occurred a few months ago. But ever since Israel snatched East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, successive US Presidents have hung back from recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital in order to maintain the fiction of US neutrality. It also undoes the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords that agreed to discuss Jerusalem in the later stages of peace talks. The Trump move has the potential to set the Middle East in flames, stoke Muslim angst against the West and gives a second wind to the down-and-out Al-Qaida and ISIS. The US also gets knocked out as an impartial mediator in the Israel-Palestine dispute and comes off looking second best to Iran, its biggest bugbear in the region. By this move, Trump has added to global tensions; ties with North Korea are strained; many Middle-East countries are in the throes of civil wars and Afghanistan is not a done deal yet. As is the case with Trumps move to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, there is a small window: it will take years to construct an embassy. But to reverse both these moves, the US Presidency has to be in more astute hands. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 The state government plans to come out with a liberal retail policy next month which would contain various provisions, including opening of 24x7 stores in the state. Given the rising number of middle class population, Haryana has great potential for such stores. This was disclosed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while interacting with Dubai-based business tycoons and leaders of various groups in Dubai yesterday. The interaction was attended by Landmark Group, NMC, Al Maya Group, Diplomats Summit, UK, Hakan Agro and NIFTEM having interests in fields like retail, rice processing, exports, healthcare, and bringing investments into Haryana. The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation to Dubai to woo investors. He was received at the airport by Vipul, Consul General, Consulate General of India in Dubai. The delegation includes Industries Minister Vipul Goel, Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, and Principal Secretary, Industries, Sudhir Rajpal. In a meeting with the Landmark Group, the Chief Minister offered help to skill its employees, and said the state would also supply staff to the group through a training programme. He also offered to organise a buyer-supplier meet for the Landmark Group in January, where smaller suppliers can exhibit their products. Additionally, one-on-one meeting with major suppliers could be arranged with the help of the state government, said Khattar. At his meeting with a healthcare giant, the CM said the state would explore the option of setting up a Medicity in Panchkula. Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 Ministers and senior bureaucrats will attend a three-day chintan shivir (brainstorming session) at the picturesque Timber Trail Heights at Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) from December 15 to dwell on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars vision for the state in the run-up to the 2019 Assembly and parliamentary elections. Khattar will set the tone for deliberations with regard to his vision for the state on the opening day. Another group of participants will take it forward and suggest ways and means to implement the CMs strategy. According to the schedule, the second day will have a common session to discuss the work done by different groups the previous day whether their discussions are in accordance with the CMs vision and what needs to done to achieve the goals set by the Chief Minister. An interaction with experts to be moderated by Pramod Kumar, Chairman of the Haryana Governance Reform Authority, will be another highlight. Besides, three groups on Agriculture reforms for doubling farmers income, Water utilisation till the last drop, and Making Haryana saksham will deliberate simultaneously. This will be followed by an interactive session with three achievers from Haryana on Mere sapno ka Haryana. The final day will see a discussion on the recommendations of the three groups. Sources say the chintan shivir will try to come up with a concrete action plan to be implemented in the run-up to the elections. Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 5 Wheat sowing in the state has been delayed this year. The crop has been sown on 18.45 lakh hectares against a target of 25.23 lakh hectares. The delay could affect the overall crop yield. Sources said the delay was caused due to increase in areas under cotton and rice cultivation. Stern measures taken by the government against stubble burning also delayed wheat sowing, which is normally done in October-November in Haryana and Punjab, though it is not uncommon to sow the crop in December too. Sources said that sowing of wheat in Punjab and Haryana generally ends by November 15. Late sowing means the ripening of the crop will take more time. With temperatures generally starting to heat up towards the advent of March, grains of wheat sown late mature before they gain size and hence affect the overall yield, said, Suresh Gahlawat, Additional Director, Agriculture Department. Cotton was grown on 6.5 lakh hectares. This constitutes almost 25 per cent of the total target area for wheat. The picking of cotton continued till mid-November, which delayed sowing of wheat, Gahlawat reasoned. Gurjeet Singh Mann, a progressive farmer from Sirsa, said that basmati varieties with longer duration were grown in large areas resulting in late sowing of wheat. Dr Gyanendra Pratap Singh, Director, IIWBR, however, denied delay in sowing of wheat and said the crop would not get affected. Rohtak, December 5 The Agriculture Department has launched Rs 500-crore Crop Cluster Development Programme (CCDP) to promote horticulture in the state villages. Sorting, grading and packaging facilities are being set up for specific horticulture crops in clusters of four to five villages under the scheme to take care of the marketing needs of farmers. Stating this during on-field interactions with local farmers at Kanhi, Jassia and Brahmanwas villages in the district today, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Abhilaksh Likhi exhorted the farmers to adopt the scheme and get attractive income. Apart from sorting, grading and packaging the horticulture produce at the cluster houses, refrigerated vans will also be provided to the farmer-producer organisations to send the produce for sale in the NCR/capital area markets, Likhi maintained. District Horticulture Officer Jitender Mongia said farmers who adopt the CCDP scheme would be provided up to 90 per cent subsidy by the government. In the current year, cluster-houses for cultivation of bittergourd, onion and tomato have been set up at Bakheta, Kansala and Humayunpur villages, for potato, adding that a mushroom cluster would be set up at Mokhra village in the district next year. TNS Tribune Reporters Chandigarh, December 5 Health services were partially affected in many districts as National Health Mission (NHM) workers went on a two-day strike today. They were demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report and framing of service bylaws, besides other things. The Haryana NHM Karamchari Sangh, one of the two associations of NHM workers, had given a call for the strike. NHM workers in several districts including Nuh, Gurugram, Sirsa, Rohtak, Ambala, Kaithal and Fatehabad districts, boycotted work, staged dharnas and raised slogans against the government. Health Minister Anil Vij said the strike had little effect on the health services as the association with the largest following among NHM employees was not supporting it. The government is sympathetic towards NHM workers, but their major demand of regularisation of services cannot be accepted, he added. Discussions on our demands were held during a meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on October 22, said Sandeep Kumar, general secretary of the NHM sangh. Senior officers of the Health Department assured us that our demands would be met within 20 days. However, nothing had been done so far, he said. He said they were not demanding regularisation of service, but framing of service bylaws. On June 9, the Chief Minister assured us that service bylaws would be framed within six months. However, nothing has been done so far, he rued. In October, the Chief Minister had announced 14.29 per cent hike in the salary of NHM workers. We have not received any benefit so far, he added. In contrast, workers of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan had service bylaws and got time-bound raise in emoluments as well. Meanwhile, the Haryana NHM Employees Association, affiliated to the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, stayed away from the strike. It had considerable influence across the state. Sources said differences had cropped up between leaders of the NHM association after the strike last year, with a breakaway group floating the NHM sangh. Ambulance services hit Kaithal: NHM employees sat on a dharna outside the Civil Hospital and raised slogans against the state government and Health Minister Anil Vij. The strike adversely affected health services, especially ambulance facilities, and the authorities had no alternative arrangements to meet the situation. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) were reportedly away to Panchkula to attend an official meeting. The worst affected were the ambulance services as the staff on duty to attend to emergency calls were not available. According to information, those requiring ambulance to take their patients to the hospital and back home had to hire private vehicles. Family members of Saroj, a local resident, who was discharged after she gave birth to a child today, had to take her back home in an auto-rickshaw. Rajinder Singh, husband of Sonia, also had to hire a private vehicle to take her back to Khurana village after discharge from hospital. NHM workers Bimla Sudesh and Manisha said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had assured them of fulfilling their demands within a month but even after 40 days nothing had been done. The government should also give them the benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission as provided to other employees. CM assured us of equal pay for equal work: Protesters Ambala: NHM workers struck work in Ambala also. Tarandeep, district president of the NHM Association, said, The Chief Minister had assured us that we would be given equal pay for equal work and a policy woule be framed to regularise our services but nothing has been done so far. Different services, including ambulance, emergency and delivery, will be affected due to the strike. He said if their demands were not met soon, they would extend their strike. Chief Medical Officer Dr Vinod Gupta said, Regular employees have been assigned duties that NHM workers were performing so that health services are not affected. Alternative arrangements have been made and information about the protesters will be send to the higher authorities. Ambala, December 5 A five-year-old female leopard caught last night in a trap set by some hunters near Firozpur village of Ambala districts Naraingarh segment was tranquilised and taken to a Rohtak facility for treatment of an injured leg today. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The trap had been set to catch pigs near the fields of Firozpur, located on the border with Himachal Pradesh. The leopard was spotted this morning by a villager and soon enough, police, wildlife and forest department officials were at the spot. The villagers said there was a forest area nearby and it was not for the first time that a leopard had been spotted here. It was assumed that the animal came in search of water. Wildlife officials from Panchkula said the leopard would be released in the forest after treatment. TNS Tribune News Service Jhajjar, December 6 State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar today said that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattars Dubai visit was a wasteful exercise and waste of public money in the name of inviting foreign investment. No one wants to invest in Haryana due to the deteriorating law and order situation and the prevailing uncongenial atmosphere for business owing to poor-governance of the BJP government. Many industrial units are contemplating shifting from the state to other places, said Tanwar while talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function organised here to mark the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar. Tanwar said instead of foreign tours, the Chief Minister should visit every district of the state where people are facing a number of problems. The HPCC chief alleged the government has failed to ensure welfare of any section of society. Former Education Minister and local MLA Geeta Bhukkal along with her supporters paid floral homage to Dr Ambedkar by garlanding his statue in the city on Wednesday. She said Ambedkar was a great supporter of social equality and harmony. Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, December 6 Following damage to a large stock of wheat in the open godown of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department in Jundla village, the department has started an inquiry into it. The initial inquiry has revealed that there is no record of damaged wheat. This has caused a loss of around Rs 70 lakh to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which manages procurement, storage and distribution of foodgrain across the country. The department sent a letter to the FCI to categorise the damaged wheat for auction or to dispose of it. Officials of the FCI admitted that there was no stock of the damaged wheat in the central pool record. As per officials, the FCI could only categorise the stock which was registered in the central pool. We received a letter from the DFSC today for categorisation of damaged stock, but it was not registered in the central pool stock, said Ravi Yadav, area manager of the FCI. Since it is not in the central pool stock, we will have to seek guidelines from the higher authorities to categorise it, he pointed out. It also came to light that the stock which was stored in the Jundla godown during 2010-11 had already been distributed while the present stock was declared damaged in 2014. It was not known wherefrom this wheat had been procured. The authorities had started the process to ascertain the source now. We are checking the record. In preliminary investigation, it has come to light that the present stock was declared damaged in 2014. I have written for categorisation to the FCI, which will provide us information tomorrow. It has told us verbally that there is no record of this stock, said Anil Kumar, DFSC. Bhanu Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, December 6 Three undertrials charged with rape, abduction and murder cases escaped from Kanda central jail, 15 km from here, in the wee hours on Wednesday. DGP Somesh Goyal confirmed the incident. Goyal said that an explanation was sought from the jailor. An alert was sounded and borders were sealed as it was suspected that the three would try to leave the state through Solan or Sirmaur borders. The accused were of Nepali origin and were involved in cases in Rampur and Kullu. Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, December 6 CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University has been able to unravel horsegram genome sequence paving the way for developing genomic tools which can aid genomics assisted breeding in this potential crop. While announcing the release of draft genome sequence of horsegram (locally known as Kulthi) variety HPK4 (baizu), Ashok Kumar Sarial, Vice-Chancellor, said that this was the first report of its kind in his university where a team of scientists has been able to complete the whole genome sequencing of any crop plant species. He said that the program was funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Government of Japan for two years. Dr Rakesh Kumar Chahota and Dr TR Sharma, Professors in the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Dr Sachiko Isobe, Head, Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba, Japan worked as a team for accomplishing the task. The Vice-Chancellor said that unraveling of horse gram genome sequence shall pave the way for developing genomic tools which can aid genomics-assisted breeding in this underutilized potential pulse crop and identify key genes responsible for economic traits. The Vice Chancellor asked the scientists to take this work further through translational research using the information emanating from this study. Dr RS Jamwal, Director of Research and Dr HK Chaudhary highlighted the importance of this research work and said that horsegram was an indigenous legume of North-Western Himalayan region. It is highly suitable for rainfed and marginal agriculture and has a potential to cover the risk of dry land agriculture. Due to its survival capability under drought like conditions, it has been designated as the Crop of Future. Dr Rakesh Chahota highlighted the importance of this study for the improvement and development of horsegram as a commercial crop. Dr. Sachiko Isobe, Principal Investigator from Japan, gave the detailed account of genome sequencing of this legume crop and briefed the audience about the identification of 36, 000 genes in this crop species which can be precisely utilized in future breeding programmes. Crop of Future Horsegram, locally known as Kulthi, is an indigenous legume of North-Western Himalayan region. The grain is used as a human food and also as a concentrated feed for cattle. Due to its survival capability under drought like conditions, US Science Congress designated this crop as the Crop of future. The protein content in seeds of cultivated horsegram is reported to be 16.930.4 per cent. Horsegram seed is rich source of phosphorus, iron and vitamins such as carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. It is known to contain many medicinal and therapeutic benefits. It is also suggested as an ayurvedic medicine, used to treat edema, piles and renal stones. Mumbai, December 6 Kangana Ranaut has said she will not lend her support to the 'Deepika Bachao' letter campaign, led by Shabana Azmi, as she would like to steer clear of the veteran actor's "investment in left wing versus right wing politics". The 30-year-old actor also claims Azmi "character assassinated" her when she was being bullied. She, however, did not elaborate on the controversy. "I was filming 'Manikarnika...' in Jodhpur, got a call from my dear friend Anushka Sharma to sign the petition written by Ms Shabana Azmi, I explained to Anushka that Deepika Padukone has all my support but I am a bit wary of Shabana Azmi's investment in left-wing versus right-wing politics," said Kangana in an official statement. The National Award-winning actor said the "Padmavati" actor has all her support as an individual amid the death threats been issued to her, along with film's director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. "I have my own set of ideas and opinions about the current situation in our country, I am on the fence about many things and being a part of a feminist movement called 'Deepika bachao' lead by someone who character assassinated me when I was bullied, seems to be one of them. "Anushka understood but I am glad they reached out to me, like I said Deepika has all my support I am an individual perfectly capable of supporting who I like without anyone's support," she said. Kangana's clarification comes after reports surfaced that the actor refused to sign Azmi's movement. An adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic "Padmavat", the period drama got caught in controversy when Bhansali started shooting early this year. The director has been accused by several Rajput groups and political leaders of factual inaccuracies, and of depicting a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Sultan Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh), a claim repeatedly denied by him. Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed. Also, starring Shahid Kapoor, "Padmavati" was earlier scheduled to be released on December 1. The makers deferred the release as they await a certificate from the CBFC. PTI Sudhirendar Sharma Sudhirendar Sharma NO sooner had I made my selection from a severely restricted vegetarian menu than the waiter at a restaurant in Kensington, London, surprised me by asking, still or sparkle? It took me a few seconds to fathom that the query was related to my choice of ordinary or carbonated water. The choice for water was a cultural shock, making me wonder why the British hadnt learnt from those whom they ruled for no less than two centuries that serving water to guests is a bare minimum courtesy! The Swiss are different from the Brits. At a Lucerne restaurant, the waiter took me by surprise when I asked for water. Big or a small glass? I was almost about to shower my appreciation for the Swiss ingenuity for saving water by determining the thirst upfront, when he gave me a rude shock by explaining that one euro separated the small from a big tumbler of water. Far from making the West learn hydro-courtesy, the reverse is becoming more of an exception with us. Walk into any restaurant and be summarily quizzed, tap or bottled? Unless one is in a glitzy hotel where a much expensive water menu is on offer Rs 50 to Rs 150 or more per bottle seeking customer preference has become a norm across all kinds of restaurants and even roadside dhabas. And no one seems to be complaining! Market economy that thrives on rapid turnover of product diversity has had its impact on consumers choice for water too. Asking for drinking water is passe for its suspect quality, but branded variants of packaged water with varied degrees of dubious quality assurances have been universally accepted. From ordinary to premium, spring to glacial, aerated to flavoured, drinking water has built its own range of products, wherein the brand draws more value than its contents. Like the ambidextrous master- archer Arjuna, who was known by several names, water, too, has attained an evolving nomenclature drinking water, bottled water, aerated water, river water, irrigation water, flood water, grey water, brown water, green water, seawater, revenue water and trans-boundary water. Each variant has its distinct origin with associated physical features. Does each variant not create a distinct liquid relation based on its fast-changing biological and physical attributes? Of all the types of water on offer, it is only the blue which seems to be missing from the list. Rightfully so, because blue has long ceased to be the true colour of water, and it survives more on computer screens than as earthly reality! Need it be said that the elixir of life is facing a crisis of identity. Each new identity degenerates its cosmic existence, hinting at the severity of the impending crises. No surprise, therefore, that even the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain is now asking devotees to offer treated water to the deity. The world seems to have come full circle on its hydrological cycle. What is found in nature, whether flowing or impounded, is anything but sick water. NEW YORK, December 5 One of the worlds largest diamonds has been sold for $6.5 million by Sierra Leone to fund local development projects, dealing a blow to smugglers in the West African nation. The egg-sized, 709-carat diamond found by a Christian pastor was bought at an auction in New York by Laurence Graff, a British billionaire and jeweller, according to the Rapaport Group, an international diamond trading network that handled the sale. Of the proceeds of the stone dubbed the Peace Diamond, the government will get 59 per cent to fund clean water, electricity, schools, health centres and roads. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) As a government, particularly in Africa, it has always been the narration of corruption, and the mineral wealth is not benefiting the people, said Abdulai Bayraytay, a spokesman for Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma. The auction marked the first time a diamond found in Sierra Leone was put up for public sale. Diamonds fuelled the civil war in the 1990s, when rebels forced civilians to mine the stones and bought weapons with the proceeds, leading to the term blood diamonds. The UN lifted a ban on diamond exports from Sierra Leone in 2003, but the multi-million dollar sector is still plagued by smuggling. Reuters Ayodhya/New Delhi, December 6 Despite prohibitory orders, scores of Bajrang Dal activists took out a march on bikes and cars in Ayodhya to mark the 25 years of the demolition of the Babri Masjid following which a case was registered against around 50 unidentified persons. The Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) celebrated the day as Shaurya Diwas (Day of Valour) while some Muslim outfits observed Yaum-e-Gham (Day of sorrow). The administration made heavy security arrangements in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad while special measures had been taken across the state to ensure the day passed off peacefully. In Ayodhya, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed. However, Bajrang Dal took out a march following which a case was registered at the Ayodhya Kotwali police station under sections pertaining to breach of peace and communal harmony and disturbing law and order. Bajrang Dal activists waved saffron flags and raised slogans, an official said. There was some tension when the procession passed through some of the streets. Muslim outfits that observed Yaum-e-Gham in Tehri Bazaar area demanded action against Bajrang Dal activists. Talking to PTI, Haji Mahboob, the local convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee, said, We have demanded action against those trying to pollute the harmonious atmosphere of Ayodhya. Faizabad SSP Subhash Singh Baghel said that a group of some youngsters was going to take part in a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) programme. On getting information we interrupted them and stopped there procession, he added. District Magistrate Anil Kumar Pathak said he had ordered the registration of a case against those who broke the prohibitory orders and also ordered an enquiry. Chairman of Sriram Janmbhoomi Nyas, Mahant Nritya Gopaldas, meanwhile, said that a temple has already been made in Ayodhya and only giving it a grand structure was required. Speaking at Shaurya Sankalp Sabha organised at the Karsewak Puram in Ayodhya, the Mahant claimed that the atmosphere was conducive for construction of a Ram temple and hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will find a way on the basis of available evidences and the faith of crores of Ram devotees. Stressing that he respects the court, Gopaldas said that the court too should factor in the demand of crores of Hindus. The VHP held functions in different parts of Uttar Pradesh also. All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) executive member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangimahli submitted a memorandum to Lucknow District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma, which was addressed to the prime minister. Recalling the incident when the structure was pulled down by anti-socials and communally surcharged people 25 years ago, the memorandum regretted that those responsible for it were still moving around freely, Farangimahli said. It has also been stated that the CBI should be directed for prompt disposal of all the cases regarding the demolition and ensure proper punishment to all those involved, he said. He said that a demand for lodging of cases against those held responsible for the demolition in the Liberhan Commission report has also been sought through the memorandum. Meanwhile, in Delhi, the Jawaharlal Nehru University said it had cancelled talks by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and CPI(M)s Prakash Karat on the Ayodhya issue to maintain communal harmony and peace on campus. The two leaders were to address students separately in two hostels around the same time tonight. PTI Ahmedabad, December 6 The high-octane campaign for the first phase of the crucial Gujarat Assembly polls, viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, will come to an end tomorrow. A total of 89 seatsout of 182spanning the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions, are up for grabs in the first phase with 977 candidates in the fray, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Voting will be held on December 9. While the BJP is fighting anti-incumbency and struggling to alter a seemingly negative perception about demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, the Congress, galvanised by an assertive Rahul Gandhi, has mainly targeted the hollow Gujarat development model to slam Modi. Modi and Gandhi had aggressively led their parties campaigns in Saurashtra and south Gujarat which often turned personal. Saurashtra and Kutch are crucial for the ruling BJP as these two regions have the highest concentration of seats in the first phase. Political pundits believe that the party winning the maximum number of seats from Saurashtra and Kutch will be better placed to form the next government in the state. Saurashtra, located on the Arabian Sea coast, covers 11 districts of the state. Kutch is the largest district comprising 10 talukas, 939 villages and six municipalities. Of the 58 seats in Saurashtra and Kutch, the BJP had won 35 in the 2012 Assembly polls and the Congress 20. Of the remaining three seats, two were won by the now-defunct Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of Keshubhai Patel and one by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In 2007, the tally of the BJP and the Congress in Saurashtra and Kutch stood at 43 and 14 respectively, while the NCP had bagged one seat. Of the 35 seats spread across the seven districts of south Gujarat, the BJP had won 28 and the Congress six in the 2012 polls. The remaining seat was won by Others. The 2009 tally for the BJP and the Congress stood at 19 and 14 seats respectively in south Gujarat, while two constituencies had gone to Others. Prominent candidates in the fray for the Saturday battle include Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West) against the Congress Indranil Rajyaguru, Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli) both from the Congress. Rajput strongman Gohil has locked horns with the BJPs new face, Virendrasinh Jadeja, also a Rajput, in the Muslim-dominated seat. In Patidar-dominated Amreli, Dhanani (the sitting Congress MLA) is pitted against BJP heavyweight Bavkubhai Undhad, the legislator from the nearby Lathi seat. The contest for the 12 seats in Surat, the diamond and textile hub of the country, is being viewed as a referendum on the note ban and GST, as the BJP is facing a stiff opposition from the trading community. During canvassing, Gandhi had interacted with the traders in Surat, who vented their ire against demonetisation and the complicated GST structure. Subsequently, the Congress vice-president had attacked the Modi government over the four-tier GST structure and sought rationalisation of the indirect tax rates. For the BJP, Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani had held the fort to defend the GST and note ban, while trying to allay the concerns of the traders and textile merchants during their interactions with them. On the campaign trail, Modi had addressed about 14 rallies, while Gandhi had spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings. BJP president Amit Shah, the chief poll strategist of the saffron party, had also addressed a number of rallies, mainly targeting the Congress and Gandhi. The BJP had also drafted in Union minister Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, besides Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Congress had fielded former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, to name a few, for canvassing. The campaign mainly shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, with the latter emerging as the Congress pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on the latters home turf. A big takeaway for the Congress was ensuring the support of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), an umbrella organisation of the numerically strong Patidar community, which traditionally formed the bedrock of the BJPs support in Gujarat. In its bid to form a caste bloc against the BJP, the Congress won over Alpesh Thakor, Patel and Jignesh Mewani, who have emerged as the young Turks representing the OBCs, Patidars and Dalits respectively. The Congress, which is in political wilderness in Gujarat for 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. It has raised issues such as the BJPs hollow development model, the prime ministers proximity with select industrialists, besides demonetisation and GST, at the hustings. The second and final phase of the polls will be held on December 14 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. PTI Raipur, December 6 A jawan of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was on Wednesday injured when Naxals fired at a newly set-up police camp at a forest in Chhattisgarhs Kondagaon district, an official said. A small action team of the ultras fired at the police camp in Hadeli village where some finishing work was under way, following which the security personnel retaliated, he said. After a brief exchange of fire, the rebels escaped into the dense forest, the official said. Head constable Komal Khalko, belonging to DRG, suffered bullet injuries, he said. The injured jawan was rushed to a local hospital from where he was being airlifted to Raipur for further medication, the official said, adding that his condition was said to be out of danger. A search operation was under way in the region, he added. The police camp was recently set up in Hadeli, located 50 km deep inside forest from Kondagaon town, which is around 200 km away from here, he said. The Naxals are upset over the establishment of the camp, which is aimed at stepping up area-domination operation in the region and checking the activities of the rebels, he added. PTI Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 5 The BJP has been deploying all hands on deck from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mayors of municipal corporations in Gujarat, thus leaving nothing to chance as a new opinion poll has predicted neck and neck contest between the BJP and the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat. Apart from star campaigners including PM Modi, Union ministers and various Chief Ministers, the BJP has also dispatched newly elected 14 Uttar Pradesh mayors to Gujarat. The CSDS-Lokniti opinion poll has predicted an equal vote share of 43 per cent for both the BJP and the Congress in 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The survey predicted between 91 to 99 seats for the BJP and 78 to 86 seats for the Congress. Various BJP leaders have debunked the new opinion poll and claim to have upper edge over the Congress in the state. "It is not the question of winning but achieving the target of 150 seats," said BJP leaders. Vadodara, December 6 The Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students in Gujarat free of cost by abolishing GST if voted to power, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev announced here on Wednesday. Dev also attacked the Narendra Modi government for imposing 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins, which she said runs contrary to the governments Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign for girls. Imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins is a big shocker for poor girls and women. The Modi government did not slash the tax (on sanitary napkins) despite demands raised by various NGOs and womens group though it reduced the tax on other items, Dev said while addressing reporters. The campaigning for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, will end tomorrow. If voted to power, Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students of schools and colleges in the state free of cost, she said. Dev said not reducing the GST on sanitary napkins is contradictory to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign of the Central Government. At one end, the government is promoting healthier menstrual hygiene practices among girls and women while on the other hand they are increasing the cost of sanitary napkins, said Dev, who represents Silchar seat in Assam. She said the imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary pads is a regressive move in the menstrual health discourse, which will take a toll on health of poor girls and women who lack the access to sanitary napkins. Dev sought to link the rising girls school dropout ratio in Gujarat with costlier sanitary pads. I am afraid that higher price (of sanitary pads) on account of GST might push girls back to adopting unhygienic menstrual practices, the Congress leader said. Dev also attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for not filling up posts of women in the state police department. Former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had in 2014 announced 33 per cent quota for women in Gujarat police force. Dev also claimed that the Gujarat Police have been refusing to register complaints of rape sought to be lodged by affected women. Congress will set up a committee in each district of Gujarat to extend help to the victims of rape, she said. Speaking after Dev, Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi termed as an eyewash the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign. When it comes to female sex ratio in Gujarat, the state is ranked at 24th position in the country. Rate of literacy in women is also low in Gujarat, she said. Chaturvedi accused the prime minister of remaining silent on the Naliya gang-rape issue while addressing public rallies in the poll-bound state. Modi didnt say a word about the gang-rape because some BJP office-bearers are allegedly involved in the crime, she said, adding that no progress is made in the case despite the chief minister ordering a judicial inquiry. PTI Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 5 Its now official. Thirteen years after entering politics as a Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over as president of the 132-year-old Congress party, currently led by his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving chief. Along expected lines, Gandhi will make a seamless transition from Congress vice-president to president, facing zero competition in the election. The partys election authority today said Gandhi was the only validly nominated candidate in the fray and all 89 nomination forms proposed his candidature. The Congress, however, will follow all processes to declare Gandhi the next president only on December 11, the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The generational shift complete, Gandhi has several tasks cut out for him, including the challenge of being a full-time politician, shedding his reputation of reluctance. The Congress chiefs post has been his for the taking for long but he has taken his time. Like veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni says, When Rahul Gandhi became party vice-president in January 2013, it was with the understanding that he would take over as Congress president. Gandhis transition also comes amid the partys continuing electoral decline. The Congress is now in power only in five states, the major being Punjab, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Karnataka will see elections next year and Himachal results are soon due, with Congress incumbency an issue in both. Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar says the Gujarat election results can establish the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who is campaigning aggressively in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite a campaign of calumny unleashed against him and the Nehru-Gandhi family. Within the Congress too there is acknowledgment of the need for Gandhi to prove his ability to deliver in both Gujarat and Himachal. Victory in Gujarat can do wonders for Rahul Gandhi. Alternatively a substantial improvement in party tally would help cement his leadership. Anything less than that can expose him to criticism, a Congress leader said. So far Gandhis leadership has not yielded election benefits for the Congress except in Bihar where the RJD-JDU-Congress alliance won riding on JDU chief Nitish Kumars popularity. Kumar subsequently got back with BJP to form a fresh government. Stitching electoral pacts would therefore be crucial for Rahul Gandhi though news is that Sonia Gandhi may retain the role of partys patron, engaging other political party bosses. That said, Gandhi would now have to work to reorganise the party and take everyone along besides listening to them. Congress leaders privately talk about Gandhi having walked out of meetings when his point of view has not prevailed. Manas Dasgupta Ahmedabad, December 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lambasted the Congress for linking Ayodhya temple issue with elections and congratulated the Sunni Wakf Board for taking a nationalistic stand on the issue. Addressing election rallies at Dhandhuka, near Ahmedabad, and the tribal-dominated Dahod and Netrang towns today, Modi expressed his strong displeasure over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi calling him and his government friend of rich industrialists. Referring to Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibals plea in the Supreme Court to defer hearing on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue till the 2019 parliamentary elections as he appeared on behalf of the Sunni Wakf Board, Modi said, I congratulate the Sunni Wakf Board. They have done a great job. They have taken a stand for the unity of the country. His reference was to the statement made by Haji Mehboob from the Sunni Wakf Board distancing the board from Sibals request to the Supreme Court to defer the case till July 2019. Mehboob said while Sibal was the lawyer for the board he is also related to a political party. He also stated that Sibals statement in the apex court was wrong and that the board wanted a solution to the issue at the earliest. Modi, however, was not ready to accept the Congress plea that demand for deferring the hearing on the Ayodhya temple issue was Sibals personal stand and that the Congress did not share that. Is the Wakf Board contesting elections? Is the election not a matter of interest for the Congress that would participate in it? Attacking the Congress for not keeping interests of the nation in mind, Modi said it was highly improper for the Congress to link temple issue with elections. Ridiculing Rahul Gandhi for criticising him for allegedly working for a handful of industrialist friends, Modi enumerated various pro-poor programmes initiated by his government both as the Gujarat CM and now as the PM, and asked if a government that launched the drive for education for girl child, power supply to the poor village households, separate ministry and budget for tribal welfare and such other schemes could be classified as a pro-rich. Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 Fifty-five years after the Sino-India war of 1962, a new book claims the much-maligned forward policy of Jawaharlal Nehru was not to blame for the conflict. Rather, the Chinese had been planning it since 1959, it says. The book, Chinas India War Collision Course on the Roof of the World, authored by Bertil Lintner, was launched here today. Lintner said Neville Maxwell, author of Indias China War (published in 1971), and several other analysts had put the war onus on the forward policy, adopted by India in November 1961. Maxwell may have misjudged and most people do make that mistake, Lintner told an audience, ironically at the Nehru Memorial Library. He said the decision to go to war with India was taken in 1959 the year Dalai Lama arrived in India. The Chinese captured Tawang and the areas where their army entered in Arunachal were Tibetan-speaking. China had intense knowledge of the terrain, probably through a network of spies. He cited the attack at Sela Pass (south of Tawang) where the Chinese attacked from behind. India had emerged as leading conscience keeper for Asia and Africa, which China disliked, he said. The author claimed China had never been in the Indian Ocean Region for the past 600 years, and that it was venturing there for the first time. I dont think there will be a war in China Instead, a conflict, not necessarily an armed one, may happen in the oceans, he said. Army ex-Chief Gen JJ Singh said China appeared quite prepared as its army possessed language interpreters, who couldnt have been arranged at a short notice. Lt Gen SL Narsimhan (retd), member of National Security Advisory Board, said the books crux was the war was not aimed at resolving the boundary dispute. Nitin A Gokhale, author of Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga said, The book debunks the theory of Neville Maxwell and Alistair Lamb. Both have had an unduly vast influence of the post-Independence thinking. It was a Chinese ploy to bring down Nehru from the pedestal he was on. Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 5 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tonight said she would reconsider the cap on the education expenses of children of martyrs. Speaking in Ahmedabad, she said fee capping was part of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The Cabinet took a call on it. I will go back and reconsider it, she said. Terming it a sentimental issue, she said, Our government is never against soldiers. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Tribune was the first to report the matter in its edition dated December 1. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has already asked for details in this regard and is expected to sort out the matter. In September, the Department of Ex-servicemen in the MoD decided to cap the fee at Rs 10,000 per month, impacting around 3,200 students in schools, colleges and professional institutions. The forces raised an objection on October 10, but the ministry turned it down. Now, the forces, under the banner of the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (a body of three service chiefs), have sought removal of the cap. A letter by the committee says these personnel made the supreme sacrifice for the country and the provision of educational concessions to their wards is a small gesture to recognise their commitment to the defence of the country. The committee has sought a review of the government decision. Under the scheme, rolled out in 1972, the tuition fee of children of martyrs or those disabled in action is paid by the ministry. The scheme to bear the cost of education of children of martyrs was announced in the Lok Sabha on December 18, 1971two days after the Pakistani forces surrendered to the Indian forces at Dacca (now known as Dhaka). Jaipur/Abohar, December 5 Operations against militants in Kashmir will continue, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat asserted today, adding that while it was up to the neighbouring country as to how it treats terrorist organisations but India will continue to raise the issue. Operations in Kashmir are going on continuously and we see an improvement in the situation in the Valley. Such operations will go on, Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at Suratgarh military station in Sriganganagar district. The security forces in J&K have eliminated over 200 militants this year, the highest number since 2010. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Rawat said how the neighbouring country deals with terrorist organisation is their matter but we will keep raising this. We do not want that such organisations are promoted, he said. Rawat was at the Suratgarh military station to present the Presidents Standard to three regiments 87 Armoured Regiment, 41 Armoured Regiment and 10 Armoured Regiment after a mounted parade which was attended by Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, GoC-in-Chief Sapta Shakti Command, Lt Gen PC Thimmaya, GoC Chetak Corps, and a number of other senior military officers and civilian dignitaries. General Rawat also released first day cover to mark the grand event. The ceremony was hosted by Colonels of the Armoured Regiments Major General Vinod Sharma, Major General SS Mahal and Major General Kulpreet Singh, respectively. A formation of roaring T-72 main battle tanks, the mainstay of Indian Armoured Corps, displaying might of the Army, was commanded by Brigadier Praveen Chhabra, Commander of the Sand Viper Brigade with Regiment Contingent commanded by the respecting commanding officers. TNS & Agencies New Delhi, December 6 The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked a Goa court to start examining witnesses in an alleged rape case of 2013 against Tarun Tejpal, the founder of Tehelka magazine, saying there would be no stay of trial in the matter. The apex court asked the Bombay High Court, which had earlier directed the trial court not to examine the witnesses, to decide within three months the plea filed by Tejpal challenging framing of charges against him. Tejpal has been accused of having sexually assaulted a former colleague inside the elevator of a five-star hotel in Goa in 2013. Tejpal has denied all allegations levelled against him. The matter came up for hearing before a Bench comprising Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao on Wednesday. Tejpal's counsel argued that the high court has asked the trial court not to proceed with the examination of witnesses in the case. Senior advocate Aman Lekhi and advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, representing Tejpal, told the Bench that they have not delayed the case in any manner and there were 151 prosecution witnesses in the matter. Lekhi also claimed that the police had withheld the footage of CCTV camera, which was installed in the corridor outside the lift of the hotel. The counsel, representing the state, told the court that no witnesses have been examined yet and Tejpal has moved the high court challenging the framing of charges in the case. He argued that though there were 151 prosecution witnesses in the case, several might be dropped during trial. The apex court, however, observed it had earlier said that trial in the case should be completed within a year but nothing had been done yet. "It is a common experience that whenever bail is granted, the accused is not in a hurry to complete the trial," the Bench observed, although it clarified that it was accusing Tejpal of delaying the case. "We consider it appropriate that the high court may dispose of the criminal revision petition...pending before it as early as possible and in any case not later than three months from today," it said. "We make it clear that in the meanwhile, there shall be no stay of trial and witnesses may be examined in accordance with the law," the top court said. The Bench also observed that the revision plea should be decided on it own merits and the apex court's order would have no bearing on it. The Goa trial court had in September this year framed charges of alleged rape and wrongful confinement against Tejpal in the case filed against him. He was arrested on November 30, 2013, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court. He has been out on bail since May 2014. PTI Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 5 In a new twist in the vexed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, the Sunni Central Wakf Board today told the Supreme Court to put off the hearing until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, saying its verdict will have serious repercussions outside. Oped: "25 yrs ago, I was there..." Every day the case is heard it will have repercussions outside. This case will decide the future polity of India, counsel Kapil Sibal told a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, pointing out that Ram Temple was part of the BJPs poll manifesto. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Sibals submissions were contested by senior counsel Harish Salve, representing the idol, who said, Whatever repercussions happen outside the court its not the courts concern. Salve wondered how anybody could presume which way the verdict would go. The Bench also comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer rejected Sibals demand, terming it non-serious. What kind of submission is it? it commented, while fixing February 8 for commencement of the final hearing. The top court was hearing cross-appeals challenging the Allahabad High Courts September 30, 2010, verdict dividing the 2.7-acre disputed land equally among Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Wakf Board. All three chose to challenge the order before the top court. Besides, there are certain others also before it. Hearing the case on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya, the top court witnessed a heated exchange of arguments by senior lawyers for contesting parties, who repeatedly interrupted each other. Sibal was supported by senior counsel Rajiv Dhavan and Dushyant Dave representing two other Muslim parties to the case who said the court should not get into the trap. Today there is peace in the country. Let it continue, Dave said. They said there were more than 90,000 documents which needed to be gone into and they needed time to prepare their case. This case certainly cant be finished during your tenure, My Lord, Dhavan told CJI Misra, who is due to retire on October 2, 2018. Why the hurry? repeatedly asked Sibal, pointing out that the case was fixed for hearing after seven years on the request of senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared on behalf of the UP Government, took strong exception to Sibals submissions, saying Swamys case had been de-tagged. Swamy who was present in the court chose to remain silent. Senior counsel representing Ram Lalla, CS Vaidyanathan and K Parasaran too objected to Sibals submissions. Sibal, Dhavan and Dave requested the court to refer the matter to a seven-judge Constitution Bench, saying the 1994 ruling by a five-judge Constitution Bench in the Ayodhya land acquisition case that mosque was not central to Islamic faith needed reconsideration. They also pointed out that pleadings were not complete as many of the documents had not been filed by the parties and in such a situation the court should not go ahead with the hearing. We are bound by the five-judge Constitution Bench verdict, the CJI said, rejecting their plea to send the matter to a seven-judge Bench. As the Bench wanted the parties to make their opening statements, Sibal, Dhavan and Dave said they did not want to attend the proceedings. What kind of proceeding is it? We have been in the court for 40-50 years Unless the pleadings are complete, how can you proceed with the case? Sibal asked. But they did not leave the court. The Bench turned down their plea to hear the Ayodhya case after July 15, 2019 and fixed February 8 for commencement of final hearing. It asked the parties to file necessary papers before that. But the Bench gave liberty to its Registry to list the Ayodhya case before February 8 before the CJI on the administrative side if it felt the documents were incomplete. Hindus believe that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya thousands of years ago. During Mughal emperor Babars rule, a mosque was constructed at the place in 1528 after destroying the temples existing there. The RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP have been running a campaign for construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. On December 6, 1992, kar sewaks of right-wing Hindu organisations demolished the disputed structure. Many BJP leaders, including LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, are facing a criminal case in connection with the demolition. But the civil dispute over 2.7 acres is a separate one that has been on since 1961 when the Sunni Wakf Board took the matter to court. The Shia Central Waqf Board, UP, has claimed the demolished mosque was a Shia Waqf as Mir Baqi, who got the Babri mosque constructed, was a Shia Muslim. Advisory to states In view of the 25th anniversary of demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 1992 on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked states and UTs to deploy adequate security forces at sensitive places and maintain extra vigil so that attempts to disturb peace could be foiled. Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 Winters will intensify in the North after heavy rainfall and snowfall on December 11 and 12. According to the India Meteorological Department, under the combined influence of fresh western disturbance (WD) and its induced cyclonic circulation and moisture incursion due to tropical easterlies, rainfall is likely at many place over the western Himalayan region, Central and East India. Isolated rainfall is also likely over south peninsula and North-East between December 11 and 13, it adds. Meanwhile, cyclone Ockhi was also responsible for poor weather conditions in the NCR region. However, the now-weakened cyclone in the Arabian Sea and the depression currently building up in the Bay of Bengal are not unusual during this part of the year. Cyclone Ockhi that left a trail of destruction on the southern coast was also responsible for poor air quality in the NCR. The storm, explains Skymet meteorologist Mahesh Palawat, restricted the flow of north-westerly winds and induced moisture in the region, thereby resulting in the formation of smog due to prevailing pollution. Though the air in Delhi cleared somewhat due to inflow of winds, the Capital region is set to face another round of dilapidating weather conditions around December 9. The good news is that a fresh WD will bring relief with heavy rain in northwest plains, particularly Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and western UP, besides heavy snowfall in upper reaches on December 11 and 12. Meanwhile, people of Gujarat were spared as Ockhi dissipated over the Arabian Sea. The low-pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal, which concentrated into a depression and moved northwestwards is also expected to weaken when it encounters cooler parts of the ocean near the coast. Its final landing may be the Odisha coastline, says Palawat. And no, the two built-ups in seas on two sides of Indian coastline are not unusual, says Palawat. While Ockhis intensity does appear to be a copybook case of climate change, Palawat says such events have been witnessed in the past as well. The only difference is that while cyclones in the Arabian Sea generally move towards the Oman coast, Ockhi was directed to the Indian coast by strong winds in upper atmosphere, a case of one or two in 10. Akola, December 5 A defiant BJP veteran leader Yashwant Sinha, who was detained here yesterday while leading a protest by farmers, today vowed not to move out of the place where he spent the night till demands of cultivators of Maharashtras Vidarbha region are accepted. The former Union minister, who has had frequent run-ins with the current BJP leadership, was detained last evening while protesting against the state governments apathy towards the farmers of Vidarbha. He was taken to the district police headquarters and later released. However, the 80-year-old leader refused to leave and sat on a dharna at the police ground, where he spent the night. He said he would not budge from the venue till all demands raised by farmers were met. The district administration held talks with us till late last night but didnt accept our demands. We wont budge from this venue till demands of farmers are met, Sinha told reporters. The former Union Finance Minister said the government did not appear serious about solving problems being faced by agriculturists. I feel the attitude of the administration and the government towards farmers woes isnt serious. We are not a thing to be ridiculed, to be made fun of. Sinha said he spoke to several local and national leaders about issues related to cultivators. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackerays media adviser Harshal Pradhan said Thackeray and Sinha spoke on phone today and discussed farmers issues. Sinha said there had been no communication with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis over half-a-dozen demands of farmers. There were reports that Sinha had a telephonic conversation with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. PTI Sandeep Dikshit The written history of the world is largely a history of warfare John Keegan Humans have always engaged in warfare. The earliest known evidence of intra-state conflict is a 3,500-year-old ivory knife handle that must have figured in one of the battles between the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians. Only 283 years since then have seen no recorded wars. The Westphalia concept of nation states in the West is also an outcome of a 30-year-long war in the seventeenth century. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In the twentieth century, Indias impulses towards sovereignty and nationhood gathered steam after it contributed generously to the British effort in World War I. Among its neighbours, Russia became a Communist country after the same war while China turned one following wars between the Communists and the Nationalists, which were a result of the space provided by World War II. It may disappoint the creeping incursion theorists that 60 years later Chinas borders have remained nearly the same. In fact, during its settlement with 12 countries, it actually gave away a lot of land it had claimed. This makes military history not only a prominent source for understanding the worlds conflicts past, present and future but also a useful base material for sociologists and political scientists to forecast future societal trajectories. It also gives a clue about the present militaristically aggressive behaviour of some nations such as the US, whose early leaders like Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln were raised in the crucible of wars and actually led battles. From a tangible perspective, historys usefulness is more difficult to identify than applied sciences such as medicine or engineering. However, there is no such confusion regarding military history. Cynics may point out the futility of researching centuries-old muscle-and brawn-dependent warfare in an era of armed drones, nuclear submarines and inter-continental missiles. But technology and military history need not be irreconcilable; neither is technology a Silver Bullet. Military history, at the end, is also about technological change and how well or badly military forces adapted themselves to the changes, especially in the kinetics of tactics and strategy; the preparedness in logistics and administration, finessing of military doctrine military and theory, the degree of military professionalism and the mental agility of its leadership. It is also about normative application of the lessons learnt from past wars even if a copy-paste approach will likely bring grief. Military history need not be about mega clashes of armour and men. It could also be about learning from previous anti-terrorism campaigns for instance and applying them in the present instances. There is a caveat though: for soldiers, a mastery over military history does not translate into professionalism and competence; it can add to, but, is not a substitute for practical experience. A simplistic and distorted understanding can have adverse implications as the Americans recently experienced twice: Military professionals had cited the blowback against the British and Soviets to argue against a military intervention in Afghanistan, but then National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice had drawn a different conclusion: The Soviets had never taken Kabul whereas the US will, she said. The war is still on. It is true that military history alone is terribly inadequate in providing all the answers to all the issues confronting the politico-military policy makers of today. This is why an interdisciplinary approach is very important. At the same time, none can deny the lessons in capability of the political leadership, its synergy with the military brass and the military response and counter-response that come from studying past wars: the wars of 1962 and 1971 are studies in contrast while the 1965 battle would fall somewhere in between the two. In the end, every war ought to be a deliberate use of force to achieve political goals. In other words, in most cases, politicians flag off wars and the buck stops with them: win or lose. It is they who are answerable for a large number of critical components of a war: logistics infrastructure, expenditure on the military and the extent of indigenisation. The distilled lessons from military history thus become an integral part of a serving politicians statecraft as also for tomorrows leaders, who are students today. For winning and avoiding wars, it becomes important to study military history in universities and schools as much as in military training institutes. GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 6 London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday on the last leg of his India visit, paying tributes to Jallianwala Bagh martyrs today, said it was time the British Government apologised for the tragedy that "one must never forget." Khan's grandparents were born in India. His parents migrated from Pakistan to the UK. The Mayor stopped at the martyrs' well for a couple of minutes and made enquiries. Laying a wreath at the Flame of Liberty memorial, he observed a one-minute silence. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh," he told mediapersons. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Prior to the Jallianwala Bagh visit, Khan paid obeisance at the Golden Temple, ate langar and undertook 'sewa' by washing utensils. It was an absolute privilege to be in Amritsar. Going to Golden Temple was very important for me as it is spiritual home for thousands of Sikh Londoners and millions of Sikhs around the world," he said. Received by SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh, the dignitary was presented with a replica of the Golden Temple, siropa (robe of honour) and books on Sikhism. Along with his 16-member delegation, he crossed over to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border later in the day. Responding to Khan's suggestion, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh said: "Coming from a British Government functionary, it was good, and if implemented, would go a long way in strengthening ties between India and the UK, and perhaps, to some extent, assuaging the wounds of Indians who suffered the pain of Independence struggle." Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 Winters will intensify in the North after heavy rain and snowfall on December 11 and 12 and subsequent fall in temperatures. The destructive cyclone Ockhi was also responsible for poor weather conditions in the Delhi NCR. But the now-weakened cyclone in the Arabian Sea and the depression currently building up in the Bay of Bengal are not unusual during this part of the year. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Cyclone Ockhi that left a trail of destruction on the southern coast and election plans in disarray in poll-bound Gujarat was also responsible for poor air quality in the NCR region. The cyclone, explains Skymet meteorologist Mahesh Palawat, restricted the flow of north-westerly winds and induced moisture into the region, helping the build-up of the killer smog with the help of local pollution of the area. Meanwhile, though the air in Delhi cleared somewhat with inflow of winds, the Capital region is set to face another round of dilapidating weather conditions around December 9. The good news is that a fresh Western Disturbances will soon bring relief with heavy rains in plains of the northwest, particularly Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Western UP, and heavy snowfall in upper reaches on December 11 and 12. According to the IMD, under the combined influence of the fresh WD and its induced cyclonic circulation and moisture incursion due to tropical easterlies, rainfall at many place over the western Himalayan region, Central and East India. Isolated rainfall is also likely over south peninsula and northeast between December 11 and 13, it adds. People of Gujarat and the state administration were spared as Ockhi dissipated over the Arabian Sea. The low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal which concentrated into a depression and moved northwestwards is also expected to weaken when it encounters cooler parts of the ocean near the coast. Its final landing may be the Odisha coastline, says Palawat. And no, the two build-ups in seas on two sides of Indian coastline are not unusual or events related to climate change, says Palawat. While Ockhis intensity does appear to be a copybook case of climate change, Palawat says such events have been witnessed in the past as well. The only difference is that while cyclones in the Arabian Sea generally move towards the Oman coast, Ockhi was directed to the Indian coast by strong winds in upper atmosphere, a case of one or two in 10. Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 Taking cognisance of petitions by firms, societies and individuals flooding the courts for release of dues, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Advocate-General to explain whether Punjab was facing a deep financial crunch. Justice Rajan Guptas Bench also set six-week deadline for Advocate-General Atul Nanda to come out with his response on the issue after holding a meeting with the Finance Department officers. The development took place on a petition filed by The Shajrana Coop L&C Society Ltd against Punjab and other respondents. As the petition on release of payment for work done under government came up for resumed hearing, Nanda was present in the court. Justice Gupta asserted that the High Court in the recent past had been flooded with cases where firms, societies and individuals sought directions for release of dues for discharge of liabilities admitted on completion of contractual work. Several such petitions were disposed of with a direction to the authorities concerned to consider the claim before passing a speaking order and release payment if found due. In certain cases, the payment was, indeed, found to be due. Yet, it was not released. Justice Gupta added: As a result, a number of contempt petitions have emanated and listed before this Bench today. Hundreds of such cases have been disposed of in the recent months. During the course of hearing, Justice Gupta put a query to Nanda whether the state was confronted with a grave fiscal crisis. Responding to the query, Nanda submitted that he needed sometime to examine the issue after holding a meeting with the Finance Department officers. He also assured the Bench that a policy would be framed to obviate the necessity of citizens rushing to the court for trivial issue of payment of amounts due as admitted liability. Taking a note of the assertions, Justice Gupta gave Nanda time till fourth week of January to do the needful. This is, perhaps, the first time the Punjab and Haryana High Court has posed such a query to the state government, though different High Courts across the country have in their orders referred to imposition of Article 360, where the President is satisfied that a situation of financial instability has arisen in a state or the country. The Article makes it clear that salaries and allowances of an employee serving the state can also be reduced. Court flooded with such cases Justice Rajan Gupta asserted that the High Court in the recent past had been flooded with cases where firms, societies and individuals sought directions for release of dues. Several such petitions were disposed of with a direction to the authorities concerned to consider the claim. In certain cases, the payment was, indeed, found to be due. Yet, it was not released. Tribune News Service Mohali, December 6 In a multi-crore drug racket case, the CBI court today denied the anticipatory bail to seven accused here. The court denied the anticipatory bail to Punjab former minister Swaran Phillaur, his son Damanvir Singh Phillaur, former chief parliamentary secretary Avinash Chander, Sachin Sardana and his wife Rashmi Sardana, Sushil Sardana and his wife Kailash Sardana. Special Public Prosecutor Jagjit Singh Sarao said, With denial of anticipatory bails, all seven accused, who are still at large, will now have to surrender on or before December 12, the next date of hearing. The accused can also move the Punjab and Haryana High Courts special double bench, constituted by the apex court to deal with bail applications in drug cases, said sources. The Enforcement Directorate had registered a case against 12 persons on March 25, 2013, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in this connection. Earlier on July 12, the ED had submitted its final chargesheet against 12 accused, including former Phillaur, his son and the former CPS, besides eight companies under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The prosecution has sought imprisonment of up to 10 years for all 12 accused and owners of eight companies plus confiscation of properties with a market value of Rs 65 crore. Tribune News Service Mohali, December 6 In the murder case of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain, the National Investigating Agency (NIA) court today extended the police remand of Dharminder Singh, alias Gugni, for two days, while the rest of the three accused, including Pahar Singh, who was recently arrested from Meerut, were sent to 30-day judicial custody here today. The other two accused included Ramandeep Singh, alias Canadian, alias Bagga, and Hardeep Singh, alias Shera, alias Pehalwan. Pahar Singh was recently arrested from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, following a shootout. According to sources, the extension in remand of Gugni was demanded on a plea of ascertaining his bank accounts and his source of money. The sources added that Gugni had supplied the firearms to the accused in the case. Now the police wanted to know his source of money and weapons, said the sources. Johal named in another case Ludhiana: The district police have named UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal in Hindu Takht leader Amit Sharmas murder case. He was facing accusations of funding and indulging in target killings of Hindu leaders in the state. He was produced by the police before the court of Judicial Magistrate Indu Bala. The court remanded him in five-day police custody. Meanwhile, Johal was remanded in judicial custody in a case of an attack on an RSS shakha at Kidwai Nagar in Ludhiana in 2016. TNS GS Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 6 London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is currently on a visit to India, paid tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar on Wednesday and said it is time for the British government to apologise for the tragedy. Khan wrote in the visitor's book at the Jallianwala Bagh that the British government must apologise for the tragedy that took place at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. He wrote that it was incredibly moving for him to visit Jallianwala Bagh and one can never forgot the tragedy that took place here. The mayor also visited the martyrs well at the historical site. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, when troops of the British-Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters, along with Baishakhi pilgrims, who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh. The British Government released figures stating 379 dead and 1,200 wounded. Other sources place the number of dead at the well were over 1,000. Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi Garhdiwala (Hoshiarpur), Dec 6 Four months after dodging a murder bid, Garhdiwala resident Amrik Singh was shot dead near Dusehra Ground here this morning. The police said Amrik Singh was gunned down to avenge murder of Khurdan village sarpanch Satnam Singh, who was shot dead near a gurdwara in Chandigarh in April. SSP J Elanchezhian said they had booked eight persons, including three brothers of Satnam Singh Jyoti, Prince and Jang Bahadur. The deceaseds family and local residents started a dharna by placing the body in the middle of the road demanding immediate arrest of the murderers. The SSP managed to persuade the protesters to lift the body, but the blockade continued till 5 pm. The assailants carried out the crime when Amrik Singh was returning home after selling milk on his scooter. When he reached near Dusehra Ground at 7:30 am, some masked assailants fired indiscriminately on him. They shot seven-eight rounds. The bullets pierced Amrik in the head and stomach. He died on the spot. The police claimed that there was an old rivalry behind the murder. The incident was another crime in the series of Shana murder case of 2013. The witness of that case, sarpanch Satnam Singh, was killed outside a gurdwara in Chandigarh in April. Amrik Singh was earlier shot at on August 20. He had sustained a bullet injury on his leg. Amrik Singhs family members said the police knew that there was a threat to his life and he survived an attack, but they didnt take it seriously. Amrik Singh had sought an arms licence. After he was attacked in August this year, Amrik Singh had applied for an arms licence. According to a family member, he had visited the SSPs office on Tuesday in this regard. The police had deployed security outside Amrik Singhs residence after the August attack. Chandigarh, December 6 Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the soldiers and ex-servicemen of the Indian armed forces as he appealed to the people to donate generously for their welfare. The chief minister urged people to come out with voluntary donations for the Flag Day, which will be celebrated across the country tomorrow, and said the money would be used for the rehabilitation of war widows, disabled defence personnel and ex-servicemen. "On this Flag Day, let us strive to help the families of our brave soldiers who attained martyrdom in the defence and honour of the motherland," he said. Noting that India would forever remain indebted to the valour and commitment of its soldiers, Singh said any contribution to the Flag Day Fund would be seen as a token of respect for the outstanding services rendered by the armed forces. The Indian Armed Forces Flag Day is observed every year on December 7 since 1949 to honour the soldiers, airmen and sailors of India. PTI. Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 5 Taking cognisance of advertisements by travel agents to lure susceptible people for sending them abroad even for studies, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the DGPs of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to find out whether the advertisers were registered. The order by Justice AB Chaudhari came more than four months after Punjab and Haryana were held culpable for not warning people against contacting unregistered or unlicensed agents while seeking greener pastures abroad. Justice Chaudhari has already asked Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to initiate suitable action against TV channels and advertisers in case broadcast ads were not by registered agents. As the case came up for resumed hearing, Justice Chaudhari observed that the compliance report on the previous order was not there. He added that advertisements were visible at the rear of auto-rickshaws and at several places for attracting gullible people. Issuing directions to the DGPs, Justice Chaudhari also called for details of action taken in case the agents advertising were not registered. For the purpose of compliance, Justice Chaudhari fixed the case for third week of December, while making it clear that further adjournment would not be granted. Justice Chaudhari, on a previous date of hearing, had directed the states to issue immediate instructions to district magistrates in each district to publish a list of registered agents and to warn the citizens against unauthorised agents. The list was required to be made public on a regular basis through TV, radio, newspapers and any other modes of communication. Justice Chaudhari had observed that agents, not registered or licensed by the government, were taking money and sending people abroad, and gullible citizens were falling in their trap. He had asserted: In my opinion, one of the reasons appears to be the failure on the part of Punjab and Haryana in not warning the people at large not to contact any unregistered or unlicensed person/agent and not to give any amount to them. Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Baghapurana (Moga), Dec 6 At least 10 Akali workers were injured when supporters of the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP alliance clashed at Baghapurana in Moga district today. The incident happened on the premises of the Sub-Divisional Magistrates office on the last day of filing nomination papers for the local body elections. Alliance leaders alleged that Congress workers, with the help of the local administration, did not allow their candidates to enter the office for filing their papers. They alleged that Congress workers even snatched the nominations papers of some of their candidates and tore them to pieces. District president of SAD Tirath Singh Mahla alleged that civil and police officials, under the influence of local Congress MLA Darshan Singh Brar, did not allow SAD-BJP candidates to enter the SDMs office for filing their papers and also used force to stop them. The executive officer of the municipal council gave the no-dues certificates to our candidates at 10 am today, after which they went to the ROs office to file their papers. But, the local police intentionally closed the main gate of the office to prevent the SAD-BJP candidates from entering. Congress candidates, however, entered the office from the back door to file their papers, he alleged. Mahla alleged that a group of about 1,000 Congress workers attacked SAD-BJP supporters. SAD city president Pawan Kumar Dhand sustained a fracture on his arm in the clash. Harmail Singh Maur, a former president of the local market committee, too, sustained serious injuries in the clash. Meanwhile, Baghapurana subdivision DSP Sukhdeep Singh, said the police had not received any complaint with regard to the clash between Congress and SAD-BJP workers by that time. We have not taken any legal action so far, he said. Cancel elections in 4 towns Chandigarh: The SAD on Wednesday asked the State Election Commission to countermand municipal elections at four places in the state following incidents of violence. Clashes were reported at the Mallanwala and Makhu nagar panchayats in Ferozepur and municipalities of Ghanaur and Baghapurana. A delegation led by party vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema submitted a list of complaints pertaining to specific instances of violations at different places to Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu. TNS WE understand preparations for the holding of the All-India Temperance Conference at Calcutta on Christmas next are going on apace and that we may look forward to a highly successful session. Rev. Herbert Anderson, a highly respected leader of the Temperance movement and an indefatigable worker in the cause is Secretary of the Reception Committee and Mr. W.R. Gourlay, C.I.E., I.C.S., has been selected as chairman of the Committee. We believe this is the first time in the history of this purely non-official movement that a distinguished member of the Indian Civil Service which runs the machinery of the administration and is responsible for the working of the Excise Department has been selected to act as its spokesman. Neena Sharma Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 6 The Uttarakhand Government will table supplementary budget and several important Bills during the winter sessions of the state Assembly, which will begin tomorrow at Gairsain (Bhararisain) in Chamoli district. The Uttarakhand Assembly session will last till December 13. The supplementary Budget is likely to be tabled on the opening day of the session tomorrow. Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Speaker Prem Chand Aggarwal said that along with the supplementary budget, the government would table important Bills such as the Private Establishment and Shops Workers Act among others. He said that more than 1000 questions had been listed for the session. Besides legislative business, there are several important questions that are expected to be raised by the MLAs, and I am sure the opposition too would be keen to ask questions from the government on behalf of the people, he said. Sources said that two resolutions and eight Bills were likely to be tabled during the session. Most importantly, the government is likely to table the Lokayukta Bill. Both were referred to the select committee for consultations. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister along with his ministerial colleagues and senior officials left for Gairsain today. Sources also said that the government had made arrangements for ferrying the Cabinet ministers in a state helicopter till Gauchar and from where they were expected to go by road. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Indira Hridayesh has criticised the state government for holding the session at Bhararisain in winter. The Met Department has also predicted rain and snow from December 12 to 14. Geneva, December 6 Anti-nuclear campaigners preparing to receive the Nobel Peace Prize next weekend expect a new treaty banning nuclear weapons to help quickly consign the bomb to history. In an interview ahead of the December 10 award ceremony, Beatrice Fihn, head of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), said that attitudes to other weapons and harmful behaviours had changed overnight after bans were introduced. Even with the current standoff between the United States and North Korea creating the world's most acute nuclear threat in decades, Fihn told AFP that the rapid abolishment of the weapons was "very realistic". ICAN, which for the past decade has been sounding the alarm over the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, secured a significant victory in July when the United Nations adopted a new treaty outlawing them. That treaty, which was signed by 122 countries despite stark opposition from the nuclear powers, could take years to take effect, but Fihn said it was already having an impact on opinions towards the weapons. Sitting in ICAN's cramped office in Geneva, Fihn, a Swedish national, pointed to the rapid shift in attitudes towards smoking indoors as an example. "We didn't sit around and wait for the smokers to quit. We banned it inside, and they had to go outside if they wanted to keep smoking," she said. "Now, it seems laughable to think that we used to sit in offices and smoke. That was so crazy," Fihn said, adding: "I think it could be like that with nuclear weapons as well." "Suddenly, it just goes really, really quickly. Ten years later, we can't imagine we ever (accepted) that." Fihn said the nuclear ban treaty and ICAN's Nobel award, coupled with a sense of urgency created by the growing nuclear threat, had created "a window of opportunity" to shift attitudes toward nuclear weapons. Her comments came amid mounting tensions over Pyongyang's weapons programme and fear that US President Donald Trump is considering military action against North Korea which could unleash a nuclear war. The situation is "obviously extremely concerning," Fihn said, warning that the conflict was pushing militaries to prepare for action, thus raising "the risk of an accident or a miscalculation". "There is going to be an end, but we can choose if we want to end nuclear weapons or if we want nuclear weapons to end us," she said. Trump's inflammatory rhetoric and impulsive behaviour have sparked debate about how safe it is to give a US president the exclusive power to decide if and when nuclear weapons should be deployed. Fihn, who has not shied away from denouncing Trump's nuclear bravado, emphasised that it was the weapons, not the man, which were the main problem. "I think if you are worried about Donald Trump having access to nuclear weapons and having the ability to... pretty much end the world, you are probably worried about nuclear weapons," she said. She laughed off the assertion by the world's nine nuclear-armed states that the weapons help deter conflicts and promote peace. "The big problem with deterrence theory is this idea that if we just threaten with more murder, more slaughtering of people, with more indiscriminate killing, somehow peace will prevail," Fihn said. It is about time, she said, to stop treating nuclear weapons like a "magic power tool that some countries have to feel more important". Instead, they should be treated with the abhorrence worthy of the weapons of mass destruction they are, capable of killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. Fihn voiced frustration that nuclear-armed states frequently label efforts to ban the weapons as "naive". "I think it is rather the opposite. It is naive to think that nine states can have (nuclear weapons) while the rest of the world doesn't," she said. "The naive position is to think that we can have 15,000 nuclear weapons and that they will never, ever be used." Fihn said she felt her organisation and the hundreds of anti-nuclear groups it helps coordinate around the world had already achieved an incredible feat. "The most amazing things about this campaign is that we're just a bunch of random people who got together and wanted to do something," she said. "The biggest countries in the world, the most militarily powerful countries, the richest countries, have been trying to stop this and actively worked against us, and we did it anyway." "We hope this will serve as inspiration for others to get active and mobilise, against nuclear weapons and other issues." AFP. Islamabad, December 5 China has decided to temporarily stop funding at least three major road projects in Pakistan, being built as part of the US $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), following reports of corruption, a decision that has left officials in Islamabad stunned, a media report said today. The decision by the Chinese government is likely hit over Rs 1 trillion-worth road projects of the Pakistans National Highway Authority (NHA), and initially, may delay at least three such ventures, Dawn newspaper reported. According to a senior government official, the funds would be released after Beijing issues new guidelines. The CPEC, a flagship project of Chinas prestigious One Belt One Road, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It links Chinas restive Xinjiang region with Pakistans Balochistan province. The road projects that are likely to be affected include 210-km-long Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob Road, being built at an estimated cost of Rs 81 bn. Of this, Rs 66 bn would be spent on construction of road while Rs 15 bn on land acquisition. The other project which is going to be hit is 110-km-long Khuzdar-Basima Road, having an estimated cost of Rs 19.76 bn. The third project is Rs 8.5 bn worth, the remaining 136-km of Karakarom Highway (KKH) from Raikot to Thakot. Originally, all three projects were part of the Pakistan governments own development programme, but in December 2016, the NHA spokesperson had announced that they would be included under the CPEC umbrella so as to become eligible for concessionary finance from China. PTI Tehran, December 6 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted his US counterpart Donald Trumps plan to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital on Wednesday, saying it would not be tolerated. Rouhani also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone, describing Trumps announcement as wrong, illegitimate, provocative and very dangerous, according to an account posted on the Iranian Governments website. He also agreed to attend a special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the main pan-Islamic body, on December 13, which Erdogan called to discuss the issue. Rouhani had earlier been speaking at an international conference in Tehran promoting Islamic unity and marking the anniversary of the birth of Islams Prophet Mohammed. Iran will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities, he said in reference to Trumps Jerusalem announcement. Muslims must stand united against this major plot. Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke at the event, saying the US move was the result of paralysis and incompetence. The Islamic world will undoubtedly stand against this plot and the Zionists will receive a big blow from this action and dear Palestine will be liberated, Khamenei said. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Irans opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinian cause has been central to its foreign policy. The issue has again come to the fore in recent weeks amid rumours that regional rival Saudi Arabia has sought to build ties with Israel in order to better face down Irans growing influence. Iran was dedicated to building unity among Islamic countries, Khamenei said, but unfortunately there are rulers and elites in this region that dance to the tune of the US: they do whatever the US desires against Islam. His official Twitter account in English, which exists despite the messaging service being banned in Iran, later added: We advise them: the outcome of what some states, in region, are doing will be as Quran says, their own destruction. The Iranian account of Rouhanis conversation with Erdogan quoted the Turkish President as saying: Trumps insolence is a result of internal differences in the Islamic world. Now the Islamic world must demonstrate its unity and oppose this move, Erdogan reportedly said. AFP Geneva, December 6 Myanmars security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority and more of them are fleeing despite a deal between Myanmar and Bangladesh to send them home, the top UN human rights official said on Tuesday. The United Nations defines genocide as acts meant to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group in whole or in part. Such a designation is rare under international law, but has been used in contexts including Bosnia, Sudan and an Islamic State campaign against the Yazidi communities in Iraq and Syria. Zeid Raad al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was addressing a special session of the Human Rights Council which later adopted a resolution condemning the very likely commission of crimes against humanity by security forces and others against Rohingya. Myanmars ambassador Htin Lynn said his government dissociated itself from the text and denounced what he called politicisation and partiality. Zeid, who has described the campaign in the past as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing, said that none of the 6,26,000 Rohingya who have fled violence to Bangladesh since August should be repatriated to Myanmar unless there was robust monitoring on the ground. He described reports of acts of appalling barbarity committed against the Rohingya, including deliberately burning people to death inside their homes, murders of children and adults; indiscriminate shooting of fleeing civilians; widespread rapes of women and girls, and the burning and destruction of houses, schools, markets and mosques. Can anyone - can anyone - rule out that elements of genocide may be present? he told the 47-member state forum. Shahriar Alam, Bangladeshs junior foreign affairs minister, told the session in Geneva that his country was hosting nearly one million Myanmar nationals following executions and rapes. These crimes had been perpetrated by Myanmar security forces and extremist Buddhist vigilantes, Alam said, calling for an end to what he called xenophobic rhetoric..including from higher echelons of the government and the military. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Muslim Rohingya are its citizens and considers them foreigners. China sees negative impact Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Wednesday told a regular news briefing that the resolution would not resolve or alleviate the situation. It could further complicate the issue and have a negative impact on Myanmar and Bangladesh implementing the repatriation agreement, he said. China has supported Myanmar in the face of international criticism and has taken an increasingly active role in the issue, with foreign minister Wang Yi recently proposing a three step resolution during a visit to Myanmar. But Nicholas Bequelin, East Asia director at Amnesty International, said in a statement that by voting against the resolution China has proved itself woefully out of step with world opinion and is serving to preserve impunity for horrific crimes. Marzuki Darusman, head of an independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar, said by video from Malaysia that his team has interviewed Rohingya refugees, including children in the Bangladeshi port city of Coxs Bazar, who recounted acts of extreme brutality and displayed signs of severe trauma. Myanmar has not granted the investigators access to Rakhine, the northern state from which the Rohingya have fled, Darusman said. We maintain hope that it will be granted early in 2018. Pramila Patten, special envoy of the U.N. Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict, who interviewed survivors in Bangladesh in November, said she had heard accounts of rape, gang rape by multiple soldiers, forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity. Myanmar denies committing atrocities against the Rohingya. Its envoy Htin said: People will say what they wanted to believe and sometimes they will say what they were told to say. Reuters San Francisco: US President Donald Trump is perhaps the worlds most famous Twitter user, but the most popular post of 2017 was from Barack Obama. The tweet racking up the most likes, about 4.6 million as of Tuesday, came from Obama on the day of a deadly white supremacist rally in Virginia. It showed a photo of a racially diverse group of children looking out of a window at Obama as he smiled back, and bore a quote from Nelson Mandela. AFP Silence Breakers Times Person of Year New York: Time magazine has named The Silence Breakers who revealed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault across various industries that triggered a national reckoning in the US as Person of the Year. The Silence Breakers designates a broad range of people, mostly women, from this years first public accusers of disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein to those who shared their stories of abuse using the hashtag #MeToo and its foreign language equivalents. AFP China to establish robot station on moon Beijing: China is planning to establish a robot station on the moon to conduct bigger and more complicated experimental research on lunar geography. The station could slash the costs of returning rock samples to Earth, said Jiao Weixin, a Peking University space science professor. In support of the lunar landing programme, China will launch a carrier rocket with a 100-tonne-plus payload for the first time by about 2030. PTI Beirut, December 6 Russian air strikes killed 21 civilians early on Wednesday in a village held by the Islamic State group near the Euphrates River in eastern Syria, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least nine children were killed in the bombing raids, which struck a residential block in the village of Al-Jerzi. AFP Aden, December 6 A Saudi-led coalition intensified air strikes on Yemen early on Wednesday as the armed Houthi movement tightened its grip on the capital after it killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who switched sides in the civil war. Saudi Arabia and its allies struck a day after Salehs son vowed to lead a campaign against the Houthis. The intervention by Ahmed Ali, a former leader of the elite Republican Guard once seen as a likely successor to his father, gives the anti-Houthi movement a potential figurehead after a week of fighting that saw the Houthis rout Salehs supporters in the capital. Yemens war, pitting the Iran-allied Houthis who control Sanaa against a Saudi-led military alliance backing a government based in the south, has brought what the United Nations calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Saleh had helped the Houthis win control of much of the countrys north, including Sanaa, and his decision to switch allegiances and abandon the Houthis in the past week was the most dramatic change on the battlefield in years. But the Houthis swiftly crushed the pro-Saleh uprising in the capital and killed him. Coalition fighter jets carried out dozens of air strikes, both sides said, bombing Houthi positions inside Sanaa and in other northern provinces. Yemens pro-Houthi Al Masirah television station said the coalition bombed Salehs residence and other houses of his family members. Residents told Reuters loud explosions were heard in downtown Sanaa. Masirah said air strikes also hit northern provinces including Taiz, Haja, Midi and Saada. There was no immediate word on casualties. In a sign of support and defiance, tens of thousands of Houthi supporters staged a rally in Sanaa on Tuesday to celebrate the death of Saleh. They chanted slogans against Saudi Arabia and its allies. The proxy war between regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has already killed more than 10,000 people, with more than two million displaced. Nearly a million have been hit by a cholera outbreak and famine threatens much of the country. The United Nations says millions of people may die in one of the worst famines of modern times, caused by warring parties blocking food supplies. The UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called on all parties to show restraint in a briefing to the Security Council. Increased hostilities will further threaten civilian lives and exacerbate their suffering, he said. The commander of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said Yemens enemies had been behind Salehs armed uprising and praised what he called the Houthis swift quashing of the coup against the holy warriors, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The death of Saleh, who once compared ruling Yemen to dancing on the heads of snakes, deepens the complexity of the multi-sided war. Much is likely to depend on the future allegiances of his loyalists, who had previously helped the armed Houthi group, which hails from the Zaidi branch of Shiite Islam that ruled a thousand-year kingdom in northern Yemen until 1962. In a statement sent to Reuters by an aide, his son said his father was killed at the hands of the enemies of God and the country. Ahmed Ali said he would confront the enemies of the homeland and humanity, who are trying to obliterate its identity and its gains and to humiliate Yemen and Yemenis. The Arabian peninsulas poorest country, Yemen is one of the most violent fronts in the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have also backed opposing sides in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere across the Middle East. Reuters Washington, December 6 President Donald Trump today recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered to start the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city which many Arab leaders warned could trigger an upheaval in the already volatile Middle East. The controversial decision, which was promised by Trump during his 2016 campaign and appeals to his right-wing base, could lead to massive protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, Arab leaders warned. "I have determined it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Trump said. Trump made the major announcement from the White House. In taking this action, Trump fulfils a major campaign promise. The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv. - PTI London, December 6 An Islamist terror plot to assassinate British Prime Minister Theresa May by detonating an explosive device to storm into her Downing Street office has been foiled after the arrest of a Pakistani-origin man and a British- Bangladeshi, authorities said today. Two men, 20-year-old Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman and 21- year-old Mohammed Aqib Imran, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in London today charged with terror offences following their arrest by counter-terrorism officers on November 28. They have been remanded in custody to appear before the Old Bailey court in the city on December 20. At a brief hearing, the court was told that British Bangladeshi Rahman had planned to detonate a bomb at Downing Street gates and in the ensuing chaos try to kill May with a knife. He is charged with the preparation of terrorist acts and is also charged with assisting another man, his co-defendant Imran, to prepare separate acts of terrorism. He was allegedly carrying two potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the time of his arrest in London. His terror plot reportedly involved rushing into 10 Downing Street armed with a suicide vest, pepper spray and knife. PTI Washington, December 6 The United States has imposed huge duties on some steel imports from Vietnam, saying they were produced with Chinese material already subject to retaliatory penalties. The products will be subject to US punitive duties of up to 265 per cent of their value, the Commerce Department said in a statement, yet another in a series of aggressive trade enforcement steps by President Donald Trumps administration, many targeting China. US imports from Vietnam have skyrocketed since the US imposed duties on the Chinese product two years ago, indicating companies are circumventing US duties by passing through Vietnam, the Commerce Department said. The duties on the Chinese product were designed to compensate for product produced at below cost and dumped into the US market. Since then, imports of corrosion-resistant steel from Vietnam have jumped to USD 80 million a year from just USD 2 million, while cold-rolled steel surged to $215 million from USD 9 million, according to the statement. The duties imposed are a preliminary finding in the complaint filed by six US steel manufacturers, and the department will announce a final decision in February. Importers of the product from Vietnam can file for an exemption from the duties if they can prove the material used in production originated outside of China. Washington has stepped up adversarial trade actions with China since Trump took office in January on a nationalist economic agenda, imposing duties on Chinese aluminum foil and plywood, among other goods. Beijing reacted harshly last week after Washington opened an anti-dumping probe of Chinese common aluminum alloy sheet worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The Trump administration in April also launched national security investigations into Chinese aluminum and steel imports, warning the countrys overcapacity threatened to undermine producers crucial to US defense needs. Trump also has promised to reduce bilateral trade deficits with major trading partners. Washington, December 5 Facing dark warnings of a historic misstep and widespread unrest, US President Donald Trump delayed a decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and move the US embassy there. The White House said Trump would miss a deadline to decide on shifting the embassy from Tel Aviv, after a frantic 48 hours of public warnings from allies and private phonecalls between world leaders. The mercurial President has yet to make his final decision, officials said, but is expected to stop short of moving the embassy to Jerusalem outright, a central campaign pledge which has been postponed once already by the new administration. The President has been clear on this issue from the get-go: Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when, said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, who said a declaration on the move would be made in the coming days. Domestic politics may however push Trump toward recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital instead, in a gesture towards conservative voters and donors. The status of Jerusalem is a key issue in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming the city as their capital. With Trumps decision looming, leaders from across the Middle East and elsewhere ramped up public warnings against any shift in decades-old US policy. AFP Turkey sees red line By PTI: Chandigarh, Dec 5 (PTI) Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh today said as many as 10 crore soil health cards (SHCs) have been issued in the country. He said that all farmers in Haryana would get SHCs for their fields by January next year. After issuing SHCs to all farmers, health of soil would be tested in every two years and recommendations of useful elements for soil health would be registered in this card so that a farmer could improve health of his field, he said. advertisement While launching the soil health card mobile app in Jhajjar today to help farmers and the field level workers, Singh said this app will automatically capture GIS coordinates while registering sample details at the time of sample collection in the field and indicate the location from where the sample has been collected. This app works like other Geotagging apps developed for the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The app contains farmers details including name, Aadhaar card number, mobile number, gender, address and crop details, he added. Expressing concern over extensive use of chemical fertilisers and insecticides, he said that lakhs of hectares of land has lost its fertility. Efforts would be made to improve soil health according to the health status registered in the soil health card, he said, according to an official release here. Singh said that farmers in Haryana would become prosperous through Peri Urban Model during next five years. He congratulated the farmers of Haryana for carrying out farming activities under Peri Urban Model according to the needs of Delhi and NCR. The minister said that in the first phase (2015-17) 100 million SHCs have been distributed so far and the aim of the Ministry was to provide SHC to all 120 million farm holdings by December 2017. The second phase began on May 1, 2017, and would continue for the year 2017 to 2019. Singh said that GPS based soil sample collection has been made compulsory to monitor the changes in soil and to prepare a systematic database to compare them with the past years. He said the online registration of samples and test results are uploaded on the National Portal of the Soil Health Card. Based on the test results, the system automatically calculates the recommendations, he added. The agriculture minister said the soil health card portal has been linked to the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS) and distribution of fertilizers has started in 16 districts on the basis Soil Health Card recommendation as a pilot scheme. advertisement Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister O P Dhankar said that due to deteriorating condition of soil, health of children is also getting affected. As a result of this, ever year 23,000 cases of cancer and other diseases are being reported, he said. Dhankar said that there was a time when the country was in need of foodgrains. The farmers of Haryana and Punjab lead the Green revolution and made the country independent in terms of foodgrains, he said. He said the farmers of Haryana contribute 13 crore quintal foodgrains annually in the central pool, but for this about 28 lakh chemical fertilizers is used. Principal Secretary, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Abhilaksh Likhi, said that at present 34 soil health testing labs were working in the state. PTI SUN DKS HP MKJ --- ENDS --- The Babri demolition and Ayodhya title dispute are not the only cases that have dragged in courts for years. Several other cases are awaiting closure. By India Today Web Desk: It has been 25 years since Babri Masjid was demolished by kar sevaks on this day, and the resulting violence killed at least 2,000 people. After a long wait, a special CBI court on May 30 charged senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union minister Uma Bharti with criminal conspiracy in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The BJP leaders will now face trial in the case. advertisement In another development, the Supreme Court, which was expected to start the final hearing in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute case on Tuesday, deferred the hearing till February 8, 2018 after an intense courtroom drama. The Babri demolition and Ayodhya title dispute are not the only cases that have dragged in courts for years. Several other cases are awaiting closure. 1) Sovabazar family land case, 1833: In perhaps the coutry's longest-running case, nearly 200 descendants of 'Raja' Rajkrishna Deb are fighting over his property. The property at stake includes thousands of acres of land and seven mansions. 2) Doshipura case, 1878: Shias and Sunnis have been fighting over two acres of land in Varanasi, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency. The 139-year-old case is yet to get a closure despite the Supreme Court giving Shias complete worship rights. The court order, however, was kept in abeyance after both the parties decided to find a settlement via negotiations. 3) PIL on water pollution, 1992: It is the oldest pending PIL filed by Sureshwar D Sinha on river and sea pollution due to industries, domestic sources and sewage. 4) Vinod Kumar abduction case, 1994: The criminal case against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the disappearance of Ludhiana-based businessman Vinod Kumar and two others is pending at the Tis Hazari courts in Delhi. The special CBI court at Tis Hazari in February this year summoned Justice (retd) Rajive Bhalla as a prosecution witness in the case. 5) Suryanelli rape case, 1996: A 16-year-old girl from Suryanelli, Kerala, was allegedly raped 67 times by 47 people during a period of 40 days. Among the accused is Congress leader P J Kurien. Status: Pending Supreme Court appeal. Watch blow-by-blow account of what led to Babri demolition on December 6, 1992 --- ENDS --- NORMAN A lawsuit filed by the state that accuses pharmaceutical companies of causing Oklahomas opioid epidemic by fraudulently marketing their painkilling drugs will be allowed to move forward, a Cleveland County judge ruled Tuesday. Its not a ticking time bomb. Its a bomb thats already exploded, said Bradley Beckworth, one of the attorneys representing the state. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman has not yet set a trial date, but attorneys for the state said they would like the trial to begin in May 2019. The state expects to ask for billions of dollars in damages, said Michael Burrage, who is also representing the state. WASHINGTON Retired Rear Adm. Greg Slavonic, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. James Lankford, has been nominated by the Trump administration to serve as assistant Secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs. Beginning his military career as a recruit, Slavonic rose through the ranks while completing combat assignments in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Rear Adm. Greg Slavonic is the model of public service, Lankford said in a statement. He has dutifully served our nation in the Navy, and he has served the people of Oklahoma as my Chief of Staff. His leadership will be missed on our team, but he will be a tremendous asset to the Navy. A Kansas native, Slavonic grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from Oklahoma State University. He holds two masters degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma. Slavonic spent a total of 34 years in the Navy and Naval Reserve, primarily as a public affairs officer. In his new position, he would be responsible for all Navy and Marines recruitment and civilian personnel, both active and reserve. The nomination is subject to Senate approval. OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma-made movie Wildlife will have its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, set for Jan. 18-28 in Park City, Utah. The June Pictures production will compete in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category, according to a news release, and is one of 110 feature films to be selected for the prestigious event that annually sees thousands of the film industrys top professionals in attendance. As previously reported, Wildlife marks the directorial debut of Golden Globe-nominated actor Paul Dano ("Love & Mercy," "Little Miss Sunshine") who assembled an all-star cast for the film, including Academy Award nominees Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain) and Carey Mulligan (An Education) alongside Ed Oxenbould (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) and Bill Camp (The Night Of). Based on the novel by Richard Ford, the film tells the story of a teenage boy who witnesses the decay of his parents marriage after their move to Montana. Wildlife was adapted for the screen by Dano alongside actress Zoe Kazan, with Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Oren Moverman, Ann Ruark, Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker serving as producers. This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? Uttar Pradesh police registered 49 cases in connection with demolition of Babri Masjid, rioting, speeches made to disrupt communal harmony and attacks on journalists among others. By Prabhash K Dutta: Till 25 years ago, December 6 was remembered mainly as the day of passing away of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution but demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 in Ayodhya changed its diary. It was around 11 on that heavy Sunday morning when first bunch of kar sevaks, as news reports and Liberhan Commission findings suggest, climbed one of the domes of Babri Masjid. advertisement By the evening the entire structure had been brought down. Uttar Pradesh police registered altogether 49 cases in connection with demolition of Babri Masjid, rioting, speeches to disrupt communal harmony and attacks on journalists among others. THREE CATEGORIES OF CASES As per records, the then Ram Janmabhoomi police station in-charge PN Shukla registered case number 197 against unknown kar sevaks under various IPC Sections. The offences included the conspiracy for Babri Masjid demolition. This FIR was lodged around 5.15 in the evening. Ten minutes after the first FIR, another police officer booked eight VHP and BJP for giving hateful speeches from Ram Katha Kunj Sabha Manch aimed at stoking communal frenzy. Those booked were Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishor (both have died), Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Ritambhara (all members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad), Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vinay Katiyar and Uma Bharti (all BJP). This is case number 198. Forty-seven other cases were also registered that related to rioting, attacks on journalists and loot of properties among others. These cases were lodged in Lucknow. INVESTIGATION OF CASES The cases were investigated by the crime branch of UP police in Ayodhya, Faizabad and Lucknow. On the basis of case number 198, LK Advani and other leaders were arrested two days later on December 8 after President's Rule was imposed in Uttar Pradesh. It was perceived too risky to lodge the political leaders in Ayodhya or Lucknow, the police kept them at a guest house in Lalitpur district, situated along the border with Madhya Pradesh. The UP CID filed chargesheet in the case against all eight accused in February 1993. A special trial court was set up at Lalitpur for adjudication of the case. But, the trial was later transferred to Raebareli as traveling to Lalitpur was time consuming and posed practical problems. Soon, all the cases were transferred to the CBI, which sought permission from the trial court in Raebareli to reinvestigate the case number 198, in which Advani, Uma Bharti and others were accused. TECHNICAL GLITCH AND MULTI-LAYING OF CASES In September 1993, the UP government set up a special court in consultation with the Allahabad High Court for the trial of 48 cases related to Babri Masjid demolition leaving out the case number 198. This case continued to be tried in Raebareli court. advertisement A month later, on the request from the CBI, the UP government - still under President's Rule - issued another notification tagging the case number 198 to the special court of Lucknow. The technical permission of the Allahabad High Court was not taken this time. In January 1996, the CBI filed joint chargesheet against 40 accused in all 49 cases and complementary chargesheet against nine including eight named in case number 198. More than a year later in September 1997, the special court ordered joint trial of all the 49 accused in all the 49 cases stating that they were connected to the same act of demolition of Babri Masjid. The accused were asked to appear before the court in October for framing of charges. THE FIRST DISRUPTION Advani and 32 other accused challenged the special court's order for joint trial in the Allahabad High Court, which rejected their petition. But, the judgment came in February, 2001 -- when Advani was the Union home minister -- and for more than three years, the trial in Lucknow special court did not progress. advertisement However, the high court also ruled that the October 1993 notification of the UP government clubbing case number 198 with other 48 cases was not done in accordance with the law. This made trial of the case against Advani, Uma Bharti and six others in the Lucknow special court illegal. The high court made another change by adding 13 others -- including Kalyan Singh, who was the UP chief minister in 1992 and Bal Thackeray of the Shiv Sena -- as accused in case number 198. This meant that trial against all 21 accused was dropped in the special court of Lucknow. TRIAL BACK IN RAEBARELI In January 2003, almost two years after the high court order, the CBI approached the Raebareli special court to resume trial against Advani and seven others. In September that year, Advani was acquitted of all charges by the special court of Raebareli. The court, however, ordered trial against Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and six others. The CBI appealed against the order and in July 2005, the Allahabad High Court overruled the Raebareli court's judgment acquitting Advani. Meanwhile, the CBI again approached the Allahabad High Court with a review petition contending that even if the case number 198 was declared outside the jurisdiction of Lucknow special court due to technical deficiency, Advani and others should be tried as accused in case number 197 relating to conspiracy of Babri Masjid demolition. advertisement SUPREME COURT AND TRIAL AGAINST ADVANI The Allahabad High Court decided the review petition in May 2010 upholding its earlier judgment of dropping trial of case number 198 in Lucknow special court. Following the high court's order, trial began in August 2010 in the Lucknow court by framing charges almost 18 years after Babri Masjid demolition. In February 2011, the CBI challenged the high court order of May 2010 in the Supreme Court. The CBI sought direction for trial against Advani and 20 others in case relating to conspiracy for Babri Masjid demolition. Six years down the line, in April this year, the Supreme Court held that the charge of criminal conspiracy should be made against Advani and 20 others named accused in case number 198 - till now relating only to giving hateful and inflammatory speeches. This meant that Advani and others would be tried for hatching conspiracy for Babri Masjid demolition. The Supreme Court, later, also ordered shifting of the case from Raebareli to Lucknow, where the matter is under trial in the special court. In the intervening 25-year-period, at least 10 accused and over 50 witnesses have died. Watch the blow-by-blow account of what led to Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992 --- ENDS --- By PTI: Jaipur, Dec 6 (PTI) Eight members of Pakistan based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including three Pakistanis, were awarded life imprisonment by a local court here today. The LeT members were arrested in 2010 and 2011 by the Rajasthan Anti Terrorist Squad. An additional district and sessions court in Jaipur pronounced the sentence today. The accused were awarded life imprisonment under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act along with a cash penalty of 3 lakh each, Mahaveer Jindal, special public prosecutor told reporters. advertisement They were convicted under sections 13 (abetting unlawful activity), section 18 (punishment for conspiracy), section 18 (B) (recruiting for terror act) and section 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA last week, he added. TheAPakistaniALeT members Asgar Ali, Shakkar Ulla and Shahid Iqbal were accused of recruiting persons for various anti-national activities. The other five accused are Babu alias Nishachand Ali, Hafiz Abdul, Pawan Puri, Arun Jain and Kabil, Jindal said. Babu and Pawan Puri came into contact with Asgar Ali in Bikaner Jail, he said adding that Kabil came into touch with Shahid Iqbal in a Punjab jail. All of them were in touch with a LeT commander based in Pakistan through mobile, Jindal said. The Rajasthan ATS had swung into action on receiving an alert from central intelligence agencies intercepting telephonic conversation between the LeT men lodged in jails and Lashkar commander in Pakistan in 2010. PTI SDA ADS --- ENDS --- Sexual violence and torture of men and boys in Syria by multiple parties to the conflict appears to be far more widespread than previously thought. UNHCR/Dominic Nahr Detained during the war in his native Syria, Tarek was held in a darkened cell for a month with 80 other people but those harsh conditions were the least of it. Kept naked, he and other detainees were strung up by their hands at night, tortured with electric shocks to their genitals and gang raped by their captors. They would come into the cell to violate us, but it was dark - we couldnt see them. All we could hear were people saying, Stop! Dont! I thought we would die, he recalled. Tareks experience is far from unique. A study published today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, indicates that sexual violence and torture of men and boys in Syria by multiple parties to the conflict may be far more widespread than previously thought. UNHCRs study involved several dozen informants and focus group discussions with some 196 refugees in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, mainly conducted in late 2016. Those interviewed for the study provided shocking accounts of what they, or others known to them, had experienced. Reported forms of sexual violence included rape and mutilation of or shooting of genitals at point-blank range. Much of this was reported as occurring in detention or makeshift prisons. UNHCR researchers heard accounts of violence against boys as young as 10, and against men including those in their 80s. My friend works with a 60-year-old man who refuses to give him wages until he does a sexual favour. It revealed that the risk of sexual violence is greater for those who like Tarek are gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex, and does not end when people leave Syria. Inside Syria, armed groups were reported as the main perpetrators, while outside Syria, the danger is often from opportunistic abuse. Refugee boys in countries of asylum suffer sexual violence at the hands of other male refugees and from males in the local community. Sexual exploitation and blackmail of refugee males in countries of asylum was reported, especially among those working in the informal economy, where the vast majority of their families live below the poverty line. My friend works with a 60-year-old man who refuses to give him wages until he does a sexual favour, says Ibrahim, a Syrian refugee in Lebanon. My friend cannot leave the job because he needs it for rent and to support his family. He is 30 years old, married and has a family, but he cannot talk to them about this. Among boys in countries of asylum, one respondent described sexual violence often by older youths, as happening on a daily basis. The report quotes a legal aid officer as saying the problem is often referred to as bullying, but that later it would be found out that sexual acts such as rape were involved. Many boys drop out of school. These are most disturbing accounts revealing just how grave the risk of sexual violence has become both for women and girls and, as shown by this recent report, also men and boys, said Volker Turk, UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. "We are faced with a vicious cycle here of little help being available ... and a culture of silence." And its clear too that we are faced with a vicious cycle here of little help being available, limited outreach to male survivors, inaccessible services, and a culture of silence all of which reinforce a myth that this problem is rare, he added. UNHCRs report was undertaken with a view to expanding knowledge both of the nature and extent of the problem of sexual violence affecting refugee boys and men, and with a view to identifying good practices and other means of addressing the needs of victims of sexual violence. It makes a number of recommendations geared towards humanitarian organizations and others involved in working with refugees. These include the need for stronger prevention strategies, better confidentiality arrangements, protection against reprisals, improved survivor care, and strengthened awareness among aid workers. The report also recommends that further research be done with a view to providing more effective prevention and response to sexual violence against males in conflict and displacement an ordeal which frequently leaves survivors with physical and emotional pain that can sometimes prove unendurable. Ahmed, a refugee living in Lebanon, recounted how one of his uncles never recovered from the horrific abuse he endured while in detention in Syria. A few months after he was released, he told us he broke down, crying in front of us that there was not one spot on his body that had not been abused by an electric drill. He had been raped, he said. After he was released he stopped eating and became alcoholic. He died from kidney failure. A study commissioned by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, into sexual violence against men and boys in the Syria crisis indicates that this violence may be far more widespread than previously understood. UNHCRs study involved several dozen informants and focus group discussions with some 196 refugees in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan and mainly conducted in late 2016. Its main findings were: Sexual violence and torture of men and boys in Syria by multiple parties to the conflict appears to be far more common than previously thought based on discussions with survivors, refugees and informants. UNHCR researchers heard accounts of violence against boys as young as 10, and against men including those in their 80s. Gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and this vulnerability does not end when people leave Syria. Inside Syria armed groups were reported as the main perpetrators. Outside Syria, the danger is often from opportunistic abuse. Refugee boys in countries of asylum suffer sexual violence at the hands of other male refugees and from males in the local community. The high rates of child labour among Syrian refugee boys (up to 94% males in Jordan) are of particular concern in this regard. Sexual exploitation and blackmail of refugee males in countries of asylum was reported, especially among those working in the informal economy. Those interviewed for the study provided shocking accounts of what they, or others known to them had experienced. Several spoke of severe and debilitating violence, including weapons being used to sexually assault. Much of this was reported as occurring in detention or makeshift prisons. When I was in detention in Syria I was tortured in every possible way. We were 80 persons in one cell with no light for 30 days. We were all naked. At night, they hung us from our hands they tortured us with electricity to the genitals. They would come into the cell to violate us, but it was dark - we couldnt see them. All we could hear were people saying, Stop! Dont! I thought we would die, said a gay refugee, identified as Tarek. Another refugee spoke of the horrors a relative had endured: One of my uncles in Syria was arrested. A few months after he was released from detention, he told us he broke down, crying in front of us that there was not one spot on his body that had not been abused by an electric drill. He had been raped After he was released he stopped eating and became alcoholic. He died from kidney failure. Among boys in countries of asylum, one respondent described sexual violence, often by older youth, as happening on a daily basis. The report quotes a legal aid officer as saying the problem is often referred to as bullying, but that later it would be found out that sexual acts such as rape were involved. Many boys drop out of school. This is due to bullying and violence, including sexual violence, further compounding the challenge of school attendance among refugee children. Refugee men and boys working informally reported the refusal of some employers to pay wages until sexual favours were performed. They also spoke of blackmailing through the use of sexually humiliating photos and videos taken on mobile phones. These are most disturbing accounts revealing just how grave the risk of sexual violence has become both for women and girls and, as shown by this recent report, also men and boys, said Volker Turk, UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. And its clear too that we are faced with a vicious cycle here of little help being available, limited outreach to male survivors, inaccessible services, and a culture of silence all of which reinforce a myth that this problem is rare. UNHCRs report was undertaken with a view to examining the characteristics, causes and impact of sexual violence against boys and men, and with a view to identifying good practices and other means of addressing the needs of victims of sexual violence. It makes a number of recommendations geared towards humanitarian agencies and others involved in working with refugees. These include the need for stronger prevention strategies, better confidentiality arrangements, protection against reprisals, improved survivor care, and strengthened awareness among humanitarian agencies and staff. The report also recommends that further research be done with a view to more effectively preventing and responding to sexual violence against males in conflict and displacement. Full report For more information on this topic, please contact: The accused lured the girl to a makeshift barn in Rohini when she was playing outside her house. By India Today Web Desk: In a horrific incident of sexual crime against minors, an 87-year-old man was arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl. The accused octogenarian is a resident of Narela region in North Delhi. Police said that the heinous crime took place on December 4. The accused lured the girl to a makeshift barn in Rohini when she was playing outside her house. advertisement The old man tried to force himself on the minor girl in the barn that did not have a roof. The incident came to light when a woman who was standing on the terrace next to the barn spotted the old man with the girl and raised alarm. The woman alerted the locals who rushed to the spot and informed the police. However, sensing a commotion the accused fled from the spot. The girl was taken for a medical examination. A case was registered. The accused was arrested from the area on the same day. With inputs from PTI --- ENDS --- Rohingya refugee Ara, 16, and her 11 month old daughter, Taslima, pictured in Balong Khali refugee camp in Bangladesh. UNHCR/Andrew McConnell GENEVA Donor governments on Tuesday pledged an initial US$857 million to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to fund operations destined to help some 67 million displaced or stateless people worldwide in 2018. The pledges, made at an annual meeting in Geneva, amount to around 11 per cent of UNHCRs total 2018 funding needs of over US$7.5 billion. This years pledges are considerably higher than those made at end 2016, when US$701 million was pledged. While todays pledges do not cover all of next years funding needs, they can be seen as a useful indication of the anticipated funding levels and of overall support, allowing the organization to plan and continue operations that provide life-saving assistance and protection, without interruption. These include operations in some of the biggest emergencies around the world such as those in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. While this figure represents the highest level of funds committed by States at this pledging conference, the gap between the funds received and the needs of refugees and other displaced people continues to grow, in a context of new crises and worsening displacement running at record levels. A year of no peace and much war is about to end, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Refugee crises grow. Refugee needs grow as well. He stated that UNHCR is often asked what these figures mean and what the impact of funding gaps is. It means that UNHCR has to prioritize, sometimes mercilessly, he explained. This can mean some (refugees) will be left to fend for themselves during the harsh winter months and others wont get the assistance they need to reintegrate upon return. UNHCRs work globally is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, intergovernmental institutions and, increasingly, from individuals, corporations and foundations. High Commissioner Grandi particularly thanked the countries and communities hosting refugees. In terms of space, in terms of resources, in terms of the socio-economic and political cost of hosting refugees, they are some of the largest donors in support of refugees. For 2018, UNHCR appeals to donors to sustain and increase support, through flexible and early contributions that avoid uncertainty and enable it to channel funds where the needs are greatest. For more information contact: Ryad Alsous stands in the winter sunshine of an orchard in northern England and shakes his head in disbelief. Look at them, all working! he says, watching his bees take off and land at hives carefully arrayed behind the apple trees. I never thought bees could be so successful in this climate. Given bees usual intolerance of dampness, Alsous remains astonished at the hardiness of Britains native black bee, a furry relative of strains from Germany and the Baltics that long ago adapted to the British Isles. Syrian bees cant go out in even the lightest rain, he added. If its 15 degrees, there is no activity. But here, they work normally if its 15 degrees, or even 13 degrees even in the rain!" In England, a buzzing business for Syrian refugee beekeeper (Dalal Mawad, producer / Bela Szandelszky, camera-editor) Once a professor of agriculture at Damascus University, Alsous, 64, arrived as a refugee in the United Kingdom four years ago. Abandoning his research into beekeeping and environmental pollution, he fled Syria for his life after his family received death threats and his car was bombed. In July 2013, he joined his wife in Huddersfield, the West Yorkshire city where their daughter Razan had settled. Razan, who had arrived the previous year, is something of a local celebrity, appearing on a national television cooking show thanks to the award-wining halloumi produced by her company, Yorkshire Dama Cheese. Back in Syria, Alsous had managed 500 beehives whose colonies, derived from the Italian and Carniolan strains, produced at least 10 tonnes of honey a year. In addition to his research at the university, he ran a company selling herbal and honey-based cosmetics. A passion for honeybees was one of the few things he brought with him when he left. Even his precious steel-and-rubber bee smoker had to be conveyed from Syria by a friend later. I needed only one hive to start. Ryad Alsous was impressed with the hardiness of Britain's native black bee. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers Beekeeper Ryad Alsous shows one of his prized British black bees. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers Beekeeper Ryad Alsous with the hive he uses for demonstrations. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers Ryad Alsous with one of his hives in the orchard at Armitage Bridge, Yorkshire. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers Ryad Alsous (left) with orchard owner Ted Mankowski in Armitage Bridge, Yorkshire. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers Standedge Canal Tunnel visitor centre in Yorkshire, where Ryad Alsous will run the Buzz Project in the summer. UNHCR/Caroline Brothers In the UK, it took time for him to find his feet. He knew some English but lacked contact with native speakers. And he was rejected as overqualified each time he applied for a job. Eventually, he approached the Huddersfield Beekeepers Association to volunteer. There, he made friends and contacts, but still he was a beekeeper without any bees. I needed only one hive to start, he said. Finally, he posted an advertisement on Facebook asking if anyone had a hive to donate. Three weeks later, in September 2015, a woman from Manchester replied. She offered a hive, and to his delight, a colony of British black bees, believed until recently to be all but extinct in Britain. That first hive, I've split it seven times, said Alsous proudly, referring to a method used by beekeepers to prevent swarming when bees take off to nest in the wild. Really it is like a treasure, he said. My aim is to cooperate with the community to improve the strain. Alsous apiary now comprises 17 hives, which he builds from recycled materials. Shocked to learn the United Kingdom imports 90 per cent of its honey requirements, according to industry data, he believes Britains rapeseed fields and banks of heather and lavender could support many more hives. It was only when he attended a monthly dinner held for refugees and new arrivals in the Huddersfield region, that his idea started to take shape. There he met two women, Jean York and Jane Wood, who work with refugees in the district of Kirklees, a member of the grassroots City of Sanctuary movement in the UK which helps new arrivals fit in. This lit it up for me, said York, remembering her first conversation with Alsous, when he raised the possibility of teaching beekeeping to refugees and jobseekers. If someone asks for help, why not give it? Geof Hughes, a local beekeeper who met Alsous through the Huddersfield association, was similarly impressed. I really valued the idea, said Hughes. I wanted to help. Last year, they and Alsous assembled a steering committee and got to work. The Buzz Project was born. Kickstarted with local funding, the project has just given the second of its fortnightly workshops to 12 volunteers. Attendees included three Syrian women, a Congolese refugee with memories of gathering honey in the jungle, and a Nigerian student, who was already asking how to get her first queen. After a chance encounter with the Huddersfield mayor, Jim Dodds, the project really took off. Alsous was offered a base for next summer in the nearby village of Standedge, where he will install 10 hives and demonstrate beekeeping to visitors. Until then, his apiary remains divided between its warmer wintering spot in the Armitage Bridge orchard and a grassy space lent to him by a local mechanic. If someone asks for help, why not give it? said Ted Mankowski, the orchards owner who has lived in England for 30 years. In Poland, my uncle used to have bees. Even in the safety of the UK, Alsous cannot forget his homeland, which had half a million hives before the war. Those colonies, he says, have all but collapsed. I hope to go back one day and help to rebuild. It is very important. The chairperson of the school, Sanju Thakur admitted that there has been lapses on the part of the school leading to the incident. By Rohit Kumar Singh: In yet another incident raising questions over the safety of children in schools, an 8-year old girl studying in class-2 at the Holy Cross International School in Patna was allegedly sexually harassed by Ramji, a sweeper of the school inside the girls' toilet. The incident which happened on Wednesday afternoon, came to light when the girl informed the school authority about it. advertisement "The sweeper allegedly committed the crime of sexually molesting the girl. We have arrested the sweeper and are interrogating him", said Sanjeev Kumar Singh, SHO of Danapur police station. After they come to know about the matter, the school management informed her parents. Soon the situation at the school turned volatile as the girl's parents and locals laid a siege at the school. Parents of other students who also gathered at the school were shouting slogans against the school management and demanded the arrest of the school principal and director. Angry mob also pelted stones on the school breaking several window panes. "I came to know that the sweeper has behaved indecently with my daughter in the school. I want strict punishment for the school director and principal", said the victim's father. The chairperson of the school, Sanju Thakur admitted that there has been lapses on the part of the school leading to the incident. "We have deputed five maids at the girls' toilet and I don't know how did the sweeper manage to sneak inside the toilet. The girls said that he threatened them inside the toilet. We then called the parents and asked them to take action. We are with the parents for any kind of action against the accused", said Sanju Thakur, chairperson of the school. The local MLA Asha Devi also reached the school after coming to know about the incident. She blamed the school management for the incident and failing to provide security to the students at the school. --- ENDS --- Sinha had sat outside the district Police Superintendent's office premises, pressing the demands of financial assistance to farmers. By Kiran Tare: On his tirade against the Union government, former Union Finance Minister and senior dejected BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday withdrew his three-day old agitation in Akola after talking to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Sinha had sat outside the district Police Superintendent's office premises, pressing the demands of financial assistance to farmers. Fadnavis called him over phone on Wednesday evening and assured that all his demands will be fulfilled. advertisement Sinha acknowledged that he had a conversation with Fadnavis over the issue. "I received a call from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and we had a good discussion regarding the demands put forth by the farmers," he told reporters in Akola. "Fadnavis said the government has accepted all the demands and would act accordingly. Hence we are now withdrawing the agitation." He termed it as a victory of the courage shown by the farmers. "Now none of them should commit suicide. The demands raised by us were concerning all the farmers from all across the state. Hence the assurance given by the government would benefit all," Sinha said. He also appealed all the farmers to go back to their homes. He also assured them that the agitation would be revived if the administration does not act on their demands. Sinha's agitation in a small town of Akola had grabbed headlines all over the country as many dejected BJP leaders had extended support to him. One of them is Nana Patole, a BJP MP from Bhandara-Gondiya, who had called on Sinha on Tuesday. Independent MLA from Amravati Bachchu Kadu visited him on Wednesday and pledged support to his agitation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also had asked why Sinha was detained. The demands raised by the farmers, over which the agitation was stretched for three days, included change in the clumsy rules for procurement of Urad, Moong, Soybean and Toor by NAFED, procurement at the assured price and implementation of scheme for procurement at higher price in case the market rates escalate. The farmers also demanded Rs 50,000 per acre of compensation for cotton farmers, whose crops have been infested with pests. On all other demands, the farmers had been already assured by the administration that they would be fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil came under fire from none another than his elder brother Ashok for not acting on the farmers' issues. "It seems Yashwant Sinha is the real Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra," Ashok Vikhe-Patil mentioned in a statement. "If there is injustice with the farmers, one should raise voice even if it is against his own party." --- ENDS --- advertisement Opportunities in high school helped Shane Becker develop his passion for computer science. (Dec. 6, 2017) -- Meet. He found his calling as a natural leader while at UTSA. Born in Needville, Texas, just south of Houston, Becker grew up with a passion for computers. When I was in high school, I had a computer science teacher that really pushed me to reach my potential, he said. She got me involved in a few competitions, and succeeding in those really showed me that this was what I wanted to do. Becker was immediately attracted to the world-class cybersecurity programs at UTSA, but he wasnt completely won over until he visited campus. It was just really beautiful, he said. It was widespread and open, and I just felt like I really belonged here. I knew I wanted to spend my college years here. Once enrolled at UTSA, Becker quickly dove into his studies, which he found both challenged him and fulfilled his passion for computer science. I love the challenge, he said. Theres always a new problem to be solved. Its like a puzzle that requires logic and math to solve. Its always different. He took on a computer science major with a concentration in computer and information security. After finding himself surrounded by students with similar passions, Becker immersed himself in student organizations. Id advise any UTSA student to get involved, he said. College is an adventure, and being a part of these organizations gives you a support system and lifelong friends. Becker served as the president of the Association for Computing Machinery at UTSA. The nationwide organization encourages computing research and collaboration among scientists. He also served on the UTSA Career Center Student Advisory Board and the College of Sciences Deans Student Board. Its been an enriching experience, he said. I feel that Ive made a large impact on other students time here at UTSA. Beckers greatest challenge has been time management and making sure his ambitions dont overtake the amount of time he has to balance his studies with his extracurricular activities. There are so many opportunities at UTSA, he said. If you want to do something here, you can do it. There are so many different avenues to help you accomplish what you set out to do. Really, the sky is the limit. Becker has accepted an offer to be a software developer at USAA after he graduates. He credits UTSA lecturer Larry Clark with mentoring him during his time at UTSA and helping him decide where to go after graduation. Ive gone to him for personal, professional and academic advice, and hes always been there for me and helped me go in the right direction, Becker said. Thats really characteristic of my time here at UTSA. Every step of the way, Ive had guidance and support, and its been such a rewarding experience. States ENDOW Executive Council to Meet at UW The University of Wyomings role in economic development and diversification will be front and center when the states ENDOW Executive Council meets on campus Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 11-12. The leaders of ENDOW, which stands for Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming, also will tour local businesses and meet with community leaders. The public is invited to participate in the meetings Monday from 1-6 p.m. and Tuesday from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. The ENDOW Executive Council sessions also will be broadcast live via Facebook at www.facebook.com/ENDOWyo. After six months of research, analysis and meetings with local and state economic stakeholders, the ENDOW Executive Council will review its preliminary findings and recommendations to Gov. Matt Mead and the Wyoming Legislature. That is scheduled to take place starting at 2:30 p.m. Monday. At 4:30 p.m. Monday, university leaders are scheduled to present the plan for development of an Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Additional UW presentations are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, including an introduction by President Laurie Nichols; discussion of UWs work on carbon engineering and carbon materials by School of Energy Resources Executive Director Mark Northam; discussion of technology and tech-enabled initiatives by College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Michael Pishko; and discussion of UWs industry and federal partnerships by Vice President for Research and Economic Development Ed Synakowski. From noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, UW student panel discussions are planned on The Opportunity Landscape in Wyoming, with students sharing their suggestions and observations of Wyomings future economy -- and their postgraduation desires and plans. The ENDOW Executive Council submitted its first report to the governor in August. The Wyoming socio-economic assessment established a baseline for the preliminary findings and recommendations due by Dec. 31, which sets the stage for the advancement of a 20-year economic diversification strategy for the state. More information on ENDOW may be found at www.endowyo.biz. UW Study of Global Datasets Reveals Significant Role of Dust in Mountain Ecosystems Lindsay Arvin, a UW masters degree student from Chicago majoring in geology and geophysics, was the lead author of a paper, titled Global Patterns of Dust and Bedrock Nutrient Supply to Montane Ecoystems, that was published in Science Advances. Here, Arvin samples pine needles in the Sierra Nevada to be analyzed for the fraction of nutrients derived from dust. Arvin took all the dust samples during summer 2015 and conducted the lab work in fall 2015. (Lindsay Arvin Photo) Trees growing atop the Bald Mountain Granite in the southern Sierra Nevada rely on nutrients from windblown atmospheric dust -- more than 50 percent -- compared to nutrients provided from underlying bedrock. University of Wyoming researchers led a study that found this surprising result by measuring the isotopes of neodymium in the bedrock, soil, dust and pine needles in living trees. Using this well-constrained system, the group was able to combine worldwide data to show that this phenomenon is not limited to the Sierra Nevada, and that foreign dust likely fertilizes plants in many locations worldwide. Trees in the Sierra Nevada are using the dust for nutrients, says Cliff Riebe, an associate professor in UWs Department of Geology and Geophysics. This is a novel finding. Riebe was second author of a paper, titled Global Patterns of Dust and Bedrock Nutrient Supply to Montane Ecoystems, which was published today (Dec. 6) in Science Advances, an offspring publication of Science. The online journal publishes significant, innovative original research that advances the frontiers of science and extends the standards of excellence established by Science. Lindsay Arvin, a UW masters degree student from Chicago majoring in geology and geophysics, was the papers lead author. Arvin took samples of live pine needles in the Sierra Nevada, primarily a conifer forest habitat, during summer 2015. Later that fall, Arvin traveled to Sarah Aciegos laboratory at the University of Michigan, where she worked with Molly Blakowski, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, to process samples. In particular, they were interested in extracting neodymium, an element on the periodic table associated with phosphorus-bearing minerals, which are an important source of plant nutrients. The similarity in chemical behavior between neodymium and phosphorus makes neodymium isotopes a useful analog for tracing the uptake of phosphorus in plant systems, says Aciego, now an adjunct professor at UW. In this case, we were able to trace the neodymium from two sources -- foreign dust from Asia and the Central Valley of California, and the granite bedrock. We used two fingerprints to trace the nutrients. Dust has one isotopic fingerprint, and bedrock has another isotopic fingerprint, Riebe explains. Pine needles show the degree of mixing of the two fingerprints. Soils also show a mix of the two. These observations suggest that dust-derived nutrients can be vital to mountain ecosystems -- even when nutrient supply from bedrock is substantial, the paper concludes. Live pine needles (pictured) were sampled from Jeffrey Pines in the Sierra Nevada to measure contributions from dust and bedrock nutrient sources. (Lindsay Arvin Photo) While other studies have shown that dust can increase total elemental fluxes in ecosystems, this is the first study to quantify the transfer of neodymium and, by proxy, phosphorus, from dust to plants, Aciego explains. Furthermore, the influence is much higher than I anticipated and suggests that elements in dust could have a much larger impact on global ecosystems than has been previously hypothesized. Several prior studies have quantified the uptake of dust-derived nutrients in stable or slowly eroding landscapes. But, only a few have quantified dust-derived nutrients in montane ecosystems with substantial erosion rates. Riebe says his research group took two existing datasets -- a global database of erosion rates compiled in 2011 and a global model of dust fluxes created in 2014 -- to look at the effects of dust worldwide. This combination of previous datasets allows us to see where dust is important in the world, Riebe says. One surprising finding is dust may be more important than previously thought in a lot of places, including the Appalachian Mountains and Western Europe. The concept of Earths critical zone gives us the framework to look at the environment from a larger perspective and to see the global influence of what were thought to be regional processes, says Richard Yuretich, program director for the National Science Foundation (NSF)s Critical Zone Observatories Program, which funded the study. This research shows that dust transported in the atmosphere around the world is an important source of nutrients for plants in all environments, even where its contribution isnt obvious. Earth maintains its balance, often in surprising ways. Riebe sees a connection between his latest research and the five-year, $20 million NSF grant UW received in September to be used for microbial research. Using cutting-edge techniques -- including DNA sequencing and computational modeling -- scientists hope to learn the distribution and ecological consequences of microbes, producing insights that will help Wyomingites address a variety of challenges -- from managing rangeland, forest and water resources, to reclaiming areas disturbed by mineral extraction, to improving crop productivity. The microbial communities in dust from different sources can differ, Riebe says. As part of the next Wyoming EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) program, we can try to understand whether dust from distant sources is affecting Wyomings microbiome. It could be from the Red Desert or Asia. Questioning the voting process through EVMs, worried Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee stressed on the need to bring transparency in the entire electoral process. By Indrajit Kundu: With a section of opposition parties raising doubts about the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) just days ahead of the high profile Gujarat assembly elections, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday stressed on the need to bring transparency in the entire electoral process. "Nowadays people have started questioning the voting process through EVMs. We are all worried. We will request the Election Commission to bring in electoral reforms. Things can't go on like this," she said while addressing party workers during a public meeting in Kolkata. advertisement With Aam Aadmi Party alleging that the BJP's recent victory in Uttar Pradesh civic polls were due to 'EVM tampering', Mamata too raised the stink. "You are planning to steal votes with 5000 crores worth vaccum machine, EVM machine! That money could be used for electoral reforms, and there will be transparency and accountability in democracy," she said. Banerjee alleged that the ruling BJP was threatening political opponents using the Income Tax department. "Despite being the poorest party, it pains me to say that every other day they are sending us income tax notices. We are a party of beggars, we have nothing and therefore struggle to meet our election expenses. No one can fight elections without funds. That's why we have been vocal about electoral reforms. We don't want political parties to spend money for elections. I have been advocating this for over two decades now," she said. "They (BJP) are accusing our leaders of taking money for polls. But the Election Commission allows raising of funds to fight elections. We have to depend on donations to fund our campaigns or else where will we get the money? Rarely do people fund an election with one's own money. And this is applicable for all parties," Banerjee added. Watch video | India Today Conclave East 2017: Mamata Banerjee lashes out at PM Modi, calls him Tughlaq --- ENDS --- Ajit Doval said that it comes upon colleges and universities to provide students world-class skills and the Indian students need to upscale themselves according to the global competition. By Siraj Qureshi: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said that in the current scenario, when India is reaching new heights and new doors of opportunity are opening in the international community, our nation is becoming ready for the global competition it is entering. He said that India is progressing on the basis of its human resource, and training this human resource is only possible at when students are still in colleges and universities. The institutes have the responsibility to provide a world-class leadership to the young population of the country. advertisement Doval said that Indian doctors, scientists, and students are the best in the world and the young generation should be ready to upscale its skills according to the height of the global competition. He said that he was a student of Agra University and in the last 55 years after leaving the University, whatever he has done is just a journey to pay back the university for what it has done for him. Doval was felicitated yesterday at the Dr BR Ambedkar University, Agra, with an honorary D Lit. Appreciating Doval's comments, Dr Girish Chandra Saxena, former Vice-Chancellor of Dr BR Ambedkar University said that this university has been graced with so many world-class students that it is impossible to count now. However, some of its students have made their mark globally and Ajit Doval is one of them. --- ENDS --- Dekalb Vietnam made it among the Top 10 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam On December 5, 2017, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD) announced the Corporate Sustainability Index 2017. Attending the ceremony were Vice-State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, VCCI chairman Vu Tien Loc, and leaders of relevant government agencies and the business community. Thanks to its continuous efforts in supporting farmers to improve their agricultural methods in a more sustainable direction, Dekalb Vietnam was voted into the Top 10 Vietnamese Sustainable Businesses in 2017. This is the second year in a row that the company has received this honour. Dr. Aruna Rachakonda, CEO of Dekalb Vietnam, said, For more than 20 years, Dekalb Vietnam has been operating under Monsantos sustainable development vision: working together for sustainable agriculture and collaborating to help tackle some of the worlds biggest challenges. We are extremely pleased to see that the company's efforts have been recognised and appreciated to be part of the prestigious Top 10 Sustainable Businesses of Vietnam in 2017. This is the second year VCCI and VBCSD have ranked and honoured Vietnams most sustainable enterprises to pay tribute to their efforts to tie together economic development and corporate social responsibility. In order to ensure the openness and transparency of the ranking, the awards have the participation and coordination of a number of governmental bodies, inter-ministerial agencies, and leading experts in the field of sustainable development. The programme is jointly held by VCCI, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, and the State Securities Commission. Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and VCCI chairman Vu Tien Loc handing over the award to Dekalb Vietnam Dekalb Vietnam, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company has been operating in Vietnam for more than 20 years. It has been in a close working partnership with the Vietnamese government and farmers to tackle agricultural challenges while improving lives through advanced agriculture and community development programmes. In addition to the sustainability programmes in agriculture that have helped thousands of farmers improve their productivity and incomeat times by up to 40 per centDekalb Vietnam has been actively carrying out numerous corporate social responsibility programmes. This year, in addition to the on-going programmes, Dekalb Vietnam has implemented a number of meaningful programmes like the Monsanto-IPMPH-HMU scholarships worth over VND1.3 billion ($57,000) for talented university students and researchers in the field of nutrition, the emergency assistance programme for farmers in the flooded areas of Son La province or the programme to encourage farmers children to pursue education. Dekalb Vietnam is the only agricultural enterprise to receive this award Programme on ranking sustainable businesses in VN in 2017 launched A programme on benchmarking and ranking the most sustainable companies in Viet Nam in 2017 was launched today. With an uneven quality of new supply, Vietnams hospitality market is diverging from global trends Photo: Le Toan According to director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific Mauro Gasparotti, with this imbalance comes a higher risk of a category price war, especially in the case of a demand slowdown. Often, developers fail to carefully consider hotel or resort developments positioning and appeal; how to add value to the area itself, rather than simply planning high-rise buildings with limited value for the destination besides adding inventory. A more complete development approach will be the only way Vietnams hospitality sector will properly evolve with sustainable growth that benefits provinces and communities, said Gasparotti at the Savills event Hospitality megatrends and sector evolution analyses held last week in Ho Chi Minh City. He further commented that the combination of growing demand from leisure and business guests and a supply shortage has led hotels to run at high occupancy levels, well above budgets set at the start of the year. As there will be relatively limited new supply entering in the next few years in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, this should lead developers to consider hotel development with potential for higher yields, and to diversify real estate portfolios, he added. Trang Vo, Savills senior consultancy manager, noted that developers are now in need of a longer-term, broader vision when planning a new product. They should understand how global trends and changes in consumer behaviour will affect hospitality products over the medium and long terms rather than maximising only short-term returns, Vo said. Apart from that, Vietnam also lacks product variety compared to more mature tourist destinations like Thailand and Bali. Wellness resorts, spa destination resorts, senior living communities, poshtels and co-working hubs, design and art boutique resorts, high-tech hotels, and selected services hotels are examples of products not [present] in the local market but with a strongly growing global demand, commented Morris Sim, chief marketing officer from Next Story Group. Sim explained how the collaborative economy has made sharing resources commonplace, and that the monetisation of sharing is now acceptable to consumers. Additionally, generations Y and Z have new demands for working, living, playing, and learning, Sim added. Sim presented market research the Next Story Group conducted across the Asia-Pacific region that shows how hotels should evolve to remain competitive. In response to these trends, Next Story Group has launched Kafnu, which will open in Ho Chi Minh City in 2018. Kafnu works through creating a physical social network within a real estate asset to connect it to the collaborative economy. By connecting real estate with local and transient consumers, and pricing via a membership model rather than by use, Kafnu says it is reimagining urban spaces for the next generation. Global hospitality has experienced strong global growth in 2017, with a remarkable 6.6 per cent increase in the first eight months of the year. Sector growth is expected to continue as cheaper flights, improving travel technologies, relaxed visa policies, diminishing language barriers, and ever-increasing traveller appetites for discovering new countries and destinations maintain their steady rise, experts say. Meanwhile, Vietnams inbound rates continue to surge with a remarkable 28.1 per cent year-on-year growth. Expectations are that this will continue with global travel rates increasing, and proximity to growing source markets such as China and South Korea. Asias emerging markets, where traveller annual growth rates from 2016-2021 are forecast at 7.6 per cent, will further boost the local market. New direct international routes and easier access from other countries will be necessary to take best advantage and ensure Vietnam stays competitive with other Southeast Asian destination countries. Hotel and resort performance this year has been strong, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where occupancy growth has been outstanding with levels averaging 81 and 73 per cent, respectively. Danang and Nha Trang saw large increases in arrivals which improved year-on-year occupancies, and despite more new openings this year, a slight increase in average room rates. Experts at the recent international seminar Global hotels and resorts 2017, held in Ho Chi Minh City, also commented that in Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a strong geographical location, where half of the land is surrounded by coast and most of the region by tropical habitat. Vietnam, as a tourist destination, is supported by strong market fundamentals rich cultural offerings, diversity of destinations, relative safety and security, increasing international and domestic tourism demand, strong investment potential, and its geographical location, the event statement read. Hotel regions are separated into the three main areas of Vietnam: the north, the central and highlands region, and the south. In the north, the hotel participants are located in Hanoi, Sapa, and Quang Ninh. In the central and highlands region, the hotels are located in cities such as Danang, Hoi An, Hue, Quang Binh, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Daklak, and Dalat. Hotel participants from the south are mainly located in Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc, Vung Tau, and the Mekong Delta. A crashed train sits on the track near Meerbusch, western Germany. Several people have been injured when the passenger train collided with a cargo train. (Photo source: Arnulf Stoffel/dpa via AP) At least three of the passengers were "badly hurt" while the vast majority suffered light injuries, the Meerbusch fire department said on Twitter, giving the overall toll. The train was carrying 155 people. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, which happened at around 7.30pm (2.30am Singapore time Wednesday) near the station of Meerbusch-Osterath in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. "The rescue services on the ground have the situation under control. The injured people are gradually being transferred to hospital," the fire department tweeted. A spokeswoman for Germany's state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn told DPA news agency that its DB Cargo train was apparently stationary when the regional train operated by Britain's National Express slammed into it. "There was no sense of panic," 19-year-old Lukas Kehler who had been on board the train told regional television station WDR. Emergency services deployed after the accident but access to the train was hindered by ruptured contact wires which first had to be made safe to prevent electric shocks, according to the Meerbusch fire department. Rescue workers were able to reach those injured by 9.15pm (4.15am Singapore time), it said. The fire department tweeted a picture showing the train's moderately damaged first carriage, while other carriages appeared largely unaffected. Both trains were still standing upright on the tracks. The National Express driver was freed from his mangled cab by firefighters, the federal police said. "He appears unharmed but he is in shock," it added. A National Express spokesman told Bild newspaper that the driver "noticed an obstacle on the track and immediately hit the emergency brake". Images from the scene showed many firefighters along the tracks, while the blue sirens of a long line of emergency vehicles could be seen in the distance. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been briefed on the crash and "is following the situation closely", her spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Twitter. "We hope all those injured will be helped as soon as possible." In May, seven people were lightly injured when a regional train derailed in eastern Germany. The country's deadliest train accident happened in 1998 when a high speed train derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people. A NATO release on Khetab's elimination described him as an expert in heavy weapons and explosives, who trained the Taliban for night attacks. Omar bin Khetab was killed in the Gilan district in Afghanistan's Ghazni province (Image for representation) By Santosh Chaubey: Omar bin Khetab, the second-in-command of the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), has been killed in a joint operation by Afghan intelligence and the US military. Not much information is available about the terrorist - apart from some sketchy details - but the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) called him the seniormost Al Qaeda leader killed in Afghanistan since 2001, when Taliban was driven out of the country. advertisement A NATO release on Khetab's elimination described him as an expert in heavy weapons and explosives, who trained the Taliban for night attacks. Also known as Omar Mansoor, Khetab was killed in the Gilan district in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, the Washington Post reported. He was in his early 40s, and came from the restive tribal regions of Pakistan, the report said. A 2016 UN report put the AQIS operatives' count in Afghanistan at 300, and said they mainly came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and India. The same report said Khetab handled AQIS operations in the east of Waziristan. 80 more Al Qaeda terrorists were killed along with him, including the top three al-Qaeda leaders in the country. Those who were killed included "Qasim, Hassan Hamza, Jonaid and Mustafa, military head of al-Qaeda, three Punjabi Taliban and two local Taliban fighters", Tolo News reported quoting the NDS. Air and military operations were conducted in the past few weeks in Ghazni, Paktia and Zabul provinces of Afghanistan. Details of the operations have not been released yet. AQIS TRYING TO MAKE PRESENCE FELT IN INDIA The AQIS has virtually been non-existent so far in India and is trying to make its presence felt in the country. It recently named former Hizbul terrorist Zikar Rashid Bhat - alias Zakir Musa - the chief of its India unit Ansar Ghawzat-Ul-Hind. Before that, in June, AQIS had released a new code of conduct for its members and other terrorists who wanted to show allegiance to Al Qaeda. In a tape released in August, Al Qaeda chief Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri confirmed that slain Al Qaeda commander Abu Dujana al Pasha was the main driving force behind the formation of AQIS as he "united several jihadi groups belonging to the Indian Subcontinent". Abu Dujana al Pasha, who was also known as Abu Dujana al Basha, was the son-in-law of Zawahiri and played a key role in Al Qaeda's terror operations. Reports say he was known as the "hidden commander" in Al Qaeda, because though he was relatively unknown to the outside world, he worked hard to establish AQIS. The US had declared him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2009. advertisement Zawahiri had announced the formation of the AQIS in a video message in September 2014. Though it was widely reported that al Pasha was killed in a US drone strike, Al Qaeda never accepted it. ALSO WATCH | Trump slams Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, seeks bigger role for India in Afghanistan --- ENDS --- Grant McPherson, CEO of Education New Zealand The beginning 4th Industrial Revolution will re-position global economies, increasing competition between countries. Ultimately, countries ability to navigate the technological twist of the 21st century will largely depend on their education systems. Grant McPherson, CEO of Education New Zealand, joined the APEC University Leaders Forum held on the sidelines of the APEC Summit 2017 in early November in the central city of Danang and discussed New Zealands holistic and sustainable education model built to prepare students for impending global changes. Themed Industry 4.0, the APEC University Leaders Forum addressed the challenges facing education in the region. The forum specifically focused on how different education systems around the world are preparing their students for the digital age. Technology plays an integral role in New Zealands education system Introducing New Zealand's innovative education model, McPherson highlighted how the countrys education system is built upon a world-class education quality assurance system. Moreover, the countrys Think New approach is credited with promoting inquisitive and project-based learning while also providing flexible learning pathways for students. According to McPherson, collaboration between education institutions, accompanied with exposure to different cultures and perspectives, also allow graduates to collect internationally-recognised qualifications alongside industry-relevant skills. To effectively prepare students for an increasingly connected world, education systems must also welcome global perspectives. New Zealand has championed this cause, becoming a sought-after international education destination, attracting more than 131,000 international students from more than 180 countries, said McPherson. Such focused efforts have resulted in several New Zealand universities being included in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 list, which ranks 300 leading global institutions based on five key aspects of graduate employability. Besides, New Zealand has also championed digital technology plays in its curriculum. The government has invested $700 million in technology infrastructure and professional learning, while 98 per cent of New Zealands institutes are connected to high-speed internet. This cyber system is available for every teacher and student, changing the way students approach lessons, the methods of teaching and learning, and enables students to become more tech-savvy. Furthermore, in New Zealand, the national curriculum focuses on 21st century learning, ensuring learners are equipped to participate in and contribute to their own society and the wider world. An important focus is set on encouraging students to consider significant future-focused issues, such as sustainability. It requires teaching and learning approaches that draw on all elements of effective pedagogy and focuses on empowering students to take action for a sustainable future. McPherson said: Sustainability is a critical issue for New Zealandenvironmentally, economically, culturally, politically, and socially. We need to learn how to live smarter to reduce our impact on the environment for future generations. This comprehensive educational model has resulted in New Zealand's education system being ranked among the world's best for delivering a future-focused education, according to the Educating for the Future Index 2017 of the Economist Intelligence Unit. Education New Zealand (ENZ) is New Zealands government agency for international education. ENZ works to grow awareness of New Zealand as a study destination and to support New Zealand education providers and businesses to take their services and products abroad. Nissan recalls 3,073 Navara pickup trucks, imported from Thailand. - Photo nissan.com.vn According to the Japanese automaker Nissan, front passenger airbags in Nissan Navara LE and Navara XE are manufactured by Takata. After long-term exposure to the environment, the air blower can be exposed to moisture, which prevents normal operation as per the design. Nissan Viet Nam will check and replace the air pump for LE and XE versions of Navara pickup trucks. The repairing duration is 1.3 hours per truck and the programme is scheduled to begin on December 20, 2017, and finish on December 20 next year. VR also noticed the recall of 652 Honda cars, including Accord CR3 produced in 2012, Accord CR2 manufactured from 2013 to 2016 and Odyssey cars manufactured in the 2015-2017 period. According to Honda Viet Nam, handling the contact surface of the rear-view mirror control switch on the car is not suitable. If used for a long time it can get oxidised, which will result in the rear-view mirror on the car door getting automatically folded when the vehicle is running, parking, or not working when the switch is on. When this happens, the drivers vision will be affected and may even cause accidents. Honda vehicles, which are affected by this problem will be checked and repaired free of charge at an estimated time of 12 minutes per car. The repairing programme will take place from December 25, 2017, to December 24, 2018. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the GCC foreign ministers' meeting in Kuwait City on Dec 4, 2017. (Photo: AFP) The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit was going ahead in Kuwait City despite uncertainty over which leaders from among Riyadh and its allies would in the end join their Qatari rival for the talks. The future of the six-nation GCC - formed 36 years ago to bring together energy-rich Sunni-led Gulf Arab states - appeared to be hanging in the balance. This year's meeting comes with Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a bitter dispute with fellow GCC member Qatar, in the worst crisis ever to hit the bloc. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accepted an invitation to attend, but just hours before the talks were due to begin, Saudi King Salman sent his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in his stead. State television showed Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah receiving Jubeir at the airport as the head of the kingdom's delegation. Bahrain sent its deputy premier and Emirati media said the state minister for foreign affairs would represent Abu Dhabi. Those three Gulf states, together with Egypt, cut all ties with Qatar on Jun 5, accusing the gas-rich emirate of supporting extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh's arch-rival. Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite a change of regime in Doha. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts within the GCC to resolve the crisis, but so far with little success. Casting further doubt on the group's future, the UAE said Tuesday it was forming a new military and economic committee with Saudi Arabia separate from the GCC. The committee "will coordinate between the two countries in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields," according to a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic union grouping Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Oman and Kuwait. GCC FUTURE IN DOUBT Dominated by Riyadh, it has been a regional counterweight to Iran. On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attended round-table talks ahead of the gathering, in their first such encounter since the diplomatic crisis erupted in June. Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yussef bin Alawi sat between them at the meeting which the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait also attended. After cutting off all ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands to have it lifted. Bahrain in October called for Qatar's membership of the GCC to be suspended until it accepted the demands. Experts warn that the crisis could lead to the demise of the once-powerful GCC. "The justifications for the existence of the GCC bloc amidst the continued crisis are no longer present like before," said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. "As long as our enemy has changed from Iran to Qatar, the GCC will not continue." The failure of the GCC members to solidify long-delayed plans for economic unity may also threaten its future. The Gulf states have approved a customs union, a common market, a single currency and a single central bank, but most of these have yet to be implemented. Speaking at Monday's meeting, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the determination of member states to preserve the GCC. "The GCC is a continuous project in which the will of member states meets to build a unified Gulf body," he said. Duong Tri Thanh, CEO of Vietnam Airlines, congratulates the ariline's 200 millionth passenger Nguyen Truong Chinh (Source: VGP) The 200 millionth and the next two passengers of flight VN223 from Hanoi arriving to Ho Chi Minh City at 10 AM on December 5, 2017, Nguyen Truong Chinh, Ngo Huy Hoang, and Phan Thi Thu Hang, were the lucky travelers taking home valuable gifts from Vietnam Airlines. Nguyen Truong Chinh will receive 200,000 bonus miles and two return tickets from Vietnam to Europe. The two other passengers will receive 100,000 bonus miles and one return ticket to Europe each. Two hundred million passengers in over two decades is a significant milestone for VNA. Our achievements come from the trust of the aviation community and millions of domestic and international passengers, validating our efforts and achievements from the beginning, said Duong Tri Thanh, chief executive officer of Vietnam Airlines. Until now, Vietnam Airlines has carried out over 1.6 million safe flights with a total distance of nearly one billion kilometers, with an average passenger growth of 11 per cent per year. The airlines total revenue over these 22 years hit over VND777 trillion ($34.2 billion), with an average growth of 15.62 per cent per year. Gross profit before tax stands at approximately VND18 trillion ($0.8 billion), while the total contribution to the state budget was more than VND41 trillion ($1.8 billion). These confirm Vietnam Airlines contribution to Vietnams socioeconomic development, establishing important trade and cultural linkages among the countrys provinces and international destinations. Under the event, Vietnam Airlines officially launched the Flights of Love community activity to patron projects aiming to better society. The three first Flights of Love projects are also launched today, including flood-relief house project, heart foundation, and smile surgery project. By Press Trust of India: Andhra Pradesh government on Monday decided to file a defamation suit against the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E. Sreedharan for his "unfound allegations" about the bidding process for Hyderabad Metro. Armed with a point-by-point rebuttal from the Planning Commission, state's Finance Minister K. Rosaiah said "the (state) government has decided to file a defamation suit against E. Sreedharan." Speaking to mediapersons, Rosaiah said the Planning Commission had, in fact, questioned the transparency in the Delhi Metro Rail project which obtained huge subsidies from the Centre and state governments. Explaining the salient features of the Hyderabad Metro project bids, the AP Finance Minister pointed out that though the Centre had approved the grant to the tune of Rs. 4,853 crore, the successful bidder (who is the lowest), without taking the grant, offered to pay Rs. 30,311 crore to the state government during the concession period of 35 years. "The entire world had appreciated the bidding process, except Sreedharan," Rosaiah said. While dismissing the allegation that the DPRs were altered benefiting a 'particular party' (the successful bidder), Rosaiah, however, said the state government has no knowledge of any bidder holding private land near the extended portions of the alignment. --- ENDS --- advertisement The 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and its aftermath have been documented only in a handful of Hindi films in the last 25 years. By Ananya Bhattacharya: "Mazhabon waale poochhte hai ab / Kisne pehle kudal maari thi / Koi kehta hai ek masjid thi / Koi kehta hai ek mandir tha" When Suzanna Anna-Marie Johannes begins falling in love with Wasiullah Khan, spell-bound, as the chinar trees sway in the breeze, the shayar is reciting lines that remind the entire gathering of a black day in the history of modern India. December 6, 1992. A near-150,000 strong mob of Hindu kar sevaks tore down the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. As the red dust settled on the ground, it took along with it the dream of a secular India. advertisement India plunged into chaos following the demolition. From Bombay to Bangladesh, places burnt. The scene of kar sevaks with pickaxes and bright yellow headbands, as chants of "Ek dhakka aur do / Babri Masjid tod do" rent the air, comes back to haunt the country every year on the sixth day of December. WHAT HAPPENED ON DECEMBER 6, 1992? Dilip Awasthi, whose detailed report from the site was carried by the India Today Magazine on December 31, 1992, wrote, "The scenes will return, like deranged ghosts, to haunt those of us who were at the graveside to witness the burial of a secular dream. The screams of exultation with each blow of a pickaxe, each thrust of a rod, each dome that came crashing down." The three domes of the 16th Century Babri Masjid, that sat on the Ayodhya horizon, were razed to the ground by hordes of fanatic kar sevaks. "The forest of gleaming trishuls raised high in militant victory. And, the twin plumes that snaked to the skies: the dust from the demolished structure, and smoke from nearby Muslim houses torched in the orgasmic fever. Religion was their opium and it returned Ayodhya to the medieval ages," wrote Awasthi in his report. December 6, 1992, was the day that was to mark the beginning of the construction of the Ram Mandir at the disputed Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya... the very spot where the Babri was. The kar sevaks who had gathered in Ayodhya to partake of the proverbial prasad, being part of the construction of the Ram Mandir, were close to two lakhs. But the government and the courts were assured by the BJP that the 'kar seva' was to be merely a symbolic act. That no damage would be caused to the mosque. That assurance by the BJP leaders came as a huge blow to the kar sevaks who had congregated at the venue. These men were listening to speeches by VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) leaders. "Trouble first broke out in the space below us when young men wearing bright yellow headbands managed to break through the barriers," wrote Mark Tully, in his account of the day for the BBC. advertisement Tully went on to describe how journalists were beaten up by the kar sevaks. The mob soon reached the security cordon and the policemen in charge of guarding the Babri Masjid. The barrier fell. After that, it was apocalypse. The near-two lakh kar sevaks stormed the gates and climbed up the domes of the Babri Masjid. With pickaxes and hammers in hand, "sir pe kafan baandh ke" this "Bajrangi ki fauj" reduced the Babri Masjid to rubble. At 11am, the first group of kar sevaks broke through the barricades. It was 1.55pm, according to Awasthi's account, when the first dome of the Babri Masjid met the ground, along with about 25 kar sevaks. At 3.30pm, the second dome came down. The central dome is demolished at 4.49pm. In about six hours, all that remained of the Babri Masjid, was dust. WHAT FOLLOWED After news of the Babri Masjid demolition broke, riots erupted all across the country. Muslim houses were torched in Ayodhya, while Hindus were slaughtered in Bangladesh. Months of riots left cities trying to cripple back to normalcy. Bombay saw one of the worst incidents of communal violence in the history of modern India. advertisement In March 1993, a series of bombings rocked the city of Bombay. Madness followed. IN POPULAR CULTURE In the last 25 years since the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the event and its aftermath found their way into popular culture. A handful of films have dealt with the Babri demolition; more, with the communal clashes and bombings that followed. HINDI FILMS Bombay, 1995 Mani Ratnam got on the director's chair and crafted a work of art. Named Bombay, this 1995 film was an attempt at portraying human relationships in the backdrop of communal tension. Bombay covered the time period from the demolition of the Babri Masjid to the riots in the city. The film starred Arvind Swamy and Monisha Koirala in the lead roles and is still considered among the actors' best performances. Black Friday, 2007 Director Anurag Kashyap made his Black Friday on the 1993 Bombay bombings. The censor board stayed the release of the 2004 film, and it finally saw the light of the day in 2007. With Indian Ocean's haunting score and the song Bandeh, Black Friday, today, is listed among the most definitive films on the 1993 Bombay bombings. advertisement Slumdog Millionaire, 2008 Danny Boyle's British-Indian film does not deal with the Babri demolition or its aftermath, per se. The film opens with the five-year-old Jamal and his brother Salim fleeing Bombay following the riots. 7 Khoon Maaf, 2011 The black comedy that made Priyanka Chopra a name to reckon with, despite the film not tasting commercial success, has a fleeting mention of the Babri Masjid demolition. A mesmerised Suzanna listens to Wasiullah Khan in Kashmir, as the poet recites lines from his work. Lines, that talk about "Koi kehta hai ek masjid thi / Koi kehta hai ek mandir tha." "Mandir yeh chup hai / Masjid hai gumsum / Ibadat thak padegi." (The writer tweets as @ananya116) ALSO WATCH | Standoff over Babri Masjid: What's the way forward? --- ENDS --- Ocean Village 'Magical Christmas' Raises Over 1K for Research into Childhood Cancer The most successful fundraising Christmas event at Ocean Village to date took place recently, where members of the Research into Childhood Cancer (RICC) charity held a Santas Grotto. A variety of Disney and popular characters joined the festivities each day, including Princess Poppy from Trolls, Superman, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Rapunzel and Elsa and Anna from the hit movie Frozen. The opening night of the 29th November brought with it some uninvited rain, but mostly happy smiles and festive cheer from all the children and parents who attended the lively musical show with Snowflake the Elf, Superman and Princess Poppy from Trolls which was held inside Pizza Express. Prior Park School beautifully sang two popular hymns Hallelujah and Winter Wonderland. Craig Sacarello, Chairman of RICC said, RICC is extremely grateful to Ocean Village and to everyone who contributed to make our Santas Grotto such a memorable and enjoyable fundraising event. The committee had a great time as did the kids and their parents. A special mention must be made for Emilia, without whose industry, this would never have happened. Merry Christmas to everyone! Emilia Hazell-Smith of Ocean Village said, This Christmas event has been a truly magical experience at Ocean Village with the many different princesses and characters, and of course Santa Claus, meeting all the excited children. As always, we could not have done this without the help and support of our sponsors, OV Express and Restsso, who contributed in such an important way. We would also like to give thanks to RICC for helping and supporting the event, Pizza Express for bringing us in out of the cold, and to the Prior Park School Choir for joining our festivities for another year! The amount raised for Research into Childhood Cancer has surpassed our record from last year, and the total now stands at 1,476.26. Minor Oil Spill A minor oil spill was reported to the Gibraltar Port Authority shortly after 1pm on Wednesday 6 December 2017. The oil spill occurred when a yacht taking luboils at Western Arm suffered an overflow of delivery from the tank vent on deck which made its way into the sea via one of the deck scuppers. The GPA immediately informed the relevant agencies and attended the scene to assess the situation. The yacht crew had deployed oil spill absorbent booms and pads into the sea and were able to contain the lubes within the immediate vicinity of the yacht. The Port Launch was also deployed to assess the oil spill in the water and observed that most of the oil in the water had drifted in a southerly direction and was contained between SKS Tanaro and the Detached mole. Oil pollution responders are currently on site concluding clean-up operations. It is estimated that around 2 - 4 litres of Luboil made its way into the sea. Manuel Tirado, CEO and Captain of the Port thanked everyone for their quick reactions which had led to only a small amount of oil making its way into the sea with limited impact on the environment. Franken. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images A seventh woman has accused Senator Al Franken of sexual misconduct. An anonymous former Democratic congressional aide tells Politico that Franken attempted to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006, three years before he became a senator. She claims Franken cornered her after her boss, whom she does not name, had left the studio, and that she had to duck as he was coming at me to kiss me. She says Franken told her, Its my right as an entertainer. She did not notify her boss of the incident, but started telling friends about it after seeing Franken on TV calling out Trump after the Access Hollywood tape. Franken has denied the latest accusation, telling Politico, This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous. Last week, the Senate Ethics Committee officially opened an investigation into the multiple reports of Frankens misconduct, some of which allegedly occurred as hes been in government. Franken has reiterated to Politico that he will fully cooperate with the investigation. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Alec Baldwin would like late-night hosts to stick to more blithe chit chat, please. The actor/Donald Trump impersonator went to Twitter to criticize two hosts in particular: Last Week Tonights John Oliver and The Late Shows Stephen Colbert. When Oliver moderated a conversation at an anniversary screening of Hoffmans movie Wag the Dog Monday night in New York City, the late-night host pressed Hoffman on a former production assistants claim that the actor sexually harassed her on the set of Death of a Salesman in the 80s. (Hoffman was not pleased.) Louis C.K. canceled his Late Show appearance hours before a New York Times expose detailed his serial sexual misconduct. Colbert later said hed planned to bring up the accusations on air. Baldwins two cents: Talk shows were once promotional pit stops for some blithe chit chat about movies, etc, he tweeted. Now the likes of @iamjohnoliver and @StephenAtHome have flipped that and they are beginning to resemble grand juries. Talk shows were once promotional pit stops for some blithe chit chat about movies, etc. Now the likes of @iamjohnoliver and @StephenAtHome have flipped that and they are beginning to resemble grand juries. HABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) December 6, 2017 If Baldwin makes an appearance, theres plenty to press him about: He repeatedly disrespected Weinstein accuser Asia Argento on Twitter, and recently admitted hes bullied women in Hollywood. Should we expect his own talk show to handle guests with gentler gloves? Photo-Illustration: Vulture and TOHO CO. Films Over the next few weeks, Vulture will be publishing our critics year-end lists. Today, were looking at the best films. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Are there things I would change about Angela Robinsons Wonder Woman origin story, were it up to me? Sure. But this telling of the origin of the first lady of superheroes, and the nontraditional love story that inspired her was such a smart, sexy surprise that I ultimately had to give it a spot in the top ten. The story of how DCs lasso-toting Amazon was born out of her creators fascination with domination and submission may take its liberties with actual events, but its central truth is unassailable. The three stars Luke Evans as the titular sociologist, Bella Heathcote as his naive young assistant, and the always-amazing Rebecca Hall as his whip smart (if not smarter) wife do a careful dance around each other that Robinson manages beautifully, as attentive to the push and pull of the power dynamics of seduction. Professor Marston functions perfectly well as a smart-folks swooner, but it also has some powerful things to say about the importance of fantasy and the joy of creating something alongside people you love. Read full review Spettacolo More than a few European documentaries this year had their eye on the disappearing countryside, but few happened upon a subject that encapsulated these anxieties so compellingly and poetically. Spettacolo is the story of Monticchiello, a small hill town in Tuscany whose long-running tradition of writing and producing an annual play is under threat due to aging citizenry and a disinterested younger generation. But this isnt the story of some scrappy community theater: The plays of the Teatro Povero, as its called, are conceived of and written by the townspeople and the story of that year. Over the years they have documented countless recessions, the threat of fascism, and encroachment of tourism. The incalculable value of art as a mirror for a community is an extremely fragile thing in Spettacolo, and directors Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen treat it as a near-sacred tradition. Its no surprise, then, that what may be Monticchiellos final play is about the end of the world. Phantom Thread At press time, Im still mulling over Paul Thomas Andersons impeccably made tale of obsession and love, which hit me at such an unexpected angle that it felt like the cinematic equivalent of bashing ones funny bone. The easy line on Phantom Thread is that it is the Mother! we deserved its a fable of sorts, and has uncomfortable, often hilarious ideas about the sacrifices anyone in a relationship with an artist has to make. But even at his most metaphorical (see: Punch Drunk Love) Anderson cant help but bring agonizing humanity to his characters. Daniel Day-Lewis, in what he has said will be his final film role, doesnt disappear into London dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock so much as he builds him from the impeccably shined shoes on up. But Vicky Kriepss disarmingly earnest waitress Alma is the real heart of the film, and the lengths she goes to keep Woodcocks interest are not the acts of an obsessed outsider or needy lover, but someone who knows him well enough to maintain his love as unsentimentally as an old car. Somehow, its almost unspeakably touching. Good Time Josh and Benny Safdies tough, neon-glazed crime thriller, much like Robert Pattinsons wild-eyed antihero Connie, hides a wounded sensitivity under its pulsating surface. Its also one of the best one crazy night movies of all time. As a small-time bank robber on a mission to get his brother out of jail, Pattinson is an almost unbearably frenetic screen presence, but also impossible to look away from as he calculates move after desperate move. Shot in gritty 35mm, the film nods to films like Dog Day Afternoon and After Hours, but finds its own thoroughly modern and innovative rhythm. In many ways, Good Time is an unsentimental portrait of a dystopian New York City, but the films final scene, which plays out heartbreakingly over the credits, belies the brotherly love thats been hiding in plain sight all along. The searing soundtrack by Oneohtrix Point Never is easily the best score of the year. Read full review Princess Cyd Princess Cyd is a film that feels transmitted from a parallel universe, one where the air is a little cleaner, and people have a little more free time time to get lost in a book, to spend an afternoon with a cute stranger from the coffee shop, to spend an evening reading poetry with your neighbors. But Stephen Cones understated character study doesnt feel removed from reality; on the contrary, it feels more tapped into human nature at its best than most films ever have the patience for. As Cyd, a teen spending the summer in the Chicago suburbs with her writer aunt, Jessie Pinnick is a lovable avatar for self-discovery. And as her aunt, Rebecca Spence delivers one of the best performances of the year. Spending time with these two very different women and watching them learn about themselves through each other was one of the most pleasant surprises at the movies this year. Read full review The Florida Project Among other things, Sean Bakers tragic, ecstatic The Florida Project is a striking work of scale: towering signs for souvenir outlets, ice cream stands shaped like house-sized soft-serve dollops, the yawning multilane boulevard that its comparatively tiny protagonists dodge across like a very real game of Frogger, all underneath a seemingly limitless sky of pinks and purples. America, represented here by Walt Disney World, in whose shadow the itinerant characters of The Florida Project scrape out their existence, is too big to fail, and too big to notice the people losing at late capitalism. But despite tough, ever-present realities, Bakers uniquely playful skill as a director comes through beautifully. And in a year full of revelatory performances by young actors, few landed like a lightning bolt quite like Florida Project star Brooklynn Prince, a rambunctious 6-year-old with Lucille Balls sense of comic timing. Read full review Lady Bird I joked after seeing Lady Bird that I was almost relieved that I would not be reviewing it for Vulture, if only because it felt so close to home as to present a conflict of interest. I was a huge fan of 2013s Frances Ha, and Greta Gerwig is clearly an artist after my own heart, but I couldnt have predicted her directorial debut to be such a quietly revolutionary portrait of adolescence. What makes Lady Bird stand out from so many theoretically similar coming-of-age tales is its emotional scope the film has a sense of countless lives being lived in its margins, even if Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) herself doesnt yet have the sense for them. Through her eye for specificity the mundane charms of Sacramento, Lady Birds taste in music Gerwigs vision of teenage sorrow and joy is profoundly universal. Read full review Get Out In any other year, Get Out would be on this list for originality alone. But Jordan Peeles scorcher of a directorial debut wound up being particularly suited for 2017, identifying and painfully yanking at our most uncomfortable anxieties about race and appropriation. The script is a revelation. Everything youve read about the film its inspired casting, every scene with Lil Rel Howery, its devilish use of real-life race paranoia is absolutely as good as youve heard. But if I had to pick one undersung element, it would be Daniel Kaluuya as the protagonist Chris, whose encounter with the unspeakable horrors lurking in the Armitages basement is what sells the grotesque and ultimately tragic premise of Peeles nightmare. Read full review Call Me by Your Name In January of 2017, the last thing I would have expected the movies to bring us over the next 12 months were love stories. Nor would I have expected myself to be so ready for them. Call Me by Your Name made its debut at Sundance days after the Trump inauguration, in the midst of an oppressive blizzard, and it felt like a balm. It was a reminder that a love story, even a gay coming-of-age one, neednt be overtly political to send a message. What staggers me still about Luca Guadagninos best film yet is how little outside resistance Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and Olivers (Armie Hammer) romance comes up against, and how Michael Stuhlbargs beatific, accepting father figure is one of the greatest heroes and role models I saw on the big screen. Call Me by Your Name is a story of a summer fling, but it is wise enough to recognize the intricate power of such an encounter, and the potential that love even lustful, clumsy, agonizing teenage love has to make us better people. Read full review Your Name Like so many of the films that made my top ten this year, Makoto Shinkais opus Your Name is a romance of sorts. But a mere adolescent emo-fest wouldnt be enough to break the kinds of records this film did last year during its initial 2016 release in Japan. (Despite a brief, L.A.-only release in the states last year, Im counting it as a 2017 release for New York City.) Your Name, with its out-there body-swapping-and-supernatural-comet premise, is stranger and more intimate than a love story, and has truly profound ideas about the places we live and the experiences we grow up with being visceral things that live in our bodies. But its also a full-throated Teen Movie, with an ecstatic J-Rock score to match, and all the starry-eyed longing the genre allows. Like so many of my favorite films this year, its the specificity that sells it, and Shinkais rendering of everything from an obscure Shinto ceremony to a stack of Instagram-worthy pancakes feels loving and lived-in. In a time when its easy to feel alienated by humanity, Your Name reminds us that everyone is a universe of memories, each as precious and ephemeral as our lives. Read full review Weinstein. Photo: Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images One of the many people named in the New York Times latest investigation into Harvey Weinsteins tactics is planing to sue her former boss for sexual harassment. An attorney for Sandeep Rehal, who worked as Weinsteins assistant for two years until February 2015, tells Variety that they will file the lawsuit in federal court in New York in the next couple of weeks. Rehal, who was then 28, told the Times that Weinstein instructed her and other employees to supply him with the injectable erectile dysfunction drug alprostadil, whose brand name is Caverject. She said she was asked to keep the drugs at her desk and deliver them in brown paper bags to Weinstein at hotels and other locations shortly before his meetings with women, and that she would receive a $500 bonus for doing so. She claimed he had her use the company credit card to stock an apartment with womens lingerie, flowers, and bathrobes. Rehal also recalled having to escort Weinstein to sex-addiction therapy in 2015. She said she complied with this behavior because Weinstein had threatened to have her younger sister kicked out of school and brought up Rehals student loan debt, allegedly telling her, This is Harvey Weinstein University, and I decide if you graduate. Weinstein denies making such threats or using the company card for personal expenses. Rehals attorney tells Variety that she left the Weinstein Company due to its intolerable work environment and will allege that she was sexually harassed throughout her employment in the pending lawsuit. In celebration of New York Magazines 50th anniversary, this weekly series, which will continue through October 2018, tells the stories behind key moments that shaped the citys culture. The Treasures of Tutankhamun, which landed at the Metropolitan Museum in 1978 at the end of a six-city American tour, abounded in riches of every kind. The 55 antiquities, excavated in Egypts Valley of the Kings a half-century earlier, included a 22-pound gold-and-lapis death mask, which had covered the Egyptian boy kings body for 3,300 years, and the sinuous gilt-wood goddess Selket, who had guarded his intestines. Spotlit photos and text narrated Howard Carters dramatic 1920s unearthing of coffins layered like priceless nesting dolls a narrative of swashbuckling archaeology that set the stage for the Indiana Jones epics. But the most impressive feature of the King Tut exhibition, the part that changed history, wasnt even in the museum. It was the mile-long line to get in. People stand in line to see the boy king. Photo: Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images The first blockbuster museum show to be so labeled, a traveling loan of funerary objects that brought in 8 million visitors nationwide and filled Egypts coffers with gift-shop profits, was unprecedented. It was an ancient-art exhibit that was also a pop-culture moment, fodder for among other memorabilia a Steve Martin sketch and million-selling single (He gave his life for tourism!). The enormous attendance shocked museums along its route big institutions like LACMA and Chicagos Field Museum into to revamping their systems and dispensing separate exhibit tickets for the first time. And over the much longer term, it set museums on an irreversible path to an era ruled by populism, commercialism, and fierce competition for treasures and visitors. King Tut had many fathers, including Richard Nixon and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, who saw the show as a step toward detente; the British Museum and the Soviets, who had staged earlier Tut shows; and Carter Brown, the ambitious head of Washington D.C.s National Gallery. But no one did more to bring Tut to the States, or indeed to bring museums into the larger world of marketing and commerce, than the Metropolitan Museums director, Thomas P.F. Hoving. It was Hoving who worked his way through Egypts labyrinthine bureaucracy and shaky infrastructure to secure those precious objects, paying off functionaries, electricians, and even an Egyptian critic along the way. And it was Hoving who did the most to create a culture that made blockbusters conceivable in the first place. Back in 1966, the year before Hoving became Met director, curator Morrison Heckscher had begun a lifelong career at the museum and was, he recalls, immediately struck by how boring it was. Still half-built after nearly a century, its 5,000-year purview omitting entire civilizations, the institution chartered to advance popular instruction and recreations had become a warren of incredibly dusty, static exhibits, Heckscher says, serving its donors and curators but not the city around it. Youd come in during the week and thered never be anyone in the gallery. The place was empty, and the labels were incomprehensible. Dropped into that sleepy environment, Hoving acted fast but also systematically. Fresh off a colorful year as New Yorks Parks commissioner, with a Ph.D. in art and a father who ran Tiffany & Co., Hoving was a politician with the instincts of a scholar (or was it the other way around?). His middle initials were said to stand for Publicity Forever. Much later, in a scathing, dubious, and incredibly fun memoir, Making the Mummies Dance, he made much of the museums formerly sorry state. At his first meeting with the curators, he asked to see the special-exhibit schedule there was none and then to meet with the exhibition committee, which didnt exist. He thought up a show on the spot, In the Presence of Kings, a gathering of royal objects already in the museums diverse collections. To build it, he hired the museums first dedicated exhibition designer, who repainted and restaged existing space in what would turn out to be a dry run for Tut and every blockbuster thereafter. Next, he decided to turn the Mets 1970 centennial into an 18-month cavalcade of exhibitions and concerts Nina Simone! Harlem on My Mind! Original fanfares by Bernstein and Copland! He also hired an architecture firm to come up with a master plan, filling out the footprint and opening up the facade. I want a new attitude, he told the architects. The new Met must proclaim in a very loud voice, Welcome. Eight years later, more than a million King Tut visitors poured into a museum Hoving had utterly transformed. First there was the exhibit itself, a feat of storytelling. Objects were arranged in order of their excavation, to give a sense of the archaeologists own discovery, accompanied by contemporaneous photographs and crisp wall text. Some exhibit windows opened onto the brand-new Sackler wing, a hangar-sized jewel box built to house the newly installed Temple of Dendur. Beyond these capstones of Hovings renewal were acres of flashy new wings, departments, acquisitions, and exhibits. As Hovings long-serving successor, Philippe de Montebello, would recall at the formers memorial in 2009, this was the beginning of what I am convinced will someday be called the Hoving era, a time when, if Coleridge will forgive me, the caverns heretofore largely measureless to man were transformed into stately pleasure domes, now accessible to all. By the time Tut came to town, Hoving was gone from the museum. After a relatively short run of ten years, hed resigned under growing pressure from the board. The pace of his changes, disruptive in every sense, had turned out to be unsustainable; he couldnt go on steamrolling his internal critics indefinitely. He alienated a great many of the curators by storming through a lot of his decisions, de Montebello says now. But in the end, I think that what he did was a very good thing for the museum world. Much of that involved normalizing the concept of the international loan exhibition. Hoving, whod previously run the Mets Cloisters, was an avid and skilled raider of the worlds art, exploiting government connections and smugglers and fixers to beg, borrow, and buy what others might have stolen. As director he aggressively pursued loans in the aftermath of world events: after a Soviet thaw, he wangled rare Scythian gold from the Hermitage; after a devastating Florentine flood, he nabbed frescoes rescued from cathedrals. He also lobbied Congress to pass a bill guaranteeing government indemnification of loaned art, making it affordable for the first time. Tut was the first U.S. exhibit covered under the new law. Hoving was, in his way, a forerunner of todays Uber-collectors, those heads of modern museums who troll the global art-fair circuit for the hottest properties. He operated under the idea that its better to have one pricey masterpiece than ten minor masterworks. Hed likely have disdained the recent payout of $450 million for a mediocre Leonardo, but he set a record of $5.5 million for Velasquezs Juan de Pareja after selling off several second-tier Impressionist paintings (to the collective outcry of the art Establishment). Grasping the celebrity power (and tourist pull) of international icons, Hoving used their showpiece works to anchor the collections. To boost the American Wing, he traveled with Heckscher to buy an entire Frank Lloyd Wright house and reinstall much of it inside the museum. He was after the big picture, says Heckscher, making the museum in reality the kind of encyclopedic institution it had always claimed it was. His biggest get, in every way, was the Temple of Dendur. It was a late and relatively unimportant example of its kind, one that he himself called a white elephant. But it was an entire Egyptian temple a hell of a draw. To secure the gift and get it away from the Smithsonian, which also wanted it he sprung for the gift-wrap, a giant skylit room built into the master plan. So what if it looked like a two-foot-long glass case blown up? he wrote in his memoir. I knew the drawings would sell. And I was willing to bet no other city or institution would come up with anything like it. This was sheer theatrics. The Temple of Dinner, as some later called it, became home to parties like the revenue-generating Met Gala. It was perfect for a museum in transition, changing from a repository of objects to a stage for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Carrie Barratt, a deputy director at the Met who is currently planning the 150th anniversary, sees the long-term value in short-term events. When you ask people, Whats the principal reason you go to museums, the number one reason is to have fun, she says. Thats what makes people come back. The Temple of Dendur as it was built for the second time, 1978. Photo: Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Sometimes, after a revolutionary cracks open a hidebound institution, the next leader tilts back toward caution. After Hovings departure in 1977, the Met was led for 34 years by de Montebello, a director skeptical of the razzle-dazzle blockbuster. I used to say, You see these banners on the facade? Its not the glow of health but the flush of fever, says de Montebello. As in any other field publishing, movies blockbusters dont always earn out. Once youre on that treadmill, in terms of budgetary matters and visitorship, its extremely difficult to pull back. But after Tut there was really no going back, not for the Met or any other institution. Hovings once-revolutionary ethos rapidly became the dominant one. Thomas Krens took over the Guggenheim in 1988, and rapidly his museum began expanding around the world and hosting exhibitions in which controversy and pop appeal trumped connoisseurship and scholarship. (The Art of the Motorcycle, in 1998, was no King Tut, and Krens was excoriated for it but he also didnt lose his job, staying on as director until 2008.) While the Guggenheim employed starchitects to build global franchises, MoMA and the Whitney built their own glass-and-steel flagships, prioritizing event spaces. Even the Louvre sprouted a glass I.M. Pei pyramid. The museum building frenzy eventually boomeranged back to the Met. This years forced resignation of Thomas Campbell, de Montebellos short-tenured successor, stemmed in large part from his overambitious plan to build a new wing for modern and contemporary art, which threatened to strain the museums finances. Contributing to the problem was another Hoving holdover: a big exhibition schedule. Its no small irony that the Southwest Wing, where Campbell got ahead of himself, is the same corner of the museum that brought Hoving down. In his final year as director, Hoving had proposed to build the Fine Arts Center of the Annenberg School of Communications, a library of art images and video lectures intended to record all the works of art in the world, as he put it. The problem, says de Montebello, was that while many of the ideas behind the Annenberg were good, they were gobbling up extremely valuable real estate. If King Tut and Dendur were the peaks of Hovings tenure, de Montebello thinks the Annenberg fiasco represents both his greatest strength and greatest weakness his immense foresight and his incurable haste. When assessing a piece of art, says de Montebello, Tom would look at one thing and there was an immediate flash of this is right and this is wrong. And much more often than not, he was right. But perhaps he acted a little too much on his first impressions. Then again, Hovings final idea has come to pass without taking up any real estate at all. The idea of spreading the word on art, and the whole of idea of detailed reproductionsthat happens with social media, says de Montebello. Googles Art Project is the Annenberg Center, using the technology of today. Maybe the forefather of the blockbuster, who brought marketing and fun and, yes, money into art at the highest levels, was not in tune with the times but decades ahead of them. Order Highbrow, Lowbrow, Brilliant, Despicable: 50 Years of New York, a celebratory book chronicling the magazines history with powerful images and behind-the-scenes stories from staff and subjects. Sonny Rollins Photo: Getty Images Sonny Rollins is, inarguably, on any short list of greatest living American musicians. So vast, intelligent, and witty is his improvisational skill, and so satisfying the sheer, sensuous life force of his saxophone playing. And though the 87-year-old has very likely blown his last note in public a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis has made that a near-certainty hes left behind a 66-year-long trail of joyous, searching recordings and live performances. If youve got a heart, Sonny Rollinss music can touch it. Thats what I think; he disagrees. I dedicated my life to my music, says Rollins without regret, speaking on the phone from his home in upstate New York, and I never got it to where I wanted it be. Rollins has been feeling autumnal these days, partly because he recently donated his massive personal archives to New Yorks Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and partly because he had to put down his horn. (The memory of his beloved wife, Lucille, who passed away in 2004, also hangs heavy.) When youre on the wrong side of 87, says Rollins, theres all sorts of things happening to you, and they all make you look back at the life youve lived. He gives a short, rasping laugh. But Ive been lucky, havent I? What sorts of feelings did putting your archives in order stir up? That material is the stuff of your life, and now youre giving it away. I could say it put me in a reflective mood, but most of the archiving itself was done by someone else, and the truth is that my life has been in a reflective mode for some years now. Maybe my whole life has been in that mode. Its gotten more that way since I became unable to blow by horn. That was hard. Ive thought a lot about what Ive done musically, what I couldve done, what I mightve done. Whats the nature of those thoughts? Whats the meaning of life? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? Have you come up with any answers? You know, I listen to the radio a lot and theres a guy that comes on and says, Have a good day today and enjoy. I hate the word enjoy. Because to me life is not about enjoyment or, in other words, getting for yourself. Thats not why were here. The reason of life, to me, is all about giving. Giving is what gives me happiness. Making somebody else happy is the greatest thing you can do. Even though you cant play anymore, it must bring you some satisfaction to know that you gave people so much through your music. Not really. Why not? Im thrilled when somebody tells me that listening to my music gives them some solace or peace, but I played music for myself, too. I was getting something out of it. So I dont consider my musical gifts as any kind of servitude. It wasnt giving of myself, because I got too much out of it. I had to play music. I had to. Its something I wanted to do when I was a child. Thats like a gift to me. Its not me giving. Do you understand what I mean? I think so. Youre saying that your playing music wasnt an act of giving because it didnt come from a purely altruistic place. Yeah, thats right. So if not through your music, how have you been able to give? By being a nice person. By going by the golden rule: Do unto others as youd have them do unto you. Trying to observe that rule, trying to be kind, not trying to hurt anybodys feelings. Its just about thinking of others, and how you can do something for them. Im okay. Im not worrying about the ending. Ive gotten so much in my life, so much love more from the public than I probably deserve. My life now is about what I can do for others. Thats what life means. Thats what it should always mean. You mentioned that in your moments of reflection, you think about what you have and havent achieved musically. In both categories, what stands out? Achievements I dont know. The thing about me is that I was always practicing my instrument. I knew thats what I had to do to improve. Heres an incident I remember: I was playing in Munich and we had a nice concert that night, which is not always the case. During the concert, Id been trying to work on some musical passages, and after it was over, when everybody was leaving, I was in my dressing room trying to work out this little passage. Everyone was leaving and Im this little room playing. See? I knew what I had to do to get better. My thing, my burden, in my life was that I had to stop blowing my horn, so I never got to the musical place I wanted to get to. That was my bete noire what does that mean? Literally I think it means black beast. I know what youre saying: Having to stop playing was your cross to bear. Right. It was my problem. But am I going to get mad at the heavens now because I couldnt ultimately play the way I wanted to play? Of course not. I tried. And I believe in reincarnation, so I also believe that Ill have another opportunity to get it whatever it was and in whatever new situation arises. Im not unhappy about the fact that I couldnt reach the brass ring in this life. Can you tell me more about how it felt when you understood that you couldnt play the saxophone anymore? A while back, I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Id play and Id get really sick after. So I said, Oh shit, I cant play my horn. I went through a period of depression; I was really low. Id been on this life quest to try and fulfill my potential with music, and not being able to play anymore meant I wasnt going to get a chance to do that. But I eventually came out of my depression when I realized that rather than being depressed I should be grateful. I had an opportunity to live a life as a musician, which I always wanted to do. I was even able to achieve some prominence that was a wonderful, wonderful gift. I didnt want to be like a spoiled child, Gee, I didnt get everything I wanted to get under the Christmas tree. It would be selfish of me to think like that. I decided I didnt want to be that person. Once all of those feelings gelled in my mind, I was able to come out of my depression and accept my circumstances and be grateful for what Id had. Do musical ideas still pop into your head? Oh god, always. I cant get rid of them. Its just a little trial that I have to endure. I still finger my horn, too. I deal with it. Its all good, man. Its all good. When you say you were trying to get to a certain place with your music, can you explain what that place was? Are you talking about getting technically better on your instrument? Or was it about getting better at conveying emotion? I wanted to be able to play anything that I thought of, and that required a certain level of technical facility. I wanted to have a general, comfortable feeling that whatever it was I wanted to do on my horn bang Id be able to do it. So the desire to keep improving wasnt about the emotion that the technical facility was presumably in service of? I leave the emotion to the higher powers. The emotion is the spiritual part of music of everything and trying to understand where that comes from or how to achieve that would be like trying to understand God. When I was playing, I just wanted to get the technical part as best I could and leave the other part to the universal spirit. If Id do my part, the universe would do its part. Thats also one of the things Ive come to understand about life: I have to do my part in every aspect of my life. If Im trying to be a good person, Ive got to do the work to be that. I dont think any honest person is egotistical enough to feel that theyve got every aspect of their life under control. But everyone has the capacity to work on those things, whether its getting mad too fast or getting better at your horn. If you seriously try to correct your faults, then the universe will do its part, it will take you in. The universe is good, David. I believe that. The universe is good, and its there for us to realize it. Our corner of the universe doesnt seem so good right now. How are you feeling about the country these days? Thats complicated. Have we progressed as a country since the days of Freedom Suite? How can I explain this? Just because the universe is good doesnt mean that theres not bad in it. Let me try to put it this way: Like I said, I believe in reincarnation. So all these terrible people that we know of in the world, including the president or whoever, who might seem like theyre running things right now, they are going to have to pay for what they do. No one gets away with anything. There have always been evil people, man. Come on. Hate is not new. Its up to the individual you, David; me, Sonny to try and figure out what the fuck this thing called existence is all about. Its up to us to try and be good, if we want our souls to improve. Its the truth: You will reap what you sow. I believe that very strongly. How has jazzs place in the culture changed over the course of your career? Its still very important. People today might say theres not as much jazz as there was back in the 50s, or that its not as popular, but to me it seems like jazz has gotten almost deified now. A lot of people look at jazz with a level of respect that it didnt have before. The idea of jazz is so spiritual, and it has such great qualities, that it will always withstand whatever the larger culture is. In terms of respect and your own career, there are certain albums of yours, like Nucleus, or tunes, like Harlem Boys, that tend to be considered by critics as far inferior to stuff like Blue 7 or A Night at the Village Vanguard. Do you think, with your work, improvisational complexity has been praised at the expense of music that maybe was simpler but emotionally just as affective? Have you ever read the book by Nicolas Slonimsky, The Lexicon of Musical Invective? Its fantastic. Its about the way that some of the great symphony composers were treated by critics during their lifetimes. Boy, if you read that book, youll want to go out and get a gun and shoot all the critics. They were so often so wrong in their judgments. Look, critics its okay, theyre just doing their job. As far as what I do, Im happy that Ive been able to do a lot of different records in my life in a lot of different styles. Thats just who I am. Im always grateful when anybody tells me they like something that I did musically. The universe gave me my musical gift. Sure, I developed it, but I understand the bigger context I got that gift. Im very humble about it. Can you point to certain performances or albums or even individual solos where you felt like you were able to achieve everything you wanted to achieve with your playing? Oh, I got there. When I was working regularly, out of a year Id get maybe two performances where I felt like I was able to play everything that came into my mind. Man, those nights were great. I cant even describe how great they were. I havent made a lot of records which I thought were really like that, but in performance I did reach the peak of what I could do on rare occasions. And reaching the peak always means you can still go so much higher. Do you know what I mean? One peak just gives you a view of the next? Yes, thats right. Thats it. Do you know about this movement to get the Williamsburg Bridge renamed after you? Im aware of it. How do you feel about that? Well, when I first began going up there, I found a spot on the bridge where I was unseen. Nobody riding on the subway could see me, and nobody driving in cars could see me. The boats down below couldnt really see me either; I was hidden by the abutments from the bridge. Im very flattered and appreciative, but I find the idea to want to name a place where I was trying to hide after me to be a bit funny. Has the notion of you playing your horn alone on the bridge been over-romanticized? I was just looking for a place to practice. If youre a musician in New York and youre living in an apartment where people are so close to each other, its hard to practice without disturbing your neighbors. So, in other words, yeah, people have mythologized my playing on the bridge. I was just looking for a place to practice. Simple. Period. End of story. This is a little tangential, but Ive always really loved the music you recorded with Thelonious Monk, and Monk is someone who not every musician could be simpatico with. Whyd you guys play so well together? The thing is that Monk [laughs] oh, boy. You have to understand this: Monk really respected me. I appreciated that and it was reflected in the music. You know, later on as years went by, I was in India, studying at an ashram, and I realized, Wow, Monk is my guru, my mentor. He carried me through a lot of phases of understanding. But Monk looked up to me as much as I looked up to him. At least thats how it felt, and perhaps feeling that allowed for great music to be made. I want to make sure that doesnt come off as disrespectful to Monk. I dont think it does. Good. Monk was one of the most beautiful human beings I ever met in my life. He was the most honest person; he was the most real person. Oh, boy. I still pray to Monks spirit for forgiveness: Hey man, I did some stupid things. I do that a lot. Im still trying to make amends for some of my early life when I did a lot of ignorant things. But hey, thats what life is: You mess up, and you try to become aware. I hope Ive done that. This interview has been edited and condensed. John Travolta portrays John Gotti in the film Gotti Photo: Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films John Travolta and the producers of the John Gotti biopic Gotti would like you to know that contrary to recent reports, the movie didnt get bumped off by its distributor Lionsgate the studio that was said to be canceling Gottis release a mere ten days before its scheduled arrival in theaters on December 15. To use an appropriately mob-centric metaphor, the predicament can be explained another way: The producers made Lionsgate an offer they couldnt refuse. The feature film directorial debut of Entourage star Kevin Connolly, Gotti showcases what is described as a breakout performance by Travolta as the Teflon Don, head of the Gambino crime syndicate that became the racketeering/loansharking/murder-extortion scourge of 80s New York. But because the movie was only set to receive a relatively tiny theatrical release via the studios Lionsgate Premiere division (through which its genre films and day-and-date titles are typically distributed), its producers exercised a buy-back clause in the distribution contract, intent on getting the movie to a wider multiplex audience and giving it an awards-season push. Related Stories See John Travolta and His Various Lace-Front Wigs Star in the Gotti Trailer All these reports are saying the studio dropped Gotti and John Travolta, thats 100 percent false, says the films executive producer Keya Morgan. The studio never dropped it! Lionsgate said, We want this movie. It has Oscar buzz. We had to beg them for it. (Lionsgate did not immediately respond when contacted for comment.) So Lionsgate was persuaded to sell Gotti back to the production company Emmett/Furla/Oasis, which produced the film with Fiore Films and Highland Film Group. About three weeks ago, Travolta claims to have personally sought out a new financier: Edward Walson, a producer of Broadway plays whos also backed such films as Woody Allens Cafe Society and Wonder Wheel. And now the producers say they are close to getting a new distributor that will land Gotti in 1,000 theaters next year. Lionsgate was planning on a minimal release, and I did an investigation into people who might have the interest and financial wherewithal to better release it, Travolta told Deadline. That is the simple explanation for this. It wasnt dropped. It wasnt easy to get Lionsgate to give it up. They said no, twice, and I literally begged them to reconsider and they finally and generously let it go. According to Morgan, the producers are currently negotiating with two studios that are interested in releasing the project with the aim of premiering Gotti at the Cannes Film Festival in May. And he strenuously denied that Lionsgate had decided to back out of releasing the film out of concern for Travoltas long-standing ties to the Church of Scientology or recently unearthed accusations of sexual misconduct. This has nothing to do with any sex scandal at all, Morgan says. This has nothing to do with Scientology. Or Trump. Or Harvey Weinstein! Get over it! We just got more money, its a great film and were putting it in more theaters. If we look at historical developments, it appears the Ayodhya issue was already politicised during the Congress regimes, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, and the right-wing forces only built on to it. By Santosh Chaubey: Ayodhya has changed the political discourse of the country with various events unfolding since 1949, after India started its journey as an independent sovereign nation on August 15, 1947. The right-wing forces are blamed for doing so. But if we look back at historical developments on the issue, it appears the issue was already politicised during the successive Congress regimes, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, and the right-wing forces only built on to it. advertisement It is worth mentioning here that it was during a Congress government, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, that the Babri Masjid was demolished on 6 December, 1992. DECEMBER 22-23, 1949 - RAM LALLA IDOL PLACED: It was done by Abhiram Das and his colleagues, ending over 400 years of status-quo. Though the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was furious at the idol being placed in the Babri Masjid, that finally made it a disputed structure, he could never find time to visit Ayodhya even once. FEBRUARY 19, 1981 - MEENAKSHIPURAM CONVERSIONS: A Tamil Nadu village, Meenakshipuram, saw a mass conversion, and was renamed Rahmat Nagar. It was the beginning of the ascendance of right-wing politics in the country. Talks of Ayodhya and Ram Janmabhoomi to be taken in a mission mode began here. 1984 - THE SHAH BANO CASE: The way Rajiv Gandhi surrendered before the compulsions of minority appeasement and overturned a Supreme Court ruling on a social malaise that was affecting millions of Muslim women, it further sent out a message that the government was ready to go to any extent to save its votebanks. It also sent a powerful message that the government that was so appeasement centric that if it could overturn a historic decision of the top court of the land, it could never be friendly to the interests of the majority. And there were many takers for it. FEBRUARY 1, 1986, ORDER TO UNLOCK THE GATES: Though a local court ordered it, the governments- at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh very complicit and they never thought to challenge it in a higher court.Instead, the padlock was immediately opened after the judge's order who quoted his religious experiences while delivering the judgment. The stand taken shows Rajiv Gandhi had started feeling the pressure of a parallel right-wing political movement taking shape and had chosen the most direct tool to reach out to the masses - religion. 1989 SHILANYAS OF TEMPLE BY VHP: It is said that both the Congress government in Uttar Pradesh and the Centre could have stopped it but their lackadaisical attitude helped the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple on November 10, 1989. advertisement The VHP began a big movement and had already revealed the date but none of the governments took proper legal interest to stall its plans, a failure that emboldened the forces to such an extent that it resulted in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AFTERMATH THAT LED TO BABRI DEMOLITION IN 1992 1989-90 - JAN MORCHA AND MANDAL PROPOSALS: VP Singh, who was the then defence minister, revolted against the Bofors scam and formed a co-alition government in December 1989. He gave us the caste-based affirmative action, the reservation system that we follow today, through the Mandal proposals.ANTI-MANDAL VIOLENCE AND PRESSURE ON VP SINGH: Implementation of the Mandal proposals led to widespread demonstrations and violence. It increased pressure on the VP Singh government to such an extent that he had to go soft on Ayodhya. But he could not reap the Mandal benefits as he was replaced by Chandra Shekhar in November 1990. Chandra Shekhar, who also lasted for only seven months, prompting mid-term elections. It was during the campaigning that Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991.SEPTEMBER 25, 1990: ADVANI KICKS OFF RATHYATRA - THE MANDAL SPIN: The BJP cleverly used the deepening Ayodhya sentiments and the anti-Mandal protests to its advantage. It could make voters believe that it was their right representative in these circumstances. The electoral gains made by the BJP supported it. The party that could win just two seats in the previous Lok Sabha polls in 1984, won 85 seats in 1989. advertisement OCTOBER 30, 1990: Police firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya led to five deaths. Mulayam Singh Yadav was Uttar Pradesh's chief minister. 15 more kar sevaks were killed in police firing on November 2. 1991: While Congress came back to power in June 1991 with a government led by Narasimha Rao, the BJP's also saw its first big political foray in the mainstream. It came to power in five states - Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. It was the beginning of the emergence of a political alternative in India that would make Congress like a regional party in 25 years, as the Congress' situation is now. advertisement DECEMBER 6, 1992: Babri demolition and the aftermath - the riots of December 1992 that engulfed the country. The Bombay riots of December 1992 and January 1993 and subsequent serial blasts in India's financial capital that killed scores. ALSO WATCH | Watch blow-by-blow account of what led to Babri demolition on December 6, 1992 --- ENDS --- Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images A new, expansive report by the New York Times outlines the many ways Harvey Weinstein used his wealth and connections in media, politics, and beyond to hide his alleged history of sexual assault. And within the massive story, Lena Dunham shares an account of attempting to warn the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign about the movie producers reputation, and encouraging the candidate to distance herself from him. After allegedly hearing stories about Weinsteins misconduct through other actresses, Dunham, who was a vocal supporter of Clinton, claims she told Kristina Schake, the campaigns deputy communications director, about his behavior. She recalls telling Schake: I just want you to let you know that Harveys a rapist and this is going to come out at some point. I think its a really bad idea for him to host fund-raisers and be involved because its an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sexual assault. Dunham claims that, after her warning, Schake said she would alert Robby Mook, the campaign manager. She also allegedly warned a Clinton spokeswoman named Adrienne Elrod. It would seem that her alleged warnings did not affect the campaigns relationship with Weinstein, however: Weeks before the election, Weinstein helped organize a celebrity-filled Broadway fundraiser that included appearances from Julia Roberts, Jon Hamm, Hugh Jackman, Neil Patrick Harris, and even Dunham herself. Elrod and Schake have denied to the Times that Dunham ever mentioned rape when discussing Weinstein, and Mook claims he was not alerted to the issue. Dunham was not the only prominent woman mentioned who claims she cautioned Clinton officials about Weinstein. Famed magazine editor Tina Brown told the Times that she warned a member of Clintons inner circle about rumors she had heard during Clintons first run for the presidency in 2008. I was hearing that Harveys sleaziness with women had escalated since I left Talk in 2002 and she was unwise to be so closely associated with him, Brown claims, but a representative from the campaign said no one could recall Browns warning to them. From Describe the Night. Photo: Ahron R. Foster Watching the deliberate, origami-like unfolding of Rajiv Josephs dense and fascinating new play Describe the Night, directed by Giovanna Sardelli at Atlantic Theater Company, I found myself thinking of a tiger. Not the tiger you might expect, meaning the one at the center of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, which earned Joseph wide acclaim and a finalist nod for the 2010 Pulitzer. No I was thinking of the tiger in The Life of Pi, Yann Martels novel about a young Indian boy who survives for 227 days on a raft after a shipwreck, with that great striped beast as his only companion or does he? Late in the novel, Pi offers another version of his story one that involves no tiger, and is devastating, chaotic, and ugly. Which version is true? Pis answer: Which story do you prefer? Which is the better story? Describe the Night is a play about stories, beginning in historical fact and spinning outward like a fractal pattern, with the truth as its seed but something grander than plain truth in its proliferation. The filmmaker Werner Herzog might call it ecstatic truth. Martel might simply call it the better story. Its also a play about Russia. Though with its fixation on the shifting, fog-enshrouded borders between fact and fabrication, corporal and mystical, personal and state-sanctioned truth could it really be about anywhere else? Joseph has an ear for the heartbeat of the moment. American heads are turning toward Russia again, perhaps more and more seriously than ever before. Following on the heels of Belarus Free Theatres incendiary Burning Doors, Describe the Night feels like a vital attempt to hold a mirror up to the former Soviet Union. And since Joseph is an American playwright, its also a mirror in which we might see ourselves. The play begins in a field. A writer sits alone in the dark, perched on a log, an open journal balanced on his knee. A piece of projected text gives us both a fact Poland, 1920 and also something thats not quite a fact, but rather a lens through which to view the coming scene. The first of these: Lies. (Describe the Night is a long play: almost three hours with two intermissions. But it cant and neednt be otherwise Josephs construction is mathematical, methodical. Each act has four scenes, each scene presented distinctly, like chapters in a book, each labeled with the fact of its time and location and a name that turns it into a story.) The writer speaks the plays title aloud to himself: Describe the night. Its a direction, a command of sorts. He puts pen to paper and attempts it. Hes unsatisfied with the result. He tries something else (Describe the air), and then something else (the field). Still unsatisfied. The process is slow, internal, not dreadfully interesting. Its a gutsy beginning for a play, with its blatant lack of drama. Sardelli doesnt rush the tempo. She and Joseph are teaching us this storys rhythm. Here, its still full of breath, weight, and silence. But theres a feeling of inevitability to Describe the Night: Something is being set in motion in this first scene, like dropping a coin into one of those centrifugal contraptions that sit in the lobbies of childrens museums. The path it traces will be slow and broad until gradually, then suddenly, its caught in a blurry, unstoppable spin, ready to drop and disappear. The coin in this case is that journal on the writers lap. The twelves scenes of Describe the Night occur in three distinct time periods (2010, 1989, and a swath of years between 1920 and 1940), and in three different countries (Russia, Poland, and Germany). In almost every scene, that journal reappears. Its author is Isaac Babel, a real-life Soviet writer who was born in the Ukraine in 1894 and who traveled with the Red Army as a wire reporter in the 1920s. That experience gave rise to one of his most famous works, Red Cavalry, and also creates the basis for Josephs first scene. The young man in an army uniform, sitting on a log and fretting over descriptions, is Babel. Describe the Night will in part be his story, and it will be the widening, fractaling story of the people touched by that journal as the century relentlessly unfolds. As Babel, Danny Burstein gives a warm, restrained, and finally moving performance. He shifts gracefully from the diffident, aspiring 24-year-old of the first scene to the suave, successful, borderline-reckless creative sophisticate seen in Moscow in the 1940s. In that dark field in Poland, he meets a fellow soldier the brusque, brutish Nikolai and he maintains a sort of friendship with him over 20 years. Its a perverse, disorienting camaraderie: Nikolai is Nikolai Yezhov, the man who would go on to become the chief of Stalins secret police, the NKVD, overseeing the horrific purges of the late 1930s. The growling Zach Grenier makes Nikolais bullish, violent streak clear enough, but hes most interesting when his cracks start to show like a sullen child who, in the midst of a temper tantrum, is shown something distracting and beautiful and cant resist turning to look. Do the one with the water! he insists to his wife later, urging her to do a fortune-telling parlor trick for which a man like himself should have nothing but repugnance and distrust. The water and the blindfolds! Thats the one that works! Whats true to history (shockingly so) is that Isaac Babel, the Jewish intellectual from Odessa, had an affair with Yezhovs wife Yevgenia. When Yezhov found out, he placed Babel under surveillance, leading to the writers eventual arrest and, in January 1940, execution. Whats true to Rajiv Josephs story is that perhaps these men met while they were still almost boys, fighting in a foreign country, frightened in a field at night. Perhaps something about the writer appealed to the soldier. I cant believe how good at lying you are! Nikolai marvels at Isaac as the latter spins stories to pass the time. For Nikolai, stories and lies are the same thing: True is what happens, he growls. False is what does not happen. Perhaps Nikolai didnt love his wife the sparkling, spiritually inclined Yevgenia, with her penchant for fortune-telling and theatrics. Perhaps he loved his friend more. Killed him, eventually, yes, but loved him too. Or perhaps not, but its a good story. And given the intelligent, playful performances of Describe the Nights ensemble, you want to believe it and the many others Joseph weaves. Tina Benko is especially striking as Yevgenia. She inflects the scenes with Babel and her husband in 1940s Moscow full of playacting, hiding, and dancing around secrets with passing shadows that belie her characters bright, energetic sparkle. And shes even more mesmerizing when we remeet her as an almost-90-year-old woman living in Dresden in 1989 (an age and a place that the real Yevgenia never reached). Benkos old Yevgenia is sly, bent but unbreakable, the flutter of her youth replaced with a wicked sense of humor and latent ferocity that expresses itself most fully in her love for her granddaughter, Urzula. Urzula is Isaacs grandchild, not Nikolais, and in 1989 the talisman of a journal is in her hands. Rebecca Naomi Jones gives a grounded, sharp-eyed performance as a young woman determined to escape the Eastern Bloc no matter what hideous trials she might face along the way. Shes like the heroine of a Russian fairytale, picking her way through the forest, learning as she goes how to be clever and brave, absorbing the wisdom of her ancestors through Yevgenia, through the journal and trading in innocence for enough cold cunning to defeat the trolls. As the chief troll in Urzulas forest Vova, a KGB agent sent to spy on her and prevent her escape to West Germany Max Gordon Moore gives an absolutely chilling performance. Vovas identity is at first a mystery (we watch him change the facts about himself that are kept in one of the thousands of files at the KGB bureau in Moscow), and then the plays biggest, ballsiest twist. (Realistic? No. A good story? Oh, yes.) Suffice to say, Vova becomes someone very, very powerful indeed, and Gordon Moores embodiment of a man who can do anything and yet fears everything a lumbering troll still suffering from being tricked by a little girl in the forest is a terrifying thing to behold. There are more players in Josephs sprawling saga: a Russian reporter and a Polish car-rental clerk who are caught up in the devastating 2010 Smolensk plane crash; a mysterious Moscow landlady with an eye patch and a past. Babels journal touches them all, a book of descriptions lies, says Vova; thoughts, says Isaac winding its way down the centrifuge of time, through 100 years in a country that has called its official newspaper Pravda (Truth) and has covered up massacres and erased people from photographs. The genius of Describe the Night is its recognition of the intellectual overlap between Russias creators and its tyrants: Both understand the power of story. Behold, young Vladimir, an ancient, acidic Nikolai, locked away in the KGB records bureau in 1989, says to Vova. The black magic marker. The most useful tool in all of communism. There is nothing that cannot be eventually crossed out and changed. This is what we are here to do. Wielded by Nikolai, Vova, and the worlds fearful, powerful men, its a terrifying tool indeed. But they are not the only ones holding the pens so are the likes of Isaac Babel and Rajiv Joseph. Whose are the better stories? Describe the Night is at the Atlantic Theater Company through December 24. It has been 25 years since the demolition of Babri Masjid. There has not been a legal outcome to the dispute yet. From what happened on December 6, 1992, to yesterday's hearing of the case at Supreme Court, here is all you need to know about Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case By India Today Web Desk: Yesterday, a day before the 25th anniversary of an event which challenged the secular fabric of our country -- demolition of Babri Masjid - - a special bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer heard the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case at the Supreme Court. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Sunni Waqf Board, told the SC that the matter should be heard by five or seven-judge bench but after the 2019 general election as the issue has been politicised. "Construction of Ram Temple is part of BJP manifesto in 2014, court should not fall into the trap", Sibal said. advertisement The Sunni Waqf board believed that the atmosphere is not conducive to hear the matter. The Supreme Court gave another date for hearing of this case - February 8, 2018. Demolished in 1992 , Babri mosque situated in Ayodhya has always been a controversial dilemma that no one has been able to solve yet. Here is all you need to know about the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute: It boils down to a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The site that is regarded among Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Rama also historically locates Babri Mosque. Now whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque is a question.The conflict of history According to the Hindus, the land on which the Babri mosque was built in 1528 is the 'Ram Janmabhoomi' (birthplace of the god-king Rama). But, Mir Baqi, one of Mughal king Babur's generals, is said to have destroyed a pre-existing temple of Rama and built a mosque called Babri Masjid (Babur's mosque) at the site. Both the communities have worshiped at the "mosque-temple", Muslims inside the mosque and Hindus outside it. However, in 1885 a petition was filed by the the head of the Nirmohi Akhara asking for permission to offer prayers to Ram Lalla inside what was known as the Babri Masjid. The permission was not given but in 1886, district Judge of Faizabad court FEA Chamier gave his verdict and said, "It is most unfortunate that a masjid should have been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to remedy the grievance." It was in 1950 that a local resident Gopal Singh Visharad filed a complaint in the civil courts requesting permission to offer prayers in the mosque where the idols were installed. Court's verdict The Allahabad High Court ruled the disputed land in Ayodhya will be divided into three parts. The 2.77 acres land will be divided between Hindus, Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara. A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha stayed the September 30, 2010 judgment of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court after admitting a batch of appeals from both Hindu and Muslim organisations. The bench considered the verdict by the Allahabad High Court as 'strange' as no party prayed for it. advertisement The Bench said the status quo at the disputed site would remain as directed by the 1994 Constitution Bench and the order passed on March 13-14, 2002. Recent developments - In March, former Chief Justice JS Khehar tried to negotiate a settlement out of court and offered his services as a mediator. - In 2015, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced a nationwide drive to collect stones for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Two trucks of stones arrived in the city and the president of Ram Janam Bhumi Nyas, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das told PTI there was a "signal" from the Modi government to build the temple "now". - However, as Principal Secretary (Home) Devashish Panda had said that the Uttar Pradesh government would not allow arrival of stones in Ayodhya for Ram Mandir. "Since the matter is sub judice, the government will not allow starting of any new tradition regarding Ayodhya issue," he had said. - Now, a day before the 25th anniversary of the demolition of medieval-era structure, Supreme Court has commenced the final hearing of the case . advertisement Timeline of events: 1528: Babri mosque was built on a site which few Hindus claimed that was the birth place of Lord Ram. 1853: First recorded incidents of religious violence at the site. 1859: British colonial administration built a fence to separate the places of worship, allowing the inner court to be used by Muslims and the outer court by Hindus. 1949: Idols of Lord Ram appeared inside the mosque, allegedly placed there by Hindus. Muslims protested against the act and both parties file civil suits. The government marked it as a disputed area and locked it up. 1984: A committee was formed lead by Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) to build a temple in his honour. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani, headed the campaign. 1986: District judge ordered the gates of the disputed area to be opened in order to allow Hindus to worship there. Muslims set up Babri Mosque Action Committee in protest. 1989: VHP laid the foundation of a Ram temple on land adjacent to the disputed mosque. 1990: VHP volunteers partially damaged the mosque. Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar tried to resolve the dispute through negotiations, which failed the next year. 1991: BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh state, where Ayodhya was located. advertisement 1992: Babri mosque was torn down by VHP supporters, the Shiv Sena party and BJP which resulted in riots leading to 2,000 deaths. 1998: BJP formed coalition government under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. 2001: Tensions arose on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. VHP pledged again to build Hindu temple at the site. Jan 2002: Atal Bihari Vajpayee set up an Ayodhya cell in his office and appointed a senior official, Shatrughna Singh, to negotiate with Hindu and Muslim leaders. Feb 2002: BJP backed out from the construction of a temple in its election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. VHP confirmed deadline of 15 March to begin construction. Hundreds of volunteers converged on site. A train returning from Ayodhya carrying Hindu activists was attacked in Godhra and 58 people were killed. Mar 2002: Between 1,000 and 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, died in riots in Gujarat following the train attack. Apr 2002: Three High Court judges began hearings to decide who owned the religious site. Jan 2003: Archaeologists began a court-ordered survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site. Aug 2003: The survey said there was an evidence of a temple beneath the mosque, but Muslims disputed the findings. Mr. Vajpayee, at the funeral of Hindu activist Ramchandra Das Paramhans said that he will fulfill the dying man's wishes and build a temple at Ayodhya. However, he hoped the courts and negotiations will solve the issue. Sept 2003: A court ruled that seven Hindu leaders should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque, but no charges were brought against Mr. Advani, now deputy prime minister, who was also at the site in 1992. Oct 2004: Mr. Advani said his party still had commitment to build a temple at Ayodhya. Nov 2004: Uttar Pradesh court ruled that an earlier order which exonerated Mr. Advani for his role in the destruction of the mosque should be reviewed. July 2005: Suspected Islamic militants attacked the disputed site, using a jeep laden with explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the complex. Security forces killed five people they say are militants, and a sixth who was not immediately identified. June 2009: The Liberhan commission investigated events leading up to the mosque's demolition submitted its report - 17 years after it began its inquiry. Nov 2009: There was uproar in parliament as the Liberhan commission's report is published and it blamed leading politicians from the Hindu nationalist BJP for a role in the mosque's razing. Sept 2010: Allahabad High Court ruled that the site should be divided, with the Muslim community getting control of a third, Hindus another third and the Nirmohi Akhara sect the remainder. Control of the main disputed section, where the mosque was torn down, was given to Hindus. A lawyer for the Muslim community said he will appeal. May 2011: Supreme Court suspended High Court ruling after Hindu and Muslim groups appeal against the 2010 verdict. December, 2014: Mohammad Farooq, the oldest litigant in the case, died. He was one of the seven main Muslim litigants in the 1949 Babri Masjid case. February 26, 2016: The Supreme Court permitted BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to intervene in the pending matters related to the Ayodhya dispute with his plea seeking construction of Ram temple at the site of the demolished disputed structure. March 6, 2017: The apex court with a bench of Justices, Nariman and PC Ghose heard a CBI plea to invoke conspiracy charges against the top politicians but the court indicated that the charges won't be dropped. December 5, 2017: A special bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer heard the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case at the Supreme Court. --- ENDS --- Saibaba and four others were handed down life sentences by a lower court on March 7 this year, while one member of the group got 10 years rigorous imprisonment. GN Saibaba and four others were awarded life sentence on March 7 by a Gadchiroli court. By Meetu Jain: Is GN Saibaba a naxal sympathiser wrongly incarcerated for life by a Gadchiroli court? Or is he taking advantage of being a wheelchair bound paraplegic to escape a life sentence? As the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court gears up to hear his appeal against the verdict today, his supporters and Left leaning intellectuals are drumming up support. advertisement A signature campaign, by many, including teachers of Delhi University where Saibaba taught before his 2014 arrest, and fiery opinion pieces by author Arundhati Roy, letters by Saibaba to his wife are amongst other measures to drum up support or draw attention. So is Saibaba being convicted for merely being a sympathiser or has the State taken the easier way out by ramming down flaky evidence against the professor. Saibaba and four others were handed down life sentences by a lower court on March 7 this year, while one member of the group got 10 years rigorous imprisonment. They were convicted for waging war against the Union under the UAPA Act. Last year in March, Saibaba got bail from the Supreme Court on medical grounds. However, while handing down a life sentence this year, Principal District and Sessions Judge S S Shinde had said, "Merely because Saibaba is 90 per cent disabled is no ground to show him leniency, he is physically handicapped but he is mentally fit, a thinktank and a high-profile leader of banned organisations." The Prosecution had depended on electronic evidence to prove their case. The clincher, according to them was a microchip containing documents from Saibaba to be delivered to naxal commander Narmadakka. While the court debates the merits of the evidence, its curious how the professor took such deep interest in Maoist philosophy. In fact, he's been unable to explain why he chose to attend conferences abroad under a pseudonym, Prakash, instead of his own name. Several terabytes of evidence were seized by the police when they raided his Delhi residence. This included details of the false names he used. Saibaba, who has complained loudly of poor jail conditions and deteriorating health in letters to his wife, which were later made public, had managed to travel abroad frequently despite his disability. Sources from the Intelligence point out that, "In 2008, Saibaba left his job at the Osmania University, Hyderabad, and moved to Delhi, where he joined Ram Lal Anand College as an Assistant Professor in English. Though he had never travelled abroad before his move to Delhi, in the next five years, he made six trips abroad with the average duration of a trip being a fortnight." "In 2008, he travelled to Hong Kong, followed by Europe in 2009. In 2012, he visited Germany in connection with the observance of the 40th Foundation Day of the Communist Party of Turkey-Marxist-Leninist. The same year, in 2012, he also visited Brazil, United States and Greece. advertisement Saibaba participated in all these conferences under the pseudonym Prakash, which was the name found extensively in the documents recovered from his house upon his arrest. Saibaba comes from a humble background and it is obvious that he could not have made these trips from his salary as an Assistant Professor," the source added. Not just abroad, the disability did not hinder the professor from visiting every village in Bastar, by his own admission. Interestingly, after his release, Intelligence officials claim that Saibaba was treated in Care Hospital, Hyderabad in June, 2016. His medical bill of Rs 15-16 lakh was not paid by him. He also claimed that the hospital treated him for free. In fact, it is believed that the treatment was paid in cash by the party from its funds. Watch video | Court gives life sentence to Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba for Maoist links --- ENDS --- BR Ambedkar thoroughly believed in supporting the rights of women, Dalits and labour. Here are some facts about the man known as Father of Indian Constitution. By India Today Web Desk: Father of Indian Constitution, Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, was well-known as a politician, a jurist and an economist. Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 and was India's first independent law and justice minister. Ambedkar had doctorates from London School of Economics and Columbia University and was a great scholar in political science and economics. advertisement BR Ambedkar was also a supporter of equality and that's why he was actively involved in fighting against social discrimination and rights of women and Dalits. His death anniversary falls on December 6 and is celebrated as Mahaparinirvan Din. Here are some facts that you should know about the man who served as a key personality in the development of modern India: Ambedkar's real name was Ambavadekar. BR Ambedkar was the primary architect involved in the making of Indian Constitution. BR Ambedkar, a social reformist, was behind the Dalit Buddhist Movement. In 1956, he even converted his religion to Buddhism to support mass conversions of Dalits. Ambedkar was awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990. BR Ambedkar was the the one to reject the Aryan Invasion theory. According to which, the Shudras were tagged as the lowest possible cast in India's caste system. Ambedkar believed that Shudras were also Aryans and were a part of the Kshatriya class in the Indo-Aryan society. Ambedkar also established central institution Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha when he was practicing law in Bombay High Court. The institution was established to promote education for untouchables ("socially backward" classes), as they used to call them at that point of time. Mahaparinirvan Diwas, the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar, is celebrated in order to honour the work of Dr BR Ambedkar for India's betterment and welfare of the people. BR Ambedkar was the first Dalit to pass matriculation. He was also first Indian to study economics abroad. Ambedkar was the one to think about RBI (Reserve Bank of India). He thought about RBI and presented it to Hilton Young Commission. He also talked about the importance of Indian currency and the problems related to it in his book, the Problem of the Rupee - Its Origin and Its Solution. He also led Mahad satyagraha (1927), three years prior to Dandi March, to establish a point that Dalits are as equal other Indians. He led Dalits who drank water from Chavadar lake, Mahad. By doing this, he wanted to prove that Dalits can drink water from public water sources too. BR Ambedkar strongly condemned Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, according to which, Jammu and Kashmir was given a special status. He refused to draft that part because he believed that it is against the unity of nation. --- ENDS --- An economic development grant traditionally used to recruit factories could be used to redevelop Wacos riverfront with millions of public dollars. But the city of Waco would need to update its policies to allow it to happen. Developers of the Brazos Commons project are seeking a total of $7 million in Chapter 380 business grants, half from the city of Waco and half from the city-county economic development fund. Combining that with downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone funds, the project would get a public subsidy of almost $15 million, including $2 million to relocate Oncor transmission lines. The developers, Joe Beard and Rick Sheldon, are planning an 11-story, full-service Drury Plaza next to Clifton Robinson tower, part of a mixed-use development worth $129 million. They are talking with city officials about a deal that would allow the $3.5 million business grant to be paid over time with reimbursements of city hotel-motel tax and sales tax, rather than with a check up front. The council will vote Dec. 19 to revise its policies on business grants to allow that arrangement and to specify that mixed-use projects are eligible for the grants, Assistant City Manager Bradley Ford said. The Brazos Commons business grant could go to the council for approval in January. In a work discussion Tuesday with the city council, Ford said traditional incentives have been given to factories on the basis of jobs and tax base. Incentivizing a signature downtown development requires a different way of thinking, he said. The metrics become more about quality and the implementation of a development plan, Ford said. In terms of the riverfront, the hotel has to be full-service. With the performance criteria, you start dealing a lot more with quality. The Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. would also provide a $3.5 million business grant, but that doesnt involve a tax reimbursement, so Ford said the corporations policies would not have to be adjusted. Still, the request has drawn some questioning from McLennan County commissioners. The county and city split the cost of incentives from the economic development corporation, which is headed by County Judge Scott Felton, Waco City Manager Dale Fisseler and Waco Industrial Foundation official Bill Clifton. The three-member board has already recommended the Brazos Commons incentive. At a Nov. 7 meeting, commissioners Kelly Snell and Will Jones raised questions about whether funding a hotel development should be the priority of the city-county fund. Jones noted that Brazos Commons has already received a pledge of $7.9 million in local property tax money through the downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone. But Felton said in an interview that he is optimistic about the funding. I think we will have it back on the agenda on the 19th with a little more thorough presentation on it, Felton said. There were some legitimate questions, but if those questions got answers I think the court would support it. If this were just a hotel by itself, I could see the objection, but this is a transformational project, not just a hotel. He said Greater Waco has a shortage of high-quality hotel rooms, and increasing the supply could even help the countys Extraco Events Center. When you understand who owns show horses, they can very much afford high-end hotel rooms, he said. We need to have lower-cost rooms and higher-cost rooms. Kris Collins, senior vice president for economic development at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, said the Brazos Commons project represents a major economic development opportunity. In an interview Tuesday, she noted that other retail and hotel projects have received local incentives of various kinds, including the Waco Hilton, Central Texas Marketplace and Lake Air Center. I think once commissioners are able to see the full scope of this project, hopefully theyll have a better level of comfort with it, Collins said. Brazos Promenade The Brazos Commons project is immediately adjacent to another signature riverfront project, called Brazos Promenade, that is just getting started on city-owned land with significant public incentives. In addition to the value of the land, Catalyst Urban Development, the citys chosen developer for that site, is seeking up to $2.9 million in Chapter 380 business grants from the city. It has already received a pledge of up to $20.2 million in TIF funds, but it now appears the actual amount of TIF funds could be significantly lower. At the council meeting, staff members said the city-led environmental cleanup and demolition project may cost far less than the $8 million budgeted through the TIF pledge. They said state regulators appear to be willing to allow the city to remove only about 10,000 cubic yards of soil and debris, saving more than $6 million. That savings would be returned to the TIF coffers. I think this is most exciting thing on our agenda today, Councilman Jim Holmes said. I dont want to jinx it by talking about it. But for this to be a fraction of what were thinking about is amazing. Ford said the Brazos Promenade project could get environmental clearance by February, have a development agreement and lease with the city by spring and be ready for construction late in 2018. Gasoline prices likely will rise in 2018, bolstered by OPECs vow to continue curtailing oil production, falling inventories and rising oil prices in the wake of an improving global economy, according to industry observers. Local gasoline prices are getting a jump on projections, standing a nickel above what they were a week earlier and continuing to increase between Monday and Tuesday, GasBuddy.com petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said by phone Tuesday. Discussing national trends, DeHaan wrote in his weekly report that next year is looking ominous because the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other non-OPEC producers have agreed to extend through 2018 their pledge to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day, a move meant to eliminate excess oil in storage. U.S. oil inventories are already 100 million barrels lower than they were last year as a result of belt-tightening, leading 2017s yearly average gas price to close out at the highest level since 2014, DeHaan wrote. Even after falling 3.5 cents the past week, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded was hovering at about $2.46 Monday. Prices locally have stabilized, having dipped and increased fractionally in recent days. On Tuesday, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded stood at $2.18, up from $2.15 a month earlier, according to GasBuddy.com. DeHaan said the fall in prices nationally does not necessarily reflect market conditions normally seen this time of year. He said oil distribution problems in the Midwest, specifically in states near the Great Lakes region, caused prices to increase. They are falling with the completion of repairs. Motorists should enjoy the falling prices now because it is likely they may again rise approaching the new year, as oil prices continue to show strength, DeHaan said. The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude is hovering at about $58, he said. Late in the day Tuesday, after DeHaan released his report, Oilprice.com revealed the American Petroleum Institute was reporting a large draw of 5.481 million barrels of United States crude oil inventories for the week ending Dec. 1, while analysts had expected a drawdown of 3.507 million barrels. The news may improve the mood of investors who were disappointed OPECs decision to continue its production curtailment did not immediately lift oil prices, according to the report. The API also reported a massive build of gasoline inventories totaling 9.2 million barrels during the week ending Friday. Analysts had predicted a much smaller build of 1.14 million barrels, according to Oilprice.com. This weeks unexpectedly large build in gasoline inventories is likely to put downward pressure on oil prices, according to the report. Karr Ingham, an Amarillo-based economist who prepares a monthly snapshot of local trends and also serves as petroleum economist for the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said he could see gasoline prices rising 15 to 20 cents in 2018, not enough to create problems for what he considers a generally solid local economy. Rising gasoline prices could prove challenging to individual families, Ingham said. But overall, economic trends locally are on the upswing, with employment and construction showing improvement. President Trump has proposed cutting corporate taxes from 35 percent to 20 percent, which could create economic expansion that pushes gas prices higher, Ingham said. He said he supports the measure. I dont say that as a politician. I dont care who wins. Frankly, I would prefer a 10 percent flat tax, with exemptions for those with wages on the lower end, Ingham said. But I believe tax cuts can serve to stimulate the economy. True, a growing economy also creates upward pressure on oil and gas prices, but it also creates opportunity. Todd Stoner, founder of Disciplined Investors in Waco, said a synchronized global expansion is creating increased demand for petroleum products. Virtually every foreign economy, as well as that of the United States, is enjoying economic growth, Stoner said. The stock market, which steamed past the 24,000 threshold this week, likes the tax cuts and the economic growth they portend, Stoner said. Corporate profits are on pace to increase 10 percent this year, he said. These bullish indicators could mean higher prices for crude oil and gasoline, Stoner said. But OPEC does not want prices to go too high, he said. That could cause the U.S. and other countries to step up their drilling. Despite recent increases, AAA Texas expects prices to dip through the end of the year, according to a press release. While AAA does expect gas prices to decline between now and the end of the year, motorists will still pay the highest November and December gas prices since 2014, the press release states. The statewide average is 34 cents higher than it was one year ago. Gasoline prices will trend lower early in 2018, but OPECs decisions to further cut or keep production rates stable will influence longer-term forecasts for the year, according to the press release. Attorneys for three bikers arrested after the Twin Peaks shootout are seeking evidence they claim is being withheld by McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reynas office. Attorneys for William Chance Aikin, Jorge Daniel Salinas and Billy Jason McRee all filed motions Tuesday asking judges to order the DAs office to disclose additional evidence, including evidence previously withheld and not disclosed until the middle of Dallas Bandidos chapter President Jacob Carrizals trial, which ended in a mistrial last month. Seizing on motions filed by other attorneys, the lawyers allege current and former members of Reynas staff have cooperated, and possibly still are cooperating, in a reported federal investigation of Reyna on allegations that he showed favoritism to friends and campaign donors for political gain. The motions filed Tuesday allege Reynas top assistant, Michael Jarrett, prosecutor Amanda Dillon, and former Reyna staff members Greg Davis and Julissa West have been providing information to an Austin-based FBI agent investigating Reyna and that the staff members are withholding evidence that supports the defenses claim that Reyna decided to arrest 177 bikers en masse to further his political career. The motions allege Jarrett has said he plans to write a book about Twin Peaks and has secretly recorded conversations with Reyna that the attorneys say could be relevant to their defense. The motions seek disclosure of his notes for his reported book and the alleged recordings. Also, Assistant District Attorney Sterling Harmon has said in a letter that he has at least two documents that contain notations that cases were dismissed by the McLennan County District Attorneys Office simply because the defendant was a political supporter of Abel Reyna, the motions contend. Mr. Salinas firmly believes that he is the victim of Mr. Reynas ethically-blinding political ambition, that the Constitution and law of the United States and of the State of Texas dictate he be allowed to present such evidence and argument to the jury, and that members of the McLennan County District Attorneys Office, including Mr. Harmon, Ms. Dillon and Mr. Jarrett, are suppressing evidence that will support this contention, the motion filed by Fort Worth attorney Brian Bouffard states. Reyna, Jarrett, Dillon and Harmon did not return phone messages left at their office Tuesday. Dallas attorney Clint Broden, who represents former biker Matthew Clendennen, expected to solicit testimony about many of the accusations at a hearing last month. However, Visiting Judge Douglas Shaver cut him off and disallowed the testimony of the witnesses, whom Broden had subpoenaed and who were in attendance at the hearing. Broden filed a document Tuesday offering proffers of what he expected the witnesses to say had they been able to testify. The information in Brodens filings and those of the three other attorneys is similar, including allegations that Reyna dismissed cases for friends and donors in exchange for political donations. The filings contend that former Waco police Detective Sherry Kingrey would have testified that she received information about the organizers of an alleged illegal gambling operation who are close friends with Reyna and who made under the table contributions to him in exchange for political favors. The motions state that she reported the information to an FBI agent investigating Reyna and that another agent told her the FBI was able to confirm the information she had provided them in furtherance of its public corruption investigation of Mr. Reyna. According to the motions, Kingrey believes the FBI investigation of Reyna is ongoing. Kingrey reviewed Reynas phone records from the day of the Twin Peaks shootout, May 17, 2015. She determined Reyna made three phone calls within 90 minutes of the shootout. Of those calls, two were to persons she had been investigating for running an illegal gambling operation and providing Mr. Reyna undocumented campaign contributions, the court documents state. No hearing dates have been set for these motions, which were filed in 19th State District Court and 54th State District Court. Waco police are warning of a man suspected of following residents from local banks and breaking into their cars in hopes of finding newly withdrawn money left behind. Residents have reported at least two vehicle burglaries after being followed from a bank, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said in a press release. Waco police are working with another local agency investigating a similar burglary, Swanton said. In that case, a school employee reported her vehicle was broken into after she returned to work from the bank on her lunch break. She was followed by a black vehicle, Swanton said. Each of the burglaries have happened around noon, he said. "We are encouraging our citizens to be vigilant and constantly aware of their surroundings," Swanton said. "We also advise if you believe that youre being followed to go to a safe place and immediately dial 911." No arrests had been made Wednesday. Billie was born on July 30, 1928, in Nacogdoches, Texas. She spent her early years in Bangs, Frankston, and Baytown, Texas. She was a 1946 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown. Billie met her husband, Bob, in Spanish class, her sophomore year while attending Baylor University. She graduated from Baylor in 1950 with a BS in Biology. Upon graduation, she completed her post-graduate work in Medical Technology at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas. Billie and Bob married in Baytown, Texas, on June 29, 1951, and lived there until they moved to Houston in 1954. After 63 years in Houston, Billie and Bob returned to Waco, the place where they first met. Prior to becoming a mother, Billie worked as a medical technologist; she later returned to the medical field and retired in 1987. She joined Tallowood Baptist Church in 1963, where she served as a Sunday School teacher and participated in medical mission trips to Mexico. Billie enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and abroad. Her most treasured trips were those spent with family and friends in Rocky Mountain National Park. Cruising later became her passion as it was a perfect way to combine her love of family and travel. Flolyn Laura Naegelin, 76, of Woodway passed away December 1, 2017 surrounded by loved ones following a long battle with cancer. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at St. Jerome Catholic Church with Fr. Rakshaganathan Selvaraj and Fr. Cyril Ejaidu as Co-Celebrants with Deacon Rae Carter assisting. Visitation will be 6 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7, at OakCrest Funeral Home, followed at 8 p.m. with a Vigil Service led by Deacon Greg George. Flo was born January 31, 1941 in San Antonio, TX to Millard Davidson and Doris Pearl (Cheetham) Alexander. She graduated from Alamo Heights High School and Trinity University in San Antonio. Flo married Clinton Franklin Naegelin, the love of her life, in 1964. He pre-deceased her in 1987. They had one son, Clinton Charles Naegelin. She taught at schools in San Antonio, TX and Kansas City, MO.She was a member of St. Jerome Parish and actively volunteered at Providence Health Care Center in Waco. Flo was a very faithful and hopeful Christian. She was formerly a member of Sweet Adenines in Chicago and Houston. Flo was a wonderful wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend. Endeared to and by everyone she met, Flo cared for others more than herself. With St. Francis as her patron saint, she loved all animals and especially Bubba, Henry, Snuggy and Turbo. By PTI: Mayor Amritsar, Dec 6 (PTI) The British government should apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today, calling it a tragedy one "must never forget". Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday, paid a rich tribute to those who died in Jallianwala Bagh incident. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Our thoughts are with all those who died. advertisement "It is time for the British government to finally apologise. The tragedy in 1919 on the eve of Vaisakhi is one we must never forget," Khan wrote in the visitors book at the Jallianwala Bagh here. The massacre took place on April 13, 1919 when British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, opened fire at a crowd of unarmed people, on the harvest festival of Baisakhi. A large number of people died in the incident. The former British Prime Minister David Cameron, during his 2013 visit to Jallianwala Bagh, also condemned the tragedy and described it as a "deeply shameful incident" in British history. However, he stopped short of making any official apology. Wrapping up his first official tour to India, the London Mayor, earlier today, also paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Golden Temple. During his visit, he participated in langar at the Golden Temple complex and showed keen interest in knowing how the food is prepared. Khan was also presented with a Siropa (robe of honour) by officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). "It has been a privilege for me to be in Amritsar for the last 24 hours. The Golden Temple is a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Londoners of the Sikh faith and millions of Sikhs around the world come to Amritsar to pay their respects to worship," he said while talking to the reporters. Also, sharing the same sentiments on the visitors book of the Golden Temple, he wrote: " The warmth, hospitality , spirituality are a lesson to us all. Thank you for providing me with memories that will stay with me forever". On Tuesday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh hosted a dinner for the London Mayor in Amritsar. Khan, who was on a three-city tour to India, visited New Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to strengthen the UKs capital trade ties with India. PTI CORR CHS SUN MG MG --- ENDS --- Eschew obfuscation. It was everywhere in the 1960s: desktop paperweights, wall plaques and nearly every college dorm-room poster in some form or fashion. If its an unknown phrase today, then the word unequivocal should clarify its meaning. Or avoid Orwellian double-speak. In short, tell the truth. Do not obfuscate or equivocate or double-talk. Say what you mean and mean what you say. The Republican Party has mastered obfuscation. They have for years promoted the false economic theory that cutting taxes for the wealthy, increasing spending and growing the deficit is good for the American people. Spend money that we do not have. Dont worry. Itll all work out. Believe us. Weve got this theory, you see. Its just like in my personal finances around that kitchen table Republicans are always talking about. When I run low on income, I put more and more on my credit cards. Why? Because using my credit will increase my monthly paycheck. Right? If Congress will only cut taxes and increase spending on military and infrastructure and a border wall, then Americans will take that tax cut and invest it in new resources. So, for example, if I get a tax cut of $500, I will immediately call my investment adviser and ask for help in how to make a balanced investment of my tax savings. And, of course, whatever ones tax saving is $100, $200 and so on all taxpayers will line up to see their investment advisers in order to make America great again. This scenario is obfuscation in its purest form. To add to it, Congress also wants to cut corporate income taxes. And since corporations are basically individuals, we know they will also invest their tax savings for the good of America. And corporate investors, including share holders, will gladly refuse any tax cuts as dividends in order for the corporation to invest in itself. If all this rambling sounds confusing, welcome to obfuscation. For years, the Better Business Bureau and Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce have warned consumers that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true. Sadly, the Republican Party all the way back to Ronald Reagan has peddled this false idea into the American consciousness. Increase deficits (at least under Republicans): double, triple, whatever. Its good for all Americans. However, its important to note, few economists support so-called supply-side economics as a valid economic theory. All my life growing up I was taught, as were many others, that I do not buy things for which I cannot pay. If I cannot pay for it, then I do without. The only exception is for necessities such as housing and transportation. But even here, I do not get more than I need or borrow more than I can repay. In this season of good cheer, the message of Republican lawmakers, now quietly hammering out little differences between House and Senate tax-cut bills to the approval of our president, is spend, worry not. Put it all on your credit cards. Get whatever you want. And in January when the bills come due, you will be rich. There will be plenty of money to pay all the bills. And you will still be rich 10 or 15 years from now. Or perhaps not. Meanwhile, lets learn the meaning of the other word in the phrase eschew. It worked well in the 1960s. Maybe it will work again. Speculation about how long Donald Trump will last as president has been rampant since spring. By summer it was quite clear that: a) Trump was not going to grow up in office; and b) the best staffing in the world would not be able to make him even a mediocre president. Yes, constitutional checks and balances still work, but that is cold comfort when so many officials and analysts are talking so casually about war with North Korea. The past week sparked anew frenzied cries the president is seriously unwell and therefore something must be done. His reported conviction that it wasnt him on the Access Hollywood tape, in which he is recorded making crass comments about women, bordered on the delusional. The plea deal with former national security adviser Michael Flynn reminded everyone of the legal threats at Trumps chamber door. The Senate passed a garbage tax bill as Trumps Gallup poll numbers plummeted. The White Houses orchestrated leaks about Rex Tillersons departure, clearly designed to shame him into stepping down, seemed redundant since by now nothing can shame Tillerson more than the job he has done as secretary of state. So its no surprise some hope the Mueller investigation will bring Trump down, or that the president will eat himself into a coronary. It is certainly possible that these things will happen. As someone who has vehemently opposed Trump for years, however, I hope they do not. Its not that I believe the Mueller investigation to be a fruitless endeavor. In a little more than six months, the special counsel has managed to indict Trumps former campaign manager and reach a plea deal with Trumps first national security adviser. The more malfeasance Mueller and his team exposes, the better. He has done a far better job of draining the swamp than the president of the United States. Still, if Trump is forced out by constitutional-but-unprecedented means, I fear the repercussions. Consider the 25th Amendment. As Ezra Klein observes in a Vox article making the case for impeachment, no less removing Trump this way would lead to all kinds of blowback: Imagine that Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet did compel Trump to undergo psychiatric evaluation. And imagine the psychiatrist did return a diagnosis of some kind, be it early-stage dementia or narcissistic personality disorder ... The vote is taken, and Trump is removed from office. To many of Trumps supporters and perhaps many of his opponents this would look like nothing less than a coup; the swamp swallowing the man who sought to drain it. Imagine the Breitbart headlines, the Fox News chyrons. And would they truly be wrong? This also undercuts Kleins argument for a lower threshold for impeachment. If Trump was removed from office that way, the political blowback would be the same. Regardless, in contrast to the 25th Amendment, impeaching and removing Trump from office remains a true hypothetical. In this polarized age, the only way Trump would be removed from office is if Democrats win 67 seats in the Senate. That wont happen anytime soon. For Trump to lose properly, it must be at the ballot box. Trump has to run for re-election and be repudiated by American voters. He has to lose the popular vote again, get trounced in the Electoral College and see his party pay the consequences of backing the most ignorant, illiberal president in modern American history. Jacob T. Levy knows a lot about constitutional democracy, and he makes a powerful case of the need for a political over a legal solution to Trumps failures as a leader: Law aims at certainty, the definitive and correct protection of those who hold rights against those who would violate or undermine them. Politics offers no such certainties. Even at its best it is a domain of contestable judgments that never stop being contested. There is no final settlement; there is always another election. Liberals worry about majoritarianism and think law can, as politics cannot, protect individuals and minorities from it. We imagine that constitutional settlements can tame politics, confining it within the boundaries of law, ensuring that it complies with justice and respects rights. But they cant. . . . The current administration shows why the defense of freedom and of the liberal society cant be an exclusively legal concern. Rules can be manipulated and danced around by the powerful. Legal proceedings are much slower than changes in political circumstances. And executive power is in its nature somewhat lawless. John Locke described executive prerogative as necessary in any system that separated the executive and legislative powers, and defined it as the power to act according to discretion, for the public good, without the prescription of the law, and sometimes even against it.. . . If the independent executive cannot be successfully bound by law, then there is nothing else for it but politics. ... We need to understand the defense of the liberal society as a political project, one that is dependent on political resources from motivations for popular mobilization to organizational capacity to institutional counterbalances. ... The liberal order of free and open commerce, of religious liberty and freedom of speech and the press, and of rule-of-law constraints on state arbitrariness and violence requires strong political foundations; while law is a crucial part of that order, it cant pull itself up by its own bootstraps. The liberal society needs an electorate, and elected officials, who are willing and able to stand up for it. The best way for Trump and Trumpism to be repudiated is through democratic and not merely legal means. If Doug Jones defeats Roy Moore in Alabama despite a presidential endorsement, that represents a blow to Trump . If the GOP loses badly in the midterms despite a healthy economy, that is an even bigger repudiation. Electing Trump twice would be national suicide. If the United States has any chance at regaining its bearings as the greatest constitutional democracy in the world, the populist in chief must be revealed as genuinely unpopular. And it has to happen at the ballot box. Given the challenges facing several academically struggling Waco Independent School District campuses, the best news school board members couldve gotten came last week when Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson revealed that, in the wake of community meetings, the district has seen a spike in volunteers willing to help. To our thinking, this should not only impress others to do likewise but further encourage the partnership Waco ISD has developed with the Texas Education Agency. Individuals are raising their hands to volunteer in our schools, Nelson told the board. A host of businesses are coming forward to provide incentives for our students. In fact, we have nearly 200 more active volunteers today than we did at the end of the school year last year. Were trying to create a movement and this movement is focused on saving our community schools. Nelson stressed that Waco ISD is also consulting with local nonprofits to better understand their expertise and how they can help. School officials are researching best practices at other inner-city districts across the state on such matters as single-gender campuses and grade configuration. All of this should lend some momentum as the district pursues a $450,000 state grant to help with plans to keep open five schools marked for possible closure due to flagging test scores. Yet news of a swelling of community volunteers eager to help the district is especially encouraging a Christmas present to the district and a harbinger of hope for 2018. It suggests a certain community engagement with this crisis is evolving. If Alta Vista Elementary School, Brook Avenue Elementary School, J.H. Hines Elementary School, G.W. Carver Middle School and Indian Spring Middle School falter again in academic testing this spring, the district must then take extraordinary measures to prevent those schools from state-ordained closure. And some in the surrounding neighborhoods may not relish those final options. Superintendent Nelson recently touched on the need of community volunteers to stay the course rather than showing up to help once or twice, then going AWOL. It was a key concern that Peaches Henry, president of the NAACPs local chapter, pressed on friends and neighbors at a community meeting in October, even as she acknowledged how past differences have sometimes hindered community volunteers in working with the district. We as a community need to set a standard for ourselves, she said. I no longer have a child in Waco ISD. However, I am committed to being in that school that needs me. And when I say that, we have got to devote the time. We have to say, I can give two hours every week, and every week at that time you have got to be there. Thats what these children need us to do, and if we cannot support them, then well be here again. Noble and important words. Yet these come amid other words evoking a sense of deja vu about this dilemma. Both time and opportunities are running out for second and third chances for struggling neighborhood schools. Their success or failure will either embolden or indict the neighborhoods that now surround them. Person of the Year A special thank-you goes to Waco Today editor Ken Sury and staff for the superb story on the magazines Person of the Year, Mission Waco executive director and Church Under the Bridge pastor Jimmy Dorrell. Mr. Dorrell devotes his life to all people, especially the poor and needy. As Jesus said in Matthew 9:12, It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. Rev. Dorrell deserves his front-cover recognition and generous write-up inside for his deep dedication and far-reaching contributions to mankind and our community, including ways we can all help address poverty. I thank the Tribune-Herald for choosing this great innovator and tireless worker for the kingdom of God. Dana D. Phillips, Robinson Whats left unsaid At times, what is not said reveals more than what is spoken. In conjunction with opening a new facility in Waco, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (headquartered in Austin) produced a five-minute video about their services in Waco. You would think that an organization that dominates a particular facet of womens health would spotlight this fact. This did not happen. Neither the word abortion nor the euphemism of abortion care was mentioned in the promotional video. PPGT did not neglect abortion when they designed their new facility. The abortion wing is 3,000 square feet and over a third of the building. Planned Parenthood must play down abortion because so many Central Texans abhor the thought of aborting pre-born babies and the devastating aftermath for so many mothers. Like defenders of pre-born babies, Planned Parenthood supporters realize that Central Texans will never accept abortion in their midst. John Pisciotta, Pro-Life Waco director Barton gone wild! Has America become Sodom and Gomorrah on a bad day? Women coming out of the woodwork accusing Hollywood and political leaders as sexual predators! Republican Rep. Joe Barton now a nude pinup! Makes you lose your lunch! From the president on down, I must ask: What is this country coming to? Men abusing women and out of control! Men gone wild! Meg Hillert, Dallas Okie angst I am a native of Oklahoma, which is among the reddest of states. My great-great-grandparents were forced from Morgan County, Alabama, to Haskell County of the Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma, on the Trail Where They Cried, better known as the Trail of Tears. I migrated to Waco in 1968 for opportunity. Your disdain for native Oklahomans is painfully evident by your incessant, embarrassing reminders in the form of political epistles from John Vickrey, now living in Norman, Oklahoma. What do you have against us? The Comanche raids on Central Texas ended long ago. Ernie Wilson, Waco ASHLAND Yoga fans rejoice! A new yoga studio has opened in Ashland. Dene Oglesby celebrated the grand opening of Ashlands first space dedicated solely to yoga, meditation and wellness with an open house on Dec. 1. Her new storefront at 1427 Silver Street in downtown contains not just a yoga studio, but also an inviting entryway, a yoga library, a prop room and a kitchen area. It is a dream realized for Oglesby, who has been practicing yoga for 16 years and teaching for eight. Yoga, which originated in ancient India, refers to a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines. There are several different types of yoga. Its kind of been my dream for seven years to have a yoga studio with a $5 drop-in, Oglesby said. That kind of studio is not feasible in Omaha or Lincoln, where Oglesby previously lived and worked. But after moving to Ashland two years ago, she realized that the lower rents in the smaller community could make it possible. Oglesby was attracted to the beauty of Ashlands historic downtown right away. When we moved here to Ashland, my goal was to get a spot on the main drag of Silver Street, she said. However, she did not initially plan to open her own studio so soon. This is two years ahead of what we thought, she said. When the space at 1427 Silver Street opened up after Wants and Needs closed, Oglesby couldnt pass up the opportunity. She and her husband, Paul Callahan, and other family members worked together to get the studio ready. The open space needed little work just a bit of cleaning and the addition of some decorations and a few furnishings. Oglesby had been teaching yoga classes three mornings a week at First Position Dance Studio since May. Now that she has her own studio, she can offer classes six days a week. The schedule includes daily classes every weekday morning and two afternoons. She also has Saturday morning classes. Private and semi-private sessions are also offered. The schedule may expand in the near future. So many people are asking for additional morning and evening classes, she said. Oglesby not only has a $5 drop-in fee, but also provides one- or two-month rates for yoga classes. There are separate charges for special events and workshops, which Oglesby has already incorporated into her schedule. In December, the schedule includes Introduction to Meditation on Dec. 10, Restorative Yoga on Dec. 17 and a Kids Yoga class on Dec. 23. She began her professional career as a teacher with a masters degree in French literature. So teaching yoga is a natural step for Ogelsby. Its nice to translate those skills to something I really enjoy and has a direct way to help people, she said. The first yoga class Oglesby attended was a hot yoga class at One Tree Yoga in Omaha that lasted 90 minutes. Hot yoga is an intense form of yoga that is performed in a room that is heated to 105 degrees F. I had no idea what I was walking into, she said. Despite her naivete, Oglesby fell in love with hot yoga, and yoga in general. Yoga has continued to grow and been a constant theme for me wherever Ive been living or whatever Ive been doing professionally, she said. Later, a friend suggested Oglesby teach yoga. She received her 200-hour Registered Yoga Trainer (RYT) certification in 2013 and recently started working towards a 500-hour RYT certification. Eventually, yoga became not only a hobby, but a career. She began teaching at the YMCA in Lincoln, at Campus Rec on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and later managed the studio at the Lincoln Yoga Center. That process solidified for me that I wanted to have my own space, she said. Oglesby plans to make Thornwood Yoga Studio a registered yoga school, one of the reasons why she is obtaining the 500-hour RYT certification. Down the road she would like to bring more instructors to her studio. Well probably be looking at hiring yoga teachers next year, she said. Teaching allows Oglesby to share her passion for yoga, and the benefits it can have for those who practice the discipline, something she learned as she began her teacher training in 2010. I felt passionate about having yoga not just be for fitness, she said. Oglesby is also focused on making yoga available for all. I want yoga to be accessible to everyone, both financially and physically, she said. For more information, go to Oglesbys website, www.thornwoodyoga.com, or her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThornwoodYoga/. Thornwood Yoga Studio ASHLAND Yoga fans rejoice! A new yoga studio has opened in Ashland. Dene Oglesby celebrated the grand opening of Ashlands first space dedicated solely to yoga, meditation and wellness with an open house on Dec. 1. Her new storefront at 1427 Silver Street in downtown contains not just a yoga studio, but also an inviting entryway, a yoga library, a prop room and a kitchen area. It is a dream realized for Oglesby, who has been practicing yoga for 16 years and teaching for eight. Yoga, which originated in ancient India, refers to a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines. There are several different types of yoga. Its kind of been my dream for seven years to have a yoga studio with a $5 drop-in, Oglesby said. That kind of studio is not feasible in Omaha or Lincoln, where Oglesby previously lived and worked. But after moving to Ashland two years ago, she realized that the lower rents in the smaller community could make it possible. Oglesby was attracted to the beauty of Ashlands historic downtown right away. When we moved here to Ashland, my goal was to get a spot on the main drag of Silver Street, she said. However, she did not initially plan to open her own studio so soon. This is two years ahead of what we thought, she said. When the space at 1427 Silver Street opened up after Wants and Needs closed, Oglesby couldnt pass up the opportunity. She and her husband, Paul Callahan, and other family members worked together to get the studio ready. The open space needed little work just a bit of cleaning and the addition of some decorations and a few furnishings. Oglesby had been teaching yoga classes three mornings a week at First Position Dance Studio since May. Now that she has her own studio, she can offer classes six days a week. The schedule includes daily classes every weekday morning and two afternoons. She also has Saturday morning classes. Private and semi-private sessions are also offered. The schedule may expand in the near future. So many people are asking for additional morning and evening classes, she said. Oglesby not only has a $5 drop-in fee, but also provides one- or two-month rates for yoga classes. There are separate charges for special events and workshops, which Oglesby has already incorporated into her schedule. In December, the schedule includes Introduction to Meditation on Dec. 10, Restorative Yoga on Dec. 17 and a Kids Yoga class on Dec. 23. She began her professional career as a teacher with a masters degree in French literature. So teaching yoga is a natural step for Ogelsby. Its nice to translate those skills to something I really enjoy and has a direct way to help people, she said. The first yoga class Oglesby attended was a hot yoga class at One Tree Yoga in Omaha that lasted 90 minutes. Hot yoga is an intense form of yoga that is performed in a room that is heated to 105 degrees F. I had no idea what I was walking into, she said. Despite her naivete, Oglesby fell in love with hot yoga, and yoga in general. Yoga has continued to grow and been a constant theme for me wherever Ive been living or whatever Ive been doing professionally, she said. Later, a friend suggested Oglesby teach yoga. She received her 200-hour Registered Yoga Trainer (RYT) certification in 2013 and recently started working towards a 500-hour RYT certification. Eventually, yoga became not only a hobby, but a career. She began teaching at the YMCA in Lincoln, at Campus Rec on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus and later managed the studio at the Lincoln Yoga Center. That process solidified for me that I wanted to have my own space, she said. Oglesby plans to make Thornwood Yoga Studio a registered yoga school, one of the reasons why she is obtaining the 500-hour RYT certification. Down the road she would like to bring more instructors to her studio. Well probably be looking at hiring yoga teachers next year, she said. Teaching allows Oglesby to share her passion for yoga, and the benefits it can have for those who practice the discipline, something she learned as she began her teacher training in 2010. I felt passionate about having yoga not just be for fitness, she said. Oglesby is also focused on making yoga available for all. I want yoga to be accessible to everyone, both financially and physically, she said. For more information, go to Oglesbys website, www.thornwoodyoga.com, or her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThornwoodYoga/. WAHOO The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) released statewide assessment scores for math, science and English language arts Dec. 1, and English language arts scores are down across the area. English Language Arts is a new, more rigorous assessment that replaced reading and writing assessments last year and measures to a standard of college and career readiness, according to the NDE. Area schools are still trying to process the assessments. Wahoo Public Schools Director of Learning Josh Snyder said it is difficult to compare test scores from previous assessments to the most recent one because they are two different tests. The scoring metrics have changed for the test, the rigor has increased and the benchmark of proficiency has been replaced by passing, which translates to categories of being on track for a four-year college, or college and career ready, he said. And that increase in rigor is evident in the test results. The states combined results for all grades tested in English language arts were at 51 percent proficiency. Comparably, Wahoo Public Schools is at 60 percent proficiency, Mead is at 49 percent, East Butler is at 44 percent, Yutan is at 51 percent, Raymond Central students are at 51 percent and Cedar Bluffs is at 36 percent. We need to do better. The state saw that language arts and reading dropped for everyone. But when looking at the state standards we are already putting together a good plan for next year, said Cedar Bluffs Superintendent Harlan Ptomey. Grades three through eight are tested in English language arts for the state assessment for the average. Ptomey said Cedar Bluffs is making adjustments in the areas that tested weak for them, including special education. Were hiring in a few different positions to bolster what were trying to do. We need help in the SPED department and its a high priority, Ptomey said. Cedar Bluffs proficiency in math was down slightly at 59 percent. Science was up from last years 48 percent mark to 63 this year. Students need time to adapt to those increased ELA standards, said Raymond Central Superintendent Derrick Joel. The drop in scores primarily on the English language arts test is the result of higher expectations from the district, state and national level, and was a new test for the 2016-2017 school year, he said. To address the need for growth areas, Raymond Central is committed to continuous improvement and implementing new curriculum materials with much more rigorous objectives in K through eight. Raymond Central students did well in mathematics, with 73 percent of students meeting proficiency standards, and 81 percent of students in science. Mead Public Schools Principal P.J. Quinn said the main thing is to expose students to the new items and types of questions to fit the standard. Quinn is optimistic that the change in standards will be handled by all schools. When standards have changed in the past, there has always been a drop in scoring through the transition. Schools will do a good job of meeting the needs for their kids on assessments, Quinn said. Snyder said schools are adjusting to a holistic approach by helping kids learn whats on the varying tests without teaching to the test. Wahoos math score went up from 84 percent to 86 percent and science went up from 85 percent to 90 percent. Yutan Public Schools Superintendent Stan Hendricks said the averages do not include a test for their 11th graders, since their proficiency was tested with the ACT and that their juniors traditionally do very well. But, Hendricks said he is not in a panic either, as they will look at the grades over a few years to see if they are adjusting and trending up as they expect to. Yutans math scores went down from 88 percent to 82 percent, but science went up from 79 percent to 83 percent. Most area schools managed to stay close to their trend scores in math and science, but those tests will change in the coming years as well. East Butler Principal Michael Eldridge said science will be the next test the state adjusts proficiency to college and career ready. East Butler has traditionally done well in the science category, but dipped from an 81 percent proficiency rate to a 68 percent proficiency rate this year. Eldridge said the schools are looking into how to address the issue, but that there are many factors that can come into play for a snapshot score like the state assessment. East Butlers math scores went down from 71 percent to 66 percent. One of the issues that could have affected drop in scores is a change in the schools curriculum. Eldridge said the district adjusted their elementary math curriculum in the last few years. Quinn said Mead switched curriculum last year. Meads math scores dipped from 86 percent proficiency to 67 percent. East Butlers math scores dropped from 71 to 66 percent. Changes in the English language arts testing will take place again next year, removing the writing portion. Science testing will change to college and career ready in the 2020-2021 school year, Snyder said. By PTI: Mayor (Eds: Adding quotes) Amritsar, Dec 6 (PTI) The British government should apologise for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today, calling it a tragedy one "must never forget". Khan, whose grandparents were born in India and parents migrated from Pakistan to the UK, arrived in Amritsar yesterday. He paid a rich tribute to those who died in the Jallianwala Bagh incident. advertisement "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Our thoughts are with all those who died. "It is time for the British government to finally apologise. The tragedy in 1919 on the eve of Vaisakhi is one we must never forget," Khan wrote in the visitors book at the Jallianwala Bagh here. The massacre took place on April 13, 1919 when British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, opened fire at a crowd of unarmed people, on the harvest festival of Baisakhi. A large number of people were killed in the incident. "It was important for me also to come to the Jallianwala Bagh. We all know the history here," Khan said during a media interaction. "My view is that British Government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh shooting. Some people used the word massacre," the Mayor said. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed his suggestion. The chief minister said he heard Khans remarks on the Jallianwala incident and was happy to know about his feelings on the matter. "The suggestion, coming from a British government functionary, was good and, if implemented, would go a long way in strengthening ties between India and UK, and perhaps, to some extent, assuaging the wounds of Indians who suffered the pain of the independence struggle," he said. Wrapping up his first official tour to India, the London Mayor, earlier today, also paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Golden Temple. During his visit, he participated in langar at the Golden Temple complex and showed keen interest in knowing how the food is prepared. Khan was also presented with a Siropa (robe of honour) by the officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). "It has been a privilege for me to be in Amritsar for the last 24 hours. The Golden Temple is a spiritual home for tens of thousands of Londoners of the Sikh faith and millions of Sikhs around the world come to Amritsar to pay their respects to worship," he said while talking to the reporters. advertisement Also, sharing the same sentiments on the visitors book of the Golden Temple, he wrote: " The warmth, hospitality, spirituality are a lesson to us all. Thank you for providing me with memories that will stay with me forever". Khan, who was on a three-city tour to India, visited New Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to strengthen the UKs capital trade ties with India. PTI CORR CHS SUN NKS --- ENDS --- The Royals celebrate Christmas the same way every year, but this year, there's going to be something different at the dinner table. By India Today Web Desk: Every family has particular traditions they follow on festive occasions, and the British Royal Family--headed by Queen Elizabeth II--is like every other family in this regard. This is especially true when it comes to Christmas, the most important festival for the British monarch, who is also the head of the Church of England. The Royals are exceptionally good at sticking to their Christmas traditions. The whole family retreats to Sandringham House in Norfolk every year for three days, where they indulge in the same meal every year, attend church service on Christmas Day, and greet the locals. The Queen also broadcasts a special, Christmas speech to mark the occasion. The Royal Estate at Sandringham, Norfolk. Image for representative purpose. Picture courtesy: Instagram/stud_monkey1982 advertisement Every year, the Queen arrives at the Sandringham Royal Estate on December 19 or 20. The rest of the family joins her on Christmas Eve. In a recent interview, Darren McGrady, former chef to the Queen, has revealed just what the Royals do during Christmas. "The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations. After afternoon tea, they open gifts on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition," McGrady told the Cosmopolitan. Also Read: Here's how Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated 70 years of togetherness "After church, that's when they have a big lunch that includes a salad with shrimp or lobster, and a roasted turkey, and all of your traditional side dishes like parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding with brandy butter for dessert. They stick with the same meal year after year. Once they've eaten, everyone sits down and watches the Queen's Christmas speech," he added. Queen Elizabeth gives a Christmas speech from Sandringham every year. Photo: Reuters Queen Elizabeth gives a Christmas speech from Sandringham every year. Photo: Reuters Christmas dinner for the Royals is actually a buffet with 15-20 different items. There's another unique tradition that is kept alive during the dinner. "Right before the Christmas buffet, the senior chef on duty goes into the dining room and carves the rib roast or turkey or ham and once he's done, Her Majesty presents the chef with a glass of whiskey and they toast. That's the only time the chef goes into the dining room and has a glass of whiskey with the royal family. It's one of the chef's favourite traditions," McGrady revealed. Prince William and Kate Middleton, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, after the Christmas service in 2016. Photo: Reuters Prince William and Kate Middleton, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, after the Christmas service in 2016. Photo: Reuters McGrady also revealed that Christmas decorations are kept at a minimum at Sandringham. "The Queen is not lavish, so the decor is minimal. The Royal Family has a large Christmas tree and a large silver artificial tree in the dining room, which is about 30 years old," he said, adding that the Queen loves to indulge in chocolate on festive occasions. "The queen is a major chocoholic, particularly dark chocolate, so she always has a chocolate treat on Christmas. She also loves mint," he explained. The Royal Family walks out of the church service at Sandringham in 2015. Photo: Reuters The Royal Family walks out of the church service at Sandringham in 2015. Photo: Reuters advertisement While all these traditions are quaint and valuable for the British Royals, they are also all set to depart from it this year. Meghan Markle, the American actress who is engaged to Prince Harry, and all set to get married in May 2018, will be joining the Royals at Sandringham. Also Read: Meghan Markle wins hearts with her caring gesture at first royal outing The thing to note about the Christmas retreat is that only members of the Royal Family are allowed to or even invited to it. In 2010, Kate Middleton was not invited to attend, despite the fact that her engagement to Prince William was already announced. Mike Tindall, now married to the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, was also distanced from the Royal Christmas celebrations before they married. The Royal Family, spotted after the church service during Christmas 2016. Photo: Reuters According to a report by Express.co.uk, Prince Harry apparently asked the Queen to make an exception for Meghan, since she has just shifted to the UK, and will be away from her family during the festive season. "Kate and the younger members will help her through the strict protocol of the royal festive celebrations which take place over three days and which can be daunting," Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has revealed. advertisement So, the Royal Christmas at Sandringham this year will be quite unique. While the presence of Meghan, a soon-to-be member of the family, will suggest a break from Royal protocol, the rest of the Christmas traditions will be just as they've always been. --- ENDS --- 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,... DESPITE the pressing need to do so, over half of all Irish people say they could not afford an average cost of 56,000 to... Seven jobs at a Waterford charity look set to be lost after it was announced that it is to be wound down. The U-Casadh... Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has described the progress which has been made on the purchase of the former Waterford Crystal site for... PRINCE Charles has described his visit to Waterford as most moving, after meeting refugees who had fled the war in Ukraine and are now... ... but you will need to show proof of jab get into bars STUDENTS heading to college in September will not have to be vaccinated... ITS hard to believe the much-loved Waterford Greenway has been open just five years, as many locals feel they have been living with the... By PTI: Ahmedabad, Dec 6 (PTI) The high-octane campaign for the first phase of the crucial Gujarat Assembly polls, viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, will come to an end tomorrow. A total of 89 seats -- out of 182 -- spanning the Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions, are up for grabs in the first phase with 977 candidates in the fray, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. advertisement Voting will be held on December 9. While the BJP is fighting anti-incumbency and struggling to alter a seemingly negative perception about demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, the Congress, galvanised by an assertive Rahul Gandhi, has mainly targeted the "hollow Gujarat development model" to slam Modi. Modi and Gandhi had aggressively led their parties campaigns in Saurashtra and south Gujarat which often turned personal. Saurashtra and Kutch are crucial for the ruling BJP as these two regions have the highest concentration of seats in the first phase. Political pundits believe that the party winning the maximum number of seats from Saurashtra and Kutch will be better placed to form the next government in the state. Saurashtra, located on the Arabian Sea coast, covers 11 districts of the state. Kutch is the largest district comprising 10 talukas, 939 villages and six municipalities. Of the 58 seats in Saurashtra and Kutch, the BJP had won 35 in the 2012 Assembly polls and the Congress 20. Of the remaining three seats, two were won by the now-defunct Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of Keshubhai Patel and one by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In 2007, the tally of the BJP and the Congress in Saurashtra and Kutch stood at 43 and 14 respectively, while the NCP had bagged one seat. Of the 35 seats spread across the seven districts of south Gujarat, the BJP had won 28 and the Congress six in the 2012 polls. The remaining seat was won by "Others". The 2009 tally for the BJP and the Congress stood at 19 and 14 seats respectively in south Gujarat, while two constituencies had gone to "Others". Prominent candidates in the fray for the Saturday battle include Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West) against the Congress Indranil Rajyaguru, Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli) -- both from the Congress. Rajput strongman Gohil has locked horns with the BJPs new face, Virendrasinh Jadeja, also a Rajput, in the Muslim- dominated seat. advertisement In Patidar-dominated Amreli, Dhanani (the sitting Congress MLA) is pitted against BJP heavyweight Bavkubhai Undhad, the legislator from the nearby Lathi seat. The contest for the 12 seats in Surat, the diamond and textile hub of the country, is being viewed as a referendum on the note ban and GST, as the BJP is facing a stiff opposition from the trading community. During canvassing, Gandhi had interacted with the traders in Surat, who vented their ire against demonetisation and the "complicated GST structure". Subsequently, the Congress vice-president had attacked the Modi government over the "four-tier" GST structure and sought rationalisation of the indirect tax rates. For the BJP, Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani had held the fort to defend the GST and note ban, while trying to allay the concerns of the traders and textile merchants during their interactions with them. On the campaign trail, Modi had addressed about 14 rallies, while Gandhi had spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings. BJP president Amit Shah, the chief poll strategist of the saffron party, had also addressed a number of rallies, mainly targeting the Congress and Gandhi. advertisement The BJP had also drafted in Union minister Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, besides Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Congress had fielded former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, to name a few, for canvassing. The campaign mainly shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, with the latter emerging as the Congress pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on the latters home turf. A big takeaway for the Congress was ensuring the support of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), an umbrella organisation of the numerically strong Patidar community, which traditionally formed the bedrock of the BJPs support in Gujarat. In its bid to form a caste bloc against the BJP, the Congress won over Alpesh Thakor, Patel and Jignesh Mewani, who have emerged as the young Turks representing the OBCs, Patidars and Dalits respectively. The Congress, which is in political wilderness in Gujarat for 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. It has raised issues such as the BJPs "hollow development model", "the prime ministers proximity with select industrialists", besides demonetisation and GST, at the hustings. advertisement The second and final phase of the polls will be held on December 14 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. PTI PD NSK RC --- ENDS --- Charlie Lee, creator of Litecoin, the world's seventh-largest cryptocurrency, wrote in a Twitter post on November 30: Little public information exists about how tether is created, fuelling questions, said Barry Leybovich, a product manager at IPC System who creates risk and compliance products for financial institutions interested in blockchain applications. The market believes that each tether is worth $US1, even if they're not actually backed by that money, and trades of tether for bitcoin at Bitfinex are helping drive up the price of bitcoin, he said. No guarantee Tether's website makes a claim that's unusual among cryptocurrencies: "every tether is always backed 1-to-1 by traditional currency held in our reserves." The site also says each tether can be redeemed for $US1. But its terms of service say: "There is no contractual right or other right or legal claim against us to redeem or exchange your tethers for money. We do not guarantee any right of redemption or exchange of tethers by us for money." On December 2, Bitfinex released a quarterly report announcing it would no longer serve US customers because it's too expensive to do business with them. This followed Wells Fargo's decision earlier in the year to end its role as a correspondent bank through which customers in the US could send money to Bitfinex and Tether's banks in Taiwan. Bitfinex and Tether filed suit against Wells Fargo, but later withdrew the case. Loading 'Clear challenges' "We continue to experience banking bottlenecks for some customers, but are proceeding to open accounts around the world," according to the quarterly report. "While we have some clear challenges, please note that tens of millions of dollars continue to flow in and out of Bitfinex daily. "Although not available to everyone, these fiat flows have been sufficient to keep our market in alignment with other exchanges as we continue to gain market share." Bitfinex and Tether identified four Taiwanese banks in the Wells Fargo lawsuit. However, Ronn Torossian, a spokesman for Bitfinex and Tether, refused to identify their current banks unless a reporter signed a non-disclosure agreement, an offer that wasn't accepted. Bitcoin's price has skyrocketed this year. Credit:Coindesk Polish bank Documents posted online show Bitfinex directing prospective customers to Poland's Bank Spoldzielczy in Skierniewice. Torossian wouldn't comment on whether the documents are authentic. Wladyslaw Klazynski, the bank's chief executive officer, wouldn't confirm if any accounts have been opened by Bitfinex clients, citing Polish financial law that forbids revealing client data. "We are in touch with the Polish financial market watchdog in order to explain media information" about the situation, he said in a phone interview, adding that his firm isn't "financially engaged" with any company trading bitcoin. Neither Tether nor Bitfinex discloseon their websites or in any public documents where they're located or who's in charge, but information is available elsewhere. Jan Ludovicus van der Velde is CEO of both Bitfinex and Tether, Torossian said by email on December 3. A LinkedIn page for someone named J. L. van der Velde, who identifies himself as Bitfinex's CEO, says he speaks Dutch, English, German, Italian and Chinese, attended National Taiwan Normal University from 1985 to 1988 and was previously CEO of PAG Asia Inc. Paradise Papers Phil Potter is a Tether director, according to documents - dubbed the Paradise Papers - recently leaked by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. He's also the chief strategy officer at Bitfinex. A graduate of Yale University, Potterworked as a derivatives analyst for Morgan Stanley and then moved to the private client services unit at Bear Stearns, where he worked on technology infrastructure and software design. He's given many interviews that can be found on YouTube, including Q&As after Bitfinex was hacked last year. Bitfinex incorporated in Hong Kong in 2013, but then changed its name to Renrenbee a year later, according to Companies Registry in Hong Kong. Giancarlo Devasini is listed as a director at Renrenbee by Companies Registry. He's identified as a Tether director in the Paradise Papers. Torossian said van der Velde, Potter and Devasini weren't available for interviews. Oguz Serdar said he tried tether, but came away disappointed. When Turkey banned PayPal last year, he began using bitcoin to pay contractors working with his advertising technology company, then started investing in it on his own. When he feared bitcoin was poised to drop, he said he shifted funds into tether. "It's a way to park your gains," he explained in a telephone interview. "It's what you do temporarily." He said that in early November he tried to cash out $US1 million of tether, a request Tether refused. 'Banking difficulties' "Due to ongoing banking difficulties we are only able to process requests for verified corporate customers," Serdar was told by Tether, according to emails he shared with Bloomberg News. Serdar said the company stated that its currency was backed by reserves, meaning it was one of few places to exchange tethers for dollars, and while he didn't have an account he approached them to find out who they banked with. Tether, Serdar says, declined to disclose its banks and instead recommended in an email that he try to sell on one of the exchange partners it lists on its website. More than a dozen names appear there, but many don't offer investors a way to exchange tether for dollars. One that does is Kraken, but Serdar didn't think that market could handle his trade."The demand side is entirely empty there," he said. "You try to sell $US1 million of US dollar tether, the price crashes to zero, so you don't do that." Serdar "doesn't have any money with us and he never did," Torossian said. "The customer in question was flagged as suspicious because of numerous irregularities," he added. "If this customer wishes to complete our KYC process properly, we may review this matter further. Until that time, this individual will not be permitted to do business with us," he said, referring to know-your-customer regulations that require financial firms to vet their clients. Serdar said he alerted the US Treasury Department and the Justice Department about his concerns regarding Tether through an online tip website, but hasn't heard back. As for how the company characterises him now, he said, "they're speculating on me being some type of enemy." Lawyers hired On December 3, Bitfinex said it had hired law firm Steptoe & Johnson because of "false claims and related activity by various parties," according to an emailed press release. "To date, every claim made by these bad actors has been patently false and made simply to agitate the cryptocurrency ecosystem," Stuart Hoegner, counsel for Bitfinex, said in the statement. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was careful to stress that "these reforms are not about any one country [and] foreign interference is a global issue". That's absolutely right but as foreign policy experts point out, China is far and away the biggest concern for Australia. Indeed Mr Turnbull in the same breath noted Australia had "recently seen disturbing reports about Chinese influence", referring to recent Fairfax Media stories. But far from upsetting the Chinese, they will likely accept this as a belated closing of loopholes. Indeed as some experts say, it might even clarify the relationship in ways that allow it to move forward with mutual respect. China's centrality to this is, as the Lowy Institute's director of international security Euan Graham described it, "the 800-pound panda that is clear to everyone involved in the process". I didn't want to write about Milo. Like many people who watched his rise via "alt-right" news site Breitbart with dismay, and the recent diminishing of his star power with some relief, I hoped that if we all just collectively ignored him, he would go away starved of the outrage that seems to be his main source of fuel. But did Milo Yiannopoulos, Nazi sympathiser, misogynist, fake news generator, inciter of violence, international has-been, go away? No. He came here. He went on TV. He spoke in federal parliament. He held events that made the news. And in the news reports, he was described in flattering terms like "controversial alt-right commentator" and "provocateur" while those who tried to protest his appearances were damned as violent troublemakers. So we didn't speak out, because we didn't want to give him oxygen. But he got oxygen anyway from his powerful, conservative pals who had platforms to give. That's the problem with the "free speech" establishment. Make no mistake, they are the establishment, only they've successfully convinced a solid section of the population that they are oppressed "outsiders" whose freedom to be "controversial" is being curtailed. So after all the hype, is this as good as it gets? Perhaps so in terms of price tags, at least for now, but to focus purely on pricing is to miss the big picture. Amazon's true value for shoppers isn't just pricing, it's convenience, but unfortunately Australia is still missing the best parts of the Amazon ecosystem. The day of reckoning has arrived for Australian retail but Amazon's long-awaited local launch went off with a whimper rather than a bang. Perusing the Australian store you'll find little to get excited about, with a quick Google search revealing local rivals which can often match if not undercut Amazon on both price and delivery times. Amazon Prime won't be available in Australia until the middle of next year, and the retail giant is still tight-lipped on the details, but it's likely to be a serious game-changer. Of course paying around $100 per year for free shipping is only a sweet deal if you'd make the most of it, so Amazon would likely become your first port of call for online shopping. There's less need to shop around for a bargain once you take shipping out of the equation. Amazon also becomes more attractive for those small purchases that you need in a hurry. Australian retailers are fighting back with services like Australia Post's Shipster also offering free delivery. Hands-free shopping The talkative Alexa smart assistant is another key missing piece of the Amazon puzzle. Once Alexa is available to Australians early next year we'll be able to buy Amazon's tiny Echo speakers, designed to sit on the kitchen bench, plus we'll be able to use Alexa with a wide-range of third party gear from smart speakers to smart fridges. Smart speakers have a myriad of uses, but the combination of Alexa and a cheap Echo Dot speaker makes online shopping easier than ever. Whether you run out of detergent while washing the dishes or use the last sandwich bag while making lunches, you can quickly add these items to your shopping list without needing to turn on your computer or even reach for the smartphone in your pocket. Despite extensive inquiries and a prolonged investigation, police have been unable to locate any trace of four people who vanished from their WA home 10 years ago, a coroner's inquest has been told. Leela McDougall and her mother Chantelle, Tony Popic and Simon Kadwell - also known as Gary Felton - disappeared from Nannup in July 2007. Pictured are Chantelle McDougall and her daughter Leela (top) and Tony Popic (bottom left) and Simon Kadwell. They left behind wallets, credit cards and dirty plates on the table at their Roberts Road property. A note left at the home said they were moving to Brazil. They have never been seen or heard from since. A town in WA's Wheatbelt is in mourning after a 12-year-old boy died from injuries received while working on a building site. The accident occurred at the construction site of the new Plymouth Brethren Church meeting hall in Northam at about 11am on November 25. Albert Sharpe, 12, died from injuries suffered on a Northam building site. Plymouth Brethren Church spokesperson James Bagshaw said 12-year-old Albert Sharpe was gyprocking with a team of men on one section of the property, located on the corner of East Street and Frankish Street, at the time of the accident. "They were finishing up a simple task, putting sheets up and screwing it to the frame [when the accident occurred]," he said. By PTI: Guwahati, Dec 6 (PTI) The Centre will promote North East as a single tourism destination with an aim to double the tourist inflow within next three years, a top official of the Tourism Ministry said here today. The region has huge potential considering the untapped locations across the eight North Eastern states, Union Tourism secretary, Rashmi Verma said at a press conference. advertisement "From 2013 to 2016, the tourism sector in North East grew by 5.2 per cent. During this period, 77 lakh domestic and 1.6 lakh foreign tourists visited the region. This growth is encouraging, but it is just the tip of the iceberg," she said. "We need to have greater and aggressive marketing strategy. We have now decided to promote and market the region as a single location. This will be in addition to the ongoing promotional activities done by restive states," Verma said. The Centre is more interested in promoting the North East tourism as different thematic destinations such as adventure tourism and eco tourism under the existing tagline -- Paradise Unexplored, she added. When asked about the growth targets for the region, the Union Tourism secretary said: "If we work together with all the states, I am sure that very very easily we can double the figures for the tourism sector of North East." She said the government is also looking at promoting North East in neighbouring countries, especially ASEAN nations. "For this, now we are focusing on improving the air connectivity. The Civil Aviation Ministry has identified 92 sites in North East and financial bidding has already begun. In the next six months, we are going to see many new flights connecting smaller towns in the region," Verma added. The Tourism secretary said roadshows will be organised in foreign countries to promote North East as a tourist destination. "We give special focus on promoting North East in all our travel marts. We will have a NE specific roadshow in Thailand and talks are going on. Similar roadshows will have in other ASEAN countries as well," Verma said. Highlighting Centres role, she informed that the Union Government has sanctioned 14 tourism projects for North East, amounting to Rs 1,200 crore, including two for Assam worth Rs 170 crore. Talking about the ongoing three-day 6th International Tourism Mart, being held in Guwahati from yesterday, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said 67 foreign delegates have participated in the summit from 29 countries. "Besides, 29 tour operators from across India and 103 from North East are participating. advertisement We are very confident that with the success of this Mart, there will be huge tourist inflow to Assam in coming days," he added. PTI TR RG LNS --- ENDS --- By Vidya : The magistrate court in Mumbai today rejected the bail application of all 8 MNS workers who had been arrested last week for vandalizing the office of Maharashtra regional congress committee. Earlier in the morning, Magistrate Balaji Choudhari heard the arguments of both the sides for about 15 minutes and then passed the order around 4 pm. Advocate Rajendra Shirodkar arguing for the applicants said that the MNS workers were agitated that neither the state nor the Municipal Corporation was doing anything with regards to removing illegal hawkers. advertisement "These agitations were undertaken by MNS workers in the interest of public at large," said Shirodkar to the court. However, the investigating officer of the case as well as the public prosecutor Rajendra Suryavanshi argued against the bail being granted and said that releasing the accused will create further law and order problem. "They had been warned but still they took law in hand and if released on bail there are chances that they will commit the same offence again and might even tamper with evidence," said Suryavanshi. Shirodkar while arguing again had said that most of the sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) slapped on the accused are bailable and there is only one non-bailable section of IPC 452, which deals with trespassing with intention to harm. He proposed that court could impose conditions on the accused and release them on bail. Although, the magistrate while passing order said that breaking the office of a national party was not a small issue and that the investigation in the case was still going on. With this he refused to grant bail to all 8 accused including Sandeep Deshpande, who is one of the big leaders of MNS after Raj Thackeray. According to police, handful of MNS workers had attacked the Congress office over a long standing tiff with MRCC Chief Sanjay Nirupam, who has been backing hawkers, while MNS has been beating up illegal hawkers in various parts of Mumbai and Thane. After the attack on office, Deshpande had claimed that it was "tit for tat" from MNS. Watch video | Mumbai: MNS workers clash with hawkers in Malad, FIR against Congress' Sanjay Nirupam --- ENDS --- Meet the 23-year-old woman from Mumbai, who is working to improve menstrual hygiene in the city. By India Today Web Desk: The taboo surrounding menstruation is not only flawed at the level of ideology, but the lack of sensitivity towards menstruation has been impacting women's health all over the world. Menstrual hygiene and sanitation have been a matter of pressing concern in a lot of countries, including India. Even today, a lot of women in the country don't have access to sanitary pads, while a lot of them even lack the basic knowledge about menstruation. It was this the dire need of awareness that motivated a young woman from Mumbai to work towards sensitising women about menstrual hygiene. advertisement About a year ago, Deane de Menezes launched a project called Red is the New Green, and started installing sanitary napkin dispensers and incinerators in schools across Mumbai, to create awareness about hygienic practices during menstruation. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Deane de Menezes Red is the New Green also holds interactive awareness classes with students at various schools, where members discuss myths and fears associated with menstruation. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Red is the New Green And now, the project has been recognised by the 2018 Queen's Young Leaders Award, thus earning Menezes a nomination for the same. Since 2014, the Queen's Young Leaders Award has recognised and rewarded ''people aged 18-29 from across the Commonwealth, who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills to transform lives,'' reads their website. Winners of this prestigious award usually receive a unique package of training, mentoring and networking, including a one-week residential programme in the UK. Also Read:5 things to keep in mind for your menstrual hygiene This time, Prince Harry also took to social media, to congratulate the winners of the prestigious award. Take a look: Overwhelmed with the honour, Menezes expressed her gratitude on social media, saying, ''I am very grateful to Queen's Young Leaders for the opportunity to learn and then pass that knowledge on to every single girl out there. Super excited to represent India along with some brilliant people whose work I deeply respect and admire as we meet fellow young leaders across the world and discuss ideas.'' Menezes will be receiving the award from the Queen herself, at a special ceremony to be held at Buckingham Palace, next year, according to The Quint. --- ENDS --- Children and the elderly are the most affected. The Delhi government has already issued a health advisory for respiratory patients not to go out for morning walks. By Priyanka Sharma: Repeated episodes of dense smog in the national Capital have once again deteriorated the lives of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Doctors say not only OPDs, but clinics too are running full, with most patients complaining of breathing problems. Last month, Dr Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had termed air pollution a 'slow and silent killer'. Doctors said they are witnessing about a 50 per cent surge in patients complaining of breathing problems, with children and the elderly most affected. "Nebuliser machines used for inhalation therapy are now present in almost every other house. This indicates the increase in severity of respiratory diseases," said Dr Vikas Maurya, head of respiratory unit at Fortis healthcare. advertisement Delhi's poor air quality is the after-effect of smoke from stubble burning, vehicular pollution, rampant construction activities and road dust. "Delhi's air is totally unfit to breathe. We are witnessing a large number of patients with uncontrollable asthma, and they are advised nebulisers and steroids. The emergency wards, ICUs and OPDs are loaded with patients," said Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of the centre for chest surgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. On the other hand, the Delhi government has already issued a health advisory for respiratory patients not to go out for morning walks and alerted all hospitals to give priority to chest patients. Not just chest congestion, residents are also complaining of itching and redness in the eyes. Echoing similar view over the worsening effects of air pollution on health, (Prof) Dr Raj Kumar, head of the department of pulmonary medicine at Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute said, "Cases of respiratory ailments double every year. Not only patients with pre-existing respiratory complications suffer, but we also see normal patients complaining of breathlessness." On the other hand, the US embassy website too has repeatedly urged Delhi residents to avoid all outdoor exertion as concentrations of the smallest and most harmful airborne pollutants known as PM2.5 soared to hazardous levels. These tiny particles - a fraction the size of human hair - lodge deep in the lungs and are linked to higher rates of chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease. The concentration of such particles on Tuesday hit 398 - compared to a maximum level of 25 considered safe by the World Health Organisation - over a 24-hour period. Even limited exposure can cause shortness of breath, make the eyes water and throat burn. Pollution levels generally rise during the winter in Delhi and across northern India, fuelled by crop burning in Punjab and Haryana and the fact that cooler air traps particulates close to the ground. On Tuesday, Union environment minister Harsh Vardhan asserted that protecting the planet was not just the government's political or social obligation, but a moral responsibility as well. He announced that India would host World Environment Day, 2018. WATCH | How can Delhi fight pollution? Here's what Mexican envoy to India Melba Pria has to say advertisement --- ENDS --- "Notices are sent to other states' police to prosecute a particular vehicle violating traffic norms. But no response leads to no action," a top cop said. The transport department appears to be failing in the fight against smog. By Chayyanika Nigam: With pollution back to haunt the national Capital, Delhi Traffic Police is struggling to coordinate with its Uttar Pradesh and Haryana counterparts in keeping a check on movement of polluting vehicles. Apart from lack of coordination, Delhi government's transport department too appears to be failing to curb vehicular pollution. Instead of implementing concrete steps to control the thick layer of smoke, Delhi government blamed it on enforcement issues. However, the ground reality says that Delhi Traffic Police have deployed enough number of cops across the city, especially along the border areas. advertisement As a result, since November, more than 54 per cent of commercial vehicles entering Delhi were forced to stop at the border and made to return for flouting norms. As per Delhi Traffic Police data, since November 1, as many as 28,592 commercial vehicles were checked at the border areas of Delhi. Out of these, as many as 15,645 vehicles were stopped by traffic cops and made to return. Speaking to Mail Today, senior traffic officials said they are not getting proper coordination from UP and Haryana Police. "If the neighbouring state police start keeping a check on vehicles entering Delhi, it would be easy for Delhi Police to check more vehicles in the city. Also, if less number of commercial vehicles from NCR would enter Delhi, it will control the pollution to a certain extent," an official said, adding that it has become very difficult to prosecute vehicles bearing other states' registration number. Another top cop said, "Notices are sent to other states' police to prosecute a particular vehicle violating traffic norms. But no response leads to no action. Unless data is maintained properly, it will encourage NCR commuters to roam free even after being caught by us." Dependra Pathak, special commissioner, traffic, said, "Special drives have been launched to continue checking vehicles, especially those causing pollution." Traffic police data further reveals that since November, more than 90 challans have been issued to commercial vehicles which were transporting building materials. WATCH | How can Delhi fight pollution? Here's what Mexican envoy to India Melba Pria has to say --- ENDS --- By Pramod Madhav, Akshaya Nath: The 'election drama' starring Vishal Krishna gathered more steam on Wednesday with the South Indian star equating the cancellation of his nomination papers for the by-poll in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, in Tamil Nadu, to the "mockery of democracy". A day after returning officer K. Velusamy rejected his nomination on the grounds that only eight proposers had validly proposed Vishal's candidature instead of the mandatory 10, the visibly dejected actor, in an exclusive interview told India Today, that "democracy has been mocked and targeted" adding that he was surprised at the rejection of his nomination. advertisement "The rejection was a big surprise to me; my papers were in order. I didn't forge any signatures. Rules were flouted. I am dejected as democracy has been mocked," Vishal told India Today. The star said that he is proud of his decision to contest the polls adding "he wanted the welfare of RK Nagar voters". "Chennai still witnesses civic apathy. The youth should enter politics. We can't be mute spectators," the actor said adding that his decision to contest the election was intended to "give a wake-up call to netas". Appealing to the Prime Minister and the President, Vishal tweeted: "To the people, I look upto, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn I am Vishal, I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails." To the people, I look upto, Hon @narendramodi & Hon @rashtrapatibhvn I am Vishal,I hope u r aware of wats happening in the RK Nagar Election process in Chennai. My nomination was accepted & later rejected. Totally unfair. I bring this to your notice & I hope justice prevails.- Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) December 6, 2017 Equating the rejection of his nomination to death of democracy, the actor further tweeted: "5th Dec 2016, #Amma died, 5th Dec, 2017, #Democracy died...." Velusamy had also rejected papers of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar because she had failed to fill several columns in her affidavit. On Tuesday, Velusamy had said that two among the 10 proposers for Vishal, Sumathy and Deepan, appeared before him in person and claimed that their signatures in the nomination papers were forged. Vishal had submitted an audio clip claiming that Sumathy was forced to appear before the returning officer, but Velusamy rejected its veracity. The actor had earlier claimed that his nomination had been accepted only to be jolted by Velusamy later. --- ENDS --- advertisement Ekta Kapoor confirmed the news by teasing her fans with an interesting post on Instagram. By India Today Web Desk: Ekta Kapoor started a new wave of introducing reptilian characters to the small screen with her blockbuster show Naagin in 2015. And Mouni Roy and Adaa Khan, who played the lead role in the supernatural series, made the world fall in love with their scary avatars. The show that received love, appreciation and criticism at the same time also came with a second season and that too with the same cast. advertisement The show topped the rating charts for the longest time as the twists and turns that the makers introduced all along worked in its favour. After two successful seasons, the show is now gearing up for its third season and Balaji Telefilms' head-honcho, Ekta Kapoor, confirmed the news by teasing her fans with an interesting post on Instagram. Also, she revealed that Mouni Roy and Adaa Khan have bid adieu to the show. Ekta captioned the post as, "A new nagin arrives! As we bid Adieu to @imouniroy and @adaakhann from NAAGIN we welcome the NEW! Will soon reveal my new 'naagin' or should I say 'NAAGINS' #waitfornaagin3". To which Mouni replied back by saying, "that hurt a little but am excited too". A new nagin arrives! As we bid Adieu to @imouniroy and @adaakhann from NAAGIN????????we welcome the NEW! Will soon reveal my new 'naagin' or should I say 'NAAGINS' #waitfornaagin3 A post shared by Ekta Kapoor (@ektaravikapoor) on Dec 5, 2017 at 5:36am PST Ekta replied to her, "u will always b a part of balaji! For now bigger things await u!!!!!! My dearest we will miss u on naagin!" The reason for her (Mouni's) ouster is naturally her blossoming Bollywood career that's keeping the lady busy. Mouni will soon be wrapping up Bollywood film Gold with Akshay Kumar. After that, she will be shooting for ALT Balaji's upcoming web series Mehrunisa post which she will begin with her next Bollywood project Brahmastra alongside Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. --- ENDS --- WITH HANAKKAH COMING UP ON TUESDAY DECEMBER 12, WHKP.COM WOULD LIKE TO HONOR ALL THOSE UPSTANDING MEMBERS OIF THE LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITY WHO HAVE PLAYED SUCH MAJOR ROLES IN MAKING HENDERSONVILLE AND HENDERSON COUNTY THE "SPECIAL" PLACE IT IS TODAY. OF COURSE, WE RECALL THE KAPLANS, AND KALINS, THE PATTERSON, THE SHERMANS, THE WILLIAMS, AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT JEWISH FAMILES WHO HAVE BEEN OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS...AND WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY SO WELL. OTHER JEWISH LEADERS IN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE STOOD UP FOR JUSTICE, FREEDOM, AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN PARTICULAR...AND TODAY WE'D LIKE TO HONOR ONE OF THE GREATEST AMONG THEM: HONORING JACOB HENRY OF CARTARET COUNTY (HIS HOME PICTURED HERE)...A LEADER IS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY On December 6, 1809, Jacob Henry, North Carolinas first Jewish legislator, delivered a rousing speech about religious liberty to the General Assembly. Henry represented Carteret County in 1808 and 1809, a time in which people were bound constitutionally to affirm the truth of the Protestant religion before holding any public office. He served his first term without incident, but in 1809 a newly-elected representative took issue with Henrys religious affiliation and introduced a resolution to remove him from office. The legislators decided to take up the resolution the next day, giving Henry time to prepare his defense. Without specifically mentioning Judaism, he addressed natural and inalienable rights and equalized religious sects with phrases such as, the ruler of the universe. Ultimately Jacob Henry was allowed to retain his seat. His inspiring and eloquent speech to the 1809 General Assembly, has been published and quoted frequently ever since. It is considered a touchstone of religious rights and tolerance. Visitors to Beaufort can see the Federal era house that he built at 229 Front Street, where it still stands today. Henry lived there with his wife, Esther Whitehurst, whom he married in 1801. A highway marker in Carteret County honors Henry. By PTI: Poonthra (Ker), Dec 6 (PTI) Clutching her four daughters, Selvi has been praying for a week at the St Thomas church here for a miracle that would bring back her husband, one of the 29 fishermen from here missing in the high seas after Cyclone Ockhi hit the coastal state of Kerala. She is one of the many women who turn up at the church every morning to offer prayers and light candles, unwilling to give up hope that their loved ones would come home. advertisement "Where will I go with my four children? My elder daughter is only seven-year-old and the other two are aged five and three," Selvi said weeping. "I have no house of my own... My husbands earning from fishing was our only source of income," she said. A pall of gloom has descended on the area which otherwise should have been bustling with activities as Christmas is round the corner, Father Justin Jude, the vicar of the church said. The church has put up a flex board carrying images of the missing men in front of it this morning. Twenty-nine boats with 90 fishermen had sailed to the sea from here on the wee hours of November 29. While 57 returned safely, four lost their lives and 29 are still missing, the vicar said. Of the lucky ones to make it ashore safely, Suresh, a 40- year-old fisherman, said it was the "hand of god" which saved him from death. "It is really a second life for me. The compass of my boat had started moving erratically as the boat was literally caught in the path of the cyclone," Suresh, who returned with two colleagues on the day of Ockhi hit the state, told PTI. One of his close relatives was still missing. "I am going to sea for the past ten years... I have seen and experienced different stormy weathers... But, what we saw and faced this time was extraordinary and very powerful," he said. About 38 people had gone fishing in trawlers on November 25 and 26. But, there is hope that they will come back as 12 of them returned safely today, church sources said, adding from nearby Adimalathura, 12 people are missing, of which 10 are from a single family. Twenty-six-year-old Shyam, who had ventured into the sea with 12 others from Kochi port on November 28 said they were rescued by fishermen who came on another boat and were taken to Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. advertisement "The locals gave some money and put us on a train to Kerala... We reached home yesterday," he said. His two elder sisters were ecstatic when they heard that he was safe. However, for Pushpa Rani the wait is yet to end. She goes to church each day without fail and prays till dusk for the safe return of for her husband, Silva Pillai (42), the sole breadwinner of the family. The frail woman, who is not taking any food, said she and her three children aged 17, 15 and 13 were clueless about their future. "The government is saying they are searching for the missing men... No trace of them so far," Pushpa said in misty eyes. Shalini, the wife of another missing fisherman, also prays at the church each day with a never-dying hope about her husbands return. "I hope we get a clue about them... We are hoping they are alive," she said. Cyclone Ockhi, which hit Kerala coast on November 29 and 30, left a trail of destruction in which the official death toll in 29. The state government had yesterday said it has intensified search and rescue operations to trace 92 fishermen. PTI UD JRK ROH NSD --- ENDS --- advertisement Welcome to The Independent Herald E-Edition! Check back each week on Tuesday to see our[Read More] By PTI: (Eds: Adding Fortis groups statement) Chandigarh, Dec 6 (PTI) A panel probing allegations of overcharging against a Gurgaon hospital regarding a case in which a 7-year-old girl died of dengue has found "several irregularities" following which the Haryana government is planning to lodge an FIR, state health minister Anil Vij said today. "In simple words, it was not a death, it was a murder," Vij alleged at crowded press conference in his office here. advertisement There were many irregularities, unethical practices and the protocol for diagnosis and medical duties was not followed, Vij, flanked by the committee members, alleged. The Haryana health department will file an FIR against the private hospital while the license of its blood bank will also be cancelled, he said. Its land lease may also be looked into, he added. The hospital made a hefty profit on medicines given, which works out to 108 per cent and for some consumables it is as high as 1,737 per cent, he claimed adding that costly medicines were used when cheaper substitutes were available. Overcharging in giving platelets has also been found, he said. Platelets were given on 25 occasions, out of which Rs 400 per unit was charged on 17 occasions while eight times Rs 2,000 per unit was charged, Vij claimed. A costly injection was administered on most occasions, which cost Rs 3,112, whereas a substitute costing Rs 499 was available, Vij said citing the inquiry report. "The death of the girl happened due to not following the LAMA protocol, which is the Leave Against Medical Advice. The girl was on a ventilator, but she was put in an ordinary ambulance, ventilator was withdrawn and an ambu bag was not provided in that, which became the cause of her death, which is a very serious irregularity," the minister said. He said that the IMA protocol says that if a patient is discharged against medical advice, then proper arrangements should be made to transfer him or her to another hospital. This can be done by the hospital or it can advise the kin of the patient to do so, but the ambulance in which she was taken did not have the required facilities, he alleged releasing the contents of the inquiry report. She should have gone in an Advanced Life Support ambulance, but was provided a basic ambulance, Vij said. "Negligence, lapse, unethical, unlawful acts on the part of the team of doctors of Fortis hospital were found when the patient was shifted from the ICU to the ambulance," he added. advertisement The minister said that his department will be writing to the Medical Council of India (MCI) demanding action against the hospital. "When a child was on advanced life support system for so many days and when it is suddenly withdrawn, the patient does not know, her parents are not aware of what could be the consequences. But being doctors, they should have known that it will be a sudden death," Vij said. The committee, which submitted its report today, was set up by the Haryana government on November 21 under the chairmanship of Dr Rajiv Wadhera, Additional DG, Health, Haryana and also comprised of chief medical officer, Gurgaon. Besides, the help of two paediatric surgeons from PGIMS Rohtak and Medical College, Nuh, and district attorney, Gurgaon, as legal expert was also taken, Vij said. The case relates to the death in September of a 7-year- old girl who was admitted with dengue to the Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI), Gurgaon, a multi super-speciality care hospital. The Centre had asked the Haryana government to initiate an urgent inquiry into the case. Meanwhile, the Fortis group, in a statement, said they were "yet to receive a copy of the commitee report". advertisement "In reference to the recent media reports on a four- member government inquiry committee pertaining to the unfortunate death of baby Adya, we are yet to receive a copy of the said report. "Fortis extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of baby Adya and stands with them in their hour of grief. Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, offered complete co-operation to the committee and family of Adya. All documents, statements and facts as required by them to conduct a detailed inquiry, were provided," the hospital group said. Earlier, the hospital had refuted the charges, claiming the patients family was informed about the bill on a daily basis and that there was no medical negligence. Replying to a question, Vij said that girls parents also put their views before the committee. He said the girl was diagnosed with dengue and was first admitted to Delhis Rockland hospital in Dwarka. "Later on the patient was diagnosed as suffering from Dengue Shock Syndrome. She was admitted to Fortis, Gurgaon on August 31," he said. Asked why the girls parents wanted her to be discharged from Fortis, Vij said, "they wanted to take her back to Rockland, may be due to cost which they were incurring in Fortis." advertisement Asked about the sections under which an FIR would be lodged, Vij said that legal opinion would be sought. But we have decided that we will lodge an FIR against this Fortis hospital for medical negligence, he added. He said dengue was a notifiable disease, "but it was not notified by the FMRI to the local authorities, which is a lapse. Our CMO has given them notice for this. Concealment of this fact can invite punishment ranging from one month to six months and fine from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000", he said. The minister said that land was given to Fortis hospital under certain terms and conditions, which included 20 per cent of free OPD, ten per cent free beds and 70 per cent discounted treatment to 20 per cent IPD (In Patient Department), but prima facie these were violated. "We are writing to HUDA in this regard because they have violated MoU agreements and if lease has to be cancelled, the HUDA committee will look into it," he said. The girls family have also alleged that their signatures are forged in some consent forms, Vij further alleged. PTI SUN/CHS ADS KND SRY --- ENDS --- By PTI: Kolkata, Dec 5 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said some people were trying to politicise the situation in the G D Birla Centre for Education, where a four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by two teachers, and added that the functioning of the school should not be hampered. Apparently referring to BJP MP Roopa Gangulys visit to the school yesterday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said some people, who were not directly or indirectly involved in the matters of the school, were trying to take advantage of the situation. advertisement "They come to play politics. This is a part of a plan, so that some schools stop functioning here," she said. Banerjee added that the girls family had every right to protest and that they must do it. But the education of the students must not be hampered and the school must function as usual, she said, while speaking at a programme of the state government here. Classes were suspended in the school following a parents protest, which entered its fifth day today. Stating that what had happened in the school was "not right", the chief minister said teachers, particularly those in co-education schools, had to share an extra responsibility and ensure that such incidents did not take place. "Teachers are the pride of the society. They are our guardians, friends, philosophers and guides. One or two teachers may turn out to be bad, but that does not make the whole teaching community bad. Keeping this in mind, the teachers have to isolate those among them who are bad," she said. The agitating parents demanded that the principal of the G D Birla Centre for Education be removed and arrested. The police have arrested two physical training teachers of the school in connection with the incident. Banerjee said those involved in the incident should face a strong action. She added that the schools had to be very careful, so that such incidents did not recur. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), to which the school was affiliated, should also look into the matter, Banerjee said. PTI SCH NN SUN KK RC --- ENDS --- By PTI: (Eds: Adds details) Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) Classes at the G D Birla Centre for Education will resume from tomorrow after six days as the school management and guardians have reached a settlement over the demand for removal of principal in the wake of alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl. A school managing committee spokesman told PTI that the authorities have decided to "relieve" principal Sharmila Nath from her present responsibilities with immediate effect. advertisement He said classes in the senior section will start from tomorrow as agreed in the meeting between the Guardians Forum and the management committee. The junior section classes will start from Friday, he said. A Guardians Forum spokesperson said after the meeting, "The Principal has been relieved of her responsibilities with immediate effect. And the classes will resume from tomorrow." Asked if the principal was removed, she said, "removal is a term which entails long legal process." The vice principal will be the officiating principal from tomorrow, the forum spokesperson said while reading out a statement. On Noveber 30, a four-year-old student was allegedly sexually assaulted in the G D Birla Centre for Education which led to the arrest of two physical training instructors. The parents of the girl had lodged an FIR against Nath on December 2 demanding the school principals arrest for allegedly suppressing facts about the incident. Nath was summoned to the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar yesterday. West Bengal Commission for the Protection of Child Rights chairperson Ananya Chakraborti, who was also present at the meeting, said, "The school will reopen from tomorrow and the principal has been relieved of her responsibilities. We are happy over the outcome." The meeting was attended by the school management, representatives of the Guardians Forum, senior police officers and Chakraborti. The forums spokesperson said the management promised to look into their other demands -- having no male teacher in both junior and senior sections, CCTV in school buses. Hundreds of parents assembled outside the school gate before 5:00 pm and waited for the outcome of the meeting. The police have arrested two physical training teachers of the school in connection with the incident. It has also formed a special committee to look into the allegations of negligence and false representation on part of the school. PTI SUS RBT RG KJ --- ENDS --- Shoppers wont find vendors at the Very Merry Holiday Fair. This event is for artisans. The 11th annual event returns Friday and Saturday to Baraboo Arts Banquet Hall. The festive fair features 60 authors, potters, bakers, jewelers, fiber artists, cheesemakers, glass artists and candymakers. Fair No. 11 will have new faces with exciting gift choices, said organizer Char ter Beest-Kudla. The fair opens at noon Friday. It will include drawings, a wine tasting by Baraboo Bluff Winery, and snacks available for purchase at the Very Merry Cafe. The first 500 patrons each day get free shopping bags. But the main attraction will be art, crafts, books and other unique creations designed to entice holiday shoppers. Artisans will tell shoppers how each piece is created. Shoppers can support the local Boys & Girls Club by buying the mini Picassos theyve created in collaboration with metalsmith Frank Kudla. The event has grown to fill all three rooms at Baraboo Arts. The Very Merry Holiday Fair is the friendliest show Ive ever been to, said Reedsburg writer Mimi Wuest. Small gifts that celebrate love and friendship are in keeping with the true meaning of these holidays. The fair is just part of a full slate of downtown holiday happenings that include horse-drawn wagon rides, performances by carolers and visits with Santa Claus. Come see Baraboo, Wisconsin on this busy and festive weekend. It will be memorable, said ter Beest-Kudla, organizer of the event and owner of Helens Daughters Studio. Youre invited: Join us for our Very Merry holiday celebration. A committee decided Tuesday to postpone the search for a new Sauk County government attorney after multiple applicants apparently dropped out. The delay means hiring of a new chief legal counsel is likely to fall to members of the next Sauk County Board, which will be elected in April. In the meantime, county leaders will consider hiring outside help or a limited-term employee to assist the short-staffed Sauk County Corporation Counsels office. The county is seeking a permanent replacement for Todd Liebman, who retired in September after 23 years with the county. Applications initially were due that month, but the deadline was extended into October in an effort to broaden the pool. Board Chairman Marty Krueger of Reedsburg told fellow supervisors last month there were 11 applicants, of which 10 met the minimum qualifications. He said Personnel Director Michelle Posewitz and Administrative Coordinator Alene Kleczek Bolin chose six to be interviewed. Krueger said that when Posewitz began to schedule interviews, the field was narrowed from six to two. Thats because two candidates told Posewitz they had accepted other jobs, Krueger said, and two no longer were interested in the position. Following a closed session discussion last month, the boards Executive and Legislative Committee decided not to proceed with interviews because of the limited number of remaining candidates. On Tuesday, the committee met in open session to discuss how to proceed with the recruitment. I do think that if were going to wait six months, we do need help in the corp. counsels office, Supervisor Joan Fordham of Baraboo, the boards vice chair, said Tuesday. The committee asked that Kleczek Bolin and interim Corporation Counsel Deb ORourke meet and determine the best way to provide the office with additional assistance until the search resumes in April. The committee also decided to review the county attorneys responsibilities at a future meeting, and may consider whether the office should contract out for some of its responsibilities moving forward. Its not clear why two of the candidates decided they no longer were interested in the position. As far as the two who accepted other jobs, Krueger suggested Tuesday the countys offering salary was a factor. I believe that one of the six folks that had been scheduled for interviews got a job at another county that paid $20,000 more than what we were offering, Krueger said. Nursing home expansion Also Tuesday, the executive and legislative committee agreed to move forward with the selection of a special panel to examine how to develop property surrounding a county-run nursing home in Reedsburg. The countys 2018 budget includes $35,000 to study how the property should be used and another $450,000 to design plans for a new facility. County property taxpayers contribute about $2 million annually to operate the Sauk County Health Care Center nursing home, which mainly serves people from the Reedsburg area. For that reason, some supervisors have suggested that the county find ways to lower the facilitys property tax burden before the operation is expanded. Prior discussions have focused on the possible addition of an assisted living facility, the revenue from which could help offset the facilitys tax burden. Krueger said Tuesday he believes the county should consider a broader spectrum of possibilities for the property, including services that could help those impacted by the opioid crisis. He criticized supervisors who have expressed concerns about the nursing homes tax burden. There are some people that see the health care center as a boat anchor that costs the county $2 million a year, Krueger said. And thats the only thing they can see. Krueger said he would like the special panel to comprise board members and department managers who oversee a variety of county services. He would like the panel complete its work in three meetings in January, February and March and then report back to the board. Members of the Executive and Legislative Committee voiced no opposition to Kruegers plan. The committee agreed to consider a resolution to appoint the special panel at its Jan. 8 meeting. JUNEAU A 53-year-old Waupun man has been charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography after monitoring systems found suspicious images were downloaded to his computer. Timothy R. Hilt could be sentenced to up to 250 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted on all the charges. According to the criminal complaint, police received two cyber tips that were generated by Yahoo that indicated the digital images were downloaded using Yahoo Messenger. The four images, with two of them being the same, contained images of girls wearing lingerie. The images were not labeled as child pornography, but law enforcement decided to meet with Hilt. Representatives from Dodge County Sheriffs Office, along with a member of the Department of Criminal Investigations and a forensic analyst, went to Hilts home on May 22. They spoke to Hilt and told him that there were questionable images that were transmitted from his home IP address. Hilt allegedly said that he had a phone and two laptops that he uses. He also was the only one who had the passwords for the internet. Hilt was asked for his personal laptop to make sure there were not images on the computer that were illegal in the state of Wisconsin. According to the criminal complaint, there were 18,000 images in one folder, and many other folders, though they did not immediately find anything that was obviously child pornography. Law enforcement seized the hard drive, however, to go through the images, and eventually discovered 10 images fitting Wisconsins definition of child pornography. Hilt will make his initial appearance in court on Dec. 26. JUNEAU A 57-year-old Horicon man was found guilty Wednesday of illegally voting in the presidential election last November. Herbert E. York Jr. entered a guilty plea of election fraud voting by disqualified person after a plea agreement was reached. Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin De Vries accepted his plea. York must pay $737 in fines and other court costs. According to the criminal complaint, York was still on supervision with parole and probation for a felony conviction when he voted in the Nov. 8 general election. York was placed on probation for three years after a 2014 conviction for intentionally subjecting an individual at risk to abuse in Washington County. According to the criminal complaint, Horicon police received a report from the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Aug. 1 about a person who was on supervision and voted in the presidential election. Yorks information matched a list of offenders who still were under supervision with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Police met with York on Aug. 3, and began to tell him about the accusations when York allegedly interrupted them and said that they were there about him voting and that he was no longer on probation. When the officer said he was on probation when he voted, York allegedly said, Yeah, but I thought I would get away with it. ELROY A child accidentally shot Dec. 4 is the child of Elroy Police Chief Tony Green, according to a press release from Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson. The release states the the 3-year-old accidentally shot himself with his fathers firearm. Juneau County Sheriffs deputies responded to a residence in the town of Plymouth after a report of an accidental gunshot wound at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. The boy was transported to Mile Bluff Medical Center by Elroy Ambulance and is reported to be in stable condition. In a press release, Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson said the child is recovering well and is expected to be released from the hospital today. It was not clear whether the firearm in the incident was Greens service firearm or a personal gun. The case is currently being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Green was previously suspended without pay from April 2 to June 7 in 2015 for being at a party where alcohol was served to underage girls. A portion of the report from the Sauk County investigators included a statement from a female who reportedly was younger than 21 who said Tony (Green) was involved in a drinking game while the other girls who were underage were drinking as well. The incident is the second recent shooting involving youth in the region. In August, a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by his 10-year-old brother in Loganville while playing a game of cops and robbers. The boy said he did not believe the weapon was loaded. Loganville is in Sauk County, about 30 miles southeast of Elroy. The Bihar government has ordered for terminating the services of 80,000 health employees who are on strike. By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Bihar government has ordered for terminating the services of 80,000 health employees who have been recruited by the state government on contract. The government has taken this decision in the wake of the health employees remaining on strike for the last three days demanding equal pay for equal work and regularization of their services. advertisement Health secretary, R.K.Mahajan on Wednesday issued a letter to all the district magistrates and civil surgeons asking them to terminate the services of the striking contractual heath workers and go for fresh recruitment. "Disciplinary action will be taken against the health workers who have violated the terms of agreement of the contract. Their contract will be terminated for violating terms of agreement of contract", said health secretary R. K Mahajan's letter to the DM's and civil surgeons. More than 80,000 contractual health workers have gone on indefinite strike since 4th December in support of their demand of equal pay for equal work and regularization of services. The contractual health workers include health managers, pharmacists, OT assistants, technicians, data operators, paramedic and counsellors. The health services across the state have crippled because of the striking health employees. The striking health workers who have been protesting at the Gardanibagh area in the state capital for last three days have asserted that they would further intensify their stir and now bow to the pressure tactics of the state govt threatening to terminate their services. "We will immolate ourselves now if the government did not accept our demand," said Afroz Alam, a protesting health worker. The worst affected hospitals because of the ongoing strike of contractual health workers have been the prestigious Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna where several operations and surgeries have to be cancelled. --- ENDS --- New revelations about Michael Flynn's lies to the FBI are laying bare Vice President Mike Pence's in-the-dark strategy when it comes to Russia's election meddling, raising new questions about whether he could have been left in the dark as he has argued for nearly a year. Advisers have long insisted that Pence was unaware Flynn spoke to then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak about a new set of US sanctions on the day they were announced last December. But court filings unsealed last week, paired with new details about President Donald Trump's own knowledge of events, indicate a wide circle of advisers were aware that Flynn raised the issue when he spoke by phone to Moscow's envoy -- even as Pence reportedly remained in the dark. The new questions raised by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation signal what could be a pivotal moment in Pence's careful calibration of trying to keep a safe distance from the Russia probe even while maintaining his credibility for being left out of the loop by the West Wing. What he knew Pence -- who was in charge of Trump's transition -- knew Flynn had contacted Russia, but was left unaware of the sanctions discussion, according to transition officials. It's led to anxiety within Pence's circle that he'll eventually be called to sit for an interview with Mueller. "They are preparing for that," a person in Pence's orbit said, a sentiment echoed by another source close to the Vice President: "Chairing the transition would make it possible regardless of who it was." Lawmakers also say Pence owes them answers on what he knew at the time. "I think he has new questions to answer," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, who said he wanted Pence to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain what he knew at the time about Flynn's conversations with Russian officials. In the days since Flynn's guilty plea was unveiled last week, seven people close to the vice president continue to maintain that Pence did not know Flynn spoke with Kislyak about Russian sanctions, despite being the head of the Trump transition. But among top transition officials, Pence would have been largely alone in his lack of knowledge. According to court filings released last week, Flynn spoke with "senior members of the Presidential Transition Team" about his conversations with Kislyak regarding the new US sanctions. And Trump himself was told in January by the White House's chief lawyer that Flynn had misled the FBI and lied to Pence about his conversations with Kislyak. Flynn was fired on February 13. Political chops An establishment Republican who served for 10 years as a US representative prior to serving as Indiana governor, Pence is among the most politically experienced members of Trump's administration, and has taken on a wide swath of responsibility, including maintaining relationships on Capitol Hill and making frequent trips abroad. But despite of -- or perhaps because of -- his political acuity, Pence has remained largely oblivious to contacts between Trump officials and Russian operatives, at least according to his aides. Aside from the Flynn episode, Pence's aides said he did not know Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damning information about Hillary Clinton. And his office similarly claimed that Pence wasn't aware of Trump Jr.'s contact with WikiLeaks in the closing days of last year's presidential campaign. The President's son is set to meet with congressional investigators Wednesday. In multiple conversations with CNN, the officials sought to explain Pence's role in the transition, his reaction to the news that Flynn had lied to him and why he wasn't aware of Flynn's actions. A former senior transition official explained that Pence was mostly concerned with "human resources" and personnel in his role as transition chairman, which included oversight of major Cabinet appointments. Another adviser to the vice president said he was focused on interviewing candidates for Senate-confirmable posts. Two senior transition officials mentioned to CNN that Pence was slowly weened off of email during the transition period, another step to prepare him for his new role as vice president. One of the officials says that Pence's team actively tried to protect him from the various characters in Trump Tower and transition offices during that time period. "We definitely tried to cut down on the unfettered access folks had to him but it was more about allowing him to focus on the task at hand," this official said. Transition roles On the multiple days last December when Flynn was speaking with Kislyak, Pence was thousands of miles away, according to his travel records and a senior transition official at the time, conducting transition meetings in Washington and preparing for his son's wedding in Indianapolis, where he was also busy packing up his home to move to Washington. One senior White House official said that while there was "some" interaction between Pence and Flynn during the transition, it was not "extensive." "Mike was coming up with the process for filling Cabinet posts. The Flynn thing was out of his hands -- he's been on the campaign from the start," this official said when asked about Pence's level of trust in the incoming national security adviser. It's that argument -- Pence was more of a newcomer than Flynn -- that people close to the vice president say bolsters his claim that he didn't know about the extent of these Russian calls. Yet that explanation will surely be tested anew as Mueller's probe reaches closer to Trump's inner circle. Trump's national security team, who operated out of a conference room in Trump Tower, was based in New York during the transition, while Pence increasingly spent more time in Washington at the presidential transition offices blocks away from the White House. He even took up temporary residence at a house in Chevy Chase while Trump continued to live in his Manhattan apartment. Two transition officials who prepared the vice president for his television appearance on January 15 said that questions about Flynn and Kislyak were not a surprise. "We knew Pence would get asked about it," one senior transition official said. Another transition official said Pence called Flynn on January 14 specifically so he could say during his Sunday show appearances that he'd spoken with the national security adviser about his conversations with Kislyak. Flynn insisted to Pence did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak, and during his two television appearances, Pence readily relayed that information -- which turned out to be a lie. Pence discovered that Flynn lied to him through media reports on February 9 as The Washington Post reported that Flynn had in fact spoken with Kislyak about Russian sanctions. 'Purposefully misled' When asked if Pence as vice president-elect or vice president ever had any reservations about Flynn, one senior transition official says that Pence and Flynn didn't really cross paths often during the campaign because Flynn traveled with Trump on his campaign plane, but that Pence and Flynn's relationship was "perfectly fine and cordial." That changed after Flynn's untruths were outed. "He was genuinely stunned and pissed when he found out that Flynn misled him and let him go out on national TV with inaccurate information," one senior adviser to Pence said. There was concern at the time from Pence's staff that the vice president had been purposefully misled and that even White House officials had kept the vice president in the dark. One person close to the vice president told CNN in February that they wanted to know who among the President's staff made the decision to tell Trump but not tell the man who went on television as the face of the administration. The questions about what Pence knew -- or how he managed to stay in the dark -- about the Russian contacts aren't likely to subside. Yet Pence has not publicly signaled any signs of worry. He's carrying on with his duties and keeping his connections with key Republicans. He invited about 80 guests to his official residence, the Naval Observatory, for a Christmas party on Monday night, one of many that he and Karen Pence are hosting this year. Republicans flew in from across the country to attend. Pence worked his way around the room, attendees said, talking individually with guests for about 90 minutes. His mood was upbeat and bright as he visited with old Republican friends. The vice president delivered no formal address nor did he talk about the matter consuming much of Washington: the Russia investigation. Theres no need to tell Rita Briant that Historic Living Windows will be worth her time Saturday. Theyll look like Ethel and Lucy, she said of residents Joanne Genrich and Trish Trinrud. The two women will be seen making Norwegian cookies in Briants window at Prairie Flower Beads from 4 to 6 p.m. The 1950s era evoking the classic sitcom I Love Lucy for Briant is one of several vignettes from the past that shell enjoy in downtown Portage. Its neat whenever people play a part from history, Briant said. Not too many towns do this. The Night Before Christmas is this years window scene at Forever Yours Jewelry. Its one of 27 scenes from 29 groups along Cook, DeWitt and Wisconsin streets, said Forever Yours Manager Abra Shimpach. Look for Fred Galley of Galley Studio to be dressed as a paperboy Saturday for maps of the event. You wont know what to expect as you walk. Its exciting but its also calming because theres no sound, Shimpach said. Youll see whats going on, but theres this silence behind it. It gets you thinking about what life used to be like. Other features of Living Windows include Santa Claus, who will roam the streets; snacks and hot beverages; and live music. New to the event this year is a photo booth at the corner of Cook and DeWitt, Shimpach said. Kiddie Christmas Historic Indian Agency House will once again host Kiddie Christmas at the conclusion of Living Windows. Santa will make his way from downtown Portage to the fireplace at HIAH in order to listen to childrens wish lists from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It will be a great place to take a pretty picture, said HIAH Executive Director Jennifer Blau. Families might also enjoy decorating sugar cookies or browsing the handmade crafts in the HIAH gift shop. Donations of $5 are encouraged. Visitors to HIAH from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. can create or purchase evergreen wreaths. Reservations for wreath making are requested. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday HIAH also will sell poinsettias of pink, red and white. For more information about the Saturday events at HIAH, call 608-742-6362 or email historicindianagencyhouse@gmail.com. For the dogs Columbia County Humane Society will hold its annual Bring Your Paws to Santa Claus photo event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It supports a good cause, and its really fun for families, said CCHS Executive Director Susan Bratcher. Standard 4x6 photos require a $10 donation to CCHS, and other photo packages will be available for purchase. Sessions will be done in 15-minute increments. Registration is encouraged, though CCHS will accept walk-ins, Bratcher said. Its a cute way to celebrate the holidays. For more information, call CCHS at 608-742-3666. Stan Theis is a living example of what it means to be neighborly: helpful, friendly, kind. Civil, good-natured, pleasant. Hes the kind of guy that will get things done, said Theis friend, Fritz Wyttenbach. You dont have to worry about him not following through. Whatever it takes, Stan will get it done. Such was the case on the afternoon of Nov. 28, where Theis could be found helping Wyttenbach reinstall a military memorial on his front lawn. Weeks prior, the structure had been broadsided; the likely result of a drunk driver. The afternoon was beautiful and sunny, and the two men got to work. When people need help, you just do it, Theis said. The Marxville native grew up on his familys 107 year-old farm and graduated from Mazomanie High School. He attended a two-year program at Madison Area Technical College for business administration, and later did a short stint as a bookkeeper. Theis ended up in the Sauk Prairie area in 1965 where he worked as an office manager for Ballweg Chevrolet. But by 1972, the country life soon called Theis back to the family farm, and Theis bought part of the land and farmed it with his father until deciding to retire. Theis still owns the farm, but rents it out as a cash crop. Over the years he has served the various communities hes lived in in different capacities: six years on the Town of Berry Board and the Sauk Prairie Hospital Board of Trustees for nine years, from 1986 through 1995; three of which were as president. He also served on the Wisconsin Hospital Association, receiving director of the year in 1996. After his nine years on the hospital board, Stan joined the foundation board in 1995 and served through 2004, said Patrice Luer, executive director of Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation. He was the board secretary for six of those years. Stan is the only one of our donors I know of whose donation of stock was exactly that live stock, Luer said. He used to donate a cow when he took animals to auction, and the foundation would receive a check from the auction house for the sale of our cow. Hes not only generous, but smart there was an additional tax benefit in giving that way. Luer said Theis interest in Sauk Prairie Healthcare hasnt diminished in the years since he finished his tenure on the boards. He and Lynette made a generous gift to help build the new hospital, and you can count on seeing them every year at the SPH Association Annual meeting, Luer said. More recently, Theis presence has been felt through his efforts in helping with Heroes for Honor and the two Sauk Prairie-funded Badger Honor Flights, serving as bookkeeper and assisting in multiple fundraisers along the way. The whole group did a lot of work, Theis said. We had a great committee. And it was fantastic the way the whole community supported it. His drive to help fellow veterans stems from his own involvement in the military; Theis served in the U.S. Army for six years. What people dont know is many of us didnt have a choice, Theis said. Youd go to job interviews and the first thing theyd ask is whats your status in the draft? If you were A1 which most everybody was theyd actually look at you and say dont even bother filling out an application; fulfill your service to the country and then come back and see us after. Theis said he was very fortunate not to have to go to war. I saw the reactions from (people), he said. Soldiers were told to change out of their uniforms upon getting home because of the mindset of the country at the time. A lot of those guys didnt get the homecoming they deserved. Theis said he firmly believes in giving back to your community. He can be found hauling wheelchairs for residents of The Pines where his mother now lives, helping to load and unload seniors. You see the smiles and get the thanks thats all you get out of it, Theis said. Hopefully someday someone will do it for me. Ive known him quite a while, Wyttenbach said of Theis. Hes just a terrific asset; hes good for the community. He might be retired, but hes not tired. Hes got a lot of energy. About 25 years after the Babri Masjid demolition, the elusive Ram Mandir of Ayodhya has once again become a poll issue in Gujarat. By Jumana Shah: Senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal's appearance in Supreme Court for the Sunni Waqf Board seeking deferment of the Ram Janmabhoomi case hearing till after 2019 is likely to rip apart the Congress's well-cultivated campaign on the ground in Gujarat. About 25 years after the Babri Masjid demolition, the elusive Ram Mandir of Ayodhya has once again become a poll issue in Gujarat. advertisement Minutes after Sibal's appearance, BJP president Amit Shah, who is camping in Gujarat ahead of the elections, attacked Rahul Gandhi over Sibal's plea. He asked Rahul to clarify his stand on the temple issue, considering he has been visiting temples all over Gujarat these days. Now with three days to the first phase of polls, BJP has also started circulating posters in social media translating in Guajrati Sibal's plea in court. With just a day to go for the polling to close, this has now well and truly emerged as a poll issue. After staying out of power for 22 years, the Gujarat Congress led by Rahul Gandhi has been on a sharp offensive in its campaign in Gujarat this time, striking the BJP in its Hindutva gut. Rahul has by now visited more than 23 temples in about 15 days spent campaigning in Gujarat. The BJP was distinctly uncomfortable with these visits. They hit out saying Rahul has never bothered to visit the Akshardham Temple in Delhi, which is 5 minutes from his home. They said his visits are political motivated, aping the BJP's leaders, but doesn't have any real faith for Hindus. But the Congress, who has for long identified itself with the 'secular' tag, has been unapologetic about these visits and its 'soft Hindutva' campaign. Posters in social media have emerged asking voters to vote for the real Hindutva party, not fake 'secular clones'. The BJP on the other hand is understandably facing acute anti-incumbency. This is articulated by young Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who has been appealing to vote against the BJP and for the Congress. While the jury is still out whether the influential Patidar community will heed to Hardik or not, the crowds gathering at this multiple rallies are not missed by the BJP. The Congress, meanwhile, has come out with a formula and promised reservation to the Patidar community if it comes to power. This is included in their manifesto too. Moreover, another young leader Alpesh Thakor representing the OBC community has also officially joined the Congress. He is expected to benefit the Congress on 34 seats across the state. Jignesh Mevani's anti-BJP campaign citing injustice to Dalits has been a concern too, though Dalits form only 7% of the state's electorate. advertisement BJP has been fighting elections on the agenda of 'development' or vikas for a decade now. Vikas is linked with anti-incumbency in Gujarat. Hence the BJP was fervently looking for an issue that could consolidate its Hindu vote bank. Consolidation of the Hindu community as a votebank has been Narendra Modi's winning strategy since 2002, which has been successfully replicated in other states. Associating the Congress as a party and Rahul Gandhi himself with Muslim community or Mughal kings has been the norm for the BJP for a long time now. In his last visit, Modi called Rahul 'Aurangzeb', the last Mughal king known for his hardline stand against Hinduism and atrocities. BJP karyakartas are known to whisper in their door-to-door campaign that Ahmed Patel is likely to be the Congress chief minster if it comes to power. Sibal's appearance for the Waqf Board was an opportunity they were waiting for a long time. It has practically fallen in their lap. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said BJP is playing the role of Manthara in this issue. "Our stand on the Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya is very clear that the Supreme Court will take a decision. The BJP is raising this issue because it can see defeat ahead in Gujarat," he said. advertisement ALSO WATCH | Ayodhya dispute: Five creative solutions to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid standoff --- ENDS --- Racism, Examination Assessments and the Transformation of Wits University To advance transformation in our medical school, we changed our admissions processes three years ago, enabling special access for students from rural schools. In the last ten days, a racial controversy erupted at Wits University when a group of medical students took a class photograph with a banner stating that the medical school was racist. I took a firm view against this small group of students on social media, as did the University when it released a public statement a few days later. This is because we believe that it is imperative that a noble struggle to transform our public institutions is not in any way compromised by opportunism on the part of individuals to advance their own careers or attempts to bypass assessment processes, using lack of transformation as an excuse. Transformation is an imperative at Wits University and within its medical school which is why three years ago, we developed a comprehensive transformation plan that involves, amongst other aspects, diversifying our student enrolment, changing our staff demographics, addressing the living standards of the poorest of our employees, creating a cosmopolitan environment in our university and residences, implementing a new language policy, transforming our curriculum, and renaming our buildings and spaces. We rigorously implement this plan, track progress on a monthly basis and release regular reports on indicators. Read the latest report. To advance transformation in our medical school, we changed our admissions processes three years ago, enabling special access for students from rural schools and quintile one and two urban schools, provided that they meet our rigorous standards for admission. Yet we recognised that individual acts of racism would continue. We are also aware of racisms subtle manifestations. This is why we have both a Transformation Office and a Gender Equity Office with the mandates to investigate and prosecute acts of racism and sexual harassment by individuals within our University community. We have had many such investigations in the last year, some of which have culminated in mediation and others that have resulted in severe disciplinary action. Why then were we so firm with these students who alleged racism in our assessment processes? This is not the first time that we have had such allegations made. The issue regularly raises its head when some students fail. In the last year, we initiated two independent investigations into our assessment processes, one in the School of Accountancy and the other in the School of Clinical Medicine. The first was undertaken by a senior academic from another university, and the conclusion was that our assessments were in line with those of our peers and of a standard that was both globally competitive and contextually relevant. The second investigation, in the medical school, was undertaken by a senior academic from the Faculty of Humanities who has experience on matters of racism and how to address them. After a comprehensive, three-month investigation, he concluded that a racism charge could not be upheld, although there were definitely administrative, communication and consultation weaknesses within the Faculty. This report was discussed with the student leadership of the Faculty and the students in the relevant classes. Despite this report, just a few weeks later, a small group of students who failed a particular course raised the racism allegations again. Some accused the medical school of making special concessions for white students who failed a course while not doing the same for black students. Not a shred of evidence was put forward to support this allegation. Instead, they targeted a student who they believed received such a special favour. The student had done nothing wrong. In fact, she passed her examination with the second highest grade in the class. However, her exam result was incorrectly captured on the University's computer system and she was obliged to undertake a remedial programme. When the error was discovered, the Faculty put in place measures to correct it, including allowing the student to complete the remainder of her academic assessments and her clinical practice so that she could graduate. We also initiated an investigation to determine how such an error could be made and what safeguards to put in place in this regard. Essentially, what we have here is a student who passed, who through no fault of her own has been targeted by another group of students who failed, and who is accused of being granted favours because she is white. The group of students who failed were essentially trying to racialise a matter because they wanted to bypass the University's assessment processes. They suggested that the Faculty's assessment processes were against black students, even though the vast majority of our students in the Faculty black and white have passed their examinations. These racialised assertions were supported by others who, without having the facts at hand, simply supported the attack on the Faculty and in this case, an innocent student. The incident demonstrates the danger of acting without having the full facts at hand and of engaging uncritically in a crude populism that is informed by racial chauvinism. Some of this manifested in an article in the Sunday Times on 3 December 2017. The article claims that out of a final 6th year class of 329 students in medical school, 95 failed at least one or two blocks. It claims that of these 95 students, 90 were African. We are not sure of the source of this data. The latest data at our disposal demonstrates that the class size is 321, of which at least 256 will graduate. 11 students have failed and will have to repeat the year. Of the 321, 53 will carry one or two blocks into 2018. If they pass early next year, they will graduate. The sub-text in the Sunday Times article is that this data somehow demonstrates racism in the Faculty and its assessment processes. But here is the problem with this conclusion; it assumes that something is wrong with the Facultys assessment processes despite independent investigations concluding otherwise. It does not mention that examinations are externally examined and independently verified. The implied solution is that we should change our assessment processes, thereby creating an alternative grading system for black students. The net effect would be to compromise the professional standing of future doctors and put out graduates with a lower level of mastery of their discipline. A more scientific analysis of this data could lead to a different diagnosis of the problem and an alternative solution. If this data were put against another set which looks at graduation rates of students after one additional year of study, it would demonstrate that the number of African graduates will substantially improve. The issue that this raises is that given our entrance requirements in 2011 (the year of entry of this cohort of students) were lower for African than they were for white and Indian students as a result of the structural educational deficits African students suffer under, is it worth it for us as a society to incur this extra cost to produce a more demographically representative sample of doctors? My answer to this question would be a categorical yes, especially given that we now have further enhanced the transformative character of our admissions by including students from rural and quintile 1 and 2 urban schools. But there is an even deeper problem that this data demonstrates. Even if an additional year would be worthwhile for producing a more demographically representative sample of doctors, why is it that there is such an overt racial profile to the failure rate in the final year of medicine? Even if African students are being taken into the programme on a lower academic score, six years earlier should our academic development and social support programmes not correct for the structural educational deficit after five or six years? What challenges do these results pose for our academic development and social support programmes? These are the nuanced questions that we should be considering. The debate does not even touch on these questions because it addresses the challenge through a crude racial populist lens. The net effect is that the problem is being misdiagnosed which may result in inappropriate solutions being advanced. The challenge to our assessment processes has not been made simply by black students. We have had repeated attempts at this in recent months by students (and sometimes parents) across the racial divide. We have had wealthy students who threatened the University with legal action because they had failed or were unhappy about the marks that they had received. Sometimes this created tensions within our student community because of a feeling that concessions were somehow being made, even when this was not the case. In other cases, we have had students or their parents threatening to report the university to ministers and others in government. And then we have had other students across the racial divide who have played the race card in an attempt to bypass either our assessment or admission processes. In all of these cases, our response has been the same: we will not succumb to legal, political or populist pressure to pass individuals who have not mastered the knowledge and skills that are required for them to graduate. Our resolve in this regard is clear, because not only would it be morally reprehensible to pass students who have not mastered the knowledge and skills required by their disciplines, but it would also be dangerous for society. After all, medical students hold the lives of their patients in their hands. Teachers are responsible for the educational futures of our children. If we were to compromise on examination assessments, it could jeopardise the lives of many others in our society. Our defence of Wits' assessment processes, after independent investigations that proved their legitimacy, is important to retaining the credibility of our qualifications. If a perception emerges that our rigorous assessments can be bypassed through legal, political or populist pressure, then our degree certificates will lose their employment and professional cache. As of now, 93% of our students get a job within six months of graduating. The outcome is beneficial for our graduates, and is a result of the sterling contribution of all of our staff and the dedication of most of our students. This must not be compromised in any way by the unfortunate actions of a few. Finally, a remark on the racism that has manifested itself in this debate. There are posts on social media and statements made in forums such as talk shows that are profoundly racist. They speak disparagingly of whites and blacks, and inappropriately use historical incidents to arrive erroneously at the most racist conclusions about groups of people. Some make disparaging remarks about 'curry', 'Gandhi' and Muslims, simply, I assume, because they pigeon-hole me as reflecting these identities. And others speak approvingly of fascist discourses and behaviour in the naive belief that this will somehow deliver them from their sense of racialised victimhood. Some are of these remarks are, of course, made out of ignorance, and they can be forgiven. But there are many others that are borne of deep racism. And there are not enough voices rising up against this racism. Politicians and political parties pander to it for opportunistic ends and short term electoral gains. Social justice activists remain silent for fear of being labelled or deemed irrelevant. Journalists do not rigorously interrogate the proponents of these views and allow individuals to get away with the most outlandish, racist remarks. But we do this at our collective peril. If we allow our public discourse to be dominated by the most racist among us, those who mobilise on the most basic of human instincts, then we will be condemned to a future of division, fear and violence. The vast majority of us are decent human beings. But we are too easily silenced by the political spectacle that is being created by the small group of racists among us. We need to stand up against them; they need to hear that they do not speak in our name. Only then, can we collectively build an inclusive future that serves all of our interests. This opinion piece was originally published in the Daily Maverick. Professor Adam Habib is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University. Taking a swipe at Modi, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said that while there is sweetness in Gujarati food, the Prime Minister's responses are always bitter. By Supriya Bhardwaj: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Congress of linking the Ram Mandir issue with Lok Sabha elections in 2019 during a rally in Gujarat, the latter has shot back. Taking a swipe at Modi, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said that while there is sweetness in Gujarati food, the Prime Minister's responses are always bitter. "Gujarat ke khaane main bhi mithaas hoti hai, par Modi ji phir bhi kadva bolte hain," Anand Sharma said. advertisement "The Prime Minister should tell us what is the agenda he is fighting the election on," Anand Sharma said, adding that the Congress has "invited him and in a way challenged him for an open debate at a place and time of his choice". The Congress leader said that Modi always cites the example of Gandhi but Gandhi was an epitome of truth and "PM should follow that". RAM MANDIR IN GUJARAT CAMPAIGN The Ram Mandir has found its way into the Gujarat election campaign. Narendra Modi, during an election rally in Dhandhuka, attacked Congress leader Kapil Sibal's arguments in the Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute. "Why does he have to link Ram Mandir with elections. Is this proper?" Modi said. "Yesterday, in the Supreme Court, a Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019?" he said. Narendra Modi also accused the Congress of linking the Ram Mandir issue with Lok Sabha elections. "Now, the Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the country," he said. Before Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah asked soon-to-be Congress president Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stand on on Ram Mandir. "I appeal to the future Congress president, please clear your stand on the issue," Shah said. Ahead of the Gujarat election, both Modi and Shah's attacks on the Congress come after Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya title dispute case, urged the Supreme Court to defer the hearing in the case till July 2019. WATCH: Modi attacks Rahul over his Somnath temple visit, says Nehru opposed it --- ENDS --- By PTI: mob, Womens commission takes action against trolls Thiruvanthapuram, Dec 6 (PTI) Three Muslim women students of Malappuram faced abusive remarks on social media for dancing in a flash mob to mark World AIDS Day on December 1 after which the Kerala Womens Commission has registered a case against the trolls. advertisement The three students of a dental college were trolled for allegedly insulting Islam by publicly dancing at an AIDA awareness campaign on December 1 at a traffic junction in Malappuram. The women, wearing hijabs and jeans, had performed the Entammede Jimmikki Kammal a popular number from a Mohanlal film. The Commission today directed cyber police to initiate immediate action against those who had attacked the women in the social media and file a report. The order in this regard was issued by the commission chairperson, M C Josephine. The abusive campaign in the social media against the women was an insult to the states culture, she said, adding stern action would be taken against those indulging in such criminal acts. The video of the flash mob at the busy traffic junction had invited the wrath of a section of the muslim community which accused the students of causing "disgrace" to Islam. PTI UD APR RT --- ENDS --- Tribe scholars honored in myriad areas in 2017 Stand-out Scholars: Eight of the Fulbright recipients participated in a panel discussion on Friday, April 21, in Swem Library, speaking to a room full of W&M students and Fulbright hopefuls about their application experience. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption Its common knowledge that the William & Mary student body is filled with academic all-stars. Some students, in particular, are recognized for their hard work each year by internationally known organizations with monetary awards, scholarships and fellowships, some of which allow them to travel around the world. Heres a look back at the students who, with help from the Charles Center, received major nationally and internationally competitive awards in 2017. Fulbright Scholarship: Thirteen W&M students departed for international locations from Mexico to Taiwan for the 2017-18 academic year as recipients of prestigious Fulbright scholarships. Jessica Armstrong 17, Melissa Guidry 17, Hayley Hahn 17, Michael Kopreski 17, Aaron Bayles 17 and Ph.D. student Mallory Moran each received academic awards to conduct individually designed research projects while abroad, and Kyra Bell 17, Ellie Dassler 17, Ebimene Doubeni 17, Sophia Farion 17, Katie Freund 17, Victoria Johnson 17 and Meredith Wolf 17 received grants to participate in the English Teaching Assistant program. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship is the largest U.S. exchange program offering recent college graduates and young professionals the opportunity to pursue international graduate study. The program awards 1,900 grants annually and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. Goldwater Fellowship: Kyle Lopez 17 received a fully-funded Goldwater Fellowship to attend New York Universitys Master of Fine Arts program. Lopez graduated in May with degrees in English and marginalized community studies, a self-designed major that is a combination of government, linguistics and Africana studies, among other subjects. After his interest in poetry was rekindled by taking a creative writing class taught by Mildred and J.B. Hickman Professor of English and Humanities Henry Hart, Lopez forwarded an application and portfolio of his poetry to NYUs M.F.A. program. More than 1,000 people apply annually for the Goldwater Fellowship, with only 20 to 25 being accepted and even fewer receiving full-tuition scholarships. Goldwater Scholarship: Zachary Nimmo 18 was named a Goldwater Scholar by the Goldwater Foundation. Kevin Nelson 18 and Likhitha Kolla 18 were named Honorable Mentions. The prestigious award is given annually to sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Nimmo, a chemistry major and Monroe Scholar, is one of 240 students nationwide to receive a scholarship from a pool of 1,286 applicants. An additional 307 nominees were named Honorable Mentions. Since the spring of his freshman year, Nimmo has conducted research in a biochemistry lab with Douglas Young, assistant professor of chemistry at W&M and Nimmo's advisor, where he studies bioconjugations via unnatural amino acids, which can be developed into targeted cancer therapies. Udall Scholarship: Talia Schmitt 18 and Mackenzie Neal 18 were among just 50 students nationwide to receive prestigious Udall Scholarships. Going to those selected from a pool of nearly 500 applicants, the awards are reserved for students who intend to pursue careers related to the environment, Native health care or tribal public policy. Neal, a government major with a global studies minor, is W&Ms first Udall scholar in the tribal public policy category. While Neal is a member of the Quapaw Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma, she only learned of her heritage when she was 8 or 9. Schmitt began a lifelong love affair with the outdoors on a weeklong camping trip in California with her 6th-grade class. She was so moved by the experience that she made it her mission to become an influencer, founding the Eco-Schools Leadership Initiative where she trains high school and college students to educate elementary school students throughout Virginia about various environmental issues. Mellon/ACLS Fellowship: Casey Schmitt, a Ph.D. candidate in history at W&M, was one of only 65 scholars to receive a 2017 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship. Chosen from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants, Schmitts research focuses on the 17th century Caribbean. DOE grad student research award: Joseph Karpie, a Ph.D. student in William & Marys Department of Physics, was named a recipient of an award from the Department of Energys Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program. He studies theoretical and computational aspects of quantum chromodynamics at the DOEs Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News. New BASF rice knowledge centre to help farmers in Asia boost yields and reduce emissions. BAY LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES: BASF SE has inaugurated a new rice knowledge centre at its agricultural research station in Bay, Laguna, Philippines. The new facility centralizes BASFs global expertise in rice cultivation and supports the delivery of enhanced agronomic and technical support to farmers seeking to increase productivity more sustainably. BASFs global network of crop protection experts and technical representatives will be able to leverage the rice knowledge centre when providing training, advice and support to growers. Demonstration plots and field trials at the new centre will also complement the work of BASF research sites around the region. Ninety percent of rice worldwide is grown and consumed in Asia. In the near future, BASF will introduce the Clearfield and Provisia production systems for direct-seeded rice in major rice-growing countries across the region. These solutions combine conventionally-bred herbicide-tolerant hybrid seeds with a purpose-designed herbicide. Compared to traditional transplanted rice farming, direct seeding rice requires less water and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The Clearfield system is already in use by rice farmers in over 10 countries around the world, including Malaysia. To help speed the adoption of these technologies, BASF has entered into several cooperation agreements with the international rice research institute (IRRI) to introduce herbicide-tolerant rice seeds to more farmers in Asia. BASF will also become a founding member of a new multi-party research consortium led by IRRI on the mechanized and precise direct seeding of rice. This and future partnerships will be coordinated by the new rice knowledge centre. Rice is the staple food of more than half the worlds population, and farmers have an extraordinary challenge to meet growing demand for rice while minimizing the impact to the environment. The new BASF rice knowledge centre will enable us to share the latest technologies and best practices with growers so that we can drive further innovation in rice production, said Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, senior vice president, crop protection, Asia Pacific, BASF. The opening of the new centre supports BASFs recent introduction of new solutions for rice growers in Asia Pacific, such as Seltima, a highly effective fungicide that is safe for the aquatic environment of rice paddies, and Xemco, an innovative insecticide for many common rice pests. Through this centralized platform, we can foster deeper relationships and collaboration with the rice industry, local government, and academia. Together, we will address common challenges facing todays rice growers around the region, said Dr Edson Begliomini, BASFs regional head for research & development. Worldofchemicals News Email Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter Sign Up Free | The WPJ Weekly Newsletter Relevant real estate news. Actionable market intelligence. Right to your inbox every week. Go Thank you for your interest! You will now be receiving our Weekly Real Estate Newsletter. Real Estate Listings Showcase Global real estate consultant Knight Frank is reporting this week that office take-up in Milan is set to reach 330,000 square meter in 2017, making it the second strongest year on record.The first nine months of 2017 saw the strongest period on record for the city; with office take-up reaching 273,000 square meter. Indicators show this surge of take-up will continue well into the New Year.With take-up at peak volume, prime rents have risen by 6% in 2017, reaching 530 ($626 USD) per sq. meter per annum, exceeding the previous high of 525 ($621 USD) in 2011-2012.Continuing this trend, 2017 is also set to be one of the strongest years on record for Italy's economy since the financial crisis. In recent years, Milan in particular has experienced significant capital targeting assets with development opportunities, expanding the city's premium quality stock and in turn, its skyline.Office occupiers in Milan are seeking properties that add value to their business and as a result, prime office space in the city is fast becoming scarce. Developers are striving to keep up with the demand and although 220,000 square meters of office space is currently under construction, increases in availability are likely to be short-term due to ongoing occupier activity and high levels of pre-leasing.Milan's office market has also maintained its appeal to investors, with a total of 1.4bn ($1.66b USD) invested in Milan's office sector in the first nine months of the year and both domestic and foreign investors still very active in the city.Milan's office landscape continues to be reshaped, leading to an uplift in capital values and a subsequent increase in appetite to global investors. This in turn continues to draw in occupiers, with a healthy appetite from Italy's service sector, prime office space continues to be snapped up and the appeal of Milan's office market is set to continue into 2018.Alessandro Riboni, Chief Executive of Knight Frank's Milan office commented, "Milan has been under investors' radar for years, becoming one of the key international markets. Advising our national and international clients, we have been witnessing the ever-growing interest for the city. The strong competition for prime assets has continued to support the compression of yields." The woman was returning home from work when the auto driver and two of his accomplices allegedly raped her. By Manjeet Sehgal: Just a few weeks after the Chandigarh rape case, a similar report comes from Haryana. A 27-year-old woman alleged that she was gang-raped in a moving auto-rickshaw near Hisar's Satrod area on Monday night. The woman was returning home after closing her beauty parlour in Barwala around 8 in the evening, when the auto driver and two of his accomplices allegedly took turns to rape the woman and later dumped her at a deserted place, said police officials. advertisement Police have registered a case against the three accused, of whom one has been arrested but two are still at large. The woman boarded a shared auto which already had a few passengers inside. The auto driver dropped the other passengers in Satrod, said the police report. Two accomplices of the auto driver hopped onto the auto near the main gate of Hisar Cantt and allegedly took turns to rape the woman. Later, the woman narrated the ordeal to her husband who then lodged a complaint with the police. The incident has raised questions over the night patrolling practice of Hisar police. This shocking incident comes weeks after a 22-year-old woman was gang-raped in Chandigarh by an auto-rickshaw driver and two of his accomplices. The case grabbed national headlines when actor-turned MP Kirron Kher faced criticism for her remark on how the girl could have averted the incident by not boarding the rickshaw with three men in it. --- ENDS --- Parents made a desperate plea for help with locating their daughter who left their home for school but never made it to class. Police in Texas worked with the FBI to locate 13-year-old Ashlee Hattermann after she skipped school. Authorities posted photos of the girl and asked the public for help in locating her. The girls parents, Keith and his wife Tiffany Hattermann, said that several months ago, they discovered that Ashlee had been exchanging sexually explicit messages and photos with a man. The girl told her mother that he was a 29-year-old man who lives in Mexico. The couple said they took away their daughters phone and turned it over to the Cyber Crimes Division of the sheriffs office. However, that did not stop their daughter from communicating with the man behind her parents backs by using social media, messaging apps, and through phone calls. Keith said that after Ashlee disappeared, they found notes in her room in which she called a guy daddy and herself baby girl. To the horror of her parents, Ashlee wrote: Daddy owns my body and my soul, over and over on the entire sheet of paper. The communications lasted about one year before the 13-year-old agreed to go to Mexico to meet him. Authorities said that the 13-year-old traveled from her home in Katy to Laredo on Friday morning, and she crossed into Mexico late Friday. She was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 130 pounds, long brown hair, and blue eyes. Authorities discovered that Ashlee had crossed the border to Mexico alone. She was tracked down and found safe in Mexico two days later, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Jordan Davidson sentenced to 23 years for Nicholas Churton murder This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Dec 6th, 2017 North Wales Police have welcomed the sentence imposed against Jordan Davidson at Mold Crown Court today. Davidson was sentanced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 23 years before he will be considered for release. Detective Superintendent Iestyn Davies said: Between Wednesday 22nd March 2017 and Tuesday 28th March 2017, Jordan Davidson, aged 25, embarked on a catalogue of serious offending in Wrexham town and the vicinity which included the callous and calculating murder of Nicholas Churton, a 67 year old vulnerable man, who was attacked by Davidson in his own home during the evening of Thursday 23rd March. Davidson committed further crimes including three robberies, serious assaults and house burglaries. Davidson was identified as a suspect for the murder and a huge manhunt took place to try and locate him. When he was found in the rear of a vehicle on Tuesday 28th March 2017, he proceeded to attack arresting officers with a hammer. Furthermore, during his questioning, he attacked one of the interviewing officers and whilst on remand, having been charged with these offences, he stabbed a prison guard causing a significant neck injury. The seriousness and level of offending clearly illustrates that Jordan Davidson is an extremely dangerous individual who was prepared to resort to horrific offending in order to fuel his chaotic drug addiction. Police say the length of sentence imposed by the judge Lord Justice Clive Lewis clearly illustrates the seriousness of his offending and the danger he poses to the public of North Wales. Detective Superintendent Iestyn Davies added: This has been a very challenging investigation where many innocent lives have been affected by the callous acts of this man. I hope that they will take some comfort from the fact that this man is now in prison for a considerable time and that North Wales will be a safer place. I would also like to thank the numerous witnesses who helped us put such a compelling case before the court to help us convict Jordan Davidson. Nicholas Churtons family issued a statement saying: Nick was kind, loving, and an extraordinary character who enriched the lives of all who knew him. He will be forever in our hearts. We would like to thank those who have supported us throughout this very difficult time. The prime suspect in the murder case of jawan Irfan Dar has narrated to Jammu and Kashmir police how he colluded with Hizbul and LeT militants to kill the Territorial Army soldier. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: With arrest of main conspirator Muzamil, a resident of Shirmal village in Shopian, bone chilling details of conspiracy to kill Irfan Ahmed Dar, a 23-year-old Territorial Army jawan Irfan, has emerged. Dar's bullet ridden body was found in Shopian in last week of November. His body was discovered lying in a pool of blood. Police confirmed how Muzamil took out Irfan, also a Shopian resident, for a ride in the latter's i-10 car. advertisement Irfan was taken to an orchard area in Wothmula Nad area of Keegam where he was surrounded by Hizb Commander Saddam Paddar, a Burhan Wani aide and perhaps the longest surviving terrorist from Burhan's group. Bilal Mohan an HM Terrorist and Tauseef a new Lashkar militant also accompanied Paddar. Arrest Over Ground Worker (OGW) spilled beans to Jammu Kashmir Police on how Dar was killed. Tauseef aimed one bullet from Insas rifle at the young Army jawan, Paddar HM Commander shot two bullets from his AK 47. Three empty cartridge was all that was recovered from near the slain soldier's body and the orchard. But Muzamil played an important part in planning and implementation of the dastardly murder. On vacation, Dar was without weapon and outnumbered. The conspiracy was hatched by the trio including Saddam Paddar. At Tauseef's home in neighbouring Garbug, Pulwama district, Muzamil elaborated the plot. They were planning the murder since arrival of Irfan. Muzamil admitted that he was assigned to get the TA Battalion Jawan to the orchard. The Cops in Shopian burnt the midnight oil to crack the case. Sources in Jammu Kashmir Police say that technical surveillance and inputs from villagers who last saw Irfan with Muzamil finally led cops to him. A phone belonging to Muzamil has been recovered, which according to the police will give them further inputs. Speaking to India Today P Shopian Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said, "Muzamil is an active over ground worker. Although he did not have a weapon on him, he was complicit in terror plot, being involved in planning and finally elimination of Irfan Dar." Irfan was on a 10-day leave when he was killed. He was posted in Gurez valley in Northern Kashmir. Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was also killed by militants in the same district on May 10 this year. ALSO WATCH | Kashmir: 2 Hizbul Mujahideen militants killed in Kulgam --- ENDS --- US vs. Atilla, the American Justice Departments case against Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive of Turkey's Halkbank, is playing out in a New York City federal court in the broader context of bitter conflict between Washington and Ankara, fueled by the NATO-backed coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016 and amid US war threats against Iran. Atilla is accused of conspiring to violate US sanctions against Iran, bribery and money laundering. The arrest and prosecution of Atilla came amid an accelerating collapse in relations between the two NATO allies. Ankara and Washington have mutually suspended visa services and arrested each others officials. The Turkish government is accusing its NATO ally of continuously arming terrorist organizations, by which it means Kurdish separatist forces in the wars in Syria and Iraq. The aims of the Atilla case are primarily geopolitical, not juridical: to force the Turkish regime to realign itself with US foreign policy and to launch new accusations against Iran. Former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei are allegedly implicated in an oil-for-gold trading scheme described by Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab that violated the US-imposed sanctions. The indictment of Atilla charges that: high-ranking officials in Iran and Turkey participated in and protected this scheme. Some officials received bribes worth tens of millions of dollars paid from the proceeds of the scheme so that they would promote the scheme, protect the participants, and help to shield the scheme from the scrutiny of U.S. regulators. The indictment is based on testimony from Zarrab, who was arrested in March 2016 and is now collaborating with US prosecutors. The case directly threatens the Turkish regime. The seven other defendants in the trial include former Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and the ex-general manager of Halkbank, Suleyman Aslan. The case could directly implicate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time. On November 29, Zarrab testified at the trial that he paid Caglayan between 45 and 50 million euros (over $50 million) in bribes in 2012-2013 in return for help setting up an oil-for-gold trading scheme to bypass US sanctions against Iran. He also said that he received support from Turkey's former EU Minister Egemen Bagis to process Iranian transactions through Turkey's Aktif Bank. Zarrab was also at the center of the December 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey. Four ministers, including Caglayan and Bagis, were forced to resign, despite maintaining their innocence in an affair that almost brought down Erdogan's government. Erdogan attacked the probe, calling it a foreign plot and an attempt to damage the government made by a parallel state nested within the state, and fired prosecutors and police officers involved in the case. The Turkish government has from the beginning closely followed the New York case, due to its possible implications for Erdogan. For now, Erdogan has not been charged. However, in preliminary court proceedings, US prosecutors reportedly said they had evidence of Zarrabs ties with Erdogan. Erdogan has repeatedly pleaded with his US counterparts, both President Donald Trump and President Barack Obama, for Zarrab's release. Having called the case an attack on Turkey, Turkish officials have charged that the trial is a plot backed by the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, a US-based CIA asset, whom they accuse of orchestrating the July 15 failed coup attempt last year. They also accused US prosecutors of building their case on old corruption charges related to the 2013 scandal. On November 30, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told the state-run Anadolu Agency, Zarrab has become a slanderer under pressure. He repeated Ankaras claim that Gulen was behind the case. He had formerly stated, The Zarrab (now Atilla) case aims to damage Turkeys ties with Iran, Russia and other countries. Ankara has responded to the US vs. Atilla case by moving against US officials. On December 1, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutors Office issued an arrest warrant for the former senior CIA official Graham Fuller, over his alleged involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt. According to the arrest warrant, Fuller was in Turkey during the coup attempt and left the country after its failure. Fuller is accused of attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey and obstructing the duties of the Republic of Turkey, obtaining state secrets for the purpose of political and military espionage, and attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. On November 18, Turkish prosecutors had announced their own investigation into two US prosecutors involved in the Zarrab case, to determine if evidence was illegally obtained. In response, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, The old same song and dance I would have to give you the same answer as the last time they accused us of trying to foment some sort of a coup. And I would say that is ridiculous. On December 1, Turkeys opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) published documents purporting to show that relatives of Erdogan transferred millions of dollars to an off-shore company. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu reportedly first raised the documents in November, during a weekly CHP parliamentary group meeting. This provoked a harsh response from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Linking Kilicdaroglu's accusations with the ongoing US vs. Atilla case in New York, the AKP rapidly dismissed the documents as fake, accusing Kilicdaroglu of lying. On December 1, Prime Minister Binali Yldrm asked Kilicdaroglu to give whatever you hold in your hands to the courts, adding: You should stop this blame game. He also accused Kilicdaroglu of acting alongside terrorist organizations to harm Turkeys interests. Meanwhile, Erdogan and others mentioned in the documents sued Kilicdaroglu for 1.5 million Turkish Liras ($380,000). Having regarded the US vs. Atilla case as part of an international plot against the Turkish government, Erdogan and his supporters, mainly the fascistic Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), are trying to whip up a nationalist fervor. Lying behind the current quarrel between Washington and Ankara over the US vs. Atilla case is the growing conflict between the two NATO allies, notably over the Syrian war, where Turkey has developed close ties with two key targets of US imperialism: Russia and Iran. The presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran recently met at a summit in Sochi to discuss the future of Syria, where they restated their commitment to protecting the national sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, as against the wishes of Washington and its regional allies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Kurdish nationalists, who are pursuing autonomy or an independent state. Since 2014, Washington has officially engaged the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Forces (YPG), an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), as its main proxy force in the field. However, Ankara is violently opposed to the PKK, which has been waging a guerrilla war in Turkey for more than three decades, portraying it as a main threat to Turkish territorial integrity. The PKK is officially listed as a terrorist organization by both the US and the EU. Ankara is asking Washington to collect all the weaponry it gave the YPG that could threaten Turkey: Let's hear what they have to say about what they are doing. In Hamburg, they said they had recorded the registration numbers of all weapons given to the YPG and would be collecting them after Daesh [Arabic abbreviation of the IS] was destroyed. Did they do so?... They said Daesh is cleared. Then why and to where do they deliver these weapons? What do they want to do? Let's listen to them, Erdogan said. Prime Minister Theresa Mays government was forced back into negotiations with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), after it stymied a draft agreement reached between May and the European Union (EU) paving the way for the move to a second phase in talks over Brexit. Mays crisis-ridden government depends on the DUPs 10 MPs for a workable majority in Westminster. Prior to May opening talks with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker Monday, the parties had largely agreed a deal over two of the three issues the EU insisted must be resolved before talks covering the UKs future trading relationship with the EU could proceed. May had agreed to double the proposed divorce settlement to somewhere close to the 50 billion the UK would pay to the EU and had formulated an apparently acceptable proposal on the rights of EU citizens already residing in the UK post-Brexit. Whatever shortfall there was would, both sides indicated, be within the loose criteria of the UK having made sufficient progress to justify continuing to phase two. However, in recent weeks, the EU had made the main issue to be resolved that of the post-Brexit border between the Republic of Ireland, an EU member, and Northern Ireland which is part of the UK. And on this too, the suggestion was that a suitable fudge would be proposed so that the issue could still be discussed in phase two. The EU has set a deadline of the EU Summit on December 14 to conclude the first stage of talks. By Monday morning, the May government was preparing to announce a deal after seven months of acrimonious talks. Brexit Secretary David Davis said he was hopeful that an agreement would be reached at the May/Juncker talks later that day. However, Irish broadcaster RTE leaked details of the draft agreement suggesting that May was proposing there be no regulatory divergence between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland post-Brexitmeaning that Northern Ireland would effectively remain tied to the EUs Customs Union. According to another leak, the draft agreed Northern Ireland would remain in regulatory alignment with the EU in key areas of the economy. This sparked a furious response, with the Daily Mail citing a senior Conservative source saying the DUP had gone ballistic. The Mail reported, The party even threatened to pull out of a deal to prop up the Government at Westminster. They are seething, the source said. By mid-afternoon, DUP leader Arlene Foster was standing outside the Northern Ireland Stormont Assembly stating that the party would not accept the deal proposed and that Northern Ireland must leave the EU on the same terms as the rest of the UK. We will not accept any form of regulatory divergence which separates Northern Ireland economically or politically from the rest of the UK. It was reported that Foster spoke by telephone to May during a break in the talks between May and Juncker. Shortly after, with May and the EU unable to conclude an agreement, they announced in a press conference that there would be no deal on Monday but that talks would resume this week with both sides confident of success. There is a definite element of politicking and shoring up support among its base in the DUPs stance. Economically, Northern Ireland would only benefit from the arrangement proposed by May, given that it would secure trade with the EU and with the Republic of Ireland and not threaten trade with the UK. However, politically, the agreement was toxic for even suggesting a different arrangement between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain on trading terms and a shared trading identity with the south. May left Brussels immediately in an attempt to resolve the crisis with the DUP. She did not meet Foster, but instead instructed the parliamentary chief whip Julian Smith to reach a deal with DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds on terms that would be acceptable to them regarding the border issue. On Tuesday, May met with senior cabinet figures and discussed by phone with Foster and Michelle ONeill, leader of Sinn Fein in the Northern Ireland Assembly, as she prepared to return to Brussels for further talks. The government is attempting to placate the DUP on the basis that Northern Ireland aligning regulations with the EU would only have applied to specific aspects outlined in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, including energy, agriculture and transport. They claim that under the deal all other aspects of economic life could be subject to future change by the British government and by the Stormont Assembly without any reference to the EU. At the moment, Foster is still expressing how shocked she is by the proposal and firing verbal salvoes against Irish premier Leo Varadkar. But, somewhat embarrassingly for May, immediately on details of the proposed UK/EU deal being spelled out, other factions of the ruling elite not only said that it should be accepted but that the same regulatory framework should be adopted throughout the UK. Scottish First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted, If one part of UK can retain regulatory alignment with EU and effectively stay in the single market there is surely no good practical reason why others cant. The Labour Partys Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones was in agreement. Labours London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted, Huge ramifications for London if Theresa May has conceded that its possible for part of the UK to remain within the single market & customs union after Brexit. Londoners overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU and a similar deal here could protect tens of thousands of jobs. The proposed deal then prompted a backlash from a number of hard Brexit Tory MPs, who want as few concessions made to the EU as possible. Jacob Rees-Mogg stated, You cannot align the regulation of one part of the UK with the EU. And if we align the whole of the UK with the regulation of the EU, we haven't left the EU. In parliament Tuesday, Brexit Secretary David Davis gave a statement on the talks saying that the government and the EU remain confident of reaching a positive conclusion in the course of the week. Davis tried to square every circle: Any Brexit deal applying to Northern Ireland would also cover the rest of the UK, he said. But regulatory alignment with the EU was not the same as having exactly the same rules as the EU, or remaining in the single market. Alignment isnt having exactly the same rules. It is sometimes having mutually recognised rules, mutually recognised inspectionthat is what we are aiming at. Rees-Mogg responded that regulatory divergence from the EU after Brexit was a red line. Another Tory, Owen Paterson, said no deal is better than a bad deal and that May should be prepared to walk away from talks with the EU over the issue of the Irish border. However, these are minority positions. The majority, even of those MPs who supported Brexit, and to whom May has been in thrall, have accepted the necessity of concluding a deal largely on the EUs terms. In addition, with the crisis wracking the German ruling elite, who have been unable to form a government since federal elections in September, the EU leaders do not want to see the Brexit crisis escalated any further. The extent to which the EU leaders are supportive of moving to the next stage of negotiations on trade was demonstrated by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Tuesday. He authored an article for the Guardian, which hailed the May government for its support in opposing Catalan separatism before stressing, I am absolutely convinced that, as soon as possible, we will get into the second phase of Brexit negotiations. Campaigning has begun in the Catalan regional elections scheduled for December 21. The elections are a travesty of democracy, proceeding in the shadow of the repression instigated by Spains Popular Party (PP) government. The former Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, and four other ministers remain in exile in Belgium. They are seeking to avoid arrest under the provisions of Article 155 of Spains constitution, through which the PP imposed direct rule over Catalonia in response to the October 1 referendum on independence organised by the separatist coalition heading the regional government. On Monday, Spains Supreme Court refused bail for imprisoned former Catalan Vice-President Oriol Junqueras, former Interior Minister Joaquim Forn and the leaders of the civic groups Catalan National Assembly and Omnium Cultural, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, respectively. Like Puigdement, they are accused of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement for making a unilateral declaration of independence (DUI) following the October 1 referendum. The court declared that a criminal repetition of the independence process could take place if the prisoners were released. Six other imprisoned former ministers were released on bail of 100,000 only after they agreed to abide by the terms of Article 155 illegalising their political avowal of independence. Article 155 was used for the first time ever against Catalonia, accompanied by the dispatch of troops and thousands of Civil Guards, who launched brutal attacks on voters in the referendum. The PPs decision to keep the four separatist political leaders in prison was taken despite Puigdemonts Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) and Junqueras Republican Left (ERC) coalition having declared the October 1 referendum to be advisory and the October 26 unilateral declaration of independence (DUI) purely symbolic. They are both taking part in the December 21 election after earlier branding it illegal, and have omitted any reference to the DUI in their election programmes. Even this is not enough for the government of Mariano Rajoy. It is intent on making clear that any attempt to resuscitate the independence process will be met with further repression. In an October 29 interview with El Mundo, PP parliamentary spokesman Pablo Casado stated, Article 155 is a warning. Any secessionist challenge, whatever the majority it may have, is not going to succeed. The PPs turn to police state measures has implications that go far beyond moves to repress the Catalan separatists. The PP government delegate in Castille-La Mancha, Jose Julian Gregorio, has warned the regions Socialist Party (PSOE), which is in coalition with the pseudo-left Podemos, that its policy begins to be worthy of the use of article 155. Alfonso Alonso, PP leader in the Basque Country, also warned that the region could end up in the same situation as Catalonia because it has the same ingredients. Nor is the threat of police and military repression to be confined to Spains regions. It is an essential weapon in the arsenal of a fragile and unpopular minority government seeking to impose savage cuts and crush all opposition to its attacks on democratic rights in pursuit of austerity, militarism and war. The PP utilised a lesser-known Budget Stability Law for the first time in Catalonia to prevent the use of state funds for the October 1 referendum, claiming it was an exceptional intervention to stop a situation of manifest illegality. In November, however, the PP announced that it would exercise weekly control of finances of Podemos-backed Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena and threatened her removal, even though her administration has cut the citys 2 billion debt by one third. More recently, the Ministry of Finance sent letters to 22 large city councils, mostly in the poorer south, including Seville, Cadiz and Granada, warning them to pay their unpaid suppliers or it would take over. The dangers posed by this planned offensive are magnified thanks to the bankrupt political perspective pursued by the Catalan separatists. Despite their invocations of the historic struggle waged against Francoite fascism and the fact that they have fallen foul of the PP, the Catalan nationalists have as little intention of defending the working class as do the PSOE-Podemos administrations being attacked elsewhere in Spain. A major reason the PDeCAT/ERC coalition launched their independence bid was to deflect mounting social opposition to their implementation of savage cuts since the 2008 global economic crisis. The separatist parties blamed every attack they made on Catalonia being forced to pay too much tax to support less prosperous regions of Spain. They appealed to a middle class layer on this basis, while focusing on promoting cultural nationalism in a manner that divided workers in Catalonia and Spain, and in Catalonia itself, where large sections of the working class are Spanish-speaking and supporters of independence are in a minority. The pseudo-left Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) played a pernicious role in dressing up secession in a left guise and portraying it as the answer to austerity. Following the 2015 regional elections, it held the balance of power and, in return for enabling the ERC and PDeCAT to form a government and continue with austerity, successfully demanded an independence referendum. The common concerns of workers and youth, Spanish and Catalan, were subsequently buried under an avalanche of divisive nationalist rhetoric just as the need for unity has become of paramount importance in confronting a capitalist class facing an unprecedented crisis of rule. The real aim of the separatist parties was always to continue developing Catalonia as a low-tax and low-wage investment platform for the major corporations and banks. Like the October 1 referendum, mobilisations on the street were carried out only to back up appeals to the European Union to support greater tax-raising powers and other concessions for Catalonia from Spains central government, similar to those already granted to the Basque region. When the EU instead backed Rajoys clampdown and banks and corporations began pulling out of Barcelona, the nationalists declared that the referendum and DUI were meant to be symbolic and not binding, while Puigdemont stated that he was always open to another relationship with Spain. Former Catalan Vice-President Junqueras said that they had all been naive. He continued: We didnt think the state would dare to apply these levels of oppression. Or that the European Union would tolerate the PP government, in the name of the unity of Spain, taking so much tough action against the people and institutions of Catalonia. CUP Barcelona councillor and former Generalitat deputy Eulalia Reguant stated the problem was that the coercive capacity of the state had been underestimated. The working class must take an independent stand against Madrids repression in Catalonia, including demanding the release of the four political prisoners, the dropping of all charges and the cancellation of Article 155. On the eve of the October 1 referendum, the International Committee of the Fourth International issued a statement titled Oppose the state crackdown on the Catalan independence referendum! We explained: The PP crackdown enjoys the support of the major European powers and the United Stateswhich fear the break-up of a member of the European Union and the NATO alliancedespite fears that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys measures are inflaming separatist sentiment. The statement insisted that the only viable policy against the danger of war and dictatorship is to fight to unify the working class in Spain and Europe in a struggle against capitalism and for the socialist reorganization of society. This can be carried out only in revolutionary struggle against all of Spains bourgeois factions Only the formation of workers governments in every country and the unification of Europe on a socialist basis can prevent a descent into social reaction and war and permit the harmonious development of Europes economy to meet the needs of its population. The longest-serving member of Congress, 88-year-old John Conyers, announced his immediate retirementin effect, his resignationin a radio interview Tuesday morning. A few hours later, an official letter from Conyers was read out on the floor of the House of Representatives, confirming his decision to quit. Conyers is the most prominent congressional victim of the accelerating media hysteria over charges of sexual misconduct, and the first one to step down from office. The longtime Detroit Democratic congressman saw his 53-year political career terminated in only 16 days, from the first report on Buzzfeed, based on a tip from an ultra-right political activist that a former Conyers staff employee had received a $27,000 settlement in 2015 for unfair dismissal because she allegedly refused the congressmans sexual advances. Despite repeated denials by Conyers that he ever harassed anyone, and his calls for observing due process, he was quickly forced to step down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Last Thursday, top Democrats in the House, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, called for Conyers to resign, and they were joined by the top Republican, Speaker Paul Ryan. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, another longtime member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday afternoon on the House floor that Conyers had offered his retirement immediately, and read out his final letter to the House. The letter affirms Conyers longtime association with the civil rights movement, including successful sponsorship of the law establishing the Martin Luther King holiday, and defends his legislative record over five decades. Referring to the ongoing witch-hunt over allegations of sexual misconductwhich the leaders of his own party are spearheadingConyers declared, Given the totality of the circumstance of not being afforded the right of due process, in conjunction with current health conditions and to preserve my legacy and good name, I am retiring. Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan will decide whether and when to schedule a special election to fill the seat. He also has the option to leave the seat open until the next scheduled general election, on November 6, 2018. This is considered unlikely because it would leave a large swathe of the Detroit metropolitan area unrepresented in Congress for some 13 months. Besides Conyers, four other members of Congress are in immediate danger of being forced out of office, and that may be only the tip of the iceberg. Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas has already announced he will not run again for his Dallas-area seat, after reports he shared nude photos of himself in social media exchanges with a mistress. Republican Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas made an $84,000 payout, using taxpayer funds, to a female staffer after she sued for sexual harassment. First-term Democratic Representative Ruben Kihuen of Nevada is accused of propositioning his campaign finance officer and touching her thighs twice against her will. And then there is Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, facing charges of groping and other acts of sexual harassment against a half dozen women, all but one before his election to the Senate in 2008. For all the lurid headlines, no criminal charges have been filed against any of those named. Both Conyers and Farenthold agreed to financial settlements to former employees over allegations of sexual harassment, but Conyers paid out little more than a few months severance payment, and claims he only authorized that to save on legal costs. The Conyers case is the most noteworthy, not only because it has led to the ouster of a longtime representative, but because his removal was spearheaded by his own partys leadership: after initially defending Conyers as an historic figure from the civil rights eraa gross exaggeration of his actual statusPelosi switched quickly to demanding his immediate resignation. Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone, she declared. Leading figures in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party led the calls for Conyers to go. One of the first to raise this demand was Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, a member of the Judiciary Committee, and the most prominent of the candidates backed by Senator Bernie Sanders and his Our Revolution political action group. One week into the media furor, she issued a statement declaring this a watershed moment where, finally, the country seems to be waking up and realizing we need to have a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment, and adding, I believe these women, I see the pattern, and there is only one conclusion: Mr. Conyers must resign. The Socialist Equality Party and its predecessor the Workers League have waged a protracted struggle against the unprincipled politics of John Conyers. He has always been a demagogic defender of the trade union bureaucracyhis father was one of the first UAW organizers of Chrysler workers, a fact which gave the son his first leg up in electoral politics. Conyers was affiliated for many years with the Democratic Socialists of America, and he in return was hailed by the pseudo-left as a progressive who proved that the Democratic Party could be reformed and pressured to the left. But his political career has been brought to an end, not by the movement of the working class to the left, but by the continuing shift of capitalist politics to the right, and particularly by the embrace of McCarthyite witch-hunting by the Democratic Party, both in relation to the Russia investigation, and in the ongoing media campaign over sexual misconduct. Here a detail of Conyers biography is revealing. His political career began in 1964 with his election to Congress, and after 1968, when Richard Nixon won the presidency, the liberal black Democrat became a target for White House political operatives. Conyers was put on Nixons notorious enemies list, a fact that he later cited with pride. On the list, which named key political opponents and described vulnerable points that could be used against them, Conyers weakness was identified as women. The campaign over alleged sexual misconduct, launched by the New York Times and now echoed throughout the media has thus succeeded in dragging American politics back to the muck and mire of Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, and others who traded in gossip, blackmail and similar filth to gain their objectives. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday announced sweeping new anti-democratic laws that will expand the definitions of treason and espionage, criminalise foreign political interference and require anyone deemed to be a foreign agent of influence to be named on a national register. The new legislation is above all aimed at criminalising and suppressing anti-war opposition as Australia increasingly integrates into the US military build-up in Asia and its drive to war against North Korea and China. It is an attempt to create a political climate in which any questioning of Australian and US foreign policy and the drive to war is illegitimate. Yesterdays announcement has been preceded by a hysterical media campaign over the past year against foreign, namely Chinese, influencefed by the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and other security agencies. It reached fever pitch last week with lurid new allegations against Labor senator Sam Dastyari over his relations with Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo. Taking his cue from this campaign, Turnbull, without a shred of evidence, declared: Foreign powers are making unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political process, both here and abroad. Leaving no doubt as to the enemy, the prime minister expressed his concern about disturbing reports about Chinese influence. He then added that it was not just China, then referred to Russian influence in the US election. There is no doubt, however, where the demands for tougher laws have come from. A series of top figures connected to the American intelligence and military establishment, including US Senator John McCain and ex-National Intelligence Director James Clapper, made high-profile visits this year and publicly expressed concern about Chinese influence in Australia. Behind the scenes, Washington has undoubtedly been exerting its influence on the government, both directly and indirectly through the Australian intelligence and military apparatus that has the closest of ties with the US. The United States has a long history of direct interference in Australian politicsincluding in the ousting of two prime ministers, Gough Whitlam in 1975 and Kevin Rudd in 2010. While the draft legislation is not publicly available, a media release yesterday indicated the extent of the draconian measures that are to be enacted in three bills, in what Turnbull described as the most significant overhaul of our espionage, counterintelligence, political donations legislative framework in decades. * The National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill strengthens and modernises a range of offences including espionage, sabotage, and treason and introduces new offences targeting foreign inference and economic espionage. The bill will criminalise covert and deceptive activities that currently fall short of espionage and establish a new secrecy regime to block the disclosure of classified documents. The new definition of espionage will include possessing and receiving sensitive information, not just passing it on. Severe penalties, of up to life imprisonment, will apply for espionage and offences against government, including treason. Jail for foreign interference offences, including providing support for foreign intelligence agencies, is up to 20 years, leaks of harmful information up to 20 years, new sabotage offences up to 25 years, and theft of trade secrets 15 years. * The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill will establish a registration scheme, along the lines of the US Foreign Agents Registry, for entities, former parliamentarians and senior public officials who act on behalf of foreign individuals or entities. While Turnbull declared that registration would not be any kind of taint and certainly not a crime, it will undoubtedly provide the basis for intimidation and media witch-hunts. * The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure) Bill bans donations from foreign bank accounts, non-citizens and foreign entities and will apply not only to political parties, but all political campaigning, including by independent candidates, trade unions, interest groups and advocacy groups such as GetUp that have opposed government policies. The first two bills will be referred to Senate committees with reports due in February. The government intends to try to push the last bill banning foreign donations through parliament this week. The extraordinary scope of the new legislation is underscored by the nature of the attacks on Senator Dastyari, who last week was accused of activities that were tantamount to treason. During parliamentary Question Time yesterday, the prime minister again denounced Dastyari, declaring that he had sold Australia out. What were Dastyaris so-called crimes? Last weeks sensationalised revelations concerned firstly, a press conference given by the senator to the Chinese media in which he said that Australia should keep out of territorial disputes in the South Chinese Sea between China and its neighbours. In other words, Dastyari is being lambasted for publicly expressing views at odds with the Australian establishments support for the aggressive and provocative US stance over the disputes. Secondly, it was revealed that Dastyari met with billionaire Huang in October last year and suggested, amid the media furore over their relations, that the two take the elementary precaution of turning their phones off and speaking outside. Last week, Attorney General George Brandis declared that this amounted to advising his benefactor in counter-surveillance techniques, implying that he had leaked state secrets to a Chinese national. Yesterday, Brandis drew a direct link between the new legislation and Dastyari, saying: In my view, the conduct alleged against him does not reach the threshold of the existing laws of treason and espionage so new laws were needed because of the gap. In other words, any opposition, no matter how limited, to Washingtons confrontational strategy against China is to be criminalised, along with any attempt to evade ASIOs widespread and intrusive spying operations. It is not only Dastyari who is in the gunsight. Brandis also suggested that ex-Labor foreign minister Bob Carr and former Coalition trade minister Andrew Robb would need to register as foreign agents. Carr, who has been previously criticised for advocating a more conciliatory approach to China, heads the Australia-China Relations Institute, which he declared yesterday was fully funded by the University of Technology Sydney. The current anti-China campaign and new legislation is a sharp warning to the working class. If the government, along with the intelligence and security apparatus, is prepared to take such action against senior figures in the political establishment, it is preparing far worse against workers and youth who oppose the drive to war. Australia is being put on a war footing and the door is being opened for police raids, mass arrests and internment camps for traitors and enemy aliens as was carried out during World Wars I and II. Under the banner of the bogus war on terror, successive Coalition and Labor governments have already erected the scaffolding of a police state that has undermined basic democratic rights and legal norms. Now a new stage has been reached as the Turnbull government, backed to the hilt by the Labor opposition, prepares for a US-led war against China in which the Australian military and bases would play a key role. In a keynote speech on foreign policy Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pleaded for a turn away from the US and for an interest-based German great power policy. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician was speaking to high-ranking experts at the Korber Foundations Foreign Policy Forum in Berlin. What Gabriel said was not completely new; he and other leading German politicians have been arguing along similar lines for four years. But never before has one of them articulated the return of Germany to an aggressive great power policy so openly and clearly. The implicit way with which we have regarded the US-American role as being protectivedespite occasional disputesis beginning to crumble, said Gabriel. Europe was perceived by the US administration only as one region among many, as a competitor and sometimes even as an opponent. He expressly emphasized that this will remain the case, even after Donald Trump leaves the White House: The US withdrawal is not down to the policy of one single president. It will not change fundamentally even after the next election. Germany must advocate its interests more confidently in the future, he concluded. It could not afford to wait for decisions in Washington or merely respond to them. The German government would have to analyze more coolly where it crossed swords with Washington and develop a more independent policy towards the US. Gabriel named the concrete points in which Germany was at crossed swords with the US as, US sanctions against Russia, which jeopardized our own economic interests, the impending termination of the nuclear agreement with Iran and the possible recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital by the Trump administration. The world had become far more uncomfortable, said Gabriel. Now we realize that even with great economic prosperity in our country there is no comfortable place on the side-lines of international politics for us anymore. Neither for us Germans nor for us Europeans. Europe must play a much bigger role in the changing world order. We must not watch as new spaces evolve over which we cannot exercise influence, said the foreign minister. Only if the EU defines its own interests and projects its power can it survive. Without such a European projection of power, wherever the US drew back, other states would advanceRussia in the Middle East, and China in AfricaGabriel warned. These countries were ready to pay a kind of great power tax for their status. They put up with economic losses and diplomatic ostracism to demonstrate regional leadership and national sovereignty. In his remarks on the Middle East, the German foreign minister made clear that power projection meant a massive use of military force. Although the US has been at war there almost uninterruptedly since 1991, spending trillions, Gabriel complained about the lack of commitment by the West in this strategic region: In the past seven years, the West has never established a reasonable relationship between its very ambitious demands and the resources used for this purpose. Instead of following Theodore Roosevelts motto, Speak softly and carry a big stick, our Syria policy was the opposite, Speak loudly, but carry a small stick. Again and again, Gabriel emphasized that Germanys great power politics should not be inhibited by moral values: Values orientation, as we Germans like to claim for our foreign policy, will certainly not be enough to assert ourselves in this economic, political and militarily egoistical world. He referred in detail to the recent book by the Berlin political scientist Herfried Munkler on the Thirty Years War. In it, Munkler sharply took to task the foreign policy class in Germany and deplored a German, fixation on the law as a means of addressing political challenges, which almost equated to a rejection of reality. Rather than ruthlessly analyzing and thinking politically and strategically, our gaze is always moving to the horizon of moral norms and imperatives. I think Munkler touches on a sore point here, commented Gabriel. He explicitly expressed his admiration for Chinas foreign policy, which advances into spaces previously exclusively determined by a US presence and policies. The One Belt One Road Initiative was a geostrategic concept in which China enforces its notions of order: trade policy, geographic, geopolitical, and possibly also military. This was not to blame China, but elicited from him respect and admiration. We in the West, could be accused of having no comparable strategy of our own. In his speech, Gabriel spoke in favour of working closely with France, which he sees as a driving force in Europe alongside Germany. He expressly praised President Emmanuel Macrons European initiatives and defence cooperation, wishing that France would become somewhat more German in financial matters and Germany somewhat more French on security issues. On the other hand, he did not mention NATO at all in his speech. Gabriels new course marks a break with the foreign policy of the last 70 years, the basis of which, along with the Berlin-Paris axis, was formed by the alliance with Washington. Germany is returning to pre-1945 politics. At that time, it sought to dominate the continent as the power in the middle, in order to take up a struggle against its international rivalsBritain, the US and Russia/Soviet Unionwhich twice lead to the catastrophe of a world war. With the return to the old foreign policy, all the other ghosts of the past also return. At the party congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) last Friday, right-wing army officers, old aristocrats, nationalist conservatives and open neo-Nazis paraded in front of the television cameras, which broadcast the disgusting spectacle live, as if the crimes of German history had never happened. The leaders of the right-wing extremist party are invited for talks with the federal president at Schloss Bellevue (the German presidential palace) about the formation of the next government, and are also courted by all other parties. They are needed to move official politics as a whole to the right. In the last four years, the grand coalition of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats massively upgraded German military capabilities, ordered the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) into new war missions, subjected all of Europe to a brutal policy of austerity and massively increased the extent of poverty and precarious employment in Germany itself. This is why these parties were severely punished in Septembers general election. Now, once again, a grand coalition is to be formed to intensify the same policy. In his speech, Gabriel formulated the programme of this government, in which he is expected to remain foreign minister. But this is not being discussed openly. Instead, the public is being distracted by bickering over civil insurance schemes, a cap on exhaust emissions and other issues that are likely to fall victim to the axe in any case. Two weeks ago, when negotiations over a Jamaica coalition (named after the various party colours, which correspond to those of the Jamaican flag) failed, the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) noted that talks on the formation of a new government were taking place behind the scenes in what increasingly amounts to a political conspiracy. The ruling elites cannot be allowed to resolve the political crisis and establish a new government among themselves, the SGP wrote at the time. The result would be a right-wing, authoritarian regime beyond any democratic control and beholden to the interests of the capitalist state. This is now being confirmed, and is why the SGP calls for new elections. Under present conditions, this is the only way in which the working class can intervene into political events, bring their interests to bear and combat the far rights political offensive, the November 23 statement reads. The SGP would utilize the election campaign to fight for a programme that expresses the interests of the German and international working class, connecting the struggle against war with the fight against capitalism, and provide a socialist way out of the blind alley in which the current social order finds itself. As the first dome of Babri Masjid collapsed, communal riots broke out in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Kar sevaks pull down the domes of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. By India Today Web Desk: The Liberhan Commisison, which was formed 10 days after Babri Masjid was demolished, submitted its probe report to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on June 30, 2009. The commission, led by Manmohan Singh Liberhan, was tasked with investigating the sequence of events leading to the destruction of the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya by kar sevaks. advertisement According to the Liberhan Commission report, the security apparatus was non-existent and the police ineffective when nearly 5,000 kar sevaks pulled down the domes of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. The commission's report puts the number of kar sevaks present in and around Ayodhya during Babri demolition at 75,000 to 1.5 lakh. Against this, forces deployed in and around Ayodhya included 35 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), 195 companies of paramilitary forces, four companies of CRPF, 15 tear gas squads, 15 police inspectors, 30 police sub-inspectors and 2,300 police constables. As per the Liberhan Commission report, this is what happened on December 6, 1992: 10:30 AM: L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and other leaders along with sadhus reach the platform for the symbolic kar seva. They stay there for 20 minutes and go to Ram Katha Kunj where religious leaders had been making speeches. 12 PM: A teenage kar sevak breaches the other cordon around the structure and climbs the dome. Around 150 kar sevaks follow him and storm the structure wielding pickaxes, hammers, shovels and iron rods. 12:15 PM: Nearly 5,000 kar sevaks begin assault on the dome. Advani, Joshi, Ashok Singhal and Vijayaraje Scindia request them to come down from the structure. No one listens to them. 12:30 PM: Kar sevaks hurl bricks at security forces, attack media. District magistrate asks for paramilitary forces stationed around Ayodhya. Kalyan Singh (then Uttar Pradesh chief minister) agrees to deployment on condition they do not fire. 12:45 PM: The paramilitary forces fail to reach the disputed structure after being obstructed by kar sevaks. The damage continues. The forces cannot communicate with their officers. State police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) take no action. 1:15-3:30 PM: The DGP requests permissions to fire. The chief minister refuses to allow it. First dome collapses after holes in the structure are pulled down. Communal riots break out in Ayodhya. 6:30-7 PM: The Union cabinet imposes President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh. Kalyan Singh resigns. Idols placed at the original spot. Construction of makeshift temple begins. Watch blow-by-blow account of what led to Babri demolition on December 6, 1992 --- ENDS --- advertisement An exhibition opened October 18 at the German Historical Museum (DHM) in Berlin celebrating the centenary of the October Revolution. Entitled 1917. Revolution. Russia and Europe, the exhibition is certainly worth a visit. It runs until April 15, 2018. There are certainly elements of the exhibition that need to be criticised, in particular superficial and somewhat misleading texts that could lead to an ambivalent or even hostile interpretation of the 1917 events. However, set against the background of anti-Communist tirades and derogatory articles in the media, which have sought to depict Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks in the worst possible light, the Berlin exhibition is a healthy antidote. The DHM show provides a sober, documentary presentation of events and makes two things clear: First, the establishment of the first workers state was not a coup carried out by a small band of violent supporters of Lenin, but was rather the product of the struggle of millions of workers, impoverished peasants and war-weary soldiers, who joined the Bolsheviks because they regarded the party as the most consistent defender of their interests. Second, the October Revolution was not an isolated Russian phenomenon, but rather a world event that shaped European and international developments throughout the 20th century and continues to do so today. The cannon shots from the Aurora battleship, which gave the signal for the uprising on the night of October 25 (November 7, according to the modern calendar), ledin the phrase of the American chronicler of the revolution, John Reedto Ten Days that Shook the World. It is precisely these two points that have provoked angry responses in the German media. A number of commentaries accuse the DHM of not devoting enough space to the atrocities carried out by the Bolsheviks. Bernhard Schulz in Tagesspiegel regretted the absence of a sound bite which included the shots and explosions of the revolution and the screams of its victims. FAZs Andreas Kilb accused the exhibition of being provocatively downright factual. Jens Bisky in the Suddeutsche Zeitung claimed the exhibition poses the wrong questions and he revives yet again the claims about the identity of Lenins and Stalins policies. Arno Widmann in the Berliner Zeitung was particularly angry, and claimed the exhibition should feature a wall dedicated to the memory of the millions of victims of the revolution, civil war and Stalinism. There was not a single second when the October Revolution could be considered an act of liberation. The Berlin exhibition was prepared in cooperation with the Swiss National Museum, but had a different focus from the exhibition in Zurich, which ended last June and concentrated on the relationship between the October Revolution and Switzerland. According to its team of curators, the Berlin exhibition sought to show the world-historical significance of the Russian Revolution and especially its impact on Europe, based on the experience of six countriesGermany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, France and England. Reactions in these countries ranged from fascination and hopes for a better future to fear of violent radicalisation and attempts by the communists to overthrow governments. The exhibitions documentation of the November Revolution of 1918-19 in Germany, the short-lived Soviet republic in Hungary and the massive strike waves in Italy, France and England confirms the perspective of the Bolsheviks themselves, who regarded the Russian Revolution as part of an international revolutionary development. Many visitors paused for some time to watch a rare film of a mass rally in Berlin in 1918 at which Karl Liebknecht spoke, and another from the same period in Munich. The suppression of the German Revolution with the help of the Social Democrats was undoubtedly a major factor in prolonging the bloody civil war in Soviet Russia. The exhibition features 500 items, including 180 on loan from museums and historical institutes in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The various items include many previously unknown film clips, photos, sound documents and posters, as well as imposing works and architectural designs by Soviet avant-garde artists such as Tatlin, Goncharova, Kandinsky and Malevich. Visitors can also hear songs and music by Soviet composers such as Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. From February to October 1917 The exhibition depicts the social situation in Russia prior to the 1917 revolution. It features a large painting, The Pilgrim (1894) by Robert Buchtger, illustrating the miserable conditions prevailing in the Russian countryside. A little girl leads an old, blind peasant across a muddy field, an image aimed at portraying the hopes of an end to Russian backwardness, which evidently motivated itinerant painters such as Buchtger. The court of the tsar and the Orthodox Church overflow with pomp and wealth, while bitter poverty prevails in the countryside and harsh exploitation in urban factories. Photos show workers at the Putilov factory. Day labourers unload a barge, homeless workers sleep on the streets. Other photos portray the brutality of the tsarist army during the revolutionary unrest of 1905. Another filmstrip from the First World War shows poorly clad Russian soldiers, advancing under withering fire while their wives and children queue for bread and starve on the home front. The subsequent section, Utopia and Reality, seeks to illustrate the period between February and October 1917, but it is sketchy and eclectic. A photo of the womens demonstration that advanced on the Tauride Palace in February 1917 and triggered the February Revolution, is followed by a display devoted to Lenins famed April Theses, issued after his return to Russia from exile in Switzerland. This is then followed by an item dealing with the period of dual power exercised by the provisional government and the Petrograd Soviet. In quick succession, the DHM exhibition treats the July demonstration, the seizure of power in October and the civil war. There is no treatment here of the counterrevolutionary General Lavr Kornilov and his preparations for a military coup in August, and no documentation of the fierce internal party debates inside the Bolshevik party over the April Theses, in which Lenin and Trotsky opposed Kamenev and Stalins defence of the provisional government and support for continuation of the war. Other important developments that played a crucial role in the decision to take power in Octoberthe increased militancy of millions of peasants and the growing resistance by the international working class to the war, e.g., the strike by German sailorsare not documented. One comment in the exhibition visitors book reads: There are many interesting items, but I cannot find a common thread. These weaknesses open the door for anti-communist ideologues intent on portraying the revolution as a coup by the Bolsheviks. One text reads: In October, the Bolsheviks were able to grab power. The documents themselves, however, tell a different story: the audio documents and film excerpts from speeches by Trotsky (To the Fraternal Union of Soviet Republics, April 1919) and Lenin (What is Soviet Power? March 23, 1919) make clear their close links to the population. This is also evident from the depth of feeling on the faces of workers at Lenins funeral in 1924. In addition to photos of the horrors of the Civil War and the final stages of the great famine, the exhibition features illustrations of the famous train that carried Trotsky, leader of the Red Army, during the civil war. The exhibition quotes from Trotskys autobiography, My Life: The train crew performed many other tasks besides their special duties. They lent their help in time of famine, during epidemics of disease, in propaganda campaigns, and at international congresses. The train was the honorary head of a rural district and of several childrens homes. Its communist local published its own paper, On Guard. At one point, a film clip shows a labour camp from 1918. It is accompanied by an outrageous text claiming the subject of the film to be forced labour in a concentration camp run by the Bolsheviks. The exhibition here echoes the claims by far-right extremists such as the Humboldt University professor Jorg Baberowski that mass shootings by Bolsheviks and the setting up of concentration camps were taking place in 1918. This absurd claim is then used to draw a parallel to the Nazi Holocaust. In fact, the clip obviously shows workers in their traditional gear forcing a former exploiter to perform physical labour, in this case loading wood. The latter, dressed in a suit and collar, is unused to such work and drops a log, which his supervisor, in almost jovial fashion, then picks up. No doubt some visitors to the exhibition might be amused at the thought of his or her boss getting his or her hands dirty. Forced labour in Nazi concentration camps, however, looked very different. Peace, bread and land One highlight of the exhibition is undoubtedly the display of the decrees and proclamations of the workers government issued on the day of the seizure of power and the days immediately after. These include decrees on peace, land ownership, workers control of the banks and factories, the separation of church and state and the rights of the peoples of Russia. What other revolutionary government acted with such audacity to fulfil the demands of workers and the poor rural population? Lenin and the new workers government, the Council of Peoples Commissars, began work to resolve the most pressing social problems of the population during the night of October 25. Continuing the war is a crime against humanity, Lenin told the Second All-Russian Congress, in justifying the Decree on Peace, which ordered immediate peace negotiations and the preparation of a ceasefire. At the same time he appealed to workers in all the warring countries of Europe to rise up against the war. Just a few months later, on March 3, 1918, the Soviet-Russian negotiating delegation under the leadership of Trotsky, signed a peace treaty in Brest-Litovsk, which heralded the end of the world war. The original agreement is on display at the exhibition in Berlin. Visitors can study the original decrees or text excerpts displayed on columns. As one proceeds further into the exhibition one encounters many posters, often the work of avant-garde artists, which the Bolshevik government utilised in campaigns against illiteracy, anti-Semitism and to promote equality for women. (A speech by Lenin opposing anti-Semitism with German subtitles can be found on YouTube.) The Soviet Union, founded in 1922, had broad international appeal. A wonderful painting by Heinrich Vogeler, Red Metropolis from 1923, testifies to this appeal, alongside photos of construction projects, in which workers and engineers from abroad took part. The appeal of the Russian Revolution endured, even in the period of degeneration under Stalins regime. A copy of the International Monthly Paper on the Problems of Cultural Reorganisation features an article titled: Germans are building in the USSR. The New Frankfurt from the year 1930. A special attraction in the center of the exhibition is a huge oil painting by Isaak Brodsky (1924), on loan from the Moscow State Historical Museum, showing the opening of the Second Comintern Congress in 1920. The founding of the Communist International in 1919 was a major project of Lenin and Trotsky, who regarded the Russian Revolution to be the initial spark for the overthrow of capitalism worldwide. Each delegate to the congress is clearly recognisable: along with Lenin, who is speaking, the portrait features Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin and Radek, as well as numerous well-known international figuresincluding the German delegates Paul Levi, Ernst Meyer, Willi Munzenberg and Clara Zetkin, the American journalist Reed and the British leader of the Suffragettes, Sylvia Pankhurst. Stalin is also visible, staring grimly at the viewer. In the course of the 1930s the international perspective of the revolutionaries of 1917 increasingly came into conflict with the policy of the Stalinist bureaucracy, which not only placed this picture in special keeping for fifty years, but also dissolved the Communist International in 1943. The overwhelming majority of the 1920 delegates later fell victim to Stalins terror. Fortunately, the painting was not destroyed or retouched, as was the fate of many other pictures and photos in which Stalin sought to erase the leading role played by Trotsky in the October Revolution. The most famous photographic example, the speech given by Lenin on May 5, 1920 on Moscows Sverdlov Square, can be seen in two versions, one featuring Trotsky and Kamenev, and another where both men have been eliminated. Ambiguity and compromises In the midst of all the interesting details and documents on display in the German Historical Museum, one searches in vain for a political explanation of the October Revolution and its subsequent degeneration under Stalin. Trotskys struggle against Stalinism and the building of the Left Opposition are simply not addressed. The only guidelines seems to be, Many were in favour, Many against, or the revolution as the source of Both fascination and violence and terror. Apparently there were conflicts surrounding the orientation of the exhibition within its Advisory Board, which includes, among others, the right-wing extremist Baberowski. His essay in the exhibitions accompanying catalogue, Russia and the Consequences, which he had already prepared for the Zurich exhibition, describes the Russian Revolution as the birth of fascist movements. Baberowski asks, Who could have tamed and controlled the angry masses? He even accused the tsarist regime of failing to use sufficient violence in suppressing revolutionary movement. Everything would have been different if the Tsar had acted resolutely, he wrote. In the introductory article to the catalogue, Helmut Altrichter, another historian on the DHM Advisory Board, writes of the Revolution as an orgy of hunger, death and violence. Both declare that the violence of the world war was seamlessly carried forward by the Bolsheviks during the civil war. The exhibition does not refute this claim. The real causes of the civil war are ignored. The armies of intervention, which, together with the counterrevolutionary White armies, attacked the workers state on many fronts, are barely mentioned. At the same time, one item in the Zurich exhibition that presented Lenin as a pencil pusherfeaturing a series of small grey desks proceeded by a large statue of Leninis not on show in Berlin. When asked, Kristina Janecke told the WSWS that Zurich sought to portray Lenin as the source of bureaucracy, but We discussed it a great deal and deliberately decided not to include it in Berlin. Personally, I found the presentation rather unfortunate. To the extent that the exhibition remains silent about the struggle of Trotsky and the Left Opposition, it muddies the waters regarding the emergence of the Stalinist dictatorship and adapts to right-wing historical revisionism. The appearance of the virulent anti-communist Wolf Biermann at a DHM discussion was no coincidence. Biermann summed up the theories of Baberowski and Altrichter in his own crude manner, employing language usually used in connection with the Nazi Holocaust and declaring that Karl Marx had sought to attain a final solution of the social question. Those who sought today to eradicate social inequality were enemies of humanity and a threat, he declared. No one, including representatives of the DHM present, objected to this outrageous statement. There is considerable interest in the exhibition with many visitors drawing parallels to the present time based on the items and documents on display. The drive towards war, raging inequality and the escalation of the same capitalist contradictions that led to the October Revolution in 1917 are once again placing revolution on the agenda. In this respect the lack of response to the speech by Russian professor of philosophy Mikhail K. Ryklin at the opening of the exhibition on October 18 is revealing. In his remarks, Ryklin stated that Stalin had tried to wipe out the legacy of the October Revolution with a red hot iron He then referred to Stalins greatest enemy, Leon Trotsky, the founder of the Red Army and Lenins closest collaborator. The accusation of Trotskyism had been used to obliterate all of Lenins companions. In Russia today, there are no major celebrations to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution, Ryklin said regretfully. Todays rulers seem to fear that the genetic memory of the masses might cause them to recall the liberating effect of the revolution. But the October Revolution cannot be banished to an archive and dismissed as a mere historical event. To considerable applause from those in attendance, he concluded: In its homelandand not only there, I believeit is part of the political struggle today. He is undoubtedly correct. An understanding of the October Revolution is essential for all those determined to fight war and poverty today. By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) India can learn a lot from Norway in terms of green transport solutions and can also plan its policies accordingly to achieve its targets in green mobility, Norwegian Ambassador to India Nils Ragnar Kamsvag said today. Addressing a seminar here, Kamsvag said Norway being a leading player in terms of green transport solutions has the potential to offer a lot of insight regarding the vertical. advertisement "Right now, over one third of all new cars sold in Norway are electric vehicles. Valuable lessons for India and Indian companies may be drawn from understanding customer behaviour in such a market," Kamsvag said. The country also has technology in green shipping with the worlds first battery driven ferry in operation and the worlds largest fleet of LNG ships, he added. He said that besides having set a target of 100 per cent EV fleet by 2030, the country should also look at similar kind of target for its shipping fleet. "We believe India should set a similar target for their shipping fleet. The switch from fossil fuels to electric power will be beneficial for Indias energy security, Indian manufacturing, local air pollution and the reduction of greenhouse gases," Kamsvag said. Indias shipping fleet currently accounts for over 1,200 vessels. Similarly, the number of vehicles on the countrys roads is set to grow from over 160 million to over 550 million in 2030. "Norway can offer valuable insights into customer behaviour and new technologies in support of greening the Indian transport sector," he added. PTI MSS SBT --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) India is likely to push for naming Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e- Mohammed in the communique to be adopted at the Russia-India- China (RIC) trilateral meeting here on Monday, citing a similar move by the BRICS grouping. At the RIC foreign ministers meeting, India is also likely to raise a number of contentitious issues involving China including its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), opposition to Indias bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and stonewalling of the move to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN. advertisement External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are also expected to deliberate extensively on finding a common ground for the three major powers on key strategic issues of the region, it is learnt. As per available indications, India is likely to raise the issue of release of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat- ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest by Pakistan, besides pressing for naming Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the RIC communique. In September, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit had, for the first time, named Pakistan- based terror groups LeT, JeM and the Haqqani network in its declaration, which was seen as a major diplomatic victory for India. Though India may raise the contentious issues, it will highlight the need for joining hands by the three countries to pursue common strategic interests in the region, it is learnt. It is understood that India will strongly push for strengthening cooperation among the three countries in effectively countering terrorism in the region and beyond. On South China Sea, India is expected to renew its call for respecting all provisions of UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and ensuring freedom of navigation in the resource-rich waters. Connectivity is set to be a major focus area at the RIC meeting and India is likely press for speedy implementation of the 7,200 km-long International North?South Transport Corridor (INSTC) linking India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia with Europe. There is indication that New Delhi will also flag its concerns over the China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project which is part of the prestigious Belt and Road Initiative. The CPEC passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Some of the contentious issues may be raised by Swaraj during her bilateral meeting with Wang. It will be the first high-level visit from China to India after the Dokalam standoff. Relations between India and China witnessed a downturn owing to differences over a series of issues including China blocking Indias move to get Masood Azhar banned by the UN, its opposition to Indias bid for NSG membership and Belt and Road initiative. advertisement In the RIC, India is also likely to stress on a collective approach by the three countries in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo Pacific region. It may also allay apprehension about joining the proposed quadrilateral coalition with Japan, Australia and the US, which was seen as a move to counter China. The RIC foreign ministers meeting was planned for April here but it had to be postponed as Wang could not confirm his participation due to scheduling problems. There were media reports then that Wang had put off his visit to India to protest New Delhis decision to allow the Dalai Lama to travel to Arunachal Pradesh. However, China had dismissed those reports. PTI MPB RT --- ENDS --- TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is seeking information on the location of Jah'Lil Butts. Police say Butts is a 15-year-old, medium skinned black male who weighs 140 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen Oct. 15, 2017, in the area of 1010 Basin St. in Tallahassee. Reports say Butts has short black dreads/twists and a tattoo on the side of his finger that says "Jah'lil Jr." A tattoo on a wrist says "Cinara." He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with a square shaped design on the front, gray jogging pants, and black Nike slides. Butts is known to frequent the French Town Community and the area of Steele Dr. and Macon Park. Anyone with information is asked to call the Tallahassee Police Department at (850) 891-4200. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Lawmakers and criminal justice reform advocates gathered at the state capitol Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to stop prosecutors from charging children as adults in Florida. According to the group No Place For a Child, Florida tries more kids in adult court than any other state. Many of these offenses are for non-violent crimes like stealing a car or breaking into an unoccupied home. Senate bill sponsor Bobby Powell says the ability to charge a child as an adult will still be available under his bill, but the option should be reserved for the worst of the worst. What has happened is that we have stigmatized many of our young people by making sure that they have these criminal charges at such an early age," said Sen. Powell. "They are not able to participate in the economy. 24-year-old Miguel Rodriguez of Tampa was arrested at age 15 for vandalizing a vacant house and he was charged as an adult. Thus, when he broke curfew at age 20, he was sent to prison for three years. Because I was charged as an adult, it made everything all the worse," said Rodriguez. "I was a first-time, nonviolent offender, the first time Id ever been arrested in my life, the only time Ive ever been arrested in my life, and it took the next nine years of my life. Both the House and Senate bills were filed last month, in advance of the 2018 session which starts in January. So far, neither bill has been heard by any legislative committee. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - A bill that would lead to the creation of a slavery memorial at the Florida Capitol began moving Tuesday in the state Senate. The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee unanimously approved the bill (SB 286), sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg Democrat who said the memorial would recognize the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery in Florida and rest of the nation. He said the memorial would honor the nameless and forgotten men and women and children who have gone unrecognized for their undeniable and weighty contributions to this state and country. The vote was significant because the House voted 118-0 during the 2017 legislative session to authorize a slavery memorial, but the proposal never received a hearing in the Senate. The bill approved by the committee Tuesday is filed for the 2018 session, which starts Jan. 9. Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Chairman Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, opposed the previous slavery-memorial legislation, raising questions about its intent and design. But Baxley said working with Rouson has helped resolve his concerns. For the record, I would say he and I have been on the same page, Baxley said. I never opposed the monument. We should all recognize those who came before us and paid a great price for what we have received. Baxley said he wanted to make sure the memorial focused on the people who endured slavery rather than the institution itself. He also said he was concerned about giving a free hand to state agencies involved in the design of the memorial. If we're going to do it, let's do it right, he said. In his discussions with Rouson, Baxley said he is more comfortable with the intent and the process for designing the slavery memorial and finding a place for it on the state Capitol grounds. Under the bill, the Department of Management Services would be the lead agency in designing the memorial and designating a place for it. The agency would work in conjunction with the Florida Historical Commission and the Division of Historical Resources, which is part of the Florida Department of State. The Department of Management Services, which oversees state facilities, would be required to deliver a report on the slavery memorial to Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders by Nov. 1, with the 2019 Legislature reviewing the proposal and providing funding for the project. In supporting Rouson's bill, Baxley, who is the descendant of a Confederate soldier and who has defended the Confederate flag and memorials, said he voted for the legislation with an expectation of permanency for all historical memorials and monuments. And I hope that we can keep growing mutual respect for all of us honoring the permanency of those who came before us, Baxley said. A similar bill (HB 67), sponsored by Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, has cleared three House committees and is ready for a floor vote after the 2018 session starts. Last month, Baxley voted against a separate proposal (SB 472 and SCR 184) that would replace a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith in the National Statuary Hall in Washington. Statues of Smith and John Gorrie, widely considered the father of air conditioning, have long represented Florida at the National Statuary Hall. Baxley said he voted against that proposal, which would replace Smith with a statue honoring civil-rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune, because he saw it as a continuation of cultural purging and dishonoring those who came before us. 2017 The News Service of Florida. All rights reserved. Posting or forwarding this material without permission is prohibited. You can view the Terms of Use on our website. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - It was an emotional morning for one family when they were reunited with their pet dog. There was only one thing on this family's Christmas list. The Melendez-Campos family dog, Sky, took off from home back in October. Henry Melendez-Campos said, "I came home when it was time to feed the dog and I go, 'Where's the dog?'" The family put up flyers, even travelling to counties 30 miles away from home searching for sky. There was nothing for months and they were beginning to believe they'd never see their pit bull mix ever again... Until a facebook post from tallahassee animal services. "Oh my God. I looked at it and I just started crying," said Janelle Melendez-Campos. "He asked 'Why are you crying?' and I said, 'I think they found Sky." It only took about 3 hours for a picture like this to make its way from Tallahassee, Florida to Indiana, placing Sky back with her family. A truck driver passing through Indiana found Sky, but instead of dropping her off at a shelter in town, he took the dog on a thousand mile journey. "At first, I was trying my hardest to convince him to take the dog back to Indiana to give it the best chance possible of reuniting with its family," said Melissa Sharpe, who works with Tallahassee Animal Services. "Of all places, I'm glad he chose us." So the family loaded up their van headed to Tallahassee for Sky, a road trip they say they'll never forget. The family is headed back to Indiana with Sky in tow, but they said they're eager to visit Tallahassee again. MACON, GA (RNN) - Videos posted to Facebook appear to show sheriffs deputies telling a man to cut his dog's head off after they shot it. An official with the Georgia Department of Public Health said deputies ignored the Georgia Department of Public Health protocols for dealing with animals suspected to have rabies. Either a veterinarian or an animal control officer should have removed the head to provide a good specimen and for the protection of whomever performed the decapitation, GDPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said in an email to the Telegraph on Tuesday. On Monday, Joe Nate Godwin told the Macon Telegraph he decapitated his 2-year-old dog, Big Boy, after a deputy was called to the house. The dog bit one of his neighbors on the leg. He recorded an altercation with the investigator who arrived after the incident and told him he had to remove the dead dogs head to have it tested for rabies because of Georgia law. Some of the Facebook videos were taken down because they were so graphic. The others still contain vulgar language. Click here to see the videos. WARNING, some viewers may find the content disturbing Godwin was not at home when the deputy responded to the call and shot the dog after it lunged at him. Godwin's girlfriend called him and told him Big Boy was dead, and he came straight home from work. The videos showed investigator James Hollis of the Crawford County Sheriffs Office informing Godwin that he had to take the dogs head off. The men argued and Godwin cursed the investigator, who threatened to arrest him. Godwin later told the Telegraph that Hollis called a woman named "Ms. Sims" at the Crawford County Health Department. A police report said that the owner of the dog or a veterinarian needed to cut the head off the dog so it could be tested for rabies. When he heard that, Godwin began cursing and Hollis said "you're not fixing to talk to me or my deputies like that," according to a police report the Telegraph said. Godwin he said he didnt have a knife to do it with. He told the Telegraph the deputies gave him the option of paying a veterinarian to cut the dogs head off, but with Christmas around the corner money was tight. The girlfriend wound up removing the dogs head with a kitchen knife while Godwin and one of the deputies gave her instructions, the Telegraph reported. A video showed that she put the dogs head in a white, plastic bag. The investigator told her to deliver it to the health department that night. She took it there at 7 p.m. and said she cried all the way. An employee of the health department in Macon, GA, said there is a state protocol, but different counties handle it in different ways. "Some counties have a deal worked out with veterinarians, "but those rural counties, they have to rely on their own staff and getting the information correctly," said Richard Craft, who told the Telegraph that Big Boy's head was being tested for rabies at a lab in Decatur, GA. He added that if a civilian had to perform the decapitation themselves, they should wear an apron, gloves and eye protection to protect themselves from exposure. The sheriffs office said Monday that an internal investigation is underway regarding the videoed incident. Copyright 2017 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. By PTI: By Youssra El-Sharkawy Cairo, Dec 6 (PTI) Ten leading automotive component manufacturers from India will participate in an exposition in Egypt to explore opportunities in the Egyptian and North African markets. The companies form a part of the global supply chain for the majors like Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Isuzu. "India is emerging as a global hub for auto-components sourcing. The Indian auto-components are known for its cost effectiveness and quality. With the rapidly growing transport sector in Egypt, Indian auto-components industry is well positioned to cater to the needs of the Egyptian market through trade and investment collaborations," Indias Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya said. advertisement The Indian auto-components industry is set to become the third largest in the world by 2025 and is expected to grow by 8 to 10 per cent in 2017-18. Higher localisation by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), higher component content per vehicle, and rising exports from India would be the key growth drivers for the industry which is projected to register a turnover of USD 100 billion by 2020. By 2026, exports of these products are likely to range between USD 80 to USD 100 billion. The Indian Pavilion is being organised by the Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India), the premier trade and investment promotion organisation in engineering sector sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in association with the Embassy of India in Cairo. In auto-components sector, India is among the top six exporting countries to Egypt. India exported more than USD 75 million worth of auto- component products to Egypt in 2016, constituting 7.5 per cent of the total imports of Egypt for the product. "Our participation in the prestigious exposition would further cement Indias ties with Egypt and the entire North Africa," said Bhaskar Sarkar, Executive Director and Secretary, EEPC India. The Autotech 2017 in its 24th edition is expected to attract over 300 exhibition brands and 5000 visitors even as six new Product Sectors are added to the largest and most comprehensive trade show for the auto aftermarket industry. It provides the platform to connect with top decision makers specialised in automobile spare parts, accessories, motorcar workshops, service station equipment and feeding industries. Egypt has traditionally been one of Indias most important trading partners in the African continent. During the year 2016-17, bilateral trade between India and Egypt was to the tune of USD 3.23 billion. India is Egypts 10th largest export destination and also the 10th largest import source. The governments and the business communities in India and Egypt are working closely to promote the dynamism in bilateral economic relations. advertisement The participation by EEPC India delegation in Autotech 2017 is part of the embassys efforts to expand bilateral commercial and economic relations in general and machine tools sectors in particular. PTI YES CPS --- ENDS --- LIBERTY CO., GA (WTOC) - One child was killed and several were injured in a crash Tuesday morning involving a school bus on Ray Road at West Highway 196 in the Gum Branch area of Liberty County, GA. Over 20 people on the bus were taken to area hospitals, including the driver. Officials have confirmed that 5-year-old Cambria Shuman has died. The bus was headed to Taylor's Creek Elementary School. It took fire crews over an hour to extricate the driver, 62-year-old Evelyn Rodriquez, from the bus. She was transported to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. Rodriquez has been driving with the school system for seven years. Multiple agencies from different counties responded. According to Liberty County EMA Deputy Director Larry Logan, the school bus was traveling on Ray Road headed towards Hwy 196 W when it went off the road and into the ditch. Georgia State Patrol says the bus went off the road and struck a tree. GSP says the video from inside the bus does not appear to show the driver under the influence, having a medical issue or having to swerve to avoid another vehicle or animal. They also stated they do not believe the early morning fog had any impact on the incident. They think, at this time, it was a bus issue. Reportedly the bus driver can be seen on video trying to shift gears. The crash is still under investigation. The Liberty County School System released the following statement Tuesday: This morning a Liberty County school bus was involved in a single vehicle accident, which resulted in one student fatality. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students family in their time of grief. The remaining students and driver were transported to local hospitals. Grief counselors have been made available to all students and staff. The bus accident is currently under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol. The Liberty County School System asks the community to join them in continued thoughts, prayers and support for all individuals affected by todays accident. WTOC is at the scene working to find out more and provide updates. Copyright 2017 WTOC. All rights reserved. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A New Jersey man has been arrested, accused of "sexting" a minor in Tallahassee. Julio DeJesus, 36, of Jersey City, New Jersey was arrested on Tuesday for solicitation of a minor. Back in January 2017, a complainant filed a report with police. According to the complainant, a 15-year-old juvenile had been "sexting" with DeJesus. After catching the minor with a phone and looking through it, the complainant reported opening a messenger application and finding photographs of the minor in undergarments that had been sent to DeJesus. The minor and DeJesus had been in touch during a recent visit in New Jersey over New Years, according to the probable cause affidavit. But the complainant expressed the belief that no physical or sexual activity took place between the two because of a lack of opportunity. After an investigation, police confirmed inappropriate photos were sent to DeJesus and found evidence that the minor and DeJesus were communicating on various social media platforms to include Facebook, Instagram and Kik Messenger. Police also found the two also sent sexually explicit text messages back in forth to each other. The investigator photographed the messages between the victim and the suspect, including some that told the victim to make sure to delete the messages. He remains in jail on a $20,000 bond. MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates. Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved. By PTI: By Gurdip Singh Singapore, Dec 6 (PTI) A 20-year-old Indian worker was today sentenced to more than three years in jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to grievously hurting a compatriot following a quarrel in Singapore. Arunachalam Manikandan, a construction worker, was unhappy with his dormitory mate, Ganesan Arunprakash who had told him to clean up his own vomit at the premises, The Straits Times reported today. advertisement The two men quarrelled around on March 21 when Arunachalam refused to do so. Their supervisor, who heard the commotion, intervened and told Arunachalam to clean up his vomit. He started fuming while sitting on his bed as he felt that Ganesan had bossed him around in front of others in the room. The court heard that the two men had clashed with each other in the past. An angry and drunk Anunachalam retrieved a chopper with a 19.5cm-long blade to attack 21-year old Ganesan, who was lying on his own bed. "At that time, the lights in the room were turned off," Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Nim said. "Without warning, the accused aimed for the victims neck and began slashing and chopping him continuously with the chopper." Ganesans cries woke up their roommates, who disarmed Arunachalam. Ganesan was taken to the National University Hospital with wounds on his neck and chest. Nim said that one in particular was near his windpipe and he could have died without surgical intervention. Ganesan was discharged the next day and was given hospitalisation leave until April 7. Lawyer Sujatha Selvakumar, who was assigned to represent Arunachalam under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, urged District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim to sentence her client to a maximum of 2 years 6 months jail. She said that a now-remorseful Arunachalam had "reacted in youthful folly". For causing grievous hurt with the chopper, he could have been jailed for up to 15 years and fined or caned. PTI GS AMS MVV --- ENDS --- YORK The community of York has received two large Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) that will assist with the ongoing downtown revitalization project and an owner housing rehabilitation program. The federal CDBG program provides funding for community and economic development projects to encourage additional federal, state and private resources. Communities receiving CDBG funds use those grants to provide decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) administers the CDBG program for most of the state. DED receives federal funds for CDBG from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on an annual basis. Communities can apply to use those funds for the planning and construction of projects that benefit low and moderate-income persons; prevent or eliminate slum or blight conditions; and solve catastrophic health and safety threats. York will receive $350,000 for the downtown revitalization project and $350,000 for the housing rehabilitation program. 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! Buying Guides: Firearms Firearm Accessories Ammunition Gun Safes Scopes & Optics Hunting Air Rifles Best AR-15 Best AR 15 Scope Best Hunting Rifle Best Gun Safe Best AK 47 Best AR 10 Best Glock Triggers Best Glock Best Home Defense Shotgun ED and CBI officials will begin the second round of interrogation of Indrani Mukerjea in the INX Media case today. By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: Indrani Mukerjea, one of the accused in the INX Media case, will be interrogated today by officials of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a second time. Sources in the ED told India Today that Indrani, who is lodged in Mumbai's Byculla Jail, shared "vital information" related to the Rs 304-crore money laundering case during the first round of questioning. advertisement A two-member ED team grilled Indrani for nine hours on November 24, asking her to explain the source of money. Sources said she was "supportive" during the interrogation. "It is premature to share the details of Indrani's statement as it could hamper our further probe, but yes, she has shared crucial details with us, which is being cross-examined by our team. The directorate would like to double-check whether Indrani's information is credible or a bluff," the source told India Today. To investigate the matter further, a new team with senior officers from Delhi has left for Mumbai to begin the second round of interrogation, this time armed with "more specific queries" and supportive documents. Currently, the INX Media case is being probed by a team of ED's Delhi Zonal Office. The agency suspects that Indrani Mukerjea, Peter Mukerjea and his first son Robin generated illicit money and siphoned it off to unknown overseas destinations, but again round-tripped the money back to the UK and India through Mauritius-based foreign investors. ALSO WATCH | Indrani Mukerjea killed Sheena Bora, driver Shyamwar Rai tells Mumbai Court --- ENDS --- Latest News Washington, DC - Earlier today in Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights Council held a special session on Burma. The United States was an early supporter of this special session and a co-sponsor of the resulting resolution on the Situation of Human Rights for Rohingya Muslims and other Minorities in Myanmar. At the special session, Ambassador Kelley Eckels Currie, the U.S. Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council, and Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Busby of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor reiterated Secretary Tillersons call for all actors to play a constructive role in resolving the human rights situation in Burma and holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable. The United States urges an immediate end to violence, restoration of the rule of law, countrywide access for the UN Fact-Finding Mission, immediate humanitarian and media access to affected areas, and guaranteed and verifiably safe, voluntary, and dignified return for those who want to return to their homes. Respect for human rights of all peoples is a fundamental element of democracy and the United States stands ready to support the elected civilian government in its efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for all of Burma. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - Today, at about 1:30pm the Yuma Fire Department received a mutual aid request regarding a Task Force deployment to the Creek fire burning in the Angeles National Forest, near San Fernando, California. Within the next hour an Engine and four YFD personnel left Yuma to meet with other members of the Imperial Valley Task Force. In the hour after the request was received, pre-designated YFD personnel certified for wildland firefighting gathered at Fire Station #1 and loaded a designated fire engine with necessary equipment. YFD personnel will be prepared to be deployed with the Task Force for up to two weeks. The area where this fire is burning is approximately 300 miles from Yuma. The fire is reported to have burned 11,000 acres, and at last report there were 400 personnel assigned to this fire. A Task Force usually consists of a group of firefighting apparatus and a team leader drawn from one of the various departments. A team will normally stay together through their deployment and, due to the equipment and training of our personnel, they are expected to be used for structure protection duties. Little information is available at this time about the Creek Fire, and additional information will be provided as it becomes available. The last time YFD personnel were deployed with a strike team or task force was earlier this year, in July, to the Detwiler fire near Mariposa, CA. Un barbat de 77 de ani starneste invidiat tinerilor prin tinutele sale. Am cel mai cool bunic din lume! Jannik, un tanar de 25 de ani din Germania, l-a transformat pe bunicul sau intr-o celebritate pe retelele sociale. Am cel mai cool bunic din lume! , spune el despre barbatul de 75 de ani, [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - National chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday that he will not refuse the position of prime minister when he has to take it, as written down in the protocol of the parties in the governing coalition, and if President Klaus Iohannis disregards the protocol, - President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday signed, during a ceremony held at the Cotroceni Palace, the decree on the promulgation of the law approving the national cancer prevention and control plan, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook - The government will approve, on Wednesday, the draft law on the organization and operation of the national alert system, which aims to meet the technical standards of the Schengen acquis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca informs on Wednesday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - The Government approved on Wednesday an emergency ordinance for the creation of the single industrial license, a project initiated by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism and the Competition Council, announced Bogdan Chiritoiu, the president of the competition authority, in the briefing at - Presedintele Parlamentului, Igor Grosu, a avut astazi o intrevedere cu omologul sau, Presedintele Marii Adunari Nationale a Turciei, Mustafa Sentop, care se afla intr-o vizita oficiala de doua zile la Chisinau. Discutiile au atins un spectru larg de subiecte precum cooperarea bilaterala, necesitatea - The Government of Romania approved, in its meeting on Wednesday, the decisions by which it grants Romanian citizenship to some foreign athletes who perform in national competitions in our country. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - Romania's GDP increased 5.8 percent in H1 2022 from the year-ago period in both unadjusted and adjusted terms, shows provisional data released on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro - The arrears of the general consolidated budget increased 9.5% in July 2022, compared to the previous month, to 222.18 million lei, from 202.82 million lei, according to the data published on the website of the Finance Ministry (MF). Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro BRUSSELS: President Donald Trump is "very committed" to the Middle East peace process, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday amid global alarm at a US plan to recognise Jerusalem as Israel`s capital. Tillerson said the US believes "there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved" between Israel and the Palestinians, despite international outcry over Trump`s decision on Jerusalem. "The president is very committed to the Middle East peace process," Tillerson told reporters at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. He said a small team led by Trump`s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been "engaged in a quiet way" in the region to try to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. "We continue to believe there is a very good opportunity for peace to be achieved and the president has a team that is devoted to that entirely," Tillerson said. Trump`s decision to back Israel`s claim on Jerusalem -- which he is due to announce at 1800 GMT -- has triggered a chorus of international concern, amid fears that it could sink any hope of new peace talks. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and previous peace plans have stumbled over debates on whether and how to divide sovereignty or oversee holy sites. "Woh jhootha hai, vote na usska dena, note bhi de toh, vote na ussko dena," sang Asrani in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 'Namak Haraam', a 1974 film about the clash between the bourgeois and the peasant class pitched against the shrill rhetorics of the elections. The ballot and the common man have always been favourite punching bags in our films. Think back to Gulzar's 'Aandhi', where SuchitraGandhi.errrr Sen meets Feroze 'Sanjeev Kumar' Gandhi while the elections are full on. The film was clearly inspired by a certain Mrs G and her estranged husband. There was even a qawali about electoral rigging which went, "Salaam kijiye," which got obfuscated by the haunting stream of Lata Mangshkar-Kishore Kumar duets. But we got the drift when Aarti Devi gets hit in the head during an election campaign. Elections can be mighty injurious to the health. And you don't have to one of the Gandhis to know this. Way back in 1984, the late Dasari Narayana Rao made 'Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar', starring Rajesh Khanna, about a barber's rise to parliamentarianism. The film was pitched against T Rama Rao's 'Inquilaab', featuring Amitabh Bachchan, which was again about an ordinary man's rise to absolute political corruption. In both the films, the degenerate politicians' muscle power is challenged by his wife - Shabana Azmi in 'Aaj Ka MLA' and Sridevi in 'Inquilaab'. Interestingly, both Khanna and Bachchan went on to dabble in politics in real life. But nothing like the excitement they exuded on screen while negotiating the elections. Somehow, the elections in Bollywood films have never captured the feverish pitch of their Hollywood counterparts like Jay Roach's 'The Campaign' and Mike Nichols's 'Primary Colors'. The reason for this lack of truly astute political cinema in Bollywood is fear of political honesty that filmmakers must face when making films about elections. There are so many sensitivities to be negotiated. The filmmaker ends up walking on glass while addressing the electoral process. In Prakash Jha's 'Rajneeti', the entire political scenario was based on the Mahabharat, but the portions where Katrina Kaif stands elections after her politician-husband's death were clearly ripped off from the Rajiv Gandhi-Sonia Gandhi saga. Of course, Jha outright denied the Gandhi connection I am sure he remembered what happened to Gulzar Saab's 'Aandhi'. Who wants to kick up a storm on the screen when the voters are on the prowl? The newest and perhaps the most well-received film on the electoral process is Amit V Masurkar's 'Newton', a parable on the sanctity of the electoral process told with a fervour and sincerity that films about the elections do not possess in India. As elections in Gujarat are around the corner, we should all pay heed to what Kishore Kumar sang for Asrani in 'Namak Haraam': "Woh jhootha hai, vote na ussko dena". Hear, hear! (Subhash K Jha is a film critic and movie expert) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) Raipur: A jawan of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was today injured when Naxals fired at a newly set up police camp at a forest in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district, an official said. A small action team of the ultras fired at the police camp in Hadeli village where some finishing work was underway, following which the security personnel retaliated, he said. After a brief exchange of fire, the rebels escaped into the dense forest, the official said. "Head constable Komal Khalko, belonging to DRG, sustained bullet injuries," he said. The injured jawan was rushed to a local hospital from where he was being airlifted to Raipur for further medication, the official said, adding that his condition was said to be out of danger. A search operation was underway in the region, he added. The police camp was recently set up in Hadeli, located 50 kms deep inside forest from Kondagaon town, which is around 200 kms away from here, he said. The Naxals are upset over the establishment of the camp, which is aimed at stepping up area-domination operation in the region and checking the activities of the rebels, he added. Mumbai: The Reserve Bank has allowed foreign investors to raise their stake in micro finance lender Bharat Financial Inclusion as the applicable limit has gone below the threshold limit. The aggregate foreign shareholding by foreign portfolios investors (FPIs) under Portfolio Investment Scheme in Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited has gone below the prescribed threshold caution limit, Reserve Bank (RBI) said in a notification. "Hence, the restrictions placed on the purchase of shares of the above company are withdrawn with immediate effect," the RBI said. Foreign portfolio investors held 68.83 per cent in the company as on September 30, 2017, the BSE data showed. Promoter shareholding in the company stands at 1.65 per cent. FIIs, NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins) can invest in primary and secondary capital markets in India through PIS. RBI monitors ceilings on FII/NRI/PIO investments in Indian companies on a daily basis. It has fixed the cut-off points two percentage points lower than the actual ceiling. Bharat Financial Inclusion stock traded 0.20 per cent down at Rs 992.75 on BSE. New Delhi: Legendary actor Shashi Kapoor breathed his last on December 4, 2017. The actor was 79 and had been battling health issues for a long while. The entire Hindi Film Industry mourned the loss of a gem and many celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan attended the actor's last rites on Tuesday afternoon. Amitabh also penned an emotional note, remembering his dear friend Shashi on Instagram. Amul Cooperative, best known for its humorous/thought-provoking sketches, took to Twitter and gave a heart-warming tribute to the late actor by taking cue from his most famous dialogue - 'Mere paas maa hai'. Here is Amul Cooperative's Twitter post: Shashi Kapoor belonged to the 'First family of Bollywood'. He was the son of Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni Kapoor. The late actor had appeared in around 148 films during his illustrious career. He will indeed be etched in our hearts forever! The recent gruesome murder of sepoy Irfan Dar has been worked out and one of the co-conspirator has been arrested by the Shopian Police. By India Today Web Desk: The recent gruesome murder of sepoy Irfan Dar who was working with 175 Territorial Army has been worked out. One of the co-conspirator has been arrested by the Shopian Police. Pertinently, the bullet ridden body of the said jawan was recovered from village Wuthmula on 25th November and consequently Case FIR No 298/2017 of Police Station Shopian U/S 302 RPC and 16 UA (P) act was registered and investigation taken up. advertisement The investigation conducted so far has revealed that militants involving Saddam Padder R/o Heff,Bilal Mohand R/o Heff, Touseef R/o Gadbugh and one newly recruited unidentified militant along with arrested accused Muzamil R/o Shirmal hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill the sepoy Irfan Dar. In pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy, on November 24, the accused Muzamil went to the native village of Irfan and took him to Wuthmula were the above mentioned militants were already present in a nearby orchard. They came out from the orchard and fired at the Sepoy Irfan, resulting instant death of the victim on the spot. After executing the gruesome murder all of them fled from the spot. Police on the basis of evidence available could unearth the entire chain of conspiracy and finally nabbed accused Muzammil who is presently in custody. The look out for the other three militants is on and necessary legal proceedings are in progress to complete the investigation of the instant case. --- ENDS --- NEW DELHI: The newborn who was found alive after being earlier declared dead by Max Hospital in Delhi died during treatment on Wednesday. The baby was being treated at a hospital in Pitampura. In a case of medical negligence, the hospital had handed over the twins to the family after pronouncing them dead. However, on the way back home, the parents realised that one of the twins showed movements. When the baby was taken to a nearby hospital, it was found that the infants was alive. "After being declared dead, babies were given to us in packets, when we left for cremation ground we noticed movement and on checking found one was breathing. We immediately rushed to nearby hospital," said Ashish, father of the twins. Following the incident, Union Health Minister JP Nadda had spoken to the Health Secretary in connection with the hospital's medical negligence. The Delhi government had also ordered a probe into the incident and sought a preliminary report. Dr Girish Tyagi, Registrar of the Delhi Medical Council, said that it would issue a notice to the hospital and a committee will be constituted to look into the matter. A medical negligence case was registered under section 308 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the hospital. New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today paid tribute to the architect of the Constitution, B R Ambedkar, on his death anniversary and said men might be mortal but their ideas need to be propagated. Gandhi, poised to take over as Congress president, took to Twitter to remember Ambedkar, hailed for his contribution towards the upliftment of Dalits. "Men are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise, both will wither and die. My tributes to #BabasahebAmbedkar on #MahaParinirvana Diwas," Gandhi said. Ambedkar passed away on this day in 1956. He was 65 then. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today condemned the disqualification of JD(U) rebel leader Sharad Yadav from the Rajya Sabha as "illegal" and a "political vendetta". The disqualification must be revoked, Kejriwal said. "Disqualification of Sharad Yadav ji is completely illegal and unconstitutional. It is political vendetta. We strongly condemn it and demand that disqualification be revoked," Kejriwal tweeted. Rebel JD(U) MPs Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar were disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on Monday night. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu agreed to the JD (U)'s contention that the two senior leaders had "voluntarily given up" their membership by defying their party?s directives and attending events of opposition parties. The JD(U) had sought their disqualification on the grounds that they had attended a rally of opposition parties in Patna in violation of its direction. Yadav had joined hands with the opposition after JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kuamar dumped the Grand Alliance in Bihar and tied up with the BJP. Yadav was elected to the House last year and his term was scheduled to end in 2022. Anwar's term was to expire early next year. Beijing: The research ship "Xiangyanghong 10" departed on China's 49th ocean expedition on Wednesday, with scientists onboard set to explore polymetallic sulphide deposits in the southwest and northwest Indian Ocean. The ship left Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang province, carrying more than 200 personnel for a 250-day trip that will sail over 25,000 nautical miles, Xinhua news agency reported. Scientists plan to conduct research including surveying polymetallic sulphide deposits, sampling biological gene resources, air-sea flux observations and studying ocean structures, according to chief scientist Tao Chunhui. "A major feature of this voyage is that we will step up environmental monitoring in our scientific expedition and place more attention on the health of the ocean," said Tao. Advanced deep-sea exploration equipment such as the unmanned submersible Qianlong 2 and an underwater glider will be used during the expedition, he said. Los Angeles: Fashion designer Steve Madden has said that he has thought about retirement but still feels "valuable" on certain days. The 59-year-old said he feels there is "nothing" he can do to improve his label and should call it quits on his career. "More now, actually. I suppose there were moments then, but really, now. I have this wonderful company, and I have these amazing people whom I taught the business, and they're better than me. The pupils are better than the teacher," Madden told Marie Claire magazine. "And as the teacher and the builder, I have to figure out another way that I can add value to my company. So now, because I'm an entrepreneur, maybe there's nothing I can do anymore. Maybe I should just quit... I have thought that. But then I have incredible days where I feel valuable." VADODARA: The Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students in Gujarat free of cost by abolishing GST if voted to power, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev announced here on Wednesday. Dev also attacked Narendra Modi government for imposing "12 percent" GST on sanitary napkins, which she said "runs contrary" to the government's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign for girls. "Imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins is a big shocker for poor girls and women. The Modi government did not slash the tax (on sanitary napkins) despite demands raised by various NGOs and women's group though it reduced the tax on other items," Dev said while addressing reporters. The campaigning for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, will end tomorrow. If voted to power, Congress will provide sanitary napkins to girl students of schools and colleges in the state free of cost, she said. Dec said not reducing the GST on sanitary napkins is "contradictory" to the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign of the Centre government. "At one end, the government is promoting healthier menstrual hygiene practices among girls and women while on the other hand they are increasing the cost of sanitary napkins," said Dev, who represents Silchar seat in Assam. She said the imposition of 12 per cent GST on sanitary pads is a "regressive move in the menstrual health discourse", which will take a toll on health of poor girls and women who lack the access to sanitary napkins. Dev sought to link the "rising girls school dropout ratio in Gujarat" with costlier sanitary pads. "I am afraid that higher price (of sanitary pads) on account of GST might push girls back to adopting unhygienic menstrual practices," the Congress leader said. Dev also attacked Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for "not filling up" posts of women in the state police department. Former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had in 2014 announced 33 per cent quota for women in Gujarat police force. Dev also claimed that the Gujarat Police have been refusing to register complaints of rape sought to be lodged by affected women. "Congress will set up a committee in each district of Gujarat to extend help to the victims of rape," she said. Speaking after Dev, Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi termed as an "eyewash" the "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign. "When it comes to female sex ratio in Gujarat, the state is ranked at 24th position in the country. Rate of literacy in women is also low in Gujarat," she said. Chaturvedi accused the prime minister of "remaining silent" on the Naliya gangrape issue while addressing public rallies in the poll-bound state. "Modi didn't say a word about the gangrape because some BJP office-bearers are allegedly involved in the crime," she said, adding that no progress is made in the case despite the chief minister ordering a judicial inquiry. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) members of the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat on Thursday. He will also listen to their concerns on Cyclone Ockhi. PM Modi will connect with the party workers on their mobile phones through the "audio bridge" technology and directly interact with the divisional heads of the party's SC and ST units in the state. Tomorrow at 10 AM I will interact with Karyakartas from the @BJP4Gujarat SC, ST Morchas and Karyakartas from coastal areas of Gujarat. This will be an interaction via audio bridge. Looking forward to this programme. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2017 About 10,000 workers of the party would directly attend PM Modi's call, the BJP said in a statement, PTI reported. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases - on December 9 and 14 - and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. The high-octane campaign for the first phase of polls is scheduled to come to an end on Thursday. In 2007, the tally of the BJP and the Congress in Saurashtra and Kutch stood at 43 and 14 respectively, while the NCP had bagged one seat. Of the 35 seats spread across the seven districts of south Gujarat, the BJP had won 28 and the Congress six in the 2012 polls. The 2009 tally for the BJP and the Congress stood at 19 and 14 seats respectively in south Gujarat. Prominent candidates in the fray for the Saturday battle include Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West) against the Congress' Indranil Rajyaguru, Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli) - both from the Congress. Rajput strongman Gohil has locked horns with the BJP's new face, Virendrasinh Jadeja, also a Rajput, in the Muslim-dominated seat. In Patidar-dominated Amreli, Dhanani (the sitting Congress MLA) is pitted against BJP heavyweight Bavkubhai Undhad, the legislator from the nearby Lathi seat. (With PTI inputs) NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a poll rally in Gujarat's Netrang on Wednesday as the campaign for the first-phase Gujarat Assembly elections came to an end today. Addressing his last election rally of the day in Netrang, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply attacked the Congress party as he said, "Congress feels only one family won India freedom. They forget the contribution of the tribal communities to Indias freedom struggle." "They call us a Government of the rich. It is the blessings of the poor that make us rich. Our asset is the hard work of the poor. Our Government worked for tribal welfare, ensured better education, healthcare," PM Modi said. "This part of Gujarat is special for me. When I took over as CM, people told me school dropout rates in this part are high. On hearing that I decided that come what may, we will get more children to school and we will ensure there are no dropouts," PM said as he addressed his last rally for the day. Prime Minister Modi has been on a campaign trail in the state in the run-up to the state assembly elections. Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed public rallies in Dhandhuka and Dahod in the state. Cyclone Ockhi was expected to make landfall near the state capital Surat by Tuesday midnight; however, it gradually weakened. The Indian Meteorological Department had made a prediction in this regard. PM Modi's Surat rally, which was earlier scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed by a day. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi too cancelled his meetings for the day due to bad weather conditions. However, he did attend a rally in Anjar. AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a jibe at the Congress party on its claim of winning the Gujarat elections, referring to the "big hullabaloo" about Cyclone Ockhi that was set to hit the state in a big way, but did not. Disregarding the 'Ockhi' alert and continuing his scheduled programme of three days` campaigning, the Prime Minister was here in Dhandhuka, a southern part of Ahmedabad district. Once again he began his speech mentioning the Congress, after reminiscing on his relationship with the place. Mentioning the alerts about Cyclone Ockhi, he said, "Whatever that makes a big hullabaloo and is said that it is coming, never does", hinting at the Congress, which has been campaigning in the state and claiming it is going to win the elections. The Cyclone was on Tuesday headed towards Gujarat but on Wednesday it weakened while over the Arabian Sea, sparing the poll-bound state. The Dhandhuka crowd, many of them comprising children who were made to sit in chairs in order to show a packed crowd, was totally unresponsive to any of Modi`s interactive questions. Some were even seen laughing. Modi`s style of questioning the audience and then getting affirmative answers from them, did not seem to be working on them. Addressing the crowd, Modi said, "We think that the Congress meted out injustice to Sardar Patel, but let me tell you, he was not the only one. Their one family which rules meted out injustice to the maker of the Constitution, Bhimrao Ambedkar and all those who were getting significance in politics. Ambedkar had to go all the way to Bengal to fetch a membership in the constitutional body elections. Congress could not even afford to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. Baba Saheb was never remembered during the entire Congress regime in central government." He continued, "We bow to such great leaders. By continuing with the development works in Gujarat, the people of Gujarat should pay respect to the great leader." On the Triple Talaq issue, Modi said, "During the oncoming Uttar Pradesh elections, the central government was asked by the Supreme Court to file an affidavit regarding the issue. Many warned me that as the UP elections are coming we cannot risk doing so and many even expected that Modi would buy time from the apex court. But I said, why should I, when the question about thousands of our Muslim women is at stake. I don`t care about the elections. The country does not run merely on elections. That issue, which was hanging in the air since the time of Rajiv Gandhi, was cleared by the apex court." On the Sunni Waqf Board`s counsel Kapil Sibal asking the court to delay the hearing till the 2019 general elections, Modi said: "When Sibal asked that, the Congress says it is Sibal`s personal and individual issue. I ask you how does the 2019 general elections affect Kapil Sibal personally or the Waqf Board? Is Sunni Waqf Board contesting the elections?" The Prime Minister also informed the audience about the central government`s drive to make practical solution of solar pump and how the works were in progress, which could make a farmer`s life easy. He informed them about plans on Dholera, a bustling port in an ancient civilization, and how that would make the entire region heavily laden with richness and prosperity. He said, "I requested umpteen times to the then UPA government for the development of Dholera, but they weren`t interested. Now through our efforts, within 10 years, Dholera would be as prosperous as Mumbai or Rajkot." DHANDHUKA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday remembered Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to hit out at the Congress while campaigning for the upcoming Gujarat elections 2017. He questioned the Congress for not conferring Bharat Ratna to Dr Ambedkar. Addressing an election rally here, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) star campaigner slammed the Congress saying, One family has done greatest injustice to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbahi Patel. The nation is today observing Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's death anniversary. Launching a scathing attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Prime Minister said, When Jawaharlal Nehru's influence on the Congress was complete, the party ensured that Dr Ambedkar finds it tough to join the Constituent Assembly. Attacking the previous Congress regimes in Gujarat, the PM said, There are some words that the youth of Gujarat do not even know. One such word is curfew, adding that law and order situation has improved tremendously under the BJP governments over the last two decades. BJP efforts ensured that youngsters in Gujarat got access to technology and there are more educational institutions to study. Our aim is to make our youth self-reliant, the PM asserted. The BJP star campaigner will address two more rallies in Dahod and Natrang later today. On Friday, Narendra Modi will visit Lunawada at 9:30 in the morning and address a public meeting. After that, he will go to Bodeli at around 11.00 am. He will visit the milk capital Anand and address a gathering at 12 noon. His last public meeting of the day will be at Mehsana, the Patidar bastion, at 3.00 pm. Visits of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiytanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje Scindia, BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari and Congress leader Raj Babbar, among others, were cancelled in the wake of announcement regarding the cyclone Ockhi. Gujarat will go to polls on December 9 and 14. The results will be declared on December 18. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to the architect of the Constitution, B R Ambedkar, on his death anniversary. Ambedkar passed away on this day in 1956 at the age of 65. "I bow to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas," the prime minister said on Twitter. The populations of several species of fauna - including leopards - have been growing at the Jhalana leopard safari. So what to make of a mysterious leopard death? A leopard was found dead at the Jhalana reserve forest (Image for representation) By Rohit Parihar: A young leopard has been found dead at the Jhalana leopard safari in Jaipur. It's believed to have died on Monday, and is the second leopard to have died in the reserved forest, which is home to 20 of these felines. Now, you might ask: Well, so what? The mystery lies in one little detail: forest officials said the animal's backbone was found broken. While officials are unable to say whether the leopard was injured in an accidental fall, it would be a concern for the government if that were indeed the case. The cat that died earlier had a fall. advertisement After the death of these two leopards, experts must look into causes. The Jhalana reserve forest has received much attention ever since the populations of several species of fauna - leopards, jackals, hyenas, badgers, blue bulls and peacocks - began to grow in recent years. With the increase in the number of leopards, chital numbers have declined, making ecosystem improvement a high priority. Recently, solar lights were installed, eight water ponds were built, five bore wells were sanctioned, and a wall 30 kilometres long and six feet high was constructed. Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje declared the Jhalana forest the state's first leopard reserve in May. --- ENDS --- NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subhash Chandra has appealed to all Indians to show their appreciation to the men in uniform and contribute to the welfare of soldiers and their families. Dr Chandra appealed for donations to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (details below). The Armed Forces Flag Day is observed on December 7. "Often it happens, that when we are asked to do something good for the country or the society, we say that we have no time. But, I want to tell you that the soldier protecting the country on the border in biting cold take bullets and go through numerous challenges. Only then we are able to sleep in peace, Dr Chandra said in his appeal. So, it becomes our duty to do something for them for their sacrifice and dedication," he added. Dr Chandra also underscored the satisfaction of sharing. "Believe me, you will feel very contented if you do so. Plus, you will be able to contribute financially to the jawans and their families. One gets very few occasions to serve the country. Don't waste it." Here is a step-by-step guide to making a contribution: 1. Click on - http://www.ksb.gov.in/PaymentListRMDF.htm 2. You can also choose the UPI Code option - armedforceesflagdayfund@sbi 3. Or you can pay by Paytm number - 8800462175 4. To pay via cheque, the account number is - 34420400623 (SBI RK Puram branch) Contributions to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund are eligible for Income Tax exemptions under section 80 G (5) (vi). New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has promised to resolve the issue of a cap of Rs 10,000 on educational expenses paid to the children of defence forces martyrs. General Rawat said Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, has informed her of the issue, and she has said the issue will be addressed on priority. Defence Ministry sources said the Minister had held a meeting on the issue on Wednesday and a decision is likely soon. General Rawat said, "For our martyrs, children are entitled (to) free education. It is a very good thing that the government has done. What has happened is possibly because of some misunderstanding - they have now capped it at Rs 10,000 because somebody must have calculated as to how much a person spends per month on child education." "In our case, we have written to the government. I think the Defence Minister is completely seized of the problem. She is aware of it, and after we explained the reason to her... she said she is certainly concerned about it and will address the issue on priority," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. According to informed sources, Admiral Lanba, the most senior among the three service chiefs, wrote to the Minister to urge her to resolve the problem. A letter dated September 13 by the department of ex-servicemen welfare capped fee for tuitions and hostel expenses at Rs 10,000 per month. The demand for a rollback on the decision was also raised by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, and Union Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh, who is himself an Army ex-chief. AHMEDABAD: With senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal urging the Supreme Court to defer hearing on the title dispute till the conclusion of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has asked Rahul Gandhi to clear the Congress stand on the Ram temple issue in Ayodhya. Accusing the Congress of maintaining double standards on the contentious 'Ram Mandir' row Shah said, "On the one hand, temples are being visited (by Rahul Gandhi) ahead of elections. On the other hand, they are trying to delay hearing of the Ramjanmabhoomi case (in the Supreme Court). The Congress has double standards on the issue. They should clarify their stand." "I appeal to the future Congress president -- please clear your stand on the issue," he said. "The Congress puts up (Congress leader and eminent lawyer) Sibal every time it wants to take a different stand -- be it the 2G scam when Sibal came up with 'zero loss' theory or the reservation issue in Gujarat when he said reservation beyond 50 percent is possible." "Kapil Sibal vehemently opposed building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Sibal, who came prepared with a brief from his Muslim petitioners, was adamant on stopping the construction of the temple. When the apex court overruled his submission, he even tried to leave the court," he said. "I want to appeal to Rahul Gandhi to make clear the Congress' stand on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue. I also want to ask the Congress if it is in agreement with Kapil Sibal's views and whether his views are the official stand of the party," Shah said. He said the BJP and the entire country want the case to be heard and decided as early as possible. Sibal, while arguing for the Sunni Waqf Board told the Supreme Court today that since the court's decision in the case would have "very serious ramifications", hearing be deferred till July 2019 by which time the general election would be over. "Please fix the matter in July 2019 and we assure that we will not seek any adjournments... Justice should not only be done, it should seem to be done," Sibal told the court. The special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra today also "prima facie" rejected the demand by a battery of lawyers including Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan that the appeals against the Allahabad High Court order be either referred to a five or seven-judge bench keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the case. The Supreme Court, however, said it will commence hearing on February 8, 2018, on a batch of petitions which challenged a 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suit that divided the disputed Babri Masjid site between the Nirmohi Akhara, Lord Ram deity, and the Sunni Waqf Board. The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ordered a three-way division of the disputed land which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. DHANDHUKA: A day after lawyer Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya dispute, said that the hearing in the matter should beheld after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioned the logic behind the argument. Modi asked the Congress leader as to how are the two issues linked. "No objection that Kapil Sibal is fighting on behalf of Muslim community but how can he say do not find a solution to the Ayodhya issue until next election? How is it connected to Lok Sabha elections," he said during a poll rally in Dhandhuka. He also accused the Congress of linking the Ram temple issue with the elections. "Now Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation," Modi said. Sibal had presented the view in the Supreme Court that this judgment would affect 2019 elections which is why the verdict should be delayed till then. However, the demand was brushed aside by the court as it fixed February 8, 2018 for commencing final hearing in the case. The Congress distanced itself from Sibal`s stand saying it does not represent the party's stand. New Delhi: Accusing India of attempting to pit US against China's increasing naval capabilities, a report in the state-run national daily Global Times quoted a strategy expert as saying that the provocation in uncalled for. Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, has said that India is provoking the US by projecting Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) navy as a direct rival of the Americans. "The Indian media is exaggerating the rise of our naval power, as China has made clear that the development of maritime power is to protect the security of sea lanes. And the rise of the PLA navy will never affect freedom of navigation," he said. (Also read: Why Chinese Navy at Gwadar Port is a major concern for India) While an increasing number of countries - especially in south and south-east Asia - suspect China of trying to increase its maritime sphere of influence, China continues to project its rapid naval advancement as an attempt to secure merchant lines. "India just wants to incite the US to cooperate with India on containing China," said Hu. India does see Chinese navy's movement in the Indian Ocean with a certain degree of suspicion. And that may well be due to China's own expansionist policy - a policy which has been witnessed by the global community in the South China Sea conflict. And while Chinese patrolling vessels - and its submarines, more importantly - continue to lag in quality when compared to those with American and Russian forces, the country is on a fast-track to ramp up not just quantity but quality with it. New Delhi: On the 25th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition, a talk titled 'Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?' was scheduled to be held at the Koyna Hostel in Jawaharlal Nehru University. However, the university has cancelled the event saying that 'no talk will take place in the hostel'. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dr Subramanian Swamy was to take part in the lecture that was planned for at 9:30 pm on Wednesday. Reacting to the cancellation of his talk, Swamy called it the intolerance of the Left. "JNU is afraid that my ideas will influence the youth," he said. He retweeted a tweet which questioned the 'freedom of speech and tolerance' exercised at the university. So much for freedom of speech and tolerance.......Talk Of Dr Subramanian @Swamy39 at JNU tonight Wed 6th Dec 2017 at 9:30 pm "Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ?"* has been cancelled as the organisers have been informed by JNU ! @jagdishshetty @vhsindia @NATRAJSHETTY @MaheshJoshi_MJ pic.twitter.com/4SWEEOX92P nikunj shah __ (@niku1630) December 6, 2017 Dr Swamy on Wednesday castigated Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board, saying that the latter tried to give Ram temple case a political angle in the court. "Sibal just gave his arguments on the political level, as they will lose the elections if they lose this case," Swamy said. Swamy further said that the hearing for Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi had begun where both parties had to put their positions before court, but Kapil Sibal said that the court cannot proceed since they have not received all the documents. "Kapil Sibal presented the view that this judgment would affect 2019 elections, which is why the verdict should be delayed till then. He tried to give political limelight to the case. They put many efforts to delay the hearing of the case," he said. Swamy confidently said that they would win the case whose hearing has been shifted to February 8, 2018. "The court decided to hear the arguments on February 8. The hearing will be based on documents so we shall win easily." The Supreme Court fixed the next hearing for the long-standing Ayodhya dispute matter for February 8, 2018. The hearing in the Ayodhya dispute was commenced on Tuesday. The top court was hearing a total of 13 appeals filed against the 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in four civil suits. NEW DELHI: Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has written to the Defence Ministry requesting the government to review the decision of imposing a cap on the reimbursement of education of children of martyrs or of those disabled in action. The government has been facing resentment from the three services after a decision was taken in July this year to cap the reimbursement of educational expenditure at Rs 10,000 per month on the recommendation of the seventh pay commission. Earlier under the scheme rolled out in 1972, tuition fee of children of martyrs or those disabled in action was completely waived in schools, colleges, and professional educational institutions. After the Navy chief took up the issue with the government, the Defence Ministry is likely to review its decision. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has indicated that the government will be reviewing the decision, claiming that the current dispensation is always supportive of the armed forces. As per estimates, around 3,400 children of armed forces personnel have been impacted by the decision. The original scheme had entailed waiver of "other fees" besides the tuition fee. However, the provision of "other fees" was removed in 2010. NEW DELHI: Slamming senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal for allegedly linking the Ram Mandir issue with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the Sunni Waqf Board for its stand on the matter. "The Sunni Waqf Board must be congratulated for their brave stand on the matter and disassociating themselves from the statement of Shri Kapil Sibal," PM Narendra Modi said. "The Sunni Waqf Board has stated today that yes, Kapil Sibal may be our lawyer but what he said in the court is absolutely wrong. They too want a time-bound solution to the matter. Everyone wants a time-bound solution except Congress and their leaders," PM Modi said. On Tuesday, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, Kapil Sibal requested the Supreme Court to set the next hearing on the case after March 2019. The Congress leader justified his stand saying 'the case has ramification on the polity of India,'. Though Sibal did not mention elections, it was apparent to all present that he wanted the court to hear the matter only after the 2019 elections to Lok Sabha. "There is a Congress leader, Shri Kapil Sibal. He was arguing on the Ram Temple issue, which he is entitled to do. But, he said in Court to hear the case after 2019. Why is he mixing Ram Temple and elections," Modi said further. Modi, who was back on the campaign trail in poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday, added that he would not remain silent on the triple talaq as the issue is for the right of women. "When the triple talaq matter was in the Supreme Court, the government had to put their affidavit. Newspapers commented that Modi will remain silent because of Uttar Pradesh polls. People told me not to speak on the matter else there will be losses in elections," Modi said while addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka today. "I am clear that on Triple Talaq I will not be silent. Everything is not about elections. This issue is for the rights of women...elections come later humanity comes first," Modi said. "Yesterday in the SC, a Congress MP Kapil Sibal was arguing (which is his right) for the Babri Masjid. He is entitled to do that but is it right for him to say postpone hearing till 2019? Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir with elections? Is such thinking proper? Now Congress links Ram Mandir with elections. They are least bothered about the nation," PM Modi said. On Tuesday, BJP national president Amit Shah also attacked the Congress to make its stand clear on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue after Sibals arguments in court. Shah said that on one hand, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is on "election tour of temples" in Gujarat, while on the other his party wants the hearing on the title dispute to be deferred. The special bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also "prima facie" rejected the demand by a battery of lawyers including Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan that the appeals against the Allahabad High Court order be either referred to a five or seven-judge bench keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the case. The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ordered a three-way division of the disputed land which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court decided to hear the matter on February 8 next year. NEW DELHI: The Sunni Waqf Board on Wednesday disapproved of its counsel Kapil Sibal's statement in Supreme Court that the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case should be heard after 2019 General Elections. While rejecting Sibal's stand, Sunni Waqf Board member Haji Mehboob said the board was for a solution to the Ayodhya dispute at the earliest. Yes Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in SC yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest, Mehboob was quoted by ANI. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Sunni Waqf Board for disassociating themselves from the statement of Kapil Sibal on Ram Mandir issue. A high voltage drama marked Tuesday's hearing in the Supreme Court with lawyers representing the Sunni Waqf Board and the Babri Masjid Action Committee, virtually threatening to walk out of the proceedings as the bench asked senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, representing the deity Ram Lalla Virajman, to commence his submissions in the case. When the bench headed by the CJI rejected their contention that the matter be sent to a larger bench saying "no, no...", Sibal, appearing for Sunni Wakf Board, said, "I do believe that any decision in this case will have very serious ramifications and the appeals should be referred to a five or seven judge constitution bench. Do not say 'no, no, no'. Please hear the matter keeping in mind the ramifications..." He further said, "please fix the matter in July 2019 and we assure that we will not seek any adjournments... Justice should not only be done, it should seem to be done." The bench countered expressing shock and surprise and asked, "What kind of submission is this? You are saying July 2019. Should it not be heard before that?" The apex court on Tuesday ruled that the hearing will commence on February 8, 2018 on a batch of petitions challenging a 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suit that had divided the disputed Babri Masjid site between the Nirmohi Akhara, Lord Ram deity and the Sunni Waqf board. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer directed that all the advocates on record will work in harmony and ensure that all documents are filed, if not already filed. The mosque originally dates back to 1528. It was built in Ayodhya by Mir Baqi a commander of Mughal emperor Babur from where it gets the name Babri Masjid. However, a report by the Archaeological Survey of India suggested the existence of a 10th-century temple at the site. The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ordered a three-way division of the disputed land which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. JNU students have gathered outside JNU's Periyar hostel to demand an explanation behind the cancellation of a seminar on the Ram Mandir issue. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was supposed to speak at the event. By Pooja Shali: Jawaharlal Nehru University has cancelled a talk on the Ram Mandir issue which was to take place today inside the campus today. The seminar titled "Why Ram Temple in Ayodhya" was organised by Vivekananda Vichar Manch, a right-leaning group comprising of students from university, and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was invited to speak at the event. According to sources, the talk that was supposed to take place in University's Koyna hostel was cancelled in the wake of the Ayodhya title suit hearing as the administration does not want any controversy around this "sensitive issue". Letter signed by senior wearden of Koyna hostel, JNU advertisement Students assembled outside JNU's Periyar hostel with both approved and cancelled letters from the administration asked for the reason behind the last minute cancellation. Speaking to India Today, Prachi, one of the organisers of the event, said, "We only wanted to hold a discussion and debate and understand the details of the day. Dr Subramanian Swamy has deep knowledge of the event and its history". "It was an open event and we wished to invite all views to speak at the event. We have a letter of approval, we followed the procedure for permission. Few hours ago, we were informed of the cancellation. Since then, the rector has been unreachable", another student from the organising team said. The letter signed by the senior warden of the concerned hostel states that no talk will take place in Koyna Hostel, JNU on 06/12/2017. "Hence, the talk entitled "Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya" which was going to take place in Koyna Hostel has been cancelled". The students also questioned the accusations of the left-wing students, who often allege that the vice chancellor acts on behest of ruling BJP government. A member of the team asked if that was true why would this event be cancelled. Subramanian Swamy on this issue said, "I had not applied to deliver a lecture in JNU but why my lecture was cancelled, this only the authorities can answer". He also questioned the leftists and asked them answer why the seminar was cancelled. "Leftists who talk about intolerance should answer about this now", he Swamy said. The event was organised on the 25th anniversary of the demolition of disputed Babri mosque by Hindu right-wing groups who claimed the mosque had been built over an ancient temple. --- ENDS --- The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Bombay High Court to take a decision on a plea filed by Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, who has been accused of sexual misconduct. The journalist had filed a plea in the Bombay HC to acquit him in the case. However, the top court has asked lower court to continue the trial in the sexual harassment case, setting aside an order in this regard by the Bombay HC. Bombay High Court has been asked by the apex court to take a decision on Tejpals plea within three months. Tejpal was in September charged with rape, sexual harassment and wrongful restraint by a Goa court. He was charged under sections 342 (wrongful restraint) and 376 (rape), among others. His counsel Rajiv Gomes expressed disappointment at Additional District and Sessions Judge Vijaya Pol's order but added that the framing of charges was not a setback to Tejpal. The Tehelka founder had pleaded not guilty to the charges. On September 26, while hearing a primary appeal petition filed by Tejpal to seek a stay on framing of charges, the High Court had directed that the trial should resume only after its go-ahead but refused to stay the processes of the formal framing of charges against the former Editor, which was requested by defence lawyers. Tejpal was accused of sexually assaulting a junior woman colleague in a five hotel in November 2013 during the Thinkfest event organised by Tehelka. JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday claimed to solve the murder case of Sepoy Irfan Dar, by arresting one of the co-conspirators. Army jawan Irfan murder case cracked by #Shopian https://t.co/6WzZx5ExRC arrested and three others including Saddam Paddar identified for their complicity.Good work done by the Police.@JmuKmrPolice DIG OF POLICE SKR (@DigSkr) December 6, 2017 Sepoy Iran was working with 175 Territorial Army. His bullet-ridden body was recovered from Wuthmula village on November 25. "A Case FIR No 298/2017 of Police Station Shopian under section 302 RPC and 16 UA (P) act was registered and the investigation was taken up," a spokesperson said. The spokesman said the investigation conducted so far has found that militants Saddam Padder and Bilal Mohand both residents of Heff, Touseef, a resident of Gadbugh, and a newly-recruited unidentified militant along with arrested accused Muzamil hatched a criminal conspiracy to kill Dar. In pursuance of the criminal conspiracy, the spokesman said, on November 24, Muzamil went to the native village of Irfan and took him to Wuthmula where the above mentioned militants were already present in a nearby orchard. The militants came out from the orchard and fired at Dar, killing him on the spot, he said. After executing the gruesome murder, all of them fled from the spot, the spokesman said. He said police, on the basis of the evidence available, could unearth the entire chain of conspiracy and nabbed accused Muzamil. Police is on a look-out for the other three militants and necessary legal proceedings are in progress to complete the investigation, the spokesman said. On the other hand, the security forces on Wednesday launched a search and cordon operation in the Shopian district of the state. As per reports, the search operation was launched in Malik Mohalla in Wathoo today after inputs about the presence of militants in the area. LUCKNOW: A sub-inspector (SI) was shot at by an unidentified person on Wednesday when he tried to stop him for frisking in Kanpur district's Panki town, the police said here. Panki Outpost In-charge and SI Anurag Singh, and Constable Girijesh were on patrol duty when they noticed a man doing some suspicious activity near a Ramleela ground, PRO Rahul Srivstava said. The officer said that the accused opened fire when the policemen stopped him for frisking. The person managed to escape. The SI was rushed to a hospital from where he was discharged after being given first-aid. The bullet grazed him, he said. Gadchiroli: Seven Maoists, including five women, were gunned down in an encounter with police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Wednesday morning, an official said. The skirmish took place at around 5.30 am in a forest in Kalled village, about 15 kms north of Zinganoor outpost in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli, when a squad of Maharashtra police's special anti-Maoist unit was out on an anti-Naxal operation, the senior police official told PTI. On specific information, the police launched the operation against the Maoists around midnight and the team of C-60 commandos was sent in Kalled village, following which the encounter took place, Special Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sharad Shelar told PTI. The patrolling team was cordoning off the forest patch near Kalled, which borders neighbouring Chhattisgarh, when the exchange of fire took place between the two sides, he said. "Seven Maoists, including five women, were killed in the encounter while some weapons were also recovered from the spot," the official said. At least two Naxals were also injured, he said, adding that the rebels fled after the encounter. The weapons seized by the police included two SLR rifles, two 303 rifles, two 12 bore guns and one country-made pistol, he said. A chopper was sent to bring the police team back from the forest along with the bodies of the rebels, Shelar said. The bodies will be sent for postmortem, he said, adding that the deceased were yet to be identified. Another police official said that security personnel were on alert and camping in the area since the last few days in view of the?People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA- military?wing of the Maoists) week being observed by the ultras between December 2 and 8, during which the rebels step up their activities. A search operation was underway in the area, the police added. New Delhi: Huawei`s sub-brand Honor has launched the Honor 7X smartphone for Indian users. The 32GB variant of the phone comes at Rs 12,999 while the 64 GB variant has been priced at Rs 15,999. The 4GB Honor 7X will be available for purchase from December 7, noon onwards, in India via flash sales exclusively on Amazon. Honor India handle has tweeted: You are one step away from owning the Global Bestseller! Register now for the #Honor7X Flash Sale on 7th December from 12 pm onwards! #MaxYourView Amazon- https://t.co/gT93gurkmb Honor Official Store- https://t.co/elQEArw0Iu pic.twitter.com/nvaryGXzYs Honor India (@HiHonorIndia) December 6, 2017 The phone is available in three colours -- black, blue and shining gold. The Honor 7X is the first smartphone to feature Honor "FullView Display", a 5.93 inch edge-to-edge, bezel-less screen design that provides good display quality and achieves a high screen-to-body ratio, meaning that users can enjoy striking images on a sleek, compact phone which comfortably fits into the palm. In addition, the bezel-less screen and dual-lens (16MP + 2MP) rear camera with large aperture and fast focusing means DSLR-level photo quality and shooting experience is at selfie lovers' fingertips. With the "Phase Detection Auto Focus" (PDAF) technology and the latest algorithms, the device enables focusing in as fast as 0.18 seconds. The Honor 7X is powered by an Octal-core Kirin 659 processor at 2.36GHz and is equipped with 4GB RAM and EMUI5.1, ensuring superb performance when multi-tasking and gaming. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat OS and charges using the older micro USB connector. A microSD card of up to 256 GB can be used to increase data storage. The phone houses 3,340mAh battery with "Ultra Power Saving Mode". With IANS Inputs PATNA: Patna's Magadh Mahila College on Tuesday banned wearing of jeans, jeggings, and patiala suits on campus and announced to introduce a dress code for the students from January 2018. As per news agency ANI, the college authorities also imposed a prohibition on the use of mobile phones in classrooms. A circular issued by the college clearly states that the use of mobile phones inside the campus is 'strictly prohibited' and the offender will be penalised with a sum of Rs 1,000. Bihar: #Patna's Magadh Mahila College administration bans jeans and Patiala suits on campus & mobile phones in classrooms. Dress code to be introduced from January 2018. pic.twitter.com/yrjAEEYQrJ ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 Defending the administrations decision, college principal Shashi Sharma said that the girls had requested for the dress code to be implemented 'as there was social disparity here'. She also claimed that the students do not have an objection to this move as they themselves asked for it. Sharma further said that the ban was necessary as the clothes worn by students were 'embarrassing'. "Muslim girls dont wear jeans so they never objected. Dresses worn by Hindu girls were embarrassing," she said. Justifying the ban on use of mobile in classrooms, she said, "Theres mobile-free zone where phones can be used, not in classrooms." She also said that the college believes in retaining the traditional values and is not prepared for modern attitudes. "Ours isnt a modern college that it can take such modernity. We think traditionally and are miles away from modernity. Itll take us 50 years to reach there," she said. A student, Laila Qazmi, also expressed support for the administration's decision saying the ban on jeans wasnt a new one and was put in place for students good. Qazmi, who is a part of college's student union said, "Ban on jeans is an old rule. Phones in classrooms were always prohibited. Girls never objected to dress code, in fact they requested for it in first place. Uniformity will remove differences among girls. Phones can be used in mobile free zones." PATNA: In a shocking incident, a school employee allegedly tried to molest an eight-year-old girl student in the premises of the school in Bihar's Patna. As per reports, the incident took place when the accused, employed as a sweeper, tried to sexually molest the girl while she had gone to the toilet of the school. The police arrested the accused after the girl, upon returning to her classroom, narrated the entire incident to her classmate, who later told the episode to her class teacher. Many parents and people from the nearby area reached the spot and gheraoed the school. A report said that during the protest, the school manager and guards allegedly tried to scare them away with guns. Many alleged that school administration also pressurised them to withdraw the case. Meanwhile, police said that the matter is being investigated and that action will be taken against the culprit. Mumbai: Former censor board chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani says the film industry needs to be united in its fight to avoid becoming a victim of politics. Expressing sympathy for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his movie "Padmavati", Nihalani said: "Full sympathy to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and full concern for the industry because it is not just about 'Padmavati'. "Any movie can face this kind of a trap of the politicians, politics and different parties. So, I think it is a very sad thing and the industry should combine and decide. Today it is 'Padmavati', tomorrow any movie can become like this, so we should not be a victim of politics." Nihalani spoke at the unveiling of the Society magazine cover -- which features him -- here on Wednesday. He also blamed the "lack of unity" in the film industry for the lack of solutions when controversies as the one faced by "Padmavati" emerge. The movie has been in news as Hindu groups backed by the BJP have been opposing its release over alleged distortion of facts. Nihalani, who presented the movie "Julie 2" recently, also spoke on issues such as nepotism and the casting couch. He said nepotism is very much prevalent in Bollywood. "New people are not getting in and this has been going on for a while now, because there are only 4-5 groups who are signing sons or daughters of known celebrities," he said. On the casting couch, Nihalani said it can happen in any industry. As far as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is concerned, Nihalani was succeeded by writer-adman Prasoon Joshi. Asked about comparisons between them, Nihalani, who himself had a controversial tenure, said: "I am not here to compare. I did a good job, I know that. What he is going to do, you will see. I did a good job and media wrote such good praises about me. For that, I am thankful and grateful. "Now you find out how he is working and the way I was working... How many movies have released on time and how many lapsed out the date?" Amritsar: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday welcomed London Mayor Sadiq Khan's statement the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. Khan said that the British government should apologise for the massacre which left hundreds dead. The London Mayor, on his maiden visit to Amritsar, also paid tributes to those who died at the sprawling ground in the city. "The British government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh shootings. Some people use the word 'massacre'," Khan told the media after visiting the Jallianwala Bagh complex. "It was incredibly moving to visit Jallianwala Bagh. The tragedy in 1919 on Baisakhi is one we must never forget. It is time for the British government to finally apologize. Our thoughts are with all those who died," Khan wrote in the visitor's book after paying floral tributes at the memorial. Khan went around the Jallianwala Bagh complex and saw the Martyr's Well and the bullet marks on the walls. Reacting to his remarks, Singh tweeted, "Im sure that such an act would, to some extent, assuage the wounds of Indians who suffered the turmoil of the struggle for independence." I welcome London Mayor @SadiqKhan reported statement that UK government should apologize for Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Im sure that such an act would, to some extent, assuage the wounds of Indians who suffered the turmoil of the struggle for independence. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) December 6, 2017 Khan, who was on a three-city tour of India, visiting Mumbai, New Delhi and Amritsar, later crossed over to Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah land border. Poignant visit to the Jallianwala Bagh memorial and gardens in Amritsar today, where I paid my respects to all those who lost their lives in the horrific Jallianwala Bagh tragedy in 1919. pic.twitter.com/sizGmRvpnt December 6, 2017 Honour to visit the most sacred place in the world for the Sikh faith - the beautiful Golden Temple here in Amritsar, India. pic.twitter.com/VDuuoo0lwH Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) December 6, 2017 Hundreds of Indians, including women, children and the aged, were shot dead by British troops led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer on April 13, 1919. The victims had no place to escape as the only narrow entrance was blocked by the troops. Colonial-era records put the death toll at around 400, while leaders of the country's freedom movement said over 1,000 were killed. Though British monarch Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip visited the Jallianwala Bagh in October 1997, no apology for the massacre was offered. Former British PM David Cameroon visited Jallianwala Bagh in February 2013 and offered regrets over the killings, stopping short of a formal apology. (With IANS inputs) By PTI: Thane, Dec 5 (PTI) The Navi Mumbai police has arrested 11 persons, including a woman, in connection with the alleged robbery at Juinagar branch of Bank of Baroda, in which the accused had allegedly entered by digging a tunnel and decamped with valuables worth Rs 3.43 crore by breaking open 30 lockers, a top police official said. While eight of the accused were arrested from Mumbai, two others were held from Panchla in West Bengal and Allahabad. A jeweller, whom the accused sold the stolen valuables, was arrested from Malegaon in Nashik. advertisement Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said in a press conference that the police have so far recovered stolen valuables worth Rs 1.51 crore, which include gold jewellery weighing 5.5 kg, silver jewellery of 412 grams and cash worth Rs 12.19 lakh. Four cars collectively worth Rs 24 lakh were also seized from them. "It was between November 10 and 13, the accused drilled an underground tunnel and sneaked into the strongroom of the bank and decamped with the valuables by breaking open the lockers," he said. Following the incident, the police had formed ten teams to nab the accused. The accused identified as Shravan Krishna Hegde (24), Momim Amin Khan (24), Aanjan alias Ranjan Ananat Mohanti (43), Hajid Ali Sabdar Ali Mirza Baig alias Abbu alias Langda (45), Sahnajbi Moiddin Shaikh (33) and Kamelsh Varma (35), were arrested from Mumbai on different days. Jumman Ali Abdul Samad Shaikh (40) and Mehrunnisa Shadab Sayyad alias Soniya (45), who is Hajid Alis sister, were also arrested from the metropolis, Nagrale said. Besides, the police arrested Moiddin Abdul Sirajmiya Shaikh (34) from Panchla in West Bengal; jeweller Rajendra Wagh (52) from Malegaon in Nashik and Shubham Nishad (20) from Allahabad railway station. Police are on the lookout for four more persons involved in the crime. "There are a number of cases registered against the five arrested accused- Ali Mirza Baig, Hegde, Momin Khan, Mohanti, Moiddin Shaikh with different police stations, including Palghar, Mumbai, Pune, Dhule, Nagpur, Amravati, Silvassa, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and Vadodara. The offences are related to house break-in, theft, robbery, dacoity, attempt to dacoity, among others," Nagrale said. According to police, Gona Bachchan Prasad alias Bhavansingh from Daulatpura from Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, who had taken the neighbouring grocery shop on rent from where the tunnel was dug into the bank, had died on August 4 in Udaipur, even before the heist was carried out by the gang members. "The gang members had made use of China-made walkie talkie, hammer machine, drilling machine, grinder, cutting machines, screw drivers, hexa blades and other instruments to dig the tunnel and enter the strong room," he said. advertisement The police are presently examining possibility of slapping the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against those arrested, police said. Further investigation is on. PTI COR NP --- ENDS --- Amritsar: London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday the British government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. Khan, who arrived in Amritsar on Tuesday, paid tributes to martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre here on Wednesday. "The British government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh shootings. Some people use the word massacre," Khan told the media after visiting the Jallianwala Bagh complex. Hundreds of innocent Indians, including women, children and old people, were shot dead by the British troops led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer on April 13, 1919. The victims had no place to escape as the only narrow entrance was blocked by the troops. Colonial era records had put the death toll at around 400, while leaders of the country`s freedom movement had put it at over 1,000. Though British monarch, Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip, had visited the Jallianwala Bagh in October 1997, no apology for the massacre was offered. British Prime Minister David Cameroon visited Jallianwala Bagh in February 2013 and offered regrets over the killings, stopping short of a formal apology. Khan, later on Wednesday, visited the Golden Temple complex, where the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, is located and offered prayers. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) gave Khan a `siropa` (robe of honour) during the visit. Khan also visited the Langar hall, the largest community kitchen in the world, of the shrine complex and partook langar while sitting on the floor. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and others met Khan at a dinner hosted for him. Khan, who was on a three-city tour of India, visiting Mumbai, New Delhi and Amritsar, later crossed over into Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah joint check post land border between India and Pakistan, about 30 km from here. The London Mayor, who is of Pakistani-origin, will also visit Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad in Pakistan. SHIMLA: Two policemen were suspended after three undertrials, charged with rape and murder cases, escaped from the Model Central Jail in Kanda, 15 km from here, in the wee hours on Wednesday, police said. The incident came to notice of the jail authorities in the morning at 4.15 am, a police official said. The jail Superintendent lodged a complaint in Boileauganj police station that three prisoners - Lila Dhar Kharak (22), Pratap Singh (27) and Prem Bahadur (22) - all hailing from Nepal, broke the jail and escaped. During preliminary investigations, it was found that the inmates managed to escape due to the negligence of the two sentries on the night duty and both have been suspended, jail authorities said. An inquiry has been ordered into the matter, Director General of Police (DGP) Somesh Goyal said. The prisoners reportedly cut the bars of the cell with a blade, climbed the outer wall with the help of pipes and jumped out of the jail. Goyal said that the photographs of the prisoners have been flashed, borders have been sealed and frantic search operations are on to nab the prisoners. Kharak is an accused in a murder case, Singh has been charged with rape of a minor while Bahadur was under arrest in rape cases registered in Rampur, Goyal said. COIMBATORE: More than 1,200 activists of various outfits were arrested here on Wednesday when they attempted to stage demonstrations on the Babri Masjid demolition issue, police said. About 900 activists of some outfits, led by Hindu Munnani, attempted to stage a demonstration here but police removed and arrested them. Demonstrations were held near South Taluk office by Tamil Nadu Muslim Munetra Kazhakam and at Attupalm in Ukkadam by SDPI, police said. Meanwhile, about 300 workers of Manitaneya Jannayaka Katchi were arrested, when they attempted to stage a rail roko at the railway station. Ayodhya: Massive security arrangements have been put in place in the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal plan to observe 'Shaurya Diwas' (Day of Valour) while Muslim organisations plan 'Yaum e Gham' (Day of sorrow) to mark 25 years of Babri Masjid demolition. The VHP has given a call for grand celebrations on Tuesday to commemorate the silver jubilee of the demolition. Its associated organisation, the Bajrang Dal, will celebrate December 6 as 'Shaurya Diwas' and 'Vijay Diwas' (Victory Day) and have also issued appeal to people of Ayodhya - Faizabad to lit up their homes with lamps. Some Muslim organisations in Ayodhya - Faizabad will observe December 6 as "Yaum E Gham". A functionary of the Indian Union Muslim League said they will observe this day as Black Day. The Centre, meanwhile, has asked all the states to remain cautious and ensure peace, so that no incident of communal tension is reported from anywhere in the country. The Supreme Court began its final hearing in the centuries-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute on Tuesday, December 5. The apex court on Tuesday ruled that the hearing will commence on February 8, 2018 on a batch of petitions challenging a 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suit that had divided the disputed Babri Masjid site between the Nirmohi Akhara, Lord Ram deity and the Sunni Waqf board. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer directed that all the advocates on record will work in harmony and ensure that all documents are filed, if not already filed. The mosque originally dates back to 1528. It was built in Ayodhya by Mir Baqi a commander of Mughal emperor Babur from where it gets the name Babri Masjid. However, a report by the Archaeological Survey of India suggested the existence of a 10th-century temple at the site. The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 ordered a three-way division of the disputed land which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. Amreli: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday termed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's visit to temples as 'hypocrisy'. He also said that the true character of the party was revealed the way one of its leaders pitched to extend the dates of the Ayodhya matter hearing. "The character of Rahul Gandhi and Congress has once again been revealed in front of the people. On one hand, he is visiting all the temples in Gujarat and trying to misguide the Hindus and on the other hand another, a Congress leader is trying to extend the hearing date of the Ayodhya dispute hearing," Adityanath told ANI. "This proves that his visit to temple is nothing else other than hypocrisy," he added. This comes a day after Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal asked the top court for a July 2019 date for the next hearing of the long-standing Ayodhya matter, citing political ramifications owing to the general elections in 2019. Meanwhile, UP Sunni Waqf Board, a party to the case, said it was against such a move and wanted the matter to be disposed of "promptly". Sibal, an eminent lawyer, also came under stinging attack from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on the campaign trail in Gujarat on Wednesday, for his attempt to link the legal tangle to the next general elections, wondering if such an issue should be kept unresolved for political gains and losses. Under attack, Sibal claimed he did not represent the Sunni Waqf Board in the Ayodhya case in the Supreme Court, and mounted a counteroffensive against Modi, saying he should have checked the facts before criticising him. The Waqf Board said it wanted speedy justice in the case and was not in favour of deferment. It said it had not issued any instruction to Sibal to seek shifting of hearing till after the general elections. The Supreme Court had on Tuesday rejected the submission of the Sunni Waqf Board and some other Muslim organisations party to the case that the hearing of appeals in the sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute be conducted in July 2019 after the general elections and fixed February 8 to hear them. In the order, Sibal's name featured as a lawyer for the UP Sunni Waqf Board. (With ANI and PTI inputs) LUCKNOW: Their demands stonewalled for a long time by the state government, Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh have devised a new way to put pressure on the powers that be. Amid chanting of hymns and drum beating, an Aanganwadi worker from Sitapur symbolically "married" a picture of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The mock wedding, solemnised in the presence of fellow Aanganwadi workers in Sitapur late on Tuesday, saw a picture of the Chief Minister being garlanded by the coy bride. Mahila Aanganbadi Karmachari Sangh`s District President, Neetu Singh, who got "married" said that for them this was a novel way of attracting the attention of the state government. "Through this marriage, we thought around 4 lakh sisters will be benefited," she said, while informing that the Chief Minister was coming to Sitapur on Friday and that she plans to go to Lucknow with him. If our demands are still not met, I will go to meet Yogiji on a horse, she said. The woman who put a picture of Adityanath on her face and acted as the groom said she was happy to be part of the "novel nuptial". The Anganwadi workers had given a four-month ultimatum to the new Bharatiya Janata Party government to address the issues raised by them but rue that even after the passage of eight months, the state government has done nothing for them. In fact, an Anganwadi leader said that they were cane-charged brutally in the state capital once when then went to protest. Kolkata: Amid massive protests by guardians of students over the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl in the school, the GD Birla Centre for Education here on Wednesday "relieved the school's principal of her duties" and announced that the classes would resume from Thursday, a guardians' forum member said. The announcement came after a long meeting between the school authorities, the guardians' forum, senior officers of Kolkata Police, members of the state Child Rights Commission and other stakeholders on Wednesday evening. "The school authorities informed the guardians that the present Principal of the school has been relieved of her duties and responsibilities with immediate effect. The existing Vice Principals would run the schools from now on," the member read out from a written document. "They (school authority) informed that the 'removal' is a legal term and requires due process. The school will reopen from December 7," she said. A section of the guardians were demanding ouster of the Principal for allegedly trying to cover up the issue of sexual assault and indirectly supporting the accused instead of taking action against them. The members of guardians' forum also said that the school had agreed to form a body of the guardians with representatives from all the classes. The forum said it would hold regular meetings with the school authorities to discuss the betterment of the school. "Several of our suggested measures, including no male teachers in the senior and junior sections, installation of CCTV cameras, posting of female attendants in the school and its buses and separate toilets for boys and girls have been taken note of by the school management," it said. Terming the outcome of the meeting as a "moral victory", Chairman of West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBSCPCR) Ananya Chakraborty said it could be achieved through sheer dedication of the guardians. The south Kolkata-based high-profile school has seen continuous protests since the alleged sexual assault on the small girl inside a school washroom by two physical training teachers on December 1. The two accused have already been arrested and remanded to police custody till December 15, while the Principal and four other teaching and non-teaching stuff have been interrogated by the Kolkata Police's women grievance cell till now. BANGUI: Violence near the northern border of Central African Republican has forced thousands of people to flock to the tiny town of Paoua, the Red Cross said Wednesday. About 11,000 people have found refuge in the northwestern townlet since fighting between various armed groups intensified last month near CAR's northern border with Chad, said spokeswoman Sylvie Pellet. "Many surrounding villages have been emptied" and the displaced have found shelter with families or at the health centre, Pellet said. Before these recent clashes, the situation in the area was "relatively calm," she added. Mired in poverty but rich in minerals, the former French colony has been battered by a three-year conflict between rival militias that began after then-president Francois Bozize was overthrown. Thousands of people have been killed in the fighting. According to the UN, more than a million people have fled their homes and 2.4 million people -- more than half of the Central African population -- are in need of emergency food aid. The country has seen an upsurge in violence since France shut down its Sangaris mission there last year, but the UN Security Council agreed in November to extend a peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, for a year and beef up the mission with 900 extra troops. MOSUL: A car bomb Wednesday caused deaths in a Kurdish area of Iraq`s northern Nineveh province, home to Kurds from Turkey who moved there three decades ago, a party official said. "A car bomb exploded around 7:30 pm (1630 GMT) in the Shahid Rustum camp, two kilometres (one mile) east of the town of Makhmur, killing and wounding people," the official from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said. NEW DELHI: Pakistan's honeymoon bubble seems to have burst over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Criticism and questions over the terms of the project have gained strength. China will now need to effectively handle the public perception of CPEC, or face serious credibility issues for all of President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). CPEC is presently the only operational part of the vast One Belt One Road (OBOR) connectivity project, which has been rebranded as the Belt and Road Initiative. China will now have to read carefully to ensure that Pakistani public opinion does not turn against CPEC. It is the only operational part of BRI. Any strains for CPEC are bound to have wide repercussions for China's attempts in other countries. Beijing will now not only have to hedge on its own investments on CPEC, but also keep an eye on Pakistan's shaky economy. That means the task is not only one of financial muscle, but also one of perception management. That's a soft power game that China struggles with. China has however chosen to take a tougher line with Pakistan instead. Chinese officials had told Pakistan that they had decided to stop funding for three road projects under CPEC. They said the funding would resume after Beijing issues 'new procedures' for the approval of funding. They also said corruption in CPEC projects was a concern. This had left Pakistani officials stunned. Speculation that this announcement could be retribution arose, considering it came close on the heels of Pakistan's denial of two proposals from the Chinese. Pakistan first refused Chinese CPEC funding for the proposed Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The refusal had come over the terms proposed by China, which the Pakistani officials found 'unacceptable'. Then came Pakistan's denial of a Chinese request to allow trade in yuan at the Gwadar Port. Earlier, in October 2016, Pakistani senators had expressed concern that CPEC could become 'another East India Company'. What should give Chinese officials further worry is Pakistan's worsening fiscal deficit. Islamabad is hurtling towards a balance-of-payments crisis and an IMF loan repayment default. This would spell trouble for the Chinese as well, considering the vast body of expert opinion that has said the Belt and Road Initiative spells a debt trap for countries that accept loans from China. Apart from the financial contingencies that China might have to fall back on, it also faces a perception battle. The presence of Chinese workers along the CPEC corridor has already caused resentment locally. Perception battles can be notoriously tough, especially for China. Beijing has struggled with its soft power projection, often reacting harshly, where a softer touch might have served it better. This was on display with its sharp reaction to Australia's foreign policy white paper that characterised China as a threat. Beijing has already ramped up efforts to pressure Islamabad into addressing some of its concerns. But it may need to get more involved, and do so with a soft touch. That, going by track record, is going to be quite a task for Beijing. BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to New Delhi to attend the meeting of RIC Foreign Ministers on December 11 and hold talks with top Indian officials, his office announced on Wednesday. Wang's visit would the first high-level trip by a Chinese official to India after the Doklam standoff. The 73-day-long Dokalm standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's Chicken Neck corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by the Chinese troops in the area also claimed by Bhutan. On sidelines of Russia, India and China (RIC) Foreign Ministers meeting, he will hold talks with top Indian officials, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. The 15th RIC meeting will be held in New Delhi India on December 11. "According to our information, Wang will meet with the top officials of India and detailed information will be released in due course," Geng said. During the RIC meeting, the three foreign ministers will exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern and deepen trilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said. "We believe under the joint efforts of the three parties, this meeting will achieve expected outcomes," he said. Media reports previously said the RIC meeting was planned for April this year but Wang did not confirm dates in the backdrop of China's protests over the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh in the same month. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. Wang's visit to Delhi is regarded significant as it would set tone for President Xi Jinping's policy approach to India in his second term as the head of the ruling Communist Party of China. A friend in need is a friend indeed and it is perhaps why China has all but displaced United States and Pakistan's firm ally. For several years, Pakistan has banked on aid from the US but in recent times, it is China that has become closer courtesy financial investments and military assistance. While there may not be any free lunches in this world, Pakistan continues to almost rever China - a fact underlined by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday when he said the focus of Pakistan's foreign policy must shift away from the US and onto China. He also added that relations with Russia deserve renewed attention. "China lives next to us and we have a common wall. Russia can also be our good friend," he said. Citing the US war in Afghanistan has taken a big toll on Pakistan, Asif said stability in the region is key to prosperity. "We want peace in Afghanistan. The Afghan war was a liability for Pakistan. We are still suffering very badly from the Afghan war. We are trying to manage the situation and to turn the debris into hope." While Pakistan's geographical location has long been considered of strategic importance to the US in its war on terror in Afghanistan, the Donald Trump administration has also admonished Pakistan for not doing enough to crack down on terrorism. Former US President Barack Obama said in New Delhi recently that Pakistan may not have been aware that al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was hiding inside its territory - something which still raises questions on Pakistan's ability to identify and tackle terrorists at home. Relations with China are not necessarily seen through the prism of terrorism and the fight against it. While China is indeed assisting Pakistan's armed forces courtesy war exercises, joint-ventures in manufacturing fighter jets like JF-17 Thunder multi-role combat aircraft etc, ties are more about economic in nature courtesy the much-hyped China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In an ever-changing world, there may - however - be no permanent friends. The Dawn reported on Monday that Beijing had stopped funding three CPEC projects over allegations of corruption. Security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan continues to be of grave concern while export of radicals Islamists to China is recognised as a potential threat. As such, even as the international community largely continues to see Pakistan as a state in turmoil, the hand of a powerful member of the UN Security Council member may be a temporary support at best. Jerusalem: Jerusalem is once again stirring powerful emotions around the world with US President Donald Trump set to recognise the city as Israel`s capital. Here are five things to know about the divided city: Israel seized control of Palestinian east Jerusalem from Jordan during a 1967 war and later annexed it. The move was never recognised by the international community but Israel declared the city its undivided capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. No countries have accepted Israeli sovereignty and have their embassies in the commercial capital Tel Aviv instead. The city`s eastern sector contains some of the sites holiest to Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Jerusalem`s population is divided not only between Israeli Jews and Palestinians, but also within the Jewish population, with over a third of the city`s 542,000 adult Jewish residents defining themselves as ultra-Orthodox, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The ultra-Orthodox are the fastest growing segment in the city, with over two-thirds of elementary school children enrolled in their schools in Jerusalem. Palestinians in Jerusalem have Israeli residency and access to services. Most Palestinians do not partake in municipal elections and cannot vote in parliamentary elections. NGOs in support of them denounce what they describe as the unequal distribution of resources and services in east and west Jerusalem. Alongside the religious sites, institutions and people, Jerusalem is host to Israel`s top higher education facility, the Hebrew University, whose founding fathers include Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Sam Spiegel Film and Television School and Nissan Nativ acting studio are some of the institutions that draw Israel`s most talented artists. The Palestinian National Theatre is among the rare Palestinian institutions located in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities do not allow the Palestinian Authority to operate in the city. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 78 percent of the three million tourists who entered Israel in 2016 visited Jerusalem. The most popular destinations were the Western Wall along with the Christian holy sites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Via Dolorosa, all in the walled Old City. Other popular tourist sites are Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum, home to a collection of nearly 500,000 objects of art and archaeology, ancient and modern, including the Dead Sea Scrolls which date back more than two millennia and include some of the earliest texts from the Bible. Muslim pilgrims visit the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third-holiest site in Islam. The compound is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, their holiest site. Jerusalem is one of the few cities worldwide to have a psychiatric condition named after it. The rare condition affects tourists who come to visit holy sites of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and suddenly find themselves overwhelmed by it all, believing themselves to be characters from the Bible, Dr. Grigory Katz, a psychiatrist at Jerusalem`s Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center and an expert on the syndrome, has said. The syndrome is rare, but when it strikes, it usually affects Protestant pilgrims from small-town America or Scandinavia raised in pious families whose trip to the Holy Land may be their first ever abroad. Many of those afflicted by the condition become convinced they are Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary or some other character from the Bible, but symptoms don`t tend to last long, and medication can help bring patients back to "normalcy" within days. Once upon a time, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was projected as the ultimate example of how two countries can collaborate on infra projects. That time may have passed with reports from Pakistan suggesting brewing trouble. Established in 2013, CPEC intends to fast-track growth of Pakistan's infrastructure through a number of measures including heavily-subsidised loans from China. In return, China intends to cut trading time by primarily making use of Gwadar Port in south-west Pakistan. Other roads and highways - as part of CPEC - too aims to bring Pakistani cities closer to Chinese trading hubs. But the proverbial honeymoon period may well be over. On Monday, Beijing informed that it has decided to stop funding three road projects that are part of the much-touted corridor. While some suspect China is displeased with reports of corruption in CPEC projects, Pakistani media said China wants to wait for new procedural guidelines before releasing funds. In either case, it points to a possible discord between the two countries. And the same possible discord has been simmering for some time now. An editorial in Pakistan's Dawn on Wednesday reflected on the several points on which the two countries have had divergent views. While it said, referring to on-ground indications, that the Diamer-Bhasha dam project may well have been scrapped, a Peshawar-Karachi railway project too has suffered delay. While the dam project, it is reported, hit a roadblock due to demands made by Chinese that Pakistan did not agree too, the railway network is delayed due to delay in getting cost estimates. In both cases, and again, a possible discord cannot be ruled out in a project that may have begun in top gear but one that has now shifted down its pace. KABUL: Terror outfit Taliban has dubbed the reports of Al-Qaeda's top leader's death a 'propaganda'. Taliban's spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid issued a statement terming the killing of the militants in a US-Afghan joint operation in three Afghan provinces Zabul, Ghazni, and Paktia propaganda. "No foreign or local militants were killed during the operations in the three provinces as claimed by the security institutions," reported Khaama Press, citing Mujahid as saying in a statement. It was earlier reported that 80 militants, including terror outfit Al-Qaeda`s top leader, have been killed in the joint operation on Monday. Khaama Press had reported that Afghan`s Intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) identified the gunned down senior Al-Qaeda leader as Omar Khetab, who was also famous as Omar Mansoor. PESHAWAR: Two top commanders of the Taliban were killed on Wednesday by Pakistani security forces during a raid in the country's restive northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the security forces and the police carried out the raid in Swat's Charbagh area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, they said. The militants, top commanders of the outlawed Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), opened fire after which the security forces killed them. Both the militants were wanted by the police in cases of targeted killings and terror attacks, the police said. "The militants were being traced for their previous involvement in terrorist activities in Malakand division," the army said in a statement. Two facilitators of the militants were also apprehended during the operation. According to the security forces, the militants were in contact with the TTP leaders in Afghanistan. BEIRUT: The U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem is a sign of its incompetence and failure, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday, according to his personal website. US President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Wednesday that the United States recognises Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and will move its embassy there, breaking with longtime U.S. policy and potentially stirring unrest. "That they claim they want to announce Quds as the capital of occupied Palestine is because of their incompetence and failure," Khamenei said, using the Arabic name for Jerusalem. WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the killing of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh would, in the short term, likely worsen an already dire humanitarian situation in the country. Saleh was killed in a roadside attack on Monday after switching sides in Yemen`s civil war, abandoning his Iran-aligned Houthi allies in favour of a Saudi-led coalition. Coupled with a Saudi-led blockade and internal clashes, the stalemate has contributed to a human catastrophe. Some 7 million people are on the brink of famine, while one million are suspected to be infected with cholera. Mattis, speaking with reporters on a military aircraft en route to Washington after a brief trip to parts of the Middle East and South Asia, said it was too early to say what impact the killing would have on the war. He said it could either push the conflict towards U.N. peace negotiations or make it an "even more vicious war." "(But)one thing I think I can say with a lot of concern and probably likelihood is that the situation for the innocent people there, the humanitarian side, is most likely to (get) worse in the short term," Mattis said. He did not explain his reasoning. The war has already killed more than 10,000 and displaced millions. "So this is where we`ve all got to roll up our sleeves. Now, what are you going to do about medicine and food and clean water and cholera," Mattis said. "I think there has got to be a lot more focus on the humanitarian side right now." Analysts said Saleh`s death would be a huge moral boost for the Houthis and a serious blow to the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in the conflict to try to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia and its allies receive logistical and intelligence help from the United States. Mattis said he did not believe the U.S. military would play a role in easing the humanitarian situation. A 75-year-old man from Kerala's Kannur was arrested for lying about his own death and getting it published in the leading newspapers. By India Today Web Desk: Finding your obituary published in leading newspapers is not something many would celebrate. Unless you wanted it to be there. Joseph Melukunnel, a 75-year-old man from Thaliparambu in Kerala's Kannur, wanted that and got his obituary published in leading Malayalam newspapers last week. He then went missing. Joseph fooled the editors at different newspapers by giving them a photo of himself clicked when he was younger, and said it was his elder brother who had died. advertisement After providing the details of his own death to newspapers, Joseph absconded. The newspapers that came out the following day said that Joseph Melukunnel died while undergoing a treatment at the regional Cancer Center in Thiruvananthipuram. The obituary mentioned that his last rites would be conducted on December 1 in Thiruvananthapuram. It was Joseph's wife who foiled his plans, whatever those were. She saw the obituary and registered a case saying Joseph is missing, and denied the reports of his death. She also told the police that Joseph was suffering from cancer. Joseph went to a cooperative bank in Kottayam on December 4 and told the bank officials that he had some ornaments, cash, and ATM card that he recovered from the body of a relative. It was the bank officials who helped the police to locate Joseph. The police located Joseph at a hotel in Kottayam. On inquiring, the police said that Joseph had visited a bank as he wanted to send money and some gold ornaments to his wife. "We don't know why he (Joseph) published news of his death. According to his wife, he is a cancer patient. We will bring him to Kannur and produce him before the magistrate. We have to find out why he did this," said PK Sudhakaran, circle inspector of Thaliparambu police station. It's being speculated that Joseph decided to walk out of his house as he did not want to be a burden to his family. However, the police has still not confirmed the actual reason behind Joseph's strange act of getting his own obituary published. --- ENDS --- Additional District and Sessions Court judge in Jaipur announced life imprisonment the punishment for the eight LeT terrorists. By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Additional District and Sessions Court Judge in Jaipur today announced life imprisonment as the punishment for the eight Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. The eight had earlier been held guilty of planning to carry out terrorist activities in India. The eight were convicted under sections 13, 18, 18 B and 23. Apart from life imprisonment, a fine of 2 - 3 lakh Rupees was also imposed on the convicts. advertisement They were taken to Jaipur Jail from the court in Jaipur. "They used to talk in coded language. They used to say, 'Will make a movie of Bal Thackeray, will make a movie of Praveen Togadia," said Mahaveer Jindal, Special Public Prosecutor, Rajasthan ATS. Rajasthan ATS had arrested them after being alerted by intelligence agencies. The arrests followed agencies' interception of telephonic conversations between the LeT terrorists and their Lashkar commander based in Pakistan. The eight were lodged in different Indian jails. Out of the eight terrorists held guilty today, three are from Pakistan. Their names are: Asgar Ali, Shahid Iqbal and Shakkar Ulla. They were lodged in different jails in India. The other five convicts are Indians. Their names are: Pawan Puri, Arun Jain, Babu alias Nishachand Ali, Kabil and Hafiz Abdul. The eight convicts were arrested by Rajasthan ATS in 2010 and 2011. --- ENDS --- Progress on a potential China-Canada trade agreement appears to slowly be inching forward, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying a deal with China is a big thing and that Canadians understand how vital it is to get it right. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, agreed to continue exploratory discussions towards a comprehensive trade agreement. Trudeau, who is in China from Dec. 3-7, announced on Monday new joint partnerships with China after concluding the second Annual Leaders Dialogue with Li. Although the two countries have been in talks through Monday on whether to launch full negotiations on a trade deal, they did not reach an agreement, a Canadian government official said, according to a report from Bloomberg. However, talks are ongoing and full negotiations could still launch before Trudeaus trip ends Thursday, the official staid. Moving forward on a trade agreement with China is a big thing, not a small thing, Trudeau said in a speech in China this week. Canadians understand how important it is to get it right, and we are ensuring that in the progress we made today in discussions, we are going to be able to continue to keep moving forward in a responsible way. China is Canadas second largest trading partner, and Canadas merchandise exports to China reached nearly $21 billion in 2016, up 4 percent year-over-year, with top exports being forest and agricultural products, copper and iron ores, and motor vehicles, according to a press release issued by Trudeaus office. Canada and China this week committed to fully implementing the 2016 agreement to expand market access for Canadian frozen bone-in beef, along with Chinese filled grain products, and also agreed to launch a pilot project for the export of Canadian chilled beef and pork. While in Beijing, Premier Li and I had discussions on a range of issues, from growing trade and investment, to combating climate change, to the importance of free expression, Trudeau said. I look forward to continuing discussions towards a comprehensive trade agreement, which will open up greater opportunities for people on both sides of the Pacific. The news comes in the wake of the fifth round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation talks between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, which were held in Mexico City from Nov. 21-26, being rather uneventful. Following the round, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said he remained concerned about the lack of headway made. Thus far, we have seen no evidence that Canada or Mexico are willing to seriously engage on provisions that will lead to a rebalanced agreement, Lighthizer said. Absent of rebalancing, we will not reach a satisfactory result. Just this Monday, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) applauded a bipartisan group of state governors who are calling on NAFTA negotiators to raise the de minimis levels in NAFTA renegotiations. Ahead of intersessional meetings on NAFTA that will be held in Washington, D.C. in mid-December, the governors sent a letter on Nov. 21 to U.S. and Canadian negotiators, highlighting how raising the de minimis levels would cut red tape at borders that often slow deliveries and increase costs. Low and outdated de minimis and informal clearance levels are hindering the flow of low-value shipments coming from U.S. exporters to consumers in Mexico and Canada, while, at the same time, Mexican and Canadian exporters benefit from state of the art customs procedures and a de minimis threshold of $800 in the United States, the NFTC said Monday. Although inter-sessional meetings are being held this month, the next formal round of NAFTA renegotiations is not scheduled until Jan. 23-28 in Montreal, Canada. Xeneta forms NVO commercial team; Anacostia Rail Holdings announces marketing and sales appointments; Mohawk Global Logistics names general manager of its Cleveland branch; and the Virginia Maritime Association elects new officers and directors. Source: Pressmaster/Shutterstock Xeneta forms NVO commercial team; Anacostia Rail Holdings announces marketing and sales appointments;Mohawk Global Logistics names general manager of its Cleveland branch;and the Virginia Maritime Association elects new officers and directors. Norway-based ocean freight rate benchmarking platform Xeneta has hired three shipping industry experts Paul Mullins, Ronald Plevier and Jocelyn Hansen to form its NVO commercial team, effective immediately, the company said. Mullins, who has joined Xeneta as head of NVO, previously spent two years at INTTRA as senior vice president, global sales. Prior to joining INTTRA, Mullins worked at Agility, where he was responsible for global business development. Earlier, he held various positions at DHL, including senior vice president, technology sector division, along with VP multinational customers, Europe. Plevier, who has joined Xeneta as director of business development, most recently worked at INTTRA as regional sales director in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Before that, Plevier worked at TESISQUARE and Kewill (now BluJay). He began his career within the forwarding and transportation industry working in various operational, global sales and management positions with DHL, Geodis and Ewals Cargo Care. Plevier has more than 20 years of international experience in sales and people management in both the forwarding and logistics industry, as well as in the IT solutions industry. Hansen, who has joined Xeneta as director of business development out of Copenhagen, Denmark, most recently worked at INTTRA as global relationship director, account management. For the last 16 years, she has had an extensive ocean shipping career with INTTRA in various roles across Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Chicago-based Anacostia Rail Holdings, which owns and operates freight railroads in the United States, announced marketing and sales appointments at two of its railroad affiliates Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC) and the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS). Anacostia has appointed Kathleen Sackett to serve as director of marketing and sales for LIRC in Jeffersonville, Ind., effective Dec. 4. Sackett joined LIRC from Watcos Wisconsin & Southern Railroad. She started working for Wisconsin & Southern Railroad back in 2008 as director of sales and marketing, and was named director of commercial in 2017. In addition, Anacostia hired Matthew Coduti on Nov. 20 to serve as manager of marketing and sales at CSS in Michigan City, Ind. Coduti most recently worked at ArcelorMittal, the worlds largest steel and mining company. He started working at ArcelorMittal in 2012 as an associate analyst, and later advanced to project analyst and purchasing specialist. In 2017, he was promoted to planner, marine and raw material logistics. Mohawk Global Logistics, a freight forwarder and customers broker headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., has promoted Nate Holsing to serve as general manager of its Cleveland branch, succeeding Kenton Grimes, who has been promoted to business development manager. Holsings previous experience includes working for Mohawk as import manager at the companys Syracuse office, as well as for several top freight forwarders, where he managed teams that supported the importing activities of various Fortune 500 companies. The Virginia Maritime Association, which represents over 450 companies that employ over 70,000 Virginians, has elected new officers and directors on Monday at its annual business meeting. Armed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials can now pre-inspect cargo in Mexico before it crosses the border, and Mexican customs officials have a reciprocal agreement for designated stations in the United States for cargo inspections. A six-month pilot program between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexicos SAT was launched last month. A six-month pilot program that allows the pre-inspection of U.S.-bound cargo in Mexico by U.S. customs officials has launched after six years of negotiations, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson has confirmed. The program, therefore also allows Mexican customs officials to work on the U.S. side of the border to inspect goods headed for Mexico, is intended to speed up the movement of cross-border goods. CBP is currently testing the feasibility of a cargo pre-inspection program with Mexicos Tax Administration Service (SAT), said CBP spokesperson Roger Maier. According to Maier, the program is designed to facilitate the movement of legitimate trade and reduce congestion at ports of entry and is a customs process where the examination of participating goods and conveyances is performed at specially designed and designated customs facilities in the exporting country. The program has been kept relatively quiet and had a soft opening at three ports of entry on Nov . 13, without media coverage, due to the sensitivity of the program, Maier said. One issue that stalled progress for years was Mexicos unwillingness to allow armed U.S. Customs agents to work in Mexico. The three ports that are hosting the program include Otay Mesa in California, Laredo International Airport in Texas, and the Santa Teresa-San Jeronimo crossing, which is located just north of El Paso in New Mexico. U.S. Customs officials are currently inspecting computers and other electronic goods that originate from the Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn manufacturing plant south of the border from Santa Teresa. The goods then cross the boarder in semis via a special lane installed by the state of New Mexico. A reciprocal arrangement permits armed Mexican Customs agents to prescreen Mexico-bound goods at the Laredo International Airport. CBP agents are also working in Mexico at the Otay Mesa port of entry between San Diego and Tijuana to inspect agricultural goods coming into the U.S. from Baja, Mexico. Maier said that the inspection process on both sides of the border will comply with exporting and importing requirements of each country. The program also reserves the right of customs officials on both sides to examine such goods and conveyances again upon arrival into their respective territory, he said. In 2011, SAT and CBP mutually agreed to conduct cargo pre-inspection pilot programs under the Joint Declaration on 21st Century Border Management, Maier said. In 2015, the government of Mexico revised their federal firearms and explosives law, allowing foreign customs and immigration agents to carry a sidearm in certain established zones where customs and immigration-related activities are carried out. When asked about the success of the program, Maier said CBP cannot speculate on what may happen in the future or at other locations. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The passenger flow in Armenias two airports in January-November of 2017 comprised 2.347.265 people which is an increase of 21.8% compared to the same period of the previous year, the General Department of Civil Aviation told Armenpress. In November the passenger flow in the two airports comprised 193 173 people, surpassing the figure of November of 2016 by 13.1%. The passenger flow in Yerevans Zvartnots airport comprised 178 748 people in November, 2017, which is an increase of 6% compared to November, 2016. 17.7% increase in passenger flow has been registered in the Zvartnots airport in January-November, 2017 compared to the same period of 2016. The cargo transportation in January-November amounted to 20.573 tons of goods which surpassed the figure of the same period of 2016 by 29.8%. In November 2017 the passenger flow in Gyumris Shirak airport comprised 14.425 people. In January-November, 2017 the passenger flow in the Shirak airport comprised 91.497 people. Flights-landings in both airports recorded increase of 18.7% in January-November, 2017 compared to January-November, 2016. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The second session of the Parliaments four-day sitting has kicked off on December 6, Armenpress reports. 85 MPs were registered. At the beginning of the session the lawmakers will vote for the issues discussed during the previous session. During the December 5 session the Parliament discussed a number of important legislative initiatives. After the voting the MPs will continue debating the 2018 state budget draft. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. On December 6, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, to the north from Kuropatkino settlement of the Martuni region, press service of the Artsakh foreign ministry told Armenpress. From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova). From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistant to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Personal Assistant to the OSCE CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain). The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of defense. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian justice minister Davit Harutyunyan on December 6 received Jane Buchanan - Associate Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, press service of the ministry told Armenpress. The minister thanked the official for the close cooperation and talked about a number of regulations in the draft law on making changes and amendments in the Family Code of Armenia. The Human Rights Watch representative thanked for the reception and the long-term constructive cooperation with the international organization. He discussed with the minister the works aimed at finding proper legal solutions to problems of children with disabilities and special needs. At the end of the meeting the officials also discussed a number of other issues. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The ARF faction of the Armenian Parliament considers the 2018 state budget draft a document creating basis for economic development, ARF faction secretary Aghvan Vardanyan said during the parliamentary debate of the budget draft, reports Armenpress. There is a trust toward the governments reforms, and we are hopeful that the economic indicators envisaged for this year will be more and will enable to create basis which will become an opportunity to ease the social tension and raise the country to a new qualitative level, Vardanyan said. The lawmaker said the ARF presented limited proposals understanding the budget load. During this period we have discussed them with the government. We are confident that the urgent proposals relate to the bordering regions, and it will be possible to implement by the 2018 budget. Therefore, our trust continues, and we expect more serious reforms, he said. Tsarukyan and Yelk factions will vote against the 2018 state budget draft. Tsarukyan faction MP Naira Zohrabyan said she is not satisfied with the governments activity since the fight against corruption is ineffective, the steps on creating favorable conditions for investments are not enough. Yelk faction head Nikol Pashinyan also announced that they will vote against the 2018 state budget draft, explaining that the governments activity and approaches are unacceptable for them. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is organizing a tailor-made course for consultants entitled Capital markets instruments for SME finance which will be held on 6-8 December 2017 in Yerevan, reports Armenpress. The aim of the course is to provide training to the financial consultants in Armenia with relevant skills and know-how on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can access debt and equity financing instruments in the capital markets, that will allow them to diversify their source funding and attract new investments. The main topics during the training will be: introduction to capital markets; types of financial instruments available for SMEs; company valuation; debt and equity financing options; capital markets risks; key financial indicators and applications for SME growth and increasing their investment readiness. The course has been designed and organised under the framework of the EBRDs SME Local Currency Programme and funded by the Government of Japan. The Government of Japan, through its donor cooperation funding with the EBRD, supports the development of local capital markets through regulatory reforms, capacity-building programmes, development of capital markets products and educating on innovative market instruments, as well as developing the local and international institutional investor base. In Armenia, SMEs lack access to diverse financing tools for expansion and, particularly, for attracting equity financing. In this context, the Armenian SME Finance & Advice Facility (FAF) was established through an EU-EBRD collaboration to increase SMEs access to advice, to boost their investment readiness and to diversify the financing solution currently existing in Armenia through the establishment of a private equity fund. Mr.Hannes Takacs, Associate Director of the EBRD Local Currency and Capital Markets Development programme, said Many Armenian companies are unaware of the capital market funding options or of the challenges that they may face when attempting to access equity finance. This course is designed to equip the SME advisers with the knowledge and tools that they need to successfully advise Armenian companies, especially SMEs, on how to access equity and debt capital market financing. Mr.Yukihiko Ejiri, Resident Representative of JICA Georgia Office, , highlighted that The country assistance policy of Japan consists of two priority areas and one of the priorities is the improvement of institutions and infrastructure for economic growth and regional development, namely the promotion of development of SMEs. JICA successfully implemented the Project for Development of Local Production and Promotion of Local Brands from 2013-2016 and has been implementing phase 2 from 2016-2019. We hope that our cooperation continues to support Armenian SMEs effectively and that we fruitfully continue our collaboration with EBRD as one of the leading donors in the field of supporting SMEs. Hoa-Binh Adjemian, Head of Cooperation Section, Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, said EU support to SMEs is at the core of EU development cooperation with Armenia. In the last 3 years, more than 250 SMEs have received advisory services in Armenia leading to 30% average increase of their business activity, more than 30 start-ups have received seed funding, 100 SMEs have benefited from cheaper access to finance, 40 MEUR will be invested through a newly created equity finance in Armenia, and thanks to GSP+ trade scheme 6000 Armenian products can be imported in EU without customs duties. These EU4Business initiatives contribute to increase the competitiveness of SMEs and shared growth in Armenia. Petko Bahovski, lead international expert, consultant, professional trainer and founder of Bahovski Finance, who will be leading the training course, highlighted that this course is very timely: given the current state of the global financial marketswhere investors are looking for more creative ways to diversify their portfolios, investing in Armenia is more attractive than ever before. Course participants will not only be equipped with the tools and skills to help Armenian capital markets and SMEs to grow and develop, but will also get hands-on experience of what the different types of regional and international investors are considering and looking for when investing in Armenian businesses and in particular local SMEs. Since the start of its operations in Armenia in 1992, the EBRD has invested over 1.12 billion in 161 projects in the countrys financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 89 per cent of these investments being in the private sector. By PTI: (Eds: Updating with additional inputs) Gadchiroli, Dec 6 (PTI) Seven Maoists, including five women, were gunned down in an encounter with police in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district this morning, police said. "With this operation, we can say that Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli is Naxal-free," claimed Sharad Shelar, special Inspector General of Police, Anti-Naxal Operations. The skirmish took place around 6 am in a forest near Kalled village, about 15 km north of Zinganoor outpost in Sironcha tehsil of Gadchiroli, when a squad of C-60, Maharashtra polices special anti-Maoist unit, was out on anti-Naxal operation, Shelar told PTI. advertisement On a specific information, the police launched the operation against the Maoists around midnight and a team of C-60 commandos was sent to Kalled village, Shelar said. The patrolling team was cordoning off the forest patch near Kalled, which borders neighbouring Chhattisgarh, when the exchange of fire took place, he said. "Seven Maoists, including five women, were killed in the encounter while some weapons were also recovered from the spot," the official said. At least two more Naxals were also injured, he said, adding that the rebels fled after the encounter. The weapons seized by the police included two SLR rifles, two 303 rifles, two 12 bore guns and one country-made pistol, he said. A chopper was sent to bring the police team back from the forest with the bodies of rebels, Shelar said. According to Gadchiroli police, this was the most successful operation of the C-60 commando unit to date. Earlier, six Naxals had been killed in an encounter at Govindgam in 2013. The slain Naxals included Aaytu alias Ashok Kanga Pendam (38), resident of Linganpalli, Aheri, who was Dalam commander of Aheri and was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh. Sarita, who hailed from Kavendi, Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh. She was a member of Sironcha Dalam of Naxals, a police release said. Other deceased included Chandu, resident of Sironcha who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh; Shaila, resident of Bhamragadh and a member of Permili Dalam carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh; Akhila Kulmethe, resident of Kapewancha, Aheri and member of platoon no-14 of Naxals who was carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh; Sunita Kodape, resident of Sindha, belonging to Sironcha Dalam and carrying a cash reward of Rs 6 lakh. Identity of another woman Naxal was yet to be confirmed. Another police official said that security personnel were on alert and camping in the area for the last few days in view of theAPeoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA-militaryAwing of the Maoists) Week being observed by the ultras between December 2 and 8, during which the rebels step up their activities. advertisement A search operation was underway in the area, the police added. According to police, Naxals hadnt suffered so many casualties during the PLGA week till now. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and lauded the operation. "Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called the CM to appreciate this anti-Naxal and intelligence-based operation," a statement issued by the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) said. The chief minister congratulated the C-60 commandos of Maharashtra police for the "strong action" against naxalites in Gadchiroli, the statement added. PTI TKP/DC GK MM NP CLS KRK ZMN --- ENDS --- YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. During the 12th session of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Committee included the Armenian folk dance Kochari in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Armenian culture ministry told Armenpress. Earlier this year Armenias application Kochari, traditional group dance was positively assessed by the independent experts of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kochari is a traditional Armenian dance widely performed across Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora. The Armenian delegation departed for the Republic of Korea to participate in the UNESCO session. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Inspectors of the state service of food safety of Armenia are touring shopping stores in order to discover Azerbaijani-made candies, press secretary of the service Nvard Arakelyan told ARMENPRESS. A local newspaper earlier reported that a journalist has bought candy, which was expired and didnt taste OK. Upon looking at the package, the manufacturers address was written as: Shirin OJSC, B. Bunyatov Street, 17A, Baku, Azerbaijan. Arakelyan said they didnt receive any report, but went on to investigate the article, they contacted the journalist for further information. Additional information will be provided. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov received Erikas Petrikas, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Armenia on December 6. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, welcoming the Ambassador, Eduard Sharmazanov documented that Lithuania is the first country that has recognized the independence of Armenia, and the only one from the Baltic countries that has recognized the Armenian Genocide. The National Assembly Vice President highly esteemed the Armenian-Lithuanian bilateral relations and noted that in the near future he is going to visit Lithuania on an official visit. Eduard Sharmazanov touched upon the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement signed between Armenia and the EU on November 24, recording that Armenia is the only country which joins the EEU and signs such an agreement with the European Union. According to Eduard Sharmazanov, Armenia can be a reliable bridge between the EEU and EU member states. Eduard Sharmazanov referred to the issues regarding the ongoing institutional reforms, the development of democracy and the fight against corruption in Armenia. With regards to the Artsakh problem the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia noted: Artsakh has never been part of Azerbaijan, becoming independent by referendum before the collapse of the USSR. Artsakh has as much right to be independent, as Armenia and Lithuania, as it has been separated from the USSR and has declared independence on the same legal bases. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to the Armenia Erikas Petrikas congratulated Sharmazanov on the occasion of signing Armenia-EU Agreement and qualified Lithuania-Armenia relations exemplary. Mr. Petrikas noted that Armenia is the only EEU country with which Lithuania has increased the volumes of export. In the Ambassadors word, though the indices of the trade turnover are not big, both the potential and the wish to cooperate are big. Erikas Petrikas talked about the Armenian-Lithuanian achievements in the spheres of economy, culture, education and gladly stated that among the Eastern Partnership countries Lithuania attaches great place to the deepening of relations with Armenia. The Ambassador gladly touched upon the creation of the Lithuanian community in Armenia. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The N70 renovated kindergarten called Lapterik of Erebuni administrative district will host its 197 kids, reports Armenpress. First Lady Rita Sargsyan and Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan officially opened the newly renovated kindergarten. It has been renovated by the initiative and sponsorship of First Lady Rita Sargsyan. Everything was done for making the kids day a fairy tale new equipment, colorful pictures on the walls, carpets and toys. The First Lady told reporters that she is mostly happy not for the kids, but for the parents. We know that parents feel calm only when they know that their child lives in good conditions. Why I say live, since they spend most of the day in this building, she said. For the First Lady the highest appreciation is the parents satisfaction. Father of one of the kindergarten kids approached me and said: Mrs. Rita number 70 is written on our kindergarten, but I suggest it to be the number 1 since this is the best kindergarten in Yerevan, the number one kindergarten, and for me it is the highest appreciation and assessment, the First Lady said. The director of the kindergarten Gayane Hovhannisyan said the kindergarten has been established in 1989 and has never been renovated. Our kindergarten was in poor condition, I even cannot describe it, but now it turned into a fairy tale. Today this dream has been done, the kindergarten director said. The Yerevan Municipality donated 778 pieces of furniture to the kindergarten, as well as renovated the yard. Currently there are 6 groups in the kindergarten. 28 teachers work with the kids. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. 160 kindergartens of Yerevan will be renovated in the upcoming five years, Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan said during the opening ceremony of the N70 renovated kindergarten of Erebuni administrative district, reports Armenpress. The Mayor said the Yerevan Municipality and the European Investment Bank signed an agreement according to which nearly 40 kindergartens will be renovated in Yerevan during the next three years. Our remaining kindergartens will also be renovated by the Municipalitys budget and philanthropists. Our goal is to provide normal conditions for our kids and the kindergarten staff, Taron Margaryan said. The Mayor toured the newly renovated kindergarten and thanked the First Lady for the sponsorship. Our wish is for all kindergartens of Yerevan to have similar conditions. In the coming years large-scale renovation works will launch in Yerevans kindergartens and the remaining kids will have a similar kindergarten, he said. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The decision to include the tradition of Dolma making and sharing in UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage list does not assume any right to ownership or belonging. The cultural manifestations, traditions connected with the given element are included in the list. Ethnographer Svetlana Poghosyan told ARMENPRESS that the application submitted by Azerbaijan has no scientific explanation. The inclusion of Dolma making in UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage based on the application of Azerbaijan is most probably a result of the caviar policy. I have studied the application submitted by Azerbaijan, it was ungrounded and illiterate written. The application includes names of places that have no link with Azerbaijan, its obvious that an attempt is made to use the culture of other countries. As for dolma, V. V. Pokhlebkin, candidate of historical sciences, a skilled culinary specialist, said long ago that some dishes in the Azerbaijani cuisine are taken from the Armenian cuisine, including Dolma, and that these dishes entered the Azerbaijani peoples daily food list, Svetlana Poghosyan said. Today both in Armenia and the Diaspora the national knowledge and skills on preparing many traditional dishes are still viable. Each housewife in all regions of Armenia prepares different types of Dolma without any concrete instructions. As a traditional dish Dolma is served in all Armenian restaurants. Annual Dolma festival is being held in Armenia during which individuals and organizations present traditional examples of Dolma. Here we need to think about seriously. I think we are weakening in this field. Its necessary to conduct a serious work in the cultural field, she said. Dolma making and sharing tradition has been included in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by the application of Azerbaijan. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Syria is fully liberated from terrorists, all units of the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been destroyed, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, Chief of Russias General Staff, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, said at an annual briefing for foreign defense attaches on Wednesday. "All ISIL [former name of IS - TASS] units in Syria have been destroyed, and the territory has been liberated," he said, adding that Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had informed President Putin about that. "Today the advancing units of Brigadier General Hassan Sukhel and the 5th Volunteer Assault Corps routed the remaining illegal armed forces (in the Deir ez-Zor province - TASS) and, having liberated the inhabited communities of Al-Salihiyah, Al-Khreita, al-Katia and Musalaha, merged with the government troops advancing from the south. Thus, there are no territories controlled by ISIL in Syria today," Gerasimov concluded. On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the last Islamic State enclave in eastern Syria diminished to an area of 7 to 10 kilometers. LOS ANGELESThe Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) acknowledges that the adult film performer community is not without disagreement, division, and differences. Every performer has a unique approach to their boundaries, limitations, and risk management. APAC will always stand on the side of bodily autonomy and safety, but also on the side of communication, education, and community. Due to the public nature of working in this industry, adult film performers are often bombarded with online and in-real-life hostility from those in and outside of the industry. Being an adult film performer is unfortunately accompanied by stigma that often exacerbates independent struggles, feelings of otherness, and marginalization. APAC is calling upon its community members to practice empathy, compassion, and the willingness to participate in nonviolent communication to mediate conflict and work toward better interpersonal understanding. Yes, performers will continue to have personal, professional, and ideological disagreements and differences. APAC is beseeching community members to come together in discourse and not give in to volatility. Opting for the act of calling ina conversation framed within empathy, patience, and nonviolence in an instance of disagreement and difference contrasts starkly with the knee-jerk reaction often found in online spaces. There is too much nuance in our individual lives and experiences as adult film performers for us to be reduced to two-sided positionalities. The performer community is diverse in the different spaces we take up depending on our modality, sex and gender identities, and politics. There are inherited traumas, stigma, and problems this industry needs to work through that divide the community. For more information about the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, contact [email protected] or call (818)927-2903. EVERETT, WAA court in Washington state ruled this week that the barista who hands you your morning half-caf double almond milk latte, or whatever morning beverage selection you prefer, can wear whatever she wants behind the coffee countereven if what she wants to wear is almost nothing at all. Over the summer, the city of Everett, Washington, passed a pair of local laws designed to curb the apparently growing trend of bare-ista coffee stands: roadside drive-through operations where women who make and serve the coffee dress in attire more expected at the beachor a gentlemens clubthan at Starbucks. But employees and the owner of the growing coffee-stop chain Hillbilly Hotties sued, saying that the city ordinances violated the baristas constitutional rights to freely express themselves. The city argued that the scantily clad baristas had become a magnet for criminal behavior around the Hillbilly Hotties coffee stands. And in fact, in neighboring Snohomish County, where the bikini barista stands also flourish, a sheriffs deputy had pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with a prostitution ring allegedly run out of one of the roadside coffee shops. When Everett adopted its anti-bare-ista ordinances, it cited a proliferation of crimes of a sexual nature occurring at bikini barista stands, including prostitution, sexual assault and public masturbation. The city also cited overtly sexualized behavior by the skimpily-attired baristas, including flashing and performing exotic dances for coffee customers. But United States District Court Judge Marsha Pechman, while she did not rule on the merits of the Hillbilly Hotties lawsuit, decided that the baristas may continue to wear, or not wear, whatever they want while the lower courts rule on the lawsuit. By specifically targeting women, Pechman ruled, the city ordinances violated the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law. Pechman also ruled that the baristas' rights of free expression under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution were also violated by the Everett laws. The courts order confirms that our clients, like all women, have a constitutional right to express themselves, Derek Newman, a lawyer for the bare-istas, told The Seattle Times newspaper. He added that the baristas would cooperate with the city to curtail criminal behavior connected to the bikini barista businesses, without criminalizing what women wear at work and in public. Lawyers for city argued that the bikini baristas customer base was not interested in the message of female empowerment and positive body image that the baristas claim to be getting across. The city also said that the ordinances applied to men and well as women (though bare-chested men serving coffee products are virtually non-existent), but that "legal precedent" allowed womens breasts to be treated more restrictively under the law than bared male chests. (Such "precedents" are currently under challenge across the United States.) MONTREALMile High Media on Wednesday announced the launch of its new member's forum. The forum, which will be accessible through the members area of their flagship site MileHighMedia.com , will give fans the opportunity to engage directly with models and directors and include exclusive access to Mile High contract performers Brandi Love and Cherie DeVille. Celebrating Loves new all-MILF showcase, Brandi Loves MILFs, the sister contract stars will be chatting live on-set with fans today and Thursday exclusively in the new online communities member forum. Kicking off the launch of the brand new community, we're giving forum members a never-before-seen opportunity to interact directly with contract stars Brandi Love and Cherie DeVille this week, says Mile High Media VP Jon Blitt. Through the forum were pleased to offer great on-the-set and BTS exclusive content. This will be the first time members can chat directly with both superstars and have direct access to them while on set. Members can log on to the new site forum at 3:15 p.m. (PST) today to chat with Cherie Deville. Brandi Loves live forum chat is at 11:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday. Community members can visit the "Brandi Loves MILFs forum thread now to leave their comments and questions for the ladies. Blitt adds, We understand that our greatest strength lies with our members and fans. By creating a community where they can share their talent requests, scene ideas, discuss our content and what they want to see more of we can better meet the needs of our members. The forum is their place to connect directly with Mile High and be heard. By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) A 43-year-old businessman, who was taken into custody along with another person for allegedly creating ruckus in Tri Nagar area here, died of heart attack, police said today. Two police personnel were suspended for alleged negligence in the case, they said. Khulbushan Chaturvedi and a youth were picked up by the police late last night and taken to Keshav Puram police station. advertisement According to police, Chaturvedi complained of pain and suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The family members of the businessman, however, claimed that the police failed to give adequate medical attention to Chaturvedi, leading to his death. They said a youth was drinking liquor in front of their house, and Chaturvedi objected to the same, which led to a confrontation between the two. A PCR call was made and both the parties were picked up by the police. "We were discussing the matter at the police station when at 1.30 am, Chaturvedi complained of uneasiness and chest pain. He was given water, but his condition started deteriorating. "One of his relatives took him to the Fortis Hospital at Shalimar Bagh. The hospital declared him brought dead," said Dependra Pathak, chief spokesperson of Delhi Police. He said an assistant police commissioner has been directed to conduct an inquiry into the matter. "A medical board comprising three doctors will be carrying out the autopsy of the victim," the spokesperson said. Two ASIs have been placed under suspension for alleged negligent behaviour while handling the PCR call in the case, said the officer. "A case under section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC has been registered at the Keshav Puram police station on the complaint of the brother of the deceased. The case has been transferred to Crime Branch. Further action will be taken after the postmortem report," said the officer. PTI SLB SRY --- ENDS --- The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme has driven up standards, according to the Food Standards Agencys (FSAs) chief scientific adviser. The scheme, which is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland, and currently used on a voluntary basis in England, was introduced in 2010. Ratings are given to all business supplying food directly to consumers, including schools, hospitals, care homes and company canteens, as well as supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways, pubs and hotels. In Wales, the scheme also covers food manufacturers. The rating is based on three areas of food safety assessed by inspections, with scores combined to give a rating between zero and 5. There are now more than 430,000 food hygiene ratings published at food.gov.uk/ratings. Of those food businesses, 67% achieved the top rating of 5, while 95% were rated 3 or better. In a report published this week by the FSA, its chief scientific adviser Professor Guy Poppy described the scheme as a significant development for food safety that has delivered tangible benefits for consumers across the country. The scheme has empowered people, helping them choose to eat in places with higher ratings. This, in turn, has pushed restaurants and other food businesses to drive up hygiene standards to attract more customers, he added. Pointing out that 84% of consumers think businesses should have to display their food hygiene rating at their premises, the FSA said it was committed to introducing mandatory display of ratings at food outlets in England. The report stated that events such as markets and festivals were increasingly making the food hygiene rating one of their requirements. For example, all traders of hot or cold food at Boston market in Lincolnshire are required to have a Food Hygiene Rating of at least 4. Threatened strike action by drivers at the Allied Bakeries site in West Bromwich has been called off. Around 130 drivers, maintenance staff and security personnel at the Kingsmill plant have overwhelmingly accepted a revised pay offer from Allied, according to union Unite. Union members had voted last month to take industrial action in a dispute over pay, with the union describing the companys offer as paltry. Unite had warned that strike action could bring a bread drought to the north west and Midlands, although Allied had denied this. In a statement released today (6 December), Unite lead officer for the food sector Joe Clarke said: This deal reflects a good outcome, with an overall package that sees the desired improvements to rates of pay that we have been pushing for at Allied Bakeries Kingsmill West Bromwich. Adding that the exact terms of the deal would not be disclosed, he said the pay rise, which is being backdated to April 2017, was slightly over 2.5% and included a 2% increase for year two, starting in April 2018. This is coupled with a further markets-rate payment adjustment being added to this figure of 0.5% and a further 0.6% payment for a 12-month voluntary arrangement for the working time derogation, he said. The industrial action has now been called off after the workforce voted overwhelmingly to accept the revised offer and our members are working normally. I would like to thank our members for the solidarity they have shown, which has brought about this positive outcome, and we look forward to a constructive relationship with the management going forward. Allied Bakeries said the deal was in line with that agreed across its other UK sites and was competitive in the local area. "As part of this two-year agreement we have achieved an improvement in shift pattern flexibility which we believe works well for our employees and the company," added a spokesperson. "Everyone at the West Bromwich bakery is now looking forward to getting back to business as usual. Last month, Allied Bakeries parent company Associated British Foods (ABF) revealed the bakery business sustained a loss in the year ending 16 September, and that it was discussing increasing prices with its retail customers. In September, Allied announced plans to close its Norwich distribution depot. The college diploma has long been regarded as the ticket to the good life. And most well-paid jobs require some kind of academic credential.But academia is not the only place to learn valuable skills and reasoning. The United States armed forces also have a long track record for training young people for demanding tasks. Today's military requires advanced skills in a plethora of fields and has long taught its members to acquire them in a hurry. Disciplines taught in both include medical care, technology, foreign languages, leadership, management, public speaking, instructional techniques, and much more.Yet there is often insufficient transferability between the two institutions, even though much of the subject matter is aligned.One of the major barriers has been that the military does not divide much of its training into the standard Carnegie academia units know as "credit hours" the way academia does. According to an essay by Steven Delvaux , the vice provost for academic affairs at Army University, in Inside Higher Education,That lack of transferability extends to the labor market as well. Because military credentials don't always translate well to private sector employers, former military personnel can struggle once they re-enter the civilian workforce. According to Paul Bill, who is the veterans employment director at the Charlotte-based nonprofit Veterans Bridge Home , which works with veterans returning to civilian life, the problemThose problems are now receiving considerable attention. One Defense Department program created to address the problem is known as the Military Micro-Credentials (MIL-CRED) project. According to its website, MIL-CRED aims atMIL-CRED's credentialing scheme mirrors the competency-based education model adopted by some innovative civilian institutions, such as the online Western Governors University. However, it does not generally translate those micro-credits to academic Carnegie credit hours. (Although it organizes learning in ways that may help those who do assess military education for academic credit hours.)One solution for providing veterans with college credit that is gaining popularity is to treat military service as "experiential learning," or "prior learning experience," in which college credits are given for knowledge gained outside of the classroom.Probably the organization most active in this area is the American Council of Education (ACE). ACE began translating military experience into educational credits as far back as the end of World War II, and now directly provides evaluations of military courses for college credits to the various service agencies. ACE evaluations are a key component of the Joint Services Transcript most branches of the military use to keep track of a service member's training (the Air Force uses its own system).Other initiatives have been funded to standardize and ease the translation of military learning into college credits (along with various licensure and certification credentials.) One is the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit of the 13-state Midwestern Higher Education Compact.In North Carolina, which has one of the nation's highest percentage of both current and former military members, each campus in the public university system has advisors who conduct reviews of veterans' military transcripts to determine how their experience translates into academic credit.At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that advisor is Amber Mathwig, the student veteran affairs coordinator . She said that most veterans attending Chapel Hill "are awarded at least six credits."Mathwig also explained that there is not yet any sort of comprehensive system for determining how each military course fits into the academic structure. Currently, each veteran's background is reviewed individually and determinations are made about courses that have not previously been examined. Once a course is reviewed, however, its determination becomes a precedent, and veterans can see all previous reviews online.She added that the UNC system is currently working on a comprehensive review of military courses that will simplify the process for veterans entering all 16 UNC schools.Of course, the military also has many colleges and programs that provide transferrable credits. Most people are aware of the major service academies that train officers, but other schools are oriented toward graduate-level education for those who are already officers, such as the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Others provide education for enlisted personnel, such as the multi-site Community College of the Air Force Another problem for members of the military is that they are frequently transferred during their service terms. This can make it difficult to advance academically while enlisted. However, there is now a set of consortia collectively known as Service Members Opportunity Colleges , which consists of over 1,900 schools that operate campuses on or near military bases (or are primarily online). The curricula at these schools range from certificate-level technical training to associates degrees to the four-year baccalaureate level; their main advantage is that credits earned are easily transferred between member institutions, enabling service members to accumulate credentials leading to program completion despite travel demands.Of course, prospective college students have long been able to gain college credit through testing. The best-known tests are those administered by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).The many military personnel who have been trained in foreign languages at the Defense Language Institute can convert their training into credit hours by passing Defense Language Proficiency Tests. The Institute, which has its main campus in Monterey, California, also offers transferrable academic courses and associate degree programs.The common ground between the military and academia is vast. The military needs an active force that is technically, linguistically, strategically, and culturally adept, and academia is a great repository of knowledge and pedagogy.At the same time, a great deal of military training is not only applicable to the civilian economy, but is also translatable to academia. And getting people from the military involved in academia may be a great source of synergy, particularly given academia's propensity to be insular. Consider that military training tends to be more hands-on than academia; for example, military personnel learn supply chain management by participating in it rather than by studying it. Combining both types of learning may be the best approach of all.Greater future cooperation between the two institutions is likely to be both inevitable and rewarding. The increasing focus on making them more compatible, such as turning military training into Carnegie credit hours acceptable to academia (when applicable), is indeed a welcome strategy. 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. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court is slated to hear oral argument in the famed Masterpiece Cakeshop case. The case is a seminal one for religious liberty. It pits the ability of local and state governments to enforce "anti-discrimination law" against religious practice rights for businessowners; it essentially decides whether or not religious people can practice their religion in their business. This goes to the heart of freedom of religion in the United States.The case revolves around a man named Jack Phillips. Jack is a baker. He makes and decorates cakes. He has a simple rule: he'll sell anyone a cake. Gay, straight, transgender, green. Anyone. But he won't make a custom cake for every event. As a religious Christian, this means that he sees it as sinful participation to make a custom cake celebrating a same-sex wedding. So he'll make a cake for a same-sex wedding, but he won't decorate it as such (no groom-groom wedding toppers, for example). He also refuses to make cakes that push anti-gay messages, anti-American messages, and adult-themed messages.That's his Constitutional right. But the Leftists at the Colorado Civil Rights Commission didn't think so. They think that Jack must be forced to violate his own religious beliefs and decorate a cake for a same-sex wedding, or stop making any cakes at all. As a result of their ruling, Jack lost 40% of his business and more than half of his employees - all for abiding by his Biblical beliefs in the most tolerant possible way. He was even told that he had to re-educate employees, including his family members, and report to the government what his artistic decisions were, listing all the cakes he'd failed to bake and why.This is obviously fascistic stuff. But the LGBT advocacy Left believes that religious freedom is a true threat to LGBT rights - that we all have a right to one another's services. Thus, Sarah Jones writes in New Republic:Jones actually hits the nail on the head with this last sentence: the Left wants the government's ability to compel people to provide service to trump the personal beliefs of individuals. What makes this case so compelling is the religious aspect; we all know religious people with scruples strong enough to withstand the draw of capitalistic enterprise. But this isn't a religious case at all. It's a freedom of association and freedom of speech case. Religious practice shouldn't be bound to the home or church - religious life infuses every aspect of living. But by the same token, an atheist should be free to reject a Christ-themed cake, a Leftist speechwriter should be free to reject a right-wing politician, and The New Republic should be free to refuse to deliver to the Trump White House. Does this mean that people we dislike will be able to act in ways we dislike? Absolutely. But freedom lives in the spaces where we acknowledge that we have no right to another's labor or approval. Tyranny grows when we refuse to acknowledge those spaces.If Masterpiece Cakeshop goes the wrong way, the country will only grow more polarized. That's because religious people across America will be compelled to leave states in which anti-religious anti-discrimination regulations are promulgated, and move instead to red states. Red states will grow redder; blue states will grow bluer. The divide throughout the country will grow. And religious observance - and freedom of speech - will continue to wither on the vine. President Donald J. Trump is following through on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and has instructed the State Department to begin to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Today, December 6, 2017, President Trump recognized Jerusalem, the ancient capital of the Jewish people, as the capital of the State of Israel. In taking this action, President Trump fulfilled a major campaign promise of his and many previous Presidential candidates. The Trump Administration is fully coordinated in supporting this historic action by the President, and has engaged broadly with both our Congressional and international partners on this issue. President Trump's action enjoys broad, bipartisan support in Congress, including as expressed in the Jerusalem Recognition Act of 1995. This Act was reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. President Trump has instructed the State Department to develop a plan to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Departments and Agencies have implemented a robust security plan to ensure the safety of our citizens and assets in the region.: President Trump recognizes that specific boundaries of sovereignty in Jerusalem is highly sensitive and subject to final status negotiations. President Trump recognizes that the status of Jerusalem is a highly-sensitive issue, but he does not think the peace process is aided by ignoring the simple truth that Jerusalem is home to Israel's legislature, supreme court, President, and Prime Minister. President Trump recognizes that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between the parties. President Trump reaffirms United States support for the status quo at the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al Sharif.President Trump is committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. President Trump remains committed to achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, and he is optimistic that peace can be achieved. Delaying the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has not helped achieve peace over the past two decades. President Trump is prepared to support a two-state solution to the dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians, if agreed to by the parties.White House On Tuesday, the White House announced that President Trump would declare that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and that the government would begin the process of moving the American embassy to the Israeli capital. He will sign a six-month waiver designed to put off the actual legal obligation to move the embassy, however.This move follows a day of Trump calling Middle Eastern leaders including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who threatened the outbreak of violence and said there would be no Palestinian state without East Jerusalem as its capital; Saudi King Salman, who suggested that such an announcement would; and the King of Jordan, who warned of "dangerous repercussions."Trump's move would be a powerful one, a legal one, and a wise one. Here are seven reasons why.Jerusalem is only important because the Jews made it important; it was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, the site of the Temple, and the wellspring of Judaic thought for millennia. Both Christianity and Islam value Jerusalem because Judaism did. The dream of Jerusalem has animated the Jewish people for its entire existence; there is a reason the Psalms (137:5) state, "If I forget thee, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill." Jerusalem is mentioned hundreds of times in the Prophets and Writings (during the time of the Torah, it was not yet called Jerusalem). By contrast, Jerusalem is not mentioned at all in the Koran. If Jews do not have a historic claim to Jerusalem, they have no historic claim to any part of Israel, including Tel Aviv.In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, requiring the movement of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The act also said that Jerusalem should be undivided and be recognized as the capital of Israel. The executive branch has refused to implement the law thanks to both political and separation of powers concerns. Trump would merely be stamping Congressional law with approval. That law, by the way, passed 93-5 in the Senate and 374-37 in the House.By removing the United States from the position of pressuring Israel to sacrifice its historic, religious, strategic capital, Israel will now be able to negotiate on its own behalf. That means that the U.S. will no longer be in a position to twist the arm of our closest ally in order to pursue separate strategic interests. Imagine the United States pressuring Great Britain to hand over all of Belfast to the IRA. That's what the U.S. has been doing to Israel for years.Every time negotiations fail, the Palestinians threaten violence and participate in terrorism. The sticking point for such negotiations has generally been Jerusalem - that's the excuse the Palestinian Authority and Hamas use to launch campaigns of terror, to international approval thanks to the international community's refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. They hope that using violence as a tactic will earn concessions from Israel, or pressure from the West on Israel. By leading the charge to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the United States will be sending the unmistakable signal that violence over Jerusalem will not be tolerated, and that pressure tactics through murder will earn no rewards.The entire Oslo Accords was based on a blackmail program: Palestinians vowed not to murder Jews if Jews turned over land. That deal wasn't just blackmail, it was a lie: Israel offered many generous peace deals, and the Palestinians responded with terror waves. The United States shouldn't participate in such blackmail. If the Palestinians threaten violence, Trump should drop the other shoe: he should refuse to authorize the release of foreign aid to the terrorist government. There's no reason taxpayers should be paying terrorists in the first place.A few days ago, the Saudi monarchy reportedly summoned Palestinian leadership and told them to support a peace deal with the Israelis. That deal would retain major Israeli settlement blocs, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian standing army, and leave the PA without Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital. By declaring Jerusalem Israel's undivided capital, the United States would remove any other option from the table, thereby pressuring both the Saudis and the Palestinians into accepting that deal.President Obama's horrific foreign policy united Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel against Iran. But that alliance cannot be cemented until realities are recognized by all parties. Just as George H.W. Bush should have allowed Israel to join the coalition against Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War in order to force the Muslim states to recognize that their common interests with Israel outstripped their differences, Trump would be right to make clear to all parties that Israel has control over its own capital, and that the price of alliance is recognition of reality.Jerusalem is, was, and always will be Israel's capital. Failing to recognize that is a slap in the face to history, to reality, and to Israel itself. If Trump does what is necessary, he'll deserve credit not just for bravery, but for decency. The infant died due to infection at a nursing home after battling for life for nearly a week The baby who was found alive after being declared dead by Max Hospital earlier this week, has died (Image for representation) By Mail Today Bureau: The 22-week-old baby, who was found alive after being declared dead by Max Hospital earlier this week, succumbed on Wednesday morning at a private nursing home in Pitampura. The infant died due to an infection at a nursing home after battling for its life for nearly a week - which jolted the entire family, which was demanding the arrest of erring doctors. advertisement On November 30, Ashish Kumar's wife gave birth to premature twins (a boy and a girl) at Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. Both the babies were declared stillborn by the hospital and handed over to the family allegedly in a polythene bag. But to their utter horror, the the boy was still alive, while they were on way to do their final rites. Talking to Mail Today, Ashish said, "I will not take my son's body until the two doctors are arrested. Due to the utter medical negligence at the Max Hospital (Shailmar Bagh) for not giving immediate healthcare to my babies, today, I lost another baby too." He also said he will also not get his wife, who is still admitted at Max Hospital, discharged from until they get justice. The baby's uncle said that they will continue to protest outside Max Hospital. --- ENDS --- Czech President Milos Zeman will speak at a conference of an extreme right wing party 6. 12. 2017 cas cteni 1 minuta On Saturday, Czech President Milos Zeman will address the conference of the extreme right wing party SPD (the Party of Direct Democracy), which has won 22 seats in the 200-seat Czech parliament in the recent Czech general election. Zeman and Tomio Okamura, the SPD leader, share many of their views. They are both strongly against allowing immigrants to enter the Czech Republic and they want to introduce frequent referenda into the Czech political system. Zeman has recently said that SPD is not an extremist party: "SPD supports direct democracy, so it cannot be an extremist party." SPD will say at the conference on Saturday whom they will support in the Czech presidential elections which will take place in January 2018. Zeman is standing for re-election. A candidate that they will endorse must support direct democracy, must be against islam, must reject immigrants and must defend our own interests, not the interest of Brussels, said Okamura. These are all views held by Zeman. In mid-December, the SPD party will hold in Prague an international meeting of eurosceptic and extreme right wing politicians from western Europe. The meeting will be attended by Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French National Fron, and the Dutch anti-muslim politician Geert Wilders. Source in Czech: HERE Tomio Okamura's views are presented in this video (English subtitles): 0 "This is my city, so speak Czech," said a man in Ostrava to EU students and beat them up 6. 12. 2017 cas cteni 1 minuta Attacker on an Ostrava tram The police in the city of Ostrava in the north east of the Czech Republic are looking for a man who physically attacked a group of EU students who were travelling on a tram in the city. The four students, two girls and two boys aged between 20-24, were sitting at the back of a tram and spoke English. When he heard that, the aggressor threw a paper pizza tray at them. After they asked him why he had done this, he told them that they this was his city, this was his home and they should be speaking Czech. He went on to abuse them verbally. When they alighted from the tram, he followed them, pushed one of the girls, hit one of the boys in his face with his fist, He also attacked the other boy and kept kicking even when he was lying in the street. The police has footage of the incident, which was recorded by the tram camera, and is calling on the public to identify the aggressor. Source in Czech HERE 0 In situations of emergency, the best payday loans are the type of loans that enable a person to procure the needed funds without having to go through a long wait. The logic behind best payday loans is to cut down on the waiting period so as to make the funds available without a long wait. So what is a payday loan exactly? Essentially, the amount of a payday loan is lesser than that of the average loan and could vary from $100 to $ 1000. This loan is specifically supposed to cater to people who require immediate cash to tide over an emergency but are unable to wait till their next paycheck. The whole idea of a payday loan is to borrow the funds and then pay it back on the following payday. What is the way to get a payday loan? Applying for a payday loan is a very simple process. There are a vast number of top payday loans being provided by several lenders, and most of them can be found through a simple online search about payday loans on any search engine. You can browse through the websites of lenders who would be willing to provide you with such a loan. Once you choose the lender of your choice, you can start the application process. The application for a payday loan is short and gets straight to the point, unlike the applications for conventional loans. The lenders that will provide you with a payday loan will not ask you what you are using the loan for as they know and understand you are an adult and that certain situations may arise where emergency funds are needed. The information about the borrower is treated as confidential. Some of the things that you will have to answer, however, include information on your name, address, city and state, social security, monthly income, and a few other related questions. It will not take you long to fill out these questions in the application. Will I Be Approved for a Payday Loan? Approval for a payday loan varies from person to person but for most people, approval for the loan only takes a matter of a few seconds. But before that there are several conditions that need to be met to be eligible for a payday loan. For starters, you will have to be a citizen of the United States, you will have to be at least 18 years old or older, and you will need to provide accurate and honest answers when filling out the application. If an applicant fulfills these requirements, the application for the payday loan can get clearance. You may be concerned that if you have bad credit, you will not receive approval for the loan but this is entirely untrue. Many lenders, in fact, do not conduct a credit check as they are ready to offer the loan to even persons with bad credit. Nowadays, we often hear, during many discussions, about states being developed and not developed. In Indian context, how to decide that is the query. Many claim that under Modi administration Gujarat state developed. And for that they show that, many new industries came in that state during his rule. Does it mean that because so many big industries have come to open their factories that state becomes developed? In this context we see that state of Maharashtra is a developed state. And when they give news that some industries have moved out of the state and so the state is become underdeveloped. How correct this definition is? When we became independent Gandhi proposed development based on micro development whereas Nehru insisted that development must be at macro level. Finally Nehru won as Mr. Gandhi was killed in an unfortunate event. He was not there to press for his point of development at micro level first and then at macro level. At present Nehrus policy rules all our development plans and we have almost forgotten Gandhis micro development plan. Gandhi's micro development plan was reduced to only Khadi gramodyog activity and to my mind that was a gross misinterpretation of what he meant by micro development. According to my interpretation of micro development, development through all types of small scale industries and businesses. Gandhi was in a way right in suggesting this policy for development because he was fully aware of our poor financial conditions. Later on Larsen & Toubro encouraged small industrial units since, that is the second nature of our economic culture. Big industries such as Telco also realized the benefits of small scale units to support big units. I remember when there was a strike at the Telco industry management encouraged small scale units and at that time they came to know that getting job work from such units is far more profitable than doing all sundry jobs themselves. Today we see the real growth of our industrial development rests on small scale units who churn out even big jobs at considerably less cost. That is because their over head cost is always very low. In a way Gandhis plan was accepted by our industries but not by our planners. We see a big difference in two developments, one is that macro development creates less number of jobs of high salaries. Micro development creates many more jobs of lower salaries. Managing small industries is always more easy than big units. Less capital investment involved in small units and profitability improved. Big units involve bigger risk factors. To surmount many problems those may crop up is much more easy with smaller units. We know farming activity creates maximum jobs and though the wages are low the employment is assured. Overall experience is that, ordinarily people do not need very big salaries, they are generally happy so long as they can survive and so small salary but assured employment guarantee is all that they want. Very few people have big ambitions. Our most planners do not consider this fact. They thing big salary is the need of ordinary people. I want to give an example of Godrej Company at Mumbai. One fitter working in one of their factories manufacturing refrigerators was attending for only 20 days out of 26 days of a month. He was a permanent employ and so the company was not bothering him for his absents. I happened to know of that from other employees while I was doing some research on topic of employment problems. When I asked him why he does not want to attend all 26 days of the month? He told me that salary for 20 days is good enough for his monthly needs, he would prefer to spend those days at home with family. After some time, Godrej Company raised the salary of its employees. As that happened our fitter began to take leave without salary and would attend only for 15 days of the month! As that much money was good enough for him! This is the general attitude of most fourth grade employees. This research convinced me that small but enough salary is good for most people. They are not interested in any ambitions. This clearly shows how Gandhi was correct in his planing. Another example of recent time I would like to give here to show how higher salaries create shortage of workers while more jobs remain without workers. The other day, I was walking on street and two home worker women were walking I my front. I was by chance listening to their conversation. One woman told the other that she has left four jobs she was doing previously because now the salary is increased and so work of three jobs is enough to serve her need. That means, four households are not getting home worker. This shows the way higher salary can create a type of worker shortages artificially. Higher salary has definitely benefited them but at the cost of creating more jobs unattained. Bottom line is that this strategy has created worker shortages even though there are workers because, they do not want to work for less, they do not mind doing less for more wages. In a way this is spoiling worker mentality. After much investigation I came to the conclusion about how to decide the development condition of a state. I found two points for deciding that condition. First point is that, how many people migrate out of the state to earn their livelihood? Second point is that, how many beggars migrate out to other states for alms? From these values we can know the actual development condition of that state. You can see workers and beggars from all over India in Maharashtra state but you will not find beggars of Marathi origin anywhere in India. You may not find many Marathi people going out of Maharashtra for earning living. If we say Gujarat is developed we must find out these two statistics and that will show if Gujarat is really developed. By my definition so far, Maharashtra is the only developed state in India. Hoards of workers are migrating out of Gujarat even today for livelihood; then how we say that under Modi Gujarat is developed. Our definition of developed and under developed states needs to be changed. You may contact me on my Email ID given below, ashokkothare@gmail.com I invite you to visit my other blogs if you are interested in stories, Ashok Kothares Blog You may visit, Ideas and tips on any subject for intelligent discussions. I recon, for philosophical discussions. Introduction This article concludes our introduction to HTML with a presentation of some valuable guidelines for working with HTML documents and code that will help maximize their maintainability and reusability. Of central importance is the need to understand HTML and its role in Web applications, to plan ahead for maintainable and reusable code, and to adopt a consistent policy on coding style. Coding Style Guidelines Consistency is absolutely a prerequisite for maximizing maintainability and reusability. These general guidelines for coding style can form the basis of a set of standards that will help ensure that all developers in a projector, better, in all projects across an organizationwrite code consistently. Use well-formed HTML. Pick good names and ID values. Indent consistently. Limit line length. Standardize character case. Use comments judiciously. Use Well-formed HTML Although Web browsers are generally forgiving and can ignore many mistakes, rendering most HTML as the document author intended, it is still a good idea to use well-formed HTML code, for a number of reasons. Well-formed markup code is a concept that has gained importance with increased implementation of XML. While browsers did not, in general, enforce HTML language rules very closely, XML parsers do. Code is considered well formed when it is structured according to the rules for XML 1.0. These rules relate to character case, tags, nesting, and attribute values. In general, when most browsers encounter an unrecognized or extraneous tag, they ignore them. However, different browsers might deliver results in differentand unpredictableways. In addition, future versions of browsers might adhere to standards more closely than do current versions. Finally, code that includes such elements can be harder to read and understand, making maintenance more difficult. Lowercase namesTo be well-formed, element and attribute names must be in all lower case. In versions through 4.01, HTML is not case-sensitive. However, XML is case-sensitive, and it follows that the XHTML 1.0 recommendation is also case-sensitive. So, to ensure that code keeps working and to maximize reusability, this must be planned for. Closing tagsAll nonempty elements must have corresponding closing tags. Empty elementsthose previously signified with a single tag, such as and must be followed immediately by a corresponding closing tag, or the tag must end with "/". For example, and are both examples of well-formed code. Nested elementsAll nested attributes must be properly nestedfor example: Some text Note that the tag and its corresponding closing tag, , are both nested inside the and tags. If elements overlap, then they are not properly nested, as illustrated in the following code: Some text While many browsers have accepted overlapping elements and given the expected results, they have always been, strictly speaking, illegal in HTML, and future versions of browsers might not support them. Attribute valuesAttribute values, even numeric attributes should be quotedfor example: Code validation: Another step toward improving HTML code is to validate it against a formal published grammar and to declare this validation at the beginning of the HTML document. For example, the following line declares validation against the public HTML 3.2 Final grammar: A list of formal published grammars is available from the W3C at http://validator.w3.org/sgml-lib/catalog. The W3C also has a public HTML validation service at http://validator.w3.org/. Assign meaningful Names and ID Values Use a consistent scheme for assigning the value of name and ID properties. They should be as short as reasonably possible, but without giving up descriptive power. Also, use mixed-case property values to help readability (see Listing 2). In this code snippet, the check box names express not only what the purpose of the element is, but also information about the element's type. The code also illustrates the use of mixed case to help readability. Listing 2: Example of Good Element Names Member? Admin? Owner? HTML primarily refers to elements by their name property, while DHTML and client-side scripts use the ID property. Although DHTML documents IDs must be unique in the document, in general, there is no reason not to use the same value for an element's name and ID properties. Using the same value for these properties can reduce confusion that might arise when mixing HTML and client-side scripting. Indent Consistently Use indentation consistently to enhance the readability of the code. When elements carry over more than one line of code, indent the contents of elements between the start tag and the end tag. This will make it easy to see where the element begins and ends. Also, use indentation to align code at attribute names (see Listing 3). It is a good idea to use no more than two to four spaces for each level in indentation, so as not to use up all the available line length in indentation. If possible, set up the development tool to convert tabs to spaces so that the indentation will be the same when the source is viewed in different editors or as printed output. Listing 3: Indent Code Consistently action="login.asp"> Login: type="text" size="25"> Password: type="password" size="25"> To log into the system, enter your user name and password in the text boxes. Then click the "Login" button. Limit Line Length Break up lines when they run too long. It is much easier to read and understand code when you can see the entire line at once. When lines of code are so long that the reader must scroll right and left to read them, it requires much more cognitive effort to understand what the code is doing. Alternatively, in some applications, long lines might wrap to the next line at the nearest word break. In either case, source code is much easier to read and understand if the developer takes explicit control of line length. HTML is not sensitive to line breaks, so the developer can break lines at will between keywords for readability. For example, Listing 4 illustrates a code snippet in which two elements have word-wrapped to the next line because they were two long for the editor window. Listing 4: HTML Source Code with Uncontrolled Line Breaks "JavaScript" onclick="return NameValid();"> language="JavaScript" onclick="return AddrValid();"> Compare this with Listing 5, where the developer took explicit control of line length. Here the code is much easier to read because the developer used line breaks and indenting to visually organize the source code. Listing 5: HTML Source Code with Explicit Line Breaks name="txtName" language="JavaScript" onclick="return NameValid();"> name="txtAddress" language="JavaScript" onclick="return AddrValid();"> Keep the limitations of printed output in mind as well. Lines longer than 80 characters will often wrap in printed output without consideration for word breaks, making source code very difficult to read. Standardize Character Case Source code is easier to read if the developer has applied a consistent set of rules for the use of character casefor example, the use of lower case exclusively for HTML tags. When scanning source code, the reader can unconsciously apply a visual filter, focusing attention on the HTML keywords. The approach taken in code that appears in this article is to use all lowercase letters for HTML tags and the names of its attributes, while using mixed case and a modified form of Hungarian Notation for some attribute values (see the sidebar entitled "Hungarian Notation"). Hungarian Notation Hungarian Notation is a convention for naming identifiers that adds a prefix to the name to provide information about the type and scope of the identifier. Dr. Charles Simonyi, a Microsoft Chief Architect at the time, introduced Hungarian Notation in the early 1980's. Long an internal Microsoft standard, variants of the convention have been widely adopted outside of Microsoft as well. As an example of a simplified Hungarian Notation scheme, variables that contain a string could be prefixed with the character s, and a variable with global scope could be indicated with a gprefix. In this case, then, the variables sTemp and gsName in source code would be immediately identifiable as string variables with local and global scope, respectively. In general, HTML is not a typed language, and Hungarian Notation plays a more important role in other types of Web development. However, in some cases it can add to readability. For example, the names or IDs of form elements are likely candidates for a modified form of Hungarian Notation. The prefix "btn" or "cmd" might be used for an input button. Text boxes might be prefixed with "txt," and check boxes might be prefixed with "chk" or "cb." Use Comments Judiciously Good comments can be invaluable for understanding and maintaining code. However, the unique nature of HTML introduces a trade-off between the value of thorough comments and the efficiency of the Web application. The Web server reads in the HTML code and sends it as a stream of text over the network to the browser. Only after arriving at the client does the browser parse and interpret the HTML code, displaying the visible elements and ignoring the comments. The obvious implication is that the comments add nothing to the document as the browser displays it, yet they add to the processing overhead on both the server and client computers, and they increase the amount of data transferred. With almost 50 percent comments, Listing 6 illustrates what is probably excessively commented code. Listing 6: Heavily Commented HTML Code Member? Admin? Owner? The trick is to find an appropriate level of commenting that balances these two issues. It is a good idea to comment the major logical flow and document sections to help readers quickly gain an overview of the code. Also comment dependencies and assumptions. Consistently following the other design and coding guidelines as suggested in this articleespecially the ones related to naming and metadatawill help create self-documenting code. Listing 7 illustrates how fewer comment lines and more descriptive element names can combine to provide effective documentation with a lot less overhead. Listing 7: Lightly Commented HTML Code action="https://http://www.mydomain.com/input.asp"> Member? Admin? Owner? Check list Use Well-formed HTML Avoid Style attributes in html All non empty elements must have corresponding closing tags. use Lowercase names All nested attributes must be properly nestedfor example: Some text Attribute values, even numeric attributes should be quoted Pick Good Names and ID Values Use a consistent scheme for assigning the value of name and ID properties. Documents IDs must be unique in the document Indent Consistently Use indentation consistently to enhance the readability of the code Standardize Character Case Hungarian Notation is a convention for naming identifiers that adds a prefix to the name to provide information about the type and scope of the identifier.e.g. txt for text Use Comments Judiciously This week, German authorities will introduce a law that will allow law enforcement agencies to order companies to insert back doors into their products to assist in law enforcement queries; the law is backed by Thomas de Maiziere, Germany's Interior Minister. The law will also force companies to disclose their security protocols (possibly including their signing keys) to the German government. Finally, it will permit the government to hack computers that it believes to be involved in a crime and damage them without liability. This law is deeply troubling. Forcing manufacturers to weaken their cryptography either for all products shipped, or by ordering them to push a poisoned update to some or all devices also requires them to create a mechanism whereby other malicious updates can be pushed to devices, and implies that any update that appears to serve this lawful interception purpose would have to be installed without the user being able to prevent it. Further, hacking computers that are believed to be involved in the commission of crimes creates terrible dangers. For example, in 2016 and 2017, many hospitals around the world have been compromised by malware that was used to spread attacks further, to other computers. If the state can attack computers that are spreading malware, they may find themselves unwittingly bricking entire hospitals. It remains to be seen whether the law will be adopted. Germany is now in a situation reminiscent of the last years of the Obama administration, in which a far-right, authoritarian movement is growing by leaps and bounds. Any powers the current government creates for itself today may be in the hands of literal Holocaust-denying fascists before 2018 is out, depending on whether Merkel can form a government or will be forced to call another election. The Interior Minister says that police officers are having a hard time investigating cases because smart devices are warning owners before officers could do anything about it. The Minister cites the cases of smart cars that alert an owner as soon as the car is shaken, even a little bit. He says he'd like police to be able to intercept that warning and stop it when investigating a case. De Maiziere claims that companies have a "legal obligation" to introduce backdoors for the use of law enforcement agencies and he also wants to require the industry to disclose its "programming protocols" for future analysis. This latter clause could allow German officials to force companies to disclose details about their encrypted communication practices. Germany Preparing Law for Backdoors in Any Type of Modern Device [Catalin Cimpanu/Bleeping Computer] (via /.) (Image: Spreadshirts) The EU's new blacklist of 17 money-laundering financial secrecy states includes South Korea, Mongolia, Namibia, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and also includes a long-list of places like Guam, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Notably missing from the list of countries are rich states that practice financial secrecy to the advantage of money launderers like the USA (Wyoming, etc) and New Zealand. The list lacks any teeth there's no penalty for banking with institutions in one of these tax havens but it's seen as a precursor to more meaningful action in the future. It is understood the British government tried and failed to ensure those jurisdictions would not be screened by the EU's tax experts but was overruled. A further eight jurisdictions affected by recent hurricanes will be addressed in February. Namibia was the only country on the blacklist who made no effort at all to correspond with the EU's tax experts on the European council's code of conduct (COC) group when issues were raised with the country's government. The others on the blacklist are: American Samoa, Barbados, Grenada, Macau, the Marshall Islands, Palau, St Lucia, Samoa and Tunisia. The blacklist will be linked to EU legislation so that jurisdictions implicated will not be eligible for funds from the bloc except where it is to aid development. However, hopes that the member states would come to an agreement on further sanctions, including a withholding tax on money going to the listed countries, were dashed at a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels. EU blacklist names 17 tax havens and puts Caymans and Jersey on notice [Daniel Boffey/The Guardian] (via Naked Capitalism) Researchers from the University of Toronto's amazing Citizen Lab (previously) have published a new report detailing the latest tactics from the autocratic government of Ethiopia, "the world's first turnkey surveillance state" whose human rights abuses have been entirely enabled with software and expertise purchased on the open market, largely from companies in western countries like Finfisher and Hacking Team. In Champing at the Cyberbit, Citizen Lab researchers Bill Marczak, Geoffrey Alexander, Sarah McKune, John Scott-Railton, and Ron Deibert disclose how malware developed and sold by the Israeli company Cyberbit (a subsidiary of Elbit) was used to attack members of the Ethiopian opposition, including political exiles in the USA and elsewhere who were forced to leave Ethiopia in fear of their lives. Citizen Lab also determined that the malware servers used to effect these attacks were actively operated and managed by Cyberbit in other words, they actively colluded in the use of their products to attack journalists and peaceful democratic opposition figures on behalf of a tyrannical regime. Cyberbit also targeted Citizen Lab researcher Bill Marczak. Citizen Lab was able to assemble a complete picture of the illegal surveillance that Cyberbit effected on behalf of Ethiopia because Cyberbit failed to secure its servers; once Citizen Lab discovered them, they were able to browse all the surveillance data that Cyberbit's malware had extracted from its victims. Citizen Lab also used Cyberbit's publicly readable data to track where the company had demonstrated its products and determined that the company was making sales calls in many failed and autocratic states, including Rwanda, Nigeria, Zambia, Vietnam, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and The Philippines. * This report describes how Ethiopian dissidents in the US, UK, and other countries were targeted with emails containing sophisticated commercial spyware posing as Adobe Flash updates and PDF plugins. Targets include a US-based Ethiopian diaspora media outlet, the Oromia Media Network (OMN), a PhD student, and a lawyer. During the course of our investigation, one of the authors of this report was also targeted. * We found a public logfile on the spyware's command and control server and monitored this logfile over the course of more than a year. We saw the spyware's operators connecting from Ethiopia, and infected computers connecting from IP addresses in 20 countries, including IP addresses we traced to Eritrean companies and government agencies. * Our analysis of the spyware indicates it is a product known as PC Surveillance System (PSS), a commercial spyware product with a novel exploit-free architecture. PSS is offered by Cyberbit an Israel-based cyber security company that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems and marketed to intelligence and law enforcement agencies. * We conducted Internet scanning to find other servers associated with PSS and found several servers that appear to be operated by Cyberbit themselves. The public logfiles on these servers seem to have tracked Cyberbit employees as they carried infected laptops around the world, apparently providing demonstrations of PSS to the Royal Thai Army, Uzbekistan's National Security Service, Zambia's Financial Intelligence Centre, the Philippine President's Malacanang Palace, ISS World Europe 2017 in Prague, and Milipol 2017 in Paris. Cyberbit also appears to have provided other demos of PSS in France, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Serbia, and Nigeria. Champing at the Cyberbit [Bill Marczak, Geoffrey Alexander, Sarah McKune, John Scott-Railton, and Ron Deibert/Citizen Lab] Ethiopia Allegedly Spied on Security Researcher With Israel-Made Spyware [Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai/Motherboard] By PTI: (Eds: Adding familys reaction) New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) A premature baby, who was found alive after being declared dead by Max Hospital, breathed his last today with his father refusing to take the body demanding arrest of the erring doctors. The boy died at a nursing home in Pitampura after battling for life for nearly a week. advertisement On November 30, Ashish Kumars wife gave birth to premature twins (boy and girl) at Max hospital in Shalimar Bagh. Both the babies were declared stillborn by the hospital and handed over to the family allegedly in a polythene bag. But to their utter horror, the family found that the boy was still alive, while they were on way to do their final rites. The family rushed the baby to a nearby nursing home in Pitampura, while the mother remained at Max Hospital as she was very weak. Max Healthcare authorities today released a statement saying, "We just learnt of the sad demise of the 23-week preterm baby, who was on ventilator support." "Our deepest condolences are with the parents and other family members. While we understand that survival in extreme preterm births is rare, it is always painful for the parents and family. We wish them the strength to cope with their loss," it added. Aslam Khan, deputy commissioner of police (northwest), also confirmed the news. However, Kumar has refused to take the body of his child, in an act of protest and demanded that the doctors of Max Hospital allegedly involved in the "medical negligence" in the case be arrested. "I will not take my sons body until the two doctors are arrested," Kumar told PTI. He also said he will also not get his wife, who is still admitted at Max Hospital, discharged from until they get justice. The babys uncle said that they will continue to protest outside Max Hospital. A panel formed by the Delhi government to look into the case yesterday found Max Hospital guilty of not following prescribed medical norms in dealing with newborn infants. On December 2, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain had said the hospitals licence could be cancelled if a probe found it guilty of medical negligence. Max Healthcare on December 4 had said that it had decided to terminate the services of two doctors allegedly involved in the case. PTI SLB KND BUN ZMN --- ENDS --- Archaeologists digging in the sand dunes of Santa Barbara County, California discovered a 300-pound sphinx head. Notably, the artifact does not date back to ancient times but is only 95-years-old. The sphinx is actually a prop from pioneering filmmaker Cecile DeMille's 1923 movie The Ten Commandments. It was part of the so-called "Lost City of DeMille," a massive Egyptian set made for the movie. From the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center: Legend has it that after filming, it was too expensive to move and too valuable to leave for rival filmmakers to poachso DeMille had it buried. In the 1980s, director Peter Brosnan and a group of young filmmakers set out to find the ruins. Over 30 years later, excavations began, and have since turned up a trove of historical artifacts including an entire sphinx broken into pieces. Everyday relicsprohibition liquor bottles, makeup, and tobacco tinshave also been found, shedding light on what life was like for the cast and crew in 1923. There's also a recent documentary on the subject, titled "The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille." (Hollywood Reporter) Twenty-four US government officials and their relatives were subject to a series of unknown, invisible attacks on the US embassy in Cuba starting last year. Doctors who examined the victims say the people have suffered brain injury as a result. From The Guardian: Medical testing has revealed the embassy workers developed changes to the white matter tracts that let different parts of the brain communicate, several US officials said, describing a growing consensus held by university and government physicians researching the attacks. White matter acts like information highways between brain cells. Loud, mysterious sounds followed by hearing loss and ear-ringing had led investigators to suspect "sonic attacks". But officials are now avoiding that term. The sounds may have been the byproduct of something else that caused damage, said three US officials briefed on the investigation. The discovery casts doubt on the theory that the attacks were sonic waves. The Guardian spoke to Elisa Konofagou, a biomedical engineering professor at Columbia University, who told the paper that acoustic waves don't affect white matter tracts in the brain. "I would be very surprised," Konofagou said, adding that ultrasound in the brain is used frequently in modern medicine. "We never see white matter tract problems." Image: Stevenbedrick at English Wikipedia Featured Post MNN 'Mohawk Mothers Granted -- Injunction October 27, 2022' Posted on November 16, 2022 MOHAWK MOTHERS GRANTED INJUNCTION OCT 27/22 Mohawk Nation News https://mohawknationnews.com/blog/2022/11/16/... White Mesa Ute Spiritual March to Shut Down Uranium Mill Mohawk Warrior Society Book Launch Lakota Jean Roach: The True Story of Leonard Peltier Justice for Dad: Taylor Dewey Shares the Harsh Road to Justice Justice Dept Files Lawsuit Against Rapid City Hotel Western Shoshone Ian Zabarte Speaks on Radiation Archive Search This Blog About Censored News Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell. Since 2006, Censored News has received more than 20 million pageviews. As a collective of writers, photographers and broadcasters, we publish news of Indigenous Peoples and human rights. Contact publisher Brenda Norrell: brendanorrell@gmail.com From the publisher Censored News is published by Brenda Norrell, a journalist in Indian country for 40 years. Norrell created Censored News after she was censored and terminated as a staff reporter at Indian Country Today in 2006. She began as a reporter at Navajo Times during the 18 years that she lived on the Navajo Nation. She was a stringer for AP and USA Today and later traveled with the Zapatistas through Mexico. She has been blacklisted by all the mainstream media for 14 years. Contact brendanorrell@gmail.com Translate Amazon (AMZN) appears to have canceled a pharmaceutical wholesaler application in the state of Maine, analysts at RBC Capital Markets pointed out Tuesday, raising further questions about the tech giant's plans to enter the pharmacy space. The Maine Board of Pharmacy website shows an application from Amazon.com was canceled on Dec. 1, RBC analysts George Hill, Stephen Hagan and Lee Lueder wrote in a research note. Amazon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The news that Amazon had acquired wholesale pharmacy licenses in multiple states, first reported in October by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, heightened already intense speculation that the company planned to compete in prescription drugs. But experts soon pointed out that the licenses didn't enable Amazon to distribute prescription medicines; instead they supported existing medical products businesses . But RBC's analysts say Maine's regulations mean Amazon's licensing activities in the state could be a signal of its plans. "In Maine, a medical device license was not needed for the sale of medical supplies so industry sources have implied the Maine license was a strong leading indicator of whether or not Amazon would enter the drug supply chain," RBC wrote. "We see this cancellation as a negative indicator of the likelihood that Amazon enters pharmacy in the near term and thus as a positive for the pharmacies and drug supply chain." Speculation about Amazon's entry has weighed on stocks of drug distributors, pharmacy benefits managers and retail pharmacies. Amazon has remained silent about what, if any, plans it may have for a bigger move into health care. CNBC reported last week that the company has engaged in exploratory discussions with makers of generic drugs about what role it could potentially play . WATCH: Amazon holding talks to explore pharma space entry More From CNBC Jennifer MacIntyre, Canada's climate change ambassador, is stepping down after the sudden death of her husband. "It is with mixed emotions that I must step down as Canada's Ambassador for Climate Change," MacIntyre tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. "The opportunity to advance Canada's international #ClimateChange #CleanGrowth agenda was an immense privilege. I am confident Canada's important #climate leadership will continue." Her husband, Michael Fink, passed away in October. He was 48 years old. The couple met when they were each in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to an obituary, he had worked for the National Nuclear Security Administration contributing to American efforts to "secure weapons-grade nuclear material around the world" and was dedicated to the cause of nuclear non-proliferation. "Michael spent the final years of his career with Switzerland's Arktis Radiation Detectors, and his daughters are always proud to say 'Daddy works to stop bombs,'" the obituary said. MacIntyre was appointed in June, filling a position that had been vacant since January 2015. She was previously Canada's ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In her own tweet, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna thanked MacIntyre for her leadership and dedication to the issue of climate change. "I want to thank Jennifer for her amazing service," McKenna added in a statement from China, where she is travelling. "She was a very effective climate ambassador and a strong support for our government's efforts to promote climate action and clean growth in the global arena. Climate diplomacy is extremely important and we will be seeking a replacement for this position in due course. "We are very sorry to see Jennifer leave for personal reasons, but we wish her all the best and deeply appreciate her contribution as Canada's first female ambassador for climate change." Colorado family thrilled to stay in Manitoba after months-long immigration fight over girl's health needs After months of fighting with immigration, the Warkentin family gets to stay in Canada as permanent residents. "When we first heard the news, we were like, 'Are you sure? Are you sure there's not like other hurdles we have to cross, something else coming down?' Our lawyer informed us that 'no, it's done, you're good.' So, very very exciting," said Jon Warkentin Tuesday. But it wasn't easy. The Warkentin family came to Canada from Colorado in 2013 to operate an outfitting business in Waterhen, Man., 275 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Jon and Karissa Warkentin didn't know that their daughter Karalynn, then two, had special needs. She was diagnosed in 2014 with epilepsy and global developmental delay. With their work permits to run their hunting and fishing lodge set to expire, the Warkentins applied for permanent residency in November 2016. Their letter of rejection from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which arrived in April, said Karalynn's health condition might cause "excessive demand" on health or social services in Canada. Karalynn, who is now six years old, loves to jump on the trampoline, play with Lego and watch the movie Frozen. She's been seizure-free for two years, does not take any medications, and a psychologist's report submitted to IRCC suggested only the possibility that she had ADHD, Warkentin said. She behaves at the cognitive level of a three- or four-year-old and needs to be supervised, the family previously told CBC News. After months of uncertainty, Warkentin said he's happy to be able to focus on growing his business once again. But he wants to know why it took a 500-page application to get approval to stay. "We don't know, we can only, you know, kind of guess at what changed it," he said, adding he's been told the policy is currently being reviewed. "When we first responded to the fairness letter, we did that on our own. We didn't have any legal representation. This time we did." Story continues The submission showed that Karalynn wasn't as severe a case "as they had feared," and included positives, like the economic development the family brings to the north Interlake, along with a lengthy letter of support from the province. "You know, while we're very happy with the decision for our family today, (our hope is) that they'll take a really hard look at it ... and other families won't have to go through what we've gone through. That's our hope." Their church has planned a little celebration to welcome the family as permanent residents, and Warkentin thanked the public for their outpouring of support. Teaching and Learning 'Pop-up Courses' Provide Short-Term Learning Experiences at Saint Michael's College Saint Michael's College, a private Catholic institution in Vermont, is updating its curriculum with a new "pop-up" course format. The courses are meant to "create a space for educated discussion between students and their instructors" about timely issues or interests that aren't being accommodated in the traditional curriculum, according to a news announcement. The pop-up courses are offered for 0-1 credits and are pass/fail, providing a short-term learning experience without the pressure of grades. The college is currently offering two pop-ups: A course on issues of diversity, inclusion and leadership on college campuses, offered by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion; and Thriving in a Digital World, a course on using technology and being safe online, taught by staffers in the IT department. "Higher education hasn't been too creative or responsive to students' needs and interests, and we need to be," said Karen Talentino, vice president of academic affairs, in a statement. She added that students are allowed to propose their own ideas for courses, which helps ensure the topics are relevant and innovative. Talentino noted that a number of other institutions are implementing the pop-up approach, including Bennington College (VT) and Stanford University (CA). One of the twins who was initially declared dead by Max Hospital and was later found to be alive, died after fighting for five days. By Abhishek Anand: The infant who was declared dead by Max Hospital and was found alive by the family on the way to the cremation ground, died at a private hospital today. The twins born to Shalimar Bagh residents Ashish and Varsha at Max hospital on November 30, were 22 weeks premature. The babies were declared dead by a team of doctors at the Max Hospital earlier. As the shattered family were taking the bodies of the babies to the cremation ground, they noticed some movement and found one of the infants alive. This baby was rushed to Agarwal Hospital in Pitampura. advertisement "We did our best to save the child but we had to give up at about 12 in the afternoon. He was on life support since the time he was brought here. He was bleeding from multiple organs and he could not survive," said Dr Sandeep Gupta of Agarwal Hospital. The doctor however said survival of a 22 to 23-week-old premature baby is very difficult and none of such cases of survival has been reported yet. What happened on Friday? On Friday, Shalimar Bagh's Max Super Specialty Hospital was in the news, after a set of twins were declared dead by the doctors and were handed over to the family. The family on it's way to the crematorium felt something move inside the bags and to their surprise, one of the infants was alive. The baby was rushed to a nearby hospital and a complaint was filed against the Max Super Specialty, Shalimar Bagh. The incident caught attention and the Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain issued a statement where he promised a strict action against those found guilty in the case. Action Taken The Indian Medical Association (IMA) also held a meeting regarding the negligence of doctors at the hospital. The services of the doctors namely Dr AP Mehta and Dr Vishal Gupta were terminated in the case relating to the death of the pre-mature twins. The inquiry began on December 1. The Delhi Heath Minister also had said that if the hospital was found guilty of medical negligence in its probe, its license could be cancelled. Latest update After death of the infant, family members have demanded cancellation of Max Hospital's license and an FIR against the doctors who were involved in the medical negligence. "We could not say anything more but the doctor should be put behind bars and the license of the hospital must be cancelled so that this incident is not repeated with any family in future," said Vikas, maternal uncle of the deceased infant. VIDEO | Delhi government orders enquiry against Max Hospital over newborn wrongly declared dead --- ENDS --- TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Spanking your child may have unintended consequences as he or she forges adult romantic relationships years later, a new study suggests. The study found that spanked kids tended to have higher odds of being violent toward their dating partners, researchers said. "While we can't say that spanking causes later violence, it follows that if a kid learns that physical punishment is a way to solve conflict, he/she may carry that over into conflicts with later intimate partners," said study senior author Jeff Temple. He's a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. In the study, Temple's group interviewed 700 participants in southeast Texas in their late teens and early 20s. About 19 percent said they had committed some form of dating violence and 69 percent said they were physically punished during childhood. The study identified a significant association between corporal punishment during childhood and violence toward dating partners in adulthood. Specifically, people who got spanked as kids had a 29 percent higher risk for perpetrating dating violence, the findings showed. That held true even after the researchers took into account the person's age, gender, parents' education and any history of child physical abuse. "While parents may think this form of physical punishment is a good lesson, substantial research indicates that it does way more harm than good," Temple said in a university news release. "The current study adds to this knowledge by showing that being physically punished as a child is linked to perpetrating dating violence as a teen and young adult." It's not that big a stretch to connect the two, he added. "Common sense and scientific research both tell us that children learn from their parents," Temple explained. "Parents are a child's first look at relationships and how conflicts are handled. Corporal punishment is communicating to children that violence is an acceptable means of changing behavior." It's estimated that about 80 percent of children worldwide are subjected to physical punishment, the study authors said. In addition, prior research has found associations between corporal punishment and problems such as childhood aggression and mental health disorders. For example, one recent study of more than 8,300 California adults found that a history of being spanked in childhood was linked to a 37 percent raised risk of attempting suicide in adulthood, and 33 percent higher odds for adult drug abuse. Still, spanking continues in many U.S. households, Temple noted. "Although mounting evidence shows the many detrimental effects of corporal punishment, many parents, much of the general public, and even some schools continue thinking this is an acceptable means to punish misbehavior," he said. The new study was published Dec. 5 in The Journal of Pediatrics. More information The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on spanking. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Islamic Republic of Mauritania Ministere du Secretariat General a la Presidence B.P.184 Nouakchott, Mauritania via Fax: +222 525 85 52 December 6, 2017 Dear President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, We, the undersigned international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), ask you to ensure that blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, also known by the name of Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkaitir, regains his freedom since he has served his sentence. We also urge you to take steps to guarantee Mohameds safety upon his release. A Mauritanian court sentenced Mohamed to death in December 2014 on apostasy-related charges after he published an article titled Religion, religiosity, and craftsman, in which he criticized the Mauritanian caste system. The court ruled that the article was blasphemous to the Prophet Muhammad, despite the blogger repenting in court and saying he did not intend to insult the prophet. Based on Mohameds repentance, an appeals court in the city of Nouadhibou on November 9, 2017, reduced Mohameds death sentence to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of 60,000 Mauritanian ouguiya ($172). Having spent more than three years in prison, Mohamed was scheduled to be released, yet he remains in custody, according to a November 16 press statement from the former Justice Minister Ibrahim Ould Daddah. The bloggers relatives told CPJ that they have not been able to visit him or confirm his whereabouts. Since Mohameds imprisonment three years ago, preachers have called for his death. Moreover, your cabinet on November 16 approved a bill to amend Article 306 of the penal code that would punish defamation to God, the Prophet Muhammad, Holy Books, angels or prophets by death. Under the bill, repentance would not allow authorities to reduce the sentence or drop charges as they had previously done in Mohameds case. In his November 16 press statement, then Justice Minister Ibrahim Ould Daddah said that the law will not be applied retroactively, but Mohameds continued detention is deeply concerning to us. In an April 14 interview with Rcadio France Internationale, Your Excellency said that you will ensure Mohameds safety, just like any other Mauritanian, once the court orders his release. We urge you to ensure his prompt release and safety, regardless of political pressure. We also urge you, Your Excellency, to reaffirm your vision of Mauritania as you described it in the interview: A country where people can practice democracy and have the freedom to write whatever they want. Abolishing laws that curtail press freedom, and freedom of speech, would be a step towards this vision. Thank you in advance for your attention to this urgent matter. Sincerely, Sherif Mansour Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Committee to Protect Journalists Christophe Deloire Secretary General Reporters Without Borders Carles Torner Executive Director PEN International Eric Goldstein Deputy Director of Middle East and North Africa division Human Rights Watch Karin Deutsch Karlekar Director, Free Expression at Risk Programs PEN America Maran Turner Executive Director Freedom Now Stephen Cockburn Deputy Regional Director Research, West and Central Africa Office Amnesty International Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, December 6, 2017Sudanese authorities should stop confiscating newspapers and drop draft laws that would further curtail press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Over the past nine days, agents from Sudans National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) have confiscated all copies of four opposition newspapers Al-Tayar, Al-Watan, Al-Jarida, and Akhir Lahza from the printers, according to news reports and a statement from the independent, Khartoum-based Sudanese Journalists Network. Separately, the Sudanese cabinet in mid-November approved a draft of an amended version of the Press and Publications Law, which would potentially give the authorities power to further censor newspapers, if approved by the parliament, according to news reports. Sudanese authorities have a history of silencing critical journalists by confiscating newspapers. Now they are trying to extend their powers of censorship through seizure, CPJs Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington D.C. We call on Sudanese authorities to allow all newspapers to report freely, and drop draft laws that would further curtail press freedom. Bahaa ElDin Eissa, managing editor of al-Tayar, told CPJ that the newspaper confiscations might be linked to al-Tayars critical coverage of the President Omar al-Bashirs visit to Russia in late November, where he discussed potential military cooperation with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The three other papers, Al-Watan, Al-Jarida, and Akhir Lahza, printed similar stories about al-Bashirs Russia visit. Eissa estimates al-Tayars financial losses at 25,000 Sudanese Pounds (US$1,000) for each day the paper is confiscated. Eissa said the NISS did not explain the confiscation. Editors of the four newspapers sent a joint letter on December 2 to the Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh inquiring about the reason behind the confiscations but got no response, Anadolu news agency reported and Eissa confirmed. Local journalists began an open-ended strike on December 5 in protest at the confiscations, according to news reports. NISS did not immediately respond to CPJs emailed request for comment. The new version of the Press and Publications Law would allow the states National Press Council to order the confiscation of critical newspapers for up to 15 days instead of three days under the current law, according to news reports. The law would also allow the council to suspend a journalists credentials, including credentials for those who work for online outlets, for the period that it sees fit, according to news reports. Press council members are elected by the parliament or the states press union, or appointed by the countrys president. The draft does not specify violations that could lead to the suspension of a journalists or a newspapers credentials, according to the reports. Without credentials, news outlets and journalists are not allowed to report. The Cabinets Secretariat did not immediately respond to CPJs email requesting comment. BrahMos Missile: Godrej Aero gets new contract for missile airframes Published: December 6, 2017 Godrej Aerospace has won order from BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) for supply of additional 100 units airframe fuel management systems for BrahMos Air-Launched Cruise Missile. Godrej Aerospace is unit of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. It has been associated with BrahMos since 2000 and most recently it had completed supply of its 100th airframe for the missile. Key Facts Godrej Aerospace supplies airframes for land and sea versions of the BrahMos missile to BrahMos Aerospace. Both versions have been inducted by army and navy. The air version currently has 65% of sub-systems indigenously manufactured, while a little more than 50% of entire missile is indigenously produced. BrahMos missile Brahmos is supersonic cruise missile developed by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint-venture between Russias Mashinostroyenia and Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It operates on fire and forget principal and is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against sea and land targets. It is hailed as worlds fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation. It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant. It is capable of carrying warhead of 300 kilogram (both conventional as well as nuclear). It has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8 to 3 (roughly three times speed of sound). Its range was extended 600-km plus and capability to strike the targets with pinpoint accuracy after India became member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2016. The Indian Navy and Army already operate different variants of Brahmos missile. In November 2017, air version of BrahMos missile was successfully fired from Sukhoi. BrahMos Aerospace is currently working on miniature version of missile, called BrahMos NG. It is still in the design stage and development is a few years away. The mini version will enable Sukhois to carry multiple missiles. Currently, the Sukhoi can carry only one BrahMos at a time. Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017 Category: Defence Current Affairs Topics: BrahMos missile Cruise missile Defence Godrej Aerospace Make in India Latest E-Books Our Divisions Copyright 2022-23 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Mauritanian deputies should reject a new draft law that would make the death penalty mandatory for the crime of "insulting" or "mocking" God, the Quran, or the Prophet Muhammad, Human Rights Watch said today. On November 16, 2017, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's cabinet approved the draft legislation, which would eliminate the possibility under the current law of substituting a prison term for the death penalty if the offender promptly repents. 'Instead of decriminalizing apostasy, as the international treaties they signed would warrant, Mauritanian authorities are hurtling in the opposite direction, closing off alternatives to execution," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. The cabinet's move came a week after an appeals court sentenced Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, a blogger convicted of apostasy, to a prison term. The court accepted his repentance as a basis for voiding the death penalty that another court had imposed on him for posting an article denouncing the use of religion to justify discrimination in Mauritania. The case attracted international attention, with some leading Islamists figures and political parties in Mauritania calling for the blogger's execution. Mauritania's current penal code, in article 306, imposes the death penalty for apostasy but allows for a lighter penalty if the defendant repents. If the National Assembly passes the draft law, the death penalty will be mandatory, without the possibility of reducing the punishment, for any Muslim who mocks or insults God, the Quran, Muhammad, the angels, or prophets. It would still allow people to escape the death penalty for renouncing the Islamic faith or professing belief in it while secretly disbelieving, provided that the offender repented under specified conditions. The timing of the introduction of this draft law is clearly related to the verdict handed down in the blogger's appeals hearing, Human Rights Watch said. A lower court sentenced Mkhaitir to death for apostasy in December 2014 for his article, in which he criticized fellow Mauritanians for citing incidents from the life of the Prophet Muhammad to legitimize caste discrimination in Mauritania. Mkhaitir belongs to the so-called "forgerons," which is viewed as a lower caste. An appeals court upheld the death sentence. But on January 31, 2017, the Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial. On November 8, 2017, the Court of Appeals in Nouadhibou reduced Mkhaitir's punishment to 2 years of prison and a fine . The prosecutor general immediately challenged the appeals court ruling before the Supreme Court. The lowered sentence should have led to Mkhaitir's release, since he had been in preventive detention for nearly 4 years. But in the days since the ruling, one of the defense lawyers, Fatimata M'Baye, has been unable to locate her client. A presidential adviser reportedly stated that Mkhaitir had not been freed and would remain detained until the Supreme Court's review. His whereabouts are unknown. Mauritania's new draft law on apostasy and the failure of authorities to immediately release and void charges against Mkhaitir for his peaceful expression violate international law guarantees protecting free speech, such as those enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Mauritania has been a party since 2004. In its general comment number 34, the United Nations Human Rights Committee - the body of independent experts that monitors governments' compliance with the ICCPR - makes clear that "prohibitions of displays of lack of respect for a religion or other belief system, including blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the Covenant," unless they constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence. Both UN and African human rights standards on the right to life encourage countries to move toward abolition of the death penalty and in countries that retain it, make clear that it should be limited to the most serious crimes and may be imposed only after a fair trial. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has stated that: "In those States which have not yet abolished the death penalty it is vital that it is used for only the most serious crimes - understood to be crimes involving intentional killing." "Instead of introducing laws to toughen punishment for apostasy, Mauritania should be clarifying the legal status and whereabouts of Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, who should never have spent a single day in prison for his writings," Whitson said. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Human Rights Watch, December 5, 2017 In the newly released White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) Report, the government indicated that it will retain the death penalty in Section 16 (1) of the 1991 Constitution. The CRC report was presented to the President on 24th January 2017, with several recommendations of which was a call for the abolition of the death penalty, under the theme Protection of Right to Life. The Section reads ... "No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Sierra Leone, of which he has been convicted." During consultations with Parliamentarians, they were in favour of abolishing the death penalty completely. The CRC also took account of numerous position papers including that of the HRCSL that had been received, and the responses from nationwide consultations where there was a clear majority call for the abolition of the death penalty. The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) 2014 report recommended that the government and the CRC should implement the TRC and the Universal periodic Review recommendations for the abolition of the death penalty. They also urged government through the office of the Attorney general to sign the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the abolition of the death penalty. In May 2014, Minister of Justice, Franklyn Bai Kargbo told the United Nations that Sierra Leone intended to abolish capital punishment in law and that the death sentences of the country's last death row prisoners had been commuted to life imprisonment. In the HRCSL 2016 report, they reported that they were concerned about statement made on radio by the Internal Affairs Minister Palo Conteh, on 21st October that the gallows would be tested and prepared in readiness for use. A mock execution was subsequently done at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre on 25th October, which was viewed on television. The death penalty in Sierra Leone indicates that murder, treason, and aggravated robbery are death-eligible. Hanging and shooting is the method provided by law for any execution. The Government's response was that the CRC plenary did not have a quorum of members when they were voting on the recommendation around abolishing the death penalty. "Further, the recommendation is not representative of the views of the members of the CRC who voted 23 to 18 in favour of retaining the death penalty ..." As a result, the government says it will maintain the death penalty as a deterrent to heinous crimes against humanity. Despite the government stance to maintain the death penalty, the last known execution was carried out by firing squad in October 1998, where they publicly executed 24 soldiers for taking part in a military coup. In 2010, there were 13 prisoners on death row. Recent presidential pardons contributed to emptying death row, according to Amnesty International, there were no prisoners on death row by the end of 2012. A man was sentenced to death in 2013 (the 1st death sentence since 2011) and was the only person under sentence of death until recently. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde awoko.com, December 5, 2017 By PTI: (Eds: Adding quotes) New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat today said there was a politicisation of the armed forces and the military "should be somehow" kept away from politics. The army chief also said the norm in the "good old days" was never to discuss women and politics in the forces. However, these subjects were gradually "inching" their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added. advertisement "The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity," he said. Rawat was speaking at an event organised by the United Service Institution. In the "good old days", the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces, he said. However, these subjects were gradually "inching" their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added. "Whenever (any) issue (of) linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then...that is best avoided," he said. The army chief declined to elaborate on the statement. The defence forces, he asserted, do best when they dont meddle in the political affairs of the nation. Responding to criticism over the Army being asked to build foot overbridges following the stampede at Mumbais Elphinstone railway station in October, Rawat said there is a charter of aid to civilians under which the armed forces help out in times of crises like floods and earthquakes. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is also chairman of the powerful chiefs of staff committee (CoSC), has taken up the issue of capping educational assistance with the defence ministry, he said. There has been some resentment in the three services of the armed forces over the defence ministrys decision to cap the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 per month. Rawat added that there was a "misunderstanding" on the issue and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured that addressing the problem was a priority, Rawat added. The Army chief also noted that there was radicalisation among the youth by terror outfits and the issue was being addressed. PTI PR MIN --- ENDS --- Congress has until Friday to vote to extend funding to the government through next September. Democrats want the budget proposal to address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), but some Republicans will only include DACA reform in exchange for chain migration reform. If immigration reform is the price to pay for funding government, Congress needs to decide on a sensible immigration policy. Democrats want the DACA program to be extended. They want to protect undocumented immigrants who were brought over as children from deportation and create a process by which recipients could apply for long-term and secured status. Republicans want to restrict chain migration, which allows initiating immigrants, i.e. the first immigrant from a family to come to the U.S., to sponsor family members for immigration. The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act), one of leading immigration bills in Congress, sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and David Perdue (R-Georgia), reforms to chain migration. Under the RAISE Act, initiating immigrants would no longer be able to sponsor siblings or adult children. In addition, the bill would replace green cards with a five-year renewable residency visa without work authorization for parents of initiating immigrants. According to the White House, between 2005 and 2015, 9.3 million immigrants entered the United States based on family ties, nearly 70 percent of all immigrants allowed into the country during this time. Opponents of chain migration want to eliminate the preferential treatment afforded to extended and adult family members. Instead, they want to issue green cards on the basis of migrants skills. The RAISE Act is estimated to reduce overall immigration by 41 percent in the first year and 50 percent after a decade. The Trump administration is in favor of private sector initiatives in many spheres, so to find it supporting the concept that a government agency can do better than individuals at picking immigrants is surprising. Consider the case of Athanasios, who has a construction firm, and who has a job for his brother and wants to bring him from Greece. Alternatively, a government bureaucrat decides whether Athanasios really has a need for another construction worker, and issues a visa to some random worker with the right credentialswho might never find Athanasios. Chain migration is an information system that enables networks of people to find each other to come and work. If there is no work, individuals will not invite family members to come. The major argument against chain migration is that some people receive benefits without working. This is a welfare problem that needs to be solved. The obvious solution is to make new immigrants ineligible for federal and state benefits. As a condition of entering the United States, they should be required to purchase health insurance prior to arrival, and to keep the policy while in the country. Another argument against chain migration is that it leads to an overabundance of low-skill workers and not enough higher skilled workers, harming prospects for native-born Americans. However, many vacancies exist in low-skill occupations such as hospitality. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey, the most recent job opening rate in the leisure and hospitality industry was 4.6 percent in September. The United States currently has 6 million unfilled vacancies. Furthermore, the number of new immigrants entering through chain migration with a bachelors degree or higher is rising, and the number of new immigrants with less than a high school diploma is declining. From 2000 to 2010, 1.4 million new immigrants had less than a high school education, compared to 3.2 million with a bachelors degree or higher, a 43 percent share. Since 2010, 300,000 new immigrants had less than a high school education, but 2.1 million had a bachelors degree or higher, a 14 percent share. It makes little sense to allow parents of initiating immigrants to enter the country without allowing them to work, as does the RAISE Act. If parents want to work, and they find jobs, why not allow them to do so? This would generate additional federal and state tax revenue. The view that the pool of jobs is a fixed pie, and that if someone takes a piece it leaves less for others, is commonly held by Europeans, but not by Americans. That is why the French instituted a 35-hour work week. It does not reflect the dynamic nature of the U.S. workforce, nor the role that immigrants have historically played in expanding Americas economy. Reducing chain migration is based on the assumption that additional immigrants harm the economy and that America would be better off without them. However, the United States needs more workers to achieve President Trumps 4 percent economic growth target. Immigrants who want to come and work should be welcomed. Emily Top is a research associate at Economics21. Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning Ebrief. The U.N. Security Council convened an emergency meeting on North Korea November 29th -- the ninth such meeting this year -- after the DPRK launched its highest and longest ballistic missile to date, demonstrating the regimes relentless determination to illegally pursue nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned that the international community has reached a critical decision point. She praised the Councils unprecedented measures to try to stop North Korea by deeply cutting into its major export industries and by reducing its military access to the refined petroleum that fuels its war machine. She noted that many nations have taken other strong actions, like restricting or ending diplomatic relations, cutting military ties, and severing trade connections. But it has not been enough to change the North Korean behavior. Some countries continue to fund North Koreas nuclear program by violating UN sanctions or by failing to implement them fully. Ambassador Haley says the time of reckoning has come. To ensure a peaceful reckoning, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea, cut off trade by stopping all imports and exports, and expel all North Korean workers. Also, Ambassador Haley said China should stop supplying crude oil to the DPRK, as it did in 2003; where, soon after, North Korea came to the negotiating table. Extreme options to deal with North Koreas nuclear threat include rescinding its UN voting rights. Many countries have madebig economic and political sacrifices by cutting ties with North Korea. They did that to serve the peace and security of all of us, said Ambassador Haley. We now turn to [Chinese] President Xi to also take that stand. North Koreas latest ballistic missile test brings the world closer to war, not farther from it, said Ambassador Haley. 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 [by North Korea]And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed. Ambassador Haley declared that [t]he nations of the world have it within their power to further isolate, diminish, and God willing, reverse the dangerous course of the North Korean regime. We must all do our part to make that happen." Former Catalan government minister Carles Mundo, recently released from jail, at an ERC campaign event on Tuesday. Massimiliano Minocri Catalonias separatist parties plan to keep up their independence bid after the regional election of December 21. But they are no longer specifying dates or the methods they will use to build a Catalan republic, in contrast with their campaign promises prior to the 2015 election. Another difference is that Junts per Catalunya (JuntsxCat), the platform headed by former premier Carles Puigdemont, and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), whose leader is former deputy premier Oriol Junqueras, are openly vying for the title of Catalonias top separatist party, whereas in 2015 they had campaigned together as Junts pel Si. Dialogue does not entail giving up on any political goal Marta Rovira, ERC Puigdemont is now in self-imposed exile in Belgium, from where he is conducting an online campaign, and Junqueras is in pre-trial custody in Madrid as part of a criminal investigation into rebellion over the illegal independence push. Both were removed from office, along with the rest of their government team, when Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution in a bid to restore the law in the breakaway region. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided to release six members of the ousted Catalan government who were in pre-trial custody, but to keep Junqueras and the former interior affairs chief, Joaquim Forn, behind bars. The court also lifted the European arrest warrant against Puigdemont but maintained the Spanish one, meaning that if the ousted Catalan leader returns to Spain he will be immediately detained. Meanwhile the far-left CUP, whose parliamentary support had allowed Junts pel Si to pass its breakaway legislation, now says that both campaign platforms are too ambiguous about the terms of independence. The anti-establishment group dismisses the plans as autonomist rather than truly secessionist. The CUP dismisses the plans as autonomist rather than truly secessionist. During its campaign run for the election of September 27, 2015, the Junts pel Si coalition gave itself 18 months to hold constituent elections for a new Catalan state. Its deal with the CUP introduced a few changes to this roadmap, including the holding of the illegal referendum on October 1. Disagreement over the declaration of a republic inside the Catalan parliament was the final factor that broke up the separatists unity. Separatists are loath to give up on their secession push, but by now they have realized that unilateral independence is not possible, and that no foreign country will recognize it. The strategy has therefore changed, with the top priority now being a repeal of the emergency measures in place since the application of Article 155, which gave Madrid the power to temporarily curtail Catalonias broad powers of self-rule. Josep Rull, who is number six on Puigdemonts ticket, summed up their goals at a Tuesday rally: Freedom, amnesty, dignity and democratic normality. After that, both JuntsxCat and ERC want to keep building the Catalan republic, but without any clear roadmap or deadlines. Instead, ERCs campaign platform now talks about working to make effective the recognition of the right to self-determination as reflected on October 1, the day of the illegal referendum. It also adds that this can only be achieved through a bilateral negotiation with the Spanish state, on equal terms, and without any prior renunciation by the Catalan parliament or government. Dialogue does not entail giving up on any political goal, said ERC official Marta Rovira. Meanwhile, JuntsxCats program also talks about building the Catalan republic and the right to self-determination, but offers no timeline and no plan beyond opening up a dialogue with the Spanish state after Puigdemont is restored to his position of Catalan premier and the criminal investigations against him and other ex-officials are dropped. Elsa Artadi, the campaign manager for JuntsxCat, said that if separatist forces win on December 21, they will have more negotiating power. English version by Susana Urra. More than 1,000 works from iconic surrealist painter Salvador Dali can now be viewed at the click of a button thanks to a new online project from the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation in Figueras, Catalonia. The foundation worked for 17 years to track down Dalis paintings and create one of the most encompassing collections to date, which includes the characteristics and origins of each piece. The new catalogue raisonne traces the artists journey from 1910 until 1983 the year after Gala, his wife, muse and lifelong collaborator, passed away. The painter saw Gala as more than just inspiration, she was considered a co-author of his works. Indeed he signed many of his paintings Gala Salvador Dali. Apisaje, which was painted between 1910 and 1014 and is catalogued as work number one by the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation. Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali Gala died at 90 years of age in 1982 due to complications from a femur operation. After her death, Dali, already old and infirm, sank into a deep depression, from which he never recovered. He made just a few paintings in the months following her death, before abandoning his work completely in 1983. Gala met Dali in 1929 on a trip to Catalonia when she was traveling with her then-husband Paul Eluard and a group of friends. The encounter was dramatic, just like the work and history of both. Gala Eluard left her successful life in Andre Bretons Paris and moved to a far-flung city on the Mediterranean coast with a young man who was a nobody an audacious nobody who spoke openly about eating feces, but still a nobody. But his emphatic proposal, so different to the uptight comme il faut attitude of Bretons gang, must have made a mark on the young Gala: she left everything for him. Dalis painting Juego lugubre, associated with that historic meeting, is one of the 1,000 pieces catalogued by the Gala-Salvador Foundation, which, along with the Reina Sofia Museum and the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, has one of the most complete collections of his works. The catalogue spans from 1910 until 1983 and is divided into five periods This collection is divided across three sites Galas home, the Pubol castle, which is the final resting place of Gala and Dali, and the Dali Theater and Museum in Figueres, the most visited of the three. But the foundation offers more than just a tourist attraction to pull in crowds who, like the friends of Breton, are only interested in the painters charisma and audacity. It also has one of the most internationally renowned research centers on Salvador Dali the Center for Dali Research. Here at the center, headed by Montse Aguer and located at the Dali Theater and Museum in Figueres, a team of mostly female experts dedicate themselves to conserving, cataloguing and providing context and information about materials from the other sites. This includes drawings, photographs, publications, objects, suits, works of friends anything that relates to the life of Gala and Dali. In this spirit, the foundation has completed the online catalogue raisonne of paintings by Salvador Dali a tool that promises to provide invaluable insight to students and fans of Dalis work. It is not just a project that will improve and create a more accurate understanding of the painters work, it is also a way to organize the artists body of work, and avoid mistaken attributions, something that often happens with popular artists. In the future, the catalogue, which is open to the possibility for new Dali discoveries, could also help build virtual realities of the painters surrealist worlds. In this sweeping catalogue of 1,000-plus paintings, there is only one work missing: the artist himself. English version by Melissa Kitson. Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau. ALBERT GARCIA The voter drain affecting Podemos in Catalonia, as reflected by the latest voting intention poll, raises concerns for the anti-austerity party, which could fare worse on December 21 than it did at the last regional elections in September 2015. The CIS poll shows that more than 40% of people who then voted for Catalunya Si que es pot (CSQP), the predecessor of the current Catalunya en Comu-Podem coalition, are now attracted by other voting choices. Its problem is that it sits along the border of all fronts, and thats why it has a hard time retaining its voter base Berta Barbet, Politikon The survey is predicting a voter intention rate for the leftist group of 8.6%, three-tenths of a point lower than in 2015, and nine seats instead of 11. Podemoss Catalan representatives have been accused of ambiguity with regard to the secessionist push, and regional leaders have clashed with central officials over the issue. Meanwhile, Barcelona Mayor Ada Colaus own contradictory messages regarding her position on independence may be contributing to this voter volatility, as her party is part of the Catalunya en Comu platform that is running in tandem with Podem. But the groups top candidate, Xavier Domenech, is portraying the situation as beneficial because they stand to hold the key to any government, if the polls are right and there is a technical tie between separatist and unionist parties on December 21. As an added bonus, Domenech gets the second-best rating (4.79) of all party candidates after Oriol Junqueras of ERC (5.12). Leader Xavier Domenech gets the second-best rating of all party candidates But analysts say that the coalitions ambiguity is having negative effects on its election outcomes. Catalunya En Comu-Podem has one of the lowest loyalty rates, explains Pablo Simon, a visiting lecturer at Carlos III University. Its middle-of-the-spectrum position in a context of polarization is not helping. Simon notes that coalition leaders called on people to go vote in the illegal referendum of October 1, but later disassociated themselves with all that and took up a rhetoric that opposed the unilateral declaration of independence and Article 155. Its problem is that it sits along the border of all fronts, and thats why it has a hard time retaining its voter base, adds Berta Barbet, a political scientist and editor at the think tank Politikon. According to the CIS poll, 15.6% of people who voted for Catalunya Si que es Pot in 2015 would now vote for a separatist party: 8.6% for the Catalan Republican Left (ERC); 3.7% for Junts per Catalunya and 3.3% for the far-left CUP. But the largest group, representing 21.5% of former CSQP voters, would now cast their ballots for the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC). This reflects the fact that some of the people who voted for them in 2015 did so more because of their stand on social issues, says Simon. A further 7.1% of voters would now opt for the unionist party Ciudadanos. Only the Popular Party (PP) would fail to gain from this voter drain. English version by Susana Urra. Andalusias regional premier Susana Diaz during a debate about Spains regional financing system. Julio Munoz (EFE) With not long to go until its 40th anniversary, never before has the Spanish Constitution been subject to such intense reconsideration. In the wake of the Great Recession and widespread corruption, a political crisis took root that has left the field open for populists and ultra-nationalists who believe that the 1978 text is the source of all of the problems of representation and political organization that the country is currently suffering. That is not true. There are voices that are inviting us to wipe the slate clean. But that is not what we need. The system in Spain does not need to be scrapped Its an old custom in our country to tear everything down every once in a while, with a self-destructive will that has caused us great damage in the past. Today, once more, there are voices that are inviting us to wipe the slate clean. But that is not what we need. The system in Spain does not need to be scrapped. On the contrary, we enjoy an enviable democratic framework that needs to be taken care of, revised and reformed to prolong its life and improve it. The Spanish Constitution is the fruit of a rare political consensus at a historical time in which an entire nation that was emerging from a dictatorship designed a project for a country united by values that are included in its first article: a social and democratic state with a rule of law based on freedom, equality and pluralism. Its enactment, as has already been said, has served as a legal framework for a country whose economic and social development have progressed at breakneck speed in barely four decades. Today, on its 39th anniversary, it is clear that it needs to be brought up to date. For years now, a number of different voices including that of this newspaper have been calling for a revision that is able to adapt the text to the current reality and reduce some tensions, such as those of the territories. However, in the same way that the Constitution is not to blame for all of the political ills that afflict us, nor will its overhaul be the solution to everything. The reality is that it is todays politicians who should challenge each other when it comes to the reasons behind so much questioning of a fundamental law that just needs a few tweaks; including, the definition of the countrys territorial organization, the setting of each regions powers of self-government, reforms to the Senate, the incorporation of the European Union as a source of law, the end of the male line of succession within the crown, and little more. Consensus and minimal changes, but they are crucial. This should be the general rule. Politicians are showing themselves to be incapable of designing a new project for the country or to generate any enthusiasm for its consolidation The consensus of 1978 is not to blame for the nationalist tensions and the disenchantment with politics among Spanish citizens, but rather the incompetence of todays political forces. In contrast to that consensus, in Spain dissent has taken root among the political class, along with the inability to even negotiate the reshaping of a solid Constitution that is clearly aligned with that of its European opposite numbers. Given the current political fragmentation in Spanish politics this task looks difficult, but it will not be impossible. Ultimately, the absence of absolute majorities will force the need for wider negotiations to take place. The problem is that, being mired in disputes, the politicians are showing themselves to be incapable of designing a new project for the country or to generate any enthusiasm for its consolidation unless the plan is based on an antiquated dream of independence or a crusade against it. The problem is not the application of Article 155 of the Constitution (the measure taken by the central government to suspend self-rule in Catalonia after the regional parliament voted through a unilateral declaration of independence). It is the fact that it had to be applied in the first place. Because it is political action (or inaction) that is generating disaffection, as well as mistrust toward politics and the tensions that have led to a serious institutional crisis such as the one we have seen in Catalonia. The Catalan crisis has created a paralysis among certain politicians who appear incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time There is public demand for the article of the Constitution about territorial organization to be updated. Its drafting corresponds to a blueprint, the State of the Autonomous Regions, which has already been developed and established. There is also demand for a new regional financing system to be put in place, one that is based on predetermined procedures, with little margin for political arbitrariness. A system that would definitively enshrine territorial solidarity and keep each region happy without generating new grievances. Addressing this question would still not bring about the end of territorial tensions, but the same voices that speak out in such defense of the Constitution and the consequent social harmony are delaying the project, allowing for a direct attack on the legal framework that has guaranteed that harmony. The Catalan crisis has created a paralysis among certain politicians who appear incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, and they are forgetting the real importance of their mission: to try to resolve the demands of the voters. Regional financing is not an abstract question that solely falls to the regional governments. It affects essential services such as education and health. But there is a negligent tendency to put off pending tasks; whether it is the tackling of everyday issues, or the redrafting of a Constitutional text for which there are already sufficient and sensible proposals. The apathy of the politicians is a factor that is damaging the social harmony that has been achieved thanks to the support of the Constitution. English version by Simon Hunter. Islamic Republics Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that the United States decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a sign of helplessness and in his belief the fate of countries that follow the U.S. is annihilation. Khamenei made this remark during a speech delivered to Iranian and foreign dignitaries attending the Islamic Unity Conference taking place in Tehran this week. This was the first significant Iranian reaction so far against President Donald Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. The leader of the Islamic Republic also said that The language we use with the followers of America in the region, is the language of advicewe advise them that serving the wrongdoers of the world is to their disadvantage and as the Koran has commanded, partnering with wrongdoers has no future other than annihilation. Although Khamenei did not single out any country, but it appears his aim was Saudi Arabia and its allies in the region. Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a bitter rivalry and war of words in the region, which has intensified in recent years, as Iran has deepened its military involvement in Syria and Iraq and has been supporting the Huthi rebels in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia has intervened militarily to prevent a complete Huthi victory. The U.S., Israel and Gulf Arab states accuse Iran of engaging in destabilizing policies in the Middle East, by arming proxy forces, building a growing and advanced ballistic missile arsenal, which potentially can be used to carry nuclear weapons, and meddling in the affairs of regional countries. In his remarks Khamenei also accused the U.S. of intending to ignite a war in the region through its followers who are the pharos of today. They dance to the tune of America, he added and do whatever America asks them to do against Islam. Khamenei is often called the world leader of Moslems in Iran as the Islamic Republic attempts to claim legitimacy as the only true defender of the faith. Iranian leaders and IRGC commanders often use threatening language when they speak about the U.S. and its allies in the region. Two weeks ago, IRGC commander, General Mohammad Ali Jafari also threatened Saudi Arabia with retaliation by the resistance front; a term coined for Iran and its allies in the region. Recently, Saudi officials have also adopted a harsh language against the Islamic Republic. Last month, crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman called Khamenei a new Hitlerin the Middle East, in an interview with the New York Times. Regarding the U.S. decision on Jerusalem, Khamenei also said that Washingtons hands are tied in the Palestine issue and they cannot realize their goals. The cops are trying to identify the woman and get links in the case with the help of her tattoo. By Saurabh Vaktania: In a shocking incident, a woman was found dead on the beach in Mumbai today morning. The police was informed after a passerby found the body. The police are yet to identify the woman. The police have spotted a tattoo on the body of the woman. Since there are no other means to identify the woman, the police are banking on the tattoo to gather clues. Tattoo on the victim's body advertisement According to police, the post-mortem report suggested that the woman was murdered and later dumped at the beach. The post-mortem report also revealed that the woman, who was in her mid-20s, suffered injuries around her face and back. The Santacruz Police have registered a case of murder. Meanwhile, the crime branch is doing parallel investigations. Sources said that CCTV footage from the vicinity will be crucial to cracking the case. --- ENDS --- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a diplomatic conference on Wednesday that Israel wont allow Iran to establish a military base in Syria and he called on the world to halt Irans development of ballistic missiles, nuclear power and its support of "global terrorism." We have to act now against Iran, Netanyahu said at the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference. We will not let them establish themselves in Syria, Netanyahu said. We mean what we say and we say what we mean, he added. Netanyahu also announced that Israel is expanding ties throughout the Middle East, but not with Iran. Netanyahu said Israel has relations "with nearly every single one" of nations that do not formally recognize it, due to their growing need for its economic and security expertise." "See that country in red? By the way that's not on our list of diplomatic allies," he said, pointing to Iran on a map. He described Iran as an "aggressive regime" seeking nuclear weapons and a "land bridge" via Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean sea. With reporting by AFP, Jerusalem Post Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Gulgiz Muradova - Trend: Pakistan will continue to extend its unequivocal support to Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in an exclusive interview with Trend. The minister noted that Pakistan has principled stand on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and has supported on this issue brotherly people of Azerbaijan at all forums. "The Senate of Pakistan passed a resolution in 2012 declaring the Khojaly massacre as a genocide, while the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Nagorno-Karabakh," the minister added. As for the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey trilateral format of cooperation, the minister said that the primary purpose of this format is of course to further augment the already existing cordial relations between the three countries. "Pakistan has commonality of views on many regional and international issues with both countries. We unequivocally support each other on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir Dispute and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the minister said. The minister also touched upon the military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. The two countries have excellent military cooperation and both countries have benefited from each others experiences and expertise, the minister said, further adding that Pakistan has offered training to officers of Azerbaijan armed forces. "Pakistan has a well-established and technically advanced military-industrial complex and we look forward to have meaningful cooperation with Azerbaijan in this area as well," the minister said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. - Follow the author on Twitter:@GulgizD Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: The draft convention on the status of the Caspian Sea fully meets Azerbaijans national interests, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said at a press conference in Baku Dec. 6. A meeting dedicated to the status of the Caspian Sea has been successfully held in Moscow, he said. A framework convention was coordinated at the meeting. According to the draft convention, 15 miles in the Caspian Sea are outlined as a zone of territorial waters, 10 miles as a fishing zone, while the remaining part is intended for general use, Khalafov said. "The bottom of the Caspian Sea is divided into sectors, he said. The convention also includes the principles of safety of navigation and the preservation of military balance." The interstate procedures in connection with the draft convention will be carried out in the countries which agreed on the document, he said. "Following the technical and normative registration of the convention and its approval by the presidents of the corresponding countries at the next meeting on the status of the Caspian Sea, it can be submitted for the presidents to sign it," Khalafov added. He said the draft convention outlines the principles of cooperation between the Caspian countries. While the draft convention was being coordinated, Azerbaijan's position was based on the country's oil strategy, as well as the principles of good-neighborliness, he added. According to the convention, the bottom of the Caspian Sea is completely divided into sectors among the countries which are near each other and opposite each other. In these sectors, the sides are entitled to use mineral resources and engage in other economic activity, Khalafov said. The draft convention also includes the countries rights for the use of commercial and military ships in the Caspian Sea, as well as the right to enter the World Ocean and other seas and the right to return back. Khalafov added that the draft convention implies absolutely equal rights for all sides. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: The issue of using the deposits in the Caspian Sea can be resolved only after delimitation, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said in a press conference in Baku Dec. 6. He added that Azerbaijan will sign agreements on this issue with Iran and Turkmenistan. "According to the draft convention on the status of the Caspian Sea, agreed in Moscow, the bottom of the Caspian Sea is divided into sectors, he said. We will continue negotiations with Turkmenistan and Iran upon this principle to conclude bilateral agreements." Khalafov added that it is inappropriate to discuss the use of oil fields in the Caspian Sea until the delimitation process is completed. "Therefore, at present, our main goal is to complete the delimitation process with Iran and Turkmenistan, he said. Following this process, we can talk about the use of deposits. Perhaps, additional agreements will be signed on the basis of the convention. Moreover, additional agreements on military activity in the Caspian Sea will be signed, Khalafov said. One of such agreements on elimination of incidents in the Caspian Sea is being discussed. Details added (first version posted on 18:02) Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: The issue of using the deposits in the Caspian Sea can be resolved only after delimitation, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said in a press conference in Baku Dec. 6. He added that Azerbaijan will sign agreements on this issue with Iran and Turkmenistan. "According to the draft convention on the status of the Caspian Sea, agreed in Moscow, the bottom of the Caspian Sea is divided into sectors, he said. We will continue negotiations with Turkmenistan and Iran upon this principle to conclude bilateral agreements." Khalafov added that it is inappropriate to discuss the use of oil fields in the Caspian Sea until the delimitation process is completed. "Therefore, at present, our main goal is to complete the delimitation process with Iran and Turkmenistan, he said. Following this process, we can talk about the use of deposits. Perhaps, additional agreements will be signed on the basis of the convention. Moreover, additional agreements on military activity in the Caspian Sea will be signed, Khalafov said. One of such agreements on elimination of incidents in the Caspian Sea is being discussed. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend: Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Vienna, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, tweeted on Dec.6. "Azerbaijan will continue its efforts together with the OSCE MG Co-Chairs for soonest resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict via substantial talks," he tweeted. The minister will later met with the Armenian foreign minister. 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, Dec. 6 Trend: The OSCE monitoring held along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on December 6 passed without incidents, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry. The monitoring was held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative along the line of contact near Kuropatkino village in Azerbaijans Khojavand district. On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring was held by Simon Tiller and Ognjen Jovic field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative. On the Azerbaijani territories occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring was held by Mikhail Olaru and Ghenadie Petrica, who are field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative. 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, Dec. 6 Trend: A part of the 132-kilometer Azerbaijani-Iranian border remains uncontrolled due to the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, and this causes serious concern, chief of the State Border Service (SBS) of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Elchin Guliyev said. He made the remarks during the meetings held within the framework of his visit to Tehran Dec. 2-4 at the invitation of Irans major general, Border Guard Commander Ghasem Rezaee. Meetings were held with Ghasem Rezaee and chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, Colonel General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri within the visit. During the meetings, the sides stressed importance of the decisions made at the meetings of the heads of state of Azerbaijan and Iran, the development and strengthening of historical, religious, cultural, economic relations between the two countries, as well as high level of ties between their border structures. During the discussions, the parties exchanged views on conditions at the state border, border crossing points and the Caspian Sea. The sides noted the importance of joint efforts to combat border security threats, including international terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal migration and other cross-border crimes. The parties also exchanged views on the organization of activity at the Astara railway checkpoint as an integral part of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is of great economic importance for Azerbaijan and Iran, simplification of procedures for cargo and vehicles crossing the border and strengthening border security measures. For convenient travel of citizens of the two countries, as well as in order to develop tourism, the sides noted the expediency of extending the work of the Astara and Bilasuvar border checkpoints. As a positive indicator of mutual cooperation, the sides stressed the growth in the volume of vehicles and persons that crossed the state border in 2017, as well as two-times decrease in the cases of violations of the state border. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov and Chief of the Main Directorate for Plans and Principles of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yavuz Turkgenci, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, discussed the expansion of cooperation between the two countries, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message. In particular, the sides discussed the expansion of cooperation in military, military-technical, military-medical, military-educational, military-industrial and other spheres. The sides also discussed increasing the number of exercises and trainings, forthcoming tasks, and spheres of joint activity. By Akshaya Nath: Few hours after actor Vishal Krishna equated the cancellation of his nomination for the by-poll in RK Nagar Assembly constituency, in Tamil Nadu, to the "mockery of democracy", Deepa Jayakumar, whose papers were also rejected, alleged foul play and intimidation by the ruling AIADMK. "There was foul play; my nomination papers were tampered with. I did not fill the column on asset value in the affidavit because some of them are joint properties," advertisement Deepa, niece of Tamil Nadu's late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, told India Today referring to form 261. Her nomination was rejected by returning officer K. Velusamy on Tuesday on the ground that she had left the columns vacant. Deepa alleged intimidation the ruling party over contesting the polls. "A senior AIADMK leader called me asking not to contest the polls. He said my nomination will be cancelled if I contest. My party workers were beaten up and some are hospitalised. The attackers claimed to be from the Madhusudanan faction," she further alleged referring to E. Madhusudhanan, who is AIADMK's candidate and member of the E. Palaniswamy-O. Panneerselvam faction. Earlier, Vishal had alleged that Madhusudanan's supporters had threatened one of his proposers K. Sumathy. He submitted an audio clip to the returning officer (RO) containing a purported telephonic conversation in which a man related to Sumathy tells him that Madhusudanan's supporters had coerced her to submit a complaint that her signature was forged. A determined Deepa said that she would appeal to the Chief Election Commissioner to cancel the by-polls and accept her nomination in next election. "I will contest the RK Nagar polls as I represent Jayalalithaa in the hearts of the voters. Amma lost many elections but that did not end her political career." On November 24, the Election Commission had announced election to RK Nagar constituency, left vacant after the demise of Jayalalithaa. A by-poll was scheduled for April 12 but was cancelled over evidence of massive corruption and bribery during campaigning. "The by-poll shall be held by the Commission in due course when the vitiating effect created by the distribution of money and gift items to lure electors is removed with the passage of time, and the atmosphere in the constituency becomes conducive to the holding of free and fair election," the EC had said. But hopes of RK Nagar voters have been dashed due to the high-voltage drama in the wake of rejection of Vishal and Deepa's nominations. DMK working president M.K. Stalin said, "The situation in RK Nagar shows that the returning officer will act on directions of the ruling party," referring to the rejection of nominations of Vishal and Deepa. "The EC should immediately take action and the RO should be transferred." --- ENDS --- advertisement Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: The occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijans lands as a result of the Armenian aggression, as well as their use for illegal purposes, continue, Colonel General Elchin Guliyev, chief of the countrys State Border Service, said. He made the remarks at a meeting with chief of the Main Directorate for Plans and Principles of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yavuz Turkgenci, the State Border Service said Dec. 6. At the meeting, the sides appraised the state of bilateral relations between Azerbaijans State Border Service and the Turkish Armed Forces, exchanged views on the prospects for further cooperation. The parties discussed the operational situation at the state borders of Azerbaijan, provided information on the threats to border security, the work and success achieved in the field of combating cross-border crime, reforms carried out in Azerbaijans State Border Service, strengthening border security system, improving the material and technical base. The sides stressed the need to deepen ties in the military and military-technical spheres, exchange experience in order to strengthen security of borders and expand cooperation in holding joint events. Erkan Ozoral, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, attended the meeting. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Azerbaijan is expanding its partnership with Russia on the issues of technologies, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev answering a question of Russia 24 TV channel at the Bakutel 2017 exhibition. The head of state noted that new challenges to the world security, for example cyberattacks, bring about new spheres of cooperation. "Azerbaijan is developing successfully, its role in regional and international issues is growing. Our country has a great potential. Surely, our country can face such a threat. We are open for cooperation with all our partners and there are good prospects for cooperation in this direction with Russia. We know that Russia pays much attention to cybersecurity issues, so, of course, our structures are working with their Russian counterparts," the President said. Russia 24 TV channel in its report added that President Ilham Aliyev also met with the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of Russia Nikolai Nikiforov. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 7 Trend: The next meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenia Edward Nalbandian will be held in the second half of January 2018, Hikmet Hajiyev Spokesman with Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Trend. During the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenia Edward Nalbandian in Vienna, intensive and concrete discussions were held on the existing proposals in connection with the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "In continuation the intensive and substantive negotiations, an agreement was reached to hold a meeting at the level of foreign ministers in the second half of January 2018," Hajiyev said. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the meeting was positive and constructive, Hikmet Hajiyev added. 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, Dec. 6 Trend: BP communications, external affairs, strategy and Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey region Vice president Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli conducted a long-awaited master class at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS). The event gathered BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Azerbaijan Republic Metin Kerimly, teachers and students of the Higher School. In the introductory speech to the master class, which was held under the title Management, Leadership and Motivation, the guest emphasized importance of an access to good education and said that BHOS created all conditions necessary for receiving high quality education. Then Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli spoke about planning as an important step after graduation from a higher educational institution, main stages of professional and personal development, assessment tools for career growth and benefits and specific features of horizontal and vertical promotion at work. The students received detailed information about leadership, professional and personal qualities necessary to work at a transnational company like BP, which are considered among the most important criteria for selection of candidates. The Vice president also touched upon an important issue of making timely and right choice when young people think of their education and profession. Then the guest answered questions by students who were very keen to learn more about successful professional and personal development. At the end of the master class, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov expressed his gratitude to BP communications, external affairs, strategy and AGT region Vice president and emphasized that the Higher School developed strong and effective partnership with the company. As part of this cooperation, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli appointed a senior teacher at BHOS gives lessons to Petroleum Engineering and Chemical Engineering students. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has attended the inauguration of a new building of secondary school No 21 named after Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovichs. Mrs. Aliyeva cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the building and viewed conditions created here. Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev informed the First Vice-President of the works carried out in the building. Mrs. Aliyeva wished the staff of the music school success. Americas homeless population has risen this year for the first time since the Great Recession, propelled by the housing crisis afflicting the west coast, according to a new federal study, the guardian reports. The study has found that 553,742 people were homeless on a single night this year, a 0.7% increase over last year. It suggests that despite a fizzy stock market and a burgeoning gross domestic product, the poorest Americans are still struggling to meet their most basic needs. The improved economy is a good thing, but it does put pressure on the rental market, which does put pressure on the poorest Angelenos, said Peter Lynn, head of the Los Angeles homelessness agency. The most dramatic spike in the nation was in his region, where a record 55,000 people were counted. Clearly we have an outsize effect on the national homelessness picture. The government mandates that cities and regions perform a homeless street count every two years, when volunteers fan out everywhere from frozen parks in Anchorage to palm-lined streets in Beverly Hills and enumerate people by hand. Those numbers are combined with the total staying in shelters and temporary housing. The tally is considered a crucial indicator of broad trends, but owing to the difficulties involved it is also widely regarded as an undercount. Im surprised that [the numbers are] not going up faster than what thats showing, said John Parvensky, president of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. There was an increase of 4.1% in New York. In the west, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland all reported surges of varying sizes. Most of the increase across the country is driven by people living in doorways, tents and RVs as opposed to in shelters. People of color are dramatically overrepresented: African Americans make up over one-third of the number. In one sense the prevalence of homelessness seems odd, because the national poverty rate has fallen to around the same level as before the recession. Yet homelessness is linked to economic growth. In some of the nations more desirable major cities, housing is rapidly appreciating to a point where it is out of reach for lower earners. Median hourly wages in the US have barely budged for decades, from $16.74 in 1973 to $17.86 in 2016, in terms of 2016 dollars, according to the Economic Policy Institute. But in New York, for instance, the hourly wage required to comfortably rent a one-bedroom is $27.29. In Los Angeles, it is $22.98. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Properties of two banks liquidated in Azerbaijan will be put up for auction Jan. 5, 2018, the Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) said in a message Dec. 6. Three non-residential facilities belonging to Texnikabank as well as one non-residential facility on the balance sheet of Bank Standard will be put up for auction. In particular, three offices of Texnikabank in Babek Plaza will be put up for auction. The monthly rental fee is as follows: for one office of 185.4 square meters - 1,000 manats, for each of other two offices of 111.5 square meters - 730 manats. An office of Bank Standard in Sumgait will be put up for auction. The monthly rental fee for the office of 139.5 square meters is 2,074 manats. Licenses of both banks were revoked in 2016 as they didnt meet the minimum capital requirement of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (50 million manats) and did not fulfill obligations to creditors. The Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund has been operating since August 13, 2007. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend: President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev took part in the opening of Aviation Technical Center "Air Astana" through a nationwide teleconference on Dec.6. President of "Air Astana" Peter Foster noted that this step will become the contribution of "Air Astana" to the development of Astana as an aviation hub. "The maintenance will be carried out in accordance with the standards of the European Aviation Security Agency, both for own airliners and other airlines, which is the contribution of the national carrier to the development of Astana as an aviation hub," he said. "Air Astana" operates flights on 65 international and domestic routes. The company plans to expand the fleet to 64 airliners over the next ten years. The airline's staff will increase by 11 percent until 2020. A nationwide teleconference called "New industrialization of the country: the leap of the Kazakh leopard" kicked off in Astana on Dec.6. The TV broadcasting is provided by 25 mobile television stations, "KazSat" satellite and national communication operators. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: The Asian Development Banks (ADB) Board of Directors has approved $250 million in policy-based loans to support the government of Azerbaijan in its efforts to strengthen governance in the public sector and diversify the economy through greater private sector participation. ADBs support under the first subprogram of the Improving Governance and Public Sector Efficiency Program is aimed at helping Azerbaijan on a path of fiscal consolidation and economic diversification. The first phase of reforms will introduce rules-based fiscal planning, improve governance of state-owned enterprises, and encourage private sector participation in the economy by easing access to finance. Subprogram 2, which will reinforce and cement the progress under the first subprogram, is scheduled for 2018. ADB was founded in 1966 and has 67 member states. The banks headquarters is located in Manila, Philippines. Azerbaijan became an ADB member on Dec.22, 1999. The country accounts for 0.5 percent of the banks capital. Azerbaijan has received grants and loans amounting to $4.1 billion since joining ADB in 1998. ADBs core ongoing operations in Azerbaijan include support for transport, energy, urban infrastructure, and the private sector, and technical assistance and programs in various areas, including knowledge sharing of best international practices on finance, education, governance, and economic development. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend: Holders of cards of Uzbekistan's Central Bank, are now allowed for unlimited withdrawal of cash from ATMs abroad, paying for treatment, air tickets, hotel reservations, as well as online store purchases, the bank said in a report. In particular, the daily and monthly limits on withdrawing cash in ATMs were abolished, with the possibility of withdrawing funds in an unlimited amount. Also, country and various target restrictions on the use of conversion cards have been abolished - now the cards are accepted in any shops, hotels, and everywhere , and in all countries of the world. Individual entrepreneurs are also given the opportunity to purchase foreign currency. Now, entrepreneurs engaged in import of consumer goods are allowed to purchase foreign currency through bank accounts in the order established for individuals (purchased foreign currency funds are transferred to the bank account and an international payment card is issued to the client). In this regard, individual entrepreneurs can purchase foreign currency in unlimited amounts and, direct the funds to pay for current international transactions (imports of goods and services, etc.). The use of purchased foreign currency funds by individual entrepreneurs is carried out without restrictions. At present, banks' commissions for foreign currency purchase and sale are: - for payment by a conversion card - 0,5-1,0%; - the commission for the purchase of foreign currency from individuals is not charged; - for conversion of legal entities' funds - mainly 0,2-0,5%. The Central Bank recommends all legal entities and individuals to buy foreign currency only from commercial banks. Bharti Singh was all smiles as she returned from Goa with husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa. By India Today Web Desk: Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, the much-in love newly married couple, have returned to Mumbai after tying the knot in a three-day extravaganza in Goa. The couple were scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday but their flight got cancelled due to Cyclone Ockhi, according to reports. The couple will soon be heading to Europe for their much awaited month-long honeymoon, which means they will be ringing in their New Year in Europe. advertisement Bharti took to Instagram to share a candid picture of the couple chilling on the beach of Goa. Love is.... Two sets of footprints in the sand ? #beachlife #goa #chillscene #beachready #footprints #couplegoals #newbeginnings A post shared by Bharti Singh (@bharti.laughterqueen) on Dec 5, 2017 at 7:29am PST "We are coming back from Goa on December 5 and the next day we have a satyanarayan pooja at Haarsh's home. Then on December 8, we are going to Gujarat, to Amba ji's temple and finally flying off to Europe on the 17th. It's a month-long honeymoon where we will be covering most of the places like Italy, Venice, Budapest and Greece. I am really excited for the honeymoon," Bharti had told Indian Express earlier. (With inputs from Latika Pandit) --- ENDS --- Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.6 By Nigar Guliyeva Trend: Uzbekistan's joint-stock commercial bank (Turonbank) attracted funds worth $58.5 million from the Export-Import Bank of China, Turobank said in a message. The funds were raised for the implementation of the investment project - the construction of a small HPP at the Tuyabuguz reservoir, the cascade of SHPP on the Big Fergana Canal, the Kamchik SHPP on the Akhangaran River, the Zarchobsky SHPP cascade on the Tupolang River with the equipment supply from China. The Export-Import Bank of China provided loan for a period of 20 years. In addition, Turonbank and Uzbekhydroenergo are preparing new projects for the modernization of existing hydroelectric power stations. Uzbekistan is the largest electricity producer in Central Asia and a net exporter of electricity. Total installed capacity in Uzbekistan is currently about 12,500 MW (25 power plants). Of this capacity, 89 percent comes from thermal power plants that work on fossil fuels, and the rest comes from hydropower generators. The annual electricity production volume is 55 billion kWh. Uzbekistan plans to construct 16 combined-cycle power plants by 2020 to increase the country's energy capacity. Turonbank, one of the first commercial banks in the republic, was established in 1990. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.6 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) has the potential to open up the whole Balkan energy island, using Greece as the entry point to get away from the current dependence on monopoly suppliers, said the US ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt. Addressing the Greek Economy conference, the ambassador noted that aside from IGB, natural gas projects like the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Alexandroupolis and the upgraded Revithousa terminal are examples of Greeces energy potential, New Europe reported. Further, Pyatt pointed out that Greece would be the third European country to begin importing American liquefied natural gas (LNG), after Poland and Lithuania. The diplomat noted that the Greek government has promised to import LNG from the US. IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets. The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas. The projects cost is estimated at around 240 million euros. TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries. The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italys south. TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers). TAPs shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) will be commissioned in the first half of 2018, the Turkish media reported Dec. 6 quoting a source in the countrys Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. At present, the work on completion of the gas pipeline construction is being carried out at an accelerated pace, according to the source. Earlier, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said that the construction of the TANAP will be completed by 94 percent till late 2017. Albayrak added that the testing of the TANAP gas pipeline will begin in late 2017. TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018 and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline's construction natural gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020. The length of TANAP is 1,850 kilometers, with an initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters of gas. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas is meant to be delivered to Turkey, with the remaining volume to be supplied to Europe. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 3 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Over 40 percent of Irans crude oil and condensate exports were shipped to European refineries in November 2017, the countrys oil ministry announced. The report does not unveil the exact amount of oil exported to the European markets, however giants like Shell, Total, Eni, Saras, Repsol, and Hellenic Petroleum are among Irans major European customers, said the ministry report. Asian markets shared 60 percent of Irans overall oil exports in November. China was the main consumer of the Iranian oil with over 600,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to the report. South Korea was the main buyer of Irans gas condensates as well. Over half of Irans condensate exports were shipped to South Korea. Persian Gulf states were other customers of the Iranian condensates in November. The Islamic Republics daily condensate exports accounted to 400,000 barrels in November. Irans average crude oil and condensate exports stands at over 2.5 million barrels per day (mb/d), according to the countrys oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. The Islamic Republic exported 2.15 mb/d of crude oil and 500,000 b/d of gas condensate in January-September 2017, according to the oil ministry. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.6 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The Eastring pipeline project repeatedly obtained the status of the Project of Common Interest (PCI) for the European Union, said the message on the projects website. The project was enlisted in the 3rd list of PCIs which European Commission published in November. Eastring is the project of bi-directional gas pipeline interconnector between Slovakia and the external border of the EU on the territory of Bulgaria. Eastring will transport natural gas from different areas and alternative sources. At the first stage, it will provide the Balkans and/or even Turkey with gas from the European gas market. Eastring has obtained the PCI status for the first time in November 2015 (2nd PCI list). Earlier, Public Relations and Communication specialist at Slovakias Eustream company Pavol Kubik told Trend that there is significant potential for the delivery of gas via the Southern Gas Corridor to Europe through the Eastring gas pipeline. "Eastring project is not linked to any supplier. Therefore, it will be open for every source on the non-discriminatory basis in full compliance with EU legislation. In this context, we believe there is a significant potential towards Caspian region and Southern Gas Corridor route," said Kubik. The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey. At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage. As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Ali Mustafayev Trend: President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered to launch the the production of joint welding pipes of "Arcelor Mittal Tubular Products Aktau" JSC, during the teleconference, held on December 6 in Astana. The production facilities of the company are located in the "Aktau Seaport " special economic zone in Kazakh Mangistau region. "Our plant is a unique technologically rich industrial complex in the entire Caspian region. Production capacity of the plant is 15,000 tons of welding joints per year. Mr Nazarbayev, thank you for the policy of import substitution and for the fact that Kazakh enterprises receive invaluable experience of participation in international projects,"- General Director of the company Magomed Ibrahimov said. Nursultan Nazarbayev noted the need for production, adding that the oil pipelines and gas pipelines in Kazakhstan will have to get repaired at some point. "Pipes are always needed. We have built 6,000 kilometers of oil pipelines, 6,000 kilometers of gas pipelines. People do not even know how many families became able to consume gas. All these pipelines will require repairs at some point in the future. I am sure that in future we will need those welding joints," the president said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: Azerbaijan presented data on its daily oil production in November to the OPEC Joint Technical Committee as part of the Vienna Agreement, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry told Trend Dec. 6. According to the ministry, daily oil production stood at 790,700 barrels in November, of which 735,800 barrels accounted for crude oil and 54,900 barrels for condensate. Meanwhile, 643,400 barrels of crude oil, 54,900 barrels of condensate and 15,000 barrels of oil products were exported per day. OPEC has repeatedly assessed Azerbaijan as a country that is actively fulfilling its commitments under the agreement to reduce oil production, according to the ministry. Azerbaijan produced 793,900 barrels of oil per day in January, 776,400 barrels of oil per day in February, 733,300 barrels of oil per day in March, 781,100 barrels of oil per day in April, 785,300 barrels of oil per day in May, 793,700 barrels of oil per day in June, 796,700 barrels of oil per day in July, 734,800 barrels of oil per day in August, and 785,700 barrels of oil per day in September and 800,600 barrels of oil per day in October, said the ministry. The OPEC Joint Technical Committee was created to monitor the implementation of countries commitments to cut oil production. In December 2016 in Vienna, 11 non-OPEC countries, including Azerbaijan, agreed to curtail oil output jointly by 558,000 barrels per day. The agreement was signed for the first half of 2017, and on May 25 it was extended by late 1Q18. At the latest OPEC meeting in Vienna, the agreement was extended until the end of 2018. Azerbaijan joined this agreement. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey has denied permission to Corporate Resources B.V. energy company to conduct oil and gas exploration in the country, the ministry told Trend Dec. 6. In November 2015, the company appealed to the ministry for obtaining permission to conduct oil and gas exploration in Turkey. The company planned to conduct oil and gas exploration in the Turkish provinces of Tekirdag and Kirikkale, the ministry said. The ministry didnt disclose the reasons for the permission denial. Earlier, the ministry also denied permissions to two Turkish companies - Memba Enerji ve Madencilik A.S. and Alpay Enerji A.S. - to conduct oil and gas exploration in the country. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Details added (first version posted on 17:57) Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova - Trend: The draft convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea also includes the issue of construction of the Trans-Caspian pipelines, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said in a press conference in Baku Dec. 6. He said the issue of construction of the Trans-Caspian pipelines will be coordinated with the countries through which those pipelines are to pass. A meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian countries was held in Moscow Dec. 5. The text of the Caspian Sea convention was agreed during the meeting. The text of the convention will be put for approval of the presidents of the Caspian countries, who may meet in Kazakhstan in the first half of next year. The implementation of the Trans-Caspian pipeline project depends on the solution of the Caspian Sea status issue. The European Union adopted a mandate in 2011 to negotiate a legally binding treaty between the EU, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to build the Trans Caspian Pipeline System. This was the first time that the European Union proposed a treaty in support of an infrastructure project. The Trans Caspian Pipeline agreement will set the basis for construction of a submarine pipeline connecting Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, and in turn link this pipeline to infrastructure that will bring gas from Central Asia to the EU. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Ashgabat city has hosted the ninth meeting of the Turkmen-Austrian joint commission, Turkmenistan State News Agency reported quoting a message of the countrys Foreign Ministry Dec. 6. The delegation from Vienna was headed by Franz Wessig, director general for external economic relations of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy. The sides made proposals to increase the overall trade turnover between the two countries and discussed prospects for cooperation in various fields of economy, healthcare, science and tourism. A joint business forum and meetings of business circles of the two countries were held within the framework of the commissions work. Projects in the economy and investments, high technologies spheres were studied during the meetings. The sides discussed attracting experience and technologies of Austrian companies for creation of industrial and service facilities in Turkmenistan, promoting the countrys products in the markets of Austria and other EU member countries, the message said. The issue of supplying equipment for the manufacture of food products was also touched upon. Energy, transport and logistics, construction and infrastructure, processing of agricultural products, information technologies, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency were mentioned among the priorities for cooperation. The 10th meeting of the Turkmen-Austrian joint commission will be held in 2018 in Austria. By Munish Chandra Pandey: The disappearance of 14-year-old son of a woman, who was found dead along with her 10-year-old daughter has deepened the mystery behind this double murder. According to sources from the Noida police, the missing 14-year-old is their prime suspect whereas the family believes it is a much bigger conspiracy and someone may be behind disappearance of the son. advertisement "The primary investigation reveals that the motive behind this murder is not robbery. There was no forceful entry in the flat which indicates that the killer was well aware of the presence of the woman and her daughter. At this point of time, we cannot confirm the involvement of missing boy in this murder but we are not ruling out any angle," said Luv Kumar, Senior Supritendent of Police, Noida. However, grandfather of missing suspect has rubbished the theory that his grandson may be behind this murder. "I am worried about his life, I think someone is guiding him. I appeal that where ever he is, he should come back immediately. He can never do such things, he is a very innocent child," said the grandfather. On Tuesday night, 42-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter were found murdered in their Greater Noida apartment. The bodies were found wrapped inside a blanket in the bedroom of flat no 1446. The woman's husband, a businessman who deals with tiles, had gone to Surat in Gujarat early morning on December 3. The incident came to light when the husband made several calls to the woman on Monday night after 10:30pm, but there was no response. Later he called his neighbours to check on his wife and children. When neighbours reached the flat, they found that the door was locked from inside. After finding out that his wife's phone was unreachable, the husband informed his friend who rushed to the spot. The friend later called the police who broke the lock. Bodies of the deceased were found inside the bedroom and blood spatters were seen on the walls and ceiling fan. A team of forensic science laboratory collected all the blood samples and other evidence from the crime scene. Police also recovered the weapon used in murder which has been sent to forensic laboratory for further examination. According to the CCTV footage accessed by India Today, the woman and her children were seen entering their society at 8.16pm on Monday night. The missing boy studies in class 10 at a school in Mayur Vihar. The police are now on the lookout for the missing child, who could be involved in the crime. "We suspect the murder has been committed by the missing boy as he can been seen in CCTV grab leaving the house. We also have evidence to prove that he was present at the house and left after the crime. No one else has entered or exited from the flat," said a police source probing the case. A team of police has been formed to nab the 14-year-old suspect. --- ENDS --- advertisement Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met in Moscow with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a message. During the conversation that took place on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of the Caspian Littoral States Foreign Ministers, high assessment was given to the level of Russian-Turkmen relations developing on the principles of strategic partnership. The ministers discussed certain issues of the bilateral agenda and cooperation in the international and regional arenas, the message noted. Following the meeting, a program of cooperation between the ministries of the two countries for 2018 was signed. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 6 By Diana Aliyeva Trend: The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad, Ashraf Ghani, accompanied by Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, visited Tashkent Agricultural Machinery Plant. The delegation of Afghanistan examined the cars and trucks, agricultural, household appliances and other industrial goods produced in the country. The press service of the Uzbek president reported that 25 Isuzu buses and 3 New Holland modern tractors, produced in Uzbekistan, were donated to Afghanistan on behalf of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a sign of sincere friendship between our countries. Ghani arrived in Uzbekistan on Dec.4. During the visit, in addition to aspects of bilateral cooperation, issues of regional and international importance, in particular, countering terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, as well as strengthening security in Central Asia were considered. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed 20 documents and more than 40 export contracts following the talks between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Afghan President Ashraf Gani on Dec.5 Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 4 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Iran plans to increase the share of renewable energy in the countrys power output from current level of below 1 to 10 percent by 2050. While the country has a huge potential in renewable energy (including geothermal, solar, wind, thermal plants) that burn fossil fuels make up more than 80 percent of Irans installed power generation capacity (77,987 MW). The share of renewables stands at only 0.41 percent or 322 MW. The Iranian administration has intensified measures to materialize the countrys renewable energy capacity in two recent years, following the removal of international sanctions. Various studies have been carried out for establishing plants inside the country, to manufacture equipment for renewable power plants. Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO), a major government-owned conglomerate, signed a memorandum of understating (MoU) with Chinas Znshine and another energy company from Hong Kong, to form a joint company for manufacturing solar panels. According to IDRO, registering the company will begin in a month. The Iranian group will own 30 percent of shares in the company. Currently, seven industrial units producing solar panels are operating in Iran. Earlier, IDRO Znshine signed a MoU for investment in construction of production line for 200-megawatt solar panels. The project is estimated to take an investment of 20 million euros. Last year, IDRO signed a similar deal with Germany's Schmid Group, worth 300 million euros based on which, a chain of industrial facilities from silica mining to solar cell production will be built in Iran. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 4 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Hungary is interested in boosting oil purchase from Iran in the future, Hungarys Minister of National Economy Mihaly Varga said. The visiting Hungarian minister made the remarks after a meeting with Irans oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Dec. 4, the oil ministrys official website reported. The Hungarian multinational oil and gas company MOL has already received a 1-million barrel oil shipment from Iran after removal of international sanctions against Tehran in 2016. Negotiations for crude export to Hungary were launched in early 2016. In mid-July 2016, Iran said MOL had called for importing 40,000 barrels of light crude oil per day from Iran. However, at the time, Tehran was not ready to provide MOL with light crude. The Hungarian minister further said that Iran and Hungary are determined to facilitate banking ties. There is no obstacle to reviving the pre-sanctions banking ties between Tehran and Budapest, Varga added. Varga, who is in Tehran for an official visit, held meetings with senior Iranian officials, including his counterpart, Masoud Karbasian. Four memorandums of understanding for cooperation in various sectors, including manufacture of hybrid cooling systems, electric vehicles, electric rail equipment and buses were signed between Iranian and Hungarian entrepreneurs during the visit. The Hungarian minister said mutual trade between his country and Iran has witnessed a twofold increase in post-sanctions era. NATO Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their practical and political support for Georgia today (Wednesday 6 December) as well as their commitment to Georgias eventual membership of the Alliance, NATO reports. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed gratitude for Georgias many contributions to Euro-Atlantic security. Especially the service of the highly-skilled men and women of the Georgian military, many of whom have served in Afghanistan, where Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor to our Resolute Support training mission. Ministers discussed ongoing NATO-Georgia cooperation, including the planning of a joint military exercise, planned for 2019. We continue to implement the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, on which, together, we are making impressive progress. said the NATO Secretary General. Mr Stoltenberg said, The Alliance is fully committed to providing Georgia with the advice and tools it needs to advance toward eventual NATO membership. The Secretary General underlined NATOs strong commitment to Georgias security and territorial integrity. He said, We remain concerned by the deepening of Russias relations with the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia. We call on Russia to end its recognition of these regions and withdraw its forces from Georgian territory. The Secretary General was speaking following the meeting of NATO-Georgia Commission defence ministers at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Tuesday as whipping Santa Ana winds continued to stoke a wildfire that has already scorched 70 square miles near north Los Angeles. The ravenous fire began in the brush and scrubs outside the city of Ventura on Monday, but within hours, hot embers whipped up by the extremely dry, powerful winds were carried into the enclave of 100,000 residents. The fire destroyed dozens of buildings in Ventura, including an adolescent psychiatric hospital with 80 patients, and thousands were forced to evacuate. Sheriffs deputies knocked on doors throughout the night to warn residents to evacuate. This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but well continue to attack it with all weve got, Brown said. Its critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so. Wind gusts sometimes exceeding 60 mph complicated the effort, said Rich Macklin, spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. Howling Santa Ana winds pushed a wildfire from rural hills into parts of the Southern California city of Ventura overnight with explosive speed, destroying dozens of buildings and forcing thousands of people to evacuate, CNN reports. By Tuesday morning, the fire had burned about 45,000 acres in 13 hours, and some homes were ablaze in the northern part of Ventura -- a city of more than 100,000 people along the Pacific coast. The fast-moving fire forced sheriff's deputies to knock on doors to warn residents to evacuate in the dark. About 150 buildings, including homes and an evacuated Ventura hospital, had been destroyed by Tuesday morning. On Ventura's northern edge, at least 10 homes and numerous palm trees were burning in one neighborhood, sending thick smoke and dangerous embers into the gusty air. Security services believe they have foiled a plot to assassinate Theresa May in Downing Street, Independent reports. Two men have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill the Prime Minister by using a bomb disguised as a bag to blow off the gates of Downing Street and then attack her with knives. The suspects were detained during raids in London and Birmingham last week and charged with terrorism offences. They are due to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. The plot was revealed to the Cabinet yesterday by Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, who also told ministers that security services have foiled nine terrorist attacks on the UK in the last year. The Metropolitan Police said Naaimur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, from north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, from Birmingham, had been charged with preparing a terrorist act. A Scotland Yard spokesperson declined to confirm that the arrests were linked to a plot to attack Ms May. Bangladesh is moving ahead with a controversial plan to move Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island, with construction of facilities to begin "very soon.", CNN reports. About 100,000 of the one million or so Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh will be moved to Thengar Char, a remote, flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal by November 2019, according to details of the $278 million plan released by the office of Mustafa Kamal, Bangladesh's minister of planning. Some 626,000 mainly Muslim Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since August, joining an existing Rohingya refugee population of up to 300,000. They say they've fled widespread violence perpetrated by the military in the north of Myanmar's Rakhine State. The Myanmar military denies wrongdoing and says it's targeting terrorists responsible for killing security forces. The United Nations, the US and the UK have called the situation in Rakhine State "ethnic cleansing" and on Tuesday the UN human rights chief suggested that genocide "cannot be ruled out." The plan was approved by Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, on November 28 and the same day Amnesty International called upon the Bangladeshi government to abandon the proposal, calling it a "terrible mistake." "Having opened its doors to more than 600,000 Rohingya over the past three months, the Bangladesh government now risks undermining the protection of the Rohingya and squandering the international goodwill it has earned. In its desperation to see the Rohingya leave the camps and ultimately return to Myanmar, it is putting their safety and well-being at risk," said Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International's South Asia director. The island is about 30,000 hectares (about 74,000 acres) in size, more than 37 miles from the mainland, officially uninhabited and mostly flooded during heavy rain or monsoon season, District Forest Officer Amir Hossain Chowdhury told CNN in January. In response to complaints from human rights groups, the Bangladesh Navy conducted a study which found that the island could be habitable with land reclamation and work to the shore line. Eventually, the government plans to build nearly 1,500 barrack houses and 120 shelter centers on 60 hectares (150 acres) of land on the island. "Although the land is flooded due to tidal effect of sea, it is very much controllable by land development and shore protection work. Many countries in the world reclaim the land in the sea by the same process," Kamal's statement said. Bangladesh is also building a 3,000-acre refugee camp at Kutapalong, near the border with Myanmar, where most Rohingya are currently living in makeshift camps. A U.S. B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, Reuters reports. The bomber flew from Guam and joined U.S. F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters in the exercises with South Korea. The drills, which kicked off on Monday and will run until Friday, are being conducted at a time of heightened tensions on the peninsula. They also come after North Korea tested last week what it called its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the United States. North Korea regularly threatens South Korea, the United States and their allies, and its official KCNA state news agency said at the weekend U.S. President Donald Trumps administration was begging for nuclear war by staging the drills. It also labeled Trump as insane. The drills also coincided with a rare visit to the isolated North by United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman. Some analysts and diplomats hope Feltmans visit to North Korea could spark a U.N.-led effort to defuse rising international tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs. North Koreas state media confirmed the arrival of Feltman and his entourage late on Tuesday without offering more details, later issuing a photograph of him and two members of his team. Feltman, a former senior U.S. State Department official, is the highest-level U.N. official to visit North Korea since 2012. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday he was not carrying any message from Washington during his visit. Officials confirm that US president will break with decades of diplomacy in a move many warn will trigger unrest in the region, The Guardian reports. Donald Trump will declare formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Wednesday the White House has said, breaking with years of precedent and potentially leading to unpredictable consequences for the Middle East. The region is braced for the prospect of unrest in anticipation of the declaration, due at 1pm in Washington, and US embassies around the world have been advised by the state department to bolster their security. US government employees have been told to avoid Jerusalems Old City and the West Bank until further notice. In his remarks to be delivered in a diplomatic reception room in the White House, Trump will base his decision on ancient history and current political realities that the Israeli legislature and many government offices are in Jerusalem. He will also order the state department to start the process of planning and building a new US embassy in Jerusalem, but White House officials said that process would take at least three years. Until the new embassy is completed and opened, the official US mission will remain in Tel Aviv and the president will continue to sign a six-month waiver of congressional legislation that demands the embassy is moved, but only to spare the state department from budget penalties embedded in the 1995 act. An investigation revealed that Jitendra Yadav shot his wife and sister-in-law after an argument (Image for representation) By Ajay Kumar: A National Security Guard (NSG) commando has allegedly shot his wife and sister-in-law and has then committed suicide at his Maneser camp's flat on Tuesday morning. The commando, named Jitendra Yadav (a native of Kanpur), was a permanent ASI of the Border Security Force. He was on deputation for five years in the NSG and was currently deployed at Maneser camp for the last couple of years. Local police received information about the shoot out at flat number 42 of the NSG camp. advertisement "After we reached the spot, we found all three lying on the floor. It appeared during investigation that Jitendra had shot his wife Gudan and sister-in-law Khusboo, 18, following some argument, and then shot himself on the head with a automatic service pistol," said inspector Rahul Kumar, the investigating officer in the case. File photo of Jitendra Yadav Gunjan and Khusboo, who were sustaining gunshot injuries in their stomach, had to undergo surgeries. The sisters are currently under observation in the ICU after the surgeries. According to reports, although the women are out of danger now, they are still unable to give statements to the police. "We are waiting for both of them to recover. We will record their statements only after that to know the reason that prompted Jitendra to take such an extreme step," Kumar said. --- ENDS --- Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Nigar Guliyeva Trend: The European Union expresses serious concern about the announcement by US President Trump on Jerusalem and the repercussions this may have on the prospect of peace, said Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The EU position remains unchanged. The aspirations of both parties must be fulfilled and a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, she said in a statement released on Dec.6. Mogherini stressed that the EU and its Member States will continue to respect the international consensus on Jerusalem embodied in, inter alia, UNSCR 478, including on the location of their diplomatic representations until the final status of Jerusalem is resolved. The EU reiterates its firm commitment to the two-state solution and to its existing policies, as set out in its successive Council Conclusions. A negotiated two-state solution, which fulfils the aspirations of both sides, is the only realistic way of bringing the lasting peace and security that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve, she said. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the US will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that he will move the American embassy there once a location is secured. I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he said from the White House. Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel may lead to interreligious clashes, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, the countrys media reported Dec. 6. Yildirim noted that the US shouldnt recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as it contradicts international law. On Dec. 5, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey can break off diplomatic relations with Israel in case the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Erdogan noted that the US should understand that Jerusalem is a red line for all Muslims. Earlier, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the US intends to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In January, it was reported that the sides started negotiations on this issue. Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan. -- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Twenty-six foreigners, who are members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul as a result of a special operation, the Istanbul police said Dec. 6. Counterfeit documents, passports and firearms were seized within the operation. Previously, on Dec. 1, sixty-two foreigners, who are members of the IS terrorist group, were detained in Istanbul as a result of a special operation. The Istanbul police said that 117 operations were conducted in Istanbul against the IS members from August 2016 to August 2017, as a result of which over 1,000 people were detained. It was also reported that 940 people were deported from Turkey as part of the fight against the IS during the reporting period. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has brought slander accusations against leader of the opposition Republican People's Party Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the Turkish media report Dec. 6. Reportedly, the accusations were brought because Kilicdaroglu unjustifiably accused President Erdogan and his relatives of money laundering. Earlier, in a live interview to one of the local TV channels, Kilicdaroglu said he has evidence that President Erdogan and his relatives transferred more than $20 billion abroad (to the Isle of Man). Following this statement, the Turkish authorities and President Erdogan personally demanded to submit the necessary evidence for the prosecutor's office to investigate the issue. However, the opposition leader has not yet submitted the evidence to the prosecutor's office. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: An emergency meeting of representatives of the member-states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be held in Istanbul, Turkey December 13, the Turkish media cited Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for the Turkish president, as saying Dec. 6. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the US intention to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he said. He added that the US intention is contrary to the international law. Kalin said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the US intention with the leaders of a number of Muslim countries. The US must give up this intention as Jerusalem is a "red line" for all Muslims in the world, Kalin added. Recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel may lead to interreligious clashes, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said earlier. On Dec. 5, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey can break off diplomatic relations with Israel in case the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Previously, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the US intends to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In January, it was reported that the sides started negotiations on this issue. Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey condemns the irresponsible statement of the US Administration declaring that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and it will be moving the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Dec.6. This decision is against international law and relevant UN Resolutions, the minister said. The Turkish Foreign Ministry, in a statement released on Dec.6, urged the US Administration to reconsider this faulty decision, which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the US will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that he will move the American embassy there once a location is secured. I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he said from the White House. Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 7 Trend: Hundreds of people protest in front of the US Consulate General in Turkey in connection with the decision of Donald Trump on Jerusalem, Hurriyet newspaper reported. Protesters are chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, and also express support for Palestine. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the US will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that he will move the American embassy there once a location is secured. I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he said from the White House. Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan. KYODO NEWS - Dec 6, 2017 - 13:08 | Feature, All A civic group on Wednesday urged the Kumamoto city assembly in southwestern Japan to help with childrearing members after an assemblywoman caused a stir by bringing her 7-month-old baby to the session hall. The group, which aims to realize an inclusive society for both genders, asked the assembly to allow its members to take leave before and after childbirth and offer babysitter services so that they can leave their children during assembly sessions. Yuka Ogata, the 42-year-old assemblywoman, received a written warning for obstructing the flow of a session after she took her baby with her into the hall on Nov. 22. Reiko Sato, an 81-year-old co-representative of the citizens group, said, "I hope the issue will have repercussions on society to make a change for the better." The assembly office said it will send the petition from the group to chairman Yoshitomo Sawada, who has expressed his intention to promote steps to facilitate female assembly members' participation. Ogata, a former U.N. worker who was first elected to the assembly in 2015, apologized for causing a 40-minute delay to the start of an assembly session but said she wanted to demonstrate that many people are struggling to juggle work and children, with childrearing viewed as "a private matter" in Japanese society. The chairman at that time claimed she violated rules that limited entrance to the hall to assembly members, and Ogata was eventually persuaded to leave the baby with her friend. She said she had been asking the assembly office whether she could bring her baby but having been unable to receive a positive reply, she decided to take him in with her. Some countries allow lawmakers to bring their babies to parliament halls but opinions in Japan are divided. The city assembly office received 285 views supporting the assemblywoman with some saying the restriction is an obstacle for women's career achievement, but 191 opinions opposed her action, with some doubting whether an assembly member can fulfill her role with a baby. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government has been trying to improve conditions for working women, especially after childbirth. But Japan ranks 114th out of 144 countries, one of the worst among industrialized nations, according to a report on global gender gaps released last month by the World Economic Forum. KYODO NEWS - Dec 6, 2017 - 20:19 | All, Japan North Koreans aboard a recently impounded vessel off northern Japan on Wednesday refused to respond to police questioning over allegations they stole home appliances from an uninhabited islet, despite earlier admitting to the crime, investigative sources said. The wooden boat bearing a name plate indicating the vessel belongs to the North Korean military was found off the islet off Hokkaido on Nov. 28, with 10 men aboard. The hut, located near a shelter port, had been locked but was broken into and ransacked and the home appliances, such as a TV and refrigerator, had been taken. The North Korean crew had earlier admitted to stealing home appliances from the hut, saying "because nobody else was around," investigative sources said. However, when the police tried to question a man who appeared to be the boat's captain on Wednesday morning to further look into the case on a voluntary basis, he declined to cooperate, the sources said. The Japan Coast Guard have towed the wooden boat into waters off Hakodate port. One of the crew has been hospitalized due to poor health and the other nine crew members remain aboard. The coast guard found the crew dumping some appliances and other items into the sea on Nov. 29, and the coast guard later collected some of the objects. Some of the crew had identification documents with their names and dates of birth. At a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed concern over the issue, saying, "The government will pose stricter measures on maritime security to tackle suspicious ships and people." N. Korean crew admits to stealing appliances from uninhabited isle N. Korean soccer teams arrive in Japan on specially issued visas By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Dec 6 (PTI) A Pakistani engineer kidnapped in war-torn Afghanistan was today recovered by the Pakistan Army, officials sources said. Faiz Ahmed, who belongs to garrison city of Rawalpindi, was abducted in Afghanistan on August 21, while working on Torkham-Jalalabad road project, which is being supervised by army-linked Frontier Works Organization. A security official confirmed Ahmeds recovery without sharing any further details. advertisement DawnNews reported that family of the kidnapped engineer also confirmed that he has been rescued and thanked army for the recovery. "My father has returned in good health," Farhan Malik told the channel. According to Farhan, his father had first been brought to Peshawar, where he was received by his family. They later brought him home. It was not clear why he was kidnapped and how recovered. PTI SH ZH --- ENDS --- KYODO NEWS - Dec 6, 2017 - 08:13 | All, Feature A Tokyo startup is generating buzz with a new job internship program to connect regional non-college graduates -- many of whom are considered delinquent youth -- with companies in the grips of a deepening labor shortage. Hassyadai Inc. said the project is aimed at helping graduates of high schools and junior high schools outside Tokyo gain more access to employment information and job choices, allowing them an opportunity to hold their own against college graduates. Client companies have given the program high approval. Since starting the project in the fall of last year, Hassyadai has trained about 100 young job-seekers. Dubbed the "Yankee Internship," the program, whose participants range in age from 16 to 22, is unique in that it also encompasses the category of Yankee -- a Japanese slang for delinquent youth. Such juveniles are popular as potential workers among companies in need of staff because although they "are wayward they have guts," according to Hassyadai. "Many of them are actually quite earnest," said Shigeto Hashimoto, 26, a director of the company. In late September, Hassyadai held the internship for about 30 trainees at its office in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. "You shouldn't be satisfied just by taking part in the program," Hirofumi Ueda, 33, an advisor to Hassyadai, told them. "You need to imagine how you wish to grow." Hassyadai provides trainees with accommodation in Tokyo, as well as lessons in English conversation, programming and business etiquette. On weekdays, the trainees sell internet connections door to door. At the session, participants were asked to speak about what they believed to be the significance of the program and answered questions put forth from others in the group. They received feedback such as, "Your story was based on experience and easy to understand but wasn't quite logical" or "You spent a lot of time talking but didn't answer my questions at all." Ueda said a key was getting trainees to open up. "We aim to have trainees frankly express their opinions to help them realize what they understand and the issues they need to work on," Ueda said. "Our biggest goal is to narrow the information gap" between these youth and university graduates from the metropolitan area, Hashimoto said. Masahiro Takeda, 20, has been in the program since July. He graduated from a technical high school in Toyama on the coast of the Sea of Japan two years ago and started working at a factory run by a major company. But he decided to quit as he found the seniority system and monotonous work at his job unrewarding. He joined Hassyadai's program seeking a better opportunity. "I hope to work with ambitious peers and start my own business in the future," Takeda said. Hassyadai said it receives dozens of inquiries from companies about the program, which has gained a following among client companies mainly through word of mouth. An official of a staffing agency that hired a Hassyadai trainee as full-time employee in October said, "They are hungrier than college graduates who take choosing companies for granted. What's great about them is that they are young and energetic." Only about 400,000 new college graduates are employed each year, although the population of those in their 20s is more than 1 million per academic year -- meaning more than half of the youth are non-college graduates, including those from junior college and vocational schools. A survey by the education ministry showed that over 98 percent of the 188,000 people who graduated from senior high schools in the previous academic year ended in March were employed. But less than 60 percent of high school graduates stay at the same company three years later, according to statistics. Yukie Hori, a chief researcher at the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, said, "An increasing number of companies are interested in hiring high school graduates since they can proactively train them early on to fit their business. This demand is likely to continue growing." KYODO NEWS - Dec 6, 2017 - 07:44 | All, World A former U.S. envoy has urged the United States to hold talks with North Korea without preconditions in a bid to break the impasse over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. "I am of the view that the two sides should agree to have 'talks about talks' without any preconditions," Robert Gallucci, the chief U.S. negotiator for a now-defunct 1994 nuclear freeze deal with North Korea, said in an interview. Gallucci's view is at odds with U.S. President Donald Trump's policy of imposing "maximum pressure" on North Korea in concert with the international community to compel the country to halt its provocative acts and engage in credible talks for denuclearization. Gallucci also questioned Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's emphasis on pressuring North Korea, pointing to Abe's insistence that now is not the time to talk to the country given it has not changed its provocative behavior. "I can't believe refusing to talk with North Korea is in the best interests of Japan," he said, in reference to Abe's resolve to address Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. "I think an effort at lowering tensions would be. That he does not see it that way, I regret." Gallucci disagreed with the view that North Korea will never give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, saying it would still be possible to rid the country of nuclear weapons if Pyongyang and Washington build mutual confidence through dialogue. "I think a nuclear weapons-free (Korean) Peninsula is possible if the North becomes convinced that their relationship with the United States has matured to the point that they are no longer concerned about the U.S. attempting regime change," said Gallucci, who is currently chairman of the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Touching on North Korea's recent test-launch of what it claims is a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit anywhere in the United States with a nuclear warhead, Gallucci said there would be still some time before Pyongyang gains the claimed capability. "Having done one missile like that does not mean they have a capability yet," he said. "It takes a while to reach what we call 'initial operating capability' for a weapon system." Gallucci said it is also unknown if the missile, which North Korea calls the Hwasong-15, carried a warhead in the nose cone and whether the country has acquired the technology to shield and preserve a nuclear warhead upon reentry to the Earth's atmosphere. "I would say all that does not add up to any conclusion other than that capability is not so very far off for the North Koreans, if they continue to test," he said. "So if the United States wished to persuade the North Koreans to suspend these tests, we ought to do it before they do any more tests." In a separate interview, Joshua Pollack, a senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said he does not believe pressure and sanctions alone will achieve the Trump administration's goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Referring to a seemingly endless cycle of provocations and pressure, Pollack said, "Both countries are stuck in this loop where we increasingly are looking for additional increments of punishment and pressure, and they're looking for additional increments of pressure through a sense of danger." As part of efforts to break the stalemate, Pollack suggested the United States and North Korea consider a Chinese proposal for both sides to agree to a "freeze to freeze," whereby Pyongyang would stop testing while Washington and Seoul suspend joint military exercises. "It's worth considering because if the North Koreans can't test missiles and they can't test nuclear weapons, they cannot advance their program qualitatively beyond a certain point," he said. "There is a saying that one shouldn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good," Pollack said. "Half a loaf is better than none." Technique uses the power of artificial neural networks to address several types of flaws and degradations in a single image at once From phone camera snapshots to lifesaving medical scans, digital images play an important role in the way humans communicate information. But digital images are subject to a range of imperfections such as blurriness, grainy noise, missing pixels and color corruption. A group led by a University of Maryland computer scientist has designed a new algorithm that incorporates artificial neural networks to simultaneously apply a wide range of fixes to corrupted digital images. Because the algorithm can be "trained" to recognize what an ideal, uncorrupted image should look like, it is able to address multiple flaws in a single image. The research team, which included members from the University of Bern in Switzerland, tested their algorithm by taking high-quality, uncorrupted images, purposely introducing severe degradations, then using the algorithm to repair the damage. In many cases, the algorithm outperformed competitors' techniques, very nearly returning the images to their original state. The researchers presented their findings on December 5, 2017, at the 31st Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems in Long Beach, California. "Traditionally, there have been tools that address each problem with an image separately. Each of these uses intuitive assumptions of what a good image looks like, but these assumptions have to be hand-coded into the algorithms," said Matthias Zwicker, the Reginald Allan Hahne Endowed E-Nnovate Professor in Computer Science at UMD and senior author of the research presentation. "Recently, artificial neural networks have been applied to address problems one by one. But our algorithm goes a step further--it can address a wide variety of problems at the same time." Artificial neural networks are a type of artificial intelligence algorithm inspired by the structure of the human brain. They can assemble patterns of behavior based on input data, in a process that resembles the way a human brain learns new information. For example, human brains can learn a new language through repeated exposure to words and sentences in specific contexts. Zwicker and his colleagues can "train" their algorithm by exposing it to a large database of high-quality, uncorrupted images widely used for research with artificial neural networks. Because the algorithm can take in a large amount of data and extrapolate the complex parameters that define images--including variations in texture, color, light, shadows and edges--it is able to predict what an ideal, uncorrupted image should look like. Then, it can recognize and fix deviations from these ideal parameters in a new image. "This is the key element. The algorithm needs to be able to recognize a good image without degradations. But for an image that is already degraded, we can't know what this would look like," said Zwicker, who also has an appointment at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). "So instead, we first train the algorithm on a database of high-quality images. Then we can give it any image and the algorithm will modify the imperfections." Zwicker noted that several other research groups are working along the same lines and have designed algorithms that achieve similar results. Many of the research groups noticed that if their algorithms were tasked with only removing noise (or graininess) from an image, the algorithm would automatically address many of the other imperfections as well. But Zwicker's group proposed a new theoretical explanation for this effect that leads to a very simple and effective algorithm. "When you have a noisy image, it is randomly shifted or jittered away from a high-quality image in all possible dimensions. Other degradations, such as blurring for example, diverge from the ideal only in a subset of dimensions," Zwicker explained. "Our work revealed how fixing noise will bring all dimensions back in line, allowing us to address several types of other degradations, like blurring, at the same time." Zwicker also said that the new algorithm, while powerful, still has room for improvement. Currently, the algorithm works well for fixing easily recognizable "low-level" structures in images, such as sharp edges. The researchers hope to push the algorithm to recognize and repair "high-level" features, including complex textures such as hair and water. "To recognize high-level features, the algorithm needs context to understand what is in the image. For example, if there is a face in an image, it's likely that the pixels near the top are probably hair," Zwicker said. "It's like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. If you're only looking at one piece, it's hard to place that part of the image in context. But once you find where the piece belongs, it's much easier to recognize what the pixels represent. It's quite clear that this approach can be pushed much further still." ### The research paper, "Deep Mean-Shift Priors for Image Restoration," Siavash A. Bigdeli, Meiguang Jin, Paolo Favaro and Matthias Zwicker, was presented on December 5, 2017 at the 31st Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems in Long Beach, California. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Award No. 200021-153324). The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of this organization. Media Relations Contact: Matthew Wright 301-405-9267 mewright@umd.edu University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences 2300 Symons Hall College Park, MD 20742 http://www.cmns.umd.edu @UMDscience About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 7,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $150 million. By PTI: processes simple: Lohani Hyderabad, Dec 6 (PTI) Organisations, including government, can be made to perform better by making processes and decision-making simple and also by improving the effectiveness of human resources, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani said here today. "...if you are able to handle the processes, half the battle is won. But that is so difficult...," he said. advertisement He was giving the 61st Foundation Day Lecture at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) here on `Governance and Management in Government Organisations. Lohani said the staff should be made to realise what is expected of them. Employees should be made courageous and encouraged to work even though they make small mistakes, he said. The process of decision making should be made simple and employees should have a positive attitude, he said. He also emphasised the importance of integrity and ethical conduct. "I have realised that what I can do from my side, that itself is sufficient...Enthusiasm is every thing. What else?...We can appreciate, that is not done. "So, there is a lot which we can do while being in government without cribbing. What we cannot do, we will try," Lohani said. He highlighted the importance of field level employees in the railways in improving performance standards. "The field has to be able to take decisions. Ultimately, it is the field which is going to deliver," he said. He also stressed the importance of connecting with human resources for effective performance. "Consolidation and growth , both have to go together (for railways)," he said. PTI SJR KRK --- ENDS --- Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, warned against President Donald Trumps threatened trade war with China. Its easy to launch a war, but its so difficult to stop a war, Ma said on stage at the Fortune Global Forum business conference in Guangzhou, China on Tuesday. Ma, whose company is pushing to become a global powerhouse, including in the United States, would, of course, be a big loser if the Trump Administration clamped down on China over what Trump describes as that countrys unfair trade practices. Imposing extra tariffs on Chinese imports would make goods sold through Alibabas web siteswhich include rivals to eBay and Amazonmore expensive to U.S. customers. Habitually optimistic, Ma avoided criticizing Trump, who he met at Trump Tower in January during the presidential transition and then gushed about in front of cameras downstairs as being smart and open minded. Instead, Ma minimized any differences between the two countries, saying even a wife and husband have problems while preaching the virtues of globalization. We have to make sure that every country benefits from globalization, he said. We have to make sure that farmers can sell things, we have to make sure that young people benefit. Alibaba, Ma argues, helps small U.S. businesses by giving them a huge international market for their products and a cheap source of supplies. And that translates into more U.S. jobs, something that is music to President Trumps earsat least when hes not bashing China. Hes making progress, Ma said of President Trump. Hes trying hard. Mas advice is for business leaders to take the initiative when it comes to trade policy, no matter which way the wind is blowing in Washington or Beijing. We should never wait for policies, Ma said. We should go before the policy and try to do it. That simple strategy sounds convincing coming from Ma, a master salesman who transformed the startup he founded 18 years ago into an online powerhouse with market value of $433 billion. But reality can be a lot tougher when it comes to international trade diplomacy, especially with a president who campaigned on America first and unilaterally canceling trade deals. Jony Ive Tim Cook iPhone Stephen Lam/Reuters Apple is hiring staff away from Dialog Semiconductor, a British chip firm which supplies power management chips for the iPhone and iPad. Dialog's shares crashed over the weekend after a report that Apple would bring some chip design capabilities in-house in 2018. The situation bears resemblances to Imagination Technologies, another British chip company which was sold after losing its contract with Apple. Dialog has acknowledged Apple could design its own chip internally but said there was no indication this would happen any time soon. Apple is continuing to hire away designers and engineers from one of its most important suppliers, British chip firm Dialog Semiconductor, which is currently fighting to persuade investors that its agreement with Apple is safe. According to Business Insider's analysis of LinkedIn profiles, around 28 Dialog engineers and designers have moved to Apple between March 2016 and now something analysts have described as a "brain drain." Apple is Dialog's biggest customer, reportedly accounting for half of its revenue. Bankhaus Lampe analyst Karsten Iltgen first spotted the flow of staff between Dialog and Apple in April this year, and concluded in a note to investors that the iPhone maker was working on its own power management chips, denting Dialog's share price. Dialog's situation bore similarities with that of Imagination Technologies, another British chip supplier which was hurriedly sold off in September after losing its contract with Apple. Prior to its sell-off, Imagination also suffered a brain drain to Apple, though a spokesman described this as normal at the time. Dialog declined to comment. A source close to the firm said the attrition rate was better than usual, and that Apple hired designers and engineers for its Munich design centre from several firms, including Dialog. Dialog's share price crashed again over the weekend after a Nikkei report suggested Apple would design its own power management chip for the iPhone as early as next year. That prompted Dialog's chief executive Jalal Bagherli to acknowledge for the first time that Apple had the capability to design a power management chip internally, but that there were no outward signs it planned to do so in 2018. He said the firm wouldn't know about its agreements with Apple for 2019 for another few months. Story continues Dialog's share price stands at 24.81, down 36% from 38.70 a week ago. Dialog share price Business Insider Some analysts remain alarmed about the so-called brain drain and Dialog's future revenues. "This is a major disaster," Hauck & Aufhauser Tim Wunderlich told CNN on Monday. "I would expect Dialog to experience declining sales from 2019 onward, intensifying gross margin pressure, (and) brain drain as uncertainties make the company a far less appealing employer for top talent." And Bankhaus' Iltgen, who originally spotted the trend, told Business Insider: "Yesterday's release and [conference call] marks a full u-turn in communication strategy. The company is essentially confirming everything which we had written before and which they denied so far. Management provably lost credibility with many investors. This will take time to rebuild." Iltgen suggested that Dialog would maintain a relationship with Apple, but would no longer be the "single source" for power management chips. Not everyone is so pessimistic. In a Monday note, Morgan Stanley analysts said Dialog's revenues for 2018 and most of 2019 were safe, contrary to the Nikkei report. NOW WATCH: Hackers can gain access to your computer monitor a cybersecurity expert shows us how easy it is See Also: SEE ALSO: iPhone chip supplier Dialog is planning for 'several scenarios' after admitting Apple could bring design in-house What happened Shares of Genesee & Wyoming (NYSE: GWR) rose 8.9% last month, which was quite a jump considering that the stock had been relatively flat this year. While the company unveiled a bullish long-term outlook at its investor day, the primary fuel of last month's big move was optimism that Congress would pass a massive tax overhaul, which would reduce rates for corporations like railroads. So what Genesee & Wyoming joined fellow railroad stocks Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU), Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), and Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) in rallying last month on the hope that Congress would pass President Trump's tax cut plan. Genesee & Wyoming led that group by jumping 8.8% in the just last three days of the month followed by an 8% jump from Union Pacific and 6% gains from Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern. Fueling that late surge was the market's view that it was increasingly likely that the Senate would have the votes needed to pass the sweeping tax reform package. Freight trains and railways at sunset. Image source: Getty Images. The reason those stocks rallied so sharply is that the reform plan would significantly improve railroad earnings by reducing their tax rate. For example, last quarter Genesee & Wyoming made $83.9 million in income before taxes but only reported $53.4 million in net income, implying a 36% tax rate. Given that the tax plan proposes to reduce the corporate rate in the U.S. to 20%, Genesee and Wyoming and its railroad peers would clearly benefit once it goes into effect. That said, even if tax reform falls apart before reaching the President's desk, Genesee & Wyoming remains well positioned to deliver significant earnings growth in the coming years. The company recently unveiled its new five-year plan, where it forecast 15% to 20% long-term earnings-per-share growth. Driving that projection is the expectation that same-railroad revenue will rise 5% to 10%, which the company will compliment by making about $300 million per year in new investments and acquisitions to expand its global rail network. Story continues Now what Genesee & Wyoming's stock gained quite a bit of steam as the Republican tax cut plan neared the finish line last month. Because of that, it's possible that the stock could come back to earth if the reform package falls apart or the market takes a breather. If that happens, it could represent an excellent opportunity for long-term investors to consider buying shares of this railroad stock given its earnings growth potential without the impact of the tax plan. More From The Motley Fool Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Genesee & Wyoming. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Senior party leaders told Mail Today that by the onset of the auspicious month post makar sankranti in mid-January, the party's entire organisational set-up will have changed. By Sweta dutta: The Congress central election authority's announcement that all the 89 nominations filed on Monday proposed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the top job set in motion celebrations and preparations for the imminent change of guard on Tuesday. Following Rahul's elevation, the party's highest executive body, the Congress Working Committee, too is slated for an overhaul, and is expected to see a "healthy mix of the old and young." With a new organisational team at the district and state levels in place and a new party chief, the elections for the CWC remains pending and according to sources will be complete by mid-January. Senior party leaders told Mail Today that by the onset of the auspicious month post makar sankranti in mid-January, the party's entire organisational set-up will have changed. advertisement "Rahul Gandhi is all set to usher in a new era of dynamism in the party. At the state level, new Pradesh Congress Committee presidents and district incharges have taken guard and now at the national level some changes might be made. The All India Congress Committee elects its representatives and the new president will nominate roughly 12 members to the CWC. This process is likely to be complete by mid-January," said a sitting CWC member. A large party convention, on the lines of the Jaipur Chintan Shivir in January 2013 that saw Rahul's nomination as number two in the party, is likely to be held by end of next month, in which Rahul will address party workers. Though the venue is yet to be decided, it could be held either in Karnataka or Delhi. DEMOCRATIC APPROACH Meanwhile senior party leaders expectantly look at Rahul to breathe life into the Congress' sinking ship. "He is not one who imposes his views but is extremely democratic in his interactions and handling of issues. While there is clear indication that state leaders will be given more autonomy and freedom in decision-making, there will be legitimate space for more than one leader." "The idea is to work as a team. It is not like only young leaders will be promoted and the party veterans, who have served for decades will be done away with. There will be a healthy mix of the young and the old. Experience of the old leaders' and youthful energy of the young blood will together bring change," said a senior party functionary close to Rahul. "When Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister, he gave key responsibilities to several young leaders like Ashok Gehlot, Oscar Fernandes, Digvijaya Singh, Okram Ibobi Singh, who were all below the age of 40 years then." "It was because he groomed them then that these leaders went on to become assets for the party. Rahul ji intends to do the same...groom young leaders while making the most of its senior leadership," said a senior party leader. advertisement "Today he is solidly backing Sachin Pilot, Arun Yadav, Ashok Tanwar and such young leaders, who are the party's future." Party leaders maintained that while Sonia had to depend on the advice of her political aides when she took over as the party chief in 1998, Rahul has been working closely not only with the top national leadership but has also met district and state level leaders one-onone. "Rahul ji has been preparing for this day, years in advance and is all set for the challenges ahead," added the leader. WATCH | Dynasts rewarded, merit ignored in Congress: Shehzad Poonawallah on Rahul's elevation --- ENDS --- A security guard sits on a chair before the opening ceremony of the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China, December 3, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song By Cate Cadell WUZHEN, China (Reuters) - Top executives at Apple Inc and Facebook Inc managed to find something to praise Beijing for at an internet conference in China this week, even as its Communist Party rulers ban Western social media and stamp on online dissent. China's World Internet Conference attracted the heads of Google and Apple for the first time to hear China vow to open up its internet - just as long as it can guard cyberspace in the same way it guards its borders. The tacit endorsement of the event by top U.S. tech executives comes as China introduces strict new rules on censorship and data storage, causing headaches for foreign tech firms permitted to do business in China and signalling that restrictions banning others are unlikely to be lifted any time soon. "I'd compliment the Chinese government in terms of leadership on using data," Facebook Vice President Vaughan Smith said on Tuesday, citing government bodies such as the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). "The Chinese government, the CAC and MIIT are doing a fabulous job on that." Facebook and Google aren't accessible in China behind the country's Great Firewall, along with major Western news outlets and social media sites, while Apple is subject to strict censorship. The U.S firm removed dozens of popular messaging and virtual private network (VPN) apps from its China App Store this year to comply with government requests. "The theme of this conference, developing a digital economy for openness and shared benefits, is a vision we at Apple share," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said on Sunday. The audience cheered him twice once when he reached the podium, and again when he bowed. His comments, however, drew criticism in the United States from Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who has previously condemned Apple for removing VPN apps from its China App Store. "Global leaders in innovation, like Apple, have both an opportunity and a moral obligation to promote free expression and other basic human rights in countries that routinely deny these rights," Leahy said in a statement to CNBC on Tuesday. Story continues "It and other tech companies must continue to push back on Chinese suppression of free expression." PERCEIVED PROPAGANDA China cracks down on any sign of online criticism of the government which it sees as a threat to social stability and one-party rule. Some embassies, business groups and foreign firms steer clear of the highly choreographed internet event, analysts say, because of the perceived propaganda. But diplomacy seemed to rule the day at the conference, held in the ancient scenic city of Wuzhen in the eastern province of Zhejiang, and neither Smith nor Cook addressed issues of censorship or cyber regulation. Cook has made frequent trips to China over the past year, as the firm has looked to revive sales in the market and make a push into services that require working with local partners on data storage. "Companies that have sent high-level delegations to this conference in Wuzhen in the past have often done so because there is some type of significant issue with their access to the market," said an industry source familiar with the event who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. At the event itself, conference guests were treated to a bubble of uncensored internet in hotels, including access to Google, Facebook and foreign news outlets with specialised codes handed out to guests. In discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence and tech innovation, overseas executives generally skirted the topic of regulation, though it surfaced at times. "More people come to Facebook than are in China," said Facebook's Smith at a talk on digital economy on Tuesday. "(But) I realise not everyone in the room is familiar with Facebook." Jack Ma, chairman of China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd which owns Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, said that foreign tech firms wishing to enter the China market should abide by its laws. "(Foreign companies) are determined to come. Follow the rules and laws and if you're unhappy, leave," said Ma. "This is not a market (where) you can come and go." (Reporting by Cate Cadell; Editing by Nick Macfie and Sam Holmes) CME Group Inc. and Cboe Global Markets Inc. are poised to offer bitcoin futures contracts, easing the way for mainstream investors to bet big while dragging regulators into a realm skeptics call a fad and fraud. CME, the worlds biggest exchange owner, and smaller venue Cboe, known for its VIX volatility products, were allowed to offer the products after pledging to U.S. regulators that they comply with the law. CME said its contract will begin trading Dec. 18. Cantor Exchange, a subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, also will offer bitcoin binary options. Bitcoin extended gains following the announcement. The moves are a watershed for Wall Street professionals including institutional investors and high-speed traders whove been eager to bet on cryptocurrencies and their wild swings. But the new products will also spur federal regulation, with the contracts announced Friday subject to oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. All three exchanges promised to help the agency surveil the underlying bitcoin market. Bitcoin, a virtual currency, is a commodity unlike any the commission has dealt with in the past, CFTC Chairman Chris Giancarlo said in a statement. We expect that the futures exchanges, through information sharing agreements, will be monitoring the trading activity on the relevant cash platforms. Under a process called self-certification the exchanges assured the CFTC that the new products complied with the rules. While it doesnt technically require CFTC approval, the regulator could have stayed their plans if they werent satisfied. Fridays announcement allows them to go forward. U.S. financial regulators have struggled for years to agree on what, exactly, bitcoin is and what risks it might pose. Thats left its enthusiasts and financial professionals unsure which government agencies might try to police the rapidly growing market. In addition to the CFTC, theres the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Departments FinCEN, which tracks illicit payments. Story continues The CFTC declared in 2015 that it would treat bitcoin as a commodity. But the IRS says its property, the SEC said now some digital currency is a security, and FinCEN says digital currency is a money-like instrument. said Adam White, general manager of GDAX, a cryptocurrency exchange owned by Coinbase. His company is trying to work with all of them, he said, while offering his own definition: Its a new asset class. Bitcoin, created in 2009, excited early investors with its potential use as a global currency, free from bank fees and government control. Transactions take place person-to-person around the world anywhere theres Internet access. The cryptocurrencys price skyrocketed in recent months, surpassing $11,000 this week before paring some gains. After Fridays announcement, exchanges and the CFTC will have to keep tabs on that underlying market, according to Jeff Bandman, who until June advised Chairman Giancarlo on financial technology issues. Its well understood that bad actors can take actions in the spot market for a commodity where the reward or payoff is the derivatives market and vice versa, Bandman, who now runs Bandman Advisors, said in an interview before Fridays announcement. This would represent a new opportunity for mischief. Brian Quintenz, a Republican commissioner at the CFTC, said in an interview in London earlier this week that such venues will have to be vigilant if they list contracts. They would take on a significant but a very, in my view, positive role in ensuring manipulation is not occurring in how they calculate the prices for these futures, he said. That can bring some regulatory oversight on their own to bitcoin, he said. There are other ways the new futures could spur more vigorous oversight of the cryptocurrency. The contracts, for example, could make it easier to create an exchange-traded fund tied to bitcoin even after a previous attempt was knocked down. That could enlist the SEC. In March, the agency rejected a bitcoin ETF proposed by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss the co-creators of the Gemini exchange saying necessary surveillance-sharing agreements were too difficult given that significant markets for bitcoin are unregulated. On Thursday, a top SEC official weighed in. David Shillman, associate director in the agencys division of trading and markets, said a strong bitcoin futures market could make the regulator more comfortable approving bitcoin ETFs. Many mainstream investors and their brokers lured by bitcoins meteoric rise this year wouldnt mind some government oversight to head off potential abuses. The problem with the futures contracts is they are regulated derivatives that are based off underlying trading in unregulated markets, Richard Johnson, a market-structure analyst at Greenwich Associates who specializes in blockchain, said before Fridays announcement. That does create a potential problem. Ever since digital currencies began emerging, U.S. regulators have faced a big dilemma: The laws that empower watchdogs and delineate their areas of responsibility were written decades ago when money was minted on paper, companies turned mainly to the stock market for capital, and commodities came from farms, mines or wells. Many authorities have held back, studying what to do. CME Chief Executive Officer Terrence Duffy sped up that process in October when he disclosed his plan for futures. His announcement of an imminent product caught some CFTC officials by surprise, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Exchanges like CME, which profit from increased trading volumes, can approve new futures contracts themselves. Still, CME and Cboe conferred with the CFTC while crafting terms for their products. The agency said they made a number of adjustments. CME, for example, increased its margin requirement for the contracts. At the SEC, Chairman Jay Clayton has warned that initial coin offerings which are also backed by the blockchain ledger technology that underpins bitcoin are probably ripe with fraud. Earlier this year, the SEC cautioned that in many instances the offerings are essentially securities that must be registered. In November, the SEC warned that celebrities who endorse ICOs risk running afoul of securities laws if they dont disclose their compensation. Most people believe that bitcoin is not a security, Clayton said this week. The question is, jurisdictionally, where does the SEC fall. The various regulators are thinking about it. There are jurisdictional issues around bitcoin and bitcoin trading and where its taking place. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, is taking a cautious approach. Federal Reserve Chair nominee Jerome Powell has said bitcoin isnt big enough to affect monetary policy. And Randal Quarles, who was confirmed in October as the Feds first-ever vice chair responsible for regulating banks, has said authorities should keep a close eye on digital currencies, slowly adopting useful innovations if deemed safe. The problem among regulators is that they each have roles with bitcoin, but that theres too little coordination, said Justin Slaughter, a former top aide to a CFTC commissioner who now consults on financial technology and regulation as a partner at Mercury Strategies. Its been very scattershot, its been somewhat confused, he said. Bank of America Corporation BAC has received the Federal Reserves approval for buying back an additional $5 billion worth of common shares by Jun 30, 2018. This is over and above the $12 billion of repurchase authorization that the company had received in June as part of its 2017 capital plan. The repurchase of extra shares will help the company offset the impact of the additional common stock that was issued when Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK.B exercised its outstanding warrants. Berkshire Hathaway converted the warrants that it had acquired after the financial crisis into BofAs shares in August 2017. Additionally, this capital distribution will mitigate the increase in regulatory capital that resulted from the sale of BofAs non-U.S. consumer credit card business. As part of its efforts toward transforming into a single-brand business serving core retail customers in the United States, BofA divested its U.K. consumer credit card operations, MBNA Ltd. to Lloyds Banking Group plc LYG earlier this year, which enhanced its Basel 3 risk-based capital ratios. BofAs repurchase program includes both common stock as well as warrants. The company mentioned that the buyback can take place either through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions. Given a robust capital position and lower dividend payout ratio compared to its peers, the company is expected to sustain its capital deployment activities, thereby continuing to enhance shareholder value. Another company from the same space, which has a solid capital and balance sheet position, is Citigroup Inc. C. Its 2017 capital plan includes share repurchase authorization worth $15.6 billion. BofAs shares have gained 30.9% so far this year, outperforming the 18.2% rally for the industry it belongs to. Currently, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Click for details >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Citigroup Inc. (C) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bank of America Corporation (BAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Dunkin Donuts, which is part of Dunkin Brands Group, Inc. DNKN, is geared up to expand further in Sacramento, CA. To this end, the company has inked multi-unit store development agreements with two franchisees to build nine restaurants in the region over the next several years. The first agreement is with existing franchisee, Shiva Developments, which is expected to develop four new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants. The second agreement is with a new franchisee group, NorCal Grub, which plans to develop five new outlets. Notably, the first restaurant under each of these agreements is slated to open in 2019. Currently, Dunkin Donuts possesses more than 50 locations in California and is continuing to recruit franchisees in the Sacramento area. These agreements are thus in sync with the companys plan to drive growth in the region. Apart from foraying into domestic markets, the company is also looking to expand its footprint internationally, especially in the emerging markets of Asia and the Middle East. Globally, the company has more than 12,400 Dunkin Donuts restaurants in 46 countries and is on track to achieve its long-term goal of opening 17,000 restaurants in the United States. In the last three months, Dunkin Brands shares have outperformed its industry. While the stock rallied 16.7%, the industry gained 8.1% in the same period. However, Dunkin' Brands international comps growth has been weak over the last few years at both its Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins divisions. Furthermore, a soft consumer spending environment in the domestic restaurants space along with intense competition from food & beverages companies like Starbucks Corporation SBUX, McDonalds Corporation MCD and Jack in the Box Inc. JACK might continue to exert pressure on revenues. Nevertheless, we are positive on the companys continued expansion strategies along with various sales and digital initiatives. These initiatives include product launches, increased focus on its beverage portfolio, the ongoing loyalty program and mobile ordering service that are expected to draw customers and drive earnings as well as revenue growth. Dunkin' Brands carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Click for details >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) : Free Stock Analysis Report McDonald's Corporation (MCD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Jack In The Box Inc. (JACK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (DNKN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. FILE PHOTO: The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company's headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo By Barbara Lewis and Maiya Keidan LONDON (Reuters) - Glencore (GLEN.L) has increased production of the metals used to make electric car batteries faster than its major mining rivals, according to an industry-wide analysis that shows the scale of a strategy that has big prospective risks and rewards. The Anglo-Swiss company's output of cobalt and copper roughly doubled in the five years to 2016, while its production of nickel quadrupled, the research compiled for Reuters by S&P Global Market Intelligence shows. Electric vehicle metals account for roughly 50 percent of Glencore's core profit, more than double the proportion of its major listed competitors - BHP (BLT.L) (BHP.AX), Rio Tinto (RIO.L) (RIO.AX) and Anglo American (AAL.L). The analysis, based on companies' reports, supports Glencore's assertion it is well positioned to capitalize on an anticipated surge in demand for electric cars in the coming decade. However the drive also holds potential perils; most of the production has been added through acquisitions, and Glencore has racked up more debt than its competitors, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. It had $28.4 billion of net debt, compared with BHP's $16.3 billion, Rio Tinto's $8.1 billion and Anglo American's 5.5 billion, found the study compiled in November. Concerns about the size of Glencore's debts at a time of falling commodity prices led to its share price crashing to an all-time low in 2015, its management pumping in more money themselves and implementing a debt-reduction plan. The stock has since rebounded, driven by rising commodity prices and Glencore's efforts to strengthen its balance sheet. Glencore declined to give fresh comment for this story, saying it would issue an investors' update next week. CEO Ivan Glasenberg has said many times this year the roll-out of electric vehicles will boost demand for copper, cobalt and nickel. The company calculates its debt differently from the rest of the industry, offsetting some of it with inventories of commodities that can easily be converted into cash. At the end of June it said its debt was $13.9 billion. Story continues Glencore's reliance on Democratic Republic of Congo for cobalt as well as copper presents another risk. The other majors avoid the country, which is plagued by pockets of lawlessness and conflict, political tumult, child labor and an opaque legal system. Analysts and investors acknowledge the risk, but many see it as worth taking. "The world needs cobalt and DRC needs foreign inflows," said Ryan Seaborne, portfolio manager at South Africa's 36ONE Asset Management, which holds shares in the miner. "We are still bullish Glencore as a company and like the DRC cobalt assets." DIVERGING PATHS Glencore's willingness to operate in Congo has made it the leading global producer of cobalt among the major miners. It increased its cobalt output from 12,880 tonnes in 2011 to 28,300 last year, accounting for more than a quarter of the roughly 100,000 tonne global market, according to the analysis. It also raised production of copper from 700,000 to 1.4 million tonnes, while its nickel output rose from 28,500 to 115,100 tonnes and zinc from 563,100 to 1.1 million tonnes. Although not widely regarded as an electric vehicle commodity, some research has found zinc, predominantly used to galvanize steel, could be used in batteries if other minerals become too rare or expensive. A rapid pace of technological development means the mix of metals needed for car batteries could radically change, according to analysts, which could undermine the company's ambitions. But this is a longer-term threat due to the long lead time carmakers need to incorporate innovations, they say. Glencore's rivals are on different strategic courses. BHP, for example, says a mass move to electric cars is more than a decade away. It expects demand for oil from light vehicles to peak in 2030, with other forms of oil demand likely to be more sustained. Anglo American, the world's top platinum supplier, is looking to squeeze more profit out of its world-class reserves by betting on vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells in which platinum acts as a catalyst. While Glencore's competitors have lower outputs of cobalt, nickel and zinc, they are all interested in copper - which has many uses as one of the best electricity conductors - even while they remain more cautious about the rate at which electric vehicles will arrive. Among major listed players, BHP garners the highest proportion of its profits from electric vehicle metals after Glencore - about a fifth - and this is mostly from copper. Rio Tinto, the world's biggest iron ore producer, is working on a massive underground expansion at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia. It also has a lithium project in Serbia but that will not produce before the next decade. Lithium is a battery metal that makes many investors nervous. Predicting future price levels is difficult as it is abundant and many new projects are under way. For Glencore, keen to have some control over pricing, that is not tempting. LEAPING SHARES Since its 2015 nadir, Glencore's share price has rallied more than 400 percent. The stock is up more than 20 percent this year, more than the other three biggest publicly listed diversified miners, although off peaks hit in October. Ratings agencies however cite the company's attachment to polluting coal as a downside risk in the long term. Glencore is the world's biggest shipper of export-quality coal. Some investors have begun taking profits. David Livermore, founder and managing director of asset manager Livermore Partners, told Reuters he had reduced his holding on the grounds it looks difficult, though not impossible, for the stock to maintain its momentum. "I don't see a whole lot of upside in the equity here. It's come a long way," he said. Livermore has reduced its equity stake to $1 million, from a $2.6 million investment in September 2015 when the shares fell below 70 pence, making gains of $3.1 million. Seaborne of South Africa's 36ONE Asset Management, which holds 3 million shares in Glencore, has also cut exposure: "We had some redemptions out of our fund, so it's been pure portfolio realignment, and also the stock has run quite hard." But Glencore remains its largest mining holding. They're in a better position than the rest of the miners," Seaborne added. "If you take a five to 10-year view, you probably want to be in Glencore more than you want to be in any of the other diversifieds." (Additional reporting by Eric Onstad; Editing by Pravin Char) The Rajasthan government was told by the high court that categorising garlic as spice would attract GST. By India Today Web Desk: Consuming garlic might literally 'spice up' your food soon. In a recent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing in the Rajasthan High Court, it was argued whether garlic is a spice or a vegetable. Many say that it's most accurate to call garlic a vegetable because the garlic bulb looks very much like onion. However, it's debatable since garlic is not consumed as vegetable and many believe it to have a category of its own. advertisement The high court asked the state government whether garlic should be sold as a spice or vegetable and if sold as a spice, GST will be applicable on it. Tada! The petitioner representing the Aaloo, Pyaaz Aur Lehsun Viktreta Sangh from Bhadvasia, Jodhpur, argued that it should be considered as either of the two and if sold as a spice in the grain market, GST should be applied. The petition filed was also supported by other vegetable associations. The state government's reply is awaited and it's likely to come up with an answer to the high court's question by the end of this week. Shyamsundar Ladrecha, additional advocate general said an amendment was made in August 2016 in Section-2 of the Rajasthan Agriculture Produce Market Act, 1962 that permitted selling of garlic in grain markets. "Following a bumper garlic production in the state that year, the prices of garlic began to drop. Also, there were space constraints in vegetable markets for the sale of garlic. So, the government, in order to encourage competition among the buyers, allowed the farmers to sell their produce in grains markets as well," he said. The farmers are supposed to pay two per cent commission to the middle men for selling garlic in grain market and if sold in vegetable market, they are charged with six per cent commission. FUN FACT: Garlic was first found in Egyptian pyramids and Greek temples. Use of garlic is strictly forbidden in the Buckingham palace. --- ENDS --- FuelCell Energy Inc. FCEL recently inked an agreement to sell renewable hydrogen to Toyota Motor Corp. TM. This tie-up, better known as hydrogen and power off-take agreement, is in line with FuelCells strategy to actively market its distributed hydrogen technology. This will offer a hydrogen fueling solution for fuel cell vehicles like that of Toyota and in turn expand FuelCell Energys business. Details of the Tie-Up Per the terms of the deal, FuelCell Energy will install a multi-megawatt SureSource fuel cell power plant at the Port of Long Beach in California. Once operational, this plant will produce 100% renewable hydrogen which will fuel Toyotas Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) as well as Heavy Duty hydrogen fuel cell class 8 trucks (Project Portal). Notably, FuelCell Energys distributed hydrogen solution produces hydrogen and clean power from methane-based fuels such as biogas as by products. The latest SureSource plant will also generate renewable power, which will be supplied to the grid under the California Bioenergy Market Adjustment Tariff (BioMAT) program. Benefits of the Deal Apart from strengthening FuelCell Energys ties with Toyota, this latest agreement reflects a key progress in building a sustainable hydrogen ecosystem that will facilitate in powering Port operations. With the growing popularity of fuel cell technology, this deal will represent an innovative and replicable global model for building an affordable hydrogen infrastructure. The renewable transportation fuel will enhance the demand of fuel cell electric cars, trucks and buses. More adoption of fuel cell vehicles indicate increased demand for fuel cell technology, which in turn will definitely benefit FuelCell Energy and attract more companies like Toyota, which aims at popularizing their FCEVs, to ink deals with it. Whats Favoring FuelCell Energy? To reduce carbon emissions from diesel-powered vehicles, demand for FCEVs is on the rise. Toward this, in California, Governor Jerry Brown announced plans to make 100,000 zero-emission freight-hauling machines operational by 2030, under his California Sustainable Freight Action Plan (according to Bloomberg). This in turn has boosted the market for fuel cell energy in the state. Story continues Naturally, companies with significant operations in California will try to tap the growing market for fuel cell energy in the state. The latest deal between Toyota and FuelCell Energy is an example of that. And not only California, realizing the need for vehicles with lower emissions, prospects of fuel cell energy producers has enhanced worldwide. Notably, the global hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 82% during 2017-2022. This indicates at more growth prospects for fuel cell makers like FuelCell Energy, Plug Power, Inc. PLUG and Ballard Power Systems, Inc. BLDP. Price Movement In the past six months, FuelCell Energy, has outperformed the industry. The companys shares have gained 64.1% compared with the industrys rally of 14.2%. This may have been driven by the rising demand for fuel cell technology in recent times. Zacks Rank FuelCell Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ballard Power Systems, Inc. (BLDP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Plug Power, Inc. (PLUG) : Free Stock Analysis Report FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCEL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research General Dynamics Corp.s GD business division, Electric Boat, recently secured a modification contract for providing fiscal 2018 lead yard services and development studies and design efforts for Virginia-class submarines. Majority of the work related to this deal will be carried out in Groton, CT. Details of the Deal Valued at $432 million, the contract was awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Per the modification, the lead yard services will maintain, update, and support the Virginia-class design and related drawings and data for Virginia-class submarines. This will include technology insertion, throughout its construction and post shakedown availability period. Moreover, the company will provide engineering and related lead yard services necessary for direct maintenance and support of Virginia-class ship specifications. In addition, this contract will offer development studies and design efforts related to the Virginia-class submarine design and design improvements, preliminary and detail component and system design, integration of system engineering, design engineering, test engineering, logistics engineering and production engineering. Development studies and design efforts will also be supplied in relation to components and systems to accomplish research and development tasks and prototypes and engineering development models required to evaluate new technologies to be inserted in succeeding Virginia-class submarines. Fiscal 2018, 2017, 2012, 2015, 2013, 2014 and 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds, as well as fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 research, development, test and engineering funds will be utilized to complete the task by December 2018. A Brief Note on Virginia-Class Submarine The Virginia-class submarine program is a class of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines serving the U.S. Navy. These submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions, jointly constructed by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. HII. Story continues The submarines are also designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations as well as mine warfare. These vessels are one of the three classes of attack submarines used by the U.S. Navy. The other two are the Los Angeles class and the Seawolf class. Valued at around $2.7 billion each, these submarines will be operational until 2070. Whats Favoring General Dynamics? As one of the only two contractors in the world that are equipped to build nuclear-powered submarines, General Dynamics enjoys a dominant position as a Navy contractor. With widespread geo-political tensions looming over the globe, nations are strengthening up their arsenals and boosting up their naval power through upgrading submarines is one such strategy. In line with this, considering the solid demand for the Virginia-class submarine, the U.S. Navy plans to build an advanced model of this submarine in the subsequent years. This latest model will come with an additional mid-body section, called the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). We believe the launch tubes of VPM will have the capability to carry a total of 28 additional Tomahawk cruise missiles. In fact, the Navy earlier proposed fiscal 2017 budget requests worth $97.9 million in research and development funding for the VPM. This indicates additional defense contracts for General Dynamics, which, in turn, is expected to boost the companys growth trajectory. Further, the Navy has acknowledged the Virginia-class program as one of its top priority, and a sumptuous budget has been allotted for the same. This bodes well for General Dynamics as it is the prime contractor. As a result, we believe that the modification contract will undoubtedly put the company in a leading position in the nuclear-powered submarine industry. Defense Industry Scenario In September, the U.S. Senate approved a $700-billion National Defense Authorization Act, which provides necessary funding to the U.S. Military to carry out activities in homeland and overseas. The bill authorizes $640 billion for national defense spending and $60 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. The defense expenditure for fiscal 2018 is expected to exceed fiscal 2017 levels by nearly $83 billion. The defense spending approved by the Senate is higher than what President Trump had requested for. This has raised the growth prospects of defense primes like The Boeing Company BA and Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT. In addition, the bill includes $6 billion to boost Navy shipbuilding. This would benefit the nations prime shipbuilders like General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls. Price Performance General Dynamics stock has returned 12% over a year, underperforming the 28.4% rally of the industry it belongs to. This may have been caused by the earlier budget cuts inflicted by the prior U.S. government. Zacks Rank General Dynamics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Click for details >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Boeing Company (The) (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Dynamics Corporation (GD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO of DoubleLine Capital, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (REUTERS) (Adds quotes on Fed, Yellen and Bitcoin) By Jennifer Ablan NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - DoubleLine Capital Chief Executive Jeffrey Gundlach, who voted for President Donald Trump, warned on Tuesday that it is a "strange environment" to be cutting U.S. corporate taxes with the economy already in its eighth year of expansion. "A tax cut will reduce revenue and it will grow the deficit and therefore, it will probably grow bond supply, and perhaps boost economic growth," Gundlach said on an investor webcast. "And if it does and the amount, it is going to be bond unfriendly." In a follow-up interview with Reuters, Gundlach, known on Wall Street as the Bond King, said: "Growth has accelerated already, and the deficit is already going up, so why cut taxes?" DoubleLine manages more than $115 billion in assets, as of Sept. 30. Gundlach on the webcast reiterated his prediction that the benchmark 10-year Treasury could hit 6 percent "come the next presidential election or a year later. "I don't think it is at all strange to think we can tack on something like 75 basis points, on average, with volatility of course, per year for the next four years or so," he said. Gundlach predicted the next big move in the U.S. dollar would be down, which is why DoubleLine is still positive on emerging markets. Gundlach said it is "getting very near the end" of the outperformance in U.S. corporate credit debt versus Treasuries and added that quantitative easing has supported risk assets such as corporate credit and high-yield "junk bonds." "It is going to be very interesting to see how the markets can hang on to the easy gains that were made in 2017," Gundlach said. "It's just so far, so good. The Fed has tightened four times, they've embarked on quantitative tightening." On the Federal Reserve, Gundlach said Fed chair Janet Yellen is leaving a "pretty good legacy," with no financial market crisis. "She got us off of zero (percent) and she started us on the wind down - the quantitative tightening - and so far, nothing has blown up," Gundlach said. Asked about bitcoin mania, Gundlach told Reuters that he is not at all surprised by it. "It's a sign of the times. Like the dot coms back in the day," he said. Gundlach added that he does not own Bitcoin "just like I never bought a dot-com stock back in the day." Bitcoin powered to a record high of $11,850 on Tuesday. (Reporting by Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Diane Craft) Im going to take advantage of Facebooks option to take leave in parts, said the Facebook CEO, whose second daughter was born in August of this year The Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, with his wife, Priscilla Chan, and daughters August and Maxima. Photograph: Charles Ommanney/AP Mark Zuckerberg is taking parental leave for the month of December, the Facebook CEO announced Saturday. Zuckerberg previously took a month-long leave immediately after the August 2017 birth of his second daughter, August. Im going to take advantage of Facebooks option to take leave in parts, the CEO said at the time. At Facebook, we offer four months of maternity and paternity leave because studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, its good for the entire family. Zuckerberg, 33, also took a two-month parental leave following the birth of his first daughter, Max, in 2015. At the time, the Facebook founder was widely lauded for helping to remove the stigma from paternity leave. The United States stands alone among developed countries in failing to require any paid leave for new parents. The lack of a federal mandate has left parental leave up to the states, municipalities and individual employers. Wealthy technology firms like Facebook, Google and Apple have prioritized policies for parents including generous leave, on-site childcare, baby cash and plush lactation rooms amid heated competition for the best talent. But lower-wage workers often face difficult choices to support their families: a quarter of new mothers in the US return to work within two weeks of giving birth. In 2016, San Francisco became the first US city to mandate fully paid parental leave. Many feminists urge the more widespread adoption of paternity leave to promote greater gender equality in the workplace and domestic sphere. When Zuckerberg returned to work after Augusts birth on 21 September, he revealed that his leave had not been solely preoccupied with diapers and bottles. While I was out on leave, I spent a lot of time with our teams on the question of Russian interference in the US elections, he wrote in a Facebook post upon his return. An alleged case love jihad has cropped up in Rajasthan's Rajsamand where a man was burnt alive. By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: A sensational case has come to the fore from Rajasthan's Rajsamand where a man was burnt alive allegedly for committing 'love jihad'. Not just that, the perpetrator of the heinous crime made a video of the act which was later put on the social media. The entire incident happened on Dev heritage road in Rajnagar area of Rajsamand. advertisement The police had initially received information about the semi-burnt body of a man being found. Senior police officials including SP Manoj Kumar, ASP Manish Tripathi, DSP Rajendra Singh reached the location and found a badly disfigured body. A team of FSL, dog squad was summoned. The police also asked people in the nearby areas to identify the person.The man in the video was identified by some as Mohammed Bhatta Sheikh. The police are still trying to verify the antecedents of the person whose body was found in semi-burnt state. Agriculture equipment used in the murder and the dead man's bike and slippers were found from the location of the murder. An attempt was made to burn the victim by pouring kerosene on him. The police had been conducting its investigations. However, a video surfaced on social media in which one person, Shambhu Nath Raigar, can be seen beating the victim, Mohammad Bhatta Sheikh in the video. In the video, it can be seen that initially the perpetrator hits the man killed with an agricultural equipment, then pours kerosene on his body and burns it. In the video, Raigar can be seen mentioning that those who indulge in 'love jihad' will be met with same fate. Rajsamand police is conducting further investigations in the case. --- ENDS --- U.S. natural gas futures, shrugging off the weak storage report, ended higher last week, underpinned by hopes of below average temperatures. The U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory release showed a smaller-than-expected decrease in natural gas supplies. Nevertheless, prices rose for the week on expectations of colder weather and the resultant strength in the commoditys demand. About the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002 includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage level estimates, recent weather data and other market activities or events. The report provides an overview of the level of reserves and their movements, thereby helping investors understand the demand/supply dynamics of natural gas. It is an indicator of current gas prices and volatility that affect businesses of natural gas-weighted companies and related support plays. Analysis of the Data: Smaller-than-Expected Draw Stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states fell by 33 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended Nov 24, below the guidance (of 38 Bcf decline) as per the analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts, a leading independent commodities and energy data provider. Worse, the decrease was lower than both last years drop of 43 Bcf and the five-year (2012-2016) average net shrinkage of 47 Bcf for the reported week. Following past weeks decline third withdrawal of the 2017-2018 winter heating season the current storage level now stands at 3.693 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) - 107 Bcf (2.8%) under the five-year average and 309 Bcf (7.7%) below the year-ago figure. Fundamentally speaking, total supply of natural gas averaged around 81.9 Bcf per day, up marginally (less than 1%) on a weekly basis due to higher production. Meanwhile, daily natural gas consumption decreased 5.4% to 80.8 Bcf. The sharp pullback in demand was triggered by a 10.1% fall in residential/commercial consumption on the back of warmer temperatures. Moreover, natural gas consumption for power generation was down by 5% from the previous week. Story continues Futures Jump Despite Bearish EIA Data Shrugging off EIAs latest commentary, natural gas prices soared around 5% last week to settle at $3.061 per MMBtu on Friday as investors chose to bet on the return of colder weather (translating into strong heating gas demand) over the next few weeks. Positive Long-Term Thesis Despite occasional hiccups, the fundamentals of natural gas continue to be favorable in the long run, considering the secular shift to the cleaner burning fuel for power generation globally and in the Asia-Pacific region in particular. The EIA predicts global demand for the commodity to grow from 340 Bcf per day in 2015 to 485 Bcf per day by 2040. Countries in Asia and in the Middle East led by Chinas transition away from coal will account for most of this increase. And it will be the worlds largest gas producer U.S., which will step up to meet this soaring demand. With domestic prices struggling to break the $3 per million Btu threshold, U.S. natural gas companies see a big opportunity in selling cheap U.S. production at higher prices to rest of the world. In fact, more than 50% of the domestic volume growth in the near future will be used for export in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As per Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States will vie with Australia and Qatar as the top LNG exporter by 2022. Apart from the growing use of LNG and booming exports, the replacement of coal-fired power plants and higher consumption from industrial projects will likely ensure strong natural gas demand with price eventually settling well above $3. The perceived price strength augurs well for natural gas-heavy upstream companies like Rex Energy Corp. REXX, Chesapeake Energy Corp. CHK, Southwestern Energy Co. SWN, WPX Energy Inc. WPX, Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. COG and EQT Corp. EQT. Want to Own a Natural Gas Stock Now? If you are looking for a near term natural gas play, Rice Midstream Partners L.P. RMP may be a good selection. This company actually has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Headquartered in Canonsburg, PA, Rice Midstream is a partnership focused on owning, operating and developing dry gas from the Utica and Marcellus producing regions. The midstream operator has an excellent earnings surprise history. It surpassed estimates in three of the last four quarters at an average rate of 35.3% Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public. Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' private trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report EQT Corporation (EQT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG) : Free Stock Analysis Report WPX Energy, Inc. (WPX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Rex Energy Corporation (REXX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Rice Midstream Partners LP (RMP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research FILE PHOTO: Sample bottles of crude oil are seen in this illustration photo June 1, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo By David Gaffen NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil fell 2 percent on Wednesday after a sharp rise in U.S. inventories of refined fuel suggested demand may be flagging, while U.S. crude production hit another weekly record. Government data showed that U.S. crude stocks fell 5.6 million barrels, more than expected, though that was partially the result of the closure of the Keystone pipeline after a leak in South Dakota in mid-November, which cut flows to Cushing, Oklahoma. That line reopened Tuesday. However, gasoline stocks rose by 6.8 million barrels and distillate inventories were up 1.7 million barrels, both exceeding expectations in a Reuters poll. That hit prices of both crude and products in a market which is already heavily tilted bullish and thus potentially vulnerable to a selloff, analysts said. Gasoline stocks tend to build in December, but at 221 million barrels of inventory, stocks are slightly above the five-year average for this time of year. U.S. crude production rose to 9.7 million barrels per day, another weekly record, though short of all-time records reached in the 1970s. That increase may undermine efforts by global producers to cut supply. Supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers that were extended at a meeting last week for the whole of 2018 have helped lift Brent prices by more than 40 percent since June. Prices have slipped from November's peak, which represented two-year highs. The sentiment-driven support to crude oil prices has somewhat dissipated as market participants look beyond last weeks OPEC meeting," said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energys Global Gas Analytics in London. Brent crude futures were down $1.23, or 2 percent, at $61.63 a barrel by 11:21 a.m. EST (1621 GMT), after reaching a session high of $62.93, while U.S. crude futures dropped $1.29, or 2.3 percent, to $56.33. Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak said it was too early to talk about exiting the OPEC agreement, and that the process would be gradual. Analysts such as Goldman Sachs have said that the expected rise in demand in 2018 would mostly be offset by U.S. and Canadian supply growth. Story continues U.S. oil production has climbed by 15 percent since mid-2016 to 9.7 million bpd, close to levels of top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia. "With U.S. production, we're still in the throes of seeing that go ever higher. There's only going to be more production coming which is very problematic for OPEC non-OPEC deal adherence," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. (Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino and Julia Simon in New York; Henning Gloystein and Keith Wallis in Singapore; Editing by David Evans and Marguerita Choy) Texas Capital (TCBI) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock? We take a look at earnings estimates for some clues. Investors in Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. CBI need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 8, 2017 $19.50 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today. What is Implied Volatility? Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy. What do the Analysts Think? Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Chicago Bridge & Iron shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Chicago Bridge & Iron is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Building Products - Heavy Construction industry that ranks in the Top 21% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while five analysts have revised the estimate downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 59 cents per share to 47 cents in that period. Given the way analysts feel about Chicago Bridge & Iron right now, this huge implied volatility could mean theres a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected. Looking to Trade Options? Each week, our very own Dave Bartosiak gives his top options trades. Check out his recent live analysis and options trade for the NFLX earnings report completely free. See it here: Bartosiak: Trading Netflix's (NFLX) Earnings with Options or check out the embedded video below for more details: Story continues Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (CBI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. (WASHINGTON) President Donald Trump gave embattled GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore a vigorous formal endorsement Monday, looking past allegations of sexual misconduct with Alabama teenagers as Republican leaders in Washington, once appalled by Moores candidacy, began to come to grips with the ever-clearer possibility of his victory. Buoyed by the taste of his own success in Congress as the Republican tax bill inches closer to passage, Trump telephoned Moore to offer encouragement as well as support and also argued in a pair of tweets that Moores vote was badly needed to push the presidents policies forward. The Republican National Committee quickly followed suit, announcing they were returning the support they had pulled last month. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was initially among several national Republicans to urge Moore to drop out of the race, said Sunday it was up to Alabama voters to decide whether the former state Supreme Court chief justice should be elected. Weeks ago, when accusations of sexual misconduct with teenagers first surfaced, Trumps spokesman had said the president believed Moore would do the right thing and step aside if the allegations were true. Top Republicans vowed to expel him from the Senate if he won his Dec. 12 special election. And, publicly and privately, GOP leaders described the allegations against Moore as credible and insisted there were no circumstances under which he should serve in the Senate. Trumps tweets on Monday showed his thinking has evolved as Moore has rejected his partys appeals and doggedly remained in the race. In the phone call, Moore said, Trump offered his full support and said he needs a fighter to help him in the US Senate. Moore tweeted that the president told him: Go get em, Roy! Trumps move was somewhat symbolic: He had already all but endorsed Moore, repeatedly criticizing Democratic rival Doug Jones on Twitter and planning a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Florida, on Friday, less than 20 miles from the Alabama border and just four days before voters head to the polls. Story continues Still, Trumps decision to do away with any pretense of distance made clear he is increasingly confident in Moores chances of victory despite the continued unease of some other Republican leaders. And the RNC quickly followed his lead. An RNC official confirmed late Monday that the committee would once again be supporting Moore, after severing its fundraising ties to his campaign last month. It was not immediately clear what that support would entail. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the reversal, which was first reported by Breitbart News. A Moore victory would set up a potentially explosive clash with fellow Republicans in Congress, some of whom have resoundingly called on him to quit the race. While some have softened their rhetoric recently, others have said they still will try to expel him if he is elected. Moores campaign was wounded by accusations this fall of sexual misconduct, decades ago, made by women who were then teenagers. One of the women alleges he initiated sexual contact when she was 14. Moore denies it all, saying I do not know any of these women. I did not date any of these women I did not engage in any sexual misconduct with anyone. Trump, who has repeatedly noted Moores denials, took a more political stance on Monday. Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama, Trump tweeted. We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. In that same vein, longtime Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby said Trumps endorsement didnt surprise him. He said of the president, I think hes interested, a lot of us are, in the numbers, being a Republican. And Sen. Orrin Hatch, who traveled with Trump on Monday to Hatchs home state of Utah, said he realistically didnt have any choice. Hatch said, of Moore, Thats the only Republican you can possibly get down there at this time. Trump first appeared to back Moore after his first choice, Sen. Luther Strange, lost the GOP primary for the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. But the president went silent after The Washington Post reported on the allegations of sexual misconduct with two teens, ages 14 and 16, and efforts to date several others while Moore was a local prosecutor in his 30s. By late last month, however, with pressure mounting from his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and other corners of his base, Trump was making clear that he preferred Moore, raising doubts about the candidates accusers and criticizing Democrat Jones as the liberal puppet of Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Meanwhile, Moore himself was strongly criticized by top Republicans, including Cory Gardner of Colorado, chairman of the Senate GOP campaign apparatus known as the National Republican Senatorial Committee. If he refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate, Gardner said three weeks ago. He said last week he stood by that statement. Jones, the Democrat, sidestepped questions about Trumps endorsement while suggesting the support of national Republicans like McConnell could do more harm than good in Alabama. Our campaign is going straight to the people of the Alabama because thats who my voters are. Its not the president, its not Mitch McConnell, Jones told reporters outside a steel mill in suburban Birmingham. Obviously Mitch McConnell has very little credibility in this state anyway, so Im not worried about him at all. Expelling a senator is no easy task. The Senate Ethics Committee would have to investigate, and a recommendation of expulsion could take years. Starbucks (SBUX) is opening one store in China every 15 hours, the company's China CEO, Belinda Wong, told "Squawk Box." China has become Starbucks' second largest and fastest growing market, and one the company expects to eclipse the U.S. market one day. Starbucks already operates more than 3,000 stores in the country and 2,000 more by 2021. The company on Tuesday company opened a 30,000-square-foot Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, its flashiest commitment to its growing Chinese business. It's the second Starbucks' Roastery to open and is twice the size of its flagship location in Seattle. "To us, we open 500-plus stores a year, but to us, it's not about 500. It's about opening a store 500 different times because you're in a different neighborhood and we've got to build that relationship with our customer," Wong said. Starbucks is now building more net new company-operated stores in China than in the U.S., said CEO Kevin Johnson, who replaced CEO Howard Schultz in April when the longtime leader transitioned into the role of executive chairman. In China, Starbucks' young baristas and shift supervisors receive a housing allowance subsidy, Wong said. The idea is to give those employees who have likely just finished college financial security. Comparable-sales growth in China is outpacing the U.S. Last quarter , China posted an 8 percent increase, compared with a 3 percent gain in the U.S., excluding impacts from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Starbucks is serving more than 5 million customers in China per week, Johnson said. Most of those visits occur between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., but he said the stores are starting to see more residents adopt the American habit of drinking coffee in the morning. Shares of Starbucks have risen 5.8 percent this year. They were up 1.1 percent on Tuesday. More From CNBC Starbucks SBUX is opening its largest shop ever with the new Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, on Dec 5, in a bid to counter sluggish U.S. sales. Starbucks is testing its upscale and super-sized cafe concept in its fastest-growing market of China. The 30,000-square-feet store has more than 100 beverages on the menu, and allows customers to participate in the first AR (augmented reality) experience from Starbucks. This is the second-ever Starbucks Roastery while its first was opened in Seattle in 2014. The coffee chain giant also has plans to bring this Roastery concept to New York in 2018 and another to Chicago in 2019. Expansion in China The Starbucks brand is gaining popularity across Asia with increasing investments in Asian markets. Particularly, China is the fastest-growing market for Starbucks. Management believes that China and the Asia-Pacific region will drive more meaningful business growth over the next five years supported by rapid unit expansion, wider brand awareness, and increased usage of digital/mobile/loyalty platforms. Starbucks currently (as of Oct 1, 2017) operates 7,479 stores across China-Asia-Pacific or CAP. The company remains on track to have roughly 11,000 locations in CAP (600 in China alone) in fiscal 2018. Revenues from the CAP region, accounting for 14% of Starbucks revenues for fiscal 2017, were up 10% in fiscal 2017. Same-store sales grew 8% in China during the last-reported quarter (its strongest in nine quarters), compared with 2% globally. Even in July 2017, the company announced its plans of acquiring the remaining 50% share of its East China business from Uni-President Enterprises Corporation and President Chain Store Corporation. The deal, which is the largest acquisition made by Starbucks to date, is valued at $1.3 billion. Following the deal, the company will own 1,300 stores in three Chinese provinces. The transaction, which is slated to close by early calendar year 2018, is expected to add $1 billion to the top line in the first year and see a breakeven to slightly accretive earnings in the first year. Importantly, the company believes that joining its China business will lead to acceleration in its East China business. Starbucks' business in China is growing rapidly due to innovative store designs, local product innovations and the success of the My Starbucks Rewards program. Beyond China, the company is facilitating growth in countries like Japan, Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. Starbucks expects to triple its profits in the CAP and Europe, Middle East and Africa business over the next five years. Increasing revenues in the Americas segment (accounting for 70% of total revenues) have been a big challenge for Starbucks for the last few quarters. The company has been experiencing tepid comps growth in the United States for quite a while now amid persistent decline in the countrys restaurant sales. Starbucks reported only 3% comps growth in fiscal 2017 against 6% in the year-ago period in the Americas segment. Evidently, the companys shares have underperformed the Zacks Restaurant Industry on a year-to-date basis. The stock has returned 5.8% while its industry has gained 13.5%. Nonetheless, increased investments in the companys fastest growing market, successful innovations, best-in-class loyalty program and digital offerings will likely help this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company to offset the soft sales trend in the United States. Story continues Stocks Worth a Look A few better-ranked stocks in the same space are Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. ARCO, The Home Depot, Inc. HD and RH RH, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Arcos Dorados is expected to register 16.2% EPS growth this year. Current-year earnings for Home Depot are expected to grow 14.2%. RHs current-year earnings are projected to grow 130.2%. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Home Depot, Inc. (The) (HD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. (RH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. This week, the House and Senate will work to reconcile their different versions of the tax bill into something that president Donald Trump can sign into law. As they do, dozens of protests and rallies against the bill are being planned from California to Chicago to Staten Island, New York. Citizens are frantically organizing to try to shut down the only major legislative success of a president who ran on a platform of populism, and Democrats are growing optimistic about flipping one or both houses of Congress. How did the country get here just a year after Donald Trumps historic win? To understand that, you need to look back to the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010, which opened the floodgates for wealthy donors in political races. Since then, corporations and the rich have plowed money into both parties. Three extremely wealthy families, the Mercers, the Kochs, and the Adelsons, all prominent donors to the Republican party, now seem locked in a struggle over the future of the GOP. As campaigning for the mid-term elections in November 2018 gets under way, the three families are facing off against each other in battleground states. Theyre lighting a fire under Republican politicians who are now determined to get something, anything, passed in Washingtoneven if its a last-minute tax bill that most voters dont agree with and legislators barely had time to read. But Republicans who fail to pass tax reform risk losing donor support, and getting wiped out by a rival Republican candidate. As Lindsay Graham, the veteran Republican senator from South Carolina, told an NBC news reporter early last month, a failed tax reform will look a lot like a failed party. Q: What happens if GOP isn't able to pass tax reform? Graham: "The party fractures, most incumbents in 2018 will get a severe primary challenge, a lot of them will probably lose, the base will fracture, the financial contributions will stop, other than that it'll be fine!" Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) November 9, 2017 The donors battle inside the GOP Early in 2014, over a dozen big-name Republican donors attended a meeting in New York City organized by a wealthy hedge fund executive. They had one goalcome up with a strategy to win back the US senate from the Democrats in November. Story continues A veteran Republican strategist laid out an optimistic battle plan capped with the GOP taking the House and Kentuckys Mitch McConnell, then minority leader, leading the Senate. At the mention of McConnells name, an audible groan came from one corner of the roomRebekah Mercer, the daughter of hedge fund tycoon Robert Mercer, was making her displeasure known. I cant think of anything worse, Mercer said, according to one attendee. She would rather Democrats controlled the Senate than have McConnell as the majority leader, the attendee said, still sounding mystified years later. The Mercers mindset is totally different from a traditional Republican donor mindset, he said. In recent decades, the USs two-party system had been pretty tribal. Whether a Democrat or Republican, you mostly counted yourself a winner when you got more of your team into power than the other guys. That tribal glue started to give way when the insurgent Tea Party movement appeared in 2009, fielding ultra-conservative candidates against establishment Republicans in many congressional districts and splitting the party into two camps. It nonetheless remained largely united against the common enemy of president Barack Obama. But since Trump, with no ties to either camp or its ideology, defeated a raft of other candidates for the presidential nomination last year, the Republicans have been cast into a growing civil war between mainstream conservatives, Tea-Party-inspired libertarians, and the xenophobic and misogynistic groundswell that Trump has proven expert at tapping into. These schisms reflect genuine divisions in the Republicans voter baseand the Mercers, the Kochs, and the Adelsons are adept at exploiting them. Shaking up the GOP after Obama If money could buy elections, Mitt Romney would have won, was a familiar refrain among campaign finance experts and political strategists alike, after the wealthy former Massachusetts governor failed to unseat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential race, despite outspending him by $110 million. The Mercers, for years content to quietly donate to the Kochs political network, started to act alone after the Republicans failure to unseat president Barack Obama reportedly led Rebekah to decide (paywall) the Koch network was full of fools. The Koch brothers, stung by the 2012 election loss, doubled down on state races, while the Adelsons poured their money into a political action committee run by former George W. Bush chief of staff Karl Rove. Romneys loss had shaken the Republican party so deeply that then-party chief Reince Priebus spent months putting together a soul-searching policy paper (pdf) about the direction it should go, based on thousands of interviews. Most people think Republicans dont care about Americans, it found, and the party needs to reach out to women, and minorities. It included advice that now seems unfathomably quaint, like (pg. 6): The Republican Party must be the champion of those who seek to climb the economic ladder of life. Low-income Americans are hardworking people who want to become hard-working middle-income Americans. Middle-income Americans want to become upper-middle-income, and so on. We need to help everyone make it in America. We have to blow the whistle at corporate malfeasance and attack corporate welfare. We should speak out when a company liquidates itself and its executives receive bonuses but rank-and-file workers are left unemployed. We should speak out when CEOs receive tens of millions of dollars in retirement packages but middle-class workers have not had a meaningful raise in years. But Americas GOP oligarchs did not appear to have read the report. The Congressional candidates that the three families have backed (sometimes together) bore little resemblance to that GOP prescriptive. Instead, they helped launch a new era of even less compassionate Republicans that included a woman who thinks the UN is a conspiracy and wants to eliminate the minimum wage; and a former doctor who crafted a healthcare bill that allow insurance companies to charge people with pre-existing conditions more. Congressional candidates that the three families backed bore little resemblance to the GOP prescriptive. Unlike Romney, these radical new candidates won. But Republican experts warn that the families picks may eventually hollow out the Republican party by pushing policies that American voters reject, or set the stage for a full-fledged revolt. The latest example is the openly racist Roy Moore, the candidate in Alabamas December 2017 special election for the Senate, who has been accused of sexually assaulting several teens when he was in his 30s. Moore, who is championed by former (paywall) White House advisor and Mercer family affiliate Stephen Bannon, secured the backing of Trump, and the Republican National Committee this week. The RNC is the presidents political arm, and we support him and his agenda, a RNC official told Quartz today (Dec. 5). But Republican strategists say its a huge gamble. If the party nominates the slate of candidates that the Mercers are backing, [Democratic Senator Chuck] Schumer will be the Senate majority leader, and [Democratic representative] Nancy Pelosi will be the speaker of the House in 2018, said one long-time Republican strategist and donor who is aligned with the Adelsons, before the Republican Party threw its support behind Moore on Dec. 4. If people question why Trump is unable to get anything accomplished, it will be the fault of the Mercers and Steve Bannon. Three Republican families, three visions The influence of these three families offers a stark illustration of how extreme wealth can distort a democracy. Each family is closely tied to the Republican leader of one branch of government: Robert, Diana, and Rebekah Mercer helped propel Trumps bombastic rise to the White House. Industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch funded the Tea Party and its protege, House speaker Paul Ryan. And while casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Ochsorn are on the partys more moderate wing, they have long stood behind the calculating, conservative Senate leader, McConnell, who even before the Tea Partys rise was known as an extreme obstructionist (paywall), dedicated to stomping out the bipartisan compromises that historically made the US government work. American historians see a titanic clash on the horizon. The Adelsons favor pro-Israel policies. Despite their anti-regulation stance, they are keen to squelch the growth of online gambling, and want to support moderate Republicans with a chance of picking up swing voters. The Koch brothers have funded and organized a vast network of libertarian think tanks and grass-roots movements aimed at sowing distrust of big government and climate science, the better to benefit their massive fossil fuel-heavy Koch Industries. There are other Republican donors who have spent more money, but the Kochs network gives them great influence. The Mercers seem to hold the most extreme social views: Robert Mercer complained that the US started going in the wrong direction after the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, according to a lawsuit filed by a former employee. He reportedly invested $10 million in 2011 into Breitbart, the news site run by one-time Trump adviser Steve Bannon, which regularly airs white-supremacist views. Early last month, Robert Mercer quit the hedge fund he worked at for years, and said hed sold his stake in Breitbart News to his daughter, but hes reportedly getting even deeper into politics. Emboldened by Trumps presidential victory, the Mercer family has been siding with extremist candidates for 2018 Congressional races, hoping to wipe out incumbent Republicans and yank Senate leader McConnell from his seat. In Nevada, another Mercer-backed Republican, Danny Tarkanian, is challenging incumbent Dean Heller for the 2018 mid-terms, on a platform of destroying McConnell. The Mercers are also expected to attack Republicans in Mississippi, Nevada, Maine, and Michigan during the 2018 midterms who dont hew with their extremist views. Many narrowly won their last races, and some, like Nevadas Heller, failed to support Trump on the campaign trail. American historians see a titanic clash on the horizon. Whats coming next is a battle between the very idea of democracy, and that human beings are created equal against the notion that power in America should be concentrated in the hands of a very few, very wealthy people, just as it once was in medieval Europe, predicts Heather Richardson, a history professor at Boston College and author of several books about the GOP. Sheldon and Miriam Adelson The Adelsons at the opening of the Four Seasons Macao hotel and casino in Macau, 2008. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Ochsorn were the largest individual Republican donors in 2016, after jumping headfirst into Republican funding over the past decade. Adelson donated just $1 million to Newt Gingrichs exploratory presidential campaign in 2006. Last year, the two donated some $83 millionmuch of that of it in Congressional races after reportedly deciding (paywall) that Donald Trump had no chance of becoming president. Net worth: Sheldons holdings in Las Vegas Sands (LVS), the USs largest casino company, give him a net worth of $36 billion according to Forbes. Miriam, an Israeli doctor who researches drug dependencies, owned an equal share in LVS as recently as 2012, but her net worth is not listed separately. How they donate: The couple are the largest supporters to the Senate Leadership Fund, linked to Mitch McConnell, which claims it has one goalto protect and expand the Republican Senate Majority. In 2016, the couple donated $46 million to the fund, followed by Karl Roves One Nation, which donated about $22 million and works with the Senate Leadership fund to support the same politicians. They also supported Future45, an anti-Trump PAC with the tagline America Deserves Better. Who they back: Traditional establishment Republicans like Arizonas Flakewho has been an outspoken critic of Trump. These include politicians who are fiscally conservative, who arent openly anti-gay marriage, but are probably supporters of Israel. The Adelsons fear that backing more extremist Republicans may drive moderate voters away, ultimately putting Democrats in power, strategists say. Love him or hate him [Adelson] sticks to his guys, Michael Green, a professor of politics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. During Newt Gingrichs 2012 presidential run, for example, he kept Gingrich afloat, and I dont think anyone outside the Gingrich family thought he had a chance. Notable quote: I dont agree with the Republican stance on abortion. Religion shouldnt be political. But nothing is perfect. Supporting a free-market society and Israel are more important issues, Ochsorn said in 2014. David Koch in 2013. The Koch Brothers The Koch family has been involved in American politics since the 1930s, when Dutch immigrant Harry Koch railed against workers unions and New Deal programs like Social Security from a Texas newspaper he owned. His grandsons Charles, 81, and David, 77, ushered in a new era of Republicanism in the past decade that Harry would have appreciated. The Koch brothers are considered the architects of Congresss 2010 Republican wave and the patron saints of the Freedom Caucus, a libertarian right-wing group in the House that acted as a de facto third party in recent votes, threatening to sink bills that more traditional Republican colleagues supported. Despite the Koch brothers initial distaste for Trump, his cabinet is stacked with people theyve funded, from CIA head Mike Pompeo to budget director Mick Mulvaney, to a host of coal-industry linked appointees. Net wealth: Koch Industries, the private oil and gas empire they inherited from their father and have a controlling majority stake in, has made them both incredibly wealthy. Forbes estimates each brother is worth $48.3 billion. How they donate: While the Kochs have personally have donated tens of millions of dollars to political causes, the network of wealthy donors and right-wing think tanks theyve created is more important. Together the Kochs and their wealthy partners spent nearly $1 billion in the run-up to the 2016 election, and funded a grass-roots libertarian movement. When former White House advisor Steve Bannon called House majority leader Paul Ryan a limp-dick motherfer who was born in a petri dish at the Heritage Foundation, the lab he was alluding to was funded by the Kochs. The Koch brothers and their donor networks plan to spend $400 million on their candidates in the run-up to the 2018 election. Theyve also recently invested $650 million in a group that acquired Time. Who they back: Tear-down-the government candidates who are anti-regulation, vote against climate change mitigation, and, at least on the campaign trail, said they wanted to repeal Obamacare. The brothers say they are interested in civil justice reform and slammed Trumps Muslim ban. Notable quote: But if I had to vote for cancer or heart attack, why would I vote for either?Charles Koch in 2016, when asked by Fortune whether hed vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the presidential election. Backed by Mercer money. The Mercers Robert Mercer, 70, is the former co-head of Renaissance Technologies, which runs the Medallion Fund, often referred to as the worlds most successful hedge fund for the returns it has made for the Renaissance employee-investors. Mercer, his wife Diana, and daughter Rebekah seemed to burst onto the political scene in 2016, first backing Texas senator Ted Cruz and then Trump for president. Net worth: Not entirely clearRoberts net worth is at least $1 billion based on his own investment in Medallion, Bloomberg believes. Rebekah was a stock-trader briefly, and was married to a high-ranking Morgan Stanley executive. Shes listed as retired or homemaker on campaign finance databases, although elsewhere shes known as the First Lady of the Alt-Right. How they use it. The Mercer Family Foundation once funded medical research and conventional charities, according to a comprehensive profile of the family in the New Yorker. In 2015, however, it donated $24.5 million (pdf, pg. 1) to charities and to political causes like the Media Research Center, which says it wants to neutralize mainstream media, and Reclaim New York, which critics believe is trying to cripple upstate New York government. In recent years, Robert funded Bannons Government Accountability Institute, and the white-nationalist Breitbart News, as Bloombergs extensive 2016 profile shows. The Mercers other weapon is data-mining company Cambridge Analytica, which an executive brags has a secret sauce (paywall) that helped aid Trump. Others have questioned how effective Cambridge was. The family also invests in a company that sells machine guns, and a Florida horse farm. Who they back. A new generation of radical, race-baiting politicians, even further right than the Freedom Caucus, who seem loosely bound to the US democratic processes. In the words of an anonymous Mercer affiliate (who sounds a lot like Bannon), Mercers candidates want to blow things up and start from scratch. As a Cruz donor, Rebekah was so involved that she reportedly pushed him to be tougher on immigration, sparking Cruz to propose suspending all H-1 B visas. Their decisions on getting involved or not are not empirical or data driven, said Constantin Querard, a Republican strategist and founder of Grassroots Partners in Arizona. Its that larger sensedoes this person have the courage and backbone to truly change things? Notable quotes: The Mercers avoid the press. After a video emerged last year showing Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, Robert and Rebekah issued a statement condemning Republicans who abandoned Trump. Those among the political elite who quake before the boombox of media blather do not appreciate the apocalyptic choice that America faces on November 8th, it read. We have a country to save and there is only one person who can save it. The one reform that GOP oligarchs can agree on If theres one thing the three families agree on, its cutting taxes for rich people and for the companies they control. What unites the three families is a feeling of grievance, which is ironic because they have all done well, financially, noted Green, the University of Nevada professor. Its hard to figure out exactly what they have great reason to be upset about, other than not having done even better financially. This October, wealthy donors in the Koch network described tax reform as a do or die moment, in which wealthy donors and activists would abandon the party if they didnt get what they wanted, the Boston Globe reported. Congresss current tax reform plan certainly addresses that, and both the House and Senate version give wealthy families huge tax cuts on the passage of wealth down through generations. The Senate plan specifically most benefits taxpayers who make over $500,000 a year, while eventually lowering incomes for the working class, and adding $1.5 trillion to the national debt. It will lower corporate tax rates from 35% to about 20%, while possibly knocking public school budgets and salaries for firefighters. Its going to be a tough sell for Republicans at home, who rushed the bill though Congress without a single Democratic vote, and will have to convince their constituents it is a good idea after passing it into law. Tax reform was the major driver behind the Republican push to repeal and replace Obamacare, which would have allowed them to divert billions to offset tax cuts. But that turned out to be something that most Americans dont want, Republicans learned this year after facing off with voters at acrimonious town halls. About two-thirds of Americans would prefer that Congress keep Obamacare as it is or improve it, a July survey showedbut the Senate version of the tax reform bill contains a provision that would essentially kill it as well. Most Americans, no matter what party they vote for, dont support tax cuts for the rich or for companies, a Pew Research survey showed in September. So far, congressional Republicans have shown the most concern about pressure from donors, not voters, though. On tax reform, my donors are basically saying, Get it done or dont ever call me again, Chris Collins, the Republican representative from upstate New York, said in November. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: Almost everything you need to know about buying an overseas property* *Youre on your own for deciding between tiles or hardwood. OFX What are the best places for international property investment? How do you get a home loan for an overseas property? What are the tax implications of investing in the global property market? How can currency rates affect your purchase? Whether you want to own a second home or diversify your investment portfolio, weve got the answers you need to help make your investment a success. In this guide, you will learn: How to decide on a location for your investment What are the best international real estate companies? How to get a mortgage for a property abroad International property tax implications Managing International currency rate fluctuations Where Should You Purchase Property Abroad? Buying property abroad is a substantial, long-term investment. Therefore, it is imperative to research various overseas real estate markets before deciding upon the one that you want to invest in, because there is always an opportunity cost to allocating substantial resources to one particular investment. Purchasing an oceanfront property on an island might seem like a great idea, especially if you are looking for a vacation home, but if the market is weak, you might find it difficult to sell that property later on and get a good return on your investment. Start by looking into areas that you are hoping to invest in, but always make sure youre comparing apples to apples. A swanky two-bedroom flat in central London might cost the same as a four-unit apartment complex in Latvia. One may have higher vacancy rates, while the other is in high demand. In one location, you might be able to manage the rental yourself, but with the other you may need an agency. Decide beforehand how much time you want to dedicate to your investment. If you think youll be using an agency to manage the property, whether commercial or residential, youll need to factor in the costs. While buying a residential property overseas may seem ideal, many investors broaden their scope to investing in commercial property like warehouses, office buildings, or storage centers. Its important to put parameters in place to guide your focus, because an accurate assessment of the opportunities depends on properly controlling for the relevant risks. Story continues Analyze the long-term real estate trends of the past decade to see how property prices have fluctuated. Remember that different markets will have different trends during the same time period even if theyre in fairly close proximity. For example, Geneva, Zurich and Bern all have localized factors that influence the property market, so what youve seen in one may not apply to the others. Research the real estate market forecasts. Changing economic and political landscapes can have a profound effect upon the housing market especially when it comes to central bank policy and interest rates in particular. Look into the laws regarding your ability to hold the title of a property, and what you need to do to secure that title. The policies for foreign investment into real estate vary from country to country. Most countries allow overseas investors to purchase property, but often this will not grant you the right to live, work or stay in that country. Limit the foreign currency exchange rate risk you may have when purchasing property abroad. Jason Kumpf, Real Estate specialist at OFX, reminds us that; If you are paying a mortgage, you may have payments in Euros over time, but if your income is in US Dollars, and if the EUR gains against the USD, you may end up paying more for your property than you initially thought. Methods to manage that will be shared. Deciding where to invest in real estate will depend on your personal financial situation and ambitions. That said, there are always some hotspots for international property investment. In an article titled Why The Best Investment In 2016 Might Be Global Real Estate on Forbes.com, Kenneth Repoza reports that London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo and Sydney are the main targets for direct cross-border real estate acquisitions over the next 12 months. As 2017 unfolds, emerging markets have seen a lot of interest from international investors. Eastern European economies like Poland, Latvia and Estonia have attracted foreign capital and are a just a few of the interesting options for real estate as well. (You will need to check your local tax office website for more details.) What are The Best International Real Estate Companies? In addition to having access to the most interesting properties that are in line with your budget, the right international real estate company can guide you in terms of what areas are best for foreign investors and what risk/return profile suits your personal financial situation best. While OFX does not endorse any particular company or agency for overseas investments, here are a few to consider: Colliers International Property Sothebys International Real Estate Cushman & Wakefield Your Empire Mayfair International Realty Christies International Real Estate Leverage Global Partners The Agency Leading Real Estate Companies of the World International Consortium of Real Estate Associations You may also want to consider hiring an independent attorney who can look out for your best interests and steer you in the right direction. Even though the majority of local real estate transactions will not need a lawyer, when it comes to buying property overseas, it is best to work with an experienced lawyer who can represent you legally and point out any flaws in your purchase contract before you sign it. Plus, the right independent real estate attorney will also be able to help you thoroughly understand every legal document that comes your way when you are ready to finalize a purchase overseas. It almost goes without saying that if you are planning on purchasing property in an overseas market where you do not speak the local language fluently, you will need to hire a translator or work with a reputable agency who can translate all legal documents before you sign them. How Currency Fluctuations Impact the Global Real Estate Market As you do your research into where to buy property abroad, one of the primary factors affecting the viability of your investment will be the exchange rate. Aside from doing a quick currency conversion, you may want to review the current economic standing of a foreign currency against historical rate charts. Keep in mind that currencies will fluctuate, sometimes quite dramatically, over time. And sometimes currency exchange rates will change rapidly over a short period of time. After the Brexit vote in the U.K., for example, the pounds value fell 10% against the USD in one day. On Telegraph.co.uk, Rhiannon Bury reports that in the three months following the Brexit vote, 78% of commercial property sales were paid for by foreign investors swooping in on a bargain. In a similar way, President Trumps policies against Mexico caused the peso to fall in value dramatically, however, real estate in tourist areas continues to attract foreign investors looking for a good deal. Aussie real estate is another hot target for foreign investors looking to profit from exchange rate fluctuations. Because of the international demand for housing in major metropolitan areas, assets in capital cities like London, Sydney and New York may be protected to some degree from declines due to demand fostered by currency fluctuations. Jason Kumpf, recommends keeping an eye on the currency rate of where you are thinking of buying and possibly using an FX firm like OFX to manage that exposure. What Taxes Will You Need to Pay On an International Property Investment? The amount of tax youre required to pay on your international property investment should be factored into your decision-making process. Some countries do not impose property taxes; others do. Some countries or cities may levy taxes if you leave your property vacant for a certain percentage of the year. If you are planning on renting out your property, you might be required to declare that rental income to your home country and the country where your investment is located. Unless there are double taxation treaties in place, you could be on the hook for taxes in two countries. When you are ready to sell, youll need to be aware of both local and foreign taxes on capital gains. International taxes are complicated and penalties can be steep for failing to declare assets that wouldnt otherwise be taxed. Finding an accountant with sound international expertise could lower your your tax bill substantively. How Can You Get an International Mortgage? When purchasing real estate in another country, it could be difficult to find the appropriate financing option, especially since some countries might not have any financing options for foreign buyers at all. In some countries, banks cannot take a foreign asset as a security for the loan, so you may not be able to get a standard mortgage from your domestic bank the way you would for a local purchase. Still other international regulations may prohibit banks from even initiating a conversation to a client about a mortgage if the client is based overseaseven if youre a citizen of the country in which you want to buy. So how can you get a mortgage for an overseas property purchase? While traditional bank financing might not be available for overseas assets like it is in your home country, developer financing may be available when there arent any other options for foreign investors. Other payment methods might include using the funds in your retirement account or pulling equity from your primary residence in your home country. You may qualify for business or personal loans that you can use to pay for your down payment overseas. Certain banks, like HSBC, offer mortgages for international borrowers, if you can maintain a minimum bank balance at a designated threshold. Here is a breakdown of some banking policies related to international mortgages in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. Australia As of April 2016, two major home lenders in Australia have opted out of offering mortgages for non-residents. Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank no longer accept mortgage applications from foreigners. Other banks have also reviewed foreign lending policies and, in some cases, reduced loan sizes and borrowing limits. United Kingdom There are a number of things to consider if interested in purchasing a property in the UK as a foreigner. For example, Australias Corporations Act creates barriers for Australians looking to purchase in the U.K. which can be surprisingly difficult to overcome. Some lenders base their decision on visas, including spouse visas. Not having credit in the U.K. can also hinder the process. United States of America In the United States of America, getting a mortgage can be influenced by: Availability of property in the region Plans for the property If the borrower has an accessible credit history The type of visa the foreign buyer has in the United States The loan size requested Available funds for a down payment. Once you have determined where you would like to purchase your international property and you are ready to buy, it will be time to set up your payment method in the appropriate foreign currency. Whether you are planning on making your payment in one lump sum or you are planning on making mortgage payments, your currency will need to be converted every time a payment is made. Do be aware that many banks charge a 5% margin on the daily exchange rate, so to send $100,000 overseas, you could be paying as much as $5,000 (on top of hefty fees) every time you make that transfer. With a good FX Platform you can: Lock in an exchange rate for up to 12 months, so you always know what youll be paying no matter how the currency markets move. Use a Limit Order to set a target exchange rate, so you wont miss out on profitable exchange rate fluctuations. Save substantially on bank margins and fees. Set up recurring payments to make monthly mortgage payments simple. Are You Ready to Buy Property in a Foreign Country? As with all investment opportunities, to make the wisest financial investment into foreign real estate, you will need to do your research and speak to your advisors. Locations, currencies, taxes and political environment can all have profound effects on your bottom line. With the right advice from professionals, youll be able to diversify your portfolio and maybe even sip a mai-tai while you do it. Post by Jason Kumpf OFX By PTI: Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) The commerce ministry is deliberating on the role played by Tea Board and is in the process of tweaking it, a senior official has said. According to government estimates, the cost of administering the subsidies far outweighs the quantum given to the industry. "The role of Tea Board will change from being a subsidy disbursement body to an entity which would closely work with the industry," Santosh Sarangi, joint secretary (plantations) with the commerce ministry said. advertisement He said the overall turnover of the tea industry was huge, and therefore, it is not required for the government to dole out subsidies. "The cost of administering the subsidies through Tea Board outweighs the quantum of subsidy itself," Sarangi, former deputy chairman of Tea Board, said at the AGM of Indian Tea Association (ITA) here last evening. Citing the instance of Rubber Board, he said the subsidy amount was Rs 30 crore, while the administrative costs were Rs 100 crore. Sarangi said that the future orientation of Tea Board would be on quality and sustainability of the produce and the industry. Talking about the promotion of Indian tea abroad, he said that big players have failed in marketing it overseas. "There is a need for big players to set up blending and packaging units overseas for which the government will give an assistance," he said. Meanwhile, commerce minister Suresh Prabhu in a video message said there was a need to create an export demand and asked the industry to prepare a detailed study. Exports had been flat at around 230 million kilograms, which should go up to 260 million kilograms, Sarangi said. The commerce ministry had also sought financial assistance from the finance ministry for the relief of Darjeeling tea industry which was badly affected owing to a prolonged shutdown, he said. PTI DC JM --- ENDS --- An attorney for President Donald Trump denied reports that prosecutors working for special counsel Robert Mueller issued a subpoena to Deutsche Bank for records of the president's business dealings. "We have confirmed that the news reports that the Special Counsel had subpoenaed financial records relating to the President are false," Jay Sekulow said in a statement to NBC News. "No subpoena has been issued or received. We have confirmed this with the bank and other sources." A number of news organizations, including Bloomberg, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, reported early Tuesday that prosecutors demanded records from the German lending giant in recent weeks. The president has said that inquiries into his financial dealings would be a "violation" of the special counsel's mandate. Mueller is investigating ties between the president's top advisers and Russia. Trump has repeatedly denied accusations that his campaign colluded with the Russian government. Press secretary Sarah Sanders on Tuesday called the reports that Mueller subpoenaed Deutsche Bank "totally false." "I think this is another example of the media going too far too fast," she told reporters at a press briefing. Sol Wisenberg, a leading white collar attorney who served as deputy independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation, said it's typical for the subject of a subpoena in this case, the president to be informed that prosecutors sought his records. Wisenberg said that there are some rare circumstances in which the bank would be prevented from telling the person. Earlier on Tuesday a Deutsche Bank spokesperson told NBC, "DB takes its legal obligations seriously and remains committed to cooperating with authorized investigations into this matter." The lender declined to say what constituted an authorized investigation, and whether the Mueller inquiry was included. More From CNBC Not everybody thinks taxes should be lower. But of all the things voters ought to favor, tax cuts are near the top of the list. Yet President Trump and his fellow Republicans are failing to persuade the majority of Americans that the big package of tax cuts theyre poised to pass is good for the country. Their messaging is so lousy, in fact, that voters seem to think tax cuts will be more punishing than theyre likely to be. The latest Quinnipiac poll, for instance, shows that 53% of Americans disapprove of the Republican tax plan, while just 29% approve. Thats a remarkably negative showing for something that ought to be marginally popular, at a minimum. Heres a more telling finding: Forty-one percent of respondents in the Quinnipiac poll think the GOP tax plan will raise their taxes, while just 20% think it will lower them. The rest anticipate no change or dont know what will happen. Source: Quinnipiac University poll released Dec. 5, 2017 Most of those people who think their taxes will go up are wrong. Third-party analysis by the Tax Policy Center shows that, under the House tax-cut plan, 76% of taxpayers would get a tax cut averaging $1,900 the first year the plan goes into effect. About 7% of taxpayers would face a tax increase, averaging $2,100. For the other 17% theres likely to be no major change. Under the Senate plan, 75% of taxpayers would get a tax cut in the first year, averaging $2,000, according to the Tax Policy Center. Seven percent of taxpayers would face tax hikes, averaging $3,100. The other 18% would see no major change. So, under the best independent estimates, roughly three-quarters of taxpayers would enjoy an immediate tax cut, and only 7% would see a tax hike. Yet the public has a completely different impression, according to the Quinnipiac poll. The portion of people who think their taxes will rise is six times larger than those who will actually see a tax hike. And less than one-third of people likely to see a tax cut think it will actually happen. If the GOP tax-cut plan were an ordinary product marketers had to convince consumers to buy, it would be a total bomb. Imagine Apple selling a phone consumers thought would be unable to place phone calls. Or Coke selling a beverage people expected to taste terrible. This is how bad the GOPs sales pitch is for a tax-cut plan theyve been developing for years. Story continues The problem obviously isnt a lack of advertising. Trump repeatedly insists the tax cuts will work miracles for the U.S. economy. Top Republican legislators, such as Paul Ryan in the House and Mitch McConnell in the Senate, claim their tax cuts will help millions of middle-class families. One suspectsgasp!that most Americans simply dont believe Trump, Ryan, McConnell, et. al. Its true that mainstream media coverage of the tax plans has focused largely on the negatives, such as the outsized amount of tax relief that will accrue to businesses rather than middle-class families and the $1.5 trillion the package will add to the national debt during the next decade. But thats not fake news. Thats what the GOP tax cuts will actually do. Who benefits from Trumps tax cuts? Trump Perhaps Republicans should consider the possibility that their tax plan is a turkey that Americans are interpreting more or less correctly. One GOP mistake, at least in terms of messaging, is a Senate plan that makes tax cuts for businesses permanent but tax cuts for individuals temporary. That looks like a bait-and-switch scheme to a lot of people. Legislators are still negotiating a final bill, which could rectify that and make the individual cuts permanent. But you only get one chance to make a first impressionand the business-first, people-last approach will likely hang over this bill no matter what changes occur. Trump claims the tax cuts would raise his own tax bill, costing him a fortune. Ahem. Politifact has documented more than 40 lies Trump has told publicly since taking office last January, not including many other exaggerations. The storied Trump base may not care, but many others do, and in reality, it appears the real-estate industry where Trump built his fortune will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coming tax cuts. So the man who promised to drain the swamp appears, instead, to be lining his pockets through the one big legislative accomplishment hell probably be able to claim. Trump lacks credibility among people who arent part of his amen chorus and need persuading. They remain unpersuaded. The Republicans are also playing with fire by threatening to eviscerate the deduction for state and local taxes, a popular tax break claimed by roughly one-third of taxpayers. Republicans seem gleeful to have found a tax break that benefits high-income taxpayers in Democratic states such as New York and California, assuming they can yank it away as if it will only harm the opposing party. But millions of taxpayers who dont live in blue states claim state and local deductions as well, and they must surely wonder why Republicans are throwing them under the bus. The Trump tax plan is likely to pass, which means voters will soon be able to judge the real effect it has on their family budgets, instead of guessing based on what they hear. But theyre starting out skeptical, and the burden is on Republicans to make them believers. Hint: Dont mention that windfall for real-estate developers. Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Encrypted communication available. Read more: Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman The way President Donald Trump sees it, Americans are ecstatic about the Republican tax plans. "I view it more than anything else as it's a tremendous bill for jobs and for the middle class," the president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "And I think people see that and they're seeing it more and more, and the more they learn about it, the more popular it becomes. And I think the end result will be even better."Public opinion polls give little support for Trump's beliefs about the tax overhaul. While at least one recent survey has shown a slight improvement in the plan's approval rating, it remains deeply unpopular as the House and Senate move closer to passing a joint bill. On Friday and Saturday when significant media attention focused on the Senate's rush to pass its tax bill only 29 percent of American adults polled by Gallup approved of the proposed tax changes . Fifty-six percent disapproved, while 16 percent had no opinion. Seventy percent of Republicans backed the plan, compared with only 25 percent of independents and 7 percent of Democrats. An identical 29 percent of voters polled by Quinnipiac University from Nov. 29 to Monday said they backed the tax proposals . Fifty-three percent disapproved. That marked a slight increase in support from November, when 25 percent of voters approved and 52 percent disapproved in a Quinnipiac poll. Two other recent polls have not shown strong backing for the tax plans. Only 29 percent of Americans responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November supported the proposals, while 49 percent opposed them. The GOP proposals had an even approval and disapproval at 36 percent in a Politico/Morning Consult poll in late November. Voters are also not buying the Republican argument that their plans primarily help the middle class. Sixty-one percent of respondents to the most recent Quinnipiac poll said the plan favors the rich at the expense of the middle class.Republicans contend that their proposals which would chop the corporate tax rate, at least temporarily trim individual rates and change or scrap numerous deductions will spark business investment and boost job creation and wages.House and Senate Republicans are poised to form a conference committee to hash out differences in the separate, but largely overlapping, bills they passed. If they can strike a deal on a final plan and pass it, they can send the proposal to Trump to sign into law.The GOP hopes to approve a plan by Christmas.WATCH: Protests erupt on Capitol Hill over tax bill The way President Donald Trump sees it, Americans are ecstatic about the Republican tax plans. "I view it more than anything else as it's a tremendous bill for jobs and for the middle class," the president told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "And I think people see that and they're seeing it more and more, and the more they learn about it, the more popular it becomes. And I think the end result will be even better." Public opinion polls give little support for Trump's beliefs about the tax overhaul. While at least one recent survey has shown a slight improvement in the plan's approval rating, it remains deeply unpopular as the House and Senate move closer to passing a joint bill. On Friday and Saturday when significant media attention focused on the Senate's rush to pass its tax bill only 29 percent of American adults polled by Gallup approved of the proposed tax changes . Fifty-six percent disapproved, while 16 percent had no opinion. Seventy percent of Republicans backed the plan, compared with only 25 percent of independents and 7 percent of Democrats. An identical 29 percent of voters polled by Quinnipiac University from Nov. 29 to Monday said they backed the tax proposals . Fifty-three percent disapproved. That marked a slight increase in support from November, when 25 percent of voters approved and 52 percent disapproved in a Quinnipiac poll. Two other recent polls have not shown strong backing for the tax plans. Only 29 percent of Americans responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in late November supported the proposals, while 49 percent opposed them. The GOP proposals had an even approval and disapproval at 36 percent in a Politico/Morning Consult poll in late November. Voters are also not buying the Republican argument that their plans primarily help the middle class. Sixty-one percent of respondents to the most recent Quinnipiac poll said the plan favors the rich at the expense of the middle class. Republicans contend that their proposals which would chop the corporate tax rate, at least temporarily trim individual rates and change or scrap numerous deductions will spark business investment and boost job creation and wages. House and Senate Republicans are poised to form a conference committee to hash out differences in the separate, but largely overlapping, bills they passed. If they can strike a deal on a final plan and pass it, they can send the proposal to Trump to sign into law. The GOP hopes to approve a plan by Christmas. WATCH: Protests erupt on Capitol Hill over tax bill More From CNBC WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Dentsply Sirona Inc has agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle apparent Iranian sanctions violations by two of its subsidiaries, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said on Wednesday. In a statement on its website, the office said Dentsply's UK International and DS Healthcare Inc had knowingly "exported 37 shipments of dental equipment and supplies from the United States directly or indirectly to Iran." (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by David Gregorio) What happened After a two-day rally, shares of Blue Apron Holding Inc (NYSE: APRN) were cooling down today as some analysts expressed skepticism that a new CEO would be able to turnaround the struggling meal-kit provider. As a result, the stock was down 5.3% as of 11:40 a.m. EST. A roast turkey dish from Blue Apron Image source: Blue Apron. So what Blue Apron shares popped on Friday when the company said Matt Salzberg would step down from the CEO post to be replaced by CFO Brad Dickerson, who had previously served as CFO and COO at Under Armour. Yesterday, the stock continued to rally after an upgrade from Barclays analyst Ross Sandler. However, the stock gave back some of those gains today after other analysts expressed negative sentiment. RBC Capital downgraded the stock to sector perform, saying, "Brad Dickerson may very well prove to be a successful CEO, but at the margin we view the management change as implying less visibility and certainty into Blue Apron's fundamentals." SunTrust analyst Youssef Squali also expressed doubts, noting that a lockup period was going to expire at the end of the month and that the stock was facing rising competition from Amazon's meal-kit service and Albertsons, after its recent acquisition of Plated, one of Blue Apron's competitors. Now what Even after today's slide, Blue Apron shares are up 20% over the last three sessions, but that can't make up for the 60%-plus drop the stock has experienced since its June initial public offering. In the same press release announcing the CEO change, the company also said that on-time, in-full rates had improved at its new Linden, New Jersey facility and that margins were significantly increasing. While that is surely good news, the company still expects revenue to decline in the double digits for the current quarter. No doubt Dickerson has his work cut out for him as he assumes the leadership role. More From The Motley Fool John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jeremy Bowman owns shares of Under Armour (C Shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Under Armour (A Shares), and Under Armour (C Shares). The Motley Fool recommends Barclays. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Starbucks sbux is upping its ambitions in China in a big way. The coffee company is opening its biggest location yet on Wednesday in Shanghai. Opening three years after Starbucks flagship Roastery in Seattle, the 30,000 sq. ft. Shanghai Reserve Roastery is more coffee temple than cafe. Located on the popular West Nanjing Road, the Roastery will be the first fully immersive coffee experience in Asia according to a press release, combining coffee appreciation with a state-of-the-art augmented reality (AR) system. The Roastery features three wood-carved bars, one of which is 88 feet long and the longest Starbucks coffee bar in the world. Customers can watch beans being roasted as baristas brew cups using six different methods and beans from 30 countries, Starbucks said. An integrated AR system, with a web-app built by Alibaba baba , will let customers explore the space with their smartphones. Theres also a 3D-printed Teavana tea bar serving nitrogen-infused drinks, as well as goods by Italian baker Rocco Princi. Starbucks already has 3,000 outlets in China, including 600 in Shanghai alone, and the company believes its Chinese business could surpass its U.S. operations, where sales are slipping. In July, Starbucks paid $1.3 billion to have sole ownership over its Chinese assets, which include 1,300 restaurants in East China. North Korea is on a suicide mission that makes no sense, said Americas top envoy to China, adding that President Donald Trumps 12-day Asian tour last month demonstrates that U.S. leadership in world affairs remains robust. U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad told the Fortune Global Forum in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Wednesday that he believes Beijing is enforcing the two new U.N. Security Council resolutions that increase sanctions on the Kim Jong Un regime. The former Iowa governor visited northeastern Chinas Jilin province that borders North Korea just three days after the Kim regimes sixth nuclear test in September, and said local officials were working hard to curb illicit trade. They felt it, Branstad said of the nuclear test. I know they are also working to implement the sanctions. Branstad also revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would meet U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Dec. 19 to discuss the North Korean threat. Theres a possibility of Canada working with the United States and other countries to see what can be done to convince them that their security can be protected without nuclear weapons, he told Time Inc. editorial director Nancy Gibbs in an on-stage interview. The present direction is dangerous to everyone, but its certainly dangerous to North Korea. Branstad also praised the relationship between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who welcomed his American counterpart to Beijing last month as part of an Asia tour that also included Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. The chemistry between the two leaders is very good, he said. The Chinese did an outstanding job of making him feel welcome. They had some very frank discussions. Branstad has been called an old friend by Xi and they have met four times since he took up his posting in Beijing in July. Their relationship stretches back to 1985, when Xi was a young Chinese official leading a five-strong agricultural delegation to Iowa. Trump accused Chinas export-driven economy and $347 billion trade deficit of stealing American jobs during his campaign. During biltaral meetings at Mar-a-Lago in April there were tentative agreements about allowing American credit cards and financial servicesthough that has not happened yet. Branstad said China still had some way to go until its trading relationship with the U.S. was truly fair and reciprocal. The United States, Europe and many other trading partners in the world feel [China] has not fulfilled its obligations to be a market economy under the WTO, said Branstad, noting, You can get Wechat in America but you cant get Facebook here in China. By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the appointment of 25 additional judges as permanent judges in five high courts and elevated 19 lawyers as judges in three high courts. The top court collegium comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and two seniormost judges, Justices J Chelameswar and Ranjan Gogoi, recommended the appointments. advertisement The meeting, held on December 4, gave its nod for the elevation of five lawyers as judges in Karnataka High Court on the recommendation of its chief justice earlier this year. Among the lawyers elevated as judges in the high court were Dixit Krishna Shripad, Shankar Ganapathi Pandit, Ramakrishna Devdas, Bhotanhosur Mallikarjuna Shyam Prasad and Siddappa Sunil Dutt Yadav. The collegium also took into account the disagreement between the Karnataka Chief Minister and certain bodies of advocates over non-representation of cross-sections of the society on the bench of the high court. The Chief Minister had advised that the entire proposal be returned to the High Court for reconsideration. The apex court body said the high court collegium had taken into account merit, experience, performance, character and conduct of the recommendees and dealt with adequate representation. With regard to Calcutta High Court, the apex court collegium accepted the recommendation of the Chief Justice and gave its nod for elevation of five lawyers as judges. Names of those lawyers cleared for elevation include Shampa Sarkar, Sabyasachi Chaudhury, Ravi Krishan Kapur, Arindam Mukherjee, and Sakya Sen. The apex court collegium also recommended for elevation of nine advocates as judges of Madras high court while rejecting the name of two advocates. Advocates C Emalias, P T Asha, M Nirmal Kumar, Subramonium Prasad, Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, N Anand Venkatesh, G K Ilanthiraiyan, Krishnan Ramasamy, and C Saravanan were elevated as judges of the Madras High Court. Besides making recommendation of elevation of advocates as judges in different high court, the apex court collegium also gave its nod for making 25 additional judges as permanent judges of five high courts. Among those who were made permanent judges include Justices Sandeep Sharma and Chander Sharma for Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice Narendar G for Karnataka High Court, Justices Ananda Sen and Anant Bijay Singh for Jharkhand High Court and Justices Sanjay Agrawal and Rajendra Chandra Singh Samant for Chhattisgarh High Court. Eighteen additional judges were recommended for being made permanent judges in Madhya Pradesh high court after the collegium rejected various complaints against the judges. PTI MNL ABA SJK RKS ARC --- ENDS --- advertisement For the first time Afghanistan's official peace-negotiating panel has offered to let the Taliban open a representative office in Kabul or in a country of its own choice, for initiating a peace dialogue. The Taliban, however, promptly rejected the offer saying their rivals are "American occupation" forces who have installed the Kabul regime. The foreign presence in Afghanistan is the "real problem," the insurgency's main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told VOA. "We do not need to open an office in Kabul because more than half of Afghanistan is under our control and the entire Afghanistan is our office," he said. The Taliban has been unofficially running its so-called "Political Office" in Qatar since 2013. However, the Afghan government has refused to recognize the facility. Lately, President Ashraf Ghani has pushed authorities in the Gulf state to shut down the insurgent office in the face of intensified attacks by the Taliban across Afghanistan. A senior member of the government-formed High Peace Council unveiled the new offer to reporters on December 6 in the Afghan capital. Mohammad Akram Khapalwak said they are ready to enter into the peace process without any preconditions and "through whatever mechanism" is proposed by the Taliban. Khapalwak called on insurgent leaders residing "in Qatar, or in other countries, or in Pakistan" and facing difficult conditions in exile to respond positively to and come to the negotiating table for an "honorable" dialogue to end miseries the conflict is inflicting on Afghans. "If they want to open an office, and in any other country, and require any facilities before starting peace talks, the Afghan government and the High Peace Council is ready to facilitate it," Khapalwak said. Territorial Advances The Taliban have made significant territorial advances since U.S.-led international combat forces left Afghanistan in 2014. Commander of U.S. troops and NATO's Resolute Support mission in the country, General John Nicholson, said last week 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. The U.S. military has intensified airstrikes against Taliban insurgents and other militant groups, including Islamic State, in support of Afghan ground forces since President Donald Trump unveiled his new war strategy three months ago. The Taliban have long wanted to engage in direct peace talks with Washington, saying the U.S. administration and not the Afghan government is the authority on deciding the fate of the conflict. A U.S.-led military coalition invaded and ousted the Taliban from power in 2001 to punish the group for sheltering al-Qaida leaders blamed for plotting the 9/11 attacks on U.S. cities. U.N. officials have warned that Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of the escalation in the Afghan armed conflict. The number of civilian casualties this year has risen to record levels. -- Voice Of America CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agreement with TransAlta to construct Inter-Alberta Pipeline Network Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. (Tidewater) (TSX:TWM) and TransAlta Corporation (TransAlta) (TSX:TA) (NYSE:TAC) announced today that the two companies have entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) for Tidewater to construct a 120 km natural gas pipeline from its Brazeau River Complex (BRC) to TransAltas generating units at Sundance and Keephills. The pipeline is expected to cost approximately $150 million and is supported by a 15 year take or pay agreement with TransAlta. The pipeline will provide initial capacity of 130 MMcf/d by 2020, and have expansion capability to 340 MMcf/d, which represents approximately 50% of TransAltas gas requirements at full capacity of the generating units at Sundance and Keephills. Under the LOI, TransAlta has the option to invest up to 50% in the pipeline. Construction of the natural gas pipeline supports our strategy of being a low-cost provider of firm, clean and reliable energy, said Dawn Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta. In addition, having greater access to natural gas allows TransAlta to blend natural gas with the coal, prior to fully converting the units, allowing us to take advantage of low natural gas prices and reduce our carbon costs. Tidewater is excited to enter into a long term arrangement with TransAlta which is supported by a 15 year take or pay agreement that provides oil and gas producers throughout Western Canada with direct connectivity to a new, large demand source, said Joel MacLeod, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tidewater. This agreement with TransAlta enables Tidewater to transport production direct from the wellhead through Tidewaters extensive natural gas processing and storage infrastructure network direct to an end market. Proposed issuance of senior unsecured notes Tidewater intends to issue, subject to market and other conditions, a proposed private placement of senior unsecured notes (the Notes). Tidewater intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for a non-permanent repayment of indebtedness under Tidewaters existing credit facility, drawn to fund its various capital projects, and for general corporate purposes. The Notes will not be qualified for distribution to the public under the securities laws of any province or territory of Canada and may not be offered or sold in Canada, directly or indirectly, other than pursuant to applicable private placement exemptions. The Notes will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of such Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes in any jurisdiction. Deep Basin and Montney region acquisition Tidewaters previously announced acquisition of certain assets in the Deep Basin and Montney region for net cash consideration of $34 Million, subject to customary adjustments, has closed in escrow. Final closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory license transfer approvals and is expected to occur in December 2017. An immaterial portion of the assets is being held in escrow pending resolution of a right of first refusal challenge. Closing of credit facility increase Tidewater is pleased to announce that an increase to its credit facility has closed. Tidewaters banking syndicate increased this credit facility from $180 million to $250 million. Tidewater's Business Tidewater is traded on the TSX under the symbol TWM. Tidewaters business objective is to build a diversified midstream and infrastructure company in the North American natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) space. Its strategy is to profitably grow and create shareholder value through the acquisition and development of oil and gas infrastructure. Tidewater plans to achieve its business objective by providing customers with a full service, vertically integrated value chain through the acquisition and development of oil and gas infrastructure including: gas plants, pipelines, railcars, trucks, export terminals and storage facilities. Cautionary Notes Advisory Regarding Forward-Looking Statements In the interest of providing Tidewater's shareholders and potential investors with information regarding Tidewater, including management's assessment of Tidewater's future plans and operations, certain statements in this press release are 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 (collectively, forward-looking statements). In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, forecast, intend, may, objective, ongoing, outlook, potential, project, plan, should, target, would, will or similar words suggesting future outcomes, events or performance. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date thereof and are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Specifically, this press release contains forward-looking statements relating to but not limited to: plans to construct a 120 km natural gas pipeline from Tidewaters Brazeau River Complex to TransAltas Sundance and Keephills facility and expected costs of such project and associated take or pay agreement; expectations regarding initial capacity of the planned pipeline and expansion capability; TransAltas expected gas requirements; potential future investment in the pipeline project; a proposed offering of Notes by Tidewater; the timing and completion of the proposed offering of Notes, and the use of proceeds from the offering of Notes; the anticipated closing of the Deep Basin and Montney acquisition including timing thereof and regulatory approval of related licence transfers; and pending resolution of rights of first refusal in connection to the Deep Basin/Montney acquisition. These forward-looking statements are based on certain key assumptions including: legislative or regulatory developments, including as it pertains to the Alberta capacity market; the Federal and/or Provincial governments not implementing legislation or regulations facilitating the conversion from coal generation to gas generation; changes in economic and competitive conditions; inability to secure natural gas supply and the construction of a natural gas pipeline on terms satisfactory to Tidewater; Tidewaters ability to execute on its business plan; operating activities; general market and other conditions; the ability of Tidewater to market natural gas liquids to current and new customers; the timely receipt of required governmental and regulatory approvals; future natural gas liquids prices; laws and regulations continuing in effect (or, where changes are proposed, such changes being adopted as anticipated); royalty rates, taxes and capital, operating, general & administrative and other costs; general business, economic and market conditions; with respect to current and planned development projects, expansions, planned capital expenditures, completion dates and capacity expectations: that third parties will provide any necessary support; that any third-party projects relating to Tidewaters growth projects will be sanctioned and completed as expected; that any required commercial agreements can be negotiated and effected; that all required regulatory and environmental approvals can be obtained on the necessary terms and in a timely manner; that counterparties will comply with contracts in a timely manner; and that there are no unforeseen events preventing the performance of contracts or the completion of the relevant facilities; the ability of Tidewater to generate sufficient cash flow from operations and other sources to meet current and future obligations, including costs of anticipated projects and repayment of debt; the ability of Tidewater to obtain equipment, services, supplies and personnel in a timely manner and at an acceptable cost to carry out its activities; and anticipated timelines and budgets being met in respect of Tidewaters projects. Readers are cautioned that such assumptions, although considered reasonable by Tidewater at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors including but not limited to: risks related to regulatory approval; the ability of management to execute its business plan; risks inherent in Tidewaters marketing operations, including credit risk; fluctuations in crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas prices; health, safety and environmental risks; uncertainties as to the availability and cost of financing; the possibility that governmental policies or laws may change or governmental approvals may be delayed or withheld; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the availability and cost of labour and services; and other risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this document or in Tidewaters other filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The above summary of assumptions and risks related to forward-looking statements in this press release has been provided in order to provide shareholders and potential investors with a more complete perspective on Tidewater's current and future operations and such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. There is no representation by Tidewater that actual results achieved will be the same in whole or in part as those referenced in the forward-looking statements and Tidewater does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law. CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Natural disasters are happening everywhere. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and man-made perils have left many communities anxious and confused about their own emergency preparedness. In these unique guides, preparedness and recovery expert Leann Hackman-Carty shows you how to prepare your family, business, and community for a number of devastating scenarios. Gleaned from years of experience with disaster recovery organizations, her specialized insight will help you understand the different levels of disaster preparation and recovery. This year alone, we have seen devastating impacts of natural disasters in Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico City and Iran to name a few. Disaster recovery is not an individual effort. We need to have more conversations within our communities, businesses, and families, about the best way to keep everyone safe in the event of a major emergency, states Hackman-Carty. These informative, practical guidebooks provide readers with a foundation in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to help make the chaos more controllableand survivable. ABOUT THE GUIDEBOOKS The Master Your Disaster series of guidebooks includes a full version that incorporates modules for families, businesses, and communities. There are also individual versions of each module. In the guidebooks, Hackman-Carty discusses how to: understand the types and phases of a disaster, identify available resources at your home or office, assemble a basic disaster supply kit and emergency vehicle kit, know when to activate your plan and evacuate, keep your family and employees safe, develop a business continuity plan, create a disaster recovery plan for your community, effectively communicate with other businesses and organizations, use local, regional, and federal programs as resources, foster community economic resilience, and stop a natural disaster from catching you off guard. Hackman-Carty uses several real-world scenarios to help you visualize your own vulnerabilities and Stand APART. By following the steps of this simple acronym and Hackman-Cartys other insightful advice, you will learn how to assess risk, plan your response, activate the plan, recover successfully, and template your activity into an easy-to-follow format. No one knows what tomorrow holds, but Hackman-Cartys advice can help you prepare for the worst. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leann Hackman-Carty has spent nearly thirty years encouraging community economic development, business and economic recovery, and entrepreneurship. Her leadership was recognized on an international level when she was invited to participate in the US International Visitors Program with delegates from nineteen other countries. Hackman-Carty is currently CEO of Economic Developers Alberta, which works closely with the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington, DC. In 2014, she helped flooded communities in southern Alberta recover from disaster and develop better resilience. In 2016, she played an active role in Fort McMurrays post-wildfire business and economic recovery efforts. She also helped customize the IEDCs economic recovery and resiliency toolkit and training program for Canadian communities. Hackman-Carty holds bachelors degrees in political science/sociology and social work, and has earned certificates in both marketing and economic development. She has also received numerous awards for her work in economic development and recovery. CONTACT INFORMATION Master Your Disaster is now available in both print and Kindle version on www.amazon.com. For more information about the book, media interviews or speaking engagements contact: Leann Hackman-Carty Work: 1+403-214-2224 Mobile: 1+403-807-7746 Email: leann@hackmancarty.com URL: www.disasterguides.com JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More consumers will have the opportunity to enjoy a better way to shop for insurance, and three people will realize the American dream of business ownership as Brightway Insurance continues to expand across the country. On Monday, Dec. 11, Brightway will open three new stores, one of which will be the first to open in Tennessee. Were thrilled to partner with Erik Serio, Eric Seuffert and Rick Schaub to open three new stores, including our first location in Tennessee, said Brightway President, Talman Howard. Our business model evolves around helping our Store Owners achieve success and grow their business while providing world-class service to our customers. Erik Serio will open Brightway, The Serio Agency at 9307 Kingston Pike, Suite A in Knoxville, Tenn. For information, visit BrightwaySerio.com. Eric Seuffert will open Brightway, The Seuffert Agency at 900 SW Pine Island Road, Suite 103 in Cape Coral, Fla. For information, visit BrightwaySeuffert.com. Rick Schaub will open Brightway, The Schaub Agency at 7010 Sheldon Road, Suite 300 in Tampa, Fla. For information, visit BrightwaySchaub.com. Brightway Franchise Owners enjoy support in customer service, carrier relationships, marketing, accounting and technology, which frees up their time to focus on leveraging the broadest possible selection of insurance companies to meet each customers unique needs. As a result, Brightway agencies consistently outsell other agencies three-to-one.* Brightway franchisees make more than three times the income of individuals who are self-employed in other businesses. For top performers, the gap is six-fold. Whats more, having an insurance background is not a prerequisite to becoming a Franchise Owner with Brightway. In fact, 40 percent of the above-average performing Brightway Franchise Owners did not have prior insurance experience. Entrepreneurs who wish to learn more about business opportunities with Brightway should visit BrightwayDifference.com. About Brightway Insurance Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised independent stores throughout the country. With more than $493 million in annualized written premium, the company is one of the largest property and casualty agencies in the United States. Brightway began franchising operations in 2008 and has since grown to more than 700 people in 18 states serving customers in all 50 states. Forbes has recognized the company as Americas No. 1 Franchise to Buy. Additionally, the company was named a top franchise three years in a row by Entrepreneur magazine and one of the fastest-growing private companies in America nine consecutive years by Inc. 5000. People wishing to learn more about franchise ownership with Brightway may visit BrightwayDifference.com and find us on LinkedIn. Consumers seeking a better insurance buying experience may visit Brightway.com and find us on Facebook. Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/587dd5df-58c8-43b5-9a5f-c5b4a6386b1e Attachments: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c2f07037-fba1-41e9-9340-8abc75b5ae32 AbdurRakib wrote: Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies? (A) The birdlike dinosaurs have no living descendants. (B) There are no flightless dinosaur species that have the distinctive structural features shared by birds and birdlike dinosaurs. (C) There are no birdlike dinosaur fossils that are older than the bird fossils but have not yet been unearthed. (D) It could not have been the case that some birds were descended from one of the birdlike dinosaur species and other birds from another. (E) Birds cannot have been descended from dinosaur species with which the birds do not share the distinctive structural features. ID - CR03272 2017 New Question Show Spoiler Birds and Dinosaurs Step 1: Identify the Question The word assumption in the question stem indicates that this is a Find the Assumption question. Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument Birds desc from B-like dinos? C: Fossil = NO b/c B fossils older than B-like dino fossils The author concludes that a certain theory cannot be true. As evidence, the author states that there are bird fossils even older than the oldest birdlike dinosaur fossils found. So birds must be descended from something other than birdlike dinosaurs? Not necessarily. The author is assuming that the fact that older birdlike dinosaur fossils havent been found means that these fossils dont exist. Its possible that there were older birdlike dinosaurs but either their fossils havent been found yet or their bones didnt survive as fossils for some reason. Step 3: Pause and State the Goal On Assumption questions, the goal is to find something that the author must believe to be true in order to draw the conclusion. Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right (A) The authors argument does not assume anything about modern-day descendants of the birdlike dinosaurs. (B) The argument is confined to the possible connection between birds and birdlike dinosaurs. Flightless dinosaurs, another category, are not at issue in the argument. (C) CORRECT . The author does assume that there arent older fossils of the birdlike dinosaurs that just havent been found yet. Try the Negation Test: if there are birdlike dinosaur fossils that just havent been found yet, then the authors argument is ruined . (D) The authors argument does not assume that all birds descended from the same birdlike dinosaur species. The authors argument is open to the idea that there could have been multiple birdlike dinosaur species from which modern-day birds evolved. (E) The argument is confined to rebutting the idea that birds descended from certain birdlike dinosaur species. It does not address whether the birds could have been descended from other dinosaur species with different structural features. Argument Construction Situation Although birds have been said to be descended from birdlike dinosaurs, some bird fossils predate the earliest known birdlike dinosaur fossils. Reasoning What must be true in order for the premise that some bird fossils predate the earliest known birdlike dinosaur fossils to support the conclusion that birds are not descended from birdlike dinosaurs? The argument implicitly reasons that since the cited bird fossils predate the earliest known birdlike dinosaur fossils, they must be from birds that lived before the earliest birdlike dinosaurs, and which therefore could not have been descended from birdlike dinosaurs. This reasoning assumes that any birdlike dinosaurs that lived before the first birds would have left fossils that still exist. It also assumes that no undiscovered birdlike dinosaur fossils predate the cited bird fossils. (A) The argument is only about whether birds are descended from birdlike dinosaurs. Whether birdlike dinosaurs have any living descendants other than birds is irrelevant. (B) The argument is only about birds and birdlike dinosaurs. It is not about other types of dinosaurs that were not birdlike. (C) Correct . If any undiscovered birdlike dinosaur fossils predate the cited bird fossils, then the latter fossils' age does not support the conclusion that birds are not descended from birdlike dinosaurs. (D) The argument purports to establish that the relative ages of bird fossils and birdlike dinosaur fossils show that birds cannot be descended from any of the known birdlike dinosaur species. In doing this, it acknowledges multiple birdlike dinosaur species and leaves open the question of whether some birds may be descended from one such species and other birds from another such species. (E) The argument does not claim that the known fossil record shows that birds cannot be descended from dinosaurs. It only claims that the record shows that they cannot be descended from the birdlike dinosaurs that shared their distinctive structural features. GMAT 2017 Practice Question Question No.: CR 607 Page: 528 Birds have been said to be descended from certain birdlike dinosaur species with which they share distinctive structural features. The fossil record, however, shows that this cannot be so, since there are bird fossils that are much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been found.Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?(A) The birdlike dinosaurs have no living descendants.(B) There are no flightless dinosaur species that have the distinctive structural features shared by birds and birdlike dinosaurs.(C) There are no birdlike dinosaur fossils that are older than the bird fossils but have not yet been unearthed.(D) It could not have been the case that some birds were descended from one of the birdlike dinosaur species and other birds from another.(E) Birds cannot have been descended from dinosaur species with which the birds do not share the distinctive structural features.ID - CR032722017 New Question Solution Passage Analysis Birds have been said to be descended from certain birdlike dinosaur species Birds are believed to be the descendants of certain birdlike dinosaur species. with which they share distinctive structural features. The birds and those birdlike dinosaur species have common distinctive structural features. The fossil record, however, shows that this cannot be so, The fossil records show that the birds cannot have been descended from the birdlike dinosaur species. since there are bird fossils that are much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been found. And what does this fossil record show? Again a fact: The bird fossils that exist are dated much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been found. Conclusion: Pre-thinking Falsification Question Thought Process Falsification condition Assumption Answer Choice Analysis A B C D E The birds could not have been descended from birdlike dinosaur species because existing bird fossils are much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been found.In what scenario would it be possible for birds to have been descended from certain birdlike dinosaur species?Given that -> Birds are believed to be the descendants of certain birdlike dinosaur species-> The birds and those birdlike dinosaur species have common distinctive structural features-> The bird fossils that exist are dated much older than the earliest birdlike dinosaur fossils that have been foundLet us look at the authors reasoning. He starts with a general belief that birds are descendants of certain birdlike dinosaur species with the two having common structural features. Then he sets out to disprove it by using comparing the age of the existing fossils of both. The fossils of birds are found to be much older than the fossils of the birdlike dinosaur species. This proves the dinosaur species could not have preceded the birds. And this is how the author disproves the general belief.What if there could exist fossils of bird-like dinosaur species that are older than the bird fossils, but they have not been found yet?In that case, once such fossils are discovered, it will become possible to prove that the birds could have been descended from birdlike dinosaur species.Whatever fossils of bird-like dinosaur species that are older than the bird fossils that can exist have all been found and none remains to be further discovered.Does this option break down my conclusion? Even if there were descendants of the birdlike dinosaurs, the conclusion still holds true that birds were not the descendants of the dinosaurs as older bird fossils have been found.Hence, this is not the answer.In the argument we were concerned only with birds and the structural features they had in common with the birdlike dinosaur species. Bringing in flightless dinosaur species is irrelevant to the discussion.Hence, this is not the correct answer.This option means that no birdlike dinosaur fossils that are older than the bird fossils remains to be found.This is in line with our pre-thinking assumption. It clearly puts the reasoning in place. If there is a possibility of the discovery of birdlike dinosaur fossils that are older than the bird fossils, then our conclusion will break downHence, this is the correct answer.This option means that it is not possible that some birds descended from a particular dinosaur species and other birds descended from another dinosaur species.Let us negate this option to see if it breaks down my conclusion. Say some birds were descended from one of the birdlike dinosaur species and other birds from another. Does this weaken my conclusion? No. Because there are bird fossils that have been found and they are much older than the dinosaur fossils. And in the passage, we are talking about birds in general.Hence, this is not the correct answer choice.This choice says that it is not possible that birds descended from a species of dinosaur with which the birds did not have distinctive structural features in common.Again, this does not break down my conclusion. We do not know whether this dinosaur species with which the birds do not share distinctive structural features existed earlier or after the birdlike dinosaurs with which they shared features. If they existed earlier, then only my conclusion would break down but we do not know.Hence, this is not the correct answer choice._________________ vestdw wrote: Good Morning, I'm 28, married and living in Los Angeles. I am interested in strategy consulting or possibly healthcare consulting out of business school. I would like to set myself up in the best way possible for a career in the Southeast. My wife is finishing up her PhD in April in Biomedical Engineering, and will be looking for Post Docs and industry jobs as I am beginning school. She's originally from Florida, I am from Alabama. I recently visited Emory for the Welcome Weekend and I liked everyone I met. The school has a great brand in Atlanta and seems to place well into consulting. However, Darden was my number one choice when I applied and I love the fact that the program is so academically focused. I feel like the school's reputation could help me more in the long run. What do you think? I would say that Darden is more highly respected and has more high-caliber companies wanting to hire directly from Darden (Bain, McKinsey, Deloitte, etc).Emory is a good school, but in a job interview, someone coming from Emory against someone coming from Darden is going to have a tough battle.In the long run, I think the Darden MBA will hold more weight and will create more top quality opportunities (which is the end goal of an MBA). You may not immediately have any debt if you go to Emory, but if Darden opens the door to higher paying jobs anyway it becomes an NPV calculation, and therefore a no-brainer. Danee wrote: Hello, I am a 31 year Korean-American U.S. military veteran with seven years of service. I worked primarily as a legal specialist. Notable experiences during this time includes an 18-months deployment to Afghanistan and a humanitarian mission in Haiti during the 2010 earthquake. I also have some entrepreneurial experience as I co-founded an e-commerce business in 2014 that transitioned into a POS (Point-of-sales) program developer for local businesses. I am majoring in Health Services Administrations with two minors in Business Administration and Economics at Drexel University. I will graduate in June of 2019 with a 6-months co-op added in. The co-op takes away two terms, but it will be filled with two summer terms. I currently hold a 3.89 GPA with 101 credits and 79 more needed to graduate. Along with 12 military credits, I have been on an ambitious plan of study that will allow me to graduate one year earlier than the normal four years. Thanks to this schedule, I will have just about enough time left (16 months of class days not counting breaks) on my yellow ribbon/GI bill to help with the two years of MBA school. I have been studying about 90 minutes a day for about three weeks and plan to dedicate 6-7 hours a day (weekdays) during the month long winter break. I believe that this is a realistic study plan based on the fact that it will be a little easier than the max credit term with 90 minutes of GMAT studies. I have the 2017 , complete GMAT strategy guide set (Manhattan), and the Veritas prep app. I plan to take the GMAT this spring and apply to MBA programs starting next fall during my senior year when I will be on co-op. With the way my studies and practices have been progressing, I feel that a low to mid 700 is attainable. I haven't heard of any similar profiles with the particular being that I will be applying in my senior year of undergraduate program at my given age (32 at time of application). I've heard of a few undergrad military veterans that got accepted into Wharton in their senior year, but they were former special forces. I apologize for the number of TBD statuses, but I wanted to get an evaluation from a subject matter expert with the relative short time before application preparation goes into full swing. My career goal is in healthcare with two possible branch paths. One is working for Amazon as they are getting ready to enter into big pharma scene. Another option is consulting with a healthcare specialization. Given my unique strengths and weaknesses in my profile, will a low to mid 700 GMAT score give me a realistic chance at top 15 MBA programs that offer concentration in health management? Thank you very much. Nisha Trivedi mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant 35 positive reviews on GMATClub, 2020 Top 20 of admissions consultants across the industry per P&Q: https://poetsandquants.com/2020/08/26/best-mba-admission-consultants-of-2020/ 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 Signature Read More Hi there - Thank you for writing, and thank you for your service! I think lower/mid 700s is a good target for top MBA programs. Military experience is factored in as work experience (so you wouldn't be considered a "straight from college" applicant), and the leadership and teamwork skills you've built would be an asset to the program. In your resume, be sure to highlight your key achievements/impact in each role you held. Also, in your essays, be sure to explain your motivations for working in healthcare and how each program would help you reach your specific goals. Best of luck!_________________ DECATUR While city leaders approved a spending plan for 2018 that includes a $3.2 million deficit, it's likely they will amend it before the end of next year. The Decatur City Council voted 5-2 on Monday to approve the $67.9 million general fund budget, saying they planned to appeal to state lawmakers who were blamed for causing much of the gap. In passing a state budget for the first time in two years, lawmakers in July approved a 10 percent reduction in local governments' share of the state income tax and allowed the state to collect a 2 percent fee to manage local sales taxes. For Decatur, that means a loss of $1.4 million from last year. Here are four things to know about the city's budget and the path forward: Council has little appetite to raise taxes. One option that does not seem to be on the table to help offset the deficit is a tax increase, as several council members made clear Monday night that they had no interest in doing that. The council's last significant property tax increase came in 2015 after years of keeping the levy relatively flat. At that time, members raised the levy from $11.8 million to $13.5 million, a nearly 15 percent increase. In the past five years, the council has also increased water fees and added a storm water utility and local motor fuel tax, among other revenue streams, in an attempt to address deferred maintenance of Decatur's aging infrastructure. Speaking Monday, Councilwoman Dana Ray said residents already have enough to worry about taxes from the federal, state and other local governments. To have that conversation again, its the wrong message to send, Ray said. They're getting it from everywhere. ... I dont want it to be part of our discussions. Councilwoman Lisa Gregory agreed, saying she would not play any part in raising taxes again on residents. We are going to be a taxing body that is not going to go back to (residents) and ask them for increased taxes just so we can say that we balanced the budget, Gregory said. As Dr. Ray said, we did that two years ago, and I wont be doing it at all again. Councilman Pat McDaniel also indicated that he would not support any efforts to raise taxes "for the time being." The council is set to consider a property tax levy of $13.87 million, which is close to the 2017 levy. City staff estimate that the property tax rate would equal roughly $1.65 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. No residents spoke at a public hearing on the subject Monday night, and the levy is expected to be approved at the councils Dec. 18 meeting. Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said she doubted the majority of council could "stomach" the idea of increasing taxes. Barring an unexpected emergency situation, she said the council will have be creative about how to offset the deficit. 'Significant cuts' are likely next year, but there's a reason the council didn't make them yet. City Manager Tim Gleason said the idea behind the deficit budget was to prevent a "knee-jerk" reaction to the lack of state dollars. To balance the budget, the council would need to employ some combination of cuts to services and personnel and increases to taxes and fees. Doing those changes this month would have them take effect Jan. 1, but council members could then find themselves seeking to undo them if lawmakers take action. Theres an understanding on the council that "significant cuts" will have to occur down the road, Moore Wolfe said, and the deficit budget allows more time for both the council and the agencies that rely on city dollars to determine what direction to take going forward. I hate to do that right out of the box with organizations that depend on us for their very livelihood, Moore Wolfe said. To just give them a few weeks notice rather than six months or so to say, look, what can we do to increase revenue on our end? About two-thirds of the citys workforce is either in the police and fire departments, and Councilman Chuck Kuhle said during the meeting he would be not be comfortable voting for a budget that would lay off employees in those two departments. The two council members who voted against the budget, David Horn and Bill Faber, had different reasons for opposing the deficit budget. Faber mentioned several times that he felt the council was rushing to approve a budget and asked repeatedly to table the vote so they could see what a "balanced budget" would look like and how severe the cuts would need to be. I just feel that not only me, but our citizens would like to have an understanding for what that alternative might be, he said during the meeting. So they can understand what were doing, or why were doing what were doing. I dont think that understanding is out there. Horn, in explaining his no vote, cited a recent report from Moody's Investors Services that downgraded the city's credit rating from A1 to A2 with a "negative outlook" for improvement. Moody's said its rating was based on factors including the city's limited cash reserves, high debt, ongoing financial pressures and high pension costs, Moody's said Friday. Horn added that he saw little in the deficit budget that addressed the concerns raised by the Moodys report, and he said he was worried it would put the city in a weak financial position going forward. But Gregory and Moore Wolfe said that Moodys has downgraded other Illinois municipalities and colleges in the past year, in part because of the two-year-plus budget stalemate in Springfield. The deficit isn't all the state's fault. Council members on Monday repeatedly described the budget as a message to state lawmakers, but officials acknowledge that local factors also contribute to the $3.2 million deficit. Other deficit costs include $1.25 million in estimated back pay owed to Decatur police, who have worked without a union contract for more than a year. A combination of declining receipts from local revenue like the sales tax, cable tax, and the hotel tax, plus a 1.5 percent increase in the cost of the existing services has put the city another $500,000 in the red. Assuming the state does approve plans that would return some money to municipalities, Gleason said the existing deficit could be covered through options such as tapping into the citys cash reserves. Council members rejected some fee increase proposals, but more could be coming. Discussions on how the city can offset the deficit are expected to continue well into the coming year. Gleason said city staff would monitor statehouse action closely, but would likely have a better idea in late spring about what state lawmakers will do and return to the council with recommendations at that time. Horn brought several alternate ideas for revenue to the table at Monday's meeting, recommending three amendments that he said would help to balance the budget. One would have increased the city's utility tax, but Horn pulled that amendment after Gleason was unable to tell him whether the increase would be offset by decreased costs for residents through a new electrical aggregation contract. A measure to cut $1.6 million in discretionary expenses died after no council members supported a motion to discuss it. Another amendment would have increased the video gaming terminal fees from $250 to $1,250, among other license fee increases. It was voted down, with only support from Horn and Faber, but council members objections were more about the timing of Horns proposal rather than the idea of it. I would consider this down the road, maybe, said Councilman Chuck Kuhle. But to just hear it right now, I dont have enough time to absorb everything (Horn said). Fee changes are a way the city can look at ways to save money, said Moore Wolfe. Previous items brought before the council for reductions or elimination includes $70,000 for the security and clean-up of the Decatur Celebration, $71,000 to the Senior Center, and $7,000 to the Sister City Program. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu has set a precedent while disqualifying former Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav from the Upper House. By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, has set a precedent while disqualifying former Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav from the Upper House. Naidu has taken approximately three months to decide the case. While the JD(U) petition demanding Sharad Yadav's disqualification was filed before him on September 2, the vice-president's order came on December 4. advertisement Earlier, such cases would keep pending for years together. However, Naidu has altered that. In his order disqualifying Sharad Yadav from the Rajya Sabha, Naidu said, "There has been widespread criticism of some presiding officers, who did not take a decision on the disqualification petitions, under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, within reasonable time." "It has been noticed that the Supreme Court also expressed its concern about the unnecessary delay in deciding these petitions by the presiding officers of the legislatures." The vice-president cited a couple of cases and said the courts have expressed concern about the unnecessary delay in deciding such petitions. Naidu said, "I am of the considered opinion that such petitions which go to the root of the democratic functioning and which raise the question, whether a particular legislator is entitled to sit in the legislature or not, should not be kept pending and dragged on by the presiding officers, with a view to save the membership of the persons, who have otherwise incurred disqualification or even to save the government, which enjoys majority only because of such type of persons. "I am of the view that all such petitions should be decided by the presiding officers within a period of around three months, of course, by giving an opportunity, as per law, to the concerned members against whom there are allegations, which lead to their disqualification under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, so as to effectively thwart the evil of political defections, which if left uncurbed are likely to undermine the very foundations of our democracy and the principles which sustain it," he added. He said that the very fact that only seven days time has been allowed in the sub-rule (3) of Rule 7 of the Rules to the respondent to furnish his comments on a disqualification petition filed against him is clearly indicative of the intent of the Rule for expeditious disposal of disqualification petition. On perusal of the records of the previous cases, Naidu observed that the procedural requirements of the Committee of Privileges often entail a longer time frame for conduct of preliminary inquiry and preparation and submission of final report, ultimately causing a delay in the proceedings and determination of the final question, which is against the very grain and object of the Tenth Schedule. advertisement "This also tantamount to subverting the essence of the Anti-Defection Law, namely, to curb the menace of defection, by allowing a member to continue his membership without facing the consequences of defection," he said. TIMELINE September 2: Leader of JD(U) in Rajya Sabha RCP Singh files a petition against Sharad Yadav. September 11: Naidu's office forwards Singh's petition along with all annexures to Sharad Yadav with the request to furnish his comments in writing within seven days of the receipt of the same. September 15 and 18: Sharad Yadav writes two letters seeking extension of one month's time for replying. September 18: Rajya Sabha Secretariat grants extension of time to Sharad Yadav till the September 25. September 22: Sharad Yadav furnishes his comments. October 7: Sharad Yadav's comments are forwarded to RCP Singh for his reply within seven days of receipt of the same. October 11: Sharad Yadav requests a personal hearing. October 13: RCP Singh replies reiterating the facts already stated in his petition. October 18: Rajya Sabha Secretariat issues notice to Sharad Yadav, forwards RCP Singh's reply to him, allows personal hearing on October 30. October 23: Sharad Yadav seeks extension of eight weeks' time for appearing for the oral hearing citing engagements relating to the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. advertisement October 24: Naidu grants one week's extension to Sharad Yadav and directs him to appear in person November 8. November 4: Sharad Yadav requests Naidu to allow him to appear for the oral hearing accompanied by two advocates - Kapil Sibal and Devadatt Kamat. November 7: Sharad Yadav sends another letter requesting to allow four more advocates - Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha, Javedur Rahman, Rajesh Inamdar and Aditya Bhatt. November 7: Naidu rejects Sharad Yadav's request for advocates. November 8: Sharad Yadav appears in person before Naidu. December 4: Naidu orders disqualification of Sharad Yadav. --- ENDS --- LINCOLN As a youth growing up on the north side of Lincoln, Bill Gossett spent a lot of time in the Lincoln Depot. I had a paper route for The Pantagraph, he said. At 4:30 or 5 in the morning, the train would bring the papers south from Bloomington. The paper carriers would unload them off of the baggage car, fold them, and deliver them. Gossett, now 94, was among an estimated 200 people who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate renovations to the station in downtown Lincoln. The depot was built in 1911. I spent a lot of time here as a youth and had some great laughs in here, he said. "It's beautiful. It really looks great." The $4.04 million remodeled facility is part of a multiyear project that showcases restored windows, doors and the original ticket counter with a scale once used to weigh luggage. New features include free Wi-Fi, a climate-controlled waiting room with interior seating, and parking for both vehicles and bikes. The waiting area replaces a passenger shelter to the north that served Amtraks Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle. As a child, Mayor Seth Goodman also remembers going to the depot, which by then had been turned into a restaurant. Most of the building at 101 N. Chicago St. was closed to the public in 1972, but was sold and renovated in 1977 and named The Depot restaurant. The restaurant and catering hall was last known as McCartys at the Depot, closing in 2013. We would sit in the train car and eat our dinner, Goodman said. It was dark and it was cool, but it is nothing like it is today. It has changed quite a bit. Two old Illinois Central Railroad passenger cars and two cabooses were removed from the property in 2015. The north freight building was renovated as the passenger rail station for Amtrak patrons. To see this completed is fantastic and it is great for Lincoln and the downtown district, Goodman said. It means a lot to people and it shows, because so many people showed up. Im actually shocked to see this many here, but I am thrilled at the same time. In addition to the renovation of the freight building, everything else is new, including the parking lots, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. The shelter sits on a platform near where Abraham Lincoln christened the city in 1853. Most of the funding for the Lincoln project came from a federal grant administered by IDOT to introduce better performance and higher speeds on the Union Pacific Railroad between Chicago and St. Louis. City officials have been working with Illinois Department of Transportation officials for several years on the project, including former Mayor Keith Snyder, who began working with transportation officials in 2011. This is something very, very special, IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said. It is a major milestone for the state because this is the fourth station to re-open, following Dwight, Pontiac and Alton. Approximately 22,000 visitors per year will use this station and I think when they walk in, they will see history. They will see what was and what is. I think that is what we all tried to do as a part of this project. Carrie Desmond, an engineer with WSP USA of New York, led the design team that developed the renovations. I remember meeting with residents who told stories of their children being married here, she said. There were others that promised that building a platform would cause havoc in the downtown area. We worked through all of those and I am so proud of what this team has accomplished. We have done something truly great here. It is a once-in-a-century opportunity. Ah, the giving season is upon us - the best time of the year to be an American. According to Giving USA 2017: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2016, American giving rose to $390 billion last year - a 3 percent increase over the prior year. Americans give around 3 percent of our collective income to charity - more than the citizens of any other country. Better yet, these are individual Americans, not the government, who are generating the lion's share of the contributions. According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the vast majority of U.S. citizens donate to charity - and 91 percent of high net-worth households do. Though most of the contributions come in small amounts, the average household contribution equals $2,520 - no small amount of generosity. Giving USA says individual Americans gave an estimated $281.86 billion in 2016 - an increase of 3.9 percent over the prior year. Individual giving accounted for 72 percent of all charitable giving in 2016. The balance of giving, some 28 percent, came from foundations ($59.28 billion), bequests ($30.36 billion) and corporations ($18.55 billion). In 2016, the United States government gave about $40 billion in foreign aid to more than 100 countries - only about 10 percent of what our individuals and private organizations gave. The fact is America is the most generous country on Earth, and most of the giving is coming from individuals sharing their hard-earned dough. According to a 2006 report by journalist John Stossel, Americans give 3 1/2 times more, per capita, than the French, 7 times more than the Germans and 14 times more than the Italians. Though not all Americans are as generous as they could be. One might assume that the more liberal folks in America -- folks who voice their concerns about the poor -- would be more likely to donate to charitable causes. But that turns out to be a myth. Stossel set up a Salvation Army bucket in two places: Sioux Falls, S.D., and San Francisco, Calif. San Francisco has a lot more dough and a lot of people who classify themselves as politically liberal; only 14 percent of the people who live there attend church. Sioux Falls is a rural, middle-class community in which half the folks are churchgoers. So which city gave more? The Sioux Falls folks won hands down. Stossel pointed out that the simple reason why is that liberal folks tend to believe the government should take care of the poor, whereas more religious folks tend to be big believers in giving their own time and money to help a variety of charitable causes. Stossel found, in fact, that almost all the people who donated to the Salvation Army in Sioux Falls were churchgoers. And that churchgoers are four times more likely to give to charity than those who are not. Another interesting finding was that the people who give the most, as a percentage of their wealth, aren't the richest Americans or even middle-class Americans -- they're the folks on the lower end of the economic scale. They give almost 30 percent more of their income than anybody else. In any event, the holiday season is upon us, and it is the favorite time of the year for Americans to give to individuals and to the charities of our choice. Bolstered #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that now falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, the giving season is off to a great start. On #GivingTuesday, more than 2.5 million individuals donated $274 million -- $100 more than last year. As I said, it's the giving season, the best time of the year to be an American. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Sibal in response to PM Modi's comment said that the prime minister made comments without knowing the facts. By India Today Web Desk: After Prime Minister Narenrdra Modi targeted senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal for seeking deferment of the Ayodhya case in the Supreme Court till the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the former Union minister has spoken up. Sibal in his response said that the prime minister made comments without knowing the facts. Incidentally, the prime minister had also slammed the Congress for linking the issue with the upcoming Assembly elections. advertisement Sibal said that the claims made by PM that he represented the Sunni Waqf Board was baseless. "I was never a Sunni Waqf Board lawyer," said Sibal. The Congress leader also added that the Ram temple will be built when God wishes it. He said that the temple will not be build following PM's statements as the matter is still with the court. "Will discussion on my going to the court and representing someone solve serious problems in the country? If yes, then PM should say so. Issuing statements won't help India in anyway, it'll just take the nation towards controversies," said Sibal. Sibal asked the Prime Minister to address the concerns of India, and not to divide the people of the country. "You may win perhaps in your mind, but you will lose badly and India will lose if you only care about yourself and not India," said Sibal. ALSO WATCH | Waqf land grab exposed: How custodians of faith turned into land sharks --- ENDS --- Kolkata, Dec 06 (IBS) In November, 2000, ArtValley was the name given to an international conference , ArtValley-The Marketplaces of Art, held at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy. Seventeen years down the line the venture is known for creating an amenable platform where art, technology, culture and enterprise shook hands with a big focus on the booming economy that is India. ArtValley, which is exploring the combinations of smart technologies, planning, building, transport, and other utilities in a science they call Citymatics, is keen to be part of the ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Earlier this year in June, ArtValley was a collaborator in the India-Italy Transport and Railways Intelligence Market-place on the occasion of the International Conference India-Italy. Industry and intellectual exchange in Verona, Italy. Inspired by the Silicon valley project, the ideators behind the project formalized their venture as ArtValley. At the forefront of ArtValley are two principal faces-Professor Francesca Bruni , President ArtValley and Professor Alberto Cavicchiolo, Director ArtValley. "Initially ArtValley steered its operations to build crossroads between new technology with banking sector and the art world," said the duo during their recent visit to eastern city Kolkata when ArtValley played co organizers along with Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC) in a programme where Dubai-Kolkata corridor chapter conducted its first road show. "It brought into focus new technologies dedicated to art and brought in digitization of old images that had historical significance specially pertaining to Italian and European art," they said. ArtValley gathered the first art portal and channeled their activities in intellectual and cultural capital, a flourishing sector that had promise of inviting participation and interest from startups and entrepreneurs. Since then it has gone on to host and organize several international forums and corridors for promotion of business, networking and exchange platforms between interested nations. By identifying the geopolitical significance of a particular place it invests its activity in being business ambassadors by linking people and countries. ArtValley is focused on sharing content and publishing knowledge on intelligent technologies, innovative designs and materials as well as fund raising towards restoration for sponsorship and the publicity associated with art appreciation. ArtValley promoted the publishing of the book-A great Italian master in Asia by Vittorio Volpi as part of Forum Valignano program. In Italy according to evaluation by UNESCO,ArtValley is working towards art and antiquities, giving it a kind of positive accreditation for an international audience. In our first art congress, we invited entrepreneurs, contemporary art traders, auction houses like Christys and Sothebys who were going digital . Our main intention was to finance art and culture. In Italy the banking foundation has done immensely towards funding restoration of architectural heritage, said Prof. Cavichhiolo, Director, ArtValley. In 2014-2015 another ArtValley venture took shape ,when it launched an extended Mission in the MENA (Middle East-North Africa) area ,where it explored launching of initiatives that involved smart technologies, planning, building, transport in an integrated science named Citymatics which is defined as an undertaking meant to operate around intelligent cities and targeted projects, exploring the science of different layers of urban life through publications, informative press meets and business seminars. In collaboration with Government of Bahrain ArtValley also contributed towards a heritage project and played a contributory and commendable role in the impressive restoration of Old City of Manama. With some countries of the Arab League ArtValley has worked towards an effective plan of experiential exchange, involving universities, foundations, academies, minorities, clubs and cultural movements. India, being a cultural giant always interested the researchers in us," said Professor Francesca Bruni, President, ArtValley. "We began our activity almost two decades back as we began our study tracing and following the route of first settlers in India .Our formal operations began around five years back after making sufficient journeys back and forth to assess viability of our work here. Our interest ranges through diverse sectors since India is a forerunner in being one of the largest world economy with its rapid rate of growth in infrastructure, transport facilities, investments,digitization and start up activities, she added. India was the focus at Forum Valignano 2016 where it was hailed as the next big destination for world business in general. Its Indias moment. With the economy growing at a rate of over 7% the most significant result in the worlds major countries, India has become the locomotive of Asia. Rapidly growing foreign investment, which have exceeded China and the United States, while the Modi government is playing its top cards with the 'Make in India' campaign in order to attract new manufacturing capacity and expand the market, the forum stated. ArtValley recently started its newly launched initiative in West Bengal which is like a gateway to the eastern region of the country. ArtValley also has initiated talks on projects in Odisha .With interests in metallurgy and endeavours to make digitization available across diverse platforms in India ArtValley wishes to showcase Italian experience in field of intelligent mobility on an international level, through educational instruments, create a network of relationships for exportation with key people , create communication modules for business diplomacy through design and services. In October 2017 ArtValley played co organizers along with Dubai Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC) in a programme in Kolkata where Dubai-Kolkata corridor chapter had its first road show to discuss and initiate communication and business links between the two important regions which had immense promise for trade ties. Coming from a background in psychology my interests in Italy - India ties is far more than mere surface level as I feel I need to contribute towards a revolution , much like a renaissance, in the way we live and link business and cultural bonds. stated Professor Cavichhiolo. The situation is reaching a new adverse development with the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and a number of GPC [General Peoples Congress] leaders, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, told a closed session of the UN Security Council Tuesday. These events will constitute a considerable change to the political dynamics in Yemen, he added. Briefing alongside Cheikh Ahmed was the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, who underscored that the humanitarian situation in the country remains severe, with millions on the cusp of the largest famine in modern times. Intense fighting including airstrikes and rocket attacks have devastated the country and brought incredible hardships on its people. Over 17 million Yemenis (close to two-thirds of the population) is food insecure while a staggering 8.5 million people are on the brink of starvation. In all, close to 21 million people across Yemen are in need of humanitarian or protection support. The violence has also devastated basic services in the country, all but destroyed its water and sanitation system, and sparked a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed thousands of innocent lives including children. Making matters much worse is that aid workers are not able to carry out their vital mission to save lives due to the scale of fighting and insecurity. Overnight, 25 air strikes had targeted the Republican Palace, bridges and civilian infrastructure in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, forcing humanitarian agencies, including the UN, the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations into a lockdown. Against this backdrop, the top UN relief official in the country, Jamie McGoldrick, had appealed Monday for a humanitarian pause on Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 16:00 PM (Yemen time) to allow desperate civilians reach assistance and safety as well as for aid workers to reach them. Speaking via telephone, from Sanaa, to journalists at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday on his request for a pause in fighting, McGoldrick expressed that while he does not expect full compliance by all the parties, he hoped for some respite in the fighting to allow civilians to access supplies and medical care. The hallmark of the crisis, he noted has been the general disregard for international humanitarian law. The UN and reiterated, time and again, reiterated the obligation of the parties to the conflict to ensure civilians are protected, and health and aid workers, and civilian infrastructure not be subjected to attacks. Photo: WFP Source: www.justearthnews.com Karachi, Dec 6 (IBNS): Unidentified attackers murdered a girl with a sharp-edged object during an incident of robbery in Karachis Saudabad area on Tuesday, media reports said on Wednesday. "Two robbers entered into the house of resident and killed the younger girl, Alveena, upon resistance," Geo News reported. The robbers reportedly took cash, jewelry and valuables from the house. Police have started investigation into the matter. The panel was chaired by FOFI chair Gerald Deprez. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told MEPs: The EU can play a positive role in peace and stability in the Middle East. Here are some concrete steps that must be taken: Hold the Iranian regime accountable for its crimes against the people of Iran and particularly for the massacre in 1988. Condition all trade and commercial relations with the regime on end to executions in Iran. Demand immediate expulsion of the IRGC and its proxies from Syria and other countries in the region, otherwise they should face severe consequences. Demand immediate halt to the regimes ballistic missile program, otherwise impose severe sanctions on the regimes oil exports and access to international banking system. The regimes ballistic missile program is not to defend Iran. It is against the people of Iran and designed to create crisis in the region. Failing to deal decisively with the religious fascism ruling Iran will impose a deadly war on the region and the world. This is the last chance for Europe to adopt the right policy vis-a-vis the clerical regime. The mullahs regime needs Europe for its survival. Human Rights Polish MEP Anna Elzbieta Fotyga said: Why do we avoid straight words on the human rights situation in Iran in our human rights reports? We have to return to a single set of values trying to avoid hypocrisy. Ryszard Czarnecki, vice-president of the European Parliament, and Belgian MEP Mark Demesmaeker noted that they were disappointed by the close relationship between EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and the Iranian Regime, with Demesmaeker branding her obsessed. Since Hassan Rouhani took office, more than 3,500 people have been executed by the Regime, including 18 whilst an EU delegation visited there last month. Anthea McIntyre MEP said that it is unacceptable that some EU politicians act as a proto lobby for the Iranian Regime rather than represents their citizens who are dedicated to human rights. She said: Defeating Islamic fundamentalism begins with women rights and human rights. If we could see a democratically elected Maryam Rajavi in charge of Iran we could defeat Islamic fundamentalism. Massacre In 1988, the Iranian Regime slaughtered 30,000 political prisoners and have never been held to account. In fact, many of those who served on the death commissions still hold high-ranking positions in the Regime, like the current Justice Minister who is on an EU watchlist. Deprez stressed the importance of condemning the Regime for its crimes, both past and present, noting that the faces may change but the Regime remains the same. Terrorism The Iranian Regime is the godfather of fundamentalism according to Stevenson, but he said that just as the fall of the Soviet Union brought the collapse of communism, the overthrow of the mullahs regime will bring an end to Islamic fundamentalist groups.